Chapter 16
Two hours later, Kenshin reached the city, noting that he was hardly tired from his daily training. He wanted to get as fit as he could, not to be a disgrace in front of his stronger children.
After lunch at a local café, he strolled around the city, learning a lot of new things. It was the first time he had seen Konoha's shinobi up close, and from the outside, the man standing ten metres away from him did not inspire any awe. At first glance he was an ordinary man in his thirties, about 170 centimetres tall, with a physique not distinguished by pronounced musculature, but in the next moment Kenshin stopped considering him "ordinary" because the man turned sharply towards the young man, as if his back felt the gaze directed at him.
Kenshin quickly averted his eyes, and walked on, trying not to attract attention. After a moment, he came upon a shop with a shuriken on the sign, and went inside. He found a wide variety of shinobi paraphernalia, from waistcoats with extra pockets to shurikens and kunai.
- Hello, do you have a basic manual for chakra control? - He asked the fat salesman sitting lazily in the rocking chair.
- There is, but you can't afford it. - The fat man replied contemptuously, casting a single appraising glance at the young man, then closed his eyes again.
- How much is it? Maybe I can find the right amount.....
- The basic chakra control manual costs 50,000 ryo, and contains explanations on chakra control and folding hand seals. If you find the money, come back, but until then, stay out of my sight. Now get out, you poison the aura of my pious shop with your beggarly presence! - The fat man grumbled irritably, and closed his eyes again, not at all afraid of the displeasure of the stout young man.
Kenshin realised that this fat man was acting completely relaxed for a reason, and that he understood who was allowed to be rude and who needed to wag his tail. The young man decided not to argue, and left the shop, heading for the clothing shop.
After buying some simple trousers and a T-shirt, the young man paid for his money, making him 200 ryo poorer, and went outside. The sun was already setting, and Kenshin decided that he wouldn't make it back before dark, so he asked a passerby for the location of the nearest lodging house and headed in the right direction, deciding to spend the night in the city before heading home in the morning. Aya was aware of this plan, so Kenshin didn't worry about her panicking.
Once in a blind alley, the young man belatedly realised that he had entered the wrong place when he heard a shout three metres away.
- Hey, what are you doing hanging around here? This is my territory. Pay the 500 ryo fee and you can go on your way. - Said a big bald man who appeared out of nowhere.
- Yes, pay the toll or you're finished! - Added one of his two lackeys.
"Damn, I've just got myself into trouble in the middle of nowhere!" - Kenshin thought to himself as he braced his body and prepared to fight back. He didn't want to give 500 ryo to the unknown bandits, and he realised that if they saw his money, 500 ryo wouldn't be enough, and the bandits would take it all.
- Why don't you say anything? Give me the money! - The big, bald man spoke up again.
- Can't we just part ways peacefully? I don't want any trouble. - Kenshin said, smiling and waving his arms in front of him.
- Trouble? Ha-ha-ha-ha, no, did you hear that? He's gonna get us in trouble. Who the hell are you, you little puppy! - The big man's smile turned into a beastly grin, and he reached out to put his arm around Kenshin's neck, but Kenshin wiggled to the side and threw two punches. The first to the big man's solar plexus, and the second to his chin, hoping to knock him out by surprise.
The right punch with his right hand to the chest reached its target, but at the last second the big man changed his position slightly, and Kenshin's fist hit the steel-strength pectoral muscle, not hurting the bald big man much. The planned left-handed punch didn't even reach its target. The big man deftly jumped back a metre.
- Halt! Don't interfere! - The big man commanded his two henchmen, who were about to attack Kenshin from both sides.
- We didn't intend to, Koga-san. - Koga-san said in an ingratiating tone, a scrawny boy in his early twenties, and then added, "The kid's a good kid for daring to resist an older man... You may not know this, but Koga-san went to the shinobi academy in Konoha!
- Yeah! So what if he got kicked out? He'll do you anyway! - The second henchman added ingratiatingly, as thin as the first, a lad of about eighteen, with a large scar on his cheek.
- Shut your mouth! - The big man growled at him, and the other henchman was silent for an instant.
- You want to get me in trouble? Come on, show me what you can do! - Koga said with a laugh, and walked towards Kenshin.
Kenshin took his usual boxing stance, surprising the bald big man, and as soon as Koga was a metre and a half away, Kenshin made a sharp swing with his right hand, aiming at his enemy's chin, but he dodged quite easily, and made a counter punch to Kenshin's chest area.
Kenshin blocked the blow at the last moment with a hand block and took two steps back. His left arm exploded with pain, and he could barely use it. Koga hummed in surprise, and made another lunge with his fist. Kenshin had trouble reacting to the big man's speed, and only ducked at the last moment, wiggling to the side, and the next second was met with a straight punch to the stomach.
The young man's eyes went dark almost immediately and his stomach exploded with unbearable pain, and Kenshin collapsed to his knees, reflexively lying down on his left side with his legs bent at the knees and his arms at the elbows, protecting himself from future blows.
But there were no further blows, but there was a loud shout: - "Hey you, what's going on in there?!
- Shit, let's go! - Koga commanded, and the trio instantly disappeared around the nearest corner.
- Hey, are you alive in there? - A man in a green waistcoat, with a Konoha tread on his forehead, asked Kenshin. The shinobi recognised the "inconspicuous" man with eyes in the back of his head.
- Kha, kha! - Instead of words, a cough and half-digested miso soup came out of Kenshin's mouth.
- Get up and get out of here. - The shinobi commanded, completely disinterested in helping the young man. He had been watching the whole situation from the beginning, but didn't interfere, wanting to see what the curious boy was like. When he saw how the young man had been deflated by a single weak punch from the under-genin, he instantly lost interest in him, and called out to the trio only to give them time to escape, not wanting to get involved in apprehending them and complicating his work.
Kenshin got up, coughed a few more times, and, holding his stomach, staggered to the exit of the alley.
When he found the inn, he ordered a room for the night, locked the door, and collapsed on the bed, falling into a deep sleep almost immediately. He woke up several times during the night and threw up the remains of his dinner, his left arm aching badly, but not as much as his stomach. The young man hoped his internal organs were intact and things would get better.