A/N: I am truly sorry that I have taken this long to update. I apologize
for my outburst in previous chapters. I think a compromise is at hand
here. You, my faithful reviewers, have been correct in pointing out my
faults. Himura Kenshin's eyes are not blue. However, they are not purple
either. They are a brilliant mixture between blue and purple, a sort of
lavender, or periwinkle, if you will. That is when he is in "happy-mode."
In "anger-mode," his eyes are a mixture of purple and red, which might be
called fuchsia or magenta. And, as Himura Battousai, his eyes are indeed
amber. Please forgive me for my rudeness, and I hope that you all will
accept this heartfelt compromise. Now, without further ado, on to chapter
six.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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~06~
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Sano was leaning against the wall next to the door that led below-deck, watching Kaoru and Yahiko with a slight grin on his face. Who couldn't smile with all this happy karma going around?
Think about it. They were going to see Kenshin! After a whole month of waiting!
Yet, there was something bugging him.
There was probably a reason that Kenshin left. And if it was to protect them...
Weren't they doing the opposite of what he wanted by going to him?
Sano burrowed his brow in thought, concentrating hard on this. The boat slowed to a stop at the Kyoto dock, and Kaoru jumped away from Yahiko, grinning.
"That was great, Yahiko, you've really improved."
Yahiko drew himself up proudly.
"I've been practicing."
Sanosuke stood up and stretch, then cocked his head toward the side of the ferry, where the crew was lowering a bridge to the dock. As the three of them walked to dry land-along with the other passengers in the boat, of course-Kaoru remembered some piece of vital information.
"Hey, Sanosuke?"
"Hmm?"
He peered down at her out of one eye; his left eye was shut. He had a fish bone sticking out of his mouth, and he was gnawing on it. Kaoru looked up at him.
"Where do we start looking?"
"Oh, I have a few ideas..."
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Aoshi was staring at the ceiling. Waiting. He could hear footsteps in the hall. Two pairs of them. One light, one heavy. A female and a male. The heavier footsteps were familiar...
The door opened and the male stepped inside. The female left. Aoshi turned his head to greet his guest.
"Hajime Saito."
Saito walked in and smirked.
"You look terrible. Not much better off than before, eh?"
Aoshi laughed a bit.
"No, not much."
Saito walked in the rest of the way, standing by Aoshi's mat. His smirk was gone, replaced by a thin line that appeared when he was in a serious mood.
"Well?"
Aoshi sat up, holding his stomach with one hand and supporting his weight with the other. He grimaced from the pain, and then looked up at Hajime.
"I think I fazed him."
Saito smirked.
"You think you brought him back?"
Aoshi's voice was strained.
"I don't know. But I got close."
"I'll have to go see for myself. What was it that you told him to 'faze' him?"
"I told him that people don't change."
Saito's smirk returned.
"All right then. See you soon."
He turned on his heel and left the room. Once outside the house, he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and grinned.
"This time, I have you, Himura."
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Sano spotted Saito in the crowd. He didn't draw attention to himself. Some things were better left untouched.
The three of them were heading to the Oniwabanshu house. Sanosuke had mentioned that if Kenshin needed a place to hide out or anything, there were only two places in Kyoto he would go. And the house of the Oniwaban group was one of them.
Yahiko rapped on the door. No answer.
"Maybe they're not here...?"
Kaoru shook her head.
"Impossible. There's gotta be at least someone..."
"Knock again, Yahiko."
Yahiko nodded at Sano's command and knocked again. Light footsteps were heard. Misao opened the door, and stared at Kaoru. There were tears in her eyes. Kaoru looked back in concern.
"Misao-"
Kaoru was cut off by an outburst from Misao.
"Kaoru!!"
Misao pushed past Yahiko and threw her arms around Kaoru's neck, and buried her face in Kaoru's shoulder. Kaoru's eyes were worried but kind as she attempted to comfort her.
"Misao... what happened...?"
Yahiko was rubbing his shoulder where Misao had shoved him, but didn't make a sound; he knew when to remain silent. Sano was watching with a grim expression-he knew what was coming next.
"I'm sorry!"
Misao spoke, her voice muffled by Kaoru's yellow robes. Kaoru again spoke, calm and comforting.
"What happened, Misao?"
"Kenshin was here-long time, 'bout a month-and Aoshi said something to him- he left!"
Kaoru watched Misao, trying to process what she'd been told.
"Kenshin was here?"
Misao lifted her head and looked into Kaoru's eyes then nodded.
"But he left...?"
Misao nodded again. Sano spoke.
"You mentioned Aoshi. What did that bastard have to say to Kenshin?"
"He told him... he told him that... that people don't change!"
Kaoru and Yahiko blinked, while Sano's eyes narrowed.
"Just as I thought..."
Misao was crying harder than ever.
"Miss Kaoru, you can't go after him! Not after he left to protect you!"
Kaoru's eyes were shadowed by her dark bangs. A small tear slid down her cheek, and her voice cracked when she spoke.
"He left... to protect me... Kenshin..."
She took a backwards step, away from Misao, then turned and ran. Misao was about to go after her, but Sanosuke help out his arm.
"This is her fight. We can't help; she must face Battousai the Manslayer alone..."
Misao nodded solemnly as she watched Kaoru run off.
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Meanwhile, Kaoru focused on the path in front of her. She couldn't seem to think about anything other than the fact that Kenshin had left to protect her. She didn't know whether she wanted to knock him unconscious or to pull him into a hug and tell him everything was all right.
Yet, it wasn't.
Kenshin... you've always protected me from harm... Now... it's my turn...
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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
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~06~
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Sano was leaning against the wall next to the door that led below-deck, watching Kaoru and Yahiko with a slight grin on his face. Who couldn't smile with all this happy karma going around?
Think about it. They were going to see Kenshin! After a whole month of waiting!
Yet, there was something bugging him.
There was probably a reason that Kenshin left. And if it was to protect them...
Weren't they doing the opposite of what he wanted by going to him?
Sano burrowed his brow in thought, concentrating hard on this. The boat slowed to a stop at the Kyoto dock, and Kaoru jumped away from Yahiko, grinning.
"That was great, Yahiko, you've really improved."
Yahiko drew himself up proudly.
"I've been practicing."
Sanosuke stood up and stretch, then cocked his head toward the side of the ferry, where the crew was lowering a bridge to the dock. As the three of them walked to dry land-along with the other passengers in the boat, of course-Kaoru remembered some piece of vital information.
"Hey, Sanosuke?"
"Hmm?"
He peered down at her out of one eye; his left eye was shut. He had a fish bone sticking out of his mouth, and he was gnawing on it. Kaoru looked up at him.
"Where do we start looking?"
"Oh, I have a few ideas..."
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*
Aoshi was staring at the ceiling. Waiting. He could hear footsteps in the hall. Two pairs of them. One light, one heavy. A female and a male. The heavier footsteps were familiar...
The door opened and the male stepped inside. The female left. Aoshi turned his head to greet his guest.
"Hajime Saito."
Saito walked in and smirked.
"You look terrible. Not much better off than before, eh?"
Aoshi laughed a bit.
"No, not much."
Saito walked in the rest of the way, standing by Aoshi's mat. His smirk was gone, replaced by a thin line that appeared when he was in a serious mood.
"Well?"
Aoshi sat up, holding his stomach with one hand and supporting his weight with the other. He grimaced from the pain, and then looked up at Hajime.
"I think I fazed him."
Saito smirked.
"You think you brought him back?"
Aoshi's voice was strained.
"I don't know. But I got close."
"I'll have to go see for myself. What was it that you told him to 'faze' him?"
"I told him that people don't change."
Saito's smirk returned.
"All right then. See you soon."
He turned on his heel and left the room. Once outside the house, he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and grinned.
"This time, I have you, Himura."
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Sano spotted Saito in the crowd. He didn't draw attention to himself. Some things were better left untouched.
The three of them were heading to the Oniwabanshu house. Sanosuke had mentioned that if Kenshin needed a place to hide out or anything, there were only two places in Kyoto he would go. And the house of the Oniwaban group was one of them.
Yahiko rapped on the door. No answer.
"Maybe they're not here...?"
Kaoru shook her head.
"Impossible. There's gotta be at least someone..."
"Knock again, Yahiko."
Yahiko nodded at Sano's command and knocked again. Light footsteps were heard. Misao opened the door, and stared at Kaoru. There were tears in her eyes. Kaoru looked back in concern.
"Misao-"
Kaoru was cut off by an outburst from Misao.
"Kaoru!!"
Misao pushed past Yahiko and threw her arms around Kaoru's neck, and buried her face in Kaoru's shoulder. Kaoru's eyes were worried but kind as she attempted to comfort her.
"Misao... what happened...?"
Yahiko was rubbing his shoulder where Misao had shoved him, but didn't make a sound; he knew when to remain silent. Sano was watching with a grim expression-he knew what was coming next.
"I'm sorry!"
Misao spoke, her voice muffled by Kaoru's yellow robes. Kaoru again spoke, calm and comforting.
"What happened, Misao?"
"Kenshin was here-long time, 'bout a month-and Aoshi said something to him- he left!"
Kaoru watched Misao, trying to process what she'd been told.
"Kenshin was here?"
Misao lifted her head and looked into Kaoru's eyes then nodded.
"But he left...?"
Misao nodded again. Sano spoke.
"You mentioned Aoshi. What did that bastard have to say to Kenshin?"
"He told him... he told him that... that people don't change!"
Kaoru and Yahiko blinked, while Sano's eyes narrowed.
"Just as I thought..."
Misao was crying harder than ever.
"Miss Kaoru, you can't go after him! Not after he left to protect you!"
Kaoru's eyes were shadowed by her dark bangs. A small tear slid down her cheek, and her voice cracked when she spoke.
"He left... to protect me... Kenshin..."
She took a backwards step, away from Misao, then turned and ran. Misao was about to go after her, but Sanosuke help out his arm.
"This is her fight. We can't help; she must face Battousai the Manslayer alone..."
Misao nodded solemnly as she watched Kaoru run off.
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Meanwhile, Kaoru focused on the path in front of her. She couldn't seem to think about anything other than the fact that Kenshin had left to protect her. She didn't know whether she wanted to knock him unconscious or to pull him into a hug and tell him everything was all right.
Yet, it wasn't.
Kenshin... you've always protected me from harm... Now... it's my turn...
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