Chapter 10
"Is she in there Kenshin?" Kaoru shouts. She runs towards the hole.
"Yeah I need to get her out quickly!" Kenshin shouts. He rushes to dig her out with his hands and finally uncovers her body from the dirt. "Sanosuke, give me a hand!" he shouts again.
Sanosuke lays on the edge, grabs a hold of Aneko and pulls her up.
He silently holds her; looking at her, brushing the dirt from her face.
"Is she…" Yahiko begins to ask, but doesn't finish the sentence.
No one responds. They all stare at all the cuts, bruises, rope burn and blood stained on her cold body. Kenshin stares at Sanosuke's depressed expression.
"She struggled… a lot," Kaoru says as she begins to weep. "It isn't fair…"
"Do you think…-" Yahiko says, "She was dead before we got to her…? I couldn't imagine Kenshin killing her…"
"Yahiko…" Kaoru says, "Don't say that…"
Everyone is frozen from shock. The last rays of light fade away from their faces as the moon slowly rose to the top of the sky. Then the sound of the creaking floor caught their attention down the hall. A shadowy figure approached their direction.
"Whose there!" Kenshin shouts.
A lantern flickers on and the face of a man appears; he shines the light lantern Aneko. Her face illuminates into a warm, orange hue.
Kaoru observes the unfamiliar face; he has a black ponytail, bulky physique and a Sanada Ninja uniform. He gently stares at Aneko. "Who are you?" Kaoru asks.
Kenshin looks at his face. "If I recall correctly," Kenshin says assertively, "You are Kaita."
"…Kaita?" Kaoru asks.
"Yes," Kaita replies, "Do not worry, I am not here to harm any of you."
"Then want do you want!" Sanosuke shouts with aggression. "Your damn plan worked! She's dead!"
Kaita explains, "I was not involved in this. Our leader, Misanagi… lost her mind. She brain-washed the ninja's to cooperate with her plan. However if you're looking for her, she is not here. Because you defeated her guards, she and the rest of the Sanada Ninja's escaped through a secret passage."
"What the heck is her plan?" Yahiko asks.
"To wipe out the entire German race…," Kaita answers.
"Killing her sister just because she was half German is unjustifiable," Kenshin lectures, "She should repent for risking the ninja's lives, darkening the name of the Sanada Ninja's, destroying the Divine Elixir and given another chance of life after Schneider saved it."
"That isn't important right now," Kaita replies, "We must save Aneko. There is still hope."
"But she's dead… we can't do anything about it," Yahiko says.
"The Divine Elixir…," Kaita says, "Not only did it bring eternal life and youth but it also revives life."
"But even if that is true, the Divine Elixir was destroyed," Kaoru says.
"We were able to salvage a little amount," Kaita says, "It's enough to save her."
"Tell me…," Sanosuke furiously asks, "Why are you helping us now!"
"It is true I honor Misanagi, but forever will I be loyal to Aneko," Kaita explains, "She was my childhood friend, my first instructor, my mentor…my leader."
"Where is the last of the Elixir?" Kenshin asks.
"For it to survive, it was planted behind a waterfall east of here," Kaita says.
"Is that there Misanagi is heading?" Kaoru asks, "To prevent us from getting it?"
"I actually don't know…," Kaita says.
"Where is this waterfall?" Kenshin asks.
"…I don't know the answer to that either," Kaita says. "But there isn't much time. She's going to start decomposing."
"It's about two miles east from here," Sanosuke says, "Hear that? It's the sound of flowing water. We better get going."
Sanosuke pulls Aneko's body onto his shoulder and everyone exits through the way they came in. When they come outside, a sum of fifty torches held by Sanada Ninja's surround the fort. All of them bow down when they see Aneko's body.
"What's going on!" Kaita shouts. "What do you want!"
One of the ninja's steps forward. "Kaita, we could not take orders from Misanagi any longer. We will face our consequences with dignity. We have lead Misanagi away from the Elixir. Go, and save our true leader. We shall repent our sins for the rest of our lives like Kenshin Himura… if we are not executed. We will live our lives as wanderers!"
Police officers in the background begin arresting all the Sanada Ninjas. Toshiyoshi walks to the group. "All of them will spend five years in prison for assisting murder. Thank you for your help," he says. He whistles to four men, who bring over four horses. "Here, you need these. Now go. We'll take it from here."
"Thank you Sir," Kenshin says picking up a few torches. "Everyone, grab one and let's get going."
-
Kenshin, Kaoru, Kaita, Yahiko and Sanosuke carrying Aneko travel through the forest pushing the horses as fast as they can go. It's not until the middle of the night that they reach the water fall. When they all reach there they all gasp as they watch the water pour down with the moon's light reflecting through it and illuminating a spectrum of colors.
"It's so beautiful…" Kaoru comments.
Sanosuke mounts off his horse and pulls Aneko's body back onto his shoulder. "All right, I'm going in." He heads towards the waterfall and walks right through it. He looks around and observes the flowers once again. He brushes his hand passed the flower petals and lays Aneko down. He detaches the plant's bud from its stem and holds it in his hand. The rest of the group wanders inside.
"Wow this is even more beautiful…" Kaoru says.
"The Elixir looks exactly the same as before when Yutaro was with us…" Yahiko murmurs.
"Kaita, what do I do with this?" Sanosuke asks, holding out his hand with the flower bud.
"The serum must be extracted," Kaita says. "I'm not sure how though…"
"Give it to Kenshin, he knows," Yahiko says.
"Actually… I don't have the slightest clue…" Kenshin replies.
"Only Megumi would know how to do this…," Yahiko says.
"Here, give it to me," Kaoru says. "I remember watching Megumi extract the one for Doctor Hans."
"Kaoru, you watch Megumi cook food and you never get it right! It still tastes bad!"
"Oh grow up Yahiko!" Kaoru shouts.
"Oh c'mon, even Sanosuke would agree!" Yahiko shouts with laughter.
Sanosuke gives the bud to Yahiko. "Give it to her," he says.
Yahiko stops laughing. "Sorry," he says.
"I'm going to need to do this outside, I'll need a couple of materials," Kaoru says, "I'll be back as soon as I can." She walks outside.
"I'll come with you, someone might be out there," Kenshin says. He follows her.
Yahiko yawns for a second. He looks over at Sanosuke, who instantly falls asleep. "He must be tired…it's been rough for him," Yahiko says.
"Yeah," Kaita says. "It's hard."
"What's hard?" Yahiko asks.
"Losing someone dear to you," Kaita replies.
"But she's going to be okay, right?" Yahiko anxiously asks.
"To tell you the truth… it's never been proven. It might just be a myth. We'll have to see…"
Yahiko looks down, takes a deep breath and says, "I would hate for them to hear this, but Sanosuke, Kenshin, Kaoru and everyone else back home are like the family I never had… I hate watching Sanosuke in despair like this…"
Kenshin and Kaoru, near the waterfall, overhear Yahiko's last comment. "Yahiko has certainly grown up, that he has." Kenshin tells Kaoru with a smile, while she makes the extract.
-
An hour passes and Kenshin and Kaoru return back into the cave with a little piece of hallow bamboo with leaves covering the bottom. "It's finished," Kaoru says.
"Is that the extract?" Yahiko asks.
"Yeah, we had to pour it somewhere," Kaoru says, "Kaita, how do we give it to her?"
"Hmm… with her status… we need to cut her and place it on the wound. It should absorb through her blood and go to her heart," Kaita says. "Here, give it to me."
The conversation wakes Sanosuke up. He's too tired to move, so he watches Kaita lift his dagger and slice her arm. He pours a little into the wound, and repeats it again on the other arm and legs.
"That should do it," Kaita says. "All we can do now is wait."
"I'm going to sleep," Yahiko says, "Night." He huddles himself and quickly falls asleep.
"Himura," Kaita says, "I shall go keep watch." He stands up and walks out.
"Good night Kenshin," Kaoru says. She leans down and rests her head on her arms. Kenshin lies next to her and places his arms around her. Soon after they fall asleep, Sanosuke stands up, stares at Aneko and walks out to join Kaita.
"Kaita…" Sanosuke says as he sits down besides him, "I wanted to thank you."
"There is no need to thank me. Thank Kaoru for making the extract. But get some rest, you had a long day," Kaita says.
"Will you be all right?" Sanosuke asks.
"I'll be fine," Kaita says, "now go."
Sanosuke walks back inside and quickly falls back asleep.