Author's Notes (3-17-05): It's my birthday today! So as a present to all of you, I decided to post! I kind of like this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it too. 8D I know March 17 is tomorrow for most of you, so have a Happy St. Patty's Day!

Disclaimer: Don't own it.


Juunishi Part 17

Tokio was not particularly surprised when the trap door opened. She turned hopefully, expecting to see the scowling face of her sweetie-pie.

Unfortunately, it was not her dear husband who crawled up into the room. It was her captor, a man she honestly never expected to see again.

She sipped her tea as she watched him carefully, looking for signs of mortal wounds. "I thought you said you were going to pay my husband a visit?"

Souma Gure brushed cobwebs out of his carefree hair and smiled charmingly as he replied. "I did. He's in a really bad mood."

Tokio was stumped. "I'm surprised he didn't kill you outright." She said glumly. Hajime was usually so efficient. She wondered what the problem could be.

"Oh, he tried." Gure grinned.

It didn't make any sense. "You must be good." She muttered. Or was it possible that Hajime was simply not putting the same amount of effort into his work?

She'd never been kidnapped before. Maybe her husband didn't know how to deal with it? Or worse, what if he wasn't even worried about her? Maybe he was taking his time because he was in no hurry to see her?

Or maybe he was even mad at her?

Saitoh Hajime liked to separated business and pleasure. Into which category did her rescue fall?

Tokio took another calming sip of tea and waited for answers. She hoped she didn't have to wait too long. Her patience was wearing thin.


"Just a little bit farther." Seta Soujirou called over his shoulder as he sped down the corridor. Aoshi stubbornly raced after him, using every ounce of strength in his body to keep up. He wouldn't allow Soujirou the satisfaction of outpacing him.

Forget the fact that everybody and their grandmother knew that Soujirou was faster. Aoshi ran on, lungs burning and legs starting to ache.

When Soujirou came to a dead stop there was nothing Aoshi could do to avoid him. He slammed into Soujirou's back and the two of them flew forward, sprawling out on the wooden floor of the Labyrinth of Doom with a tremendous clatter.

Soujirou was the first to regain his composure. He sat up, rubbing his head mournfully. "Whatever happened to those infamous ninja reflexes?" He asked with a pained smile. It was obvious that he was just taking a playful dig at his companion.

But Aoshi was not a playful man. His scowl was in danger of becoming permanent.

Aoshi went to get to his feet but his long sheath became entangled with his coat and his coat became entangled with his legs and he failed spectacularly in the attempt.

It was quite possibly the clumsiest thing that he'd ever done.

Soujirou couldn't help but laugh. "If I reported that I think they could take away your ninja license."

Aoshi was madder than any metaphor. To try and quantify his anger would be like trying to count grains of sand on a beach. So don't bother.

At any rate, he wanted to say something that would really put Soujirou in his place. However, he couldn't think of anything except to point out something so obvious that even the former assassin should have known. "Ninjas don't have licenses."

Soujirou blinked as he got to his feet. "Um. I'm quite sure they do." He seemed hesitant to continue, but continue he did. "When Shishio-san and I were initially hiring for our army of mindless followers, we only accepted ninja applicants with the proper license and paperwork. There's something about a ninja test when you reach a certain age."

"I've never heard about it." Aoshi stated as though the fact was proof enough to dispel all argument. "I was the former leader of the Oniwabanshu. Between the two of us, I know who the ninja expert is."

"When did you become the leader?" Soujirou asked conversationally.

"When I was young." Aoshi hated giving out personal information to irritating people.

"Well, maybe the rules changed or something? Maybe after the Bakumatsu?"

Aoshi opened his mouth to discredit the possibility but something was nagging at the back of his mind. He'd taken off soon after the Bakumatsu with Hannya and the others. They'd started working outside the clan, away from ninja rules and regulations.

Was it possible that he wasn't actually an official, card-carrying member of the ninja profession? Maybe Misao and Okina knew about it the whole time but they didn't want to say anything for fear of hurting his feelings? What if everyone else knew and they were laughing about him behind his back?

The tragedy of it all seemed to seep into his bones, chilling him to the very core.

Could the day get any worse?

He was afraid to ask.


"Man, this place is cree-py." Yutarou tried to strike up a casual conversation.

Yahiko ignored him. He'd finally remembered that he was really angry with Yutarou for all the suspicious stuff involving Tsubame and nakedness.

They continued on in silence for a few minutes before Yutarou couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sure that Tsubame is fine. We'll be able to rescue her, no problem."

"I'm rescuing her." Yahiko stated. "You just try to stay out of my way."

There was no point in arguing with the stubborn swordsman. "Fine."

They lapsed back into uncomfortable silence. The corridors themselves seemed to be making strange noises that Yutarou couldn't quite explain, but he didn't like it. Even conversation with an angry Yahiko was preferable.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something inane, he perceived what could only be the sound of whispering. He glanced at his companion. "Did you say something, Yahiko?"

"No."

The whispering continued. It was unintelligible but Yutarou had this feeling that if he could only strain his ears a little more, he'd be able to understand. The words seemed to be jumbled together. Perhaps there was more than one person whispering?

Yutarou definitely didn't like it. "What do you think that whispering sound is?"

"What are you yapping about?" Yahiko glared at him. "I don't hear anything."

The whispering was getting louder. Yutarou slowed to a stop and faced back down the dim, creepy corridor.

Yahiko sighed in irritation and stopped. "You're wasting my time."

"Shhh." Yutarou said and then began listening intently.

"What are you doing?" Yahiko finally appraised the situation and found it just a little spooky. His friend stood there with his eyes closed, focusing on something beyond normal perception.

Yutarou's eyes flashed open and he turned excitedly to the Tokyo Samurai. "I can understand it!"

"What?"

Yutarou closed his eyes again for a moment, concentrating intensely. "They say, he's coming."

Yahiko was confused. "Who says who's coming?"

"I dunno." Yutarou kind of shrugged. "But I think it's a warning. Maybe we should run?"

Yahiko scoffed, folded his arms, and planted his feet. "The great Myoujin Yahiko runs from no man."

Something was coalescing at the edge of the shadows that could have very easily been another endless army of ninjas. Whatever it was, it was moving toward them. Realization finally struck Yutarou.

"Oh Rats!"

"Rats, what?" Yahiko missed the point.

"No. Rats!" Yutarou pointed frantically. A fuzzy moving carpet was heading straight for them.

Yahiko took one look at the rodents and bolted. The great Myoujin Yahiko wasn't afraid, but he had no intention of letting the rats crawl all over him with their dirty little rat feet and beady little rat eyes and sharp pointy little rat teeth and dirty little rat diseases. One rat he could handle, and indeed, one rat he HAD handled. But not in that way since he had absolutely no interest in his rival who just happened to turn into a rat occasionally.

It took him a second to realize that Yutarou wasn't following.

Yahiko barely willed himself to stop running. "Yutarou!" He tried to get his friend's attention but it was too late.

The rats swarmed, engulfing Yutarou completely. Only a few continued on past, heading straight for Yahiko. He jumped and planted his feet on one side of the corridor and his hands on the other, holding himself above the scurrying critters while trying valiantly not to look at their squirmy little rat bodies and nasty little wormy tails.

Once they were gone, Yahiko dropped back down and hurried toward the mound of rats that was formerly known as his best friend. "Yutarou! Are you dead?" He didn't really want to get close enough to find out.

The mound shifted and seemed to turn in his direction. A few of the rats parted, revealing Yutarou's unscathed face. He grinned. "Geeze man. I never thought I'd live to see the great Myoujin Yahiko run screaming like a little girl."

Any happiness that Yahiko felt at the discovery that his friend wasn't dead, evaporated. "I wasn't screaming. And more importantly! What the hell are you doing? Those rats are gross!"

Yutarou looked offended and Yahiko couldn't imagine why.

"They're just afraid. They want me to protect them."

"From what?" Yahiko ignored the implication that the rodents were somehow communicating with his companion. It was too strange to think about.

"From me." A mysterious personage stepped out from the shadows. Rats squealed in fear.

Yahiko turned to the newcomer and with recognition came boredom. "What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you and your useless army of ninjas be hiding somewhere?"

Souma Kyoshiro grinned like some kind of feral beast. Yahiko noticed, for the first time, that Kyoshiro's eyes weren't like normal people's. Even in the faint lighting, his pupils were vertical slits, like a cat or reptile.

He had just enough time to contemplate the creepiness before Kyoshiro launched himself forward with surprising speed, drawing a hidden ninja sword.

Yahiko pulled his custom made sakabatou from the sheath at his back and brought the sword down in one powerful arcing blow. Kyoshiro held his sword up horizontally, catching Yahiko's attack easily but he underestimated the superior coolness of the young swordsman.

Yahiko's sakabatou shattered the crap-quality ninja sword that Kyoshiro had been given by his clan. The attack would have continued straight into Kyoshiro's shoulder, but the ninja had honed his reflexes far too well to be caught in the path. He sidestepped, twisting his shoulder and body out of the way. The sakabatou continued unhindered and shattered the wood floor with its shockwave.

Kyo jumped back out of the way, barely avoiding the blast. He flipped and landed on his feet with feline grace. A fraction of a second after his toes touched down, he launched himself at the young swordsman, unarmed.

Yahiko hadn't been expecting an attack so soon after his impressive display. Usually his opponents wet themselves before they were able to try and counterattack. When Kyoshiro's bicep slammed into his throat in a perfect clothesline attack, Yahiko was more annoyed than injured.

The momentum of the attack took him down, and Kyoshiro flipped over his prone form. Yahiko kicked up to his feet and turned to face his opponent, sakabatou pointed threateningly in Kyo's direction.

Yutarou just stood there in his pile of rat friends, watching in awe.

"You're pretty good, kid." Kyoshiro commented as he waited for the right moment to strike.

"Who're you calling 'kid'?" Yahiko said with an intimidating glare. "You don't look that much older than me."

"Well," Kyoshiro replied. "It's not so much a matter of age as experience.And I've been training in mountains against bears and stuff for as long as I can remember."

Yahiko looked amused. "And to think, I've been wasting my time training in a proper dojo with the greatest warriors of the Bakumatsu and Meiji Era. Not to mention risking my life in fights to keep Japan safe from bastards like you."

Kyoshiro narrowed his evil looking eyes. "You don't know anything."

"I know that you and your whole clan are a bunch of cowards." Yahiko retorted. "Kidnapping women, cursing your opponents, designing evil bases full of who-knows-what-kind of traps and tricks. You guys are beyond pathetic."

"My clan has always had its own twisted agenda." Kyoshiro admitted. "But that doesn't really concern me. All I'm concerned about is him." He pointed back down the hall at Yutarou.

Yutarou let out a surprised squeak that might have actually been one of the rats. Yahiko wasn't too sure.

"Me?" Yutarou asked, his voice cracking from fear and puberty. "What'd I do?"

"I just don't like rats." Kyoshiro grinned maliciously. "Fight me, you damn rodent. I'm going to kick your ass until your nose bleeds."

"Um, if I'm not mistaken, I'm your opponent." Yahiko reminded him. "Though it would be really funny to watch you beat on Yutarou." He lowered his guard and shot his rival a dirty look.

"Hey!" Yutarou cried indignantly. "I could take him, no problem."

"Whatever, man." Yahiko said dismissively. "We both know he'd own you."

"As if." Yutarou huffed. "And I could kick your ass any day of the week."

"Please. When's the last time that you've even come close to matching me?"

Yutarou mumbled. "When we were ten."

"Yeah. You're talking ancient history."

Kyoshiro cleared his throat. "Um, guys? I hate to interrupt, but I'd really like to smear the rat-boy all over the walls now. Thanks." He sped toward Yutarou, thinking, for some dumb reason, that he'd managed to catch Yahiko off guard.

Yahiko was totally ready for him and when the ninja tried to brush past he slammed him into the wall with the blunt edge of his sakabatou.

"Moron." Yahiko smirked. "As if I'd step down from this fight."

Kyoshiro peeled himself off the wall and jumped back out of Yahiko's range. "Interesting. So I guess I'll have to finish you off first."

Yahiko grinned confidently and assumed his favorite stance. "You can try."


Kenshin and Enishi stepped into The Room of Sharp Pointy Things, side by side.

Hanzo and Ryoshi stood on the opposite side of the spacious room, weapons in hand.

Kaoru couldn't contain her excitement. "Kenshin!" He'd come for her. He was going to rescue her just like always. Things were going to be fine.

Hanzo turned to Kaoru and gave her an understanding smile beneath his fierce dragon mask. "You've been married to the Hitokiri Battousai long enough, so I'm sure you know how this works. You're just going to have to stand here and watch as I defeat your husband. No interfering. If you do I cannot vouch for your safety."

Kaoru nodded. "I understand." It was nice of him to warn her. She could tell that the Souma guys weren't really all that bad, deep down inside. Kaoru was grateful for the fact that they really hadn't mistreated her, whole kidnapping issue aside. It was quite possible, under different circumstances, that they could have all become friends. "Thank you." She said, and meant it.

His eyes seemed to soften a bit as he accepted her gratitude with a nod. "It will be over fast." He assured her. "And then everything will be better."

"You don't have to tell me this." Kaoru grinned, thinking about the true meaning of her comment. "Anyway." She patted him jokingly on one spiny shoulder. "May the best man win."

Hanzo started walking off to the center of the room, mistakenly heartened by Kaoru's encouragement.

Kenshin cocked his head to one side. "Oro?" Perhaps he had taken too long to rescue his wife and she'd forgotten all about him? First Enishi and now some evil mastermind who just happened to be extremely attractive and really cool looking in his dragon armor. Kaoru had always been attracted to bad boys. Sometimes Kenshin hated his life.

Kaoru turned toward her husband and rolled her eyes when she noticed his downcast look. "That was me being ironic." She called over to him.

Kenshin perked up. "Really?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Do I have to come over there and hit you? Hurry up and beat this guy so we can go home." She finished with a brilliant smile that seemed to sweep away all doubt from Kenshin.

Kenshin stepped forward confidently, smiling sweetly at his wife. "Yes dear."

Mr. Tiger Tattoos walked toward Enishi, grinning from ear to ear. "Long time no see."

Enishi looked bored. "Not long enough." He pulled his Chinese sword from its sheath. "I'm tired and cranky. Let's get this over with."

"My pleasure." Ryoshi broke into a crazed sprint, covering the distance between them in a flash. Enishi twisted around, pulling his sword in a circling arc and bringing all that centrifugal force to bear against his opponent.

Ryoshi rolled at the last possible moment, dodging under the attack. He pulled his body into a tight ball and then pushed off with his hands. His legs shot out, catching Enishi squarely in the chest and sending him back one staggering step.

Ryoshi was on his feet in an instant and he followed through with a double roundhouse kick that nobody saw coming (except for Kenshin, Enishi, and Hanzo). Upon impact with Ryoshi's boot, Enishi's head rocked to one side.

Ryoshi was waiting for his opponent to topple and fall, but a moment later Enishi turned toward him, smiling sinisterly. A tiny trickle of blood seeped from his nose to his lips. Ryoshi was sure that his attack would have flattened a normal opponent. He'd thought he'd judged Enishi's strength correctly in their previous fight.

He was wrong.

Enishi ignored the blood. "Is that all you've got? My dead sister hits harder than you."

Ryoshi drew his sword-breaker and threw himself forward with a roar while Kenshin and Hanzo finally crossed the freaking huge room so they could confront each other.

"I'll be taking my wife home now, that I will." Kenshin said in his most irritatingly polite rurouni voice. Kaoru cheered from the sidelines.

Hanzo grimaced and slid into his patented Twin Weapon Dragon Stance. "I have nothing to say to a dead man."

Kenshin switched into serious mode by narrowing his eyes and placing his hand on the hilt of his sakabatou. "I guess we'll just have to talk after I've knocked some sense into you."

Hanzo spared a glance at Ryoshi and Enishi's fight and then refocused his attention on the matter at hand. "Time to die, Battousai."

He came forward with blinding speed and Kenshin had to reassess his opponent's abilities. Hanzo had certainly done a good job of hiding his true power in their first fight. It didn't really matter though. Kenshin had no intention of losing.

He drew his sword and stepped forward with his right foot, executing an exceptional battou-jutsu style attack. Hanzo had raised his swords to strike, leaving his sides and torso unguarded.

The sakabatou cracked against the yoroi armor with a resounding thunk. Kenshin knew that he would have some difficulty getting the full force of his attack through the protective covering, but he had no reason to doubt his own strength.

When Hanzo brought both swords slashing down, Kenshin realized that he'd need to switch tactics.

But first, he needed to use every ounce of speed he could muster to avoid the blades. Hanzo was incredibly fast, and at that proximity Kenshin could only pull himself back, hoping to avoid the worst of it. He felt the tips of the blades slice into his chest, scratching shallow wounds as he pulled out of their range.

Hanzo pressed his advantage, lunging forward with a single blade. Kenshin parried and then dodged as Hanzo brought his second sword into the offensive a split second later.

Kenshin counterattacked with all his legendary prowess. He threw his blade into a series of quick attacks, hoping to crack the formidable defenses of the Japanese armor. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Ryu Sou Sen!" He announced since it was the polite thing to do. Also, moves are always more impressive when they've got really long names. Hiko had taught him that.

Hanzo was neither fazed by the attack nor the name. "Useless!" He cried inanely as he blocked Kenshin's furious assault. Combat had a tendency of making even the most eloquent of men sound like morons.

Hanzo brought his second sword to his first, catching Kenshin's sakabatou in a scissor-like hold. He guided all three of the blades downward, out of the way, and then brought his knee up into Kenshin's side, viciously.

The dragon spines on the leg armor sunk into Kenshin's abdomen. Kaoru cried out her surprise and shouted Kenshin's name.

Kenshin seemed severely weakened. He stood there, silently bleeding and staring down at the floor.

Hanzo smiled, fully believing that he had the upper hand. "Your attacks will never penetrate this armor. Eventually your injuries will completely wear down your legendary stamina. When that happens, I win and you die."

He prepared to jab his knee into Kenshin's side a second time, but he never got the chance. Kenshin pulled his sword up with enough force to send a shockwave shooting along the ground, shattering the wood. "Dou Ryu Sen!"

Hanzo was so surprised by the strength of the attack that it was impossible for him to keep a grip on his swords. They flew up into the air, dragged by the air displacement vacuum created by Kenshin's sakabatou.

Hanzo stood before his opponent, disarmed and enraged. He prepared to charge like a bull, aiming his really sharp horned helmet at Kenshin's chest. The former rurouni brought his sword down like a bolt of lightning. It crashed dead center against the kabuto, driving Hanzo face-first into the ground at Kenshin's feet.

Hanzo's helmet took the brunt of the blow, allowing the dragon warrior to continue the fight, uninjured. He lashed out with his foot, hoping his sweep kick would catch Kenshin off guard. Kenshin leapt up into the air and came flying back down, sword first. "Ryu Tsui Sen!"

He impacted, once again, with the dragon helmet. Hanzo slammed into the wooden floor but immediately got back to his feet.

He laughed. "This armor is indestructible! And as long as I wear it, you will never be able to defeat me."

Kenshin casually rested his sakabatou against the crook of his arm. He raised his left hand and brought his thumb and middle finger together.

Hanzo watched feeling a bit puzzled. "What are you doing?"

Kenshin snapped his fingers and the indestructible kabuto helmet split right down the middle, both halves falling uselessly to the ground.

"That armor is pretty tough. I had to hit it twice to break it." Kenshin smiled.

Hanzo didn't have a single snappy comeback. "You bastard!" He shot a glance toward Kaoru. And then he did something strange.

He disappeared.

Or at least that's what Kaoru thought. Kenshin, on the other hand, had this really cool ability to see people even when they moved with near-god-like speed. Hanzo had pressed some kind of secret button in the floor, opening a trap door that had sealed itself as soon as he had dropped inside.

Kenshin didn't know what he was planning, but he was more worried for Kaoru than himself.

He took off toward her. "Kaoru, be careful!"

He was focusing so intently on saving his wife from the unknown coming dangers, that he didn't notice the changes happening to the floor and ceiling. Small, perfectly spaced holes had mysteriously opened up in the wood. When the needle sharp ninja-darts shot out from beneath his feet, Kenshin was incapable of dodging them all.

As soon as he felt the first twinge of pain in his feet, he jumped, hoping to reach a safe distance. Unfortunately for him, the ceiling had a bunch of spring loaded ninja-darts with his name on them. No really. Hanzo had spent hours painstakingly etching "Battousai" on each one.

Not that Kenshin was going to sit back and admire his handiwork. Kenshin had a feeling that he wouldn't be sitting for a long time, at least not comfortably. He'd become something of a human pincushion.

Kaoru screamed and Kenshin realized that it probably looked worse than it felt. Sure, the darts were sharp and pointy, but they were so thin that they weren't really that dangerous. They'd barely had the strength to puncture his skin, let alone reach deep enough to damage anything important.

Landing was going to hurt though. The darts in his feet had nowhere to go when he touched down. Nowhere to go, but through his feet, that is.

It was exactly as painful as he had anticipated.

Hanzo had materialized out of nowhere, rearmed and looking particularly dangerous even without his helmet. "That'll slow you down." He said with a grim smile.

Kenshin pulled a few of the ninja-darts from his arms and tossed them aside. "Maybe a little." He admitted. "But my next attack is going to even things up."

Hanzo seriously doubted it. He decided to put the infamous manslayer in his place, once and for all.

With a ferocious battle cry he raced across the room, one sword pointed straight at Kenshin's throat. When he was within range, Kenshin jumped forward, speeding straight toward Hanzo's blade. He twisted his body out of the path of the weapon like some kind of human tornado.

Even Enishi and Ryoshi put their duel on hold to watch the awesomeness.

As Kenshin flew on past, he slammed his sakabatou into the back of Hanzo's unprotected neck.

"Ryu Kan Sen Tsumuji!"

Hanzo flew forward and crashed. It looked like he wouldn't be getting to his feet for a while. A small puddle of drool was forming under his open mouth.

Kaoru spared one glance at her fallen captor and then took off toward her injured husband. Kenshin looked like he was going to collapse from blood loss and the strain of performing all his super-cool moves. He wasn't as young as he used to be.

She rushed to his side, arms held wide to embrace her heroic hubby.

Enishi was screaming something, but Kaoru had no trouble ignoring the mentally unstable man.

"Don't!" He roared. "Don't touch him!"

Kaoru figured he was just jealous.

Or maybe he was worried that she'd injure Kenshin further by driving the ninja-darts deeper? She wasn't stupid. She could hug around them.

Time seemed to stand frozen as she drew Kenshin into a tender, loving embrace.


Author's Notes 2: DUN DUN DUN! I bet you guys didn't see THAT coming. Actually, I'd be shocked if this wasn't the first thing that you thought when the women got kidnapped. "Uh oh, hugging." Anyone wanna place bets on whether or not Hanzo is really down for the count? Hehehe.

Birthday Note: 3 months ago I ordered a custom made katana for myself. It's coming in today so it's become my special birthday present. Consider yourselves lucky that you live nowhere near me. I shall now start my kunitori of Japan! Mwahaha!

NINJAS BEWARE!

Review Comments of DOOM

Night-Owl123: Thanks for reading! I'm glad you're lovin' this.

MZ.AMbER EYEZ: Hehe. Poor Sano. Poor Kenshin. Poor Enishi. Poor Anji. Poor Saitoh. Poor Aoshi. Poor cute dumb Soujirou. And probably Poor Yahiko, Yutarou, Chou, Hiko, and Katsu. Not to mention the women who're going to have their memories erased. Yay!

lolo popoki: I'm glad a few of you mentioned the Meat Grinder of Doom. I thought it was funny since Anji's the OX and all. Ox, cow, same difference. How fitting that he should meet "the end" like that! I'm sure that Kenshin and Enishi were just a little bit stressed out, hence the inappropriate humor. Stressful situations do funny things to people. 8D And really, you totally helped me get on the ball with last chapter. I wasn't feeling ready to post at all. Thanks again!

FairyMage: Don't worry, Enishi wasn't giggling. He was just amused. And Aoshi just tries to ditch Misao when she follows him to Zen temples. Do you know how hard it is to meditate with someone staring at you the whole time? Hehe. I don't know if this is going to be Soujirou x Misao, but I'm sure he'll get a chance to really piss off Aoshi, one way or another. 8D Glad you loved the Megumi stuff. She has a lot of depth that some people never explore. We'll get to see what's going on with Sano and Megumi soon. Along with Saitoh who-won't-be-falling-for-any-more-obvious-traps. 8D

Mimi-san: NOOO! You died-ed! And yet I can still read your review! You're communicating with me from the Great Beyond! Thanks for taking the time even though you should be playing a golden harp or something! 8D I'm glad you liked strong Megumi. She's witty, sometimes people forget that. Sano will be getting another good scene soon, and you'll find out what's going to happen with Saitoh and Tokio. She's probably going to get her memory erased. Mwahahaha.

Kaoru4: Kill Enishi? Hm. Now THERE's a good idea. I hadn't thought of it! Mwahaha. He didn't get a chance to prove anything this chapter, but it'll be coming soon enough. 8D I'm glad you love him in this fic. Hope you enjoyed the Kenshin/Hanzo fight and stuff. Let me know!

Queeney: I can't make any promises that things will get better from here on out. Hehehe. And Aoshi doesn't actually make tofu replicas of himself. Who'd spend that kind of time carving something that really isn't made to be carved? 8D He's got an inflatable replacement instead. Hehehehe.

M.Kasshoku: Saitoh may never get to smoke AGAIN! Wouldn't that be tragic? Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the Megumi scene. We've both written her enough to know what she's capable of. A lot of people never push her, ya know? She might get slapped around a bit more though. She and Sano were unlucky in their Souma counterpart. Rekuno is the evilest of the 12. Pure coincidence. 8D

marbles: Well, I hope that was enough action for ya. There's more comin' though. 8D Sorry about the cliffhanger, but hey, it's gotta happen. Aoshi and Misao will be coming up soon! (probably a bit next chapter!)

GreenEyedFloozy: I write this fic for sadistic people like you! 8D You've got my kind of humor.

ChunkyMunky241: Hehe, I figured there was a great explanation for your penname. 8D Thanks for indulging my curiosity. Since you and I both have Sano/Megumi biases, I'd say it's safe to assume that there will be more Sano/Megumi goodness on the way! Sano lives to break things, so I wouldn't worry about him and the torturous devices too much. 8D

Tatsuko Takashi: Better late than never, I always say. Thanks for jumping aboard! I really liked what you had to say. As for CC, when I write a serious story I tend to take my grammar and spelling and descriptions more seriously. When you feel that something's lacking in this fic, that might actually be from laziness or specifically done on purpose to promote the humor. Who wants to be tied down with extra details when there's something funny going on? It's just a different style of writing, I guess. There's going to be a few more chapters, but I'm ready to have this story on my completed list. After that you can expect more stories from me, for sure. 8D I'll be looking forward to your reviews!

XxOtakuxBeanxX: Yup Anji's dead. Totally. He's been ground into hamburger and will be making an appearance at a Burger King near you. 8D Assuming that they'd use Meiji old beef. Which they probably would. Hehehe. Comparing Aoshi to tofu was pretty natural, but not one that I'd seen before. Kenshin found the comment so funny because he's the one who does all the shopping for the dojo. Imagine all the hours he's spent staring down at his bucket full of impassive tofu? Hehehe.

daffybear: Enishi is totally underrated. People who write him off as a mere psychopath are totally missing the point. He's definitely a little disturbed though. Hehe. Makes me love him more. 8D

Adelaide MacGregor: Hehe, yeah, I couldn't help but throw a Temple of Doom style Boulder of Doom at the boys. I love doom. 8D Doom doom doom! I've got some more fun stuff in store for everybody. Hope you loves it!

neondruid: Heheh, how could I make a Labyrinth of Doom and not think about "the cleaners"? 8D I was also thinking about a scene from Resident Evil 4. Mmm... Meat Grinders of Doom. So if everyone is basically fighting a Meiji Era version of the FB characters, take one guess who was driving the grinder? And yeah, Tofu Aoshi. Heh. Gotta love it. (thanks for the review!)