AN: OK, I know, I'm taking forever to update. I swear I'm working on this. So many plans. I just have a ton of trouble sitting down and getting things done. ;.; Thanks for putting up with me!
Chapter 10
When Sanosuke was brought to the arena, he was escorted by three armed guards and his hands were cuffed. Even hands bound, he could have defeated them easily. But with no escape plan, a test fight in the arena was preferable to dying pointlessly.
Saitou watched with mild concern. Sanosuke was to fight Urumi. Besides Kasatsuki, Urumi was the one other fighter that Saitou felt could pose a problem for the Rooster head. Saitou didn't feel too concerned about any of the other opponents he'd seen. They all seemed to be run-of-the-mill. Not one was any stronger than Sanosuke had seen before Kyoto. But he couldn't read the young foreign boy in the slightest, and that worried him.
Sanosuke has always fought from an emotional or moral standpoint. Saitou had witnessed it whenever the Ahou had tried attacking him. He'd also seen it in the fight against Anji. No doubt, fighting for his own life was motivation enough to fight, but if Sanosuke could not find a deeper reason...would he really have the motivation to defeat his opponent? Saitou pushed these worries to the back of his mind. This was a test fight. Sanosuke would not be killed this night, no matter the outcome of this battle.
Saitou took a deep breath. The ahou better come out of this mission alive. The paperwork would be annoying. And Battousai would no doubt raise hell.
"It's nice to see you coming along quietly!" Kitamura called from the stands. "I hope this good behavior lasts." Sanosuke glared back at him.
Urumi was already in the arena. He had his weapon now. It was truly unusual. Four blades, thin as ribbons dangled to the floor. Each one was a shorter version of Chou's hakujin no tachi. On his wrist was strapped a small shield. Not good, Saitou thought. That weapon would be incredibly hard to block or avoid. The ahou still hadn't learned the importance of defense. His blasted stubbornness would be his downfall.
Sanosuke was left by himself in the middle of the ring while a few men rolled out a rack filled to the brim with all sorts of weapons. "You may have your pick of any weapon here."
"What if I want something not here?"
Kitamura grinned. "Did you have something in mind?"
Sanosuke sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter."
Hn. So Sanosuke was looking for his old favorite, Saitou realized. It wouldn't be the worst choice against Urumi. The zanbato's reach would give him a better standing, and it's sheer smashing ability would be devastating. Sanosuke was famous for using that sword, and Kitamura must have known that. He must be more interested in what Sanosuke could do with his fists. He could understand why Kitamura wanted Sanosuke in his arena. Between Sanosuke's futae no kiwami and his ability with that large brutish sword, he made for an excellent show fighter. Still, no thoughts of defense, Saitou lamented.
Kitamura ordered his men to remove the handcuffs. "You may begin."
And so they did.
Urumi began to swing his weapon about furiously. It's was continuous motion, constantly in a speedy circular pattern. The shield, Saitou realized was a secondary defense. The blades themselves, provided a constant barrier which Sanosuke would have to penetrate if he wanted to strike. Saitou groaned internally. This was not good.
Sanosuke was equally wary. He guessed that those blades were sharp as a razor, but he also wondered how accurately they could cut. Sharp edges meant nothing if the angle was off. But he'd heard about Chou's weapon, and how well he could control it's direction, and from the looks of it, this kid was no novice. Suddenly the blades shot towards him. Sanosuke darted out of the way. He didn't have time to pause before rolled away again. This kid was fast.
Shit. How was he going to get past him?
There was a great deal more dodging, and soon Sanosuke found himself ducking behind the weapons rack. From behind his cover, which then splintered beneath the force of Urumi's blades, sending weapons clattering to the arena floor. Sanosuke felt one of the blades whiz by his ear and noticed a small lock of his wild hair fall to the ground. Shit, that was close. No doubt about the blade's edge now.
"Stop running away and fight back!" It was Kasatsuki who yelled. "Or is the little birdie afraid to get his wings clipped?"
Saitou suppressed a smirk. Kasatsuki has just helped their situation.
Sanosuke growled deeply, and faster than anyone could see, he reared his arm, and the weapon rack exploded to sawdust. Urumi was not prepared for this, and became disoriented, his eyes burning as the pulverized wood flew into his face.
Sanosuke rushed the boy, who'd tried to regain composure, and renew his deadly flailing. He winced as the blades caught his shoulder. Blood splattered about, the blade flinging it as they circled. Sanosuke gritted his teeth and ignored the pain. He landed a straight punch to the boy—which Urumi managed to block with his shield, but the blow still forced him to the ground.
Urumi rolled out of his fall and was up again in an instant and his blades crashed by Sanosuke's feet, causing him to jump away. He recovered and was about to retaliate when he heard Kitamura shout: "ENOUGH!" Urumi froze his attack, and automatically assumed a neutral position. He looked at Sanosuke and bowed politely, then dutifully turned to Kitamura, awaiting new instructions.
There was a grand smile across Kitamura's face. He clapped his hands in appreciation. "Well done, well done! I see the rumors were true. Zanza truly is the strongest brawler in Tokyo. What was that thing you did to the rack? I've never seen anything like it. Oh, bravo. I hope you will give us an encore of that tomorrow night!"
"I'm not some geisha dancing for your enjoyment!" Sanosuke barked at Kitamura. "I'll do what it takes to survive. And I will make it through. I'll get out of here, and when I do I'll—!"
Clash! Sanosuke almost jumped as Urumi's sword struck the ground by Sanosuke in warning. Their eyes met for a moment, and Sanosuke forced himself to calm.
"You will enter the arena tomorrow, like it or not." Kitamura assured him. "But for now, take Zanza to the infirmary. Get his shoulder examined. I want him patched up for tomorrow." Sanosuke was soon put back into cuffs and led to the infirmary.
"He seems impressive, doesn't he, Sakuma?" Kitamura said to Saitou as Sanosuke was led away.
"Hn," Saitou said loudly enough so that Sanosuke could hear. "He'd be more impressive if he knew the basics of defense."
Though he was far away by then, Saitou could hear Sanosuke curse aloud. "Though, I must admit, he's very energetic. He may yet have some more surprises in store for us."
Kitamura emphatically agreed. "Yes yes. We will see tomorrow. And you, I've decided you will fight as well."
"Who is to be my opponent, if I may be so bold?" Saitou asked quickly. "Surely someone stronger that Jin was."
"You'll find out tomorrow." Kitamura elaborated. "I allow our guests to wager on these fights. I also allow them to pick favorites to pit against one another. It's not something I can always predict. That's part of the problem I had with Jin. He might not have been the greatest warrior, but he could certainly play the system. He'd have been a good business man if he wasn't so uncouth. He made sure that he was picked to fight opponents of his choice. A rich benefactor here and there can greatly increase the odds of survival."
"I see," Saitou considered. "I only want to fight strong opponents. Striking deals only make one grow slow and stupid."
"A true warrior." Kitamura smiled. "So rare in this Meiji Era. It's getting late, I'm going to retire now. You might want to rest up as well. I look forward to watching you tomorrow."
"Then I shall aim to please, sir." Saitou bowed and Kitamura left with Urumi close behind.
If it weren't for the fire light of the village, Chou would never have found it. The trail leading to the tiny community was narrow and well camouflaged by the local foliage. When he did find the path, he decided to dismount. He found a hollowed out tree nearby and stashed whatever belongings there that might make him suspicious.
He left the bird, the map, and small bit of parchment and a pen in the tree. Chou really liked the pen. The fountain pen was probably the niftiest invention the West had to offer. It was far more convenient—if expensive—than a brush, and it was definitely Chou's greatest time saver. Also, he'd taken it from the Commissioner's office. It was petty, yes, but given this ridiculous mission, Chou was willing to find satisfaction in even the smallest of slights.
After securing his belongings, he led the horse down the trail. On the way, he took dirt from the ground and rubbed it on his clothes and face. It was all in the details. He wanted it to look like he'd been traveling much further than he had. After all, he was just traveling through. Maybe some desperate ronin, or vagabond, trying to find work, trying to get his next meal. He had to look the part. The swords upon his person made him look more threatening, and it was what he wanted. Innocent people wouldn't want to deal with a dangerous swordsman. And if the entrance to Kitamura's was in this town, then he could play the part of an ignorant stranger when approached.
The sun was gaining strength in the sky as he entered the village. There were a few vendors selling rice and other vegetables, some children playing by the side of a decrepit house. He could see a few rice paddies and farming plots carved carefully into the hillside. It was amazing really. The settlement was in a hidden valley, protected from intruders by thick forest and natural rocky barriers. A perfect place for a hideout.
Chou had to be absolutely certain that this was the right place before he could send word to the Commissioner. He passed by the townsfolk, the playing children stopped and pointed at his weapons and horse in excitement. He casually nodded in their direction. A little girl squeaked and hid behind a barrel, while a boy laughed at her behavior. Another slightly older child gave the younger boy a slap to the head and scolded him. Chou turned his attention away from them and lazily approached the rice vendor, who looked up at him with nervous eyes.
"Welcome young sir!" he said, mustering up enough courage to sound cheerful. "How may I help you today?"
Chou tilted his head to acknowledge the middle-aged man. "I'll take a bag of rice for my journey." Chou dug into his pocket for a few coins.
"Yes, yes!" The balding man, who reminded Chou of an oversized bean, bent over to scoop grains of rice into a woven sack. "Anything else I can help you with?"
Chou thought for a moment. "Yeah. Don't suppose there's an inn 'round here?"
The vendor shook his head.
"Yeah, I figured." Chou sighed, making himself look exasperated. Time to play the weary traveler card. "Too bad. Be travelin' fer days. Ground's not the most comfortable bed. But I reckon I can manage."
"May I ask where you are headed? We don't get many visitors here." The vendor looked genuinely curious, but Chou knew better than to trust appearances. This town was likely crawling with Kitamura's men. Even if the vendor wasn't directly working for Kitamura's group, he'd still likely be feeding information to them. Chou chose his story carefully.
"Trying to get to Otsu," he told him. "Got a tad bit lost I reckon. Didn't 'spect to find anybody out in these here woods." Chou gestured about. "Almost didn't see the path till I was right on top of it."
"Yes, it does sneak up on you, doesn't it?" The vendor smiled, then pointed to Chou's weapons. "You have some nice equipment there. You must be brave to carry them in broad daylight."
"Well, I ain't gonna let some government official make me hide these beauties in my closet, nosiree. It's a cryin' shame to let fine craftsmanship like this to go to waste." He stroked his swords lovingly.
"I can tell you're an experienced swordsman. You hold those swords like old friends." The vendor's face darkened. "I hope you're not looking for trouble, showing them off as you are."
"Aw, shoot." Chou gave him a mock-offended look. "I ain't got no quarrel with you. Should I be on the lookout?"
The vendor didn't answer, but he pointedly looked beyond where Chou stood. Chou followed his gaze. A few shacks down, a few men were loitering, a couple holding farming tools. Tattoos peeked from under their simple kimono. Yakuza, Chou realized. It wasn't surprising. Kitamura would no doubt have the local family policing the town.
It was then that Chou saw him. The same bowler hat fat man from the carriage. The man who'd accepted Saitou and Sanosuke at the train station. He was standing just behind the men with an aura of authority.
Chou handed the vendor his payment quickly, whilst trying to keep nonchalant. "Thank ya, kindly. Ya don't happen to know which way Otsu is, now?"
"I'm sorry sir. I'm not well traveled. No one here leaves this town."
"That right? Well, I guess I'll be on my way then." Chou turned the way he came. Seeing fat man from the station was all the proof he needed. Now he just needed to—"
"Where do you thinking you're going in such a hurry?" Chou groaned, and looked back at the pack of yakuza, now approaching him. Well then, there goes any chance of a quick exit. Chou dropped his bag of rice and prepared for the inevitable skirmish.