The Temptress and the Killer
Chapter 4: First Time We Meet
1 week later
Through the crowded streets of Kyoto the legendary Hitokiri Battousai walked along with the seemingly millions of people. He was on his way to an expected meeting he could not afford to miss.
After what seemed to be hours of walking Kenshin finally made it to the run down side of Kyoto. There hundreds of low lives were pushed together to thrive. At times Kenshin pity some of the people. He knew a lot of good people who didn't deserve this life. This is one of the reasons why he joined the war. So that he could protect those types of people.
Finally he came upon one makeshift shack at the end of an old living complex that was currently used as a geisha house frequently. Kenshin took out his sword, still sheathed and tapped it against a woven mat door.
"Go away!" A drunkards voice came from inside. "Oh come on! Is that anyway to greet an old runaway?" Kenshin called back. Suddenly from inside Kenshin could here quick feet and then the dirty form of one of his friend's came into his line of vision.
"Well I'll be damned! If it isn't the devil himself knocking at my door!" "Oh shut up and let me in." Kenshin spoke to the slightly taller man. "Then quit waiting for me to invite you in and have a seat." The dark haired male said as he stepped to the side.
Kenshin eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark inside of his friend's home. Once his vision came too he quickly spotted a place to sit.
"So tell me did you learn anything?" Kenshin asked as he sat down and placed both his swords to the side of him. "Now come on Kenshin you're only talking to ole' Yukitaro." The man exclaimed as he sat across from Kenshin with a lit candle in hand.
"I'm being serious." Kenshin said as he gave him a stern look that looked quite frightening with the glow of the candle light upon his face. Yukitaro sighed. "Well you do have good reason to be concerned about this Nightingale person." He began. Kenshin nodded for him to continue.
"Word around says she's not from around these streets-" "Who ever is?" Kenshin interrupted. "Yeah, but she did get her great skill and name from here in Kyoto though." "Well, Yukitaro you're boring me with stuff I already know. Unless you have anything good to tell me I'm leaving." Kenshin interrupted again for a second time.
"Fine, fine... No need to get grumpy. Just keep your sword in its sheath." Yukitaro said as he threw his hands up in defense. Kenshin growled. 'How did I ever get associated with this guy again?' Kenshin thought sourly. But Kenshin wasn't given time to linger on that thought.
"You know that rose found at the one room? And are you familiar with the fact, that after every kill Nightingale goes into hiding?" "Yes and yes." Kenshin answered. 'I can't take anymore of this.' Kenshin thought as he was starting to see coming here was just a waste of his time.
"Yukitaro I'm leaving." Kenshin said as he stood up and grabbed his swords in the process. "What?" Yukitaro blurted confused. "You're just repeating information I already found out for myself or already known. Then two you are talking about a flower and that's completely irrelevant to why I came here." Kenshin clarified.
"But Kenshin you don't get it! Those types of roses only grow in selected parts of Tokyo, Japan. Very few people plant or even grow these. I mean these roses are so rare that even flower shops all around Japan don't have them." Yukitaro shouted trying to regain Kenshin's interest.
"See look!" Yukitaro shouted as he ran into one corner of his home and pulled out a folded sheet of paper and laid it out on the ground before him. Kenshin turned to the side some to see what it was Yukitaro had retrieved.
From the looks of it, it was a map of Japan and there were three red dots plotted on it or more. He couldn't really tell with the candle's light dancing around and all.
To Yukitaro's relief, that information was enough to stop Kenshin's hasty departure. "So what are you saying?" Kenshin asked, still refusing to reseat himself to inspect the map further. "I'm saying go to Tokyo where you'll look and search the area where those roses grow. And out of all those area's you'll be bound to come across Nightingale!" Yukitaro exclaimed.
"And how can I trust she'll be at any of those locations." Kenshin pressed further. "Well she always leaves that type of rose at the scene of the crime to let everyone know she did it, almost like a signature. So she has to go to one of these spots and get the flower to leave behind doesn't she?" Yukitaro reasoned as he refolded the map and extended it up to Kenshin.
Kenshin nodded at his reasoning and took the map from Yukitaro's hands. "Fine then, I'll see to it these spots are searched." Kenshin stated as he prepared to leave. But before he left the shack he tossed a small pouch of money onto Yukitaro's lap.
"So this is the lead your informer was able to give us?" Katsura asked as he looked over the maps Yukitaro had given Kenshin earlier that day.
They were sitting in the dinning area of the hotel where Kenshin was staying. There lots of other Imperialist fighters sat around eating, talking or playing games amongst themselves as they were all off duty for the time being.
"Yeah." Kenshin answered him. "Well then I'll divide a couple of spies, including you, off into these areas." Katsura replied as he began to point at the red circled cities on the map. "I'll send probably up to one to two spies per place. I don't want all of my spies gone because we still have other battles where they will be needed." Katsura thought aloud.
"But how am I to know if I've found the right woman? I mean I basically have the ground information to work with except her description. She's beautiful I've been getting. Any woman can be beautiful." Kenshin stated.
"Well Kenshin... You are one of my most well rounded men I ever had the pleasure of working with. If ever a person I can trust who can take nearly no facts at all and turn it into something then I know it's you." Katsura said as he examined the map one last time before looking up at Kenshin.
"While your stationed at your given city we'll be searching for anyone who can give us any helpful information about her and when we find anything good we'll make sure to get in contact with you." Katsura added. Kenshin nodded his head.
'Like finding a needle in a hay stack.' Kenshin thought as he looked off about the room as Katsura's eyes wandered back to his map.
IN TOKYO
2 days later
Kenshin sighed as he got off the train that took him to his given town of Tokyo. 'I really don't want to do this.' He thought bitterly as he waited for his bags to be unloaded. Once his bag was returned to him he began to walk around the city in search for a hotel to stay at. As he rounded another corner, with so far an unsuccessful search, he decided it was time for a break.
As he looked around where he was he was happy to know that there was at least a restaurant in which he could get some food to eat. 'And with any luck maybe even directions to a hotel.' Kenshin thought as he began to walk towards the building marked Akabeko.
'I seriously need to find another way to commute from Kyoto and home.' Kaoru thought as she was relieved to see just up ahead was the sight of her busy home town. And what a relief too, her feet were getting sore from all the walking she did.
With a smile on her face she gripped the bag in her hands that carried her cloths and money.
'What shall I do first with my new found wealth?' Kaoru thought again. And already she began to form a list up in her head.
As she finally entered the town it wasn't unusual to Kaoru that most of the towns' people would stop and stare at her as she walked by. It had been this way since she started working in Kyoto as a temptress. Very few knew of this job of course, though a lot of people were aware of her frequent traveling and many wondered why she traveled so much.
Many rumors had formed giving possible explanations about the reasoning for her travels. Yet none of them were true or even near it. And she knew who started them, but said nothing as she continued on walking through the crowded streets with her head held high and her mouth silent.
Suddenly Kaoru recognized a familiar restaurant up ahead and her small smile grew bigger on her face as she prepared to go over there and pay an old friend a visit.
The Akabeko was a really busy place. Everyday it got more and more customers and yet Kaoru was glad that she had caught her friend on a day when business was slow.
Kaoru stepped threw the cloth door and entered, looking around for her friend. When she finally spotted her, she was carrying a tray of food over to a table and Kaoru waited patiently for her to finish up. And after waiting ten minutes her friend turned towards her and when she realized who Kaoru was a squeal of delight escaped her.
She grabbed Kaoru by her arm and dragged her into the back of the restaurant, calling on another waitress to take over her shift.
"Oh Kaoru when did you get back? Are you okay?" Her friend asked excitedly as she took off her white apron and sat down out at a table behind the kitchen. "Whoa calm down Tae! You're asking a million questions before I can answer even one." Kaoru replied as she sat across from her.
"Sorry." Tae said as a sheepish grin graced her face. "Well it's not like I get to see you often with you running around Kyoto all the time now." Tae replied her voice lowered. Tae was the only one knew Kaoru's little dirty secret and had promised not to tell anyone.
Kaoru snorted. "Don't remind me." She mumbled.
"Well come on and answer my questions because I have more." Tae pressed. "Okay, okay." Kaoru said slightly annoyed. "I just came in today. But I left Kyoto a week ago." Kaoru informed. "But if they let you go a week ago why didn't you take the train home?" Tae asked.
"It would be too suspicious for me to take the train home every time my work is done in Kyoto." Kaoru answered. "Well how about every once and a while?" "No still that would be quite questionable. The less people who see me to tell what I look like the better." Kaoru answered.
"Yeah, well I can understand that." She answered as she looked off to the wall. "So! On a hopefully better note how have you and my brother been doing?" Kaoru asked as she tried to sound cheerful. At hearing that Tae sighed heavily and Kaoru immediately knew something was wrong.
"Tae what is it?" Tae looked at Kaoru slowly with sad eyes before she turned her head again to answer Kaoru. "Kaoru the government was after the dojo again. This time in order to keep it they wanted cash payment from you…But of course you were still in Kyoto so your brother was trying to find work to try and attempt to make any where near what the government was asking. Though by the time he did find work the money was due." Tae started while looking down at her drumming fingers.
Kaoru's face fell.
"So where is Yahiko?" "He's fine…I gave him the money so he could get the government off his back." Tae said. "Oh Tae you didn't have too." Kaoru said feeling guilty she wasn't there to do anything. "Well Kaoru you and Yahiko are like family to me, I don't mind." Tae said as she smiled.
"At least let me pay you back." Kaoru said as she looked at Tae. "Don't bother. Yahiko already has a part time job here trying to work off the debt and the last thing he needs right now is for you to come back and pay it off before he even has the chance as a man to pay me back." Tae said as she waved her hand dismissively at Kaoru.
"Thank you Tae….I really owe you." Kaoru said as she looked down. Tae looked over at Kaoru and could see her friend's sadness. "Hey look it's good for Yahiko; he needs to build some character sometime. You can't baby him all your life." Tae said as she stood up.
"In fact if you stay a minute longer he should be heading in here today." Tae said as looked over at Kaoru who too was standing. "He might even come in early like he has for the past few days or so." Tae mumbled. "Come in early? Yahiko's never been that punctual to anything in his life!" Kaoru exclaimed slightly cheerful.
"Yeah well let's just say he's taken an interest into another one of my younger employees." Tae said as a mischievous smirk came across her face. "Don't tell me he finally succumbed to his feelings for Tsubame!" Kaoru said as delight spread across her eyes. Tae giggled, yet she nodded her head 'yes' and both women broke out into laughter.
"Well it took him long enough." Kaoru said smartly. "Aw come on Kaoru give the boy a brake." Tae said as they began to head to the front of the restaurant.
When they came back out into the dinning part of the Akabeko they found Yahiko trying to help Tsubame with collecting trays from the tables.
"Well would you look at this…If I didn't know any better I would say this scrawny, little kid looks like my brother, yet he's not acting like 'em. Cleaning up the table and flirting with his 'best friend'." Kaoru taunted as she crept up behind him.
"Hey what was that busu?" Yahiko said enraged. At her brother's response Kaoru laughed a little. "Well it's nice to know that you're still a smart mouth at least." Suddenly after the anger subsided Yahiko realized who he just called busu and then he ran into his sister giving her a hug.
"It's about time you came back." Yahiko said slightly angered. "Don't worry Yahiko. I'm not going no where…Not for a long while." Kaoru whispered into his ear.
As Kenshin entered the restaurant he noticed a couple sitting down enjoying their food, and a business man sipping on tea as he was reading a newspaper and a couple other people. As he stood there waiting patiently for someone to seat him he noticed one woman look his way then turn her head back to the group of people she was sitting with.
Then after a moment or so the woman who looked at him stood up along with two kids and went in the back of the restaurant while the remaining young woman placed a white apron on and proceeded to walk his way.
As Tae and the others were having fun catching up with each other Tae turned around when she thought she heard footsteps enter the restaurant. As she notice the guy that had entered was looking back at her she turned back around a little unnerved.
"What's the matter Tae?" Kaoru asked confused. "That guy that just entered. He kind of startled me that's all." Tae said. "Hey Kaoru me and Tsubame need to get back in the kitchen and the other waitresses are busy, do you think you can take care of him for me?" Tae asked.
"Sure why not?" Kaoru said slightly curious as to why Yahiko couldn't do it. But relinquished the thought. Away, as she figured, that for what her friend did for her she could at least wait on one person for her. "Thank you Kaoru….Um Tsubame give Kaoru your apron and get another one for yourself out the kitchen." Tae said.
"Okay." Tsubame's reply as she stood up and took her apron off and handed it to Kaoru. "Thanks Kaoru." Tae said as she stood up and began heading to the back followed by Tsubame and Yahiko.
With a sigh Kaoru stood up and placed the apron around red kimono. She then began to walk over to the man Tae had mentioned. And as she made her way over with she greeted him with a smile on her face.
A/N- Well that's all for now. I put little breaks in the story to make it somewhat easier to read. You got to reveiw to get more! See you next update!
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