Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Wolves of Revolution ❯ He Has A Name ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: wolf_felan 
An unwelcome guest or a unwilling prisoner? After his tumble down the stairs Saitou learns more about the wraithlike assassin.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Samurai | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.07.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.0K | Visits: 280 | Status: Completed
An unwelcome guest or a unwilling prisoner? After his tumble down the stairs Saitou learns more about the wraithlike assassin.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Samurai | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.07.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.0K | Visits: 280 | Status: Completed
Part II:
Pain. Blackness everywhere. Dimly he heard rustling and wondered if perhaps he had drunk too much the night before and was suffering a hangover. His entire body ached but his head hurt most of all. Slowly dimly he pushed at the blackness that surrounded him and the blackness pushed back keeping him trapped within it. He pushed hard and felt the blackness dissolve around him. As it did the rustling sounded closer. Slowly his eyes opened to slits, to see sunlight streaming through a window magnifying the dust molecules that floated in the air. The ceiling overhead was low and a staircase off to his left was jutting towards the upper floor. A staircase? Sudden flashes assaulted his mind. The storm, the hall, the stairs, and then falling backwards looking up at the surprised expression on his prey's face. Saitou's eyes snapped open and he jerked upright. His prey?! Where was.
Pain assaulted him caused by his sudden movements, blinding pain that made him feel weak and nauseated. Beside him the rustling sound ceased and a hand was on his shoulder urging him to lie back down. His eyes closed in agony Saitou complied.
"Slow down. You can't be sitting up fast like that or you'll make yourself sick. And I am not cleaning up your puke."
That voice was familiar. Slowly opening his eyes again Saitou gawked at the image of the man he had been hunting sitting beside him with a calm expression.
"what."
He knew he sounded stupid but that was only thing he could make come out of his uncooperative mouth. The boy was lifting a cup of tea to his mouth but Saitou turned his head away not trusting the boy. The sound of air passing between teeth spoke the boys' irritance for him.
"If I wanted to kill you I could have let you die at the foot of the stairs. Why would I waste my time healing you if I were just going to poison you later."
He snapped. Saitou looked at the boy suspiciously but nodded accepting the boy's logic. Lifting a hand he tilted the cup and sipped the tea before making a face. Bitter. Very bitter.
"Awful." He croaked.
Lupus sat back setting the cup beside him and then leaned forward once again to examine the cut on Saitou's forehead.
"I'm not a cook. But I do know my medicines. It may not taste great but when it helps your head heal faster you'll be thankful it was there."
Saitou instinctively lifted a hand to touch the wound and found it slapped away by an annoyed Lupus.
"Don't touch it, moron! You'll infect it." He growled.
Saitou growled back but lowered his hand.
"why are you helping me?" He asked his voice barely above a whisper.
Lupus was silent for a few moments before he shrugged.
"I'm not sure. It wasn't honorable to let you die like that I suppose."
Saitou studied the boy for a few minutes unable to detect a falsehood in his words. Gritting his teeth he slowly sat up only to find a restraining hand on his shoulder again.
"You have to lie still!" the boy snapped at him.
Saitou shook his head wincing and muttered something. Lupus frowned.
"What?"
Another mumble.
"What are you saying?"
Saitou snapped his eyes to the boy with a furious scowl.
"I have to use the bathroom!" he shouted instantly cringing as pain lanced through him.
Lupus rolled his eyes.
"Alright, the outhouse is outside near the bathhouse. I guess we can kill two birds with one stone."
Saitou eyed him furiously. What the hell did he mean we? Slowly with great pain and effort the Wolf lumbered to his feet and felt a draft hit him. Blinking he looked down wondering if his clothes were still wet from last night. He had a moment of confusion when he realized his clothes were not wet. His clothes were missing. With a yelp and a brilliant flush of color to his cheeks he snatched up the blanket around him throwing a glare at Lupus despite the pain in his head.
"where are my clothes?" he hissed.
Lupus shrugged.
"You were soaking wet, I didn't want you to catch pneumonia. You can have them back after your bath. Now come on so I can help you."
Rising to his own feet the boy offered his arm for support not seeming bothered at all by the furious glare that fell on him. Saitou jerked the blanket around his shoulders roughly and refuseing the arm wobbled his way to the door and outside. Blinking slowly he looked around. Why wasn't anything wet? Turning he watched the young man come out of the house behind him.
"when did it stop raining?" he asked.
Lupud adjusted the tye which held his waist length white hair in a neat ponytail.
"About four days ago." he said stepping off the porch and into the grass. Saitou stared at him shocked.
"four days?!" he said in disbelife. "that's impossible...it was storming last night!"
Lupus shook his head.
"That was four days ago. Five including today. You were unconscience for a good deal of time." he said.
This was unbelieveable. He couldn't recall having ever been out of action for this long. He must have taken quite a tumble.
"i need to get dressed and get back to kyoto." he said.
Lupus shook his head again.
"Outhouse. Bath. Food. Rest. Non-negotiable. Let's go." he said grasping Saitou's arm to lead him only to find it yanked from his grip.
"And just who do you think you are that I would obey your orders." Saitou growled his amber eyes narrowed with malice.
This was the boys fault after all. No at least half of the blame fell squarely on his shoulders. He had failed to arrest the boy and he'd been allowed to escape. Lupus looked at him silently for a moment before turning back to the house.
"Alright if you don't need my help then I'll take my leave of you. I have buisiness to attend to anyway."
His steps were abrubtly halted by an iron grip on his right forearm.
"What makes you think I'll let you walk away, boy? Your wanted for murder." Saitou glared at him but received only an irritated look in return.
"What makes you think you can stop me, old man?"
Saitou snarled and instantly regretted it pressing the heel of his palm to his throbbing head.
"You seem to forget your weakened condition. Besides you owe me. I could easily have let you lie there and die while I headed north." Lupus said.
Saitou cursed under his breath. Again the boy was right.
"Fine...for now. There will be a truce alright?"
Lupus nodded. "I'm agreeable to a temporary truce. But the second your well again I'm gone."
Saitou smirked. "The second I'm well again I'll be right on your trail."
Lupus nodded and with a deft twist of his arm disengaged himself from Saitou's grip turning to face him again.
"Until such a time listen to what I tell you." he said crisply walking past him towards the bath house.
Saitou growled under his breath following slowly.
"Don't think you can order me, boy." he said.
Lupus kept walking.
"I have a name." he said sliding open the shoji into the bathhouse.
"Yes" Saitou quipped stopping next to him. "Nuisance."
Lupus narrowed his icey blue eyes contemptuously and sniffed jerking his head towards the outhouse.
"There's the outhouse. I'll make sure the bath is ready."
Walking past him he stepped inside and snapped the shoji shut.
The temptation to pound some respect into the arrogant boy washed over Saitou and was gone in an instant. That could come later when he was sufficiently healed for battle. Despite the boy's small siz and lack of muscle his reputation marked him as a quick, smart, agile, incredibly versatile opponent. He was known as the Battousai's Edo counterpart. It made no difference, in Saitou's mind. A killer was a killer, it didn't matter under who's flag he swung his sword. Turning he went into the outhouse.
Lupus shook out the blanket he'd used earlier to dry himself with. It was still a little damp but it would do. Leaning over the tub he brushed his fingers through the water watching the ripples spread out from the disturbance. The water was still hot. Good. He had better things to do then pamper this stray dog. The days had flown by into weeks since he'd left Edo. He had thought if he put distance between himself and the city he could distance between himself and his memories. So far his hope was in vain. Every mile he walked the emotions were still there eating at him. Bitterness, pain, sorrow, fear, hatred, rage and over all a cloud of loneliness that he wouldn't have admitted existed to anyone. The physical pain fades but the mental pain can live for years. Preoccupied in his thoughts he didn't hear the door open and when a large hand fell heavily on his shoulder instinct propelled him into motion. Twisting swiftly he unsheathed his katana in one swift move driving the blade across the belly of his would-be assailant. At least it would have if his sword wrist had not been caught in a vice like grip and another hand preventing the blade's progress by pressing flush against the flat of the katana. Saitou glared at him in silence for a long moment and Lupus, ashamed at being so easily startled found he could not hold The Wolf's gaze. Slowly his eyes shifted sideways to stare at the floor dumbly.
"You looked lost in dreams." Saitou's voice rang in the otherwise silent bathhouse.
Lupus nodded. "Don't ever sneak up on me." he said in an accusing tone.
Saitou snorted and stepped back releasing his blade. "I didn't sneak up on you. I opened the door and walked across the room with no intention of hiding my prescence, boy. You were lost in daydreams and didn't hear me." He replied acidly.
Lupus sheathed his katana.
"I have a name." he growled.
Saitou crossed his arms over his chest.
"The Pale Death. The Battousai's, Edo Counterpart, The Bloody Sword, Lupus, The White Wolf. Which would you prefer?"
A change seemed to come over the boy almost as if he were wilting under Saitou's words. His head drooped as he stared at the floor in silence. Slowly he lifted his head and looked to the taller man with a pained expression.
"my name is katan." he whispered. "and your bath is ready."
Slipping past him he disappeared outside closing the shoji behind him. Saitou stood still for a moment before looking over his shoulder at the door with a bemused expression.
"So..." The narrow amber eyes glittered faintly in the flickering lamp light. "The shadow has a soul." he said to the empty air. Outside a light breeze ruffled the tree tops.
Pain. Blackness everywhere. Dimly he heard rustling and wondered if perhaps he had drunk too much the night before and was suffering a hangover. His entire body ached but his head hurt most of all. Slowly dimly he pushed at the blackness that surrounded him and the blackness pushed back keeping him trapped within it. He pushed hard and felt the blackness dissolve around him. As it did the rustling sounded closer. Slowly his eyes opened to slits, to see sunlight streaming through a window magnifying the dust molecules that floated in the air. The ceiling overhead was low and a staircase off to his left was jutting towards the upper floor. A staircase? Sudden flashes assaulted his mind. The storm, the hall, the stairs, and then falling backwards looking up at the surprised expression on his prey's face. Saitou's eyes snapped open and he jerked upright. His prey?! Where was.
Pain assaulted him caused by his sudden movements, blinding pain that made him feel weak and nauseated. Beside him the rustling sound ceased and a hand was on his shoulder urging him to lie back down. His eyes closed in agony Saitou complied.
"Slow down. You can't be sitting up fast like that or you'll make yourself sick. And I am not cleaning up your puke."
That voice was familiar. Slowly opening his eyes again Saitou gawked at the image of the man he had been hunting sitting beside him with a calm expression.
"what."
He knew he sounded stupid but that was only thing he could make come out of his uncooperative mouth. The boy was lifting a cup of tea to his mouth but Saitou turned his head away not trusting the boy. The sound of air passing between teeth spoke the boys' irritance for him.
"If I wanted to kill you I could have let you die at the foot of the stairs. Why would I waste my time healing you if I were just going to poison you later."
He snapped. Saitou looked at the boy suspiciously but nodded accepting the boy's logic. Lifting a hand he tilted the cup and sipped the tea before making a face. Bitter. Very bitter.
"Awful." He croaked.
Lupus sat back setting the cup beside him and then leaned forward once again to examine the cut on Saitou's forehead.
"I'm not a cook. But I do know my medicines. It may not taste great but when it helps your head heal faster you'll be thankful it was there."
Saitou instinctively lifted a hand to touch the wound and found it slapped away by an annoyed Lupus.
"Don't touch it, moron! You'll infect it." He growled.
Saitou growled back but lowered his hand.
"why are you helping me?" He asked his voice barely above a whisper.
Lupus was silent for a few moments before he shrugged.
"I'm not sure. It wasn't honorable to let you die like that I suppose."
Saitou studied the boy for a few minutes unable to detect a falsehood in his words. Gritting his teeth he slowly sat up only to find a restraining hand on his shoulder again.
"You have to lie still!" the boy snapped at him.
Saitou shook his head wincing and muttered something. Lupus frowned.
"What?"
Another mumble.
"What are you saying?"
Saitou snapped his eyes to the boy with a furious scowl.
"I have to use the bathroom!" he shouted instantly cringing as pain lanced through him.
Lupus rolled his eyes.
"Alright, the outhouse is outside near the bathhouse. I guess we can kill two birds with one stone."
Saitou eyed him furiously. What the hell did he mean we? Slowly with great pain and effort the Wolf lumbered to his feet and felt a draft hit him. Blinking he looked down wondering if his clothes were still wet from last night. He had a moment of confusion when he realized his clothes were not wet. His clothes were missing. With a yelp and a brilliant flush of color to his cheeks he snatched up the blanket around him throwing a glare at Lupus despite the pain in his head.
"where are my clothes?" he hissed.
Lupus shrugged.
"You were soaking wet, I didn't want you to catch pneumonia. You can have them back after your bath. Now come on so I can help you."
Rising to his own feet the boy offered his arm for support not seeming bothered at all by the furious glare that fell on him. Saitou jerked the blanket around his shoulders roughly and refuseing the arm wobbled his way to the door and outside. Blinking slowly he looked around. Why wasn't anything wet? Turning he watched the young man come out of the house behind him.
"when did it stop raining?" he asked.
Lupud adjusted the tye which held his waist length white hair in a neat ponytail.
"About four days ago." he said stepping off the porch and into the grass. Saitou stared at him shocked.
"four days?!" he said in disbelife. "that's impossible...it was storming last night!"
Lupus shook his head.
"That was four days ago. Five including today. You were unconscience for a good deal of time." he said.
This was unbelieveable. He couldn't recall having ever been out of action for this long. He must have taken quite a tumble.
"i need to get dressed and get back to kyoto." he said.
Lupus shook his head again.
"Outhouse. Bath. Food. Rest. Non-negotiable. Let's go." he said grasping Saitou's arm to lead him only to find it yanked from his grip.
"And just who do you think you are that I would obey your orders." Saitou growled his amber eyes narrowed with malice.
This was the boys fault after all. No at least half of the blame fell squarely on his shoulders. He had failed to arrest the boy and he'd been allowed to escape. Lupus looked at him silently for a moment before turning back to the house.
"Alright if you don't need my help then I'll take my leave of you. I have buisiness to attend to anyway."
His steps were abrubtly halted by an iron grip on his right forearm.
"What makes you think I'll let you walk away, boy? Your wanted for murder." Saitou glared at him but received only an irritated look in return.
"What makes you think you can stop me, old man?"
Saitou snarled and instantly regretted it pressing the heel of his palm to his throbbing head.
"You seem to forget your weakened condition. Besides you owe me. I could easily have let you lie there and die while I headed north." Lupus said.
Saitou cursed under his breath. Again the boy was right.
"Fine...for now. There will be a truce alright?"
Lupus nodded. "I'm agreeable to a temporary truce. But the second your well again I'm gone."
Saitou smirked. "The second I'm well again I'll be right on your trail."
Lupus nodded and with a deft twist of his arm disengaged himself from Saitou's grip turning to face him again.
"Until such a time listen to what I tell you." he said crisply walking past him towards the bath house.
Saitou growled under his breath following slowly.
"Don't think you can order me, boy." he said.
Lupus kept walking.
"I have a name." he said sliding open the shoji into the bathhouse.
"Yes" Saitou quipped stopping next to him. "Nuisance."
Lupus narrowed his icey blue eyes contemptuously and sniffed jerking his head towards the outhouse.
"There's the outhouse. I'll make sure the bath is ready."
Walking past him he stepped inside and snapped the shoji shut.
The temptation to pound some respect into the arrogant boy washed over Saitou and was gone in an instant. That could come later when he was sufficiently healed for battle. Despite the boy's small siz and lack of muscle his reputation marked him as a quick, smart, agile, incredibly versatile opponent. He was known as the Battousai's Edo counterpart. It made no difference, in Saitou's mind. A killer was a killer, it didn't matter under who's flag he swung his sword. Turning he went into the outhouse.
Lupus shook out the blanket he'd used earlier to dry himself with. It was still a little damp but it would do. Leaning over the tub he brushed his fingers through the water watching the ripples spread out from the disturbance. The water was still hot. Good. He had better things to do then pamper this stray dog. The days had flown by into weeks since he'd left Edo. He had thought if he put distance between himself and the city he could distance between himself and his memories. So far his hope was in vain. Every mile he walked the emotions were still there eating at him. Bitterness, pain, sorrow, fear, hatred, rage and over all a cloud of loneliness that he wouldn't have admitted existed to anyone. The physical pain fades but the mental pain can live for years. Preoccupied in his thoughts he didn't hear the door open and when a large hand fell heavily on his shoulder instinct propelled him into motion. Twisting swiftly he unsheathed his katana in one swift move driving the blade across the belly of his would-be assailant. At least it would have if his sword wrist had not been caught in a vice like grip and another hand preventing the blade's progress by pressing flush against the flat of the katana. Saitou glared at him in silence for a long moment and Lupus, ashamed at being so easily startled found he could not hold The Wolf's gaze. Slowly his eyes shifted sideways to stare at the floor dumbly.
"You looked lost in dreams." Saitou's voice rang in the otherwise silent bathhouse.
Lupus nodded. "Don't ever sneak up on me." he said in an accusing tone.
Saitou snorted and stepped back releasing his blade. "I didn't sneak up on you. I opened the door and walked across the room with no intention of hiding my prescence, boy. You were lost in daydreams and didn't hear me." He replied acidly.
Lupus sheathed his katana.
"I have a name." he growled.
Saitou crossed his arms over his chest.
"The Pale Death. The Battousai's, Edo Counterpart, The Bloody Sword, Lupus, The White Wolf. Which would you prefer?"
A change seemed to come over the boy almost as if he were wilting under Saitou's words. His head drooped as he stared at the floor in silence. Slowly he lifted his head and looked to the taller man with a pained expression.
"my name is katan." he whispered. "and your bath is ready."
Slipping past him he disappeared outside closing the shoji behind him. Saitou stood still for a moment before looking over his shoulder at the door with a bemused expression.
"So..." The narrow amber eyes glittered faintly in the flickering lamp light. "The shadow has a soul." he said to the empty air. Outside a light breeze ruffled the tree tops.