Chapter Twenty-One: Flames of Vengeance
"...Set fire to Kyoto?.!" was the aghast shout that was heard, shortly after Saito had told both rurouni of what had been brought to light while they'd been away.
"So says your captive, Cho of the Juppongatana." Saito murmured, grimly. At this, Tetsunosuke could actually feel the blood draining from his face, and his hands becoming cold and clammy. After so much time, they were about to face this crisis again?.!
"This morning, we picked up a suspicious character for interrogation. He confessed to being one of Shishio's men, getting ready for tonight's fire." Saito said, as he lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, and sighed, before adding, "The 'Great Kyoto Fire' is to be sparked tonight at 11:59. That seems certain." For a long moment, Kenshin said nothing else...then an uneasy look came to his eyes.
"Something's odd." Kenshin stated, as Tetsunosuke and the ghostly Okita nodded in agreement.
"You think so, as well?" Saito asked, rhetorically.
"Yeah. We outnumber Shishio's forces overwhelmingly, so his strategy has to be surprise attacks and assassinations. Arson fits that strategy perfectly." Tetsunosuke said, as he gazed solemnly at the map that was unfolded on the table in front of them. Inwardly, Saito felt impressed by how much the younger Wolf's reasoning had matured over the past ten years, yet returned his focus to the conversation when Okita's ghost spoke up, this time.
"But if their information had been leaked so easily, then the element of surprise has been lost." Okita stated; seeming vaguely amused when Kenshin jumped back slightly and gave him a spooked look. He'd never expected to see a ghost in this meeting!
"True enough." Saito muttered; hiding a smirk behind the hand that held his cigarette, at Kenshin's reaction to the ghostly First Unit Captain, "Secrecy is a matter of life and death to them. So I've been waiting for one of them to come here and assassinate Cho...but it hasn't happened. It's as though they wanted us to get the information."
"Something stinks about this whole situation...but I can't figure out what." Tetsunosuke growled; getting a quiet agreement from Saito and Kenshin, as well.
"Perhaps...there's something behind the Kyoto Fire that even the Juppongatana haven't been told...Some other objective." Kenshin murmured, thoughtfully, after he'd regained his composure, and now looked at the map.
"They're modeling their fire after the Ikeda-ya Incident. Maybe there's a clue to be had in just that piece of information alone?" Okita suggested, as he stood between his two former comrades and gazed solemnly at the map.
"Maybe. Shishio has a dramatic streak. The 'other objective' must have a similar quality of 'play' to it." Kenshin said; silently thanking the ghost for his input on the situation as he said that.
"But what? What is their...wait." Tetsunosuke muttered, when something caught his eye, "Saito-san, at the turning point of the Bakumatsu, during the Boshin War and the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu deceived his own men and sailed for Edo from Osaka Bay. That was the main reason for the imperial army's victory. If Shishio is trying to make some ironic commentary, then the real target of his attack...is Tokyo."
"The Kyoto Fire is only a diversion! His true objective is to fire upon Tokyo from the sea!" Kenshin yelped, as true anger appeared in Saito's amber eyes.
"He lured enough of the manpower here...drew everyone's attention away with his men battling the police...That's why he leaked the information to us! That explains things!" Okita gasped, as the plan of Makoto Shishio became frighteningly clear.
"His target was Tokyo all along, and I fell for it!" Saito snarled; as some concern for his wife and Eiji emerged within his ki.
"If they set sail, it won't matter! They've got to be stopped!" Kenshin shouted.
"Agreed." Tetsunosuke said, decisively. Now was the time to act.
"Okita-kun, summon Harada, Susumu and Shinpachi. Let them know what is going to happen tonight." Saito silently said, as he made eye contact with the ghostly captain. Okita smiled and nodded eagerly.
"Will do, Saito-san!" Okita said, amiably; fading out almost immediately, so he could attend to his errand.
"Planning on ditching me again?" an angry voice asked, before both Kenshin and Tetsunosuke found themselves reeling from punches to their faces, "Uh-uh. Not this time."
"Sano?.!" Tetsunosuke muttered, in disbelief.
"W-what're you doing here?.!" Kenshin added, as he and the younger rurouni toppled over, only to be caught by the former fight merchant.
"Why am I here? To be your strong right arm, of course!" Sanosuke replied, confidently. At this, Tetsunosuke was once again reminded of the past; since Harada Sanosuke had said something similar, ten years prior. He could tell that Saito was thinking the same thing, since his ki had a hint of what felt like sadness, before he fired off another retort.
"Or two extra left feet, more like." Saito grumbled.
"Hey!" Sanosuke snapped, then added, "Aw, we've got no time to fight! Talk while we run!"
"We can't run to Osaka, fool. We're taking the carriage." Saito growled, in irritation.
"Look, fewer cheap shots, more running, okay?.!" Sanosuke argued back; earning him what sounded like an exasperated sigh from Tetsunosuke for that.
"Got anything to add, Tetsu?" Sanosuke asked, threateningly.
"Not really...Except how much more you remind me of Harada-san than before. That's all." Tetsunosuke murmured, jokingly, "Only he and Okita-san could get under Saito-san's skin like this."
"Ichimura...do you desire to die?" Saito warned, darkly.
"Saito-san, I'm more afraid of what Kenshin's master can do, than any threat you can make, at this point." Tetsunosuke replied, then added, "In the face of that man's power, he makes the whole of the Shinsengumi look like tame puppies!" For a full ten minutes afterwards, there was what seemed to be a stunned silence from Saito; then he collected himself and started quickly descending the stairs, leading the way to the carriage that was outside waiting for them.
"It'll be midnight when we reach Osaka...Will we be able to get there in time?" Tetsunosuke wondered, as they entered the carriage (and Sanosuke got on top behind the driver).
"Will we be able to stop Shishio's plan?"
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Night had long since fallen on Osaka Bay, when Makoto Shishio and his entourage arrived. Tsuno stared lifelessly at the deserted port; not even bothering to ask why they had come, nor why they now stood before what appeared to be a derelict ship that had been moored there.
"Troubled Yumi?" Shishio asked, as they stepped onto the gangplank and walked up to the deck. For a few moments, the woman beside him was silent, then she spoke in a soft, uncertain voice.
"I am honored to be included in the assault on Tokyo, which was kept secret from even the Juppongatana. But...do we really have to go on this broken-down old boat?" Yumi asked, confusedly. At this, the bandage-garbed man smirked.
"Tell me, Yumi, was it my looks you fell in love with?" Shishio in turn questioned; getting even more confusion from the bewildered woman.
"Or did you fall for what's inside me? If so, take a look at what's inside here." Shishio finished, then motioned for her to follow him to the innards of the boat itself. Disinterested in anything else as far as the conversation was concerned, Tsuno instead focused his attention on his own thoughts. For ten long years, he'd yearned for the ability to get revenge on the government that had taken what was most precious to him; the people he'd come to regard as elder brothers, and his only remaining family, his little brother. All had disappeared at the start of Meiji.
"Soon. Soon all will be avenged...It seems you were right, Vice-Commander, about my becoming a demon." Tsuno mused, as a hint of some unknown emotion briefly emerged in his crimson eyes, then faded once again.
"Tsuno-san? Daijobu desu ka?" Soujiro asked, politely.
"Why am I not with the rest of the Juppongatana, Tenken? Wouldn't my expertise be of better use there?" Tsuno in turn asked.
"As always, you get right to the point of the matter, Tsuno-san...I think Shishio-san just wanted to use this opportunity to properly initiate you. And besides, aren't the bullets and gunpowder for those pistols expensive?" Soujiro said, his smile never fading even in the slightest.
"True enough." Tsuno murmured; turning to look when a giddy-looking Yumi happily bounced over to Soujiro.
"Hoji, what's the time?" Shishio asked, as he reappeared on deck.
"Eleven O' Clock, and twenty-two minutes. Thirty-seven minutes until the fire begins, and the Rengoku sets sail." Hoji replied, coolly.
"Thirty-seven minutes until it all comes together." Tsuno thought, as what could have been a small smirk crossed his masked features. And had anyone, even Shishio, seen it, they would have shuddered at the almost demonic glint it gave his blood-red eyes.
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"Life during the Bakumatsu taught me...that two things make the job of a hitokiri easier. The ability to blend into darkness, and the ability to blend into a crowd." Kenshin murmured, as the carriage sped through the darkness.
"If that's the case, then the first condition has already been met...But the second...will require some shape-changing." Tetsunosuke grimly said, as he gripped both of his katanas tightly.
"Aa. Shishio Makoto took sessha's place as a hitokiri. What would he do? 'Hitokiri Battousai' knows it like his own palm. He'd disguise his ship as a merchant vessel." Kenshin continued.
"Then we'll just have to keep our eyes open. There won't be too many ships that will be preparing to set sail this late at night." Tetsunosuke stated.
"You surprise me, Ichimura. It seems your brain hasn't rotted at all, during the past ten years." Saito muttered, actually seeming pleased with the younger Wolf's insight. Tetsunosuke only gave him a deadpan look in response to that.
"Who did you take insult lessons from, Saito-san? Hijikata-san or Kenshin's master?" Tetsunosuke muttered, dryly; his expression not changing in the slightest.
"That's why sessha told you on the way back that Shishou is more dangerous than Saito." Kenshin mumbled.
"Well, my friend, I certainly believe you now." Tetsunosuke said, his expression not changing in the slightest, "And we must prevent them from ever meeting."
"Can't I give you a compliment every now and again?" Saito asked; smirking when he saw the two rurouni give him sour looks.
"No. Not without making it sound like an even worse insult." Tetsunosuke grumbled. At this, Saito only allowed himself an amused snort, then settled back slightly so he could enjoy one last cigarette before they arrived in the port.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
"It's late. We should be seeing flames by now." Hoji muttered, as he tensely watched the dark town from his place on the Rengoku's deck. Behind him, a select few also gazed in that direction.
"They're up against five thousand police, so a little delay is to be expected." Shishio coolly reassured; calmly smoking his pipe and not in the least perturbed by this. For two hours now, they had been waiting for the first bright flames to begin consuming the city.
"A little delay, yes, but we're already two hours behind schedule." Hoji muttered, irritably.
"You needn't worry, Hoji. There's no need for such impatience. It isn't like anyone's going to find us here." Tsuno growled; earning an approving smirk from Shishio for that.
"True enough." Shishio agreed, as a very drunk Yumi draped herself across his back and crooned in his ear.
"Shishio-sama! Don't tell me...you're going soft on me?" Yumi slurred, happily, from between hiccups, "Even if it is your plan, to watch memories going up in smoke must be heartbreaking, hmm? So you want to watch the end of it." This got what could have been a snicker from Shishio, had he been anyone else; giving his head a slight, amused shake at her inebriated statement.
"You've had too much, Yumi." Shishio muttered; looking aside when he sensed Tsuno's vaguely exasperated agreement to that, then continued, "Why would I feel nostalgia for this rotten age? We're setting sail to my glory! The flames that I am waiting for are fireworks...Fireworks to celebrate our declaration of war. Isn't that so, Tsuno-kun?" Tsuno only nodded; his crimson eyes burning even brighter than before. Then Shishio stood, and allowed himself a slight sigh of disappointment.
"And yet, even so...I do feel some regret about putting off my fight with that man." Shishio admitted, before one of the lookouts shouted to get Hoji's attention.
"Hoji-sama!" the lookout said, as the other man turned to him.
"Do you see flames?.!" Hoji asked, excitedly; wondering if the plan was finally coming to fruition. The lookout shook his head, vigorously.
"N-no...It's a carriage! A carriage is coming this way...and fast!" the lookout replied, as the clattering of hooves and wheels finally came to their ears. They could only watch as the carriage came to a halt in front of the Rengoku, and as four men got off.
"It can't be! How...how did they know?.!" Hoji cried, aghast at this development. Tsuno wondered the same thing, as he gazed down at the four who stood glaring up at them; his heart freezing in mid-beat when he got a good look at one of them. Wild, bright red hair framed a youthful face and trailed down between sturdy young shoulders. Two swords could be seen on either side of his waist, and his stance hearkened back to days of hard training. Yet it was the eyes that reached the deepest; clear, red-brown eyes hinted at the wisdom he had gained, over the last decade...A decade he hadn't thought he'd lived through.
"Tetsu...nosuke? Is that you?.!" Tsuno wondered, allowing his jaw to drop for only a moment, before vigorously shaking the thought from his mind, "No. It can't be. He's dead. He can't be here, in this era! It just isn't possible!" Then another, more troubling thought came to his mind, as the sight of the young man was burned into his retinas.
"Or is it?"
Author's Note!
So sorry for the long delay and the short chapter! (Hope I haven't disappointed anyone!) Writer's block is being a bit of a pain again, but don't worry! I will finish this story, no matter what! Thanks for reading!
Gemini14