Author-chan's notes: Hi everyone! This here is the last chapter for the Kyoto arc! After this chapter will be a series of omake that will (hopefully) ease the time jump between the Kyoto Arc and the Revenge Arc.
Like Father Like Son
(Chapter Thirty-two: Leaving)
Kyoto; one week later
It had been a week since those two long days. A week since the Himura and Myojin families arrived in Kyoto, a week since Hiko died, a week since Kenichi was held hostage…
Those two days seemed longer than the entire week combined.
Genji was locked up securely in prison. Chou found it a bit ironic that the yakuza boss was being held in the same high security cell he had been a long time ago when he had first worked for Shishio Makoto. Genji's trial was pending.
They had held a funeral for Enishi soon after his body was discovered. There were not many attendees; just Akimoto, Kenshin, Kenji, Chizuru, and Sasuke. Akimoto didn't cry that day; she seemed to be out of tears to shed. Kenshin was quiet during the funeral, reflecting on what could have been, on what should have been. Kenji, Chizuru, and Sasuke were there because Kenichi was. After his kidnapping, none of the Himura family was keen on letting the small redhead out of their sights.
"Akimoto-dono," Kenshin had whispered to the young girl during the funeral when his family was out of earshot, "sessha is—"
"It is not your fault, Himura-san," Akimoto murmured sadly, interrupting the redhead, "He gave his life for us; it was his own choice."
"Still, for all that it is worth, sessha is sorry," Kenshin said quietly.
"I do not think Yukishiro-sama would want you to feel guilty," Akimoto replied.
"He would have thought the same for you as well," Kenshin pointed out, giving Akimoto's hand a soft squeeze.
"Hai," the white-haired girl answered.
"Where will you go from here?" Kenshin asked.
"I am not sure," Akimoto murmured, "Maybe I will stay here. Maybe I will go. And you, Himura-san? Where will you go from here?"
"Sessha will try to finish what has been started," Kenshin replied, with a swift look at Kenji's direction, "And be on guard. Whoever attacked Enishi will come for sessha."
"You do not know that."
"But it is true," Kenshin smiled sadly, "There are too many signs. Whoever murdered Enishi was trying to send sessha a message. Sessha will need to be on guard, as well as you, Akimoto-dono."
"Yes," Akimoto nodded, "I wish you luck, Himura Kenshin-san."
"And luck to you as well, Akimoto-dono," Kenshin replied, "May the next time we see each other, it will be under happier times."
"Hai," Akimoto whispered, her eyes looking off into the distance, "Happier times."
After the funeral, they parted ways. And for the rest of his stay in Kyoto, Kenshin never again saw Akimoto's slim form.
qpqpqpqp
Aoiya
"I'm sorry that your stay with us hadn't been so enjoyable," Misao sighed as the Himura and Myojin families packed up to head home.
"Maa, maa, it's not your fault, Shinomori-san," Kenji protested, "It's just that everything seemed to go wrong. Hopefully our next visit will be more enjoyable."
"Yeah, with Hamano gone, we should all be safe," Shinya nodded.
"We could always visit you as well, Himura-san," Michiyo suggested with a small smile.
"That would be nice," Chizuru smiled cheerfully, "You would love the shops over there, Michiyo-chan."
"And Chichi-ue has been mentioning how he would like to train Sasuke-kun," Michiyo added.
"Sasuke?" Kenji blinked, looking over to his dark-haired son. Sasuke simply flushed.
"He has potential as a marital artist, Himura-san," Michiyo replied.
"Aa," Kenji nodded, "I've thought that too."
"Tou-san?" Sasuke gasped, surprised. Kenji smiled softly.
"You could benefit from training under Shinomori-san," Kenji pointed out, "It would be good training."
"Bu-But I want to stay with you, Kaa-san, and Ken-nii!" Sasuke protested.
"You can," Michiyo smiled, "You won't have to leave Tokyo."
"Oro?" Sasuke blinked.
"There are plenty of Oniwabanshu members in Tokyo who could train you most of the time," Michiyo explained, "Then, either Chichi-ue, Haha-ue, or myself could come down and visit you every month for more intense training. You would have a variety of masters, but it would work."
"But what about Kamiya Kasshin?" Sasuke sputtered, "I can't give that up!"
"You won't have to," Misao shrugged, "It's like what Michiyo said; you'll have lots of masters."
"O-oh," Sasuke blushed.
"You should do it, Sasuke," Kenichi piped up.
"You think so, Ken-nii?" Sasuke asked, turning to face his brother. Kenichi nodded.
"It would be good for you."
"I guess," Sasuke nodded, "Yes. I'll do it."
"You'll like it," Misao grinned ecstatically.
"Aa," Sasuke blushed deeper as he nodded, "T-Thank you."
The Tokyo group quickly finished packing up. Their train was leaving later on in the day, so they were staying at the Aoiya for lunch. As both families headed downstairs to eat, they noticed another set of bags by the door. Some they recognized as belonging to Chou and Sai, but many of them they didn't recognize.
"Megumi-san and Sanosuke-san will be heading back to Tokyo with you," Michiyo explained, gesturing to the bags.
"Things are going to get rowdier," Yahiko smirked, shaking his head slightly.
As everyone headed towards the tables to eat lunch, Aoshi drew away from the shadows he had been wrapped up in to face Kenichi.
"Oro?" the small redhead blinked staring up at the tall onmitsu.
"May we speak alone, Kenichi-kun?" Aoshi asked politely.
"Hai," Kenshin nodded. Aoshi nodded back, and began to lead them out to the engawa.
The two settled down, each of them trying to analyze each other.
"Who has been training you, Kenichi-kun?" Aoshi asked suddenly.
"Oro?"
"You have exceptional control over your ki," Aoshi elaborated, "I can't sense it. And your movements are too fluid for someone your age."
"Only O-Otou-san has been training me, Shinomori-san," Kenshin replied truthfully.
"I see," the ninja murmured, "Then you have a great amount of raw talent."
Kenshin was silent.
"I already extended an invitation for training to your brother," Aoshi began, "Would you accept the same invitation?"
"Iie," Kenichi shook his head.
"You did not even think about it," Aoshi accused.
"I don't need to," Kenshin replied softly.
"If you are worried about giving up Kamiya Kasshin, have no fear," Aoshi said, "Like I told your brother, your training with me and the Oniwabanshu will not affect your training with your father. You can learn both at once."
"I know," the redhead nodded, "However, I choose to decline your offer."
"Understood," Aoshi replied, before looking at Kenichi strangely, "Is there something you are hiding, Kenichi-kun?"
"Everyone has secrets, Shinomori-san."
"Aa," Aoshi nodded as he stood up, "But, if I were you, I would tell your father whatever it is you are hiding soon."
And with that, Aoshi left the boy to his thoughts.
'Sessha wishes that was possible…'
"Kenshin-san?"
"ORO?.!" Kenshin gasped as suddenly, the form of Shinigami shimmered into view.
"Shinigami-dono," Kenshin sighed, after quickly checking if anyone else was around, "You scared sessha."
"Ah, gomen, gomen," the small kami laughed sheepishly. Kenshin narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You are the real Shinigami-dono, correct?" Kenshin asked suspiciously.
"I should hope so," Shinigami said as he plunked down to sit next to Kenshin, "Do you want me to call up Okina-san to verify my identity?"
"Iie," Kenshin shook his head, "Sessha will take a chance and assume it is you. Do you know who the imposter was, de gozaru ka?"
"Aa," Shinigami replied tightly, "A servant of an old enemy of mine."
"Enma-sama?" Kenshin inquired. Shinigami started, caught off guard.
"So you know about that, eh?" Shinigami chuckled after getting over his surprise, "Yes, I suppose. The one who was impersonating me is called Seta Seishiro."
"'Seta'?" Kenshin blinked, "As in—"
"Seta Soujiro, the Tenken," Shinigami nodded, "Seishiro is Soujiro's son."
"Nani?" Kenshin gaped, "How?"
"Well, Kenshin-san," Shinigami began slyly, "When a man and a woman love each other very much—"
"Shinigami-dono!" Kenshin yelped, his face flushing.
"Maa, maa, Kenshin-san!" Shinigami chuckled, "I would think that you would know all about the mechanics…After all you and Kaoru-san—"
"That is not what sessha meant, de gozaru yo!" an embarrassed Kenshin squeaked.
"Hai, hai," the miniature kami laughed, before sobering, "I'm not quite sure how Enma got his hands on Seishiro-san. I do know that Soujiro has no idea of his son's activities."
"I see," Kenshin murmured, his eyes dark, "So what are we supposed to do?"
"Seishiro should have stopped impersonating me by now," Shinigami shrugged with a sigh, "His job is finished. But I can't really do anything about Seishiro myself. He's one of Enma's. I can't touch him."
"Do you have any idea what it is that he wants, de gozaru ka?" Kenshin asked. Shinigami was silent, his face saddened.
'He doesn't know,' Kenshin realized instantly reading Shinigami's body language, 'Or it is not within his power to tell.'
"Kenshin-san," Shinigami began, changing the subject, "Now that Seijuuro-san is a cursed spirit, you should train with him."
"Oro?" Kenshin blinked, "Shishou?"
"You need to refresh you skills with Hiten Mitsurugi," Shinigami clarified, "I have a feeling you will need it."
"Ah," Kenshin murmured, looking down, "Is that wise?"
"You need to be prepared," Shinigami pointed out, "I know you hate being the helpless one."
"True," Kenshin nodded, "Sessha should go speak with shishou."
"No need," Shinigami shook his head, "I've already done so. He agreed with me."
There was a pause in the conversation.
"Kenshin-san?"
"Aa?"
"There is something I want to give you."
To Kenshin's surprise, Shinigami handed a package to him, one the redhead swore hadn't been there before.
"Oro?" Kenshin blinked as he inspected the gift, "What is this?"
"An apology, I suppose," Shinigami shrugged, "I planned on giving it to you anyway for a long time. Since back when you were first reborn. But I kept putting off giving it to you. I was nervous, I guess. That plus it takes forever to make one of these!"
"You shouldn't have gone through the trouble," Kenshin laughed as he unwrapped the parcel.
The wrapping gave way to reveal a long expanse of black cloth.
"A scarf?" Kenshin blinked as he pulled out the cloth. The rippling black mass was soft and fluid like silk, but it didn't have the same shine. The dead blackness of the cloth was so absolute, darker than the darkest night, as if made from shadows. Yet, like shadows, it did not necessarily feel malignant; quite the opposite in fact.
"This is more than just a scarf, Kenshin-san," Shinigami began, "It is part of the uniform for my spiritual assistants."
"Oro?"
"Let me explain," Shinigami sighed, fiddling with his braid, "I have two kinds of assistants: earthly and spiritual. You were an earthly assistant back during the Bakumatsu. You killed people and they died. Killing is, in other words, a forceful way of extracting a soul from a body. Most earthly assistants don't know that they are my assistants. Spiritual assistants deal with people who die natural deaths, guiding souls out of the body and towards where they are supposed to go; in other words a gentle way of extracting a soul from the body. Spiritual assistants also differ from earthly assistants in the fact that they know that I exist, and more often than not, are dead themselves."
"Then why are you giving this to sessha?" Kenshin questioned, "Sessha is not your assistant anymore, let alone a spiritual one, de gozaru."
"True," Shinigami shrugged, "But let's say this is a symbol of how you have changed, similar to the sakabatou. You are not a violent killer anymore, Kenshin-san. Remember that. In your lifetime, you have helped so many people find their way, similar to my spiritual assistants. You tend to forget all the good that you have done and can do, Kenshin-san. This piece of cloth might help you remember your promises, just like the sakabatou did."
"Sessha…" Kenshin murmured, his eyes wide, "I…"
"And don't worry about it getting small on you!" Shinigami said hastily, waving his hands frantically, misreading Kenshin's expression, "It's got some magic woven in it. It can be as long or as wide as you want it to be! So it can serve as a blanket in a pinch. I think it's also waterproof and flame retardant…"
"Shinigami-dono," Kenshin smiled at the slightly flushing kami, "Arigato."
"Oh…" the kami blinked before smiling back, "You're welcome."
Then Shinigami blinked and blushed.
"Just don't go off showing to everyone," the kami coughed, "It'll be hard to explain to Kenji and the others where it came from. Showing it to Kaoru-san and the PBKB should be okay. Though, just to be warned, the PBKB might be jealous."
"Oro?"
"It's a very fashionable scarf, Kenshin-san," Shinigami said smugly, a sly glint in his eye, "Top grade cloth, spells, and not to mention it looks very sexy. Kaoru-san might jump you. After all, how long has it been since the two of you had some quality 'alone' time together, hmm?"
"Oro!"
qpqpqpqp
Train station; later that day
After one week in Kyoto, it was time to head back to Tokyo. There was much bickering, tearful farewells, and promises to come visit each other.
"See you soon!" Misao yelled as the train began to roll out. Several hands waved back at her from the train.
Inside the train, the group from Tokyo (plus Sano and Megumi) settled down for a long ride.
"Hey, Sano?" Yahiko suddenly said out of the blue.
"Hmm?"
"Where are you going to stay in Tokyo?" Yahiko asked, "Didn't you sell your old palace?"
"Shimatta!"
"Looks like the Kamiya dojo is going to get another group of boarders," Kenji sighed, but internally he was smiling.
And then there was laughter.
Kenji looked out the window, musing over things. Life was starting to get back to normal. Genji had been stopped. Kenichi was back safe. Megumi and Sanosuke were going to be back in Tokyo.
There were some changes. Sasuke was going to do extra training besides Kamiya Kasshin. Kenji wasn't worried though. He knew Sasuke could handle it. And Kenji could tell that the martial arts training would be good for Sasuke. It suited the dark-haired boy.
The trip to Kyoto had some disturbing revelations. Kenji had uncovered a side of himself he didn't know existed. The red-haired Kamiya Kasshin master shuddered at the memory. He had been prepared to kill, to dishonor everything he believed in. He knew there was always another way. Killing was never the answer. And it scared Kenji that there was a part of his soul that could look at another human being and decide that person would die.
Their adventure in Kyoto had too many disturbing occurrences. The ghosts, the PBKB, his meeting with the youth that proclaimed himself the god of death; those could be passed off as illusions. They were not real. Looking back at it, Kenji realized that must have been the case. No one else saw these strange spirits, and all evidence he had was gone. Sasuke as well stopped talking about ghosts to him, further causing the redheaded man to believe he had dreamt it.
There were more important things to worry about than ghosts and spirits.
There were more disturbing things, and those Kenji knew were real.
The unnatural death of Hiko, the unnatural death of Yukishiro Enishi, the man who helped Kenichi…Kenji wondered if something more was to come after this. If these two deaths were just a prelude to a terrible catastrophe in which he and his family were at the center of.
Kenji looked at his two sons. Sasuke was laughing at something Kenichi had done, the cheerful sound bubbling around the small compartment. Kenichi was smiling as well, looking playfully sheepish.
Kenji's heart clenched as he watched his children. Both of them were so young…and yet, and yet, Kenji couldn't help but feel that if the Himura family ever got over their heads, it would be his sons that would bear the brunt of the damage.
'Iie!' Kenji thought vehemently, shaking his head to clear it, 'They will not come into harm's way! I forbid it!
The redhead remained pensive for the rest of the trip, and, unnoticed to Kenji, both of his children looked over to him, identical worried expressions on their faces.
But for now, for the Himura, Myojin, and Sagara families, life had returned to normal for the time being.
qpqpqpqp
Back in Kyoto
Akimoto sat in an empty house at an empty table with an empty chair directly across from her. Akimoto had inherited Enishi's house and was currently staying there. One would think that after discovering her boss/almost foster-father's body there Akimoto would want to steer away from the small house. However, ever since Yukishiro Enishi had died, everything seemed so empty. It didn't matter where she stayed; it would be all the same for her. At least, if she stayed in his house she would feel as if she was a little bit closer to him.
"You look terrible, Akimoto-san," a voice suddenly comment from across the table. Akimoto turned blurry eyes at the intruder. She had been so depressed she didn't even notice that she was no longer alone.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the intruder.
"You," Akimoto breathed as she took in slightly tousled brown hair and aquamarine eyes, "You were the one at Hamano Genji's hideout."
"Indeed. I am called Seishiro," the young man introduced himself with a small smile, "I heard of your loss, Akimoto-san."
"How?" Akimoto asked, suddenly suspicious, "How do you know my name? Who…no, what are you?"
"Very astute," Seishiro chuckled, before turning serious again, "I have a proposition for you, Akimoto-san. One you will be most eager to take."
Seishiro handed an object he had been holding to Akimoto. Akimoto started, having not realized that he had been holding anything at all.
"What is this?" the white-haired girl asked, turning the object around in her hand. To her eyes it looked nothing more than some sort of sweet, carefully wrapped in a piece of clean cloth.
"It will be part of our contract if you agree," Seishiro replied shyly, smiling gently, "Let me explain further…"
As Seishiro gave a more detailed account of his proposition, Akimoto felt the horror inside of her build, higher and higher. When Seishiro finished talking, Akimoto was in tears, crying worse than when she discovered that Yukishiro-sama was dead.
"So do you agree with the terms?" Seishiro asked the sobbing girl.
"Why me?" Akimoto choked out through her tears. Seishiro reached over, took her chin in his palm, and stroked away her tears with his thumb.
"Because you are talented," Seishiro began softly, almost sadly, a rare deviation from his normal smiling façade, "Because you will only get more talented. Because you have knowledge that we do not. Because you will not refuse. And because, despite your short acquaintance, Battousai-san cares for you like you were family."
"You are," Akimoto sobbed, as she wrenched her face away from his gentle touches, "a complete ba-bastard!"
"Do you agree or not?" Seishiro asked, his face turning back into his usual smiling mask.
"Yes…" Akimoto whispered, feeling as if she was giving her soul away to a youkai as a few more tears slipped down her face, "I agree. You have given me no choice. Now please leave."
"Not before you eat that," Seishiro shook his head, pointing at the small candy that he had handed to her earlier. Akimoto glared at him before gulping down the treat, barely tasting the warm sweetness on her tongue.
"Now will you leave?" Akimoto whispered, her pale skin blotchy from tears.
"I…"
"I said leave me!" Akimoto yelled, tears flowing more freely.
"As you wish," Seishiro nodded, vanishing into thin air.
Akimoto curled up and continued to cry.
'Himura-san,' Akimoto thought sadly, 'Gomen nasai…You wanted us to meet again in happier times, but, but…Gomen…Y-Yukishiro-sama…'
The only consolation that Akimoto had was the fact that Seishiro had promised that she wouldn't have to do anything major for another six years. But still…but still…
To Akimoto, hell had manifested itself on earth.
-
Author-chan's notes: Phew! Finished with Kyoto Arc. Omake will be posted after this, and then we're into the Revenge Arc!
I'm sure that many of you are wondering about what was Seishiro's proposal to Akimoto. That will be revealed in Revenge Arc.
Keep an eye out for the scarf Shinigami gave Kenshin. We'll be seeing it again in the Revenge Arc.