Hello!
This story is currently going through a huge re-vamp o.O Well, i try anyway...
I finally figured out where this story is heading, and strive to make longer chapters, even though it takes longer coz i'm such a slow typer o.O; Please forgive -bows-
Also, i implore you to forgive the sloppy writing, these are being fixed up as we speak so please bare with me.
Thankyou and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni kenshin or Okita Souji...but Akito is mine dammnit! MINE! o.O
Through the window of the rapidly moving carriage, sunlight burst down onto the young boyish face of a wide eyed, red headed young boy. His childlike and naive features would almost have you decieved into thinking he was some small child, if it weren't for the sword strapped to his side. '
"Welcome to Kyoto Kenshin, we will be arriving at your new residence soon" interuppted a voice from behind him. Himura Kenshin slowly spun on his seat to rest his gaze upon the face of his ever calm employer, Kogoro Katsura. Katsura had discovered him while he was still with Takasugi and the Kiheitai, he distinctly remebered the conversation.
Flashback-
"Listen to me...I am asking you, to kill"
The young boyish face before him had exactly the expression he had forseen, the gentle violet orbs of his widened in shock.
"Certain men stand between us and a better world, the only way is to elminate them, it's not pleasant but it's true"
he continued, his determined stare fixing upon the young red head before him.
"So answer me...will you kill for me?"
End Flashback-
With a small smile and a nod his attention averted back to the huge city just outside of his window. After growing up in the mountains with his master, never had he seen such a place, or ever imagined it to be this large. That would probably be his first priority, figure this place out. It shouldn't be too much trouble really, but it would probably be a relatively good idea to request a guide anyway. Fingering the carefully stitched cloth of his pants he dreaded the impression that he was going to make on these much older and much larger men having a small, red headed, scrawny boy amongst them. Too late for that now. Katsura had chosen to bring with him 13 new men, including Kenshin, all of whom were to stay at the inn with Kenshin permanantly.
"Hurry up girls, Katsura-san has arrived!" called a very distressed voice from the enterance of a bustling inn.
"Hai, Okami-san" came two instant replies as two quite young and beautiful girls appeared from out of nowhere, startling poor Okami out of her wits.
With a small sigh and an exasperated shake of her head she pulled back the door to give him a proper greeting. She was undeniably loyal to the choshuu after they had selflessly protected her son when he was caught up in a vicious battle between the shinsengumi, and from then on alwyas greeted them with a happy smile. "Katsura-san! How wonderful it is to see you again" exclaimed Okami happily and giving him a respectful bow. "Always a pleasure Okami-san" he replied with a soft smile that made the two girls behind her swoon. "I trust that you have enough vacant rooms for all of my men" he inquired politely, gesturing behind him too the 12 men and some scrawny boy. "Ah! Katsura-san is this your...son?" asked Okami, stopping the red headed boy with an out stretched arm.
The impassive look on the young boys face twisted slightly, a small blush that matched his hair creeping over his face as Katsura and his captain, Katagai-san, cuckled humorously. "No Okami-san, he is one of the newest recruits" replied Katsura calmly,
after recvering from his laughter. This, more than anything else, shocked Okami into a stunned silence as her eyes flicked back to gaze at the boy before her. "Y-you mean to say you would recruit children?" Okami asked finally, in a dangerous voice, her normally calm and collected eyes glaring daggers at Katsura.
"Excuse me Onna-san" interrupted a voice "but- i am 14".
Whipping back around she leaned in closely to examine him. Blood red hair hung limply down the sides of his young face as it managed to escape his carefully done top knot and a shocking pair of violet eyes stared defiantley into her own. With a small smile she returned her, now much softer, gaze back upon Katsura.
"Well, anyway, Shizuka and Manami will show the men too their rooms, i will call you when dinner is ready" she said in a calmer tone of voice as the image of the young mans face stuck firmly in her mind.
"Excusme...i'm sorry..but..."
"Oh come on, let me show you around"
"Gomen, demo--"
"Mou, please?-"
"Shizuka!" snapped Okami fiercly, hurriedly shooing the swooning girl away from the now stiff young boy. With a fierce glare in her direction she watched them angrily as they turned to show the men to their rooms. "Now, what is your name young man?" she asked politely, turning back to him."
The stunned young boy turned his violet orbs up to her and bowed "Watashi no namae wa Himura Kenshin".
"Hey kid, names Akito" intepruted a voice into Kenshins wild thoughts. Shifting slightly he stiffened and glared at the tall, muscular man standing in his doorway. 'Great, just what i need right now' he muttered darkly into his head, the events at dinner all too fresh in his mind.
Flash back--
Kenshin could already hear the murmurs of jaunty men, deep in their own conversations in the dining hall. His red locks all too obvious, and his short stature way too noticable. With a small sigh he walked confidently through the door way and headed directly to the emptiest corner.
"Hey! Who ordered shrimp?" called a wisecrack in a mocking tone from behind him.
Wincing Kenshin spun on his heel stared defiantley at the man in question, who just smirked and continued to shovel food into his mouth. Growling he turned back around and stalked over to his corner 'How did i know this would happen' he thought miserably to himself, the first impression he had made was a giant prawn, great. Dropping to the ground he stared gloomily down at the meal before him, picking at the rice with his chopsticks. Of course they never knew who he was then,
and neither did he for that matter. He had been told by katsura that he was going to become a 'hitokiri', and of course he had heard the rumours of the various 'hitokiri's' thoroughout his time visiting the villages with Hiko, but the only thing he truly knew about it was that it's main purpose was to kill. But then again, wasn't everyone here's main purpose to kill.
Penetrating his brooding came a cackling laughter, he didn't need to look to know who it was. "So does the prawn have a voice? Come on boy are you in this war to make your daddy proud? Ha! You won't last one week"
he scoffed in a gravely tone, hoots of laughter erupting from what could be called his 'cronies'.
"Shut up..." someone growled from the farthest corner. To that man, whoever it was, Kenshin was truly grateful.
"What!" he growled angrily "who said that? Sta-"
SLAM
The whole room was shocked into silence as Kenshins choptsticks rattled from the position they had just recently been slammed, the rice bowl spilling bits of it's contents over the small table laid out infront of him. Straight face in tact, he rose to his feet and calmly left the room.
End flashback--
Kenshin heaved a small sigh and twisted the cloth of his pants in his fingers. The memory alone giving him a stormy attitude.
"Hey kid, sók, i'm your roomate anyways, that jerk is unbearable sometimes but in truth he's a pretty good guy once you get to know him of course" he drawled easily, leaning casually against the shouji.
Relaxing a little, kenshin looked up from the carefully made tatami mat and bowed slightly in his direction "My name is Himura Kenshin, pleased to met you"
he spouted formally, his red locks glistening in the little light provided. "I am the new 'hitokiri'" he added as an after thought.
The man Akito spluttered, almost slipping off his potision on the doorframe and turned so pale he was almost transparent.
"H-hitokiri?" he murmured clumisily and backed away from the enterance.
Kenshin peered at him in confusion "Is something wrong Akito-san" he asked quietly. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. He could see that Akito was going through a whole pallete of emotions. Surprise? Shock? Fear? Blinking slightly Akito bowed and murmered something about feeling ill before turning and scurrying back down the hallway.
Kenshin was left in his room, alone, to contemplate his strange beahaviour. Was everybody afraid of the word hitokiri?
He hadn't even started his job yet and the word alone had sent Akito scurrying from him. This place just confused him to no ends.
"Hey!…..Kid? Himura? Wake up!" urged a voice from somewhere above him. Kenshin grumbled and turned onto his side, an eruption of laughter bubbling from the voice. He was having such a nice dream, he didn't want it to end. He was standing in a field, the crisp cold air of the morning burning his face with cold and the dew that had collected on the rows of snow white blossoms slowly making it's way down the petals and landing on his nose like rain. Infront of him was a picturesque scene, the pale sun slowly rising above the mountains and thick layers of mist slowly twining themselves around the trees as it made its way up the hill on which he stood.
Then all of a sudden, everything changed. The pale morning sun morphed in an instant into a blood red dripping orb, that sat in the sky spitefully, glaring down at him. The trees around him lost their petals and fell to the ground, covered up by the fierce, angry glare of red and orange light. The crystal clear dew that had once hung from the trees had suddenly become a deep red with an odd smell that made his insides churn. His heartbeat grew fast and his eyes widened as the soft snapping of twigs was heard above him. Slowly turning his head up he found himself staring up into the blank, dull eyes of a dead man. His messy brown hair spread around his pale face like a halo, a bright red flower resting precariously on his hand, the blood from the gash in his stomach dripping just like the dew. Drip, drip, drip—"Agh!"
Kenshin had sat up straight in his bed, his face slightly pale and small droplets of sweat falling from his forehead. He placed a shaky hand to his head and gripped the locks of his fringe tightly, his fingernails digging into his skull.
"Ow…remind me never to wake you up again"
Kenshin was jolted out of his brooding and quickly spun on the spot to lay eyes on Akito, sprawled out on the ground behind him and nursing a black eye. Locking away the memory of the dream he quirked his mouth into a smirk and he rose from the warm bed to find his neatly folded clothes off to one side. Gently he plucked at the blue gi and grey-white hakama that was part of his new uniform, the fine stitching rubbing against his callused fingertips. "Yeah that's your uniform, I told Okami to get you a bigger size for plenty of growth" joked Akito, now sitting up with a sheepish grin on his face, hand pressed against his forehead. Kenshin cringed and looked away "Sorry…about that" he apologized uncertainly, but instead of receiving the familiar taunts from the men yesterday he heard a sad sigh.
"It's me who should be sorry kid, I judged you without even getting to know you, i can see that you certainly aren't a cold ruthless bastard" he said slowly, plucking his hand from his face and letting it fall to his lap.
Kenshin turned to look at him and cocked his head "Cold? Ruthless?" he asked innocently. Akito flinched and stared at him wide-eyed "Please don't tell me you you've never even heard of --!" he began. But his face seemed to slack in shock.
A few minutes later, after Akito had shown Kenshin how exactly to tie up a hakama, the two of them made their way downstairs where the bustle of activity coming from the dining hall could be heard. A sickened feeling in the bottom of his stomach, he just hoped that by some judge of fate, that man had been sent out on duty….
"AH HA! I knew I wasn't seeing things!" roared a voice as soon as they entered the room "So the shrimp is still here" he hissed darkly.
Kenshin cringed and turned to face him, a dull look on his face, he opened his mouth to speak but was cut off as someone appeared at the door.
"That is quite enough Senkaku" commanded a quiet yet non the less imposing voice of Katsura from the doorway.
Kenshin sighed quietly and turned to face him.
Katsura stood, his icy black hair pulled up elegantly at the back of his head and his dark eyes sparkling with life, with his mouth pressed into a thin white line as he observed the Senkaku dis-approvingly.
After ridding the blush of embarrassment from his face he turned back to the corner he had sat in last night and dropped to the floor next to Akito, gently picking up the chopsticks placed on the low tabled in front of him.
"Kenshin? How are you?" came the same calm voice from above him.
Kenshin slowly lifted his head to gaze into the eyes of the calculating Katsura. He nodded to him and respectfully bowed slightly before placing his chopsticks infront of him and answering "I'm fine". Now that made him feel pretty lame. Katsura chuckled and smiled down at him fondly "Actually I need you to come with me, leave your food here, I'm sure Okami wouldn't mind keeping some for you" he said carefully "I am going to introduce you to my associates"
And with that Kenshin silently got to his feet and followed Katsura from the room.
"A boy?" demanded the outraged face of Yoshida Toshimaro, his angry eyes examining Kenshin with distaste. Katsura, calm as ever, smiled patiently. "This boy is 15 years old and more skilled than any man--"
"Skill can't be the only deciding factor! Have you forgotten what happened to the last" he demanded fiercly but swiftly cringed and apologozied for his rudeness.
Katsura nodded calmly and cast an approving glance over at Kenshin. "There is something about him, it may be just a gut feeling, but i do believe that Kenshin will be perfect" he said frimly, his eyes boaring into the congregated officials.
As his gaze passed over them they each, in turn, nodded slightly in acceptance and finally Yoshida too relented and nodded grudingly.
Kenshin, slightly shaken from the arguments against him finally lifted his head to look at the group, all of which were shifting as if preparing to leave.
"I have news" said a voice from behind Kenshin
The whole room whipped around just as a figure emerged from the shadows.
In the corner stood a small figure, her brown hair clasped behind her and a determined mask set upon her face with something deftly clutched in her hands.
"Ah Hotaru-san" said Yoshida pleasantly "Please wait outside and i will have a word with you later"
Hotaru nodded slightly and backed out of the room, Kenshin still watching her suspiciously with his sharp eyes.
"Well is that is the only matter we have to attend then you are all dismissed"
"Katsura-san?"
"Yes Kenshin?"
Kenshin turned his head slightly and quickened his pace to keep up with Katsura. "Forgive my rudeness...but that girl--"
"She is a spy"
Kenshin blinked "Spy? In the shinsengumi?" he asked disbeliviengly, surely a woman such as that wouldn't go into such dangerous territory.
Katsura nodded "Yes, she is a spy at the Shinsengumi headquarters, recently emplyed" he said formally, not the slightest bit offended at how inquisitive Kenshin was.
Everything was silent again, the dull padding of their feet against the polished floor until...
"Katsura-san...what exactly is my job?" once again he felt quite lame asking Kogoro Katsura what should be an extremely obvious question. But he couldn't deny the curiostiy he felt. Akito, after hearing what his new position was the first time has been sufficiently startled, calling the hitokiris 'Ruthless cold bastards'. Just what was it that made people fear them so. A thought struck him. Would he be feared as well? Cast out and avoided?
Katsura, not in the least bit ruffled cleared his throat and replied slowly "You are a shadow assasin under my employ" he said carefully, but before any more questions couls be asked he rounded on Kenshin and looked down at him. "Iizuka-san will explain everything to you when the time is right Kenshin, me and some of my men will be heading out tommorow, i do not expect to see you again for some time. Good luck" and with those cryptic words he bustled off to his room.
Kenshin waited for a few seconds until the sounds of Katsuras shuffling feet dissapeared. His heart now pounded audibly in his chest as he processed the words. He, Kenshin Himura who had been berated all his life by his master, was an assasin. A thought struck him. An utterly out of the blue thought.
Why did he agree to kill for Katsura Kogoro?
'To protect the weak from the horrors of the government' he thought determined, his eyes flashing at his sudden indescion.
Boldly for one so undeveloped he strode down the hallway and back to the dining hall to finish his meal.
X3 Soooooo! What do ya think? Ok so yes Hotaru was a spy in the shinsengumi headquartes in the series 'Peacemaker Kurogane' and no there will be NO relationship between the two. Update or all of yer hats will suddenly dissapear mysteriously...
o.o