Hi, back again! Thank you for all those nice reviews...got me motivated. =)
Unfortunately I didn't update sooner, thanks to a 20+ page, single-spaced,
12 size font English paper due a couple days ago...evil English teacher...well,
anyways, I'm sure you are interested more in the fic than my problems, so,
let's go on with it!
Oh yea, standard disclaimer stuff...you know already.
* * *
"How much longer till we get there?" Yahiko whined.
"Stop complaining!" Kaoru yelled at him.
"Well, Kyoto is two days away, which means Nagasaki is farther away." Misao answered, getting sick and tired of hearing Yahiko and Kaoru argue every five minutes. "So get use to it, ok?"
Yahiko pouted, sulking. "Well, it's not my fault that I'm bored out of my life!"
"Well, the last time I checked you were the one that wanted to come!"
"Yea, before I realized how pointless this was!" Everyone stopped walking. Silent. "I...I mean..." Yahiko stammered, realizing what he just said. "I...didn't really...that's not..."
"It's ok Yahiko." Sonami gave a wistful smile. "I understand that you're frustrated. Seeing nothing but roads for days can cause people to go crazy." Yahiko breathed a sigh of relief. "But..." Sonami continued, "you should enjoy the peace while it lasts, because, it's not going to last." Then she addressed everyone. "I think it best that we set up camp now. Everyone seems to be a bit restless." Nodding wearily, they agreed.
* * *
Misao couldn't sleep. Everyone else seemed to be quite tired, for no one raised a stir while she got up and moved about. Maybe it was just her happy and energetic nature that kept her from being exhausted. Now getting utterly bored, due to the fact that she had nothing to do, she started chipping at the tree with one of her kunai. However, that grew tiresome after a while, and Misao gave a sigh of defeat and decided to go back sleeping when she saw the box. The box was about 1 ½ feet long, 1 feet wide, and 3 inches tall. She had no idea how she managed to figure out these proportions off the top of her head, but then again, she was really really bored.
Tokio had handed Sonami that box, just before they all set off. Sonami had opened it slightly, but not enough for the others to see its contents. She had smiled, and remarked something about she knew she picked the right person to be trusted, to which Tokio replied modestly. Ever since then, Misao had been curious about it, yet she could never bring herself to ask about it.
Misao drew closer and closer to the box. What was she doing? It wasn't right to go through other people's possessions without asking them...but she couldn't help herself. The long journey, and the boredom she was experiencing made her forget about tact. All she wanted was a small peek...
She gasped, almost slamming the lid of the box onto her fingers. The flashes of gleaming light had scared her. She then took another peek to confirm what she saw was true. Sure enough, they were still there. She traced a finger over the first object, and then grasped it curiously. It was some sort of a sword, but it wasn't one that she had seen before. The sword was relatively short, yet it wasn't a kodachi, for it was shorter. However, it was definitely long enough to not be considered a dagger. She then noticed an identical object right next to it, and concluded that the two were used in pairs. Misao had never been fascinated with weapons before. She knew that she had to know how to use them, but that was all. However, at this point, she couldn't take her eyes off. The hilt was carved in intricate designs that fascinated her, and the blade...the blade gleamed brighter than moonlight itself. She brought one of her fingers at the tip of it, and she managed to stop a yelp, as a strand of blood tinkled down. The blade was sharp, very sharp. She had merely tapped the edges, and it had drawn blood. Hoping that she hadn't woken anyone, she put the pair of katana back, ready to go back to sleep when she spotted something else.
There appeared to be something else in the box, wrapped up neatly in soft cloth. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she took it out, and unfolded the layers of the fabric. A set of perfect kunai. Seeing that they were far better in quality than hers, she took a couple in her hands, getting the feel for them. Surprisingly, they were extremely light, yet seemed very solid. They were probably sharp too, but she wasn't going to get another bleeding finger. Then a thought struck her. Why would of all people, would Sonami have...
"What are you doing Misao?"
Misao hastily put everything back, and turned around to see who it was that caught her. It just had to be Aoshi.
"Misao, you should know by now that it isn't proper..." Aoshi lectured again.
Misao put her head down. He had caught her red-handed. If he had yelled at her for any other reason, she would have been ready with a comeback. However, at this point, that wasn't the case. A drop of tear rolled down her eyes as she continued to stare at the ground. Why was she always such a misfit? Why did she always bring trouble on herself? Why did she always make Aoshi disappointed?
Misao was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that Aoshi stopped lecturing her and instead was looking at her closely. Then he said, "Misao, go to sleep."
Nodding her head dejectedly, Misao laid back down, turning her face away from him. Aoshi sighed. He hadn't planned on making her cry. But then again, nothing ever went as he planned, especially when it came to Misao. He wished that he could seem more kind to her, but his nature always got the better of him. Misao deserved better. The closer he got to her, the more sadness he causes her. He couldn't allow that to happen. No, not to Misao.
However, the more immediate worry he had with her at the moment though, was to convince her to come back home. He tried his best to deny that he missed her presence bringing him tea everyday, but he couldn't. However, if it had just been him, he would have been able to restrain himself from searching for her. Misao had made her decision, and besides, it was safer for her to be away from him. Then the rest of the Oniwaban came into play. They all missed Misao. When it came to that, he had no option but to go look for her. But he had received no orders, or direct requests. He had set off on his own free will—a concept that he had tried to deny as well.
Aoshi sighed one last time before he went back to sleep. Kyoto was only two days away. He had to somehow convince Misao by that time.
* * *
The sun hadn't quite risen yet, but everyone was awake. Well, with the exception of snoring Yahiko. "I still don't know why you allowed such a nuisance to come along." Saitou directed the comment towards Kenshin, Kaoru, and Sonami.
"Well, I suppose we had no other choice." Kenshin answered, scratching his head.
"Hm." Saitou snorted in disbelief as he grabbed for a cigarette, earning a glare from Tokio.
"It's not good for your health to smoke so early in the morning teishu." She made a grab for the cigarette.
"You haven't changed at all Tokio-san."
Behind one of the trees stood a girl, with an amused grin on her face. "Suki?" Tokio blurted out.
"Oh good, this time the little messengers appear in daylight." Saitou commented sarcastically.
"So what is it this time?" Sonami asked, ignoring Saitou's comment for the time being. "Is it because you found information on what I asked you before?"
"Um...no, I'm sorry Lady Sumi, but I didn't find much about that." She flushed. "But I came to warn you." Her eyes darkening a little bit.
"Warn?" Sonami slightly widened her eyes.
"Yes," Suki replied, a bit regretfully. "It seems that your presence here in Japan had been found out."
"Well, I didn't expect otherwise." Sonami merely shrugged. "So who is it that is after my blood?"
"The onmitsu."
Sonami sighed slightly. "Ah, yes. Of course."
"Onmitsu?" By this time everyone awake got into the conversation.
"When Somani mentions an onmitsu, it could be but one person." Tokio smiled. "Still revengeful I see..."
"Certain things never chance." Sonami sighed. "So have you an idea as to what attack they have in mind?"
"Most likely an ambush." Suki replied. "But the details are still a blur. I was on my way back to spying."
"I see." Sonami gave a smile. "Don't put yourself in too much danger." Suki just nodded, and then disappeared the next second.
"Huh? What's going on?" Yahiko suddenly woke up.
Sonami couldn't help but smile again. "As I said before Yahiko, it's better to enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts."
* * *
"We are waiting for your command okashira." Naruko turned around, to see a faithful group of onmitsu.
"Everything goes as planned. No mistakes." She glared at them threateningly. They all bowed their heads in unison, and started off. When they were gone, she beckoned her favorite protégé forward. Obediently, the girl came and stood next to her. Naruko whispered into her ear. "I know better than to think that Sumi Yutamuro would be defeated so easily."
The girl's eyes opened wide. "Then why..."
Naruko motioned for her to follow her to her room. Not understanding yet obeying, she followed. On the middle of a table laid five darts—poison darts. Naruko handed them to the girl. "I need you to hit Sumi with at least one of them. The other ninjas should be distraction enough for her to not take notice of you."
The girl looked at the points closely and sniffed to define the odor. She gasped when she realized what the poison was. "Is...is it really necessary..."
"Yes," Naruko replied bitterly. "I'm going to make her suffer. Suffer like she never did before."
* * *
"It seems that there is a small village nearby Sonami-san." Kenshin informed her after scouting a bit a head of the group.
"That should be helpful. We needed to get some supplies." With that, Sonami raised her hand to brush away her bangs from her face, when suddenly she felt something slid past her hand and into a nearby tree. Everyone instantly turned around, and found a group of ninjas.
"The onmitsu." Instantly, her group surrounded her, acting as a shield. "Sonami," Kenshin advised. "Try to escape while we handle them."
"No." They all stood startled by her response, with the exception of Saitou and Tokio. "I'm the one that they are after, and I'm the one that's going to face them." With that, she walked through the barrier that they had made.
"Well, Battousai, it seems that each one of us needs to take on at least two of them each." Saitou calculated.
"Do you think it wise that we let her fight?" Kenshin gave a worried glance.
"You forget, she's a Yutamuro."
"Ah, yes. I see." Kenshin smiled. "In that case, let's take care of this quickly." With that, they both charged in the opposite direction, getting the first pick at the enemy.
"Hey, wait for us!" Misao yelled as she and the others got into the fray next. Only Soujiro stood away for a second.
"What would happen if I start killing again?" He wondered. "Would I revert to my old self?" Then he looked at the scene around him. "No, I will not." Soon, the fighting got underway.
Sonami glared at her two quarries. In an instant, she took out the twin blades that Misao had previously seen in the box. The glare of the blade stunned her opponents for a second, and that was long enough for Sonami to begin her attack. She sliced past their arms the while they were distracted, and only the pain had caused them to respond. Blood. She hadn't seen it for such a long time. Nor smelt it. The old sensation came back to haunt her once again. She shook her head. No, she was not going to let it destroy her resolve. She closed in to attack again, not realizing that two darts flew past her, not quite close, but enough for her to have sensed it if she had been paying attention to them.
Oh well, those were practice shots. The girl consorted herself while wrapping her legs around a tall tree branch to keep herself from falling off and being noticed. She had three more chances after all. Looking at the others, she saw that two of the enemies had defeated their share of the onmitsu and had started to help the others. She needed to hurry this up.
Sonami rolled out of the way, as the two ninjas attacked from both sides. The two ended up bumping into each other, and one of them felt a slight prick on the side before collapsing. The girl up on the tree cursed silently as she waited for another moment. Sure enough, there came another chance as the leftover onmitsu and Sonami struggled against each other's grasp. Sonami had her back turned, perfectly exposing herself to the girl's darts. Fortunately, as another dart shot out, she ducked with the intention of tripping her opponent. However, her opponent wasn't so lucky. The dart headed straight for his throat, and became embedded just above the collarbone. Sonami stared out of shock, not quite comprehending what had just happened. This was the perfect time. The girl steadied herself, and threw her last dart. She could not afford to miss...
Soujiro had just dispatched his last opponent. For some reason, he didn't feel the remorse he expected to feel. He had just killed without feeling guilty. No, it wasn't that he started to lack emotions again. It was just that...he felt justified. He was protecting someone, someone who deserved to be protected. Speaking of which, where was Sonami...His eyes glared wide as he spotted her. She stood, mildly in shock, looking at the dead body in front of her...and behind her, up a tree was a girl with a cold glint in the eye which he saw in so many people right before they...
Without hesitation, he ran straight towards Sonami, using his shukuchi to close the big gap between them...he grabbed her in an instant, and they both fell to the ground as they lost balance. Soujiro felt pain shoot up from his ankle as he drifted into unconsciousness.
* * *
"What do you mean you don't know what's wrong with him!" Misao shouted in indignation. The doctor cringed at her words.
"Please sir, is there nothing we could do for him?" Sonami pleaded gently.
"Well...I'm not familiar with this type of poison..."
Sonami sighed dejectedly. It had all been her fault. If only she had been more keen during the situation...She had looked up at the last instant, when the girl had already thrown the dart...she felt arms encircling her as she fell backward towards the ground...she had known that instant what had happened. Obviously the sneaky girl was gone, with the rest of the onmitsu, retreating while they still had a chance. Soujiro laid on the ground unconscious, with a slight look of pain on his face. The dart. It had stuck itself at Soujiro's ankle. Once she realized that it was poisoned, they had rushed to the nearby village and sought a doctor. However, as it was, nothing could be done.
Suddenly, the door became wide open, as a girl ran in out of breath. "Sumi-san, I'm so sorry that I didn't get there in time..." She stopped as she saw Soujiro and the poison dart. "Everyone move." Suki. Sonami brightened at the thought. Maybe there was a way.
"Excuse me, but I'm the doctor..." The doctor stammered, unnerved by the intruder.
"Suki specializes in medicine." Sonami started to explain. "Especially with poison and their antidotes. If she can't find a cure, I doubt there's any hope." She stated the last part sadly.
Suki didn't waste anytime as she stared at the point of the dart, sniffing it. Then she observed Soujiro's condition. Her face became pale. "Um...Lady Sumi, may I be blunt?" Sonami nodded her head. "This poison is one of the most torturous poison to be affected with. It doesn't kill instantly, and that actually isn't a good thing. The person affected by it passes out at first, and then eventually regains consciousness, but feels as if they are burning from inside out. Eventually the pain makes it impossible for them to move, and although they will constantly feel hungry and thirsty, the burning makes it impossible for them to swallow anything. Eventually, the person is reduced to staring at a blank space, hoping that he will die. Unfortunately, that may take weeks, months, and even years."
Sonami lifted her head. So typical of Naruko to attempt such a bitter revenge. But it turned out that Soujiro suffered by the sting, not her. "Is there a cure?"
Suki hesitated before she answered. "There is. But at the current situation, it is impossible to attain it. He needs to be treated before the next sunrise—at least that's how long I could keep the poison from taking its full effect—or otherwise the symptoms will not go away."
"So, what do we need to do?"
"You need to obtain a certain herb, but it doesn't grow in Japan. Just like this being a rare poison, the antidote is just as rare." Silence ruled. Then surprisingly, the doctor spoke.
"There might be a way...I'm not quite sure what this herb is, but there is this rich man...he seems to have a passion for collecting things rare and exotic. You might obtain it from him, if he wishes to give it away." His voice wavered, and fear could be detected.
"It seems that this is the only thing we can do at this point." Kenshin dictated. "If you would be so kind, tell us where he lives."
* * *
"Why would a rich man live in the middle of nowhere?" Yahiko blurted out.
Surprisingly, Saitou answered him back. "It is because he is hungry for power. He knows that he will have absolute control over these more simple-minded people, and he relishes such power." Kenshin, Aoshi, Sonami, and Tokio nodded in agreement.
"Well, we're here." Sonami knocked softly at the door, trying not to sound impolite although she wanted to break the door and enter immediately.
After a long interlude after the knocking, an annoyed man opened the door. "I thought I told..." He stopped short when he saw the group outside. They were definitely not from these parts. He had to be more careful. "Come in." He beckoned, forcing a smile. "What are people like yourselves doing out in the middle of such a lowly place?"
* * *
"Why not?" Misao shouted angry, restrained by Aoshi who had to use his best efforts to keep her from lunging at the man.
"I don't understand. Clearly you said you have the herb, and it is evident that we could afford whatever price you ask for, and yet you refuse to sell." Kaoru stated flatly.
"Oh, I suppose none of you understand." The man motioned around his room. "Just look around, what do you see."
"Many, many sets of collections." Sonami replied, paying attention to a particular carved jade set.
"So, as you can see, I'm quite a collector. I care more about collecting things than I do about money, morals..."
"With the exception of power." Saitou grinned.
The man drew in a sharp breath. "Well, with the exception of that of course. But as I was saying, I'm quite a collector. To give away an item that was painstakingly collected, would be an insult to my honor."
"You pompous little..." The rest of Misao's words were muffled as Aoshi placed his hands over her mouth.
Sonami stared at him quietly. "Even to risk a man's life?"
"Like I said before, more valuable than morals." Then he gave them an irritated glance that would even rival Saitou's. "Now, unless you have anything that might interest me, I would like you to leave my house.
* * *
"And I thought Saitou was bad." Yahiko and Misao stated in unison. Saitou quirked an eyebrow at this, but decided to not speak.
"What a jerk!" Yahiko commented. "He deserves to be thrown out of the streets with nothing more than the clothes on his back. Such filth doesn't deserve kindness."
"But that's how corrupt some people are." Saitou resumed talking. "Now what we need to worry about is how to make the best of the situation. I would normally suggest killing him, but most of you wouldn't agree with that method." Saitou commented, especially directing it to Kenshin. "Besides, we would have quite a lot of trouble locating it if the man doesn't reveal it to us himself. He has too many things packed in that house of his."
"What if we sneak into his house in the middle of the night..." Misao stopped, seeing Aoshi glare at her. "What?!! It's not as if we have any other choice! He refuses to let us even buy it from him. What else could we do?"
Tokio was about to suggest that she go and hypnotize him, but then caught herself. They didn't know about her abilities yet, not even her husband. This was not quite the time to reveal well-kept secrets.
"By the way, where is Sonami?"
* * *
Sonami sat down next to Soujiro's lying form, brushing his soft hair away from his face. Suki had left for a short while to gather some ingredients, and had asked her to watch over Soujiro for the time being. Her hands reacted as it slightly brushed his cheek, feeling the burning warmth. Warm, yes, but too warm. All of a sudden she fumbled for something, and crutched the object with her hands as if her life depended on it.
* * *
(Flashback)
Five year old Sumi Yutamuro hid behind a tree, rolling herself into a little ball. Her tears spread all over her face as they proceeded to fall. She was scared. Very scared.
Soon she heard a harsh voice closing in. "Sumi, I demand to know where you are this instant!" Her father. The famous Seiju Yutamuro. He was feared and respected by everyone, and he dealt with everyone honorably, and when allowed, kindly. But not so with her. He was nothing but bitter towards her. "Found you!" He grabbed her by the collar of the training clothing she was wearing. His face was furious. "First you stumble in the middle of your kunai practice, and now you dare hide from me? I'll teach you..."
"Please stop!" A new voice cried out. "Please..." Her mother took Sumi out of her father's grasp, and rocked her gently back and forth. "She is but a child..." She looked up pleading. "You can't expect her to be perfect in everything, especially at such a young age..."
"If she is to inherit the clan, she can not allow any room for mistakes!" He scolded her, but seemed a bit softened by her plea. Then he turned viciously back to Sumi. "I expect you to have perfected that technique by tomorrow, understand?" Sumi just nodded her head. Without another word, her father walked off.
"Sumi..." her mother comforted her while wiping the tears away. "Don't mind your father too much. Sometimes his position causes him to be more temperamental than usual."
"But he's always like this to me." Sonami retorted, sniffing. "Why is it that I always seem to displease him? Tell me mother."
Her mother sighed. "Come inside for a while, I want to give you something." Sonami obeyed. Her mother searched through her drawers and took out a miniature wooden box. Sonami stared, fascinated, as her eyes traced around the curves of the intricate butterfly etching. Her mother, seeing Sonami's fascination, smiled, and proceeded to take something out of the box. Sonami gasped. It was a beautifully carved butterfly jade necklace. She had seen many beautiful things even in her small years of existence, for being part of a prosperous trade clan deemed it so, but she had never seen anything else as wonderful as what her mother was holding out to her at the moment.
"One of our ancestors had purchased it during her trip to China." Her mother explained. "Eventually she gave it to her daughter, and her daughter gave it to her daughter, and it went on as such, and now I am giving it to you."
Sonami had no idea how to express her feelings at that moment. "I...um...thank you so much mother!" With that, the two drew into an embrace. However, during this moment, her mother couldn't help herself but drop a tear.
"If only things were different...if you didn't have to suffer this pain." She closed her eyes. It was all her fault. Her fault for not being able to have a son. After Sumi, she was no longer able to bear children anymore. Knowing this, her husband had grieved, and constantly let his frustration out at Sumi. She had even offered to leave him, in order that he could have a male heir, but when it came to that, he would have none of it. He may not have had affection for the child, but he had affection for her. So facing reality, Seiju decided to get his daughter to be ready to take over when necessary. However, the training and the studying were way too harsh for a child. She knew secretly that if Sumi had been a boy, her husband would have been a little bit more lenient.
"Mother?" Sumi looked up questionably, breaking her train of thought. She smiled back. "I just want you to know, that no matter how harsh it gets, that I'll always be right behind, watching you..."
* * *
Sonami started to finger the necklace gently. Her only memento of her deceased mother. She didn't even have a grave to go back to. Her mother had been shipwrecked, falling into a watery grave...her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Soujiro utter a soft groan. She grasped at the object harder, making her final decision. Would she give up her mother to save another? Eventually she stood up, and quietly slipped out of the house, unnoticed.
* * *
"What do you want this time?" The man spat irritably as he opened the door. However, once he saw it, his whole disposition changed. "That's...that's..."
"Yes." Sonami replied, curtly. "Ming dynasty, butterfly motif, pure jade, a part of a famous collection if I may add." She added slyly. The man stood aghast. "I noticed the jade set you had." Sonami continued. "The only missing piece was this. I'm sure you would want to complete your collection. You know what I want."
The man immediately ran back into the house, and brought out the herb necessary. "I still can't believe you're offering to trade something so valuable for this."
"I'm receiving something even more valuable in return." She responded back to the puzzled man. "A life."
* * *
"Sonami, where have you been, we were worried!" Kaoru yelled as she saw her approach. "Is, is that what I think it is?" Kaoru's stammer drew everyone's attention. "How did you manage to..."
"I'll explain later." Sonami said hurriedly. "First I need to get this to Suki."
* * *
Soujiro awoke with a painful headache. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was the pain. He looked around, and found Sonami who had accidentally fallen asleep near him. She must have taken care of him all throughout the night, he thought. Gently he woke her up.
The first thing Sonami saw that day was Soujiro's bright smile greeting her. "Soujiro! Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm quite fine." He smiled. "Thanks to someone's devotion."
Sonami flushed. "I'm sorry Soujiro-san." She suddenly took on a respective tone.
"It's not your fault." He assured her. "If anyone's to blame, it's that onmitsu."
"Yes, I suppose." Sonami agreed to a certain extent. "But I doubt that that was going to be her last attempt."
Soujiro frowned slightly, understanding. However, he started smiling again, as he said, "By the way, you don't have to call me Soujiro-san. It doesn't suit you or me. Just call me Soujiro, or if you want, Sou-chan." Soujiro suddenly had an image of Kamatari flash by, which was a bit disturbing, but still somehow relevant.
Sonami blushed slightly. "If you insist, Sou-chan."
* * *
Yay! Done! I'm typing this at two in the morning, and I'm really tired...hopefully I didn't make any careless mistakes...all right, time for comments...
Kenshin-the group leader as usual...
Misao-going through other people's things...bad Misao! =) Hope I didn't make her or Aoshi seem overly angsty.
Aoshi-yup, it had to be him to catch Misao in the act...
Suki-the ever faithful messenger...she'll pop up often, along with Koji.
Naruko-So what exactly does this onmitsu have against Sonami? Find out next chapter! =)
Soujiro-poor poor Soujiro, he's been poisoned! Luckily he gets better, yay! Of course, all thanks to Sonami, hee...hee... =)
Sonami-looks like there's going to be some bloodshed going on. Oh, and poor her, mistreated by her father like that...Well, let me just say, without giving too much away, that this is just the start of a very long chain of bad memories. (Yea, feeling sorry for her...but she has Sou-chan! Or does she... =) )
Yes, there's more tension building up between Aoshi and Misao. Unfortunately, they don't know quite how to resolve it. Oh, and Sonami had quite a dilemma back there, and although some parts might have been a bit controversial, I personally think that she made the right decision, don't you? =) And as you notice by now, I'm not exactly putting together Sonami and Soujiro very quickly, that is, if I'm putting them together at all (you'll see what I mean later on). Also, I noticed that the scene with the weapons took a bit long, and maybe a bit boring, but it all comes into place later on. Lastily, I know that the beginning was a bit too slow, but I did eventually pick up the pace a bit later.
Okay, that's enough rambling for this chapter...
Please REVIEW! =)
Oh yea, standard disclaimer stuff...you know already.
* * *
"How much longer till we get there?" Yahiko whined.
"Stop complaining!" Kaoru yelled at him.
"Well, Kyoto is two days away, which means Nagasaki is farther away." Misao answered, getting sick and tired of hearing Yahiko and Kaoru argue every five minutes. "So get use to it, ok?"
Yahiko pouted, sulking. "Well, it's not my fault that I'm bored out of my life!"
"Well, the last time I checked you were the one that wanted to come!"
"Yea, before I realized how pointless this was!" Everyone stopped walking. Silent. "I...I mean..." Yahiko stammered, realizing what he just said. "I...didn't really...that's not..."
"It's ok Yahiko." Sonami gave a wistful smile. "I understand that you're frustrated. Seeing nothing but roads for days can cause people to go crazy." Yahiko breathed a sigh of relief. "But..." Sonami continued, "you should enjoy the peace while it lasts, because, it's not going to last." Then she addressed everyone. "I think it best that we set up camp now. Everyone seems to be a bit restless." Nodding wearily, they agreed.
* * *
Misao couldn't sleep. Everyone else seemed to be quite tired, for no one raised a stir while she got up and moved about. Maybe it was just her happy and energetic nature that kept her from being exhausted. Now getting utterly bored, due to the fact that she had nothing to do, she started chipping at the tree with one of her kunai. However, that grew tiresome after a while, and Misao gave a sigh of defeat and decided to go back sleeping when she saw the box. The box was about 1 ½ feet long, 1 feet wide, and 3 inches tall. She had no idea how she managed to figure out these proportions off the top of her head, but then again, she was really really bored.
Tokio had handed Sonami that box, just before they all set off. Sonami had opened it slightly, but not enough for the others to see its contents. She had smiled, and remarked something about she knew she picked the right person to be trusted, to which Tokio replied modestly. Ever since then, Misao had been curious about it, yet she could never bring herself to ask about it.
Misao drew closer and closer to the box. What was she doing? It wasn't right to go through other people's possessions without asking them...but she couldn't help herself. The long journey, and the boredom she was experiencing made her forget about tact. All she wanted was a small peek...
She gasped, almost slamming the lid of the box onto her fingers. The flashes of gleaming light had scared her. She then took another peek to confirm what she saw was true. Sure enough, they were still there. She traced a finger over the first object, and then grasped it curiously. It was some sort of a sword, but it wasn't one that she had seen before. The sword was relatively short, yet it wasn't a kodachi, for it was shorter. However, it was definitely long enough to not be considered a dagger. She then noticed an identical object right next to it, and concluded that the two were used in pairs. Misao had never been fascinated with weapons before. She knew that she had to know how to use them, but that was all. However, at this point, she couldn't take her eyes off. The hilt was carved in intricate designs that fascinated her, and the blade...the blade gleamed brighter than moonlight itself. She brought one of her fingers at the tip of it, and she managed to stop a yelp, as a strand of blood tinkled down. The blade was sharp, very sharp. She had merely tapped the edges, and it had drawn blood. Hoping that she hadn't woken anyone, she put the pair of katana back, ready to go back to sleep when she spotted something else.
There appeared to be something else in the box, wrapped up neatly in soft cloth. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she took it out, and unfolded the layers of the fabric. A set of perfect kunai. Seeing that they were far better in quality than hers, she took a couple in her hands, getting the feel for them. Surprisingly, they were extremely light, yet seemed very solid. They were probably sharp too, but she wasn't going to get another bleeding finger. Then a thought struck her. Why would of all people, would Sonami have...
"What are you doing Misao?"
Misao hastily put everything back, and turned around to see who it was that caught her. It just had to be Aoshi.
"Misao, you should know by now that it isn't proper..." Aoshi lectured again.
Misao put her head down. He had caught her red-handed. If he had yelled at her for any other reason, she would have been ready with a comeback. However, at this point, that wasn't the case. A drop of tear rolled down her eyes as she continued to stare at the ground. Why was she always such a misfit? Why did she always bring trouble on herself? Why did she always make Aoshi disappointed?
Misao was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that Aoshi stopped lecturing her and instead was looking at her closely. Then he said, "Misao, go to sleep."
Nodding her head dejectedly, Misao laid back down, turning her face away from him. Aoshi sighed. He hadn't planned on making her cry. But then again, nothing ever went as he planned, especially when it came to Misao. He wished that he could seem more kind to her, but his nature always got the better of him. Misao deserved better. The closer he got to her, the more sadness he causes her. He couldn't allow that to happen. No, not to Misao.
However, the more immediate worry he had with her at the moment though, was to convince her to come back home. He tried his best to deny that he missed her presence bringing him tea everyday, but he couldn't. However, if it had just been him, he would have been able to restrain himself from searching for her. Misao had made her decision, and besides, it was safer for her to be away from him. Then the rest of the Oniwaban came into play. They all missed Misao. When it came to that, he had no option but to go look for her. But he had received no orders, or direct requests. He had set off on his own free will—a concept that he had tried to deny as well.
Aoshi sighed one last time before he went back to sleep. Kyoto was only two days away. He had to somehow convince Misao by that time.
* * *
The sun hadn't quite risen yet, but everyone was awake. Well, with the exception of snoring Yahiko. "I still don't know why you allowed such a nuisance to come along." Saitou directed the comment towards Kenshin, Kaoru, and Sonami.
"Well, I suppose we had no other choice." Kenshin answered, scratching his head.
"Hm." Saitou snorted in disbelief as he grabbed for a cigarette, earning a glare from Tokio.
"It's not good for your health to smoke so early in the morning teishu." She made a grab for the cigarette.
"You haven't changed at all Tokio-san."
Behind one of the trees stood a girl, with an amused grin on her face. "Suki?" Tokio blurted out.
"Oh good, this time the little messengers appear in daylight." Saitou commented sarcastically.
"So what is it this time?" Sonami asked, ignoring Saitou's comment for the time being. "Is it because you found information on what I asked you before?"
"Um...no, I'm sorry Lady Sumi, but I didn't find much about that." She flushed. "But I came to warn you." Her eyes darkening a little bit.
"Warn?" Sonami slightly widened her eyes.
"Yes," Suki replied, a bit regretfully. "It seems that your presence here in Japan had been found out."
"Well, I didn't expect otherwise." Sonami merely shrugged. "So who is it that is after my blood?"
"The onmitsu."
Sonami sighed slightly. "Ah, yes. Of course."
"Onmitsu?" By this time everyone awake got into the conversation.
"When Somani mentions an onmitsu, it could be but one person." Tokio smiled. "Still revengeful I see..."
"Certain things never chance." Sonami sighed. "So have you an idea as to what attack they have in mind?"
"Most likely an ambush." Suki replied. "But the details are still a blur. I was on my way back to spying."
"I see." Sonami gave a smile. "Don't put yourself in too much danger." Suki just nodded, and then disappeared the next second.
"Huh? What's going on?" Yahiko suddenly woke up.
Sonami couldn't help but smile again. "As I said before Yahiko, it's better to enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts."
* * *
"We are waiting for your command okashira." Naruko turned around, to see a faithful group of onmitsu.
"Everything goes as planned. No mistakes." She glared at them threateningly. They all bowed their heads in unison, and started off. When they were gone, she beckoned her favorite protégé forward. Obediently, the girl came and stood next to her. Naruko whispered into her ear. "I know better than to think that Sumi Yutamuro would be defeated so easily."
The girl's eyes opened wide. "Then why..."
Naruko motioned for her to follow her to her room. Not understanding yet obeying, she followed. On the middle of a table laid five darts—poison darts. Naruko handed them to the girl. "I need you to hit Sumi with at least one of them. The other ninjas should be distraction enough for her to not take notice of you."
The girl looked at the points closely and sniffed to define the odor. She gasped when she realized what the poison was. "Is...is it really necessary..."
"Yes," Naruko replied bitterly. "I'm going to make her suffer. Suffer like she never did before."
* * *
"It seems that there is a small village nearby Sonami-san." Kenshin informed her after scouting a bit a head of the group.
"That should be helpful. We needed to get some supplies." With that, Sonami raised her hand to brush away her bangs from her face, when suddenly she felt something slid past her hand and into a nearby tree. Everyone instantly turned around, and found a group of ninjas.
"The onmitsu." Instantly, her group surrounded her, acting as a shield. "Sonami," Kenshin advised. "Try to escape while we handle them."
"No." They all stood startled by her response, with the exception of Saitou and Tokio. "I'm the one that they are after, and I'm the one that's going to face them." With that, she walked through the barrier that they had made.
"Well, Battousai, it seems that each one of us needs to take on at least two of them each." Saitou calculated.
"Do you think it wise that we let her fight?" Kenshin gave a worried glance.
"You forget, she's a Yutamuro."
"Ah, yes. I see." Kenshin smiled. "In that case, let's take care of this quickly." With that, they both charged in the opposite direction, getting the first pick at the enemy.
"Hey, wait for us!" Misao yelled as she and the others got into the fray next. Only Soujiro stood away for a second.
"What would happen if I start killing again?" He wondered. "Would I revert to my old self?" Then he looked at the scene around him. "No, I will not." Soon, the fighting got underway.
Sonami glared at her two quarries. In an instant, she took out the twin blades that Misao had previously seen in the box. The glare of the blade stunned her opponents for a second, and that was long enough for Sonami to begin her attack. She sliced past their arms the while they were distracted, and only the pain had caused them to respond. Blood. She hadn't seen it for such a long time. Nor smelt it. The old sensation came back to haunt her once again. She shook her head. No, she was not going to let it destroy her resolve. She closed in to attack again, not realizing that two darts flew past her, not quite close, but enough for her to have sensed it if she had been paying attention to them.
Oh well, those were practice shots. The girl consorted herself while wrapping her legs around a tall tree branch to keep herself from falling off and being noticed. She had three more chances after all. Looking at the others, she saw that two of the enemies had defeated their share of the onmitsu and had started to help the others. She needed to hurry this up.
Sonami rolled out of the way, as the two ninjas attacked from both sides. The two ended up bumping into each other, and one of them felt a slight prick on the side before collapsing. The girl up on the tree cursed silently as she waited for another moment. Sure enough, there came another chance as the leftover onmitsu and Sonami struggled against each other's grasp. Sonami had her back turned, perfectly exposing herself to the girl's darts. Fortunately, as another dart shot out, she ducked with the intention of tripping her opponent. However, her opponent wasn't so lucky. The dart headed straight for his throat, and became embedded just above the collarbone. Sonami stared out of shock, not quite comprehending what had just happened. This was the perfect time. The girl steadied herself, and threw her last dart. She could not afford to miss...
Soujiro had just dispatched his last opponent. For some reason, he didn't feel the remorse he expected to feel. He had just killed without feeling guilty. No, it wasn't that he started to lack emotions again. It was just that...he felt justified. He was protecting someone, someone who deserved to be protected. Speaking of which, where was Sonami...His eyes glared wide as he spotted her. She stood, mildly in shock, looking at the dead body in front of her...and behind her, up a tree was a girl with a cold glint in the eye which he saw in so many people right before they...
Without hesitation, he ran straight towards Sonami, using his shukuchi to close the big gap between them...he grabbed her in an instant, and they both fell to the ground as they lost balance. Soujiro felt pain shoot up from his ankle as he drifted into unconsciousness.
* * *
"What do you mean you don't know what's wrong with him!" Misao shouted in indignation. The doctor cringed at her words.
"Please sir, is there nothing we could do for him?" Sonami pleaded gently.
"Well...I'm not familiar with this type of poison..."
Sonami sighed dejectedly. It had all been her fault. If only she had been more keen during the situation...She had looked up at the last instant, when the girl had already thrown the dart...she felt arms encircling her as she fell backward towards the ground...she had known that instant what had happened. Obviously the sneaky girl was gone, with the rest of the onmitsu, retreating while they still had a chance. Soujiro laid on the ground unconscious, with a slight look of pain on his face. The dart. It had stuck itself at Soujiro's ankle. Once she realized that it was poisoned, they had rushed to the nearby village and sought a doctor. However, as it was, nothing could be done.
Suddenly, the door became wide open, as a girl ran in out of breath. "Sumi-san, I'm so sorry that I didn't get there in time..." She stopped as she saw Soujiro and the poison dart. "Everyone move." Suki. Sonami brightened at the thought. Maybe there was a way.
"Excuse me, but I'm the doctor..." The doctor stammered, unnerved by the intruder.
"Suki specializes in medicine." Sonami started to explain. "Especially with poison and their antidotes. If she can't find a cure, I doubt there's any hope." She stated the last part sadly.
Suki didn't waste anytime as she stared at the point of the dart, sniffing it. Then she observed Soujiro's condition. Her face became pale. "Um...Lady Sumi, may I be blunt?" Sonami nodded her head. "This poison is one of the most torturous poison to be affected with. It doesn't kill instantly, and that actually isn't a good thing. The person affected by it passes out at first, and then eventually regains consciousness, but feels as if they are burning from inside out. Eventually the pain makes it impossible for them to move, and although they will constantly feel hungry and thirsty, the burning makes it impossible for them to swallow anything. Eventually, the person is reduced to staring at a blank space, hoping that he will die. Unfortunately, that may take weeks, months, and even years."
Sonami lifted her head. So typical of Naruko to attempt such a bitter revenge. But it turned out that Soujiro suffered by the sting, not her. "Is there a cure?"
Suki hesitated before she answered. "There is. But at the current situation, it is impossible to attain it. He needs to be treated before the next sunrise—at least that's how long I could keep the poison from taking its full effect—or otherwise the symptoms will not go away."
"So, what do we need to do?"
"You need to obtain a certain herb, but it doesn't grow in Japan. Just like this being a rare poison, the antidote is just as rare." Silence ruled. Then surprisingly, the doctor spoke.
"There might be a way...I'm not quite sure what this herb is, but there is this rich man...he seems to have a passion for collecting things rare and exotic. You might obtain it from him, if he wishes to give it away." His voice wavered, and fear could be detected.
"It seems that this is the only thing we can do at this point." Kenshin dictated. "If you would be so kind, tell us where he lives."
* * *
"Why would a rich man live in the middle of nowhere?" Yahiko blurted out.
Surprisingly, Saitou answered him back. "It is because he is hungry for power. He knows that he will have absolute control over these more simple-minded people, and he relishes such power." Kenshin, Aoshi, Sonami, and Tokio nodded in agreement.
"Well, we're here." Sonami knocked softly at the door, trying not to sound impolite although she wanted to break the door and enter immediately.
After a long interlude after the knocking, an annoyed man opened the door. "I thought I told..." He stopped short when he saw the group outside. They were definitely not from these parts. He had to be more careful. "Come in." He beckoned, forcing a smile. "What are people like yourselves doing out in the middle of such a lowly place?"
* * *
"Why not?" Misao shouted angry, restrained by Aoshi who had to use his best efforts to keep her from lunging at the man.
"I don't understand. Clearly you said you have the herb, and it is evident that we could afford whatever price you ask for, and yet you refuse to sell." Kaoru stated flatly.
"Oh, I suppose none of you understand." The man motioned around his room. "Just look around, what do you see."
"Many, many sets of collections." Sonami replied, paying attention to a particular carved jade set.
"So, as you can see, I'm quite a collector. I care more about collecting things than I do about money, morals..."
"With the exception of power." Saitou grinned.
The man drew in a sharp breath. "Well, with the exception of that of course. But as I was saying, I'm quite a collector. To give away an item that was painstakingly collected, would be an insult to my honor."
"You pompous little..." The rest of Misao's words were muffled as Aoshi placed his hands over her mouth.
Sonami stared at him quietly. "Even to risk a man's life?"
"Like I said before, more valuable than morals." Then he gave them an irritated glance that would even rival Saitou's. "Now, unless you have anything that might interest me, I would like you to leave my house.
* * *
"And I thought Saitou was bad." Yahiko and Misao stated in unison. Saitou quirked an eyebrow at this, but decided to not speak.
"What a jerk!" Yahiko commented. "He deserves to be thrown out of the streets with nothing more than the clothes on his back. Such filth doesn't deserve kindness."
"But that's how corrupt some people are." Saitou resumed talking. "Now what we need to worry about is how to make the best of the situation. I would normally suggest killing him, but most of you wouldn't agree with that method." Saitou commented, especially directing it to Kenshin. "Besides, we would have quite a lot of trouble locating it if the man doesn't reveal it to us himself. He has too many things packed in that house of his."
"What if we sneak into his house in the middle of the night..." Misao stopped, seeing Aoshi glare at her. "What?!! It's not as if we have any other choice! He refuses to let us even buy it from him. What else could we do?"
Tokio was about to suggest that she go and hypnotize him, but then caught herself. They didn't know about her abilities yet, not even her husband. This was not quite the time to reveal well-kept secrets.
"By the way, where is Sonami?"
* * *
Sonami sat down next to Soujiro's lying form, brushing his soft hair away from his face. Suki had left for a short while to gather some ingredients, and had asked her to watch over Soujiro for the time being. Her hands reacted as it slightly brushed his cheek, feeling the burning warmth. Warm, yes, but too warm. All of a sudden she fumbled for something, and crutched the object with her hands as if her life depended on it.
* * *
(Flashback)
Five year old Sumi Yutamuro hid behind a tree, rolling herself into a little ball. Her tears spread all over her face as they proceeded to fall. She was scared. Very scared.
Soon she heard a harsh voice closing in. "Sumi, I demand to know where you are this instant!" Her father. The famous Seiju Yutamuro. He was feared and respected by everyone, and he dealt with everyone honorably, and when allowed, kindly. But not so with her. He was nothing but bitter towards her. "Found you!" He grabbed her by the collar of the training clothing she was wearing. His face was furious. "First you stumble in the middle of your kunai practice, and now you dare hide from me? I'll teach you..."
"Please stop!" A new voice cried out. "Please..." Her mother took Sumi out of her father's grasp, and rocked her gently back and forth. "She is but a child..." She looked up pleading. "You can't expect her to be perfect in everything, especially at such a young age..."
"If she is to inherit the clan, she can not allow any room for mistakes!" He scolded her, but seemed a bit softened by her plea. Then he turned viciously back to Sumi. "I expect you to have perfected that technique by tomorrow, understand?" Sumi just nodded her head. Without another word, her father walked off.
"Sumi..." her mother comforted her while wiping the tears away. "Don't mind your father too much. Sometimes his position causes him to be more temperamental than usual."
"But he's always like this to me." Sonami retorted, sniffing. "Why is it that I always seem to displease him? Tell me mother."
Her mother sighed. "Come inside for a while, I want to give you something." Sonami obeyed. Her mother searched through her drawers and took out a miniature wooden box. Sonami stared, fascinated, as her eyes traced around the curves of the intricate butterfly etching. Her mother, seeing Sonami's fascination, smiled, and proceeded to take something out of the box. Sonami gasped. It was a beautifully carved butterfly jade necklace. She had seen many beautiful things even in her small years of existence, for being part of a prosperous trade clan deemed it so, but she had never seen anything else as wonderful as what her mother was holding out to her at the moment.
"One of our ancestors had purchased it during her trip to China." Her mother explained. "Eventually she gave it to her daughter, and her daughter gave it to her daughter, and it went on as such, and now I am giving it to you."
Sonami had no idea how to express her feelings at that moment. "I...um...thank you so much mother!" With that, the two drew into an embrace. However, during this moment, her mother couldn't help herself but drop a tear.
"If only things were different...if you didn't have to suffer this pain." She closed her eyes. It was all her fault. Her fault for not being able to have a son. After Sumi, she was no longer able to bear children anymore. Knowing this, her husband had grieved, and constantly let his frustration out at Sumi. She had even offered to leave him, in order that he could have a male heir, but when it came to that, he would have none of it. He may not have had affection for the child, but he had affection for her. So facing reality, Seiju decided to get his daughter to be ready to take over when necessary. However, the training and the studying were way too harsh for a child. She knew secretly that if Sumi had been a boy, her husband would have been a little bit more lenient.
"Mother?" Sumi looked up questionably, breaking her train of thought. She smiled back. "I just want you to know, that no matter how harsh it gets, that I'll always be right behind, watching you..."
* * *
Sonami started to finger the necklace gently. Her only memento of her deceased mother. She didn't even have a grave to go back to. Her mother had been shipwrecked, falling into a watery grave...her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Soujiro utter a soft groan. She grasped at the object harder, making her final decision. Would she give up her mother to save another? Eventually she stood up, and quietly slipped out of the house, unnoticed.
* * *
"What do you want this time?" The man spat irritably as he opened the door. However, once he saw it, his whole disposition changed. "That's...that's..."
"Yes." Sonami replied, curtly. "Ming dynasty, butterfly motif, pure jade, a part of a famous collection if I may add." She added slyly. The man stood aghast. "I noticed the jade set you had." Sonami continued. "The only missing piece was this. I'm sure you would want to complete your collection. You know what I want."
The man immediately ran back into the house, and brought out the herb necessary. "I still can't believe you're offering to trade something so valuable for this."
"I'm receiving something even more valuable in return." She responded back to the puzzled man. "A life."
* * *
"Sonami, where have you been, we were worried!" Kaoru yelled as she saw her approach. "Is, is that what I think it is?" Kaoru's stammer drew everyone's attention. "How did you manage to..."
"I'll explain later." Sonami said hurriedly. "First I need to get this to Suki."
* * *
Soujiro awoke with a painful headache. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was the pain. He looked around, and found Sonami who had accidentally fallen asleep near him. She must have taken care of him all throughout the night, he thought. Gently he woke her up.
The first thing Sonami saw that day was Soujiro's bright smile greeting her. "Soujiro! Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm quite fine." He smiled. "Thanks to someone's devotion."
Sonami flushed. "I'm sorry Soujiro-san." She suddenly took on a respective tone.
"It's not your fault." He assured her. "If anyone's to blame, it's that onmitsu."
"Yes, I suppose." Sonami agreed to a certain extent. "But I doubt that that was going to be her last attempt."
Soujiro frowned slightly, understanding. However, he started smiling again, as he said, "By the way, you don't have to call me Soujiro-san. It doesn't suit you or me. Just call me Soujiro, or if you want, Sou-chan." Soujiro suddenly had an image of Kamatari flash by, which was a bit disturbing, but still somehow relevant.
Sonami blushed slightly. "If you insist, Sou-chan."
* * *
Yay! Done! I'm typing this at two in the morning, and I'm really tired...hopefully I didn't make any careless mistakes...all right, time for comments...
Kenshin-the group leader as usual...
Misao-going through other people's things...bad Misao! =) Hope I didn't make her or Aoshi seem overly angsty.
Aoshi-yup, it had to be him to catch Misao in the act...
Suki-the ever faithful messenger...she'll pop up often, along with Koji.
Naruko-So what exactly does this onmitsu have against Sonami? Find out next chapter! =)
Soujiro-poor poor Soujiro, he's been poisoned! Luckily he gets better, yay! Of course, all thanks to Sonami, hee...hee... =)
Sonami-looks like there's going to be some bloodshed going on. Oh, and poor her, mistreated by her father like that...Well, let me just say, without giving too much away, that this is just the start of a very long chain of bad memories. (Yea, feeling sorry for her...but she has Sou-chan! Or does she... =) )
Yes, there's more tension building up between Aoshi and Misao. Unfortunately, they don't know quite how to resolve it. Oh, and Sonami had quite a dilemma back there, and although some parts might have been a bit controversial, I personally think that she made the right decision, don't you? =) And as you notice by now, I'm not exactly putting together Sonami and Soujiro very quickly, that is, if I'm putting them together at all (you'll see what I mean later on). Also, I noticed that the scene with the weapons took a bit long, and maybe a bit boring, but it all comes into place later on. Lastily, I know that the beginning was a bit too slow, but I did eventually pick up the pace a bit later.
Okay, that's enough rambling for this chapter...
Please REVIEW! =)