Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Giant and the Lion Cub ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Well, I'll finish this up in the next couple chapters….so this fic is finally coming to an end! * listening for sighs of relief * I still can't end the madness just yet though, our friend Hiko hasn't had a taste of the full force of Himura Kenji…Kenshin's still up to no good, tearing up the town no doubt, looking for his son….blah blah blah…so there are some loose ends to tie up…then I have a couple of ideas for a new fic….Bwhahahahahaha….just kidding….you can omit any evil laughter….

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 10

Kenshin prowled the gambling house like a tiger stalking its prey. Quietly he moved through the smoky room, listening carefully to the slurred and sometimes vulgar conversation going on about him. Several of the men stared at him with threatening eyes, watching him suspiciously, but Kenshin disregarded them like flies on a bulls back. He was far more dangerous than them in his current state, his agitation displayed clearly upon his face.

Two men guffawed loudly in the corner, holding their stomachs in attempt to contain their laughter. The sudden noise made Kenshin jump slightly, his nerves already on edge.

"…and then the boy came crying back to his father, all bruised and battered. He said Tatsuma's boys jumped him in the ally way by the sake shop, but his little cousin told a very different story!" The man laughed again as he recalled the tale in his head, struggling to maintain his composure. "Apparently a little whelp with strange red hair pulled an awning down on top of that idiot, Aki, when Aki tried to grab him." The large man and his companion roared in laughter, slapping each other on the back.

"What kind of yakuza is that kid going to make when he gets older, getting beat up by children!" The men laughed again and chugged their sake in agreement.

"I hope Aki doesn't find that boy alone," the other man stated, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

Kenshin's head had snapped around when he heard talk of red hair. He had positioned himself in the shadows until then, watching and waiting for this exact moment, word of his son. Forcing himself to remain calm, he pushed away from the wall, and stalked closer to the table. Amber eyes locked onto the two men and held them in a snake like trance. The entire hall became hushed as the red hair man moved slowly, his liquid steps restrained and one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Where is the boy now," he hissed, his words pure acid. His eyes narrowed and the muscles along his jaw worked noticeably as he clenched and unclenched his teeth against the urge to grab one of the men and shake them until they gave him the information he demanded.

The two thugs immediately ceased their laughter and turned their attention to the man who now stood next to their table.

"I want to know where my son is," the small swordsman spoke again, this time his tone deepening into a sound not unlike steel against an iron sheath.

"You mean that red haired brat," one of the men asked, finding his voice and nerve. The red haired samurai before them was pathetically small, and ridiculously outnumbered, he posed no threat.

Kenshin's lip curled, his patience dangling by a silken strand.

"Tell him what he wants to know," a voice echoed from the door way, "It's not wise to taunt the hitokiri battousai."

Both men shoved their chairs back, trying to distance themselves from the red haired man. Kenshin turned his head slightly at the sound of Saito's voice, his scowl deepening as the man announced his former title. He suspected that some of them men in here were suspicious of who he was, and that's why no one had made a move on him yet. The legacy of the Battousai would never die, nor would the fear in people's hearts.

"TELL ME," Kenshin shouted, followed by a low growl echoing from inside his chest.

Everyone in the hall jumped, and a few tried to move towards the door only to be stopped by the man they recognized as Inspector Fugita, the city's detective, but notoriously dangerous. It was rumored that he was a former shinsengumi leader and the current situation only made the tale even more believable.

"I…I…don't know where the boy is," one of the drunken men whispered, putting a hand over his face, "I only heard the tale from Tsuchida Kitase, Tsuchida Aki's uncle!" The man whimpered slightly as Kenshin's hand twitched over the hilt of his sword.

"Where do I find these Tsuchida's?"

"I know where they reside, Himura san. I suspect Saito would know as well."

A hushed whisper rippled through the crowd as the former leader of the oniwaban stepped into the room and addressed the Battousai. Though the hall had seen it's share of killers, thieves, and miscreants, three more dangerous men had never stepped foot inside before. When Kenshin and his two companions' stepped through the doorway, exiting the gaming hall, a very audible sigh of relief could be heard in unison.

"Shall we go question the boy," Saito asked, lighting a cigarette, smirking in satisfaction at the gambling hall.

"Hai," Kenshin replied foully.

***********

Hiko was having a bad dream. Some one was watching him, following his every move from deep inside the shadows of the forest. He could feel cold eyes boring into his soul and wrenching away his inner most secrets. He kept one hand poised at the hilt of his katana, waiting for the moment when his stalker would strike.

"GAHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Hiko's arms and legs flew out from underneath the blankets of his futon as a large mass landed square in the center of his stomach. He sat straight up, flinging the ball of wriggling blankets away from him, putting one hand to his chest, praying his heart would not coming pounding out of it. Gasping for breath he jerked his head in the direction of the discarded bed coverings.

"For the love of Kami sama," he shouted as Kenji bore his way free of the heavy fabric, laughing and clapping his hands, "Don't do that!" Kenji only laughed harder, his angelic giggles breaking though the crisp morning air.

Hiko fumed, frustrated that a mere child had snuck up on him, the Master of Hiten Mitsurugi, and nearly given him a heart attack. He glared at the boy, who now jumped up and down on the cold wooden floor, smiling like a clown and squealing like a banshee. "Where does he get his energy? It's barely daylight out," Hiko muttered, rubbing the sleep from one of his eyes.

"Hey, baka kodomo, go get some water," Hiko barked, hoping that assigning a chore to his new charge would give him a few more moments of sleep. The boy's father was good at fetching water, it seemed a fitting task for the son. He pointed to the bucket, then to the door and lay back down.

Kenji stared at the bucket, which was almost as tall as he was. He didn't mind the chore, it didn't sound like it would be too hard of a task, if given the proper tools. He frowned at Hiko, who had started to snore softly again. Gritting his teeth, the small child issued the wooden bucket a swift kick and sent it crashing into the wall above Hiko's head. The man sat up, slowly this time, and glared at the boy.

"What's the matter now," he growled.

"Too big," Kenji stated, pointing to the bucket. "Baka," he added for emphasis. Any person with half a brain could tell he couldn't carry that bucket empty, let alone full of water.

Kenji promptly found himself set outside on the doorstep, a smaller wooden tub in hand. He flinched as the door slammed shut behind him, leaving him alone in the morning sun.

Kenji like mornings the best. He loved getting up to see the sun rise with his father, who would sit with him on the dojo porch until the morning light bathed them in golden sunlight. Only then would the two of them retreat to the kitchen and start to prepare breakfast for his mother, Yahiko, and Uncle Sano. His mornings were always full of laughter and hugs, but today was different.

The man in the house apparently didn't like mornings too much and that didn't sit well with Kenji. He stared out at the forest, which seemed to grow larger and larger before his eyes. He remembered the dangerous mud puddles he'd fallen in on his way up the mountain. There had been a lot of puddles near the river. He frowned, looking at his bare feet. If he went down there, he would get dirty again and that horrible muck would get on him. Surely the dark eyed man wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him.

The only conclusion Kenji could come up with was there had to be another source of water closer to the house. He surveyed the clearing that served as the yard, and frowned at its desolation. Carrying the tub with two small hands, he perched himself on the log that lay in front of the kiln. He could see no well, at least not one like he had at his house in Tokyo, but there had to be a source of water somewhere. Swinging his bare feet against the log, he chewed his lip in thought.

Slowly, he craned his head to look at the bathhouse, his small brow twitching in thought.

************

"Himura san," Aoshi said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, "If this last contact does not turn up any new leads, we must go back to the Aoiya and rest." It was hard to believe that morning was already underway, the sun rising into the sky and warming the air around them steadily. The former okashira could see the weariness on Himura's face, he was no longer moving of his own accord, his emotions fueling whatever energy he had left. If he kept it up, he'd drop from exhaustion, and that would not do anyone any good.

Kenshin jerked his shoulder away, snarling at the man, his mood unable to be tempered even the gentle hovering of the rurouni in his mind. The inhabitants of the Tsuchida residence were none too pleased when Kenshin kicked in their door, demanding to see the father of the boy he only knew as Aki. A small fray began, the most difficult task proving to be Aoshi and Saito protecting the insufferable family of thugs from Kenshin's unraveling resolve. The boy, Aki, cowered in a corner when learning the small child he threatened earlier was the son of hitokiri battousai. He cried and begged for the life of his family, and only then did Kenshin soften, looking almost repulsed by his own behavior. He offered no apology though, maintaining the cold, indifference of the manslayer he once was, and was on the verge of becoming again.

"You'd be wise to remember, child, not all small opponents are weak," he stated bluntly, catching the boy in his golden gaze, "You are weak, that's why you seek out the smallest and hurt them." The boy only nodded and hid his face in the folds of his father's kimono.

The man shakily retold the story Aki had told him, not wanting to believe that his son was outwitted by a three-year-old. A rival gang's son's had caught his boy off guard and almost killed him, he was already planning on paying the Tatsuma family a visit the following day.

"Lies. Do not underestimate my son, he's capable of things far beyond the reason of a common child," Kenshin emphasized the word common and glanced at Aki, "I want to speak with your brother and niece. Where are they?"

Tsuchida protested at first, but with a bit more persuasiveness only the battousai was capable of, the man disclosed his brother's house and sent them on their way. He was left with a final warning, "Any action upon my family will bring you the utmost regret. Never forget that." Tsuchida only nodded, waving away the henchmen that threatened to follow. He had no desire to be hunted down like a dog by the most deadly man in Japan, this was an incident he'd let pass.

Things went a little easier at the home of Tsuchida Kitase. He cooperated fully, waking his daughter once he learned who his visitors were and that they had paid his brother a visit already. By the looks on their faces, it had not been a pleasant one. Kitase held no love for the business his brother ran, and was thankful that his insufferable nephew finally got the scare he disserved. The boy, who had even broken his daughters arm at one point in time, constantly tormented his her.

The girl, Miyu, was a charming child. She smiled at the red haired man through sleepy eyes and retold the story of her courageous little savior.

Kenshin's eyes softened as he listened to the tale, becoming slightly stingy with tears. His courageous little son stood up for a young girl, throwing himself into danger for the well being of an innocent who could not protect themselves. He cringed slightly when the girl told him of the boy bringing down the awning, along with half the roof, and taking out a window of the shop in the process. Such recklessness was destined for disaster, and Kenji was lucky he wasn't harmed, but he did commend the boy's resourcefulness.

"You're his daddy, aren't you," the girl had asked.

Kenshin nodded, trying to hide the pain he felt.

"You look like him, but your eyes are different," she pointed out, "Why aren't you with him?"

He swallowed against the lump rising in his throat, "I cannot find him. I'm afraid he's gotten lost."

The little girl tugged thoughtfully at her yakuta, "You should ask the lady at the shop. She might know where he went." Shyly, the girl put her hand inside his own and leaned close to his ear, "When you find him, tell him thank you for me."

Gold mingled with violet momentarily, and he allowed a small, sad smile to play on his lips, "I'll do that Miyu chan," he whispered.

*************

Hiko stirred the Miso soup as Kenji munched on a rice ball behind him. He was impressed the boy had actually managed to complete the chore he was assigned, though it had taken him forever and he returned absolutely soaked. It didn't really surprise him much though, the boy was a magnet for disaster, that was a definite fact. Instead, Hiko shrugged off the wet puddles on the floor, wrapped the boy in a towel, hung his clothes out to dry, and began preparing breakfast.

Throwing in a few radishes, Hiko turned to Kenji and stared at him with a look of seriousness. Kenji blinked and looked around him, trying to find the source of the man's discomfort.

"What do you know of swordsmanship Kenji chan," Hiko asked suddenly, using the child's given name for only the second time since he'd met him.

Kenji's eyes widened, shocked that the man actually wanted to talk to him. The funny man did a lot of yelling, but not talking, it seemed strange. Kenji shrugged, "Hit'n Miten-ugi Ryuu," he replied, taking another bite of rice.

"Did your father teach you that?"

Kenji nodded.

"What's your father's name?" Hiko knew who the boy's father was, but he wanted to hear it from the boy's own mouth.

"Father."

Hiko rolled his eyes, "No child! The name other people call him!"

Kenji scrunched his face in thought. He only knew his mother and father as such, their given names were only fleeting words in his head that he was just starting to grasp.

"Oh!"

Hiko cocked his head at the boy, waiting.

"Kenshin no baka!" His mother called his father that all the time.

Hiko started to laugh a giant, melodious laugh that resounded off the walls of the small cabin. "That sounds about right chibi raion!" He slapped Kenji on the back, knocking him to the floor before turning back to stir the soup.

By the time the soup was completed, Kenji's face, hair, and towel were covered with rice. He polished off three rice balls at the astonishment of Hiko. The boy was pathetically skinny, but so was his father. Kenshin always ate him out of house and home when growing up, his appetite as ferocious as a bear's, but he never put on a pound, no matter how much he ate. Birds were like that though, small animals with rapid metabolisms and a need for large amounts of food. Both father and son were frail looking enough to be birds, but their sharp cunning and deadly wits made them dangerous as wolves.

Kenji protested the soup that was set before him, his belly stuffed and besides, it smelled funny. Hiko fumed at the boy and ranted about slaving over a hot fire for him, and insisted he sit quietly while the master finished his meal. Kenji just shrugged, he didn't care, he wasn't going anywhere. He sat silently, his tiny hands folded in his lap and watched Hiko take a bite of soup.

Liquid sprayed out of the man's mouth. He began to gag and choke, reaching for a nearby bottle of sake to relieve the foul taste in his mouth. His face paled several shades as he gulped the alcohol greedily.

Kenji stared at him in surprise.

"Hot?" he asked in his small, quiet voice, concern dotting his face.

Hiko glared at him over the rim of his sake jug, pulling the bottle away from his lips with a plunk. "NO! It's not hot," he shouted heatedly, "Where did you get that water?"

Kenji gave the man a look like he'd lost his mind and pointed at the door.

"I know you got it from out there! But where?! It tastes like bath water!" Hiko took another swig of sake, his mouth becoming dry from the foul taste of soap. He could taste the grit of dirt in his mouth.

Kenji nodded, his face beaming. "Good water, " he laughed, pleased with himself, "Clean!"

********

The trio of men walked through the door of the liquor store, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet and the stale smell of alcohol filling their noses.

"Don't go scaring the wits out of the owner Battousai," Saito chided as the moved to the back of the shop.

Kenshin snorted at the man, but ignored his teasing.

"May I help you?"

Kenshin bowed to a middle-aged woman in a dusty black kimono. "I am looking for a boy and heard you might have some news of him." He looked at her with almost pleading eyes, noting her slight frown.

"A boy? I see lots of boys in this place. Most of them are too young to handle what I sell, but I'll try to help you sir."

Kenshin bowed again in gratitude, "My son is lost. We heard he played a part in a disturbance here yesterday evening. He has…"

"Red hair and pale eyes?" the woman asked sharply.

Kenshin nodded, his heart soaring, "You've seen him?"

The woman nodded, "Yes, he was here, that blasted Aki tried to blame the disaster on him. Said the boy took down my roof and broke my window. Preposterous! A tiny thing like him!"

Kenshin glanced away quickly, biting his lip slightly, "Yes, he is small and has red hair like mine! Do you know where he went?"

The woman shook her head slowly, "I'm sorry sir, I do not. I took the liberty of dragging that Tsuchida boy all the way home and making his father pay for the damages. I didn't see where the child went after I'd gone, nor have I heard of his whereabouts. Have you checked the orphanage?"

The news was too much for Kenshin to bear. His last hope finally shattered and he slumped forward, barely able to keep himself upright. His son was right there, in his grasp, but at the same time, so far away. He suddenly felt very tired, the events of the past day finally crashing into him with the force of a hurricane. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and maintain a respectable composure.

Aoshi put his hand out and steadied the man, aware Kenshin was about to fall into a heap upon the poor woman's floor. "Thank you, you're most kind. If you hear anything, please contact Okina at the Aoiya."

The woman nodded, her eyes filled with pity for the distraught and exhausted red haired man. She watched as Aoshi moved him to the doorway of her shop, leading him like a beaten child around the crates and boxes.

Saito frowned, also watching the pair, "Tell me madam, do you think any of your customers would know where the boy is?"

Aoshi and Kenshin paused, just short of the doorway, while the woman frowned in thought. "Maybe," she pondered, tapping a finger to her skull.

"Was there anyone here when the accident occurred?" the police officer pushed, hoping to force a memory or something useful from the woman's brain.

The woman shook her head slightly, "No, it was pretty quiet last night due to the festival. The only person who came in around the time of the accident was Hiko san, but he wouldn't be much help to you. He's not much of a people person, and I can't see him taking much interest in the well being of a child. Thinks he's too good for the world, that he does," the woman snorted.

Kenshin's head shot up and he moved quickly to the woman's side. "Hiko was here? Hiko Seijuro?" He grabbed the woman's hand with out thinking, violet and amber eyes swirling in anticipation.

"You know that man?"

"Was he here last night?" Kenshin asked again, ignoring her question.

The woman nodded slowly, glancing at Aoshi and Saito, who both looked as stunned as the samurai who grasped her hand like a pleading boy. "Yes, he was here. But he wouldn't…"

Kenshin dropped her hand and bowed several times, "Thank you! Thank you so much!" He quickly turned to Saito and Aoshi, motioning for the door.

Outside, he turned to the men and for the first time in over twenty-four hours smiled his normal rurouni smile. His face was marred with fatigue, heavy dark circles darkened his eyes and his skin was sickly pale, but he glowed with a happiness that was without compare. The two other men gazed at him, both with mild concern, wondering if he'd finally lost his mind for good. "I'm tired, " he suddenly stated, "Let's go back to the Aoiya." He turned on his heel and started up the street, leaving both Saito and Aoshi staring at him.

"Battousai, are you going to explain yourself to us? I think that's only fair since we followed you around all night and kept you from killing innocent people," Saito shouted after the samurai. Aoshi silently agreed, his red haired companion's sudden mood swing and complete lack of concern for his son, utterly baffling. It was only fitting they know what was going on.

Kenshin stopped, his back still to them as if thinking, and waited for them to catch up. "Kenji chan is okay. I know that now. He's with shishou." There was no doubt in his mind that his master would see the child for what he was and know instantly who he belonged too. Hiko might be arrogant and rude, but he was not cruel at heart. His son could not be in better hands right now. In fact, Kenshin almost laughed at his son's dumb luck. The boy was full of it and Kenshin finally understood why Sano often wanted to take the boy gambling with him.

"Huh? How do you know that?" Saito frowned at the man, irritated, "Well, aren't you going to go get him now? After the way you behaved, I'd think you'd be running up that mountain to retrieve your whelp!"

Kenshin turned to face them men slowly, placing a hand on each of their shoulders in thanks. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as he thought of his master alone with his son. "I just know Saito. Aoshi is right, I need to rest. I could not tackle the mountain as I am now and Kenji is safe with shishou."

Saito grunted in response, "Well, after all the time and effort I put into this squirrel hunt, I'm going to see it out to the end."

Aoshi stared at Kenshin as they walked, quietly observing the man from beneath long bangs. "The question is then, is your shishou safe with Himura chan?"

Not bother to look at either man, Kenshin bowed his head and grinned, "Exactly."

I actually laughed out loud when I wrote this chapter. I don't know if it's even funny or not, but I found it amusing…LOL When you lead a hermit's life like me, you have to amuse yourself. As for the mud thingy (previous chapter) I've actually told my son fibs before when he was being particularly stubborn about something…nothing as extreme as "your skin will be eaten off" but fibs none the less…if anyone here has kids, you'll understand what I'm talking about…LOL So, finally, Kenshin figured it all out and has decided to leave his son in the hands of Hiko while he gets some rest…the rurouni has a wicked streak indeed! What will Kaoru and Yahiko have to say about it…What will Saito think of little Kenji chan? Hee hee hee!