Chapter III

Without a Trace; Missing Martial Artist

A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction

Original Storyline by: Nobuhiro Watsuki

New Storyline by: Zac

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It was late a night, the moon was shining brightly and the wind was howling quietly. Footsteps padded through the Miahiko Dojo, thieves; in search for a special master. The thieves crashed through the paper doors, startling the young martial artist. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" She asked. "Were here to kidnap you mistress, you have some very valuable knowledge..." One thief put his hand over her mouth, making her fall uncontious, then carrying her to the horse carriage.

The next day at the Kamiya Dojo, Kenshin woke up yawning, and smiling at the sunlight. "Looks like it's going to be a nice day today, yes it does." Kenshin got up, put his robes on and made his way to the garden to pick some vegetables for today's breakfast. Surprisingly, Kaitou was already awake and standing in the nearby pond. "That's you Kaitou, it must be." Kaitou turned around and nodded. "You're up early Kenshin." Was all he said.

"I get up this early often, that I do. What about you?" Kenshin walked to the shore of the pond. "Just thinking, I think Kaori and I are going to search for Ayame, and Kaze this afternoon." Kaitou said, walking back to the land, and putting his robes back on. "We'll go with you, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't, besides we make a pretty good team, don't you think?" Kaitou nodded. "So what is it that Ayame, and Kaze are? I know their Espers but what is their specialty..?" Kenshin asked.

"Well ... Kaze ... Ha, Kaze is Kaze ... She's a martial artist, a very good one at that. I'm not even sure if she's around here, we were just lucky to find Kaori here, and Ayame ... well, she's a thief, so we might have some luck finding her around money deposits and antique stores." Kaitou laughed.

"So a thief and a martial artist... I don't think we'll have trouble finding them Kaitou, yes indeed." Kenshin grabbed a handful of vegetables and walked toward the dojo. "Would you like to help make breakfast?" Kaitou nodded and followed Kenshin in the kitchen, he drew Kiyomori and began to cut some carrots up.

"Be careful, Kenshin is known to burn everything Kaitou." Sanosuke walked in the kitchen, carrying his shirt in the band of his shorts and tying his bandana on. Kaitou smiled a bit, happy to see Sanosuke doing well. "Don't worry, I won't let him..." He said.

"So ... Kaitou ... what is the reason why all these people are after you?" Sanosuke asked, sitting down on a chair. "Well you see ... us Espers were responsible for the Esper War, and apparently the people who lost their children, wives, and husbands are all seeking revenge and are trying to kill us. Other then that... it's just because were Espers, no human beings."

"That's awful, you shouldn't dislike someone just because they're not human. I know I don't..." Kaitou's cheeks turned a light red as he continued to cut up vegetables. "It still sounds like Kaoru and Yahiko are still asleep, yes it does." Kenshin added, but soon screaming and smashing were heard in the hallways. "You spoke to soon Kenshin." Kaitou said, laughing a bit. "Where is Kaori?" Sanosuke asked.

"Kaori doesn't like being in one spot for a long time, she's probably out on a nature walk." Kaitou replied. "I'll go find her, there are a few questions I want to ask her about her magic." Sanosuke nodded and went to find her. "That Sanosuke, always curious about the oblivious yes he is." Kenshin said shaking his head. "So Kaitou, I notice that your always blushing around Sanosuke, you have some kind of crush on him?" He asked.

Kaitou looked down, his cheeks turning red. "You could say that..." Kenshin just laughed a bit. "It's ok, if you give it time, I bet Sanosuke will return the same feelings, that he will." Kaitou and Kenshin continued to cut up vegetables for breakfast.

"Great... when we find Kaze she'll probably pull my hair... push me down... maybe make fun of me... but she's my sister and I have to respect my family, though at times both her and Kaitou can be a little weird... but then again so could I... Ayame is a little weird as well... this whole family is messed up..." Kaori was walking along the village bridge. She sighed and continued on home.

When Sanosuke had caught up with her, she waved. "Hello Sano, weird seeing you up this early." She laughed. "Yeah I guess, I don't normally wake up this early but I don't know why I did today. Hey listen, I wanted to ask you a few questions about your magic, I saw your attacks, and I must say I'm really impressed. Are all the Espers that strong?" Sanosuke and Kaori were talking and walking home.

"Well, that's just my primary stage magic. I don't usually want to use my full fledge power on a human, too cruel... Um, for Kaitou... You saw him glow blue right?" She asked. "Yeah I did, kind of eerie if you ask me." He replied. "Well, to be honest that's only half his power. His full power, as well for all the Espers, could destroy the world. We've only used it once... and that... was during the Esper War..."

"Hey come on! Kaoru give it back!!!" Yahiko was chasing Kaoru around the dojo, wanting his clothes back. "You'll have to catch me you little jerk!!" She said, waving his clothes in the air. "Just give it back! I don't enjoy running around naked in the dojo!" Naked? Heck no, Yahiko had a towel around his waist. "Come on!! Please?" Kaoru turned around... "Lemmie think..." She took her time... "How bout... NO! HA HA!" She laughed and started running around again. "Er... just forget it... I'll get a different pair..."

"Use your head Yahiko. A clever warrior uses his brain to over come weak strength." Kaitou said, holding up a bowl of vegetables over his head to prevent him running into it. "Heh..." Yahiko started running the other way and tackled Kaoru. "OOF!!" Underneath the cloud of smoke, Yahiko stuck a pose, holding his clothes. "Jerk... Oh? What's this? HA HA HA HA HA!!" Kaoru... STOLE YAHIKO'S TOWEL! Kaitou's eyes turned huge, as Yahiko hurried and put his pants on. "Kaoru you ugly! COME BACK HERE!!" Then Yahiko and Kaoru were at it again.

- Flashback to the Esper War -

"Kaori! Ayame's forces can't hold out! We need to send our troops to hold them off at the bridge!" Kaze shouted. "I can't! I'm having trouble over here in the village as well!" Kaori shouted back. "Where is Kaitou when we need him the most!" Not long after that, a large crash of blue lightning stuck the whole village, killing all the Shinobi Samurai's.

"Kaitou!" Kaze shouted. "Where have you been!" Kaitou just looked up, cuts, and scars all over his back and chest. "I was holding off the army at the Westward River, making it so more troops don't come at the village!" Ayame ran up, trying to catch her breath. "It's no use, the army is too large. We can't take care of them at the same time... We have no choice..." Ayame took out a green jewel. "No... Ayame... we can't..." Kaori stepped back in fear.

"I know you don't like using these Kaori, but we have no other choice." Kaze jumped down from the roof and took out a stone, silver in color. "Ayame is right Kaori... let's do this for mom and dad." Kaori nodded, as she took another stone, red and fiery in color. "All we need is you Kaitou..." He nodded and took out his, blue in color as all four began chanting together. "From the four corners of the Earth, we call upon the legendary Saint Beasts to lend us your power..."

Kaori's stone was first to light up, red, fiery light flared all over the place. "Suzaku, the Phoenix that protects the South with it's beautiful wings..." Kaori's body lit up, as red, rainbow wings sprouted from her back, dressed up in a red, and orange kimono, holding her staff. Ayame's stone was second to light up, green, calm light burst in sparks. "Genbu, the tortoise that shields the East with your spiked shell..." Her body lit up, as a spiked shell helmet covered her head, and brown armor covered her body, holding her boomerang in place. Kaze's stone was third to light up, white, holy light emitted strongly. "Byakko, the tiger that gracefully watches over the West..." Feather's surrounded Kaze's body, as she was surrounded in light, tiger ears appearing on her head, as a tail grew, a white and gold kimono was covering her body. Lastly, Kaitou. "Seriyuu, the dark dragon that watches over the North..." Blue lightning stuck down on his body, scales growing on the sides of his face, and fins on the side of his head, armor that was blue and black covered his body, as the Kiyomori appeared.

"We'll end this war... as Espers..." Kaori said.

- Commercial Break -

Kaze was the first up to attack. "Star Children!!!" She shouted, as little dots of light started to shower upon the whole army, killing off around one fourth of the army. "Kaori your up!" She nodded and floated up in the air, holding her staff up high. "Phoenix Brushfire Storm!" Large flaming meteors started to crash down upon the already dead bodies, and killing off most of the army. "I'll go next..." Ayame stared at the charging people. "Terra Crush!" She slammed her boomerang on the ground, causing rock spikes to shoot up, stabbing the bodies of the samurai's. "Last but no least, go Kaitou. Show them the true terror of the Espers!"

Kaitou screams out loud, his body flaring on fire with blue flames. His eyes gave a demonic look as his eyes narrowed. "Thunder... Tsunami..." A large thunderstorm started up, blue lightning bolts crashed down as the ground shook, water shooting up from the ground. "... Water conducts electricity... everyone in the water is sure to be killed..." The water crashed down on the army, as bolts charged down, shocking everyone in the water into oblivion.

- End Flashback -

"Those were the days..." Kaori said. "Hu? You say something?" Sanosuke asked. "It's nothing... just thinking about the Esper War... I hope we don't have to re-live it... We killed a ton of samurai's..." The wind blew as a paper flew down at her feet. "Whats this?" Kaori picked it up, and read aloud. "Miahiko Dojo Master; Kidnapped Last Night. Whereabouts unknown" She crumbled the paper. "Kaze is a master at a dojo before we arrived here. It might be here and it might now, but still I don't see a reason on why we can't bother to look into it." Sanosuke and Kaori nodded as they walked back home.

"I see you found your towel back Yahiko." Kaitou laughed. "Yeah it wasn't easy either. Hey look, here comes Kaori and Sanosuke..." Kenshin went up to Kaori and smiled. "Good morning." Kaori nodded. "We have a problem you guys." Sanosuke said. "Eh? What kind of problem?"

"A problem regarding a master of a dojo. She was kidnapped and Sanosuke and I agreed to look into it." Kaori said. "We'll go with you, there isn't a reason for us not to, that I know." Everyone nodded and grabbed their stuff, they were going on a long journey...

When they arrived at the dojo, the spread out to look for clues. Yahiko looked around and found some blood on the floor. "Ew..." He saw a few shurikens and bodied laying on the floor. Yahiko walked out and bumped into a flower girl, she screams and jumped back. "Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" Yahiko just stepped back. "I won't, don't worry. I'm here to actually investigate this case. What happened?" The girl got up and sighed. "Well, I remember being attacked and the thieves running off with Mistress Kaze that's all I remember..."

Yahiko bowed. "Do you know where they took her?" The Kimono Girl nodded. "The Great Hall. An abandon church only two blocks from here..." Yahiko nodded. "Thank you very much." He ran off but the Kimono Girl stopped him. "Please, bring her back safely." Yahiko nodded again and ran off to find the others.

When Yahiko told them the whereabouts of Mistress Kaze, the team immediately left for the church.

When they arrived there we greet by three guards. "Do you have an appointment?" One guard asked. "No, but you have an appointment with the doctor soon!" Sanosuke said, knocking the lights out of one. "Are you crazy?!" Another shouted. "Shut up..." Yahiko said, hitting one with his fists, but before the other guard could say anything he was knocked out too. "Let's go inside!" Kenshin said.

When they walked inside, the boss got up. "I assume your looking for Mistress Kaze... well you can soon join the rest of the attempts." He pointed to a pile of dead bodies on the other side of a bridge. "Why are their dead bodies?" Kaori asked. "The people died trying to walk across it... there are poison darts that will attack when anything walks across it." Kaitou clenched his fist. "That's my sister over there... Kenshin, you, Sanosuke, Kaoru, and Yahiko take care of them, Kaori and I will get Ayame!" Kenshin nodded as they began an assault on the boss, as Kaitou and Kaori ran to the bridge.

Kaitou jumped across the darts as they flew out, dodging every one of them, as Kaori followed close behind. "Kaze!" The girl opened her eyes, only being knocked out. "...? Heeey! Long time no see brother!" Kaitou smiled and cut the chains loose. "Nice to see you again Kaze. Kaori is here too..." Kaori walked up and hugged Kaze. "It's been sooooooo long!"

"Uh sorry to break up the reunion but..." Kaitou pointed at a black dressed samurai. "Your not taking Mistress Kaze back!" Kaori just rolled her eyes. "I told ya! The guys can't keep their hands off me!" Kaze said, laughing. She picked her gloves, making the spikes shoot out the knuckles. "Time for battle!" Kaze ran up to him and started to duke it out. Punch after punch, and kick after kick... Finally... "Sucker Punch!" Kaze threw her fist back and punched the samurai in the face, punching his skull off. "Eh, piece of cake..." Kaze picked up the head and threw it down the bridge. "Let's go guys, I see your friends have disposed of the boss..."

"Well... we found Kaze..." Kaitou said. "Yes, now all that is left is Ayame..." Kaori smiled, her and Kaitou running up to Kaze and Kenshin and crew, walking out of the church, once again victorious...