Disclaimer: Watsuki Nobuhiro owns them. I do not. (Short and sweet).
Summary: Kenshin's past comes back to haunt him again and a new danger starts to hunt in Tokyo.
Rating: R for the entire story if not chapter by chapter.
A KILLING MOVE
By COLLEEN
Chapter 4a
The next morning dawned bright and beautiful. Birds chirped and sang. A light, warm breeze played amongst the green, green grass. The sunshine, warm against the skin, beat down as if determined to cheer everyone up. Looking down at the sight before him the beautiful day just seemed at add to Saitou's irritation.
His face reflected nothing of this as he knelt at the side of the body. This was the fourth one so far. This latest death that of a small time yakuza from the area. The killer had taken him in the same manner as three previous victims. All male they ran in age from 15 to the body of the man before him who looked to have been in his early twenties.
The former Shinsengumi Captain searched the area around the body for clues to the perpetrator. Finding nothing he arose from the ground and brushed the knees of his uniform off. A sudden pain flared in his jaw. He found he was gritting his teeth so hard he was surprised he hadn't cracked the enamel. He grunted, relaxing his jaw as he realized what the problem was.
He was irritated.
He could have been here when this had started if he hadn't had to chase all over Japan fixing the problems caused by Shishio and his men. This would have been over by now. He would have seen to it.
Not that the situation with Shishio hadn't been more important than the few deaths here in Tokyo. He shook his head. *I must be getting old* Saitou thought. Recently he was finding that he could only stand to deal with one asshole at a time.
The policeman's gaze returned to the body and he once again studied the cut that had taken the man's life. The event had been quick and violent. Saitou became even more annoyed as he studied the technique. It had been executed flawlessly but it didn't seem to conform to any one style of sword fighting. The policeman grunted and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it in one smooth move. He shook the match out and tossed it away from the body.
As Saitou smoked he looked around at his surroundings. He realized, rather suddenly, that he wasn't all that far from the dojo where Battousai lived. Mibu's wolf toyed with the idea of aggravating the former Hitokiri by asking his opinion of the killer's abilities.
Saitou took a deep drag on his cigarette as the idea took root for practical matters. Not that he wouldn't enjoy the shock he could put the rurouni through simply by showing up alive. Since Battousai didn't know that Saitou had survived the explosion at Shishio's manor that shock should be considerable. Besides, even if Battousai had nothing to add to the investigation he might as well go see him. He could tell him to keep an eye on the kid and that rooster headed gangster he was friends with. Saitou had no interest in adding their names to the growing list of victims.
It would just make for more work.
Saitou finished his smoke as he walked over to the Kamiya dojo, crushing the butt out under his foot as he arrived at the gate. Instead of knocking he simple went in, wincing as the door squealed in its tracks as he affected his entrance onto the dojo's grounds. Looking around he spotted Battousai (doing laundry of all things) over by the well. He stalked up behind him and waited... and waited... and waited. It was with some inner alarm that he finally cleared his throat to get the former hitokiri's attention.
Kenshin's shock was all that he could have hoped for.
Saitou's name practically squeaked out of the rurouni's mouth and in his alarm Kenshin fell backwards towards the wash tub. His reflexes saved him from a soaking but his movement still managed to splash water, soap and clothing out over the tubs sides. Saitou, stepping smoothly out of the way to avoid the wave of water and laundry, started to chuckle at his old adversary. He was quite amusing to see sprawled out on the ground like that, practically hyperventilating. Saitou was working up to a full out guffaw when the smaller samurai became strangely fixated on the older man's feet. The odd reaction as well as the look on Himura's face quickly killed the policeman's humour and he cleared his throat to rid himself of the last of his amusement.
Kenshin sighed out his relief that the man before him was obviously alive rather than an apparition. He viciously squashed down his shock and surprise and with a matter of fact voice said "Saitou, you're alive. Then even more impolitely. "What do you want?"
"No need to get all mushy and sentimental Battousai" Saitou replied sarcastically. I merely came by to warn you that a murderer is working in this area. Also, I thought I'd check your alibi for last night.
"You can not be serious" Himura said.
"About the warning yes. Saitou smirked. "About the alibi... no." Saitou looked down at the laundry Kenshin had been scrubbing at. "Also, if you think you could pull yourself away from your important duties I wouldn't mind a second opinion about the sword style of our unidentified killer.
Saitou's smirk froze on his face as Kenshin's eyes narrowed and an amber flash moved through them.
"Fine" Kenshin said. The word as cold as it was brief. He stood up from the laundry and motioned to Saitou to lead the way.
Saitou suddenly felt nervous about having dragged Battousai into this mess. He bit that feeling off and said "walk with me and I'll explain the situation on the way." Kenshin merely nodded and they walked out the gate together.
As they moved towards their grisly destination Saitou glance surreptitiously at Kenshin. Silence dogged their steps for the first street until the red haired man beside him spoke and sliced the quiet in two.
"The situation?"
"Aa", Saitou mulled over what to tell the rurouni. Enjoying Kenshin's discomfort he deliberately waited until the man's patience had started to fray before reciting the information.
"During the last several months four murders have taken place in different areas of the city. The last one about half a mile from the dojo. The first murder was a fifteen year old boy, the second an eighteen year old kendo student, the third a nineteen year old brawler, and the fourth a small time but fairly vicious member of the local yakuza, age currently unknown."
"The victims were all apparently unknown to each other. Two of the victims lived on the fringes of society but the first victim and the kendo student were both from good if not prosperous homes. The only thing that the places they died in have in common is that they were all fairly deserted at the time. All of them had had their lives ended in the same way, the killer using the same sword stroke for each of them."
Saitou wrapped up his speech as they arrived at the crime scene. Several of his officers milled about nervously, all of them working hard to avoid looking at the body. They snapped to attention as they noticed their boss arrive. Curiosity flickered across their faces as they took in the small almost delicate red haired man that arrived with him.
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Chapter 4b
Once Kenshin had gotten over his shock at Saitou's resurrection he was actually almost glad to see him. Even though the man tended to rub him the wrong way the chance to do something, other than drive himself crazy trying to figure out his current mystery, was a welcome distraction.
On the walk to the crime scene however Kenshin took stock of how he was dealing with the older man. Although he found he was as usual unable to be completely civil with the former Shinsengumi Captain his feelings of anger towards the man was out of proportion to his presence. Kenshin mentally added this lack of balance as well as his not having noticed the policeman when he came up behind him to his list of worries for later. He broke the silence between them, suddenly wanting to get this new ordeal over with.
As Saitou recited the facts of the case Kenshin changed his mind about being glad for the diversion. He would have happily remained tied to his problems if the four deaths Saitou had so clinically discussed had never had to happen.
The lanky policeman led him through the younger members of his squad to the dead body. Looking down at the cadaver Kenshin suppressed a wince and crouched down beside it to view the damage.
By the blood surrounding the body he had obviously died and dropped exactly where they had found him. The dead man had been fairly short though not as small as Kenshin himself was. The blow had come from above so the killer had either launched an aerial attack he was a good deal taller than his victim was.
Kenshin stood up and walked around the body to view it from all angles then backed away for a different perspective. Mentally he traced the most likely path of movement for the attack from the moment of take off to the fall of the body. He frowned and twisting his head sideways looked at the cut again. He looked up at Saitou and asked him "what technique do you think the killer used?"
Saitou's smile flickered on for a moment. "I wouldn't want to influence your opinion."
Kenshin frowned and turned back to the body. "At first glance it appears to have been the Jigen style but it seems even more powerful that that.
"It's a little like your own style" Saitou interrupted.
Kenshin glanced back at Saitou, his eyes narrowing. "Aa, a little but not quite."
"No, not quite." Saitou agreed.
Kenshin knelt by the body again, taking in the other cuts that decorated the dead flesh. "It looks like the swordsman is either a master who has learned several different styles of kenjutsu or a student, over eager and easily bored, who has leaped from style to style. Either way he seems to have blended them into this one killing move." His eyes took on a brief gold tint. "It is quite effective."
Saitou's next comment was lost as a trio of constables yelling "Officer Fujita san" ran up to him. Panting they all snapped to attention then attempted to give three different reports at the same time.
"Ahou, one at a time." The three police officers quickly snapped their mouths shut and eyed each other to see who would speak first. Saitou sighed and pointed to the officer to his right. "You first."
The young man gulped and stuttered out a "yes sir" before launching into his report.
"Sir as per your orders sir my partner" he indicated the police officer to his left "and I walked the blood trail back to where it started sir and continued beyond that in the direction the victim most likely travelled. We talked to every one on this route sir and traced him back to a small drinking establishment, sir."
"Constable" Saitou interrupted. "If I hear one more sir in this report you will be spending the next six months patrolling the graveyards."
"Yes Si........ The young officer gulped. "Hai, Officer Fujita san."
"Continue" Saitou instructed him.
"We traced the victim one Nogushi Zenko to a drinking establishment. The owner seemed quite put out as the dead man had left a very large tab upon his death. Questioning him about the man's movements from the night before he told us that the only unusual thing he'd noticed about him was that he'd received a letter. Said correspondence had been left on the table. The owner had picked it up and held on to it to return to him in case it was something important. We procured the letter and brought it with us to see if it could cast some light on the case."
With the last sentence the officer flourished the note like a man who had just succeeded in pulling a white elephant out of a top hat. Saitou took the letter with a curt "good work" and unfolding it began to read.
The two officers beamed at the gruff praise, paling when Saitou swore under his breath as he finished reading the missive.
Saitou looked up at the third police officer and narrowed his eyes. "Where is your partner?"
"With the witness, Ssi... Officer Fujita san."
Saitou's reply was quiet and controlled but still held the force of a shout. "What witness?"
The officer gulped (they all tended to do that a lot around their commanding officer) and started his report. "My partner and I, following a path the killer could have taken away from this location, were unable to find anyone who had seen either the victim or anyone suspicious in their area." He glanced at Saitou. Noticing that his commanding officer appeared to be loosing his patience he speeded up the report. "However we did find someone, an old lady, who had passed through here on her way home. She saw the victim on the ground with someone bending over him. My partner is bringing her at a slower pace, as she can no longer move very fast."
Saitou nodded "Good. Perhaps all the pieces will come together now."
End of Chapter 4