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Crimson Hearts	By : roryheadmav Category: +S to Z > Samurai 7 Views: 3229 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai 7, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial
work of fiction based on the anime/manga Samurai 7. Original copyright
of Samurai 7 belongs to Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo
Oguni, MICO, GDH, GONZO. Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with
this work.
CRIMSON HEARTS

© December 18, 2005 By Rory
V. Pascual

CHAPTER NINE: Attack!
Shichiroji strode through the long
hallway in silence. Out of the corner of his eye, he observed the movements
of the man at his side.
Kyuzo was walking slowly, his back
as straight as a board. The blond knew that the samurai's wounds were still
causing him pain. Even with bandages, contact of those welts upon the cloth
of his thick frock coat would have been terrible. Sure enough, a sweat
drop trickled from his temple.
The sudden brightness of the crystal
at Kyuzo's wrist drew Shichiroji's attention. Before he could inquire about
that strange rock, Kanbei emerged from a side corridor. Somehow, it did
not surprise Shichiroji to see that his great commander's crystal was glowing
just as intensely as Kyuzo's. There was a disapproving frown creasing the
older samurai's forehead as he approached them.
"What are you doing here?" Kanbei
instantly rounded on Kyuzo, the crystal having confirmed the presence of
the perennial thorn in his side. "You're supposed to be in the infirmary!"
The crimson samurai stiffened at
that stern scolding. "I'm fine. These are nothing but scratches. It is
my duty to be at your side at all times."
"And how, pray tell, can you protect
me in that condition? You'll be more of a liability to me than a protector!
You're dismissed! I don't want to see your face until you're completely
healed!"
Kyuzo's jaw hardened, his eyes narrowing
into slits. "Is that an order, Kanbei-sama?" He spoke the samurai's name
dryly.
"Yes, it is!" Kanbei pointed to the
opposite end of the hallway, the crystal on his wrist shining brightly
as though showing the way. "Now, go!"
Without even bothering to give his
elder a bow, Kyuzo turned on his heels snappily and stomped away, his boot
heels tapping on the floor.
It was only when the red-dressed
warrior was out of sight and hearing range that Shichiroji dared to speak,
a lopsided grin on his lips. "Weren't you a bit too harsh on him?"
An irritated sound was drawn from
Kanbei's mouth. "I find his gall too irritating. The real Kyuzo was never
a push over as this one is."
"We've only been with Kyuzo for a
short time, and we never really got to know him very well," Shichiroji
remarked as he walked beside his old friend. "Who's to say that the real
Kyuzo would've shown the same�ease�with us with the passage of time as
his clone is doing now. Irritating though he may be, I never saw anyone
so damned determined to protect you as he." The blond samurai added with
measured slowness, "All of us share his convictions."
"And I told you I don't need protection!"
The sliding doors at the end of the
hallway opened, letting in bright sunlight that Kanbei had to blink for
a moment. He then stepped out on to the large balcony overlooking the bow
to see it stripped of all the equipment they had used during training.
"It looks very different from what
it was days ago," mused Shichiroji. "You were a hard taskmaster, but still
it was an enjoyable, learning experience. Kirara, Rikichi and Kikuchiyo�they
have all improved tremendously. I have no doubt that they can hold their
own in any battle."
"If I had a choice," Kanbei reluctantly
revealed, "I never would've trained them. But they have to be prepared
for anything that might happen."
"Why are you saying that? Is something
going to happen?" Shichiroji inquired with a raise of his eyebrows. "You're
planning something, aren't you?"
Feigning innocence, the elder warrior
replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."
The blond samurai breathed out a
sigh of mild exasperation. He gave Kanbei an appraising look. "You know,
looking at you now, one would believe instantly that you've changed a lot.
The Kanbei-sama I used to know would never wear such finery. I suppose
it's expected, after experiencing the good life."
Kanbei fell silent. He knew how he
appeared to his old friend. The former ronin was attired in fine robes
of gold and crimson with curly toed sandals on his feet. His long hair
had been tied in a tight bun and tucked inside a crown that was secured
to his head by black silk cords tied under his chin.
With measured slowness, the older
samurai replied, "I suppose such a luxurious lifestyle does grow on you.
You get accustomed to it quite easily. Although I must admit it's the clothes
that I'm having trouble with. He made me wear these ceremonial robes when
I know he doesn't have any official functions today. Those rags I used
to wear while traveling were more comfortable than these."
"Is it that easy to betray all your
friends and the people who believed in you?" Shichiroji's hand closed around
his friend's arm and jerked him around to face him. "How long are you going
to keep on lying to us? To me! I'm your friend! You know you can
tell me anything. Why can't you tell me the truth? What hold does the Amanushi
have on you?"
Great pain was reflected in Kanbei's
eyes. "The kind of hold that strangles me too hard that I would die from
lack of air. And you had to come here as well. I was more at ease with
all of you far away from this place."
"It was Kyuzo-dono. He told me, when
he came to Hotaruya, that he had heard your voice, calling out his name,
that was why he awakened. He knew you were in trouble so he sought us out
to join him in searching for you." There was resentment in Shichiroji's
next words. "Why it had to be Kyuzo-dono's name that you uttered, I could
never understand. That man is only interested in fighting you."
"Do I detect a tone of jealousy in
your voice, Shichiroji?"
A strangled squeak was elicited from
Shichiroji's throat at that soft query. His face was beet red and he could
not get his tongue to work at all.
"You're a samurai, Shichiroji," Kanbei
reminded his younger comrade. "You know of the fierce rivalry that exists
between warriors. I want to know why you harbor resentment towards Kyuzo."
"I wouldn't call it�resentment."
Taking a deep breath, the blond samurai made the painful admission to his
friend. "I saw you that night in Kanna Village�at the graves. You were
weeping before Kyuzo-dono's grave."
"I wept for all our lost friends."
"But not as much as you had for Kyuzo-dono,
and never in front of us. To weep with such heart-wrenching sorrow for
someone you never got to know all that well� It only tells me that even
before Kougakyo, you already knew Kyuzo-dono." Shichiroji looked
straight into his friend's eyes. "I never asked you this because the memories
might cause you pain, but I have to know. After the fall of Saionji Castle,
after you had set me adrift in that pod, what happened to you, Kanbei-sama?
What is going on between you and Kyuzo-dono?"
It was Kanbei's turn to fall silent.
At the intense stare that his subordinate was giving him, he felt as if
he had fallen into another trap. The truth was his key to freedom; he knew
that. But could Shichiroji accept the truth when he himself could not take
it. To tell or not to tell�
The choice was taken from him by
a blinding white flash and a roaring wind that blasted past them. Lifting
their heads, the two men were horrified to see not just one, but three
massive laser beams, all fired from the battleship's main cannons, heading
in the direction of the southwest.
Katsushiro, Rikichi and Kirara ran
out onto the bow. "Is that the main cannon?" Katsushiro demanded. "Are
we under attack?"
"We don't know," Shichiroji replied,
just as confused. "That blast caught us by surprise as well."
Kanbei made to look to the southwest
to ascertain what was fired at, but he almost jumped to find a grim-faced
Kyuzo beside him, blocking his view of the black mushroom cloud of smoke
rising at the horizon. The crimson samurai only said two words, but it
caused a chill to crawl up Kanbei's spine.
"Otama Village�"
"KANBEI-SAMA!"
All whirled to see Kikuchiyo panting
heavily, body bent forward with hands gripping his knees for support. His
face was as white as rice paste.
Kikuchiyo was on the verge of tears.
"Kanbei-sama�the Amanushi! I�I was studying the weapons systems of this
ship when he came. He asked me if I wanted to try out the main cannons.
He set the coordinates for the desert, that's what he told me. I never
had time to check where the cannons were pointing." The young warrior shook
his head. "I couldn't disobey him!"
As he said this, the Amanushi's hover
palanquin went up beside the bow.
"Come with me, Kanbei-sama," Amanushi
invited, extending his hand to the startled samurai. "We have official
business to attend to. Have your friends join us. We might encounter some�resistance."
Refusing that offering hand, Kanbei
climbed aboard the palanquin on his own. The others followed suit, taking
defensive positions around the main cabin. With everyone on board, the
palanquin zoomed off in the direction of Otama Village.
Otama Village� Kanbei's mind
was spinning with tumultuous thoughts.
Nagai and his Nobuseri squadron had
caught the villagers hoarding bushels of rice. Following his instructions,
Nagai had strictly given the villagers a warning, taking only a third of
the hoarded crops. Since that incident, the samurai had made certain that
only Kaguyama's or Nagai's squadron's patrolled the area.
Kanbei's heart was pounding like
a hammer. That could only mean there's a spy! Does this mean that�
"Is something troubling you, Kanbei?"
Amanushi inquired in seeming innocence. "You seem quite disturbed."
That question only confirmed the
warrior's suspicions that the cunning ruler knew something. Kanbei allowed
his anger towards the younger man to rise. No! I will not be caught
in your trap!
The samurai glared at the evil king.
"What are you up to this time? I nearly got blasted away when you fired
those cannons!"
"Oh, but it wasn't me!" the Amanushi
exclaimed defensively. "It was your man who did it�that young engineer."
"At your orders! This is why
you made me wear these cumbersome robes! You're going to make me clean
up your mess again!"
"Well, you are my Royal Adviser."
"Before you know it, there'll be
more assassins after my head. All the more reason that I should train my
men�"
Amanushi inched closer and closer
toward the infuriated warrior. "Are we back to that again? I told you I
don't want to see you damaged."
"If you won't let me train them,
then at least return my sword to me! Better to be damaged than de�"
Kanbei gasped as strong hands cupped
his face.
"I do love it when you're so feisty,"
the lecherous monarch muttered as he leaned forward, eager to bestow a
kiss upon those parted lips.
Suddenly, the curtain was swept aside
to reveal a bland-faced Kyuzo, who simply announced, "We've arrived, Amanushi-sama."
Before the evil lord could berate the crimson warrior for his intrusion,
Kyuzo yanked the curtain back. It did not escape Kanbei's notice that Kyuzo
had been gripping his katana so tightly that his knuckles were white.
Breathing in exasperation, Amanushi
stood up. "Oh well! We have a lot of time for fun and games later on. You
and I should try out the private bath that I had recently added to the
east wing."
Kanbei knew what the ruler meant
by the word 'games', and it was something he was definitely not looking
forward to. Getting to his feet as well, he replied between gritted teeth,
"If that is your wish."
"Of course that is my wish!" the
Amanushi declared in surprise. "You are my Imperial Consort after all."
"I'm not your consort yet." As Kanbei
struggled to control the urge to slaughter the man who disembarked before
him, this left the samurai unprepared for the sight that was waiting for
him.
What remains of Otama Village were
ruined huts, charred, jagged posts, dark ash, and corpses scattered all
over the place. At the edge of the village were the blasted remains of
two Nobuseri. Kanbei had never seen them before, which only confirmed his
suspicions that the Amanushi had planted spies in the squadron.
The samurai was relieved to see Nagai,
a Raiden with bright red chrome paint, alive and well, but he and his troops
carried themselves stiffly as they waited for the Amanushi to speak. A
tiny light in Nagai's strobe eye flashed in code.
"Those two were the spies," Nagai
told his leader. "But we are not sure how much information they gave to
the Amanushi."
With his right hand at his side,
Kanbei quickly signed a reply with his fingers, "You can brief me on this
later. Just be careful how you answer to the Amanushi. He is trying to
trap us. Any survivors?"
"Women, children, the elderly, some
of the wounded. My soldiers have them hidden in the forest. To keep up
with the pretense, they've been bound and heavily guarded. We will relocate
them to other villages for the time being. I am not sure if there were
others who managed to escape. That attack caught us off guard."
Their silent conversation was interrupted
by the Amanushi's low and ominous voice. "Nagai-dono� There seems to be
far too few bodies."
The Nobuseri had a ready answer.
"The village has been totally decimated, Amanushi-sama. We were barely
able to escape the attack. Two of my men had perished from the cannon fire."
Blasts from three main cannons�
Kanbei glared at the monarch beside him. I'm really surprised that there
were even survivors.
"What about the rice they had hoarded?"
Amanushi inquired.
"We have found their hiding place
and kept the crops secured. But the attack has left the field barren. No
rice would grow in that field for years to come."
As expected, it was Kirara who could
not contain her outrage. "This�this is too cruel! How could you massacre
innocents like this?"
"But I'm not the one responsible
for this carnage." The devilish ruler pointed to a stunned Kikuchiyo who
had fallen to his knees. "It was your comrade who fired those cannons."
"But YOU ordered it!"
Seeing the Amanushi's face darken
and fearing for the young woman's life, Katsushiro stepped between Kirara
and the evil lord. "Forgive her outburst, Amanushi-sama. She was once a
farmer, so she cannot help but sympathize with the plight of this village.
She often forgets that such�destruction�is a part of war."
Rikichi gaped at the young samurai,
aghast. "I can't believe you just said that, Katsushiro-sama! This is not
a war! This is slaughter!"
"From which village do you come?"
Amanushi demanded. That question silenced the two farmers instantly. "Since
you are friends of my dear Royal Adviser, then I believe you are from Kanna,
am I correct?"
"So what if they are?" Shichiroji
was getting just as infuriated. "They have nothing to do with what just
happened here."
"Perhaps not. But unknown to all
of you, Kanna has been enjoying my special favor because of the village's
close friendship with my betrothed. You should watch your tongue, girl,
if you don't want my favor upon your village revoked. It would be such
a waste." The shrewd lord stole a glance at the seething samurai. "Kanbei-sama
had toiled so hard for your benefit."
Kirara would have said more, but
a pitiful figure emerged from behind a ruined storehouse, clutching a wound
in his side. The farmer's eyes blazed with fire when he saw the Amanushi
and Kanbei.
Brandishing a machete, the farmer
roared, "DAMNED MURDERERS! DIE!", as he charged toward the two men.
The Amanushi was too slow to evade
that coming lethal strike. Kyuzo acted with deadly accuracy. Kanbei felt
warm blood splatter on his face as the crimson samurai downed the farmer
with an upward slash. The poor man fell to the scorched earth, blood pooling
underneath him.
As he sheathed his blade, Kyuzo faced
the stunned ruler. "I believe this means that you are now indebted to me,
Amanushi-sama."
The evil ruler was flabbergasted
to hear these words from the man whom he suspected was having a relationship
with his betrothed. "Why should I be indebted to you? It is your duty to
protect us!"
"I am not your bodyguard, but Shimada
Kanbei's," Kyuzo calmly pointed the fact out to him. "You should be thankful
that instinct has prompted me to come to your aid. Your own guards did
not do anything at all to protect you."
The ruler's guards exchanged nervous
glances. The Amanushi snarled at the inept guards. Seizing a gun from a
foot soldier's hands, he shot down his bodyguards.
"Stop! ENOUGH!" Kanbei spoke for
the first time, his voice hoarse with controlled anger. "Haven't there
been enough deaths today?" He gazed up at the Nobuseri. "Nagai-dono, clean
up this mess will you?" The samurai gestured to the body at his feet. "All
this blood is making me sick in the stomach!" He looked at the monarch
as though he were scolding a petulant child. "Kyuzo-dono is right. You
are indeed indebted to him. He is under no obligation to give you his protection."
Seeing that he could not argue with
the older man, the Amanushi waved his hand flippantly. "What reward is
it that you desire, samurai?"
Kyuzo went down on one knee. "I could
think of no reward that interests me at this time, Amanushi-sama. I shall
present my boon to you at a later time."
"Maybe I should just spare you from
the lash the next time you show your impudence�"
"AMANUSHI-SAMA!" Kanbei exclaimed,
the rebuke heavy in his voice.
"There is no need to get so hot and
bothered, Kanbei-sama. Is my word not good enough for you?"
Bastard! The warrior cursed
inwardly. You've never kept your word!
"Let's return to Kougakyo!" the evil
ruler announced to all. "Let this incident serve as a lesson to all villages
who choose to defy me!" Turning hotly on his heels, Amanushi strode toward
the waiting palanquin.
Kanbei approached a guilt-stricken
Kikuchiyo and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. The young scholar looked
at him questioningly, tears limning his eyes.
"Dry your tears, Kikuchiyo-dono,"
he advised kindly. "I do not hold you responsible for this. I will carry
the weight of the sins of this incident on my shoulders."
"But Kanbei-sama�" Kikuchiyo was
about to argue, but the samurai started to walk away, following the monarch.
"I don't understand!" Kirara's words
were filled with confusion and growing disillusionment. "How could you
condone this massacre? Don't tell me that you've changed this much! Kanbei-sama,
how could you be partner with that terrible man in this tyranny?"
Those accusations proved to be intolerable
to the veteran warrior.
Whirling, Kanbei exclaimed, "Yes,
Kirara-dono, I have changed! You're blind if you didn't see it right
from the start! Do you want to know what I am to that man?" He looked at
all his friends, especially Shichiroji. "Do all of you really want
to know? Then, be the guards at the private bath tonight. Listen. Watch."
The warrior again turned to Kirara, a daring smirk on his face. "That is,
if you have the stomach for it."
As Kanbei stormed toward the palanquin,
Kyuzo walked over to Kirara, who was about to pursue the elder samurai.
His hand whipped out as he struck her hard on the cheek.
"KYUZO-DONO!" Katsushiro was shocked
by what his comrade had done.
"How dare you!" Kirara muttered,
clutching her aching face.
"I dare to hit a woman like you because
you don't possess a civil tongue inside that pretty head of yours!" Kyuzo
berated the girl, his crimson eyes flashing daggers. "Your presumptuousness
galls me! Just because you are madly in love with Shimada Kanbei like a
simpering idiot doesn't mean that you know him!"
"And are you telling me that you
do?"
"Certainly much more than you! If
you had any sense, you should have realized how that damned mouth of yours
has caused him pain!"
Shichiroji stared at the furious
samurai, unable to speak. Never had he seen Kyuzo this angry before. And
his words�those were a clear confirmation that he indeed knew Shimada Kanbei
from way back. He was shocked back to his senses when he saw Kyuzo grab
Kirara's wrist.
"Hey! Stop that, Kyuzo-dono!" the
blond warrior declared.
But Kyuzo was too furious to care.
Jerking Kirara close, he gave the terrified girl a smoldering glare. "You
heard what Kanbei-san said. You will be guarding the bath with me tonight
whether you like it or not. I will string you up to the rafters if you
dare to disobey me. You will listen AND watch. I am way past caring about
whatever sensibilities that you possess. You will know the truth about
that man whom you claim to love."

* * * * * * * * * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a short word.
The spelling of Kyuzo-dono's name stays AS IS. I am not following the furigana-romanji
conversion as strictly as many people do. Besides, according to my contact
at Animax, the script that was provided to them by Gonzo for the subtitles
of "Samurai 7" spelled Kyuzo's name the way I write it. So it stays. Period.
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- 11
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Crimson Hearts