Author's Note: Sorry about the long update, the story is getting more complicated from here on so I got kind of blocked on some of the decisions I had to make. Edits and some slight changes have been made to previous chapters.
Lucrecia LeVrai- I made some slight changes based on your comments. I do think Kenshin(especially as Battousai) has few qualms about scaring people rather than fighting them.(i.e. when he saved Yahiko and was negotiating with Kanryuu). However, I tried to make it seem less like he was directly trying to threaten them. Remember that the boys weren't all that far from Kenshin's age. Thanks for your compliment on the action scene, I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to writing them.
The sacred night- I changed it a little. You are right in saying that Kenshin probably wasn't paid all that much, but he worked on a near daily basis, so in war when a lot of people can't find jobs it is good pay. Plus I can imagine it would be one way Katsura would try to lessen his guilt for making a boy into a hitokiri.
Wolfgirl13- I'm glad somebody mourned Jiro. I liked him, but I needed him to die for the theme to work.
jeffer-Thanks I just love her character. I will try to write something longer with her in the future.
ShoshanaFlower- I'm glad you felt that. It is meant to be sort of a theme in this story.
Thanks also to aisha, Kenshin'sLuver51593, Caladbolg777, Oro-chan no Tenshi (I think you got confused on my time line), Wistful-Eyes, and all others who reveiwed previously.
Chapter 6- The Wanderer
A traveler walked slowly along the dusty, unpaved road, head down, seemingly lost in thought. He weaved from side to side aimlessly along the path, for he had no known destination. Where or how his journey would end he did not know. He only knew that he had to keep moving, that he needed to put distance between his present and his past. Seven years coursing by had weathered him, burning orange highlights into his dark-red hair and fading his once-red gi to a peculiar pink-lavender. A sword, the least worn of all his possessions, hung suspended from the waist ties of his faded, off-white hakama. His expression, once hard and cold, now assumed a gentle, almost carefree appearance, hiding the sadness of his half-closed eyes.
"Himura-san?" A voice asked incredulously.
Kenshin's head shot up in alarm. Years of wandering had taught him that being recognized, especially by someone who knew his real name, often signaled near-imminent danger. Stopping, he put a hand near his sword and fixed the young man before him with an intense, though carefully blank, stare.
The man hesitated uncertainly, shifting his weight and almost taking a step back. "Himura-san? You do not recognize me?"
Kenshin studied his face. To his surprise, the young man's expression held no malice, only a childlike sparkle in his brown eyes. Something about the wide eager smile seemed familiar.
Tense silence continued for several moments until a small boy ran toward them from around a nearby tree and affixed himself to the young man's leg with such force that he nearly knocked him over. "Ko-san!" The little boy yelled.
"Koji-kun?" Kenshin asked in surprise, for there was no mistaking whom the little boy reminded him of.
The young man's uneasy expression broke into a smile. "Yes Himura-san, I'm glad you recognize me. This is my nephew, Aiji."
The child looked up at him with curious eyes. "Who is that?" he asked.
"This is Himura-san." Koji said, "He helped our family many years ago."
Kenshin thought of the last time he had seen Koji. It had been a short time after Toba Fushimi, just before he began wandering. Gathering up his payment with his other belongings, he had said farewell to the innkeeper before walking a familiar path toward the Toshiro residence. Leaping over the gate, he went around to the back, planning to stick the envelope, his last one, along with an apologetic note, through the window.
A voice rang out just as he had slipped the envelope through a small opening in the screen.
"Ah ha! I finally caught you!"
"Koji-kun." Kenshin replied, not turning around.
"Himura-san?" The young boy seemed stunned. "It was you all this time?"
"Yes."
"But why Himura-san?" Koji asked, "Why did you never allow us to thank you?"
Kenshin turned slightly to face the boy and said sharply, "Because I don't deserve your thanks." Silently he added, "I should be thanking you for giving me something to do besides kill."
There was a moment of silence before Kenshin gently spoke again, "Koji-kun, I ask only that you promise me one thing."
"Yes?" The boy asked. Kenshin's heart ached when he saw the absolute trust with which Koji looked at him.
Kenshin's face grew serious. "Never tell anyone about me."
"But why?" Koji looked sad and confused.
"Just promise me, please?"
Koji nodded his head slowly and bowed. "Okay Himura-san, I promise."
Kenshin's face softened and he bent down to look the boy in the eyes. "Goodbye Koji-kun, and thank you."
"Goodbye." Koji hung his head sadly.
It took a moment for Koji to realize that Kenshin had thanked him. The boy looked up to object, but the space before him was empty.
A question brought Kenshin out of his reverie. He looked up to see Koji and Aiji walking alongside him on the road, heading towards the village up ahead.
"Himura-san?" Koji asked again. "Tell me, where have you been all this time?"
"Wandering." Kenshin said softly.
Koji looked surprised. "Please do not consider me rude Himura-san, but I would have expected that as an important soldier in the war you would have a position in government by now." He added silently, "As would my father had he lived."
"I only seemed important to you at the time Koji-kun, you were very young." Kenshin replied amusedly, slightly regretting having to lie to his young friend.
Koji laughed sheepishly. "I guess so. I imagine after all these years I've started to believe all those stories I used to tell."
"Stories?" Kenshin looked suddenly tense.
"Yeah," Koji replied casually, "about heroic swordsmen saving people and all. My friends used to love it." He paused and chuckled. "At least one of them is partly true. I know it was you saved me that time from those bullies."
With a small smile, Kenshin nodded.
Aiji's head perked up in sudden interest. "Really?" He asked, "That was you?"
Kenshin nodded again.
"Wow!" the boy gasped, clearly impressed. "It's wonderful to meet you."
"Well you'll be seeing more of him." Koji said.
"Oro?" Kenshin looked confusedly at them.
Koji only chuckled. "Himura-san, please accept our hospitality while you are here."
"This lowly one wouldn't want to impose." Kenshin stammered.
"Think nothing of it." Koji said smoothly, "You are welcome in our home any time."
Absently remembering the coming cold weather and that his wallet was empty, Kenshin swallowed self-consciously and responded, "Very well. Thank you Koji-kun, this unworthy one accepts."
As she cooked dinner, Yukiko looked somewhat anxiously out the open shoji screen door for her husband and nephew.
"I wish he wouldn't stay out so long on these walks of his." She murmured to the ceiling. "What could be keeping him?"
As if in answer, a chorus of laughter sounded outside. She looked up to see three figures approaching, silhouetted against the dying sunlight.
"Oh who has he invited this time?" Yukiko exasperatedly asked the ceiling again, "Isn't it enough that we watch Aiji while Hideki works in the fields? I swear, he's too kind for his own good!"
Taking the food off the stove for a moment and wiping her hands, Yukiko went to a mirror where she smoothed her dark hair and carefully straightened the hems of her simple blue kimono and white obi.
All this effort was soon wasted as the joyous form of her little nephew bounded into the room and straight into her arms.
"I'm home dear!" Koji called out unnecessarily.
Yukiko smiled at her husband, then looked pointedly at Kenshin, who paused nervously in the doorway before entering.
"Ah forgive me my wife, may I present Himura Kenshin, without whom the Toshiro family would never have made it through the war."
Studying Kenshin's well-worn appearance, Yukiko looked skeptical. "So he will be staying with us then?"
Seeing her long-suffering look, Kenshin almost shook his head, but Koji answered first.
"Of course he is." Koji smiled at his wife, his eyes tense and pleading.
Sensing the looming hostility, Kenshin said, "Please, this lowly one does not want to be a burden."
Yukiko broke eye contact with her husband, looking embarrassed. "My sincere apologies. Please excuse me while I set another place at the table."
After she left Koji turned to Kenshin and whispered in his ear, "You really must excuse my wife. She is just concerned for me, says I am too trusting."
Kenshin studied the modest house. While spotlessly clean, the mended screens and the starkness of the room—devoid of any kind of decoration, bore testament to the barely controlled poverty of its owners.
As they sat down to a simple meal of vegetables and rice, Kenshin commented, "Of course this one is willing to work in return for your kindness."
"Indeed so?" Yukiko asked, not unkindly. "Well that would be most welcome. You can help me in the morning."
Little did Kenshin know what he was getting himself into…
Lucrecia LeVrai- I made some slight changes based on your comments. I do think Kenshin(especially as Battousai) has few qualms about scaring people rather than fighting them.(i.e. when he saved Yahiko and was negotiating with Kanryuu). However, I tried to make it seem less like he was directly trying to threaten them. Remember that the boys weren't all that far from Kenshin's age. Thanks for your compliment on the action scene, I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to writing them.
The sacred night- I changed it a little. You are right in saying that Kenshin probably wasn't paid all that much, but he worked on a near daily basis, so in war when a lot of people can't find jobs it is good pay. Plus I can imagine it would be one way Katsura would try to lessen his guilt for making a boy into a hitokiri.
Wolfgirl13- I'm glad somebody mourned Jiro. I liked him, but I needed him to die for the theme to work.
jeffer-Thanks I just love her character. I will try to write something longer with her in the future.
ShoshanaFlower- I'm glad you felt that. It is meant to be sort of a theme in this story.
Thanks also to aisha, Kenshin'sLuver51593, Caladbolg777, Oro-chan no Tenshi (I think you got confused on my time line), Wistful-Eyes, and all others who reveiwed previously.
Chapter 6- The Wanderer
A traveler walked slowly along the dusty, unpaved road, head down, seemingly lost in thought. He weaved from side to side aimlessly along the path, for he had no known destination. Where or how his journey would end he did not know. He only knew that he had to keep moving, that he needed to put distance between his present and his past. Seven years coursing by had weathered him, burning orange highlights into his dark-red hair and fading his once-red gi to a peculiar pink-lavender. A sword, the least worn of all his possessions, hung suspended from the waist ties of his faded, off-white hakama. His expression, once hard and cold, now assumed a gentle, almost carefree appearance, hiding the sadness of his half-closed eyes.
"Himura-san?" A voice asked incredulously.
Kenshin's head shot up in alarm. Years of wandering had taught him that being recognized, especially by someone who knew his real name, often signaled near-imminent danger. Stopping, he put a hand near his sword and fixed the young man before him with an intense, though carefully blank, stare.
The man hesitated uncertainly, shifting his weight and almost taking a step back. "Himura-san? You do not recognize me?"
Kenshin studied his face. To his surprise, the young man's expression held no malice, only a childlike sparkle in his brown eyes. Something about the wide eager smile seemed familiar.
Tense silence continued for several moments until a small boy ran toward them from around a nearby tree and affixed himself to the young man's leg with such force that he nearly knocked him over. "Ko-san!" The little boy yelled.
"Koji-kun?" Kenshin asked in surprise, for there was no mistaking whom the little boy reminded him of.
The young man's uneasy expression broke into a smile. "Yes Himura-san, I'm glad you recognize me. This is my nephew, Aiji."
The child looked up at him with curious eyes. "Who is that?" he asked.
"This is Himura-san." Koji said, "He helped our family many years ago."
Kenshin thought of the last time he had seen Koji. It had been a short time after Toba Fushimi, just before he began wandering. Gathering up his payment with his other belongings, he had said farewell to the innkeeper before walking a familiar path toward the Toshiro residence. Leaping over the gate, he went around to the back, planning to stick the envelope, his last one, along with an apologetic note, through the window.
A voice rang out just as he had slipped the envelope through a small opening in the screen.
"Ah ha! I finally caught you!"
"Koji-kun." Kenshin replied, not turning around.
"Himura-san?" The young boy seemed stunned. "It was you all this time?"
"Yes."
"But why Himura-san?" Koji asked, "Why did you never allow us to thank you?"
Kenshin turned slightly to face the boy and said sharply, "Because I don't deserve your thanks." Silently he added, "I should be thanking you for giving me something to do besides kill."
There was a moment of silence before Kenshin gently spoke again, "Koji-kun, I ask only that you promise me one thing."
"Yes?" The boy asked. Kenshin's heart ached when he saw the absolute trust with which Koji looked at him.
Kenshin's face grew serious. "Never tell anyone about me."
"But why?" Koji looked sad and confused.
"Just promise me, please?"
Koji nodded his head slowly and bowed. "Okay Himura-san, I promise."
Kenshin's face softened and he bent down to look the boy in the eyes. "Goodbye Koji-kun, and thank you."
"Goodbye." Koji hung his head sadly.
It took a moment for Koji to realize that Kenshin had thanked him. The boy looked up to object, but the space before him was empty.
A question brought Kenshin out of his reverie. He looked up to see Koji and Aiji walking alongside him on the road, heading towards the village up ahead.
"Himura-san?" Koji asked again. "Tell me, where have you been all this time?"
"Wandering." Kenshin said softly.
Koji looked surprised. "Please do not consider me rude Himura-san, but I would have expected that as an important soldier in the war you would have a position in government by now." He added silently, "As would my father had he lived."
"I only seemed important to you at the time Koji-kun, you were very young." Kenshin replied amusedly, slightly regretting having to lie to his young friend.
Koji laughed sheepishly. "I guess so. I imagine after all these years I've started to believe all those stories I used to tell."
"Stories?" Kenshin looked suddenly tense.
"Yeah," Koji replied casually, "about heroic swordsmen saving people and all. My friends used to love it." He paused and chuckled. "At least one of them is partly true. I know it was you saved me that time from those bullies."
With a small smile, Kenshin nodded.
Aiji's head perked up in sudden interest. "Really?" He asked, "That was you?"
Kenshin nodded again.
"Wow!" the boy gasped, clearly impressed. "It's wonderful to meet you."
"Well you'll be seeing more of him." Koji said.
"Oro?" Kenshin looked confusedly at them.
Koji only chuckled. "Himura-san, please accept our hospitality while you are here."
"This lowly one wouldn't want to impose." Kenshin stammered.
"Think nothing of it." Koji said smoothly, "You are welcome in our home any time."
Absently remembering the coming cold weather and that his wallet was empty, Kenshin swallowed self-consciously and responded, "Very well. Thank you Koji-kun, this unworthy one accepts."
As she cooked dinner, Yukiko looked somewhat anxiously out the open shoji screen door for her husband and nephew.
"I wish he wouldn't stay out so long on these walks of his." She murmured to the ceiling. "What could be keeping him?"
As if in answer, a chorus of laughter sounded outside. She looked up to see three figures approaching, silhouetted against the dying sunlight.
"Oh who has he invited this time?" Yukiko exasperatedly asked the ceiling again, "Isn't it enough that we watch Aiji while Hideki works in the fields? I swear, he's too kind for his own good!"
Taking the food off the stove for a moment and wiping her hands, Yukiko went to a mirror where she smoothed her dark hair and carefully straightened the hems of her simple blue kimono and white obi.
All this effort was soon wasted as the joyous form of her little nephew bounded into the room and straight into her arms.
"I'm home dear!" Koji called out unnecessarily.
Yukiko smiled at her husband, then looked pointedly at Kenshin, who paused nervously in the doorway before entering.
"Ah forgive me my wife, may I present Himura Kenshin, without whom the Toshiro family would never have made it through the war."
Studying Kenshin's well-worn appearance, Yukiko looked skeptical. "So he will be staying with us then?"
Seeing her long-suffering look, Kenshin almost shook his head, but Koji answered first.
"Of course he is." Koji smiled at his wife, his eyes tense and pleading.
Sensing the looming hostility, Kenshin said, "Please, this lowly one does not want to be a burden."
Yukiko broke eye contact with her husband, looking embarrassed. "My sincere apologies. Please excuse me while I set another place at the table."
After she left Koji turned to Kenshin and whispered in his ear, "You really must excuse my wife. She is just concerned for me, says I am too trusting."
Kenshin studied the modest house. While spotlessly clean, the mended screens and the starkness of the room—devoid of any kind of decoration, bore testament to the barely controlled poverty of its owners.
As they sat down to a simple meal of vegetables and rice, Kenshin commented, "Of course this one is willing to work in return for your kindness."
"Indeed so?" Yukiko asked, not unkindly. "Well that would be most welcome. You can help me in the morning."
Little did Kenshin know what he was getting himself into…