Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any creations from it so yeah.
Behind My Back – Chapter Five – By Cherry Chibi
'Midnight Meeting'
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Battousai noticed, even though the only source of luminance was the moonlight, that Kaoru's sorrow surfaced again and she just stared at him with adoration and hurt. She stared into the face of the deceased man from years ago. His face was just the way she had pictured it in her mind every now and then. It was still the same face that she had fallen for. "Akira…" She whispered.
His amber eyes stiffened into ice and his expression turned harder. It was the only thing he could do to show that he was in no mood to play any stupid games. Or it was the only reaction he could give into an uncomfortable situation.
Kaoru drowsily pushed herself upright, her body was so loose that her head tilted over one shoulder and the only parts that seemed to have any life were her hands trying to support the load. "Where am I?" Her blue eyes had somehow darkened to the depths of sapphire towards black or brown – the colour of Katsura's eyes.
'If she has that effect with the drug, then she and Katsura have something in common.' Whatever connection that Kaoru had with Katsura, it wasn't any that would be as obvious as that. It was much more complex that what Battousai could even think about. Truth is, he didn't bother, he believed that he was only a shadow assassin with no other skills than to kill, so that meant that he didn't require to obtain any information about his boss or anyone. In his mind, in the world he grew up in, it was every man for himself.
Ten minutes was up and Battousai climbed out of the car with a sweeping motion so smooth yet quick that Kaoru didn't have any time to gather information of her surroundings. The man's strong arms pulled her out of the car and hoisted her over his shoulder. Lassitude had drooled through her system and painted the walls of her muscles. Once again, her vision was blurred by the wet droopy fuzzes and slowly blocked out all light.
* * * *
"Are you sure about your decision Katsura?" Iizuka questioned his boss cautiously. "Battousai is the best we have and..." Katsura gestured for Iizuka to take a seat before the grand wooden desk. The room was dimmed with only flares of golden yellow wavering across the walls from the fireplace. The room was beating with the sounds of ticking from the clock hanging on the wall.
"I'm sure." Katsura said. "I had made a promise to Kikuno that I will protect our child at all costs." He lifted a class of wine and swerved the liquid inside the glass. Iizuka looked slightly amused at Katsura's mood.
"So… what you're saying is…" Iizuka slowly stated. Katsura had always been secretive about his personal life. No one had ever known much about the mysterious family that Katsura had, not to mention how he had always been able to predict when and where a person was going to be.
"What he is saying that Kaoru Kamiya is really Katsura's child." Takasugi said while entering the office. He made himself comfortable upon a spare seat beside Iizuka. "Katsura, everything is ready for your next speech." Takasugi was one of Katsura's closest colleagues and had played a role in Battousai's upbringing.
"Good."
"Speaking of your plans for Battousai…" Takasugi said, "Why do you plan such a way that may interfere with Battousai's work? It was your idea in the first place that he was to kill the Kamiya child." The tall thin man ruffled the side of his black hair and eyed his boss carefully.
"That was before I had realized that she had the ability as well." Katsura said, "Not only has she inherited the ability of having the higher intuition but she has the same burning desire to get out of the living hell of the blinding confusion the government has caused for her like Kikuno…" The other two men only smiled slowly, Kikuno had been a beautiful woman. She was the one who had stopped Katsura from descending into madness in the first place and their memories of her were always happy ones.
"Then why didn't you do her the favour of ending her life then and there?" Iizuka questioned.
"I saw Kikuno in her and I couldn't… besides," A small smile touched Katsura's lips with malice, "I believe that she can be of good use." He took a sip from the glass of wine and placed it back down on the desk.
"Do you have any intention of telling her the truth?" Takasugi questioned. He was inquiring about Katsura's relations with Kaoru.
"No… not yet." Katsura said, "Let her get acquainted first with her new lifestyle, I believe that she can give the Choshu more strength with her ability." Sometimes, Katsura had seemed like a bastard. He was unpredictable. One moment he could be a compassionate man while the next, he was a complete cruel torturer. His moods changed with time and it seemed that his eyes did too. That was one of the reasons to why he had gained so much fear and respect from those below him. Except for one…
No one had ever dared to glare at him in the eye with as much cruelty or strength as the one and only Battousai. The two men were always on equal ground in situations of power and strength, except Battousai accepted his position in following orders and killing.
"I believe that I know who can help with that." Takasugi said with a cheerful grin.
Iizuka sighed and shook his head slowly. "I knew this would come in sooner or later."
Katsura leaned forward and clasped his hands over the surface of the smooth polished wood. "I believe I know too."
* * * *
Battousai laid the resting innocent being on the bed and covered the limp form. He stepped back and leaned against the grey stained wall. Innocence. He wanted to laugh at the irony of that word. It was hard to believe that these days, the people called anyone who hasn't broken any law, innocent.
Scheming. Lies. Betrayal. Hate. Jealousy. Rivalry. Anything that people used that had been enough to harm another person's life was far from being called innocent. Not necessarily breaking any laws meant loss of innocence. That was what he believed until he had laid eyes upon this woman.
Before Battousai could swim any deeper into his thoughts, the phone rang. He hurried out of the room and answered it. "What?"
"Battousai, come to the Underground Akabeko now." Katsura said on the other line. "There are some things that I would like to go over with you."
"What about the girl?" Battousai questioned.
"She'll be fine, just leave her there."
* * * *
The noise from the partying lunatics behind the wooden door exploded into the room, a waitress with a tray of sake bottles and cups entered. Battousai recognized her immediately.
"I've brought your order Katsura sir," Tae said calmly. She placed the tray on the table, bowed politely and hurried out of the room, it gave Battousai the hint that Tae wasn't really the kind of person who wanted to be around criminals.
The loud commotion of partying men was muffled when another woman who had just rushed into the room slid the thick wooden door shut. Her shoulder length flowing black hair was tied back into a low ponytail and she was dressed in office clothing. "I had never realized how much noise they made…" She said with a sigh of weariness.
"Are you tired my dear?" Takasugi asked his her gently. His warm words made her auburn eyes shine happily. The woman smiled and shook her head. She obediently sat beside Takasugi at the square table. On one side Katsura was seated quietly while on the next side, Battousai occupied the spot.
"Now that everything is ready," Katsura said, "Let's begin. Battousai, I have arrangements for Kaoru." Battousai gave a small nod of acknowledgment. He took note of how the table had been set up. Besides the sake bottles, there were bowls and chopsticks. It was going to be a long evening.
"I'm not sure whether you have noticed Kaoru's uniqueness but," Katsura's eyes flashed blue for a moment, "She'll be staying at your apartment for awhile." Battousai opened his mouth to speak but Katsura interjected quickly. "Uno, I trust that you will help Kaoru settle in?"
"Yes, I've organized the changes that have been required for room 223." Uno replied. A clever smile crossed the twenty nine year old. "I've also arranged for the training sessions that you have requested too."
Battousai didn't like where the conversation was going at all. Room 223 just happened to be his room and he thought about what Uno had meant when she said 'changes'. "Ah… Battousai, sounds like you're going to have a young woman occupying your apartment too." Takasugi said with a teasing tone.
"Why don't you give the damn girl her own room?" Battousai questioned curtly. "I'm sure that she'll prefer that too." He preferred his own private space and he didn't need a stranger occupying it as well.
"We do understand that you don't want her to interrupt your personal space Battousai," Uno said a bit too sweetly, "But every woman would want to feel safe. Especially in a place filled with brutal, thirsty men."
"She does have a point Battousai." Katsura said, "Kaoru would move into the room soon. I'll give further explanations to this arrangement as time passes. But for now, Kaoru's memory of around the past week would be vague, she won't know everything so you'll have to help out with that." Katsura registered Battousai's stiff silence with a cool look before continuing. "Battousai, I trust that you're going to make sure that the Shinsengumi won't know anything about this?"
Battousai replied with a small curt nod. The Shinsengumi were the Choshu's most deadliest enemy in the world of politics as well as the underworld. Battousai once had slight difficulty with one of the assassins but nevertheless, victory was his.
"Battousai, do you still have the black envelope that Iizuka had given you earlier?" Takasugi questioned suddenly.
"Yes."
"Get rid of it." Katsura said.
Battousai eyed his master with a cold hard stare. Katsura had never ordered him to get rid of any of his assignments so why had this list been any different? Silence dripped and poured over the people before Uno cleared her throat gently.
"The list that you have received was a forged one, a friend of mine has informed me so." Uno said, "Iizuka is a traitor. We have no proof of that now but we're going to have to be careful from now on."
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AN: Doumo Arigatou go zai masu mina! *bows* Thanks for your support! I'm getting really excited about this fic and I'm gonna try to make the fic less confusing / complex. And if there is any way for me to improve or if you would just like to tell what didn't or did work please say so! ^-^x
Kyki: *Ducks next attack* ^.-; Updated as soon as I could! Hehe, I get that word a lot… 'update'. Anyways, thanks for the review! Lol.
Mav1: Arigatou! I'll keep trying my best. ^-^x Thank you for reading!
EnjerJoshin: Oh… sorry for causing the confusion. -.-; Well, thanks for your advice, I used your Shinsengumi idea... you see, I wasn't really sure about the groups since it has been a while since I last checked. ^-^x *bows* Arigatou!
Until Next Time!
Cherry Chibi.