Chapter 65: Each on Their Way

Today is the third day since Kenshin left the Kamiya dojo. He should already be on the second half of his journey, but-- Misao: Himura. Hey, Himura. It's lunchtime already. It's time to eat. Hey! Hey, I'm talking to you. Hey! (losing her temper and throwing a kunai at him) Quit ignoring me!

Kenshin (bleeding profusely): Ohhhhh (that hurt!)

Misao: What! You're deliberately walking through the forest. You're still trying to lose me, aren't you!

Kenshin: It's not deliberate. It's just that cutting through the forest is quicker than returning to the road. By evening we'll be back on the highway, but I hadn't intended to stop until then. You can eat while you walk, so if you have food, please go ahead.

Misao (pulling out a packet of food): I see. Let's go, then.

(little arrow--Hardtack. At the time, it was round.)

Misao: What about you? (Aren't you eating?)

Kenshin: Unfortunately, I didn't bring a lunch.

Misao: Oh. But these are mine, so I'm not giving you any.

Kenshin: Yes, yes.

Misao: But, if you tell me about Lord Aoshi, I'd be more than happy to share.

Kenshin: That's all right.

Misao (taking a bite): I wonder what they're doing right now...

(Elsewhere, Sanosuke fells a tree with a punch and another with a kick.)

Sanosuke: No. Just destroying nature isn't training. (he plunks himself down.) Think about it. I never did any training besides fighting all the time, so I don't know what to do. On top of that, I definitely should be on the Nakasen Way, but I was in the woods before I knew it. Well, let's figure out where Kyoto is. (digging a magnet on a string out of his pack) That's north... Kyoto is west, so it must be... that way. All right! On to Kyoto!

While Sanosuke is lost--

(At the clinic, a patient sits nervously with a pile of powder on his head. Megumi absent-mindedly applies a match to it.)

*At the time, acupuncture and moxibustion were part of the doctor's arts.

Doctor: Megumi!! What are you doing??

Megumi (thinking): I wonder if Ken-san's all right... Just Shishio's faction would be bad enough, but Shinomori Aoshi's after him too. (aloud) I'm worried.

(The patient runs around screaming; the doctor rushes in with a bucket of water.)

As Megumi's worries become worse--

(A ship at sea. Yahiko is sick in a bucket.)

Kaoru: Are you all right, Yahiko?

Yahiko: I'm not all right. I didn't know a ship would shake like this. You look fine.

Kaoru: I'm a little seasick, but it's not going to bother me. Those two days when I was cowering worried everyone, so I decided I'm not going to whine anymore.

(Yahiko smiles; and is sick again.)

Kaoru is back to her old self again, and Yahiko is almost dead of seasickness.