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.
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight
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Chapter 39: Windy Words
Two days later found Soujirou looming above a formless heap of wet clay. He had been staring at the massive amount of matter for a long time, motionless. Finally, he stooped down, hands poised above the lump of cowering clay. There was a look of adamant determination on his face. Along with a grin that qualified as evil. The wet clay sparkled fearfully.
"Tenken," Enishi suddenly toed him from behind, disrupting him from his concentration. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Soujirou turned around, a sunny smile plastered all over his face. "Helping you out, Yukishiro-san!"
"Help me, really, by not touching the clay anymore," Enishi rolled his eyes. "Your sense of productivity is about as good as the redhead's sense of taste."
"Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou protested, aghast. "I don't think I'm /that/ bad!"
"Yes you are," Enishi was relentless. Soujirou's face fell. "Now if you're done fooling around, we have something more important to do." The white-haired man was saying, while glancing furtively around the forest perimeter.
Soujirou instantly sobered. He narrowed his eyes. "You don't mean," he whispered, "...Hiko-san's super secret stash of sake rumoured to be worth more than a few-" The younger wanderer had to stop here, because Enishi stomped on one of his feet at this point of time. Resisting the urge to yell in pain, Soujirou quickly wrenched his smarting foot free from the nonchalant man. "Ow! Yukishiro-san! That really hurt!"
"Good," Enishi snorted, "It was supposed to. Get your head out of the gutter and be more serious!"
Soujirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, even as Enishi moved to enter into the workshop. Casting the melting pile of clay one last look, Soujirou ran along and was soon trailing his enigmatic partner. He was still not privy to whatever plans Enishi had up his sleeve, so he followed quietly through the various workshop doors until they arrived at the house proper. Enishi immediately got busy shuffling through the drawers there. Soujirou merely stood to a side, miffed.
"Yukishiro-san," he eventually said, "we /are/ looking for that secret stash of sake after all, aren't we-" he ducked to one side, just in time to avoid getting hit by a flying bottle of ink. "Come on, Yukishiro-san, you can be honest with me, really. I won't tell Hiko-san, and I'll even help, see?" He stepped forward towards another shelf of drawers. "It has to be somewhere around here, right?"
"Get your head screwed on right, you little twerp!" Enishi almost snarled. "We're looking for documents related to the dealings 'Kakunoshin Niitsu' has with the representative of the Yuugure, while the artisan is out dealing with his new protege. Make yourself useful and look around for it, and please stop day dreaming about that secret stash of sake or whatever it is for now," the man threw his hands into the air. "...we can look for it after we get a hold of the documents, though."
Soujirou giggled at first, then grinned. "Of course!" Quickly, he began rummaging around the drawers that were before him. "This was your intention from the very beginning, wasn't it?" He asked, having resolved a few minor details out in these past two days. "To establish us as workers of the artisan, so that we have a legal excuse to be in the house?"
Enishi paused in the midst of shuffling a few sheets of paper. "I had something else on mind," he corrected his companion, "this opportunity to nab evidence for that crabhead police was the old man's alone. I'm only improvising." He paused here, and his hands began to hurry around a certain sheet of parchment. "Found it." He glanced over the contents, before finally folding it and keeping it. "Okay, time to hightail."
"Wait, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou said softly. There was a pause in which Enishi frowned at Soujirou questioningly. "What was your original intent then, if this document hunt wasn't your idea in the first place?" His face was solemn. "Will you tell me, please?"
Enishi's frown slowly smoothed into a blank, poker look. He looked at the ground, pose pondering. Finally, he walked towards the doorway, hovering about there for a while just so that he could mutter something back at his companion, which turned out to be, "Let's go take a walk," after which he exited the house, silent and sure. Not waiting for Soujirou's response or reaction.
The younger wanderer did not seem to mind. "Of course," he replied, as he smiled warmly, and started to follow his partner out. "It's not every day we get to visit scenic forests on the outskirts of Kyoto, after all! And it's not like you're giving me a chance to say no, are you?" Soujirou chirped.
He narrowly missed being hit by a huge rock that came sailing out from the middle of nowhere.
--
They ended up at the edge of the cliff of the mountain they were in. Throughout the long walk there, Enishi had remained silent. Thus, so had Soujirou. First and foremost, Soujirou really had nothing to say. He waited, patiently, while growing increasingly relaxed, for Enishi to initiate the conversation.
They peered over the cliff edge, where a strong wind rose up to greet them. Out in the distance, a minor part of Kyoto was visible. It stood out, rustic and grey, against the backdrop of a glowing, blue horizon. Red torii's decked the surface of the mountain opposite them, distinctly reminding Soujirou of his less than perfect past. He tilted his head, meaning to spare Enishi a sidelong glance. That did not happen, for Enishi was not where he last stood.
Turning fully, Soujirou spotted Enishi behind him. The white-haired man had found a flat rock somewhere near the boundary of the forest and had seated himself down there. Soujirou walked up to him, smiling. "If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Hiko-san's lethargy was rubbing off on you."
Enishi merely eyed him strangely. He did not response.
Despite the lack of activity, Soujirou sat himself down on the rock as well, since there was space and Enishi was not glaring at him in protest. He looked beyond the cliff, at the horizon. The peace and tranquility was indeed overwhelming. He could fully understand why Hiko chose to meander around melodious sounds of nature than the noisy bustle of human life in the cities.
"The sunset in this part of Kyoto is strongest in this season," Enishi quipped suddenly. Soujirou simply stared at him, as he continued, "...or at least, that's what I used to tell them... I think."
"Them?" Soujirou wondered aloud, his voice hollow. Enishi did not reply, although Soujirou had not expected him to. Eventually realising that staring at Enishi's unreadable facade was not going to reveal anything to him, Soujirou leaned backwards and looked out into the open skies as well. "Sunset, huh..." he whispered, letting the breeze carry his voice into the valley. "The sun's last rays of struggle against the inevitable before it disappears into nothingness... beautiful it is, yet fierce and final." He propped an elbow against his lap and rested his cheek upon an upturned palm. "...what a perfect description for what is sure to come for the Yuugure."
"That I don't doubt," Enishi stated flatly, his form relaxing slowly. "I hope the redhead finishes his training with visible results, though, otherwise we'll be just dragging a little burden around." He shook his head, withdrawing the piece of document he had taken from Hiko's room. After scanning through the words, he sighed softly. He thrust the document into Soujirou's face wordlessly.
Already used to Enishi's sometimes rough handling of important documents and especially important situations, Soujirou took the paper without complaint and looked at it. "Large vase - as many as possible, end of month of this date, payment upon delivery by trusted party, signed and sealed..." He quinted at the seal mark on the document. "...some temple," he eventually said, when he could not recognise the seal.
"It's the Azumamaro Temple," Enishi confirmed. "The little entrance shrine that's a little south of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The main ceremonial conductors of the Inari Shrine lodge there. At least, I think they used to," Enishi shrugged, "...they were still there some years ago, that is. It's anyone's guess what the temple is and who stays there now."
"Hmm..." Soujirou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "...what use could the priests of a little shrine like that have for so many huge vases?"
"Not for anything good, anyway I see it," Enishi snorted. He gestured at Soujirou to return the document to him, which Soujirou did. He kept the document after folding it, looking out into the horizon again. "I wanted to put up a show for the other side - to ensure them that we aren't anybody suspicious, but just a couple of wanderers looking for food and lodging under the great Kakunoshin Niitsu."
Soujirou looked at Enishi. "So that when delivery day comes, we will assist in the actual moving of goods into wherever it is they wish for the goods to be moved?"
"Yup," Enishi said. There was no ambiguity in his tone. "That saves us from the step of actually sneaking into the temple, risking discovery and adding yet another black mark to our name in the police department, don't you think?"
Soujirou actually laughed this time. "Does it really matter to you how black our names are to Saitou-san?" He hid his mouth behind a hand and spared Enishi a smiling, sidelong glance. "You just don't want to go through the trouble of sneaking into the temple to try to locate a place that may not exist, or worst, is the inaccurate location of the opponent's headquarters, do you?"
Enishi, with his eyes still on the horizon, smiled, ever so slightly. "Oops," he stated dully, "can't fool the genius, can I?"
"But," Soujirou's expression quickly became straight and serious. "Yukishiro-san, who are we putting up a show for?" He stretched his feet, staring thoughtfully at his toes. "Hiko-san could, of course, claim to the client that we are trustworthy. But where would the assurance be? If we must put up a show, should it not be before the person who commissioned the deal, so that he would trust us, and thus agree to allow us to move the goods to this secret location when the time for delivery is due?"
Enishi did not reply, for a while. But when he did, his voice was calm and sure. "Don't worry," he said, not too reassuringly, but confidently all the same, "they will come. And until they do, we'll just have to play our part as the wanderers in need well."
"I would love to ask where that confidence of yours comes from," Soujirou sighed, then smiled rather cheekily. "But I do believe this is yet another item of interest that is 'none of my business'?"
"Keh," Enishi suddenly stood, putting his hands akimbo on his waist. The setting sun was now bright orange, flushing the entire land with a rich, red glow. Enishi blinked at it. "You're not a baby. I don't have to tell you everything," he scoffed. "Once the client comes, you can figure everything out by yourself." His arms now folded themselves across his chest.
"I guess I could," Soujirou admitted, after a long silence passed, in which the sun gradually sunk beneath the horizon. The sky slowly turned dark blue. The stars began to twinkle brightly. The breeze rapidly sunk into a biting cold from its previous warmth. "But I'd really rather..." /hear you tell me yourself/ "...if you had told me instead..." /that you at least trust me with your thoughts/ "...because," the momentary solemnity in Soujirou's voice was lifted, like how his lips were lifted up into a beam, "...it's just so strenuous to have to unravel the whole mess by myself!" He laughed softly. With a hand behind his head, he stood as well. "Ah well, I guess I could do with some mental exercises once in a while." Soujirou turned. He began to stroll leisurely down the path they had come from. "Thank you for the walk, Yukishiro-san. It was nice. And the sunset was great too."
Enishi made no response, except to sigh and bow his head lower.
"I think there's more to 'trust' than just a few meaningless words, you know."
Soujirou stopped moving forward, upon Enishi's surprising words, softly mumbled, as if he was sharing a secret. Another gust of wind swept itself upwards from the valley, drowning the silence with a sad howl. And then it died down, as suddenly as it came.
"But if you cannot even 'trust' with a few meaningless words," Soujirou then spoke up, equally soft, "then..."
Another howling wind interrupted whatever else Soujirou had to say, if he indeed had anything else to say. By the time the winds died down, the younger wanderer had resumed his walking. He was now deep within the foliage, the sounds of his feet shuffling through the undergrowth softly fading into the distance.
Enishi stood for a while more. His sigh was as heavy as the thud he made when he flopped back down on the flat rock behind him. Before him, the sun cast its final rays upon the ground, before quietly setting, eaten whole by the shadows of tomorrow.
He remained seated at the cliff for a long time that night.
--
Aoshi lit a candle. He placed it on the low table where he had been reading a book on. The previously dark room was transformed into a shifty, shadowy chamber aglow with soft orange. His eyes were on the book, on the last word he had been reading. But his attention was vaguely somewhere else.
"Aoshi-sama," a voice suddenly boomed from a dark corner of the room. "The word that has been put out is spreading very well."
Aoshi's eyes were still upon the page. Like he had not heard the voice. "Does the opponent suspect anything?" He asked, tone casual. He turned a page.
"No, sir," was the immediate reply. "We have verified this. It can be safely assumed that they put full faith in the rumour, and may be reacting to it soon."
Aoshi nodded. "What is the police up to in the meantime?"
"They have been keeping to themselves since the previous meeting," the voice answered.
"And the chances that their unpredictable actions will ruin the plan already in motion?" Aoshi closed the book, setting it aside.
Silence.
"...it cannot be verified, Okashira."
Aoshi tucked his hands into the sleeves of his yukata. He closed his eyes. "That's all I needed to know. Send out the command to keep a tight watch over the movement of Saitou's men. Inform me immediately if anything goes off course. By a couple of days more at most, the issue will be settled." He stood, bringing the candle along as he walked. "Go," was the final, plantitive command.
A wisp of wind disturbed the interior of the room. When Aoshi stepped out of it, there was no one else in the room anymore.
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... to be continued
22/12/04
tougenkyou . net / xd
a/n
hey guys - thanks for all of your patience for waiting out this fic though it was starting to get a little long? eheheh. Pyrrhic
Lotus, thanks for pointing out the kenji/kenshin/hiten issue. you're
right about that! i should change the flow of the story a bit. XD once
again, thank all of you for staying on for so long! more to come soon
and really sorry for making this whole thing so draggy!!! T.Tx