DISCLAIMER: I do not own nor will I ever own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit from this and I will remove this if requested to do so for any legitimate reason.
WARNING: This story is rated R for violence, so if you do not like graphic depictions of people dying I suggest you find something else to read.
The Last Battle of the Bakumatsu
Chapter 15
The sounds were that of an early morning breakfast but it was completely devoid of any conversation. Sano continued to eat even though he was mindful of the occasional glance from the three women around him. Megumi was watching him quietly and also spared a look or two at Kaoru. Kaoru was watching Kenshin and Sano because they knew what was happening with Yahiko. She also looked at Megumi intermittently because she had been about to wake the doctor up when she walked out of her room with Sano. Misao was waiting for Sano because he had said he would train with her after Aoshi had disappeared during the night.
Oblivious to the tension in the room Outa and Kenji sat patiently, both of them hoping to get the attention of Sano. Outa wanted to learn from his brother and thought he had the opportunity due to Yahiko's absence. Kenji was continuing with his seemingly endless fascination of Sano by trying to emulate his hairstyle. While it was an amusing sight for most, his parents were less certain. Kaoru didn't like how easily Kenji would take after Sano and Kenshin was envious of the fact that Sano was about the only man Kenji seemed to respond to. Sano suddenly realised he was the only one still eating while everybody else continued with the silent glances.
"So where did Yahiko disappear to?" Sano casually asked as he put aside his empty bowl.
"He went to the temple," Kenshin answered as his wife surveyed both men suspiciously.
"Are either of you going to tell me what's happening and why Yahiko is acting weirdly?" Kaoru looked at Kenshin who shook his head apologetically and then turned her gaze to Sano.
"If you want to know, you'll have to ask him yourself Jou-chan," Sano flatly stated as he scratched a particularly irritating wound. Kaoru sighed in frustration and looked ready to explode with too much energy.
"I need a good work out, let's go Outa," Kaoru abruptly stood up and walked towards the training hall with Kenji in tow. Outa looked questioningly at Sano before following after her when Sano nodded his head.
"Come on Sano, you promised you'd spa with me," Misao pleaded as Sano sat unmoving. He was about to rise when Megumi noticed someone enter the dojo.
"It's a little early for visitors," Megumi warily remarked as the man walked towards them. Sano grinned as he spotted the man casually strolling across the yard.
"Didn't think I'd find a drunken idiot like you awake this early in the morning," Katsu commented as he reached the porch.
"From the looks of it you didn't get any sleep last night, you weren't out drinking without me, were you?" Sano gestured for Katsu to join them and offered him some tea.
"Only running those errands you wanted done," Katsu replied dryly as he studied everybody in the room.
"Don't worry, you can talk freely here. You know Weasel and Kenshin. This is Takani Megumi," Sano pointed out those left in the room. Katsu held his gaze on Megumi for a short while before returning his attention to his tea.
"So you're the foxy doctor," Katsu breathed after he drank deeply from his tea.
"I take it the rooster head has been talking about me," Megumi glance sideways at Sano who ignored her.
"You'd be surprised what one hears about the lady doctor in the dark, dank streets of Tokyo," Megumi tried not to shudder at Katsu worrying statement.
"So you have information on the Shinsengumi," Misao was suddenly calm and concentrated on Katsu. Katsu looked at Sano who shrugged noncommittally, leaving the decision to Katsu.
"Hasegawa Masamichi had a shipment of goods to be taken from Tokyo to Kyoto the day after the first attack. Surprisingly, the shipment was to be taken by carriage rather than train or boat," Katsu stared at Misao, who sighed disappointedly.
"Saito already knows about that. They actually left the night of the first attack and they never arrived in Kyoto," Misao looked uninterested until she noticed Katsu smirking.
"But do you know where they went?" Katsu asked and saw Misao snap her attention back to him. Katsu lingered on the answer as he sipped at his tea. He could see Misao squirming as she waited for the answer and Sano was also waiting for Misao to explode.
"Will you just tell us!" the exasperated cry unexpectedly came from Megumi, shocking everybody but Kenshin. Megumi tried to look prim and proper even under the stunned gazes of Sano, Misao and Katsu.
"Shimosuwa," Katsu finally stated after getting over Megumi's little out burst. Kenshin could see Sano's eyes become clouded with memories before an ominous grin spread on his lips. Kenshin looked at Katsu who seemed to share whatever sentiment Sano was thinking of.
"Can you be sure that's where they went?" Misao urged, oblivious to the change in mood of Sano.
"The person who saw the carriages is reliable. An old woman whose son died with the Sekihoutai and so she adopted one of the two who survived. I contacted her because she lives on the road between Tokyo and Kyoto, so if they had passed her she would know. Of course she also lives near an intersection that allows you to travel toward Shimosuwa. She knows which way the carriages went," Katsu could see the anticipation in Sano's features.
"Alright then, when I tell Aoshi we'll be able to track them down in no time," the exuberant Misao jumped up and rushed out of the dojo.
"Guess we'll have to pay a visit to the Keiko on our way passed," Sano commented as he relaxed.
"That depends on whether or not Saito wants a couple of former Sekihoutai members along on his little crusade," Katsu sniped as he placed his cold tea with the rest of the dirty dishes.
"Who else knows the Shimosuwa forest better than a couple of Sekihoutai members," Sano replied in a similar manner.
"Planning to go off and get yourself killed then?" Megumi spitefully added as she noticed Sano's dark demeanour.
"If that's the way it goes then so be it. A straight out fight and if you are strong enough you'll survive. This is what I've been waiting for," Sano didn't try to hide his excitement. Megumi studied him a little crestfallen and Kenshin also studied him with a concerned look.
"I haven't been able to find anything for the second thing you wanted but I found a few places for the third." Katsu's comment came after a few awkward moments. Sano had suddenly seen something in Megumi's face that had stalled his rising excitement. He was glad for Katsu's interruption and could see from the corner of his eye that Megumi appeared to agree with him.
"Well that's good enough for now. Can we check them out now or do you need some rest?" Sano asked as he started to stand. Before he could rise to his full height Megumi caught hold of his ear and pulled him back down.
"Where do you think you are going? First you talk about going off to die and now you are going out to start more fights. What is wrong with you?" Megumi twisted Sano's ear a little harder, eliciting a small yelp of pain from him.
"Cut it out Fox, I'm not going out to cause trouble," Sano tried not to look like he was begging. He could see that both Katsu and Kenshin were finding this situation humorous and he could only thank his lucky stars that Kaoru wasn't there as well.
"So where are you going?" it was a question but Megumi's voice made it sound like a demand. Sano crossed his arms over his chest and stubbornly refused to answer. Katsu watched the stalemate but he didn't feel like sticking around too long. He stood and walked out of the room but paused as he stepped down off the porch.
"Sano asked me to find him a house to buy and there are a couple that match what he is looking for. We were going to check them out but since you are acting like a married couple, maybe I should just let you two go." Megumi released Sano and blushed with embarrassment while Sano rubbed his sore ear. Sano climbed to his feet and started to follow Katsu out of the dojo.
"You know he's got a point, you probably should come along," Sano didn't turn around but Megumi already had her back to him.
"What are you suggesting? Are you asking me to go?" Megumi asked uncertainly, her hands gripping her knees tightly.
"I'm asking, I mean… I'd like you to come with me," Sano was watching Katsu who stood at the gate waiting for him. His hands were in his pockets but they were balled into tight fists as he waited for her answer.
"I'd like to go with you," Megumi quietly spoke, feeling relief as she smoothed out her kimono. Sano waited until Megumi had caught up to him before they walked side by side to the gate. Kenshin calmly watched with a pleased smile as they disappeared from view. He suddenly didn't mind being left alone with a room full of dirty dishes, although he still had some concerns about Sano.
The grandson of the former owner walked in front with Katsu just behind him. Sano and Megumi walked side by side just behind Katsu as they approached the last house on the list. It was the fifth they one and the cheapest, despite being in one of the more expensive areas. The other houses had been close to Sano's liking but there was always something wrong. The location, price or size of the houses he had seen didn't suit him. Katsu said that the next would probably suit all his needs but it was in a bad state of disrepair.
The story according to Katsu was that the old owners had lived there their whole lives. When the old woman died, her husband couldn't live without her and had remained in the house with the decaying body of his wife. He had eventually died and the growing smell had alerted the neighbours to something being wrong. The two deaths had meant that the house was hard to sell but there was also the fact that the smell of death was a permanent feature. Megumi and Katsu had suggested that he should just compromise on one of the other properties but Sano was intrigued.
"Good location," Sano muttered as the owner unlocked and opened the gate. The house was in between the dojo and the clinic even though it was off the main path between the two.
"Location isn't everything," Megumi sceptically responded making Sano smile. She had been the constant opposing voice, pointing out the opposite view of whatever he said.
"This is it but I'm sure that you and your wife would prefer somewhere better," Katsu smirked at the owners comment. He was the third person today to assume they were married but they hadn't corrected any of them. Instead they played along and relished the chance to team up against some sleazy salesmen. This man however was only slightly built and was even intimidated by Megumi, who stood a few inches taller than him.
"We'll see," Sano walked past the man who was reluctant to enter more than a few paces from the gate. Even there the smell was strong and Sano was the only one to wander around the house. It was relatively big but that was emphasised by the fact that all the screens had been opened to allow the air to pass through the house. Sano wandered around the perimeter, noticing that the house was close to the boundary at the front and on the left. While to the right and the backyard had plenty of room. He checked the well and looked over the bathhouse before stepping into the main house. He poked his head into the small kitchen and then wandered over the tatami mats before stopping in the centre of the house.
"I'll pay three quarters of what you're asking," Sano announced and surprised the trio at the gate.
"What about the smell?" The owner stated in disbelief as he cautiously approached Sano. Sano just smirked at him and slammed his foot down, overturning one of the mats.
"You're obviously are too scared to stick around this place for long. The smell is of decomposing garbage, not human flesh. I guess your grandfather got lazy and started dumping it under the mats rather than throwing it out. Clean out under the floor, replace the mats and let the place air out is all you need to do." The owner was staring at the gap in the floor where he could see the pile of decomposing garbage that was festering there.
"The smell is just garbage," the man reiterated as he continued to stare at it.
"Yeah and the roof needs repairs. There is also a crack in the bath and some of these screens need repairs. So are we going to make a deal or are you going to stare at the floor all day." Sano didn't appreciate the man's cowardice, especially since the smaller man obviously thought this place was haunted.
"Yes, we should go to my house," the man stuttered as he realised his fears of the house being haunted by his grandparents had just been banished. He started to walk out and was followed by Sano.
"You do know that it's going to take some hard work to make this place liveable?" Megumi inquired as Sano passed her.
"I know but I can work hard if I need to. You've just never seen me with a reason to work," Sano stared blankly at Megumi as she started laughing.
"Sagara Sanosuke, working. What is the world coming to?" Megumi's melodramatic statement amused Katsu but Sano ignored her. Sano continued to follow the owner and heard his two friends fall into step behind him. As they reached the main streets they separated with Megumi and Katsu going their own directions and Sano continuing on with the owner. He didn't know why he liked that place but he was going to own it and work hard to repair it. For some reason that seemed like a refreshing idea compared to the ones that normally floated around in his head.
Megumi was on her way back to the dojo late in the day. However her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had taken a detour passed the house that Sano wanted to buy. She hadn't heard from him since she had left to go to the clinic and she wanted to know if he had gone through with it. As she reached the gate she noticed it was open and stepped inside. The first thing she had noticed was that all the tatami mats had been completely removed. A pile of fresh ones along with some paper screens in need of repair sat off to the right. Megumi walked around the house and could see that someone had cleaned out the garbage that had piled up under the floor.
"Looking for me Fox?" Sano called out, startling Megumi. She looked up and could see that he was up on the roof repairing some of the tiles.
"So you actually can do some hard work," Megumi could see Sano grunt in displeasure at her.
"I did have some help from Outa," Sano stated as he jumped off the roof and discarded the old tiles.
"So where is he?" Megumi inquired when she noticed no one else was around.
"He was worn out after working here and Jou-chan taking out her frustration on him. I sent him back to the dojo to get cleaned up and a good night's rest," Sano walked past Megumi to drop his tools into a box.
"Speaking of getting cleaned up," Megumi turned her nose up, as she smelled the same smell that permeated the house this morning. "Don't even think about it," she warned as Sano took a pace towards her with a devious grin. Sano nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and headed over to the well. He started to pour water over himself as Megumi seated herself far enough away to avoid the water but closed enough to talk. However she couldn't find the words to start the conversation.
"Out with it Fox," Sano's gruff voice broke Megumi from her internal deliberations. "You look like you have something important you want to say, so say it," his response to her blank stare made her look away from him. Megumi heard Sano resume his soaking after a few moments and finally decided to act.
"Why buy a house if you are so eager to die?" Megumi's voice was quiet rather than her normal authoritative tone.
"I don't want to die," Sano stated flatly and Megumi's reply was almost instantaneous.
"They why are you so excited about rushing off to fight the Shinsengumi to the death?" Megumi couldn't quite restrain the desperation from seeping into her voice. Sano stood motionless, staring at nothing but carefully considering his answer.
"You know I was born ten years too late," he started as he sat on the edge of the well, facing Megumi but not looking at her. "I always regretted not being old enough to do much good, not being able to help Captain Sagara out as much as I wanted. After his death, strength is all I wanted so that I could prove he wasn't a traitor. That was until Kenshin beat me but I never lost my desire to be stronger." Sano looked up as Megumi scoffed at his last comment.
"So you going off to prove how strong you are, that is stupid," Megumi's tone was both regretful and spiteful.
"I only have to prove something to myself. People feared Zanza because I looked like I could explode any minute, even though I was always smiling. When I got back to Japan I was tired and it felt like I could sleep for a whole year but Saito sent me on that mission. Stuck around those guys for a couple of weeks, it reminded me of growing up on the streets of Tokyo where it seemed everyone was against you. All I wanted to do was lash out but I had to restrain myself because of Yahiko." Megumi studied Sano closely and could see he was trying to restrain himself from unleashing some of his frustration.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Megumi asked and shivered as his eyes met hers.
"I once told my Dad that I had no one to protect and no home to go back to. My circumstances have changed but I haven't. I'm still Zanza just like Kenshin was still the Battousai. I still have my demons to face and I need to face them so that I can move on, just like Kenshin had to deal with his past against Enishi. A final battle where people like Saito and Aoshi will gather to decide the future, just like during the Bakumatsu. Somewhere where I can expend all my rage and find the answers in the heat of battle. A fight that shows me that I would have made my captain proud." Sano stared up and noticed that the sky had darkened and the stars were beginning to show.
"Do you have to risk your life to do that?" Megumi sighed dejectedly, something that Sano didn't miss.
"Fighting against the best of the Bakumatsu is the only way to do it," Sano answered with more fervour than Megumi wanted to see. "You don't want me to leave, do you?" for some reason, Megumi wasn't surprised by that question and wasn't afraid to answer truthfully.
"No I don't," Megumi almost whispered but she knew Sano had heard her when he smiled warmly at her. "How can I let you go if I know you might not come back?"
"Because you're the best reason I have to come back. After all what good is having a home to go back to if there is no one there to protect," the both gazed intently at each other. Laughter quickly filled the air as the seriousness of the moment descended into hilarity. The relief was only momentary but with the tension lifted they both felt a little more at ease.
"Come on Fox, we should get back to the dojo," Sano collected his gi from where it sat on the pile of mats.
"Not staying at your new home?" Megumi queried as they walked towards the gate.
"It could use the night to air out a little more and it's too late to put all the mats down," a growl emanated from Sano's stomach.
"You're just looking for another easy meal," Megumi chided as Sano locked the gate. Sano didn't reply and appeared to be taking longer than he needed to complete his task.
"You know I wasn't lying about what I said before," Sano remarked quietly as he kept his back towards Megumi.
"I know, the same goes for me," Megumi felt a little uneasy until Sano turned around smiling.
"Now that that is settled, we better both start praying that Kenshin cooked," they laughed lightly and slipped into inconsequential conversation as they walked to the dojo. While there was still some disquiet between them they also felt calmer around each other. It wasn't an emotional moment but it was a beginning to something deeper.
Author's Notes: Well another chapter down and as always comments, criticism and reviews are welcome.