Chapter Sixteen: Clash! Kenshin/Kaoru vs ? and Saitou vs. Aoshi!
"Shishio-san is honored that you would send Himura Battousai against him. But he fears it is all in vain." --Seta Soujirou, Rurouni Kenshin Volume 7
Suddenly, Kenshin stood up. His eyes were narrowed and a pale purple; they flicked everywhere with an uncanny sense of alarm.
"Kenshin-san?" Anji asked, looking at the redheaded swordsman. "What is it?"
"I heard..." Kenshin said in a low voice, "...the sound of a slashing sword. It came from the direction Kaoru-dono went..."
Aoshi got to his feet, despite his dying headache. Misao stood as well, looking serious; and Megumi leapt to her feet. Anji slowly rose, eyes narrowed in apprehension. Sano stayed leaning against the tree, for it was impossible for him to make any serious movement due to his injuries.
"Let's go!" Misao yelled. "Kaoru-san could be in danger!"
Aoshi glanced at her. "Misao-chan, I would prefer it if you were to stay here with Megumi-san and Sanosuke."
"I'm not a child!" Misao yelled.
"Yes, you are," came the chorus of reply from Megumi, Aoshi, Sano, Yahiko, and Kenshin. Anji simply shook his head. Misao looked angry, and about to shout again, when Aoshi said, "Misao-chan, we haven't time for this. You will stay here with Megumi-san and Sanosuke. That is an order."
Nodding to Kenshin, he, Anji, Yahiko, and the scarred redhead began walking off into the forest. Misao watched them glumly as they dissolved off into the sparse forest, and continued to stare into the direction, even when the men had long disappeared.
"Misao-chan," Megumi said. She had sat down long ago, now sipping tea. "You should stop sulking; your spine will bend and you'll be a hunchback. That'll be unnattractive, don't you think?"
"Yeah, almost as unattractive as a vixen's bitchy comments," muttered Sanosuke, who promptly got a good knock over the head.
"The last person she wants to attract is anyone remotely like you, Rooster-Head!" Megumi barked, watching Sano crossly rubbed the lump on his skull. "And stop grumbling about me hitting you. You deserved it, and it thickens your skull. That improves your battle performance, doesn't it?"
Sanosuke shot her a glare, as Misao sat down in a depressed huff.
"Misao-chan," Megumi said, looking at the poor kunoichi. "I can't help but wonder, but whatever did Aoshi-san mean by 'that's an order'? It seems a bit strange."
Misao glanced at Megumi, and then replied, "You have to keep quiet about it. Aoshi-sama was training to be the castle's Okashira, or the head of the elite ninja. But when his daddy died, Aoshi-sama found the new government ugly. He refused to work for it; even though he was fully qualified, and the best ninja around. So he took me, left, and has been hiding undercover as a rich bar-owner, as well as the bartender for ten years."
Continuing, Misao said, "Aoshi-sama and his friend Hannya-kun trained me to be an elite female ninja, but my training has slackened since Hannya-kun died. Aoshi-sama was very sad, since Hannya-kun was killed because he had immense debts to the government. If Hannya-kun had been just a little selfish, he would have told Aoshi-sama about his problems...but Hannya-kun knew Aoshi-sama would insist on paying the debts for him, and that wouldn't do, because Hannya-kun felt it was his responsibility. So they killed him, and my training was cut in half."
"But I'm still really good!" Misao boasted, fiery-eyed. "I can throw kunai, any number of daggers! I know Oniwabanshuu-style martial arts, and practice every day, with or without Aoshi-sama! I want to revive the Oniwabanshuu--the real Oniwabanshuu, not the evil men who claim to be ninja at the castle! Someday, somehow...Aoshi-sama will finally get his dream, and honor his dead father by become the Okashira of the honorable Oniwabanshuu. And I will get my wish, and become a kunoichi at Aoshi-sama's side, and serve him until death, whether he loves me as a little sister or something more!"
Megumi looked at the young girl in awe. So much determination... "How ambitious," Megumi commented, smiling.
"How gay." Sanosuke added, earning demonic looks from both females. "I mean, come on... your own Oniwabanshuu? Kid, there's no ninja left besides the ones in the castle. What do you plan to do, train yourself a bunch of shadow-slickers in time to help Anji and Kenshin revolt? They'll be poor ninja, considering Iceshi won't give it his all. It's all in your dreams. Be realistic."
Megumi was near to slapping him. "You be quiet!" she barked angrily. "How dare you insult Misao-chan's dream! Her goal is every bit as noble as yours, Sanosuke; so you'd better have a bit more respect for it! Otherwise... well, by right, Misao has the right to face you in combat. And I can't see you going up against a ninja armed with hundreds of kunai, especially in your condition..."
Sanosuke scowled in defeat. "Yare yare..."
Misao beamed. Maybe she could get to like the stern, sometimes cruel Megumi, after all.
-
"She went this way," Kenshin murmured, as he diligently tracked the soft footprint in the ground. He crept along, making sure he didn't miss a single clue, or marking.
Aoshi, Yahiko, and Anji followed the redhead close behind. Obviously, Yahiko the half demon wolf would usually do the tracking, but worry was infecting his senses, and thus he couldn't engage in sniffing the ground. Besides, Yahiko would feel that his honor had been a bit ruffled if he were forced to change into a wolf simply to snuff the dirt...even if it was for Kaoru's sake.
"Move faster, idiot," Yahiko growled, narrowing his eyes at Kenshin. The wanderer didn't react, but went along inspecting at the same pace as before.
Suddenly, Kenshin tensed. "I hear voices," he whispered. "Be quiet as we approach."
Creeping forwards, Kenshin led the other up onto a small hill. Overlooking it, they found the kabuki camp. Along the edge of it, two men were talking...and behind one man lay...
"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin gasped, as all four men peered curiously over the crest of the hill.
"It's Saitou." Aoshi murmured, indicating to the tall, yellow-eyed man. Kenshin vaguely remembered the face, which wasn't surprising since Kenshin had been drunk when he first met the wolfish man.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes, as Saitou engaged in what seemed to be somewhat friendly conversation with a young boy. The boy was unimaginably handsome, with bright blue eyes and a sweet little grin.
"Come on, Kaoru-dono...run..." Kenshin breathed. Run, so I can leap in and distract them...run, Kaoru...run!
But Kaoru didn't run.
After a moment, Saitou motioned for the boy to get out of his way. The boy did so cheerfully (Kenshin was quite irritated by the sound of the kid's chirpy, carefree voice; since he was sending a poor girl to her death), and Saitou moved in for the kill.
"Kenshin..." Aoshi murmured. "Go."
"Go, Kenshin-san," Anji softly agreed.
Kenshin got ready to spring into action, but suddenly; a flourish of leaves just beside Kenshin caught his attention. The light pattering of feet and the blur of a furry body flashed before Kenshin's eyes, and Kenshin stood, yelling, "YAHIKO, NO!"
But the wolf was already dashing down the hill, jaws open in a snarl. Saitou saw him coming immediately, turning his attack to strike the oncoming half-demon.
"YAHIKO, NOOOOO!" Kaoru screamed, getting to her feet to stop her enraged brother. "HE'LL KILL YOU!"
But Yahiko did not stop; instead, he came bulleting at Saitou. Saitou raised his blade easily, swinging it without effort just as Yahiko came in rage.
"What--!" Saitou barked, as Yahiko suddenly changed directions. Instead of attacking Saitou, as he seemed to be doing; Yahiko leapt at the young boy named Soujirou. The kabuki actor gasped as the being tackled him, fangs abroad.
"HYAAAAH!"
Saitou blinked and looked up as Kenshin leapt into the air to conduct a Ryustuisen. Saitou met it head-on, blocking the move by moving his katana upwards. The blades clashed together, and as soon as they met, Saitou used the force of the blow to push off with his feet, stretching a long leg upwards to kick Kenshin in the face.
Kenshin was sent flying backwards with a cry, landing roughly on the ground. He rolled a few feet, before shakily getting up. Blood matted his forehead, melding in with his scarlet cross-shaped scar.
"So, we meet again, Battousai," Saitou snickered. "I'm unimpressed."
"You tried to kill Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, a bit of yellow toning his eyes. "And for that, I'll never forgive you."
Saitou snorted. "Dramatic. Sappy. Freakishly boring." He smirking. "I'm not so sure you're even worth the time to kill anymore..."
"And I am not sure if you are even worthy to live," Kenshin returned, slipping into a battle stance.
Saitou looked at Kenshin for a moment, his golden eyes narrowing when he felt the undescribable wind of battle ki. On second thought, this could be interesting...
Slowly, with the grace of a serpent coiling, Saitou came into a stance of his own. Saitou's right palm left the hilt of his sword, so that it was gripped only by his left hand. Bending forth, Saitou brought his blade horizontal to the ground, the blade flipped upwards. His right hand hovered over the tip of the katana, and Saitou's long right leg stretched out to balance out the stance. His left elbow lifted straight, as though the man were plotting to fire a gun.
"Gatotsu," Saitou murmured, answering Kenshin's tense but questioning glare.
"God bless you," Kenshin replied, making Saitou roll his eyes in mock humor. Kenshin blinked, and then lowered his sword. Saitou narrowed his eyes, wondering what the odd redhead could be thinking.
Kenshin began walking over to Kaoru, not once looking at the posing Saitou or the wrestling Soujirou and Yahiko. Saitou was about to take advantage of the moment and strike (he believed it was Kenshin's fault for being off-guard, anyways), when suddenly, Aoshi leapt out from behind the hill, Anji at his heels.
"I am your opponent now," Aoshi said, standing tall before Saitou.
Anji shuffled over to part the scuffling wolf and boy, managing to pull Yahiko off Soujirou by the scruff of the neck. Soujirou was held into place by Anji's foot, and the boy was making odd gagging noises, signifying that he couldn't breathe very well. Anji, bending down, picked up the blue-eyed miscreant in the same manner as Yahiko.
Saitou paid no attention to the giant; he could very well tell Anji had no mind to attack him. The swordsman was more interested in the stoic Aoshi, who stood with his feet planted firmly on the turf.
"Well?" Saitou sneered. "Aren't you going to attack me? Or are you planning to freeze me in place with that icy glare of yours?"
Aoshi blinked, pulling aside the left part of his cloak. "You're the one to talk about uncanny glares, Saitou," Aoshi said. The same longsword Saitou had seen at the bar hung at Aoshi's side, with its square hand guard and hilt. Saitou analyzed the weapon carefully as Aoshi pulled the entire weapon from his belt, holding it by its handle.
"Let's go," Saitou murmured, and took a swift sprint to Aoshi. Aoshi gasped, surprised by the man's excessive speed. Leaping out of the way, Aoshi avoided Saitou's lunge; but his eyes grew wide when Saitou immediately turned his thrust into a side-swipe.
KK-KNG!
It was Saitou's turn to blink. What seemed to be a long sword at Aoshi's side, had turned out to be something far more interesting. By pulling on each end, Aoshi's long sword pulled apart to be two seperate blades, shorter than katana but longer than wakizashi. The nitou-ryuu kodachi had blocked Saitou's attack by pinching the katana in place, the point inches from Aoshi's nose.
"Hn," Saitou smirked. The fool has forgotten...when one can't slash...I can stab. And Saitou pushed forwards on his blade, grazing Aoshi's cheek as the ninja dodged downwards to dodge the assault.
Saitou hacked downwards, and Aoshi rolled to the side in evasion. Aoshi lashed out once more, only to be slammed in the forehead by the hilt of Saitou's sword. Aoshi threw his kodachi up to block the downwards swipe that followed quickly after, clenching his teeth in effort to withstand Saitou's inhuman strength.
"You seem rather familiar," said Saitou, smirking down at the bleeding ninja. "Wherever have I met you?"
"The pits of Hell," Aoshi growled. "The only difference between us is that I escaped."
With that comment, Aoshi lashed upwards in a kick. Saitou leapt backwards to evade it, and the momentum of the lunge carried Aoshi into a backflip, where he landed soundly on his heels. Aoshi sprinted towards Saitou, his kodachi held abroad.
"Nitou-Ryuu Kaiten Kenbu--" Aoshi hissed, taking an unexpected dodged to the left, instead of head-on. "Rokuren!"
Six successive slashes streaked lightening across Saitou's body, slicking Aoshi's swords with the assassin's blood. Saitou let out a hiss of anger, as Aoshi turned about to face his opponent, shocked that he had not been slain.
Saitou had used that snakey speed of his to dodge most of Aoshi's feral attacks. A slash on his right thigh and left shoulder oozed red, to Saitou's displeasure. Glowering at Aoshi with unrestrained graveness, Saitou said in an unnervingly soft voice, "I have the idea you were something unpleasant in your past life."
"Probably," Aoshi replied. "But no where as near as unpleasant as you."
Saitou smirked. "Granted."
Kenshin stooped next to Kaoru, who had recently fallen to her knees again. "Come, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin whispered, smiling comfortingly like nothing dangerous was happening. "Anji-san will escort you back to the camp, that he will! Aoshi and I will return just as soon as we can."
Kaoru stared at Kenshin as he held out a hand to help her up. She gulped, and whispered, "Thanks, Kenshin...but..." She blinked, biting her lip. "I really think--WATCH OUT!"
Kaoru tackled Kenshin to the ground just in time to avoid a flying blade. A body followed soon after, and both landed expertly a few feet away. Kenshin gently but firmly rolled Kaoru off him, looking with narrowed battle eyes to examine the attacker.
"You!" Kenshin gasped, looking at the swordsman with now wide eyes. "You're...!"
Dark brown eyes flickered to meet Kenshin's. "Kiyosatou Akira," the young man replied, standing upright to face Kenshin. It was the same boy that had skewered Sanosuke, and he looked no different from before. "I'm an assassin for the government, a detatched partner of Saitou-san."
Kaoru bit her lip again, daring to yell, "How can you be detatched and yet his partner?"
"We work in the same section of the government, and report news to one another on a regular basis," Kiyosatou replied, beginning to advance. "As a fellow loyalist, it's my duty to help eliminate you and your accomplices, Battousai. It has reached even Shishio-sama's ears that you have gathered criminals under your wing, so this is an excellent opportunity to get rid of this frivolous party."
Clenching his teeth, Kenshin stood. Stepping in front of Kaoru, to ensure her safety, Kenshin drew his sword. "Stop grandstanding," requested he. "I refuse to listen to any more of this talk, that I do. You know very well you cannot defeat me, because you use such tricks as sneaking up behind me while I am near to a woman!"
"An assassin," Kiyosatou replied, "is indifferent to the lives of others, as long as the job is done. Besides, Kamiya has to die, too. She's the actual one we are after."
Kaoru gasped. "You mean, the government assigned you to kill me because of--"
"Theft, of course," Kiyosatou said. "That's obvious. And for joining up with Battousai, that's crime as an accomplice. That Bird-Head, I failed to finish him off. It was my fault, I aimed poorly and...I had to...run." Kiyosatou's face twisted into a guilty expression. "I was being followed..."
He returned to his usual, grim expression. "But after I finish you and the Kamiya girl, I'll take care of your friends back at the stage. The Bird-Head, the doctor, and the little girl... and that giant..."
Kiyosatou paused, his eyes widening. Looking about furiously, he sputtered, "Wait... where'd he g--?"
"Futae No Kiwami."
KK-KKKSSSSSSSSH!
The earth began to tremble. Saitou fell out of his stance, looking around to find the source of the earthquake. Aoshi paused, also surprised. Kaoru let out a yell, and Kenshin immediately balanced himself, his pale eyes darting about. Kiyosatou looked every which way, losing his nerve for the first time seen.
It was found soon enough that Anji had been the cause. The giant stood with a short sword thrust into the ground, two cross-shaped cuts in the turf. He held Soujirou above the air in one hand, and Yahiko...apparently, Anji had set him into a tree; one in which Yahiko found he could not climb out of. The wolf who was now a boy clung helplessly to the tree as the miniature earthquake died.
"Hyohh!" Kenshin's Sakabatou was out in a flash of metal, ready to face off with this Kiyosatou. The latter attacked, crossing blades with Kenshin. Both pressed their weight against the blades they held, trying to get the other to step back. Sparks flashed, and an irritating grinding noise was heard.
Kiyosatou eventually took a step back, to his displeasure. Roaring, he leapt out of range, immediately dancing back inside the void and slashing at Kenshin wildly. Flickering to the left, right, frontwards, backwards; Kenshin dodged the flying katana as it lunged again and again to take his life.
"Hmph," Kiyosatou growled, growing impatient. His specialty, unlike Saitou; was a quick and simple assassination, not a duel. Plus, Kenshin had the speed to dodge the attacks Kiyosatou could pull. He was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Kenshin!" came Kaoru's voice, suddenly. The wanderer paused, out of Kiyosatou's range. The girl was standing now, her fists clenched in determination.
"I..." Kaoru hesitated, but then yelled, "I want to fight him! His business is originally with me, so I believe that it is I who should face him! Let me, please?"
Kenshin paused again, looking astonished. "Miss Kaoru..." he said. "It's dangerous..."
"KENSHIN!"
Kaoru gasped, as Kiyosatou took advantage of Kenshin by lunging suddenly. Kaoru withdrew something narrow and brown from her pack, leaping in front of Kenshin. As Kiyosatou's blade came down, she crossed her wrists.
In her right hand was a beautifully made bow. The middle of the instrument was metal, where Kaoru was to place her hands, and fading carvings of roses and vines swept up the sides.
Kaoru caught the sword with the back of her hands, ceasing the attack altogether. Kenshin and Kiyosatou stood, agape. "Kamiya Kasshin Style--Hadome--" Kaoru yelled, without letting go of her bow. Sliding her hands down the blade, Kaoru struck Kiyosatou with amazing force with the butt of her bow. "HAWATARI!"
Kiyosatou flew back with a strangled cry, his sword flying away in a splinter of light, landing in a heap. Kaoru resumed her kneeling position, breathing a little louder than of normality. Kenshin snapped out of his surprised expression, squatting down by Kaoru and clutching her arm gently.
"Miss Kaoru?" He said.
"I'm fine, Kenshin. Swordsmanship runs in my family." Kaoru murmured, giving Kenshin a resolute grin. "You don't need to worry..." Her voice was cut off by the sound of thunderous footsteps.
DM! DM! DM!
A cloud of dust arose suddenly, swirling around and billowing like gritty silk in a river. Kaoru gagged, hiding her face in Kenshin's gi as the wanderer covered his eyes and mouth with his sleeve. Kenshin wrapped his arm protectively around Kaoru, shielding her body with his own. His heart hammered in Kaoru's ears as she let out a soft, strangled cry of fright, feeling a foreign hand gripping the back of her shirt.
Suddenly, with the feeling as though someone had snatched him from a deep dream, Kaoru's presence left Kenshin's arms. Kenshin gasped, inhaling an unhealthy amount of dust. He gagged, searching blindly through the storm. He heard Yahiko howling in rage, and Anji yelling to Aoshi, though his cries were unnervingly cut off seconds later.
"M-Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin shouted, his eyes beginning to water from the stinging sand. When the dust died, he found himself looking up into the trees. Soujirou was now sitting in the highest branch of the highest tree, Kaoru bound, unconscious, and leaning against his side. Soujirou still had that awful, perpetual grin on his face.
The blue-eyed boy had escaped from Anji's grasp. The giant slumped against a nearby tree, a bleeding bruise on the side of his head. Yahiko stood by, growling with abandon at the attacker in the trees.
Kenshin instinctively poked his sword out from his sheathe. "What do you think you're doing!" he shouted, fearing of what the boy planned to do. His eyes soured with yellow tint.
"No need to get so angry, Kenshin-san!" Soujirou called cheerfully from above. He had apparently overheard Kenshin's name from Kaoru. "The young lady will fall to no harm in my possession, I can assure you. But you see, I simply need..." His grin grew wide. "...to borrow her for a while."
Standing up and giving a graceful bow, Soujirou bowed to Kenshin below. "Come and get me if you can, Kenshin-san! I'm one for hide-and-seek." Thus, picking Kaoru up by the waist, Soujirou took a massive leap from the tree branch, landing in one quite a ways away. He continued to flee from sight, a loud thrum echoing each time his powerful legs slammed against the wood.
"No..." Kenshin was about to leap upwards and give chase, when a resounding crack! split the air. The branch Soujirou had been previously sitting on broke, beginning to drift and race down towards the turf.
"Damn," swore Saitou, who had also seen Soujirou take off with his captive. He and Aoshi had paused in their fight to view occuring events. "That idiot ruins everything..."
Aoshi held his head high to shout. "Anji-san!" he suddenly called. "Kenshin-san! Get Anji-san to Miss Megumi! I will stay here, and deal with Saitou."
The little redhead looked as though he hadn't even acknowledged Aoshi. He gripped his sheathe, his leg muscles tightening. For a moment, it appeared as though he intended to simply take off after Soujirou, but then Kenshin stopped. He sighed, looking down at his feet and clenching his fists. "Not yet..."
"I...I'm not d-done..."
All eyes turned to the half-conscious Kiyosatou. He was arising, bruised and battered; with fire in his eyes. Akira gritted his teeth, gripping his sword in union and welling up his stamina to fight. "I w-won't lose now...can't die..."
"Get out of here. All of you..." Kenshin growled, his eyes shadowed by his scarlet bangs. "I have no intention of finishing this fight."
His breathing was rapidly increasing, and his fingers flexed in and out of a fist. "You bastards attempt to take my friends from me...try to kill Sanosuke, and you murder his family... injure Anji-san, try to put out his faith... burn down Miss Megumi's village... destroy Aoshi's dreams and right to become the Okashira... drag Miss Kaoru and Yahiko to the depths of thievery.. and you murdered my father!"
Kenshin turned around in a swirl of hair aglow and burning eyes, looking alike to a enraged spirit. His teeth clacked together when he grit his feet, a spurt of blood dribbling down the corner of his lip as Kenshin bit his tongue.
"You demons murdered my family!" Kenshin howled, his once plum eyes turning to ponds of amber flames. "You bred those evil monsters--those dragons, in the lands my father securely protected! You destroyed its peace, and cast its people into slavery and poverty! Everything you touch turns to the fires of Hell!"
Saitou looked in fascination as the small man's ki spiked with talons and fangs like none the assassin had felt since he met Shishio. The utter, raw rage fitting of the alias Battousai the Manslayer swirled about like a massive twister, chilling Saitou's bones and causing a delighted smirk to tug at his lips. Indeed, this man is a relative of Himura... I wonder how Shishio will take that confirmation? The one thing that disturbed Saitou was... though he compared Kenshin's ki to Shishio's... if he wasn't mistaken, Kenshin's seemed greater... No. That can't be.
Kenshin's mind screamed with stress, his fists shaking and his eyes opened so wide that he was sure his face was to split. His scar began to burn, and every muscle in his body tightened like wires. "N...nh..." he stammered, his murmurs turning swiftly into a scream like to one from the bowels of the abyss. "N-NYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
A kindly face shown down at him, sparkling green eyes framed by the most silky locks of scarlet hair. A callaused but gentle hand ruffled Shinta's hair, making the young boy giggle...
"G-guh..." Kenshin stammered as his howl died, feeling tears arise.
Warm, pale hands cupped his cheeks as a beautiful woman nuzzled his nose with hers, laughing. Her light-ridden lavender eyes shone lovingly at him, her laughing, cheerful eyes...
"Please, don't..."
A middle-aged man, leaning in the shadows, narrowed his eyes menacingly. His onyx, dead orbs glared out behind a tight ponytail, ridged by a spriggle of bangs. The man's taut lips spread into a daunting, inane smirk, a freezing fire entering his features...
With a roar, Kenshin's sword burst into an inferno like none before. A flaming dragon enveloped his entire form, with a roaring his that shook the trees. It's arms and wings spread wide, fiery talons emerging in a flash of amber and scarlet. It's neck grew longer, stretching and straining as it's tail lashed about, taking flight and scorching its way through the treetops. It left a smoldering, leafy path behind, shredding a doorway to the blue sky above.
It roared, and surely people from miles around heard and saw the rapidly growing beast. It dove upwards, high into the sky, twisting and turning like a trapped serpent. All eyes were turned upwards, following the roaring thing of magic until it was only about the size of a fingernail.
And then, quite abruptly, it exploded. The detonation of the fire lizard swept wild winds across the treetops, rustling them and causing a shower of leaves to plummet to the ground. A hushed silence camp upon the land, as the dragon of flame let out one last roaring hiss, and died out completely.
And then, it began to rain.
End of Chapter Seventeen
MadiSano: Draaaamaaaaa! Lol. I hope I did the fight between Aoshi and Saitou well... they've never even briefly battled before in the manga/anime, so I had to really use my imagination. It was a lot harder than I had first thought! Special thanks to MissTeak, who has helped and encouraged me amazingly. Thanks so much, MissTeak!
SHAUNTELL: Yep, I'm still in school. 8th grade, to be exact, meaning that I'm only 13 years old! ...that explains the weird humor, right? Lol! Kaoru's in all sorts of trouble now, ne? Good thing we've got Kenshin on our side! ...Or, at least, we hope he's still Kenshin...
ANONYMOUS-CHAN: Thanks for being so understanding! ) As to the whole wolf pack thing: I used to be utterly obsessed with wolves. Lol. I thought they were the coolest animal ever, and then I started reading Rurouni Kenshin and Sanosuke chopped up my obsession with his Zanbatou, leaving himself in its place. Lol. Then Saitou-- the "Wolf of Mibu" came along and devestated me by near-to murdering my Rooster...can't say I liked wolves much after that! Lol! Though Saitou is one of my favorites, now that I've learned to accept him. If Kaoru had met non-killing Soujirou, she probably would have started to like him, but then if Kenshin came along Sou-chan would fall short. But if Kaoru had NEVER met Kenshin, then I think most certainly she would have fallen in love with Soujirou. That's what I think! And I'm glad you like my summary. I change it every week or two, because I get tired of the old one. Heh. See ya! And thanks!
CREWEL: I though it'd be fair to tell you that Sanosuke is soon going to have another devestating experience concerning his lost orphans. Luckily, Megumi will be there this time to comfort him...not even Kenshin will be able to hold back Sanosuke's anger and greif this time, so who else but Sano's Fox Lady can save him? Thanks so much for the review, and I'm sorry there's hardly any SM in this chapter. I miss it, too! Thank you and see ya!
DU WELDENVARDEN FARCAI: Heey, you're name is from Eragon! I love those books! I liked Murtagh the best, though I was heartbroken when he betrayedEragon...darn it. Lol.I checked out your profile and I have to say I also REALLY look forward to the Eragon movie! They'd better not mess it up! Hmph. Lol! Anyways, back to RK...I'm glad you think I did well concerning detail. I suppose it just seemed lacking compared to how much I usually put in! Thanks very much, you made me smile!
MISSTEAK: HI! I'm glad I did good on the KK. You helped a lot, you know! And...Sano flashing...lol. I won't deny I loved that scene...couldn't you just imagine the utter shock and embarrassment on Megumi's face? Lol! I love writing humor stories! And I'm glad you like my funnies, though sometimes I get a little carried away! ...What's next, Kenshin streaking and Aoshi composing a musical? LOL! ...Okay, weird image...lol! Thanks so much MissTeak, and I hope to hear from you soon!
MACKENZIE: Here's your chapter, Broom Head. (And don't call me Bird Head, or I will seriously pound you at school tomorrow! Yeesh!) And as for taking you lightly, I might as well blow on you and you'll fly away like a feather. I know your threats are empty, Houki-Atama! Mwahahahaha...Almighty Smiters, you're really going to kill me this time, aren't you! Ah well bring it on baka! (sticks out her tongue) HAHAHAHAHA! ...You know you love me! ...Right?
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Lol I had to make an ad for Seta. Hehe. Well, please review if you liked my story, because I really do like helpful and constructive criticism, and of course I love to hear what parts you liked best or if I did something you really enjoyed. Okay? Well, hopefully you'll hear from me soon, right? I hope so too! Please review! Ja ne!