Reunion

by lightpathetic

It was time for the members of the Itto Ryu to start to assemble. They had taken a break and scattered in order to mislead their enemy into thinking they had disbanded and to make good their surprise attack in the winter. Anotsu Kagehisa surveyed the remnants of his band. Few had survived the massacre instigated by the Habaki, but they mostly had all made it back. This small sign encouraged him greatly. With this small core of loyal members the Itto Ryu will be great again.

Anotsu found his place at the head of the room and sat. He noted each face as he nodded his welcome. He had a very good memory and he soon realized who was missing from his band. For instance Doa was here but without Isaac. He had heard of Isaac's disappearance supposedly at the hands of Habaki. It made his blood boil when he thought of the atrocities that were taking place. He needed to raise an army and wipe this man from the face of the earth. Next to Doa sat a new person. This was not unusual today as his core members had brought recruits for the Itto Ryu. It didn't concern him greatly that there were new faces, as he trusted his members to know what the Itto Ryo stood for and exemplified so he was sure there were good and trustworthy potential additions to the band. He was almost annoyed at himself for having allowed the moments of fear that crept in this entire summer about the demise of his beloved sword school and his vision. His dream. He vowed there and then that he would never fail them.

However, there was something familiar about this girl. He found himself staring. The elder member, who sat beside him nudged him and joked that this was not the time to be picking up women. Anotsu ignored him as he was suddenly filled with an ominous feeling…

"You there. Stand."

Anotsu pointed at the small figure who wore a large head covering which obscured her face. The security they had would not have allowed unknown armed persons inside so he was not worried about that. What he wondered…could it be…?

"Remove your headdress please, Miss," asked the elder on Anotsu's behalf, as the most feared and respected Itto Ryu leader showed a moment's hesitation. The woman too hesitated and looked around as if to gage how easily it would be to just run. All eyes were on her and some persons were already fingering their weapons. She soon turned back to the front however and slowly lifted her hat.

Anotsu's sudden intake of breathe showed that his fear was confirmed. Guards leapt to the ready and surged forward to apprehend the dangerous assassin. This pulled Anotsu out of his reverie.

"No! Stand down. Nobody touch her."

Anotsu cringed at this statement but internally. He had to show a firm hand if he was keep his appearance of strength and ruthlessness and still spare this foolish child. His word was law but many would recognize her and know that she along with a kenshin called Manji, the Immortal, were systematically picking off members of the Itto Ryu to get to him. The sensible thing to do would be to kill her, even for the insult of appearing in their midst like this. Yet he knew he would never harm this child. Geez, this little girl was trouble. He bitterly cursed the gods for not at least making her a man.

"Asano Rin, what are you doing here?" asked Magatsu, "You are very foolish to come here like this…" Anotsu silently thanked him. He was dying of curiosity himself.

"I came to try to join the Itto Ryu and to speak to Anotsu-sama for this purpose." The room erupted. People were anxious to offer suggestions as to what Rin could do with her request and had drawn their weapons to give a physical demonstration. Things were getting ugly. Anotsu was forced to speak.

"I told you before that I will never fall for that, girl…"

"Who brought her in? Someone would have had to vouch for her. There is a traitor here!" yelled some odd person in the back.

The room was silent again to see if they would be allowed to tear apart this particular person instead. Doa made to raise her hand. But Rin noticed in time and stepped forward, apparently accidentally, to grind her foot painfully.

"Oh. I'm sorry miss. I was shoved." Rin said quickly. Anotsu narrowed his eyes at Doa who looked away, shrugged apologetically, but said nothing.

"Anotsu-sama," Rin said throwing herself on the floor to bow low, "this is not a trick. We have an enemy in common and I want to join the Itto Ryu to fight with you. They have…something very important to me…"

"I am not interested," Anotsu intoned with barely concealed irritation, "in any of your tricks or anything you have to say. I swear my patience is at an end with you." With this he summoned two guards.

"Wait! Anotsu Kagehisa you owe me!" Rin screamed, furious at the self-righteous bastard that stood before her, quite unaware of the position he was being put in by her anger and insults, "I should have left your…ooph!"

Magatsu once again stepped up. Anotsu felt like promoting him right there and then even though his method was a tad brutal. The blow to Rin's solar plexus winded her and brought tears to her eyes. She doubled over in pain to the floor. Magatsu then took one look at Anotsu picked her up and took her into the back to lock her in a room. He ordered the guards to watch her carefully, any harm to her meaning death and returned to the meeting. He was the only member of the Itto Ryu that knew what she did for Anotsu in Kaga and knew Anotsu did not want her harmed, even despite the death-threat. The situation puzzled him and one wonders what exactly happened between the girl and her parents' killer to form this sort of…acquaintance. She had obviously come for his help. Appearing alone like this in the lion's den, he didn't think it was another assassination attempt. It would be interesting to find out why she was here.

Anotsu meanwhile had calmed the meeting down and focused their attention away from the small girl. They had many plans to make and many inductees to see to. He pushed the girl away from his mind and concentrated on the tasks at hand. But during a lackluster performance by a couple of potentials, who were fighting to show him their skills, his mind turned back to her and the situation. She had come to make a request. Her appearing like this, alone, in the midst of a fully armed Itto Ryu, considering her "skill", showed she was coming with her hands clean prepared to ask for something. She knew a lot better than to approach him head on like this, even at the standard he was before. It is little known that Anotsu had spent the entire summer training for just this war. He was faster and stronger and had explored more defensive techniques that would minimize the chances of what happened last spring happening again. He was now more lethal and more self-assured and hungry for his battle and vengeance on Habaki. Rin hadn't stood a chance before and now it was just laughable her pitting her throwing knives against him. Had she trained too? Was there something else she learnt that would amuse him? He found himself dying to find out, quite unaware of the fascination she held for him or that it was beginning to show on his face. She was intriguing. She was weak but very courageous. Determined but kind-hearted. He dearly hoped he wouldn't have to kill her before she fulfilled her promise to come and kill him. He shook his head at this crazy thought. You certainly had to be there. The elder member beside him cleared his throat. The combatants had finished and were awaiting his approval. He had none to give. "Go train for ten more years and then come back and see me. Next!"

Rin was sitting on the futon that was the one piece of furniture in the room, bored silly. There was a window but the guards even refused for her to move around. They treated her as a dangerous serpent keeping their eyes on her like she could kill them if they blinked. What were they told? She heard them wondering why Anotsu froze like that, and why he didn't kill her. It was not like this plain little girl was that alluring, with better pickings at the eastside brothels. Rin fumed at this last tidbit but they ignored her to go on about the wonders at the local entertainment holes.

Rin was scared when she came to the Itto Ryo headquarters but not of Anotsu. She just knew he wouldn't kill her and this, thankfully, was bourn out. He seemed amused by her and she was sure he thought it beneath him to kill someone so pathetic. Still she bristled at this. She will show him one day. He will underestimate her and …wham! This fantasy so held her attention that she didn't notice the march of time eventually dropping her head to sleep.

She awoke to the door swinging open, admitting Anotsu Kagehisa alone. He ordered the guards to leave, and they did, smiling as they noted he hadn't a visible weapon. Maybe having "that" free was better, regardless of the quality of the material. He closed the door and rounded on Rin that was trying to scrub the sleep form her eyes. She had fallen asleep! In the Itto Ryu lair! Was he doing something wrong?

"Have. You. Lost. Your. Mind?" Anotsu allowed himself the luxury of losing his cool. He was tired and irritated and just felt like letting off steam. "How dare you embarrass me like that? Do you have any idea what is takes to keep some of the most dangerous men in existence from stabbing you in the back? Certainly not a show of weakness, like that. So help me if you are here for another of your tiresome attempts at killing me…"

Rin watched silently for a while giving him time to vent. She had never seen him lose his cool and it was a relief. He was human after all. And that meant he was approachable… as well as killable. She gained confidence in just this scene, which to anyone else would have given them the impression that they should be praying for mercy. However as he paused for breath Rin stated her case, "I need your help to save Manji. Please."

Anotsu was shocked into silence.

"What?"

Rin repeated herself and continued, ignoring the look of abject incredulity in Anotsu's face, "He was kidnapped by Habaki and his henchmen, the same people that have Isaac. I don't know why, except for the rumour of unspeakable experiments. There were piles of dead bodies behind the headquarters…it was horrible. I am so worried about Manji. You have got to help me. You owe me."

He had heard rumours of the experiments and the body count from Kashin and Doa. Now with this announcement he suspected he knew what was happening. The experiments were on the Immortal. He immediately calmed. The implications for his war, if Habaki succeeded were disastrous. But by all accounts the experiments were going badly. Many people were disappearing and many people were turning up dead. If there was some breakthrough you would think some news would have leaked out, considering how important they considered their mission. But if Habaki were to succeed there would be no beating him, even with the best trained fighters. He had to halt the experiments somehow. It was in his best interests to act now and try to save Isaac in the process. The Itto Ryu protected its own. However he should never promise to bring Manji out alive. His death would be in his best interests too. The securing of his own life and limb, for one.

"Let me make sure I understand you. You want me to risk my life and my men to rescue a man who has been hunting me and killing off my men over the past six months? You came here to ask me this?" As he said this Anotsu had steadily advanced on Rin. They now stood nose to nose with Anotsu towering over her. The dead calm in his face the clearest instance of foreboding disaster she had ever seen. But she pressed on.

"You know it too that we have an enemy in common. If you help me you help yourself. It is just that you will have to act a little sooner than planned. Besides Manji saved your hide already or have you forgotten!" Rin yelled this last. Anotsu was really beginning to anger her. I mean she helped drag his sorry butt over miles, yes, miles and she had owed him nothing but a sword to the neck. All she was asking for was for him to lend a little help to break Manji out and with his skill he could probably do it himself. Anotsu was heavy dammit!

Rin dipped her head to wipe away some useless tears. She immediately faced him again, determined to win this battle of wills. Anotsu continued to stare and then blew an exasperated breath and walked away from her. The little girl, who was determined to kill him, barged in on important meetings with trained killers and showed not a modicum of fear when faced with him and the power at his disposal. He didn't think it was a death wish. The girl was either very stupid, or worse, very secure in the knowledge that he would not kill her, or even allow any harm to befall her. It was his bargain with his demons in order to live with himself for the massacre of her family two years ago, because of his grandfather's grudge and his dream. Somehow if she lived, he thought, maybe he could forgive himself. Plus she was so pathetic she needed to be protected even from herself. Was it possible she sensed this about him? Anotsu ran his hands through his hair wearily. He was exhausted. He will have to think of a plan but after some sleep. He didn't even have to try to make up his mind. She will get her wish if it was at all humanly possible. Maybe he knew on some subconscious level when she showed up today that he was probably going to say yes to whatever it was. Still he said nothing to her of his decision. Let her stew.

"Girl, I am tired and am going to sleep. I suggest you do the same. I will give you my answer in the morning. I also suggest you stay in this room tonight. My men obey me but there may be some loss to temptation if you ventured outside. Right now the safest place is beside me." With this Anotsu took off the outer yukata he was wearing and lay down on one side of the futon. Without another word he was asleep.

Rin stood there still excited from the foregoing. Just like that? No answer! The creep. And where was she going to sleep? She eyed the dirt floor with disgust. She had a perfectly good home to go to, rather than waste time here. Was she a prisoner? She edged towards the door careful to make as little noise as possible and tried the door. She peeked outside and seeing no-one eased through the door and strode purposefully down the hall. She'd had enough. She didn't know why she was so sure he would help. Why would someone like that have any honour? She walked down the building to the exit hardly paying attention to her surroundings. Suddenly she ran smack in to a huge man. He must have been over six foot tall, but the thing to note was his face. It was covered in scars. Long thin ones like from a blades. She stared mesmerized by the sight of them, suddenly feeling the pain that this man must have gone through. The man though bristled at the scrutiny.

"You. You are that girl! The spy!" he said as he drew his sword. It was possibly as big as he was.

"No I am not. I came to join the Itto Ryu. It is the best you know…" Rin started babbling in her nervousness. The man looked intent on doing harm.

"I wasn't able to make it in either. Perhaps you are my reward for my efforts today. I could miss out the brothel for more immediate fare, even if you are a bit skinny…" At this he lunged for Rin.

Rin evaded him and turned to run. She drew some throwing knives to slow him down so she could escape, but as she turned to throw a hand snaked out of the darkness and stopped her before she could let go.

"Anotsu! I was just…"

The giant stopped advancing as he was suddenly face to face with the young genius of the Itto Ryu.

"Be on your way. Forget the girl."

Anotsu had stepped in front of Rin shielding her from the Giant. He was still in just his underclothes. His hair was loose and flowing around his shoulders, his underrobe open to the waiste showing a finely honed physique. He made a strikingly handsome figure like this, even though his face was in the inscrutable mask of intimidation and strength.

"You are even less subtle in protecting her here. I knew you were not all they said you were. Favouring her because she is a woman…do you know what they were saying about you? Perhaps Anotsu's gone soft over the summer. Maybe he hasn't the stomach anymore for killing. Maybe you will lead us all to our deaths."

Rin was horrified on Anotsu's behalf. After all she only wanted to speak to him not cause trouble. She respected Anotsu's dreams and ambition and if it wasn't for the detail that he brutally murdered her parents, she knew they could have been friends.

"No you will never…"

"Shut up girl. Go back to my room. Now."

"Your room. I see. Are you sleeping with the enemy, Anotsu? I knew it was a good thing I was eliminated today. I have more skill in my little finger than you do in your whole body and you dared speak to me like that. Maybe you are why the Itto Ryu is the way it is today."

Rin gasped at this. Anotsu jerked reflexively in her direction; irritated she was still there, probably more to see if she was alright. The Giant saw the opening and took it. He step forward suddenly and swung with all his strength at Anotsu's head. Rin screamed, fumbling with knives to throw them at the Giant. Anotsu ducked swiftly, pivoting on the heels of his hands and feet to aim a kick at the Giant's feet. Surprisingly the Giant anticipated him and jumped away agilely, landing firmly on his feet. He laughed, thoroughly enjoying their shock. He immediately then leaped in and lunged for Anotsu's chest. Anotsu swung to his right hoping to break the arm of the committed Giant with a blow. The Giant anticipated this and swinging, kicked to the ribcage of Anotsu with his right foot, forcing Anotsu to kick away and roll to his feet in order to avoid it.

Rin was in awe. How can he move so fast? Was Anotsu alright? Maybe she should help…

"NO! Don't move!" Anotsu yelled, clearly reading her intentions like bold kanji.

Anotsu, rolling to his left reached for one of Rin's dropped knives. He was beyond tired playing with this moron. Also he had seen Rin and him in an innocent but nevertheless fairly intimate setting that he was not ready to rationalize with other members of the Itto Ryu as yet. He could explain away why they were suddenly changing plans and attacking the Habaki headquarters early, but he couldn't explain indulging Rin like this without too much fallout. Between her and Manji they had killed many of his men. As a leader he was obligated to look out for their interests - even if they were inept enough to die by such people - and his fraternizing with Rin was definitely a conflict of interest. Giant-san had to die here tonight. And soon. He needed his sleep.

Rolling around with this man showed him one thing. Yes the Giant was fast but he favoured attacks that heavily committed him. Anotsu noted that he did lag a bit before changing to defensive actions. Well, he lagged enough for Anotsu who was much faster than he was letting on. Getting to his feet Anotsu readied himself, taking care to hide the knife behind him, in his right hand, and waited for another clumsy attack.

Not disappointing the giant raised his sword over his head to swing downward onto Anotsu. Anotsu ran at the giant and swiftly parrying the blow with his left hand, he stuck the knife deep in the giant's neck and swept away. He looked back to find that the giant had toppled to the floor with a satisfying thud, blood pumping from his devastated neck. He looked at himself and swore. There was a spot of blood on his cuff. He would have to do much better.

Rin came over to the giant's body, hardly believing it ended so quickly after what seemed like a real struggle in the beginning. She looked up speechless at Anotsu and shivered. He was so fast! She hardly saw when he moved! She would have to train for a hundred years to beat him. This last thought saddened her completely.

Anotsu surveyed her coldly, hardly trusting himself to move in case he hoisted her by the ears. He was of a mind to forego his pledge to his conscience and do some violence to her, when he saw the look on her face. She looked desolate. Why? He just saved her life! The exasperating girl!

Without another word he took her hand and pulled her back to his room, not wanting to think of what - or who - caused that expression on her face. It would be just like her to think of … someone else at a time like this, and for some reason he was jealous. He pushed her into the room and, on closing the door, lifted her and plopped her onto the futon. Then quickly lying on his side, scooped her up into his arms.

"Hey! What are you…?"

"Relax. I have no designs on a naive girl like you. Be quiet and go to sleep."

"But I can't sleep here with you like this!"

"Well you have shown you cannot be trusted to stay out of trouble. This way I can get some sleep and also know immediately if you so much as twitch. However, you had better keep that to a minimum or I will wake up cranky and change my mind about going to rescue your kenshin." Rin's face lit up at his words.

"Aaahh. You mean you…Thank you, thank y…"

Suddenly Rin's mouth was covered in a kiss that was over as quickly as it begun. She was shocked, stunned, into silence. Anotsu smiled mischievously and closed his eyes.

"Good. Now that it has had the desired effect, maybe, finally…"

Soon he was fast asleep.

lightpathetic wrote this but these are not my characters. I am grateful to "Blade of the Immortal" for the good stuff.