A/N: This is shorter than Chapter One.

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai 7. Akira Kurosawa owns the original 1954 move Seven Samurai, while the anime studio Gonzo made the anime.

Recap:

...Kiku, wanting to help, used his large sword to knock down the pillar.

"Whoa! Kiku!" I yelled," This place is friggin' old! Everything is gonna collapse!"

"Uh-oh..."

Chapter Two: Well This is Some Day

We all managed to escape, avoiding the collapsing building. Dust was everywhere, so I had my kimono's sleeve in front of my nose and mouth, trying not to inhale it all. I could hear sounds of fighting. As the debris cleared, I saw Kambei fighting pinkie and Gorobei fighting the cyborg. Both enemies were easily defeated, and Kikuchiyo was chatised for his dumb mistake.

"That's enough, both of you," said Kambei. "Kikuchiyo, what are you going to do about that?"

We all looked at the destruction. Some people came, wondering what the heck was going on. Komachi looked at it in awe, then said,"That's awesome and all, but now we're all in trouble."

We all looked at Kikuchiyo.

"Erg... Fine, fine! All right! I'll clean up!" He said, wearing a piece of cloth over his head.

"If it makes you feel any better, Kiku," I said, walking up to him," I'll help."

"Thanks, Aki!"

As the rest of the group talked, I helped Kiku clean up. I rolled up my sleeves, made sure they wouldn't get in the way, and made sure my hair was tied back tightly. Kiku did the heavy jobs while I cleaned up the fallen pieces of rubble. Everyone else had left a few minutes ago, deciding to stay at Masamune's and my place. Kikuchiyo also stayed at Masamune's but he's usually out in the streets doing some stupid things. Sometimes, I had go get him out of trouble, or help repair him.

"So," I said," I thought we were just cleaning up..."

Kiku had been actually trying to rebuild the fallen building.

"Yeah, but I feel guilty for knocking everything over. You don't have to help in rebuilding. Just keep cleaning up!"

"Alright..."

I put my katana hanging from my waist and gun from my pocket down somewhere where it won't get in the way, and continued to clean up the place. It was tiring, but I managed to do it. Kiku had used the bigger pieces of rubble in rebuilding, so it wasn't too hard for me. Eventually, we both finished.

"Hey, Aki," said Kiku, getting my attention.

"Yeah, Kiku? What is it?" I got my weapons back, and I rolled down my sleeves.

"Do you think this is okay?"

I looked at his attempt at rebuilding the former jail house. Though it didn't look like it was stable in a few places, it seemed sturdy overall.

"Looks okay to me," I said shrugging. " I don't know about architecture, though."

"Ah, well. At least I tried!"

"Hey, let's get back to Masamune's. Everyone must be there."

The two of us took our time to get home. We talked more about what happened in the time I was in jail.

"So that's why my cellmate got scared..."

"What?! You were in the same cell as that robber?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did he...?"

"No, he didn't. I 'played nicely' with him. You know, for fun," I smiled a bit too sweetly, thinking about how funny it was to give the guy hell.

"Hn... I still can't believe you gave up being a samurai, yet you still agreed to help those farmers."

"Well, it was either help them out or stay here and go to jail again. I think the guards like me going back to jail."

I heard Kiku grumble in response. He said something, too, but I couldn't hear it.

We were soon walking down the stairs near Masamune's place. Up ahead though, we saw a blond man in red with his sword raised at Kambei.

"AH! Kambei, look out!" Kikuchiyo took off the cloth around his head, and ran towards the red samurai, his sword prepared to strike. He easily got rid of the weapon, and would've struck down my friend if Kambei hadn't struck the man from behind, making him drop his sword. Kiku tripped over one of the many fallen metal pipes, and rolled on them, stopping right in front of Katsushiro and Kirara.

The stranger glanced at Kambei, and took his sword from the ground.

"I changed my mind," he said, "Another time, then."

He sheathed his twin swords into the scabbard, and walked away. I stared at him as he walked by me. His red eyes flickered towards me, then straight ahead. I looked in the direction he left. Just who is he?

"Akinari?"

I snapped out of my daze.

"Huh? Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" asked Gorobei.

"Yeah, I'm alright. So... The guy that just left was fighting master Kambei?"

"Yeah!" said Komachi, running up to me. "It was scary, but cool!"

"He could be a good ally," said Kambei, joining us.

So scary guy could join us?

"All right... Well- Ack!"

"What's wrong, Aki?" asked Komachi.

"I forgot something! I'll be back later!" I said, running off.

Back at the building Kiku tried to rebuild, I found my wallet. I had something very important hidden in a secret pocket of it, so I was happy to have found it.

'If Master was here,' I thought,' He'd be mad at me for even forgetting this.'

As I went back home, I thought about what's going to happen from here on out. I'm helping out farmers about their Nobuseri problem, but before that, we need 8 samurai all together. We only need 5 more though, since so far there's Kambei, Gorobei, and I. I feel like Kiku and Katsushiro are going to be part of the team eventually, along with the red man, so that leaves 2 more. Pfft. Maybe a rice-lover would join? Ha, I doubt it.

Going down a deserted alley, I paused in my walk. Bells... I can hear the sound of 2 bells...

"Master! Master, where are you?!" I ran frantically around the battlefield. Today's battle was over, and there were so many casualties from both sides. "Master?!"

Why can't I hear his bell? Why?! Master always has a bell on his sword and around his neck. If he's alive, then I should be hearing the sound of them by now! I stopped in my running, and fell to my knees.

"N-no..." Master laid on the ground. His head had been sliced off, and it was a few feet away from his bloodied and mangled body. There's so much blood. All I can see was red splattered in the brown earth.

"Dammit...!" I punched the ground.

I should have never left your side...

I came back into reality when I heard a meow. Oh, I see. There were bells on the cat's red collar. I calmed down, then continued to walk to Masamune's. It was just one little flashback. I'll be fine.

'Do I honestly believe that, though?'

End of Chapter Two

A/N: I've decided to follow the anime while putting a few changes to some of the scenes here and there for this fanfic.