Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
A/N: I know it's been a little while since I last updated, and I hope everyone is still reading the story. I'd love to get more reviews so I have a lot of feedback! Anyway, a certain redhead finally makes an appearance...took four chapters for it to happen...please enjoy!
Reviewers:
Kokoronagomu: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I love sarcasm, so that kind of banter will be very prevalent in my story. I'll try to make sure there's a lot of it in every chapter.
Tree of Ashes: I think the relationship between Kaoru and Saito is always entertaining. Saito's character is so funny, and I love how he thrives off of mocking other people. Naturally, Kaoru would never stand for that, so they have an unusual relationship. I think the conversations between those two are my favorite parts to write, so I can promise that there will more to come!
Chapter 4: First Lead
Kaoru smelled the familiar scent of cigarette smoke as she watched her boss stand casually before them. His cocky attitude and contempt for all human being other than himself didn't surprise her anymore. She had quickly become accustomed to his arrogant nature within the first few days of meeting him. She and Sano seemed to be some of the only few people who didn't let him get to them. She had come to terms with the fact that being an arrogant bastard was about as essential to his survival as breathing. While she spat insults back at the man, Sano favored ignorance. And as usual, Sano was casually brushing off the remarks.
He turned to eye Saito from his seat and smiled ruefully, "Nice to see you, Saito. We were just having coffee. Care to join us?"
Saito snorted at the idea. "I have no wish to ruin what could be a pleasant day." He turned and looked at Kaoru, adding, "It's nice to see you are no longer wallowing in self pity."
"What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked, her temper flaring immediately. She was sick of the man's uncanny knowledge of her love life.
"Walking down the street," Saito replied simply.
"And I'm supposed to believe that? That you just happened to be walking down this particular street?" Kaoru hissed accusingly.
Saito raised a brow in amusement. "If you must know, my wife sent me to pick up muffins at a bakery that happens to on this street. I was not aware that was a crime, Kamiya."
Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise, and she flushed in embarrassment, lost for words. The image of Saito casually sipping coffee and eating a muffin at a kitchen table on Sunday morning was an odd vision to behold, and Kaoru didn't think she would ever feel the same about the sweet treat again.
Sano, however, had a completely different reaction to Saito's words. "You're married? Someone actually married you? Oi, Jou-chan, did you know about this?"
Kaoru glanced at her friend and nodded sheepishly. "I met Tokio once when I went to their house with, um…went to their house for dinner," she replied, stumbling over her words.
"Ah, yes. And what an interesting choice of company you decided to bring," Saito replied. "You certainly have an unusual choice in men."
"Tell me you didn't," Sano breathed, looking at Kaoru questioningly. The guilty look on her face made the truth evident. "Damn, I bet that was an interesting night."
"He was one of your friend's, I believe," Saito continued, looking pointedly at Sano. Kaoru was getting tired of the conversation that clearly involved Kenshin, and she especially didn't enjoy feeling out of the loop. Both her coworker and employer were talking about her ex-boyfriend in a way that suggested much more than his mere connection to Kaoru.
Saito caught Kaoru's glowering look and smirked, "Now, I must get going. I do not want to waste my time discussing frivolous topics with idiots."
Kaoru felt her temper rising even more, if possible. "What a shame you can't stay longer, Saito-san," she muttered sarcastically.
Instead of commenting, he said gruffly, "Don't be late tomorrow now that you've decided to finally show up again." He turned abruptly and walked down the street. Kaoru's angry eyes followed his form until it disappeared out of sight.
She huffed, "I can't believe the nerve of that guy."
Sano looked at her curiously, "How are you holding up by the way?" His voice was suddenly tender and his face full of concern.
Kaoru looked up at him, surprised by his apparent worry. She shook her head, "I'll be fine. I just hate how my life feels like such an open book. Even Saito comments on my relationship with Kenshin."
"Well, Saito's a jerk. You know that."
Kaoru sighed. "I know. But I hate how he seems so happy to see me miserable. If he didn't want me to have a relationship with Kenshin, then he shouldn't have kept putting me on cases involving him," she said in irritation.
"He wasn't exactly against it," Sano answered without thinking. Upon seeing Kaoru's stunned expression and sudden attentiveness, he grew uncomfortable and began shifting in his seat. "Uh, I mean—"
"What do you mean he wasn't exactly against it?" Kaoru asked suspiciously. "He wasn't setting us up, was he?"
"No!" Sano said, shaking his hands in front of him frantically. "It was never planned that the two of you would meet or anything, but you seemed to have a positive influence on the guy, so—"
"So Saito kept putting me on his cases so we would meet? That doesn't make any sense. I had already met him from that blind date you set me up on."
"Technically, but you more had a date with Kenshin not Battousai…I mean, they're the same person and everything, but you didn't know who he really was and it wasn't like he was going to tell you, soooo," Sano said quickly, finally cutting himself off when he began rambling. "You're really looking too far into this," he sighed. "Look. No one set you up, no one tried to get you guys together, and no one tried to tear you two apart. That was all Kenshin. We did try to stop him from leaving but—"
"You knew he was going to leave me? Both you and Saito knew all the while I was happily coming to work not expecting anything?"
Sano saw he was entering dangerous territory, and a bead of sweat appeared on his brow. "Okay, Jou-chan, you're really making it sound worse than it is. Kenshin…he just has issues, and there's nothing we can really do about it. Saito and I tried to talk him out of his absurd ideas, but it didn't really work. He's pretty stubborn."
Kaoru looked at Sano as the words seeped in. Suddenly she started laughing, and Sano gaped at her.
"Okay, now she's gone crazy," he muttered, shaking his head.
Kaoru heard his comment but couldn't manage to contain her laughter. The image that had popped in her head was too humorous for her not to laugh. Imagining Sano and Saito standing in a room with Kenshin, both working together to try to keep him from leaving his girlfriend…two detectives patching up an infamous criminal's love life? It was just such an odd situation. After the comical idea began fading from her mind, Kaoru noticed Sano's perplexed expression and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about you and Saito talking about…oh, never mind. Anyway, I'm sorry about getting mad at you, Sano. There wasn't really anything you could do. Kenshin's even more stubborn than me."
Sano grinned and visibly relaxed. "There's no one more hard-headed than the Battousai."
Kaoru couldn't agree more.
When Kaoru returned to her apartment and set her keys on the counter, she couldn't help but wonder how her day had become so strange. Her conversation with Sano had been enlightening to say the least. He told her that if she ever needed anything, then she shouldn't hesitate to call. She was grateful that he was being such a great friend, and she felt he was like the older brother she never had. Also, learning that Saito and Kenshin worked together was eye opening. She had always suspected that they had some sort of strange relationship, but she hadn't quite expected that, which only brought more questions to her mind.
Why would her boss, head of the Tokyo Police Department, be working with a criminal? That didn't make any sense at all. Either Saito wasn't as honest and law abiding as she initially thought, or Kenshin wasn't as attacking and seditious as was believed. Kaoru knew that there was something going on behind the scenes – some force that was greater than she could ever imagine. It was giving her a headache thinking about it. And it didn't help that Sano was send to watch over her, which meant that Kenshin clearly still cared about her. Although Sano had made that point painfully obvious when he said that Kenshin still loved her, it frustrated her to no end that the redhead loved her but still left. It was a worse feeling than if he simply wanted to break up. Why was he such an idiot?
Kenshin was the kindest and most caring person she had ever met. But he had a stubbornness that was matched by no other. If he truly felt Kaoru would be safer without him around, then no one would be able to change his mind. So what did he expect her to do? He wanted to be with her, yet he didn't. Did he want her to move on and find someone else? Probably not, and she certainly had no intention of moving on, especially when she knew Kenshin was out there somewhere. He had captured her heart, and the only way she could get it back was to be with him.
Kaoru slammed her fist on the counter in frustration. How did he expect her to recover from this? She would rather be in constant danger, having her life always be on the line, being chased by whoever was after Kenshin, than be safe and sound living without him. The hole in her heart was harder to bear than any physical pain she could ever feel. Plus, with Kenshin's impeccable fighting skills and unnatural sixth sense, Kaoru couldn't help but feel that she wouldn't ever be in that grave of danger anyway. And who was to say once he was gone that no one would still try to get to him through her? If he still loved her, then attacking her would certainly draw him from hiding.
All of the confusing thoughts swirling through her began giving Kaoru a headache. Shaking her head, she trudged to the bathroom to get ready for bed. If she had to start work again the next day and deal with Saito's constant insults and threats, then she would need to be well rested.
Kaoru dreaded walking into the department that morning, but she knew there was no point in pointing it off any longer. She stood outside on the steps leading up to the building and took a deep breath before finally entering and heading down the familiar hallway. Familiar faces started giving her questioning looks, clearly curious as to her mysterious absence the week before. She had decided already to admit the truth – she had been dumped by a long-term boyfriend. It wasn't a lie, but she wasn't giving any more details than that. She figured that people would feel sorry for her enough to not ask any more questions anyway.
As soon as Kaoru reached her cubicle, she was immediately paged to meet Saito in his office. She groaned, wondering why she was being cursed and having to meet with the jerk so early in the morning. She had barely even stepped foot in the office, and already she had to meet with him?
Stepping into the office, which was filled with smoke as usual, Kaoru recognized the lean form of her boss in the swivel chair behind the desk. She crossed her arms and stood there, impatiently tapping her foot against the ground, while waiting for him to turn around. After about a minute, which seemed much longer than 60 seconds, the chair turned around and Saito blew a puff of smoke from his sneering mouth. "Good morning," he said simply.
"Are you going to keep me waiting here all day or are you going to tell me why you called me to your lovely office?" She stressed the word 'lovely' as she continued her foot tapping. Meeting with Saito before her morning coffee sunk in was never a good start to the day.
"And what exactly would you be doing otherwise when you have not been given an assignment? Sort files?"
Kaoru ignored the fact that he had made a good point. In truth, she didn't have any other cases to work on. She opened her mouth to shoot back a verbal insult, but she found she couldn't find any words to deny the truth behind his words.
He smiled at his victory and picked up a file on the corner of his desk to plop in front of her. At her questioning look, he said simply, "Your new assignment."
Kaoru fidgeted nervously. She couldn't help but pray that it had nothing to do with Kenshin. If it did, then she would walk straight out of the office without turning back. She could tolerate Saito's constant jarring remarks and scathing insults, but this would be a sick joke and one she couldn't handle. He noticed her hesitance and added, "Relax. It has nothing to do with the Battousai, but you will still be working with Sagara."
Kaoru let out the breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding and stepped forward to pick up the thick file. Before she even opened it, Saito blew another puff of smoke and continued, "Makoto Shishio. He's a crazed man who has been planning on taking over the country. He needs to be stopped, and his whereabouts are unknown. It is up to you and Sagara to learn as much as you can about this man and bring him into custody. Naturally, you two will have to actually follow through with an assignment for once. And no, Sagara does not work with Shishio and his intentions on this assignment are not to run you two in circles."
Kaoru stared at her boss. He had never bluntly spoken before about how Sano and Kenshin worked together or how Sano had never brought actual results from their previous assignments involving Battousai. While Kaoru had been dimly aware that Saito knew of Sano's allegiance, he had never mentioned it and it had never really been proven. However, now Saito was admitting it, and she suspected he knew of her conversation with Sano the day before. To what extent she was not sure, but he definitely knew something. And this Shishio character was an actual criminal that they needed to bring into custody. After working for the department for more than a year, Kaoru couldn't really believe that she had never really had a case that required bringing someone to justice. All of the other cases had involved Kenshin and were therefore half-hearted and only meant to appear as though the department was trying to catch him. Unfortunately, the reasons behind the illusions of trying to catch the infamous criminal Battousai were still unknown to her.
"Is Sanoske in the office already?" Kaoru asked. Usually Sano would come strolling in hung over or sometimes still drunk from the previous night's activities. It was not a secret to anyone in the department that he would arrive after lunch on a daily basis. Kaoru could only assume that he must be very productive by the time he did come to work since he only worked about as half as many hours as anyone else. Of course, if he was working with Kenshin, then he probably had other things to do earlier or things that kept him awake unnaturally late, resulting in his need to sleep absurdly late.
"Surprisingly enough, the idiot came in about half an hour ago," Saito answered. "I believe his poker game was canceled last night."
At the last comment Kaoru couldn't help but laugh. While Saito said it in a sarcastic manner, Kaoru had a feeling that it was probably a true statement. "Thanks, Saito," she said, stepping out of the office. She leaned briefly on the closed door behind her, enjoying the fresh air finally. A loud voice to her left snapped her out of her reverie.
"Oi, Jou-chan!"
Kaoru sighed and turned to see the familiar face of Sano looming over her. He was grinning and waving at her ridiculously. Kaoru never understood how he always seemed to be such an idiot at all hours of the day. "Good morning, Sano. Strange to see you quite this early."
"Ah, my poker game got canceled," he replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Kaoru paused and gaped at him. When he saw her shocked expression, he gave her a quizzical look. "What's that face for?"
"Uh, never mind," Kaoru replied, shaking her head. It was creepy how Saito knew things like that. Her boss liked to act like he didn't care about his employees at all, but it was becoming apparent that he was acutely aware of all of their extracurricular activities. He was the head of the detective department, after all. Walking up to her partner, Kaoru held out the file, "Makoto Shishio."
Sano's face visibly paled but he reached for the manila envelope anyway. "Um, okay then."
Kaoru noticed his expression and asked, "Are you okay, Sanoske?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine. Weird having a real case is all," he replied, shrugging carelessly. Kaoru decided to dismiss his previous unusual behavior. Sano turned to head back to his small office, and Kaoru followed him. It was always nice to work in a private room rather than her cubicle that was much too public for her liking.
When they reached the office, Sano quickly closed and locked the door behind him before heading to his desk and sitting in his chair, propping his legs up on the desk. "Alright, so let's get started."
Kaoru knew their usual routine. She opened the files and started reading information, while Sano figured out what they needed to do. He wasn't much for reading files. Opening the envelope, she pulled out the first few pages, which was a summary of the case. "Makoto Shishio is a skilled swordsman who is planning to take over Japan. He has a group of supporters, and a man named Hoji who is the man that funds Shishio's activities. The whereabouts of Shishio are unknown, but he is currently residing somewhere in Japan, presumably near Kyoto. The reason for his apparent hatred for the government is also unknown, but he is a threat to the peace and must be found as soon as possible," Kaoru finished, looking up at her partner. Sano appeared to be looking off in the distance, not paying much attention. This wasn't unusual, but as this was a real case, Kaoru was a little confused at Sano's apparent lack of interest. "Sanoske! Did you hear a word I just said?"
"What? Oh yeah, crazy dude trying to take over Japan. Good swordsman…head of Juppongatana…overall creepy guy," he replied, waving her off nonchalantly.
Kaoru glared at him. So maybe he had listened since he understood the basics, at least, she thought. But then his words hit her. Juppongatana? Kaoru suddenly turned to the file and started flipping through the pages before coming across the information on a later page. "How did you know his group's called the Juppongatana?" she asked.
The knuckle cracking immediately stopped and Sano turned to her, "Didn't you say that?"
"No," she said flatly.
"Oh, well, I must have seen it in the file somewhere."
Kaoru set the file down on the desk and turned her body fully towards Sano. "You never opened the file, Sanoske, which means you know something that I don't."
Sano looked nervously around the room and appeared to be shrinking in his chair. "W-Well, I've heard about this guy a little bit," he sputtered.
"From who? Does this case involve Kenshin again? Is this some sick joke that Saito wants to torment me with?" Kaoru was standing now, her fists clenched at her sides, anger boiling just beneath the surface.
Sano tried to gather his wits together and shook his head furiously, "No, it's not like that, Jou-chan. We're not looking for Kenshin or anything. This is all about Shishio, but I've just heard about this guy during one of my gambling bouts."
Kaoru relaxed slightly. It made sense to her. If Shishio was such a threat, then the people that Sano hung out with, who were often criminals themselves even if only minorly, would have heard of him. After all, they all knew of Battousai.
"Fine," she said coolly, sitting back in her chair. "So where do we start searching for this guy?"
Sano resumed chewing on his pencil and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I guess we could go to Kyoto. That's where they think he is anyway. Or if you want, you can come with me tonight to meet some of my buddies. We can ask around, and they should know something about the guy."
Kaoru thought about it a moment, taking time to weigh the consequences. Going to Kyoto could be a little reckless, as it would take too much of their time if they didn't really have any leads that lead them to the capital to begin with. If they spent the night searching for clues in Tokyo that night, then they might be able to find some answers that give them a more accurate on the idea of Shishio's location. If he did happen to be Kyoto, then at least they would know to spend more time there. Finally, she nodded, "Okay, I'll go with you tonight. But I'm warning you that I'm not drinking and I'm not gambling."
Sano held up his hands in defeat, "That's fine with me. Besides, I already heard from Kenshin what happens when you drink and I don't want to deal with an angry raccoon."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kaoru shrieked at the snickering Sano.
A knock sounded at the apartment door, and the loud voices outside told Kaoru immediately who was waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to reassure herself that it was a good idea on her part to this. She slowly opened the door and found herself leaping to the side as the whirlwind called Misao came flying into the apartment, followed by a more relaxed Megumi. Kaoru still couldn't believe she was doing this. She had called Misao and Megumi over to help her decide what to wear for she and Sano's so-called night out. She was supposed to go with him to a bar in one of the darker areas in Tokyo, but she wasn't really sure how to dress. All that Sano had told her was 'to look the part.'
"Kaoru, I'm so excited you're letting us help you get ready for the big night! I swear you haven't left this apartment in a week," Misao cried, excitedly clapping her hands together.
"Correction," Megumi started, shaking her head. "I'm helping her get ready. You're just here for moral support."
"What?! No way. I'm at least doing her hair," Misao pouted while crossing her arms over her chest.
"I refuse to let Kaoru walk out the door all dressed up with a braid in her hair."
"There's nothing wrong with a braid. Tell her, Kaoru," Misao said defensively.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. Their friendly banter never really got to her, but she refused to be pulled into the middle of it. And as usual, Kaoru had three options. One, she could agree with Misao about how there was nothing wrong with a braid. It was Misao's favorite hairstyle, and it always made her friend look effortlessly pretty. Option two, Kaoru could agree with Megumi about how a braid wasn't the right hairstyle for going to a bar. She might want to wear her hair in a less casual manner to play up her long tresses. But both of these options meant that one of her friend's would feel as thought she were picking sides. And so, as usual, Kaoru chose option number three: completely change the subject.
"It's really not a night out. Don't forget that this is for work. I'm not trying to pick up guys at a bar here," Kaoru said, watching her two friends closely. Her attempt at appeasing the situation worked, as both Megumi and Misao quirked up eyebrows at her.
"Aren't you supposed to look the part?" Megumi questioned.
"Well, yes, but--"
"Then then you're still dressing for a night out," Misao cut in.
"I know, but--"
"Forget it, tanuki. We're dressing you appropriately, so just be quiet." Megumi then abruptly turned on her heel and headed towards Kaoru's closet. The three girls began rifling through in an attempt to find something that was not merely jeans and a t-shirt. "Ah-hah!" Megumi said at last. She was holding up a dress in triumph. "I knew you had something sultry hidden in the back of your closet somewhere. Is this a tag?" she asked, holding a piece of paper still attached to the dress.
"Uh, yeah, Tae bought that for me last year. I never got around to wearing it," Kaoru said sheepishly. She still remembered opening up the dress for her birthday and being shocked by its lack of material.
"Remind me to thank Tae. I can't believe you haven't worn this before."
Once the dress was picked out, Megumi proceeded to do her hair and make-up while Misao chatted with her amiably, apparently having forgotten her lack of hands-on aid in Kaoru's physical preparation. When the girls left, Kaoru glanced at the clock. Sano would be there in five minutes.
Standing before her full-length mirror, she took the time to admire Megumi's handiwork. While she looked drastically different from her usual, natural-looking self, the young woman that was reflected in the mirror was made up and clearly ready to party. Her eyes were smoky black with eyeliner that curled up slightly at the outer edges of her eyes, making them stand out and shine sapphire amidst the smoldering black outlining. Her cheeks were tinged pink, and her cheekbones were elegantly accentuated. Loose waves fell about her shoulders in thick locks, and some of the pieces framed her face effortlessly. She wore a tight black dress that dipped low in the front and rouged in the middle to show off her trim waist. It ended mid-thigh, and her strappy black heels made her legs look long and lean. The look was so unlike her, but she certainly looked gorgeous nonetheless. Kaoru couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that Kenshin wasn't around to see this new ensemble. Although, he had been fortunate enough to be able to see some of Megumi's other creations when he had been around.
Kaoru heard the knock and grabbed her clutch from the kitchen counter before heading over to answer the door. Sano stood there in his usual get-up, but when he saw Kaoru, his jaw dropped. "Geez, Jou-chan, you look hot," he said.
Kaoru shook her head and pulled him away from the door, "Thank Megumi. Now we have work to do, so come on already."
Whistling after her, Sano found it difficult to keep up, despite Kaoru's hindrance by the heels. While she rarely wore the things, she still knew how to walk in them. "Oi, tell the fox to visit me sometime by the way," Sano called, hurrying after Kaoru.
When they made it to the bar, Kaoru realized that it was definitely not one of the nicest areas in Tokyo. She had never been down here before, but she had heard Kenshin mention it a few times. The bar was called 'Ruffian's Row,' which Kaoru admitted suited Sano just fine. The 'o' in 'Row' wasn't lit as the neon sign clearly needed some repair, and one of the 'f's was blinking dimly. A few sketchy figures stood outside smoking, but Kaoru didn't make eye contact as she followed Sano inside. The music played loudly, and the bar was somewhat crowded even though it was a Monday night. When Sano entered, the bartender called them over. "The usual, Sano?" the old man asked, pulling out a large glass that he began filling with beer.
"Thanks, man," Sano grinned, grabbing the glass and downing half of it.
"And for the lady?" asked the bartender.
Sano glanced at Kaoru, who shifted nervously. "Uh, cran and vodka, but hold the vodka," Sano answered, giving Kaoru a sly grin.
"No vodka? Are you a prude or something?" the bartender asked, eyeing Kaoru curiously.
"Um, n-no, it's just that I--," Kaoru started, unsure of how to answer such a question. She didn't want to say that she didn't react well to alcohol because that was just embarrassing.
Sano noticed her discomfort and answered for her, "She's pregnant."
Kaoru's face blanched, and she stared at Sano in shock. How dare he? However, the bartender seemed to take this as a perfectly reasonable explanation and filled a glass with cranberry juice. "Well, here you go, young lady. You are positively the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen."
"Just a few weeks along," Kaoru muttered, snatching the glass and glaring at Sano.
Sano chuckled, "Yeah, one of my buddies is a very lucky guy. Come on, Jou-chan." He steered the fuming girl away from the bar and towards one of the back rooms. "The guys should be playing cards back there probably, so I figured we'd start with them. They'd be expecting me soon anyway."
"I can't believe you said I was pregnant," she said coolly as they drew closer to the room.
"Yeah, well, that guy would keep badgering you until you drank otherwise. He's recently decided to be sober, so he takes pleasure in watching other people get drunk instead. Kinda twisted really."
Sano opened the door to the room, and the sound of laughter immediately reached Kaoru's ears. "Miss me?" Sano asked, spreading his arms wide with a grin across his face. Five heads turned in their direction, followed by five whistles. Kaoru resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she listened to the men. She could've sworn they sounded as if they'd never seen a female before.
"Who's the lovely lady?" one of them asked, hooting.
"Nice catch, Sano!"
"Where can I get one like that?"
Kaoru was blushing furiously and quickly found herself regretting her decision to come as one of the men looped an arm around her waist. "Hey, beautiful. Why don't you sit next to me?"
Kaoru cringed at the smell of alcohol and smoke on the man's breath and moved to step away. She felt Sano's hand wrap around her shoulder protectively, and he said firmly, "She's taken."
"Oh really? I've never heard you mention her before, Sano," the first man commented.
"That's because she's not with me," Sano shrugged.
The man who had already tired to snatch Kaoru eyed Sano, "Well if she's not with you, then I don't really see a reason why she's here. Besides, I'm sure I'm much better than whatever guy you claim she's with."
Kaoru felt her situation growing bleak. Technically she was single, right? She didn't want to consider herself single, especially since she still felt so attached to Kenshin and he was still obviously attached to her. So what were they anyway? Were they on a break? Did he expect her to date other people? Because she wasn't going to anyway.
Before she was able to get any more lost in her thoughts, Sano's grip on her tightened, and she heard his voice. "I'm watching her for a friend of mine." When the voices and objections started again, he added loudly, "A redheaded friend of mine." Kaoru froze…so maybe she wasn't really single. The whole room had gone silent, and Kaoru felt the five pairs of eyes of the other men on her. They were looking at her curiously now, and their eyes lacked all of the lust that had been there before. There was something else behind those eyes that she couldn't quite pinpoint.
"Guess someone like him wouldn't settle for anything less," one of the guys muttered, picking up his cards.
"She might even be hotter than the last one," the sleazy guy added, also turning to his cards.
Kaoru immediately looked to Sano for an answer to that question, but Sano simply shook his head and muttered, "Forget that, Kaoru. That was a long time ago."
Kaoru knew better than to ask more questions. When Sano used her full name like that, she knew it was serious. However, the comment spurred all sorts of thoughts in her mind. She always had a feeling that Kenshin had suffered some major heartbreak before she had entered his life, but she didn't really need the reminder. But her task that night was not to look into Kenshin's past girlfriends but to figure out of this Shishio character.
After she and Sano settled into their chairs, Kaoru managed to relax now that the men were no longer lusting after her. In fact, some of them even made jokes with her, and Kaoru was pleased to learn that they were really just like Sano. She found herself growing to like the men now that they saw her as off-limits and as just a friend. After playing cards for about an hour (although Kaoru just watched), Sano decided to start the questions. "So, Katsu," he started. "I gotta ask. Have you heard anything about a guy named Makoto Shishio?"
The guy named Katsu turned to look at Sano with a nervous glance. "Yeah, I've heard about him."
"And?"
Katsu set his cards down. "Is this for one of your cases? Which boss?"
"Does it matter?"
"Well, yeah, it kind of does. One would kill me, and the other would just throw me in jail. I value my life, you know."
Sano shook his head in disagreement, "Actually, Saito would probably kill you, too, if you didn't comply."
Katsu shrugged and picked up his cards again, "Fair enough. Shishio's been causing a lot of stir in the underworld recently. He's been buying all sorts of crazy things, one being some huge battleship. A lot of guys are loyal to him, but you know those type of underlings. Kill the chief, and they don't know what to do." Sano nodded knowingly. Followers like that never keep their loyalty once their king is dead. In other words, the main goal is to get Shishio, and then his followers are easy to take care of. Katsu sighed and continued, signaling for another card. "Last I heard he was in Kyoto somewhere. He plans to attack the capital, so that's probably where he's planning on hiding out for now."
Kaoru couldn't believe their luck. Now that they had a good clue to Shishio's headquarters, they would be able to go to Kyoto and try to search for him there. It narrowed down the possibilities tremendously.
"Thanks, Katsu. You're a pal," Sano replied with a grin, laying down his cards. "Blackjack, by the way." He stood up and motioned for Kaoru to follow.
"Don't you want your winnings?" Katsu asked as Sano and Kaoru made for the door.
Sano waved him off, "Nah, I already got what I need. I owe you anyway."
Kaoru looked at Sano excitedly as they made to leave the bar. "Sanoske, I can't believe it. We actually have a lead…already!"
Sano shrugged, "Never underestimate the powers of gambling."
"Whatever, it wasn't the gambling that got you the information, you idiot," Kaoru replied, shrugging off Sano's arm. They walked across the smoke and alcohol filled room to reach the exit, and Kaoru tried to avoid gawking at the belligerent antics of many of the bar's occupants. Several women seemed to be stumbling in their heels and sloppily trying to hit on equally drunk men. Kaoru wondered if these women had any idea how ugly these men truly were, but she had heard of 'beer-goggles' and decided that the alcohol was clearly impairing their vision. She was positive that they would wake up in the morning, disgusted at having woken up to such hideous beasts with outrageous beer bellies. Upon reaching the door, Sano suddenly went rigid, and Kaoru turned to him questioningly.
"You okay, Sanoske?"
"Uh, yeah, hang on a second, but I forgot to ask Katsu something. Wait here." Kaoru watched curiously as Sano disappeared into the crowed until she lost sight of him. Frustrated, she leaned against the wall and waited.
Sano meanwhile quickly maneuvered through a sea of people, pausing only to make sure Kaoru hadn't seen which direction he was headed. Satisfied that she couldn't see him, he veered off to the corner of the bar. A shadowy figure stood in the corner, arms crossed, and a knee bent with the foot propped up on the wall. The figure was leaning casually in the darkness, and no one, despite the crowded space, had dared venture within a ten-foot radius of the stranger. However, Sano felt no hesitation as he neared the corner and smirked as he saw a lock of red highlighted by a passing spotlight.
"So, you're still in Tokyo?" Sano asked, crossing his arms.
The mysterious man turned his head to Sano, and a pair of amber eyes could be made out from a sea of dark bangs. "I'm leaving tonight actually," came a smooth voice. "I had business here."
"Yeah, right," Sano snorted. "You were here simply to spy on Jou-chan."
The amber eyes flickered towards the front of the bar where Kaoru stood fidgeting and gazing at the drunk mass of people making fools of themselves on the dance floor. "Perhaps."
"Just so you know, we're probably leaving for Kyoto tomorrow," Sano continued.
"What? Why?" The voice was suddenly angry, and Sano picked up on an emotion akin to concern behind the tone.
Sano shrugged, "Saito put us on the Shishio case, and that's where he is, isn't he?"
"How'd you know that?"
"Just found out tonight from Katsu. Please don't kill him."
"I wasn't going to," he responded coolly.
"Or Saito," Sano sighed.
There was a long moment of silence, and Sano was sure that Saito's death was going to be assured. Fortunately, the man finally conceded, "Fine."
"Good because we both know what a mess that would be," Sano breathed with relief. As much as he wanted the wolf dead, it really wouldn't do them any good.
"Why did he assign her the case?" asked the redhead angrily.
"Beats me. Saito's idea of a sick joke, I guess. She doesn't know about your involvement, though."
"Good. Keep it that way."
Sano closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration. Sometimes his friend could be so stubborn. "Look, this is ridiculous. You may think she's safer and better off this way, but you're killing her. Maybe not physically, but she's dying inside without you. Why don't you just suck it up and go back to her?"
"Sano, you know I can't do that. She doesn't deserve someone like me."
"Shove it," Sano replied. "You're my best friend, and it's my duty to tell you when you're being an idiot. Even Saito thinks so."
"Is that why he put her on this case then?"
Sano laughed slightly and said, "That would be a pretty amusing reason for him to do it, wouldn't it? Saito, secretly sentimental and wanting a happily-ever-after ending. Who knew he was such a romantic?"
To Sano's relief, a chuckle erupted from the dark figure. "That would be quite a revelation. Now, go back to her before some drunk idiot tries to hit on her again."
"Will do, Cap'n," Sano replied, giving a mock salute. "She does look pretty great tonight, though, doesn't she?"
"Please don't rub it in."
"Got it. And you'd better keep a low profile in Kyoto if you don't want her to bump into you."
"That's my middle name," the man said with a smirk.
Sano shook his head, "I wouldn't call the infamous Battousai low profile, but you are pretty sneaky. But if she dresses like that again, though…"
"I recall telling you not to rub it in."
Sano snickered, "Yeah, yeah. See ya, Kenshin."
Amber eyes watched as the ruffian made his way back through the crowd to the young woman waiting impatiently by the door. They softened, and a faint smile graced his lips as Kaoru began waving characteristically in the distance at a laughing Sano. No one throughout the bar heard the whisper, "Kaoru," or saw the shadow figure slip back into the night. However, the corner was soon filled with more drunken people as soon as its occupant vanished.
A/N: In the next chapter, you'll learn how Kenshin and Kaoru met. And Sano and Kaoru will finally arrive in Kyoto...I wonder how efficient Mr. Low Profile will really be...
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