WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.
A/N: OHMIGOSH OMIGOSH OMIGOOOOOOOOSSSH!! vERy, VerY, VERy high on potato chips curreNtlY. BEWARE INSANITY!! GUAAHAHAH!!!
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight
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Chapter 20: The Search
"Although we know they're hanging out at a temple..." Soujirou lifted
a hand to shade his eyes from the blasting rays of the sun, "... it just
occurred to me that we don't know /which/ temple in particular in the entire
Kyoto that they could possibly be bunking out in!"
Morning after the night at the Kyoto plaza had been peaceful and normal thus far. The trio spent a bit of time meandering around the Kyoto streets, generally getting into the mood. There was still a careless air of tradition and of a war long-past lingering in the city, and the people moved at a pace three times slower than usual. To say the least, Kyoto was a motley mix of the edgy past, and unforeseeable future.
"Maybe we can go to the one nearest to the restaurant," Enishi suggested, not as bothered by the heat as Soujirou was - considering he donned more cloth. He kicked a loose rock on the ground while passing through the path.
"And if they're not there?" Kenji continued kicking the stone, which had landed before his feet. The stone flew over a bush and was never seen again.
"Then we go to another one?" Their smiling companion spoke up, only to regress into slight laughing fits after that. "Considering how many temples there are in the city, I think we're pretty much a lost cause here. We've been walking for a bit since morning, too."
"Damned ninjas, always making themselves so obscure," Enishi cursed at nothing in particular. "They could have at least left us a clue."
"Well, them being in a temple is clue enough," the impatient ex-mafia boss' tranquil partner stated cheerfully, "now it's just up to us to make some choice elimination and information gathering to come to the right conclusion!"
Enishi shot the boyish wanderer a questioning stare. "I may not have been directly involved with intelligence operations before, but I have enough common sense to know that /three/ people cannot possibly uncover an established organization's tracks, especially if said organization had meant to remain under cover."
"That's why I said 'choice' elimination, Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou's smile stretched wider. "Like for example," he hurried forward to stop a travelling merchant in his tracks, "excuse me, good sir! We're looking for a certain temple in this city, and we wonder if you would be so kind to help us!" He dazzled the merchant with his smile, and gave him no time to respond as he continued, "I wonder, sir, if you've seen someone about this height," the wanderer gestured a height almost a head taller than himself, "who dresses in dark, shadey colours, has dark, shadey hair and generally moves around with icicles in his wake, come down to town to procure groceries or wares of any sort?"
The merchant took all but three seconds to recover from his disbelief. "Excuse me?" He finally blurted out.
"No?" Soujirou was still smiling. "Ah, I am sorry for wasting your time, then! Good day and good bye!" He bowed and quickly swivelled around to face his two slack-jawed companions. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
"You moron!" Enishi stepped forward and cleanly thwapped him over the head. "That wasn't even funny! You should know better than I do that that forest of death will /never/ let himself be seen buying /groceries/, of all things! What an utterly pointless question to ask!"
"It sure was!" The blue-clad smiley face immediately responded with a hearty laugh. Then, in a slightly more serious tone, he leaned forward and grinned, "Nice to see you back to normal, Yukishiro-san."
Enishi blinked.
"Food!" Kenji drew both his companion's back to the street, where several road-side food peddlers were calling out for interested customers. Without waiting for an response, the boy rampaged his way to one particularly crowded store and practically drooled over what was on display. "I'll take this, this, and this!" He pointed and made wild gestures. At this point of time Soujirou and Enishi both approached the raveneous boy carefully and looked questioningly at him. "I'm hungry!!" Was Kenji's response to their stares of disbelief. "Let's eat first and talk later, okay? Okay??"
"Uuummm..." Soujirou put a hand behind his head and smiled nervously. "... aah, ugh, okay?" He was at a loss before the many faces of Himura Kenji. It seemed like the boy switched moods every hour of the day. Said boy was currently grinning away happily and taking his time to pick his desired meal. The two adults exchanged a singular glance of wonder. And they were hardly to be blamed, for not twenty minutes ago, the boy's countenance had been a piece of unresponsive stone set in a feral frown.
Shrugging, the blue-clad wanderer bent slightly to examine the menu as well. His hair began to slip over his shoulders, having been in that state of mis-management from since the stint last night. Not really bothered by it, he hadn't been giving it much thought. Yet. "What are you getting, Himura-san?"
"Food," the boy stated simply. He also took the chance to cast a cursory glance around. "Doesn't look like there are seats for us here. I know!! How about we go picnic somewhere?" He turned to grin again at Soujirou, who was by now positively fearing for Kenji's health and sanity. He was about to reach over and feel for the boy's temperature when a bout of loud, raucous whistling burst out from their side.
All three turned to look at the origin of the wolf whistles. There was a table of men on their left who clamoured together, and were not embarrassed enough to stop whistling even though everybody in the inn had their eyes on them.
From their line of sight, it was really not too difficult to see who they were whistling at.
"That's the fifth time today, Soujirou," Kenji kept his tone even, "in broad daylight too, I might add."
He received no answer. Soujirou just kept smiling.
"Hey sweety-pie!" One of the decidedly more drunk bozos lifted a cup of sake with a lusty smirk on his face. "Wanna join'us fer a coupla' shots? Eheh'..."
Enishi ducked slightly and whispered conspirationally to the shorter Kenji, keeping his voice, however, loud enough for Soujirou to overhear, "One more time and we're buying him a kimono. I swear. Or at least a nice, frilly ribbon that fits."
"Yukishiro-san..." Soujirou whirled around in record time and spoke through gritted teeth. There was a not-so-friendly smile on his face this time, and he held a hand outstretched, "lend me your sword."
"Hey..." Kenji watched, dumbstruck, as Enishi handed the sword over without any qualms whatsoever. "... It's too early in the day for this..." He trailed off, noticing that Soujirou was not paying attention.
"Don't worry, Himura-san, I'm not going to do anything," with the ease of a practiced swordsman, Soujirou hurled the sword, sheath and all, towards the group of guffawing men, knocking each and every one squarely on their foreheads with a fantastic 'CLING' sound, using the adjoined plaited red thread to manipulate the flying weapon, "too serious," he finished, jerking the sword back into his grasp. The formerly drunk men dropped like dead flies over the table and on the ground. "Thank you, Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou grinned and passed the weapon back to its rightful owner.
"Aww," Enishi took his sword back with an unreadable expression on his face, "why'd you do that for? A kimono would have..." he did not deem it healthy to continue that statement with the kind of smile Soujirou was flashing him with, so he stopped abruptly. "Nevermind." The older person shouldered his sword and turned to Kenji instead. "So, you were saying something about a picnic?"
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A small hill with a clear outcrop caught Kenji's eye as they circled the fringe
of Kyoto. The birds were chirping happily overhead, and the lush green leaves
warded off most of the sun. It felt comfortable enough to sit beneath the large
tree, among its ancient roots, so Kenji did just that. Nearby, his two companions
followed suit, and all three settled down to a quiet meal by the countryside.
"How peaceful," Kenji couldn't help commenting as his body relaxed into the surroundings. He gazed outwards at the city arrayed beneath his vantage point of view and took another sip of drink. He turned slightly to catch his companions' eyes, finding Soujirou smiling at him in his weird little way. There was an uncomfortable silence dwelling over the trio, and besides what Kenji had just spoke, nobody seemed to want to say anything.
Kenji was not ignorant of the fact that Kyoto appeared to be a place of importance for both his companions, but he did not want to pry. Trying to find some common ground, however, he spoke up, hesitantly, "Have you guys been to Kyoto before this?"
"Of course," Soujirou said plainly, after a few seconds of pause. "It holds special memories."
Silence.
Getting impatient at the lack of control he held over the situation, Kenji opened his mouth again to address - specifically this time - his concerns. He did not quite manage speak, for at the same time, Enishi pointed at a spot behind him. "Look," he plainly commanded.
Although he was not entirely pleased to, Kenji glared at Enishi first, then turned around to look.
There, wagging its fluffy tail like a happy puppy, was the little silver fox Kenji knew he had seen in Tokyo.
He dropped his food in surprise.
The fox then happily atacked the rolling fishball, sitting straight and looking up at Kenji again after it had swallowed it. "Hey!!" Kenji made a mad grab for the furball, succeeding in grabbing a handful of its flesh and fur around the back of its neck. He lifted the fox up to meet it at eye level. "What IS it with you and taking food from me?! You're a fox, dammit! Find your own food!"
The creature looked dolefully at the boy for a moment as it dangled in his hands. Then suddenly, without warning, it snapped out and grabbed the rest of the fishballs Kenji was holding, taking Kenji's momentarily surprise to shake itself free from his grasp. It landed on the soft grass and turned around with what Kenji swore had to be a smirk, before bounding off into the distance, stick of fishball still hanging freely from its jaws.
"Why that little- !!" Kenji wasted no time in leaping to his feet and giving chase.
"Ah, Himura-san," Soujirou held a futile hand out at the boy's receding figure, "we still have some more... food..." He stopped when he realized that Kenji could no longer be seen.
Enishi was already halfway to tracing the boy's footsteps, and Soujirou scratched his head with a small pout.
"Doesn't anyone ever know how to enjoy a quiet, peaceful meal anymore?"
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The chase ended near the fringe of the forest surrounding the outskirts of Kyoto.
By that time, it was no longer 'running-after-bad-fox-for-stolen-food'. Rather,
it had become a 'chase-to-the-finish-for-stolen-pride' affair, seeing that the
fox had happily gulped down the stick of fishball somewhere in the middle of
the chase. Kenji was fired up by sheer willpower, but colour was visibly starting
to drain from his face. Soujirou and Enishi had no problems keeping up, and
did so for it amused them to no end how far and fast Kenji could lose his composure
over a little fox. At arriving near the edge of the forest, however, the fox
suddenly made a sharp turn behind a large trunk and vanished without a trace.
"Ooh, damn that little thing!" Kenji slammed his fist against the bark of the tree, finally bending down to pant and wheeze. "It's not fair!" He whined.
"Now now, Himura-san," Soujirou approached the boy warily, wondering if he would bite at him just out of sheer frustration, "we still have some food left over, so..."
As usual, it was Enishi who noticed it first. His eyes strayed from his two companions towards the rustic looking building situated just beyond the foliage. Immediately, they widened. Blinking his shock away, the white-haired man stepped away and out into the open, ignoring the questioning glances Kenji and Soujirou were throwing in his general direction. It was not long before Enishi stood before the entrance of the building, an unreadable expression etched across his thoughtful features.
Soujirou joined him after a while. The boyish wanderer glanced upwards at the arched pillars which overlooked the pathway. He blinked, and looked at the wooden doorway alongside his frosty companion.
"What're you guys looking at?" Kenji's irritated voice brought them back to the real world. "It's just a temple."
Smiling, the Tenken replied, "You're right, Himura-san. It /is/ a temple."
"So?" Kenji was still miffed at his inability to catch the fox thief.
"Do you remember what we were perhaps looking for this morning?" Soujirou tilted his head and continued, patiently.
"A temple?" The young boy was quick to respond, before realization dawned. "Oh. OOH. A temple," he then turned to join his comrades in staring at the temple. The temple sweatdropped nervously.
"What a coincidence?" Soujirou smiled.
"It's a start," Enishi shrugged, walking forward and entering the courtyards. He looked around. "We have to start somewhere."
On his cue, Kenji and Soujirou entered the temple grounds as well, peering about themselves meekly. There were hardly anybody inside, just a couple of darkly-dressed servants slowly strolling along the rectangular corridors bordering the almost barren looking garden. The path led straight towards the main shrine, and a shrine maiden stood there, sweeping the leaves which had fallen onto the courtyards up with great concentration.
"Shall we start by asking her, then?" Soujirou's beam rivalled the sun.
Enishi had already begin moving down the path towards the maiden. His two companions were about to follow suit when they saw the shrine maiden tense visibly. Not two seconds later, a rain of kunais splattered across the stone pavement, embedding themselves where Enishi would have been had he not backed off in time. A look of incredulity was drawn over his face for a moment, before recognition seeped in.
At the same time, the maiden turned around, still in a defensive pose. Her cautious face quickly dissolved into that of surprise when she saw who it was she had just attacked.
The girl pointed.
Enishi pointed.
"You!"
... to be continued
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19/10/03
xd@tougenkyou.net
A/N:
Well that took a month... o_Ox and, no prizes for guessing who the shrine maiden
is! :P
kenshin_admirer
Kaoru gave him the shinai. :D You can read the backstory of that in my page
if you have time! Thanks for the correction, too! I'm such a dufus! That's why
I need more people like you to pick on me! XD
Zeromaru: Chaos Mode
Whee! *employs zeromaru as fic host* You ask good questions! Definitely make
a better host than me. XD
EEevee
Oooh, that's great! :D I'd just be glad enough that there are people reading
the fic enough to enjoy it. Yes! Shocker for Kenji coming soon!
Shahrezad1
Aoshi and shrines mix very well, I suppose. :D For one thing, they're both very
quiet! XD
Silver Nightingale
Yes! Kenji and the shinai will play important part in the ultimate revelation.
XD I hope you found this update satisfactory too!
sasori
Yes sure! Huggle him all you want! :D I'm sorry I haven't replied your email
at length yet. :( I will soon! But I'd just like to say that I'm really enjoying
your OTS continuation. :D More, I say!!
April-san
Aaaah don't worry! I took my own sweet time *avoids punches and slaps from all
directions* to recover the lost blood. :D Orororo... so someone here /has/
read that stupid story before!! *_*x Yes, more Aoshi, coming up! XD
EK
Thanks for still reading the fic! School must be a drag for you... but keep
working hard! :D
jbramx2
Tee hee hee! Yes, Enishi's embarrassed! XD Onwards to the next chapter, where
everyone's favourite *ahem*-girl makes her appearance! WHEE~~
cardinal
m(_ _)m Thank you so much! Kooky dialogue! Yes! XD I love kooky dialogue. :D
lebleuphenix
Yup, banter is good in fics. :D Weasal-girl? Don't look now, but I who's that
over there *points*? Hmmm...
Angrybee
Wahahahah! XD I'm glad you know how to make a serious situation utterly funny.
XD *rattles chain along with angrybee* WOOO!