Part 21
---------------------------------------

Kenshin stood before the large wooden gates of the Kamiya Dojo, giving his smaller companion a slight smile.

"We're here, Yahiko," he said, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Are you ready?"

Yahiko glanced up at him, *still* muttering imprecations under his breath. The little fire demon that they'd met had really made a big impression on the young samurai-wannabe. Kenshin's eyes crinkled up with deepening amusement.

Yahiko could be such a child sometimes.

Clearing his throat, he affectionately ruffled the boy's hair. "Saa, shall we go and tell Kaoru-dono about our new guests?"

Grimacing, Yahiko nodded, and followed the slender redhead in.

* * * * *

Stepping up to the closed screen doors, Kenshin lightly rapped his knuckles on the wooden frame.

"Kaoru-dono?" he called out. "Tadai-AAAAHHHH!!!!"

The door was whisked open so quickly, and with such force, that the resulting change in air pressure caused the normally graceful rurouni to lose his balance. Kenshin's arms waved around wildly as he stumbled back, nearly falling onto Yahiko, who barely managed to dodge away in time. Eyes huge, he stared at the daunting female figure who presently filled the open doorway.

He gulped. Loudly.

A dull red aura flared around Kaoru's menacing form, bathing the area surrounding her in a ruddy glow. That, combined with her scowling face, made the two males shrink back and edge away warily.

"Kaoru-dono...?" Kenshin whispered faintly.

*BIG* mistake.

The angry kendo trainer focused her snapping blue eyes on the ex-hitokiri. With slow deliberate steps, she began to advance towards him.

"A-anou...Kaouru-dono...?" he squeaked, backing up against Yahiko. "What are you--"

The black-haired girl pushed up the sleeves of her kimono and grabbed the front of the startled rurouni's hakama. "Kenshin," she gritted out, yanking him close.

"H-hai?" he hesitantly asked, ineffectually trying to free himself.

"Where have you been?" This was asked sweetly, and might have lulled him into relaxing, had her eyes not been glaring daggers at him as the question was raised.

"Anou, I was--"

"Do you *know* what I've been going through for the past three hours? Do you?!?" she snarled, shaking him. "That...that *WOMAN* is here! AGAIN! How *dare* you make me stay at home and suffer *through* this, while *you* go out and have *fun*?!?"

My, my, *somebody's* not too happy, is she?

"Oroooo...."

Yahiko wisely stayed quiet and tried to make himself as small as possible. Unfortunately, things were about to get a little worse...

"Ho ho ho," a low, sultry voice laughed as its owner stepped out onto the porch. "What have we here? A graceless girl manhandling my dear, dear Ken-san?"

If anything, the aura around Kaoru burned hotter than before.

"Now, now, Tanuki-chan, unhand Ken-san and let a proper woman take care of him," Megumi said, smirking. "Little girls like you should be playing with your dolls."

Growling, Kaoru dropped Kenshin and lunged for the other woman's throat. Kenshin quickly recovered and grabbed her around the waist, stopping her advance. Unfortunately, that impulsive manouver placed him in a very.... *compromising* position.

Think Happosai from Ranma 1/2. You get the idea, I'm sure.

Kaoru stiffened, and stared down at the rapidly paling rurouni, who was quickly realizing the collosal mistake he had just made. "Kenshin..." she ground out, hands curling into fists.

Kenshin let go and began backing away, frantically babbling excuses. Of course, those *never* worked against women in the throes of outraged modesty.

"You...*HENTAI*!!!" she shrieked. With that, the girl let loose a Kamiya Kaoru Special Anti-Hentai Attack (tm), which basically translated into her punching Kenshin into the nearest wall.

"Ororororooooo...."

Yahiko winced in sympathy, but was not about to try and help. Drawing Kaoru's attentions to himself would *not* be a good idea.

After all, discretion *was* the better part of valour, ne?

*snicker*

"Ara," Megumi exclaimed, placing her free hand against her cheek. "How violent." Tossing back her long, black hair, she stepped closer and eyed Kaoru intently, before nodding in a patronizing sort of way. "Naruhodo, you *are* still a child, after all."

Kaoru turned, face darkening even more. "Why you..."

Megumi simply smirked again, sipping delicately from the teacup in her hand.

And the score is: Fox-woman 20, Racoon-girl 0.

* * * * *

Things *might* have degenerated into an all-out cat fight from there. It *would* have, save that the last three members of the party finally arrived, interrupting the impending battle. Which was a *good* thing, really. Ever seen two females fighting up close? It's not a pretty sight.

* * * * *

"Yo, jousan!" Sanosuke called out in greeting, slowly entering the courtyard. "We're back!"

Kaoru halted in her tracks, feud with Megumi temporarily forgotten.

<*We're* back....?>

Her confusion was soon dealt with as another figure stepped through the gates, quickly overtaking the tall youth. Hiei-chan came into view, crimson eyes warily scanning the area for any and all threats against his fox.

<*Yahiko*?> Kaoru blinked, then quickly shook her head.

The young woman barely had time to wonder at the striking resemblance between the spiky-haired boy and her similarly spiky-haired student, when she noticed the beautiful redhead Sanosuke was carrying. The beautiful, slender redhead, who looked remarkably like...

"....Kenshin...?"

Gaping like a landed fish, she sent her gaze back and forth between the redhead plastered against the wall and the one in the ex-gangster's arms.

"What....?"

The young woman? man? woman? in Sanosuke's arms lifted her (Let's stick with the female designation, shall we? It'll make things easier than saying he/she all the time.) face, looked at her with brilliant emerald eyes, and sighed. Gracefully extricating herself from the taller boy's embrace, she bowed politely and introduced herself.

"Hajimemashite," she said with a small, strained smile. "Watashi wa," sighing again, "Himura Kenshin no imouto, Kurama, desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

Megumi dropped the teacup she was holding.

Kaoru just stared at Kurama....then went back into the house for a fortifying swig of sake.

"'Jousan took it rather well, dontcha think?" Sano said, smiling rather vacantly.

"......."

* * * * *

Ten minutes later, Shinomori Aoshi finally sauntered in.