--- Edo, Shogun's castle
A golden koi broke the
surface of the lavish man-made pond, shattering the tranquil mirror-perfect
reflection of soaring towers and somber, sprawling edifices. Fins and scales
glittering like true gold, the fish plunged back into the water with a subdued
splash.
A man with snowy-white
hair sat cross-legged on an ornamental red bridge spanning the far end of the
large pond. A baby toddler in too-large clothes was playing by herself on the
bridge behind him. Her large eyes were squinted in concentration as she tried
to snag some cat-tails growing below the bridge, leaning rather precariously
out of the safety of the bridge.
The man did not seem to
notice though. His eyes were intent on a boy no more than twelve years of age.
Floating on the surface of the water were pieces of planks, barely large enough
to stand on. The boy was moving rapidly, stepping from one plank of wood to
another in seemingly random selection.
However, his movement was
too graceful and fluid to be described as such. Rather, he seemed to dance on the surface of the water, the
half-submerged planks lending to the illusion. He never stayed in one place for
long, long legs almost flickering as he flitted from one plank to the other,
weight and balance perfectly controlled so not one step-point received enough
force to sink. A kodachi was gripped in his right hand, the fine blue steel
throwing flashes of quick-silver light as he spun it in an intricate kata of
flowing movements. His still boyish face was drawn in intense concentration,
unusual in one so young.
The sitting man gave a
small approving nod, lost on the distracted boy. A smile creased the man's wide
mouth, and he quietly picked up a small stone. He waited until the boy was
facing away from him, then in one smooth motion pitched the small projectile at
the boy's back.
The boy whirled around and his kodachi swung up in
a blur that struck the stone away from his chest. But he could not compensate
for the sudden motion and with a faint bitten-off yelp, his left leg plunged through
the water, unbalancing him. He was saved from a humiliating dump into the water
by some frantic hops that got both his feet down on the bottom of the
waist-deep pond. But the inevitable splashing managed to get him quite
thoroughly sopping wet.
He wordlessly pulled his
sodden ponytail away from his face and peered up through dripping bangs at the
white-haired man, who was openly chortling. His mute gaze spoke of his protest
quite succinctly.
The person responsible
for his dunking merely grinned unapologetically at the boy, wagging one finger
mockingly.
"You were doing the Ryuusui no Ugoki very well. And I'll
give you another bonus point for catching my stone. But if you lose your rhythm
every time you defend against an unexpected attack, then you might as well be
fish-food, Aoshi."
Aoshi resignedly hitched
himself out of the pond. From his weary acceptance, it would seem that
pond-dunking was a fairly common occurrence.
"Hai, Okashira."
The 16th
Okashira of Edo jo Oniwabanshuu, Makimachi Hayato, gave his favourite student a
wide grin.
"Maa, maa, don't be
disappointed, you were doing the Kenbu
steps very well. If you keep on at the rate you're going, you'll soon master
the combined water-flow steps and kodachi attacks. Maybe I can even start you
on the Kodachi Niitou Ryuu before you're even fifteen."
As he spoke, the man
casually reached a hand behind him to snag the toddler who was just about to
fall into the pond herself. The little girl wriggled unhappily in the old man's
embrace, then she caught sight of Aoshi, dripping his way towards the bridge,
and she broke into a delighted squeal.
Aoshi eyed her morosely
as he knelt in front of Makimachi. "She's laughing at me."
"No, she's not,"
Makimachi retorted. "She's just always happy to see you, that's all. Naa,
aren't you happy to see Aoshi-kun, Misao-chan?"
"Ao-chan! Ao-chan!"
Misao-chan agreed loudly, all the while trying to wriggle herself out of
Makimachi's grasp.
"I wonder why she kept
calling you that," Makimachi mused aloud, eyes glinting wickedly at the boy's
rather pained look.
"It's Hara-san," Aoshi
replied with a carefully neutral face. "She and the others kept calling me
–chan and Misao picked up on that."
"Ah-hah, and she can't
pronounce Ao-Shi yet, can she?" Makimachi bounced Misao-chan lightly to get her
attention and asked her in all seriousness, "Misao-chan. Can you say AO – SHI?
A-O-SHI." He blithely ignored the owner of the name's indignant look.
"Okashira, she really
can't…"
"Ao-Chyan!!
Ao-Chyan!!"
"…say my name yet," Aoshi
finished with a sigh.
"Ao-chyan Dai-suki!"
Makimachi laughed out
loud, the deep sound resonating in the quiet garden. "Well, at least she got
the first part right. I think we'll wait a while before letting her call you by
your surname."
"She… tried," Aoshi
carefully. It had been less than successful. In fact, it had been rather
spectacularly un-successful.
Misao-chan finally
succeeded in wriggling herself out of Makimachi's arms, and she ran straight
towards Aoshi. She ignored the uncomfortably wet clothes in the way very young
children would and plunked herself on Aoshi's lap. She beamed up at Aoshi's
rather embarassed face.
"Ara!" Makimachi
exclaimed in mock horror at the abandonment. "Misao-chan doesn't like
Ojiichan?" the old man asked the toddler piteously, though his laughing eyes
belied his tone.
Misao-chan chirped up
brightly, "Jiichan, jiichyan suki-da!" But she did not let go of her grip on
Aoshi's tunic.
"But Misao-chan like
Aoshi-chan better, ne?"
Misao-chan nodded
vigorously, her tiny heart-shaped face glowing with happiness,"Ao-chyan
daisuki! Ao-chyan!" The young boy tried to maintain a stoic expression, but it
was hard with a pair of tiny arms wrapped almost suffocatingly around his
throat.
The old man's face was
one of artfully heart-broken expression, his voice wavering tremulously as he
asked the little girl, "Misao-chan like Ao-chan more than she likes Ojiichan.
Nobody wants Ojiichan anymore, Ojiichan is so sad..."
Misao-chan peered up from
where her face was buried on Aoshi's chest and looked back and forth between
her grandfather and Aoshi. Her tiny face was starting to scrunch up in
distress, one hand letting go of Aoshi's tunic to reach towards her grandfather.
"Ojiichyan daisuki! Ao-chyan daisuki." But she did not move from her position
in Aoshi's lap. Aoshi looked at her apprehensively, awkwardness and
embarassment warring with increasing alarm. He had some idea of where this
would inevitably lead to.
Misao-chan's eyes were
starting to tear up, and she finally wailed, "Ojiichyan to Ao-chyan to
daisukiii!!!" Aoshi winced at her wail and clumsily tried to soothe the sobbing
toddler by patting her back.
Makimachi threw his head
back and burst into deep-throated laughter, slapping his folded knees with
merriment. Very few things could break the boy's almost unnatural composure, so
the sight of him being completely overwhelmed by a two-year old toddler was
very precious indeed. Little Misao had done more to draw young Aoshi out of his
shell than any other person, and that effect was not exclusive to Aoshi alone.
Her birth two years ago had been like a ray of light in the collective
Oniwabanshu's normally quiet and still life. Like a breath of fresh wind and life.
Even after the death of her parents.
Shinzo, Miharu, if you two could only see her now...
A middle–aged plump woman
emerged from the side wing, bearing some steaming tea cups. Her kindly face lit
up at the scene.
"Ara, Makimachi-sama,
have you been teasing Misao-chan again ?" she asked her Makimachi with fond
exasperation.
"Why, Marida-san,"
Makimachi grinned back at her, "why do you always assume it's me? Aoshi is the
one holding her right now."
Marida looked at the
slightly flustered boy, trying his best to still the toddler's crying fit, with
little success, and huffed slightly, "Aoshi-kun is too good a boy to make Misao
cry, Makimachi-sama. It's her grandfather who always tease her into crying."
She moved in swiftly and attempted to take the crying little girl into her
arms. Or at least, she tried.
Despite the sobs and
hiccups that shook her whole tiny body, Misao's chubby fingers were firmly
knotted into the fabric of Aoshi's wet suit. When Marida tried to pry her loose
from Aoshi, Misao-chan emitted an indignant little cry and burrowed her face
even deeper against Aoshi's chest.
Makimachi roared again
with laughter and Marida could not help but chuckle. A slight blush rose in
Aoshi's normally expressionless face as he looked down helplessly at the
tenacious toddler who seemed determined to become a permanent fixture to his
body.
"Ara, Aoshi-kun," Marida
chuckled softly, "She doesn't seem to want to let go. If I force her, I'm
afraid she'll just cry even harder. I'm so sorry, but would you be so kind as
to carry Misao to her bed? It's time for her afternoon nap. She won't be
stubborn if it's you putting her to bed, she always does listen to you best."
"..." Aoshi looked at
Marida, his youthful face slightly doubtful. The silence elegantly questioned
Misao-chan's ability to listen to anyone.
"Remember the last time I
took her forcibly from you, Aoshi-kun ?"
Aoshi winced at that.
'the last time' was two days ago late at night. Misao-chan had stubbornly
refused to sleep without him by her side. After she had fallen asleep, Marida
had had to help him pry her fingers from where they were firmly wrapped around
his hair. But somehow the sleeping little girl had realized what had happened.
Her indignant shriek had woken up nearly the whole household that night.
Makimachi gleefully
supplied, "That's my Misao-chan. She's born with a very healthy set of lungs,
I'm sure she'll be a very strong little kunoichi when she grows up."
"A bit too strong
perhaps," Marida murmured with a slight smile. "Aoshi-kun?"
Aoshi gave a nearly
inaudible sigh, yielding to the inevitable. "Okashira?" he asked softly.
Makimachi grinned at him,
"Aa, go on. The training is over for today. Practice again by yourself, and
I'll talk to you again later."
Aoshi bowed to him, his
perfect gesture of respect slightly marred by the fact that he had a
two-year-old toddler clinging to his chest. Misao-chan sighed contentedly and
nestled more securely into his grip. Despite his wet clothes, Aoshi's departure
was still as silent as ever.
"They grew up so fast,"
Marida remarked wistfully. "It seems only yesterday that Shiori gave birth to
Misao-chan. And has it really been six years since Aoshi-kun came to live with
us?"
"Be careful, Marida-san,"
Makimachi replied cheerfully, "You're showing your age. Only old people talk
about time flying past."
"Yes, yes, and I guess
*you* will always be thirty, won't you? You incorrigible old man."
"That's right." Makimachi
grinned at her. Aoshi and Misao had disappeared into the adjacent building.
Makimachi Makimachi's face turned serious. Gone was the playful and relaxed
mannerism, replaced instead with sombre gravity.
"So, what's the news from
Kyoto?"
Marida immediately picked
up on her leader's change of mood. She pulled out a tiny letter tube from
inside the hem of her kimono and passed it over to him with both hands.
Makimachi Hayato uncapped it and rolled out the small thin parchment inside.
For a while, all was silent as he read the thick scrawling on it. Then, he
wordlessly passed it over to Marida.
Marida's eyes went wider
as she read the coded message. "This is… Makimachi-sama!"
Makimachi Hayato got up
and walked out to the pond-side, staring down at the now placid water.
"…Okashira."
"…well, I've been
expecting something like this to come to my hand for the last six years. And
here it is."
Marida gazed at
Makimachi's back, the deceptively relaxed posture still betraying signs of
tenseness to her eyes. In her heart she ached with… pain… pity…resignation, and
a sense of inevitability.
"I will prepare for your
journey to Kyoto, then," she murmured.
Makimachi nodded, his
back still towards her. "Thank you."
"Are you taking any
others with you?"
"…No."
Marida looked down. "What
about Aoshi-kun?"
"He'll be fine here. This
is a good chance for him to try taking over some of the responsibilities. He'll
need a lot of leadership training. For the future."
"…that's not what I
meant."
"I know, Marida."
Makimachi's voice was surprisingly gentle.
Marida said nothing more.
She bowed to him once, formally, then left the garden with the quiet steps of a
trained omnitsu.
Makimachi sighed once and
gazed up at the clear blue sky.
"What needs to be done…
will be done. There is no going around this one, is there?"
The heaven gave him no
answers.
***
"Come on, people, our
resting place is right over there. Walk faster, or it'll be dark before we ever
get there."
A few half-hearted groans
answered Kanzaki's order. Kyosuke replaced the straw hat he'd been fanning
himself with back on his head and obediently got off the ground. The other men
in their little group followed far less willingly, accompanied by a lot of groaning and complaining.
Their destination could
be seen from here, a sprawling house complex nestled to the forested
mountainside that spread over more ground than Kyosuke would ever have believed
possible. He had seen entire villages smaller than that. Before he came to
Kyoto, he would never have believed such wealth existed -- and just how big a
difference there could be between the rich and the poor.
He hefted the thick
wooden pole that he and another man was responsible for carrying, and heard the
other fellow grunted with the weight of it. The sturdy basket in the middle
looked no different than any other baskets that farmers habitually use to carry
their products to markets. And the surface of it was indeed piled with leafy
vegetables to ward off inspection. But this basket, and the other two identical
baskets carried by his little group of men, contained something far heavier
than any market produce.
Something far more
dangerous.
It had been a week since
they had ambushed the supply troupe. By the time anyone came to investigate the
late troupe, they had long since moved the precious boxes downstream by boats.
The numerous rivers around Kyoto were a very useful form of transportation.
They had hid the weapons in a secure place, then Kanzaki had called on a few
men to bring a sample to show to their leaders. Kyosuke had been one of them.
It still took until
sunset for them to arrive at the mansion. The gatekeeper recognized Kanzaki
immediately and they were ushered in to the kitchen. The concealing vegetables
were all taken out, the shining western rifles and the ominous gatling gun that
kept giving Kyosuke the chills were all placed in one closed basket. Then
Kanzaki motioned for Kyosuke to follow him.
They padded through the
covered walkways between buildings, Kyosuke gawking unashamedly at the
exquisite gardens, ponds, and the rich paneling of the buildings. This was his
first time here, although he had heard of it. The mansion was a mountain
retreat of a rich merchant who was heavily involved with the Ishin movement,
although that fact was not well known. They passed servants on the way who eyed
the two men dubiously, but Kanzaki breezed through them without a glance.
Kyosuke followed more self-consciously, acutely aware of his dirty farmer's
clothing.
Kanzaki stopped in front
of a room guarded by two samurais, one of which knocked on the wooden panel
deferentially.
A soft voice called from
the inside, "Come in."
The shoji was slid aside
and they shuffled inside, Kyosuke keeping his eyes down respectfully.
"Ah, good to see you back
and well, Kanzaki-kun. We've received your message three days ago, good
work."
Kyosuke peered up to see
a grey-haired old man sitting beside Katsura Kogoro. The man was small in
stature, with wispy white beard and mustache. But despite his slight build and
age, there was an aura of contained power and authority in him, hidden within
an air of serenity.
And sitting across from
them...
Kyosuke blinked in shock
and blurted without thinking, "Himura?!"
The redheaded youth
lifted his head to look at Kyosuke. Something flickered in his eyes and the
corner of his lips seemed to curve in the slightest smile that disappeared as
his gaze swept over Kanzaki. He nodded to the other man, face blank,
"Kanzaki-san."
Kanzaki gave Kyosuke a
quelling look and nodded back to Himura just as coolly. "Himura." Then he
turned and bowed deeply to his leaders, "Aizawa-san, Katsura-san, I'm back."
Aizawa-san? Ah, Aizawa Shigenobu.
Kyosuke had never met him before, but every Choshu Ishin Shishi knew his name.
He was one of the eldest and foremost factual leaders of Choshu Ishin Shishi,
with strong personal followera among the Shishis. He, Katsura-san, and Ieda-san
were the three single most influential men among the Choshu faction Shishi. But
the rumours whispered among the lower ranks said that not all was well between
the three men.
Kanzaki was motioning for
the basket now. Kyosuke forced his mind away from the disturbing track and
helped the other man to unload the weapons inside. He lifted the gatling gun
out and heard a sharp intake of breath. Katsura-san was staring fixedly at the
gun.
"Let me see that..."
He took the bulky weapon
from Kyosuke's hands. Both Aizawa and Himura were watching raptly, Himura's
eyes acquiring that wintry glint that was part of Hitokiri Battousai's
reputation.
Katsura-san turned the
weapon over in his hands, running his hands over the thick multiple barrels.
"I've never seen this one before," he murmured, "it's most probably the latest
type."
Aizawa turned towards
Kanzaki. "What about that cannon?"
Kanzaki lowered his head
towards Aizawa, "Hai. As said before, it was too heavy to move around, so I put
it in one of our hiding places. I've checked it over, but I'm afraid I don't
know much about gaijins' weapons. I understand Katsura-san is sending someone
to go and look it over."
"Oh?"
Katsura calmly answered
Aizawa's questioning look, "Sakamoto-san was in the vicinity. I sent a quick
letter to him to take a detour and have a look at the Armstrong cannon. He
knows the gaijins and their weapons far better than we do, he'll be able to
inform us better. I'm expecting him to come here soon, today or in the next few
days."
"Sakamoto Ryoma…ka?"
Aizawa leaned back, sighing heavily. "They weren't supposed to sell these," he
murmured almost to himself. "No frigates, no Armstrong cannons, no gatling-guns
- that is the rule all sides follow."
"Followed." Katsura-san's
gaze was dark as he looked at his fellow leader. "Someone had broken the rule.
Just as predicted, things are going to change very soon. It would seem it had
already started."
"We'll have to discuss
this further." Aizawa nodded towards Kanzaki and Kyosuke. "Thank you, this is a
very important discovery indeed. Make sure that it does not spread."
Kanzaki bowed to him,
"Hai, I've already warned all of my men. They won't say anything." Then
recognizing the unspoken order, he pulled Kyosuke along with him to the exit. Himura
gave the two Ishin leaders a bow then followed them out of the room.
Kyosuke kept his mouth
shut until they had walked far enough not to disturb their leaders, then he
burst out, "Himura! What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be in that
village I left you in. You can't have recovered, it's not even two weeks yet!"
Himura looked at him
blandly. "I'm fine, I arrived shortly before you did. I was doing nothing
useful there. Besides, we're short-handed enough as it is."
The younger man did still
have some road dust on his clothes and skin. He also still looked rather pale,
and Kyosuke knew him well enough to recognize the faint tightness around his
eyes and mouth as signs of pain.
Before he could say
anything else, Kanzaki interrupted, "Kyosuke, go to the dining room and have
something to eat. I'll get the others." He left without another look at Himura.
Still like that. Kyosuke looked at
Himura, but the younger man's face was blank, the expressionless mask he wore
among others firmly in place.
"Let's go," Himura
murmured.
***
Kenshin walked the
familiar path to the dining room. He had been to this place a few times,
accompanying Katsura-san or some of the other Ishin leaders. The room was half
full with a dozen or so men, bodyguards and followers of the visiting leaders.
He recognized less than half of them. The faces changed often, a roster of men
replaced by numerous others. After the first few times, he no longer searched
for the missing people. Most of them would be dead. He knew that the next time
he visited, the faces would change again. It was one reason he never made any
deep relationship with any of them. One among many.
As he and Kyosuke walked
in, faces turned around to scrutinize them with the narrowed, clinical eyes of
men who were trained to miss little. Most recognized Kyosuke and brightened,
calling out to him with warm familiarity. His friend replied back in kind and
was soon engaged in a conversation with a group of men. The few who recognized
Kenshin nodded and murmured subdued greetings. He nodded back, returning their
greetings. None asked him to join them.
Once he had settled
himself in a table near a corner, the whisperings began. He ignored them as he
always did, pretending not to see the covert glances thrown his way. They would
be mortified if they knew he could still hear them, but he did not need to tell
them that.
"Is that...?"
"Battousai?"
"Cross scar and reddish hair, what do you
think?"
"THE hitokiri Battousai?"
"Aa. Stop gawking like an idiot."
"But... he's younger than me!"
"He's younger than most, don't speak so
loudly. You think he's deaf?"
"... thought he'd be bigger."
"Heh, morons."
"You know him?"
"Of course. He comes here often, 'course I
know him."
"You and your big-mouth. He's bluffing,
didn't even talk two sentences with him."
"Is he as good as they say?"
"..."
"Better."
"You're kidding me."
"If you're lucky enough, or unlucky enough,
you'll see for yourself."
Kyosuke took his place
beside Kenshin and nudged him with an elbow, whispering softly, "They're
talking about you again."
Kenshin scowled at his
rice bowl, "Ignore them. I do."
Kyosuke merely grinned.
"By the way, my friends there told me some of the guys that came over. I think
you may want to know that..."
The entrance was suddenly
pushed open hurriedly. The whispered conversations died as heads once again
turned towards the door. A young man in his mid-teens, still with gangly limbs
barely maturing into adulthood, stood panting outside. His wide expressive
eyes, set on a face too young to have even a shadow of stubbles yet, searched
the room until they found Kyosuke and Kenshin. His face brightened with
delight.
"Himura-san! You're
here!"
Kyosuke finished in a rather
dry tone, "...that Eiji is here."
Kenshin swallowed an
overwhelming urge to groan and thump his head on the table. Kawasaki Eiji was
one of Kanzaki's men, one of the newest and youngest. They had met a few times,
went on one mission together. He was a good person, and it wasn't that he was
not glad the young man was still alive. It was just that...
Eiji rushed to their
table and firmly seated himself beside Kenshin. "Himura-san, I'm so glad you're
alright. I heard about your duel with Captain Okita Souji of Shinsengumi.
Sugoi! Did you beat him? Ne? Of course you did, Hiiten Mitsurugi Ryuu is
unbeatable. Ne, will you teach me this time? Just one stroke, just Ryu-tsui-sen
is enough. Hontou... Aa, are you alright, Himura-san?"
Kenshin had closed his
eyes in despair. That urge to thump his head was becoming really strong now.
Beside him, Kyosuke was trying his best to hide his amusement and failing
miserably.
He seriously doubted that
he would get any peace on this trip.
***
Back in the inner room, as
soon as the sound of footsteps faded to nothing, Aizawa Shigenobu turned
towards Katsura.
"Yahari," Aizawa sighed,
"it's coming to this."
Katsura nodded, "I've
long since warned those back in our han of the dangers. Shinsaku saw this
coming before I did. Him and Sakamoto Ryoma."
"Who do you think sold
them to the government?"
The younger man was
silent for a moment before replying with a sigh, "Most probably France. All
those news we've received - increased weapons imports, relaxed trade
restrictions, preferential treatments… I think we can safely confirm that
France will be strongly supporting Bakufu. All the way."
He continued without
looking at Aizawa, "Everybody's taking sides now."
Aizawa gazed at the
younger man thoughtfully. "Kogoro… what are you trying to say?"
Silence. Then –
"Have you decided about
what we discussed last week, Aizawa-sensei?"
Aizawa's face was a
tranquil mask as he lifted his cup of tea and sipped slowly from it. "You mean…
your proposal for alliance with Satsuma-han."
He shook his head with a
dry smile. "You and Shinsaku dropped that particular news on top of my head
after you've already discussed it with Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimitchi.
Have I told you how much I did not appreciate that?"
Katsura actually looked
slightly uncomfortable, a rare occurrence that would have left his men in a
state of disbelief.
"Yes, sensei, and I am
sorry about that. But truth be told, that was a very delicate matter, and the
less people involved the better. At the time, we did not even know if anything
would come out of it. And the timing…" he trailed off, looking rather
discomfited.
Aizawa nodded. "You know
that a great lot of people are going to jump all over you if they catch a whiff
of this?"
"I know."
"They will not be
thinking of the benefits the alliance will bring. They will be thinking of the
massacre of three thousand of our men by Bakufu and Satsuma soldiers in Kinmon
no hen. They will be thinking of Satsuma soldiers leading the Bakufu attack
on our han last year."
"They will be thinking of
lives lost, pride trampled, and revenge to be taken."
Katsura met Aizawa's
eyes. "And if we give in to that, we will be driven and defeated - our lands
and power taken away, restrictions shackled around us to keep us cowed and
manageable."
Aizawa smiled at that.
"True."
"The same old argument,
Aizawa-sensei. United we are stronger and a match for Bakufu. Alone and warring
against each other, we have no chance whatsoever. It took me years to accept
that." Katsura's tone held a hidden bitterness. "And it was not a lesson that I
accept easily. Or willingly. But fact is fact, and you were the one who taught
me that the way of the world did not change to accommodate a person's personal
feelings."
"No matter how much it
galled, that we are not strong enough to do this by ourselves, that we have to
be allied with Satsuma… it is still
the only way that gives us a possibility of victory."
"You have given this a
lot of thought." Aizawa sighed heavily before turning towards Katsura with a
weary smile. "I suppose I need to know if you have thought out the whole chain
of consequences this will bring. And if you are prepared to face it."
Katsura held the older
leader's eyes evenly. "I am willing to put my life on the line for this."
"And so you shall,
Kogoro. So you shall." Aizawa shook his head. "My advice to you… keep that
young hitokiri beside you at all times. You never know when the hidden arrows
will start flying. At least you know that that boy will not turn on your back."
"Arigatou, sensei.
Then…?"
Aizawa chuckled softly.
"All right… What is done is done. I trust your judgment and Shinsaku's – after
all, I did watch you two grow to fill your current positions. And who knows,
this alliance is probably the best for all concerned."
Katsura smiled slightly. "I am glad. No… I am very relieved, sensei. Your
support will be invaluable to us."
"Ah yes, you need me to
offset Ieda's influence, hmm?" Aizawa remarked wryly, sipping his tea again.
"He will not be pleased when he hears this. You can't keep this quiet forever,
Kogoro."
Katsura nodded. "I know.
I don't intend to. I will come out with this in the upcoming meeting."
"How far along is it?"
"It is just a financial
arrangement at the moment, but if it works, then more things can be done based
on this solid foundation."
"This arrangement…,"
Aizawa peered up at Katsura from half-lidded eyes, "it will not by any means involve…
the British gaijin. Will it?"
Katsura had been half
expecting the question, which was why he was able to keep a bland expression on
his face. "Why do you say that, sensei?"
"Why… oh, a little bit of
hearsay, here and there… maybe just an old man's overactive imagination from
sleepless nights…" Aizawa's sharp eyes belied his relaxed tone. "Or maybe,
they're simply groundless rumors…no?"
Katsura chose his reply
carefully. "I will never do anything that will harm our country. I believe that
my desire to see our people prosper is as strong as anyone, and if it takes my
whole life, I will see that we will be as strong and powerful as any gaijin
country. I will see that we will never have to bow down to foreign pressures
again."
Aizawa observed him with
shrewd eyes. Katsura had not truly answered the question he had asked, but it
was obvious the younger man was not going to elaborate.
"Maa… I'll take your
answer. For now." Aizawa carefully rose to his feet. "I have another meeting in
the inner city, so let's stop here. We'll talk again soon, naa? I trust you
will keep me informed of the latest developments from hereon?"
"Of course."
Just before leaving,
Aizawa turned and said, "Remember my warning about being careful, Katsura. I'd
hate to see one of my most talented kohai falling down before he accomplishes
what he promises." Aizawa pushed open the sliding door, and one of the samurai
standing guard stood up and left with him.
Leaving Katsura alone in
the room with his thoughts.
***
"Eiji, I've told you
before I don't teach Hiiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, not ever. Stop asking me, the
answer won't change."
Eiji's youthful face was
so downcast that Kenshin could not help feeling guilty. Even if he was doing
the right thing.
Kyosuke patted Eiji on the
back, grinning in commiseration. "Don't look so down, Eiji-kun. It's not the
end of the world. I thought you already had a few others teaching you?"
"Well...yes, but it's not
the same. Hiiten Mitsurugi Ryuu is the best, even Katsura-san said so. And Himura-san
is the strongest kenkaku among us." The eyes that Eiji turned towards Kenshin
was positively glowing with hero-worship. Kenshin almost flinched. He could not
understand the boy's fixation on him at all. All he did was kill people and
saved the boy half by accident. But since then Eiji had been following him
around with those big trusting eyes.
"Maa, maa...even if he
won't teach the skills, I'm sure Himura wouldn't mind giving a few pointers.
Ne, Himura?"
Kenshin glared at Kyosuke
who was grinning at him unashamedly. He was sure free with someone else's time.
He wondered if sparring with Kyosuke had been such a good idea after all. Ever
since he started giving a few advices to Kyosuke, the older man had been a little
too quick to offer other people his help.
Eiji's expression had
turned ecstatic as he waited for Kenshin's reply. As the silence stretched on,
he began to wilt.
Why do I feel like I've kicked a puppy?
With a sigh, Kenshin gave
up. "All right, show me your moves and I'll tell you a few things." He
hurriedly held up his hand before Eiji could misunderstand. "But I am NOT your
teacher, and I'm NOT teaching you Hiiten Mitsurugi."
"HAI, Himura-san!" Eiji
crowed, "Wait for me please, I'll get my sword right away."
"Wait, wait, wait!" To
Kenshin's surprise, Kyosuke held on to Eiji before the young man could run off
inside. "Not today, Eiji-kun. Tomorrow. Himura just got here today, he needs to
rest for a while."
"Oh." Eiji blinked.
"Right." He turned back towards Kenshin. "Himura-san, why don't you have a soak
in the hot-spring pool? Do you know they have their own private spring pool
here? Hontou ni sugoi-yo! Aa, I forgot, you've been here before right? You must
know. They said it's got healing properties, I'm sure it'll help you relax."
"Eiji!" A shout drifted
from the back courtyard. A man holding a yari wandered around a corner and
waved to Eiji. "Come on, we're starting to practice at the hall! Are you
coming?"
"Coming! I'm fetching my
sword!" Eiji shouted back, then grinned at Kenshin and Kyosuke. "I'll see you
tomorrow then, Himura-san, Kyosuke-san. It's a promise." He pelted back into
the house, running full-speed down one corridor.
Kenshin stared at the
direction Eiji had disappeared to. "Where does he get his energy? I feel tired
just watching him."
"Is the Master of Hiiten
Mitsurugi Ryuu so easily tired?" Kyosuke teased him, grinning. "Maybe the
master is not as recovered from his injuries as he said."
Kenshin muttered, "The
Master of Hiiten Mitsurugi Ryuu is currently off drinking sake somewhere in the
mountains. And this practitioner of
Hiiten Mitsurugi Ryuu was never trained to ward off over-eager student
candidates."
Eiji re-appeared from the
corridor, holding his katana both-handed. He disappeared around the corner to
the house, then popped back around to wave at them, grinning and shouting like
a boy, "Ashita, ne? Himura-san!" Then he was off.
Kenshin turned a
despairing glance at Kyosuke, "Dear gods... please tell me I was never like
that."
Kyosuke's eyes were
dancing with amusement, "Like what?"
Kenshin struggled for
words, "Like... like..."
"You mean bubbly?
Talkative? Happy? Puppy-dog eager?"
Kenshin shook his head
helplessly. "Forget I said anything," he muttered.
"He's not that much
younger than you, you know. He's fifteen."
Kenshin stared at the
direction Eiji had disappeared to. "Fifteen," he repeated wonderingly. It did
not feel like a one-year difference. More like ten or twenty years, perhaps. At
fifteen, he had married, loved, lost. At fifteen, his hands were already
stained with more blood than he could ever wash away. Beside Eiji, he felt old.
With a sigh, he turned
towards the hot spring bathhouse. While he was here, he might as well took
advantage of the fine facilities provided.
"I'm going for a bath."
"Eh? Oh, I'll take one
later, some of the guys invited me to after-dinner sake. Come with me?"
Kenshin waved a hand at
him as he walked away. "No, have fun."
***
Notes:
1. Ryuusui no Ugoki = Kenbu = Aoshi's water-flow steps/movements. After reading
the answers to my question, I have a better idea of what it is, but no
recommendation on an appropriate training technique for it ^_^;. So I put this
one in, but if any of you feel it's inappropriate or there's a better one, by
all means write to me, I'll be extremely grateful (always on the hunt for more
authenticity ^^). And since I'm no expert in baby-talk... help with the Misao-chan
part? ^_^;
2. Kinmon no hen - I put this in end of chapter 5, but. July 1864, it was in
the manga and the OVA, when Kyoto burned for 3 days. 3,000 Choshu soldiers
attacked Kyoto for revenge against the slaughter in Ikedaya Inn. Bakufu army,
including Satsuma forces, numbered 80,000 - you can guess the result ^^;;;
3. Age: For clarity, I'm
including their ages in August 1865 –
Misao was born on Nov 1863
= almost 2 years old ^-^
Aoshi was born on Jan 1853
= 12 yrs old
But the Japanese and
Chinese traditionally add 1 year to their age, so you can do that.
4. And just to avoid confusions - Aizawa Shigenobu is a fictional character
^_^;. Anybody whom I'm not mentioning in the Notes are going to be fictional
unless said otherwise.
5. Japanese words:
- daisuki = like (someone) very much
- 'to' = and/also
- shoji = the rice-paper panels in Japanese houses that act as walls and doors
- kenkaku = swordsman
- honto ni sugoi-yo = really very incredible
- ashita = tomorrow
6. Kanji for names:
- Hayato - 'haya' = eagle, 'to' = person/man (thanks to Serizawa Kamo-san for
allowing me to use the same name for Misao's grandpa ^_^)
- Arashi = storm
On to Chapter 8 :
Interlude II