BURDENING VISIONS
Chapter Four: Fated Meeting, Encounter of Tenken and Itachi
The bird had long disappeared from view, and Soujiro had continued along, letting the solitary feather fall from his hands to rest amongst strands of the grass that had long been deprived from water. There were more trees in this area, but still not a lot to make a forest.
The grass that he trod on rustled in unheard protest as he continued along, farther away from the Hiten Clan and just skirting around the Oniwaban. Neither of those places was his destination...
Misao strolled along, prodding at a scrape on her left arm from last night's heated battle. It was only a small one that prickled at her touch and a faint red. If it wasn't protected, it would most likely be infected.
Misao heaved a sigh and ripped off a strip from the ends of her ninja clothes. She wrapped it securely around the wound, securing it in a tight but comfortable knot. Misao smiled down happily at her work. Dr. Genzai would probably say it was a rather neat job.
The noise of quivering of grass near her brought Misao out of her proud thoughts. She held her breath in her throat as the grass moved again.
Misao frowned. Could it be one of the Hiten Clan's followers, come to spy on them...?
"Monster Bird Kick!"*
Misao gasped in surprise as something blurry rushed away from her attack. Her attention on that, she realized too late—
"ACK!"
She felt herself collapse into a crumpled heap at the base of a tree she had crashed into. A pained moan emanated from Misao who grabbed at her right foot to rub at it ruefully.
"Wow Miss, you have a really powerful kick."
Misao shot up and twirled around to see a boy not much older than herself smiling at her. She immediately regretted her hasty actions and winced as her tender foot unleashed a hurtful throb.
"Were you......"
Soujiro's eyes opened slightly so the faintest of blue glinted out. He observed the girl who was staring at him, dumbfounded. She had lifted her foot up to relieve it of some of the pressure. Despite her rumpled state she didn't seem to mind and simply stood there perfectly balanced with an occasional swinging of arms.
"Are you all right Miss?"
Misao tapped her foot experimentally and tried not to flinch. It felt like a stab shot through her ankle.
"I'll be fine," she lied.
Soujiro had easily seen through her and noticed the anguish in her bright aquamarine eyes.
"Why don't I bring you to a doctor or someone to examine your foot? I'm sure glad that I wasn't that tree." His smile widened even a bit more. He wasn't quite sure how these emotions of...was it happiness, had risen? Was it perhaps because of this girl?
Misao cocked her head to look at the tree and flushed with embarrassment. Her kick that was supposed to land on his head had crashed into the tree trunk, leaving a sizable dent and protruding splinters.
Misao laughed nervously. "Ehe...sorry about that, I thought you might be a spy. See, our Clan just had a fight last night with another, and you might understand why I might be a bit...suspicious, or..."
Soujiro easily noticed her rambling and trailing off with a waver. Ah, perhaps she is one of the Oniwaban's.....
"Then why don't I escort you back to your Clan, if you'll tell me which one is yours, Miss."
"NO!" Misao burst suddenly, then stopped and faced him sheepishly, prodding two of her fingers together, "...What I mean is, well, I don't realy intend to go back yet...to the Oniwaban Clan that is....because the Hiten, and my friend Kaoru,uh—and the Kunai can't..."
"Um, Miss?"
Misao heaved a sigh. "Stop calling me Miss, please. I'm Makimachi Misao of the Oniwaban Clan and leader of the Kunai group. Now you are?"
"Seta Soujiro, pleasure to meet you Miss Makimachi."
"Please call me Misao. I don't like the formalities."
"If you say so Miss—I man Misao."
"So, what Clan are you from?" Misao asked as she hobbled over to join him.
"Well," Soujiro began, forming a story in his head, though for some strange reason he didn't feel right lying to this girl, "I'm not a part of any Clan actually...I'm just a lone wanderer. Here,"
He handed her his sword, the Nagosane Kotetsu to lean on. Misao gratefully took the weapon with a thankful smile.
"Oh my God! Did you see him?!" Omasu asked.
"Yes! He was so dashing and handsome!" Okon exclaimed enthusiastically.
The both exhaled heavily at the same time. "It's too bad he's the leader of our enemy."
"If only we could have all met under different circumstances..."
This was what Tae walked in on when she came running over, panting for breath.
"Have any of you seen Kaoru? I've looked everywhere and haven't found her."
Okon and Omasu glanced at each other. So not all the Clan knew yet..?
Okina was next to interrupt, badages wrapped securely around his forehead and over his wounded eye.
"Any of you seen Misao?"
If anything, Kaoru expected to be gagged and tied down with many guards scrutinizing her under heavy watch.
Instead, she was given her own tent, a horse, and a boy that soon was delivered over to her, bowing respectfully and to await orders.
"I'm Tsukayama Yutaro."
Kaoru was a bit miffed and taken aback at the sudden luxury placed before her and let the boy go free. Besides, he didn't look to keen to do anything like serving...and she didn't like the thought of ordering someone around who constantly had to follow her. And Kenshin had left her by herself, clueless to as what she should do.
The only time Kaoru did see Kenshin again was when he walked into her tent without her first acknowledging his presence and proclaiming,
"You'd best prepare yourself. We are leaving this afternoon."
Misao had soon become less and less unaware of her hurting foot as she continued alongside Soujiro. She was happy, for Soujiro listened to every word she said, despite that he strangely did not show anything on his face besides that smile. The one who was most attentive to Misao had been Kaoru, but maybe it was because she talked too much...
"....the Oniwaban is led by our Lord Aoshi. Aoshi...ah, he is so wonderful! But anyways, our Clan is mad of many groups under him. There's Okina's Aoiya, Aoshi's own, and the Kunai under me, named after my own weapons. The Kunai are mostly people we've picked up along the way, like Tae and Tsubame who were the only survivors when their restaurant the Akabeko was attacked and blown up. Then there's Doctor Genzai and his cute little granddaughters Ayame and Suzume. They're so adorable! Then that little boy, what was his name...Myojin...Ye—Y...Yuckyko, no—Yahiko, that's it! He'll probably become part of the Kunai. But enough about me! Why don't you tell me about yourself, Soujiro?"
"..." Soujiro had looked down, his hair falling over shaded stormy blue eyes that reflected on a raining night of his past. A fateful day when his hands were first stained....
"Sou--?"
Soujiro's voce boomed out, loud and clear to resonate on the slowly heating day.
"If you're strong you live, if you're weak you die."
Notes/Reviews:
Oro, I didn't really like the ending of this chapter! Oh well! And it's kinda short...
Ah! Gomen for lateness everyone! I just wrote this out in my fat notebook yesterday!
*Monster Bird Kick-One of Misao's techniques. It is Kempo, right? It's supposed to be a kick to the head. I think it's called Kechi Geri, but I wasn't so sure so I used the translation...
Nagosane Kotetsu-That is the name of the sword Soujiro used in his first battle with Kenshin in Shingetsu village, right?
Big hi to my reviewers!
Waterflash: Lol! A chibi you! Hey, that's ok! ^^
Hitokiri-san: Hey, that's all right! Don't worry about it! ^.^ I was a bit late for reviewing some of your fics so I guess...Gah, I don't know! Forget it, I'm confusing myself! (And I won't say I'm weird this time, okay! ^-^ Lol! Sano: I'm not so sure about the weird thing, but I'm sure you're insane.) Shut up baka rooster head. Oh, and actually, I'd rather be skewered by a katana!
Dragowolf: Yah, itachi refers to Misao! Itachi means weasel, but it can also mean skunk. You know how they call Misao the 'weasel girl'? (Misao: I'M NOT A WEASEL!)
Nicky9: Sorry, but this chapter was a bit more of Misao and Soujiro than anything. I plan to make more of Kenshin and Kaoru next chappie!
Mango
CurlsofSerenity: Thank you!
LittleDragon5
Aharah Musici: Sorry, but not a lot of Kaoru this chapter!!!!
lil-miss-kitsune
Next Chapter: Soujiro's past, The Hiten and Oniwaban's plans, maybe...oh what, you'll see!