Chapter 15: Kenji's Anger
Kenji took a stance that Kaoru didn't recognize. Yet, by the way he held the sword, it looked as if he had mastered the technique of swinging a sword. But to Kaoru's knowledge, Kenji had never handled a sword in battle. Sure, Kenshin had let his use the Sakabatou every now and then, just a few practice swings, but never actually use it.
Kaoru looked over at the body of her dead husband. He lay face down in a puddle of his own blood. Her eyes began to mist and her vision swam.
Kenji only saw red. Red with anger. Red with hurt. Red with revenge.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, and the distinct rumble of thunder could be heard in the background.
As the clouds drifted in, Kenji's eyes shadowed, only a faint golden glow radiating from his eyes.
Rain began to fall, first just a few drops here and there, until suddenly it was pouring buckets. Lightning flashed, illuminating Kenji's form for just a moment, until plunging his into darkness once more.
"Ready?" called the husky voice of Kenji's opponent.
Kenji nodded his head, not trusting his voice. He was so angry, he didn't know if he could even talk properly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kenji saw Yusuke flash to his left. Spinning on his heal, Kenji blocked the attack with the sword. The two pushed at each other with their blades, lightning flashing once again, showing their struggling forms.
Kenji ducked out at the last minute, but Yusuke, being the experienced fighter that he was, didn't allow himself to fall forward. Kenji charged forward, ramming his shoulder into Yusuke's knee.
The man buckled to his knees, calling out colorful phrases. But as Kenji turned around to strike the man again, he suddenly felt the sharp metal of Yusuke's sword cut his under the left side of his jawbone and up his cheek. Wheeling away, Kenji avoided any seriose damage. The cut was shallow, yet still painfull.
Now frothing with fury, Kenji turned and slammed the Sakabatou down on the back of Yusuke's neck.
Everybody froze.
Kaoru.
Kazumi (AN: who is still conscious, but barley.)
Yusuke.
Everybody but Kenji, who stood just behind Yusuke's paralyzed body, the Sakabatou hanging at his side.
The sound of a sickening crack rang heavily in the air, but was consumed a moment later by a crash of thunder.
Yusuke couldn't move. He felt numb everywhere. From his neck down.
"And now," said Kenji, raising the sword in the air.
Kazumi froze with fear, her vision blurring somewhat. "Kenji, no."
Kaoru clearly heard the click that came from the sword. It took a moment to register in her brain, but when it did, she gasped.
Kenji watched as the sword's blade flipped around, a small click coming from it. He glanced back down at Yusuke, his eyes still narrowed.
".and now, you die."
Yusuke was trembling with fear. The legendary Battousai hadn't beat him, but his son had. He had pushed the boy too far.
Kenji raised the sword higher, before driving it into his back with great force.
"KENJI NO!"
"OH MY KAMI-SAN KENJI HOW COULD YOU!?"
Both women screamed at the young man, but watched his still form. He was hunched over Yusuke's body, probably making sure we was dead. They watched as he rose again and twisted the blade from the man's back. He then turned his head and looked over his shoulder at his mother and his friend. Walking over to his mother, he twisted the blade of the Sakabatou through the ropes that bound her legs and arms.
He watched as his mother looked at him, fear flooding her eyes.
"Kenji, your bleeding." She said in a small voice. Kenji reached up and touched the wound, then looked at the blood that soaked his fingertips. Rain had drenched his red hair and gi, making him look like a very young Kenshin.
(AN: If you go to the RK website, Rain of Blood, there is a picture of a young Kenshin doing the same thing above on the little border thingy. That's exactly what Kenji looks like now.)
Kaoru stared at her son. No longer was he the young little energetic toddler that she still imagined him as. She saw now the young man that stood before her. He was a spitting image of his father.
Kaoru was snapped out of her spell when she heard a faint groan of pain. And it wasn't a feminine voice, but that of a man. Both Kenji and Kaoru glanced over to Kenshin (AN: poor Kazumi! She's just sitting on the ground bleeding to death!) Kaoru watched as Kenshin tried to sit up, but fell back to the ground with a yell of pain.
"Kenshin!" cried Kaoru as she fled to her lovers side, tears dripping down her face. "You musnt move! Your too badly injured! Stay where you are, don't move!"
But despite Kaoru's protests, Kenshin sat up. He wrapped a protective arm around his stab wound, and coughed, blood splattering to the ground. One eye was shut closed in agony, but he stared at his son.
Kenji locked eyes with his father.
What Kenshin saw was not Kenji, But him.
Kenshin saw himself, back in the revolution, when he was no more that eighteen. The rain drenched his hair and his gi, just as Kenshin remembered happening to himself. Blood trickled down his cheek and splattered on his gi, among with the other remnants of blood. His eyes were narrow and still glowing with a creepy light. His right hand gripped the Sakabatou, which was held at his side. Blood and rain danced together on the blade, before dripping off on the tip.
Kenji tore his eyes away from his father as Kazumi whimpered in pain. Quickly he darted to her side and brought her up to his chest. She was bleeding heavily and had to get to a doctor. He watched as she lifted her head. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, although it was more like a grimace. A shaky hand reached up and stroked his face lightly.
"Kenji, I love you, although it may not seem like it." She confessed her darkest feelings to the boy. She winced as a sharp stab of pain throbbed out, but looked back up to Kenji.
"Promise me, I wont die, Kenji."
Kenji searched her eyes. They were filled with uncertainty and fear as well as pain.
"I wont let you die, I wont." With that he buried his face into her neck. Tears, for the first time in many years, mixing with his blood and entwining into her hair.
Kenji took a stance that Kaoru didn't recognize. Yet, by the way he held the sword, it looked as if he had mastered the technique of swinging a sword. But to Kaoru's knowledge, Kenji had never handled a sword in battle. Sure, Kenshin had let his use the Sakabatou every now and then, just a few practice swings, but never actually use it.
Kaoru looked over at the body of her dead husband. He lay face down in a puddle of his own blood. Her eyes began to mist and her vision swam.
Kenji only saw red. Red with anger. Red with hurt. Red with revenge.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, and the distinct rumble of thunder could be heard in the background.
As the clouds drifted in, Kenji's eyes shadowed, only a faint golden glow radiating from his eyes.
Rain began to fall, first just a few drops here and there, until suddenly it was pouring buckets. Lightning flashed, illuminating Kenji's form for just a moment, until plunging his into darkness once more.
"Ready?" called the husky voice of Kenji's opponent.
Kenji nodded his head, not trusting his voice. He was so angry, he didn't know if he could even talk properly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kenji saw Yusuke flash to his left. Spinning on his heal, Kenji blocked the attack with the sword. The two pushed at each other with their blades, lightning flashing once again, showing their struggling forms.
Kenji ducked out at the last minute, but Yusuke, being the experienced fighter that he was, didn't allow himself to fall forward. Kenji charged forward, ramming his shoulder into Yusuke's knee.
The man buckled to his knees, calling out colorful phrases. But as Kenji turned around to strike the man again, he suddenly felt the sharp metal of Yusuke's sword cut his under the left side of his jawbone and up his cheek. Wheeling away, Kenji avoided any seriose damage. The cut was shallow, yet still painfull.
Now frothing with fury, Kenji turned and slammed the Sakabatou down on the back of Yusuke's neck.
Everybody froze.
Kaoru.
Kazumi (AN: who is still conscious, but barley.)
Yusuke.
Everybody but Kenji, who stood just behind Yusuke's paralyzed body, the Sakabatou hanging at his side.
The sound of a sickening crack rang heavily in the air, but was consumed a moment later by a crash of thunder.
Yusuke couldn't move. He felt numb everywhere. From his neck down.
"And now," said Kenji, raising the sword in the air.
Kazumi froze with fear, her vision blurring somewhat. "Kenji, no."
Kaoru clearly heard the click that came from the sword. It took a moment to register in her brain, but when it did, she gasped.
Kenji watched as the sword's blade flipped around, a small click coming from it. He glanced back down at Yusuke, his eyes still narrowed.
".and now, you die."
Yusuke was trembling with fear. The legendary Battousai hadn't beat him, but his son had. He had pushed the boy too far.
Kenji raised the sword higher, before driving it into his back with great force.
"KENJI NO!"
"OH MY KAMI-SAN KENJI HOW COULD YOU!?"
Both women screamed at the young man, but watched his still form. He was hunched over Yusuke's body, probably making sure we was dead. They watched as he rose again and twisted the blade from the man's back. He then turned his head and looked over his shoulder at his mother and his friend. Walking over to his mother, he twisted the blade of the Sakabatou through the ropes that bound her legs and arms.
He watched as his mother looked at him, fear flooding her eyes.
"Kenji, your bleeding." She said in a small voice. Kenji reached up and touched the wound, then looked at the blood that soaked his fingertips. Rain had drenched his red hair and gi, making him look like a very young Kenshin.
(AN: If you go to the RK website, Rain of Blood, there is a picture of a young Kenshin doing the same thing above on the little border thingy. That's exactly what Kenji looks like now.)
Kaoru stared at her son. No longer was he the young little energetic toddler that she still imagined him as. She saw now the young man that stood before her. He was a spitting image of his father.
Kaoru was snapped out of her spell when she heard a faint groan of pain. And it wasn't a feminine voice, but that of a man. Both Kenji and Kaoru glanced over to Kenshin (AN: poor Kazumi! She's just sitting on the ground bleeding to death!) Kaoru watched as Kenshin tried to sit up, but fell back to the ground with a yell of pain.
"Kenshin!" cried Kaoru as she fled to her lovers side, tears dripping down her face. "You musnt move! Your too badly injured! Stay where you are, don't move!"
But despite Kaoru's protests, Kenshin sat up. He wrapped a protective arm around his stab wound, and coughed, blood splattering to the ground. One eye was shut closed in agony, but he stared at his son.
Kenji locked eyes with his father.
What Kenshin saw was not Kenji, But him.
Kenshin saw himself, back in the revolution, when he was no more that eighteen. The rain drenched his hair and his gi, just as Kenshin remembered happening to himself. Blood trickled down his cheek and splattered on his gi, among with the other remnants of blood. His eyes were narrow and still glowing with a creepy light. His right hand gripped the Sakabatou, which was held at his side. Blood and rain danced together on the blade, before dripping off on the tip.
Kenji tore his eyes away from his father as Kazumi whimpered in pain. Quickly he darted to her side and brought her up to his chest. She was bleeding heavily and had to get to a doctor. He watched as she lifted her head. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, although it was more like a grimace. A shaky hand reached up and stroked his face lightly.
"Kenji, I love you, although it may not seem like it." She confessed her darkest feelings to the boy. She winced as a sharp stab of pain throbbed out, but looked back up to Kenji.
"Promise me, I wont die, Kenji."
Kenji searched her eyes. They were filled with uncertainty and fear as well as pain.
"I wont let you die, I wont." With that he buried his face into her neck. Tears, for the first time in many years, mixing with his blood and entwining into her hair.