You know what? I realized that Saito doesn't really do anything in this story. He's just there to piss Sano off. Which is cool, cuz he's still the biggest bad-ass ever! We love you, Saito!! (I'd huggle him right about now, but I'm afraid I'd loose a couple appendages in the process...)
------------------------------
Saito was working behind his desk - his least favorite aspect of police work - when one of the rookie cops came in and announced that someone was requesting his audience. He was grateful for the interruption at first, but when Saito found out who wanted to see him he bit his tongue. The tall policeman fished into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Why was it whenever this moron showed up Saito had a sudden urge for a smoke?
Just as Saito held a lighted match to the end of his cig, the door burst open and Sanosuke charged in with classic eschewing of protocol. He took a folded newspaper and threw it onto Saito's desk. The policeman took a long drag on his cigarette, looked at the paper, then Sano, then back to the paper. "Yes...?"
"Read it!" Sanosuke demanded, gesturing violently at one of the headlines. "'Former Imperialist Charged with Treason.'"
Again, Saito's gaze shifted from the paper to Sano and back again. Finally, he said, "Congratulations. You can read."
Sano made an odd, strangled sound in his throat. "It's about Kenshin. He's going to be executed in four days."
Instead of answering right away, Saito leaned back in his western-style chair and tapped the ashes from his cigarette onto the floor. "Well," he said at last, "that was quick. They didn't even pretend to give him a trial. They must be anxious to wrap this thing up."
"That's not important!" Sano roared. "What the hell do you plan to do about it?! What happened to that masterful plan of yours that was supposed to get him out?"
Taking another prolonged drag, Saito exhaled smoke at the infuriated fighter-for-hire and said, "You moron. You don't have any idea how complex the government circumstances are. Politicians throughout the system have corruption honed to an art form, and it won't be easy to find the information we need to force Fushiyuuki's hand. I've been searching as hard as I can for evidence, but this is a tricky situation. These things take time."
"We don't have time," Sano hissed. "Four. Days. That's how much Kenshin has left to live."
"I know."
The two fell into silence, since Sanosuke was obviously waiting for Saito to say something but he wasn't inclined to just then. Finally, Sano stood and turned to leave, muttering, "Fine. To hell with you."
"Where do you think you're going?" Saito asked nonchalantly.
"You asked that question before, and the answer's the same as before."
"Don't be rash," Saito warned in an almost paternal tone. Almost.
Sano paused in his trek to the door and whirled to face Saito. "'Don't be rash?!'" he repeated. "What the hell do you expect me to do? Just sit there with my thumb up my ass? Being 'rash' is the only way to get something actually done."
Saito knew when to withdraw from an argument he couldn't win; such was the case here. Shrugging, he leaned back in his chair again and said, "Fine. It's your life at stake, not mine."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement," Sano growled, and without further ado he stormed out, slamming the door behind him for a final effect and causing a picture of Saito with some famous dignitary or another to tumble from its perch on a shelf.
Ignoring the photograph's plight, Saito picked up the newspaper his hotheaded ally had brought and read the article pertaining to Kenshin's imminent demise. It was actually quite brief, giving little more than the date of the execution and what Kenshin was being executed for. The reporter who wrote the article didn't find it important enough to mention the Battousai's name; no doubt a bit of political pressure had lent itself to the piece's succinct nature.
Sighing, Saito absently burned a hole in the paper with the glowing end of his cig. He'd spoken only the truth in the face of Sanosuke's impatient wrath, though it didn't seem to comfort either of them. Make no mistake - Saito wasn't selling himself short. He was confident that he would find the evidence needed to incriminate Fushiyuuki... given enough time.
He sighed again and proceeded to burn a series of perfectly circular holes in the cheap paper. Unfortunately the rooster-head was right; they didn't have time. Not enough of it, anyways. Saito had already called in a few favors from various individuals on both sides of the law, but nobody had any relevant information.
When verbal investigation had proved unsuccessful, Saito greased a few pockets with yen in order to gain access to Fushiyuuki's office, hoping that the inspector's meticulous habits would carry over to his illegal activities. However, despite spending as much time searching the office as he dared, Saito found nothing. No files, no records, no notes - not so much as a goddamn doodle.
Needless to say, it was a bit frustrating.
Saito opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of Bourbon and a glass. As he pulled out the stopper and poured himself a glassful of the molasses-colored drink, Saito mused about how even though the foreign liquor didn't nearly compare to sake in terms of taste, when you wanted something with a kick those Westerners really knew their alcohol.
He took a sip of the fiery drink and absently swirled it around, watching the light refract off the heavy glass. Maybe - just maybe - Sanosuke was correct on two counts. Perhaps acting rashly was the only way to get something accomplished.
O_O O_O O_O
Katsu gazed across the low table at his friend. He'd expected Sanosuke would come to see him eventually - there was no way he couldn't with Kenshin locked away. Still... Katsu had hoped that Sano would be at least somewhat rational in his approach. Unfortunately, one doesn't always get what one hopes for.
"Then you'll help me?" Sano asked.
Sighing, Katsu nodded. "Come back the same time tomorrow and I'll have what you need ready." A lie; he had extra bombs stored away in a safe place and could give them to Sano right then, but he wanted to delay giving his friend anything potentially lethal in his present condition. He hoped that by this time tomorrow Sanosuke would have calmed down, perhaps even reconsidered his decision.
Sanosuke frowned. They were cutting it way too close for his liking, but he knew there was no way to change Katsu's answer. He made some vague statement expressing his gratitude and left; recent events had squelched any desire for Sano to socialize. The walk back to the dojo was shrouded in a haze of turbulent thoughts and emotions. The small, rarely-listened-to voice of reason sitting in the back of his mind argued that what he was planning was suicidal and he was being an idiot and he was in all likelihood going to die, and how would that help Kenshin? Sano couldn't do anything if he was dead.
But frankly, Sano didn't care. So what if he was entering a no-win situation? It was better than just sitting there, twiddling his thumbs. Saito may preach about the precariousness of the situation and how these things must be handled delicately, but in Sanosuke's eyes he was just being a hypocrite. The motto that Saito once lived by was "Aku. Soku. Zan." Kill. Evil. Instantly. That was exactly the opposite of what he was doing now, pussyfooting around the situation like a damn bureaucrat. It pissed Sano off.
He slid open the door to the little room he was staying in at Kaoru's place and stepped inside, not even bothering to remove his shoes. For lack of anything constructive to do, he paced the room like a caged tiger, his hands twitching with anticipation. This, he knew, would be the hardest - waiting for the moment to act, knowing that time was of the essence, but unable to hasten the arrival of his cue. It didn't help that Sano wasn't exactly famous for his patience.
Sanosuke walked from the door, to his futon, to the brazier, then repeated the cycle several times over. At one point Yahiko stuck his head in to request Sano's presence for one reason or another, but he wisely retreated once he saw Sano's mood. Like the abovementioned tiger, it was dangerous to disturb Sano at that moment.
This incessant pacing continued long into the night. Sano didn't have a clock of any sort, so he had no idea what time it was when prudence finally won out and he lay down fully clothed on his futon. Not surprisingly, he didn't get an ounce of sleep; instead, he tossed and turned, his eyes scanning the room for something he didn't know he was looking for. In one sense, Sanosuke was glad he didn't have a clock because if he did, then he would inevitably watch the hands move across its face, making the passage of time all the more agonizing.
Dawn had just begun to spread its rosy veil across the sky when Sano deemed it time to return to Katsu's place. Having never undressed the night before, it was quite natural to shirk his morning routine and leave the Kamiya Dojo immediately. The streets were next to deserted in the early morning, which was just as well because Sano probably would have run somebody over and not even noticed in his agitated state.
As was to be expected, Katsu's house was dark when Sanosuke arrived. Unsure of what to do, Sano loitered outside for several minutes until the door opened suddenly and Katsu appeared. "You can stop skulking around out there and come in whenever you want, you know."
Sano shot his friend a "ha-ha-not-funny" look and let himself in. He scanned the room until he spotted several small cylindrical objects sitting on a table. With nary a word Sano walked over and picked up one of the bombs, examining it thoroughly.
"I assume that you wanted these for mainly providing a distraction and slowing down any pursuit, right?" Katsu asked as he closed the door softly but firmly.
Nodding, Sanosuke replied, "Yeah, that's about what I had in mind."
Katsu picked up another one of the explosives and began explaining its finer points. "I designed these specifically for those two purposes. See here?" He pointed at a long, coiled wire attached to the bomb. "It's a trip wire. Pull it, and the bomb explodes. You can rig it up in a doorway as a trap."
As he examined the wire connected to the bomb he was holding, Sano noticed a black residue that came off on his hands when he touched the wire. "What's this black stuff?"
"A little something I invented," Katsu replied, looking a little smug despite himself. "It's a flammable amalgam that I coated over the wire, letting you light it just like a normal fuse. That way you can light it, bugger off, and be in a totally different place by the time it explodes. Perfect for directing attention away from you. Best of all, it'll burn even when underwater, so you don't have to worry about keeping the wires dry."
His friend's ingenuity impressed Sano quite a bit, to say the least. Re-coiling the wire, he said, "Great, these are absolutely perfect. You've really outdone yourself this time, Katsu. How many of these can I take?"
Katsu didn't answer right away. When Sanosuke looked up to see what was the matter, Katsu asked, "Sano... is there any way I can talk you out of doing this?"
Sano smiled grimly. "Have you ever been able to before?"
"Hmn... no, I guess not." He handed Sanosuke a small cloth bag to carry the little metal cylinders in. "I just want to warn you - I used a more-refined form of gunpowder in these than normal - "
"Yeah, I know," Sano interrupted as he transferred the bombs from the table to the bag. "I noticed a while ago that you have a tendency for overkill when it comes to explosives." He stood, slung the filled bag over his shoulder, and opened the door. "Thanks, Katsu. I owe you big time."
"Oh, like you don't already, idiot?"
"Shut up, jerk." Sano stepped out into the rapidly lightening morning and looked back over the threshold at Katsu. Flashing a cocky half-smile, he said, "Catch you on the flip side, my friend."
And then he was gone.
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Katsu doesn't do anything either. But that's okay - he doesn't ever do anything in the show, so he's true to character.
------------------------------
Saito was working behind his desk - his least favorite aspect of police work - when one of the rookie cops came in and announced that someone was requesting his audience. He was grateful for the interruption at first, but when Saito found out who wanted to see him he bit his tongue. The tall policeman fished into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Why was it whenever this moron showed up Saito had a sudden urge for a smoke?
Just as Saito held a lighted match to the end of his cig, the door burst open and Sanosuke charged in with classic eschewing of protocol. He took a folded newspaper and threw it onto Saito's desk. The policeman took a long drag on his cigarette, looked at the paper, then Sano, then back to the paper. "Yes...?"
"Read it!" Sanosuke demanded, gesturing violently at one of the headlines. "'Former Imperialist Charged with Treason.'"
Again, Saito's gaze shifted from the paper to Sano and back again. Finally, he said, "Congratulations. You can read."
Sano made an odd, strangled sound in his throat. "It's about Kenshin. He's going to be executed in four days."
Instead of answering right away, Saito leaned back in his western-style chair and tapped the ashes from his cigarette onto the floor. "Well," he said at last, "that was quick. They didn't even pretend to give him a trial. They must be anxious to wrap this thing up."
"That's not important!" Sano roared. "What the hell do you plan to do about it?! What happened to that masterful plan of yours that was supposed to get him out?"
Taking another prolonged drag, Saito exhaled smoke at the infuriated fighter-for-hire and said, "You moron. You don't have any idea how complex the government circumstances are. Politicians throughout the system have corruption honed to an art form, and it won't be easy to find the information we need to force Fushiyuuki's hand. I've been searching as hard as I can for evidence, but this is a tricky situation. These things take time."
"We don't have time," Sano hissed. "Four. Days. That's how much Kenshin has left to live."
"I know."
The two fell into silence, since Sanosuke was obviously waiting for Saito to say something but he wasn't inclined to just then. Finally, Sano stood and turned to leave, muttering, "Fine. To hell with you."
"Where do you think you're going?" Saito asked nonchalantly.
"You asked that question before, and the answer's the same as before."
"Don't be rash," Saito warned in an almost paternal tone. Almost.
Sano paused in his trek to the door and whirled to face Saito. "'Don't be rash?!'" he repeated. "What the hell do you expect me to do? Just sit there with my thumb up my ass? Being 'rash' is the only way to get something actually done."
Saito knew when to withdraw from an argument he couldn't win; such was the case here. Shrugging, he leaned back in his chair again and said, "Fine. It's your life at stake, not mine."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement," Sano growled, and without further ado he stormed out, slamming the door behind him for a final effect and causing a picture of Saito with some famous dignitary or another to tumble from its perch on a shelf.
Ignoring the photograph's plight, Saito picked up the newspaper his hotheaded ally had brought and read the article pertaining to Kenshin's imminent demise. It was actually quite brief, giving little more than the date of the execution and what Kenshin was being executed for. The reporter who wrote the article didn't find it important enough to mention the Battousai's name; no doubt a bit of political pressure had lent itself to the piece's succinct nature.
Sighing, Saito absently burned a hole in the paper with the glowing end of his cig. He'd spoken only the truth in the face of Sanosuke's impatient wrath, though it didn't seem to comfort either of them. Make no mistake - Saito wasn't selling himself short. He was confident that he would find the evidence needed to incriminate Fushiyuuki... given enough time.
He sighed again and proceeded to burn a series of perfectly circular holes in the cheap paper. Unfortunately the rooster-head was right; they didn't have time. Not enough of it, anyways. Saito had already called in a few favors from various individuals on both sides of the law, but nobody had any relevant information.
When verbal investigation had proved unsuccessful, Saito greased a few pockets with yen in order to gain access to Fushiyuuki's office, hoping that the inspector's meticulous habits would carry over to his illegal activities. However, despite spending as much time searching the office as he dared, Saito found nothing. No files, no records, no notes - not so much as a goddamn doodle.
Needless to say, it was a bit frustrating.
Saito opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of Bourbon and a glass. As he pulled out the stopper and poured himself a glassful of the molasses-colored drink, Saito mused about how even though the foreign liquor didn't nearly compare to sake in terms of taste, when you wanted something with a kick those Westerners really knew their alcohol.
He took a sip of the fiery drink and absently swirled it around, watching the light refract off the heavy glass. Maybe - just maybe - Sanosuke was correct on two counts. Perhaps acting rashly was the only way to get something accomplished.
O_O O_O O_O
Katsu gazed across the low table at his friend. He'd expected Sanosuke would come to see him eventually - there was no way he couldn't with Kenshin locked away. Still... Katsu had hoped that Sano would be at least somewhat rational in his approach. Unfortunately, one doesn't always get what one hopes for.
"Then you'll help me?" Sano asked.
Sighing, Katsu nodded. "Come back the same time tomorrow and I'll have what you need ready." A lie; he had extra bombs stored away in a safe place and could give them to Sano right then, but he wanted to delay giving his friend anything potentially lethal in his present condition. He hoped that by this time tomorrow Sanosuke would have calmed down, perhaps even reconsidered his decision.
Sanosuke frowned. They were cutting it way too close for his liking, but he knew there was no way to change Katsu's answer. He made some vague statement expressing his gratitude and left; recent events had squelched any desire for Sano to socialize. The walk back to the dojo was shrouded in a haze of turbulent thoughts and emotions. The small, rarely-listened-to voice of reason sitting in the back of his mind argued that what he was planning was suicidal and he was being an idiot and he was in all likelihood going to die, and how would that help Kenshin? Sano couldn't do anything if he was dead.
But frankly, Sano didn't care. So what if he was entering a no-win situation? It was better than just sitting there, twiddling his thumbs. Saito may preach about the precariousness of the situation and how these things must be handled delicately, but in Sanosuke's eyes he was just being a hypocrite. The motto that Saito once lived by was "Aku. Soku. Zan." Kill. Evil. Instantly. That was exactly the opposite of what he was doing now, pussyfooting around the situation like a damn bureaucrat. It pissed Sano off.
He slid open the door to the little room he was staying in at Kaoru's place and stepped inside, not even bothering to remove his shoes. For lack of anything constructive to do, he paced the room like a caged tiger, his hands twitching with anticipation. This, he knew, would be the hardest - waiting for the moment to act, knowing that time was of the essence, but unable to hasten the arrival of his cue. It didn't help that Sano wasn't exactly famous for his patience.
Sanosuke walked from the door, to his futon, to the brazier, then repeated the cycle several times over. At one point Yahiko stuck his head in to request Sano's presence for one reason or another, but he wisely retreated once he saw Sano's mood. Like the abovementioned tiger, it was dangerous to disturb Sano at that moment.
This incessant pacing continued long into the night. Sano didn't have a clock of any sort, so he had no idea what time it was when prudence finally won out and he lay down fully clothed on his futon. Not surprisingly, he didn't get an ounce of sleep; instead, he tossed and turned, his eyes scanning the room for something he didn't know he was looking for. In one sense, Sanosuke was glad he didn't have a clock because if he did, then he would inevitably watch the hands move across its face, making the passage of time all the more agonizing.
Dawn had just begun to spread its rosy veil across the sky when Sano deemed it time to return to Katsu's place. Having never undressed the night before, it was quite natural to shirk his morning routine and leave the Kamiya Dojo immediately. The streets were next to deserted in the early morning, which was just as well because Sano probably would have run somebody over and not even noticed in his agitated state.
As was to be expected, Katsu's house was dark when Sanosuke arrived. Unsure of what to do, Sano loitered outside for several minutes until the door opened suddenly and Katsu appeared. "You can stop skulking around out there and come in whenever you want, you know."
Sano shot his friend a "ha-ha-not-funny" look and let himself in. He scanned the room until he spotted several small cylindrical objects sitting on a table. With nary a word Sano walked over and picked up one of the bombs, examining it thoroughly.
"I assume that you wanted these for mainly providing a distraction and slowing down any pursuit, right?" Katsu asked as he closed the door softly but firmly.
Nodding, Sanosuke replied, "Yeah, that's about what I had in mind."
Katsu picked up another one of the explosives and began explaining its finer points. "I designed these specifically for those two purposes. See here?" He pointed at a long, coiled wire attached to the bomb. "It's a trip wire. Pull it, and the bomb explodes. You can rig it up in a doorway as a trap."
As he examined the wire connected to the bomb he was holding, Sano noticed a black residue that came off on his hands when he touched the wire. "What's this black stuff?"
"A little something I invented," Katsu replied, looking a little smug despite himself. "It's a flammable amalgam that I coated over the wire, letting you light it just like a normal fuse. That way you can light it, bugger off, and be in a totally different place by the time it explodes. Perfect for directing attention away from you. Best of all, it'll burn even when underwater, so you don't have to worry about keeping the wires dry."
His friend's ingenuity impressed Sano quite a bit, to say the least. Re-coiling the wire, he said, "Great, these are absolutely perfect. You've really outdone yourself this time, Katsu. How many of these can I take?"
Katsu didn't answer right away. When Sanosuke looked up to see what was the matter, Katsu asked, "Sano... is there any way I can talk you out of doing this?"
Sano smiled grimly. "Have you ever been able to before?"
"Hmn... no, I guess not." He handed Sanosuke a small cloth bag to carry the little metal cylinders in. "I just want to warn you - I used a more-refined form of gunpowder in these than normal - "
"Yeah, I know," Sano interrupted as he transferred the bombs from the table to the bag. "I noticed a while ago that you have a tendency for overkill when it comes to explosives." He stood, slung the filled bag over his shoulder, and opened the door. "Thanks, Katsu. I owe you big time."
"Oh, like you don't already, idiot?"
"Shut up, jerk." Sano stepped out into the rapidly lightening morning and looked back over the threshold at Katsu. Flashing a cocky half-smile, he said, "Catch you on the flip side, my friend."
And then he was gone.
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Katsu doesn't do anything either. But that's okay - he doesn't ever do anything in the show, so he's true to character.