The Temptress and The Killer
Assignment
After Kaoru had gotten the message from a fellow co-worker she went straight to her employer's home.
Once she got there she tapped on the door the password needed to gain access inside the huge mansion. Even in the dark Kaoru could see the eye of one of the guards through the small peek hole.
"State your name and what business you have here tonight!" The deep voice boomed out to her. Kaoru rolled her eyes as she answered him.
"Nightingale and I have a new mission from the boss." Suddenly Kaoru saw the eye widen in recognition of the name and quickly backed away from the peek hole and slid the thick gate door open so Kaoru could enter.
Kaoru then gracefully entered the safety of the gates and stopped walking once she came up to the guard. She looked him up and down.
He was considerably huge and had nice rippling muscles. He had blond hair and was currently wearing a black ninja suit.
"You're not from around here are you?" Kaoru asked the guard. "No. I'm Yoshishi Makuda. I was just bought here to serve and protect the boss. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you Miss Temptress. I had no idea really." Yoshishi rambled. 'Yep he's definitely new.' Kaoru thought as she realized he had called her Miss Temptress. NO one around the mansion ever called her that.
"Well that's alright you are new after all. Next time I'm sure you'll remember right?" Kaoru said as she smiled down at him. Yoshishi looked at the young woman in surprise. Kyoto's most deadly temptress was smiling at him and was calmly talking about his mistake.
"Is there a problem Yoshishi?" Kaoru asked her voice starting to become less friendly. "No, no. It's just that everyone's been saying that when you talk to you the way I did or if I goof up around you, you would" Kaoru cut him off. "Well Yoshishi it's your first time here and I don't expect you to remember what I look like so consider this your freebee so yes, next time you mess up like that I do intend to punish you." Kaoru answered flatly.
"So I take it we won't mess up from this point on?" Kaoru asked the guard. "Yes ma'am." The guard answered as he saluted. "Good then. Carry on and have a nice night." Kaoru commented as she continued to walk inside the house.
Kaoru entered another thick wooden door that lead to the main room that had series of doors that went this way and that within the mansion. Currently many other less important temptress that weren't as known as Kaoru walked to and from the room as well as various men of different ranks doing this and that.
As she walked by many of the people that had noticed her either stopped what they were doing to stare at her or bow at her with respect. Kaoru returned most of the bows with her on slight one and ignored the varying stares she got. She then walked through another door walking down the hallway the door lead to. Finally stopping once a western styled door came into her view.
Giggles and other noises could be heard coming from the room futherest down the hall and then the door opened as a blushing woman straightened out her kimono once more and walked down the hall quite fast blushing even harder as she notice Kaoru standing in the middle of the hall.
Kaoru simply rolled her eyes as she came to the doorway of the door where a man stood in the middle of the room smoothing his hair out. Suddenly he turned and looked to the doorway as Kaoru lightly coughed to gain his attention.
"Ah Nightingale just the woman I was looking for." The man said as he cleared his throat. "I see you and your koishii had yet another roundabout in here again." Kaoru stated as she walked in casually. "Really now? And what would give you that conclusion?" The man asked looking at her amusingly. "Many things...One I can practically smell the lingering arousal in the air, two all the papers on oak table are crumbled, three all the small stack of stuff against the walls are knocked over and lastly there is a faint smear of your women's lip paint on your neck not completely wiped up." Kaoru responded rather quickly.
"And that's only a few things off the top of my head." She added. "Very well done Nightingale. I must say you never cease to amuse me. Your skill, talents and legend truly do fit you." The man said as took a seat in his plush pillow, cushion. Kaoru walked up to his small oak table, but didn't seat down in the mat in front of it.
"You may sit down." "To no disrespect I would rather stand." Kaoru answered. "Very well then. I assume Meru gave you the message?" Kaoru nodded. "So are you done then with I dear friend Mr. Laruji?" Kaoru once again nodded. "Excellent job then my dear. We shall go make sure your tracks are completely cleaned starting tonight. And of coarse a full report of what you found out too." The man said as he ran his fingers over his dull browned hair.
Suddenly his dark black pools began to shine with curiosity.
"So tell me Nightingale how far did you let this one go?" Kaoru was hesitant on answering his question. "No further than looking and a little touching. He was far to easily killed if you asked me." She answered.
Not really liking the idea of talking about her job, though she had no choice with this person. He paid quite handsomely for her to do what she does and if he asked a questioned like that she remembered from before that she had better answer it if she want to get reward.
A real crummy way to keep her in line. If it wasn't for the fact she needed the money she would have taken him out a long ass time ago.
"Well I'm sorry this last one was a bit of a bore for you, but I promise you this next one I have in store for you will be everything, but boring to say the least." He stated as he pulled out a thin vinalla folder and placed it in Kaoru's hands.
Kaoru read through the folder quickly and immediately closed it and plopped it down on the man's desk.
"Is this some type of cruel joke Iske? There isn't a name nor descripition of this man in here." She informed angrily. "But my dear I do believe you've at least heard his nickname once. After all he is as famous as you." Iske began. "Your next target will be Hitokiri Battousai!" Iske exclaimed his eyes narrowing amusingly at the exspected shock reaction of Kaoru.
WITH BATTOUSAI
"Katsura I told you a thousand times I do not slay women." Kenshin stated calmly as he tossed the files of a woman known as only Nightingale back at his boss. "But Himura be more sensible here. This is not an assignment that requires honor! This woman is more dangerous than any other female in this country. Have you not taken into account all the deaths she has caused alone? All in which were done by her herself! We have good reasons for you to try and go after her. And if you don't you are endangering the lives of many soon to be important men." Katsura reasoned.
"I'm sorry Mr. Katsura. I don't murder women in cold blood no matter what the reason. If they aren't trying to murder me in my sleep I don't kill them and even if they do I would only injure and not kill." Kenshin spoke trying to keep his cool. His amber eyes shining dangerously to show the inner fury within him that Katsura was prevoking. And one glance in his eye was all Katsura needed to drop the blunt assalut and try a new one.
Katsura sighed. "Besides there aren't any important detailed information about her in here. Like what does, what she look like or where does she lives? If I can't even have those simple questions answered how am I even going to attempt at harming her if I don't know if I'm attacking the right woman or if I don't even now how to pinpoint her?" Kenshin added as picked up the file again reading through it.
"So in other words that folder in your hands is absoultely useless to you or any other hitokiri." Katsura concluded looking at Kenshin with serious eyes. "Yes." Came the response. "Even though, with a hit list like this, hitokiri's like myself can conclude what the woman would act or appear like, but that doesn't mean in all actuallity that she has to be like what we could conclude." Kenshin added.
"Alright then Himura. Since you won't be apart of taking this female battousai down then I would wish for you to help at least track her down." Katsura stated after taking a sip of the saki that was on the small table between them. "What?" "Himura you won't have to murder her, but you must help find her." "You mean do a spy's job." Kenshin stated flatly. "Yes, you must do a 'spy's job' as you so crudely put it." Katsura replied drly know growing bored of the younger man's sarcasm.
"As you said yourself only hitokiri's like yourself can get a good picture of what this Nightingale woman looks like and could probably smell out the danger of her faster than anyone else I have hired that I know. I would rather just leave this case all up to you, but since you so politely rejected the offer I must have someone else do it and I fear that." Katsura said as he began to rub his eyes.
"And exactly why is that? One of Kyoto's finest fearing? ...." Kenshin asked though he already kind of got a just of what most of his worries came from. "You know I hate answering questions you already know the answer for yourself so I refuse to comment." Katsura snapped. Kenshin didn't respond.
"After every killing she does it has here she goes into hiding or seclusion for a while and then pops up again after everythings died down about her last kill. I believe it has been about a while since we last heard of her and what I want you to do is stay around here for a while until you hear word of her lastest victim from this point on. I want you to then start searching high and low for her or find out any clues of who her next target might be." Katsura inqured.
"Her targets are beginning to hit a little to closer to home if you catch my dift and I can't have no one important on our side of the fence find themselves dead." Katsura finished.
Though Kenshin really wished he didn't have anything to do with this, he nodded his head and accepted his alternatum and walked out of Katsura's home and began making way back to the little hotel he was staying at.
BACK WITH KAORU
"You're joking right? Please say you've not just set me up with this fellow!" Kaoru exclaimed rather loudly. Iske raised an eyebrow towards the woman. "You wouldn't happen to be...scared of the legendary battousai... would you Nightingale?" Iske knew he was taking a risk with such a low blow attempt to get her to accept the assignment, but hey! He was a man after all and he was a very desperate man at that. He had many plans...many, many plans that he just couldn't afford the battousai and himself crossing paths.
"Besides I would think that would be the most interesting buzz going around anywhere in Japan... I can just imagine it...The Legendary Battousai up against The Legendary Temptress! Can't you just picture all the fun you could have with this assignment." Iske said in a rather amused tone as he rose from his sitting position and began to sauter around the room. Taking long, lagto strides walking around corner to corner in the medium sized room.
"This isn't a joke Iske." Kaoru hissed. "Maybe you're not seeing it from my point of view then Nightingale... You see when I give you this assignment I see danger, I see fun, I see competitive minds striving to topple the other in a desperate struggle to gain the upper hand and defeat death itself." He said in a deep-rich, liquidly tone. "Nightingale you said that your last victum didn't put up much of a fight. That he was quite a bore to you. Well taking on one of Japan' s most deadly man- slayers, who knows his stuff , doesn't sounds like too much of a bore to me, It doesn't even sounds like a bore at all." Iske continued.
"Yeah, but then what do I get for risking my neck to protect you?" Kaoru asked staring him in the eyes as he abrutly stepped in front of her. After a moment in looking into her spectacular crealun eyes Iske suddenly turned his back to her as he began to walk to the far wall. His line of vision then quickly went from looking down at the wood-grain floor to looking striaght up at the ceiling.
"I'll pay you ten times the amount of money I would normally pay you." Iske stated. Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise as her mind began to tally up the complete sum of money being offered to her. "That's more money than you can imagine and I'm probably guessing as much money as you've ever seen in a lifetime huh Nightengale."
Kaoru's mouth hung ajar slightly and she nodded her head as she looking towards him. "I thought so." Iske stated as he didn't even look at her when she shook her head, but just felt that she did. "See my dear koshii and ask her to give you your pay on the way out. I want you to retire to your home for a while before you go out in search of the Battousai. If the plan should change and your assistance is ever required I'll send someone for you." Iske ordered.
"Ah...Hai..." Kaoru answered slightly still in a daze from hearing the amount of money he was willing to pay. "Good then. You are dismissed." Iske informed. "But you are sure you're the only one who knows were I reside? If people come after me they will question the ones who have been to my home before." Kaoru asked not completely assured her safety.
"And why would that ever be a problem?" "Usually if you assign me someone like a hitokiri, they already know that someone is after them and are constantly on the look out." Kaoru answered. "Well then only one person knows and I shall personally take care of that." "I don't want you to murder them, but warn them if they should release such personal information then I shall personally FIX the matter myself." Kaoru said as she looked at Iske dead serious.
"Fine then. Consider the threat sent." Iske said as he bowed curtiously at her. Kaoru returned the manner and addressed him a safe night. "Oh and Kaoru!" Iske called stopping Kaoru's hasty departure. "Remember to have fun with case. It won't be won as quickly as your other's nor as easy." Iske advised. Kaoru nodded and perseded to walked away, collect her pay and began her long journey home.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!STOP HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
a/n- I would like to thank all the people who reviewed my story. Without you guys my fic means nothing!
Super- thank you.
Half-breed-demon fox- I'm glad you love the first chapter and yeah k/b will meet soon.
Sandy- I'm glad you likey.
Silent Tears of Agony- Yeah I'm too!
Maureen- I'm gkad tiy are enjoying my fic.
Rain- I'm glad you likey.
Unknown beedee- I'm glad you likey. Yeah you do don't ya?
Raeyn-chan- Thank you. Glad you like plot.miomi- I'm flattered you love it. Yeah, I didn't want Kaoru to be the typical lonely, weak woman.
Soh-young – I'm glad you love my story.