Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Steps Of Courage ❯ Final Straw ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply. Always.

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Chapter 13

Pink and orange hues raced across the blue sky, illuminating it as the sun sank down past the horizon, kissing the dusty Tokyo streets lightly as its golden rays faded from view.

Naruku and Kaoru lay sprawled on the porch, each reaching for a piece of ohagi every so often.

“This is nice,” Kaoru mused. “When was the last time you were this relaxed? No one around the dojo to bother us. No Yahiko bickering with me, no Sano making rude remarks or Megumi coming on to all the males in the vicinity.”

Naruku sighed contentedly. She loved each and every one of her friends, but Kaoru was right, it was nice to have a night away from them.

Yahiko was at the Akabeko of all places, supposedly asking Tsubame for an evening stroll if Kaoru’s assumptions proved to be true.

Kenshin had invited himself over to Sano’s place after dinner had concluded, and neither Enizu nor Megumi had come to the dojo at all that day.

Naruku rolled over to the basket of warm ohagi and picked one up. She sat back on her elbows and nibbled on the snack thoughtfully.

Yes, she decided, this defiantly is nice.

Kenshin sat on the row-house roof, propping himself up with his hands. And gazing up at the patterns the stars made in the sky. A soft thud next to him jerked his gaze back down to Earth.

Sano plunked himself next to Kenshin. “So,” he prompted, brushing off his dusty, calloused hands. “Anything in particular you want me to play therapist to?”

Kenshin gave him a half-exasperated glance. “I’m a little worried,” he answered.

“Oh yeah? What about?” Sano spit the fishbone out of his mouth. It jangled down the roof and fell to the soft dirt below them. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “’zis have anything to do with that asshole? Enizu?”

Kenshin raised his eyebrows; Sano was surprisingly perceptive. “You could say that.”

“Oh good,” Sano said, surprising Kenshin yet again. “I’d love to rant about that guy.”

Kenshin was strongly reminded of Sano’s passionate tirade about Saito.

The two of them sat quietly for a few more moments, each gathering their thoughts, not knowing where to start.

“It also has to do with Naruku-dono,” Kenshin supplied. “Do you think there is something going on between the two of them?”

“What do you mean ‘do I think?’ Of course there is!” Sano cried. “I mean he stares at her in that possessive way like she’s some courtesan he has for the night! Plus you can tell he’s threatened by everyone else in her life, not to mention how he addresses her as his koishii…”

Kenshin blinked, waiting for Sano’s steam to peter out. “That was not the focus of my question,” Kenshin said when Sanosuke was through. “I meant…do you notice a change in Naruku-dono when he’s around?”

Sano contemplated for a moment, and finally answered, “I don’t know. I have so much negative energy directed at Enizu, that I don’t really notice anyone else’s reaction to him.” He paused and spoke again, “Yeah. Yeah, I guess. She seems a bit…tense,” he hesitantly spoke those words, unsure if that was how he would truly describe it.

Kenshin turned his gaze back onto the inky sky. Naruku definitely showed signs of stress around Enizu. He noticed that she had laughed and smiled much less after Enizu arrived into their lives. The only time he truly saw her carefree side, which he had taken for granted back before Enizu, was when she was training. That was the only time she really had no worries.

“Even before I had met Enizu, I thought him a coward,” Kenshin admitted. “One who would give up contact from a sweet and innocent girl...he did not even try to find her in Tokyo, for fear of endangering himself…He could not have been a good man.”

“Do you think?” Sano said, half-sarcastic. “He did end up showing up here, though, for what good it did. Which was making sure Koneko got kidnapped and drugged.” He scowled. “I wonder why, though. I mean, why he all of the sudden showed up.”

Kenshin shook his head. He didn’t know any more than Sano did.

“I wish he would leave, though,” Sano continued. “Alone.”

Kenshin looked away at that comment. “Enizu will not leave without Naruku-dono.”

Sano shrugged. “Maybe. Of course he’ll steal her away if you let him.”

“Nani?”

He shrugged again. “It really is up to you. And whether or not you’re ready to let some idiot make sure we never see Koneko again.”

“Me?” Kenshin repeated. “If it came to that…”

“I know what you are going to say,” Sano cut in, before Kenshin could finish his thought. “That it’s truly Naruku’s choice and if she wants to stay, she will, and if she wants to leave, she will. But it’s not really that simple, and you know it. And you say you’d stand back, let her choose, but you know that’s not true. For whatever reason, you won’t let Naruku go, especially not with Enizu.”

Faintly, Kenshin wondered how their conversation could have changed tracks to drastically. It hadn’t been about Kenshin to begin with. Or maybe it had. He shook his head, freeing himself of conflicting thoughts.

“If it’s bothering you so much, don’t talk to me. Talk to Enizu.” Sano got up and plopped down to the ground. “Oh, and Kenshin,” he added, turning back to his brooding friend. “I know everything you won’t admit.” And with that he turned inside.

Kenshin was very much bemused by Sano’s particular comment, but decided to follow his younger friend’s advice. It was bothering him that much. He would talk to Enizu. He could hardly stand to live another day without knowing exactly what was going on.

Kenshin hadn’t counted on finding out so easily.

Kaoru needed a night to herself.

“You guys are on your own for dinner!” she cried into the dojo, after a particularly grueling practice. “I’m going out!”

Kenshin blinked at her politely. “Are you going out with someone?”

“No,” she turned to him. “I’m just doing this for me.”

From the porch, Naruku admired Kaoru’s spontaneous actions. She volunteered to make them all dinner and set out to do that.

Yahiko and Kenshin, though he wouldn’t admit it, were thankful for a break from Kaoru’s burnt food, but the three of them couldn’t help thinking the flood was somewhat lacking in its spicy flavor that it usually had when Naruku cooked.

“I’m going to the Akabeko,” Yahiko said, wiping his mouth quickly as he polished off the last of his meal.

“Again?” Naruku questioned.

“Hey, I have a job there. Sort of,” he added in an undertone.

“Fine. Actually Kenshin, I’ve got to be going too,” Naruku told the red-haired man. “We’ve run out of tofu.”

“That’s all right Naruku-dono, you don’t have to trouble yourself, I can get us the tofu,” Kenshin offered.

Naruku smiled. “Thanks, but I can do it. You’re stuck with dishes.” She and Yahiko dashed out of the dojo before Kenshin could complain, not that they actually expected him too.

Yahiko and Naruku set out together. It wasn’t until they were right outside the Akabeko doors that they knew something was amiss.

Naruku paused at the entrance and strained her hearing.

“Damn—bitch!” A muffled roar was heard from inside.

A collective gasp and then it was eerily quiet. Naruku and Yahiko exchanged distressed looks, and together they burst through the door.

“Hey!” Naruku shouted at the top of her voice. “What’s going on here?”

Yahiko’s eyes nimbly searched the room. His eyes fell on the brunette waitress in the corner. Several concerned customers had their hands clamped onto Tsubame’s arms, supporting her.

“Tsubame!” Yahiko cried, running to her.

“Yahiko,” she sighed in relief. As he neared he noticed a harsh red mark on her cheek, which made him more alarmed.

He whirled around, searching the faces of all the other occupants of the restaurant. He spotted who were clearly the troublemakers, several gruff-looking men, their cheeks flushed with drunkenness.

Naruku darted to his side as he advanced on them.

“Heh…” a particularly large man grunted. He spit on the floor and scrutinized them. Yahiko and Naruku both were much less than threatening, even as Yahiko’s eyes burned with fierce determination.

“Yahiko-chan!” Tae cried from where she was pressed against the wall.

“What’s going on here?” Naruku asked again, her voice shrill.

Tae scrambled over her words to explain, but before she could get one coherent thought out, their opponent answered. “This little bitch was trying to throw us out,” he snarled, motioning towards Tsubame, who’s face became considerably paler.

The speaker soon regretted his words. Yahiko hurled himself at his opponent, shinai raised high. Startled, Naruku followed suit.

Onlookers watched in surprise as one short, brown-haired kid proceeded to take down six or seven stout scalawags, with help from an undersized girl.

For the most part, Naruku worked on the outskirts of the fight, not wanting to get in the way of Yahiko’s temper and his opponent.

“If Tsubame-chan told you to leave, you should have left!” Naruku cried, clearly frustrated with the state of things.

Several minutes of scuffling and beatings, Yahiko and Naruku emerged, breathing roughly and back-to-back.

“That’s all of them?”

“Yup,” Naruku answered.

“Yahiko!” Tsubame cried, still very much overwhelmed. She rushed to her protector and flung her arms around his neck.

Naruku politely stepped away from the two of them, and turned her head to hide her chuckle.

Yahiko was positively red at Tsubame’s particular actions, but he awkwardly patted the young waitress’s back as she squeezed him.

Half smiling, Tae walked over to Naruku and handed her a bucket of tofu. “You dropped yours.”

Naruku gladly accepted it.

“Honestly, we get so many ruffians around here, I’m not sure what we’d do with out y’all.”

Naruku blushed and struck an offensive stance. “Hey, it’s what we do best.” She flashed a grin and made her way out the door.

The cool night air chilled her, but it felt nice against her skin, damp with sweat. She glanced down the road she had come, and then the one that led further into town. She closed her eyes and shrugged to herself.

“Kenshin won’t get too worried,” she assured herself. There had been a looming feeling in her stomach the whole night, like a shadow slowly passing over her. Even her adrenaline rush from the fight hadn’t calmed her nerves. Again she shrugged and headed further into town.

The streets were quiet, but alive with light and faint sound of laughter. It was just like any evening, and soon everyone would be going back to their houses for a night of deep sleep and dreaming.

She nearly passed the sign when she reached it. It was crooked, and the dull wood blended into the darkness.

Shuesai, the black, peeling paint read. She stared up at the sign, illuminated by silver moonlight. Then she took a breath and pushed open the door.

Her sandals clapped onto the harsh wooden floor as she ambled to the front desk.

“Hello,” the innkeeper croaked, not even looking up.

“H-hi,” Naruku answered. She was inexplicably nervous, dancing on her toes in anxiety. “Is um…Enizu here?”

The innkeeper looked up and lowered her thick glasses. “No, he stepped out a while ago.”

“Oh,” Naruku fell silent. All nervous sweat had been washed away and was replaced with ice. “Are…are you sure?”

The innkeeper glared at her. “Yes. I’m sure,” she answered, clipping her vowels.

Naruku knew it was her time to get out of there. “All right then. Goodnight.” It felt so odd to turn and walk out of the dusty old inn--figuratively--empty handed.

She sighed and walked back along the path, closing her eyes to calm herself. He’s just stepped out, is all, she reminded herself. Enizu’s probably—at a meeting with his few trustworthy employees. The lie was so blatant, it flashed bright orange in Naruku’s mind.

She quickened her pace, and finally broke out into a run. Then she stopped. She was being stupid. She dragged her feet, walking at a much more sluggish pace. She passed the Akabeko again, and her eyes darted about warily.

Again she quickened her pace, and this time she kept running. She skidded around a bend and up the side of the riverbed. The tofu bin sloshed in her grip but she didn’t care.

He’s in the garden.

She kicked open the dojo gate and skidded inside. Without pausing to regain balance, she rushed up the porch, her eyes scanning desperately.

He’s gone to bed early.

“Kenshin!” she hollered, trying to ward off the fear that was cracking her voice.

He’s taking a bath.

“Kenshin I have the tofu!” her voice was high-pitched and desperate. The fear was no longer ebbing; it had long since coated her mind.

He’s…he’s…

Naruku reached the drill hall and threw open the sliding door. Her voice died in her throat as she peered into the dark drill hall. The tofu bin clattered ominously to the ground.