| Shinomori Aoshi became the leader of the Oniwabanshuu at the age of 15. The previous okashira, Misao's grandfather, had offered the position to Okina, but he declined and recommended Aoshi instead. So Aoshi led the castle guard of Edo until the end of the Bakumatsu, when the Oniwabanshuu peacefully disbanded. At the age of 13, Aoshi defeated Shiki-jou in combat and invited him to join the Oniwabanshuu. At some point he also invited Hannya to join them and taught him kenpo. All five of them seem to have been like elder brothers to Makimachi Misao, helping to raise her and teaching her a few ninja tricks. Most of the Oniwabanshuu went back to civilian lives, such as the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu who lived and worked in the Aoiya. But some of the Oniwabanshuu - Beshimi, Shiki-jou, Hyottoko, and Hannya. were unable to adapt to the new, peaceful era. Aoshi would not just abandon them, but took them with him as he searched for jobs in the new Meiji era. When the story begins, he's the head of security for a corrupt young businessman called Takeda Kanryuu Although his boss is a jerk, he doesn't seem to be TOO wacky - apart from the whole ' I want to be the best swordsman DIE KENSHIN thing, Unlike Kanryuu, he spared his men when they failed him, and was concerned for their welfare. Even though he obviously was unimpressed by Kanryuu, he did the job he was hired to do - protecting him. But, of course, his subservience only went so far - he threatened Kanryuu when Kanryuu tried to tell him how to run the Oniwabanshuu. And before going to face the Battousai personally, he gave Megumi a way out of her hellish existence - a short sword. The fight with Kenshin went pretty normally - Aoshi was winning until Kenshin, being the hero, figured out how to stop him. ;;^^ But then Kanryuu, perhaps annoyed at the way the Oniwabanshuu had 'failed' him, decided to settling things himself - with a gatling gun. ( A gatling gun is, of course, a primitive machine gun. ) He was about to shoot the temporarily immobilized Aoshi when all four Oniwabanshuu burst in and took the bullets to save his life. Their sacrifices bought Kenshin time to grab his sword again and knock Kanryuu out, but Aoshi was so traumatized that he disappeared, vowing revenge. SHURA - "... his spirit cannot live...he is violence incarnate..." The next time we see him he's browbeating Megumi into revealing Kenshin's whereabouts, but he's already off to Kyoto, as Saitou kindly informs him. ;;^^ He heads of to Kyoto to find Kenshin, and contacts his old mentor, Okina, to find the whereabouts of the Battousai. Okina refuses to reveal his whereabouts and tries to persuade Aoshi to give it up, but he ignores him. Then Okina regretfully tells Aoshi that if he has lost the honor of the Oniwabanshuu and become a 'shura' - a demon - Okina will destroy him himself. But Aoshi walks away. He meets up with Shishio, who has promised him information on the whereabouts of the Battousai in return for his help. He's so dedicated to the path he's chosen that he doesn't even protest when they discuss capturing and torturing the rest of the Oniwabanshuu - but Okina sends Shishio's ninjas back with a challenge for Aoshi. Aoshi and Okina fight, and Aoshi unleashes the Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren in front of Misao's horrified eyes. Okina falls, apparently dead, and Aoshi tells Misao never to speak to him again. Then he heads back to the Aoiya and, after threatening everyone some more ;;^^ he tells them to tell the Battousai that he's waiting for him at Shishio's headquarters. Okina and Misao ask Kenshin to kill Aoshi, but Kenshin promises to bring him back to them instead. As Kenshin fights his way through the Ten Swords in Shishio's headquarters, he deliberately goes and confronts Aoshi. But he refuses to fight Aoshi, claiming that he only promised to fight and bring back Aoshi, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, NOT the shura in front of him. So as Aoshi attacks, Kenshin just dodges, refusing to draw his sword until he's about to get his head cut off at last. ;;^^ Aoshi is beating Kenshin up pretty badly because he won't really fight back, but Kenshin realizes what's going on inside Aoshi's head. " You'll take the honor of being the strongest and end it all? Aoshi, this is how you want to fight? Don't give me that shit! Miss Misao or Okina, Hanya or Shikijou, Beshimi or Hyottoko, none of them want to see you dead!.... " Aoshi, you said you came to throw it all away, but anyone can do that. It's easy. With the sword, you're strong. But in your heart, you're weak! Hanya. Shikijou. Beshimi. Hyottoko. The most loyal of comrades met their noble death . . . I understand your wanting to offer them glory as proof that they were the best. But it makes your heart weak! Whatever you say, it's not just an excuse for you to hide from reality! It's not for them, it's because of them you're wielding the sword of a murderer! "...By doing this, if you stop thinking, you can blot out your guilt over their deaths. I know all that, but no matter what you do, they're not coming back! " Did you know this, Aoshi? Miss Misao has named herself Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu. After you fought with Okina, she took on the responsibilities of the Okashira in your place to protect Kyoto and the Oniwabanshuu. Did you know that this strong girl wept when I promised to bring you back? No matter how strong she is, she's only sixteen. She must have been desperate, in the midst of a harsh reality. There's no one else in the world who can honestly answer for those tears. Or are you still trying to run away from reality, Aoshi! Are you going to pretend you have to prove you're the strongest for those four so you can run away in death! Take back your strong heart! And call back your lost honor! The time that stopped at Kanryuu's mansion moves now! The time to awaken is now!" |
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