Hi, everybody! After this chapter I'm slowing down again. I have to
finish the Vandread fic this semester break, so it'll be out of my head.
I'll try to finish all written content for the Crouching Tiger site, so I
can pass it on to my friend who will make the layout. I have other things
to type, and advanced readings to read. Thanks to everybody who read these
last few fast chapters. They were a blast.
Anata-Japanese sweet term for a spouse
...........
In a dojo back in Tokyo, life has been rather peaceful. For over a month life has been normal, as normal as it could possibly get in the less- than-normal Himura residence. They had not heard from their friends in Kyoto for some time, but as there was nothing worthy of report, they were not worried.
That early morning, Yahiko warmed up for the day's lessons while teaching little Kenji some kendo basics. Kenji, armed with a bamboo sword made just his size, imitated Uncle Yahiko as he swung his wooden sword up and down in constant rhythm. For now Kenji was only playing at kendo, swinging the little bamboo sword up and down without control, but for a three-year-old his form was better than some of Yahiko's students. There was no denying that the boy was the product of two masters of the sword.
"Mail for the Kamiya dojo!" A postman called from outside. Kenji immediately dropped his little sword and ran outside to get it.
Yahiko smiled and shook his head. "No discipline at all, your mother would say." He shrugged. "Oh, well. He has at least two more years before I start formal training on him."
Kenji cheerfully ran on into the house and into the kitchen. There he handed a rather thick envelope to his mother, eating breakfast with his father.
Kaoru opened the packet, and scratched her head.
"Anata?"
"Hm?" Kenshin had not looked away from his rice bowl.
"Just what kind of a weird letter IS this?!"
Kenshin took the letter from her, looked at it front and back, turned it around a few times. He also glanced at the envelope. It had no return address.
"Sorry, Kaoru-dono, but I can't read it either. It's in one of those foreign languages that do not use characters. It's in English, I think."
"But why would someone send us a letter in English, if they know we can't read it?"
"It might be because that someone is afraid of interception along the way to us. Do not worry, Kaoru-dono. We'll just find a translation service at the British or American embassy. Maybe that's what I'll do today; the precinct has no classes for me today so I have nothing to do. Care to come, Kaoru-dono?"
"You're calling me 'Kaoru-dono' too much again, anata," Kaoru warned good-naturedly.
"Gomen, koishii." Kenshin tugged at his very short ponytail.
Nobody could entertain them at the American embassy; it was a bit too busy to handle non-business documents. Then, it took them some time before they reached the British embassy, as they had to pass through the precinct and ask for directions. By the time they did reach the embassy, it was already almost midday, and they ate at a roadside stall. So far, no suspicious characters had trailed them, if Kenshin's eyes were to be trusted.
At the British embassy, they were directed to the far end of the second floor. A less than busy area, where dignitaries seldom passed. A man at the reception area took up their letter and checked for what kind of service the couple required.
"This letter is odd. It's in English AND French," the man at the table said.
"Ororo. We have to go to the French embassy as well?" Kenshin griped.
"You may not have to," the man smiled. "Try Yorkshire over there," and he pointed at a corner desk. "He's new here, he's a bit odd, but he knows French and English like the back of his hand."
The couple thanked the man and proceeded to the corner desk.
The man at the corner desk looked like a university professor to a fault. A full head of white hair was smoothed down haphazardly and split to one side in an uneven line. His eyes, small for a gaijin, were hidden behind thick glasses. But his shirt and slacks were impeccable and well-pressed. As the couple approached, he was busy writing documents and filing them away.
"G'Afternoon," the man greeted in English from behind the desk.
"Um, we are Himura Kenshin and Kaoru," Kenshin introduced themselves. "We were told that you could help us translate this letter we received this morning."
"At last, you're here," the man muttered with a light British accent.
"You were expecting us, Mr. Yorkshire?" Kaoru asked, surprised.
"Come this way, please," the man replied, as he stood up.
He took a cane from behind a chair, and leaned on it heavily as he escorted the two into a small room without windows. He limped as he beckoned them to sit in two chairs in front of another desk. He then closed the door to the room and locked it.
"The letter, please?" he asked. Kaoru gave it to him. He perused the letter, much the same way Kenshin did a few hours ago. As he finished, he smiled. "The whole letter is intact. The postal service is improving."
"Well, yes," Kenshin nodded. "But can you help us with the letter?"
Instead of answering, the man placed the letter inside a pocket. He then looked at them intently.
"The contents of the letter, in either language, are not important."
"What?" Both immediately questioned Yorkshire's credibility as a translator.
"If a person could understand either French or English, he would read something coherent, but essentially he would read a lot of nonsense," the man explained, in spontaneous Japanese, without a trace of an accent. "The only purpose of that gibberish is to get you two here. I have to talk to you."
The couple did not know what to make of it. "Mr. Yorkshire, maybe you should have gone to the police, instead of to us! We are ordinary citizens!" Kaoru replied.
"While it is a matter for the police, I do not trust them completely. That is why I also need your help."
"We are honored by your trust in us, Mr. Yorkshire--------" Kenshin continued when he was interrupted.
"Yukishiro." He took off his glasses and smirked. "I must be getting better at this. I can actually deceive even you now."
"But...but...why are you limping?" Kaoru asked with familiar concern after the initial shock.
"Two or three cups of sake back in Kyoto.....tripped on the Aioya's dining room floor and twisted my ankle.....none of your concern," he replied as he perched the glasses back on his nose. "At any rate it helps with the disguise."
"Does.....she...know you're here?" Kenshin asked.
He shook his head. "Business trip, that's what she knows."
He first gave them a summary of his business negotiations and movements over the past month, and the plans for a marriage within a few weeks. He also gave a summary of Soujirou's intelligence reports about threats on his life. "That is why I did not tell her. I've given her enough trouble already. Anyone who wants to kill me hopefully thinks I'm on a business trip. Even if they care to look in Tokyo, they would not look for me here. "
Kenshin nodded. "How do we help you?"
"Tell the police to keep an eye open for Wu Heishin, or his operatives. I know he is in Japan, probably even in Tokyo. He is after me. After all, it is my branch that I brought down, the branch I passed to him. Aside from the fact that Misao will miss me, my life in unimportant. However, if he is not taken down for good, my year in Shanghai would have been for nothing. He will only get stronger."
He paced the small room as he told his story, cane on one hand, limping on one leg. "The story I want and don't want to remember. I remembered a day or two after I fought Seta. The story got me this bad ankle.
"When I returned to Shanghai, against usual rules of the organization, I was placed in my old position, and Wu was demoted. I was told that his branch had not fared well during the years I was away, so I was missed. I had covered my tracks pretty well, and I was not really given to divulging information, so they didn't know I was connected to police. They thought I had gotten tired of being on the good side of the law, so they took me back.
"The operations went rather smoothly. They did not dare contradict my plans and my movements. Therefore, because I was the one making the plans, buy-bust operations were simple to make, and the organization never knew what hit them. Even Wu did not suspect. As the one who worked out my plans, it was often he who took the blame, poor wretch. So it was. Wu no longer had any power or reputation to speak of before the leaders. Last year was as close to hell as Wu Heishin could get, through my hands. He deserved it anyway. I saw that Houji fellow work for Shishio. He was better on all counts than my spineless second man.
"But I underestimated the time it will take for Wu to find out. I figured he would know only when I was safely out of the continent. I was wrong.
"That snake invited me into one of his smaller boats, presumably to conduct an inspection on one of our warships for export. It had been a long day, and I let my guard down.
"Sometime during the evening-I think he was discussing the lower deck of the warship--one of his henchmen hit me on the head. Two others finished the job from the front. They gave me no time to draw my pistol. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was his ugly face laughing, laughing at me. I know they threw me overboard. I felt water all around me for a long time as I faded in and out, then finally I found myself in a fisherman's boat.
"After that, I knew I was out for a long time. I woke up in a fisherman's hut, bandages on my head and body. And for the life of me, I could not remember a thing. Name, relationships, business, nothing. Well, you know the rest of this story, more than I do.
"Anyway, now that I am out of his way for good, Wu could only squeal on me to the leaders and regain his position. He will try his best to build up what I tore down, and my branch will get stronger. All that remains for him to do, now he knows that I am still alive, is to really kill me."
"So why hasn't he done it, Enishi?" Kenshin asked finally.
"Seta mentioned something about a code. Wu does not have that code, but I do. He has to keep me alive long enough for him to get the code, then finish me off."
"What is the code? And what is it for?"
He hobbled back into the seat. "That, unfortunately, I still don't recall." He raised his index finger. "But as he knows that you are connected with me, I advise you to be careful. Always keep an eye on your family. Try to get as much information on their operations here. Be aware of any suspicious activity."
"We understand," Kaoru answered.
"If you have more information, you know where to find me," Enishi smiled gratefully as he opened the door, and changed his voice to include an accent. "I hope I have been of help to you. Don't worry, there is no charge for this translation." He then proceeded to his desk.
Kenshin, however, stopped the hand that held the cane, and looked at him carefully. "If it is not too much to ask, Mr. Yorkshire, may we invite you for dinner, to return the favor? I am sure my....son...would like to see you as well."
Mr. Yorkshire smiled warmly. It had indeed been a while since Enishi had seen Kenji, and he missed the little boy. "Alright. Let me arrange my desk, and we can go."
They slowly walked back to the dojo that afternoon, keeping time with their limping white-haired guest. The conspicuous head was covered in a large brown leather hat, worn at the edges. It completed the impression of a scholarly foreigner.
"How did you get that job?" Kaoru had to ask.
"Despite the influx of foreigners into Japan, there are only a few who can really speak the language," Yorkshire maintained the slight British accent. "The services of those few are extremely helpful to the embassies, so they do not bother to really ask for credentials. I applied, I took their test, I got the job. Simple. They assume I'm a scholar for Japanese studies."
"How long will you stay?"
"Hopefully, not long. I do have to get back to Kyoto and keep my promise to Misao," he smiled. "How is Kenji?"
Kenshin grinned happily. "Kenji, he would not stop asking about Eni- chan! Yahiko is teaching him the basic kendo strokes. He wants to learn how to use a sword like Uncle Yahiko and Uncle Eni-chan, according to him."
"I'm a good example for a change. I forgot to make him a paper crane before we left, you do have to remind me about it when we get to your house."
His unease in talking to the couple was directed to his slight difficulty in walking. The conversation became pleasant. He further discussed the wedding plans, while they kept telling stories about Kenji. All safe and harmless topics of discussion, which made both sides calmer.
Thus they got home to the Kamiya dojo, with Enishi actually laughing at a story of Kenji's antics.
But as they turned the corner, they found the assistant kendo teacher still on the premises, two hours after the last class. His clothes were all askew, and sweat covered his face. Upon seeing them, he ran.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!"
Yahiko met the three with extreme panic.
"He's gone! I've looked everywhere, I've asked everyone! What took you two so long?!" He angrily pointed at the man in glasses. "It's....It's all YOUR fault, isn't it? Where is he?!"
The man addressed immediately turned pale, and got deadly serious. "When? By whom? Did they leave a ransom note?"
"What are you talking about?" Kaoru demanded. "What happened?"
"You two have got to be the most clueless parents in Tokyo!" Yahiko yelled at the couple.
"No time for name-calling," Enishi intervened with lowered head. "He's right, I'm probably the reason for it." He spoke to Yahiko again. "You have been to every possible nook and cranny he could be found?"
"YES! I've asked the whole town!"
"Contact the police. Kenji has been kidnapped."
........
"Whose idea was it to name this fellow 'Yorkshire'?! Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with his weird names for people didn't do as awfully as 'Yorkshire'!!" "That would be EK."
While I was thinking of whether to make Enishi British or French, I kept thinking of Yorkshire terriers. I was still half asleep then, half dreaming up this chapter. ^^ Yorkshire sounded pretty close to Eni-chan's surname, so that got used, and he became British. I just hate the way my tongue hits my teeth whenever I say Yorkshire; it's quite a mouthful. ^^ Anyway, I hope you liked this chappie, and I hope you wait patiently for the next one, because it will take a while again. See ya!
Anata-Japanese sweet term for a spouse
...........
In a dojo back in Tokyo, life has been rather peaceful. For over a month life has been normal, as normal as it could possibly get in the less- than-normal Himura residence. They had not heard from their friends in Kyoto for some time, but as there was nothing worthy of report, they were not worried.
That early morning, Yahiko warmed up for the day's lessons while teaching little Kenji some kendo basics. Kenji, armed with a bamboo sword made just his size, imitated Uncle Yahiko as he swung his wooden sword up and down in constant rhythm. For now Kenji was only playing at kendo, swinging the little bamboo sword up and down without control, but for a three-year-old his form was better than some of Yahiko's students. There was no denying that the boy was the product of two masters of the sword.
"Mail for the Kamiya dojo!" A postman called from outside. Kenji immediately dropped his little sword and ran outside to get it.
Yahiko smiled and shook his head. "No discipline at all, your mother would say." He shrugged. "Oh, well. He has at least two more years before I start formal training on him."
Kenji cheerfully ran on into the house and into the kitchen. There he handed a rather thick envelope to his mother, eating breakfast with his father.
Kaoru opened the packet, and scratched her head.
"Anata?"
"Hm?" Kenshin had not looked away from his rice bowl.
"Just what kind of a weird letter IS this?!"
Kenshin took the letter from her, looked at it front and back, turned it around a few times. He also glanced at the envelope. It had no return address.
"Sorry, Kaoru-dono, but I can't read it either. It's in one of those foreign languages that do not use characters. It's in English, I think."
"But why would someone send us a letter in English, if they know we can't read it?"
"It might be because that someone is afraid of interception along the way to us. Do not worry, Kaoru-dono. We'll just find a translation service at the British or American embassy. Maybe that's what I'll do today; the precinct has no classes for me today so I have nothing to do. Care to come, Kaoru-dono?"
"You're calling me 'Kaoru-dono' too much again, anata," Kaoru warned good-naturedly.
"Gomen, koishii." Kenshin tugged at his very short ponytail.
Nobody could entertain them at the American embassy; it was a bit too busy to handle non-business documents. Then, it took them some time before they reached the British embassy, as they had to pass through the precinct and ask for directions. By the time they did reach the embassy, it was already almost midday, and they ate at a roadside stall. So far, no suspicious characters had trailed them, if Kenshin's eyes were to be trusted.
At the British embassy, they were directed to the far end of the second floor. A less than busy area, where dignitaries seldom passed. A man at the reception area took up their letter and checked for what kind of service the couple required.
"This letter is odd. It's in English AND French," the man at the table said.
"Ororo. We have to go to the French embassy as well?" Kenshin griped.
"You may not have to," the man smiled. "Try Yorkshire over there," and he pointed at a corner desk. "He's new here, he's a bit odd, but he knows French and English like the back of his hand."
The couple thanked the man and proceeded to the corner desk.
The man at the corner desk looked like a university professor to a fault. A full head of white hair was smoothed down haphazardly and split to one side in an uneven line. His eyes, small for a gaijin, were hidden behind thick glasses. But his shirt and slacks were impeccable and well-pressed. As the couple approached, he was busy writing documents and filing them away.
"G'Afternoon," the man greeted in English from behind the desk.
"Um, we are Himura Kenshin and Kaoru," Kenshin introduced themselves. "We were told that you could help us translate this letter we received this morning."
"At last, you're here," the man muttered with a light British accent.
"You were expecting us, Mr. Yorkshire?" Kaoru asked, surprised.
"Come this way, please," the man replied, as he stood up.
He took a cane from behind a chair, and leaned on it heavily as he escorted the two into a small room without windows. He limped as he beckoned them to sit in two chairs in front of another desk. He then closed the door to the room and locked it.
"The letter, please?" he asked. Kaoru gave it to him. He perused the letter, much the same way Kenshin did a few hours ago. As he finished, he smiled. "The whole letter is intact. The postal service is improving."
"Well, yes," Kenshin nodded. "But can you help us with the letter?"
Instead of answering, the man placed the letter inside a pocket. He then looked at them intently.
"The contents of the letter, in either language, are not important."
"What?" Both immediately questioned Yorkshire's credibility as a translator.
"If a person could understand either French or English, he would read something coherent, but essentially he would read a lot of nonsense," the man explained, in spontaneous Japanese, without a trace of an accent. "The only purpose of that gibberish is to get you two here. I have to talk to you."
The couple did not know what to make of it. "Mr. Yorkshire, maybe you should have gone to the police, instead of to us! We are ordinary citizens!" Kaoru replied.
"While it is a matter for the police, I do not trust them completely. That is why I also need your help."
"We are honored by your trust in us, Mr. Yorkshire--------" Kenshin continued when he was interrupted.
"Yukishiro." He took off his glasses and smirked. "I must be getting better at this. I can actually deceive even you now."
"But...but...why are you limping?" Kaoru asked with familiar concern after the initial shock.
"Two or three cups of sake back in Kyoto.....tripped on the Aioya's dining room floor and twisted my ankle.....none of your concern," he replied as he perched the glasses back on his nose. "At any rate it helps with the disguise."
"Does.....she...know you're here?" Kenshin asked.
He shook his head. "Business trip, that's what she knows."
He first gave them a summary of his business negotiations and movements over the past month, and the plans for a marriage within a few weeks. He also gave a summary of Soujirou's intelligence reports about threats on his life. "That is why I did not tell her. I've given her enough trouble already. Anyone who wants to kill me hopefully thinks I'm on a business trip. Even if they care to look in Tokyo, they would not look for me here. "
Kenshin nodded. "How do we help you?"
"Tell the police to keep an eye open for Wu Heishin, or his operatives. I know he is in Japan, probably even in Tokyo. He is after me. After all, it is my branch that I brought down, the branch I passed to him. Aside from the fact that Misao will miss me, my life in unimportant. However, if he is not taken down for good, my year in Shanghai would have been for nothing. He will only get stronger."
He paced the small room as he told his story, cane on one hand, limping on one leg. "The story I want and don't want to remember. I remembered a day or two after I fought Seta. The story got me this bad ankle.
"When I returned to Shanghai, against usual rules of the organization, I was placed in my old position, and Wu was demoted. I was told that his branch had not fared well during the years I was away, so I was missed. I had covered my tracks pretty well, and I was not really given to divulging information, so they didn't know I was connected to police. They thought I had gotten tired of being on the good side of the law, so they took me back.
"The operations went rather smoothly. They did not dare contradict my plans and my movements. Therefore, because I was the one making the plans, buy-bust operations were simple to make, and the organization never knew what hit them. Even Wu did not suspect. As the one who worked out my plans, it was often he who took the blame, poor wretch. So it was. Wu no longer had any power or reputation to speak of before the leaders. Last year was as close to hell as Wu Heishin could get, through my hands. He deserved it anyway. I saw that Houji fellow work for Shishio. He was better on all counts than my spineless second man.
"But I underestimated the time it will take for Wu to find out. I figured he would know only when I was safely out of the continent. I was wrong.
"That snake invited me into one of his smaller boats, presumably to conduct an inspection on one of our warships for export. It had been a long day, and I let my guard down.
"Sometime during the evening-I think he was discussing the lower deck of the warship--one of his henchmen hit me on the head. Two others finished the job from the front. They gave me no time to draw my pistol. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was his ugly face laughing, laughing at me. I know they threw me overboard. I felt water all around me for a long time as I faded in and out, then finally I found myself in a fisherman's boat.
"After that, I knew I was out for a long time. I woke up in a fisherman's hut, bandages on my head and body. And for the life of me, I could not remember a thing. Name, relationships, business, nothing. Well, you know the rest of this story, more than I do.
"Anyway, now that I am out of his way for good, Wu could only squeal on me to the leaders and regain his position. He will try his best to build up what I tore down, and my branch will get stronger. All that remains for him to do, now he knows that I am still alive, is to really kill me."
"So why hasn't he done it, Enishi?" Kenshin asked finally.
"Seta mentioned something about a code. Wu does not have that code, but I do. He has to keep me alive long enough for him to get the code, then finish me off."
"What is the code? And what is it for?"
He hobbled back into the seat. "That, unfortunately, I still don't recall." He raised his index finger. "But as he knows that you are connected with me, I advise you to be careful. Always keep an eye on your family. Try to get as much information on their operations here. Be aware of any suspicious activity."
"We understand," Kaoru answered.
"If you have more information, you know where to find me," Enishi smiled gratefully as he opened the door, and changed his voice to include an accent. "I hope I have been of help to you. Don't worry, there is no charge for this translation." He then proceeded to his desk.
Kenshin, however, stopped the hand that held the cane, and looked at him carefully. "If it is not too much to ask, Mr. Yorkshire, may we invite you for dinner, to return the favor? I am sure my....son...would like to see you as well."
Mr. Yorkshire smiled warmly. It had indeed been a while since Enishi had seen Kenji, and he missed the little boy. "Alright. Let me arrange my desk, and we can go."
They slowly walked back to the dojo that afternoon, keeping time with their limping white-haired guest. The conspicuous head was covered in a large brown leather hat, worn at the edges. It completed the impression of a scholarly foreigner.
"How did you get that job?" Kaoru had to ask.
"Despite the influx of foreigners into Japan, there are only a few who can really speak the language," Yorkshire maintained the slight British accent. "The services of those few are extremely helpful to the embassies, so they do not bother to really ask for credentials. I applied, I took their test, I got the job. Simple. They assume I'm a scholar for Japanese studies."
"How long will you stay?"
"Hopefully, not long. I do have to get back to Kyoto and keep my promise to Misao," he smiled. "How is Kenji?"
Kenshin grinned happily. "Kenji, he would not stop asking about Eni- chan! Yahiko is teaching him the basic kendo strokes. He wants to learn how to use a sword like Uncle Yahiko and Uncle Eni-chan, according to him."
"I'm a good example for a change. I forgot to make him a paper crane before we left, you do have to remind me about it when we get to your house."
His unease in talking to the couple was directed to his slight difficulty in walking. The conversation became pleasant. He further discussed the wedding plans, while they kept telling stories about Kenji. All safe and harmless topics of discussion, which made both sides calmer.
Thus they got home to the Kamiya dojo, with Enishi actually laughing at a story of Kenji's antics.
But as they turned the corner, they found the assistant kendo teacher still on the premises, two hours after the last class. His clothes were all askew, and sweat covered his face. Upon seeing them, he ran.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!"
Yahiko met the three with extreme panic.
"He's gone! I've looked everywhere, I've asked everyone! What took you two so long?!" He angrily pointed at the man in glasses. "It's....It's all YOUR fault, isn't it? Where is he?!"
The man addressed immediately turned pale, and got deadly serious. "When? By whom? Did they leave a ransom note?"
"What are you talking about?" Kaoru demanded. "What happened?"
"You two have got to be the most clueless parents in Tokyo!" Yahiko yelled at the couple.
"No time for name-calling," Enishi intervened with lowered head. "He's right, I'm probably the reason for it." He spoke to Yahiko again. "You have been to every possible nook and cranny he could be found?"
"YES! I've asked the whole town!"
"Contact the police. Kenji has been kidnapped."
........
"Whose idea was it to name this fellow 'Yorkshire'?! Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with his weird names for people didn't do as awfully as 'Yorkshire'!!" "That would be EK."
While I was thinking of whether to make Enishi British or French, I kept thinking of Yorkshire terriers. I was still half asleep then, half dreaming up this chapter. ^^ Yorkshire sounded pretty close to Eni-chan's surname, so that got used, and he became British. I just hate the way my tongue hits my teeth whenever I say Yorkshire; it's quite a mouthful. ^^ Anyway, I hope you liked this chappie, and I hope you wait patiently for the next one, because it will take a while again. See ya!