Kenshin and Kaoru finally reached Tokyo. The trip was a bit longer than
they had planned on, but only because they stopped several times along the
way. It seemed that despite how well the government was progressing and
providing aid for the people, there were always those who were in need of
help – both with the economy and against those who were causing trouble.
Kenshin couldn't really do much with the economy, but at least the with the
troublemakers he could.
Now he was heading home, only a few blocks away. The sun was setting behind the mountains far to the north, and the night sky was already fading in its sparkling dark cloak. A few merchants were still open, but most had gone home for the night, or were in the middle of closing shop.
Kaoru, holding Kenshin's hand with both of hers, smiled as she surveyed the town she had grown up in. As a little girl, it had seemed so huge, with enormous buildings and long, wide streets. When she was a teenager, she realized just how small it really was, and how little the shops actually had. But over the last few years, Tokyo had grown tremendously. With the economy on the rise, more and more business were starting, and the new buildings being built were indeed enormous. The new police building had a very obvious western-influenced architecture, with bricks and glass windows. The town was growing.
That made her think of something else. She had thought that she'd tell him on the way home from Kyoto, but the Ji-Hu-Ti was a significant distraction. But now, she could tell him with no dis –
"Kaoru," said Kenshin. "Look."
He had stopped, and was now pointing down the street. Kaoru followed his stare to the front gates of the Kamiya Kashin Ryu dojo. She hadn't realized that they had already walked so far. Her eyes grow a little larger when she saw two police carriages parked outside the gate. Several officers were waiting outside the carriages, while two more came out of the gate.
"Kenshin," she said, squeezing his hand tightly.
"Come on," he told her as he started walking.
As they approached the carriages, the soldiers standing around the gate saw them and bowed quickly. On of them, a smaller man with a shaved head and a small mustache stepped forward and bowed again.
"Himura-son," he said in a shaky voice, "Mrs. Himura-son. I'm glad you are here. You're dojo was attacked."
"WHAT!" Kaoru shouted.
Before the officer, or Kenshin, could say anything else, she had sprinted past him and through the gate. The dojo seemed to be intact as she ran toward the front doors, but she knew something must be wrong if there were so many guards standing outside the doors. But just as Kaoru reached the steps, police officers began walking out of the door, carrying unconscious men on stretchers. She counted ten stretchers before the line of officers ended. She gazed at the injured men a moment longer, and then at Kenshin who was walking up beside her.
"It looks like the attackers were the victims," he said. "Sanosuke should really learn to hold back."
Kaoru was about to say something when a familiar voice shouted from the dojo's doors.
"I did hold back," Sanosuke said. "It's not my fault these guys weren't skilled."
"Wait a minute," said Kaoru. "Kenshin, how did you know Sanosuke beat them up?"
"The officer told me after you ran away," he answered her.
She gave him a smirk.
"But these guys aren't the only attack made on this place this week," said Sanosuke. "A man came here yesterday to kill me, to leave a message for you."
"What?" Kenshin asked. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," said a disgusted Sanosuke. "The guy was nothing but an old geezer."
"Where's he now?"
"Police have him in jail," Sanosuke told him.
"Is anything broken?" Kaoru asked as she went up the steps to look inside the dojo.
"Na," the tall man said as he stepped out of her way. "I was careful, so they didn't even touch me."
"I was referring to my dojo," she said.
Sanosuke heard a quiet laugh from Kenshin, and slapped his forehead with his hand. These guys were always going to joke around with him, even after he was in a fight. Still, he knew they cared about him, and would do anything to help him if he was ever in danger. But now his best friend might be the one in danger. Whoever sent these guys has to know how strong Kenshin is, and would have to be a total idiot to send dim-witted fighters like this to take him on. It was only a matter of time before they sent someone who might be a real challenge.
Kenshin knew this too. Just from hearing the reports of Sanosuke and the police officer, he knew that these fighters were no match for any one of the Kenshin-gumi. But that could change. He'd have to get to the bottom of this before anything bad happens.
"Tomorrow we'll go talk to the old man who attacked you," Kenshin said to Sanosuke. "I don't like the idea of people attacking us at all, let alone without us knowing why they're doing it. Maybe we can settle this before anyone else pays us a visit."
Now he was heading home, only a few blocks away. The sun was setting behind the mountains far to the north, and the night sky was already fading in its sparkling dark cloak. A few merchants were still open, but most had gone home for the night, or were in the middle of closing shop.
Kaoru, holding Kenshin's hand with both of hers, smiled as she surveyed the town she had grown up in. As a little girl, it had seemed so huge, with enormous buildings and long, wide streets. When she was a teenager, she realized just how small it really was, and how little the shops actually had. But over the last few years, Tokyo had grown tremendously. With the economy on the rise, more and more business were starting, and the new buildings being built were indeed enormous. The new police building had a very obvious western-influenced architecture, with bricks and glass windows. The town was growing.
That made her think of something else. She had thought that she'd tell him on the way home from Kyoto, but the Ji-Hu-Ti was a significant distraction. But now, she could tell him with no dis –
"Kaoru," said Kenshin. "Look."
He had stopped, and was now pointing down the street. Kaoru followed his stare to the front gates of the Kamiya Kashin Ryu dojo. She hadn't realized that they had already walked so far. Her eyes grow a little larger when she saw two police carriages parked outside the gate. Several officers were waiting outside the carriages, while two more came out of the gate.
"Kenshin," she said, squeezing his hand tightly.
"Come on," he told her as he started walking.
As they approached the carriages, the soldiers standing around the gate saw them and bowed quickly. On of them, a smaller man with a shaved head and a small mustache stepped forward and bowed again.
"Himura-son," he said in a shaky voice, "Mrs. Himura-son. I'm glad you are here. You're dojo was attacked."
"WHAT!" Kaoru shouted.
Before the officer, or Kenshin, could say anything else, she had sprinted past him and through the gate. The dojo seemed to be intact as she ran toward the front doors, but she knew something must be wrong if there were so many guards standing outside the doors. But just as Kaoru reached the steps, police officers began walking out of the door, carrying unconscious men on stretchers. She counted ten stretchers before the line of officers ended. She gazed at the injured men a moment longer, and then at Kenshin who was walking up beside her.
"It looks like the attackers were the victims," he said. "Sanosuke should really learn to hold back."
Kaoru was about to say something when a familiar voice shouted from the dojo's doors.
"I did hold back," Sanosuke said. "It's not my fault these guys weren't skilled."
"Wait a minute," said Kaoru. "Kenshin, how did you know Sanosuke beat them up?"
"The officer told me after you ran away," he answered her.
She gave him a smirk.
"But these guys aren't the only attack made on this place this week," said Sanosuke. "A man came here yesterday to kill me, to leave a message for you."
"What?" Kenshin asked. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," said a disgusted Sanosuke. "The guy was nothing but an old geezer."
"Where's he now?"
"Police have him in jail," Sanosuke told him.
"Is anything broken?" Kaoru asked as she went up the steps to look inside the dojo.
"Na," the tall man said as he stepped out of her way. "I was careful, so they didn't even touch me."
"I was referring to my dojo," she said.
Sanosuke heard a quiet laugh from Kenshin, and slapped his forehead with his hand. These guys were always going to joke around with him, even after he was in a fight. Still, he knew they cared about him, and would do anything to help him if he was ever in danger. But now his best friend might be the one in danger. Whoever sent these guys has to know how strong Kenshin is, and would have to be a total idiot to send dim-witted fighters like this to take him on. It was only a matter of time before they sent someone who might be a real challenge.
Kenshin knew this too. Just from hearing the reports of Sanosuke and the police officer, he knew that these fighters were no match for any one of the Kenshin-gumi. But that could change. He'd have to get to the bottom of this before anything bad happens.
"Tomorrow we'll go talk to the old man who attacked you," Kenshin said to Sanosuke. "I don't like the idea of people attacking us at all, let alone without us knowing why they're doing it. Maybe we can settle this before anyone else pays us a visit."