CHAPTER 3- SUSPICION
Yahiko and Misao ran up to Kenshin, who remained frozen against the wall.
"Come on Kenshin! We've gotta go avenge the girls! Let's go!"
Kenshin didn't move.
Yahiko came closer. "At least listen to me, Kenshin. Know that after Enishi pays for this, I'll keep moving forward! I'll be strong and wield my sword with the skills of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu! I'll protect the weak just like you did! I won't give up." He turned away. "I can't come here again. Farwell."
He left. "Wait up!" Misao cried, taking off after him.
Kenshin's head only sank lower.
After they were gone, an old man walked up to him and sat down a few feet away. He smiled thoughtfully. "They fought all the residents to get in to see you."
"."
"With people like that in your life, I think it's a little early for you to have come to a place like this."
.........
"WHAT?? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING WE DO???"
"Calm down, Vixen! Listen to him."
Misao and Yahiko entered the dojo yard to the sound of a loud argument. Megumi, Sanosuke, and Aoshi were discussing something.
"IDIOT! THAT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE!"
"HEY!" Misao shouted. "Don't you call Aoshi-sama an idiot!"
"What's going on?" Yahiko asked.
Aoshi glanced down at him. "You and Sagara will help too."
"With what?"
"Tonight, we will unearth Kamiya Kaoru's grave."
Yahiko's face went blank. "What? Why?"
"It is the only way we can safely say it is her body."
Megumi was ready to attack him. "THERE'S NO WAY! She was bleeding! I checked her and I know it was---
"Megumi, stop." Sanosuke ordered softly.
Aoshi went on. "This whole ordeal was for revenge. And Enishi knew that Himura would feel the pain most of all over the girl's death. So it doesn't make sense that he would kill her, as well as his own niece, under cover. It would make sense if he showed it happening."
"But.Kaoru's body." Yahiko murmured. "I saw it."
"And Jiani's sword, and her blood." Sanosuke added quietly.
"I also examined the 'evidence' in the storeroom." Aoshi declared. He pointed towards it. "Have a look for yourself."
There lay Iwanbou against the wall. To everyone's shock, flies had gathered around it. The skin was shriveling away!
Misao gasped. "It's rotting!"
"Whoever made it did so with the use of human remains, probably from bodies dug up in graves." Aoshi concluded. "And the puppetmaster Gein, must have inherited the technique for such constructions. As for the pool of blood beneath Himura Jiani's sword, that could have been hers, but then why would her body be taken?"
"That's sick." Megumi muttered. "And it can't be true!"
Yahiko frowned. "So Kaoru's body could have been a fake? And Jiani.her death could have been staged too?"
"It could be." Aoshi nodded. "The chances are low, but they still exist."
Sanosuke took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I say we do it." He closed his eyes. 'If he's right and Jou-chan is alive.then perhaps Jiani will be as well.'
..............
That night, it was cold. A clear sky and a full moon cast down upon Aoshi, Misao, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Megumi, who gathered around the freshly dug up grave. Yahiko sighed and reached for the lid. "I'll open it." He jerked it off and laid it to the side. Inside laid Kaoru.
Misao and Megumi put their hands over their mouths. "Oh Kaoru."
After a moment, Megumi took a step forward to examine the corpse. After another moment, she shook her head. "No, it is her. I'm certain."
Aoshi unsheathed his sword. "Look away."
"Wait! What are you-??" Megumi couldn't believe what she was seeing. So, she covered her eyes.
SHMP! In went Aoshi's blade. Everyone flinched, sickened by the sound and knowing what had been done. But when they finally did open their eyes, Aoshi had reached into the coffin and yanked out several blood-soaked cables!
Sanosuke was pale. "Oh my god."
The ninja warrior rose to his feet. "It has been confirmed. Kamiya Kaoru and Himura Jiani live on."
Sanosuke took one more look at the cables and burst out laughing. He wanted to yell, to jump around, to cry. Kaoru was alive! And so was Jiani!
Yahiko and Misao ran up to Kenshin, who remained frozen against the wall.
"Come on Kenshin! We've gotta go avenge the girls! Let's go!"
Kenshin didn't move.
Yahiko came closer. "At least listen to me, Kenshin. Know that after Enishi pays for this, I'll keep moving forward! I'll be strong and wield my sword with the skills of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu! I'll protect the weak just like you did! I won't give up." He turned away. "I can't come here again. Farwell."
He left. "Wait up!" Misao cried, taking off after him.
Kenshin's head only sank lower.
After they were gone, an old man walked up to him and sat down a few feet away. He smiled thoughtfully. "They fought all the residents to get in to see you."
"."
"With people like that in your life, I think it's a little early for you to have come to a place like this."
.........
"WHAT?? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING WE DO???"
"Calm down, Vixen! Listen to him."
Misao and Yahiko entered the dojo yard to the sound of a loud argument. Megumi, Sanosuke, and Aoshi were discussing something.
"IDIOT! THAT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE!"
"HEY!" Misao shouted. "Don't you call Aoshi-sama an idiot!"
"What's going on?" Yahiko asked.
Aoshi glanced down at him. "You and Sagara will help too."
"With what?"
"Tonight, we will unearth Kamiya Kaoru's grave."
Yahiko's face went blank. "What? Why?"
"It is the only way we can safely say it is her body."
Megumi was ready to attack him. "THERE'S NO WAY! She was bleeding! I checked her and I know it was---
"Megumi, stop." Sanosuke ordered softly.
Aoshi went on. "This whole ordeal was for revenge. And Enishi knew that Himura would feel the pain most of all over the girl's death. So it doesn't make sense that he would kill her, as well as his own niece, under cover. It would make sense if he showed it happening."
"But.Kaoru's body." Yahiko murmured. "I saw it."
"And Jiani's sword, and her blood." Sanosuke added quietly.
"I also examined the 'evidence' in the storeroom." Aoshi declared. He pointed towards it. "Have a look for yourself."
There lay Iwanbou against the wall. To everyone's shock, flies had gathered around it. The skin was shriveling away!
Misao gasped. "It's rotting!"
"Whoever made it did so with the use of human remains, probably from bodies dug up in graves." Aoshi concluded. "And the puppetmaster Gein, must have inherited the technique for such constructions. As for the pool of blood beneath Himura Jiani's sword, that could have been hers, but then why would her body be taken?"
"That's sick." Megumi muttered. "And it can't be true!"
Yahiko frowned. "So Kaoru's body could have been a fake? And Jiani.her death could have been staged too?"
"It could be." Aoshi nodded. "The chances are low, but they still exist."
Sanosuke took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I say we do it." He closed his eyes. 'If he's right and Jou-chan is alive.then perhaps Jiani will be as well.'
..............
That night, it was cold. A clear sky and a full moon cast down upon Aoshi, Misao, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Megumi, who gathered around the freshly dug up grave. Yahiko sighed and reached for the lid. "I'll open it." He jerked it off and laid it to the side. Inside laid Kaoru.
Misao and Megumi put their hands over their mouths. "Oh Kaoru."
After a moment, Megumi took a step forward to examine the corpse. After another moment, she shook her head. "No, it is her. I'm certain."
Aoshi unsheathed his sword. "Look away."
"Wait! What are you-??" Megumi couldn't believe what she was seeing. So, she covered her eyes.
SHMP! In went Aoshi's blade. Everyone flinched, sickened by the sound and knowing what had been done. But when they finally did open their eyes, Aoshi had reached into the coffin and yanked out several blood-soaked cables!
Sanosuke was pale. "Oh my god."
The ninja warrior rose to his feet. "It has been confirmed. Kamiya Kaoru and Himura Jiani live on."
Sanosuke took one more look at the cables and burst out laughing. He wanted to yell, to jump around, to cry. Kaoru was alive! And so was Jiani!