Kyoto: The Plot...
Hikage Tora had been planning out his quest for revenge on Kenshin for years.
He was simply waiting for the right time to make his move. The last time he ever
saw Akira was before he left Shogunate headquarters, determined to protect
Shigekura Jubee. That was the same night he died. He was killed in a single
heartbeat by a cold-hearted man. No, by a heartless bloodthirsty beast.
"He deserves to die. Exactly the way Akira
died." Hikage folded his hands, placing them under his chin.
"Tora-san! Reporting for duty!" The man bowed in
respect, then stood at ease, waiting for Hikage to speak.
"Satoshi-san. Have Kazuki-san and Tetsuya-san been
contacted?" inquired Hikage, after a few moments.
"Hai, Tora-san. We have contacted them, and they will
comply with your order. They will find and capture the girl." The thin,
tall man stood at Hikage's immediate left, awaiting his next order.
"Perfect. Everything is in order then. Satoshi-san,
when you hear from them again, report back to me at once. Is that
understood?" Hikage leaned back slowly in his chair, carelessly waving
away his subject. Finally. He was finally going to get revenge for all that had
been done by this man they called Hitokiri Battousai.
"Of course." As Satoshi turned to leave, Hikage
watched him. The small black braid that was held tightly on the back of his head
swayed gently with each step he took. Hikage's eyes slanted inward as if he were
angered by this.
"After I kill the Battousai, the first thing to go will
be that damned red hair of his." Hikage's head fell back, his teeth
clenched in growing anger as his eyes closed slowly. Before lapsing into a
delightful sleep, he began envisioning the bloodiest of deaths for his friend's
murderer.
Tokyo: Kamiya Dojo:
Mid-Afternoon...
"CHE! You have got to be joking!" Sanosuke's
voice rang all through the dojo and everywhere else outside where him and
Kenshin were talking.
"S-Sano...I didn't mean to, I didn't even know it was
yours..." Kenshin's head hung low in shamefullness as he tried constantly
to calm Sanosuke down.
"That was...25,000 yen! I have never won that much
before! And NOW you're tellig me you bought a kimono with it!?" Sanosuke
was beyond angry, and there was no way he would calm down; not now. The former
yakuza balled his fists tightly, bringing them down on Kenshin's head numerous
times. After a few painful whacks, Kenshin fell the ground, his voice echoing in
somewhat of an 'orrooooo.'
"What is going o--Kenshin!" Kaoru came running
from behind the dojo where she was hanging clothes, which was normally Kenshin's
job; she had taken it up due to her new expectancies as a wife. Her widened blue
eyes looked from Kenshin, to Sanosuke.
"Kaoru-dono...I'm fine, really..." Kenshin's
eyes were all twirly and she knew he lying.
"Baka! Sanosuke what did you do to him!" Her
eyes stayed locked with his, the anger in her throat rising; but she didn't
speak up until Sanosuke explained himself.
"Don't yell at me, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't
have that pretty new kimono! He's the one who bought it, but he bought it with
MY 25,000 yen!" Sanosuke's eyes had slanted, almost in determination to
beat Kaoru at her little game of 'blame the yakuza' this time.
"Nani?" Kaoru's eyes fell down to Kenshin,
"is this true?" He didn't want to hurt her, but he
knew the truth had to be told. He continued rubbing the back of his head, and
simply nodded a faint 'yes.'
"See! Bakayarou." Sanosuke turned himself away
from the two, trying to act like he had won the game. Kaoru didn't say anything
for quite some time, then, deciding that she wanted away from these two idiots;
she said the first thing that came to her mind.
"First of all. Kenshin, you should have saved that
money if you had no idea whom it belonged to. Second of all. Sanosuke, you had
no right beating him up like that. You two are so immature sometimes!"
With that, Kaoru turned around quickly, retreating back to what she was doing
behind the dojo; the last wave of her coal black hair disappearing behind the
corner. Sanosuke stared at his hand, then turned slightly to look at the rurouni
still lying on the ground, although his eyes went back to normal, he still
looked like his head hurt him.
"Hey...um, sorry about those bruises and stuff,"
Sanosuke apologized, albeit a lame attempt, "whaddya say
we go get some tofu for Jo-chan. Y'know, make this up to her and cook dinner
tonight?" Kenshin stood slowly, a hand still resting on the back of his
head. He smiled at his friend's apology, no matter how bad it was.
"Aa. She was pretty angry, her moods change so fast,
considering what we did just yest--well, nevermind. Good idea Sano!"
Kenshin's hand fell back to his side as he nervously dodged the subject. Kaoru
really did need some cheering up, Kenshin saw how she kept trying to be the
perfect wife; but they were even married yet. She just needed to slow down and
take it easy, or she would kill herself just trying to impress him. As the two
began heading toward town, Sanosuke knew that this was the perfect time to
pester Kenshin about that last unfinished sentence.
"So, what *did* you two do yesterday?" Sanosuke
put an arm around Kenshin, making it appear like he could tell him anything
because of their 'tight bond' as friends.
"Oro?! Sano, we're going to be late getting back if we
don't hurry..." Kenshin didn't want to tell him anything, afterall, that
was private stuff.
"C'mon! Just the good parts, I won't tell Jo-chan I
swear!" Kenshin's eyes widened at the mention of not telling Kaoru, he
knew very well that that's exactly what Sanosuke would do! But Kaoru was
right about the money, he never should have spent it knowing that it wasn't his
to begin with. She had such a knack for giving advice and, not to mention,
orders. Maybe, just maybe, if they did have children, Kenshin knew how
exceptional she would be as a mother. As the two figures became smaller and
smaller down the path, Sanosuke's loud protests could still be heard; until
finally, they disappeared behind the hills and trees. Taking that as their que,
two humongous figures stepped out from the hiding place among a large group of
bushes.
"Is this the place?" asked the first man.
"It looks like a dojo, but where's the girl?"
replied the second man.
"I don't know you idiot! I've never seen her
before," retored the first man, annoyed by such a stupid question. Out of
nowhere, as if it was carried to them on the breeze, they caught the sound of
delightful humming. When they had identified the sound as a female's voice, they
knew that this had to be the one they were sent for.
"Well, if this is where the Battousai lives, why
wouldn't the girl be here with him?" asked the second man, his eyes
slanting to make sure they weren't going to be caught.
"It's a shame..." replied the first man, shaking
his head briefly.
"Yeah, especially if she's going to marry the
bastard..." snorted the second man, almost getting a arise out of what
they were about to do.
"Marry him? Where did you hear that?" asked the
first man, his attention aroused.
"Remember that place we stopped by when we got off the
boat? The guy who tended bar heard it from this other guy who frequented there
often. He said he was a gangster...a gambler...something like that," the
second man laughed lightly, thinking that whoever that man was; he was a
complete moron for having such a big mouth.
"I feel sorry for the girl, she doesn't know the
cold-hearted killer she's involved with. Let's get this over with, I'm hungry
and we still have to report back to Tora-san when our work is done." Both
men nodded to one another in agreement upon what was just said, then, they
slowly separated on either side of the dojo to make sure she wouldn't escape.
"Kenshin...I want to be the perfect wife. Not just the
wife you want, but the wife you need..." Kaoru held various peices of
clothing between her fingers as she pushed them under the soapy water, the small
bucket almost overflowing onto her clothing. "I know I
could probably be as good a wife as Tomoe was," she whispered to herself
as she gently smiled. "It is because of her love for you,
not just as your wife but as your destined companion, that you are here so that
I have the honor of loving you as she did. I want to be the best wife that I can
be, that way I will know that she didn't die in vain."
"Well isn't that sweet?" the first voice
answered sarcastically, as he stepped out in front of her from one side of the
dojo. Kaoru dropped whatever she held, caught off-gaurd, but determined not to
get into any fights if she didn't have to.
"Can I help you?" Her eyes ran up and down his
body, registering the features. He had long very dark brown hair, tied in a
simple low-ponytail behind him. He was unbelievably huge for a human being, and
he had dark metallic armor that covered him from arms to legs. His black uniform
told her more about him than she wanted to know, this man was sent on a mission.
He wasn't just another ninja trying to start trouble, he was a dilegently
trained henchman. He glared out at her from behind the fabric around his face,
his eyes were almost black; heartless.
"I think I am beyond help little lady, I just want to
get this job with over so I can get my money, so if you don't mind, surrender
easily and you won't be hurt." The black-eyed man began making his
advance on her, and Kaoru knew she was going to have to fight if she wanted to
get away from this man alive. Kaoru took a step back with every step he took
forward. But when she felt something hard and solid against her back, and found
that she couldn't go back any further, she knew she would have to fight to save
herself from harm. The man that had just blocked her only exit let out a
bellowing laugh.
"Where do you think you're going? You know, it's a
shame that you won't be around long enough to experience that cute little dream
of yours," the man behind her had come out of nowhere, she hadn't even
known the man in front of her had an accomplice. She felt the icy grip of his
large hands encircling her wrists, as he twisted them behind her to keep her
from going anywhere. She just wanted to be left alone, couldn't anyone see
that? She had her instinct, and she was holding it in until that man
restrained her; she hated it when she was made defenseless. Kaoru jerked her
right leg up, and rammed it into the knee-cap of her assailant as hard as she
possibly could. The man cried out in pain as he fell to the ground behind her.
When Kaoru realized that she had not been released, she felt her body going down
at a dangerous speed. Before she had time to react, she hit the ground extremely
hard on her right side, causing the shoulder bone to dislocate. The dark-eyed
man burst into laughter as he heard Kaoru's pain-laced scream. Kaoru had to do
something, she had to get up and defend herself.
"Well, aren't you going to get up and try to
escape?" taunted the man who was still standing. Kaoru yanked her wrists
out of her attacker's grasp, and pulled herself to a kneeling position. Her left
hand held tightly to her right arm, moving it would only make the situation
worse. The large man folded his arms and waited patiently for her to pull
herself up the rest of the way. Kaoru's eyes beamed anger up at him, but he
seemed uninterested. Kaoru braced herself, and before her attacker had blinked;
she was back on her feet. He looked down on her with rage and hatred, it almost
took Kaoru by surprise to see that look in his eyes.
"What do you want with me?" Kaoru's teeth were
clenched together so as not to say anything stupid. She knew she may as well
save her strength and harsh words for later, Kami-sama only knew how much her
body could take before it was over.
"I don't want anything with you. I just want my money.
So are you going to let me do this nice and easy or are you going to cry some
more?" The man's face she felt, had contorted into a disgustingly sly and
sarcastic grin. Could she really defend herself against this man? She
felt like she was no match for him, but she couldn't just stand there and let
herself be taken away from her home.
"I don't cry because of my pain, I cry because of the
family you want to take me from," her eyes had slanted down, she was
trying as much as she could to show her anger so that maybe she could build
herself up physically. As the man burst into laughter once again, Kaoru had had
enough; she had lost her self-control. She gauged some distance between her
legs, her left fist balled up as tightly as she could get it. With a glint of
faint hope in her eyes, she pressumed to make her move. Kaoru took one step
forward, bringing her fist upward toward the man's jaw; powered by all the anger
and strength she had left in her.
It would have worked, it almost worked; but Kaoru didn't feel her hand hit
anything--it just stopped.
Her first attacker had anticipated her movements, as he was taught to do, and
his left hand flew out to catch her arm in a strong grip.
For a split second, Kaoru noticed that the second man was still on the ground
behind her, rolling around in pain.
It was then that she felt her arm being squeezed tightly; and she was forced
to her knees.
"Tsk tsk. You should know better than to attempt such a
worthless attack on someone as big as me," his grip neither lessened nor
stopped. Kaoru was beginning to feel like it was all over for her, the tears
that spilled from the corners of her eyes felt like needles penetrating her
skin.
"You're nothing. Your strength means nothing if it
isn't powered by something other than hatred and evil!" Kaoru almost
screamed at the man who held her, no longer caring how helpless she sounded.
"Is that so? I don't see you in such a high position,
being able to tell others what to do," he almost laughed at the sound of
his own words, he knew he was in control. Kaoru's eyes found their way back to
his, and she was determined to match his wits with her own.
"That's because I don't need anyone to cater to me. I'm
not so weak as to order around other people! You're too low for even--"
Before Kaoru could finish her sentence, the man had tightened his fist, and
brought it right into the left side of her face. The impact of his attack was so
powerful, it knocked Kaoru to the ground. But what really made it worse for her,
was that the man never let go of her arm. Thus, when she fell, her arm had
twisted violently behind her; dislocating her left shoulder bone as well. The
assailant had silenced her with one quick action. Seeing that she was pretty
much out cold, her attacker released her arm; errupting into a deep throaty
laugh.
"It's a pity, I don't really like hitting women. But
when push comes to shove...what can you do, eh?" Sensing his job was now
completed, he lifted Kaoru's limp body, and lightly tossed her over his
shoulder. He quickly walked over to his injured partner and kicked him gently.
"Get up you fool, I've got her, let's hurry up and get
back to the hideout so we can get word to Tora-san. I want my damn
money."
"H-Hai..." the injured man sat up slightly,
grabbing ahold of his leg. Gritting his teeth, he twisted it in the opposite
direction of the bone protrusion; snapping it back into place. He stood slowly,
making sure his leg wouldn't give out on him. As he hobbled after his comrade,
he dropped a discolored peice of paper into the half empty basket of clean
clothing. "Bitch...she dislocated my knee..."
"Oh relax, at least you knew how to fix it. But as for
this one," the man indicated Kaoru's body over his shoulder with a crude
point, "I don't think she'll be attacking anyone else for
awhile." The two men glanced at one another regarding that comment, then
burst into laughter. As they sauntered off the premises, they left the Kamiya
Dojo behind; empty and soundless.
Tokyo: Kamiya Dojo: Later That
Evening...
"Sano, I told you...I'm not going to tell you
anything," Kenshin and his pestering friend had returned from town.
Kenshin had carried the tofu because Sanosuke had threatened to drop it if he
didn't tell him what him and Kaoru did yesterday.
"Che, Kenshin...you're too secretive..."
Sanosuke pouted, kicking a small rock out in front of him. As they approached
the front of the dojo, Kenshin was stopped in mid-step, sensing the completely
dead silence.
"Sano, where's Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's eyes
narrowed into a glare as he surveyed the yard around him. No one was in sight,
which unearthed the worry in Kenshin. Even if Megumi wasn't around, Kaoru
usually was.
"I don't know, but Megumi is down at the clinic with
the girls and Dr. Genzai," replied Sanosuke, now slightly worried. His
eyes also began roaming around the yard, the tension growing inside not only
him, but Kenshin as well.
"I'll go look inside, stay alert Sano." Kenshin
took a few steps toward the dojo entrance, setting the tofu on the deck. "Kaoru-dono!" When he heard no answer, he immediately
vanished inside the darkening dojo. He searched every room, once, twice, even a
third time; nothing. Where was she? She couldn't be at the clinic with
Megumi, she would never leave the dojo unsupervised for too long. He didn't like
having this feeling, the feeling that something happened here, something worse
than his imagination could have ever come up with.
"Jo-chan!" called Sanosuke's angering voice. He
had begun his search in the back of the dojo, where he remembered Kaoru to be
before he had left. As he rounded the corner, his eyes grew wider at what he
found.
"Kaoru-dono..." Kenshin returned to the deck
outside, clueless as to where Kaoru had disappeared to. Clasping one of the
wooden columns on the deck, he rested his head against it. "...where are you, koishii?"
"Yo! Kenshin! You have to see this!" Sanosuke's
voice errupted from the back of the dojo, catching Kenshin's attention. When
Sanosuke saw Kenshin emerge from around the corner of the dojo, his focus went
back to his hands.
"Sano? What is it?" Kenshin's eyes were verging
on the hope that he had found something that claimed Kaoru was okay.
"I think you should read this, it was probably meant
for you..." Sanosuke's hand reached out toward Kenshin, revealing a
dirty, but neatly folded letter. As Kenshin quickly took the letter and opened
it, his breath caught in his throat. The first line of kanji simply read:
'Himura Battousai.' Someone knew who he was and where he was in Tokyo,
and as he read further, he discovered more than just that.
"She's...been abducted," Kenshin's eyes met
Sanosuke's, and his voice reflected hopelessness, which was uncommon for the
rurouni that Sanosuke knew.
"Well let's go find her!" Sanosuke's mood became
determined, he wasn't about to let the both of them lose hope; under any
circumstances.
"Sano," Kenshin began, finding it hard to
explain what the letter wanted him to do, "they want me.
They want me to come alone, they don't have any interest in Kaoru-dono, it was
just stimulation to have me come to them." Kenshin's pale violet eyes
fell down to the letter once again, searching it for any more information that
could help him.
"Shimatta...who is 'they'?" Sanosuke snatched
the letter from Kenshin's hands, reading it over and over for something that
would answer his question.
"You won't find your answer there Sano,"
Kenshin's hands fell to his sides as he stared at the ground. He was angry at
himself for leaving her and allowing this to happen, but he was also worried to
no end for Kaoru's life. Her abductors could do anything they wanted with her,
even if they claimed not to have the slightest interest. Who were these
people? Terrorists? Shinsen Gumi? No. The Shinsen Gumi would have more
common sense and precision when it came to their actions. They wouldn't be so
nice as to abduct someone, they would kill them and leave the body as the
warning. Terrorists were out of the question too, why would they have any
interest in him? They usually attacked groups of people, coerced them into
submission by systematically using methods of terror and destruction. No. This
had to be an unknown underground coalition of people who were seeking revenge.
Abduction is commonly used in gaining revenge on others, but the question was;
who was it that sought this revenge?
"Kusso! There's nothing here, except this name at the
bottom. 'Hikage Tora'? Who the hell is that?" Sanosuke threw the letter
to the ground, clenching his fists at his sides.
"Tiger's Shadow? I-I don't know who this is, but I must
comply with his demands if I ever want to see Kaoru-dono alive again. I can't
just let her die, Sano..." Kenshin covered his eyes with his hands
briefly, as if he were in a silent fit of guilt. His heart was pounding so hard
against his chest, he wanted to calm it down, but he knew he couldn't. The
strangest thing was, he felt like crying. His new life was taken away from him
before it had the chance to begin, and he felt like giving in deep down. But his
conscience wouldn't let him forget about Kaoru, and what could happen to her if
he did give up.
"Then I guess you have no choice, do you? Don't just
stand there feeling sorry for her, go find Jo-chan and bring her back!"
The ex-gangster's voice equalled that of his attitude, enraged. Kenshin looked
back up toward his friend, seeing the determination and anger in his expression.
"You're right Sano." Kenshin smiled slightly,
nodding once in recognition for Sanosuke's support; no matter how rough it was.
"I love her too much to fall into darkness and
pity." He placed a hand over his heart in attempt to slow it down, but it
didn't work. Until he could return her safely to the dojo, he felt that his
heart would never stop thrashing inside him.
"You had better leave through the back and work your
way to the front, Megumi and the kids should be on their way back already. You
don't want to have to explain it to them, they'll only worry. I'll think of
something, just hurry up, I want to be able to see Jo-chan wandering around here
again as usual." Sanosuke nodded once, then departed for the front of the
dojo to await the arrival of his three unexpectant female friends. Kenshin
watched Sanosuke's form disappear behind the corner of the dojo, and then he
made his own leave for the back wooded area. He swore to himself that if they
had hurt her he would...what? Kill them? He had given that up. He
couldn't kill them even if he wanted to, Kaoru would lose all the faith and
trust she had ever put into him. He couldn't have that happen, but what could
he do if they had hurt her? Kenshin ducked low in the bushes behind the
dojo, moving back toward the more darkened area of the trees where he could move
more freely without being seen. When he became completely hidden, he turned to
go back toward the front of the dojo, he needed to go through town because
that's where he was supposed to find Kaoru. Not so much as in town, but
at the end of town, in an abandoned building. He was thankful that the trees
spread all around the dojo, allowing him to have easy access to the road toward
town. As he was making his way down a slightly steep hill, he stopped when he
came to the bottom; having heard the voices of Kaoru's younger sisters.
"Sa-ku-ra! Sa-ku-ra!" chanted the energetic
Ayame and Suzumi.
"Yo, fox. You're back," Sanosuke seated himself
on the deck, staring across the yard at the three who were approaching. He tried
to put on the lightest tone he possibly could. Although, Megumi saw right
through it.
"Where's Ken-san?" asked Megumi, her eyes
partially on him and partially on the girls.
"Ahh, in town. He had to go get more tofu because we
dropped it when we got back here," Sanosuke looked once at the ground,
then back to Megumi with a sly smile. He pulled that one off smoothly, or so he
thought.
"But it's right there," Megumi replied,
indicating the bucket of tofu next to Sanosuke on the deck. Damnit!
Kenshin forgot to put the tofu inside.
"Ahhhh, eh...." at a loss for a better way to
get out of his own backfire, he knocked the bucket over with one easy kick.
"Eheh, like I said, we dropped it." When Sanosuke
looked back up to Megumi, she just rolled her eyes and sighed; obviously not
convinced. Kenshin, meanwhile, had already disappeared down the hill and farther
down the road until he couldn't be seen by anyone. When he felt it was safe, he
stepped out of the trees and bushes, and onto the road ahead of him. There were
many smaller hills and trees blocking anyone's view from the dojo, so he was
okay for now; but he knew they would all start to wonder sooner or later.
As Kenshin began his journey toward town, he whispered to himself, "Arigatou, Sano. I owe you for this..." Then his eyes
looked up toward the sky as he went along, reflecting the few shining stars that
were already glowing in the black and blue fringed sky. "Hold on Kaoru-dono, I'll risk my life to bring you back to where
you belong." With that, he made his way into town, disappearing within
the crowd of last minute shoppers.
Kyoto: Two Days Later: Hikage
Departs...
Hikage sat in his chair, awaiting his deciple's return with word from Tokyo.
He held an incense stick, twirling it around in the air, watching the smoke wave
out into smoky ribbons and circles. "I wonder what he's
doing now...that demonic bastard."
"Tora-san! We have just recieved word from Kazuki-san
and Tetsuya-san, the mission has been completed and they request further
instructions." Satoshi was dressed in his less formal attire, a grey
hakama and dark red gi. But that long black braid remained. Satoshi's hair
length alone reminded Hikage of the Hitokiri, and it made him disgusted to be
reminded of him.
"Good. I will make my departure to Tokyo right away,
Satoshi-san, tell my men to prepare a boat down at the docks." Hikage's
order was immediately followed by a respectful bow, and a quick departure to
deliver his message. But before Satoshi could leave the room completely, he
heard Hikage call to him. "One more thing,
Satoshi-san..."
"Hai, Tora-san?" Satoshi's eyes turned toward
his leader, full of respect and honor. He watched as the smoke curled in and out
of the shadows where Hikage was hidden.
"Get rid of your hair. I'm tired of being sickened with
the reminders it gives me." Hikage's mouth moved into a cunning smile, as
if he was aware of the authority he had over the individual in front of him.
"B-But...Tora-san!" Satoshi began protesting,
but his attempt was battered by Hikage's piercing voice.
"Just do it! And never, ever, question me again. Do you
think that I would be merciful with you just because your wife has recently left
you for another man!? Believe me, I've been through worse situations. Deal with
it. Now do as I say, or you will regret it." Hearing that last sentence,
Satoshi saw no more reason to argue. As he bowed once more, he cursed himself
for placing his self-will in such a manipulative position. As he turned to
leave, he could hear the irritating sound of Hikage's deep laughing.
Tokyo: An Abandoned Temple...Three
Days Later
Kaoru had been missing for nearly six days, and she had gone without food,
although her captors were gracious enough to give her water. She felt the
electrifying pain in her body when she moved. Her right and left hands had been
chained to their corresponding walls, and she was unable to stand up because her
legs were too sore. She had been chained up in a rather large room, probably
where sermons or worshiping sessions once commenced. There was a golden statue
of Buddha at the entrance of the room, cracking and peeling due to old age.
Kaoru moved her wrists a bit and she almost cried out in pain, she wasn't
capable of moving anything. Her wrists hurt, the skin bleeding, torn, and
scuffed while the bruises up and down her arms were beginning to emerge. Were
her arms broken? She couldn't move them without feeling as if they had been
torn apart from her body. The left side of her face pained her especially, even
through her swollen eyes she could see the gigantic black and purple bruise that
had surfaced on her once healthy flesh. She tasted the blood that decorated the
left corner of her mouth, and she hated the taste. She realized that she had
blood stains on her clothes where it had trailed down her jaw and dropped off.
But her clothes were dirty anyway, her hair was tangled and her ribbon had
fallen out, like she was pulled through the dirt and then hung up like a child's
old rag doll.
"Th...is...isn't..wh...what..." she began
painfully joking with herself, "a...wife..is...s-supposed..to..look...like.." the tears
were welling up behind her eyes, stinging and fighting to be let lose. She
didn't want to be here, she wanted to be back at the dojo with Kenshin, where
she knew she was safe. Although she blamed herself for not using the Kamiya
Kasshin Ryu like her father taught her to use for protection, she felt somewhere
that she wasn't completely to blame. Those men that attacked her were huge,
almost giants. But still, she should have defended herself with more effort than
she put forth before, because now she was paying for it.
"Well, our brave little fighter has decided to wake up
Kazuki-san," remarked the man with the black hair. She held the tears
back long enough to see that her attackers were still there; then, she let them
escape the boundaries of her lashes.
"Where..am..I?" she demanded, although it
sounded like a rhetorical question.
"In a temple on the far outside of town. It shouldn't
be too hard for your friend to find," replied the second man. Kaoru
noticed that this was the same man she had kicked in the knee before. But he was
different, his features a little softer than his partner's, his hair was a bit
lighter in shade as well. His eyes didn't reflect such a cold hatred, he seemed
to be the second-hand at this kidnapping game. More of a burden to those who had
to drag him along, than a help to anyone he met. Both men glanced at each other
and chuckled at that comment, they probably meant it as some sarcastic way of
wishful thinking.
"K-Ken...shin..." her eyes filled with more
tears, she was beginning to face reality. Her heart skipped a few beats when the
truth finally hit her that she may never see her family again. She never
expected it to end this way, but what could she do? She hoped that if she
did die, Kenshin wouldn't do anything foolish. Why did she ever let herself
get into such a mess? She felt like such a failure. But even in the midst of
her remorse for what she had done wrong, she knew that if Kenshin knew how she
felt, he would tell her that she was crazy to think so; which would make her
heart melt.
"Where the hell is Tora-san? He was supposed to come
shortly after we told him that we did as he asked. It's been three days
already," grumbled the dark haired man.
"Patience Tetsuya-san. He will be here when he's
ready," replied Kazuki, not really aware of any danger in staying a while
longer.
"I know, I know. It's just, knowing that that jackass
has our money; it irritates me to know that he can do anything he wants with it.
He can have the girl for all I care, I just want my money." Tetsuya was
obviously in a bad mood, which brought him all the more closer to violence.
Kaoru had made it up in her mind that she was simply going to have to wait it
out. If Kenshin knew where she was, and how to reach her, he would surely be
coming for her.
"Jackass, hm?" replied a deep voice that was
unfamiliar to both men, but told them enough for them to identify it as their
employer.
"T-Tora-san...I didn't expect you to--" Tetsuya
began trying to explain himself, but was interrupted by the voice.
"Arrive so early? Yes, I made those lazy fools [his
men] acquire the best boat available, and I made them steer it. But, thankfully
there wasn't any bad weather or I might have missed out on this little
conversation!" Hikage Tora squealed with sarcastic happiness. He had
finally arrived. "You're lucky I'm in a decent mood, or I
would have had the both of you run-through for that remark about me."
"G-Gomen nasai, Tora-san. I only meant it as--"
he was interrupted once again.
"You meant it. That's all the reason I need to have you
decapitated! Now where is this Kamiya Kaoru? I want to see her myself."
As Hikage stepped out of his place of evesdropping, the men gasped at what they
saw. Kazuki and Tetsuya had taken orders from this man ever since he hired them,
yet they had never seen him face to face. The first thing to catch their
attention was the cold, arrogance of his dark green eyes. Then they noticed the
hardness of his face, as if he had been through years of trial and suffering
that had reflected through his features. From the short, but prominent curves of
his nose, to his well defined grinning mouth. His cheekbones were high, which
truly did give highlight to his eyes. His sleek black hair was tied neatly
behind him, a few shorter strands dangling about his shoulders. His body was
somewhat sidetracking, neither men would have expected him to be any good with a
sword. They wouldn't have expected him to be good in anything, considering the
fact that his body proportions were that of a moderate merchant. But underneath
the elegant black and white robes he wore, his body was very well built; even if
it wasn't the right size. His skill with the sword had been exceptionally good,
even thought to exceed Akira's skill. The man's hands were folded over his
chest, as he stood there awaiting an answer from the two dumbfounded men. "Well? Where is she?" As he watched their fingers point
him toward the location of their prisoner, he chuckled lightly at their
immediate cooperation.
"Right here, Tora-san..." replied the two men in
unision. As Hikage waved the both of them aside, he found that she was only a
few feet away from him. They felt the heat waves of anger and spite that
Hikage's body gave off as he passed them up on his way to Kaoru. Kazuki and
Tetsuya made it a note to answer Hikage carefully from then on, so as not to
anger him any further.
"Ahhh...so this is her?" Kaoru's eyes slightly
opened at the sound of Hikage's voice, then in a moment of pain, they closed
once more. "THIS is her?"
"Hai. This is the one the Hitokiri Battousai was going
to marry, Tora-san," Tetsuya spoke up.
"Marry? Well, well, well. That makes it all the more
exciting then doesn't it?" Hikage's fingers slipped gently under Kaoru's
chin, pulling her face toward him. She let a small moan escape because of his
roughness with her. She felt his eyes all over her, and it gave her the sinking
feeling that this was a man who was definitely after Kenshin. "Well my dear, have you anything to say to me before your hero
gets here?" Kaoru truly had many things to say to this man, although she
knew that if she said them, her pain would be double what it was at the moment.
"Ken..shin..isn't..." she tried to simply throw
the words out as they popped into her mind, but as he lifted her face higher,
her teeth clenched in more pain. Her body didn't agree with the sudden movements
she was being forced to make, and it retaliated by sending waves of pain all
through her body.
"Is that the name he goes by now? Kenshin? It doesn't
suit him. But, what exactly 'isn't' Kenshin?" His mouth was held in that
frightening grin, and Kaoru could barely see it through her swollen eyes.
"He isn't...the H-Hitokiri...anymore..." Kaoru's
eyes closed as she finished her sentence. She couldn't look at this man anymore,
and her body wouldn't allow her to keep her eyes open. She felt as if she were
going to pass out again. She tried pulling her body up by slowly wrapping her
fingers around the chains that held her, using the only shred of strength she
had gained back; but it was no use. The tears sprang to her eyes as she let
herself relax, her arms were of no use to her now; they wouldn't move. As she
pulled her face away from his grip, she let the tears pour from the corners of
her eyes.
"This can't be the woman--no...the girl that the
Hitokiri was supposed to marry!" Hikage's burst into a deep fit of
laughter at his own words, refolding his arms across his chest. "A major step down from the late Tomoe, wouldn't you say
boys?" Hikage's eyes trailed over to the two large men standing to the
right of him, expectant of an answer.
"Oh..oh yes, yes, Tora-san! She's too uhhh..."
Kazuki and Tetsuya looked at one another for guidance in helping to build their
little list of why Tomoe was better than this girl in front of them.
"You don't need to create reasons why, you fools. I
just wanted agreement." Hikage rolled his eyes at the two morons as he
decided to get them out of his sight for awhile. "Kazuki-san, Tetsuya-san, you two go to the front of the temple,
wait for him. If he doesn't show," he stifled a devious laugh as he
continued, "then miss Kamiya Kaoru will be the first of
his friends to die." As he scoffed at Kaoru's ruined appearance, he
looked her over once more. Tomoe was much more of a woman than this one here,
how could such an ice-blooded murderer see anything in such an innocent, pure
young girl like this? She was nothing like him, and most of all, she didn't
share the Battousai's views when it came to the sword and how he used it. Well,
Tomoe didn't agree with him either, as Akira told him that she never liked the
idea of killing. But, she had been sent to kill the Battousai herself, and
she would have at least carried it out if it had not been for her falling in
love with him! This girl couldn't possibly go as far as to accept a mission
such as that, the purity and morality in her wouldn't allow it. He saw a place
for him to seat himself, and he felt that he needed it after such a hard two and
a half days at sea. Forgetting about Kaoru for the moment, he passed her up on
his way to a rather large throne that caught his eye before. The faded red
fabric that was still draped over the throne had tears in several places, Hikage
sighed deeply, finding that it would do for the time being. As he climbed the
few stairs toward the throne, he noticed the red fabric also covering the
stairs, as if it were a pathway toward whomever sat in the chair before. "This is the kind of catering I need," Hikage muttered to
himself as he slowly sat down in the century old throne. "So, little miss Kaoru, do you think your 'Kenshin' will come for
you?" he asked in a barely interested tone as he began dusting the throne
off, as well as his own clothing.
"I have nothing...to say t-to...you..." Kaoru
managed to reply, but the lack of water that day had made her throat sting with
dryness at every word.
"Is that so? Well, we'll see soon enough. But for now,
I think I will retire myself to a little sleep if you don't mind." Hikage
slowly closed his eyes, leaning his head back to rest it against the support of
the throne. He held in any further comments so as not to get himself all riled
up; he wouldn't want that and neither would she. He was saving it all for the
Hitokiri Battousai. Kaoru felt as if his eyes would burn right through her if he
were to look at her that way again, she wished Kenshin were there, she just
wanted him to hold her and make her know that she was safe. She felt the weight
of everything she had been through, and it made her body feel as if it was ready
to give up.
"Kenshin...one..gai..." as her eyes released the
last bit of tears that remained, her head fell forward as her mind went blank
and darkness flooded her senses.
Tokyo: Kenshin's Arrival...
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu - Ryu Tsui Sen!" Kenshin's
sakabatou came down hard on the right shoulder of a huge man that wore the
attire of a police officer. The sound of metal cracking against bone didn't
leave the prettiest sound ringing through Kenshin's ears.
"What the hell was that!?" cried the man,
holding his shoulder and rolling on the ground in agony.
"Let's just say it's a technique that only I use. I
suggest that you not get in my way again." Kenshin had already begun
departing from his short victory, as he re-sheathed his sword. Gauging his
distance, he pressumed that he was only two hundred yards away from the temple.
As he wiped the sweat from his forehead, he felt that it was too hot to be
traveling this far away from town without any water. He only hoped that he could
sustain his body long enough to reach Kaoru. With the sound of pebbles and dirt
crunching under his feet, he felt the relentless pressure of the hot sun on his
back as he trudged along, determined to make it to her without wavering. He had
been traveling for about ten minutes since that false police guard attacked him,
and the temple was getting closer, he could see it in front of his heated
red-violet eyes. 'Just a little farther' he thought, as he looked warily
around him, feeling as if he were in a desert. Back in Kyoto he never remembered
such a hot day, he only remembered the snowy days and nights he spent with Tomoe
up in the countrysides of Otsu while he kept himself hidden from the Shogunate
army. They had that small cabin where they lived as 'husband and wife,'
although a marriage ceremony never commenced. He missed her beyond what words
could describe, she had taught him how to love someone not only with his heart,
but with his mind and soul. He loved Kaoru that way, with his heart, mind and
soul. When he was able to shake himself of his train of reminiscing, he
re-adjusted his sight, finding that he was only a few feet away from the
entrance of the temple. "This is where my Kaoru is, right
behind those doors..."
"He's right outside!" whispered Kazuki from the
other side of the door, motioning for Tetsuya to go ahead with the plan. As they
both nodded to one another, the doors flung open and the two men stood before
Kenshin; ready to lead him to the one he had come there to find. Kenshin made
himself ready for anything, deciding that it was best to ignore the scorching
sun as much as possible if he wanted to make it to Kaoru.
"So, you're the legendary Hitokiri Battousai,"
Tetsuya stated, folding his arms across his chest.
"You must be the lucky ones to take orders for
abduction," Kenshin replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"That's enough introductions," Tetsuya began,
"do you want to see the wretch you traveled so far to
rescue, or do you want to stand out there and burn to death? Either way I
couldn't care less..." Kenshin's eyes narrowed at the man's words, he
didn't quite expect such an immediate invitation.
"Will you two let him in! I'm tired of waiting for
him!" As Kenshin heard the angered voice from deep inside the temple, the
two men turned from the doors, shrugged, and departed further inside the temple.
He kept his eyes on the lookout for anything or anyone that could possible have
an angle of attack on him. As he placed a hand on the sword at his left, he
cautiously made his way toward the two open doors. Upon entering the temple, his
eyes shot upward, making sure there was nothing that could attack him from
above. Finding nothing there, his eyes quickly darted to either side of him,
also making the necessary checks for any obstacles; again, finding nothing.
Then, his eyes fell on the path ahead of him, where he saw Kaoru. The color
drained from his features, as his eyes glinted a sort of shock and surprise. His
jaw dropped open slightly as he couldn't believe what he saw.
"Kaoru...dono..." Kenshin's body wouldn't let
him just stand there staring, and he felt his legs move at a slightly faster
pace as he rushed to Kaoru's side. Hikage wasn't about to let him get close
enough to her to do anything drastic, and he motioned to the both of his men to
do as they were told before Kenshin's arrival.
"Do you really want her to die, Battousai?"
Tetsuya asked sarcastically, moving up behind Kaoru's defenseless body, pulling
his katana to her neck so that it rested against the flesh. Kenshin stopped
himself a few feet away from her, gasping at the larger man's sudden movement.
From what he was allowed to see, Kaoru's body was in extremely bad shape. He
couldn't see the beautiful deep blue of her eyes due to the swelling, and her
arms appeared to be out of place; he hoped they weren't broken. Her elegant
black hair was dirty and mangled, and the large bruise on the left side of her
face tempted his rage. The blood he saw, Kaoru's blood, spattered here and there
on her clothing and at the corner of her mouth made his heart burn with anger.
She needed water and food from the look of her body, she looked like she had
gone without food for days. Hikage laughed hysterically from behind the group,
as he stood and made his way toward them slowly, but with hidden enthusiasm.
Stopping to the immediate left of Tetsuya, his arms still folded across his
chest. He stared down at Kenshin with dark green eyes that were flaming with
hatred.
"Now, let's get down to business shall we?"
Hikage implied, his mouth tightening into an unfathomable grin.
Translation Notes
The meanings vary for how the word is used, so I'll just use the
definition for the way I've used them here.
Hikage Tora:
Can mean "Tiger's Shadow."
Arigatou: Literally means "thank you."
Tofu: Bean curd.
Kusso: Can be translated as "shit."
Shimatta: Can be translated to "damn it."
Koishii: Can be
translated to "beloved," "darling," or "dear."
Oro: Kawaii!!!!
Kenshin's favorite saying for when he's surprised. *_*
Nani:
Literally translates to "what."
Bakayarou: Sano's usual way of saying
"Idiot."
Baka: Literally means "stupid" or "idiot."
Che:
An interjection, similar to "shit!"
Gomen-nasai: Literally means
"sorry."
Onegai: Literally means "please."
Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu
- Ryu Tsui Sen: One of the four Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu succession techniques
that Kenshin uses. It involves a high jump into the air, and upon landing, the
blade of his sword is supposed to slam into either shoulder of his opponent.
Author's Notes
1. I know I know, what a
rotten place to stop it, but the chapter WAS getting a little too long. BTW,
this isn't going to be one of those "Oh no, Kaoru has been stolen, Kenshin go
save her and make everything alright!" fics...There's QUITE a bit more depth to
it than that.
2. MAJOR C&C needed on this chapter! I probably just
rushed right through it and forgot a description or two here and there, and I
didn't make it all that exciting. Hikage's appearance isn't all that you were
probably expecting, but I wanted to make him look elegant for some reason,
although he's an ass. ^_^
3. I probably mentioned certain feelings,
appearances, and or words more than once in here. But that was only because they
came from different characters' views and thoughts and actions etc. Heh. The
fighting scenes are coming next, don't worry, and past of Akira and Hikage's
relationship etc. will be revealed as well. Don't run away yet! ^_^;;
b a c k | n e x t
