Just starting this and I am already hooked. Your writing is so vivid, it is like watching a movie

everything in this chapter is so good. especially love kenshin wanting to say ushiro is at his level in fighting and sensing ki. he just wants his friends to be his equals, damnit! to be fair ushiro might be underrating himself considering how long he lasted against okita. but yeah kenshin is great and his relationship with ushiro is great.

I'm rereading this 8 year old fic because I watched the rurouni kenshin movie today and it gave me feels. enjoying it greatly! I've always liked how Ushiro sees Kenshin as human, not as a demon or just a hitokiri. And this chapter is really good for that, too, Ushiro just trying to joke around with him.

Okay, I have recently returned to this fandom after many years away and read this story all in one go. I realize this was published quite a few years ago, and I'm not sure if you even frequent this site or write fanfiction anymore, but I really wanted to share my thoughts with you and praise what you've written here. I really hope one day you will get to read this.

Where do I even begin?

I will tell you, first of all, that this is one of only two deeply touching friendship fics I have ever read on this site. Thank you so much for focusing on the importance and sacredness of friendship. It's uncommon to find a relationship like this that is well written, without it becoming slash. Your portrayal of Kenshin and Ushiro's friendship is beautiful and personally moving, the time you devoted to the development of their relationship and all the small details are so important here. Nothing is rushed.

This leads me to talk about your OC. In general, I dislike OCs, because they tend to be shallow and suffer from very limited character development, but I absolutely love Ushiro-san. I can tell you've put a lot of thought into him, and the result is that he reads like a canon character. I love his personality so much. Despite how serious his and Kenshin's situation is in this story, there are truly laugh out loud moments throughout thanks to Ushiro's dialogue, even in the darkest part of the entire plot, when they're going to report to Katsura and Okubo. The fact he is still joking while walking toward his possible death is fantastic and says so much about him. There are also very small, tender moments between him and Kenshin that really made me tear up, and no matter how insignificant they might seem, really show that Ushiro cares for him.

You have a very enjoyable writing style, and an amazing attention to detail. Every little thought and feeling between the two are explored in detail. I find this lacking in other first-person POV fics, but Ushiro's astute observations of Kenshin's behaviors and even his feelings say so much about both him and Battousai.

I just love this story. Beautifully done. I really hope to see more of these two in the future, and I really hope you haven't quit writing here. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us.

Amazing fic, that it is. The interactions were... incredible, awesome. I think you have portrayed Kenshin's inner desires damnably well. He just wants to be an ordinary man and be treated as such.
Wonderful beyond words. Thank you for posting.

I love this story. You've moved me so much here. Thank you, Amie689.

That son of a...! You kept me on the edge!

I like this one so much. Kenshin didn't want to taint his "real" name (well, the one Hiko gave him). Love the interactions

I don't really know what to say.
That was an experience. I'd read out of time in the course of an entire day. I didn't expect anything else that could be on the same level as that literary genius. You prove me wrong.

I loved this fic. It was so drawing, I was captivated, by Ushiro, his thoughts, his jokes, his commentary, how he saw things... it was so well-written.
The prologue is unbelievably sad, but seriously, you made Kenshin's post trust and betrayal self a little less beyond help, a little more bearable for me to think about. Ushiro's role made such a sweet difference in Kenshin's bitter life, especially in that particularly bitter time he was going through. I want to thank him for that. He added a tad more to Kenshins 'good pile' of life.

The story was -amazingly- well constructed, better than I could ever hope for. Particular parts tugged on my feels. And there were so many places that got such a reaction from me. Santo and Okita's reveal. The striking metaphor about the provoking a cat chasing prey- the mouse stays dead- that was powerful. Katsura not telling who was battousai- that had a great impact on me, somehow, that line. Kenshin saying 'ill take the lead' when they went to see Okubo.

The parallels were mind blowing. Im talking about the shinsengumi and Okubo's men. The two times they faced death together.

Thank you so much for writing this amazing story. I hold you in high regard. And how could I forget the crack! chapter? hahahaha

It was beautiful.

Who is this Toriyama, and where can I find more information about him? Also, the story's looking good, so far.

Tam:*drools*
Stark:*groans*Great, ANOTHER fangirl for Kenshin.
Bruce:*smirks* You expected different?
Stark:*blushes* Weeelll...no...but, still...
Tam:*scoffs* Kenshin will forever rule in my heart.
Stark:*splutters*
Tam:*giggles* Oh, look, I broke him.
Bruce:*sips tea* For now. I'd review before he recovers.
Tam:*nods* True, true.

1) Awesome way of showing Kenshin with Katsura. I love the way you switched from Battousai to Hamura throughout. That scared little boy is just so huggable. Battousai less so, but I still pity him. Kudos to you for doing such a great job on him.

2) Ushiro is an amazing friend. I loved the scene near the end where he and Kenshin are both trying to take the blame. Made me smile to no end.

All in all, a wonderful story. Thanks for creating and posting it.

-Tamuril2

I liked this story. Keep continuing. Best of luck.

Katsura really annoyed me here. I don't trust you anymore? Prove to me I can trust you? I know he's the leader and everything that entails, he's leading a cause, but still, where does he get the nerve?
I'm totally using you for the cause, even knowing what this revolution could do to such a naïve idealistic boy, but you have to prove to me you're worth using as a fourteen-year-old assassin? What the fuck? Like they can afford to just cast Kenshin aside like garbage. *scoff*

All that talk about how they'd need to get rid of Kenshin and "deal with him" if they think they wouldn't be able to control him made me laugh. They couldn't even "take care of" Shishio in the end, and they fried that sucker real good.
"..if he cannot help but kill for no reason, tell me and Okubo-san will seal his fate." LMAO right, you go ahead and try! xDD

No need for apologies. I thought this chapter was great. In WW I, they called Kenshin's problem shell shock; nowadays, we call it PTSD. Friendly fire still happens, though not often so up close and personal as it did to Tomoe. Can't wait to see how Kenshin manages to hang in there.

like the story;good job.*adds to favorites*