Tanuki To Ryuu
Well, this is it! The finale of the fight between Ayane of the Elite
and Kamiya Kaoru! Haven't got a lot of response on it yet, but hoping
that'll change! Oh, and I gotta thank my biggest fan, Aru, who made me
a flash animation for my website(We all need fans sometimes, just ask
Watsuki-sensei!). Haven't been working on my rants as of late because
I think I touched my biggest pet peeves in fanfiction so far. Anyways,
people, please do try to chat with me! C&C as always!
Chapter 10- The Next Ally
Ayane shifted her naginata into both her hands and held it high
in position to slice Kaoru vertically. "It doesn't matter what
technique you use, because after this strike it will be over," Ayane
muttered in a rough voice.
"But you're having trouble breathing," Kaoru observed. "Can
you honestly put all your strength into it?"
"I put all my strength into everything I do," Ayane stated. "I
will NOT LOSE TO YOU!" she screamed as she charged and made a gigantic
swing at Kaoru. Kaoru rolled to the left and went for her target.
The blade of Ayane's naginata dug into the ground at the bottom of the
swing and tore through the earth as Ayane swung to her right in her
effort to kill Kaoru.
"I told you that I CANNOT DIE YET!" Kaoru screamed as she got
into range for her attack and kneeled down. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu,
Tsuka no Genden - Nibai Hiza Hishigi!" Kaoru called out as she forced
the full length of her bokken against both of Ayane's knees. Ayane
stumbled back as Kaoru lept out of Ayane's reach.
"You BITCH! What did you do?" Ayane shouted as she used her
naginata to keep herself upright. Kaoru surveyed her opponent and
decided the battle was over and lowered her bokken and relaxed her
stance.
"I'm impressed your kneecaps didn't break, but even then, the
Tsuka no Genden has made it difficult to stand," Kaoru answered. "I
doubt you'll be able to move for the rest of the day. Give up Ayane.
I no longer wish to harm you,"
"I can't give up! If I give up, that means this era won!" Ayane
screamed in defiance.
"Do you think no one suffered in the old era?" Kaoru asked
Ayane. "Your family died regardless of who won in the bakamatsu, and
the shogunate were just as greedy as today's politicians. Nothing
really changed yet in this era, Ayane, and nothing ever will if all you
try to do is destroy," Kaoru stepped forward towards Ayane, "I wield
this sword style in the hopes of stopping the destruction. It may seem
like a childish hope, but its how I choose to live in this new era. A
sword does not care of the gender of its wielder,"
"I have no hopes left," Ayane said in sorrow as she lowered her
head. "I lost so much in life that I doubt there is purpose in my life
anymore but to destroy,"
"That's not true!" Kaoru said. "There is always something to
protect! You must have faith in the lives of everyone around you,"
Kaoru put her bokken down and held a hand out to Ayane. "Here, we can
treat your wounds,"
"Even after I tried to kill you, you offer me kindness?" Ayane
asked in confusion as she felt dizzy yet again and collapsed,
unconscious.
"ALRIGHT, KAORU!" Yahiko shouted as he ran to his instructor.
"She's not dead is she?" Yahiki asked as he poked Ayane's unconscious
body with his shinai.
"Stop that, Yahiko!" Kaoru shouted. "She may have been rude,
but she's still a lady! Yutaro, go get the medicine chest from the
house!"
"Right away, Kamiya-sensei!" Yutaro answered as he ran into the
house.
"It was a good fight, Kaoru," Kenshin said as he walked towards
Kaoru with a look of deep thought on his face, "but there are matters we
should discuss. Lets take Ayane-dono into the dojo and tend to her
injuries," Kenshin picked up the unconscious woman and Kaoru grabbed
Ayane's naginata and they carried both into the dojo.
***
Kaoru was wrapping bandages around Ayane's knees and treated
several other bruises on the woman's body as Kenshin, Yahiko, and Yutaro
sat at the other side of the dojo. "So Kenshin, what are these matters
you wished to discuss?" Kaoru asked.
"It was the name that Ayane said in battle, Tonno Akutsa,"
Kenshin answered. "I know who he is,"
"What?" Yahiko shouted in surprise. "How do you know this
man?!"
"And what's his reason to attack Kamiya-sensei?" Yutaro added.
Kenshin took a long sigh, then continued.
"I never said he was a friend of mine," Kenshin replied, "merely
that I knew him. He was in the Shinsengumi Second Troop. We crossed
swords many times in the Bakamatsu, but I hardly believe his skill is
anywhere near mine, then or now. Tonno Akutsa relied heavily on the
numbers of the Shinsengumi to defend himself and the strength of his
Captain, Saito Hajime, thus we never dueled for over a second,"
Kenshin shook his head in disdain. "From what Ayane stated, I believe
Tonno Akutsa's goal is to bring back the shogunate and create a new
Shinsengumi,"
"But what does that have to do with ME?" Kaoru asked. "I mean,
what does a woman kenjutsu instructor have to do with the shogunate?"
"It's a common belief of samurai that a woman can never be
allowed to touch a katana, Kaoru," Kenshin reminded her. "He possibly
sees you as the biggest representation against the old ways.
Regardless, if he tries to bring back the shogunate, the Meiji era will
be thrown into chaos again and many more like us will suffer,"
"Suffer, huh?" Ayane said as she sat up with effort. "People
like me as well, then. I don't want any other girl to go through life
like I did," Ayane admitted to herself.
"Then that is your truth, Ayane-dono," Kenshin stated.
***
Kenshin tried to send the boys home but they refused. "Are you
sure we can trust her?" Yutaro asked Kenshin outside the dojo. "She
tried to kill Kamiya-sensei!"
"Cat-eyes has a point," Yahiko said. "She seems ok now, but it
might be a ruse!"
"Yahiko, do you remember how I met Sanosuke?" Kenshin said with
a smile. "Besides, Ayane would never get a chance to hurt Kaoru with
me here. You two better get some rest and come back tomorrow for your
lessons,"
"Alright, Kenshin," Yahiko answered. "Come on, Yutaro, we
better head home,"
"Was Sanosuke that guy that tied me to the tree with his
headbands?" Yutaro asked as he walked away from the dojo's gates with
Yahiko.
"Yup! He tried to kill Kenshin when they first met, and
Sanosuke was using a Zambato, one handed!" Yahiko replied.
"Impossible! No man's that strong!"
***
"Lord Akutsa," a man said as he bowed to the sitting figure,
"Ayane has not returned in over 3 hours. I suspect she's been defeated
and captured,"
"Alert the men to move out. We must assume Ayane told the
Battousai details of our plan. She had much more information than
Akiro or the Five Shadows did. We cannot afford having the Battousai
attack us yet," Tonno Akutsa said as he stood up and slid his daisho
into his belt.
"My lord," a dark, bald figure said from the shadows behind
Akutsa, "I believe you are approaching the problem incorrectly,"
"Explain what you mean, Shuro," Lord Akutsa asked without
turning his head.
"Very simply, if the Battousai is to come here, you should leave
me behind to kill him," Shuro the staffed priest answered. "I have
been very anxious to see how my sorcery would do against the Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu,"
"You can assure it?" Lord Akutsa asked.
"I nearly killed you when we first met, didn't I?" Shura
answered with an evil gleam in his eyes. "Sealing his Hiten Misturugi
Ryuu shall be extremely easy, and without Hiten Misturugi Ryuu, the
Battousai is but a frail man,"
***
Kaoru brought Ayane a futon and some blankets. "Its not much,
but it should keep you warm for the night," Kaoru said as she set the
beddings down next to Ayane. "What is it?" Kaoru asked as she saw how
Ayane was looking at her.
"I saw those scars on your back," Ayane said meekly. "They
were from Akiro, right? He bragged about causing them," Ayane closed
her eyes and shook her head. "It is wrong to cause another's
suffering, isn't it?"
"I believe so, Ayane," Kaoru answered. "But don't let my views
influence yours. Everyone has pain in life, Ayane, but there's not
always a target to lash out against. I'm no more responsible for
building an era than you are. Listen," Kaoru said sat down on her
heels, "why don't we continue this conversation tomorrow?
"I'd like that, Kamiya-san," Ayane answered with a smile.
"Just call me Kaoru. Whenever I hear Kamiya-san, I look behind
me to see if my father's there," Kaoru said with a grin. "Well,
goodnight," Kaoru said over her shoulder as she stood up and started to
walk out of the dojo.
"No, wait!" Ayane shouted. "Send the Battousai in. There's
something I have to tell him about Tonno Akutsa,"
***
Kaoru changed out of her now ruined kenjutsu outfit and quickly
put on her sleeping kimono. She undid her ponytail and let her hair
fall over her shoulders, then started to braid it like she usually did
for bed. Kenshin slid the door open and stepped inside Kaoru's room
wearing his sleeping kimono as well. "Almost ready for bed, Kaoru?"
Kenshin asked.
"Yeah. Hey, what did Ayane tell you?" Kaoru asked.
"Just where to find Tonno Akutsa. His second headquarters
seems to be an abandoned shrine deep in the forest south of here,"
Kenshin answered. "Its too late in the day to attack his base now, so
its best to wait until morning. I think Ayane wishes to stay for a
while in order to sort out her life,"
"That's fine," Kaoru answered, "as long as she doesn't try to
kill me again,"
"I doubt she has the will to take another life after the speech
you gave her," Kenshin pointed out. "Her life is full of troubles and
she never had the time to decide for herself what her truth should be,"
Kenshin laid his sakabato on the ground next to his futon. "Goodnight
Kaoru," Kenshin said as he slipped under his blanket and tried to get
some rest on his back.
***
"I'm going alone," Kenshin said the next morning to Kaoru, who
was dressed in another set of her kenjutsu clothes.
"Why? We can get the police to come, or get Aoshi and Misao.
It'll take only a day for them to get here," Kaoru said, worried. "Or
even just me! I hate to think of what might happen if you went alone!"
"I'm not going to fight," Kenshin answered. "I'm going to talk
to him. I'll be back in an hour. I'll be fine," Kenshin said as he
smiled and patted Kaoru on the shoulder. He then turned around and
walked south towards his destination.
"You better be fine, Kenshin," Kaoru said in frustration and
fear. She walked into the dojo and decided to resume her discussion
with Ayane. "Awake yet?" she asked as she slid the door open. She
saw Ayane out of bed with her naginata as a crutch.
"Yeah," Ayane said. "The way you yell when you disagree with
the Battousai can wake anyone up," Kaoru frowned at Ayane.
"He's not 'the Battousai' anymore, Ayane, and he doesn't like
being addressed as 'the Battousai' either. He prefers 'Kenshin',"
Kaoru said. "Your knees still giving you trouble?"
"A little, yeah, but I think they'll be better by the end of the
day," Ayane answered. "Need help cooking breakfast?"
"Sure!"
***
Kenshin walked into the large abandoned shrine and saw it was
recently well-kept, but abandoned. Even then, he could sense an
evasive presense he could not quite pinpoint. Kenshin took a deep
breath and shouted, "Whoever's there, show yourself! Is it you, Tonno
Akutsa?"
A blur moved in and struck Kenshin on his saya with enough force
to push Kenshin into one of the shrine's walls. Kenshin steadied his
feet and looked at the man who hit him and saw a monk dressed in black
with a black wooden bo-staff. Kenshin's eyes narrowed and he realized
he couldn't sense any of his attacker's ki, as if the spot the man
occupied was void.
"If you wish to hurt me, you need physical strength which
exceeds Sanosuke!" Kenshin shouted as he reached for the hilt of his
sakabato and tried to draw his sword. After a swift tug, Kenshin was
astonished that his sword wouldn't budge from its sheath. "What the
hell?" Kenshin muttered to himself.
"That's right, Battousai!" the dark monk Shuro shouted in glee.
"My dark arts have sealed your blade, thus I have sealed your Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu! Against me, you have no chance to survive!"
"Restricting my blade doesn't make me helpless," Kenshin
answered as he assumed a strange fighting stance. "Try to kill me if
you can,"
***
That's Chapter 10! What tricks does this Shuro the Dark Monk have?
What tricks does Kenshin have in store for him? Can I ever stop
talking like a Radio announcer? That reminds me! I'm starting a
Jinchuu Arc Radioplay project! Those interested to do voices, please
e-mail me at bcarver@cowtown.net!
Well, this is it! The finale of the fight between Ayane of the Elite
and Kamiya Kaoru! Haven't got a lot of response on it yet, but hoping
that'll change! Oh, and I gotta thank my biggest fan, Aru, who made me
a flash animation for my website(We all need fans sometimes, just ask
Watsuki-sensei!). Haven't been working on my rants as of late because
I think I touched my biggest pet peeves in fanfiction so far. Anyways,
people, please do try to chat with me! C&C as always!
Chapter 10- The Next Ally
Ayane shifted her naginata into both her hands and held it high
in position to slice Kaoru vertically. "It doesn't matter what
technique you use, because after this strike it will be over," Ayane
muttered in a rough voice.
"But you're having trouble breathing," Kaoru observed. "Can
you honestly put all your strength into it?"
"I put all my strength into everything I do," Ayane stated. "I
will NOT LOSE TO YOU!" she screamed as she charged and made a gigantic
swing at Kaoru. Kaoru rolled to the left and went for her target.
The blade of Ayane's naginata dug into the ground at the bottom of the
swing and tore through the earth as Ayane swung to her right in her
effort to kill Kaoru.
"I told you that I CANNOT DIE YET!" Kaoru screamed as she got
into range for her attack and kneeled down. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu,
Tsuka no Genden - Nibai Hiza Hishigi!" Kaoru called out as she forced
the full length of her bokken against both of Ayane's knees. Ayane
stumbled back as Kaoru lept out of Ayane's reach.
"You BITCH! What did you do?" Ayane shouted as she used her
naginata to keep herself upright. Kaoru surveyed her opponent and
decided the battle was over and lowered her bokken and relaxed her
stance.
"I'm impressed your kneecaps didn't break, but even then, the
Tsuka no Genden has made it difficult to stand," Kaoru answered. "I
doubt you'll be able to move for the rest of the day. Give up Ayane.
I no longer wish to harm you,"
"I can't give up! If I give up, that means this era won!" Ayane
screamed in defiance.
"Do you think no one suffered in the old era?" Kaoru asked
Ayane. "Your family died regardless of who won in the bakamatsu, and
the shogunate were just as greedy as today's politicians. Nothing
really changed yet in this era, Ayane, and nothing ever will if all you
try to do is destroy," Kaoru stepped forward towards Ayane, "I wield
this sword style in the hopes of stopping the destruction. It may seem
like a childish hope, but its how I choose to live in this new era. A
sword does not care of the gender of its wielder,"
"I have no hopes left," Ayane said in sorrow as she lowered her
head. "I lost so much in life that I doubt there is purpose in my life
anymore but to destroy,"
"That's not true!" Kaoru said. "There is always something to
protect! You must have faith in the lives of everyone around you,"
Kaoru put her bokken down and held a hand out to Ayane. "Here, we can
treat your wounds,"
"Even after I tried to kill you, you offer me kindness?" Ayane
asked in confusion as she felt dizzy yet again and collapsed,
unconscious.
"ALRIGHT, KAORU!" Yahiko shouted as he ran to his instructor.
"She's not dead is she?" Yahiki asked as he poked Ayane's unconscious
body with his shinai.
"Stop that, Yahiko!" Kaoru shouted. "She may have been rude,
but she's still a lady! Yutaro, go get the medicine chest from the
house!"
"Right away, Kamiya-sensei!" Yutaro answered as he ran into the
house.
"It was a good fight, Kaoru," Kenshin said as he walked towards
Kaoru with a look of deep thought on his face, "but there are matters we
should discuss. Lets take Ayane-dono into the dojo and tend to her
injuries," Kenshin picked up the unconscious woman and Kaoru grabbed
Ayane's naginata and they carried both into the dojo.
***
Kaoru was wrapping bandages around Ayane's knees and treated
several other bruises on the woman's body as Kenshin, Yahiko, and Yutaro
sat at the other side of the dojo. "So Kenshin, what are these matters
you wished to discuss?" Kaoru asked.
"It was the name that Ayane said in battle, Tonno Akutsa,"
Kenshin answered. "I know who he is,"
"What?" Yahiko shouted in surprise. "How do you know this
man?!"
"And what's his reason to attack Kamiya-sensei?" Yutaro added.
Kenshin took a long sigh, then continued.
"I never said he was a friend of mine," Kenshin replied, "merely
that I knew him. He was in the Shinsengumi Second Troop. We crossed
swords many times in the Bakamatsu, but I hardly believe his skill is
anywhere near mine, then or now. Tonno Akutsa relied heavily on the
numbers of the Shinsengumi to defend himself and the strength of his
Captain, Saito Hajime, thus we never dueled for over a second,"
Kenshin shook his head in disdain. "From what Ayane stated, I believe
Tonno Akutsa's goal is to bring back the shogunate and create a new
Shinsengumi,"
"But what does that have to do with ME?" Kaoru asked. "I mean,
what does a woman kenjutsu instructor have to do with the shogunate?"
"It's a common belief of samurai that a woman can never be
allowed to touch a katana, Kaoru," Kenshin reminded her. "He possibly
sees you as the biggest representation against the old ways.
Regardless, if he tries to bring back the shogunate, the Meiji era will
be thrown into chaos again and many more like us will suffer,"
"Suffer, huh?" Ayane said as she sat up with effort. "People
like me as well, then. I don't want any other girl to go through life
like I did," Ayane admitted to herself.
"Then that is your truth, Ayane-dono," Kenshin stated.
***
Kenshin tried to send the boys home but they refused. "Are you
sure we can trust her?" Yutaro asked Kenshin outside the dojo. "She
tried to kill Kamiya-sensei!"
"Cat-eyes has a point," Yahiko said. "She seems ok now, but it
might be a ruse!"
"Yahiko, do you remember how I met Sanosuke?" Kenshin said with
a smile. "Besides, Ayane would never get a chance to hurt Kaoru with
me here. You two better get some rest and come back tomorrow for your
lessons,"
"Alright, Kenshin," Yahiko answered. "Come on, Yutaro, we
better head home,"
"Was Sanosuke that guy that tied me to the tree with his
headbands?" Yutaro asked as he walked away from the dojo's gates with
Yahiko.
"Yup! He tried to kill Kenshin when they first met, and
Sanosuke was using a Zambato, one handed!" Yahiko replied.
"Impossible! No man's that strong!"
***
"Lord Akutsa," a man said as he bowed to the sitting figure,
"Ayane has not returned in over 3 hours. I suspect she's been defeated
and captured,"
"Alert the men to move out. We must assume Ayane told the
Battousai details of our plan. She had much more information than
Akiro or the Five Shadows did. We cannot afford having the Battousai
attack us yet," Tonno Akutsa said as he stood up and slid his daisho
into his belt.
"My lord," a dark, bald figure said from the shadows behind
Akutsa, "I believe you are approaching the problem incorrectly,"
"Explain what you mean, Shuro," Lord Akutsa asked without
turning his head.
"Very simply, if the Battousai is to come here, you should leave
me behind to kill him," Shuro the staffed priest answered. "I have
been very anxious to see how my sorcery would do against the Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu,"
"You can assure it?" Lord Akutsa asked.
"I nearly killed you when we first met, didn't I?" Shura
answered with an evil gleam in his eyes. "Sealing his Hiten Misturugi
Ryuu shall be extremely easy, and without Hiten Misturugi Ryuu, the
Battousai is but a frail man,"
***
Kaoru brought Ayane a futon and some blankets. "Its not much,
but it should keep you warm for the night," Kaoru said as she set the
beddings down next to Ayane. "What is it?" Kaoru asked as she saw how
Ayane was looking at her.
"I saw those scars on your back," Ayane said meekly. "They
were from Akiro, right? He bragged about causing them," Ayane closed
her eyes and shook her head. "It is wrong to cause another's
suffering, isn't it?"
"I believe so, Ayane," Kaoru answered. "But don't let my views
influence yours. Everyone has pain in life, Ayane, but there's not
always a target to lash out against. I'm no more responsible for
building an era than you are. Listen," Kaoru said sat down on her
heels, "why don't we continue this conversation tomorrow?
"I'd like that, Kamiya-san," Ayane answered with a smile.
"Just call me Kaoru. Whenever I hear Kamiya-san, I look behind
me to see if my father's there," Kaoru said with a grin. "Well,
goodnight," Kaoru said over her shoulder as she stood up and started to
walk out of the dojo.
"No, wait!" Ayane shouted. "Send the Battousai in. There's
something I have to tell him about Tonno Akutsa,"
***
Kaoru changed out of her now ruined kenjutsu outfit and quickly
put on her sleeping kimono. She undid her ponytail and let her hair
fall over her shoulders, then started to braid it like she usually did
for bed. Kenshin slid the door open and stepped inside Kaoru's room
wearing his sleeping kimono as well. "Almost ready for bed, Kaoru?"
Kenshin asked.
"Yeah. Hey, what did Ayane tell you?" Kaoru asked.
"Just where to find Tonno Akutsa. His second headquarters
seems to be an abandoned shrine deep in the forest south of here,"
Kenshin answered. "Its too late in the day to attack his base now, so
its best to wait until morning. I think Ayane wishes to stay for a
while in order to sort out her life,"
"That's fine," Kaoru answered, "as long as she doesn't try to
kill me again,"
"I doubt she has the will to take another life after the speech
you gave her," Kenshin pointed out. "Her life is full of troubles and
she never had the time to decide for herself what her truth should be,"
Kenshin laid his sakabato on the ground next to his futon. "Goodnight
Kaoru," Kenshin said as he slipped under his blanket and tried to get
some rest on his back.
***
"I'm going alone," Kenshin said the next morning to Kaoru, who
was dressed in another set of her kenjutsu clothes.
"Why? We can get the police to come, or get Aoshi and Misao.
It'll take only a day for them to get here," Kaoru said, worried. "Or
even just me! I hate to think of what might happen if you went alone!"
"I'm not going to fight," Kenshin answered. "I'm going to talk
to him. I'll be back in an hour. I'll be fine," Kenshin said as he
smiled and patted Kaoru on the shoulder. He then turned around and
walked south towards his destination.
"You better be fine, Kenshin," Kaoru said in frustration and
fear. She walked into the dojo and decided to resume her discussion
with Ayane. "Awake yet?" she asked as she slid the door open. She
saw Ayane out of bed with her naginata as a crutch.
"Yeah," Ayane said. "The way you yell when you disagree with
the Battousai can wake anyone up," Kaoru frowned at Ayane.
"He's not 'the Battousai' anymore, Ayane, and he doesn't like
being addressed as 'the Battousai' either. He prefers 'Kenshin',"
Kaoru said. "Your knees still giving you trouble?"
"A little, yeah, but I think they'll be better by the end of the
day," Ayane answered. "Need help cooking breakfast?"
"Sure!"
***
Kenshin walked into the large abandoned shrine and saw it was
recently well-kept, but abandoned. Even then, he could sense an
evasive presense he could not quite pinpoint. Kenshin took a deep
breath and shouted, "Whoever's there, show yourself! Is it you, Tonno
Akutsa?"
A blur moved in and struck Kenshin on his saya with enough force
to push Kenshin into one of the shrine's walls. Kenshin steadied his
feet and looked at the man who hit him and saw a monk dressed in black
with a black wooden bo-staff. Kenshin's eyes narrowed and he realized
he couldn't sense any of his attacker's ki, as if the spot the man
occupied was void.
"If you wish to hurt me, you need physical strength which
exceeds Sanosuke!" Kenshin shouted as he reached for the hilt of his
sakabato and tried to draw his sword. After a swift tug, Kenshin was
astonished that his sword wouldn't budge from its sheath. "What the
hell?" Kenshin muttered to himself.
"That's right, Battousai!" the dark monk Shuro shouted in glee.
"My dark arts have sealed your blade, thus I have sealed your Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu! Against me, you have no chance to survive!"
"Restricting my blade doesn't make me helpless," Kenshin
answered as he assumed a strange fighting stance. "Try to kill me if
you can,"
***
That's Chapter 10! What tricks does this Shuro the Dark Monk have?
What tricks does Kenshin have in store for him? Can I ever stop
talking like a Radio announcer? That reminds me! I'm starting a
Jinchuu Arc Radioplay project! Those interested to do voices, please
e-mail me at bcarver@cowtown.net!