I looked all over for any references to Kenshin's past life as Shinta and found very little. A birthday (two days shy of my own…go figure!) and what not, but that was about it. So this chapter is my doing, any mistakes about Kenshin's past with his original family, sorry, I did the best I could! I really hate my job, they told me I would be going back to work this week…but low and behold, now I'm going to be sitting here for another two weeks…not that I mind really, I have more time to write, but their so indecisive it's ridiculous…I'm thinking I just won't go back at all….sighs….that'll teach em….*evil laugh*

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 2

"Mama, Shigeo isn't playing fair!"

A young boy came flying through the door of the small home he shared with his mother, father and three brothers. He threw himself into his mothers startled lap, her sewing knocked to the floor by the force of the blow, and began crying. The angry tears dampened her kimono, and she smiled slightly as she touched her youngest son's auburn hair. "What's he done now Shinta chan?" Her words were soft and gentle, slightly amused at the little boy's dramatic show. He was such an emotional and sensitive child, a perfect target for his older brother's relentless teasing.

"He threw my shoe onto the roof so I couldn't catch him mama!" The boy thrust a bare foot into his mother's lap, almost falling off balance as he did so. "He's such a cheater!"

"And you're a tattle tale, Shinta!" Shigeo entered the house and glared at his younger brother, "You're such a baby!"

The two children faced each other, dark blue eyes blazing into dramatic violet. The children's mother sighed and tried not to laugh. A fistfight would ensue, and she already knew who the winner would be. Her little Shinta was not a violent boy and significantly smaller than all of his brothers. Clearly a product of the recessive traits of her island ancestors. He was tiny, with dark red hair that brightened in tint each year and magnificent pale purple eyes that shone like gems in the light. His spirit was gentle and compassionate, he cried easily and his feelings were quick to be hurt.

Her other boys, Yutaka, Kazuo, and Shigeo were sturdier of build, still short and slender by normal standards, but more filled out than the youngest sibling. They all sported dark brown hair, not the raven black like most of the other people of the country, but dark enough not to be noticed. Shinta and Shigeo were the only children with strange colored eyes, while the oldest, Yutaka and Kazuo, had eyes of rich brown. They varied in age, Shinta being the youngest at six, Shigeo at the age of eight, Kazuo was a sturdy fourteen this year, and Yutaka the oldest at seventeen. The two older boys spent most of their time with their father, working out on the small farm the family owned, only returning to the house to eat and sleep, while the youngest completed house hold chores and tormented each other on a daily basis.

"If you weren't so dumb, Shigeo, I wouldn't have to tattle!" Shinta shouted, "Only dumb people have to cheat!" The smaller boy balled up a fist and narrowed his violet gaze at his brother.

Shigeo made an angry roar at the insult and pounced on his little brother, hitting him square in the nose with a bony fist. Shinta squealed in pain as the blow connected and sent his feet flying over his head. He pulled himself up from the ground slowly, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall again, and held a hand over his now bloodied nose.

"You gonna cry Shinta chan? Babies cry, so you will too," his brother taunted.

"Shigeo! That's enough!" their mother shouted, stunned that her son had actually hit his little brother hard enough to draw blood. She stood up from her place on the floor and reached for her youngest child, worried his nose may be broken.

Shinta wiped his nose with the back of his hand, smearing the blood across his face. His eyes paled as his brother giggled slightly, and before his mother could reach him, he growled in animal like fashion and attacked his older brother with lightening quick speed. His small hands found their way around Shigeo's neck as he toppled the larger boy with the force of his impact, sending them both spilling out the door of the house and into the dirt. He continued to snarl like a monster as the other child tried to regain his senses and hit him with his fists. He didn't even hear his mother's shocked cry, his mind bent on choking the life out of his older brother in a fit of rage.

Shigeo gasped for air, and brought one of his hands up to whack his little brother across the temple smartly. Shinta yelped as knuckles connected and he rolled off his brother's chest, dirt flying around him. The smaller boy was quickly on his feet again, bracing himself as his older brother charged him like an angry bull.

Shigeo's head connected with Shinta's stomach, tearing the wind from his lungs and forcing his lunch to come back up and burn his throat in an acidy fire. Once again, the two fell to the ground, this time the older boy pinning the smaller to the ground, hitting him with his fists over and over again. Shinta cried out in pain and tasted the blood in his mouth. In a desperate attempt to save his dignity and quite possibly his life, he clawed his brother's face with dingy nails and hit him as hard as he could in the eye with his other fist, hoping to get the bigger boy off his chest.

Shigeo shrieked in rage and Shinta followed suit, both howling like wild animals as they continued to pummel each other repeatedly.

As quickly as it started, it ended. Shigeo was hauled into the air and tossed away from his little brother, while Shinta was drug across the ground several feet by the back of his shirt. A dark shadow loomed over him, and he squinted to see who had interrupted his battle through blackened eyes.

"Kami-sama children! You could wake the dead with a racket like that! What in God's name is going on here?"

Shinta bowed his head and remained silent, knowing his father was capable of giving him a beating far worse than that of his brother. He could tell by the inflection in the man's voice that he was perturbed, but slightly amused, yet still, it was best not to push his luck. He remained unmoving in a sullen silence.

Kazou laughed and kicked some dirt at Shigeo, watching the boy sputter as it hit him in the face. "You're such a bully Shigeo chan, picking on little Shinta like that! It looks like the kitten decided to fight back this time though!" Kazou was amazed, his smallest brother was rarely physically violent and he could hardly believe the state that Shigeo was in. One eye was already starting to blacken, his face was badly scratched from the younger boy's nails, and deep red bruises marred the pale flesh of his neck. Kazuo leaned down to get a closer look, "Did he try to choke you?" Shigeo glared at his older brother through a swollen eye.

Shinta felt his father kneel next to him, along with his oldest brother, Yutaka.

"Are you okay Shinta chan?" Yutaka asked with genuine concern. The boy obviously got the worst of the fight, though that was no surprise. Blood poured from his little nose and the split in his lip. One side of his face was already swollen and purple from the knuckles of Shigeo hitting him repeatedly, and both eyes were starting to blacken. Shinta nodded stiffly, allowing his father to check his arms, legs and digits for broken bones, wincing only when he extended the fingers of his right hand.

"He'll be okay," his father said, patting him on the head slightly, "Take him in the house and bandage him up. Be careful of those fingers, they're pretty badly bruised." Yutaka nodded and picked his littlest brother up into his arms, carrying him back into the house.

***********

Dark eyes stared angrily at the two boys as they sat bandaged and wrapped inside the house. "I want to know what happened here this afternoon," their father stated. He was used to minor squabbles and fights, having four boys only made it inevitable, but still, punishment had to be doled out accordingly. It was not okay to try to kill one another while he was away and to frighten their mother like that was inexcusable.

"Shigeo threw my shoe on the roof," Shinta replied meekly, trying not to meet his father's irritated gaze.

"So you tried to choke him for that?"

Shinta shook his head, "No, I told mama and he got mad."

"Liar! You called me dumb! That's why I got mad!" Shigeo shouted.

"Well, it's true," Shinta retorted.

Shigeo snarled at his younger brother, while the two eldest brothers tried to withhold their laughter.

"That's enough!" Their father shouted, causing all noise to stop. "Never have I come home to such brutality! My youngest son has been battered to a pulp by his older, and larger, brother, while my second youngest son had almost been choked to death by the smallest of my litter! It's madness! Tomorrow you will both go to market for your mother. She's not feeling well. I expect you to bring home everything she asks for in ONE PIECE. You'll work together." He glared at Shigeo now, "You are responsible for your little brother. I expect him back home and smiling by the time I return from the fields. Do you understand me?"

Both children gulped and nodded.

"Good. Now Shigeo, go get Shinta's shoe off the roof."

***********

The two brothers were roused at the crack of dawn and told to complete all their chores before heading into town. Shinta winced as he moved, his body stiff and sore from the previous days fight. His little knuckles were swollen, as well as one side of his face. Both eyes were an ugly reddish purple, and his small nose refused to work properly. He wheezed and whistled with each breath, and coughed when he tried to breathe through his mouth.

He felt great satisfaction though when he saw his older brother was in no better state. Shigeo's skin was marred by claw marks, and the once red bruises around his neck were now an ugly blue green. One eye was totally swollen shut, blackened by a rather impressive blow for a six-year-old boy. Shinta smiled smugly, flinching as the tear in his lip reopened slightly. He'd forgot about that wound, there'd be no smirking at this brother's misfortune for several days.

The house was swept, wood was chopped, dishes and laundry both finished by two sets of small hands at an entirely slow pace. Noon rolled around and the boys set off to the market, trudging down the dusty road with dark scowls and plodding feet. Shigeo carried a large basket that would be used to put what ever wares their mother had requested of them, while Shinta pouted along side of him, his hands bare of any burden.

It was obvious that Shigeo was in more trouble than Shinta for the brawl. They boy had to complete the hardest chores, carry the basket to and from town, as well as watch out for his little brother. Shinta was actually surprised, figuring he'd be the one getting a lashing first since he was the least likely to stir up trouble and succumb to physically harming anyone. His parents expected Shigeo to behave like a brute, having had numerous confrontations with Kazuo in the past, but Shinta was the family pacifist. He never behaved like a violent animal or allowed himself to throw his fists at anyone. He was the perfection of manners and etiquette, the pride of his mother and father's parenting skills. People were always commenting on his placid nature and politeness, as well as his striking exotic looks.

His family learned an important lesson the previous day. Their gentle Shinta harbored a fierce fighting spirit deep with in himself and when provoked, it was unleashed with a tremendous ferocity. They were certain that Shigeo would think twice of attacking his brother in such a way again, knowing the boy would prefer to maintain a safe distance from any sort of bodily harm he now knew his little brother was capable of inflicting. It was lucky for him that Shinta had a long fuse that was almost impossible to ignite.

"Come on you spoiled brat. Can't you walk any faster?"

Shinta frowned at his brother's back. No, he couldn't walk any faster, his legs weren't as long as his brothers and he was having a hard time breathing through his wounded nose. He maintained his regular pace and continued to stare at the ground. "I'm not a spoiled brat," he thought to himself. Maybe if Shigeo behaved a bit more agreeably, their parents would favor him more. Shinta couldn't help it if he was an obedient boy, it was just his nature to stay clear of trouble and oblige his elders, if that made him shine somehow, so be it. He didn't go looking for it.

Shinta was content to remain out of the spotlight, always behaving as a well-mannered boy should and yesterday's incident left a nasty taste in his mouth. His reaction had frightened him somewhat, never realizing he was capable of becoming so angry and reacting so quickly. Of course, his brother teased him with the persistence of flies on rotting meat, but he had always been able to ignore him. Something inside him had just snapped, maybe because his brother attacked him so mercilessly in front of their mother. Shinta didn't know, but he certainly didn't want it to happen again. He actually felt a little guilty for hurting his brother. Granted, Shigeo deserved his injuries, but still, brothers shouldn't draw blood on one another. He loved his older brother, even if he was ill tempered and foul mannered.

"I'm sorry Shigeo," Shinta mumbled to his brother as they approached the market place.

"You should be. If you hadn't tattled like that, we wouldn't be in trouble," Shigeo replied dryly, casting a glare at his little brother. He ignored the hurt look on Shinta's face, shifting the basket under his arm, and taking his little brother's hand. "Now you stay next to me, don't go wandering off or I'll box your ears again." He squeezed the littler boy's hand gently and proceeded to enter the market place, reading from the list his mother had given him.

Shinta trailed behind him, licking the salty cut on his bottom lip. He liked the market place, with all it's people and colors. It was refreshing to see other humans once in a while, living up on their farm in seclusion often grew boring and lonely. He listened to the idle chatter of other shoppers, the whining of children to their parents, and watched the wagons rattle down the dusty roads, thankful for the change of scenery.

Several people stopped and stared at the two boys, their brows arched at the state of the children. Shinta felt horribly embarrassed, knowing the people were wondering what had happened to cause such small children horrible wounds. He secretly prayed no one would ask them, the tale would indefinitely be a humiliating one. He kept his face to the ground, glancing up occasionally to make sure he still followed his brother.

Shigeo crossed the street, still reading from the list, muttering something about his mother's shaky handwriting. He stopped once, glancing at an oncoming wagon, which was working its way down the road with considerable speed. He moved quickly to the other side, cursing the driver for being so reckless in such a crowded area. Suddenly he froze, his hair standing up on his neck. He dropped the list he was holding and spun around.

"SHINTA! WATCH OUT!"

The wagon he had cursed earlier was moving faster than he'd guessed and his little brother was crossing the street, his head down, totally unaware of the danger closing in on him. Shigeo lurched forward and threw himself on top of the smaller boy, knocking him to the ground but into the path of another wagon that was moving in the opposite direction. Shigeo rolled his brother through the dirt as one of the horses spooked, trying to dance around the small boys that were now underfoot. One of the horses lashed out with a warning kick that caught little Shinta on the inside of his leg, opening a deep gash. Once free of the danger, Shigeo stood on shaky legs and pulled his injured brother out of the road and away from the frightened horses and deadly wagon wheels.

"Shinta chan, are you okay," Shigeo asked frantically, his voice trembling with fear. The boy's pant leg was ripped, darkened with blood, and held at a funny angle. His leg was broken, Shigeo was sure of it. Tears stung his eyes as he held pulled his little brother into his lap, and cradled his head. "I'm sorry Shinta chan, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm okay," Shinta replied with a weak voice, "It's okay Shigeo. It's not your fault." He grit his teeth against the pain in his leg, but willed himself not to cry.

***********

Shigeo sat next to his little brother's futon, watching the boy carefully as he ate his lunch. Shinta's leg was only fractured and would heal fully with no major implications, the wound from the horses hoof had to be sewn up and would leave a nasty scar that would never go away, but other than that, the boy was as cheerful and happy as ever.

"You better eat that all,' Shigeo instructed gruffly.

Shinta gave him a blank look and shoved another portion of rice into his mouth. His brother had hardly left his side these past few days, hovering over him like a mother hen and pestering him about his eating and resting habits. It was mildly annoying, but Shinta didn't complain. He was thankful for his brother, he would surely be dead or worse off if it wasn't for him. He set his chopsticks down with a clank, and stared at his brother. "Thank you Shigeo," he said suddenly, his face extremely serious.

"For what?" the older boy asked, his lips thinning slightly.

"For saving me," he replied softly.

"Well, what did you expect me to do. If I let you get run over by a wagon, father would have surely blistered my hide!" Shigeo turned his face away from his brother, suddenly more interested in folding the blankets and clearing away the lunch tray.

Shinta gave him a puzzled look and picked at the wool of his blanket.

"Besides Shinta chan, if you died, who would I have to pick on?"

Shinta smiled softly to himself as he watched his brother carry away the lunch dishes. His slow smile turned into a grin as he snuggled down into the covers, and finally he giggled out loud, not caring who heard him.

**********

"Why was Shinta chan laughing, father?" Kenji asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

Kenshin smiled at his son softly, "Because he knew then that his even though his brother was mean to him and picked on him all the time, he really did love him very much." Kenshin closed his eyes and tried to picture his brothers once again, but the memory was gone almost a suddenly as it had come to him. How strange it was to think so tenderly of his past, he'd never remembered the good things from it until now. Thoughts of his deceased family were far from his mind, they were almost strangers to him now.

Kenji crumpled his brow a little more and tugged at his father's hakama, "Who's Shinta father? I thought you were going to tell me a story about you and your brothers." Kenji looked at his father in confusion.

Kenshin smiled again and held his son close, nuzzling his hair, "Aa, that I was," he mumbled gently. His violet eyes danced slightly and he closed them slowly, relishing the feel of his own flesh and blood against him. Someday he would have to tell his boy the truth of his past, but not today. He wanted his son to remain innocent and carefree for many more years to come, he could not be burdened with the scars his father bore right now.

He sighed and looked into the pale eyes of his boy, "Do you understand why I told you that story Kenji chan? You and Yahiko are sort of like Shinta and Shigeo, always fighting…"

"But still loving each other," Kenji finished for him.

"Aa," Kenshin replied, hiding his surprise.

Minutes of silence passed them by, each reflecting of private thoughts.

"Father?" Kenji asked suddenly.

"Yes," Kenshin replied.

"Where do I get a little brother?"

Kenshin's eyes shot open and his face fell slack. "Ummm, well Kenji chan. It's sort of complicated. Mommies and Daddies have to make them," he glanced at Kaoru, who was reading her book peacefully, totally oblivious to the conversation, "It's a secret only big people know about."

"Make them? Like making breakfast or supper?" Kenji frowned and bit his lip, thinking hard. Kenshin swallowed and tried to think of a way out of the conversation, but Kenji interrupted him, "You better not let mother make them, they might turn out bad," he stated with a curt nod of the head.

Kenshin burst out laughing, causing Kenji to jump and the rest of the Kenshin-gumi to stare at him. He laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks and his stomach seared with pain. Gasping for breath, he grabbed Kenji and hugged him close again, "I'll keep that in mind Kenji chan, that I will." He glanced at his wife, who held her book in loosely in her hands, staring at her hysterical husband, and he laughed even harder.

Next chapter coming soon…I've broke my leg when I was two years of age, I jumped off a bed for some silly reason…I also broke my wrist, my tail bone and one of my big toes, hyper-extended a knee, and been subjected to numerous stitches (yes, I'm accident prone)…I've been active my entire life, participating in numerous sports (volleyball, softball, hiking, kyaking, gymnastics, horseback riding/training, etc…) I never had a problem with any of my injuries hindering my activities, so I figured it would be okay for Kenshin to suffer a tiny fracture when he was little. The bones of children heal quickly, compared to us old fogies….LOL…Kenji's up to his old tricks again, be assured, he hasn't forgot what Yahiko….and this is just the beginning….scary, he's three years older now, that means three years smarter….*evil laugh*