Blade of the Past

by jinakel wohess

Ghosts from Kenshin's past have yet to die and stay buried. The Kamiya dojo stumbles across a new student. This boy is intricately linked to Kenshin's bloody part in the Revolution, and he is the catalyst for the Kenshin group's future battles.

2. Stories of Samurai

I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor do I claim to.

*****

BLADE OF THE PAST

Chapter 2 – Stories of Samurai

"Uncle Ken, but tell us more of the story!"

Kaoru giggled to herself as she watched Suzame and Ayame cling to Kenshin's clothes as he moved about the yard.

"Oro?" Kenshin asked, the slight smile on his lips betraying the fact that he knew exactly what the girls were talking about.

"Uncle Ken," they protested simultaneously.  "Tell us about the story!"

Kenshin continued with the basket of laundry in his arms and two small girls attached to his legs.  If Kenshin weren't so strong, the deadweight of two small girls on his pants would have impeded his housework.  As it was, he carried on completely unhindered by his "nieces."

"What kind of story did you want to hear?" he asked, smiling as he set the basket down and began hanging clothes.

"Uncle Ken!"

Kaoru giggled again and ducked behind the convenient edge of the doorframe to avoid Kenshin's curious glance in her direction.  Things were going to get ugly soon if he didn't appease the two little girls.

"Do you mean the story about the samurai girl?" Kenshin asked, faking ignorance.

"Yes! Yes, Uncle Ken!" the girls chorused, jumping up and down.

"The girl who fought in the Revolution?" he asked, as if there were any other samurai girl stories that he'd been telling lately.

"Yes, yes!" Ayame exclaimed, very nearly knocking over Suzame.  "The one about the girl who learned how to swordfight by watching men!"

Kaoru smiled again, noticing the girls' interest in a story about an independent woman warrior.  Of course, no such woman existed in this day and age, but Kaoru was pleasantly surprised that Dr. Gensai's girls were interested in such a woman.  And she was even more surprised in Kenshin's storytelling.  She never would have guessed that the former Battousai was such an animated and involved storyteller.  He seemed to be genuinely excited in sharing some fantastical stories with the little girls.

"Uncle Ken!" Suzame began to whine again.  Kenshin laughed as he pretended not to hear her and instead grabbed another of Yahiko's gis and attached it to dry.  "Uncle Ken, Uncle Ken, Uncle Ken, Uncle Ken, Uncle..."

Suzame's chanting was cut short by Ayame's hand over her mouth.

"Where was I?" Kenshin asked, his smile possibly brighter than the sunshine that flooded through the dojo gardens.  "Ah, we got to the point where she was hired by the shogun Yamaki, that we did."