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Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing! Rurouni Kenshin belongs to the great Watsuki-sama!
Chapter Two: A New Friend
Two years later
Sano stared at the sight in front of him. He couldn't believe it. 'It's not real. He can't be...' his heart, breaking within his chest interrupted Sano's thoughts. "Captain Sagara!" He cried out, then buried his head into his hands and wept for his fallen mentor and friend.
"Hey you there. Get up. Crying does not befit a soldier like yourself. You can't bring back the dead with your tears, that you cannot." Sano looked up into the face of the man who had been standing next to HIM, the man who killed Captain Sagara. (A/N: I don't remember Captain Sagara's first name. If you know, I'd appreciate the feedback.)
"You! You let him be killed! You let that monster kill Captain Sagara!"
"Yes, I did not stop him, that I did not." The man looked at Sano solemnly.
Sanosuke looked at the man confused. He was obviously an adult, yet was considerably shorter than his own height of 5' 6". His bright red hair made it obvious that he was not a full-blooded Japanese man. (A/N: I don't know what nationality Kenshin is. If he is supposed to be Japanese, please correct me. He really doesn't look it though.) His left cheek bore a fresh scar, probably from the past week, that crossed an older scar, making a lopsided X.
"Who - are you?" Sano questioned the man.
"Himura. You may call me Kenshin Himura." The odd man replied with a friendly manner.
"Okay Himura-san. Now, I will kill you, Imperialist pig!" Sano rushed at Kenshin. He dodged the attack, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"I do not wish to hurt you, that I do not. You are much too young to be involved in this awful war. Please put away your sword." Kenshin continued to dodge Sano's thrusts.
"You - killed - Captain - Saga - ra!" Sanosuke panted, trying to strike the odd man.
"I admit I did not stop his death. For that I apologize. I have been thinking a lot lately about killing, and my role in causing the deaths of many people. But all that will change today. I assure you, I will never kill again. I swear, with you and the honorable Kami-Sama as my witness, my sword will never taste the blood of another!" Sano stared in amazement at Kenshin. His amber eyes were raised toward the leaden sky, the gray clouds threatening to cry for the soldiers that had fallen in battle that day. As his head came down, Sano's lips released a small gasp. His eyes! Kenshin's eyes no longer glowed amber with an assassin's fire. Rather, they exhibited a kind light behind their violet color. Yet they still portrayed an immense sorrow for the destruction he had caused in the past.
"What's your name?" Kenshin smiled at the teenager.
"Sano. Sanosuke Ka - Sagara." In one moment, Sano created his new life, his new name, and also gained a new friend.
Kenshin grinned at Sano, knowing that the boy had willingly taken on the name of his fallen captain instead of his birth name to honor him. "Well then, Sanosuke Sagara, you're welcome to join me. I'm not sure where I'll be going, or what I'll be doing, but I'd like to have a friend with me."
"I'd like that too, Kenshin-san."
The two friends looked at each other, glad to have found the true friendship they now had in one another.
Three years later
Sanosuke had grown to greatly appreciate and enjoy Kenshin's company. The older man was not only a good companion, but was also an excellent cook. Sano never once worried about going to bed hungry, as he had during the revolution. Kenshin was sure to always have a delicious meal on hand at the end of the day.
The two men spent most of their days on the road, traveling to and from the many little towns and bustling cities that crossed their path. They'd spend one, maybe two nights in a city, and then would be on their way again, going whereever the mood takes them.
Whenever they would stop in towns, especially the larger ones, Kenshin would find some sort of job for the two of them to perform. They'd done just about everything, from helping gather food to even watching a few children for an afternoon. Sano said that after that experience, he would never have kids. Kenshin disagreed, saying the children were perfect angels. This prompted a retort of "Those are no angels, they're demons," from Sano.
One lazy summer evening, Kenshin and Sano lay in the soft grass near a river. The calming sounds of the river babbling over the rocks, along with crickets and other wildlife adding to the song made the night peaceful. Sano felt that it was a time for conversation, to get Kenshin to open up about a past he never discussed.
"Kenshin, why did you join the Imperialists?" Sano pried.
Kenshin stared into the distance for a while, gathering his thoughts and memories. He tried to determine what would be the appropriate story to tell the young man. Knowing his maturity, Kenshin decided that he deserved to know the truth.
"I was raised by three older women after my parents died. They were kind to me, and I spent many happy years with them. Then, when I was eleven, I met my master. He taught me the way of Hiten Mitsuurugi Ultra Sonic Sword Technique. (A/N: Sorry if I spelled it wrong) I was good, very good, though my master was loathed to say so. In time, my sword skill became much sought after. Then, I was hired to kill someone. And I kept on killing. I was an assassin, the Hitokiri Battousai." Kenshin bowed his head in shame at the memory of his past sins. (A/N: I know that's not exactly how Kenshin's life went, but it's an AU. Please don't flame me.)
"You - you're Battousai?" Sano looked at him with a mixture of fear and awe.
"I understand if you wish to leave now. No one would wish to travel with a killer like myself. I felt that you deserved to know the truth about my past though." Kenshin was afraid to lose his young friend, but wished the best for him.
"Why? I don't care about what you did in the past. I saw you. I saw the light in your eyes change when you vowed to never kill again. I want to stay with you Kenshin-san." Sano looked into Kenshin's eyes with sincerity.
"Thank you. You are a true friend, Sano-kun, that you are."
"You are too, Kenshin-san." Sano looked over at the older man.
"May I ask you why you joined the army? You are still so young. Why would you destroy your life?" Kenshin now questioned Sano.
"My father. Otou-san hated the revolution. He didn't particularly like the government, but he still upheld it like a good citizen. He said the revolutionaries would all meet an untimely end. I thought the revolutionaries had the right idea though. My father also hated the idea of using swords to take a life. He developed the Kasshinryu -"
"'Swords that give life'?" Kenshin interrupted.
"Yes. He said a sword should be used to protect others." Sano explained. "I didn't completely agree. So, when I was 13, I ran away. I haven't seen my family since."
"I'll bet you miss them."
"Yeah. Otou-san, Okaa-san, and my little sister. It's been five years since I left home. Little jou-chan is 13 years old already, the same age I was when I left for the army." Sano said, remembering the happiness he felt with his parents and little Kaoru.
"Why don't you return to them?" Kenshin questioned.
"Because! My father will hate me forever. I left the family, and now, what do I have to show for it? Nothing! I can't return, not until I've proven my true worth to my family." Sano replied with conviction.
"Well, until then, I will stay with you, that I will. I won't abandon you Sano-Kun." Kenshin looked up at the younger man.
"Arigato Kenshin-san. You are a true friend."
Thank you so much for reading! The new words for this chapter are:
Kami-sama - God
Hiten Mitsuurugi - the sword style taught to Kenshin
Hitokiri Battousai - the name that Kenshin uses when he is an assassin
-kun - used generally for younger boys, shows friendship mostly
Okay, now review! Please! Also, I might not update again until about the 22nd, because I get go on vacation and be a bride's maid for my brother's wedding! Yeah for me!
