Chapter 3: Village raid
The footfalls sound loud to Saitou's ear. He winces and forces himself to take another step. Again, the step sounds deafening to his trained ears.
Kuso, he thinks to himself, What does it take to catch their attention?
He continues walking into town, making as much noise as he can bring himself to. He steps up behind a pair of guards. Their clothing is torn and their weapons carry more rust than all of Shinsen Gumi ever had put together. Standing less than a hairs breath from them, he cannot help but think how easy it would be to slit their throats. Instead, he clears his.
They turn with a start and stare dumbfounded for a moment, then shake out of it and snap to attention. Saitou raise his eyebrow at this.
"What are you doing?" he asks. Before he gets an answer, though, he hears movement from behind.
"Oi," he hears someone from behind him yell. "I thought I heard someone sneaking around back there!"
"Sneaking?" Saitou asks, incredulously, turning to see four more guards rounding the corner. "I was making enough noise to call an army."
"Who are you?" one of them demands, then turns to the others. "Stop that! He isn't one of us, morons!"
"I am Fujita Goro." Saitou answers. "Who were you expecting?"
"Atarashiikami said our new lieutenant would be coming soon."
Saitou's eyebrow raises even farther. I cannot believe these baka. They cannot hold any secrets! Can they really be that stupid?
"Who is Atarashiikami?"
"Ano.." the apparent leader says. "Why are you here?"
Saitou hesitates for a moment, but does not flinch like he did earlier with Aoshi. He has already let himself slip once today. Twice would be unforgivable. Slips, in his work, could be fatal. To answer the question, Saitou uses one word to summarize the dreams that brought him here.
"Power."
The rest of them nod, knowing the pull of the dreams that they gave into. They fully accept that he has given into them, too. Again, Saitou asks his question.
"Who is Atarashiikami?"
"Atarashiikami Okashiro." one of them answers. "He is our lord. He promised to bring back a time when we could do as we please as warriors."
"And where can I find this 'Atarashiikami Okashiro'?"
The fighters exchange glances, then one speaks. "We can't say. He left and one of our lieutenants is supposed to know where he will be."
"Who is the lieutenant you are expecting?"
"Shinomori Aoshi."
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Jumping from roof top to roof top, the Oniwabanshuu shadows Saitou as he attempts to get caught.
I cannot believe how lax these kuso-atama are. They could not catch a cold. Finally, Saitou walks right up to a pair of guards. At first, it looks like the Shinsen Gumi turned inspector was going to simply slit their throats.
It would serve them right. An army could march heavy cavalry through here and not be caught.
He sits, watches, and listens to the entire conversation with these fighters. When he hears his name spoken, though, decides it is time to speak personally with them. In a silent blur of motion, he leaps from the roof top, landing behind a startled guard.
"Konnichiwa, Shinomori."
The warriors turn, the blood draining from their face, as Saitou greets Aoshi.
"You are here to join us, ne?" one of them asks, hopefully.
"Damaru." Aoshi replies. "Where is this Atarashiikami Okashiro?"
"Ano..."
Aoshi's kodachi leaves its sheath, tracing an arch so fast that none of the young fighters could see it. The guard that he was speaking to suddenly gasps, clutching his throat. Even as he is collapsing to the ground, Aoshi asks his question again.
"Where is Atarashiikami Okashiro?"
"Kuso!!" The guards scramble, yelling for more guards.
Saitou merely looks at Aoshi for a moment with a look on his face that said "Good job." Saitou breaks left, Aoshi to the right.
Aoshi bounces to the right, then, as soon as his foot touches, changes directions to the left. His kodachi arching across at waist level, digs deeply into the side of the first fighter, catching on a rib. The second fighter, just left of the first, turns. Seeing their attackers back to him, he sees his chance. His katana leave its scabbard and he flings himself at the ninja. Aoshi seems to move inperseptively , his large coat hiding his movement. The warrior continues in, unaware of his impending doom.
With a movement that seems sudden, Aoshi's second kodachi leaps from its sheath, into Aoshi's left hand, through is coat, and into the charging warriors chest. A subtle movement of the head keeps Aoshi from the warriors blade, as it passes over his shoulder, with-in hairs breath of his face. Pulling his blades free from the bodies, he looks around to ensure the lack of a future attack. He cleans his blades on the body of one of the slain warriors before resheathing them.
Saitou had his first target dead before he had taken three steps. Mibu's Wolf left him to fall with a gapping whole in his throat. Another three steps running and a downward slash drops his second target.
I'll make sure he's dead after I make sure this one does not alert the others.
He continues with-out slowing. Taking careful aim, even while running, Saitou let his katana fly. "Gyk.." followed by a soft thud was the only sounds as the blade pierces, first, the warriors throat, and second, the corner of a building, holding the warrior upright. Saitou looks around, checking for witnesses. Grabbing a handful of hair, he hold the body up as he pulls his blade free. After carefully laying the body to the ground, he returns to make sure his second target would never rise again.
Returning to meet Aoshi, he finds the Oniwabanshuu leaning against a building, holding his chest. A pained look crosses his face.
"Oi, don't tell me you are wounded already. We have barely begun this raid."
"Iie."
"Your recent battle with the battousai?" Saitou asks, determined to know how his impromptu partner is hurt.
Again, Aoshi only replies, "Iie."
"What then?"
"Misao-chan just gave me this coat." His left hand slides down the outside of the coat, grabbing and turning it to show the inside lining. His fingers show through where his kodachi had pierced it. "Misao-chan is going to kill me."
The footfalls sound loud to Saitou's ear. He winces and forces himself to take another step. Again, the step sounds deafening to his trained ears.
Kuso, he thinks to himself, What does it take to catch their attention?
He continues walking into town, making as much noise as he can bring himself to. He steps up behind a pair of guards. Their clothing is torn and their weapons carry more rust than all of Shinsen Gumi ever had put together. Standing less than a hairs breath from them, he cannot help but think how easy it would be to slit their throats. Instead, he clears his.
They turn with a start and stare dumbfounded for a moment, then shake out of it and snap to attention. Saitou raise his eyebrow at this.
"What are you doing?" he asks. Before he gets an answer, though, he hears movement from behind.
"Oi," he hears someone from behind him yell. "I thought I heard someone sneaking around back there!"
"Sneaking?" Saitou asks, incredulously, turning to see four more guards rounding the corner. "I was making enough noise to call an army."
"Who are you?" one of them demands, then turns to the others. "Stop that! He isn't one of us, morons!"
"I am Fujita Goro." Saitou answers. "Who were you expecting?"
"Atarashiikami said our new lieutenant would be coming soon."
Saitou's eyebrow raises even farther. I cannot believe these baka. They cannot hold any secrets! Can they really be that stupid?
"Who is Atarashiikami?"
"Ano.." the apparent leader says. "Why are you here?"
Saitou hesitates for a moment, but does not flinch like he did earlier with Aoshi. He has already let himself slip once today. Twice would be unforgivable. Slips, in his work, could be fatal. To answer the question, Saitou uses one word to summarize the dreams that brought him here.
"Power."
The rest of them nod, knowing the pull of the dreams that they gave into. They fully accept that he has given into them, too. Again, Saitou asks his question.
"Who is Atarashiikami?"
"Atarashiikami Okashiro." one of them answers. "He is our lord. He promised to bring back a time when we could do as we please as warriors."
"And where can I find this 'Atarashiikami Okashiro'?"
The fighters exchange glances, then one speaks. "We can't say. He left and one of our lieutenants is supposed to know where he will be."
"Who is the lieutenant you are expecting?"
"Shinomori Aoshi."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jumping from roof top to roof top, the Oniwabanshuu shadows Saitou as he attempts to get caught.
I cannot believe how lax these kuso-atama are. They could not catch a cold. Finally, Saitou walks right up to a pair of guards. At first, it looks like the Shinsen Gumi turned inspector was going to simply slit their throats.
It would serve them right. An army could march heavy cavalry through here and not be caught.
He sits, watches, and listens to the entire conversation with these fighters. When he hears his name spoken, though, decides it is time to speak personally with them. In a silent blur of motion, he leaps from the roof top, landing behind a startled guard.
"Konnichiwa, Shinomori."
The warriors turn, the blood draining from their face, as Saitou greets Aoshi.
"You are here to join us, ne?" one of them asks, hopefully.
"Damaru." Aoshi replies. "Where is this Atarashiikami Okashiro?"
"Ano..."
Aoshi's kodachi leaves its sheath, tracing an arch so fast that none of the young fighters could see it. The guard that he was speaking to suddenly gasps, clutching his throat. Even as he is collapsing to the ground, Aoshi asks his question again.
"Where is Atarashiikami Okashiro?"
"Kuso!!" The guards scramble, yelling for more guards.
Saitou merely looks at Aoshi for a moment with a look on his face that said "Good job." Saitou breaks left, Aoshi to the right.
Aoshi bounces to the right, then, as soon as his foot touches, changes directions to the left. His kodachi arching across at waist level, digs deeply into the side of the first fighter, catching on a rib. The second fighter, just left of the first, turns. Seeing their attackers back to him, he sees his chance. His katana leave its scabbard and he flings himself at the ninja. Aoshi seems to move inperseptively , his large coat hiding his movement. The warrior continues in, unaware of his impending doom.
With a movement that seems sudden, Aoshi's second kodachi leaps from its sheath, into Aoshi's left hand, through is coat, and into the charging warriors chest. A subtle movement of the head keeps Aoshi from the warriors blade, as it passes over his shoulder, with-in hairs breath of his face. Pulling his blades free from the bodies, he looks around to ensure the lack of a future attack. He cleans his blades on the body of one of the slain warriors before resheathing them.
Saitou had his first target dead before he had taken three steps. Mibu's Wolf left him to fall with a gapping whole in his throat. Another three steps running and a downward slash drops his second target.
I'll make sure he's dead after I make sure this one does not alert the others.
He continues with-out slowing. Taking careful aim, even while running, Saitou let his katana fly. "Gyk.." followed by a soft thud was the only sounds as the blade pierces, first, the warriors throat, and second, the corner of a building, holding the warrior upright. Saitou looks around, checking for witnesses. Grabbing a handful of hair, he hold the body up as he pulls his blade free. After carefully laying the body to the ground, he returns to make sure his second target would never rise again.
Returning to meet Aoshi, he finds the Oniwabanshuu leaning against a building, holding his chest. A pained look crosses his face.
"Oi, don't tell me you are wounded already. We have barely begun this raid."
"Iie."
"Your recent battle with the battousai?" Saitou asks, determined to know how his impromptu partner is hurt.
Again, Aoshi only replies, "Iie."
"What then?"
"Misao-chan just gave me this coat." His left hand slides down the outside of the coat, grabbing and turning it to show the inside lining. His fingers show through where his kodachi had pierced it. "Misao-chan is going to kill me."