Chapter Eleven
Sanosuke could hardly believe who he was seeing in front of him. Then that could only mean...
"This means fore-half is my sister Uki! And apple-cheeks, Ota...is my little brother?" Sanosuke asked, as he watched his father approach...yet wasn't prepared for the sucker punch he was given, seconds later.
"Don't you call me 'Dad' so lightly! I did have a son named Sanosuke, but he's been gone for ten years, ever since he went with that fraudulent Sekihoutai! I don't know if he's alive or not...but someone who sides with Fudosawa is not my son!" Higashidani angrily said, as he watched Sanosuke shakily get back to his feet.
"That's right...I did take off ten years ago. I'm not Sanosuke, I'm Sagara Sanosuke...and now, I'm the Fight Merchant Zanza." Sanosuke growled, as an almost twisted smile appeared on his young face.
"Now I know how Kenshin must've felt, when he returned to Hiko for the first time." Sanosuke mused, as the same smirk appeared on his father's face, as well.
"Come. You at least have the same name as my son. And, in place of your father, Kamishimoemon will beat some sense into you, body and soul." Higashidani said, before they both flew at one another; fists raised and ready for brawling.
"Get ready, delinquent Dad!" Sanosuke howled.
"Come on, you ungrateful son!" Higashidani replied. And then the brawl began. With tenacity, the two men matched one another, fist for fist; each enjoying this even more than what they'd thought. With a deft grab, Higashidani threw Sanosuke, when one of his punches missed.
"Curse you! Stop playing around!" Sanosuke shouted, yet only got an ember flicked onto his nose from his father's pipe for his efforts.
"HOT!" Sanosuke yelped, then punched his father right in the face, "I said, STOP PLAYING AROUND!!"
"You seriously punched your father!" Higashidani roared, as he furiously started beating the living daylights out of Sanosuke.
"Shut up, I'll kill you!" Sanosuke snarled, as he, just as furiously, fought back. By the time all was said and done, both were on their backs, panting in exhaustion...and most of the day was gone.
"Oh shoot. It's already late..." Higashidani muttered, breathlessly, then thought, "Uki is going to chew my ears off, for this."
"We'll have to settle this another day." Higashidani reluctantly said, as he stiffly started to get back up.
"Are you running away?" Sanosuke wheezed.
"Baka. I have work to do. I don't have time to play with you all day." Higashidani replied, as he bent to pick up his fallen pipe.
"Heh, you still play in the dirt and grow horseradishes?" Sanosuke asked, as he started to sit up. He noticed when his father's expression darkened.
"The farm was destroyed by Fudosawa, and won't be of any use for a while." Higashidani murmured, then added, "I don't want Uki and Ota to suffer too much. We're making woven hats at home; sacrificing sleep this year."
"Why do you fight against Baldy M, if it puts you in this situation? Silk and such have nothing to do with farmers like our family." Sanosuke said, yet was taken aback by the glare his father now directed at him.
"Even bakas like you should remember how poor this place was. During those days, horseradish and the best quality silk were bought cheap, due to the lack of transportation...We were all struggling to live. Then the Bakumatsu happened. Main roads were built, and this town flourished...We've finally come to the point where we can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with both rice and a main dish." Higashidani said, then turned and looked gravely at Sanosuke, "When this life is about to be taken away, how can I just step aside and let it happen?.! Tell Fudosawa...that Kamishimoemon will not yield, even to his powerful backup!"
"Backup...Baldy M was bragging about that. What was it?" Sanosuke quietly asked; feeling subdued for the first time in days.
"Some Ishin Shishi. I don't know the details, but he seems to be fairly high up." Higashidani said, noticing when this bit of news seemed to bother his eldest son.
"I'll settle this with you later. You remember the house, right? Come over anytime." Higashidani invited, then walked away; leaving Sanosuke standing there; with an equally grave expression on his own face.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
"There! Done! That's the last of them!" Kaoru said, as she proudly looked at their handiwork.
"I can't believe we got them all done! Kaoru-chan, Hiko-sama, are you sure you don't want to stay with us?" Uki asked, equally as pleased with their work.
"Quite sure." Hiko mumbled; even though there was a satisfied glint in his dark eyes as he eyed the pile of hats. They all looked up when they heard Higashidani return.
"I'm back!" Higashidani called, his tone almost...cheerful?
"You are so late! Where were you?.!" Uki asked, angrily, as she went out to meet her father.
"Gomen, gomen! Where's Ota? And the hats that need finishing?" Higashidani asked, when he'd looked around and saw that everything appeared to be gone.
"In Hiko-sama's room. He and Kaoru-chan helped us finish the hats!" Uki said, noting the surprise that crossed her father's rather strangely-bruised features at this development.
"That swordsman and Jou-chan helped you?" Higashidani asked, curiously, as he followed his daughter to the room that Hiko was lying in.
"Hai! And Hiko-sama's hats turned out perfectly! See for yourself!" Uki said, as she went in, retrieved one of the hats Hiko had finished, and showed it to her father.
"Damn...You're right about that!" Higashidani muttered, as he looked over the expertly-finished hat.
"Is anything wrong?" Kaoru asked, from her seat beside Hiko's futon.
"Nothing at all, Jou-chan. You and your friend have actually made things a little easier on us. Thanks." Higashidani said, gratefully. Hiko merely nodded, then glanced at Ota. The six-year-old was curled up, with his head on Kaoru's lap; sound asleep.
"He made five hats, right alongside us. He's a hard worker." Kaoru said, as she smiled gently at the sleeping boy, and watched as Higashidani carefully picked him up; not even disturbing Ota in the slightest.
"And he had no complaints. My baka deshi was nowhere near as quiet, when he was that age." Hiko added, secretly impressed by the child's determination.
"Outspoken and stubborn, I take it?" Higashidani asked, as he balanced the sleeping child against his shoulder, and gave Hiko a wry look.
"Feh. Very much so." Hiko muttered; smirking when Kaoru gave him a warning look.
"Sounds like my eldest son, then. Stubborn, always complaining; then he had to rush off and 'save the world'." Higashidani grumbled.
"Your son and my deshi would probably get along very well...since they are both bakas." Hiko said, with a sigh; only wondering what state Kenshin's mind was now in.
"You're probably right about that...But that's only if Sanosuke doesn't knock his lights out, first." Higashidani muttered; pausing when both Hiko and Kaoru froze, and looked at him in disbelief.
"What?" Higashidani asked, thinking he may have insulted the swordsman before him, and that Kaoru was about to leap to his defense.
"Did you say...Sanosuke?" Kaoru asked, her voice almost a whisper.
"I did. Though he'd called himself 'Sagara' Sanosuke this afternoon, he's still my baka of a son. Why?" Higashidani again asked, confused by their sudden silence, and tension.
"So that would explain why you had seemed so familiar. Your reaction to my injuries was the same as his had been, almost two weeks ago." Hiko said, thoughtfully.
"And that's why it seemed so natural for you to call me 'Jou-chan'! Sanosuke calls me that too!" Kaoru added, as wonder and joy appeared on her face. Her gut feelings the night before had been right!
"Well, I'll be damned! So you're friends of his, eh? Though, judging from how he was acting earlier, he doesn't know either of you are here." Higashidani said, as he gazed at their faces with a look of renewed appreciation.
"And he's a friend of my Baka Deshi, as well..." Hiko murmured.
"But what is he doing here? Why is he so far away from Tokyo? What happened to...?" Kaoru asked, yet was stopped from mentioning Kenshin's name by a brief look from Hiko. She nodded when the underlying thought behind his expression reached her; if this family knew Kenshin's name, then Enishi would probably target them, as well...
"Who knows? All I know, is that he seemed angry and depressed about something. Can't say for sure what, though." Higashidani muttered; remembering the darkness he had seen in Sanosuke's eyes, just moments before their brawl had broken out.
"Then...is there any way of reaching him? Relaying a message? Maybe he can come here." Kaoru suggested.
"Well, I did invite him to come back. Maybe he'll come, if he gets some sort of message letting him know you're both here." Higashidani murmured, then gave them a frank grin, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll see him sometime tomorrow."
"Thanks, Higashidani-san. We really appreciate it." Kaoru said, calmly, then added, "But you'd better get Ota-kun to bed. He's had a long day."
"Feh, will do. You'd better get some sleep too. See ya in the morning, then." Higashidani said, then dismissed himself.
"Darn it...didn't even get a single word in..." Uki growled; knowing that she'd let her father off far too easy, this night. And yet, the words that had been spoken had surprised her; Kaoru and Hiko knew her brother personally!
"Talk about a strange twist of fate!" Uki mused, as she watched Hiko settle back down (and as he irritably gave Kaoru a glare as she tried to help him), and then walked out of the room with Kaoru after he'd blown out his lamp.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
The next morning found Sanosuke back on his family's farm...or what remained of it.
"Damn, this is cruel. There's no hope for a harvest this year...and maybe not ever." Sanosuke muttered, as he took in the devastation; what had once been fertile land, was now dry and barren. He arched an eyebrow when he heard a frustrated shout from a young woman, and turned to face the person who had released it.
"What are you doing there! Don't step foot on this farm without permission!" a teenaged girl angrily shouted, from the path. To his surprise, there stood his father, Uki, and Ota.
"Farm? Don't you mean barren wasteland?" Sanosuke asked, sarcastically. This got a rise from the hot-blooded young woman.
"Shut up! Shut up and get out!" Uki snarled; backing up a bit when he gave her a strange look.
"Yo. Nice to meet you..." Higashidani said, in greeting.
"Nice to meet you." Sanosuke repeated, quietly.
"I heard you helped my kids the other day. Come with us. I'll treat you to lunch." Higashidani murmured, and watched as the younger man joined them on the path.
"Going to have to let him know about Jou-chan's message." Higashidani mused, then sighed; when would he have the chance to do that?
"Looks like Dad has something on his mind. Wonder what?" Sanosuke silently asked, having noticed the slight change in his father's demeanor from the previous evening. Then he shrugged. He'd probably find out later, anyway.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Yet, when Higashidani had gotten to the place where the hats were to be sold, the shopkeeper reluctantly turned him away.
"What did you say?.! Say it again! What do you mean, you can't take these from us now?.!" Higashidani shouted, angrily; towering over the shopkeeper menacingly.
"I-I'm sorry. I really want to take them. But..." the smaller man stammered.
"Fudosawa got to you..." Higashidani muttered, with a sigh. He knew that having a good day was too good to be true.
"Hai...not only that, but the rumored backup of his...some high-up Ishin Shishi finally came. His prime target, the silk, is nearing its final large shipment of the year. If they miss this, there won't be anything until next spring...They're getting serious about taking this town. I am really sorry...but I can't throw my whole family out into the streets." the shopkeeper said, worriedly.
"It seems I've put you in a tight spot...I'll leave these as an apology. They are superb quality hats, made with the expertise of the Higashidani family." Higashidani murmured, and silently added, "And two very lucky survivors." As Higashidani quietly walked out, his expression crestfallen, a voice he had not been wanting to hear, came to his ears.
"Why the long face?" Fudosawa asked, in mock concern, as his men rushed forward and surrounded Higashidani.
"Fudosawa..." Higashidani growled; narrowing his eyes and furiously chewing on his pipe, as he held back his rage.
"Don't glare so much. I have no intention of fighting today. We're just here to say hi. My uncle from Tokyo insisted on it." Fudosawa sneered, as he waved his attention over to the portly Ishin Shishi that stood close by.
"So you're Kamishimoemon. You look as stubborn as the rumors say you are. But it's best for you to surrender soon. Taking the town doesn't mean we'll take everything. We just want to set an appropriate price. As the one to set these prices, my nephew will become the gateway to all trade." the fat man said, as greed glittered in his evil little eyes.
"'Appropriate' from an ex-Ishin Shishi pig who fattens himself up...is the same as telling us to wither and die!" Higashidani snarled.
"How dare you speak to him like that!" one man shouted, angrily, as he leaped to the Ishin's defense.
"His important uncle has come to give you your last chance!" another man added, before Higashidani knocked them both flat.
"You should already know that talking to me is useless. Didn't you figure that out after I beat the crap out of fifty or so of your goons?" Higashidani asked, darkly.
"Your fists always have been faster than your mouth. Well, if that's your intention, fine. However...If you decide to fight here, and if my uncle gets hurt in any way, it will become a problem. The police and even the Kenrei will sit up and take notice. Then the situation will get ugly. Such a small rural town won't survive even the faintest of attention from authorities." Fudosawa threatened. At this, Higashidani froze, as concern for his family, and even Kaoru and Hiko, rose.
"It may be true that I can fend for myself, but Hiko's still recovering from those wounds. He won't be able to defend Jou-chan, if the house gets attacked...and these bastards will even hurt Uki and Ota to get to me...I can't strike, even though I want to." Higashidani thought, gritting his teeth at the thought of giving even an inch to the evil men before him.
"A wise decision. It's not beneficial to any of us if the town dies. Even if you were able to take down all my men right now...with my uncle behind me, I will never lose." Fudosawa sneered, then added, "You had no chance of winning from the very beginning."
"No matter how stubborn and strong you are at fistfights, this is reality. Muscles have no chance against the power of influence. We will keep fattening up, and you will keep withering away. Whether you like it or not, this is reality! Think hard about how you will act. Next time, we won't simply talk." the Ishin said, making Higashidani's blood boil, even though he couldn't do a thing to harm him. And yet, there were a few pairs of eyes that were glaring holes into him.
"Wait up, Uncle. He beat up two of our guys. I have to get him back for that." Fudosawa added.
"It seems only fair." the Ishin agreed.
"Hey, you two." Fudosawa called, to the largest two men behind him.
"Yeah?" the both replied.
"Pay him back for the two who are unconscious. Except, according to our rules, double the pain." Fudosawa said, as the two men eagerly went to their task.
"If the town dies, we lose everything..." Higashidani thought, despairingly, even as the two men closed in on him. Yet, before they could land their blows, Sanosuke flew in from nowhere! With vengeance, he protected his father.
"Tou-san!" Uki's and Ota's voices shouted, as they rushed over; their worry for him making them even braver.
"Hey, Fight Merchant! What's the meaning of this?.!" Fudosawa snarled.
"This is my fight. I don't want any unnecessary interruptions." Sanosuke replied; his eyes icy as he glared at the yakuza.
"Don't get carried away, kid." Fudosawa warned.
"Hmm. Is this the Fight Merchant you mentioned last night?" the Ishin asked, getting a nod from Fudosawa in response, before he continued, "I'm sorry to have to point this out, but you're useless now. The situation will be all settled now that I'm here. Don't worry, we'll pay you your allowance. How much do you want?"
"I've...seen you somewhere before, haven't I?" Sanosuke asked, ignoring the question entirely.
"What? Why would I have met someone as low as you?" the Ishin asked, as he nervously backed away from Sanosuke.
"No. I've seen you before. That laughable face. I wouldn't forget it. It was...I know. You're the pork bun from the Jin-e Incident!" Sanosuke said, when he'd finally remembered where he'd seen the Ishin before. And it appeared the fat official remembered him, as well, since he was now recoiling from him.
"Are you playing king of the hill with all the yakuza, even way out here in the country? If you're going to play king of the hill, at least evolve from a pig to a monkey or something." Sanosuke muttered; preventing himself from smirking when he heard Uki's snickering behind him. The Ishin only growled, then started to stomp off.
"Let's go, Fudosawa!" the Ishin snarled, as he went.
"Uncle?" Fudosawa asked, surprised by how enraged the fat man was.
"Let's just go!" the Ishin snapped, in response. Before they left, Fudosawa turned to Sanosuke, and gave him a deadly glare.
"Those who don't know their worth die early, remember that." Fudosawa warned.
"A guy with an M-shaped bald spot doesn't deserve to speak like a policeman I know." Sanosuke retorted. With that, the gang of yakuza left the scene, and the crowd began cheering for Sanosuke.
"You chased away Fudosawa!" one man shouted, gratefully.
"Take that, you punks!" another added, gaining courage from Sanosuke's stubbornness to say that. With the confrontation over, Uki breathed a sigh of relief; her father was safe, for now.
"Hmph." Sanosuke snorted, as he watched them go...yet was bowled over by a flying punch from his father for that.
"What do you mean 'Hmph'?.! You baka! I was holding back so hard, and you returned their taunt, with interest! I'm jealous, you fool!" Higashidani roared, furious to have been shown up by the nineteen-year-old.
"You're the fool!" Sanosuke retorted, as yet another fistfight began in the street.
"Cut it out!" Uki shouted, then said, "Tou-san! You've still got to relay her message!"
"That's right! I almost completely forgot!" Higashidani thought, grinning as he punched Sanosuke hard enough to get him to back away for a moment.
"Got a message for you. From a young lady." Higashidani panted; as he tried to gauge his son's reaction to that.
"What? Trying to arrange a marriage for me?" Sanosuke asked, managing to look perplexed when his father snickered and shook his head.
"This girl is too good for you...But she'd said she wants to meet you at our house tonight. Be sure to be there." Higashidani said, his eyes almost alight with mischief, as he said that.
"Okay..." Sanosuke agreed, confusedly. Just what was going on, now?
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
"Sit down before you wear a hole in the floor, Kamiya." Hiko muttered, as he watched Kaoru pace nervously.
"Gomen, Hiko-san, but I can't sit still...I'm worried about Higashidani-san, Uki-chan, and Ota-kun. They should've been back, by now!" Kaoru fretted, worriedly.
"But pacing and worrying will get you nowhere." Hiko said, even though he himself was starting to become a bit concerned, as well...not just for the family, but also for something else that didn't seem quite right.
"Something stinks." Hiko mentally growled, as he scowled at the far wall; only perking up when he sensed some familiar presences coming.
"They're here." Hiko murmured, this getting a sigh of relief from the kenjutsu teacher.
"Thank goodness!" Kaoru said, as she rushed out to greet them.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Sanosuke could only wonder what in the world had gotten into his family, all of a sudden; his sister was suddenly acting giddy, his father had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and even Ota was chattering away excitedly.
"It's almost as though they have some sort of surprise for me...But what is it?" Sanosuke silently asked, as they entered the front door. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; the house was much the same as it was when he'd left, ten years before. And then, someone stepped into view...and the sight of this person almost made his heart stop.
"Sanosuke!" a familiar voice called, happily. The owner of the voice was wearing what appeared to be a pale blue kimono, and had her long black hair tied in a high tail away from her face. Blue-grey eyes sparkled joyfully in the lamplight...eyes he knew belonged to only one person.
"J-jou...JOU-CHAN!" Sanosuke shouted, as he, uncharacteristically, rushed forward and caught her in an almost crushing embrace.
"Sano! I can't breathe!" Kaoru laughed, yet she went still when she felt his tears fall onto her own face.
"Jou-chan...you're alive...Kami-sama...it's too good to be true!" Sanosuke sobbed, as he held her; his whole body shaking and his heart racing at the implications of this.
"Better not let the Baka Deshi catch you two like that, Tori-atama." another familiar voice, this time a man's voice, stated, sarcastically. This got Sanosuke to look up, and his eyes widened. There stood the Thirteenth Master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu; very much alive, and smirking at him as he leaned casually against a wall.
"Hiko!" Sanosuke cried, before he felt his knees turn into jelly, a strange pain crossed his chest, and the world went dark. And yet, before consciousness left him completely, one thought summed up what he was feeling, exactly.
"If they're here, then what were those things we saw in the dojo?"
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
When Sanosuke again found himself returning to consciousness, he was relieved when the first person he saw was Kaoru. She was sitting beside him; gently bathing his feverish brow with a damp cloth.
"Who's the one who got weak-kneed, this time, Sano?" Kaoru teased, gently, as she wiped his face.
"Jou-chan..." Sanosuke whispered; seeming frustrated when his voice came out weak.
"Don't try to speak, Sano. The doctor had said earlier that you'd come very close to having a heart attack." Kaoru said, her tone gentle, yet firm. She still seemed a little shaken by his collapse, and didn't want to see him go through something like that again.
"Had a very good reason...for reacting like that...Jou-chan." Sanosuke managed, as he reached up and gripped her hand as tightly as he dared; keeping in mind to restrain his strength so he would not hurt her by doing so.
"Care to explain why, Sagara?" Hiko asked, from the far end of the room; he was now seated against the wall, with Winter Moon propped against his shoulder. For a moment, Sanosuke sighed, and closed his eyes; his mind was still a little cloudy from the shock, yet he started to explain, anyway.
"That yarou...made us think you two were dead...There were bodies laying in the dojo...that looked like yours'...Blood was everywhere...Jou-chan, the body that had looked like your's had Enishi's sword sticking out of it...and Hiko's had been run through with his own sword..." Sanosuke murmured; his voice slowly regaining strength as he lay there.
"Karakuri...He must've planted two more dolls inside the dojo...I take it even the Kitsune-onna was fooled?" Hiko again asked, and got a slight nod from Sanosuke in response.
"Yeah...In this case, I'm glad she was wrong." Sanosuke said, then added, "And Kenshin will be glad to see you two, as well."
"How is he, by the way?" Kaoru asked, anxiously.
"The last time I saw him, Jou-chan, he was in the Fallen Village...Still alive, but dead inside." Sanosuke replied, grimly; noticing Kaoru's look of alarm, and yet, seeing no reaction from Hiko.
"The situation may have changed by now, Sagara." Hiko said, calmly.
"I hope you're right." Sanosuke sighed. They all looked when Higashidani stuck his head into the room.
"Glad to see that he's awake. That scared the shit out of me, Sanosuke!" Higashidani muttered, as he gave his son a glare that was tinged with worry. Sanosuke smirked, and gave him a weak shrug in response.
"Well, Dad, it's not often that you come across two people who, up until just recently, had been considered dead and buried...I'd been scared then, too...but for different reasons..." Sanosuke admitted.
"Scared? Different reasons?" Kaoru asked, confusedly.
"Yeah. I thought I was finally going insane...I was afraid that you two weren't real...That, if I even blinked, you'd disappear like ghosts...That you, Jou-chan...would slip through my fingers like smoke." Sanosuke said; actually shuddering when he thought of his fears, and giving Kaoru a pleading look while he was at it.
"We're both really here, Sanosuke...Hiko-san had somehow managed to run all that way, as badly injured as he was...and I was lucky enough to have run into your family right away and gotten the help he'd needed." Kaoru said, then added, "I just wish I had known that Enishi had done that...That way, you wouldn't have collapsed like this."
"Don't worry about it, Jou-chan. I'll be back to normal again before you know it." Sanosuke reassured.
"Feh, we can hope. That baka will need your fists again, soon enough." Hiko stated, moodily.
"What about you? Aren't you going to help?" Sanosuke asked.
"I can't guarantee anything. While it may be true that I can stand up and walk without falling over, fighting will be another story entirely. As it is, I will probably end up as a mere spectator, nothing more." Hiko replied, with an irritated sigh. He was back to where he'd started before the Jinchuu had officially begun.
"Well, at least you're in better shape than you were when you'd arrived at the dojo." Sanosuke stated; remembering the burning amber color Hiko's eyes had been then, with a shudder.
"True." Hiko agreed.
"Well, in any case, dinner will be ready shortly." Higashidani said, after a long silence, then added, "We've even got some sake."
"Finally." Hiko muttered; sounding pleased with this development, yet giving Kaoru and Sanosuke a look that said it all.
"Don't worry. We won't tell Megumi." Kaoru promised, with a soft laugh. She knew just how long it had been since Hiko had had some sake, and didn't want the stubborn doctor to jump all over his case when they returned to Tokyo, either.
"He's earned it." Kaoru thought, as Sanosuke got up, and they went to join the Higashidani family at the dinner table; knowing that somehow, a few paths had just come full circle.
Author's Note!
Sort of an odd chapter, I know...I just hope it made some sense! Thanks for reading!
Gemini14