ARASHI by flori-dono Disclaimer: This is a Rurouni Kenshin-inspired fan fiction. The author is not making any money out of this. The characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shounen Jump, and Sony and others that should be mentioned but were not. PROLOGUE "Okaasan?" Shinta, my three year old son tugged at the hem of my kimono. I bent down and scooped him up. It was already two o'clock and it was time for his nap. We were still at the station, waiting for our train to arrive. "Attention," the officer announced. "The two o'clock train to Yokohama will be delayed for another hour due to engine problems. We apologize to all the passengers for the slight inconvenience." I sighed and settled on one of the benches. I might as well sit down since my arms were starting to get numb due to my son's weight. I looked at the boy in my arms. He was already sleeping soundly. He must be tired from all the visits we had for the day. Yearly, my husband would take us to Tokyo to visit his relatives. It was only now that he was not able to come because he was abroad in Germany. Akira, my husband was a businessman. Shinta grew a little restless in his sleep. It was because of the heat, I supposed. I fanned him a bit as I crooned to him a song I made up. "He's such a cute baby," a girl, who has just sat down next to me, said. I looked up and saw a young woman of about nineteen or twenty. She was lovely. Her long black hair was tied up with a green ribbon and her eyes were pretty and framed with long eyelashes. She also had a beautiful heart, kind and innocent. I did not know her yet but I could tell. I could sense it in her. It radiated from her as bright as the sun. I smiled to myself as I realized that I envied her. I smiled at her. "His name is Shinta," I said. I saw the girl's eyes widened. The name reminded her of something or someone. That, I was sure of. It was a few seconds before she smiled again. She dabbed her handkerchief on her forehead. I offered my fan to her. "Oh no," she said and waved her hands in refusal. "I'm fine and your son would be restless again, and he's sleeping like an angel." I fanned the both of us instead. I glanced at her hands. There were calluses and marks on her palms. She was used to holding a shinai. I told her this and once again, I saw the surprise mirrored in her eyes. "How did you know?" She asked. I told her what I saw and observed. I asked her what style she was using and she answered, "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu." I nodded. I have heard of that style before. "My father invented that style," she further explained. "By the way, I'm Kamiya Kaoru." "Hajimemashite. Watashiwa Makioka Arashi desu," I said. "Dozou yoroshiku, Kamiya-dono." She laughed upon hearing that. Her laughter sounded like the waters of a bubbling brook. I just rose my eyebrow at her questioningly. "Oh pardon me, Arashi-san," she said. "It's just that you speak so much like my husband." So, she was married already. I noticed how her voice softened and the way her eyes sparkled when she mentioned her husband. Her husband, whoever he was, was lucky because his wife loved him so much. She suddenly waved to somebody behind me. "Speaking of the devil, he's coming." Even before I turned my head, I could already sense him coming near. I froze. I knew the man, this woman's husband. I had met him before. His chi has changed a little but he was still the same. I turned my head and what I saw confirmed what I have sensed. Only one name flashed in my mind as the slight man with the red hair and violet eyes was walking towards our direction... Shinta. BOOK 1 PART 1 I hid in the shadows, my hand clutching at the wakizashi hidden beneath my cloak. I followed the three-man group with my eyes as they got out of the building. They were all drunk and laughing. I smiled grimly. It would be an easy assignment but an unexciting one. As they turned to a dark alley, I moved quickly after them. One of the men stopped and relieved himself while the two others continued walking. I hated to do this for it was a dishonorable act as a warrior to kill an unsuspecting victim, but I was not a warrior. I only kill, and I had to do it whether in an honorable way or not. I went behind him silently like the assassin that I was. I took my weapon and poised it at his back. I drove it down past his skin and flesh and felt it struck a bone. Blood spurted out from him and fell on my face. I covered his mouth so that his companions couldn't hear him cry out. I carefully dragged his body into the darkness and followed the other two. One of them looked back to call on their companion. He saw me and my blood- splattered clothes. "It is him, the cloaked assassin!" he shouted at the other and they both drew swords. I smiled grimly. At last, a fight! I clutched the katana at my side and waited. One took the initiative and ran, his katana pointing towards me. I deftly dodged and struck at him with my sword. The blade slashed at his chest and he fell down in a thud. He was dead. The last of the three circled behind me but he was not fast enough. I twisted and kicked the sword out of his hand. I then stabbed him in the stomach. His eyes bore into mine as he choked in his own blood. I drew my sword out of his body and straightened up. In one swift motion, I whipped my sword in the air, cleaning it of blood in the process. I surveyed the three bodies on the ground. They were members of the Ishin Sishi. "Why don't you fight me next?" a soft voice broke out the silence. I turned slightly and saw a young man standing a few feet behind me. At that moment, the moon came out behind the clouds. Its pale light seemed to fall only on him. My eyes rounded as it touched his slight form, his red hair, bound high on his head in a pony tail, and his violet eyes, making them glitter and almost amber. I sheathed my sword. "It would be my pleasure, Battousai!" I said. For a few seconds we just stood there, trying to assess each other. I could sense his chi and it was strong. But mine was too and I knew that he realized it. I could confidently say that we were equal. "Now," I said. I bent low with my sword raised and positioned in a horizontal thrust. It was the Gatotsu style, which was also favored by the Shinsengumi. I saw him position himself, his right hand near the hilt of his sword. "He's going to start with the draw," I thought. As quick as a lightning flash, we lunged towards each other. I could feel the wind whipping at my face as I ran towards Battousai in the fastest speed I could manage, but he was faster. I felt the blade of his sword slashed through my cloak. In a second, we both landed with our backs facing each other. I felt the part of the cloak covering my face fell on the ground into two pieces, and the warmth of blood oozing slowly down from my forehead. It was just a scratch. "Well, if it isn't my lucky night," a raspy male voice broke into the silence. I turned around as Battousai did. I caught a glance at him and saw that he was not left unscathed. He had a tear on his gi where it was also slightly soaked with blood. But he was not my main concern. It was the man who was now standing a few meters from us. Behind him were other men similarly dressed as he was. It was the Shinsengumi. Saitoh Hajime swept his eyes over the two before him. "Now, I think I can see Battousai and yes, the Cloaked Assassin, who is after all a woman. Very impressive." I cursed silently. My hair was now unbound, Battousai having cut through the band which held it. It was bad enough that Battousai now knew her identity but having the Shinsengumi knew it as well... "Get them!" Saitoh yelled and the rest of the Shinsengumi attacked the Battousai and me. Four men were around me, their swords glinting like a circle of fire. "At least I'm getting the fight that I'd have always wanted," I thought. They were good but not good enough, and in just a short while I had disposed of them. I should have left but I could not resist looking at how Battousai was faring. He had almost killed all of his opponents except for two, one of them the man who had spoken earlier. While he was busy fending off Saitoh Hajime, I saw one of the wolves drew his sword and tried to slash at Battousai's back. I remembered of the boy who I met when I was a child. In just a short time we were friends, but he left such an impression on me that it was seldom that thoughts about him left my mind. I forgot that Battousai was Battousai. I could only see the boy staring at me with his violet eyes. I didn't think. In a flash, I ran towards the attacking man and plunged my sword into his body but not before his own slashed at me. It hurt. I could feel that the wound was deep but I had the satisfaction of seeing the man dead. I gasped, then crumpled to the ground. Vaguely, I heard the sound of metal clashing against metal twice and a cry, then the sound a body falling down with a thud followed. I felt a pair of arms gathered my body and carried me up. I tried to open my eyes and found them staring faintly blurred at amber ones. "Shinta..." I said in a whisper. I saw the surprise in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but just then everything went black. PART 2 It was dark, hot and damp in the room. The stench of human and animal waste hung in the air. I huddled in one corner because it was all the space I had. Me and the other children were packed and crammed so that movement was limited. A rat scuttled at my feet. I wanted to scream but I was too weak. I had not eaten for days and the only sustenance I had was a small drink of stale water from time to time. This I gathered by cupping my hands and catching the drops of rainwater seeping through the rafters of the roof and falling down on my head. The door opened and the light coming in was too bright. We had to shield our eyes, which had already grown accustomed to the darkness. "Get in!" a gruff voice ordered. I saw a burly man push inside a boy of six. And just as quickly he opened the door, he closed it. The boy landed on top of me. He apologized softly and tried to sit, but having little room to move, he ended up huddling close beside me. I took a good look at him. He was thin and pale and sniffling like the rest of us. But I knew then that he was not like us, he was different. In the first place, he had red hair and his eyes which were wide open were an uncommon shade of violet. "Who are you?" he asked. Startled, I answered immediately, "Arashi. And you?" "Shinta." "Why are you here?" he queried. I was a little irritated by his questions but I answered nevertheless. "I was sold by my father." "Gomen nasai," he apologized. "I shouldn't have asked." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm already used to the idea. How about you? How come you're here?" He stared at his grimy feet. "My parents died of fever and I had nobody so I was brought here." I could tell that he was trying hard not to cry and somehow my heart went out to him. At least he was brave, even if he asked a lot of questions. Suddenly, the door opened once again. The same man who brought Shinta in earlier was standing, "You!" the man said, pointing at me. "Come here!" I was so nervous. My knees started to shake so hard I almost couldn't stand up. It was my turn. I would be out of this god-forsaken place and I could only hope that life would better from now on. And that is the only thing I could do, hope for I still did not know what was in store for me. Will I be bought as a slave? Or will I be a prostitute? I shuddered. "What's the matter with you?" the man shouted. He then got hold of my arm and shoved me out of the room with him. He didn't care if he had to step on any of the children's bodies. I could still hear their weak cries as the man's feet got in contact with their limbs or chests. As he closed the door, I saw Shinta looking at me, his violet eyes wide and his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. PART 3 "Nooooo!" I screamed. It was that dream again. "Shh," a soft female voice said, trying to soothe me. "It's just a bad dream. Sleep." My chest was hurting and I felt so weak that gladly, I obeyed the voice. When I woke up, it was morning. Sunlight filtered through the half open window of the cottage. Where was I? I looked around and saw that the room I was in was small, just enough for a futon and a low table. It was neat but I could see that several of the walls were merely patched with wood. I tried sitting up but stopped at the sudden pain in my chest. I winced. Gingerly, I moved my fingers over the bandage covering it. I remembered the events of last night. Suddenly, the door slid open and in came a beautiful woman carrying a tray. She was tall and willowy. She had black hair and eyes but there was something lacking. It was a smile. "Ohayou gozaimasu," she greeted me. "Ohayou gozaimasu," I returned. "Good, you're already awake," she said. "I brought you breakfast and some tea." "Demo sumimasen, but..." "Eat first before you ask questions," she said. There was an iron will in her and I knew I wouldn't be answered if I asked so I obeyed her. She must be the woman who comforted me in my troubled sleep last night. After drinking the last drop of tea, she cleared away the utensils and stood up. "Wait..." I stopped her. She smiled at me faintly. It was a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "I'll call my husband and he'll be the one to explain." Husband? She went out. I didn't know that Shinta or Battousai or whoever he was, was already married. I admit I was taken by surprise. The door opened this time to reveal Shinta. He greeted me politely and sat on the floor, with his back on the wall. "I hope you are feeling well," he said in a soft voice not like the one I had heard last night, during the fight. "Yes I'm fine, thank you for asking and... for saving my life." I managed to say. It was a little painful to even talk. "Were they all killed?" I prayed that they were. The fewer people who knew my identity, the better. "No. Hajime Saitoh survived," he said. I cursed. Now the Shinsengumi will be after me. Knowing Hajime, he would not stop until he'd get my head. I had to think of something but not now. "I wounded him deeply but I had to help you," he continued. "It has been a long time since I last saw you, Arashi." I looked up in surprise. He still remembered me after all these years. "Yes," he said as if confirming my thoughts. "I could never forget a friend, or a foe. Sometimes I'd wonder what happened to you. I see now that we've crossed paths again, we're both assassins as we were both slaves as children." I nodded. "What happened when they took you away?" he asked. I stared at his violet eyes. They were no longer the hard eyes of an assassin. They had become soft like that which followed me, pleaded at me as a child. But I couldn't help but notice that those same eyes had grown a little bleak and wary. He had seen much of the world, little of the good but most of the evil. Oh Shinta! "It would be better if we not say anything at all," I said as I shook my head. I saw the stunned look on his face, but it was only for a moment. "We are both assassins and as it is, we've already risked much. I think that finding that each of us is alive despite the dismal circumstances is enough." I explained looking at him squarely in the eyes. "But, I am glad to have met you again, Shinta." "I understand, Arashi," he said. "And I am no longer Shinta." "You want me to call you Battousai?" "No, I don't have any fondness for that name. My name is Himura Kenshin." I had to smile at that. "Heart of sword," I murmured. "That suits you." Himura. Battousai. He could call himself any name he wanted but to me he would always be Shinta. The corners of his mouth lifted a little. "Yes, I've been told that often enough." We both laughed softly then stopped. I sighed. "Too bad we're enemies," I said. He shook his head. "Arashi, we have never been enemies and we will never be. We may be fighting but we are only fighting for what we believe in. This is not personal. If we've only lived in another time, I'm sure we will be the best of friends." I closed my eyes. Tears were prickling behind them. No! I wanted to scream. "I'm just so sick of fighting," I thought. "Every person I kill is like destroying myself little by little. And I do it because I had to and not because I believed in something. I am but a human butcher, nothing more." "I must be tiring you," he said as he started to get up. I quickly opened my eyes but it was the door sliding close which I saw. Silently, I let the tears fall down. It had been a long time since I cried and it felt good to feel the warm, salty liquid trickle down my cheeks. I pondered about the things he said. It made me realize that I was living a lie. What I was, wasn't really me. I reflected on the things that had happened and I was still reminiscing when sleep claimed me. PART 4 I remembered of being brought to another room. It was dark, dank and a little musty. It was so small that I could reach the other side in just a few steps. The man pushed me and I landed sprawled on the floor. I gathered the little strength that I had to get up and sit. As I do so, I heard him holler for somebody. In a few minutes, a girl came in. She was I guessed a couple of years older than me but she looked more like thirty. She walked in a slight stoop and there was a tired expression on her face. It seemed like she'd never had an easy day in her whole life. I shuddered. I was only ten. Would I look like that in five year's time? The man then motioned for her to come to me. She was gripping the handle of a wooden bucket filled with slightly murky water in one hand, while the other she held a bunch of clothing. I just then realized that she was going to help me clean up. Without looking at my eyes, the girl gently stripped me off my soiled rags. I glanced at the man standing at the doorway who was watching with a manic gleam in his eyes. I quickly covered my chest which was already beginning to develop. He saw this and chuckled in such a way that made my blood ran cold. "Don't be shy my sweetie, you'll get used to it in time," he said. My eyes widened at that. What was he saying? I grew more nervous and I felt my hand trembling. What would they do to me? I was so embarrassed when I was finally stripped naked. The girl soaked a wash cloth with the water that she brought in and washed me. I was not used to being attended to, so having somebody touch my body or see it naked made me really uncomfortable. After she finished, she helped me get dressed. I kept my back to the door as I donned the old but clean clothes. I could feel the eyes of the man on me during the whole process, and I felt violated. "Is this her?" Another man of thirty or so, this time as thin as the other was fat, stepped inside the room. "Yes," Burly answered. "Kinda pretty isn't she?" Skinny said as he touched my face with his coarse hand. I turned my head away, quite revolted by his touch. "Heh, and feisty too," he continued. "The men'll like her!" Men? "Alright, quit the blabbing, she'll have to be delivered as soon as possible" Burly said as he took me by the shoulders and brought me out where there was a run-down carriage waiting. Skinny shoved me inside and went in himself. Burly went up front to handle the horses. Delivered. He said it as if I was a piece of meat. "What's your name?" Skinny asked. The way he was leering at me was worse than what Burly did earlier. I didn't answer. "You're not mute are you?" He was quite amused. I just stared at him. "I don't think you are so, answer me! What is your name?" This time he was a little angry. I just looked at him in the eyes. No girl as lowly as I, was allowed to look directly into anybody's eyes specially one who thinks him better off. I knew what I did was insulting but it gave me the satisfaction of seeing him flared up. "So, you don't want to talk. Then maybe this'll make you..." He suddenly kissed me hard on the lips. It was disgusting! I fought him off slapping him, beating him but he got both my hands in his. Even if I was so weak, I summoned all my strength to raise my knee, and I hit him on the groin. He jumped back and grabbed his aching part. "Why you bitch!" He gripped my shoulders with both his hands and pushed me hard and roughly against the carriage wall. He brought his face near mine and whispered into my ear. "So you think you'll getaway with that huh? Listen here, wench! Do you know where we are taking you? A whore house and you..." he said with a sinister grin on his face. "... are going to be a whore!" He let me go then. I felt the tears burn behind my eyes, despite myself. A whore? Never in my whole life had I foreseen myself as a pleasure woman. Even as a child all my dreams and hopes were simple. I just wanted to grow up like any ordinary girl, get married and have a little family of my own. My family was poor. Food was spartan and scarce but somehow my father made ends meet. It was a blessing that I was an only child. Although somehow, I knew that my otousan resented the fact that I was born a girl. He may not have said so, but I could feel it by his cold treatment. He wanted a boy to help him work in the rice fields. He was already old and he wanted someone to take-over with the farming or else, the small piece of land he cultivated would be taken away from him by the daimyo and then given it to others. And Otousan loved his land so much he'd rather die. Life was simple even if there were lots of hardships, but it was only when my Okaasan passed away when I was nine that everything took a drastic turn. Otousan was in debted to his daimyo, him having loaned money for Okaasan's medical expenses. He said that if he couldn't pay, the daimyo would take the land away. His land was much more important than I, so when the slave traders came to town, he didn't even hesitate to sell me. I cried, pleaded, even begged him not to let the people take me. But all my cries fell on deaf ears. He just turned his back as they dragged me. That was less than a year ago. And now... I sat there inside the carriage, contemplating about my life when suddenly, the carriage stopped. I heard shouts coming from outside. I strained my neck to try and hear what was going on. "Kuso!" Skinny said with a worried look on his face. "Road pirates!" Somehow, I wasn't afraid. The only thing in my mind at that time was finding out how I would escape. The door of the carriage was torn down and cloaked men with katanas peered inside. Skinny fainted at the sight of them. I couldn't help but smile. So much for his tough-guy facade. "Kotake-sama, the gold is in here!" One of the men said. The tallest of the group and the obvious leader stepped inside. His eyes which were shown through the slits on the covering of their heads, showed surprise when they landed on me. "Well, well, well," he said. "What have we here?" Would they kill me? I thought fast about what I'd do next. Finally, I swallowed my nervousness. What I had in mind was the best I could think of. I bowed low to him, to this Kotake-san. "Please, I beg of you I... I am a slave. Let me come with you... I have no place to stay..." I said. "Huh, I have no use for little girls. Now, if you were a little older..." he said. "Please, take me with you..." I insisted, this time looking straight into his eyes. The man looked at me and something registered in his eyes. I could tell he saw something in mine which changed his mind. "Alright, you can come with us..." he said. One of his men protested, "Kotake-sama she'll just be a burden to us...!" Kotake-sama gave him a frightening look which silenced him. "I have plans for her, so don't dare question my decision!" "Yes, sensei," the man answered. I looked at Kotake-sama and wondered what he was talking about, but somehow I wasn't scared. There was something about him which made me trust him. I still couldn't quite tell. I knew my fate now lay in his hands. And I was ready to accept it, whatever the consequences may be. PART 5 I stood up and folded the rag which I was using to polish the floor and lay it in one corner of the room. I got the chipped katana which I had hidden. It was from one of the discards of the students. It was early in the morning and the students of the dojo were already beginning their training for the day. There were so many servants around that my absence was not quite noticed. Most of the time I would go at the back where I could see the students practice their moves and imitate them, using my chipped sword. I wiped the perspiration from my brow. It had been three weeks since I left with the thieves. My life since then had been quiet and peaceful, though I am not sure if I liked it. I learned that Kotake-sama was a master of kenjutsu. He owned a dojo in Osaka where he trained the best potentials in sword wielding. I had learned that it was his front, a cover. Most of his students after training them, he would add to his group of mercenaries and thieves. I was somehow scared of what I had let myself into, but I had decided that I had no need to. Kotake-sama brought me and took me in as a servant. I received no pay and some of my tasks were hard but having food three times a day and a roof over my head was already enough. I could hear Kotake-sama's voice from inside the practice room. "Now, I will show you a new technique. This is called the gatotsu." I came closer and peeked at the small gap I had made through the wall in order to see more.I saw Kotake-sama. He was a tall man with a medium built. I learned that he was thirty. He had no family and some said that his wife and son were killed by a bunch of thieves. This I didn't quite get. If that was so, how come he also became a thief? This was one question I knew I wouldn't have an answer. I saw him bent low with his weight on his right leg, his katana positioned horizontally and his free arm extended. I imitated it as best as I could with my chipped sword. I grimaced a little at the strain my right leg was going through, not to mention that my movement was hindered by my kimono. I looked at the gap and saw Kotake-sama correcting his students' stances. I straightened again and ripped my kimono's sides as best and as silently as I could. "There," I thought. "That should do it!" And I returned to my former position just in time to see the master in action. He lunged forward and I could feel the force of his thrust. His students' faces were a mix of annoyance and despair. I knew what they were going through with their minds - they would need to practice a lot before they could master the new technique. Somehow, I didn't think that. All I thought was doing the training, even in secrecy, gave me contentment and a self-satisfaction that I just couldn't describe. I corrected my position and closed my eyes. I tried to imagine how the master executed the final move. I pictured a wolf hunting its prey, and having cornered it lunged and sank his fangs into his unfortunate victim. That was it! I lunged forward with all the strength and concentration I had. I heard a crash and saw that I had destroyed the far wall. "Oh no!" I thought. I just stood there knowing not what to do. In a blur, I saw the students came to find out what happened. The only thing I focused on was Kotake-sama as he entered the room and glanced at me, sword still in hand and at the totally fallen wall. "Why, it's the new servant girl!" one of the students exclaimed. I felt two pairs of strong hands pull me, and I only let them. I heard a loud clang as my katana fell to the ground. "Sensei, what do we do to her?" one of my 'guards' said. "Yeah, she should be punished!" said the other one. "Silence!" Tears were already pouring down my cheeks. I was really done for. Kotake-sama was inspecting the damage that I had done all the time he was there. Finally he turned around and motioned for me to go to him. The two who were holding me gave me a push and I heard them snicker. I didn't mind for I was too scared at that time. I mentally told my feet, which seemed to be frozen on the ground to move. It seemed like a year when I finally got near. I knelt on the ground and bowed my head as low as I could. But even before I could voice out my litany of apologies he interrupted me. "Did I tell you to kneel down? Get up!" he ordered. I hurriedly stood up with my head still bowed down, waiting to be punished. I could feel his gaze on me. "Fujiyami!" he said to one of his students. "Give me your sword!" I gulped. "Arashi, take this," I heard Kotake-sama say. I looked up and saw him with Fujiyami's sword in hand, and he was asking me take it. Still bewildered, I obeyed him, fearing that if I just stood there, he would kill me. "I want you to do what you just did earlier, whatever it was." He said. "Demo..." I protested. "Do it," he said this time in a harsher voice. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I didn't see them anymore. They were just faces. All I was concentrating on was my move. I positioned myself again as I did earlier and executed the technique. I heard another crash followed by gasps and murmurs from either side of the room. As I recovered from my hypnotic state, I saw that I had destroyed the other end wall. I looked at my master who was still as stoic as ever. He didn't seem angry but there was something in his eyes, I could tell. "Arashi, get some practice gi from Yuukio and tomorrow, you start training with us." he said. I looked up. Was I hearing correctly? Did he really say that? "Oh, oh yes... please!" I said. I was too happy to care for proprieties. It was only after saying it that I realized how foolish I must have sounded. I knelt once again and showered him with arigatous. I felt him walked past me and before leaving the room, I heard him say, "An almost perfect gatotsu... I was not mistaken by what I saw in her eyes. Yes, she is what I had in mind..." I stilled, and wondered at what he meant by that. PART 6 I forced my body to get up. I added another hundred more bruises to nurse, like what I would do everyday. "Is that what you call an attack?" Kotake-sama sneered at me. "You'll get killed in a second." What? That was my best move! I grimaced inside. We've been training for six hours straight and I haven't even had breakfast yet. Kotake-sama proved to be a very harsh taskmaster. Every morning, since he ordered me to train, he'd work me out until my body is covered with bruises from head to toe. Not only that, I still had the afternoons to complete my chores. After all, I was still a servant. Even if it was tiring and sometimes humiliating, I still tried my best to prove that Kotake-sama's decision to train me was not a waste. Even if I had mixed emotions about the whole thing, I was still grateful to him. For once in my life, I had found something that made me happy, and that was sword fighting. Our training went on like that everyday for seven years. In those seven years, I mastered several techniques. One of them was the gatotsu. In the process Kotake-sama raised me like a son, the son whom I think he still missed. It was fine by me. I've already forgotten that I was a woman. And besides I guess the way I regarded myself was affected by my father's attitude. I guess I was trying to prove that even if I was a girl, I could do things. Of course, I would usually be reminded by the other students that I was a girl. They would leer at me at times, but they knew better not to do anything more. Although seemingly being Kotake-sama's favorite, most of his students were envious of me. So most of the time, they'd just stay away. They shouldn't really be envious, for all that rigorous training I had, was just part of his plan. I could still remember how he called for me the night of my last training. I was Busy washing the dishes outside when Hama-chan, another servant told me that I was being called by the master. I quickly stood up and dried my hands. Kotake- sama was not one for waiting. I rapped lightly at his door. Only when I heard his voice did I enter. "You called for me Kotake-sama?" "I want you to open that chest for me Arashi," he ordered nodding at the direction of a large chest in the corner of the room. A little curious, I obeyed him. I opened the chest and gaped at the single object inside. "Take the sword Arashi and give it to me." Gingerly, I took hold of the sword as if it was made of porcelain. I had never seen a sword as magnificently made as this. I gave it to him. "Do you like this sword Arashi?" he asked, turning it around, making the blade shone as it caught light. All I could do was nod. Like it? Like was not enough to describe what I felt for the sword. At the instant I saw it, I could hear it calling for me. I felt drawn to it instantly. "How would you like to have it then?" I was stunned. "Kotake-sama...I... I... Arigatou" I stammered. The sword will be mine? I just couldn't believe it. My own sword... "Yes," he answered. "On one condition..." I looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Be one of us!" PART 7 I tied the cloth, which bound my gi securely. I winced. It still hurt to move with the pain from my wound. It had only been a few hours since Shinta and I had our talk. Since then, I spent time contemplating about my life. "Fight for what we believe in..." Shinta's words echoed in my mind. Yes. If only I was fighting for what I believed in, like Shinta. No, there was something wrong. It is the weariness in his eyes. He wanted out too. He was getting tired of all the fighting and killing. Like me, he too had no choice but go where the water flows. Like me, he wanted to start again, but could I? Could he? Right then and there, I resolved in myself that I could. A new life may be an Impossible goal to achieve but nevertheless I had to try. I was too sick of what I have become. I needed to change, for the better. As for Shinta... The door slid open once again, just in time as I leaned against the wall. It was Tomoe-san, Shinta's wife. "Please go back to bed," she said as she came up to me. "You aren't well yet." I gently refused. "Arigatou for helping me but I fear I must go now." "But your wound, it may open again..." Tomoe-san protested. "She's right Arashi-san, it wouldn't be safe for you to go in your condition." Shinta said as he walked in the room. I looked at him and smiled ruefully. "I've experienced worse, believe me," I said. "And besides, I don't think it would be any safer for all of us if I'd stay here for another minute. The Shinsengumi must be after us both. And what would the Ishinsishi say? Remember, I'm the Ishin head-hunter, they wouldn't be too happy to find their shadow nursing the enemy back to health." Shinta sighed. He knew I was right. "All right, if that is what you wish," he said. "If I cannot prevent you from leaving then perhaps you may find some use for this." Tomoe-san came forward and gave me a brown bag full of medicine. I bowed at her and thanked her. "Arigatou, Tomoe-san for taking care of me." She just acknowledged my gratitude with a slight bow. She was one lady who will never smile. It was strange that Shinta married her. I had never seen any form of affection going on between the two. I shrugged mentally; it was none of my business anyway. I looked at her now. She seemed always calm and serious. Yet, I found out that I liked her. She may not show it but I knew that she cares for Shinta deeply. I could feet it. I sighed. It was time to go. "Himura," I said to him. "Arigatou. I hope fate will be kinder next time, sayonara." "Sayonara," he replied. I got my cloak and my sword, which was leaning by the wall and started walking towards the door and out of the cabin, making sure first that no one was spying. "Arashi!" I stopped. "Fate will be kinder, trust in it." I waved my hand and continued walking. It may seem rude and cold, but I wanted to leave without breaking down. This chance encounter with my old friend brought me back to the past. A past which I thought I had buried long before but seemed to have come alive to haunt me. A past which I knew I would face and must win over to start anew. I thanked Shinta for making me see this, for awakening my strength and hope. To see things more clearly, that my life was not controlled by any other except for myself. I knew that we both were puppets in fate's hand. I just hoped that he too would find a way to break free of the strings. I smiled the truest smile I had ever worn in years. Yes, fate will be kinder next time. PART 8 I knew why I agreed with his condition. Saying that it was only because of the sword would be superficial. Besides, it wasn't the reason. It was more of paying back what I owed Kotake-sama. That night, I pledged to Kotake-sama that I would become one of his mercenaries. I could still see his smile when I said yes. It bothered me, I must admit. It was like telling me that I was getting myself into something that I wasn't really aware of. And I wasn't! I found out that Kotake-sama and his group were hired assassins, which call themselves Shadows. Corrupt officials of the government would hire them to do their dirty work. I found out that the gold in carriage I was in when I first met Kotake-sama actually belonged to a high-ranking officer in the army. He paid a large amount for opium, which was sold secretly by the owners of the slave-den where I was brought. Being miserly as well as corrupt, he hired Kotake-sama to get back his gold. At first, I was given small assignments and still, he would always make sure that they were group ones. Most of my fellow assassins or thieves or what ever you would call us underestimated me, even if they knew it was Kotake-sama who trained me personally. Our leader would just assign me as watchman as the others loot out government ccarriages o steal precious documents. I was never put into action. So I never got to kill anyone. I was quite thankful for that. I would always pray to Buddha that there wouldn't come a time for me to slay anybody. But I guess that my prayers weren't heard. After a couple of months, I was assigned to one of the more serious missions. And that mission I could never forget. I was stunned when I learned that my father's daimio, Yamada Shintaro was our next target. This time, Kotake-sama himself was with us. "Sensei, how would we do about the whole thing?" asked one of my fellow Shadows. Kotake-sama ignored the question. "Arashi, I want you to do this by yourself." I was as stunned as the others were. Why me? "The others, you be the watchers!" he said. "But sensei," Hiro our leader interrupted. I hated him. Even when I just started training, he gave me the creeps. "I don't think she can do it. She's just a girl!" I shot him a poisonous look. Merely a girl? It was one of the things which I hated hearing. He was just like my father! I had to prove this baka that I wasn't just a girl. So even if I was nervous, I said yes. Kotake-sama nodded, and to Hiro he said. "Are you the sensei around here, Hiro? You know I don't tolerate impertinence." "Gomen nasai, sensei," he said quietly, yet I could feel the contempt in his voice. Several hours later, I returned to the town where I was born. Everything was both familiar and unfamiliar to me. The little farmers' huts were the same and the rice fields were the same. I suddenly felt the urge to visit home. I wanted otousan to see what I've become. I wanted to see the confusion in his eyes when he sees me, because I didn't think he would recognize me at all. But a mission is still a mission. Otousan would have to wait. It was a fairly simple one. I only had to get some documents from inside. But my instruction was to kill anybody who would get in my way. The Shadows surrounded the house as I got ready. It was easy since I had a lighter body, I moved faster. In a few minutes, I was in. I quickly made way towards Yamada's room where I knew the documents were kept. Quietly, I sneaked inside the room. I recognized Yamada. He was there bent over some papers, writing. There was no time to wait till he was done; I had to kill him. This was the first time that I had to kill someone. I crept behind him. With trembling fingers, I seized my wakizashi. I closed my eyes and counted silently. Ichi... Ni... San...! I stabbed him. He turned around. He wasn't dead yet. I panicked, so I stabbed him again and again until his body was lifeless and limp. Inhale...exhale... inhale... It was suddenly hard to breathe. I could feel the wetness of perspiration on my forehead and on my back. I wiped my hand quickly off blood and searched for the papers. I found it beneath his seat. Suddenly the door slid open. "Daimyo!" Without a thought, I drew my katana and slashed at the owner of the voice. "Kill any possible witnesses!" was Kotake-sama's instruction, which I followed it to the letter. The body fell towards me and on reflex, I caught it. I looked at the man's face and I was surprised. It was Otousan. I gasped. He was dying. He looked up and saw my eyes. "A...ra...shi," he said in his final breath. I heard the sound of a small stone as it landed near me from the open window. It was the signal that my time was up. I gently laid my Otousan's body on the floor and left as planned. When I got back to the group, I handed Kotake-sama the documents. "Good work Arashi," he said. I could feel Hiro's glare behind my back. I nodded and was silent all the way back. Dammit, I killed my own father! And what scared me the most about that was I didn't feel anything. It was just nothing. I killed my father and I felt nothing! I didn't even cry. After that incident, I became numb. Maybe because deep inside, I was afraid. Afraid of what? Afraid that someday, I would actually start to like killing. Afraid that someday, I would actually enjoy seeing people die in my hands. I wanted to become numb in order not to feel anything. Even guilt or remorse. Because I thought that if I started to feel, I would lose control and become a freak, a monster. It was that numbness which became my mask to hide the fact that I was scared. Scared of what I would become. At the back of my mind, I wanted to stop. I wanted to tell Kotake-sama that I wanted out but I never had the courage to do so. First, I felt in debt to him. Without him, I could never have survived (Although I couldn't say that I actually enjoyed my life when he took me in his care. Would I be in the same predicament as the one I was in if I hadn't met him? I guess answering that would be pointless anyway. I owed him for teaching me kenjutsu. It may sound like I'm going in circles, or even redundant, but in kenjutsu I found my worth. And the other thing, and I think the more important one, I guess is that as an assassin, I proved myself that my father was wrong. That I, as a woman was not worthless nor a disadvantage. And I think that was what held me back. My emotions were contradicting themselves and I was really confused. Up to now, looking back at what I was, could still give me headaches. Even if you ask me what I REALLY felt, I can't answer you. And I don't think I ever could. Kotake-sama was proud of me and he showed it in his own stoic way. He saw what I did as something big. A sort of transition from a sidekick to a main man. I think he realized that the Yamada mission shook me up rather badly since it was only after a few weeks when he called for me again. "Arashi," he began. "I hope you've gotten over that mission." "Ha-hai, Kotake-sama," I answered even if I hadn't. "I didn't teach you to hide in a shell, you should've expected this when you agreed to become one of my Shadows." I merely nodded. I never told him that I killed my father. "I have another assignment for you," he said. I quickly hid that FEAR again. "I hope you are aware about the growing number of people who wish to overthrow the bakufu?" "Hai." "Good," he said. "One of them, I believe, has hired us to assassinate several members of the bakufu." "You wish me to do it, sensei?" I asked, praying that the answer was a 'no', even if I knew that the effort would just be useless knowing that the answer was an obvious 'yes'. "Hai," he said. "This is a long-term agreement Arashi, so there is no backing down. And this is not as simple as it looks. The bakufu has also hired us to do some killing for them." I looked up at him in confusion. "I decided to accept both offers." "Nani?" I asked. "Demo..." "Dirty isn't it?" he asked. "But I know you can do it. You have courage and wisdom. That was why I trained you. I saw in you both." I was flattered but there was still that fear gnawing at me. Nevertheless, I accepted the mission. The following night, I slayed four members of the Ishin and three members of the bakufu. I was never caught, and only a few knew my real identity. I was always dressed in a ninja uniform and a dark cloak when I go out on missions. Who would realize that the dreaded assassin was a woman? That fact made me more dangerous. I continued doing these assignments for years. I've killed so many that I hadn't bothered counting them. And always with me were that numbness and that fear. And that was how I came to be the Cloaked Assassin. PART 9 I stayed in the forest until nightfall. It was better for me to travel in the dark and besides it was also an opportunity for me to rest. I concealed myself near a clump of bushes. With a strip of cloth, I bound my hair again and washed my face with water from a nearby stream. The water was cold and it numbed my fingers. I slowly stripped the bandages on my chest. I took out the medicine which Shinta's wife gave me and put the brown powder on the wound. I bit my lip. It was really painful. I suffered in silence and sat there, waiting for the sun to set before I continued with my journey back home. Our base in Kyoto was a very innocent looking tavern near the outskirts of the city. It was almost midnight when I got there. It was Yuri-obaasan who saw me. She was also a servant. She had been Kotake-sama's nurse when he was kid and up to now; she was still in his service. She was always kind to me and I've always treated her as my own grandmother. "Arashi-chan! What happened to you?" she asked worriedly, taking in my appearance. "Kotake-sama's been expecting you since yesterday!" I smiled weakly at her. "The mission wasn't exactly easy." "Here, give me your cloak," she said. I eased the cloak gently off my shoulders, taking into consideration the slash on my chest. I heard Obaasan's gasp. "You have a wound!" "This is nothing," I said. "Well, well, well... if it isn't the formidable Cloaked Assassin!" It was Hiro. "Admit it, Arashi!" he added. "You're only human." I looked at him coldly and said, "I never said that I wasn't." His brow creased in anger. "It's not because you're Kotake-sama's favorite it doesn't mean that you have the right to answer me back! I'm still your leader, slave-girl." I took that one in calmly. I'd always regarded anger as a useless emotion. It would only bring trouble."I maybe a slave," I said. "But you are not my master." "What's going on here?" It was Kotake-sama. "Nothing sensei," Hiro mumbled. "I was just reprimanding Arashi for not coming back as scheduled. "Arashi, you were expected to return two days ago. What happened?" he asked, with a small trace of concern in his voice. I was not surprised though, to him I was indispensable. If anything would happen to me, it would be a big loss to the Shadows. I couldn't tell them about Shinta, so I lied. "I was wounded sensei," I explained. "I had to stay put in the woods." "But that is not reason enough why you didn't come back as scheduled," he said. "I won't tolerate this next time!" "Hai," I answered. I could feel Hiro smirking beside me. "Rest for now," Kotake-sama ordered. "You have another mission. I'll call for you and Hiro tomorrow." "Sensei," Hiro interjected. "Can't I just do this job alone?" "Don't be stupid!" Kotake-sama replied. We need Arashi's sword skills on this one. You wouldn't be enough!" And with that he walked back again to his room. I stood up as soon as he was gone and started towards my room. "This is not over yet slave girl," Hiro threatened.I simply ignored his remark and walked away. Back inside my room, I washed the dirt and grime I had accumulated in my journey, with the water Obaasan had brought me. I re-bandaged my wound and quickly changed into a yukata.As I was lying down on the soft comfort of my futon, my mind wandered to the recent happenings. I had decided to go through the next mission, but it was going to be my last one. Whatever the outcome may be , I would tell Kotake-sama that I wanted out. Whatever debt I may have had to pay him, I had paid it already. I promised that this time I would be in control of my own fate, of my own destiny. And I would see to it that I would. The next morning, I woke up early, ready to do my chores. "What are you doing?" Yuri-obaasan cried as she saw me walking towards the kitchen with two large pails of water. "Doing my chores," I answered with a faint smile. "But your wound..." she said. I gently shook my head. "This is nothing Yuri-obaasan," I said. "Remember, I've been in worse conditions." "Sou desu, demo..." "Let her if she wants to," Hiro said. "She is, after all, still a servant" I looked at him squarely in the eyes. Did he expect me to get angry with that? "Hai," I said, still looking at him. "I am still a servant and I hadn't forgotten that." Something about the answer irritated him the more. "Then servant-girl, get your ass off of there," he said. "Sensei wants to talk to us." I placed the pails in the kitchen first before complying to his order.I knelt down before Kotake-sama. Hiro was there already, a few feet beside me on my right. "Good, you are both here," Kotake-sama began. "I have decided to accept our last mission as Shadows." "Sensei, what do you mean?" Hiro asked. "The Tokugawa era is going to end. The Shadows won't be needed anymore." "How are you so sure?" Hiro prodded. "And if it is, as long as there are corrupt bastards sitting there in office, the Shadows will still live." "The times are changing," Kotake-sama said. "The Shadows will be endangered, the bakufu will reveal us. I'm just thinking about the future. And you have no right to question my decision." "And what would happen to us then?" "I'm letting go of the Shadows," he answered calmly. "Dammit!" Hiro said at the top of his voice, standing up. "Just like that?" Kotake-sama seemed unperturbed with his outburst, but when he spoke there was an angry edge to his voice."Yes, just like that. And I wonder why you are so angry over the matter. Perhaps, you wouldn't be able to steal money from our earnings again, would you?" I could see Hiro paled as he heard Kotake-sama's words. "So you think I don't know your extra curricular activities Hiro?" he continued. "Don't take me as blind." "How... how did you know?" Hiro faltered. "You forget. I trained you," he simply answered. "Now, sit down and hear what I have to say." Hiro sat down right back on the floor. But I could still feel anger seeping from him. I glanced at Kotake-sama. He knew what was going on Hiro's mind. He needn't be warned of the younger man's revengeful tendencies. "Arashi," he said. "This will be your last mission." I nodded. "I want you to kill the Hitokiri Battousai!" PART 10 "I want you to kill the Hitokiri Battousai..." The words kept on echoing in my mind like the mournful tolling of bells. Kill Shinta? Oh, how the gods must be enjoying my predicament. "Arashi?" "What's the plan?" I asked, still unsettled with a decision. The question, a sudden urge to mask the thunderous beating of my heart. "The Battousai will be lured up the mountains where an assassin of the bakufu awaits. Our real job is to weaken him, but if we kill him, then more money will be ours. And of course, wouldn't that be better?" "How will the Battousai be enticed to go there?" "I believe that his wife is a bakufu spy." Tomoe? "And I don't think we have to worry about that." I tried my best to look calm even if I was really taken unawares. "I see..." "So, will you do it?" "Hai," I said. What happened next was a blur. I remembered of some more prattle about what we were supposed to do but I was only half listening. My mind was far from tactics. "Arashi, this will be executed three days from now, so listen up. I know your thoughts are straying!" I blinked my eyes. His short reprimand suddenly snapped me out of my troubled thoughts. "What would I get for this?" I asked unexpectedly, surprising even myself. Kotake-sama was also taken aback. I heard Hiro laughed derisively. "Now who's not interested in money?" Kotake-sama ignored the malicious comment. Silence. "Your freedom," he said. I looked at him in the eye; I couldn't fathom the mien I saw in them. All I knew was that he understood me too well, and it made me feel uneasy. I almost couldn't hide anything from him. No matter how adept I had become in concealing my own emotions and intentions, he would always see through me. It was really unnerving. He smiled slightly, as if he could read my thoughts. "Three days?" I asked. "Yes," he answered, totally understanding my change of topic. "I hope you would be well enough by then. I want this to go smoothly. There would be no room for mistakes. Understand?" "Hai sensei," I murmured. "Now go," he said, dismissing me. "Hiro stay, I want to talk with you." I got up the room slowly but not before hearing Hiro say, "bitch". I stopped but resumed walking. Kill Battousai... I didn't know how I got out of the room without collapsing. I had to hold on to the post to keep me from falling to the ground. I didn't know what pushed me to agree to this insane plan, but I did. Could I kill Shinta? No, I could not. Not even if he would had offered me all his gold, I wouldn't. But I couldn't just back-out. This was my only chance of freedom. I wouldn't kill Shinta but I had to do something so they wouldn't question. Now, I must find a way to tell him of this. But how? I wasn't well enough to travel back, and I couldn't go out of the compound without any of the guards knowing. Security was as tight as that in the imperial palace. How? *** Two more days before the mission, I still hadn't thought of a plan. I placed more medicine on my wound. The herbs which Tomoe had given me were almost gone. Tomoe... How could she betray him? I had thought that she loved him. I could feel it in her, I had sensed it. Perhaps, Kotake-sama was wrong. No, I guess I was the one who was wrong. Poor Shinta, the person he loved the most was the one he should hate the most. I looked outside and I could see the other Shadows training for the mission. Even if they would train for a week, they wouldn't be a match for Shinta. I had fought him and had observed how he did battle. I gave my comrades twenty seconds at the most. Enough time before they get killed. I felt sorry for them in a way, because they were also pawns in this sordid game. Unfortunately there really were people who were weak enough to let themselves be victimized, and I was one of them. But not any longer... *** I was standing in the forest with a thick shower of snow falling on the ground. Before me was Shinta, kneeling on the forest floor. He was all bloodied and he had several wounds. He was weak. I came to him but he couldn't see me. I reached out to help him but my hand just passed through his body. I was calling out his name again and again but he just couldn't hear me. I yelled and I cried until I have no more voice nor tears to spend. All of a sudden, he fell down. He lay there and I knew that he had stopped breathing. And then, I felt myself being plummetted into a dark abyss. And then I woke up. *** They said dreams were prophetic, if so then what did my dream suggest? I had this weird feeling at the pit of my stomach. Something will happen and I did not know what. Kami-sama if you could hear me just this once, even if it would cost my freedom, please let Shinta live! *** This time, I didn't don my trademark cloak. I was dressed like everybody else, in our black ninja uniform. I was nervous, my hands actually shook as I knotted the strip of cloth I used to tie my hair. I unsheathed the katana and looked at it. It was the same sword Kotake-sama gave me years ago. And in those same years, I had made full use of it. Perhaps if the sword could talk, even it wouldn't be able to say how many people it had drawn blood from. "Ready?" the ninja beside me asked. "Ready..." I answered. Three hours before the mission. Whatever would happen after then would either make me or break me. It would all be up to me. *** "Arashi!" I turned around. "We'll be leaving soon," I answered. "I know," Hiro said. "But you won't be leaving with them." I slid my hand to my side where my scabbard was placed. It wasn't time for any jokes. Every minute counted, every precious minute of Shinta's life. "If you want a fight Hiro, I'll give it to you," I said silently. "But after this mission." I heard him snicker. "Oh really?" he said. "How can I be sure you'll execute this mission? Isn't the Battousai your friend?" I stilled. How did he... "Surprised eh?" I turned around slowly. "What do you mean?" I asked. Hiro took his time walking towards me. "Simple Arashi, just as I said, you can not kill the Battousai because he is your friend." "You're talking nonsense," I said and started to turn back but Hiro drew his sword and stopped me. "Don't lie now Arashi because I always had you followed. I never trusted you." I gritted my teeth. "I don't care if you trust me or not. Kotake-sama..." Hiro laughed. "Kotake-same? You think he trusted you? That's a laugh..." I swallowed hard. I didn't think I wanted to hear what was next. "Arashi," he continued. "For an assassin you're so na