Chapter Three: Assassin
"Killed--!" Kaoru sputtered.
"Yes. You were supposed to assasinate this one, weren't you?" Kenshin asked. "They punished you for it. They nearly killed you."
"I deserved it," Yahiko growled. "And I'm here to finish what I started."
"Yahiko," Kaoru begged. "Please, stop it. Real friends wouldn't do that to you!"
He turned an eerily impassive gaze on her. "They've done worse. Perhaps you're suggesting that you are real friends?"
"Of course," Kaoru said. "You're like a little brother to us."
"Has Kenshin not told you, then?"
Kenshin's heart skipped a beat.
"He was the reason I left, after all."
"Kenshin was?" Sano said, looking confused through the pain. He glanced at Kenshin. "What do you mean?"
"Friends don't hurt you, is that right, Kenshin? That's just further proof that you're not my friend." He pushed his hair back from his forehead, revealing a thin scar from right temple to eyebrow, white against his olive skin.
"Kenshin ... you did that?"
Kenshin closed his eyes. "Yes. I did."
"He hit me. Just for asking him if he was alright, he hit me."
"Kenshin, how could you? You let me go all this time thinking Yahiko left because of me?"
"I am sorry, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said wearily. "I am so very sorry. I was—embarassed."
"Embarassed?" she said shakily. "Embarassed? Your pride is that much more valuable to you?"
Kenshin inwardly flinched, reading the unspoken message: "Your pride is more important than me?"
"No ... Kaoru-dono ... that wasn't what I meant ... I just didn't think ..."
"Damn straight," Yahiko hissed, holding his sword straight out in front of him, in what Kenshin recognized as the "shinken" form. "You didn't think. And that's what got us into this mess."
With an animalistic type of roar, Yahiko hurled himself at Kenshin, striking straight at Kenshin's heart. The hitokiri barely moved, and Yahiko's blade slashed a wound across the base of his neck, narrowly missing his jugular.
"What's the matter, Battosai?" Yahiko spat, whirling to face his opponent. "You want me to kill you?"
Kenshin stared coolly into the man's fevered eyes. "Would that make you happy?"
Yahiko froze. The sword slid from his nerveless fingers, clattering to the ground in a cloud of dust. "H—happy?"
"Did you ever truly think that I meant you harm?" Kenshin asked, averting his gaze. "Look past your anger. Do you think I intended to hurt you?"
Yahiko snatched up his sword. "I'm not playing games, Kenshin! I'm sick of talking! Fight me, or I'll cut you down where you stand! I swear it Kenshin! I'll kill you!"
Kenshin turned away from Yahiko, sheathing the sakabatou. "This was meant to be yours, you know," he said, indicating the sword.
"I have no use for a blade that cannot kill," Yahiko snapped.
"Of course not."
And he walked away, leaving Yahiko completely still and quite bewildered.
"Killed--!" Kaoru sputtered.
"Yes. You were supposed to assasinate this one, weren't you?" Kenshin asked. "They punished you for it. They nearly killed you."
"I deserved it," Yahiko growled. "And I'm here to finish what I started."
"Yahiko," Kaoru begged. "Please, stop it. Real friends wouldn't do that to you!"
He turned an eerily impassive gaze on her. "They've done worse. Perhaps you're suggesting that you are real friends?"
"Of course," Kaoru said. "You're like a little brother to us."
"Has Kenshin not told you, then?"
Kenshin's heart skipped a beat.
"He was the reason I left, after all."
"Kenshin was?" Sano said, looking confused through the pain. He glanced at Kenshin. "What do you mean?"
"Friends don't hurt you, is that right, Kenshin? That's just further proof that you're not my friend." He pushed his hair back from his forehead, revealing a thin scar from right temple to eyebrow, white against his olive skin.
"Kenshin ... you did that?"
Kenshin closed his eyes. "Yes. I did."
"He hit me. Just for asking him if he was alright, he hit me."
"Kenshin, how could you? You let me go all this time thinking Yahiko left because of me?"
"I am sorry, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said wearily. "I am so very sorry. I was—embarassed."
"Embarassed?" she said shakily. "Embarassed? Your pride is that much more valuable to you?"
Kenshin inwardly flinched, reading the unspoken message: "Your pride is more important than me?"
"No ... Kaoru-dono ... that wasn't what I meant ... I just didn't think ..."
"Damn straight," Yahiko hissed, holding his sword straight out in front of him, in what Kenshin recognized as the "shinken" form. "You didn't think. And that's what got us into this mess."
With an animalistic type of roar, Yahiko hurled himself at Kenshin, striking straight at Kenshin's heart. The hitokiri barely moved, and Yahiko's blade slashed a wound across the base of his neck, narrowly missing his jugular.
"What's the matter, Battosai?" Yahiko spat, whirling to face his opponent. "You want me to kill you?"
Kenshin stared coolly into the man's fevered eyes. "Would that make you happy?"
Yahiko froze. The sword slid from his nerveless fingers, clattering to the ground in a cloud of dust. "H—happy?"
"Did you ever truly think that I meant you harm?" Kenshin asked, averting his gaze. "Look past your anger. Do you think I intended to hurt you?"
Yahiko snatched up his sword. "I'm not playing games, Kenshin! I'm sick of talking! Fight me, or I'll cut you down where you stand! I swear it Kenshin! I'll kill you!"
Kenshin turned away from Yahiko, sheathing the sakabatou. "This was meant to be yours, you know," he said, indicating the sword.
"I have no use for a blade that cannot kill," Yahiko snapped.
"Of course not."
And he walked away, leaving Yahiko completely still and quite bewildered.