Hitokiri, Okami, and Meokami

By Daimyo Shi [e-mail author here.]

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shuiesha, Sony Music Entertainment, and associated parties. The characters of this series are used without his permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.
Please be gentle. Comments are greatly appreciated!!!



Chapter Two: The Wolf and the Hitokiri

I began to learn Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Over the next few months I learned a lot about Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and the Ishin shishi work in Kyoto. I spent a lot of time practising Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and occasionally running message between Ishin shishi groups or other allies. Himura-sensei had become quite impressed with my abilities in kenjutsu.

I was practising in the court yard in inn's courtyard, it was quickly cooling of from the hot summer day as the sun set in the west. A frantic Shinata came in, "Shiba-san, have you seen Himura-sama?"

"No I haven't I thought he was on a mission?"

"The Shinsengumi have set a trap for him they found out who he was supposed to attack tonight."

I broke off and sheathed my Katana as I began to run.

"Wait where are you going?" asked Shinata

I left him behind, I knew the route that Himura-sensei would take if I was fast enough I could maybe help him, or avenge him, I swatted away such comments, he couldn't be killed by the Shinsengumi, I would get there in time, I assured myself. I recalled that earlier in the day we had discussed it and a couple days before we had gone and seen the intersection where the attack was likely to take place. I had joked about putting an archer in the tall tree that faced the intersection. Since Hojo was going to have guard carrying lanterns I though it would be easy to kill him that way. Kenshin had laugh at the suggestion and scolded me for being a coward jokingly.

I turned down an alley and saw a Shinsengumi member, with his back to me. My katana was half out before he noticed me. It didn't matter, My Katana came free singing a song of death as it cut through his neck His head crashed loudly against the wall, his body slumped to the floor and his katana clattered to the ground. I flicked the blood from my katana and the blood flew across the wall. My katana clean I sheathed it back into its saya. I hadn't even stopped running. I turned the corner nearing where I though Himura would be and I could hear the clash of blades. I turned the corner and saw a living Himura. He was surrounded by the bodies of five Shinsengumi members which had died at his hands. At the end of the street stood ten other Shinsengumi members. Two of the stood out from the rest, while I only knew of them from descriptions given to me by Himura, Okita Souji, the First Group Guard Captain and Saitou Hajime, the Third Group Guard Captain. I could feel them, with out seeing them I could feel their battle aura and that of my sensei. Okita began to draw his sword, and Saitou muttered something to him, that caused him to re-sheath his Katana. Saitou draws his own blade, and said "Are you ready Hitokiri Battousai".

A single word comes from my Sensei's lips "come."

Saitou charges Himura their katana meet and sing as they connect. Their fight is like a fine artistic dance, the clashing of their katana provide the song for the dance. They slash, thrust and parry almost fast than the eye can follow. I stood fascinated by the clash of steel, but then Okita noticed me, so my eyes shifted to him. Saitou and Himura's duel prevented me and Okita from engaging but I could tell that he wanted to fight me and to be truthful I wanted to fight him, or at least try and fight a Shinsengumi Guard group Captain. I heard footsteps from behind me, lots of them. From behind me Shinata and the large group of Ishin shishi supporters appeared. Apparently Shinata had found some Ishin shishi members, nearly 20 and come to help us. Saitou and Himura separated.

"Another time, Battousai." said Saitou withdrawing.

The Shinsengumi, now outnumbered withdrew. The Ishin shishi didn't follow after them.

"Are you alright Himura-sama?" asked Shinata.

"Hai, Shinata-sama." replied Himura.

"Should we pursue them?" asked Taro our newest member, with a touch of irony he was at least four years older then Himura and two older than myself.

"No, there maybe more of them around, we had the advantage now but that could change if the can quickly gather another group or two." said Shinata, Himura nodded in agreement.

"Shiba-san, you came alone, why?"asked Himura

"you are my sensei, I had to come." I said with a slight smile. I choked back the words help you, since that what I came to do.

"We will have talk about this later." said Himura.

The group broke up and Himura, Taka, and myself made are way carefully to the inn. Taka seemed a little disappointed, I guess he wanted to fight. Himura and I went to have a bath, he need one since he was covered in blood. We washed and then entered the tub warm as always, my left arm was a little sore, I didn't know how but I think I strained it.

Himura broke the silence by asking "Shiba-san why did you come to aid me since you knew that it was likely that I was outnumbered. You could have die with me."

"Himura-sensei, you are my sensei, why would I not come and help you. The odds are not important, I have a duty to help my sensei. . . . I don't have anyone else." I said.

"But you have so much to live for, the new Japan will need men like you. I not worth risking your life for."

"I am not here, because of a new Japan, while I understand why Japan needs to modernize and maybe even westernize and still a samurai, that means I have loyalty to my Daimyo, to my clan, to my family, and to my emperor. Himura-san doesn't it strike you odd that we look so much alike, regardless of our similarities I have no family anyway and yet at times we act like brothers, though some where along the line we switched so you are the elder brother."

"Well I guess we do look a lot alike other than the hair, I always wondered why I have red hair. But I not you daimyo, I am only been your sensei because you need one in a hurry and I knew that your talent would allow you to quickly learn enough to keep you alive. I don't want to see you die, you are the future of Japan, I am just a Hitokiri."

"Himura-san, you are being foolish, you are no less a part of the new Japan than I. We share ideals, and we shall need to put forth those ideals, less Japan replaces on form of tyranny for another. You are not just a Hitokiri, you are the flame that chases away the darkness. While others may run the Ishin shishi, you are the one that pulls the despair from the hearts of the Ishin shishi members, remember that time a couple weeks ago when Taka, Taro, Nihiko, Dakari, and I were caught surrounded by the fifth guard group? We didn't think we live to see the next day since their was twelve of them? Taka, Nihiko and I were wounded, the situation looked inauspicious, in fact we though we would be dead. And then you appeared in the distance, the odds seemed so much less. We lashed out our hearts fired with hope and the Shinsengumi fell and fled that day. Don't underestimate your importance."

"But the Ishin shishi need you, it them you serve isn't it."

"No, I serve my sen. . . Daimyo, Himura-sama, you serve the Ishin shishi."

"ORO?" exclaimed Himura "What? ..... Me, why don't you follow the Ishin shishi ideas?"

"I have no objections to them, but I serve you not them, let me make that clear, I owe you everything, apart from my luck fighting that day we met everything else I know and have in Kyoto come from you. I am a samurai, I have but one Daimyo, and I owe that Daimyo, you, my undying loyalty. It is my duty, and duty is one of the parts of Bushido. I am a Samurai Duty, Honour, Valour, Compassion, are my ideals, my code. Take away my Daisho, take away my Class, make me plow fields, dig in mines, even make bury the dead, a samurai I will remain nothing can change that. The world might change, it might end, but I will remain a samurai."

"There will be a new Japan, and I don't think that samurai will be apart of that."

"Maybe not as a class, or as leaders of society but there will always be those that follow the code of Bushido even when there is no war. There will always be weak to defend and protect."

"Perhaps . . ." muttered Himura

"Trust me Himura-toma it is true." I remark