Out of breath she stopped momentarily at a vegetable stand to buy some things to offer the people that she would be staying with. She didn't have to much money but she would feel guilty if she didn't arrive with something to offer for the burden she would be placing on them.
After picking out as much as she could buy, she took the wrapped vegetables under her arm and ran down the nearest alley. She stopped short so fast she fell onto her butt with a hard thud. There he was, right in front of her. Her eyes were wide with fear as she struggled to get footing to get up and run.
"I don't think so," the man said stepping forward, his western dress shoes catching the little bit of light that shone into the alley from the direction that she came in. He pushed aside his long black trench coat to reveal a long Chinese style sword, which he drew from it's sheath in one quick motion.
She tried to scream but the sound choked out of her throat in a low groan. She finally got herself standing and backed up into another person that appeared behind her. She jumped and jerked her head up to see who came to join her would be killer to finish off the job.
The man behind her stood at least six foot, wore white clothes trimmed in black, no shirt but had his abdomen bandaged as if he had been recently injured. His hair was black and messy. He looked like a street punk to her, perhaps, a guy low on cash that was paid to help kill her off.
The man in white stepped forward moving her behind himself acting like a shield. She noticed that he had a red bandanna type thing tied around his head and the kanji aku on his back. Perhaps he was part of a Tokyo gang. The man now stood between her and the man in western clothes. "Get out of here," he yelled over his shoulder to her.
What's going on here, she thought, Why was this man helping me out like this. I don't even know him.
She came to her senses and put the vegetables down out of the way and pulled throwing daggers out of the sleeves of her kimono. She got herself ready to attack just as her rescuer ran forward and attacked the man with the sword. In under ten seconds the man who tried to kill her was a bloody mess in the alley way. She stood there in awe, not knowing what to say or do.
The man who just saved her put his hands into his pockets and turned around looking thoroughly pissed off. "You need to be more careful," he said walking past her out of the alley and disappearing into the crowd of people shopping. She put her daggers back into their holster, scooped up her vegetables, then ran out of the alley. Surely a man that tall would be easily seen in Japan. Looking down both sides of the street he was no where to be found. She brushed it off knowing now she had no time left to get to the safe house.
~~~~~
Kenshin stood up from the dust covered ground and knocked the dirt from his kimono and hakama. He decided he needed to just patrol the parts of Tokyo that Sano often visited. He wondered if he may have gone to the cemetary on the outskirts of town, so that seemed to be the best place to start.
Clouds started to slowly cover the bright full moon dimming the only light that he had to go by. He looked up at the sky briefly, then turned his gaze back to the road ahead of himself. The sounds of crickets and cicada filled his ears as he walked down the deserted road. He pulled the poket watch, which Kaoru gave him for his Birthday, out of his left kimono sleeve and checked the time. It was now 12:13 AM. He remembered what she had said to him as he opened the box, "Maybe now that you know what time of day it is you'll remember MY Birthday." He all about fell over after she said that. It wasn't his fault he couldn't remember dates.
A small smile crossed his face as his mind wandered from the pressing matter at hand to Kaoru now away in Kyoto. He shook the plesent thoughts from his head and tried to get his focus back onto finding Sano. He walked out to the main road that ran parallel with the river and turned to the left, unknowingly in the oposite direction his friend had gone in.
~~~~~
She looked at the plaque that was nailed onto the wall near the door. She read it knowing happily that she had finally found where she was headed. As soon as she settled in here, she was going to start to ask around town about her hero. Perhaps the man she was supose to find at the dojo knew something about him. After all, the guy that saved her did look like trouble.
She knocked loudly on the double wooden doors to the dojo. She put her right ear against the wood and listened for any signs of life from the other side. Hearing nothing for almost a minute, she knocked again just as loud. Again she put her ear against the door, but this time heard a faint voice calling to her, "Coming!"
She stood up, straighted her kimono, dusted herself off, and tried to look presentable. A moment later a girl about her age opened the door to the dojo. She stood a few inches shorter then herself and was dressed up in hakama pants with a kimono. She was sweaty and looked like she may have been giving lessons to some students.
"I'm Kamiya Kaoru, the Assitant Master of this dojo. Are you interested in getting lessons," the girl asked with hope in her eyes.
"Actualy, I'm looking for a Himura Kenshin. I was told that I could find him here." Kaoru looked at the girl with disapointment in her eyes and motioned her inside.
"He's actualy out at the moment, but, maybe I can help you," she asked leading her to the porch that wraped all around the outside of the dojo. She removed her zori and the unknown girl took off her geta.
"Eeto...I have a letter for him...and...he may be able to explain it better after he reads it. I don't know if I should tell you incase he declines...what I need to ask of him. Oh, I haven't intruduced myself. I'm Setsuna. Just Setsuna; I have no family name...," she said trailing off and looking away from Kaoru. Her eyes became glazed over with sadness, she blinked then looked back at her. "Gomenasai Kamiya-san."
Kaoru smiled. "It's okay, none of my business I'm sure." She said leading Setsuna into the sitting room and motioned for her to sit down. "Please wait here, I'll go get some tea," she said leaving the room.
Setsuna took the letter out of her kimono and turned it over in her hands looking it over. It was addresed to Himura Kenshin. She admired the kanji in his first name. It meant 'the spirit of the sword.' She was told that he is the best swordsman in Japan. She hoped that the chief was right.
"It looks like we have a guest," she heard a male voice say behind her. This was it. The Battousai stood behind her, the cold blooded man that killed without thought. She turned around to see a short, rather thin man, with long red hair pulled back into a low pony tail, standing there smiling at her. He had a cross shaped scar on his left cheek and a dark blue kimono on.
She smiled weakly back at him then looked back down at the letter, then back at the man standing before her. She couldn't help herself. It wouldn't stay inside her. She laughed. Hard and loud. She knew it was him. She could feel his sword spirit from where she sat. Tears rolled down her face as the man looked at her very confused. She finally stood up, trying to control herself, and handed him the letter.
"Oro?" He opened the letter addressed to him and read it. His face changed from confused to serious instintanously after seeing the handwriting of the police chief.
Himura-san-
It is very important that the girl who has handed you this letter stay with you for a few weeks. Her life is in danger, but that is all I can tell you at this time without things becoming more complicated. Her name is Setsuna and she has no family to speak of. You will be hearing from me again in a few days at a location that I will disclose to you soon.
This girl knows some key information on bringing down the biggest threat to Japan, but, they know that she has this information and will stop at nothing to kill her. You must take the task of watching over her. I have my faith in you and her life in your hands.
The letter was unsigned, but Kenshin didn't need to confirmation that it really was from the chief. He folded the letter back up and looked at Setsuna. Her hair was a mess, her kimono had seen better days...and from how she smelled...needed a bath. He looked at her for real and could sense something about her that he just couldn't place.
"Kenshin, okairinasai," said Kaoru holding a tray with tea and cakes.
"Tadaima," said kenshin back to her with a small smile. He took the tray from her and walked into the sitting room, put the tray onto the floor and sat down. Setsuna followed suit and Kaoru had turned on her heel and was going back to the actual dojo.
"Kaoru, you may want to hear about this also," he called to her turned back.