Author's Note: I know things are serious right now, but there is another
side to this story, besides I am a huge fan of the Kenshin and Kaoru
pairing. Anyway, hope you're enjoying yourself so far, I hope to bring an
insight into Shinta's past that many people may have never considered.
Chapter 3:
Dark clouds had started to assemble over the trio, and the heavens bellowed forth a warning that its tears were soon to be felt. A moment of silence was however, observed since today marked the anniversary of Shinta's unfortunate tragedy. This tragedy was the day Tomoe's husband lost his life a second time.
"Let's go inside" Kaoru suggested, "Shinta can finish his story there, and we can all have dinner."
The group needed no further motivation to make haste towards the inside of the compound where they could be warm, fed, and hear the rest of Shinta's story.
"Come with me Yahiko, I need your help preparing dinner." Kaoru commanded.
Not really having a reason to object, he went along grumbling about how she didn't have to treat him like that, and that all she had to do was ask and he would have been more than happy to oblige. As he went along, he could not help but notice that the sky seemed to burn just as Shinta's scar did, and that somehow the similarity between the two seemed uncanny, that there was more to this supposition than met his eye.
"Kaoru," he asked, "do you think Shinta will have to leave to fight these guys? He already said that he was unsuccessful in beating them, why would he go to fight a fight he can't win?"
She turned to him, looked into his eyes seeing the fear and the uncertainty behind them, and wished she could say something to simply allay his fears and hers to nothing.
"I don't know Yahiko, I really don't. Honestly, I don't really understand what's going on here, why they are communicating with them, or why this is even happening. We'll just have to wait until Shinta finishes his story."
She tried to put on a smile for him, to try and show him that everything was alright, but all she ended up being able to manage was a wane little smile, if it could even be called that. Yahiko saw this, and even though he wanted to press further, he did not want to cause Kaoru any discomfort on the matter, so he simply let it drop.
Dinner that night ended up consisting of barbequed trout, which everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy, except for the nervous atmosphere that surrounded dinner. Although they did not want to seem impatient, they were eager to be filled in on what was going on. As Shinta watched this he sat back with knowing eyes, knowing that he could tell them, but they would never know the full extent of his pain.
The group tried to make small talk during dinner, but Shinta heard none of it instead he closed his eyes and was taken back.
************ "Kenshin, come with us, we have information for your next assignment."
He was led up to a shop in the middle of the street next to a tanning vendor. It was a large shop, a broad porch with many wares and customers filled Kenshin's eye as he approached the weapon-smith's shop.
A light skinned man in his thirties with a straw hat and a short sword at his side. He carried a light-hearted expression, and this worried Kenshin. 'Why is he cheery and meeting with me? Either he has good news that I am to take care of or he's hiding something.'
It happened in a second; a hand with a small dagger came at his neck from behind, but to no avail. Kenshin spun, first catching the hand with the dagger and simply guiding it away from him has his other hand was placed onto his back pushing him down. A crowd formed around them; each person murmuring about the spectacle that had just taken place in front of them.
After having defeated his opponent, Kenshin looked around and saw they all had swords on! 'The blades they carry are too nice to belong to simple village folk, this was a set up, but why?'
"Come with me, hurry." A voice next to him whispered as the person grabbed his arm and led him to the back room.
Awaiting him there was what seemed to be a council, and they had before them a map of Kyoto. He recognized the faces, he had seen them all before, and he wondered who his new assignment was.
"Come, sit Kenshin." A man concealed by darkness told him. "We have much use for you battousi. Your legend grows with every kill, and now you are synonymous with demon spirits of the most deadly kind. Your target is a man named Eiso, he is the brother to a woman named Tomoe."
"I didn't know he had a brother." Another man said.
"Not many do, that is why we require the assassin's services, and this brother looks remarkably like him. In fact, I myself did not know they were brothers until I saw them both in front of me." The first man replied.
The first man turned his attention to Kenshin.
"Your purpose is to eliminate his brother, it is entirely possible that they could double for each other and no one could be the wiser. They have refined this to an art to the point we are not sure that they haven't been doing this all along. It's so simple none of us had ever considered it, which is why this needs to be attended to now. I trust this won't be a problem for you?"
"I will destroy all that threaten to stand in the way of a more peaceful era, that I will. How will I recognize my target from his brother if the two resemble themselves so closely?"
Kenshin was not sure how much of this to believe, something seemed off, although he could not place his finger on it. He decided to go along with it until he could make a concrete decision.
****************** "Shinta dear are you okay?" Kaoru had apparently caught him in the middle of his reminiscence.
"This brings back memories; I just have a lot on my mind."
Author's Note: How do you like the two simultaneous stories thing? The two will eventually converge playing into part b of the story, so. Anyway, hope your enjoying, and let me know what you think as always.
Chapter 3:
Dark clouds had started to assemble over the trio, and the heavens bellowed forth a warning that its tears were soon to be felt. A moment of silence was however, observed since today marked the anniversary of Shinta's unfortunate tragedy. This tragedy was the day Tomoe's husband lost his life a second time.
"Let's go inside" Kaoru suggested, "Shinta can finish his story there, and we can all have dinner."
The group needed no further motivation to make haste towards the inside of the compound where they could be warm, fed, and hear the rest of Shinta's story.
"Come with me Yahiko, I need your help preparing dinner." Kaoru commanded.
Not really having a reason to object, he went along grumbling about how she didn't have to treat him like that, and that all she had to do was ask and he would have been more than happy to oblige. As he went along, he could not help but notice that the sky seemed to burn just as Shinta's scar did, and that somehow the similarity between the two seemed uncanny, that there was more to this supposition than met his eye.
"Kaoru," he asked, "do you think Shinta will have to leave to fight these guys? He already said that he was unsuccessful in beating them, why would he go to fight a fight he can't win?"
She turned to him, looked into his eyes seeing the fear and the uncertainty behind them, and wished she could say something to simply allay his fears and hers to nothing.
"I don't know Yahiko, I really don't. Honestly, I don't really understand what's going on here, why they are communicating with them, or why this is even happening. We'll just have to wait until Shinta finishes his story."
She tried to put on a smile for him, to try and show him that everything was alright, but all she ended up being able to manage was a wane little smile, if it could even be called that. Yahiko saw this, and even though he wanted to press further, he did not want to cause Kaoru any discomfort on the matter, so he simply let it drop.
Dinner that night ended up consisting of barbequed trout, which everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy, except for the nervous atmosphere that surrounded dinner. Although they did not want to seem impatient, they were eager to be filled in on what was going on. As Shinta watched this he sat back with knowing eyes, knowing that he could tell them, but they would never know the full extent of his pain.
The group tried to make small talk during dinner, but Shinta heard none of it instead he closed his eyes and was taken back.
************ "Kenshin, come with us, we have information for your next assignment."
He was led up to a shop in the middle of the street next to a tanning vendor. It was a large shop, a broad porch with many wares and customers filled Kenshin's eye as he approached the weapon-smith's shop.
A light skinned man in his thirties with a straw hat and a short sword at his side. He carried a light-hearted expression, and this worried Kenshin. 'Why is he cheery and meeting with me? Either he has good news that I am to take care of or he's hiding something.'
It happened in a second; a hand with a small dagger came at his neck from behind, but to no avail. Kenshin spun, first catching the hand with the dagger and simply guiding it away from him has his other hand was placed onto his back pushing him down. A crowd formed around them; each person murmuring about the spectacle that had just taken place in front of them.
After having defeated his opponent, Kenshin looked around and saw they all had swords on! 'The blades they carry are too nice to belong to simple village folk, this was a set up, but why?'
"Come with me, hurry." A voice next to him whispered as the person grabbed his arm and led him to the back room.
Awaiting him there was what seemed to be a council, and they had before them a map of Kyoto. He recognized the faces, he had seen them all before, and he wondered who his new assignment was.
"Come, sit Kenshin." A man concealed by darkness told him. "We have much use for you battousi. Your legend grows with every kill, and now you are synonymous with demon spirits of the most deadly kind. Your target is a man named Eiso, he is the brother to a woman named Tomoe."
"I didn't know he had a brother." Another man said.
"Not many do, that is why we require the assassin's services, and this brother looks remarkably like him. In fact, I myself did not know they were brothers until I saw them both in front of me." The first man replied.
The first man turned his attention to Kenshin.
"Your purpose is to eliminate his brother, it is entirely possible that they could double for each other and no one could be the wiser. They have refined this to an art to the point we are not sure that they haven't been doing this all along. It's so simple none of us had ever considered it, which is why this needs to be attended to now. I trust this won't be a problem for you?"
"I will destroy all that threaten to stand in the way of a more peaceful era, that I will. How will I recognize my target from his brother if the two resemble themselves so closely?"
Kenshin was not sure how much of this to believe, something seemed off, although he could not place his finger on it. He decided to go along with it until he could make a concrete decision.
****************** "Shinta dear are you okay?" Kaoru had apparently caught him in the middle of his reminiscence.
"This brings back memories; I just have a lot on my mind."
Author's Note: How do you like the two simultaneous stories thing? The two will eventually converge playing into part b of the story, so. Anyway, hope your enjoying, and let me know what you think as always.