Chapter 3

When Kenshin returned to the camp, he was surprised by the sounds of commotion inside. Quickly vaulting over the wall, the manslayer whipped out his katana and approached carefully.

There was a large amount of shouting going on. Kenshin was becoming a bit worried and he hurried forward at a faster rate. He was surprised when he eased forward and saw the cause of the commotion.

It was a young boy, around 14 or 15. The boy had a sharp sword that was much too big for him, and he was holding the soldiers off with it. He had short black hair, and angry eyes. He fought with clenched jaw, silently as he was slowly backed into a corner. Kenshin could tell he had been taught a little about the sword, and he wasn't bad at all. The boy's fighting chi was high, and the men seemed a little intimidated by him.

Kenshin quickly stepped forward. "Halt," he said, quietly. Hearing his voice, everyone froze, and the men quickly backed away from the boy. "What is going on?" Kenshin asked in his frostiest tone.

"Uh, Battousai, sir," said a large man, who seemed less intimidated of Kenshin than the others, "this boy was sneaking through the forest when one of the men found him. He wounded the man, and then ran inside the camp. We surrounded him and were attempting to apprehend him when you arrived, sir."

Kenshin turned his gaze on the boy, but the boy didn't seemed bothered by it. He simply remained crouched, his snarling gaze turned to each of the men in turn, and Kenshin couldn't help but admire the lad.

"Please explain yourself, boy," Kenshin said in a more friendly tone of voice.

"I'm no boy!" shouted the boy. "My name is Tasuke, and I am a samurai warrior! Stay back or I'll take your head off!"

"Calm down," Kenshin said. "No one is going to hurt you. What's your last name, Tasuke?"

The boy looked down ashamed, and Kenshin realized his error. Many of the lesser class didn't have last names. That was something Kenshin hoped the government he was fighting for would change.

"I'm sorry," Kenshin said, "I didn't mean to offend. Now, what are you doing out here?"

"This is my home. You jerks built your dumb fortress on top of it! I really would like you to take it and go!"

"Sorry, but no. We're here protecting someone very important for the rebellion and we simply can't leave," one of the soldiers blurted.

"The rebellion?" the boy asked his face lighting up. "You're with the Imperialists? My dad believed in you guys. It was the government that killed him. If your Imperialists I guess you can stay. Can I help?"

The soldiers around Kenshin relaxed. It seemed the boy was no longer a threat in their minds. The boy then turned and looked at Kenshin. "How come these guys all listen to you? You're just a kid. And a little one at that. How come your in charge?"

Kenshin shook his head and laughed.

"What's so funny?" the kid asked, "I mean I could probably take you. What's your name anyway?"

Kenshin shook his head and turned to the man next to him. "Give him a room and some food and water. He looks like he could use it." Then Kenshin looked at the kid and lifted an eye. "Oh, and give him a bath."

With that Kenshin turned and walked away.

The boy's jaw hung open. "Who does he think he is!" the boy squeaked.

The men cast frightened glances after the Battousai's figure and then one of them hissed at the boy, "Don't say such things to him, he might get mad!"

"Well, who is he?" asked the boy for the third time.

"Hitokiri Battousai," was all that was said.

"Oh."

Kenshin walked away, feeling a bit lighthearted. Little did he know the nightmare had just begun.

The next day, it started.

"Hi, Battousai! Good morning! Hey, can you teach me you moves? My last master was pretty good but he was sliced in half by a soldier, and I've been practicing but no one can teach me anymore and mom and dad died so I've had no one to practice with and you're amazing, I've heard all about you from the villagers, everyone is terrified of you and you're just a kid like me, I wish I could be just as good as you. You're like my age, so you could teach me because I'm a kid too, right? Mom always said I should hang out with kids my own age and..."

"Okay, you can stop now," Kenshin said, trying to eat his breakfast. When Kenshin left to go check on the Omniboshi, the boy was still following him around chatting nonstop.

Kenshin ignored him and focused carefully on the woods around him. For some reason is didn't bug him that the boy was following him to Omniboshi's cave. He sensed no treachery in the boy, but then , he had been awfully distracted lately. Thoughts of Tomoe plagued his mind and seemed to be messing with his performance.

He entered the cave, and Omniboshi was waiting for him, alerted by the child's chattering voice.

"Got a new friend, Battousai?" the man asked, his twisted lips twitching.

Kenshin looked at the boy who just continued to talk while taking in the cave with his wide eyes, and Kenshin rolled his eyes and the injured man laughed.

"So, who's this?" Tasuke asked, suddenly cutting off his flow of words.

"Tasuke," said Kenshin. "This is Omniboshi. You're going to be staying with him for the next few days."

"What?" they both cried at the same time. Neither one of them looked happy about it.

"I'm worried," Kenshin said, cutting off any attempts to speak. "I'm afraid the Shinsengumi are coming, but with you talking so much I can't hear anything and it makes it harder for me to sense chi, so you are staying here. Omniboshi is injured and this place is safe. Be careful." With that, the assassin disappeared.

Omniboshi looked at the boy and the boy looked at Omniboshi.

The boy opened his mouth and took a breath and all Omniboshi could think was, "Oh, no."

"So, why are you here, and why are you injured. How do you know the Battousai? Do you know swordsmanship? Can you teach me? I need a sensei since my teacher got sliced in half by a soldier and now I don't have a teacher. Could you at least spar with me because I've had no one to practice with since my parents died..."

Omniboshi smacked himself in the head and sat down hard. "Battousai," he growled, "I'll get you for this."