CHAPTER 11- RAGE
Satomi gasped. "It's.it's YOU!"
Soujiro glanced over her shoulder to see what had surprised her. His eyes lit up at a familiar face. "Ah! Himura!"
Kenshin turned around and saw them. He smiled at the sight of his former rival. "Seta Soujiro, this is a surprise, that it is."
Soujiro bowed deeply. "It has been a long time, Himura-san. It is good to see you again."
Satomi stared.
Kenshin nodded. "Aa, it has. You've grown. Have you been traveling all this time?"
"I was until I came upon this place." He placed an arm around Satomi. "Allow me to introduce you to Hanahara Satomi and little Eisuke."
Eisuke bowed deeply. "Any friend of Soujiro-sama is a friend of mine!"
But Satomi's face was growing darker. Her hands curled into fists. Soujiro felt her tensing and looked down at her. "Satomi?"
"It's you." she looked up at Kenshin. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED MY FATHER!!!!!"
Everyone gasped. What was she talking about? Soujiro gasped. Kenshin's eyes widened.
With a loud scream, Satomi charged him, brandishing her katana. She had made a habit of wearing it into the village. Now she used it to attack Kenshin!
"SATOMI!" Soujiro cried, rushing to stop her.
CLACK!!!!! Her katana met the blade of a sakabatou, that of Kenshin's.
The former assassin stared at her, his purple eyes guilt-stricken. "Hanahara-san, I understand your feelings, that I do. I cannot forgive myself for all the lives I have taken."
Satomi struggled to push the blades down upon him. His knees bent slightly under her weight. But his gaze remained firm. "If it is a fight you need, then we must do it outside."
"RAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!" CRACK!!!! Satomi punched him hard, knocking him clear out the door. Soujiro grabbed Eisuke and leapt aside just in time.
"Satomi-san's gone crazy!!!!" Eisuke sobbed.
Soujiro held him close for a brief moment. "No, this is the power behind her anger! Be strong, little one."
He reached for his bokken. He had to stop them. He didn't want Satomi, the one he loved, and Kenshin, his mentor, to get hurt.
Kenshin was sitting up and had a hand on his bruising cheek. But Satomi, blind with fury, leapt high into the air and came down in a swirling dive. It was like nothing anyone had ever seen! And Kenshin was too stunned to recover in time to block!
"SATOMI-SAN!" Eisuke shouted.
"SATOMI!!!!!!!!!!"
POOM!!!!!!!!!!
The blow shook the ground. Soujiro's voice echoed into the depths of Satomi's mind. She was brought out of her rage. Her eyes returned to focus, only to bring her a terrible sight. "NO!"
Soujiro slipped to his knees, clutching his arm. Blood poured from a massive wound, staining his clothes and the ground. Kenshin was sitting up. "Seta."
Soujiro gritted his teeth against the pain and gave Satomi a gentle smile. "Satomi.please.don't kill." With that, his eyes turned to white and he fell forward.
Eisuke was pale as he stood there in the crowd that had gathered to watch the chaos.
Satomi was no longer the red-eyed crazed killer she had become for that instant. She was a frightened young woman now, tearfully cradling Soujiro's fallen form. "Soujiro.Soujiro!"
Kenshin was about to come to their aid when a shadow cast over him. More shadows fell, all around them. Rebels circled the three, swords drawn.
"Leave the woman. It's these two we need."
One of them shoved Satomi roughly off to the side. Kenshin gritted his teeth and prepared to fight back, but they stopped him with one sentence. "Take another step, and we kill her."
He watched them pick up Soujiro and take him away. Then, he was pushed after him. The bokken slipped to the ground with a loud clack.
Satomi held out her hand. "N-No.stop! Stop!"
Tears fell into the dirt. She had almost killed Soujiro! And now, he had been taken away from her, perhaps for good.
Eisuke came scurrying up to her. "Satomi-san! We have to do something! Please! Let's save Soujiro-sama!"
Could they now? How could they stand a chance against the Rebels who now had Soujiro and Kenshin?
Eisuke handed her something that she unconsciously accepted. It was Soujiro's bokken.
Satomi gasped. "It's.it's YOU!"
Soujiro glanced over her shoulder to see what had surprised her. His eyes lit up at a familiar face. "Ah! Himura!"
Kenshin turned around and saw them. He smiled at the sight of his former rival. "Seta Soujiro, this is a surprise, that it is."
Soujiro bowed deeply. "It has been a long time, Himura-san. It is good to see you again."
Satomi stared.
Kenshin nodded. "Aa, it has. You've grown. Have you been traveling all this time?"
"I was until I came upon this place." He placed an arm around Satomi. "Allow me to introduce you to Hanahara Satomi and little Eisuke."
Eisuke bowed deeply. "Any friend of Soujiro-sama is a friend of mine!"
But Satomi's face was growing darker. Her hands curled into fists. Soujiro felt her tensing and looked down at her. "Satomi?"
"It's you." she looked up at Kenshin. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED MY FATHER!!!!!"
Everyone gasped. What was she talking about? Soujiro gasped. Kenshin's eyes widened.
With a loud scream, Satomi charged him, brandishing her katana. She had made a habit of wearing it into the village. Now she used it to attack Kenshin!
"SATOMI!" Soujiro cried, rushing to stop her.
CLACK!!!!! Her katana met the blade of a sakabatou, that of Kenshin's.
The former assassin stared at her, his purple eyes guilt-stricken. "Hanahara-san, I understand your feelings, that I do. I cannot forgive myself for all the lives I have taken."
Satomi struggled to push the blades down upon him. His knees bent slightly under her weight. But his gaze remained firm. "If it is a fight you need, then we must do it outside."
"RAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!" CRACK!!!! Satomi punched him hard, knocking him clear out the door. Soujiro grabbed Eisuke and leapt aside just in time.
"Satomi-san's gone crazy!!!!" Eisuke sobbed.
Soujiro held him close for a brief moment. "No, this is the power behind her anger! Be strong, little one."
He reached for his bokken. He had to stop them. He didn't want Satomi, the one he loved, and Kenshin, his mentor, to get hurt.
Kenshin was sitting up and had a hand on his bruising cheek. But Satomi, blind with fury, leapt high into the air and came down in a swirling dive. It was like nothing anyone had ever seen! And Kenshin was too stunned to recover in time to block!
"SATOMI-SAN!" Eisuke shouted.
"SATOMI!!!!!!!!!!"
POOM!!!!!!!!!!
The blow shook the ground. Soujiro's voice echoed into the depths of Satomi's mind. She was brought out of her rage. Her eyes returned to focus, only to bring her a terrible sight. "NO!"
Soujiro slipped to his knees, clutching his arm. Blood poured from a massive wound, staining his clothes and the ground. Kenshin was sitting up. "Seta."
Soujiro gritted his teeth against the pain and gave Satomi a gentle smile. "Satomi.please.don't kill." With that, his eyes turned to white and he fell forward.
Eisuke was pale as he stood there in the crowd that had gathered to watch the chaos.
Satomi was no longer the red-eyed crazed killer she had become for that instant. She was a frightened young woman now, tearfully cradling Soujiro's fallen form. "Soujiro.Soujiro!"
Kenshin was about to come to their aid when a shadow cast over him. More shadows fell, all around them. Rebels circled the three, swords drawn.
"Leave the woman. It's these two we need."
One of them shoved Satomi roughly off to the side. Kenshin gritted his teeth and prepared to fight back, but they stopped him with one sentence. "Take another step, and we kill her."
He watched them pick up Soujiro and take him away. Then, he was pushed after him. The bokken slipped to the ground with a loud clack.
Satomi held out her hand. "N-No.stop! Stop!"
Tears fell into the dirt. She had almost killed Soujiro! And now, he had been taken away from her, perhaps for good.
Eisuke came scurrying up to her. "Satomi-san! We have to do something! Please! Let's save Soujiro-sama!"
Could they now? How could they stand a chance against the Rebels who now had Soujiro and Kenshin?
Eisuke handed her something that she unconsciously accepted. It was Soujiro's bokken.