And now, chapter 3!
It occurs to me that nobody can tell the story is being updated until I
post a totally new chapter. No matter, that will come soon!
R&R please!
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Kenshin woke up and realized something was wrong. The fact he was lying down was the first thing he noticed, even more alarming was being on his back and not his side. Second, he could feel the sunlight on him, he never slept without something over his head for protection. Third he could hear a stream, somewhere he never slept near - incase people went to it. But the most disturbing thing of all, he could sense someone nearby. He closed his eyes quickly and faked sleep. Then he realized he was hurt too. He tried to recall what had happened.
"I know you're awake no da." came a cheery voice, cutting into thoughts. Kenshin opened his eyes to see Chichiri. The monk was sitting cross-legged on a rock that rested on the bank of the stream, a few feet from him. "Chichiri? Why are you here?" he asked. "You got hurt so I fixed you up no da." Chichiri said calmly, gesturing with a long stick he was holding. "Feeling better?" he asked. Kenshin nodded and slowly sat up. His shirt had been removed and a bandage was wrapped around the stab wound in his stomach. He could see some kind of herbs peaking out around the edges of the bandage.
"Thanks." He said. Chichiri turned and grinned, "No problem no da." He regarded Kenshin for a moment. "You fight even better than I thought you did no da." he said. Kenshin looked at the bandage and frowned slightly. "I was careless." he mumbled. "Well there were a lot of bandits no da." Came the answer and another slight wave of the stick. "It's been a while since I fought and I've never used this." Kenshin said, gesturing to the sword Chichiri had laid near him. "It must be strange to use a sakabatou no da." The monk replied. Kenshin nodded. "That it is." He hoped Chichiri wouldn't probe further.
"Must be very strange, especially for a hitokiri no da." Chichiri continued. "That it is." Kenshin said again. Chichiri nodded, understanding that Kenshin didn't want to talk about it. *Yet* he thought. He turned back to the stream. "Are you hungry no da?" he asked, changing the subject much to Kenshin's relief. Kenshin pushed himself up higher and looked around the rock. He realized that Chichiri's stick was actually a fishing pole. Which made sense considering he wore a fishing hat, even though he could disappear into it. "Have you caught any?" Kenshin said craning his head to see if there were any fish next to Chichiri. "Not yet no da." he answered.
Kenshin carefully stood up and walked over to lean on Chichiri's rock. He looked into the shallow stream; it seemed rather empty. "Are there even fish here?" he asked. Chichiri turned to him and smiled. "I don't know no da!" the monk said, not sounding bothered by that fact. Had he not been wounded, Kenshin would have fallen over. However Chichiri's good mood seemed contagious and Kenshin felt a small grin coming. He wanted to comment but wasn't sure what to say, so he opted for, "Daaaa." Chichiri looked at him in surprise and laughed. Kenshin hesitantly smiled, then quickly looked back at the water.
"Here you go no da." Chichiri said a moment later. Kenshin looked up to see the monk offering him a rice ball. He nodded his thanks and took it. Kenshin sat down on the grass, leaning against another rock. He checked his bandage to make sure he wasn't bleeding again. Assured the wound was all right, he began to eat. As he ate, Kenshin surreptitiously watched the monk. *How does he stay so happy and carefree?* he wondered. The young monk was sitting with a huge grin, fishing in a stream with no fish in it. Then he noticed a large chunk of skin hanging off Chichiri's cheek. It looked like it had been done by a sword. "Did I do that?" he asked sadly. Chichiri turned. "Did you do what no da?" He asked, resting the fishing pole against his knee. Kenshin pointed to the skin. "Oh that, yes you did no da." Chichiri answered.
"Does it hurt?" Kenshin asked guiltily. Chichiri shook his head, the slashed skin flapped almost comically. "Want me to bandage it or something?" Kenshin asked, wanting to make up for hurting the monk. "Don't worry. I have a spare no da!" Chichiri said brightly. Having said that, he reached up and pulled off his face. Kenshin's eyes widened in shock at the identical grinning face beneath it. "A mask?" he asked in surprise. Chichiri nodded and turned back to his fishing. Kenshin noticed that the now discarded mask was nowhere to be seen. "Why do you wear a mask?" Kenshin asked curiously. "Why do you use a sakabatou?" Chichiri countered without turning.
Kenshin nodded falling silent again. *So he has some secrets too* he thought. "I cleaned the blood off your cheek no da. But it's a deep cut, there will be a scar no da." Chichiri said, continuing his trend of breaking awkward silences. Kenshin nodded. "I want there to be a scar." He stopped himself before he said more. *Why did I tell him that?* he wondered. "Sometimes scars serve as reminders of our past." Chichiri said. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. The monk turned and looked at him, had he not been wearing a mask, Kenshin would have seen his serious face. However the slightly smaller smile gave Kenshin no clue what the monk was thinking. He wondered how Chichiri had known he wanted the scar to remind him of something, but decided not to ask. As curious as he was, he preferred to keep even hints of Tomoe out of the conversation.
"Well I'm going to continue on my way no da. I'd like to reach the next town by tomorrow. You can come along if you like no da." Chichiri said, standing up. Kenshin shook his head. "I'd rather be alone." he said. Chichiri swept off his kasa and bowed. "Goodbye then no da." He slid the pole into the kasa, his arm disappearing up to the elbow. When he pulled his arm back out, he had his staff. With a nod at Kenshin, the masked monk turned and headed off along the stream. Kenshin watched for a moment and then looked for his shirt. Finding it near where he had laid, he put it on and then headed the direction the monk went.
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"Change your mind no da?" Chichiri asked, hearing footsteps behind him. He slowed and Kenshin picked up his pace until they were walking side by side. "I just happen to be heading this way." he said. Chichiri said nothing and the two walked in silence along the narrow wooded path for a nearly an hour.
Suddenly, Kenshin sensed something coming quickly though the tress. "Watch out!" he cried. He jumped in front of the startled monk and quickly twirling his sword, blocked the numerous daggers flying towards them. "Daaaa!" Chichiri said in awe, as the daggers fell harmlessly to the ground. "We're surrounded no da." he hissed as he sensed more people gathering behind them. He turned and put his back to Kenshin. "Don't over do it, you're hurt no da." he added. "I know." Kenshin whispered back, with a quick glance to make sure the bandage was in place. The man who had thrown the daggers stepped forward out of the trees. It was the same bandit Chichiri had let escape earlier.
"I see you have a friend now Pretty Boy. However I have a few friends now too." he said. As he spoke a large group of men came through the trees all around them "It's the local yakuza." Kenshin said. "We can take them no da." Chichiri whispered back, readying his staff. "On the count of Rou." he said. Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Of Rou?" he asked skeptically. "Baka yarou!" Chichiri cried, lunging forward on the last syllable. "Oro!" Kenshin squeaked as one of the yakuza suddenly charged him.
Keeping an eye on Chichiri as he fought, Kenshin was surprised to see the monk easily holding his own. But with each slash and parry of his sword, Kenshin could feel the urgings of Battousai. This was the first time he had fought while trying to honor his vow to not kill. He tried to ignore the urgings, and suddenly, "Daaa!" came a yell. A bandit that Chichiri had tossed with his staff flew by and hit the one Kenshin was fighting. To Kenshin's surprise, the voice in the back of his mind telling him to kill was pushed back down by the monk's outburst. As the fight went on Kenshin noticed that every time he was about to lose his inner fight with Battousai, Chichiri would let loose another "Da!" Before he realized it, the 2 of them were standing in a circle, surrounded by unconscious bandits, and he was still Kenshin.
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"Baka yarou!" Chichiri yelled, he found that odd outbursts often caught enemies off guard. He leapt forward and slammed his staff down onto the head of the nearest bandit. As his first foe fell to the ground, Chichiri spun around and blocked a sword with his staff. As he clashed with the bandit, he felt a strange aura begin to come from Kenshin. The monk didn't like the way it felt at all. "Daaa!" he cried suddenly, hooking the bandit over his staff. Chichiri lifted him up and flung him into the bandit Kenshin was fighting. The odd aura receded and Kenshin gave him a surprised look, before turning to defend against another bandit. As he fought, he kept an inner eye on Kenshin's aura, making sure to keep it from changing. Then, almost as suddenly as the fight began, it was over and Chichiri found himself in a circle of unconscious bandits. Kenshin stood nearby.
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Chichiri turned and grinned at Kenshin. "What was that you said before the fight started?" he asked. "Oh, rou." Kenshin answered. Chichiri laughed. "Sounded more like 'oro' no da." he said, checking to make sure none of the bandits would be getting up soon. "You should say that more often, its funny no da." Kenshin frowned. "Oro." he deadpanned, hoping Chichiri hadn't his instinctual flick of the sword before sheathing it. Chichiri laughed again, of he had noticed, he didn't mention it. "Were you doing that deliberately?" Kenshin asked as the pair resumed their walking.
Chichiri knew what he meant. "Yes. I tried to startle you whenever your aura started changing no da." he said. Kenshin was surprised. "Thanks." he said. "We make a good team no da." Chichiri said, glancing back at the yakuza on the ground behind them. "That we do." Kenshin agreed with a small chuckle. "How's your stomach?" the monk asked. "It's fine, it isn't bleeding anymore." Kenshin answered. With a satisfied nod, Chichiri turned and kept walking, Kenshin followed. ~~~~~~~
"So, you're not a hitokiri anymore I take it no da." Chichiri said suddenly, breaking the silence. Kenshin paused for a moment, then continued walking. "I've vowed never to kill again." he said softly. Nodding his head, Chichiri took a few more steps on the leaf littered trail before replying. "Hasn't been very long since you took the vow has it?" he asked. Kenshin looked down sadly. "Pretty obvious huh?" Chichiri laughed softly, but kindly to Kenshin's surprise. "Well flicking your sword to get blood off isn't very subtle." he answered. Much to Kenshin's relief, Chichiri changed the subject slightly. "You'd look less like a hitokiri without the high ponytail no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "That I would. But I don't want to put it down, it gets in my way." he answered. "You could put it like mine no da." Chichiri said gesturing to his hair.
Feeling oddly lighthearted after a big fight and keeping his vow, Kenshin tried out a joke. "I don't think my bangs will do that." At Chichiri's answering laugh, Kenshin felt the beginnings of a small smile. Being with the constantly happy monk made him feel almost happy himself. Like two young guys just hanging out and bantering. Even Tomoe's death seemed farther in the past and less painful. Chichiri laughed. "I just meant the ponytail no da." Kenshin didn't answer, but instead undid his high ponytail and pulled it up lower down. "It is more comfortable." He admitted. Chichiri nodded in approval. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the sun reached its peak and began to slide back down, Kenshin was pulled out of his musings about the effect Chichiri was having on him by a comment from said monk. "That was an amazing thing you did no da." Chichiri said. "What was?" Kenshin asked. "When you blocked the daggers by spinning your sword no da." Chichiri answered, with a quick spin of his staff. "Oh that. It's not that hard." Kenshin said with a shrug. "Would you teach me no da?" Chichiri asked. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "I feel like I'm going to need to know how to do it someday no da." Chichiri said mysteriously. "Well, I guess I can." Kenshin said. The two continued walking in silence until it was broken again, this time by Kenshin.
"It's starting to get dark, we should find a place to spend the night." he said. Chichiri agreed and the two left the path in search of shelter. As they walked though the darkening woods both shared the same thought; how was it that after parting twice, they had ended up traveling together. Soon they found another stream surrounded by rocks. "How's this?" Chichiri asked, pointing to a scoop in a large rock. It was so deep it was nearly a cave. "That's fine that it is! Closer to a stream than I'm used to, but it will have to do. We don't want to be caught in the rain, that we don't." Kenshin said. "Will it rain soon?" Chichiri asked in surprise, as they hunched down and crawled under the ledge. Kenshin nodded.
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The wanderers sat under the overhang, watching the dark settle. There was no room to stand, but they could sit and lie down comfortably. Soon the splashing of raindrops on the top of the rock could be heard. Chichiri nodded in approval at Kenshin in the quickly fading light. The two watched in silence as the dark thickened and the rain grew steadily harder. As the last of the daylight left, a light flared up in the cave. Kenshin looked in surprise as Chichiri set the light on the ground between them. "A little trick I do no da." he said with a grin. "That's useful." Kenshin said in awe.
"Are you going anywhere particular?" Chichiri asked, after they had laid down and gotten comfortable. "Anywhere but Kyoto." Kenshin answered. "What about you?" he said, avoiding saying more. "Anywhere my feet take me no da." Chichiri answered. "I'll head back to Konan someday, when I'm called no da." he said. Kenshin sat up in surprise and looked at Chichiri curiously. "You came all the way from Konan? What are you doing here?" Chichiri shrugged. "I've always wanted to visit Japan no da." he said. Then something odd Chichiri had said clicked in Kenshin's brain. "What do you mean, called?" he asked.
"I'm a warrior of the god Suzaku no da." Chichiri answered, sitting up. Kenshin looked skeptical. "Why? Because you have the same name as one of the constellations?" he asked jokingly. "My real name is Ri Houjun. Chichiri is my seishi name no da." Chichiri said, in the first serious tone Kenshin had heard him use. "Really?" Kenshin asked, thrown off by the monk's seriousness. Chichiri rolled up his right pant leg. After passing his knee he stopped. "See?" he asked.
As Kenshin watched, a red symbol (well) became visible. His eyes widened. Chichiri rolled his pants back down. "When the Suzaku no Miko comes, then I will be called back to Konan no da." he said. "Is that why you can do all that stuff?" Kenshin asked, looking at Chichiri's kasa, which was on the ground beside him.
Chichiri nodded. "I decided to wander until I'm called no da." he said. "Your turn no da." he said cheerily. Kenshin blinked, still in shock. "For what?"
"Tell me something about you no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin shrugged. "I was a hitokiri and I recently vowed never to kill. Now I'm a wanderer." he answered. Chichiri chuckled. "I already knew all that no da." he said, dropping down onto his back. "That you did." Kenshin agreed. The two sat in silence again; Chichiri dimmed the light to a peaceful glow. "Battousai." Kenshin said suddenly. He didn't know why, but something made him want to confide in the monk. Chichiri sat up again in surprise and looked at Kenshin. "What did you say?" he asked. Kenshin bit his lip and looked away. "I was the Hitokiri Battousai." he admitted.
"That explains your skill level no da." Chichiri said, lying back down. "Aren't you afraid of me now?" Kenshin asked in surprise, turning to look at him. "Why should I be? You were the same person you are now before you said that no da." he said. "But I've killed!" Kenshin said, not believing that Chichiri wasn't bothered in the least. "I'm a warrior, I'll have to kill someday too no da." Chichiri said calmly, still lying down. Shocked that Chichiri wouldn't care he was spending the night in a cave with an assassin and the thought of being accepted for who he was, Kenshin's mouth got the better of him. "I even killed Tomoe." he blurted without thinking. His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Chichiri said nothing. Right when Kenshin didn't think he could stand the silence anymore, Chichiri sat up and took off his mask.
The light brightened until it seemed like daylight in the cave. When Kenshin's eyes adjusted, he saw that Chichiri had turned to face him. Then they widened in shock. Chichiri's left eye was scarred shut by a wicked scar that ran down the middle of it and across his face. "We have a lot in common I think." Chichiri said softly. Kenshin was at a loss for words. Then, Chichiri carefully replaced his mask. As soon as the mask was on, he grinned. "Let's get some sleep no da. You can teach me that spinning thing before we reach town tomorrow no da." he said cheerfully. Kenshin could only nod in surprise. The light was extinguished all together.
Kenshin sat in stunned silence until he heard Chichiri's light snores. Realizing that nothing else would be said that night, he laid down and fell asleep.
Kenshin woke up and realized something was wrong. The fact he was lying down was the first thing he noticed, even more alarming was being on his back and not his side. Second, he could feel the sunlight on him, he never slept without something over his head for protection. Third he could hear a stream, somewhere he never slept near - incase people went to it. But the most disturbing thing of all, he could sense someone nearby. He closed his eyes quickly and faked sleep. Then he realized he was hurt too. He tried to recall what had happened.
"I know you're awake no da." came a cheery voice, cutting into thoughts. Kenshin opened his eyes to see Chichiri. The monk was sitting cross-legged on a rock that rested on the bank of the stream, a few feet from him. "Chichiri? Why are you here?" he asked. "You got hurt so I fixed you up no da." Chichiri said calmly, gesturing with a long stick he was holding. "Feeling better?" he asked. Kenshin nodded and slowly sat up. His shirt had been removed and a bandage was wrapped around the stab wound in his stomach. He could see some kind of herbs peaking out around the edges of the bandage.
"Thanks." He said. Chichiri turned and grinned, "No problem no da." He regarded Kenshin for a moment. "You fight even better than I thought you did no da." he said. Kenshin looked at the bandage and frowned slightly. "I was careless." he mumbled. "Well there were a lot of bandits no da." Came the answer and another slight wave of the stick. "It's been a while since I fought and I've never used this." Kenshin said, gesturing to the sword Chichiri had laid near him. "It must be strange to use a sakabatou no da." The monk replied. Kenshin nodded. "That it is." He hoped Chichiri wouldn't probe further.
"Must be very strange, especially for a hitokiri no da." Chichiri continued. "That it is." Kenshin said again. Chichiri nodded, understanding that Kenshin didn't want to talk about it. *Yet* he thought. He turned back to the stream. "Are you hungry no da?" he asked, changing the subject much to Kenshin's relief. Kenshin pushed himself up higher and looked around the rock. He realized that Chichiri's stick was actually a fishing pole. Which made sense considering he wore a fishing hat, even though he could disappear into it. "Have you caught any?" Kenshin said craning his head to see if there were any fish next to Chichiri. "Not yet no da." he answered.
Kenshin carefully stood up and walked over to lean on Chichiri's rock. He looked into the shallow stream; it seemed rather empty. "Are there even fish here?" he asked. Chichiri turned to him and smiled. "I don't know no da!" the monk said, not sounding bothered by that fact. Had he not been wounded, Kenshin would have fallen over. However Chichiri's good mood seemed contagious and Kenshin felt a small grin coming. He wanted to comment but wasn't sure what to say, so he opted for, "Daaaa." Chichiri looked at him in surprise and laughed. Kenshin hesitantly smiled, then quickly looked back at the water.
"Here you go no da." Chichiri said a moment later. Kenshin looked up to see the monk offering him a rice ball. He nodded his thanks and took it. Kenshin sat down on the grass, leaning against another rock. He checked his bandage to make sure he wasn't bleeding again. Assured the wound was all right, he began to eat. As he ate, Kenshin surreptitiously watched the monk. *How does he stay so happy and carefree?* he wondered. The young monk was sitting with a huge grin, fishing in a stream with no fish in it. Then he noticed a large chunk of skin hanging off Chichiri's cheek. It looked like it had been done by a sword. "Did I do that?" he asked sadly. Chichiri turned. "Did you do what no da?" He asked, resting the fishing pole against his knee. Kenshin pointed to the skin. "Oh that, yes you did no da." Chichiri answered.
"Does it hurt?" Kenshin asked guiltily. Chichiri shook his head, the slashed skin flapped almost comically. "Want me to bandage it or something?" Kenshin asked, wanting to make up for hurting the monk. "Don't worry. I have a spare no da!" Chichiri said brightly. Having said that, he reached up and pulled off his face. Kenshin's eyes widened in shock at the identical grinning face beneath it. "A mask?" he asked in surprise. Chichiri nodded and turned back to his fishing. Kenshin noticed that the now discarded mask was nowhere to be seen. "Why do you wear a mask?" Kenshin asked curiously. "Why do you use a sakabatou?" Chichiri countered without turning.
Kenshin nodded falling silent again. *So he has some secrets too* he thought. "I cleaned the blood off your cheek no da. But it's a deep cut, there will be a scar no da." Chichiri said, continuing his trend of breaking awkward silences. Kenshin nodded. "I want there to be a scar." He stopped himself before he said more. *Why did I tell him that?* he wondered. "Sometimes scars serve as reminders of our past." Chichiri said. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. The monk turned and looked at him, had he not been wearing a mask, Kenshin would have seen his serious face. However the slightly smaller smile gave Kenshin no clue what the monk was thinking. He wondered how Chichiri had known he wanted the scar to remind him of something, but decided not to ask. As curious as he was, he preferred to keep even hints of Tomoe out of the conversation.
"Well I'm going to continue on my way no da. I'd like to reach the next town by tomorrow. You can come along if you like no da." Chichiri said, standing up. Kenshin shook his head. "I'd rather be alone." he said. Chichiri swept off his kasa and bowed. "Goodbye then no da." He slid the pole into the kasa, his arm disappearing up to the elbow. When he pulled his arm back out, he had his staff. With a nod at Kenshin, the masked monk turned and headed off along the stream. Kenshin watched for a moment and then looked for his shirt. Finding it near where he had laid, he put it on and then headed the direction the monk went.
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"Change your mind no da?" Chichiri asked, hearing footsteps behind him. He slowed and Kenshin picked up his pace until they were walking side by side. "I just happen to be heading this way." he said. Chichiri said nothing and the two walked in silence along the narrow wooded path for a nearly an hour.
Suddenly, Kenshin sensed something coming quickly though the tress. "Watch out!" he cried. He jumped in front of the startled monk and quickly twirling his sword, blocked the numerous daggers flying towards them. "Daaaa!" Chichiri said in awe, as the daggers fell harmlessly to the ground. "We're surrounded no da." he hissed as he sensed more people gathering behind them. He turned and put his back to Kenshin. "Don't over do it, you're hurt no da." he added. "I know." Kenshin whispered back, with a quick glance to make sure the bandage was in place. The man who had thrown the daggers stepped forward out of the trees. It was the same bandit Chichiri had let escape earlier.
"I see you have a friend now Pretty Boy. However I have a few friends now too." he said. As he spoke a large group of men came through the trees all around them "It's the local yakuza." Kenshin said. "We can take them no da." Chichiri whispered back, readying his staff. "On the count of Rou." he said. Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Of Rou?" he asked skeptically. "Baka yarou!" Chichiri cried, lunging forward on the last syllable. "Oro!" Kenshin squeaked as one of the yakuza suddenly charged him.
Keeping an eye on Chichiri as he fought, Kenshin was surprised to see the monk easily holding his own. But with each slash and parry of his sword, Kenshin could feel the urgings of Battousai. This was the first time he had fought while trying to honor his vow to not kill. He tried to ignore the urgings, and suddenly, "Daaa!" came a yell. A bandit that Chichiri had tossed with his staff flew by and hit the one Kenshin was fighting. To Kenshin's surprise, the voice in the back of his mind telling him to kill was pushed back down by the monk's outburst. As the fight went on Kenshin noticed that every time he was about to lose his inner fight with Battousai, Chichiri would let loose another "Da!" Before he realized it, the 2 of them were standing in a circle, surrounded by unconscious bandits, and he was still Kenshin.
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"Baka yarou!" Chichiri yelled, he found that odd outbursts often caught enemies off guard. He leapt forward and slammed his staff down onto the head of the nearest bandit. As his first foe fell to the ground, Chichiri spun around and blocked a sword with his staff. As he clashed with the bandit, he felt a strange aura begin to come from Kenshin. The monk didn't like the way it felt at all. "Daaa!" he cried suddenly, hooking the bandit over his staff. Chichiri lifted him up and flung him into the bandit Kenshin was fighting. The odd aura receded and Kenshin gave him a surprised look, before turning to defend against another bandit. As he fought, he kept an inner eye on Kenshin's aura, making sure to keep it from changing. Then, almost as suddenly as the fight began, it was over and Chichiri found himself in a circle of unconscious bandits. Kenshin stood nearby.
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Chichiri turned and grinned at Kenshin. "What was that you said before the fight started?" he asked. "Oh, rou." Kenshin answered. Chichiri laughed. "Sounded more like 'oro' no da." he said, checking to make sure none of the bandits would be getting up soon. "You should say that more often, its funny no da." Kenshin frowned. "Oro." he deadpanned, hoping Chichiri hadn't his instinctual flick of the sword before sheathing it. Chichiri laughed again, of he had noticed, he didn't mention it. "Were you doing that deliberately?" Kenshin asked as the pair resumed their walking.
Chichiri knew what he meant. "Yes. I tried to startle you whenever your aura started changing no da." he said. Kenshin was surprised. "Thanks." he said. "We make a good team no da." Chichiri said, glancing back at the yakuza on the ground behind them. "That we do." Kenshin agreed with a small chuckle. "How's your stomach?" the monk asked. "It's fine, it isn't bleeding anymore." Kenshin answered. With a satisfied nod, Chichiri turned and kept walking, Kenshin followed. ~~~~~~~
"So, you're not a hitokiri anymore I take it no da." Chichiri said suddenly, breaking the silence. Kenshin paused for a moment, then continued walking. "I've vowed never to kill again." he said softly. Nodding his head, Chichiri took a few more steps on the leaf littered trail before replying. "Hasn't been very long since you took the vow has it?" he asked. Kenshin looked down sadly. "Pretty obvious huh?" Chichiri laughed softly, but kindly to Kenshin's surprise. "Well flicking your sword to get blood off isn't very subtle." he answered. Much to Kenshin's relief, Chichiri changed the subject slightly. "You'd look less like a hitokiri without the high ponytail no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "That I would. But I don't want to put it down, it gets in my way." he answered. "You could put it like mine no da." Chichiri said gesturing to his hair.
Feeling oddly lighthearted after a big fight and keeping his vow, Kenshin tried out a joke. "I don't think my bangs will do that." At Chichiri's answering laugh, Kenshin felt the beginnings of a small smile. Being with the constantly happy monk made him feel almost happy himself. Like two young guys just hanging out and bantering. Even Tomoe's death seemed farther in the past and less painful. Chichiri laughed. "I just meant the ponytail no da." Kenshin didn't answer, but instead undid his high ponytail and pulled it up lower down. "It is more comfortable." He admitted. Chichiri nodded in approval. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the sun reached its peak and began to slide back down, Kenshin was pulled out of his musings about the effect Chichiri was having on him by a comment from said monk. "That was an amazing thing you did no da." Chichiri said. "What was?" Kenshin asked. "When you blocked the daggers by spinning your sword no da." Chichiri answered, with a quick spin of his staff. "Oh that. It's not that hard." Kenshin said with a shrug. "Would you teach me no da?" Chichiri asked. Kenshin looked at him in surprise. "I feel like I'm going to need to know how to do it someday no da." Chichiri said mysteriously. "Well, I guess I can." Kenshin said. The two continued walking in silence until it was broken again, this time by Kenshin.
"It's starting to get dark, we should find a place to spend the night." he said. Chichiri agreed and the two left the path in search of shelter. As they walked though the darkening woods both shared the same thought; how was it that after parting twice, they had ended up traveling together. Soon they found another stream surrounded by rocks. "How's this?" Chichiri asked, pointing to a scoop in a large rock. It was so deep it was nearly a cave. "That's fine that it is! Closer to a stream than I'm used to, but it will have to do. We don't want to be caught in the rain, that we don't." Kenshin said. "Will it rain soon?" Chichiri asked in surprise, as they hunched down and crawled under the ledge. Kenshin nodded.
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The wanderers sat under the overhang, watching the dark settle. There was no room to stand, but they could sit and lie down comfortably. Soon the splashing of raindrops on the top of the rock could be heard. Chichiri nodded in approval at Kenshin in the quickly fading light. The two watched in silence as the dark thickened and the rain grew steadily harder. As the last of the daylight left, a light flared up in the cave. Kenshin looked in surprise as Chichiri set the light on the ground between them. "A little trick I do no da." he said with a grin. "That's useful." Kenshin said in awe.
"Are you going anywhere particular?" Chichiri asked, after they had laid down and gotten comfortable. "Anywhere but Kyoto." Kenshin answered. "What about you?" he said, avoiding saying more. "Anywhere my feet take me no da." Chichiri answered. "I'll head back to Konan someday, when I'm called no da." he said. Kenshin sat up in surprise and looked at Chichiri curiously. "You came all the way from Konan? What are you doing here?" Chichiri shrugged. "I've always wanted to visit Japan no da." he said. Then something odd Chichiri had said clicked in Kenshin's brain. "What do you mean, called?" he asked.
"I'm a warrior of the god Suzaku no da." Chichiri answered, sitting up. Kenshin looked skeptical. "Why? Because you have the same name as one of the constellations?" he asked jokingly. "My real name is Ri Houjun. Chichiri is my seishi name no da." Chichiri said, in the first serious tone Kenshin had heard him use. "Really?" Kenshin asked, thrown off by the monk's seriousness. Chichiri rolled up his right pant leg. After passing his knee he stopped. "See?" he asked.
As Kenshin watched, a red symbol (well) became visible. His eyes widened. Chichiri rolled his pants back down. "When the Suzaku no Miko comes, then I will be called back to Konan no da." he said. "Is that why you can do all that stuff?" Kenshin asked, looking at Chichiri's kasa, which was on the ground beside him.
Chichiri nodded. "I decided to wander until I'm called no da." he said. "Your turn no da." he said cheerily. Kenshin blinked, still in shock. "For what?"
"Tell me something about you no da." Chichiri said. Kenshin shrugged. "I was a hitokiri and I recently vowed never to kill. Now I'm a wanderer." he answered. Chichiri chuckled. "I already knew all that no da." he said, dropping down onto his back. "That you did." Kenshin agreed. The two sat in silence again; Chichiri dimmed the light to a peaceful glow. "Battousai." Kenshin said suddenly. He didn't know why, but something made him want to confide in the monk. Chichiri sat up again in surprise and looked at Kenshin. "What did you say?" he asked. Kenshin bit his lip and looked away. "I was the Hitokiri Battousai." he admitted.
"That explains your skill level no da." Chichiri said, lying back down. "Aren't you afraid of me now?" Kenshin asked in surprise, turning to look at him. "Why should I be? You were the same person you are now before you said that no da." he said. "But I've killed!" Kenshin said, not believing that Chichiri wasn't bothered in the least. "I'm a warrior, I'll have to kill someday too no da." Chichiri said calmly, still lying down. Shocked that Chichiri wouldn't care he was spending the night in a cave with an assassin and the thought of being accepted for who he was, Kenshin's mouth got the better of him. "I even killed Tomoe." he blurted without thinking. His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Chichiri said nothing. Right when Kenshin didn't think he could stand the silence anymore, Chichiri sat up and took off his mask.
The light brightened until it seemed like daylight in the cave. When Kenshin's eyes adjusted, he saw that Chichiri had turned to face him. Then they widened in shock. Chichiri's left eye was scarred shut by a wicked scar that ran down the middle of it and across his face. "We have a lot in common I think." Chichiri said softly. Kenshin was at a loss for words. Then, Chichiri carefully replaced his mask. As soon as the mask was on, he grinned. "Let's get some sleep no da. You can teach me that spinning thing before we reach town tomorrow no da." he said cheerfully. Kenshin could only nod in surprise. The light was extinguished all together.
Kenshin sat in stunned silence until he heard Chichiri's light snores. Realizing that nothing else would be said that night, he laid down and fell asleep.
