See 1st chapter for disclaimer
Chapter 4: The Flames of Revolution
Ranma let out a yawn and slowly laid back down on her futon, letting the sore muscles in her hands and legs finally get some rest. With all the work she had after Katsura left there hadn't been any time to do any snooping around. But there was always tomorrow. At least it was better than killing people.
Killing people. Just a few months ago Ranma would have become horrified at that thought. Ranma had never killed anyone, not even Herb when he locked her in this form for the first time. But then Happosai came, and took the one thing that was probably the most important thing in the entire world to her, Nodoka. She couldn't remember how long she had wanted to meet her mother as a man, free of the curse. To make her proud by being the son she wanted.
Then Happosai took that away just so he could cop a feel twenty four seven. Something snapped inside Ranma's mind that day. Her anger and hatred of the old freak pushed her past a barrier that had been set up, and for that brief period of time she became stronger, faster, more powerful than she ever had…but she lost something too, that little piece of her mind that said what she was doing was wrong. But while the power vanished and that little piece came back a few days later, its voice didn't seem to be as loud as it once was.
The sound of a door opening and Tomoe's scent filling her nose brought Ranma out of her thoughts and made her look to the woman coming to lay down on the futon next to her. Ranma looked at her for a moment. What was it about this woman? Just being around her, having the scent of white plums fill the air, seemed to make Ranma relax. She seemed to radiate peace and calm like Kasumi, but it was so refined and didn't seem to have the eldest Tendo's naivety.
"Is something wrong?" Tomoe asked after settling under her covers causing Ranma to jerk a little.
Realizing that she had been staring Ranma quickly turned onto her back and let out a sigh. "Nah, I'm fine," she recovered. "Sorry for staring, it's just…you remind me of someone I used to know." As thoughts of her mother entered Ranma's mind she quickly pushed them aside, she couldn't think about that right now. She really needed to change the subject. "Oh, uh, sorry for waking you up last night with my nightmare and all."
"That is quite alright," Tomoe replied. "You looked like you needed it anyway." She paused for a moment as if unsure what to say then looked back over to Ranma. "Do you mind telling me what it was about? Talking about your problems can sometimes help you know, especially ones that cause you bad dreams."
"Naw, it was probably just a one time thing," Ranma assured her before readjusting herself into a more comfortable position and closing her eyes. "Night, Tomoe."
"Good night Sakura, and sweet dreams," the woman replied.
However, Ranma's dreams were far from what Tomoe wished them to be.
It was dark, too dark to make out anything around him as Ranma walked home towards the dojo. Behind him a trail of red liquid was left from the blood running down his hands. But that didn't matter, he was finally going to get to come home, after so much time. Everything he had worked so hard for had finally worked out, and he was home.
Opening the door Ranma was greeting by a huge welcome back sign and all of his friends and family. He looked around, counting off all the people in his mind. There was Ukyo, and Akane, and Kasumi, the old ghoul Cologne, Shampoo, Genma, his mother, Hiroshi, Yuka, Ryoga, Happosai holding his decapitated head, the nobleman who's heart he had ripped out, the young samurai with his head twisted 180 degrees, the old balm man who's throat he had ripped out…a young member of the shogunate who's chest he had caved in…the list and faces that accompanied them went on and on, and as he looked around the room Ranma notices that instead of looking of welcome hatred and fear were plain on everyone's faces.
"Akane?" Ranma asked.
"EEEEK Get it away," the girl shrieked before running back with a terrified expression and into Ryoga's arms.
"What a sick and disgusting thing," Kasumi said.
"It's an animal, get it away," Ukyo screamed.
"Foul creature," Genma yelled. "Get back down where you belong!" At Genma's shout the floor beneath Ranma gave way beneath him and he reached out in time to grab the ledge. Below, Ranma could hear the sound of cats hissing and crying out in anger while blood red claws reached to try and drag him down.
Terrified, Ranma looked back up to the edge, trying to get a better grip, but the blood, there was so much blood on his hands they were to slippery. He clawed forward, trying to pull himself up, but the blood, it made it so hard. Finally, he looked up to see his mother standing above him. "Mom!" Ranma cried. "Mom you've got to help me, I came back for you mom! Don't let him to this!"
Nodoka stood there silent and unmoving for a moment before slowly drawing her katana. She looked at Ranma with a scowl before finally making a downward slash to slice off his fingers and let him fall down to where the cats were waiting.
Tomoe was awoken in the middle of the night again by the sound of Sakura talking in her sleep. She slowly looked over to see the girl thrashing and mumbling in her sleep, it was another nightmare. For a moment Tomoe could only lay there and wonder what could trouble Sakura so much. She had seemed too alive and vibrant during the day, but now she looked a like a lost child.
Slowly, Tomoe pushed the covers on her futon back and sat up to shake Sakura awake when the sound of the girl talking in her sleep caused her to stop. "No…dad…no…please…stop…I don't…please someone make them stop."
Tomoe could only sit there in shock. Had her father…? From what she could tell Tomoe knew that Sakura was a ronin that was taken in like Tomoe herself was, but she never knew the reason. It wasn't any wonder that the poor girl ran away from home.
Her moments hesitation gone Tomoe slowly reached down and pulled the blankets off of Sakura then brought the short girl up into her arms, and out the grasp of whatever demons her sleeping mind had sent roaming free. A few seconds later Tomoe could hear light sobbing as Sakura cried into the older woman's breast like a child while Tomoe rocked her back and forth.
As the night wore on Tomoe eventually calmed Sakura down and she talked to the girl to try and get her mind off those things. Finally, tiredness started to settle in on both the women and Tomoe once again wrapped her arms around the younger girl like a mother before pulling her into Tomoe's own bed and putting a blanket over them both.
This time, as she lay sleeping there, Sakura didn't kick, scream, or moan once. In fact, even in the dark night, Tomoe could see a smile appear on the girl's face.
Three days later Ranma found herself helping Tomoe and the other women of the inn set flowers inside vases. In the previous four nights Ranma had fallen into a pattern: look around for anything unusual in one of the men's quarters, find nothing, finish up the work at the in, go back to her room and see Tomoe writing in her journal or letters to her family, then climb into bed and wait for Tomoe to come and go to sleep. All in all it wasn't that bad.
She looked down at the arrangement of flowers in front of her, and almost wanted to laugh. Only a few months ago, if anyone had told Ranma she would have been doing something like this she would have broken every bone in his or her body. But now…it just made her feel so…peaceful and relaxed, it was a feeling she hadn't felt in recent weeks, and it felt good.
As two of the girls departed to get more vases Ranma caught the scent of white plum in the air and looked up to see Tomoe sitting down with another basket of flowers.
Tomoe Yukishiro…Ranma really didn't know what she felt about the woman. She had spent another night in the woman's arms like the night before. It was a strange relationship that didn't seem to make much sense to her. When Ranma was awake, she could easily fend off any number of attacks or other kinds of threats, but when it came time to sleep, Ranma soon found herself lacking in defenses and Tomoe protected her. Even in a state of unconsciousness Ranma could feel the other woman's delicate arms wrapped around her and her scent seeped into Ranma's nose, reassuring her of Tomoe's presence.
It was like…a mother and her child.
Taking the basket from Tomoe Ranma smiled then looked back down to continue her thoughts.
Was that what she was it was supposed to be like with a mother and her son? Ranma had never really met her mother, oh she had seen her, and talked to her as 'Ranko' but the relationship with Nodoka was nothing compared to the kind of bond she had with Tomoe.
Whenever Nodoka came to the house she always became so intent on making 'Ranko Tendo' into a proper young lady all the meanwhile asking about her 'manly son' while holding her katana; she might has well of been waving that seppuku contract in Ranma's face while she was at it. She wanted to force everyone and everything into what she thought was proper for a traditional Japanese household. Then there was Tomoe, a real traditional Japanese woman. But instead of trying to work on Ranma's manners or turning her into something she wasn't, Tomoe accepted what was and was the best friend that Ranma had found in her entire life, despite the fact that Ranma was currently considered without a family; which was considered an even worse taboo in this time than in his own.
Slipping back into her Sakura persona the redhead slowly looked over to where Tomoe was sitting and helping with the flowers and then noticed they were still alone. "Thank you," she said quietly. "For last night I mean, and for not telling anyone."
Sakura felt a soft hand stroke her hair a little then felt a little squeeze on her palm. "It's alright," Tomoe whispered.
Sakura gave the woman a little smile then pushed the few strands of hair back behind her back. It was strange, when she thought about it, she had taken the dragon hair out of her pigtail when she had started working at the inn, hell she didn't even wear it in a pigtail anymore and just let it hang loose; but it hadn't seemed to grow any. Maybe it was some weird side effect of her insane hair growth a year ago.
Putting those thoughts aside, Sakura sat down near the back of the garden along with her honorary mother as they began to arrange the flowers for the vases. Strange, only a year ago she would have felt ashamed doing this very thing no matter what the reason. Now, Sakura couldn't imagine herself being any happier any other way.
Leaning over on her mother's shoulder for support, Ranma sighed in contentment as her eyes slowly closed under the weight of little sleep for the past few nights. But instead of putting her back on alert, Tomoe simply scooted the younger girl closer so she would have better support and then continued on with her work.
The rain was coming down in a refreshing drizzle as Katsura sat inside the small hut, a small rest stop about a mile outside Kyoto, alongside Katagai and with his back towards Iizuka. The field chief was currently eating some miniature rice balls, and had come to tell them all the information he had gathered on that new girl at the inn, Tomoe.
"What have you learned?"
"Well judging by her accent and manner it's clear that she isn't from Kyoto," Iizuka replied to Katsura's question. "From what I've seen of her writing I'm sure she was finely educated. At first I thought she was from a wealth samurai family from the Kanto region. But, when I checked there was no record of her identity in the family registries. As a last resort I checked around all the whorehouses but no one knew her name or her scent; white plum by the way."
"Well, if she is a spy she could have destroyed her records," Katagai surmised.
"No, I would have come across something like that already," Iizuka responded. "And the only person she ever seems to talk to is that red haired girl that you brought in Katsura. So, unless that tramp's her contact it's unlikely that she's a spy." He paused for a moment to get a bite of rice then continued. "My guess is that her family became so poor they sold her into prostitution, and she just drifted here with the trade rout. It happens all the time."
"I see," Katsura replied. "Anything else?"
"Nope, that's all I could find."
Katsura nodded and stood up along with Katagai before setting his cup of tea down and gathering his traveling clothes for the long walk back to Kyoto. Well, if Iizuka couldn't find any incriminating evidence about her then he might as well let the girl stay. Katsura had already tried getting some information out of Sakura but the girl refused to even look at what the woman was writing in her journal. The girl was becoming more rebellious of late, but seemed to be acting more natural, and that strange aura of cold that had surrounded her during their meetings had dissipated. Was this the way she acted before he met her? If so, as long as it didn't get in the way Katsura was willing to let it continue. It seemed a shame to crush a spirit of a girl like that, even if it was for a good cause.
As they neared Kyoto, Katsura's thoughts turned towards other matters. So far Sakura's investigation hadn't turned up anything. It seemed she was a much better assassin than a spy. If she kept at this snails pace of investigation then he would have to turn the matter over to someone else. The question was who? If they knew about Kenshin then they must have been close to Katsura himself in the chain of command, right now the only person he could think of that would fit the bill would be Katagai. But Katagai was needed for other matters.
His train of thought ended as he departed from Katagai and headed for his home. After getting some of the servants and finding he had a letter from one of his comrades Katsura headed up to his private dinning room where his wife Ikumatsu was waiting for him in her blue kimono and a flue in her hand. As soon as he sat down in front of his meal she put her lips to the instrument and played.
Katsura simply sat there for a moment and listened to the music for a moment. It was a nice, peaceful song that drove the tension out of his body. Sometimes, he thought that if it wasn't for his wife's music to sooth him, Katsura would have gone insane with the stress of this conflict a long time ago.
As the song continued Katsura took a sip of tea then opened the letter to read it.
Be careful Katsura, your hometown in rumbling with rumors and skepticism about Choshu clan. The old politicians are too frightened to support you against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Mieabi's group is probably the worst. For now, we need to be patient.
The letter was not signed with any signature, as it shouldn't be in case it was discovered before arrival. In fact it was a risk just mentioning Katsura's name at all.
"So, was it bad news?" Ikumatsu asked.
"I'm afraid I haven't read a letter of good news in many years," Katsura confessed.
"Oh really?" she replied. "I recall writing letters to you."
"Those were different," he told her. The smile he got from the woman was the only response he needed for his comment.
"How is Takasugi faring?" she asked in a change of subject.
"His health is declining daily," Katsura told her sadly. "Now, he can't even spend time with a woman for fear of spreading his disease."
"He can not even spend time with his consort?" she replied. "I feel sorry for her."
"She understands. Takasugi has always lived his life like a drawn sword. Once he starts out on a path nothing can deter him from his way."
"I see," she said. "You know, if Takasugi is like a drawn sword, then perhaps his wife Uno could help him by serving as a…sheath."
Katsura looked over to his wife with an eyebrow slightly raised. He could see her analogy, like a sword that is constantly in use it would evenly become ruined and useless before its time. The same could be said for man, heading down one path with unwavering determination without rest of any kind would definitely take years off a person's life. "I suppose so."
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence and Katsura bid farewell to his wife before leaving the house. He still had some work to do, and another assignment for Kenshin tonight. Just because his enemies knew of Kenshin's existence didn't mean that they knew his targets.
It was the middle of the night as Hajime Saito along with seven other of his men stood on a dirt rode right in front of a flight of stairs that led to a Shinto temple a little ways outside of Kyoto. However he and his men weren't here to pray or anything else of the like, they were here on business. Below them stood the body of one of their number, and three more lay dead on the steps.
The group of dead men had been given an assignment of protecting a government official that had been visiting the shrine this very night. However it seemed that nothing went as expected.
"His bones were cut clean through," Okita said while looking at the dead man. Okita was probably one of the youngest members in the Shinsen Gumi, but also one of the most skilled. Anyone who thought him inexperienced because of his age would end up dead.
"Yes," another of the men agreed. "It was obviously a Jigen Swordsman."
"No not possible," another argued.
Saito only halfway listened to their conversation while studying the bodies and the way they were cut. It told him all he needed to know about what happened during the battle. "The assassin killed this one first," Saito said pointing at the body on the ground. "Probably before he even knew what happened." He looked up to the stairs were the second body was. "Then he probably swept Soudou's first attack. After that, he ran up the stairs to draw the leader away from the crowd, and then drove his katana into Soudou's gut; injuring, but not killing. As Soudou stumbled backwards the assassin came down from above and stuck whit putting his weight into the swing, Soudou tried to block it but his sword was cut in half from the blow, followed by the collarbone, it was all done in one strike. The second samurai charged in and got off one attack, maybe two, but he became overextended and the assassin cut his spine in half."
Saito looked over to the tree where Soudou's blade was still imbedded in the tree. The assassin was good, no doubt about that. "If he had received a blow from a Jigen swordsman, he would have just had his sword cut in two."
"This level is skill is higher," Okita surmised.
"Yes," Saito agreed. "Far more so. Had I known a swordsman of this caliber was out there; I would have accompanied these men personally. Whoever did this…he is nothing less than a demon in human form."
It was far into the night as Kenshin stepped into the inn alone. They had been ambushed tonight while out on a mission. But this time instead of an assassin it had been the Shinsen Gumi. Nothing he couldn't handle of course, but disturbing nonetheless. Iizuka had already left to tell Katsura about it and remove what little doubt there was about a traitor within the organization.
After making his way to the back room he found a bucket of clean water and dampened a cloth that he always carried with him on missions now to wipe away the blood of his scar. As a drop of blood fell from his left cheek Kenshin felt the presence of another enter the room, but didn't turn around.
It was her, Tomoe, the woman he had found in what seemed like forever ago, but hadn't been that long. She was carrying a towel for him. "You should clean that would before you wash your hands," she told him before handing Kenshin the towel.
"Why are you still awake?" he asked, not wanting to really strike up a conversation but the curiosity got the better of him.
"I couldn't seem to get to sleep," she told him. "I never can stay asleep whenever you're away. I always have a strange nightmare." The woman looked back towards the stairs and smirked as if laughing at some unspoken joke.
"You should not concern yourself with me," Kenshin replied.
"Tomoe bowed a little as he took the towel then turned away. "Very well, I am sorry for bothering you."
When the next day came Tomoe found herself walking along the back of the inn along with Sakura. Ever since the first night Tomoe had stayed here the other girl had stuck to her like glue when they were both working. Wherever Tomoe went, Sakura wasn't far behind.
The one time that Tomoe had asked the girl about it, Sakura had just said that the older woman reminded Sakura of her mother. After that, Tomoe hadn't pressured Sakura for anything else relating to the topic. Now that she thought about her previous experience in this particular field, it made a kind of sense. Sakura didn't seem to have anyone or anything, and was trying to find something stable to cling to in this world. Tomoe didn't have the heart to deny her something like that, and having Sakura around, with her laughter and strange mannerisms, it seemed to take her own pain away a little as well.
Today, they both had gone down to the flower vendor to pick up replacements for the lilies that had wilted or died. The inn proprietor seemed to pay special attention to her decor and was quick to correct any flaws. However it wasn't as if the Choshu men seemed to care about it at all. Well, they were men after all.
The sound of shouting from one of the side rooms stopped them momentarily before they continued. "I wonder what all that was about," Tomoe wondered aloud.
"From what I heard it sounded like all the killers were just told they had to stop killing for awhile," Sakura replied. "Probably a good idea with that spy around."
Tomoe blinked a few times at her short, redheaded friend in confusion. "Spy?" she asked causing the girl to blanch. "Sakura, where did you hear something like that?"
The girl just stood there frozen for a moment before tying to recover. "Well, I…uh…you know…uh…" However it didn't exactly work very well.
Seeing the girl's hesitation and her refusal to look Tome in the eye, the older woman decided to take a somewhat wild guess. "Sakura, you aren't sleeping with any of the men for information are you?" she asked. Well, it wasn't really that wild of a guess, Sakura almost always came into the room later than Tomoe did herself, and she knew that the younger girl wasn't working at the inn, they both had the same shifts.
"What?" she said through clenched teeth. "That has got to be the craziest thing I've ever heard! You actually think that I would…" the girl paused then shivered in disgust. "Come on, let's hurry up and get these things to the back before the boss decided we're goofing off and makes us to extra chores."
As the morning passed into midday Tomoe once again found herself outside Kenshin's room, looking in from the open door. Inside, Kenshin was asleep against a stack of books with his sword propped up next to him. Except for the books his room was barren and empty.
Trying to be as quiet as she could as not to make him Tomoe slowly made her way across the room with a blue blanket in her hands to wrap around the young man. However her journey was stopped when she felt her foot collide with something small. When she looked down she saw a top, a child's toy.
She looked up into Kenshin's face as his head nodded back and forth in slumber. A child…But even a child can commit murder, she thought while wrapping the blanket around the red haired boy. Her train of thought became derailed as she noticed the slash on his face, the wound Kenshin had been cleaning last night, and the night before that, and every night that he went out to kill.
Why was it always bleeding? It didn't seem to be an open wound. Her curiosity getting the better of her Tomoe slowly reached forward to touch the scar, and…
Feeling a foreign presence near him Kenshin's eyes sprung open and he grabbed his sword to lash out and behead the intruder without even thinking. However a second before his blade connected Kenshin caught the woman's face, Tomoe, the woman he had seen him and the ninja fight in the rain.
His eyes widened in surprise and Kenshin quickly pushed her down to the mat with his free hand before the sword could connect with her throat. She fell backwards and her hand swung back knocking the stack of books off the table that he used to sleep against.
After catching his breath from what he almost did Kenshin cleared his thoughts. "I'm sorry," he apologized before behind down to sheath his sword, and noticed a light blue blanket hanging off his left arm.
"I thought you might need it," Tomoe told him with a sad expression. "It's very cold outside, and you sleep so close to the window."
"My apologies," Kenshin told her before placing his sword back against what was left of the stack of books and stare to rearrange them back into their previous condition.
"Have you read all these books?" Tomoe asked as she leaned down and started to help him clean up.
"No," he replied. "I haven't read any of them. They're comfortable to sleep against, that's all. An assassin needs no books."
"You know," Tomoe said. "You do not have to do this, for the rest of your life I mean. If you wished, you could stop. No one could go on killing people forever. You could find someplace peaceful, where you wouldn't have to sleep with a sword at your side."
"I've been doing that since I was a child," Kenshin replied while picking up his toy and looking at it. The only memento he had of his family, not his real family, they had all died of sickness before he was sold into slavery, but the people that had bought him, they had protected him like he was their own. To him, they had been his family, and the toy in his hand was the only thing he had to remember them by. It had been with him on the night that they were slaughtered and it was with him now. "I have seen too many people killed not to be careful."
"I'm sure that true," Tome said. "But, is this the way to intend to live the rest of your life?"
"That is the fate that I have been given," Kenshin said. "But I have no intention of living a long one. There is no reason that you should care about it anyway."
Tomoe tried to respond to his comment but Kenshin cut the woman off by handing her the blanket she had placed on him only moments ago. "Here, I thank you for your kindness. But it is better spent on someone else, nothing you have should ever smell of blood."
Tomoe simply nodded before standing up also. "I'm sorry, I was rude to speak to you this way. I'll be going now." She bowed her head and took the blanket before turned around and walking out of Kenshin's room, leaving him alone.
It's better this way, he thought as he watched her departing form. But… "Tomoe." Hearing Kenshin call out her name the woman turned around and he nodded his head. "Thank you for the offer."
It was midday as Hajime Saito stood in a small training room as Okita continually struck a practice dummy hanging from an overhead rope while their informant was going over the latest piece of information that the Shinsen Gumi spies had uncovered.
"Yosha of the Choshu and Miyabe of the Higo Clan have arrived in Kyoto," he said. "According to the confession we received from the assassin we captured there should be even more Imperialists arriving soon. However the weapons deposit we discovered at Masu-Ya wasn't enough for a large assault, so someone else has to be supplying them. I'll organize an inspection team for tonight.
"Oh, one more thing. According to Furutaka, they're planning a meeting later this evening."
"Yes, something is definitely going on," Saito agreed. "The Choshu Clan is definitely up to something."
Okita stopped in mid swing then looked over to the two men. "Katsura Kogoro is the leader of the Choshu clan right?"
"Yes, that's right," Saito confirmed.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll need to go prepare for tonight," the informant said before turning around and leaving the two Shinsen Gumi members alone in their thoughts.
"Sir?" Okita asked. "Just how much assistance can we expect from Master Hijikata?"
"I'm not sure," Saito confessed. "But for a situation such as this, he's willing to use the Shinsen Gumi."
"Do you think the assassin will be at tonight's meeting?" the boy asked.
"Doubtful," Saito told him. "People like assassins are usually kept far from the inner workings of the clan." He looked down at the boy. "Tell me something, if he were at this meeting, what would you do?"
Okita looked back up and smirked. "I would do as I was trained to do Master Saito. What would you do Master?"
"A stupid question."
Looking around the crowd he saw no one out of place. It was unlikely that anyone would be able to eavesdrop even if they were following him anyway. Kenshin then quickened his pace to catch up to Iizuka. "So what did the message from Miyabe say?"
"It instructed us to get all of out loved ones out of Kyoto before nightfall," the other assassin told him.
"So then Miyabe still plans to go through with this then?"
"Yes."
"So what are we to do then?" Kenshin asked.
"We'll just wait until Katsura tells us to take action," he said. "You know, Tomoe could be in danger if she stays here."
"So what?" Kenshin asked. "She came here on her own, and she can get out on her own."
Iizuka smirked then shook his head. "And I thought you were in love. You rescued her once, so why not do it again? Well, I've got things that need my attention elsewhere, see you later tonight." He turned down a corner while Kenshin walked on ahead, lost in his own thoughts.
The sun had long since set as Ranma made her way through the streets of Kyoto as fast as she could in her damned kimono. Earlier tonight Tomoe had asked Kenshin to take her out on a date and he agreed. However keeping a watch for her friend wasn't what Ranma was doing right now. For the entire day Ranma had been getting this weird feeling in the back of her head, like her danger sense was being set off but only as a faint buzz and not a full blown alarm.
Now that she was in the streets she could see why she felt so nervous. About one out of every four people had far more ki than the average person was all around the city. Something big was about to go down tonight, she needed to see Katsura and find out what the heck was going on.
Saito sat in the crowed of his fellow Shinsen Gumi members as the orders were being dispatched.
"Okita, Heisuke, and Tohdoh will accompany the captain," the man at the front said. "The rest will come with me." She looked back over to the man standing in the front of the room. "Sir Hondo?"
"We must thoroughly search every inch of the Kawara district tonight," the large man said. "We are engaged in battle now, and our foe must be dead or enchained by sunrise, and we shall pay dearly for any man we overlook. Now, rise up, and fight!"
Kenshin sat on the other side of the table from Tomoe. He had to admit, he was enjoying himself. Even the taste of the sake was better than it had been in months. Tomoe seemed to think the exact opposite it seemed, but only because she had confessed that she had been using sake to feel better about herself. Now, she just didn't need it.
"Your wound seems to have stopped bleeding," she said after a short pause.
"I haven't thought about it in days," Kenshin replied.
"You know, when I think about it," Tomoe mused. "I think about the strangest things. I think, what it must have been like for the last man that you had killed. You say that you kill people to make other people happy, but…I can see that it doesn't bring you much happiness"
"People die every day," Kenshin told her. "I don't choose my targets at random."
"No, you don't choose your victims at all," she replied. "You hope that you are killing men that deserve to die. But you've entrusted that decision on others."
"Knowing more about the people who I kill would disrupt my concentration," Kenshin said. "They die for a reason. I kill them to make a better world. That's all I need to know."
The conversation was cut short as Kenshin recognized the shape of Iizuka running in the street just before the door opened and he stepped in panting. "Kenshin, we've got to go, we're all in danger!" Kenshin only nodded before taking Tomoe's hand and following the man into the outside while he continued the explanation. "Later tonight Miyabe and his clan plan to burn Kyoto to the ground. Katsura's tried to talk them out of it but Miyabe has cut all ties with Katsura it seems."
"What? That's insane," Kenshin said while pulling Tomoe through the crowds.
"Oh that's not the end of it," Iizuka continued. "They're planning on grabbing the Emperor and them moving him to Hagi. After that they'll control the government from there. Worst of all it seems the Shinsen Gumi found out, and we're being forced into battle prematurely. You have to get to the meeting to warn everyone while I go rally the men."
"Where is the meeting being held?" Kenshin shouted.
"Sanjo Kawara's place, in Ikeda-Ya," Iizuka replied before heading off down the street as fast as he could go.
Okita kicked down the door to the Kawara estate with his sword drawn before heading to the stairs. A man with a sword rounded the corner and demanded Okita identify himself. He was a tall him with short brown hair and a clean face, not the one Okita was killing for.
The young member of the Shinsen Gumi didn't bother with a response before driving his sword through the guard's heart with a Hiritzukie and continuing on. It's not him, not the one I'm looking for. He tossed the body down the stairs to where the other men were waiting before going further up.
Kenshin led Tomoe down the street as fast as he could go, he didn't want to hurt her but at the same time he needed to hurry and get to the meeting. However their rush was cut short when a group of men with their hair in topknots and wearing green cloaks with a jagged white outline stepped around the corner. All of them were Shinsen Gumi.
"There he is!"
"That's the one, he's the assassin!"
Kenshin pushed Tomoe back before reaching for his sword. "Go back the way we came. Quickly," he told her.
"No," she said before reaching forward and holding his hand for a moment. "no, Katsura told me that I am your sheath, I must stand by your side."
Kenshin frowned in confusion, now was not the time for something like this. "What are you talking about?"
"I want to see," she said. "I want to see the real you, the one who kills. I want to see you with my own eyes."
Kenshin didn't bother with a reply as the first samurai charged him and he pushed Tomoe back out of the way while grabbing his sword. Well, if the girl wanted to die that was her own problem but he had work to do right now. Kenshin blocked the first man's attack with his own battoujitsu strike and then swung again killing him before moving on the next one and knocking him to the ground before the man rolled out of range of his sword.
"Chain vests?" Kenshin asked. "Armor won't save you! You're in my way, lay down your arms OR DIE!"
"We are the Shigesuke Heima, we are trained in the technique of Hokushin Ittio-Ryu," the leader shouted.
"YOU'RE ALL DEAD!" With his battle cry Kenshin moved on the six men in front of him. The first was able the block his first attack, but that was the only time anything came between Kenshin's sword and its target.
"Katsura," Ranma shouted as she ran through his house looking for the man. She had made a quick change into her fighting clothes in the basement before running to look for the man. Now, instead of that damn kimono she was dressed in a loose fitting Chinese shirt and pants along with the shoes she had come to this time with. The shirt wasn't silk like her original one and was black instead of red but Ranma didn't feel very picky at this moment. She also had a pair of metal bracers wrapped around her arms, after seeing that everyone here played for keeps during a fight Ranma had thought it best to be able to block without losing an arm in the process.
"Katsura, damnit where are you?" Ranma shouted again after making her way up the stairs in leaps and bounds to see both Katsura and Katagai standing at a door near the top of the stairs. Katsura had his katana in his hands and Katagai had one as well.
"Good you're here," Katsura said. "Sakura, there's been a complication."
"Gee what was your first clue?" Ranma asked. "The burning rooftops or the fact that the streets are crawling with Shinsen Gumi?" Katagai frowned at Ranma's matter but both she and Katagai paid it no mind.
"For once I don't have time to humor your manners," he said before reaching into his robe then tossing Ranma a small scroll with his own seal. "I received that two days ago. Within that scroll is half of our agreement pertaining to the Musk Village in China. Do this last job for me, and when we meet again I'll fulfill the other half of our bargain."
"Must be something pretty important if you want it this badly your willing to give me up just like that," Ranma replied. "I thought you were going to hold out on me until the end of the war."
"It is," Katsura told her. "You are to escort my consort out of the city, and make sure that she is unharmed. Do this, and you can have the location of the man you want along with his family name, plus anything else. Deal?"
Ranma nodded in agreement. "Agreed."
It was half an hour later that Ranma met Ikumatsu at the front door. Katsura and a very confused Katagai had left earlier to meet with the rest of the Choshu men while Ranma waited behind for Ikumatsu to change out of her kimono into something more fit for traveling.
When she finally came down her hair was out of the pins that she was using to hold in a bun and her makeup had been fully removed. She was still wearing a kimono but this one was completely plain, unlike the flowery one that she had on a few moments ago. She took one long look and nodded. "Now I remember where I've seen you before," she said. "You were that girl that my husband had taken in a few months ago. Why are you escorting me?"
"When Katsura met me I saved him from some local thieves," Ranma explained while looking out the window. "After that he took me in, as repayment I became one of his manslayers. He also arranged a few other things. This," she said holding up the map, "is one of them."
"Katsura's house is this way, hurry now," a shout came from outside in the streets.
Damn, couldn't the woman have taken a little less time to do her damn hair? Ranma thought. She tossed the scroll back to Ikumatsu and looked at the woman. "We've got trouble, four or five men are coming this way. Hold that for me, and run while I distract them. I'll meet you on the north rode, the same place where your husband is supposed to meet up with you. Just let me take care of a few of these men first."
Ikumatsu nodded then stepped away from the door while Ranma went outside to greet the guests. There were three of them, all older than Ranma by at least ten years, and all Shinsen Gumi. "Sorry, but if you're looking for Katsura then I'm afraid you just missed him. Now go away."
"We are the Shinsen Gumi," the leader spoke. "Now out of our way little girl."
Ranma frowned at the little girl comment. "Make me."
The man in front snarled and charged at Ranma in a forward thrusting technique she wasn't familiar with. Ranma strafed to the left to avoid the attack wile reaching up with her left arm and grabbing his sword hand while elbowing the fighter in the nose then quickly drawing her hand back and lashing out with a Yama-Sen-Ken technique to punch through his armor and chest to get at the heart. His body went limp and fell out of Ranma's grasp before she motioned the next fighter.
"Well come on, I don't have all day you know," she said.
The second and third attacked as one, Ranma quickly ducked under both their strikes then hopped to the left and sweep kicked the closest one legs out from under him then jumped over the grounded man and landed on the head of the one who was still standing in a handstand before using her momentum to twist around and rotate the Shinsen Gumi soldier's head one hundred and eighty degrees, she then flipped down while grabbing the man's sword and jabbed it into the fighter who was still on the ground, killing him.
"Ok come on let's go," Ranma shouted to the woman in the house as she ran out and to Ranma's side. She was about to take the woman up in her arms and make her way across the rooftops when she felt another battle aura getting closer, this one was much larger than the previous three. "Damn, you go on ahead, I'll catch up to you in a little while."
"Very well," Ikamatsu said as she nodded and quickly made her way down the street just before the forth ki came into view.
He was tall for a Japanese man, and unlike the three fighters before he didn't wear his hair in a topknot, this guy had a full head of it. However he was a member of the Shinsen Gumi, he wore their colors and the headband. As he came into sight Ranma made no move to hide her blood soaked hand, actually she held it up in front of her and shook it to try and stop the damn thing from dripping.
"Well now, what have we here," the man asked when he got close enough to Ranma to talk. Right off she could see this guy was definitely different from the others. It was his eyes, they seemed to glow a pale golden, and he already had someone else's blood on him from a previous battle. "I was informed to look out for an assassin with red hair, but no one said anything about it being a woman."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Ranma replied as she shifted into a combat stance. "Actually the guy you're looking for is the Battousai. I'm a whole different kind of murderer…I'm better."
"Is that so?" he asked before taking a strange stance. It was somewhat similar to what the other men had used, but he only held his sword with his left hand and it was further back. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said. "My name is Hajime Saito, and man or woman, I will show you no mercy." With that he charged at Ranma with lighting fast speed, far beyond what those goons had used.
Ranma gritted her teeth and she weaved to the side I time to avoid being skewered, but didn't have time to counterattack as Saito swung his sword around in a side sweeping attack causing her to bring her armbands up in defense and let the blow knock her back. She flipped in the air to do a quick cartwheel and land on her feet a good six meters away from Saito.
Damnit, I don't have time for this, Ranma thought. Cupping her hands in front of her before Saito could prepare another one of his charging attacks Ranma concentrated on her dreams for the past few months before she met Tomoe. All the pain, the rejection, the knowledge that she was a murderer, it all built up, and she let it out. "Shi Shi Hokodan!"
The ki blast of depression flew forward and instead of knocking Saito into a wall or something, he charged forward and jumped at the last second with his sword in a downward strike. "Gatotsu Second Style!" Ranma barely overcame her surprise of his reaction, or lack thereof, in time to jump back into the air and avoid being skewered.
As soon as he landed Saito didn't waste any time in readjusting his attack then striking upward. "Gatotsu Third Style!" This time however it seemed he finally caught the red haired girl. Ranma twisted out of the way of the swing but Saito swung his sword around like he did with his first attack clipping Ranma across the chest, right below her breasts.
They both landed on the ground and turned to face each other. The wound itself wasn't anything to worry about, easily healed in a few hours or so, but having her shirt and chest bindings cut like that was annoying as hell. "Not bad," Saito commented before going back into his Gatotsu stance. "I've heard rumors of people who could focus their ki into a weapon but this is the first time that I've actually seen it done."
"Well then here's another one for you," Ranma said before throwing her hands out in front of her. The girl let another Shi Shi Hokodan loose at Saito, but this time when he jumped over it in another Gatotsu attack Ranma ran under him and pushed her ki down to it's smallest level of the Umi-Sen-Ken before snatching a cloak off from one of the Shinsen Gumi members and jumping up to Katsura's roof and wrapping herself in the invisibility technique.
Back down on the street Saito looked around for a moment at the direction Ranma had gone then headed into the house. With her opponent temporarily gone, Ranma made her way across the rooftops of Kyoto and towards the direction that Katsura's wife had run off to.
Kenshin knocked down the door to the inn and looked around only to find the landlady standing there with a bundle of food and an umbrella. "Where is Katsura," Kenshin demanded. "Is he here?"
"No," she said. "I heard about what's going on, it's too dangerous for you two to be here." she handed him the umbrella and food. "Hurry and escape through the back entrance."
Tomoe was held up a moment as the landlady said her farewells to the woman before they both exited through the back and ran across the garden. He handed Tomoe the umbrella and supplies then kicked open the door while looking out with his hand on his sword.
"Kenshin!"
The sound of his voice made the young man look over to the alley to see Katsura standing there with his sword. The assassin sighed a bit in relief. ""Katsura, you're alive!"
"Yes," he replied. "I am alive, but my dreams are dead. Soldiers from the Kyoto Shoshidai have laid waste to the Choshu camp. We've lost everything. You two must get out of Kyoto immediately. I'll have someone prepare a safe house for you in Otsu. You will both live there as husband and wife."
Both Kenshin and Tomoe gasped at the news. "The Sogunate will be looking of an assassin, not a happily married man. Iizuka will help me keep in contact with you. Wait there for word of me. Be careful, I'll see you soon." He walked down the path a little, then looked at the woman behind Kenshin. "I thank you Tomoe."
"We should go," Kenshin said after watching Katsura enter the inn.
As the sun rose in the distance Ranma leaned against the wall of the small rest stop that Katsura had arranged to meet her at. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Ikamatsu lay asleep on one of the tables. The owner of the place had been quite loud in his protests about letting the woman sleep here but Ranma had shut him up with a harsh glare.
Hearing the sound of footsteps Ranma backed away from the wall and walked over towards the table where the woman was sleeping. It might had been refugees but there was no sense taking chances. Needless to say she was relieved when Katsura came around the corner.
"Is she alright?" he asked.
"She's fine, just a little hungry and tired," Ranma replied before walking away from the two of them. "Do you have the other half of our deal?"
"There's been a…complication," Katsura said.
Ranma frowned at the man. "Explain."
"The person I had in charge of finding that piece of information has been captured by the Shogunate," Katsura explained. "If you want that piece of information, then I'm afraid you'll have to rescue him from their grip. But I suppose that shouldn't be a problem for you. His name is Takasugi and he is being held at the imperial castle in Edo."
Ranma clenched her fists and glared at Katsura before walking over to grab the scroll with the map on it. "I see," Ranma said before draping herself in her newly acquired cloak. "In that case I would suggest you find a way to break him out before I return from China…" She ripped off the seal and looked at the map, it looked authentic enough, even had the location to the Amazon village, and Jusenkyo as well, and another place hadn't heard of called Phoenix Mountain. "Or, I will kill you for double crossing me."
With that she pulled the hood up on her cloak and vanished into the morning sun.
Next Time on Ranma ½: A Horseshoe Nail