Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Maternal Expectation ❯ June ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
June, 1880

Kaoru and Kenshin sat on the bench watching as Yahiko and Yutaro (who had returned from Germany the previous month) instructed the class of ten young students. Yutaro, though quite adept at the sword, was rather lax in training his five charges. He merely gave them basic instructions, then left them to their own devices. Yahiko on the other hand, was merciless in his drilling of the students in his charge, rather reminding Kenshin of his days with Hiko.

"YOU CALL THAT A DOWN SWING?! IF YOU WERE IN A REAL FIGHT, YOU'D BE DEAD!" he barked at an eight-year-old girl, who burst into tears.

"Nice one, Porcupine," said Yutaro. "Here now, little one. Don't listen to him. He's just a big idiot. Just put more strength into your down swing and you'll do fine."

"Yes, sensei," the little girl with a return of confidence from Yutaro's kinder approach.

"Hey! Why don't you actually try teaching your own students instead of interfering with mine?" growled Yahiko, feeling his territory threatened.

"Students? Don't you mean slaves," said Yutaro, with that annoying rich-kid smirk that Yahiko longed to wipe off his face.

"It's called di-sci-pline, idiot," said Yahiko. "You could learn a thing or two from me and maybe your students would actually have a chance against mine!"

"Discipline's overrated, kinda like your teaching method," said Yutaro.

"You wanna have another duel?!" Yahiko flashed, steam rising from his head.

"Any time shorty," said Yutaro. "Let's finish up with these kids for now."

"I can't wait to finish you up," growled Yahiko, turning back to his students.

To Yutaro's credit though, Yahiko didn't shout at his pupils again.

"Yahiko is way too harsh," Kenshin said softly.

"And Yutaro's way too lax," said Kaoru.

'They're just like parents,' Kaoru thought to herself. When both her parents had been alive, Kaoru's mother was laxer with her and father was stricter. As a little girl, she'd thought he didn't love her, but her mother explained that his strictness was his way of showing love. After her mother died when she was eight, Koshijiro continued to be strict, but was more affectionate to his daughter and taught her to be strong.

'It's not good to be too strict, or like Yahiko one can hurt a child. But it's also not good to be too lax like Yutaro, or the child won't respect you,' Kaoru continued her mental soliloquy.