Note: I'm sorry if you find Saitou-sama out of character. There's reason behind it, trust me. If I ever finish this fic, you'll find out at the end. I hope I get that far. ~*Crosses fingers and knocks on her wooden desk, just in case.*~ Anyway, you have to remember also that its before Ruroken and Saitou's personality isn't quite as solid. And he is younger after all. Besides... its an inside "joke" between me and the Miburo! I like fighting with him... ~*Looks to side.*~ What? I do... You're fun to fight with. Anyway, here's the disclaimer. ~*Holds up sign of word in all caps.*~
DISCLAIMER:
Cel: I... ~*Gets dragged away by her braid.*~ Meep...!
Saitou: ~*Steps out of the side shadows.*~ She doesn't own a single thing of Rurouni
Kenshin/Samurai X, no matter how much she wishes... ~*Glances briefly to the pouting
Cel.*~ Get over it.
Cel: !
By: Celena Schezar
Prologue
(To the Beginning)
Shadows were everywhere in the tiny alleyway leading to a small-darkened road on the outskirts of the city. The figures racing to meet those of the fleeing men beyond the alley were blocked by a small shadow. It wasn't the Hitokiri Battousai, or even what appeared to be an Ishin-shishi member. But she stood there assisting their escape none the less.
"Move out of the way. Now." A calm, firm masculine voice from the leader of the Third Shinsengumi Squad ordered.
"No," was the cool reply from the female who stood in their way.
"Fine. Have it your way." The leader motioned for his troops to continue on to battle without him. He would remain to teach this girl a lesson about the Wolves of Mibu and just whose side she should have chosen.
The other Shinsengumi went around the stubborn girl to chase after the Ishin-shishi with their leader's orders. All that were left were the girl and the leader within the shadowed alleyway.
She stood stock-still; her eyes the only moving thing on or even around her. She looked the man up and down, sizing him up. A slight glint flashed briefly in her eyes before she gave a sensuous smile.
"Saitou Hajime..."
He almost frowned at the whispered mention of his name, but sheer will power kept him cool and collected, no signs of any emotion or reaction to be found on him. How she knew him was beyond his knowledge, but he guessed that being the leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi had something to do with it. It made sense after all. He was one of the most feared and respected of the Mibu Wolves.
"You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Miss...?" The husky, yet delightful voice questioned. He advanced upon her slowly and cautiously, hand lying on the hilt of his katana. Just because she didn't seem to be a threat, didn't mean that she couldn't turn out to be one.
"Why should I tell you my name, Miburo? Then I would loose my one advantage." The girl, of say around the age seventeen, didn't move an inch despite the closer quarters. She just continued to give that evil smile to him, which ever so slightly seemed to be turning into a little smirk.
As the older man, nearing twenty-four, became within an inch of her form he finally stopped. Letting down his guard and giving a slight smirk of his own, Saitou reached out with his right hand to caress her cheek.
Taken aback by the bluntness of the Miburo, Kethry stepped back with confusion, the smirk slipping quickly off her face and all calmness escaping her presence. Suddenly she was unsure of with whom she was "chatting" with. She took another step back, fear starting to show in her eyes.
She had appeared calm and even seductive, but as soon as Saitou had made such a fresh movement Kethry became uneasy. "I don't get it. You're not like that, are you?"
"Whatever do you mean?" He hesitated in place but the malicious smirk didn't leave his face and Kethry knew the answer to her question without answer. He was like that.
"I mean, your not supposed to be a jerk." This came out flat and matter-of-fact from the girl. Her voice sounded as if she were talking to an old friend and even her posture was that of one hand on hip, a reprimanding stance she used with buddies.
"Excuse me? What did you call me, wench?"
"Wench!? Why you..."
Kethry suddenly lunged out at him, but with no weapons she quickly realized her mistake. Saitou had his sword out in two seconds flat up against her throat, ready to end her life. With a sudden halt Keth's flight was cut short as she gulped behind the blade's touch.
"Hey, you wouldn't actually kill a little girl like me would you? I mean, you've got morals, right?"
"Aku. Soku. Zan."
"Ok... Sin Swift Slay. But that doesn't answer my question. Unless you think I'm evil. I'm a little girl, how can I be evil?!" By the end of her speech Kethry had begun to raise her voice at the Miburo and move forward. However the blade's nitch halted her once again as it drew a drop of blood. Suddenly very frustrated, she tried to move the blade away with her hand before thinking her actions through.
If it hadn't been for the appearance of the shadow behind her Saitou would have cut her hand off. The sight of the Hitokiri Battousai drew not only his eyes but his concentration as well. He pushed the insolent girl away and prepared to battle the Battousai, taking his normal Gatotsu stance.
"Hey." But the protest stopped short as she turned to look at what the Miburo saw.
Standing there in full glory was the legendary manslayer of the Ishin-shishi. Kethry gasped a small quick intake of breath making the slightest of sounds. Despite his scrawny size and feminine look, she knew the Battousai to be one not to reckon with. The only person who could possibly keep up with him was Saitou. Wait... This was Saitou he was going up against. Even to her own surprise Kethry blurted out the next few words.
"Go Battousai! Kill that stupid jerk of a Miburo!"
Saitou, already irritated at the annoying pest, swiftly turned to face her and defend himself. "I am not a jerk, wench. Stop calling me that!"
"Then stop calling me a wench, jerk!"
The insults just continued to fly back and forth, but the Battousai didn't pay attention to them. He saw the perfect chance to kill an enemy and he was going to take it. Without hesitation the hitokiri, already haven taken his battou jutsu stance, flashed forward with his slashing while unsheathing technique to take the life of the Shinsengumi.
Both seeing the movement out of the corner of their eyes, both persons moved to intercept the attack. The girl proved to be the fastest, or just the closest to a stopping point with the hitokiri's blade. The Battousai's sword slashed through her easily and left her sliced neatly from the stomach to her chest. Only the slightest of reaction from the slayer did the wound not cut her in two. As the Battousai found an innocent girl in his way, he hesitated enough to not kill her.
But the wound would be too much and she would die soon. He had killed another innocent. One who was undeserving of death by his blade.
"Tomoe..."
A silent whisper from the man before him brought his attention briefly away from the dying girl lying on the kneeling Saitou. He looked up not to see a manslayer, but a boy ravaged by the bloodthirstiness in his own heart. This wasn't the Battousai, but rather a young boy caught in the middle of so much misery.
The moment passed quickly. Footsteps could be heard coming from the forgotten road. The hitokiri remembered his place and raced off with another murmured name.
"Katsura!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jap. to English Dictionary:
Hitokiri Battousai - "the assassin sword-drawing master" (or something to that same extent, don't sue if not lit. translation)
hitokiri - assassin
Battousai - shortened version of Kenshin's title (see above ^ ) from his fighting style, Batou Jutsu.
Miburo - Saitou's nickname? ...not sure about lit. translation... wolf maybe? But that's Ookami, ne? Combo of wolf and what group he's in? Ok, so I don't exactly know, but its what I call Saitou nonetheless.
Aku. Soku. Zan. - "Sin. Swift. Slay." (or "Kill. Evil. Instantly." as they translated in the dubbed show (not that I didn't already mention that in the actual story.))
Gatotsu - Saitou's sword fighting style