Disclaimer: I still don't own it. Nope.

When Sakura Blossoms Fall

Chapter 19: A Delay of Separation

Kenji meandered slowly toward the Aoiya, his feelings mixed between awe and frustration toward one of its occupants. He couldn't help feeling mixed relief and regret about what had happened between he and Chizuru. He had unconsciously accomplished the purpose he would develop after that dream: distancing her. But part of him hated leaving Kyoto while they were on such poor terms.

He sighed as he rounded a corner that led him on the street the inn was on. At least he wouldn't have to deal with it for much longer. He was leaving tomorrow, and was on his way to spending his last time with the Oniwabanshu before their goodbyes. And he was dreading every moment of it.

He stopped in mid-stride as he drew closer to the building, groaning. Chizuru and Takashi were standing just outside the inn together. Kenji had avoided meeting the despised man until now, but it only figured that he would be forced to make his acquaintance on his last day here.

He coughed uncomfortably, drawing the gazes of both. Chizuru's bright eyes widened, and she flashed him a dazzling smile, quite unlike her considering their current terms. Kenji felt the corner of his mouth turn up slightly. Maybe she had actually forgiven him.

"Oh, it's you Himura-san!"

His hopes waned at her words. Her formal way of addressing him was her way of telling him that she was as angry with him as ever. She was just acting for the sake of this man.

For a brief moment, Kenji felt an emotion rise within him that he hadn't felt before. It was a sort of protectiveness, as if his territory had been encroached upon. Then another thought hit him. Hiko was right. You're jealous.

Kenji mentally kicked himself, quickly quelling the thought. That was ridiculous.

He approached the two of them, and stood patiently as Chizuru introduced her 'friend' to him.

"Himura-san, this is Oshima Takashi. Takashi," she continued, using his first name with no attempt at formality, "this is Himura Kenji, a friend of the family." Kenji didn't fail to notice that her eyes, brimming with admiration, and perhaps another emotion he refused to acknowledge, never shifted from Takashi.

Begrudgingly Kenji accepted the hand that had been offered him, though he would have preferred a simple bow, which required no physical contact. Takashi's shake was flimsy and weak. Kenji found himself barely able to restrain from smirking. This man Chizuru had chosen was no swordsman. How fitting.

Without any further stalling, Chizuru invited them both inside, apparently enjoying the fact that her beloved Takashi had placed his arm back around her shoulders. Kenji followed the two silently, pausing in momentary surprise as Oshima glanced at him over his shoulder, his face sporting an arrogant sneer.

The look faded instantly, however, as Chizuru glanced up at him, replaced by an apparently sincere and caring smile. She grinned back, and disappeared through the front door of the Aoiya appearing more happy and at peace than she had since she and Kenji were just children.

o

Kenji picked half-heartedly at the rice in front of him, most of his attention fixed on the couple kneeling across from him. Takashi had led the majority of the conversation that evening, informing them all of his amazing success as a merchant and various other stories that the group, with the exception of Chizuru, bore with meager tolerance.

They had reached a momentary lull in the conversation, much to the relief of most at the table. Then, suddenly, Takashi's eyes brightened, and he looked up at all of them.

"Did you know that Chizuru here was actually considering training to be a ninja?" he asked, an incredulous look on his face. For the first time, Chizuru blushed and placed a hand on his arm in an effort to silence him, but to no avail.

He chuckled heartily. "Of course I told her that was ridiculous," Kenji noticed more than one ninja at the table twitch, "I mean, a ninja, in these times? Maybe when we were kids, but times have changed. Ninjas, samurai, or any kind of swordsmen for that matter—" Kenji noticed Takashi's eyes flick toward him for a split second before his last comment, "—they're all completely irrational. Ludicrous, really."

Chizuru smiled weakly, but the rest present were obviously incensed. Misao failed to acknowledge the surprised glances she received when one of her chopsticks snapped cleanly in half from the sheer force of her grip, but instead reacted by stabbing the food on her plate with her remaining utensil, eating much more aggressively than normal. Kenji almost snickered at the look of pent-up frustration on Aoshi's face. It was more emotion than he had ever seen the man express before. The remainder of the Oniwabanshu just responded with obvious scowls, refusing to make eye contact with the offending young man.

Idiot. Doesn't he realize who he's eating dinner with?

Kenji had to feign a cough in order to hide his amusement as Chizuru covered her face with a hand in shame and embarrassment. She answered his act with an angry glare. She knew what he was doing, and wouldn't stand to be mocked at a time like this. Kenji just raised his eyebrows at her unspoken accusation and pointed to himself, as if to ask, 'who, me?'

o

"Aoshi, you can't be serious."

The ninja glanced at Kenji, one eyebrow arched in surprise at his forwardness. Then he turned back to his endeavor before the interruption, polishing his best kodachi.

"I don't know what you mean, Kenji."

"Aoshi, you can't actually be considering their relationship plausible!"

"I assume you're speaking of Chizuru and Oshima."

Kenji turned, throwing his arms in the air in frustration. "Who else?"

"There's no reason I shouldn't, Kenji. I'm not her father." He continued quickly before Kenji could interrupt. "He's a good young man, he can provide for her, and they care for each other. Our differences in opinion shouldn't be ground to separate them. After all, there's no one else to consider." Kenji didn't notice the long, almost disappointed glance that Aoshi gave him as he spoke those words.

Kenji would have continued his argument, but at the moment he opened his mouth, the fusama to the training room he and Aoshi stood in opened, revealing an uncharacteristically serious Chizuru. Upon seeing her apparel, Kenji quickly concluded that she was here to train, despite Oshima's claims that he had convinced her otherwise. For some reason, she had chosen a crimson gi and white hakama, instead of the typical ninja garb of women of the Oniwabanshu. Scowling at Kenji, she made her way to Aoshi to retrieve a sword. As she passed the young swordsman, he caught the soft but threatening words, "don't you dare say a word."

After Chizuru had retrieved her weapon and moved to the center of the room, following the simple instructions Aoshi gave her to go through some practice moves on her own, Kenji turned to the other man, smiling slightly.

"She's doing it anyway?"

"That man may be arrogant and ridiculous, but at least he hasn't had that great of an effect on her." Aoshi picked up his own kodachi, ready to join her. He glanced once more at Kenji. "You're welcome to stay. I think you'll be impressed at how rapidly she's progressing, and an audience would do her some good." Kenji merely nodded and sat down, leaning against the wall. This would be interesting.

"Are you ready?"

Chizuru glanced apprehensively at Kenji, then back at Aoshi

"What is it?"

"Is he going to stay?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, I, I just—"

"Self-consciousness is not an admirable trait in a ninja." She winced slightly at the barb and glanced at Kenji once more, chagrined to see that a small smile curled his lips and he was trying desperately not to laugh.

"But he's laughing at me," she quietly protested. Of course, the smile mysteriously disappeared as Aoshi turned to look at Kenji.

"You're being ridiculous, Chizuru. Now let's begin."

Aoshi made a motion as if to attack her, a simple one, but Kenji was still surprised as Chizuru nearly effortlessly blocked it. They continued, Chizuru responding somewhat hesitantly to his motions. Her skill was obvious, thought both men could tell that she wasn't at her best.

"You're distracted," Aoshi stated simply as she barely dodged a second-rate swing.

"No I'm not."

"Chizuru, stop."

She did so, breathing more heavily than she should have been after such a short period.

Aoshi shook his head. "Progress is hopeless as long as you remain in your current state of mind. We'll try again tomorrow."

"But—"

"Don't argue. Further training at this point is useless."

Disappointment was visible on her face as she sat her kodachi aside and left the room.

"That was a bit harsh," Kenji commented from his position on the floor. Then again, he shouldn't have expected Aoshi to make any exceptions to his harsh honesty in training, even for Chizuru.

"She needed it." He turned to Kenji. "Kenji, I know you were planning on returning to Tokyo soon, but is there any way I could convince you to stay for just a little while longer and continue coming to her training sessions? If she doesn't at least get used to other people watching her fight, she'll never improve and become a notable ninja."

"But why me?"

"She's too used to everyone else around here. You're the only one that really seems to bother her."

Kenji didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, so he decided to ignore it, just shrugging and sighing. How long could it take, anyway?

"I guess."

Aoshi gave him a grateful nod. "Maybe while we're at it, with our combined effort we can convince her not to marry that idiot Oshima."

Kenji stared blankly through the open fusama as Aoshi disappeared, his blue eyes oddly unfocused.

"Marry?"

o

Chizuru reacted similarly the next day when she walked in to find Kenji sitting in the same position against the wall, ready to observe. She glanced desperately at Aoshi, who just tossed her weapon to her.

It took a few weeks, but eventually both Kenji and Aoshi noticed a clear change in her. Kenji's presence became a triviality, and she was just as focused and controlled as she would have been if he had been absent. She would be an intimidating ninja someday in her own right.

Kenji noticed a change within himself, as well. What had initially been an inconvenience had almost become enjoyable. He knew perfectly well that he was hardly worthy of speaking to her anymore on friendly terms, considering the insulting things he had said to her in the past. But during her training sessions, he was at least able to be around her, without also having to endure the odious Oshima. And after everything he had been through, watching an innocent person just learn, without any ulterior motives, was highly refreshing. Before he knew it was happening, he was valuing and appreciating her more than he ever had before. But he didn't allow it to show. After all, he didn't want to end up getting close to her again after that hideously foreboding dream. Besides, he sensed that he would inevitably be leaving soon anyway. He wouldn't be needed much longer.