Black hair weaved and twisted into a long braid dashed between swordsmen.
The man under the black braid drew one of the two Japanese swords that were
wrapped on his waist, driving it up into the chin of one of the swordsmen.
"I am sorry...may your journey to the next world be safe." The man stated before withdrawing his bloodstained sword. He then darted to the other four swordsmen and killed three of them off quickly. One was left. They stood parallel to each other. Fear struck neither of their faces.
"I've heard about you...Hito is it?" The swordsman asked. He placed his sword in front of himself and then brought it back into a gatotsu stance. Saying nothing, Hito re-sheathed his sword, but kept his hand on the hilt. "You are a fool to rid yourself of a weapon!" The swordsman shouted. Hito grinned only enough to know it himself. The swordsman started to charge, then thrust the sword at Hito. Hito ducked under at the last second, then pulled swiftly on his hilt, drawing one of his swords and slamming the blade into the swordsman's side. Blood splattered and added to the collection on Hito's blade.
"I'm sorry. May your journey to the next world be safe..." Hito whispered silently as he walked away from the battle scene.
Chapter 1
"Hito! Have you killed them?" A tall old man asked, rushing outside of his front door.
"Yes." Hito sighed, walking up short stairs into the man's home. "I expect my payment soon. Then I should be on my way." He grabbed both of his sheaths right below the hilt and pulled them free from the wrap, setting them on the floor and then sitting himself next to them.
"Ah, but I have hired you and you are now mine until I am finished. I have another job for you to carry out." The old man sat at a table, "Hito, come and sit up here. The floor is no place for a well paid man." Without a word, Hito lifted himself from the floor, picked up his sheaths, and walked over to sit across from the other man.
"I'm sick of assassinations, Kiro." Hito whined in a deep voice.
"But you have no other way to live, do you boy?" Old Kiro asked. "If you quit now, surely you will die of starvation. If you steal your life's worth of food, you may be sentenced to death. No strangers will feed you with your reputation. Hito, you are a weapon. Your fighting skills must be put to use." Kiro laid out a map on the table. "This is a map of Governor Kena's mansion," He paused and looked to see Hito's reaction. There was none to show. "The entrance is heavily guarded, but the fool only has a few placed in back. If you don't want to make a riot, go through the back and kill the few guards there. Then you'll slam down the door here, run upstairs to the governor's bedroom and kill him. If the screams of guards do not wake him, you will be able to kill him in his sleep. You will do all of this at night." Hito simply nodded. "Good. Get some rest. The assassination will take place tomorrow night."
Sighing, Hito picked up his swords and walked across the room. He slid open a rice paper door and walked inside, closing it behind him. The room was simple and empty. No light was allowed to enter with an exception of the door. In the direct center of the chamber, a small sleeping bag was laid out to serve as Hito's bed. Hito walked over and sat cross-legged on his bed, laying his sworded-sheaths across his chest. "Someday this'll all pay off...someday..." He sighed, lay back in his bed, and stared up at the ceiling.
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"Hito!" Kiro ran into Hito's bedroom the next morning to awake him. Hito was already awake and out of bed, in his normal slouched position against the wall. "Dang Hito...don't you sleep at all?" Hito shifted his glance a little but barely anything to notice.
"There is nothing to be accomplished while one is asleep." Hito said coldly, "There is no point."
"Where do you get all of your energy and fighting spirit from if you don't sleep?" Kiro asked. Hito stood up and walked past Kiro, stopping at the open sliding door.
"I do sleep." He grinned slightly and left the room. Kiro shook his head with confusion, then turned around to see Hito.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not yours without an assignment. I will be back by nightfall." Hito grabbed his black cloak before exiting. He slowly stepped down the stairs and swung his cloak over himself to cover his identity. Quickening his pace, Hito walked down the dusty road, heading for a region only he himself knew to be.
"What are you gonna do?!" A male's voice shouted. Hito looked in that direction to see a small group of young men crowding in a semi-circle by a wall. Looking through a gap between two boys, Hito saw the victim of the gang's attack. He was a small boy, no older than 11.
"It's none of my business..." Hito whispered to himself as he passed by.
"Mister!" The kid shouted. Hito looked at the boy. He was reaching out at Hito. "Please, help me mister!"
"Don't bug the citizens! No one wants to help you!" One of the gang boys shouted. A pleading look covered the victim's face; as did fear. Another one of the gang members kicked the boy as another turned around to face Hito. "Go along. There's nothing for a rurouni here." He said, looking at Hito's swords. "Pass by little man." He turned back around and joined in on the beating of the boy.
"Little man?" Hito half laughed. The sound of metal being drawn caught the attention of one of the boys. He turned around and fear struck his face. Hito dashed at him and stabbed him in the chest, killing him instantly.
"What's going on?!" The other boys turned around, forgetting about the child. "Toya..." They gasped, "What've you done to Toya?!" Hito brought the blade behind himself, then sprang at another gang-boy. He slammed the hilt into his abdomen, then bounced back and he slashed the blade at one other's throat. "This guy's crazy, let's get out of here!" The other members of the gang started to flee, but Hito grabbed one and pulled him back, nearly choking him. He pulled out a knife and flung it at one of the fleeing boys, striking him in the back. "Let me go!" Hito's hostage shouted.
"What are you gonna do?" Hito mocked, raising his blade into a choker hold.
"M-mister?" The kid was on his knees, bleeding. "You...you killed them all!" A wicked smile crossed his face as he stood up. "You're really strong! Can you...will you teach me to be as strong as you are?" Hito's grip loosened on the remaining member of the gang without realizing it.
"I got you now!" The boy flung himself out of Hito's grip, then drew his own knife and flung it at Hito. Without thinking, Hito raised his blade and blocked the throw, hitting it a few feet away. "No..." The boy's eyes widened from the sight of Hito's reflexes. Swallowing hard, he sprinted across the small 'battle field' to grab his weapon. "Block this!" He shouted, running up to Hito to stab him. He jumped up and slashed down his knife. Hito stuck out his blade and stabbed the boy through the stomach, burning the flesh all the way through. The boy's attack cut a lengthy gash into Hito's cloak, making it drop from around his shoulders. The crowd that had recently pulled around began to back away.
"You see his hair? His eyes? It's...Hito the assassin..." One man whispered.
"What's he doing out here killing innocent boys? Has the hitokiri sunk that low?" Another voice whispered. Hito said nothing and looked around in shock. Sheathing his sword, he turned and ran down the path that he had followed before the attack.
"Mister!" A strangely familiar voice shouted. Without looking back, Hito could tell that it was the kid. "What are you running from? You're the strongest guy I've ever seen, you have nothing to worry about!" The voice got louder as the child got closer. "Are you ignoring me?" Now he was close enough to tug on Hito's shirt; which he did.
"I advise you to stay away from me. Wherever I go, trouble follows." Hito said quickly.
"You mean you have bad luck?"
"I cause my own troubles." Hito picked up the pace to try to lose the kid, but he was particularly fast for his age.
"Teach me how to use a sword! Please?"
"My style of fighting is not one you would like to learn." Hito started to get agitated; "It's used for killing, and killing only!"
"I wanna be strong! If killing is what it takes, I'll do it! Teach me your fighting style, I'm willing to commit myself into learning it. I'll do whatever you say!" Hito shook his head 'no'. "Why not? Please?"
"I'm not willing to teach. Now stop following me!" Hito looked around the path to see he and the kid were the only following it. All of the adults were far to the side, keeping their small children from even stepping foot on the road. Hito turned around to face the kid. "Do you want everyone avoiding you like that?" He pointed to a side of the road.
"At least no one will pick on me!"
"What's your name, kid?"
"Osan, and I'm ten years old!"
"Osan huh?" Hito laughed, "Sorry, but I can't train you."
"Why not?!" Osan asked.
"You're as old as a child, and your name tells me that you have the heart of a child." Hito turned back around and continued his walk.
"It's not my fault that my mother chose a stupid name for me!" Osan shouted, infuriated. "You need a better reason than that! I'm gonna follow you until you agree to train me!"
"I can't let that happen, can I?" Hito turned back around and reached his hand out, as if wanting to shake hands.
"You mean...you'll train me?"
"No." He raised his hand up higher, then struck Osan between his shoulder and neck, knocking him unconscious. A few people who were watching gasped, but other than that, no one reacted to what happened.
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"Master...I have come." Hito opened a sliding rice-paper door and stepped inside. "You wanted to see me, didn't you?"
"Hito...the Shousa Kyouhen style is not meant for the attack and killing of meaningless boys..."
"You...know?" Hito asked, surprised.
"Of course I know. My spies are all over this city. Seems you've got a kid tailing you now too. You know, being an assassin means avoiding sight. You're drawing too much attention to yourself, Hito."
"Master Shihan, forgive me..."
"Avoid it in the future. And control that temper. Use your strength for assassinations alone." Shihan drew his sword and ran his finger down the backside, watching the blade sparkle from the strong reflection of the sun.
"Is that all you needed me for?" Hito asked. Shihan laughed, then looked out the window.
"You have an assassination...quite a few people your up against huh?"
"Yes sir."
"So, one of the biggest assassinations of your life...is on the day of your birthday." Shihan re-sheathed his blade and handed it to Hito. "For trade. Both of your swords."
"Is it not a gift?" Hito asked, removing the two swords from his waist and handing them to Shihan.
"Now, I could not give away my only sword." He removed both swords about an inch out of their sheaths and looked at them for a few seconds before putting them back. "They both look new. Are you using your killing money?"
"I can't afford to buy things like that..." Hito looked at his new sword, fascinated by its reflecting glow. "I hold back on my cuts. The blade lasts longer that way."
"You've never attacked at your full potential?"
"Never." Hito shook his head and stood up. "No one's worth the effort. I hate this Meiji era...there are no decent fighters."
"And this makes you angry? But it makes your job all that much easier." Shihan waited for a good answer, smiling because he knew Hito well. Hito glared down at the floor.
"Everyone in this era expects the government to take care of all their needs. No one in this lazy nation will do anything for themselves. One decent swordsman comes along and everyone's as good as dead. Besides the fact that I need the money, I took this job to show everyone that they need to get stronger if they wish to live."
"And you believe you can change all of Japan with one sword?"
"I used to have two." Hito said simply before leaving.
"Hito!" Shihan shouted. Hito turned around and Shihan tossed him the better of the two swords. "It's not the sword that will change this country, it is the wielder. Remember that okay?"
"It is not possible to forget what you have based your life on." Hito turned to leave again but was once again stopped by the voice of Shihan.
"And Hito...happy nineteenth birthday."
"I am sorry...may your journey to the next world be safe." The man stated before withdrawing his bloodstained sword. He then darted to the other four swordsmen and killed three of them off quickly. One was left. They stood parallel to each other. Fear struck neither of their faces.
"I've heard about you...Hito is it?" The swordsman asked. He placed his sword in front of himself and then brought it back into a gatotsu stance. Saying nothing, Hito re-sheathed his sword, but kept his hand on the hilt. "You are a fool to rid yourself of a weapon!" The swordsman shouted. Hito grinned only enough to know it himself. The swordsman started to charge, then thrust the sword at Hito. Hito ducked under at the last second, then pulled swiftly on his hilt, drawing one of his swords and slamming the blade into the swordsman's side. Blood splattered and added to the collection on Hito's blade.
"I'm sorry. May your journey to the next world be safe..." Hito whispered silently as he walked away from the battle scene.
Chapter 1
"Hito! Have you killed them?" A tall old man asked, rushing outside of his front door.
"Yes." Hito sighed, walking up short stairs into the man's home. "I expect my payment soon. Then I should be on my way." He grabbed both of his sheaths right below the hilt and pulled them free from the wrap, setting them on the floor and then sitting himself next to them.
"Ah, but I have hired you and you are now mine until I am finished. I have another job for you to carry out." The old man sat at a table, "Hito, come and sit up here. The floor is no place for a well paid man." Without a word, Hito lifted himself from the floor, picked up his sheaths, and walked over to sit across from the other man.
"I'm sick of assassinations, Kiro." Hito whined in a deep voice.
"But you have no other way to live, do you boy?" Old Kiro asked. "If you quit now, surely you will die of starvation. If you steal your life's worth of food, you may be sentenced to death. No strangers will feed you with your reputation. Hito, you are a weapon. Your fighting skills must be put to use." Kiro laid out a map on the table. "This is a map of Governor Kena's mansion," He paused and looked to see Hito's reaction. There was none to show. "The entrance is heavily guarded, but the fool only has a few placed in back. If you don't want to make a riot, go through the back and kill the few guards there. Then you'll slam down the door here, run upstairs to the governor's bedroom and kill him. If the screams of guards do not wake him, you will be able to kill him in his sleep. You will do all of this at night." Hito simply nodded. "Good. Get some rest. The assassination will take place tomorrow night."
Sighing, Hito picked up his swords and walked across the room. He slid open a rice paper door and walked inside, closing it behind him. The room was simple and empty. No light was allowed to enter with an exception of the door. In the direct center of the chamber, a small sleeping bag was laid out to serve as Hito's bed. Hito walked over and sat cross-legged on his bed, laying his sworded-sheaths across his chest. "Someday this'll all pay off...someday..." He sighed, lay back in his bed, and stared up at the ceiling.
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"Hito!" Kiro ran into Hito's bedroom the next morning to awake him. Hito was already awake and out of bed, in his normal slouched position against the wall. "Dang Hito...don't you sleep at all?" Hito shifted his glance a little but barely anything to notice.
"There is nothing to be accomplished while one is asleep." Hito said coldly, "There is no point."
"Where do you get all of your energy and fighting spirit from if you don't sleep?" Kiro asked. Hito stood up and walked past Kiro, stopping at the open sliding door.
"I do sleep." He grinned slightly and left the room. Kiro shook his head with confusion, then turned around to see Hito.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm not yours without an assignment. I will be back by nightfall." Hito grabbed his black cloak before exiting. He slowly stepped down the stairs and swung his cloak over himself to cover his identity. Quickening his pace, Hito walked down the dusty road, heading for a region only he himself knew to be.
"What are you gonna do?!" A male's voice shouted. Hito looked in that direction to see a small group of young men crowding in a semi-circle by a wall. Looking through a gap between two boys, Hito saw the victim of the gang's attack. He was a small boy, no older than 11.
"It's none of my business..." Hito whispered to himself as he passed by.
"Mister!" The kid shouted. Hito looked at the boy. He was reaching out at Hito. "Please, help me mister!"
"Don't bug the citizens! No one wants to help you!" One of the gang boys shouted. A pleading look covered the victim's face; as did fear. Another one of the gang members kicked the boy as another turned around to face Hito. "Go along. There's nothing for a rurouni here." He said, looking at Hito's swords. "Pass by little man." He turned back around and joined in on the beating of the boy.
"Little man?" Hito half laughed. The sound of metal being drawn caught the attention of one of the boys. He turned around and fear struck his face. Hito dashed at him and stabbed him in the chest, killing him instantly.
"What's going on?!" The other boys turned around, forgetting about the child. "Toya..." They gasped, "What've you done to Toya?!" Hito brought the blade behind himself, then sprang at another gang-boy. He slammed the hilt into his abdomen, then bounced back and he slashed the blade at one other's throat. "This guy's crazy, let's get out of here!" The other members of the gang started to flee, but Hito grabbed one and pulled him back, nearly choking him. He pulled out a knife and flung it at one of the fleeing boys, striking him in the back. "Let me go!" Hito's hostage shouted.
"What are you gonna do?" Hito mocked, raising his blade into a choker hold.
"M-mister?" The kid was on his knees, bleeding. "You...you killed them all!" A wicked smile crossed his face as he stood up. "You're really strong! Can you...will you teach me to be as strong as you are?" Hito's grip loosened on the remaining member of the gang without realizing it.
"I got you now!" The boy flung himself out of Hito's grip, then drew his own knife and flung it at Hito. Without thinking, Hito raised his blade and blocked the throw, hitting it a few feet away. "No..." The boy's eyes widened from the sight of Hito's reflexes. Swallowing hard, he sprinted across the small 'battle field' to grab his weapon. "Block this!" He shouted, running up to Hito to stab him. He jumped up and slashed down his knife. Hito stuck out his blade and stabbed the boy through the stomach, burning the flesh all the way through. The boy's attack cut a lengthy gash into Hito's cloak, making it drop from around his shoulders. The crowd that had recently pulled around began to back away.
"You see his hair? His eyes? It's...Hito the assassin..." One man whispered.
"What's he doing out here killing innocent boys? Has the hitokiri sunk that low?" Another voice whispered. Hito said nothing and looked around in shock. Sheathing his sword, he turned and ran down the path that he had followed before the attack.
"Mister!" A strangely familiar voice shouted. Without looking back, Hito could tell that it was the kid. "What are you running from? You're the strongest guy I've ever seen, you have nothing to worry about!" The voice got louder as the child got closer. "Are you ignoring me?" Now he was close enough to tug on Hito's shirt; which he did.
"I advise you to stay away from me. Wherever I go, trouble follows." Hito said quickly.
"You mean you have bad luck?"
"I cause my own troubles." Hito picked up the pace to try to lose the kid, but he was particularly fast for his age.
"Teach me how to use a sword! Please?"
"My style of fighting is not one you would like to learn." Hito started to get agitated; "It's used for killing, and killing only!"
"I wanna be strong! If killing is what it takes, I'll do it! Teach me your fighting style, I'm willing to commit myself into learning it. I'll do whatever you say!" Hito shook his head 'no'. "Why not? Please?"
"I'm not willing to teach. Now stop following me!" Hito looked around the path to see he and the kid were the only following it. All of the adults were far to the side, keeping their small children from even stepping foot on the road. Hito turned around to face the kid. "Do you want everyone avoiding you like that?" He pointed to a side of the road.
"At least no one will pick on me!"
"What's your name, kid?"
"Osan, and I'm ten years old!"
"Osan huh?" Hito laughed, "Sorry, but I can't train you."
"Why not?!" Osan asked.
"You're as old as a child, and your name tells me that you have the heart of a child." Hito turned back around and continued his walk.
"It's not my fault that my mother chose a stupid name for me!" Osan shouted, infuriated. "You need a better reason than that! I'm gonna follow you until you agree to train me!"
"I can't let that happen, can I?" Hito turned back around and reached his hand out, as if wanting to shake hands.
"You mean...you'll train me?"
"No." He raised his hand up higher, then struck Osan between his shoulder and neck, knocking him unconscious. A few people who were watching gasped, but other than that, no one reacted to what happened.
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"Master...I have come." Hito opened a sliding rice-paper door and stepped inside. "You wanted to see me, didn't you?"
"Hito...the Shousa Kyouhen style is not meant for the attack and killing of meaningless boys..."
"You...know?" Hito asked, surprised.
"Of course I know. My spies are all over this city. Seems you've got a kid tailing you now too. You know, being an assassin means avoiding sight. You're drawing too much attention to yourself, Hito."
"Master Shihan, forgive me..."
"Avoid it in the future. And control that temper. Use your strength for assassinations alone." Shihan drew his sword and ran his finger down the backside, watching the blade sparkle from the strong reflection of the sun.
"Is that all you needed me for?" Hito asked. Shihan laughed, then looked out the window.
"You have an assassination...quite a few people your up against huh?"
"Yes sir."
"So, one of the biggest assassinations of your life...is on the day of your birthday." Shihan re-sheathed his blade and handed it to Hito. "For trade. Both of your swords."
"Is it not a gift?" Hito asked, removing the two swords from his waist and handing them to Shihan.
"Now, I could not give away my only sword." He removed both swords about an inch out of their sheaths and looked at them for a few seconds before putting them back. "They both look new. Are you using your killing money?"
"I can't afford to buy things like that..." Hito looked at his new sword, fascinated by its reflecting glow. "I hold back on my cuts. The blade lasts longer that way."
"You've never attacked at your full potential?"
"Never." Hito shook his head and stood up. "No one's worth the effort. I hate this Meiji era...there are no decent fighters."
"And this makes you angry? But it makes your job all that much easier." Shihan waited for a good answer, smiling because he knew Hito well. Hito glared down at the floor.
"Everyone in this era expects the government to take care of all their needs. No one in this lazy nation will do anything for themselves. One decent swordsman comes along and everyone's as good as dead. Besides the fact that I need the money, I took this job to show everyone that they need to get stronger if they wish to live."
"And you believe you can change all of Japan with one sword?"
"I used to have two." Hito said simply before leaving.
"Hito!" Shihan shouted. Hito turned around and Shihan tossed him the better of the two swords. "It's not the sword that will change this country, it is the wielder. Remember that okay?"
"It is not possible to forget what you have based your life on." Hito turned to leave again but was once again stopped by the voice of Shihan.
"And Hito...happy nineteenth birthday."