CHAPTER 5- MORE CLUES
Aoshi, Megumi, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Misao showed up at the police station the next morning. Chief Uramura, who had recovered from the battle with Otowa days before, welcomed them in. "Oh, you're here to see Fujita? Come on in then."
"Fujita?" Yahiko and Misao asked each other.
Sanosuke shot them a glare. "Shut up!"
Saitoh was in his office, smoking a cigarette as always. He frowned at the sight of the group. "What do you want now?"
After a long while, Yahiko was able to pry the information out of him.
"Fine, fine I'll tell you since it would get the search for the two girls out of the way." He agreed.
Sanosuke nodded. "Good, saves me the trouble of beating the crap out of you!"
"Keep in mind you're standing in a police station, idiot!" Megumi spat, elbowing him in the stomach.
"Yukishiro Enishi plans to construct a market of his own here in Tokyo, as he did in Shanghai." Saitoh explained. "To do such an operation, it would mean transferring supplies, and a great deal of them. However, land shipment would be too risky, and too costly. So."
"Sea shipment!" Misao squealed. "He must have a base on the sea somewhere."
"Very good." Saitoh said sarcastically. "Probably, he has a base somewhere at the Arakawa Rivermouth."
"Arakawa?" Sanosuke repeated. "Yahiko! Let's go there now!"
"Right!"
Misao hesitated and glanced up at Aoshi. "Aoshi-sama, you plan to set a trap for that Gein guy right? I'll help you!"
"Do what you want." Aoshi replied coolly.
And so, the gang parted.
........
Back on the island, inside the dojo, Jiani was flying around, swinging and stabbing with one of the bokkens supplied. Sweat dampened her gi and burnt her eyes, but she let nothing faze her. She only thought of correcting her forms and the invisible opponent before her.
Meanwhile, Kaoru was taking a break and gazing out the window. All the while, she wore an expression of sadness and worry. 'Kenshin, Sanosuke, Yahiko, everyone.I'm sorry to worry you all so much. But don't worry anymore. We're going to come home soon."
Suddenly, she noticed movement far below in the water. Squinting to see, she gasped. "Jiani! A ferry!"
Jiani halted in midair and ran over to see. Sure enough, a small boat chugged cheerfully into port.
But Jiani frowned. "It's too dangerous, Kaoru."
"We have to try, Jiani! There might never be a way off this island!"
"But how do you plan to get past someone like Enishi?"
Kaoru thought for a moment. "He's weak from the injuries he received fighting Kenshin! We can take him hostage."
Jiani quirked an eyebrow. "Um."
"Ah come on! I think it'll work! Let's go!" Kaoru pulled her onward. "We have to hurry and find him."
Jiani couldn't help but admire Kaoru. She was so determined to get out at any cost and return to Tokyo and the people she loved. Suddenly, she felt her own resolve growing. Maybe it would work after all. She pulled her hand away and took off ahead of her. "Let's do it!"
Meanwhile, Gein was standing on the dock as a small fellow, surrounded by 4 large men, disembarked.
Heishin smirked. "You must be Mr. Gein. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Same here." Gein reached out to shake his hand, but one of the bodyguards slapped it away.
"Sorry, but my lack of weaponry skills has these men under strict orders to let no one touch me." Heishin apologized. "Anyway, where is the boss?"
"You mean Enishi? He's up in that mansion over that cliff there."
"Thank you. Have a safe voyage to Tokyo."
"Thank you."
With that, they parted.
Enishi was there to greet Heishin. "Wu, it's been a while."
They shook hands. "That it has. So, your plans worked out? Those personal issues, right?"
"You're trying to remind of that deal, right?" Enishi chuckled. "It's still on, my friend. My Earthly Justice required this market, but with it near completion, it shall become yours. I have no more need for it all."
Heishin smirked. "Excellent. I'll be off to my quarters now. We shall talk later."
He headed off into the depths of the mansion. "And don't worry about Gein. I have men stationed on the ferry that will beat him into a pulp and then feed him to the sharks."
By the time Jiani and Kaoru found Enishi, he was sitting on his own balcony, staring up at the blue sky. Warily, they huddled against the wall and poked their heads out just enough to watch him. They needed to charge in at the right moment.
"It's almost over Tomoe." he murmured. "Soon, it will end."
Tomoe appeared before him, but her expression was far from happy. He froze.
Jiani rose. "Cover me!" She charged out towards him. "ENISHI!!!!"
"YYYYAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Enishi threw himself up onto his feet, screaming and clutching at his head. Both girls froze in their tracks. What was happening to him?
"Why won't you smile for me?" he demanded to the wind. "What's wrong??"
He whirled to face Jiani. Immediately, he became enraged. "Of course! It's because of this foul child! And Battousai's replacement! It's because they live on!!!"
Without warning, he seized Jiani by the throat and began choking her. Caught by sheer shock, Jiani was helpless.
"NO! LET HER GO!!" Kaoru ran forward and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him off her.
"DIE.DIE.DIE!!!" he shouted.
Jiani opened her eyes to look at him. "Eni.shi."
That did it. With a retch of terror, Enishi pushed her away and slipped to his knees. Jiani staggered back, clutching at her throbbing throat. Kaoru was in shock. 'That's why he can't kill either of us! We both remind him of his sister! No matter how much he wants to destroy us, his body won't let him!"
Enishi struggled to regain himself. "Tomoe.please.why won't you smile for me.?"
Aoshi, Megumi, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Misao showed up at the police station the next morning. Chief Uramura, who had recovered from the battle with Otowa days before, welcomed them in. "Oh, you're here to see Fujita? Come on in then."
"Fujita?" Yahiko and Misao asked each other.
Sanosuke shot them a glare. "Shut up!"
Saitoh was in his office, smoking a cigarette as always. He frowned at the sight of the group. "What do you want now?"
After a long while, Yahiko was able to pry the information out of him.
"Fine, fine I'll tell you since it would get the search for the two girls out of the way." He agreed.
Sanosuke nodded. "Good, saves me the trouble of beating the crap out of you!"
"Keep in mind you're standing in a police station, idiot!" Megumi spat, elbowing him in the stomach.
"Yukishiro Enishi plans to construct a market of his own here in Tokyo, as he did in Shanghai." Saitoh explained. "To do such an operation, it would mean transferring supplies, and a great deal of them. However, land shipment would be too risky, and too costly. So."
"Sea shipment!" Misao squealed. "He must have a base on the sea somewhere."
"Very good." Saitoh said sarcastically. "Probably, he has a base somewhere at the Arakawa Rivermouth."
"Arakawa?" Sanosuke repeated. "Yahiko! Let's go there now!"
"Right!"
Misao hesitated and glanced up at Aoshi. "Aoshi-sama, you plan to set a trap for that Gein guy right? I'll help you!"
"Do what you want." Aoshi replied coolly.
And so, the gang parted.
........
Back on the island, inside the dojo, Jiani was flying around, swinging and stabbing with one of the bokkens supplied. Sweat dampened her gi and burnt her eyes, but she let nothing faze her. She only thought of correcting her forms and the invisible opponent before her.
Meanwhile, Kaoru was taking a break and gazing out the window. All the while, she wore an expression of sadness and worry. 'Kenshin, Sanosuke, Yahiko, everyone.I'm sorry to worry you all so much. But don't worry anymore. We're going to come home soon."
Suddenly, she noticed movement far below in the water. Squinting to see, she gasped. "Jiani! A ferry!"
Jiani halted in midair and ran over to see. Sure enough, a small boat chugged cheerfully into port.
But Jiani frowned. "It's too dangerous, Kaoru."
"We have to try, Jiani! There might never be a way off this island!"
"But how do you plan to get past someone like Enishi?"
Kaoru thought for a moment. "He's weak from the injuries he received fighting Kenshin! We can take him hostage."
Jiani quirked an eyebrow. "Um."
"Ah come on! I think it'll work! Let's go!" Kaoru pulled her onward. "We have to hurry and find him."
Jiani couldn't help but admire Kaoru. She was so determined to get out at any cost and return to Tokyo and the people she loved. Suddenly, she felt her own resolve growing. Maybe it would work after all. She pulled her hand away and took off ahead of her. "Let's do it!"
Meanwhile, Gein was standing on the dock as a small fellow, surrounded by 4 large men, disembarked.
Heishin smirked. "You must be Mr. Gein. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Same here." Gein reached out to shake his hand, but one of the bodyguards slapped it away.
"Sorry, but my lack of weaponry skills has these men under strict orders to let no one touch me." Heishin apologized. "Anyway, where is the boss?"
"You mean Enishi? He's up in that mansion over that cliff there."
"Thank you. Have a safe voyage to Tokyo."
"Thank you."
With that, they parted.
Enishi was there to greet Heishin. "Wu, it's been a while."
They shook hands. "That it has. So, your plans worked out? Those personal issues, right?"
"You're trying to remind of that deal, right?" Enishi chuckled. "It's still on, my friend. My Earthly Justice required this market, but with it near completion, it shall become yours. I have no more need for it all."
Heishin smirked. "Excellent. I'll be off to my quarters now. We shall talk later."
He headed off into the depths of the mansion. "And don't worry about Gein. I have men stationed on the ferry that will beat him into a pulp and then feed him to the sharks."
By the time Jiani and Kaoru found Enishi, he was sitting on his own balcony, staring up at the blue sky. Warily, they huddled against the wall and poked their heads out just enough to watch him. They needed to charge in at the right moment.
"It's almost over Tomoe." he murmured. "Soon, it will end."
Tomoe appeared before him, but her expression was far from happy. He froze.
Jiani rose. "Cover me!" She charged out towards him. "ENISHI!!!!"
"YYYYAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Enishi threw himself up onto his feet, screaming and clutching at his head. Both girls froze in their tracks. What was happening to him?
"Why won't you smile for me?" he demanded to the wind. "What's wrong??"
He whirled to face Jiani. Immediately, he became enraged. "Of course! It's because of this foul child! And Battousai's replacement! It's because they live on!!!"
Without warning, he seized Jiani by the throat and began choking her. Caught by sheer shock, Jiani was helpless.
"NO! LET HER GO!!" Kaoru ran forward and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him off her.
"DIE.DIE.DIE!!!" he shouted.
Jiani opened her eyes to look at him. "Eni.shi."
That did it. With a retch of terror, Enishi pushed her away and slipped to his knees. Jiani staggered back, clutching at her throbbing throat. Kaoru was in shock. 'That's why he can't kill either of us! We both remind him of his sister! No matter how much he wants to destroy us, his body won't let him!"
Enishi struggled to regain himself. "Tomoe.please.why won't you smile for me.?"