Gah...I know I'm suppose to be relaxing but...grr...I dunno, just isn't happening. Anyway, here's Chapter 4.
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Chapter IV: A Familiar Face
Kyoto, May of 1864
"Are you sure?" Katsura asked as he sat across from Shiori, the young girl drinking some tea with him one afternoon. She was leaving the next day, so it was more of a quiet chat to talk with her about how Choshu's best assassin was holding up then anything.
She nodded. "Himura's thinking about her a lot more then I thought he would. I think she's starting to affect him." Shiori set down her now empty tea cup, folding her legs Indian style. "It's the weirdest thing, at first he seemed annoyed but then intrigued. Not to mention I don't think he's been spacing out about the blood recently."
The last part caught Iizuka -- who had joined them for the discussion about their best assassin -- and Katsura's interest. "Honto?"
Shiori nodded. "He's so busy contemplating her...uncommon...mannerisms that he doesn't have time to think about it."
Katsura nodded, scratching his chin. "Sou ka...what about her and the boy?"
Shiori frowned. "Kaoru-san's getting a bit restless. She's a skilled fighter, I can tell. Sitting around here doing nothing is grating her nerves. Seta-san isn't at all that bothered, but he's got a fighting spirit itching to move as well. He doesn't seem bothered by Kenshin-san but she's intrigued I think."
Iizuka scratched his chin. "Do you think they could be the spies leaking out information on Battousai? He's been ambushed recently."
Shiori shook her head. "They have not contacted anyone. The only person they ever really talk to is me, and even with me they don't talk that much."
Katsura nodded, absorbing all the information as he poured Shiori and himself another round of tea. "Perhaps it is safe to let them roam the city under supervision. It is highly unlikely they are spies but still a very slim possibility since we don't exactly know where they came from."
"Why don't you let Seta-san come with me into the country for awhile? It might do him some good and it would be nice for me to have some company." Shiori took a drink before saying, "It stinks staying in the country all alone after a few months. Tomiko-nee can't exactly send me letters everyday asking about Himura you know? Her husband is worried about him. They are brothers after all." Her brow creased as she said thoughtfully, "I guess that makes us in-laws...sort of."
Katsura laughed slightly. "I suppose it would be a bit lonely for you. I don't see any harm in that...you could bring the boy back here when the Gion Festival begins in two weeks. Make sure he doesn't run off though."
Shiori beamed, nodding. "All right! I'll tie him down and hit him with my bokken if he does!" After Katsura and Iizuka stopped snickering she said, "What about Kaoru-san?"
"I'd like her to stay here," Katsura said simply. "I want to view her interaction with him and Kenshin's interaction with her myself."
Shiori shrugged, finishing off the last of her tea before standing. "If you say so. I'll go give Seta-san and Kaoru-san the good news," she said before running out of the room. Once gone, Iizuka and Katsura exchanged looks.
"Should I send a spy to keep an eye on them when they leave tomorrow?"
"Iie, Shiori will be fine by herself with the boy."
"She's just a kid, the boy has more skills then she does. I've seen him practicing during the nights. He's ten but knows the Shukuchi. Some of our guys have given him the name Tenken because he seems to have a natural ability with handling a katana." Iizuka stuck a toothpick in his mouth, biting the wood lightly. "He's not that far from Battousai's skill level."
Katsura nodded, katana going to his side as he stood and made his way out the door. "Sou ka, demo, she will be fine. The girl is more skilled then you think. Besides, Shiori-chan and the boy get along well. He won't run away if she asked him not to. Trust me on this. A spy will not be needed."
Iizuka watched him go out the door, shrugging as he leaned back against the wall for an afternoon nap. "Whatever."
* * * * *
"Seta-san!" Shiori chimed, sliding the kitchen's door open with a *bang*.
Soujiro looked up from helping Kaoru dry the dishes, smiling his ever so cute smile. "Konnichiwa Takarashiro-san. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Iie!" Shiori stepped next to Soujiro, her smile rivaling his. "I just got done talking with Katsura-san and he told me some good news."
"That we can go?" Kaoru mumbled, rinsing her hands off. The sling on her arm had been removed a short while ago, leaving her free to move it around again.
Shiori smiled brighter, if that was even possible. "Well, he said Seta-san can come stay with me and my family at our home in the country until the Gion Festival. He wanted you to stay here though."
Kaoru frowned, untying the handkerchief from her hair. "I'm glad Sou-chan can get out but why do I have to stay here?"
Shiori shrugged, making vague motions with her hands. "I don't know, but you can go around town as long as someone is with you."
"I can't leave Kaoru-san alone here," Soujiro said firmly.
"You're going Sou-chan. You need to get out a bit," Kaoru told him sternly, shooting a 'look' towards him when he made a motion to protest. "It's only a week or two. I know you want to explore a bit."
Soujiro opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find an argument against that. It was true, he did want to go explore the countryside and that staying cooped up in the inn was starting to grate on his nerves, but would it really be all right? "Are you sure Kaoru-san?"
Kaoru gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course. I'll be fine by myself."
"Great! Then it's settled!" Shiori chirped, jumping up and down slightly. "We have to leave tomorrow and I still didn't get all the things I needed to get from the market yet...why don't we all go into town together now?"
"Sounds good, I wanted to look around anyway..." Kaoru trailed off, walking out of the kitchen.
"If you're going to the market..." Okami, who had popped out of seemingly nowhere, said as she pulled out a small list and pouch of money, "Can you pick these things up for dinner? I have to meet with a new girl later today so I can't go to the market myself and the other girls are busy."
"Sure Okami-san."
"I'll go get someone to come with us!" Shiori called, running off to find a certain red-head. Kaoru and Soujiro simply blinked in confusion, walking by Okami and watching the girl run off in a large cloud of dust.
* * * * *
"Sou ka..." Katsura said idly, dropping some food into the pond for the fishes.
Kenshin nodded, listening to the faint chirping of birds in a futile attempt to keep his mind occupied and off of the blood. Why was it that whenever silence came so did the blood?
"Kenshin-san!"
Kenshin turned his head slightly as Shiori came darting down the stone pathway, beaming widely without a care in the world. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder how she managed to stay so cheerful to the point it was almost annoying. At least the silence had been most assuredly lost, and with that the blood...for now anyway. "Hai?"
"Can you accompany me to the market for awhile?" she asked, eyes wide and pleading.
Kenshin was about to decline when Katsura answered for him. "Join her Himura, the streets are not safe for a young girl to be wandering around alone."
Giving a careless shrug, he made his way towards his room to retrieve his money, uttering lowly, "Fine."
Once he was out of earshot, Katsura glanced down at her. "You know what to do?"
"Hai."
"Tell me what happens when you come back."
Nodding vigorously, she bowed before scampering off to catch up after Himura who was all ready walking down the halls. "Wait up Kenshin-san!"
* * * * *
Soujiro sighed, looking from his left -- where Kaoru stood -- to his right where Kenshin was. Both of the older teens seemed to refuse to meet the others gaze. Placing his smile onto his lips, he turned to look at Shiori who was in front of them and said, "Maybe you should have asked Iizuka-san to come instead..."
Soujiro's smile widened when Kaoru gave the reaction he had predicted. "Are you nuts Sou-chan? The ecchi? Mou! Maybe being indoors too long has gotten to you."
"So then you don't mind having Kenshin-san here?" Shiori asked, jumping at the opening as she stared at Kaoru from over her shoulder.
Kaoru opened and closed her mouth several times as she struggled for an answer to that, missing the slight shifting of Kenshin's head as he peered at her from the corner of his eyes. "Well...I-You see...I..." Kaoru gave a loud sigh as she turned her head away from Kenshin and frowned. "He's better then that pervert."
Shiori blinked, blinking again as she kept staring at Kenshin's mouth. Had he just...smirked? "Sou ka...anyway, there's the store!" Without warning she grabbed Soujiro's hand and ran the rest of the way, disappearing through the large groups of people littering the streets.
Kenshin swore under his breath, trying to find the two kids while not losing sight of Kaoru.
"Where did they disappear to?" he heard Kaoru ask, searching left and right.
"The book store."
Kaoru rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin. "Where's that?"
"I don't know."
::THUD::
Kenshin rose an eyebrow, glancing at Kaoru who had fallen face first into the dirt street with sweat-drops running down her head. Shaking his head and lifting her up by her arm, he glanced around, though his eyes locked with someone to his left. Someone familiar...and a familiar scent.
White Plum.
He was staring at the same woman Iizuka had seen, the one with the odd ki. Staring into her eyes he could see traces of...anger?
Rubbing his eyes, he blinked a few times while looking at the ground before turning back to where she was.
Only the woman wasn't there.
Sighing inwardly, he took Kaoru by her arm and began searching the streets for the two missing kids, shaking his head slightly. He was getting delusional. First blood drove him mad, now hallucinations. When was it going to end?
* * * * *
"Why'd you do that? Kaoru-san and Himura-san are going to worry now."
Shiori nodded absently but stared at the spot the woman had been standing, glaring. She didn't like that ki...it seemed hostile, more so when she and Kenshin had locked gazes. Strangers didn't have that much hatred for someone they never saw before; something wasn't right.
"That wasn't right," Soujiro confirmed from his spot next to her, as if sensing what her unvoiced deductions were, peering outside from around the book stores door. "She seemed really angry, but who is she?"
"I don't know, I've never seen her before."
"Think we should do something about it?"
Shiori shook her head, walking into the store and searching the shelves with Soujiro behind her glancing at titles occasionally. "Iie, if I sensed it then he did too. Kenshin-san is weary of people by nature; he'll probably keep his eyes open for her if he needs to."
Soujiro shrugged, his inquisitive eyes settling on a book that was on a shelf just out of his reach. "Sou ka..."
A hand grabbed the book and handed it to him, the young man smiling as the boy blinked. "Here you go."
"Okita-san!" Shiori exclaimed, looking up from the book she had grabbed.
Okita Souji, leader of the Shisengumi's first squadron, was a nice looking man who she had run into several times during each of her trips into the city. The times she saw him he was playing with local kids, but occasionally he would be at the book store with the second squadron leader, Nakagura Shinpachi, skimming through books or picking something up for the second squadron leader.
"Ah, Shiori-chan, nice to see you," he said, his kind face contrasting with the skills she knew he had. Rumors about him being the strongest in the Shisengumi had reached her ears a long time ago, as well as the rumor of his deadly illness. Though she didn't particularly like the Shisengumi, for they were known for their deadly ways, Okita didn't strike that cord in her. Like Kenshin, he seemed to hide his emotions, but she could occasionally see some of his contradicting emotions. It was for that reason she had some sympathy for him. He didn't seem like he enjoyed being in the war much like she knew Kenshin didn't.
"You too Souji-san. You look better then the last time I saw you," she said, holding onto her book.
For the briefest of seconds, Souji's eyes shadowed over. "Ah, so I've been told." He glanced over at Soujiro again. "Friend of yours?"
Shiori smiled, nodding. "Hai. Seta-san, Okita Souji. Souji-san, Seta Soujiro. He just arrived in Kyoto not too long ago."
Souji nodded, shaking hands with the young boy who was smiling at him. "Nice to meet you Soujiro-chan." Taking the book of poems he had retrieved, Souji went over to pay for the book with the two kids behind him. "Gomen ne, but I can't stay and talk. I have to get back, but it was nice seeing you again Shiori-chan and it was nice to meet you as well Soujiro-chan."
They waved farewell to him, Shiori searching her pouch for the required amount of money. "Souji-san's nice. It's a shame he and Kenshin-san are on opposing sides." Pushing the required amount of yen towards the shop keeper, she and Soujiro took their books before walking out into the streets again.
Only to come face to face with a very annoyed Kenshin and Kaoru.
"Why did you run off like that?" Kenshin demanded. He became even more frustrated when Shiori and Soujiro looked at each other then began to smile brightly.
"Well?" Kaoru asked impatiently, her frown deepening as she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot.
Soujiro looked up at the two with his bright smile, an amused glint in his sparkling sapphire eyes. "You know, you two have the same facial expression right now."
Shiori bit back the loud and hysterical laugh that was bubbling in the back of her throat as both Kaoru and Kenshin blinked in confusion, turning to look at each other simultaneously before turning their heads away with the frowns back in place.
"Don't change the subject!" Kaoru scolded, face flushing a slight pink. Kenshin didn't show any signs of embarrassment, though Shiori could see he was becoming uncomfortable now.
"Gomen ne, but I really wanted to go see the book store. I haven't been in there for a long time. I thought you saw us go in there..." Shiori trailed off, trying to look as sorry as she could while keeping a straight face.
"Let's just go back. We have everything we came for," Kenshin said, grabbing the baskets of vegetables and things they had gotten from the stalls and walking back through the crowd towards the inn. Kaoru followed after Soujiro and Shiori, lest they go wandering off again, trying to keep her eyes from staring at the hitokiri's back.
Why was she so drawn to him? The question drummed in her head over and over, yet Kaoru hadn't the faintest idea why. Perhaps it was the mysterious air around him that captivated her; she always had liked mysterious things. She definitely wasn't starting to like him -- even if he was a somewhat kinder person when around children -- and she definitely wasn't attracted to him in the slightest.
A voice, deep down in her heart, just snorted in laughter.
* * * * *
"Tadaima!" Shiori chimed, walking into the inn and spotting Katsura up ahead. He smiled and gave a small wave, motioning with his hand for her to go over while Kenshin went to drop the vegetables and stuff into the kitchen.
"Well?"
"He's definitely affected by her."
"Sou ka, perhaps I should talk with this girl..."
Shiori nodded, her bright smile now back to normal proportions. "You should, I think she could do it..."
"Anyway, don't you worry about that. Go help Okami-san prepare dinner."
Shiori nodded, running off to the kitchen where the women were probably starting to cook. Once she was at the door, her eyes -- normally wide and innocent -- narrowed.
Off to the side was Kaoru, chopping onions with that mysterious lady while talking quietly with one another.
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::Sniff:: Thank you everyone! My birthday wasn't that bad with all the nice well wishes I received ^-^. Special Thank you to Tsuki-sama & Chibi-angel! I love the cards! Unfortunately, I didn't receive the present I wanted Hana-san, but then I doubt I would ever be able to own RK ::sob::
Anyway, gomen nasai! I didn't mean to take so long to update, but I've been working on two original stories I hope to publish one day. The one is posted on my profile all ready (::gets on knees:: Please read and review "Girl of the Dragon's" if you have any spare time!) while the other is still in the works. If you are a hopeless romantic, WAFF and sap lover like I am, you should enjoy them both (The other one that isn't posted yet is most assuredly one for romance people who like sap, WAFF, and all around cuteness...with the added bonus of humor and the most complicated love triangles...)