Chp.7

Tara came by that evening after doing what she had to do. "Hey, I'm back. Where's Kenshin?" She said walking into the doctor's place.

Miss Tasuki was looking out at the hill. Tara peeked over her shoulder to see if Kenshin was playing out there. There was no sign of either of them. "Oh my God, a-are they missing?" Tara looked at Tasuki who she could now see was crying in worry. "Don't worry, Tasu-chan, we'll find them. I'm sure they were just playing a game and went to far from home. They're probably fine."

~~~~~~

"Hey, Kyonae?" Kenshin asked. They had stopped playing awhile ago.

"Y-yeah?"

"Which way is it back to your home?"

"I was hoping you knew…" She said. They walked into a town, scared, confused, and lost. "Wh-what do we do now, Kenshin?"

"I-I don't know…We're lost…" Kenshin said slowly, looking around at all the unfamiliar faces. "I do think we're in Kyoto though." He realized that he somewhat recognized some of the buildings.

"Kyoto is really big, Kenshin," Kyonae said.

"Yeah, Master told me that, he did," Kenshin said. "Well, we'd best find a place to stay. The sun is going down, that it is."

"We don't know anyone here," Kyonae said. "How will we find a place?"

"I don't know…I'm not very knowing on the subject of camping…"

"Well, maybe we should ask around a little," Kyonae said. "Some of these people look kinda nice."

"Yeah, I guess so. You go right, and I'll go left, and we'll meet up again at that tree that you can see over the buildings."

"Okay, you got it," Kyonae said. The two then split up to look for someone nice or familiar.

~~~~~~~

Kenshin looked from face to face, but somehow, he couldn't trust these people. He wanted Kyonae safe, and he wasn't going to take chances.

Things though, weren't getting better as he walked along. It seemed he had picked the wrong side of the city to walk down, but the creepiest part was, the buildings seemed to get more and more familiar. He didn't like the looks a bunch of the men were giving him, the light of their cigarettes and cigars standing out as the sun began to fade in the sky. He realized how the farther he walked, the more and more people had swords.

"Boy, what're you doin' here?!" A man said, stumbling down the steps of an unnamed bar, speaking in a slur. "You don't belon' here boy! We guys kill any'ody tha' get's I-in our way. Tha' is unless, you is a servant to one a' us." Kenshin couldn't see what he looked like, the light from the bar behind, shadowing him out. Two more me, one taller, one shorter soon joined the man in the doorway.

"What shall I do with him? I happen to be the only one sober," The taller one said pushing his black bangs out of his face and yanking his ponytail tighter. He had on a blue shirt with a gray shirt over it and brown pants. All of it was ripped in places, obviously worn out. His bare feet were scratched and dirty, just like his hands. At his side was the one thing that stood out, a shiny, ne-looking sword, wrapped up neatly in it's sheath. The man tied a worn blue scarf around his head and rubbed his hands together.

"Kill 'em, Hi, show n' mercy," The first man said.

"Yeah, get some practice!" The shorter man said.

"Right," Hi said and unsheathed his sword. "You're gonna regret walkin' alone kid."

The blade came soaring down at him. Kenshin's eyes grew wide.

The attack was blocked. Kenshin had flung his sword up and with a cling noise countered. Even he himself was surprised. Then the words Hiko said once echoed into his mind.

"When you get scared, you can't run away. Use your fear and channel it into your attack."

"Have you ever been afraid, Master?"

"Don't be an idiot, idiot," Hiko said.

~~~~~~~

"I won't let you WIN!" Kenshin yelled, swung his sword under and began battling it out with Hi. The clanking of swords began to catch everyone's attention, and it wasn't long till there was a crowd.

"Hey, look! Hi is fighting a little kid!" One of the men yelled.

"Take this!" Kenshin yelled. "Hiten Mitsirugi style RYU TSUI SEN!" He performed the attack perfectly. The whole crowd murmered, gasped, and pointed in amazement.

"Is this kid human?" Hi said.

"haaaaaaaAAAAAAAH!" Kenshin began more fighting.

"Stop! That's enough!" A voice echoed over the crowd. Hi stopped fighting and stepped back with the crowd.

"Tomokawa Sako, sir! We didn't expect you," Hi said.

"What?!" Kenshin thought. He remembered that name, and now he realized why everything was so familiar. He looked over his shoulder at him.

"Ah, if it isn't Kenshin, the little boy from three years ago. Seems you become good with a sword, haven't you."

"I-I suppose, sir. I-I didn't e-expect to ever see y-y-you again," kenshin said slowly, staring up at the man in the dark, watching his cigar burn.

"I didn't expect to see you either. Hiko Seijiro hasn't killed you yet I see. You're a strong boy," Tomokawa said.

"Thank you, sir, but I don't want to take up your offer in helping with the Revolution. One of these manslayers killed my friend's father."

"You asked him to be a manslayer like us, sir?" One of the men asked.

"Yes, I did. Hiten Mitsirugi style. Battou Jutsu. Hiko Seijiro has killed men with that stance," Tomokawa said.

"Wh-what?" Kenshin asked in shock. He didn't think his master killed men like a manslayer would. Sure, he'd witnessed him kill a man, but hje said so himself that only when there was no other way to protect yourself or someone else. "He didn't kill for fun…did he?" Kenshin asked.

"I don't know. I've never spoken to him. He does seem like the type thought."

"No! He's not!" Kenshin yelled.

"Himura, you can't prove that. You've known him for three years on the training grounds," Tomokawa said.

"Yeah, little boy," Hi said. "Hiten Mitsirugi is like the perfect move to kill another man with."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Tomokawa said. "That up and coming army working for the Bakufu, the Shinsengumi has got some pretty tough fighters. I mean, I'm a loyalist, and I believe they stand a chance at beating us."

Kenshin was confused. What were they talking about. It was also making him upset that they spoke as if Seijiro, his master, was a manslayer. He couldn't have been! There was just no way!

"I dunno, that Seijiro could probably slaughter 'em all!" Hi said.

"Shut up…" Kenshin whispered, bowing his head. His eyes filled with tears. It couldn't be true. Were they just thesting him? Making fun of him? They continued talking. "SHUT UP!" Kenshin screamed, his eyes flashing from violet to gold and back again. "My master…Would NEVER kill for pleasure…. H-he told me that…to kill is okay, b-but when only you have no other option to save yourself or someone else..."

"Kill or be killed, kid," Tomokawa said. Kenshin stared at the man in shock as the tears poured down his face. Tomokawa brushed some ashes from hois cigar off of his black haori and brown pants. "Good evening to you, Kenshin Himura. Hope to see you again soon."

Kenshin waited as the men left, going back into the bars and run down temples and houses, then broke out in a scream. He then turned on his heel and ran back towards the main road, which was far now. Tears splattered his face as he ran. He could feel the men around him staring, watching him run. That didn't scare him though. He didn't even want to move. Something else was making him run….Was it good? Bad? He didn't know. That was terrifying.

~~~~~~~

Kenshin saw someone running towards him as he ran down the path. The person had a lantern in hand and Kyonae by the other hand. There were two other people with the person. "Kenshin!" Tara cried out, setting the lantern down, running over to him as he collapsed into her arms, sobbing loudly.

"Tara, is he okay?" Hiko asked walking over with the lantern to examine him. Apparently, Hi had gashed his arm. Kenshin didn't even notice his ripped sleeve stained with blood.

"Looks like he fought someone," Tara said looking at his arm as Hiko shined light on it. "What happened, kiddo?"

Kenshin didn't say a word. He looked desperately up at Hiko, trying to see if it was true about slaying men, trying to tell through his gaze upon his blood. But he read nothing. He was going to have to ask him. "M-master…."

"What?" Hiko asked.

"Did you ever…did you ever kill a man for fun?" Kenshin felt more tears come and splash his cheeks as he moved forward, trying desperately to see.

"No," Hiko said, no emotion in his face.

"-but the men back there said that the Battou Jutsu could kill a man!" Kenshin yelled.

"It can. I've done it before, but never for fun. What men are you talking about?" Hiko asked.

"Tomokawa's men! The manslayers!" Kenshin yelled. Tara grew wide-eyed and looked over at Hiko. Hiko handed her the lantern and picked Kenshin up.

"Come on, Tara, we're going home," Hiko said.

"Alright," She whispered. "Good evening to you," She said to Kyonae and her mother.

~~~~~~~~

"Tara, why don't you go get some water. We'll have a late dinner," Hiko said as soon as they entered the hut.

"Right," She said and ran off.

"Kenshin," Hiko said. "I apologize."

"Wha?" Kenshin had never heard that before.

"I should have been in town with you and Tara."

"But-"

"Shut up, idiot, I'm talking."

'Yessir," Kenshin said quickly.

"Listen, I never want you to see any of those men again. They're filthy with the blood of other men," Hiko said.

"I don't understand, master," Kenshin said.

"Theyre is already a revolution, Kenshin. It just hasn't become public yet. I want you to stay away from Kyoto as often as possible until you've completed your training. These men…they must want you dead."

"No, th-they don't…"

"Well, what do they want with you then?"

"They want me to become one of them…They want me to become a manslayer for the revolution. Tomokawa wanted me to, even when I was five. He said I had potential and the they could use someone like me, that they could. Then tonight he spoke of the Bakufu and the Loyalists and the Shinsengumi….Master, I don't know what to do anyomre. Please…guide me."

…But Hiko didn't know what to say.