Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Two Swords: The Tangled Web ❯ Reasons Why ( Chapter 9 )

Okay this should answer some "Why did Kenshin turn the blade?" questions. I know it's short. You don't have to tell me.

Kagome39: Nope. He sure isn't. Guess again.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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Sanosuke looked around the clearing. There were pieces of demons everywhere. Bones, fangs, skin, legs. They all covered every inch of the clearing. In the middle of it all, two figures stood, swords still drawn. The men were breathing hard from exertion, matching each other breath for breath. Sanosuke thought it was eerie to watch them. Their stance was the same, and they were both staring outwards with bright golden eyes. It had been Inuyasha's Kaze no Kiza that killed most of the demons, but Kenshin seemed to be covered in their blood as well. Sanosuke wondered why the hanyou even had Miroku and Sango traveling with him. As vulnerable as he had seemed the first night, now he could see it was not so. Inuyasha would be a formidable foe for anyone and could take care of himself. He fought to kill, and kill he did, as evidenced by the massacre around them. Sanosuke began to worry about Kenshin. Was he injured? How could he be all right with only his reverse blade sword? He looked at it while asking himself that question and gasped. In the afternoon sun, Kenshin's blade shone. It shone like any other sword would. It was a reverse blade no more.

"Kenshin! How could you?" Sanosuke couldn't believe it. Why would Kenshin do such a thing? The red headed samurai looked hard at him with golden eyes. He closed them and shook his head vigorously.

"You don't understand." His voice was quiet, full of regret and sadness. He looked at Sanosuke with soft violet eyes. They held an enormous amount of pain, shimmering just beneath the surface.

"What don't I understand?" Sanosuke didn't mean to shout, but he did anyway. He was angry with Kenshin. He had no right to dismiss his questions like that.

"How can I save her without killing? You fought these demons. You know it doesn't work that way." His voice remained quiet, despite Sanosuke's volume.

"What about your vow?"

"What about her?"

"But, Kenshin…" He cut Sanosuke off. His patience was wearing thin. If Sanosuke really wanted to know his reasons for turning his sword around, he could have them.

"But nothing. Don't you think that it's selfish to put Miss Kaoru's life in danger because of a promise I made to myself? If my selfishness cost her life, I could not continue with mine, that I could not. My atonement, my state of being, they don't matter without her. I live with the sins of my past everyday. I am confronted with them every time I see my face in the mirror. These scars remind me of a time when selfishness cost me dearly. That was the reason I did not want anyone close to me. Now it's too late. I failed someone once because of this selfishness, that I did. But never again. I will not lose another woman because I am worried about what's best for me!" Kenshin was truly upset, and Sanosuke was dumbfounded. All his other battles were not one's for Kaoru's life. The only one that came close almost ended in death. He would do anything for Kaoru, even if it meant going back to a man he didn't want to be. Her safety was all that mattered. It had been Inuyasha that showed him this, even though the hanyou didn't know it. He had told him to figure out how bad he wanted Kaoru back. How important was she? It was at that moment in the woods, staring at the grooves Tetsusaiga had made when he realized his selfishness. After Inuyasha had walked away, Kenshin had fallen to his knees and cried. He had known it was time to turn the blade, and it hurt. He did not want to be Battousai the Manslayer again. He wanted to be a wanderer. No, a dojo worker. Kaoru's dojo worker. But he couldn't do that without her.

"Naraku is to the West." The silent group looked at Inuyasha. He had sheathed Tetsusaiga and was looking away from Kenshin.

"Then West is the direction we will be going, that it is." Everyone quietly nodded.

Naraku turned from the scene playing out before him in Kanna's mirror. He smiled to himself. Two foes now. It wasn't just Inuyasha anymore. This Kenshin person was out to get him too. His speed rivaled Inuyasha. Naraku looked toward the little room that housed the two women. The one in the blue had to be this Kaoru. He thought that very interesting. Suddenly Kagura burst through his door, breathless.

"What is it?"

"Urasue is here. She looked at the girls. She has something very important to tell you."

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A/N: Please review. If you have any questions please let me know.