Tales of the Oniwaban
A fanfic from the Rurouni Kenshin universe
by eriesalia

Two: Okashira, Okashira, Okashira


"Okashira."


No matter what, he automatically tensed when he heard that name. The call for Okashira, meant trouble or something of concern.

Okina looked towards the young woman who had newly assumed that mantle and then past her towards the other person in the room whose head had also turned instinctively at that sound.

So. The habit was still engrained in him, was it?


But then again, it had seemed only like yesterday when Aoshi Shinomori at age 15 had been thrust into the same position -- new and unproven as a leader, and yet having the entirety of the clan waiting for his every decision.


It had been a dark day, following a series of other darker days.

The day the Okashira had died.

~~~

The news of the birth of Takeo and Sasame's daughter brought tremendous joy to an otherwise dreary monsoon season.

However within weeks, that joy had turned to a defeating sadness as the Makimachi's luck was repaid with what appeared to be a relentless curse.

Sasame had died after childbirth. She had complications and infections which in today's time might not have occurred. But in the monsoon season, there was much sickness and very few who could tend to the worrisome fever of the woman.

Takeo Makimachi persisted longer – living long enough to see his daughter walking and talking. But then suddenly, he was dead – apparently killed in a meaningless scuffle with yakuza.

The yakuza were promptly dealt with. Okina had not been there to see any of these events for himself, as he had been left in Kyoto at the time. Instead, it had been left to Shinomori Aoshi --who had been sent along with the other young recruits up to the main Edo stronghold -- who had led that effort, and had quietly and effectively obliterated them from Edo's landscape. It was the one thing that the clan could give to their Okashira, who had lost a beloved son and daughter-in-law, and who was losing his own health as well.

With that devastating news, Okina had found himself summoned back to Edo -- back to the man who had initially commissioned him to leave it to keep an eye on the trouble quietly brewing in Kyoto.

He remembered all too clearly the look of relief as he stepped into the courtyard and looked at the dozens upon dozens of clansmen, who were clearly upset by all that had occurred. He remembered looking at the then fourteen year old Shinomori -- who had changed much in the years since he had seen him last. And he also remembered the tears of the child Takeo and Sasame had left behind.

"Okashira--" Okina had opened the rice papered door of the room which the Okashira was often known to rest in. He bowed. "I come as summoned."

"It eases my mind to see you here," the Okashira answered. "Just a sit eases me to know that my son's killers are dead."

"Ah." Okina answered, somewhat perturbed by the Okashira's words.

"For I can rest more easily in the afterlife, knowing that my son's death has been avenged."

"Surely you will not die—"

"Death is not a patient mistress." The Okashira had answered in a manner not to be argued, and coughed. "And she waits for me at my doorstep now."

"The clan—"

"Nenji—" The Okashira had reached out and clasped his friend's hand. "Raise my granddaughter and lead the clan until she can one day reclaim the title that should have eventually been Takeo's."

"I will not—" Okina frowned. Agreeing to do so, he felt, would somehow bring the end of the Okashira's life even closer. His refusal—

"We can not fool the clan any longer," the Okashira laughed softly. "They know that something is eating at me – and without a clear leader in place, they will begin to falter in their own confidence and soon be nothing more than a worthless pack of men with weapons. The hierarchy must be maintained."

"I can not." Okina answered.

"Will you refuse your Okashira?" his friend's expression had turned baleful.

"I am not suited for this task," Okina answered finally. "To lead these young ones – with my heart as is is not right. It should be left to the young ones, the ones who see the future still with some excitement. There are many amongst our men and women who are strong enough."

"But will they follow?" The Okashira sounded tired.

"Shinomori has done well by you, Okashira."

"He is not ."

"In many ways he is already a leader. He has proven himself with our clan in Edo."

"Your opinion means quite a bit. If your support is behind him."

"None will argue it."

"Then—" the Okashira gripped his hand once more. "Order Shinomori inside. We will tell him of our decision. Perhaps with youth leading the Oniwaban, our luck will change."

"Indeed, I believe it will."


~~~~


The Okashira, despite his age -- fought death until the very end.

The Okashira took a little more than a year to pass away -- during which Okina retired back to Kyoto and the Oniwaban passed quickly back and forth -- keeping a watchful eye on the activities in Kyoto.

And eventually when the Okashira passed -- with Aoshi Shinomori now clearly the leader of the clan – the Oniwaban found hope in face of death.

Okina had no qualms regarding the paths taken and decisions made.   Shinomori was strong, proud and one of the most brave and resourceful warriors the clan had ever produced.   

There had been no reason to worry or ever question his own decision.

That unfortunately came later..


~~~

Okina felt the fan on his face – the murmur of voices in his ear – and the cool touch of hands on his arms.

He was spared reliving the other memories – that of the troubled era that followed afterwards and the tortured path of his own protégé and the man he had hand-picked as Okashira..

"Where am I?"

"You're in your room," the woman poked him. "You fainted."

"I fainted?"

"There is an echo in here," she was examining him now. "I've sent for the herbalist. Your pallor is weak, Okina."

"You're going to make me drink that terrible ginseng-antler extract aren't you?"

"I suppose I am," she smiled sweetly. "The Okashira has ordered it."

"She's ordered me to drink it?" Okina laughed softly.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Nothing, Megumi-sensei."

Her eyes assessed him sharply. "If not Misao, then does it remind you of something of the past?"

"No." He liked the way her eyes flashed when she knew he was lying.

"You don't have to tell me—" her face settled into a frown. "But you were mumbling in your sleep."

"It's nothing—" Okina pasted a smooth smile on his face. "Just remembering old days—when Aoshi wasn't much more than a young wet behind the ears lad, how he became a man--"

"Is that so?" The doctor apparently was easily hoodwinked. Either that or she had become besotten with his former Okashira that any mention of the man seemed to throw her off.

"Oh yes," Okina muttered absently. "It was that time shortly before he became Okashira. He must have been almost fifteen when I took him to Shiimabara—"

"Shimabara—" the look of pure horror on her face meant she understood exactly what he was insinuating. Shimabara was one of the most reknowned of districts for geisha in Kyoto. Shimabara – where a young lad might be taken to make that passage into manhood.

Her reddened face caused him to cough in amusement but drew the presence of the person who would certainly get his ears boxed for his comment.

"How is he?" the poor unwitting man entered the room.

"He has some illness in his chest. He needs to rest." Megumi stood and placed her hand on Aoshi's arm. "Therefore, we should leave him be. You on the other hand—"

Okina drew his eyes closed, full-aware from the legendary temper of the doctor that Aoshi would likely get a boxing to his ears before receiving the explanation as to why. That thought amused him immensely, especially considering that the poor young man had in fact done nothing with the numerous geishas who had been sent in to tend to the man his very first and last time in Shimabara with Okina.

He had conveniently forgotten to reveal that the visit had been purely business. There had been much suspicion regarding the geisha -- and considering that most of them were later to be found allied with the enemy, Aoshi's refusal to do more than share tea with them was wise.


Revised this based on Volume 4 and a whole bunch of other stuff. *headache*