Rurouni Kenshin
Divine Redemption


Disclaimer:The works of Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X rightfully belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sensei.

Disclaimer 1: All new characters (young and old, major or minor) are rightfully my property. No one is allowed to use them unless they want a beating!

Disclaimer 2: No profit here! I'm not making money out of this venture.

You Have Been Forewarned! There are spoilers in this fan fiction that relate to the ending of Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X. You are reading this knowing that I have already warned you and that there will be consequences to your understanding of the world of Kenshin. So please, have an open mind about the current situations of the characters to follow.

Author's Note: As always, there are terms in the chapter that need explaining. Firstly, Karesansui is a Japanese rock garden, or typically a Zen Garden. Secondly, a Yukata is an informal summer kimono, nowadays usually used in hot spring baths. Thirdly, Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage.


Chapter 2: A Night at a Mansion


Much to Sanosuke's chagrin, he had accepted a reward. It was in his nature to do so. Offers like these were often hard to come by, but still, he had to be careful about his decisions. The walk outside of Kyoto was a long one. After exiting the markets and passing through the housing districts, Sanosuke found himself nearing the outskirts of Kyoto, passing through woodland and low shrubbery. The servant whom he had rescued earlier continued to lead him towards the 'Lady' and whilst on the way, his clothes had begun to dry. Not much conversation had been made for the trip, except for the past deal Sanosuke had made with the old stall owner. It had surprised the servant that a mere trade rescued him from such brutality.

"Here we are," spoke the servant, after some time walking through the low woodlands.

Sanosuke looked ahead of him and saw a black-iron gate, ornate in designs influenced from the West. Large walls were erected beside it, covering most of the estate that it was harbouring inside. Vines and figs grew atop the walls, twining around the iron bars of the gate and almost making it look like an impenetrable fortress. The servant, upon reaching the gate, began to uncoil a few figs before unlatching the lock between the massive black iron bars. After doing so, he began to push the heavy gate, now making screeching sounds from its old rusty hinges.

"Has anyone been here?" inquisitively asked Sanosuke, grabbing the servant's attention from his arduous task. "It doesn't look like it."

The servant stood silently by the half-open gate, fixing the vines that coiled around its bars. "The Lady prefers her privacy," he answered, leading the way for Sanosuke inside the domain. "She allowed the tree figs to grow out from the surrounding walls."

Sanosuke walked through the black iron bars of the gate and into the estate, eyeing the long stretch of road that lay ahead of him. The large courtyard wrapped around the mansion that stood before him, littered with tall windowpanes and thick wooden pillars. The more Sanosuke looked at it, the more it looked more like a government house than a rich place. Looking back at the gates, Sanosuke watched as the servant began to shut the gate, the screeching sounds of the hinges ringing again as he did.

"So, not your usual friendly type," he commented blatantly, ruffling his messy hair.

"Well, not exactly," replied the servant as he shut the gate, minding the figs in between the gates. "The Lady has strong ties with the Meiji Government due to her grandfather. Because of this, she rarely goes out into the public eye and keeps others from entering as well."

After hearing the word 'government', Sanosuke's eyes perked in alertness. The Lady had attachments to the Meiji Government? In so far, he had thought she was just some wealthy woman who took too much pride in her fortune – at least he insinuated that notion from what he had heard so far. Still, the idea that a woman had influence in the Meiji Government was a giant milestone. Sanosuke had never heard of such a thing. Most, if not all, politicians and governors he had ever met, faced, and encountered in his were all men by far.

A government official? he thought, looking around the estate in caution. Nothing seemed to be of any danger to him so far. The courtyard was widely spread with very little room for obstructions to get in his way in case of a worse case scenario. The long dirt road separated two sets of gardens, both of these karesansui arranged in their own unique way across the courtyard. Beautiful as they may seem, Sanosuke would have to run through it in order to get away easily and avoid the dirt road altogether. He had not felt this anxious for a long time since he was in his youth, which he still believed he was.

"Please, this way," spoke the servant, again leading Sanosuke into the estate and onto the long dirt road.

Sanosuke reluctantly followed the servant, all the while eyeing the courtyard for different means of escape. This began merely as an offering for his service. Now, he did not feel like being lead to rewards. He felt like he was being lead to the slaughter.


The mansion inside was filled with marble and stone decorated upon the floors and the walls. Many paintings were hung through its long corridors littered with small statues scattered among them. A typical mansion as far as Sanosuke was concerned, but troublesome when it had came down to escaping a place like this. Both Sanosuke and the servant continued through the mansion, the soles of their feet shuffling across the marble floor. It had been a long walk since the front door and Sanosuke had been wondering how far this mansion was going to be. Escape was an option he had to consider.

"So," began Sanosuke while inspecting the confines of the mansion. "How did you come to work here?" He wanted to get his mind away from his potential situation.

"Around the time the Lady had inherited everything," the servant replied, catching Sanosuke's attention. "Her grandfather was murdered during the end of the Bakumatsu War. He had no next of kin except for his granddaughter. Everything came to her possession."

A strange look crossed Sanosuke's face, eyeing the servant in front of him. At first glance, the servant did not look any older than he, probably even younger and coming to age due to his short height he had noticed earlier. If for fact he had been working under the Lady since the War, he would have been around Sanosuke's age when he joined the Sekihoutai those years ago, maybe even younger. Memories of his past comrades began to dredge up in his mind. He had come to accept the fate of those many years ago thanks with the help of his new set of comrades. He was beginning to feel homesick.

The servant opened a mahogany door to an empty room provided with a bed, a table, and a window. "This'll be your room," he motioned, allowing Sanosuke to enter.

Sanosuke inspected the room, finding it larger than he originally thought. He dropped his knapsack atop the clean bed and stretched his arms in the air from the weight he had been carrying for most of the day.

"I'll speak to Satsuki-san," spoke the servant again from the door. "She will lead you to the baths. But for the mean time, you may rest here for a while."

Sanosuke soon prompted to sit on the bed, finally feeling something soft and comfortable since his trip from the Main Continent. He found it quite rewarding to have a comfortable night after such a long day. However, it did not ignore the fact that he was practically in government territory.

"So, you're not going to tell your Lady about me?" asked Sanosuke, keeping his calm under pressure, realising again where he was staying for the night.

"Oh, I will," answered the servant, making Sanosuke's eyes widen in apprehension. "She will be pleased that you had helped me in the streets and reward you with your stay."

Sanosuke was afraid to have heard those words. His temptations were getting the best of him. After inspecting most of the estate, thanks to the servant, Sanosuke had a rough idea on escape if need be. Even so, he had to escape during the night before anyone noticed him. Still, it was too early to think about matters such as that. He wanted to enjoy what he could get before leaving Kyoto.

"She may not meet you at all today, given the circumstances," continued the servant, breaking Sanosuke from his thoughts. "She prefers to eat alone, you see. You're probably going to be eating with everyone else."

"Everyone else?" questioned Sanosuke.

"Yes, the staff and the help around the mansion. We usually eat in the large basement below the kitchen. Satsuki-san would lead you the way." The servant then bowed respectively towards Sanosuke. "I'll be off then."

"Hey," interrupted Sanosuke, catching the servant's attention. "How… involved… is this Lady with the government?"

The servant smiled. "She's involved in their politics," he answered nonchalantly. "Nothing more. And even so, she prefers to stay out of the world of politicians anyway. She's been living a rather peaceful life since the War."

Sanosuke's heart had slowed down to an easy pulse. His worrying was all for nothing, finding that he might not be caught after all. With that, he ruffled his hair and smiled. "One more thing," he called again, gaining the servant's attention before he left the room. "What's your name? We never really introduced."

The servant looked thoughtfully at Sanosuke. "… Tanaka," he finally answered after a pause.

"Tanaka, eh? Any last name with that?"

Tanaka smiled again. "No. Just Tanaka," he answered. "And yours?"

"Name's Sanosuke Sagara," replied Sanosuke, lifting his fingers to his forehead in a casual salute.

"I hope you enjoy your stay, Sagara-san," commented Tanaka, bowing to Sanosuke once more. "You'll be lead to the baths shortly." Tanaka shut the door behind him, leaving Sanosuke with his own devices, an empty room, and his knapsack.

Sanosuke lay on his bed with his arms resting below his head and staring up at the whitewashed ceiling. From outside the open window beside him, he was able to hear the cicadas chirping from the woodlands, signalling the sun setting for the day. It was becoming night so quickly. He was to have dinner with complete strangers and sleep inside a mansion, all for rescuing one servant. Tanaka – only one name and no family name at all. It reminded him of his own name, having no family name at all until adopting Sozo Sagara's a lifetime ago.

Probably from a farming family, he thought. And what's with Sagara-san? I don't look that old.

After fifteen minutes inside the room, Sanosuke relieved his tired feet from the long day and changed his worn out bandages upon his body. After unwrapping the long bandages around his stomach, he began to unwrap the bandage upon his right hand. After seven years without having to encounter too much trouble, his right hand had healed extensively. However, feeling out the bones from his hand, Sanosuke knew that it was not the way it used to be. His right hand, now semi-crippled from his use of it many years ago, could no longer withstand on its own and was to be constantly bandaged in order to prevent permanent crippling. Although it had a longer period of time to heal, half the reason of its semi-crippled state was due to Sanosuke's persistence in his Futae no Kiwami technique, of which he still used over in the Main Continent in dire circumstances. He clenched his right hand slowly and exercised the sleep from it. The only advice given to him by a doctor from the Main Continent was to refrain from adding too much stress to his hand, of which he thought was impossible.

After deliberating his thoughts, Sanosuke proceeded to wrap new bandages around his right arm and stomach, finding a few still left in his knapsack. Putting his coat back on, he walked towards the open window and looked outside and watched the last few rays of the sun setting over the woodlands from his high perch.


After being left alone for half an hour, there was a knock at Sanosuke's door. It opened to reveal a middle-aged woman in her forties dressed in a kimono of light purple and grey and carrying white cloths, towels, and shaving tools in her arms. Sanosuke soon realised this was the Satsuki that Tanaka had mentioned a few times before. She led him through the mansion, taking a different route towards a large bathing area, filled with warm steam and already ready for use. Satsuki placed the towels beside the baths and bowed at Sanosuke, leaving him alone in the baths for the time being. The baths were quite different from what he had in his past. It was entirely made from marble, the white floors and walls almost blinding. The baths looked as if they continued to run from a makeshift waterfall, draining out into a thin drain beside it, also made from white marble. Despite his estrangement to such an environment, Sanosuke took this as an opportunity for himself. Perhaps his friends had changed much after seven years – and seven years was a long time.

Sanosuke soaked in the baths, placing his body under the small waterfall that filled it. The room felt therapeutic, especially after spending a few nights on a rocking boat. Even back on the Main Continent Sanosuke had never experienced something like this. Using the cloths Satsuki had left for him, he placed one above his head and another around his neck, soothing the stress from the days before he arrived in Kyoto. After soaking in the steamy baths, Sanosuke dried himself with the extra towels Satsuki had left for him. He found the shaving tools placed next to them and at the mere sight of them, touched his unshaven stubble. A large mirror hung on the wall of the baths, prompting Sanosuke to peer into it and examine himself. He definitely looked the part for a lowly beggar. He had never noticed the changes to his face. The times he found himself staring into his reflection were not as clear as the mirror that stood before him. His hair, having grown out over the years, laid atop his head in a mess. Although he had cut it shorter before his trip home, it was still not passable for a citizen. However, his stubble made him appear older than he looked, giving reason for Tanaka to have called him 'Sagara-san' earlier. After staring at his reflection for some time, he realised he looked a lot like his father. Sighing, Sanosuke hovered his hand above the razor before a voice echoed in the room.

"Would you like a shave sir?"

By the sound of it, Sanosuke jumped, clenching on his towel wrapped strategically around his waist. An elderly man wearing a white yukata stood before him and bowed, minding the fact that Sanosuke was half-naked.

"Who are you?" asked Sanosuke, threatened by the man's presence within his personal boundaries.

"My name is of no importance," he answered, bowing once more. "Tanaka had asked me to assist you, if you would allow it. I was an excellent barber in my day."

"All right then," replied Sanosuke, eyeing the man cautiously. "Let me find my clothes first."

The man bowed in reply, allowing time for Sanosuke to retrieve his clothes. However, they were nowhere to be seen anywhere. Without realising, his clothes had disappeared and were replaced with a red, white-striped yukata that was hanging by the mirror.

"Where are my clothes?!" cried Sanosuke, creating an echo in the baths.

"Satsuki had them removed from the baths and taken them to be washed," replied the man who was still standing before a now fretting Sanosuke. "For the mean time, please use the yukata provided for you."

After hearing the news, Sanosuke sighed in relief, looking at the yukatathat hung before him. He then asked the man to 'turn around', allowing him some form of personal freedom when he was changing. The man complied. After the shave, the elderly man had left Sanosuke in the baths with the shaving tools in hand. Sanosuke looked at himself in the mirror once more and noticed the clean shave he was given. He had not seen his chin for quite some time and it showed his tapered face much more clearly. Despite his hair still in a mess, he felt like he was back to his usual self again, aesthetically speaking.

Sanosuke soon exited the baths with his temporary wear, finding Satsuki still waiting outside of the baths. He followed her again through the mansion and into the kitchen, leading him into a large trapdoor that opened to the basement. Upon entering said basement, Sanosuke realised how large it was, extending from both his left and right. Within it, many people sat by a large low-rise table that stretched as far as the room did, littered with many foods upon its wooden surface. He had never seen anything like this before. Many people, most notably the servants of the house, already sat and ate at the table.

By the time they reached the floor, Satsuki bowed at Sanosuke and motioned towards Tanaka, who had an empty seat next to him. With that, she left him and walked towards the other side of the room, finding a spot near a group of women her age. Taking it as an obvious sign, Sanosuke made way towards Tanaka and sat beside him, the young servant greeting him and asking about his stay. Again, he had called him by 'Sagara-san', even after being given a shave. It minutely irritated Sanosuke somewhat. Blocking that at the back of his mind, Sanosuke had given thanks for the bath and the shave, noticing Tanaka in his new change of clothes and bandages covering his arms.

Sanosuke found it surprising to find the variety of food that lay before him. When questioning others about who had made the food, all the while eating away, Tanaka answered that they all did and that the Lady allowed them to cook such good foods whenever need be, for she always ate alone and earlier than the rest of the household.

"This Lady sure serves you well," commented Sanosuke, picking different foods from the table and placing them into his bowl.

"Of course," spoke an elderly man across from him, gruff in his mannerisms. He spoke with half his food still inside his mouth, eating away at the delights that were displayed before him. "We make up for everything in this estate."

"Yes," agreed a woman beside him, mixing her dinner together in her bowl politely. "The Lady is a fine woman. She cares for everyone under this roof."

"Is that so?" questioned Sanosuke with his chopsticks in his mouth, chewing away a piece of tofu in his mouth. He looked towards Tanaka politely eating his meal and making conversation with a few of the female help beside him, noticing how the women seemed to flock towards him like sheep.

"Tanaka," called Sanosuke, grabbing the servant's attention. "What is up with this Lady anyway?"

"What do you mean?" asked Tanaka with a confused look on his face.

"Are you sure she's not a saint?"

Tanaka laughed at the notion.

"Come on," motioned Sanosuke with a hint of seriousness in his voice. "There has to be a catch, right?" He eyed everyone around him, hoping to get a response from anyone.

"The Lady would never do such a thing," replied the woman, looking insulted by Sanosuke's remarks.

Tanaka politely raised a hand towards the woman, halting her from making any more conflicts than needed. The woman merely returned back to her dinner, angrily knocking her chopsticks upon her bowl as she mixed her food once more. Tanaka turned towards Sanosuke with interest piqued in his mind.

"Why would you believe that, Sagara-san?" he asked.

Sanosuke mentally cringed at the mention of that name. He did not want to feel old. "Well…" he began, pushing that thought at the back of his mind. "I've known people kind of like this Lady and they usually don't do things like this unless it was profit for them."

The woman was about to spout more negative comments until Tanaka smiled at her, almost as if he knew she was about to. She returned to her meal once more, leaving Tanaka to the conversation at hand.

"Sagara-san," began Tanaka. "Do you have something against the Meiji Government?"

The question stopped Sanosuke in his meal, leaving a blank look on his face. It was bad enough that the government wanted him for crimes he did not commit, but he did not want to be discovered while enjoying a hearty meal. "Let's just say, I'm not a big fan," he replied, continuing to eat his meal afterwards.

"I see. Yes, the Lady has associations with the government, but unlike her grandfather before her, she tries to live with the common people."

Sanosuke looked back at Tanaka with slight confusion upon his face. "You said she liked her privacy."

"Yes, from politicians," corrected Tanaka, picking a few pieces of food from the table. "She treats the common people with more respect."

"Yes, the Lady serves us all, as we do for her," spoke the woman again, wanting to add her two cents in the matter and grabbing both Tanaka and Sanosuke's attention. "Although, she doesn't show her face often, she treats us with special care."

Tanaka smiled at the woman, who returned to her meal triumphantly. "If for any reason, Sagara-san," he spoke once more, catching Sanosuke's attention again. "The Lady and you both have something in common."

"Yeah?" questioned Sanosuke, holding a piece of fish with his chopsticks. "And what might that be?"

"I guess you could say, she's not much of a fan either."


After the long hearty dinner, many people within the large basement approached Sanosuke and asked about his origins and how he had rescued Tanaka from the streets. Throughout that night, Sanosuke tried to be discreet about a few details, keeping his history to a minimum in conversation. Many of the young female help became attracted to him, giggling about how such a man like he would help someone like Tanaka, who was often the brunt of the Lady's demands on a daily basis. Sanosuke began to learn much about the household from the talk of the people, learning about the history of the estate, as well as the story behind the former heir's murder, piquing Sanosuke's interest. The night was not without its jovialities. The women began singing songs and telling stories of yore, while the men gambled on the smallest things they could make bets for. Sanosuke was challenged to a sake drinking game, of which he won against the toughest men in the household and gained some money in the process. He somehow became the resident hero of the night.

After the long night inside the basement, everyone bid their good nights and headed for the servants quarters of the house. The house was now lit with candles, Sanosuke realising many of the people from the servants banquet leaving halfway through and returning after half an hour. Sanosuke followed Tanaka through the mansion, now lit in a different way due to the shadows of the casting candles around the corridors.

"Hey," spoke Sanosuke, grabbing Tanaka's attention. "How are your wounds?"

Tanaka looked upon his arms, finding the bandages wrapped around them where the bruises and welts had been. "They're only minor compared to the beatings I got weeks before," he simply replied with indifference in his voice.

Sanosuke looked at Tanaka with scepticism. The beating in the street was minor? He began to think where Tanaka's priorities laid, but thought better not to. "Don't you stand up for yourself?" he asked, keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Well, yes," replied Tanaka. "But I try to keep the stock out of harm's way."

Sanosuke, remembering the afternoon in the markets, sighed. "So you protect everything but your life?" he questioned with incredulity stained in his voice.

"Not at all. I just think of what's necessary."

Sanosuke continued to follow Tanaka but looked at him with scepticism in his eyes. He began to think how someone would think highly of someone else at his or her own expense. He was starting to disbelieve Tanaka's view of the Lady as a kind woman altogether.

The both of them finally reached the designated room, Tanaka opening the door for Sanosuke.

"Well, Sagara-san, I hope everything was to your liking," spoke Tanaka, bowing before Sanosuke as he entered his room for the night.

That name again. Sanosuke sighed, looking at Tanaka who still had his head bowed.

"Tanaka," spoke Sanosuke, making Tanaka's head lift towards him. "Don't I get to meet this Lady?"

"All in due time," answered Tanaka. "If you're going to be off tomorrow morning, she may very well send you on your way."

Let's me in their home to only see me off, he thought, finding that fact not surprising. Sanosuke proceeded to enter his room, Tanaka bowing as he did so. His room too was lit with candles, a large lamp sitting upon the table by his bed. Looking towards his bed, he found his clothes folded neatly upon the white sheets, cleaned out from the dirt and sweat that he had collected on it for quite some time. Everything was turning a new leaf – his body was rid of the smell of fish, his face was cleanly shaven, and his clothes looked as if they were new. He began wondering if this was what was meant as 'godsend', but then thought less about that and more on the rest of the night in bed. Tanaka proceeded to close the door, bidding good night to Sanosuke, and warranting another 'Sagara-san' calling.

"Will you stop calling me 'Sagara-san'," spoke up Sanosuke once more before Tanaka shut the door. "It's been driving me crazy all night. I feel like an old man."

Tanaka smiled at Sanosuke. "There's no other way to call you, is there?" he asked inquisitively.

Sanosuke rubbed the back of his neck in an irritable manner, looking at the young servant sceptically. "Just call me Sanosuke," he spoke, almost sounding like an order.

"All right then," confirmed Tanaka, bowing once more. "Have a restful night… Sanosuke." With that, Tanaka turned the doorknob and shut the door behind him, leaving Sanosuke in the empty room. Sanosuke looked towards his clothes, moving them along with his knapsack to the table beside the bed. He then lay on the white sheets, looking out the now closed window. The night was chilled from the summer day with crickets and cicadas ringing in unison. He wondered about how Tokyo was coping with the summer, knowing very well how some people he knew were not great with the heat. He sighed inwardly in his bed and turned over towards the table beside his bed, blowing out the candle that stood within its glass confines. The room turned dark, with the only light seeping through the window from the casting moon. Sanosuke lay in his bed and drifted to sleep, waiting for tomorrow's sun to rise again.