Hero in the Making (Open)

[Morei Hidenori]

Joetsu. It was a vast land covered with temples, places of worship to the war deity of the north, Bishamonten. The people of this region believed that Bishamonten would grant them the strength necessary to succeed in every conflict, so long as one's belief in him was strong enough.

In one such temple, on the outskirts of Joetsu and up the stairs on a mountain path, Hidenori could be found within. An impractically large blade was balanced on its tip on the ground, and far above it, balanced on the hilt on the tips on his feet, was the impressively tall man. His eyes were closed, and his hands were held together in prayer. This was a practice that his lord Uesugi Kenshin commonly had him do, in an attempt to teach him to better concentrate and to be more patient. Day by day, Hidenori would become better at this, and yet, he had an untameable spirit that even Kenshin had difficult quelling. Despite his stellar performance this time around, Hidenori's concentration was broken when suddenly, he sneezed. This caused the sword's balance to tip, and soon he would find himself crashing to the ground. "OH SHIIIIII--.."

The man would be interrupted as he landed flat on his back with a very audible thud resounding throughout the temple. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. He simply could not stand to sit still for so long. He would much rather be training his physical strength so he could become a much greater warrior. He felt as though the day was not too far off where he could challenge Nobunaga himself to battle. But then again, he wasn't the smartest fellow in the country. Hidenori would sigh as he grabbed his zanbato, looking it over. He just wanted a bit of excitement to happen, as even the monks of this place seemed to be too wrapped up in prayer to even be interrupted by his commotion.

"Man... I don't see how Lord Kenshin can sit still all day and not get bored."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Being a mercenary brought Katsumi to all sorts of places. Never before had she been in the Joetsu region, and so she figured, just like with anywhere else, there had to be plenty of jobs here. As she walked within one of the towns (or wherever he is), Katsumi found that there were a lot of shrines. In fact, she had never seen so many, and the woman thought it odd.

An apple was in her hand and the woman took a bite, dark eyes curiously searching the area. She was intrigued, as this was someplace new, but Katsumi was also serious. She really did need a job, and the woman donned in men's clothing began to ponder whether she should start asking for more money so she could settle down for longer periods. Thinking of Haji, the archer thought it would be nice to be able to be with him more and for longer stretches.

A sigh passed her lips and she tossed the apple up, catching it and taking another bite. As she passed yet another shrine, a loud clanging sound came out and she halted, brows instantly rising up.

Just what was that?

Unable to resist (for what shrine made such noise?), the mercenary quickly climbed up the stairs and, opening the door, peered within the shrine. She slid open the door some more, not quite entirely entering. Katsumi stayed in the frame of the door, dark eyes resting searching for the source of the noise, and taking in the sight of the inside of the shrine.

Lips pursed at seeing an incredibly tall man with an odd and equally as baffling huge weapon. She had no idea really how to take the sight, having not seen anything like it, and so the petite Katsumi simply remained where she was in absolute silence, gaping if only a little.

[Morei Hidenori]

Hidenori, oblivious to the fact that someone was now watching him, quickly climbed back to his feet, full of vigor suddenly. Lifting his giant sword up and twirling above his head, the task seemed all but too easy for him as he let out a hearty laugh.

"Of course! I know what I was doing wrong now!"

He actually had no clue, but this did not deter him. He simply tossed his zanbato up into the air, and as it came down, he would jump up. The blade would land on its tip, and the man once more took his place atop the hilt. Carefully balancing himself, he clasped his hands together and began to stand completely still, eyes closed. The only movement from him would be his breathing, but even then, that was quiet and composed. Impatience clawed away at him, but he wanted to prove to Kenshin that he could accomplish this task. What kind of warrior couldn't fulfill the tasks his lordship gave to him, after all? Besides, he did not want to become the laughingstock of Kenshin's personal ninja, Kasuga.

Hidenori stood completely still, looking almost tranquil. He would adopt this state as long as possible, but if there was even one slight distraction...

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The young man spoke, but it was not to her. In fact, it seemed to be to himself, and her dark gaze caught that everyone else was far too concentrated to notice. She wondered how they could do it, the girl unable to relax and sit still for extended periods of time. The mercenary was always far too on edge and wary, too much of a busybody to do anything like this for long periods of time. Katsumi found that she respected these strangers for their immense concentration and ability to block everything out.

Katsumi's brows arched upwards as she saw the exceptionally tall man begin to balance himself on his weapons of sorts, and, unable to help herself, the archer, like a cat, silently slipped within the shrine. Closing the door, Katsumi found herself circling the man on his blade, watching in fascination, and her eyes gazed over the monks at work.

It was one of those rare instances where her thoughts slipped from her mind and came out of her mouth, and Katsumi whispered in awe, trailing off, "Wow... incredible..."

[Morei Hidenori]

Completely quiet, Hidenori would find himself at inner peace. Or an attempt to be, anyway. It took everything he had to just sit quiet. Kenshin's goal was for the man to be able to do this for an hour straight, but Hidenori couldn't even go a minute without something going wrong.

Steady breathing, careful breathing, keep calm. Hidenori was doing his best to do all of these things exactly the way his lord taught him. Yet Kenshin was able to hold conversations or even eat or fight atop an area with small footing and still maintain his balance. That was the level that Hidenori wished to reach, yet there was no way his brain could process something else while trying to concentrate on this. And for that reason, when a voice had entered his subconscious, no matter how much of a whisper it is, his eyes opened wide as he found himself falling backwards again.

"LORD KENSHIN, PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEE!!!"

Hidenori would cry out as he once again landed flat on his back with a very audible thud, his sword falling in the completely opposite direction. Looking up in a pained expression, he noticed he had landed next to the source of the disturbance, but he wasn't mad so much as he was perplexed by having a visitor.

"Restroom's in the back."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Seeing the wobbling from her peripheral vision, Katsumi's gaze moved over to the man balancing. He was falling backwards and emitted a loud exclamation. The girl jumped a little, startled, and leaped back. Another loud crash filled the air, and Katsumi visibly winced, dainty hands covering her ears.

When she opened her eyes, Katsumi saw that the tall man was looking up at her, and she blinked in response to his words. What now?

"Uhhh..." Katsumi shifted, hands tugging at the sleeves of her kimono. What he said seemed so odd to her, and his reaction, and Katsumi's gazed switched to the side. "I... did not come here for the restroom. I heard, presumably, your..." was it a sword? It was massive and she paused, staring at it, before her dark hues moved over to him, "weapon."

Rather oblivious to the politics going on, she tilted her head to the side. Unable to help herself, curiosity eating her up from the inside, the woman donned in men's clothing inquired softly, "Kenshin-sama? Is he just your master or everyone's here, if... if I may ask, that is?"

[Morei Hidenori]

"Weapon?" Hidenori laughed, quickly jumping to his feet. He reached down to grab his oversized sword, tossing it into the air. As it spun around midair, he'd grab the sheathe from the ground, holding it upright and waiting for the sword to fall into it... "This beauty is known as a zanbato! At least I think it is!"... only for the blade to crash into the ground narrowly missing its case. "I, uh... need to work on that."

Settling for grabbing the blade and putting it in its sheathe the old fashioned way, he pulled the scabbard up to rest it on his shoulders, looking back at his visitor.

"Kenshin, you ask?" Hidenori neglected honorifics once more, which caused some of the monks to turn to look at him in disdain. "He is the lord of Joetsu! You may have also heard of him as the God of War or the Dragon of Echigo!" Hidenori spoke proudly, as if showing his happiness at working for such a man.

"He is a kind, but powerful ruler! And I am his most humble and amazing bodyguard! I am the handsome man known as Mor--" He would be interrupted as a random candlestick would fly and hit him square in the face. It seemed one of the monks was awfully upset by this point. "STOP BEING SO LOUD, YOU RAMBUNCTIOUS TWIT! AND BE MORE RESPECTFUL OF OUR LORD!"

Hidenori rubbed his face, looking at the monk who chucked the candlestick for a moment, and then back to his visitor. "The heck's a twit...? Anyway, yeah, Kenshin is the lord of everyone here, and the commander of the Uesugi forces."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

This man was so... cheerful and excitable, and Katsumi pondered about why she was meeting so many of these types as of late, as they had avoided her all up until now. Even with being with Haji, it was hard for her to comprehend often times.

He threw the blade up, and Katsumi glanced up nervously. That didn't seem like a good idea, and she stepped back again, watching it warily. As she expected, it crashed on the floor, and the man was smiling sheepishly at her. Her brows raised, but not at what one would expect (although she was finding him to be odd, in a charming sort of way.)

The weapon had a name? Was this a thing? Every so often, Katsumi would hear of men boasting about their weapons and giving them titles, but she simple saw her bows and blades as just that. Weapons she used to kill, or to hunt. Was it a norm to do otherwise? To hold some sort of sentiment with the weapons? Such an idea seemed foolish to Katsumi, but she kept her thoughts to herself, per usual.

She nodded in response, not wanting to come across as entirely rude, and she listened as he continued to speak. The archer had noticed with his lack of use of an honorific that the monks did not seem to pleased, and she shifted a bit uncomfortably. Was this boy dense? While she may not have known the man, if he was a lord, an honorific would be expected all the more, and so she bit down on her bottom lip. Hopefully no one would clobber him over the head.

As he went on, one of the monk's yelled at him, and Katsumi winced, ducking down as if to hide away from the tension in the room. But all of what this stranger said was, well, rather interesting, and the girl in men's clothing scratched the back of her head.

"I'm... afraid that I've been so busy with training and... work that uh... well, I've rather neglected politics. But... I do recall Kenshin-sama being a renowned fighter. At least... that is what I have overhead."

Her father never cared about them, and so they were never discussed. She had heard a few things while on the road, but her lack of knowledge made it to be practically gibberish to her. So this Kenshin was the commander of the Uesugi forces. She recalled hearing at one point that he was a renowned fighter, and there was a flicker of desire to watch him in action, but she quickly stifled it.

Bowing her head, Katsumi introduced herself, using her alias. "I am Saito Hiroshi, and uh," glancing over at the irritated monk, she moved closer to him, pointing at the door, "I think they want us to leave."

She didn't want to tell him what it meant, since the man seemed nice enough, and so she hoped to lead him away from the others so things could settle down.

[Morei Hidenori]

Hidenori grinned once more, speaking in a booming voice that was too loud for a quiet place of worship like this.

"Kenshin, a renown fighter? He's the greatest in all the land! He isn't called the God of War for no reason!"

The tall man looked rather pleased with himself for giving such a compliment, but it was something that Hidenori believed. That no one in the world was strong enough to match up to his lord. It was a level of power that Hidenori himself hoped to reach, though he certainly had the mindset of being that strong. Being brash and thinking that just because he wielded a sword fifty times the size of a weapon a normal man held, he felt as if he could face the Demon King Nobunaga all by himself.

"Hiro, huh?" He questioned, dropping the 'shi' and completely forgetting that he was interrupted when he tried to introduce himself earlier. "Why would they want us to leave...?"

Hidenori stood and pondered for a moment, hand coming to his chin as he looked up. He scratched at non-existent chin hairs as he tried to think of a good reason that anyone could ever want them to leave a public place like this. Finally, with a proud look as if though he found the cure to cancer, he snapped his fingers and exclaimed.

"Ahh! Maybe they want you meet Kenshin! Well, let's go!" He would turn around with his weapon on his shoulder, his height ensuring that the much-too-large weapon would pass over his new companion's head without any worries, and began to waltz out the door happily, no particular destination in mind.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi internally winced at his booming voice, brows furrowing slightly. Did he even realize just how loud he was... and in a place of worship? Even with Katsumi's lack of faith, she had enough respect and knowledge to know to at least stay quiet. This man here didn't seem disrespectful by any means. Simply oblivious.

"The God of War, huh?" she inquired softly, brows arching up with interest.

The woman donned as a man blinked, turning her head to face him, and she stared with widened eyes. Did he seriously not know? How could so much pass over one person's head? She didn't even know how to respond, shifting uncomfortably and nibbling on her bottom lip. Fortunately, the man came up with an answer himself. However wrong it was, Katsumi wasn't going to correct him.

"Uhh... o... okay," she murmured, nervously looking at the monk's, not wanting to incite their rage, and the archer quickly followed after the oblivious man.

Upon leaving the shrine, Katsumi glanced back over her shoulder before looking back at the warrior. "Pardon, but what was your name again, sir? You, uh... weren't quite able to finish your introduction."

[Morei Hidenori]

The taller man looked at Hiroshi, confused. "Wha? But I introduced myself in there." He scratched his chin for a moment, looking away. He was completely perplexed, thinking what could have possibly halted his introduction. Oh yeah! The candles! He thought as he snapped his fingers.

"Ahh, that's right! Well then, my name is Hidenori! It's a pleasure to meet you, Hiro!" Hidenori spoke heartily, unaware that he had only said the "Mor" of his clan name before. He had no idea who he was speaking to was actually his little brother's girlfriend, or even that his little brother was alive.

"Hmm, let's see..." He began to muse out loud, wondering what to do next. "If we want to get to Kenshin, he'll be..." He'd look down the steps to the shrine, looking over the small town. "...somewhere very far from here." He completely forgot that Kenshin's main camp was further into the center of Joetsu.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

This man.... he was nice enough, but--a brow arched up, the other curving down--he was an idiot. If she had known that Hidenori was related to her Haji, Katsumi would have been quite perplexed and shocked. But she did not, and so she simply stood there as he stated he already did introduce himself, which resulted in her shifting a bit uncomfortably.

"Uh... you were... interrupted..." she interjected quietly, biting down on her bottom lip.

He didn't use a suffix, but Katsumi didn't take it to heart. Hidenori was dense, not offensive by any stretch. While he seemed to annoy those around him, Katsumi could tell he never meant anything by his actions. So she simply closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"It is nice to meet you as well, Hidenori-san."

His words were a bit disconcerting, and she stood up straight, staring off in the direction as well. She sweatdropped and knit her brows.

"... Somewhere... far away?" asked Katsumi slowly. She turned to Hidenori and hoped he knew at least about what the distance was. "Uh, how... how far? Do... you have an idea where?"

[Morei Hidenori]

"Please, just Hidenori is fine. I always have to deal with people calling me Lord. I know it isn't same, but... I like to think of everyone as equal."

While the situation in the temple wasn't the best showing, Hidenori was generally well respected by the people of this land. They would respectfully refer to him as Lord Hidenori or Lord Morei as he passed by, due to the fact that he's been protecting Kenshin for the last 15 years and has been fighting for the people of Joetsu. Of course, he knew that Hiroshi had no idea of this, but trying to leave this town, they'd likely run into a couple people who would call out to Hidenori in respect.

"As for how far he is from here... Kenshin's camp is near the center of Joetsu, and we're... kind of at the edge of it." Hidenori laughed nervously. "But maybe we'll get lucky and find him wandering around randomly, or something."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Katsumi blinked at his words, pursing her lips at hearing yet another who disliked such a simple suffix. She didn't really understand it, as it was a deep part of Japanese culture, but the woman eventually sighed and shrugged her shoulders. There was no point in questioning it, so she would go along with what Hidenori preferred, as odd as she found it.

"Alright, Hidenori."

While Katsumi wasn't exactly familiar with the territory, she knew the admittance meant quite a long ways away, and said with a sweatdrop, "O... Oh."

The masquerading woman placed her hands on her hips and pondered. She came to Joetsu to try and find a job, and had the opportunity to meet the Daimyo. So far she hadn't had any luck finding any luck, but with him... well, it couldn't hurt, right?

"Well... if it isn't trouble for you, I know I don't have anything else to do," declared the woman. Bowing her head in the slightest to show her respect, the archer continued, "I would very much like to meet Ultimate Moneybags-san Kenshin-sama."

[Morei Hidenori]

"Alright then! LET'S GO FIND ULTIMATE MONEY MAN TOGETHER!"

The large man declared at the top of his lungs. Needless to say, Kenshin paid him well. He was quite generous to all of his subjects. The Uesugi was like a family, and they held a place even for one as rambunctious as Hidenori.

He kept his zanbato on his shoulder as he started to walk down the steps, expecting Hiroshi to follow. "I think you'll like Joetsu, Hiro! It's a nice, friendly place. Everyone here is wonderful, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. I almost wish I was born here!"

The tall man looked to the sky as he spoke. It was interesting knowing that you could see the same sky from Owari, from the poor home of the Morei clan that fell into ruin with their father.

"One day, I want to restore honor to my family name. Even though I'm not from Joetsu, Kenshin took me in as if I were one of his own."

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The archer blinked at Hidenori's words. Did he just call his lord...

Katsumi shook her head, blinking a few times. Nope. She wasn't going to question it. The girl would just follow after Hidenori and not comment, and hope nobody else heard. Although Katsumi seriously doubted they would be that lucky, and she internally cringed.

Following after him, Katsumi nodded as he spoke. She couldn't really relate to any one place feeling like home, and she only recently began to feel that safe sensation. Wherever Haji was was her home, but she couldn't really say that.

Looking up at him, Katsumi inquired softly, "Where were you born, if I may ask? Have you... lived here long?"

She kept on walking, brown hues searching their surroundings. Hidenori mentioned restoring honour. It was such a common thing discussed, but she didn't really understand it herself, always having to simply focus on survival and pleasing her father, which had, frankly, been entirely impossible. Maybe the two were similar in a way, as she wanted her father to love and respect her, to take even the smallest amount of pride in her...

Katsumi got lost in thought, pondering that over, and reiterated his words slowly, quietly, more to herself than anything, "Restore honour..."

[Morei Hidenori]

Hidenori glanced over at Hiroshi as he asked his question. "Where I'm from? I come from good ol' Owari. I know it's Oda territory and it's strange that I ended up here in Joetsu, but..." His voice trailed off momentarily. He wondered if he'd be considered a traitor for joining someone else, but he had his reasons. "I came here fifteen years ago after running away from home. Kenshin found me passed out, and took me in and raised me like his own son."

The tall man gave a nod as if to show he was confirming his own story, crossing his arms. Owari was the home of the Morei Clan, at least it used to be. He wasn't sure how it fared after his mother was killed and he and Hideyasu had run away from home.

"Lord Morei, I'm much too weak. Could you open this jar of pickles for me?" An old lady came up to Hidenori, and he looked at her confused. "I don't know what that is, but okay!" He said, grabbing it from her and twisting open the top with relative ease before giving it back to her. Afterwards, he started walking again, motioning for Hiroshi to follow.

"Dad was always sneaking out, doing Bishamonten knows what. Must've angered the wrong people, since some... things, happened. My clan's lived in shame ever since."

He sounded a little sad, despite the smile he was forcing to keep up. "What about you, Hiro? What's your story?"

[Shinomori Katsumi]

The girl listened to Hidenori intently, genuinely intrigued. Fifteen years? Hell, he had just been living here nearly as long as Katsumi had been alive! He didn't seem all that old, and so she wondered how old he was when everything went down. She couldn't help but sympathize. While Kat herself had gone through a lot and often had a very survivalist mindset, it didn't mean she liked hearing about other people also having gone through hardships.

They stopped momentarily for an old woman and Katsumi stood in silence, watching as Hidenori helped with the jar. Since her thoughts were focused on what he had said thus far, Katsumi didn't immediately catch his name. When he began moving again, so did she, and after he finished, Katsumi said sincerely, "I'm... sorry, Hidenori. I... am glad that Kenshin-sama found you and that you have found happiness here."

Yes. She was glad he found someone. Katsumi had also run away and eventually found Haji, and things were getting better for her now, and for that she was incredibly grateful. There was still a lot left to heal up, but... well, things were looking good for her and she was finally loved, and that was all that mattered to Kat.

While she was curious about what happened, Katsumi wasn't going to pry. Such a question was entirely inappropriate, and she herself didn't like it when people questioned her. And the inevitable happened. Hidenori asked about Kat, and she tensed a little, even though there was little reason to do so. It was simply her natural reaction.

Releasing a sigh, Katsumi answered slowly, purposefully being vague, "Well, I... I lived out in the wilderness most of my life and... when I got a little older, traveled a lot, doing... jobs of sorts. T... Training. But... I still predominately lived out in the woods and wilderness. And... about a year ago, I... I suppose I ran away too and have been wandering ever since, taking on jobs and doing what I guess I'm best at. What I know."

She ended with a little shrug, small hands tugging at the sleeves of her loose, black kimono. Katsumi kept playing with them, a nervous habit of hers, and she was quiet. Her thoughts began to wander and suddenly her brows furrowed. The girl halted suddenly and blinked.

Wait a moment. Did that woman earlier call Hidenori...

She looked up and stared at Hidenori with wide eyes. It was not like Morei was a common name and so her suspicions immediately flared, especially with all of the other information he had given. Could it be that... this was a relative of Haji's? "Hold on... Did... she call you... Morei?"

[Morei Hidenori]

"Hey, it's all water under the bridge now. My past doesn't really bother me anymore. Kenshin's been good to me."

It was a lie. At least about the past no longer bothering him. Hidenori was haunted by it every single day, it was a heavier burden on his shoulders than even his mighty weapon, but that said, the man knew how to hide it well. And he owed it to Kenshin to be the best he could be under his service. A revenge driven man would make the Uesugi and ultimately Kenshin look very bad. And Hidenori could never shame him like that.

Hidenori listened to Hiroshi intently despite the fact he was still walking. He noticed the way she was talking, but paid it no mind. Everyone had their own secrets, and Hidenori wasn't going to pry into the secrets of a stranger. He turned to face her with that trademark smile on his lips again.

"The wilderness, huh? Like with bears and stuff? I've never met someone who lived like that before! That's pretty awesome, Hiro! So... are you like a mercenary or something? Ever slay any bears? I wanna wrestle one someday."

He was pretty serious about that. One way to exert his manliness to the world would be to find a bear and wrestle it into submission. Imagine doing that in front of the Takeda army. They'd run away from the Uesugi bear wrestlers! But seriously, he was curious about the life of a wanderer. He had always wanted to do that himself, but he had spent most of his life in Joetsu.

He blinked. "Yeah, she did. Didn't I introduce myself back at the temple?" He had completely forgotten the candle stick that had cut him off at "Mor-". "I am Morei Hidenori. Last of the Morei bloodline of Owari and destined to be the greatest warrior in the land!" He stated proudly, albeit a bit sadly.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

"Oh, that's good," said the woman in relief. She really was glad that was the case and it was how he felt, that he had Kenshin. But.... Kat also wondered if it was really true. It was incredibly difficult to let things go and to heal. She of all people knew that. But, even so, she would not pry. It was not her place.

"Uhh... I suppose... there were bears, yeah. Hunted a couple..." she said, scratching the back of her head a little nervously. Did he think a lot about fighting bears, or did Hidenori just have an active imagination? She couldn't really be sure. The girl nodded. "Yes, I am. I was on my own for about a year, until... well, until a bit more recently."

She met Haji and they often traveled together, occasionally splitting up for jobs, like now. Thinking about him made her miss him, and with him on the mind, it helped her receive that light bulb.

"Oh my..." she stopped, staring ahead at the ground, looking at nothing in particular. This revelation was over Kat's head and hit her hard, and she had no idea how to feel or what to think. So much was running through her head and it was a challenge sorting through it all. Her dark gaze moved up to his and she went on to say slowly, disbelief written across her expression, "Hidenori, I... I know your brother... H-Haji-kun. I didn't think... I didn't think I'd come across one of his brothers. I thought... you were dead from what he told me..."

[Morei Hidenori]

"You hunted bears?! THAT IS SO COOL, HIRO!"

Hidenori said excitedly. In his eyes, Hiroshi had become one of the most awesome people he had ever met. Hiroshi the mighty bear hunter. Hidenori highly doubted that Hiroshi actually wrestled them, due to his smaller stature and that bow, but... maybe Hiroshi was unexpectedly powerful too. (it wasn't like she had 7x his Dex or anything).

The tall man's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at Hiroshi incredulously. His grip on his weapon relinquished, and the weapon fell to the floor with a loud clank as he continued to stare.

"Did... did you say Haji...? My baby brother... he's alive...?" He took a step backwards, the news seeming too great for him to comprehend. "I was afraid that... fifteen years ago... he wouldn't have made it... and..."

He struggled to find the words to say, falling to his knees. "Please, Hiroshi-san." Suddenly becoming a lot more serious. "Please tell me what you speak is the truth... I had been so guilty for fifteen years, for just abandoning him like that... I hid him and ran, when the Oda killed our mother and tried to kill us too..."

He was starting to tear up. If this was true, it would've been the first sign of real happiness that he had in fifteen entire years. Something a complete stranger had told him.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

She felt a bit embarrassed at the assumption of her being some kind of bear hunter. Kat really just hunted what she had to for food and supplies. "Well... not... not a whole lot or anything, but, uh... yeah. A few for food and fur. For supplies."

Katsumi swallowed and nodded slowly. She could only imagine the amount of disbelief Hidenori had to be feeling right now. Certainly more than her. Haji was his brother after all, and Katsumi knew enough about people that most families cared about each others, unlike her past relationship with her father who would have rather she never existed. Kat desperately wished Haji was there to reunite them, and would make sure to do so. Haji would be so happy to see his older brother, and she wanted to make him as happy as could be.

Hidenori fell onto his knees and began to beg Katsumi, and her brows furrowed. Because of her height, the girl didn't need to kneel down, but she walked forward, making sure to come close to Hidenori. She wasn't really the touchy-feely type person, and physical contact often made her uneasy her, but Kat rested a small hand over his shoulder.

"I am not lying, Hidenori. I... I have been traveling with him for some time now, and... we... we are very close." Katsumi would sigh and, glancing from side-to-side, she would lean in and whisper, "But... I... I wasn't entirely honest. My name... it's... it's Katsumi and... I'm... well, I'm not... I'm not a, um... a... a man. But... But please don't say anything or tell anyone. Just... you are his brother, and... and Haji-kun and I..."

Katsumi didn't really know how to continue, or if she should, or if it was appropriate or necessary, and her cheeks heated up. The woman's gaze would slide away from his and she took a small step back, fingers tugging at the sleeves of her kimono again nervously.

Nibbling on her bottom lip, Katsumi added, figuring Hidenori would want to hear this, "Haji-kun is doing... he's doing really well and... and he's happy and always smiling. He... He has helped me a lot and... he's... he's the kindest person I know."

[Morei Hidenori]

"Kat...sumi...?"

Hidenori spoke, surprised by this suddenly revelation. This was a woman the whole time? She did seem far too pretty to be a guy... the way she spoke of Haji, it made it sound like Haji and her were... Hidenori smiled. Just like that, Katsumi had filled some of the void that was in his heart for the last fifteen years.

"Haji is the... kindest..."

This, to him, was more than wonderful news. It meant his brother was not only alive, but he grew up to be someone with a heart of gold. He wasn't holding onto feelings of revenge like Hidenori was. At least, that was what the tall man had hoped. If he was kind, that would mean that Haji couldn't possibly end up with the Oda. And Hidenori knew that to survive with a kind heart in this world, one must be strong... perhaps his little brother was the living embodiment of his mother.

"But I... don't know if I can face him..."

Hidenori stood up, looking away from Katsumi. The shame of abandoning one's family was much too great. The man knew that he was much too weak that day, and he had no right to approach Haji and ask for his forgiveness. Not when he couldn't even forgive himself yet. He bent down, lifting his zanbato up and placing it on his shoulder again.

"Hey, Katsumi... can you come with me? I want to you to meet Kenshin."

The warrior trusted her fully now, having brought him news of his brother. He wanted to see Kenshin for his own reasons, but... he felt that she had to meet him too. He was the greatest man that Hidenori knew. And before he could allow himself to see Haji again, he needed to be stronger, spiritually.

[Shinomori Katsumi]

Hidenori smiled and she could tell that he was happy to hear of this news. If only Haji were there and she could tell him, reunite the two brothers. She imagined the expression on Haji's face and it brought a smile within her dark hues.

"Yes, he... he really is," said Katsumi. Hidenori being Haji's own brother, she felt she could say more to him and splurged a little about herself, to help give him more insight about his beloved brother, "I... never really believed in goodness in people, but... well, he turned my thoughts around, to say the very least."

A familiar look shimmered within Hidenori's hues. Oh, she knew that emotion. Shame. Her brows knit and Kat bit down on her bottom lip as he stood up and looked away. Gaze falling down momentarily, she inhaled slowly and on the exhale went forward, dainty hand clasping his hand. Tugging, the woman would pull him so that he would face her and Kat peered up into Hidenori's face. Her expression was soft and, while there was not a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, there was a sympathetic and warm shimmer within her brown hues.

"I know him, Hidenori. Haji-kun... he wouldn't be anything but exuberant upon seeing one of his brothers. It has been so many years... I... I would take you to him... whenever you are ready. Or... Or him to you."

Yes. She just wanted to ensure Haji's happiness and to keep him cheerful. Doing that would bring her joy herself.

Hand slipping away from his, it would fall to her side as Hidenori took his blade and spoke again. The girl blinked and stared up at him. She thought that was already the plan, and yet... there seemed to be something new in his eyes. Like he was utterly determined to take her to Kenshin. As if she had to meet him, and this was beyond more of a curiosity thing and request on her part.

Katsumi nodded and took a step forward, giving a small bow at the end. "Of... Of course. It would be an honour, Hidenori."

[Morei Hidenori]

Hidenori stood in silence as Katsumi spoke. Haji believed in the good in people? And had changed it around for Katsumi? The man wondered what kind of person she used to be, but it didn't matter. It sounded like his little brother had a natural gift for helping even the most cynical of people.

And then she told him that Haji would love to see him, and more or less, it helped some of the weight on his shoulders lift. Exuberant, Haji would be exuberant to see his brother. And she was even willing to reunite the two of them...

"Do... you really think so, Katsumi? Do you really think Haji would forgive me?"

Even so, he felt he would forever be haunted by his decision, his inability to protect his brother and mother. He didn't want Haji to think of him as less of a man, as a failure. He didn't want to be judged by his own family, especially when Haji was possibly the last family he had left. But what if Haji didn't even consider him a brother? No... he couldn't think like that, Katsumi wouldn't try to reunite the two otherwise.

"We'll walk until we find a carriage, and from there we can get a ride to go see Kenshin."

He nodded with a small smile, and turned to walk away, assuming Katsumi would follow him. It had been a long time since he dropped his foolhardy facade around anybody... so in a sense, Katsumi was the first one besides Kenshin to see how he really was in fifteen years.