Disclaimer: though I may use excerpts from the manga, I do not an anyway shape or form claim it as my own. I am not Watsuki Nobuhiro!
A/N: I make Kenshin's innocence at the beginning of this almost sickening, please forgive me XD and forgive me for not updating sooner, I let my other two stories take precedence over this one. Gomen!
On with the history lesson! I mean story...
Why
'Why.' What an interesting little word. It conveyed so much in three little letters. Who knew that those three letters would be Sejiuurou Hiko's biggest fear? "Do you know what a dictatorship is, Baka-deshi?"
They were sitting in front of a fire; the light from it played its way across the young boy's face. "It's when a person rules over a country. Most of the time they are tyrants."
"Yes, and right now our country is under the rule of a military dictatorship, there are a lot of people who disagree with the way they run things. They believe that they are living behind the times. The leaders of the Tokugawa shogun are decedents of Tokugawa Leyasu, Many people wish to over throw him..."
"Master, what does any of this have to do with what happened in the village?"
"That village was a demonstration by the Shogunate to anyone who disagreed with them. That particular village refused to have anything to do with the slave trade, or with sending their sons and husbands into the military."
"So innocent people lost their lives to prove a point?" Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he looked into the flames. "It makes no sense."
"That is why people are rebelling against it. Do you know what a caste is?"
"It's your ranking. I remember my parents saying something about it when I was younger."
"If you are born something you live your life as it, and nothing can be changed about it either. What caste where you born into?"
"A slave."
"And I a samurai, one of the highest of the caste, but I don't believe in this hierarchy nonsense, a burakumin(1) may be one of the most despicable people in the country but they are still a person." Kenshin glowered at the flames even more. "Do you understand what I am saying?"
"I think I do. But master, why do you just sit here on the mountain and do nothing? Shouldn't we do something?"
"No."
"But master-"
"I will not get into an argument with you about this. My word is final. You can do nothing."
Rebellion
Months passed and Kenshin didn't bring up the topic again, but Hiko noticed the change in his apprentice's eyes. It was all only a matter of time.
Kenshin found himself traveling down to the local village to get what little information he that could, and with time, the anger within him grew. One particular journey down to the village altered the course of his destiny completely.
"You!"
Kenshin blinked before he turned to the voice that called to him, "Can I help you?" The man looked familiar, but from where? Then it dawned on him; the man from the village who called him a child, and a fool. It was true, he was a fool. He had rushed into battle not knowing the reason he was even truly there.
"No, what is your name?"
"Himura Kenshin." What a peculiar man. His ki was strong; Kenshin was sure of that, at least. "Why?"
"I am looking for men who are willing to fight against the Tokugawa."
Boy, did this man have some gall.
"You are brave to say that to a stranger whose ideals you don't even know," Kenshin replied crossing his arms arrogantly.
"But you are against the shogunate, are you not? Someone who blindly protects another as you did wouldn't be an ally to such a tyrannical system, would they?"
Kenshin nodded his head. Okay so he did have a point there.
"Here, read this, and then make your decision." Kenshin was handed an envelope with a red seal on it.
Kenshin read the letter to himself, and then he read it again to make sure he had read it right the first time. So lost was he in the envelopes contents that the boy forgot something very important.
"The sake!" He yelped, running to the stand to make his masters purchase.
0-0-0
"You're late." Hiko said a little annoyed. He had taught his baka-deshi better than that. "10,000 basic swings, and I want them done in ten minuets, or I add another 10,000."
"But, master-"
"15,000 start now." Hiko would not let his baka-deshi be so insolent.
Sighing with defeat, Kenshin executed his master's demands.
0-0-0 ((:Points at disclaimer at top of page: and here the plot lines cross XD))
Later that same night as Hiko stood above the cliff, Kenshin approached him about the man from the village.
"No." Hiko's voice had a finality in it but Kenshin was determined to disobey it.
"Master!" Kenshin pursued frustrated.
"You should be thinking of your training, not worrying about outside affairs." Hiko interjected, a little irritated at the boy's insubordination.
"But now a lot of people are being dragged into the fighting and getting killed! The whole idea behind the Hiten Mitsurugi School is to protect people from the suffering of the ages! If I can't use my sword now, when can I?"
Hiko sighed and turned away.
"Master!"
"You're telling me why," Hiko boomed, turning back to the sliver of a boy. "Defeat me now, and go."
Kenshin smacked Hiko on the back of the head with his sword sheath.
Hiko fumed at the boy for his insolence. "That was for real!"
"Because you don't understand!" Kenshin shouted, finding his backbone.
"You're the one who doesn't understand!" Hiko was finally getting exasperated "Fine, but because of the strength of the Hiten Mitsurugi School, you have to be sure you'll win before you take sides! I'm talking about the landing of the Black Ships! Do you understand me? In other words-"
"I don't understand! People are suffering before my eyes! They're in misery! I can't leave them as they are, no matter what the reason!" Kenshin spewed his tirade before he left his master, never intending to return there again.
'Baka-deshi, you will regret this, all too soon you will find out your mistake, this time no one will be there to catch you.'
Takasugi Shinsaku & Kogoro Katsura
Kenshin made his way through the trees towards the sound of kihe's metal clashing metal, and wood.
"So you came?"
"Hai," Kenshin responded, looking at the man who had given him the envelope earlier. "I still don't know your name."
"Takasugi Shinsaku, and that is all you need to know. Now, go down there and train with them," he motioned to the group of men down the slope. "Don't let any of them push you around either, kid."
Kenshin walked down the slope and watched as man after man practiced on the wooden poles. Watching them silently, he noticed how many of the men where either poorly trained or just acting stupidly. 'Master would have killed me if I acted like any of them...'
0-0-0
Takasugi stood on the top of the hill while waiting for someone else to join him. "Ah, Katsura-san, it is nice to see you again," He greeted as a strongly built diplomatic looking man approached him.
"I came all the way from Kyoto because you said you had something to show me." His voice was a little cynical as he looked down at the ragtag group of men below. "What did you want to show me, Shinsaku?"
"You'll see," Takasugi said, still looking down the slope; "This is the new strength of the era." His hands motioned down at the men. "This is Kihetai! Birth or status means nothing! Anyone can join my Kiheitai if they have the ambition and the strength!"
"Certainly after 300 years of peace, they could be better than the soft samurai." Katsura said, looking down the hill. "But will this really work?"
"You worry too much." Takasugi reprimanded his friend. "Look, even children!"
0-0-0
Kenshin looked at the pole as others took their turn; anticipation was building up in his shoulders, he could feel it.
"Look, the kid brought his own sword!" A man jeered as he stepped out of Kensin's way. "Give it a try kid; I'll give you a ryo if you can chop it in half."
Kenshin smirked inwardly. 'Piece of cake.' Taking a centering breath, he crouched into a stance and unsheathed his sword, cutting through the pole with lightning speed and smashing the bottom half with his metal sheath.
"One ryo." Kenshin sheathed his sword and held out his palm to the doubter as wooden splinters littered the ground.
0-0-0
"Shinsaku..." Katsura stared at the boy who had just obliterated the pole. "That boy is coming to Kyoto with me." With that, the diplomat turned on his heals to leave, "Bring him to dinner with you tonight, I would like to get to know this- what was his name?"
"Himura Kenshin."
"Yes, I would like to get to know this Kenshin better." Katsura smiled to himself as he walked away.
"Hey kid!" Takasugi called to Kenshin who was about to turn the other way. "Come here for a minute."
Kenshin walked up the slope, wondering why the man would want to talk to him again; maybe it was for taking that man's ryo. His master would have defiantly reprimanded him for it, maybe this Takasugi Shinsaku would as well.
"I want you to meet me at the Bonsai Inn. You seemed to have caught the eye of someone important, and he wants to meet you." Kenshin stared blankly at the man. "Are going to come?"
"Hai. I will be there at sunset." Kenshin turned to leave into the forest.
Dinner and a Good Nights Rest
Kenshin found himself pacing outside the door to the Bonsai Inn. For some reason, he was having a battle with himself on whether to enter the doors or not.
'You enter that door and you will never be able to go back, you will seal your fate. Do you even really know what you are sealing your fate to?'
'It is my choice, let me make it, I want to do this.'
'Why?'
'Why not?'
'...'
Kenshin opened the door to the inn cautiously, and was almost immediately greeted by Takasugi.
"Ah. Kid, I was wondering when you would show up." Takasugi laughed as he ushered the boy into a private room that held three seating places, and in one of them was the ever famous Kogoro Katsura.
"Welcome, you must be Himura Kenshin," He said, politely extending his hand in western fashion.
Kenshin looked at the man's hand for a moment before grasping it in a handshake.
"I saw your performance this afternoon, and I was wondering; Himura-san, what school is it that you are trained in?"
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu."
Takasugi chocked on his sake. "Hiten Mitsurugi?"
"So that was the Hiten Mitsurugi School..." Katsura pondered aloud. "I have heard of it, but I didn't know it truly existed. Tell me, have you ever killed a man using Hiten Mitsurugi?"
"No."
"Do you think that you could?"
"If, with my own dirty sword and the lives I take, I could pave the way for a new era in which all can live in peace-"
"I see." It was enough to convince Katsura. "We're leaving for Kyoto first thing in the morning. Take a room upstairs and rest."
Kenshin nodded and went to the front desk to get himself a room.
0-0-0
Kenshin sat in the window, staring at the moonless sky. He was pondering over the conversation downstairs. 'Could I kill with these hands?' He looked down at his calloused fingers. 'Could I really do it?'
'You said it yourself. You want to "pave the way for a new era." You are going to have to get those hands of yours dirty if you expect to do it.'
Kenshin sighed retiring to the futon to sleep. In the morning he would be on his way to Kyoto. In the morning, he would seal his fate to the world of demons and monsters.
Kyoto.
To be continued...
A/N: You can just about guess what will happen next can't you? XD and yes this story will have some KXT elements in it as well as KXK later on, so it pretty much makes everyone but the yaoi fans happy.
1. burakumin: It was the lowest caste level in Japan, even lower than urchins and slaves; burkaumin were said to deal in jobs that no one would take, such as executioners (not hitokiris), public toilet cleaners, and fun stuff like the job of cleaning up the allies after hitokiri made an erm mess...