Disclaimer: Battousai will give me a full sword slash if I don't say that I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or anything from it... oh, and I ah... feels sword tip poke her back ... don't own Battousai.
Behind My Back – Chapter Nine – By Cherry Chibi
'Watching each other's backs'
"Really...?" Kaoru asked, "I may be asleep... but I am still me." She instantly released him and he felt the coldness of the room puncture his skin. Kaoru smiled weakly. "Let's go home."
'When did she 'wake up'?' He thought, she was acting normal now and was playing mind games. He paused feeling like he had just been caged by a hunter. For the first time in a long time he felt that he was the victim of someone's mind game instead of the victor. He had just fallen for a trick.
- - - -
The recent few days had been rather unusually pleasant for Battousai. He had been able to lounge around and for the first few times ever, had a normal conversation. The odd thing was though, Kaoru's cocky attitude had subsided and she had somehow transformed into a quite girl who smiled whenever she could. It was definitely different. Another odd thing was that Katsura hadn't called or made any form of contact about the next few assassinations that he was supposed to do.
"Kenshin, why can't we just go for a walk or something?" Kaoru asked as she slumped into the seat beside him. "It's hard to believe that you can just sit in this apartment all day long and not want to do anything else." She clasped her hands behind her head and stared up to the ceiling. "Don't you ever go anywhere?"
"I haven't received any orders from Katsura, therefore I'll remain here." Battousai said before he closed his eyes. "It's dark outside. It wouldn't be safe for you to go for a walk." He heard the girl sigh tiredly.
Kaoru twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. She couldn't understand how someone could be so obedient and manage to stay and wait for his master's command twenty-four seven. It was unusual though and she thought that she was going to break into another argument with him. Before she could say another word, the phone rang.
In smooth motions, Battousai reached the phone and answered it. "Yes?"
"Good evening Battousai… how have you been?" Katsura spoke calmly. His rich voice swirling into Battousai's ear.
"What is it that you want?" Battousai responded.
"I have an assignment for you. In a couple of hours there'll be a festival starting inside the city. There'll be a man by the name of Aoshi Shinomori waiting in the Sakura Parks for you. He'll be waiting on his motorbike. I want you to go and find him. Help him rescue a girl named Misao Makimachi. After that, you will find a man by the name of Takeo Fukuoka. Eliminate him." Katsura explained to Battousai the task. "That is all for tonight. I would like for you to leave your apartment as soon as possible."
"Fine." Battousai said. It wasn't a big deal to him. The assignment was going to be easy.
"Hand the phone over to Kaoru."
Battousai held out the receiver to Kaoru and she accepted it quietly. Kaoru held the receiver up to her ear and said calmly, "Hello?"
"Kaoru, it's Katsura speaking."
"Good evening Katsura." Kaoru said politely. She had a funny sensation that Katsura had been scheming something. She sensed it in the air and in his tone. From the corner of her eye she saw Battousai preparing to leave. "Where are you going?" She asked him. Battousai opened the door and eyed her with his amber orbs.
"Out." Then he left the room without another word. The door clicked shut and she heard it lock.
"I have an assignment for you…" Katsura said on the other line, catching Kaoru's attention.
- - - -
Battousai entered the Sakura Parks and soon enough spotted Aoshi leaning against a Sakura tree, his black Yamaha motorbike parked beside him. He approached the man and stopped a couple of paces away. "Aoshi Shinomori I assume?" Battousai questioned. Icy blue eyes looked up and bored into his.
"That's right." Aoshi said as he straightened himself.
"I've been told to assist you in finding your friend." Battousai said, "What is the situation?" He wanted to get this whole ordeal over with and he felt that it was the same for Aoshi.
"There's a tent being set up in the festival to the north of here, Misao is locked up inside the truck that is parked behind it. I would need you to eliminate the 10 guards there while I free her." Aoshi stated as he swung a leg over the motorbike and started its engine. "We have exactly 15 minutes to complete the task before back up comes." He spoke coldly and calmly but the words carried a heavy weight which Battousai could not define the reason. Both of them were speaking in a neutral tone but Aoshi's carried a much more sentimental feel to them. That, Battousai couldn't understand. "If you pass four intersections heading straight from here, you see the tent easily." Aoshi said, "I'll leave the guards to you." With that, Aoshi sped off. Their meeting was only short but Battousai had already figured what he would do.
With ease, Battousai progressed towards his destination.
- - - -
Kaoru sprinted, she could hear her soft pants in her ears. Her eyes glowed ultramarine through the shadows. Ahead she could see the bright lanterns of the festival. She had difficulty running in her blue floral patterned yukata since she didn't want the sash to fall loose. As she exited the alley and stepped onto the lit footpath. 'He should be somewhere around here.' She thought.
It was a race against time. It had taken awhile for Katsura to explain her assignment. Although at the back of her head she was still questioning why she had accepted the job, she believed that there was more meaning to tonight.
The sensation was still drowsy, earlier on Uno had arrived at the apartment and injected a substance into her body. It was the exact substance that had been injected into her a few nights ago. Kaoru wasn't sure what had allowed her to submit herself into such acts. Maybe it was just because her intuitive abilities had assured her that it was okay for her to do so.
There! She spotted him. The man with long red hair walked through the crowds, weaving through people unnoticed.
Her left hand tightened over the hilt of her shinai as she followed Battousai.
He found the large tent that was being set up and stepped onto the construction ground. Several men in black suits turned their attention to him and sneered. "What do you want?!" One of them snarled, "No one is allowed near here yet!" Battousai smirked and stepped closer, challenging the men to say more. "Hey! You want to be killed?!" All ten men were watching him.
Battousai scoffed. "The dead should threaten another's life."
"Why you…!" Immediately the first guard took initiative to make the first move. But what he didn't know was that he was facing the great Battousai. His life ended with a quick swipe of a sharp sword. A thin red line circled around the guard's neck before it spurted with red fluid. The body crumbled onto the ground and the head rolled a couple of inches away. Battousai flicked the excess blood from his sword.
"W-Who are you?!" Another guard questioned. Fear had replaced the confidence so quickly that Battousai felt that they never had any confidence at all. He sneered at the useless men.
"I'm just a messenger."
- - - -
Aoshi's kodachi sliced open the padlock with no sign of difficulty. The lump of metal fell off it's hook and the latch lifted. Quickly, he opened the door. "Misao?" Inside the truck was dark, so dark that he wasn't able to see anything inside. "Misao?" He entered slowly, sheathing his kodachi and stopped at the centre of the doorway. The streetlight shined across aqua eyes of a pale girl. She looked up to him and her tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Aoshi!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her face pressing against his clothing. Aoshi smiled gently as he wrapped his arms over her shoulders.
"It's over… you're safe." Aoshi said. "Let's go before others come…"
- - - -
Kaoru watched emotionlessly as Aoshi and Misao sped off into the alleyways. 'I guess that they didn't need much help…' She glanced at the time and then over to Battousai who had just made his final kill. 'If Katsura was right and my predictions are correct, Takeo would be here in 10 seconds.' She leaned back against the wall, melding into the shadows. Nothing could be seen except for her bright ultramarine coloured eyes that were glowing with their own life.
Exactly ten seconds later, she heard the mocking laughter. She turned her head around. A short man who was almost bold walked along the path with three bulky men following behind him. She frowned deeply. 'Takeo… now I remember… he was the man who assaulted my mother the first night she came to the city… and Mr. Kamiya didn't do a thing about it…' Her dreamy state had really given her the advantage of being able to keep a clear mind.
Her shinai was prepared for a strike. The four men walked the street as though they were kings. Kaoru sneered at them. As they walked passed her, they hadn't even noticed that she was there, waiting for the politician to walk by. Instantly, faster than any of them could blink, Kaoru struck the three body guards at their heads, knocking them back into the alleyway silently while the politician walked straight on, unaware at what had just happened. 'May you rest in peace Takeo Fukuoka.' Kaoru thought as she watched the foolish cruel man leave.
She turned her attention to the three unconscious body guards. "I'm sorry, I had no choice. Let's just hope that the Shinsengumi won't be too cruel on the three of you." She then walked the path which led back to the apartment. Her assignment for tonight was done. All she was required to do was to help Battousai out a bit and knock out the three body guards so that Battousai would only have to kill one person. In a way, she had just saved him from killing 3 innocent lives or so to speak.
- - - -
Battousai raised an eyebrow as the politician entered his sight. No body guards? That man must have been very, overly confident or just plain stupid. "Takeo Fukuoka, you shall cease breathing tonight." Battousai stated as he drew his sword.
The politician laughed, "I don't think that you can get me so easily." He said as he glanced over his shoulder, only to find nobody. "W-What?" He turned back to face Battousai with a pale expression. "Oh… p-please! I'll give you anything!" He spun around to make a run for it but he had never made another step.
It was funny to see the sudden change of emotions. Some men were just weak that they needed stronger men to give them the powerful image – only this time the man seemed stupid, if he didn't have anyone behind him then why did he glance over his shoulder like that?
'Unless someone else is meddling…' Battousai thought as he sheathed his sword. 'That person must have been skilled to have been able to get rid of the body guards without the man noticing.' Battousai had a suspicion and immediately darted towards the apartment after hearing fast approaching footsteps.
- - - -
Just as Kaoru turned out of the alleyway she had heard heavy steps from behind. She turned around slowly and sneered. "You again." Her face was blank from emotion. The tall bulky man just sneered at her with hate. "I'm giving you an chance, Garuda, turn around and leave me alone or else." Kaoru said it so calmly that she had sent chills over Garuda's body.
"You forget who I am… I'm not one of the top assassins for nothing!" Garuda shouted. Ropes lashed out from no where. One wrapping around her knees, another wrapping around her arms and waste and another wrapping around over her mouth. Her knees snapped shut together from the impact of the rope, she fell onto her knees. Then she figured it out. He had somehow known that she was going to come this way so he had organized a trap for her.
'I guess that I can play innocent girl now…' Kaoru thought, loathing the thought that she would leave the impression that she was a weak girl. 'If my predictions are correct, Garuda would be hopeless after this… he would feel even more regret…' Kaoru stared into Garuda's eyes with boredom.
"Playing tough little girl?" Garuda taunted. He grabbed her neck in the same fashion that she had done to him nights earlier. "I can see why you'd be Battousai's woman." Kaoru raised an eyebrow, so now rumors were spreading saying that she and Battousai were an item? She didn't know what to make of it.
"But too bad that you're so weak now…" Garuda continued. Then he laughed sinisterly. "You're nothing more than a weak teenaged girl! The only reason you won the other night was because of your freakish abilities. You're a freak. You should be sent straight to hell."
'Freak…?' Kaoru sneered at him before swinging a powerful kick into his groan. He dropped her and stumbled backwards. Outraged by the sudden attack. Kaoru just remained emotionless. Causing Garuda to get even more annoyed. She guessed that his reputation had really gone down the drain ever since she had defeated him so now he was getting delusional. The ropes around her knees had loosened and she was able to stand up.
- - - -
Battousai stopped when a tall shadow appeared. "Katsura." He acknowledged. Katsura approached him with a small smile.
"Battousai, I see that you've complete your task…" Katsura said. Battousai gave a slight nod. "How has the girl been?" Battousai resisted the temptation to growl. Out of all times to ask for a report it had to be now.
"She's fine."
"What do you think of her?" Katsura questioned, his tone entirely serious. It felt like a spider was weaving its trap while the fly flew around unknowingly of its fate once it had touched the web. Battousai chose not to reply. "I see." Even though his top assassin didn't speak, Katsura was still able to tell what he was thinking. After all, that's what his abilities were good for.
"Is this all you wanted to see me for?" Battousai asked impatiently. He didn't want to waste time as usual.
"I was just considering, I will place full responsibility of Kaoru onto you." Katsura said, "She's from now on your partner in your assignments. Like Yin and Yang." At first, Battousai's eyes flickered with defiance. As if to say that he disagreed with it and that he found no pleasure in it whatsoever. Katsura grinned a little more.
"You sent her earlier didn't you?" Battousai questioned, "You sent her to get rid of the body guards…"
"Correct." Katsura stated. "She watches your back and in return, you watch hers."
"You're forcing her to do something without giving her a choice?" Battousai asked. It was highly likely that Katsura had commanded Kaoru to do the task since that was usually how Katsura was.
"In fact, she took the job willingly." Katsura said to Battousai's surprise. Sensing the surprise, Katsura felt a slight pleasure, "Like I said earlier, she's your responsibility and you're her responsibility." Without another word, Katsura turned back into the ally and melded into the shadows. "By the way," Katsura called, "You might want to hurry, Kaoru seems to be in a little trouble."
After hearing that, Battousai wasted no time. He sprinted towards the alley that led to the apartment. In his senses, he knew where she was without even thinking things through.
- - - -
She prepared herself for what was going to come next. Garuda furiously threw a punch into her stomach. She lunged forward and chocked on her coughing fit. The blistering rope which had wrapped across her mouth was bruising her skin and the loose hard ends of fibres were grazing into her lips. Too soon was the next blow delivered, this time at the back of her knees.
"You're a freak you know that?" Garuda hissed, "You don't belong here."
She endured the pain. Somehow she lost the heart of fighting against Garuda. His words
becoming much more painful than his physical attacks.
"You're not human are you?" The last comment caused Kaoru's breath to cease for a moment and she felt like she was going to break down like she used to when she was being tortured years ago.
A high pitched metallic ring echoed through the darkness and with a shimmer of the moonlight, a blade slashed open a wound on Garuda's torso, revealing the tendons and vessels. His eyes widened as he backed away. The next impact which pierced through his neck and through his spinal cord finished him off. Ropes were cut loose and they had dropped to the ground.
He stood before her, close enough for her to see the depths of his amber eyes. Battousai calculated her cuts and bruises. When he had seen what was going on here, it had enraged him and his temper rose to levels which were beyond mentioning in words. To see her in such a state made him angry.
Kaoru's smelled the salty scent. Her fingertips brushed over her bleeding lips, touching the minor cuts from the rope. "Thank you, Kenshin." She straightened her posture so that she wouldn't give him the impression that the punches earlier had really injured her. Battousai didn't believe Kaoru's expression then and approached closer to her, placing a hand over her stomach. When she flinched he frowned. "I'm alright." She said fairly quickly but it wasn't convincing enough for him. Kaoru didn't make another attempt to try to convince him, her thoughts were back to the harsh cruel words spoken earlier.
"What he said was out of foolishness." Battousai said when he saw the flicker in Kaoru's ki.
"Hm..." Kaoru replied softly. "But maybe what he said was true…" Strong arms pulled her into an embrace that surprised her.
"If you are a freak, then why hasn't anyone gone against Katsura and called him one?" Battousai questioned in a hoarse whisper. "They say that to you because you appear to be weaker." She returned the embrace, accepting the comfort that he was offering to her. Kaoru couldn't express how grateful she for Battousai's words.
In a cruel cold world that she lived in, she used to feel so alone but ever since she had met him things changed. The moment felt almost as if fate had brought them there or as if someone else had planned it. At that moment, Kaoru felt that she was forever bound to Battousai from mind, body and soul.
"You're my responsibility…" Battousai said.
"As you are mine." Kaoru replied.
- - - -
AN: Another chappy! Hope you all liked it. Thank you everyone for supporting this fic and for reading it. BTW, there'll be more Aoshi and Misao later on so no worries there! I hope to see you all next time I update!