Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Kanashii Kenkaku ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, that I don't. ^_________________^ u.u

A/N: This is supposed to take place during the Meiji Revolution. R&R.

Warnings: Violence, slightly slash (Sanosuke/Captain Sagara)

Kanashii Kenkaku

Chapter 1

The fire was crackling merrily. Warming them, giving the Imperialists hope. All but one, that is to say. Far from the circle of the other men sat one young redhead. Barely fourteen years of age, Himura Kenshin had joined the imperial army to try to help people. To save lives, but he had saved none. If anything, he'd killed. Killed so much that even a gentle pacifist could become a bloodthirsty murderer.

"Hey, Himura!" Someone shouted from the circle. "Don't you want any saké?" It was the soldiers' first taste of alcohol in four months. It was a rare treat that the others were taking full advantage of. Kenshin, however, wanted nothing to do with the merrymaking the others were partaking of. "Or is it too good for the mighty Battousai the manslayer?"

"Don't call me that!" Kenshin growled back. "And you can keep your alcohol too. Getting drunk can only weaken us should the enemy attack." Then the young red haired Battousai fell silent, hiding his face into his dirty white kimono pants.

"Leave him be, Ransou." Another man spoke up. "He's a young one yet, this is bound to be traumatizing for him. Just let him be."

"Younger than all of us, yet he still has a higher body count than the rest of us combined." Ransou spat back. "That one, he deservers the name Battousai. What's the style he uses anyway?"

"Hiten Mitsurugi, I think."

"Amazing."

Kenshin stood and left the camp ground to go see if he could scout out any rebels still fighting for the other side. Some distance off he noticed another campfire, a campfire and a lot of red headbands, of course. The Sekihotai were here. Kenshin had heard of a messenger group by this name working for the Meiji. Raising an eyebrow he sat down to study the group.

There was a young boy, he couldn't be any older than thirteen, laughing and cuddling up against an older man with green hair. The man had an arm protectively around the boy's waist and for a moment Kenshin wondered if the man was the boy's older brother. His reasoning was dashed when the boy looked up at the man and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. The man then captured the boy in a full out lip-lock. Kenshin growled, neither from the kiss, nor the affection behind it, but from the weakness that the man and boy were setting themselves up for. If any thing were to happen to one, the other would be devastated. Standing he continued to move onward. [1]

He walked on and on, yet he couldn't get that look of innocent joy on the boy's face when the man had kissed him. Would he ever feel that joy? Could he ever fell that joy? Quickly Kenshin pivoted on his heels and started back the other way. When he reached the Sekihotai campground he noted that the boy was asleep in the man's arms. He would feel guilty if the boy died and he had the power to warn the man ahead of time. Reaching down to the ground, Kenshin grabbed a small stone and hurled it, with precision aim, down at the green haired man's head.

Souzou Sagara smiled warmly down at the sleeping boy in his arms. The other men of the Sekihotai already knew how affectionate he was towards Sanosuke, so they didn't really react when he displayed said affection. Although, he was sure that outsiders would not take so well to their relationship as the members had. The truth was, he was in love with Sanosuke, and the boy claimed to love him back. So it with shock that he cringed when the rock hit him on the head. Gently he moved Sanosuke from his lap to his "bed"

After having seen that Sanosuke was comfortable, Souzou glanced up into the trees where he saw a short man, or perhaps a woman, the person did have very long hair. The figures eyes were glinting lavender and he nodded at Souzou to show that he wanted him to follow him. Rising Souzou started to walk toward the hill that the man was standing on.

"Hey, Sagara! Where are you going?" one of the men called after him.

"Captain?" Of course this would wake Sanosuke.

"No where far. Go back to sleep Sanosuke." He answered softly. "Now."

Kenshin felt sure he'd gotten the green haired man's attention when he sensed the cold glare from the latter. A moment later he heard the sound of feet on the dried leaves alerted his senses.

"Who are you?" The man asked him.

"I am Himura Kenshin, although not called it. I already know of your name, Sagara-san."

"And what do you want with me, Himura Kenshin?"

Kenshin, after only a moment of hesitation, walked forward out of the thicket of trees and into the pale light.

"I am here to warn you of your boy lover." He stated. "I know how you care for him, but if anyone else who is not in the Sekihotai were to find out, Sagara-san, you know it would be disastrous. Every enemy of the imperial army, or the Sekihotai personally would be out to kill him. Be careful with what you do and where you do it. I'd hate for that boy to meet his end during this revolution that is supposed to bring about peace."

"Why are you telling me this, Himura?" Souzou questioned him. "Why would you bother? Even if you are an ally to the imperial army, why would you help me?"

Kenshin turned away and began to slowly walk off, back to his camp.

"Because I hate to see children die."

Sanosuke blinked as Souzou walked back to camp. His eyebrows were knitted together and he had a preoccupied look on his face.

"What's the matter, Sagara-sama?" The other child of the group, Katsu, asked him from his resting place.

"I…met someone…just now. A young man, no…a boy, with long red hair and cold, steely, lavender eyes." He murmured.

"Long red hair and lavender eyes?" One of the men asked him, he nodded. "Sagara, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you just met Battousai the manslayer. But that can't be true. They say no one ever escapes him, rebel or not."

"Battousai? But then…why?" he glanced at Sanosuke, who was starring at him worriedly. "Why would he…tell me those things?"

Kenshin made it back to camp not to long later. The other men had drifted of into a drunken sleep.

"Fools." He murmured, glad that he had not touched the alcohol.

Just then he heard the battle cry of the shogunate army. "Kill the Imperialists!"

Gripping the tsuka of his katana, Kenshin readied himself for battle.

"Damn."