Rurouni Kenshin – Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story

"The Day After the Storm A Fight for the Future "

Diary 2 – The Will to Fight

by drTomoe123

After meeting with a poor man, Keisha Seta, who was about to be killed, the legendary Hitokiri Battousai, Kenshin Himura, has decided to take him under his wing. Now, Kenshin and Keisha make their way to a place where Kenshin must finish some business.

"So…umm…Himura Battousai…" muttered Keisha.

"You don't have to call me by that name. You may call me by Kenshin, I'd prefer to not be reminded that I am the Hitokiri Battousai," Kenshin said.

"Ah, yes! I'm very sorry, Kenshin!" said Keisha, startled.

"You don't need to worry, like I've said, I'm going to help you get home," replied Kenshin.

Keisha was silent for a moment, "I'm just wondering…if you don't mind, I mean…why is it that you don't want to be called by the name Hitokiri Battousai?"

"It's a long story, and I'd rather not repeat all of it ever again," replied Kenshin.

"I'm…I'm sorry."

"I will tell you one thing, though. I do not kill for the sake of killing, I kill for the future that this senseless killing will eventually bring along. I wish for the day where children do not have to go through the mindless pain that my generation has had to go through," Kenshin said, with a dreamy tone.

"I understand," said a timid Keisha, "I know exactly how you feel, that's the reason I want my son to grow up without being involved in battles. I'd rather him grow up a farmer or something so he doesn't have to kill, or be involved in it. I want him to help people in the future, I want him to help feed the future of Japan."

Kenshin stopped walking and turned around towards Keisha.

"Even though I am a killer and you are a simple countryman, it seems we had more in common than you originally thought."

Kenshin turned around and started walking again. The moon peered out from behind the clouds in the night sky and revealed a faint smile on both of their faces.

There was silence for the next hour or so, as the two travel towards a seemingly-unknown destination. Then, they reach a small hut hidden in a large grove of trees.

"We're here," Kenshin quietly said.

"I want you to stay out here, I won't take very long," Kenshin added.

Keisha nodded and stood outside the hut.

"My dearest wife and my cheerful son, I will return to you soon, I promise," Keisha whispered as he looked to the moon.

Kenshin walked inside the hut and a man was sitting in the corner, sleeping.

"Katsura, I just wanted to report to you, I killed fourteen swordsmen employed to the shogunate, and three members of the Shinsengumi's lower ranks," Kenshin reported.

The man slowly opened his eyes. The man was Kogoro Katsura, the heart of the Bakumatsu. He was the leader of the Ishinshishi, and the man who employed the services of Kenshin when he was younger.

"Was there any sign of Hajime Saitou or Soushi Okita?" Katsura asked.

"No."

"Ahh, that means it wasn't anything too important, but members of the Shinsengumi ARE members of the Shinsengumi. Kenshin, I'm sorry, but I hope this will all be over soon, so you can finally put your sword down and begin your vow of never killing again," Katsura laughed.

"It doesn't matter when as long as I don't die before the end."

"That's why we employed the new "assassin of the shadows". That reminds me, have you seen him?" Katsura asked.

"No."

"If you do, tell him I need to speak to him urgently, I must discuss some things with him," Katsura commanded.

"Alright, I'll be leaving now. I'll make sure to report to you again shortly, Kogoro," Kenshin said as he turned towards the exit.

"Kenshin, wait," Katsura yelled, "Thank you for doing this for me."

"I don't do it for the gratitude, Kogoro, but for the future of Japan," Kenshin replied.

As Kenshin said this, he walked out of the light-filled hut, and back into the darkness.

"Are you ready?" asked Kenshin.

"Yes," replied Keisha.

Kenshin began to explain, "We can go to your home now, I'm finished with my work."

Keisha pointed to the east, "My home is a few miles that way, we can be there by morning, I'm sure."

"All right, let's go."

The two companions began to travel to the east, unknowing of what was coming for them.

Around midnight, the clouds began to disappear from the sky, and the full moon was shining its light upon the earth. There was silence this entire time, until three men could be seen ahead of Kenshin and Keisha. Keisha was startled at the sight, and ran behind Kenshin.

"Heheh, two lovers out at night perhaps? It's past your bedtime, boys," laughed one of the men.

Kenshin stood back a little and whispered behind him to Keisha, "Do not worry, they're just simple bandits. If you don't want to see blood, turn away soon."

Another of the men began to speak, "What are you whispering to him? Trying to tell him that you love him before you die? How sweeet."

The third bandit, which seemed to be the leader of the group, walked to the front, "Now, which one of you wants to die first?"

Kenshin began to speak as he grabbed his sword, "I could ask you the very same question."

Kenshin suddenly disappeared. In less than a second, he reappeared around the third bandit.

"HITEN MITSURUGI-RYU! SOU RYU SEN!" screamed Kenshin as his sword flung from his sheath in a stunning show of Battoujutsu.

The bandit had no time to react as the sword cut right through his stomach, cutting straight through his spine, cutting the body into two halves.

Keisha watched as if this was magic.

The other bandits began to try to run away, but they couldn't escape the fangs of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, the legendary style that could kill a hundred men in one swing.

Kenshin leaped backwards into the air, "HITEN MITSURUGI-RYU! RYU TSUI SEN!" he screamed as he landed in front of the second bandit.

It seemed quiet as he landed, but seconds later, the bandit's body was cut vertically down the middle. His inner organs began to spill onto the hard earth as Kenshin was sprayed by the violent gush of blood from this dead body.

Kenshin turned towards the final bandit and lifted his sword.

"The sword style of Hiten Mitsurugi has one basic truth. Use the sword of Mitsurugi to protect the dreams and lives of the people of the world. I shall slice through the evils of the world that try to oppress the weak and crush those dreams. In short, this sword is swung in the name of the people of this land."

The bandit fell to the ground, speechless, seemingly awaiting his own death. It was not suprising, because he saw the hellish personification of death standing before him: Hitokiri Battousai.

"HITEN MITSURUGI-RYU! RYU KAN SEN – TSUMUJI!" Kenshin screamed as the bandit instantly died, blood spraying everywhere.

Keisha was also speechless.

"This is the horror of death. The horror of the legendary Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu! This blade…it fights for people like me! How can it be that such a horrific thing can act as such a sweet saviour?" Keisha finally said.

"It is because, this sword fights for both the past and the future," Kenshin turned around towards Keisha and said as his sword began to shine in places because of the bright moon, at least the places not covered by blood.

Kenshin touched the scar on his cheek, "This sword fights to help dull the pain and repent for the deed that caused this scar. While, at the same time, fights to keep this type of pain from happening to anyone in the future."

The landscape was covered in remorse and sorrow. The bandits, with their bodies and blood strung across the ground. Keisha, with the sight of death in his mind. Finally Kenshin, with the dark memories that lie in his cross-shaped scar and deep inside his heart.

Diary 2 : END

End of Chapter Notes: (includes spoilers for the actual RuroKen series inside)

This chapter basically focused on developing post-Tomoe, pre-wanderer Kenshin. I try to give my ideas on why Kenshin still fights even after killing her. I added in Katsura basically because I couldn't think of any other revolutionary to stick in there. ;;

Keisha in the chapter finally experiences the scene of death through his own eyes, and it makes him try even harder to make his son live in a new era. Keisha also realizes that Kenshin isn't what he's been made out to be, and that he has numerous ideals behind his sword, including an ideal he holds very close to his own heart. Anyway, this entire story will be around 4 – 5 chapters long, just because I'm better at writing this way and I hate doing one-shots.

That's it for me for this chapter, please keep reading, leave reviews, and anything else you want to!

drTomoe123