Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Time Changes All ❯ Kendo Practice ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, so please don't sue. Even if you tried you wouldn't get much, I'm really REALLY broke ;-;

". . ." dialogue

`. . .' Kaoru's thoughts

(. . .) authors useless commentary

Kendo Practice

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

Gym was the last class of the day and everyone was getting changed to go home or heading for their clubs. "We're lucky that we don't have to shower after gym class because kendo is right afterwards. I am not willing to take three showers a day!" Misao said as she tied was putting on her white gi and dark blue hakama.

"Yeah, I guess we're lucky this year with our schedule. . .I wonder if Saitoh Sensei is going to back up his threat he made in class." Kaoru replied while waiting for Misao to finish changing.

"Why did you have to remind me Kaoru~?! Now I dread going to class. . . do you think it's too late to run?"

Kaoru looked down at her friend and shook her head as she pulled to reluctant shorter girl out of the locker room. The mats were already laid out by first year students, and across the mat stood Sano talking to Aoshi and Kenshin. "Cheer up Misao, look over there. . . there is your beloved Aoshi."

At that Misao looked up from the floor and her face lit up and a trail of smoke could be seen from where she once stood to the place she now stood next to Aoshi. `That girl can run 15 meters in 0.5 seconds. . . maybe she should join track. . .'

"Hey Jou-chan! Come over here!"

Kaoru walked over to them, "What?"

"Kenshin says he's willing to take one of our spots when Saitoh spars with us. How do you wanna determine who gets to walk free?"

"That's okay Sano, I'll spar with Saitoh Sensei. You or Misao can `walk free' as you say it. . . I spared with him before, it's not that bad."

"Kamiya-san is correct, Saitoh Sensei is a skilled swords man but not an impossible match." Aoshi spoke all of a sudden startling everyone (you know, for the fact that he joined in the conversation).

Misao determined to show her good side to Aoshi exclaimed, "Oh! Kenshin you can take Sano's place! I want to improve and maybe sparing with the old guy will help me move up in ranking~!"

"Highly unlikely Misao but okay, that settles it! Kenshin you're taking my place!"

Kenshin through out the conversation had a pleasant smile (the famous rurouni smile) and his eyes were back to violet. `Wow, Ken-chan's eyes are weird. They keep changing color. . . I got to ask him about that some da-` Once again her thoughts were interrupted by pair of arms going around her waste from behind her (the interruption of thoughts seems to happen a lot to her ^-^;).

"Hello Kaoru-chan! Ah, to see you twice in one day is like a dream~!" exclaimed Takaomi (by the way he spoke it might have been obvious of who it was. . .).

"Ta-takaomi! Would you stop doing that?!" Kaoru protested struggling to get out of his arms. `What the heck is wrong with this guy? He didn't act this weird before our date on Friday night. He used to act cool and older. . . Now he just sounds like a blabbering idiot! I should have said no to him when he asked me out! ARGH!!!!!! And on top of that the guy I was waiting for happens to come back the Monday after!! The fates are not being kind!'

"Jou-chan your boyfriend is here! Maybe we should leave the two of you alone!"

With that comment Takaomi nodded his head like an idiot, Kaoru gave a death glare at Sano, and Kenshin with amber eyes was focused on the arms still encircling her. Sano seeing Kaoru's glare, grinned and continued on. "Hey Kobayashi! Jou-chan won't tell us if you guys kissed or not!" With that Kaoru face went extremely red and struggled even more to get out of Takaomi strong grip.

`Please! Not in front of Ken-chan! Sano I'm gonna kill you! I was planning on saying no to this guy if he asked me out again! And for God sakes let me g-`

"-go." A voice it from behind Takaomi.

"What?" Takaomi turned his direction to the source of the voice.

"I said, `Kao-chan doesn't seem to be enjoying her position so would you please let her go.'" There stood Soujiro dressed like the rest of them in a whit gi and dark blue hakama. A smile was still on his face, but his eyes said otherwise.

Takaomi shocked at the younger boy's remark lost some strength in his grip and Kaoru seizing the opportunity forcefully got out of the boys grasp. This would have stayed an awkward situation for everyone but Saitoh Sensei with his impeccable timing slammed open the gymnasium doors. "Makimachi you're up first!"

The startled group made there way to the end of the mat where they usually sat during practice. Kenshin a bit lost at where to go just followed the group as Misao broke away and dreading made her way toward Saitoh. Misao got into her position with her feet spread apart with her bokken gripped in front of her, giving a small bow of respect and showing she was ready Saitoh went at her with his bokken. Misao blocked the attack that tried to blow from the top, but it took her great effort to defend against the attack. From the pressure of the blow it made her fumble on her feet, Saitoh seeing this (he probably calculated this as well) swiftly took his bokken and knocked her feet from under her. With that Misao fell to the ground, "Makimachi! You come late to my class and you end up sparing like this! Go to the corner and do 150 strokes!"

"Hai, Shihan (this is a Japanese word for a teacher of a form of martial arts)!" Misao replied as she ran to the corner content with the fairly easy task that Saitoh had given her (compared to the other stuff he gives. . . ).

"Kamiya! Take your place! . . . this should be interesting~" Saitoh smirked for the last time he spared with Kaoru, although she is not the strongest student he has she was defiantly the most clever.

Kaoru, unlike Misao, practically skipped up to the middle of the mat with a grin on her face. `Yay! A spar with Sait- . . . I mean Shihan! Last one was exciting and I've improved since then! I may not win but I'll tire him out for sure!' "Hello Shihan!" Kaoru greeted with a genuine smile.

"Kamiya, I give you credit for the fact that you are the only student that actually looks forward to sparing with me. . . you better not disappoint me."

They both went into their stances but instead of a bokken they used a shinai, for Kaoru was a higher level student than Misao (I'm not sure if people move up from the bokken to a shinai, but that's how I figured it. . . so please bear with me for that's the way I'm just gonna keep it unless someone can inform me otherwise ^-^;). Saitoh did not attack as quickly or as willfully as with Misao, for Kaoru was no ordinary student. At first he tried to persuade her into attacking but Kaoru would not budge, her stubborn nature would not allow it. As she continued to grin after about 3 minutes of neither of them initiating the first move Saitoh gave in and attacked her (with that attack he does. . . you know the one that he always does. . . I'm not sure what it is called though. . . sorry). Koaru knowing this was his favorite attack, and most effective one at that, anticipated the move and side stepped to the left getting out of the way from the attack. While side stepping she reached behind her grabbed Saitoh's shinai with her left hand while he continued to lunge after she moved out of the way, with the shinai in her right hand struck him square in the back making sure to hit a sensitive spot (but again I have no idea if there is weak spot on our back but bear with me for I'm now making stuff up!). Grabbing Saitoh's shinai out of his hand the spar was over (another thing made up by your truly. . . I have no idea if a match ends when weapon is taken away).

Saitoh stopped in his tracks and smirked as he looked behind him at his student, "Kamiya, you have gotten better. I'm not sure if you are stronger but you are a better fighter. The first student ever to beat me while sparing. . . " he glanced at his other students who were staring at Kaoru and their Shihan disbelievingly, "you can all learn something from her. Think before you act." His eyes fell upon the red hair that stood out like a sore thumb (ok people I have never in my life have used the expression before in context, and frankly it is some what scary that I did. . . but it suits the situation well and I'll just leave it in there for as commemoration ^o^). He looked back at Kaoru and told her, "Kamiya, go back to your seat. I compliment you on a job well done, but do not let this go to your head. You have won this match, that is not a guarantee to the future ones."

"Hai Shihan! Thank you." Kaoru bowed respectfully at Saitoh and sat back down. `Oh my God! I beat him in a match! And he complimented me on my fighting! He never compliments anyone! I can't wait to tell father when I get home!' The group around her still had their mouths open from the shock and had their eyes glued, all except Aoshi and Kenshin. Aoshi because he was impassive and never showed emotion (you know how he is). Kenshin had his eyes glued on her, but his mouth closed for although Kaoru showed great skill he was yet to see the skill of Saitoh.

"Sagara you're up!"

"Sorry Shihan! I'm not going up! Kenshin volunteered to take my place because he's new and wants to spar with the teacher!"

Saitoh displeased that he unable to beat the crap out of Sano, was yet happy that he could be the crap out of a new student thinking it as "breaking him in."

"Okay then, new student! Get over here!"

Kenshin got up from the position he was kneeling in and made his way to the mat.

"What is your name?"

"Himura Kenshin." He bowed respectfully to Saitoh just as Kaoru had done.

"Himura huh? I've heard of you. . . you were famous prodigy nine years ago, beating all your opponents. Your famous move was the `batoujutsu' and so you were nicknamed `battousai.' Sure, you continued to win all you matches and won many championships, but you never came to the matches near Tokyo (that's where this story is taking place. . . sorry for not making that clear earlier). Some people thought you were afraid of facing the opponents that are down here (something else you'll have to assume because I made up as well. . . the best fighters in Japan are in Tokyo. . . I have no idea if this is true. . . but you could probably figure out that I made that part up ^-^. . . remember Kenshin moved from Hokkaido). So your fame never reached around here." Saitoh ended his statement with a smirk, he could wait to spar with Kenshin.

`Nine years ago? That's when Ken-chan left Tokyo. . . he started fighting right after he left?. . . Batousai, that name sounds familiar. . . why?'

"Saitoh Sensei, you seem to know my history well."

Saitoh smirked, "Well, my life revolves around the sword, I have to know the threats out there. Also don't call me that during practice, you will refer to me as `Shihan' during practice. You can call me `Sensei' during class. . ." Saitoh paused for a moment, "what technique do you fight with?"

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."

Saitoh smirked (I know, I know, he smirks a lot), "I take it Hiko didn't teach you the succession technique."

Kenshin's eyes had not changed back to their peaceful violets they continued to be amber. But were a flaming amber, not from anger but from being pleased of Saitoh's awareness of his fighting style but his ignorance in the situation. "Shihan, you are mistaken. Shishou did teach me the succession technique, and I have also mastered it." (reminder: the teaching of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu ended up with the teacher or the pupil dead. . . isn't that a bit depressing?)

"Then I hope that this match will be a memorable one, if not an interesting one."