I don't own … much of anything, really. Especially not something like an anime.
____
BLADE OF THE PAST
Return to the Dojo
Kenshin paused at the end of the street, watching Sano. The tall man was pacing back and forth in the street, scaring random passersby with his angry demeanor and incessant mumbles of curses. Kenshin sighed, braced himself, and stepped out of the shadows and into the street.
Sano's head whipped around nearly instantly, spotting him as soon as the fading light of the sunset caught Kenshin's hair. He frowned, clenching his hands into fists and stalking straight for Kenshin. The swordsman took a step back.
"Is there something the matter, Sano?" he asked, keeping his voice steady and trying not to seem worried by the very angry and therefore very violent body of Sano approaching him.
"Damn right there's something the matter." Sano stopped merely a foot away from Kenshin, staring down at him and using his height to intimidate Kenshin further.
Kenshin held his hands up and took another step back. "Sano, did I forget something? Was I supposed to pick something up at the market for dinner?" Kenshin tried to think back to when he'd left the dojo this morning and remember if Miss Kaoru had told him anything.
"Kenshin, did you ever rape anyone?"
The way Sano just blurted it out, the pain Kenshin saw in his eyes, Kenshin knew that this somehow related to something very big. He immediately took on an air of seriousness, leaving the joyful and comedic wandering somewhere else for the time being.
"No, Sano. I am no rapist. I have done many terrible things in my past, but I never took part in such things." Kenshin hoped Sano would believe him, for he had no proof.
"What about whores?"
Kenshin blinked. It was common for many of the samurai to … work off … their frustrations … brought on by fighting by visiting a brothel. Kenshin had personally avoided such events. Having a woman for nothing more than mere physical pleasure just seemed empty to him.
"No," he finally answered. "I didn't partake in such … things."
"Lots of warriors did," Sano pointed out.
"I won't deny having stayed the night in such places, but I've never used all of their services. Sano, what is going on?" Kenshin couldn't keep it bottled up anymore. And Sano was doing nothing but making him more and more curious as to what had transpired while he'd been absent from the dojo.
Sano heaved a relieved sigh. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Kenshin. I really am. I was worried there for a while, well with…well, now that you've said that you haven't done it, then I believe you."
"Sano?"
"Come inside, Kenshin. There's something you should see." Sano led the way through the gates, oblivious to the fact that those few words he'd just uttered sent Kenshin's senses into overdrive.
Was there something wrong in the dojo? What did Sano want him to see? Kenshin's hand rested lightly on his hilt as he walked through the gate, searching every inch of the ground, shadows, and rooftops for an intruder. He found evidence of no disturbance, but what else could have had Sano so worried earlier? How could those questions he'd answered have put Sano at ease? It simply didn't make sense.
The lights in the main house of the dojo were lit, leaving the training area and shed beyond dark and deserted. Kenshin hopped onto the porch and walked along the length of the building to the doorway, still inspecting every rustle of a leaf and every movement of shadow.
Voices could be heard from inside the lit part of the house. He recognized Miss Kaoru's voice and Dr. Gensai's. He heard the girls Ayame and Suzame as their high-pitched laughter added to the group. Yahiko was there too, yelling at them and obviously the source of the current entertainment. But there was another voice in the mix – one that Kenshin didn't recognize.
He slowed as he came closer to the sliding door of the main room, Sano waiting behind him. With a steady hand, he pushed the door aside.
Miss Kaoru was on the floor, Ayame in her lap. Dr. Gensai was across the table from her, with Yahiko at the side closest to the door. Across from him, another boy sat with Suzame curled up next to him, her small hand fisted in the gi he'd borrowed from Yahiko.
The gi was slightly too big, hanging off of his shoulder and not tying correctly. His feet were folded neatly under him, and his back was straight – a direct contrast to Yahiko's normal sitting style. The boy's dark red colored hair was shaggy, hanging into his eyes and covering his ears.
Ruby-colored eyes widened as they stared back at Kenshin.
"Shinta," Kenshin muttered, staring with disbelief at the boy.
______
*ducks thrown objects from roommate (Mistress Maxwell)* I'M SORRY! I just had to leave you all at another cliffhanger! Anyone wonder how Kenshin knows his name? Hee hee, you'll find out soon.
And Isabelle isn't really better than Saitou, she's just in better practice than him. He's been hanging out with the police and quelling little disputes for the last year or so. She, on the other hand, has done nothing but hone her skills for the last thirteen years. And she had to be good enough to take out an entire boatload full of 250 people by herself. So she's not really better than Saitou, but they're damn close if both at their peak.