Review Comments: Ji-chan, you really are a henjin! Don't worry; there will be lots of action in the next chappie! I'm glad you like the fic, though. I'm loving the Kyou/Kazuma father-son sorta fic! You are so mean and leave me with cliffhangers! Gr! That makes me sooooo mad! Hey!!!!! Let's stand in the snow for an hour and a half in New York and freeze our butts off! Damn St.Patrick's Day parade. Kuso yuki! Kami-sama, do I hate snow! grumbles I defiantly can't wait till spring! fufu Yay! They ARE coming back! Dai-chan, you'll never know if I'm going to kill off Fumeiyo. I won't give any hint because, yeah, it's called element of surprise and I like how it works! evil laugh Oh, and you can't spell. HAHA! You spelt awesome wrong! Don't worry; I do it all the time. Hmm, look it all the pretty diamonds that we can't afford! Hey, Keito-chan, look! They have a bank right next to the diamond store! Haha! That is a good way to get robbed, ne? complains Now my family thinks you're on crack because of that e-mail! At least my cousin and my aunt do. Billy really thinks you're weird and that you have no life! I bet he'll tell you to go die again! Ah, aren't cousins wonderful, especially ones who make fun of you but you can kick their ass! HAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, no sleep from the St. Patrick's Day Parade is catching up. Katie, I'm so glad that you like the story. Yeah, I'm a bad child. I have mistakes! Haha. I think that you should join ff.net and write fan fiction. I mean, I got you into anime, didn't I? So do Kenshin or Inu-Yasha or whatever. When are you coming back to NJ! I sorta need you back here, cause you'd fit right in with my anime friends, Dai-chan and Ji-chan. We need to give you a nickname, though. Hmmm, I'll discuss it with them. Oh! Ji-chan acts like you sometimes. She does some of your facial expressions and it's really funny! Haha! Jouji-kun, arigatou for catching up on my story! This is a long chapter so it'll take you a while to read and it'll waste a lot of ink and paper on this end! Haha! I guess that sucks only a little. Hey, what the hell! Mom'll just yell at me. I won't get in trouble, well maybe some! giggle Yeah and I guess that I can't beat you for not reading my chappies. Oh, damn! Now I need to find a better excuse to hit you. Oh well! Abayo!
NOTE: GOMEN NASAI! I am so very sorry for not updating sooner, but this chapter is the longest. About 37 handwritten pages. I have also been bust with my es at school. My honors teachers seem to be fond of giving us lots of papers. Plus, if you are angry with me for waiting so long, then you can be ashamed of yourself since I said in my last chappie that it would be a while until I updated. Please don't be angry with me. Plus my parents grounded me for a while. I only finished chapter 10 a couple of weeks ago. Arigatou!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin and his awesome friends, and since I have a lot to type, I'm not sure if I'm going to do Keito-chan's Adventures this chapter. I know I'm due to do it too. shrugs I'll think about it!
Chapter 10- As Day Turns Into Night
Kaoru's heartbeat faltered.
"N-nani?" she asked, not believing what she had just heard. "Did you just say what I think you said?"
Fumeiyo smiled and nodded.
"Tomorrow night. He told me to tell you he's coming."
Kaoru looked at him, dazed.
"W-when did you talk to him?"
"About twenty minutes ago. I couldn't stand watching you suffer anymore and I knew the Battousai would need a little 'push' in the right direction."
Kaoru let out a cry and threw he arms around Fumeiyo's neck.
"Arigatou," she breathed, breathe tickling his ear.
"It's no big deal," he murmured, feeling sad.
It seemed that everyone he loved got taken away from him. A silent tear slid down his cheek and landed in Kaoru's hair. When she started to pull away, he faked a huge yawn to make it look like his eyes had watered. Kaoru's face was in the first true smile that he had seen from her since he got close to her. Her eyes sparkled with life and hope. Kaoru's facial expression was imprinted in Fumeiyo's mind.
Wanting to get out of her room, he gently pushed Kaoru away from him and said, "We should both get to bed. Tomorrow will be one of the longest days we've felt in a long while."
He turned to leave, but Kaoru caught his arm. "Matte!" she called.
Fumeiyo looked at her.
"Arigatou. Arigatou for everything you've done for me. I'll never be able to repay you!"
Her eyes shined with tears. Fumeiyo, not being able to stand it anymore, looped his arm around Kaoru's waist, crushing her body into his, and her face only a foot away.
"Fu-Fumeiyo," Kaoru stuttered.
"Dammit, Kaoru! You confuse me!" he breathed and with that he brushed his lips softly on hers.
Kaoru's heart pounded and Fumeiyo could feel her pulse against his body. He let her go and hurried out of the room. Kaoru was left standing there, frozen in place.
Kenshin shuffled into his room and started to pull off his gi. He turned when he heard the door slide open.
"It's called knocking, Sano," Kenshin said blandly.
Sano waved Kenshin's comment away and said, "Whatever, Kenshin. Listen. I'm going to bring Katsu. He'd be an asset to us! Is that okay?"
"Sure, Sano. If I remember correctly, he used to make bombs," Kenshin said thoughtfully.
"Hai," Sano said. "Maybe I can persuade Katsu to make some bombs. Just for this 'special occasion.'"
Kenshin laughed a little. "That would be a good idea," he said, and then yawned.
"I'm sleepin' here tonight, Kenshin. I'll round everyone up in the morning."
Kenshin nodded in agreement and slid his door shut. He lay down with a sigh, relishing the comfort. He felt a twinge of quilt when he thought about Kaoru. She might not be sleeping in a futon or eating.
Kenshin grabbed the sides of his head. "Stop it!" he thought fiercely. "Kaoru-dono is fine!"
Kenshin took a deep breath and cleared his head of all thoughts. He lay down again and looked out the window to see a twinkling star. Kenshin closed his eyes and began to pray.
"Please let me have enough strength to fight Kage and protect those around me. I must win this battle for Kaoru-dono," he thought.
Kenshin opened his eyes and took one last look at the star winking at him. His eyes slowly began to close again and the last thing he saw before drifting off into a dreamless sleep was Kaoru's image.
Outside the dojo's walls, a lone figure with worn clothes and a carry pack stopped at the dojo's front gate to read the sign.
"Kamiya dojo," said the person. "This is the place."
They set down their carry pack, sat down against the gate, and fell asleep.
Kaoru sat down on her futon before her knees gave way. She thought of what Fumeiyo had just done. Though the pressure had been light, it was still a kiss. Unlike Kage, whose kisses had been rough and forceful, Fumeiyo's was gentle. A realization hit Kaoru.
"He loves me, yet he chooses to help me get back to Kenshin, the one I love."
Kaoru's bottom lip trembled.
"Oh, Fumeiyo!" she whispered, silver tears escaping from her closed lids.
She wiped the tears away and lay down. Her mind flashed all the images of the last day and a half. All the pain, love, hatred, and confusion filled Kaoru's brain. Kaoru placed her arm on her forehead and sighed. She felt bad for Fumeiyo. Tomoko had been violently ripped away from him and against his will; he fell in love with her. He had held back from kissing her since he first met her. Kaoru knew that it would be a hard good-bye tomorrow. She came to view Fumeiyo as a secondary protector and older brother. In the time that she had spent so far in the complex, he had sacrificed just about everything for her.
"I have no way of paying him back," Kaoru thought sadly. An idea popped into her head. "I know! He can stay at the dojo if he wants!" Kaoru smiled to herself, pleased with her idea. She drifted off to sleep with the all too familiar nightmare awaiting her.
Kage crept silently to Kaoru's room, stealthily avoiding creaking floorboards. He slid the door open noiselessly and tiptoed to Kaoru's thrashing form. He heard her whimpering.
"K-Kenshin! Don't-don't leave me! Daisuki desu!" she cried.
Kage stared at her moving body with dancing eyes. She was dreaming about the Battousai leaving her. He smiled and leaned down close to her.
"That's right," he whispered, "he's never coming back to you. He's gone forever and doesn't care that you love him!"
Certain that she had heard his voice in her dream, Kage sauntered out of the room satisfied. He had one more surprise for her before the Battousai came tomorrow.
The gentle chirping of birds coaxed Kenshin out of his comfortable sleep. Kenshin opened one eye to see the sun starting to peak above the trees. By the snoring around him, Kenshin could tell that Sano and Yahiko were still soundly asleep.
Kenshin sat up stretching. He stood up and let the blankets fall to the floor. He pulled on a red gi and his regular pants. He neatly folded his blanket and futon and laid it by his window. He left his room and quietly made his way onto the porch, sakabatou in his left hand and his sandals in his right. Kenshin slipped the sandals on and walked to the gate to unlock it. He heard a movement outside the gate. He opened the gate and looked outside.
"Konnichiwa, Himura-san."
Kenshin's eyes widened.
"Soujiro?!"
Soujiro smiled.
After Kenshin had made Soujiro a cup of tea, he started to prepare breakfast while he listened to Soujiro tell his adventures for the last two years.
"Since I left Kyoto, I've mostly slept outdoors. I've grown used it. If it's really cold or snowing, I stay at an inn only then. I do odd jobs when I'm in town and need money."
"Oh, I see," Kenshin said. "I guess you've heard that the remaining Juppongatana are working for the government with an exception of Anji and Hoji. Anji is serving twenty-five years in prison for his crimes and Hoji killed himself."
Soujiro's eyes widened, but he didn't lose his smile.
"Is that so, Himura-san?" He laughed. "To think, people who wanted to help take over Japan would work for the government." He sipped his tea as Kenshin watched him. "What about Yumi-san? Is she working for the government too?"
Soujiro's question startled Kenshin.
"Ano, no. Shishio, in his attempt to kill me, stabbed her through her chest to wound me in the stomach. He killed her."
"Oh. Well that's a shame," Soujiro said. "I wanted to say konnichiwa to her."
He smiled widely at Kenshin, who smiled back faintly.
"You've changed a lot, Soujiro," Kenshin said. "You are not the same person I met two years ago."
"The same could be said of you, Himura-san." Kenshin looked at him with a shocked look. "You've grown softer. Your eyes have a gentler look to them." He giggled slightly. "Your ideals haven't changed though. That I can tell."
Kenshin smiled.
Just then, a bleary-eyed Sanosuke walked into the kitchen. He stopped when he saw Soujiro.
"Ah! Isn't that one of the former Juppongatana members?! Soujiro, right? What is he doing here?"
"Konnichiwa, Sagara-san. We haven't met in a while, have we?"
He held out his hand to Sano, who took it and shook it firmly.
"I'm glad we could met on better circumstances," Soujiro said happily.
"Ano, sure."
Sano suddenly turned to Kenshin, an excited look appearing on his face.
"Maybe he can help us rescue Jo-chan!"
Without waiting for Kenshin to respond, he turned to Soujiro.
"You were the best in the Juppongatana, weren't you? You nickname was, oh what was it?! Ah! Soujiro the Tenken! Would you stay for a couple of days and help us find Jo-chan?!"
Soujiro looked politely confused. Kenshin put his hand on his face and groaned.
"Sano! That's rude! He's just arrived and you're asking him for favors! He doesn't even know Kaoru-dono."
"Do you think that a couple of us can take on a whole syndicate?" Sano shot back. "We can't! Kenshin, you're not invincible!"
Kenshin stopped what he was doing abruptly.
"Ano," Soujiro began with a smile. "I'd be happy to help! I'm in Tokyo for a couple of days. I do owe you a favor."
Kenshin, though a little annoyed, looked relieved that Soujiro had said yes.
"Arigatou, Soujiro, but are you sure?" Kenshin asked.
"Hai. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Hai," replied Kenshin. "The shishou of this dojo died during the Boshin wars, leaving his daughter, Kaoru-dono, to run the dojo. She had been alone for about a year with her students dwindling away. I arrived here, and that's really the past. I guess the past plays a role in this though," Kenshin said gloomily. "The other day, Kaoru-dono had a dream about me leaving her again, just like I did when I had to go to Kyoto. It upset her a lot, so I went to her room to comfort her. I thought she was fine since, in the morning, she told me she was feeling better. A friend of ours made her angry and I upset her even more." Kenshin's cheeks turned red with shame. "She stormed out of the dojo and a couple of hours later, one of her former students and his sister came to the dojo to tell us that Kaoru-dono had been kidnapped. Last night, a man working for the gentleman who is holding her captive, came and told us where she was and the best way to get into the complex. He also told us they reason Kaoru-dono was kidnapped." Kenshin paused for a moment to hand Soujiro and Sano bowls of food and chopsticks. "The only reason the man had Kaoru-dono kidnapped was to get to me. Apparently, during the Bakamatsu, his father and brother were in the Shinsengumi and I killed them. He's been bent on revenge."
Soujiro looked at him. "You seem to have a lot of enemies, Himura-san. First Shishio-san and now this man," Soujiro remarked, mildly.
"Hai. The scars of my past follow me. I leave a trail of blood where I travel. It leads people straight to me, but I can't abandon a place I feel so comfortable in," Kenshin said, bitterly.
Soujiro stared at Kenshin. His eyes held a deep look in them. "You have a lot of wisdom, Himura-san. I have learned a lot from you."
Kenshin opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a dazed Yahiko wandering into the kitchen.
"Ohayo gozaimasu," Kenshin said cheerfully.
Yahiko mumbled an inaudible response, and sat down, half asleep and not noticing their guest. Kenshin handed him some food and he began to eat. After a few bites, he started to realize that there was someone he didn't know sitting next to him. He jumped with a cry.
"Kuso! Next time tell me that someone' here! Don't let me act like a fool!"
Sano was rolling on the ground with tears in his eyes because he was laughing so hard. Kenshin was trying hard not to laugh and Soujiro was smiling. Yahiko kicked Sano in the ribs and glared at Kenshin.
"Gomen ne, Yahiko," Kenshin said. "This is Seta Soujiro. I fought him two years ago in Kyoto."
Yahiko looked at Soujiro with large eyes.
"Matte! You're the one who was called the Tenken, right? Wow! I can't believe I'm meeting you!"
"Yahiko! Show some manners to our guest! Introduce yourself!" Sano said, massaging where Yahiko had kicked him.
Kenshin raised his eyebrows and muttered quietly under his breath, "I wouldn't talk about being rude, Sano."
"What was that, Kenshin?!"
Kenshin jumped. He didn't realize that Sanosuke had heard him. "Aha ha," he laughed nervously. "Nothing, Sano."
"Yeah right," Sano snorted.
Yahiko rolled his eyes and turned to the young man standing next to him. He bowed.
"Gomen nasai, Seta-san. I didn't mean to be ride." Yahiko smiled apologetically, and then thought, "Well, Kaoru. You'd be proud that I was polite."
Soujiro looked surprised.
"Oh! Not at all," he said, waving his hand to dismiss the apology. "I don't mind. I'm like that in the morning too."
"At least I'm not the only one," Yahiko laughed.
Soujiro chuckled with him. After they both calmed down, they realized that Kenshin and Sanosuke had left, and then began to eat again and started on a conversation of why Soujiro was there.
"Well, I was originally just planning on stopping by this dojo to see Himura-san since I would be in Tokyo for a few days. But Sagara-san asked if I would help rescue Kaoru-san. Himura-san told me a little about the situation."
"Oh," said Yahiko. "I see. So you're coming to help get Kaoru back from that Kage creep?! That's suge! We'll get Kaoru back in a minute!" He stopped. "But why are you helping us, if you don't mind me asking. I mean, after all, you don't know Kaoru."
"I don't mind," said Soujiro with his familiar smile. "I guess you can say that I owe Himura-san a favor."
Before he continued, Soujiro got up with his empty bowl and laid it and his chopsticks next to the wooden cutting board. Yahiko followed suit. They walked onto the porch and moved away from Kenshin and Sano and sat down. Soujiro began his story.
"Himura-san made me see that not killing is right," he said, leaning against a post and looking into the sky. "Shishio-san had taught me something so different. He told me that the weak die and only the strong survive. He taught me that from when I was little. I killed my family."
Yahiko looked at him, mouth opened slightly and eyes widened.
"They made me their slave, since my mother had me through another man. When she died, I didn't have anyone to protect me. I was always beaten," Soujiro's voice was full of sorrow and regret. "One night, after having to carry one hundred barrels full or rice, I heard screams. I ran into the ally to what was going on. I saw a man wrapped in bandages cut off a police officer's hand and then slice him in two. I was amazed and frightened by his strength. He found me and was going to kill me, but I started to smile and that confused him at first. He asked me if I would be happy to die. I just stared at him. He finally said that if I gave him bandages, food, and a place to hide, he'd let me live. I hid him in the shed where the rice barrels were stored. One day, when I was watching him eat, he gave me a wakazashi. He told me to keep it.
"My family finally realized that I was stealing bandages and food for Shishio-san. They came to kill me, but I ran away."
Soujiro blinked and Yahiko thought he saw tears in the young man's eyes. Yahiko didn't blame him; they were painful memories.
"I ran and hid under the building that I had the wakazashi. One of my brothers came under after me and I was so scared that I killed him. I crawled out from under the building. Something in me had snapped. All I heard was Shishio-san's words. 'The weak die and only the strong survive.' I screamed those words and killed the remaining four family members. Shishio-san came out of the rice shed. He asked me if I was crying because it was raining. I told him that I wasn't while smiling. The truth was, I really was crying. I didn't want Shishio-san to think that I was weak, so I told him that I wasn't. Deep inside, I knew that killing was wrong, but when I left with Shishio-san, I made sure that I forgot that I knew love, hate, anger, and all the normal emotions. The only emotion that I kept was happiness. That mad it easy for me to kill.
"The first time I fought Himura-san, I confused him because he reads emotions. I broke his sakabatou and he cracked the blade of my sword, so we called it a draw. When I fought him the second time, he brought out all the emotions that I locked away that day in the rain. I freaked out and let Himura-san see my anger. He had gone on and on about protecting the weak and the innocent, but he hadn't been there to protect me back then. It made me so angry that he could talk about saving the weak, but he couldn't save me when I needed it. We then went into battle stances and charged at each other. He used that Amakakeryu no Hirameki and beat me. I think taking that hit knocked some sense into my mind. I started to understand what he meant. I couldn't believe that Shishio-san had been wrong. I decided that I would wander Japan for ten years like Himura-san to see whether he or Shishio-san was right. After two years of wandering, I've already found that Himura-san was right. He led me in a better direction. I think I've become a better person since I became a rurouni. I'm very grateful."
Yahiko studied Soujiro for a moment. He had always thought that Kenshin's enemies had a grudge against them or they were insane. He never realized how horrible their pasts could be.
"Wow," Yahiko said. "Shishio basically brainwashed you. I didn't realize that Kenshin's enemies had bad pasts."
Soujiro nodded. "Oh, we do. Everyone has a past and bad memories. Kaoru-san for example. Himura-san told me that her otousan died in the Boshin Wars."
"Hai," said Yahiko. "She's afraid of being left alone. When Kenshin fought Ji'neh, a man nicknamed Kurogasa, who was killing Meiji officials, for the first time, he didn't come back here to the dojo. He went to the riverbank and had Sanosuke tell us that he wouldn't be coming back. Kaoru got upset because she was afraid that Kenshin would leave her for good. She ran after him and ended up being kidnapped by Kurogasa. Anyway, she's just so scared that Kenshin's going to leave her like he did when he went to Kyoto."
"I see," Soujiro said dreamily. "So I'm guessing she loves Himura-san." He giggled. "I didn't know that Kimura-san could attract women that easily."
Yahiko snorted and rolled his eyes. "Kenshin is dumb when it comes to women. I think he realizes that Kaoru loves him, but he's afraid of showing feelings or hurting her."
"Hmm. The legendary Battousai can be scared, too," Soujiro remarked casually.
"He's only human," said Yahiko.
Soujiro nodded in agreement.
Kenshin and Sano walked out into the yard. Sano was still rubbing his ribs. "Ow. Bratty kid. He's gotten stronger."
Kenshin smiled slightly and replied, "Hai. Kaoru-dono wants him to succeed. I'm pretty sure that her wish for him to become the he can will come true."
Sano chuckled as he sat on the porch. "I guess so. Oi, Kenshin. Do you think that Jo-chan is okay? She is being held against her will and, knowing her, she's not gonna stay put like a good little girl."
Kenshin froze. Sano had just voiced Kenshin's main fear. Fumeiyo had told him and the others last night if Kaoru was injured or not. Either he too forgot or didn't want to tell if Kaoru was okay.
"I hope with all my heart that she is, Sano," Kenshin sighed.
Sano saw a rare look of fear pass over Kenshin's face. Sano's stomach dropped slightly. If Kenshin couldn't feel for certain that Kaoru was injured or not, he wasn't certain. He knew that Kaoru wouldn't go without bumps, cuts, and bruises since she had been attacked, and it was her against a whole syndicate. Sano closed his eyes, not wanting to think about how bad Kaoru's condition could be. "Jo-chan's a strong girl. I-I'm sure she'll be fine," he said, trying to hide his uncertainty.
Kenshin didn't say anything and started to wash the laundry. He felt mechanical. He didn't know how he could continue going about his normal chores when Kaoru was in danger. What-ifs ran through Kenshin's head. The sliding of a door interrupted them. He looked up to see Soujiro and Yahiko walk out of the dojo, walking a little ways from him and Sano, and settled down. The low sound of voice was comforting and lulled him in to a memory of Kaoru.
They were in Kyoto, on the roof of the Aoiya. It was the night before he was leaving to fight Shishio directly.
"Kenshin," Kaoru said, handing him a small, pretty tin, "this is medicine made by Megumi-san, but it's not just from her. It's from everyone back in Tokyo. They all want you to come back and safely. She began to blush. "W-we all care about you."
Kenshin smiled. He took the tin and loud his hand over Kaoru's, squeezing gently. Her blush deepened and Kenshin wanted to take her in his arms right then and tell her that how he felt. He wanted to kiss her and tell her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. His conscience and discipline held him back. He couldn't force his feelings on her. Instead, he said, "Arigatou."
Kenshin was jolted out of his daydream of Kaoru by Sano waving his hand in front of his face.
"Yoohoo! Kenshin! Wake up! We have more guests!"
Kenshin looked up at the group of people in the middle of the yard.
"Hey, Himura! Miss us?"
At the same exact moment that Kenshin had woken up, the birds woke Kaoru up. Their sweet voices coaxed her out her nightmares. Kaoru drowsily looked at the golden hue of the sun's rays on the clouds. She loved how the gold mixed with the reds, blues, pinks, and purples. As Kaoru looked on, the red, gold, and purple began to began to remind her of Kenshin. The purple of his eyes, the gold of them when he got exceedingly angry, and the flaming red of his hair made her lips tremble, but she bit her bottom lip and sat up. She wasn't going to break down. Today was the day Kenshin would come and save her.
Kaoru yawned and then shuddered, remembering her dream. The image of Kenshin's back disappearing into the fog disturbed her greatly. There was another thing that disturbed her last night. Kage's voice had drifted into her dream, telling her that Kenshin was leaving her for good. Kaoru inhaled sharply and stood up. Thinking about that man made her angry, and that gave her a headache.
Kaoru went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. She put the plug in the drain and, while it filled up, she walked to the table to find two neatly folded towels, a neatly folded kimono and obi, and a note on the top. It read:
Kaoru,
Gomen nasai about last night. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You can use another one of Tomoko's kimonos. Act normal today. Act like nothing is going to happen tonight because, if Kage suspects something, it won't be pretty. I have a pair of practice clothes you can change into tonight. I'll see you at eleven o'clock to tell you the situation. Abayo! Oh, and destroy this note.
Fumeiyo
Kaoru shook her head and turned off the water. She dipped the paper in the water and tore it up into extremely tiny pieces. She untied her sleeping yukata and let it slide to her ankles. She stepped into the tub and let the warmth envelop her.
Twenty minutes later, Kaoru stepped out of the tub and dried herself off. She slid her pale arms into the sleeves of rich silk kimono. It was a deep red with gold dragons embroidered on it. The obi was a rich gold and, with the kimono, it made Kaoru look dramatic. She tied a red ribbon in her raven hair and reentered the main room to fold her blankets and futon. She started when she saw Hikari standing by the folded blanket and futon.
"Oh! Hikari! You scared me for a minute. You should have gotten me out of the tub."
Hikari shook her head and said, "There wasn't any point. Besides, I got here not even five minutes ago."
"Oh," Kaoru replied. "Arigatou for folding that for me. At my dojo, it's usually folded quickly because I'm in a rush."
Hikari laughed melodically and said, "It's not good for a girl to rush, you know!"
Kaoru stuck her tongue out at her, who returned the gesture. "Ah! I'm so rude," Kaoru exclaimed suddenly. "I never asked you if you needed anything from me! Gomen ne!"
Hikari laughed and said, "I just wanted to see how you were feeling. That was a lot to have processed in one night."
Kaoru shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time, "she remarked. "I guess I'm used to a lot of information all at once."
Hikari's eyebrows rose, but she didn't say anything.
Kaoru walked to the window and breathed in the fresh air, letting the sun warm her face. A breeze began to stir her hair around her face.
Hikari looked at her and thought, She has a type of peace that I'll never have. Not as long as I have Kage for a lover. She smiled slightly. It didn't matter if she had peace or not. She had Kage, after all, didn't she? She sighed and turned to the door. "It's too mice to stay inside, Ka-chan. Go outside."
Kaoru turned to her, surprised by the nickname. She watched Hikari's hair whip out of sight and started to laugh. "'Ka-chan!'" she said, tears running down her cheeks. "It's so silly!" About a minute later, Kaoru managed to calm down, clutching her sides. "Bruises and laughing don't work well together," she wheezed.
She walked out of her room and made her way down the stairs to go into the courtyard. Since it's my last day here, she thought, I'll look at the garden and sakura grove.
Kaoru wound her way around the hedges and strolled casually, admiring the flowers. She entered the cherry blossom grove and her heart stopped. It was so beautiful. It was early spring, and they had started to bloom. Some of the petals were gently being pried from their homes by the wind, and falling quietly to the ground.
Kaoru noticed in between two trees that there was a stone. It looked like a headstone. Kaoru walked to the headstone and squinted at the name. She fell to her knees in shock. "Kimimoto Tomoko," she whispered. She bent her head and prayed, apologizing to Tomoko for not paying her proper respects at first.
Then she stood up and walked to one of the trees. She reached up and broke off a branch of the delicate pink flowers and laid it down on the ground before the headstone. Feeling that something was missing, Kaoru pulled her ribbon out of her hair, causing it to cascade down her back. She tied the ribbon to the back and watched it flutter in the wind. A twig snapped behind her and she turned.
"Misao! Aoshi-san!" Kenshin exclaimed, dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?"
Misao's hands went on her hips. "I manage to drag Aoshi-sama and the rest of the Oniwaban to come and surprise, and you don't even say 'konnichiwa'!" She pretended to be hurt.
Aoshi laid his hand on Misao's shoulder. "Misao," he said gently, "the Battousai probably was surprised since we didn't give him any notice."
He looked pointedly at Kenshin, who read Aoshi's look easily. Aoshi knew that them coming unannounced was not even a fraction of the reason he was spaced out.
"Forgive me, Misao," Kenshin said while bowing. "I was just so surprised that you Aoshi-san and the Oniwabanshu decided to come to Tokyo just to see us."
Misao winked and said, "Yep!"
Yahiko wandered over to the group with Soujiro. Misao spotted him, threw her arms open, and ran to hug, or strangle, him. Kenshin couldn't decide which one Misao was going to choose.
"Yahiko-chan!" she yelled, heading straight towards him.
"Ah!" Yahiko yelled and started running in the other direction. "Don't call me 'Yahiko-chan', Misao-CHAN!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Misao sped up after being called that.
Yahiko noticed this and tried to speed up as well, but he didn't see a rock in the middle of the yard. He tripped and fell on his face.
Misao came up behind him with an evil glint in her eye. She picked him up by hid collar and started strangling him in a headlock.
Everyone in the yard laughed. Aoshi even smiled.
"Ohhh! I came all the way from Kyoto to see you guys and you run away from me?!"
She released him and he rubbed his throat. "Gomen ne, Misao. It's just that you came running at me."
Misao rolled her eyes and stuck out her hand to him to help him. After he got up, he dusted himself off and walked to the large group of people.
Misao looked around and said, "Hey. Wait a minute. Where's Kaoru?"
Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko's smile disappeared and they all looked at the ground, silent.
"What?" asked Misao, curious and confused. "Did I say something wrong? Where's Kaoru?"
"Er, Kaoru-dono was kidnapped the other day," Kenshin said reluctantly.
"What?!" Misao and the other Oniwaban members chorused.
Aoshi's eyes widened. "You mean the girl who was with you in Kyoto?"
Kenshin nodded.
"How?!" Misao exclaimed. "She would never let herself be kidnapped!"
"I know," Kenshin said quietly. "Megumi-san upset Kaoru-dono the other day. She had a dream that I had left again, just like when I had left for Kyoto. She ran out of the dojo and got attacked. Her old student and his sister came and told us that they had seen her being kidnapped. Last night, an unfaithful lackey of the man who abducted Kaoru-dono came and told us everything possible on rescuing her. This morning, our luck turned even better. Seta Soujiro, a former Juppongatana member, came here and agreed to help rescue Kaoru-dono."
Misao looked at Soujiro and muttered, "This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" She looked at Kenshin. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get Kaoru! Come on, Himura! I'm not dumb. I know you love her, so why not save her already?"
"Oro?!" Kenshin said, embarrassed. "I-I-" He began to stutter, turning redder and redder.
Misao clapped her hand on his shoulder and said, "It's not hard to see. I mean, you may not be obvious, but you do hint to Kaoru that you love her."
To break the very apparent awkward silence, Sano turned to Kenshin and said, "I'm going to find Katsu and tell him to make those bombs." He waved and walked out through the gate, passing Megumi on his way. "Konnichiwa, Kitsune," he said cheerfully, dodging the smack she aimed at him.
"Honestly, Sanosuke," she quipped, "you're so immature."
He winked, causing her to blush, and said, "You know it, babe." He sauntered down the road, whistling.
"Baka," Megumi muttered and made her way to the large group. "My, my," she said. "You seem to have collected a crew of people, Ken-san."
"Hai," he replied, smiling, "and we have another five people coming."
Megumi nodded in approval.
Just then, a loud grumble echoed though the yard. Every head turned to Misao, who blushed and put her hands on her stomach. "Eh heh," she giggled nervously. "I guess I'm hungry. Gomen ne."
Kenshin watched Aoshi smile fondly at the braided girl in front of him. I'm not the only one who subtly shows they love someone close to them, he thought.
"Well," Megumi said, walking towards to the dojo, "I guess I'll make lunch. It'll be ready soon, so please, get comfortable. I know Kaoru has extra rooms." She turned to Misao and said, "Would you be able to take the others to the extra rooms, since you know where they are."
Misao said, "Hai," and led Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu to the rooms in the back.
Twenty minutes later, everyone was eating onigiri on the porch.
"Wow, Megumi-san! This is really good!" Misao exclaimed, mouth full.
Yahiko sniggered loudly.
Misao swallowed ad turned to him. "What's so funny, Yahiko?" she demanded.
"Yo-your face when your mouth was full!" he howled. "It was so funny."
Misao took a deep breath and punched Yahiko in the head.
"Ouch!" said Yahiko, rubbing his head, then smiled sheepishly. "I guess I deserved that."
While Misao was talking, Kenshin thought about what Yahiko had said. I guess Yahiko is not the little boy he was two years ago. Kaoru, you would be so proud of how Yahiko has been acting for the last couple of days.
The background noise continued around him. Kenshin's thoughts began to become what-ifs again. His eyes widened and he dropped his onigiri in horror. "No!" he whispered loudly.
"Kenshin! Kenshin! Snap out of it! Doushita no!?"
"Konnichiwa, Kaoru-san, "said a smiling Kage.
Kaoru's calm faltered and fear passed over her face.
Kage registered her fear with satisfaction. "I'm not going to hurt you." He paused, pretending to think. "At least, not right now."
A defiant look appeared on Kaoru's features and replaced her fear. I'm not going to give into him! "I don't think so, Kage," she said coldly. She pointed her finger at him. "I am no longer part of your game. I think for myself and do what I please. I will not live in fear of you!" Her hand felt behind her to find a branch the width of her bokken. Her fingers curled around the rough bark. Kaoru stood, brought the stick up, and lunged at Kage. Kage's sword flashed in the sunlight. Kaoru gasped as she watched her branch fall to pieces. "Damn it!" she hissed, eyes searching for another weapon.
Kage slapped Kaoru across the face soundly then threw her into Tomoko's headstone. Kaoru's back slammed into the stone harshly, and her back screamed in pain. "Damn you!" she shouted and hurried past Kage.
Her angry tears blew from her cheeks and landed on Kage's hand. His eyes followed her until she was out of sight. He lifted his hand to his mouth and licked Kaoru's salty tears off.
As he resheathed his sword, a thought came to him. "She was different from before. Interesting, " he mussed. "She was defiant, had confidence, and something fueled all that. But what?" Kage's thoughts drifted back to the moonlit yard of last night. "Of course!" he said, snapping his fingers. "That traitor, Fumeiyo, must have told her. God damn it! I was hoping that he was going to keep the Battousai coming a 'surprise'. Oh, well. I'll have to torture her another way." An idea formed quickly in his head. "Perfect," he whispered happily.
Hikari's soft voice floated across the sakura grove. "Kage? Are you here?" She padded into the grove.
"Hai. I'm over here," he said, leaning on one of the blossoming trees. He moved toward Hikari.
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. She deepened her when Kage's hand twirled through her hair. Hikari ended the kiss and walked to Tomoko's grave. Her fingers stroked the blood red ribbon that was tied around a branch of sakura. "Ka-chan was here."
"Who?" Kage asked, confused.
"Oh! Gomen ne! Kaoru was here. This was the ribbon that she was wearing this morning." She turned to Kage. "Why were you here?"
"I was just taking a walk," he lied.
"Do you regret killing Tomoko or even what you did to Kaoru?" she asked abruptly.
"Kage thought for a few seconds, somewhat surprised, then shook his head. "No, not really. I DO regret killing Tomoko a little, though." He sighed dramatically and continued icily. "She was stupid enough to defy me. She would have been a useful spy. I don't regret what I did to that bitch, Kaoru. She was only a toy to begin with. All part of my game." He grinned, looking like a hungry wolf. "And the game ends tonight. But before it does, I have a few more little games to play."
Kaoru sat by the fountain that she had been at the night before and stares at the water moodily. Fumeiyo walked into the stone area and cleared his throat. Kaoru jumped and glared at him, but she faltered when she realized who it was. "Oh, she said softly, "I thought you were Ka—someone else."
"Gomen ne. I didn't mean to scare you. By the way you jumped, I'm guessing it's not the Battousai you thought was behind you. Personally, I think I'd be scared if the Battousai was behind me."
Kaoru stood up angrily, unaware of the pain that shot through her back. "You don't think of him as Kenshin, only Battousai! That's not all of him, only a part! I love him and you can't understand what he's been through."
"And which part do you love? Kenshin or the Battousai? The rurouni or the hitokiri?" Fumeiyo coolly threw her words back at her.
"I-I-" she faltered. Fumeiyo managed to hit a spot she had never considered before. Yes, she loved Kenshin, but what about the other part of him? Battousai was part of him, and his bloodied past could never leave him. He would forever be haunted by the blood and screams of his victims.
The soft breeze picked up, sending some of the sakura petals on Kaoru's kimono to fly off into the yard.
"I love all of him," Kaoru said finally. "To love someone is to accept every part of them. I'm unable to erase what's past. I can't take away the nightmares of the people he'd killed or any of the pain that had ever been inflicted on him." She breathed deeply, smiling softly. "But I can help him heal, love him with my heart and soul, and be by his side when he needs me to be. All I can do is love him with my entire being, and I plan to!" She looked at Fumeiyo, sapphire eyes blazing. Every line in her body reflected the passion in her words. "No one can come in between me and my feelings. No one! Not Kage, not Hikari, and not you!"
Hurt filled Fumeiyo's eyes when he heard her say "and not you".
Kaoru got up and stalked past Fumeiyo, ignoring his concerned look.
Something happened either last night or before, he concluded silently, feeling dejected. He began to pace, trying to figure out what was wrong with Kaoru. Fumeiyo kicked the hard, gray stone that Kaoru had been sitting on, in frustration. "Kuso!" he swore loudly.
He sulkily made his way to the sakura grove that held his beloved Tomoko's grave. A blood red ribbon that was gently flying in the wind caught his attention rather quickly. Fumeiyo strode towards it and realized that Kaoru's hair had been loose. "Did this upset her?" he wondered. Then he saw a piece of silk caught on one of the rough edges of the gravestone. "She's much too careful with Tomoko's things to get it caught on the gravestone." Suddenly, the answer hit him. "Kage was here and he scared her! Damn it!" He went over and punched one of the trees, splitting his open knuckles. He laid his hand on the top of Tomoko's headstone. Blood ran down from his knuckles and made trails down the front of the light gray stone. Fumeiyo turned away angrily and swiftly walked out of the grave to find Kaoru. The blood began to dry on the stone. A petal floated down and clung to his blood.
Damn him! Kaoru thought furiously. "He has no right to judge Kenshin! I accept both sides of him!" She grabbed the sides of her head and let out a frustrated shriek. "Kenshin," she said. "What's taking you so long? With Jin'eh it only took you a few hours." Kaoru closed her and thought of when she was kidnapped by Jin'eh.
"Kenshin won't be coming back to the dojo, Jo-chan."
Kaoru looked at Sanosuke with fear. "What do you mean?!" she asked fearfully.
"Kurogasa made Kenshin his next target and he didn't won't to come back to the dojo because he want to get closer to the hitokiri buried within him." He leaned back against a post, careful not to move his arm in its sling. "He told me to watch the dojo, you, and the brat."
Kaoru dropped the shinai she had taken from Yahiko. She turned away and started to run. Sano sat up quickly and caught her wrist.
"Do you want to make him loser!?" he asked, raising his voice. "He doesn't want us there for a reason."
Kaoru turned her head to glare at him. Sano's eyes widened when he saw that her eyes had tears brimming in them. His grip loosened a little in his surprise.
"Don't you see!?" Kaoru shouted. "He won't come back! He'll go back to wandering and then I'll be alone again! I've been alone ever since chichi died. I-I don't want to be alone again!" She pulled free from Sano's grip and ran out of the yard.
"Kaoru! Matte!" cried Yahiko.
"What's she thinking!?" Sano said angrily and ran out into the street, Yahiko close behind. "She's selfish, ya know," he said to Yahiko. "But I guess that's love."
"That doesn't matter right now," Yahiko said hurriedly. "We need to find her!"
He and Sano ran down the street.
Kaoru spotted Kenshin sitting on a log by the riverbank. She started down the hill towards him. She noticed he had his sword, slightly unsheathed. "Oh, Kenshin!" she said, "I found you."
Kenshin jumped and closed his finger in between his sheath and sword, causing him to bleed.
She sat down next to him.
"I'm guessing Sano told you what happened," he said.
"Hai, he did. And I'm not leaving."
Kenshin stared at the opposite riverbank. "I can't beat Jin'eh if I'm protecting someone."
Kaoru closed her eyes and got up. She walked in front of Kenshin, who looked at her. She pulled her ribbon out of her hair, letting it hang loose down her back. She held the blue ribbon out to him. "This is my favorite ribbon, Kenshin."
He took it, confused. "Why would you—" he started.
"Just take it!" she said.
"Hai, Kaoru-dono!"
She blushed and said, "That's my favorite ribbon, Kenshin. I want it back. Don't go wandering off and not return it. Promise me that you'll come back to give it to me."
Kenshin looked from her to the ribbon several times, looking confused, but it finally dawned on him. He smiled kindly and said, "Hai, Kaoru-dono. Go back to the dojo and wait, lease."
She nodded with a smile and turned to go. All of a sudden, a boat sped down the river's fast current. Jin'eh grabbed Kaoru.
"I plainly see that this girl is your woman, Battousai! Get angry! Become who you were ten years ago! That's who I want to fight!" He threw a folded piece of paper at Kenshin as he sped away. "This is where I'll be!"
Kaoru broke free of Jin'eh's hand over her mouth and cried, "Kenshin!"
Kenshin sat there frozen for a few seconds, then started chasing the boat. "Kaoru-dono!" he yelled. He watched Jin'eh laugh insanely. "Jin'eh!" he screamed angrily.
The moon was almost directly above the small, abandoned roadway shrine. Jin'eh sat on a rock, smoking. Kaoru sat, legs and wrists tied, in the small shrine.
"Stop glaring," Jin'eh ordered. "It's not like I'm going to eat you."
"You're a coward!" Kaoru accused him. "You kidnapped me to get Kenshin!"
"No," said Jin'eh, smoke coming out of his mouth as he talked. "I kidnapped you to get him angry. Then he'll be a good opponent. He's weak now."
"No, he's not!" Kaoru shit back. "Kenshin's stronger than ever! You don't have any clue how strong he really is!"
"I don't understand!" Jin'eh laughed, then went on. "No! I don't think you understand how strong the Battousai is! I could kill him in the time it takes to finish a cigarette, the way he is now!" he bragged, flicking his cigarette onto the hard ground. "I want him to return to the way he was during the Revolution! I want to beat Hitokiri Battousai!"
Kenshin, please come soon! Kaoru pleaded. A tiny click brought Kaoru's attention to focus on Jin'eh. He had a goal pocket watch out and was staring at the hands.
"Heh. It's midnight," he said, closing the pocket watch with a snap.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried happily, then froze.
Kenshin's eyes were narrowed in rage, something that Kaoru had never seen before.
"Nice eyes," Jin'eh commented. "It means you're angry."
"Yes," Kenshin said so roughly that it startled Kaoru. "Angry at you for involving Kaoru-dono and angry at myself for not being able to stop you."
Jin'eh and Kenshin drew their swords.
"Let's go!" Kenshin said and they rushed at each other swiftly.
Their blades struck together with a loud clang and sparks flew as they grated together. They broke apart and rushed at each other again. Jin'eh's eyes widened and he used his chi to perform shin no ippou.
"I told you before that using shin no ippou won't work on me!" Kenshin said forcefully, breaking Jin'eh's spell.
Kenshin watched Jin'eh's movements closely, making sure to be able to avoid his sword thrusts. First, one-handed flat thrust, then a side swing, and finally the bamboo splitter! Kenshin cried at triumphantly, "And break his stance!" He rushed at Jin'eh, sword raised, but realized just as he reached him, Jin'eh had changed sword hands behind his back.
Jin'eh plunged his sword into Kenshin's shoulder. He laughed as Kenshin lay on the ground, clutching his profusely bleeding shoulder. "You did well, "he said casually, "until it come to my backwards wheel." He looked at Kenshin thoughtfully. "You're not quite the Battousai yet." Then he looked at Kaoru, his grin widening. "I know what to do."
Jin'eh's eyes opened wide and she froze. She grabbed her throat. "Ke-Ke-Kenshin," she chocked.
"Kaoru-dono, no!" Kenshin shouted, getting to his knees. "Jin'eh, you bastard! What have you done to her!?"
"Heh heh! I made the shin no ippou stronger. So strong, in fact, that it's stopped her lungs," he said nonchalantly.
"No!" He got into a crouch, gripping his shoulder in a white-knuckled grip. "How could you!?" he growled.
"There's not much time to talk time, you know. She'll last two, three minutes at the most. Anyway, it won't be as easy to break as last night. What a shame. Death by suffocation is not pretty at all."
Kenshin gripped his sakabatou's hilt tightly.
Jin'eh glanced at him and blinked. Kenshin was gone. Kenshin slammed the blunt blade into Jin'eh's nose, causing it to break. Blood poured from Jin'eh's nose as he laughed wildly. "I didn't even see your body move or the path that your sword took! This is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! This is the power of Hitokiri Battousai!"
Kenshin looked up, golden eyes flashing in the moonlight.
Kaoru managed to say, "Ke-Kenshin, n-no!"
Kenshin scowled and said coldly, "There is no time to talk. Attack me so I can finish this and kill you!"
No, Kaoru thought desperately.
A look of delight passed over Jin'eh's face. "'Attack me so I can finish this and kill you!' Those are words of a hitokiri, not a rurouni!" He reset his nose back into place with his thumb. Smiling, he bolted towards Kenshin, but jumped away when Kenshin glared at him.
"What's the matter?" Kenshin sneered. "Afraid?"
"You are truly a hitokiri," he murmured.
"If you want to live, break the spell on Kaoru-dono."
"I can't," he said matter-of-factly. "Either she breaks it of her own will, which I highly doubt, or you have to kill me."
"I guess I have no choice but to kill you then."
Jin'eh held his sword in front of his face and emitted a strong chi wave, casting shin no ippou on himself. "I'm steel! I'm invincible! I cannot lose!" he said crazily and looked up, his eyes a different . "I haven't done that since I left the Shinsengumi fifteen years ago."
"Do whatever you like," Kenshin said, sliding his sakabatou into its sheath and getting into a comfortable battle stance. "But now that I've said I'll kill you, I will." His hand hovered by his sword's hilt. "Come, learn the meaning of the name Battousai."
Jin'eh rushed at him and avoided his Battoujutsu. "Victory is mine!" he yelled happily.
Kenshin used his sheath to complete his Battoujutsu. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Souryuusen! He looked down at Jin'eh, then went on coldly, "I'm very well aware that the Battoujutsu Is usually a single strike, and that the sakabatou is unfit for it. The meaning of the name 'Battousai' is 'one who has mastered everything of Battoujutsu. I crushed your elbow and severed your ligaments. Your life as a swordsman is over. And so is your life!" He flipped the blade on his sakabatou. "Now DIE!"
Jin'eh stared at Kenshin. "Why do you hesitate, Battousai? The girl's only way of surviving is killing me. You don't have much time left."
"To save Kaoru-dono, I will become a hitokiri once again!" he shouted, raising his blade high above his head.
"Let me be the first to taste your soon to be blood soaked blade!" yelled a crazed Jin'eh.
"Die," Kenshin repeated, bringing his blade down.
Kaoru's heart pounded as she watched the scene, losing consciousness. Kenshin's words came back to her in a rush.
"A sword is a weapon, no matter pretty names you give it. Swordsmanship is way to kill. But in the face of such an awful truth, the sweet naïve lie she tells is so much better. If this one had a wish—"
"Kenshin," Kaoru gasped. "KENSHIN! NOO!"
Kenshin's sword stopped inches from Jin'eh's head. He looked at Kaoru, eyes wide.
"Don't go back," she said faintly, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't become a hitokiri." She started to fall forward in a slump.
"Kaoru-dono!" he cried, abandoning Jin'eh to catch her. "Kaoru-dono, please. Are you all right!?"
Kaoru looked at him, hair plastered to her face from sweating. She smiled sweetly at him. "I'm all right, Kenshin," she said breathlessly, tears mixing in with her sweat.
"Oro!?"
She laughed weakly. "Ah! Now that sounds like the Kenshin I know!" She gasped suddenly.
"I don't understand how a little girl like her broke my shin no ippou. I must be getting weak," Jin'eh commented from behind Kenshin's turned back.
"Stop it, Jin'eh!" he said shortly. "With only a wakazashi and your left arm, you can't win. Just give yourself up to the police!"
"NO! It's not over yet!" He lifted the wakazashi above his head.
Kenshin grabbed his sakabatou.
"I have clean-up to do," Jin'eh said, then plunged the wakazashi into his chest. Kenshin watched in horror as Jin'eh smiling and said, "What a nice feeling!" Jin'eh fell to the ground in a spray of crimson blood.
Kaoru's hands went to her mouth in revulsion.
Kenshin looked at him in sad shock.
"Don't look at me like that, Battousai. Your eyes clearly say that you don't understand, but I want this. This false Meiji Era will fall soon enough. Obstacles are still standing, and I managed to get mixed up with someone in the government who wanted all these people dead."
Kenshin raised his eyebrows.
"I'm glad I got to fight the Hitokiri Battousai. The death match was enjoyable."
"Jin'eh," Kenshin began.
"Don't, Battousai. Your eyes were so much better when they were full of rage, when you were going to kill me. Remember, a hitokiri is a hitokiri until death. You cannot be anything else. Keep playing the game of the rurouni. I'll see if you can keep it up. I'll be watching you from hell, Battousai." He laughed one last time, then ceased to move.
Kaoru turned to Kenshin, brow creased in worry.
"Kenshin—"
"Let's go home, Kaoru-dono."
Fumeiyo stalked to where he heard a frustrated scream.
He saw Kaoru clutch the sides of her head. Her voice carried across the yard. "Kenshin, what's taking you so long? With—"
Fumeiyo turned away. It pained him to see her suffer so much. He battled with himself for ten minutes, deciding whether he should try to talk to her again or not. Then he turned back around and walked to Kaoru. He laid his hand on her shoulder.
Kaoru jumped, and her eyes snapped open. She turned quickly and swung her fist.
Fumeiyo's hand held her fist firmly. "You need to calm down," he said sternly. "You have way too much anger bottled inside you right now. You're going to explode."
She pulled her hand out off his roughly and brushed passed him. "I'm saving it to kick Kage's ass!"
He grabbed her by the forearm. "What the hell is the matter with you, Kaoru!? Why are you like this all of a sudden!?"
Kaoru struggled in Fumeiyo's vice like grip. "Let me go! Fumeiyo! LET ME GO!"
"No," he said forcefully. "Not until you tell my why you're having these absurd mood swings."
She balled her fists, fingernails biting into her palms. Her head snapped around, causing her hair to obscure her face for a few seconds. "You want to know why?" she shouted. "I am sick and tired of being protected! My dignity has been stripped away from me. I didn't have the courage to run away, and I don't have the courage to take my own life!" Angry tears, unable to fall, burned Kaoru's eyes. "Happy?" she asked sarcastically.
A loud slap echoed through the deserted yard. Kaoru was wide-eyed, face stinging where Fumeiyo had hit her. "W-w-what was that for!?" she sputtered.
Fumeiyo eyes her warily. "You needed that," he said, looking her in the eye. "What good would taking your own life do? Nothing. It would only cause pain to those closest to you, the Battousai in particular. Gomen nasai that I had to slap you, but it knocked some sense into you, I hope."
Kaoru nodded. "Hai," she said hoarsely. Then she collapsed into Fumeiyo's chest, tears of all emotions soaking into his shirt. "Gomen nasai!" she repeated into his shirt numerous times.
Fumeiyo smiled down at her and said, "Don't worry about it. The stress has gotten to you." He pulled a small piece of red silk from the inside his shirt. He held it out to her with his bloody fist. "Next time, just tell me it was Kage."
She nodded, then noticed Fumeiyo's swollen and bloody hand. She balked. "What have you done!?" she reprimanded him. She delicately examined his hand, shaking her head sadly. "This needs to be cleaned because you have BARK in it, and I need to check your leg bandage."
Fumeiyo looked down guiltily.
"What?" Kaoru asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
"Well," Fumeiyo said, cringing and bracing himself for the outburst. "I, um, sorta took it off this morning because the bandage had some blood in it." He stopped, hoping she wouldn't ask any more.
"And," Kaoru probed.
"And when I took them off, the cut seemed better. So, I took off the bandages," he finished slowly.
"What were you thinking!?" she scolded., throwing her hands in the air. Fumeiyo muttered something and Kaoru scowled at him. "Jerk."
"Baka," he replied.
Kaoru's scowl deepened. "Yarou."
"Ouch, that stung, little girl," Fumeiyo taunted.
She dropped his hand and said, "I hope your hand gets infected and falls off!"
He snorted and replied, "I guess I hit a soft spot, huh? Gomen ne. Now, will you please clean and wrap my hand?" He held is swollen hand out to her again.
Kaoru rolled her eyes as Fumeiyo handed her some bandages. She looked at him incredulously. "You expect me to wrap your hand up without cleaning it!?" She grabbed his other hand and marched him back to her room while muttering curses and insults.
Kenshin's brain went through all of the possible injuries that Kaoru could have received, each one worse and worse than the last. His mind went into overload, causing him to sweat with fear. Misao shaking his shoulder roughly snapped him out of his unfocused daze.
"Ne, Himura! Ne! What's the matter with you!? What happened?"
"Kaoru," he said in a strangled whisper. He stood up abruptly, grabbing his sakabatou. He looked at everyone apologetically, then stepped off the porch and headed towards the front gate.
"Matte! Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted. He started to get up, but got pulled by Megumi.
Misao got up and started to move off the porch after Kenshin was out of sight. Aoshi gently pulled her back, making her fall into his chest. She looked up at him, pink.
He smiled softly at her. "I'll go after him to make sure he doesn't do anything reckless." He looked at Megumi, who nodded, still holding down a struggling Yahiko.
"Aoshi-sama," said Omasu, "do you want us to go with you?"
"No, that's okay, Omasu. Thanks for offering." Aoshi pulled on his beige coat, turning the collar out, letting the orange show. "I will return soon," he said, coat billowing in the wind.
He left, leaving Misao, still pink, and the others on the porch.
The minute Aoshi was out of view, Yahiko bit Megumi in the arm. "Ow! You stupid brat! That hurt! What was that for!?" she yelled, wiping her arm off.
"For not letting me follow Kenshin!"
Megumi threw him a dirty look and wiped the rest of the spit from her arm.
"What if he doesn't come back and tried to get Kaoru by himself!? What are we going to do then!?"
"No," Misao said quietly, startling Yahiko and Megumi. She was staring at the exit Aoshi took. "Aoshi-sama won't let him do that." She turned to them, smiling slightly. "I don't believe that Himura would just go hastily to save Kaoru, no matter how much he loves her."
Megumi stared at her, eyes shining. "You're right. Ken-san won't do that."
Kenshin walked along the road. He slowed to a stop by the creak that ran into the river. He leaned on one of the trees. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reminiscing about when he left Kaoru in Tokyo when he left for Kyoto. Tears pricked his eyelids. He almost died when he hugged her, telling her that he was leaving. His heart broke to pieces as Kaoru screamed his name to his retreating back.
Kenshin ran his hand through his blood-red bangs. He stood up straight, then continued down the road to the hidden path.
"I will save you, Kaoru-dono!"
As Yahiko was helping Megumi clean up, a soft voice floated across the yard. "Konnichiwa. Is anyone here?"
Megumi smiled warmly at Mayonaka. She went over to hug the young girl. "Of course, silly." She straightened and jumping slightly to see Tsuyoi standing, huffing slightly, but smiling.
"Ya, Megumi-san," he said, bowing.
"Konnichiwa, Tsuyoi-kun," she said. "I'm guessing Mayonaka-chan beat you in a race?"
Before Tsuyoi could speak, Mayonaka piped up. "Hai!" Her eyes twinkled. "He's slow since he hasn't practiced." As Tsuyoi began to protest, she giggled and finished her sentence. "But, he's faster than before! He was only a few feet behind me!"
Megumi's laugh carried over to Yahiko and the others.
Misao squinted at the unfamiliar people. "Who are they?" she asked, turning to Yahiko.
"Well, the boy is a former student of Kaoru's, and the girl is his oneesan. They're helping us rescue Kaoru, along with Saito." He said Saito's name loathingly.
Misao wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Uhg! I don't like that man at all!"
"I don't think anyone does," Yahiko sniggered.
Meanwhile, three sneezes were heard in one of the police lieutenant offices.
"Bless you, Fujita-san," said a passing police officer.
Saito glared at the man, then at the cigarette in his hands. "Battousai's friends," he muttered, and started writing again.
"I'm guessing she's keeping you in shape, Tsuyoi-kun?" Megumi said, her grin widening.
Tsuyoi tapped Mayonaka lightly on the head with his shinai. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Hai, Megumi-san. She has been. I've been running more than usual."
"At least you won't be fat!" Mayonaka said.
Tsuyoi glared at her and apologized.
Megumi, who found the innocent bickering enjoyable, cleared her throat.
They both looked at her.
"I have some good news for you two. Some of our friends from Kyoto surprised us with a visit."
Tsuyoi glanced at Yahiko, Misao, and Soujiro chatting idly with the rest of the Oniwanbanshu. "That's great!" he exclaimed.
"There's another swordsman with the group of people, and there's Saito, who you met yesterday."
Mayonaka shivered, despite the fact that it was sunny and warm.
Megumi placed her hand kindly on Mayonaka's shoulder. "Come," she said, steering them in direction of the group. "Let's introduce you, and you can eat, too."
Aoshi tailed Kenshin for a few minutes to get an idea of where he was going. He watched Kenshin stop next to a small creek. What are you planning, Battousai? Aoshi stood hidden by trees, observing Kenshin's every move.
He became confused as Kenshin leaned on a tree and scrunched his eyes tightly. Then Kenshin opened his eyes abruptly and ran his hands through his bangs. He turned and continued down the road.
Aoshi's ice blue eyes widened when he realized where and what Kenshin was going and doing. Aoshi melted into the trees and made his way quickly to the place he had in his mind. When Kenshin explained what happened, he recognized the place he talked about. When Aoshi still worked for Kanryu, he used the path to get to many of his destinations. When he, Misao, and the Oniwabanshu passed the road, he smelled the blood that faintly lingered there. After smelling it for so many years, Aoshi barely noticed. The only thing that caught his attention was that it smelled sweet, like innocence, like Misao. Aoshi hoped he would get there before Kenshin.
Kenshin stood by the path and inhaled deeply. The scent of Kaoru's blood burned his nostrils. It was a sweet smell, but it had been forced out of her. He put his foot onto the path.
A voice spoke through the air from the woods. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Battousai."
Kenshin turned around to glare at the person standing amongst the trees. "What's it to you!?" Kenshin snapped, his anger, sadness, and guilt evident in his voice.
Aoshi slid silently out from the woods. His light blue eyes looked calm to Kenshin. "Your anger won't help her," he said, then added softly, "Besides, you're unfocused. That'll get you killed, and then her surviving, waiting for you, would be in vain." Smiling with satisfaction, as Kenshin removed his foot from the path and turned towards the direction of the dojo, Aoshi lead the way in the fading light.
Misao and the Oniwabanshu looked up as they felt Aoshi's chi come closer. Misao ran to the practice room, throwing her shadow on the highly polished floor. "Aoshi-sama's back! I'm sure he has Himura with him!" she shouted, startling a sleeping Megumi and a practicing Yahiko.
They looked at each other, then dashed out of the room.
Aoshi stepped through the door with Kenshin behind him. Misao ran to Aoshi and jumped into his arms. He smiled widely as he spun her around..
Kenshin watched the two spinning in the golden light, their shadows dancing on the ground in front of him.
Misao's laughter resonated across the yard.
Sano entered the yard a few seconds later and said, "I figure it was you laughing, Misao." She started to ask him why he said that, but Sano continued. "You're and Kaoru's laugh are similar. For a minute, I really thought Kaoru had managed to-to escape." Sanosuke got misty-eyed.
Megumi noticed this and felt a twinge of jealously. I thought she was just like a little sister to him, she thought gloomily. Though, when she heard Sano's next comment, she perked up.
"Jo-chan's like a sister to me."
Kenshin gazed at Sanosuke with a look of registered shock. He had never heard Sano talk about Kaoru like that before.
Sano put his hand to his face. When he lowered it, a false smile replaced his frown. "Oh!" he said with obviously fake cheerfulness. "I managed to find Katsu, everyone! Oi! Katsu! Come in and meet everyone."
A tall, finely featured man stepped into the yard, carrying a large, bulky bag. Kenshin suspected that the bag contained bombs that Katsu had made for the night. "Minna-san konnichiwa!" he said, setting the bag next to him. He turned to the faces unknown to him. "I'm Katsu, a friend of Sano." He looked at Megumi and said, "Arigatou for the extra ingredient for the bombs."
Kenshin and everyone at the two confused and Mayonaka blurted, "Bombs!?"
Tsuyoi looked skyward and thought, What have I gotten myself and Mayonaka into?
Megumi told the now very large Kenshin gumi, that she had given Sano a fairly large package of sleeping powder that would read with the bombs.
Aoshi was impressed by his former captive's cleverness.
After all the introductions had been made, everyone but Kenshin went into the dojo's practice room to discuss a strategy to help Kaoru.
Kenshin stood outside the gate, waiting for Saito. The sun spread its now blood-red rays on the ground before Kenshin, making him think of it as a bad omen of a promise of spilled blood. As Kenshin caught a glimpse of Saito's dark uniform in the fading light, he muttered a quick, soft plea. "Please, don't let there be any bloodshed tonight."
"OW!" came the dry from the other side of the paper-thin door.
Fujitaka chuckled as he heard Kaoru reprimand Fumeiyo.
"If you would stop squirming, it would be easier both you and me!"
Fujitaka knocked on the wood to the side of the door awkwardly because of the package in his arms.
Kaoru's voice came clearly through the door. "Come in."
"Ano, would you be able to open the door for me, Kamiya-san?" he asked sheepishly. "I sorta have a package in my hands."
"Ah! Hai! Chotto matte!"
He heard her get up and hurry to the door. She opened it, revealing Fumeiyo sitting next to Hikari's medical bag. Kaoru bowed. "I'm pleased to meet you, Fujitaka-san. Fumeiyo told me that you got my sleeping yukata and told him where I was last night. Arigatou gozaimasu. I really appreciate it."
Fujitaka ed ever so slightly, embarrassed by the attention the pretty girl was giving him. He bowed and said, "You give me too much credit, Kamiya-san! I've hardly done anything!" He set the parcel down, then looked up. He noticed that she had a sad smile in her face.
He's just like Kenshin in some ways, she thought. "Don't berate yourself, Fujitaka-san," she said softly. "Doing something as small as smiling can make a person feel better."
Fumeiyo watched Fujitaka's face. He knew that nothing like this had ever been said to him before. He had known Fujitaka since he came to the Shadow Gumi. He had heard Kage abuse him with his harsh words, telling him that he was useless and no one would ever want his help. Soon, Fujitaka became a stony-faced young man that would sit there unmoving while Kage would circle him, whispering hateful words at him. It shaped who he is now.
Both men, lost in their own thoughts, started slightly when Kaoru sat back down next to Fumeiyo and picked up his hand, clearing her throat.
"Oh! Gomen ne to you both!" Fujitaka exclaimed. "Here's the reason I came." He pushed the bulky parcel that was on the floor to the pair. Fumeiyo's hazel eyes met Fujitaka's chocolate brown ones. A silent confirmation passed between them.
"That's for you, Kaoru," Fumeiyo said, talking about the package.
"Oh," she said, surprised. "Uh, okay. I don't see why either of you two are giving me this. All I've been is in the way for the last day and a half."
Fumeiyo shook his head and said, "Just open it. You'll understand when you see what's inside."
"Ano, sure," she said timidly, putting the tweezers down.
She pulled out a pair of sharp medical scissors from Hikari's bag. She snipped through the paper carefully, then peeled it back to reveal two long objects, wrapped in the same brown paper. Kaoru lifted the two packages out, not noticing the major difference in weight. Under them was a pair of practice clothes. She fingered the white and black fabric lovingly. After removing the practice clothes, she gasped when she felt the cool touch of silk. She looked down and saw the most beautiful kimono she had ever laid her eyes on. It was the exact same blue as her eyes, and the obi was pure white. Each were embroidered elaborately with kikyo blossoms. Kaoru lifted it up and her heart broke. Under the amazing kimono, there were all of Tomoko's kimonos. She looked up slowly, tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
Fumeiyo smiled at her and nodded to Fujitaka. Fujitaka returned the nod and left.
"W-why?" she asked. "These were Tomoko's."
"The one that's on top was made especially for you. I was able to bribe a seamstress who used to make kimonos for Tomoko to make this for you. She still had Tomoko's measurements."
"But—"
"I have to move on." He held his hand out to her.
She picked up her tweezers and began to carefully pull out the pieces of back in his hand.
"I have no use for them anymore," he continued. "You'll be leaving tonight, and Tomoko is dead. It's better if you took them because I'm sure that this place won't be standing in the morning."
Kaoru gulped, trying to get the lump in her throat to dissolve.
"I don't think Kage will let himself be defeated by anyone."
"What about you?" Kaoru asked, voice trembling.
"Well," he said reluctantly, "I'm not positive that I'll survive the night. Actually, I'm pretty sure that I won't survive the night. Kage wouldn't leave me alive after how much I've betrayed him. I guess my name describes my personality. 'Dishonor,'" he snorted. "That's all I am, dishonorable."
Kaoru cautiously placed her hand on his knee, unsure if he would be uncomfortable. "Don't say that," she said. "It's not true. You have your honor. I believe that the honor of being used as a yakuza for a syndicate is a false honor. Your true honor is what you feel in your heart." She placed her hand on his heart for a moment, then fell silent as she finished getting the last pieces of bark out of his hand.
Fumeiyo stared at the ground, making sure none of his emotions were displayed on his face. Kaoru, oblivious to his reaction to her words, continued to tend to Fumeiyo's hand. He only flinched when Kaoru put his hand in the hot water that had some antiseptic herbs in it. After Kaoru had finished, Fumeiyo said a quick arigatou and bolted out of the room to his room to think. Kaoru was left sitting in the middle of the room, staring open mouthed at the still open door.
"He certainly left quickly," she remarked. "I guess I said something weird."
Kaoru shifted onto her knees and began cleaning up the supplies that she had taken out of Hikari's bag. She stood up, her sore body protesting and making her wince. Kaoru picked up the bag and made her way down to Hikari's patient room.
Hikari looked up from the man's shoulder that she was stitching when she heard a soft knock. "Come in," she called. I'm working on a patient, so I can't get the door."
The door slid open to reveal a crimson kimono clad girl with black hair. Hikari felt the man in front of her tense up excitedly. She jabbed him with her finger and with the medical needle. "Don't even think about it," she hissed. "She's taken." The man immediately relaxed and Hikari smiled at Kaoru. "Come on in, Ka-chan," Hikari said, then noticed that Kaoru had her bag. "Oh! My bag. Just place it by the futons."
"Okay," Kaoru said. "Arigatou for letting me use it."
"No problem." She tied the stitches closed and got a roll of bandages. She began to wrap the man's shoulder. "What did that dumbass do to himself this time?" she asked Kaoru.
Kaoru answered, embarrassed by Hikari's language, "He punched a tree and managed to get his hand full of bark."
Hikari chuckled and shook her head. "Baka," she muttered as she finished tying the bandage around the man's shoulder. "You're done, Hirogawa. And don't reopen your stitches or else I'll let you bleed to death." The man nodded and walked out. Kaoru walked over to Hikari and settled down next to her. "What's the matter, Ka-chan? Is something bothering you?"
Kaoru turned to Hikari, "Hikari, I just want to say arigatou for everything. You've been so kind and I'll never forget that."
Hikari looked at her wildly, "Ka-chan, what brought this on?"
"I'm leaving tonight."
"Demo, how? There's no way you can get of here alive without Kage or his men capturing you!"
Kaoru brushed invisible dust off her lap and said, not looking up, "That I can't tell you. Demo, I will miss you."
Kaoru hugged her slightly, and left quickly. Hikari was left in the middle of the room, fretting over what to do.
Kaoru wandered around the yard, finally settling by a small, rarely visited pond in a back corner of the large yard. She liked how it looked natural, like no one had touched it. She sat on a worn stone bench by the pond.
Kaoru looked around and thought, Kenshin would really like a place like this. Maybe we should put a pond at the dojo? Nah, she decided.
Kaoru smiled to herself. A sharp bark caused her to look down. There, standing in front of her was a beautiful red fox. The fox's tongue was lolling out and its bushy tail was waving slightly. Kaoru got onto her knees and held a delicate hand out to the fox. The foxed walked up carefully to her hand and sniffed. She sensed that the woman in front of her was welcoming. She barked again and licked Kaoru's hand. Kaoru's smile got even wider. She moved her hand to pet the fox's head. The fox gave a sudden yelp and four kits came tumbling out of the brush. Kaoru laughed in surprised as the kits surrounded her. One of them climbed into her lap and tugged at the ribbon she had put in her hair before going outside. The kit pulled it out, causing her hair to fall down her back.
"You little scoundrel!" she said, laughing.
The kit sat on her lap innocently with her ribbon hanging out of her mouth. Kaoru removed the ribbon and tied it around the kit's neck. The kit licked her cheek and hopped off her lap. The other three kits scurried over and looked up expectantly.
"Demo, I'm out of ribbons," she told them. Their ears drooped and they looked so pitiful that Kaoru gave in. "Oh, all right," she said, standing up. "I'll go get more ribbons." An idea popped into her head and she giggled. "Don't move. I'll be right back." Kaoru ran off.
A couple of minutes later she came back with four other ribbons and a simple sewing kit in a cotton bag. She went over to the kit that had her ribbon. "Excuse me," she said. "But I need your ribbon back for a minute."
The kit sat quietly as Kaoru untied the ribbon. She sat on the bench and began to sew something with the thread. When she finished, she showed the kit, which yipped in approval. Embroidered on the ribbon in gold thread wad the name Isuzu. She tied the ribbon around the little fox's neck. Kaoru embroidered the other ribbons with names too. The names she chose were Yuki, Ame, Mirai, and Senshi. The kits crowded around the bench as Kaoru gathered up the ribbons. She got down on her knees again and chose each name for the kits and the mother.
After she had tied the other ribbons on the kits, she turned to the mother. "This is for you, Mama Fox," she said, tying the pretty indigo around her neck. A tear slid down her cheek. The fox delicately licked the saltwater off. Kaoru embraced the fox in the fading, golden light. "Itterashai," she whispered and let go. She stood up and made her way back to her room to prepare for tonight.
As Kaoru was taking a bath, cleansing herself for tonight, the group at the dojo welcomed Tsuyoi and Mayonaka and listened listlessly to Saito's directions.
Fumeiyo sat in is room, breathing deeply. "I'm finally doing it, Tomoko. I'm leaving." He wrapped more bandages around his hand and sighed sadly.
Kaoru got out of the tub and got into her practice outfit that Fumeiyo had given her. She then remembered the two long packages in the parcel she got earlier. She opened the lighter one first. It was a bokken of perfect size. He held it lovingly in her hands. She laid it down and opened the next one. She gasped at what was in her hand.
The sword was in a dark wooden sheath with a rope tied onto the hilt to keep it closed. She pulled the sword from its sheath. It shined in the candlelight. "Oh, Kami-sama. It starts tonight."
Kenshin's eyes glittered in the low candlelight that was being emitted from the lantern. He heard Saito say, "It starts very soon. Be prepared."
Kenshin blinked slowly. "I'm coming, Kaoru. Wait for me."