There Are Only Strangers In My World
A Rurouni Kenshin Fiction
= Chapter Four =
~ Night Amidst the Bamboo ~

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not, in any way, belong to me…

Night had fallen. For Murashino Junichi, it was time for another task, that would take him closer to his goal or revenge.

Night had fallen. For Himura Kenshin, it was time for rest. Rest, but with caution. An old enemy could turn up anytime.

Night had fallen. For Sakata Yumiko, it was time for sleep. Restless sleep. She had her troubles, too many, in fact.

There were two people there. One woman. One man. He carefully circled around them. But he was spotted. The redhead had his hand on this sword. Ready. He prepared to draw his. They waited. Neither wanted to fight. Kenshin kept a watchful yet non-aggressive stance. He would not fight unless someone else demanded it. Sakata Yumiko opened her eyes when she felt the expansion of the swordsmen's battle aura. She gasped. And gaped. For standing opposite her was the man himself. Murashino Junichi.

Murashino Junichi noted the rise of the woman. She had awakened. If she was trained in the martial arts, he would be at a disadvantage. He prepared to strike or flee. Then, he noticed her face. Sakata Yumiko.

Himura Kenshin was not oblivious to the going-on around him. But he was unaware of their meaning or significance. He was just ready to defend himself, and Yumiko.

"Murashino-sama, what brings you here?" Yumiko asked. A lame question. He looked at her. His eyes were hard; she had never seen them like that before.

"Sakata, leave. You have no business here."

"Neither have you."

He stared at her. And almost laughed. He had forgotten how headstrong, how obstinate she was. But he said, "Leave. Now."

His voice was cold, hard steel. Just like his katana. But she replied, "I have every right to be here. It's public domain after all. And, if I may ask, why are you wearing black and brandishing a sword? Am I holding you back from an appointment? If so, please feel free to carry on. A conversation with an old friend can be continued later."

Kenshin was aware of the strong undertones in Yumiko's answer. He remembered then what Yumiko had told him of her life. Of the family that had taken her in. Murashino Junichi gritted his teeth.

Himura Kenshin said, in a calm and even tone, "Murashino Junichi. You killed Tanazaki and Eichi. And I presume you're headed for Eikichi's residence?"

Junichi had had enough. He drew his sword. And lunged at Kenshin. Big mistake. If Kenshin had been the hitokiri he had been. But, in this case, Kenshin just neatly sidestepped. However, Junichi did not fail to see Yumiko's reaction. Her eyes were shot with pain. He dropped his sword. Against his mind's angry cry, he dropped his sword. She breathed a sigh of relief. Then gasped again as Murashinio Junichi ran away.

Author's Notes:
Sorry for the delay in updating, but hey, I've given you full warning (go read my profile!). Thanks for bearing with me ^____^ So, the two characters meet again. What do you think of the chapter?

Replies:
SwordSkill: Is this what you've predicted? ^__^ *sigh* my storyline's pretty predictable, I guess. Will have to come up with a better plot next time! Something that I thought was pretty different was "Red On White", because hardly anyone writes about Soujiro as a wanderer, that is, none that I know of! ^___^
fujifunmun: Yup, they meet again, but from the ending of this chapter, it's clear that Junichi isn't ready to see Yumiko. See you in the next chapter!
Susan: *phew* someone who doesn't mind the dark chapter. I'm often caught writing sad or dark stories, ne? Nothing to do with my psychological health, I assure you! ^___^ I'm perfectly sane, and rational. *grin*
darkangelwings: Gomen, it took a really long time for this chapter to come up! But hey, I'm managing more than one on-going story here on ! Hope you're still reading this! ^___^
Akal-Saris: I'm never depressed by my own writing. They're NOT that sad, are they? I thought my fics were just reflective and thought-provoking, delving into darkness and angst at times. Well, I can't write comical stories, I guess. Maybe I should try one and freak you all out! ^___^

till next time!
~rurouni