Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale Of Two Gumis ❯ A "Peaceful" Morning ( Chapter 10 )

11th year Meiji Era at the Kamiya Kashinn Dojo

 

It was morning again. Night had passed in blissful silence, leaving those who slept to dream uninterrupted in the peaceful stillness that surrounded them. But something had changed. The men had slept in Kenshin's room this time and all the young girls, save Kaoru, slept in the dojo. Kaoru had gone to her own room this time and now that the hole in the side of the dojo wall had been repaired, sleeping inside was actually quite comfortable for all of her guests.

 

Yawning and stretching, Kenshin turned in his futon and looked around the room. It was already starting to get lighter with the approach of dawn and he smiled. He could hear the birds chirping outside and savored their beautiful song. He loved waking to mornings such as these, especially now that he had the friends that he did. Seeing them each day, waking to Kaoru's beautiful smile, always made his heart feel lighter.

 

Sighing, Kenshin sat up and looked around him again, his hair dangling over his shoulders. As he searched for his leather hair tie, he noticed with some surprise that he was the only one in the room. Mamorou was nowhere to be seen.

 

Curious, Kenshin folded up his blanket and futon, gathered his clothes and stood to leave the room. He noticed as he reached the door that Mamorou's own blanket and futon was already folded and neatly stored against the opposite wall, which didn't really surprise Kenshin actually. But what did surprise him was the smell of food that permeated the air. But it was an unusual scent, like the small cakes he and the others had once tried in a western style shop when they took that trip to Yokohama.

 

Curious, the former Hitokiri slip open his soji door - and froze, eyes bulging in their sockets.

 

I must REALLY be losing my touch!! he thought as he hastily closed the door and turned to change in his room. I didn't think they'd be up! But everyone one of those girls is practically sitting right outside my door!! Yare, yare! What is a poor rurouni to do, surrounded by so many pretty faces!?

 

Sighing, his momentary shock subsiding, Kenshin quickly dressed into the only other gi he had, a navy blue one with a grey hakama, and stepped outside. It was clean anyway, so it seemed fitting. Besides, he liked the dark color just a little bit better, but tugged despairingly at the frayed edges even as he pushed his sakabatou through the obi at his left waist.

 

Yare, yare, he mused as he folded up his yukata and neatly stored it away. There's more important things to deal with right now than my frail clothing.

 

Taking a breath and putting on his brightest, most charming smile, he slid the soji door open at last and stepped out into a glorious morning full of chattering girls and giggling children.

 

“Ohayo minna!” he called as he approached the group, noticing rather bemusedly that they were holding some sort of little meeting. All the young girls, minus Kaoru so far he noted, were huddled in a group and talking happily.

 

“Ohayo Himura-san!” Usagi greeted cheerfully as she and the others turned to greet him. “Mamorou decided to cook his hot-cakes this morning so we all woke up early to help.”

 

“Chiba-san cooks as well?” Kenshin asked curiously.

 

“When we can pull Mako-chan away from the kitchen, Mamorou and some of the others are pretty good at cooking,” Usagi said with a wink, and then giggled in embarrassment. “Not me though. I'm as bad at cooking as I am at repairing things.”

 

Kenshin chuckled at her, realizing that her statement reminded him of a certain raven haired kendo princess that had so innocently captured his heart.

 

“Sugoi, Himura san! I haven't seen you wear that color before!” Makoto noted happily as she walked over to him, eyeing the dark color that somehow went so well with his eyes and made his hair seem so much more brilliant.

 

“Oro?” said Kenshin quizzically as he turned to her.

 

“That new gi,” Makoto explained, lightly tapping his shoulder. “The color suits you.”

 

“Oh! Arigoto, Makoto dono,” Kenshin said lightly, flushing slightly as he took a ginger step away from the young woman and bowed his head appreciatively. “But, its color has faded. It's quite old, you see.”

 

Makoto studied the gi a little more closely and winced slightly. “You're right, it is,” she said lightly, and then smiled brightly at the short, red haired rurouni. “Ah well. It still looks good on you. You should wear that more often.”

 

Haruka rolled her eyes, as the other girls giggled, sympathetically at Kenshin's humble discomfort. “A-Arigoto, Makoto dono,” he said as he backed away again, frantically looking for something that would properly excuse himself from this all-too-happy-to-flirt young lady. His answer came with a `CRASH!'

 

“Oro!?” he cried, turning with everyone else to watch as a very awake Kaoru rushed out of the dojo after a teasing Yahiko with her bokken raised and ready to whack the young student over his head. At least once he was in range.

 

He immediately laughed. Their antics never ceased to bring a smile to his face, whether strained or not.

 

“Na-na, busu!!! You're way to slow to catch me! I'm not doing anymore stupid breathing this morning,” Yahiko called over his shoulder.

 

“Yahiko!!” Kaoru snarled, her feet pounding the earth as fast as they could to catch the dark haired storm that was her insubordinate student. But Yahiko was not watching where he was going. He was too busy taunting Kaoru and making faces at her to notice that he was heading straight for the huddled group of young women and didn't see Haruka step away from them with an ease that practically mirrored Kenshin's grace. But Kenshin did notice and was rather surprised when the young woman suddenly reached out and gently, but firmly, snatched Yahiko by the collar of his practice yukata and pulled him to a stop. Yahiko blinked in surprise and looked up to stare at her, slightly indignant but also curious.

 

“Now then,” Haruka began as she easily hauled Yahiko into the air, “am I wrong in assuming the fact that you are a student of this Dojo?”

 

“Iie,” Yahiko replied sullenly, obviously irked that something unexpected had happened.

 

“Now since I have that piece of information correct would I also be correct in assuming that Kaoru is you're Sensei?”

 

“Yeah she's my teacher, but so what? I just want to get stronger and have some fun,” Yahiko told her.

 

“Hmmm…I see.” Haruka said thoughtfully, “Tell me, can you beat Kaoru-san in a sparring match yet?”

 

Yahiko stared at her in surprise. “I don't know,” he replied truthfully as Kaoru came up behind them, panting and fuming angrily as she stopped to listen. As she did, her anger suddenly disappeared and a devious, appreciative grin crossed her beautiful features.

 

“Oro?” said Kenshin bemusedly, a small sweat drop forming at his left temple as he watched, not really noticing that Makoto was standing a little too close and giggling at Yahiko's predicament, in a somewhat sympathetic manner.

 

“Well, why don't you challenge her?” Haruka suggested, much to the surprise of every one else.

 

“Ano . . .” Kenshin began, then stopped, suddenly realizing what Haruka was up to. He smiled. Good idea. A little humility never hurts. Humility and pride must work side by side. One cannot cancel out the other. Very wise observation, Haruka dono. You are wiser than I first thought.

 

Yahiko, however, just blinked stupidly at her.

 

“Challenge your sensei, Yahiko, and if you can beat her in two out of three matches, then you can tell her that you don't want to do anymore of the exercises she's set up for you.”

 

Kenshin's smile broadened as Haruka held Yahiko's gaze evenly. He could see the wheels turning in the boy's head and nodded appraisingly. Haruka's suggestion was very reasonable, after all.

 

Suddenly, Yahiko was all fire again and turned to Kaoru with an excited glint in his eye as he pulled himself from Haruka's grasp - and fell onto his buttocks with a yelp of surprise to everyone's amusement - before turning to Kaoru and pointing the tip of his shinnai into her face. “Fine! I'll challenge busu to a three point match! Right now!”

 

Haruka smiled in exasperation and shook her head. This was to be expected, but she knew it would work.

 

“Maa-maa, I think that's going to have to wait until after breakfast,” Kenshin stated, flashing his usual disarming gesture - hands raised with palms facing outwards - to quell Yahiko's anxious challenge. As Yahiko turned to him, Kenshin gestured to where Mamorou stood on the porch, a large tray of unique looking food sitting in his hands.

 

“Whoa, what's all that stuff?” Yahiko wondered, his eagerness to beat Kaoru stilled somewhat by the smell and promise of food, different as it may be.

 

Usagi turned to beam at him. “Hot cakes!” she said, but he just blinked at her.

 

Kenshin smiled at them but then turned to look at Haruka again. Half of a smile had appeared on her face and he realized that she was obviously amused by Yahiko's boyish antics, as well as his attempt to defuse the situation.

 

Hmmm…I wonder why she seems so relaxed here? Perhaps that run *was* just to clear her head.

 

Kenshin continued to regard her for a moment longer then turned with a smile as everyone was called to partake of the wonderful smelling breakfast.