Author's note:
Yeah, here I am again. First time to write a RRK fic….heheheh. quite a comeback. Anyway, after that long rest, I'm back again. Hope I'm not yet rusted. Argh..b'coz my sister downloaded such stupid stuff and ended up downloading a virus instead!
Okay, enough with this crap. Hope ya enjoy this!
Disclaimer: I do not own RRK. I just borrow it. J
MIDNIGHT 1868, MOONLIT 1878 –hagaki ozuno
Midnight 1868, Tokugawa Era
The dogs howl at the ruby moon. Killers meander off all over the place, leaving traces of blood from their victims behind. Numerous people screech, some at failure, some for victory, but no man screamed at the joy of finding peace. Men, women, young and old suffered, but many hoped that a restoration would come, to finally bring peace to Japan, and impede all the chaos that hover above the skies and brew from the ground below.
I was one of them. I was one of the people who truly wish for peace. But my thirst for peace turned into thirst for vengeance…revenge for the people who had helped me construct dreams for the future. Yet they were destroyed…destroyed by those money-bathing greedy monkeys of the government. They were accused of rebellion and putting up a false army, which was really their idea. They thought we were perfect baits because we're just made of farmers…
Mere farmers…
Like…Captain Sagara…
He gave up his life to protect me. He pushed me onto a cliff and bathed in the rain of bullets from the soldier's guns…
I felt worthless…gutless and helpless.
From that day, I started to fight. Even though I was a skimpy nine-year-old kid. I fought till I thought I was strong, till I felt like I could drive all enemies at my feet. But do I even know what strong means?
No.
As these thoughts hurdled my mind, I found myself running onto the forest of swords under the precipitation of bullets. I just kept running, I don't know why, but my only goal is to get out of that damned place alive. I scampered over dead bodies, trying not to look at their faces, for most of them have swords pierced through their throats, others had no heads, and all were fully dressed in blood It was a horrible sight. It was amazing I didn't felt sick.
I kept running, running out of that hell till I…
Till I came face to face with the most feared Hitokiri of that time
…
Hitokiri Battousai.
He was the man that every government official wouldn't want to see at the footstep of their doors. I quickly recognized him with his red hair and the X scar on his left cheek.
I trembled. I didn't know what to do. He just stood there, staring at my eyes with his amethyst ones. I have heard of him…he can kill within a split second. He's just like a tornado that can pass by and destroy everything on its way. And I feared…I'd be next.
Subsequently I felt a sudden urge of courage. I got mad. Why…this man fights for the government…he fights for the one who killed my comrades! Right before I knew what I was doing, I charged him and punched him on the face.
He didn't move a muscle. That made me angrier. Does that mean my punch was nothing to him?!
He stared at me once more after receiving the punch. His eyes were dead cold…as cold as the bodies left at the ground to rot.
" G-Get out of my way, you money-thirsty freak!" I shouted unconsciously, still trembling.
He held me in the wrist and I just stared at his actions. What is he doing?
Right after the sudden action, he smiled.
Smile? A killer? I never dreamed I would see this legendary man smile.
I came back to my senses and shook my hand from his grip.
" You are strong." He said with a soft voice, it almost sounded like a woman's. " But to live in this place, you must be stronger."
" What is your name?"
"I—" I was dumbfounded. Nevertheless, I answered. " Sagara Sanosuke."
" Sanosuke." He repeated. " Be strong."
The last thing I knew before my vision went black was the moonlit sky, the trees, and his face.
~*~*~
" Hey, Sanosuke."
As I opened my eyes, a bucket of cold water greeted my face.
" What the—" I shoved the bucket off my head, irritated. The sun had just risen, and the air was cold. It was the perfect time to sleep and let those muscles relax, but—
" Ya told me to wake ya up right? Ya said sum' thin bout revenge and targets."
It was my neighbor, Yasuharu. He lives at the same cheap housing I do. He took care of me for ten years. He told me that someone had placed me on his door, a mysterious guy, and left me there. He had no choice but to bring me in…that's what he said. Anyway, he had always been kind enough to wake me up whenever I oversleep or I have things to do early in the morning. And he's even kind enough to help me with my targets.
I snorted a bit and wiped my wet eyes.. " Yeah, right. Gimme five minutes."
The bucket met my head once more, and this time, it was harder.
" What's the big idea, man?!" I cried out loud.
" Just to warn ya. In five minutes yar target's gonna disappear into thin air. That guy ain't gonna wait for yer, or wait to be beaten up by a sleepyhead."
I sighed before I sat upright. " Makes sense."
" So get up there an' beat that man. People HATE him fer messin' things up."
" Whatever you say, pal." I smiled as I shoved the bucket off my head for good.
Ten years had passed since I had my encounter with the legendary Hitokiri, which everyone calls Battousai. I was nine then, and now I'm nineteen. Not much of a kid that everyone thinks I am. I actually drink sake; play Chinese chess while drunk, or just goof around and boss about with some bunch of motley crews and beat up people who do mischief or stuff [also called as 'targets'], and that makes us, in the end, as heroes. That's all I do in one whole day, a repeated cycle. I started to feel boredom, that there's no more fun in doing these things. The only reason I took this job is because if ever I met that Battousai again, I'm gonna show him how strong I am already. But how could I really be strong with weak targets? I started to doubt my job, so every night I always end up drunk, and I wake up with the bucket of water: the greatest solution to all drunk men in the world.
Yasuharu said I'm losing my pride and honor as a former Sekihoutai member.
To tell the truth, I did feel that way. Beating up not-so-tough enemies, getting drunk all night, and oversleeping. If honor and pride was visible, mine had already shattered into a thousand pieces. Captain Sagara would've been so ashamed. I didn't want it that way. Maybe I'll toss aside the sake and leave my full attention in helping people. That would make him proud.
Or even prouder if I ever beat up one ishin-shishi.
Or even Battousai.
Wait a minute, that's the third time I mentioned his name..
Speaking of that, the day I first met that man had been my dream for the past week. It played over and over in my head, and it felt like it was stuck on my coconut shell for good. [if I ever had one]
Does that mean we'll meet again?
Oh crap. I'm in for my target, not Battousai. Stop these thoughts. Stopstopstopstop…
" Yasu, I'm going now bud. Prepare my sake when I go home. I want it nice and hot." I shoved the cloth that hung behind the door and smiled before I left. I heard Yasu mumble " That kid…" before he chuckled softly. I had to smile once again before I walked casually towards the said place where I'll meet my target.
Just then I wondered…
Could that target be strong?
~*~*~
To be continued
Author's note:
Was that kinda short? It's just the first one, so watch out for more. Please review! J