Chapter 7 - The One that Knits the Web

Megumi slowly woke. The last thing she could remember was the feeling of something hard hitting her over the back of the head. She'd cried out, but she fell unconscious immediately after. "Where the hell-"

She froze, noticing where she was. The mansion of Takeda Kanryu, the same person who burst in a few moments later.

"How are you, my dear?"

"Kanryu??!" Megumi yelled in surprize and fear.

"Did you really think you had escaped me by hiding at the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo? You should have known the Oniwabanshu wouldn't fail to find you, not with what I'm paying them."

"Yaro..."

"You shouldn't speak that of me, with the predicament you're in. I could treat you much better... or much worse. It's your choise. Will you-"

"I never will create Spider's Web again. Especially not for scum like you."

"Perhaps... but after a few days without anything to eat, we'll see how you feel then."

He walked to the door. "Be glad that I'm going soft on you, my hen that lays the golden egg... the opium that is the Spider's Web."

"We surround Kanryu's mansion, we go in, extract Megumi, get out, avoiding battle when possible. Six of us will spread out, each attacking separate parts of the mansion. One of us will fly to the highest level and search for Megumi from there. Using the radios, when one finds Megumi and has a clear escape route, they do three beeps, then gets to the dojo as fast as possible. When those three beeps are heard, you keep fighting for up to 10 minutes if possible, then, retreat." A day after Megumi had been kidnapped, Saito presented his battle plan to the other six in the room: Grey Wolf, Vejiita, Ghost, Sanosuke, Kenshin and Kakarot(Goku).

"Saito, what if we get into trouble?"

"Five beeps. If you can't even do that due to the danger it would cause, being open that long... god help you."

Grey Wolf gulped as Saito continued. "Who will be the one who enters from the rooftop?"

Sano raised his hand rather quickly. "I'll do it."

"Good. Sanosuke, you will wait for one beep from the radio, then go in. If you get into trouble, 2 beeps instead of 5. Any other questions?" A mass of 'no's came from the group, so Saito continued. "Ready yourselves quickly. Meet outside in 15." Kenshin, Ghost and Goku stood, quickly leaving to ready themselves. Grey Wolf and Vejiita left to warm up in the gravity room. Sano, however, stayed behind.

"This guy, he's pretty damn strong... right?"

"That's obvious. If he could do this to me, he could easily slaughter you a thousand times."

"Bullshit. If I had been there, I would have died before giving up Megumi."

"Exactly. You wouldn't have been able to do a damn thing. That man... would have killed you instantly, without batting an eye. He would have killed me, the emotional state I was in, had he deemed it necissary."

Sano's gaze peered at the newly patched wound, then back to Saito's face. "Saito... don't you dare screw up. I won't EVER forgive you if Megumi is harmed in any way."

Saito's fists clenched, his head now veered to the ground. He looked up at Sanosuke, saying, "How do you think I'll ever forgive myself?"

He walked away, Sanosuke frozen at Saito's determination to save Megumi, which matched his own.

In 15 minutes, everyone had prepared and went outside. Vejiita and Grey Wolf were the last to come, but still came 4 minutes early. "Let's just go now..." Saito said. They flew rather quickly to the mansion, taking their positions. Sano flew to the rooftop, waiting for the signal. Everyone moved out, starting the attack. Very quickly, all the weak guards had been dispatched. Everyone walked into the mansion at different points, searching for Megumi. Saito gave the signal, and Sano moved in, and what do you know, Megumi was in the very room he'd entered. "Megumi, are you alright?"

"Sano?? I'm fine. What are you-"

"We came to save you."

"Sano, the Okashira-"

"I know, now let's go. I'd rather not have to fight that guy..." He grabbed Megumi's hand, but she was frozen to the spot. He pulled her, but then turned around, seeing what she was so scared of.

The man from before, who's name was 'Shinomori Aoshi', was standing in the window Sanosuke had entered through, blocking their escape.

Sano's scream of mortal pain echoed through the mansion, filling everyone with terror, terror for their friend's fate, and terror for their own lives.

"Kono Yaro(that bastard)... you'd better not die..." He said as he left Hen'ya on the floor, a bloody mess. He ran up the stairs to the source of the scream, but he was met with Vejiita fighting three men all at once- a rather large man spewing fire, another rather large man, with rather large muscles, and a younger one, throwing darts. Nonetheless, Vejiita wasn't losing. Saito quickly ran past him, and when the youngest man tried to stop Saito, Vejiita took that opportunity to slam him with a Gallit gun. Saito reached the third floor. Kenshin found him there.

"Saito, we must-"

"Save Sano from that man... I know." They both ran up the final stairs in silence.

Sano was limp, hanging by his jacket, the man lifting him by it. It was too late, the man raising his kodachi to Sano's throat. Kenshin reached for his sword, but Saito was already there, running to save Sanosuke and Megumi. "I will not fail them AGAIN!!! This time, I'm not going to lose!" Saito said, sword out in front of him. Aoshi dropped Sanosuke, and he and Saito clashed.