Beyond Rurouni Kenshin: The Meiji Era: Arashi no Hitomi (The Eye of the Storm)
By: Shadow Chaser
Started: 7/29/02. Completed:
Timeline: Meiji Era – 1898 (Meiji 30)
Author's Notes/SPOILER WARNING:
This story is based mostly off of the manga version, with slight changes following the Episodes 1-63 of the anime series. For those who have not read the Revenge Arc/Jinchuu Arc this will feature quite a bit of spoilers. Also for those who have not seen the 2nd OAV – Seishou Hen, this will also be featured in here. I changed some of the events in the OAV to suit my own purposes in this fic. Pointer One: I kept Kaoru alive…for many reasons, which will be explained in the fic. I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters; they belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro-sama who is the creator and God of Rurouni Kenshin. Please do not sue for infringement. This fic has more of the Rurouni Kenshin anime feel (slapstick silliness and seriousness at the same time).
Chapter 4 – Musings: The Summer Festival
After sitting in the main room for at least an hour, with Kenji's legs cramping up from sitting so straight up, Kaoru suggested that they relax outside, something that he had whole-heartedly agreed to, but realized that he was still wearing his black gi…which meant he had to stay in the shade or else he would be a fried Kenji.
Chizuru had left the Dojo for a while and came back holding a wrapped package, but didn't tell anyone what it was as she slipped into the main building and stayed there. He considered going in after her, but realized that he didn't want to move from his comfortable perch on a branch of sakura tree that was in their yard. Let one leg hang off the branch he watched as below, the children, Kitsune, the two Shinomori children, Rin who was ten, Ana who was six, and little Shin-ya play together. Though Rin Shinomori seemed more interested in the mock sparring both Yahiko and Iori were practicing a little ways beyond the tree.
It seemed that neither Kitsune nor Ana seemed to like each other and in fact were snipping at each other. One girl calling the other names, the other threatening to spear the other with what looked to be little daggers. He figured that he should stop them before anyone got hurt, but they looked so cute with angry faces.
His mother and just about all the other women who were staying for the dinner, was in the kitchen, cooking up the dinner. Tae Sekihara had arrived sometime between when they were sitting in the main room and retiring outside, bringing an armful of vegetables. She had said a quick hello to them before dashing into the kitchen to help the other women. "So that means that Ayame-san, Suzume-san, okaasan, Misao-san, Tsubame-san, Megumi-san, and Tae-san are all in the kitchen…oro…I hope they don't get on each others nerves…" he muttered mostly to himself. He wondered if Chizuru was helping too…
"Kenji-niisan! Come and play!" Kitsune's plaintive voice startled him and he glanced down to see the small spiky-haired child with a frown on her face, her hands on her hips, staring at him.
"Oro?"
"Kenji-niisan," another whine was plaintive and this time, little Ana Shinomori, a pretty girl with long blue-black hair that hung in layers was staring at him, the same expression on her as it was on Kitsune's face.
"Hai, hai," he sighed softly. He knew when he was beat when children wanted to play with him. If he ignored them then they would surely cry; yet he didn't really feel like playing with them. "Okay," he frowned slightly then perked up, "what do you want to do?"
"Climb tree!" the two children answered and spurred by their answer, two more heads appeared, both Rin and Shin-ya, Rin loosing interest in the sparring match as he heard that they were going to climb trees.
"Ano…" Kenji didn't know if it was okay for the children to climb the sakura tree, but glanced up at the branches. They were sturdy and entwined enough to keep the children safe and he figured that he keep them all near the ground so as not to risk a fall from any of the children, little Shin-ya especially. "I guess you can…but, you have to stay close to me, okay?"
"Hai!" the four of them replied, little Shin-ya gurgling his assent.
"Hmm…Kit-chan, Ana-chan, you'll need to be careful of your kimonos…I don't want your mothers to be mad at me for your dirtied kimonos," he frowned at both Ana and Kitsune.
"Hai, don't worry Kenji-niisan, we won't get them dirty," the both replied at the same time.
Kenji was doubtful of their answer and made himself promise that he would be keeping a sharp eye on where the two children moved. "All right, Rin, can you climb trees?"
"Hai!" Rin replied, raking a hand through his short cropped black hair and started to climb the tree.
"Okay, I'm going to pick you up, Kit-chan," he jumped to the ground and hoisted the small girl up, setting her up on a branch that was close to the trunk. "You too Ana-chan," he also picked the other girl up and set her a bit away from Kitsune in case they started to bicker.
"Pick up! Pick up!" Shin-ya called from his sitting position and Kenji smiled slightly then picked him up and held him by one hand on his back. He pulled himself up to a fairly low branch and then glanced around at the children who all were happy that they were in the tree.
"Now what?" he asked them.
"We play ninja!" Rin declared.
"No!" was the fast response from Kitsune, "we play doctor!"
"Ninja!" Ana shouted back at Kitsune, quick to defend her older brother.
"Maa maa, minna," Kenji tried to calm everyone down, "we can play both ninja and doctor in the tree. Rin and Ana can be the ninja and Kitsune can be the doctor that takes care of them if they get injured, okay?"
"I'm not treating that tanuki!" Kitsune sniffed and Kenji felt like bashing his head against something. He knew that it was a bad idea to put the two of them together…
"Fine then! Who cares about you! I won't stand to protect you when the bad guys come and attack!" Ana replied then turned around and started to fiddle with her miniature daggers.
"Oro…"
* * *
They continued their mock playing, Kenji letting little Kitsune check out his bandaged hand as she poked gently, giving her assessment. He figured that she was going to be like her mother when she grew up, but her temperament was just like her father, hotheaded and impulsive.
Meanwhile, both Rin and Ana were pretending that they were on a mission and scaled across the branches, making the tree their headquarters. Once or twice, they leapt from the tree, a safe distance to the ground and ran around the yard, pretending that they were sneaking around. Kenji noticed that both Aoshi and Sanosuke, sitting by the porch were watching them and quietly talking with each other…except for a time where Sano suddenly burst out vehemently then quieted down.
He didn't know what the two men were talking about, but had a vague feeling that it was something to do with the children. Every time the two siblings leapt from their tree and came back, Kenji had to carry Ana back up to a branch and she seemed to like it every time. He had a suspicious feeling that Ana had developed an attachment to him…much like Kitsune had too.
Iori came over after an exhausting practice and barely climbed the first two branches of the tree before collapsing against it, letting his shinai drop to the ground as he leaned back against a curving branch. It was also then that Yahiko came to get his son and Kenji was grateful to have Shin-ya off of his arm as it had fallen asleep a long time ago from carrying the four-year-old's heavy weight.
"Ahh…" Iori smiled slightly, letting the cool summer breeze ruffle his short dark brown hair, "so…what's new Kenji-kun?"
"Nothing," Kenji shrugged then gave his best friend an apprising look, "you look like-"
"Ah, no swearing Kenji," Iori warned, opening his eyes and grinning at him, "there are little kids around."
Rin had climbed a bit higher, but not too high to endanger himself and was pretending to communicate to the other ninjas they so called had around the whole dojo. Kitsune had busied herself by picking some of the sakura blossoms that had not fallen yet and was examining them, making her own remarks on their properties of medicine. Ana was sharpening her daggers, why did Misao or Aoshi let their youngest daughter wield those dangerous things anyhow, while casting a glare at Kitsune.
"I know…but you still do look like you know what," Kenji shook his head, "but I guess you're improving…"
"Guess? Of course I'm improving…" Iori chuckled, "you're not trying to get me into a match are you, Kenji?"
"Who me?" he asked innocently.
"You know that you've always been beaten by Yahiko-sensei every time you fought him. Looks like the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu isn't working," though Iori was older than he was by at least three years, he still acted a bit younger than he was, yet his mind-set was wiser…maybe an offshoot that he was partially a pacifist.
"It does work!" Kenji cried out indignantly, "I just…don't know what happened…"
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Iori waved him off and Kenji frowned.
"Oh shut up," he folded his arms and pouted slightly.
"So, how's the arm?" his friend asked him, pointing to the bandaged one.
"Fine…hurts from time to time. I never got burned before so this is completely new," he shrugged.
"You know that underneath the bandage it's going to leave a scar, right?" Iori pointed to the white gauze that had covered where he had gotten a deep cut underneath his left eye.
"Yeah…but I don't really mind," he brushed his bandaged scar for a minute, feeling a flash of pain before it subsided. Did he really mind the scar…or…was it something else that somehow got him totally staring in to space.
"DINNER!" Chizuru's voice suddenly bellowed from the front porch, startling Sano who jumped slightly.
Kenji and Iori laughed at the funny scene, watching as Chizuru, smiled sweetly down at Sano and apologized then walked back in with Sano still rubbing his ear.
"Dinner! Dinner!" the three children in the tree suddenly perked up and Rin and Ana leapt from the tree and landed to the ground then took off running. Ana caught up with her father and attached herself to his right leg.
"Kenji-chan, can you help me get down?" Kitsune looked a bit stuck and Kenji hopped out of the tree before lifting Kitsune down. She promptly gave him a hasty thank-you before running to her father and demanded to be picked up in a hug.
There was a rustle of leaves and then Iori landed with a soft thump behind him. "Come on Kenji, let's go. I'm starving!" He ran ahead of him and Kenji followed at a slower pace.
Suddenly he stopped and turned around, looking at the sakura tree, "Whoever you are…come out now."
There was no reply from the tree, when suddenly something flashed by Kenji and buried itself on the ground next to his foot. He sensed that whoever was in the tree had left and knelt down on the ground and picked up a small shuriken, a folded note attached to it. Opening it up, he scanned its contents and frowned.
Kenji Himura,
We've been watching you for a long time. It is time for you to meet us. Remember the Akabeko? I was the one that did this… Please meet me at the fishing river tomorrow at the time where you caught your fishes.
The letter had no signature, but Kenji was suspicious. He took both the shuriken and letter and placed it inside a pocket on the inner fold of his gi and went inside. If this person was the one who bombed the Akabeko, then he would have to meet him. But, as he sat down next to his mother for dinner, why didn't this person contact Yahiko or issue a challenge to him? Why him? What did he have to do with it?
* * *
After a wonderful dinner, which was slightly crowded around the table with the advent of so many guests, the evening was starting to fall and everyone retreated to the outdoors to wait for the fireworks that were supposed to be set off in celebration of the three days of the Summer Festival. Kenji had kept quiet about the shuriken and letter and now sat on the roof of the Dojo, unconsciously playing with the shuriken that had been thrown to the ground next to him. His sakabatou lay next to him, his left hand resting on top of it.
The view was certainly breathtaking from the top of the Dojo, as he could see the nightlife of everything around Tokyo. The glittering oil lamps that surrounded the streets provided a colorful myriad of colors to the other shops that were open late. Though many people were worried about what had happened in the morning, it seemed that they tried to not let it faze them at all…which was a good thing, in Kenji opinion.
He let out a soft sigh and then glanced up at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling in the far distance. He had read the science books about the stars and had learned that they weren't just Gods up in the sky, but they were balls of hot gases and light, each one of them millions of miles away. It was something very hard to believe, but now that he looked at the stars, the research the foreigners had done seemed to make some sense.
"Kenji-chan?" Chizuru's voice was soft as there was scrambling of tiles behind him and he turned slightly to see her in a pretty green kimono, the artful white sakura blossoms decorated throughout.
"Chi-chan," he greeted as she sat down next to him, letting her feet stretch out to his ankle length. He quickly hid the shuriken in the folds of his gi and noticed that she had a wrapped package in her hands…the same package she had been carrying into the Dojo in the afternoon. "What is that?" he asked, pointing to the package.
"For you, Kenji," she handed him the package and he stared at it then stared at her.
"Uh…" he started before she shushed him up.
"Just open it baka," she laughed lightly at his confused expression.
Okay…he thought to himself as he took off the wrapping then held up the present. It was a new gi, his favorite green color too. "Sugoi…" he breathed as he put the gi down and saw that she had also gotten him another white hakama, a complete outfit to say the least.
"I knew you liked green and dark blue, so I brought you two gi and one hakama," she giggled and beneath the hakama was another dark blue gi and his eyes widened as he looked wildly at Chizuru.
"No way…I mean…I can't accept this…this must have cost you-"
"I saw what happened to your gi this morning. So…think of this as a replacement for it…and a thank you for inviting me to dinner," she smiled at him and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
She looked so beautiful with the half-moon shining on her face…like an angel… He felt like kissing her, but…something made him stop and instead he pulled her closer to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.
"Arigatou goziamasu Chizuru," he whispered to her just as the fireworks started.
* * *
Sanosuke watched the whole scene between Kenji and Chizuru from his place at the stairs of the main building. He cheered silently as the two of them looked at each other and was hoping that they kiss when instead Kenji pulled her closer. Ah! Kenji no baka! You're supposed to kiss her dammit! He mentally yelled at the boy, shaking a mental fist at him.
Megumi must have noticed his expression as she placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "Sano…let them be…"
"But, but…" Sano spluttered as he turned to face his wife, the fireworks lighting her face into different shades, "the kid should know…"
"Sanosuke, leave them alone," Megumi said again and Sano sighed, pulling his wife closer to him.
"All right, all right," he agreed reluctantly, "but before we head back to Aizu, I'm giving the kid some pointers."
"Oh?" Megumi arched an eyebrow and Sano could swear that he saw her fox ears pop up, "and what pointers would those be?"
"Eh…" he was hesitant to tell his wife who those pointers would be as she would probably end up throttling him to the moon…or perform an operation on him without his consent. "You know…pointers like…making the first move?"
"Making the first move?" Megumi's voice was rising higher with each word, "my…I wonder what that could be…"
"Oh…Foxy…quit it…" he managed to get out as he stared at his wife like she was a rabid wolf or something.
"Quit what?" her voice had gone low and she leaned against his chest, one finger tracing his bearded jaw line.
Sano grinned and happily obliged his wife with a deep, lingering kiss. "I'm not quitting anything…" he said in between the kisses.
"Okaasan! Okaasan!" Kitsune bounded straight into Sano, interrupting their private moment. Sano tried to repress a heavy sigh and was half successful, but shut up as soon as Megumi gave him a warning glare not to get frustrated.
"What is it, Kit-chan?" Megumi asked, ruffling her daughter's spiky hair.
"Lookie at fireworks!" Kitsune pointed up to the sky, which was full of colors and small booms as the fireworks showed their color then a small boom, followed afterwards.
"Yes, I know…they're very pretty, Kit-chan," Megumi replied and Sano smiled at his daughter then glanced behind him to see Tae talking with Kaoru.
He half expected Kenshin to be next to her when he shook his head and remembered that Kenshin had died three years ago. It was still hard for him to think that his best friend was dead…and realized that it was probably even harder for Kaoru to accept the fact. Especially since Kenshin always sat next to her during each year's Summer Festival. The first Summer Festival that Kenshin had not been at Kaoru's side was the year that he had come home from the Sino-Japanese War…and it was also the day that the festival was to start… He remembered that he had taken a short trip to China to meet with the friends he had made there, and saw Kenshin, staring out at the sun, unmoving, and no memory. He had tried to heal his best friend for the trip home…and now… Sano shook his head, wiping those terrible and sad memories away.
He decided to see if Kaoru was all right as she seemed to be a cheerful mood throughout the day, but some of the cheer had been slightly forced, he could tell. Glancing to see that his wife was occupied with Kitsune by telling her about the different fireworks, he got up and walked quietly over to where the two women sat. Tae saw him approaching and nodded then quietly got up and walked to where Megumi was sitting.
Taking the seat the Tae had left for him, Sano sat down next to Kaoru and stared at the sky for a few minutes, not really knowing what to say.
"I'm all right, if you wanted to ask, Sanosuke," Kaoru suddenly spoke in a quiet voice. "I do miss Kenshin…but…I know that he has moved on to a better life…"
"Jo-chan," he sighed heavily, "I'm here for you…okay?"
"Thank you Sano," she replied in a soft voice, "I always know that you're here for me. But…right now…so is Kenshin."
Sano looked at her like she was crazy. What did she mean that Kenshin was here for her? He was about to ask her what she meant when he suddenly saw a slight glow around Kaoru and moved back a bit. What the hell? As the faint glow continued, a form that was all too familiar began to take shape around Kaoru. The faint glowing form had his arms wrapped around Kaoru's neck in a gentle way and he was kneeling behind her, resting his chin on top of her head. His blue gi billowed slightly in an unseen wind that Sano didn't feel.
Oddly enough, he didn't carry a sakabatou, instead his eyes were a peaceful gentle violet and he had a small smile on his face. The cross scar on his cheek was very faint, but Sano could still see it through the person's thin glow.
"Kenshin?" he whispered, rubbing his eyes, as he couldn't believe he saw the ghostly form of his long dead best friend.
The ghostly figure turned to him and Sano's eyes widened as he saw a smile appear on his face. Ahh!! There is no way I can be seeing this…he's…he's supposed to be dead! Holy shit! I'm going crazy if I can see dead people! Maybe I should say that I see dead people…he tried to scream out loud if there was any possible way…but he was mesmerized by Kenshin's ghostly figure as it tilted his head.
'I'm sorry Sano…for scaring you like this…'a voice seemed to speak inside his head and Sano shook his violently. Shit, I have got to lay off the sake…
'No…it's not the sake Sanosuke…it is me…well…a form of me…'the voice that sounded eerily like Kenshin continued in his head and Sano wearily looked up to see the ghostly form laughing silently… Laughing like Kenshin would…
"So it's really you…Kenshin?" he whispered out loud and the ghostly figure nodded then placed a hand on Kaoru's shoulder.
'I'm sorry that I scared you like that, that I am sorry for…but…I was always here…' Kenshin smiled at Kaoru and Sano relaxed slightly.
"Why did you die, Kenshin? We were supposed to grow old together…" he perfectly knew the reason why Kenshin died…but…he still couldn't accept it. "If I had known that when you performed the Mitsurugi Ougi to cause all of this, then I wouldn't have let you do it…" he muttered mostly to himself.
'I did it because I had to save Kaoru…I knew what was happening even before Megumi-dono told me,' Kenshin's expression didn't change as he mentally said all this.
"Sano…" Kaoru suddenly spoke up, startling him, "don't blame Kenshin…he knew."
"Jo-chan…" Sano heaved a weary sigh, "I don't blame him one bit…but…that still doesn't mean I like it."
'You were always stubborn, Sanosuke Sagara,' Kenshin seemed to fade away and Sano held out a hand.
"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked hastily.
'I'll be here…just don't worry. Even Kami needs my help once in a while,' Kenshin's mental voice seemed to fade away until the glow surrounding Kaoru was gone and Sano sat back.
"Kami needs you? Damn Kenshin…that's either the lamest excuse or hell…it can't be true…" he rubbed his chin then glanced at Kaoru who had a bemused expression on her face. "Oi, Jo-chan…what are you laughing about?"
"Nothing, Sano," Kaoru replied, laughing lightly, "but…I am surprised. This is the first time Kenshin has ever revealed his form to anyone else but me…"
"Oi, you have got to be kidding me," Sano shook his head one more time before getting up and stretching slightly. "If you need anyone to talk to, I'll be here, Jo-chan."
* * *
It was very late at night, well past midnight Kenji suspected as he still laid in bed, his covers over him, the noises of the night muffled. An occasional soft snore from the other occupant in his room was all the noise the he heard. He sat up and glanced at his roommate, Iori, who normally lived here for a part of the year in a separate room, that had bunked with him for tonight since they needed some extra rooms for the guests that were over.
Careful, as not to wake Iori up, Kenji slipped out of his futon and grabbed his sakabatou, tightening the belt to his yukata as he slipped out of his room. He paused for a second, listening to the sounds of sleeping people and quietly padded to the kitchen, wincing slightly as his sore back reminded him of his ungraceful way to get off the roof of the Dojo. When the fireworks display had ended, he had finally realized that he had climbed the roof…and he didn't know how to get down. Chizuru did him a favor, or what she called a favor, by pushing him off the room and he landed flat on his back…his eyes swirling dizzily.
Once in the kitchen he looked around and suddenly spotted it. The vase with the two flowers inside. Taking the white plum blossom out of the water he set the vase back down and smiled at the iris that seemed to glow at night.
Moving out of the kitchen, Kenji quietly slipped out of the house and headed to the side yard where the koi pond was. Passing the koi pond his pace slowed as he approached the grave that was his father's.
Kneeling before the grave, he placed the flower across the dirt underneath the marble tombstone that marked where he was buried. Sitting back on his haunches, he stared at the tombstone for a minute before closing his eyes.
Otousan…I hope you're well wherever you are. Okaasan and the others are fine…they're here today for the Summer Festival. I brought you a white plum blossom because Shisho told me how much you loved them, even if I don't know the reason. I think if I ask okaasan the reason, it'll hurt her so I won't ask. I probably won't know the real reason why you love white plums, but if it makes okaasan happy, then I will get it.
Besides, they smell very nice…almost like the hint of spring and winter that is leaving for summer. Anyways, I've been studying hard…you know…about those books I told you last year? Well, Katsu-san and I have been talking about it. Oh right…you don't know Katsu-san. Well…there's not much to talk about, about Katsu-san except for the fact that he knows a lot about explosives for some odd reason. He seems very quiet when his past is concerned and I don't think prying would do any good.
I remember that when I was younger…I used to hate you. Looking back on that…heh…it seems to be distant and I realized that I was pretty childish. I guess it's somewhere in your history that you decided to become a Rurouni… Well, I'm not the one to ask about that part, but sometimes, some of the stories okaasan and her friends tell, it seems so incomplete, like I'm getting half the picture here.
Anyways, I'm rambling now…and I'm sure that wherever you are, Gods be with you… Oh yeah…Chizuru Raikouji says a hello…I think I love her…but that will have to be seen…
Finishing his little chat with his father, Kenji opened his eyes and once more stared at the grave. He felt a single tear fall from his eye and realized that he had been so selfish and foolish to be so angry with his father for such a long time. Sighing softly, he got up and brushed his yukata off, then turned around and was about to take one step back when a breeze blew up, ruffling his long red hair.
He closed his eyes against the breeze, feeling it's cool touch on him. Suddenly he felt as if a hand was resting on his shoulder and snapped open his eyes and whirled around. No one was there, but the hand felt oddly familiar…
Looking down at his father's grave he swore that he saw a faint glowing hand reach out and held the white plum blossom a few centimeters high before the hand faded away and the blossom fell to the ground once more. Otousan…he blinked in amazement then glanced up to see a star winking at him. A smile formed on his lips and he grinned at the winking star.
* * *