Chapter 4: The Revival of the Kasshin School

(In the Kamiya dojo.)

Kaoru: No! Your grip is still wrong! A week after Yahiko's wounds have healed. The dojo has been reopened and training has begun-- Yahiko: Oh, shut up! Like this, hag? but-- Kaoru: I told you not to call me that! Knock it off!

Kenshin: Oro...

Yahiko: Make me, if you think you can!

Kenshin: It's because you're both so stout-hearted.

Kaoru: Kenshin, you tell him! This kid's mouth is just too foul!!

Yahiko: I'm here because I want to be strong. No one said anything about fighting with a little girl!

Kaoru: Little--!

Yahiko: Kenshin, you told me I could be strong. You teach me to fight! Kenshin: I have no desire to pass the Hiten Mitsurugi school on the future generations. I'm only a judge. You're of the Kamiya Kasshin school... you'll become strong as a practitioner of the sword that protects life. But you're not listening.

Kaoru: KNOCK THAT OFF!!

Yahiko: MAKE ME!!

(Two young men are running through the streets, chased by two others swinging what appear to be pickaxes.)

Man with Pickaxe: Hey! Wait!!

(In the front yard of the Kamiya dojo)

Kaoru: Yahiko-- Yahiko-- YAHIKO!!

(Yahiko is actually sitting on the roof behind her.)

Kaoru: Jeez. It's just the second day and already he's slacking off. He's got a bad mouth and a warped personality. What on earth did Kenshin see in him... ?

(A thrown shinai hits her from behind.)

Yahiko: I heard that! I just decided that I could learn more training by myself than from a hag-faced girl! (he jumps down.) Are you even strong enough to teach?

Kaoru: I'm only an adjutant master and still in training. But. (She hooked his shirt with her shinai.) At least I'm stronger than you. (She flips him around and carries him off like a fish on a pole.) Come on.

Yahiko: Hey! Put me down!

(The two being chased open the front gate.)

Hira: Miss--Miss Kaoru!

Kaoru: Hira?

Hira: Please help us!

Kaoru: Sato too! What's wrong? You're hurt! What happened!

Man w/ Pickaxe: You can't run anymore. We'll kill you here!

Kaoru: Who are you? and what do you want with students of my school?

Man: Shut up. Stay out of this!

(They charge. Kaoru leaps between them, knocking them both out with a single-blow. Yahiko stares, impressed.)

Kaoru: Who are those guys? Aren't you going to explain?

Sato: They... they were drunk and causing trouble in town... they were bothering people and we tried to quiet them down. They chased us to get back at us.

Other voices: Where are they? This way! Here they are!

(A large group of fighters appear; like the first two, they are all wearing matching jackets and hakama.)

Sato: That's--the whole group of them--

Kaoru (thinking): There's too many! (aloud) Everyone back to the dojo!

(they rush in)

Yahiko (thinking): These guys...

(The doors slam shut.)

Fighter: Hachisuka!

Hachisuka (who is the leader): Terrific. We'll show them what we do with those who mock the Hishimanji Gurentai!

(Inside)

Kaoru: I remember now. They're the Hishimanji Gurentai.

Yahiko: Hishimanji Gurentai?

Kaoru: They're like a militia of criminals. I don't know much about them, but they're harder to shake off than the yakuza. We would get into trouble just when Kenshin's gone.

Yahiko: What? Where is he?

Kaoru: I asked him to do some shopping. Rice, salt, miso, soy sauce...

Yahiko: Idiot. (Do you really have to buy all that stuff together?)

Sato: What... what do we do, Miss Kaoru?

Yahiko: Whadduya mean, what do we do. You're the ones that started all this.

Kaoru: It's not their fault.

Yahiko: Then you're the real fool. If you seriously believe their story. (everyone looks at him.) I noticed it when you were running. Your breath reeks of sake. The ones causing trouble weren't the Hishimanji. It was probably you. You started a fight with one of their followers.

Kaoru: This... is this true?

Hira: I'm sorry.

(A cannonball smashes through the wall of the dojo.)