CHAPTER 11- THE BODYGUARDS
Kenshin took a step out onto the sand, stood still for a moment, then turned back to his friends, who seemed to be awaiting his word to charge in. But no, he simply smiled and said. "I must ask a favor of you all. My body is weak so I cannot afford to lose any strength before the battle with Enishi. So I must request you lend me your strength now."
Sanosuke eagerly punched his fists together. "Sure thing! That's what we're all hear for, right?"
"You bet!" Misao piped. "We would have gone on home if we weren't gonna help fight, right Aoshi-sama?"
"Yes." He replied.
Saitoh shrugged. "Whatever. As long as Yukishiro Enishi ends up in custody."
But before Yahiko could say anything, he noticed something coming through the trees towards them. He pulled his shinai down from his shoulder. "Looks like the time to lend strength is now!"
Everyone's attention shifted to a small man accompanied by 4 bulky guards. It was Heishin, someone Saitoh recognized with a scowl. "So, the famous number two has shown up to greet us."
"Greet you, no." Heishin replied with a smirk. "I was told to leave this island by Enishi. Apparently he doesn't agree with my ideas of destroying you all." He moved aside so his guards had the right of way. "But that is why I'm going to destroy you all before he gets the chance."
Kenshin frowned. "It is not your fight."
"Oh yes it is." Heishin spat back. "Your death turns Enishi's market and all his riches over to me. So I shall ensure that you die! Come forward Battousai! Come forward and meet your fate at the hands of my warriors: the four gods!"
"Four gods? Is that what you call them?" Saitoh sarcastically asked. "Aside from the muscle, what can those fools do?"
Sanosuke took a step in front of Kenshin. "You'll deal with us first. Then see if you can get to Kenshin."
The short fellow scowled towards the redheaded rurouni, who was taking a seat back in the boat with Megumi. "Agh! Battousai, do you plan to cower behind the backs of your underlings?"
"Hardly would I call them underlings," Kenshin answered. "They are my friends."
Yahiko took a stance. "I'm ready! Bring it on!"
"Very well, Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko, Genbu! Choose who you want."
"Yes!" The four monsters bounded forward, charging at whoever stood before them. Suzaku chose Aoshi. Seiryu leapt at Saitoh. Byakko took on Sanosuke. And Genbu flew right at Yahiko. Everyone began to fight, with Megumi, Misao, and Kenshin, and Heishin as the audience.
But these battles did not last long.
Suzaku thought he could best Aoshi by copying all of his moves. However, the steely ninja, with his experience, didn't even break a sweat. Seeing through such a stupid trick, he ended up plowing him into the ground.
Seiryu was the best at seeing through his opponent's moves. He gave Saitoh a rough time at first, since he was able to counteract the Gatotsu. But the crafty Miburo Wolf had some hidden tricks of his own and also took down his opponent.
Byakko and Sanosuke engaged in a violent brawl of fist throwing. And much to Megumi's annoyance, Sanosuke pulled away with his right hand smashed once more, having used the Futae no Kiwami again. Still, it was another victory for the Kenshin-gumi.
Finally, a confident Genbu took on the young Yahiko, but his arrogance found him falling at the boy's feet in a rather short time.
Kenshin smiled as his friends stood over their defeated adversaries. "I knew I could count of them, that I did."
Misao jumped up and down. "Yay! Way to go, Aoshi-sama!"
Heishin couldn't believe it. His quadruplet bodyguards had fallen in a matter of minutes! Now what could become of him? He was completely vulnerable now. He had to get out and fast. Pale with fright, he took off running.
Sanosuke growled. "Runt! I'll---
"Sanosuke, let him go," Kenshin told him softly.
Halfway back into the woods, Heishin glanced back over his shoulder. 'Good,' he thought. 'No one's following me! At this rate I'll---
POOMF! He bumped hard into something and fell flat on his back. After his head stopped whirling, he looked up to find an annoyed Enishi standing over him. "E-Enishi!"
"I thought I told you to get out of here,"
Before the fellow could do anything to save himself, a solid punch sent him back into the ground. Spitting down at him, Enishi continued on. "I'll feed you to the sharks later. Come ladies."
Behind him walked two familiar girls. Well, that was partly true. One was very familiar, but the other, with the look in her eyes, seemed like a totally different person.
As they walked along, following Enishi out towards the beach, Kaoru glanced worriedly over at Jiani. Something was wrong with her. Why wasn't she excited about seeing her father or Sanosuke? And what was that coldness about her? "J-Jiani?"
Moments later, everyone peered towards the woods once more. Kenshin stepped off the boat, tying his sword scabbard to his waist. "Thank you for your assistance, everyone." He said. "Now, please leave this one to me."
Everyone silently agreed.
Kenshin took a step forward. "And Miss Megumi, please see to their wounds. Misao, help her."
"Yes,"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he saw the white-haired warrior come walking out of the trees towards him. "Enishi,"
Enishi smirked. "Back for more, I see."
Kenshin took a step out onto the sand, stood still for a moment, then turned back to his friends, who seemed to be awaiting his word to charge in. But no, he simply smiled and said. "I must ask a favor of you all. My body is weak so I cannot afford to lose any strength before the battle with Enishi. So I must request you lend me your strength now."
Sanosuke eagerly punched his fists together. "Sure thing! That's what we're all hear for, right?"
"You bet!" Misao piped. "We would have gone on home if we weren't gonna help fight, right Aoshi-sama?"
"Yes." He replied.
Saitoh shrugged. "Whatever. As long as Yukishiro Enishi ends up in custody."
But before Yahiko could say anything, he noticed something coming through the trees towards them. He pulled his shinai down from his shoulder. "Looks like the time to lend strength is now!"
Everyone's attention shifted to a small man accompanied by 4 bulky guards. It was Heishin, someone Saitoh recognized with a scowl. "So, the famous number two has shown up to greet us."
"Greet you, no." Heishin replied with a smirk. "I was told to leave this island by Enishi. Apparently he doesn't agree with my ideas of destroying you all." He moved aside so his guards had the right of way. "But that is why I'm going to destroy you all before he gets the chance."
Kenshin frowned. "It is not your fight."
"Oh yes it is." Heishin spat back. "Your death turns Enishi's market and all his riches over to me. So I shall ensure that you die! Come forward Battousai! Come forward and meet your fate at the hands of my warriors: the four gods!"
"Four gods? Is that what you call them?" Saitoh sarcastically asked. "Aside from the muscle, what can those fools do?"
Sanosuke took a step in front of Kenshin. "You'll deal with us first. Then see if you can get to Kenshin."
The short fellow scowled towards the redheaded rurouni, who was taking a seat back in the boat with Megumi. "Agh! Battousai, do you plan to cower behind the backs of your underlings?"
"Hardly would I call them underlings," Kenshin answered. "They are my friends."
Yahiko took a stance. "I'm ready! Bring it on!"
"Very well, Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko, Genbu! Choose who you want."
"Yes!" The four monsters bounded forward, charging at whoever stood before them. Suzaku chose Aoshi. Seiryu leapt at Saitoh. Byakko took on Sanosuke. And Genbu flew right at Yahiko. Everyone began to fight, with Megumi, Misao, and Kenshin, and Heishin as the audience.
But these battles did not last long.
Suzaku thought he could best Aoshi by copying all of his moves. However, the steely ninja, with his experience, didn't even break a sweat. Seeing through such a stupid trick, he ended up plowing him into the ground.
Seiryu was the best at seeing through his opponent's moves. He gave Saitoh a rough time at first, since he was able to counteract the Gatotsu. But the crafty Miburo Wolf had some hidden tricks of his own and also took down his opponent.
Byakko and Sanosuke engaged in a violent brawl of fist throwing. And much to Megumi's annoyance, Sanosuke pulled away with his right hand smashed once more, having used the Futae no Kiwami again. Still, it was another victory for the Kenshin-gumi.
Finally, a confident Genbu took on the young Yahiko, but his arrogance found him falling at the boy's feet in a rather short time.
Kenshin smiled as his friends stood over their defeated adversaries. "I knew I could count of them, that I did."
Misao jumped up and down. "Yay! Way to go, Aoshi-sama!"
Heishin couldn't believe it. His quadruplet bodyguards had fallen in a matter of minutes! Now what could become of him? He was completely vulnerable now. He had to get out and fast. Pale with fright, he took off running.
Sanosuke growled. "Runt! I'll---
"Sanosuke, let him go," Kenshin told him softly.
Halfway back into the woods, Heishin glanced back over his shoulder. 'Good,' he thought. 'No one's following me! At this rate I'll---
POOMF! He bumped hard into something and fell flat on his back. After his head stopped whirling, he looked up to find an annoyed Enishi standing over him. "E-Enishi!"
"I thought I told you to get out of here,"
Before the fellow could do anything to save himself, a solid punch sent him back into the ground. Spitting down at him, Enishi continued on. "I'll feed you to the sharks later. Come ladies."
Behind him walked two familiar girls. Well, that was partly true. One was very familiar, but the other, with the look in her eyes, seemed like a totally different person.
As they walked along, following Enishi out towards the beach, Kaoru glanced worriedly over at Jiani. Something was wrong with her. Why wasn't she excited about seeing her father or Sanosuke? And what was that coldness about her? "J-Jiani?"
Moments later, everyone peered towards the woods once more. Kenshin stepped off the boat, tying his sword scabbard to his waist. "Thank you for your assistance, everyone." He said. "Now, please leave this one to me."
Everyone silently agreed.
Kenshin took a step forward. "And Miss Megumi, please see to their wounds. Misao, help her."
"Yes,"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he saw the white-haired warrior come walking out of the trees towards him. "Enishi,"
Enishi smirked. "Back for more, I see."