Hi! Thanks for your reviews! I want to apologize in advance for any mistake, and if you see one and want to correct me, I'm always open to receive constructive criticism!
II
Rurouni in the city
During the days following the "incident" of the fake Battousai, which they both avoided talking about so as not to get into dangerous waters about the value of life, Kaoru and Kenshin settled into a quiet routine at the dojo.
To the black-haired girl's utter surprise and disgust, the red-haired samurai had turned out to be much better at all the household chores than she was. It completely embarrassed her to be incapable of being a good hostess, but Kenshin, who nearly died from food poisoning after eating the dinner she had prepared on the first day of his stay (which was funny, considering that thousands of men had tried to kill him before and none had succeeded, but the food of a mere little girl had nearly killed him), decided that he would take over those mundane tasks as a way of repaying the girl's kindness in letting him stay there. He cooked, washed, cleaned the house and had cleaned and tidied up the dojo that had been left somewhat damaged after his fight with Gohei and his men... While she trained, trained, and trained.
The image of the samurai cleaning the house and cooking was rather odd, especially given that while he didn't walk around the place with his sakabatō, he always carried his wakizashi at his waist as a defensive weapon in case of emergency ("there is no such thing as too cautious", he had told Kaoru when she asked him about it). If anyone who had met him during the Bakumatsu had seen him now, with his weapon at his waist and calmly washing clothes like a housewife, they probably would have died of sheer shock... Or they would have laughed like possessed until he had decided to shut them up with a demonic look.
On one of those days, as monotonous as any of the previous ones, Kaoru was in the worst mood the redhead had seen her in so far, and it had only been seven days since he had settled there. All week, the girl had been trying to get her former students to return to the dojo, but none had made an appearance, something that irritated the female more than anything else.
"This is unbelievable... None of them have returned!" the blue-eyed woman said, sitting on the engawa of the house as she watched the samurai washing clothes with a peaceful expression on his face. Kenshin wouldn't admit it, but performing that action soothed him. It was so different from carrying a sword, it gave him some inner peace.
He smiled somewhat nervously, watching her cautiously from his crouched position by the well. If he had learnt anything in those days, it was that, first, she was not afraid of him at all. She was more afraid of spiders than she was of him and his sword. Second, she had a rather explosive temper, far more so than any woman he had ever known in his entire life. And third, said explosive temper sought violent outlets that in most cases led to attempted hits from the girl towards him, which he used to dodge with relative ease. That only annoyed her even more.
On one hand, the girl's reactions were amusing, and she managed to get a couple of hearty laughs out of the samurai at her expense, basically because it was somewhat entertaining to see how much it annoyed her not being able to hit him. But on the other hand, he wasn't at all used to having to deal with someone who at every turn wanted to hit him for stupid things, and once the amusement of the matter passed, he began to feel the stinging irritation of having to escape the woman's blows.
"It must be because things are changing, Kaoru-dono. There is not so much interest in kendo anymore." He explained patiently, only to quickly back up a step when she angrily jumped at him and stood extremely close to his face to yell at him, now focusing her bad mood on him.
"Speaking of unbelievable! What about your 28 years! That's a lie! Apologize and tell me the truth, Kenshin!"
He sighed, feeling a headache coming on from the woman's high-pitched voice. He wasn't used to dealing with such things, but he would have to get used to it if he wanted to have at least some peace while he was there.
Besides, deep down inside he was amused to see how upset the girl got over the subject of his age. It amused him that she didn't believe he was twenty-eight. He knew he looked younger, but the fact that he had participated in a war a decade ago made people think he must be older. But he had gotten into the fighting at the age of 14, so he was still in his twenties.
"It's better than 30, isn't it?" he then questioned, with an innocent and amused smile at the girl, who frowned deeply in response.
"That's not good enough."
"How demanding you are, Kaoru-dono." He teased, smirking amusedly at the black-haired girl.
The blue-eyed woman growled in response, eliciting another sigh from the red-haired man, who just shook his head at her attitude. He needed a lot of patience to deal with that girl, but he had never exactly been known for his patience. However, in the last 10 years he had built up some of it, and he made use of all the patience he had to deal with Kaoru, especially when she was touchy.
The woman's irritability got on his nerves, but he tried to hide it under the wanderer's mask, forcing himself to endure Kaoru's temper with an immovable gentle smile. However, he hoped with all his heart that she would calm down a bit and change her way of dealing with him somewhat, because if not then he could already see trouble coming... or he would end up leaving sooner than planned.
"Kaoru-dono... There are some things missing in the pantry. We should go shopping." He called her with a meek voice when he finished washing and hanging out the clothes, focusing his violet gaze on her while he waited for her answer, which was sharp but affirmative, and in a matter of half an hour they were both on their way to the market.
The young samurai wore a violet scarf around his neck, wearing it partially to hide a bit of the cross-shaped scar on his cheek. His long red hair, tied in a high ponytail, danced gently in the wind, as the swordsman walked a few steps ahead of Kaoru, with a calm expression on his face, though he was alert and analyzing his surroundings as he always did. That had already become an instinct, and he did it without thinking anymore.
It had been mandatory for survival in Kyoto during the war, but even now, ten years later, he had found it impossible to shake off the old habit. That was why, being so attentive, he knew instantly that his companion was watching him with open curiosity.
Why would he become a wanderer?, Kaoru was thinking in those moments, watching as the red-haired man dodged people going in the opposite direction. Almost all Ishin Shishi put down their swords and took up government positions... Why not him?
All week, she had avoided talking to him about anything that included his past. Not so much as a way to show courtesy, but more as a way to show him that she was telling the truth when she claimed she didn't care about people's pasts.
But she was curious, it was inevitable, especially after having analyzed the samurai in that short period of time.
He used to move like a cat, silent and calm, but always alert and ready to show his claws if necessary. Sometimes he was so quiet that she would forget he was around, and she would end up getting the scares of her life when he appeared in some room she was in. Seriously, they should put a bell around his neck... That had been a source of amusement for the red-haired man the first few times she ended up screaming frightened, but soon his kindness got the better of him and he had gotten into the little habit of walking in a louder way when he was near her to avoid scaring her by appearing out of nowhere. He was fighting his own instincts in doing so, but he didn't really care.
Despite his affable expression and sweet violet eyes, his gaze was always analyzing everything, shifting at every little disturbance in his surroundings, as if he was constantly on the lookout for exits or ways to fight in enclosed spaces. He never completely relaxed, and Kaoru had learned that it was impossible to catch him sleeping in the mornings: he always got up before her and already had breakfast ready by the time she opened her eyes.
Because of all that, and many other details she had noticed, she couldn't help but be consumed by her curiosity about him, and when she found herself unsatisfied, she was in a lousy mood. It was extremely frustrating.
Kenshin sighed, turning his face slightly to watch the girl out of the corner of his eye over his shoulder.
"Kaoru-dono, you want to know about my past, don't you?" He asked, having read curiosity in her ki, reluctantly wishing it were so. Although he didn't like to talk about his life, he actually had no problem with answering some questions, and besides if she wanted to, then perhaps that meant that the woman was becoming more cautious and was beginning to wonder how good an idea it was to bring a stranger into her home. She disappointed him by vehemently denying it.
"No, that's not it!" She raised her voice slightly and for what seemed to be an automatic response she tried to hit him, again, causing him to back up until he was a safe distance away. Why did she insist on trying to hit him when she knew she couldn't reach him? "You just can't go around with a sword these days! That's it!"
She was lying through her teeth, and she knew he would catch on it instantly, though he would be too polite to point it out. He always seemed to know what she was thinking, and she couldn't understand why or how he did it. She wasn't that transparent, was she?
"I see." He replied, smiling in amusement at the ravenhead's evasive maneuver. It was a lie, her ki told him so, but he kept that information to himself as he raised his hands in a defensive position in front of his chest, while responding to what the girl said with a hint of mockery in his voice: "Two years ago many people used them, and no one seems to mind now, miss."
"And what will you do when the police come like last time? They won't know it's a sakabatō until they arrest you! And what about the wakizashi?"
"If that happens, I'll run away. It would be fun to see them try to catch up with me." He replied, with a smirk curving his lips just from saying that, with the mental image of the cops running after the residual image of him that remained when he used his divine speed.
That was another thing that caught Kaoru's attention: the apparent duality in the wanderer's personality. One moment he was all kindness and innocence, and the next he was teasing, and amusing, though she would never admit amusement at the red-haired man's jokes.
"Oh, whatever. We'd better take care of the shopping. We need salt, miso, and soy sauce. I'll get some vegetables." She snorted, turning around and wading through the people, not bothering to wait for the samurai's response.
Kenshin, for his part, after a sigh and an internal plea to the kamis for more patience, went into a store to buy what the blue-eyed woman requested, then threw his purchases into a simple basket.
On his way out, he searched with his eyes for his companion, but she was nowhere to be found. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he was already beginning to get irritated at not seeing even a trace of the young woman. How many vegetables did she go looking for? And did she go looking for them in Osaka or what? he thought, frowning slightly, half concern, half irritation. He had been looking for the kendoka by some vegetable stalls for at least ten minutes, but she was nowhere in sight.
It was then that he heard the sound of the whistle, too close for his liking.
Sighing in frustration, he half turned to see the police officer who had approached him with a somewhat tense look on his face. Was it fear he felt coming from him?
Yes, it was. He supposed that the policeman was not used to dealing with people who broke the ban on carrying swords, and he feared that he would react violently and hurt him. Surely it would not be the first time something like that had happened.
"Stop there!" the policeman shouted, his voice so loud that the red-haired man's ears hurt, making him grimace, "You're breaking the law on sword carrying!"
Kenshin turned fully towards the officer and sighed, once again. Does it look like I'm killing someone?, he thought to himself, with an emotionless expression on his face, as he looked around and then darted through a chink of space between some people, beginning his escape that was somewhat obstructed by the large number of people that was present in the market at that hour.
He soon found himself being followed by several policemen, who due to their numbers managed to close in on him against a wall. Now... Should I jump like I usually do and flee across the rooftops, or...?
"I must say I admire your tenacity." He muttered, his violet eyes watching the officers around him. To jump or not to jump?
His quiet meditations were interrupted by a rather hostile and dark ki approaching his position. Looking in the direction it came from, he saw something that finished souring his mood. The sword-bearing police. When my day couldn't get any better, he thought cynically, as he scanned his eyes over the new officers coming towards him, pushing and shoving their way through the crowd with rude shouts, now I must face these fools.
He had heard some rumors about these policemen during his travels. They were an elite force within the police, and were the only ones allowed to carry and use swords. However, from what was said about them in the cities, they were a bunch of honorless bastards who abused their power over the people, arresting and killing people for arbitrary reasons. They were the definition of what Kenshin hated.
"Cap... Captain Ujiki". The officer who had been the one to raise the alarm about Kenshin's presence saluted nervously.
"Good job, we'll take it from here. Return to the quarters." The officer, now identified as Captain Ujiki, answered him.
"Sir, he is showing no signs of resistance, we don't need your help." the officer said, with his ki vibrating with nerves, which caught Kenshin's attention. The comment about him showing no signs of resistance intrigued him, considering he had been trying to escape only a few minutes ago. Why was the policeman lying? Curious, he merely watched the scene with narrowed eyes, suddenly suspicious about what was going on there.
To Kenshin's utter disgust, the captain responded violently, striking the officer's face with the handle of his sword and sending him stumbling straight to the ground.
"Wonderful, a scum like you giving orders to a captain. If I tell you to leave, then leave." He snarled, then focused his gaze on the red-haired man who watched him with icy blue eyes that seemed to be suddenly outraged by what had happened. Those are the eyes of a warrior, the policeman though, with a wave of excitement running through him just by thinking of the fight to come.
"What do we have here? You seem like a nice guy." He muttered, drawing his sword and swinging it quickly until the tip was inches from the redhead man's face, to the horror of the people around them who shouted in complaint at the captain's actions. However, the red-haired man didn't even bother to move one inch, let alone make a sound.
Kenshin watched him with critical eyes, slowly analyzing him and then arriving at a pitiful conclusion that was becoming more common with every fight he had these days: that man wouldn't last him five minutes in a fight. He sighed lightly at the thought, as he brought a hand up to casually move the katana pointed at him away from his face.
He didn't know whether to laugh or sigh in annoyance at the predictable outcome of any fight he may have with this buffoon who thought he was the height of authority just because he carried a sword.
The other man, irritated to the core of his being, started speaking again when it seemed obvious that Kenshin would say and do nothing but look at him with boredom.
"If you carry a sword in Tokyo, in broad daylight and in front of the police, then you have a lot of confidence in your abilities. Come on, draw!"
"I have no reason to. I'd rather avoid useless fights." The red-haired man finally replied, in a voice so full of boredom that even an idiot would have realized that he considered this confrontation to be utter stupidity.
The captain was offended by the rurouni's attitude, but he chose not to show it and just smiled coldly, resting his sword on his shoulder while he slowly analyzed the man in front of him. Red hair held in a high ponytail, glacial blue eyes that watched him with disdain, a curious cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, white hakama and blue kimono, with a violet scarf around his neck. He didn't look like much, his appearance was so pretty that he almost seemed slightly feminine and his stature was so short that the policeman almost laughed it off. But he was carrying a katana and a wakizashi, and that was no reason to laugh. Not only was it illegal, but if he carried them in broad daylight, then he clearly had the confidence to know how to use them.
Therefore, the captain was determined to fight the red-haired stranger.
As Kaoru parted ways with her red-haired companion, she walked calmly towards the vegetable stalls, her frustration with the samurai forgotten and lost in her own thoughts. Thoughts that included the swordsman, though she would deny it a thousand times over if asked about it.
She was so curious about him that she found it almost impossible to stop thinking about the subject. Why was he a wanderer? Why was he guided by the Aku Soku Zan? What had made him become a hitokiri? Perhaps she should have taken the opportunity Kenshin had given her to ask him some questions about his past... Maybe then she would be somewhat more at ease.
She sighed then, as the memory of watching him kill Gohei assaulted her. Yes, the man had been a monster, but in her opinion he didn't deserve to die for it. What would her father have done? What would he think of her actions in inviting the hitokiri to stay in her house? He was probably so disappointed that he had to be turning in his grave at the way she was dishonoring his dojo and his ideology by allowing a murderer to stay with her. But it had been inevitable for her... He had not struck her as a bad person, despite having killed Gohei without batting an eye. Perhaps, if he stayed with her, she could make him see that he was doing wrong things and make him abandon the path of blood. Yes, that's what she was going to do! She was going to try her best to get the red-haired man to stop killing and turn to "the sword that protects".
She was so distracted that when she heard the sound of a carriage stop behind her, she startled slightly, twitching as a gentle male voice echoed from behind her.
"Excuse me, miss, could you point me in the direction of the police station?"
She turned quickly to face the man in the carriage, a tall and important looking guy, judging by his clothes. She stared at him for a second before smiling and politely indicating:
"Yes, of course. Further down the next street, turn to the right there. You can't miss it."
"Thank you very much," said the man, smiling kindly at the young woman and then telling his driver: "You heard her, let's go!
That was strange, Kaoru thought, watching in awe as the carriage drove away. Her blue eyes were full of curiosity, and her slightly parted lips formed a small ′o′, giving her face a look of innocent intrigue. I've never seen that gentleman before, is he new in town? Anyway, I'd better get on with my shopping.
Without further ado, she wandered off in the direction of the vegetable stalls, completely oblivious to the identity of the man she had just helped, and even more oblivious to why he was in town.
The man, with a perfectly trimmed mustache, was smoking inside his carriage as he silently pondered.
Could it be true that you are in town, Himura Battousai ? Could it be true that you have become a villain?, he thought in those moments, remembering how great his surprise had been when he heard rumors that Battousai was killing people in a town near Tokyo.
He hadn't believed them at first, since he knew the red-haired man and he wasn't one to kill for pleasure, but then more and more rumors began to appear. And that had made him doubt. Though he still didn't quite believe the rumors, for the Himura he had known would never have raised his sword against an innocent, he supposed that ten years could easily corrupt a person, even if it was someone who seemed as incorruptible as that man of strong principles.
Himura...
Arriving at the police station, he got out of his carriage and made his way inside, going straight to the office of Chief Uramura, who was patiently waiting for him.
"Welcome, General Yamagata." He greeted him, bowing slightly in respect, receiving a polite nod of the head in response. "Please take a seat. Would you like some tea?"
"Uramura-san." The one with the bushy mustache replied at the greeting, nodding his head as he went to sit down on one of the sofas in the office. "Yes, please. The trip has been long and tiring. Thank you for seeing me even though I didn't give you a lot of notice about my visit."
He waited patiently while the chief prepared some tea, then brought him a steaming cup which he accepted gratefully, taking a small sip of the hot beverage that helped soothe the dryness in his throat after the journey.
"There is nothing to be thankful for. Tell me what you need, general. It's strange that you've made such a long trip to talk to me." The policeman said, sitting down on the sofa across from the soldier, giving him a curious look over his glasses as he drank some tea from his own cup as well.
"I need you to tell me everything about the Battousai case. I couldn't travel earlier because of the Seinan War, but I'm here now and I want to know what happened."
That made the police chief blink with astonishment. The general had made that trip just to know about that? The Battousai case? The supposed Battousai who had been found dead in front of the police station a week ago?
"Well, he's dead, sir." He said, not noticing that the general was now staring at him in utter disbelief, unable to believe his ears. Himura, dead? But if that man was almost impossible to kill... It couldn't be him. There had to be an explanation. "We don't know who could have killed him. A week ago we found him outside the station, with a note that said he was the serial killer we were looking for. He was a huge monster, almost six feet tall. He had a deep gash from his left shoulder to his right hip. I think he probably didn't even know when he died, it must have been very quick."
Hearing about the supposed Battousai's height, Yamagata felt his soul return to his body. That was not Himura. The swordsman he was looking for could be described in many ways, but "huge" and "almost six feet tall" were absolutely none of those ways. Unless it was sarcastically, of course.
He sighed then, again discouraged, despite the relief he had felt upon hearing the description that disproved the identity of the murderer. Even if Himura was still alive, he was not in this area, and he was back to being without any clue as to the whereabouts of the former hitokiri who had done so much for the new era. He wanted to find him, reward him as best he could, and even give him a position in the army as he deserved after all he had fought for, but the man had disappeared, and it seemed that he did not want to be found.
Whenever he thought he had located him, whenever he pursued some trail he thought might be Himura's, he would eventually run into a dead end, and the swordsman would vanish into thin air... or into the shadows, as he had so many years ago. The redhead was an expert at that, and at staying off the government's radar.
"That's not Battousai. He was an imposter, like so many others." He said at last, raising his gaze to the officer who stared at him with his mouth open in surprise. That amused the general, but he did not even allow himself to smile. He remained serious as he spoke, his eyes dark and unaffected, "The true Battousai is short in stature, much shorter than most men.
"But... he killed fifteen people, six civilians and nine policemen, in only two months. And he laughed as he did so, calling them all weak." Uramura protested, in a somewhat weak voice, getting a brief snort in response from the army general, who, if he had any doubts about the identity of the killer, now had none. That man was not the real Battousai.
"Himura can kill five men with just one attack. Do you think it would have taken him two months to kill fifteen people?"
The policeman swallowed dryly at that information, fearful even though he actually thought the general was exaggerating. Yes, he had heard the rumors about the formidable reputation of the Bakumatsu's top assassin, but he had never really believed those myths. No human being could kill five men with a single blow, could he? Perhaps, if so, it was true that this hitokiri was a demon. The demon of Kyoto.
"However, knowing that civilians died, it is enough for me to confirm that it was not Battousai. He's not the kind of person who likes to show off his strength. Of course he killed many, he wouldn't be a hitokiri otherwise, but he never liked to do it. He never killed for personal reasons, he only did it in the name of the new era. His sword saved the lives of many Ishin Shishi." Yamagata reported, thinking of the polite and reserved young man he once knew, the one who seemed destroyed by so much killing, the one who seemed unhappy with the life he led, yet never complained.
He sighed, taking out of his pocket a cigarette to light it and start smoking, while his mind wandered in the memories of those years, and specifically, of that red-haired man, of that very mature young man who had been forced to grow up too fast in order to bring peace to the country, to be able to create a new era in which people could be happy.
That reason, that ideal, in addition to the lack of ambition shown by Himura, had been the reason why no one (or at least no one important) had insisted that the hitokiri should be killed as so many others had been. Despite the fact that he knew a great deal, perhaps a greater deal more than any other assassin of the Ishin Shishi given his long career as such, still there had been no call for his death. They wanted him under control, yes, but not dead exactly.
"Chief! Chief, it's terrible! There's trouble!" a policeman shouted at that moment, throwing open the office door and abruptly snapping the general out of his thoughts.
Yamagata blinked, fixing his gaze on the young policeman who had just burst through the door, sweating and in a clear state of agitation, which caused the general's eyebrows to rise in intrigue.
"You imbecile, we have a guest! Can't you knock on the door before entering?" Uramura exclaimed, getting up from the sofa violently and approaching his subordinate with a look of unfriendliness on his face.
The aforementioned guest, with a sigh, also rose from his seat and turned to face the policeman who had interrupted their conversation. For an instant, he thought about leaving immediately, for if there were problems that required the chief's attention, then he had no business being there. He had already found out what he needed, and again he was leaving empty-handed. But he dismissed the idea promptly and preferred to wait a little while to find out what the problem was. Perhaps his help might be needed.
"I apologize, sir. But it's the sword-bearing police." The poor policeman answered, lowering his head a little in embarrassment for having interrupted his superior's meeting in such a way.
Without knowing it, his words attracted the attention and curiosity of the military man in the room, who watched the scene in silence for a few moments, waiting to understand what was going on there.
"It's Ujiki again?" Uramura grunted, suddenly seeming extremely tired just by mentioning that name. That captain had brought him nothing but trouble since he had arrived in the city with his group.
"The sword-bearing police?" Yamagata questioned, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. He hadn't heard about that, and for some reason he had a bad feeling about what was going on. Since the ban on swords had been enacted, not many people were allowed to use them. Only some of the militia, and officials of high importance. So it concerned him that he was now hearing about a sword-bearing police. But it was even more troubling that he hadn't heard about it before.
"They are an elite group, trained in Tokyo. They are very violent, their captain comes from Satsuma."
Oh. Satsuma. The general sighed again, understanding part of the problem that was occurring just from hearing those short sentences.
"I see. They tend to be very arrogant." He said, to which the police chief could only make a low sound in agreement with his words, unable to deny such a statement.
As he listened to what the policemen were talking about, Yamagata walked over to his cloak that he had left hanging on the door, picking it up and starting to put it on. He had nothing else to do there, and it wasn't such a serious enough problem to require his intervention, so he was preparing to leave.
"What have they done this time?"
"They're fighting in the market... against one man." the policeman reported. seeming incredulous just by saying those words. He had never known of a man who could fight a sword-bearing police officer, let alone one who could fight them all.
"That's ridiculous! They have been chosen from the best swordsmen!" the chief exclaimed under the watchful eyes of his subordinate and the general whose curiosity had been aroused once again.
"I'm telling you the truth, sir!"
"I can't believe it, who is that man?"
"I don't know, sir. He's a short, red-haired man, " when he heard that, the general stopped what he was doing, suddenly standing still with his hat in his hand and his eyes wide open focused on the policeman who was talking. "He moves at great speed... Oh, and he has a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek."
"Himura!" Yamagata exclaimed, before running off in the direction of the door, and then dashing off at full speed down the corridor, while the police chief, after a minute of shock at hearing the name, hurried to follow him to his carriage.
They had to stop the fight before something terrible happened. Both men climbed into the carriage, without stopping to explain themselves to anyone, while the general gave orders to the driver to go to the market.
In a matter of minutes, they were heading towards the market at full speed, and in Yamagata's case, with a heavy heart inside his chest. Himura, have you become a bandit? Have you become seriously corrupted? he thought, unable to understand why the red-haired man would be fighting against the police and in broad daylight, where everyone could see him. Please let us arrive on time.
"Are you sure this red-haired man is Battousai Himura, General Yamagata? " Chief Uramura questioned after a few minutes of silence, focusing his glasses-covered eyes on the man in front of him. Deep down, he feared for the lives of the policemen, even if they were a group that caused more problems than they solved. He didn't want to see them dead. Nor did he want to get in trouble with the real Battousai, especially if it was true what the general had said about his ability to kill.
"Completely. That description is unique."
"Will he kill them?"
"I don't know. Actually, it depends on what happened." He answered truthfully, with a small sigh escaping his lips. He wondered what motive would have made the rōnin decide to fight the police in broad daylight. Because there had to be a reason... The opposite was impossible, Himura didn't act in such an impulsive manner. Or at least, he didn't do it before, and he hoped it would remain the same.
Kaoru, after having helped the unknown man in the carriage, had gone to some vegetable stalls somewhat away from the center of the market and was checking a couple of turnips she wanted to buy, when she heard a loud commotion that immediately caught her attention, making her raise her head a little.
"What's going on?" She wondered aloud, not really waiting for someone to answer her, but was inwardly grateful when she received the answer from a gentleman who was passing by her at the time.
"It's the police, it seems they found a guy carrying a sword."
All color drained from the blue-eyed girl's face when she heard the information. A guy with a sword? There was only one guy who dared to walk around with his weapon in those days and at that hour, and who would be able to cause such a commotion as the one she could hear... and that was the redhead who was staying at her dojo.
"Oh, no... Kenshin."
Without stopping to think about it, she dropped the turnips where they were before and quickly ran off in the direction of the commotion, dodging as best she could the people blocking her progress as she called the samurai's name rather loudly hoping he would respond so she could head in his direction, but she got no response other than bad looks from the people around her.
She kept running more and more worried, until finally after a few minutes she could see the red-haired swordsman. He was against a wall, with a seemingly relaxed attitude despite the fact that a man with a sword was in front of him, pointing the blade at him. The mere scene looked bad and frightened the girl, however, what really terrified her was the coldness of the samurai's now blue eyes that indicated to the girl that he was far from being as calm as he seemed. He looked downright irritated, and that distressed her. She didn't want to see him kill again, let alone in front of so many people.
Worst of all, Kaoru recognized the man and his group instantly. The sword-bearing police officers. She tensed, silently wishing she had her bokken with her, but she didn't stop and continued to approach the wanderer, calling out his name in a worried voice:
"Kenshin!"
Ujiki, as soon as he heard the female scream, smiled wickedly at the sight of the pretty young girl approaching his position, calling out a name and looking fearfully at the red-haired man.
"Oh, she must be with Mr. Nice Guy here." He said with a mocking tone, before signaling to his men.
"Don't come any closer, Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin shouted, but it was too late, for before the young girl could register what the red-haired man had said, two swords carried by two of the policemen in the group whizzed over her head, cutting the ribbon holding her hair and causing it to fall free down her back, eliciting a strangled gasp from the now terrified girl, who suddenly froze in mid-step.
"Next will be her kimono." Ujiki said to the samurai, with a wicked grin on his face, "Are you going to draw your sword now?
That action made the townspeople react strongly, who came to defend both the young woman and the swordsman. This that surprised the latter a little, making him watched in amazement as the crowd came to argue with the policemen.
They shouted, "You're a tyrant!
"Corrupt!"
"Leave the red-haired man alone! He hasn't done anything to anyone!"
"She didn't do anything either!"
"That's enough!"
"Leave them alone!"
Kenshin looked at them in surprise, but Ujiki didn't seem at all impressed by the people's actions. A sudden sickening feeling from his ki warned the red-haired man that the man was about to do something absolutely despicable, but before he could say a word, the captain spoke with a dark smile on his lips:
"Ah, the audience is shouting. This is obstruction of justice. Arrest them all, and kill those who resist."
When the crowd heard this, tried to escape in panic, letting out loud cries of terror, but before the policemen could arrive to attack them the piercing metallic sound of a sword being unsheathed resounded in the market, stopping in its tracks the movements of all those who were there.
Kenshin had already lost his patience. He wasn't about to let that get any further out of control. With one hand holding his drawn sword, and the other holding the sheath, the swordsman stood in a relaxed but ready to act stance.
"Don't touch Kaoru-dono... Or these innocent people. If you want an opponent, you have me, but I can't assure you that you'll survive."
Ujiki smiled mischievously as he realized he had finally gotten the reaction he wanted from the rōnin.
"I don't think there's much you can do with that sakabatō. Have you forgotten how to kill? When a swordsman doesn't kill in a while, he loses practice. Anyway... if I kill you now, I can claim self-defense." He said in a mocking voice, standing in a defensive stance with his sword, gently licking the metal blade with a gesture so arrogant and dramatic that Kenshin found it distasteful and had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. Idiot, he thought, holding his sword in a stance that allowed him to quickly switch from defense to attack. Really, he seemed to be facing only idiots lately.
As the two men glared at each other with cold eyes, sizing each other up, the captain's subordinates surrounded the red-haired man. They all had their swords drawn, to the complete panic of Kaoru who tried to move closer, thinking that those men were nothing like Gohei's thugs. They had training. They were the best men among policemen.
"I told you to stay away, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin spat as he read her intentions, shooting her a fiery gold-colored glare that stopped her in her tracks, causing her to recoil somewhat shakily. Was that the look that was even more frightening than Battousai's sword? For if so, she understood why it was legendary...
Ujiki watched the scene with morbid amusement, a wicked smile curving his lips. The look on the samurai's face was terrifying even to him, yes, but his training would not allow him to show it or back down now that he had achieved his goal. Therefore, he merely sketched a smile that he maintained by sheer force of will when the red-haired man's angry golden eyes turned to him.
"Attack!" he ordered his men, still smiling.
Laughing, the policemen launched themselves at the swordsman, sure of their victory. Their group attack was typical of cowards, but not even numbers would help them in this battle. They were too slow, and lacked the skill necessary to engage in combat with the red-haired man. Their conviction to win soon faded, when the samurai with an expressionless face and already with a plan in mind, attacked with precise movements of his sword and a speed that made him invisible to the eyes of those watching. In less than fifteen seconds, he knocked the men to the ground, who had dropped their swords and were now holding their arms in absolute pain. They no longer laughed, but watched the samurai in complete horror, all the while letting out low moans of pain from the small cuts on their limbs. Apparently, Kenshin had twisted his sword a bit when attacking, using part of the edge for what he had intended to do.
"I've broken their arms and wrists, as well as severed some of their tendons. I don't think they'll ever be able to use a sword again." Kenshin muttered in a low, dangerous voice, turning his amber gaze away from the fallen men and then focusing it on the captain who watched him with wide eyes of amazement.
As the policeman and the swordsman watched each other, Kaoru noticed the carriage she had seen earlier approaching at full speed down the street, stopping a couple of meters away from them. From it, the police chief and the mustachioed man she had helped descended.
"Himura!" the latter shouted, coming a little closer, but Kenshin didn't even look at him. He was more focused on the scum of a man in front of him.
Yamagata, amazed by the scene in front of him, stood still to watch what would happen now, hoping that it wouldn't end in slaughter. He had already noticed that the rest of the officers, although wounded, were not going to die for it, and that relaxed the general a little. Himura had not gone mad with bloodlust, far from it. There had been a reason for him to attack, and it wouldn't be long before he found out what it was.
"This is over." The red-haired man expressed at that moment, with a look of contempt towards the police captain who now seemed a bit nervous. With a calm gesture, Kenshin rested his sword in the crook of his elbow, while he turned a little to observe his opponent out of the corner of his eye: "I hope you never attack the townspeople again. If you apologize for your behavior, we can drop the matter here, and I'll allow you to take me prisoner for attacking an officer, if you want.
So that was it, Yamagata thought, relief flooding through him. Himura had reacted to protect the townspeople from those policemen's abuse of power. That was the swordsman he knew, and he didn't seem to have really changed in all that time. He looked practically the same as he did ten years ago, although something about his posture seemed more relaxed than before. Perhaps it was the fact that he was no longer at war, and no longer had to act as a hitokiri, but his attitude had changed a bit. He looked calmer, and not as on edge as in the Bakumatsu.
"Nonsense. This isn't over yet." Ujiki snarled through gritted teeth, annoyed by his opponent's attitude, settling into a stance that scared Kaoru when she recognized it.
"That's the Ninotachi, from the Jigen Ryu, the best school in Satsuma!" the blue-eyed girl exclaimed, anxious for the well-being of the red-haired man who didn't seem at all worried.
"Stop it, Ujiki, that man is...!"
At the same time, the police chief, after checking that the injured were alive, had shouted at Ujiki to stop and tried to warn him of the identity of his opponent, but his voice was eventually lost in the din of the crowd. And anyway, even if the captain had heard him, he would not have listened. He was furious with the samurai, and wanted to destroy him there and now.
"Fool." Yamagata muttered, watching as the captain tried to attack the samurai, failing in the attempt, and was left unguarded in a way that he knew Kenshin would take advantage of before they could blink. And sure enough, the samurai, after huffing slightly at the predictability of the attack, and dodging the side swipe with ease, leapt hard and landed on the officer, using the blunt side of his sakabatō to bring the man down with such a powerful blow to the back that he had probably shattered his spine in the process. That man would never be able to use a sword again. He would be lucky if he even survived and could ever walk again. "The Jigen Ryu is strong, but it is nothing against the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu."
Kenshin sheathed his sword before turning to the audience, his eyes still a hard golden shade, though this softened and darkened to a violet-blue as he focused on the girl who was hosting him when she lunged towards him with a worried expression on her face.
"Kenshin, are you all right?" Kaoru questioned, looking him up and down for injuries, seemingly forgetting that all of his opponents were lying on the ground injured, much to the slight amusement (and sudden affection) of the aforementioned. That girl was childish and violent, but she was also kind and warm to him, and having her around was a refreshing change to the lifestyle the samurai had led in recent years.
He was about to assure her that he was perfectly fine, when he was interrupted by the sudden shouts of joy from the crowd that came to surround them both, to the complete shock of the wanderer who was paralyzed by the sudden stream of congratulations from the townspeople.
"That was great, man!"
"Yeah! Where are you from?"
"Thanks for the help!"
"You should come with us for a drink!"
The rōnin laughed nervously, slowly relaxing, his eyes turning completely violet at the effusiveness of the people around him. A bead of sweat formed on the back of his neck as Kaoru ended up stamped against his chest due to the shoving they were giving her, and she instead of becoming enraged by it as he would have expected, only blushed profusely at the sudden closeness. Wow, she has normal girl reactions, the swordsman thought with amusement.
It was then, as he gazed amusedly at the young girl, while at the same time trying to avoid being crushed by people, that he felt the flash of amusement in a ki that was familiar to him, though he couldn't quite pinpoint who it belonged to, probably because of the time he had gone so long without feeling it.
He turned his head slightly, so that he could fix his wide violet eyes, (innocent looking though anyone who knew him would realize the deception), on the person watching him with a small smile from the edge of the street.
"Himura!" the man called when he noticed that he had the samurai's attention on him, "I finally found you. I've been looking for you for 10 years."
Kenshin watched him for a few moments, and then smiled a kind, though somewhat distant and embarrassed smile. Suddenly he felt like he was back ten years in time, in front of one of the men he had met in the revolution.
"You've grown a mustache, Yamagata-san."
Kenshin could not believe his luck. After so long avoiding meeting any of his Bakumatsu companions, it was unbelievable that he did so now, on the first moderately long break he had taken in his journey in over ten years.
When he had left the war, he had planned never to meet them again. He knew he did indeed know too much, his knowledge was more dangerous than his sword to many people in the government, and there would probably be men in high places who would want him dead for it, that's not to mention the fear they had of him. That was why he had become a wanderer, so that he could escape the spotlight of the politicians.
For a whole decade, he had wandered half of Japan and avoided being found, and now... when he had only been around the area for seven days, he had already met one of the important men in the Meiji government who knew him moderately well. Perhaps it was a divine sign that he should leave Tokyo soon.
However, at least it was Yamagata, and not some imperialist who had become corrupt during that time. At last, he respected the man, unlike others he could mention and not finish in another ten years, and just thinking about them made him want to snort with disgust.
"I would like to speak with Mr. Himura in private." The military man expressed after a moment of silence in which he and Kenshin simply observed each other with clear mutual respect, sizing each other up, looking for the differences that the passage of time had left in both of them.
At the subtle request to disperse the crowd, the police chief called some officers who took charge of driving the people away, among shouts of protest from them and requests to Kenshin to defend them. He watched them for a second, stunned and with a drop of sweat on the back of his neck by their attitude.
Soon, thanks to the efforts of the police to keep the onlookers away, there was no one left in the area but the red-haired man, Yamagata, the police chief and Kaoru.
The latter, to avoid being pulled away from the wanderer like everyone else, held onto the red-haired man's kimono sleeve as she watched the newcomer with eyes like saucers, her thoughts scrambled by the name Kenshin had uttered. Yamagata? It can't be... The general of the most powerful unit in the emperor's army... The Ishin Shishi Yamagata Aritomo.
Kenshin, meanwhile, completely oblivious to the thoughts of the girl who had anchored herself to his side, did not take his gaze from the army general, with some wariness in the depths of his violet eyes. The man seemed genuinely glad to see him, to finally find him, at least that's what his ki told him, but the samurai had his suspicions about the reason for the imperialist's search and joy. And something told him he wasn't going to like how the whole thing was going to end.
"Come, Himura. The carriage is waiting, we have a lot of things to talk about. Many have awaited your return to the service of the emperor." the general said, extending his hand in invitation to the red-haired man.
The swordsman sighed, observing the military man's outstretched hand for a few seconds, with a reflexive gesture on his face. What he was about to say was not going to please the military man, let alone those who were surely behind his proposal.
He wasn't sure how he should proceed to deal with the situation. He didn't want to be rude if there was no need to be, nor did he want to offend one of the most powerful generals in the country, but somehow, whatever it was, he was going to make clear once and for all his decision to stay away from the government.
"I apologize, Yamagata-san." He said after a few minutes with a calm expression, watching as the aforementioned's eyes widened in astonishment at the realization that he was flatly rejecting him, "I won't become a hitokiri for the emperor again. I'm not going back, excuse me. I don't want to be given a government position in retribution for my killings."
Yes, he kept killing when it was necessary, that was the philosophy of the Aku Soku Zan after all, to destroy evil immediately . Yes, he was still fighting and carrying a sword, and with his skills as sharp as ever, or perhaps even sharper with the training of ten years. But he refused with all his being to fall back into the dark, cold hole that is the life of a hitokiri. No matter what the military told him, he was never going to act in that role again.
He refused to take lives again just because he was ordered to. He refused to kill someone who may have done nothing more than just think differently. He refused to be a puppet in the hands of political leaders.
He would only apply his justice, he would kill evil, but nothing else. He would not obey orders like a trained puppy. After all, not taking innocent lives... It was the only thing he could really do to honor his promise to never kill again after the war. He only hoped that she would find it enough, and forgive him for continuing to stain his hands with blood.
"Himura, your killings were only for the sake of the revolution." Yamagata protested, "Don't worry about that. It's true that there are people who hate Battousai, and who take you for a ruthless killer, but I can fix that."
"How? By sending the sword-bearing police to repress them?" the samurai interjected with a kindly expression despite the clear shock on the face of the other man who was watching him with suddenly wide eyes, stunned by the slight reproach he heard in the red-haired man's words.
He turned his gaze toward a wagon in which some policemen were taking away the armed thugs he had just defeated. They were nothing more than idiots who had been handed a toy they were told they could play with, except that said toy was a dangerous weapon, especially in the wrong hands. At that instant, they were unconscious and moaning in pain in their sleep, but alive. He hadn't wanted to kill them in front of the crowd, nor had he wanted to end up in jail for murdering government officials, even if they were bullies like them. That's why he had restrained himself in his attacks.
"It is power and impunity that creates despot men like that police force." He remarked, hardening his tone and eyes, which were suddenly as cold as they had been ten years ago on the streets of Kyoto, as he regarded the older man in front of him with unadulterated recrimination, "We did not fight the war for power and glory. We did it to help build an era where the concepts of peace and happiness were a reality. If we forget that, then we are nothing but hypocrites."
After that, Kenshin turned, approaching the basket with the groceries he had left on the ground before confronting the policemen. He bent down to pick it up, wanting to leave the encounter with the military man up to there before he said anything that might upset Kaoru further, whose ki seemed somewhat anxious about what was happening, but Yamagata wasn't finished yet.
"Himura, times have changed. In the Meiji era samurai have no place. They have lost their privileges and are forbidden to carry swords. You can no longer carry a sword unless you are part of the government, nor can you kill as a method of justice. The sword is no longer of any use. But if you return to service you may continue to carry it." the general argued, watching the red-haired man's back, hoping that somehow his words would be heard by him.
That stopped the rōnin in his tracks. What the general said sounded to him like a low attempt to get him into the emperor's service, and he did not like at all that someone wanted to manipulate him. Silently, with almost predatory movements, he turned slightly to meet his once again golden gaze with the general's, who flinched a little at the sight of those cold, murderous eyes, which seemed to burn with anger at the blackmail attempt.
Yamagata had never feared for his life when it came to Himura, for they had always been on the same side. However, this time, as she met his choleric gaze, he understood that he had crossed a line, and he also understood why that man was so feared, beyond his unmatched skill with the sword.
"With my sword, I protect the people around me." He growled under his breath, placing a hand on Kaoru's shoulder, who blushed a little at the unexpected contact. Damn, he's very attractive when he gets angry, the girl thought somewhat stunned, watching him with wide blue eyes that shone with both admiration and fear from the fury she could see in the amber gaze, "With my sword, I protect the innocent from abusers like those policemen. With my sword, I protect this time of peace from those who would destroy it. And I think I do a better job than the government at it."
The red-haired man's voice was deep and hoarse, completely filled with cold anger, and his gaze remained locked on the other man who watched him pale and wide-eyed, stunned by what he was hearing.
"I haven't really changed since the Bakumatsu, Yamagata-san. A hitokiri is a hitokiri until he dies. The only thing that changes, is that I am free now, and I have less blood on my hands than in those days. And I don't want to go back to being anyone's subordinate."
Without another word, the red-haired man balanced the basket with the food on one of his arms. Letting go of his companion's shoulder, and motioning to Kaoru that it was time to go, he finally turned to head on his way.
The girl, strangely silent, only nodded in acceptance, not wanting to meet again the cold and angry golden eyes of the handsome but dangerous samurai who was still struggling to calm down after what the general had said. Obediently, she walked behind him, barely giving one last anxious glance at the man they were leaving behind.
The general stared at the back of the samurai walking away from him in the company of the young girl, and was suddenly assaulted by a feeling as if that would be the last time he would see the red-haired man. A small sting of nostalgia suddenly hit him. It was like being back ten years in time, when he had heard that the most important hitokiri of the Ishin Shishi had abandoned his sword after the battle of Toba-Fushimi, and with it he had also left the war. On that occasion, he had not seen him walk away and leave his past behind, but the feeling was pretty much the same. The image of the young man's back walking away, with his red hair tied in his typical high ponytail on his head, and the katana and wakizashi in his obi, would be a scene that would probably remain forever engraved in his memory.
A sigh escaped his lips as he lowered his head with some resignation, closing his eyes momentarily. There was nothing he could do to convince Himura to accept his offer. He was too stubborn when he got something into his head.
"Chief Uramura," he muttered, catching the attention of the policeman who, like him, had been watching the rōnin walking away from them, "I think, judging by people's reactions, it's obvious who was to blame for today's confrontation.
The policeman nodded his head, then refocused his gaze on the young woman and the red-haired man who were already turning down a street, disappearing from his sight.
"I think we can ignore his sword, and any activity he has as long as it is discreet." He muttered, not wanting to say the word "murder" out loud. In truth, he suspected that the man could handle some of the problems in the city better than even formal justice could. "When I heard what you told me about Battousai, I thought he was a maniacal and brutal man. But he... he's different. Dangerous, yes, just as I thought...but he's not evil or bloodthirsty."
It took Kenshin a few minutes to calm down enough to be able to put his mask of the kindly wanderer back in place, and with it make his eyes darken to violet.
While Kaoru was finishing shopping for things at some stores in the market, he kept his head bowed so that his bangs hid his gaze, thus preventing anyone from seeing the amber of his irises. He didn't want to worry anyone more than he had already done.
He knew his reaction had scared Kaoru, but he couldn't help it, no matter how hard he had tried. He hated being manipulated and blackmailed. Sure, in the past he had allowed himself to be used, to be considered a weapon for the revolution, but now it had been a long time since he had left the Ishin Shishi, and he wasn't about to allow anyone to try to force him to do something he didn't want to do in any possible way. He did not plan to serve a government with such corrupt characters as those in the previous government.
Sometimes, as he was traveling and saw or heard people complaining about the Meiji government, he felt a strong surge of shame for having been one of those who had helped set up the regime. But there was nothing he could do to change things, unless he wanted to push for another war, which would be worse for Japan.
So whenever he saw someone who needed his help, he offered it freely. It was the only thing he could do to make things better, after all. That, and eliminate the rats he came across who were trying to harm the peace of the innocent.
After a few moments of reflection on his way home, in which nothing but the sound of his and Kaoru's footsteps could be heard on the ground, he finally managed to regain enough calm to be able to talk to the young woman who followed him silently, a couple of steps behind him.
"I'm so sorry, Kaoru-dono." He said, with a slightly apologetic expression as he turned to look at the blue-eyed girl from the corner of his eye, trying to convey calmness through his gaze.
The kendoka blinked at the words, shooting a glance towards her companion and relaxing as she realized that the wanderer's eyes were once again a kind, warm violet color.
"Why are you sorry?" she questioned, curious, cocking her head slightly to one side as she stepped forward a bit to be slightly closer to the male. She wasn't used to walking behind a man despite what custom dictated, but something in the red-haired man's aura had made her keep her distance cautiously when they had moved away from the market. She still found it hard to believe that he had turned down the military man's generous offer, and in such a blunt manner, but on the other hand she was glad he had. She didn't want to see him leave so soon, and even less so without first having tried to change his way of seeing the world a little.
"Because I frightened you," he answered simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
The girl smiled slightly. Now, after having seen and heard his discussion with General Yamagata, she could feel that she understood a little more about the red-haired man who seemed so mysterious to her. He can protect people with his sword... that's why he became a wandering swordsman.
"Never mind." She replied, shrugging her shoulders carelessly. "You'll make up for it by cleaning the house. And getting me a new bow tie.
But I already clean the house. I also cook and do the laundry, the swordsman thought with some frustration, then let out a tired little sigh. He wasn't sure where the hell he was going to get the money to get her a bow tie, but he'd figure it out somehow. Maybe he should look for some temporary job...
"Kaoru-dono... Was it necessary to buy all this?" he muttered then, balancing again on his arms the weight of the various groceries the girl had stopped to buy after they left Yamagata behind.
"No... not really. But I wanted revenge. Is it heavy, Kenshin?" she replied, with a somewhat mischievous expression on her face, which made her look so young that the red-haired man found it hard to see her as anything more than a child.
He only sighed in response, unable to help but smile slightly, a spark of amusement lighting up his violet eyes at the impertinence. Childish or not, she was warm and kind, and it was nice to see that she was confident enough to pick on him after frightening her in such a way.
"You're a very bad person, Kaoru-dono." He joked, then took a couple of steps forward as she gawked and stood still and processed his words. When she did, she growled in irritation, then shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Kenshin, you're an idiot!"
The samurai's amused laughter in response ended up getting lost in the wind.