The words struck Kenshin like a blade between the ribs. I ran. I lived. I am nothing.
The old warrior’s name was no longer his own. They called him Ochimusha —the fallen warrior—a ghost who had outlived his lord. ochimusha
He looked down at the sleeping boy. Takeshi , he thought. Strong bamboo. A thing that bends but does not break. The words struck Kenshin like a blade between the ribs
“Takeshi,” Kenshin repeated. He sat back on his heels. For a long moment, the rain filled the silence. Then he said, “I ran too, once. I ran from a battlefield where my lord died. Every day since, I have carried that shame like a stone in my belly.” “I ran too