Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy. And review if you can, makes my day :)
Chapter I: Shinji Takeyama
The city of Kyoto was the most important in the country, its many avenues, temples and shops were the biggest and the busiest. Several hours after sunset, most of its inhabitants were fast asleep, the usual hustle and bustle of the day forgotten. The warm spring air rocked the branches of the trees in that lethargic, nightly lull. Moonlight was the only source of light, projecting the shadows of rooftops over the earthy ground.
It was seemingly a quiet, ordinary evening.
"We are ready," a low voice cut through the stillness. "There are two Shinsen-gumi units spread over at the inn and the bridge. We cannot wait any longer."
The Ishin Shishi warriors stood expectantly, only soldiers could feel the heaviness hanging in the air, the strong, tightening sensation in the chest that caused unease and excitement all at once. The aura of samurais ready for battle was like an invisible veil, thrown over the district.
"Give the command."
Katsura Kogoro's face remained undisturbed.
"My informant is pretty sure Miyabe and Katsura have been disagreeing lately, although, we don't exactly know why," the man speaking gulped down the last of the sake left in his cup.
"What does 'pretty sure' means?" asked the man standing by the door.
"Sure enough to tell me."
"If so, this would be a good time to attack," the young man who spoke displayed a half-smile. "Don't you think, Saito-san?" he said, turning to look at the man by the door.
Saito Hajime remained silent for a moment. As the captain of the third unit of the Shinsen-gumi, his position commanded the same respect as the rest of his fellow captains, and yet, there was something in his demeanor that reproached the familiarity other soldiers displayed amongst them.
"We´ll have to wait and see what Hijikata thinks, Okita-san."
"Wow, you´re quite right! It never occurred to me that—"
Okita left the phrase unfinished. Something had changed. The six men in the room remained still, attentive. Alarmed murmurs came from downstairs, followed by hurried footsteps. A feeble whistle could be heard far away. A second later, they heard the unmistakable graze of metal, and all stood up at once, ready.
"Blow out the candles," Saito said in a low voice, hand steady over the handle of his katana.
Someone slid the door open.
"Captain! Ishin soldiers—" a resounding thud silenced the man, who fell limply on the ground.
"Punishment for the Shogun's traitors!" Matsubara growled, darting to the Ishin soldier by the door.
Saito watched as Matsubara drew his sword out of the body of the soldier who had managed to enter the room, thinking the Ishin Shishi had planned this carefully, and therefore, had many more soldiers. Saito pierced through the belly of another Ishin Shishi, feeling a trace of laziness at the thought of getting new recruits so soon.
Amidst the clash of swords in the room, one of the Shinsen-gumi soldiers managed to sneak out the window into another rooftop.
"You there, in the bridge!" he yelled at the night. An Ishin soldier caught up with him and silenced him with one sleek thrust of his sword.
But the four Shinsen-gumi soldiers guarding the path from the bridge had been alerted.
"We are under attack!" one of them yelled, and the four ran toward the inn.
Before they made it to the other side of the bridge, however, someone cut in their way. A young man with cold eyes and relaxed stance appeared in front of them. His peculiar, long hair had an unusual reddish tone, visible even in the dark of night. One of the Miburo unsheathed his sword.
"You go, I'll take care of him," he turned to the man blocking them. "Who are you? Show yourself!"
"I won't let you pass," said the man quietly.
"Who the hell are you?" the soldier charged forward, holding his katana firmly with both hands.
In a fluid movement, the man dodged the blow, and spinning quickly on his heels, he cut off his opponent's head. The body fell limply on the ground as the severed head rolled into the river. The rest of the soldiers, infuriated by the sudden death of their friend, launched toward their adversary. Dodging and blocking the blows, the man's attack came swiftly and effectively, and the three soldiers fell around him in a pool of blood.
Kneeling down, the man used the robe of a soldier to wipe his katana clean, then strode over to the inn, where his peers were still fighting. For a brief second, he let his mind wander, lingering on the feeble emotion inside him that had taken hold. He had tried to name it several times before. Emptiness? Despair? Huffing angrily, he hurried his steps, annoyed at himself for his sudden need for soul-searching.
He severed the head of a Shinsen-gumi who was about to imbed his sword on the back of one of his comrades, a movement that was quite uncharacteristic for a Miburo. New recruits, the man thought with tedium. The fight was over in a matter of minutes, the superiority in the Ishin's numbers proving to be efficient. The young man saw three of the captains getting away quickly, a couple of unconscious soldiers in their arms.
"What a massacre!" said a voice behind him.
Cleaning his sword with a cloth, the man didn't look up.
"It's yours to make, mine to clean. Funny isn't it, Himura-san?"
The district was calm again, and only a few Ishin soldiers walked here and there. Himura gave the man speaking a cold look, thinking that actually cleaning and giving orders to clean, wasn't exactly the same thing.
Izuka was a middle aged man, scrawny and with a sparse mustache. His black hair was long enough to tie it in a short ponytail at the base of his head. His beady eyes looked somewhat droopy, but he moved with an itchy quality that gave him a lively, hurried look.
"I'm going to the Kohagi," Himura answered dryly.
"Uh? Oh yeah, I'll catch up in a bit. Katsura will want to hear all about this."
Himura walked several blocks through the quiet city until he reached another inn. He crossed the garden and the lobby, walking into a small parlor where Katsura Kogoro, his superior, was discussing the night's events with other men.
"Kenshin, you're here. Please, take a seat," Katsura pointed at the seat next to him.
The other men turned to see him enter.
His name was Kenshin Himura, and although he was very young still, rumor was that he was the best assassin in the force. Katsura was the only one who called him by his first name.
The soldier speaking went on. "We should be celebrating, the ambush was quite a success. Only five members of the Shinsen-gumi managed to escape."
"How many of them were captains?"
"The three that were in the meeting," answered Kenshin, taking one of his long, leather gloves off. "Hajime Saito, Okita Souji, and Matsubara Chuji. They carried two wounded soldiers with them."
"I see," Katsura nodded. "How many casualties we had?"
Katsura Kogoro was the most important leader of the Choshu fraction, one of the main regions in the fight against the Shogunate. There was a mixture of youth and wisdom on his face.
"We lost two men," said Izuka at that moment, entering the room. "Yoahizaka and Azuma. It seems they went ahead to the first floor, we believe they fought the captains of the first and the third units. They stood no chance, those guys are strong."
Katsura's gaze remained fixed on a candle. "And the Shinsen-gumi?"
"They lost seven men," sitting close to him, Izuka helped himself to a bit of the sake Katsura was drinking, ignoring the reproachful looks from the rest of the men. "They left all their dead."
"They always leave their dead," Katsura said in a murmur.
"Pity Himura didn't chase after them. He would have taught those three a lesson," since neither Katsura nor Kenshin made a comment, Izuka went on. "I mean, after all, we have the famous Hitokiri on our side, don't we?"
"Very well gentlemen," said Katsura firmly. "We're done for the night."
The men stood up and left the room one by one.
"Kenshin, do you have a minute? I'd like to talk to you."
Kenshin sat again.
Katsura breathed out heavily. His dark eyes looked weary, and yet, it seemed to Kenshin there was always kindness in them. Katsura was the only man he obeyed out of loyalty and respect.
"You know, even though you'll be turning eighteen soon, I still feel you are so young," said Katsura, after taking a sip of sake. "Naturally, you are," he went on quietly, speaking to himself. "I wanted to thank you for fighting tonight."
A tad confused, Kenshin asked what he meant.
"Well, you usually don't participate in this type of combats. You work alone, as I believe you prefer."
"It's fine. Just another way to help."
Katsura nodded. "Would you like a bit of sake?"
"No thank you," said Kenshin, in a tone he hoped sounded tactful. "If that's all I take my leave, unless you wish to discuss something else."
"No, it's fine," said Katsura calmly. "Good night."
Kenshin stood, bowed lightly and answered "Good night", before exiting the room.
Kenshin took a deep breath, savoring the fresh, spring air. From his position, sitting by the balcony, he could watch the whole district. Kyoto seemed an entirely different city during the night, asleep, at peace. He looked up, at the deep blue canopy deployed before him.
The stars will never seem bright enough for a troubled heart.
His master always had a peculiar way to reproach him. Kenshin closed his eyes, wishing he could feel drowsy.
The raucous laughter of his comrades came from the dining room on the first floor. They drank and talked (of gambling and women, no doubt) without a care in the world. Kenshin took the harness of his katana resting on his shoulder, and getting up, he strapped it around his waist. He crossed the hall and descended the stairs to the dining room, where Izuka talked animatedly, surrounded by a group of men who reeked of alcohol.
"There you are Himura-san, come and sit with us!" Izuka raised his glass.
Some of the men were staring at him, curious.
"Come and have a drink," said Izuka insistently, offering him a cup of sake.
"No thank you."
"Don't be an idiot Izuka!" said one of the men, throwing a punch at Izuka, but missing and hitting another man instead. "Himura doesn't need sake. He needs," he paused to take mouthful, spilling half of his cup onto his own gi. "He needs a woman…"
His statement was received with cheering and whistles of approval.
"You said you had something for me," said Kenshin stiffly. Izuka must have perceived his mood, for he got up quickly and followed him down the hall, away from the men.
"Here you go," he pulled the black envelope from his clothes and gave it to him. "He'll be dinning at the Noto, tomorrow night."
Kenshin strode over to the chimney in the kitchen, where he threw the envelope after reading the name on it.
Shinji Takeyama.
In the Hanako, a typical spring morning was beginning. The fresh air wiped the sky free from any cloud, leaving it clear and painted in an intense blue. Far away, the nearly thawed mountains reflected on the lake.
"Kaoru-chan!" a voiced pierced the air through the hall, audible all the way to the backyard.
Kaoru tensed for a moment at the screech, letting go of the dish she was washing and splashing cold water all over. Taking the plate out of the water, Kaoru turned it over in her hands, searching for a crack. She sighed in relief when she saw the china was intact.
"Kaoru-chan," a young, freckly girl came running. "Matsumura-san said we are to go to the market."
Kaoru repressed the desire to ask Hikari not to call her "chan".
"All right," she chose not to ask why Hikari couldn't go herself, thinking it was a beautiful day to go out. She dried her hands on her apron. "What are we getting in the market?"
"Soy sauce," said Mrs. Matsumura, entering the kitchen hurriedly.
"Okay."
"Those jerks are running my patience out," one of the waitresses, Akane, walked in swinging a tray.
"What's wrong?" asked Hikari.
"Doesn't matter, they're just a little drunk," said Akane unimportantly. "Are you going to get the soy?"
"We won't be long," Kaoru nodded as she took a wicker basket from a corner.
"Drunk at nine in the morning?" Hikari asked in disbelief.
"Say hi to Ryoki-san's grandson for me," Akane said. "He's so sweet, and he's so taken."
Hikari nodded vigorously. "Poor thing. And the object of his affections doesn't even realize."
The three women in the kitchen stared fixedly at Kaoru, who was intent on finding the money and barely looked up to say, "What?"
"Never mind," said Hikari, grabbing her arm and pulling her out the inn.
It took them just a few minutes to get to the market. Wherever they looked, people seemed carefree and talked spiritedly, happy for the budding sunlight that signaled the end of winter.
"Good morning, Ryoki-san!" Hikari beamed when they arrived at the shop they were looking for.
Mr. Ryoki, an elder man with a white beard and wide smile, greeted them warmly.
"Hikari-chan! How are you, Kaoru-chan? Is Matsumura-san better from her cold?"
"She's fine, thank you for asking, Ryoki-san," Kaoru bowed slightly. "We're here to get soy sauce."
"For the restaurant, I presume. Is the usual measure ok?"
Hikari talked happily as Ryoki-san worked, telling him how beautiful the weather was and asking him how business was going. At a point in the conversation where Hikari asked him about his grandson, Kaoru felt her elbowing her on the ribs. She choose to ignore this, pretending she hadn't noticed.
A second later, a movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn. Across the street, two shops away, two men were talking quietly. One of them had quite an ordinary appearance, but the other caught her attention. He was wearing a white hakama, with a dark blue gi. His long hair was of the most peculiar shade Kaoru had ever seen. He talked very little, and when he did, his lips barely seemed to move. Suddenly, the redheaded man turned her way, holding her gaze intently, almost fiercely. Kaoru felt so surprised by his eyes that it took her a moment to look away, flustered.
"…but it's so much fun, really, all kinds of people go there. Isn't that right Kaoru?"
"Hum?"
"I was just telling Ryoki-san he should let Yamaguchi go with us to the Noto tonight," Hikari winked at her.
Kaoru blinked. "Sure. Yeah, he'd have loads of fun with Hikari."
Hikari rolled her eyes in annoyance and exhaled, resigned.
"We left such a mess in the dining room!" Izuka's voice resounded loudly even amidst the crowd.
Kenshin heard him feign worry over last night's revelry for the tenth time.
"Mrs. Okami will be upset. I hope she doesn't complain to Katsura."
Kenshin was sure Katsura was going to hear everything Mrs. Okami had to say about Izuka and his friends.
"Mmm, I'm a bit hungry, I wonder what we'll have for lunch," Izula stretched his arms over his head.
"We just had breakfast."
Feeling a tad annoyed by the man beside him, Kenshin turned his head at the people walking in the street. A couple of children ran past him, holding wooden birds over their heads. On the other side of the street, two young women talked amusedly to an old man. Kenshin stared at the one wearing a purple kimono. He saw her passing a wicker basket to the elder, smiling at him. Next to him, Izuka kept babbling about something, but he couldn't make out what he was saying. When a gust of wind blew their way, Kenshin found himself inhaling deeply, picking out a feeble scent of jasmine. He was surprised at his urgency to know if the smell was coming from the woman.
"Wow, look at that girl!"
Izuka had noticed her too. Kenshin looked down, not knowing why he felt upset.
"I wonder if she's engaged," Izuka went on. "I guess so, someone who looks like that doesn't remain single for long. Except if she's poor, in that case it takes a little longer."
Kenshin endured the awkward silence. He focused on the beetle fluttering his wings in the frame of a window. "Is Katsura coming to the Hantei tonight?"
"I suppose," said Izuka distractedly, still looking at the woman. "Check that out, she's looking this way."
Even when Kenshin didn't look up to check, he knew Izuka was right. He could feel the woman's eyes on him.
"She's still watching us. Recon we should go talk to them?
At that, Kenshin lifted his head and fixed his gaze on her. She turned away, embarrassed.
"Man, you scared her."
Kenshin turned his back on Izuka and walked away. Izuka hurried to catch him.
"Hey, are you going back to the Hantei? So soon?"
Kenshin didn't answer.
"By the way, were you able to locate Shinji Takeyama? Himura-san… Himura-san, did you hear?"
"Yes. I'll do it tonight," said Kenshin, keeping his hurried pace. "I have to go somewhere, I'll see you at the Hantei."
"Oh," Izuka hesitated, and then stopped chasing after him. "All right, see you there," he yelled at his back.
Once away from the avenue, the streets quieted and the people were scarce, and Kenshin felt relieved amidst the silence. The young woman in the purple kimono had blue eyes. And there was something about her laughter, something Kenshin couldn't point out. Thinking of a way to prolong his return to the Hantei, it occurred to him he could buy a new string for his spinning top. Last time he played, the worn string had caused the top to shoot toward the door in the exact moment Izuka had walked in. He'd had to bandage his little toe for two days.
Back in the market, Kenshin was walking down the main avenue when he saw a few Shinsen-gumi members emerging from across the street, their white and green uniforms visible even at a distance. The racket around them died away almost instantly, people moving away to clear their path. Swiftly, Kenshin entered a restaurant, long enough so he wouldn't be seen. When the whispers turned into loud voices once more and the people seemed at ease again, Kenshin exited and continued his way.
Back in the Hanako, Kaoru and Hikari were greeted by the commotion of the kitchen.
"Good, you're back. Lots of clients came for lunch," a very agitated Mrs. Matsumura greeted them, running around the room.
Kaoru and Hikari exchanged worried looks. "Are they all staying for the night?"
Matsumura waved an impatient hand. "No, we don't have enough rooms anyway. Rinko, the vegetables are supposed to be chopped finely."
Kaoru saw her relief mirrored in her friend's faces.
"Here," Mrs. Matsumura shoved a piece of paper in her hand. "This is the order for table six, give it to Rinko. And please take the orders of tables two and seven."
Kaoru left the kitchen, tying her apron behind her back. She walked through the crowd and reached table two, where a group of four men stared at her a bit more intensely than necessary. She left their table with the distinct feeling their way of ordering food was deliberately marked by a double meaning.
Back in the kitchen, she heard the alarmed tone of one of the waitresses. She had just returned from the market and was telling the girls all about her encounter with the Shinsen-gumi.
"I got so scared, I moved away."
"Funny," said Hikari sharply. "They call themselves Kyoto's Protectors, but all they cause is fear."
"They're not so bad Hikari," Akane said as she rinsed the fish. "Last week, I saw them stop a couple guys when they were trying to rob a restaurant. The burglars got really violent, it would have been a massacre had no one intervened."
Hikari shrugged in a non-committal way.
"Well, I don't like trained people with swords walking around the streets," said the waitress. "Or the fact that they fight all the time."
"Nobody likes it," said Kaoru quietly.
"Anyway, guess who I saw?" the waitress went on eagerly. "I saw that man with the red hair people are talking about!"
"What people?" asked Akane skeptically.
But the waitress hushed her with a wave of her hand, clearly indisposed to have her story ruined.
"You know, people. The thing is, he hid too."
Kaoru had the uncomfortable sensation her heart was in her throat.
"Wow! Did you really see him?" said Hikari with admiration. "Do you think he did it out of fear?"
"Don't think so. He was probably just avoiding a confrontation in the middle of the day. We don't need more of those."
"Don't tell me you believe in those tales Hikari," said Akane severely. "That whole story of the redheaded warrior is a load of baloney people come up with to add more drama to this horrible conflict. We don't need more of that either."
"But I saw him," the woman replied. "I'm sure it was him."
"You are sure it was a redhead, nothing more—all those men work in the shadows, there's no way to know who they are, or what they do," Akane cut the waitress off in a conciliating tone when she saw her opening her mouth to protest. "What do you think Kaoru? Have you seen him?"
Not looking up, Kaoru gave the cook the piece of paper with the order. "Mmm, no, I've never seen him."
"Well, I would love seeing them fight, it'd be awesome," said Hikari.
"If you actually saw them, they'd have to kill you, airhead," Akane said reproachfully. "What did I just say about working in the shadows?"
Hikari stuck her tongue out.
Kaoru left the kitchen to take more orders, eager to be alone with her thoughts. She wrote what people asked in automatic motions, too focused on the face of a man she had seen once.
The rest of the afternoon went by without many mishaps, except for Hikari's fall when stepping on a carrot skin. Finally, by dusk, the dining room started to empty little by little, giving the girls a chance to sit for a bit. Akane sat by the chimney to write a letter for her family. Kaoru and Hikari were making a list of all the things they needed in order to prepare next weeks' meals.
"Aw, darn! This is too much, you and I won't be able to carry all this," Hikari moaned, dropping her piece of paper.
Kaoru didn't look up from her own list. "Don't worry, we are not going. Mrs. Matsumura's son is taking some of the men this time."
Hikari seemed cheered by that, and picking up her list, carried on. Mrs. Matsumura walked in the kitchen after waving the last client goodbye.
"Well, that's it for me," she said, dropping herself on the nearest chair.
"And me!" said Hikari excitedly, grabbing Kaoru by the arm and trying to get her up. "Let's go out, it's early."
"You don't seriously have the energy to go out after all this work!" said Kaoru incredulously, reluctant to leave her comfortable spot near the fire.
"But it's not even seven o'clock yet!"
"It's seven thirty," Akane intervened, halting her writing for the time being.
"All right, seven thirty," Hikari snapped, mocking her. "Can we go, Matsumura-san?"
"Fine by me, but I don't get why you'd want to go have dinner, when there's so much food in here," said Matsumura with a knowing smile.
"Cause we're not just going to dine, we're going to talk and meet interesting people," said Hikari patiently, as if the answer was obvious.
"You mean you are going to gossip and try to get a boyfriend," Akane interrupted again.
Giving up, Kaoru tried to shake off her laziness. "Okay, let´s go. Where?"
"The Noto, I have a friend there," said Hikari as she hopped happily.
"Hikari, get a hold of yourself, anyone would say you never go out," Akane covered her giggles with a hand. "You look like a dog. Poor thing, we have to take you out more often."
Hikari looked ready to spit a very unladylike answer when Kaoru intervened.
"Let's go already, Hikari," she said, pulling her by the sleeve and out of the kitchen.
Just as Hikari had told her, the Noto was much larger than the average restaurant. They passed the open gates into the garden, crossing the pond through a stone bridge. The main hall was a noisy room, full of talking people seated around large tables, eating and drinking. The hallway that extended at the back of the room had several sliding doors, waitresses coming in and out of them. Kaoru guessed those were private parlors, where important people met.
Hikari spotted her friend across the room, and waved enthusiastically. Her name was Midori. She had her hair up in a geisha-like bun, and wore the white and blue uniform of the waitresses. Midori led them to one of the center tables, where Hikari persuaded her to stay with them for a while.
"Where is Tomodata-kun?" Hikari asked. "I haven't seen him!"
"This is his night off," Midori said between giggles.
"You just can't get enough!" Kaoru teased her. "Yamaguchi, Tomodata, and who knows how many more."
Hikari snorted with laughter and was about to reply when they heard it. From the hallway at the back, the clatter of breaking china cut off all conversations, and moments later, a man landed on one of the tables with a loud crash, as if he'd been hurled there. From that same hallway, a tall, towering man came out, followed by another four, all clad in the Shinsen-gumi uniforms. The tall man's skin was taut around his jaw, and he wore a sort of paralyzed half smile that gave him a cruel, mocking appearance. Everyone in the hall froze, watching him intently. His eyes shone with something akin to repulsion when he looked down at the man lying across the table.
"Tell me, Sadawa," spoke the tall man. "Did you really think leaving the Shinsen-gumi was that easy?"
That voice. Kaoru felt the blood leaving her face. An unpleasant weight settled in her stomach.
Too scared to answer, the man named Sadawa shook his head feebly, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor in a pitiful, ashamed expression. His clothes were drenched in sake, and a sliver of blood pooled in his wrist, running down from his elbow, where a fragment of china was imbedded.
Closing her eyes, confusing images flashed through Kaoru's mind, too fast and blurry to be deciphered.
A carriage.
A man violently opening the door.
There you are.
His hand closing brusquely around her wrist.
"Please," the voice of an elder man took Kaoru out of her reverie. "We—We don't want any trouble."
His eyes never leaving Sadawa, the man answered, "Heard honorable Mr. Noto, Sadawa? You're causing problems. So get up, man as you're supposed to be, and let's get out of here."
When Sadawa didn't move, the man grabbed him roughly by the neck and hauled him onto the floor, sweeping the already broken cutlery off the table. He dragged him out of the restaurant, the other four men following close. With one last glimpse, Kaoru saw Sadawa gasping for air while the man's hand closed tightly on his throat.
The room remained in dead silence for a few seconds, but little by little, the general murmur raised again, people whispering alarmed to one another.
Midori followed suit. "Did you see that? What a ruthless man!"
"At least he took it outside, didn't he?" said Hikari recovering from the shock, lowering her hands from her face. "He could have stayed and tear the place apart using that Sadawa guy as a human katana. Wait until everybody in at the inn hears this."
"What a show," said Midori, still angry. "Who does he think he is?"
"Shinji Takeyama," Kaoru mumbled, her eyes still fixed on the exit.
"Who?" asked Midori in confusion.
"How do you know who that man was, Kaoru?" Hikari whispered anxiously. "Are you all right? You're so pale, you look like you saw a ghost."
"I want to go back to the Hanako."
"Oh, but we were having so much fun, just stay a little longer!" Midori exclaimed imploringly, displeased at her friend's parting.
"You stay Hikari, I can go back myself, don't worry," Kaoru stood up quickly, smoothing her hands over the fabric of her kimono.
Hikari rose, grabbing her hand. "It's late, I don't think that's such a good idea."
"It's only a few blocks," said Kaoru in a soothing voice. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to be alone if you're not feeling well," Hikari said worriedly.
Kaoru pulled Hikari down on her seat, smiling reassuringly. "I'm sure. It's just a mild stomach ache, the walk will make me feel better. You stay here and enjoy the evening. Let's see if you finally get your boyfriend."
"Okay," said Hikari, still wary. "I'll stay if you promise you'll go straight home."
"Like I was going anywhere else at this hour! I'm not you!" Kaoru exclaimed with feigned offense.
After saying goodbye to the girls, she crossed the threshold into the dark, desert street. As soon as she was outside, Kaoru dropped the smile and inhaled the cold night air somewhat desperately. She rubbed her palm across her forehead, finding it was beaded with sweat. She walked at a brisk pace, with her mind in a blurry whirl and no idea where she was headed. The alley was dark except for the silvery moonlight. There were high, wooden fences on both sides of the street, some plants and trees peeking over them, and a cricket singing amongst them.
Closing her eyes, she made an effort to even her breathing and make some sense out of her thoughts. Who was that man? Even when she didn't know for sure, just thinking of the sound of his voice disturbed her more than could be expected from a stranger, and Kaoru was convinced: either she knew him, or she had seen him before. His name was Shinji Takeyama, that much she knew. Wanting to be back at the Hanako as soon as possible, Kaoru hurried out of the alley.
About to continue down the street she had exited to, a movement on her right caught her eye. Turning to get a better look, the scene displayed left her paralyzed. About fifty feet from her, the five men from the restaurant hovered over Sadawa, who was kneeling on the floor, his own katana imbedded on his abdomen. Suicide. They forced him to commit Seppuku. The man Kaoru recognized as Takeyama was standing closest to the corpse, a pleased smile on his face. Then slowly, as if she was in a dream, Kaoru saw Takeyama turning his face to look at her. A shiver ran down her spine. Almost instantly, Takeyama's gaze transformed into a horrible look of recognition and loathing, and his mouth opened in a furious outburst.
"You!" he growled, closing the distance in hastened strides. "Unbelievable, do you have any idea, you stupid bitch, the amount of trouble you got us in?"
The look of despise he showed for her was even more intense than the one he gave to Sadawa, as if he was contemplating a deformed specimen that revolted him. Kaoru barely registered Takeyama seemed ready to launch himself at her.
She took a few steps backwards, with the frightening sensation her legs weren't obliging fast enough.
"I don't…" Kaoru heard herself sputter. "I don't know what—"
"Where are they?" Takeyama cut her off. "Tell me where they are, now!"
Takeyama grabbed her arms in a grip of steel and towered over her, his face only inches apart from hers.
"I don't know what you mean," Kaoru said in a firm voice, turning her face away so as not to feel his breath on her. "I can assure you, I have nothing of yours."
Takeyama sneered incredulously. "All right Kamiya. If you don't want to talk to me, I'm sure Kanryuusai can persuade you to."
Hearing her own name, Kaoru's eyes widened in fear and shock.
"Let me go, I have nothing," she said, her temper rising.
Takeyama pulled her even closer to him, and Kaoru saw the creases on his infuriated face.
"But you know where they are—"
Suddenly, Takeyama looked up to see something behind her.
"What are you looking at?" he growled. "Beat it, now!"
But whoever was standing there didn't move, for Takeyama had to shout.
"Didn't you hear? I said leave!"
"Let her go," said a cool, calmed voice.
Jerking his hand, Takeyama beckoned his men and tossed Kaoru to them.
"Don't let her go," he barked, then turned to address the newcomer. "What are you, her boyfriend or something? Or you're just stupidly nosy?"
From her new position, Kaoru was able to see the man who had interrupted. It was the redhead from the market.
The end! I'll try my best to update a little faster.
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