Chapter 11 - Beggars and Thieves

It was early morning in the Leaf Village. Ryouko liked this time best of all. There were fewer people around, so he could roam as he pleased. The soldier in him had to know the geography well, and the boy in him was curious. He was but ten, although he felt sure he would soon be eleven. What was the date anyway? Ryouko decided to ask at the next store where he knew a friendly merchant stayed.

“Good morning, honya-san!” Ryouko said brightly. (Honya means ‘bookstore’)

An older man greeted him. “Good morning, Ryouko! How can I help you today?”

“It may seem strange, but could I ask you the date? I’ve lost track in all the chaos, I have.”

The old man looked at a calendar on the wall. “We’re thirteen days into the second month of the new year.”

Ryouko’s face registered a copious amount of shock. “Oh…thank you very much.”

“Hmm? Is something wrong, Ryouko? It’s not like you to get depressed about the date or something! Is today of some importance? A birthday, maybe?”

Ryouko shook his head. “No, it’s nothing,” he said with a smile. “I just realized that I’ve been eleven for almost six months. With everything that’s been going on, I never had any idea that my birthday had come and gone already.”

The old man picked up his walking stick and walked around the counter. “Might I ask your birthday?”

“The twenty-fifth day of the eight month,” Ryouko responded.

“I see…well then, is there anything I might give you? You only turn eleven once m’boy!”

Ryouko prized a lot of the books in the store. By this question, he could have any one. But his mind was elsewhere. His request was much less about material gain, and more about paying a debt.

“If you have any need of something done, Honya-san. A chore, maybe? Something I might assist with? That’s really the present I could use the most.”

The old man was kind enough not to ask Ryouko for details. The troubled look that grazed the boy’s face for a few seconds was enough. If this was what the boy desired, then it was easy to grant it. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, the old man crafted an errand.

“Well, I do have one thing… You see, my wife is sick today. We live above the store, so I’m not far. I don’t want to leave her alone. So perhaps you might pick up lunch for the two of us?”

Ryouko bowed. “Certainly. Is there a place that you would like me to go to?”

“I would. An old friend of mine makes ramen, and he has one he swears by when it comes to colds. He runs a stand called ‘Ichiraku’. Do you know the place?”

Ryouko nodded. “I’ve only seen it in passing, but I can find it.”

The old man scribbled down his order on a piece of paper. He handed it to Ryouko, who promptly tucked it into his sleeve.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Thank you again, Honya-san!” Ryouko ran out the door, eager to complete his next task.

Helping those two girls the other day earned me one good deed accomplished. That leaves twenty-four missions. This one will be one more. At this rate, I could have my debt paid by the end of the month! Then I may be able to live here in peace.

-

“C’mon old man, one more bowl?!”

“No, Naruto. Now go home. I can’t give you ramen for free every day!”

Ryouko walked in on the strange seen of a boy dressed in all orange on his hands and knees, begging for ramen. Ryouko froze just inside the door, another memory hitting him out of the blue. This one was even less fond than his other ones.

=

Ryouko walked along the path, past the ruined homes. Those too old and too young to rebuild lived in their burnt-out shacks. It was times like these that made Ryouko give thanks that he was so fortunate. He had family, food, and money enough to not worry. He was like a little lord, though he was never one to flaunt it. As the sole student of the village’s strongest, he was automatically entitled to some respect.

“Can you spare some Ryo?”

Ryouko felt a tug on his sleeve. On the ground were two children younger than himself. A boy and a girl so filthy that pigs would recoil if put near them. It took effort on Ryouko’s part to not wrinkle his nose. The two children looked expectant- they clearly knew that Ryouko must be of some importance. His hakama and gi were clean; his face was free of the soot or mud that came with menial labor; his feet were covered with zori (straw) sandals and tabi socks. Certainly the kind of child who would sit atop a horse rather than walk alongside it.

Before Ryouko could answer the question, a woman- presumably the children’s mother- rushed out and scooped them up.

“Don’t hurt them! They are only children! Please, m’lord, spare them!”

Ryouko wasn’t used to this kind of treatment. In surprise, he bowed in return.

“You needn’t worry. I was about to give in to their begging, that I was. Here!”

Ryouko handed them each some Ryo. He didn’t count the amount, but it was sizeable enough. All three of the beggars bowed and retreated to count their spoils. Ryouko smiled and started to leave, but his sandal broke and he needed to repair it. The beggars were sure he was out of earshot, apparently, because they said:

“What a fool the boy is!” the woman exclaimed. “Beggars and thieves are treated the same, so it matters not what he thinks! Certainly a fool!”

“Yes, he was. It was a good plan, using the children like that. What use are two beggar children but as bait for a foolish swordsman?”

“Yes, yes- now, hand over the money, you kids!”

SMACK!

Ryouko heard it- flesh meeting flesh. The children cried out. That was all it took for Ryouko to lose his temper. Forgetting his broken sandal, he kicked open the door.

“You’ll return that money to the children now. My wallet doesn’t open for thieves.”

Ryouko’s eyes had hardened. He saw the two children on the ground. The girl was older, and she was shielding the boy. Were they perhaps brother and sister?

Click!

The man opened his knife with a flick of his wrist. He slashed at Ryouko’s chest. The knife bit into his flesh, though not deeply as the knife was old and of poor quality. That hurt, but Ryouko’s mind was on the children. His sword was out in a flash. He had no inhibitions of cutting down the man. The man would live, Ryouko knew, as his sword cut across the thief’s arms and chest. The knife clattered to the floor where it was retrieved by Ryouko. He turned his sword on the woman.

“You can give me the money. You’ll have no need of it in jail!”

Suddenly the woman couldn’t bow and apologize enough. She even told Ryouko, as he took the money from her palm:
“You are a kind boy; kinder than the other swordsman. May your kindness serve you well!”

“My kindness rarely extends to thieves. You’re still under arrest,” he snarled, keeping his sword pointed at the woman. He turned away, back toward the children. The girl wasn’t sure what to think of Ryouko, so she put her arms out in front of her brother. Ryouko smiled at the bond they shared.

“Here,” Ryouko said, holding the ryo out to the girl. “For you and your brother. If you’ll come with me, maybe I can find you a home, and a family. So you won’t have to serve scum again. And you, the boy!”

The boy recoiled in fear. He was clearly worried about swordsman. Ryouko simply shrugged off his gi top.

“Take it. A child shouldn’t run around in the elements nearly naked. Colds are frequent any time of the year.”

The boy took the thick gi top and put it on. Ryouko nodded to the woman. “You walk in the front. If you run, I won’t chase you, but our village is small- we will meet again, and you’ll find that age will have shrunk my kindness toward you.”

===

Ryouko snapped out of his trance, and his hand instantly went to the pocket inside his gi. He extracted his wallet and dropped money down to the orange-clad ninja.

“Eat. Young legs need to grow strong, and sitting like a beggar will hardly do!”

Ryouko bowed to the ramen maker, handing over his list. Teuchi took it, looked it over, and smiled.

“You’ve made a friend for life, there. Once you feed Naruto, he’ll keep coming back,” Teuchi intoned. He handed Naruto a bowl. Ryouko couldn’t believe how fast the contents of the bowl vanished.

“I don’t often frequent this part of town. I’m not very popular, and the apartments are close,” Ryouko mumbled, hoping Teuchi wouldn’t take those words as an insult. He needn’t have worried.

“I’ve heard your story, Ryouko. You’re hardly the terror I’d imagined! Ha ha! It’s funny, though, to think a samurai is living among the ninja. I’ve heard of your skills. Very impressive for a ten year old.”

Ryouko bowed in thanks. As he did, a robber came by.

“The money, pops- NOW!”

Naruto leapt behind the counter, hiding behind Teuchi’s apron. He was only seven at this time, and hadn’t yet been to the academy. He was as helpless as any seven year old.
Teuchi immediately counted out the money.

“Here, just take it. Don’t hurt the boys.”

But bad timing fell on Teuchi- his daughter, the beautiful Ayame, age fourteen, returned with ingredients. The robber had found something he liked.

“Fine, pops, I won’t hurt the boys. But the girl- she comes with me! Come here, sweetheart!”

Ayame was still young, but she knew trouble when she saw it. She backed away. As she did, Ryouko slid into her gaze. He nodded his head toward the back door. She understood. When he had moved outside, she ran for the door. The robber, alarmed that she might live to be a witness, gave chase.

“That little samurai ran! The coward!” Teuchi fumed. He didn’t know what he expected of such a young child, but certainly no citizen of the Leaf would run!

-

Ayame ran out the back door. She found the small samurai lying in wait.

“Run, please! He’ll get you, too!” she told Ryouko. But Ryouko shook his head.

“Please stay behind me. This samurai won’t allow you to get hurt.”

Ryouko gave her a gentle push behind some garbage cans. He stepped out, hands on his sword. The robber ran out.

“You?! Where’s the girl?! Tell me or I’ll kill all of you!”

Ryouko’s face had set into the warrior version of himself. His hand was on the hilt of his sword. When the robber received no answer, he charged with his kunai raised high. Ryouko braced himself, then drew his sword. But to his surprise, the ninja disappeared. That was only for a second. The next second, Ryouko was hit hard in the back, and knocked to the ground. When he turned around, the robber had Ayame. Ryouko had been beaten. He bowed his head in defeat.

“What will it take for you to release the girl? Name your price. Anything will be given to help her.”

The robber burst out laughing at Ryouko’s speech. “Tough little punk, huh? Alright, I’ll tell you what: you tell the old man that if he pays three thousand ryo a month to me, I’ll protect his girl. Oh, and I get to marry her.”

Ryouko looked for an opening. He was close to the robber- too close for his sword to be effective. But he could grab his knife hand. The question was: Could he do it before Ayame was hurt? Ryouko dropped his sword and pulled out his wallet. He walked slowly to the robber, holding the wallet in front of him.

“Here. I want to help the old man, too. I’ll see your promises fulfilled, but please let me speak to the girl. She was to be my wife when I came of age. She was promised to me when I was very, very young…” Ryouko kept his face straight and full of remorse as he continued his lie.
“She means a lot to me. I’ll offer myself in her place. There’s a large reward on my head. You can have it, if I might be allowed to say goodbye to my fiancé.”

The robber chuckled. “How cute. Look at you, the perfect little husband! Well, fine. You can’t hurt me without your sword, and that bounty IS worth a lot…here!”

He shoved Ayame at Ryouko. Ryouko caught her and opened his arms up, as though asking for a hug. Ayame knew that this swordsman was clever, so she played along.

“Run inside, and tell your father to grab his cooking oil. It will be hot enough to burn the robber. Leave the fight to me.”

Ayame did. She turned at the door, knowing that he didn’t have a chance without his sword. The robber leered in her direction. But that gave Ryouko the opening he needed.

CHACHINK!

Hit wallet, full of heavy coins, met the robber’s groin. That occupied one hand while Ryouko’s other hand grabbed the weapon. Spinning into the robber with his shoulder, Ryouko yanked his arm the opposite way. That didn’t quite break it, so Ryouko finished the job by driving his tiny elbow into the opponent’s wrist.

“RUN! GET THE POLICE!” Ryouko shouted, his fist smashing the robber’s nose. Ayame nodded and herded her father and Naruto away.

Ryouko dove for his sword, grabbing it and rolling away. A knife plunged into his right arm- his sword arm. The sword fell from his grasp again. This time, though, Ryouko’s left hand had his sword’s case at the ready.
SMACK!

The robber was blindsided by the case. The case met his arm- the one Ryouko hadn’t broken- and sent the knife clattering away. That wasn’t enough- Ryouko smashed his fingers.

“No handsigns, thinks this ‘little punk’. No quick escapes for you. In your state, it would take only one hand to finish you. Be thankful that the years haven’t dulled my kindness.”

The robber had no idea what Ryouko was talking about, but it didn’t matter. He had been beaten by a boy who did not yet shave.

-

The police escorted Ryouko back to the bookstore- two hours too late for lunch. Ryouko bowed as low as he could while remaining upright.

“I’m very sorry! There was a…problem.”

Fugaku Uchiha grabbed Ryouko’s collar. “Straighten up, boy! You’re embarrassing yourself! You defeat that robber, then you act humble? Be proud of your power!”

Itachi chuckled mildly. “That’s Father’s way of saying that he’s taken a liking to you.”

Ryouko delivered the ramen, apologizing again. He sat with the old man and his wife after the police left. Teuchi soon came, with Ayame in tow.

“You’ve heard the story by now, I’m sure, Kyouko-san,” Teuchi said, winking at Ayame. “It seems my daughter has a new suitor.”

Ryouko was sipping his tea and only mildly listening. Until he felt Ayame kneel next to him.

“Thanks. I owe you one,” she whispered, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Ryouko tried to act unconcerned. His thoughts were different, of course. Especially since the girl was only three years his senior.

“I don’t like to see females get bullied. My sword is to protect, anyway. Sorry that jerk got a hold of you.”
A kiss? Why is my face so red? And this feeling? It’s akward… I’ve been kissed before, but never by someone close to my own age. It’s kind of…pleasant. What makes females so different?

Ayame laughed. “You know, my father took your lie seriously, I think.”

Ryouko hadn’t thought about that. “Which part of my lie?”

“Well, actually, I think he fancies you as a son-in-law.”

Ryouko leapt up. “Marriage? Me? But I’m only eleven!” he sputtered. The others were in on the joke, and they laughed.

It would take Ryouko quite a while to calm down from that practical joke. He had never thought about females like that. They weren’t objects, he knew, but they didn’t seem quite human either. That was youthful ignorance, Ryouko knew. Somehow, marriage didn’t seem like a reality for him.

What is it about females that make my face redden? It’s almost like…embarrassment. I must be shy. Hope I’ll grow out of it, that I do.


-
RUROUNI RYOUKO?! Part 2

“Hey, let him go Saito! He’s a friend of ours!”

Kaoru immediately rushed to Ryouko’s defense against Saito Hajime, nee’ Fujita Goro the policeman.

“Why should I listen to the girl with the badger face?” Saito asked mildly, puffing away on his cigarette. Kaoru rushed him and smacked him a couple times before Kenshin and Sanosuke restrained her.

“This one thinks it unwise to fight with the police, Kaoru-dono,” Kenshin said.

“Hey, Ryouko, is there a problem?”

Sasuke Uchiha was walking by at that moment. He and Ryouko got along pretty well.

“There’s no problem here, Sasuke. I…huh!”

Ryouko looked back and forth between Sasuke and Sanosuke.

Huh…Duck butt head (Sasuke) and Bird head (Sanosuke?) With their headbands on, they look really similar. Is that a good thing?

“Sorry for the trouble. Saito tends to rub people the wrong way. Why not stop by our dojo for some tea, as an apology?”

Ryouko was happy to take the invitation. Kenshin and Sanosuke were both warriors. Kenshin wore a sword, the same as he did.

“Might I ask you for a match, Kenshin-san?” Ryouko asked, walking along with the group. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen another with a sword.”

“This one doesn’t take duels, but the students of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu dojo would take you on, this one thinks,” Kenshin said by way of reply. “The first student, Myojin Yahiko, could use a new opponent.”

Ryouko shrugged. “That’s okay with me. Does he fight with a real sword? My sword is real enough, but…well, I can trust you, I’m certain.” Ryouko handed his sword to Kenshin. “Take a look.”

Kenshin slid the sword out. “Oro?”

Kaoru pushed him out of the way and grabbed the sword. “Oh, a training blade?! Wow! Kenshin, it’s like your Sakabato! Do you also have a vow not to kill, Ryouko-kun?”

“Ryouko’s fine. And yes, I do. I was in a war, and saw too many lives taken. So I refuse to kill, at least until I’m forced to. I know it’s odd, but…”

“Less odd than you’d think,” Sanosuke commenting, glancing at Kenshin.

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