Chapter Two: From the Turbulent Past...
He'd felt the urge to return for a number of years, before he'd finally carried through with his plan to do so. With the skill and cunning learned from almost two lifetimes' worth of living, he'd stowed away on a cargo ship bound for Japan. He only truly wondered what had brought him back to the land of his birth after the ship had docked in the harbor.
"The city sure has changed since I left it behind, all those years ago...Never thought I would actually be returning here." he mused, as he carefully emerged from the ship and made his way out of the shipyard. He'd almost reached the gates, when a voice called out to him from the shadows.
"Well, well. This is certainly an unexpected sight. What brings you here?" a male voice asked, as the owner of it emerged from the shadows. The stowaway only smirked, and stood where he was; seemingly casual as the other man approached.
"Depends on what you mean." the stowaway replied, calmly; even though he was carefully watching for any signs that a fight was about to begin.
"A little while ago, I'd sensed that there was someone here that had something to do with the Dragons of Heaven...I never would have guessed that a Dragon from a previous generation would be arriving tonight." the other man said, with a seemingly benign smile, then added, "My name is Kigai Yuto, by the way."
"Sagara Sanosuke." the stowaway replied, sensing that things were about to get very messy, and standing up straighter; prepared for anything.
"Sagara Sanosuke...The man who'd left his country as a wanted man a little over one hundred years ago, and returned to it as one of a previous generation of Seven Seals. I can only wonder if you've learned how to control your power yet?" Yuto questioned, getting an arched eyebrow from the former street brawler as he said that.
"Again, it depends on what you mean. I've learned a lot in the almost one hundred and thirty years I have lived...and seen a lot of things that had changed me from who I had been when I left this country...But, for old time's sake, I'll 'buy' a fight, for a change." Sanosuke stated, as he strode confidently forward, then held a fist out in front of him, and concentrated. At first, nothing seemed to be happening, and then, a greenish light emanated from the former fighter-for-hire's fist. He then opened his hand, and released the energy into the air between them. When the barrier had finally finished forming, Yuto allowed a low whistle to escape from between his lips. He could see that the man before him had indeed seen much combat since his forced departure from Japan all those years ago; his kekkai was even more massive than those of the present day Seven Seals!
"It would be a mistake to take him lightly." Yuto mused, then added, "But I must see for myself what exactly this man is capable of..." Without another thought, Yuto launched himself at the wary warrior; sending a wave of water cascading towards him as his way of joining the fight.
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Kenshin jerked to attention as something abruptly crossed his senses. For the briefest of moments, he could have sworn he'd heard the roar of a dragon somewhere in the direction of the shipyard; looking in that direction and feeling his mouth go dry when he beheld what stood there.
"What is that? And how did it get there? Why is it there?" Kenshin wondered, as he, for reasons unknown to him, took off in that direction.
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On the outskirts of the city, another man felt the sudden increase in power, and saw the barrier being put into place in the distance.
"It seems that the Dragons of Heaven are beginning to gather...I can only hope that I make it in time!" the man thought, as he also started heading for the distant kekkai; his foreboding not lessening in the slightest.
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Hinoto watched the goings-on in shock. She had not expected to ever see a previous-generation Dragon erect a kekkai, much less for him to actually be able to fight so strongly!
"And his kekkai is so much larger than the one Star-Gazer's apprentice had put into place almost a week ago! How could one man have so much power?" Hinoto wondered, not expecting an answer, when it did come.
"Simple. We've had time to grow in strength, and also in the wisdom to wield that selfsame strength properly." a calm, male voice responded, from the shadows. Alarmed, Sohi and Hien, the two guardians of Hinoto, took up defensive positions in front of the startled Dreamseer, and watched the swatch of darkness the voice had come from. Seconds later, a tall, male figure emerged. He was pale-skinned, with ice-blue eyes and short blue-black hair. He wore a dark sort of uniform under a white trench-coat; his clothing alone being an indication of his true age.
"Who are you? And how did you get down here?" Sohi asked, coolly.
"Former okashira of the Oniwabanshu onmitsu, Shinomori Aoshi. I came here as a result of the events that are being set into motion above us...Namely, the return of 'Kamui', and the theft of the Shinken from Togakushi Shrine." the man replied, in kind; his knowledge of recent events numbing Hinoto to her core.
"Why are you here?" Hien asked, eyeing the onmitsu warily as he moved forward and kneeled before the Dreamseer.
"I, like the man who has returned tonight, have felt the call to return to Tokyo for quite some time now...Like him, I am also one of the Ten no Ryu." Aoshi murmured.
"Of a previous generation...But what would you, or the man I have been watching, still have to protect in this world? What is it that continues to tie you to the realm of the living?" Hinoto questioned.
"Our descendants. They are the main reasons most of us still exist; even though we haven't met those people who share our blood...They are still precious enough for us to want to protect them from harm." Aoshi replied, looking up when Hinoto breathed a sigh of relief.
"You indeed speak like a true Dragon of Heaven, Shinomori-san...It is an honor to have gotten the chance to speak with you, this night." Hinoto stated, with a careworn smile.
"And I consider it an equal honor to have gotten the chance to speak to you, Hinoto-hime." Aoshi murmured, as he gracefully got to his feet, bowed, and then silently left the chamber.
"Take care, Shinomori-san." Hinoto whispered, even though the warrior in question was already out of earshot.
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Kenshin paused to catch his breath at the very edge of the kekkai; uncertainty reigning within him as he cautiously circled it.
"Such an immense amount of ki! Is this what can truly be done if one's ki is strong enough?" Kenshin wondered, freezing when a familiar presence crossed his senses.
"So...you have survived as well." Kenshin murmured, as he turned to face the newcomer. Feral amber eyes seemed to glow in the darkness as a man approached him; his aquiline face showing no true emotion, and only a smirk.
"Good to see you too, Battousai." the man stated, coolly, as he stood alongside the former rurouni and gazed up at the shield.
"Sessha didn't even suspect that you had faked your own death, Saito." Kenshin said, as the other swordsman arched an eyebrow in response to that comment.
"Think what you will, Battousai, but we all have this to blame you and that master of yours' for." Saito growled, then added, "I wouldn't even be standing here if it weren't for the combined power you two hold."
"Oro?" Kenshin asked, confused by the former Shinsengumi captain's words, and therefore slow to react when he started to enter the field.
"Nevermind." Saito muttered, his exasperation at Kenshin's seeming ignorance becoming well known in his next question, "Are you coming or not?" With an abrupt nod, Kenshin followed Saito into the field; not knowing what they would come across on the other side...
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Yuto gasped as he was forced to go on the defensive; blocking as many of the shockwaves Sanosuke was throwing at him as he could.
"H-he's...incredibly strong! This amount of power...is magnitudes beyond what that boy had been able to do! Is this what a Ten no Ryu is capable of, after over a century of life?" Yuto wondered; returning to the here-and-now when another shockwave knocked him off of his feet and sent him flying.
"Feh...What a sorry fight I've bought...I'm starting to see why Saito had had such contempt for me, back then." Sanosuke grumbled, disappointed that the fight seemed to be over.
"Saito...? You don't mean..." Yuto muttered, as he staggered to his feet; blood running freely down one side of his face from a cut just above the eye.
"Hajime Saito, Captain of the Third Shinsengumi Unit? Yeah. He's the one I mean. Why?" Sanosuke questioned, in turn.
"You fought him...and survived?" Yuto asked, stunned by this revelation. Sanosuke snorted and shook his head.
"Survived? He let me live, if that's what you mean...Kinda glad he did, since I'll stand a better chance of finding an even better fight, in the days to come." Sanosuke replied, calmly, as he allowed his kekkai to come down.
"I see...But what is it that keeps you alive?" Yuto again asked, as he shakily got to his feet, and made an attempt to dust himself off. The ex-street brawler shrugged.
"No clue. I've been a little curious about that myself for quite a while, now." Sanosuke admitted, as he picked up his fallen knapsack, and started to walk away. And it was in the light of one of the streetlamps that Yuto saw what had been, and always would be, the mark of Sagara Sanosuke...There was still an 'aku' on the back of his shirt, even though it was a t-shirt, rather than his old tunic.
"The legendary 'Zanza' has returned..." Yuto mused, as the man he'd been fighting disappeared from sight, into the street beyond.
"Hn...seems as though we've just missed him." a voice muttered.
"Sessha can't believe it...Sano's alive! And he's just the same as he had been when he'd left Tokyo, all those years ago!" a different voice stated, as the two speakers strode into view, just as Yuto got to his feet. But it was the sight of the two men that almost made Yuto fall over once again; one man was tall, and wore an old police uniform and a katana at his waist. The other man was shorter, and had fiery red hair and a faded, cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.
"Himura Kenshin, otherwise known as 'Battousai'...and Hajime Saito, the Third Shinsengumi Unit's captain! They are both still alive! Oh, Kanoe-san! What the hell are we getting ourselves into?.!" Yuto wondered, as he hurried away from the area; all too aware of the icy glare of the old Wolf of Mibu on his own back as he went.
Author's Note!
Sorry if there was any confusion in this chapter (and if it seems a little rushed). I am desperately trying to place all of the characters within a certain timeframe, and am having a little more difficulty than I'd thought! Thanks for your patience, minna!
Gemini14