Chapter 2: Shattered Peace
"Kenshin! Kenshin!" Kenshin immediately snapped his eyes open and responded. "Yes, Ms. Kaoru? What is it" Kaoru had just found him out on the back porch, "There's someone here to see you. He says he's a friend from 'the old days'."
"Oh really? Did he give you his name?" Kenshin asked suspicously. "Yes, he called hime self Shingen Kimore, I think it was?" Kenshin jumped up with anticipation " Ol' Kimore? I haven't seen him since I left the revolution, that I haven't! I wonder what he's up to these days!" Kenshin began walking with Kaoru back toward the living room. As he walked in, he was greeted with a familiar smile. "Shingen! How great to see you after all these years! What have you been up to these past ten years?"
The bearded man stood up, gave that same warm smile and greeted Kenshin back, "Kenshin, good to see you again. I should ask you the same thing, seeing as you just up and left the regiment. Though that aside, I have important information for you. If we could be alone for a while?" Puzzled, Kenshin looked over to Kaoru and asked if they woulf leave them for a while. They reluctantly got up and left.
"Now, what is it that is so secret, I had to send my friends out of the room?"
Kenshin interrogated his old friend, "Very, very important news I'm afraid. But first, before we get into that, how have been since you left? You seem as fit as you were back then." Shingen seemed worried, depsite his friendly attempt at playing catch-up. There was a gloominess in his face the whole time...
After hours of talking, Shingen decided to bring up the main reason for his appearance. "Yes...I remember those days like they were yesterday. But, now to the reason I came here in the first place." Kenshin gave him a curious look,"There's been much trouble down in Azuchi... There's a mass murderer on the loose." He began to search through his coat for something, "He claims to be a descendant of the legendary Iga nija, Hattori Hanzo." Kenshin's face went into a cold stone stare. "You mean...the one that served under Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa when he took control of Japan?" Kenshin asked grimly. "The very same. Some gaurds in the city ran into him and some of his "soldiers" down near Azuchi Castle. The results were brutal...they were all mutilated in horrible ways, body parts strewn everywhere. We couldn't even tell who they were for a while, until they were reported missing." Kenshin's expression went from curious to horrified in the blink of an eye. "H...how could anyone do that..." Kenshin asked himself in a low tone. "After that, he began killing our men randomly. Every other night we find bodies in some strange location. All torn in pieces. It's been like this for three weeks now, we still don't even know why he's doing it...and just two days ago he sent us this letter. This," He pulled an envelope out of his coat," Is the main reason I'm here. Read it. You'll find it quite interesting..." Kenshin gave a curious look of fear and opened the letter. it read: "These pitiful grunts are no fun. There is only one person whom I can get a challenge out of now. The man who defeated Makoto Shishio... Battousai the Manslayer...I am coming for you, and I will kill all around you to get to you if I must." At reading this, Kenshin's face turned from fear to deep anger. He curshed the letter between his fingers. "Thank you...Shingen. You may leave now, as I have important business to take care of, that I do..." Shingen got up, turned around and looked back. "I'm sorry...but we even sent our best men on him. They came back in pieces. You're on your own this time..." At that, Shingen Kimore turned around and began walking. The painful look on his face was that of extreme guilt.