Fatality of the Strong
Chapter 2: Kenshin?
By: Devilspet
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I only own Kureno Izaki.
A/N: For those who don't know, Ayame and Suzume are Dr. Genzai's granddaughters and are Kaoru's closest thing to family.
************
Kureno Izaki walked through the village on his way to the Kamiya Kasshin dojo that his boss was sending him to for some reason. He said that the owner was a close friend; her name was Kaoru Kamiya.
Kureno had fiery red, long hair. He wore a green and black gi, much like Kenshin's, but he didn't know that.
People were allowed to carry swords once again, ever since the legendary Battousai was mysteriously killed. Ever since then, which was two years ago, Kureno carried a sword with him everywhere.
"Uncle Ken???" someone asked. Kureno didn't answer, not knowing that the little girl was talking to him. The little girl tugged on his sleeve.
Kureno looked down at the little girl. When the little girl saw his warm purple eyes, she grinned. 'This is Uncle Ken, no doubt about it . . .'
She looked so familiar but he couldn't quite place her face.
"Excuse me, but have we met?" Kureno asked. The little girl giggled.
"Uncle Ken, you're funny!" she said.
"But, what's your name?" Kureno asked as the little girl began to pull Kureno down the path.
"You know my name. It's Ayame, remember?" the girl giggled again.
Kureno blinked.
'Now, why does THAT sound familiar? Come to think of it, these people and this village look familiar, too,' he thought.
As he was being pulled down the path, he heard so many people say 'Kenshin???' or 'Himura???' or 'Kenshin, is that you??' and it was terribly confusing.
Ayame pulled him to a dojo; it was the dojo he was supposed to be visiting.
'Is this just a coincidence or what?' Kureno asked himself.
"Ayame, do you live here??" Kureno asked when she let go of his hand and walked into the dojo.
Ayame shook her head. "No, but you do, well did, before you left . . . don't you remember?"
Kureno opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by a scream from outside the Kamiya Kasshin dojo.
Kureno ran outside to see a man with a sword advancing on a young woman.
Kaoru was slowly backing away from the man; she was completely unarmed. She was so close to home; if she could only make it home, everything would be fine.
She was about half way down the pathway, when she tripped over her kimono . . . it was just a little too long for her.
That was when Kureno decided to make his move. He sprinted forward and stood in front of the young woman. Kaoru looked up at the red haired man that stood in front of her.
She gasped. "Kenshin?" she breathed.
"Run . . ." Kureno ordered.
Kaoru nodded, scrambled to her feet, and ran back to her dojo.
Kaoru made it back to her dojo. She couldn't take her eyes off the man that protected her. 'Is this Kenshin? Did he really come back?' Kaoru thought, she saw tears blur her vision, 'Is it? Is it really him? Is it really Kenshin?' she considered this for a moment, 'No, it couldn't be . . . it can't be Kenshin. That's absolutely impossible! Besides, he looks sort of different but who is he?' Kaoru asked herself.
Kureno stood his ground in front of the attacker, who was over a foot taller than him. "Leave now . . ." he growled.
The man in front of him looked slightly frightened. "Hi-Himura? I he-heard you were killed!" the man stuttered.
Kureno decided he should play along with this man. "I was . . ." he snarled then smirked.
The man panicked.
'This moron actually believes me??' Kureno mused. He chuckled silently.
Kaoru froze. 'What did he say? Is that really Kenshin? But, it can't be . . . there's no scar on his cheek. Is he just saying that because he can play it off? But, then again . . . GOD!! THIS IS CONFUSING!! KENSHIN?? IS THAT YOU IN THERE???' Kaoru screamed in her mind. She felt tears roll down her cheeks but she didn't bother stopping them.
Kureno smiled evilly (A/N: a smile that REALLY didn't suit him in my opinion but . . . oh well.) and waved his hand for the attack to leave. "Now, now, run along, I don't like killing but I will if I have to . . ." he said coldly.
The man nodded nervously and ran down the pathway.
Kureno watched until he was out of sight, then sighed, and turned around to face the two girls with a triumphant smile.
That smile faded when he saw that the young woman was crying. "What? What's the matter?" Kureno asked.
Kaoru looked up at him and smiled sadly. "You look just like him," she said quietly. Kureno blinked. "Like who? And who is it that everyone keeps calling me?" he asked.
Kaoru's smile faded slightly but never left. "That's 'him'," she said, wiping away her tears. Kureno nodded while thinking. "So . . . I look like this 'Himura' guy? And this 'Himura' guy was someone you knew? But, someone killed him, right?" Kureno said.
Kaoru smiled. "Somewhat right . . . yes, you look like Kenshin. Yes, Kenshin was my friend. But no, someone did not kill him . . . Kenshin killed himself for Yahiko, Sanosuke, and I- all for his friends' safety. He killed himself for his friends' own welfare, their safety, and only theirs . . . not for his," Kaoru explained.
"Killed himself? How do you know?" Kureno asked, shocked at the news. Kaoru felt a new wave of tears well up in her eyes.
"I was there," tears rolled down her cheeks but she continued, "I saw him pierce his heart with that dagger, I yelled at him, tried to get him to stop . . . to come back home with us, I confessed so many things that I would have never imagined me telling him, I said I loved him, that I couldn't live without him, and he just ignored me. He said it was for the best and I was stupid enough to believe him. I was wrong; it's been living hell for me without him here- for two years I've had to live without him and they were the hardest years of my life." Kaoru said then looked down, embarrassed for letting him see her cry.
She wiped away the tears and looked up again. "Any particular reason why you're here?" she asked shakily.
Kureno nodded. "I just got a new job and when he hired me, he said I should come and see you . . . for some reason . . ." he said.
"He must have thought the same thing," she muttered. "Oh! I never got your name," Kaoru said.
"Oh, it's Kureno Izaki . . . and you are Miss Kaoru Kamiya, right?" he asked. Kaoru nodded.
************
Chapter 3: So Familiar . . .
Chapter 2: Kenshin?
By: Devilspet
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I only own Kureno Izaki.
A/N: For those who don't know, Ayame and Suzume are Dr. Genzai's granddaughters and are Kaoru's closest thing to family.
************
Kureno Izaki walked through the village on his way to the Kamiya Kasshin dojo that his boss was sending him to for some reason. He said that the owner was a close friend; her name was Kaoru Kamiya.
Kureno had fiery red, long hair. He wore a green and black gi, much like Kenshin's, but he didn't know that.
People were allowed to carry swords once again, ever since the legendary Battousai was mysteriously killed. Ever since then, which was two years ago, Kureno carried a sword with him everywhere.
"Uncle Ken???" someone asked. Kureno didn't answer, not knowing that the little girl was talking to him. The little girl tugged on his sleeve.
Kureno looked down at the little girl. When the little girl saw his warm purple eyes, she grinned. 'This is Uncle Ken, no doubt about it . . .'
She looked so familiar but he couldn't quite place her face.
"Excuse me, but have we met?" Kureno asked. The little girl giggled.
"Uncle Ken, you're funny!" she said.
"But, what's your name?" Kureno asked as the little girl began to pull Kureno down the path.
"You know my name. It's Ayame, remember?" the girl giggled again.
Kureno blinked.
'Now, why does THAT sound familiar? Come to think of it, these people and this village look familiar, too,' he thought.
As he was being pulled down the path, he heard so many people say 'Kenshin???' or 'Himura???' or 'Kenshin, is that you??' and it was terribly confusing.
Ayame pulled him to a dojo; it was the dojo he was supposed to be visiting.
'Is this just a coincidence or what?' Kureno asked himself.
"Ayame, do you live here??" Kureno asked when she let go of his hand and walked into the dojo.
Ayame shook her head. "No, but you do, well did, before you left . . . don't you remember?"
Kureno opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by a scream from outside the Kamiya Kasshin dojo.
Kureno ran outside to see a man with a sword advancing on a young woman.
Kaoru was slowly backing away from the man; she was completely unarmed. She was so close to home; if she could only make it home, everything would be fine.
She was about half way down the pathway, when she tripped over her kimono . . . it was just a little too long for her.
That was when Kureno decided to make his move. He sprinted forward and stood in front of the young woman. Kaoru looked up at the red haired man that stood in front of her.
She gasped. "Kenshin?" she breathed.
"Run . . ." Kureno ordered.
Kaoru nodded, scrambled to her feet, and ran back to her dojo.
Kaoru made it back to her dojo. She couldn't take her eyes off the man that protected her. 'Is this Kenshin? Did he really come back?' Kaoru thought, she saw tears blur her vision, 'Is it? Is it really him? Is it really Kenshin?' she considered this for a moment, 'No, it couldn't be . . . it can't be Kenshin. That's absolutely impossible! Besides, he looks sort of different but who is he?' Kaoru asked herself.
Kureno stood his ground in front of the attacker, who was over a foot taller than him. "Leave now . . ." he growled.
The man in front of him looked slightly frightened. "Hi-Himura? I he-heard you were killed!" the man stuttered.
Kureno decided he should play along with this man. "I was . . ." he snarled then smirked.
The man panicked.
'This moron actually believes me??' Kureno mused. He chuckled silently.
Kaoru froze. 'What did he say? Is that really Kenshin? But, it can't be . . . there's no scar on his cheek. Is he just saying that because he can play it off? But, then again . . . GOD!! THIS IS CONFUSING!! KENSHIN?? IS THAT YOU IN THERE???' Kaoru screamed in her mind. She felt tears roll down her cheeks but she didn't bother stopping them.
Kureno smiled evilly (A/N: a smile that REALLY didn't suit him in my opinion but . . . oh well.) and waved his hand for the attack to leave. "Now, now, run along, I don't like killing but I will if I have to . . ." he said coldly.
The man nodded nervously and ran down the pathway.
Kureno watched until he was out of sight, then sighed, and turned around to face the two girls with a triumphant smile.
That smile faded when he saw that the young woman was crying. "What? What's the matter?" Kureno asked.
Kaoru looked up at him and smiled sadly. "You look just like him," she said quietly. Kureno blinked. "Like who? And who is it that everyone keeps calling me?" he asked.
Kaoru's smile faded slightly but never left. "That's 'him'," she said, wiping away her tears. Kureno nodded while thinking. "So . . . I look like this 'Himura' guy? And this 'Himura' guy was someone you knew? But, someone killed him, right?" Kureno said.
Kaoru smiled. "Somewhat right . . . yes, you look like Kenshin. Yes, Kenshin was my friend. But no, someone did not kill him . . . Kenshin killed himself for Yahiko, Sanosuke, and I- all for his friends' safety. He killed himself for his friends' own welfare, their safety, and only theirs . . . not for his," Kaoru explained.
"Killed himself? How do you know?" Kureno asked, shocked at the news. Kaoru felt a new wave of tears well up in her eyes.
"I was there," tears rolled down her cheeks but she continued, "I saw him pierce his heart with that dagger, I yelled at him, tried to get him to stop . . . to come back home with us, I confessed so many things that I would have never imagined me telling him, I said I loved him, that I couldn't live without him, and he just ignored me. He said it was for the best and I was stupid enough to believe him. I was wrong; it's been living hell for me without him here- for two years I've had to live without him and they were the hardest years of my life." Kaoru said then looked down, embarrassed for letting him see her cry.
She wiped away the tears and looked up again. "Any particular reason why you're here?" she asked shakily.
Kureno nodded. "I just got a new job and when he hired me, he said I should come and see you . . . for some reason . . ." he said.
"He must have thought the same thing," she muttered. "Oh! I never got your name," Kaoru said.
"Oh, it's Kureno Izaki . . . and you are Miss Kaoru Kamiya, right?" he asked. Kaoru nodded.
************
Chapter 3: So Familiar . . .
