Out of Time
Chapter 25: Cat and Mouse
1878
The blade made almost no sound as it slid from its sheath. Its weight unbalanced Kaoru a little. She was used to the lighter bokken. The tip of the blade dropped, digging into the dirt and snow at her feet.
And that was when she noticed what she was holding.
Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his. They traveled his face, searched his expression, looking for some proof that this wasn't real. But his youth only confirmed what had already taken root in her mind. Taken root long before she'd been willing to put words to it. She looked back down at the blade.
"Oh..."
"Kaoru-dono?" He sounded frightened. He was afraid of something...
She raised her eyes again to his. "Kenshin?" she whispered.
His brow furrowed. "Yes... Kenshin..." Then as an afterthought, he added, "Hitokiri Battousai."
She reached up and gently touched his cheek, startling him and causing him to jerk backwards. But she didn't back down, running her fingers through a few strands of his long, flame-red hair.
"I thought your hair looked different," she choked out.
He blinked at her. "Ara?"
Kaoru's jaw dropped a little. "What did you say?" Had that almost been an 'oro?'
He shook his head. "What? What did I say?" He looked as confused as she felt.
Kaoru didn't answer, staring at him silently. "Kenshin..." she finally whispered again. "When...?"
He looked away briefly. This wasn't going as he'd hoped. She was shutting down. Pulling away from him... Or was it just that he was so afraid she would, that he was imagining she was...? "When I fell into the river. When I was with Sanosuke..."
"Are you really..." She swallowed hard and tried again. "Are you really Battousai? How can you be? You can't be..."
He smiled grimly, cold understanding settling in the pit of his stomach. "You said I was. If you can see it, then how can it not be true?"
"Can you change back?"
He turned to her, his eyes cold and expressionless again. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be here, Kaoru-dono. Why would I stay?"
He tried to ignore the hurt in her eyes. So he'd hurt her. It was better this way.
Anyway... she'd hurt him...
"Would you rather be in Bakumatsu...?"
He winced. How was he supposed to answer that? "Do you think I'm crazy?"
"What?"
His dark eyes bore into hers. "You heard me. You must think I'm crazy to want to be there. But I have obligations..."
Kaoru swallowed hard. "Is she pretty?"
He was just staring at her, at a loss for words. What was she talking about? Were they even having the same conversation anymore?
Kaoru looked away, tears in her eyes. "You love her, don't you? That's why you want to return..."
"What are you talking about!" he finally burst out, exasperated. "Is who pretty? I want to return, because you want to get rid of me!" He faltered there at her stricken expression. "...Don't you?"
Both looked away in awkward silence, trying to work up the nerve to speak their hearts. Unfortunately they both regained their courage at the same time.
"Do you want to get rid of me or not?"
"You don't have a girl waiting for you?"
He shook his head. "A girl? You think an assassin has a girl waiting for him?" He snorted. "No one is waiting for me except for Katsura."
"Then who is Tomoe...?"
He fell silent. "Who... where did you hear that name?" He stood up in agitation, and walked over to a tree, leaning against its trunk.
"You said it in your sleep," Kaoru whispered. "So... she does mean something to you." Her voice wasn't exactly accusing, but there was an almost betrayed tone buried in a deep sadness.
The redhead watched the late sun finally begin to sink past the tree line. "Tomoe..." He paused. Was Shinomori right? Should he let her rest? He had Kaoru-dono right in front of him. Tomoe had just wanted him to be happy in the end. Wouldn't she want this?
Sadness darkened his eyes.
Then again, he really didn't have Kaoru at all. He had to go back, whether he wanted to or not. It would be a long time before he saw this girl again...
"Kenshin?"
He snapped out of his thoughts at her hesitant voice. Her expression was worried when he turned to look at her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have brought her up. If you don't want to talk about her..."
Battousai sighed, making his decision. He smiled at her gently, walking back toward her and sitting next to her. He took her hands in his. "You did nothing wrong, Kaoru-dono. Please do not apologize. Tomoe is... complicated. I'm not ready to explain her to you. I don't think I'm ready to give her up. Not yet." He continued hurriedly before she could interrupt. "However, I think ten years will be enough time." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Give me until then. Please." His voice was soft, and his eyes dropped. "Give me until Meiji."
"Kenshin..."
And before he knew what was happening, she had her arms around him, hugging him close. "Of course I can do that much. A person would do anything for someone she..." Kaoru trailed off, flushing a little at what she was about to say.
Battousaiwas unable to reply. Someone was approaching. Gently, he pulled away from her, sending her a quick smile before turning to see Okon approach. The ninja woman smiled secretively at both of them before turning specifically to Battousai. "Himura-san," she said, extending her hand. She held a folded paper. "This was given to me with instructions to be sure you received it."
He sent her a puzzled look. "Who delivered it?" he asked, unfolding the paper.
Okon shook her head. "A young girl. She ran off before I could ask her anything more."
Battousai just nodded, reading the paper. His expression darkened briefly, before he folded the note, and slipped it into his hakama. "Thank you..." he said, standing. "I will take care of this."
Okon simply returned his nod and left them alone.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, sounding somewhat alarmed. "What is it?"
He turned to her, his expression bland again. "Do not worry, Kaoru-dono. It's nothing of importance."
His words didn't comfort her. "It's something bad, isn't it? Whenever you get messages, it's always something bad..."
He just stared at her, the setting sun behind him, throwing his face into shadow, so she couldn't read his expression. "It's alright, Kaoru-dono. I just need to go for a little while. But I'll be back soon, alright?"
Kaoru didn't look convinced, her blue eyes staring deeply into his. "You promise you'll be back? You're not going to wander off on me again?"
His smile was barely visible in the spreading darkness. "I promise. I will return. Do not worry."
She nodded, sighing a little in relief. "Alright, then. I'll wait for you. But not for long. You'd better be back soon."
"It won't take long." At that, he turned and walked away, leaving Kaoru to her own thoughts.
He had his own troubles to deal with. The words of the note ran through his mind again:
We will finish our duel, Battousai, one way or another. Either we meet at the bridges near the city's outskirts tonight, or I will find you myself, and we'll fight in your friends' inn. The choice is yours.
Saito
1865
Ushiro sat alone in his room, staring quietly out the window. The room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight streaming through the open window. He should be resting. He had spoken with Katsura that evening, and knew he'd be going on a mission again in the next day or so, but for some reason, he was unable to sleep. Instead, he was watching the stars and allowing his mind to wander.
Why did he need my wakizashi?
Ushiro hadn't asked questions when Kenshin had come for the blade. It had been obvious that the redhead didn't want to discuss this, and honestly, Ryu was honored that Kenshin had trusted him enough to come and borrow his sword, so he'd kept his mouth shut. But something wasn't right. Kenshin hadn't seemed like himself, and that was worrisome. Twice already, Ryu had almost gone to his comrade's room to check on him, and twice he'd barely managed to convince himself that he was letting his imagination run away with him. Nothing was wrong. Kenshin probably just needed the sword because he'd finally realized that people would notice him. And they'd notice if Battousai was missing a blade. It was logical.
Then why didn't it make him feel better?
He sighed, finally rising to his feet. He wasn't going to get any sleep until he was sure that Kenshin was alright, so he'd better just get it over with.
Before he'd even gone a step, there was a knock at his door, startling him. At first he thought it might be the redhead, saving him a trip, but after a moment and a second knock, he realized that the sound was too timid. It was someone else.
"Yes?" he called.
There was a pause. Then a soft voice came from the other side of the door. "Ushiro-san... may I speak with you?"
The swordsman flushed a little, quickly throwing his gi on, making himself presentable. "Nozomi-chan! Yes... of course.Please come in."
The door slid open, and the girl stepped inside. All of Ushiro's hurried attempts at making himself presentable didn't matter. Her eyes were on the floor. She bowed deeply, and stood in silence, just within the doorway.
Ushiro waited a moment, hoping she'd speak. When she didn't, he cleared his throat a little nervously and asked, "Did you need something, Nozomi-chan?"
She glanced up at him briefly. "Ushiro-san." Her voice was so quiet, he almost had to strain to hear her. "Ushiro-san... I am sorry for bothering you so late. But I didn't know who to speak to. I didn't dare wake Katsura-san..."
The swordsman's eyes widened. "Katsura-san! What would you need to wake him for? What's happened?"
She appeared distressed. "It's Battousai-san... I went to his room to bring him some supper, and..." She flushed a little. "He's gone. I don't know what has happened to him. I wouldn't worry, but his futon was folded up, and the room had been cleared. It looked like he just left." Finally she looked straight into his eyes. "Ushiro-san. He was hurt badly. I heard the doctor speaking with Katsura-san last night. His arm will only heal if he lets it rest." She seemed to be nearly in tears. "I'm afraid... What if he...?" She swallowed, and continued in a slightly calmer voice. "I don't want him to die, Ushiro-san. If he's gone out, and the Shinsengumi find him..."
She didn't need to finish. Ushiro had already grabbed his katana and was in motion. "Kuso," he swore softly. "That baka. I knew he was going to do something stupid! He's going to try to go home... The baka."
"Ushiro-san?"
He turned to look at the wide-eyed girl, and sent her a gentle smile. "Nozomi-chan, thank you for telling me. I'll bring him back. Don't worry. He'll be alright. I'm not going to let him get himself killed. Okay?"
Without even waiting for her answer, he strode past her out the door.
"Ushiro-san!" she exclaimed, hurrying into the hall. But he had already turned the corner and didn't hear her.
"Ushiro-san..." Her voice was a whisper. "You be careful, too..."
In another part of Kyoto, the moon shone on a very different scene. A man stood alone on the steps to a temple. The crisp air stirred his long hair as he wiped his blade. Then, after sheathing it, he turned and walked down the stairs, oblivious to the body left near the top. It was over. And once the victims were dead, they lost consequence.
The body. The blood. It meant nothing to him now. He kept walking past the steps. It didn't matter... None of it mattered.
Shishio's dark eyes narrowed as he made his way to the main roads of Kyoto. There was a strong ki behind him. Someone was following.
Clearly someone else had a death wish...
Kenshin sighed, slipping through the shadows. This was ridiculous. Any other time, the Shinsengumi would have been upon him. Now that he wanted to face them, they weren't there? He'd walked all of their normal routes, but they were nowhere to be seen.
Already, his nerves were wearing thin. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. But if he let his frustrations take reign, then he would lose his focus, condemn himself to death. This was no time to panic.
And so he kept moving through the streets, searching for the one man who could either save or destroy him. The cold air made him shiver a little, and his shoulder ached worse than ever. But he was relatively certain he could use it, at least for awhile. It was finally healing. As long as he didn't push himself too far in this fight, he might even be able to continue using it in Meiji.
He smiled dryly and dropped that train of thought. He didn't want to push his luck...
The redhead turned another corner. Ducked into another shadow. It was a graceful dance. Like part of an elaborate show. In the first act, he smoothly slid in and out of the shadows. Then came the action. The kill. And finally clean up... either his own blood, or his victim's. It was sick. He suddenly realized why he had no interest in seeing any shows when Kaoru-dono asked.
Kenshin stopped in the shadows of an inn near the city's outskirts for a moment. Kaoru-dono. He needed to focus his thoughts on something else. Anything else. Because if he was trying to match thoughts with his younger self, then Kaoru-dono would have to be the last thing on his mind. Battousai would not be thinking about her...
He sighed. He'd thought the most difficult part would be putting on the wakizashi. Obviously he'd been mistaken...
Her face was firmly etched into his mind. He was doing this for her. Returning for her. If it weren't for Kaoru-dono, he would have nothing to go home to. How could he free his mind of her?
He wasn't given the chance to dwell on it for long. There was suddenly a strong ki radiating from nearby. Near enough to assume that whoever it was knew that Kenshin was there. The rurouni slipped his hand over the hilt of his blade, carefully checking to be sure it was his sakabatou that he was grabbing.
Who was this? It wasn't the Shinsengumi... that much was certain...
He didn't have to wonder for long. A sleek figure was suddenly in his view. The man wore dark blue and black. His hair was pulled into a short ponytail. His blade wasn't yet drawn, but Kenshin suspected that this was only because the swordsman had studied Battousai, and intended to use battou-jutsu against him.
Kenshin's grip tightened on his sakabatou.
They stood motionless for a long moment, facing each other in silence. Each waiting for the other to make a move.
What was most disconcerting about the man was his eyes. Large and piercing blue. They seemed to stare into Kenshin's very soul.
Another moment of stillness. Then finally there was motion.
It was Uonuma Usui, the anti-assassin, who made the first move.
Author's notes: Thanks so much for reading this fiction. And thank you for being patient with my sometimes horribly slow updates (and horribly frustrating cliffies... heh...)
wyldcat: Thanks for the great review. I'll work on "Heir to Slytherin" soon. Considering I'm still pretty inspired to write Harry Potter, it shouldn't be hard...
dragonspirit4215: (Squeals) Ah! Fanart! Thanks again! I hope you can get your hands on a scanner. I'd love to see what you've come up with. Wicked cool! Thanks! (Squeals again)
Lily of the Shadow: Yup... finally nearing the end. But fear not... if you like the time travel, I still have "In Due Time" and a couple of other random time travel Kenshin fics in the works. If you like the characters, I have at least one (if not more) with Ushiro coming... And if anyone just wants me to keep writing (sweatdrops), my next fiction will be the Saito fic (as promised... no, I didn't forget!), called "A Wolf in Officer's Clothing" (although I request a month to work on it before anyone expects the first chapter of that posted... what I have posted now is just a teaser...)
Mir: Thanks for the nice review. I hope you like how the story ends, when you get a chance to read the rest!
Omasuoniwabanshi: I made your eyes tear up? Awwww... I didn't expect to manage that!
A lilmatchgirl: Action junkie, huh? Then you'll be happy to note that fighting starts next chapter...
Nemesis Jedi: I've never read "Our Hikos." I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm always looking for good Hiko fics. He's one of my favorite characters, so I try to slip him into any stories that I realistically can... so expect a lot of him in my writing!
Ryu sakuma: Thanks for the review. Was this update soon enough? Hehe...
Chibi cheesecake: I hope this scene worked for you. And thank you so much for the kind words!
Jodibetz: Yes, I remember you, and I'm glad you like how the scene is turning out. I hope this chapter continued to please...
Jane Drew: Heh... thank you. Thanks for giving me the credit that I would realize just how far their memories can go... A whap on the head, huh? Not impossible... not even improbable... And I loved the comment "Your pretty, pretty hair..." Hehehe... Anyway, thanks for the great comments. I was happy to see your review!
Lolo popoki: As always, thanks for beta-ing my story. It helps me so much to have someone read before I post.
FrostPhoenix: Thanks also for your beta work. Your assessments (as always) also helped me greatly in getting this chapter ready for posting... Just one comment to you... POST MORE! I know you've written more. I beta-ed it. Please post it! Hehehe... Thanks!
Me: There you go. Another chapter before school starts. When DOES your school start...? Maybe I can manage to write another chapter by then...
skenshingumi: Oh, thank you so much for the detailed reviews! I loved them! I hope you were surprised in a good way in chapter 24. And I'm glad the interactions and characters seem to be working out. They can be difficult sometimes... especially the original characters (like Ushiro and Nozomi) although those sometimes have the most potential for fun... hehehe...
To all other reviewers... as always, I want to thank you for reading and reviewing my story. I'm sorry I can't reply to everyone, but if I did every time, I'd never get chapters written (sweatdrops). I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks again!
Dewa mata!