Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Gundam Wing, Endless Waltz, Rurouni Kenshin, any movies, books, or any songs that are used in this story. All copyrights belong to their respective owners.
Notice to Readers: To understand certain parts of this story, you'll have to read the other stories before this one. It is recommended by not required.
Gundam Wing and Rurouni Kenshin
The Gundamslayer
Chapter 1: Bumps in the Night
*
The day had started out rather uneventfully. Life was so peacefully but blissfully normal around the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo. Miss Kaoru was teaching her lessons to students around Tokyo while Yahiko was practicing the very same lessons that Miss Kaoru had taught to him. Sano was somewhere in town, possibly racking up more money on his tab at the restaurant or doing some gambling in the back alleys. As for Kenshin, he was simply doing the chores that needed to be done around the Dojo. It all seemed so unreal especially after coming back from Kyoto and facing that horrible burnt crisp of a man, Shishio. Kenshin wanted to be left alone and in peace. That is how he wanted to live after the blood baths of the revolution that ushered in the Meiji Era. He wanted to leave behind the name Himura the Battousai (The Manslayer), and simply be...just be Kenshin. He smiled at the thought of just being Kenshin as he did the wash in the small bucket of water that he had.
"I'm back!" Kaoru's voice called out from the front gate of the dojo.
Kenshin looked to it and smiled, "Welcome back, Kaoru. How did the lesson go?"
"It went just as usual." She reported
"That's good, that it is." Kenshin said as he went back to washing the clothes in that bin of water.
"Where's Sano?"
"I think he's out in town somewhere."
"Probably gambling, that chicken-head." Kaoru stewed thinking about how Sano always blows whatever money he ever gets his hands upon on such silly games where the odds of winning are ridiculously small. Still, he would always go there despite what the others will tell him. Kenshin even remembered one time when Sano brought him along. Sano was desperately trying to win while his friend Kenshin simply sat back drinking hot tea. It was such a funny sight to see, Sano sweating over wining or loosing, Kenshin sipping away and occasionally blurting out numbers for Sano to use. Of course Sano never won any amount of his money back, but even the smallest annoyances were such great comforts after all that they had been through. Kenshin couldn't help but still smile away looking at Kaoru in her steaming mad state. After all, many men would say to a woman that they look cute when their angry. In Miss Kaoru's case that wasn't far from the truth and Kenshin knew that.
"Hey Kenshin, I'm back." Sano called out. Sanosuke Sagara, a former member of the Sekihoutai a resistance group against the royalists during the revolution. Above his brow was the trademark of the Sekihoutai; a red headband, but because of the hairstyle that Sano had some have come to call him "chicken head". Sano did have his own flaws such as the fact that he was a bit of a drinker as well as a gambler and Sano was certainly no stranger to trouble. In some would say that he almost invites it, but other times he exhibits great kindness, despite the fact that he goes around with a chip on both shoulders.
He walked through the gates of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo failing to notice that Miss Kaoru was there. In the same way that some people call Sano chicken-head, he also liked to call miss Kaoru, "little missy". Then again, from Sano's standpoint, everyone seemed little next to his five foot nine tall height.
"Is the little missy back yet?" He asked.
"Yes, she is." Miss Kaoru said looking very steamed at the former member of the Sekihoutai. "You were out gambling again, weren't you?"
"Yup." Sano responded idly scratching his head, "Didn't win one thing."
"You really have got to stop going there, that you must." Kenshin advised
"Sure, sure." Sano said as he went over to sit upon the porch of the dojo. There are some people who have their own kinds of bad habits. Some smoke cigarettes and as crude as it sounds, some pick at their ears. In Sano's case, he loved to chew on fish bones, much like how some men would chew on chaw (chewing tobacco). He placed the head of the fish into his mouth allowing the fish's ribcage and tail to dangle out of his mouth like a cigarette. He lied back against the great posts of the dojo, lounging in the sun and chewing away on the fish.
Miss Kaoru felt a little steamed by him, because everyone else at the dojo was helping out in anyway that they can. That is except for Sano who basically did as little as possible. She felt like slamming Sano on the head with one of her wooden swords, but there was something that distracted her. It was Kenshin, when he was speaking to Sano with concern she saw something in his eyes. A look that she had seen only one other time; it was when the Meiji government had come to him and asked him to go to Kyoto to face the Manslayer's Successor, Makoto Shishio. Back then he had a look in his eyes as if it was going to be his last day alive and she saw the same thing when he went back to wash the clothes in that wooden pail.
She allowed Sano's little characters flaws to slip away as she came to Kenshin's side. Yet, it was true that she loved him. She knew it in that moment all that time ago, that moment when Kenshin had left to face Shishio in Kyoto. She loved him more than anything else and she didn't want to see anything else happen to him.
"Kenshin?" She asked
Kenshin continued to work but he looked to her, "Yes, Kaoru?"
"You seem a little worried, is anything wrong?"
Kenshin only smiled a smile that he would soon see on another man's face in another time, "Nothing's wrong. That it isn't."
"I know something's wrong Kenshin." Miss Kaoru quickly said as Kenshin finished off his statement, "You look like this when there's something terrible on your mind."
Kenshin stopped his work and switched from his crouching position to sitting upon the dusty ground of the Dojo. He looked to his love, Kaoru, he knew full well that he couldn't hid anything from her for long.
"I think something is going to happen soon." Kenshin started "Last night, I saw a star fall from the sky. I know this to be an omen and an ominous one that it is. I've also been having dreams of something that will happen to us all as well as another event that will involve us as well as others who are much like us."
"What do you mean, Kenshin?"
The look in his eyes became even more serious, "I don't know, all I know is that it will happen soon."
Kaoru placed her arms around Kenshin, "When it does, let's face it the same way we came back to Tokyo from Kyoto...together."
"I know we will, Miss Kaoru." Kenshin whispered, "That I do."
* * *
Later that night, Kenshin and his friends enjoyed a wonderful meal that was made by Kenshin and paid for by the labor of Miss Kaoru by her teaching. It was one of those dinners that many of them wished that they could have each night. Still, the money is always short since Kaoru doesn't exactly have that many students. So, they had to enjoy every bit of it while it lasted.
"Very nice, Kenshin." Sano said as he took out another set of fish bones to chew on.
"Thank you, Sano." Kenshin accepted the complement,
"Just be thankful that I'm not charging you for it." Kaoru pointed out since it was her money that paid for the ingredients.
"She's right you know." Yahiko pointed out
Sano stewed over this, because he knew that she was right that he still had a small meal and bar tab at a small restaurant in town to pay. So she was right that he should be grateful that he's not being charged for it.
Kenshin on the other hand, couldn't help but change his glance and stare outside into the dark night. He did it much like how an astronomer would spend hours just looking up at the stars in the night sky. Until he got up and went outside to sit upon the porch and look up at the stars. Following suit was his love Miss Kaoru who had left Sano and Yahiko to deal with each other in their own way to join Kenshin. She sat down next to him but inched her way so that she would be up against him.
"It's such a wonderful night, Kenshin." Kaoru broke the ice with the samurai.
"Yes, it is." Kenshin responded as he looked down at Miss Kaoru
There are moments in life in which sometimes things are done without even thinking. They are simply done upon the impulse, an act of the heart, if you will. After all, Kaoru was Kenshin's wife. It was rather funny how the whole proposal went, Kenshin had given Kaoru a ring never knowing that giving a woman a ring means that he wants to marry her. The ones who actually broke the news were Yahiko and Sano, but still Kenshin's heart told him to go with it. It was a state of mind in which you think to yourself, "hell with the consequences" and just enjoy what's happening.
That is exactly what happened between Miss Kaoru Kamiya and Kenshin Himura. The two of them were locked eye to eye with each other and they moved ever so much more closely to each other.
Behind them, the door to where they were once eating was now only opened by a small crack. With Sano and Yahiko peeking through it. The two of them were squabbling to get a good view but trying as hard as they could not to disturb Kenshin or Kaoru and thus spoiling the moment.
"Come on, Sano." Yahiko pleaded but trying to keep his voice down, "I wanna see!"
"You're too young to understand this sort of thing." Sano said like a true grown-up in Yahiko's eyes saying those familiar words, "Because I said so".
"And you're supposed to be more mature than me, Chicken-head?" Yahiko asked
"Who you callin' Chicken-head, pip-squeak?" Sano said as he tried to push Yahiko out of the way while still trying to be very careful not to ruin the moment for Miss Kaoru and Kenshin.
While the squabbling was going on, moments within moments, each were stretched out like Salt Water taffy. Neither one of them could deny this any longer. Both of them knew it in their hearts but they couldn't bring themselves to admit it. That was until that holy moment, the kind of moment that are seen in movies. Those poignant moments that becomes etched in our hearts and minds as if they happened to us. Kenshin and Kaoru closed eyes and guided by their own senses they moved closer, inch by careful inch. Until at long last their lips touched one another's. It was something that they both wanted to treasure for as long as they could. It was like the first sip of water after crossing a desert, cool, refreshing, and desperately needed. Soon, the two of them wrapped their arms around one another in such a loving embrace, never wanting to let the other one go no matter what it meant. (Was it really their first kiss? They didn't remember, nor did either of them care to remember. They only wanted that moment, the present moment to last for as along as it could.)
SNAP!
A twig had cracked somewhere in the darkness around the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. It echoed all the way around like a great stadium. Kenshin and Kaoru broke their kiss and looked around to see who was there. The samurai quickly went for the hilt of his reverse blade sword and took his stance. He was up and ready to pounce at anything that came out of that darkness. Behind him, Sano and Yahiko came out taking their stances to face whatever was out there.
"Come out!" Sano dared whoever was in the darkness, but nothing came. There was absolute silence, aside from the rustle of the leaves and the blowing of the wind.
As it seemed that nothing was about to happen, several figures crept out of the shadows. All of them dressed in black...like ninjas. As they came within visible distance of the light it could be seen that they were ninjas. All of them armed to the teeth with swords, stars, daggers, and all kinds of assassination weapons. It seemed that they were in a standoff. The ninja's looking out from the darkness and Kenshin with his friends waiting for them to make the first move. Both didn't make a single move for what must have been nearly 10 minutes. Then...one moved. One of the ninja's dashed and jumped for Kenshin.
"HIten Mitsirugi style!" Kenshin made his signature move, "Ryu Son Sen!" He drew out the reverse blade sword and struck the ninja multiple times. That is what the attack was; it was translated as Dragon Nest Flash, which the user would slash at his opponent multiple times. Doing this to the ninja sent him plummeting to the ground like an acorn from a tree.
Instantly, the others started their attack. As they came within attacking distance, Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko already started their attack upon them. Soon, Kenshin joined in but in the back of his mind something didn't seem right. If these men were really ninjas then they should have attacked later on in the night. In complete secrecy for that matter, their tactics wouldn't have gone along these lines of actually facing their target. Then there was the question of why were so many sent? Even though Kenshin had taken them all down very easily, there was still something that felt very, very wrong about all this. he should know that more than anyone, since he's been in situations like this more than once.
As soon as they were all down for the count, Kenshin came to Kaoru's side.
"Kaoru" He said, "Go to the police and tell them what's happened here."
"Right." Kaoru acknowledged as she left the dojo.
As she left Sano came up to the samurai and asked, "Hey, what's wrong Kenshin?"
"Why do you ask?" Kenshin wondered of the Sekihoutai
"You seemed distracted while you were fighting. Trust me after seeing you in action I can tell when you're not doing your absolute best."
Kenshin finally confessed his thoughts, "Something doesn't seem right about all this."
"What do you mean?"
"If these men were really true ninja's, then we'd be dead in our own beds."
Sano seemed a little confused but then looked down at the knocked out ninja's and gave it some thought. During the whole time that they were fighting none of them had drawn their weapons. Not one sword, star, dagger, or whatever weapons that they had.
"You're right..." Sano slowly agreed looking down at them all.
"If these guys weren't real ninjas," Yahiko joined in, "then why did they attack us?"
"I don't know." Kenshin answered looking down at them with great concentration. "I just don't know."
* * *
Within a matter of one hour, Kaoru had brought back the police and then they took all of the ninja away into custody.
"Why would there be so many?" Kenshin still pondered upon this problem. "If whoever sent these men wanted us dead we would be already."
"Then that would make this a distraction." Sano concluded with pride as if he had solved the puzzle already, "Or perhaps a test of your skills to find some kind of weakness in it."
"If it was a test," Kenshin stated, "Then one of them would have gotten away to report this to their superiors."
"Then that would definitely make this a distraction." Sano said
Kenshin postulated, "If it was a distraction, what was it a distraction for?"
Sano paused as if he was already stumped, "I don't know." He said, "But there is something very interesting that I heard a rumor about."
"What's that?" Kenshin asked
"About a week ago, a group of ninja's had hijacked train shipment of gold from Kyoto to here. This gold was part of the national reserve for the Meiji government. Some claimed that the ninja's had a symbol on their uniforms. Just like the ones on the ninja's uniform."
"Even if these are the same ninja's" Miss Kaoru joined in, "what would they want here at this dojo?"
"That part I still don't know."
It puzzled Kenshin, because for the first time it didn't seem like any group was after him. In the past with all the adventures and run-ins that he's had usually he's come across people who want to kill him. Either that or fight him to match their skills up against him. In a way, he was like one of those great gunslingers of the West. The ones that were so good in their skill that nearly anyone who could shoot a gun would ride into town to go in a draw against them. Much of that was similar to Kenshin's case; anyone who could pick up a sword would come to Tokyo to see if they could match the great Battousai the Manslayer. None of them ever quite understood what it meant to be a swordsman. As Kaoru had pointed out once to a very rebellious student that when learning to use the sword one learns a great deal about themselves as a person, and it is then that the person has to make a choice; the choice of whether to use the sword to kill or to protect. Kenshin once used his sword to kill, but in realizing his sins he would always protect those who need it.
Still, there were questions in the air. Why these ninjas attacked the dojo? Were they after Kenshin to challenge or perhaps kill him? Does the stolen shipment of gold that Saito mentioned has anything to do with them? If it does…then that left the greatest question of this puzzle…why?
All such good questions and Kenshin couldn't sleep with such questions in his mind. At least he couldn't for very long, but with Miss Kaoru at his side…the night seemed to go a little faster and feel a great deal sweeter.
To be continued…