Part 157: Yahiko's Impatience

Kaoru: The Kamiya Kasshin school... succession techniques?

Yahiko: Please! I ask you as a man!

(Kaoru punches him.)

Kaoru: Who's a man? Honestly!

Yahiko: It's a figure of speech! Don't pick at details like that! Just hurry up and tell me! The techniques, the techniques! C'mon!

Kaoru: Is that any way to ask?

Yahiko (turning into a puppet): Please teach me the techniques, o great adjutant master.

Kaoru:... Well, that's a little better.

Yahiko: So you'll teach me!

Kaoru: No way. Those are two totally different things.

(Yahiko goes into full pissed-off battle mode.)

Yahiko: What is this! I act all humble and bow my head to you--what else does it take?!

Kaoru (responding in kind): It takes a lot more than that! There are still a lot of things you have to learn before I can teach you the techniques!

(Outside)

Kenshin: It sounds like something's going on inside the dojo.

Kaoru: Like courtesy and restraint! Not to mention self-control!

Yahiko (after thinking about this for a minute.): You hag.

Kaoru (bashing at him with her shinai): You can't just shout stuff out of nowhere!

Yahiko (bashing back): You're such a hypocrite! Where's your self-control, you third-rate adjutant master!

Kenshin (opening the door): Is something wrong? I heard the noise...

Kaoru & Yahiko: Kenshin, you stay out of this!

(The door slams shut as Kenshin goes sailing out backwards.)

Kenshin (upside down): Oro?

(The sun is starting to go down. Tsubame stands at the gate.)

Tsubame: Excuse me.

(Kenshin peeks out, then lets her in.)

Kenshin: Oh, Miss Tsubame.

Tsubame: Good evening.

Kenshin: Miss Kaoru said you'd be coming. Come in.

(The dojo is being rocked from the inside; shouts resound.)

Tsubame: They must be working hard. Is it some kind of training?

Kenshin: No, Miss Kaoru and Yahiko have been at it for half the day.

Tsubame: Half the... shouldn't you stop them?

Kenshin: It's better that they be too energetic than otherwise. Let them vent some steam.

Tsubame: But what if they get hurt?

Kenshin: They'll be all right. They'll get hungry soon, and it'll end on its own.

(Kaoru slumps down, covered in sweat.)

Kaoru: I'm tired! I've had enough. This is stupid and I'm hungry. Let's quit.

Yahiko: No! I'm not giving up till you teach me the techniques!

Kaoru: WHAT? I can't believe you... Why'd you suddenly get this into your head anyway? Did something happen?

(Yahiko remembers feeling useless on the night of the cannon blast.)

Yahiko: I just want to be stronger. I'll do whatever it takes to make that day come sooner.

Kaoru:... To tell the truth, Yahiko, you're a lot stronger than you think. Your fights with Nagaoka Mikio and Henya were clear victories. You held your ground before that giant Fuji without flinching. Hardly the accomplishments of a ten-year-old. When Kenshin was ten, he had just started training. Sanosuke had started fighting after the breakup of the Sekihoutai. Neither of them had probably fought a serious battle. You could very well be the strongest ten-year-old in Japan. But you're still only ten, and to become any stronger would be dangerous. As long as you'd do anything, blindly pursuing strength, I couldn't teach you the Kamiya Kasshin school and you couldn't learn it.

(She turns to go.)

Kaoru: Well, I'm done talking. I'm so hungry!

(After she's gone, Yahiko grits his teeth and punches the floor in frustration.)

Tsubame (watching from the opposite door and thinking): Yahiko...

(Outside, it's getting darker.)

Kenshin (one hand on his sword): The sun is setting... (thinking) This is the most dangerous time.

Tokyo, Shinbashi Station.

(Otowa and Inui are standing in front of the station, attracting the stares of passersby.)

Inui: Yokohama to Tokyo in 54 minutes! Yeah civilization and enlightenment!

Otowa: What seems far-off is in truth close by. This Gein is a shrewd man.

Inui: All right, let's go make some noise!

Otowa: Do you know where you're going?

Inui (smacking his forehead): Oh yeah. Stupid me.

Otowa: I'll try to remember you're all strong arms and weak head. (looking at a map) You go here. I'm over here. We'll split up here.

A simultaneous two-pronged attack!