Author-chan's notes: Hey, everyone! A-chan speaking! I've got chapter 15 for you! Enjoy!
Key:
"talking"
'thoughts that can only be heard by thinker, a.k.a. private thoughts'
/thoughts that can be heard by thinker and spirits, a.k.a. telepathy/
writing in a letter
Like Father Like Son
(Chapter Fifteen: After Effects)
Back with Kenji
Kenji could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a mad drum. He couldn't tell if it was the adrenaline from the fight, his worry over Kenichi, or just plain nervousness. But then again, what did he have to be nervous about? It was just Kenichi, right?
Third door to the right, Chou had said. Sliding open the fusuma Kenji stepped into the room, panting slightly. Kenji blinked several times. Why was the room so dark? It was the color of pitch in this room! How was he supposed to find Kenichi in here if he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face? Suddenly, quiet voice whispering from the darkness, made him freeze.
"It's about time you got here, Himura Kenji-san."
"Who's there?" Kenji demanded, drawing the sakabatou from his waist and crouching down into a defensive position. His eyes narrowed as the mysterious voice chuckled softly.
"You look like your father standing like that with your sword drawn, ready to fight," the voice commented, whispering into Kenji's ear, "Ready to kill…"
"Shut up!" Kenji shouted, slashing at the direction of the voice, only to meet air.
"Not so loud, Kenji-san," the voice scolded gently, as Kenji felt icy fingers caress his face lightly, "You'll wake the 'baby'…"
"Kenichi…" Kenji whispered, then a bit louder, "What the hell did you do to my son!"
"Nothing," the voice replied, too calm for Kenji's tastes, "I am not here to fight with you, Kenji-san."
"Then what do you want?" Kenji hissed, his hands gripping his sword tightly, "Who the hell are you? And-and how do you know my name?"
"So full of questions…" the voice sighed, "No doubt you will have more later. But as for how do I know you, it is because I have watched you and your family."
"For how long?" Kenji gritted out, "Are you some sort of stalker?"
"No," the voice laughed gently, "You might say I am a guardian…or you might say I am a vengeful spirit. And I have watched your family since before you were born. And as for what I want, I want to make sure that certain events play out the way I want them to."
"Damn it!" Kenji cursed, glaring at the darkness that encompassed his vision, "Why do you have to be so cryptic! Show yourself!"
"As you wish."
The air before Kenji seemed to shimmer, then twist to form a shape; a man dressed in samurai garb, covered in weeping wounds, with no feet.
"Mononoke," Kenji whispered, his eyes growing wide. The specter's pale lips twisted into a slight half smile.
"Very astute," the man replied, "Yes, you look very much like him, your father…except for the eyes. You have your mother's eyes. No doubt that pleased him greatly. Having her eyes meant you had more of her spirit than his…"
"How did you know them?" Kenji asked, refusing to let his fear consume him, "My parents."
"I gave your father a 'gift' once," the spirit murmured, gliding closer to Kenji, "But it was a spiteful one, one that nearly drove him mad with pain and guilt. And now, I am here to give you a gift as well."
"I'm sorry, but I would have to refuse," Kenji said as he stepped back, knowing better than to accept a present from a supernatural force.
"I'm afraid I would have to insist then," the ghost countered with a small smile, "I would suggest you take it, Himura Kenji-san. You might be surprised at its usefulness later in your lifetime."
"And how am I supposed to know that this 'gift' of yours won't harm me or my family?" Kenji asked suspiciously, eager to have his conversation with the ghost end so that he could go searching for Kenichi.
"It won't," the ghost replied, as he reached into the sleeve of his haori, "You have my word on that. I've lost my taste for revenge a long time ago."
"I'm guessing you're not going to let me pass until I take this 'gift' of yours, right?" Kenji realized, as he lowered the sakabatou.
"Hai." There was a lull in the conversation. Then Kenji sighed softly.
"Alright, mononoke-san," Kenji said, holding out his hand, "I accept your gift, and thank you for it." The ghost smiled at him.
"Use it well," the spirit told the red-haired swordsman as he placed something into Kenji's outstretched hand.
As Kenji stared at what lay in his palm, the shadows around him began to recede.
"W-Wait!" Kenji sputtered, looking up at the fading ghost, "What am I supposed to do with this!" The phantom laughed gently.
"You'll figure it out," the blood covered specter answered, "One day…"
And with that, the spirit and the shadows faded away into nothingness.
Kenji found himself standing in a small room with faint rays of sunlight streaming through holes in the paper shoji. Looking down, the swordsman found, snoozing at his feet, a very familiar bundle.
"Kenichi-chan," Kenji murmured as he picked up the tiny sleeping body gently, "You gave us all a scare…"
The infant continued to slumber on as Kenji took his time observing the strange gift the apparition had given him.
It was a bright red blossom.
Back with Kiyosato
Kiyosato Akira watched invisibly as Kenji picked up the slumbering baby and walked out of the building, no doubt heading home. A slight smile touched his bloodied features as he watched the slight form of the young swordsman head towards the sunset, his precious bundle cradled in his arms. Truly, if a man was meant to be a father, it was Himura Kenji.
As the two redheads faded from Kiyosato's line of vision, the spirit fell to his knees, completely exhausted. True, due to the circumstances of his death, Kiyosato was given the ability to appear before mortals regardless of whether they were spirit mediums or not, but to do so drained him. And it didn't help that he had also handed Kenji that flower…
Regardless of its appearance, that red bloom had several surprises. It was more than a paltry piece of vegetation. Bearing the likeness of the same flower laid on Kiyosato's corpse by Battousai, the crimson blossom now held by Kenji was infused with spiritual energies, ones that would be useful to the red-haired swordsman when the time came. And Kiyosato knew that the time would come that Kenji would have need of its services.
"Is everything finished here, anata?" a voice behind the deceased bodyguard asked. Kiyosato turned his head, a bright smile lighting up his features, to greet his wife, Tomoe.
"Aa," he replied, "Everything is set up."
"Good," Tomoe sighed, one of her rare smiles gracing her features, "I'm proud of you, anata. I hope you didn't worry Kenji-chan too much though."
"Heh," Kiyosato snorted as he took his wife's pale hand in his to tug her down to sit next to him, "Kenji-kun is strong enough not to let an old ghost like me trouble him."
"Akira…"
"Hush," Kiyosato murmured, kissing her temple, "If Kenji-kun didn't want surprises, he should have known better than to be born into the Himura family."
"Fair enough," Tomoe agreed, "We better start heading back."
"Not yet," Kiyosato protested softly as he traced patterns on her hand, "I like the living world. Let's stay here for a little bit longer…How does visiting Kyoto sound?"
"Wonderful," Tomoe said with a small smile, "We haven't visited Katsura-sama in ages…"
"You just love tormenting the poor man, don't you?" Kiyosato sighed, standing up, "I was hoping we could go see your brother…"
"Enishi?" Tomoe blinked, "That's a brilliant idea, anata! I haven't seen him in ages…"
"Then Kyoto it is," Kiyosato grinned, helping Tomoe up, "We can stay there for a few months and then come back to Tokyo in time for Himura-san's first birthday!"
"Does that mean we should get him a present?" Tomoe asked thoughtfully.
"Maybe we should get him something from Kyoto," Akira suggested.
Tomoe smiled at him as the couple disappeared, off to the old capital.
Back at the Dojo
Sano sat alone, staring at the ceiling. The others had left him to sleep, knowing he needed his rest to recover. Yahiko and Megumi had gone to the kitchen to cook dinner while Chizuru and Sasuke had gone outside to wash the laundry and wait for Kenji's and Kenichi's return. Although he needed his rest, Sanosuke, for the life of him, couldn't close his eyes.
'Ahou,' Sano's consciousness snarled at him, sounding exactly like Saito. Sanosuke groaned. He hated it when his sub-consciousness started channeling the mangy Wolf.
'Feeling sorry for yourself, are we?' Saito's voice mocked in his brain.
"It's not like that!" Sano protested.
'It's exactly like that,' the Saito voice in Sanosuke's head snorted, 'You're acting all guilty because you couldn't take care of a baby…'
"Shut up," Sano growled, clamping his hands on his ears, "It's my fault Kenichi got kidnapped."
'I'm not arguing with you on that point, ahou,' the Saito voice sneered, 'You really are pathetic, not stopping those brats.'
"Oi!" Sano yelled, "I don't need to hear that from you! And I'm not pathetic!"
'If you aren't, then stop acting like it,' Saito's voice countered, 'Ahou.'
"Damn wolf," Sano muttered, "Haunts me even when he's not there."
'Made a decision yet, ahou?' the Wolf's voice goaded, 'Are you going to wallow in self pity or are you going to do something about your weakness?'
"What do you think!" Sano growled. Saito's mental voice began to laugh and then change into a different voice all together.
'Good job, Sanosuke,' the warm tones of Captain Sagara chimed, 'And good luck!'
Outside Sano's door
Yahiko blinked at the one sided conversation he heard drift from Sanosuke's room. Next to him, Megumi did the same.
"Uh, Megumi," Yahiko began, his cinnamon eyes still blinking in confusion, "Are you sure Sano was shot in the shoulder and not in the head?"
"Pretty sure," the doctor answered, "Maybe all that chicken hair of his is weighing down on his brain."
"Maybe…"
Outside
Chizuru sighed quietly. She was letting her worry consume her, she knew. But her husband and her younger son were somewhere where she couldn't reach them.
Was the kidnapping the work of her family? Chizuru wasn't sure.
There was a reason why she had left the Raikoji family and that was to be with Kenji. But there was a second reason…
Chizuru's family scared the heck out of her. They were ruthless, even among themselves. And they were powerful. It was frightening to think of what they would do to her and her family if they ever found her.
She was terrified that if her family really was behind Kenichi's kidnapping that Kenji wouldn't find anything left of the baby. And she could do nothing about it but wait for Kenji's return. She knew better than to run off into nowhere and go on a wild goose chase. She had no idea where to start for one thing.
"Kaa-san?" a small voice at her knee implored, emphasized with a slight tug on her kimono. Looking down, Chizuru spared a small smile for her eldest, Sasuke.
"Is there something the matter, Sasuke-chan?"
"Tou-san?" Sasuke asked, looking at her with worried blue eyes.
"I don't know when he'll be back," Chizuru sighed, picking up her dark-haired son.
"Ken-nii?" Sasuke asked, using his nickname for Kenichi.
"I don't know about Kenichi-chan either," Chizuru sighed, "All we can hope for is that they –"
"Chizuru!" a voice from the gate called, interrupting her. Snapping her head up, the woman searched for the owner of the voice.
"Kenji!" Chizuru cried out, when she saw the familiar red-haired form coming closer.
"Tou-san!" Sasuke cried out as well, wiggling out of his mother's arms and running towards the red-haired swordsman. Laughing, the toddler latched himself on Kenji's leg.
"Hey, Sasuke-chan," Kenji smiled down at the little boy, reaching down to ruffle the black locks near his knee.
"Ken-nii?" Sasuke blinked up at his father. Kenji bent down so that Sasuke could see the bundle in his arms.
"He's asleep," Kenji told the toddler as he stroked cheek of the infant in his arms.
"Ken-nii tired?" Sasuke asked, blinking innocently.
"He's had a rough day," Kenji said, "He'll probably be hungry when he wakes up."
"Then you better give him to me," Chizuru said with a smile, coming up to her husband.
"Hey, Zuru-chan," Kenji greeted her with a small smile. Chizuru laughed, not even caring that her husband used the nickname she hated.
"I'm glad you two are alright," the dark-haired woman laughed, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, "You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"Only a cut in the arm. Nothing bad. I was able to bandage it already," Kenji answered as he handed over the sleeping baby over to his wife, "How's Sanosuke doing?"
"He's patched up," Chizuru replied, "I think he feels guilty over what happened, though. He's been beating himself over the head ever since I got here, the poor guy."
"I'll talk to him," Kenji murmured, walking towards the house.
"Somehow, I feel that this whole thing was completely unfair to Sanosuke," Chizuru murmured, "I feel sorry for him."
"Life isn't fair, Chizuru," Kenji sighed, giving Sasuke's hair one last ruffle before going inside the dojo.
Back at the police station
Chou was groaned to himself. He barely got to do anything on his mission except baby-sit. Sure the kid he watched over was better behaved than most brats, but damn it, he was Chou the Sword Collector of the feared Juppongatana!
Okay, never mind that the Juppongatana was disbanded.
Never mind that Chou was now a (cough) respectable police officer.
Never mind that the Juppongatana's existence was only known by a handful of government officials, police officers, a certain ninja group in Kyoto led by a crazy weasel girl, and the Kenshin-gumi making them less than feared by the general public.
The point was that Chou was in a rotten mood because he didn't get any action.
Not to mention he had to haul a (censored) heavy thief back to the station and left his coat (his favorite red coat) with that round, cubby ball of red-haired fluff!
So here he was, back at the police station, snarling at any idiot who stepped in front of him.
He would have done Saito proud.
Barging through the door of his office, Chou glared at the two figures he saw inside.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Chou growled, glaring at the two thieves, Sai and Shou, he had sent to the station earlier.
"The officer at the entrance told us to come down here," Sai replied.
"Right," Chou sighed, massaging his temples, "Look you two, I'm gonna give ya a choice. Either you can be hauled off to jail to join your friend that Battousai's brat beat up, or you can stay with me and be my assistants."
"What would we do if we were your assistants?" Sai asked, looking at Chou over his spectacles.
"Anything I wanted," Chou answered smugly, "That means if I tell ya to do paperwork, ya do paperwork. If I tell ya to spy, ya spy. And if I tell ya ta jump off a bridge, ya do it with a happy smile. Got it?"
"Or else what?" Shou asked challengingly.
"Ya die," Chou answered with a smirk as the two thieves blanched.
Mentally Chou gave himself a pat on the back. The little speech he had just gave the duo was the same speech that Saito had given him when he had started as Saito's assistant. He was damn proud that he remembered all of it…even though he had modified it for his own Chou Style™.
"I think I'm gonna choose the dungeons," Shou said timidly. Sai snorted.
"I'll take your offer," Sai shrugged, "I've got too many things I want to do to be locked up in jail."
"Is that your final answer?" Chou asked, grinning manically, "I ain't an easy person ta get along with, ya know."
"That's fine," Sai grinned back, "Neither am I."
"Alright, kid," Chou shrugged, as he placed cuffs on Shou, "I'll be taking your friend to the jail while ya stay here. Don't even think about running off or messing anything up, I'll kill ya. By the way, what's yer name, glasses boy?"
"Sai," the bespectacled ex-thief turned cop assistant answered, "He's Shou."
"Ya gotta be kidding me," Chou muttered under his breath, staring at his new assistant.
Sai. Add "to". Sai-Saito…Damn it, why did that freaky wolf always have to haunt him! And Shou? Awfully close to Chou…The gods must be laughing at him.
Well at least Sai didn't look like Chou's old boss. The kid was medium height in contrast to Saito's lanky frame. He also didn't look like half starved animal like Saito normally did. Sai's dark hair was cut in a Western style similar to Soujiro the Tenken, only much messier. His crafty hazel eyes were shielded behind a pair of Western glasses, and he wore Western clothing more comfortably than Saito ever did.
"Somehow, I'm gonna regret this," Chou muttered under his breath as he led Shou down the hall.
Somewhere a kami laughed.
Back in Sano's room
Sano sat on his futon, making up plans for what he was going to do next. Megumi had already popped into his room earlier and he had mentioned his plans to her. First she thought he was crazy. Then she realized he was serious…and she agreed, reluctantly.
"Sanosuke," Kenji's crisp voice greeted him from the doorway, "I've been hearing how you've…"
"Look, Kenji," Sano interrupted the redhead, "I know what you're going to say, and I just want you to know: Shut up. I've already heard it from the others, and nothing you say is going to change the facts. I let Kenichi get kidnapped. It's my fault."
"Alright then," Kenji sighed, "It's your fault."
"EH!" Sano blinked at the redhead, surprised that he was agreeing.
"You say it's your fault, Sano," Kenji shrugged as he sat down across from the taller man, "What are you going to do about it?"
"Heh, you're too smart for your own good," Sano grinned, "I guess it won't surprise you when I say I'm going to be leaving for awhile to train."
"No, it won't," Kenji sighed, "Are you leaving Megumi-san, Sano?"
"Of course not!" Sano scoffed, "I'm not a complete idiot, Kenji. Megumi's coming with me. She'd kill me if I left her behind."
"Where are you going?" Kenji asked.
"Hokkaido," Sano replied, "There's an old friend of mine up there, Anji. He's the one who taught me Futae no Kiwami. I heard he settled up there even after he was let out of prison. I was hoping he could teach me the rest of the technique."
"Sou ka?" Kenji murmured, "When will you be back?"
"Haven't a clue," Sano admitted, "But if I can get Anji to come down here as soon as I find him, I might be back in a few weeks."
"In other words you'll be back in several months, considering how easily you get lost," Kenji joked.
"Oi! I resent that!" Sano growled, "'Sides, the fox will be there with me."
"Aa," Kenji murmured somberly, "What are we going to do without you two? Life's going to be boring without you two trying to kill each other."
"Don't worry about it," Sano grinned, "You've got a something else that needs your attention. You won't be bored."
"Oro?" Kenji blinked as Sano tossed him a piece of folded up paper, "What's this?"
"A letter from Saito Hajime," Sano replied, "He's a real bastard."
"Oro?" Kenji blinked again, holding the paper carefully as if it would blow up, "What do you mean?"
"Saito is crude, crass, and a complete dirty cop, worse than Chou," Sano answered, "But he's strong, really strong. He's the only guy I've seen fight against your father and have the fight come out as a draw. Besides Hiko, he knew Kenshin the longest, back when Kenshin was Battousai."
"He knew Tou-san when he was Battousai?" Kenji asked, his blue eyes curious, "Did he fight Tou-san back during the Bakumatsu?"
"Yeah," Sano nodded, "Saito was the third captain of the Shinsengumi, the strongest enemies Kenshin had to face, and Saito was one of the strongest of the Shinsengumi. I hate that bastard."
"O-oro," Kenji sighed, "Did you read the letter?"
"Naw," Sano shook his head, "Saito said only you or Kenshin was allowed to read that thing. I'm not so stupid as to read someone else's letters. Knowing Saito, he probably found a way to booby trapped that thing against me."
"Oro!"
Night had fallen over the dojo. Sano and Megumi had left after telling everyone of their decision to leave for Hokkaido for awhile. Sasuke had broken up at the news, tugging at his Uncle Sano's hair, crying for him to stay. Currently, the couple was at their home packing for the trip. Yahiko had also headed back home, muttering about a "baka tori-atama." Sasuke and Kenichi had fallen asleep, Chizuru not far behind them. It had been a long day.
However, Kenji was still awake. Sitting alone in the dojo, the red-haired kenjutsu instructor stared hard at the objects in his hands: a folded up slip of rice paper and a bright red blossom.
"I don't understand this," Kenji muttered, clenching his hands, crushing both the paper and the flower, "Not one bit."
Opening his hands again, the paper remained in a crumpled mass, but the flower simply reformed back to its original position, whole, uncrushed, and perfect. Kenji sighed. He had been doing the same thing for the past few minutes, but no matter what he did, the flower did not change at all, remaining flawlessly formed.
"Well a mononoke did give it to me," Kenji murmured under his breath, "Of course it would be special."
Giving up on the flower for a moment and tucking it into his sleeve, Kenji turned all of his attention to the note in his hand. It looked harmless enough. It was certainly more normal than the blossom. But Kenji was apprehensive of the letter's contents. This Saito Hajime…A man his father had fought back in the Bakumatsu.
"Why would he speak to me?" Kenji wondered as he slowly unfolded the sheet of paper and read its contents.
Midnight. Meet me at the TokyoMuseum. The guard will show you in. Ask for Fujita Goro.
It was simply signed Hajime.
'The TokyoMuseum?' Kenji thought, blinking, 'Why there? That's half way across the city. Midnight. Damn it, I only have half an hour to get there!'
11:58 PM. Kenji dropped down from the rooftop he had running on to land directly in front of the museum, only slightly out of breath. Silently, he thanked Hiko for teaching him god-like speed as he strode towards the entrance of the western-style building.
"Hello?" Kenji called out to the guard standing duty.
"Shimatta!" the guard yelped, clearly taken by surprise. But as soon as the guard got a good view of Kenji, instead of calming down, his face turned as pale as a sheet, his limbs trembling.
"Oro?" Kenji blinked, surprised at the guard's demeanor, "Um, I'm here to see Fujita Goro-san…"
"F-Fujita-san?" the guard stuttered, "O-oh, yes. He told me to expect you. I didn't think he was really serious though…"
"Oro?" Kenji blinked again as the guard opened the doors to the museum and waved him in. Kenji followed the still shaking guard down the darkened halls, the only light being from the guard's pale lantern. Finally the guard stopped.
Kenji glanced around at the exhibit. The looming shapes of various displays cast their shadows across the swordsman, the darkness dying his red locks brown. Walking over to a display case next to a suit of samurai armor, Kenji peered inside…
…And then stepped back when a pale face framed with red hair stared back at him through paper, ink, and glass.
"I'll just leave this here," the guard murmured, setting down the lantern and scooting away. But Kenji barely heard him. He was too busy staring at the Nishiki painting behind the glass in front of him.
The place card that went with the painting read: "Hitokiri Battousai" by Tsukioka Tsunan. The card continued with a brief description of the painting, stating that it was Tsukioka-san's second to last Nishiki painting, the last being of Sagara Souzo, captain of the Sekihoutai.
"At least I know why the guard was so afraid of me," Kenji whispered, staring at the portrait of his father standing alone in a courtyard, his sword sheathed at his hip.
"Stunning likeness, ne?" a calm voice from behind Kenji remarked, stunning the redhead away from his musings, "Especially considering that Tsukioka only saw Battousai twice in person."
"Saito Hajime, I presume," Kenji said tartly, as he turned to face the smoking man behind him.
"A stunning likeness indeed," Saito smirked, looking the red-haired swordsman over, "If it wasn't for the eyes and the scar…"
"What do you want?" Kenji hissed, his eyes narrowing. He always hated it when people compared him to his father.
"So hostile," Saito sighed, taking a deep drag from his cigarette, "You get that from him, I suppose. You must be Kenji."
"Aa," Kenji answered, his nerves still on end around this man, "I'll ask you again; what do you want, Saito Hajime?"
"Don't be impatient," Saito scolded, walking up to the display Kenji had been looking over, "I see you were admiring the museum's new Bakumatsu exhibit. Ironically, I serve here not only as a guard, but also as a living relic for their presentation, and yet they have no idea that I am here. Heh, it was a good decision to keep away from artists and cameras."
"What's your point?" Kenji asked, wary of this man, the old wolf.
"There isn't much information on Battousai either," Saito continued, appearing to ignore the younger swordsman, "There are some myths and legends of him, which the museum has written down and on display. Most of his missions are unknown, the records of them sealed away. The only painting is here on display, and the only photographs are with your family, ne?"
"Aa," Kenji nodded, "Kaa-san kept all of them."
"The museum has one 'artifact' which is their prize," Saito proceeded on, gesturing to an object next to the painting behind the glass, "Battousai's katana, which he left behind at the battle of Toba Fushimi."
"Kami-sama," Kenji breathed as he turned towards the glass again, his eyes wide to drink in the sight of the sword, "This sword! It's…"
"It's cursed," Saito said bluntly.
"O-Oro?" Kenji blinked, staring at the smoking man beside him.
"The sword is cursed," Saito clarified, "That blade is saturated in the blood of men. Look closely. The trained eye can see that the sword shines red from the blood it drank from." Kenji shivered slightly.
"If Tou-san knew this sword was here, he'd throw a fit," Kenji murmured, still staring at the faintly gleaming katana, "How did the museum get it?"
"That doesn't matter," Saito replied, waving the question off and taking another drag from his cigarette, "I want you to take it home with you."
"N-nani?" Kenji sputtered, stepping away from both the sword and the swordsman.
"It's your birthright," Saito shrugged, "This sword rightfully belongs to your father, but since that rooster-ahou says he's 'dead', it's yours."
"I don't want it!" Kenji protested, "I already have the sakabatou. I don't need another sword, let alone a cursed one!"
"Ahou, you will need that sword!" Saito snarled, "True, you won't need that katana for a few years, but still you will need it. That blunt piece of scrap metal at your hip won't be helpful for what is to come. You need a killing sword."
"I am a master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu!" Kenji snapped back, "I teach Katsujin-ken, the sword that gives life! I would disgrace my mother's teachings if I used a katana now! And you already said that sword is cursed."
"Stubborn, just like your parents," Saito snorted, "You deny a sword that you were admiring moments before and which is your right to bear, all because of a silly ideal."
"I won't use a katana. I have no need for it."
"You will," Saito said with perfect confidence, "I suggest you take it, or you will regret it."
"Is that a threat?" Kenji asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Maybe."
"You won't let me leave unless I take it, will you?" Kenji realized, feeling a hint of deja vu. Why did all of his father's mysterious old "friends" have to come out of the woodworks now to give him things he had no clue about?
"Smart boy," Saito chuckled, the smoke from his cigarette wafting about his head, "Break the glass and get the sword."
"Are you insane!" Kenji hissed, "That case is the property of the museum! I don't have the money to pay for the damages!"
"Fine," Saito shrugged before casually lifting a fist and smashing the glass display.
"Shimatta!" Kenji gasped, his blue eyes wide with shock. Not only did that man smash a glass case without hesitation, but he did it easily without getting hurt by the shards. Saito Hajime was not the average old veteran…
"Take it," Saito grunted. Then he flicked a slip of paper with elaborate kanji breaking up the snowy whiteness of the page with soot black ink into the display case. Then, with one last smirk, the former Shinsengumi turned away, disappearing into the shadowed halls.
"Oro," Kenji sighed, reaching into the broken case and pulling the katana and its saya out. Kenji gave off a slight hiss as the jagged glass raked at his arm, drawing scarlet liquid from his veins. He shrugged it off, not even pay attention to where the blood dripped.
The katana in his hands, Kenji sped down the hallways, disappearing into the night.
The next morning there was an article in the Tokyo newspaper about a theft at the Tokyo museum.
Although the museum was hosting many precious artifacts both from Japan and beyond its shores, only one item, a sword, had been taken.
There were only three clues of the identity of the thief: One being the eyewitness account of a guard which spoke of a red-haired swordsman, another being a chilling note that proclaimed "Tenchu" found in the display case, and the third being the displayed painting created by Tsukioka Tsunan which was splattered with blood.
In the darker, older streets of Tokyo, the name of Himura Battousai was whispered with as much reverence and fear as it had been during the nights of the Bakumatsu.
When Kenji finally arrived home, the sun was already rising. Although his encounter with Saito had not lasted long, he had spent a good amount of time running though the streets of Tokyo as if in a daze.
Cursed. The sword was cursed.
Kenji didn't even bother questioning the validity of Saito's statement; it was something the redhead just knew. Battousai's katana was cursed with the blood of slain men. As he stared at the blade, Kenji could see in his mind the dripping fresh redness of the gore that the sword once bathed in.
Kenji silently slipped into the dojo, grateful that no one else was awake yet. Ignoring the demands of his body for food, Kenji strode to the far corner of the dojo, unfastening the katana as well as the sakabatou from his belt.
Carefully leaning the two weapons against the wall, Kenji crouched down to stare at them. Sheathed, the two swords looked nearly identical. Neither was fancy, and both were incased in a black saya that Kenji could tell was lined with iron. There were nicks on the sheaths, indicating that the user had used the iron saya to his advantage in battle. The dark hilt wrappings of both were worn, but still serviceable.
However, when Kenji drew the two swords, one after the other, and laid the naked blades at his feet, their differences were obvious. In some distant part of his mind, Kenji remembered his mother telling him of how his father's sakabatou was a holy sword.
'How ironic,' Kenji thought, 'Tou-san, a killer, then later a pacifist, wielded a cursed blade and a holy one. He always was one for strange coincidences. I bet he never thought that these two blades would ever be next to each other. And yet here they are, next to each other like the two parts of the yin yang.'
Sheathing both swords, Kenji fastened the sakabatou on his waist, picking up the katana in his right hand. Silently, he strode to the storehouse outside and entered. Easily locating an empty box, Kenji placed the katana inside, stuffing the extra space with an old magenta gi he found in there. Shoving aside some random objects on one of the shelves in the storehouse, Kenji slipped the box into the empty space and arranged more objects in front of it to disguise the container with Battousai's katana in its bowels.
As Kenji left the storage-house to head to the kitchen, he idly wondered if he should visit the nearby temple to purchase a ward against evil.
As Kenji cooked (burned) breakfast, thoughts raced through his head at god-like speed. In some part of his mind Kenji was surprised he hadn't succumbed to a mental breakdown. Meeting a few of his father's ghosts (dead and not so dead), the mysterious flower, the cursed katana, the blessed sakabatou…really it was too much for him! Part of him wanted to curl up, go to sleep and forget the world. But he had to be strong for his family. They didn't need to worry…Sasuke and Kenichi were still too young, Chizuru was busy taking care of them and managing the household, Yahiko had his own problems to worry about, and Sanosuke and Megumi were leaving in a few days.
"I'll figure this out on my own," Kenji murmured, as breakfast burned to ashes under his hand, "After all, by the way that mononoke and Saito-san talked, I have plenty of time to figure it out…"
Elsewhere
Nightmares used to come easily for Himura Kenshin, but after his marriage with Kaoru they had all but stopped, except for some of the nights when he was away from the dojo. Kaoru had always soothed away the darkness in his soul, and when the two of them died, they had looked forward to an eternity with each other without the blood-guilt of the Bakumatsu trailing the former rurouni.
But now, a nightmare of the Bakumatsu was gripping fiercely to Kenshin's mind. The bloodstained streets of Kyoto whirled around him as his teenaged self, Hitokiri Battousai, walked through the writhing shadows, his katana ripping apart any who stood in his way. Ribbons of flesh fell to the earth with sickening splats. Bits of viscera littered his path; dismembered bodies seemed to reach out at him with their disconnected hands, and blank-faced, decapitated heads rolled past, their stares cold and accusing. And throughout all of this his katana, the one he had left at Toba Fushimi, glinted in the moonlight, mocking him with its presence.
Even with the knowledge that he had atoned, that his victims bore him no ill will, the ex-hitokiri's infantile body whimpered in fear and sorrow. The nightmare refused to leave, mocking him with his bloody blade. The whirling sword seemed to unnaturally grab Kenshin's attention. It was as if the blade was demanding to be the focus of the dream, to make Kenshin draw all his horror and suffering from the steel gripped in his hand.
But he had left it at Toba Fushimi! Battousai's katana had been abandoned and left to rust, never to be used by human hands again. Why was he dreaming of it now?
"KENSHIN!"
Amethyst eyes snapped open as a feminine cry rang in his ears. Leaning over him was Kaoru, her sapphire eyes filled with worry.
/K-Kaoru/ Kenshin thought-spoke to her. Closing her eyes and smiling at him, Kaoru sighed in relief.
"Oh, Shinta, thank goodness you're alright!" Kaoru sighed, "I was so worried! You looked like you were in pain…You weren't responding to me either…"
/I-It was just a dream, de gozaru/ Kenshin explained, /Sessha is fine. /
"You expect me to believe that?" Kaoru snorted, "What's wrong, anata?"
/S-sessha is not exactly sure/ Kenshin murmured, his tiny body fidgeting slightly, /But there something wrong, de gozaru. Something with sessha's past…/
"The past is behind you now!" Kaoru argued, "Everything is going to be alright!"
/Kaoru, you are so optimistic, my light in the darkness/ Kenshin murmured, dropping his formal speech for the moment, /But you didn't see the blood in my dream…or feel the horrible sense of forbidding. I've only felt like this a handful of times in my life, but I know to trust it. Something is happening Kaoru, and I don't like it. /
"Oh Shinta," Kaoru whispered, laying down and curling her ghostly body around his little living one in a protective manner, "Anata…Shinta…Kenshin…"
The Spirit World
Shinigami smiled grimly to himself as he closed a book, satisfied in his findings. At last the stage was set…Well mostly. All that was needed was a little bit of time and a few more players. All the tools were there at least…
Shinigami smirked as he wondered what Enma-sama would do once the miniature kami's plan was carried out. Shinigami did really love messing with the other kami.
"Nine more years," Shinigami murmured to himself, "I can wait…That just gives me more time to make Kenshin-san's uniform…"
Glossary:
fusuma- the sliding doors inside traditional Japanese homes; shoji specifically lead outside (thanks to JML for the information)
Kaa-san- "mother"
Tou-san- "father"
tori-atama- "rooster head" or "bird head" (Sano's nickname)
Sou ka- (rough translation) "is that so?"
Mononoke- vengeful spirits in Japanese myths
Haori- Japanese coat-like garment (AN: again, if anyone can give me a better translation for this that would be great…)
Saya- "sheath"
Kenjutsu- "sword arts"; kenjutsu is used mainly for fighting and true battle while kendo in comparison is like a sport
(Notice I cut out a bunch of words that I've already glossed repeatedly)
Culture/Story Notes:
Kenichi- Kenshin's name as Kenji's son (in case anyone forgot); with the right kind of kanji, Kenichi means "One Sword" or "Sword of One"
Ken-nii- "Big brother Ken"; this is Sasuke's nickname for Kenichi (it's humorous since, technically, Sasuke is the older brother)
Zuru-chan- Kenji's nickname for Chizuru which she hates with a passion
Ghosts have no feet- as Sano pointed out in the series, popular myth in Japan (along with elsewhere) ghosts don't have feet and that's a way to identify them
Kiyosato's (spiteful) gift to Kenshin- Kiyosato is referring to the first of Kenshin's crossed scars, along with the guilt and nightmares that Kenshin experienced because of his crimes as Battousai
Kiyosato's (mysterious) gift to Kenji- this gift takes the form of the flower that Kenshin left on Kiyosato's body, but obviously it has other (spiritual) properties including being indestructible; I believe in the OAV the flower was specifically called a "ground cherry blossom"
Kiyosato's abilities- Kiyosato was killed by Battousai's blade which Saito claims is haunted; because he was killed by a cursed blade, Kiyosato is able to interact with the living world more easily than a regular ghost (see, this explains why Tomoe was able to Kiyosato during the OAV and why Enishi was able to see Tomoe in the manga)
Katsura-sama- Tomoe is referring to Katsura Kogoro, the leader of the Choshu patriots and the man who hired Kenshin to be a hitokiri; by the time the RK manga/anime is set Katsura has been dead for a good six months from a brain tumor; Tomoe and Katsura's relationship in the story is very icy since she still blames him for making Kenshin a hitokiri, but her use of "-sama" indicates that she does respect him even though she might not like him
Sai and Shou- as Chou pointed out, the thieves' names are similar to his and Saito's, his old boss; just so you know, the similarity in their names wasn't intentional; it just came out that way because A-chan wanted some names that were easy to shout out in anger (Semi-spoiler!)
Juppongatana- "The Ten Swords"; an elite group of fighters assembled by Shishio Makoto; Chou (the Sword Collector), Soujiro (the Tenken), and Anji (the Angry God) (as well as others) were once members
Hokkaido- the northern-most main island of Japan; after the Kyoto Arc in RK Anji was sent to prison there (others might also know that at the end of the manga, Saito spent four years there on a mission)
Futae no Kiwami- manga translates it as "Mastery of the Two Layers"; move that Sano and Anji use to turn boulders and the like into dust; Anji is the only one who has completely mastered it though
Fujita Goro- as many will remember, this is Saito's alias in the Meiji era
Saito's job at the museum- As some may know, (historically) after leaving the police force, Saito becomes a guard at a museum in Tokyo
Saito keeping away from cameras and painters- Historically, there are no existing photographs of Saito; there is however one portrait (I've seen it; it's not pretty, no offence to Saito)
Tsukioka Tsunan (a.k.a. Katsu)- as some may remember, Tsukioka Tsunan was the alias of Sano's friend Katsu from his Sekihoutai days; Katsu was a popular Nishiki painter as well as a bomb maker, and later becomes a newspaper editor who revealed the wrongdoings in the government; in the manga it is revealed that the last painting Katsu did was of Captain Sagara, but there was an entire week that passed before his painting of Captain Sagara was revealed so it's possible that he would have done one of Kenshin during that time (and before anyone could ask, the reason why Katsu did a painting of Kenshin is because Katsu normally did portraits of Bakumatsu veterans to begin with and also Katsu was probably greatly affected by his encounter with Battousai, especially if you go by the anime's portrayal of the events)
Nishiki paintings- according to the manga they were "colored engraved prints" popular during the Meiji era and featured anywhere from between theater actors to famous Bakumatsu veterans; the one of Kenshin in the museum that Katsu made is based on the picture in the manga where Katsu saw Kenshin from his perch on the wall of that government building he was attacking (see page 154 in vol. 6 of the manga)
Sagara Souzo- Captain of the Sekihoutai; Katsu and Sano's father figure
Sekihoutai- an Imperialist army that was used as scapegoats by the Meiji government and executed under false accusations; it was mostly made of merchants and peasants; Sanosuke and Katsu were members when they were boys
"A certain ninja group in Kyoto led by a crazy weasel girl"- obviously referring to the Kyoto branch of the Oniwabanshu; Misao took over the branch when Aoshi went with Shishio; in the time period of the fic, she and Aoshi co-head the group
Tenchu- "Heaven's Justice"; this was the phrase that all the Choshu hitokiri (Battousai included) left on a piece of paper on their victims' bodies; the hitokiri justified their murdering ways by saying the killing was "Heaven's Justice" against the Shogunate
Katsujin-ken "the sword that gives life"; idea that swords and swordsmanship can be used to protect without killing; this is the main principle of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, the sword style Kaoru, Kenji, and Yahiko all use and teach
Toba Fushimi- First battle of the Boshin Wars; it marked the end of the Bakumatsu and the start of the Meiji era; also it was the last battle that Kenshin fought in as Hitokiri Battousai
Bakumatsu- the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate; was very chaotic and there was constant fighting between the supporters of the shogunate and the supporters of the emperor (Ishin Shishi)
Shinsengumi- "Newly Selected Corps"; Group that supported the shogun; it was their duty to patrol the streets of Kyoto; also known as the Wolves of Mibu (Saito was the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi)
Enma-sama- Referring to the Japanese god of the underworld (Anyone see Yu Yu Hakusho?)
Author-chan's notes: Oh wow, chapter 15 is finished! Not to mention the first Arc of my story…Yes this fic is broken up into Arcs, three to be exact. Anyway, Arc One (Dubbed by yours truly as the "Tokyo Arc") is finished. Next chapter should be a few omake that will serve as a transition chapter between the two Arcs. Omake will include, a day in the life of little Kenichi, what happens to Sano and Megumi when they go to Hokkaido, Kenshin's first birthday, and life at the police station with Chou and Sai!
Hope no one was disappointed in what Kiyosato did…Yeah, I know I set it up last chapter to sound like he was going to attack Kenji and go psycho dead guy on the redhead, but hey, this fic is about surprises, vagueness until the very end, and twisted insane plot.
Keep on the look out for Battousai's katana and Kiyosato's flower; they'll be important in the upcoming Arcs.
And yet another mention of Enma! Yeah, as you can see, Shinigami doesn't really like him…
More familiar faces coming up in the next Arc!
Well, bye for now!