Author's Note: And the plot goes on and one!! (from a  Sum41 song)

Disclaimers: Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me and all of you educated people should know that!! Huh?! Huh?! HUH?!

Chapter 5: Two Silhouettes

"WHAT?! Your saying Mr. Takenaka, that brat's uncle, ordered YOU to?! How do I know that you're not lying?!" Takei practically yelled the question into the man's face.

"You don't." The man said simply before he committed seppuku. Takei snorted in disgust – the man had chosen to commit suicide rather than fight against his enemy. A coward's way out of a tough time. Takei carelessly threw the body to the side and continued to wander around in order find Captain Sagara.

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//OK . . . umm what did he say? Ok pull trigger, aim and then shoot? Or was it aim, pull trigger and THEN shoot?! Guns are so STUPID! How does Katsu know how to use these things?!// Sano's thoughts were a jumble as continued to frantically try to use his gun against his enemies – which greatly outnumbered them. As Katsu's new saying went, Sano never needed to find trouble – trouble always found him.

            Sano had managed to get lost . . . again. While Katsu was already eons ahead of him and already using his rifle to kill off anyone that was an enemy – Sano was still trying to figure out just HOW his gun-thing, or whatever it was called, worked. At the same time, Sano couldn't figure out how the other Sekihoutai members had gotten back in time in order to help Katsu and Sano defend themselves. The funny thing was, that the people in the Aoiya were also helping to defend it – they called themselves the . . .the . . . Sano couldn't remember.

It was a simple plan really – Katsu explained it to me later. The three original men who bombed the Aoiya were supposed to run away and then later corner and kill Captain Sagara. They believed that by eliminating the leader of the Sekihoutai, the rest of the Sekihoutai would become weak and vulnerable. Then the mob that was waiting outside, the one Katsu, me, and most of the returned Sekihoutai were fighting, would kill the leaderless Sekihoutai. It didn't work out according to their plan . . .

// . . . then I just pull here and - // Sano's thoughts were cut off as he aimed the gun and shot it, instantly hitting one of the enemy.

"Yeah! I'm getting the hang of this! I knew it wasn't so hard!" Sano shouted in triumph. His triumph was short-lived. The next thing he knew was that he had landed on the ground, hard. He felt himself slowly slipping into unconsciousness, black waves were starting to enfold him . . .

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"Sano!" Katsu shouted in terror as he watched his ally and new friend drop to the ground as if he were dead. Katsu quickly tried to fight off the person he was trying to kill so that he could get to Sano quicker. Katsu eventually succeeded, though he still got an enormous gash on his shoulder for rushing the fight and making an error.

"Sano! Come on Sano wake up, please!" Katsu yelled as he held Sano's limp body upright by the shoulders. Sano's eyes flickered open for a brief moment before closing again.

"Sano! Hold on . . .

Hold on . . .I still remember hearing these words before I became unaware of what was happening to me. They were my tiniest glimmer of hope – I truly thought that I would die that day. Perhaps the same thing is happening to me now? Are the wounds from Shishio's blow that deep? Am I really going to die?

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            The sun was shining again as it bore its way into the sky. As if it were being born again. Sano slowly opened his eyes. He was alive. His eyes widened in shock. He tried to move but his arms and legs both felt like heavy lead. Sano then realized that he could still move his head from side to side and so he did. The room was pleasant and not clustery – there was furniture, of course, but it was scarce. Other than a bed on the floor and a table counter with flowers on it, it had nothing else.  A perfect room for meditating.

As Sano looked toward the door, he saw a shadowy figure stand in it. Sano's nerves tightened a little. It was the same man he had seen walking around the Aoiya on certain occasions. He was always watching, something, anything. He looked a little like Captain Sagara if you thought about it. His hair was the same black pearly color – except Captain Sagara's was short and his was long. They were about the same height and they were both fighters. They were also leaders of their own groups. The clothes were kind of similar – both of them preferred to wear trench coats. Except the eyes – Captain Sagara's eyes and his differed. Captain Sagara's eyes contained compassion, this man's eyes held contempt, as if he had gone thought something terrible. To tell the truth, this man scared Sano – what was his name? I believe they had called him 'Aoshi' on certain occasions. After looking at Sano for some time, Aoshi finally spoke.

"You were heavily injured, it would do you well if you were to say in bed and not move at all." Sano involuntarily shivered, this man was nothing like Captain Sagara. His voice was the ice that cut through the steel. They man regarded Sano with a cold judging air before heading on his way. Sano released a breath he did not know he was holding.

"Sano! You're awake! 'bout time!" Katsu said happily as he bounced into Sano's room, his face showing his happiness. Sano smiled at seeing the familiar and reassuring face.

"Hey, Katsu. What happened?" Sano asked.

"You . . . were shot and you fell down. The wounds are pretty deep and may leave a scar, but the doctor says that it isn't anything lethal.

"W-wounds?!" Sano asked, startled.

"Yes wounds. You were shot three times." Katsu answered sadly slowly looking at the floor.

"So . . . umm what has happened since that time, how long has it been?" Sano asked, determined to stop Katsu from looking so depressed.

"Well, you've been asleep for over a week and the rest of the Sekihoutai are also recuperating. Except . . ."

"Except what Katsu?"

"Except we lost six of our members. The five that went with Captain Sagara were brutally killed by the enemy. The other one was killed near the Aoiya. Shot. Just like you." Katsu said. Now Sano understood: Katsu blames himself for the other member's death because he couldn't be there to help them. He would have probably blamed himself for Sano's death if he had died.

The funny thing is, that Katsu is STILL like that. Not much has changed. He still blames himself for most of my wounds. Even though he usually never talks about it, you can see it on his face if you knew how to read him right.

"So . . . how long has it been? When can I get up?" Sano asked quickly, determined to change the mood.

"It's been seven days. The doctor says that you can get up in three more. I'll go get you something to eat, you must be starving by now." Katsu said with a bit of a smile.

"Sure, thanks, Katsu."

"No problem."

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            Now that he could actually MOVE his legs, Sano had enjoyed running races against Katsu the whole morning.

"I still think we should have told him," Takei said simply as he watched Sano and Katsu run around outside.

"No, we shouldn't have. Sano doesn't need to know unless its death-threatening that it was his uncle's lackeys that attacked us. I think he should focus more on recuperating." Captain Sagara said simply. Takei snorted. Sometimes Captain Sagara was just so stubborn. He reminded him of a certain little brat. On the other hand, Takei was similar to Katsu – both blamed themselves for the deaths of others even though sometimes even if the could, they would have never been able to prevent them.

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"Ok, Sano. THIS time stay close to me so that you won't get lost, ok?" Katsu irritably asked Sano, who was busy teasing a little kitten.

"SANO!" Katsu yelled at his idiotic-friend.

"Huh? What? Ok, ok I WAS listening you know. I'll won't get lost." Sano said as he rolled his eyes and continued teasing the kitten with a string of yarn – until it scratched his hand and took the yarn.

"Oww! Stupid kitten! It scratched me!" Sano said as he held his injured hand protectively. Katsu rolled his eyes.

"That's what you get for teasing it, baka. Now come on we have an errand to run." Katsu said as he started to walk off. Sano followed Katsu, still holding his hand, and glaring back at the kitten occasionally.

"So, what exactly do we need again?" Sano asked Katsu once he had caught up to him. Katsu resisted the urge to smack Sano for being so stupid. Katsu decided to make Sano mad and so he kept silent.

"Well?"

Silence.

"KATSU?!" Sano was running out of patience by now.

More silence.

"Hey?! Do you have celery in your ears or something?! Katsu!" Sano finally lost it and instead started to get in Katsu's way. Even though Katsu tried to doge, Sano kept stubbornly getting in front of him.

"Ok, ok, down Bessie-cow. I'll tell you." Katsu said as he laughed at how red-faced Sano had become.

"Captain Sagara asked us to go see if the shipments are in. So we are going to the docks." Katsu said as he tried to suppress a laugh.

"Thanks. And I am NOT a cow!"

"MOO!" Katsu said as he burst out laughing. Sano started to run.

"Hey, come on, I was only kidding! Sano! Wait up!" Katsu called out. He started to run after Sano.

"Sano, wait! Come on Sano it was a joke! I didn't mean it! I – " Katsu was cut off as he bumped into the same thing Sano had apparently bumped into. Both of them fell very unceremoniously on their butts. Katsu rubbed his head as he and Sano looked up.

"Ahh, well if it ain't a pair of young ladies!" A tall and very muscular-looking man said as he looked down on them.

"How would ye like to join our ship?" the sailor asked.

"Umm sorry we're part of the Sekihoutai." Katsu and Sano said simultaneously.

"I'm afraid you boys don't have a choice." Said another man who looked more like an aristocrat than a sailor – by the neatly pressed outfit he was wearing. He wore pants and vest and a trench coat over his pants and vest.

The next thing Katsu and Sano knew, they were in a black world of pain known as unconsciousness.

There's another chapter, and another cliffhanger!! Hehe ^_^

Thank you to all my Reviewers.