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)
Oh by the way as most of the readers know.. In this fic
both Saitou's parents are already dead. In case you wanted to know what their
names are. It's Yusuke Yamaguchi and Masu Yamaguchi.
Okay here comes some of the Shinsengumi members.. Note this is not the Shinsengumi,
I think the Shinsengumi was formed after this group
led by Kondou-san left Tama for Kyoto.
*denotes sound/music/etc
Thoughts are in italics
CHAPTER XVII – Protecting People
She had been running towards the faint light that she saw on the road. The only sign that a few blocks away Tama was waiting as a safe refuge. She could feel her sandals slowly being stressed at the pressure she placed on it while running. She almost tripped twice but the thought of two ruthless men going after her was enough to push her tired legs and small feet.
Just a little more… Almost… Almost there….
"Onna… You're not getting away!" shouted the unruly men behind her.
She turned once to look at them, to know how big the gap was. One fatal mistake that she had done as she felt her ankle twist and her right sandal snap!
Itai!
She fell immediately to the road. Frantically standing up and almost dragging her self further. It was no use though, within moments rough hands were on her. One of them was dragging her injured leg and the other one securing her arms. She fought desperately with her assailant, but the man had noticed her hand was bandaged and just smiled as he took his large hand and squeezed her injured palms tightly. She let out a scream, a mixture of a cry for help and pain. Annoyed with her sudden outburst, the man dropped her hands letting her head hit the ground making her groggy. The next thing she knew she was being beaten so badly that she did not feel any pain anymore just numbness as she lost consciousness.
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Saitou walked briskly. He was not an overly rude man, but he was in a hurry and would not deal with non-sense people crowding the streets. He already had to push two drunkards away as they tried to solicit money from him.
Why don't you people just go home to your wife and children?
He hated this. He hated Japan. He hated its people. People were just to damned concerned about having a good time or having enough money. People that he had met were hypocritical, rude and petty. They were quick to judge others, especially those in the Samurai class. As he moved through the crowded streets, unpleasant images of his childhood intruded his mind.
*flashback*
It was the day of the dead. He and his parents were walking the streets of Edo, heading back to their house from visiting the grave of their former Lord, Yamashita. As a child he had always been observant and the stares they received from the other samurai's indicated to the child something had gone terribly wrong.
"Yusuke. Anata… Don't mind them." She slipped her arms around her husband's; she had been worried for quite a while now. Her husband had not said a word since they left the house and had continued to walk with his head bowed to the ground.
Finally as they drew closer to their house, Yusuke finally spoke. "Hajime, come." He extended his hand out to his youngest, to which the youngster happily obliged. He then took his youngest son up on his shoulders and gave him a ride.
"Hajime."
"Hai otou-san?" his youngest asked cheerfully while spreading his arms, pretending to fly.
"Don't move so much or you'll fall." He said gently to his son.
"HAI!" At once Hajime placed both hands on his father's head and started playing with his hair.
"Son. When you grow up, what would you like to be?"
Without hesitation the child yelled, "SAMURAI! Just like you!"
"Then be a good Samurai Hajime." He smiled sadly.
"Otou-san…" the child now circled his arms around his father's neck.
"Yes? Ookami?" The father had always loved hearing the voice of his youngest, always alert and quite witty. A little wolf indeed.
"How can I become to be a good Samurai?"
The child never ceased to amaze his father. "You must learn to protect. Your loved ones, your lord and most of all Japan, that is the essence of a Samurai.
"HAI!" the child yelled again. "Hajime will!"
Yusuke gave a heartfelt laugh and drew his son closer to his head. "Then give father a kiss."
"BEH! I'm too old for that now." The child protested but never the less he did plant a kiss to his dad's hair in secret, a secret which Yusuke knew.
Masu sighed in relief, Yusuke was returning to himself.
On the other end, a brother and a sister walked together hand in hand, staring at their youngest sibling perched on their fathers shoulder. As Yusuke continued to laugh his eldest son's furrowed brow deepened.
*end of flashback*
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Shimatta! It's getting late. Hijikata-san will scold me again.
The boy sighed as he said goodbye to the last child he had brought home. He loved playing with them, as they always made him feel light-hearted. The Sheiekan was full of men, men quite old to even entertain a game of rock-paper-scissors. He enjoyed being around them, but once in a while he'd rather play child games than play Go (chess) or spar.
*IIIIITTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII*
He quickly spun around to the direction of the blood curdling scream. Without hesitation, he found himself running towards the desolate road leading out of the district. His hand was on the hilt of his katana just in case.
As he cleared the corner he saw the two men beating the life out of a person lying on the dirt. His eyes widened as he drew closer and recognize that the person was wearing a kimono.
Shameless dogs… Beating up a woman…
He did not give a sound, not even a sign of warning. His blue eyes burning with intensity as he grew closer to them, quick and succinct that's how he worked. The men never knew who it was, never heard a sound, never saw his face, they did not even knew they died.
The boy looked at the two fallen bodies. He was now breathing heavily, his blue eyes lost their spark as he continued to watch the two dead men. He shook his head slowly and turned his attention to the injured lady lying beside them.
He placed his fingers on her neck feeling for a pulse. He was delighted to see that she was just unconscious. As he turned her head slowly, he was shocked.
Midori-san?
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Saitou shook his head. Stupid images had no place for him right now. He needed to find her first just to make sure she was okay.
To protect… that is the essence of a Samurai…
He started running. Something was chanting in his head. Of all the things he could think of, why was this giving him bad memories?
Baka woman… If only you'd taken the money…
He passed the gates of Tama and threaded the dirt road. He immediately noted how the road was not lighted and that there was not one soul in sight. His instincts kept nagging at him, walk further, walk faster. Damn Saitou! Hurry!
As he walked he hinted at a smell.
Hmm… Smells like metal but a little bit off.. What is it?
His amber eyes surveyed the area, and then finally he noticed something at the far corner. Half running to it, he found a broken sandal and beside it pools of blood. He clenched his teeth and fist. It was not the first time he saw blood, he'd seen it many times, the first of which was when his father took his own life.
Could this be? No…
Saitou searched the area until dawn. He had to leave, Kondou and Hijikata were waiting at the dojo.
It's not her. It can't be…
He kept glancing over his shoulder all the while knowing that nothing could be found there.
TO ANYONE READING MY SORRY FIC…
I hope you continue to read. I don't know why I'm not updating my other fics but keep updating this one. I think this is one of my favorite works so far. I don't know but I just like pairing Saitou up with unknown/unlikely people. I also like to write him with faults and prejudices. I can't portray him as invincible because I really like to think that he is a person after all. A great one at that too. Hope I don't turn people off with this. :O)