Disclaimer: I do not own RK or PMK.
Aoshi developing feelings foe Misao?
More is revealed about the mysterious couple with the wolf...
Chapter 8: Ties that Bind
Aoiya. Aoshi and Kenshin were discussing the latest developments in the Miyagi massacre with Okina. Okina's age was finally starting to catch up with him. He has been almost bedridden since he tumbled down the stairs at the bath house two months ago. Aoshi looked up and said. "Misao, come in." The girl slid the door open and entered with a sheepish smile. She should really brush up her spying technique.
Aoshi fidgeted. Kenshin was right about her growing up. She was beginning to have a woman's figure. She sat off to his left. She's just a kid sister! Why am I acting like some teenage boy? I'm past that stage! Aoshi avoided looking at her. He had spent his teen years weathering the Restoration and later leading the Oniwabanshu. I need more meditation!
"Izumi Ichiro vanished about the time Okita died," Okina coughed. They had needed the old man's experience and wide network of spies. "He was about twelve at that time. And very close to his uncle. He spent most of his childhood in an orphanage and later working in the Shinsengumi kitchens."
"He took kendo instruction from both Okita and Saitou. You do know that Okita's cousin, Takagi Tokio, married Saitou. He'll be very careful to avoid discovery. Yamazaki, a former shinobi, mentioned that the boy was interested in spy work as well. A very bright boy by all accounts..."
"Can we ask Yamazaki-san?" Kenshin asked. Okina shook his head sadly. "Yamazaki Susumu died four summers ago in freak accident. Fell off the roof and broke his neck. He was a very good cook, you know." Misao nodded in agreement. "He made the best dumplings," she added wistfully.
"So how's Mr. Personality doing?" Misao asked. She may not like the man, but she supposed he didn't deserve to have his family killed.
"He's been running about looking for leads to Ichiro. It's as if he's trying to find him before you can." Aoshi said as he looked at Kenshin. A lone wolf. Saitou was that. Was he like that in the Shinsengumi? Or had Okita's death changed him?
Tokyo. Afternoon. Katsu was trotting to the publishers with his latest article when Yahiko ran full-tilt into him. The boy was panting and very, very frightened. "Katsu-san! Save me!"
"Yahiko! Come back!" A very pregnant Kaoru roared as she waved a bokken. Katsu pulled Yahiko into an alley as she ran past. She was very angry. Tanuki. She reminded Katsu of the angry little raccoon-like creature. "Yahiko, for your health, you better move into Sano's old sty." The boy nodded.
"Only Kaoru's mood swings are so homicidal... Gensai-sensei had to prescribe medicine to calm her down. He dared not give her more because it may hurt the baby. Of course, it doesn't help that Kenshin skipped town." Yahiko pulled a face. "Crazy woman." Katsu offered him a drink of water. They were in his shack.
"I can't blame Kenshin if he decides to take up with Megumi," Yahiko bit into his onigiri and quickly spat. "Katsu! The rice is moldy!" Katsu shrugged.
"Hey, I'm broke since they fined me for the expose on Minister Towa's shady deals. And they impounded my printing press as well. I'm lucky they didn't exile me."
"I say we go down to the police HQ and demand our rights! I'll trash the place!" The boy gets more like Sano with each passing day. Katsu smiled as he rummaged for some more presentable food.
"Kenshin BAKA! Yahiko BAKA!" Suffering from severe backache now, Kaoru threw her bokken through her hallway screen as she cursed her men-folk. She was tired from chasing Yahiko throughout town. She needed to take her medicine now. Gensai-sensei has been prescribing several medicines for her mood swings. None of them were pleasant.
Tet promised to come over and help her on learning that her house-slave, Yahiko, had gone underground. He's a good boy, but he had his limits as well. Getting chased by a madwoman through town was quite enough. When he comes back, Kaoru decided she'll apologize. If not, she reached for her bokken...
It's amazing what modern technology can do. Rei sat with her head sticking out of the window and enjoyed the wind tugging at her hair. The train chugged along. Her hair was cropped short as a boy's. If only they had trains then... maybe she would have... naa, her niichan will still be executed and their family in disgrace.
If it weren't for what her niichan did, she wouldn't have been orphaned and sold off as a servant to an abusive master, will she? Then she would never have met Ran.
Your brother's a traitor! A fraud!
Not true, he's fighting for all of us...
I know. Ran understood. Your niichan is a good man. He was betrayed by those he trusted...
He had left home when she was very young. She had long forgotten his given name. He was simply niichan to her. Still, they had some good times. He was much older than her, more a father figure than a brother. Sagara Rei smiled, reminiscing about the happier days of her childhood as the train approached Tokyo.
Kyoto. Chou had just met the man his former boss was looking for. Now the police informant was at death's door. "Neat sword work..." Chou spluttered. His assailant smiled benignly. Chou was reminded of Tenken's sphinx-like smile. Ran wiped his blade nonchalantly.
"I didn't even need to use my Demon Sword... If you live, tell Saitou-san I've improved on his Gatotsu." Ran had only used his Demon Sword once in battle at the Miyagi mansion against a young man who wore a smile as he fought. Ran had learnt that the move depleted his ki and refrained from using it unless absolutely necessary.
He was disappointed when the death rattle sounded in Chou's throat. Well, a letter's better than nothing... He scrawled the Shinsengumi's motto in blood on the alleyway near the corpse, knowing it will be seen.
Author's notes:
More PMK crossover. I know it's ignomous having Yamazaki die falling off a roof. I DID say freak accident. Okina not chasing skirts? I juz included him as an info source.
Katsu & Yahiko hitting it off? Kaoru's a total maniac with her mood swings.