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Four

"They won't listen to me, Father!" Kaoru complained about the boys in the children's class her father had entrusted her to teach. "They just run around and they don't pay attention to what I'm trying to tell them."

Kaoru was fourteen, and now a formally titled Assistant Instructor for the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Of course such a title came with new responsibilities, which included teaching the children's classes. The boys in the class ranged from six to ten, and there were eight students enrolled. Handling them all by herself was a bit of a trial, but she had been determined to prove to her father that she could handle the job.

That was, of course, until the first day of class.

The boys had an impressive amount of energy, but they didn't focus very well. The older ones could better grasp the concepts she was trying to teach them, but their preconceived notions about a woman teacher made them skeptical and argumentative. The younger ones were much friendlier towards her, but they were more interested in having fun and didn't take the lessons seriously.

After two weeks of struggling to find a way to connect with her students, Kaoru finally caved and vented her frustrations to her father. And once again, he simply looked at her with amusement in his eyes and a bright smile on his face. "It's quite a challenge, isn't it?" he asked her.

Kaoru glowered at him in response.

That only made him laugh aloud. "It's very different being a teacher, and being a student."

"I figured out that much."

"Come here, my heart." Her father extended his hand toward her, and Kaoru took it, letting herself be drawn to his side. "Every student has his own strengths and weaknesses, his own background, his own goals. To be a good teacher, you must understand your students. No one will do what you say just because you tell them. And no one will understand what you mean just because you say it. You must say it in a way they will understand, and then they will do as you ask them, because they understand you, and because they respect you."

"I guess that makes sense," Kaoru considered his words. "Did you have a lot of trouble when you started teaching?"

"Oh, lots," her father smiled at her, his warm brown eyes twinkling. "But it turned out that my toughest student was also my best."

"Who was that?"

"You."

"Again!" Kaoru's voice was commanding, but not unkind. She watched with a critical eye as Yahiko once again swung his shinai down from an overhead arc, beginning another set of twenty-five repetitions. The boy was breathing hard, sweat trickling down his face, and she could see the tremors in his arms as he lifted and struck, lifted and struck.

Today was the second day of their training. After having agreed to Battousai's request the previous day, she had taken Yahiko back to the clinic, instructing him on her expectations. They used the courtyard space there as their training ground, where she had drilled him on the basic strikes and introduced him to the philosophy her father had taught her. To her surprise, he was not mocking or condescending. He listened to her words with attentiveness and a veiled eagerness.

"Stop," Kaoru told him once he had completed his set. Yahiko lowered the shinai, letting his arms hang at his sides. "Your arms ache, am I right?"

He nodded his head.

"Why do you think that is?"

A flash of annoyance crossed his face. "Because you made me swing this thing two hundred times!"

"And if you were in a battle, how many times do you imagine you'd swing a sword?"

Yahiko looked at her for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders, shifting his gaze to the ground.

Kaoru sighed, "I'm not criticizing you. But for all your maturity, you are still a young boy, and boys do not have the physical strength of men. So stop trying to act like one."

At this, he looked up at her again.

"You don't need raw arm strength to swing a sword or a shinai; that will come, as you practice, and as you get older, but it's not necessary. You're relying on the muscles in your arms to strike, and you're getting tired because of it. The sword is not a weapon, it's an extension of yourself. It's part of you, connected to your center. So move from there. Let the momentum of your shinai carry it down, that's where it's natural path lies. Don't tense, don't force the shinai with your muscles. Keep your grip relaxed, your stance relaxed, like this."

She picked up her own bokken, lifted it over her head, and swung down in a swift and controlled movement that cut the air around them with a tangible force. Yahiko's eyes widened in surprise, and Kaoru suppressed a smile. "Want to try it?"

He nodded and moved to raise his shinai once again, but Kaoru put a hand out to block him. "After lunch," she told him, "I'm starving!"

"Me, too," he agreed, "You've been working me for four hours!"

"Is that a complaints?"

"No," Yahiko grumbled after a moment.

"Good," Kaoru smiled at him, "because we're just getting started."

Yahiko continued to sulk as they made their way back into the clinic, where the aroma of Sakura's cooking left their stomachs growling. The young woman was nowhere to be seen, but she had thoughtfully left a few dishes out for them. Kaoru and Yahiko dug in gratefully, and the nourishment seemed to help restore some of the boy's spirits.

After a few minutes of silence, Yahiko ventured a question. "How long have you been studying swordsmanship?"

Kaoru set her cup down, counting the years in her mind. "Well, for as long as I can remember my father trained me in very subtle ways. He formally began teaching me his style when I was about four, so I guess that would make it thirteen years."

"Hn," Yahiko grunted, then spoke again. "But you're a girl."

"I am."

"Why did he bother to train you?"

Kaoru huffed, "If he hadn't bothered to train me, then I wouldn't be here to train you, would I?"

"I didn't mean it that way," Yahiko bristled in annoyance. "I just meant, well--"

"I know what you meant," Kaoru's voice softened. "My father didn't have any other children. My mother died giving birth to me, and he refused to re-marry. But he had faith in me, and trusted me to carry on our family's style."

"Does your father still teach a lot of people?"

Now, Kaoru was silent. "My father passed away two years ago."

"Oh," Yahiko's voice dropped to a whisper. "My parents are dead, too."

Kaoru studied her wayward new student. He refused to look her in the eye, but she could see the pain hidden in his features, locked away much as her own was. "I'm sorry," she said. "How?"

"Bandits, I'm told," he replied. "I don't really remember them, they died about seven years ago."

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "Did you have family to take you in?"

Yahiko shook his head, but didn't answer.

"You said..." and here, Kaoru knew she was venturing into dangerous territory, but she couldn't help asking the question. "You said Battousai saved your life. What happened?"

The boy looked up at her, his deep brown eyes holding far too much sadness and knowledge for someone his age. "I got involved with the wrong people. He rescued me. I wanted to be strong, like him, so I followed him, and he let me."

Kaoru considered his words in light of what she knew about Battousai. It just didn't seem to fit, in her mind. "I see."

"Why don't you like him?"

The question surprised Kaoru. "I don't--" she started to deny it, but realized it was best to be honest. "I don't know. I just don't know him, I guess, not like you do."

The two lapsed into silence again, but Kaoru let the questions hovering in her mind remain unspoken. Battousai was obviously skilled with the sword, and Yahiko obviously wanted to learn. So why not teach the boy himself? Or ask Kiyo, or another man in his group? Why ask her? She doubted even Yahiko knew the answer to that, but she found herself strangely grateful. It was nice, having a student to teach, to train with, to learn from.

"You ready to get started again?" she finally asked.

Yahiko nodded and stood, and the two made their way back outside, both unexpectedly eager to build off their newfound rapport.

That night, Kaoru lay on her cot in the empty room, staring up at the ceiling, reminiscing. She couldn't sleep yet, and Tomoe had yet to return for the night. She had seen little of her friend this past day and a half, as the older woman was wrapped up in errands for the doctor.

As if her thoughts had summoned her, Tomoe stepped lightly into the room, sliding the screen closed behind her. Kaoru studied her face and noted the slight smile hovering over her softened features. "You look happy," she mused.

Tomoe glanced over, surprised to find Kaoru still awake. "I thought you'd be asleep by now. With all the time you've been spending training Yahiko, I figured you'd be exhausted."

Kaoru sat up and shrugged. "He's still learning the basics, so it's not very tough on me yet. How's Kiyo?"

"He's well," again, there was that smile on her face. "Still recovering."

"You've been spending a lot of time with him?"

"Mm," Tomoe acknowledged idly as she sat down to comb out her hair. "Between his physical therapy, and my time spent helping Dr. Tohei out in the town, I've been keeping pretty busy."

"You're loving every minute of this, aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Tomoe turned to look at Kaoru, her face glowing.

"It is," Kaoru nodded, her voice a little quieter.

"Oh, Kaoru!" Tomoe set her brush down and came to sit next to her. "I never imagined my life could feel this good! I'm helping people, and learning the things I've always wanted to learn, and for the first time since we left Nari, I can wake up in the morning and know that I did the right thing."

Kaoru hugged her friend tightly, "I'm glad for you."

Tomoe returned the embrace warmly. "I know this has been hard for you," she told Kaoru, "thank you for sticking with me."

"Where else would I go?" Kaoru asked with a twinkle in her eye. "Besides, I'm stuck here now, anyway."

"Is Battousai still goading you?"

"Fortunately I didn't have to see him today. But his words are always hanging over my head, especially now that I'm training Yahiko."

"How's that working out, anyway?"

Kaoru considered the question for a moment. "I think he has promise. It's weird, at first he seemed like such a headstrong brat, and I guess in a way he kind of is. But, I don't know... he has a passion for it, and although he tries to hide it, he's pretty attentive. We had a nice talk today."

"You like teaching him," Tomoe observed.

A small smile crept over her own face, not unlike the one Tomoe was sporting earlier. "I do. It reminds me of the time I spent with my father, reminds me that I want to pass our family's style on to future generations."

"You will."

"Thanks," Kaoru answered a little distractedly, her mind wandering back to the silent vow she had made, standing over her father's grave. Two years ago, the warlord Makoto Shishio had marched his men and his mercenaries into Nari, destroying the peace of her life and the promise of her future. And afterwards, grieving over her father's death and recovering from her own wounds, she made a promise to herself. She knew, with that promise, that she risked sacrificing everything she had ever wanted for herself.

But to avenge her father, it was worth it.

The next morning, Kaoru made her way down to the hostel Yahiko and the others were staying at. She had warned him the day before to stay ready, because she was going to take him on a jog through
the town before they began their practice. It was a good day for a brisk jog, with the skies clear, the sun shining warmly, and a cool breeze blowing through the air. The wind ruffled her thick hair, which was tied into a high ponytail, so Kaoru swung it up and into a makeshift bun.

Arriving at the now familiar building, she entered and spotted the owner's wife wiping down one of the tables in the parlor. "Good morning!" Kaoru called out to the elderly woman cheerfully.

"Ah, good morning to you, too...?"

"Kaoru, Kaoru Kamiya."

The two had seen each other several times over the past couple of days, exchanging pleasantries, as Kaoru either came to pick up Yahiko or see him home.

"Kaoru-san," the woman smiled at her, "here for Yahiko?"

Kaoru nodded her head, "Has he been down yet?"

"He's out back with the others," she indicated the door that let outside. "In all my years, these young men are some of the most gracious tenants I've ever had! They help with laundry, cooking, gardening, cleaning... if only everyone was so considerate."

Smiling to cover her surprise at the words, Kaoru simply replied, "It must be difficult running this place."

"It seems to get harder as the years go by. These old bones don't keep up like they used to."

"Oh, those bones have plenty of spice left in them!"

"Don't tell that to my husband," she winked at Kaoru, "I've finally managed to convince him to hire some help around here."

Kaoru laughed, "Your secret is safe with me."

The innkeeper excused herself to go straighten the rooms, and Kaoru headed outside. She spotted the group over by the clotheslines, conferring amongst themselves. As she got closer, her ears perked as she heard bits of the conversation. Yahiko was there, as were Battousai, Okashira, and Zanza.

"What do you think he's planning?" Battousai was asking.

"The rumors are that Shishio is establishing bases from which to launch a full-scale takeover of the country," Okashira replied. "And his strength is growing. The message Hanya received last night said the siege of Ryuto was over in just two days."

Kaoru swallowed the lump in her throat, hearing that.

"Have the others responded?" Zanza asked.

"Not yet, no, but by now Saitou has to be feeling the pinch. Shishio's borders are creeping along his own, and if he's not careful, he'll find himself encircled. The warlords in the South are too busy fighting amongst themselves to take much notice."

Hajime Saitou was currently the country's most powerful warlord, his territory encompassing the entire northern region of the country. He had been making inroads to the South and East recently, Hatsui just being one of the many towns that had opted to surrender under his banner in recent years. But Makoto Shishio, the warlord who ruled the Western lands, had been expanding, too. And unlike Saitou, who over the past few years had turned to offering trade, economic, and political incentives to get the independent towns to join his territory, Shishio's surrenders came involuntarily, through the use of bloodshed and conquest.

And if Shishio had captured Ryuto, another village in the East, not far from Nari, it meant the two warlords were headed towards an inevitable collision. The Eastern villages had remained independent for nearly a century. With both Saitou and Shishio now making claims on those lands, the results could be disastrous. As it stood, the city of Mizuni, which was in the West of the country but ruled by Saitou, sat just forty miles north of Jinro, the capital of Shishio's domain. Okashira was right in saying that Saitou had much to be worried about, if Shishio were to capture enough territory along the East.

"Well, Saitou's not the kind of man to just sit back and do nothing," Zanza mused, "Or else he never would have gained as much land as he has."

"Well, it has little to do with us at the moment," Battousai shrugged. "Tell Hanya to keep his ear to the ground, let us know what else develops. But for the time being, we have a job to do here. Okashira - go get the others, tell them to meet us there. Yahiko - you have your training today, right?"

Yahiko nodded, "She should be here soon."

The words brought her out of her own reverie, and Kaoru stepped out towards them. "There you are," she announced her presence, as if having just arrived.

The group turned to look at her. Okashira gave her a brief nod of greeting as he walked past her, back inside the building. Zanza waved her over. "Morning, Jou-chan!" he called out.

Kaoru twitched at the nickname, but she had to admit she was starting to get used to it. "Morning," she greeted back. "You ready?" she looked at Yahiko, but she couldn't help wondering what 'job' Battousai and the others were doing. She couldn't forget that they were mercenaries, and it could be anything.

"Yep," Yahiko replied.

"And how are the lessons going?" Battousai asked.

"Fine," Kaoru looked up at him, meeting his gaze. She suddenly got the distinct feeling that he already knew, that Yahiko had been filling him in, so why he was asking her she didn't know.

"Just fine?"

"Yes, fine. Yahiko's learning."

"When I'm not being tortured, you mean," Yahiko rolled his eyes.

Kaoru lifted a brow in question, "You think what you've done so far is hard? Boy, you're just beginning."

"I'm not a boy!"

"And what did I tell you about showing me some respect?"

"I don't have to respect some ugly girl like you!"

Kaoru twitched again, feeling her anger rise. What was it with this boy? They had had a good lesson yesterday, a nice talk, but now that he was suddenly around Battousai and Zanza, he was being rude and insulting. "Well, this ugly girl is your teacher. So for a comment like that, I want you to run twenty-five laps around this entire district--"

"Twenty-five laps!" Yahiko exclaimed, "That'll take me hours!"

"--And when you're done, three hundred strikes, like I showed you yesterday."

"You're crazy!"

"You'll do it," Battousai's voice was calm, but he was looking at Yahiko with a warning in his eyes.

"But--"

"Kamiya-san is right, Yahiko. She's your teacher. You should show her some respect."

Kaoru's eyes widened, that being the last thing she'd ever have expected Battousai to say. "Thank you."

Battousai nodded slightly, and Yahiko heaved an exasperated sigh. "Fine," he grumbled before exiting the courtyard, taking off on his run.

"We need to get going," Battousai motioned to Zanza. The two moved to head back as well, but Battousai stopped, shoulder to shoulder with her. He looked over, his amber eyes glinting in the morning light. A small smile curved over his face, lifting the cold mask for a brief second, leaving Kaoru marveling at the beauty he possessed. "Don't be too hard on him."

With that advice, he left her alone.

Battousai grunted as he hauled yet another cart of stone from the field where supplies were being brought and deposited back to the site of the new building, going up on the outskirts of the residential quarter. They had only been at it for a couple of hours, but even he had to admit construction was back-breaking work. For a minute, he regretted having volunteered himself and his men for the job, but the pay was good.

And if he were truly honest with himself, he would admit it was good work, too.

The building was meant to serve as an orphanage, run by a surprising mixture of the townspeople, from priests to healers to teachers. The feuds and conquests raging around the country had set a record number of people to moving, making their way from devastated villages to the more prosperous towns, seeking refuge and work. Among those people were young children, who had lost parents or other family to fighting or disease.

He had met his share of those people along his journeys, Yahiko being just one. Battousai had stumbled across the boy working as a pickpocket and petty thief at the mercy of a local gang, down in one of the southern villages. It was no surprise, really, given Yahiko's circumstances. Orphaned at a young age, Yahiko had been just under eleven when they crossed paths; that was about a year and a half ago. It was hard to believe so much time had passed since his impetuous decision to let the boy travel with them. But there was something in Yahiko that reminded him a bit of himself -- orphaned, brash, arrogant, and yet quick, intelligent, and resourceful.

The thought of the boy brought a small smile to Battousai's lips. He imagined Yahiko would just be finishing his laps by now, and an image of Kamiya's furious face floated into his mind. He wondered just what sort of 'torture' she'd devised for her student next. Despite Yahiko's words to the contrary earlier today, Battousai wasn't fooled. He could see the excitement in Yahiko's eyes last night when he was recapping the day's training.

It made him think that he had made the right decision, letting the woman train him.

Yahiko had asked him, repeatedly, to teach him swordsmanship, to help make him strong. And, repeatedly, Battousai had refused. Eventually Yahiko began asking the others, but they followed Battousai's lead and only told the boy that he would learn, when he was ready. Yahiko had not been too happy about it, but he had obeyed them.

In truth, though, there was just something about the idea of passing on his skills that made him hesitate. His style was a killing style, composed of techniques meant to defeat the enemy in the most efficient way possible. He himself had been a young boy when he started his training, and yet he hesitated to instruct another youngster in the art of war, the art of killing. Maybe that meant he was weak after all. The world was a place of bloodshed and violence. To live meant to know how to protect your own life.

But it intrigued him, the things the Kamiya woman said, the things that Yahiko had reiterated to him over the previous nights. It was obvious the boy had a grudging respect for his new teacher's skills, though Battousai was not surprised. He had seen her skill. He admitted to himself that he would have liked to meet her father, the man who taught such an idealistic style. But he was dead, so Yahiko had said, and Battousai couldn't help but wonder how. The teaching was foolish, in so many ways, but when Yahiko had asked him what he thought about it, he had only said that it was an interesting idea.

The woman continued to be an enigma, and why he had decided to have her stick around to train Yahiko he still couldn't say. But he supposed the instinct had turned out to be a good one; Yahiko was learning, and so was he. The decision to stay in Hatsui had come as a surprise to his men, but he could see in their faces that they welcomed it. Even he had to admit that it would be nice to spend some time in the same place, earn some extra money, rest. And he would be able to stay up-to-date on Kiyo's progress.

"Battousai!" the familiar voice startled him: Yahiko, who should have been back at the inn working with Kamiya. As he looked up, he was even more surprised to see the young woman walking alongside him.

Putting down the load he was currently carrying, he waved them over. "What are you two doing here?"

"Ug-- er, Kamiya-sensei found out what you guys were up to and decided to put me to hard labor."

Battousai raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the woman, who simply shrugged. "He's mostly right. Yahiko seems to want to reply on his physical strength in his training, so I figured this would be an easy way to tire him out. Then we'll see what he has left."

"See what I mean?" Yahiko growled. "Torture."

"Watch it, little boy, I intend to help out too, you know."

"Do you?" Battousai asked, finding their bickering oddly amusing.

"Yes. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Right now we're moving these stones over to the building site, to lay the foundation."

"I can do that," Yahiko nodded, attempting to lift the load Battousai had set down. He grimaced, then shook his head. "Uhh... I'll get my own load."

"Zanza is over that way," Battousai pointed. "He'll get you set up with a cart."

As Yahiko headed off to find the young fighter, Battousai placed a light hand on Kaoru's elbow, stopping her from turning to follow. "Why did you really come here?" he asked.

"I told you."

"You gave an excuse," and now his tone audibly darkened. "I think you followed me."

"Excuse me?" Kaoru sounded offended, but a part of her had to acknowledge there was some truth to that.

"Why?"

Kaoru considered denying it, but decided she was big enough to admit to her mistakes. "You said you had a job, and I was curious. I asked Yahiko about it, and it seemed..."

"What?"

For a moment, Kaoru thought she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes. It surprised her, and added to her growing sense of remorse. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I tend to think the worst of you."

Battousai narrowed his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. "I see."

"I'm sorry," Kaoru repeated. "But you have to admit you haven't done a whole lot to change my opinion."

"I shouldn't have to defend myself, or prove myself, to you," Battousai's voice was low, his features unyielding.

Kaoru found herself comparing this face to the one she had seen just hours ago, the one with a hint of amusement in his eyes and a teasing smile on his lips. She liked that face better. Maybe she had been too quick to judge him; it wouldn't be the first time that had happened. Swallowing her pride, she shook her head slightly and answered, "You're right. I guess I just don't know what to make of you." She offered him a small smile, an offer for a truce.

"That would make two of us," he replied, the tenseness in his muscles relaxing slightly. "As long as you're here, take these." He handed her the load he had been carrying, and Kaoru took it without comment.

The truce, for now, had been accepted.

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