This One, book two - "Irises in the bloody rain"

AN: Because this site isn't too merciful to series, I will post all the chapters into this one story. However, from now on the rating will go up to M. There will be blood, and plenty of descriptive violence... and what seems to be the bigger issue to some, there will be intimacy and sex. I won't edit it out, but in every chapter I will post a warning about it. Also, don't except anything too racy. It will be very, very soft-core vanilla.

Summary: "You said anyone can join up, right?"

"Yes, but..." Kiheitai recruiter, Yamagata Kyusuke stammered, trying to think of some way – any way - to push this crazy mixed blood pipsqueak to be somebody else's problem. Unfortunately, without disclaiming his recruitment propaganda, there seemed to be no way out of this mess.

This One, book two - where our young hero is off to change the world. Unfortunately, revolutions are a tangled mess of motivations and Kenshin will have to grow up the hard way when his path leads him into xenophobic extremist politics, acts of terrorism and to his hopeless first love.


Chapter 14. A stray looking for home

Somehow, it wasn't hard to start walking after the first step out of the hut.

That had been a hard one, as for a second it seemed like all his doubts piled up on him, forming an impossible weight on his shoulders. But, after that one single step towards the road leading down the mountain, walking became easier and easier.

And then Kenshin began to feel the anticipation of travelling. He had always liked to travel and seeing new places and faces.

It had been so long since he had last been allowed.

This had to be the right choice - now they both, he and the spirit, would finally be free to follow their beliefs, to protect the people… they now had a chance to fight and prove their worth.

'Yes!' Kenta whispered, seemingly sharing Kenshin's anticipation. It was almost bubbling on its side of the wall.

Kenshin grinned and started walking faster.

They nearly made it all the way to Hagi before stopping for the night.

It was better that way, truly, as they didn't have much money and staying in an inn would be expensive. It would be practical to save the money where they could. And besides, it was early spring and while on the mountains snow had been covering the ground, even the last remains of it had long melted here in lowlands.

Smiling in satisfaction Kenshin stared at the camp fire he had built. The rice was boiling in the kettle steadily. It was all so familiar, a routine. But he kept expecting to feel Master's familiar cold presence to pop from the forest, even though he knew that it would be impossible.

The truth was, Kenshin wasn't used to being alone in the dark.

The food tasted good and he was in good spirits. But when he settled down on his bedroll, everything seemed damp, and he started shivering. Even curling up tighter into his blanked didn't seem to help. The ground was slightly wet and the coldness seeped through the bedroll.

An owl's hoot, an odd cracking sound and Kenshin rose up gasping. Why did the hairs on the back of his neck stand? There was no one there!

He had checked the ki – and yes, even now, not a single presence could be sensed.

'We are alone,' Kenta agreed.

'But…. why am I feeling scared?'

Confusion.

The spirit didn't know either.

The petting comfort feeling.

It didn't help much. Still, Kenshin tried to settle down, even though the sleep was hard to come by, and he kept expecting someone to attack his back. Why? I know better!

This doesn't make sense!

But, he was also tired and should sleep to be on his best form for tomorrow...

After tossing around pointlessly for a few more minutes, Kenshin gave up on the futile effort and dragged his bedroll to the nearest tree and sat down with his back against it. Then, he took a hold of his sword and cradled it in his arms. If anything comes, at least this way my sword will be here and ready.

The other good thing he wouldn't ever admit to, was that through the thin layers of his shirt, Kenshin could feel Kasumi's top in his pocket.

Then, after a minute of tense silence and subtle readjustments of his seating, Kenta sent him the petting comfort feel.

Reassured, he was finally able to fall asleep.


Early the next morning, Kenshin found himself on the busy streets of Choshuu's capital - Hagi. The sheer number of people felt more than slightly intimidating, but also thrilling. It had been so long since the last time…

However, Kenshin was acutely aware of the reason why he had been stuck in his seclusion on the 12th Master's mountain, and thus kept his hair firmly covered up.

As Kenshin walked the streets that morning, it slowly begun to come clear that while he wanted to join in the fight against the Shogun, it wouldn't be that simple. After all, most people here thought badly of foreigners and even though Kenshin wasn't one… he looked like one.

So how could he convince those Ishin Shishi people that he, too, believed that the Shogunate wasn't doing a good enough job? That he didn't care much for foreigners either?

For the matter, how could he even find these Ishin Shishi?

And given that fighting was officially allowed only for the samurai class, how could he – a farmer's son, who had been sold, and thus thrust outside the system - convince people that he too could be useful?

Was it even possible?

As the facts lined up, Kenshin began to feel that joining in the fight for the happiness for the common people would be slightly more difficult that he had first realized. So, he walked around the city, trying to listen in on the people's conversations, rumors and general talk to get a good handle of the current situation. Master had lately pushed him to consider his options before making choices. And besides, the very thought of directly asking people gave Kenshin shivers.

Also, truthfully, going around and inquiring where he could join in the rebellion against the government seemed not only impossibly hard, but also utterly ridiculous.

As if he wasn't already self-conscious enough; every time he accidentally bumped into someone or for some reason caught people's attention, they would glance at his sword, send covert second looks noting his pale skin or the tip of light shaded hair showing under the reed hat… and of course, he heard plenty of amused mutters remarking of kids playing Samurai.

Kenshin knew he was small - they didn't have to point it out!

But in any case, he knew that he didn't look like a capable fighter. He was young and adults had always thought that children didn't amount to much. Not that he was a child anymore, but people didn't necessarily see it.

However, what he managed to piece together from the talk going on the streets…. was promising. A lot of people seemed to agree with the "Sonno Joi:" the ideology that said the foreigners should be pushed out and Emperor reinstated to power. He had also heard of some Samurai called Takasugi Shinsaku, who was gathering a paramilitary troop.

However, only few people mentioned it and they were annoyingly careful to keep their whispers low.

In the evening, Kenshin headed out of the town again. He didn't know how much he would have to travel before he finally would find a group that would accept his sword to their cause. If Hagi didn't work out, then he would head to another province and travelling was expensive.

Thus, it made sense to save where he could.

For some reason, though, it was hard to fall asleep. After trying to sleep properly with his bedroll near the lingering traces of fire's warmth, Kenshin gave up on the futile effort and relocated to the nearest tree. It wasn't paranoid or stupid to want something to cover his back, right?

And cradling his sword was just sensible.

After all, he didn't have the impenetrable defense of Master Hiko watching over his rest anymore… no, it was just him and Kenta.


It took a week of listening in on rumors and the talk on the streets, before Kenshin finally heard anything useful about Takasugi Shinsaku and the troops he was building to fight for the "Sonno joi" movement. And everything he did hear made him even more interested. It all sounded just about perfect: the army was called Kiheitai and was recruiting able fighters based on ability, not heritage. So everyone, no matter the class or status could join up if they were good enough.

And if there was one thing Kenshin was sure of, it was the deep conviction of being good enough. The Hiten Mitsurugi was the strongest sword style and even Master had agreed that there was almost nothing left to teach him.

So, now it would be just a matter of finding the people recruiting for Kiheitai, making sure that they were fighting for the same things that Kenshin believed in…

…and then convincing them to accept him.


It had taken him two weeks before he finally managed to figure out where Kiheitai did their recruitment for the month. Though many people agreed with "Sonno Joi", it really wasn't wise to speak aloud about creating an independent army. So people were careful and didn't talk about it on the streets.

But, like Kenta had reminded Kenshin, they could hear better than other people with their ki -trick. And though it had been a long time since they had used it, years in fact, it wasn't hard to remember how: guiding a drop of ki to his ears.

And the best thing?

It seemed that all those years and all that effort spent in training had increased his ability to handle the ki, so they could use it longer and more often!

So, with the help of ki, they managed to piece together that a recruitment officer from Kiheitai was holding a meeting in a remote teahouse near the harbor. And the fighters who were looking to join could go there to ask questions.

That was where Kenshin was now; sitting in the corner, with a hat carefully covering all of his damning hair. People kept giving him a covert looks and his sword had them frowning thoughtfully. But so far, no one had demanded him to leave.

The teahouse was filled with people, many types of fighters - and all of them big and scary looking men. Kenshin wasn't afraid of the sort, because compared to Master… these men were mostly common rabble. All that muscle mass wasn't going to gain them any favors when combined with fat, the smell of sake or their generally disreputable and lazy look.

But what made Kenshin wary, was that most of them carried the paired swords.

They are Samurai?

Kenshin swallowed, and gripped the hilt of his sword tighter.

While he didn't particularly care for Samurai anymore, he had realized that not all Samurai believed in the Shogun. Most of them were just serving their lord, and if their lord wasn't too keen on the government's ideologies, well. Who was to comment what their men were doing in their private time?

But that wasn't the important thing, not really. Not compared to the fact that few men in the tea house were clearly peasants or artisansand some even merchants. And there was even a monk.

A monk!

So it seemed that the rumors were true and there was a real possibility for those of lower castes or of unconventional background to join in. Kenshin felt really relieved when he realized that. The last thing he wanted was for those hostile and distrustful stares to turn into a fight, especially if one of them noticed his hair…

But was Kiheitai willing to recruit truly anyone based on ability, not class or status? And did that include young people… or foreign looking people?

That was the question.

Kenshin huddled deeper into his corner, knuckles white by his tight grip of his katana's hilt. And then, the sturdy door slid open and in walked a man. And suddenly everyone seemed to turn around, and whispers erupted: "It's him… that's the Kiheitai's officer."

The officer was tall and lean, but he didn't look weak. No, he walked like a warrior. A real warrior with dark hair in a topknot and the two swords of the samurai…

Kenshin swallowed weakly - this didn't look too good.

"I hear you men are interested in fighting?" The officer asked with a loud booming voice, lips curved in an easy smile. He seemed really confident, almost intimidating… but that smile made him somehow appear - friendly?

The crowd answered with enthusiasm. And then came in the barrage of questions, which the officer – Yamagata Kyusuke-san – easily answered. It really did seem that this Kiheitai was what Kenshin had hoped for - an army unit separate from the government that was gathering under Takasugi Shinsaku's leadership. This Yamagata-san was Takasugi-san's second in command, apparently. And for recruited soldiers, there would be decent pay, free lodging and training to fight together as a proper army.

And what was the best thing, was that Kiheitai fought for "Sonno Joi." That was very clear right from the start. Kenshin grinned in sheer relief, as everyone here seemed to agree with his beliefs!

It was a novel feeling.

Finally, he was among people who all believed the same as he did! He couldn't help but to feel enthusiastic.

It was then that the Buddhist monk rose up to ask a question that had bothered Kenshin from the start; "Is it true that Kiheitai will accept anyone, if they have talent?"

And Yamagata-san grinned and answered with a loud voice: "A good question and one that I have been waiting to hear! So listen up, you all. Yes! Kiheitai will recruit the very best fighters. It doesn't matter what class you are born to, what do did for your living or where you have been! If you can fight and can prove it to us – we will gladly recruit you!"

This raised cheers from the farmers and merchants and even from the few seedier looking samurai. Also the monk seemed to relax.

Now seemed like the perfect moment to ask…

'Yes! Let's go! Ask him!' Kenta egged him on.

It had to be the right moment. But why did his hands shake? Kenshin gripped his sword's hilt, rose and asked with a raised voice: "You will take anyone willing to fight and prove that they can?"

And then, everybody turned to look at him.

Absolutely everybody.

For some reason Kenshin's feet didn't feel steady at all, his hands had a little shake in them and his heart was beating rabbit fast.

This was it.

So, Kenshin reached up and pulled the thin knot keeping his reed hat in place, and let it fall from his head.

"A foreigner!" "A kid!" "What is this shit?"

"I am not a foreigner and I am not a kid! I want to fight!" Kenshin immediately retorted back, gritting his teeth in annoyance. Why did everybody have to pick up on his size? He knew that he was small! And that foreigner thing…

Yamagata-san seemed to stare at him really hard, and noted the sword on his waist with a frown. Then the officer glanced around the room and stopped for a moment to look at the monk, who for some reason seemed really doubtful. And for a second, Yamagata-san's ki felt really cold, like Master's when he had been displeased.

If Kenshin hadn't been living with a man whose bad temper had been legendary, he wouldn't have caught it… what did it mean?

But then Yamagata-san smiled: "Sure kid. If you can prove that you can fight, we will take even you. Now? Any other questions? No? Good. Let's get going!"

And that was it.

Kenshin exhaled, all the tension seeping out of him in that gust of air. He really wanted to sit down, but people were moving to follow Yamagata-san out of the inn… so now was really not the time for his nerves to abandon him. So, Kenshin steeled his resolve, pushed himself up again and picked up his meager belongings, joining the stream up people.

Sun blinded his unguarded eyes for a minute, but it didn't matter. He was among men who believed the same as him and this would work! This really, really had to work! After all, the hardest part was over now that Yamagata-san was willing to give him a chance!

'We can do it!' Kenta agreed and nudged him encouragingly.

'Yes!' Kenshin grinned, and followed the other warriors.


They travelled to the outskirts of Hagi, where Yamagata-san had a horse waiting, along with few other Kiheitai soldiers. After a small break and some hurried directions, the new potential recruits were set out to follow the Kiheitai troops out to a less busy mountain road.

Apparently, the main troops were gathered some distance away from Hagi and they would have to walk there. This was perfectly fine for Kenshin, who had always liked travelling and was very fit. However, in the group there were quite a few who were less than happy about the development, mostly some of the seedier samurai, and nearly all of the merchants. It didn't take a lot sweating on the uphill road for their grumbling comments to increase in volume and snappish temperaments to start boiling.

At the start, Kenshin had travelled in the back, trying to avoid unnecessary attention, but after the complaints had changed their pitch to angry, he, too, had drifted more to the front.

The Kiheitai men didn't pay any attention to the complainers and drifters, but for more reputable looking recruits travelling at the front, the situation was becoming embarrassing and they began to throw snappish comebacks; "Fucking amateurs, trying to become fighters!" "Fat merchants, leave the fighting for Samurai!" and finally; "If you cannot even walk, why do you even want to join the army?"

That silenced the complainers.

Mostly.

There were about thirty or so people in the group, and most of them had some sort of weapons with them, majority being ordinary single or paired swords. However, there were some spears and few people, like the monk, didn't carry any weapons at all. Kenshin wasn't sure if it was because they didn't own any, or if they just intended to fight with their bare hands.

It was a highly diverse group, but even still… Kenshin desperately stood out. His age, his size, his coloring… with all those recognizable factors, it didn't make any sense to cover his hair back again. Especially not now that Yamagata-san had accepted him as a potential recruit for testing.

Maybe he should have, though. But then again, it likely wouldn't have helped all that staring and whispering going on around him.

Why couldn't people just shut up? Kenshin knew he was different, so did the people have to keep picking on the sore point?

And why did the people always get stuck on the foreigner thing? He wasn't a foreigner! He had even clearly told them so back at the teahouse! And why shouldn't he, too, have the right to join in the "Sonno joi" to drive away the barbarians? He didn't like the foreigners either! And what was that gossiping about him being too tiny or too young? Or that one half-blind and obnoxious idiot, who opinioned that he looked like a girl?!

He certainly did not look like a girl in any way!

Kenta had become truly pissed off at the talk, long before Kenshin, in fact. It wanted them to do something about it and was throwing nastier and nastier ideas.

Even though Kenshin was sorely tempted to act out Kenta's will on a few of the more annoying commenters, he knew he couldn't let in to the temptation. Not even for a single moment. If he was to fight together with these men, it didn't make any sense to start a quarrel among them. Especially not before the testing, as they didn't have any idea how the Kiheitai were to choose the soldiers among the potential recruits.

Besides, the ugly fact was that Kenshin had always had to endure similar opinions, and truly… these men's taunts and mocking comments weren't even nearly as bad as what Master had unleashed at him in his moods.

So, Kenshin gritted his teeth and endured it.

After all, the hazing had to stop after the testing and then these people would see him for his merits, not for his looks. It should be so, as mostly these nasty comments seemed to stem from people's doubts that he could actually wield the sword he carried. Almost like those two samurai back in Settsu hadn't believed…

Few hours after the sunset, they finally made camp beside the road. It was high in the mountains, shaded by trees and harsh mountain slopes. Kenshin surveyed the site, trying to decide where he should make his camp; perhaps he could even join in with some of the friendlier looking men…

Ah, actually, maybe I should just pick my own spot at the outskirts. After all, Kenshin hadn't slept with so many people near him, not in six years. Not since the slave caravan, actually… he inhaled sharply, and closed his eyes, trying to chase away the half- forgotten memories.

Kenta pushed soothing emotions to him, doing its best to calm him down.

After a few moments to gather his nerves, Kenshin dragged his belongings to a sturdy pine tree shadowing the main camp site and started uneasily going through his evening routine: setting a fire, spreading his bedroll and cooking a practical meal of rise and dried meat. Though the actions were long practiced and methodical, somehow Kenshin just couldn't calm down.

People kept staring at him, clearly surprised to see any sort of competence from him.

How annoying.

It didn't help that he wasn't tired at all. That fifteen mile trek up to the mountains hadn't been anything to him, and Kenshin was acutely aware that travelling alone he could have gone a lot further and faster. It was odd, really. These men around him were taller, stronger and older than him… but put together, they walked ridiculously slowly, like a pack of turtles.

Logically thinking, he could understand it somewhat – they had to set the travelling pace according to the slowest of the group and few of the recruits were, ah… pathetic?

But then again, didn't being in a group mean that they were in this together, that no one was left behind? And they really couldn't be that bad, could they? And there was going to be an intense training at the army, so maybe after some work these men could become good fighters?

And everyone here believed the same as him, that they needed to help the common people. That they too should fight for the betterment of the country, to drive away the foreigners destroying the country and overthrow the incompetent Shogun.

He was not alone in his belief, not anymore.

The thought comforted him some.

Tomorrow… tomorrow, they would get to the Kiheitai training grounds. There they would be tested and the best were to be accepted to the troop. Tomorrow he and Kenta could show all that they, too, could fight and earn everyone's respect.

'Yes.' Kenta whispered.

With that, Kenshin clutched his sword tighter in his arms and leaned his back against the tree. The spring night sky was clear and beautiful.


At noon they were climbing deep into the mountain passes. The road was precariously narrow and quite a few of the yesterday's complainers had called it quits already.

"Finally some quiet." One particularly smart-mouthed Samurai close to Kenshin had remarked out loud, earning few laughs from the others. Another added in ill-humor; "The walk is already shedding some fat!" Which, of course, raised even more laughter.

Kenshin didn't know what to think of this humor at someone's expense that seemed to be popular among the men. To him it seemed very disrespectful, and how could men of such attitude learn to work together? But then again, their mean humor had a grain of truth; the Kiheitai was supposed to recruit only the best.

So, in that respect, it made sense that people who couldn't even walk for a day or two wouldn't make the cut. This crude early selection didn't make Kenshin very worried… well, maybe.

A little bit.

If Kenshin was perfectly truthful with himself, he didn't have a lot of diverse fighting experience to accurately gauge his skill level against the others. Kenshin had never fought against anyone but Master, who was on a whole another level and thus bad for making comparisons. Oh, and then there had been those two Samurai in Settsu, but they hadn't even been proper fighters. So, where did this leave him to stand in reality?

A tiny seed of doubt rose in Kenshin; perhaps he wouldn't be good enough either, maybe the better fighters here were like Master – an impassable wall to clash against.

No. I am good enough. I must be good enough. Because if I am not… what will I do? Return in shame to Master? Try to find another group?

No, giving up simply isn't an option, Kenshin resolved – this will be it.

The group came to a stop at a small clearing next the mountain road. There was another group of men waiting for them, one of them stood out in particular; a very lean man with short hair. He had a very distinctive presence in ki and he was looking after a particularly fine horse.

"Here we are!" Yamagata-san called out loudly from ahead of the group.

Here? This was Kiheitai? But the rumors and talk on the street had said that it was a proper army, one that was hundreds of men strong, Kenshin stared in disbelief.

Yamagata-san dismounted and walked to greet to short-haired man; "Takasugi! Here are the newest recruit hopefuls."

The man answered to the greeting easily, and then looked the recruits over and nodded thoughtfully; "A good group."

Hey… wasn't Takasugi the name of Kiheitai's commander? Kenshin narrowed his eyes. Oh, so this is the man I really, really need to impress. After all, it was only logical; if the highest ranked man in the troop agreed to his recruitment, no one could say anything against it.

With that thought in mind, Kenshin tried to get a good read of the commander; a confident, able and controlled ki with a pointed edge of coldness to it. Practiced easy stance, and the man kept an eye to his surroundings… so, definitely an experienced swordsman. But none of those qualities was important for ensuring his acceptance.

So what influenced this Takasugi-san? Did he hate the foreigners, and would be quick to assume Kenshin was one? Did the commander believe only in physical strength? Could he see beneath Kenshin's youth to the wellspring of ability? Would he even be given a chance to show his skills?

Yamagata-san was talking to the commander with a fast clip and kept gesturing. At one time, the officer even pointed at him, and then both men looked at him.

More talking, and Takasugi's kept frowning.

Kenshin swallowed, it really didn't look good.

Among the group of potential recruits whispers started to fly, joined by quiet remarks and few pointed barking laughs. Next to Kenshin, the monk noticed it and tensed, opening his mouth to say something -

"Alright. The break is over! Gather around, gather around! Good!" Yamataga-san shouted and the men hastened to obey. The shared excitement flowing in the air stifled Kenshin's oppressing fear of being denied. "We will test you here! Those that are accepted move to the side, those that are not… are free to leave whenever they want."

People laughed at the cutting remark, but some of them were clearly almost as uneasy as Kenshin. However, he wasn't given a chance to stew in his doubts longer, for Yamagata loudly continued; "We will test you in a simple spar. You tell us how you fight and we will choose a good opponent for you from the Kiheitai troops we have present."

The soldiers who were with Takasugi rose to stand after those words. And Kenshin couldn't help the nervous gulp; they looked tough, very fit and entirely professional.

"So, who wants to go first?" Yamagata asked with a grin.

The testing proceeded as promised; the people would step out, announce with what they fought and then they would spar with a Kiheitai soldier that rose up to answer the challenge. The fighters used a diverse display of styles, and most of the bouts were almost equal in skill level. However, the level of skill on show… when compared to Master, it was just pathetic.

Kenshin felt more and more confident as the fights processed. I have been sparring against Master for years, and I have held out my own. I can do this. I really can!

Kenta nudged him eagerly, seemingly agreeing with him completely.

But always before Kenshin could gather his courage, someone else would step out to the ring for fight. Like the monk, whom he had kept noticing earlier had been accepted into the ranks without a hitch - he had fought without weapons, just using his fists and legs. It had been a very interesting style to observe, if not for anything else – then for its sheer unusualness.

Then, before Kenshin even noticed, there was no one else left but him. The expectant looks pushed him into action, and he stepped forward and gripped his sword tightly. It seemed ridiculous to announce his preference when it was so blatantly obvious.

Among the Kiheitai soldiers, no one was volunteering to for the fight, and for some reason they kept arguing amongst themselves.

Kenshin shuffled his feet, unsure what the problem was. Yamagata-san had promised him this chance. So, why wasn't anyone coming to fight with him?

How can I even prove my worth if no one is willing to face me? Kenshin thought, and shifted his weight a was really awkward to stand there alone.

"What's the matter?" Takasugi-san called out from the sidelines, clearly displeased.

"It's just a kid! I can't hit kids, my wife would kill me!" A shout rose to answer from among the soldiers. And somehow, that broke the dam and suddenly everyone was shouting to Takasugi-san; "Who let him in here… a kid playing a Samurai!" "A foreigner trying to join in!" "Looks like a little girl!" "It wouldn't be right to fight the boy. I didn't join in the army to beat kids!" "The boy can't be more than ten! Look how small he is!"

With the last one, Kenshin's temper finally snapped and he couldn't help but to retort back; "I am not a kid! I am thirteen and I can fight! Just let me try!"

Then Takasugi-san just raised his hand, and the soldiers fell silent. Then he questioned with a bland voice, keeping his tone calm; "Not a single one of you is willing to test the boy? Is that what you are saying?"

There were distinct amount of nods in the crowd, and then Takasugi-san was looking directly at Kenshin, with the force of his personality for the first time aimed at him; "And boy… you want to fight? To join in Kiheitai?"

Kenshin steeled himself, and nodded just once; "Just give me a chance. I can prove that I can fight!"

The commander nodded thoughtfully, stroked his chin once and said; "Alright boy. I can understand your need to prove your skills. If no one here will fight you, I will." And with that, Takasugi-san stepped out towards him and drew his sword. And suddenly Kenshin realized that the commander was also a notably young man. Maybe in his early twenties, or so. Even so, he felt dangerous. His ki felt cold and focused – just like a snake ready to strike.

It reminded Kenshin of Master, and he gulped – privately fearing that he might hava picked a lot tougher fight than he had even realized. Swallowing his unease, Kenshin drew his sword too. I hoped for a chance to impress this man… well, this is it.

The crowd surrounding them fell into a stunned silence, and then in their midst rose agitated low murmur.

Kenshin pointedly ignored it, and focused entirely on Takasugi-san, who had stopped at a few feet's distance. The commander's stance was rock solid; there wasn't a single opening to exploit.

So, I just need to create one. Kenshin resolved, and started to circle the man.

Takasugi followed his movements, but didn't attack… so it will be up for me to make the first strike, huh?

And if I can't force an opening in the first charge, he can decide to call it quits. So, everything will depend on this. And if I only have one chance, I will need to give it my best.

'Let's do this.' Kenshin thought to Kenta.

'Yes! Let's use it!' And the spirit leaned against the wall, slipping through the cracks and Kenshin felt the coldness spread evenly into his side. He grinned at the sensation, sprinted forward at his best speed and charged directly for an upper kesarigi cut to the shoulder.

Takasugi managed a parry - no matter. The defensive stance is good and it was an obvious starting stroke. Kenshin dodged lighting fast to the left side, left vulnerable by the hasty parry and there it was, an opening in the stance – already!

Taking it, Kenshin bared his teeth in sheer exhilaration.

Dammit!

Just in time Takasugi managed another frenzied save, the parry barely in place to stop his advance. It didn't matter, because the man was badly out of balance and Kenshin needed to press his advantage, while he still had it. And yes, THERE!

It was like the time stopped.

Takasugi-san was frozen still with Kenshin's blade on his jugular, the fine sharp steel a hair's width away from piercing the skin.

"Yield. I yield." The man panted, and his eyes flown wide open in sheer stunned alarm.

Kenshin grinned, and for a second savored that stunned expression. And then, proudly, he let the blade fall from the Kiheitai Commander's throat.

"So do I pass?" He couldn't help but to ask.


AN: Now, I have absolutely no idea how Kiheitai recruiting was done. It was practically impossible to find legit sources of. So, please forgive me for the anime-styled scene. Also, I feel so sorry for Kenshin. He is passionately acting for his beliefs and stepping straight into nest of vipers. (God, he is so young and naïve. Half the time, I wish I could shake some sense in him. Well… that will be coming in time.)