When Sakura Blossoms Fall

Chapter 12: Bitter Truth

Outa grunted as he lifted the smooth log in front of him and beads of sweat began to appear on his reddened face. He gasped in surprise as the load suddenly became lighter, and glanced to his side. He grinned. It was Kenji, lifting the other half of the log with ease and helping Outa to push it into position. Outa chuckled as the ex-soldier jogged a few feet away to help a little boy retrieve a bucket of water from the town's single well.

Kenji had adapted to life in the refugee village with unbelievable alacrity. He was something of a marvel to the inhabitants. The children were constantly surrounding him, mostly to tug at his rare red hair or admire his clear blue eyes. The men had grown to respect and rely on his strength and skills to build and protect the village, and the women came to adore his willingness to assist them in their own tasks when their husbands stubbornly refused. The young warrior had even gained several young female admirers, who never failed to praise and cheer him during his "private" practice sessions with the sakabatou.

For the first few months, he had patiently endured the chuckles from Sanosuke and Outa when a blushing young woman whispered something he didn't understand to one of her friends while staring at him, or when his fellows workers mocked him when he hit his thumb with a hammer in their native language of Chinese. By now, however, he had gained a basic understanding of the language, and found communication with the villagers easier every day.

He had volunteered without complaint to help improve the conditions in the village, whether that meant building sturdy houses for the new arrivals, digging a well, chopping down trees, or even staying up all night to keep watch (paranoia about both Boxer and soldier still ran rampant among most). Anyone that had known him in adolescence would quickly acknowledge that he had significantly matured, and he reminded Sano more and more of Kenshin by the day.

The Japanese Imperial Army uniform was packed away in a small home that had become Kenji's own, replaced with what the Chinese called a "shen-i." His new garb consisted of a navy blue tunic falling all the way to his knees and sewn to a pair of loose black trousers. He had to admit, he highly preferred the open and comfortable Chinese clothing to his old uniform.

And after several weeks living here, he had finally learned the whole truth about Sanosuke, Uki, and Outa: their presence in China, their differing last names, and Sano's connection with his parents.. Supposedly, when Sanosuke he fled the country in fear for his life after rebelling against a corrupt government official, Outa and Uki had been only children. Several years later, around the time when Kenshin and Kaoru had died, he had returned to his homeland, expecting it to be safe. He had quickly learned, however, that he was still a very wanted man, but just before leaving had been convinced by his younger brother and sister to allow them to come along. Outa and Uki, who was about ten years older than her youngest brother, had followed him back to the main continent. They had ended up in China by chance when the war started, and after being caught up in the mess in Beijing, decided to assist their former neighbors and now refugees in rebuilding their lives elsewhere. A group of them had started this village, which had become a safe escape for victims all over the country.

And Sanosuke's surname, Sagara, that had come from his years in the Seikihoutai, during the revolution. Kenji found himself reliving part of his childhood as he reheard stories about the infamous Zanza that Yahiko had shared with him on stormy nights all those years ago.

"Kenji!"

Kenji handed the little boy the full bucket of water and turned to the source of the voice, smiling as he saw Uki running toward him and waving. Her short black hair bounced around her ears as she came to a stop. She was in her mid-thirties now, but still acted and looked like a little girl. She was like Misao in a way, only less conniving.

"What is it, Uki?"

"Sanosuke wants to know if you'll take guard duty tonight."

"Sure," Kenji replied without hesitation, though he groaned mentally. He had been up most of the previous night as well, helping a family finish their roof as fast as possible as a rainstorm brewed. Uki smiled gratefully and turned, yelling her thanks over her shoulder as she jogged away.

Kenji smiled to himself. Life here was so peaceful, so perfect. He envied her and her brothers for having it for so long. It was so easy to stay here, to run away from everything that had caused him pain before. He couldn't see a reason to leave. He could stay here, find a sweet Chinese girl and settle down. He chuckled to himself, realizing how foreign thoughts like those would have been just a few years ago. His life had changed drastically. He doubted that things would ever return to the way they had once been for him. The choices he had made had been too life-changing for that.

"Still awake?"

Kenji glanced down at the ground to where Sanosuke stood. He was currently sitting atop the wooden protective barrier surrounding the village in the dark, and apparently Sano had come to keep him company.

Sanosuke quickly climbed the ladder Kenji had used and planted himself next to Kenji, holding a lantern in his lap. They sat in silence for several moments, each gazing quietly at the towering trees while making sure to remain on guard.

"Kenji?"

"Yes, Sagara-san?" At that Sanosuke chuckled out loud.

"For the last time Kenji, don't call me that! It's not right for the son of Kaoru and Kenshin to address a lowly fighter-for-hire like me so formally. If anything, I should be the one calling you that." Kenji just smiled and shook his head, used to these protests by now.

"All right, Sanosuke. What is it?"

Sano's joking smile disappeared, and Kenji noticed as he stared into the lantern that a melancholy expression was taking over his face, perhaps the first one he had seen on him.

"Kenji," he started, "this might sound strange, but . . . how are things, how is everyone, back in Japan?"

"I haven't been there for years, Sanosuke."

"I know," he replied in agitation, "but it's been even longer since I was there. And the last time I was there, the only ones I saw were Outa and Uki, who are here now anyway. How is everyone else?"

"You miss it."

"No," Sanosuke quickly protested. "I don't miss relying either on my brutishness, the sympathy of others, or gambling to get by. I wouldn't want to go back to that."

"But you miss everybody, don't you?"

There was a short pause.

"Yes."

"So, what do you want to know?"

Sanosuke looked up at the vast expanse of stars. "Well, what was everyone up to when you left? What's happened in the years I've been gone? You know, anything."

Kenji sighed, starting with the basics.

"You knew Myoujin Yahiko, right?"

Sano smirked. "Of course."

"Well, he's married."

Kenji thought Sanosuke was going to fall off the wall. "What! To whom?"

"Tsubame."

Sanosuke paused for a moment, then slapped his leg and began to laugh heartily. "Ah, I always knew those two would hit it off. How's Tsubame?"

"Well, she owns the Akabeko now, and Yahiko is the new master of the Kamiya Kasshin."

"The little brat's got his own style now. Who would have guessed? Are they happy?"

"Yes. Oh, and they have a kid."

This time Sanosuke did fall off the wall, or at least would have if Kenji hadn't grabbed him by the shoulder and steadied him. He stared blankly ahead for a few moments, then began to shake his head in awed disbelief. "He was just a kid when I left. A kid? I can't believe it . . ."

He smiled wryly and sighed, suddenly looking and probably feeling a lot older than he had in a long time.

"What about your mother?"

Kenji stopped cold, his grip on the wall tightening as he realized that Sanosuke didn't know. He turned his head slowly to look vacantly at the former fighter for hire.

His voice was low and hollow.

"She died ten years ago, Sano."

The pain he saw instantly form on the man's face made him want to jump off the wall right then. Sanosuke had looked up and was staring at him, his eyes wide in an emotion he had never related with the man. Fear.

"Ten years?" he whispered. "Have I been gone that long?"

"Much longer."

Sanosuke shook his head, burying his face in his hands. "I can't believe she's . . . gone. Jou-chan's really gone. Ten years—then I guess your father—"

"Dead."

Sano nodded absently. "I thought so. I'm the one that found him and sent him back to Japan. And unfortunately, judging by his condition, it really wasn't that hard to tell that he didn't have that much time left."

Both fell into silence, Sano milling through his sorrow and Kenji revisiting feelings of bitterness he hadn't felt since abandoning the army.

Then Sanosuke, seeking to move past the subject, proposed another quiet question. "What about the girls, Ayame and Suzume?"

"Oh, Suzume-san got married a while ago and moved to Sapporo."

"That little pig-tailed girl? Married?" Kenji refrained from answering and just shrugged, unable to picture the sophisticated woman as a little girl.

"And Ayame?"

"She's never gotten married, but she's happy. She's working at the clinic in Tokyo."

The mention of the clinic led perfectly to the next topic, an unavoidable one in Sanosuke's mind.

"Is Megumi still around?"

"Oh, I remember Megumi. I hadn't seen her in awhile when I left. She lives in Aizu now."

"Is she . . ." Sano get himself off, blushing slightly.

"What?"

"Well, is she . . . married, or anything?"

"No."

"Oh." Kenji thought he sensed a degree of relief in the word. Suddenly he realized the implication of Sanosuke's tone, and realized that his next words would probably bring a great deal of suffering to the man. He glanced guiltily at his comrade.

"There's something else you should know, though."

"Oh?"

"She . . . has a daughter."

Sure enough, Sanosuke stiffened, his eyes fixing intently on the lantern's flame.

"Who is he?"

Kenji shrugged in response. "She said he passed away. I never knew him"

"How old is the girl?" he asked, his voice and eyes suddenly dull.

"She's about my age—around twenty-one."

"What's she like?"

"I don't really know. I've only met her once, and we were just kids."

"Her name?"

"Sanosuke," Kenji gently scolded, "she's across the ocean. It doesn't really matter."

Sano nodded and smiled somewhat desperately. "Is Megumi happy?"

Kenji sighed. "I don't know. I rarely see her."

"Kenji," he repeated, "is Megumi happy?"

Kenji shook his head. "I imagine so."

"Good." Sanosuke leaned his head back to stare at the sky, sighing. "Things sure have changed since those days. I'd give anything to be back at the dojo, just with Kenshin and Kaoru, and Yahiko, Megumi, Genzai, and the girls. Things were fun back then, so different from now."

"I wish I could just imagine times like that," Kenji muttered, "imagine my father being the kind of man you describe him to be."

"What do you mean?"

"He was never around, Sanosuke. I hardly knew him, and his absence constantly hurt my mother." His eyes narrowed. "I'll always hate him for it."

Sanosuke's eyes widened. "I'm sure it wasn't his fault, Kenji. He really was a good man. If not for him, none of us would have ever even met."

Kenji shook his head, then turned and slipped off the wall back into the boundaries of the village. He was aware of the fact that Sanosuke had come to relieve him of his duties, and meandered bitterly to his home, trying to shake out the end of the conversation just held between the two of them. He didn't want to remember him.

Sanosuke watched him go sadly. It was a shame that Kenji had never been able to truly get to know his real father. Sano pitied any person that didn't have Kenshin's influence in their life. He turned back to his flickering lantern, releasing a heavy and weary sigh and closing his eyes.

"He sure is your son, Kenshin. There's not mistaking it. I thought I was hallucinating the fist time I saw him, because there's no other source for hair like that. He's got Jou-chan's eyes though, not to mention her stubbornness."

He reopened his eyes and looked back at the ebony sky. "I hope you two are happy, wherever you are. I still can't believe that the life we once shared has changed so much. Things will never be the same with you two gone."

Sanosuke yawned widely and rubbed one eye, then blew out his lantern to more effectively and secretly observe the surrounding landscape. And after just a few minutes, he found his thoughts inevitably falling to a certain fox and her mysterious daughter.

No, Megumi didn't have a daughter in Seisouhen or anything that you missed. Don't worry, all will be explained. Oh yeah, and some reviews would be nice.

Next Chapter: Prisoner

Kenji's sweating hand twitched next to the hilt of his sword as he caught sight of the army. Luckily he had had the foresight to bring the weapon. It would be needed if he was spotted.

He swore under his breath and crouched down lower as he picked out Sanosuke amid the mass of blue. He was towering over the other soldiers, his hands tied, trudging slowly along with the column.

"That idiot."