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Chapter Six; First Blood
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Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion, all the interim is
Like a phantasma or a hideous dream:
The Genius and the mortal instruments
Are then in council; and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, suffers then
The nature of an insurrection.
-- _Julius Caesar_.
******
The screams started, and by the orientation of the sound Kaoru knew that Jin'eh had started at the gates and was working his way in.
That meant the kind guard at the gate was dead now.
Kaoru gripped her bokken, which she had pulled out her belt as soon as the clock sounded midnight. Michael and Sanosuke went to face the door but Kaoru melted into the shadows and concentrated of making her ki blend in with the natural emanations of the world around her.
The screams got closer and Kaoru seethed to go running towards the source... but those deaths were marked for today. Raven had made sure she understood.
'I understand but that doesn't mean I'll be able to sleep easy tonight for the next five nights for that matter.' Kaoru waited for Jin'eh to make his appearance. All she could do now was make sure the police officers did not give their lives in vain.
There was a gunshot and another scream, this time accompanied by the dull thump of a body hitting the ground.
"1000 ryo and a government position to the man who kills the assassin!" Ogami squealed.
The bodyguards, all shiftless Ronin and disfranchised samurai grew energetic at this proclamation. Kaoru could have groaned, just inspire them to go throw their lives away why don't you!
Silence gripped the room... everyone waited for the assassin to burst open the doors and--.
The windows eased open beside Kaoru, if she hadn't expected it she might have jumped. As it was she got a good view of Jin'eh in the profile as he gently landed on the windowpane and watched the mass of swordsmen watch the door in wait for him.
His eyes darted all over and his lips moved silently as he counted... thirteen... fourteen... fifteen...
His first words startled all the kenshi in the room, making them spin about and make the foolish mistake of looking Jin'eh in the eyes. Kaoru didn't pay attention to his words so much as watch him.
-This- was the insane monster that had forced Kenshin out of Rurouni and into Battousai for the first time?
Jin'eh casually slaughtered the first rush of men to try their swords against him and hopped down onto the ground. He held up his blade and beckoned to the rest... Kaoru was close enough to breathe down his neck; she could see the tallow clouds in the steel of his katana and the pink maiden's blush of the blade.
He had to have been slaughtering people non-stop since the beginning of the Bakumatsu to have -that- much blood soak into the steel!
Sound returned to Kaoru as she released her hold on her ki. Jin'eh had his hand out, beckoning to his prey to attack him even though none of them could move at all. He turned just barely in time to parry Kaoru's rush. The force of her blow knocked him halfway across the room but her rolled with it and sprang to his feet.
"Oh-ho!" he jeered. "Did you escape my shin-no-ipo?"
His pupils widened and contracted, something flashed in the dead white pupils of his black eyes and Kaoru felt strands of spider silk tighten around her. It was pure instinct to shake them off.
Apparently, this bothered Jin'eh. "What the?" he started, but Kaoru pressed her attack to quickly for him to finish.
"How... did you?" he managed between clashes of sword and wood. Their blades met and the crash of colliding ki knocked both combatants back.
"How are you resisting my shin-no-ipo?" Jin'eh demanded. "Even the strongest fighters at least have to make a physical effort!"
Kaoru switched stances and rushed Jin'eh again. She wasn't about to waste her advantage on Jin'eh by yapping at him. Jin'eh's footing was weak and he tripped backwards, Kaoru's aided his fall with a kick behind the knees.
Jin'eh snarled and pitched himself forward; he used his bodyweight to do a handspring back to his feet. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.
Kaoru's eyes registered a flicker of olive drab behind Jin'eh and Sanosuke burst into action with a flurry of alternating punches and kicks that even Kaoru couldn't see. Almost all of them landed too, Jin'eh only saved himself by throwing his body back out of Sanosuke's reach.
Unfortunately, the assassin didn't realize that this put him right back in Kaoru's. With his back facing her and his attention centered on Sanosuke, it was pure simplicity to deliver her signature nerve tap and put him out. (The day the Iron monks taught her that move was a good day)
"Nice foot work." she complimented Sanosuke, who was rolling his head around on his shoulders.
"Nice sneaky-tactics." he grinned. "Do you have any idea what he was trying to do with the freaky-eye thing?"
Kaoru nodded to the remaining kenshi surrounding Ogami, who were just now shaking off their paralysis. "I think it was a ken-ki technique." she looked down at Jin'eh's prone form. "I don't think he's ever used it on anyone who's developed their ki as thoroughly as we have."
Sanosuke nodded. "Now that you mention it, I did feel something weird but it snapped if I so much as took a deep breath." he looked at Jin'eh too. "You might as well have broken his neck," he told her. "He'll get unofficial execution if the police manage to hold onto him long enough. With Saitou out of town, I don't know how long they'll manage."
Kaoru shook her head. "It's not for me to judge, Sano." she sighed. "I'm strong, but that doesn't give me to right to decide whether or not to snuff out a life, however misused it's still a precious thing." She snapped her fingers and looked to Ogami. "He promised a thousand ryo for whoever..."
"Killed the assassin. You didn't kill him." Sanosuke pointed out.
Ogami was already trundling over to her. "500!" he stated, wasting no time. "You didn't kill him."
Kaoru laughed. "I've got a room full of witnesses saying you promised a 1000 along with a government post, but I'll settle for just the 1000."
Ogami looked around to the remaining Kenshi and blanched. "Agreed." he said quickly. "I do need a permanent..."
"Not a chance." Kaoru stated. "Do you have the money now or do I come to collect?"
***
Kaoru and Sanosuke left the mansion as dawn broke, both weighed down by 500 ryo and worries.
"Didn't that seem a little..."
"Easy?"
Kaoru and Sanosuke exchanged glances. "It was too easy." Kaoru agreed and shook her head. "I don't know."
"We might not have seen the last of him." Sanosuke advised her. "I mean, the police can strip him of every weapon but he's still got those eyes."
"Eyes that can paralyze a normal person." she shivered. "Still, we both have 500 ryo, I don't know about you but I don't even see 10 ryo in a year."
"The Kogane doesn't see even 30 ryo a year, it's a good years if I see 5." Sanosuke agreed. "We're both set up for a good long time. I feel bought off, what about you?"
(The Kogane is the brothel that Sanosuke is the yojimbo for)
Kaoru chuckled. "I see some long overdue repairs for the dojo and maybe new equipment. We'll be able to live off this for a good long time. Even without any students."
"You've got a student." Sanosuke protested. "Saitou just signed his kid up, don't you know what that means?"
Kaoru shook her head. "No."
"The entire police department will follow his example!"
Kaoru frowned. "Now many of them will have children, even less will have children of training age, and even less of them will have children so inclined that aren't already enrolled in a reputable dojo."
Sanosuke pouted. "Why do you have to be reasonable? I was just trying to cheer you up."
Kaoru hefted her coin purse. "I just got paid 500 ryo for light duty, what's not to be cheerful about?"
***
Kaoru didn't tell anyone about the 500 ryo, but she quietly put it in the family strongbox as soon as she got home. Sanosuke took his to his apartment and hid it underneath a floorboard. He did, however, liberate one or two to treat everyone in the Kamiya dojo to a dinner at the Akabeko.
That went over very well.
"Try this one, Kaa-chan!"
Kaoru found an appetizing piece of meat stuck in her face, she seized with her own chopsticks and took a small bite out of it. She smiled. "That's good, Musume. What is it?"
"I think it's some of the roasted pork but I can't be sure." the ten-year-old girl giggled. "Cooked meat is pretty hard to tell apart."
Kaoru savored the taste in her mouth. It had the oily tang of pork and it had been cooked in a sweet red sauce. "I think you're right!" she lifted a shrimp from one of the plates. "your turn!"
Kaori bit the shrimp right off her mother's chopsticks and grinned. "Sake shrimp... hey look, steamed mizuna!"
Sanosuke shot Kaoru an amused glance and nodded towards Enishi and Yahiko who were bickering over the last of the sukiyaki.
"Boys, try some of the other dishes!" she laughed and they both blushed.
"Hey, Busu you shouldn't eat so much!" Yahiko chuckled nastily and poked at Kaori's sides. "You don't want to get fat and slow, do you?"
Kaori, who must have been in a seriously good mood, only smiled at the boy. "Oh I don't have to worry, I'll work it right off with my morning exercises! I never gain a pound." she gave Yahiko a look that said 'unlike some people I could mention' and he turned red and concentrated on wolfing down his rice.
The shoji slid open and a young girl, about Kaori and Yahiko's age knelt down to pass out a tray of tea, Yahiko began to choke on his rice when he saw her. Kaori helpfully pounded him on the back (if a little harder than necessary)
"Hello, Tsubame." Kaoru greeted the timid young girl who smiled shyly back.
"Hello Kamiya-san." her gaze darted to Yahiko, who turned pink and looked the other way. "Hello Yahiko-chan."
"Don't call me Chan!" came the obligatory cry.
Kaori's eyes took on a predatory glint and she leaned close to the serving girl. "Does he really hate that?" she asked.
Tsubame blushed. "I keep forgetting not to call him that... who are you?"
Kaori grinned. "Kamiya Kaori, that's my Kaa-chan." she nodded to Kaoru.
"Oh!" Tsubame smiled back at Kaori, as if her relation to Kaoru made Kaori an acceptable person to be around now. "I'm Tsubame, it's nice to meet you. I haven't seen you here before, Yukishiro-sama brought your Okaa-sama to the Akabeko soon after she arrived in Tokyo, but I didn't see you there then."
The other girl waved a dismissive hand. "I wasn't there yet, I was still on my way to Tokyo no doubt."
The cook called for Tsubame and the girl bowed out, making her excuses but Kaoru sensed they'd be getting a visit from the shy youngster the next time she had a half-day off.
"She's nice." Kaori pronounced her verdict with glee. Her eyes sparkled at the prospect of having another girl her age to giggle with. "I like her!"
"It's hard not to like Tsubame." Enishi agreed and stole the last of the Sukiyaki while Yahiko was glowering at Kaori, who was oblivious to him.
Kaoru hid her smile in her rice bowl. The scene was chaos cubed, but she felt oddly relaxed... was this how Kenshin felt every time she and Yahiko squabbled? Now that she thought about it, he always seemed to be smiling most around then.
"Kaa-chan?" Kaori poked her in the side. "Is there anymore of that sake shrimp?"
Sanosuke was wolfing down said shrimp at an astonishing rate. Kaoru transferred three of the coveted shrimp into her daughter's bowl before they fell prey to Sanosuke's appetite.
"You're pretty good with that bokken." Sanosuke commented around bites of shrimp. "I didn't see so much as a nick on it after we got through with Jin'eh."
Kaoru shrugged. "Well, after a point it doesn't really matter what you use for a weapon. Once a Kenshi reaches a certain stage he or she stops using the actual edge of the sword. It's much the same for hand to hand combat."
"Ain't that the truth." Sanosuke laughed. "Anji, the fallen monk who taught me most of what I know could so some pretty freaky stuff without even using his hands!"
Kaoru cocked an eyebrow; that was some pertinent information. Sanosuke had already met Anji in this timeline!
"Kao-chan?"
Kaoru blinked when Tae reached into the door and tugged on her sleeve.
"Can I speak to you for a moment?" she asked, with an odd twinge to her voice. "Out here?"
After a few placatory words to her companions, Kaoru followed Tae outside of the building. The businesswomen quickly pointed to a woman with long dark hair making her way through the crowd, trying to run in an overly elaborate robe. Two men were running behind her.
"I see." Kaoru muttered.
"I saw them this morning," Tae said hurriedly, "but I couldn't get anyone to go. The boy delivering rice mentioned them just now."
The sun hit the woman's hair and picked out green highlights. No doubt about it. Kaoru slipped into the crush and inserted herself directly in the fleeing woman's path. Seconds later Megumi slammed into her and they both went down in a flurry of silk, cotton, and perfume.
"Oh no... forgive me..." Megumi panted trying to push herself up, but her obi was caught on the grip of Kaoru's bokken.
"Here... hold still!" Kaoru instructed and slipped the doctor free. She didn't release her grip of the other woman's arms, instead she helped her up and patted some of the road duct off her.
Megumi looked at her cannily. "You're a kenshi?" she purred.
Kaoru reacted and laughed, albeit a little Kenshin-esque with her hand behind her head (all the better to emphasis her bokken. "I've been accused of that." she admitted.
Megumi turned on the tears... wait, had the Kitsune just mistaken her for.. a man? Kaoru choked when Megumi threw herself into her arms and simpered up at her. "You've just GOT to help me! I'm being chased by two awful men!" Megumi begged with a pout that would drive any man to fits of heroism.
The two men, obviously Kanryuu's thugs, huffed up behind her. One of them, a skinny dude in an unfortunate yukata (probably stolen from an inn) stepped up to her and reach for Megumi's arm. "You caught my Wife, thanks a bunch sir."
Kaoru pushed Megumi behind her, a tiny stress twitch developed in an eyebrow. Were these idiots blind? It wasn't like she was binding her chest or making an actually effort to look like a man. That tick turned into a blush as Megumi pressed her.. ah... charms into Kaoru's back.
"I... I don't think she wants to go with you." Kaoru stammered, trying to keep her mind on the fight. This was getting freaky.
The skinny one laughed nastily and tapped his skull. "There's no telling who she thinks I am right now, she gets lost sometimes. Can't tell which way is up." He reached out Megumi. "come on sweetheart, don't make such a ... F***!!!"
Kaoru had caught the offending hand as it passed her shoulder and dug her thumb into the hollow of the man's wrist. He jerked it back and staggered into his friend, who caught him by the shoulders. "You bastard!" he howled. "My entire arm's f****ing numb!"
"If you're going to call me names." Kaoru snarled, pulling out the bokken. This wasn't about Megumi anymore! "At least get it right! I am not a bastard..." smack! smack! and the men were sprawled on the ground. "... I'm a bitch!"
There was an intake of breath behind her and Kaoru turned around to see Megumi staring at her with her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes glowing like stars. Kaoru scratched the back of her head as she put her bokken back into her belt... Megumi flounced up close and glomped Kaoru's arm. "That was absoluuuutly amazing!" she gushed.
"Not ... really..." Kaoru tried. "Hey... I'm a woman! Let go!"
Megumi peered up at Kaoru through her eyelashes and smiled a less flirty smile and a more cunning one, more like the Megitsune Kaoru remembered. "I noticed when we bumped into one another. I'm Megumi Takani, what's your name?"
Kaoru swallowed... hard.
***
"It's good to see you safe and sound, Megitsune!" Sanosuke hailed the Kitsune doctor as Kaoru reluctantly led Megumi (still attached to her arm) into the gathering.
Kaori raised an ebony eyebrow at Megumi's familiarity with her mother and made it a point to introduce herself a s 'Kamiya-san's -daughter-', but Megumi had only smiled, returned the greeting and gone back to flirting with an evermore-panicky Kaoru.
When Enishi introduced himself, Megumi's possessive hold on Kaoru became a death grip as she mutely nodded and tried to squirm into Kaoru's side.
Odd.
Beyond odd actually.
"Where have you been, Kitsune-sensei?" Sanosuke pressed after the introductions were done.
Megumi gave a delicate shudder. "Hopefully somewhere that I won't have to go back to. Not if strange men don't grab me on the street like they did outside." she turned a million watt smile on Kaoru. "but I had Kao-san to save me this time. I didn't have a -thing- to worry about!"
'I realize that I'm replacing Kenshin in this timeline, but the Law can't be so thorough that the people who fall in love with Kenshin fall in love with ME!' she thought. 'Megumi... gay... with a crush on me! Mou, now is the time for an 'Oro' but I have too much self respect to indulge.'
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End Chapter Six
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Seiyuu; I originally considered making it a Sano + Meg right off the bat, but that wouldn't work with what I'm trying for here. I was a little uncomfortable making Megumi a .. well, flamer... but after a while I realized just how much fun I could have with this!