Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One for the Ages ❯ Chapter Thirty-one: Parting Gifts ( Chapter 31 )

One for the Ages

By Gan Xingba

Chapter Thirty-one: Parting Gifts

 

It had been quite some time since Sango had met someone who made her as mad as the man called Sanosuke. Even after he had been finally convinced to let her up off the ground and it became clear that the whole fight was the result of some yet unexplained misunderstanding, she had not begun to view him in a better light. Even now, as she was being led back to the Kamiya Dojo, she could not help but try to burn a hole through the kanji for “bad” that adorned the back of his shirt, which she felt fit him just perfectly. She of course, meant this in the least flattering way possible. Apparently, her animosity towards the tall fighter was highly visible, for Kuwabara had refrained from saying much other than a warm greeting. As much as the boy likely wanted to say, it was just as likely that he didn't want a boomerang to collide with the back of his head, either.

 

Fortunately for his skull, he wouldn't have to hold in his questions for much longer, as the group had finally reached the Kamiya Dojo. The young woman named Kaoru, who had been at the head of the group, opened up the gate and gestured for everyone to enter.

 

“Here we are,” she said in a desperate attempt at cheeriness. “You look like you've been traveling for a while, Sango, would you like something to eat or drink?”

 

“I'm fine, thanks,” replied Sango irritably as she followed Sanosuke into the dojo.

 

As Kuwabara and Kaoru entered behind her, Sango surveyed the dojo. It was certainly big enough, that was for sure. In her time, not many people were able to own a complex like this, with walled in, well kept grounds. As for the architecture, it differed only slightly from her time's architecture in style, although it was also of impressive size to the demon slayer. As she finished up her observations, a man with long red hair and a very noticeable cross-shaped scar on his left cheek exited the building with a genuinely warm smile on his face.

 

“You're all back early, that you are,” greeted the man before noticing Sanosuke's condition as the fighter trudged past him. “You're bleeding, Sano. Did something happen?”

 

“Ask her,” answered Sanosuke, jabbing his thumb back over his shoulder in Sango's direction. “Be careful what you say to her though, or she'll throw a rock at your head.”

 

Sango bit back a retort to the verbal jab as Sanosuke continued into the building. Apparently, he had no intention of getting into another circular argument, and she certainly shared the sentiment.

 

“Kenshin, this is Sango,” cut in Kaoru quickly, eager to preempt another verbal duel. “She's one of Kuwabara's friends.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Sango,” greeted the swordsman, bowing politely. “How do you know Kuwabara?”

 

“Well…” began Sango hesitantly, trying to think of an answer.

 

“She's one of my teammates from that special team I told you guys about, remember?” interrupted Kuwabara much to her relief. “We actually kind of have to talk right now, so we're gonna' head out back, `kay?”

 

Smiling goofily, Kuwabara quickly directed Sango towards the back of the dojo in a manner that he certainly thought looked very inconspicuous. Of course, Kuwabara was neither a spy, nor an actor, so the result was actually quite the opposite, leaving Kenshin and Kaoru watching with amusement and exasperation respectively as he essentially pushed Sango around the corner of the main building. Once Kuwabara though they were out of earshot, he put a hand on Sango's shoulder, signaling her to stop.

 

“They don't know about demons or that stuff, so just let me do the talkin' about how we know each other and stuff,” explained Kuwabara. “Anyways, how'd you know where to find me? Did Kurama find you or something?”

 

“Kurama's here, too? Great, that makes this much easier,” Sango said as she let out a relieved sigh. “Where is he?”

 

“You mean he didn't find you? That's weird, he said he had some ninja friends looking for anyone that Naraku sent here, so he should have found you a long time ago. I mean, they're ninjas!” Kuwabara replied, scratching his head with puzzlement. “Huh…I guess ninjas aren't as awesome as they look like on TV.”

 

“Actually, Kuwabara, Naraku wasn't the one who sent me back here, I was,” corrected Sango with a grin, tapping the hilt of Masaruten with her index finger. “Using this sword.”

 

Kuwabara's eyes widened, and for the first time in a long time, he was at a total loss for words. Not that he wasn't trying to fix that, of course, opening and closing his jaw periodically as he tried to think of the appropriate words for the situation. Sango let this continue for a moment before finally speaking for him.

 

“You, Kurama, and Hiei were the only three that Naraku was able to get with his attack,” she explained with a smile. “As soon as we find the others, I'm taking all of you guys back home.”

 

It was immediately following this statement that Sango finally came to understand the term “bear hug”.

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Other than temporarily turning her face blue from the lack of oxygen, Kuwabara's ecstatic reaction to the news she had brought also managed to put Sango in a better mood. As such, she had decided to accept Kaoru's earlier offer for food, as she was actually quite hungry. Kuwabara had joined her, though he did not exactly eat much seeing as he was far too preoccupied in telling Sango everything that had happened to him during his stay at the Kamiya dojo, and when he had finished with that, he began telling her about the people he was staying with. However, he had carefully avoided talking about Sanosuke too much, not wanting to ruin Sango's good mood.

 

According to Kuwabara, Kurama was staying in a city called Kyoto and could be easily contacted by letter, and while Hiei's exact location was unknown, he had assured her that finding him would be just as easy. Glad that she had time to relax, she gladly accepted her hosts' offer of a bath, which they had been kind enough to heat up for her. Refreshed and feeling much more serene, she donned her freshly washed clothes that had been laid in front of the bath house and tried to think of a good way to occupy her time.

 

`I suppose I'll go watch Kuwabara and Yahiko's training session,' she decided as she walked towards the dojo's main building. `There's really nothing I can do but wait for Kurama to arrive and Kenshin's sources to find out where Hiei is. They said he had joined some kind of army called “the police”. I hope he isn't in any kind of danger…heaven knows it would be all my fault if something were to happen to him…”

 

She shook her head as if to try and get rid of the thought as though it were a flea. No matter her efforts, however, the thoughts remained. Images of Hiei lying dead on some kind of battlefield flashed in her mind coupled with waves of guilt. The good mood she had been in was nowhere in sight, leaving only shame and apprehension in its stead.

 

“Miss Sango?” she heard Kenshin say, and suddenly came back into reality to see the swordsman walking towards her from the dojo's main gate. “I have sent Kuwabara's letter to his friend in Kyoto. He should be here in a few days, that he should.”

 

“Thanks. I really appreciate the help you have been,” she replied, trying to sound cheerful.

 

“I am happy to help, that I am,” assured Kenshin. “If I may ask, Miss Sango, do you happen to have a free moment right now?”

 

Sango was almost baffled by the man's politeness. Even the casual observer would be able to tell that she had nothing urgent to attend to, much less Kenshin who knew that she would be simply waiting around the dojo for the next few days. Despite this, the man was still polite enough to actually ask permission to hold a conversation with her. She didn't know how it was possible, but she had found someone even more polite than Kurama.

 

“Yes, I do,” she answered, sitting down on the edge of the dojo's walkway. “Do you have something to tell me?”

 

“I heard about your fight with Sano from Kaoru,” Kenshin explained as he sat down beside her. “I didn't want you to get the wrong impression of him.”

 

“What wrong impression? That he's a boorish moron who picks fights with random strangers?” deadpanned Sango in response.

 

“Yes, that wrong impression,” Kenshin confirmed with an amused smile. “You have to understand, Sano is not a very trusting person by nature. It's not really his fault. Back when he was a boy, his closest comrades were killed in an act of betrayal. He himself was lucky to survive after witnessing it firsthand, from what I understand. The event very much affected him, that it did”

 

“That's terrible…” said Sango in response, suddenly recalling Naraku's betrayal of her village. “As much as I sympathize, though, you can't use that as an excuse for all of his behavior.”

 

“No, that you can't,” agreed Kenshin, and motioned towards the dojo wall with his hand. “However, I have more to explain. If you would direct your attention over to that part of the wall, Miss Sango…”

 

Sango followed his hand to find that a very large chunk of the dojo's wall was in a very shabby state of repair, with a multitude of wooden boards trying to cover a massive hole. She looked at it for a moment with a furrowed brow, trying to figure out what Kenshin was trying to say. Suddenly, she understood.

 

“That damage came from an attack on the dojo not too long ago,” continued Kenshin. “Sano himself was actually the one to fight that particular attacker and protect everyone. However, it was not the first time the people living here had been put in such danger, and it was not the last. So you see, Miss Sango, when Sano encountered a complete stranger looking for the Kamiya Dojo who was carrying a sword and a very large unidentified object, it was only natural to him that he had to try and protect his friends, that it was.”

 

Sango sighed and shook her head. Kenshin was right, it made perfect sense for Sano to react the way he had. Not that it was any fault of her own, either. She had no idea why Sano would try to detain her. For all she knew, Kuwabara could have been in danger. Really, the whole situation was just incredibly bad luck.

 

“I suppose you're right,” she admitted wearily. “I should go apologize to him.”

 

“I doubt that would be necessary, I'm sure he will get over it,” assured Kenshin with a kind smile. “Besides, it has always been my philosophy that one should work on repenting for past deeds through action rather than simply apologizing and dwelling on them, that it has.”

 

Sango quickly stopped standing up and turned her focus on the red haired swordsman. The man had been surprising her ever since Kuwabara had spoke of his martial prowess, which, given his small, wiry frame, seemed awfully improbable. A master swordsman, a perfect gentlemen, and now a philosopher? It seemed almost beyond comprehension.

 

`No matter how improbable this man is, he still has a point, even more so than he may realize,' Sango discerned, her thoughts broadening beyond her confrontation with Sano to another, much more dire, event she felt responsible for. `I can't just keep blaming myself for what happened to Hiei, the only thing that matters is how I make up for it. And I will make up for it, I swear it.'

 

“Oro? Miss Sango?” spoke Kenshin, once again bringing her back from her thoughts. “Is there something on your mind?”

 

“It's nothing,” Sango answered dismissively, then rose to her feet. “Are Kuwabara and Yahiko still training with Kaoru? I thought I'd go watch them for a while.”

 

“Unfortunately, I believe Miss Kaoru told me something about needing the training to be private today,” replied Kenshin, also standing. “I'm rather busy myself, so I'm afraid you're on your own for a while.”

 

“That's fine. I think I'll go for a walk, I've never been here before, so it might be nice to have a look around,” answered the demon slayer.

 

After parting ways with Kenshin, Sango made her way out of the dojo, picked a direction, and began to walk down the streets of Tokyo. It isn't every day that one gets to see the future, so she figured that she might as well try to take in all that she could. Besides, it would give her time to think more about Kenshin's philosophy of repentance through action, and how exactly she planned on repenting for what happened on that fateful night at the temple.

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Kaoru watched closely as her two students squared off. The dojo was dead silent as they circled each other, both boys concentrating as hard as they could. Like many of the recent sparring matches between the two, Kaoru had limited Kuwabara to defense only; he was not allowed to attack at all. His technique had progressed with ridiculous speed, and by now he had an advantage over Yahiko in that respect in addition to simply being physically superior. The only way she could make sparing with Yahiko a real challenge for him was by taking away his ability to fight back. After all, defense had always been his biggest weakness.

 

Suddenly, Yahiko charged forward, thrusting his wooden sword towards Kuwabara's heart. The larger boy parried with his own sword while simultaneously backing up to prevent Yahiko from getting in too close. Not to be deterred so easily, Yahiko followed up with a horizontal slash and immediately moved into an upwards swing, only to have both attacked nullified by Kuwabara's defenses. Frustrated, Yahiko let out a battle cry and bull rushed his opponent, letting lose a flurry of thrusts and cuts as he did so. While Kuwabara was now forced to backpedal a great deal and was clearly showing struggle, he was still managing defend every attack successfully.

 

Frustrated, Yahiko decided to try something he had been saving for Kuwabara for a while now. Taking a step backwards, he suddenly leapt upwards with his sword in high above his head. Kaoru groaned and had to resist the urge to cover her eyes when she recognized what he was doing.

 

“Hiten Misturugi Style: Ryutsuisen!” Yahiko yelled as he reached the apex of his leap, doing his to imitate Kenshin's move.

 

Yahiko couldn't understand why Kuwabara had shifted out of his fighting stance and was now just staring upwards at him. That is, he couldn't figure it out until he tried to swing his sword downward, at which point it collided with a rafter and was sent flying out of his grasp. Additionally, this also made him lose whatever semblance of balance he had in the first place, and he could do nothing but yell out a poignant “Oh crap!” before landing face first onto the dojo floor.

 

“Hey, Kaoru, what am I supposed to do if he attacks himself?” Kuwabara asked mockingly before a thoroughly pissed off Yahiko leapt onto his back and attempted to hit his head like a drum. “Gah! Get off of me you little monkey!”

 

“Yahiko!” bellowed Kaoru, instantly getting both boys to freeze. “Get off of him and go practice outside for a while.”

 

“Aw, come on Kaoru, I was ju-” the boy started to protest.

 

“This isn't about you're behavior. Kuwabara and I need to be alone for a while,” Kaoru interrupted with a serious look that silenced the boy to a grumble.

 

Slowly, Yahiko picked up his wooden training sword and trudged out of the room, closing the door harshly behind him. Kuwabara watched the boy leave, and then turned back to his instructor. Not since the beginning of his training had Kaoru wanted to be with him in private. He couldn't help but regard her with a slightly puzzled expression.

 

“What's this about? Am I in trouble or something'?” he asked.

 

“No, nothing like that,” assured Kaoru, though she was still regarding him seriously. “This friend of yours…you're going to be leaving with her, aren't you?”

 

“I…I was gonna' tell you after we were done training…” Kuwabara answered quietly after a moment of silence, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. “Yeah…I'm gonna' be going home after Kurama gets here. Sorry…I mean…”

 

“It's fine, I understand. I know you've missed your home and your friends very much, I don't take any offense,” Kaoru said smiling kindly before her expression once again turned serious. “It's just if you're leaving, then I have one last thing to teach you before you go. I'm pretty sure that you're not ready for it, but if this is the last chance you have to learn it, then I feel obligated to teach you. The other parts of the Kamiya Kasshin Style you will be able to grasp on your own with enough time, but only I can teach this last thing. Are you ready for it?”

 

“You bet! I'm ready for anything!” declared Kuwabara enthusiastically, his departure temporarily forgotten.

 

“Right then,” began Kaoru, grabbing her sword and shifting into her fighting stance. “Now, I want you to come at me with a vertical cut, and don't hold anything back.”

 

Kuwabara nodded and he too shifted into a fighting stance. Kaoru took a deep breath as she prepared for his attack. While she had mastered the technique she was about to perform, she had always tried to avoid using it, for it carried incredible risk along with its power. She knew Kuwabara's strength and speed very well, however, so there was little actual risk of her failing to succeed. Even so, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of nervousness as Kuwabara charged her with his sword raised.

 

With a loud battle cry, Kuwabara brought his weapon down towards his instructor with all of his might. However, before it could make contact, Kaoru swiftly crossed her hands over her head, and caught Kuwabara's incoming sword with the back of her hands, allowing her to maintain a grip on her own weapon. Still gaping at this, Kuwabara experienced even more shock when Kaoru suddenly twisted her wrists with considerable force, throwing the sword from his hands. Before he could react at all, Kaoru had already finished the maneuver with a final swing of her sword, stopping it mere centimeters from the stunned boy's throat.

 

“The first part where I caught your sword is called Hadome,” stated Kaoru, seeing as Kuwabara was still too stunned to speak. “The second part where I disarmed you and executed the finishing cut is called Hawatari. These two maneuvers are the Kamiya Kasshin Style's succession techniques.”

 

“Succession…techniques?” managed Kuwabara as Kaoru removed her weapon from his throat.

 

“The ultimate move in every style is called a succession technique,” Kaoru explained. “Those two moves are each one part of the Kamiya Kasshin Style's ultimate technique. In the days that we have before your friend arrives here, I'm going to try and teach you as much of that technique as I can. You won't be able to master it completely, but by then it will just be a matter of practice.”

 

Kuwabara was still staring at her, totally dumbfounded by what had just happened. Kaoru smiled amusedly in response. She expected surprise, but she never expected this kind of shock out of Kuwabara. She had never seen him so stunned.

 

“Hey, snap out of it. How are you going to learn this if you sit there acting stunned all day, Kazuma?” Kaoru teased before realizing her mistake and rubbing the back of her head in slight embarrassment. “Oops, sorry about that, I know you like being called Kuwabara instead.”

 

“What're you talking about? I told you, my big sister can call me Kazuma,” answered Kuwabara, now snapped out of his stance. “And, well, it's felt like I've been here for so long, that you've fit that position pretty good, ya' know?”

 

Kaoru smiled as she regarded the boy before her. He actually had not been around for as long as it had seemed, but he had somehow managed to fit right in with everyone, as though he had been at the Kamiya Dojo all along. It was fairly remarkable, when she thought about it. Then again, it had not taken very long for Sanosuke, Yahiko, or even Kenshin to become a big part of her life, either. Sometimes, she did wonder just how it was that fate had brought such a friendly group of people together so suddenly.

 

“All right then, Kazuma,” she replied, still smiling. “Let's get started on the first step of Hadome…”

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Kurama wiped the sweat from his brow as he completed his exercises. The Aoiya was practically empty on this particular day, and since this created so much down time, he figured he may as well try to stay sharp with his fighting technique. It wasn't as good as a sparring match with Aoshi, who was currently meditating at the temple and did not likely wish to be disturbed, but it was sufficient. Of course, it also spared him the pain that would likely come with such a sparring match as well. They eventually had followed through on that weapons match, and the ex-ninja had turned out to be unbelievably skilled with his dual kodachi techniques. While Kurama managed to hold his own for a time, he was still carrying some of the bruises.

 

“Not bad there, Shuichi,” he heard Okon say, and turned to find the woman with her long hair let down and wearing her ninja garb. “Mind if I join you?”

 

“Sure…I suppose not…” Kurama replied, though suddenly feeling very apprehensive. “Has the restaurant closed for the day?”

 

“Yes, business was so slow that it really didn't seem worth it to keep it open,” she answered, smiling a little too warmly for Kurama's liking. “Now then, here are the rules for our sparing match….”

 

“Sparing match?” questioned Kurama, his apprehension ever increasing. “I don't believe I said-”

 

“If I get a hit in on you…” continued Okon, paying absolutely no heed to Kurama's protests. “Then you have to take me out to dinner tonight.”

 

Suddenly, a door burst open from the other side of the courtyard, and Kurama turned to see a breathless Omasu charging into the courtyard, also wearing her ninja uniform. Apprehension gave way to total panic, and at this point, Kurama was seriously debating fleeing in terror.

 

“That's not fair, Okon!” accused Omasu angrily. “You're cheating!”

 

“What are you talking about? Look at you, you were about to do the same thing,” retorted Okon, causing Omasu to flush slightly with embarrassment.

 

“I…well…oh, forget it,” Omasu finally stammered out. “How about this: the first one to get a hit on him gets him, okay?”

 

“Fine,” agreed Okon, and the two women both turned towards Kurama.

 

“Now, ladies, I never actually agreed…” Kurama started to protest, but was forced to cut his sentence short when both women leapt towards him with intent to strike.

 

Eyes wide and nervous sweat rolling down his face, Kurama hastily moved to avoid the kicks that were sent his way. His usual grace faltered slightly in response to his frantic thoughts on how to escape his current predicament, but he still managed to avoid the attacks with relative ease. This, unfortunately for him, was only the beginning, and he was forced to flit to and fro around the courtyard to avoid the barrage of punches and kicks that were sent his way. All the while, there was nothing but an expression of the utmost panic written across his face.

 

A ray of hope shone through when he spotted Misao across the courtyard. He was about to cry out for help when he realized that Okon and Omasu had managed to flank him, forcing all of his attention to be focused on avoiding their simultaneous attacks from the left and the right. Even without his yelling, Misao noticed what was going on. The real problem was that she didn't seem very sympathetic.

 

“Honestly, what's so great about him?” she queried once Kurama manage to escape the pincer attack, causing a short break in the Shuichi hunt. “I mean sure, he's pretty good looking, but he's not even close to Lord Aoshi.”

 

“Misao, you don't think anyone comes close to Lord Aoshi,” countered Okon flatly.

 

“That's because no one does! Lord Aoshi is the greatest!” returned Misao.

 

Seeing his opportunity as Omasu joined the debate, Kurama practically sprinted through the nearest door, and stopped only once he had made his way out the Aoiya's front door. It wasn't that he didn't like Okon or Omasu, far from it. He simply saw them as friendly acquaintances; there were no real romantic feelings. He actually presumed that the attraction did not go beyond a shallow infatuation on their part, anyway.

 

`Misao said something before about them acting like this about someone else, too…what was his name?' Kurama mused as he leaned against the Aoiya's wall for support. `Ah yes, SeijurouHiko. I ought to find him, if only to distract them for a little while…honestly, my life would be so much easier if I were immature…'

 

“Oh, there you are, Shuichi,” interrupted Shiro's voice, and Kurama turned to see the spiky haired ninja walking towards him with a letter in his hand. “This just arrived from Tokyo.”

 

Taking the letter, Kurama offered a polite thank you before turning his attention to the letter, realizing there was only one person who could possibly send him a letter. After opening it, he quickly recognized the handwriting as Kuwabara's, confirming his suspicions. Recognizing that it would have to be something important for Kuwabara to contact him, he read as quickly as Kuwabara's handwriting would allow. Blinking in astonishment after reaching the end, he began to read it a second time, as though to be sure of its contents. As he neared the end of the letter for the second time, however, he was interrupted by the Aoiya's front door opening behind him.

 

“Got you!” cried Okon and Omasu simultaneously as they leapt towards their prey, and Kurama was instantly sent flying forward as the two women's kicks connected with his back at precisely the same time.

 

Despite being kicked through the air and landing face first in the dirt, not to mention losing the “bet” that he had been forced into, Kurama was smiling as he stood up. After reading the contents of that letter, nothing could possibly deter the joy he felt.

 

“I'm sorry, ladies,” he said, flashing a wide smile and holding aloft the letter. “I'm afraid that I won't be around long enough to follow through on our bet.”

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Kurama was the kind of person who could handle goodbyes fairly well, even ones that would be forever. So, when he had said farewell most of the Oniwaban Group back at the Aoiya, he had managed to make it a fairly lighthearted affair. The only one he hadn't said his farewell to back there had been Misao, for she had decided to accompany him to the train station to see him off. Thus, this last goodbye was much harder than the other ones, not only because he had been much closer to Misao than the other Oniwaban Group members, but Kurama also had a hypothesis that there was something about train stations that made people more emotional.

 

“So, you really aren't ever coming back, are you?” Misao asked, unable to hide her disappointment.

 

“No, I'm afraid not,” Kurama answered back, smiling kindly. “As much as I enjoyed staying with you and everyone else at the Aoiya, I simply belong somewhere else. Unfortunately, going there means that I can never return to this place.”

 

“You wouldn't be saying that if there was anything you could do about it, would you?” surmised Misao, letting out a small sigh. “Well, I guess all I can do is wish you luck then.”

 

“And I return the sentiments, along with something extra,” replied Kurama, taking a decently sized pouch out of his pocket and tossing it towards Misao. “A small token of my thanks for your kindness and hospitality.”

 

Misao deftly caught the pouch out of the air and examined it. She raised an eyebrow, perplexed as she turned it over in her hands.

 

“Tea herbs?” she questioned, throwing Kurama a confused look.

 

“A very specific kind of tea herbs,” Kurama corrected her, his smile broadening. “According to Aoshi, that particular type is his favorite.”

 

Misao's confused expression quickly turned into a wide grin, and she embraced Kurama in a thankful hug. At last, the train whistled its final warning, and the last of its passengers began to board. Kurama too climbed on and took a seat by an open window facing the platform, waving out towards Misao as the train began to move.

 

“Don't you even think about forgetting about us, Shuichi!” called Misao as she ran to keep pace with the train.

 

“I wouldn't dream of it!” he returned, waving back at Misao as she ran out of platform to run on.

 

After a few moments, Misao was a speck in the distance, and Kurama finally pulled his head back into the train. Smiling to himself, he thought about Misao's final farewell to him. She really had nothing to worry about. This entire experience was one that he wouldn't soon forget.