Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Steps Of Courage ❯ Kaoru and Naruku ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply. Always.

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Chapter 5        

It was late afternoon when Kaoru decided they’d be going to the Akabeko for dinner. No one, not Kenshin, Sano, Naruku or Yahiko knew why Kaoru had suddenly decided this. It wasn’t as though they had money to spare or really any reason to celebrate.

Well, that wasn’t true, Kenshin decided. Perhaps the dinner was to celebrate Yahiko’s victory over the assistant master of the Chuetsu-Ryu when he and Kaoru had gone over to the Maekawa dojo to spar with the students there. The kid certainly had broken a sweat, and his opponent had broken more than just that. The Maekawa assistant master had been good, but Yahiko was better. He had worked hard to win in that match so Kenshin supposed Kaoru thought he deserved a little relaxation at the Akabeko. There, the only task for Yahiko was nabbing the last o-hagi and trying not to blush when Tsubame came around to ask if they needed anything. Kenshin voiced this particular opinion to Kaoru, who agreed in part.

“Well, yes, I’m very proud of Yahiko-chan for wining,” she replied, her face still flushed from the workout she got at the dojo. “But also in the whole three weeks she’s been with us, we haven’t taken Naruku to the Akabeko.”

Thinking back to the last time they went to the Akabeko, he recalled that Naruku had been sick with a stomach bug. Something that Yahiko had later joked about, saying it was all due to Kaoru’s cooking. Kenshin turned to Kaoru, “That’s true, we haven’t.”

“Wha?” a lethargic voice called to them. “Did someone say my name?” Naruku tottered up to the two of them, her eyes half-shut and her hair wild.

Kaoru sputtered, trying desperately not to laugh.

“Were you taking a nap Naruku?” Kaoru asked a bit disapprovingly.

“Yeah…why?” she reached a hand up to where her hair was sticking up haphazardly. “Oh Kami…” as best she could with only her hands, she smoothed it down.

“You’re as lazy as Sano, honestly!” Kaoru reprimanded.

“I’m sorry Kaoru-chan…I just got a sort of sleepy. Naps do people good, did you know? In Spain they sleep from about noon to three every afternoon, and then at night they don’t get to sleep until early in the morning!”

The other two stared blankly at her, both having the same though run through their heads. How the hell did she even know that?

“I think my grandmother…my mom’s mother, anyway, came from Spain,” she told them, blinking.

“You think?” Kaoru cried, incredulous, wondering briefly under what circumstances Naruku’s grandmother had fallen in love with her grandfather.

“Well, I thought you hated rest,” Kenshin put in.

“I said that, did I?” she questioned brightly, though after only a few seconds of thought she realized it was true. “Oh. I didn’t get to sleep until fairly late last night,” she said, almost defensively.

“What was keeping you up?” Kenshin inquired innocently. He mentally berated himself for the blunt question, but decided that if Naruku didn’t want to answer, she wouldn’t.

“Oh, I was just thinking,” she blew the question off as breezily as Kenshin figured she would. “So, what’s going on?”

“We’re going to the Akabeko tonight for dinner,” Kaoru announced excitedly. “They have excellent food. You’ll love it. We’re sort of friends with the owner’s daughter, Tae, who’s a waitress.”

Naruku yawned and stretched slightly. “Sounds fun!”

“For now we’re only waiting for everyone else to show up,” Kaoru informed her. “It might be a while, so go ahead and do whatever for a little. Yahiko’s using the bath-house, though.”

Naruku nodded. “I think I’ll wash up by the well, then,” she decided. “See you a little later.”

A little later it was until they set off.

Megumi had shown up by then as well. “Oh Ken-san,” she simpered. “Were you waiting for me?”

Kenshin glanced around nervously as she sidled up to him, coyly sliding an arm across his shoulders.

“You stay away from Kenshin right now, you slimy woman!” Kaoru yelled, a bokken in hand.

Megumi pouted and stepped away.

“Usually,” Kaoru whispered to Naruku, who was trying without much success not to laugh. “It’s not that easy. She’s a shameless flirt.”

Megumi chuckled and fox ears appeared on her head.

Naruku laughed. “She doesn’t mean it—I know she has a thing for Sano.”

Megumi’s face turned red at this comment, but not from embarrassment. “You take that back right now little girl!” She cried, whacking Naruku with a folded paper fan.

Laughter emerged from Naruku as she shielded her face from the assault. “Oh come on, we all know it’s true!”

As she said this, the rooster-head in question came strolling into the courtyard where they were all waiting.

“Heard we were eating at the Akabeko tonight,” He grunted by way of greeting.

“If by ‘we’ you mean ‘us’ then yes,” Kaoru replied hotly pointing to herself, Naruku and Kenshin, then marching away from Sano toward the dirt path that led away from the dojo.

“Don’t be like that!” Sano exclaimed, turned to watch her.

She sighed. “Okay, you can come,” she decided. “Yahiko!” her cry rang out through the dojo. “We’re going!”

The kid came rushing out to join them. “Alright, Akabeko!” he exclaimed, following the rest of them out the dojo gate.

It was a peaceful trek to the Akabeko diner, and left the Kenshin-gumi to think quietly or try and start a civilized conversation (the latter being what Sano and Megumi chose to do; though it was amazing to everyone how well it worked.)

“Hello everyone,” a timid voice greeted them at the front of the Akabeko.

“Hi Tsubame,” Yahiko stuttered awkwardly.

“Hello Yahiko-chan,” the girl flushed red and covered her mouth quickly, realizing her slip.

“CHAN??” Yahiko yelled, seeming to forget his earlier unease at being around the petit brunette.

“What’s the matter?” Naruku piped. “You are little.”

Yahiko whipped his head up to glare at her. “Well I’m stronger than you anyway,” he boasted.

“Oh yeah?” she teased. “Wanna put that to practice?” She whapped him over the head, which only increased his anger.

“Maa, maa, Yahiko!” Kenshin calmed the boy. He turned to reprimand Naruku. “You shouldn’t tease him so.”

She grinned guiltily. “I’m sorry, it’s too much to resist.”

“Come in, come in!” Tae exclaimed, rushing toward their group. She led them into the restaurant and seated them around a big table.

“We’d like an order of kinpira and edomame. And miso soup to go around,” Kaoru decided promptly.

“Kaoru…” Yahiko spoke up in complaint.

“Oh, all right, fine. And an order of o-hagi,” She complied.

“And some sake to go along,” Sano added slyly.

“No!” Kaoru exclaimed at once. “No sake!”

“Oh, you’re just mad because you can’t hold your liquor,” he chuckled. “She’s a violent drunk,” he whispered to Naruku, though Kaoru heard him full well.

“I’ll teach you to hold your liquor!” And in a few minutes, Sano was swirly-eyed on the floor.

“He should really know better by now,” Yahiko commented. “Not to provoke busu. But I disagree, she’s violent even when she’s sober.”

“What was that!?” Kaoru screeched.

Naruku chuckled as Yahiko thudded on the ground, joining Sano in paralysis. “Maybe he should listen to his own advice…”

A reticent voice broke through her thoughts. “Your food is here,” Tsubame proclaimed softly, setting down the trays.

“Food!” Yahiko and Sano cried in unison, both springing back to life.

“Slow down Yahiko-chan, you’ll choke!” Kaoru rebuked.

“Oh, what do you know?” he retorted, though the words were muffled and bits of chopped burdock flew out of his mouth as he spoke.

“What are you talking about? I’m your sensei! Anything you don’t know, I do,” she answered swiftly.

And at that moment Yahiko began to choke until Kaoru, rolling her eyes, leaned over and unstuck his throat.

It was thirty minutes before everyone managed to polish all the food off. By that time everyone had a few new pounds and an extra little tug on their haori to hide the bulge.

Naruku found herself walking next to Megumi back to the path where the doctor would split off from the rest of the group to return to her own home.

“I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you for all you’ve done for me,” Naruku spoke up.

Megumi chuckled. “You have,” She stated. “And that ink painting seems like it costs about the same amount as the treatment I gave you. I haven’t properly thanked you for that.”

Naruku giggled nervously. “Actually, it was pretty cheap. Yoshiwatsu isn’t a well-known artist.” Megumi had made it clear long ago that she would accept no payment for the work she had done on Naruku.

“You know,” Naruku began in a tone that hinted she was changing the subject. “I never mentioned it before but you look very familiar.”

Megumi chuckled. “But I’m sure you’ve never met anyone as elegant as I…ohohoho.”

“Or rather, anyone as flirtatious…” Naruku sighed.

“On a more serious note,” Megumi added, her tone matching her words. “It’s quite impossible that you’ve seen me before.”

“Why’s that?” Naruku asked absently. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s probably a touchy matter, isn’t it? Does it have to do with what Kenshin rescued you from?”

“What makes you so sure that he has rescued me before?” Megumi inquired curiously.

Naruku laughed. “I’ve come to realize that Kenshin becomes friends with people after he’s saved them in one way or another. It’s certainly true for me, Sano, Yahiko and…Kaoru.” She frowned; remembering that the only story she hadn’t heard yet was Megumi’s.

She recalled hearing about how Kaoru had met Kenshin, which was how the whole Kenshin-gumi had begun. Indeed, if Kaoru had not been so kind as to open her dojo up to a stranger such as Kenshin, no matter how harmless he looked, then Kenshin would still be wandering about Japan.

It was a cool night that Kenshin had told Naruku of his and Kaoru’s first meeting. Coincidentally the same night that Naruku had gotten ill with a stomach bug.

That night she had been having trouble sleeping, memories of her past flooding her mind, betraying her heart. Eventually she had gotten up from her futon, shrugged into a thin haori and stepped outside into the chilly night air. To her surprise, Kenshin was already sitting there. He glanced up as she neared him.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep now Naruku-dono?” he asked, a polite concern tone to his voice.

“Shouldn’t you?” she shot back, shivering as a gust of wind invaded her protective wrap.

“Sometimes it’s just nice to think when it’s dark and quiet like this,” he commented by way of reply.

“Funny,” she retorted dryly. “That’s exactly what I was avoiding doing.”

“Thinking?” Kenshin asked, bemused.

Naruku nodded, exhaling shakily and folding her arms tightly around herself.

“I don’t think there’s too much you can do to prevent that…” he answered in an almost amused tone of voice.

“I know,” she answered. “I just don’t want to think about some things.” After a few moments of shared silence between them, she spoke again. “So, I guess it’s now your job to get me to think about something pleasant. Like, for instance, how you and Kaoru-san met.”

Kenshin turned back to the indigo sky pensively. “I wouldn’t call it pleasant… But how Kaoru and I met is truly a story.” And from then he went on to explain about the Hiruma brothers had disgraced the Kamiya dojo, and how Kaoru had taken Kenshin in without thought of who he really was. As Kenshin recited their story, he carefully left out some details, namely anything that had to do with the Battousai. He didn’t necessarily want Naruku to know all that.

In the present, on the walk back from the Akabeko, Naruku turned to Megumi as the latter started to speak.

“It’s true that Ken-san saved me. He saved from a terrible fate of killing innocents…And helped me begin my quest to become a doctor who saves lives,” Megumi said to her.

“‘A terrible fate’…Megumi, what was it that you did?” Naruku asked, not caring anymore if she sounded rude.

The doctor glanced at her sharply. “Naruku, do you know of the drug ‘opium?’”

A familiar emotion flashed across Naruku’s face. Upon reflection, Megumi realized it was dismay. The very same dismay she had felt making opium for Kanryuu.

“Y-yes,” Naruku choked out at last, realizing of course that Megumi had been forced to make it, and that’s what her terrible fate had been.

Megumi’s stare softened. “If, in any way, I or the products I produced has harmed someone you love, you must know I’m deeply sorry,” she said sincerely. As an afterthought she added, “Did you know someone who died of an overdose? Or someone who was addicted?”

“No,” Naruku rectified. “Not exactly.”

The two women both fell silent. Naruku closed her eyes in thought. Even if she was that woman…It doesn’t matter. I can only imagine the kind of terrible things she had to go through… She opened her solid green eyes and looked at the lady-doctor with new respect.

Megumi’s own brown eyes flickered over to Naruku, and their gazes met.

Though, practicing medicine has certainly helped Megumi atone,she noted. …her eyes aren’t nearly as hard and lifeless as I remember— The moment she thought this, Naruku blinked. That couldn’t be right. She had only thought Megumi was familiar. She had never seen the doctor before the fateful day around three weeks ago, when she had been brought to the Ogura clinic and found a home at the dojo.

“I’m happy for you, Megumi-san,” Naruku said almost inaudibly.

“Hm?” Megumi perked at the sound of Naruku’s voice. “What was that?”

“Oh,” Naruku giggled with a light-heart. “Nothing at all.”

“All right then,” Megumi answered. “This is where we part for now,” She stated, splitting off from the rest of the group and onto her own road home.

A few days after their big dinner at the Akabeko, the Kenshin-gumi were completely scattered about for the day. Sano hadn’t even shown up that day and was probably off somewhere with his gambling buddies, or else taking a nap, as he was famous for.

Kaoru sat outside on the porch, dipping a pen into some ink to sign her name at the bottom of a letter, which explained how she couldn’t join practice at the Maekawa dojo that day like she usually did. This was due to a sprain in her finger that she had gotten, not by training, but by cooking.

Kenshin and Yahiko had just left for the tailor to get new training dogi for Yahiko who had recently had a growth spurt and grew out of his older ones.

It was only Naruku and Kaoru for lunch, because Megumi hadn’t the time to stop by that day either. And Naruku was stuck cooking, because she’d rather eat her own food than Kaoru’s. Actually, that would have been the truth. What she had told Kaoru in reality was that the kenjutsu teacher should lay off cooking for a little while until her finger healed.

This white lie had made Naruku quite popular about the dojo for a few seconds in which Yahiko had solemnly vowed to make sure Kaoru’s finger didn’t heal. That is, until Kenshin reminded him that Kaoru was the only person who could teach him the Kamiya Kasshin and she certainly couldn’t train with him with that clumsy finger brace.

Naruku shook her head absently, trying to remember the exact mix of spices that would make her sweet potato rolls taste good. “It’s nearly done Kaoru-chan!” she called. “Just give me a few minutes!”

Naruku had certainly broken a sweat darting around to make the miso soup and sweet potato rolls, but the end result was actually tasty. You wouldn’t tell from the way she treated the kitchen and the stove, but Naruku was a fairly good cook, if only a little forgetful at times.

Kaoru bit into a sweet potato roll and glowered.

“Y-you don’t like it…?” Naruku asked humbly.

“That’s the problem,” Kaoru responded. “I do like it. It’s very good.”

“Oh…” Naruku answered, puzzled. Then, she got it. “Oh!” and started to laugh. “Oh, well Kaoru-chan, you have other skills! You’re an excellent teacher, and great at kenjutsu!”

“I’m glad you think so!” Kaoru brightened, reaching for another roll.

“Kaoru-chan…” Naruku said thoughtfully, swallowing down her food. “I know this is a little personal, but what is it that makes you love Kenshin?”

“Well, it’s not that personal,” Kaoru remarked.

“Isn’t it?”

“I guess we all love him for his kindness and his willingness to do good deeds. I myself adore him because of how he handles situations and how he can make everything seem just…like it will be all right,” she sighed briefly. “Why is it you want to know?”

“Oh…I see,” Naruku replied faintly, her black pupils darting from side to side behind their lids. She seemed to be searching her memory, and the half-eaten sweet potato roll was forgotten in her hand.

“Naruku-chan,” Kaoru called worriedly. “Naruku-chaaan…” she sang, waving a hand in front of her friend’s face.

“Oh!” Naruku snapped back to reality. “I’m sorry. What did you ask?” She flashed a small smile, but even Kaoru knew it was an expression meant to cover something else up. Perhaps a realization that had struck Naruku the wrong way.

“I asked why you wanted to know all that,” Kaoru repeated.

“Oh, I’m not sure,” She lied blatantly. “Don’t think I’m prying or anything! I’ve just felt a little out-of-the-loop since I got here. Anyway, I think it’s really sweet!”

“Huh?” Kaoru replied, a faint expression of confusion on her face. “What do you mean?”

“You and Kenshin!” Naruku chirped falsely. “I mean, does he know yet?”

“Know…? Know just what?” Kaoru demanded, starting to get frustrated. Naruku blinked, wondering if her friend was really that thick. “That you’re hopelessly, breathtakingly in love with him and would do anything for him, goddammit Kaoru, how do think that makes me—I mean him—feel!?”

Kaoru stared at Naruku who was breathing hard with anger. She pointed a quavering finger at her. “Y-you think that I’m…In love with Kenshin?”

Naruku gave an enunciated blink as her reply, as if to say ‘duh.’ This action was rebuked when Kaoru started laughing hard. Really hard.

“Kaoru-chan…” Naruku moaned, her anger deflating. “You’re making fun of me…” and after this accusation, she was off. “Can I help it if I’m I hopeless romantic? All I want is for my two friends to be happy, and if you won’t…”

Between shaking laughter and Naruku’s own ranting. Kaoru put a hand on Naruku’s shoulder. “No…no I’m not making fun,” she managed to get out before her giggles betrayed her.

Naruku put her head down.

“I’m terribly sorry for the misconception,” Kaoru said cordially, once her laughter had subsided for the most part. “But Kenshin and I quite definitely not in love. I mean,” she paused to find the correct words. “I love him, but not that way.”

Naruku stared blankly. “Oh.” She was about to go off on an angry rant that how was she supposed to know? Kenshin was living at the dojo after all, and the two of them seemed to get along fantastically…but then Kaoru spoke again.

“Once upon a time, I was in love with that red-haired baka and, well,” she furrowed her eyes in thought. “Well, I don’t know how he felt about the matter. But anyway, it’s not that way at all now!”

Naruku was still nonplussed. If she had truly loved him, then what made her change her feelings? To put it in retrospect, Naruku decided that the flaw in that romance did not have to do with Kenshin turning her down in any way. “Well, what happened?” Naruku asked urgently.

“It’s a bit complicated, really,” Kaoru said thoughtfully, a finger on her cheek. “But basically, one way or another, Kenshin and I are cousins.”

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