Mattaku...another set of parties. Argh! Sorry for the delay. Drat I forgot
the spelling of Satou must be like this, with the 'u'. Argh!
Mayorie: Er...the Shogun are like the government but you're correct; sorry for that, my mistake. Thanks for seeing it! I'm not really well now, am I?
Kasumi Destruction: Aww...thanks Kasumi-san! I will and I'm trying but I got this feeling that I've had a fishbone stuck in my throat for 3 days now. Wonder what it is.
Haruka Hiasobi: I'm really not referring to him as Kenshin's shadow, but the shadow of the show. Even in the OAV, how much importance was given to him? Why, he's very important even in reality!!!
Darn it! I should have listened to my teacher so that I can name one Shogun. Can anyone help me with that? I will just put on the picked name later on in the next chap. Enough rants.
***
Night fell and they knew they wouldn't be able to make it on time, so they camped for the night. The wagons all arranged themselves in a circular pattern for quite a few reasons as Soushi had learned. The first is for protection or alarm from any wild animals that may be coming. The second is, if any of the Ishinshishi should waylay them why they sleep, it would not only serve as their barrier but their arms would be within reach as well. The last is so that leaving would become easier and faster...for as long as none of them are not lazy getting up, that is.
The servants on each coach hurriedly set up camp just as the swordsmen were getting down. It was like they were a family member of the shogun for the sidesteps and service they received from the servants. Soushi stopped the servant from his coach from his bustling. "Sir, excuse me, I was wondering," Okita scratched his head thinking of how he would say things. "Why are you treating us like this? I mean we're not landlords or anything, are we?"
"Oh but you are going to be, sir." The man told him, "Why, do you not know that even the merchants are not as half as powerful, if not rich as the samurai that work for the shogun? Is that not the reason that you accepted their offer?"
Soushi looked at him quizzically, "We are? I didn't know things go that way."
"Have you not heard it even in the Shirakawa fief? You live there, don't you?" the man looked downward as if he was talking to the lord of the state.
"Would you raise your head, I don't understand." Soushi shook his head. "All I know is, we have a landlord faithful to the powers governing this country. Tell me, do all samurai receive this treatment?"
"No, sir," the man looked up to him but never attempted to even glance at his eyes. "Only the greatest and most faithful receive it. Do you mean to tell me that you have agreed to this without knowing your reward? That you only did it for the sake of the shogun alone?"
Soushi nodded his head. "I admit. I am a bit ignorant about their workings because I never really cared."
"How old are you, Okita-sama?" The servant suddenly asked.
"Twenty, why do you ask?" before the servant could answer, Soushi slapped his head and chortled. "Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me, I do believe I don't have your name yet, good sir."
"My name is Nagashima Hiroki, your group's servant, sir." He bowed showing respect to Soushi. "I asked, sir, because I thought you were young to realize some of the laws of the country; and as I have learned, you are. I believe I have never known someone so young to be eager to jump in war. But do not mistake me, I do not doubt your abilities despite your youth being captain of the first squad and all. And while your comrades frown and fell the tension of the coming battle, I sense from you a light spirit and clarity of mind as what is needed in a samurai. I see that you have not let go of your youth."
"That is where you are wrong, Mr." Saitou suddenly said from behind him. "He had just found it after 12 boring, stiff years of training."
"I'm afraid that's right, Nagashima-san." Soushi agreed, "I have wasted my childhood for strength and I am now doing my best to get it back and I hope I'm not too late."
"Okita-san, it is never too late for childhood. Even the most powerful seek it." He bowed as if asking leave for him to do his duties.
Saito dismissed him and glared at Soushi. "Do you have to tell him that much? For all we know he could be a spy of the Ishinshishi and he could be telling the other members of the group as we speak.. As I have learned they are everywhere. Learn to hold your tongue, Soushi-san."
"Thank goodness you have resorted to using my first name, Saitou-san. I was becoming too tight with the formalities." Soushi admitted, "And yes, I will hold my tongue from now on."
"I only did it because Hijikata-san told me to watch over you and I can't do that if I address you as if you have a higher rank than me. We are of equal rank, besides."
"Yes, that is true." Okita nodded, "But now, I must be used to calling him Hijikata-san instead of Toshizo-san. It's kind of awkward for me since I've been calling him that for years and I will call him differently now." Okita laughed and Saito tried not to since he knows it will only look goofy on him. "But, Saitou-san, is what Nagashima-san told me true?"
"Yes, Soushi-san," Saito nodded his head. "That is why most of them agreed to this as well as I."
"Oh, I see." Soushi shrugged and went to the campfire where everybody ate.
After the moon has crept high, the Shisengumi went to sleep in sleeping bags prepared for them so that they can start early tomorrow.
***
That's the way things go in the Tokugawa era. Wait...Iyeyasu Tokugawa, hmmm...
Yeah, for all those anime dubs and subtitles that put Master in place for Saito-san in the translation of how Okita-niisama calls Saito, read this: THEY ARE EQUAL AND DO DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES!!!
Mayorie: Er...the Shogun are like the government but you're correct; sorry for that, my mistake. Thanks for seeing it! I'm not really well now, am I?
Kasumi Destruction: Aww...thanks Kasumi-san! I will and I'm trying but I got this feeling that I've had a fishbone stuck in my throat for 3 days now. Wonder what it is.
Haruka Hiasobi: I'm really not referring to him as Kenshin's shadow, but the shadow of the show. Even in the OAV, how much importance was given to him? Why, he's very important even in reality!!!
Darn it! I should have listened to my teacher so that I can name one Shogun. Can anyone help me with that? I will just put on the picked name later on in the next chap. Enough rants.
***
Night fell and they knew they wouldn't be able to make it on time, so they camped for the night. The wagons all arranged themselves in a circular pattern for quite a few reasons as Soushi had learned. The first is for protection or alarm from any wild animals that may be coming. The second is, if any of the Ishinshishi should waylay them why they sleep, it would not only serve as their barrier but their arms would be within reach as well. The last is so that leaving would become easier and faster...for as long as none of them are not lazy getting up, that is.
The servants on each coach hurriedly set up camp just as the swordsmen were getting down. It was like they were a family member of the shogun for the sidesteps and service they received from the servants. Soushi stopped the servant from his coach from his bustling. "Sir, excuse me, I was wondering," Okita scratched his head thinking of how he would say things. "Why are you treating us like this? I mean we're not landlords or anything, are we?"
"Oh but you are going to be, sir." The man told him, "Why, do you not know that even the merchants are not as half as powerful, if not rich as the samurai that work for the shogun? Is that not the reason that you accepted their offer?"
Soushi looked at him quizzically, "We are? I didn't know things go that way."
"Have you not heard it even in the Shirakawa fief? You live there, don't you?" the man looked downward as if he was talking to the lord of the state.
"Would you raise your head, I don't understand." Soushi shook his head. "All I know is, we have a landlord faithful to the powers governing this country. Tell me, do all samurai receive this treatment?"
"No, sir," the man looked up to him but never attempted to even glance at his eyes. "Only the greatest and most faithful receive it. Do you mean to tell me that you have agreed to this without knowing your reward? That you only did it for the sake of the shogun alone?"
Soushi nodded his head. "I admit. I am a bit ignorant about their workings because I never really cared."
"How old are you, Okita-sama?" The servant suddenly asked.
"Twenty, why do you ask?" before the servant could answer, Soushi slapped his head and chortled. "Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me, I do believe I don't have your name yet, good sir."
"My name is Nagashima Hiroki, your group's servant, sir." He bowed showing respect to Soushi. "I asked, sir, because I thought you were young to realize some of the laws of the country; and as I have learned, you are. I believe I have never known someone so young to be eager to jump in war. But do not mistake me, I do not doubt your abilities despite your youth being captain of the first squad and all. And while your comrades frown and fell the tension of the coming battle, I sense from you a light spirit and clarity of mind as what is needed in a samurai. I see that you have not let go of your youth."
"That is where you are wrong, Mr." Saitou suddenly said from behind him. "He had just found it after 12 boring, stiff years of training."
"I'm afraid that's right, Nagashima-san." Soushi agreed, "I have wasted my childhood for strength and I am now doing my best to get it back and I hope I'm not too late."
"Okita-san, it is never too late for childhood. Even the most powerful seek it." He bowed as if asking leave for him to do his duties.
Saito dismissed him and glared at Soushi. "Do you have to tell him that much? For all we know he could be a spy of the Ishinshishi and he could be telling the other members of the group as we speak.. As I have learned they are everywhere. Learn to hold your tongue, Soushi-san."
"Thank goodness you have resorted to using my first name, Saitou-san. I was becoming too tight with the formalities." Soushi admitted, "And yes, I will hold my tongue from now on."
"I only did it because Hijikata-san told me to watch over you and I can't do that if I address you as if you have a higher rank than me. We are of equal rank, besides."
"Yes, that is true." Okita nodded, "But now, I must be used to calling him Hijikata-san instead of Toshizo-san. It's kind of awkward for me since I've been calling him that for years and I will call him differently now." Okita laughed and Saito tried not to since he knows it will only look goofy on him. "But, Saitou-san, is what Nagashima-san told me true?"
"Yes, Soushi-san," Saito nodded his head. "That is why most of them agreed to this as well as I."
"Oh, I see." Soushi shrugged and went to the campfire where everybody ate.
After the moon has crept high, the Shisengumi went to sleep in sleeping bags prepared for them so that they can start early tomorrow.
***
That's the way things go in the Tokugawa era. Wait...Iyeyasu Tokugawa, hmmm...
Yeah, for all those anime dubs and subtitles that put Master in place for Saito-san in the translation of how Okita-niisama calls Saito, read this: THEY ARE EQUAL AND DO DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES!!!