A/N: I only have a vague idea of how the rules of kendo work, so for the sake of fiction, creative licence, and the crazy physics of manga, don't take any of it seriously! Also, some actual historical info is mentioned near the end of the chapter for those of you Japanese history buffs out there (although it is used as an inaccurate plot-point in this story).

Terms:

Seiza – proper, respectful way of sitting, in a kneeling position with feet folded beneath you

Daisho – matched pair of traditional swords, the long sword (katana) and the short sword (wakizashi)

Men – head

Kote – wrists, or forearms

Do – trunk/chest

-ari – a point in Kendo

Mangetsu – full moon

Aizu – western region of the Fukushima prefecture

Ch 2: A Watarimono Meets With A Master Swordsman

It had been nearly a week since the pilgrim swordsman, Kensei, had taken up residence in the Tsugaru dojo.

Gossip about the strange boy who single-handedly defeated the yakuza and their ferocious attack dogs spread like wildfire through the dojo and the neighbourhood. Everyone was wondering to themselves:

"Where did this impossibly strong kid come from?"

"You should've heard it! His ki-ai was so powerful, he nearly shook the roof down on our heads!"

"He was faster than the wind, in less than a second both the beasts and all the yakuza were blown away by one swing of his bokken. I could barely follow it with my own eyes."

"Who is he really?"

"It's gotta be a lie! I won't believe something so ridiculous unless I see it for myself."

"Maybe it was all just a trick. He could be a spy for the police, trying to steal the Tsugaru style's secret techniques since they've been refusing them for so long."

"Yeah, he could be in league with those yakuza, for all we know. I don't trust him."

"Idiots! If you had seen it for yourselves, you'd think twice about saying he's a fake."

"Then why else would he stay at the Tsugaru dojo for? Are they keeping him as some kind of secret weapon? If he's such a hot-shot swordsman, maybe they're keeping him as a bodyguard – or, maybe they're trying to learn all his special techniques and skills – or, maybe –"

And so, the rumors had continued to spread chaotically like so for the days following the incident. The mysterious brunette, blue-eyed boy in question, however, was not on bodyguard duty, nor teaching classes to the students of the Tsugaru dojo. Currently, he was peacefully sitting in the backyard of the residence quarters doing all the laundry for the dojo's occupants, softly whistling a cheerful tune to himself.

Squatting on a wooden stool, he was bent over a large washtub scrubbing the pieces of cloth along the scrubbing board. He took his time wringing the water out of each cloth, sharply whipping out the last drops moisture from them and clipping them to the clothes line hanging above him.

"There, all clean," he stated, proudly observing his handiwork.

Kensei whistled contently to himself while the sounds of energetic activity could be heard from the dojo and training area close by. After cleaning out the washtub and putting the items away he made his way to the dojo, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the sparring matches before lunchtime.

As he walked onto the terrace, however, it seems apparent to him that the shouts he had heard all morning were not for kenjutsu practice, like he assumed. Several students rushed past him with boards and hammers slung over their shoulders and the whole yard was filled with students armed with broomsticks, brushes and tools, sweeping the cobblestone paths, shearing the bushes around the walls, polishing the front porch and fixing up new sliding doors for the dojo entrance to replace the ones destroyed by the yakuza; inside the dojo, Kensei gawked as even more of the students were busy tidying up – standing on each other's shoulders to dust off the traditional dojo artifacts hanging from the walls while replacing damaged ones with other items. A troop of students were polishing up the drums and repainting the scratch marks; a group were re-arranging the whole equipment rack; and another platoon of them raced across the floor in perfect cleaning formation.

As he stood there wondering what to do with himself (to help or thoughtfully observe), Isao, carrying a load of scrolls in his arms, came jogging past him along the porch, then quickly backtracked to acknowledge Kensei standing prone in the dojo entrance.

"Oh, Kensei. Akira was just about to go get you. Assistant Master Kamata wants to speak with you."

Kensei raised his brows in honest curiosity.

"Kamata-san does?"

Isao nodded. "Yeah. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to him. I'm just heading over to his room right now."

"Hmm..." Kensei wondered quizzically to himself, silently hoping he didn't get assigned something too laborious, like fixing the roof, as that was the only spot he noticed hadn't been thoroughly covered yet. Laundry and cooking he could handle, but his small stature just wasn't made for construction work.

/

The chaotic cleaning seemed to continue all the way to the residence halls where Kamata's room was located. The young instructor had been bedridden after the incident, so lessons had been postponed while the man recuperated. Aside from various gashes over his body, the man had suffered most from the bite on his shoulder; luckily, the doctor had said he would regain use of his arm with ample rest and recuperation. And so, he had spent the past week resting in his quarters, gradually regaining his strength. In truth, Kensei had heard the instructor had regained consciousness a few days prior, but he had yet to talk with the man since the incident.

The door was wide open when they arrived, students with similar-looking scrolls to the ones Isao carried freely rushing in and out. As they walked in and Isao spoke up.

"I've brought Kensei and last month's records, sir."

"Thank you, Isao. Leave them here please."

Isao dropped the scrolls in a growing pile by the table Kamata was seated at, writing busily away with one hand, the other resting in a sling, and quickly left to presumably pick up more.

Kamata glanced up at Kensei and said plainly, "Please, take a seat."

Kensei removes his bokken from his belt and knelt down on the tatami. Kamata finished marking off the sheet in front of him and put down the brush.

"I must apologize, I haven't had the chance to thank you properly yet for saving my students and this dojo from the yakuza. If it wasn't for you, perhaps we wouldn't be here right now." The man backed up from the table on his knees and bowed his head deeply. "You have my deepest gratitude. If there is anything we can do to repay you –"

Kensei waved his hands, flustered at the sudden show of respect. The man was several years older than him after all.

"Please, Instructor Kamata, there's no need to thank me. It was partially my fault in the first place that the yakuza followed us back to the dojo. I'm just glad that everyone is safe."

"I see..."

Kamata regarded Kensei thoughtfully for a moment, remembering the look of intensity on the boy's now innocent and humble features when he had dealt the final blow to the yakuza boss. Kamata would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't intrigued by the mysterious boy who alone had defeated a group of gangsters, plus their pack of attack dogs in tow, all of them practically twice his weight in muscle. He himself probably wouldn't believe it had he not witnessed the boy's display of swordsmanship in person while he lay bleeding and incapacitated on the training hall floor. The gracefulness and ease with which he swung the heavy bokken, and the oppressive ki he had felt that day was all the proof he needed to not underestimate the smiling, carefree boy in front of him now. Like all the others, Kamata had many questions for the boy who had suddenly showed up on their doorstep, but for now, he kept them to himself. Every man had his secrets and Kamata respected Kensei's privacy.

"Well then, I'll move on to the next matter at hand. I'm sure you've noticed that the dojo is quite busy today with cleaning and maintenance for the damages caused by the yakuza."

Kensei nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"And I'm sure by now everyone has expressed their thanks and have become good friends to you during this past week..."

Kensei nodded again.

"And you really have nowhere else to stay at the moment, since you've lost your supplies in the incident prior..."

Kensei nodded for a third time, fidgeting a little at the sudden frown appearing on Kamata's forehead.

"And, although it might be best if you leave now while you still can, we can't just let you go the way things are now..."

Although Kensei had no idea where this conversation was heading, Kamata's anxious demeanor was worrying and he found himself sweating nervously along with the instructor. He finally dared to ask:

"Excuse me, Instructor, but what do you mean by, 'leave now while I still can'?"

The young Ono-ha Itto style instructor cleared an inexistent itch in his throat, coughing pointedly into his fist.

"Well... to put it bluntly..."

Kensei leaned in apprehensively.

Kamata held up a letter with an official looking seal stamped on the corner.

"... Master Tsugaru is returning tomorrow morning."

/

"I guess I can understand why everyone is so distressed in a way, since it was on such short notice. But still, don't you think this is a bit much? Just a little?"

Kensei whispered to Isamu.

All the residents of the dojo, including the old doctor, his assistants, the kitchen hands, and the students who lived outside the dojo, were amassed in the large training hall, half the group on one side and half on the other, all facing the center space that was created down the middle of the hall leading up to the headmaster's alcove. Everyone was dressed in their best uniforms, and even Kensei was lent a finely woven garment like everyone else's for the occasion. He and Isamu were currently sitting near the back in a corner of the hall. If Kensei stretched his neck a little, he could make out Akira and Isao sitting near the front on the opposite side. Kamata and a few senior students were currently positioned at the entrance gates, prepared to receive the Master upon his arrival.

Isamu shook his head incredulously at him, giving him a funny look.

"Oh, you think this is 'a bit much'? Trust me, Kensei, this is nowhere close to what we should've done. I mean, we didn't even have time to properly replace all the sliding doors, not to mention the front gate and the Camellia bushes – oh man, now you reminded me about the Camellia bushes! The Master's not going to take too kindly to seeing his prized bushes trampled over and ruined..."

Kensei gave his friend a reassuring pat on the back as the other boy threaded fingers tightly through his hair uneasily.

The sound of the front gates creaking open on their broken hinges quieted the soft murmuring of the gathered group. They could hear the voices of Kamata and several others slowly grow louder as they approached from the pathway outside.

Everyone in the hall was held in suspense as the pitch of the voices steadied, suggesting the group had paused in their approach somewhere outside. Kensei supposed they were inspecting the crushed and ruined Camellias.

The voices soon move on and quickly arrive on the porch just outside the hall. The crude, temporary paper doors slid open abruptly, revealing a brusque, square-jawed man with a long, thin scar running from his split right ear, over his right eye and up into his scalp. Complete with thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows, a cap of wild gray hair, and massive hands, Kensei could immediately tell just by looking why everyone was so on edge for the past two days. With a Master who had such an intimidating presence, he couldn't blame them. The only thing he couldn't understand was where the dainty Camellias fit into this man's gruff image.

The gathering of people bowed before the Master and uttered in unison, "Welcome back, Master Tsugaru!"

Kensei noted how, despite the man's hunched appearance, he carried himself quite gracefully as he made his way to the head of the room. Light footsteps were the sign of a master swordsman.

Two additional unfamiliar faces along with Kamata followed close behind the Master, while the senior students took their spots amongst the group on either side. After they had settled in their places, Master Tsugaru addressed the group before him.

"Assistant Master Kamata tells me some of you caused some trouble with the police during the two months I've been gone."

Kensei could tell by the way Kamata stiffened in his seat that the Master's blunt way of broaching the topic wasn't exactly how he would have preferred it to happen. Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breaths in anticipation of a storm.

"You lot should count yourselves lucky to have such a generous Instructor, as he has refused to give me specific names for the ones who caused the trouble. I will say this, however..."

He casually dropped out of his formal seiza position and sat back on his haunches, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"The ones responsible should thoroughly reflect on the consequences of their actions. Dragging their fellow students into the fighting, causing unnecessary damage to the sacred dojo, and nearly getting my best assistant instructor killed –"

"He's your only assistant instructor –" One of the two companions who had arrived with the Master, a boy around the same age as Kensei and the others, says cheekily from his spot in the front row, earning him a hard thump on the head by one of the Master's giant fists, causing the students in the front row to jump slightly in their seats.

"That's enough out of you, Ichiro. Now, where was I? Hm, right – the destruction your careless actions have wrought on the dojo and your comrades seems like ample punishment indeed –"

Everyone released the breath they had unconsciously been holding at the sign of the tension in the room subsiding. However, Master Tsugaru continued –

"– but, if you think I'd be satisfied with just shameful feelings, then you are all sorely mistaken."

He stood up, walked over to the equipment rack nearby and hefts a shinai into his hands. He turns to the students and bears over them with a severe expression on his face.

"Either the troublemakers step forward, beg for forgiveness before myself and the Tsugaru daisho, and duel against me now, or else I will carry out capital punishment for each and every one of you, right here. Right now."

Kensei stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the Master as he brandished the shinai at the gathering of students, who looked at each other in a panic. However, nobody made a move, unsure of how to respond.

"No? Well, then why don't we start with you in the front row –"

"Wait."

From across the room, Kensei watched as Akira briskly stood up and walked through the rows of students into the open space before the headmaster. She knelt and bowed her head to the floor.

"It was me, Master Tsugaru."

The severe man scoffed over Akira's hunched over form before him, unconvinced.

"Hooooh, really now? The strict, no-nonsense Akira, causing such trouble in my absence?"

"It's the truth, sir," she replied in a calm voice.

"And that may be so, but I refuse to believe you are the only one at fault. If the others don't show their faces to me now, I'll flog each one of you twice as hard –"

"I'm sorry, Master Tsugaru –" "I was involved too, sir –"

Both Isamu and Isao stood up tersely. Kensei gave his companion a nervous look from his seat on the floor, but the other boy wouldn't meet his eyes, looking unfalteringly at their kenjutsu Master.

When the two of them joined Akira in the center of the room with their foreheads bowed to the floor, the Master regarded the three of them carefully.

"That took longer than I expected to flush you out. I suppose I should simply beat you three alone and wipe my hands of this matter as soon as possible."

The tension among the students seemed to loosen momentarily and Master Tsugaru's eyes subtly regarded the general relief permeating the air.

"However," he continued. "I am thoroughly disappointed now in the lack of honor and camaraderie between my students. Would the rest of you watch in silence while I beat your fellow pupils, relieved for your own sakes at being safe from punishment? If that is how it is, then it's only fair that I deal out the punishment to every one of you after all. Then, I will start off with you three."

He raised the shinai with one hand, Akira's back being his apparent first target, when a steady voice spoke up from a corner of the hall.

"I don't think that's fair at all."

The shinai froze inches away from Akira's defenseless back. Kensei neatly rose to his feet. He and the Master lock eyes and Kensei ignored the vigorously shaking heads of Akira, Isao and Isamu, warning him to back off. Kamata and the other students stared in a panic at their guest's intervention.

Master Tsugaru's harsh eyes narrowed at the indignant boy who dared to challenge him.

"So, you think my reasoning is unjust, boy? What's your name? I don't recall seeing your face around here before..." the older man scratched his chin in thought.

Kamata quickly cut in.

"He's a new student. He joined the dojo soon after you left, Master Tsugaru." The lie came easily from his mouth.

The stern man paused to muse over this new information. "... a new student, you say?"

Kensei walked out to the open space on the floor and stood between his three friends and the threatening man. He faced the current Master of the Ono-ha Itto style and explained himself.

"It's true, there are many at fault for the injustices done to this honorable dojo and its students, but none of the ones responsible are present in this room right now. They are all probably in prison right now... except for me."

The Master chuckled, thoroughly entertained by the boy's blatant display of honesty.

"I have to admit boy, I like your courage. So, are you telling me you would take this punishment in your friends' steads?"

"No, I am not."

Whispers hissed around the room and stares curiously turned to Kensei in surprise. Master Tsugaru waited patiently for him to clarify his position, but when the boy made no move to reply, the Master prompted him.

"So what would you have me do? No matter what you say, discipline must be carried out. But, if you're so hard set on preventing any punishment at all, then I will hand you the first penalty – duel with me, in honor of the dogma of the Tsugaru Ono-ha Itto style."

/

As the sun reached its peak in the sky, lunch sat forgotten in the dining room while the inhabitants of the Tsugaru dojo were all gathered in the main training hall. The spectators lined up along the outer edges of the hall, leaving an enclosed space on the floor perfect for a one-on-one duel. Even the cleaning staff and the old doctor and his assistants had come by to watch.

In the middle of the hall, the Master of the Tsugaru dojo stood patiently, a dominating figure in full protective gear as Kensei made the final adjustments to his own armor with Akira's help.

Akira sighed in exasperation.

"I should have guessed that a good outcome was impossible from the start. Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?"

Kensei shrugged evasively, causing his over-sized helmet to pop up.

"Well it's too late to back out now, even if I wanted to. I'm not too keen on having to swing my sword unnecessarily, but if this is what it takes to pacify Master Tsugaru, then I'll just let him end it quickly."

"If you say so, Kensei." She helped him reset the helmet and tied it securely to his head. She said a little more quietly, "But since it's come to this, you have my permission to knock some sense into that inflated head of his." She nodded approvingly and slapped him heartily on the back.

Not sure whether to take her seriously or if she was being sarcastic, Kensei laughed weakly and made an unsuccessful attempt to scratch his head, thwarted by the thick gloves and bulky helmet. She sighed again at his timid appearance.

"That was a joke. Just keep your focus and you'll be lucky to come out with only a dozen bruises."

He froze on that last comment, contemplating the implication behind it, when Akira pushed him out onto the floor. Shinai in hand, he stepped before his opponent in the center of the area.

Kamata took his place between them, assuming the role of referee.

"I assume you are familiar with the rules of a one-on-one match? The first to gain two points is the winner." His question was directed at Kensei as he eyed the boy nervously.

Unable to nod in the bulky equipment, Kensei waved his hand in acknowledgment.

"All right then. Competitors, draw your swords."

Kensei and the Master ready their shinai.

"Bow."

They squat in unison and slowly rise...

"Fight!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

At the same time, both swordsmen release their ki-ai. The release of two powerful ki's hurls an echoing vibration through the air of the training hall, sending chills down the spectators' spines. The two duelists circle each other cautiously.

Master Tsugaru threw in a compliment as the swordsmen slowly orbited the center of the room.

"That's some impressive ki you have there, boy. You have a strong spirit. But, you can't win a duel with a strong will alone."

He suddenly lunged forward, surprisingly fast for his age and size. Kensei hurriedly blocked and the shinai scraped the side of his helmet, the force of the thrust pushing him back slightly. But, just as quickly as he had attacked, the Master had pulled back a comfortable distance and resumed his stance.

With that vicious initial confrontation over in an instant, Kensei could already feel the sweat rolling down his temples from the pressure alone. Barely a minute into the match and he had glimpsed a feeling he hadn't felt in quite a while – fear. It didn't matter that they now wore protective armor to prevent any injuries or fatalities, Kensei had truly believed in that moment that his head would roll had he not brought his shinai up in time to block. A Master swordsman's presence was terrifying indeed.

"What's the matter, boy? If you intend to just stand there gawking, you'll lose both your arms next."

The man suddenly shifted his body to the left and Kensei instinctively moved to defend, realizing too late that it was a feint. In an instant, the larger man broke through his guard and struck him in the face, all in one fluid motion. The force of the blow threw him sideways and he landed heavily on the floor several feet away.

"Kensei!"

Akira moved to stand up, but was quickly stopped by Kamata. He announced loudly:

"Men-ari! One point... And Kote-ari, one point!"

An excited murmur rippled through the students at the sudden turn of events. "What just happened? Did Master Tsugaru get the Men-ari or the Kote-ari?" "No, the Master definitely went for the head, not the wrist." "Wait, then that means..."

A grin broke out on the Master's face.

"Kote-ari? What an interesting brat you are..." A fire was lit in the old Master's eyes as he recalled the attack. In the moment that he had struck the boy on the face, Kensei had, at the same time, brought his shinai down on the older man's forearms, earning him a point as well. It was a clean, deliberate hit and Kamata had recognized that.

From his spot on the floor, Kensei pushed himself up and shook his head to clear the flashing lights from his eyes.

Both swordsmen move back to the center for the second round. As Kamata gave the signal, Kensei's mind was racing. He had come to the conclusion that, with what he'd seen so far in that last round – his instincts told him he couldn't take the risk of encountering another hit and throwing the match like he had planned. His head was throbbing and the image of his surroundings through the wired mask was shaky. But even so, he was also in no condition to go on the offensive and try to gain another point on the imposing opponent in front of him, whose form wobbled confusingly to and fro before his eyes. As Kensei was mulling over his limited options, the Master dove at him once more and Kensei was forced to dodge and defend.

In a flurry of movement, the two swordsmen were flying across the floor, shinai whipping through the air and feet darting along the boards in a vicious dance. Urgently trying to keep his distance, Kensei was continuously pushed back and the two duelists went dashing through the throng of spectators on one side of the room, who quickly scurried out of the way in a panic.

"There's nowhere else to run, boy! Stand and face me!"

Master Tsugaru yelled out as Kensei backed towards one of the large pillars of the training hall.

Like a cornered animal, Kensei's instincts kicked in once more.

Spinning around, Kensei ran towards the pillar. The Master followed him with a final lunge and swung down on the boy as time seems to slow. In mid-swing, the brusque Master watched, wide-eyed as the boy continued moving in an inexplicable direction – by running up the pillar. As his swing came down on empty air, Kensei leapt off at the peak of his ascent, hurdling over the Master's head. He spun around with his shinai at the ready.

Tsuki o utsu-ryu – Mangetsu.

With the back of the man's head wide open, Kensei shouted, was about to swing in for the point as he hovered past him – when he saw Akira's horrified look out of the corner of his eye. For that split second, he froze.

That moment of hesitation was all the old Master needed to regain his footing. Spinning like a top, Master Tsugaru brought his shinai around, striking the airborne boy in the stomach and sending him flying. Kensei collided into the equipment rack several feet away with a thundering crash as splinters and training gear were sent collapsing over him.

"D-Do-ari!" In shock, Kamata stuttered the point and quickly rushed over as Akira and the other students frantically hurried to the pile of equipment to dig out the fallen swordsman.

Isao and Isamu pull the boy's still body out of the rubble, the helmet knocked free from his head by the impact. Akira anxiously shook him.

"Kensei? Hey! Can you hear me? Kensei!" She slapped him a couple of times for good measure.

"... Ugh..." the boy finally gasped.

"Are you all right? Say something!"

"... Sorry... broke... the rack..." And he passed out.

"Hey! Wake up, damnit! KENSEI!"

Unfazed by the violent ending to the match, the old doctor and his assistants moved in, pushing the students aside.

"All right, out of the way! Let me take a look at him."

Mindful of any potential injuries, they removed Kensei's protective gear and the doctor examined him. The students move aside as Master Tsugaru stepped forward, helmet removed and scratching his chin.

"Never thought he would catch me off guard like that. How is he, Doctor Matsumoto?" he asked.

"Well, besides some ugly bruises and a mild concussion, there're no broken bones," the doctor replied, moving the unconscious boy's limp arm in a conciliatory salute. "The youngster should count himself lucky, but let me tell you, he'll have one massive headache when he wakes up. Why, reminds me of that time back in 1843 when I went spelunking through the caves of Saitama..."

/

That evening, as the live-in students were eating dinner in the dining hall, Master Tsugaru, Kamata, and the second man who arrived in the Master's entourage were having their meal in the headmaster's quarters. They had been discussing the business of the dojo during the Master's two-month absence and Kamata was bringing the Master up to date on recent news within the city.

"The police have been more aggressive lately, I see. If they're so bold as to approach you and the students even in my absence, perhaps they have finally gotten formal backing by the government for the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai."

The Master remarked sagely and took a sip of sake from his cup.

Kamata agreed. "Yes, they haven't announced it yet, but I'm sure that is the case. We were lucky that Akira's brother, Captain Mishima's unit was the one to respond in the aftermath of the incident with the yakuza. If it had been someone else, we may have had a harder time dealing with their coercing."

The Master scratched the stubble on his chin thoughtfully.

"Speaking of the incident... that boy is quite the enigma. What did you say his name was?"

Kamata hesitated a moment, but replied.

"Himura Kensei."

The old Master's eyes widen slightly, lost in thought as he pondered the name.

"Himura... I see. So he is the one who saved the Tsugaru dojo from the yakuza."

Kamata looks up at him in alarm.

"I didn't say – "

"You conveniently left him out of the story you told me when we arrived this morning. So, I thought I would act the part of the villain and lure out this self-righteous individual who I'd been hearing about from the gossip downtown since I got off the train station. Who would have thought I would get a pint-sized, blue-eyed demon instead?" The old master chuckled and smacked his leg. "That explains a lot about how you dealt with those vicious attack dogs. I suppose it takes a beast to tame a beast!" The man commented cryptically and took another swig of sake straight from the bottle while he laughed heartily at his own joke, remembering times long past, when the streets of Kyoto were covered in blood. Without understanding what was going through the older man's head, Kamata simply stared worriedly at his mentor.

"You noticed too then, Kunio?"

A clear voice spoke up then, directed at the headmaster, and the two Ono-ha Itto swordsmen turn towards the third occupant in the room.

Master Tsugaru Kunio replied, "Of course. I'm not sure how the boy knew, but if he had chosen to follow through with that last attack, it may have aggravated the shingles in my neck, completely incapacitating me. However, that amazing maneuver of his caught me off guard and I ended up striking him a little too harshly, unfortunately."

Kamata massaged his temples in exasperation. "And that's why I tried to avoid telling you about him in the first place. I knew you wouldn't sit still knowing such a skilled, young swordsman was in our midst, even though you had just returned from treating your neck in Aizu. And now, because of your carelessness, that same young man is bedridden with a concussion!"

Master Tsugaru laughed good-naturedly and waved him off.

"Gah, you're such a worry-wart, Tsuyoshi-kun. I'm too old to be worried about what happens to this worn-out body of mine. And the boy is young, he'll recover in no time – right, Sokaku?"

The third man, Sokaku, smiled reassuringly and nodded in agreement.

"I am sure he will. And if it will put your mind at ease, Kamata-san, I, Takeda Sokaku of the Aizu clan, will take full responsibility for Himura-kun's health, as well as this insufferable oaf here."

The Master oaf laughed amiably at his friend's jesting.

Kamata Tsuyoshi could only shake his head worriedly for the hectic days to come hereafter.

/

Kensei woke up in the middle of the night with his head pounding like a drum, and feeling like he had been trampled over by a horse.

Images from the events of the past few days seemed to mix together and float around through his memories and imagination – Camelia printed tattoos, a golden dragon, moldy sparring equipment, a busy train station full of gaijin in their western-styled clothing, giant dogs running through green, tibetan fields, and washing clothes in the backyard with a red-haired man, smiling at him with soft, violet eyes –

Kensei abruptly stopped the reel of thoughts running through his head and opened his eyes.

He was greeted by the overbearing darkness of midnight, with the diffuse glow from the moon permeating through the paper sliding doors. His throbbing head and aching limbs forgotten, he was feeling slightly melancholic at the memory that had just resurfaced, unbidden in his mind, and he blamed his exhaustion for its sudden appearance. Thinking he would have to spend the rest of the night ruminating over memories of his past until morning, Kensei sighed forlornly to himself and closed his eyes once more against the pain.

A loud snore suddenly tremored through the room and Kensei's eyes snapped open again.

He shifted his head around to regard his room more closely. In the dim light, he could make out the forms of Isamu, Isao, and Akira, lying in their own futons around him. Isamu gave another quavering snort, clinging onto Isao, who seemed to have tried pushing the other boy away by sticking his foot into the other's mouth, and he noticed the pieces of cotton stuffed into Akira's ears.

Settling into his futon once more, Kensei smiled, reassured knowing the wait for morning to come won't be as long as he thought.