Author's Notes: Eh... I'm really sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Has it really been over a month? O_o Thanks to those who reviewed in my absence (Sailor Purgatory, Li, mibu no ookami, etc.), I certainly appreciate it!
LadyJavert: I wish it was school keeping me from writing this (I graduated from college over 4 years ago...). Quite frankly, I just got major writer's block and was playing too many video games. ;_; I'm sorry!
Yaoi-Luvr: I'll leave AoshixSoujiro to someone else... I just don't have a feel for Soujiro's character. He will appear later in this fic though. As I may have said before, I hope to portray Misao a little differently than usual, so hopefully the AoshixMisao won't be to painful.
Disclaimer: The characters actually belong to N. Watsuki/Shueisha, etc. I am just borrowing them to amuse myself.
Italics indicate thoughts or emphasized words.
Alternate Tale of the Meiji Era, Chapter 8
by Fujimiya Maru
"What is this place?" Sano asked, peering at the sign over the door. "A dojo? Looks a little run-down, doesn't it?"
The older man glared at him, cigarette hanging lazily from his lips. "The former owner did not take very good care of it. Aesthetics are irrelevant, however." The cop slid open the dojo entrance and started into the yard.
Sanosuke took in the surroundings. The dojo was a little dilapidated, but spacious and quiet. From the inside of one of the buildings he could hear the sounds of people fighting. Curiosity piqued, he started over towards the noise, but the policeman yanked him by the back of the jacket towards the main house.
"Don't be rude, ahou, you can get the grand tour later."
"Are you taking me to the guy who'll train me?" He straightened out his jacket and tried to keep up. The other man didn't answer him, only walked around to a porch in the back.
Sitting on the porch was a man a few years older than Sanosuke, quietly sipping a cup of tea.
"Shinomori." Saitou said, flicking his smoke into the dirt.
The ninja looked up at the two men with indifferent eyes. "What do you want?" asked Aoshi.
"Hn. I brought you a new student."
Aoshi studied Sanosuke, noting that the wiry youth was in good shape but obviously a ruffian.
He turned back to his tea. "What makes you think I want a new student? Especially one like this,"
Sanosuke balked at the guy's rudeness. How dare he?
"Oi, what the hell is your problem? You don't even know how good a fighter I am!" he growled.
"Settle down, ahou," Saitou turned back to Aoshi. "You'll take him on as a student because I told you to. You work for me, remember?"
Aoshi gave a resigned sigh and put down his cup. "Fine. Is he any good?"
Ignoring a fuming Sano, the cop replied, "He's got strength and stamina, but he's an idiot. You should teach him some finesse, as well as defense."
"Hn. We'll see." said Aoshi, standing up.
Fed up with being left out of the conversation, Sano dropped into a fighting stance. "You wanna see, huh? Well come on, I'll take you on now!"
"I suggest for your own safety, you refrain. I will test you later." he regarded the young man icily.
"Whatever, I can take on someone like you any day. Let's go!" Sanosuke charged at Aoshi, fist flying.
Aoshi deftly sidestepped the attack, but noting the potential power in Sano's punch. He swiftly angled himself and brought his elbow down on the back of the brunette's neck. Sano landed in the dirt and stayed there. Aoshi turned back to the ex-Shinsengumi.
"I see why you're interested in him. Given the right training, he could be useful." Saitou merely shrugged in reply, eyeing the fallen boy with a smirk.
Sano managed to prop himself up on his elbows and look at the older men. "Oi, I don't know if I want to be trained by the likes of you, asshole. Who the hell are you, anyway?"
Saitou answered for him. "He is Shinomori Aoshi, the leader of the Oniwaban group for over a decade. He's your instructor, so try to show a little respect." He turned to the ninja. "I know he's an ahou, but please try to be patient with him. He's a surviving member of the Sekihoutai."
Aoshi raised an eyebrow. "Hn. Interesting. I'll do my best."
"Thank you. Now, if we could go somewhere private, I have another job for you."
"Of course, right this way." Aoshi ushered the older man into the house and closed the door after them. Sano sat on the ground beyond the porch, embarrassed and a little confused.
Oniwaban, aren't they ninja? That slanty-eyed bastard wants me to be a ninja?... Cool!
*************
Inside the house, the two men sat down to discuss business.
"Have you heard of the Jinpuu Squad?" Saitou asked.
Aoshi frowned. "Yes, I've read about them in the papers. They've been going after corrupt politicians, haven't they?"
"Yes, yes. It's all nice and good that they're doing some of my dirty work for me, but ultimately I think they're just pawns. Have you heard of Senator Hashizume?"
"Is he the one behind the Jinpuu assassinations?"
"Yes. It may look like he's getting rid of corrupt people, but he's really just eliminating his competition."
"So who are we going after, the Jinpuu Squad or Hashizume?"
"I'm leaving the Jinpuu Squad to the police; they'll be arrested for their crimes. Hashizume, however, needs to be eliminated."
"Assassinate Hashizume?"
Saitou lit a fresh cigarette. "My sources have discovered that he's planning to kill Lord Yamagata."
Aoshi shook his head. "Hn. I see. You want me to do it?"
"No, I just want you to be my back up. I'll be the one to terminate the Senator."
"Just me, or my men?"
"Just you." Saitou exhaled a stream of smoke off to the side. "You'll probably need all your men to baby-sit the ahou."
*************
Sanosuke sneezed violently on the edge of the porch, waiting for the cop or anybody to come back. He then realized that the sounds of sparring from the other building had ceased, and he got the distinct feeling of being watched.
"Hello?" He called out.
"What are you doing here?" a strange, raspy voice came from one of the trees. Sano stood and looked around frantically.
"Don't scare me like that! Where the hell are you?"
A small, birdlike man leapt from his hiding spot. Sano stepped back, noting that this ninja was armed with darts.
"Oi, don't scare me like that!" Sanosuke put on his best disarming grin. "Relax, Detective Fujita brought me here, he wants your leader to train me!"
The little ninja narrowed his beady eyes at the boy. "I don't know any Fujita, and what makes you think that you're good enough to be under the tutelage of Aoshi-sama?"
"Er- I don't know if I am, honestly, but the psycho cop insisted, and your boss agreed. Really!"
"'Psycho cop'?" rasped the tiny man.
"He is referring to Saitou-san. Please back down, Beshimi." The voice came quiet and sort of muffled from the shadows.
"Oh, that guy." Beshimi wrinkled his nose, putting away his darts and sitting in the shade of a nearby tree.
Sano turned to the newcomer, and attempted to hide his surprise at his appearance. What's with the demon mask???
"You must be Sagara Sanosuke. Aoshi-sama told me to show you around. You may call me Hannya."
"Uh, nice to meet you." Sano relaxed, seeing that he wasn't about to kicked out on the streets by these strange men. "Hey, wait a minute. What did you call Detective Fujita?"
"Saitou." replied Hannya.
"His name is Fujita Goro," explained Sano.
"Hmpf!" scoffed Beshimi from his tree. "Is that what he told you?"
Sano's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Hannya patted the young man on the shoulder. "Your confusion is understandable. The name Fujita Goro is only his cover. His real identity is Saitou Hajime."
"Saitou Hajime? Where have I heard that name before..." Sano scratched his head.
"Former captain of the third squad of the Shinsengumi." supplied Beshimi.
"Oh, right, that's it- WHAT?" Sano's eyes were wide with shock. "You're telling me that freaky old man was an assassin for the Shogunate back in the revolution???"
"... Yes." replied Hannya, ever-patient with the young man's loud outburst.
"Well, that explains a few things..." Sano said, thoughtfully.
"He's gone undercover so he can continue to live under the code of the Shinsengumi." said Beshimi, "And now we work for him."
"Oh." Sano felt numb. He had tried to take on a guy like that? I must really be an ahou.
"Well, if Aoshi-sama agreed to train you, you must be worth something." Beshimi sounded less than convinced.
Sano continued to stare at his feet. "If you would like," said Hannya, "I will show you around the dojo now."
The former fighter-for-hire realized something. If a former Shinsengumi captain AND the leader of the Oniwaban ninjas thought he was good enough to train, maybe he wasn't such a loser after all. I really just have a higher goal to shoot for, to be stronger than them... I'll make Sagara-taichou proud.
Sano shot a grin at his new masked friend. "Sure, man. Lead the way!"
More Author's Notes: Eh... I was going to have a lot more in this chapter but then it started to get long. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up, maybe sometime next week. Sorry for the delays... Thanks again for all who reviewed! You guys are the reason I'm continuing this fic.
Next chapter: Aku Soku Zan, and Sanosuke's formal training begins!
