NOTES:
FIRST! I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor Saitou Hajime
(although I wish)... RK is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
It's
time for me to write again! Yey! This time, it'll be a fic about
Saitou's life before Kyoto and the Shinsengumi. This will be a
romanticised tale of what he was before joining the Shinsengumi and
why he left Tokyo (Edo). There will be times when Saitou will be OOC,
I intend to keep most of his personality just twisting it now and
then. But the OOC will be very apparent when it comes to his fighting
abilities, I don't think Saitou became a great swordsman overnight.
Agree? :O)
I also found out about how cigarettes were not
introduced until the Meiji.. Well since this is set before the Meiji,
please pardon.. I just had a hard time envisioning Saitou-kun not
smoking. As for the piano, well I think that's acceptable since I've
read that prior to the Bakumatsu, foreign good were already shipped
albeit slowly to Japan.
italics - denotes
thoughts
asterisks - denotes sound/thoughts/misc
"Midori?"
"What is it Akio?"
"I wanted to give this to you earlier but I didn't realize that we will be having a stranger for dinner."
Akio took out a small velvet boxed and handed it to Midori.
"Go on. Open it."
She gently opened the boxed and it revealed an exquisitely crafted diamond ring.
"Kirei na.. (Beautiful).. Akio you didn't have to.", Midori smiled into Akio's green eyes. Maybe I was wrong? He hasn't changed.
The man immediately swept her off her feet and planted a searing kiss to Midori's lips. Caught by surprise she did not respond back. Akio let her go slowly. His eyes searching Midori's, he found no passion in them.
"Midori? Why?"
"It was so sudden. Kume-nasai (Sorry)."
"Ah.", Akio smiled and stepped in closer attempting to embrace and kiss her once more but Midori was quick to step back.
"WHAT IS WRONG?", Akio half-way shouted through clenched teeth.
"Akio. You've changed."
"What's changed? My love for you has not changed. Why would I still come back?"
Akio staring eyes seemed to strip Midori of her self-confidence.
"I don't know." Midori shook her head. "Akio, where is the boy who was kind and gentle?"
"That boy has turned into a man, Midori.", he turned and grabbed both of Midori's arm. "I'm much stronger now and a lot wiser before I left. You are part of the reason why I have come so far as I have."
"Akio, you are hurting me." She tried to squirm from his hold but it was of no use.
"What the hell is wrong!" Akio now losing his temper slammed his fist on the wall beside Midori's face. Midori shocked started to feel small teardrops escaping unbidden from her small brown eyes.
Akio turned his back on Midori. "I don't know what's going on with you Midori. But I'll get to the bottom of this and I'll start with that new friend of yours."
Finding her strength she ran after Akio and grabbed his sleeve. "Onegai Akio. Hajime has nothing to do with this."
Akio's emerald eyes glowed in contempt. "Hajime? I'm sure he has everything to do with it. Why else would you address him so familiarly?
Akio shrugged the small porcelain hands and left Midori in the small garden.
---------------------------
Saitou was getting annoyed with Yuuta, throughout their training Yuuta has been hinting that Saitou leave as early as possible.
"Sensei don't you have anything better to do than meet with Akio?"
Why the hell can't Yuuta just go out and say it, that he (Saitou) was no match for Akio? He wanted to slap Yuuta so hard at that moment, that sheer willpower was the only thing keeping his hands to his side. Instead he flicked a match and lighted his cigarette.
"Sensei. What are you doing smoking in the middle of our training?"
"Urusei Yuuta.", he scowled at the young man, his eyes much narrower than usual.
Seeing that Saitou was not going to be listening to anything he said Yuuta went through the motions mechanically.
Saitou-san, please just go home. I know you'll never like me
but please for once just listen to what I have to
say.
------------------------------
The two men
left the Nisan household and proceeded to a clearing near the woods.
Both agreed that being in a confined space would just hinder their
sparring. Unknown to the two, the siblings followed them
secretly.
"Onee-chan. Let's just go right now and stop
them." Yuuta's concerned eyes stayed focused on Saitou.
"I
wish I could Yuuta. But it's a fight between men and they would be
dishonored if we intervened."
Midori tried her best to
stay calm. She wanted to see Saitou fight just to confirm her
suspicions, but there was never a doubt in her heart that she'll jump
in if ever the fight gets out of hand.
"Listen to me
Yuuta," Midori whispered, "Whatever happens don't go in
there unless you see me get in between them. If that happens make
sure you drag Sensei as far away as possible.
Yuuta nodded.
Thank Kami (God)! I thought she was not
concerned.
----------------------------
Akio took out
a relatively thin but long sword from he's carrying case. Saitou
stared at Akio's sword it was the first time he's ever seen such.
Noticing that the sword caught Saitou's attention Akio decided to
give him a brief lecture.
"Listen Saitou. This is called
a fencing sword. It is made from Spain and it is unlike those
Japanese katanas that every uneducated and lower class person uses."
He laughed. "Although I know that is what you will be using I
pity you since you can't afford a beauty such as this."
He
flung the sword two times diagonally testing its flexibility.
"This
is made from tempered iron and steel making it very flexible but yet
strong enough to defeat any man it is faced with." He sneered at
Saitou "You have no chance at all."
Saitou smirked
at him and positioned himself diagonally to fight. "You talk too
much. Let your "Spanish" sword do the talking."
Saitou
lunged at Akio aiming for the side of his chest. Akio was quick to
parry Saitou's katana to the side leaving Saitou's back side exposed.
Akio took the opportunity and smashed Saitou's open back with his
elbow.
"Now now... That was too easy... Koi!" he
mocked at Saitou.
Saitou gripped his katana with both hands
and charged towards Akio. Their swords met emitting a squeal from the
blades, until their swords met at the hilt both men gripping and
pushing each other. Akio easily pushed Saitou's sword back towards
his opponent, his blade almost touching Saitou's neck. With one great
heave, Saitou pushed Akio's sword away and slash diagonally against
Akio's exposed arm missing it by a hair.
Akio smiled "Eh?
That was close. I'll pay you back for that."
As if
transforming into behemoth, Akio went all out against Saitou. The
swords continuously clashing against one another. Akio on the
offensive while all Saitou could now do was to defend
himself.
Akio's sword never ceased to grab the opportunity to
kill Saitou. With every swing, Saitou's arms started to buckle from
the man's wrath. He found himself being nicked by Akio's sword in all
parts of his body. He was losing control and endurance, until finally
his katana feel to the ground and he was breathing heavily.
Akio
took his foot and hit Saitou's face with it, knocking Saitou against
tree. Saitou tried to reach for his katana but Akio was already
stepping on it. Akio's hidden anger was resurfacing as he looked at
the man he has just beaten. He took the hand grip of his sword and
struck both of Saitou's shoulder. Saitou grimaced in pain.
"Say
you give up Saitou." Akio demanded.
Saitou just scowled
at Akio and tried to get up, thus leaving Akio more annoyed. Akio
kicked and kneed Saitou again this time breaking two of his
ribs.
"Give up I say!" Akio shouted.
Saitou's
amber eyes meet the green ones. "Never!"
Upon
hearing that, Akio lost his sanity and readied his sword to drive
through Saitou's head. "You will
die."
------------------------------
"Onee-chan
stop!" Yuuta's pleas fell onto deaf ears.
For Midori,
once she saw Akio sword intent on killing Saitou, she lost all sense
and her feet unconsciously dragged her to.
Saitou.
She threw both hands onto the Spanish sword, her grip as tight as
possible to stop Akio. The blades sliced through her palm bloodying
it, but she did not notice.
"Akio! Onegai!" Tears
came out from the dark eyes. Her heart for the first time in two
years has learned of the truth.
In an instant Yuuta grabbed
Saitou's katana and started dragging the limp Saitou away from the
two.
"Hana sei! (Let go!)" Saitou tried to push
Yuuta away. His eyes still concentrated on Akio. Yuuta did not let go
even though Saitou has started to twist his arm.
"For
once you will listen to me, for your sake and for my sister's."
Yuuta's voice was hard but clear.
It was at that comment that
Saitou saw that Midori was still gripping Akio's sword. A lump formed
in his throat at seeing the young lady's hand stained in blood.
Confused at his dishonor, he listened to Yuuta and slumped his head
on the young man's shoulder.