Heishin crumbled the note into a ball, like all letters before hand, it said the same:
"Enishi was not in the location searched"
Heishin cursed to himself, he had tried all the obvious and unobvious places to find where Enishi could be, Heishin had to ensure Enishi was dead, he would not be able to keep hold of the syndicate if Enishi were to return. Heishin still had so many places he could search through... the place of Enishi's birth, where his sister was murdered, the estate that Enishi was adopted in to, but he had no idea where those places were. That bastard Enishi had covered up the locations of these places all to well, no one in the syndicate knew anything about where these places were, much less that Enishi's had had a sister. Without Enishi the syndicate began to fall apart, mistakes had began to show up all over the place, and the police had started to pull the syndicate apart, some say even from the inside.
Heishin leaned forward resting his chin on his enclosed hands. During the two months that he was in prison the syndicate had changed greatly. Some branches of it broke off once word of Enishi and his disappearance had gotten around, most of those groups had been found and dispersed by Saitou Hajime, the police officer who had played a significant role in his capture. Saitou Hajime.. Shinmori Aoshi.. Sagara Sanosuke.. and the late Hitokiri Battousai, now Himura Kenshin.. Heishin cursed each one of them, he now had his own reasons for hating them, especially Himura Kenshin. If Enishi hadn't lost to the Battousai he would have been able to keep a stronger hold of the syndicate. Heishin's focus was broken by a knock at the door
"Heishin-sama, Arei-san wishes to speak with you" Heishin felt his blood go cold, Arei, possibly the most loyal member of the syndicate to Enishi. She had been pressuring him to find Enishi ever since he had returned, and always criticizing him for not being able to pull the syndicate together. Heishin feared she might try to kill him if he was unable to either find Enishi or bring the syndicate back to what it used to be. He would have killed her if not for her popularity within the syndicate, she was now considered the second in command by the remaining syndicate members. Heishin reconfirmed that his remaining two guards were still standing next to him.
"Alright, let her through" Heishin sat up straight and tried to hide his fear behind a more auspicious face. The door opened and the man bowed to Heishin, then to Arei as she entered. Heishin grinned slightly as she entered, in hope's of furthering his disguise.
Arei didn't care how hard Heishin tried to hide his fear, she always knew it was there, not that she really cared about Heishin at all. No, she only let him live because he was currently all that was left holding the syndicate, her home, together, if he did not prove to her that he was a capable leader she would do away with him and take his place.
"You didn't find Enishi-sama." It was more of a statement then a question, she knew that Enishi wouldn't go to such a place as Kyoto, she didn't even want to go with Heishin, but something told her to. "Enishi-sama wouldn't be hiding Heishin, I told you that, there's no point in looking in such pointless places."
Arei looked at almost blankly, but there was something behind it that always gave Heishin the chills. He had only noticed it after he was freed from his encampment, he could only assume it was something to do with Enishi's disappearance. You stupid girl, Enishi has likely killed himself by now, without revenge that man had nothing. Heishin didn't dare say something like that to her, even with his two guards next to him, he was unsure of her skill, but did know that Enishi had given her some training and that was enough to hold him back.
"Searching for Enishi was not my only intension when I came here Arei." Heishin closed his eyes as he spoke, smiling to himself, his plan would work perfectly "As you know Shinmori Aoshi resides in Kyoto, along with the Oniwaban group. He was one of the men who played a role in our defeat."
"Your defeat." Arei added in, knowing full well that Aoshi had never fought against Enishi, because if Aoshi had he would be dead. Heishin's eye twitched slightly at this comment, but quickly recovered himself and gave her a malicious smile.
"Either way, revenge should be sought against all those who played a role, Aoshi will be the first. I have decided you will--"
"Don't think I'm an idiot Heishin." Arei narrowed her eyes as she spoke "You think I'm not a skilled enough warrior to defeat Aoshi, it will be your way of killing me, and no one could blame you correct?" Heishin stared dumbfounded, how could she have known? "That's fine though," she said a small smile gracing her face "you are right to say that he did play a role during your defeat and revenge should be taken, without Aoshi things would have played out much differently. I will obey your request and assassinate Shinmori Aoshi." Arei bowed to Heishin and turned to leave, stopping at the door "For your sake I hope he knows something about where Enishi sama is." With that Arei exited the room, smiling to herself that she could provoke so much fear in the man.