by linay
chapter 10: As the Death Toll Rises
"Minako-san! I didn't know you sold baskets too!"
Minako wrinkled her nose at Kaoru's exuberance. "Of course i sell baskets, you silly girl! my shop is in the basket district, you know."
"Oh well," Kaoru stammered, "You had pots, remember? I know you had pots because...Well, you know..."
Kenshin allowed himself a shadow of a smile at Kaoru's blushing face. Her youthful vibrancy calmed him and kept him anchored to his peaceful side. His brow grew troubled as he watched Kaoru and the old woman squabble happily. But, he mused to himself, in the course of only a few days he had felt himself slipping towards his fierce nature. Kenshin had taken careful measures to distance himself from the young girl, knowing that he would frighten her with his anger. So he veiled the rage burning within him under a mask of indifference. He had felt Kaoru's hurt in response but he had reasoned that it would be better than her horror at his hateful spite towards whoever had begun their troubles. Kenshin's face darkened. Rage began to boil up inside of him as his thoughts touched the events that had stripped his Kaoru of her peace of mind.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru interrupted his dark meditations cautiously, "Don't you think this basket would be good for the laundry?"
Kenshin raised his eyes to the expectant girl before him. He mustered all his strength and flashed her a semi-innocent smile.
"Yes, Kaoru-dono," he said, trying to push the anxiety out of his voice, "I like that basket very much."
Kaoru, apparently relieved, smiled with a sigh. "Alright!" she exclaimed happily, "We'll take it Minako-san!"
"You mean, you'll pay for it, not you'll take it," Minako snorted.
"Ah Minako-san," Kaoru giggled, "You're so funny."
"Watch it girl," Minako warned with a firm smack to Kaoru's back, "I don't like being laughed at."
.
Kaoru waved at Minako enthusiastically as she and Kenshin walked away from Minako's stall. Kenshin, carrying the newly acquired laundry basket under one arm, studied Kaoru out of the corner of one eye.
"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin ventured quietly, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," Kaoru answered softly, "We have to get on with our lives."
Kenshin nodded slowly.
"And how are you, Kenshin?"
Her question caught him off guard. He sighed heavily. "I am fine, Kaoru-dono."
Kaoru peered at him inquisitively, trying to sense out his feelings. But there were none. He was a dry as a bone. She wrinkled her nose in frustration.
"There she is..." A hushed whisper.
"I can't believe she came out." Another whisper.
"The nerve!" An angry whisper.
"And look who she's with!" A bitter hiss.
Kaoru looked around in surprise. People were staring at them; staring and whispering. Confusion and hurt filled her features. Had Kenshin heard? Kaoru looked over to Kenshin. His face was taut and expressionless.
"I think it's time we went home," Kenshin stated coolly to Kaoru.
Kaoru nodded, speechless. Her shoulders sagged and she dropped her head, letting her bangs fall over her face. Kaoru tried to ignore the feel of the disgusted stares directed at her by the crowd. She felt herself cowering underneath the spite. Kenshin gritted his teeth angrily and refused to lower his head. Angry at the fickle emotions of the people around him, he strode beside Kaoru proudly, even cockily. He threw a casual glance to the side, checking on her.
"Kaoru-dono," he muttered under his breath.
Her vibrancy. Her youthful innoncence. Her pride. Gone, like a breath of wind. He pressed his lips together angrily. Without warning, he grabbed one of her limp hands and hooked her arm under his. Kaoru looked up at him in surprise. Kenshin stared straight ahead, squeezing her arm in the crook of his. A thin, grateful smile passed over her face and then, sensing the spiteful stares, she cringed and bowed her head again.
"Get a doctor!" A frenzied shriek pierced the market air.
The crowd began to move, twisting and turning. A bloodied man pushed his way through, only to collapse to his knees in the dust.
"Doctor!" he wailed.
Kaoru's head snapped up. She rushed ahead of Kenshin in the direction that the man had come from. This stench Her heart raced frantically. The stench is unbearable. Kaoru skidded to halt, dust rising. Blood.
A child lay face-down in a growing pool of his own blood. A small girl sat in the layer of blood beside him, clutching the back of his shirt with both hands.
"Brother!" she cried.
Kaoru gasped. She stumbled forward, reaching out both hands to the weeping girl. The bloodied girl raised tearfilled eyes to Kaoru. So much blood.
"Are you happy?" A voice cracked with anger shouted.
Kaoru turned to the source of the voice. A distraught man stood, buckled over with grief.
"Are you happy that your filthy technique took away my son's life?"
Kaoru shook her head, with wide pleading eyes. The man advanced angrily.
"I hate you," he said, his low voice laced with venom, "I hate your technique. How dare you interrupt our era of peace with your violent ways."
Kaoru backed up fearfully and turned back towards the little girl. The child was regarding her with horror-filled eyes - horror that was slowly turning to hate. Kaoru gasped.
"How dare you disrupt this peaceful time!" Another angry voice called.
A crowd was gathering. Kaoru backed up into Kenshin's stiff body. Her pleading blue eyes whipped around to stare at him. His face was impassive and deathly cold and his eyes were hooded slits of rage. Kaoru felt fear gripping her stomach. A large crowd was amassing itself around them. A burly man stepped forward.
"You!" he accused hatefully, "You are a shame to our era of peace!"
"Your Kamiya technique is destroying our peace!" Another man shouted angrily as he stepped out from the crowd.
"You're scum," a third man hissed. He grabbed a small rock from the ground and hurled it at Kaoru. "Take that wench!"
Kaoru cringed as she saw the rock hurtling towards her. But the rock bounced harmlessly to the ground. Kaoru opened her eyes. Kenshin was holding his arm out in front of her, his sheathed sword shielding her.
"Bastard!" Someone shouted, "You're a killer too-"
"The Battousai!" Another voice yelled.
"Violent pigs!"
"Take this, you bastards!"
More rocks flew at the pair. More yells. More insults.
"Come here, bitch!" A hand grabbed Kaoru's wrist and pulled her away from Kenshin roughly.
A big, hairy man held Kaoru up by the collar of her kimono. Kaoru barely struggled in his grasp, her feelings of shame weighing down her limbs. The man raised his arm, then backhanded Kaoru fiercely. The crowd cheered. Kaoru's head lolled to the side, her kimono still caught in the big man's grip. Her face stung fiercely. But the crowd's cheering stung right to her heart.
Kenshin didn't even bother to warn the man. He charged swiftly and silently, knocking down the man who held Kaoru. Kaoru fell backwards, but Kenshin caught her with his free arm.
"You bastard," the man said as he rose, wiping the trail of blood from his mouth, "I'll get you for that, you bloody killer."
Kenshin snarled at the man. Kaoru winced as she felt a hand grab her wrist and drag her away from Kenshin. Kenshin shot Kaoru a look from the corner of his eye and, without a word, pushed her away towards the one who was grabbing at her.
Kaoru fell into soft but firm arms. She almost started to struggle out of their grip.
"Don't fight me, silly girl!" a wrinkled voice muttered.
"Minako-san!"
Minako held her tightly by the upper arm. "Let's go now."
"But Kenshin -"
"He's a big boy. He can take care of himself. Let's go!" she commanded.
With hooded eyes, Kenshin watched Minako and Kaoru weave their way into the crowd and disapear. Then his eyes focused on the three men surrounding him.
"Come on you dirty cur," one taunted, "Let's hurry up so we can teach you a lesson!"
"You and that filthy woman!"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed with anger and a golden rage brewed within him. Now that Kaoru was gone, he allowed his pent up rage to darken his mind and push out his gentle side completely. Kenshin felt his anger churning inside of him and the desire to hurt the people hurting his Kaoru growing. He looked up at his assailants, a vicious smirk twisting his lips.
"Come then." Kenshin's voice dropped into a low growl.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Angry.
.
Meanwhile, Minako was dragging Kaoru down deserted streets. Kaoru, though usually a strong girl, was lagging behind the old woman.
"Minako-san," Kaoru asked quietly, her slow steps pulling back on Minako, "What about Kenshin?"
"Didn't I say not to worry about him?" Minako scolded, "He can take care of himself. Let me take you somewhere safe for now."
"But-"
"Look," Minako said, spinning around to face Kaoru suddenly, "Do you want them to skin you alive? Right now, Tokyo is in turmoil because of these irrational murders. And the people think your technique is behind all their pain. You do not want to get caught by an angry mob, understand?"
Kaoru nodded, deflated. Minako looked her over with a heavy sigh.
"We're almost there, Kaoru-chan," Minako said, gripping Kaoru's hand with hers, "And we'll have some nice hot tea."
Kaoru pressed her lips together into a thin smile and continued to plod behind Minako.
"Minako-san," Kaoru whispered softly, "Do you blame me too?"
Minako heaved another sigh. She turned and took Kaoru's chin in one of her withered hands. "No, Kaoru," she said, her face creasing with wrinkles as she smiled, "I don't think you're to blame. Let's just get to a safe place now, okay?"
A shadow of a smile flitted over Kaoru's pale face as she nodded and started to walk alongside Minako briskly. Minako's step quickened as they grew nearer to their destination.
"Almost there," she panted under her breath.
They stopped right before the towering gates of a dojo.
"Minako-san," Kaoru gasped, "You live here?"
"Yes, silly girl! You think I'd work and let my husband stay at home and do nothing?" Minako chuckled, "My husband runs a dojo."
Kaoru peered at the plaque hanging from the gate post.
"Fujiwara," she read slowly, the name ringing bells in her mind. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. She began to shake her head violently. "No," she pleaded, "No I can't go in. Fujiwara is the man who...who..."
"Nonsense," Minako said, forcefully taking Kaoru's wrist and pushing on the dojo gates, "You're coming in and that's final."
Kaoru protested fearfully, even as she was pulled completely into the dojo. Minako pushed the gates closed behind them. Kaoru stood in the courtyard, trembling slightly.
"Stop being afraid, girl!" Minako chided, as she led the way up the house's porch, "My husband may be loud but he's not violent."
Somehow this information did not calm Kaoru's fears. She followed Minako into a small dining room with a slight tremble in her steps.
"Now," Minako directed, "Sit here. I will bring the tea in. And don't you dare move from that spot."
Kaoru sat and nodded, clasping her clammy hands in her lap tightly. Minako walked out of the room calmly, leaving kaoru to worry by herself. Kaoru was nervous. She was in the house of a man who hated her. She gripped the folds of her kimono, trying to wipe of the cold sweat from her palms.
The sound of heavy footsteps thumping towards the entrance of the room forced Kaoru to look up. A burly, bearded man barrelled into the room.
"You!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger at a stricken Kaoru, "What the HELL are you doing in my house?"
Kaoru, completely mortified, prostrated herself into an excessively formal bow. She heard the man's growls. The calm voice of Minako interjected.
"Calm down husband," Minako said calmly as she walked past him into the room holding a tray of tea, "She's my guest."
Minako set the tea onto the table and sat beside Kaoru. "Sit up, Kaoru," she said serenely.
"You brought this viper, a dog's daughter into our home?" Fujiwara stuttered in a rage, "How dare you insult the memory of our son by bringing this unworthy creature into our home!"
Minako looked sharply at her husband. "It's not her fault," she spat, "Now, either leave or sit here while I tell Kaoru-chan what she doesn't know."
.
Kenshin leaned against a wall in the dark of the police station. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed. His sword lay on the table at the other end of the room.
"Seems you caused quite an uproar in the market place today, Battousai."
Kenshin ignored Saitoh. Saitoh, of course, smirked.
"Well, Battousai, have anything to say for yourself?"
Kenshin opened his eyes a crack to glare at Saitoh.
"You seemed to have slid into your old personality quite easily," Saitoh drawled lazily, "And all because of this Kamiya girl. Who knew you had such a weak point. No wonder you tried to leave her behind when you went to Kyoto."
Kenshin emitted a low dangerous growl.
Saitoh laughed dryly. "Don't worry Battousai, I wouldn't try to use her against you, so to speak. However," he paused to take a long drag of his cigarette, "I do have a proposition for you."
Kenshin, his face stony, made no reply. Instead, he turned to stare out the window.
"What if I let you find this killer?" Saitoh said, "I'll give the lead and you find him. Your meager senses seem to have become sharper since this whole ordeal started."
Kenshin turned to stare at Saitoh. "You would take me as one of your lackey detectives?"
Saitoh chuckled and stood, flexing his long, lean body. "So against the idea of working for me, are you? Well, think about it," Saitoh said, approaching the table where Kenshin's sword lay, "You get to go after to bastard who did this to your woman."
"And what will I do to him once I find him?"
Saitoh grinned, picking up Kenshin's sword and tossing it to him. "Anything you want short of killing him, Battousai. Anything you want."
Kenshin caught the sword and tucked it into his belt deftly. "And why are you so set in getting me to do this."
"Because I know you can. I can see how much you want to rip this guy apart in your eyes," Saitoh said, bemused, "And all because it concerns that girl."
Kenshin straightened and headed to the door.
"I'll think about it."
"Oh," Saitoh threw at Kenshin's departing figure, "You'll find your woman at the Fujiwara dojo."
Kenshin turned back, a look of mild surprise on his face. "What?"
Saitoh raised an eyebrow. "You sent her off with Nagoya Minako, didn't you?"
.
Minako sat up straight, pouring the tea skillfully. "Kaoru," she began quietly, "I told you my name was Minako, Nagoya Minako. And that was no lie. However," she paused to set a cup of tea before Kaoru, "I married and took another name. Fujiwara."
Kaoru gasped. Fujiwara sat stone still, camly acknowledging the tea his wife set before him.
"I am sorry I hid this from you," Minako continued, "But I was afraid you would not accept me if you knew I was the wife of a man set against your father."
"But why -" Kaoru sputtered helplessly.
"I wanted to know about you," Minako interrupted quietly, "It's true your father killed my son, so to speak. But I couldn't believe that it was your fault. So I wanted to meet you - and see for myself."
"Foolish woman," Fujiwara grunted.
Minako faced her husband, her voice clipped and angry, "Does this little girl before you look like a killer? Can you blame her for her father's mistakes?"
Fujiwara grunted. Kaoru stood unexpectedly. She approached Fujiwara cautiously and silently knelt and bowed before him.
"I don't know of the crimes my father committed. All I know is that he was loving to me. If he had been the cause of your son's death however, I am sorry."
Fujiwara glanced down and the girl and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Just get up girl!"
Kaoru sat up, her large blue eyes filling with tears. Minako gasped. Both Fujiwara and Kaoru turned to her in surprise.
"My God," Minako breathed, a hand fluttering over her mouth, "You look just like her!"
"Like who?" Fujiwara and Kaoru asked simultaneously.
"Kyoko," Minako mouthed silently.
Kaoru jumped to her feet. "You knew her? You knew my mother?"
Minako lowered her hand and regained her composure. "Yes," she whispered, "She was beautiful."
"What was she like?" Kaoru cried excitedly.
"Exquisite," Fujiwara muttered, "She was exquisite."
Kaoru turned to Fujiwara in surprise.
Fujiwara turned saddened eyes to Kaoru, "Yes, I knew your mother as well. She was my cousin."
"Then, why?" Kaoru asked, dumbfounded and unable to even formulate a question.
Fujiwara smiled ruefully, "Why do I hate you? Hate your family? Because your father stole my son. And then destroyed my cousin. "
"But my mother was murdered."
"And," Fujiwara said bitterly, "If she'd never been with your father, she would never have been targetted in such a way."
Kaoru stared at him.
"Does that surprise you Kamiya Kaoru?" Fujiwara grunted, "You should know that the loved ones of powerful men are always a weakness."
Kaoru winced, images of Jineh and Saitoh flitting through her mind.
Fujiwara sighed and continued, "Yes your father was a shinsengumi assasin. He was a mighty fighter too. He was posted here, in Tokyo. It was in this city that he met my cousin, Kyoko." Fujiwara stopped, his dark eyes wandering to the ceiling thoughtfully.
Kaoru leaned forward expectantly. "Please," she begged, "Tell me what happened."
Fujiwara pressed his thin lips together and stroked his thick beard. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he sighed, setting his palms on the table, "Your mother loved him the instant she saw him. And they married soon after that. They built the Kamiya dojo, where your father taught kendo while he wasn't on missions."
Fujiwara lowered his head and pressed his fingers against the wood of the table.
"And then," his voice becoming strained, "The revolution ended. But Kamiya wasn't pleased with the result. He stopped offering Kendo lessons. And he trained only three students. Two young men and one small girl. One of the boys chosen for training was my son."
"What was his name?" Kaoru asked quietly.
"Shobei," Fujiwara answered slowly, "My son's name was Shobei. A bright young man and very skilled. I am not surprised Kamiya wanted him as a pupil. But one day my bright young son announced he would leave on a mission - to destroy the false new era of peace."
Fujiwara looked up, his eyes staring vacantly at the wall. "He left us in anger. And he never returned. We received news that he had been killed while murdering innocent people in Kyoto. His body was..."
"Do you see why my husband is so angry?" Minako interjected quietly, "My son was sent on a mission by your father and met his shameful death on the streets of Kyoto. And, only a few months later, your father started teaching a technique of protection. Do you see the injustice?"
Kaoru stared down at her hands, trembling. The pain in their voices overwhelmed her.
"And now senseless killings in Tokyo!" Fujiwara's eyes began to burn angrily, "Another student of the Kamiya Tenken Ryu is spreading death in the streets!"
Kaoru's eyes snapped up. "Do you know this student?"
"No," Fujiwara answered dryly, "The identity of the other two students is unknown to me. It was kept very secret."
"But there were only two others - a young man and a small girl, right?"
Fujiwara turned curious eyes upon the intense girl before him. "That is so."
"Then that other boy is the killer in Tokyo!" Kaoru exclaimed, "Are you sure you don't even have a clue about his identity?"
Fujiwara shook his head slowly. Kaoru slumped slightly. Minako watched her silently.
"But he was only a few months younger than my own son. Shobei sometimes described his fellow students. He said the girl was no more than 8 or 10. And the boy was tall. Shobei wasn't able to figure out where they lived since they were always at the dojo before he arrived and always stayed later after he left for home."
"Nothing else?"
Fujiwara shook his head.
"But there were only three, right? And only one of them could be the killer now, right?"
Fujiwara raised an eyebrow. "That is correct."
Kaoru jumped up from her seat and bowed quickly. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I must be returning home now."
Minako looked up sharply. "Should you be out in the streets?"
Kaoru set her lips in a grim smile, "I have to tell this new information to Kenshin right away. It means we're only looking for one man - the only other male student of the Kamiya Tenken Ryu. I will find him!"
With that, Kaoru ran out of the room unceremoniously. Fujiwara turned to his wife.
"Is she always like that?"
Minako sighed.
.
Kaoru ran through the pouring rain, letting the water splosh around her ankles. She was hardly a block from the gates of the Fujiwara dojo when a cold voice stopped her.
"Where are you running to?"
Kaoru's body stiffened immediately. She turned her head to stare at a figure shadowed between two buildings.
"Yamada..." The name left her lips as her blood turned to ice in her veins.
End of chapter 10, to be continued!
Sorry it took so long for me to write this! I hope everyone still remembers what the plot is about cause it's about to get complicated! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! Please keep telling me what you think. I really appreciate it. Till the next chapter! Don't worry, I promise it won't take me as long to write.