Disclaimer: If I owned Rurouni Kenshin, then I'd be rich. If I were rich, I probably wouldn't be writing fanfics. If I weren't writing fanfics, I wouldn't be having to write disclaimers like this either to prevent me from being sued because I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, hence no money either. ...Did that one make sense?
Nevermind. Just read the nice ficcy.
Chapter Nine
Kids had curfews. So it was well past "bedtime" before Himura figured it was finally safe enough to creep out of the laundry room. Actually, he was debating on whether or not this would be a good time to creep away from the brothel. Yuiishi-dono would surely have his head for poking his nose where it didn't belong, and not to mention breaking the roof…
Drat, he had said he would fix that, and he wasn't one to go back on his word. Oh well, looks like he was obligated to stay after all.
Another reason Himura had finally come out of his current residence is because Obaga had not yet come back either. The old samurai was pretty adamant about that old saying, "Early to bed, early to rise." As for the "…Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" part, he wasn't so sure. Being schooled "Hiten Mitsurugi" style wasn't every morning wasn't exactly healthy for the older man; wealth was something he was definitely without; and wise… No comment necessary.
It was late now and Nuhiro had still yet to show himself. Finding this unusual, the former hitokiri had gone to investigate. …Not that he was worried or anything. He had a feeling that the last person he should worry about was Obaga Nuhiro; the first person to worry about was Himura Kenshin, especially when around Obaga Nuhiro. Himura's main concern at the moment was that Obaga was off fooling around again, which consequently always got him in trouble for it. He didn't understand how that logic worked, but when things happen without good statistic you often just screw reason and go straight for the root of the problem.
The trouble right now was where to find it, er, him.
Himura did a swift sweeping of the grounds in complete stealth, hardly disturbing the grass he stepped on. Securing the perimeter, or at least the back perimeter since a business was still be run up front, he still could not locate his elder. The mystery didn't last however, as Obaga soon came into view.
…Unfortunately, the view was overhead, a direction Himura wasn't looking until he heard his approach that sounded a lot like, "orororororOROROROROROOOOO!!!" The redhead glanced up in time to see an orange and gray shape growing in rapid size and heading right for him. Immediately there was a large crash which Himura was not caught up in because he had moved out of the way just in time to avoid becoming a Battousai-pancake. He didn't have god-like speed for nothing, after all.
"Obaga-san?" he asked.
"…oro…" the fallen figure confirmed, eyes swirling at a rapid rate.
"What were you doing up on the roof?" was the first thing into his mind to say. …Well, actually, the first was, "I wonder if I'll ever be able to get my eyes to swirl like that…" but he didn't say it aloud. Perhaps it should also be noted at this point that the third thing that came to mind was, "Hmm, maybe I should get him some medical attention. …Nah." This also went unsaid.
"Just admiring the stars de gozaru," Nuhiro finally answered, shaking off his dizzy spell and any concerns that he might have a concussion. Looking down at his hands, he sighed in relief when he saw that the sake jug he had was still in tact. "Phew, I thought I'd heard it break when I fell. It must've just been my back. Close call, ne Himura-dono?"
His companion raised an eyebrow, half-lidded stare switching between the samurai and the alcohol in his hands. "Only admiring the stars, huh?" he asked dryly.
"Er… well, maybe with a wee bit of refreshment," the older admitted sheepishly. "It's a tradition de gozaru!"
"To get drunk on the rooftop of a brothel?!"
"…Not quite such a specific tradition." Picking himself up with an ease that indicated he had no major injuries, Obaga dusted himself off and motioned skyward. "Look up, Himura-dono. It's a very clear night tonight."
Following his instruction, the young man cast his eyes to the view above him and almost instantly lost himself in the dizzying vastness of the cosmos. Nuhiro was right, it was a very clear night, and the stars seemed to be attempting their brightest hour. It was almost like looking into a pool of no reflection; still, deep, and endless. Looking up as he did, Kenshin could have sworn that the only thing keeping him from falling into the star blanketed heavens was gravity itself. All at once he felt very small in the comparison of the universe, and realized quite suddenly that 19 was a very young an age have the reputation of a deadly assassin.
He could only imagine what the view from the roof had been like.
"On nights like this," he heard Obaga say quietly, voice thick with nostalgia, "I pay my unworthy respects to my old master. I toast him occasionally. We used to drink sake together. You see, I tend to reminisce a little too much on nights like these as well. I remember a lot of things that I forget I don't want to remember, until I remember that I want to forget them again." Himura wasn't sure he'd caught that entire last sentence, but the old samurai continued on and he felt he shouldn't interrupt. "Mostly about where I came from, and how far I've come since then, you know? …Although I still can't decide if I've gone far in life or absolutely nowhere at all. Can't decide if I'm doing the world a favor or if it even cares that I'm still around." He chuckled to himself. "I'm probably not making much sense, am I Himura-dono. Sumanu."
"Actually…" the Ishin Shishi replied carefully. "I think I might understand much better than you think…"
There was a moment of silence as they regarded each other, knowing what any further conversation would bring and yet feeling ready for it.
"I've killed many people in my lifetime," Himura continued after an unspoken signal encouraged him to. "As a hitokiri, it was my duty. I never once took any personal pleasure out of it, but I did not stop all the same. …It… dulled me, I think. My soul. After some time, killing did not seem so sinful; or perhaps I had just accepted my sins as hopeless. I was hopeless. …So I gave up my guilt for a while. For a period of time, I think I became used to breathing in the cloud of blood that surrounded me.
"Then I… met someone. They began to drag me away from my cloud of blood and reminded me what it was like to inhale fresh air again. I liked it. It smelled…" Like white plums. "…clean and sweet. I had forgotten what it was like. It was beautiful."
So was she.
So very, very beautiful.
…Even in death.
…
"…They died." A pause. "…I killed them," he corrected, this once not allowing himself the selfish luxury of dodging the blame because no one knew better. It surprised him that he didn't avoid the full truth like he had so often before. In fact, he'd hardly ever told anyone that it was by his own hand that Tomoe had died. It was just something he didn't want to remind himself of; even though he never forgot.
"I wasn't supposed to kill them," he added in a small attempt of self-defense. "I didn't mean to, but that doesn't change the fact of the matter. I never forgot them though, or what they taught me. …That's why I started wandering after the wars; why I stopped killing. I keep hoping that I can protect people now, but… Sometimes I wonder if I'm really doing any good.
"It's like you said, Obaga-san. I also can't decide if I'm doing the world a favor or if it even cares that I'm still around."
Obaga Nuhiro, for his part, did not respond to his story. In fact, he didn't say a word in reaction. Instead, he began talking as though Himura had been waiting patiently for him to start.
"I was part of a very special kendo school once," he said. "I was one of its very first student, in fact. The master was an old friend of mine, and a genius swordsman. Perhaps even a fair match for you, Himura-dono." Nuhiro chuckled at that. "I was only slightly less experienced than he, and quickly became his finest pupil. It wasn't long before I was the first successor of the master title under him. It was a great honor.
"…Then one day, we had a disagreement. I became angry. Much angrier than I rightfully should have been over such a petty thing and I… I…"
Himura eyed him carefully from the corner of his eye, wondering if he'd pull another "I forgot de gozaru!" on him or not. …But the air was too thick to lie so easily, and the conversation was already too honest. The stars seemed to be pulling truth out by its roots tonight.
"…I also took a life without intending to, Himura-dono. But I not only killed a man that day, I killed a friend, a mentor, and… a school. I was the only successor at that time, but under what I had just done, I could not possibly dare to teach the art; especially under its idealistic and noble principles. …So I ran away.
"The Revolution started almost immediately afterward. You once asked what side I joined, ne Himura-dono?" For his part, the redhead merely nodded. Again, Nuhiro smiled listlessly against the inappropriate circumstances. "Neither," he answered. "I never joined in the war." He pulled his sheathed sword from his belt halfway, indicating towards it. "I've always worn a katana on my belt, but never once in all the Revolution has it tasted blood. I have always fought with a flipped blade since that fateful day.
"…I suppose you could say that I too have sworn off taking the lives of others as consequence of what a single person's death has taught me. …That's a little sad when you think about it. To have to have one person's fatality teach us one of life's most important lessons.
"…We don't have to practice being fools, Himura. We've always been them."
For a long time, nothing was said. The two of them merely stood side-by-side under the yawning majesty of space, submissing themselves to the reverence that had fallen upon them.
When reverence began to turn into awkwardness, Nuhiro broke the silence.
"Yuiishi-dono told me a bit about your 'adventure' after she got back this evening after dinner de gozaru. She had to tell me about Nikko-dono and the children too, of course."
"Nikko-dono?" Himura blinked.
"Yes, the young woman watching over those children. …Didn't you know her name?"
"No."
Obaga stared at him incredulously. "You crash through a woman's roof and you don't bother finding out her name?" he asked with heavy criticism, as though that situation had commonly known politeness procedures.
He sarcastically replied, "Gee, I guess that all the formalities escaped my mind while I was running for my life!"
"They're kids de gozaru!"
"With too much time on their hands," he grumbled. "And she wasn't much help in the matter of containing them."
"I can't believe I'm hearing the Hitokiri Battousai griping about poor child care."
"I'm well aware of that and don't need to be reminded."
"In any case," Nuhiro carried on, "Yuiishi-dono already has you set up to fix their roof tomorrow."
"What about you? Can't you help?"
"Aa, but I'll be running a few errands. Besides, I'm not the one who broke it! I might come and visit you later in the day though since Yuiishi-dono has given us both permission to enter there. I'll come watch you work!"
"Gee, thanks. I can't imagine anything being more helpful than that. Oh wait, yes I can."
"You are way too sarcastic for your own good, Himura-dono. I think that's what leads to your impoliteness."
"…You know Obaga-san, I recall hearing you say something once that I have wanted to quote back to you ever since."
Honored, the samurai asked, "And which slice was that?"
"Bite me de gozaru."
"…Touché."
End of chapter nine.
Author's Notes:
I know, I know. Not much humor in this one at all, and it's kinda short. But you know what? This time I don't mind. I kinda liked how this chapter turned out despite it not totally up to genre. As the title indicates, it's just a little interlude; a break maybe. Things will pick back up soon. Promise. ^_^
Well, Nuhiro's past is out! ...Well, most of it. Sorry, can't say anymore or else that'd be a spoiler! ^.^
I hope no one minds the Kenshin+Tomoe mush, despite its vaugness and attempted sublty. I really am a die-hard K&K fan, so don't get me wrong fellow Kaoru-lovers. However, Tomoe is/was an awesome character too. ...She's just one it takes a while to warm up too. Face it everybody, Kenshin needed Tomoe in his life when she was there. She just fulfilled her duty, died, and ten years later, it was Kaoru's turn to take over. ...Okay, that's a little too blunt, but in a summerizing POV, that's the way that it is. All in my opinion anyway.
Thanks to those of you who actually search for my fanfic and discovered it updated. I'm so flattered. Well, Chapter 10 will probably have the least reviews now since it wasn't on the open update, but I don't really care. It's all good.
See ya next week, minna! Oh yeah, and I turned 19 recently! Yay!!! I'll tell you my brithday goodness next rant (if there is any ^^;; ...birthday goodness I mean).