Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Better Off Forgotten ❯ Sano's Revelation ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: O.k. here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it and thanks to Melli for reading and reviewing, here's more like you asked :-). Thanks to my beta reader Justin16.

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With more than a little trepidation on Megumi's part, the two women made their way back to Kenshin's room.

This is wrong. I need to tell Kenshin the truth, not only as a doctor but as a friend. I should never have made that promise to Kaoru but no I have no other choice but to break it. I owe Kenshin that much at least. At last, her mind made up, Megumi slid open the door to Kenshin's room.

"Hello Kenshin. Are you feeling any better?" Kaoru asked forgetting that he had denied any pain in the first place.

I have to tell him now before she gets her hopes up any higher. I'm sorry Kaoru but I really have no choice. Megumi took a few seconds to collect her thoughts as she waited for Kenshin's reply.

"I feel fine Miss Kaoru. Thank you for asking," Kenshin answered her in his usual polite way, offering her a smile.

Megumi's words died on her lips. They had all seen Kenshin smile, he had done so often enough, but no matter the cicumstance, even if he was truely happen at the moment, there seemed to be an undercurrent, something which kept it from being complete. Now, with no memories of his crimes and no recollection of all the murders he had committed, he truely beemed. With his crimson hair and amethyst eyes, Kenshin would never blend in with a crowd, especially a Japenese one, but she would never had said that his smile would be what stood out about him, but now she was forced to admitt that it was. His large eyes lit up with some deeply buried light and his whole face transformed.

Could she really do this? He had suffered so much for his past and struggled way too often with his inner demon. Trying to make retribution, he had saved numerous lifes, expecting nothing in return, not even gratitude.

But if he saves life as a way to repent for his past sins then will he stop helping people? she couldn't help but wonder. But she finally had to admitt that no, he wouldn't. He had been born into this world a good soul, she had heard stories about his time with Hiko from Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko, and knew that, though the revolution reinforced that, it was his kind heart which originally started it.

O.k. then we'll do this your way Kaoru but please don't mess this up, for Kenshin's sake, be sure of what you're doing.

"Well you may feel fine at the moment but you are not to get out of that bed for a while. Is that understood," Megumi said, going into doctor mode.

"O.k. Miss Megumi, " Kenshin answered back, the smile never leaving his face.

"Kaoru, you and I should let him get some rest."

"But he just..."

"Kaoru," and then she walked out. Feeling as if she had no other choice, she followed Megumi out of the room. Just for Kenshin's sake.

Once Megumi had led Kaoru into the front yard, she started to explain the difficulties with their new idea.

"There are only a hand full of people who know Kenshin as the Battousai but they have a way of seeking him out. In order to go through with this we have to be prepared to stop those people from getting to him. Are you prepared to do that?" Megumi started the conversation off with that question.

"For Kenshin, yes," Kaoru answered.

Hearing the conviction of that simple sentence gave Megumi hope that they could pull it off.

"We've already established that he must have a set of false memories to fill in the ones of the Battousai so if he mentions anything which doesn't seem familar, play along. If we can connect his false memories with the current ones it shouldn't be too hard. Got it?"

Kaoru just nodded her head. She knew that this wasn't going to be easy but Kenshin deserved the peace.

*****

Sano and Yahiko had finally returned from their walk and despite the situation it had done them some good. The tension which had been building between the two had finally dispersed and they were prepared to stay by Kenshin's side until he had awaken. So the were more than mildly surprised to arrive at his room to find Kaoru and Megumi gone as well as a wide awake Kenshin.

"Oh hello Sano. Where have you and Yahiko been?" Kenshin asked softly.

O.k. if he wants to pretend nothing happened then we'll save it for when he's better. "Just out for a walk. Glad to see ya feelin' better," Sano answered in response.

"Yes, I am thank you. However I'm not entirely sure what happened."

"A thug came here to the dojo and attacked you. It was a close one but you're gonna be fine now, don't worry."

"But why would he attack me, I don't see how I could have angered anyone."

"He came here cause he said he didn't like livin' in the shadow of the Battousai," Yahiko finally spoke up, glad that he could finally add something to the conversation.

"That's what Miss Kaoru said but I don't understand what that has to do with me. The Battousai was killed during the revolution and I never even met him so why would someone confuse me with the Battousai?"

This conversation was confusing Sano. He knew how deeply Kenshin regreted his past but he had never denied it, had in fact never gone through great lengths to hide it. He wasn't proud of his past, not by a long shot, but Sano knew that he wasn't the type to go into denial.

"What do you mean, Kenshin? Of course you never met the Battousai. You are..."

*****

O.k. sorry this is so short. The next chapter will be longer but you know how it is with the Christams holidays. I'm not sure if I should continue this fanfic so review and tell me if you think I should. Hope you enjoyed and have a Merry Chrismas. In the next chapter I'll explain why Sano didn't see Kaoru and Megumi in the front yard.