Disclaimer: Do I own Rurouni Kenshin? Hold on, let me check with my
secretary, my mystical #8 ball.. And it says.. 'In your dreams'.. Why you
little. (throws agaisnt wall).. So as you can see, I don't own RK. wish as
I might.. I never will.. BUT I CAN DREAM!!!
Author's Notes: Okay, I want to write!!! I just hope my stupid writers block (mumbles something unintelligible at her writers block) doesn't screw this chapter up. I want to write a fight scene. So lets see what happens, shall we? Oh, and before I start writing, I'm going to give you some story suggestions, ya know, other ones to read that I think are amazing: Broken Pieces by Linay, Dark by Dove-of-Night, Skydweller by Lady Shiin, Break Me by The Druid, Be Still My Heart by Chibi-angel3. Now for the ones I don't have pennames too: Carry On Dancing, Dance of the Fireflies, Living Life's Sense of Humor, How The Past Can Change, and Crazy Family. All these stories are AMAZING and I love them a lot!!!!! And I am a hard one to please!!!! Again, thanks to my reviewers, and I can't get personal review reply's out until I get to my grandma's house (she won't be home until later this week) so it'll be a while!!!! Oh, and I"ve seen Saito spelled these ways: Saitoh, Saito, and Saitou. I think I'm gonna go with Saitou because I see that the most. Anywayz, here your chapter!!!!
~Coming Of The Dawn~
***Chapter 8- Baths of Blood***
Kaoru stared defiantly at the guards that held her and the other women in the room of the Inn. The battle still raged outside, and the clock had struck at 2 in the morning. She started to inwardly worry about Kenshin. Or Battousai. Or whatever he was anymore, she was so confused at how he had changed from the first time she saw him, until now with his kind streaks and then mean retorts. Either way, she worried. He had said he'd be back before midnight, had he not?
It took a while, but most of the women in the room had been interrogated over what they knew about the Ishin Shishi's plans, where specific members were at, and all that sort of stuff. Kaoru was the only one who wasn't interrogated, and she had a feeling it was because they knew she didn't know anything. But even with the long and monotonous questionings, the Shisengumi still had no new information. The women kept their mouths shut, despite the fact they got injured for it. None of the injuries were too bad, and Megumi treated all.
Kaoru was the only one who was still awake, too. But she had a reason to be. She didn't know what they would do to her if she fell asleep. That man. Saitou. he had told his men not to go lightly on her if she gave them any trouble. So she sure as hell wasn't going to trust them in her sleep.
And what made them think they could use her to lure in the Battousai in the first place? She held no meaning to him other than she was his hold on the Oniwabanshu's help. Which got her thinking again. Would they be called out to battle? She knew the Oniwabanshu were highly trained, but she didn't want to see any of its members end up dead. Especially Misao and Aoshi.
Kaoru's musing continued to jump from person to person. She began to think of Sano, and wondered briefly why he had been with Misao and Aoshi. She knew Misao and Sanosuke were BOUND to get into a fight and Aoshi would get annoyed. They just didn't make a good group together. Btu Kaoru smiled when she remembered the last time she had seen Sano. She had beaten him in a friendly game of cards, and the poor guy went broke.
She hoped none of her friends, other than the ones already in this mess, had to be forced into it.
********* *********
Kenshin groaned. His back was stiff from sitting in the tree for so long. He finally gave up on waiting for his target. He had hopped down from the tree now and was making his way back to the Inn. That nagging feeling he had had earlier was still ever present in his gut, and he was finding it harder and harder to ignore.
But what was harder to ignore was that the nagging feeling had to Kaoru.
He couldn't figure out why, but he had started to worry about her as soon as he had left. When his job had been late, he started to wonder briefly if it was a set up to get to her. Of course, he couldn't FATHOM as to why someone would be stupid enough to do something like that, especially since they all worked for the same person. He would have ended up finding her in the end anyway.
Why he would look for her confused him also. He rationalized it was because he was responsible for her if they were to keep the Oniwabanshu's aid on their side. He knew if she was killed they would switched sides and join with the Shisengumi, and that would be the deciding factor of the war.
Kenshin walked and walked, and then bumped into some running people clad in ninja uniforms and being lead by a man in a trench coat.
"Shinomori Aoshi." Kenshin stated slowly, coolly. "Are you planning on getting your little friend from the Inn?"
Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu froze. Aoshi turned to face him.
"Battousai." He muttered. "Keep your arms down." He instructed the group.
Kenshin raised and eyebrow. "Where are you headed off to in suck a hurry?"
Aoshi looked at him dumbfounded. He didn't KNOW what was happening at the headquarters for his imperialist group? Aoshi wondered momentarily if this had been a set up. He looked over at Sanosuke, who had tagged along saying that 'you never know when you need one more man to get the job done'.
"Is this a set up or something?" Sanosuke asked instantly.
Kenshin looked at the man with the Aku jacket. "I really don't know what you're talking about. But I don't believe you are a member of this group. So why, may I ask, you are you joining them?"
Aoshi glared at him. "He's going to help save YOUR headquarters which is under attack right now by Shisengumi. We were requested to help, our orders stating that the Inn was in a state of emergency, with 150 dead already on your side and only 20 on the Shisengumi's."
Kenshin's eyes fell into thin amber slits. "I was the one who was set up. Damn!"
Before anymore could say another word, the Battousai was gone in a flash. Aoshi got the groups attention back, and they headed back to for the Inn at a faster rate upon hearing that the Battousai had been set up, apparently with a fake mission.
*********** ***********
Kaoru was getting sleepy. But she kept her eyes opened. Partly to be on the watch, and partly from being in too much pain to sleep. Her back ached worse than it had when she had woken up that day. The bruise throbbed and she could feel it as the blood pulsed through her body. Not to mention her arm was getting stiff where her stitches had been placed.
What see wouldn't give now for some of Megumi's cream. But for one, she didn't know where it was, and two, if she did then she had no way of getting out of the room to find it, either. Unless..
Kaoru looked up quickly with her realization. She looked at the 3 guards at the door. She looked at them closely.
They were asleep!
Slowly Kaoru stood up. She tiptoed her way to the door and looked out, seeing no one in the hall. She silently walked down the hall to the stairs, and peered down there. For some reason, she wasn't sure if it was good sign or a bad sign, the Inn was quiet.
And all the bodies that had littered the floor earlier were gone. The blood was washed from the floors. Who had gone in and washed the floors? Where were the bodies? And why was it so quiet.
Kaoru became paranoid with her swirling thoughts and deep confusion. She still walked down the stairs against her better judgment. Any chance to escape she was going to take. No matter what lie ahead, or what dangers she could walk into.
Kaoru knew full well that there was still a battle raging outside. She wasn't sure why no one was ducking for cover in the building. But she didn't take time to care because that meant she had to find a way out of there on her own. A way she wouldn't get caught.
Slowly she walked into the dining hall, shutting the door behind her. She never even bothered to look in the room before she had gone in. She stepped backward slowly until she tripped. Kaoru shut her eyes, and felt herself fall in a lukewarm, sticking and think liquid as well as on some other soft yet firm objects. She pushed herself up. There was no light, so she couldn't see anything. She groped around, finding it hard as the liquid was making her slip and smelt strange to her. She was reminded of copper by the stench. She found a wall with a lantern, and she pulled I off.
Fumbling in the dark, she found a match on a table. She sat down on a lumpy object that was wet with the liquid she had been falling and slipping in. She tried in vain to light the match. She did and then focused everything on lighting the lantern. It lit and she smiled.
"Good going Kaoru, you got light!" she screamed.
But then her smile faded.
Her face contorted with horror.
She now knew why there were no bodies and there was no blood around the Inn.
Everything had been taken into the dining hall.
Kaoru reluctantly looked at her clothing. She was soaked in blood. Then, she looked down at what she was sitting on.
She jumped up screaming blood murder upon realizing she was sitting on some dead corpse. She tripped and fell onto another, and ended up spraining her ankle in the process. She couldn't stand now. There was blood in her hair, blood on her skin, blood on her clothing. She was soaked in it. And she was stuck in a room full of dead bodies that were still leaking blood. She cried, and with the blood on her face her tears started to stain red.
She couldn't stand to run out. Kaoru gritted her teeth and gathered all her courage. She'd have to crawl her way through the room that would probably end up being a cemetery to these men. She didn't want to have to join them.
Kaoru was so shocked and stricken with fear and disgust at the bodies, she couldn't even move for a moment. Some were beheaded, some missing arms and some just plain sliced and diced. Some were chopped in half. And most were still bleeding. She cringed. This HAD to a nightmare. She ignored that most of the faces in there were familiar people from around the Inn. She felt sick. She heaved a few times. There went her meals from the past 3 days, it seemed.
All she knew was she had to get out of there. She crawled out and shut the door. Then she cried with all the strength she had left in her. She cried, hoping it would destroy the horrid images that stayed pasted in her mind's eye. She could see them. all the dead bodies. All the blood.
It was horrible.
She hated it. She hated war. She hated what it did to people. If you weren't killed you ended up like Battousai- cold, unfeeling, confused and angry. Or even like Aoshi- cold and distant.
Or like her, utterly sure she was mentally stained for life.
Then a hand grasped her arm tightly and she felt herself pulled up from her position of sitting next to a wall. She was afraid to look up. She didn't want to see who was holding her with their angry grip, but she already knew who it was.
"I told my men not to go lightly on you." He told her. "We made sure you'd listen."
Kaoru was shaking from the sight she had seen, plus a newfound fear of this man named Saitou. She didn't want to know what he would do to her now that he found out she had tried to escape. She felt a quick stabbing pain in her back and she was set on her feet, where she simultaneously collapsed from the weight on her sprained ankle. Her back was burning in pain now. She knew she hadn't been cut. It felt more like a whip had hit her, but really it had only been Saito's hand.
"Lets see what Battousai has to say when he sees you like this. I have a feeling he won't be happy."
********** **********
Kenshin had known his hunch was telling him something. He cursed himself under his breath for not leaving earlier when he KNEW he was being set up. Maybe he just didn't think that anyone would go and attack the Inn without him there. And according to Aoshi, they had already lost nearly a sixth of their men. That wasn't good.
But in reality, that wasn't the thing that was on his mind. His mind was completely on Kaoru. He was worried for her safety. He was more worried about her then anything else at that moment. And it WASN'T because she was his hold on the Oniwabanshu.
When he skid to a halt near the Inn, he was completely Battousai. His eyes were completely amber, you would have had to search long and hard to find a pupil in his eye, he was that angry. He saw the battle unfolding around the Inn, and then saw someone start to catch the Inn on fire.
And he saw Kaoru nowhere.
Battousai heard the Oniwabanshu come to a halt behind him, and he was sure they were shocked at what they found. He knew that Aoshi wouldn't be shocked. But he was sure the rooster head would be regretting coming along.
He felt the rooster head's presence behind him.
"If they'd laid a hand on Kaoru, you can be sure I will beat you for it." Came his voice. "Or my name isn't Sagara Sanosuke."
Battousai didn't respond, but he knew the man meant what he said. He scowled inside, wondering why Kaoru had such protective and powerful friends.
Aoshi have his instructions to the Oniwabanshu and they split up. Then he walked over toward Battousai and Sano.
"None of the women are out here. I think they're holding them in the Inn." Battousai told them. "Aoshi. I need you to go around to the back and about 300 yards in the woods is a little shed. See if any of the officials are in there and let them know that I'm here. Sanosuke, you are going with me."
Both men nodded and did as they were instructed to do.
********** **********
Kaoru was being pulled by her hair back up the stairs. She cursed Saitou over and over aloud, not caring if it got her beat by his men later. She was angry and she wasn't going to hold back her anger from him. She was pulled into the same room she was in before, and dropped abruptly to the floor. She scrambled to sit, despite the pain searing through her body.
Saitou opened at window, and he appeared to grin down at the battle. Kaoru wanted to ask him if he was insane, but bit her tongue. She wasn't going to make him come back over to her.
********** **********
Battousai and Sano stopped up near the Inn. Battousai was searching for a room with light in it. Sano had used the futae-no-kiwami (I don't know how to spell that, help me out if I spelled it wrong!) on some of the men that had been blocking their way, and Battousai had yet to produce his sword.
When they saw the window open they both glared up at it.
"Saitou!" Battousai's shrill voice stated.
Saitou had grinned down at him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Battousai asked.
Saitou laughed. "Well, I am the enemy, don't you think it's right that I attack?"
He sent his cigarette falling down and it landed in Sano's hair. Sano said his fair choice of words as he fought to get it and the ashes out of his hair.
"Where are the women?" Battousai asked. He wasn't going to ask for Kaoru specifically. That would add to her danger.
"Oh, you mean the ones that are in this room? Hold on." Saitou stated coolly as he walked off momentarily.
Battousai and Sano both heard a shriek from in the room and then Saitou appeared again.
"Here's one of them." He responded.
He held Kaoru out the window slightly, holding onto her blood-soaked kimono.
Battousai's breath caught in his throat. Sano's eyes grew huge.
Authors Notes: hahahahaha..... cliffhanger!!! Don't you just hate them? I'm sorry, don't kill me for ruining Kaoru's state of mind! (hides and throws RK plushies at everyone along with cookies and muffins and cake and soda pop and other goodies). I'm not going to make her go insane. I was just writing off of the top of my head. I think this chapter went pretty good. I think I'm out of my writer's block stupor because I put in this big old war scene. ^-^ I'm trying not to be TOO evil here!!! Don't you worry, the next chapter is going to be up ASAP!
Yes, I am getting kinda slow on the Battousai fighting thing, but as much as I like violent scences in love stories (okay, that sounds so very mean but you gotta admit it adds to the suspense) I am not too good and writing a fight scene. And I want this one to be good, not just a flopper. Sorry in advance if I fail to use the names of moves and stuff, but I'm just not too good on remembering which is which!!! Plus, writers block tends to pop up on me in the middle of good parts and I don't want to start writing it and be like 'oh crap! I don't know what to write!'. But it's bound to be in the next chapter... promise!
I hope you liked this chapter.. Tell me if it's too graphic for the rating or if it's just plain stupid, okay?! I enjoy review of every kind. I'm bent on making you guys happy because when you're happy I'm happy!!! ^-^;; I hope I'm doing good so far!!!!
I think this chapter is one of the longer ones.. I don't know, you tell me!!!! Well, until the next chatper!!!!
Luv,
Crystal Renee
Author's Notes: Okay, I want to write!!! I just hope my stupid writers block (mumbles something unintelligible at her writers block) doesn't screw this chapter up. I want to write a fight scene. So lets see what happens, shall we? Oh, and before I start writing, I'm going to give you some story suggestions, ya know, other ones to read that I think are amazing: Broken Pieces by Linay, Dark by Dove-of-Night, Skydweller by Lady Shiin, Break Me by The Druid, Be Still My Heart by Chibi-angel3. Now for the ones I don't have pennames too: Carry On Dancing, Dance of the Fireflies, Living Life's Sense of Humor, How The Past Can Change, and Crazy Family. All these stories are AMAZING and I love them a lot!!!!! And I am a hard one to please!!!! Again, thanks to my reviewers, and I can't get personal review reply's out until I get to my grandma's house (she won't be home until later this week) so it'll be a while!!!! Oh, and I"ve seen Saito spelled these ways: Saitoh, Saito, and Saitou. I think I'm gonna go with Saitou because I see that the most. Anywayz, here your chapter!!!!
~Coming Of The Dawn~
***Chapter 8- Baths of Blood***
Kaoru stared defiantly at the guards that held her and the other women in the room of the Inn. The battle still raged outside, and the clock had struck at 2 in the morning. She started to inwardly worry about Kenshin. Or Battousai. Or whatever he was anymore, she was so confused at how he had changed from the first time she saw him, until now with his kind streaks and then mean retorts. Either way, she worried. He had said he'd be back before midnight, had he not?
It took a while, but most of the women in the room had been interrogated over what they knew about the Ishin Shishi's plans, where specific members were at, and all that sort of stuff. Kaoru was the only one who wasn't interrogated, and she had a feeling it was because they knew she didn't know anything. But even with the long and monotonous questionings, the Shisengumi still had no new information. The women kept their mouths shut, despite the fact they got injured for it. None of the injuries were too bad, and Megumi treated all.
Kaoru was the only one who was still awake, too. But she had a reason to be. She didn't know what they would do to her if she fell asleep. That man. Saitou. he had told his men not to go lightly on her if she gave them any trouble. So she sure as hell wasn't going to trust them in her sleep.
And what made them think they could use her to lure in the Battousai in the first place? She held no meaning to him other than she was his hold on the Oniwabanshu's help. Which got her thinking again. Would they be called out to battle? She knew the Oniwabanshu were highly trained, but she didn't want to see any of its members end up dead. Especially Misao and Aoshi.
Kaoru's musing continued to jump from person to person. She began to think of Sano, and wondered briefly why he had been with Misao and Aoshi. She knew Misao and Sanosuke were BOUND to get into a fight and Aoshi would get annoyed. They just didn't make a good group together. Btu Kaoru smiled when she remembered the last time she had seen Sano. She had beaten him in a friendly game of cards, and the poor guy went broke.
She hoped none of her friends, other than the ones already in this mess, had to be forced into it.
********* *********
Kenshin groaned. His back was stiff from sitting in the tree for so long. He finally gave up on waiting for his target. He had hopped down from the tree now and was making his way back to the Inn. That nagging feeling he had had earlier was still ever present in his gut, and he was finding it harder and harder to ignore.
But what was harder to ignore was that the nagging feeling had to Kaoru.
He couldn't figure out why, but he had started to worry about her as soon as he had left. When his job had been late, he started to wonder briefly if it was a set up to get to her. Of course, he couldn't FATHOM as to why someone would be stupid enough to do something like that, especially since they all worked for the same person. He would have ended up finding her in the end anyway.
Why he would look for her confused him also. He rationalized it was because he was responsible for her if they were to keep the Oniwabanshu's aid on their side. He knew if she was killed they would switched sides and join with the Shisengumi, and that would be the deciding factor of the war.
Kenshin walked and walked, and then bumped into some running people clad in ninja uniforms and being lead by a man in a trench coat.
"Shinomori Aoshi." Kenshin stated slowly, coolly. "Are you planning on getting your little friend from the Inn?"
Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu froze. Aoshi turned to face him.
"Battousai." He muttered. "Keep your arms down." He instructed the group.
Kenshin raised and eyebrow. "Where are you headed off to in suck a hurry?"
Aoshi looked at him dumbfounded. He didn't KNOW what was happening at the headquarters for his imperialist group? Aoshi wondered momentarily if this had been a set up. He looked over at Sanosuke, who had tagged along saying that 'you never know when you need one more man to get the job done'.
"Is this a set up or something?" Sanosuke asked instantly.
Kenshin looked at the man with the Aku jacket. "I really don't know what you're talking about. But I don't believe you are a member of this group. So why, may I ask, you are you joining them?"
Aoshi glared at him. "He's going to help save YOUR headquarters which is under attack right now by Shisengumi. We were requested to help, our orders stating that the Inn was in a state of emergency, with 150 dead already on your side and only 20 on the Shisengumi's."
Kenshin's eyes fell into thin amber slits. "I was the one who was set up. Damn!"
Before anymore could say another word, the Battousai was gone in a flash. Aoshi got the groups attention back, and they headed back to for the Inn at a faster rate upon hearing that the Battousai had been set up, apparently with a fake mission.
*********** ***********
Kaoru was getting sleepy. But she kept her eyes opened. Partly to be on the watch, and partly from being in too much pain to sleep. Her back ached worse than it had when she had woken up that day. The bruise throbbed and she could feel it as the blood pulsed through her body. Not to mention her arm was getting stiff where her stitches had been placed.
What see wouldn't give now for some of Megumi's cream. But for one, she didn't know where it was, and two, if she did then she had no way of getting out of the room to find it, either. Unless..
Kaoru looked up quickly with her realization. She looked at the 3 guards at the door. She looked at them closely.
They were asleep!
Slowly Kaoru stood up. She tiptoed her way to the door and looked out, seeing no one in the hall. She silently walked down the hall to the stairs, and peered down there. For some reason, she wasn't sure if it was good sign or a bad sign, the Inn was quiet.
And all the bodies that had littered the floor earlier were gone. The blood was washed from the floors. Who had gone in and washed the floors? Where were the bodies? And why was it so quiet.
Kaoru became paranoid with her swirling thoughts and deep confusion. She still walked down the stairs against her better judgment. Any chance to escape she was going to take. No matter what lie ahead, or what dangers she could walk into.
Kaoru knew full well that there was still a battle raging outside. She wasn't sure why no one was ducking for cover in the building. But she didn't take time to care because that meant she had to find a way out of there on her own. A way she wouldn't get caught.
Slowly she walked into the dining hall, shutting the door behind her. She never even bothered to look in the room before she had gone in. She stepped backward slowly until she tripped. Kaoru shut her eyes, and felt herself fall in a lukewarm, sticking and think liquid as well as on some other soft yet firm objects. She pushed herself up. There was no light, so she couldn't see anything. She groped around, finding it hard as the liquid was making her slip and smelt strange to her. She was reminded of copper by the stench. She found a wall with a lantern, and she pulled I off.
Fumbling in the dark, she found a match on a table. She sat down on a lumpy object that was wet with the liquid she had been falling and slipping in. She tried in vain to light the match. She did and then focused everything on lighting the lantern. It lit and she smiled.
"Good going Kaoru, you got light!" she screamed.
But then her smile faded.
Her face contorted with horror.
She now knew why there were no bodies and there was no blood around the Inn.
Everything had been taken into the dining hall.
Kaoru reluctantly looked at her clothing. She was soaked in blood. Then, she looked down at what she was sitting on.
She jumped up screaming blood murder upon realizing she was sitting on some dead corpse. She tripped and fell onto another, and ended up spraining her ankle in the process. She couldn't stand now. There was blood in her hair, blood on her skin, blood on her clothing. She was soaked in it. And she was stuck in a room full of dead bodies that were still leaking blood. She cried, and with the blood on her face her tears started to stain red.
She couldn't stand to run out. Kaoru gritted her teeth and gathered all her courage. She'd have to crawl her way through the room that would probably end up being a cemetery to these men. She didn't want to have to join them.
Kaoru was so shocked and stricken with fear and disgust at the bodies, she couldn't even move for a moment. Some were beheaded, some missing arms and some just plain sliced and diced. Some were chopped in half. And most were still bleeding. She cringed. This HAD to a nightmare. She ignored that most of the faces in there were familiar people from around the Inn. She felt sick. She heaved a few times. There went her meals from the past 3 days, it seemed.
All she knew was she had to get out of there. She crawled out and shut the door. Then she cried with all the strength she had left in her. She cried, hoping it would destroy the horrid images that stayed pasted in her mind's eye. She could see them. all the dead bodies. All the blood.
It was horrible.
She hated it. She hated war. She hated what it did to people. If you weren't killed you ended up like Battousai- cold, unfeeling, confused and angry. Or even like Aoshi- cold and distant.
Or like her, utterly sure she was mentally stained for life.
Then a hand grasped her arm tightly and she felt herself pulled up from her position of sitting next to a wall. She was afraid to look up. She didn't want to see who was holding her with their angry grip, but she already knew who it was.
"I told my men not to go lightly on you." He told her. "We made sure you'd listen."
Kaoru was shaking from the sight she had seen, plus a newfound fear of this man named Saitou. She didn't want to know what he would do to her now that he found out she had tried to escape. She felt a quick stabbing pain in her back and she was set on her feet, where she simultaneously collapsed from the weight on her sprained ankle. Her back was burning in pain now. She knew she hadn't been cut. It felt more like a whip had hit her, but really it had only been Saito's hand.
"Lets see what Battousai has to say when he sees you like this. I have a feeling he won't be happy."
********** **********
Kenshin had known his hunch was telling him something. He cursed himself under his breath for not leaving earlier when he KNEW he was being set up. Maybe he just didn't think that anyone would go and attack the Inn without him there. And according to Aoshi, they had already lost nearly a sixth of their men. That wasn't good.
But in reality, that wasn't the thing that was on his mind. His mind was completely on Kaoru. He was worried for her safety. He was more worried about her then anything else at that moment. And it WASN'T because she was his hold on the Oniwabanshu.
When he skid to a halt near the Inn, he was completely Battousai. His eyes were completely amber, you would have had to search long and hard to find a pupil in his eye, he was that angry. He saw the battle unfolding around the Inn, and then saw someone start to catch the Inn on fire.
And he saw Kaoru nowhere.
Battousai heard the Oniwabanshu come to a halt behind him, and he was sure they were shocked at what they found. He knew that Aoshi wouldn't be shocked. But he was sure the rooster head would be regretting coming along.
He felt the rooster head's presence behind him.
"If they'd laid a hand on Kaoru, you can be sure I will beat you for it." Came his voice. "Or my name isn't Sagara Sanosuke."
Battousai didn't respond, but he knew the man meant what he said. He scowled inside, wondering why Kaoru had such protective and powerful friends.
Aoshi have his instructions to the Oniwabanshu and they split up. Then he walked over toward Battousai and Sano.
"None of the women are out here. I think they're holding them in the Inn." Battousai told them. "Aoshi. I need you to go around to the back and about 300 yards in the woods is a little shed. See if any of the officials are in there and let them know that I'm here. Sanosuke, you are going with me."
Both men nodded and did as they were instructed to do.
********** **********
Kaoru was being pulled by her hair back up the stairs. She cursed Saitou over and over aloud, not caring if it got her beat by his men later. She was angry and she wasn't going to hold back her anger from him. She was pulled into the same room she was in before, and dropped abruptly to the floor. She scrambled to sit, despite the pain searing through her body.
Saitou opened at window, and he appeared to grin down at the battle. Kaoru wanted to ask him if he was insane, but bit her tongue. She wasn't going to make him come back over to her.
********** **********
Battousai and Sano stopped up near the Inn. Battousai was searching for a room with light in it. Sano had used the futae-no-kiwami (I don't know how to spell that, help me out if I spelled it wrong!) on some of the men that had been blocking their way, and Battousai had yet to produce his sword.
When they saw the window open they both glared up at it.
"Saitou!" Battousai's shrill voice stated.
Saitou had grinned down at him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Battousai asked.
Saitou laughed. "Well, I am the enemy, don't you think it's right that I attack?"
He sent his cigarette falling down and it landed in Sano's hair. Sano said his fair choice of words as he fought to get it and the ashes out of his hair.
"Where are the women?" Battousai asked. He wasn't going to ask for Kaoru specifically. That would add to her danger.
"Oh, you mean the ones that are in this room? Hold on." Saitou stated coolly as he walked off momentarily.
Battousai and Sano both heard a shriek from in the room and then Saitou appeared again.
"Here's one of them." He responded.
He held Kaoru out the window slightly, holding onto her blood-soaked kimono.
Battousai's breath caught in his throat. Sano's eyes grew huge.
Authors Notes: hahahahaha..... cliffhanger!!! Don't you just hate them? I'm sorry, don't kill me for ruining Kaoru's state of mind! (hides and throws RK plushies at everyone along with cookies and muffins and cake and soda pop and other goodies). I'm not going to make her go insane. I was just writing off of the top of my head. I think this chapter went pretty good. I think I'm out of my writer's block stupor because I put in this big old war scene. ^-^ I'm trying not to be TOO evil here!!! Don't you worry, the next chapter is going to be up ASAP!
Yes, I am getting kinda slow on the Battousai fighting thing, but as much as I like violent scences in love stories (okay, that sounds so very mean but you gotta admit it adds to the suspense) I am not too good and writing a fight scene. And I want this one to be good, not just a flopper. Sorry in advance if I fail to use the names of moves and stuff, but I'm just not too good on remembering which is which!!! Plus, writers block tends to pop up on me in the middle of good parts and I don't want to start writing it and be like 'oh crap! I don't know what to write!'. But it's bound to be in the next chapter... promise!
I hope you liked this chapter.. Tell me if it's too graphic for the rating or if it's just plain stupid, okay?! I enjoy review of every kind. I'm bent on making you guys happy because when you're happy I'm happy!!! ^-^;; I hope I'm doing good so far!!!!
I think this chapter is one of the longer ones.. I don't know, you tell me!!!! Well, until the next chatper!!!!
Luv,
Crystal Renee