Sentiments of gip-k: -For all who ask- no, Kenshin's sakabatou is not broken! You'll see what really happened when you read.
Disclaimer: If I owned Rurouni Kenshin I'd serious make some more bonus chapters for you guys, dude.
Chapter 10: Battle Ensues---
Misao sat still hunched in the shadows. The plan had worked perfectly! Had Kenshin not said so, Misao would never have thought that the Myoujin brat had such incredibly sharp eyes. Well, he had managed to learn that overhead attack of Kenshin's just from observation. If the kid was not really observant he would not have been able to do that. He had shouted the signal from across the street and pointed with his fingers as they had agreed he would, and she in turn threw the kunai into the tree. Sanosuke's part in the plan was to punch the tree and topple it over, and Saito and Kenshin were supposed to block any attacks the hopefully then exposed assassin would make. Once he started the offensive attack his killing ki would be sensed, and Kenshin and Saito would do their part. Misao watched as Kenshin checked Kaoru to make sure she was all right. It appeared she was. Sano was hunched over the tree he had punched, still shaking off the first effects of the poison. He apparently had not donned his mask. Misao was a little worried, but then she saw him stand up on his feet steadily and felt better.
"You may expose yourselves, whichever rest of you were part of this plan," the assassin said coolly.
Misao abruptly jumped out of the bushes. The assassin narrowed his eyes- eyes of a darkly red coloring- at her, apparently none too pleased he had not noticed her presence before. She could not help grinning.
"I'm good with stealthy stuff," she winked, and threw one of her kunais in the air and caught it. "And throwing, too." Yahiko revealed himself also, shinai out and ready for battle.
The streets had completely cleared of people. Apparently they had all run away in the confusion. The only ones left were soldiers, who were all sprawled out on the ground, completely unconscious.
"So it's four against one- hn!" the assassin said, grinning sardonically. "That hardly seems fair. Before you all decide to- ah-hem- annihilate me, I am curious as to how you managed to get this girl into the police station under my nose. True I wasn't watching you all the entire time but I was for most of it."
"Do you remember the delivery girl?" Saito said coolly. He had an odd sort of bloodthirsty smile on his face. Apparently he was eager to rid the world of this assassin, whoever he happened to be.
"Yes, I most certainly do. But I saw her leave the station," the assassin replied.
"No you didn't," Kaoru spoke up, glaring.
The assassin apparently was trying to think. Then his eyes widened abruptly.
"Don't tell me- the Kamiya girl dressed up as a delivery girl, then once she was within and away from my sight, she traded places with your wife, and thus who I saw leaving was not the delivery girl but your wife?" The assassin grinned crookedly. "What a very foolish risk to take. Do you realize what would have happened if I had discovered it was your wife? I suppose that it was so foolish I never would have guessed you would do it. So whilst your wife is safe at- wherever she is- you've put the life of a seventeen year-old at risk? This seems even below a Shinshen."
"So apparently you've got issues with the Shinshen," Sanosuke spoke up for the first time. His eyes were bleeding and his voice slightly hoarse, but for the most part he seemed all right. "What are you?"
"Oh but I am Shinshen," the assassin replied, a bit of madness entering his voice. "At least I was Shinshen until I realized what absolute trash they were, and the patriots alike. The whole war was so pointless, you know. People just fighting about whether or not to stop using swords or not- absolutely idiocy."
"I'm deeply appalled by your speech," Kenshin replied. "Perhaps the war could have been preventable, but the war was not simply pointless, I say. It was difficult to bring the country into this new, peaceful era. Many Shinshen gumi and Ishin patriots alike lost their lives in the war. Your words are the words of one who could not appreciate the sacrifice, or one suffering bitter loss."
"Ha!" the assassin sneered. "Very perceptive are you, Battousai? I did happen to suffer some 'bitter loss' as you called it. My aged father, too old, too sick, and too stupid to be anything other than stubborn, died at the hands of Ishin patriots. But you see, you patriots were basically following orders, so how could I blame them? My father never had to fight in the war, but that was what he wanted. I however…" he turned and pointed directly at Saito. "Blame this man. Who was leader of the Shinshen Gumi Unit 13? That was the unit my father died in. Saito used to be a man I actually admired. Yet realizing that he inadequately protected my father- who really should never have been chosen for his group in the first place- I began to despise him. My father's wit, lost only because of his old age, remained inside of me, his first born son. I knew it would be foolish to try and fight Saito, who was far more powerful than I-"
"I remember you now," Saito said, interrupting the melancholy tale. His eyes took on the form of heated coals. "You were that… deserter."
The assassin laughed. He bowed mockingly.
"Hikaru Ha, deserter of Shinshen Gumi," he said, sneering.
Saito stared back at him coldly.
"Your behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Prepare yourself, Battousai. Let us cut him down where he stands."
"You forget that the man's sword is broken, Saito," the assassin said wisely.
Kenshin tore off his soldier's coat to reveal his reverse blade sword, which had been strapped to his back.
"The illusion had to be complete, I say," Kenshin said seriously. "Had I not used a soldiers' katana, you may have recognized me."
"Ha!" Hikaru said coldly. "I suppose then…" he turned and peered at Sanosuke, who was standing ready, then all the way back at Misao and Yahiko. "…You intend to make this fight unfair by attacking all at once? Or are you really that afraid of me?"
"Look," Sanosuke said, cracking his knuckles. "I understand your father died in the war and all that jazz, but it's really stupid to hold that against Saito. Not that I mind fighting 'ya…" he stretched out, smirking a little. "I just think your argument against Saito is a weak one."
"Yeah!" Yahiko agreed. "As much as I hate to admit Saito was a pretty good officer. I doubt he'd let your dad die like that- you should trust him a little, sheesh. Holding stupid grudges over things that no one takes the fault for seems pretty idiotic to me."
"Silence, child," the assassin said, his face wearing a smile of amusement, obviously in mockery of Yahiko. "This battle is not yours. You and the two women," he stared Misao straight in the eyes. "may go freely."
"I-" Kaoru began to protest. Kenshin hushed her.
"Hush, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said firmly. "You have done your part in this battle, I say. You do not have to fight with us. The lady Misao, Sanosuke, and Yahiko will prove good enough fighting partners for Saito and I, I say."
Kaoru appeared to be insulted at first, but when she noticed the soft look in Kenshin's eyes, she walked away from him and went to stand near the knocked down tree. Saito got into the correct position to perform his gatotsu. Kenshin stood ready. Misao pulled out a couple of kunais.
"Prepare yourself, Mr. Ha," Kenshin said, focusing on the assassin.
Hikaru smiled.
"I already am."
Lightning fast he pulled out two smoke bombs, and tossed them down on the ground. Kenshin quickly leaped up into the air so he would be able to avoid the attack, but Saito, as they had agreed, rushed forward with his gatotsu attack. Kenshin, now a good fifteen feet in the air and overlooked the battle. The assassin managed to dodge Saito's stab. In the split second he did, Sanosuke attempted to catch him off guard with the fukae no kiwami punch-attack, but bending backwards with litheness doubtfully unexpected of the man, the punch simply whizzed past him, missing. At near the same moment, Misao three of her kunais through the air at the man. Twisting his body around, the man dodged one, snatched the other one between his teeth, and grabbed another straight out of the air.
All this happened within seconds. The smoke was covering the area quickly. The assassin was just about to thrust in his hand into Saito's side when…
"RYU SUI SEN!" Kenshin cried, and brought his sword down directly over the assassin's head. Kenshin imagined that the assassin, distracted by the attacks of Saito, Sano, and Misao would now be off guard. He was shocked when the assassin's foot connected squarely with his abdomen, sending Kenshin, who gasped in pain, flying a good few feet and rendering his attack a miss.
Now the smoke covered the area completely. Kenshin leaped quickly to his feet, coughing slightly, rubbing blood off his chin. It was difficult to see through the fog. Kenshin heard a stabbing sound followed by a loud scream that faded quickly into a soft groan of agony. Kenshin wondered who had been taken. He peered downward in the smoke, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the feet of those who were in the battle.
At that moment, a gust of wind flowed over the street, clearing out the smoke. There lay the assassin on the ground, some of his tools scattered around his body. He was obviously badly wounded. Saito lifted his sword above his head, and with a vicious downward thrust ended the man's life. Kenshin frowned slightly. Saito then looked up at Kenshin, his eyes unusually dark, and a soft smirk on his weathered face.
"I imagine you are in opposition to me destroying this man?" Saito said coolly, his tone mocking. "Well you helped with it, if I may have the 'honor' of giving you credit," Saito cleaned his blade on the assassin's shirt. Kenshin was about to speak, but Saito interrupted him. "It is finished, Battousai. This is the end of our temporary alliance." The entire street was silent. Not even Misao or Yahiko spoke a word. Saito stared around at his unconscious police escort, which was just beginning to rouse.
"Commander Saito!" one of them exclaimed. He jumped straight up and stared around, not a little horrified at the scene around him.
"Never mind it," Saito said with a wave of his hand. "All is well. You and the rest of the escort simply follow me back the police station."
"Y- yes sir!" the policemen stammered in unison. They stood up- though still slightly off balance from the effects of the poison gas- and followed Saito away, leaving the "Kenshin Gumi" to stare after them and their leader.
"Some thanks we get for helping him out," Sanosuke mumbled.
Kenshin walked over to stare down for a moment at the body of Hikaru Ha, gentle sadness and pity present in his violet eyes.
"It is sad that people choose to waste their lives on vengeance, I say," Kenshin said softly, almost not hearing Sanosuke. He felt arms wrap around him gently, and startled, looked up and found himself staring down in to the darkly blue eyes of Kaoru.
"It's never nice when people lose their lives- I wish like you that life could only be peaceful but… it seems a hard thing to achieve," her eyes glistened with tears. "But… you're a good man, Kenshin, and you're trying. You helped save Tokio and Saito's lives and… that's admirable."
Kenshin could not help smiling at her, and was relieved when he saw an identical smile appear on her lips.
"Thank you, Miss Kaoru," he said. Then he turned away from her and again stared after Saito's slowly disappearing troop. The people were again beginning to return into the streets in a slow trickle. "Saito will probably have Lady Tokio leave the city soon, I say," he said absentmindedly.
"Really?" Misao said, speaking for the first time since the battle ended. "Why does she have to leave so soon? I mean- not that I'd really miss her and anything… well I wouldn't miss her that much you know she's really stuck up and everything you know? Like all the annoying things she said and how she walks into a room all pretty like and all looking down at the rest of us ladies and- GAH! You know what I mean, right?"
"If you hated her so much why exactly did you help save her life?" Yahiko asked, getting a bit annoyed of Misao's babble.
"Because- because- because I'm not that mean and selfish, dimwit! I thought you knew I had a pretty soul, huh? HUH?"
Yahiko was about to snap back at her something close to "neither pretty heart nor pretty face girl" but he snapped his mouth back shut and decided to direct his attention on the growing crowd who had come to find out exactly what had just occurred.
A group of policemen appeared immediately and dispersed the crowds. They brought a bag, into which they put the body of Hikaru Ha inside of, and carried him away. Kenshin watched the whole scene sadly. Everyone was quiet, even Misao.
"I guess there isn't much to do than to get back to the dojo, huh?" Sano suggested cordially.
"Yes," Kenshin said. "The work here is done, that it is."
The group headed back to the dojo.
gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -Well that's finally over. I wish I could have done it better- sorry guys! I'll also have my special thanks in my next chapter as opposed to this one.
Post Chapter Statements: -Well that's finally over. I wish I could have done it better- sorry guys! I'll also have my in my next chapter as opposed to this one.