A Wandering Soul/ A vicious Capture
Chapter 7:
Through the Forest in One Piece?
They've been walking through the forest for what felt like hours. Not a single village could be seen for miles. Kenji was becoming restless; it was now night and they would have stay in forest for tonight. He just would have to tell Kenshin, but by the looks that were on his face when he turned to look at him, he already knew. That made it a lot easier on him that Kenshin already had figured out what was on his mind.
" I'm going to get some fire wood." Kenji said in a dull voice. He didn't know any other way to say it, he didn't want to be cheerful about it, if he was like that, then Kenshin might of thought that everything was okay between them, which it definitely wasn't. He still hated him although he tries to act like he cared about Kaoru at all. Kenshin just nodded his answer, accepting his proposal; like he needed him to accept it, he would have gone either way. He figured that the more time he's away from him the less chance they would have to get into another fight. Kenji walked through the forest picking up the bits of firewood he found lying around him. He tried not to look for them quickly he rather take his time looking. He looked up at the sky for minute; the stars were out tonight, lighting up the whole sky for miles. He could feel instant warmth looking at those stars; he remembered when he was a young child he would sit with his mom and watch those same stars and they would sit there and dream together. He smiled at that thought, it was one of the few times he actually felt loved. He just hoped she could hold on until he gets there to save her.
The agonizing pain could be felt through her whole body. The pain was unbearable, she felt like her ribs had been shattered and her stomach couldn't even be felt anymore, it was as if it were gone. Kaoru opened her eye's slowly to see no one was in the room with her, she was alone again. She sat up slowly but stopped half way, her eyes opened wide as she let out a deep sigh. That pain she couldn't feel before in her stomach had now shown its true colors. She looked down at her stomach only to see it had been bandaged up, along with her leg, had Hiroshi done this for her? She shook that thought from her head. Why would he do that? Still if he didn't do it than who did? Kaoru bit her lip and gradually stood from the ground trying not to re open her wounds or make them hurt worse. Once she was up, she headed for the door. She wasn't sure if she was there alone or not but if she was maybe, she could make another break for it. She held her hand to the walls to help gain some composure, and then steadily moved towards the door. Once she was out completely from the hut, she could see Hiroshi standing out there. He wasn't alone though, he was talking to someone, and she had never seen him before anywhere. A light glare in her eye's portrayed her suspicions that the person wasn't here for a nice conversation; they weren't having any normal conversation. For some reason her womanly, intuition told her that they were talking about what there going to do with her. A fear slowly crept its way into her heart. What were they planning? What were they going to do to her? She bit her lip even harder trying to allay those fears to rest; she needed to be strong at least until she could find a way out of this place. The man finally left Hiroshi side and he was beginning to turn towards her to the hut. Kaoru had noticed him getting ready to turn back to the hut; she quickly turned herself around so that she could hop her way back inside before he saw her. She could feel a slight chill go up her spin as she slipped and began to fall backwards. For some reason she wasn't hitting the ground, it was like she had stopped in mid air. She looked over her head to see that Hiroshi had caught her before she could fall.
" You should be more careful! You wouldn't want crack your skull open now would you!" He said with a smile that made her shutter inside. Why would he care anyway? In fact, did he even save her from falling? The person was so hard to figure out, his emotions were all over the place. She could never figure out what he was thinking or even feeling. He had just beaten the crap out of her a while ago and now he was worried about her breaking her head. What was with this person? She stood up from his arms slowly, keeping her eyes closely on him.
" Thanks! I guess!" was all she could get out; her head was so full of thoughts right now she couldn't figure out what to say to him. She really wanted to ask him why he had beaten her and then turn around to worry about her, but couldn't figure out if that was the right thing to ask now. He smiled at her again but this time his eyes were on fire with power and hatred, it was the first time she could actually sense his emotions at all.
" Where going to be leaving here real soon to the docks! Then we I will set my final plan in motion!" Kaoru's eye's opened wide. He was planning something about her with that other person! Her womanly intuition was right! The only question on her mind was, why?
" Why would we need to go to the docks?" she asked curiously. What reasons would they have for visiting a place such as that? Her eye's darted open as he began to laugh mirthlessly at her; she then realized what he had planed… To take her away in a boat so that not even Kenshin could reach her and she wouldn't be able to escape either.
" I can see it in your eye's, you figured me out. How lovely! I have even picked out the nicest boat for you!" He smiled sadistically, making her shutter even more than she already was. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the hut. It was a sudden impulsive decision and she didn't know what he was thinking at the time. He then threw her down on the floor; she let out a sigh as her stomach began to bleed again from the force of the fall. She pulled her head up from the ground as well as she could so she could see what he was doing. He appeared to be peaking out side the hut door. What was he doing? He looked as though he was in a bit of fear of something. She became very curious to know what he was doing but didn't have enough energy to get the words out properly. Her stomach was hurting her badly she began to sweat as she breathed in and out slowly.
" Oh! Good! I thought that police were coming over here!" He sighed as he slid his face over to look at her. His mouth opened wide with horror as he saw all the blood from the wound he had given her all over the place. He quickly ran over to her and held her in his hands.
" I'm sorry I didn't mean to reopen your wounds like this!" he then pulled out a box from his bag of luggage. He took out some more bandages.
" This might hurt a little so might want to brace you!" he warned her in a serious tone of voice. He slowly moved his hand under her back and began to move her up to a sitting position. Kaoru began to shed tears as the pain grew to be too much for her to handle. She sighed while she breathed in and out repeatedly hoping to let some of the pain fade away. He wrapped the bandages around her waist area slowly and firmly trying not to put her in any more pain then she was already in.
Kenshin was still waiting for Kenji to return with the firewood. He starred up into the starlit sky. * It is so beautiful out tonight and I wish you were right here with me, so I could share it with you. That I do! * A smile then crept upon his face as he remembered the last time they sat under the stars together. It was a beautiful day and he had just made his vow never to use a sword again. He was so happy that he could finally leave his old past life behind him and he could concentrate all his time on his family. He recalled how Kaoru pulled him by the arm and dragged him all the way out side to sit under the tree, to see the stars and celebrate his new life. It was one his favorite times he had spent with her and he would never forget the smiles she had given him, it made him truly happy every time he saw her smile. He was broken away from his peaceful thoughts as he heard a loud crash, he looked on to the ground to see a pile of wood sitting in front of him and then looked up to see Kenji looking at him blankly.
" I got the firewood," he said in voice that almost sounded dead. It made Kenshin shutter as he felt the coldness from his son's heart. He could still feel in very distant place of his son's soul, which was still warm and caring. * He must of be keeping it locked away from everyone around him, putting up a barrier around himself so that no one could see him for what he really was, a good person who has just lost his way in the world. * He smiled after along period of frowning. * My son doesn't love me! But that doesn't mean I wont try and help unfreeze his heart. He looks at the world completely lost and alone and it's my fault for that, so I will help him fix what I took from him. It's the least I could give him for everything I have put him through. * He then noticed that Kenji was glaring at him furiously trying to hold it back. His son wanted him dead, and he was trying to allay those feelings so he wouldn't kill him. That made him very sad! Nevertheless, it didn't matter that much at the moment. The only things that really matter to him where saving Kaoru and healing his sons wounded heart. He knew that it was already too late for him to act like a father to Kenji now, but he still had to try. He then noticed the smile that was plastered to his face. The smile soon faded away from his lips; he let it go because he knew that Kenji was glaring at him for that purpose.
" That's good!" was all he could get out to his unhappy son. Kenshin held one of the sticks between his hands and began to rub it against the other wood pieces causing it to start a fire. Kenshin smiled, as the fire grew larger right before his very eyes. He then looked up at Kenji who didn't seem all that enthusiastic about it. He held no facial expressions what so ever. They had the fire now all they needed was the food. Kenshin was sure that Kenji didn't have any which is why he took some fish from the village. He had gotten it free from their village leader for all his help. He threw the fish he had gotten onto the fire so that they could cook so that they were okay to be eaten. He then backed up a bit from the fire to lie up against a nearby tree. He closed his eyes tightly as he waited for the fish to be cooked.
Kenji watched his father closely as he lie up against the tree. He didn't know what his father was up to. He had thrown enough fish on there for the both of them. Surely, he didn't think that he would accept anything from him. He was hungry though.
Kaoru sat up from the ground checking out her new Bandages which where given to her by none other then her own kidnapper. This was the weirdest kidnapping she had ever been in. He took care of her as if she was his guest staying with him for a while. It was very strange to her how nice he was being, but it was better then him beating her up all the time. Hiroshi was sitting across from her; he watched her closely sending chills down her spin as she had felt his eye's burning into her very soul. She looked up from her bandages to star him right in the eyes.
" Do you feel better now?" He questioned her. That was it! She would just have to ask him.
" Why do you even care?" she asked suspiciously. That question had been bugging her ever since she woke up to find her wound that he had given her treated by him.
" I want revenge on the Battousai! But I refuse to sink to his level and kill innocent people who don't deserve to die!" He said seriously with a little hint of anger. She could feel the hurt in his soul that time, when he spoke. She still didn't understand why he wanted revenge on Kenshin but one thing she did understand was that he did if not worse sink to his level by beating her up.
" I don't believe Kenshin to be a murder of innocent people like you say he is, but one thing has crossed my why do you want revenge on Kenshin? Please tell me!" she asked hopefully. She had asked him this question once before but never received an answer, she just hoped that maybe he would tell her this time around. Hiroshi looked at her with smile then a frown.
" I think you ask to many questions! However, if it will ease your mind, I want revenge for something that he took away from me. That's all I will tell you!" he said as he stood from the ground.
" Come on now, its time to head out!" Kaoru stood up with a sigh. She had wished to learn more about him but it didn't seem to be happening now. She would just have to try and get information on him later. They both walked out of the hut; he clenched his hand around hers tightly so that she couldn't run away. They both headed up the hill towards the docks.
" If you scream or say anything to anyone around us as we head to the boat, I will kill everyone who hears. If don't want to put countless lives in danger I suggest that you keep quiet." He said coldly.
Kenshin sat up fast from the tree; he could smell that the fish was done being cooked. He took the fish from the fire.
" Look Kenji! I already know that you hate me and wouldn't expect you to ever except anything from me but you need to have a full stomach for the battle up ahead of us. That you do!" He said simply and honestly there was a hint of an untamed sadness within him. Kenji looked at him blankly as he looked towards the ground sharply.
" Why do you even care if I eat or not!" Kenji asked him skeptically. Kenshin sighed heavily.
" I don't feel like fighting with you right now just know that no matter what you think I will always love you. That I do! So please just take the food!" He choked out little by little as he watched his sons expressions go into a bit of a shock. Kenji closed his eyes as he held his hand out.
" Fine, whatever!" Kenshin smiled at his son acceptance of the food. They both eat their fish in silence once they were done they both lied down for a rest.
The next morning came sooner then expected. Kenji opened his eyes slowly to see that his father was already getting himself ready to go on. He sat up firmly in his place; he then yawned as he stretched out a bit. When his eyes were completely open and he was completely awake he stood from his place to go on as well.
" Let's head down this path I know it to be a short cut into Kyoto. That I do!" Kenshin said seriously as he pointed to the south. Kenji nodded his acceptance to his father's idea not wanting to get into another fight. He was still tired from the last one they had. He followed his father though the bushes and the tree's until they had reached another path. Then they both began to follow up the path. Kenji watched his father in wonder. * Did he mean that? Does he really love me despite the fact of me telling him I hate him? * He then went into shock. * What are you thinking Kenji? Snap out of it! He doesn't love anyone but himself. * He then shook his head of all thoughts. His father had come to a complete stop in front of him, which almost caused him to crash into him.
" What's wrong now?" Kenji asked coldly. Kenshin turned to look at him his eyes were so dark looking right now. * Those are…. Manslayer eye's. * He thought in shock at what he had just witnessed.
" Kenji Follow me!" He said with a feeling that Kenji had felt from him before it was one that could only come from a manslayer. He followed Kenshin in curiosity at what would make him act this way. Kenshin began to his godlike speed to rush through the forest. In a matter of minutes he was gone leaving Kenji in the dust with his mouth hanging open.
" He's fast!" He then used his own godlike speed to follow him. He wondered now more then ever what had made him act this way. He could see his father stopped up a head of him he seemed to be holding something in his hands. Once he was close, enough he could finally make out what it was…. It was a young child that was soaked head to toe in blood.
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Okay I'm done with this chapter; the next one will be more interesting.
Chapter 8:
A Girl and Her Village!
JA NE see ya till then.
