Dirty Work
Just wanted to give a big thank you to those who read and reviewed. Since you both expressed interest in seeing the next chapter, here it is :)
Jin'eh sat in the stupid bathtub in the stupid bathhouse, still angry at stupid Kaoru for making him take a stupid bath. But he was most angry at himself for being so stupidly worthless. He couldn't defeat a bitchy little girl half his age. He couldn't eat food without dropping half of it on himself. He couldn't dress himself. Now he found out that he could barely bathe himself too. The bathing area was a mess of dirt and blood and water, but despite his best, awkward, one-handed efforts, he hadn't managed to get clean enough before getting into the tub, and now the bathwater was ruined. Kaoru was going to knock his head again for sure. Curse his damnable broken elbow! It had made him unable to perform the simplest of tasks! He was starting to think that bratty Yahiko was right. He was a big stupid baby, and he was worthless.
He smacked at the water angrily, creating a small wave. It traveled across the tub until it broke against the other side with enough force to splash back at him. He suddenly chuckled in spite of himself and did it again.
He was always surprised by how the water fascinated him. Nothing was so fluid, so smooth, so constantly in motion. The movement of water was the only thing he could stare at for any length of time and not get bored. When he was little, and there had been no one to play with and nothing interesting to do, he would sometimes stand on the uppermost level of his stepfather's house and gaze out the window, watching the sea. Watching the waves roll in, over and over and over.
He sighed softly, locking that memory away with all the others once more. To distract himself, he smacked at the water as hard as he could, trying to see how big of a wave he could create.
The big wave traveled rapidly across the tub, splashing up against the side and spraying him with water. He laughed again, his earlier anger forgotten.
He leaned back slightly (and carefully, so as not to jar his aching back), and the warm water lapped gently at his neck. He sighed softly, feeling the water run across the back of his neck and through his hair, like a warm, gentle caress. He leaned back further. The water crept up and tickled at his ears invitingly. Giving in to temptation, he took a deep breath, held it, and sank completely under.
A few seconds later, he surfaced with a splash. The water streamed down his face and neck in warm, silver rivulets. His sopping hair now hung limply in his face, making seeing difficult.
Laughing again, he shook his head vigorously, like a dog, spraying large water droplets everywhere. His hair now stuck out wildly, like some bird's nest. He laughed again, then settled back contentedly. As long as he was stuck here for a while, he supposed it couldn't hurt to relax a bit. He'd certainly had a rough couple of days, and anyway, the warm water would be good for his various injuries and aches and pains. It had been a long time since he'd let himself really relax in a bath. Usually, his mind was too alert, too ready for danger, for battle. But this quiet little dojo seemed about as far from his old life as anything could be, and maybe he didn't need to constantly be on edge. He lay back contentedly and closed his eyes.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Sano waited behind the pantry, watching. Watching and waiting. He knew Kenshin would have to come out of that bathhouse eventually. And when he did…then they would strike.
"How long can he take in there?" whined Yahiko. "I'm getting bored."
"I'm sure that stupid fucker is probably throwing another temper tantrum, and Kenshin probably has his hands full dealing with him," replied Sano, rolling his eyes. "Be patient. He'll come out soon enough."
"All right, but he'd better hurry it up," said Yahiko, crossing his arms in annoyance.
Sano leaned against the side of the building nervously, hoping Kenshin wouldn't notice them there when he did come out. "Do you think we can pull this off?" he whispered.
"We'd better!" said Yahiko, not quite as concerned with keeping his voice down. "It was your idea!"
"Yeah, and it will be great if it does work," said Sano, still watching the bathhouse. "Can't you just see the look on that big turd's face when he gets out of the tub and realizes his clothes are gone?"
"Yeah, what's he going to do?" laughed Yahiko. "He doesn't have any others!"
From the main building in front of them, the sound of children laughing could suddenly be heard. Dr. Gensai must have come to visit and brought the girls with him.
"Man, I hope they don't come out here!" said Yahiko. "They'll ruin everything!"
Almost as if he'd heard the girls laughing, Kenshin suddenly came out of the bathhouse. He slipped his sandals back on and slid the door shut and then headed quickly across the courtyard. Sano was suddenly glad the children had distracted Kenshin. Kenshin's senses were so acute that he might have noticed Sano and Yahiko hiding behind the pantry even if they had kept silent and completely out of sight. But since he was distracted by the children's arrival, he walked right past the pantry without sensing anything unusual.
"All right, let's go!" whispered Sano, as soon as Kenshin had gone inside.
The two of them moved stealthily across the courtyard and up the steps of the bathhouse. Stopping at the door, Sano very carefully put his ear up to it and listened. He heard no sound from inside.
"Well?" said Yahiko.
"I don't hear anything," whispered Sano. He listened again. Still nothing. "I don't know if that's good or bad."
"Well, how are we going to know when it's safe to go in?" asked Yahiko
"Just wait until he finishes washing and gets in the tub," Sano replied, still listening at the door.
"What should I do in the meantime?" asked Yahiko.
"Just be the lookout," Sano told him. "Tell me if you see Kenshin or Kaoru coming, so we can get out of here right away."
Jin'eh must have been very dirty indeed because it was a long time before Sano heard the telltale splash of the other man getting into the bathtub. More silence followed, and finally, Sano decided it was time to crack the door open and see if it was safe to strike. He had just put his hand on the door when he heard another loud splash from within.
The two of them looked at each other. "What was that?" whispered Sano.
"I don't know," Yahiko whispered back. "Do you think he was trying to get out and slipped?"
Another splash came from inside the bathhouse, followed by a deep chuckle.
The two of them looked at each other again, this time trying not to burst out laughing.
"Well, at least we know he didn't fall and hurt himself," snickered Yahiko.
More splashing came from inside, followed by more laughter.
"Sheesh, listen to that idiot in there," whispered Sano contemptuously. "Did someone give him a toy boat to play with?"
Yahiko slapped a hand over his mouth and tried desperately to hold in his laughter.
"Shhhh!" hissed Sano. "We don't want him to hear us!"
"Well, he'd better stop acting like an imbecile, or I'm not going to be able to help it!" chortled Yahiko.
The two of them continued standing at the door, waiting for the foolishness to stop so they could get their laughter under control.
Jin'eh must have eventually decided to quit acting like a two-year old, because the splashing sounds stopped at last. When Sano regained his composure, he slid the door open a crack. Peering inside, he saw Jin'eh settle back contentedly in the tub, his eyes closed.
"Is he looking?" whispered Yahiko, who could not see anything from behind Sano.
"No, but he'll see us if we just walk in there," whispered Sano. He looked back into the room. Jin'eh's clothes were lying on the floor in a heap, about halfway between the door and the tub. Sano stared at them. The distance between the clothes and the door wasn't really that great. If they could get in and out quietly and quickly enough, they just might be able to pull it off.
He turned back to Yahiko, who was still straining to see over his shoulder. "The clothes are pretty close to the door," Sano whispered. "But they're right out in the open. So you have to be really fast when you go in and grab them."
"Hey!" Yahiko whispered loudly. "Why do I have to be the one who goes in there and gets them? This was your idea! Why don't you do your own dirty work?"
"Because you're the one who used to be a pickpocket!" Sano told him. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle this sneaky stuff better than I could."
"All right, all right," said Yahiko in exasperation. "I'll do it."
"Good," said Sano, deciding it was now or never. "Go!"
Yahiko sneaked up to the door. Sano moved aside to let him pass. Yahiko stopped at the door and quickly removed his sandals, likely in order to move more quietly. Then he peered inside.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Sano, after a few moments had passed. "This isn't a peepshow!"
Screwing up his courage, Yahiko tiptoed inside.
Sano watched him go, then glanced back at Jin'eh. He still had his eyes shut. Sano hoped that he stayed that way, because the thin cloud of steam in the room wasn't enough to hide Yahiko.
An instant later, Yahiko came barreling out the door with an armload of clothes. "I've got them," he whispered excitedly. "Let's go!"
Sano quietly slid the door shut while Yahiko put his sandals back on and grabbed Jin'eh's shoes, and then the two of them tiptoed down the stairs. Once they reached the ground, they broke into a run.
"Good work, Yahiko!" laughed Sano as they ran toward the tool shed.
Sano reached the shed first and quickly slid the door open. He looked back over his shoulder. Still no sign of Kenshin. "After you," he said to Yahiko, motioning for him to enter.
Yahiko laughed and went inside. Sano followed, leaving the door open so they could see. "So, did you take everything?" he asked, once they were both inside.
"Of course not!" said Yahiko, feigning shock. "I'd never leave him totally exposed to the elements like that!" He smiled. "I left him his hat."
Sano laughed. "You're such a considerate guy!"
Yahiko threw the clothes in a corner of the shed, behind a pile of old clay pots and wooden buckets. "There," he said, turning back toward Sano. "Do you think anyone will be able to find them here?"
"You'd better throw some junk on top of them, just in case," said Sano, handing him a few pieces of scrapwood.
Yahiko took them and set to work hiding the clothes even further. "So," said Sano, as Yahiko worked. "Did you have any trouble getting them without being spotted?"
"Nope," said Yahiko, setting the last piece of scrapwood on top of Jin'eh's clothes, hiding them completely. "He didn't even open his eyes."
Sano grinned. "Did you see anything…interesting while you were in there?"
Yahiko looked at him, confused. "Like what?"
Sano grinned even wider. "I mean, does he have a really little-?"
"Sano!" snapped Yahiko, eyes widening. "I didn't look! What kind of pervert do you think I am?"
"Aw, where's your sense of fun?" said Sano, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, let's get out of here."
They went back out and Sano slid the door shut. "Good work," he said to Yahiko, chuckling. "I'd love to see his face when he finds out that his clothes are missing!"
Yahiko laughed. "So would I. But we'd better make ourselves scarce, so that no one suspects us."
"Right," said Sano, heading for the main building. "Remember, if anyone asks, we know nothing."
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Jin'eh glanced at the door as he dried himself off, wondering where Battousai had gone. He had promised to come back out and help Jin'eh dress again, but it had been a long time and there was still no sign of him.
Jin'eh sighed in irritation and decided to try to dress himself while he waited for Battousai. Although he knew he probably wouldn't be able to do it, he didn't see the harm in trying. After all, he wanted to re-learn to do it on his own as quickly as possible.
Reaching the place where he had left his clothes, he suddenly stopped, blinking in surprise. The clothes were not there.
Confused, he looked back over his shoulder at the area around the tub, but the clothes were not there, either. He looked back down at the floor in front of him, but his clothes had not miraculously appeared. Only his hat and wooden sword were there. Jin'eh stood there in confusion. Where were his clothes? Had Battousai taken them for some reason?
He couldn't figure out why Battousai would have done that. Besides, he remembered Battousai leaving, and he hadn't been carrying any clothes. Maybe he had hung them up before he'd left. Jin'eh looked over at the hooks on the wall near the entryway hopefully, but the clothes were not there. Starting to feel a little panicked, he looked around the room frantically. Where were they?! They couldn't have walked away on their own!
No, but someone could have taken them.
His eyes widened as he realized that he'd been the victim of a practical joke. Someone must have sneaked in while he was soaking in the tub and stolen his clothes. He clenched his teeth in anger, sure it had been either Sanosuke or Yahiko (or maybe both). Now what was he going to do? He didn't know where they had taken them. And he certainly couldn't go looking for them the way he was!
Battousai. When Battousai came back, Jin'eh was sure that he'd go find the clothes for him. If Battousai came back. Where was he?
Jin'eh crept over to the door and opened it a crack. He peered out and looked to see if Battousai was coming, but of course he wasn't. Jin'eh toyed with the idea of shouting for him, but decided against that, since he knew that whoever had taken his clothes would certainly hear him yelling for help and would think it was hilarious. He glanced back at the main building, but there was still no sign of Battousai.
"Hi!" came a small voice.
Jin'eh looked down at the courtyard in front of the bathhouse with surprise. One of the little girls from yesterday (the older one) was standing there, waving at him.
Not wanting her to see him, he quickly slid the door shut. He heard her giggle, then the sound of her little feet coming up the stairs. A moment later, the door started sliding open.
He grabbed it and slid it shut again, this time holding it in place. The girl laughed again and tried to open the door. "Stop it!" he shouted at her, still holding it shut. Instantly, both the pulling at the door and the laughter stopped.
Jin'eh stood there, still nervous. Had she gone? Had he upset her? Were the others going to get angry with him for scaring her?
He turned and grabbed his hat. Covering himself with it, he awkwardly slid the door open again.
The girl was still standing there, looking perturbed. She immediately brightened when she saw him peering out at her.
"Hi!" she said again, giggling.
"Uh, hello," said Jin'eh awkwardly.
"Are you playing Hide-and-Go-Seek?" asked the girl hopefully.
"No!" said Jin'eh, glancing uncomfortably toward the main building. Hurry up, Battousai!
"Want to play?" asked the girl.
"Uh, no. I can't," said Jin'eh. He looked at her, an idea suddenly coming to him. "Uh, Little Girl, can you go get Battousai for me?"
She giggled at him.
"Please?" he begged.
She giggled again. "What's a Battousai?"
"I mean Kenshin!" said Jin'eh, correcting himself. "Please, can you go get Kenshin and tell him to come out here?"
She giggled again. "No."
"Please?" He was beginning to grow desperate.
"Only if you play Hide-and-Go-Seek with me," she said stubbornly.
"All right!" said Jin'eh in exasperation. "I'll play it if you go get Kenshin and bring him here!"
"Yay!" she cheered as she ran off.
Jin'eh scowled at her as she ran back toward the house, having no intention whatsoever of holding up his end of the bargain. Stupid Battousai could play stupid Hide-and-Go-Seek with her instead, since all this was his fault for leaving Jin'eh out here and forgetting about him. Battousai would probably actually enjoy such foolishness. But before he did that, he was going to find Jin'eh's clothes for him. Then he could play his baby games while Jin'eh went and bashed Sanosuke's and Yahiko's heads in.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Kenshin threw the ball to Suzume with a laugh. Suzume laughed back and tried to catch it, but she missed and it rolled several feet away. Still giggling, she turned and ran after it. Kenshin smiled at her. To be young and carefree…
"Kenshin!" said Kaoru. He turned to look. "Where is Ayame?" she asked.
"She had to use the bathroom," replied Kenshin. "I'm sure she'll be right back."
"All right, but when she does get back, will you ask the girls if they'd like to stay for lunch? I'm going to make stir-fry!"
Suzume, who had been about to throw the ball, suddenly froze, a stricken look on her face. The ball dropped silently to the floor.
"I will, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin. Kaoru smiled and went back into the house. Kenshin turned toward Suzume, who now looked as if she were going to throw up. "Don't worry, Suzume," he lied. "I'm sure you'll like it. Kaoru-dono's cooking is getting better all the time, that it is."
Suzume did not reply, but she clearly looked on the verge of crying, or throwing a temper tantrum.
"There, there," he started to say, but was interrupted by another voice.
"Ken-Brother!" He turned and saw Ayame standing near the side of the main building. "Ken-Brother," she said again. "The scary man wants you to come!"
"What scary man?" he asked, wondering if she was making up stories, as young children are inclined to do.
"The scary man," she repeated. She waved in the general direction of the back of the house. "The one who lives back there."
Now he knew she was fibbing. No one lived behind the main building. He didn't think anyone was even back there right now. No one except-
Oh no.
Jin'eh. He'd totally forgotten about Jin'eh. It had been a long time, and Jin'eh was probably furious with him.
"Thank you for telling me, Ayame," said Kenshin. He motioned for the girls to go inside. "You two go on inside with Kaoru-dono. I'll be back soon."
The girls obeyed him (Suzume still looking upset), and Kenshin quickly ran around the building toward the back courtyard. He hoped Jin'eh wasn't too upset with him. He'd only meant to play with the girls for a few minutes. Sometimes a person just lost track of time…
He ran over to the bathhouse. As he went up the steps, Jin'eh immediately stuck his head out the door.
"Battousai!" said Jin'eh, sounding slightly distressed.
"Sorry I'm a little late, Jin'eh," he apologized.
But to his surprise, Jin'eh wasn't worried about that at all. "Battousai!" he said again. "Someone stole my clothes!"
It took a moment for this to register. "What?" Kenshin finally managed to say.
"Someone stole my clothes," Jin'eh repeated patiently. "Please, you have to find them for me!"
"Who took them?" asked Kenshin.
"I don't know. I didn't see them," said Jin'eh. His eyes narrowed in anger. "But I'm sure it was that stupid Yahiko! Or Sanosuke," he added.
Kenshin thought for a moment. Those two were the most likely suspects (of course, with such a small number of people living here, the list of potential suspects was kind of short). "All right," he said. "I'll go ask them where they put them. Don't worry," he added, when Jin'eh's upset expression did not lighten. "I'll find them. You wait here."
"Where else am I going to go?" snapped Jin'eh, before the door slid forcefully shut.
Kenshin went quickly down the steps and back toward the main building. He entered and went into the kitchen. The entire gang was in there, talking and bickering while Kaoru-dono attempted to cook stir-fry.
"I'm the strongest fighter, after Kenshin, end of story!" Yahiko was insisting.
"Yeah right," said Sano. "I've known grandmothers who were stronger than you!"
"You two shouldn't let your strength go to your heads," said Dr. Gensai mildly.
"I want to play Hide-and-Go-Seek!" yelled Ayame.
"Hide-and-Go-Seek!" shouted Suzume.
"Hi, Kenshin," said Kaoru, dumping half a container of some type of spice into her pan.
"Hello, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin with a smile. He turned toward Sano and Yahiko, who oh-so-surprisingly, had continued their argument without looking up at him. "Sano, Yahiko, I'd like to see you outside for a moment."
They both looked up at him with expressions of utter innocence. "What about, Kenshin?" asked Sano politely.
Kenshin wasn't fooled for a moment. "Outside," he repeated.
"What's going on, Kenshin?" asked Kaoru, looking worried.
He knew she was probably afraid it was some danger that popped up, and that Kenshin wanted to talk about with the guys. But since that wasn't it, he saw no need to worry her. "It's nothing to worry about," he reassured her. "It's just something I have to take care of."
That did not appear to ease her worries, but Kenshin didn't really want to tell the whole story right now, in front of all these people, because he didn't want to embarrass Jin'eh.
Sano and Yahiko followed him out into the back courtyard, still maintaining an air of innocence. Once they were outside, Kenshin turned to them. "All right, which one of you took Jin'eh's clothes?"
"Jin'eh's clothes?" asked Yahiko innocently.
"Yes," said Kenshin sternly. "Who took them?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kenshin," said Sano. He looked over at the bathhouse. "His clothes are missing?"
"Maybe Kaoru took them," offered Yahiko. "She doesn't like him much."
"Kaoru-dono would never do something like that," said Kenshin calmly. "She's much too polite to go into a bathhouse when a man is in there bathing."
"Well, maybe he hid them himself," said Yahiko. "You know, to get us in trouble."
"That's ridiculous," said Kenshin, trying to brush the amusing mental image away. "Now, where are they?"
"I don't know," said Yahiko, looking away.
Kenshin stared at him sternly. Yahiko still looked away. "Yahiko, I'm not going to ask you again."
Yahiko looked back at him. Their eyes met, and then Yahiko's dropped down to the ground. "All right, Kenshin. I'll show you where they are."
"Yahiko!" shouted Sano.
Kenshin turned to Sano angrily. "I want this to stop. No more pranks, fights, or nasty comments. You are making this very difficult for everyone, that you are. So stop it. Do you understand?"
"Hmmph!" was all Sano said in reply. He turned his back on Kenshin and stalked away.
"Sano!" Kenshin yelled after him, but Sano did not stop walking. He went around the side of the building and disappeared. Kenshin shook his head, wondering how much longer this was going to go on. He turned toward Yahiko. "All right, where are they?" he asked, a little more kindly than he had spoken to Sano. At least Yahiko had admitted his fault.
"This way," said Yahiko in a small voice, still not looking at him. He led Kenshin to the tool shed. Opening the door, he went inside and pointed toward a corner of the shed. "There they are," he said.
Kenshin looked inside, at the corner Yahiko was pointing to. He saw the sleeve of Jin'eh's kimono sticking out from under a piece of scrapwood. "Oro, you certainly hid them well," said Kenshin, going inside.
He dug the clothes out from under the pile of wood. Then he went back outside, where Yahiko was standing, still looking ashamed. "Yahiko," said Kenshin.
Yahiko looked up at him.
"Thank you for coming clean," said Kenshin, smiling. "Do you promise not to do it again?"
"Yes, Kenshin," said Yahiko quickly.
"All right then," said Kenshin, still smiling. "It's forgiven. Now, will you do me a favor?"
"Okay," said Yahiko. "What is it?"
"Will you go back inside and get me a jar of salve and some bandages?"
"What for?" asked Yahiko, looking slightly worried. "Are you all right?"
"Oh yes," said Kenshin quickly. "The bandages are for Jin'eh, not me. Kaoru-dono did a number on his back, that she did."
"Oh. All right, Kenshin," said Yahiko. He turned and headed back to the main building.
Kenshin took the clothes back to the bathhouse. He went up the steps and slid the door open. Jin'eh was sitting by the tub, with his hat on his lap, looking mad.
"I've got them!" said Kenshin cheerfully, coming inside.
Jin'eh brightened a little. "Where were they?" he asked.
"Sano and Yahiko hid them in the tool shed, that they did." Upon seeing Jin'eh's angry look return, Kenshin added: "But I had a talk with them. They won't do it again."
"You're sure?" asked Jin'eh grouchily.
"Yes," said Kenshin, setting the clothes down next to Jin'eh. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Oro, that must be Yahiko," he said, heading for the door.
"What's he doing here?" snapped Jin'eh.
"He's just bringing me some things, that he is" said Kenshin, sliding the door open. As promised, Yahiko was there with the salve and bandages. "Thank you, Yahiko," Kenshin said, taking them from him. He looked back over his shoulder. Jin'eh was scowling in the general direction of the door. Kenshin turned back to Yahiko. "Why don't you apologize?" he whispered.
Yahiko looked like Kenshin had asked him to jump off the top of Mount Fuji, but he took a deep breath and said loudly: "Sorry, Jin'eh."
Jin'eh did not answer, but Kenshin said softly: "Thank you."
Yahiko brightened a little. "Kaoru says lunch is ready, so when you're done in there, she wants you to come eat," he said with a shudder.
"All right, we will," said Kenshin. He said goodbye to Yahiko and slid the door shut again. Turning back toward Jin'eh, he asked: "So, are you all clean?"
"Yes," muttered Jin'eh. He suddenly looked sheepish. "But I ruined the bathwater."
Kenshin looked and saw that the water was cloudy with dirt. He supposed Jin'eh had found it difficult to wash with only one arm and hadn't been able to get himself completely clean before getting in. "Don't worry," he reassured the other man. "I'll change the water. In fact, I can use it later to wash your clothes."
Jin'eh opened his mouth to protest but wisely shut it again when Kenshin said "Don't argue. Remember, we have out appointment with Mr. Yamagata today."
Jin'eh looked stricken for a moment, and Kenshin guessed he hadn't remembered. He didn't argue further though, and let Kenshin treat his injured back and then dress him again without further comment. Then Kenshin covered the bathtub and cleaned up the bathing area while Jin'eh straightened his hair.
"There," said Kenshin, when everything was spotless again. "Now, let's go have lunch. Hopefully, it hasn't gotten cold." He opened the door and started down the steps.
Jin'eh followed him, carrying his hat rather than wearing it, so his hair would dry faster. "Is it more burned fish?" he asked.
"No, it's Too Spicy Stir Fry," said Kenshin
Lunch was indeed incredibly spicy, and left them all gasping and coughing. They each drank about twelve cups of water apiece, and Kenshin thought poor Dr. Gensai was going to have a heart attack. Jin'eh and Yahiko both kept silent for most of the meal, but Suzume, who kept having various temper tantrums about the food and Jin'eh's presence, made enough noise for both of them. There was no sign of Sano, so Kenshin assumed that he had gone home after their "fight."
They finally finished lunch, and Dr. Gensai, his energy spent, took the girls home. Kenshin went out back to do the laundry. Jin'eh gave him his clothes and then went and sat in the pantry, since the only thing Kenshin had found for him to wear was a robe that was so small it barely covered him decently. Kenshin tried to give him another poetry book to read while he was stuck inside, but got it thrown at his head (a book of adventure stories got a better response).
Kenshin washed everything (including the scarf that Sano had used for a napkin/handkerchief the day before) and was pleased that all the dirt came out of Jin'eh's clothes. The only thing that did not were numerous small brownish stains, which were old bloodstains, either from old wounds, or (as was more likely) the blood from previous victims which had splattered on him. But none of them were very large, and most of them were faded, so they didn't really show up that much.
Kenshin finished the last of the laundry and then hung everything on the line. The day had clouded up, and the sky was dull gray, but Kenshin didn't think any of the clouds were rain clouds, so he was sure that everything would dry by the time their appointment came around this afternoon.
Glad to be finished, he went back inside for some quiet time. He found Kaoru in the kitchen, also relaxing, and went and sat down beside her.
"So Kenshin," she said after they had sat in silence for a few minutes, "when is your appointment today?"
"At four-thirty," he replied, knowing that she was still worried about it.
"Why so late?" she asked curiously.
"Mr. Yamagata wanted to accommodate me right away, but his schedule was pretty full today, that it was. So he arranged a late meeting. I'm actually kind of glad, that I am," he continued. "That will allow me to sneak Jin'eh in there without too much commotion."
"Do you really think that everything will be all right?" asked Kaoru, still looking anxious.
"Yes," said Kenshin for the zillionth time. "I know for a fact that nothing is going to happen to me, because Mr. Yamagata offered me this favor himself. He can't have me arrested for trying to take him up on it, or else he'll look bad too."
"And do you really think he will pardon Jin'eh?" asked Kaoru. "I still don't think that that is going to happen."
"Maybe it won't work, but I am going to try my hardest to get him to work something out." Kenshin said, trying not to worry about what would happen if she was right.
"All right, but remember…" she hesitated. "If you do come home without him tonight, it's probably for the best."
He sighed. "I know you wish he were not here right now, but someday I hope that you will be glad when he comes home safely at night."
"That will never happen, Kenshin," Kaoru said shortly. She sighed. "I know I should wish you luck when you go off to this meeting, but a big part of me doesn't want to." She looked down at the table, avoiding his eyes. "A part of me hopes that this meeting doesn't work out. It would be so much easier if it doesn't. I mean, I don't want anything to happen to you, but I'd be kind of glad if he didn't get pardoned. Then I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore." She looked back up at him, almost pleadingly. "Does that make me a terrible person?"
"No, Kaoru-dono," he said softly. "It just means that you are in a difficult situation and wish that you could take the easy way out."
"But that's wrong," she pointed out. "The easy way is the coward's way out."
"Yes, but only if you actually take it," Kenshin said. "There is no shame in simply wishing you could take it. Most people do, at one point or another. After all," Kenshin continued, looking down at the table himself. "I know that he has hurt you very deeply."
"I just wish that I didn't have to help him!" she blurted out. "I can see why you want me to help him, but at the same time, I feel wrong for helping him. I mean, he's committed all sorts of murders, and done terrible things to us and to other people. And now all that's catching up to him. But since we're helping him to get out of all of it, I feel almost like we're helping him so that he doesn't have to deal with the consequences of his actions." She paused. "Plus, I hate him."
He patted her hand very gently. "I know you do. You can't forgive him for what he did."
"And that makes it really hard to be civil to him, which I have to do if we're going to maintain some semblance of peace around here. I've been trying to be decent to him, but I don't know how much longer I can keep it up. I've already lost my temper a bunch of times." Her unhappy expression deepened, and he knew she was thinking about the "lesson" she'd given Jin'eh earlier.
"And you've also kept it many times," he reminded her. "Considering what he's done to you, I think that you have been remarkably tolerant of him."
"Do you really think so?" she asked him, her expression lightening a bit.
"Yes I do," Kenshin said truthfully. "And I know you don't want to hear this, but I also think that he has been doing a very good job getting along with everyone here, that he has. I know things haven't gone entirely smoothly, but I think that he has done a good job in coexisting with a group of strangers who hate him."
To his surprise, she did not appear to be too angered by this comment. "Actually, I think you're right," she said. "And for someone whose biggest goal in life was to inflict as much pain on himself and others as possible, well, don't you think it's strange how he suddenly became so…uh…'well behaved?'" She shook her head slightly. "I mean, he was a maniac when we first met him. People don't just change overnight."
"No, they don't," Kenshin admitted. "And I've never thought, even for a moment, that this change was due to any virtuous feelings."
Kaoru's eyes widened. "So you think that this is all an act?"
"I didn't say that either," Kenshin said quickly. "I think he's trying so hard because he wants…" Kenshin paused, looking for the right words. "He wants to…please me."
"What? Kenshin, that's ridiculous!" Kaoru snapped. "Jin'eh doesn't like you! He's just using you! Can't you see that?!" she asked desperately.
"No, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin softly. "He wants…" This was hard for him. "He wants me to…like him."
"Why?"
"Because now that he cannot fight, and cannot die, I'm all he has," Kenshin told her. "So he wants to please me. He knows that I want him to stop killing, to atone for his crimes, to live. And so he is trying to do all that. For me." He dropped his eyes down to the table once more, suddenly ashamed to have another person's life so utterly dependent on his approval of that person. "I know that that is not a good way to live," he said softly. "But right now, it is all that is keeping Jin'eh alive. So I'm willing to let him cling to it, that I am. At least for the time being, until I can…try to nurture the humanity that is still inside of him, and get him to truly understand what he's done and truly want to change. Until I can get him to love himself and want to live on his own. Until then, I'll let him cling to it."
He looked away in embarrassment, hoping that didn't sound too foolish. Or impossible.
To his relief, Kaoru seemed to understand. She reached out and touched his arm. "I understand, Kenshin." She paused. "You care about him, don't you?"
Kenshin was silent, unable to admit it. He didn't know why, but he simply could not let himself admit to feeling that way about anyone. Not even to Kaoru. Perhaps he did not want to admit any sort of attachment to anyone because it would mean that something was holding him here. Or perhaps it hurt too much, because the last time he had felt that way about someone, she had died.
Instead, he said: "I can't let him go to prison, Kaoru-dono. I can't help him there. If he is sent there, he'll be alone for the rest of his life, and I know he will kill himself."
Kaoru looked down at the table again. "Kenshin…" she began.
Kenshin cut her off. "But even if I can get him out of going to prison, he will by no means not suffer the consequences of his actions. He will have to live with what he did. And he will spend the rest of his life trying to atone for it, just as I must."
Kaoru arched an eyebrow at him, looking like she didn't think such a fate would bother a man like Jin'eh as much as it bothered someone like Kenshin, but she didn't say anything, for which he was grateful. "But at least he'll be alive," Kenshin went on. "And if he lives, there is a chance that he will be able to find happiness. And that is what I truly want for him," he admitted. "That is what I want for everyone."
Kaoru sat there, looking for a moment like she did not know what to say. Then she finally looked at him, smiling gently. Kenshin's breath caught in his throat. He loved it when she smiled at him like that.
"Then I'll pray that everything goes well at that meeting, Kenshin," Kaoru said softly. "For your sake. Because I know you will be sad if you lose him." She suddenly grinned more broadly. "So I wish you luck this afternoon."
Kenshin smiled back, feeling more at ease. "Thank you, Kaoru-dono."
She got up. "I'm going to go practice in the training hall for a while." She paused. "Why don't you take a rest? I know you've had your hands full these last two days, and some very difficult fights before that. You need some time off."
"I'm fine, Kaoru-dono," he said automatically.
"Nonsense," she said, in a voice that forbade contradiction. "You are going to take a much-needed nap. Don't worry," she added. "I'll come and wake you up an hour before your appointment."
"All right, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin, knowing that arguing with her would be pointless. He always won sword battles, but when it came to matters of the home and hearth, she reigned supreme.
Just as she had promised, she was there, shaking him awake at three-thirty. He groaned and tried to ignore her, because he felt like it couldn't be three-thirty already. He felt like he'd just closed his eyes.
"Kenshin, it's time to wake up!" she said for the third time.
He finally realized that she wasn't going to go away, so he sat up sleepily.
"It's about time!" she said severely.
"Sorry, Kaoru-dono," he said rubbing his eyes.
"Are you up?" she asked. "I'm not going to leave you here if you're just going to fall asleep again."
"I'm up," he said quickly, getting to his feet.
"All right. You'd better go get Jin'eh up. I think he's taking a nap too."
"Yes, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin, still trying to wake up.
Jin'eh was not taking a nap. Instead, Kenshin found him sweeping the pantry out.
"Oro, what are you doing?" asked Kenshin.
"I wanted to get rid of some of the dust in here," replied Jin'eh. "It keeps making me sneeze. Don't worry. I didn't get dirty. Are my clothes dry yet?"
"Of course," said Kenshin, cheerfully. "I've got them right here."
Once he was dressed again, Kenshin had the other Hitokiri help him remove the rest of the laundry from the line and carry it inside. Just in time too, for a strong wind had come up and was blowing so hard that it might have blown all the clothes away. It whipped Kenshin's ponytail around and made a mess of Jin'eh's hair as well. Kenshin was surprised at how different Jin'eh's hair looked now that it was clean. Before, he'd thought it was a grayish color, but now that all the dirt had been washed from it, he realized that it was more a very pale lavender. It was amazing what a little soap and water could do.
"Oh, good, you got the laundry in," said Kaoru, as they came inside. "I was getting worried about it." She hesitated, looking slightly nervous once again. "Are you two going to your meeting now?"
Kenshin nodded. "Yes, and we'd better get going," he said. "We don't want to be late."
"All right," Kaoru said. "Be careful. And…" she added, trying to smile, "Good luck."
"Thank you, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin. He smiled at her reassuringly and then turned and went outside. Jin'eh followed.
Jin'eh was still a wanted criminal, so Kenshin decided to take him to the government office through the less traveled parts of town. They sneaked along behind houses, through alleys, and down streets that were not frequently used. Most of their journey was though the less desirable parts of the city, and sullen-looking people frequently stared at them in ways that made Kenshin uncomfortable, but he forced himself to put them out of his mind. After all, he knew that none of them posed any danger to a fighter like himself.
Jin'eh did not say a word for the entire length of the trip, and his silence combined with the dreary atmosphere of the slums made Kenshin feel slightly depressed. The threatening clouds beginning to loom in the west didn't help any, either. So he was very glad when they finally left the slums and traveled along the alleys of a grand-looking old street. The mansions that lined it were very pleasing to look at, even if Kenshin didn't exactly approve of such a lavish way of life. Even the well-dressed people they occasionally passed were much more polite, and merely looked at them curiously, rather than sullenly. All in all, this part of town was much more pleasant than the slums through which they'd just traveled.
Kenshin glanced at Jin'eh to see if he was enjoying this backstreet tour as well. To his surprise, Jin'eh was looking about himself with contempt. His lips were curled back scornfully, and there was a sneer in his eyes. Kenshin wondered what the matter was, but he decided against asking. It was always better not to bother someone when they had a look like that on their face.
Finally, they reached the street that housed the government offices of Tokyo. Kenshin led Jin'eh down a long alley, behind two smaller government buildings, and then around a corner, to a dreary little door at the back of the main government office building. It was most likely used for deliveries and had a "Do Not Enter" sign hanging on it. It was at this door that Mr. Yamagata had told Kenshin to wait for him.
"This is it," he said quietly.
Jin'eh did not reply. He simply stood there with a rather unpleasant look on his face. Kenshin blinked at him. Unpleasant, and strange, too. Part of it looked like nervousness, but there was another part of it that looked almost like anger.
"Jin'eh, what's the matter?" asked Kenshin, wanting to get whatever was bothering him out in the open so that it didn't interfere with their meeting.
"Nothing," said Jin'eh, not looking at him.
"There's obviously something the matter," said Kenshin. "You are acting awfully strange, that you are."
"I have to get down on my hands and knees and beg a man I despise and who probably despises me for a pardon." Jin'eh snapped. "How do you expect me to act?"
Kenshin wanted to ask Jin'eh why he hated Mr. Yamagata, but at that moment, the door opened and a short, well-dressed, weasel-like man stuck his head out. "Himura Battousai?" asked the man, looking straight at Kenshin.
"Yes," said Kenshin quickly.
The weasel man digested this bit of information and then looked at Jin'eh. "And prisoner?" he asked.
"Yes," Kenshin said again. Jin'eh scowled but did not say anything.
The weasel man digested this information as well. "Very well," he said at last, opening the door and motioning for them to enter. They did so and were led down a long dark hallway to a small room at the end. This was not Mr. Yamagata's office (which was located on an upper floor), but Kenshin had not really expected this meeting to be held there, so he was not very nervous about the unfamiliar scenery. The weasel-man knocked on the door, and Kenshin heard Mr. Yamagata's muffled voice say from within: "Enter."
The weasel-man poked his head inside the door. "Sir, they have arrived."
"Very good," replied Mr. Yamagata. "Send them in."
The weasel-man hesitated. "Sir, are you sure you wouldn't like an escort of armed guards for this meeting?"
"I said before that I did not," came Mr. Yamagata's voice, sounding slightly annoyed. "I have little reason to believe that Himura Battousai would want to cause me bodily harm. And even if he did, you know as well as I that a whole platoon of armed guards would be useless."
The weasel-man did not look reassured by this, but he said: "Yes, Sir."
"Good, now send them in," Mr. Yamagata said again.
The weasel-man obligingly stood aside and motioned for the two of them to enter. Kenshin took a moment to take a deep breath (He was embarrassed to admit that he was a little nervous), then gently took hold of Jin'eh's arm, as if he were escorting a prisoner. Jin'eh stiffened in surprise, but he dutifully went along with the act. With Jin'eh in tow, Kenshin stepped into the room.
It was not the dark, dingy-looking office he had imagined. Although it was smaller than a normal office, it was not cramped, and was cheerfully lit by several lamps. There were no windows, but the walls were decorated with an ornate clock and several oil-paintings of trees. The furniture was Western-style and consisted of several chairs, a small table, and of course, a desk, behind which sat Mr. Yamagata.
"Welcome, Himura Battousai," said Mr. Yamagata as the door closed silently behind them.
"Hello, Mr. Yamagata," replied Kenshin. "You have a very nice office here."
"You know that this is not my office," said Mr. Yamagata in a friendly tone. "This is the place where more "private" government business takes place. But it suits our purpose well enough today." He paused, looking at Jin'eh contemplatively. "Is this the assassin?"
"Yes he is," replied Kenshin, not wanting to say too much just yet.
Mr. Yamagata looked down at the open file on his desk (presumably the Kurogasa file, which he must have gotten from the police), then back up at Jin'eh. "Well, he certainly matches the description," said Mr. Yamagata after a moment. He looked back down at the file. "The police will have to confirm it, of course, but I do believe that it is him." He looked at Kenshin approvingly. "Well done, Himura Battousai. Once again you've done this government a great service. By capturing this ruffian, you have assured that no more of this government's servants perish under his sword."
Kenshin was silent, trying to figure out how to begin what he wanted to say.
"But I do not understand why you wanted to bring him to me," continued Mr. Yamagata. "Why didn't you just turn him in to the police?"
"Because…" Kenshin still didn't know how to start. "Because…he is…someone you know." It was the best way to begin that he could think of.
"Someone that I know?" said Mr. Yamagata, incredulously. He looked at Jin'eh more closely, but Jin'eh had his hat pulled down farther than usual, and Mr. Yamagata still did not recognize him. "Is he someone from the political world?"
"No, he comes from further back in your history," said Kenshin. "Just as I do."
"The revolution?" asked Mr. Yamagata, looking like he was beginning to understand.
"Yes," said Kenshin. He turned to Jin'eh. "Remove your hat."
Jin'eh did as he was told. As the shadows that had hid his face disappeared, Mr. Yamagata leaned across his desk to get a better view. He stared at him for almost a minute, before he said: "You do look vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place your face."
Jin'eh suddenly flashed him a big, toothy grin.
Mr. Yamagata instantly jerked backwards as if Jin'eh had splashed him with cold water, and he let out a loud gasp. "Udou Jin'eh!"
"So you do remember him," said Kenshin.
"How could I forget? You Hitokiri all are very memorable people." He looked at Jin'eh. "He was one of our most prized assassins, but he was also the most soulless killer I've ever encountered."
"I suited your purposes well enough," Jin'eh suddenly said, the faintest hint of a sneer in his voice.
"Yes, you did," admitted Mr. Yamagata. "But it seems you have outlived your usefulness and become a nuisance. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you turned against us. After all, you were originally working for the Shinsen Gumi during the revolution, and turned against them. Treachery, it seems, is in your blood."
"And greed is in yours," Jin'eh said smoothly.
"Several of those men you killed were colleagues," said Mr. Yamagata with a flicker of anger. He looked back at Kenshin. "Thank you for bringing him to me. I think I'll personally see to it that he gets some "special treatment" in prison."
"Mr. Yamagata, that is what I wanted to talk to you about," Kenshin tried to cut in.
"What ever happened to you anyway?" Mr. Yamagata asked Jin'eh. "You just disappeared in Kyoto towards the end of the revolution."
"I decided that working for you was unsafe," said Jin'eh. "We both know what this government does with those whose services it doesn't need anymore. I'm actually quite surprised that Battousai made it through the final purging. Others weren't so lucky." Jin'eh's voice was full of hot anger.
"I see," said Mr. Yamagata contemplatively. "After your disappearance, we simply assumed that you ended up on the wrong end of a sword somewhere. In a battle that you probably provoked. You always were rather reckless." He leaned back. "But I see now that that was a dangerously foolish assumption to make. We've certainly paid for it."
"Maybe if you weren't so fat and soft, you'd have realized it before so many of your colleagues tasted my sword," said Jin'eh with malicious joy.
Kenshin blinked at him. Why was Jin'eh acting like this? He wasn't helping the situation at all! At this rate, he was going to make Mr. Yamagata so angry that he wouldn't help them. He shot Jin'eh a Shut Up This Instant Or You'll Be Really Sorry Later look.
Jin'eh merely glared at him, not looking like he was planning on obeying. So for good measure, Kenshin gave him a discrete kick in the shins. The other Hitokiri winced slightly and glared at Kenshin once more, but he obligingly shut up. Relieved, Kenshin addressed Mr. Yamagata once again.
"Mr. Yamagata, the reason I brought him here is because he is no ordinary criminal. His crimes are certainly extraordinary, but so is his past with this government. You yourself said that he served it well during the revolution." Mr. Yamagata nodded, and so Kenshin continued. "Because of this, his capture probably should not be dealt with in an ordinary manner."
"I'll see to it that he is kept under close supervision, so that he has no chance of escape," said Mr. Yamagata.
"I meant more like…" God, he felt so dirty. "I meant…that he should be…"
"What, Himura Battousai?" asked Mr. Yamagata, with a touch of exasperation.
"You should…go easy on him."
"What?" Mr. Yamagata briefly lost him composure as he balked at Kenshin.
It was too late to stop now. "He was a valuable asset to the Meiji side during the revolution," said Kenshin. "If anything, he deserves some type of reward for the work he did for it. A reward like the one you offered me."
"You want me to offer this man a government position?" Mr. Yamagata was staring at Kenshin as if he'd gone mad.
"I was thinking more of something like…a pardon," said Kenshin, trying desperately not to laugh or even smile at the thought of Jin'eh sitting behind a desk in a government office, barking out orders about how to cut government spending (he'd probably try to cut it with a sword).
Mr. Yamagata did not look amused in any way. "You want me to pardon this killer?" he said flatly.
"Yes," said Kenshin, not liking the look on Mr. Yamagata's face.
Mr. Yamagata sat in silence for a moment. Then he looked at Kenshin sternly. "All right, let me explain this to you. This man is very dangerous, in case you hadn't already discovered that. He needs to be taken off the streets, so that he doesn't kill any more of our politicians, or anyone else."
"Jin'eh cannot be a swordsman anymore," replied Kenshin, pointing to Jin'eh's crooked right arm. "I've shattered his sword arm. He will not be a danger to anyone any longer. And I plan to watch over him just to make sure he stays out of trouble."
"And I'm sure if this man thinks hard enough, he will be able to figure out a way around both of those limitations," said Mr. Yamagata severely. "And even if your plan did work, and he never killed another person as long as he lived, it doesn't change what he's done. He's committed very serious crimes against this government, and he needs to pay for them."
"Yes, but he's also helped the government a great deal as well," Kenshin pointed out. "Don't the two cancel each other out?"
"I'm surprised at you, Himura Battousai. You should know it's not that easy. And what I'd like to know is why you want to help a man like this so much," Mr. Yamagata demanded curiously.
"I want to help him because he is my friend, and a fellow Hitokiri," said Kenshin truthfully. "You have my word that I'll look after him. He will never bother this government again, and he may even fight by my side and aid it, in the future."
"And what does Jin'eh have to say about all this?" said Mr. Yamagata.
Jin'eh looked back at Mr. Yamagata coolly. "I follow Battousai. I will do what he wants me to do. If he wants me to stay away from this government of fat, squealing pigs, then that is what I will do."
"Well, if this is some twisted plot that the two of you cooked up together, you're certainly putting on a fairly convincing act," said Mr. Yamagata, with mild surprise. "But I honestly believe that such plans are beneath you, Himura Battousai. Therefore, I must accept that your persistence in this matter truly is motivated by a desire to help this man." He leaned back and sighed. "However, you also know that pardoning him is a very serious issue. His crimes are very severe."
"Mr. Yamagata, you are our only hope," said Kenshin desperately. "When I turned down your offer of a government position, you said the government still owed me, remember?" Mr. Yamagata suddenly looked wary, but Kenshin continued: "I am now taking you up on that offer."
"I will not do this," said Mr. Yamagata quickly.
Kenshin opened his mouth to protest, but suddenly Jin'eh put in: "You offered him a favor. I don't believe he told me you made any mention of it being conditional."
"There are some things that I won't do," Mr. Yamagata replied. Kenshin noted with slight relief that he'd said won't instead of can't.
"Well, then you should have known better than to offer Battousai an open-ended favor," Jin'eh shot back. "How did a supposedly smart man like yourself make it this far without knowing that?"
Mr. Yamagata looked like he wanted to argue with Jin'eh, but didn't know what to say. Finally he looked at Kenshin. "Anything else. I'll do anything else for you. Please, just not this."
"That is also an open-ended favor," said Jin'eh mildly. "How do you know it won't bring you even more trouble down the road? Why don't you just deal with this one and cut your losses?"
Mr. Yamagata truly looked worried. Kenshin began to feel sorry for him and wished that he didn't have to put the man in this position. But this was Jin'eh's only hope. He felt awful, but he had to insist.
"Please, Mr. Yamagata," he tried to say nicely.
Mr. Yamagata remained quiet. Kenshin tried to think of something else to say, but he could not. The silence in the room grew heavy and uncomfortable, punctuated only by the loud ticking of the clock and the occasional rumbles of thunder, way off in the distance.
Finally, Mr. Yamagata sighed softly and looked up at Kenshin. "Himura Battousai, I strongly urge you not to do this. You know that there is the very good possibility that he will become a killer again, broken arm or no broken arm. And if that happens, then you will be partly responsible for the deaths of more innocents. Do you really want that?" Mr. Yamagata did not give Kenshin time to answer, but instead continued: "However, if you truly want to waste the favor I offered you on such dirty business, then there may be a way to arrange for a pardon."
"There may be a way?" asked Kenshin excitedly. "How?"
"As you know, Jin'eh's political victims all had one thing in common-they were all big name imperialists. And given the fact that Jin'eh was a very undiscriminating killer during the revolution, it leads me to believe that in the Kurogasa case, he was working for someone. Most likely someone within the government itself."
Kenshin's eyes widened when he heard those words. Had Jin'eh merely been a tool of some powerful politician? Such a thing had never even crossed his mind. And yet, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Although Jin'eh clearly seemed to have a hatred of the government, the fact that his victims all came from one side of it clearly meant that he was killing with an agenda. He looked over at Jin'eh questioningly, but Jin'eh was not looking at him. He was staring at Mr. Yamagata, and Kenshin didn't like the look on his face either.
Mr. Yamagata continued: "As you can guess, the government would have great interest in catching that particular politician." He looked at Jin'eh. "We might even allow his pawn to get off with an easier sentence if he disclosed that information. And that, combined with your service to this government during the revolution would most likely be enough to pardon you."
Kenshin could hardly believe his ears. That was all they needed to do? It was so simple!
"So if you tell us who you were working for, we will pardon you," said Mr. Yamagata solemnly.
Kenshin smiled inwardly, feeling greatly relieved. They had done it. Jin'eh would be safe now.
"No," said Jin'eh quietly.
Both Kenshin and Mr. Yamagata dropped their jaws. "Jin'eh!" said Kenshin, shocked.
"I take it your freedom isn't as important to you as your friend Battousai thinks," Mr. Yamagata said to Jin'eh.
"Jin'eh, why won't you tell him?" asked Kenshin, not understanding.
"I will not tell," Jin'eh repeated. "A Hitokiri does not reveal who he is working for to ravenous vultures. A Hitokiri does not "squeal," unlike you fat, patriot pigs. His secrets remain his own. I will die with that secret still locked away inside. This, I swear."
"Well, then there is nothing I can do for you, Oh, Mighty Hitokiri," snapped Mr. Yamagata. "You can rot in a cell for the rest of your life while your employer grows ever fatter and more greedy."
Jin'eh did not take the bait. Instead, he remained silent. Kenshin began to feel waves of panic overtake him. Just when they'd had a chance of actually securing a pardon, Jin'eh had to go and act like this. Kenshin just barely suppressed a sigh. The two of them should have discussed this together before they came here.
Well, it wasn't too late now. "Jin'eh," said Kenshin, turning to him. "This is the only way. You must tell him."
"I will not, Battousai. I won't tell, no matter what you say."
Kenshin tried to resort to logic. "Jin'eh, you told me that you were going to try to atone for your crimes. You told me that you did not want to hurt anyone else. Well, if you do not reveal who you were working for, the person who hired you may never be caught. He may continue to send assassins to wipe out his enemies. More will die."
"I don't care about those pigs!" snapped Jin'eh, although Kenshin noticed that Jin'eh would not look at him.
"Jin'eh, they are human beings. There lives are just as important as anyone else's. If you let your former employer kill them when you could have stopped him, then you will be partly responsible for their deaths. And if that happens, I will never forgive you. Do you understand?"
Jin'eh almost looked horrified. "Battousai…"
"I will never, ever, forgive you," Kenshin tried to say coldly. He felt awful about the blackmail, but it was the only thing he could think of.
Jin'eh hesitated, plainly torn. Kenshin merely stared at him pointedly. Jin'eh sighed, and Kenshin smiled ever so slightly. It looked like the fortress was beginning to crack. It was odd how Jin'eh had no problem at all about going to prison to protect his secret, but he couldn't bear the thought of making Kenshin angry over it.
"I cannot tell," he finally said miserably. "Not even for you, Battousai." Kenshin opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by Jin'eh. "However, I know that you do not want any more people to die." He turned to Mr. Yamagata. "So I will disclose the names of the rest of the victims on my list. That way, if my former employer does send new assassins after them, at least they'll know ahead of time, so that they can be protected."
Mr. Yamagata paused, considering. "That is useful information for us, but I don't know if it is worth a full pardon."
"It's my only offer," said Jin'eh. "Take it or leave it."
Mr. Yamagata hesitated, plainly weighing his options, and Jin'eh grinned at him. "There are some very interesting names on the list," he said darkly.
Mr. Yamagata blanched. Jin'eh stared back at him, his expression giving away nothing further. The room stayed completely quiet for almost a minute, as Mr. Yamagata tried to figure out if Jin'eh was bluffing.
Finally, he gave in. "All right, just one moment," he said softly, as he got up and went over to the door. When he opened it, Kenshin saw that the weasel man was still standing outside. He and Mr. Yamagata spoke in quiet voices for several minutes. Finally, the weasel man nodded and left.
"It will take a few moments to set things in motion," said Mr. Yamagata, sitting down at his desk again.
"So you are going to pardon him?" asked Kenshin hopefully.
"Yes," said Mr. Yamagata unhappily. "Why don't the two of you have a seat?"
They quickly obeyed, sitting down in the Western-style chairs. Kenshin was immediately uncomfortable-he felt unsteady sitting so high off the ground. Still, since Mr. Yamagata had been kind enough to offer, Kenshin thought it would be rude to refuse.
"How can you sit in this thing all day?" grumbled Jin'eh. "Are you trying to give yourself an exaggerated sense of self-importance?"
Kenshin was ready to kill him. He'd done nothing but make things worse during this whole discussion. If he didn't cut it out soon, Kenshin was going to personally make him scrub the floor in every room in every building in the entire Kamiya Dojo when they got home.
Fortunately, Mr. Yamagata didn't seem to be bothered by that particular comment, and they sat in silence while they waited for the weasel-man to come back. The rumbles of thunder sounded like they were coming closer, and Kenshin began to wonder if they were going to make it home in time before the storm hit.
He didn't have much time to ponder the issue, however, because the door suddenly opened and the weasel-man returned with several documents. "Here you are, Sir," he said politely as he laid them on the table.
"Thank you," said Mr. Yamagata, as he began shuffling through them.
It only took a few minutes to work everything out to Mr. Yamagata's satisfaction. When everything was ready at last, Mr. Yamagata signed all the forms and then Jin'eh, as promised, gave him the names of five politicians whom he'd been supposed to target over the next few months. Kenshin vaguely recognized their names-again, all of them were somewhat important political figures, and all of them were imperialists. Mr. Yamagata's name was not among them, so Jin'eh must have been bluffing.
With everything settled, Mr. Yamagata sent them on their way with a piece of advice. "Remember, Jin'eh may have been pardoned, but that doesn't change what he did. He has killed many, and as a result, is still likely to have many enemies. And this pardon only prevents the government from coming for him-it won't stop anyone else. So I'd be careful if I were you. Don't go around telling people about him or his past. Keep it to yourself. I trust you haven't told the police that you have caught him yet?"
"No," said Kenshin. "I haven't told them anything."
"Good," said Mr. Yamagata. "Then don't. Let the case fade away. It's in the best interest of all of us."
"All right, Mr. Yamagata," said Kenshin, knowing he was right.
"Very good. Now, Himura Battousai, my favor has been granted." He paused, looking Kenshin square in the eye. "I hope it was worth it to you, because you won't get another. I know you believe that what you are doing at this moment is right, but I personally can only foresee this foolishness ending in tragedy." He sighed. "However, it is now out of my hands. He is your responsibility, and I fully expect you to keep him in line. Keep the people of this city safe. When next we meet, I shall be interested to find out if you still think that all this was worth it. Good luck, Himura Battousai."
With that, Mr. Yamagata made a motion towards the open door, and the weasel-man arrived to show them out. "Thank you very much, Mr. Yamagata," Kenshin called back over his shoulder. He shot Jin'eh a Look.
"Thank you," Jin'eh grumbled.
Mr. Yamagata did not reply, and a moment later, the weasel-man slid the door shut. He then led them back the same way they had come, down the hallway and out into the alley.
A crack of thunder sounded just as the door shut behind them. Jin'eh looked up at the darkening sky. "Was that an ill omen?" he asked meditatively.
"No, it means that it's going to rain," replied Kenshin. "We'd better get home or we'll get caught up in it." He started walking.
They hurried through the streets, this time not bothering to sneak around. The trip back was as silent as the trip there, but this time it was Kenshin who was deliberately not doing the talking. He didn't know how to feel right now. On one hand, he was very glad that everything had worked out, and that Jin'eh had received his pardon. On the other hand, he was almost furious with Jin'eh for his behavior in that office. And so he simply didn't quite know how he should be acting right now. So he continued walking without saying anything. Finally, Jin'eh noticed his silence.
"Battousai, what's the matter?" he asked.
"Never mind," said Kenshin. He didn't want to fight with Jin'eh right now.
"Are you…angry with me?" asked Jin'eh hesitantly.
All right, if he really wanted to do this right now, Kenshin would oblige him. "Yes I am, Jin'eh," he said flatly. "You were very rude and threatening to Mr. Yamagata back there."
"I hate him," said Jin'eh. "I hate them all."
"I don't care," replied Kenshin. "I was trying to convince him that it would be all right to pardon you, and you made my job ten times harder than it needed to be, that you did!"
Jin'eh sighed. "I couldn't help it."
Kenshin was not fooled. "Yes you could. And you should have. I specifically told you yesterday to behave yourself, that I did."
"I'm sorry, Battousai," said Jin'eh softly.
"And you're slipping again. How many times do I have to tell you that my name is Kenshin?"
"Sorry, Kenshin," corrected Jin'eh.
It still didn't appease him. "And why didn't you tell me you had been working for someone before we came there. If I had known ahead of time, we could have prepared for it, and we wouldn't have had to have that big argument in front of Mr. Yamagata!"
"You didn't ask," Jin'eh pointed out.
"I shouldn't need to," replied Kenshin. "You knew that it was important, and so you should have told me. But you chose not to, and that is why I am angry."
"If I had told you, you'd have tried to worm it out of me, just like he did," said Jin'eh unhappily.
Kenshin knew that he was right, so he didn't reply. But he still thought that Jin'eh was wrong in not revealing his former employer's name. However, he knew that it would be pointless to argue about it, since neither of them would be likely to change the other's opinion. Instead, he continued hurrying along the deserted streets. It was beginning to sprinkle.
Jin'eh hurried after him. "Well," he said after an extended period of silence. "Despite everything, it did work out. At least let me…thank you."
Kenshin turned and smiled at him as he continued speedwalking. Jin'eh was so…appreciative of him that it was hard to stay angry with him for any great length of time. "You're welcome," he said, still smiling. "I'm very glad that everything worked out." He looked forward again. "I'm glad that you are finally…safe."
"Thanks to you," said Jin'eh, almost tenderly. "Thank you, Kenshin."
"You are welcome, Jin'eh," Kenshin said again, as they turned down the long street that led to the dojo.
With an ear splitting thunderclap, the clouds finally opened up and poured drenching sheets of rain down on them from the heavens.
"Run!" shouted Kenshin, as he sprinted down the street.
He reached the front gate a few seconds later. For some reason, it was open, which was odd. Kaoru never left it open, especially not when it was windy (it squeaked terribly). He looked back over his shoulder, wondering if he had left Jin'eh behind in a cloud of dust. Kenshin's heart sank when he realized that there was no sign of him on the road. Jin'eh was probably way back there, trying to catch up.
"Are you going to stand there all day?" asked a deep voice. "You'll get soaked."
Kenshin whirled around. There standing on the front porch with a very satisfied smirk on his face, was Jin'eh.
"Oro, you're fast," said Kenshin with a laugh as he joined Jin'eh on the porch.
"At least I still have my speed!" said Jin'eh, sounding pleased. He cocked his head. "Hey, listen!"
Kenshin listened. Inside the house, Kaoru was shrieking at someone. Her voice was muffled by the walls, but he could barely make out what she was saying:
"He's been gone too long! I know something's happened to him. Oh, Kenshin!"
Then another voice, which might have been Sano's: "Relax, Jo-chan (yup, definitely Sano). They haven't even been gone very long. It takes time to work out dirty deals. I'd give them another hour before you start worrying."
"Another hour?!" she shrieked. "If he makes me worry that long, I'll kill him!"
"Maybe we're better off staying out here," suggested Jin'eh.
"Nonsense…" began Kenshin.
A loud crash came from inside.
"Oro, I'm in trouble," muttered Kenshin as he went inside.
Kenshin rushed into the living area and was greeted by the sight of Sano lying on the floor, felled by a vase that had been thrown at his head. Kaoru was still screaming at him, and Yahiko, Dr. Gensai, and the girls were standing behind her with nervous expressions on their faces.
"Kaoru-dono!" said Kenshin. "I'm back!"
Her head jerked up to look at him. Her eyes widened as her mouth curved into a huge grin. "Kenshin!" she cried, as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Kenshin, you're home! Did everything work out all right?" She lifted her head to look over his shoulder, and seemed vaguely disappointed that Jin'eh was still there. "I guess it did," she said unenthusiastically.
"Yes, we got Mr. Yamagata to agree to help us, that we did," said Kenshin.
"I'll bet it was easy for you, Kenshin!" said Yahiko. "You weren't gone very long!"
"Well, actually…" began Kenshin.
"You can tell us all about it over supper," said Kaoru, starting for the kitchen. "It's ready." On her way, she gently kicked at the groaning Sano. "Get up! It didn't hurt that much!"
Sano shuffled dizzily to his feet and followed Kaoru, Yahiko, Dr. Gensai, and Suzume into the kitchen. Ayame stayed where she was, looking at Kenshin and Jin'eh happily.
"Hi, Ken-Brother!" she said.
"Hello, Ayame," replied Kenshin. "Don't you want to go into the kitchen with everyone and eat dinner?"
She shook her head, giggling. "I want to play Hide-and-Go-Seek!" She giggled again. "The scary man said he'd play!"
Kenshin looked over at Jin'eh curiously, sure that Ayame must be making this up. To his surprise, Jin'eh had a stricken look on his face and was trying to hide behind Kenshin.
"Did you?" asked Kenshin, trying not to laugh.
Jin'eh shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "Well, s-sort of..."
Kenshin laughed out loud. So did Ayame, as she ran over to Jin'eh and grabbed his hand. "Come on!"
Jin'eh pulled his hand away, but then she grabbed the end of his scarf and started tugging at it. "Hey!" snapped Jin'eh. He looked down at her as if he had absolutely no idea what to do. A lifetime of relying on the sword must have left him quite inexperienced with peaceful solutions. "Stop that! Battousai, help!"
Kenshin still could not stop laughing. "Sorry, Jin'eh. I can't always help you out of every mess you get into. You'll just have to get out of this one on your own."
Jin'eh looked down at Ayame with the eyes of a trapped animal. She giggled and said: "C'mon, let's play!"
Jin'eh blinked at her in horror, then turned with a cry and ran for his life.
"No!" shouted Ayame, running after him. "Not Tag! Hide-and-Go-Seek!"
"KENSHIN!" shouted Kaoru. "IT'S TIME TO EAT!"
"Yeah, you'd better hurry!" shouted Yahiko. "Sanosuke's eating all your food!"
"Shut up, you little-" snapped Sano.
"Coming, Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin, hurrying toward the kitchen, trying to get there in time before a fight broke out between Sano and Yahiko.
He didn't quite make it, as the next second, he heard a loud crash. Everyone in the kitchen immediately started shouting at each other, just as Jin'eh came tearing back into the room, with Ayame hot on his heels. The two of them charged into the kitchen even as Kenshin tried to warn them, and the next moment he heard Jin'eh yell and Ayame shriek before there was a second loud crash. The shouting in the kitchen began anew, this time with the volume even louder.
Despite it all, Kenshin smiled
There were worse ways to spend a rainy evening.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Okay, now that we're all done with hazing the new guy, it's time to get back to the main storyline. Next chapter, Megumi shows up. How will Jin'eh react? What the hell was I smoking when I wrote this? Guess you'll have to find out next time!
Uh…please? :P
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