Toki wo Koete no Kizuna
Chapter 1 Memories of Blazing Fire I
The academy was huge. You could see its protruding roofs above the busy streets below. The monochrome clock tower marks the school grounds of Basara Academy, a prestigious school that had invited students from across Japan. Complete with large classrooms, fancy cafeterias and warm dormitories, the school still stands strong with its 200 year history.
…And yet, why am I here…?
After a long trip, I finally arrived in front of the school gates. The brass gates were closed, almost as if to keep what's inside from coming out. The monstrous school loomed before me, the clock tower in its central cavity, emitting an oppressive aura that kept me from trying to get in.
I stood there, luggage in one hand and a letter in another. To confirm, I glanced down to my left hand, frowning at the logo on the top of the paper that matched the crest of the school next to the gates. After a quick sigh, I raised my eyes back up to the clock tower standing inside the gates, almost mocking me. "How… Do I get in…?"
"Oh, you must be the new student."
Instinctively, I glared towards the voice. A tall and slender woman emerged from the shadows of the gates. Her long, black hair was tied up in a bun with a single purple hair pin. Dressed in a black suit and long pencil skirt, she looked nothing less than a teacher.
She slowly glided over to me, staring me down with an interested eye. With a slight smirk, she placed her hand on the gates before her. The gates magically moved under her control, slowly cranking open to let me in. I continued to glare at her suspiciously as I slowly stepped into the new soil.
"The school has strict rules on student behavior and conduct. Just read the section in your student manual. Classes start at 8:00am sharp, and breaks at…"
I rushed behind the teacher I was handed to, tugging and straightening the uncomfortable uniform I was given and thrown into. I swore under my breath as the teacher rushed on ahead while I fumbled through my pockets and bag for the said manual. I frantically flipped through it in a rush, glancing at the random words flowing through.
I had nearly ran into him when he suddenly decided to pause. The teacher had stopped in front of a large set of doors. He finished the last of his sentence before turning to me, "…And my name's Takagi. Takagi Shingen. I teach Gym and I will be your homeroom teacher." He reached out a pale hand to me.
The man is gruff, with a stern and worn face and rough skin. His mustache twitched as he talked and his eyes twinkled when he smiled at me. He felt nostalgic… I had felt a familiar warmth from him, none like I had felt before.
I took his hand sheepishly, shaking it and feeling his experiences through the crevices of his skin. At the time I felt impressed and yet I also felt I was reliving a past experience.
The odd feelings lingered even after he let my hand go and turned towards the grand doors, opening them with one fell push and led me into the bright classroom.
With a single sweep, I finished signing my name on the board and turned to face the class, a scowl still on my face. The sunlight coming from the windows were too bright, the students looked too curious and the teacher a little too energetic.
"So here's the new student from Oshuu, Hijikata Masamune. Be nice to him." Takagi Shingen-sensei crossed his arms and practically yelled at the students. The students responded with their awe and enthusiasm, which I felt was too strong for this early of the morning.
"Masamune-kun, you will be sitting behind Keiji." Takagi-sensei , with his hands still crossed, looked over to a cheerful boy with his hair tied in a flowing ponytail, his arm waving at me and his face with a large smile.
"All right." I gripped my hand bag as I started making my way down the aisles to my designated seat by the window, ignoring the glances given to me by the other students. My seat is designated to be the last seat on the aisle by the windows. The grinning idiot- Keiji- sat in the seat in front of mine and three other students before him.
Masamune-dono.
Just before I reached Keiji's seat, I heard a familiar voice that burned my heart. My eyes widened and heart raced as a familiar figure, with his broad back and body enwrapped in flames, entered my brain. I felt a sudden pain charge through my brain like an electric shock and my right eye, or what was supposed to be my right eye, burn fiercely. I instinctively gripped my head, grunting at the rhythmic pain.
"Are you alright?" The same voice… I quickly turned, face pale and eyes wide, towards the voice that burned my insides with a fiery passion. My sea blue eyes met a familiar wood brown pair of large eyes, staring at me with concern. "Are you alright?" He repeated.
His hair matched his eyes, chocolate brown and soft, short in the front and a long flowing stream in the back. His face is soft and small, like a child's, but his shoulders are bold, contrasting his child-like face and eyes. I could almost feel the fire in my distant memories as I stared back, entrapped by those same eyes…
Same…?
"Hey, you, uhh… Masamune!" the sudden feeling of warmth shook me from my distant world. I turned to the owner of the hands that shook my own shivering arms to see that kid- Keiji- staring at me, frowning.
"Masamune-kun?" Takagi-sensei, arms still crossed, looked over at me, his face showed worry behind the gruff appearance.
"I'm okay…" I regained my hold on myself and stood up straight. Keiji's hand slowly drifted away from my arm, sliding back to his desk. I gave another look at the boy who sat in front of Keiji, burning his figure into my single eye. "I'm just tired from travelling so far." Yeah, I'm just tired... I shook away the thoughts of that mysterious fire-clad youth before slipping down into the desk in the very back.
Takagi-sensei took another quick glance at me before the homeroom bell rang, signaling first period. "Very well. Have a good class." Takagi-sensei finished before leaving the classroom and another teacher stepped in after him.
The memory of the fire-clad youth remained in my head for the rest of the day. I can remember his voice, or what seems to be his voice, calling out to my name softly… almost sadly… I can't understand why, why something like this happened today, when I never had any experiences of hearing voices before. He is so familiar, so nostalgic, like there was something I should not have forgotten but I can't remember. "Who… are you…"
"Masamune… Was it?" I had dazed into my thoughts and did not even notice when lunch break had started. The boy that sat in front of me turned around in his seat and grinned at me, placing his arms on his chair and his chin on his arms.
I sat up and scowled at him. "Who said you can call me by my first name?" I scoffed, looking down at him with my single left eye. "And before you ask the names of others you should give your own."
The boy laughed heartily before sitting up and staring me in the eye with his carefree pupils. "I'm Kurosaki Keiji, but I'd prefer if you called me Keiji. I can call you Masamune, right?"
No, I wanted to spit out at him, but oddly I couldn't bring myself to say it. A part of me, somewhere, didn't feel that him calling me Hijikata felt… right. "Kurosaki." I mumbled, glaring back at the boy. I gritted my teeth at how odd it sounded and how awkward my mouth had to move to pronounce the syllables.
"See? It's odd, right? Just call me Keiji." He laughed, sitting back against his desk. "So, Masamune, how are you feeling now?"
I still didn't like how friendly Keiji sounded, but I couldn't decide on what he should call me, either, so I just gave up. "It was nothing. I was just tired. It's nothing now." I commented, crossing my arms and sitting back on my chair.
"That's a relief." The voice came from behind Keiji. That familiar voice that had pierced my body earlier emerged, like a wave of warm heat. That boy from earlier with the brown eyes stared at me, his face lit up with a smile. "You nearly fell over earlier, gotta be more careful."
"You're…?" I was able to keep myself calm. I had replayed that mysterious, sad voice over and over in my brain for the last few hours, trying to remember that youth's face and his existence. But, nothing emerged. Nothing returned from the wave of dark shadows inside my brain. All I know is, this boy cannot be him. The burning fire that that mysterious youth lit inside me was heightened by his voice, but he… isn't him.
"Oh right, I am Sanada Yuki." He stood up and walked up to my desk, standing between mine and Keiji's desk. "If you need anything, just holler! I'll help with whatever I can." His face beamed, and that very smile seemed again, so familiar. Like a freak incident of déjà vu, I felt something almost surfacing from my deep memories.
"Yu… ki… m…" My mouth moved on its own, mouthing the syllables I did not even understand. The brightness started growing, almost to reveal something I did not want to forget…
"YUKI!" The classroom door opened quickly with a slam, and a boy with bright brown hair and a green headband ran in. He was the boy that sat in front of Sanada, also within our row by the window. He quickly grabbed Sanada's wrist, pulling him towards the door. "Come on, let's go get some food at the cafeteria before it's all sold out!"
"Alright, Sasuke, hold up!" the boy, Sasuke, hauled him towards the door and pushed him out, rushing him as if it was some emergency. Before both of them disappeared into the corridor, Sasuke turned to me and I saw what could have been mistaken to be a bloodlust glare.
"Protective as ever, that Sasuke…" Keiji watched as the two disappeared and gave a small, short sigh. "The past will never change, Sasuke…" he muttered under his breath, spoken not to anyone. I looked over at Keiji, confused and a tad bit concerned, but not enough for me to plunge into something I am not involved in.
Sanada Yuki… The name sounds so distant, the eyes so nostalgic and the face so familiar. Just who is that boy?
Shortly after, Sanada and Sasuke returned with various breads and juices. The two settled down and forming a table of four with Keiji and I. The two shared their food with us, and we began to talk. I learned that Sasuke's full name is Takasugi Sasuke, and him and Sanada Yuki had been friends since they were young. Once again, I could not bring myself to call the boy by his last name. He also referred to me by my first name as naturally as everyone else I had met.
The conversation hopped around subjects, but I could feel the oppressive atmosphere as some of them danced around the issue of my patched right eye, trying to ignore the obvious questions. I didn't mind. I was used to it. It's always been like this since I was born. What bothered me the most was how Sanada would occasionally glance over at me and look away just as quickly. I wanted to yell and tell him to say whatever's on his mind, but I kept it inside. I didn't want to start a fight, not when I'm finally settled down.
"Yuki, you're making a mess." Sasuke smiled, laughing a little as he handed him a napkin to wipe up the mess on his face, evident from eating curry bread.
"Sasuke~" Keiji chimed, "You're just like a mother." Keiji followed with a laugh while Sasuke ignored his outburst.
"Thanks, Sasuke." Yuki took the napkin and began to clean up. I unknowingly began to stare at him, once again comparing his child-like demeanor to the fiery youth in red.
Feeling my gaze, Sanada raised his eyes to meet mine. His face lit up with a sheepish laugh, innocent and void of the intensity I unknowingly expected. I felt myself shiver at that gaze, feeling a part of me ripped out by his innocence. It felt wrong, unclear. He's not him.
Sanada shuffled through the mountain of bread him and Sasuke had retrieved and pulled out another curry bread. He handed it to me, smiling knowingly. "Here, you can have this one."
I can't understand why, but I felt a wave of sadness flow by me as I reached out.
Here, Masamune-dono. Colours of white, pink and green blocked my vision from his face. The dango he handed me smelled dangerously sweet and unnerving.
"I don't need that kind of thing." I said, without a single thought. The shock of hearing myself say those words chilled my body and I froze up, unable to apologize quick enough. Although that would be my reaction typically to any old friend's offer, Sanada was someone I had just met and it did not make sense to even myself to say those harsh words.
The three looked at me, Keiji first gave a startled look before breaking out into that annoying knowing smile, and Sasuke glared at me with nothing short of piercing daggers. Sanada, surprisingly, did not relent. He kept his hand poised, his lips still curved in a grin. "It's pretty tasty."
Try it, it's pretty delicious.
All I could do was return his grin with a startled stare. My composure recovered just as quickly, and I snatched the bun from his hand and opened the package before taking a quick bite. The strong curry smell erupted from the opened bun and the slightly spicy and salty taste wrapped inside the sweet bread flowed into my dry mouth. "This… is pretty good…"
"Isn't it?" Sanada looked up at me, grinning, before taking a bite out of his own bread.
Sasuke shot another bloodlust glare at me before snatching another curry bun from the slowly disappearing mountain. "Curry bread is too good for you." He exclaimed harshly before opening it and eating the whole bread in one breath. I couldn't understand if he was jealous or was just a show off. I just sneered at him as he quickly downed a whole juice box to quench the spice.
Keiji slapped a hand over his eyes and began laughing heartily while I continued to sneer. Sanada responded by laughing happily.
I can't understand this group of people. It's only been a day and I haven't had any peace since entering the school grounds. The rough and strict teacher, the cheerful students and the grand building left me in a state of awe and unrest. However, every laugh, every face seems so familiar and nostalgic. It felt like… I returned home.
I dragged my feet down the empty, twilight streets. The glaring orange sun guided me down the narrow and sharp curves and twists of the neighboring houses. With a single map in hand annotated with notes, I ended up wandering the evening, looking for the dormitories.
~*~
"The dorms aren't in the school grounds." Keiji explained, packing his school bag.
Class had just finished and the students have already started leaving for their club activities as the evening draws near. Sanada and Sasuke had left right after the bell, and Keiji lagged behind, slowly packing up his notebook and textbooks. I then took out the student handbook given to me earlier by the head teacher, Oda Nou, the lady in black I had first met. Flipping through the book, I desperately dug for a map or some sort of information to the dormitories until Keiji turned around and asked me what I was doing.
"Didn't the teachers tell you how to get to the dorms?" Keiji asked, closing his book bag and standing up before turning to me.
"No…" I collapsed onto the desk, tired from the stressful day. "That Oda Nou lady told me to give her my luggage and she'll transport it personally to my dormitory. She then handed me to old man Takagi Shingen."
"Sounds like you had a rough start." Keiji joked with a nervous laugh. "Well, I can't show you to the dorms today since I have something planned. But here, at least I'll draw a map for you."
Keiji then sat back down on his chair and took out a paper and pen and scribbled away a quick map with directions, trying hard to explain to me as he drew on where to turn and where to go. I had a hard time keeping up, trying to memorize foreign street names and house numbers.
"And… that's that!" Keiji dangled the piece of paper in front of me as I tried to recall all the names and places he had just mentioned moments ago. I grabbed the paper from him and gave him a small 'thanks' before he stood up again and started heading out the door.
"What club are you in?" I asked, standing up as well.
Keiji turned around with a playful grin. "Go-Home-Club!"
With a loud crush I slammed my fist into a nearby pole, severely denting it. "Go… home… club… Then he could have showed me to the dorms!" I yelled into the dark, night sky.
With a small sigh, I stood up straight and glanced back at the map, scribbled with foreign words I couldn't understand. "What kind of school has their dormitory miles away from the school?" I asked into the distance, turning around to see what once was a grand clock tower decreased into a tiny speck among the large buildings.
Regaining my strength, I continued to wander into the darkness, hoping that soon I can find the supposed dormitories.
Before I knew it, I found myself in front of a large building. If I had to guess, I would have thought the grand, white building was nothing short of a hospital. Windows were orderly aligned against the whole wall, and a large set of doors guarded the entrance. Silver gates surrounded the building, similar to those of the school. A large silver plate, next to the gates read "Honnoji, Basara Academy Dormitories".
"I guess… This is the right place…" The gates, slightly opened, was light and easy to push in, unlike the threatening brass gates that protected the school. The walk from the gates to the entrance was short, with trees aligned along the building, decorating the dormitories with a friendly feel.
Upon approaching the dorms, I searched hard for some kind of doorbell. Not seeing anything of the sort, I slowly cracked the door open and peeked into the grand building.
The lights were on, illuminating the couches and paintings with a warm feeling. There was carpet from where I stood, lining up to the stairs in the wall furthest from me. The 4 couches, crimson like fire, sat in a pattern facing each other in the center with a fireplace to the right of the set.
Noticing that no one was around, I stepped into the house. The carpet felt soft and I could feel my shoes sink into the fabric. Walking in further, I noticed the paintings that were set up on the walls. Each painting featured a famous or infamous leader in the Sengoku period. Japanese-styled art made the warm house feel more oriental and classy.
I came upon a painting immediately before the stairs. Two men were featured, dancing in battle with a fire backdrop. One of them had a crescent blade on his helmet and a black eye patch where his right eye was supposed to be and standing back to back with him is a larger man with a single sword and stern expression. Under the painting, it wrote "Doku-gan Ryuu Date Masamune to Ryuu no Migi me Katakura Kojuro".
Looking up at the single-eyed dragon, Date Masamune, I could feel that familiarized feeling once again. I slowly reached up to touch my own medical patch on my right eye, the exact eye which Date Masamune had lost as a child; the exact eye I was born without.
"Date Masamune-sama." I slowly turned to the all too familiar voice, calling out my name. I wanted to respond, without a thought, to that loyal voice I'll never forget. What is it, Kojuro?
The owner of the voice descended the stairs, his face showed a stoic expression and his hair gelled back. His perfect features were interrupted by a single scar across his cheek, similar to a sword wound. "That's the painting of Date Masamune-sama and Katakura Kojuro in battle." The man said, standing beside me with a hard glare.
I turned back to the picture, dropping my hand to my side. "Katakura Kojuro vowed to become Date Masamune's right eye after he lost it. Never had Date Masamune's back been attacked after Katakura Kojuro's oath." I mumbled in reply. I had always been interested in Date Masamune's stories and records of battle. Perhaps it's because we shared a name or because I was born without my right eye, but regardless, I had always felt a bond between this historical figure and myself.
"My name's Katsuya Kojuro." His eyes rose to the painting, smiling softly. I looked back at him and smirked, feeling the familiar feeling of family stronger than ever before. He returned his gaze to me as I introduced myself.
"I'm Hijikata Masamune. I guess that makes us Masamune and Kojuro." I joked, the smirk on my face came out naturally and my eyes soften without my notice. For some reason, I felt like I cannot be closer to home talking to this man.
Okaerinasai, Masamune-sama.
"So you're the new exchange student." Katsuya asked, while showing me up the long stairs. "If that's right, then your luggage came in already."
"Oh, yeah, Oda Nou-sensei told me she would deliver it." I followed behind him, glancing around the large floors, noticing every now and then students would peek out of their rooms to watch us.
"The second and third floors are for male students and the fourth and fifth floors for females." Katsuya explained after we reached the second floor. He turned to me and continued, "The first floor has the dining area and larger baths."
"All right." I nodded and continued following Katsuya down the halls of the second floor.
"Your room is at the end of this hall."
We reached the room and beside the door is a small plague that has Hijikata Masamune and Katsuya Kojuro engraved into it. "You're my dorm-mate?" I asked, not displeased at all.
He replied with a silent smile as he opened the doors.
The room is large; or rather, it felt more like three rooms in one. To the left was a small kitchen area, with a table, sink, stove and fridge. In front of us was more stairs, but only a few flights, up to two doors, which I assume are bedrooms. Beside the stairs was a small area where you can walk into a small shower room hidden behind the stairs.
"Wow… Crazy…" I managed to mutter, impressed by the intense layout. It could easily be called our own little house. "Are all the rooms like this?"
"The layout typically is the same." Katsuya walked into the room and dropped his shoes before entering into the kitchen. "The students can change it up if they wish."
I followed along, taking off my shoes after entering and closing the door behind me. I followed Katsuya into the kitchen.
"Here's your key." He handed me a golden key, with our room number engraved on. "Now, are you hungry?"
I jammed the key into my pocket and looked up at Katsuya, smirking sheepishly. "I haven't eaten since lunch."
"Then I'll make something. You can go up and see your room. It's the right one." With that, Katsuya turned around to face the fridge and pulled out some fresh vegetables.
"Thanks." Taking his advice, I retreated out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the right room. The knob felt cold to my touch and when I turned it and pushed the door open, the uninhabited room felt cold and abandoned.
Reaching over, I turned on the lights before entering and closing the door behind me. The room was small, with a small bed to the right and a window on the opposite wall facing me. A small ebony desk was placed beside the bed and under the window, while a small closet completed the set to the left of me. On the floor was my luggage, sitting there untouched, almost to welcome me home.
Tossing myself onto the bed, I stretched comfortably before looking over at the luggage on the floor. I have to open it and start sorting out my stuff… but I felt all the strength in my body drain as I feel my consciousness slowly evaporate. My eyelids felt heavy and my body felt numb. Before I knew it, I fell into a deep, soft slumber.
Masamune-dono.
You…
Masamune-dono, in the name of the Takeda clan of Shingen, I, Sanada Genchirou Yukimura, challenge you!
All right… If you're looking for an early leap to the grave, I'll be more than happy to send you. It's time to Party!
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP
I jolted up from my sleep, kicking the covers violently off the bed. I could feel the moist sweat-soaked clothes stick uncomfortably to my skin. The sound of the monotone alarm filled the empty room, disrupted sequentially by my hard breathing.
My heart pounded and my head hurt. I could remember the feeling of a constant struggle that tore my body to its limit. The rush of adrenaline in the battlefield, the ecstasy of fighting him in particular drove me to keep living in the days of war.
Him… The youth clad in fire…
I reached over to silence the alarm that increased the pounding my head felt. My hand collapsed onto the friendly blue dragon clock I had purchased shortly before moving here. The big, round eyes watched the clock face it held between its hands. The tail, which swished back and forth violently during the alarm, is once again stilled.
The panting slowly deceased and my heartbeat calmed as the dragon clock ticked on. I couldn't understand why I felt so shaken from a mere nightmare.
A mere… Nightmare? What I felt, was it fear, or was it…?
That boy clad in red, he resembled Sanada Yuki in so many ways, yet… "Sanada… Gen-"
"Hijikata-san." The sudden knock from my door shook me from my thoughts. Katsuya's voice echoed into my room, cutting through the silence. "Hijikata-san, if you don't wake up soon, you will be late."
Late? I quickly shot a glance over to the dragon clock once again. "7:37…" I could feel the quickening heart beat and cold sweat once again stirring from my body. "Sorry Kojuro, go ahead before me!" Without thinking, I spat out the words and pounced at the closet, digging for my school uniform.
"Wha…" I could hear Katsuya's confused voice from the other side of the door. A short silence after, he added, "Never mind. I'll see you later, Masamune-san." As I rushed about my room, I had dismissed him calling me by my first name as a normal, passing conversation and just groaned in response.
Following his quieting footsteps I could hear the door of our dorm room closing and locking. Without another thought, I swung open my door, with my school uniform on and rushed to the washroom to tidy my hair and brush my teeth before heading to the door. A small dish on the kitchen table caught my attention. A bowl of warm miso soup and some rice with the leftover vegetables from yesterday sat quietly, undisturbed on the table. I had awoken when Katsuya knocked on my door for dinner. We spent a quiet night eating together, he did not ask me about my past or my eye and I did not ask much about him either. I had learned that he is a third year in Basara Gakuen and spent most of his time in the horticulture club. After that, I offered to help clean the dishes, but Katsuya just waved me away back into my room. I spent the rest of the night cleaning out my luggage and setting up my room before taking a quick shower and headed to bed.
Groaning to myself, I grabbed the bowl of soup and swallowed it down in one gulp and ate the rice and side dish as quickly as I could before throwing all the dishes into the sink and finally, leaving the dorm rooms.
"Aaand MADE IT!" The classroom door swung open loudly as a pair collapsed into the bustling classroom. I just got into my desk and settled down after rushing out of the dorms and into the school. When I got here, Keiji had already gotten into his seat and sat snoozing in his desk while Sanada and Sasuke was nowhere to be found.
The two emerged loudly, collapsing into the classroom floor, making it just in time for the bell. Sasuke had thrown the door open and tripped on his way in, falling head first onto the floor while Sanada had tripped over the fallen Sasuke and fell face down onto his fallen comrade.
The commotion brought a burst of laughter from the room. Even the sleeping Keiji was woken by the loud crash and began laughing at the pair.
The antics by the pair even left a smirk on my face. I got up from my seat and held out a hand for Sanada. "Here."
Sanada's face lit up without reason, nodding and grabbing my hand. I helped pull up the boy and his face just grew brighter. Maybe he just like mornings. "Thanks, Hijikata-san!"
I felt my eye twitch at his voice and the name he called me. For some reason, like it was for Keiji, it felt wrong when he didn't call me by my first name. "It's Masamune."
Sanada grinned back at me. I didn't know his face could light up anymore than it did. "Then you have to call me Yuki!" He pointed to his chest with his thumb, his other hand sat on his waist.
I couldn't help but smile at his demeanor. He's small but just the little things he does shows his charisma and blazing soul.
But I couldn't help asking myself… Is this how quickly people should become close? I glanced over to Keiji, who proceeded to help Sasuke up as well, and then back to Yuki. It has been only a day and I had ended up calling these three, and Kojuro, by their first names. Is this how things are normally supposed to be?
Classes ended without much excitement. I once again spent a majority of the class returning to my thoughts of the youth clad in red armor and surrounded by fire. My dream the night before revealed more about him, and my relation with him.
He spoke his name clearly and with a proud, bellowing voice that contrasted Sanada Yuki's softer version. Yet, I couldn't remember his name. It was familiar, and attached to the nostalgia is a sense of sadness I couldn't truly grasp.
All I could remember clearly is the twinge of pain I felt as he spoke out to me and as I spoke back, and the rush of pleasure I felt as we posed to strike. I couldn't explain this feeling. It's not hate, it's not anger, just a sensation beyond words as my heart pumped faster and fists gripped tighter before we rushed at each other, weapons poised.
My eyes betrayed me throughout the day, slowly roaming towards Yuki's back. His hair swayed gently as he raised and lowered his head during class to copy notes. His shoulders sag a little when he gets confused. He also has a tendency to ask Sasuke questions in the middle of lectures whenever he misses the teacher's explanations.
"Helloooo?" Keiji's voice snapped me from my trance. He waved his hand in front of my face for a while, hollering my name as he did. "Masamune-dono~?"
Frowning angrily, I swatted Keiji's hand away. "What do you want?"
"Welcome back, Masamune-dono." Keiji teased, grinning. "What were you thinking about so intently? Yuki already went to practice with Sasuke."
"What?" I felt a rush of embarrassment rise to my face as I heard Keiji. "I wasn't thinking about him!"
"Your face says otherwise!" Keiji continued to tease, poking at my rosy cheek. I quickly snapped his hand away. "Haha, you're so fun to tease, Masamune."
Feeling that my face is warming up further, I quickly grabbed my bag and stood up. "I'm going home."
"Wait, hey, don't be such a downer." Keiji plead jokingly, his stupid grin still evident on his face. "I'll tell you why you're so confused."
"Huh? Who's confused?" I retorted. Rather, how did Keiji know? It wasn't evident, or so I thought, and I had barely shown or even spoke of anything regarding my own self.
"Just sit down." Keiji pointed to my chair. Interested, I obeyed and sunk back into my chair. "Well then, let Keiji, the freelance mind reader tell you everything."
"The what?" I smirked. "That sounds stupid."
"Just shut up and listen." Keiji turned his whole body to face me and crossed his arms. He tilted back, resting on his desk and continued his little game. "Let's see. Since you saw Sanada Yuki, you couldn't get him off of your mind. You feel a sense of familiarity with him that's unlike any other, and you're having a mix of exciting emotions whenever his image comes into mind."
"WHAT?" I jolted up from my desk, my chair smashing onto the floor, creating a loud noise that shook the classroom. The remaining students turned to stare at us, the smiling, mocking Keiji and the beet-red, shocked me. "What the hell! What kind of bullshit are you spouting!" I slammed my hands onto the table, glaring daggers at Keiji.
Keiji replied with a hearty laugh. He shifted around in his seat, relaxing his arms behind his head while he grinned teasingly at me. "It's true, right?"
I can't say he's wrong, but I can't say he's right either. After all, the person I have been having such complicated feelings over is the youth clad in red armor and covered in swirling fire. Although Sanada Yuki had given me shivers of familiarity that I couldn't understand, the youth in red armor had a more confident, louder and respectable voice compared to Yuki's weak, quiet and joking one. The two are different, and for reasons I can't understand, Sanada Yuki had only been reminding me of that youth from the darkness of my imagination.
"I'll take your long silence as a yes." Keiji continued before I could open my mouth to retort. He continued on with his theories, "It's not hate. It's not anger. So what is it?"
I felt my voice stop at my throat as no words I could compute exited my mouth. Even I couldn't answer that question. I quieted down, my hands lost their strength and determination, falling down to my sides.
"You don't know?" Keiji pressed on, the grin slowly lifting from his face. I stared back, confused and pained. I couldn't understand it; I couldn't understand anything that has been happening to me since I came to this school.
"The answer is simple." Keiji slowly stood up from his seat as well, his face closing in on my own. He stared at me intently, and all I could do was stare back, cautious. "It's L-O-V-E."
What happened seconds after I could barely remember. All I could remember was the desire to smash the closest object into that obnoxious face in front of my own. I had heard students saying after that I had picked up the fallen chair and bashed Keiji across the head before throwing the chair at him, all in a flustered breath. I don't doubt myself on doing something so rash. All I truly remember feeling was a sudden rush of anger, disbelief and perhaps, mixed in between… no, that can't be it. I was just angry that Keiji spouted such nonsense when I was taking him so seriously.
The next thing I knew, I was out of the classroom, out of the school and heading for the school gates, bag in hand. However, where exactly I was, I wasn't sure. I usually go down the halls until I reached the main entrance and left there, but out of the state Keiji had left me in, I must have turned a wrong way and went out another exit I was not aware of before.
The sun was quickly setting and the spring breeze felt cool to my warm cheeks. The golden yellow sunlight painted the school and the school grounds with a nostalgic sepia. The sounds of students running on the dusty tracks caught my attention. Turning around a corner, I found the large sports field that encompassed the many sport teams the academy is famous for. Among the many students exercising and practicing, I found Sanada Yuki on the golden field.
"ROCKET LAUNCH!" With a fierce kick, so strong that I had thought the ball and his leg had both caught on fire, Sanada Yuki launched a soccer ball down to the other field's goal, penetrating the goalie's close attention and into the net.
"GOAL!" Sanada Yuki jumped up in excitement, cheering as his teammates surrounded him. Sasuke rushed up behind Yuki and gave him a quick high five.
So Yuki and Sasuke had always been rushing out of classes so quickly because of soccer club… I didn't know why, but I ended up sitting down under a sakura tree and watched the rest of the game. Something within me lit that evening as my eyes followed Sanada Yuki across the field, running, kicking, and occasionally jumping. Behind the young high school student, I saw the silhouette of the youth in red, and his fiery spirit living strongly. Every time Yuki yelled, attacked, defended, I could see another person yelling, fighting and defending on a battlefield. That fiery passion shared by the two stirred a flame I had thought had been distinguished many years ago.
Masamune-dono!
…I think I understand now. Although I have forgotten your name, the fiery passion you lit in my body still burns brightly. Even if my mind has forgotten, my body responded; to that familiar voice, that nostalgic passion. Even if Sanada Yuki is not you, I can see you in him. Keiji was right, I can sense a strong bond of familiarity from that boy, but it is only because he reminds me of the youth in red. This feeling isn't anger, it isn't hate… it's…
"Masamune-san!" Yuki waved at me. His game just ended and Yuki's team won 6-0. He quickly ran over to me, his body full of energy. "Masamune-san! You were watching?" His face beamed with a blazing eagerness I felt too familiar.
Without thinking, my hand acted on its own, reaching up to touch the boy's cheek. His beaming happiness melted into a cautious confusion. My ability to break down that barrier of joy and construct a wall of enthusiasm left a forgotten smirk on my face.
Yes… It's not anger, it's not hate… It's…
"Sanada Yuki. This time, I'm going to be chasing you instead. You see?"
Yes… We're rivals.
Chapter 1- Memories of Blazing Fire I END
NOTES:
Azure: It's been a long time! This is my first story from Sengoku Basara, which was based off a MAD I saw on youtube not so long ago. There's a lot of changing around which I had to do and a lot of researching I had to do, not just for Sengoku Basara but for the real Sengoku Jidai history.
First off, I'd love to say that I do not own Sengoku Basara and all characters are fictional depictions of the real heroes and warriors in Sengoku Jidai Japan. I also do not own any of the character names (changed or not changed) since the unchanged names were depicted from other roles their seiyuus have been casted for. (Ex. Sanada Yukimura- played by Houshi Souichirou, who also played Sakurai Yuki from Uragiri wa Boku no Namae ga Shitteiru) I also have taken some ideas and roles of the characters from the Sengoku Basara school AU manga. (Such as Sasuke and Yuki being in the soccer team and that Oda Nobunaga will be the principal and Nou-hime the head teacher, secretary to the principal.) There will be more connections in the future chapters as well!
Second, character name change chart:
Hijikata Masamune-Date Masamune (Hijikata Toushirou from Gintama)
Sanada Yuki-Sanada Yukimura (Sakurai Yuki from UraBoku)
Kurosaki Keiji-Maeda Keiji (Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach)
Akai Nagamasa-Asai Nagamasa (Akai Haruaki from Maburoha)
Enma Ichi-Oichi (Enma Ai from Jigoku Shoujo)
Chang Motochika? Fujioka Motochika? [Undecided]-Chousokabe Motochika (Chang WuFei from Gundam Wing and Fujioka Tommy from Hyper Police)
Takamichi Motonari- Mouri Motonari (Fujiwara no Takamichi from Harukanaru no Toki no Naka de)
Takasugi Sasuke-Sarutobi Sasuke (Takasugi Shuunsuke from Gintama)
Kudou Kasuka-Kasuga (Kudou Himiko from GetBackers)
Usukawa Kenshin? Shihoudani Kenshin?[Undecided]-Uesugi Kenshin (Usukawa Dayuu from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger and Shihoudani Yuujirou from PrincessPrincess)
Katsuya Kojuro-Katakura Kojuro (Katsuya Jonouchi from YuGiOh- Game of Darkness)
Morimura Mitsunari, Kusanagi Mitsunari, Isozaki Mitsunari[Undecided]-Ishida Mitsunari (Morimura Tenma from Harukanaru no Toki no Naka de and Isozaki Rin from Telepathy Girl Ran and Kusanagi Shizuma from Real Bout High School)
Tomitake Ieyasu-Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tomitake Jirou from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni)
Tsuchiya Hanbei-Takenaka Hanbei (Tsuchiya Kei from Marmalade Boy)
Honda Tadakatsu (No Change)
Outa "Charles" Nobunaga[Undecided]-Oda Nobunaga (Outa "Coach" Kouichiro from Gubuster and Charles vi Britannia from Code Geass)
Takagi Shingen-Takeda Shingen (Takagi Yoshiyuki from Ossu! Karate Bu)
Ayanami Mitsuhide-Akechi Mitsuhide (Ayanami from 07 Ghost)
Oda Nou-Nou (No Change- Oda added because of Oda Nobunaga's last name.)
Kazama Kotarou[Undecided]-Fuuma Kotarou (Derived from Kaze- wind (Fuu) and Ma- space(Aida). Kazama may not be used as a last name so it is up to change. Further research resulted in historical Fuuma Kotaro to be originally named Kazama.)
Hakuji Ujimasa-Hojo Ujimasa (Hakuji from Sadamitsu the Destroyer)
Nagakura Toshiie-Maeda Toshiie(Nagakura Shinpachi from Hakuoki Shinsengumi Kitan)
Yomikawa Matsu-Matsu (Yomikawa Aiho from Toaru Majutsu no Index)
Aizawa Hisahide-Matsunaga Hisahide(Aizawa Shuichi from Death Note)
Zabi Francis-Zabi (Derived from Francis Xavier)
Kurogane Muneshige? Taniguchi Muneshige?[Undecided]-Tachibana Muneshige (Kurogane from Tsubasa Chronicles and Taniguchi Ryouma from Gunparade Orchestra)
Uchiha "Arthur" Sourin[Undecided]-Otomo Sourin (Uchiha Sasuke from Naruto and Arthur Kirkland from Hetalia)
Ichihara Magoichi-Saika Magoichi (Ichihara Yuko from xxxHolic)
Tezuka Hideyoshi-Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Tezuka Kunimitsu from Prince of Tennis)
Saotome Yoshihiro-Shimazu Yoshihiro (Saotome Genma from Ranma ½)
Tsukamoto Tsuru-Tsuruhime (Tsuru derived from her original name and Tsukamoto Tenma from School Rumble)
Ootori Yoshitsugu-Otani Yoshitsugu (Ootori Kyouya from Ouran Host Club)
In the future chapters, there will be explanations on why some of the characters ended up acting the way they do. This story, being an AU, focuses on the results of what happened after the Sengoku Period (Deaths, and what not). I will try to remain as true as possible to the real history, but that makes it almost impossible to write since Date Masamune was not recorded to have fought Sanada Yukimura, or how Oda Nobunaga died in the early time of 1582 in the Fires of Honnouji. There will be switch ups which I will mention in the author notes. Already, I have planned a switch up in how and when Sanada Yukimura dies.
Last thing, the italics used when Masamune is talking is actually him using English if no one noticed.
Thanks for the support~ Chapter 2 we'll switch it up a bit and either focus on Motochika and Motonari or Ieyasu and Mistunari. There is a planned designated chapter for Sasuke specifically and Keiji specifically as well. Kasuga and Kenshin's relationship and Nagamasa and Ichi's relationship will also be explored! Of course, Yuki and Masamune's story will reach a conclusion. So far it's a planned roughly 3 parter!