Chapter 5

By Crystal

Author's Notes: I thank DiaBLo for pointing my mistake out =p. I'm obviously not very good at Japanese at all...Arigatou! And I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. By the way, just if your wondering, Tomoe's mother died giving birth to Enishi. So I kinda altered it a bit. She died of a disease, but Tomoe still cared deeply for Enishi.

*Screw the disclaimers ^^;;*



She had a gut feeling he was going to said that when those emotions passed through his eyes. But inside, she had hoped she had guessed wrong. She had hoped... But hoping was not enough. The Kuro family had already left. The only person left inside the gates were her, and him.

His back was facing towards her, she did not know what to say. Comfort him? He would just get angry at her and say something like, 'What do you mean I didn't mean to? I had a choice!'. She could say something like, 'I'm sorry' but men had too much pride. They didn't want women to pity them. She snorted inwardly. She's had plenty of experience with her stubborn father.

And her eyes widened slightly. Right then, she had finally forgotten about her deceased parents. All she did these past two days was getting exited at finally being able to see her sister...and worrying about Soujiro's sudden breakdowns. She had moved on her life, and with whose help? A former hitokiri...Seta Soujiro. A man standing right in front of her, exposing his past, telling her everything, declaring that he had killed his family when he was young.

He helped her forget her late parents, so why couldn't she help him forget his past. No, forget was not the correct word. You can never forget something once something happens. You can push it in the back of your mind. She had decided, she would help him. No matter what it took. She would help him, because he helped her, and he was still helping her...Helping her find someone precious to her, her sister...

She decided, there was no turning back. And reached out to Soujiro...Just then, he turned around, tears running down his cheeks. She gasped, she had not expected this... No... And felt her own eyes stinging. She won't show him pity, he wouldn't like it, but she couldn't help it. Tears silently ran down her pale flawless porcelain cheeks. And she embraced Soujiro, crying in his chest while he was crying on her head.

Quite a while later, Soujiro looked at Toshiko. "Are you...positive you want to listen to this?" She simply nodded and he sighed, "Very well...I will continue the story..."

"My parents, actually...My father was murdered, that was when I was five. Then at the age of five and a half, my mother died of a disease, she loved my father, but he died, so she had to raise both of us alone. I was five, after all. Then immediately, after my mother died, I was begging on the streets. The people living in this house...They adopted me. And made me work. Hitting me whenever they had time. Finding pleasure at inflicting pain at me." He now began to unconsciously play with Toshiko's hair.

She snuggled up, closer to him. A lone tear sliding down her cheek, she had begun to understand him. But that made no sense. Why was he always smiling then? Why would he be smiling when he was getting hit? Who the devil gave him a weapon to kill with? But quickly resumed listening to his story.

"At first when I came, I cried and screamed. But whenever I did that, they just had more fun. So after a while, I started smiling while they hit me, I smiled, even though it hurt. A lot. When I kept smiling, they would lose interest in me. I was to bring a hundred bags of heavy rice bags filled with rice everyday, or else I wouldn't have dinner. I stayed like this for an year and a half. When suddenly, something changed...my life forever. I don't know whether to regret it or not."

"There was a former hitokiri running around in town, killing people, and he ended up here. Near here, he was about to kill me, but when he raised his sword, he saw me smiling. I was unconsciously doing it again, whenever someone was going to hurt me, I just smiled. And then he said he'd spare my life if I give him some bandages and some food. I did just that. He slowly found out why I was always smiling, had bruises and cuts all over me. And he did something. He gave me a sword, a wakizashi. He told me something, 'The strong survive, the weak just die.'"

"At first, I didn't believe him. But unfortunately, my family found out that I was keeping him. So, they were going to murder me...I...I had no choice. They said something like, 'Since there's a hitokiri wandering around here, people wouldn't think twice, and they'd even get a reward for helping in solving the case.' And so...I...I used...The sword he gave me. I never wanted to kill...I never wanted to kill them... But they forced me to. It was either them or me. I didn't want to die yet, not yet. I did everything they wanted me to, but they never loved me. All I wanted was their love...That was all..."

"That night...Shishio-san asked me if I had cried after I killed. I had said no...But the truth was...I was."

She looked at him shocked, wanting to ask a question, but Soujiro had already started, as if knowing what she was going to ask, "Does Shishio Makoto ring a bell? He wanted to take down the whole Japan an year ago. He was the hitokiri running around. I killed my family with the sword, and since then, I've been following him, training. For nearly a decade, I've been Shishio-san's right hand man. We were going to conquer Japan, but some people got in the way. The Hitokiri Batto-…" He paused, 'shoot...just don't say his name.' And resumed.

"The Hitokiri Battousai in the Ishin shishi and Saitoh Hajime, 3rd Squad Captain of the Shinsengumi. Then there were two more, Sagara Sanosuke and Shinomori Aoshi, former okashira of the Oniwa Banshuu. And we fought. I lost, to Hi...I mean Battousai. And he told me Shishio-san's philosophy about 'the strong survive and the weak just die' was wrong. And he told me to find the truth."

"So here I am. Following what my former enemy asked me to do. But seriously, he's a harsher taskmaster than Shishio-san...At least Shishio-san gave me answers."

Toshiko shook her head unbelievably, "THE Hitokiri Battousai? From the Ishin shishi in the revolution? And Saitoh Hajime? 3rd Squad Captain of the Shinsengumi? And also Sagara...That name seemed familiar. And Shinomoro Aoshi. She's heard lots about him. Soujiro fought with the Battousai and came back alive? And Shishio Makoto was his master? Then Soujiro must be a very good fighter, being Shishio Makoto's right hand man...

"The Battousai...He let you live? And sent you to do something like this? I thought...He was a demon, slashing at everyone he saw."

Soujiro shook his head quietly, "No...he was more than that. I respect him. He gave me life, he gave me hope, and most importantly, he gave me a chance. He disagreed with killing. He made a vow not to kill. He's been protecting ever since the revolution." Seeing Toshiko's astonished face, he added, "And you'll meet him. I'll make sure you meet him."

She looked at him uncertainly, "I don't know...Meeting with the most dangerous man in the world. I don't know if that suits me."

He cut her short, "Then that means you don't want to continue traveling with me. I'm a dangerous man too."

"Well, you're different. You're my friend, my best friend!" She insisted.

'He's your brother-in-law.' He thought quietly to himself, and said loudly, "He's different. Same with me. You'll be surprised at how similar he is with me."

"I doubt it. He's the Hitokiri Battousai." She said stubbornly.

'Oi...I can't imagine what she'll say when she finds out her brother-in-law is the Hitokiri Battousai. I might as well tell her this.' He hesitated slightly. "Toshiko, ever heard of Okubo-kyo getting assassinated?"

"Of course! How could anyone not!"

"He was assassinated by Tenken no Soujiro."

"And...? I don't get what you're trying to say here, Soujiro."

He frowned, she still wasn't thinking property, was she now? He sighed, "Toshiko, my nickname, my nickname...for people that feared me, and the name that Shishio-san gave me, was..." He paused, "Tenken no Soujiro."

She whispered the three words, the three words people feared, just as much as the word Hitokiri Battousai. "Tenken...no...Soujiro......" Ah, so now she knew all about his past and all the secrets he's locked away from everyone. So what now? She was asking herself mentally. Like before, she wasn't angry. She was amazed, this little man standing in front of her, looking like a sixteen, eighteen tops, was Tenken no Soujiro, people feared him as much as the Hitokiri Battousai.

He didn't look exactly weak, but he didn't look like he could've been so... She didn't know what to say. And finally asked, "Soujiro, exactly HOW old are you?"

He almost tripped at the unexpected question, "Nineteen, why?"

"NINETEEN?! You are kidding me, right Soujiro? You look like an sixteen. And you're Tenken no Soujiro. You must be kidding. Tell me you're kidding. Tenken no Soujiro, the right hand of Shishio Makoto, a nineteen years old...Kami-sama. I think I'm hearing wrong..."

"No you're not. If you wanted to know, the Hitokiri Battousai earned his infamous name at the age of fifteen."

"Fifteen. You must be kidding me, Soujiro." He shook his head, "What is with you young people being the most feared killers?!"

He sighed, "It's because...We've all lost our childhood. Rather, we've never had one."

Toshiko stopped and looked up into his eyes, her eyes shining with what looked like new tears threatening to fall, "Gomen Soujiro...And thank you. For trusting me with your past, and telling them to me."

He let her cry in his shirt while he had his arms around her. After a while when she had stopped crying, he helped her stand up slowly and told her, "We've been spending three hours here already. We can get an inn, then take shower, then we can have dinner." She nodded silently. "I still have some money for a few more days, but once we get to Kyoto. We have to work for some money."

"Hai, Soujiro." She gave him a cheerful smile and walked off, and turned around when she noticed her companion wasn't following. "Soujiro, daijoubu?"

"Aa...Daijoubu, Toshiko." And closed the gates to the Kuro's home before letting himself be dragged towards the inn by Toshiko. And informed her, "Oh right, we'll be arriving at Otsu tomorrow night if we go early tomorrow morning. So we should sleep early."

"Hai, hai, Soujiro. Come along now, I don't want to drag you all the way over to the inn!"

And he walked by himself, being the now so cheerful Toshiko and thought to himself how lucky he was to have met her that night on the roads. He had someone to share his past with, and his secrets. She was not angry. She had accepted him for who he was. She had not abandoned him simply because of his past, and he was glad. Very glad. And wondered what her reaction would be when she finds out Himura-san's real identity. He then turned around to catch a glimpse of his old house. This might very well be the last time he'll ever come here. How ironic, he had said that a whole decade ago, when he had followed Shishio-san out of this hell hole.

'I'll be leaving you now, I am no longer afraid of my past. Thank you...Toshiko...' And turned around a corner, and the house disappeared from his view.

'Thank you...Toshiko.'

Author's Notes: I know Soujiro's name wasn't THAT feared, but still...don't blame me! Ohh...They're going to Otsu next! Hehehe...You probably don't have to pass Otsu from Soujiro's hometown to Kyoto...But I make it like that! It's my fic! I want Toshiko to get to know Kenshin better before she gets to Tokyo, or else he's going to be...dead. I don't want her to be TOO pissed at Kenshin. I like Kenshin =p Hai, I just double checked it, hoping I didn't miss anything out. I hope. Anyhow, thanks for everyone that has been reading and reviewing. Reviewing helps, makes me want to type =) Oyasumi and Sayonara, minna!

Okashira - Leader
Oi - Hey
Tenken - Heavenly Sword
Gomen - I'm sorry (Thanks DiaBLo ^^;;)
Wakizashi - short sword (This was the sword Shishio gave Soujiro, right?)
Ishin shishi - Kenshin's side in the revolution
Shinsengumi - Saitoh's side in the revolution
Hai - Yes
Daijoubu - Are you okay?