Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Life In A New Era ❯ Tonami, 1871, Part 2 ( Chapter 2 )

She sat down before the pond. Colorful fish swam around, some jumping out of the water as if in greeting. She smiled, slipping her bare feet into the coolness of the water. How relaxing. The sunlight on her skin as she tilted her head to meet its smiling rays made her warm. She was glad that winter was almost over. She hated winter, especially in Edo. Edo… or Tokyo as it had been renamed…she'd grown up there with her family. She had not thought of that city for a long time, so much had changed since those days.

 

She glanced around as she heard footsteps and voices. Yaso, Amane, and the other women came outside, chatting like schoolgirls. She watched them cluster around the small garden fountain, dressed in bright colored kimono. Yaso looked particularly lovely today, her lips painted the same red as her kimono. Amane, dressed in a yellow kimono, waved at her. She waved back at them.

 

Satsuki in a blue kimono and Haruna in a yellow one, noticing her also, waved. None of them signaled that they wanted her company, but she was grateful. She just wanted to sit in the bright sun, enjoy the sudden pleasant weather for February, and watch the fish. A pretty sparkling fish brushed his fin against the bottom of her foot, making her squeak with pleasure. Today was so wonderful. Perhaps later she'd take a walk up to the shrine with one of the ladies.

 

She heard him before she saw him. He was talking to a companion as he slid the shoji open. Kurasawa and Saito came outside. Kurasawa wore a plum colored kimono with a white obi. On her second encounter with Hajime Saito of the Shinsengumi he wore a navy blue kimono and white obi.

 

Kurasawa was talking quietly with Saito, looking interested in something Saito mumbled. The sheep by the fountain stared at the Wolf in innocent curiosity, not aware of truly how dangerous a remorseless killer like him was.

 

Ueda Schichiro entered right behind Saito and Kurasawa. Kurasawa looked taken aback while Saito looked unbothered. Ueda had been let inside by a servant who he now dismissed. When Kurasawa had first moved to Tonami he'd lived with Ueda in his household and they had only recently moved into this house.

 

Kurasawa and Ueda left the garden to discuss something in more private areas. She expected Saito to follow them into the house, but he didn't move even after the shoji slid shut behind Ueda. Did Ueda not trust Saito? Or was it merely a matter Ueda didn't think Saito would care for or needed to know about?

 

Saito stood near the house, looking out at the grazing sheep. Tokio watched him cautiously as he walked over to the ladies. She picked up her geta scandals and tabi socks and pulled her feet out of the water. She dried her feet with the inside of her kimono sleeve and put on the socks and scandals.

 

She hoped Amane, usually the quietest and the one she got along with best, would be up for a little walk as she approached the group wearily. Saito was listening to Satsuki talk, her blush all the way up to her eyes, Tokio noticed with confusion. Why would Satsuki blush talking to an ugly man like Saito? Hadn't Satsuki just last night proclaimed to all the ladies how ugly and evil Hajime Saito looked? Why the sudden change when he was around? She wondered if it was because Satsuki was nervous about offending a man who killed.

 

Yaso and Haruna were blushing too, nodding their heads nervously at what Satsuki had just said. She cleared her throat, getting a bewildered looked from Amane. The woman looked just as confused about the other girls' actions as she was.

 

She bowed to the group when they finally all acknowledged her presence. Bows were made in return. “I was wondering if anyone would like to accompany me to the shrine? It would be a long walk, but it is such a calm day today.” She knew only Amane liked long hikes and the other women detested walking in their kimonos.

 

“I wouldn't mind taking a stroll,” Amane replied, smiling.

 

Saito silent until this moment spoke suddenly, “I'll come. Women should not go out without escort, even in this era.”

 

She stared in surprise, what? She'd wanted to walk with Amane to the shrine alone so she could get her opinion about this man and here he wanted to tag along? How annoying. She'd have to get Amane alone another time.

 

Satsuki, Haruna, and Yaso all said they'd come with too. She knew their reasons had nothing to do with the shrine or liking the walk. She frowned, why would they want to be around this strange man? She didn't understand their actions in the least.

 

She trailed behind with Amane. The other women followed closely behind the Wolf of Mibu. She glanced at Amane and smiled tightly, “They are acting strange.”

 

“Indeed,” Amane agreed.

 

“Why are they…” she wasn't sure of the right word to describe their actions, “acting the hypocrite? First they declare he's ugly and scary after they're initial meetings and now they are practically swooning over him.”

 

Amane frowned a little before shrugging, “You have to understand, Tokio-san, he's an intimidating man to them. Whereas he makes me nervous because of his swords he overawes them with his commanding, uncompromising air. They are just in awe of him, that will give away to fear shortly, I'm sure.”

 

She wasn't so sure it would turn to fear so quickly, “What if he…used his…personality and reputation to…intimidate them.” She wasn't sure if Amane would understand what she was implying.

 

Amane looked at her sharply, laughing suddenly. Satsuki and Haruna looked back at them with surprise. Amane waved at them politely before saying, “I think Yaso would have more self-respect then to allow such an…event to occur. The other two probably wouldn't need much pressuring from him,” she chuckled with bemusement. Tokio found nothing bemusing about a man using ignorant women for his own selfish pleasure.

 

 

The walk to the shrine was lovely. The air was still warm, pleasantly so in her mind. They walked the distance from Kurasawa's house in Gonohe village to the shrine just outside the village, passing some lands that had never been harvested. Tonami was known for its poor soil, so farming was more effort than it was worth. One couldn't fish in Tonami either because it didn't face the sea. So work was limited mostly to peddling things which most samurai looked down upon. She wondered if Saito was going to have to peddle things to make a living. Would he think ill of it? Probably.

 

The shrine came into view and they started up the steps. By now Haruna, Yaso, and Satsuki appeared exhausted. Saito, likely use to much more tedious work, hardly looked fazed. She felt a bit winded herself, but she enjoyed the feeling. Just as his feet touched the last step, Saito froze. Yaso gave a yelp as she reached the last step seconds behind him. Satsuki and Haruna came up behind her quickly and grasped almost in union. She shared a glance with Amane and both ran the rest of the way up.

 

She stopped short when she saw the man. He was turned away from them, his bloody sword at his side and a dead body at his feet. The dead looked to be a man who'd come from Gonohe to visit the shrine. Her throat grew tight as he turned around.

 

He had his long black hair tied back, expect for his bangs which framed his small face. He wore a black kimono with light blue hakama. He smiled, slinging his sword to rest on his shoulder. His eyes, a deep brown, watched Saito with amusement.

 

“Glad to see you've finally made it, Hajime Saito, captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi.”

 

She glanced at Saito, how did he know this man? “Who are you?” He didn't know this man! What?

 

The man looked insulted at that, but perked up readily enough. “I'm here to take my revenge on you for killing an old friend of mine. I'm sure you remember him. Tani Sanjuro…”

 

Saito blinked, “Can't say I recall a man named Tani, but then again I've killed a lot of people.”

 

The man narrowed his eyes, “Damn Wolf! Killing is all men like you know! The Shinsengumi should just be a byword for murderers!”

 

“I can't really say you're wrong about the Shinsengumi bit,” Saito pulled out a cigarette from the pack he'd taken out. The man stared in bewilderment as he lit it and let the match drop to the ground. “Of course the rest is…fictitious at best. I know much more than how to kill.”

 

The man tensed instinctively at the look Saito was giving him, lowering his sword from his shoulder to straight in front of him. Saito took a long drag, that little half smile she'd seen him give to Kurasawa forming on his usually impassive face. “But,” he held the man's eyes, “you can't claim to be so much better than me, you've just killed a man who had no connection to your revenge. You're a hypocrite…I dislike hypocrites.”

 

“You're the hypocrite!” The man screamed, his body trembling. She realized suddenly that she was shaking too. She needed to do something, anything to prevent this man from dying. She couldn't believe he'd killed an innocent man, but…but…she didn't want anyone else to die.

 

She glanced at the other ladies. Haruna was crying, hiding behind Yaso's unmoving sticklike frame. The paleness of Yaso's face was not entirely because of her makeup. Satsuki was mumbling some words to Amane who stood just a few steps away from her stricken. None of these women needed to see this man die. She didn't need to see it either. She'd hoped she'd never have to see anymore people die. What a fruitless sentiment it was turning into…breath…she could still save this man...somehow…

 

“You're a fool,” she stepped forward, stilling her shaking and digging into the inner strength she knew she processed. She could do this, for that man's sake and whatever loved one's he had. “Do you really think,” she put on a haughty air, using all her skills to stare the man down, “that a weakling like you can defeat Hajime Saito of the Shinsengumi?” Here he looked over at Saito and back to her. His resolve was wavering. Good. “Hajime Saito was known to be as skilled as Souji Okita and Shinpachi Nagakura so to this man you're nothing more than an insect that needs to be eliminated.” She saw his shoulders slump a little. It was working, she was demoralizing him. Now for the final blow. “Even the great Battousai feared him and couldn't defeat him. How can you some unknown unskilled swordsman possibly beat Hajime Saito?”

 

Saito, one arm crossed and the other putting the cigarette to his mouth, looked bemused. “She's completely right,” the man was looking a lot less confident about his skill. Ash fell from Saito's half smoked cigarette and fell to the ground. “But…Tokio-san,” she nearly jumped at hearing him pronounce her name. The cold tone sent shivers up her spine. “You should refrain from continuing. You're efforts are futile. I'm going to kill this man whether or not he runs away because of your considerate words.” He took a drag, the glance he gave her from the corner of his eye made her shudder. He'd understood her reasons right away. Damn it! Why couldn't he have been more of an idiot?

 

She saw his katana slide from his sheath with one fluid motion. Her skin crawled as he pointed his Japanese sword at the man before him. The man was trembling again, the sword in his hands wavering with his body.

 

“Prepare to die,” he flung his cigarette to the ground. She watched the cigarette hit the paved stone of the shrine path and heard the yell. Saito noiselessly attacked his opponent who parried the blow. His frightened face and wide eyes stared at their crossed blades, his scream still echoing around the area. He jumped away and turning clumsily made to run for his life. His attempt was cut short by a quick thrust in the back by Saito.

 

She stared wide-eyed, her hand going to her mouth. His body collapsed to the ground. Blood gushed out, pouring over the even placed stone path. Blood gathered in the cracks between the stones. She wasn't here anymore though. She didn't hear Haruna's scream or Satsuki's thump as she hit the ground on her knees.

 

She saw a similar blood covered path. Her bare feet ran past a dead Aizu samurai, his blood spilling over the pavement. She swung her geta in her hand as she ran past; it was much easier to run without them on. She heard the sound of men behind her fighting for their lives and beliefs. She saw the fire then. Women ran beside her. She saw green eyes meet hers and then…then…

 

“Tokio-san?” A hand snapped in her face. She jumped, letting out a sound halfway between a scream and a squeal.

 

Reality came back with a shock of relief. Alright maybe not so much, she reflected when she saw the two bodies. But it was better here than there. Saito was turned away, facing the corpse of the man he'd just finished off. He was cleaning his blade with a piece of cloth he must have stripped off the dead man.

 

Amane was the one who'd said her name. The woman looked pale and tense, her back purposely to the dead behind her. Haruna was crying softly, trying to muffle her tears with the sleeve of her kimono. Satsuki, who'd gotten back to her feet after her fall, was trying to get Yaso to turn away from the sight, but the woman seemed unyielding.

 

Saito spoke up, “We should head back soon. Kurasawa-san will be expecting us shortly.”

 

No one responded to his words and he hadn't really expected one. She went over to Haruna. She smiled weakly, “Har-san. Koishii, don't be sad. Here take my hand,” Haruna had looked up when she'd said koishii, her brown eyes turning wide. She smiled bolder. Haruna buried her head into her shoulder, sobbing.

 

“I can't…believe…” Her tears choked out whatever else she'd meant to say. Satsuki had finally gotten Yaso to move to the steps and she was sitting silently now.

 

Saito lit another cigarette as he sat down on the top steps. She moved Haruna over to sit beside Amane, Yaso, and Satsuki down a couple steps from him. Yaso was talking softly to Satsuki and Amane. Whatever she was saying she looked dazed and stopped every now and then for a long time before continuing. She couldn't hear her words though because of Haruna's heavy crying. She took her geta off, putting them to the side.

 

“Don't be sad, Haruna-san,” she said, looking out at the blue sky. Lazy gray clouds hinted that it might rain later. She hoped it didn't rain or thunderstorm tonight, Haruna was already going to have nightmares without the added stress of bad weather. Usually she liked rain, but it would be bad tonight. She wondered if she should have Haruna stay in her room tonight. She could set up a futon…

 

“There's no need for tears. Saito-san had to slay that man.” Haruna's tears had started to subdue, but at the mention of the dead man intensified. “It was necessity, I suppose,” she tightened her hand in Haruna's. “He was evil. Ako Soku Zan after all,” she glanced back at Saito. Of course the taciturn man had heard her; she'd expect nothing less of a captain of the infamous Shinsengumi. He looked as removed as ever, even at her mention of his motto.

 

“What of the bodies,” she directed to him.

 

She watched him take a lazy drag, his face still, only his eyes betrayed that he was calculating what to do about that. He lowered his hand, took another drag after a moment, and flicked off the ash with a sharp movement. “Nothing. I will notify the police when we go into Gonohe.”

 

“They'll know you killed that man.”

 

`Of course he realized that' his eyes said as he glanced down at her. His eyes returned to the sky when he replied, “I'll just say I found both men dead. No one will think anything else but that they quarreled and slew each other. You ladies will be good witnesses. Or we could just forget about this little event and let someone else deal with the disposal.”

 

So calm and cool even in such a situation…was that because of his Shinsengumi days? How did he deal so easily with killing that man? Did he really feel no remorse? Of course not, she thought, to him it was all a part of his motto, there was no gray ground, one didn't compromise with evil by feeling regret. To him remorse was a wasted sentiment.

 

Emotionless bastard…

 

She stood, Haruna looked up at her with unshed tears still in her eyes. She pressed her sleeve to her face. “It's alright to cry, Haruna.” She looked back at the woman, hardly twenty-one, who looked stricken with grief. “Tears are natural when someone dies. We should head back, Kurasawa will be waiting.” Better that Haruna cry and feel than to bottle it all up, she mused, as she helped Haruna stand.

 

Like she was trying to do…like she'd been doing for years. She laughed, a half choked sound, startling everyone on the steps. “Did I ever tell you, Har-san, I was in Aizu in 1868,” she asked as everyone started to walk the dirt path back to Gonohe. “.It was after the battle of Toba Fushimi.” Saito was walking behind her and though she could not see him she could feel his eyes on her. “Aizuwakamatsu came under siege. Teruhime Matsudaira, the adopted sister of Matsudaira Katamori, commanded the women who helped. We mostly cooked, prevented fires from the cannonballs, cared for the injured and made bullets. I mostly helped take care of the dying, but I did help with some fires when necessity. It was…a sad time of my life. Probably the saddest.” She looked at Haruna's surprised look and caught out of the corner of her eye the other women's stunned looks. Saito had a little smile on his face as if all this amused him.

 

“I saw many men die,” she recalled, wincing as she remembered some bad moments. An Aizu warrior getting killed by a cannonball, his body flying through the air and smashing into the shoji of a nearby house. A young boy, hardly old enough to be a warrior, getting hacked to pieces by a more experienced swordsman as she watched from the castle. A spear going straight through an older man's gut. Her brain wanted her to scream all over again. She closed her eyes and reopened them, trying to focus on the here and now.

 

“I'm sure what you saw,” Saito was talking, “could not equal that of someone on the battlefield. You didn't kill those men…” He seemed to be recalling his own memories, she reckoned. “Toba Fushimi was a mess and The Battle of Aizu, where I commanded, was much worse.”

 

Where these thoughts would have disheartened and saddened most men he seemed thrilled at the thought. He chuckled, a sound that seemed evil to her ears. “But such interesting days are gone now. Men like me who survived such trials must learn how to live again in this time of peace.”

 

They didn't stop in Gonohe village; apparently Saito didn't care about the bodies of his dead opponents. Kurasawa greeted them with a smile and a bow when Saito pushed open the shoji. After the bows were all exchanged, Kurasawa asked, “What took so long? And why does everyone look so demure?”

 

Saito explained everything, Kurasawa's charming smile soon faded into a hard frown. She rarely saw such a look on his face. It made her sadder to think he was upset. “I suppose you'll want to leave, Goro-san?”

 

Saito stood and left. Where was he going? Why did she care? It didn't matter where that murderer went. Kurasawa did not detain any of them for long. She went with Haruna to her apartment. Haruna didn't say anything as they walked, but she looked better than she had since the incident. Haruna asked if she'd stay the night when she noticed the dark sky. She agreed and a futon was set up.

 

She awake in the middle of the night. She pulled her nemaki up her shoulders; it had started to slip down in her sleep. She sat up. Haruna had moved from her own futon to sleep beside her. She carefully rose and went to the shoji. It led out to the garden. She shoved it open. It was still raining heavily. Each leaf and blade of grass was shining from the rain. The branches of the trees shook from the strong wind.

 

She moved further out, her nemaki whipped against her frame. She shivered as cold wind and raindrops splashed her face. How cold it had gotten since this morning. She sighed at the tragic turn of events. The day had started out so well and had ended in tears and bloodshed.

 

Haruna made a sound inside. She turned as Haruna sat up. She went back inside and closed the shoji tightly. She sat back down by Haruna. The woman looked sleepy, her hair disheveled and her nemaki half off her shoulders. She pushed it back up for her and settled beside her friend to go back to sleep. She closed her eyes. Blood on stone. A man in a black kimono with blue hakama. His body falling to the ground, his hand still clutching his sword as he died. Malicious golden wolf eyes watching his life slip away.

 

She awake silently, sunlight was streaming in from the open shoji. Haruna wasn't beside her. That would explain why she'd felt so cold. She sat up. Haruna came running inside when she saw that she'd awaken. “I picked some flowers,” she smiled.

 

She watched Haruna arrange the flowers in a vase before her writing table. She picked up the folded kimono she'd grabbed from her room to change into. Haruna helped her tie her obi and style her hair.

 

She went to Kurasawa's room alone, leaving Haruna to go visit Satsuki. When it came to personalities Satsuki and Haruna got along well, but Haruna always came to her when she was scared or terrified. She had a feeling it had to do with the fact she looked more like Haruna's older dead sister than Satsuki. If her looks gave Haruna comfort she was grateful. Haruna deserved happiness, not anymore sorrow.

 

When she arrived Kurasawa gave her a small smile, setting down a letter he'd been reading. His smile was almost secretive, she bowed and he bowed slightly longer and deeper than was necessity which made her bow deeper and hold her position. This was strange behavior for Kurasawa. He usually only nodded or bowed slightly to her as he was her superior by a great deal, but he seemed to be doing this for a reason. He gestured to the mat in front of him. Watching him carefully she sat in seiza position.

 

“I'm grateful, Tokio-san, for your assistance and tact yesterday.” She was confused and he saw that, “after you ladies left, Goro-san came back with Ueda-san and we talked. Ueda-san is not happy about the situation Goro-san put you ladies into. He feels Goro-san's staying here jeopardizes everyone's lives. Being a part of the Shinsengumi has made him an unlikable fellow. Not only will ronin and other samurai seeking fame, but family and loved ones of the men Goro-san has killed might try to take his life. Some won't be considerate to who he's housing with,” Kurasawa looked deeply bothered by this.

 

“I would rather not see anything happen to any one here. But I owe…” His voice faltered, he looked troubled. Did he owe Saito his life? “I owe Goro-san for Aizu,” she stared. “He could have taken off with Hijikata-san to go to Sendai, but he chose to risk his life for Aizu. He could have died and for the sake of those who did die in the Battle of Aizu to shun him down because of some future difficultly would be shameful. I owe him for all he's done… No one has ever told Goro-san, but…he's a good man, Tokio-san. The best kind of man. I can't turn my back on a good man and not feel regret for the rest of my life…yet…I shouldn't endanger everyone else's lives…”

 

The look she gave him melted from surprise to tenderness. “Oh, Kurasawa-sama…you do what you must. Goro-san and the others will not hate you no matter you're choice. I'm sure they will understand. Goro-san will if no one else…”

 

He nodded, she knew he'd made up his mind before talking to her, he'd just needed to tell someone. Even though she was a woman and men shouldn't talk to women about such things he'd done so. She felt honored and respected Kurasawa even more. When she left the room she did a kneeling saikeirei to him. He smiled warmly as she turned to go. Kurasawa was a good man too.