Striking a Balance
folder
Rurouni Kenshin › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
12
Views:
10,267
Reviews:
35
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Rurouni Kenshin › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
12
Views:
10,267
Reviews:
35
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 8
Disclaimer - I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
Chapter 8
Kaoru sat at her favorite spot by the river. The water drifted by slowly, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds overhead. Her eyes traced patterns on the surface of the water as she sat lost in thought.
Events of the last days passed through her head like ripples.
‘Tell me’
Kenshin’s concerned and angry face came to mind.
‘Obviously, you cannot, or you wouldn’t be injured....’
“I could have handled myself. Right?” she sighed to herself. “Maybe I misjudged my opponents. I guess I wasn’t paying attention when they attacked me on the street.”
‘There are some big guys in that dojo. Especially that Masuyama guy.’
“They are big. But most of them are like puppies. They just want to work out with the pretty girl.” Yahiko’s response got under her skin. Wasn’t he supposed to believe in her abilities? After all, she was his sensei.
Maybe he was just concerned.
‘Do you realize how many times he has almost lost you?’
Megumi’s words caused her the most pain. How about all the times she had almost lost him? Why was it fair for him to be able to make demands, but not her?
“I have held my place by his side,” she muttered. She had defeated countless street punks, not to mention Kamatari.
He had been through a lot. That explained his protectiveness, but not his lack of faith in her.
‘If you want to keep you husband, you have to strike a balance.’
Kaoru lowered her head into her good hand.
“Everyone else left me. I won’t survive if he leaves again.”
Frustration at her own weakness and condition surged through her.
“I can’t just give up!”
‘This isn’t over.’
Masuyama. This was his fault. If it wasn’t for his damned family pride. . .
Kaoru stopped.
Wasn’t she guilty of the same thing?
Kaoru stared at the river and rolled this thought around in her head.
There had to be a way of settling this thing between them. If she could do that, then all of this would go away. Kenshin could relax, she could teach, and life could return to normal.
‘…strike a balance…’
How could she reassure Kenshin that she could take care of this? How could she take care of this and not get harmed further? What would convince him to trust her?
‘A lot of jarring could cause permanent damage.’
Kaoru bit her lip a bit worriedly. She’d definitely have to avoid settling things now. She and Kenshin couldn’t afford for her to not teach.
Kaoru sighed and glanced across the river. Two little boys squared off with sticks in mock swordplay. She watched them bow, fight, finish, and bow again before falling to the ground laughing.
The answer came to Kaoru. If everything fell together right, it just might work.
Jumping to her feet, wincing slightly in pain, she hurried off in the direction of Nakagawa’s dojo.
…………………..
Kaoru walked down the streets of Tokyo, being sure to stick to well-traveled roads as she got closer to Nakagawa’s dojo. She couldn’t afford to be jumped again, especially in a constricting kimono. It would be harder to get away.
She felt eyes on her as soon as she entered Masuyama’s “territory.” She didn’t hurry, knowing that they couldn’t do anything overtly harmful in broad daylight. Besides, she wanted to draw him out.
As she predicted, Masuyama appeared as she turned on to Nakagawa’s block. He was flanked by two of the men who had attacked her. Kaoru glanced over her shoulder to see two more men approach her from behind.
Masuyama stared maliciously at her as he approached. He stopped a few feet from her, as did the other men.
“Look who can’t follow directions,” he scoffed. “At least you look like a woman today.”
Kaoru bristled, then forced herself to calm down. It wouldn’t help to fly off the handle now.
“Masuyama,” she acknowledged in a clear voice. “I have business here. Please let me pass.”
“I thought you were told not to come here again, Kamiya,” Masuyama replied, not moving from the spot.
“Since when does a ‘self righteous bitch’ follow directions?” she called out, eyes momentarily shifting to the ringleader, Kazue, from the previous night. He scowled at her.
“Hideaki, I don’t think she learned last night,” Kazue said, leaning dramatically on Masuyama’s shoulder as he spoke.
Masuyama shifted his shoulder sharply to detach the man’s arm.
“I guess I’ll have to handle this personally,” he said, cracking his knuckles and stepping forward.
Kaoru stepped back, knowing that this was the best opportunity she’d get.
“And how is your family honor repaired by attacking an injured woman in the middle of a street?” she called out, careful to keep her tone neutral.
Masuyama stopped. Anger and frustration twisted his features.
“What the hell do you mean?” he shouted, stepping closer.
Kaoru worked hard not to flinch.
“You claimed that I insulted your family tradition in the dojo. Won’t you soil your name further by seeking reparations in a common street brawl? And you’ll hardly restore much honor against an injured opponent.”
His eyes narrowed. Seeing him hesitate, Kaoru pushed on.
“My family honor requires satisfaction as well. You insulted me by attacking me from behind yesterday.” She knew she was pushing it, but she had to entangle his pride.
Masuyama’s hard eyes held hers. His hands clenched by his side as he considered her words. Kaoru continued after a pregnant pause.
“Let’s settle this with honor. We’ll face each other directly, in Nakagawa’s dojo if he’ll allow it.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“Satisfaction, and your honor restored,” Kaoru replied quickly.
“Not enough.”
Kaoru sighed internally. She didn’t want to promise this, but desperate times. . .
“If you win, I will not teach at Nakagawa’s dojo any longer. It’s up to him if he will accept you back into the school.”
Masuyama smirked at her offer.
“You won’t win.”
“But if I do, my honor is restored, and you will not challenge my presence here.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Those are my terms. I believe them to be more than fair,” Kaoru responded, working to keep calm at his infuriating remarks.
After a moment, he replied.
“Fine,” he replied haughtily. “I’ll see you and your bastard style gone, as long as Nakagawa agrees.”
A voice rang out from behind Masuyama.
“I more than agree.”
Nakagawa stepped out from his gate and strode powerfully between the two.
“However, as it is my dojo, I name the conditions.”
Kaoru nodded readily. Masuyama curtly nodded after a moment’s hesitation.
“Very well,” Nakagawa’s voice boomed. “You will face each other with standard bokens of my choosing. You will fight to unconscious or incapacitated, or until one of you yields. Finally,” Nakagawa glanced at Kaoru briefly, “you will face each other in one month.”
“Why must I wait so long for satisfaction?” Masuyama shouted.
“There is no true honor or satisfaction to be gained from fighting an impaired opponent,” Nakagawa replied calmly.
Masuyama grit his teeth.
“Fine,” he spat out. “Let’s go.”
He and his group dispersed, sending Nakagawa and Kaoru hard glances.
Kaoru let out the breath that she had been holding. Her plan had worked. Nakagawa’s intervention had saved her from seeking him out for permission, and he had set far more favorable terms than she could have negotiated.
“You are playing a dangerous game Kaoru,” Nakagawa chided.
“A good fighter knows when to change tactics,” Kaoru replied. “I wanted to set the terms of my engagement and remove Masuyama’s advantage.”
Nakagawa looked at her, startled, and then chuckled.
“You are definitely Kamiya’s daughter,” he said.
Kaoru blushed at the compliment, but smiled and nodded.
“Um, Nakagawa-san, about my things. . .”
“Oh, yes. I know how much dislocations can hurt, so I was planning on bringing them to you today. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re moving around so much. But I looked for the bag this morning, and it was gone.”
Kaoru took in his kind words, relieved that he didn’t think her weak.
“Ah, well, Kenshin must have picked it up on his errands this morning. He sometimes goes out to the market early.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad your things weren’t stolen. I wouldn’t put that past those street punks.”
His look turned serious.
“You have a month. Use your time well.”
“I will. Arigato gozaimasu.” She bowed to him gratefully.
“Do itashimaste.”
Kaoru turned and left for home. Nakagawa’s opinion of her was not in question. She was cautiously optimistic about how her plan worked out. Hopefully she could convince Kenshin that she could carry it out without getting killed.
........................................
A/N: Thanks again to all reviewers! Your reviews have been very helpful. I wanted to respond to a few comments about short chapters - This story was unlike others I\'ve written in that it\'s been writing itself in these little moments. I just doesn\'t feel right in fewer, longer chapters. At any rate, please bear with me. Lemonyness should be in the next update for those who\'ve been asking :).
-gretel_chan
Chapter 8
Kaoru sat at her favorite spot by the river. The water drifted by slowly, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds overhead. Her eyes traced patterns on the surface of the water as she sat lost in thought.
Events of the last days passed through her head like ripples.
‘Tell me’
Kenshin’s concerned and angry face came to mind.
‘Obviously, you cannot, or you wouldn’t be injured....’
“I could have handled myself. Right?” she sighed to herself. “Maybe I misjudged my opponents. I guess I wasn’t paying attention when they attacked me on the street.”
‘There are some big guys in that dojo. Especially that Masuyama guy.’
“They are big. But most of them are like puppies. They just want to work out with the pretty girl.” Yahiko’s response got under her skin. Wasn’t he supposed to believe in her abilities? After all, she was his sensei.
Maybe he was just concerned.
‘Do you realize how many times he has almost lost you?’
Megumi’s words caused her the most pain. How about all the times she had almost lost him? Why was it fair for him to be able to make demands, but not her?
“I have held my place by his side,” she muttered. She had defeated countless street punks, not to mention Kamatari.
He had been through a lot. That explained his protectiveness, but not his lack of faith in her.
‘If you want to keep you husband, you have to strike a balance.’
Kaoru lowered her head into her good hand.
“Everyone else left me. I won’t survive if he leaves again.”
Frustration at her own weakness and condition surged through her.
“I can’t just give up!”
‘This isn’t over.’
Masuyama. This was his fault. If it wasn’t for his damned family pride. . .
Kaoru stopped.
Wasn’t she guilty of the same thing?
Kaoru stared at the river and rolled this thought around in her head.
There had to be a way of settling this thing between them. If she could do that, then all of this would go away. Kenshin could relax, she could teach, and life could return to normal.
‘…strike a balance…’
How could she reassure Kenshin that she could take care of this? How could she take care of this and not get harmed further? What would convince him to trust her?
‘A lot of jarring could cause permanent damage.’
Kaoru bit her lip a bit worriedly. She’d definitely have to avoid settling things now. She and Kenshin couldn’t afford for her to not teach.
Kaoru sighed and glanced across the river. Two little boys squared off with sticks in mock swordplay. She watched them bow, fight, finish, and bow again before falling to the ground laughing.
The answer came to Kaoru. If everything fell together right, it just might work.
Jumping to her feet, wincing slightly in pain, she hurried off in the direction of Nakagawa’s dojo.
…………………..
Kaoru walked down the streets of Tokyo, being sure to stick to well-traveled roads as she got closer to Nakagawa’s dojo. She couldn’t afford to be jumped again, especially in a constricting kimono. It would be harder to get away.
She felt eyes on her as soon as she entered Masuyama’s “territory.” She didn’t hurry, knowing that they couldn’t do anything overtly harmful in broad daylight. Besides, she wanted to draw him out.
As she predicted, Masuyama appeared as she turned on to Nakagawa’s block. He was flanked by two of the men who had attacked her. Kaoru glanced over her shoulder to see two more men approach her from behind.
Masuyama stared maliciously at her as he approached. He stopped a few feet from her, as did the other men.
“Look who can’t follow directions,” he scoffed. “At least you look like a woman today.”
Kaoru bristled, then forced herself to calm down. It wouldn’t help to fly off the handle now.
“Masuyama,” she acknowledged in a clear voice. “I have business here. Please let me pass.”
“I thought you were told not to come here again, Kamiya,” Masuyama replied, not moving from the spot.
“Since when does a ‘self righteous bitch’ follow directions?” she called out, eyes momentarily shifting to the ringleader, Kazue, from the previous night. He scowled at her.
“Hideaki, I don’t think she learned last night,” Kazue said, leaning dramatically on Masuyama’s shoulder as he spoke.
Masuyama shifted his shoulder sharply to detach the man’s arm.
“I guess I’ll have to handle this personally,” he said, cracking his knuckles and stepping forward.
Kaoru stepped back, knowing that this was the best opportunity she’d get.
“And how is your family honor repaired by attacking an injured woman in the middle of a street?” she called out, careful to keep her tone neutral.
Masuyama stopped. Anger and frustration twisted his features.
“What the hell do you mean?” he shouted, stepping closer.
Kaoru worked hard not to flinch.
“You claimed that I insulted your family tradition in the dojo. Won’t you soil your name further by seeking reparations in a common street brawl? And you’ll hardly restore much honor against an injured opponent.”
His eyes narrowed. Seeing him hesitate, Kaoru pushed on.
“My family honor requires satisfaction as well. You insulted me by attacking me from behind yesterday.” She knew she was pushing it, but she had to entangle his pride.
Masuyama’s hard eyes held hers. His hands clenched by his side as he considered her words. Kaoru continued after a pregnant pause.
“Let’s settle this with honor. We’ll face each other directly, in Nakagawa’s dojo if he’ll allow it.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“Satisfaction, and your honor restored,” Kaoru replied quickly.
“Not enough.”
Kaoru sighed internally. She didn’t want to promise this, but desperate times. . .
“If you win, I will not teach at Nakagawa’s dojo any longer. It’s up to him if he will accept you back into the school.”
Masuyama smirked at her offer.
“You won’t win.”
“But if I do, my honor is restored, and you will not challenge my presence here.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Those are my terms. I believe them to be more than fair,” Kaoru responded, working to keep calm at his infuriating remarks.
After a moment, he replied.
“Fine,” he replied haughtily. “I’ll see you and your bastard style gone, as long as Nakagawa agrees.”
A voice rang out from behind Masuyama.
“I more than agree.”
Nakagawa stepped out from his gate and strode powerfully between the two.
“However, as it is my dojo, I name the conditions.”
Kaoru nodded readily. Masuyama curtly nodded after a moment’s hesitation.
“Very well,” Nakagawa’s voice boomed. “You will face each other with standard bokens of my choosing. You will fight to unconscious or incapacitated, or until one of you yields. Finally,” Nakagawa glanced at Kaoru briefly, “you will face each other in one month.”
“Why must I wait so long for satisfaction?” Masuyama shouted.
“There is no true honor or satisfaction to be gained from fighting an impaired opponent,” Nakagawa replied calmly.
Masuyama grit his teeth.
“Fine,” he spat out. “Let’s go.”
He and his group dispersed, sending Nakagawa and Kaoru hard glances.
Kaoru let out the breath that she had been holding. Her plan had worked. Nakagawa’s intervention had saved her from seeking him out for permission, and he had set far more favorable terms than she could have negotiated.
“You are playing a dangerous game Kaoru,” Nakagawa chided.
“A good fighter knows when to change tactics,” Kaoru replied. “I wanted to set the terms of my engagement and remove Masuyama’s advantage.”
Nakagawa looked at her, startled, and then chuckled.
“You are definitely Kamiya’s daughter,” he said.
Kaoru blushed at the compliment, but smiled and nodded.
“Um, Nakagawa-san, about my things. . .”
“Oh, yes. I know how much dislocations can hurt, so I was planning on bringing them to you today. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re moving around so much. But I looked for the bag this morning, and it was gone.”
Kaoru took in his kind words, relieved that he didn’t think her weak.
“Ah, well, Kenshin must have picked it up on his errands this morning. He sometimes goes out to the market early.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad your things weren’t stolen. I wouldn’t put that past those street punks.”
His look turned serious.
“You have a month. Use your time well.”
“I will. Arigato gozaimasu.” She bowed to him gratefully.
“Do itashimaste.”
Kaoru turned and left for home. Nakagawa’s opinion of her was not in question. She was cautiously optimistic about how her plan worked out. Hopefully she could convince Kenshin that she could carry it out without getting killed.
........................................
A/N: Thanks again to all reviewers! Your reviews have been very helpful. I wanted to respond to a few comments about short chapters - This story was unlike others I\'ve written in that it\'s been writing itself in these little moments. I just doesn\'t feel right in fewer, longer chapters. At any rate, please bear with me. Lemonyness should be in the next update for those who\'ve been asking :).
-gretel_chan