All right, back again!
Standard Disclaimer...don't own anything...
* * *
"Would you like more rice balls Sou-chan?" Sonami asked, handing him one.
"That would be great." He replied. "You always make the best foods."
"You don't have to flatter me you know." With that, both of them laughed loudly, causing the ones in front to wonder what they were up to.
"Hey, you two stop lagging behind!" Yahiko yelled at them, only to receive a smack on the head from Kaoru. "What was that for?"
"The last time I checked this was Sonami's journey, not yours. She could lag as much as she wants too." She chided. Yahiko just grumbled.
"Huh? The Tenken is actually lagging?" Misao commented.
"All right, all right, we'll catch up." Sonami and Soujiro ran up to the group, still laughing.
"Sonami, there's a split in the road up ahead." Kenshin suddenly informed her. "One of them leads to Kyoto, while the other goes on to Nagasaki. Which one are we going to take?" Although Kenshin was talking to Sonami, it was as if he was addressing the question to Aoshi and Misao.
Realizing what was going on, Misao flatly stated, "I'm not going."
"But Misao..." Aoshi protested.
"I said I wasn't going back and I meant it!" With that she kept on walking.
"Looks like the weasel made up her mind. Oh well." With that Saitou walked on. Everyone took the Nagasaki road, since Misao's temperament made it obvious that she didn't want any more discussions on it.
"Hopefully I didn't sound too aggressive." Misao thought to herself. But she wasn't ready to go back, not now. She might decide to do so later on, but at the present time that was not the case. "Besides," Misao reminded herself with a smirk. "It's kind of fun having Aoshi to myself, away from the rest of the Oniwaban."
"By the way," Yahiko suddenly broke the silence. "Sonami, are you eventually planning to go to Kyoto?"
"Yes..." Sonami replied, but a bit hesitant. It almost sounded as if something was caught in her throat.
"So why not now?"
Sonami stayed silent for a while. "I have my reasons."
* * *
She fell, rolling on the ground due to the impact of Naruko's blow. "I told you to not miss." She stayed on the floor, looking down, not even attempting to stand up. Only stupidity would have caused her to do otherwise, for she had brought enough wrath on herself already.
Exasperated, Naruko stormed towards the table, and fumbled around for brush and paper. Furiously, she wrote the contents onto the note. After sealing it, she threw it at the girl's face. "Make some use of yourself and deliver this to Sonami."
The girl slowly raised herself up, and walked out of the room. However, once on the other side of the rice paper doors, she ran as fast as she could, away from the place. Naruko might be the okashira, and had somehow managed to keep the restless onmitsu in order, but one had to wonder about her sanity. This was one of those times.
* * *
Walk, walk, walk. That's all they ever did. Nothing but trees to look at. Well, with the exception of Kaoru eyeing Kenshin, Misao and Aoshi stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, Saitou profusely smoking while everyone stood at least five feet away from him, including Tokio...yup, a typical scene in the life of Yahiko. Then of course, there was that girl leaning against a tree with a ninja outfit...whoa, what?!!
Apparently he wasn't the only one that saw her, as every swordsman put his hand at the hilt of his katana on instinct. "She was the one with the darts wasn't it?" Soujiro asked, wanting to confirm. Sonami nodded.
The girl started walking towards them, but surprisingly she only had a note in her hand. She kept a safe distance, and threw the note, directly at Sonami. Sonami caught it with ease, and scrolled through it. She had a thin smile on her face. "I see. Naruko wants to directly challenge me at Nagasaki." Then nodding to the girl, she continued, "Tell your okashira that I accept. But..." she added, "if she attempts another dirty maneuver, I won't be so lenient next time."
* * *
"Sano you baka! You got us lost again!"
"What are you talking about? We're not lost, we're just, um..."
Sano and Megumi walked along the non-existing trail as they attempted to find the main road again. Both were irritated. Megumi, because of having been stuck with Sano, and Sano, because, well um...just because. Well, there was the fact that he didn't had a decent cup of sake for weeks, and he was still grouchy for not being able to go along with the rest of the group...but other than that, he was irritated just because he felt like being irritated.
"By the time we get to the next village, all of Japan would have contracted the epidemic." Megumi reproached bitterly.
"Well, if you didn't walk so slowly we wouldn't have had to take a shortcut in the first place." Sano replied back angrily.
"I didn't want to take the shortcut, but you just had to insist!"
"Well, if it wasn't for..." Sano suddenly stopped his yelling, when he felt something wet falling down his face.
"It's raining!" Sano grabbed Megumi, and they went under the biggest tree nearby. "Maybe it will stop after awhile." Unfortunately, the rain dropped harder and harder.
"Looks like we have to stay the night here." Sano remarked. "So stop squirming."
"Why do I have to be stuck with you in such an uncomfortable position?" Megumi quipped. She did have a point, for she had to basically squeeze under the branches, her face barely inches away from Sano's. Although the tree was the largest around at that point, that didn't necessarily mean that the tree was large.
"Well, if you really don't like it, then move." Sano remarked lazily as he tried to get more comfortable, although Megumi's body slightly pressed against him, distracting him.
"Why can't you move?" Megumi retorted, although now she wasn't so insistent on him leaving...
"Well, um..." Sano tried to think up a believable answer. "It's raining too hard and I don't want to get wet. And you?"
"Well...I...same here!" She suddenly answered, lacking a better excuse.
* * *
"Ah!!! It's raining!" Misao screamed as she looked for shelter.
"Don't worry, Nagasaki is only a few minutes away, and there's a place for us to stay." Sonami reassured her.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry!" With that, Misao grabbed the startled Sonami's arm and started dragging her. Everyone else just sweat-dropped.
After a few moments of running, the group spotted Suki holding out a lantern and an armful of umbrellas. "Welcome to Nagasaki." She said as she started handing the umbrellas out. "Unfortunately, there were just so many umbrellas that I could carry at a time, so you need to share." Slowly, they started to pair off. Kenshin and Kaoru took one, Aoshi and Misao taking another, Saitou instinctively grabbing Tokio, and Soujiro and Sonami huddling under one. Yahiko was in the rain. Feeling bad, Suki held out hers to him. "Here, you can have this."
"Forget it! I rather get rained on." He replied adamantly.
"Stubborn, isn't he?" Suki quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes, unfortunately." Kaoru replied. Giving Yahiko a "you're an ungrateful little brat" look.
The group headed off, pair by pair, although not in rows like cutesy little school children. "Interesting scene, isn't it Hajime?" Tokio commented slightly to her husband. She continued to look at the "couples" and then her eyes fell on Soujiro and Sonami. The boy was in love with her and he didn't realize it. And she...she was still in denial. Throughout the whole interlude, Saitou had not uttered a word. But Tokio felt, even amongst all her pondering, that her husband's grip on her grew slightly tighter.
* * *
The rain continued to pour throughout the night.
Exhausted, everyone fell asleep. Well that is, mostly everyone. Soujiro was lying on his futon, staring directly at the ceiling. Rain always stirred him. It would never leave him alone. The flood of memories—it all rushed back with the rain. Blood mixed with rain, covering the ground, with a slight addition of—tears. Bright flashes of the katana, and the eternal silencing of the piercing scream...no, they were not silenced. They continued to haunt his dreams, echo's within the subconscious. Other times he would be able to hide behind his smile, or better yet forget about them. His newfound happiness proved that. However, all that washed away with the drops of rain. He had to sleep...just sleep. For sleep brought on forgetfulness, being a small taste of death.
* * *
Sonami woke up, hearing a scream from the next room. "Soujiro?" Quickly, she got up, wanting to know what happened. Gently she knocked on the door. "Soujiro, are you alright?" Hearing no distinct answer, she knocked harder, thinking that he didn't hear her due to the pouring rain. Her answer was another scream. Alarmed now, Sonami opened the door and slipped in, although blushing slightly in the process.
Soujiro tossed and turned, murmuring and screaming. "No, please...don't...I didn't...don't hit me...no!"
Realizing that Soujiro was having a nightmare, Sonami tried to comfort him. "Hush Sou-chan, it's ok. No one's going to hurt you." She stroked his sweat-matted face gently, trying to calm him down. She whispered into his ear, "Nothing can hurt you...nothing..."
Soujiro's harsh breathing became slower, as his head rested in Sonami's lap. Eventually, he went back into a peaceful state, even forming a smile on his face. Sonami sighed out of relief. Then she too, out of exhaustion, accidentally fell asleep.
* * *
Soujiro opened his eyes. Everything seemed normal enough, except for a feeling of warmth huddled somewhere next to him...His eyes glared wide as he registered his situation. Sonami, sleeping next to him, in his room. Panic. He...he didn't do anything stupid...did he? He wasn't exactly prone to sleepwalking...was he? Then what had happened?
As if on cue, Sonami woke up. "Oh my, I must have accidentally fallen asleep here." Then with a smile, "Are you feeling better now Sou- chan?"
"I...well, that is...what happened here?" He stammered.
"Oh, well..." she suddenly blushed, realizing how awkward this situation looked. "I heard you screaming last night, and I came to check to make sure you were all right. You seemed to be having a horrible nightmare, so I decided to stay until you felt better...and I guess I accidentally fell asleep as well."
Soujiro started feeling guilty. He had troubled her, for something that he should have left behind long time ago. "Sonami, I'm really sorry. It's just that..." Soujiro suddenly stopped, as he felt one of Sonami's fingers gently touching his lips, telling him to hush.
"It's all right Sou-chan, you don't need to tell me anything. You don't need to explain. I understand." With that, she stood up to leave. "I should go back to my room. Otherwise, the others will find out and will start asking embarrassing questions." Soujiro merely nodded.
Sonami quickly snuck back into her room, without causing notice. Or, at least that's what she thought. Unknown to her, Tokio had been standing at a corner, few yards away from her. Tokio had just witnessed a bewildering scene. Her first thought was to inform the others. But in her heart she knew she would never utter a word.
* * *
"So you're Yahiko."
"And you're Suki."
The two teens glared at each other, trying to make sense of each other. Obviously, it didn't work. So the glaring contest continued, until Kenshin came and found them in this state. "Oro?" Kenshin sweat-dropped. "If you don't mind this one asking, just exactly what are you two doing?"
"Well, she started it first!" Yahiko protested. "I just sat here, minding my own business when she came and acted as if she owned the place..."
"I do own this place." She interrupted calmly.
"She does have a point there." Kenshin commented, trying to suppress a laughter.
"Well, that doesn't mean that she has to act the way she does!"
"The only thing I said was, 'so you're Yahiko'. Is that so offensive?" Suki asked, getting a bit irritated now. "It seems that not only do you act stubborn, but also talk too much."
"See, see what I mean?" Yahiko yelled defensively.
"You brought it on yourself." Saitou remarked, suddenly entering the scene.
"You're just saying that because you would have done the same thing!"
"Precisely." Saitou replied casually.
"All right, that's enough of that." Suki started. "I just wanted to ask you how you ended up with these people."
"Then how did you end up with Sonami?" Yahiko asked back.
"I asked you first."
"Fine then." Yahiko pouted. "If you want to play that game." He sat down. "To make it short, Kenshin and ugly saved me and I ended up living with them."
"You mean Kaoru." Suki corrected him. "You should at least have the decency to not call your teacher such names."
"Ah, what do you know?" Yahiko quipped. Kenshin and Saitou just stood there, wanting to know what this conversation will lead to. Besides, they had nothing better to do at this moment. "So, what about you?" Yahiko started asking.
"I was an orphan." She flatly stated. "I lived on the streets living off of sewage until Lady Sonami found me and took me under her care. I became one of her apprentices, and am loyal and devoted to her to this day, and to the end of my life. Obviously I don't call her things that you call your instructor. If anything, you don't know enough about life to act accordingly." With that she left, leaving the two men and one boy.
"She's bluffing." Yahiko commented, once she went out of earshot. "If anything, she's the spoiled brat!" With that he sulked away, now leaving Kenshin and Saitou alone.
"She's blind in one eye." Saitou suddenly stated.
Kenshin looked at Saitou. "You noticed too. One could only guess how she managed to survive with that."
* * *
"What is it that you're wearing Sonami?" Misao and Kaoru asked, curious about Sonami's new style of dress. It wasn't a kimono, but it wasn't a western style dress either, and one couldn't really say it was a mixture of both.
"It's a hanbok." Receiving confused glances, she attempted to explain. "Although hanbok is a traditional dress and doesn't allow much mobility, it is still more flexible and lighter than a kimono. Naruko will probably attack soon, but I need to take care of some business in the city, and I can't just go around wearing only my fighting outfit. Besides, it fits with the setting."
"Huh?" They commented, sort of understanding everything except the last part. "What does it have to do with the setting?"
"Nagasaki has trade relations with China and Japan. Or should I say had." Saitou answered for Sonami irritably. They really asked too many questions. It was a wonder how the Battousai and Shinomori managed to live with either of them.
"Well, the 'had' part is generally correct." Sonami corrected. "But the trades might the opening again." With that she made a bow and stepped out of the door. "I'll be gone for just a short while. If you need anything, just ask Suki."
Saitou just stood there, digesting her words. She had a talent for hiding truth within truth. When she had said the trades might be open again, she told him the concrete facts that he had already gathered. However, her first sentence intrigued him. Generally correct. Those two words hung on him. Was she perhaps implying that there was much more going on than anyone had presumed?
* * *
Outside the window, two birds perched on a sturdy branch. The next second both fell to the ground, dead. Naruko smiled maliciously.
(flashback)
Naruko was proud. She had managed to become one of Seiju Yutamuro's personal apprentices. For an ex-begger, she had made quite a name for herself. It almost made her feel bad for what she was doing. Almost.
Naruko had always been ambitious. What she wanted, she obtained, someway or another. Also, she always looked for an easy way out. If there were no consequences for cheating, she would cheat, if she had to kill she would kill, regardless of whose side the person belonged to. She would switch alliances regularly if it brought her the best results. At this point, she sold secrets. Nevertheless, she hadn't attempted to find anything thing too valuable, until now.
Carefully, she snuck into the archives. She would find it there. All of Yutamuro's original scribing were stored there. Of course, most of the important documents stayed inside locked compartments. But knowing this, she managed to forge a key. She had almost gotten caught in the process, but she had disposed of the nuisance before the word got out. It would take them quite a while to find his body.
She scanned the room until she found the correct compartment. When she did, she put the fake key in, and opened it. She started digging through the documents, looking for a specific one...she gasped when the realization hit her...it wasn't there. "What are you doing?"
Naruko whirled around, alarmed, but relaxed when she only saw a little girl there. "Nothing of your concern, brat." She smirked. Sumi Yutamuro, the only child of her present master. Although, she had no idea if she was really a brat or not, she just called all little children that. But then again, it wouldn't be surprised if she were, for after all, she was the sole heir to the famous clan.
"You shouldn't be doing that." Sonami continued, unfazed by the hostile answer. "You shouldn't betray the trust my father has in his pupils."
Naruko continued to smirk. "Well then, what are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to fight you."
Naruko stared incredulously. "Just how old are you?"
"Six."
Naruko burst out laughing. "Little girl, don't fool yourself. I'm at least five years older than you, and had much more experience and training. You won't beat me. Why don't you just run along now?"
Sonami didn't budge. "Don't underestimate me because I'm young. Although you may be older than me, I had gone through more rigorous situations because of my father." Then she added slyly, "Also, I have been training, whereas you wasted your time on dishonest things such as stealing documents."
All right, the girl deserved to be taught a lesson. Naruko secretly started to get her kunai ready. "So you knew about it all the time, didn't you? You were just waiting for the right moment to confront me. Well then, get ready for this!" Without warning, she used her secret kunai maneuver, which always caught her enemies by surprise, and at least put a couple scratches on them. However, this time it was her turn to be surprised. The girl, without flinching, dodged, and then used Naruko's stretched right arm as leverage, and swung herself low, ending up at Naruko's back, and then tripping her by disabling her left ankle. Naruko stayed shocked. Who...who was ever able to dodge her secret attack...and dodge it in such a way? However, she didn't have much of a time to contemplate it, for she fell face down unto the floor, caused by the unbalance that her damaged ankle created.
She tried to stand back up, but found it hard to do so, for the impact nearly shattered her already disabled ankle. Also, Seiju Yutamuro had stepped inside. "So, this was our thief." He glanced coldly at Naruko. Then he turned to Sonami. "You did end up catching her, but in my opinion you took more time than necessary."
Naruko looked at her former master incredulously. He chided his daughter...for what? Catching her later than his standards? But she stopped herself. She was not going to sympathize with the little brat.
"Naruko, from now on you are no longer part of this clan." Seiju declared. "I should have you killed, but for the sake of what little loyalty you had for the last six years, I'm letting you walk out of here alive. But if any of us see you again. We would not hesitate, but kill you." With that, both Yutamuros walked out.
After a few attempts, Naruko managed to stand up. She gathered what little possessions she had, and walked out, past the glaring, reproachful glances of the guards. Bitterness filled her mind, as she took just one look back at her home for the last six years. They would all pay. Pay for throwing her out into the streets, with nothing. Especially that little girl. She would make sure that she suffered. Naruko looked up into the sky. It was raining—hard.
* * *
Yay, done! Ok, comments...
Yes, the rain motif is way overused, but I couldn't help it! =) And I sort of hurried along the whole Aoshi trying to convince Misao thing quickly cause I wanted to focus on the other things more.
Misao and Aoshi-so Misao made her final decision. What's going to happen next?
Megumi and Sano-even though they are not with the rest of the group, I'm still going to write about them. Besides, they are going to have an adventure on their own.
Kenshin and Kaoru-I'm really really sorry for not putting much of them so far. It's just that I've been preoccupied with everything else.
Saitou and Tokio-well obviously there's something going on there...=)
Suki-I'm going to state it straight. She's not going to be with Yahiko. Now with that understood, isn't it sad that she's blind in one eye?
Naruko-is it just me or does she seem a bit psychotic? What does she have planned next?
Sonami and Soujiro-Hm...interesting situation, ne? Wonder how it's going to turn out.
Oh, and in all honesty, this chapter didn't quite measure up to my standards. (also the last chapter was a bit iffy also) But I wrote it down, and it wasn't all together too bad...I think. I mean, the scenes were unavoidable. Otherwise the characters would have seemed too flat. Which reminds me...I won't be able to update for about two to three weeks or so, because I'm so bogged down with tests and projects. So expect an update after all that. Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone that continued to read this. I know OC s are not as appreciated.
Oh, and of course, PLEASE review! =)
Standard Disclaimer...don't own anything...
* * *
"Would you like more rice balls Sou-chan?" Sonami asked, handing him one.
"That would be great." He replied. "You always make the best foods."
"You don't have to flatter me you know." With that, both of them laughed loudly, causing the ones in front to wonder what they were up to.
"Hey, you two stop lagging behind!" Yahiko yelled at them, only to receive a smack on the head from Kaoru. "What was that for?"
"The last time I checked this was Sonami's journey, not yours. She could lag as much as she wants too." She chided. Yahiko just grumbled.
"Huh? The Tenken is actually lagging?" Misao commented.
"All right, all right, we'll catch up." Sonami and Soujiro ran up to the group, still laughing.
"Sonami, there's a split in the road up ahead." Kenshin suddenly informed her. "One of them leads to Kyoto, while the other goes on to Nagasaki. Which one are we going to take?" Although Kenshin was talking to Sonami, it was as if he was addressing the question to Aoshi and Misao.
Realizing what was going on, Misao flatly stated, "I'm not going."
"But Misao..." Aoshi protested.
"I said I wasn't going back and I meant it!" With that she kept on walking.
"Looks like the weasel made up her mind. Oh well." With that Saitou walked on. Everyone took the Nagasaki road, since Misao's temperament made it obvious that she didn't want any more discussions on it.
"Hopefully I didn't sound too aggressive." Misao thought to herself. But she wasn't ready to go back, not now. She might decide to do so later on, but at the present time that was not the case. "Besides," Misao reminded herself with a smirk. "It's kind of fun having Aoshi to myself, away from the rest of the Oniwaban."
"By the way," Yahiko suddenly broke the silence. "Sonami, are you eventually planning to go to Kyoto?"
"Yes..." Sonami replied, but a bit hesitant. It almost sounded as if something was caught in her throat.
"So why not now?"
Sonami stayed silent for a while. "I have my reasons."
* * *
She fell, rolling on the ground due to the impact of Naruko's blow. "I told you to not miss." She stayed on the floor, looking down, not even attempting to stand up. Only stupidity would have caused her to do otherwise, for she had brought enough wrath on herself already.
Exasperated, Naruko stormed towards the table, and fumbled around for brush and paper. Furiously, she wrote the contents onto the note. After sealing it, she threw it at the girl's face. "Make some use of yourself and deliver this to Sonami."
The girl slowly raised herself up, and walked out of the room. However, once on the other side of the rice paper doors, she ran as fast as she could, away from the place. Naruko might be the okashira, and had somehow managed to keep the restless onmitsu in order, but one had to wonder about her sanity. This was one of those times.
* * *
Walk, walk, walk. That's all they ever did. Nothing but trees to look at. Well, with the exception of Kaoru eyeing Kenshin, Misao and Aoshi stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, Saitou profusely smoking while everyone stood at least five feet away from him, including Tokio...yup, a typical scene in the life of Yahiko. Then of course, there was that girl leaning against a tree with a ninja outfit...whoa, what?!!
Apparently he wasn't the only one that saw her, as every swordsman put his hand at the hilt of his katana on instinct. "She was the one with the darts wasn't it?" Soujiro asked, wanting to confirm. Sonami nodded.
The girl started walking towards them, but surprisingly she only had a note in her hand. She kept a safe distance, and threw the note, directly at Sonami. Sonami caught it with ease, and scrolled through it. She had a thin smile on her face. "I see. Naruko wants to directly challenge me at Nagasaki." Then nodding to the girl, she continued, "Tell your okashira that I accept. But..." she added, "if she attempts another dirty maneuver, I won't be so lenient next time."
* * *
"Sano you baka! You got us lost again!"
"What are you talking about? We're not lost, we're just, um..."
Sano and Megumi walked along the non-existing trail as they attempted to find the main road again. Both were irritated. Megumi, because of having been stuck with Sano, and Sano, because, well um...just because. Well, there was the fact that he didn't had a decent cup of sake for weeks, and he was still grouchy for not being able to go along with the rest of the group...but other than that, he was irritated just because he felt like being irritated.
"By the time we get to the next village, all of Japan would have contracted the epidemic." Megumi reproached bitterly.
"Well, if you didn't walk so slowly we wouldn't have had to take a shortcut in the first place." Sano replied back angrily.
"I didn't want to take the shortcut, but you just had to insist!"
"Well, if it wasn't for..." Sano suddenly stopped his yelling, when he felt something wet falling down his face.
"It's raining!" Sano grabbed Megumi, and they went under the biggest tree nearby. "Maybe it will stop after awhile." Unfortunately, the rain dropped harder and harder.
"Looks like we have to stay the night here." Sano remarked. "So stop squirming."
"Why do I have to be stuck with you in such an uncomfortable position?" Megumi quipped. She did have a point, for she had to basically squeeze under the branches, her face barely inches away from Sano's. Although the tree was the largest around at that point, that didn't necessarily mean that the tree was large.
"Well, if you really don't like it, then move." Sano remarked lazily as he tried to get more comfortable, although Megumi's body slightly pressed against him, distracting him.
"Why can't you move?" Megumi retorted, although now she wasn't so insistent on him leaving...
"Well, um..." Sano tried to think up a believable answer. "It's raining too hard and I don't want to get wet. And you?"
"Well...I...same here!" She suddenly answered, lacking a better excuse.
* * *
"Ah!!! It's raining!" Misao screamed as she looked for shelter.
"Don't worry, Nagasaki is only a few minutes away, and there's a place for us to stay." Sonami reassured her.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry!" With that, Misao grabbed the startled Sonami's arm and started dragging her. Everyone else just sweat-dropped.
After a few moments of running, the group spotted Suki holding out a lantern and an armful of umbrellas. "Welcome to Nagasaki." She said as she started handing the umbrellas out. "Unfortunately, there were just so many umbrellas that I could carry at a time, so you need to share." Slowly, they started to pair off. Kenshin and Kaoru took one, Aoshi and Misao taking another, Saitou instinctively grabbing Tokio, and Soujiro and Sonami huddling under one. Yahiko was in the rain. Feeling bad, Suki held out hers to him. "Here, you can have this."
"Forget it! I rather get rained on." He replied adamantly.
"Stubborn, isn't he?" Suki quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes, unfortunately." Kaoru replied. Giving Yahiko a "you're an ungrateful little brat" look.
The group headed off, pair by pair, although not in rows like cutesy little school children. "Interesting scene, isn't it Hajime?" Tokio commented slightly to her husband. She continued to look at the "couples" and then her eyes fell on Soujiro and Sonami. The boy was in love with her and he didn't realize it. And she...she was still in denial. Throughout the whole interlude, Saitou had not uttered a word. But Tokio felt, even amongst all her pondering, that her husband's grip on her grew slightly tighter.
* * *
The rain continued to pour throughout the night.
Exhausted, everyone fell asleep. Well that is, mostly everyone. Soujiro was lying on his futon, staring directly at the ceiling. Rain always stirred him. It would never leave him alone. The flood of memories—it all rushed back with the rain. Blood mixed with rain, covering the ground, with a slight addition of—tears. Bright flashes of the katana, and the eternal silencing of the piercing scream...no, they were not silenced. They continued to haunt his dreams, echo's within the subconscious. Other times he would be able to hide behind his smile, or better yet forget about them. His newfound happiness proved that. However, all that washed away with the drops of rain. He had to sleep...just sleep. For sleep brought on forgetfulness, being a small taste of death.
* * *
Sonami woke up, hearing a scream from the next room. "Soujiro?" Quickly, she got up, wanting to know what happened. Gently she knocked on the door. "Soujiro, are you alright?" Hearing no distinct answer, she knocked harder, thinking that he didn't hear her due to the pouring rain. Her answer was another scream. Alarmed now, Sonami opened the door and slipped in, although blushing slightly in the process.
Soujiro tossed and turned, murmuring and screaming. "No, please...don't...I didn't...don't hit me...no!"
Realizing that Soujiro was having a nightmare, Sonami tried to comfort him. "Hush Sou-chan, it's ok. No one's going to hurt you." She stroked his sweat-matted face gently, trying to calm him down. She whispered into his ear, "Nothing can hurt you...nothing..."
Soujiro's harsh breathing became slower, as his head rested in Sonami's lap. Eventually, he went back into a peaceful state, even forming a smile on his face. Sonami sighed out of relief. Then she too, out of exhaustion, accidentally fell asleep.
* * *
Soujiro opened his eyes. Everything seemed normal enough, except for a feeling of warmth huddled somewhere next to him...His eyes glared wide as he registered his situation. Sonami, sleeping next to him, in his room. Panic. He...he didn't do anything stupid...did he? He wasn't exactly prone to sleepwalking...was he? Then what had happened?
As if on cue, Sonami woke up. "Oh my, I must have accidentally fallen asleep here." Then with a smile, "Are you feeling better now Sou- chan?"
"I...well, that is...what happened here?" He stammered.
"Oh, well..." she suddenly blushed, realizing how awkward this situation looked. "I heard you screaming last night, and I came to check to make sure you were all right. You seemed to be having a horrible nightmare, so I decided to stay until you felt better...and I guess I accidentally fell asleep as well."
Soujiro started feeling guilty. He had troubled her, for something that he should have left behind long time ago. "Sonami, I'm really sorry. It's just that..." Soujiro suddenly stopped, as he felt one of Sonami's fingers gently touching his lips, telling him to hush.
"It's all right Sou-chan, you don't need to tell me anything. You don't need to explain. I understand." With that, she stood up to leave. "I should go back to my room. Otherwise, the others will find out and will start asking embarrassing questions." Soujiro merely nodded.
Sonami quickly snuck back into her room, without causing notice. Or, at least that's what she thought. Unknown to her, Tokio had been standing at a corner, few yards away from her. Tokio had just witnessed a bewildering scene. Her first thought was to inform the others. But in her heart she knew she would never utter a word.
* * *
"So you're Yahiko."
"And you're Suki."
The two teens glared at each other, trying to make sense of each other. Obviously, it didn't work. So the glaring contest continued, until Kenshin came and found them in this state. "Oro?" Kenshin sweat-dropped. "If you don't mind this one asking, just exactly what are you two doing?"
"Well, she started it first!" Yahiko protested. "I just sat here, minding my own business when she came and acted as if she owned the place..."
"I do own this place." She interrupted calmly.
"She does have a point there." Kenshin commented, trying to suppress a laughter.
"Well, that doesn't mean that she has to act the way she does!"
"The only thing I said was, 'so you're Yahiko'. Is that so offensive?" Suki asked, getting a bit irritated now. "It seems that not only do you act stubborn, but also talk too much."
"See, see what I mean?" Yahiko yelled defensively.
"You brought it on yourself." Saitou remarked, suddenly entering the scene.
"You're just saying that because you would have done the same thing!"
"Precisely." Saitou replied casually.
"All right, that's enough of that." Suki started. "I just wanted to ask you how you ended up with these people."
"Then how did you end up with Sonami?" Yahiko asked back.
"I asked you first."
"Fine then." Yahiko pouted. "If you want to play that game." He sat down. "To make it short, Kenshin and ugly saved me and I ended up living with them."
"You mean Kaoru." Suki corrected him. "You should at least have the decency to not call your teacher such names."
"Ah, what do you know?" Yahiko quipped. Kenshin and Saitou just stood there, wanting to know what this conversation will lead to. Besides, they had nothing better to do at this moment. "So, what about you?" Yahiko started asking.
"I was an orphan." She flatly stated. "I lived on the streets living off of sewage until Lady Sonami found me and took me under her care. I became one of her apprentices, and am loyal and devoted to her to this day, and to the end of my life. Obviously I don't call her things that you call your instructor. If anything, you don't know enough about life to act accordingly." With that she left, leaving the two men and one boy.
"She's bluffing." Yahiko commented, once she went out of earshot. "If anything, she's the spoiled brat!" With that he sulked away, now leaving Kenshin and Saitou alone.
"She's blind in one eye." Saitou suddenly stated.
Kenshin looked at Saitou. "You noticed too. One could only guess how she managed to survive with that."
* * *
"What is it that you're wearing Sonami?" Misao and Kaoru asked, curious about Sonami's new style of dress. It wasn't a kimono, but it wasn't a western style dress either, and one couldn't really say it was a mixture of both.
"It's a hanbok." Receiving confused glances, she attempted to explain. "Although hanbok is a traditional dress and doesn't allow much mobility, it is still more flexible and lighter than a kimono. Naruko will probably attack soon, but I need to take care of some business in the city, and I can't just go around wearing only my fighting outfit. Besides, it fits with the setting."
"Huh?" They commented, sort of understanding everything except the last part. "What does it have to do with the setting?"
"Nagasaki has trade relations with China and Japan. Or should I say had." Saitou answered for Sonami irritably. They really asked too many questions. It was a wonder how the Battousai and Shinomori managed to live with either of them.
"Well, the 'had' part is generally correct." Sonami corrected. "But the trades might the opening again." With that she made a bow and stepped out of the door. "I'll be gone for just a short while. If you need anything, just ask Suki."
Saitou just stood there, digesting her words. She had a talent for hiding truth within truth. When she had said the trades might be open again, she told him the concrete facts that he had already gathered. However, her first sentence intrigued him. Generally correct. Those two words hung on him. Was she perhaps implying that there was much more going on than anyone had presumed?
* * *
Outside the window, two birds perched on a sturdy branch. The next second both fell to the ground, dead. Naruko smiled maliciously.
(flashback)
Naruko was proud. She had managed to become one of Seiju Yutamuro's personal apprentices. For an ex-begger, she had made quite a name for herself. It almost made her feel bad for what she was doing. Almost.
Naruko had always been ambitious. What she wanted, she obtained, someway or another. Also, she always looked for an easy way out. If there were no consequences for cheating, she would cheat, if she had to kill she would kill, regardless of whose side the person belonged to. She would switch alliances regularly if it brought her the best results. At this point, she sold secrets. Nevertheless, she hadn't attempted to find anything thing too valuable, until now.
Carefully, she snuck into the archives. She would find it there. All of Yutamuro's original scribing were stored there. Of course, most of the important documents stayed inside locked compartments. But knowing this, she managed to forge a key. She had almost gotten caught in the process, but she had disposed of the nuisance before the word got out. It would take them quite a while to find his body.
She scanned the room until she found the correct compartment. When she did, she put the fake key in, and opened it. She started digging through the documents, looking for a specific one...she gasped when the realization hit her...it wasn't there. "What are you doing?"
Naruko whirled around, alarmed, but relaxed when she only saw a little girl there. "Nothing of your concern, brat." She smirked. Sumi Yutamuro, the only child of her present master. Although, she had no idea if she was really a brat or not, she just called all little children that. But then again, it wouldn't be surprised if she were, for after all, she was the sole heir to the famous clan.
"You shouldn't be doing that." Sonami continued, unfazed by the hostile answer. "You shouldn't betray the trust my father has in his pupils."
Naruko continued to smirk. "Well then, what are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to fight you."
Naruko stared incredulously. "Just how old are you?"
"Six."
Naruko burst out laughing. "Little girl, don't fool yourself. I'm at least five years older than you, and had much more experience and training. You won't beat me. Why don't you just run along now?"
Sonami didn't budge. "Don't underestimate me because I'm young. Although you may be older than me, I had gone through more rigorous situations because of my father." Then she added slyly, "Also, I have been training, whereas you wasted your time on dishonest things such as stealing documents."
All right, the girl deserved to be taught a lesson. Naruko secretly started to get her kunai ready. "So you knew about it all the time, didn't you? You were just waiting for the right moment to confront me. Well then, get ready for this!" Without warning, she used her secret kunai maneuver, which always caught her enemies by surprise, and at least put a couple scratches on them. However, this time it was her turn to be surprised. The girl, without flinching, dodged, and then used Naruko's stretched right arm as leverage, and swung herself low, ending up at Naruko's back, and then tripping her by disabling her left ankle. Naruko stayed shocked. Who...who was ever able to dodge her secret attack...and dodge it in such a way? However, she didn't have much of a time to contemplate it, for she fell face down unto the floor, caused by the unbalance that her damaged ankle created.
She tried to stand back up, but found it hard to do so, for the impact nearly shattered her already disabled ankle. Also, Seiju Yutamuro had stepped inside. "So, this was our thief." He glanced coldly at Naruko. Then he turned to Sonami. "You did end up catching her, but in my opinion you took more time than necessary."
Naruko looked at her former master incredulously. He chided his daughter...for what? Catching her later than his standards? But she stopped herself. She was not going to sympathize with the little brat.
"Naruko, from now on you are no longer part of this clan." Seiju declared. "I should have you killed, but for the sake of what little loyalty you had for the last six years, I'm letting you walk out of here alive. But if any of us see you again. We would not hesitate, but kill you." With that, both Yutamuros walked out.
After a few attempts, Naruko managed to stand up. She gathered what little possessions she had, and walked out, past the glaring, reproachful glances of the guards. Bitterness filled her mind, as she took just one look back at her home for the last six years. They would all pay. Pay for throwing her out into the streets, with nothing. Especially that little girl. She would make sure that she suffered. Naruko looked up into the sky. It was raining—hard.
* * *
Yay, done! Ok, comments...
Yes, the rain motif is way overused, but I couldn't help it! =) And I sort of hurried along the whole Aoshi trying to convince Misao thing quickly cause I wanted to focus on the other things more.
Misao and Aoshi-so Misao made her final decision. What's going to happen next?
Megumi and Sano-even though they are not with the rest of the group, I'm still going to write about them. Besides, they are going to have an adventure on their own.
Kenshin and Kaoru-I'm really really sorry for not putting much of them so far. It's just that I've been preoccupied with everything else.
Saitou and Tokio-well obviously there's something going on there...=)
Suki-I'm going to state it straight. She's not going to be with Yahiko. Now with that understood, isn't it sad that she's blind in one eye?
Naruko-is it just me or does she seem a bit psychotic? What does she have planned next?
Sonami and Soujiro-Hm...interesting situation, ne? Wonder how it's going to turn out.
Oh, and in all honesty, this chapter didn't quite measure up to my standards. (also the last chapter was a bit iffy also) But I wrote it down, and it wasn't all together too bad...I think. I mean, the scenes were unavoidable. Otherwise the characters would have seemed too flat. Which reminds me...I won't be able to update for about two to three weeks or so, because I'm so bogged down with tests and projects. So expect an update after all that. Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone that continued to read this. I know OC s are not as appreciated.
Oh, and of course, PLEASE review! =)