***********
Chapter Twelve; Omnipotence in Action
***********
What is our innocence,
what is our guilt? All are
naked, none is safe. and whence
is courage: the unanswered question,
the resolute doubt,---
dumbly calling, deafly listening--- that
is misfortune, even death,
encourages others
and in defeat, stirs
the soul to be strong?
-Marianne Moore from 'What are Years?'
***********
There was an unattural rustling in the trees lining the edges of the broadway leading up to the gates of Kanryuu's mansion.
Kaoru listened casually and watched out of the corners of her eyes. It must be Beshimi, she reasoned, Hanya would never be that clumsy.
... although she did recall Beshimi as being a small, light-weight man and nearly as quiet as the Second in Command of the Oniwabanshuu.
"There's a monkey in the trees." Sanosuke said to her in an undertone, not pausing in his lanky strides. The wrought-iron gates of the main courtyard were coming into view now. "Think it might be one of Kanryuu's pet ninjas?"
"No." Kaoru replied quietly. "Too clumsy, otherwise they want us to know they're there."
The rustling stopped and Kaoru ceased her walking. Sanosuke stopped as well. "What's up?" he asked her.
"We have a visitor." Kaoru glanced towards the last tree to have rustled and a slender shadow separated itself from that of the tree. Kaoru could see the wicked edge of several kunai glinting in her hands. "How may we help you?"
"You can tell me why you're going to fight Aoshi-sama." A young girl emerged from the shadows, her expression was angry... and hurt.
"I think you know why, young Lady." Kaoru replied gently. "You're one of the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu, aren't you?"
"Misao Makimachi." she said bluntly. "It's not Aoshi-sama's fault, he couldn't have known what a..."
Kaoru held up a hand. "It's not my concern whether he is or not, I'm here to make sure Kanryuu leaves a friend of mine alone. I have nothing against your Aoshi-sama."
The kunai disappeared and Misao heaved a sigh. "I-I... just don't kill any of the Ninjas here, please?"
Sanosuke burst out laughing. "Hey, weasel-girl! Don't you know who you're talking to? This is the Raiden-no-Onna... uff!"
"I hate that name." Kaoru gritted at Sanosuke as she removed her elbow from his stomach. "Never call me that again."
"O-okay!"
Misao cocked an eyebrow. "Raiden-no-Onna?" she blinked and then gasped. "Oh! I thought you were a man!"
Kaoru had sudden, violent thoughts of letting Kanryuu have free reign with his gatling gun.
Misao blushed at the expression on Kaoru's face. "Ah... of course I've heard of you, you're the Swordswoman who won't kill. Your entire swords style is centered around that. So you won't kill Aoshi-sama and the others?" she sighed. "Thank goodness... I was afraid that... you see I've heard that..." she blushed. "Just, never mind me. I convinced myself that they would die tonight." she conked herself on the head. "Silly me, thinking my dreams were reality."
Kaoru went very, very still. "You had a dream in which your friends died?"
Misao blushed. "Uh, yes... I dreamed that this skinny gaijin turned a big gun on them and... hey! Why am I telling you this!"
"Because I believe you." Kaoru approached Misao slowly. "Do you normally have prophetic dreams?"
"Uh... not often and never anything really useful..." Misao stammered.
"I think we can help each other..."
***
"Megumi Takani's house mates are approaching the compound."
Aoshi didn't even look up as Hanya reported through the window, hanging upside down like a bat. "Let them come through Kanryuu's goons. I doubt they will make it as far as the hall gauntlet, but position the others anyway."
"Raiden is one of those among them, sir." Hanya said quietly. "That is one that will not go down easily. No one really knows the full extent of her power since she has not exerted herself since she came to our attention."
Aoshi cocked an eyebrow. "I had thought that she was content to wait for us to make our play?" he said skeptically. "That was your opinion when you saw her fight Kurogasa."
"I have gotten word of an instance of poisoning in her household. She believes we are responsible for attempting to kill Megumi Takani."
The leader of ninjas frowned. "Kanryuu would not order her death without losing his temper first, he's too enamored of the money she'd bring him with that new opium. One of his enemies perhaps?"
"Or one of Raiden's." Hanya speculated. "For either reason she is here and ready to make her point."
Aoshi nodded. "Indeed, we can benefit from this however. She is a worthy opponent. Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijo are spoiling for want of a decent fight. Decent fights with decent opponents are an uncommon commodity in these circles. Were it not for that damn contract we signed with Kanryuu I would have pulled out of here before now." he sighed and wished for a cup of hot tea and time to relax and enjoy it. "Station Shikijo at the gates, have a group of Kanryuu's 'men' stationed in the main courtyard with Hyottoko, put the rest at the base of the grand stairwell with Beshimi in the eaves, and you go into the hall before the ball room. I will be in the ballroom itself."
"Do you not think that she might get as far as you or I?" Hanya asked.
"I doubt it. No matter what rumours say about her, she is still a mere woman with a brothel bouncer as back up." Aoshi shut the account books he'd been examining. Soon they would have ammassed enough capital to tide his men over in a nice hot springs inn somewhere while he searched out new and better employment for them. He massaged the spot between his eyes, he should have known better than to hire out to a common crook, but bills had been piling up... almost bad enough to send them back to the Aoiya for a spell.
'No more bodyguarding for money-grubbing insects like Kanryuu.' he promised himself. He felt filthy and imagined that his men felt the others felt much the same way. It would take a long time before he'd feel able to look Misao in the eye after this... if he ever felt cleansed enough to set foot in the Aoiya again, that is.
"Famous last words, Okashira." Hanya said quietly and vanished before Aoshi could reprimand him for his impudence.
***
Kaoru and Sanosuke parted ways with Misao almost immediately. Sano was obviously a little sulky about Kaoru having trusted the little ninja with her knowledge of the compound, but if he had something to say, he kept it to himself. He was also a little disturbed at some of the things she' predicted would happen... but he was getting used to the fact that Kaoru had a preternatural knowledge the the world around her. It wasn't as if that was the weirdest thing about her.
The gates loomed up before them. A man in dusky red stood on top of one brick pillars flanking the fancifully twisting gates. His skin was a sort of juandinced yellow decorated by many scars and stretched over impressive muscles. He held a chain over one shoulder, it was stretched taunt and disappeared behind the wall.
"Hey! Are you pedestrians or the losers come to challenge the indefeatable Oniwabanshuu?" he hollared at them as they approached.
Kaoru smiled up at him and bowed politely. "Ninja-san, could you please tell Takeda-san that we have business with him?"
"That depends on the business." he replied dubiously. "Are you or ain't you the guys coming to challenge us?"
"We ain't here for you losers." Sanosuke spat. "Unless of course you guys tried to poison Megitsune all on your own."
The man laughed and spat. "I'm Shikijo of the Oniwabanshuu, ex Dungeon Master of Edo castle. I got my orders, if you want to go splat that little creep what's hired us I wouldn't stand in your way but Okashira says goes. You want in this place, you're going to have to go through me." He heaved on the chain and a large metal ball sprang up into the air.
Shikijo heaved it around in a circle and then brought it smashing down onto the ground where Kaoru and Sanosuke had been standing minutes before.
Neither were hurt, having moved away well in time to avoid the crushing blow. Shikijo seemed impressed, glad even. "Hey!" he laughed. "You two ain't the insects I thought you were... especially you." he pointed at Sanosuke.
The street fighter chuckled a little at being placed over Kaoru in consideration, but didn't make a point of it. "I could say the same for you." he punched his palms and grinned up at the ninja. "I gotta say, it's been a while since I've had even a halfway decent fight." he grinned at his companion. "Kaoru here's been having all the fun. Mind if I take him on myself?" he asked her.
Kaoru nodded and smiled indulgently. "Just don't take to much time about it, we still have a long way to go." she moved a considerate distance away and leaned against a tree, tucking both her arms into the opposite's sleeve.
"Kaoru.. hey, ain't that a girl's name?" Shikijo squinted at Kaoru. "Hey! Wait a minute here, you ain't a guy!"
Kaoru scowled at him. "On second thought, Sano, tear him apart!"
Sano nodded gravely and cracked his knuckles. "Sorry man, but there are some things you don't say to a lady. I'm gonna have to kick your ass now."
"Hah, funny!" Shikijo taunted. "I said you weren't an insect but that doesn't mean that I can't squash ...." here he was cut off by Sanosuke's foot in his face.
The moral of this story; Do not taunt, people who taunt tend to get creamed in mid-taunt.
Shikijo hit the ground with a thud! And Sanosuke sighed, cracking his knuckles again. "Jeez, what a pathetic fight! If he'd shut his yap I could have had some more fun!" he complained to Kaoru, who patted his shoulder consolingly.
"That's all right, Sano. There are others here to beat up."
Sanosuke brightened. "Hey! That's right!" he grinned at Kaoru. "You always know just how to cheer me up. Can I have the next guy too?"
"Of course, dear." Kaoru promised.
The fighters easily scaled the first gate and made it to the second in record time. This gate was more formidable than the first, being made of thick wood and banded with iron. Before it stood roughly ten or more common goons and one huge man with a barrel strapped to his back.
"Halt, you go no farther!" the big one bellowed. "I saw you beat up Shikijo, I ain't such a pushover and now I gotta make you pay for hurting him!"
"Be careful." Kaoru warned Sanosuke. "This one looks to have a trick up his sleeve."
"Or strapped to his back. You get the little guys, you don't need to be exerting yourself yet." Sanosuke waved at the big guy. "Hey, I'm your opponent! Never mind Kao-chan, she's just gonna clear the field for us!"
"The little broad can wait until I'm done with you, I'm Hyottoko!" as the big man talked his talk, Sanosuke noticed that he had the -wierdest- teeth; all gums except for two little buck teeth in the center on the top and bottom gums. Congenital Syphilis maybe?
(congenital syphilis affects the teeth and gums in some strange ways. In some cases the person could be mistaken for a vampire, but other times we get a case like Hyottoko.)
"Yip, yip, yip." Sanosuke muttered. "You Oniwabanshuu guys talk too much." he took a stance. "Let's go, man."
He saw Kaoru start in on the little guys out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't going nearly as fast as normal and seemed to be taking the time to enjoy herself. 'She's not using that Denkousekka of hers. She must not be worried about...'
(Denkousekka- lightning speed. Nothing special.)
The rise in temperature sweeping across his skin was the only warning Sanosuke got, he leapt to the side missing the gout of fire issuing from Hyottoko's mouth.
Hyottoko laughed as Sanosuke cursed and beat at a small flame that had caught on his hair. "Ya should really pay more attention to your own fights than your girlfriend's!"
Sanosuke succeeded in dousing his hair and wiped a bandaged wrist across his chin. "You think me an Kaoru are going steady? Well thanks for the compliment bud." he allowed himself a cocky grin, but it hid dark thoughts. 'He's right, I was more interested in watching hers than my own, gotta quit that. Kaoru can take care of herself. How the heck's he doing that? Ok, let's try this one more time; paying attention!'
Sanosuke took a stance, not normal procedure for him since he usually liked to charge right in. In cases such as this, however, he'd learned the hard way to stay back, defend himself first, and observe. It had taken two months of beatings from Anji to get the point across, but it had struck root. speaking of Anji...
'I wonder if I'm gonna have to use some of the tricks I've picked up in this fight, not the Futae no Kiwami. That's going after a cockroach with a sledge hammer-- but maybe...'
"Ready to burn?" Hyottoko chortled. "I'll give you a choice; Roasted or grilled!" with that he brought his teeth together so hard they drew sparks and let loose with another gale of flame.
Sanosuke dodged again with much room to spare and darted behind the large ninja. Unbeknownst to Hyottoko, he wore an unholy grin on his face; he'd figured out his game plan.
"Hey, where'd you go?" Hyottoko demanded just as Sanosuke jumped onto the large wooden barrel strapped onto the man's back.
On the sidelines, surrounded by unconscious bodies, Kaoru smiled. This fight was over.
"Koenken!" Sanosuke muttered as he wrapped his legs around Hyottoko's throat and crammed an arm down his cavernous throat. Fierce amusment appeared on his face as he found his target, but Kaoru signaled him from the sideleines as he started to pull his prize out.
Hyottoko started gagging as Kaoru gave a definate head-shake and Sanosuke released the big man. He leapt off the man's back, just into for the giant to come crashing to ground... unconscious from oxygen deprivation.
Kaoru darted over and laid her head against Hyottoko's chest-- yes, there was a heart beat but she checked for a pulse just the same. "He'll live." was her pronouncment. "and I imagine he'll come round rather soon. Help me turn him on his side so he won't do something like swallow his tongue while he sleeps."
Sanosuke grudgingly helped, but still gave the ninja a fond punch on the shoulder before they left.
"There's one I wouldn't mind at my back." he confided to Kaoru. "Actually, if we weren't on opposite sides I could get to like all these Oniwabanshuu guys. We think on the same level."
Kaoru smiled. "Indeed, I can see that strength is important to them." she gestured towards the entrance. "Shall we?"
"Yeah, and that last one was pissed because his friend got beaten... you don't normally see a cohesive unit of fighters these days. They're usually all just a bunch of crooks out to cause some trouble and only concerned with number one." Sanosuke frowned and kicked the great double doors to the mansion open. "So what the hell are they doing here?"
"Even ninjas have to eat." Kaoru supposed. "I imagine that Kanryuu is paying them insane amounts of..." she snapped her bodken up to deflect a tiny pellet aimed at her head. "This one is mine, Sano. You get the little guys." she nodded to the knot of men before them. They were clustered around the base of a huge staircase.
"Gotcha!" Sanosuke rumbled and grinned. "Have fun!"
***
"Shinomori!"
Aoshi hid a mental twinge as Kanryuu's squawkish voice assaulted his ultra-sensitive ears. "Yes, sir?" he asked coolly, nearly choking on the western honorific.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" the gawky drug-merchant demanded. "Who told you that you could turn my mansion into a staging ground? I thought I told you to retreive Megumi Takani!"
"There are intruders on the compound." Aoshi reported tonelessly, really he wanted nothing more than to take his kodachi and ensure that the line of Takeda would never continue... but pride goeth before a fall, he cautioned himself. "They are the Kenshin that Takani is staying with, they came presumably to ensure that you leave the woman be."
Kanryuu, inherent coward that he was, paled at the idea of being faced with someone even marginally adept in a fight. "Well, what are you waiting for!? Kill them!"
"We are doing so." Aoshi retorted in that same monotone and after a pause he added. "Sir."
Kanryuu bristled, and Aoshi gave a mental sigh. The crime lord had never been good at treating his underlings with respect, even if they were capable of castrating him so fast he wouldn't even feel it.
"I don't like you attitude." Kanryuu snarled. "You'd better watch yourself, Shinomori, or you never know what might happen to you or your men."
Suddenly there was a naked blade at Kanryuu's throat and he found himself face to face with a pair of icy blue eyes. "Perhaps you are the one who should watch himself." Aoshi suggested in the same tone he'd been using to report to Kanryuu. "This is fair warning, as soon as we have dealt with these intruders, I am tendering my resignation and taking my Oniwabanshuu away."
"W-what are you saying!?" Kanryuu stammered. "I'll increase your salary!"
"You just don't get it!" Aoshi growled, emotion began seeping through his facade. He shoved Kanryuu to the ground. "No one threatens my men. Consider yourself lucky that I haven't killed you."
***
Kaoru's eyes were glued to the small shadow flitting through the eaves, yet she still managed to bat away the pellets that were flung at her as well as a few meant for Sano.
Damn, he was so well out of her reach on the ceiling that he could just stay up there all day, cozily flinging metal bullets at her until she became to tired to deflect them.
'Either I have to go to him... or make him come to me.' and idea struck her as she noticed the large chandelier hanging in the center of the room and Kaoru ran for a corner of the room furthest from Beshimi. It was also the corner in which the anchor for the chandelier could be found. She saw Beshimi leap lightly onto the chandelier as she moved out of his range.
Sanosuke dropped the last of his opponents just as the chandelier and Beshimi hit the ground. He caught the little man and twisted his arms around his back as Kaoru ran towards him.
"You two may have defeated me, but Okashira will kill you both!" he growled at them.
Kaoru shrugged. "Perhaps, but I hope not. Under different circumstances I would be proud to have the Oniwabanshuu at my side." she smiled at the stunned ninja. "Sorry about this." she reached into a sleeve and withdrew a coil of rope. She began tying some expert knots around the little man.
"I know that you'll get out of this with great ease, but I can't afford to have you, of all the Oniwbanshuu, incapacitated." she explained as she worked. "Your Leader will need you shortly, I know you do not want to fail him."
"What are you talking about woman!" Beshimi demanded, just before Sanosuke gagged him.
"She knows everything." he told the captive. "... or at least it seems that way.
Kaoru stood, dusted off her hands and bowed to Beshimi. "Besides, if I really hurt you Misao would never forgive me." she rubbed the back of her head in memory of past 'demon bird kicks' that she'd seen Kenshin receive.
Beshimi went still with shock and watched as the two fighters proceeded to the next course of the gauntlet.
*******
End chapter Twelve
*******
Seiyuu; Hehehe, I'm having fun with this part! Um, here's an overview of the attacks used by our heros in this chapter.
denkousekka - lightning speed
Kaoru's 'super speed' isn't as fast as the the Hiten Mitsurugi's God-like speed and no where near Soujiro's speed (I forget what fancy name he has for it), but she is faster than most kids on the block. Unlike Kenshin and Soujiro who seem to disappear the eye can still register Kaoru as a black and blue blur thus implying that she is slower.
koenken - Tiger Swallow Fist
This is basically Sanosuke getting up in someone's face, cramming his fist down their throat and gagging them. This is usually an attack with a specific goal in mind , like retreiving the bag of acclerant in Hyottoko's stomach but if Sano is getting really serious he fires a blast of ki down his opponent's throat.
This attack is also in another form of martial arts (i don't know which) but I imagine it takes a more noble form than Sano's version.
Chapter Twelve; Omnipotence in Action
***********
What is our innocence,
what is our guilt? All are
naked, none is safe. and whence
is courage: the unanswered question,
the resolute doubt,---
dumbly calling, deafly listening--- that
is misfortune, even death,
encourages others
and in defeat, stirs
the soul to be strong?
-Marianne Moore from 'What are Years?'
***********
There was an unattural rustling in the trees lining the edges of the broadway leading up to the gates of Kanryuu's mansion.
Kaoru listened casually and watched out of the corners of her eyes. It must be Beshimi, she reasoned, Hanya would never be that clumsy.
... although she did recall Beshimi as being a small, light-weight man and nearly as quiet as the Second in Command of the Oniwabanshuu.
"There's a monkey in the trees." Sanosuke said to her in an undertone, not pausing in his lanky strides. The wrought-iron gates of the main courtyard were coming into view now. "Think it might be one of Kanryuu's pet ninjas?"
"No." Kaoru replied quietly. "Too clumsy, otherwise they want us to know they're there."
The rustling stopped and Kaoru ceased her walking. Sanosuke stopped as well. "What's up?" he asked her.
"We have a visitor." Kaoru glanced towards the last tree to have rustled and a slender shadow separated itself from that of the tree. Kaoru could see the wicked edge of several kunai glinting in her hands. "How may we help you?"
"You can tell me why you're going to fight Aoshi-sama." A young girl emerged from the shadows, her expression was angry... and hurt.
"I think you know why, young Lady." Kaoru replied gently. "You're one of the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu, aren't you?"
"Misao Makimachi." she said bluntly. "It's not Aoshi-sama's fault, he couldn't have known what a..."
Kaoru held up a hand. "It's not my concern whether he is or not, I'm here to make sure Kanryuu leaves a friend of mine alone. I have nothing against your Aoshi-sama."
The kunai disappeared and Misao heaved a sigh. "I-I... just don't kill any of the Ninjas here, please?"
Sanosuke burst out laughing. "Hey, weasel-girl! Don't you know who you're talking to? This is the Raiden-no-Onna... uff!"
"I hate that name." Kaoru gritted at Sanosuke as she removed her elbow from his stomach. "Never call me that again."
"O-okay!"
Misao cocked an eyebrow. "Raiden-no-Onna?" she blinked and then gasped. "Oh! I thought you were a man!"
Kaoru had sudden, violent thoughts of letting Kanryuu have free reign with his gatling gun.
Misao blushed at the expression on Kaoru's face. "Ah... of course I've heard of you, you're the Swordswoman who won't kill. Your entire swords style is centered around that. So you won't kill Aoshi-sama and the others?" she sighed. "Thank goodness... I was afraid that... you see I've heard that..." she blushed. "Just, never mind me. I convinced myself that they would die tonight." she conked herself on the head. "Silly me, thinking my dreams were reality."
Kaoru went very, very still. "You had a dream in which your friends died?"
Misao blushed. "Uh, yes... I dreamed that this skinny gaijin turned a big gun on them and... hey! Why am I telling you this!"
"Because I believe you." Kaoru approached Misao slowly. "Do you normally have prophetic dreams?"
"Uh... not often and never anything really useful..." Misao stammered.
"I think we can help each other..."
***
"Megumi Takani's house mates are approaching the compound."
Aoshi didn't even look up as Hanya reported through the window, hanging upside down like a bat. "Let them come through Kanryuu's goons. I doubt they will make it as far as the hall gauntlet, but position the others anyway."
"Raiden is one of those among them, sir." Hanya said quietly. "That is one that will not go down easily. No one really knows the full extent of her power since she has not exerted herself since she came to our attention."
Aoshi cocked an eyebrow. "I had thought that she was content to wait for us to make our play?" he said skeptically. "That was your opinion when you saw her fight Kurogasa."
"I have gotten word of an instance of poisoning in her household. She believes we are responsible for attempting to kill Megumi Takani."
The leader of ninjas frowned. "Kanryuu would not order her death without losing his temper first, he's too enamored of the money she'd bring him with that new opium. One of his enemies perhaps?"
"Or one of Raiden's." Hanya speculated. "For either reason she is here and ready to make her point."
Aoshi nodded. "Indeed, we can benefit from this however. She is a worthy opponent. Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijo are spoiling for want of a decent fight. Decent fights with decent opponents are an uncommon commodity in these circles. Were it not for that damn contract we signed with Kanryuu I would have pulled out of here before now." he sighed and wished for a cup of hot tea and time to relax and enjoy it. "Station Shikijo at the gates, have a group of Kanryuu's 'men' stationed in the main courtyard with Hyottoko, put the rest at the base of the grand stairwell with Beshimi in the eaves, and you go into the hall before the ball room. I will be in the ballroom itself."
"Do you not think that she might get as far as you or I?" Hanya asked.
"I doubt it. No matter what rumours say about her, she is still a mere woman with a brothel bouncer as back up." Aoshi shut the account books he'd been examining. Soon they would have ammassed enough capital to tide his men over in a nice hot springs inn somewhere while he searched out new and better employment for them. He massaged the spot between his eyes, he should have known better than to hire out to a common crook, but bills had been piling up... almost bad enough to send them back to the Aoiya for a spell.
'No more bodyguarding for money-grubbing insects like Kanryuu.' he promised himself. He felt filthy and imagined that his men felt the others felt much the same way. It would take a long time before he'd feel able to look Misao in the eye after this... if he ever felt cleansed enough to set foot in the Aoiya again, that is.
"Famous last words, Okashira." Hanya said quietly and vanished before Aoshi could reprimand him for his impudence.
***
Kaoru and Sanosuke parted ways with Misao almost immediately. Sano was obviously a little sulky about Kaoru having trusted the little ninja with her knowledge of the compound, but if he had something to say, he kept it to himself. He was also a little disturbed at some of the things she' predicted would happen... but he was getting used to the fact that Kaoru had a preternatural knowledge the the world around her. It wasn't as if that was the weirdest thing about her.
The gates loomed up before them. A man in dusky red stood on top of one brick pillars flanking the fancifully twisting gates. His skin was a sort of juandinced yellow decorated by many scars and stretched over impressive muscles. He held a chain over one shoulder, it was stretched taunt and disappeared behind the wall.
"Hey! Are you pedestrians or the losers come to challenge the indefeatable Oniwabanshuu?" he hollared at them as they approached.
Kaoru smiled up at him and bowed politely. "Ninja-san, could you please tell Takeda-san that we have business with him?"
"That depends on the business." he replied dubiously. "Are you or ain't you the guys coming to challenge us?"
"We ain't here for you losers." Sanosuke spat. "Unless of course you guys tried to poison Megitsune all on your own."
The man laughed and spat. "I'm Shikijo of the Oniwabanshuu, ex Dungeon Master of Edo castle. I got my orders, if you want to go splat that little creep what's hired us I wouldn't stand in your way but Okashira says goes. You want in this place, you're going to have to go through me." He heaved on the chain and a large metal ball sprang up into the air.
Shikijo heaved it around in a circle and then brought it smashing down onto the ground where Kaoru and Sanosuke had been standing minutes before.
Neither were hurt, having moved away well in time to avoid the crushing blow. Shikijo seemed impressed, glad even. "Hey!" he laughed. "You two ain't the insects I thought you were... especially you." he pointed at Sanosuke.
The street fighter chuckled a little at being placed over Kaoru in consideration, but didn't make a point of it. "I could say the same for you." he punched his palms and grinned up at the ninja. "I gotta say, it's been a while since I've had even a halfway decent fight." he grinned at his companion. "Kaoru here's been having all the fun. Mind if I take him on myself?" he asked her.
Kaoru nodded and smiled indulgently. "Just don't take to much time about it, we still have a long way to go." she moved a considerate distance away and leaned against a tree, tucking both her arms into the opposite's sleeve.
"Kaoru.. hey, ain't that a girl's name?" Shikijo squinted at Kaoru. "Hey! Wait a minute here, you ain't a guy!"
Kaoru scowled at him. "On second thought, Sano, tear him apart!"
Sano nodded gravely and cracked his knuckles. "Sorry man, but there are some things you don't say to a lady. I'm gonna have to kick your ass now."
"Hah, funny!" Shikijo taunted. "I said you weren't an insect but that doesn't mean that I can't squash ...." here he was cut off by Sanosuke's foot in his face.
The moral of this story; Do not taunt, people who taunt tend to get creamed in mid-taunt.
Shikijo hit the ground with a thud! And Sanosuke sighed, cracking his knuckles again. "Jeez, what a pathetic fight! If he'd shut his yap I could have had some more fun!" he complained to Kaoru, who patted his shoulder consolingly.
"That's all right, Sano. There are others here to beat up."
Sanosuke brightened. "Hey! That's right!" he grinned at Kaoru. "You always know just how to cheer me up. Can I have the next guy too?"
"Of course, dear." Kaoru promised.
The fighters easily scaled the first gate and made it to the second in record time. This gate was more formidable than the first, being made of thick wood and banded with iron. Before it stood roughly ten or more common goons and one huge man with a barrel strapped to his back.
"Halt, you go no farther!" the big one bellowed. "I saw you beat up Shikijo, I ain't such a pushover and now I gotta make you pay for hurting him!"
"Be careful." Kaoru warned Sanosuke. "This one looks to have a trick up his sleeve."
"Or strapped to his back. You get the little guys, you don't need to be exerting yourself yet." Sanosuke waved at the big guy. "Hey, I'm your opponent! Never mind Kao-chan, she's just gonna clear the field for us!"
"The little broad can wait until I'm done with you, I'm Hyottoko!" as the big man talked his talk, Sanosuke noticed that he had the -wierdest- teeth; all gums except for two little buck teeth in the center on the top and bottom gums. Congenital Syphilis maybe?
(congenital syphilis affects the teeth and gums in some strange ways. In some cases the person could be mistaken for a vampire, but other times we get a case like Hyottoko.)
"Yip, yip, yip." Sanosuke muttered. "You Oniwabanshuu guys talk too much." he took a stance. "Let's go, man."
He saw Kaoru start in on the little guys out of the corner of his eye. She wasn't going nearly as fast as normal and seemed to be taking the time to enjoy herself. 'She's not using that Denkousekka of hers. She must not be worried about...'
(Denkousekka- lightning speed. Nothing special.)
The rise in temperature sweeping across his skin was the only warning Sanosuke got, he leapt to the side missing the gout of fire issuing from Hyottoko's mouth.
Hyottoko laughed as Sanosuke cursed and beat at a small flame that had caught on his hair. "Ya should really pay more attention to your own fights than your girlfriend's!"
Sanosuke succeeded in dousing his hair and wiped a bandaged wrist across his chin. "You think me an Kaoru are going steady? Well thanks for the compliment bud." he allowed himself a cocky grin, but it hid dark thoughts. 'He's right, I was more interested in watching hers than my own, gotta quit that. Kaoru can take care of herself. How the heck's he doing that? Ok, let's try this one more time; paying attention!'
Sanosuke took a stance, not normal procedure for him since he usually liked to charge right in. In cases such as this, however, he'd learned the hard way to stay back, defend himself first, and observe. It had taken two months of beatings from Anji to get the point across, but it had struck root. speaking of Anji...
'I wonder if I'm gonna have to use some of the tricks I've picked up in this fight, not the Futae no Kiwami. That's going after a cockroach with a sledge hammer-- but maybe...'
"Ready to burn?" Hyottoko chortled. "I'll give you a choice; Roasted or grilled!" with that he brought his teeth together so hard they drew sparks and let loose with another gale of flame.
Sanosuke dodged again with much room to spare and darted behind the large ninja. Unbeknownst to Hyottoko, he wore an unholy grin on his face; he'd figured out his game plan.
"Hey, where'd you go?" Hyottoko demanded just as Sanosuke jumped onto the large wooden barrel strapped onto the man's back.
On the sidelines, surrounded by unconscious bodies, Kaoru smiled. This fight was over.
"Koenken!" Sanosuke muttered as he wrapped his legs around Hyottoko's throat and crammed an arm down his cavernous throat. Fierce amusment appeared on his face as he found his target, but Kaoru signaled him from the sideleines as he started to pull his prize out.
Hyottoko started gagging as Kaoru gave a definate head-shake and Sanosuke released the big man. He leapt off the man's back, just into for the giant to come crashing to ground... unconscious from oxygen deprivation.
Kaoru darted over and laid her head against Hyottoko's chest-- yes, there was a heart beat but she checked for a pulse just the same. "He'll live." was her pronouncment. "and I imagine he'll come round rather soon. Help me turn him on his side so he won't do something like swallow his tongue while he sleeps."
Sanosuke grudgingly helped, but still gave the ninja a fond punch on the shoulder before they left.
"There's one I wouldn't mind at my back." he confided to Kaoru. "Actually, if we weren't on opposite sides I could get to like all these Oniwabanshuu guys. We think on the same level."
Kaoru smiled. "Indeed, I can see that strength is important to them." she gestured towards the entrance. "Shall we?"
"Yeah, and that last one was pissed because his friend got beaten... you don't normally see a cohesive unit of fighters these days. They're usually all just a bunch of crooks out to cause some trouble and only concerned with number one." Sanosuke frowned and kicked the great double doors to the mansion open. "So what the hell are they doing here?"
"Even ninjas have to eat." Kaoru supposed. "I imagine that Kanryuu is paying them insane amounts of..." she snapped her bodken up to deflect a tiny pellet aimed at her head. "This one is mine, Sano. You get the little guys." she nodded to the knot of men before them. They were clustered around the base of a huge staircase.
"Gotcha!" Sanosuke rumbled and grinned. "Have fun!"
***
"Shinomori!"
Aoshi hid a mental twinge as Kanryuu's squawkish voice assaulted his ultra-sensitive ears. "Yes, sir?" he asked coolly, nearly choking on the western honorific.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" the gawky drug-merchant demanded. "Who told you that you could turn my mansion into a staging ground? I thought I told you to retreive Megumi Takani!"
"There are intruders on the compound." Aoshi reported tonelessly, really he wanted nothing more than to take his kodachi and ensure that the line of Takeda would never continue... but pride goeth before a fall, he cautioned himself. "They are the Kenshin that Takani is staying with, they came presumably to ensure that you leave the woman be."
Kanryuu, inherent coward that he was, paled at the idea of being faced with someone even marginally adept in a fight. "Well, what are you waiting for!? Kill them!"
"We are doing so." Aoshi retorted in that same monotone and after a pause he added. "Sir."
Kanryuu bristled, and Aoshi gave a mental sigh. The crime lord had never been good at treating his underlings with respect, even if they were capable of castrating him so fast he wouldn't even feel it.
"I don't like you attitude." Kanryuu snarled. "You'd better watch yourself, Shinomori, or you never know what might happen to you or your men."
Suddenly there was a naked blade at Kanryuu's throat and he found himself face to face with a pair of icy blue eyes. "Perhaps you are the one who should watch himself." Aoshi suggested in the same tone he'd been using to report to Kanryuu. "This is fair warning, as soon as we have dealt with these intruders, I am tendering my resignation and taking my Oniwabanshuu away."
"W-what are you saying!?" Kanryuu stammered. "I'll increase your salary!"
"You just don't get it!" Aoshi growled, emotion began seeping through his facade. He shoved Kanryuu to the ground. "No one threatens my men. Consider yourself lucky that I haven't killed you."
***
Kaoru's eyes were glued to the small shadow flitting through the eaves, yet she still managed to bat away the pellets that were flung at her as well as a few meant for Sano.
Damn, he was so well out of her reach on the ceiling that he could just stay up there all day, cozily flinging metal bullets at her until she became to tired to deflect them.
'Either I have to go to him... or make him come to me.' and idea struck her as she noticed the large chandelier hanging in the center of the room and Kaoru ran for a corner of the room furthest from Beshimi. It was also the corner in which the anchor for the chandelier could be found. She saw Beshimi leap lightly onto the chandelier as she moved out of his range.
Sanosuke dropped the last of his opponents just as the chandelier and Beshimi hit the ground. He caught the little man and twisted his arms around his back as Kaoru ran towards him.
"You two may have defeated me, but Okashira will kill you both!" he growled at them.
Kaoru shrugged. "Perhaps, but I hope not. Under different circumstances I would be proud to have the Oniwabanshuu at my side." she smiled at the stunned ninja. "Sorry about this." she reached into a sleeve and withdrew a coil of rope. She began tying some expert knots around the little man.
"I know that you'll get out of this with great ease, but I can't afford to have you, of all the Oniwbanshuu, incapacitated." she explained as she worked. "Your Leader will need you shortly, I know you do not want to fail him."
"What are you talking about woman!" Beshimi demanded, just before Sanosuke gagged him.
"She knows everything." he told the captive. "... or at least it seems that way.
Kaoru stood, dusted off her hands and bowed to Beshimi. "Besides, if I really hurt you Misao would never forgive me." she rubbed the back of her head in memory of past 'demon bird kicks' that she'd seen Kenshin receive.
Beshimi went still with shock and watched as the two fighters proceeded to the next course of the gauntlet.
*******
End chapter Twelve
*******
Seiyuu; Hehehe, I'm having fun with this part! Um, here's an overview of the attacks used by our heros in this chapter.
denkousekka - lightning speed
Kaoru's 'super speed' isn't as fast as the the Hiten Mitsurugi's God-like speed and no where near Soujiro's speed (I forget what fancy name he has for it), but she is faster than most kids on the block. Unlike Kenshin and Soujiro who seem to disappear the eye can still register Kaoru as a black and blue blur thus implying that she is slower.
koenken - Tiger Swallow Fist
This is basically Sanosuke getting up in someone's face, cramming his fist down their throat and gagging them. This is usually an attack with a specific goal in mind , like retreiving the bag of acclerant in Hyottoko's stomach but if Sano is getting really serious he fires a blast of ki down his opponent's throat.
This attack is also in another form of martial arts (i don't know which) but I imagine it takes a more noble form than Sano's version.