Chapter 4
The Shinko-ryu Returns
The half melted snow on the ground had finally melted all the way the next morning as the Kamiya tenants walked to Yutaro-San's house down a gorgeous Izu trail.
"You say he owns a mansion?" asked Suzuka.
"Yeah," said Kaoru. "And when he's not trying to challenge Yahiko, he's a pretty nice kid. His servants respect him more than you'd think."
"And all these servants, this mansion, and money doesn't go to his head?" asked Aki. "Well, he did have a stubborn streak for a while, but he eventually got over that, that he did," answered Kenshin.
"How is my loyal second today?" piped up Yahiko.
"Forget it, Yahiko." Aki growled.
"But Yutaro has faithful servants, why can't I have a faithful second?!"
Aki gave him a strange look. "Yahiko-Chan, I'll be the referee, I'll even be your babysitter, but not your second."
"I'd listen to her, kid," said Sano. "We didn't name her battleaxe for nothing."
Yahiko was about to retort, when a familiar voice rang out. "Ohayo gozaimasu!"
"Ohayo, Yutaro-San," said Kaoru with a bow. "You're not accompanied.are you sure that's safe?"
"No one's been around here since the leaders of the Shinko technique were arrested."
"Hey, Yutaro," said Yahiko. "This is my second," he declared, indicating Aki.
"No, I'm not. However, I do have an identity. I'm Aki," she said with a bow. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too," said Yutaro, returning the bow. "Now that we've figured you were going to use a lady against her will, Miyoji, I'm even more determined to beat you. By the way, ma'am, you and your party are welcome to make yourselves at home. Our duel will only last a minute."
Aki thought a minute before answering. "Thanks for your hospitality, I think I'll stay and watch. The baka'll stay too. He's not too strong with thought, but his muscles make up for all of that," she said with a smile to the young boys and a warning look to Sano.
Sano was about to retort when he heard slight rustling in the bushes and a confirming glance from Aki told him there were more guests than were supposed to be. "Sure, I'll stay for a while," he said. "Besides, there's not much to do right now anyway."
"Are you sure, Sano?" asked Kenshin as everyone else headed up the rest of the path.
Sano nodded and glanced towards the bushes, trying to keep the tension down for the young duelists.
"Oh," said Kenshin. "I'll be back in a while, then," he added, running a few paces to catch up with the rest of his group.
"What?" asked Aki after Kenshin went. "Are you going to fight or just stand there and glare at each other?"
"Oh," said the boys, realizing who they were glaring at.
Aki and Sano watched the match while also keeping an eye on the surrounding bushes. They also threw in a few cheers for Yutaro so not the draw to much attention to their glances at their unexpected guests.
Suddenly, out from the bushes came a few legs, each belonging to a different man. Again, the boys were too engrossed in beating the other they didn't notice the intruders. But they did notice when Aki and Sano drew their weapons to protect them.
One of the men drew his sword and rushed at Yutaro, his sword aimed for the young man. Aki blocked him just in time to save the small boy.
This guy was good. He bared down on their locked blades with gritted teeth. It took nearly all she had just to keep her blade from slipping. She could hear bodies falling unconscious to the ground behind her. At least she had back up. She quickly glanced behind her. Yutaro sat on the ground, staring as if spellbound. Why didn't the little fool run?! She quickly grabbed her scythe with her other hand and used it as a parrying weapon to help with her grip on the other blade. Wait, who was that behind him? Sano? Her friend gave her grin and motioned for her to throw him the guy. He wanted to play Sekihottai, did he?
"Fine," she said. "We'll play Sekihottai."
The man in front of her gave her a confused look and grunt as she kicked him in the stomach, toppling backwards into Sano. Who effectively punched the guy out by use of the back of the head.
She turned around, seeing the of the intruders either moaning or unconscious on the ground. She helped the young lord, who was still sitting, staring into abyss, off the ground.
"Daijovu ka, Yutaro-San?" she asked.
"You saved me.just like Kenshin did.and Raijuta." he responded, but still in a quite detached way. Now she was even more confused.
"We'll explain later," said Yahiko. "Where's Kenshin?" he asked, looking around. So the brat had paid attention to something other than the duel.
"What did I miss?" asked the small samurai's voice coming from behind them.
"Too much," responded Sano.
"You must teach me your style of swordsmanship!" Yutaro called, apparently just come out of his trance. "With your style along with the Kamiya Kashiin, I'll be stronger than ever!"
Now she was plain taken aback. She had never been offered a teaching job. Much less in swordsmanship! "Nah," she answered. "I don't think I'd make a very good teacher. I don't have the same morals as Kaoru-San. You'd do better with her. Trust me. Now let's get back to the mansion before everyone starts worrying, ne?"
"So," said Kaoru as Yutaro, Yahiko, Kenshin, Aki, and Sano walked up to the front steps of the mansion. "How did your rematch go, Yutaro?"
"Yeah!" said Misao, running to stand next to Aki. "I heard a mauling! How'd it go? How'd it go?! You don't look too scratched up, so you must've done somebody in! What happened?!" she asked excitedly.
"We were the ones that got mauled, but we did 'em in, anyway, ne, Sano?" Aki responded with an elbow in her friend's stomach.
"Yeah, we also brought in an old routine from the Sekihottai days, ne, Aki?" her friend retorted with his own nudging elbow.
"Yeah." said Aki, walking off with two of her closest friends.
"That didn't tell me much." said Kaoru.
"You should've seen it!" exclaimed Yutaro. "She saved me!" he added, pointing in the direction Aki had just gone with Sanosuke and Misao. "But then again, it's sort of depressing. I owe my life to three people."
"Don't think of it that way, Yutaro-San," said Kenshin. "You should think of it as three people you owe your respect to, that you should."
"So," said Suzuka, joining in. "What was all the metal banging about?" she asked.
Yutaro and Yahiko both jumped into an extremely detailed explanation of the ambush and the fight that took place afterwards. Whether the two rivals liked it or not, they were too much alike to even notice. Like two different-colored peas in the same pod, thought Kaoru with a smile at two of her students.
"What?!" shouted Suzuka, suddenly. "And I missed it?! Why didn't you holler my name or something?! I never miss a fight! I can't believe I missed it! I thought it was someone sharpening their swords or something like that! Hoé." Kenshin's cousin shook her head and went back to her own sword. "Who do think those bandits were?" asked Kenshin. At dinner in Yutaro's house.
"I don't know," said Aki. "They didn't identify themselves or anything."
"Hm.I'm going to have to go into town, then, tonight, that I am," Kenshin stated.
"I'll go with you," said Aki. "I've just realized I know everyone here but you. So, why not? Are we leaving after dinner?" she asked.
"All right, then, after dinner it is."
Kaoru suddenly got a very disapproving face.
"What is it, Kaoru-San?" Kenshin asked.
She glanced from him to Aki.
Aki suddenly got what was implying and laughed out-loud. "The closest thing to a couple here other than you and Kenshin is me and Sano! Don't worry about it, nothing's going to happen!"
Kaoru bowed her head and blushed.
"After all this time you still don't trust him?" Aki asked with a smile.
"Well." Kaoru started, looking away.
~
After dinner, Aki and Kenshin set out for town to tell the police, and everyone else went to Gensai's house after a few minutes of conversation.
The humid air lingered as the former members of the Shinko technique, again, plotted for Izu as their nation. Breaking out of prison was all too easy for superior fighters like themselves.
"You think we can pull this off without Raijuta?" asked one.
"We'll have to see." growled another, following someone outside the bushes with his eyes. Everyone drew their swords and loomed in the bushes.
"Who is it?" asked the other.
"Himura." he hissed. "And some.wait.she wears the sign of the Sekihottai!"
"Seems it's time to make our presence known to our fellow-revolutionaries."
"No, later, Chuei."
"Who do you think the bandits were?" asked Kenshin further down the path to town.
"Maybe they were from the bandits who were here before," suggested Aki.
"But the leaders of the Shinko style were arrested and thrown in prison."
"You never know, Kenshin-San. Hey, what did they want when they were here?"
"They wanted to use the Izu estate lands as an illegitimate nation for their style of fighting, that they did."
Aki sighed. "The revolutionaries have to realize the revolution was fought, and we lost. Another revolution would be useless. I don't want to ever have to see that kind of suffering again. That's one of the things that drove me to treat peasants free of charge."
The two revolution survivors talked of their pasts as they continued their walk to tell authorities of the crimes committed.
A few hours later, the same circle of the Shinko style stayed in the same spot to wait for the same pair of travelers.
"There's Himura again." hissed one.
"Right. Remember, go for the woman. Himura knows us."
"Right."
The members of the Shinko style aimed over a dozen sword tips for the woman's neck, catching both the wanderers off-guard. The woman stared back with an emotionless face. Her expression remained emotionless as another of the style threw an arm across her shoulders. He smiled at the small, startled samurai.
"Tell Yutaro.-Sama, the Shinko is back. Come on," the man said to Aki. "Let's go talk business." Aki shifted her gaze to Kenshin and mouthed, "Don't worry" as the Shinko members slinked back into the darkness with her as a hostage.
As soon as the Shinko and Aki started into the darkness, Kenshin started for Gensai's house as fast as he could.
Kenshin finally reached the house and quietly opened the door. Sano, Aoshi, and Suzuka were the only ones awake.
"What is it, itoko?" asked Suzuka.
"Yeah, you look like you just saw a ghost," said Aoshi.
"Sano, Aki's been kidnapped," Kenshin said to his friend.
"She what?!" Sano shouted, getting to his feet.
"The last remaining members of the Shinko style took her hostage."
"Let's go find her, then," said Suzuka as Sano bounded out the door, his zan-batou slung over his shoulder.
Aki, using the fast instincts she developed over ten years of wandering finally escaped the Shinko camp. The fools thought to induct her into their nation just because she was once in the Sekihottai. That and they needed a woman for what they called "population" purposes. People like that made her sick. She mentally cursed as she heard a few running after her. What was their problem?! Why did they want to make a nation, anyway?! And why did they want her in it?! She hadn't volunteered to want to know too dang much about the idiotic nation.
She suddenly noticed she was running on top of a small cave. She, unfortunately, didn't have time to hide.
Aki jumped off the formation and nearly let out a scream as a hand slid over her mouth as the other arm pulled her into the cave by her waist. She thought another of the Shinko style had trapped her, but she was reassured when she heard a familiar voice. "It's alright, Aki-San, it's just us, that it is," Kenshin's voice said. She relaxed her head on Sano's shoulder as he let her mouth free.
Two figures leaped out of the cave and unconscious figures of the Shinko style fell from atop the cave. Aoshi and Suzuka came back in the cave. "Their leader will come by and find them later, let's get out of here while they think differently," Suzuka said.
"Kenshin-San," said Aki as she and her friends ran back to Gensai's house. "I told you not to worry."
"But I didn't worry, Aki-San," he said with a smile. "I acted, that I did."
"I have a question," Aki started. "How is it the most capable fighters in the house were the only ones awake?"
"Sagara, here, had a bad feeling, so he made us stay up," Suzuka explained.
"He did, huh?" Aki said, turning a scowl to Sano.
Sano thought she was going to lecture him about treating her like an equal and not a helpless little woman in distress.
Her scowl turned to a smile. "Thanks, Sano."
Well, that was unexpected.
"Guess we're even then, huh?" Sano asked.
"Yeah," Aki agreed. "That's how it usually ends up."
In their Sekihottai days the smaller additions to the group usually volunteered to be bait or take the watch for small missions. Every time one or both of them would save the other, the favor was always repaid in one way or the other.
When they finally came to Gensai's house, they were greeted with a very angry and very awake Kaoru, Megumi, and Misao sitting in the front room.
"I thought I heard you three leaving," said Kaoru.
"I better not have missed anything," said Misao.
"How could you leave your friends and your host without telling anyone?" asked Megumi.
"Why were you up, anyway?" added Kaoru.
"I had a bad feeling that proved right," said Sano.
"What was the bad feeling, then?" asked Megumi.
"Aki-San was kidnapped by the leaders of the Shinko style," said Aoshi.
Kaoru gasped.
"And you didn't come and get us?" asked Misao.
"You were asleep," said Suzuka.
"Besides," said Sano. "Aoshi and Suzuka were the only ones who saw any action."
"Is Aki alright?" asked Megumi.
"I'm fine, thanks to Sano's insomnia," said Aki, walking in.
Everyone else walked in after her.
"That's appalling," said Kaoru after Aki told everyone why the Shinko wanted her to join in their nation.
Misao shivered at the thought of it.
"How did you escape?" asked Megumi.
"While they were distracted, I got out and started running.of course. Then they started running after me. Apparently, our little crew had stationed themselves in a cave and were waiting for me." She motioned to Kenshin, Aoshi, Suzuka, and Sano. "Sano pulled me into the cave, Aoshi and Suzuka defeated the ones who ran after me, and we ran the rest of the way here."
"What would have happened if they weren't there?" asked Misao.
"They probably would have eventually caught up to me and.you can take it from there. I know I have over and over.and each time it gets worse."
"I know you just got home and everything, but it's really late, and I'm really sleepy," said Kaoru.
"You read my mind," said Suzuka as she, Megumi, Misao, Kaoru, and Aki went to the girl's bedroom.
"Finally, someone realized what time it is." said Aoshi, heading for the other guest bedroom.
"We'll get 'em in the morning," Sano growled, loudly cracking his knuckles.
The Shinko-ryu Returns
The half melted snow on the ground had finally melted all the way the next morning as the Kamiya tenants walked to Yutaro-San's house down a gorgeous Izu trail.
"You say he owns a mansion?" asked Suzuka.
"Yeah," said Kaoru. "And when he's not trying to challenge Yahiko, he's a pretty nice kid. His servants respect him more than you'd think."
"And all these servants, this mansion, and money doesn't go to his head?" asked Aki. "Well, he did have a stubborn streak for a while, but he eventually got over that, that he did," answered Kenshin.
"How is my loyal second today?" piped up Yahiko.
"Forget it, Yahiko." Aki growled.
"But Yutaro has faithful servants, why can't I have a faithful second?!"
Aki gave him a strange look. "Yahiko-Chan, I'll be the referee, I'll even be your babysitter, but not your second."
"I'd listen to her, kid," said Sano. "We didn't name her battleaxe for nothing."
Yahiko was about to retort, when a familiar voice rang out. "Ohayo gozaimasu!"
"Ohayo, Yutaro-San," said Kaoru with a bow. "You're not accompanied.are you sure that's safe?"
"No one's been around here since the leaders of the Shinko technique were arrested."
"Hey, Yutaro," said Yahiko. "This is my second," he declared, indicating Aki.
"No, I'm not. However, I do have an identity. I'm Aki," she said with a bow. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too," said Yutaro, returning the bow. "Now that we've figured you were going to use a lady against her will, Miyoji, I'm even more determined to beat you. By the way, ma'am, you and your party are welcome to make yourselves at home. Our duel will only last a minute."
Aki thought a minute before answering. "Thanks for your hospitality, I think I'll stay and watch. The baka'll stay too. He's not too strong with thought, but his muscles make up for all of that," she said with a smile to the young boys and a warning look to Sano.
Sano was about to retort when he heard slight rustling in the bushes and a confirming glance from Aki told him there were more guests than were supposed to be. "Sure, I'll stay for a while," he said. "Besides, there's not much to do right now anyway."
"Are you sure, Sano?" asked Kenshin as everyone else headed up the rest of the path.
Sano nodded and glanced towards the bushes, trying to keep the tension down for the young duelists.
"Oh," said Kenshin. "I'll be back in a while, then," he added, running a few paces to catch up with the rest of his group.
"What?" asked Aki after Kenshin went. "Are you going to fight or just stand there and glare at each other?"
"Oh," said the boys, realizing who they were glaring at.
Aki and Sano watched the match while also keeping an eye on the surrounding bushes. They also threw in a few cheers for Yutaro so not the draw to much attention to their glances at their unexpected guests.
Suddenly, out from the bushes came a few legs, each belonging to a different man. Again, the boys were too engrossed in beating the other they didn't notice the intruders. But they did notice when Aki and Sano drew their weapons to protect them.
One of the men drew his sword and rushed at Yutaro, his sword aimed for the young man. Aki blocked him just in time to save the small boy.
This guy was good. He bared down on their locked blades with gritted teeth. It took nearly all she had just to keep her blade from slipping. She could hear bodies falling unconscious to the ground behind her. At least she had back up. She quickly glanced behind her. Yutaro sat on the ground, staring as if spellbound. Why didn't the little fool run?! She quickly grabbed her scythe with her other hand and used it as a parrying weapon to help with her grip on the other blade. Wait, who was that behind him? Sano? Her friend gave her grin and motioned for her to throw him the guy. He wanted to play Sekihottai, did he?
"Fine," she said. "We'll play Sekihottai."
The man in front of her gave her a confused look and grunt as she kicked him in the stomach, toppling backwards into Sano. Who effectively punched the guy out by use of the back of the head.
She turned around, seeing the of the intruders either moaning or unconscious on the ground. She helped the young lord, who was still sitting, staring into abyss, off the ground.
"Daijovu ka, Yutaro-San?" she asked.
"You saved me.just like Kenshin did.and Raijuta." he responded, but still in a quite detached way. Now she was even more confused.
"We'll explain later," said Yahiko. "Where's Kenshin?" he asked, looking around. So the brat had paid attention to something other than the duel.
"What did I miss?" asked the small samurai's voice coming from behind them.
"Too much," responded Sano.
"You must teach me your style of swordsmanship!" Yutaro called, apparently just come out of his trance. "With your style along with the Kamiya Kashiin, I'll be stronger than ever!"
Now she was plain taken aback. She had never been offered a teaching job. Much less in swordsmanship! "Nah," she answered. "I don't think I'd make a very good teacher. I don't have the same morals as Kaoru-San. You'd do better with her. Trust me. Now let's get back to the mansion before everyone starts worrying, ne?"
"So," said Kaoru as Yutaro, Yahiko, Kenshin, Aki, and Sano walked up to the front steps of the mansion. "How did your rematch go, Yutaro?"
"Yeah!" said Misao, running to stand next to Aki. "I heard a mauling! How'd it go? How'd it go?! You don't look too scratched up, so you must've done somebody in! What happened?!" she asked excitedly.
"We were the ones that got mauled, but we did 'em in, anyway, ne, Sano?" Aki responded with an elbow in her friend's stomach.
"Yeah, we also brought in an old routine from the Sekihottai days, ne, Aki?" her friend retorted with his own nudging elbow.
"Yeah." said Aki, walking off with two of her closest friends.
"That didn't tell me much." said Kaoru.
"You should've seen it!" exclaimed Yutaro. "She saved me!" he added, pointing in the direction Aki had just gone with Sanosuke and Misao. "But then again, it's sort of depressing. I owe my life to three people."
"Don't think of it that way, Yutaro-San," said Kenshin. "You should think of it as three people you owe your respect to, that you should."
"So," said Suzuka, joining in. "What was all the metal banging about?" she asked.
Yutaro and Yahiko both jumped into an extremely detailed explanation of the ambush and the fight that took place afterwards. Whether the two rivals liked it or not, they were too much alike to even notice. Like two different-colored peas in the same pod, thought Kaoru with a smile at two of her students.
"What?!" shouted Suzuka, suddenly. "And I missed it?! Why didn't you holler my name or something?! I never miss a fight! I can't believe I missed it! I thought it was someone sharpening their swords or something like that! Hoé." Kenshin's cousin shook her head and went back to her own sword. "Who do think those bandits were?" asked Kenshin. At dinner in Yutaro's house.
"I don't know," said Aki. "They didn't identify themselves or anything."
"Hm.I'm going to have to go into town, then, tonight, that I am," Kenshin stated.
"I'll go with you," said Aki. "I've just realized I know everyone here but you. So, why not? Are we leaving after dinner?" she asked.
"All right, then, after dinner it is."
Kaoru suddenly got a very disapproving face.
"What is it, Kaoru-San?" Kenshin asked.
She glanced from him to Aki.
Aki suddenly got what was implying and laughed out-loud. "The closest thing to a couple here other than you and Kenshin is me and Sano! Don't worry about it, nothing's going to happen!"
Kaoru bowed her head and blushed.
"After all this time you still don't trust him?" Aki asked with a smile.
"Well." Kaoru started, looking away.
~
After dinner, Aki and Kenshin set out for town to tell the police, and everyone else went to Gensai's house after a few minutes of conversation.
The humid air lingered as the former members of the Shinko technique, again, plotted for Izu as their nation. Breaking out of prison was all too easy for superior fighters like themselves.
"You think we can pull this off without Raijuta?" asked one.
"We'll have to see." growled another, following someone outside the bushes with his eyes. Everyone drew their swords and loomed in the bushes.
"Who is it?" asked the other.
"Himura." he hissed. "And some.wait.she wears the sign of the Sekihottai!"
"Seems it's time to make our presence known to our fellow-revolutionaries."
"No, later, Chuei."
"Who do you think the bandits were?" asked Kenshin further down the path to town.
"Maybe they were from the bandits who were here before," suggested Aki.
"But the leaders of the Shinko style were arrested and thrown in prison."
"You never know, Kenshin-San. Hey, what did they want when they were here?"
"They wanted to use the Izu estate lands as an illegitimate nation for their style of fighting, that they did."
Aki sighed. "The revolutionaries have to realize the revolution was fought, and we lost. Another revolution would be useless. I don't want to ever have to see that kind of suffering again. That's one of the things that drove me to treat peasants free of charge."
The two revolution survivors talked of their pasts as they continued their walk to tell authorities of the crimes committed.
A few hours later, the same circle of the Shinko style stayed in the same spot to wait for the same pair of travelers.
"There's Himura again." hissed one.
"Right. Remember, go for the woman. Himura knows us."
"Right."
The members of the Shinko style aimed over a dozen sword tips for the woman's neck, catching both the wanderers off-guard. The woman stared back with an emotionless face. Her expression remained emotionless as another of the style threw an arm across her shoulders. He smiled at the small, startled samurai.
"Tell Yutaro.-Sama, the Shinko is back. Come on," the man said to Aki. "Let's go talk business." Aki shifted her gaze to Kenshin and mouthed, "Don't worry" as the Shinko members slinked back into the darkness with her as a hostage.
As soon as the Shinko and Aki started into the darkness, Kenshin started for Gensai's house as fast as he could.
Kenshin finally reached the house and quietly opened the door. Sano, Aoshi, and Suzuka were the only ones awake.
"What is it, itoko?" asked Suzuka.
"Yeah, you look like you just saw a ghost," said Aoshi.
"Sano, Aki's been kidnapped," Kenshin said to his friend.
"She what?!" Sano shouted, getting to his feet.
"The last remaining members of the Shinko style took her hostage."
"Let's go find her, then," said Suzuka as Sano bounded out the door, his zan-batou slung over his shoulder.
Aki, using the fast instincts she developed over ten years of wandering finally escaped the Shinko camp. The fools thought to induct her into their nation just because she was once in the Sekihottai. That and they needed a woman for what they called "population" purposes. People like that made her sick. She mentally cursed as she heard a few running after her. What was their problem?! Why did they want to make a nation, anyway?! And why did they want her in it?! She hadn't volunteered to want to know too dang much about the idiotic nation.
She suddenly noticed she was running on top of a small cave. She, unfortunately, didn't have time to hide.
Aki jumped off the formation and nearly let out a scream as a hand slid over her mouth as the other arm pulled her into the cave by her waist. She thought another of the Shinko style had trapped her, but she was reassured when she heard a familiar voice. "It's alright, Aki-San, it's just us, that it is," Kenshin's voice said. She relaxed her head on Sano's shoulder as he let her mouth free.
Two figures leaped out of the cave and unconscious figures of the Shinko style fell from atop the cave. Aoshi and Suzuka came back in the cave. "Their leader will come by and find them later, let's get out of here while they think differently," Suzuka said.
"Kenshin-San," said Aki as she and her friends ran back to Gensai's house. "I told you not to worry."
"But I didn't worry, Aki-San," he said with a smile. "I acted, that I did."
"I have a question," Aki started. "How is it the most capable fighters in the house were the only ones awake?"
"Sagara, here, had a bad feeling, so he made us stay up," Suzuka explained.
"He did, huh?" Aki said, turning a scowl to Sano.
Sano thought she was going to lecture him about treating her like an equal and not a helpless little woman in distress.
Her scowl turned to a smile. "Thanks, Sano."
Well, that was unexpected.
"Guess we're even then, huh?" Sano asked.
"Yeah," Aki agreed. "That's how it usually ends up."
In their Sekihottai days the smaller additions to the group usually volunteered to be bait or take the watch for small missions. Every time one or both of them would save the other, the favor was always repaid in one way or the other.
When they finally came to Gensai's house, they were greeted with a very angry and very awake Kaoru, Megumi, and Misao sitting in the front room.
"I thought I heard you three leaving," said Kaoru.
"I better not have missed anything," said Misao.
"How could you leave your friends and your host without telling anyone?" asked Megumi.
"Why were you up, anyway?" added Kaoru.
"I had a bad feeling that proved right," said Sano.
"What was the bad feeling, then?" asked Megumi.
"Aki-San was kidnapped by the leaders of the Shinko style," said Aoshi.
Kaoru gasped.
"And you didn't come and get us?" asked Misao.
"You were asleep," said Suzuka.
"Besides," said Sano. "Aoshi and Suzuka were the only ones who saw any action."
"Is Aki alright?" asked Megumi.
"I'm fine, thanks to Sano's insomnia," said Aki, walking in.
Everyone else walked in after her.
"That's appalling," said Kaoru after Aki told everyone why the Shinko wanted her to join in their nation.
Misao shivered at the thought of it.
"How did you escape?" asked Megumi.
"While they were distracted, I got out and started running.of course. Then they started running after me. Apparently, our little crew had stationed themselves in a cave and were waiting for me." She motioned to Kenshin, Aoshi, Suzuka, and Sano. "Sano pulled me into the cave, Aoshi and Suzuka defeated the ones who ran after me, and we ran the rest of the way here."
"What would have happened if they weren't there?" asked Misao.
"They probably would have eventually caught up to me and.you can take it from there. I know I have over and over.and each time it gets worse."
"I know you just got home and everything, but it's really late, and I'm really sleepy," said Kaoru.
"You read my mind," said Suzuka as she, Megumi, Misao, Kaoru, and Aki went to the girl's bedroom.
"Finally, someone realized what time it is." said Aoshi, heading for the other guest bedroom.
"We'll get 'em in the morning," Sano growled, loudly cracking his knuckles.