AN: To say I'm not too happy with this chapter would be an understatement. I had to delete two scenes from here because it was running onto twenty pages. ^^;; They have been pushed back to the next chapter and hopefully won't get deleted. This chapter feels like another filler chapter but it really isn't. *sigh* I just want to get to the part where Kenshin and Kenji talk it all out (somehow I get the feeling that it keeps getting farther and farther away…) Once again this chapter is in it's roughest of forms!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin, though I wish I did. Please do not sue because though I have a job I am still dirt poor and cannot pay for my classes this semester. -_- Stupid Financial Aid!
Heart of a Wolf
Ch.7
Saitou growled as he strode purposely over towards his daughter and to the boy whom he was kill slowly. His hand unconsciously clenched at his sword and was slowly making its way up towards the hilt in order to draw it out smoothly. A snarl formed its way onto his thin lips as a growl began to grow at the base of his throat. He clamped one solid hand onto the thin shoulders and jerked back roughly all the while preparing a gotatsu to skewer the unfortunate soul.
Shiori wasn't quite sure what happened except that one minute she was feeling warm tears slide down her neck and the next there was a cool breeze bustling past her. Her mind may have been quick to compute numbers and witty remarks, however at this moment it seemed to refuse to comprehend the situation at hand. A good reason might have been that if she were to react in any other way pieces of Himura Kenji would still be found years later.
Amidst all this Kenji was also quite confused and in shock. He was propelled towards a nearby wall, the impact with it momentarily knocking the breath from his lungs. While he recovered, his mind tried to put two and two together to at least try to understand what had happened. However, his mind needed a bit more information.
Kenji opened his violet blue eyes, stained red with tears, to what appeared to be a very angry police man… with a sword… a very sharp pointy sword. Immediately any thoughts of what was going on, the situation with his father, and the queer feeling he got around a petite little girl were put aside for one thought 'move.' Self preservation in place Kenji moved to one side letting the blade embed its self into the wall were his head used to be. Quick reflexes let him stand up and move to the middle of the street to place some distance between himself and his attacker.
Saitou pulled out sword from the wall effortlessly and flicked his wrist in an unconscious manner. His amber eyes narrowed as they focused on the face before him. Saitou cursed.
"What are you doing with my daughter?" Saitou demanded with a growl. The last thing that he had expected was to have Battousai's son be the one groping his little girl.
Shiori had finally managed to snap out of her stupor as she watched her father prepare himself for another attack.
"Father!" Shiori cried out giving a brief yellow eyed glance to said man, mostly out fear than anger.
Saitou stopped noticing the change in her eye color and cursed again. What in the world had happened when he was gone?
"Father? Daughter?" Kenji blinked switching his gaze from the tall, lanky swordsman and the tiny little girl. "You're her father?!" Kenji exclaimed in surprise. At first glance they looked nothing alike but a closer inspection revealed the subtle similarities--- sharp features, thin frame, and most of all light brown eyes.
"Yes." Saitou said before rushing towards the auburn haired youth. He extended his blade before him in a mock imitation of his gotatsu. Kenji barely managed to get his feet to move before the blade rushed past him. Once Saitou was within reach he sent a hard right using his momentum to give the punch more strength. It crashed into Kenji's jaw, the force sending him stumbling backwards towards the gateway. Kenji let himself slide down the door his nerves tingling at the place of impact.
Shiori moved placing herself between her father and her new friend, one that made her skin tingle, trying to somehow stop this insanity. "Father! Please! Stop this!"
"Move." It was a command that would have made a mountain use all its strength to do just that but Shiori glared defiant light colored brown eyes letting them meet amber ones.
"Father! Stop being ridiculous!" She exclaimed stomping one of her tiny feet in frustration. Saitou faltered for one moment thinking how much she looked like her mother whenever she was furious with him.
"You're her father?" Kenji quietly whispered as Saitou lowered his sword but didn't soften his look.
"I think we've already established that, ahou." Saitou commented sarcastically.
Kenji suddenly felt all the anger from his own father, from the last few days, years, all the disappointments, the failed promises--- it all condensed into this one moment. Saitou raised a thin brow as he felt the young Himura's ki shift drastically. The boy stood up abruptly and placed a pale hand on the tiny shoulder in front of him. The older man felt his hairs bristle at the familiar contact and controlled every instinct that screamed to cut off the offending hand.
Shiori wisely moved away from the touch seeking safer ground off to the side. She wasn't sure what was going on anymore only that Kenji was angry, very angry. And it wasn't the kind of anger she had seen him display towards his father. No, this was a deadly anger.
"It's about time you showed up." Kenji murmured, acid dripping from his the tone his voice took. "Why did you leave her alone?!" While he was standing his bangs had covered his eyes not letting the older man see them, but as he yelled out his last sentence he shot his head up, golden eyes narrowed with hate and anger.
If Saitou had been another man he would have flinched, instead he kept his stony demeanor and waved his sword slightly. "I'm the one with the sword, I ask the questions. What were you doing with my daughter?"
"Your job! Protecting her from danger and not leaving her alone!" Kenji could feel his heart pumping letting all his emotions give each of his muscles strength. Adrenaline rushed through him, it seeped into his bones. In the red head's mind he no longer saw the Police Captain standing there instead there was a little red haired man with piercing violet eyes.
Saitou frowned visibly. Misao's words filtered in his head.
"You may hate Himura-san but you are just like him!"
'Battousai… did you make the same mistake as I?' The Mibu's wolf could see the pain and anguish within harden violet eyes. It was the same look he saw in his little girl's eyes. They were alone… so alone. His heart twisted at the knowledge that this boy that resembled his father so much could be just like her--- just like Shiori.
But Saitou wasn't one to back down and become gentle, however he couldn't just kick out Battousai's son. His fatherly instincts just wouldn't let him see the boy suffer as he did. The older man was battling his instincts and his wits knowing that one was eventually going to give in to the other. 'If only Tokio where here… she'd rectify this situation with one word.'
"Hajime!"
"Insufferable woman!"
"Don't be stubborn! Honestly… It's a wonder that I put up with you."
Saitou snorted at the memory. Even when his wife was pregnant he worried about his little girl. Saitou turned to gaze at her briefly out of the corner of his eyes. Shiori stood a bit away her young face worried and unsure about what to do. By the way she acted Saitou could only come to the conclusion that while he had been away something had happened that made her depend on the young man before him.
He suddenly grew worried. Had something happened to her? What? If Kenji really did protect her in some way then Saitou owed him more than his life, he owned him his heart. Silence grew between the two in just the few moments that had passed, but to each of them it felt like an eternity. Saitou came to his decision. He would let the boy stay if…
"Boy," Kenji bristled at the comment. "If you can at least strike me once, then I'll let you live… and maybe eat dinner in our home." Saitou gave him a lupine grin. "That is if you can do that."
Kenji snorted. "I can do more than that old man."
"Kenji don't!" Shiori cried out her swift steps taking her beside the boy. She grabbed onto one of his sleeves her small hands shaking. "Please don't fight my father." She whispered.
Kenji faced her briefly taking in her entire face. Her dark brown eyes pleaded with him not to do this. He felt all his anger slip away at that moment but knew that he couldn't ignore this challenge. Somehow, this man was using this as to better judge him and if that was the case Kenji could not disappoint the officer.
Kenji carefully and gently removed the curled fingers from his sleeve. "Shiori," His deep voice helping to coax the little girl's fingers into setting him free. "I have to do this." Kenji sent a fierce gaze at Saitou and nodded his head accepting the challenge.
Saitou smirked and charged at him. Kenji once again used his quick reflexes to dodge the attack but this time he tried to attack his assailant as well. However, Saitou had many more years of experience than Kenji did when it came to combat fighting and he was not going easy on the young man.
Saitou blocked the punch aimed for his stomach with a downward strike of his right arm. His sword arm then rotated so that he could send the sword towards the red head. It struck at Kenji's shoulder with a sharp, audible snap. Shiori shrieked when it made contact. Saitou then kicked the boy roughly with right leg sending him back into the dirt ground.
The black haired man frowned. This was it? This was Battousai's son? How in the world could that even be possible?
Shiori was about to run to Kenji's side when her father stopped her with a wave of his hand. "I hit him with the back of my sword." As if to confirm this Kenji stood up reveling that he had not been cut at all. Shiori breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed not a single drop of blood that wasn't already there.
Saitou dropped into a gotatsu stance. 'Pathetic. Battousai what in the world have you done?'
Kenji stood shaking with anger and frustration. He could feel the pity directed towards him rolling off the taller man in waves.
"Prepare yourself." That was the only warning Saitou gave as he charged thrusting his blade before him. He attempted to stab young Kenji in the same shoulder he had previously attacked.
Saitou wasn't moving all that fast but it was still too fast for Kenji to dodge the blade completely. Not only that but he was fascinated by the move. He had never seen anything like it. The katana tore into his clothing scraping his shoulder eliciting a small yelp from his lips.
"Just one hit boy." Saitou taunted as he pulled the blade and himself back. Kenji clamped a hand over the stinging wound and tried to concentrate on what was happening before him. Yes he had sparred with Yahiko and other students of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu. Yes he was better than most, smarter than most, and quicker than most but this man was beyond him. How did his father know such a man? Kenji remembered hearing whispers about his father being a great swordsman but he had never seen it personally.
'Think Kenji! Think!' His mind searched for all the information he had learned with his mother's sword style trying to tie it into this. A sudden idea came to his head but how was he going to achieve it? Thoughts raced one after another, scenario after scenario. Kenji needed to pull this through!
Kenji let go of his wound causing the wolf to smirk. The red haired boy only smiled back, his face taking on the idiotic smile his father usually wore. Saitou internally winced. He hated that smile.
The youth placed himself into a fighting stance his feet shoulder width apart as he clenched his fists protectively in front of him. Saitou nodded in appreciation to the correct posture briefly remembering a rooster-head gangster that used to attempt to do the same thing, fight hand-to-hand while he used a sword. Fine if the boy was to learn anything about combat Saitou would teach him.
Kenji rushed at the man stopping briefly to pivot on his heels. The sword rushed passed his back as he sent his right fist towards something, anything! However the attack was blocked by Saitou's right fist. Once again Saitou kicked Kenji sending him back to facing him.
Kenji ground his teeth together in annoyance and gave a silent prayer to let him when this. His mother's luck must have been passed on to the young Himura for at the moment God answered his prayer.
Saitou positioned himself for a real, genuine, authentic gotatsu. He had enough of this pitiful fight with this pathetic boy. The older man snorted derisively, 'Battousai's son! What a joke.'
"I'm tired of playing boy. This ends NOW!" Saitou charged once again.
"Kenji!" Shiori screamed as it appeared that he wouldn't move.
Saitou pulled his arm back slightly and tried to come to halt however, Kenji had already ducked and rolled bringing his arms up over his head.
There were a few seconds of tense silence and then a battle cry erupted from the red head's throat. He had crossed his arms at the wrist halting the swords path briefly. The slight shock and hesitation on Saitou's part allowed him to grip the older man's sword arm. Saitou quickly brought his knee up intending to hit the young boy but, he was stopped by Shiori's shout.
"Yamette!" Shiori felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. "Yamette…" She said more softly. "He hit you father… he did as you said, he hit you. P-please just stop it." Each word made her shake and her pink bottom lip quivered violently.
Saitou looked down and found that his sword arm hand actually been grabbed when Kenji had pushed his locked arms upwards. Both of the young boy's hands groped his forearm tightly making the knuckles turn white. A determine look had passed over the boy's face one that seemed to threaten him if Saitou moved any more. There where Saitou had thought that Kenji had rolled onto his knees was really that he had landed on the balls of his feet. One was already poised on his knee ready to flip the stronger man over with just a simple back roll. It would have ensured his defeat.
Saitou stood confused and in awe for a brief moment before lowering his leg. Kenji also released his death grip on the police man's arm and stood up. He waited for some sort of response or reaction from the man but all he got was a mumbled insult and then disregarded.
"Shiori is dinner ready yet?" Saitou spoke as if nothing of the past thirty minutes had happened.
"No father." Shiori whispered out with wide eyes.
"Then hurray up and get to it while I bathe." Saitou walked past the tiny girl petting her head affectionately. "Make sure you make enough for the three of us." With that he was out of sight. Silence continued to grow between the two standing outside.
"What--- what was that all about?" Kenji questioned quietly breaking the silence as he gently pulled Shiori inside.
The girl shook her head in response. "That's just his way of saying he likes you."
"Funny way of doing it... I thought I was going to die." Kenji snorted out.
"That's papa for you." Shiori laughed slightly, relief washing over her in waves as she skipped into the kitchen to prepare dinner for her two companions. She just hoped that the little battle that occurred was over and that it would be the last one.
Dinner had been quite uneventful with much heated glaring between the two males, and the occasional sighing from the one female who wasn't privy as to the why they were glaring at each other. Shiori sighed again as she mended one of her father's black shirts. Said father was acting strangely and quite paranoid in her opinion. I mean what was the big deal? It was just Kenji, a son from a very good friend of his. Why was he acting as if the minute he turned around Kenji would eat her? Shiori didn't understand this at all.
"So much for talking to him before he went to bed." Shiori muttered bitterly before letting a small yelp of surprise as a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Shh!" The breath whispered into her ear sent funny sensations throughout her body. Kenji carefully removed his hand from her lips and gave her a smirk.
"Kenji!" Shiori scolded, angry at the fact that he had snuck up on her but also at the fact that he was now laughing at her! "Ahou," She whispered furiously. "If my father sees you in here he'll kill you!"
"Which is why if you stop making so much noise he won't." Kenji whispered back his eyes in half moons.
Shiori groaned her honey colored eyes turned upward. "What in the world have I done to deserve this?"
Kenji snorted. "You should be thanking Kami-sama that you meet me."
"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Shiori asked playfully, batting her eyelashes as she had seen ladies in the market do.
Kenji swallowed the lump that grew in his throat. 'What on earth is she doing to me?' The young man shook his head trying to clear it and faced her with concerned dark violet eyes. "What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"
Shiori bit her bottom lip, a sign of nervousness. "Well," She tucked a couple of dark strands behind her right ear. Kenji followed the movements with his eyes keeping his demeanor aloof though his heart raced in his chest pounding loudly in his ears. "I wanted to talk to you about your father."
Kenji's face fell, a dark scowl covering his lips. "What about him?" He asked more forcibly than he intended to.
Shiori narrowed her large eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Don't talk to me that way Himura Kenji!" Her voice rose to be more than a whisper but still kept it secret. She took a deep breath and faced him again terribly annoyed. Nothing was going the way she had planned. "I want to know why."
"Why what?"
"Why such discourse? Such uncontrollable anger? Hatred?" Shiori threw her hands up over her head. "Why are you two the way you are? I want to know."
Kenji shook his head letting his bangs cover his eyes. "You don't have the right to know." He stood up as if to leave.
"Don't have to right to know!" Shiori huffed out her cheeks red from anger. "I seem to remember a little market scene where you decided that I would be better as a road! You dragged me into this Kenji and I'd at least like to know what is going on."
Kenji sighed, his shoulders dropping in defeat. He didn't even turn around to answer her. "He leaves our family to go traversing around Japan helping people find happiness."
Shiori rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Kenji, don't you think you're being a little selfish here? He's helping people!"
"Selfish?!" Kenji whirled around startling the little girl slightly. "Yes! Yes, I'm being selfish! Because I want him home! Because I want some happiness! Some semblance of a normal family! I want a father, Shiori not some person I keep hearing about! I know more about you than I do him!
Why does he do this? Why does he leave us here to rot in that dojo? Why can't he be the one to show me how to act like a man? Why does it have to be Yahiko? He is my father damn it! HE should be the one to showing me how to use a sword! How to fish! How… how to… whatever!
But he's always out there trying to protect other people's happiness but completely ignores his own family! What about us? What about our happiness? Why can't he be here to protect us? What about my mother? Doesn't he know how much she loves that blabbering idiot? How her eyes light up with rumors that he might be in town? Gah! And Yahiko! Don't let me get started on how much Yahiko wishes he were here! Then maybe he'd be able to take care of his own family rather than ours!"
Kenji threw his hands up in frustration his anger spent. "I… I just!" Sighing, he flopped onto the floor before the tiny girl. "I just want him to be home." Kenji mumbled out as he rested his bent elbows on his drawn knees, cradling his head between his hands. "I'm so tired Shiori. I'm tired of not knowing the man. I'm tired of being alone."
He lifted his head letting his blue eyes lock with her brown ones. Shiori felt her stomach flip-flop as he stared at her intently. She saw something in his eyes that she didn't understand. Something that he needed that she didn't know how to give.
"Please… please don't look at me like that." Shiori whispered her face turning scarlet as she turned it.
"Why not?" Kenji asked softly. He crossed his arms over his knees and tried to catch her eyes again when she didn't answer immediately. "Why not Shiori?" He repeated his tone commanding an answer not requesting it.
Shiori mumbled something out from her pink lips but Kenji didn't quite catch it. He uncurled himself and grabbed her chin with his hand. He forced her to look at him and endure the searching, pleading look she didn't understand.
"What did you say?" He whispered again his breath tickling her senses causing her heart to beat furiously at her chest.
"Because…" Shiroi found that it was hard to breathe with his face so close to hers. Her heart felt as if it was going to burst out of her any minute and it pounded so loudly in her ears leaving her dull. "Because… because it makes me feel funny!" She exclaimed pulling her blushing face away.
Kenji just blinked as he watched her pull away and try to hide her face beneath her bangs. 'Makes her feel…funny?' Kenji didn't know why but the laughter just gurgled out of his mouth without him wanting it to. Shiroi's face glowed red as Kenji continued to laugh at her expense.
"I fail to see what is so funny!" Shiori snapped her brown eyes a light color, blazing angrily. Kenji just shook his head tears already appearing in the corner of his eyes as the little girl child just shook with her contained temper. She puffed out her cheeks trying to think of a retort that would get him to stop laughing when he placed his laughing, violet eyes on her.
Kenji wiped away the tears and tried to contain his laughter. He really didn't know what had gotten in to him, nor why he found that statement so funny. The young Himura did however notice that his precious ookami was not happy with him at the moment. Kenji quickly got up and mumbled out an apology for which she ignored and turned her back to him. The raven haired girl crossed her arms over her chest indigently.
"Shiori, please don't be mad with me." Kenji pleaded between chuckles and giggles. "Gomen ne! I didn't mean to laugh at you!" Kenji tried to turn her around to face him but she refused his insistent tugs. Kenji brushed a hand through his unruly bangs and resorted to a tactic he had seen his father use on an angry Kaoru once. He hugged her… tightly.
"Maa, maa Shiori-kun. Sessha wa baka de gozaru yo." Kenji was once again tickling her ears with his warm breath sending exciting shivers down her body. Kenji felt her tense up and then shiver so he just tightened his embrace hoping to warm off her chill. "Gomen ne de gozaru yo."
Shiori was torn between attacking him for being so forward with her or let him continue. But considering all the other times they had invaded each others personal space, she ruled against that. She then considered telling him that she would tell her father, but she got the distinct feeling that if she did that then she would never see Kenji again. So she settled for the last thing she knew to do… giggle.
That was how she worked with things she didn't understand. She laughed, giggled, anything! Anything was better than saying nothing at all! So she giggled hoping that it would satisfy the young man into releasing his hold on her.
Thankfully he did just that leaving her feel strangely aware that he was no longer holding her. It was as if she suddenly wanted him to hold her again and never let her go. Why was that? Why did her skin prickle like it did? She was so confused!
"Thank you." Kenji whispered giving her another one of his hypnotic smiles. She must have had a blank look on her face for he continued. "For listening to me… even if it was raving babble."
"Mou! Kenji one minute you're angry and the next you're laughing! You've tormented your father and mother! Not to mention poor Yahiko-san and Tsubame-san just so that you could change your attitude over everything all in one moment!" The small black haired girl waved her hands around frantically, forgetting about the whole hugging thing. "You're impossible to understand!"
Kenji just barked out a laugh earning him another confused look. "Shiori, Shiori, my precious little Shiori!" Said girl felt the heat rise to her cheeks once again at the words 'my precious.' Honestly! When was her heart going to stop beating so fast?!
"Well?" She asked as steadily as she could muster. "Which one is it?"
Kenji gave her a sad smile. "I really don't know… I just know I'm okay at the moment." The tiny girl tilted her head not understanding.
"So are you mad at your father still?" Shiori asked timidly unsure of the red head's reaction.
Kenji was quiet for a while before he answered her. "Yes." Shiori sighed her mind working on some other plan to get him to stop this silly torment for all their sakes.
"Kenji, for once think about what he must be going through." Shiori breathed out.
Kenji growled. "What he is going through?!"
"Yes." Shiori said softly holding his face in her tiny hands. Kenji relaxed at the touch and waited for her to say more. "He's your father Kenji. No one will ever love you the way he does.
Kenji pulled his face out of her grasp. That wasn't what he wanted to hear. "And when exactly am I going to do that? I barely see the man!"
"He's here now… and he's sick." Shiori added the last part more quietly. "How much longer are you going to drag this out? How much time do you think you have left? One day he is going to die and you are going to-"
"Enough! What would you know about what I am going through?!" Kenji roared standing up again. The look the petite girl gave him made the young Himura regret he ever said a word. She cast her eyes downward, letting her bangs cover them. "Go-gomen! I didn't mean to… I know you… look Shiori I-"
"Don't!" Shiori lifted up her head, golden eyes on fire. Tiny crystallized tears rimmed the dark lashes. "Don't you dare speak to me about what pain I do or do not know! I grew up without ever knowing my mother! I have been ignored by my father no matter how lady-like and adult I try to act! But I've had to deal with those injuries and seek the truth behind them! To understand why things are being done they way they are!" Kenji winced at the harsh tone she used on him. "I may be young, and yes I may not understand your situation, but I at least am not a coward!"
Kenji let his jaw drop in surprise. It then snapped shut tightly, his teeth grinding together as he spoke. "I am not a coward."
Shiori stood up and waggled a finger at him. "Yes you are! You claim to want to know why your father does what he does but you yet to ask him anything! Have you even bothered to talk to him? Seen the pain in those eyes? No! You instead act childishly and use anger as a way of covering up the situation! That is a coward's way out!"
Kenji had taken two swift steps towards her so that now he was looming over her small frame. His eyes had also become an enraged amber hue. He wanted to strike her, to make her stop talking, but he couldn't. He couldn't lift a hand to someone who was telling the truth.
Shiori waited daring him with her eyes for him to hit her. Minutes passed with them just staring at each other. Finally she backed down with a sigh and moving back to mending her father's police uniform. Kenji didn't move from his spot instead he just watched her in silence. "You say you hate him, yet you love him so much don't you?"
Once again Kenji didn't answer instead he kneeled before her as he bowed, his head touching the ground. Shiori's brown eyes widened and she dropped the needle she held. He didn't say anything, no words were needed. Instead the small girl child wrapped her chubby arms around his waist letting her cheek rest against his hair.
"Kenji, I just want you to be happy. I want to see you smile for real without having those eyes shadowed over with anger and hurt." The body beneath her shook with stifled sob. Tears left her eyes and fell into his washed hair. His pain had somehow transferred over to her and she could feel the heart wrenching feeling he felt. "The wound is large, but it can be healed, though you must make the first effort."
Kenji lifted himself up and smoothly managed to place Shiori on his lap. He cradled her body trying to comfort her as well. "Thank you." He whispered his voice cracking.
"Mou!" Shiori's annoyed reply came out muffled by the fabric of his blue kimono. She pushed herself back slightly so that she could look at him better. "I'm supposed to be comforting you!"
Kenji chuckled as he looked down at the face that rested on his chest. 'She's so beautiful… inside and out. How can anyone leave someone like her behind?' Kenji made it his duty to help Saitou realize the gem he had underneath his sharp nose. It was the least he could do for her after she had done so much for him. "Aa, but you are."
He let his dark violet eyes roam over her face, lips, and finally rest on her face. Shiori blushed and pulled away from the intimate position. What was she thinking allowing him to do that? She barely knew him! And it wasn't like he was her brother or anything!
"We should get to bed. It's been a long day… for both of us." Shiori whispered refusing to look at Kenji in the eye.
"Mm." Kenji agreed and brushed a small kiss against her hair. "Oyasuminasi."
Shiori stood there frozen not really hearing the words spoken to her. "O-oyasuminasi." Kenji just nodded and walked out of her room closing the shoji door behind him.
For a small while the raven haired girl just stood there. Then she twirled about a bit and giggled madly. Why was she doing this? She felt so silly! Yet so good! Like… like she was flying or floating… or she didn't know! All she knew was that she liked this feeling even if she didn't know what it was.
Saitou didn't know exactly how he was going to kill the boy but he supposed he should let him talk to his father first before exacting a blood price for sneaking into his little girl's room at this unreasonable hour. Oh yes a very painful blood price had to be paid!
Saitou had been rounding the house when he heard shouts coming from Shiori's room. Choosing to investigate the source of the outburst he stumbled onto their conversation. It finally dawned on him the exact reason why Shiori and Kenji had become so close. Those two felt alienated from their fathers, from the one person they admired the most.
"Oyasuminasi Chichiue."
Saitou jumped from his perch on the porch beside her room. He stood up getting ready to walk back to his room not letting that little statement goad him into something he wasn't ready to explain.
"Oyasuminasi." He murmured receiving a giggle as an answer and then silence. 'She really is turning into her mother…' Saitou turned back towards his room his mind on the conversation he 'over heard'. He'd have to talk to the young Himura about his greatest rival. Yes, maybe if he practiced on him first Saitou could tell his daughter about his past much easier.
---- tsudzuku ----
Arrigato Mina! Man the support you guys give me is just awesome! Please keep the wonderful reviews coming! I really do appreciate each and everyone of them. Knowing what you guys think about this story really helps me when writing the next chapter so your input is always important! Once again THANK YOU! \ ^0^ /
Koneko-chan- ::blushes:: Thank you! ^-^ I love the name Shiori too! I use it as the default name for any new character I create ^^;; so then I have about 20 Shiori's running around! ^^;; Here's the next chapter for you!
fujifunmum- ::turns even redder:: Thank you! I like my Kenji too... he's a pain to write but I just luv him! Mainly because I can't separate Kenshin and Kaoru so I'll just keep the copy Kenshin. Heh heh. Misao is my favorite female character in RK and I soo love the way those two fight! I couldn't help but put her in there! Kenji won't get killed... not yet at least. Saitou will think about doing so many, many times but he'll never get around to it. lol
Shadow-Flame- Thank you for reviewing! ::blushes some more:: Yay you saw my pictures! \^0^/ I use Prisma Color Markers. urk! They're not the best but still very good. Took me months to get used to their bleeding consistency so that I could blend things correctly. But don't fret! They're pretty easy to use and really nice once you get the hang of it. I'm just a dork and take longer than normal people. -_-
Jason M. Lee- LOL! Yeah Saitou does get a little gotatsu happy doesn't he? Don't worry Kenji will see the urm... light soon. Saitou's going to have a little 'chat' (more like wrestling session, but hey that's just me.) with our young Himura... ^^;;
andrea- Arrigato gozaimasu for reviewing! Don't worry I plan to finish this fanfic till the very end! Especially for the reviewers!
animeluverthatiam- ::feels like a tomato:: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! ^-^ Yeah last chapter was very sad. I'm sorry I almost made you cry! ;_; It almost made me cry while I was typing it up. @,@x oro!
nymph- You're reviews and comments are very important to me so of course I'll write you back! ^-^ Everyone needs to know that they are loved! ;_; Wah! Don't cry you'll make me cry! (I'm pathetic like that -_-) Hopefully more happy, fluffy, angsty-- ORO!-- chapters will come now. ^-^ Thank you again for reviewing! P.s. Glad you liked that description. ^-^
Leila Winters- O.Ox ::covers ears:: A woman who loves Saitou more than I... ::shudders:: Just Kidding! ^.~ Hum... more Shiori info? Well we'll hear about her in her little conversations with Kenji. ^-^ Hopefully I can make her interesting! ^^;; I think Saitou is often misunderstood! He's really very gentle yet hides behind this farce because he knows that he can't let others see his weaknesses (mainly because he loves those weaknesses dearly!) yeah I can relate to Kenji on many levels ... -_- life can be such a great knowledge base, even if you don't want it to. Hum... an earthquake sounds good! ^_^ hee hee Nah I won't have all of them die... just a select few. ^.^;
Takato Taikashi- HUGS Sorry I've been impatient lately, so I just post them up! ^.^;; Yeah very serious and sad... I kinda feel bad for putting everyone through that one... but it needed to be done. Thank you! Don't worry it'll be finished! I've got some great motivators!
Inferno- ::begins to resemble a beet:: Thank you for reviewing! Sorry! I love Saitou/Tokio too! But she needed to be um... gone in order for Shiori to relate to Kenji. ;_; I always feel like crying whenever someone kills her off and here I am doing the same thing! @,@x ORO!
supernaturalove- Here's the next chapter for you! ^-^ Thank you! I'm so happy that you like Shiori. ^-^ I was afraid I made her too Mary Sue-like! Kenshin die? Ororororo.... GAH! You're right! I haven't done Kaoru's point of view on this! @,@x Ororororo! Next chapter!
tokio saitou- Arrigato for reviewing! I love Saitou too! Too bad you're already married to him... -_-
okashira- I'm emotionally spent! Hopefully happy chapters will be appearing from now on. ::nodds head sagely:: Hai, hai. You are so right! Hopefully Kenji will see that too. ^-^ Of course hearing that from your author is a little unnerving ne? ...^^;;
Marta- LOL! Hai! You were right. ^-^ Thanks for reviewing!
Pirogoeth- Arrigato gozaimasu! I love Kenshin too! ^-^ And Kenji-kun! Thank you again for reviewing!
AngelsExist- Thank you for reviewing! ^-^ I really appreciate you reviewing for both chapters that you missed. ^-^ Such wonderful support! \^O^/
Pia-san- No family will be torn apart. ^-^ hee hee Yeah I just about love Saitou almost as much as I love Kenshin (poor me my heart was stolen away by the little man.) Unfortunately (as if they were real... -_-) they are both taken. ;_; But at least by great women! ^-^ ::blushes:: Thank you so much for the praises! ^-^
DiaBLo- GOMEN NE!!! Don't cry! I'm so sorry! ;_; ::blushes:: Thank you so much for reviewing!