A/N: Here's the second chapter. Man, I odn't whether I like writing for Kikuchiyo or not...Speaking of which I think I accidently spelled his name wrong in the last chapter. If I did, I'm too lazy to actually fix it, so just go with it. Anyhoo,...Know what? How about I just let you read? Enjoy!
Samurai 7 is not my own...no need to rub it in...
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Katsushiro walked slowly along the perimeter of Kanna village as he desperately attempted to keep his mind from wandering. After struggling with it for a while, he finally gave up and let his mind wander.
I wonder where the others are. Sensei did say I should try asking them…"Oi! Katsu-noji!"
He heard loud mechanical footsteps walk towards him. Katsushiro turned around and faced the mechanical samurai.
"What?"
"Aren't you supposed to be on watch?"
"Yes. What of that?"
"Well, for being on guard you sure aren't paying attention. A samurai must always be on guard-"
"Then what are you doing away from your post?"
Katsushiro smirked as Kikuchiyo suddenly became flustered and started mumbling excuses. He quickly blew out a large cloud of steam as he attempted to gather his thoughts again.
"Well, uh, ya see I was…I don't need to be at the post because I can tell when a nobuseri or anything for that matter is coming from a mile away and-"
"Kikuchiyo-dono?"
"Wha…uh..huh?"
"You answered this before, but… what do you really think the 'scent of the battlefield' means?"
Kikuchiyo laughed haughtily at the question.
"I already told you. It's that manly stuff like blood, sweat, grease, and all that other smelly stuff you get in a fight."
"Do you think you have the scent of the battlefield?"
"Of course! Take a whiff. I got the whole grease part down!"
Katushiro had to suppress a chuckle at the other samurai's explanation. As annoying as he could be, Kikuchiyo was sometimes an actual source of relief. Whenever the silence or tension was too thick, Kikuchiyo would be able to dispel it whether it was intentional or not. Katsushiro looked up at him and then thought about something.
"But if it is purely the physical smell, then how is it you would have it?"
Kikuchiyo was taken aback by that question.
"What do you mean! Are you questioning my skills!"
Katsushiro immediately began placating the now ranting samurai in front of him.
"No! It's not that at all! I was…I was just wondering since you do have the smell of grease, but that's all!"
"Why I outta-…Huh? What do you mean?"
Katsushiro sighed in relief at calming Kikushiyo down, but was also trying to collect his thoughts.
"Well…You say it means all the 'manly' stuff…but really, you have no other smell than anything else that is also mechanical."
Kikuchiyo was about to retort, but suddenly decided against it since he did not have anything to retort. For a moment, he actually stopped and thought about it. It was true, he did have some of those smells, but it was only because he was mechanical. Any other machinery would have the same scent.
"Yeah, so…What's your point?"
"My point is this: If it is a physical smell, it can be washed away. However, from what I can tell, the scent of the battlefield has to be something more. If it could just be washed away, then there would be no way to tell if somebody truly had the 'scent of the battlefield', yet we already know Kirara can tell and it seems like others can too."
Katsushiro stared expectantly at Kikuchiyo who just stared silently back. However, that moment of silence was soon short lived as the mechanical samurai regained his normal over-confident disposition.
"Who cares! So what if it's physical or not physical? I don't need somebody telling me I smell like something or not. I know what I am and what I'm doing and that is perfectly fine with me…And if anybody has a problem with it, they can take it up with me!"
At this last comment, Kikuchiyo huffed a large puff of steam into the air. He then began to confidently laugh as though he had said something or done something absolutely brilliant.
"Ya see, Katsu-noji, you're thinking way too much again. Like I said before, you're obviously not doing your job if you have that much time to think about this kind of stuff. You need to be more like me! I don't question things, I just do it!"
"And sometimes I think that is why you can get into trouble so easily."
Both samurai were startled at the new voice. Standing off to the side was the entertainer samurai, Gorobei. He was leaning casually against a large boulder with a lop-sided grin plastered on his face.
"Wha-…Gorobei! When did you get here?"
Gorobei feigned a surprised expression at the question.
"You did not know? But I thought you were always prepared and could sense anything from a mile a away?"
The mechanical samurai felt cornered once again at being caught at his own words. However, being Kikuchiyo, he was easily able to come up with an excuse and find a way out of acknowledging his fault.
"Well, of course I can! I knew you were there. I was just testing to see if Katsu-noji here was on guard and all."
"Of course you were. Since you are so perceptive, I suppose you already knew that Kambei-sama is on his way to check your post?"
Gorobei was infinitely amused at the other samurai. Kikuchiyo suddenly began letting out streams of steam in a panic, but then quickly gathered himself and pretended as though that last little bit never happened.
"What am I doing still talking to you? I knew Kambei was approaching. I…uh…just wanted to make sure we had things clear now…That's all…See ya!"
Katsushiro and Gorobei watched Kikuchiyo suddenly bolt towards his post in panic. The older samurai then looked over at Katsushiro.
"And shouldn't you be on guard duty as well?"
"Uh, right. Excuse me, Gorobei-dono!"
The young samurai quickly turned around, but then paused mid-step. He turned back around and saw Gorobei was still standing there almost expectantly.
"If you don't mind…for a few minutes, but…may I ask you something?"
"Why not? Go right ahead."
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A/N: Hey, can any of you guess who I'm going to write about next? Anyways, I have no idea how the chapter with Gorobei will turn out...Though, he does seem kind of fun to write for. Well, I hope you all enjoyed it! Next chapter: Gorobei tells all...sort of...