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grattitude to all who commented.
Part
4 - Promises - When the Past Catches up
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"...Shessa
sense something very wrong here."
"And
so do I!" The three immediately turned their heads to the door, ashamed that
they were so wrapped up in their conversation that they had failed to notice
the intruder.
"Anata…"
Kenshin gasped.
"And
it's fourteen weeks and five days since she was
supposed to have arrived here!" Kaoru thundered, angry that she had been left
out in the information sharing session,
"And
Sano! What the hell are you doing?!?"
"Er…cooking?"
Kaoru's face faulted.
"Yeah,
cooking! You should try his vegetable and fish stew! Oishii des!!! Oooh! And it's
highly nutritious too! Perfect for you and your…" before he could complete,
Sano unceremoniously elbowed Tsunan hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out
of his breath.
"Sa…
Sano? You…you cook??? Can cook???" pointing accusingly at him, Kaoru asked,
eyes wide in disbelief.
"Well,
occasionally," Sano replied nonchalantly, hiding the fact that he was
embarrassed being caught, "You got a problem with that, Jo-chan?"
"…Don't
believe… chicken cook … better… than…ME!" Kaoru was blinking hard, her face
paled a shade of white before seething scarlet red.
"Maa,
maa. Now, koibito, let's not get carried away, ne? Shessa think we should be
very grateful that Sano, here, has been preparing us many delicious meals,"
Kenshin interrupted, trying to calm down his menacing wife.
"But
don't tell anyone about this, okay? The last thing I want is a job offer in the
Akabeko. That'll mean I have to work my debts off and no more free lunch!" Sano
answered truthfully, not in the least bit sounding arrogant.
Convinced
that Sano wasn't scorning her, Kaoru decided to address the most pressing
matter at hand. "Where is she? Is she well?" as calm as she appeared to be, she
was actually very anxious inside.
"Aah.
She seems to be well. She's currently teaching at a preschool in Nagoya. It's
not very big, a little like this place but in a more secluded prefecture,"
Tsunan patiently explained. "If you want, I can take you there."
She
looked pleadingly at Kenshin. "Kenshin? … Please? O…ne…ga…i"
She
was using -that- miserable look on him again. It was something he can't
possibly say no to, despite the gnawing knowledge that traveling is definitely
not a good option at all for swollen-bellied ladies.
"All
right, we'll go visit her, we'll set out tomorrow evening, if that's fine with
Tsunan-san, of course," Kenshin decided reluctantly. These days, Kaoru would
not let him go anywhere far without bringing her along. And being in her
current state, she has been more possessive than ever, as Kenshin had found
out.
Tsunan
sighed inwardly. He was still exhausted from his journey, having returned only
a while ago and not yet indulged his tired self a proper rest. "Yes, that's
perfectly fine with me," he lied, not wanting to upset the distraught woman any
further. It was just not healthy for the child.
****
"No,
no. Not like that, like this. See?" she corrected a student's stroke. "Now, try
that again," she smiled, encouragingly at the sandy-haired boy.
"Uh!"
he nodded enthusiastically.
Today,
she was teaching them how to write the word 'Yakusoku', meaning promise. It was
ironic though, that if she had ever made any promise to anyone or herself in
the past, she is no longer fit to fulfill them now. She has been remembering a
lot these past few days but those short bouts of memory floods were inconsistent,
random. Her past was something unfathomable still, a massive confusion of
shrouded blur.
She
turned her attention to the resolved student. Watching the little toddler,
Misao couldn't help grinning. Somehow, this scene was almost like a
re-enactment of her past, only that she remembered the roles were reversed.
Back then, she was the student and it was him,
who ever he was, who had taught her.
She
remembered obsessing about the way his inky bangs draped across his forehead,
concealing his ice, cold adamantine eyes. And his handsome face masked all
emotions lying within him from betraying. And quiet, he was quiet. He was never
one to speak unnecessarily, unless to command or to teach. And he was tall, way
above her, unreachable. Unreachable in all sense.
The
third incense of the day was burning at half mast. It is nap time for the
students now. Gently, she coaxed her already wearied students to hang their
writings on the lines located at the sides of the room to dry. Haru-san entered
the hall with a tray of cupfuls of spring water and distributed them
accordingly to the children. They dutifully passed the cups back to the front
after greedily emptying them of their contents and then, routinely rested their
heads on the miniature tables in front of them. It did not take long before all
of them were sound asleep.
Misao
decided to take a leisurely stroll in the garden. The sun was bright, the sky,
crystal blue but the air was chilly outside, signs that autumn was forcing its
way into the season. And soon after
that, it will be winter.
-Everything changes. Even seasons. But not
me. Four months now, and I'm still a ghost of my past. Remembering disjointed
memories and feeling surges of sudden exultation and only to be fooled later by
gloomy dejection that follows - Misao thought bitterly.
She
straightened her back stiffly, as she sensed herself being watched. She could
feel the presence of strong fighting ki nearby. Only she couldn't figure how
many. She swiftly turned around to find Haru-san was about to bring her tea.
She
motioned to the elderly lady to move back. "Haru-san! Stay inside with the
children! And do not come out unless I tell you to! Hayaku!!" Misao cautioned
her. Haru-san nodded in agreement, understanding that the harshness in her
voice was actually a revelation of her protective nature towards her wards.
Misao
quickly scanned the school compound. She needed to locate herself at an
advantageous ground. There was only one of her and she couldn't risk relying on
just her speed at kunai throwing. If she gets injured, what would happen then?
Who is going to protect them?
She
reached into the sleeves of her kimono and drew out her newly polished knives.
She stood poised on the branch of a sturdy tree, camouflaged, eyes narrowing
defiantly in anticipation.
"Misao!
I bet you'd be happy to see who's here!" a deep male voice boomed. Her body
tensed at the call of that name. She remembered hearing that name countless of
times in her dreams but she doesn't recall to whom it belonged to.
They're here to kill! That
must be it! Otherwise I wouldn't sense fighting ki this strong! I must get them
before they get me! - she thought panicky, her heart pounding audibly in her ears.
They
are getting near.
She
timed her move and hurled four kunais by the unguarded gate. Her shots were
dead accurate, missing the head of the first figure only because a still
sheathed sword had intercepted their way.
She
gasped, unable to move a muscle. The speed in which the sword was raised was
astounding. God-like. Almost. Faced with a master swordsman, she knew now, that
she stood no chance in winning. A second figure rushed in, covering the woman,
whom Misao had missed, protectively. At the same time, he had immobilized her
of movements with his potently fierce ki. Obviously, he was the sword wielder.
An
X shaped scar ran down his left cheek, his hair, the color of burning sun, and
his eyes were golden hued. He was dangerous. He was angry.
Two
other trailing persons followed in but Misao's attention was focused solely on
him still. Her eyes belligerently narrowed further as recognition dawned in.
"Battosai!"
she snarled, her voice laden thick with venom.
-----------------------------------------------------
TBC
[Well, I tried... honestly... Comments would be lovely. Thanks.
Ja.]