Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One for the Ages ❯ Chapter Twenty-Six: Crossroads ( Chapter 26 )

One for the Ages

By Gan Xingba

Chapter Twenty-Six: Crossroads

 

The train ride from Kyoto to Tokyo had been quite relaxing. Kurama had found it quite serene to see Japan as it was before the modern age filled the land with urban development. Youko Kurama had never seen it fit to ever visit the human world until he was forced to escape there, so Kurama had no memories of the beautiful Japanese countryside. Misao had insisted on coming with him since she apparently knew the people who Kuwabara was staying with and saw this as an opportunity to visit them.

 

When the train had arrived at Tokyo, Misao had immediately sped Kurama off in the direction that supposedly would take them to the Kamiya Dojo, which was where Kuwabara was. Over two hours later, they were still looking.

 

“Misao…I believe that we are lost,” Kurama said finally, upon reaching no less than their twenty-seventh dead end.

 

“Of course we're not lost! I'm a ninja, and ninjas can't get lost!” yelled Misao indigently before coughing slightly and calming her voice down. “I'm just giving you a tour of the city, that's all.”

 

“You've never actually been to this dojo, have you?” questioned Kurama, though he was already convinced that he knew the answer.

 

“No…” confirmed Misao, hanging her head in melodramatic defeat.

 

Kurama smiled amusedly at the girl's antics before taking the pause in travel to take in their surroundings. The buildings in this part of Tokyo were worn down and small, and the streets were dusty and littered with abandoned junk. The people walking the streets were, for the most part, equally seedy looking. It was clear that Misao had accidentally lead them into the lawless part of Tokyo. This was made even more clear when several unruly looking men walked up to Misao with piggish grins on their faces.

 

“Hey there, little girl,” spoke one. “This is a toll street, don't ya' know? If you and your little friend wanna' walk through here, then you've got to pay a toll.”

 

“What are you talking about? There isn't even such a thing as a toll street,” retorted Misao accusingly, causing the thugs the start chuckling arrogantly.

 

“Now don't play dumb, girly,” started up the thug again. “Now pa-”

 

The thug's sentence was cut short, since it is awfully difficult to talk when someone has slammed the sole of their shoe into your cheek and sent you crashing partway through a wall. The thug's attacker looked a bit like a thug himself, wearing black and white fighting gi and a red headband below unkempt hair. He was tall, too, tall enough to slam his foot into a man's face while keeping his hands casually in his pockets, anyway.

 

“Don't worry, boys, I'll cover for `em,” said the newcomer, slightly muffled from the fishbone that hung out of his mouth as he lowered his foot back to the ground. “I'm all out of money, though. I hope you take payments in beatings.”

 

Two of the remaining thugs began to beg for mercy while the last one started to run for it. Not even listening to the pleas of the thugs in front of him, the tall man took his hands out of his pockets, grabbed both of them by their collars, and flung them after their fleeing companion. All three thugs were propelled into a woodpile at the end of the street by the sheer force of the throw, causing the smirk that the tall man had been wearing the entire time to grow even wider upon their impact.

 

`Amazing,' thought Kurama as he observed the fight. `In terms of raw physical strength, this man is insanely powerful for someone who can't use spirit energy. Sango would be jealous.'

 

“What'd you do that for, Sanosuke?” demanded Misao of the man, much to Kurama's surprise. “I was just about to take care of them!”

 

“Hey, you can't blame me. I haven't had a good brawl fer way too long,” replied Sanosuke, managing to flash a toothy grin while still keeping the fish bone steady in his mouth. “What're you doin' in Tokyo, anyway, ninja girl? And who's your friend?”

 

“I am Shuichi Minamino,” answered Kurama, bowing politely. “We're in Tokyo looking for a friend of mine.”

 

“Yeah, you've probably met him, since he's staying at the Kamiya Dojo,” interjected Misao.

 

“Oh, you must mean Kuwabara,” replied Sanosuke with a nod, then taking a hard look at Kurama. “Huh, you don't look as tough as he said his pals were…well, looks aren't always right about people, I guess. Follow me, I'll take you guys to the dojo.”

 

Kurama had to stop himself from correcting Sanosuke's butchery of the saying. The man seemed fairly easy going, but he also seemed eager to pick a fight, and the last thing Kurama wanted to do was try and take on someone that strong sans spirit energy. As they walked down the street, it seemed that everyone else shared his sentiments, for every potential ruffian that was in their path hastily got out of the way upon seeing Sanosuke, often accompanied by hushed conversation and pointing.

 

“You wont have to worry about getting into any scraps around here if you stick with me,” said Sanosuke, apparently noticing Kurama's observations, though he didn't turn around. “I used to be a pretty famous mercenary around here. Even had a nickname, `Zanza'.”

 

“And why did they call you `Zanza'?” asked Kurama, puzzled by the strange name.

 

“You know what a Zanbatou is?” Sanosuke responded, causing Kurama's brow to furrow as he tried to recall the word from his memory.

 

“It's a giant sword meant to slay mounted soldiers and their horses in one swing, isn't it? They were never really used because they were far too big for anyone to…” Kurama trailed off as made the connection between the gigantic weapon and Sanosuke's nickname, suddenly unable to find anything else to say.

 

Sanosuke didn't even reply verbally, he simply turned his head around and smirked mischievously at the astonished redhead for a moment, clearly enjoying the conversation. Even after Sanosuke had refocused his gaze on the road ahead of him, Kurama was still staring dumbstruck at the back of his head.

 

`He could actually use a zanbatou in combat effectively? That's beyond ridiculous,' Kurama thought, shaking his head as if to try and jumpstart his brain again. `What kind of people is Kuwabara living with?'

 

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Kuwabara stepped out into the Kamyia Dojo's courtyard with a sigh of relief. Kaoru had been particularly relentless today, but he supposed that it was with good reason. He was well beyond the basics now, and at this point, the majority of his lessons focused on learning the actual moves and manuvers unique to the Kamiya Kashin Style, which required an incredible attention to detail. Good reason, however, is no antidote for fatigue, as Kuwabara was experiencing first hand. He was, in fact, about to take a short nap before he heard the dojo's gate open and Sanosuke's voice from its direction.

 

He headed over towards the gate to find the Kenshin and Yahiko had arrived before him. Standing behind Sanosuke was a girl that he had never seen before, and next to her stood…

 

“Kurama!” cried out Kuwabara in surprise, drawing everyone's stares in his direction.

 

“Why's he calling you Kurama, Shuichi?” asked the girl, looking at Kurama with slight befuddlement.

 

“It's an alias I use, Misao. You may still call me Shuichi,” explained Kurama, finishing the sentence mere milliseconds before Kuwabara had placed him in a friendly headlock.

 

“I knew that you were out there somewhere,” declared Kuwabara as he gave his friend a long overdue noogie. “I bet you've been out there havin' fun without me, haven't you?”

 

“It would be easier to answer if you let go of me,” managed Kurama, which of course only made the headlock tighter.

 

“So, is this one of the people from your special unit?” asked Kaoru, just arriving at the gate from the training room.

 

Kurama glanced up at Kuwabara with slight worry at this question, but he received a reassuring look in return. Kuwabara wasn't a genius, but he knew not to tell ordinary humans about spirit world matters.

 

“Yeah, this guy here was the brains,” replied Kuwabara, finally releasing Kurama from the headlock. “Not that he can't kick some ass too, right Kurama?”

 

Yahiko, who had been unusually silent throughout the conversation, had suddenly walked up to Kurama and begun to inspect his face very carefully. Kurama, ever the polite one, controlled his reaction to the mere raising of an eyebrow.

 

“Are you alright, Yahiko?” asked Kenshin, saying exactly what everyone else was thinking.

 

“Yeah…” said Yahiko, at last stepping back from Kurama. “But is it just me, or does Shuichi look a lot like you, Kenshin?”

 

Suddenly, everyone else present took Yahiko's place in inspecting first Kurama, and then Kenshin, as though running down a checklist. Yahiko was, in fact, quite correct. Their size, complexions, and most especially their hair were incredibly similar.

 

“Wow…I can't believe I never noticed…” said Kuwabara, scratching his head.

 

“Is there even a difference between `em?” asked Sanosuke, still looking back and forth between the specimens.

 

“Yes, there is,” concluded Misao after a moment's pause, and then proceeded to cough politely, close her eyes, and raise her index finger up in a very scientific manner. “Shuichi is better looking.”

 

Kurama turned bright red and Kenshin drooped his head in melodramatic depression to such a degree that one could almost here a large bell tolling a single, sad note. Eager to extract himself from what he saw as a rather embarrassing experience, Kurama pulled Kuwabara aside, explaining that they needed to talk in private for a while. When they had reached an isolated corner of the dojo grounds, Kurama finally stopped and turned to Kuwabara.

 

“So, Naraku got you with that blast as well?” began Kurama.

 

“Yeah, it was weird. My spirit sword went right through it…” replied Kuwabara, suddenly turning more serious. “And now I can't use my spirit energy, do you think that blast sucked it right out of me?”

 

“No, I don't think so. The same thing has happened to me, but I believe the link between ourselves and our spirit energy has been severed. It is here, but we can't use it,” Kurama answered. “Such a thing could be fixed by Koenma, if we find a way to get back.”

 

“So, you haven't thought of anything, huh?” said Kuwabara glumly, turning his eyes towards the ground briefly. “If even you can't think of anything…”

 

“Don't worry, I will find a way back to our time,” assured Kurama, catching his friend off guard with his determination. “Even once I do, though, we must make sure that we don't leave anyone behind in this era if they were also defeated by Naraku.”

 

“Oh, man, I almost forgot about that. Damn, no offense, I'm kinda' glad that you got stuck here with me,” Kuwabara responded, grinning widely. “I wouldn't stand a chance at getting back without a braniac like you helpin'. Hey…how did you find me, anyways?”

 

“Unlike you, I was transported just outside Kyoto, Once there, I found a group of ninjas that-” Kurama began before he was cut off by an excited gasp.

 

“Ninjas? Really? You're staying with a bunch of ninjas?” asked Kuwabara leaning down to Kurama's eye level and shaking him excitedly. “Wow! I bet they do super-cool stuff all the time! Do they use their throwing thingies to make breakfast? Have they done any ninja magic?”

 

“No, they are just normal people living normal lives who also happen to be ninjas,” explained Kurama, though he could not help but smile slightly as he freed himself from Kuwabara's grasp. “They do, however, have an extensive amount of connections throughout Japan which I hope to utilize to help find anyone else who has been stranded here.”

 

Kuwabara was a little disappointed at this revelation, and wore a small frown that showed it, much to Kurama's apparent amusement. Nonetheless, this did not deter the boy's overall good mood.

 

“By the way Kuwabara, you are living with some interesting people yourself,” continued the fox demon. “That tall one is incredibly strong for a regular human.”

 

“Sano? Yeah, he's strong, alright,” replied Kuwabara with a chuckle. “Everyone says that Kenshin is the invincible one, though. You know, the one that kinda looks like you.”

 

“Him? You're kidding,” was the shocked reply, with Kuwabara nodding in return. “Well, Musashi himself wasn't supposed to be an impressive sight, so I suppose someone like Kenshin could still be an impressive swordsman.”

 

“Yeah…wait…who's Mushasi?” Kuwabara asked, now suddenly feeling very confused.

 

Kurama simply smiled and began to walk back towards the others. Kuwabara followed, and his confusion giving way to elation once more. After all, it's not every day that a friend who you thought was gone forever suddenly appears at your doorstep.

 

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Saitou looked down at the paperwork that littered his desk with an emotion that bordered on pure loathing. That was arguably the worst part of working for the government: every time you got into even so much as a scuffle, you had to file a report or there would be hell to pay from the bureaucrats. Not only that, but recently, paperwork had become more and more necessary as he continued to investigate on the foreign arms dealers that had given Shishio his battleship. Even with both himself and Chou on the case, they weren't getting very far, aside from linking the arms dealer to one of several large syndicates in China.

 

Of course, Saitou had always considered Chou a bit of an idiot. However, he was an idiot who knew the ins and outs of Japan's underground, and he was tough enough not to get killed by ordinary gangsters. Originally, Saitou had planned for his new find, Hiei, to help with the investigation, but Hiei had the opposite problem. He was sharp, stealthy, and a solid swordsman, but he had absolutely no idea how crime worked in Japan. It had been an almost stunning revelation for Saitou, considering that Hiei had the potential to become an extremely effective subordinate, and it had been regretful to let Hiei be given other assignments so that he could get his feet wet.

 

`Speaking of…' thought Saitou as his ears picked up the light, quick steps that he had come to associate with the short swordsman and then greeting him without looking up from his desk. “I trust you didn't get lost this time.”

 

“Hn, watch your tongue,” growled Hiei from the doorway as he closed the door behind him. “I did, however, encounter something unexpected that I need you to give me information about.”

 

Saitou smirked inwardly as he looked up from his desk. Not once had he heard Hiei refer to anyone as though they were his superior. Saitou didn't really car much so long as Hiei did his job, but the other officers had come to despise the irritable young man.

 

“Oh? And what is that?” Saitou asked flatly.

 

“I encountered and fought a strong swordsman named Soujirou Seta while in,” answered Hiei with equal flatness. “He was strong enough that I assumed you would know something about him.”

 

Saitou raised an eyebrow momentarily, although his overall expression was kept stony. Soujirou was no longer a threat, now a wanderer like Himura, but technically he was still a wanted man as Soujirou the Tenken, Shishio's top warrior and assassin.

 

`There is no way that Hiei can beat Soujirou,' realized Saitou. `However, I doubt Seta will kill him, since he's been subjected to Battousai's weak ideals. If that is the case, tracking down Seta could be a fast way to get Hiei proper experience. The boy certainly needs it.'

 

“Feel lucky that you survived, better than you have been killed by Seta,” said Saitou finally, succeeding in drawing an icy stare from Hiei. “He's wanted dead or alive by the government for assassination and conspiracy against the state, but since he has been lying low as of late, we didn't want to waste resources chasing after him.”

 

“Hn, is that so?” scoffed Hiei, trying to feign disinterest. “And I suppose that you're going to send me after him now that I've found him.”

 

“Technically, I don't have to order you to do it. No orders are necessary to pursue a wanted criminal, especially one this dangerous,” corrected Saitou, who had to hold back a smirk as he noticed a slight twitch from Hiei after he had uttered the word “dangerous”. “If you see it fit to pursue him, I can have archives get you his file.”

 

To the average person, Hiei would seem perfectly calm, but Saitou was far more insightful than the average person. He could see the growing excitement within Hiei as he anticipated another fight with Seta, and it had been growing as the conversation had gone on. Even as Hiei nodded and rose to leave the room at a casual pace, his eagerness was apparent.

 

“One more thing,” Saitou said, stopping Hiei before he exited the door. “I'll also have them send you the file on Kenshin Himura, also known as `Battousai'. He defeated Seta in the past, so you may wish to meet with him before you begin your search, just make absolutely sure that you mention nothing at all of me if you meet him. Oh, and you may wish to change into a new uniform, you've bled through that one.”

 

Hiei cursed as he looked down to his side to see a dark red staining the blue uniform, and stormed down the hall muttering about how worthless the medical ward was. Saitou smirked openly now, quite pleased with this turn of events. After reading Battousai's file, Hiei would undoubtedly meet with and fight the man, since it was obvious that the spiky-haired youth could not resist a good fight. No doubt such a meeting would make Himura more convinced of Saitou's death, which he had faked during the incident with Shishio. After all, Saitou had been the one to convince the government not to go hunting for Seta in the first place, so it would seem only fitting that the government would be hunting Seta down were Saitou dead. Combine this benefit to Hiei getting a boost in gaining much needed experience, and it was overall a very beneficial action.

 

`I hope you haven't become lax on me, Battousai,' thought Saitou. `This one might scar up your other cheek if you aren't careful.'