Author's Note: Reformatting of the chapters has taken place—for possibly easier reading, I've moved the review responses to after the chapter. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Oh yes, I'm going to Hong Kong and China next week, so the next chapter might come a bit later (doesn't it always?! ;) Sorry about that!)
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but this variation to the Kyoto Arc plot is mine.
Last Chapter: Kenshin, on the journey to Kyoto, encounters Saitou, who had followed him. Saitou attempts to get Kenshin to come with him on the train to Kyoto, but Kenshin adamantly refuses, voicing his concerns about a possible Shishio-ordered attack on the train. Saitou then makes his way back in the direction of the Kamiya dojo, while Kenshin walks on ahead.
Then, back at the Temple of the Six Arches, Houji finally awakens, his arms and legs bound together. After a brief interrogation of him, Kaoru barely manages to squeeze any information from him, save for the reason that Shishio had used her as bait for Kenshin to come. Angry, Kaoru turns away, only to turn back around and see that Houji had squirmed furiously out of his bonds. Houji manages to draw a handgun out from the inner pocket of his green coat and aims it at Kaoru, positioning his finger on the trigger...
A Cloak of Protection
Chapter 14: The Rage of Gunfire
DAY THREE—8:30 am
Houji plunged his right hand into the interior pocket of his long green coat and drew out a shining, black handgun. "This time, you're getting it, girl." In his eyes shone fury and determination, as he lifted up the handgun and pointed it straight at Kaoru, positioning his finger over the trigger.
Kaoru stood still, paralyzed, her heart leaping to her throat. Slowly, she clenched her clammy fingers and started to back away, her wide blue eyes fixed on the barrel of the glistening gun. Through her panic, her mind started to scream rapid instructions to her, but to Kaoru, it was all drowned through the roaring of her ears.
Her chin shaking slightly, Kaoru took another step back and her heel collided with the closed wooden doors behind her. At the same time, Houji threw himself angrily off the yellow couch with a growling yell and landed with a loud thump on the floor, the shining gun aimed directly at Kaoru.
The sturdy wood of Kaoru's bokken thudded against the wooden door behind her, as she pressed herself against the door. For a moment, she clasped the slim fingers of her right hand tighter around the bokken's obi grip. If she could—no. A wooden sword—against Houji's positioned gun—
A drop of cold sweat ran down Kaoru's forehead and over her cheek. There seemed to be no way out of this. All Houji had to do was press the trigger...
Two yards in front of her, a truly frightening smirk lifted up Houji's lips. He drew up his right foot and took a sinister step forward, keeping the gun steady, his finger poised over the trigger. "You deserve this, you know." He took another step forward with his left foot, the disturbing smirk on his face widening. "Don't play around with a member of the Juppongatana, bitch."
Kaoru's short breaths came more and more quickly, as Houji stepped closer and closer, filling in the gap between them. As he took the final step forward, he lifted the gun higher and sneered, "You'll live to regret it." His hooded, shadowed eyes widened as a menacing grin spread over his face, and he lifted his chin to let out a loud roar of laughter.
Kaoru pressed herself against the cold wood of the closed double doors behind her, bokken clenched tightly in her sweating palms. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see him raise his gun again and pull the trigger. That horrible picture would be the last thing she ever saw, before she left the world.
Another cold trickle of sweat ran down her cheek, and she drew in one more deep breath.
Then suddenly, her sparkling sapphire eyes jolted open. It was too early to give up. She couldn't give up. Somehow, she had to find a way to get herself out of here—and prevent herself from hurting Kenshin. If she gave up now, they would keep tricking him—telling him that she was still alive -- and that would get Kenshin over here to get her out. She knew him. He would come.
I won't give up!
Kaoru dove to the ground and darted out from in front of Houji, just as he pulled the trigger. A deafening, cracking sound erupted in Kaoru's ears, and as a whizzing bullet passed by her right ear, she threw herself as far away from Houji and his gun as she could.
Tumbling in a tangle to the ground, Kaoru pushed herself off the ground as fast as she could and grabbed hold of her bokken, which had fallen to the ground after her. As she got a good grip on her wooden sword, she heard another deafening crack from behind her and dove to the side. The sound of cloth tearing alerted Kaoru's ears, and she turned her head to see a clean, burned hole through the blue skirt of her kimono.
Kaoru quickly glanced back up again, shining raven-black hair falling into her face. Houji had turned around, his eyes dark and furious. "You—!"
In his right hand, the black gun smoked at the opening. He furiously raised the gun at Kaoru again, positioning his finger over the trigger.
Clenching her teeth, Kaoru agonizingly shoved herself to a standing position and hefted her bokken into her fighting stance. She leaned slightly back on her left leg, preparing to leap at her attacker.
They stood like that for a few seconds; weapons drawn and ready, eyes locked together, both breathing hard. Houji clutched painfully at his side with his left arm, panting in deep breaths. Kaoru stiffened, gripping her bokken tightly, glad for the long obi wrapped around the grip area of her bokken.
As Houji's gaze flickered from her eyes to her poised wooden sword, Kaoru saw her chance. Springing back on her right leg and pushing off on her left leg, she rocketed forward at Houji, clutching her bokken over her head. Long, unleashed midnight-black hair tumbled around her shoulders and back, flying around her face, as she sailed through the air at an alarming speed.
Houji released his left side and swiveled around, hastily throwing his left arm upwards so as to block off Kaoru's powerful attack. But he was too late. With a loud yell, Kaoru threw herself behind the bokken and gathered up all of her strength, slashing downwards with a heavy momentum.
Houji threw himself backward at the last instant, and Kaoru's blow glanced off his left shoulder. With a loud grunt of pain, Houji collapsed heavily on the ground, throwing up his right arm and jabbing his gun into the air.
Kaoru tried to twist to the side, but Houji's gun arm jabbed into her stomach as she fell to the ground. Drawing in a short, painful breath, she clenched the grip of her bokken tighter as she doubled over and collapsed in a heap to the ground beside Houji.
Heavy pants came from beside her as Kaoru struggled to get up again, using her wooden sword as leverage. Houji still lay on the ground, clutching his left shoulder where Kaoru had whacked him.
Then suddenly, Houji shoved himself to his feet, hooded eyes murderous as he turned his head and saw Kaoru trying to get up. With a furious snarl, he angrily straightened his expensive green coat and fixed his finger over the trigger of the gun. "What did I say about not playing around with a member of the Juppongatana?" he growled, stepping forward and waving the handgun around. "Get up!"
A sheet of dark hair fell over Kaoru's face, hiding her expression. Houji waited tensely for her to move, his grip on the gun tightening.
The slim fingers over the hilt of her wooden sword clenched tighter, and Kaoru turned her face slightly to glare Houji in the eye. Strands of hair fell over her face, but her eyes shone sapphire and bright with determination. Houji stepped back a little, his face tightening.
Suddenly, Kaoru leaped up into the air, pulling her bokken with her. Houji let out an involuntary yell and brandished his shiny black gun. "I have a gun!" he yelled threateningly. "You can't fight a gun with that flimsy weapon!"
Houji whirled around, waving his gun in the air, eyes wide, looking for the raven-haired girl. But the room appeared to be empty, as Houji pivoted on his heel, gripping the gun even tighter.
A slight whisper of air shifted behind Houji, and he darted forward, twisting around and positioning the barrel of his gun in front of him. His hooded eyes widened in glee. "I have you now, wench!" he cried, sinking his finger down on the trigger...
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9:00 am
Sanosuke walked back to the Kamiya dojo, large white pockets filled with Katsu's well-made bombs, a smile on his face as he watched two little kids running around the street. It seemed like a good day, he mused, lifting his head to gaze at the blue, cloudless sky.
Okubo Toshimichi might be coming today for Kenshin's response, Sano thought. I wonder what decision Kenshin's going to make.
As the tall, gangly roosterhead made his way through the dojo gates, he heard a strangled yell coming from inside the house.
Sanosuke stopped dead in his tracks, hands stiff at his sides. Then he was in motion, pelting off to the house. Who--?
Was it that Saitou bastard again? Sano thought angrily, his feet pounding down to the house, long red ribbon flying behind him. He had already wreaked so much havoc on them—
Sano raced down the hallway, stopping occasionally to fling aside sliding doors, and then continuing on. Who screamed? Where was Kenshin? His thoughts ricocheted off each other in his mind.
Finally, as Sano got to Kenshin's room, he saw that the door was slightly slid open. He clenched his teeth angrily. So something did happen...
Sanosuke screeched to a halt in front of Kenshin's door and swung himself inside, throwing up his fists in preparation. But what he saw made him lower his fists in shock.
Yahiko stood in the center of the room, yellow gi plainly distinguishing him in the semi darkness. His tousled brown hair covered his eyes so that they weren't visible, but his mouth was slightly open as he stared down at a stack of folded blankets on the floor.
A single piece of paper sat, neatly folded once, on the stack of blankets and futon.
The sakabatou was nowhere to be seen.
Sano took a breath through his suddenly dry mouth, and his heart plummeted. He took a step forward, and more steps, until he reached the piece of folded paper. With a shaking hand, he knelt down to pick it up.
At a single glance, Sano scanned the entire, short note that Kenshin had penned out.
"Sanosuke, Yahiko, and everyone else,
I'm sorry. I've decided to become a wanderer again. It isn't worth putting you, my friends, in danger—I might become Battousai again. Please tell Okubo-dono, when he comes, that I've set out for Kyoto. I'll do what he requested of me. I can't wait any longer.
Sayonara."
The note shivered in Sano's hands as he finished reading. Then, abruptly, he flung the piece of paper down and took an angry step back. "What do you mean, sayonara?!" Sanosuke screamed at the piece of paper fluttering to the floor. "You can't just leave! We were going to come with you to get Jo-chan back! You—! K--!"
With an angry glance back at the offending piece of paper, Sano swiveled on his heel and stormed out of the room, pounding out of the house and out of the gates of the Kamiya dojo. As he ran, a haze of anger swam in front of his eyes and a heavy lump in his throat threatened to choke him. "How could you--!"
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9:30 am
Another loud gunshot exploded through the room, and Kaoru felt her blue eyes widen in surprise. She hadn't expected Houji to fire like that...
Kaoru fell out of the air, where she had been leaping at Houji in preparation of slamming her bokken down on his head. She landed heavily and painfully, gripping her left shoulder, where streams of blood were leaking out from.
Houji had shot her where Soujirou had slashed before—in her left shoulder. This was twice as painful, as it had just been about to heal...
Kaoru drew in deep, pained breaths, lying on the ground, her eyes squeezed shut in pain as white lightning shot through her shoulder. The slim fingers of her right hand clenched once over her wooden sword, and loosened.
Houji panted, clutching his smoking black gun. Walking slowly over to Kaoru, he glared down at her and aimed the gun at her again. "Remember, this is what you deserve—for attacking Shishio's right hand man!" His mouth stretched in a gruesome grin, and his shadowed eyes widened in taunting.
Kaoru rolled over onto her back, shining midnight-black hair spilling around her. She opened one eye painfully, and gave him a shaking smile. "You're not a very good fighter, are you? Only good with technology."
She sucked in a breath and drew back her right elbow, gripping her wooden sword in her right hand. "You need" –she swung her bokken forcefully at his kneecaps—"to pay attention!"
A high scream of pain echoed through the room. Houji's eyes bulged angrily as his knees gave out and he toppled forward. Kaoru rolled out just in time, as Houji collapsed in a painful heap to the floor.
Kaoru managed to sit up, her bokken gripped in both of her hands in preparation. A warm, sticky liquid trickled down her left arm from her shoulder.
Houji slumped over agonizingly on the floor, drawing in deep breaths. His head was bowed, as he clutched at his gun.
Then suddenly, he jumped up again, all control lost. His face was twisted in fury and anguish as he struggled to stay up standing, his knees quivering. With one hand, he aimed the gun at her and snapped his finger over the trigger. Instantly, a loud crack echoed through the room.
Without a second's hesitation, Kaoru threw herself to the side, as far away from Houji as she could get. As she flew through the air, another gunshot rang through the room, accompanied with a flash of pain in her right calve. Houji had managed to get her again.
Kaoru landed behind the yellow couch in a crumpled heap, and immediately pressed herself against its back tensely. On the other side of the couch, limping footsteps could be heard.
Then suddenly, the footsteps stopped.
Kaoru held her breath, gritting her teeth from the fresh wave of pain in her right leg. Blood was now pooling in a little puddle on the hardwood ground, from both of her gunshot wounds. A river of crimson liquid trickled down her left arm, and she winced, closing her right hand around her wooden sword.
Houji's harsh, pained breathing echoed around the room, and the tense tapping of his fingernails against the metal of the gun could be heard. Kaoru quietly got to her feet, clasping her weapon in both hands. She had to be ready to dart out from behind this couch, and strike him unconscious. It was a win-or-lose situation—the double wooden doors at the front of the room were the only way out, but they were locked--so was the secret passage door she had discovered behind the heavy red drapery at the back of the room. She couldn't get out of this room to run for it—Houji had a gun, and he would keep firing until there were no more bullets. She wouldn't put it past him, as he was Shishio's 'right hand' man, to have more bullets at hand inside his coat.
A trickle of cold sweat ran down the side of Kaoru's cheek. It all had to be done precisely at the right moment.
Taking another deep, silent breath, Kaoru glanced up.
And saw Houji's leering face glaring down at her. "Found you," he snarled, raising his gun.
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9:45 am
Sanosuke slammed down his fist onto a table that Tae had just wiped. "That bastard—that fucking asshole! So he thinks he just walk off like that—without even explaining anything to anyone!"
Tae rushed to Sanosuke's side, wringing a wet dishtowel in her hands. "Sanosuke--please calm down—don't break the store's things—"
Sanosuke paid no heed to her, throwing down a bowl of half-eaten rice and smashing his fist into another plate. "He told us we were going to Kyoto with him, goddammit!"
Tsubame fearfully stepped back, throwing her pale arms around her face as another plate of food flew through the air. "Tae-san—I'm scared..."
Sano swung his muscular arm through the air and smashed it in the back of a seat. "I'm going to Kyoto! I won't rest easy until I've given him one good punch! Dammit—he said he wasn't going to leave without us!"
Angrily, Sano swiveled on his heel and stormed out of the Akabeko, white jacket flying behind him. As he stepped out of the doorway, he kicked a stray tub at a passerby, then stormed down the road.
Tsubame lowered her arms from her face and turned to the poor, destroyed table where Sano had been sitting earlier. "He was awfully rough..." she said quietly.
Tae bent down to retrieve a few shards of a plate from the ground, her white apron creasing. "Yes, he was," Tae acknowledged, straightening up again and placing the white shards onto the table. "And he left without paying again. But I can't believe that Ken-san left to wander again—I thought he would stay at the dojo for good."
Tae wrung the wet dishtowel in her hands and started to clean the table again, while Tsubame started picking up more shards of dishes and bowls. "But, Tsubame, I do kind of understand that Ken-san left...because of Kaoru..." Tae bit her lip. "I do hope she's all right..."
The door to the Akabeko swung open again, and Tae glanced up.
Yahiko walked in, his yellow gi and green hakama looking slightly disheveled. "Hey, have you seen Sanosuke?"
"He was just here, wreaking havoc," Tae said, looking worried. "He seemed awfully mad at Ken-san, though."
Yahiko heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I'm in the same boat as he is. I was supposed to come along with Kenshin and Sano, as well. But...well..." He trailed off.
Tsubame dropped the shards of plate she was holding and stepped over to Yahiko. "If you did go, you might have gotten hurt, though..." she said in her quiet, shy voice. "All the same, it's really brave of you..." Tsubame blushed, and fumbled with the bow tie of her apron.
Tsubame's red cheeks mirrored Yahiko's.
A few minutes later, after talking with Tae and Tsubame and thanking them, Yahiko raced out of the Akabeko, looking for Sanosuke. They had to figure out what to do now...
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: Another chapter done—I guess listening to Rurouni Kenshin instrumental music really does help with the writing. I listened to the sad music for the emotional parts—and the 'fighting' music for the action parts. What a difference music makes... :)
Review Responses:
Brittanie Love: I'm glad you think so!
Assassinatorgirl: Cliffies are cool, aren't they? Don't worry, this chapter should calm you down enough so that you get out of your locked room—er, after consideration of the events of this chapter...maybe not. Anyway, I'm updating, so now you have to as well! :)
GoldAngel2: I'm trying to adjust my story to fit in Shishio's time frame—contorting the events and times enough so that it's plausible to have happened in Nobuhiro Watsuki's original Kyoto Arc plot. I'm glad the times aren't too much for this story, as not a lot of other authors seem to use them :).
Whisper of Darkness: Emotion and action are the two key points I'm aiming for in this story, overall. I'm glad you're catching that! Actually, I'm seriously thinking of changing the genre of this fic to Romance/Action/Adventure. Or maybe angst...I can't decide!
Rurouni madness: Hmm...disco ball? Yeah, it does sound kind of '70's. Too bad I can't think of any other good metaphors :). There are so many other people who write so well on that I doubt my own work, but you've stuck with me all this time. Thanks!
Laura: Hi again! You'll see what evil intentions Houji's going to swipe out from his sleeve in the next chapter as well...
Emerald Genie: It's so great that this is one of your favorite stories! :) Good luck with the extreme heat conditions--I know how that can be.