Saito came back to Tokyo. He is only passing through; when that damn Inspector (the new one) just stoped by to 'give him the news'.
All he came for was to finally settle the score with Sanosuke, when the police inspector comes to the dojo.
Fury boiled in the chill of his blood.
If you were to look at him, you could make the mistake of believing he was not Fugita Goro, but a man who knew not only of the political behaviour and protocol that every Imperialist officer of the law should, oh no. He appeared to look a like a man, who still had the deep scarlet liquid on his lips, still fresh and warm from his victim. The smell of death, or at least the impression, hung around him like a natural odour, his scent. A bloody wolf with the keen eyes that helped him move stealthily from shadow to shadow in the black of night, and the haze of chaos.
Where he was at home. His natural habitat.
Even when out of his norm of red streets, all these years later, and even if you didn't know him or his past…you knew.
There was just something about the way he held himself, poised in a relaxed stance, tall, and yet unnerved by anything around him and always on guard.
Relaxed, but on guard.
Always on guard.
Some may see this man, who know this man, as a traitor and a turn coat. The once Captain of the third troop of the merciless Shinsengumi. But now, a police officer for the Imperialists he was once apposed?
Even if you did feel he was a sell out, you wouldn't dare say it to his face. And the very few, the very, very few, who actually knew about him, knew he had his own agenda to bring down every Imperialist (when corrupt) from the government that he could. And to uphold his life long pledge, his vow to the Shinsengumi Shogunate.
Aku Soku Zan.
This way of life alone is what keeps this man where he is in the grand scheme of things. While ever there is evil to slay, this man will lend his heightened senses and sharpened claws to the government, 'obediently', if you could call it that.
With all this in mind, seeing him here like this, the new Inspector couldn't find the strength to approach this man. Even as he reminded himself that this was one of his colleges that he would now have to work closer to than anyone else, he still kept his distance.
"Excuse me." Saito Hijime tried to stay as calm as the wolf could, under the circumstances. He hadn't come all the way to Tokyo for this. He held his left hand on his hilt, making sure the inspector could see it from standing all the way by the front gates, as if he thought he was any safer with the distance between them. Saito then slipped his white-gloved right hand into his uniform shirt, and took out his smoke box. "Did you just say what I thought you did?" He looked intimidating even as he lit his cigarette. But inside he was counting all the different ways to slice his chest open.
So far he had 12.
He may not wear his fury on his sleeve like most men, or allow for such emotions to cloud his mind over many things, but he still felt it. Especially over such things like what the Inspector just said.
"W well…" the inspector pulled on his collar, feeling the intense heat coming from the government pardoned assassin of the late Shinsengumi. "Well…we feel that it is time that…well that is to say that…"
"Out with it inspector. You would think you were afraid of something…of someone." He smirked evilly.
"Now Saito, you should show more respect to the Inspector, that you should. He is only doing his job." The inspector was relived when Kenshin Himura, the most valiant man he had ever met, walked up to stand next to Saito. He felt safe again, unlike when he was alone with the Shinsengumi wolf. He suddenly felt as if the man's claws had withdrawn unwillingly from the arrival of the red haired samurai.
Kenshin was wearing his tame wonderer smile and his bright lavender eyes, a strange but lovable contrast to his wild fiery red hair, barely controlled by a single hair tie. Even with the famous cross shaped scar on his left cheek, this man had a misleadingly docile appearance.
He took his place next to Saito, the only man in history to ever feel safe enough to do so uninvited, and smiled to the Inspector. "Although, it is a surprise to see either of you on such a fine day, that it is. We didn't know you were coming. May I be the first to congratulate both on you on your recent promotions, Inspector-" Kenshin bowed his head to the man who used to be the police Chief. He still wore his small circular glasses, and still seemed nervous around them both. "And you Chief." He did the same to Saito. He then chuckled at the look of distaste on his face. Obviously he didn't have a say in his promotion. This is a good change for Saito, that it is. This way, he will not work in the field as much. He then had to suppress the urge to giggle loudly. I bet he loved that!
But another thought occurred to Kenshin which changed his expression to a serious one immediately. His loving smile transformed into a patient, albeit sharp blankness. Only his keen eyes, narrowed in focus, displayed his seriousness.
It was like looking at another man.
Two police officers at the Dojo…? "Has there been a disturbance?" Kenshin held the hilt of his sword subconsciously, and Saito smirked. He had done the same thing only moments before.
Although what he classed as something to worry about, and what the Battōsai classed as something to be worried about, are two different things entirely.
"No, no not at all." the Chief smiled. "It's just." And then he was nervous again, as the sharp amber eyes of the newly promoted chief bore into him.
"Just what inspector?" Kenshin relaxed, glad there was no danger.
"Well, it has been suggested to me that Saito be rewarded with a promotion, which he knows of."
"Indeed I do. But that is not what you struggled to repeat a few moments ago, was it now inspector?"
"Well, I, well." He stuttered.
"Saito." Kenshin rolled his and chuckled. "He won't hurt you inspector." He took a deep breath and said it all in one.
"Saitohasanewcadettraineepartner!"
"Saito…has a…new…" Kenshin didn't catch it all. But Saito had, and he drew his sword from its sheath, stalking towards the inspector like only the alpha wolf could.
"Here is what I think to that proposal!" The inspector stepped back, only for his back to come up against the closed wooden doors of the entrance.
Trapped.
"Saito!" Kenshin appeared out of no where, blocking his path.
"A cadet trainee partner." He spat. "Me, train a brat!"
"I think you will like this one." The Inspector gulped through his smile, cold sweat beading on his brow.
"I will be the judge of that." The icy tone of his voice sent chills down the inspector's spine. "And I highly doubt it."
"Come now Saito, it could be nice to have a partner. I have always appreciated company rather than not these days, that I have."
"But I-"
"But you are just soft, Battōsai." Someone quipped before Saito had the chance, a feat that as of yet seemed impossible. All eyes looked for where the feminine voice had come from, and looked up to the skies.
Or in actual fact, the roof.
Sat back on her hands with her legs overhanging the tiled edge of the dojo roof, knee over knee, with black shoes, long navy blue trousers, a navy blue uniform shirt alike to Saito's, with a red rim from the collar across the front, right shoulder to left hip, which happened to house a rather large, thick looking Japanese sword, voluptuous curves and ample breasts fighting for freedom from her tight fitting uniform, a long slender neck, pale cream skin, almost waist long wild black hair that looked glossy in the autumn sun, cascading down her back, petal rose lips quirked in a confident smirk, sharp amber eyes…was one hell of a woman! "Hello Battōsai." Her voice was silky, seductive, but cunning like her eyes.
"Wow, who's the broad?" Sagara Sanosuke, also known as Sano, leaned with one shoulder next to Kenshin, now sandwiching him between him and Saito. Not the most pleasant of places to be...
"When did you get here Sano?" Kenshin chuckled cheerfully, not noticing the look on Saito's face. "It's not nice to point you know."
"The Missy wanted me to tell you that the tea is ready and when did they all get here?"
"Humph." The alluring young woman sat up and started to dust off her hands. "Moron."
"HAY!" Sano turned automatically to Saito, who put his hands up with a smirk.
"For once, it wasn't me. Pity." He then folded his arms, his cigarette hanging out of his mouth and looked to the young girl on the roof. "Do you intend to come down here or wait for an invitation?"
"I was hoping a gentleman would give me an assist." She flicked her hair to one side, catching the light perfectly, and then snapped her hands onto the roof ledge. She lifted herself up on her hands vertically, and flipped down to land on feet like an acrobat before Saito, like she had been stood there talking to him the entire time and continued the conversation. "But I see there are no gentlemen here. Present company excluded, of course."
"Of course." A few moments of them simply smirking at each other, and it began.
"Daddy!" the woman suddenly transformed into a little girl and flung herself at Saito.
"D…d…daddy?" Sano pointed still, a look of utter confusion and disbelief on his face, and Kenshin had one to match.
"Sano, did she just call Saito…"
"Are you both morons?" Saito commented rhetorically, although it almost appeared as if he wanted an answer… "This is my daughter." Saito released her (in other words grabbed her arms and pushed her off him) and folded his arms once more.
"Wait just a second here. I find out a few weeks ago you have a wife." Kenshin looked past his babbling friend and to the girl. She looked very young now that she wasn't using her father's trademark smirk, and had hair much alike to Ms Megumi. But her fringe was in curtains, each half curved over messily just above each eye. She also wore the police hat on her head, with the red band around it and a golden star in the centre. He slipped past Sano. "And now I find out you have a daughter too?"
"Is that really that hard to believe? Or are you simply too stupid to comprehend it? I highly doubt you even know what to do with a woman to produce such a 'mysterious act', as a child."
"What!"
"I had always wondered why I never saw you around women. Perhaps you…go elsewhere." He smirked when Sano started threatening that rematch that Saito knew the boy would lose. Meanwhile, Kenshin had slipped past them both and stood next to the young girl.
"It's nice to meet you, that it is. My name is-"
"Kenshin Himura, the Battōsai." Kenshin chuckled nervously. This was like talking to Saito. She just knew everything and wasn't ashamed to show when she was bored! She even yawned into her hands delicately, before turning to face him with the same intense expression as her father. The young girl had gone.
"So what is your name?" Kenshin waited with his usual honest smile, his fiery red hair held back in only a pigtail, wearing a maroon Gi top and his normal white Hakame trousers. His famous reverse blade holy sword seemed strangely enough a comfort to him, whilst facing such an intimidating woman. I can tell she is Saito's child.
"My name is Shishi Hajime, cadet police officer in training under the Kyoto 6th squad, officer number 66." She then slipped one white gloved hand into the open dip of her uniform shirt, giving an eyeful of her cleavage in the process, and made him blush and look away. When Kenshin looked back, she was holding a shiny silver badge in a folded leather case open for him to see. He sweatdropped when he saw the numbers '666' engraved on the star shaped badge. She held that before his face with her right hand, her left resting in a fist on her hip. "The first number is my squad, and the last two my personal cereal number I gained after enrolment. I have been in the force now since the age of 12 as a member of the police youth. I then progressed into the training stages and await official enrolment as a trained officer of the law." Shishi stated as if producing a credentials list to him. Very much down to business, he concluded. "I have shown great skills in the gathering of information behind the scenes and reconnaissance in the field, the art of hand to hand combat when without a weapon, and with my sword." Kenshin had already scanned over her weapon, out of habit. It is a little thick to be a Japanese sword…"As of yet I have never needed to use my hand to hand abilities in apprehending anyone."
"And why is that Ms Shishi?" he was still smiling, amazingly. Her eyes narrowed and her smirk was something that would put both Saito and Ms Megumi to shame.
"Because I have yet to meet a man who can take my sword from me." The confident look that still ruled her face told him that she was certainly not joking, or even boasting.
"Well, heh heh, aren't you just the little angel." The girl raised a brow, and Saito reared on him instantly.
"How dare you make a move on my daughter!"
"W what Saito I wasn't I-" Kenshin waved his hands in the air before him showing absolute submission and innocence, but since when did that ever stop Saito? You'd think he was expecting mercy from him or something.
Saito was stood over him in an instant.
"I would appreciate your absolute respect towards my daughter, at the risk of-"
"Ruffling your feathers?" Shishi added with a smirk.
"My my Saito, the little Missy here seems to have fangs too. Inherited?" Sano snickered at her father.
"You better believe it." She answered for him. She then had a dark look in her eyes and smirked with her full lips. "I have claws too, wanna see?"
"Down, Shishi." Saito placed his hand on her shoulder. But he was hardly telling her off with the hint of amusement in his voice, and the clear smirk on his face. "We wouldn't want the rooster to meet his ends by the lioness just yet."
"Lioness?" Sano asked as he blinked.
"Shishi means Lioness, I believe. Is that right Ms Shishi?"
"Clever boy." She winked at him, and Saito couldn't hide the flash of anger across his features, before he hid it. Kenshin however couldn't hide the blush on his cheeks.
"I wouldn't call anyone boy or girl around here. They are all older than you."
"And you point is?" she put her hands on her hips, and looked over her shoulder at her father.
"That you are the child here and should show your betters your respect."
"Should…" she put her hands on her hips and continued her smirk at her father.
"Yes." He folded his arms, and used his height on her to look down at her. She was only tall enough to come to his chest after all. Both Amber eyes twinkled with mirth.
"Should huh?"
"Yes, should."
"And, how, exactly, do you intend to enforce this…command?"
"The same way I usually do." He smirked even more. "By pulling on you my rank, and my sword." Within a flash Saito had his sword drawn and poised in his famous Gatotsu stance, his arm elongated above his sword.
"Is that all?" just as quickly, Shishi jumped back and did something odd. First, she flicked the end of her sword out with her thumb, and sheathed it again. Then she drew a shiny, polished to perfection Japanese sword, Katana, and took the stance of her father, with a twist. She licked her lips at him and cocked her head to one side confidently. Kenshin found himself, even in the worrying situation, wondering if this incline of the head affected the Gatotsu style or not…"I thought you had something more along the lines of a deterrent, not an invitation."
"…S…Saito?" Kenshin was ready to step in if needed. The tension was so thick; he doubted he could even cut it the dull side of his sword.
They just stood like that, smirking and waiting for the other to move. They both looked like they were loving this! Saito was stood in the grounds, not too far from the shocked inspector, who was now quite forgotten, and Shishi stood just before Kenshin and Sano before the house.
After what seemed like 15 minutes of silence, they both relaxed and withdrew their swords.
"You never did back down did you?"
"Once you start a fight, you shouldn't look back."
"When you start anything you shouldn't look back." Saito smirked at her, and then looked to the two stunned men at the steps. "What are you looking at?"
"Saito? What are you doing here?"
"Oh Ms Kaoru, good morning." Kaoru was wearing her training white Gi and her wooden sword tucked down her belt. "We are just waiting to find that out ourselves, that we are." Saito and his daughter slid their swords into their sheathes in perfect sync, and walked side by side over to them. Kenshin took the broom from Kaoru's hands, and smiled at her sweetly. "This is Saito's daughter Shishi. She will be Saito's new trainee I believe. Isn't that right inspector?" Saito snapped his head round to stare at the inspector, who was terrified at the look in Saito's eyes.
"Is that true?" Saito demanded.
"Yes father, it is." Shishi bowed to her father and kept her head bowed over in respect. She even put her hands together before her to show her absolute submission to him. Her long black hair fell forward and veiled her face from site with her hat. "I have trained almost all my life under your teachings and the teachings of the police academy. I made a vow to uphold the peace and protect the weak upon enrolment, and a vow to you. Aku Soku Zan."
"Slay evil immediately." Saito folded his arms, smirking down at her. Kenshin raised a worried brow when he heard her recite the Shinsengumi code. And she just used the Gatotsu stance… Saito you didn't! He hoped he was wrong.
"Yes, and I have sworn to uphold those vows for as long as I take breath. I have trained under you and in private to be the best I can, and I wish to prove myself to you once and for all." She raised her head and once again looked like that little girl Kenshin saw earlier. "I want to make you proud daddy." The Inspector tried to leave, but Saito snapped his head from his smiling daughter to look right at him.
"And where do you think you are going?"
"To inform the commander of the good news."
"I haven't made my decision just yet, Sir." Saito looked over his daughter again.
"W what do you mean father?" Shishi said with nervous alarm. "You will trail me, won't you?" but he said nothing. She blinked, and Kenshin frowned as he saw tears start to glisten in her large, child like amber eyes. She must really adore him to revert to a simple child when she looks at him, that she must. Poor child. "Daddy…?"
"No." He said coldly, and he turned his back to her and started to walk off. "And you can tell the commissioner or whoever gave that order the same answer as well."
"But…" Shishi looked frozen. "Daddy…" but he didn't stop. He was so cold and walked up to the Inspector. Kenshin reached forward to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she had already stepped out of his reach. "FATHER!" she seethed, grabbing the hilt of her sword, her teeth grit together and tears falling down her face. "You…you bastard!"
"WHAT did you call me you INSULENT brat!" He barked immediately, stopping dead.
"I called you a BASTARD!" And Saito instantly turned on his heels and marched over to her, holding the hilt of his sword as well.
"How DARE you!"
"NO!" she pushed his chest hard and seethed at him. She pulled her hat off and smacked him across the face with it.
Everyone gasped. "How dare YOU!" Saito glared down at his daughter, everyone was just frightened that someone had just assaulted Saito, and socked that they weren't dead yet. Even Kenshin was on alert to step in at a moments notice. "I have trained ALL MY LIFE for you! When other girls were sitting with their mothers learning how to cook and sow and dance and sing and all that other crap, I was holding a sword and almost breaking my back in the middle of the sweltering sun all day, and nearly all night! Mother was the one who had to make you tell me to stop!"
"Shishi-"
"I'M NOT FINISHED!" she screamed, and stepped right up to him, chest to chest and facing him square on. She certainly has courage to do that, that she does. "I have dedicated my entire life to prove myself to you! In battle, AND out! I joined the police force to be like you! I trained under the Gatotsu teachings to be like you! I want to prove myself to you!"
"You stupid child." He spat.
"I only want to prove myself to you, you self centred, sarcastic, cold hearted bastard that I idolised my entire life around! Even myself!"
"Poor kid." Sano shuddered when she snapped her head over to him with a glare worthy of Saito.
"Stay out of this you fucking rooster head!"
"Shishi I have had enough of this outrageous behaviour. When we get home-"
"I'm not coming." Saito froze, and looked to her.
"What…did you just…say?"
"I, am not, coming." She then raised her head, closed her eyes and simply tugged at the wrists of her gloves casually. She had reverted back into that cold woman that Kenshin first saw her as. The Saito-carbon-she-copy. "If you will not allow me to prove myself to you, whom I requested…" Saito then looked to the Inspector, who looked away from his gaze, proving this was true. "…then I have no father and thus, I have no home." She turned away from him and walked right up to Ms Kaoru. "I will require a place to stay. I will be paying for food and board, in advance." She took a money pouch out of her shirt collar and handed it to her. Kaoru was at a loss what to do. So she allowed the pouch to be placed in her hands, and just stared at it. "And if anyone at all, anyone, tries to visit me…" she paused, letting them know she meant Saito. "Only tell them I am available after consulting me first. And not at all if they are not in uniform, which I highly doubt."
"Stop this right now. Don't be ridiculous." Saito grabbed her shoulder. "Do you honestly think I will just let you do this to your mother?" but inside he was furious…with himself. She wanted to prove herself to me? Why on Earth would she need to do that?
"There you go again!" she was acting like a little girl again, hurt and distressed. It was hard for Kenshin to keep up. It was like this woman was two people, a cold hard hearted woman, and a delicate little girl. "To your mother. Never you! You never miss me, or care about me! You don't even come to see me when you come home! Last time, you came home and left without even saying hello to me! Never mind a goodbye!" Tears fell down her face and she stomped her foot. "You never care…YOU NEVER HAVE!"
"HOLD you tongue young lady." He yanked on her arm.
"Fuck you!" she backhanded him across the face, making him release her and step back in shock, and walked calmly with clenched fists over to the entrance steps of the dojo. Kenshin looked from Saito to Shishi. Saito had one gloved hand over his red cheek, looking wide eyed at his daughter and at a loss for what to do or say next, and Shishi had her back tall, fists by her sides still and her fringe covering her eyes from view. He couldn't read her emotions, which worried him.
Shishi placed her cap on again, brushing herself off and did not addressed her stunned father once. Until- "I never want to see you again. Good day, Chief." She managed with a clearly void voice, and walked slowly towards Ms Kaoru, who was just as stunned silent as everyone else. Shishi stopped before her.
"Oh…you will want to know where you are staying…" Kaoru looked over her shoulder to Kenshin, who joined them.
Saito still hadn't moved.
"Perhaps it would be a good idea to allow Ms Shishi to stay here for a while, while certain issues are resolved after the involved people have had time to clear their thoughts and minds, that it would."
"Right." After having the go ahead from Kenshin, Kaoru was more than happy to take Shishi's money and take her to her room. "Right this way Ms Hajime." Kaoru smiled, though she was deep in thought on the inside. It seems I have begun to take in a lot of stragglers these days… she started to count them off on her hands. Yahiko, Kenshin, Sano…that food hog…and now Shishi too.
"Saito." Kenshin spoke in a serious tone, placing a hand up on his shoulder. This however seemed to be just what he needed to bring him back to reality and he jerked his shoulder out of his reach. "We will take good care of her, that we will."
"You shouldn't…"
"Have to?" he sighed, looking to Sano who grabbed Yahiko as he just arrived with the laundry for Kenshin, and began to fill him in on the way. "I believe she is just in shock. I get the impression she adores you Saito." He smiled at him warmly, even though Saito refused to look at him. So Kenshin spoke to his back instead, folding his arms with his hands inside his large maroon sleeves. "I can see it in her eyes. The way she called you 'daddy'. And she did say she only wanted to prove herself to you. Being your apprentice is probably the greatest honour you could give her."
"I can't…" he clenched his fists. His cigarette had fallen out of his mouth a long time ago. "I…can't…"
"I understand, that I do." Kenshin looked up to the sky and over to a tree by the Dojo. "Oh look Saito. A nest of blue tits." Saito grit his teeth in frustration. His daughter had just about run away from home and said she hated him, and all the Battōsai could do is look at the damn birds! "It is truly wonderful, that it is. To see how the parents birds work together to equip their young so that they can leave the nest. The babes will either fall to their deaths, or fly higher than any other creature. O oh," he chuckled "-it seems that little one wants to fly too soon." Saito turned to look at the nest now, and saw the smallest, fluffiest looking baby blue tit edging over the nest he had ever seen. But the larger blue bird, he couldn't tell its gender, swooped a wing around it and pushed it back in. "And there you have your answer Saito." Saito looked to Kenshin, confused at his logic. "As the parent, you have to decide whether she is ready to fly, or will she fall. But if she can fly, you should let her, because all children need to leave the nest one day. That's just the way nature works, that it is." Kenshin had his eyes closed with a serine smile on his face, as he walked towards the Dojo. "We will care for her until you decide otherwise Saito, that we will."
"Thank you…damn Battōsai." He spat with a smirk, and left with the inspector.
The first thing Kenshin saw was Ms Kaoru as she walked around the corner and head first into his chest.
"Oh! Kenshin! I'm so sorry-I just needed to get a spare blanket and bed for Ms Hajime. This place wasn't meant to be an inn, so she will have to sleep in my room with me."
"I will come and help you, that I will."
"Oh, thank you Kenshin." Kaoru smiled sweetly despite looking ready for battle in her white training attire, and led the way to the store house (where Kenshin sleeps, incidentally lol).
Meanwhile, Saito got into the coach with the Inspector, who was still on edge.
"There is…one more thing I regret to inform you, some…bad news." The sharp look he got was more than a warning. "You see…we may have another mission for you and the Battōsai."
"But you misunderstand Inspector." A smirk appeared on his face for the first time since his 'argument' with his daughter. "That isn't bad news at all. Please, do tell."
"Do you remember the operative under Shishio's command called Hoji?" Saito nodded.
"Yes I do. He is the one that gathered the Juppongatana and planned out the take over of Japan with Shishio. Is he still in prison?"
"Well…" the Inspector sighed. "During a transfer to a secure location, he escaped. We were going to offer him and underground deal to work for the government, but somehow he escaped."
"Somehow? You mean you don't even know how he escaped?"
"30 men were guarding him in the transfer." The Inspector looked out the carriage window at the passing scenery. He sighed wishing all was truly as peaceful as it looked. "All were found brutally murdered. By Sword wounds."
"So someone is looking out for our little rat are they? And you need me to track them down?"
"Well, actually no. You see." The Inspector turned in his seat and sighed. "This event happened last week."
"Why was I only informed of this now!" the Inspector had to remember that rank meant nothing to this man.
"Because it wouldn't have done any good. You see, we had no information to give you, to track him down."
"And now you do?" Saito took out his smoke box again, and lit up another cigarette.
"Yes. Grave news. It appears our 'little rat', as you so wonderfully phrase it, has a new piper."
"Working for another master you mean? Interesting." He took a long drag of his smoke, still stressed from the affair with his daughter back at the Dojo. I can not allow her to become involved in my work.
"And it seems that even in a week, he has begun to gather and recruit people with certain skills. We suspect he is trying to create another syndicate."
"Or another Juppongatana."
"Or both." He sighed, and sat back again. "But as these are once again the early stages, we have no real evidence to support this theory. All we know is, we have an operative posing as a swordsman who went for an interview to be apart of this new force. He was accepted, barely, and returned to us with some significant Intel. Hoji and his new master will be holding a meeting in Kyoto very soon where plans will be drawn up with these gathered swordsmen. Although, it seems that good assassins are hard to find these days, as the men our operative saw were all drunkard thugs. Even I could handle them all."
"But because it is Hoji and we don't know who he serves now or their plans for Japan, you want me to go and snoop, is that it?" Smoke started to make a wispy layer at the top of the carriage, and the Inspector was grateful that their journey to the police station was nearly at an end. He couldn't stand smoke.
"No actually, we intended to send both yourself, and the Battōsai. We don't want to take any chances, it was too close for comfort last time, with Shishio."
"Well, you know what they say about Karma."
"Saito please-."
"I hate you Imperialist scum." The Chief was silenced, and felt very intimidated again. "I am not going to sugar coat anything or coddle you. You made a mistake, and Shishio came to bite you in the ass." He chuckled darkly. "Or Himura in the neck."
"Yes, I heard about that." He held his own neck and cringed. "Nasty business."
"I know, I was there." Saito saw a flash of blue and focused on a small baby bird flying along with the carriage, the parents flying along side it. So they let it fly. For some reason, this felt significant to him.
"I will be sending you to Kyoto in the morning." The Inspector was relieved when the carriage stopped outside of headquarters. He had spent enough time with this man for one day. Or a lifetime, if he could help it. "And Ms Kaoru Kamiya has already informed me unknowingly that they will also be in the Kyoto area at the same time. So you can address Mr Himura with the issue then. Good day Chief Goro." He bowed his head, but Saito didn't return the gesture.
"Good day." Saito took that long, hated walk to his office (he has one now he is a Chief) and sat behind his desk alone.
How did this happen to him? The wolf had been put on a leash like a mere dog, through a promotion. How can he slay evil with a pen and paper? I will not take this sitting down, that's for sure. He then snarled and folded his arms. Taking a deep drag of his smoke, and thought again to the most pressing thing on his mind. Shishi. Why is proving yourself to me so important? You know I love you, and that is why I can't let you walk in my footsteps too much. You have done enough as it is. Tomorrow is another day.
Yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow he would go to Kyoto and pick up his daughter on the way. She will have come to her senses by then. She wasn't like other girls. If anything, she thought like he did. And he wouldn't act in such an emotional way. Shishi will wake up tomorrow, realise how irrational she had behaved and come home. But what do I tell Tokio in the mean time?