Incredibly fascinating story, you have managed to make Kenshin's more or less simple life in a village appear amazingly interessting and I can't wait to read more. I love the way you write, but there may be too many japanese words for me to remember sometimes.

I would love to see a situation where Kenshin uses his sword skills to prove that he is not a bad samurai, despite not caring about his situation.

Hope to read more soon.

This is by far one of the most brilliantly written pieces of work I have ever read. I can only you hope you choose to continue it.

Hi. :)

I found your story on Saturday and just finished Chapter 14. The first word that comes to mind is: brilliant.

I love your take on Kenshin's wandering years and your attention to details and atmosphere. Watsuki's characters are perfectly in character; your original ones are perfectly human and believable.

Please keep the great work up! :D

Quite enjoying this fic. Wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a cheesy story of Kenshin wandering, beating baddies, etc, but this is quite unique and a joy to read.

I'm really enjoying the interaction with his old village and the sub-stories that are following within it, as well as his lack of mental wellbeing.

You've really done your research on Japanese 1800s culture. Kudos to you!

Keep it up,
~Jarik

This fic was excellent! I loved it. Kenshin doesn't only have issues, but a subscription as well. Bravo! I love all that angst.

I have a question though; is he growing delirious? It seems like it to me, but I'm not too sure...

Keep writing!
-D3athrav3n92

Sorry, can't log in. Curiouser and curiouser! Are they ghosts or is he going mad? I can't wait to find out. It's so sad that he's isolated, I want Kenshin to find some answers and some measure of peace! Great chapter. ^^

Talk about star-crossed. You make quite believable how Kenshin can't keep out of trouble no matter how he may try. He thinks he is just being himself and wants to lead a simple life but as you so poignantly show, he is caught between peasants and samarai, fitting in with neither and unwittingly creating confusion by his unwillingness to conform to social norms. Of course in a war, a large city, with a mountain hermit, he might get away with that but in a small village those norms become the structure of life. I think the elder is right, Kenshin is disturbing the wa and always will is a place like this. I think his time to wandr again is fast coming upon him.

Your images of Kenshin lost to his ghost family are simultaneously sad, touching and deeply disturbing. Manabu was the only influence that seemed to stabilize Kenshin. I don't understand why he isn't more involved if he can see Kenshin slowly withdrawing and losing his grip. I hope he tries to temper the tension soon.

Seeing an update of this story made my weekend :) Poor Kenshin, what Naota said was right in many ways, but painful. Heaven knows, Kenshin isolates himself enough as it is and making it worse is not helping his health, mental or physical. ;_; Nami's condition is worrisome, as are the other problems going on in the village. Kenshin has enough troubles heaped about his head...
ACK! Cliffhanger of doom! Evil! Evil!
As a ridiculous (and rhetorical) side note, I wonder if Kenshin has ever had to act the part of a midwife...@_@ oro...

Cool fight scene! I liked the way you emphasized Kenshin's ability to 'read' his opponent and predict his next move. Teppei is such a fool to think he could best Kenshin in a fight.

Nice touch of ambivalence in Kenshin's reaction to Katsura's letter. It's always tough when you leave a job to realize that your coworkers can indeed get along without you. Even though Kenshin no longer wanted to be a part of the revolution, part of him must've missed being Katsura's dependable employee.

How like Kenshin to think everything bad that happens is his fault. I'm with Naota's "He deserved it! He's an idiot! The whole family is except Chugo...Stop worrying about him. You've always worried about other people too much", However, Naota's "Stop trying to please everyone else and just be who you are" fell a little flat considering Kenshin doesn't feel that he fits in anywhere. How can he "be" a samurai when he wasn't born one? Sure, he's got the fighting skills of a samurai but I doubt Hiko bothered to teach him all the petty social niceties and arcane behavior patterns of the samurai class. It's good that Kenshin has the memories of his family since the villagers sure haven't been all that great at welcoming him home.

Tomoe is, as always, a lovely addition to the story. She satisfies whereas the specters of Kenshin's family are mere echoes. Even though he'd "rather live in uncertainty and hope than risk possible despair" with her ghost he can interact and communicate so he appears less lonely because of her. I like that you give him that consolation.

Excellent use of descriptive details too. The smoky smell of the clothes, the sound of wood popping on the fire, the click of the hashi on the dishes. They really add to the story.

this remains my favorite ruroken story...your writing is simply incredible. the dream scenes with tomoe are especially poignant. you portray kenshin's guilt and uncertainty so well, with the situation in the village and with tomoe.

as always, i wait for you next update anxiously.

i love this story so much. definitely the best post-x story in the fandom. i love how fleshed out the village is and all the characters in it. and how kenshin's unassuming personality is actually causing more problems than its helping

Poor Kenshin, he doesn't know where he fits. I loved the comparison, too samurai for the peasants and too peasant for the samurai, not good enough for shishou but too good for Shishi... wow. I'd never thought of it that way... you have amazing skill with the pen... er... keyboard. As for Kenshin hallucinations, I think something's really wrong with him, at least I hope so. How long has he spent in this village, a year and a half? The story description mentioned this story would last approximately ten years. As for who's calling him, I dearly hope it's some sort of village emergency that will rally the people behind Kenshin, as only such a thing can do.

See ya soon!
-SKF

Kenshin has a very unique perspective on Japanese life. He's been a bit of everything, peasant farmer, slave, apprentice, samurai and ronin. Because he's experienced a bit of everything, Kenshin knows the rigors that go with each station in life.

Poor Kenshin really doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. I wouldn't blame him for wanting to cross over and be with his family and Tomoe.

An excellent chapter, a good job handling Kenshin's delusions. The misplaced rage of jealousy worked well into the fight. Our poor little Kenshin is always blaming himself. Good job showing that strange division of labor amongst the ranks.

Perhaps it's a cultural thing - Meiji-era Japanese duty is often inscrutable to me - but I can't even fathom how Kenshin could even remotely consider the situation with Teppei his fault. I suppose it's just Kenshin shouldering burdens that aren't his again.

Still, poor Kenshin. Neither fish nor fowl, as the saying goes.

That house is still as spooky as ever. Makes me wonder if you're building to something fantastic for Obon.