Disclaimer and Standard Author's notes: Applied in Prologue
Additional Author's notes (8/11/2013): I decided from then onwards to not intersperse Japanese vocabulary in this story (except for titles in addressing others) even though we know what the words mean. I may also have to change some names as well because at the time I've written this, I was ignorant of the Japanese language...but let's see how it all goes. But for now, read on, my dears!
Hanamichi and the Kitsune
Chapter One: Hanamichi Sakuragi, The Rookie
Lively sparrow chirps sounded in the light morning air in the remote sword-fighting dojo and the sun filtered through the paper covered panes of the doors of the small array of buildings within the vicinity. An old over-sized man with his sword tucked in his obi was sitting contently on the wooden bench under one of the sakura trees, sipping a cup of green tea leisurely. He was smiling wisely as he watched several young men that were his students emerging from the sliding paneled doors. Some of them were scratching and yawning. Some of them were inspecting and sharpening their swords. Some of them were talking casually among themselves, exchanging news about their families.
"Ah...yes," the old man stood up, placing his cup onto the bench, "I see that they are all up. Punctual as usual..."
"Anzai-sensei!" a brash but stern voice caught the old man's attention. A tall well-built young man with dark skin stood before him and bowed respectfully, "Good morning!"
"Ah, Akagi-kun. A good morning to you too," Anzai smiled and returned the greeting.
"Sensei, the new student just arrived today. He's waiting for us under one of the sakura trees."
"Ah...yes...yes, Akagi-kun. We better have an early start," he stood up from his seat and carefully adjusted his sword in his belt to make sure it was secure, "He'll have a lot to learn here in this school but I do hope that he'll be at home with us."
The younger man stood about a foot taller than the elder and his broad stature made me look like a wrestler. He had stern brown eyes that possessed a knowledgeable and protective twinkle in them. His name was Akagi Takenori, one of Anzai's most dedicated and experienced students. Anzai patted Akagi's shoulder, leading him to the crowd of the other students. The other young men straightened themselves up as soon as their master and senior approached them.
"Good morning, sensei and Akagi-senpai!" they chorused and bowed to them.
The elder man chuckled lightly and held up a hand to set them at ease, "Good morning, everyone. Today we have a new student joining our school and I want you to make him feel welcome."
Anzai turned around where the sakura trees were blooming. Under one of the trees, there was a silhouette of a young man leaning against one of the sakura trees. He appeared to be reading a book and he tilted his head up when he felt the heavy weight of onlookers' gazes focused on him. Quickly placing the book away into the folds of his kimono, he swept a hand across his hair and came forward as the sakura petals showered his path as if it was a welcome march for him. The young man was good looking and seemed to glow in a golden aura. He had bright red hair that seemed to radiate with sunshine, matching with chocolate brown eyes that had an arrogant yet friendly twinkle in them. He was physically well built like Akagi although he still slightly shorter than him. The redheaded young man smiled and bowed politely to the elder man.
"Sakuragi! My name's Sakuragi Hanamichi!" the redhead bellowed in a loud voice. Akagi twitched at the bellowing volume of the younger man's voice as did the other students. Anzai seemed unaffected and only smiled at Sakuragi, his eyes crinkling with warmth beneath his spectacles.
"Ho ho ho...ah, Sakuragi-kun, you'll be living with us from now on, for we are all a family and treat each other such. This is Akagi...Akagi Takenori," Anzai introduced the other man, "He will be your guide for the time being until you get used to everything."
"I look forward to working with you, Sakuragi," Akagi greeted Sakuragi.
Much to the shock of the other students and the amusement of their sensei, Sakuragi started laughing loudly and pointed mockingly at him, "Ah ha ha! You look like a gorilla!"
Suddenly, the redhead's boisterous teasing was cut off with a painful yell after the sound of a fist connecting with bone, causing the students to wince before nervously looking what had happened. An angry and annoyed Akagi had punched the redhead directly on the head, leaving a huge bump in the wake.
"Idiot! Show some respect!"
The redhead growled, rubbing his head, "Shit, that really hurt...Gori..."
Anzai chuckled with amusement, "Take it easy, Akagi-kun, Sakuragi-kun. We must get started on the agenda for the day. Come everyone...into the dojo, please," after watching the majority of the students file into the larger building, he turned the two young men forward, "Akagi-kun, you go on ahead with the students, you know what to do."
The taller of the two men nodded in affirmation to his sensei's request and moved away lead the rest of the students that strayed from the queue. Sakuragi was about to follow but he was restrained by the elder's grip on his sleeve.
"Sakuragi-kun, I'm afraid you cannot join your fellow students just yet. You're only a beginner so you'll have to start from the basics. We'll be personally teaching you."
"We?" Sakuragi raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Anzai-sensei!"
Sakuragi followed the elderly man's gaze to find three people before them. There was a short woman with dark curls and shiny blue eyes. The young man next to her was about her height. He had his left ear pierced and he had a mop of curly brown hair matched with sharp brown eyes. The second young man was the tallest of the tree. He was wearing a smug expression with an amused look present in his ocean blue eyes. He had cropped black hair and his face was littered with several small scars.
"Ah yes, these are my most trustworthy assistants. They'll be helping me to teach you the basics of swordsmanship and embrace our way of following peace through our efforts with the sword."
The young woman with the dark curly hair grinned and stepped forward, "I'm Ayako, the assistant manager. This is my boyfriend, Ryota Miyagi and the scar faced one's Mitsui Hisashi."
"Knock it off, Ayako. It bothers me," Mitsui grumbled, making Ayako giggle.
"Um...don't forget about me please, everyone," a gentle voice smoothly interrupted the conversation. They looked behind to see another young man smiling sheepishly behind them. He was slightly shorter than Mitsui. He had shiny brown hair and smiling brown eyes that were hiding behind spectacles, "A new student? Hi! I'm Kogure, Kogure Kiminobu."
"Kogure-kun, you're just in time but are you sure you can still walk? The injury was quite serious," Anzai looked with concern at the young man's ankle. Sakuragi noticed it and found the limb wrapped in bandages.
"I'm fine, sensei. Mitsui's a good doctor and he's been taking very good care of me," Kogure gave Mitsui a wink, making the taller man chuckle lightly.
Sakuragi's eyes bore a strange look when he noticed the fond looks passed between the two men and the minute brushes of their hands. And he felt a longing ache in his heart...if only...
"Sakuragi-kun? Are you all right?"
Sakuragi broke from his trance to find the elderly man looking at him with kind concern.
"Huh? I'm fine, sensei! Don't worry!" Sakuragi reassured Anzai.
"Very well. Sakuragi-kun, you'll start with a bamboo sword before you can hold an actual weapon," Anzai-sensei said as he handed the redhead a bamboo sword, "This is so that you can get used to holding it. Until all us are certain that you are ready to use a real sword, this will do for the moment."
"But I don't need to use a bamboo sword, I'm definitely ready to use a real one!" Sakuragi scoffed, holding it by the tip, "I-oww!"
"You mustn't disrespect the sensei, Sakuragi!" Ayako had brandished a paper fan and slapped it on the same spot Akagi had punched him earlier.
"Ouch..." Sakuragi whimpered grouchily, rubbing his head.
"Don't worry, Hanamichi," Ryota winked, "You'll get used to it in time. Trust me, I've been through it too."
A moment later, Sakuragi saw a second young woman with brown hair and blue eyes in a pale blue kimono carrying a basket of groceries. When she turned about and saw the crowd, she scurried over and smiled at the newcomer, her eyes shining with a welcoming twinkle, "A new student?! How wonderful! I'll bet he'll be as good as onichan!"
Sakuragi felt himself smiling at the young girl. Finally, another friendly face!
"How silly of me! Please forgive my rudeness. I'm Akagi Haruko, the cook for this school. A pleasure to meet you," the girl smiled and bowed demurely, "What's your name?"
"Sakuragi Hanamichi."
"Well, I hope you'll do well here and please make yourself at home, Sakuragi-kun. You have to practice hard, don't you? I'd better get going to prepare lunch. See you all later!" she waved goodbye to the group and zoomed into the kitchen to begin work.
"Sakuragi-kun, everyone," the group turned their attention on their sensei, "Come to the training fields, we have a lot of ground to cover."
"What a day..." Sakuragi murmured to himself as he sat under a sakura tree after his bath, placing the bamboo sword carefully by his side, "It's like a slave house. But..."
He found himself smiling wistfully. In truth, he really did like being in this school. During those few hours since he arrived, he felt a strong camaraderie with Anzai, the students and even Akagi who was beginning to watch him in a more approving eye as well as a soft spot for Haruko.
"I feel quite at home here..."
"Sakuragi-kun?"
The redheaded young man looked up and grinned to find a smiling Haruko towering above him.
"Oh...Haruko-san!"
"I saw that you've been working really hard even after the whole lesson with my brother and everyone else was already finished, Sakuragi-kun," she sat down next to him. She handed him a leaf covered package. Sakuragi carefully uncovered it and his eyes widened in delight at what he saw, "I made you some of my special rice balls as a reward. I hope you like them!"
"Thank you, Haruko-san! I feel so honored by your kindness!" he grinned as he guzzled down the rice balls. When he finished, there were several rice grains stuck on the bottom half of his grinning face, "They're really delicious, Haruko-san."
Haruko giggled, "Thank you, Sakuragi-san! Ah, you got rice grains all over your chin."
"Ha ha! So I see. Sorry for being messy," he wiped away the grains with the back of his hand.
"Sakuragi-kun, why did you come here to the school?" Haruko asked, trying to start up a conversation.
Sakuragi sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk, crossing his arms at the back of his head, "I've always wanted to learn the arts in how the samurai fights and brings honor to those they fight for. To tell you the truth, Haruko-san, my reading got me into it."
The redhead reached into his kimono and pulled out a book. It wasn't a particularly big book but it appeared well read and treasured as evidenced by the softened leather, faded writing and frayed pages. Haruko took the book from him carefully and began flipping it through. It was a novel from the looks of it...and it was interspersed with verses about honor...
"Sakuragi-kun...I have never seen this book before...but it looks interesting to read. I doubt that onichan knows about it."
"It belonged to my father," it was then she noticed how her companion's voice had softened with sadness. Her heart ached in sympathy for him, "That's another reason why I want to learn how to use a sword. He was a great swordsman."
"And where he is now, Sakuragi-kun?"
Her answer was confirmed when Sakuragi looked up into the sky, his saddened look growing more prominent. Oh...
"My father died from a sudden heart attack...I wasn't strong or fast enough to save him in time..." one of his fists clenched tightly and a tear trickled down his cheek, "He gave me everything and I dishonored him greatly by not being there for him when he needed me..."
"I'm so sorry, Sakuragi-kun...oh...please, you'll hurt yourself more if you dig your nails into your palm like that," she whispered, handing the book back to him and patted his clenched fist, causing his fingers to uncurl, "I know how it feels to lose someone dear."
"Haruko-san..."
"A group of ruthless bandits killed our parents when they were traveling home to onichan and I. We've been orphans for three years and onichan took such wonderful care of me before Anzai-san took us in and treated us as his own children. He has been so kind to us. He gave us food and shelter and made onichan his very first student in learning about honor and swordsmanship. It's true that we'll always miss our parents but we're happy the way we are, thanks to Anzai-san's kindness."
"I'm glad that you're not alone, Haruko-san. You're very lucky to have a strong brother."
"Thank you, Sakuragi-kun. Please believe me when I say that onichan really looks out for you. He may be a bit tough but he really is a kind person."
"I know, Haruko-san," Sakuragi reassured her, "I just like to rile him up, that's all."
"Haruko-chan!" Ayako's voice echoed from one of the houses, "I think I need your help here!"
"Hai, Ayako-san! I'll be right there," she called back to Ayako before she turned to smile at Sakuragi, "Come back in later, okay? We'll be having dinner soon."
"Sure thing, Haruko-san. I'll be in within a few minutes."
The redhead watched Haruko heading away before turning back to gaze at the scenery bathed in the bright afternoon sunshine. Several sakura blossoms began to flutter down around and onto him. Reaching out, he found several of the soft pink flowers floating and landing softly onto his open palm. His deep brown eyes looked thoughtful as he surveyed them.
"Beautiful..." his eyes held a soft twinkle and he smiled as he admired the soft pink blossoms. But the smile was also tinged with loneliness and some sadness, "Too bad, nobody's here with me to enjoy them.."
A strong wind abruptly swept by, blowing the pink blossoms away. He watched the pink petals fly away and up into the sky.
"It would be great to have someone who truly understands me...and..."
He couldn't forget what he saw between Mitsui and Kogure...he knew there was something precious and loving between them...and in his heart, he wished he could have the same thing too...
"And...to love me too..."
To be continued...