Another year passed. Kenshin was a year and a half old.
He was able to control to some degree his slapping reflex, that by this point was ingrained in his cerebellum.
Yahiko and Mio definitely felt thankful for this, as the number of slaps they received in this past year was greater than the number of times the sun rose, which was a number of 1+ slaps/day.
Yahiko and Mio knew that Kenshin was different. No, they didn't realize it because of his tendency to mess up everything in the most horrible way possible. They knew that Kenshin saw things they couldn't see. He would suddenly start shouting in excitement pointing at the air.
At first Yahiko and Mio thought that their son was just stupid.
But they later realized that maybe there was something else. When he started shouting, they would sometimes feel a chill, other times they would feel sad or even happy. They confirmed that effectively their son was special, of course, that didn't mean he couldn't be dumb too.
Today Yahiko slapped his own cheeks, maybe had developed some dependency on it after Kenshin's reflex actions, but he encouraged himself.
He was going to take Kenshin to the Great Narukami Shrine. AGAIN.
While he was somewhat apprehensive he was worried about Kenshin. They were a humble family and didn't have enough cultural level to discern rumors from facts so they believed in ghosts and spirits. Maybe Kenshin was possessed by something that made him see those things they couldn't detect so taking him to the shrine was their only choice.
After arriving at the shrine, every single person, including the mikos looked at them with a peculiar face.
Somebody from another world would have identified those faces as the Excalibur face.
"What do you need?" asked rudely the same trainee a year before had received them with a happy smile. The baby she had taken care of briefly had puked upon receiving the Guuji's blessing. What a heresy.
"I don't know if my son is possessed" confessed Yahiko.
The trainee, Miyuki suddenly had a serious expression. No father would joke about that, as possession and curses were something quite grave. She looked towards Kenshin only to find him looking stunned at the Sakura Tree.
'Every time we came he looked at the same tree with that stunned expression. Is that tree special?' Yahiko noticed how Kenshin's attention was always on the Sakura Tree.
"I am not qualified to asses possession and curses. Please wait while I find someone who can" Miyuki said with a serious expression and received Yahiko's grateful look. Miyuki could have refused or dismissed Yahiko based on how much trouble Kenshin caused, but she still took his worries seriously, earning Yahiko's admiration.
Miyuki was almost running towards the inner area of the shrine where the senior mikos were.
"Oh, Miyuki, what's wrong? Are you in a hurry?" Yae Miko suddenly appeared and stopped Miyuki
"Guuji-sama!. Yes, there is a father and his child waiting at the entrance of the shrine. The father believes the child may be possessed" Miyuki spoke quickly. She was born into a family of shrine priestesses so she knew how dangerous those possessions were.
'Another one huh' Yae thought dryly. She had lost count of how many people came to the shrine believing that they were cursed. Out of 10 cases, 10 were just paranoid people.
"Haa, I will go. I had just finished reading the new novel. Do you think it's possible that the child is cursed?" Yae was trying to educate Miyuki, teaching her that possessions were not a common thing.
The father would probably worried because the child didn't stop crying.
Miyuki answered immediately.
"Yes, I think he may be possessed". There was no need to think after all. If someone was possessed in Inazuma, it was Kenshin. Someone who puked while receiving a blessing could be a normal baby.
"Hoo, that's interesting" Yae was intrigued now. Even the serious Miyuki didn't hesitate.
'Oh no, it's you again' Yae had the same Excalibur face.
"Greeting Guuji-sama. While it may be presumptuous of me after all the trouble Kenshin caused, please I ask you to check if my son is alright" Yahiko said while bowing.
"I don't really think your son is cursed. He is just a bit....special" Yae said with a dry voice.
"I thought the same. My wife and I could ignore his screams in the middle of the night, his slaps at anything that entered his range, his tendency to throw his food....." the more Yahiko explained the more dead his face looked.
'Poor guys. And here I thought I had the worst of it' Yae considered blessing these parents who despite living with the little devil were still worried about him.
"But recently, the last 3 months or so he started doing weird things" Yae and Miyuiki looked at Yahiko.
"Even weirder things" Yahiko added while blushing.
"What did he do?" Yae was curious about Kenshin's uniqueness. Maybe now she could glean something from Yahiko's words.
"He shouts and excitedly points at things in the air. If it was only that we wouldn't worry, but sometimes it even affects us. We would feel a chill, or suddenly we shivered. At first, we dismissed it, but in the following months the same thing happened" explained a nervous Yahiko, aware that what he was saying sounded a bit stupid.
Yae had a pondering expression. She knew Kenshin was able to see blessings, but she didn't know if Kenshin could see anything else. She looked towards Kenshin, only to see him looking at the Sakura Tree with the same curious expression she had seen on his face before.
"Does he always react like this?" she asked Yahiko.
"Yes, every time we come he always stares at the Scared Sakura with his current expression" Yahiko nodded.
"Why don't we take him to it?" wondered Yae before walking towards the tree.
"Guuji-sama, please think about it again!" exclaimed Miyuki.
"Please Guuji-sama!. The Sacred Sakura has protected us for generations! We can't allow my son to go near it!" Yahiko didn't trust his own son.
"You two.....do you really think a baby can destroy the Sacred Sakura?" asked wryly Yae.
""YES"".
Yae felt surprised but then realized something. She couldn't trust the little devil. His unpredictability was out of the charts, maybe his presence could cause a fire that could destroy the tree.
"I'm sorry, it was my mistake. We let him approach but stay on guard at all times" Yae instructed with a serious face.
"Are you sure Guuji-sama?" asked a resigned Yahiko. He really didn't trust his son.
"Yes, let's go".
Yahiko approached the Sacred Sakura with reverence. Every single person in Inazuma saw the Sacred Sakura as their protector and approaching was not allowed. He got cold feet in the end.
"Guuji-sama, are you sure you don't want to take Kenshin yourself?".
"I'm not touching that thing again. Ehem, no, I'm sure. Thank you for the offer, but I think he will feel safer in your hands" Yae denied with a polite smile.
Yahiko wore a cramped smile, opting to ignore the first part.
Kenshin suddenly started gesturing with his arms towards the Sakura tree, as if he wanted to hug it. And that's what he did, he hugged the tree and fell asleep.
Or so it appeared to the 3 spectators.
---------------------------------
Raiden Ei stood in the plane of Euthymia, alone as she had always been for the had 500 years. A plane made of her own soul, with sand for ground and a lot of ruined columns was adorning the otherwise empty space.
She was lonely, but that was something she couldn't admit. Always meditating, pursuing Eternity to get closer to the Heavenly Principles.
The last person she saw was her friend Yae Miko, about 400 hundred years ago.
And now in front of Baal, the Raiden Shogun, the Immortal Shogun, the Narukami Ogosho, the God of Eternity, a baby appeared with a confused expression.
The baby looked around confused about his situation. He was in front of the mean pink-haired lady and his father in front of that tree that whispered to him, even if he couldn't understand what it was saying when he found himself in a place unlike anything he had seen before.
It was a weird place, but he felt comfortable here. But this was not the time to sleep.
He was going to explore this whole place and make it his. He liked this place and he was going to make sure no one but him could enter.
His underdeveloped brain couldn't devise a plan on how to do that but he remembered something.
When he peed or pooped, his parents would make a disgusted expression and would change his clothes quickly. They didn't like his pee, so maybe, MAYBE, he could make this place unpleasant to the others.
It would smell bad, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
So Kenshin donned a hooligan smile, ready to mark his territory.
He started looking around, looking for the best place to start delimiting the frontiers of the new kingdom, until he looked behind him and saw a woman.
"...." the God of Eternity and the Slapping Baby looked at each other in confusion.
'Abort, this place is already conquered, and no amount of poop will be enough to beat her' is what Kenshin's brain told him.
'Are you sure?. I can produce a lot' is what Kenshin's body told him.
Kenshin pondered for a while, knowing that he would have to make a painful choice.
Raiden Ei felt even more confused.
'Who is this baby?. No, that's not important. How did he arrive here?' she wondered while looking at the baby who was thinking very seriously about something very important.
Kenshin looked at the woman in front of him. The only woman Kenshin had contact with was his mother. The other women learned their lesson after Kenshin smacked them, so he couldn't really compare the woman in front of him to others. He only knew this woman was dangerous.
Realizing that waiting was not going to take them anywhere she decided to ask this boy who he was, her centuries of isolation taking its toll on her communication skills.
"Who are you?" she commanded the baby.
Said baby looked at her, making Raiden Ei feel stupid. It was a baby, how could he speak?
The baby muttered something incoherent but gestured towards her. Raiden Ei didn't understand what the baby wanted so she approached him.
"My name is Raiden Ei. Who are you?"
Kenshin noticed something wrong when the woman approached. The aura this big woman had was dangerous, even more, dangerous than Mom's when he put his poop in the raisin deposit, thinking that poop was being stored there.
And now this dangerous woman was approaching him. Kenshin suddenly realized that he was extremely intelligent because as his brain said, no amount of poop would be enough to defeat this monster. If he didn't do anything when the woman reached him he would suffer, maybe he would be the one slapped for the first time in his life.
So Kenshin trusted his newly found intelligence. By some cosmic event his only neuron connected with itself, making a closed circuit that allowed him to speak.
"Ei" and with that Kenshin spoke his first word. Well, it only had 2 sounds, maybe he just joined 2 random sounds that sounded like a word.
Raiden Ei nodded, expecting the baby to introduce himself. He could speak, so he should be able to introduce himself and tell her his address and family, right?
But then the baby suddenly vanished, making Ei confused again. This was the plane of Euthymia, her soul. How could a baby come in and out? Maybe she needed to do something else for a while.
But not now, now she had to meditate.
------------------------------------------
On the Sacred Sakura, Yahiko picked up the 'sleeping' Kenshin, who woke up with a jump.
"In the end, we just saw him sleep for 15 minutes" said dryly Miyuki.
"Indeed" nodded Yae, feeling like she wasted her time to read.
Yahiko only blushed and looked towards the floor.
Kenshin was stunned, finally finding himself near the 'good' tree.
He looked around and saw the mean pink woman. He wanted to challenge her, to have a rematch.
Last time he lost, but he was now a lot bigger.
This puny woman, even if she had a strange aura, was not as strong as him. He had even looked the dangerous woman in the face!
This pink looser was nothing in front of his courage and bravery.
So he uttered the meanest word he knew, something that would make her piss on her weird clothes like he pissed on his own an hour ago.
"Ei!" he shouted and felt deep satisfaction when he saw the mean woman's face contorted in surprise.
'Heh, you stand no chance against my skills' is what his face said, directing a smug smile towards the woman.
"Oh, that was his first word!!" Yahiko jumped around, forgetting for a moment where he was. "Wait, is that even a word?" he questioned his son's intelligence. To be fair, 'Ei' sounded like the noise a baby would make.
"I don't know" Yae said seriously, thinking that maybe it was a coincidence. She was the only person in the whole land of Inazuma who knew about the true name of the God of Eternity.
Kenshin was angry. He had faced several risks, staring to death at the face to acquire the forbidden knowledge that would make the pink mean woman recoil in fear. So why did her expression only change for a short moment? No, Kenshin would not tolerate it.
"EI!" he shouted even louder this time. Ahh, there it was again. That serious expression on her face. Yes, that's right, you need to take me seriously. Me stronk!.
"I will need to take your son for a brief exam that will allow me to know if your son is possessed" Yae ordered with a stern face. She needed to know how this little devil knew about it.
"Y-Yes, of course" Yahiko stuttered seeing Yae's stern face. Only now did he remember what he came here for.
Yae extended her arms to grab Kenshin, but she noticed Kenshin's expectant look and how he was readying his arm.
"Miyuki, grab him and come with me" and she dumped the dangerous mission onto Miyuki who looked at Yae with a betrayed look.
'Damn this pink woman, she is so smart' Kenshin was impressed, how did this pink woman realize his intentions?.
"Here, put him on the floor and leave" Yae instructed and Miyuki obeyed.
"Now, let's test what you can and can't see" mused Yae.
'This woman is planning something' is what Kenshin's underdeveloped brain told him.
Yae took an amulet from a box and approached it to Kenshin, but he didn't see anything weird with it. He just looked at the woman with a guarded expression.
Yae didn't say anything and showed him other things. An amulet, a pendant, a book, a sword....
In some Kenshin saw some weird things and in others, he saw nothing. Yae studied his expressions and was able to notice with what objects he saw something else.
'So he can see souls' is what Yae deduced. 'But not only that, he should be able to do something else. If he didn't we wouldn't be able to know Ei's name'.
He looked at the baby who was trying to bite a cursed sword.
'Haaa, what a mess. His ability is too dangerous to be left alone. He could kill his parents if he starts developing his ability without anyone teaching him. Messing with souls is too dangerous' Yae pondered.
She then showed a conflicted expression, then a disgusted one before setting into one of resignation and bitter realization.
Kenshin noticed the change in the atmosphere and saw Yae walking towards him with a bitter expression.
He had no way of defending herself if the pink woman tried something so he uttered his mantra. It had worked until now after all.
"Ei!" he expected to see the pink woman's horrified face but he saw a sly smile.
"Do you think you can scare me with that? Why would I be scared of the name of my stubborn friend? Here, I will repeat it for you. Ei" Yae smiled.
How dare she!!. She knows. She knows about the dangerous woman. Just as he faced her, the pink woman did too.
Kenshin took a mouthful of air and showed an indignant expression. He can no longer scare the pink woman with this. How can he win then?.
Yae used this unusual thoughtful state of Kenshin's to grab him by the scruff of his neck, not allowing his weaponized hand to reach her.
Kenshin didn't even notice that, as focused as he was on his future war plans.
"He is not possessed, but he has a dangerous ability that could cause problems for your family if he is not taught" Yae decided to reveal the truth by laying it out.
"What can we do then?" Yahiko felt worried about his son, but their family didn't have the money to pay for somebody to teach him. Was anybody even able to teach him?
Yae gulped with a wry expression. There is no choice. Only one path forward, no matter how painful it is.
"He...will have to live in the shrine" Yae cried inwardly.
"Really?" Yahiko looked excited. This way Kenshin will be able to have a great life, living in the shrine and being taught by the holy people here. This was the best option for Kenshin, even better than getting adopted into one of the 3 ruling families. The shrine was a sacred 'institution' after all.
"Really..." Miyuki looked sour. Having to take care of the Slapping Baby, as he was known around, was nothing short of a nightmare.
"Yes" even the serious Guuji had an expression tinged with despair thinking about the future years that awaited her.
Even if she had more than 500 years under her metaphorical belt, she knew from this moment that the following 15 years would be the longer ones.
"Thank you!. Thank you!" Yahiko bowed repeatedly. For the Guuji to teach his son was nothing short of a miracle. It didn't have anything to do with how calm his house would be, and how he could walk around his own house without worrying about getting randomly slapped by a baby that liked to ambush him.
Results of the day:
Yae lost big, Miyuki lost big, Kenshin lost, and Yahiko and Mio kept their sanity.