HOLD FAST.
Faster than Sanosuke could say 'Don't!' Kenshin was already crawling towards the back wall of the shed, using his sword to hack a space wide enough to let him through.
Through the rattling sound of gunshots he heard Sanosuke's yell. "Kenshin, wait up!"
Kenshin turned his head long enough to see Taro bending over Aoshi, shielding the wounded man from the splinters of wood that now broke out around them. Sanosuke was also trying to crawl his way towards him, but he shook his head.
"Stay with them, Sano!" he yelled back, squinting against the gloom. "Just in case!"
It was obvious Sanosuke had other plans in mind but he nodded all the same and stopped from crawling. Not wasting any more time, Kenshin came through the back of the shed and walked in a low crouch behind the dojo, towards the kitchen where he knew Kaoru was.
His heart is beating fast, drowning even the sound of gunshots coming from the front. He knew that whoever was shooting at them was concentrating the full force of their artillery at the shed, but he still could not help but fear that the kitchen is not spared.
With a loud cry he hacked into the back wall of the kitchen outbuilding, bursting in and finding the place in disarray. True enough, a few bullets here and there pierced through the wall, causing utensils to shatter and break. But in the darkness of the kitchen he could not see a thing.
"Kaoru?" he called out, fear gripping him from all sides. What if...what if...?
He heard a whimper and jerked his head towards the corner. There, huddled behind the stove, is the trembling figure of Yahiko.
Kenshin moved forward but jerked back in time to avoid a wayward bullet that that zinged about an inch from the tip of his nose. Then he lunged beside Yahiko.
"Kenshin!" Relief is palpable as Yahiko recognized him. "What is going on? Who is shooting?"
"I don't know," he answered, looking over Yahiko worriedly. "Are you hurt?"
Still trembling, Yahiko shook his head. "I'm not shot, if that's what you mean."
"Where's Miss Kaoru?" he asked, his earlier apprehension coming back.
"She left half an hour ago, accompanied by Ayame and Suzume. They said they needed to buy a few things."
If not for the urgency of the situation outside, Kenshin would have sunk down on the floor, all strength drained out of him. At least Kaoru is not anywhere near.
Putting the thought behind him, he grabbed Yahiko by the arm. "Listen, we have to get out of here before it crashes down on us. Follow me!"
Careful to keep their head down Kenshin led Yahiko towards the opening, fully aware that the teenage boy is close behind. When they broke through the other side, they made a wild dash towards the back of the shed, where they found Taro and Sanosuke hauling Aoshi out.
The gunshots still rattled and Kenshin wondered what madness had overcome the person handling it.
Sanosuke glanced up as the two of them rushed forward, his eyes darting between them. "Where's Kaoru?"
"She's safe," Kenshin said and Sanosuke knew better than to press. Now is not the time. Kenshin threw a glance at Aoshi, who grunted as Taro heaved him out into the open. His wound clearly reopened, what with the worried glance Taro gave him.
Biting his lip in determination, Kenshin turned to Yahiko. "You stay here." He nodded at Sanosuke. "Go round the other side. I'll take the other."
"Right," Sanosuke said with a grim nod. "See ya!" Then he raced off in a low run, ready to inflict some damage.
The first thing Kenshin saw as he moved to the side of the compound was the gun still rattling off, and one thing struck a chord in his memory. Kanryu Takeda's Gatling gun.
But this was not a Gatling gun, it looked more slick, as though an improved version of that weapon that Kanryu had wield in their last encounter.
The man behind the weapon was laughing madly, and Kenshin's eyes glinted in anger. Breathing hard, he tried to control that anger and launched himself, unnoticed, towards the gate.
It must have come as a complete shock for the gunman when, out of nowhere, something flashing crossed his vision, and something seemed to go wrong with the gun. The bullets sputtered, then silenced.
His eyes widened in horror as he saw the tip of the gun completely sliced off and, not a few feet away, a short man in pink kimono and flaming red hair stood, regarding him intently. In his hand was a long sword, no doubt the thing that flashed before his very eyes not a few seconds ago.
The boss was right. The scar is very vivid.
"Are you done?" the red-haired man inquired, almost politely. At this, the gunman's panic increased as he let go of the gun and made to take flight.
He heard the scream before he felt the pain and heard the bones cracking on the side of his face. The last thing the gunman remembered before darkness claimed him was the sight of the polite swordsman and the gangster-like thug moving towards him.
They heard the gunshots even as they were leisurely walking into town, thinking of a hundred new recipes they would probably be sampling at the Akabeko. Kaoru stopped in her tracks and swiveled, trying to figure out where the sounds were coming from.
Her hand flew to her mouth as she realized it was coming from the direction of the dojo. "Kenshin!" she exclaimed and began running back, completely forgetting all about Ayame and Suzume, who were now running after her, as fast as their tiny legs could carry them.
The hundred recipe possibilities were now replaced with a thousand possibilities of what could possibly have happened to Kenshin, Sanosuke and Yahiko. And the healer was there as well. And so is the wounded Aoshi.
It seemed to take forever before the dojo came into view, and the gunshots already stopped.
A gasp came out of her lips as she beheld the dojo, or what was left of it.
There were bullet holes everywhere, and she could see that patching it up would take a considerable time and amount of money. But that was not what bothered her right now.
The shed is far worse. It is beyond repair, its walls all but stripped off, the roof already about to cave in and crumble upon itself.
"Oh, my God, Kenshin," she whispered as she moved through the gates, but Yahiko's voice stopped her.
"Kaoru!"
Relief swept through her as she saw Yahiko running from behind the dilapidated shed towards her. She was torn between crying and laughing upon seeing her student. But before she could say anything, he spoke hurriedly in a low tone.
"Where are Ayame and Suzume?" he asked, reminding Kaoru that she was with the two little girls a while back. They could not see this whole place torn down like this!
"They were catching up with me," Kaoru said, another worry added to her ever-growing list.
"Go on out back," Yahiko said. "I'll take Ayame and Suzume back to the Akabeko. It's best to let them stay there until Dr. Genzai comes to get them."
As he moved past her, she asked, "What happened? Where's Kenshin?"
"Out back," Yahiko said briefly and rushed off to meet the two girls before they saw the state of things.
Kaoru did not know how her feet were able to bring her to where Aoshi lay on the ground, fussed over by Taro who bound the wound yet again. A few steps away, Sanosuke was binding a disoriented lanky man that she had never seen before, with Kenshin standing at the side silently.
He looked up just in time to see her standing there, taking the scene with her hands in her mouth. For a flitting moment, relief crossed his face, a small smile appearing, then he became serious again as he walked to meet her.
"Miss Kaoru?" he inquired softly. "I was worried about you. Are you alright?"
She could have hit him hard in the head right there and then, but she knew that seemed downright childish, considering the even that just happened at the dojo. Instead of answering, she nodded mutely, her eyes straying to the stranger, who was now coming around.
Sanosuke did not seem to have any room for leniency whatsoever as he harshly questioned the gunman. "Who the hell are you?" he asked immediately, not bothering to give the gunman time to get his eyes into focus. "Speak, or I'll bash your head in!"
Skeptically, but with a small amount of fear, the gunman eyed Sanosuke warily, irking the latter even more. "Don't think I won't do it!" Sanosuke threatened.
The gunman looked at Sanosuke, then at Taro and Aoshi lying on the ground. The visible widening of his eyes at the sight of Aoshi did not go unnoticed by Sanosuke.
"You've seen him before, haven't you?" he asked through gritted teeth. "You were the one who shot at Aoshi!" In anger he lifted his fist to hit the gunman again, but Kenshin's quiet voice stopped him.
"Stop, Sano. The gentleman would not be able to answer our questions if you punch his mouth altogether."
The sound of Kenshin's voice drew the gunman's attention and he turned his head to look at him and Kaoru. Again, his eyes widened at the sight of Kaoru, making Kenshin all the more suspicious.
Kenshin spoke again, still calm. "Any minute now the police will be coming to check out the place," he said without taking his eyes off the stranger. "I suggest you answer our questions before we turn you over to them. Trust me, they will not be as forgiving as we are."
Dubiously the gunman shot a glance at Sanosuke, not entirely believing there could be anyone more fearsome than this man standing over him.
Sanosuke asked again. "Who are you, and why are you here? Why did you wreak damage to the place?"
Seeing no way out, the gunman looked at Kaoru. "I came here for her."
All eyes turned to Kaoru, who stood there in shock. "Me?" she exclaimed.
"Somebody wants you dead. I was just paid to get the job done."
"But why me?"
The gunman glanced nervously at Kenshin. "Because you are important to him."
"Rubbish!" Sanosuke said. "What about Aoshi? Why'd you hit on him as well?"
The gunman pursed his lips, showing no intention to answer this particular question. So Sanosuke decided to ask another question.
"Why Kaoru?" he demanded. "Why are you after her?"
This time the gunman's eyes glinted as he looked at her, standing there. "She has to be eliminated. The boss says so."
"Why?!" Sanosuke is losing his patience fast. "What's the reason?"
"If we can't get rid of Kenshin Himura, then better to get her out of the way instead."
Sanosuke advanced on the gunman threateningly. "You better start making sense or you'll be the one I will be eliminating in a second!"
Fear registered on the stranger's face, seeing Sanosuke meant what he said. One look at the others and he knew his fate is sealed. Kenshin and Kaoru stood there watching silently, with no intention of getting between them. And the healer, already done patching up the wounded man, was now looking at him lazily.
The gunman swallowed. Three words slipped from him. "The seer Haku..."
He was not able to say anymore as a small dart flew from somewhere over their heads, hitting him square on the neck. Instantly on the alert, Sanosuke spun around, looking for the culprit. Kenshin's hand went to the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting here and there.
But everything was silent. Whoever threw the dart had disappeared. And he succeeded.
Sanosuke looked at the gunman distastefully, noting the angle at which his head lolled to the side, the dart fully embedded on the side of his neck. Taro pulled the dart and gazed at it closely.
"It's been poisoned," he murmured thoughtfully, and glanced around, clearly wondering where it came from.
They all turned as Sanosuke cursed. He looked thoroughly peeved. "We didn't even ask him who his boss was."
Aoshi spoke from the ground, effectively grabbing their attention. "He said something..."
"The seer Haku," Kaoru repeated, remembering the stranger's last words. "He said something about the seer Haku. Does anyone know who it is?"
There was a collective shaking of heads, except for Taro.
"I might have heard of him."