Tears of the Red Sky

Prologue

A/N: This story was set after the last episode of RurouniKenshin's second season (after Kenshin beat Shishio and went back to the Kamiya dojo). Let's pretend that the whole Season 3 and all the rest [OVA / movie] didn't happen (except for the Trust and Betrayal OVA [Tomoe's story]) but Kenshingumi already knew about the whole Tomoe affair. This story mentions lots of Japanese stuff and I also made use of some Japanese words. The words and their meanings/definitions are listed in alphabetical order at the end of each chapter. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

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Prologue

Meiji Revolution, Tokugawa Era

Nakamura Yoshiro chuckled as he felt Yumi's head fall helplessly on his shoulder. His four year old daughter had been jumping for joy this morning since he told her they would go fishing. She ran around the house screaming for joy and she had been restless until the afternoon came and they finally set out to fish in the river. They used to go fishing once a week, but lately he had been busy doing important things for the shogunate that he barely spent time with his three children. He would go on long trips towards the capital to meet with important people, people who needed his help to win the war.

He wasn't a man of war. He didn't even know how to properly wield a sword. He is not familiar about war strategies and such. But though he is not in the front line, his support to the shogunate forces is one of utter importance. He is one of the biggest benefactors of the shogunate army. He funded their needs from food, medical care to weaponry. Two of his mansions are currently used as headquarters for the army, one in Kyoto for the Shinsengumi and another one right there in Edo as a hideout for some of their spies.

He didn't really disapprove of the ideals of the opposing force who call themselves the imperialists. In fact, he often wondered what the future would be like if their ideals came to be. However, his loyalty to the shogunate weighs greater than his interest for a new age. The shogunate has taken care of his family even way back from the time of his grandfather, and he believed that the shogunate will continue to do so in the years to come. Of course, he was well aware that there were others who were suffering from the current system, but there is also no way of telling that the new government promised by the imperialists would be any better. He was not willing to risk the bright future of his children for an ideal which efficiency is yet to be tested. He decided that he would support the shogunate for as long as he can.

Though he had already contributed a great deal, his role in this revolution had become more important. According to their reliable source, the imperialists were advancing towards making use of western weaponry. If they didn't want to be at a disadvantage, they also needed to upgrade their weapons and tactics. Obtaining firearms was not easy in his country, but being the successful businessman that he is, he has acquired a vast amount of foreign connections over the years. It is now his duty to aid the shogunate in obtaining the new weapons for the army. This whole agenda had consumed most of his time, and hopefully, things will soon set in motion if everything will go as planned.

Now, he was glad of the chance to finally spend time with his family again. He had missed his children terribly. Ever since his wife died of childbirth four years ago, he was consumed with grief that he almost gave in to his depression. His children however, gave him a reason to continue living. Ichiro, his first born, wise and passionately curious despite his young age of five. He hoped to see him use his intelligence for the good of his country in the future. Chiaki, Ichiro's fraternal twin, is strong and vigilant. He knows she will grow up to be a fine young woman who would always fight for what she thinks is right. And the gentle and loving Yumi, his youngest, who reminds him a lot of his deceased wife. She never fails to ease his wearies away.