Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Never for the Public... ❯ Battousai ( Prologue )

Never for the public…

Prologue - Battousai

Chapter Summary - Choushuu Ishin Shishi Hitokiri Battousai… Himura Battousai…

 

This story has not been beta'd.

 

Summary: Kaoru's suffered a traumatic experience resulting in anxiety attacks. How does Kenshin plan to cure her? This story is based on the manga and anime up to the end of the Kyoto Arc, and ignores the Jinchuu Arc. However, sometime before this story, Kenshin does confide his past to his friends (same roundtable as in manga, different reasons irrelevant to this story)…

 

Note: The Japanese language is highly flexible and very beautiful. Although I do love mixing Japanese with English to try to keep the story true, I believe there is a limit which can severely decrease a story's enjoyment factor. I decided to ignore Kenshin's changes between his use of “sessha” versus “ore,” although I felt it necessary to keep “de gozaru.” Nevertheless, this story does contain MANY Japanese phrases. I've included a glossary at the end for reference. I apologize to those whom may not enjoy this story due to the intricate language mix.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own, any part of Watsuki Nobuhiro-dono's creations.

Rated: X

 

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The First Year of the Genji Era

April 20, 1864

 

Himura Kenshin, aka Himura Battousai, aka Hitokiri Battousai - Age 14

 

The full moon shone down brightly on the city of Kyoto. The daytime bustle of hundreds of people ended once the sun kissed the horizon, retreating to homes, inns, any shelter possible… any shelter, to escape the bloodshed.

 

Every night religiously, the streets of Kyoto became the goriest battlefield. Every morning, there would be more blood to cleanse from the dirt and buildings' walls. Every night, only three types of people roamed the fatal streets of Kyoto… the suicidal, the Shinsengumi, and the hitokiri…

 

A man slinked without sound from one shadow to the next, his job made more difficult with the full moon's light. He couldn't stay up on the rooftops as he favored, instead melding close to the buildings as he worked his way through the perilously deserted streets. However, being a Bakumatsu veteran of one year, in service to the Choushuu Ishin Shishi war faction, the light of the moon meant nothing to him.

 

His cascading red hair was pulled up tightly in a high ponytail, flowing beautifully behind him with each graceful step and leap he took. His razor-like blue-amethyst eyes were ever watchful behind himself, ensuring he left no trace of his path. The petite, five-feet-tall teenager stopped short of his nightly rounds… Coming around the corner, down the street, were two patrolling Shinsengumi. He carefully reached out with his kenki, scanning the area. There were only the two of them, with no captain in sight. Studying them closer, he noticed they were teenagers as well. The first one looked about sixteen or seventeen in age, the second had to be twelve years old from his stature. There was nothing abnormal about their ages; however, these two, did not smell of blood. They were definitely innocent, more than likely freshly-recruited rookies... he hesitated, his heart arguing that these were nothing more than just young boys…

 

Nevertheless, they were Bakufu, fighting to keep the oppressive 300-year Tokugawa regime in force. He was Ishin Shishi, fighting to bring the emperor to power over all of Japan. His orders were clear…

 

Ignoring his heart, he gave in to the palpable urge to slaughter. Amethyst melted to ferally-glowing amber, his eyes taking on a hellish light in the darkness. His mouth watered, knowing his blades would be well fed this night…

 

During the Bakumatsu Revolutionary War, there was a frightful man whom became the most famously known hitokiri in Japan's history. His demonic image wrought a nightmarish vision of hell; stories of his merciless manslaughter were used to scare children. His name was whispered in fear, even amongst the fearless Shinsengumi…

 

“Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu… Ryu Tsui Sen!”

 

The first Shinsengumi fell easily, his body sliced in half down the middle, blood gushing out explosively, bathing the street in a crimson wash…

 

He became a legend in his own time…

 

The second teenager became blinded by the rain of blood that quickly blanketed him from head-to-toe. He wiped the blood from his eyes, and looked up, knowing it was too late to defend himself. He whipped out his katana, tasting sour death in his mouth. The instant he had recognized the demon, he knew his short life was over. No, none of that matters. He was Shinsengumi. Aku Soku Zan. Even in the face of absolute death, he could not run away…

 

He was labeled and acknowledged as THE strongest of all…

 

He could not run away, and as his blood joined his comrade's, he didn't have to…

 

“Hitokiri… Battousai…”

 

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Glossary:

 

Kenshin = The Heart of the Sword

 

Aku Soku Zan = Slay Evil Immediately… the slogan of the Shinsengumi

Bakufu = the opposing war faction, the Tokugawa regime

Bakumatsu = The Late Tokugawa Shogunate period in Japan's history from 1853-1867, ending with the Boshin War of 1868 and the final battle at Toba-Fushimi

Battou-jutsu = (Quick Draw Technique) by whipping the sword out of its sheath, one can increase its speed twice- or three-fold, which can kill with one blow without taking a single blow from one's opponent. This is a real-life kenjutsu technique.

Battousai = Kenshin's name during the Bakumatsu Revolutionary War per his sword-fighting specialty, Battoujutsu… the -sai at the end designates him as a Battoujutsu Master, having perfected every Battou-technique possible

Choushuu = the area of Japan where the legendary Battousai emerged

Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu = the killing style of swordsmanship that Kenshin fights with, allowing him to swiftly slaughter a multitude of opponents at one time

Hitokiri = Assassin

Ishin Shishi = the war faction Kenshin was a shadow-assassin for during the Bakumatsu Revolutionary War

Katana = Japanese sword

Kenki = “the air of a sword”… not the kind of air you breathe, but a swordsman's physical spirit, the source of his power projected outwardly into a physical appearance and/or manifestation

Ryu Tsui Sen = (Dragon Hammer Strike) Kenshin's favorite Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu technique, a sword-drop technique delivered from above, targeting the crown of the head or the shoulder of the adversary... the key to the technique lays in the height gained from the user's jump and the free-fall, which is applied to multiply the force of the sword's strike

Shinsengumi (aka Wolves of Mibu) = the war faction fighting to keep the current power in reign