Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, the characters, or anything related to it. The anime is owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro.
Fanfic Title: Epic of a Rurouni
Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance
Rating: PG-13 for violence and mild language
Summary: Soujiro and Yuki visit the Aoiya, the restaurant of the notorious Oniwabanshuu.
They were once greatly feared but now things differ,
They were once the great snake but now they lost the ruthless slither,
They were once ruled by a man but now by a girl,
They would never expect to have the Tenken re-enter their world.
- - -
Chapter 4: Itachi-musume and Jiya
Yuki managed to talk Soujiro into going back into the dreaded city Kyoto. Soujiro told her that that idea was unwise because they would most likely be reprimanded by the Meiji officers if they were seen again in the city.
Yuki laughed. "Are you afraid of the Meiji government?"
Soujiro mused for a bit. "Well, I wasn't when I was with the Juppon Gatana."
"Juppon Gatana?" Yuki was puzzled.
Soujiro smacked his forehead because of his sheer stupidity. "I forgot, I didn't tell you about the Juppon Gatana. Well, they were Shishio- sama's group of warriors."
"Ah, and were you the best?" asked Yuki with a coquette smirk on her face.
Soujiro pulled at his collar uncomfortably. "I wouldn't say that but many people would consider me the best of the Juppon Gatana."
Yuki only smiled at his response and they continued sauntering back to Kyoto beneath the light gray sky. The morning air was cool because the sun had not transcended to its position above yet. Soujiro enjoyed this temperature. The pleasant rush of wind swept over his hair causing the dark brown tresses to sway and dance. The nice climate would soon be disrupted by the sun, ready to sweep the streets of Kyoto with an emphatic heat wave.
"Where should we go now?" Yuki asked through a mouthful of rice.
"After we eat, we can look for your ninja clan. They must be somewhere in Kyoto but it would help if you had your memory," replied Soujiro. He took a sip of his green tea and made a face.
Yuki noticed it. "Anything wrong?"
"This tea...it's horrible," rasped Soujiro. The tea was extremely bitter and whoever made it obviously had their attention elsewhere. But he had never eaten at this restaurant, the Aoiya, before. The bad tea was the explanation for why they did not have many customers.
"I hope you're all enjoying your food!" shouted a voice from behind Soujiro, "You two are the only customers we've had today."
Soujiro turned around and almost dropped his tea mug. A girl that looked to be around sixteen stood there beaming. She wasn't the waitress that serviced Yuki and Soujiro, but she did look familiar. He thought he saw her face during the Kyoto trials, she could have been one of Himura Kenshin's allies. Her jet black bangs bunched about the right side of her face while they weren't as numerous on the left side. Turquoise orbs of fire were her eyes; a reflection of her boisterous attitude. The rest of her face was slender and slightly pale in complexion. The girl was clad in a faded cobalt blue jimbei that was bordered with a soft lavender color. Plain brown slippers were on her bandage-wrapped feet. A smile danced on her lips while she watched them eat.
"I've never seen this restaurant before, is it new?" Yuki asked as she set her bowl down.
"No, we've been around for a while. You probably haven't been to this part of Kyoto a lot," replied the girl who looked baffled.
The restaurant worker averted her attention to Soujiro, her brows furrowed as if she were in deep thought. "Haven't I seen you before?"
"I think I've seen you before too," said Soujiro, "Weren't you accompanying Himura Kenshin when he went to oppose Shishio Makoto?"
The girl slammed her hands on Soujiro's table, sending the mug and bowl toppling off the table. "Hey! Just who the hell are you?!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't think asking that would offend–" Soujiro started but was interrupted by another voice.
"Misao-chan, what's going on?" An old man approached from a door that most likely led into the kitchen because the smell of food erupted into the room.
"Jiya! This baka here asked me about Himura and Shishio Makoto!" she emphasized the name "Shishio Makoto" as if it were a crime to mention that name in a normal conversation.
"Soujiro-san was just asking Misao-san if she was friends with this Himura Kenshin fellow," Yuki said patiently.
"Hai, we are very good friends with Himura. But what about him and Shishio?" interrogated the old man, the one Misao fondly called "Jiya."
"Misao? Hai...that's right. You were there in my first battle with Himura-san. Do you remember?" Soujiro asked, his eyes looking up at her innocently.
"Hai, weren't you the boy with the speed that rivaled Himura's?" inquired Misao.
Soujiro nodded slowly.
"What is your name? I think I might have heard it before but I don't seem to remember," the old man said to Soujiro.
"My name is Seta Soujiro and this is my friend Yuki," he pointed to Yuki as he said her name and she grinned at them.
"I am Okina, senior member of the Oniwabanshuu," the old man said.
"The Oniwabanshuu?" asked Yuki puzzled.
"It's a ninja clan," explained Soujiro, "And Okina-san must be the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu."
"You think that old geezer is the leader?! I'm the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu!" growled Misao.
Okina shook his head and frowned at Misao's comments. It seemed he had experienced her indignant comments frequently so he stayed silent.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Soujiro smiled at the agitated Misao, "You're pretty young for being an Okashira."
"Yeah...well it's a long story, and I don't really want to recall it," said Misao who seemed to be talking to the table near her feet. Her voice was distant as if she were musing about something unpleasant while she spoke.
"This is a funny question but have you lost any ninjas lately?" asked Yuki fervently.
"What do you mean?" Misao raised an eyebrow.
"Have any of your members gone missing?" Yuki rephrased her question.
"No...Kurou, Shirou, Okon, Omasu, and Jiya are all here," answered Misao who still looked a bit baffled.
"Y'see, Yuki is asking you that question because she lost her ninja clan," explained Soujiro.
"Don't you remember where their base or headquarters is?" Misao asked the kunoichi.
"No, I lost my memory too," Yuki whispered ruefully.
"Oh, you have amnesia then?" said Okina.
"Hai, it makes me really mad," said Yuki while she struggled to smile.
"Well, there's been a ninja clan threatening us for a while. Maybe you belong to them," said Misao who shrugged.
"Let's hope not," chuckled Soujiro.
During the night, Soujiro and Yuki decided to wander about Kyoto. The dark night sky looked like a blanket that was embroidered with sparkling stars that were its jewels. The sky was quite tranquil and nice to look at, sending a wave of calmness over the watcher even though the city around them buzzed with life like a hectic hornets' nest. A sigh escaped Soujiro's mouth as he looked at the weapons lined out on a table belonging to a sword merchant. They reminded him of his beautiful Kikuichimonji Norimune that was broken in his fight with Himura Kenshin. He watched the weapons dreamily, not wanting any of them but they all seemed to appeal to his eyes. Yuki, on the other hand, was eyeing the weapons like a child in a candy store which alarmed Soujiro a little since he knew what thieving ninjas might do to obtain what they desired.
Yuki had reminded him of Okina's invitation for them to have dinner at the Aoiya so they headed there after looking at another batch of sparkling weapons. When they arrived there, they deliberately backed away from the scene that seemed to have stirred before their arrival. They hurried behind a building, peering out. Makimachi Misao, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, was wearing a different outfit accompanied with kunai or throwing knives in the spaces between her dainty fingers. Misao, Okina, and four other people were surrounded by a group of people who greatly outnumbered them.
"What's going on?" whispered Yuki.
"I think those are the ninjas that Misao wanted us to talk to but–," Soujiro stopped when a yell erupted from the fighting.
"KANSATSU TOBI KUNAI!" Misao yelled as she hurled a kunai at one of the enemy ninjas.
The ninja caught the kunai between his fingers and laughed at her as if she were a child trying to hurt a grown man like him. Misao grimaced and seemed to inch closer to Okina.
- - -
It bothered me that my epic wasn't one long poem, so I guess I'm just going to add a small summary poem before the story starts.