Taming of the Wolf
He was the Wolf of Mibu. During the Bakumatsu, he and his fellow warriors had been scorned, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't care about what people thought of him, what they expected of him. He was a rogue, a renegade, and he was a police officer.
Hajime Saitoh sat in the comfort of a lightly furnished office in a comfortably padded chair. He was leaning deeply into it, feet thrown up onto the desk, a cigarette in his mouth, as always. Four perfect, long strands fell from his cropped black hair, and his amber eyes stared lazily at the ceiling. His uniform jacket was not buttoned all the way; three buttons had been left untouched, the loosened flaps of his jacket falling away to show his black undershirt. His sword, Japanese style of course, leaned against the desk to the left of him. It was a lazy day for the wolf, and he was getting aggravated.
A knock on the door jarred him from thoughts of how he would defeat the Battousai. With a low growl, he lifted his feet from the desktop and sat upright in his chair, leaning into it a little less and folding his hands over his lap.
"Yes, come in," he said quietly.
A nervous young officer entered and shut the door too loudly, jolting when Saitoh cleared his throat. When the door was safely secured, he turned and saluted, doubt and fear invading his young face.
"Sir!" the young man said, his blue eyes wavering in their gaze into the amber hues that stared listlessly back at him.
"Yes? What is it?" Saitoh asked lethargically.
"T-there's a riot in the town. The l-lieutenant told me to in-inform you."
Saitoh stood, exhaling loudly, making the poor young officer stiffen further, his salute glued to his forehead. The younger man watched as the frightening wolf leaned over to pick up his sword and slip it onto his belt and stepped out from behind the wooden desk.
"Alright then, let's go," Saitoh said with another sigh. "Take me to the location."
The carriage ride to the site of the riot was fast. Saitoh barely had the time to finish his cigarette and start a new one before he heard the shouts and cries of angry people outside. He drew the curtain of the cabin aside and watched with little interest as people with sticks, bats, and gardening tools pounded against a single establishment. The owner was most certainly inside, cowering in fear under a table or something.
With the release of a puff of smoke, Saitoh stepped out of the carriage and walked to the riot and waited. Sure enough, what he was waiting for followed his entrance; a whistle emphasized his presence with grandeur. For a moment, everyone stopped to look at him, and then resumed their screaming and beating. To the Wolf's dismay, a small tuft of red hair could be seen in the front. Stepping closer, he could spot the Battousai with his back to the door, looking helpless as he tried to convince people to calm down.
Going to work quickly, Saitoh and the rest of the officers disbanded the rioters, arresting those that proved to be particular threats, and he had personally drawn the Battousai aside. He asked him into the carriage to ride with him, and the short, red haired man complied peacefully. They were riding through the countryside when Saitoh lit up another cigarette. He took a long drag from it before speaking.
"Just what was that riot all about, Battousai?" he asked, smoke spilling from his lips as he spoke.
"The owner of the establishment had apparently angered many of its customers," the Battousai replied, fingering the grooves in the hilt of his sakabatou, as though nervous.
"Establishment? What was it?"
"I believe it was a bank," the Battousai said.
"A bank? What was the complaint against this bank that caused the uproar?" Saitoh asked, facing the man. He was intrigued now.
"I'm really not too sure," the Battousai said carefully. "I happened upon the scene after it had begun, on my way home from grocery shopping. Some people told me that the back had made loans and continued to demand payment after they were supposedly paid off, interest included. Others told me that accounts had been emptied without their knowing. As of now, I'm not too sure what to believe, and I hadn't had the chance to speak with the owner."
"So, in all effects, it may very well be the fault of the owner, if the statements are true," Saitoh hypothesized aloud.
"Yes, that may be true. But it certainly is no reason to riot and threaten the owner or the establishment itself."
"So, there were threats against the life and well being of both?"
"Yes."
"I see. So then, it seems, both parties may be at fault. I shall have to conduct an investigation. Thank you for the information, Battousai."
"Saitoh, you can refer to me as Kenshin Himura, you know. It is, after all, my name. I am no longer the Battousai," he said with a smile and a small laugh.
"As long as you live undefeated by me, you will always be the Battousai in my eyes," Saitoh replied simply.
"May I ask why?" the Battousai asked.
"During the Bakumatsu, the Shinsengumi and the Choshu faction were sworn enemies, and couldn't be fighting for more different causes. If you recall, we fought once during the chaotic time of revolution. There was no decisive victor, was there? Well, I'm not satisfied with that. I cannot let a target escape. As long as I am alive, I will pursue battle with the Hitokiri Battousai until I defeat him."
"Well, I'm afraid you will be in pursuit for the remainder of your life. Hitokiri Battousai no longer exists. I am but Himura Kenshin, not the opponent you seek."
Saitoh was left to stare after the long haired man as he calmly called for the carriage to stop and parted from him with a polite, 'good evening.' They were still in the country-side, and he would have to walk a good mile or so before he reached town, and the sun was already setting on the short autumn day. A crisp wind blew through the trees and onto the road, and the Wolf watched as the Battousai began to walk quietly down the road in the direction of Tokyo. With a growl, the Wolf leapt from the carriage and threw down his cigarette.
"Battousai!" he called to the departing man.
When turning around, the Battousai was met with the glare of a very angry wolf, fangs bared in the form of his sword. The golden eyes that stared threatened death, and the stance was strong, as though to assure it. Turning around fully, the Battousai's blue eyes narrowed as he sought to find an alternate direction in which to conduct himself that would prevent the inevitable fight. The Wolf's gaze never faltered from his target. At last, the Battousai stood in what looked like a half-fighting stance. It was then that the Wolf lunged, nearly snarling in anger as it aimed to sink its teeth into the man's throat, but the Battousai merely stepped aside, avoiding the attack easily. Another growl was voiced before the Wolf lunged again, this time with his best move. He aimed to finish it here and now.
"Gattotsu! Zero Stance!" cried the Wolf as it was executed.
He never even got close. The Wolf was struck down quickly and easily, and he didn't even see the Battousai move. In fact, once he was on the ground, a large gash in his chest, painful but not fatal, it was then that he noticed his opponent in a different position. The Wolf's eyes narrowed and slowly, he let go of his sword, and it clattered to the ground next to him, the blade gleaming in the remaining daylight that fluttered playfully through the leaves of the trees. Finally, he saw the Battousai turn around and walk next to the Wolf and sit next to him, gazing towards the mountains, where the sun was beginning to fall. Deep purple covered pockets of the sky long since forgotten by the sun, and all the other colours rushed to follow the golden orb into oblivion. It was nearly dark before the Wolf spoke.
"What was that?" Saitoh asked in a rasp. His chest still hurt from the blade colliding with his flesh. He realized that if his opponent hadn't been using a sakabatou, he'd be dead right now.
"Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki," the Battousai said quietly, not bothering to glance at the Wolf. "The ultimate attack of the Hitenmitsurugi Ryu."
"Ultimate attack, huh?" Saitoh pondered aloud. "And here I spent honing my Gattotsu Zero Stance for months, not thinking that there could possibly be anything more to your technique."
"There's another attack as well. I had previously thought it as the ultimate attack, until my master told me otherwise. It is a nine-point attack, striking the nine vital points in the body, called Kuzu Ryu Sen."
"Is that so?" Saitoh said with a sigh.
"The Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki," the Battousai went on. "Is a pre-emptive attack, used to strike before being struck."
"In other words, it's a defensive move," Saitoh said.
"You could say that, yes," the Battousai confirmed.
A long silence ensued as the last of the light disappeared behind the mountains. Crickets began to chirp quietly, and another sigh escaped from the Wolf. Finally, the Battousai declared that he had to get home. He helped the Wolf to stand and to walk to the carriage, which had dutifully stayed close to the fight. Saitoh hated having to rely on the Battousai for help, but at the moment, he wasn't quite in the condition to protest. When he was in the cabin of the carriage, Saitoh watched as the Battousai turned to shut the door and walk away.
"Wait, Kenshin. I can give you a ride to the dojo if you'd like," Saitoh said quietly.
Kenshin smiled, his blue eyes defying the darkness that surrounded and seemed to shed light upon the Wolf.
"I appreciate the offer, but no thank you. I'd much rather walk. It's not far, anyways."
With that said, Kenshin shut the door and began to walk away, down the road in small, face-paced steps. Saitoh watched out the window, and smiled. His amber eyes watched as the short red-haired man disappeared into the darkness. He was a defeated man.
"I'll beat you one day," he said to himself. "Himura Kenshin."
Owari