Dreams I Dreamt Instead
By Fujifunmum
Author's Note: If you've been reading my ficcy, you know that the Oniwabanshuu have been communicating via carrier pigeon in Haiku about Sano and Misao. Misao is gathering all the messages to see what the birders are saying. Haiku is three lines, 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, 5 in the third. (Very short, perfect to attach to the bird's leg!) Why should I have all the fun? So, Haiku Me! Send me your suggested Haiku and I'll publish the best ones in or at the end of the story!
Send your Haiku to : fujifunmum 1 @ sbcglobal . net (You'll need to take out the spaces, FF doesn't allow links)
Chapter 17: Plans within Plans
Aoshi could see all of the garden, all possible points of approach or entry to the house, and the rear and side entries for the clinic from his vantage point on the peak of the roof of the house. He had returned to Megumi's house immediately after leaving Megumi with Goro. He had made sure the house was still empty, cleared away all evidence of their dinner and tea, and then carefully locked it just as Megumi might have done. Next he investigated the garden and familiarized himself with the relative positions of the house and the clinic in relation to the immediate neighborhood.
Megumi's clinic had a bakery and seamstress for neighbors at the street. There were houses behind the storefronts, just as Megumi had her house behind her clinic. The neighboring properties did not have her remarkable garden, but that would be an asset. There was no place on either side of her fenced in yard for concealment. Then he had searched the perimeter of the property, exploring and locating every point of entry or surveillance the Yakuza might use. Finally, he had climbed onto the roof of the house to check the layout from above.
From time to time he fingered his kodachi, still amazed that he had brought them from Kyoto. He tried in vain to remember the last time he had used them. Had it really been Jinchuu? Suzaku had been a challenge, but hardly the greatest challenge he had faced. His fight with Gein had been much more of a challenge. Gein had been his last victim; he had considered him his final work. It stunned him to realize that even then he had expected the Oniwabanshuu to disperse completely in this new age.
If Kunisawa was the head of the local Yakuza he was sure to travel with bodyguards. Aoshi reviewed the entire area with an eye to where the bodyguards would choose as the best places to protect their boss from unexpected attack. He quickly decided that the roof of the house was not as advantageous a perch as the roof of the clinic. He moved carefully back down into the garden and towards the clinic. He would have the maximum notice of Kunisawa's approach from here, even if he were faced with an expert in stealth equal to the Oniwabanshuu. That seemed most unlikely, but Aoshi could not afford to underestimate his opponent when he was already likely to be outnumbered.
Nearly as soon as he reached the back of the clinic he heard someone approaching. They took no care to hide their approach, and indeed appeared to be boisterous and perhaps even inebriated. He felt the ki of three and shortly heard three different voices. He remained completely alert. If this was the Yakuza, there could be others nearby, too far away to sense. Their openness on a public street raised Aoshi's level of concern. If this was Kunisawa and his bodyguards, they must be well entrenched.
Aoshi stood silent and ready to move directly behind the second gate at the rear of the clinic. His kodachi felt familiar in his hands, despite the long years of neglect. He heard someone trying to open the first gate, then cursing. Next the sound of a set of keys fumbling, interrupted by a call from the front of the clinic. One of the bodyguards must have found the note he had pinned to the front door of the clinic.
Aoshi had remembered seeing many such notes on Megumi's door at the clinic in Tokyo, and only hoped that she had continued the practice here in Aizu. Her handwriting had been fairly easy to replicate with his own practiced hand.
He could sense that the three men had all moved to the front door of the clinic, so it was time for his move. He sheathed his kodachi and quickly leaped to the roof of the clinic in time to overhear one of them speaking. His words suggested he must be Kunisawa. "Damn, she's gone to see a patient," Kunisawa muttered with disgust in his voice. "This medicine crap of hers really pisses me off. She'd better be here tomorrow." He crumpled the note and threw it to the ground. "Let's go get another drink," he said to his bodyguards.
As they turned around and left the porch, Aoshi leaped behind them. There were three of them, presumably two bodyguards and Kunisawa. Kunisawa, the more elaborately attired of the trio, walked in front, the other two men following him. Aoshi executed a kempo move to incapacitate the two guards from behind. Unfortunately, his execution was less than perfect. He had connected with the first guard, knocking him to the ground. This move alerted the other two men to his presence and they turned ready to attack. The remaining bodyguard moved in front of Kunisawa to take the lead and Aoshi leap to attack again. The man successfully evaded his kempo kick, but did not anticipate his follow up moves of multiple punches. It should have been enough for an average fighter, but this bodyguard was clearly a better fighter. He met each of Aoshi's punches and successfully defended himself, but was thrown off balance.
If these men had been drinking, it had not been in great amounts. Kunisawa himself stood behind his bodyguard in a ready stance. His arms were crossed over his chest, arrogance and displeasure on his face. He appeared to be assessing his henchman's defenses and gauging Aoshi's moves as if this were a match that had been arranged for his benefit. As his bodyguard regained his balance, Aoshi noted that the brighter ki belonged to the master, not the servant. Kunisawa was not to be underestimated.
The bodyguard drew a short sword, believing Shinomori unarmed. One of Aoshi's kodachi appeared in his hand so suddenly that it could have been conjured instead of drawn. The man had already begun his attack, moving with strength and skill, but without the expectation of facing a formidable fighter like Aoshi. It was his last mistake.
Kunisawa gave not even a glance to the fallen men at his feet. One dead, one unconscious, he was the only one standing. He exuded the confidence he felt. It was unusual for the head of the Yakuza to have to fight his own battles with outsiders. Nor had he fought outsiders while his father was alive. No one inside his group was fool enough to be willing to face him. They knew of his talents, all of them. Before him was an unprecedented opportunity, one he relished. He didn't ask why Aoshi had attacked. He didn't care.
"Come. Both Kempo and kodachi? It seems my men are no match for you, but then, they are no match for me, either." He stood quite still for a moment. And then he drew. Aoshi recognized his weapon as an Aikuchi katana, a sword without a handguard. Only the most skilled of swordsmen would choose such a blade. It took Aoshi less than a split second to draw his second kodachi.
As Kunisawa lunged towards him Aoshi noticed the tekkou. He wore thick armbands of steel, well able to block a bullet. Even for a Yakuza leader such defenses were unusual. An alarm was going off in his head; there was something about the tekkou, something he should know that was not coming to mind, and something that years of meditation had not revealed.
Rising to the attack, Aoshi used his Onmyou Kousa, a counter attack to block Kunisawa's blade. He blocked the thrust with his first kodachi, then pressed his second kodachi against the blade of the first in an effort to break Kunisawa's blade. It was clear that the blade had been made at an expert forge. This match was steel against superior steel. And at such close quarters, Aoshi was able to catch the "feel" of his opponent's ki. It was strong, but straightforward and without subtlety. It was the ki of a skilled opponent, an opponent superbly trained and one who excelled with his chosen weapons. Yet it had no depth. Again, a nagging irritant flicked at the edges of Aoshi's mind, alerting him that there was an advantage to be gained if he was wise enough to see it.
For the moment, he forced his intellect to recede in favor of the use of his brute strength and fighting ki. He needed to exert all of his strength to make this move effective and then to press his advantage. Kunisawa fought at first to withdraw his blade, a measure effectively countered by the Onmyou Kousa. There was no retreat once the blade had been captured.
Next he displayed his own intellect and talent by attempting to divert the angle of the blades. He was confident enough in the steel he carried to try to maneuver it and Aoshi's blades to his preferred angle. Aoshi quickly discerned his intent. He hoped to be able to use the tekkou to either deflect the attack or deflect the broken blades. It was a masterful stroke, one that no previous opponent had seen. He also shifted his grip, adding his other hand, in order to manipulate the trajectory of either of Aoshi's kodachi blades, should they be the ones to give way.
It was now clear that it was the measure of the swords makers that would be taken tonight, not the measure of their wielders. They appeared to be well matched in physical strength, Aoshi having the advantage of height, Kunisawa having the advantage of weight. Kunisawa's eyes blazed at the vigor of the match. It was clear that he was unused to facing a serious challenge and felt himself invincible. He had talent. He had strength. He had an age advantage on Aoshi, appearing to be closer to Sano's age than his own 30 years, but there could be no doubt that Aoshi had the advantage of fighting experience. He, who had faced Shishio and Battousai, the best fighters of the age, and had the ougi scar to prove it.
They seemed frozen in time and space for a few moments, steel clashing on steel. It held, was tested, and then the forced angle for countermeasure. Just as suddenly, the pressure broke, and along with it both Kunisawa's katana and one of Aoshi's kodachi gave way. The katana blade broke and Kunisawa parried its passage with his tekkou, deflecting the free-flying sword point directly at Aoshi. He immediately tried to deflect the kodachi in the same way, but Aoshi's kodachi was fractured, not split, so he had no further opportunity to wound.
In a flash, Aoshi moved to avoid the flying katana piece, using both of his kodachi to retain his hold on the remainder of the blade. The blade was coming directly towards his face, and he successfully avoided it, but could not move entirely out of harms way without losing his hold on the swords. He took the blade in his shoulder without flinching.
Kunisawa was also wounded. His blade had broken, but not before the pressure exerted by the kodachi and his attempts to utilize the tekkou had left his hands substantially unprotected. His own blade was slicing ever deeper into his hands. Unless he released the sword, his hands would be useless in this fight.
Aoshi barely felt the wound in his shoulder. It was the heat of battle. He might suffer from it later, but he would give no quarter now. He pressed his advantage by applying still more pressure on the kodachi, driving the blade further towards its owner and doing more damage with each slight movement.
The awakening of the first bodyguard broke the tension and the match. His moan signaled the end of Aoshi's advantage. Before he could get to his feet and field his weapons, Aoshi broke the hold and disappeared into the darkness. He went away from the clinic, away from the house, away from Kunisawa. Kunisawa's eyes glowed with fury as he called out, "We will meet again." But there was no response from the darkness.
Aoshi watched them from the shadows, disgusted, until they were out of sight. Once he was certain they were gone, he went to the clinic and treated his wound. His reverie earlier in the evening while moving towards Megumi rewarded him now with the exact knowledge of where her supplies were kept. Fortunately, he recognized the container for her famous Takani ointment for wounds immediately. He easily cleaned his wound and salved the medicine into it, awkwardly wrapping it in bandages.
He had not lost too much blood, but he knew he must risk some rest or he would not be fit to defend either himself or Megumi. His initial plan was not going to work. He had decided to kill Kunisawa and leave the local Yakuza to fight over the succession. He could retrieve Megumi from Tokyo and stay here with her to protect her. Kunisawa's openness on the streets showed that the local police must be securely in his pocket. It appeared that Kunisawa was in full control of the entire perfecture. Megumi's fear that nothing could be done to stop them was well founded. Finally, he allowed himself to rest in the darkness of the clinic. He would make additional plans in the morning. And plans within those plans. A local Yakuza head was no match for the brilliant strategist of the Oniwabanshuu.
Kenshin, Sanosuke and Goro took the early train to Aizu the next morning. They had met behind the longhouse to inform Yahiko so he could keep an eye on the dojo. Yahiko had been incensed that he was not invited to go with them, until Kenshin emphasized that he was leaving Kaoru and Kenji in his expert care. There was no one, aside from Sano that merited that level of trust and Yahiko knew it. He assured Kenshin of his ability to keep Kaoru and Kenji safe from the Yakuza. It could be an advantage that he and his sword skills were well known to the Tokyo Yakuza from his early indenture with them, an indenture that had only ended by Kenshin's fateful intervention.
Then Goro had given them the lay of the land and the tracks leading into the Aizu station he'd left so secretly last night. They would arrive at the Tokyo station separately and travel alone together. Akoto had already purchased the tickets, but Goro would attempt to travel in one the trains freight cars to avoid being seen by anyone on the train.
They decided it would be better to leave the train before the official stop in town. The next stop up the line was ten miles away, too far away for the help they were determined to give Aoshi. Instead they decided to take their chances on leaping off the train about a mile outside of town, entering the area through different routes laid out for them by Goro and converging on the doorway where Aoshi had left Megumi. Goro would check on Megumi's house and then come to get them. They couldn't risk revealing Aoshi's presence if it had not yet been discovered.
Sano was all for trying to take the trip on the roof of the passenger car in an attempt to keep out of sight until Kenshin reminded him that neither of them were known in Aizu, nor would they be expected. Sano was anxious for some action; it had been a long time since Ishiji had wounded him on the road to Kyoto. It had been even longer for Kenshin, but he was never one to be anxious for any fight he could avoid. Goro shot Kenshin an inquiring glance and Kenshin changed their plans at once. There was really no reason to avoid each other on the train, so he and Sano decided to travel together. They could keep each other company as long as they were circumspect about fellow travelers overhearing their conversation. And Kenshin could keep Sano's anger and eagerness in check until they had a better understanding of what they faced.
Goro spent a little time telling them about Kunisawa before they went their separate ways to the train. He was a well-trained fighter, as one would expect of the Yakuza heir, but he was headstrong to the point of unreason. Goro speculated that his sick fascination with Megumi was partially due to the fact that she was the only person or thing he had met in his short life that had a "do not touch" sign on it. He had wanted her since the day she arrived back in Aizu and his father's insistence that she be left alone to her practice infuriated him. He had hidden his interest from his father, but had seethed enough to his bodyguards that Goro had heard the rumors.
Sanosuke posed the obvious question. Was Kunisawa suspected in his father's untimely demise? Goro admitted that he thought it was widely believed, but wisely, no one had challenged him. Kunisawa's temper was easily ignited and his cruelty was well known. These traits had also been well hidden from his father, who had not given Kunisawa what he felt was the proper amount of respect or enough of the family business. His father had not expected to pass on the mantle for many years, but his son was not one to wait.
When pressed as to his fighting style, Goro was less knowledgeable. He had not seen him fight, and his bodyguards were well known to handle even the slightest problems that might arise. His father had feared that any direct involvement by Kunisawa in a public fight might bring him to the attention of more than just the local authorities. No one was sure why, but it was rumored that his fighting style was so advanced that his father considered it too deadly to be unleashed unless it were for the most pressing of family matters. Kunisawa apparently agreed, for it was also rumored that he had beaten all of his bodyguards, who were known to be excellent fighters in their own right.
Kenshin felt it was a puzzle. But he knew that he and Aoshi and Sano would be well up to the challenge. It seemed unlikely in the extreme that whatever his fighting style, it could be more of a threat than Shishio's Mugen Jin, that sword of human fire or Enishi's Watou.
The three boarded the train without incident, another indication that Goro's escape with Megumi the previous evening had been totally successful. Aoshi had been a masterful judge of ninja talent in the past. Perhaps that trait would serve him well in this new arena. Kenshin and Sano speculated briefly on what he might intend, but the former Okashira was well known for his plans within plans. Kenshin didn't like to plan and Sano's plans were nearly always concerned with food. And other more basic desires.
"So how did you convince Misao to remain in Tokyo?"
"How did you convince Kaoru? She has a pretty good history of following you."
"We've got 10 days."
"Misao gave me 2 weeks."
"She probably even said it like she meant it. I know Kaoru did."
"Huh?"
"You think we're the only ones comparing notes? I'm just hoping that Misao doesn't' talk Kaoru into coming after us today. I think Kaoru will give us a couple days, maybe three if we're lucky. Karou is not one to sit quietly and wait. And Misao?"
"Yeah, right. You know she's more likely to come after us than Kaoru, what with being the Okashira and all, but damn, she did promise me."
"We should take care of this and get home, that we should."
"No kidding."
The two friends laughed and passed the time on the train in comfortable discussion of various fighting techniques they suspected Kunisawa might employ and the various defenses that were known to work against them. At last, a short time before they needed to prepare for their early departure from the train, Sano inquired, "Can you use your Hiten Mitsurugi at all?"
Kenshin looked pained. It was definitely a sore subject, but one he knew he could not avoid forever. "I haven't tested my limits at all since Jinchuu. I can feel that the flight of the dragon will be severely limited." He paused, scowling and looking resigned rather than sad. "On the other hand, it is also true that even Shishou told me that I had some good effort left. I feel that if I need to use it, and my heart is convinced of the necessity of the fight, I can do what must be done." He gave Sano a brief smile. One that faded as he continued, "but perhaps not all that must be done."
"Not to worry Kenshin. I don't go looking for fights myself anymore, but I have perfected my Futae no Kiwami technique since Jinchuu. If Aoshi hasn't let his skills deteriorate too much, there may not be any reason for you to do much except cheer us on. Hard to believe there is anyone who is a match for both Aoshi and me."
"Agreed. But you're starting to make me feel like Yahiko in the old days – don't be surprised if I start chewing on your head."
It was time, so the two men moved to the rear platform of the passenger coach, talking about getting some air in case any of the other passengers were listening. There were only a few on board and they seemed to be minding their own business. When they reached the platform, the looked for the landmarks Goro had mentioned. Rice paddies were plentiful, but there were only a few shrines and only one out in the country here where they could see the shrine entryway from the train tracks as they passed. Sano and Kenshin easily spotted the simple yet unmistakable wooden supports and crossbeam marking the entryway to the rural shrine. It was their cue to hop off the train, and try not to injure themselves. Fortunately, the train was actually beginning to slow down for it's arrival in town, so the two were able to depart with a minimum of fuss, hurrying to conceal themselves in some bushes at the side of the track until the train was out of sight.
They started for town together, but split up as they neared the small conclave of buildings and the station. They wished to approach the meeting place from different directions and to avoid going past the clinic entirely. They had to assume that by this time Megumi would be missed and the Yakuza would be alert to any activity around the clinic or her house. They weren't even sure that Aoshi would still be there as they were not privy to his plans.
"Are you clear on where we're going to meet Sano? I wouldn't want Aoshi to start the party without you."
"Yeah, I know where I'm going. I know both you and Misao think I can't find my way around the Crane without getting lost, but one of the things I gained in my travels was a good sense of direction. It was either that or die in the desert. But hey, don't tell Misao, she's cute when she tries to spare my feelings and keep me from getting lost. A guy needs his entertainment."
"No problem. Meet you at the appointed time. I hope Goro got here safely."
Aoshi had awakened early, glad he was a man who needed little sleep, especially in times of danger. It had been safe to sleep here only until the usual opening time of Megumi's clinic. He decided to leave through her office, at the back corner of the building. Once there, her haori, forgotten the night before, caught his attention. It led his thoughts to whether that would be a signal to something amiss. He thought not, unless Kunisawa was fixated on both Megumi and her apparel. If he were so familiar with her garments that he checked for each and every one he would notice the haori here, but he would also notice the absence of the michiyuki and the shawl from her house. Even then, he shouldn't attach any importance to them being gone. Megumi would have taken something to wear over her kimono. He should assume she had been roused from her home rather than the clinic.
Aoshi was more worried about what she hadn't taken. She hadn't taken her usual doctor's chest of medicines. He found it easily in her office. His powers of observation were still formidable, if a little out of practice. He stared at the chest, recalling a chest much like it he had seen her use during Jinchuu. It was not the same one, and he had seen that one somewhere else, but where? After another moment of consideration he recalled seeing the more familiar medicine chest she had used in Tokyo and during Jinchuu at the Kamiya dojo. She must have left it for "Ken-san."
Aoshi soundlessly retrieved the chest, taking it with him as he left, but where should he take it? Where should he go now? He had let his intellect muse on the problem of what to do next while he slept. Now, the idea that had germinated while he slept crept to the surface of his mind. He would draw Kunisawa into a cat and mouse game. A cat and mouse game with the highest of stakes and the most desperate of players. The straightforward confrontational style preferred by Himura was also his first choice, particularly in an instance such as this where the cause was very personal. But that was not always possible. As the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, he was well equipped to deal in subterfuge.
Another insight floated to the surface of his consciousness. Yoshinobu's choice suddenly came to him. Yoshinobu fleeing Edo, entrusting everything to Katsu Kaishuu, whom in conference with Saigou Takamori agreed to surrender Edo Castle. That was the path that led to the Oniwabanshuu sitting out battle in the Bakumatsu, much to his disdain and eternal regret. Now, he felt himself in a similar situation. Yoshinobu had been sadly outnumbered, as he was now. He had chosen to save lives, Ishin Shishi, Samurai and civilians lives, rather than choose a bloody battle in Edo.
An unwilling sigh left his lips. He really must have bad karma to have to deal with every lousy decision, every bad mistake, and every single misstep he had ever made in his life up until this moment, all within a week. Maybe that's what all the meditation was for, to prepare him to face them and deal with them, one by one.
Of one thing he was sure, helping Megumi would help his karma. No matter what happened between them personally or what became of the Oniwabanshuu, or one Shinomori Aoshi. Helping her escape Kunisawa was the right thing to do. Now he just had to accomplish it.
With that positive feeling, he left the clinic with the medicine chest and took up watch on the roof of the clinic. It would do while he determined his next move. At the Clinic's opening time, a man appeared with a set of keys and opened the front door. Aoshi spotted the tattoos on his arm when his sleeve rode up as he worked at the lock. He went into the clinic, closing the door behind him. Aoshi figured that with Kunisawa's wounded hands, he was waiting for Megumi's return. Other henchmen were probably scouring the community for her whereabouts already. Hopefully, they had not yet discovered her escape from Aizu. He saw a couple of purported patients looking for Megumi, but it was not possible to determine if they were truly in need of medical attention, or Yakuza reporting in to the man in the Clinic.
That was where Goro found him, stretched out on the side of the roof facing the garden, avoiding prying eyes, yet able to hear and see anyone approaching the house or the clinic. Staying in the shadows he would not be noticed, unless someone was looking for him.
Goro signaled him from the roof of the house. It was not safe to meet or talk anywhere close to Megumi's. They used hand signals to agree to meet where they had met the previous evening, at the Koi, an Inn close to Goro's house. Aoshi was surprised to see Goro, but once he started towards the meeting place he realized that Goro would not be alone. Sanosuke was sure to be there. How could he not? Aoshi had watched his fight with Byakko on Enishi's Island with approval. Sanosuke had taken his technique, the Futae no Kiwami to new heights before Aoshi and Kenshin's approving eyes. He believed that even Saitou had been impressed. And that was the first time Misao had seen him fight. He remembered how impressed and excited she had been. Of course he would come. Megumi was his friend.
He and Goro crouched down behind the Koi, well away from the street or the guests and employees of the Koi, as secluded as they could be outdoors in daylight. Aoshi arched an eyebrow at Goro, and he immediately reported on Megumi's successful delivery to the Crane, including Misao's thanks and approval. He then informed his former Okashira that both Sagara and Himura had accompanied him on this return trip.
Aoshi's usual calm exterior did not show the surprise he felt to learn that Himura was also here. He should have expected that somehow Himura would find out. But for the three of them to be here so quickly? That was truly a statement that they were determined to help.
Aoshi's quizzed Goro on the local Yakuza and local police, receiving the answers he expected. He warned Goro that these questions would be repeated for Sagara and Himura. He asked Goro about Kunisawa's sword. Despite it's fracture, it had to be of very high quality. Goro had never seen the sword unsheathed, but knew from his Yakuza contacts that Kunisawa was an avid sword collector. He also collected ninja weapons and other, more modern weapons. Aoshi could only hope that a Gatling gun was not among them.
Goro insisted on putting Dr. Takani's medicine chest to good use, changing Aoshi's dressing and again treating the wound with the precious salve. It was clear that it was healing properly, but would keep Aoshi from optimum use of his kodachi. That and the fact that one of the swords was full of hairline cracks. He would also be hampered by his lack of practice of his Kodachi Nitou Ryuu, his fighting technique, for a long time.
Aoshi inquired as to any factions within the Yakuza that might be useful. Goro gave his opinion that there was a younger brother to Kunisawa, supported by an uncle that would be acceptable alternative leaders. Both the brother and uncle were convinced of Kunisawa's collusion in his father's untimely death, and were only stopped from acting on it by Kunisawa's reputed secret fighting techniques.
Aoshi and Goro made their way to where Sagara and Himura waited. Aoshi asked Goro to undertake three more tasks, one in secret even from Sagara and Himura. Goro was rather surprised at the request, but readily agreed.
They reached the secluded doorway where a lounging Sagara and a deceptively alert Himura waited. Kenshin was in his usual repose, seated against the wall with his sakabatou resting lightly on his shoulder. He appeared almost asleep. But anyone who knew him, as Sano and Aoshi did, knew that he was anything but asleep. He might not revert to Battousai, but his would always be a formidable foe.
Kenshin felt them coming, Aoshi's familiar ki registering before Goro's. He reacted so quickly, opening his eyes so wide, that Sano kicked him to get his attention. "What's up, Kenshin? You look pretty surprised for a guy sitting in a dark doorway. Something coming?"
"Aoshi and Goro are coming," he responded, adding under his breath, "maybe I should take Miss Megumi and Aoshi to see Shishou." His musings were interrupted by Aoshi's arrival.
Sanosuke spoke first, of course. "So are we gonna charge? Or sneak in?"
Goro and Aoshi exchanged glances. Kenshin just elbowed Sano and said, "Uh, sneak in WHERE Sano?
"Wherever. Aoshi knows. Let's get 'em."
"I think that maybe this time we need a plan, that we do." Turning to Aoshi, Kenshin continued. "Do you have a plan? Do they know Megumi is gone? That you are here?"
"They don't know Megumi is gone yet, but they will very shortly. Then all hell is bound to break loose. Our decision is whether to try to surprise them and take them on right away, or to approach this from another direction. Kunisawa knows I am here, but hopefully not that I have any connection with Megumi or the clinic. He'll learn that soon enough."
"Sounds like you have a plan, Aoshi."
"While direct confrontation might be satisfying to us, it might not be the best solution for Megumi and Aizu. It would appear that Kunisawa has the local authorities completely in his pocket." He turned to inquire of Goro. "Are there any splinters in the local Yakuza we can use to our advantage?"
"A disaffected younger brother, and uncle who supports the younger brother, and neither of them have dared to make a move against Kunisawa. There was a rival group threatening their supremacy in Aizu until last year. Kunisawa senior and junior wiped them out."
"What else can you tell us about Kunisawa and the local Yakuza organization, Goro? Particularly with regard to their numbers and headquarters." Kenshin was looking more stern than the others had seen him look in years. His eyes had narrowed, his voice become more serious and commanding.
Goro's eyes widened as he regarded the change coming over the meek man he knew to be the Battousai. He quickly told them about the local arrangements of the Yakuza, just as he had already told Aoshi. He included the connections between the local Yakuza and the local police. Those connections ran deep, and he felt certain they would not receive any assistance from the local authorities. The Yakuza were as deeply entrenched as Aoshi feared.
Kenshin turned pensive for a moment. Then he turned to Aoshi and asked, "How bad is your wound?"
Aoshi paused. He was disconcerted that Himura could sense that he had been wounded. He hesitated a little too long and Kenshin's eye's narrowed again. "I will recover, Himura. But my fight with Kunisawa last night showed him to be a skilled opponent, one not to be underestimated." He hesitated and then continued, "He wielded an Aikuchi katana, which I broke. He deflected it into my shoulder with his tekkou."
"Hey, if he wears 'em again, I'll destroy them with my Futae no Kiwami. I did that with Banjin back when Jinchuu first started."
Aoshi raised an eyebrow. Was this what he had forgotten? He turned his quizzical look on Sanosuke, saying, "Banjin?"
"He was one of the Yokishiro's Six Comrades." Sano looked at Aoshi's unbelieving glance. "Yeah, I know. Stupid name. Consider the source." Aoshi just stared, Kenshin rolled his eyes, and Goro was becoming more confused by the minute.
"Anyway, Banjin wore those damn things until I crushed 'em for him. I think he saw them as his biggest strength since the idiot considered himself invincible. Actually they were his biggest weakness. Because of them, he never fought against anyone else, often relying on his tekkou as his main defense/offense so he was easily injured. He looked the part, but there was only one tough guy in our match."
"True, Sano." Added Kenshin, casting a meaningful glance at Aoshi.
Aoshi and Goro exchanged nods of acknowledgment. Now Aoshi had the information he needed. The tekkou could be broken, and Kunisawa, no matter what his school or technique, was likely to be weaker than Aoshi and easily beaten once his technique was discovered and defeated.
Aoshi broke the tension by returning the conversation to Goro. "I have asked Goro to find us a safe place to stay should that be necessary, and also to use his contacts with the Yakuza to try to track down the proof needed to show that Kunisawa had his father killed. If we can connect him with that act, his clan will turn against him and hopefully the authorities will feel compelled to act."
"And while he is locating this proof?"
"Yeah, what're we gonna be doing? Let's show the Yakuza we mean business."
Aoshi surprised both Kenshin and Sano when he merely replied. "I agree. We will attack the Yakuza at their local headquarters. We will be vastly outnumbered, but not outmatched, except perhaps by Kunisawa himself. And I wish it understood that my fight with Kunisawa is personal. I will tolerate no interference."
Sano and Kenshin exchanged startled glances. This was a rather unexpected turn of events.
Sanosuke just got up, cracked his knuckles, and said, "Whatever, let's go."
Kenshin rose to follow, muttering, "Oro, another cute couple?" But neither Sano nor Aoshi heard.
Author's Note: Thanks for Reading and Reviewing! Firuze Khanume, AutumnFire, Oryo, Gochan, kongykun, BladeRy, Cherie Dee, dRagon of sahdows, Lizzie, K-chan, Leila Winters, MightyMightyMunson, The Great One, Eternitys End, Shadowfox, & Conspirator.