Guy's Night Out
Chapter 14
"There he is!" said Sano to Kenshin as they left the noise and lights of The White Tiger. Their objective was hurrying away into the night, looking over his shoulder occasionally as if he expected someone to be following him.
Sano and Kenshin stayed in the shadows unseen, noting his course, and then began to quietly and unnoticeably follow.
Stalking a person at night was nothing new for Kenshin, and he had purposely worn dark colors to blend into the shadows, dark blue gi and grey hakama. Sano realized again that spying was just not in his blood. He felt a bit uncomfortable without his distinctive "AKU" symbol guarding his back with a lightweight gray haori tied over his usual attire.
The contact made his way out of the commercial district and through several neighborhoods shrouded in sleep, and without lights.
"No doubt to make sure anyone following would be shaken off of his trail," thought Kenshin, "the man is no fool."
Modest homes started to thin out after a few miles and be replaced with more impressive ones, the homes of merchants, and minor officials, perhaps.
Sano and Kenshin doggedly kept up, still seemingly not noticed by their quarry.
Finally, the man stopped in front of what appeared to be a wealthy merchant's home, with a Western influenced architectural style, as was more common with importers and exporters of goods. There were Georgian style pillars on the front porch, and it was made of brick with glass windows. It was surrounded by a high wall with an ornamental iron gate, which had apparently been left open.
He looked around to make sure he was alone, opened the gate and slipped inside and then quietly made his way to around to a side entrance for servants and tradesmen, and slipped inside.
Kenshin took a second to commit the location to memory, and beckoned his larger friend to leave with him.
They moved noiselessly and unobserved in the darkness until they had come back quite a few streets, keeping up their guard until they were back into the edges of the commercial district where their presence at night would be considered usual.
Suddenly, Kenshin got an inexplicable prickling feeling on the back of his neck. He could vaguely sense he was being observed, although it was impossible to determine the direction or intent of the observer.
"Unusual," the thought, every sense immediately alert, "Someone who is skilled at guarding his ki from others." His hand immediately went to the hilt of his reverse blade sword. "We're being watched, Sano," he hissed between clenched teeth.
"Yeah, I got a weird feeling too," Sano said, casting around with his eyes in the dimly lit gloom.
"Expect anything," Kenshin whispered to his friend. "Right," he whispered back.
They were in a vacant area with a few trees on the outskirts of the small commercial district not too far from where The White Tiger was located.
Kenshin and Sano automatically assumed a protective anticipatory fighting stance, putting themselves back to back and circling slowly.
There was the slightest of sounds to their right, and as a unit they whirled to face what or who ever would present itself.
A tall, indistinct figure emerged from out of the shadows of the trees, and Kenshin extended his ki to attempt to discern intent. And failed.
There was only one person with such skills known to him, and he suddenly realized who their stalker was.
"Shinomura Aoshi, what brings you to Tokyo?" Kenshin asked quietly, taking his hand off of the hilt of his sword.
"The two of you fail miserably as ninjas," a deep humorless voice came out of the dark. As he drew closer, Sano was able to see that Kenshin was correct, it was indeed Shinomura Aoshi of the Kyoto Oniwabanshu.
"It IS the Icicle!" hissed Sanosuke.
Aoshi was dressed in dark clothing suitable for concealment, sans his usual trench-coat, carrying his two kodachi in their one sheath.
Shinomura Aoshi was a man of few words, and he would not waste them replying to Sano's comment.
"We hunt the same quarry, Himura."
"Kageboushi?" Kenshin asked.
"Aa, but for different reasons."
"You know him, don't you." It was not a question, but a statement from Sanosuke.
An almost imperceptible nod. "Aa."
"Megumi told me that she met Kageboushi at Kanryu's mansion. I figured you knew him from back then." Sano was looking curiously at Shinomura, trying to gauge his reaction to that comment. Nothing.
"We should not be talking here," Aoshi admonished.
"Follow me to the dojo and we'll discuss this further," said Kenshin.
"I'll be there."
Kenshin turned to Sano for a second, and when he turned back, Aoshi was gone.
"Same old Icicle," said Sano, shrugging.
Chapter 14
"There he is!" said Sano to Kenshin as they left the noise and lights of The White Tiger. Their objective was hurrying away into the night, looking over his shoulder occasionally as if he expected someone to be following him.
Sano and Kenshin stayed in the shadows unseen, noting his course, and then began to quietly and unnoticeably follow.
Stalking a person at night was nothing new for Kenshin, and he had purposely worn dark colors to blend into the shadows, dark blue gi and grey hakama. Sano realized again that spying was just not in his blood. He felt a bit uncomfortable without his distinctive "AKU" symbol guarding his back with a lightweight gray haori tied over his usual attire.
The contact made his way out of the commercial district and through several neighborhoods shrouded in sleep, and without lights.
"No doubt to make sure anyone following would be shaken off of his trail," thought Kenshin, "the man is no fool."
Modest homes started to thin out after a few miles and be replaced with more impressive ones, the homes of merchants, and minor officials, perhaps.
Sano and Kenshin doggedly kept up, still seemingly not noticed by their quarry.
Finally, the man stopped in front of what appeared to be a wealthy merchant's home, with a Western influenced architectural style, as was more common with importers and exporters of goods. There were Georgian style pillars on the front porch, and it was made of brick with glass windows. It was surrounded by a high wall with an ornamental iron gate, which had apparently been left open.
He looked around to make sure he was alone, opened the gate and slipped inside and then quietly made his way to around to a side entrance for servants and tradesmen, and slipped inside.
Kenshin took a second to commit the location to memory, and beckoned his larger friend to leave with him.
They moved noiselessly and unobserved in the darkness until they had come back quite a few streets, keeping up their guard until they were back into the edges of the commercial district where their presence at night would be considered usual.
Suddenly, Kenshin got an inexplicable prickling feeling on the back of his neck. He could vaguely sense he was being observed, although it was impossible to determine the direction or intent of the observer.
"Unusual," the thought, every sense immediately alert, "Someone who is skilled at guarding his ki from others." His hand immediately went to the hilt of his reverse blade sword. "We're being watched, Sano," he hissed between clenched teeth.
"Yeah, I got a weird feeling too," Sano said, casting around with his eyes in the dimly lit gloom.
"Expect anything," Kenshin whispered to his friend. "Right," he whispered back.
They were in a vacant area with a few trees on the outskirts of the small commercial district not too far from where The White Tiger was located.
Kenshin and Sano automatically assumed a protective anticipatory fighting stance, putting themselves back to back and circling slowly.
There was the slightest of sounds to their right, and as a unit they whirled to face what or who ever would present itself.
A tall, indistinct figure emerged from out of the shadows of the trees, and Kenshin extended his ki to attempt to discern intent. And failed.
There was only one person with such skills known to him, and he suddenly realized who their stalker was.
"Shinomura Aoshi, what brings you to Tokyo?" Kenshin asked quietly, taking his hand off of the hilt of his sword.
"The two of you fail miserably as ninjas," a deep humorless voice came out of the dark. As he drew closer, Sano was able to see that Kenshin was correct, it was indeed Shinomura Aoshi of the Kyoto Oniwabanshu.
"It IS the Icicle!" hissed Sanosuke.
Aoshi was dressed in dark clothing suitable for concealment, sans his usual trench-coat, carrying his two kodachi in their one sheath.
Shinomura Aoshi was a man of few words, and he would not waste them replying to Sano's comment.
"We hunt the same quarry, Himura."
"Kageboushi?" Kenshin asked.
"Aa, but for different reasons."
"You know him, don't you." It was not a question, but a statement from Sanosuke.
An almost imperceptible nod. "Aa."
"Megumi told me that she met Kageboushi at Kanryu's mansion. I figured you knew him from back then." Sano was looking curiously at Shinomura, trying to gauge his reaction to that comment. Nothing.
"We should not be talking here," Aoshi admonished.
"Follow me to the dojo and we'll discuss this further," said Kenshin.
"I'll be there."
Kenshin turned to Sano for a second, and when he turned back, Aoshi was gone.
"Same old Icicle," said Sano, shrugging.
