22 Messing around Inazuma.
Another 3 years passed, I'm now 12.
"Hey Sara".
"What".
"I'm bored".
"I'm flattered that I'm the first person you think of while you are bored".
"Don't put yourself down, you may be flattered, but you are definitely not flat".
"S-Shut up!".
"Who would thing that the girl whose chest was flatter than the Shogun's personality would grow to be this charming".
"....." she averted her eyes with a blush. "H-hey, don't insult the Shogun".
"The fact that you needed to do a double take to scold me means that you also think it".
"N-No I don-".
"Sara, do I need to remind you why am I here?. I am the lie detector made flesh".
"....."
"I can also know when you are nervous, it's useless even if you shut up".
"Kenshin!" she shouted, finally unable to keep it bottled.
"Hey Sara"
"What do you want now!?"
"When are you leaving?".
She shut up and wore a serious expression. "Tomorrow".
"Let's have some fun then".
"Okay".
"Okay?. It's the first time in 4 years that you agree. Even if you are leaving tomorrow for the front, don't say something like it may be your last chance".
"Do you want to have fun or not?".
"Okay okay, no need to be so feisty".
As you heard, war started a year ago, and Sara is leaving for the front as an adjutant to earn some experience.
"Then let's go, I know a few people nearby".
I led her to the plains outside the city, where a group called the Arataki Gang usually were. These guys are stupid, extremely stupid, so stupid that you could even have fun with them. And they were good kids, that's enough for me.
"Who do we have here?!. The one and oni, Aratakiiiii Ittooooo" that's the first thing I shouted while approaching.
"Yeeees, Aratakki Número Uno Ittooo. Wait Kenshin when did you arrive?" the fact that he answered with his monicker on instinct should tell you how much of a dummy he is, but he has a heart of gold. He was a tall guy with some muscles. He will probably reach 2 m when he grows. The pair of horns revealed his identity as an oni.
"Just know. My crow friend leaves tomorrow, and I thought of introducing her to the illustrious Arataki Gang".
"Illusi-what?. Kenshin, stop saying weird thins to confuse me. Did you forget?. Today is our promised beetle battle" he looked at me with a smug smile. "Of course your chicken friend can join us, she needs to find her own beetle though".
"What did you call me?" Sara looked extremely indignant.
"Chicken?" Itto said confused.
"Boss, she is a crow, not a chicken" a goon reminded Itto.
"It doesn't matter. Chicken, bird, crow, they are all the same" he dismissed it. "Right Ushi?"
"Muuuuuuuh" the bull answered. Sometimes I think the bull is smarter than Itto. Maybe they even share the same brain.
"Sorry Itto, I forgot. Let me go get my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'". I still retained a bit of Liyue's influence.
"Dumb Kenshin". Okay, that made me angry. "Go get it quickly, grandma told me to go home soon".
"Yes, don't worry. Your Red Warrior won't stand a chance".
"Hah, sure bring your Sky....whatever, bring yours".
Sara followed me to the beach.
"Having fun?" I asked her, to which she sent me a dry look.
"That wasn't what I was expecting" she admitted.
"Sara, not everyone is like us or Ayato. We 3 are already working, but the vast majority of kids are just playing. We need some contact with 'normal' people".
"Okay, if you say so.... If you want a beetle, why are we in the beach?"
"We are not going to the beach, I have my beetle in a nearby island".
"Okay...better stay at the Kujou encampment, any further and we are in enemy territory".
"Of course".
.
.
.
.
"Kenshin, why are leaving the Kujou encampment?. Tatarasuna is dangerous, there is radiation everywhere".
"That's why we are here" .
"Didn't you want a beetle?. Why did we have to come this far?. I saw a few beetles on the way here".
"Sara, don't be stupid, I want my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle', not a random insect. The radiation here is perfect to find it".
"What do you mean perf-. Holy god, Kenshin!, stay behind me!".
"What are you doing?. That's what we came here for".
"THAT is a beetle?!. Its the size of a dog!".
"Of course it is Sara. Now that we have it we can leave".
"O-Okay. Dammit, that scared me".
.
.
.
.
"Kenshin, you said we could leave, why are we in Yashiori?. That giant serpent skull is scaring me".
"I said we could leave Tatarasuna, not that we will return to Narukami. That giant skull are the remains of a god the Shogun killed. Even if she looks like a statue, she packs a punch".
"Kenshin, I'm too tired to scold you. We have your 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle', why are we here?"
"I'm impressed you remembered that. Who told you this is my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'?".
"Then why did you get it?"
"It is what will allow me to get my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'"
"What?. How?"
"This dog sized beetle is nothing more than a lure"
". . . . .What?"
"Bait"
"I know what a lure is!. I meant to ask-. . . what is that!?"
"That's my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'".
"Kenshin, please lets leave this place".
"Too late".
"Kenshin!, lets run!".
"Not without my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'".
"KENSHIN!!!".
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"Hey Boss, isn't Kenshin taking too long?"
"Heh, he is probably afraid of the great Arataki Número Uno Itto" an oni was boasting.
"Hey Boss, Kenshin is coming over there".
"Hoho, he dares to approach me?. Wait, what is that?".
"That a beetle" a mob said.
"Are you stupid?"
"Boss, I don't want to hear that from you!"
"That thing has pincers, how is it a beetle?"
"Boss I don't really think that what we should be worried about".
"Of course it is. If it's not a beetle he cant fight!. I will win by default!"
"Boss, I'm amazed you knew such a complicated word, but I have to agree with the more reasonable person here"
"What do you want to say?"
"Why is Kenshin riding it?"
A huge 'scorpion' with a bright purple hue approached faster than a horse could ever dream of.
"Hahaha, Itto, face my 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'!!"
"Kenshin please, let me down!!. I still have to serve the Shogun!"
"Kenshin!, that's not a beetle"
"WRYYYYYYYYY"
"My 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle' disagrees. Now take out your puny beetle while mine destroys it".
"B-Boss, they are not slowing"
"I-I can't show fear. I-I will not m-move"
"Oh crap Boss ruuuuun"
"Kenshin!. I will remember this!"
"Oh they ran away. Hey Sara"
"WHAT!"
"How do we stop?".
"KENSHIIIN!!!"
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"Come on Sara, it wasn't that hard. We only needed to find a cliff to ride to and let the 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle' fall to his death. Why are you so angry?".
"Kenshin, I'm tired, I'm going home to prepare for tomorrow."
"No way, we haven't played yet".
"Haah, Kenshin-"
"No, don't worry the next girl is peaceful. She is a few years younger than us, don't worry".
"I will trust you".
"Of course. You won't regret it".
"I am already doing it".
We travelled to certain house in Narukami island.
"Hey, Yoimiya, come out to play!".
"Isn't this the Naganohara family?. The one that makes fireworks?" said Sara looking at the house.
"Oh, I'm surprised you know it".
"They are the only place that makes fireworks, don't mock me".
"Kenshin!, you finally came!" Yoimiya left the house with a big smile.
She is Yoimiya Naganohara, 5 years younger than me. Meaning that she is 7.
"We came to play. Sara is leaving tomorrow for the war, and I need to make sure she has blast today. Can you help her experience some fun before she loses her innocence in the war?".
"I don't like how you are saying it. And I dislike even more how you said have a 'blast' in a place full of gunpowder" Sara suddenly had an expression of fear.
"Hey, onee-san, are you going to war?. My dad says war is a sad thing"
"Yes, it is. But I ha-"
"Well, let's have fun today!. My dad made some special fireworks but I don't know if I can use them. Kenshin, can you buy some of them like you always do?" she looked at me with puppy eyes. But I had a better plan.
"No Yoimiya, I'm not here to buy. But!, we can use a little deposit I have of them".
"Really?!. That's great!. Are they in the shrine?. Let's go!"
"No, I can't hide them in the Shrine. The monster will take them" I said making a scary face.
"Oww. The pink monster you told me about?" she shivered in fear.
"Kenshin please, aren't you old enough to make those pranks".
"I don't know. Are you old enough to stop blushing every time I grab your hand?".
"Oooooh. Onee-san, are you 2 a couple?. Dad told me that I would need to be 40 before having a boyfriend. Are you being disobedient?"
"N-No, we are not a couple. Kenshin, leave my hand alone. No, we aren't"
"Enough of this. My brain tells me that I'm not causing enough trouble today. Let's leave!"
"Oooh!"
"Please Kenshin, no more trouble".
.
.
.
"Here we are. I found this cave under the Tenshukaku. There are a lot of beetles here, but they can't compare with the 'Heaven Punisher Giga-Beetle'".
"Please, don't remind me of that".
"Kenshin, were are the fireworks?" asked Yoimiya with an excited face.
"Over here".
"Kenshin!. You could blow up and entire fort with this amount!"
"I know"
"Ooohh, I haven't seen this many fireworks in my life!. Kenshin, can I pick some?" asked Yoimiya with an excited face, again.
"Of course. But leave those and those alone okay?.
"Yes!" and Yoimiya left for the huge mountain of fireworks.
"Kenshin, how much money did you spend on this?".
"How much money do we get?".
"A lot"
"And how long have we been working for the Shogun".
"4 Years, almost 5 now".
"There is your answer"
"You spent every thing in fireworks!?. Why!?"
"Don't know. I had a lot of money, and I live in the Shrine, so I have shelter and food".
"I can't believe it"
"Then you are not going to believe this. As you see, they are on top of a boat".
"Yes, I can see that"
"Then what if I told you that I spent whole days connecting every single firework together?"
"Please tell me you are not going to bomb my house"
"Of course not, I hate your adoptive father, but even I wouldn't do that"
"Thanks Kenshin".
"Not while you are inside at least"
"...."
"Haha, between being angry and embarrassed, you chose to blush".
"S-Shut up"
"Let's start. Hey Yoimiya, come here. Ready to see the biggest explosion of your life?".
"Yes, what are you going to do?"
"Hehe, look at this".
I ignited the rope that will make everything explode and quickly I pushed the boat, letting it get far away.
BOOOOM!
A huge explosion shook the whole island. After the blinding flash of white, a myriad of colours jumped around dancing over the surface of the water and making it appear like the amounts of colourful lights had doubled.
"Waaaaah, it' so pretty".
"Of course Yoimiya. Kenshin promi-. Aah, she not listening to me. What do you think Sara, beautiful right?"
"Yes, it is beautiful. Thank you for thi-....is that a tsunami?"
"Ups, Yoimiya grab me tightly, we need to run".
"Okay!"
"Kenshin!. Why is trouble the only thing you cause!"
"Shut up and run!"
"haha, go faster!"
"KENSHIIIIIN!!"
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"I'm done, I'm going home"
"Please Sara one last stop. I have a present for you in the shrine".
".....okay".
"Tsk, woman, you are easy".
"S-Shut up"
.
.
.
.
"Finally we are here. I will go take it. Can you do my job while I get it?. Please?".
"Aaahh, fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Do you see those tied pieces of paper?. You need to untie them and put them in these baskets. On one the good ones and in the other the bad ones"
"How can I differentiate between the good and bad ones?".
"You will know. I will come back soon".
"Haah, this guy. Let's see. 'I want to suck a d-' okay, this is bad."
"'I want to drop the soap?'. It's a good one I think?".
"'I want to marry the Raiden Shogun'. This is blasphemy!"
"'I love futanari'. What is a futanari?. I don't like the vibe it's giving, bad one".
"'I want to meet truck-kun'. Who is truck-kun?"
"'I want to be reborn in a land of Young Masters, I will be the chosen by the Heavens a-'. Whatever, Kenshin told me that if I read something with the word Heaven I will get brain-rot. Bad one".
"'My friend is going to war and I'm worried about her. She is too serious and I'm worried she will be hurt emotionally in war. She is still a kid, yet she is being told to do something no child should be able to. I hope she can return safe'. This..."
"Hey, Sara. I know you will leave for a few months, I wanted you to take this". I handed her an amulet.
"K-Kenshin, what is t-this?". Aww, she's crying.
"That is an amulet"
"Hehe, I know that what does it do?".
"Nothing"
"Eh?"
"Nothing. I can put spells on them, I can't manipulate magic energy like the other mikos, and asking them to do it would make this present theirs and not mine. This is not an amulet to protect you, you will have a lot of soldiers doing that. I wanted to give you something no one could give you, and that is this amulet. I want you to know that there is people still waiting for you here, when you feel lonely, remember that you are not alone"
"Th-thank- Wuaaaaaa!"
Great, now she's crying.
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Half an hour after.
"Good to see you have calmed. Now you need to leave, before it get's dark. I need to help around and can't go with you. We will see each other after you come back in a year"
"Yes, thank you Kenshin, I won't lose it".
"I don't care if you lose it, I will give you another one. Just come back to receive it".
"Y-yes..."
"Don't start crying and go"
"O-Okay"
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.
.
"She left" Yae stood by my side on the shrine as I looked Sara run to her home while rubbing her eyes.
"Did you come here to state the obvious?. Maybe you are being affected by those nasty curses going around". I said calmly at her.
"After you were so tender with her, why are you so sarcastic with me?. Is this love?" she teased me with a smile.
"Get your head out of the gutter woman. No love will change the great Kenshin" I hit my chest with pride.
"Haha, it's been a while since I heard you refer to yourself that way" she laughed. "Are you leaving too?"
"Yes. There is nothing in Inazuma for me now. The Shogun won't change her ways, and I am not powerful enough to force her". It was frustrating. I wanted to change Inazuma for the better, but all I got was a headbutt against the iron wall the Shogun represented.
"What about the Kamisato family?"
"They will be safe for another 6 years. Yae, do you want me to go for that long?. I only planned for a short trip, maybe 3 months. If you want I can leave for a few years" I frowned at her.
"No, I'm just worried about the disasters you will cause. You went to Liyue for a month, and you almost caused a rebellion" she said, but I felt how her soul trembled in relief.
"Don't worry about that. I will go to Mondstadt this time, or maybe Sumeru" I replied. I won't leave to stay in Liyue again.
".....Please don't come back" Yae told to me.
"It's that bad?" I asked. I knew Mondstadt was the city of freedom, but it wasn't that bad right?.
"What you going there for anyway?" asked Yae, deflecting the question.
"To look for a way to make a body for Guizhong. I already made her wait enough".
'....'
"Kenshin, we are not human, time doesn't pass the same way. Guizhong could have waited for a hundred years and she wouldn't have felt that it was too much time" Yae explained gently.
'While a hundred years is too long, I also agree with that. 5 years are a mere nap for us'
"I don't agree" I shook my head. "While I don't doubt that, you still feel the time pass just as I do. Yae, you sleep the same as me, and eat just like I do. You have the same rhythm as I do. So why would you feel a hundred years is short?"
.....
Guizhong and Yae fell silent. Indeed, they get bored when there is nothing to do for an hour. Why did they think a hundred years was short?".
"Why....." Yae asked herself. I knew the answer, so I gave it.
"In my opinion, you are tired"
"Tired? Of what?" Yae had a perplexed face.
"You tell me. You have probably been doing the same thing for centuries. Prepare the festival, meet the Shogun, lead the shrine. Rinse and repeat. You have entered in a cycle and you didn't even realize. You are used to repeat those actions, so now you don't feel like it's a long time. You are not in a hurry, not waiting for anything, you have no long-term goals. Why would you feel a year is too much?"
"Yes ,maybe..." she was pondering something.
"I need all time I can get. I want Inazuma to be a better country. I want to help Guizhong. I want to train my ability. And I want to solve the hilichurl's curse. I will live for another seventy years at most but I need more time". It's hard admitting that probably I will not be able to fulfil all my goals, but I will give it my best shot.
"That's why I'm in a hurry, every year that passes is a year I will not be able to get back. Every day that passes is one day less I have to accomplish all that. So yes, the five years Guizhong have waited are a long time, but you don't know it yet. You have centuries to do every thing you want".
"....." Yae listened to me and kept pondering.
"Let me ask you this. You have only ten years to live, what are you going to do?"
"Ten years?" Yae looked surprised. She had trouble thinking about this.
"Is that too short?. Let me remind you that I'm 12. Then, 50, you have 50 years to live, what would you do?"
"50...." Yae thought for a while. "I want to eat tofu". I think she means more than just the act, maybe relive some experience she had on her youth or something like this.
"That's good. Something else?".
"...." She thought for a while but she couldn't think of anything else she could do.
"Maybe you want to see your dear friend again?" I suggested.
"Yes, of course. But I don't know if 50 years will be enough for that" she admitted.
"Would 500 years be enough?" I asked her.
"Maybe" she admitted.
"It's been 500 years since you last talked".
"!!" Yae was stunned. Maybe she only realized now that she had 'wasted' 5 centuries thinking that she had all time she wanted.
"You have been to used to let years pass by, it's no wonder your sense of time has dulled. Anyway, you should look for some goals to keep track of the time. I know you love novels, how about trying to write one?" I suggested her.
"Hmm, maybe" she nodded. "What else?".
"How would I know?. Hmmm, what about creating a zoo?. I saw a lot of animals around, maybe you could build a place for the to live you people could learn more about animals"
"Hmm, that's a good idea something else?"
"What about..."
Under the starry sky, a boy and a kitsune talked until the late hours of the night.
One of them, proposing ideas, and the other one listening to everything.
Only the moon and a sealed soul were witnessing this moment, gently watching over the 2 of them.
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"He finally fell asleep" I gently laid his head in my lap. I grabbed the slip he hadn't taken off in these 5 years.
'What do you think?'
'That what he said is true. When did I start thinking that a year was short?. I was a very active kid, always busy with something. An afternoon was a lot of time for me to do whatever I wanted. When did I start thinking 5 years was a nap?'.
"Indeed. We kitsunes are a very active type of youkai. When did I start thinking that a century was too short?. It's almost scary. Is it because our long lives?". I need to think about this, but Kenshin has a point.
I'm always complaining about how boring living here is, there is no changes at all. So where did the last 500 years go to?. Have I really wasted half a millennium?.
Maybe now I can start living in the present again like Kenshin said, and maybe work towards some goals. I sensed amusement coming from the slip.
'What do you want?'
'Nothing. Is it soft?'
'What are you talking about?'
'....'
I suddenly realized that I was gently caressing Kenshin's black hair. It was indeed soft.
'Stop laughing'.
'Hahaha, sorry. Are you growing a soft spot for the boy?. You used to grumble a lot, but in the last year you gradually stopped complaining'.
That is....true.
'No, before you ask, it's not love. I know you like those conversations a lot, but Kenshin is still a child. Falling in love with a child is nothing short of disgusting, but I admit I am excited to see what kind of man he grows up to be'.
'Yae, do you realize that he will be an adult in almost 4 years?. At least in my time they were adult at that age'
'Now it's 18. But indeed, 6 years and he will be an adult huh..'
'Maybe you will be attracted by then. You can't deny that you are pretty smitten by his personality, I think both your your personalities mesh up well, only his body needs to catch up. But you should be aware that his teenage years are going to be chaotic. I don't know what you saw of the relationship between him and that tengu girl called Sara, but I can assure you that it's at least 10 times worse than what you are thinking of'
'Don't remind me. Kenshin is too unpredictable now, in a few years he may even like men'.
I can't predict anything about Kenshin, and that's saying a lot coming from someone as old as me.
Dammit, I hurt myself with that.
'While I think that's a bit of a stretch, you have a point. Just remember that our lifespan is way different, if you want a relationship you need to be aware that it will not be a conventional one. Knowing him, strange is the tamest word I can use'.
I know. But will think about it when the time comes. Meanwhile I will focus on trying to adjust my sense of time to that of a human.
'Yae, I don't know if I should say this...it may be cruel to give you false hopes, but...'.
Why is she hesitating?.
'What is it?'
'Have you thought of letting t¡your friend craft a puppet for Kenshin?'.
'I wondered what you were going to say...Yes, I have. But human souls can't resist being pulled out of their body, and they are not strong enough' I said bitterly.
'Well, Kenshin's soul is way stronger than that of a normal human due to his ability'.
'Yes. Yes, indeed. That's true!'.
How could I have missed it?. Kenshin's souls is way stronger than normal, and it will grow even stronger.
'But...he still has the problem of not being to separate his soul from his body' I felt disappointed again. It was too good to be true.
'Didn't you tell me about how he was pulled into your friend's soul when he was a baby?. I think that does count, or maybe he will be able to train to be able to do it' Guizhong suggested.
Yes, now that I think of it.....It's a bit different, but yes, maybe we can think of something.
'Look at how happy you are. Are you sure-'
'Yes, I am. I don't like Kenshin romantically, he is still a kid in my eyes, maybe I won't like him when he grows up. But in the case I do and we decide to be together, now I have a possible way to solve the lifespan problem. I don't know if he will accept it, he has some strange opinions about the weirdest of things'.
Tonight has been a productive one. I felt a sting in my lower lip, and realized that in my excitement, my fox fangs are showing.
What a surprise, it's the first time this happened.
In over 500 years.
