Chapter 6
Deep in the underworld of Tokyo on the night of the attack a scar-faced man sat, deep in contemplation while his minions awaited his orders. Suddenly, he spoke, "So. The Shadow and the Battousai are both living in Tokyo. This could be most fortunate for me." Suddenly, the scar-faced man whirled around to face the room and shouted, "Juro!"
"Yes, Sir!" a ninja replied from the shadows.
"Where are the Battousai and Shadow staying?" scar-face growled.
"They are living at the Kimaya dojou, sir," the ninja replied.
"Good. Gather the men and have them meet back here. I have a plan."
"Yes sir!" the ninja bowed before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
The scar-faced man grinned evilly before he began to laugh, "Hahahahahahaha! My revenge is at hand!"
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Several days had passed since the incident in the alley and so far there were no clues as to who had sent the men to attack Kenshin and Karou. The remains of the slaughtered men had been cleaned up, and every inch of the alley looked at for possible leads to the perpetrator. Saito had shown up at Megumi's and asked a few questions before casting a suspicious eye on Karou before leaving abruptly. The next day Saito had an investigation team on the case and scouring Tokyo for clues.
Meanwhile back at the doujou, Karou was slowly going though her forms while using a metal pole to strengthen her arms and to simulate the use of a real sword. Karou really hated the fact that she had grown lax over the years and with the lack of students in the doujou, she wasn't getting enough of a workout. "Damn! I have to get stronger!" she muttered, swinging the heavy pole in a downward chopping motion, grunting with the effort. She had been up since dawn and had confined herself to the doujou right after breakfast. Glancing outside, Karou judged that she had been practicing for over eight hours straight and by the grumbling in her stomach, she had missed lunch as well. Kenshin had gone over to police headquarters when Saito had sent one of his men to deliver a message and he still hadn't come back. Karou groaned at the pain in her muscles; yet, some instinct told her that something bad was about to happen and she needed to be in tip top shape to be able to help Kenshin or protect the doujou if Kenshin was away. "What if Kenshin gets hurt again?" she muttered, before growling in anger at the memory of Kenshin being hit.
Karou remembered a time when Shadow would laugh quietly; swinging her Katana faster and faster in the midst of a bloody killing field, littered with the bodies of the men she had slain. She remembered how, the heads would fly, as well as the body parts being separated from their owners sounded. Karou shuddered at those memories and tried hard to push them out of her thoughts, but they were persistent and refused to leave. "If these attacks continue, then I don't think Shadow will be able to completely maintain control." Karou wiped the sweat from her brow and started stretching to prevent her muscles from stiffening up. After fifteen minutes, she decided to take a nice hot bath to soak away the aches. Gathering her supplies, she walked out to the bathhouse and found that everything was already set up for her. Smiling, she murmured, "I wonder who.....Kenshin must be back. It's so nice of him to do this for me and I guess that he's the only one who understands what its like to practice for hours without a break....after all, he is the Battousai.
Stripping off her hakama and practice gi, Karou submerged herself in the steaming water with a sigh, "Oh, this feels so good. I know what would make it better...but I'm not a hentai and I will not force Kenshin to join me....." Karou's mind started to wander as she pictured a naked Rurouni entering through the bathhouse door and joining her in the bath. She could feel his hands as they gently ran over her shoulders, smoothing out the tension and bringing warmth to places that had lain dormant for the past twelve years. Suddenly, Karou was startled from her daydream by shouting and the sound of steel hitting steel.
"Karou! There are some strange men surrounding the doujou and they've managed to knock Kenshin out!" Yahiko's shouts echoed through the air.
Jumping from the tub, Karou growled angrily while pulling her hakama on. Lifting a loose floorboard, Karou reached deep within the recesses and grasped her fathers reverse bladed sword. Eyes flashing aqua and her voice suddenly deepening she whispered, "Whoever dared to enter my home without my permission and dared to attack my new family....is going to die."
