Fan Fiction ❯ Bushido ❯ Gaijin ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6: Gaijin

Ever since his encounter with the goblins, Koichi had become extra alert while in forests, as if Obake's men were watching his every step. It seemed as if every single bush in the woods hid a lurking evil underneath it. The ronin's hand never left his katana's hilt. He longed to see open plains again; they made him more comfortable. At least it was harder for someone to sneak up on you. Not impossible, but harder.

Kuso, does this forest ever end? He sighed. Well, at least it's spring again...no more snow... It had been hell traveling in freezing weather. Of course, spring meant rain, which was both wet and cold, but Koichi preferred the rain, as it was easier to keep warm in, even if he got soaked. Today, though, was nearly cloudless, and the sun heated everything that lay below it.

It was warm enough, in fact, that the ronin had pulled out of his outer kimono, the top dangling from his waist where it lay tucked into his hakama. Things had been pretty boring recently. Ever since he had left Ise and entered Mino, Koichi hadn't been in any battles whatsoever, not even someone sent by Oshima. Too smart to assume that he'd seen the last of the daimyo's men, the ronin decided that he was content being bored if it meant there was no life-threatening conflicts.

Content, perhaps, but not exactly happy. The roads he had traveled so far had little human life on them, except at a few borders between provinces, which held tollbooths, a few food stands, sometimes an inn, and some fellow travelers. Unfortunately, Koichi had to keep his head low in these areas ever since the Hiroshi incident. As a result, he hadn't had decent human interaction in...

Almost a year. The ronin shook his head. Already a year had passed since his abandoning of his home. 1575 had come and gone with some memorable events, and 1576 had stepped in with new paths ahead. Koichi could only hope they were better than some of the previous year's happenings.

He glanced at a flock of birds as they flew by. That was nature, nothing alarming there. Three squirrels dashed past ahead of him, and Koichi was almost sure he saw a snake slither off as fast as one can without legs. Now that was just slightly odd.

What's wrong with these animals? He wondered. Some twigs crunched behind him. Before a second had past, the ronin he turned, his katana in his grip. Nothing behind him. He scanned the perimeter. When there seemed to be nothing there, be on your highest alert was another lesson he had learnt fast. More birds fluttered by, but there was nothing else. Koichi relaxed his muscles and continued his walk, but kept his katana at hand, just in case.

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The leaves rustled again as the ronin sighed in exasperation. The wind is mild, but these branches move at their own accord. It's becoming a bit irritating... He mulled the thought over a moment and stopped. "Wait a minute..." He turned to see a woody, gnarled "arm" swipe towards him. Koichi lashed out his katana and the curved blade sliced through the branch. The branch's owner let out a shriek, as if alive.

"Of course, why didn't I think of it before?" Koichi muttered as a face appeared on the trunk of the tree. "tree demons. A tribe must have nesting grounds here." Just as he finished that vocal thought, a lash ripped into his shoulder, and he whirled around to see three more of the tree creatures.

"Guess you guys don't like trespassers, huh?" The ronin asked as he dodged another attack. "Thought as much." The samurai took out his wakizashi and proceeded to slash all about, removing the monsters' appendages as they assaulted. Their long, thin leafed branches whipped at his face, tearing his under gi and hakama.

A lucky move allowed his opponents to whack his daisho out of both hands, and instantly the branches wrapped around his wrists and ankles. The hapless ronin was lifted off the ground as his attackers closed in...

BANG!!! A roar of thunder rang out as something slammed into an tree demon between the "eyes" and it slumped over. Another loud blast came through as something small and fast zipped past a remaining tree demon. Koichi's captors released him and retreated with a surprising amount of speed.

"Wer ist da?" A strange voice shouted in a language Koichi had never heard before. Slowly, he retrieved his katana and wakizashi as a man came out of the bushes.

And what a strange man he was. He was tall, around six feet, and his hair was the same color as the bark on the tree demons. A thick, bushy beard covered his chin and an equally thick mustache decorated the skin under his nose. His attire was also foreign to Koichi.

The man's top reminded Koichi of a Chinese jacket he had once seen, closed and buttoned, yet it still wasn't quite the same. He wore black pants that stopped at the knees, bordering long white socks. Instead of wearing geta or even zori, from the ankle down, his feet were covered in what Koichi assumed was leather.

Is this one of those gaijin I've heard so much about? The ronin wondered to himself as the strange man lowered his musket, the only thing Koichi recognized.

"Oh, Es ist ein japanischer." He said, looking down at Koichi. "Sprechen Sie das Deutsche, japanischer?" he asked. The ronin blinked. What the hell was he asking? He could only hope it wasn't something threatening. The strange man sighed.

"I guess not. No one seems to speak German here. I guess I'll just stick to your language then." Finally, Japanese! Koichi dusted himself off and bowed to the gaijin.

"Doomo arigatou gozaimasu," he thanked. The foreigner eyed him a minute before bowing back.

"Doo Itashimashite," he replied with a thick accent. Oh well, at least his Japanese was understandable. "May I ask what you were doing, going through that forest? It's swarmed with tree demons."

Koichi raised his eyebrows. The last comment was unnecessary. "I was just passing through the area."

"You're a ronin?"

"By a year or so."

"Mmm. Well, you'd best follow me out of here, my house just past the edge of these woods--it'll take us about an hour to get back, and by then it'll be dark, and you don't want to be here when it's night." The man warned, turning to leave. Koichi silently complied, and the two began the walk out of the forest.

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The fire underneath the pot provided the only warmth as the two men sat down, sipping their tea and chatting. Koichi's helper was Jaegar Waldschmidt, a middle-aged Prussian.

"I thought so far the Dutch and Portuguese were the only Westerners here," Koichi half asked, half stated after he finished chewing some sushi his host had given him.

"Well, that's true, for the most part," Jaegar admitted, "But I moved to Holland years ago, and became part of a Dutch trading company that manufactured muskets. After a few visits to Japan, I decided to live here, hunting and farming for a living."

"So you were hunting when you shot those tree demons?" The ronin asked.

"Hai. I was attacked by tree demons my first trip into these woods, and I found that bullets are most effective against them. They don't bother me much... Too afraid, I guess. You're lucky I showed up when I did."

"Mmm." The ronin took another sip of his tea. "Except for your accent, your Japanese is very good," he said, "How long have you lived here?" Jaegar looked up in thought.

"It would be... about fifteen years now, I believe."

"Do you like it here?" inquired the Japanese teen.

"It's different from home, I'll say," the Prussian man answered, "but I do like it here. People are polite, but you have to be very careful and show the proper respect, or the consequence is terrible, from what I have seen."

"This is a fact," Koichi sighed, putting his tea down. "What's it like over in the West?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Crowded. Very, very crowded." Was the first thing the gaijin told him, "And smelly. We don't bathe over there, except maybe once a month, and then we have our clothes on." Koichi's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Why in Lord Buddha's name do you not bathe?" he choked, "That's very unsanitary!"

"I know. Didn't used to think so, but after staying here, I see that you Japanese are ahead of us in some things," Jaegar replied. "It's no surprise that you aren't as plagued with disease as we are, and it seems your lifespans can be a bit longer out here." Koichi chuckled grimly.

"It depends on who you are, and what you've done." He told the gaijin. "Just a word of advice: Never make enemies with a daimyo. Ever." The Prussian blinked as the young man went back to his food.

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Koichi bowed to his host as he prepared to leave the next morning. "Thank you for your help and hospitality," he said. Jaegar bowed back.

"Think nothing of it." Both men straightened up, and Jaegar pointed to the path stretching to the east. "Follow that road--Shinano isn't far from here. You should come to a mountain village within a few hours." Koichi bowed his head again.

"Arigatou, and sayonara." He gave a quick wave to the Prussian and then continued on his way, soon out of hearing and sight of the gaijin.

It was nice to have someone to talk to without trying to hide things, Koichi thought as he smiled. Even if he came from a strange land. These gaijin are interesting people--perhaps I will meet more someday...

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Sorry this chapter stinks, but think of it as a "filler episode" with better parts coming soon. ^^; My summer break is just beginning, so hopefully I'll be able to write more...

zori - straw sandals worn by the Japanese; similar to geta in design except they have no platforms on the bottom

gaijin - foreigner, usually one from the West (America or Europe)

I think that's it...well, 'til next time (Hope that's not too long!), ja ne!