Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin was created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. This fanfiction was written purely for fun.
Note: This story is very heavily an Enishi/Kaoru pairing and, although set in the same time period as the manga, deviates far from the original plot. If you are a Kenshin/Kaoru fan or if alternative pairings and non-cannon storylines made you sad, then don't read this.
Enishi frowned as he reread the report on the desk in front of him. He wished that he could focus all of his mind on his personal matters at the moment, but the syndicate headquarters in Shanghai insisted on sending him regular updates on their business even after he had made it clear that he was leaving the syndicate after he had concluded his jinchuu.
He had to admit, though, he did not think at first that his jinchuu would last this long. When he had left the puppet of Kaoru's likeness for Battousai to find, he had expected the former hitokiri to either kill himself in grief or to find out about the deception and come find him to settle the score right away. He did not think that the man would withdraw into himself and exile himself in Rakinumura. Although that was still acceptable, it was inconclusive, and he was still waiting for Battousai's life to end.
It was now a month that had passed, and Battousai appeared to be resolute in his exile. Even the girl he had abducted had stopped moping and waiting for any sort of rescue. Truly, after the first week, she had stopped looking out the window waiting for a ship to come. Instead, she had taken to doing mundane things around the house such as cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes. Enishi thought it was a welcome change, for having seen the forlorn look on her face reminded him too much of his sister after Kiyosato Akira's death. He knew Kamiya Kaoru was just trying to keep herself busy to pass the time, and he quietly obliged her by providing her a bokken so she would able to do some training on her own, and he had also scrounged up some Japanese books in his library so she could also read. He was mildly surprised at himself for these small acts of kindness, but he rationalized it by thinking that it was better to have her do something useful than pine for Battousai.
It was because she was reading one of his books that she was with him in his library. She was reclined on the couch by the window, reading through a book on Japanese swords, occasionally looking up to stare out at the mild afternoon. From time to time, Enishi caught her glancing at him, but she hadn't done anything to disturb him so he did not see any point in sending her out of the room while he worked.
Enishi turned his mind on the task at hand and his eyes narrowed as he read the report for the third time. Those useless fools. I leave Shanghai for two months and already they can't get a handle on that drug deal. If they allow those middlemen to dictate the prices, soon they will be losing much more than their bargaining power.
He set the report aside, his frown deepening. There were others in the syndicate who were capable of being as forceful as him. He wondered why they couldn't be as good an enforcer as he was.
"Everything all right, Enishi?"
He turned his turquoise eyes on the girl. Kamiya. Since she had come to the island, she had taken to calling him by his given name though he insisted on addressing her formally himself. He did not bother to correct her, he honestly did not mind. She treated him with enough respect and formality and kept the right amount of distance from him. He was surprised and a little relieved that she seemed to know his moods. She knew when to leave him alone, and she knew when he welcomed a little conversation.
"The syndicate in Shanghai is having some problems," he said. "No doubt they will be asking me to come back, although I already made it clear I was planning to leave by the time I finish my personal affairs here."
She set aside the book. "I thought you were the boss?" she asked.
"In Japan, yes, because I handle all the syndicate's affairs here," he said. "But in Shanghai, I answer to someone higher up than me."
"I see," she said, biting her lip. "What happens if you do get called back?"
He stood up, scraping his chair back, and walked to the window. It was a possibility. "I would have to go back. If the syndicate falls apart before I finish jinchuu, the rest of my assets will disappear as well, and I need to protect them."
Kaoru gazed at him. "What about me?" she asked.
"Battousai will have to snap out of his stupor and move before I need to go back to Shanghai," he said testily. "If not…. I'll have to take you with me."
She gasped at this, and he couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for her. She had not expected to get abducted, and certainly did not expect to be away for as long as a month. Now there was a possibility of her being taken to a different country.
He looked down at her. "I will still return you to Tokyo, I fully intend to do so, but not until jinchuu is completed."
"I know," she said.
He nodded. It was strange, how she trusted his words. For all intents and purposes, he was her enemy. He was going to kill the man she loved, he had orchestrated events to hurt her friends, he had kidnapped her and held her prisoner on this island. However, in spite of all that, she had not raged at him. Instead, she had started to talk to him, short conversations, and after that Enishi realized how she could have allowed Battousai into her home. The woman was truly altruistic, with not a bad bone in her entire body.
They looked at each other in silence for a while, until Kaoru broke off eye contact. "I'll get started on dinner," she murmured.
"Don't bother," he said, nodding towards the horizon where he spied a small dot on the horizon. It was the ship their syndicate used. "Some of my people are arriving shortly. They will have brought food."
Kaoru looked out at the approaching ship as well. "All this, just so you wouldn't have to endure my cooking?" she teased half-heartedly.
Enishi's mouth twisted into a small smile. She had much to learn in terms of the culinary arts. "Of course. I endure it more than enough for the rest of the week." Then he turned serious. "When they arrive, confine yourself in your room. I will bring you food after we have concluded our business."
A flash of irritation crossed her face, but she did not protest vocally. She knows her place, Enishi thought with satisfaction.
He returned to his desk and proceeded to put away the papers that littered its surface, pulling them all into one pile. Kaoru took this as a sign that Enishi was preparing for the arrival of his men, so she took her book and, with a small bow to Enishi, left the library.
Enishi waited until the ship docked by the island. With his sharp eyes, he saw that it was not who he expected it to be. He was expecting Wu Heishin, the other man in the syndicate who had accompanied him to Japan. Instead, the figure emerging from the ship was that of a tall man. It's Lei, he thought.
Enishi went out of the house to meet the newcomer. Lei Feng Bai was one of the senior members of the syndicate, and handled the weapons division. He was tall, with a build similar to Enishi's, except he was less muscular. He was an exceptional fighter as well, using a traditional Chinese sword to fight. He was also a sensible person, and Enishi was certain that he had no reason to fear for Kaoru's safety from Lei.
"Enishi," Lei said when he came within earshot.
"Lei," Enishi said in greeting. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Ming sent me," Lei said, referring to the syndicate's Shanghai boss. "He figured if it was Heishin who came to talk to you, you would just send him away."
"I would," Enishi agreed.
They fell into step beside each other as they made their way into the house. "How is your personal matter coming along?" Lei asked.
"Why are you here, really?" Enishi asked pointedly. "I care not for the small talk."
Lei sighed. "The syndicate is having problems. Ming keeps sending you reports, I'm sure you've read them."
"He wants me back in Shanghai?"
"Yes."
Enishi swore under his breath. "Can you not handle it yourselves?"
Lei ran a hand through his jet black hair. "Someone keeps hitting our drug factories. Already, we have lost a lot of money and resources. With you and Heishin here, nobody is helping Ming with transferring the money around to keep the other businesses of the syndicate afloat. Ming thinks this is a direct attack on the syndicate, an attempt to destroy us, so he is asking if you could come back until it is resolved. He said it would be the last thing he asks of you."
They reached the house, and as they crossed its foyer, Lei held up a package. "I even brought you food to help soften you up," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.
Enishi took the package and placed it in the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, thinking of everything Lei had said. "I suppose I could go back, finish all the work there," he said, knowing he did not have a choice. If the syndicate went down, he would lose a lot of his money as well, and he needed that money to start over in Japan. "However…" He looked out the window into the night, thinking about Kaoru.
"What?" Lei asked.
"I have a girl with me, Kamiya, part of my plan for my revenge," Enishi said. "I'll have to take her with me to Shanghai."
Lei looked guarded. "You know Ming hates bringing outsiders into headquarters. Can you not leave her here with Heishin or his bodyguards?"
Enishi scoffed. "He will have to tolerate it if he wants me back. I cannot leave Kamiya here alone, or with anyone else." Thinking of leaving Kaoru alone with Heishin made Enishi cringe inwardly. That would be the death of the girl.
"Well, I suppose you can," Lei said after a while. "I don't think anybody could tell you what you can or cannot do, anyway. And you know Ming, all he is interested in are results, so if you could help him with this problem I think it will be fine."
Enishi said nothing more as he opened the package Lei had brought. It was a bento box, filled with several different kinds of sushi. He was feeling hungry, and at the back of his mind he knew Kaoru would be hungry as well.
"Kamiya!" he yelled, not wanting to walk up the stairs to knock on Kaoru's bedroom door. His voice was loud in the quiet house. "Kitchen!"
Lei looked unsurprised at Enishi's brusqueness. "Ming wants us to leave right away," he said. "As in, tonight."
"When I am ready," Enishi said with a finality in his tone. "We will need to dock at Yokohama, I need to leave instructions with Heishin regarding my plans. Then we will take a ship to Shanghai from there."
They were interrupted by Kaoru's arrival, an irate expression on her face for being called so rudely. "What were you yelling at me for?" she asked, her hands fisted at her sides.
Enishi nodded to the bento box. "There's food. I thought you'd be hungry."
She paused at his unexpected thoughtfulness, and Enishi hid a smile. He liked knowing that he could still throw her off-balance when she least expected it. Kaoru eyed the bento box, then for the first time, she rested her eyes on Lei.
"This is Lei, one of my associates," Enishi said, gesturing to Lei.
"Kamiya Kaoru," she murmured, walking over to the table to take some of the sushi for herself.
Enishi watched as Lei's dark eyes sized up Kaoru with interest as soon as Kaoru shifted her attention to the food, and he bristled. He stared hard at Lei, until the weapons merchant realized Enishi was telling him to back off the girl. Lei stood up straight and held his hands up to Enishi, as if to say he was keeping his hands off.
"Have you sorted out your business?" Kaoru asked him, unaware of the silent exchange that had taken place.
"We will have to go to Shanghai," Enishi said, not bothering to beat around the bush.
Kaoru almost choked on her food. "What?"
"You heard me right the first time," he said dryly.
She let out a breath, setting down her chopsticks. "How long will I be there?"
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
She bit her lip, and Enishi knew this as a sign that she was trying not to cry. "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?" she asked rhetorically, her voice wavering dangerously.
"No," Enishi affirmed. Then he gave her a way out of the kitchen. "Go pack your things. We will be leaving tonight. You can take the bento box with you, I'm not hungry."
Kaoru threw him one last look before taking the box in both hands and exiting the kitchen. Enishi looked after her and weighed his options. It didn't take him long. There is no way I am leaving her alone with anyone. She is too important in my plans.
Lei was also looking after her as well. When she was safely out of earshot, the Chinese gave a low whistle. "Enishi, you lucky man. You're holed up in this island alone for a month with that woman?"
"She's an important part of my revenge, Lei. She's off limits," he said curtly.
"I'm sensible enough to stay away," Lei told him. "But if you're taking her with you to Shanghai, it might be better to tell people she's your exclusive whore. They'll be sure to stay away that way."
Enishi contemplated this. Lei was right about that. "I might," he said. Then he turned businesslike again. "I need a few hours to collect my things."
"I'll be waiting on the ship," Lei said, turning to leave the house. "Please try to hurry. If we make it to Yokohama by tomorrow, we can leave for Shanghai within two days."