Disclaimer: I'm sick of this…Sanosuke get your ass here! Do the disclaimer for me!
Sanosuke: I'm the hero of this story and I do not belong to Arashi/Taka and nor do my friends or the Rouruoni Kenshin anime. Though Taka insists that I do belong to her in her dreams! Sweet dreams!
--------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2: Revealed Secrets.
"Sanosuke? Could you please get me some fish?" Kaoru called out to him as he sat talking to Kenshin. She stuck her head out of the window. "If you could make it fast, then lunch will be ready in half an hour."
Sanosuke grunted as he got up. Why didn't she ever send Kenshin out these days? He walked out quickly, the fish store was pretty close by and it took him five minutes to get there. He knew the fisherman well.
"Hey Sakana-san, so what have you got to show me today?" usually Sakana-san picked out his best catches for Sanosuke.
"Eee…Sano-san. This is the best catch of the day! Isn't he a big un at that?" Sakana-san held up a nice, fresh mackerel, one of the biggest of its kind, which flapped about in his outstretched hand… "For a few extra coins, I'll throw in some of the shrimp too. They're a fine lot."
Sano grinned. "Fine then." He slammed the money up on the counter watching Sakana-san kill and pack all the fish. A woman walked up next to him.
"Ah…Sakana-san, I'd like some fresh tuna please. Give me about 50 of them, I have a lot of people coming in today, looks like some kind of party." She spoke softly and smiled.
She turned to greet Sanosuke, when his eyes widened. "You…"
The woman's eyes widened a fraction, before she smiled. "Um…what do you mean?"
Sano looked at the store; Sakana-san had disappeared into the small room at the back of the shop. "You're the ninja, from the night before…"
She took a step backwards. "I don't know what you're talking about…me a ninja?"
He grabbed her a little tightly. "Don't lie to me, little Miss Ninja." He let her go as Sakana-san entered, but bent a little close to her. "You and I have to talk…thanks Sakana-san." He collected the bags…hers as well and steered her out onto a lone alley. His mind screamed warnings; she could kill him easily out here.
"So you remembered. Stupid of you to bring me here, I could kill you and no one would know who did it…or maybe I should just make you disappear?" she seemed so calm.
"Well, why don't you?" Sano looked at her directly. "Actually why didn't you the last time? It would have been easy to finish me off."
She blinked. "My orders were to get rid of Battousai, you didn't figure in them. I only kill if I have to and well it would have been idiotic of me to kill you just to get Battousai…he is easy prey and I can still get him, anytime without having to kill his faithful friends to do so. A waste of life."
"a ninja with a conscience?" said Sano sarcastically. "I didn't think ninja's thought about the people they killed…"
She smiled at that. A perfectly normal, wry smile lighting up her eyes with humour. "Every killer has a conscience Sano-san. Some just hide it well and some just talk about it to strangers in lone alleyways. But I can't call you a stranger can I? After all I almost killed you?"
"Yeah. Well what's your name?"
"What makes you think I'd give it away? You can call me Tsume for now. So are you going to run back to your friend Battousai now?" Tsume considered him carefully.
"No." Sanosuke didn't know why he said it. He would have to tell Kenshin of course…but.
"Well don't worry. Your Battousai can wait a while…I don't feel like killing him right now. Besides I would like to get to know you better." She smiled again flirtatiously, making her look very pretty. She placed a hand against his shoulder.
Sano swallowed. She was prettier than he had expected. "Uh…I have to go."
"I'm sure you do. And if you tell Battousai, tell him he's got a little longer to live." Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "But take care not to treat me like that again. It seemed amusing to follow you here; I won't let that happen the next time. Actually, let me assure you Sano-san there won't be a next time, you're fumbling up my plans." And then she left.
Sanosuke touched his shoulder where her hand had been…he was going crazy. He was crushing on a killer…
------------------------------------------------
Himura Kenshin chopped the potatoes as fast as he could. Kaoru would be really angry if he didn't finish in the next few minutes. He heard her complaining away to Yahiko about how late Sanosuke was and how lunch was going to be really late!
The door opened and shut. Kenshin looked up, it was Sanosuke, but he looked a little dazed… "Your fish Kaoru…" he dumped it into Kaoru's hands and walked into his room, where he had been staying for a while.
Kaoru stared after him fuming a little obviously disappointed at being deprived at an opportunity of yelling at him…almost hidden a look of concern also flitted across her face.
The meal was done quicker than Kaoru expected. Kenshin had cleaned the fish expertly, so it had been really easy for her to just cook it. They sat around the table eating silently. Kenshin silently trying to force his food down his throat…Kaoru was a good cook except when it came to fish, and suddenly she had got a fish frenzy. He wondered how she managed to eat it.
Sanosuke unusually quiet didn't make any sarcastic comments or tease Kaoru about her cooking at all. He just ate completely immersed in thought, while Yahiko…made a few faces as he ate. After the meal everyone did their bit of washing up and separated. Kenshin and Kaoru went out for a while, and Sano went to his room.
Kenshin watched Kaoru as she dangled her fingers in the lake. A bit of wind blew her hair around for a moment…he always felt so peaceful around her, even when she screamed like a banshee.
"Kenshin, it's so cold! Come and touch the water…" Kaoru looked at him with shining eyes. He went to her side smiling. They sat together silently for a while, when suddenly Kaoru turned to look at him.
"Kenshin, do you know who tried to kill you on the eve of my birthday?"
His eyes widened in shock. "How do you know about that?"
"Yahiko saw you fighting. I'd sent him to call you because it was getting late." She looked up at him, before placing a hand against his chest. "What I'm worried about, is the fact that that ninja almost killed you. What's more he had you paralyzed and he almost killed Sanosuke, god knows why he left."
"She. It was a woman. I don't know why she left but you don't have to worry…I don't think she'll strike again." Kenshin smiled at her gently and placed his arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah well. Hey there's more fish left for dinner!" Kaoru brightened up at the thought.
"I'm going out to dinner today. I have to meet the commissioner." Kenshin said hurriedly. "I'm sorry; I won't do it again without telling you in advance."
--------------------------------------------------------
Tsume leaned over and opened the drawer. She slowly lifted out the black mirror and removed the lid, staring at her face…Tomoe's mirror. Her closest friend in the world. Enishi had saved the mirror as well before he left. She replaced the lid and put the mirror back inside. Tomoe had loved Battousai…a sheath for his sword, and now her best friend was trying to bring Battousai back. And kill him in combat.
She had even gone all the way to Hiko Seijuro, Kenshin's teacher, to learn. She was the only person who could beat Kenshin with his own moves…but her best friend's lover. "Enough! Assassins don't worry about things like that…he is your prey, kill him. Bring out the Battousai and kill him!" she whispered to herself.
"Takashi-san, the guests are here. You should greet them." Akiko, the maid said through the door.
"I will be there." Tsume paused at the doorway and composed herself. She opened the door with a bright smile plastered over her face. Bring back the Battousai and kill him!
-------------------------------------------------
Kenshin sat at a table by the corner, his back facing the door and looked around for the woman from the day before. Then he saw standing near a table across the room from him talking to people having a party. She looked stunning, in a black robe with white embroidery of white plum blossoms and a red under robe.
White plum blossoms…Tomoe. Kenshin's thoughts raced backwards in time to the woman he never forgot…the woman he would always love. Tomoe…
"Himura-san, nice to see you back here. Are you enjoying the food?" the woman…he had heard them call her Takashi-san was kneeling in front of his table smiling.
"It's very good." The faint scent of plum blossoms sent him ricocheting between the past and the present.
"Would you like some sake? On the house…you're becoming one of my frequent customers." He looked up at her smiling at him, mischief twinkling in her eyes.
"Why not? And may I ask…what is your name?" Kenshin smiled back at her.
"Takashi Mariko. If you don't mind may I join you for a cup of sake myself? I am very tired today." She signaled for sake to be brought.
"That would be good." For a while they sat in silence just sipping the sake. "Cherry blossoms in the spring and starry skies in the summer. The autumn brings the full moon. The winter brings the snow. These things make sake taste good….it tastes good to me tonight."
Kenshin's eyes widened. "That's what my teacher used to say, Takashi-san. How did you know?"
"My father used to say the same thing. A lot of people do say the same things Himura-san. And please call me Mariko." Then she looked at him seriously and said with exaggerated casualness. "They say you are the legendary Hitokiri Battousai…would that be true? Forgive me for asking but unlike other hostesses I like knowing the background of my customers and I usually ask."
"It's true." Kenshin found himself saying.
She picked up his sword… "Ah…a reverse blade…to prevent you from killing people again. For atonement." She said it flatly as a statement not a question. Then she continued softly. "But sometimes Kenshin-san, you might have to kill again, use the reverse blade, whatever the promises or vows you made…" she shifted position which sent another wave of her perfume…Tomoe's perfume, when suddenly she went rigid. Staring at the doorway. Almost at once she regained her composure. "Something has come up, Himura-san. I must go."
She replaced his sword and got up fluidly. Kenshin took his half sheathed sword and smelt a metallic tang. Looking more closely he saw a blood stain banded across his blade, Mariko had cut herself. He went to memories of the people he had killed…did he want to go back there?
------------------------
Mariko rushed to the back door and stepped out. She caught hold of the man's hand and took him to her room. Closing the door, she made sure no one was listening. "I thought I made it clear that there wouldn't be a next time, Sano-san."
"What are you doing here?" Mariko pushed him against the wooden beams.
"I came to see you."
------------------------------
A/N: I'll write better next time i know it stops abruptly. but i'm kinda busy and i wanted to put the rest in the next chapter.
Arashi/Taka