Foreword : After Jinchuu Arc, Kenshin married Kaoru and they have a boy named Kenji. Like Yahiko
at the end of manga no.28, Kenji has to prove himself to Yahiko for the sakabatou. Unfortunately,
Yahiko has his own kid too, called Shinya, and they will have to fight between each other for
the sakabatou. The winner of that battle will have to prove himself.
Disclaimer : As much as it kills me, Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, it belongs to
Watsuki-sensei.
Note : Yeah yeah, Battousai X does it again... OOCiness probably exists here and I don't know
it... As for Kenji and Shinya, I don't really know much about their characters, so I suppose you
can't say I OOCied them... I had to imagine how they would act and behave here.
About Kenji : In Rurouni Kenshin manga no.28, Watsuki says that Kenji is very clever, he can
learn moves not only by seeing them, but from hearing them too.
The Wild Tiger - Chapter 1 : One to one
It was a bueatiful summer morning. Kenji had purposely woken up early to take adventage of the
cool morning air and practice his sword skills.
Kenshin knew that Kenji had already awakened and sensing no one else was awake, decided to grab
this opportunity to talk to Kenji himself. He got up and made his way to the yard.
Kenji had already sensed his father's presence earlier on, and didn't bother, instead he
continued practicing, pretending he didn't know.
Kenshin stood silently behind Kenji for awhile, observing the way he was swinging the bokken,
well aware that Kenji was better than him when he was his age. 'Especially considering the fact
that he learnt most of them just through watching and listening to my stories.' Kenshin thought
to himself. Although he didn't regret sending Kenji to his shishou during the boy's holidays, he
knew then that he would regret it later.
"Kenji." Kenshin called out, finally deciding to make his presence known.
Kenji stopped in mid-swing, lowered his bokken and turned around to face his father. "Ohayo,
otousama."
"Kenji, come here."
Kenji was well aware what his father wanted to talk to him about. His thoughts drifted back to
that fateful day...
----------------------
"Kenji, don't tell me thats all you've got !" Yahiko shouted to Kenji, who was on the floor,
holding his side in pain.
Yahiko was in the dojo esting Kenji's skills. Shinya was observing in the corner, relatively smug
about something. The mere sight of him made Kenji's blood boil. Kenji knew that sooner or later
he would have to fight the brat for his father's sakabatou.
Seeing Shinya so smug about his father's victory made Kenji not want to give up yet, at least not
in front of him. He picked up his bokken and challenged Yahiko to a rematch. Yahiko accepted.
Then he went into a stance, preparing to attack.
Kenji's fear of loss had begun to leak out onto his face, and Shinya, who immediatly caught it,
threw an insult toward him. "What's the matter, afraid your head will stick up the ceiling
again ?"
That remark was all Kenji could take. His limits were shattered, and his normally violet eyes
started to turn amber. Yahiko immediatly noticed it and broke his stance.
"Yamero, thats enough for today." Yahiko stopped Kenji.
Shinya then left the dojo, muttering somthing about cowards, and all the while he was being
watched by Kenji.
The minute Kenshin knew about what happened earlier, he was shocked. "Demo... I thought Kaoru's
innocence would be able to hide it... chikuso ! I was wrong !" Kenshin kept on blaming himself
about Kenji. Kaoru, on the other hand, had been trying to comfort Kenshin all the while.
"Koishii, its not your fault..." she would say everytime Kenshin blamed himself.
..........
----------------------
And that matter hadn't been brought up until now.
'Haha..' Kenji thought to himself. ' Looks like everyone's afraid of me now.'
"Kenji, you know very well what I came to talk to you about." Kenshin said sharply, waking Kenji
from his daydream.
"Hai, otousama." Kenji replied smugly.
"Kenji..." Kenshin's voice softened. "Why ? All the while... I thought you were innocent..."
Kenshin buried his face in his hands. Kenji only could smirk in reply.
"What shishou said was right." Kenshin suddenly sat up. "That hitokiri blood... its always been
in you. He says you're like a wild tiger, and its caused you to be like Saitoh..." Kenshin
winced at his name. " Now that tiger within you has awakened, and its struggling to be free. It
wants you to kill, Kenji." He looked up at his son. 'I never thought he had it in him' Kenshin
thought wearily.
"Hmph. If thats all you want to say then please leave. I want to continue training." Kenji
retorted rudely as he stood up.
'He's exactly like me when I was younger. It was that tiger that made me Battousai. My own tiger
is already too old and weak to fight back against my will. But Kenji's tiger is strong and
powerful, and now its taking over Kenji totally.' Kenshin thought to himself.
"I'm not done yet Kenji." Kenshin answered his son. Kenji stopped without turning back.
"I know exactly how you feel Kenji. I had the same feelings you had. Back then no one told me how
I could control it. But its different now Kenji. I'm here to help you control that tiger within
you."
"I don't need your help." Kenji retorted.
"No. I have to help you. Whether you like it or not."
"I don't care !" Kenji yelled stubbornly.
"Kenji, you don't understand. Once you let that tiger get a hold on you, it will already be very
hard to stop it. It will give you a bloodlust that only you can control, stop and finally defeat.
And for a person your age, to control it, you'd need help."
Kenji only smirked and walked away calmly.
Kenshin sighed heavily. 'He's even worse than me. Only time wil tell...' Kenshin thought as he
looked up into the blue sky above...
at the end of manga no.28, Kenji has to prove himself to Yahiko for the sakabatou. Unfortunately,
Yahiko has his own kid too, called Shinya, and they will have to fight between each other for
the sakabatou. The winner of that battle will have to prove himself.
Disclaimer : As much as it kills me, Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, it belongs to
Watsuki-sensei.
Note : Yeah yeah, Battousai X does it again... OOCiness probably exists here and I don't know
it... As for Kenji and Shinya, I don't really know much about their characters, so I suppose you
can't say I OOCied them... I had to imagine how they would act and behave here.
About Kenji : In Rurouni Kenshin manga no.28, Watsuki says that Kenji is very clever, he can
learn moves not only by seeing them, but from hearing them too.
The Wild Tiger - Chapter 1 : One to one
It was a bueatiful summer morning. Kenji had purposely woken up early to take adventage of the
cool morning air and practice his sword skills.
Kenshin knew that Kenji had already awakened and sensing no one else was awake, decided to grab
this opportunity to talk to Kenji himself. He got up and made his way to the yard.
Kenji had already sensed his father's presence earlier on, and didn't bother, instead he
continued practicing, pretending he didn't know.
Kenshin stood silently behind Kenji for awhile, observing the way he was swinging the bokken,
well aware that Kenji was better than him when he was his age. 'Especially considering the fact
that he learnt most of them just through watching and listening to my stories.' Kenshin thought
to himself. Although he didn't regret sending Kenji to his shishou during the boy's holidays, he
knew then that he would regret it later.
"Kenji." Kenshin called out, finally deciding to make his presence known.
Kenji stopped in mid-swing, lowered his bokken and turned around to face his father. "Ohayo,
otousama."
"Kenji, come here."
Kenji was well aware what his father wanted to talk to him about. His thoughts drifted back to
that fateful day...
----------------------
"Kenji, don't tell me thats all you've got !" Yahiko shouted to Kenji, who was on the floor,
holding his side in pain.
Yahiko was in the dojo esting Kenji's skills. Shinya was observing in the corner, relatively smug
about something. The mere sight of him made Kenji's blood boil. Kenji knew that sooner or later
he would have to fight the brat for his father's sakabatou.
Seeing Shinya so smug about his father's victory made Kenji not want to give up yet, at least not
in front of him. He picked up his bokken and challenged Yahiko to a rematch. Yahiko accepted.
Then he went into a stance, preparing to attack.
Kenji's fear of loss had begun to leak out onto his face, and Shinya, who immediatly caught it,
threw an insult toward him. "What's the matter, afraid your head will stick up the ceiling
again ?"
That remark was all Kenji could take. His limits were shattered, and his normally violet eyes
started to turn amber. Yahiko immediatly noticed it and broke his stance.
"Yamero, thats enough for today." Yahiko stopped Kenji.
Shinya then left the dojo, muttering somthing about cowards, and all the while he was being
watched by Kenji.
The minute Kenshin knew about what happened earlier, he was shocked. "Demo... I thought Kaoru's
innocence would be able to hide it... chikuso ! I was wrong !" Kenshin kept on blaming himself
about Kenji. Kaoru, on the other hand, had been trying to comfort Kenshin all the while.
"Koishii, its not your fault..." she would say everytime Kenshin blamed himself.
..........
----------------------
And that matter hadn't been brought up until now.
'Haha..' Kenji thought to himself. ' Looks like everyone's afraid of me now.'
"Kenji, you know very well what I came to talk to you about." Kenshin said sharply, waking Kenji
from his daydream.
"Hai, otousama." Kenji replied smugly.
"Kenji..." Kenshin's voice softened. "Why ? All the while... I thought you were innocent..."
Kenshin buried his face in his hands. Kenji only could smirk in reply.
"What shishou said was right." Kenshin suddenly sat up. "That hitokiri blood... its always been
in you. He says you're like a wild tiger, and its caused you to be like Saitoh..." Kenshin
winced at his name. " Now that tiger within you has awakened, and its struggling to be free. It
wants you to kill, Kenji." He looked up at his son. 'I never thought he had it in him' Kenshin
thought wearily.
"Hmph. If thats all you want to say then please leave. I want to continue training." Kenji
retorted rudely as he stood up.
'He's exactly like me when I was younger. It was that tiger that made me Battousai. My own tiger
is already too old and weak to fight back against my will. But Kenji's tiger is strong and
powerful, and now its taking over Kenji totally.' Kenshin thought to himself.
"I'm not done yet Kenji." Kenshin answered his son. Kenji stopped without turning back.
"I know exactly how you feel Kenji. I had the same feelings you had. Back then no one told me how
I could control it. But its different now Kenji. I'm here to help you control that tiger within
you."
"I don't need your help." Kenji retorted.
"No. I have to help you. Whether you like it or not."
"I don't care !" Kenji yelled stubbornly.
"Kenji, you don't understand. Once you let that tiger get a hold on you, it will already be very
hard to stop it. It will give you a bloodlust that only you can control, stop and finally defeat.
And for a person your age, to control it, you'd need help."
Kenji only smirked and walked away calmly.
Kenshin sighed heavily. 'He's even worse than me. Only time wil tell...' Kenshin thought as he
looked up into the blue sky above...