MadiSano: More Sano-in-agony stuffs ahead. Also, a certain annoying spider-haired freak makes a totally pointless appearance. Have fun, and review, please!
Disclaimer: Nihsnek Inuorur nwo t'nod I. (I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.)
CHAPTER ELEVEN, FALLEN WIND: TO PROTECT YOUR OWN
Kasumi walked at a brisk pace through town, heading for home. When Yami and Sanosuke had left for Seiji's, she had decided to go to the market. She didn't need anything, really—she just wanted to do something to partially take her mind off her worry.
A million "what-ifs" ran through Kasumi's mind as she walked down the road, hardly paying attention to where she was going.
Sagara promised me, though…everything is going to be fine. But…if they aren't home by midnight, I'm coming after them! No matter what, I'll grab my chains and cape and get to Seiji's in no time. Then I'll smack the crap out of Sagara, and imprison him inside the house for a month! Yami-san will get it, too! I'll put him in charge of doing laundry and dishes—
"OUCH!"
Kasumi stumbled backwards as she accidentally ran right into someone from behind. Regaining her balance, she looked at the person in which she had bumped into.
It was a police officer. He turned and narrowed his yellow eyes from behind his thinly shaped bangs, exhaling an amount of smoke from the cigarette he was gnawing on. His hand flew to the katana at his side, but paused when he saw it was only a now very traumatized girl.
Kasumi paled, frozen for a moment. Holy crap! This guy's scarier than Sanosuke when he's mad!
The two stared at one another for a minute, until the police officer growled, "Watch it. You could get hurt that way." He then walked away.
Kasumi put a hand over her hammering heart. I need to be more careful! For a second there, I though he was going to whirl around and chop my head off! Spider-haired freak…
The close encounter only reminded Kasumi all the more of the danger Sanosuke and Yami were approaching.
"Ugh—!"
As the sun settled into the horizon; two figures slipped into the shadows of Seiji's estate. Wordlessly, they knocked the guards at the gate unconscious. After, the shorter one snipped the lock on the entrance without anyone inside seeing.
"Come on," the dark figure growled.
The taller person nodded, and they slipped through the gates.
Yami stealthily crept through the grass, while Sanosuke silently followed suit, occasionally making a small noise. The guards took no notice of them.
Once they were near to the house, Yami and Sanosuke slid around to the side of the house, where there were fewer guards. Yami opened the window, slipping inside. Sanosuke came in behind him, and quietly put down the window.
They crept through the dark room they were in, pausing at the door to listen for those on the other side. Confirming that there were guards on the other side, Yami rapped on the door once. He and Sanosuke the jumped aside, hiding behind the door as the guards came inside.
With a punch from Sanosuke and a rap on the head with Yami's sheath, the guards were efficiently brought down. Because they were reluctant to kill them, the two boys bound the soldier's hands, transported them into a closet, and locked them in.
Then Yami poked his head out into the familiar entrance hall, relishing the fact the two guards were the only ones so far. Motioning an affirmative to Sanosuke, they scuttled up the stairs.
Before reaching the top, Yami crouched down and looked around the rails for guards. There were three, but they had turned the corner and were now out of sight. Yami listened to their receding footsteps, until he was sure they were gone.
Motioning to Sanosuke, they carefully picked their way down the hall, stopping every few moments to listen. Assassinations were killings in the darkness and with the speed of an arrow—an attempt cannot fail without expense.
"Which way is Seiji's room?" muttered Sanosuke to Yami.
Yami motioned for him to shut up. Sanosuke paused, not pursuing his question, and strained his ears to hear anything that signified danger. The Fight Merchant could hear nothing…then what was Yami so tense about?
"Yami," Sanosuke hissed at the dark samurai, wanting an explanation. Yami put a finger to his lips, telling him yet again to be quiet.
Sanosuke simmered silently. He couldn't hear or see anything, so what the heck was Yami so nervous about?
A moment passed before Yami dared to reply. "Sano-kun, I want you to go one without me and get to Seiji as quickly as you can, leave, and wait for me at Kasumi-san's house."
"Excuse me?" Sanosuke hissed, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Now," Yami ordered. "Go, and if I do not return, take care of Kasumi-san. Do you understand me?"
Sanosuke didn't even stop to consider whether or not he understood him. "Are you out of your mind? What's wrong, you—"
"Go! Now!" Yami hissed, pushing Sano along and drawing his sword.
Sanosuke turned obstinately, muttering, "What up with you, Yami? You're freaking me out, here—"
"I do not wish for you to be killed, if you remain with me for but a few moments longer, you will be slaughtered," snarled Yami. "Protect your own, Sano-kun, or Kasumi-san's heart will be shattered—run, you baka!" Sanosuke took a step backwards in shock. Yami had never before spoken so harshly to him.
Hesitating, Sanosuke turned to leave. Suddenly, a weighted rope flew out of nowhere, the weight flying around Sanosuke's arms, and the rope restraining him with a twang. Unbalanced from the swiftness and momentum of the attack, Sano fell hard on his back.
Struggling as warriors filtered into the hallway, Sanosuke found that the rope was exceptionally strong, and seemed to have strands of thin metal in it.
The guards overall targeted Yami, who was now the most potent threat, while two soldiers took a wooden sword and set it down across Sanosuke's throat, preventing him to sit up.
"Kamlyn Sorano Style!" Sano heard Yami shout, and winced as a spatter of blood flew from a soldier nearby and onto Sanosuke's cheek.
With a grunt, Sanosuke pushed off with his feet, rolling on his back and kicking the two men in the face. He then landed on his knees.
Standing up to meet the guards coming his way, Sanosuke fought by kicking those who contradicted him, and even went so far as to head butt a man.
But in the end, without a weapon or his fists, three men with wooden swords thrust Sanosuke to the floor and onto his face. Squeezing his eyes shut as a blade was pressed to his throat, Sanosuke was terrified when all went silent.
Just as Sano was beginning to wonder if he had died, he heard a man shout to Yami, "Cease, or we'll kill him."
Yami, apparently, had ceased. There were no more death cries and the screams of death, but the solemn silence that Yami had patented. Then, there was the soft noise of the dark samurai taking a step forwards.
"Stop there!" the guard bellowed. "Another step, and we'll slit his throat."
Yami continued to approach, knowing that what they boasted was impossible. Seiji still needed Sano. Sano winced when the blade scratched his skin; the holder's arm was trembling slightly.
Suddenly, a loud thock! reverberated throughout the room, and there was a thud as a light mass hit the ground. Wondering what it was, Sanosuke looked up with hope as the blade was removed from his neck. His hope was immediately shattered.
Yami was lying unconscious upon the floor, an empty but now broken teapot beside him. Seiji stood a few feet behind him, apparently the one who had struck Yami down with the porcelain piece.
"Dear, dear," he said, perfectly calm. "Look at all the blood. I'll have someone tend to the wounded, and dispose of the dead…meanwhile, deprive this man of his weapon and take him to a secure room. Meanwhile, take Zanza-san to my office for a chat." Seiji gave Sanosuke a mocking look, turned on his heel, and disappeared down the hall.
Two soldiers carried out Yami's fate, while two others seized Sano by the shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Kicking and writhing, Sanosuke managed to clip one man on the hip, but then Sano was struck from behind and knocked unconscious.
Sanosuke stirred in his faint, cracking open one brown eye and wincing from the pain it caused him. He had been knocked out before—but never with such force. The back of Sano's head was matted with blood.
Wincing again as he opened his other eye, Sanosuke realized he was, indeed, in Seiji's office. He had been set on the floor, his hands clapped in irons behind his back. Breathing heavily, Sano squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to think of a way to find Yami and escape.
Every fiber in Sano's body screamed with pain as he rolled onto his stomach and lifted himself onto his knees. After a few seconds, Sanosuke shakily put one foot up so he was now on one knee. Moments later, Sanosuke found the ability to push himself to his feet and stand.
Crap. Now I gotta walk! Sanosuke growled with irritated determination, but took a step towards the door. His legs gave way and he fell to the floor, dying the carpet scarlet with the blood of his wounded head.
Augh…my head…can't think…"Well, well, Zanza-san! That was a partially successful attempt, but I'm afraid with an injury like that, you're not going far."
Moaning, Sanosuke defined the slick voice as Seiji's. He had been sitting behind his desk the whole time, but Sano had been too delirious to notice.
"Ng…" Sanosuke grumbled, making a stupendous effort to sit up. He fell backwards, however, with a groan of agony as his head made contact with the floor, and his hands were wrenched beneath his weight, pinched by the metal that encased them.
Seiji stood, walking over to Sanosuke's side, observing his sorry state. "So…have you decided to make an alliance with me?"
Sanosuke's voice was raspy and harsh after coughing up an amount of blood. "…No."
Freely kicking Sano in the side, making him groan, Seiji said, "Do you remember the second step of my plan? If you truly refuse, we'll go to Kasumi-san's home and kill her. She has no one to protect her, with you two gone."
Cussing Seiji out mentally, Sanosuke growled in the most threatening voice he could manage. "If you go anywhere near her…"
Seiji laughed. "You'll do what? But maybe, I'll be a bit more pleasant and put that man's life after Kasumi-san. If you refuse this time, I'll kill that man who came with you. He's imprisoned and unarmed this very moment."
Breathing quicker and with panic, Sanosuke scowled. It would be the greatest dishonor to Captain Sagara to help this scumbag take over Meiji, the era he had worked so hard to create. And yet, what would Souzou say if Sanosuke sacrificed his friends for an era that hadn't even turned out the way Captain Sagara truly wanted?
His heart hammering, Sanosuke shifted his weight, trying to comfort his pinched wrists behind him. He did not reply to Seiji, and so, the rich patriot pestered, "Well?"
Giving Seiji a look that would spoil fresh milk, Sanosuke bared his teeth in anger and snarled at him, "What makes you think killing my friends will force me to obey you?"
"Because," Seiji said, smirking. "The more you lose, the more you value what remains. If everything you own except one thing is destroyed, you'll treasure that one thing more than you ever did, and go through extra measures to protect it. If I destroy everything important to you, Zanza-san, except for Kasumi-san, you'll protect her with thrice the strength."
"Bastard," hissed Zanza venomously, lashing out with a kick.
Seiji stepped back and easily evaded the attack, still smiling. "Tsk, tsk," he chided. "That's not nice." He then launched another kick, this time on the side of Zanza's head. Sanosuke howled in pain as more blood spurted from his wound.
Grinning some more, Seiji said, "Of course, if it comes down to it, and you're just too stupid to give in, even if I've killed all that's important to you, I can just let you lie here and bleed to death. Unless you prefer a ditch." His grin broadened.
"It'd be better than seein' your evil face before I die," Zanza spat, his vision swimming as a trickle of blood wound its way down his face.
Seiji kicked him again in the head, seemingly enjoying the sound of Zanza's cry. "You shouldn't speak ill of evil, Zanza-san, when you, yourself wear the Aku. That's hypocrisy."
The very thought that a 'patriot' was accusing him of hypocrisy ignited Zanza's fuel. Despite the immense pain, Zanza got to his feet and threw himself at Seiji with an enraged shout. Seiji seemed shocked and terrified, sidestepping and calling for security.
Five guards burst in, grabbing Zanza and restraining him, trying to force him to the ground. Zanza struggled, kicked, and squirmed, roaring in a raucous voice, "You wanna see hypocrisy? Hypocrisy! It's hypocrisy for you to talk bad about hypocrisy when you made this damned era of supposed equality! You turned on your own friends and killed one another for this dirty piece of junk! How's that for hypocrisy!"
Seiji patiently waited until Zanza ran out of breath, the soldiers throwing him to the ground, defeated and worn out. He was getting dizzy from his pain, exertion, and loss of blood. Gasping for breath, Zanza heard Seiji tell the guards to leave. They did so with caution, watchful just in case Zanza should charge at Seiji again.
When the guards had left, Seiji approached Zanza, smiling slightly. Zanza glowered at him, but his glare wasn't as frightening because it hurt his face muscles to perform the look.
Seiji said, "That's exactly what I mean, Zanza-san. I want to destroy this world of hypocrites, so that people like you won't have to suffer from their lies and mistakes. My only wonder is of why you continue to resist me, if you and I have the same beliefs."
It was a moment before Sanosuke answered. "How can I serve someone who wishes to kill and destroy what little peace exits? I may hate the government, but it don't mean I want to destroy everyone's lives."
"'To fix a house that was built wrong, you have to tear it all down first,'" quoted Seiji.
Sanosuke scowled. "Yeah, well, it don't mean you gotta tear down the whole neighborhood, too."
Seiji looked at him with amusement. "Is that so?" he said. "Well, then. Not the whole neighborhood. We'll start with Tokyo, and only target the main buildings of the government, where no citizens will be harmed. We'll target the police stations, too."
Zanza made a face. "What would I gain from helping you?"
Pleased that he at least asked a question, Seiji answered, "Everything. Safety, money, power, fame; and anything else you please. The only condition you must agree to is to swear allegiance to me; never to attempt to rebel, disobey, or kill me."
"Sounds boring," Zanza voiced.
"It'll get a lot more interesting if you agree, and if you don't…" Seiji's smile widened into a smirk. "…it'll get interesting still, though not in a good way for you."
Honoring Seiji with a sneer, Zanza growled, "What's that s'posed to mean?"
"Torture."
There was a silence as Zanza's eyes widened, realizing the man was serious. Resuming his composed manner, Zanza scoffed and said, "There's no way I'm sayin' yes."
Seiji raised an eyebrow. "What about your friend?"
Zanza fell silent. Sanosuke squirmed slightly, and winced at the pain it caused his head. After a few more moments, he said softly, "Yami ain't gonna die by no patriot."
Putting his thumb to his lips, Seiji smirked behind his hand. "'Patriot', eh? That's what you think I am?"
"YEAH!" Zanza screamed in fury.
Seiji nodded, smiling still behind his thumb. "Your whole story seems to be full of betrayal. Mind telling me why?"
"It's none of your stupid business, and I wouldn't tell ya anyways," Sanosuke growled.
There was a silence…a long silence. Seiji said nothing, as though waiting for Sanosuke to say something. "Hey," Zanza said at last, narrowing his eyes though his muscles burned to do so.
"Hmm?" Seiji said affably, looking at Zanza as though just noticing he was there.
"You're a patriot."
Seiji knew he already knew that. "Yes."
"You musta been in a faction or somethin'," Zanza concluded.
Nodding, Seiji replied, "Yes."
Zanza asked, "What one?"
"Shinshuu. Why?"
There was one of the iciest silences to ever exist in that room at that time. Zanza's memory flicked back to the meeting in Captain Sagara's presence…the soldier that had reported, "'My unit, station at the Usui Cliff…was attacked by the Army from Shinshuu…and slaughtered!'"
Maybe Seiji didn't even go to the Cliff. He…might not have been assigned to go or something… Swallowing, Zanza asked carefully, "Remember any battles of particular? Stands out in your mind?"
Seiji narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Why? Do you have some connection to Shinshuu?"
"I asked ya first."
Pausing for a moment, Seiji smirked and said, "Many, actually. Are you thinking of a specific battle? Do be direct. Mind games are annoying to others."
Then why do you play them? Sanosuke narrowed his eyes and sighed softly. But if I ask him about the Usui Cliff, he'll suspect the Sekihou Army. I don't know what he'll do if he finds out about my former position in the Sekihou Army. He might do something awful, like threaten to desecrate Captain Sagara's grave or something…
"Zanza-san?"
Blinking back to reality, Zanza gave Seiji a look. "What?" he said absentmindedly.
"What battle are you referring to?" Seiji asked, blinking a few times in confusion.
"Your most recent one," Sanosuke said, trying frantically to be sly.
Seiji decided that if he kept asking other questions, Zanza would not answer, and he'd be in the exact same place as before. "It was about seven years ago," Seiji said, looking at Zanza carefully. "But I doubt you know about it."
"Bet I do," Zanza said, feeling imposing rage well up in him.
"Oh?" Seiji looked amused. "How would you? You look no older than fifteen."
"I'm sixteen, Jack!" Zanza spat. "And what right do ya have to tell me what I know and don't know? Tell me what the damned battle was about!"
Seiji gave Zanza a slightly bewildered look, but he replied, "We were given orders to kill off the False Revolutionary Army, they had—"
"WHAT? YOU—YOU EVIL, SICK, BACKBITING, HYPOCRITE! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO CAPTAIN SAGARA!"
Energized by unfathomable rage, Zanza ripped his handcuffs apart with a crack!, leapt to his feet, and tackled Seiji as soldiers ran into the room again. Punching Seiji in the face with all his might, Zanza hit him three times before the guards managed to drag Zanza off Seiji, who was now unconscious. It took seven men to restrain him; Zanza's eyes went red and yellow from rage and hate.
"Get him out of here!" yelled a man. "Lock him up and don't let him out! Get a doctor for Seiji-sama!"
As two soldiers dashed off for a physician, seven soldiers struggled to contain Zanza. The boy punched and kicked with all his rage, not caring where or what he hit, as long as he got the men off him. Two men held back one arm while another pair did another, and the rest of them helped to herd the Fight Merchant out of the room.
Zanza screamed at the top of his voice, still writhing and squirming in the soldiers' grasp. "AAAAARRGHH! SEIJI, ONE WAY, OR ANOTHER, YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT DAY ON FEBRUARY TENTH! I'LL NEVER FORGET ABOUT THE SEKIHOU ARMY, AND I WON'T FORGET YOU HELPED TO KILL MY CAPTAIN! I HATE YOU! YOU WILL DIE BY MY HAND!"
Hyperventilating, Zanza gasped for breath, fainting in the restraint of the soldiers around him.
MadiSano: Well. You must all hate me, now! (enter nervous laughter here.) Er...yes, well...haha...I can just feel the hostility radiating from you...think I'll sign off now, ne? See you in chapter eleven (again, this is actually chapter ten, since chapter 7 was just a note), the SECOND TO DA LAST CHAPTER! MWHAHAHA! REVIEW!