Disclaimer: I in no way own RK or any characters affiliated with it. I
merely borrowed them for my tale. (However, if I could have one wish it
would be to own Kenshin, but I am not one so fortunate. ooo, look. a lamp.
=rubs lamp and genie appears= "You may have one wish Sakura-san!"
"WOHOO!!!! YAY! I wish I owned Kenshin!" "Uhm. how bout no!" =cries= ) Oh
well.. On with the show!!! Err. story.
Reviews are welcome as always.
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Secrets of the Revolution
Chapter 2
In the three weeks that followed, both Himura and Hideki all but tortured the other each and everyday in training. Himura was extremely impressed at the speed Hideki learned the Hiten Mitsurugi style. He was a very fast learner, and after the first week, both men and a grasp of the others style.
They sparred viciously every day. Pushing the other to their physical limits, learning the others strengths and weaknesses. Their injuries at the end of the day were mostly sore muscles and battered bodies. They made sure that no matter how hard they pushed the other; neither shed blood, nor broke a bone. Having injuries such as those when their training was finished wouldn't be beneficial when they finally set out to take on an army.
Himura noticed differences in strength between them both. At first, the strength of his attack, if it caught Hideki off guard in the slightest way, caused him to be knocked to the ground like a rag doll. Hideki was approximately the same size as Himura, height and width wise, but strangely enough, he was lighter, therefore his attacks didn't hit as hard as Himura's. Of course, this was most likely attributed to the weight difference. Himura knew that his master could easily toss him about like a rag because Hiko was a lot more powerfully built. He shrugged it off, thinking nothing of it.
Besides, when Himura was faced with Hideki's attack, the same thing happened. Hideki was fast, and his original nameless technique would employ his speed and agility to pull off attacks. It seemed that Hideki's sword style was made especially for him. Using one of his attacks he easily defeated Himura each and every time. The swiftness and the build-up of speed, combined with Hideki's entire bodyweight thrown behind his sword always toppled Himura.
By the end of the third week, both men had a hold on the others technique. They sparred against each other, Himura using Hideki's technique, and Hideki using the Hiten Mitsurugi technique. They weren't as quick as they could be using their own style, nor could either man consider themselves a master of the others sword style, but that was to be expected. In only 21 days, the very basics of both techniques, as well as some attacks were transferred between them both.
Katsura and Shinsaku made their way to the abandoned training field where they discovered both samurai locked in a deadly battle. Swords clashed, wind whipped at them as each hitokiri attacked the other using unfathomable speeds. Both men stood in a state of shock. It wasn't until a blinding flash of light, a deafening clash of swords and sudden silence that told them the battle had ended. Dirt and dust settled, and the two men could make out two figures, standing face to face.
The air cleared completely, revealing the final scene. They gasped inwardly at the sight. Both men stood with their sheaths locked together in a strike, their swords were imbedded into the ground several feet behind them, and Hideki's short sword was in his left hand, pointing straight up, with its tip brushing Himura's chin.
Hideki had won the battle, against the most feared assassin to ever exist in Japan.
Or so they thought.
As the two pulled apart, Katsura made out Himura's own short sword, which was in his left hand, and had been pointing straight at Hideki's heart.
"A... draw?" Shinsaku breathed in shock. Someone had fought Battousai the manslayer to a draw?!
Katsura blinked, shock written all over his face. Had he underestimated Hideki's strength? Was this boy as strong as the Battousai? Since Himura joined the imperialists, Hideki had still remained a key assassin, but his reputation had been completely smothered by Himura's. Hideki had faded to the background, remaining nobody during the revolution to date.
"Master Katsura, Takasugi-san, I didn't see you there." Hideki said as he retrieved his sword and re-sheathed it. Himura was silent as he did the same.
"Sorry for the interruption, but as promised, I am here to collect you. I trust the training went well?"
"It must have if you could fight Battousai to a draw!" Shinsaku exclaimed. He was still shocked at what he had witnessed. Himura and Hideki chuckled as they approached the two men, throwing Shinsaku completely for a loop. He had never in his life, ever seen even a slight smile from either hitokiri, and yet, here they were: laughing!
"If I had been using my own technique, and Himura had been using his, I most certainly would have lost." Hideki said, smiling.
"You continually underestimate yourself, Hideki. I believe that no matter how often we may spar, we'd always end in a draw."
"You're a very bad liar, Himura." Hideki retorted. The red-head merely grinned at his friend. Hideki turned to the two leaders that still stood in a state of shock. "Master Katsura, as you plainly saw, we have learned what we could about each others technique. I just hope it is enough."
Katsura nodded silently, oh yes. What he saw was defiantly enough. And he had been right. He HAD underestimated Hideki. The man was a genius with the sword. If he could learn the fundaments of Hiten Mitsurugi in just 21 days, then Katsura had seriously underestimated Hideki.
"Are we going into battle?" Himura asked, snapping Katsura out of his revere.
"Yes, tonight. Shinsaku will tell you the details. I wish you best of luck Himura and Hideki. And Shinsaku, make sure you return them to me alive." Katsura said. He had seen enough, and had to go rethink several future operations to accommodate his newly discovered information regarding Hideki.
"Wait, you're not going to be there, Master Katsura?" Himura asked. Katsura shook his head.
"This is a job within the Imperial army. Yamagata is the head of that branch of the Imperialists. He will be your leader for tonight."
With that, Katsura turned and left the other three men, and started back towards Kyoto.
"Well men, it's off to battle we go." Shinsaku said, and slung his sword over his shoulder, and began walking in the opposite direction of Kyoto. The two hitokiri's followed in silence.
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They walked for half the day; it had been early morning when they had set out. It was near dusk when they reached the army camp grounds. All the soldiers were prepping for a battle, grabbing weapons, armour, saddling horses and lining up in groups. But they all noticed the two young boys who followed Takasugi. Some snickered at their comical appearance: their gi's and hakama's were torn and tattered while the swords at their hips looked brand new and unused.
"Hey, little boys! Run home to your mothers! They're probably worried about you!" One arrogant soldier shouted. Himura and Hideki ignored the comments and jibs that the army soldiers made. They were both used to it. They were both very small men in comparison to the rest of the country. And they were also very young looking, even if they were both 18 year old men.
Takasugi Shinsaku on the other hand, wasn't used to the comments, nor did he like hearing his own soldiers being so pompous. In a flash, he used his sword to pull the legs out from under one of the men who thought his comment was especially funny. As soon as he hit the ground, Shinsaku's sword was unsheathed and pointing directly at the man's throat. Hideki and Himura stopped dead in their tracks, and any soldier who was within ear or eye shot of the scene froze.
"These 'little boys' as you call them, are your only hope for survival and victory tonight. So if you don't show them proper respect, then I'll kill you myself." Shinsaku growled. "That goes for all of you!" he yelled, looking into the eyes of every soldier who was watching. Himura stepped forward, and placed a hand on Shinsaku's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Takasugi-san. We're both used to these sort of comments. We're also used to ignoring them now too. It's how we survived." Himura said quietly, he gazed down into the eyes of the soldier on the ground. Hideki watched the man pale and begin to shake uncontrollably.
"B-Battousai!" He whispered. Any man who heard that name took one step away from Himura, as if he were poison. Murmurs went through the crowd quickly about Battousai the manslayer being in their midst. Comments on his scar and red hair were flying everywhere. Some men even backed away from Hideki, because he was Battousai's companion. Shinsaku regained his composure and re-sheathed his sword. The frightened soldier scrambled to his feet and took off to perform any duty at all; he just wanted to get as far away from Battousai as he possibly could.
Himura turned back to Hideki and they locked eyes for a second. Silently between the two, they laughed. For once, Himura didn't hate his nickname, nor did he hate the reaction that came with it. Only the slight upturn of their firmly set mouths marked their amusement at the situation. Takasugi began to walk towards a large tent, beckoning for the manslayers to follow.
Hideki and Himura complied, and followed Takasugi towards the tent. All eyes were on them as they proceeded through the camp. Soldiers moved away from them as they walked, it looked like a parting sea. Hideki bowed his head low, allowing his bangs to conceal his face as he broke into a large grin. Beside him, Himura had done the same. They reached the tent almost thankful to be leaving the terrified faces behind, but Takasugi paused just outside the entrance.
"Please wait here, I have to converse with Yamagata-san before I bring you to him." Shinsaku said. Himura nodded, composing himself enough to look up into Shinsaku's eyes. The flap was opened by a young man, admitting entrance for Shinsaku into the tent. He took one look at Himura and froze. It looked like shear will power and discipline kept him rooted in place. Takasugi entered the tent, and the soldier closed the flap, thankful to block the piercing amber stare of hitokiri Battousai.
"You're famous Himura." Hideki said softly beside him. Himura almost choked on the laughter. But he had to keep up appearances. In the three weeks they had been training together, Hideki and Himura had become great friends. Trusting the other man beyond reasoning. Both men had become 'softer' so to speak. They weren't always frowning, dreading the next day and concealing all trace of human emotion. Even the smell of blood which had been permanently branded into their beings had lessened slightly.
All because two samurai trusted each other, and formed a friendship during a raging war full of bloodshed and death.
"Shut up Hideki, before I slice your throat open." Himura mumbled back. Hideki arched an eyebrow. Death threats had become strangely normal between them now. Of course, the threats were never serious. Hideki draped his arm over the hilts of his swords and with one quick jerk of his arm, his katana sheath ploughed into the back of Himura's knees. Himura hadn't moved, but bit his tongue to keep from shouting out in pain. Himura glared at Hideki from the corner of his eye.
"I'd like to see you try, Battousai." Hideki said exaggerating the 'Battousai' and making it sound like he was referring to royalty.
"You're a bastard, Hideki." Himura grumbled, the back of his knees still sore.
"Takes one to know one, Himura." Hideki replied simply.
"Himura-sama, Hideki-sama, Yamagata-sama wishes to see you now." The young soldier said. He was visibly shaking as he held the flap open for the two manslayers. They both entered to find Yamagata and Shinsaku pouring over a few crude maps of the area of the battle.
"Himura-san! Hideki-san! I'm so glad you agreed to help. I never did get a chance to thank you for saving me three weeks ago; I am eternally in your debt." Yamagata said as he stood up and shook the hands of both men. Hideki and Himura were a bit confused at this.
"It's a western custom. It's a sign of friendship." Yamagata explained upon seeing the confused look on their faces.
Hideki nodded. 'Silly western customs, they'll never catch on here in Japan', he thought.
"Down to business, we only have a short time before we march, so I'd better tell you two what you've gotten mixed up in." Yamagata said, stepping back to the small table where the maps were strewn. He beckoned Himura and Hideki to follow. Yamagata pulled out a map of the area surrounding Kyoto and indicated one particular location. It was on Mount Kurama.
"This area of Kurama is mostly void of forest. It's like a large open field amidst the surrounding trees. This is your battleground. Beyond this location, "he indicated on the map, "We will begin our attack on the army, and drive them towards you two. Kill as many as you can. We will do out part as well. The mission is to eliminate the entire army. No survivors." Yamagata said gravely.
"You're talking about mass murder here." Hideki said. Yamagata sighed and then nodded.
"This particular army is too strong. We must cut them down, if not eliminate them at all costs."
"Hideki and I are no longer shadow assassins. We don't randomly kill, we kill only to protect." Himura growled. Neither samurai liked the plan and weren't afraid to share that opinion.
"They're damn right they're not shadow assassins! Yamagata! What the hell is the meaning of this? You never mentioned this to either Katsura or myself!" Shinsaku said angrily. That bit of news somewhat appeased Hideki and Himura. They had been feeling somewhat betrayed by Master Katsura for his insistence on their involvement in what was turning into genocide, but knowing now that he wasn't involved in this horrible plan made them feel slightly better.
"They won't be shadow assassins. And they will be protecting! This army is the leading force behind our enemy. With them out of the way, we have a better chance at winning this revolution and bringing peace to Japan. I would never make them kill randomly, and they will be protecting." Yamagata said sternly.
"How?" Shinsaku asked. He hated this plan more and more. He was also prepared to grab both boys by their collars and drag them away from the tent, and the battleground. If Katsura found out about the true reason behind his bodyguards involvement, he would probably personally kill Takasugi.
"The fallback of our forces is merely a diversion. When these two join the fight, a special group of soldiers are going to make their way towards the base camp of our enemy and capture their leader. With no army leader, and no elite army, the enemy will fall to us, bringing about our victory." Yamagata slammed his fist onto the table passionately. "If we walk away with victory tonight, the revolution will be over!"
At this comment, both manslayers perked up. They both wanted the war to end, and find their path for atonement and happiness. They had both made a silent oath to never kill again once this war had ended.
"I'll do it." They both said at the same time. Yamagata and Takasugi had been arguing and only stopped when they heard those words.
"Are you sure?" Shinsaku asked. They nodded.
"I want this war to end." Hideki said simply.
"As do I." Himura replied. Yamagata smiled in triumph.
"We're going to bring home victory tonight." He said as he looked at the two young men before him. These hitokiri's, they were the strongest of the imperialists. They were undefeated and the most feared assassins to ever exist and they were working for peace. Yamagata smiled again. The piercing blue eyes of Hideki, and the terrifying yellow eyes of Himura stared at Yamagata.
"Let's go."
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Himura and Hideki found themselves standing in the middle of a wide clearing. The full moon shone down brightly upon them. They were totally alone, and surrounded by dark forest. Neither man liked the atmosphere. They were used to the cover of darkness. Standing in the middle of a clearing, during a full moon, made them feel anxious and vulnerable.
But more than anything, what disturbed them the most was the sickening nervous feeling at the bottom of their stomachs. The only time they ever felt this strange before an attack was when something bad was going to happen. Last time Hideki felt that horrible feeling was three years beforehand when Katsura and the other imperialists had been attacked by the shinsengumi. The result: severe wounds; Hideki had barely escaped with his life. Himura, on the other hand, had only felt this feeling when his sword pierced the back of the woman he loved, killing her. He wanted more than anything to forget the feeling, but it had resurfaced and was present within his person as they waited.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Himura said.
"Aa." Hideki replied.
They stood in silence for quite some time. The only noise was the wind as it blew through the trees and across the clearing. Far off, deep within the forest, a battle was raging. Swords clashed, guns fired, cannons blasted, men shouted. The battle was well underway as the imperial army began to draw back. The plan was moving along as it should. Over 200 men were moving through the forest. Half were leading, the other half were following. Little did they know what waited for them, or rather, who waited for them.
The two hitokiri's heard the approaching chaos. The battle cries, the screams, the gunfire. It was getting louder and louder with each passing moment. Suddenly, a few men broke through the trees and entered the clearing. They were imperial soldiers. They were marked with a white band around their left arms. Using the white was the ensure Himura and Hideki knew which men to kill. Their orders were simple. Kill whoever didn't wear a white band.
The three men ran over to Himrua and Hideki, they were weaponless and badly injured.
"They're coming!" One panted, as he collapsed in front of Himura.
"They're so strong! We couldn't slow them at all! We've lost many of our men already!" a second cried. The third was supported by the other two, and by the looks of it, he was all but dead. There was a cry, and a gunshot, one of the soldiers in front of Himura and Hideki collapsed, dropping the injured man. The fallen soldier had a hole blown out of the side of his head, he was dead.
"We're in trouble." Hideki said as he drew his sword. Himura only nodded as he drew his own sword. Both men leapt over the fallen imperialists and charged towards the soldiers that were emerging from the forest in waves. Those who were imperialists and who were well enough to fight, would turn around and fight once they entered the clearing. But for the most part, it was all up to Himura and Hideki to defeat the onslaught and protect their fallen comrades.
The battle raged. Himura and Hideki sliced their way through the approaching army, using each other as guards and backup. Whenever Hideki would slay a man, Himura wasn't too far behind to protect his friend and vice versa. Those of the imperialists who could watch as the fighting continued were astounded at the power the two young samurai's emitted. They were like a tsunami, a huge tidal wave that swept over the opposition leaving nothing but dead bodies behind them. They used each other as launches to get themselves out of sticky situations where they were surrounded, they worked as one man. It was frightening to watch.
Hideki dodged an attack easily as he sliced a gun in half before the soldier could get a shot off. The man he dodged fell to the ground dead after Himura's sword struck him down. He and Hideki fought back to back, never allowing the other any more than an arms length in distance away. Swords clashed, men died, blood splattered everywhere. After 20 minutes of constant battle, Himura and Hideki were covered in blood, none of it their own. They were winning.
They didn't notice the cannon as it was wheeled into the clearing by a number of soldiers. They didn't see them load it, and light the flint. But they did hear the blast of the gunpowder and whirled around to see a cannonball flying through the air towards them. They jumped out of the way. In opposite directions.
They had been separated.
"Kill them!" someone shouted, and before anyone could blink, a massive number of men descended upon the clearing, the number of opposition doubling in a heartbeat. But there was something different about the men that had just arrived. Every one of them wore blue overcoats, with white gi's and black hakama's, as well as a wakazashi's and katana's at their waists. A white band covered the brows of each man, and soon Hideki and Himura found themselves not only separated, but surrounded by the newly arrived samurai's.
Trapped.
By the Shinsengumi.
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A.N. Okay, so it's a cliffhanger. Sue me! I like cliffhangers. :D
Just a fair warning to you wonderful readers out there, my love of cliffhangers will continue throughout this story. MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
But don't worry, I won't leave you anxiously waiting for too long. I'll update at least once a week.
To my first two reviewers thanks so much for your kind words! This is the first time I ever posted a fanfic and I'm a little nervous (=Sheepish smile=)
Just to respond to icegal: Don't worry, it won't become shonen-ai/yaoi. I love heterosexual Kenshin/Battousai too much. I couldn't place him in such a situation (No offence to yaoi fans out there! It's just not my thing, tis all!!!)
Ahem... anyways, before I get beaned in the head by some hard object someone is sure to fling at me for leaving the story as it is, I'm going to go..
=runs away=
Reviews are welcome as always.
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Secrets of the Revolution
Chapter 2
In the three weeks that followed, both Himura and Hideki all but tortured the other each and everyday in training. Himura was extremely impressed at the speed Hideki learned the Hiten Mitsurugi style. He was a very fast learner, and after the first week, both men and a grasp of the others style.
They sparred viciously every day. Pushing the other to their physical limits, learning the others strengths and weaknesses. Their injuries at the end of the day were mostly sore muscles and battered bodies. They made sure that no matter how hard they pushed the other; neither shed blood, nor broke a bone. Having injuries such as those when their training was finished wouldn't be beneficial when they finally set out to take on an army.
Himura noticed differences in strength between them both. At first, the strength of his attack, if it caught Hideki off guard in the slightest way, caused him to be knocked to the ground like a rag doll. Hideki was approximately the same size as Himura, height and width wise, but strangely enough, he was lighter, therefore his attacks didn't hit as hard as Himura's. Of course, this was most likely attributed to the weight difference. Himura knew that his master could easily toss him about like a rag because Hiko was a lot more powerfully built. He shrugged it off, thinking nothing of it.
Besides, when Himura was faced with Hideki's attack, the same thing happened. Hideki was fast, and his original nameless technique would employ his speed and agility to pull off attacks. It seemed that Hideki's sword style was made especially for him. Using one of his attacks he easily defeated Himura each and every time. The swiftness and the build-up of speed, combined with Hideki's entire bodyweight thrown behind his sword always toppled Himura.
By the end of the third week, both men had a hold on the others technique. They sparred against each other, Himura using Hideki's technique, and Hideki using the Hiten Mitsurugi technique. They weren't as quick as they could be using their own style, nor could either man consider themselves a master of the others sword style, but that was to be expected. In only 21 days, the very basics of both techniques, as well as some attacks were transferred between them both.
Katsura and Shinsaku made their way to the abandoned training field where they discovered both samurai locked in a deadly battle. Swords clashed, wind whipped at them as each hitokiri attacked the other using unfathomable speeds. Both men stood in a state of shock. It wasn't until a blinding flash of light, a deafening clash of swords and sudden silence that told them the battle had ended. Dirt and dust settled, and the two men could make out two figures, standing face to face.
The air cleared completely, revealing the final scene. They gasped inwardly at the sight. Both men stood with their sheaths locked together in a strike, their swords were imbedded into the ground several feet behind them, and Hideki's short sword was in his left hand, pointing straight up, with its tip brushing Himura's chin.
Hideki had won the battle, against the most feared assassin to ever exist in Japan.
Or so they thought.
As the two pulled apart, Katsura made out Himura's own short sword, which was in his left hand, and had been pointing straight at Hideki's heart.
"A... draw?" Shinsaku breathed in shock. Someone had fought Battousai the manslayer to a draw?!
Katsura blinked, shock written all over his face. Had he underestimated Hideki's strength? Was this boy as strong as the Battousai? Since Himura joined the imperialists, Hideki had still remained a key assassin, but his reputation had been completely smothered by Himura's. Hideki had faded to the background, remaining nobody during the revolution to date.
"Master Katsura, Takasugi-san, I didn't see you there." Hideki said as he retrieved his sword and re-sheathed it. Himura was silent as he did the same.
"Sorry for the interruption, but as promised, I am here to collect you. I trust the training went well?"
"It must have if you could fight Battousai to a draw!" Shinsaku exclaimed. He was still shocked at what he had witnessed. Himura and Hideki chuckled as they approached the two men, throwing Shinsaku completely for a loop. He had never in his life, ever seen even a slight smile from either hitokiri, and yet, here they were: laughing!
"If I had been using my own technique, and Himura had been using his, I most certainly would have lost." Hideki said, smiling.
"You continually underestimate yourself, Hideki. I believe that no matter how often we may spar, we'd always end in a draw."
"You're a very bad liar, Himura." Hideki retorted. The red-head merely grinned at his friend. Hideki turned to the two leaders that still stood in a state of shock. "Master Katsura, as you plainly saw, we have learned what we could about each others technique. I just hope it is enough."
Katsura nodded silently, oh yes. What he saw was defiantly enough. And he had been right. He HAD underestimated Hideki. The man was a genius with the sword. If he could learn the fundaments of Hiten Mitsurugi in just 21 days, then Katsura had seriously underestimated Hideki.
"Are we going into battle?" Himura asked, snapping Katsura out of his revere.
"Yes, tonight. Shinsaku will tell you the details. I wish you best of luck Himura and Hideki. And Shinsaku, make sure you return them to me alive." Katsura said. He had seen enough, and had to go rethink several future operations to accommodate his newly discovered information regarding Hideki.
"Wait, you're not going to be there, Master Katsura?" Himura asked. Katsura shook his head.
"This is a job within the Imperial army. Yamagata is the head of that branch of the Imperialists. He will be your leader for tonight."
With that, Katsura turned and left the other three men, and started back towards Kyoto.
"Well men, it's off to battle we go." Shinsaku said, and slung his sword over his shoulder, and began walking in the opposite direction of Kyoto. The two hitokiri's followed in silence.
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They walked for half the day; it had been early morning when they had set out. It was near dusk when they reached the army camp grounds. All the soldiers were prepping for a battle, grabbing weapons, armour, saddling horses and lining up in groups. But they all noticed the two young boys who followed Takasugi. Some snickered at their comical appearance: their gi's and hakama's were torn and tattered while the swords at their hips looked brand new and unused.
"Hey, little boys! Run home to your mothers! They're probably worried about you!" One arrogant soldier shouted. Himura and Hideki ignored the comments and jibs that the army soldiers made. They were both used to it. They were both very small men in comparison to the rest of the country. And they were also very young looking, even if they were both 18 year old men.
Takasugi Shinsaku on the other hand, wasn't used to the comments, nor did he like hearing his own soldiers being so pompous. In a flash, he used his sword to pull the legs out from under one of the men who thought his comment was especially funny. As soon as he hit the ground, Shinsaku's sword was unsheathed and pointing directly at the man's throat. Hideki and Himura stopped dead in their tracks, and any soldier who was within ear or eye shot of the scene froze.
"These 'little boys' as you call them, are your only hope for survival and victory tonight. So if you don't show them proper respect, then I'll kill you myself." Shinsaku growled. "That goes for all of you!" he yelled, looking into the eyes of every soldier who was watching. Himura stepped forward, and placed a hand on Shinsaku's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Takasugi-san. We're both used to these sort of comments. We're also used to ignoring them now too. It's how we survived." Himura said quietly, he gazed down into the eyes of the soldier on the ground. Hideki watched the man pale and begin to shake uncontrollably.
"B-Battousai!" He whispered. Any man who heard that name took one step away from Himura, as if he were poison. Murmurs went through the crowd quickly about Battousai the manslayer being in their midst. Comments on his scar and red hair were flying everywhere. Some men even backed away from Hideki, because he was Battousai's companion. Shinsaku regained his composure and re-sheathed his sword. The frightened soldier scrambled to his feet and took off to perform any duty at all; he just wanted to get as far away from Battousai as he possibly could.
Himura turned back to Hideki and they locked eyes for a second. Silently between the two, they laughed. For once, Himura didn't hate his nickname, nor did he hate the reaction that came with it. Only the slight upturn of their firmly set mouths marked their amusement at the situation. Takasugi began to walk towards a large tent, beckoning for the manslayers to follow.
Hideki and Himura complied, and followed Takasugi towards the tent. All eyes were on them as they proceeded through the camp. Soldiers moved away from them as they walked, it looked like a parting sea. Hideki bowed his head low, allowing his bangs to conceal his face as he broke into a large grin. Beside him, Himura had done the same. They reached the tent almost thankful to be leaving the terrified faces behind, but Takasugi paused just outside the entrance.
"Please wait here, I have to converse with Yamagata-san before I bring you to him." Shinsaku said. Himura nodded, composing himself enough to look up into Shinsaku's eyes. The flap was opened by a young man, admitting entrance for Shinsaku into the tent. He took one look at Himura and froze. It looked like shear will power and discipline kept him rooted in place. Takasugi entered the tent, and the soldier closed the flap, thankful to block the piercing amber stare of hitokiri Battousai.
"You're famous Himura." Hideki said softly beside him. Himura almost choked on the laughter. But he had to keep up appearances. In the three weeks they had been training together, Hideki and Himura had become great friends. Trusting the other man beyond reasoning. Both men had become 'softer' so to speak. They weren't always frowning, dreading the next day and concealing all trace of human emotion. Even the smell of blood which had been permanently branded into their beings had lessened slightly.
All because two samurai trusted each other, and formed a friendship during a raging war full of bloodshed and death.
"Shut up Hideki, before I slice your throat open." Himura mumbled back. Hideki arched an eyebrow. Death threats had become strangely normal between them now. Of course, the threats were never serious. Hideki draped his arm over the hilts of his swords and with one quick jerk of his arm, his katana sheath ploughed into the back of Himura's knees. Himura hadn't moved, but bit his tongue to keep from shouting out in pain. Himura glared at Hideki from the corner of his eye.
"I'd like to see you try, Battousai." Hideki said exaggerating the 'Battousai' and making it sound like he was referring to royalty.
"You're a bastard, Hideki." Himura grumbled, the back of his knees still sore.
"Takes one to know one, Himura." Hideki replied simply.
"Himura-sama, Hideki-sama, Yamagata-sama wishes to see you now." The young soldier said. He was visibly shaking as he held the flap open for the two manslayers. They both entered to find Yamagata and Shinsaku pouring over a few crude maps of the area of the battle.
"Himura-san! Hideki-san! I'm so glad you agreed to help. I never did get a chance to thank you for saving me three weeks ago; I am eternally in your debt." Yamagata said as he stood up and shook the hands of both men. Hideki and Himura were a bit confused at this.
"It's a western custom. It's a sign of friendship." Yamagata explained upon seeing the confused look on their faces.
Hideki nodded. 'Silly western customs, they'll never catch on here in Japan', he thought.
"Down to business, we only have a short time before we march, so I'd better tell you two what you've gotten mixed up in." Yamagata said, stepping back to the small table where the maps were strewn. He beckoned Himura and Hideki to follow. Yamagata pulled out a map of the area surrounding Kyoto and indicated one particular location. It was on Mount Kurama.
"This area of Kurama is mostly void of forest. It's like a large open field amidst the surrounding trees. This is your battleground. Beyond this location, "he indicated on the map, "We will begin our attack on the army, and drive them towards you two. Kill as many as you can. We will do out part as well. The mission is to eliminate the entire army. No survivors." Yamagata said gravely.
"You're talking about mass murder here." Hideki said. Yamagata sighed and then nodded.
"This particular army is too strong. We must cut them down, if not eliminate them at all costs."
"Hideki and I are no longer shadow assassins. We don't randomly kill, we kill only to protect." Himura growled. Neither samurai liked the plan and weren't afraid to share that opinion.
"They're damn right they're not shadow assassins! Yamagata! What the hell is the meaning of this? You never mentioned this to either Katsura or myself!" Shinsaku said angrily. That bit of news somewhat appeased Hideki and Himura. They had been feeling somewhat betrayed by Master Katsura for his insistence on their involvement in what was turning into genocide, but knowing now that he wasn't involved in this horrible plan made them feel slightly better.
"They won't be shadow assassins. And they will be protecting! This army is the leading force behind our enemy. With them out of the way, we have a better chance at winning this revolution and bringing peace to Japan. I would never make them kill randomly, and they will be protecting." Yamagata said sternly.
"How?" Shinsaku asked. He hated this plan more and more. He was also prepared to grab both boys by their collars and drag them away from the tent, and the battleground. If Katsura found out about the true reason behind his bodyguards involvement, he would probably personally kill Takasugi.
"The fallback of our forces is merely a diversion. When these two join the fight, a special group of soldiers are going to make their way towards the base camp of our enemy and capture their leader. With no army leader, and no elite army, the enemy will fall to us, bringing about our victory." Yamagata slammed his fist onto the table passionately. "If we walk away with victory tonight, the revolution will be over!"
At this comment, both manslayers perked up. They both wanted the war to end, and find their path for atonement and happiness. They had both made a silent oath to never kill again once this war had ended.
"I'll do it." They both said at the same time. Yamagata and Takasugi had been arguing and only stopped when they heard those words.
"Are you sure?" Shinsaku asked. They nodded.
"I want this war to end." Hideki said simply.
"As do I." Himura replied. Yamagata smiled in triumph.
"We're going to bring home victory tonight." He said as he looked at the two young men before him. These hitokiri's, they were the strongest of the imperialists. They were undefeated and the most feared assassins to ever exist and they were working for peace. Yamagata smiled again. The piercing blue eyes of Hideki, and the terrifying yellow eyes of Himura stared at Yamagata.
"Let's go."
----------
Himura and Hideki found themselves standing in the middle of a wide clearing. The full moon shone down brightly upon them. They were totally alone, and surrounded by dark forest. Neither man liked the atmosphere. They were used to the cover of darkness. Standing in the middle of a clearing, during a full moon, made them feel anxious and vulnerable.
But more than anything, what disturbed them the most was the sickening nervous feeling at the bottom of their stomachs. The only time they ever felt this strange before an attack was when something bad was going to happen. Last time Hideki felt that horrible feeling was three years beforehand when Katsura and the other imperialists had been attacked by the shinsengumi. The result: severe wounds; Hideki had barely escaped with his life. Himura, on the other hand, had only felt this feeling when his sword pierced the back of the woman he loved, killing her. He wanted more than anything to forget the feeling, but it had resurfaced and was present within his person as they waited.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Himura said.
"Aa." Hideki replied.
They stood in silence for quite some time. The only noise was the wind as it blew through the trees and across the clearing. Far off, deep within the forest, a battle was raging. Swords clashed, guns fired, cannons blasted, men shouted. The battle was well underway as the imperial army began to draw back. The plan was moving along as it should. Over 200 men were moving through the forest. Half were leading, the other half were following. Little did they know what waited for them, or rather, who waited for them.
The two hitokiri's heard the approaching chaos. The battle cries, the screams, the gunfire. It was getting louder and louder with each passing moment. Suddenly, a few men broke through the trees and entered the clearing. They were imperial soldiers. They were marked with a white band around their left arms. Using the white was the ensure Himura and Hideki knew which men to kill. Their orders were simple. Kill whoever didn't wear a white band.
The three men ran over to Himrua and Hideki, they were weaponless and badly injured.
"They're coming!" One panted, as he collapsed in front of Himura.
"They're so strong! We couldn't slow them at all! We've lost many of our men already!" a second cried. The third was supported by the other two, and by the looks of it, he was all but dead. There was a cry, and a gunshot, one of the soldiers in front of Himura and Hideki collapsed, dropping the injured man. The fallen soldier had a hole blown out of the side of his head, he was dead.
"We're in trouble." Hideki said as he drew his sword. Himura only nodded as he drew his own sword. Both men leapt over the fallen imperialists and charged towards the soldiers that were emerging from the forest in waves. Those who were imperialists and who were well enough to fight, would turn around and fight once they entered the clearing. But for the most part, it was all up to Himura and Hideki to defeat the onslaught and protect their fallen comrades.
The battle raged. Himura and Hideki sliced their way through the approaching army, using each other as guards and backup. Whenever Hideki would slay a man, Himura wasn't too far behind to protect his friend and vice versa. Those of the imperialists who could watch as the fighting continued were astounded at the power the two young samurai's emitted. They were like a tsunami, a huge tidal wave that swept over the opposition leaving nothing but dead bodies behind them. They used each other as launches to get themselves out of sticky situations where they were surrounded, they worked as one man. It was frightening to watch.
Hideki dodged an attack easily as he sliced a gun in half before the soldier could get a shot off. The man he dodged fell to the ground dead after Himura's sword struck him down. He and Hideki fought back to back, never allowing the other any more than an arms length in distance away. Swords clashed, men died, blood splattered everywhere. After 20 minutes of constant battle, Himura and Hideki were covered in blood, none of it their own. They were winning.
They didn't notice the cannon as it was wheeled into the clearing by a number of soldiers. They didn't see them load it, and light the flint. But they did hear the blast of the gunpowder and whirled around to see a cannonball flying through the air towards them. They jumped out of the way. In opposite directions.
They had been separated.
"Kill them!" someone shouted, and before anyone could blink, a massive number of men descended upon the clearing, the number of opposition doubling in a heartbeat. But there was something different about the men that had just arrived. Every one of them wore blue overcoats, with white gi's and black hakama's, as well as a wakazashi's and katana's at their waists. A white band covered the brows of each man, and soon Hideki and Himura found themselves not only separated, but surrounded by the newly arrived samurai's.
Trapped.
By the Shinsengumi.
=====================
A.N. Okay, so it's a cliffhanger. Sue me! I like cliffhangers. :D
Just a fair warning to you wonderful readers out there, my love of cliffhangers will continue throughout this story. MUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
But don't worry, I won't leave you anxiously waiting for too long. I'll update at least once a week.
To my first two reviewers thanks so much for your kind words! This is the first time I ever posted a fanfic and I'm a little nervous (=Sheepish smile=)
Just to respond to icegal: Don't worry, it won't become shonen-ai/yaoi. I love heterosexual Kenshin/Battousai too much. I couldn't place him in such a situation (No offence to yaoi fans out there! It's just not my thing, tis all!!!)
Ahem... anyways, before I get beaned in the head by some hard object someone is sure to fling at me for leaving the story as it is, I'm going to go..
=runs away=
