This is an idea I have had for a while and finally decided to write it, what if Kenshin had taken on an apprentice to learn Hiten Mitsurugi? Once again my character Derek is thrown from our world into another, if I write enough of these I may link them all together somehow, I'm sorry if the opening part is a little short but I wanted to get right to the Meiji era as fast as possible, enjoy.
It all started when I was eight years old, as I was lying in bed one night. The stars were shining outside the window; a full moon could be clearly seen.
I had always had a fascination with swords, many times I had dreamed that I had lived in a time when swords were widely used, little did I know that that dream would become reality.
I had drifted into a light sleep, a sharp crackling sound caused me to snap awake, somehow I am sitting atop a hill, a town burning in the distance.
As I rushed around, trying to figure out where I was, a group of men came over the hill. They were all dressed in weird robes (male kimonos), all their hair was tied off in top knots, and every one of them carried a sword.
I did not know what to think of them, they started running past me as if I weren't there; however before they got through a group of men in armor ambushed them.
I had fallen to my knees, unable to move, petrified by the sound of the screaming. Blood splattered across my pajamas as the armored men slaughtered the robed men.
As the last of the robed men fell dead one of the armored soldiers approached me, an evil grin was upon his face.
"You support the Tokugawa shogunate kid?" he asked, I didn't answer. This seemed to anger him, as he raised his sword, intent on killing me.
What happened next was so quick I could barely follow it, a lightning fast shape shot out of the nearby forest, the other armored soldiers dropped dead as a man dressed in a red robe impaled them upon his sword one after the other before they could even raise their swords.
"Hitokiri!" The last one shouted, before he was swiftly decapitated.
I sat there, still trembling as the stranger approached me. Upon reaching me he firmly planted his sword in the ground.
"Do not fear, the shogunate's power is broken, I shall never kill again. A new age is coming, live in it in peace," with that he got up and started to walk away.
"WAIT!" I shouted, finally having recovered my voice.
"Huh?" he asked, turning around to face me.
The X-shaped scar on his cheek made me fearful for a moment, however I felt as if I could trust him.
"Please sir," I stuttered. "Let me go with you, I have nowhere else to go, I don't know how to get home."
He stared at me as if pondering my words.
"I don't know anything about this place; please teach me to be a good swordsman like yourself sir!"
"I am sorry son," he said after a few moments. "But I do not intend to pass my style onto the next generation so that it may continue killing people."
"Then I wont kill anyone!" I shouted, desperate to learn from someone as strong as him, he seemed surprised by my words. "I swear I won't kill anyone with the skills you give me."
A smile formed across his lips, I don't know why, but it seemed as if he hadn't smiled in a long time.
He walked slowly towards me, kneeling to eye level.
"Do you truly want to learn swordsmanship? It will not be easy that it won't."
"I'm willing to learn sir," I said, holding my ground, swallowing hard.
"Very well then," he said, taking my hand. "I shall train you, and teach you my forte."
10 years later…
Kamiya Kaoru ran down the street, having heard rumors of a stranger carrying a sword walking around, with all the recent deaths at the hands of the battousai she couldn't be too careful.
"There he is," she thought as she saw a man walking through the fog. He wore a red male kimono with matching hair, a sword hung at his side. "I have him now!" she thought, however became confused as she got closer.
Beside him walked another man, it was hard to tell in the fog but it appeared as if he bore a sword as well. His hair was tied in the same fashion as the red heads, yet it was brown. His kimono even appeared to be the same style; however the top portion was blue instead of red.
"Two of them?" She thought to herself. "Maybe that would explain how the battousai's been killing so many people. Uncertain as to which one was the killer she raised her wooden sword in the general direction of the strangers and shouted. "Don't move…Battousai the manslayer!"
The two men stopped instantly; simultaneously they turned around to face her. Their faces seemed harmless enough, with the look of confused children upon them, but Kaoru wasn't about to be caught off guard.
"You look a lot weaker than I would have thought."
A resounding HUH?? erupted from the men, looking as if they had no idea what was going on.
"Prepare yourself…HA!!" she shouted, rushing towards them, her sword ready to strike them.
The two strangers acted so fast her breath got caught in her throat. The red clad man leapt out of the way of her sword, the second man dodged her slash by bending backwards (matrix style), neither of them were fazed.
Her awe at their speed ended quickly as the red wanderer landed upon an old bench, which gave way under his weight, sending him crashing to the ground. The other man leaned back too far in his dodging, and fell flat on his back, both of them staggered to their feet dazed.
"Is it true that one of you two could really be the legendary manslayer?" Kaoru asked, beginning to highly doubt it. "I heard you killed three more men last night at once!"
"We are simple wanderers," the red haired one said, a large grin on his face. "Simple wanderers that we are, do you truly believe that I could kill three men with this?" he asked, holding out his sheath for her to inspect.
Hesitantly she reached for it, drawing the sword within it, immediately she noticed what he meant.
"What is this? The blade is on the wrong side."
"That is a reverse blade sword," the second man said, walking beside the first, his voice as tranquil and calm as the firsts. He quickly drew his own sword, revealing it to be a reverse blade as well.
"Indeed," the red head continued. "It cannot be used to slay anyone, and there's no sign that either of our swords have ever been used in battle."
"You're right," she said, no longer suspicious of them. "These blades look brand new."
"So we are exonerated of suspicion then?" The brown haired one asked, smiling as he spoke.
Kaoru was quite embarrassed at having nabbed the wrong guys, yet acted as if she was angry at them for NOT being the manslayer.
"Looky here!" she shouted, moving towards the strangers with their own sword, not realizing that the sharp edge was pointed at them. "It's pretty suspicious to be walking after dark carrying a sword in the first place!" As she got closer the two men backed up, attempting to avoid the blade, their eyes as big as dinner plates. "And besides this is the Meiji era and it is illegal to be carrying a sword around in the first place so I think that you…"
A sharp whistle cut through the air, interrupting her rant and quite possibly saving the wanderers from the blade a few centimeters from their faces.
"It's him, the manslayer!" she shouted, throwing the sword up in the air, leaving the red headed wanderer shuffling back and forth trying not to be standing under it.
Had she not run off Kaoru would have seen the wanderer catch the sword expertly in his sheath, the look of confusion gone from his face.
"Should we check it out sensei?" the brown haired man asked. "It would not be good to permit a murderer to use that name without hesitation."
"Indeed," the red head replied. "We will make sure this situation isn't too serious that we will."
Kamiya Kaoru appeared on the scene as the killer had taken down another policeman, his strength was incredible. He was incredibly large, his eyes glared with intense hatred yet his face could not be seen, concealed behind a black mask.
"Stop right there manslayer!" she shouted, lunging at the killer with her wooden sword.
The killer stopped, turning to swing at the new threat. As the two passed each other Kaoru slid to the side, too late to dodge the blade fully. As she landed blood spurted from a nasty cut on her arm, the killer came again. With one swift swing he decapitated her wooden sword with little effort.
"Oh no!" Kaoru shouted, as he raised his sword to finish her off, bringing it down.
A loud clang interrupted her thoughts, as another sword intercepted his blade before it struck her.
It was the brown haired wanderer.
As the brown haired man kept the killer's sword at bay the second wanderer rushed in, picking up Miss Kaoru and whisking her to safety. As soon as they were clear the first one pulled his blade back, sheathing it as he leapt atop a building out of the reach of the killer.
"The wanderers?" Miss Kaoru asked dazed, no doubt from the loss of blood.
"It is most reckless to challenge a real sword with a wooden one that it is," the red haired wanderer said, still holding Miss Kaoru.
"It's not too bright either," piped in the second man, having joined them once he got away from the killer.
Another sharp whistle cut through the air as police reinforcements began rushing to assist, the killer immediately ran for it.
"I am battousai the manslayer," he shouted as he ran. "I use the Kamiya Kasshin style of swordsmanship!"
"Wait," Miss Kaoru said, sitting up.
"You are being reckless again," the red headed man said, keeping her from chasing after the killer.
"That's the style of swordsmanship my family teaches. He's using our good name to murder people!" With that she passed out.
"She certainly is brave that she is," the red headed wanderer said.
"We should have taken care of that guy," the brown haired man said, his voice slightly annoyed. "There's no telling what else he could do."
"We had to save her first young one, always remember that it is better to save a life than it is to be rash and rush into a situation you know little about. Now let's find out where this woman lives, she needs medical attention."
"Yes sensei," the brown haired man replied as they walked into town, carrying Kaoru's unconscious form with them."
Kamiya Kaoru shot up with a start, unsure as to where she was at first. After a few moments she realized she was back at her dojo, he arm had been recently bandaged.
The memories of what happened flooded into her mind, the killer, the two strange wanderers and how they had saved her life…and the killer claiming to use her family's sword style to murder with.
As she contemplated these event she thought she smelled what appeared to be miso soup from outside, hesitantly she slid open the door.
The red haired wanderer was hunched over a boiling pot, delicately adding ingredients to the food; the other wanderer was running around, being chased playfully by two little girls.
"O it is good to see you awake Miss Kaoru," the red headed wanderer said cheerfully, the other man and the two girls stopped running and came over to see her. "Your little sisters were just helping us make some breakfast that they were."
"We just got a little side tracked," the second man said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Here!" one of the little girls said, handing one of the rice balls they had made to Miss Kaoru. Each one had been made in the shape of mice by the girls
Miss Kaoru took a bite, instantly her face went rigid, she looked as if she was going to be ill.
"Don't you like it?" the wanderer asked, sweat pouring down his face.
Her face returned to normal as she quickly said, "You certainly cook better than I do."
Both wanderers fell over, flabbergasted at her reaction.
"That's pretty hard to swallow," the younger wanderer said, getting back to his feet. "I've had to eat his cooking for ten years and I can honestly say my sensei does not have a knack for it."
The young man immediately received death glares from both his companion and Miss Kaoru, both angered at his insult of their cooking.
"Now now," he said, backing up nervously. "I...I'm sure your cooking is just fine," he sweat dropped as Kaoru moved closer, her eyes pure white.
"Well hello there!" came a shout, the second time an interruption saved the wanderer's life. It was an old man who had just entered the dojo. "I heard that someone had a sword wound?"
"Dr. Gensai!" Kaoru shouted. "It's good to see you!"
The doctor began to inspect Kaoru's wound, however the two wanderers had treated it so well that the wound had already closed, not even leaving a scar.
"I just can't see those two as being swordsmen," Kaoru said, the wanderers had taken the girls on their shoulders and were proceeding to run around the courtyard, much to the enjoyment of the girls.
"They are perfect for babysitting my grandchildren," the doctor said laughing, accidentally blowing some powder all over Kaoru's face.
"So these girls aren't your little sisters then?" asked the red headed wanderer.
"No, they are Dr. Gensai's granddaughters; Ayame and Suzume." As the last bandage was replaced she stood up. "I have decided that as long as you two are in town you may stay here at the dojo."
"Huh?" the two wanderers asked in unison, Miss Kaoru was beginning to wander if they did that all the time.
"But you don't even know who we are," the red head said.
"I don't believe in judging people based on their past, I couldn't care less what you have done, its what you do now that really matters."
She proceeded to put the two men to work, while the blue clad wanderer cleaned the porch, she took the red head aside, explaining to him how her father created the kamiya kasshin style to help people. That it was a way to use a sword to bring out someone's potential, never to kill, which was why she used wooden swords instead of real ones.
A group of three young boys appeared at the dojo entrance; apparently they were Kaoru's last three students.
"Alright," she said as they approached. "Were definitely going to get that manslayer tonight, with all three of us we can't…" but one of the boys cut her off.
"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru," he said solemnly, "But we can't be your students any longer."
"Our parents don't want us to be affiliated with a style that teaches people to kill, like that manslayer keeps saying. "I'm really sorry, I know we were your last students and you were really counting on us."
As he finished a pebble came flying through the air, striking the boy in the middle of the head.
"OW!" he whimpered. "Who did that?"
The brown haired wanderer stepped out of the shadow of the dojo, his cleaning cloth draped over his shoulder.
"So that's it?" he said calmly, slowly walking towards the boys. "When the going gets tough you leave? Instead of clearing the name of the dojo which has taught you so much, you simply walk away?"
"Hey wanderer!" Kaoru shouted, obviously angry. "It doesn't matter what these boys choose but I can't let you go around hurting my students like that!"
"But I thought they weren't your students anymore?" the wanderer said, his face still as calm as ever. "If I left my master's side the moment things got tough I would never have stuck with him for the past ten years."
"That's it!!" she shouted, rolling up her sleeves, moving towards the wanderer with a look of pure rage in her eyes.
"P-please Miss Kaoru," he stuttered, realizing he had made a big mistake, his eyes were pure white and as large as dinner plates in fear. "Be reasonable!"
The next thing the wanderer realized was being put in the shed outside the dojo, with naught but a futon and a blanket.
"You stay in there and think about what you said!" she shouted, locking the door with a huge beam.
Figuring things could be worse the wanderer laid out the futon and laid down, not sleeping but hoping to rest.
His rest was interrupted several hours later as the door to the shed opened.
The red haired wanderer immediately came flying through the door, crashing into the wall; he too had a futon and blanket in hand.
"Oro…" he muttered, staggering back to his feet.
"You stay in there with your friend and think about what you've done!" she shouted, relocking the door.
"What did you do sensei?" the brown haired man asked, surprised that his master would do anything rude.
"You don't want to know," he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "It was all just a big misunderstanding. Although Miss Kaoru, I would like to ask a question that I would."
"What do you want?" She shouted, still standing outside the shed.
"Did your dojo ever have a student who was left handed with a paralyzed right thumb?"
"So you do think that it was one of our students huh?" she asked, her voice starting to fill with anger. "My father created this dojo to bring out peoples potential, never to harm others. It's the battousai! And now I have to protect those ideals, for my father."
The red headed wanderer paused for a moment before continuing. "I am sure that your father would not want you to give up your life to protect the style. I'm sure that what your father would truly want is your happiness Miss Kaoru that I do."
Both Kaoru and the second wanderer stared at him for a bit, he still had that childlike smile upon his face.
Miss Kaoru's face turned to annoyance as she shouted.
"What would a penniless wanderer like you know? Don't you dare talk as if you know my father!" With that she ran back towards the dojo.
"Sensei…" the younger wanderer said after a few moments. "Do you truly believe that it is a former member of this dojo?"
"Yes I do," he said calmly, the smile gone from his face. "We must leave here and find him before he can harm this dojo anymore than he already has."
What the two did next was a trade secret, however when Miss Kaoru came back several minutes later to apologize for yelling, the wanderers were gone, yet the door was still closed and locked.
As she lay in bed thinking of the wanderer's words she brought back a memory she had long since forgotten.
Years ago when she was a little girl a man who studied under her father went against the teachings, attacking students to prove his superiority. She had been standing at the entrance to the dojo when her father confronted the man, and crushed his right thumb with his sword.
Leaping awake with a start she rushed to the dojo records, where the names of every student was kept, it was there that she finally found his name.
"Gohei Hiruma…" she whispered to herself as she spoke. "But he was expelled almost eleven years ago."
The door sliding open behind her interrupted her thoughts, a silhouette of a large man surrounded by fifteen smaller ones appeared in the doorway.
"You!" she shouted, recognizing the man now without his dark mask.
It was none other than Gohei.
"I'm glad you remember me," he said, an evil sneer forming across his face. "It makes my revenge all that much sweeter. I've been waiting in the bowels of hell for this day to come, though I should probably thank your father for allowing me to practice my left handed sword techniques for eleven years!"
"I won't let you besmirch the Kamiya name anymore!" She shouted, rushing towards the intruder.
He easily caught her swing in his right hand, bringing his sheathed sword down hard upon her shoulder with his left, shattering her wooden sword.
"I will finally have my revenge as I kill you and destroy this school," he said laughing, all his cronies behind him joined in the cruel laughter. "Who wants to cut her first?"
"I do!" shouted on of the men, the others all shouting agreeing comments.
"A sword is a tool to save people," Kaoru got out weakly, being held in the air by Gohei's good hand.
Gohei laughed again, "Maybe you should think about saving yourself right now, what's wrong? Daddy not here to protect you?"
As tears began to form in Kaoru's eyes a loud footstep interrupted Gohei's laughter, turning around he saw the sixteenth member of his goon squad standing outside the door.
"What's wrong Nishiwaki?" he asked, remembering he had asked the man to keep a watch outside.
"They're….they're strong," he gasped weakly, collapsing to the floor, revealing two silhouettes behind him.
It was the two wanderers.
"You will put her down gently now that you will," the red head said softly, no anger in his voice.
"You shall then turn yourself in to the police and confess to all the crimes you have committed," piped in the brown haired man, his hand already on his sheath.
"You two…from yesterday," Gohei whispered to himself.
"I had a feeling I should have taken care of you then," said the red head.
"No, that was me who said that," whispered the second man, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"You two must get out of here!" Kaoru shouted. "You are no match for him... oh!" Gohei dropped her as he turned towards the two new men.
"So new fools who think the sword can bring out people's potential?"
"No," the red headed man said as the two of them walked forward slowly. "A sword is a weapon that kills, that is the truth. Learning swordsmanship is learning the art of how to kill. What Miss Kaoru says is sweet and innocent talk that people like her and my pupil that have never stained their hands with the blood of men can believe."
The two of them stopped a few feet in front of the men, the room had gone deathly silent.
"However," the man said, raising his head, revealing a heartwarming smile on his face. "I much prefer Miss Kaoru's sweet and innocent talk to the truth indeed I do."
"In time," his companion said. "The sweet and innocent talk shall become the truth for everyone to live by."
Gohei was becoming increasingly angry, finally he pointed towards the two wanderers.
"Kill them both and make them die slowly!"
Both wanderers' hands flew to their swords, drawing them slightly.
"We don't want to hurt anyone here," the brown haired man said.
"O none of us will get hurt," said one of the thugs. "That will be YOU!" they rushed the two men, swords ready to cut.
Instantly both men drew their swords, sweeping them in a wide arc. Nine of the men that rushed them went flying backwards into the wall, out cold.
"Apprentice," the red head said. "You handle the rest of the men; I shall handle Gohei."
"As you wish sensei," he replied, taking out two more with another swing of his blade.
He seemed to bounce across the room, Gohei's men and even Miss Kaoru could scarcely track his movements. He seemed able to predict the men's movements and get in front of them before they could even think up a counter move. Within a few seconds the remaining men were out cold, leaving only Gohei Hiruma.
Gohei seemed to inspect the red head closely; he began to sweat as he spoke.
"Red hair…cross shaped scar on his left cheek…you're Battousai the Manslayer."
"So…you're the real Battousai the Manslayer?" Miss Kaoru asked, unable to believe that he had been living in her home for the past day.
"By the way," the red headed wanderer started. "The sword technique of Battousai the manslayer and his pupil is neither Kamiya Kasshin nor whatever your original style is. They use Hiten Mitsurugi super sonic blade style, which will not fail to kill an opponent unless you use a sword like this of course."
"Only one of us is worthy of that title," Gohei said, unsheathing his sword. "After I kill you and your pupil I'll burn this place down and kill the girl."
"You could not defeat me that you couldn't," the wanderer said. "Yet even if you did I have full confidence in my pupil to stop you, however if that is your thought then I have no choice." He fully drew his sword, facing Gohei.
"Die Battousai!!" Gohei shouted, lifting his sword high into the air.
Upon gazing down at the spot where his opponent had been standing he saw that the battousai was gone.
"Over here," came the wanderer.
Looking up Gohei saw too late that the battousai had leapt high into the air, and was bring his sword down upon him with great force.
A loud crunch could be heard as his sword came down on Gohei's left hand, crushing his fingers. The force from the swing blew Gohei downward, imbedding his body into a freshly made hole in the floor, knocking him out cold.
"I have no affiliation with that title," said the wanderer, standing over Gohei's unconscious form. "However I can't let somebody like you wear it. You shall never be able to hold a sword properly with either of those hands now."
The younger wanderer approached Miss Kaoru, helping her to her feet as the red head approached.
"I am sorry for not telling you my identity Miss Kaoru that I am. I just didn't want you to know it if you didn't have to."
The younger man bowed before her, "Thank you for your hospitality ma'am. Take care."
Silently the two men turned towards the door, preparing to leave.
"But…uh…" they heard Kaoru stuttering as they neared the door, however it wasn't until she shouted "YOU JERKS!!" that the two men stopped, the look of pure confusion evident on their faces once again.
"You two bust up this place then expect to leave without helping me to fix it up? You're not even going to offer me any help? I don't care what you did in your past"
"But I don't think it will help the Kasshin style to have the real battousai living here," the red headed said, his pupil nodding in agreement.
"Who said I wanted the battousai staying here? I want the wanderer, I want yo…" she caught herself, blushing slightly as she spoke. "If you really must go, at least tell me your names."
"Himura…Kenshin Himura," the red head told her.
"And you?" she asked, looking at his apprentice.
"Just a friend he met along the way," he said, bowing once again. "Just Derek is fine."
"Kenshin…Derek…" she whispered, turning around to face the wall. "You two best be on your way then."
The sound of a door closing filled her ears.
She sighed heavily, wondering if she would miss those two.
"We have gotten tired of wandering that we have," she heard.
Spinning around, she saw the two of them standing on the inside of the door, still in the dojo.
"Though we may have to move on again at any time," said Derek.
"I am a pretty lousy cook," Kenshin said.
"You're still better than I am," Kaoru said.
And I'm stuck with both of em," thought Derek.
"And I may see you taking a bath again," Kenshin stated, chuckling softly.
"Again??" Derek asked, wondering if that was why Kenshin got thrown in the shed.
"No problem there," Kaoru said, balling up her firsts. "If I catch you doing that again…HA!" she threw a hard swing at Kenshin, catching him in the side of the face.
Kenshin went flying to the ground, looking as if he was quite in pain.
"Kenshin-sensei!" shouted Derek, rushing to his mater's side.
"I…I thought you'd dodge my punch," Kaoru said apologetically.
"That's some right you have Miss Kaoru," Kenshin sputtered, his cheek swelling up.
The next day Dr. Gensai stopped by to tend to Kenshin's face, Ayame and Suzume having a fun time calling Kenshin a crybaby for claiming his treatments hurt.
And that is how Kenshin Himura and his apprentice Derek began staying at the Kamiya Dojo.
I know that was almost exactly like the first episode, but I wanted to keep in the spirit of that episode, showing it mainly from Miss Kaoru's POV. If I continue this the remainder shall center on Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi apprentice Derek. Send in reviews of what episodes/adventures you would like me to put these two in from season 1 if you think I should write more (the ones I am definitely doing are Aoshi's arc, and the Jin-e's episodes). I hope you enjoy them.