Disclaimer: ............
Author's Notes: :: shivers :: Okay. Yes. I know this may seem rushed, but just so you all know, THIS ISN'T THE LAST CHAPTER. If it doesn't work like I planned, then there will be 2 more after this one. If it does, then there will be only one. AND I KNOW THE LAST CHAPTER WAS SHORT!! :: ducks flying food :: Especially for me. Gomen nasai!! Forgive me?
~Silhouettes of Shadows~
***Chapter 15- Destruction of a Devil***
Kenshin shuffled nervously across the room. Everything that had been occurring as of late was so jam-packed and confusing it took him a while to sift through it all. The important thing was that no one had died. Megumi proclaimed Kaoru to be perfectly fine, despite the poison from the needle. There hadn't been enough inside Kaoru's system to do much damage other than make her woozy, and thus, Megumi had given her a medication to flush the toxin out. All the other injured had been treated, and at three in the morning, everyone around the dojo was asleep.
Everyone, that was, excluding one ex-hitokiri.
Slipping his katana swiftly into the belt of his hakama, Kenshin forced himself to ignore the pain that shot through his body. He wasn't done protecting his family, or his friends, yet. There was still one link in this chain of growing attacks that had yet to be cut, and he planned to do it that night. Ignoring the warnings from Megumi about stressing his body, the threats from Kaoru about him leaving her in the night to destroy Katsura, and everything else that had happened, Kenshin headed for the shoji door.
Kenji lay next to it, sleeping soundly upon his own futon.
"Tell your mother I'll be back." Kenshin whispered, almost silently. "I'm doing this for you Kenji. It's better to stop things now before they taint your future."
Finally stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him, Kenshin padded across the porch with his assassin silence and checked every room occupied around the dojo. One contained Yahiko, another held Megumi and Sanosuke, and the final room was where Aoshi kept his watchful eye upon Misao. Much to everyone's comfort, Saitou had left soon after the fights had concluded, warning Kenshin to expect him back soon to finish their ongoing battle.
And now, Kenshin was leaving everyone behind once more. He planned to come back, and he planned to do so soon, but nothing was guaranteed, especially since the fact was that now he could be prosecuted for the crime of murder. Kaoru had requested that he didn't go through with the thought of killing Katsura, but she didn't understand the danger the man could possess toward her life, or toward Kenji's life. The promise he had made to himself the day he left Katsura's leadership and the need to pacify Kaoru were battling within him.
Was it possible to spare Katsura and destroy the threat toward himself and his family, or would the need to call upon his skills as a hitokiri reign again?
Deciding now was not the time to ponder over these thoughts, Kenshin left the safe haven inside the gates to the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo. The decision on if to spare Katsura or not would be decided that night, during the battle. He wouldn't let his two warring ideals to take flight within his mind and body yet. He needed to concentrate on finding Katsura first.
His senses were running wild, and momentarily Kenshin wondered how his skills had slipped so much. He had forgotten what it meant to be in the mode of a hitokiri--- his memory from the rush he received while lurking through the shadows and singling out his prey was dwindling. He grudgingly admitted that he found an odd sense of fulfillment and joyful excitement while on this hunt. The killing part was not something he thought on, but the chase was the fun part.
Taking his mind off of his strange broodings again, Kenshin tried to single-handedly figure out where Katsura was hiding. There weren't many places he could have gone to in Tokyo--- Katsura felt safer in places that were familiar. Going through the list of Inns, tea houses, and brotherals he'd been to while guarding Katsura's life, Kenshin tried to pinpoint the most likely place to find his old leader. Standing precariously within the area surrounding Sanosuke's home on the ruffian row, Kenshin's mind reeled with memories and recognition.
This area......... he'd been here before with Katsura. Kenshin could distinctly remember the lining of buildings and the sparse, now closed down, dojos. There were a few buildings still open; ancient pubs and the disappointment of a brotheral to the left. His mind was reeling with reasons for why he had come here. When he discovered the reason, his gaze hardened and was directed toward one of the ramshackle dojos.
They had arrived in Tokyo two years prior to Kenshin's odd introduction to Kaoru, searching for new men to recruit within the Ishin Shishi. They had control of Tokyo at the time, which guaranteed the search to be a simple one, but that never even once guaranteed that anyone was safe. It was a time of war, and wars never played kindly. Dirty tricks were commonplace.
Taking a moment to breath, Kenshin stepped slowly toward the broken down building of an ancient swords technique. Pushing past the hanging boards and the mingling cobwebs, he reappeared within a dusty hall, devoid of master and student plaques, but still holding practice bokkens and shinais agaisnt the wall. His eyes roamed over the deserted building, memories flooding within his mind, the images playing out before his eyes.
~Flashback~
"Namikura-san, please, who would you say is your best student?" Katsura questioned, glancing around at the young swordsmen that dotted the dojo.
Namikura glanced around. "Kyo is probably the best. After him would be the two standing in the corner, Senji and Lokina. "
"I believe a demonstration is in order." Katsura responded. "Himura, would you tell me if you seen anything worth considering?"
"All the ki in this room is week." Kenshin had responded, wringing his hands around his weapon tightly.
Katsura smiled down at his young prodigy. "Hai, but they may surprise you."
Namikura called to his pupils and had the three he had pointed out come to the center of the dojo's shining floors. They each pulled out a practice bokken, taking swings before falling into kata in synchronized movements. Kenshin's eyes roamed over their bodies, checking for stiffness and flowing movements. They moved like professionals, but their skills were slow. He shook his head.
"They would never survive in battle." Kenshin noted out loud. "They're far too slow, Katsura-san."
Katsura, whose hand was on his chin, nodded. "I believe so too. But Namikura wishes for one of his students to carry his sword technique onto the field. Would you mind sparring, just to test their skills? If they are as inadequate as you presume, then you should have no problem."
"I will not pick up a wooden sword."
"That is fine." Namikura reassured. "They have all handled live steel blades before. Kyo, Senji, Lokina, get your blades."
The pupils did as they were instructed, pulling out swords of steel and taking up defensive stances. With a bored expression hidden behind amber eyes, Kenshin brought his body out to the floor, falling into the battou-jutsu stance. The youngest of the three students, Senji, took in the surroundings and watched Kenshin's hand with a gaze of someone who had battled for his life before. Keeping that in mind, Kenshin fell out of his stance.
"I will only defend myself. Attack at will. There is no reason for blood around your dojo, Namikura-san." Kenshin responded. "This would be an unfair fight otherwise."
Katsura shook his head at Kenshin. "How will I be able to gauge their skills if you do not attack?"
"Check for their offensive skills, and how they recover." Kenshin responded, his voice leaking with boredom and irritation.
"As you say Himura."
Lokina held his blade before him, walking slowly into the area of attack. Kenshin watched Lokina with an unnerving gaze. Lokina closed his eyes, chanting to himself, before he raced forward. Kenshin drew his sword, blocking the consecutive attacks without much effort. Lokina fell back with the force of Kenshin's defense, landing near his fellow students.
Senji was in awe. "What are you, Himura-san?"
"Nothing more than you wish to be." He stated. "Years of war turn you into this."
Katsura shook his head. "Himura cannot reveal much to you, not until you join with us. A code of secrecy is strong in the Ishin Shishi."
Senji let his blade fall. "If we were to attack him and he felt like attacking back, we would stand no choice. Kyo, make it easy on yourself."
Kenshin's eyebrow twitched in a movement to rise upon his forehead. "You are very intuitive. Katsura, of all the boys in this room, Senji-san would be the best to recruit. He knows when to back down, his ki is formidable. "
"Good. Senji, are you willing?"
"Hai. I am."
Katsura nodded. "Good. You will come with us to my favorite Inn, across from the Akabeko."
~End Flashback~
"The Akabeko........." Kenshin muttered. "He's been that close to us all this time........."
Sword hilt in hand and with a speed he had long before forgotten, Kenshin dashed out from the dojo and back upon the streets of Tokyo, heading for an Inn he had not visited in over five years.
Author's Notes: SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTERS! I am DETERMINED to finish the story as soon as I can, thus, and since I don't want to rush it, I'm trying to extend the chapter amount.
Kenshin: Yeah right! :: pokes :: You're just bored!
Crystal: __ Kenshin!!!
Kenshin: You are! You'd rather write about Kaoru getting forced into an arranged marriage!
Sano: That's harsh.
Crystal: Grr......... :: drops monitor on their heads ::
Misao: Ouch. __
Kenshin: @__@x Oro........
Crystal: JUST FOR THAT I WILL MAKE THAT STORY SO MUCH MORE HARSHER ON YOU!
Sano: :: rubs bump ::
Kaoru: What story?
Crystal: O__O :: hides story :; Oh....... Nothing!!!!
^__^ I had to get something light hearted in here!!!
Love and hugs—
Crystal Renee
Author's Notes: :: shivers :: Okay. Yes. I know this may seem rushed, but just so you all know, THIS ISN'T THE LAST CHAPTER. If it doesn't work like I planned, then there will be 2 more after this one. If it does, then there will be only one. AND I KNOW THE LAST CHAPTER WAS SHORT!! :: ducks flying food :: Especially for me. Gomen nasai!! Forgive me?
~Silhouettes of Shadows~
***Chapter 15- Destruction of a Devil***
Kenshin shuffled nervously across the room. Everything that had been occurring as of late was so jam-packed and confusing it took him a while to sift through it all. The important thing was that no one had died. Megumi proclaimed Kaoru to be perfectly fine, despite the poison from the needle. There hadn't been enough inside Kaoru's system to do much damage other than make her woozy, and thus, Megumi had given her a medication to flush the toxin out. All the other injured had been treated, and at three in the morning, everyone around the dojo was asleep.
Everyone, that was, excluding one ex-hitokiri.
Slipping his katana swiftly into the belt of his hakama, Kenshin forced himself to ignore the pain that shot through his body. He wasn't done protecting his family, or his friends, yet. There was still one link in this chain of growing attacks that had yet to be cut, and he planned to do it that night. Ignoring the warnings from Megumi about stressing his body, the threats from Kaoru about him leaving her in the night to destroy Katsura, and everything else that had happened, Kenshin headed for the shoji door.
Kenji lay next to it, sleeping soundly upon his own futon.
"Tell your mother I'll be back." Kenshin whispered, almost silently. "I'm doing this for you Kenji. It's better to stop things now before they taint your future."
Finally stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him, Kenshin padded across the porch with his assassin silence and checked every room occupied around the dojo. One contained Yahiko, another held Megumi and Sanosuke, and the final room was where Aoshi kept his watchful eye upon Misao. Much to everyone's comfort, Saitou had left soon after the fights had concluded, warning Kenshin to expect him back soon to finish their ongoing battle.
And now, Kenshin was leaving everyone behind once more. He planned to come back, and he planned to do so soon, but nothing was guaranteed, especially since the fact was that now he could be prosecuted for the crime of murder. Kaoru had requested that he didn't go through with the thought of killing Katsura, but she didn't understand the danger the man could possess toward her life, or toward Kenji's life. The promise he had made to himself the day he left Katsura's leadership and the need to pacify Kaoru were battling within him.
Was it possible to spare Katsura and destroy the threat toward himself and his family, or would the need to call upon his skills as a hitokiri reign again?
Deciding now was not the time to ponder over these thoughts, Kenshin left the safe haven inside the gates to the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo. The decision on if to spare Katsura or not would be decided that night, during the battle. He wouldn't let his two warring ideals to take flight within his mind and body yet. He needed to concentrate on finding Katsura first.
His senses were running wild, and momentarily Kenshin wondered how his skills had slipped so much. He had forgotten what it meant to be in the mode of a hitokiri--- his memory from the rush he received while lurking through the shadows and singling out his prey was dwindling. He grudgingly admitted that he found an odd sense of fulfillment and joyful excitement while on this hunt. The killing part was not something he thought on, but the chase was the fun part.
Taking his mind off of his strange broodings again, Kenshin tried to single-handedly figure out where Katsura was hiding. There weren't many places he could have gone to in Tokyo--- Katsura felt safer in places that were familiar. Going through the list of Inns, tea houses, and brotherals he'd been to while guarding Katsura's life, Kenshin tried to pinpoint the most likely place to find his old leader. Standing precariously within the area surrounding Sanosuke's home on the ruffian row, Kenshin's mind reeled with memories and recognition.
This area......... he'd been here before with Katsura. Kenshin could distinctly remember the lining of buildings and the sparse, now closed down, dojos. There were a few buildings still open; ancient pubs and the disappointment of a brotheral to the left. His mind was reeling with reasons for why he had come here. When he discovered the reason, his gaze hardened and was directed toward one of the ramshackle dojos.
They had arrived in Tokyo two years prior to Kenshin's odd introduction to Kaoru, searching for new men to recruit within the Ishin Shishi. They had control of Tokyo at the time, which guaranteed the search to be a simple one, but that never even once guaranteed that anyone was safe. It was a time of war, and wars never played kindly. Dirty tricks were commonplace.
Taking a moment to breath, Kenshin stepped slowly toward the broken down building of an ancient swords technique. Pushing past the hanging boards and the mingling cobwebs, he reappeared within a dusty hall, devoid of master and student plaques, but still holding practice bokkens and shinais agaisnt the wall. His eyes roamed over the deserted building, memories flooding within his mind, the images playing out before his eyes.
~Flashback~
"Namikura-san, please, who would you say is your best student?" Katsura questioned, glancing around at the young swordsmen that dotted the dojo.
Namikura glanced around. "Kyo is probably the best. After him would be the two standing in the corner, Senji and Lokina. "
"I believe a demonstration is in order." Katsura responded. "Himura, would you tell me if you seen anything worth considering?"
"All the ki in this room is week." Kenshin had responded, wringing his hands around his weapon tightly.
Katsura smiled down at his young prodigy. "Hai, but they may surprise you."
Namikura called to his pupils and had the three he had pointed out come to the center of the dojo's shining floors. They each pulled out a practice bokken, taking swings before falling into kata in synchronized movements. Kenshin's eyes roamed over their bodies, checking for stiffness and flowing movements. They moved like professionals, but their skills were slow. He shook his head.
"They would never survive in battle." Kenshin noted out loud. "They're far too slow, Katsura-san."
Katsura, whose hand was on his chin, nodded. "I believe so too. But Namikura wishes for one of his students to carry his sword technique onto the field. Would you mind sparring, just to test their skills? If they are as inadequate as you presume, then you should have no problem."
"I will not pick up a wooden sword."
"That is fine." Namikura reassured. "They have all handled live steel blades before. Kyo, Senji, Lokina, get your blades."
The pupils did as they were instructed, pulling out swords of steel and taking up defensive stances. With a bored expression hidden behind amber eyes, Kenshin brought his body out to the floor, falling into the battou-jutsu stance. The youngest of the three students, Senji, took in the surroundings and watched Kenshin's hand with a gaze of someone who had battled for his life before. Keeping that in mind, Kenshin fell out of his stance.
"I will only defend myself. Attack at will. There is no reason for blood around your dojo, Namikura-san." Kenshin responded. "This would be an unfair fight otherwise."
Katsura shook his head at Kenshin. "How will I be able to gauge their skills if you do not attack?"
"Check for their offensive skills, and how they recover." Kenshin responded, his voice leaking with boredom and irritation.
"As you say Himura."
Lokina held his blade before him, walking slowly into the area of attack. Kenshin watched Lokina with an unnerving gaze. Lokina closed his eyes, chanting to himself, before he raced forward. Kenshin drew his sword, blocking the consecutive attacks without much effort. Lokina fell back with the force of Kenshin's defense, landing near his fellow students.
Senji was in awe. "What are you, Himura-san?"
"Nothing more than you wish to be." He stated. "Years of war turn you into this."
Katsura shook his head. "Himura cannot reveal much to you, not until you join with us. A code of secrecy is strong in the Ishin Shishi."
Senji let his blade fall. "If we were to attack him and he felt like attacking back, we would stand no choice. Kyo, make it easy on yourself."
Kenshin's eyebrow twitched in a movement to rise upon his forehead. "You are very intuitive. Katsura, of all the boys in this room, Senji-san would be the best to recruit. He knows when to back down, his ki is formidable. "
"Good. Senji, are you willing?"
"Hai. I am."
Katsura nodded. "Good. You will come with us to my favorite Inn, across from the Akabeko."
~End Flashback~
"The Akabeko........." Kenshin muttered. "He's been that close to us all this time........."
Sword hilt in hand and with a speed he had long before forgotten, Kenshin dashed out from the dojo and back upon the streets of Tokyo, heading for an Inn he had not visited in over five years.
Author's Notes: SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTERS! I am DETERMINED to finish the story as soon as I can, thus, and since I don't want to rush it, I'm trying to extend the chapter amount.
Kenshin: Yeah right! :: pokes :: You're just bored!
Crystal: __ Kenshin!!!
Kenshin: You are! You'd rather write about Kaoru getting forced into an arranged marriage!
Sano: That's harsh.
Crystal: Grr......... :: drops monitor on their heads ::
Misao: Ouch. __
Kenshin: @__@x Oro........
Crystal: JUST FOR THAT I WILL MAKE THAT STORY SO MUCH MORE HARSHER ON YOU!
Sano: :: rubs bump ::
Kaoru: What story?
Crystal: O__O :: hides story :; Oh....... Nothing!!!!
^__^ I had to get something light hearted in here!!!
Love and hugs—
Crystal Renee