Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ KOTETSU TO KOSUI (Steel and Perfume) ❯ Tomoe Yukishiro ( Chapter 5 )

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KOTETSU TO KOSUI (STEEL AND PERFUME)
Chapter Five



Some mountain in Japan
1864



&nbspIt was the seventh time that they agreed to meet by the lake. The night was deep and though his eyes were trained to adjust to any lighting condition available, Kenshin still found it difficult to go through the rocky uphill path that led to their meeting place. The moon above him was shyly peeking behind the clouds, a situation which didn't help his vision much. Every now and then he would stumble upon a rock which he didn't remember (or see for that matter) located there but was in truth displaced by either a racoon or some other animal taking residence in the nearby trees. The sight was a sorry one for if his enemies ever knew that the future Hitokiri was succumbing to such natural barriers his reputation would be forever stained.


He didn't fully understand why he was drawn to her. What he knew was that at the exact moment his eyes fell on her unnaturally calm face he couldn't get himself to leave her side. The first time they met was at the same spot where they had agreed to meet every other night. The sun was beginning to set when his shishou ordered him to fetch water for an evening soak. And when he arrived at the usual side where he draw water from, he saw her doing the same. The walk was not a short one and filling a large tub with two wooden pails required at least five trips back and forth and that was if minimal was wasted on spills. He was on the fourth trip and his back started to ache on the third. The sight of her was a refreshing one despite the heavy air that surrounded the atmosphere.


Her pale skin was reflecting the orange rays the setting sun emitted though gaps in the canopy. She stared at him and he did the same. It was the first time he saw her even when he often went to fetch from the lake. He was drawn to her and he didn't even remember when he had reached the other side where she stood. He then grabbed the pail from her slender hands and drew water himself. He asked her then where she lived so he could bring the water-filled bucket himself. She didn't answer immediately but walked ahead instead, they were walking for minutes before she spoke, giving directions as to where Kenshin should take her.


Kenshin hurried his steps. He was going to be late if he didn't and he was growing worried since the woods was not the safest place for a woman at night. Her name was Yukishiro Tomoe, it was the only information she gave him even though he tried every means he knew to obtain more information about her family, her background, herself. The things he knew he had to process himself from talking and being with her. The days were lighter then and not even his conceited sensei could destroy the mood with his severed training and sarcastic side comments during their routine activities. He always looked forward in seeing her again.


The second time they met was also by chance. Both seemed to have forgotten their chores and set aside the wooden pails to talk and sit by a nearby boulder. He summoned up his courage later when they were about to depart, to give her an innocent good night kiss on the forehead and looked intently at her eyes for some kind of reaction or rejection. After that he had learned then not to trust those deep black eyes of hers since the moment he looked he saw nothing, but it did not discourage him when he tried again on their now arranged third meeting. He did not regret that he did for this time, she returned the kiss. He felt his heart beat faster and warmth spread all over his body, suffocating him with delight from the kind of response he got from her.


Though they had consummated on their fourth meeting and endured the rocky ground that supported them, one could not say that their relationship was purely based on their fleshly desires. They would talk quite a deal the first two hours or so when they meet after they catch their breaths from walking for more than a mile or more. Kenshin noticed that the more time he spent with her, the more open he became with his life, his past, everything. He could share it to her and though she would say and do nothing except for the occasional nod of her head, he sensed that she understood him well enough. On the contrary, Tomoe would talk only when he asked her questions or when he asked her opinion about something. He would often complain about the treatment he received form his shishou, pouting when he narrated the peculiar things that Hiko would ask of him, making look like the sixteen year old boy that he was. A faint smile would then graze her lips followed by a short yet convincing reply stating that his sensei knew better than he did and therefore if he wanted to be stronger he should endure.


He felt his heart beat faster when he neared the lake. Did he look presentable enough? But then she could not see him with the dimly lit setting about them so it would be in vain even if he tried to look his best. Should he remain unnoticed and surprise her by bringing his arms around her waist while she sat? This thought brought all sorts of responses from his body that he didn't quite understand. The idea of wrapping her slender body with his was enough to lighten his mood and urged him to hasten his steps more. The other night after they had united for the first time they had left in haste since the sun was showing signs of rising so he had not known her reaction nor saw her face. Did she hate him for taking advantage of the situation? He didn't even think that by doing so outside the matrimony of marriage would bring dishonour to her and to her family, an offence which was punishable either by death or disowning. Nor did he care for her artful caresses told him otherwise. Tomoe was a principled woman and if she didn't want to, she would have told him.


He didn't seem to care that she was two years his senior. She spoke to him and he could talk to her about his frustrations and she would listen intently and did not disrupt him. He would rest his head on her lap and she would run her fingers through his hair, an act which soothed him, relaxed him.


He stopped when he saw her small figure illuminated by what little light there was. Her white kimono was easier to spot as it contrasted with the darkness around them. He discarded his earlier idea of stealth when he saw that she had turned her head in his direction, acknowledging his presence.





Oniwabanshuu HQ, Kyoto
Spring 1876





&nbspThe sun was set high when Toshiro Kajiuchi unloaded the government owned carriage. His plain blue uniform easily noticeable against the colourful environment that was Kyoto. A festival was nearing and the streets were busy with vendors and buyers here and there rattling about.


Toshiro was only in his late thirties yet his once black hair was beginning to show signs of aging. His uniform clung to his lean body while his wide shoulders and long limbs made him look old and thinner. His hair was cut clean and fell inches above the nape. It was neatly combed and lined in half. His face was always shaved and clean. His eyes deep set and nose high bridged. He was handsome if one's standard liked pale, bloodless types.


"Irrashaimase!" ("Welcome!")


He looked up to see an equally tall and a beautiful lady smiling at him and from the looks of the plain dark green kimono she wore he could tell that she was an employee of the inn.


"Good afternoon sir! You are just in time, the inn is almost full but we have 3 more rooms left. Would you like to take a room on the second or third floor?"


He flinched. Women these days developed such high pitched voices that could ring the ears out of his head. And did she really need to talk that loud? There were only a few customers within the lobby and they were only a few meters apart.


He looked around and was glad to see that the place was decorated like a traditional Japanese inn unlike other inns that adopted the western design for hotels. They still used shoji doors which were made of white rice paper designed only with a single thick horizontal blue line at the middle. The floors were wooden and caused clicking sound whenever geta sandals touched it. He stopped his observation and looked at the woman who was still awaiting his reply.


"I came to see Aoshi Shinomori," he said flatly and so quietly that he had to move closer to ensure that she heard him. When she did not answer him immediately he thought he had asked an ordinary employee that was not aware of the double purpose of this building or worse, he came to the wrong inn.


The woman stopped her smiling, her expression became serious but as soon as it came it was gone and her face bore the earlier grin she wore though her voice was lowered.


"I'm sorry. You came to see the okashira then? Please follow me Mr. Kajiuchi."


This woman must be one of the Oniwabanshuu; there was no other explanation, he did not even give her his name yet. Toshiro was relived and inwardly laughed; he reprimanded himself for even thinking that times of peace could tame the famed Oni gang of Kyoto since it certainly did not. She gestured for him to follow her and led them to a door hidden behind a curtain out of reach from the eyes that weren't meant to see it; they climbed four sets of stairs before coming face to face with another small door.


There were neither candles nor bulbs to light their path and Toshiro had to stop for a moment and wait for his eyes to adjust before continuing with the woman towards the door. She knocked twice before announcing,


"Aoshi-sama, Kajiuchi-san has arrived."


He noticed that her voice lowered even more and was no longer high pitched making the announcement almost a whisper. He would have never guessed that the same voice belonged to the same girl if he was not with her. Toshiro did not hear any respond from the inside and was confused when the woman opened the door and ushered him in.


The room was poorly lit though it was brighter inside compared to the environment he had to endure when he was climbing the stairs; the room had a small opening acting as a window to let sunlight in and since it was mid afternoon and no source of cool air was made available, Toshiro felt humid. He loosened the top most button of his uniform and adjusted his collar; an act which he fervently prayed did not cause offence to the okashira. He was well aware that as the head of the Oniwabanshuu the man had the ability to kill him and make sure that nobody knew it until a few years passed and all evidences would have been useless.


The act would do no harm, he thought, since the man was no where in sight. He scanned the room and noted that it was bare save for the mat and the small wooden tea table in the center. The pillows, which served as chairs for the Japanese, were plain and darkly colored. He could not be entirely sure if they were black or dark blue or dark green since the room was dim.


He tried to compose himself but could not help feeling uneasy inside the room while he was alone. He was startled when he heard a cool calm voice behind him speak.


"Mr. Kajiuchi."


The sudden realization that he had companion left him with a racing heart beat and sweaty hands. He steadied himself and hid the earlier emotions away. Readying himself with his first meeting with the okashira.


"Aoshi Shinomori. I see that the Onmitsu Oniwabanshuu is still as sharp as ever."


Aoshi moved to the tea table and invited Toshiro to sit. A woman, the same lady from earlier arrived holding a tea tray and a folder pressed between her left arm and body. She laid the drinks on the table and served the men. Before she left she handed the brown folder to Aoshi and quickly bowed.


"Here's the information you requested."


Toshiro made a grab of the folder before Aoshi could hand it over and made a quick scan of its contents. His eyes roamed up and down as he flipped the pages of the comprehensive report.


"Yes.. this is very good, very good indeed. But how can I be sure that the information here is correct and not just some hoax?"


By now he had forgotten all fears he had for the Aoshi, he was so absorbed at the moment of thinking about the girl he would have to hunt down before her little mouth confessed anything to the higher authorities. And because of this great concentration he failed to see that the eyes of man sitting in front of him had changed in intensity.


"Mr. Kajiuchi, for your sake I will let that insult pass. But you should know that the Oniwabanshuu does not forge information. Beshimi."


"Yes, okashira?"


Toshiro stopped his reading and recognized his own fault. He had implied that the oni gang were… he sure was in good luck since Aoshi seemed to forgive him for his tactlessness. When he looked at Aoshi again he saw that from nowhere a man came out and was crouching beside Aoshi in a very ninja like manner. He was brown and his skin was slightly wrinkled. Even from his position Toshiro could tell that he was a very short man, more or less four feet. The new comer only looked at Aoshi when he spoke and Toshiro felt left out as the two made a very discreet conversation.


When the small man finally spoke, he looked directly into Toshiro's eyes. His voice sly and full of malice and reminded Toshiro of a snake yet oddly he could tell that the man was speaking the truth.


"Every night since Battousai escaped I followed him, yet there were no instructions for me to harm him and so I did not. Did you hear how he miraculously escapes from the fifty-man squadron the shogunante appointed to hunt him? Well let me tell you that he didn't because with my very own eyes I saw him dragged by one of Naoko Laidler's servant man and the rest can be found in the report."


After he spoke the man left without a trace. Toshiro was a bit confused. But if he had been he dare not show it and went on confidently. "Very well, I got what I came for and I trust that these are accurate and complete."


He stood and turned for the knob but stopped when he heard Aoshi speak, "Mr. Kajiuchi, I advise you to not speak of the Oniwabanshuu as you did earlier, for your safety of course. Have a good day." With this salutation, Aoshi left the room using another door. When he got outside, he signalled for his companion, a lower ranked official who had no idea as to what had transpired inside the inn within the last ten minutes, to bring his black suitcase. The younger man hurriedly did so and handed the baggage over to Toshiro with a slight bow. The man picked it up with ease and went inside once again to carefully set the bag beside a big porcelain jar beside the counter.


Once in back in the carriage, he glanced at the folder and saw a sign embedded at the bottom. Beside the dove drawing which was the Oni gang's symbol, was a Kanji character: stealth, Bishimi's sign. Oniwabanshuu's most discreet ninja. "So discreet that even Battousai didn't notice that he was being followed," he added before sending a signal for the carriage to start.





Kobe, Japan
Spring, 1876





&nbspThe next morning, Kaoru sat on the porch of the house. It was still chilly and dew was fresh on the plants. Her legs began to ache a moment ago prompting her to switch position and she was currently sitting against a wooden wall hugging her knees to herself since it provided extra heat to her body and partly so because it was the only alternate position her restricting kimono allowed.


She was blankly staring at the garden Kenshin had made for himself but in her mind she was far away, lost during the time when she too was in a garden equally beautiful as the one she was looking at. In her memory, the flowers in their garden in Okinawa were always in full bloom. Each time they got home from Edo it was always the garden she first went to.


She drifted back to the present and meticulously looked at her surroundings. Kenshin's handiwork was different from the one in her memory. It was more of a reflection of his character than of art. The style in which he designed it was not defined since it was mixture of the western and the traditional Japanese - yes, it was truly a reflection of himself. One could infer that the hands that perpetuated that should have been nothing but a disciplinarian. Everything was in order, not a single fern was misplaced. And it was beautiful - in a simplistic kind of way.


"I used to always play in our backyard, back in Okinawa," she reminisced out loud. She had felt Kenshin's presence standing behind her minutes ago. He looked down at the girl in front of him. Her hair was free and flowed down until it reached her waist. It was midnight blue and he thought of how soft it looked despite days of lack of brushing.


She continued, "It was beautiful, Rumi-san, our gardener, used to scold me so often. He said I was too spirited and that I could easily trample on his precious flowers. I never liked it in Edo though, until now… the atmosphere is always so heavy and suffocating."


"Sankin kotai?" Kenshin half questioned. Since she was a granddaughter of a daimyo and that her mother was an only child, it was possible that they too were required to accompany Kamiya Shimizu in Edo. Sankin kotai was one of the systems the shoguns imposed during the Tokugawa era. It required the daimyo and his family to stay half the year in Edo and the other half in their respective provinces. This enabled them to keep constant surveillance of the daimyo and with this system, the shogun's capital and local castle towns grew rapidly.


"Yes, alternate attendance. I had hated it when it was time to leave Okinawa. Maybe because we always came to Edo during the winter." A soft chuckle rose from her.


Kenshin did not respond immediately. He looked out and saw that the sun beginning to show. It was time, "Kaoru, I've already prepared the bath for you. Get yourself presentable. We will leave for the town after you finish."


The change in formalities did not go unnoticed and it reminded her of the arrangement they had agreed upon the previous night. She felt her cheek heat up in embarrassment. Never in her life did she think that she would become a mistress - much less be Kenshin Himura's, otherwise known as Battousai, mistress. She berated herself for she knew that she should at least feel dirty as the society would demand her to feel but in contrast she felt good about it and a tad rebellious. Besides, they had not done anything wrong and peculiar as it may seem, she knew that Kenshin would not do anything that could harm her. She nodded absentmindedly and walked past Kenshin to the bath.


&nbspWhen she came back minutes after, she found Kenshin arranging bottles and some herbs into a sturdy, rectangular wooden box tied with straps at the ends that it looked like an ordinary backpack. His hair was gathered up in a high pony tail and he wore a clean dark blue gi.


Kenshin noticed that she had changed into a yellow kimono he had not seen before. It fit her well, still decent though quite rumpled from days inside storage in her petite bag. Her once pale skin was beginning to show colour now and her cheeks were still flushed from the hot water. Her hair was still damp and cascaded down her back in curls. He lifted the bag and headed outside, Kaoru followed suit.


Once outside, he gave her a wide straw hat and gestured her to put it on. The travel downhill took longer than Kaoru had expected. It was the same path that she used when she went in search of him but only now that she was fully rested and restored did she notice the beautiful scenery that surrounded her.


Kenshin was silent all through out the trek. Kaoru was the one mostly responsible for the talking. She would comment on the flowers that they passed by and shrieked in happiness when a rabbit came skipping near them. He even heard her say how beautiful the sun looked in this side of the country. He was amused by her. If he had not known he would have never guessed that this girl's life was in peril. By the time they got in the village, the sun was already up above their heads.


----------


"Mr. Himura, we made such a big sale today. Almost all of the supplies were sold." Kaoru, whose hair was now pulled up by a piece of cloth she saw on the way, was jubilant. In her hands, clasped securely, was the money they earned from earlier. It was her first experience in selling and they had made a good profit, she guessed.


She discovered that the heavy looking bag Kenshin wore was full of herbs and other medicinal liquids and powders that Kenshin made himself from the plants in his garden. Their first stop was the marketplace where his customers were expecting him. They were surprised when they saw that he was accompanied by a young girl they had never seen before. Married women talked amongst themselves and the younger ladies jealously examined her. When a young man asked Kaoru where she was staying, Kenshin answered in her behalf in a voice that almost sounded threatening and told the lad that she was with him.


When the crowd dispersed the two went about house to house offering their products. Kaoru was surprised at how friendly Kenshin seemed to act around the people, smiling and sometimes laughing at some jokes they shared with him. He was different compared to the Kenshin she was accustomed to and she wondered if all of it was just play and if there was even the smallest possibility that he possessed such behaviour. It was mid-afternoon when they finally stopped at a small restaurant to eat and rest.


During the whole duration of the day, Kaoru kept a three pace distance behind Kenshin, this he noticed. She was trained well, he thought. She was good with the townsfolk though he knew she heard some whispers from the ladies that weren't so friendly about her. She kept on smiling even when they had walked for hours without stop and food. She never did impress on him that she was tired and for this he was grateful. But if it had been any other female…


He has also been amused when Kaoru snapped at a girl who was "accidentally" brushing herself against him - constantly. It was Umi, a servant girl of the Sanada family who always waited for his weekly rounds in town outside the family's gates. He knew that she was fond of him. It was not a bad thing really, since everytime she would complain of aching in many places, he would offer her plenty of remedy which of course, she would happily buy. It seemed that Kaoru had been annoyed at the overly talkative and maliciously hyperactive girl and told her to decide which body part did truly hurt. Umi had glared at her then, a glare which Kaoru returned with doubled intensity that caused the poor servant girl to shrink in terror. She hurriedly paid for the medicine and locked the gates behind her.


This time, he looked at her when she spoke again, "Why do you have to do this Mr. Himura? Expose yourself I mean."


"People will get suspicious when they do not see where I get money from. It is for my protection as well since I am still in constant surveillance by the government and seeing me with a visible source of income will somehow assure them that Battousai is still in hiding."


Kaoru suddenly felt guilty. Guilty because she could be the reason for this semblance of a normal life to be destroyed. She didn't know how or when she just felt that her presence would. Only now did she understand the words he spoke of the other night.


"…what you're asking me will disrupt the life that I have made for myself?"


It would be selfish to bring upon her burden to him. He was truly trying to make his life work. Tears came unbidden down her cheeks. Why had she not thought of it then?


"I am truly sorry, to bring this all up to you. I will arrange everything so I can leave right away."


He continued to walk ahead of her by at most five paces. He never looked when he spoke but the tone of his voice was both imposing and condescending and was accented with a seemingly casual hand gesture. That after he spoke Kaoru did not respond until he had told her to when they were inside the house.


"We are not having this conversation until we reach home. Just be silent till then."


&nbspHe spoke immediately after he put the wooden bag down.


"No. You will stay with me. We have already reached an agreement last night. Or do you not remember?"


Kaoru was surprised at the sudden reprimand. She took off her hat and placed it on a nearby rack. She never looked at him when she spoke.


"But, if I go you can live like this, like you have for years after you disappeared. I was selfish not to consider the consequences that my actions may bring to you, or your way of life. I cannot…"


"There will be no backing out. The person behind all of this may already know your whereabouts and the spies that abound in this area monitoring me will only help to hasten the process. So you see, my dear Kaoru, you are stuck with me whether you like it or not, unless you'd prefer to die of course. You have already disrupted my life so stand up for it…and stay here with me. Do you understand Kaoru?"


Se managed a small nod but in truth she still hesitated to stay. But when she further processed it she realized that there was no turning back now. She had already sold herself to him and running away would be futile since he could catch up with her easily if he so desired for her to truly stay. Even if it was for his sake that she was going away she couldn't bring herself to. It was a very confusing feeling and she wanted to find out what it meant. He told her he would protect her and in it she found solace. The only thing she could do now was to return the favour and make sure that he was safe as well, if not from the tangible things from himself for she felt that behind the walls he put up between them lay a real struggle that was long left unresolved and ignored. She wasn't aware how she came to this conclusion after knowing him for a few days but she did and she did not go on questioning herself further.


"Yes, I suppose you're right. Mr. Himura…"


"Kenshin."


"What?" she looked at him, both blue pools trained on him.


"Call me Kenshin. I feel like an old hag when you call me that. We are afterall together now."


She smiled at him then, she may not have recognized it but the air around them became lighter and comfortable.


"Kenshin?"


"Hmm?"


Th ey had not moved since. Kenshin was still standing in front of her with the bag laid down beside his feet, his other hand still securing the shoji door. He looked at her and Kaoru was taken aback by the casual expression in his eyes. It was not well guarded like before and he almost looked amused when he looked at her.


"Thank you. Before you say anything else that could ruin my mood. Let me finish and accept it will you? Let's just pretend that no deals were made. So please accept my gratitude. You have been most generous with me."


She placed her hands behind her and bowed her head more to hide the reddening cheeks from his sight than in respect or thankfulness. She looked at him only when she felt her cheeks cool down and flashed a bright smile that could have won the hearts of many young men before scampering away muttering something about preparing their dinner.


Kenshin picked the bag by the handle and placed it beside the sole cabinet in the house. He leaned against the wooden frame and faced the direction that overlooked the kitchen. Inside, Kaoru was unsuccessfully trying to peel some carrots that they bought earlier without thinning the vegetable so much that nothing would be left after peeling. He watched as the girl pouted and uncharacteristically cursed about how stubborn the vegetable was. He continued to watch her silently well aware that she wasn't conscious of the amber eyes that observed her.


Oh but Kaoru we can't pretend that we haven't agreed on anything. One of these days you will know that.








Author's Notes:


Do I even need a beta reader? Hehe… you tell me. (I know I do!)

Well, okay thanks for the info… I honestly didn't know that red hair was a natural hair color for Japanese, though rare it may be. As for the eye colour, I decided to stick to the anime standard since majority are well, more knowledgeable of the anime compared to the manga.

Okay, I totally forgot that the Oniwabanshuu HQ was at Kyoto and that Toshiro was in Edo! XD that just proves those blurbs I wrote in my bio page. I'm glad no one noticed that. Well anyhow…and yup, Sankin kotai was really practiced back then.

And lastly, I'd like to ask you guys a little favor. Our English teacher required us to write a story, essay etc and let strangers read and evaluate it but here's the twist. The story isn't the one to be evaluated, it's the author. So what I'd like you to do is to read my story (which I think you already have) and tell me what kind of person you think I am based on what I wrote. Evaluations need not be posted as reviews; you can email them at tenshin_no@yahoo.co.uk. I hope you take time and mail me. Just make sure to include a name (user names would do) and what you do for a living or year level if you're still studying. I hope this doesn't sound too demanding; it's just that I really need those. Five feedbacks would do. Thank you so much!

Almost forgot, a big thanks for all those who read my ficcie! God bless us all!


LustrousJade





Just an after thought, in the tradition of the great cartoon that my four year old sister adores, which is Dora the Explorer, I ask the question, what was your favorite part of the story?