In her mind, Kaoru was already beginning to think of a few scenarios in which the outcome was in her favor. She knew the man was cocky and that would have to be his undoing all the same. Her eyes narrowed at the man as she looked him over, trying to see if she could spot a physical weakness she could exploit. Of course his stance was solid and his footing wasn't likely to be shaken. Her only conclusion as that she needed to put some distance between the two of them in order to land a blow to subdue the man to allow her to get away. In the back of her mind, she already knew she would be signing up for the tournament. Not only did it offer considerable sum to the winner but now she wanted to ensure the pride of the Kamiya dojo was kept in tact. And with people like Ryuuto entering, she knew it wouldn't be an easy victory but it would be well worth the struggle.

A familiar sound reached her ears and Kaoru immediately perked up.

She wanted to swoon at the notion of him coming to rescue her. But at the same time she wanted to berate him for interfering in her own fight with Ryuuto. So clearly, the stubborn woman was torn between being delighted and being somewhat embarrassed. Kaoru watched as Kenshin came over to them and tried to get Ryuuto to back off. The two exchanged names, well Kenshin refrained from using his, asserting he was just a wanderer. Kaoru looked from him, back to Ryuuto to see whether or not the riled man was buying that story. 

Her heart was racing, though she wasn't worried for Kenshin's safety, or hers now that he had arrived. The woman was still rather on edge, considering she still had a sword pressing into the side of her neck. She was rather determined to prove to the brat that his way of the sword was one of destruction and shame. "What?" She couldn't help but blurt out when he wanted Kenshin to bow to him. "No, you don't have to!" She protested, not enjoying the fact that Ryuuto would only have his ego even more inflated.

He was using his sword as a weapon, not just in the physical sense but also in the emotional sense.

Kenshin was quick to comply and move to the ground, offering a humble respect for Ryuuto. Kaoru glared at the man who began to cackle. Thankfully he did remove the sword from her neck but then placed his foot atop Kenshin's head. That was more than enough for Kaoru to take. She quickly tossed her groceries to the side of the road and grabbed hold of her sword and held it in front of her. Her dojo practiced the art of defending the weak and empowering them.

And while Kenshin was not weak by any means, Ryuuto needn't know that. And Kaoru was now itching to teach the guy a lesson in manners and respect for not just women, but humanity in general. "You are just a bully!" She snapped at Ryuuto and swung forward. Ryuuto quickly brought up his sword to meet hers before it connected with his right shoulder blade.

"And you're a worthless bitch." He laughed and pushed her backwards.

Kaoru dug her shoes into the dirt road and pushed his steal blade off of her wooden and lunged again. 

This time she landed a blow on the left side of his head, hitting him in the ear. She knew that would be enough to throw off his balance and to disorient him. Ryuuto let out a groan and quickly put a hand to his ear to check whether or not he was bleeding but he wasn't. Kaoru was against killing but she still knew certain areas and pressure points which would deal special damage to her opponents. He looked from her to Kenshin and decided they weren't worth the trouble. "Your blood will stain my blade but not today." Ryuuto swore.

"If you're not as weak and cowardly as you look, I'll see you in the tournament." He said and then left, going back the way he came, walking a bit unevenly. Kaoru sighed and glanced to her food, hoping some of it was salvageable. Then she looked to Kenshin, knowing he had wanted to avoid a confrontation.

Though she knew she should apologize to him, she couldn't. Instead she decided to ask for his help. "Will you train me?" She could tell he had been holding back. And she also knew her practice going up against those with real swords was limited. If anyone could help her, it would be Kenshin. "I'm going to enter the tournament and prove to him and everyone else that his way of the sword is flawed and without merit." Kaoru said as she quickly scribbled her own name on the sheet, as it had some ink and a quill attached to it. She turned back to Kenshin, knowing she couldn't win without his help.