Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Where Do We Go From Here ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Rurouni Kenshin

Where Do We Go From Here

Chapter One

On a cool spring night in the Japanese city of Tokyo a man by the name of Kenshin Himura lie awake on his back, on the futon in his room at the Kamiya Dojo listening to the nightly sounds and thinking. He was worried. He had been living at the Kamiya Dojo for a little over a year now and he was beginning to notice how much of a burden he really was.

'It's been a few months now since my fight with Shishio and I still don't know what to do with my life. My skills as a swordsman are obsolete; I no longer have a purpose. Living here in Tokyo at the Kamiya Dojo all I can do is house chores and make sure Miss Kaoru and Yahiko are well taken care of. But even that is not enough.'

'Poor Miss Kaoru, we are such a burden to her. Yahiko, Sanosuke and I are all taking advantage of her hospitality. It's not right. I know the way we treat her is not right. We should all three be more helpful to Miss Kaoru, but how. How could we be more helpful to her? There's not much more I can do around the house, but perhaps I should ask Miss Kaoru what she thinks I could do. Yes, I shall talk to Miss Kaoru about this and ask her what she would like for me to do for her in regards to being more worthy of her generous offer of asylum. Now about Yahiko and Sano... hm. well Yahiko is just a child so he can not get a job-- that he can not, but he can certainly do more around the house and Dojo.'

'But Sano? Sano does not even live at the Dojo, yet he constantly appears here for food and sometimes logging. I know Sano has a home, I have often been there. I suppose I understand why he always comes over here for food, it's not as if gambling will put food on your table on a steady bases. But that is no ones fault but Sano's. He is an able bodied young man, there is no reason he could not get a job to pay for a descent home and food. Not to mention a few changes of cloths.'

'But then I have no place thinking such things, its not as if I am not able to get a job or to have more than one pair of cloths. But at least I bathe on a daily bases and always have my cloths washed and dry after I bathe. And getting a job is not an easy task for me. I have very few useful skills anymore. I am a swordsman, I can cook fairly decently, I know how to do laundry... what else can I do? I do not know. But one thing is for sure, I must do more. It is very unfair to Miss Kaoru to take advantage of her the way I do. I shall most certainly have to find a way to remedy this situation.' With this last thought Kenshin rolled over onto his side and went to sleep.

***

The next morning Kenshin arose at four-thirty to make breakfast for Miss Kaoru since she had such an early class for the morning. Just two weeks ago Kaoru's former students had begun to come to the dojo to continue learning the Kamiya Kashin Style of swordsmanship from her, the adjutant master.

Kaoru was so overjoyed to have pupils again that she immediately began giving lesson to whoever had shown up. At the time it was only a few students, but now nearly all the students who had previously left the Dojo were back and things were a bit more hectic around the place. Many of the returning students were surprised to learn that their master had an apprentice. Many of the advanced students believed one of them would become Master Kaoru's apprentice. Most were very unsure of what to think of Yahiko Myojin.

So now Kaoru has three lessen groups: the first is the adept class in the early mornings from 6:30 am to 9:30 am, the second is the intermediate class from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and finally the third is the novice class from 3:00 o'clock pm to 6:00 o'clock pm. Kaoru rises early every morning, Sunday through Friday, at five o'clock am, bathes, has breakfast and then prepares for her first class of the day. On Saturday's Kaoru teaches Yahiko, and any other student that needs extra help, additional lessens form one o'clock in the afternoon to five o'clock in the evening.

Yahiko is part of the intermediate class and also has lessens in Kaoru's free time during the weekdays. Since the return of Kaoru's former students, Yahiko has come to respect Kaoru much more than he used to, well at least in front of the other students anyway. Yahiko also does chores around the dojo to pay for his room and board.

It was now five-thirty in the morning, breakfast was ready; Kenshin and Kaoru were sitting at the table eating and Kenshin was contemplating just how to phrase what he need to say to Kaoru without angering or offending her.

"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin finally asks.

"Yes Kenshin, what is it?" Kaoru asks sleepily.

"Um. well, I'm not sure how to say this-- that I am not. Please do not get angry with me for asking this Miss Kaoru." Kenshin pauses for Kaoru's acknowledgement.

Kaoru looks at him skeptically but finally nods her head in agreement. "I promise I won't get angry at you Kenshin, now what is it you want to ask me?"

"Well you see Miss Kaoru. um. what I mean to say is that. " Kenshin trails off still unsure if he should really be asking this. It really wasn't his business.

Kaoru signs in tiredness and irritation. "Kenshin, just spit it out already!" She exclaims tersely.

Kenshin jumps at her outburst and finally stutters out "Miss Kaoru how is your fanatical situation?" Kenshin looks at her pleadingly, preying that he would not get yelled at.

Kaoru is really confused by this point, narrowing her eyes as she says; "Why do you ask that Kenshin?" Kenshin gulps, he just knows he's going to get yelled at for this.

"Well you see Miss Kaoru; I've noticed lately that you haven't been eating very much. You always make sure Yahiko and myself have enough to eat but you never seem to eat enough yourself-- that you do not. And you seem to be more irritable and rather. depressed. And also you have not been going out on day trips and to the market with Miss Megumi-- that you have not." Kenshin said all this rather quickly and at the end had to take a deep breath. He looked cautiously at Kaoru.

Kaoru blinked several times before finally replying "Well its true that money has be tight lately, but that's to be expected. What with my having three free loaders-- I mean two boarders and a free loader. " Kaoru trailed off looking apologetically at Kenshin for her slip up, but Kenshin just smiled and nodded for Kaoru to continue. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that. I really do not see you and Yahiko as free-loaders, I love having you two around. I would be so lonely without you and your both really helpful around the house and there is no way I could not have Yahiko living here. I mean look at were he was living before we met him and it's not as if Yahiko can just go out and get a job or anything, after all he's only a child." She stops talking to catch her breath and looks to Kenshin for a response.

"It's okay Miss Kaoru, I understand. It is true Sano and I are free loaders and I wish to help you remedy this situation-- that I do." Kenshin states determinately.

"What do you mean Kenshin?" Kaoru asks cautiously.

"I mean I wish to help you with your financial situation Miss Kaoru-- that I do. I have been live here at your dojo for over a year now and all I have done is take advantage of your generous hospitality, for which I am truly sorry-- that I am. I was thinking about this last night because I could not sleep-- that I could not." Kaoru looked worriedly at him for this statement, but Kenshin just smiles and shakes his head in reassures.

"I could not come up with an answer last night, but now that I have talked with you I believe I have found the perfect solution to your financial problem-- that I have. That is, well, if Miss Kaoru will allow the aid of this unworthy one?" At the beginning of his speech Kenshin was rather confident but now that he was finished he was felling wary, afraid that Miss Kaoru might take offence and hit him.

"What solution do you believe you have found Kenshin?" Kaoru asks him still a little cautious but feeling rather flattered that Kenshin was concerned enough about her and her home to confront her about the growing monetary dilemma.

Now feeling a bit more confident again Kenshin states; "I shall find a job Miss Kaoru-- that I shall. Then, you shall have not one but two incomes to pay bills, taxes and other expenses-- that you shall." Kenshin looks Kaoru in the eyes and waits for her response.

Kaoru does not reply for several minutes and Kenshin starts to become anxious. "Well, what do think of my solution Miss Kaoru?" Kaoru stays silent for a bit more still thinking of his proposal. She is very flattered at Kenshin's willingness to help, but at the same time worried if he will be able to cope with being around so many people all the time that may potentially recognize him as the former Hitokiri Battosai, the Manslayer of the Revolution and try to harass him. She finally decided to voice her concerns before he got too dead set in this plan of his.

"It's a wonderfully generous offer Kenshin, but how much have you really thought about this. I mean, where would you work? Not to be offensive, but, do you really have any other skills besides swordsmanship, house cleaning or cooking? And what if some one recognizes you as the former Battosai? And for that matter what are you going to do if someone tries to cause trouble for you and gets you fired from whatever job you may find?" She asked all this rather quickly and was out of breath by the time she had finished saying it.

"Please Miss Kaoru, calm down" Kenshin says gently. "As for finding a job I believe I know exactly where to go-- that I do. And as for skill, I believe my skills as a swordsman would be quit useful for this-- that they will. I'll of course still be home enough to continue doing chores around the house just as Yahiko and You do when you have time. I honestly believe this will be helpful to you. It will give you more free time because you will no have to work so much to support everyone in the house and then some-- that you will not. If someone tries to cause me trouble, well, I shall deal with that accordingly when and if it happens-- that I shall." Kenshin said smiling. "So, now I ask you Miss Kaoru, what do you think of my solution?"

Kaoru blinked, she did not expect Kenshin to have thought this trough so thoroughly. But she was grateful he was willing to help all the same. Actually she was more than grateful, she was ecstatic. She couldn't believe her good fortune. She had been so worried that she my loose her dojo and home, starve or be arrested for not being able to pay her taxes, that she was begin to loose her mind with stress. She was already instructing students at two other dojos in addition to her own students, and that was only paying 100 yen per day each.

And here was the perfect solution to her problem; but could she allow it? Could she allow Kenshin to possibly go through such difficulty just to help her? Well he seemed willing enough. Oh, what the hell, lets go for it; See how it goes. "Of course Kenshin, I think it's a wonderful idea and I am truly grateful that you're willing to do it. I was becoming extremely worried there for a while, but now I think you really did find a way to fix our financial problem. Thank you. Just one more question though."

"What is that Miss Kaoru?"

"You said you already have an idea of where you could get a job, right?"

"Yes Miss Kaoru I did. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just, where do you plan on working Kenshin? If you don't mind me asking." Kenshin just smiles innocently and shakes his head.

"You shall see Miss Kaoru-- that you shall."

***

I had to revise this chapter because there were a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes. Thanks for reading. Please review, let me know if it's better.