This is so tiring! I have to repeat it over and over again. I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN!!! *screaming at the top of her lungs, a vein is popping on the author's temple* ^_^
Sakura – chan's notes: Gomen ne for not updating earlier. ^_^ Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. ^_^ The Kenshin-gumi are all here (well, without Kaoru of course. ^_^)
Oh, yes, before I forgot. I'll be using Miyuki as Kaoru's name during her amnesia but when she gains it, it will be Kaoru, okay? Just so you don't get confused. ^_^
RER (if you don't know what this means, read the previous chapter! ^_^)
Again, my gratitude to those who reviewed! ^_^
marstanuki: thanks! I'm quite glad too that some people share my pint of view. ^_^
moonblossom: Hmm…they won't find her soon but they will definitely find her!
Chiki: Another review! Thanks for supporting me! It's okay if you don't like him. Oh, you will see how they will react when they see Kaoru with Shinichi. *evil grin* Sorry I was not able to update earlier but anyway, here's the story. ^_^
mae: Thanks! Here's the story so far! ^_^
chibi-kenshin: Whoa, whoa! Slow down…hehehehehe!!! Not much happens here but in the next chapter…you will see ^_-
Crystal: WOW! You reviewed again. Thanks!
mi-chan: I'm so flattered! *blush blush* Weeeellll…there are parts that will be S&K but it is mostly K&K. ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A MEMORY LOST
CHAPTER FOUR – THE PLANS
Kenshin sighed. He looked up from his laundry to the dojo gates expecting to see Kaoru coming in, wearing her yellow gi and shinai on her shoulder, telling him to prepare her bath after a tiring day of teaching, but he knew it would not happen. They (Kenshin-gumi) thought of several things that caused her disappearance, even going to the point that Kaoru left them herself. This, of course, was contributed by Megumi, telling them that Kaoru was tired of supporting three freeloaders.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oi, kitsune!" Sano interjected although he admitted to himself, though not to Megumi that she was correct. He felt guilty for asking jou-chan money for gambling, for paying his rent and for feeding him.
Kenshin just looked down, ashamed of himself. Yahiko was speechless, guilt washing over him like waves. Megumi looked at the three of them knowing that she had hit a nerve. She shouldn't have said it but she had to point out the toll that they had given to Kaoru.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenshin sighed again, coming back to the present. He missed Kaoru very much. He was awakened from his musings by two very familiar kis outside the dojo gates. He waited for the outburst that would certainly come from a certain young ninja.
"Himura!" an overly joyed high-pitched female cried out as she entered the gate and latched Kenshin into a hug. A stoic-faced man followed her, closing the door after him.
"Ohayou, Misao-dono, Aoshi" Kenshin managed to squeak out as Misao hugged him tightly.
The latter nodded. "Himura."
After Misao released him from the breath-taking (literally) hug, he dusted himself and proceeded to go to the kitchen to prepare some tea. As he went in, with Aoshi following him, he heard Yahiko come out from the dojo, finished with his morning exercises.
"WEASEL-GIRL!" Yahiko shouted. "What are you doing here?"
Misao looked at him, her eyes flashing dangerously with hidden mirth for calling her weasel. "NANI!?! What did you call me, Yahiko-CHAN?" Misao retaliated, stressing on the –chan.
"Weasel-girl, how dare you call me a little! I'm not a little boy you know – " he shouted as he ducked three fast flying kunais aimed for his direction. " – you weasel-girl!"
"Yahiko-chan!"
"Weasel!"
"Chan!"
"Weasel!"
This went on and on until Aoshi, who was tired of hearing the same argument over and over again called Misao and told her to rest. Misao immediately stopped as she looked at her Aoshi-sama with starry eyes, but gave a death glare to Yahiko who stuck out his tongue. She did as Aoshi told her and ambled across the halls to their rooms. She didn't need Kenshin to direct her to their rooms for they always stayed at the same room every time they go there. This had been like their home for the past few months for they stayed here much more than the Aoiya.
Aoshi watched her with amused eyes. Little did Misao knew that there was love hidden in those eyes if she just looked closely. His lips turned into a faint smile that Kenshin saw.
"Aoshi, your tea's ready," he said, gesturing for the ninja to follow him to the next room.
They sat down and drank their tea silently, looking at the courtyard. The dojo lacked a koi pond for Kaoru did not have enough money to build one so they just had to satisfy themselves by watching some potted plants in the courtyard. After a comfortable silence, Kenshin asked his companion.
"What brings you here Aoshi?"
"Nothing. Misao was lonely and wanted to come here."
"Ah, sou ka…" Kenshin murmured as he sipped his tea.
Truth be told, Aoshi heard Misao crying in her room at night, whispering Kaoru's name. This had happened for many months, after they couldn't find Kaoru. Aoshi was bothered by this and suggested to Okina to ask Misao if she wanted to stay with her friends in Tokyo for a while. Misao was delighted when she heard this. She wanted to be near her friends as possible.
Misao came in as they finished their tea. "She looks more cheerful than before,' Aoshi noticed as he discreetly looked at Misao under his bangs.
"Oi, Kenshin!" a deep voice called out. In came Sano, followed by Megumi who was carrying her medicine bag.
"Oi weasel girl! Aoshi, you're here," Sano said, surprise in his voice as he saw them. Megumi greeted them.
They all sat in the front porch in silence. Yahiko came in and joined them. Obviously, they were in no mood to talk. Not even a bicker between the four troublemakers. (Yahiko, Misao, Sano and of course, Megumi). They were all thinking about a special shihondai with a spirited disposition.
"I miss her," Megumi and Misao whispered simultaneously. Both of them were like Kaoru's best friends and sisters. Their eyes welled up with unshed tears.
"Hai," Kenshin whispered, more to himself than to the others. He regretted not telling her his feelings. 'If only…hahahaha…" he laughed grimly to himself. 'Those words are just dreams of what might happen if I was not such a stupid fool. I maybe selfish in thinking that I love her but I do. I should have protected her more than my feelings. BAKA! Demo…I miss her so much; I miss her laughter, her smiles and her love. She may or may not know it but I love her and her love radiates every time she is here. She gave me a home out of love and hope…hope and reason to be alive. She is my life, my breath. Without her is like not breathing, but I will not give up,' he determinedly, his eyes shown amber for a moment then settled back to their purple hues. 'I will find her and I will tell her how I feel, but I will not give up.'
"Any developments?" Misao asked, hope evident in her voice.
Sano shook his head. "Not a trace."
"Oh...well, we'll start searching again okay?" Misao said, determination could be heard from her voice and her eyes were flashing.
Saying this not only rose their hopes but it gave them the energy to continue looking for Kaoru.
'We will find her.' All of them thought as their hopes rose up and strength and adrenaline came rushing into their veins.
"We might have overlooked her somewhere so we'll do it again."
They made plans. Kenshin would go alone; Sano with Yahiko much to their protests and Misao and Aoshi would ask their group to search again. Megumi would be left behind in the dojo in case Kaoru came back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I found him, master," a raspy voice sliced through the darkness.
"Good," his master replied. "Now my plans will go as arranged. Tell my men to come here and not to be noticed by those snobby bastards."
His servant nodded, "Hai, my master." The servant made a move to turn around but a chain flew towards him and wound itself around his neck, which caused him to stop.
"Did I tell you to go now, my humble servant?" the master's voice said, dripping with sarcasm. The hands which held the chain were tightening. The nerves showed it's blue and pink veins. As the moonlight lit the area, the hand was seen. The servant's eyes widened. He had never seen a part of his master before. He was always staying in the darkness, but now that he had seen a part of him, he was terrified. The hand looked like a carcass. Its skin was almost hanging from his hand. The were deep gashes and scars on it. Behind the hand were torn bandages so the servant was slightly relieved at the horror being covered up. His master released his hold on the chains and said, "Slave, if I told you to go, that's when you will be allowed to go. Understand?"
The man nodded as fear gripped his body. The moonlight was covered by dark clouds, giving an eerie feeling to the place. Turning back once again, the servant left the master alone.
'Alas, your time has come my dear traitor. You will suffer my revenge.' The master rasped out, his hands gripped into tight fists. He took a rock from under his chair and gripped it tightly. Cracks could be heard from the enclosed hand. He opened his fists and the rocks were reduced to powder.
'I will have my revenge…' He stood up and went out from which the servant exited.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakura-chan: Whoa! Evil, evil!!! Enemy's approaching! Hmmm…He sounds a bit like Shishio, ne? But it's not Shishio!!! *cackles evilly* It's someone mentioned in the previous chapter…Though I don't know why I portrayed him like that, with the ugly skin and all…*sigh* My imagination's getting corrupted with morbid thoughts!!! *waaahhhhh!*