Master Of Mosquiton Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Master Battousai ❯ Chapter 3

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

In the streets of the Asakusa district, already beginning to fill
with people and the bustle of the morning, a man walked, alone.
Strapped to his back in a canvas carrying case was a bokken. Soft
brown hair framed a face with gentle features, a face suited more
for smiles than swords. Although it was early in the morning, there
was a strange pall over this man, which one would miss if one did
not look carefully at his large, blue eyes.
There was a cloud hanging over those eyes, a cloud that spoke
of brooding and resentment.
As he passed along, some people greeted him, asking how he
was. He just replied lightheartedly, giving a smile, yet closing his
eyes, that they may not see the depths of his spirit. The smile was
forced, the cheery look on his face but a front. Inside, his mind was
in turmoil.
*How did this happen?* he agonized. *Everything was going
along perfectly well. She'd left for about a year, but I had faith in
her. I knew she would come back. I'd been looking forward to this
day, when I would finally be able to see her again...*
The sun rose up higher above the roofs of the buildings, but it
only served to deepen the despair he felt.
*She may have come back, alright,* he thought bitterly, *but
she didn't come back alone. She came back with _him_...*
"Sayonara, Inaho," he whispered, not looking back.




Boyu Productions
Presents
========================
MASTER BATTOUSAI
========================
The Romance of a Meiji Mosquiton

iv. Reunion (v1.0)




"Inaho-sama, is Jun-sensei really gone?" one of the students
asked.
The question was directed to the 17 year old proprietor of the
Kamiya Dojo, Kamiya Inaho, of Kasshin Ryuu. On this morning,
Misumaru Jun, master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, had disappeared,
leaving this dojo full of his students hanging. Kenshin, Honou and
Yuki stood to the side, wondering what Inaho would do next.
Inaho pensively regarded all of the young men enrolled in the
dojo, enrolled under her, there to learn her Kasshin Ryuu. They all
looked at her expectantly. She gave a quick sigh, but kept her
attention on her students.
"Unfortunately, everyone, it seems that Jun-sensei has taken it
upon himself to go on an impromptu short vacation," she began
with a smile. "As such, I will have to postpone today's lessons
until we can find Jun-sensei."
Disjointed mutters and ramblings erupted among the students,
who were no doubt beginning to gossip about the divulged
information. Inaho thought she heard someone mention some kind
of "lover's quarrel," but she paid it no attention.
"But we came all this way to learn!" someone called from the
back
"Yeah, I took a carriage all the way from Yokohama just for
today's lesson!"
"Inaho-sama, why don't you let the Battousai teach us for
today! He's already given us a warm-up!" one of the bolder front
row students said, referring to Kenshin, who had been playing with
his mop. Kenshin merely blinked.
"Out of the question!" Inaho snapped. "The Battousai may be
an accomplished swordsman, but he doesn't know a thing about
Kasshin Ryuu! You guys are here to learn the Kasshin Ryuu, not
the Battousai technique!"
Cries of disappointment echoed across the hall.
"Besides, the Battousai is going to be busy doing something
else," Inaho continued. "I'm going to send him out to look for Jun-
sensei. So even if he wanted too, he can't teach you guys."
"If he won't teach us, then who will?" they asked.
"As I said, we'll just have to pos-" Inaho was cut off.
"Inaho-sama, why don't you teach us!" someone shouted.
"Huh?" Inaho blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, Inaho-sama, it's your style, right? You can teach it to us
just fine, right?"
"We won't take no for an answer!"
"Please, Inaho-sama?"
"Ho, yare yare," Honou sighed in the background. "These
idiots don't realize Inaho-mama sucks with that stick of hers."
"Honto?" Yuki asked, looking at all the students who were
slowly advancing, like a pack of wolves, on the beleaguered dojo
owner. "I thought Inaho-mama was the heir of the style."
"Yeah, whatever, she couldn't hit an elephant if it stopped right
in front of her and showed its big fat butt," Honou concluded.
"Naa, well, sessha is sure that Inaho-dono will do just fine, de
gozaru yo," Kenshin said, leading his two companions outside of
the dojo. "It's now time for me to do my job, and Inaho-dono will
have to do hers. Let's leave her to her students."
"So, Kenshin-sama, are we going after the sensei now?" Yuki
piped as they strolled in the grounds in front of the dojo.
"Aa."
They were about to leave when Inaho suddenly burst out of the
dojo. "Mo-chan!" she called to the departing swordsman.
"Ano, Inaho-dono, what is it, de gozaru?"
Inaho collapsed in front of Kenshin prompting the bewildered
swordsman to catch her in his arms. As he did, her rather ample
body brushed up testily against his chest, illiciting a rather
befuddled reaction. "Gah! Inaho-dono..." Kenshin sputtered.
"Mo-chan, I don't care what you do, just bring my Jun back!"
Inaho cried, her eyes misting over.
"Aa, don't worry, Inaho-dono. Your humble servant will bring
him back." Kenshin smiled reassuringly, patting her back. "Now
you have to return to your students, they're counting on you."
Inaho nodded, disengaging herself gingerly from the battousai.
"I'm counting on you too, Mo-chan."
Kenshin simply nodded, and turned away. As Honou and Yuki
started after him, a rather testy voice called them back.
"And just where do you think you two are going?" Inaho
snapped.
"Uh, we're gonna help the boss, yeah!" Honou explained,
raising his hand to her.
"I don't think so!" Inaho disagreed. "If Mo-chan isn't around,
who's gonna cook? I certainly can't. You two are going to go shop
for groceries and make our dinner!"
"Hoee?!" Honou and Yuki exclaimed together.
"But Inaho-mama, I don't wanna cook!" Honou protested.
"You should be ashamed, Honou," Inaho preached. "A fire
person such as yourself should at least be happy that he can cook
for someone. Honou, Yuki, you two are to go to the market now
and stock our larder. I'm counting on you, too."
"Hai," the two sighed in resignation.
"Good, now that that's settled, I have to get back to the dojo.
Mo-chan, get him back by the end of the day, is that clear?!?"
"Yes, Inaho-dono, de gozaru." Kenshin meekly edged his way
out of the dojo.

***

Jun got up from the bench beside the fish vendor's stall, having
finished his quick lunch. The marketplace was bustling with
activity, and he wasn't really one who enjoyed being in overly
crowded places.
He detached himself from the crowd, and began to follow the
river leading from the district towards the bay. Jun had always
liked rivers. The flowing waters always allowed him to reach a
calm in his heart. At this moment in his life, he truly needed such a
calm to embrace.
He followed the river, wondering where it would lead him. As
he noted the calm flow of the river, on an inevitable course which
it had followed for millenia, he wondered where his own life was
headed. As he continued along the river's path, he came upon a
small fork, where a tiny stream branched from the river's edge,
following its own path along the rocky ground.
*What am I going to do now?* he thought to himself. *Ever
since my parents died, I've been living with Inaho and her father.
They've been the only family I've known for most of my life. But
that part of my life is over. I can no longer go the same way as
Inaho.*
He looked up, to see that the little stream flowed towards a
small grove of trees off in the distance. He decided to head for the
grove, when a sudden urge made him look back over his shoulder
at the river. Sighing at his own indecision, the kendou master
settled on a low, grassy bank by the river, watching the currents
flow past him.
He settled back on the grass, lying on his back as he looked up
at the sky. The only other people were some old fishermen at
random points along the bank, and they were far enough that he
paid them no heed. What he needed was solitude, after all, to
contemplate his newfound freedom.
A bird flew overhead, fluttering on its wing, and Jun heaved a
sigh, closing his eyes. He didn't know how long he stayed there,
like that. He might have dozed off for a while, but he wasn't overly
concerned, it wasn't as if he was going anywhere. The river still
lulled his mind as its soft rush along the bank filled his ears.
"You may look like you're relaxing, but I can tell you're
actually quite troubled, my friend," a strong, firm voice asked amid
the sound of water flowing.
Jun's eyes flapped open, and nearly forgetting himself, he
scrambled to a sitting position, facing the source of the voice. His
hand involuntarily gripped his bokken in its sheath.
"Easy, friend," the voice said. Jun looked to see the source of
the strong, penetrating voice. He was a man, perhaps in his late
twenties or early thirties, standing on a patch of ground above
where he had been lounging.
"While I can see that you are an accomplished swordsman,
you're still about ten years too young to face me."
Jun took a good look at the man who was before him. He was a
tall man, taller than most Japanese. His clothes were simple, a
rustic hakama and gi which looked well-worn, in a light beige
color. He had a tanned complexion, as of one who spent much time
under the sun while travelling. His face was similarly tanned, but it
wasn't the ruddy face of someone who spent too much time in the
sun. His face was smooth, his dark brown eyes penetrating, as they
showed underneath his wild brown hair. Along his temples were
sideburns of his hair, lending him a grizzled feel. His right hand
held a long, smooth stick, vaguely resembling a shinai, which he
easily rested on his right shoulder.
He had to admit, this man might have looked imposing, but his
manner was not threatening in the least, and Jun immediately put
himself at ease. "I'm sorry for my rudeness," Jun said as he
relaxed. "It's just that you surprised me."
"One can often be surprised, if one's mind keeps wandering
away along the currents of the river," the man replied, settling into
the grass beside him.
"Oh, that, well, there's been a lot on my mind lately," Jun
answered, watching the river go on its path.
"What's the matter, boy? You're far too young to be feeling so
depressed. Did you lose your job? Your parents threw you out? Or
perhaps," he said with a sly glint in his eye, "there's some woman
trouble?"
"That's not it at all!" Jun answered vehemently, snapping out
of his reverie.
The man just guffawed out loud at his response. "So you say,
boy, so you say." A smile crept on his lips as he regarded the
young kendou master. "I was just kidding you, after all. The look
on you, and that sword you have by your side. You may look
gentle and soft, lazing by the riverside like that, but underneath, I
can tell you're a fighter, just by the way you move."
"Well, I did used to train some students at a dojo..."
"Oh hoh! Not just a warrior, it looks like I've found a master at
that! And one so young, you must truly be an exceptional fighter."
"Please, you flatter me," Jun meekly replied. "I'm not yet as
strong as my master once was. I wasn't even strong enough to beat
him..."
"Ah, so the truth of your depression has now come out, eh?"
the man said in earnest, the playful gleam in his eye suddenly
turning a bit serious. "For that is indeed the lot of men... to be a
real man, one has to prove his lot in this world. It's not like with
women, who just stay home and mind the children. Men have to
show their guts, and stand for what they believe in! If you can't do
that, then you can't call yourself a man!"
"That's... an interesting philosophy..." Jun said, musing over it.
"You may be at a point in your life now where you're feeling
lost, but don't worry about it," the man continued. "Like this river
will keep moving where it goes, each man must face his own
destiny. You may go with the flow, you may go against it, or you
may go your own way. But man will always have his purpose to
follow, his destiny. If you believe that, you won't have to worry
about being lost."
"Uh, yeah," Jun thought, his eyes following the river. On a
note, his eyes shifted to the little stream, which flowed towards the
small grove of trees.
"But remember, boy, life isn't all just about following your
path. Often, that path is long and hard. You will often have to
fight, if you wish to follow your own path. Going one's own way
can often be harder than just going with the rest of the world."
"Huh?" Jun was summarily surprised as the man got to his feet.
Jun looked at the man's eyes, and he saw a burning passion in
them. He was truly enraptured.
"A man will often fight a man, when they find something to
fight over," he said, and Jun was practically shocked to find tears
streaming down the man's cheeks. Yet Jun could see that the man
wasn't at all sad or depressed, there was a bright smile on his face,
and his eyes gleamed with a zeal, an almost maniacal zeal.
Strangely, Jun didn't feel frightened or surprised, he felt that it
was real, that this emotion which he know felt emanating from the
man was the most natural thing in the world.
"I can only give you one good piece of advice, boy," the man
looked back down on him, the tears in his eyes subsided, but the
gleam in his eyes was there. ""Never let anything, not even a
woman, get in between a man-to-man fight."
"Of... of course," Jun simply said, not sure how to react.
The man started to walk away, as if whatever urge had driven
him to Jun had suddenly passed.
"Sir," Jun called to the mysterious man, "why are you telling
me this?"
The man stopped as he walked away, but didn't turn back.
"Because you are a man, my friend. And real men should stick
together. You have a strong kenki, my friend. But it is wrapped in
a strange shroud of depression. No real man could sit back when
another is in such despair." That was all he said, and again he was
on his way, and in moments he had almost disappeared from Jun's
sight.
"Wait, sir, what's your name?" Jun called out to disappearing
figure.
Jun wasn't sure if the man answered, but he thought he heard
the strong, powerful voice, wafting on the wind. "Real men need
not concern themselves with names."
Jun pondered the mysterious encounter he had, and once again
looked at the river. *What am I doing?* he wondered one more
time to himself. After just a moment's hesitation, he got up.
Without a word, he slung his bokken back across his shoulder,
took one last look at the river, and headed towards the grove of
trees.

***

The grove of trees was a beautiful place to spend an afternoon
in meditation. Jun marveled at the natural beauty of it, breathing in
the powerful scent of natural wood in the last throws of summer.
Jun just stood there, for how long, he didn't know. This place
was taking him back to a time when he was happy, with memories
of a beautiful, red-haired girl chatting playfully with him.
His trance was broken, however, when he heard a voice. A
most hated voice.
"Jun-dono, I've been looking for you, de gozaru yo."
"Stay away, Battousai! I don't want to see your face!" Jun
threatened, casting a steely-eyed gaze at the approaching
swordsman. The anger on his face, showing through his normally,
cool, composed features, stayed the battousai as he approached.
Kenshin studied the face of the young man who stood defiantly
before him. A look of outrage was splayed on Jun's delicate, gentle
features, features which were more accustomed to smiles than
scowls.
Kenshin took a step forward, into the grove.
"I said stay back, Battousai! Leave me alone!" Jun grasped the
case carrying his bokken, which was slung over his shoulder.
Kenshin continued his advance, prompting Jun to unsling the
bokken from his shoulder, drawing out the wooden shaft. As Jun
hoisted his bokken into a ready position, Kenshin continued to
approach. His face was a stoic mask, his lavender eyes staring
straight at the kendou master. Jun met the gaze, a fierce look
clouding his own normally clear, large blue eyes.
"Why, why are you coming after me?" Jun demanded, standing
his ground, holding his weapon in front of him. "Are you after a
fight?"
Kenshin simply plodded on, silently regarding him with his
clear, lavender eyes.
"Have you come to kill me, like you have killed countless other
in cold blood?" Jun demanded, his eyes belying a strange hysteria.
"This humble servant did not come to fight," Kenshin finally
said, as he came within striking distance of the kendou master. He
stopped, regarding the young man whose safety and welfare Inaho
had entrusted to his hands. Jun's emotions were definitely running
wild, and Kenshin sensed an overwhelming tide of anger and
frustration within the kendou master's spirit. "Inaho-dono asked
that her humble servant should bring you back to the dojo."
"I have no intention of going back!" Jun returned, eyeing the
battousai carefully. His blue eyes, shining with a wild gleam,
stared back defiantly at Kenshin. "And you'll not take me, either.
If you come any closer, I will defend myself."
"Naa, that shouldn't be necessary," Kenshin said. "Just come
back with sessha. You shouldn't be leaving Inaho-dono all by
herself, you know she can't handle the dojo by herself. Already,
she's trying to teach your pupils the Kasshin Ryuu, but she's
having some difficulty, de gozaru yo."
"Really?" Jun snapped, his eyes narrowing. "Inaho may not be
very competent, and she may have trouble taking care of herself."
Jun closed his eyes, as if bitterly contemplating something. Then
he opened them again, and the look in his eyes was so intense, it
struck Kenshin like a lightning bolt. "But you're there now, aren't
you? You're there to take care of her every need! You cook, you
clean, you can do everything I can, only better! What does she
need me for?"
"Sessha is not a master of everything," Kenshin stated. "If
you..."
"SHUT UP!" Jun cut him off, his eyes seething now. "Shut up,
shut up, SHUT UP! I don't care what you say! I HATE YOU! I
don't want to have anything to do with you whatsoever! Even if I
go back to the dojo, you'll be there. You'll always be there. And I
don't want that! So leave me alone to live my own life! I don't
need you or Inaho to do that!"
Kenshin flinched a bit at his words. He knew that this would be
difficult. He took one step forward.
"Stop right there, Battousai! I don't want you, I don't need you,
I don't want you to come anywhere near me! Go home to your
`Inaho-dono' and leave me alone!"
"Jun-dono, you are the master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, are
you not?" Kenshin suddenly asked, his left hand grasping his saya,
right beneath the hilt. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu is a defensive style,
suited for protecting one's self or others from attack."
Jun locked his gaze on the battousai, sensing a change in
Kenshin's demeanor.
"Defend yourself," Kenshin said.
In an instant, Kenshin's feet dashed forward, and like a striking
cobra, he crunched the distance between them in a split second.
Jun, however, had sensed Kenshin's impending attack. He had felt
the attack, even before it started. He had been prepared. Yet
although he was prepared for the attack, he had not been prepared
for the battousai's speed.
Kenshin's sakaba flew out of its scabbard, the hilt hurtling out
with such speed as the pommel zoomed in towards his forehead.
Shocked almost to inactivity, Jun's fighting instincts, ingrained
over years of dedicated practice, guided his feet into defensive
footwork designed to take him out of the vital striking range of
Kenshin's attack.
Normally, the Kasshin Ryuu would have called for a deflecting
strike with the side of the bokken, to be followed through with a
quick flick of the wrists to send the sword smashing into the
opponent's undefended chest or face. But Kenshin's speed was
such that Jun could do no such thing. The hilt of the sakaba flew
inches in front of his face, and Jun finally got his bokken into the
position to block.
However, the battousai spun the sword to follow the
momentum of his charging body, and as the hilt attack missed, the
sakaba came careening down on him in a full-circle follow-
through. It was all the kendou master could do to raise his sword
and parry. Jun gave the sakaba a heave, trying to put more distance
between himself and this highly dangerous adversary.
The two broke, Kenshin hopping away from Jun, as the latter
readied his sword before him in a defensive stance. The kendou
master was panting heavily, reeling from the intense attack.
"There is no real reason for us to fight, Jun-dono," Kenshin
said, putting his sword back into its saya. "You are a calm, civil
person. The kind of person who is willingly to listen to reason. We
don't have to fight to resolve this."
"Shut up!" Jun retorted fiercely. "What do you know about
me? You've only known me since yesterday!"
"That is true," Kenshin admitted. "However, even though
sessha has only known you for a short time, there were things
about you which were readily apparent. For instance, you showed
that you were not an impuslive man. You are the type who likes to
think things through, before making an important decision.
"How could you possibly know that?!" Jun demanded.
"When Yuki-dono came into the room, you didn't immediately
react to the situation. You took the time to observe what was
happening, to think things through. It was only when you knew
more of what was happening that you took action.

//"A very cheerful, outgoing presence," Kenshin muttered, his
eyes going to the side doors leading out to the porch. All of a
sudden, the door slid open, and a woman came in.
"Why, you..." Inaho fumed, her face reddening. "Who are you
anyway, to come into MY house and traipse around like you own
the place?"
Jun nodded, temporarily absorbed in his meditations on this
incident.//

"Your calm, rational behavior says that you are a calm, rational
person who can be reasoned with. Please, Jun-dono, we do not
have to fight over this, de gozaru."
"That might have been the case, but there's no point in being
civil with scum such as yourself! Living off of Inaho's kindness,
kissing up to her but in truth you're just carousing with other
women. I can't stand it! I can't stand you! And I can't believe
Inaho actually wants to consort with the likes of you. If that's what
she wants, then I can't help it. But leave me out of it!"
"This humble servant can't do that. It is my task to bring you
back."
"I said leave me alone, hitokiri!"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "It seems that trying to explain
sessha's actions will not convince you. Sessha is not quite the devil
you make me out to be. But if that's what you believe, arguing on
my behalf now will do no good. It seems this humble servant will
have to beat some more sense into you."
"Come and try!" Jun challenged, steadying his grip on his
sword.
"Aa."
Kenshin once again padded forward, hand on the hilt of his
sword. As the battousai approached, time seemed to slow in Jun's
mind. He could see his opponent's approach, each step he took, the
swish of his robes, the sword in its saya at his side, the gleam in his
eye. It was the training of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, that enabled its
master to completely defend against an opponent's attack.
This was now Jun's element. Having seen the battousai's
earlier attack, he knew what speed the battousai was capable of.
Now, being the defender, he was more confident of this battle,
unlike the time when Inaho had forced him to attack. The result of
this battle would be a far cry from the fiasco of a duel he had had
to endure. The battousai had made a mockery of him in that battle,
but now he would show his true power. Defense was the strength
of the Kasshin Ryuu.
As Kenshin came within striking distance, he led in with his
right foot. The hand on his sword suddenly twitched, and the
sakaba was drawn, a quick, powerful motion that send the reverse-
edged blade streaming towards him.
*Battoujutsu,* Jun thought, recognizing the incredibly fast
sword technique which could often finish its opponent in one blow.
Yet to the kendou master's trained mind, the blow came in slow
motion, and in an instant he angled the length of his bokken such
that it would deflect the attack. As he did, he knew that his
technique would find the space in the battousai's defense which
would allow him the perfect opportunity to counterattack. He
sought that one moment, that single break in the attack where he
would have the chance to counterattack.
Kenshin's sakaba deflected of his bokken, the brunt of the
force dispersed by the clever angle, and Jun watched the
battousai's attack work slowly in his mind... when suddenly the
battousai's movements seemed to suddenly speed up, evading the
tranquil calm of his Kasshin Ryuu's eye.
*What?!?* Jun's mind reeled, aghast. *Is he too fast for the
Kasshin Ryuu to follow?* Jun stood almost in shock, as the
battousai once again cleverly stepped into his sword's path,
recovering his momentum to get into a better position for a second
attack. *No...* Jun realized; the battousai had not sped up, had not
increased his speed at all. In fact, Kenshin had left himself quite
open after his battoujutsu. *No, it's not the Battousai... it's... it's...*
Kenshin quickly sidestepped, and before Jun could launch a
counterattack, the sakaba swung in a powerful arc, accentuated by
a twist in Kenshin's waist. The sakaba caught Jun squarely in his
side, knocking the breath out of him, sending him hurtling towards
a tree trunk.
Pain convulsed on the kendou master, wracking his entire body
as he smashed into the unfogiving wood. Worse was the pain in his
side; the battousai's attack had likely bruised a rib, if not worse.
Summoning his discipline, he struggled to rise to his feet, using his
bokken almost as a crutch.
"You don't seem to be doing too well," Kenshin remarked,
lowering his sword. "Perhaps now you are ready to listen to what
sessha has to say."
"Shut up!" Jun retorted, a look of defiance in his eyes. "I have
no need of your bullshit! Leave me alone, or come and face me
again! If you won't leave me alone, I'll beat you to a pulp!"
"It woud seem that you do not understand yet," Kenshin said,
almost sadly, once again raising his sword.
"COME!!!" Jun screamed, ignoring the pain in his side,
focusing his mind once again for the coming clash.
Kenshin led in again, his sword drawn. *That eliminates the
possibility of a battoujutsu,* Jun thought, as Kenshin's movements
once again slowed down to the eye of his Kasshin Ryuu. *He was
keeping his sword low to his right side, which means he'll
probably lead the attack with an upward slash...* Jun's mind
instantly calculated Kenshin's attack possibilities, taking into
consideration Kenshin's footwork, sword position, and direction.
He found his counter.
Just before Kenshin came within striking distance, the world
sped up again.
*What? Again??!* Jun's mind nearly panicked, and just as he
thought he had the counter, he lost the center of his Kasshin Ryuu,
and suddenly Kenshin's sakaba flew in, scoring a hit past his
defense. *What... it's not him... he didn't change his speed at all...*
Kenshin spun around him, once again going for another attack.
Again, Jun faced him off, his mind slowly playing the battousai's
movements. Again, his Kasshin Ryuu failed, and another attack hit
across his chest.
*Why? Why is the Kasshin Ryuu not working?* Jun agonized
in his mind, breathing heavily as he tried to keep up with
Kenshin's attacks. Again and again the battousai darted in, amidst
the calm of his Kasshin Ryuu, and suddenly he would zip past his
defense, the Kasshin Ryuu leaving him.
As another blow from the sakaba whipped across his chest, Jun
fell back, falling to his knee, the numerous hits of the battousai
causing an inferno of pain to erupt in his body. Mercifully,
Kenshin stood back, regarding the beaten kendou master.
"It would seem your sword skill is off today," Kenshin
observed.
"How dare you..." Jun gasped, struggling for breath as he
leaned on his bokken. "There... there's nothing wrong with my
Kasshin Ryuu!"
"Is that so?" Kenshin returned, slipping his sakaba back into
his saya. "Then why did you miss the counterattack? The Kasshin
Ryuu is a style for defense, which stays back to defend against an
attack. Once the attack has been avoided, the Kasshin Ryuu
quickly uses the opponent's own force against him during the
counterattack. The battoujutsu, you easily deflected it, leaving me
wide open for a retaliatory thrust. Yet you did not take the
opportunity."
"It... it's because of your speed!" Jun snorted derisively. "Your
movements were too fast for even the Kasshin Ryuu to follow."
"No." Kenshin stared directly at Jun's large blue eyes, which
were clouded with disgust. "If it were just the speed, you wouldn't
have had the presence of mind to block it in the first place. Your
technique was working perfectly until the time came for the
counter. My speed was constant, it didn't increase. You should
have been able to handle it, but you didn't."
"So my style sucks!" Jun said, rage burning his eyes. "Thank
you for pointing that out, Mr. Battousai!" he added, sarcasm
dripping from his voice.
"It's not your style that is the problem. The Kamiya Kasshin
Ryuu is a beautiful style, which fights only to protect, never to
destroy. The problem lies within yourself. What are you trying to
protect?" Kenshin asked.
An image of Inaho suddenly flashed, unbidden, into Jun's
mind. Startled, Jun quickly dismissed it. He wasn't fighting for
Inaho, he was fighting for himself. Inaho no longer needed him. It
was best to put such irrelevant thoughts aside in a swordfight.
"The conflict within you has tainted your kenjutsu," Kenshin
continued. "You are denying yourself, a part within you which you
treasure the most. Without it, your Kasshin Ryuu simply refuses to
work, for its purpose has been taken away. Unless you realize what
is wrong within yourself, you will never be able to defeat me."
As Kenshin said it, Jun realized the truth of it, even as he
loathed the battousai being right. He looked back, recalling how
the calm of his Kasshin Ryuu worked perfectly until just moments
before the attack, how it suddenly failed him, even though the
battousai made no increase in his speed. *I... I've been blocking
myself,* Jun realized, the revelation clearing his mind. There
wasn't anything wrong with his sword style, the problem lay in
himself.
"Yet, why? I've been training for years with this technique,
why is it failing me now?" Jun said his thoughts aloud, barely
realizing that he had put his thoughts to words.
"The reason why you're doing so poorly is because fighting me
is driving you away from that which you want to protect the most,"
Kenshin declared.
Jun's mind suddenly cleared, some of the haziness in his eyes
disappeared.
"Inaho..." he murmured.
Kenshin nodded. "This humble servant saw it clearly, when we
fought at the dojo."

//Inaho tugged Jun to the side and whispered in his ear, "Do it,
Jun-kun! This is our chance to really impress the students! A
satisfied customer is a paying customer!"
"Shikashi, Inaho, the Kasshin Ryuu isn't for..."
"Do it!" She hissed, almost a little too strongly.
"H-hai..." Jun acceded.//

"You would do anything for Inaho-dono. Even though you had
to use the style in a different manner from which it would
ordinarily be used, you still persevered. In fact, you managed to
defeat this humble servant."
"What?" Jun looked up to regard this small child of a man.
"Your false modesty betrays you, Battousai. Don't try to get
friendly with me by deprecating yourself. You were handicapping
yourself in that fight. You weren't even attacking!"
"True enough," Kenshin admitted. "But even if sessha wasn't
attacking, sessha was truly trying to avoid getting hit. No matter
the circumstance, sessha should not have been hit by your attack.
Yet you managed to strike me from your sheer dedication to Inaho-
dono.
"Your purpose was to protect her, to serve her in any way
possible. Because of that purpose, you were able to win."
Those final words hit the kendou master's thoughts hard. It
reminded him of a time when he wasn't yet a kendou master, and
his sensei had been teaching him the truth of those words.

//"Get up, Jun-kun. Our session isn't finished yet," Kamiya
Koujiro said sternly, holding his bokken up as he regarded his
student, sprawled on the floor.
"Just a moment, sensei," a young Jun gasped, breathing heavily
from the workout.
"We won't stop until you can win at least one round against
me," Koujiro declared.
"But sensei... that's... so difficult!" Jun protested as got back to
his feet. His arms were already heavy, they felt like lead weights.
"I can't even hit you! I'll never win against you!"
"You may not understand this now, Jun-kun. But it is in the
hope that you will understand this one day that I train you as such.
The reason why you can't seem to win against me is because you
have the wrong attitude towards winning.
"You don't go into a fight because you want to win. Winning is
simply the result of something else... your purpose. It is your
purpose which allows you to win fights. Fighting without a
purpose, you will never win at all.
"You must find your purpose, if you plan to become stronger,"
Koujiro concluded.
"I must find my purpose?" Jun asked.
"Why is it that you came to me in the first place, Jun-kun?
Remember that, and you will soon master the Kasshin Ryuu."
"My purpose..." Jun mused.
"Alright, now let's try again," Koujiro said. "Try to hit me this
time!"
"Yes, sensei..." Jun breathed, raising his bokken.//

Jun looked at Kenshin, his large blue eyes staring at Kenshin,
as if seeing him in a totally different light. This battousai, who
seemed to be little more than just a child, was now teaching him
things that his own sensei had tried to teach him, all those years
ago. He suddenly remembered the mysterious man he had met by
the river, who had said something similar to him.
"Heh, it seems that everyone's trying to teach me something
these days," Jun mumbled under his breath.
"Oro?"
"Aah, nothing, Kenshin-san." Jun said sheepishly, before he
suddenly snapped his attention back to the gravity of the situation.
"Yet even if it's true that my purpose was to serve Inaho, I cannot
go back now. There is no need for me to return with YOU."
"Why do you insist on leaving, Jun-dono?" Kenshin pressed.
"Fighting me now, refusing to go back, your mind is unconsciously
rebelling. Why are you trying so hard to push yourself away from
Inaho-dono?"
"I'm not pushing her away!" Jun snapped. "I saw how she was
doing just fine with you! There's no longer room in her life for me.
Just staying with her would only cause more trouble and conflict!"
Jun thought of all the times he wanted to do things for Inaho, only
to find out that Kenshin had already done them. "There's no room
for both of us in her life, Battousai. If we both try to cling onto her,
it will tear her apart. That's why I'm leaving her. She won't grow
if the two of us are with her. I have to leave. It's what she needs!"
Jun said, clenching his fist.
"That's not what it seemed to me," Kenshin said solemnly.

//"Mo-chan, I don't care what you do, just bring my Jun back!"
Inaho cried, her eyes misting over.
"Aa, don't worry, Inaho-dono. Your humble servant will bring
him back."//

"What... do you mean..." Jun stammered, at a loss.
"Don't you see?" Kenshin raised his voice. "By pushing us
away, you're just hurting her! Why do you insist on that? Why do
you insist on hurting Inaho-dono?"
"Hurt Inaho? How dare you judge me! You don't even know
me! All I ever wanted was to protect Inaho! That's why I strived so
hard to master the Kasshin Ryuu. I wanted to be able to protect
her. So don't tell me that I'm trying to hurt Inaho. I would never
hurt her!"
"Yet that's exactly what you're doing right now."
Jun's eyes widened in shock.
"Your weak mind rationalizes that what you are doing is for
Inaho-dono's own good. Thus, you believe that your leaving the
dojo is justified, a precipitated necessity for her sake. But the truth
is, all you're doing is running. Running away because of your
insecurities. Just because of your insecurity, you would abandon
her!"
Jun's shock at Kenshin's words grew even further, and he
involuntarily lowered his bokken.
"You say you're running away in order to protect her, that it's
the only way that she can grow. But the truth is, you're just running
away because of your own insecurities! You're conveniently using
her needs as an excuse so that you won't have to face up to your
responsibilty!"
Jun's mouth opened slightly, as if wanting to protest the
harshness of Kenshin's words. Yet no sound came out, and his
eyes betrayed that he was admitting the truth in the battousai's
words.
"The truth is, your problem doesn't involve Inaho-dono in
anyway. Your quarrel is a simple one. It's just between you and
me!"
Jun's eyes suddenly cleared. As they looked at Kenshin again,
his large blue eyes locking onto those clear, lavender orbs, it was
as if a great darkness had been lifted. For the first time, Jun finally
saw the man before him for who he really was. He wasn't the
Hitokiri Battousai, some killer from a long lost age. He wasn't
some puppy dog who catered to a woman's every whim. He was
simply Kenshin von Mosquiton, a man who was most worthy of
his attention and respect. A man who now shared his niche in the
world, a clever, yet honorable rival for him to face. Honorable
enough to at least let him realize his own stake, instead of just
deceiving him and letting him go.
In spite of the pain he was in, Jun managed a smile. He
suddenly recalled the words of the strange man by the river.

//"Never let anything, not even a woman, get in between a
man-to-man fight."//

*How true,* Jun thought fondly, as a great weight seeming to
lift from his shoulders. He stood straight, up to his full height and
faced the battousai.
"So, are you now ready to go back with sessha, de gozaru ka?"
Kenshin asked.
"Not quite," Jun said, swinging the bokken before him with a
quick motion.
"Sou, de gozaru." Kenshin had expected this was what Jun had
in mind. He bent forward slightly, in the stance of his battoujutsu,
placing his right hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I may realize now that I've been running away, and fighting
for the wrong reasons," Jun began, "however, that doesn't change
things much. We're both trying to fill the same niche here. We
should settle this, here and now."
"Perhaps we do share the same role," Kenshin admitted, "but it
is possible for both of us to exist in that role. However, this humble
servant does not believe that you will be convinced by anything
more that sessha has to say."
"You're absolutely correct," Jun said, a hint of a smile creeping
onto his lips. "I won't be satisfied until we determine who really is
fit to be by Inaho's side."
Kenshin nodded. "It's time to finish this, de gozaran."
*This time,* Kenshin thought, *it might not be so easy to beat
him. His eyes are different; there's a confidence in them that
wasn't there before. This is the kendou master whom Inaho-dono
wanted me to bring back. You've remembered your purpose, Jun-
dono. And yet in spite of that, we both realize that this fight is
inevitable. Even though it would be better to just go home
together, this unworthy one must respect your spirit's desire. This
shall be our final battle.*
*Your words ring true, Battousai,* Jun thought. *Deep down,
all I really wanted was to protect Inaho. I may have been acting for
the wrong reasons, but I did it all because I wanted to protect her.
Now, I must prove to myself that I can really be there for Inaho. It
may be true that all I ever wanted to do was to protect her, but I
have to know that I have what it takes to protect her! Let's finish
this battle, Battousai!*
Kenshin darted in forward, his feet carrying him across the
field towards the kendou master. Carefully watching the
battousai's attack, Jun kept his attention on the Battousai's right
hand, on the hilt of the sword in the saya. A sure sign of a
battoujutsu attack. He'd noted earlier the swift battoujutsu, or
instant sword-drawing attack Kenshin had used on him. It was a
lightning fast attack, a fitting technique for the speed which
Kenshin possessed.
But Jun was a master swordsman in his own right. He knew
that the battoujutsu, for all its speed, left the swordsman rather
vulnerable after the attack. If it missed or was blocked, an
opportunity for a counterattack was possible. Earlier Jun had
missed the counterattacke. This time he was prepared. He had
rediscovered his purpose, and he had analyzed Kenshin's fighting
prowess. He was ready in both mind and spirit.
Kenshin's sword once again snapped out of the saya, in a swift
battoujutsu. Jun, however, had anticipated this. The sakaba seemed
to move in slow motion, and instantly the kendou master found the
correct angle to defend against the attack. He lowered his sword,
tapping to his right to deflect the sakaba. He quickly tightened his
grip as the sakaba rebounded, flexing his left wrist to allow his
right hand to guide the bokken into a counterattack. A perfect
execution of a simple defensive technique, made highly effective
in the hands of a master.
Jun almost grinned in anticipation at the perfect delivery of his
parry and riposte. However, as his bokken lashed towards
Kenshin's seemingly vulnerable chest, a sudden impact smashed
his right arm, sending him hurtling across the ground. With an
unceremonious thud, he blasted into the dirt, battered, his right arm
throbbing just below the shoulder.
The kendou master tried to stand, but was quickly wracked by
a sudden pain in his arm. He grit his teeth and looked at the
Battousai, who had just finished his attack. Jun saw his error. As
Kenshin had drawn his sakaba for the initial battoujutsu with his
right hand, his left hand had followed suit, pulling the hard leather
saya along into a backhand smash, a secondary blow made
powerful by the same torque movement that the initial blow
utilized.
"Hiten Mitsurigi Ryuu, Sou Ryuu Sen," Kenshin explained.
"Sou Ryuu Sen..." Jun laughed, despite the pain. "A regular
battoujutsu, paired with a succeeding attack with the saya. If the
sword is blocked or avoided, the saya, unexpected, will still
connect. What a... cheap trick..."
"Aa," Kenshin confirmed.
On the ground, in spite of his pain, Jun began laughing. "That
was a really powerful technique. It got past my defenses, even
though I had used the best of my ability. You truly are the Hitokiri
Battousai."
"It's not a name this humble servant is particularly proud of,"
Kenshin said, tucking his sword and saya back into his belt.
"Battousai or not, you've won, Kenshin-san," Jun conceded,
struggling back to his feet. "You're the one who has rightfully
earned the privilege of being by Inaho's side. I simply wasn't
strong enough. Say hello to Inaho for me when you get back. I'll
be going along now."
"Unfortunately, sessha can't let you do that," Kenshin said.
"Huh?!" a nerve popped on Jun's forehead.
"Ano, in case you forgot, it was my mission to bring you back
to Inaho-dono."
"You STILL want me to go back, even after you beat the crap
out of me like that?!?!?" Jun wheezed, giving a cross look at the
battousai.
"Well, you did want to settle the matter with a fight..."
"If you really wanted to bring me back, why didn't you just
LOSE?!?" Jun almost screamed.
"This humble servant couldn't do that," Kenshin said
sheepishly. "My purpose is also to serve and protect Inaho-dono..."
"AAGH, it's hopeless talking to you!" Jun raised his hands in
frustration. He almost regretted it, as the sharp pain in his arm once
again made him wince. "Still, I realize why you decided not to
hold back, and I appreciate it. You knew that if I realized you lost
on purpose, I wouldn't believe at all that I was worthy to stay by
Inaho's side."
"Aa," Kenshin agreed. "But Jun-dono, simply being the
stronger in a fight doesn't prove that I'm better for the job.
Protecting Inaho-dono doesn't just mean having a stronger sword
arm."
"Of course. But it's not just in fighting that you're better. You
cook better, you wash the laundry, you clean the house faster, I
simply can't compete with you."
"But there is one thing that I can never, ever compete with
you."
"Huh? What's that?" Jun asked, suddenly pensive.
"You are Inaho-dono's best friend."
Jun's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why are you so surprised?" Kenshin asked. "Haven't you
known it all along? You've grown up with her since childhood.
You've always been there to protect her, all those years ago. That
is something that I can never compete with. Nothing that happens
now will ever change that."
"I... I suppose you're right," Jun acknowledged.
"You are a part of Inaho-dono's life, moreso than this humble
servant. You are part of her family. You were part of her life all
that time ago, doing things for her that this humble servant will
never be able to match. You've always done things for her. That's
why, no matter what, you will always have a place by her side."
"You know something, Kenshin-san?"
"Oro?"
"You're a guy I really could learn to hate!" Jun snarled
playfully, grabbing Kenshin into a headlock and punching his head
lightly.
"ORO! What did sessha do this time?"
"Talking about me and Inaho like that as if you knew
everything better than we did; that can be really annoying, you
know," Jun smiled, releasing the little battousai. "I'm ashamed
enough that I didn't realize it sooner. It took a near complete
stranger whom I barely know to point it out."
"Ah, gomen, gomen," Kenshin rubbed his head sheepishly.
"Sometimes sessha opens his mouth too much, de gozaru yo."
"Anyway, Kenshin-san, let's head back to the dojo now."
"Does that mean you've made up your mind to stay?"
"Of course I have, you idiot," Jun scoffed. "You're right, we
maye have similar roles to play in Inaho's life, but we're not the
same. I am after all, her best friend, and you're just her servant."
"Ano, hahahaha," Kenshin laughed, a drop of sweat forming on
his temple.
"But don't get too comfortable, Battousai. You may be better
than I am now, but I swear, I'm going to train hard and defeat you
someday. I'm going show you that I really am the one who
deserves to be by Inaho's side!"
"Aa, sou de gozaru yo," Kenshin laughed.
"Hey, I'm serious!" Jun protested, locking Kensin in a
headlock again.
"Oro..."

***

It was nearing nightfall by the time Kenshin and Jun arrived at
the dojo. The final rays of the sunset were already fading from the
sky. They had had to stop by the local clinic, as Jun's injuries
needn't some treatment. Kenshin hadn't hurt him too badly, but his
injuries did require some attention.
"If you hadn't given me such a beating, we could have been
home a lot sooner, you know," Jun grumbled, his right arm feeling
a little stiff from the bandages. As they entered the house, they
were met by the sound of screaming and the smell of something
burning.
"On no!" they both said in unison. In their mind, they had
realized the same thing.
They dashed into the kitchen, to find that a screaming Inaho,
who was chasing an overly harrassed Honou.
"It's not my fault!" Honou cried in his defense. "I told you I
couldn't cook!"
"And that just proves what a yahiko you are!!!" Inaho snarled,
trying to whack Honou with a large flounder which seemed to
double as a club.
Over the fire, another fish, looking poorly marinated and now
blackened by the fire, was burning with a strong fire on its oily
scales. As the two swordsmen entered, Inaho's eyes lit up, and she
forgot about Honou altogether.
"Mo-chan! Jun-kun! You're both back!" Inaho ran forward,
eager to welcome the two back.
"It's good to be home, Inaho..." Jun began, but Inaho
immediately glomped onto Kenshin. Jun flared as a forest of veins
sprouted on his head.
"It was horrible, Mo-chan! All day, the students were just
laughing all the time, they even taught me a few techniques! I
couldn't do anything! And then Honou, he tried to burn the
house..."
"Maa, maa, daijobu, de gozaru yo," Kenshin soothed, caressing
Inaho's hair.
"Will someone please take care of the fire that's threatening to
burn the house?" Jun interrupted, feeling quite a bit peeved.
"Ah, of course," Kenshin said, disengaging himself from Inaho
for a bit. "Yuki!"
"Hai, hai," Yuki said in resignation, facing the burning fish.
She raised a finger and sent a jet of super cooled air towards the
conflagration, killing it with a hiss of steam.
"Waaah, Mo-chan, what're we gonna do for dinner now?"
Inaho complained.
"Don't worry, we still have this other fish. Sessha will start
cooking it right now, de gozaru."
As Kenshin broke free to prepare supper, Inaho turned to Jun.
"Jun-kun," she began, her face blushing as spoke with him, her
face turned to the side. "I'm glad you're back."
"I'm glad, too, Inaho," Jun answered, feeling a little better
about things. As long as he was with Inaho, he knew he was doing
the right thing.
"You can't imagine what hell I went through today!" Inaho
suddenly burst. "The students knew even more than I did! I don't
ever want to have to go through that again! They weren't really
complaining, I mean, they did enjoy having fun with me, the
darling of the Asakusa district, but it wasn't easy for me, no no, it
wasn't!
"So please, I'm sure you can go back to teaching by tomorrow,
right??" Inaho said, smiling sweetly at him.
Jun just sighed. Did Inaho really just want him back to teach at
the dojo? Well, he did choose this path, after all.
"Well, I'd like to, Inaho," Jun began, "but the doctor said I
shouldn't be using my arm too much just yet." Jun indicated his
bandaged right arm. "The blow Kenshin-san gave me was quite
powerful. I'm sorry, you'll have to take care of it for a few more
days."
"WHAT?!?!?" Inaho screamed. "Kenshin broke your arm, and
now you can't use it?!?!"
"Well, he didn't really break it-" Jun tried to explain, but Inaho
was no longer listening.
"Do you know how hard it was for me to entertain all those
students, Mo-chan!??" Inaho shouted as she whipped the battousai
from his cooking. "Because of you, I have to go through all that
again! MO-CHAN NO BAKA!!!!"
"ORO!!!"
Honou and Yuki just sighed.
"It's like this all the time," Honou remarked.
"Kenshin-sama's new master really is perky," Yuki agreed.
"PERKY?!??! WHAT PART OF ME IS PERKY!????!"

***

Jikai, Master Battousai de gozaru!

Hidden legends of an age long gone. Survivors of a time when
killing, was right. From the bosom of a man's age, shrieks the
bestial nature of yesterday. What is to come, for man to triumph?
A mysterious past, towards a different future. What is to come
cannot be certain...

v. O-Part

Minna wa, issho ni yomite de gozaru yo!