Disclaimer: RK is not mine, blah, blah.
Note: This fic is AU and begins from the end of the Seissou Hen, and involves elements of established fantasy genres.
Twin Dragons on A Lonely FieldAs the sun slowly descended upon Tokyo, Sano yawned, waking from his little afternoon nap. The Shanghai trip had tired him out a bit, but he was perfectly fine now. He blearily looked around, expecting to find his companion of old beside him. "Oi, Kenshin…" He turned to find that the redhead had disappeared from sight. He shrugged and stood up, stretching his arms then turning around to find him. He walked around the dojo, to hear the sounds of Yahiko practicing in the dojo, with Kaoru watching on her successor with a smile on her face. To her side, Kenji looked on his mother with wonder and amazement at her returned youth.
Sano scratched the back of his head in bewilderment, surprised that Kenshin wasn't here. He stepped into the dojo, while Yahiko continued on performing his swings and drills. A look of seriousness was on his face, a look Sano noted that he hadn't seen since the battle with Enishi. He idly wondered where that poor kid was. He knew what it was like to have lost someone dear, to a certain extent, at such an age. He thankfully had Kenshin to get him through that stage, and wondered if Enishi had someone like Kenshin too.
He wandered over to plop down beside Kaoru. "Oi, Jou-chan, where's Kenshin?"
Kaoru replied to him, although she still kept her eyes on Kenji with a smile on her face. "Yahiko said Kenshin left. He'd be back later on in the afternoon with Junzo-san."
Sano pursed his lips and leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. "Tch. I wonder where he went." He blinked, looking at the ceiling in thought. A thought was at the back of his head, a funny feeling he couldn't get rid off. He shook his head, and looked to the side at Kenji. The young boy looked like Kenshin, no doubt. Sano could just picture that scar…no. He also had Jou-chan's look in him, in the eyes, and some facial features. "So, you're Kenji. You look a lot like Kenshin you know?"
The boy looked up, only now noticing Sanosuke. He suppressed a wince at the man's words, but the slight action didn't get past Sano's gaze. What's this?
"Ah, sorry Sano." Kaoru apologized. She motioned for Kenji to sit in from of them, so he'd sit facing both his mother and Sano. Once he'd done so, she began. "Kenji, I'd like to you to meet Sagara Sanosuke. He's a really old friend of ours, back when your Tousan and I wasn't married yet."
Kenji nodded, the expression on his face decidedly neutral. "Nice to meet you, Sagara-san."
Sano's face contorted in discomfort. "Ah, just Sano, kid. Don't use that Sagara-san stuff."
Kenji nodded again, the expression on his face softening. "Hai, Mr…ah, Sano."
Kaoru looked pleased at their greetings, and watched on after a while as they started up a conversation. It was just then that Kaoru noticed something with her son, something that seemed to be missing. She waited for a break in the conversation before interrupting. "Ah, pardon me."
Sano shrugged, letting Kaoru speak. She shot him a look of thanks, than turned to look at Kenji. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, you seemed to be enjoying it. But I have a question, Kenji-kun." He looked at her blankly, again reminding Sano of Kenshin. "Where's your fa—ah, your sakabatou?"
Kenji smiled and turned around to point at Yahiko, who was up to this point still furiously training himself with intenste drills, and practicing fighting against an imaginary opponent. "Ah, Yahiko borrowed it. He said he needed it for something, and that he'd return it to me later." At this point the funny feeling that lay at the back of Sano's head grew more intense. Kenji frowned at the shihondai. "Yahiko-kun?" The serious demeanor on the other's face did not break, and he seemed to be phased out.
Before Kenji could call out again, Sano stopped him, a glint in his eye. "Let me." He smiled and cleared his throat.
"YAHIKO-CHAN!"
Sano instantly found himself with one lump on his head and a steaming Yahiko standing beside him. "Lay off the 'chan' stuff, chicken."
"Ah, Yahiko-kun?" Kenji spoke, and this time he heard it.
"Hai? What is it, Kenji?"
"Ano…I was wondering, where my sakabatou was?"
Yahiko tensed up a bit, but managed to conceal that and walked back to the dojo floor's center. "Oh, I'll return it to you later. I found out I didn't need it right now."
A shadow rose up behind Yahiko, who found himself get lifted off the floor by the back of his gi. "Oi, Yahiko. You're setting a bad example for the younger one. Don't lie to us, I can tell." He winced and dropped the youth, when Yahiko kicked his shin.
He brushed himself, and gave Sano a glare. "I'm not lying, so don't bother me with your stupidity."
"Yahiko-kun, have you seen Kenshin? I haven't seen him around the house since he was talking with Sano." Kaoru interjected before the current vagabond could retort.
"Iie, I haven't."
It was at this point that everything seemed to fall into place for Sano. He'd learned to notice the way people spoke during his years of traveling, one of the many skills he'd acquired over the time, aside developing his combative abilities. He'd sensed the slight tightness to Yahiko's voice. That, coupled with Kenji's question about the sakabatou, and Sano's conversation with Kenshin a few hours ago gave him all the evidence he needed to fuel his sudden suspicions.
"Wait, don't tell me, you're going to go get your sakabatou back from Kenji and Yahiko and take up Hitten Mitsururi Ryuu once more to banish some maniac?"
"Yes, that's right."
A feeling of coldness caressed Sano's skin, and his throat tightened. He suddenly he was holding Yahiko's bokken firmly in his hand, preventing the younger man from using it. "You gave the sakabatou to Kenshin, didn't you." Sano's voice almost sounded haunted as he spoke. Yahiko glared at Sano, as behind them Kaoru gasped, raising a hand to her face to cover her mouth. Beside her the teenage Kenji frowned, in an expression that both mixed confusion and amazement. Yahiko pulled away from Sano, his eyes flashing at Sano's. "Why?" Yahiko straightened, matching the glare in Sanosuke's eyes with one just as fierce from his own. Sano almost flinched at this. He's changed. No, not changed…grown.
"He asked for it. I helped him, that's it." Yahiko calmly replied, any tremor or strain in his voice gone.
Sano stepped forward, hands clenched at his sides. Kaoru stood, a protective hand warding off Kenji, who had already stood up at sensing the suddenly tense atmosphere. "Where is he?" As Yahiko's mouth began to move, Sano rushed forward startling everyone but Yahiko, who had seen the tell-tale signs of a man about to spring forward. He did not react however, not that he could have done too much to avoid Sano pulling him towards himself by grasping his gi.
Kaoru's eyes widened when she saw this, causing her to pause and gape in shock at her friend's actions. Yahiko shook his head. "I don't know. Put me down, Sano."
Kaoru snapped out of it, hearing the words of reason coming from Yahiko. Amazing, she thought, and would have likely made fun of Yahiko out of it, but didn't in this situation. Sano grit his teeth in frustration, not at Yahiko, but at Kenshin's idioticy. His arms trembled at the chance of losing his friend, whom he'd just returned and met now. In Japan, his home. He slowly let the shihondai down, who tossed aside the bokken.
"Kenshin knew that you would try to interfere, Sanosuke." Yahiko spoke softly. "That;s why he asked me to stay here, to offer a semblance of normalcy. To delay you all."
"Who is it?" Sano asked tersely.
"Junzo. Mizushin Junzo." Sano quickly turned around to look at Kaoru. "I didn't think…that he'd fight Kenshin. I thought…I thought." She dropped to her knees, Kenji rushing to support his mother, with a flash of anger flickering in his eyes.
Sano cursed silently, remember Kenshin speaking to him. Junzo. He should have suspected something about the man. No one was that good, coming in and helping Kenshin and Kaoru, without any sort of payment at all. He should have known that age and that debilitating sickness had dulled Kenshin's senses far enough that the ex-rurouni ex-hitokiri wouldn't sense much about Junzo.
"If you want to find out where Kenshin is, we'll have to move. Fast." The words broke Sano's train of thought. "I was with Junzo this morning, Yahiko was out searching for Kenji. He was asking me for an open space where he could meditate." Kaoru looked away, outside. "I think that is where they are right now."
Sano nodded, a grim smile on his lips. "When we get there…"
"You'll not interfere with them, unless Kenshin really needs help. Trust him, Sanosuke." Yahiko cut in.
The taller man shrugged. "Fine."
The pair moved out of the dojo and reached the gate when they realized something. They still didn't know where Kenshin was. The pair spun around to find Kaoru and Kenji following them briskly. "At the riverside. Where Gohei tricked you, Yahiko-kun. We'll follow. Go." The pair nodded their thanks and sped off once again, a trail of dust the sign of their passage. Kaoru and her son followed behind them, at the fastest pace Kaoru could handle.
"Mmm…very nice indeed. I have to say, Miss Namoto, the Akabeko still remains one of my favored dining places here in Tokyo."
Tae smiled pleasantly, basking in the praise this man showered upon her. "Arigatou, good sir." She looked at him from a different angle, tilting her head a bit. "Pardon me, but you look very familiar to me…"
"Tae, Tae. I thought you said you had paperwork to do?" A refined masculine voice called out. The owner of the Akabeko restaurant turned to flash a smile at her husband, Kaede.
"Oh, Kae-san. I was finished with today's already, so I decided to help out here. It is such a busy day today."
Kaede chuckled at her words. "My dear wife, it is always busy here at the Akabeko. But don't worry, I'm not going to say anything. I know you still like to be hands on." He stepped up beside her and raised a hand to caress her cheek. "Its what first attracted me to you, remember?" She blushed at the touch and his words, despite for being married for quite some time already. A muffled cough distracted the couple, causing Kaede to smile sheepishly at the customer Tae was just talking too. "I'm sorry, officer. Well, I'll let you enjoy your meal now." The two then turned and walked off, disappearing in the back. The uniformed man barely blinked and looked back down, picking up his chopsticks and eating once more.
He let himself savor the meal's warmth and taste. The spiciness was exactly as he remembered, from long time ago. He was half-done with his meal when a shadow eclipsed the light and casted a dark shape across his table. He looked up to see his subordinate walk to take a seat across him, on the other side of the table. He glanced down at his food, and decided that he'd had enough for now, despite the fact that he was enjoying this meal quite a lot. He reached into his pocket for his payment as he asked his subordinate about his task.
The other officer nodded in answer silently. This caused the senior officer to raise an eyebrow. Normally the man was quite noisy, but it was a peculiarity that was quite welcome at the moment. "Let's leave then." The two stood up and left, with the senior officer leaving his payment on the tabletop.
"Where are they?"
"By the river, boss. An old fight location."
"Mmm…figures. Let's go."
The two walked down the street briskly, their stride taking them quickly down the pathway, and in a few moments that had reached the outer areas of Tokyo. The sun slowly began to set, and a flash of red light the sky as they drew closer to the field. Far behind them, Tae had managed to escape the grasp of her husband for the meantime, and walked back to the table where the officer had been sitting down. She noted with a touch of disappointment to find he had left, though he'd paid. She asked for someone to clean it up, as another pair of people arrived and made their way for the table. A waitress quickly cleaned it up and took from the table a teacup and the single bowl of cooling kake-soba.
Kyoto.
It was once the center of the storm of chaos that was the Bakumatsu. Once upon a time, blood had rained here and drenched the streets. Once. It would not happen again. Not under the watch of those who were once the shadow guards of Edo, the Oniwabanshuu. To the people of Kyoto, they were peacekeepers, or vigilantes. Few really knew who they were though. No one would suspect them of being the jovial people that worked at the Aioya, one of the city's smaller, but premier inns and restaurants. The afternoon sun blazed like a red orb of fire that hovered just beyond reach of her hands. From a small balcony of the Aioya's third floor, Misao looked out at the sun, admiring its beauty. A word escaped her lips then. "Kirei…"
A soft voice emanated from the person standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her in an embrace. "Not as much as you."
The words seemed out of place when coming from Aoshi, and would have sounded like that to anyone who knew him ten years ago. It had taken…time, before he'd softened, and turned those ice blue eyes into something that reminded Misao more of the calm, placid power of the sea. It was almost the same, but a different side of the coin nonetheless. "Misao…"
She turned around in his arms to shush him by placing her fingers upon his lips. "I know…when do you leave?"
"Tommorow."
"Ah, I see." She looked up at him. "How long?"
He looked back down at her, his hand dancing through her hair. "I do not know."
She sighed, and leaned against him, her head lying against his chest. "You will—"
"—come back. Of course. I cannot leave you. Besides, you also have our child to take care of." He nodded down at her.
She shifted in his arms. "I wish I could go with you. Like in old times."
"Don't worry about me." He was getting uncomfortable with the situation, having to leave her. But, it wouldn't be long. Not for her anyway. But this conversation wasn't making anything easier for him. He needed to stop it, so the pain of parting would be less. Knowing Misao, there were few things he could do to stop her from discussing it. Good thing he knew how. He tipped her head up at him, and gazed into her eyes. "I'm planning on spending our time together tonight well."
A giggle escaped her lips as she smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips, silencing the sound immediately.
Sanosuke silently cursed his redheaded friend, confused at what would make the former-rurouni accept a fight. Even if it was a price for healing Kenshin himself, he'd thought that the man wouldn't allow Kaoru the pain of her anata possibly getting killed in a fight that if he won, would likely just set him back on the path to getting sick again. No, wait. Sano recalled the look an Kaoru's face. She's been healed too. If Kaoru was healed, then yes. Most definitely Kenshin would risk this match and risk getting sick again. Not that he would even win though. That thought caused Sanosuke to wince. Kenshin was theoretically the most skilled swordsman alive, if he was at top condition. However, Sano knew that despite his recent recovery, age and lack of practice would have a great toll on Kenshin's fighting ability. "Are you sure we're heading to the right place, Yahiko?" Sanosuke managed to say, despite their running hard to where Kaoru said Kenshin and Junzo might be at.
"Of course! I should know!"
"I hope so…" Sanosuke shot at the younger man.
"I KNOW SO!" Yahiko glared back at his running partner. The pair increased their pace nonetheless, and ran along the riverbank. The sunlight above faded slowly, the crimson rays screened by the nearby trees. "There!" Yahiko yelled, raising a hand to point out two figures in the distance. They skid to a halt by the riverside, just in time to see both Kenshin and Junzo lunge at each other. From their battoujutsu stances.
"Kenshin!" Sano yelled, but his voice was lost in the clash of blades.
The pair stood half a dozen paces apart, both blades out and raised in the aftermath of the twin attacks. They stayed like that for a moment, before relaxing and turning around to face each other. Kenshin could see Sano and Yahiko arrive, and nodded in acknowledgement to both of them. Sano frowned and took a few step forward, followed by Yahiko, at which Kenshin shook his head, stopping them. Junzo noted all this, letting his opponent deal with them for now, retaining a smile on his lips. Once he noticed that Kenshin's attention was once more turned back to him Junzo raised his head a notch.
"It's good to see that your battoujutsu is still quick enough."
Kenshin nodded, smiling faintly. "Even after all these years, my body cannot forget it easily."
Junzo shrugged. "I suppose so." He shifted his stance then, into one that seemed vaguely familiar to Kenshin. "Let's keep going. I have to fight you 'till you get your 'body memory' to work fully once more."
Kenshin chuckled, and shifted position once more, knowing that both fighter had not gotten particularly serious as of yet, despite the momentary look of seriousness that Junzo had just before they began their fight. "Aa…so you will. I assure you though, you will not have to wait long."
"Don't hold back!" In an instant the gap between them closed, as Junzo attacked in a one-hand swing.
"I won't." He murmured under his breath as he blocked Junzo's blow. The pair began trading attack after another, the flash of blade dancing over the field in sparks as they connected with each other in rapid succession. Both figures began moving faster and faster, Kenshin recovering his former fighting ability as the fight went on, Junzo matching his foe's speed as he waited for the man to reach his peak. While Kenshin's body started to grow weary from the battle, though it wasn't particularly fierce, he also began to sense a feeling he'd missed. The state of fighting was in a peculiar way comforting. He hated killing still, of course, but the fight in itself was a different matter. Almost like a sport of sort.
Sano and Yahiko had closed despite Kenshin's look telling them of his previous command to Yahiko, with the younger watching the fight in amazement. "He's been out of it for, almost a decade now, but he's managing to hold his own against Junzo-san."
"Iie. That other man, Junzo, is holding back. He's letting Kenshin warm-up, I think." Sano shook his head "But this makes no sense…" He muttered, as he saw the two continue to clash. "Why lure Kenshin out if he was just going to spar with him or something? I mean, it's the same, both are just using sakabatou…"
"What? Sakabatou?" Yahiko asked surprisedly.
"Hai. Sakabatou." Sanosuke answered evenly. He nodded towards the pair, who had paused after exchanging another set of attacks. "That guy is using a sakabatou as well."
"Demo, he was using a katana that other day…" Yahiko spoke, trailing off at the end in confusion.
"Nani? Katana?"
Junzo spun around, the half-smile ever present on his lips. "You're getting into this, Himura. You're moving faster and faster, getting more powerful."
Kenshin shrugged. "I'm getting back into the flow of things." He shifted his sword's position. "But I wish to end this as soon as possible. I need to learn this ki-ascension technique, and you said I have to defeat you to get it right? I do not want Kaoru to be troubled by me again, by getting sick because of Hitten Mitsurugi-Ryuu like before." He lowered his stance, his eyes sharpening. "I'm ready now."
Junzo nodded. "All right then. I'll stop playing as well. I hope I did not insult you."
As the younger swordsman turned and sheathed his blade, Kenshin shook his head ever so slightly. "Hardly…" In his mind, the former rurouni could detect the suppressed power that this swordsman had. After the initial minutes of combat, Kenshin had managed to regain the full grasp of his combat senses, most importantly his ability sense his opponent's ki balances, and therefore be able to use his own fighting ability to react much faster than any other fighter. He closed his eyes, as he focused himself.
"Is it over?"
Both Sanosuke and Yahiko turned around to see Kaoru and Kenji run up beside them. Both seemed somewhat winded from the run, with Kenji less so. They all turned around to look at the two fighter on the field. "Did Kenshin win?"
"Iie…the fight's just starting, jou-chan." Sanosuke noted forlornly.
Kaoru nodded, and turned from Sano to Kenshin. Can Kenshin make it?
Yahiko crossed his arms. It's been quite some time for him. Can he do it still?
Sanosuke closed his eyes in thought. Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki?
Junzo dropped his sakabatou on the boulder, and took up his katana. He turned to face Kenshin with a sad smile on his lips as he fixed the sword and saya to his obi. "Tell me, Himura." He took a step forward, the look in his eyes changing, the silver on white eyes flashing dangerously. "How was it like to be Hitokiri Battousai?"
"Nani…?" Kenshin frowned, taking a step back, sensing the man's ki flare dangerously. What happened? Its like he's a different person completely!
Junzo took another step forward, his hand lying steady on the hilt of his katana. "Have you ever failed a mission? A hit? A target to be killed?"
Kenshin frowned, realizing finally what happened. He was tricked, and very successfully, by this man who called himself Junzo. He was sent to kill him. But who would wish me dead? Now? More than twenty years after the Bakumatsu? It makes no sense!
"Why, Junzo? Is that even your name?" Kenshin spoke, shaking his head. By this time Sanosuke had figured out what happened, and took a step forward, his fists up.
"Oi, Kenshin! Let me take him on, you're out of shape and old you know!?!" He yelled behind Kenshin, waving a fist in the air.
"Oro…" Kenshin snapped out of it, and shook his head at Sano. "Iie, Sanosuke. This is something I'll deal with. However, if I'm losing…well, you know." He flashed a smile at the taller man to the side, then turned his gaze back to Junzo.
"Spirited friend you have. A fighter too, mmm? Good, good." Junzo shrugged. "My name is Junzo, Himura. True to say, I'd expected the battousai to look more formidable. However, the calm in your eyes tells me all that I need to know. You are indeed him. My former captain wasn't wrong after all."
Kenshin's eyes narrowed into slits. Former Captain? That doesn't sound good… He felt himself shudder, sensing the presence of two other people closing. Not particularly hostile, but strong nonetheless. And one was uncannily familiar… Kenshin, snap out of this! You stop phasing out NOW! He blinked, the rush of all his senses returning having disoriented him for a while. He was only now getting his ken-ki sense reined in and focused, along with the rest of his refined senses. He looked at Junzo, who was calmly staring back at him.
"You need not worry about me stabbing you in the back, you know. I've got self-honor, and I don't want to waste this opportunity by killing you while you're distracted." Junzo looked at him coldly. At that moment the man tilted his head to the side. "It seems company is coming soon."
What? Its too far yet to see anyone. Could he have the ability to sense ki as well? He may. He looks like a formidable swordsman as well. His air is so familiar…what could it be? Kenshin coughed softly as a gust of wind traversed the field. "Well?"
Junzo chuckled icily. "Yes. Time to stop playing." Both men looked straight at each other, with Kenshin sheathing his blade. Junzo unsheathed his blade, surprising Kenshin a bit, who'd thought that he'd use battoujutsu as his starting attack. Kenshin lowered his stance, eyeing Junzo who stood still with his blade in his left hand.
Wait, left hand! That's…!
A cold shiver ran up the spine of Sanosuke, Yahiko and Kaoru as they watched on with eyes wide open at Junzo's reply to Kenshin's battoujutsu stance. The younger fighter turned on his side, his right leg leading and pulling back his left arm, his blade edge upward. Junzo smiled, a predatory grin on his face that reminded Kenshin of his greatest rival so many years ago, during the chaos of the Bakumatsu. The grin faded quickly however, once Junzo saw the look on Kenshin's face. "Time to test your skill!" Junzo pulled back his arm and dashed forward in a lightning fast and powerful single-handed lunge.
Gatotsu!
Glossary:
Once again, nothing particularly complicated here, if you're a RK fan. ^_^
Thanks/End Notes:
Uh…I guess you don't get to see his techniques just yet. -_-; Gomen, gomen. I promise you will in the next one though! If anyone cares…hehe
Jason M. Lee, do recall Junzo's little gift. You may yet be seeing some people coming along that you won't think may still be around. Besides, age works very slowly on Hiko. He hardly changed from the OVA when Kenshin was young 'till the Kyoto Arc, you know? O_o
Arashi I'll be sure to take in your tips in the coming chapters. I'm not a good psychological meddler though, I'm more of the fighting type.
Mika-chan did you know that Watsuki-sensei didn't really intend to kill Kenshin in the Seissouhen? If he did, he'd have done it in the manga. I found that somewhere…I'll try dig it up again, neh?
Shadow Chaser Kenji is going to be a semi-major character here, though I'm having a difficult time putting the kid into it. He's only around 12, and well, I'm going to be sending Kenshin and Co. to…ah, well, just wait for it.^_^ Nyahahaha…this little reply just gave me an idea though. I'm really glad you deigned to put this in your Favorites list though!
Thanks for the reviews, minna!