Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X
Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works
Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me)
were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for
publication or sale.
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The Hitokiri Returns
by Chiruken
Prologue
~1880~
Saito
scowled through the driving rain at the smaller man kneeling in the churned
mixture of blood and mud, glaring at his trembling form, the short and somewhat
shaggy red strands plastered to his bowed head. “What’s done is done. I
sympathize, but nothing can make the dead live again.” When there was no response he tossed his
soggy cigarette aside. “Get up,
Battousai, and be a man. Groveling in
the mud will not bring the jou-chan back to life.”
“Shut up.” Saito’s eyebrows rose to meet his hairline at the growled
answer. Himura Kenshin was never rude
or abrupt to anyone...not even his former enemy from the Bakumatsu, Saito
Hajime. The Assistant Inspector in the
Keishichou was ridiculously polite at all times, much to Saito’s
disgruntlement. “Don’t you think I know
she won’t come back?” He winced at the
pain filled whisper barely audible over the sound of the falling rain. “I know what death is, Saito.” The voice was a little louder, the tone
stronger…deeper? The Inspector scowled
suspiciously and waited. He didn’t have
long to wait. Slowly, Himura Kenshin
lifted his head to meet Saito’s gaze directly.
“After all, I was the Bringer of Death.”
Saito took an involuntary step back when
he saw the ruthless amber gaze of the hitokiri he’d once known replace the
gentle violet gaze of the man he now knew and worked with closely in the
Keishichou. Eyes narrowed to golden
slits and lips pressed firmly together in a tight line of disapproval, he
rested his hand on the familiar worn hilt of his katana. “Battousai…What is this?” He demanded roughly.
“I can’t bring Kaoru back.” He spoke coldly, his low voice devoid of
emotion, the grief Saito knew he felt hidden, locked away deep within his
shattered heart. “Death is permanent.” The younger man glared up at Saito with his
burning amber stare glittering in the cold, rain-drenched night. “But I can avenge her brutal
murder.” He stood slowly, mud clinging
to his blood-soaked uniform, rain dripping from his hair, streaming down his
youthful face, mixing with the tears Saito knew he shed for the young woman
laying in the mud, her once vibrant blue eyes now dull and glazed with death,
her smooth, porcelain white skin splattered with her own blood which continued
to seep from the gaping wounds, staining her once yellow kimono. “Don’t get in my way, Saito. I don’t want to have to kill you.”
Saito shook his head, expression
carefully blank. “I can’t let you do
this, Battousai.” He had no particular
fondness for the younger man, yet he couldn’t allow him to throw his life away
foolishly.
“I will kill the butchers who did
this to Kaoru.” The former captain of
the third squad of the Shinsengumi remembered seeing the same insane glitter in
the smaller man’s eyes during the revolution on the occasions that they’d crossed
blades in the streets of Kyoto. He
meant what he said, Saito knew.
Hitokiri Battousai never bluffed…and neither did his gentler rurouni
self, Himura Kenshin. He would kill the
men responsible for the death of Kamiya Kaoru and nothing and no one could
deter him from this path.
With an inward sigh the Inspector knew
that he had to try to stop the other man from hunting down the killers of the
woman he’d loved, but never told. “I
don’t care one way or the other if those murdering bastards die by your hand or
mine, but think of what Kaoru-chan would want.
Would she truly wish for you to revoke your vow and stain your sakabatou
with blood?”
“Does it even matter?” Himura Kenshin tilted his face up to the
sky, letting the rain wash away his tears.
“I am nothing without Kaoru!”
Saito winced at the anguished cry.
The amber gaze moved back to him.
“Step aside, Saito. I don’t want
to kill you.”
“If you do this I will have no choice
but to bring you to justice, Himura Kenshin.”
There was a moment of silence while the
two men stared at each other through the driving rain. For a moment, Saito dared to hope he’d
finally gotten through to the grief stricken man when he lowered his head to
stare at the ground. An instant later,
Saito’s hopes were dashed. “Who is
Himura Kenshin?” Saito shook his head
slowly at the harsh tone, part in denial and part in understanding. The smaller man turned and strode away. “I am Hitokiri Battousai.”
***
Saito Hajime, former
squad leader of the Shinsengumi of Kyoto, now an Inspector in the Keishichou
and going by the alias of Fujita Goro, skidded to a halt and stared in
carefully concealed horror at the scene before him before shaking his head
sharply. He was too late. He failed in his task to stop Himura Kenshin
from the grievous error he’d chosen to commit himself to. “Inspector…” He ignored the other officer’s
coming up quickly behind him.
He stepped forward slowly, paying no
attention to the mutilated corpses of the suspects in the murder of Kamiya
Kaoru strewn haphazardly along the narrow lane between buildings, choosing
instead to focus on the small garden just ahead of him and the two figures
standing there. There was one thug left
living. “Stop.” He commanded harshly, addressing the
red-haired man with the bloodied katana.
Not surprisingly, he was ignored.
He strode forward, drawing his own weapon with practiced ease. “This cannot continue. Stand down…now.”
The smaller man pressed the blade of his
katana against the suspect’s exposed neck, then turned partway back to face
Saito over his shoulder, amber eyes narrowed and glittering with the rage of
the hitokiri. “Stay out of this.” The once gentle and mild voice was now a
low, harsh growl, no evidence of the rurouni remained in the hardened features
of the man glaring across the short distance.
“I will not allow you to continue on
this path, Himura.” Saito approached
the younger man cautiously, fully aware that if it came down to a true duel
that he would be at a severe disadvantage.
Himura Kenshin was just too fast to face in a fair fight.
“Himura?” The other man laughed harshly.
“I don’t know anyone by that name.”
He leaned closer to his prisoner.
“Do you know anyone by that name?”
Saito suppressed a shudder. The man he’d once respected no longer
existed. He’d been replaced by a
monster. “You’re insane.”
“No, I’m proving a point. Himura Kenshin died with Kamiya Kaoru. He no longer exists.”
“Fine.
Have it your way, Battousai. But
remember this…Kaoru-chan would not thank you for this. That poor girl’s spirit must be weeping at
what you’ve allowed yourself to become.”
“What would you know?” The Battousai turned abruptly back to the captive and drew his katana across his exposed throat, killing him instantly. He spun to face Saito again seemingly oblivious to the blood dripping down his face and off his chin. “He deserved to die slowly for what he did to Kaoru, but you didn’t give me enough time.” If there had been a petulant note in his voice, Saito would have been relieved. If there had been a pout on his youthful face, Saito would not feel cold dread running up his spine. But there hadn’t been either. The words had been spoken with absolutely no emotion or inflection, his expression remaining cold and blank.
“So what now?” He studied the smaller man’s stance, seeing no immediate opening
that would allow for a successful attack.
“Are you going to kill me, too?”
Why was he just standing there?
Saito gritted his teeth, waiting for the attack that he knew was
coming. “Is this just the
beginning?” The former hitokiri’s ki
was a massive swirl of conflicting emotions, swelling and receding. So much so that Saito was unable to predict
when or if he was going to attack.
“Well?” Saito scowled and
shifted his stance, preparing for his favorite technique. If Battousai wouldn’t attack, then he would.
“The Gatoutsu. Saito? How unimaginative. Save it. I’m finished
now.” Battousai lowered his katana and
bowed his head. “They’re dead now. I did what I said I’d do.”
“And damned yourself at the same
time. I can’t let you go…not this
time.”
“I didn’t ask you to.” Saito stared in horror as the smaller man
dropped to his knees, falling onto his own bloodstained blade.
“May you find
forgiveness, Himura Kenshin…from Kaoru-chan…and yourself.” He shook his head and walked away as he
calmly lit a cigarette.
**To Be Continued…**