Disclaimer - Shhhh...Don't tell anyone, but I stole the copyright for Kenshin! I am now the proud owner of Rurouni Kenshin! Please congratulate me!
Saitou - You're not very quiet...
Hitoezakura - What are you doing here?
Saitou - You're under arrest for violating the copyrightlaws. Watsuki is the proud owner of Rurouni Kenshin, and you are just a thief! I will subject you to my justice - Aku Soku Zan!
Hitoezakura - I drewa picture of you in math class, and you look very handsome in it
Saitou - Alright, screw arresting you...
Disclaimer - I don't own Kenshin, it should be pretty obvious by now...
Well, I'm finally done with AP Exams, but now I feel so lazy that I don't want to do any work for my finals! I'm hoping that posting this story will kind of re-energize me again!
Thank you to all my reviewers!
Lili125 - Thank you for the compliment!
WhiteRabbit5 - Thanks! I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Sano Megumi fan, but after watching the anime, I do feel like they have a connection, and I thought that scene was pretty cute! Yes, you are right about Okita and Kaya, although I'm still wondering exactly how to weave their relationship into the story. They make a much bigger appearance in the sequel...wait,I didn't say that!
Anime pixie - Thanks! I like it when people think my story is awesome! Makes me feel special (until my family starts yelling at me about the disorder that is my room...)
iNuyAshasAma1 - Thanks! I'll keep writing, but it'll be kind of slow...I'mhoping to find a job for the summer...
Bradybunch4529 - Thanks! I couldn't help but make a Kaoru Kenshin scene, despite the fact he's married to Tomoe. But I imagined that it would seem appropriate. In the future, you find out how Kaoru and Kenshin became friends, but not in this chapter.
Goldmund - Yes, I love that sentence of Aoshi...oh, and they were shooting a movie! You'll find out more about it later, because I actually do show many more clips of that movie...and Aoshi describes it in one chapter in the future! Thank you for your reviews!
And onto the story! It's slow, but I will include some secret missions eventually!
HOW IS THIS LOVE?
Okina glanced at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the living room, staring as the minute hand finally moved towards the twelve, and the chimes rang out in the empty silence.
Empty silence? What in Kami's name is Misao doing? How is the Aoiya so silent while she still sits in the room upstairs?
He suddenly heard the doorbell ring, and he immediately rushed to the door and opened it to greet the five college students that stood on his doorstep. "Welcome! Welcome!" called out Okina happily, greeting Kaoru, Megumi, Sanosuke, Enishi, and Okita as they stepped into the Aoiya. "Misao has her plans for you upstairs!"
"Wait a minute, wasn't there supposed to be a meeting-"
"Hurry!" yelled Okina, cutting Sanosuke off. "Misao has no patience, and Okita, I think you'll be fairly interested in her plans! So go upstairs now!"
Sanosuke was about to protest again when Kaoru jabbed him in the side hard.
"Geez Jou-chan, that hurt!" yelled Sanosuke. Kaoru however, paid no attention to him and instead focused on the sight behind Okina. Sano's eyes followed hers to see Kenshin, Saitou, Tokio, Hiko, Tomoe, and little baby Kenji making their way downstairs silently. Sanosuke slumped slightly, but he nodded back at Kaoru, agreeing to abstain from complaining.
"Alright old man, we'll go to Misao" replied Sanosuke with a sigh of defeat. The five of them trooped up the stairs, and Okina disappeared downstairs.
"So why do you think he called us?" whispered Sanosuke. Megumi tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment.
"I think he wants to distract Misao while he has a meeting with Ken-san and the others" murmured Megumi. "But what could he possibly want to talk about that requires everyone's presence?"
"Okina will tell us when the time is right" whispered Kaoru.
"If we don't hurry, Misao will spot us, and we'll have a load of explaining to do…" whispered Okita urgently. "I don't want to explain to her why Aoshi and Okina thought it was best to hide this whole secret agent situation from her!"
Kaoru, Megumi, and Sanosuke promptly shut their mouths and made their way up the stairs.
"So why have you called us Okina?" asked Kenshin quietly. "And where are Hanya, Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijou, Shiro, and Kuro?"
"They're all training" replied Okina shortly, rummaging through his desk before unearthing a folder filled with documents. "However, I have my reasons for calling you all together. I'm sorry to trouble you Tomoe-san, but I felt like I needed your opinion on this."
"That's perfectly fine Okina-san" replied Tomoe with a slight smile. "Kenji has been quite sleepy lately, and it's no trouble at all to spend a few hours at the headquarters."
"How about you Tokio-san? Are you feeling upto a discussion today?" asked Okina. Tokio simply smiled and brushed some loose hairs back from her bun.
"I'm fine Okina-san. A bit tired, but I'll be alright after I get some sleep tomorrow" answered Tokio. "I would just like to know what you called us here for."
Okina smiled and opened the folder gingerly, spreading the documents over the table. Kenshin peered over at them and then looked at Okina with shocked eyes.
"You want to recruit a new secret agent?" asked Kenshin warily. "Why now?"
"I believe there are enough people right now" said Saitou calmly. "Omasu, Okon, Aoshi, and Kaya are all in Kyoto, Hanya, Beshimi, Shiro, Kuro, Hyttoko, and Shikijou are going through extra training in Nagasaki, all of us down here with the exception of Battousai's wife and son are secret agents, and you've got the kids upstairs!"
"I agree with my husband" replied Tokio. "I don't think anymore recruits are necessary."
Okina rubbed his forehead gently before speaking.
"Did any of you know that four years ago, the Sekihotai agency's leader died?
All five heads shot up in surprise.
"Sagara Souzou died four years ago?" replied Tokio in surprise.
"How did that happen?" asked Hiko, sipping some sake quietly. "And how has his agency been running for the last four years?"
"Sagara was assassinated, and all the clues point to an assassination committed by one of his confidantes" said Okina quietly. "His agency has been running due to one of his adopted children, a young girl named Sagara Miyana. She is the one I want to recruit for our agency. Don't you think she will be a great asset to the Hiten Agency?"
Okina pulled out a photo from the depths of the folder and slid it onto the table. Kenshin, Tokio, Saitou, Tomoe, and Hiko looked at the photo to see a young girl looking up at them, her deep sapphire-amethyst eyes holding sadness but also determination, and her long black hair tumbling down her back. Kenshin looked at Hiko to see his shishou's eyes widen ever so slightly before turning away with indifference.
Shishou…what did you see in this girl? What made you widen your eyes?
"What about her past?" asked Tomoe softly. "Do you think she has the training?"
"Miyana trained to become a secret agent under Sagara for six years, and prior to that, she had five years in swordsmanship training" continued Okina. "However, after Sagara's assassination, she immediately took over as head of the agency, and actually did quite well for a sixteen-year-old. When she turned nineteen, she was caught in a scandal, and after the scandal, her own agents turned against her. She paid off all the debts, relocated her agents and managed to secure jobs for them, and just two weeks ago, sold off the agency."
"What was the scandal about?" asked Tokio. Okina shrugged.
"It doesn't say on the paper, but the latest happenings of the Sagara agency were never hot news, and were barely looked into. However, the agency didn't want to risk being blacklisted, so they covered up the scandal pretty well. But the agents were no longer willing to work for her after that scandal" said Okina grimly. "Anyways, I've invited her to the Aoiya tomorrow, so you could interrogate her and decide whether she is fit for this agency or not."
No one noticed Saitou's eyes narrow with distaste and hatred as he stared at the young girl's photograph.
"Hey, this says she's only twenty!" whispered Tomoe, surprised. "Okina-san, you don't let anyone under twenty-one work as a secret agent. You're keeping this whole agency a secret from Misao because she's only nineteen, and you didn't allow Kaoru or Megumi on missions for a year because they were twenty when they discovered this agency!"
"I know, I'm stretching it with this girl" said Okina softly. "But Sagara was a dear friend of mine, and this is one of his most loyal children we are talking about…How can I not help her?"
The room fell silent for a few minutes. Finally, Saitou stood up with a sigh.
"We'll interrogate this Miyana" he said. "However, it is up to you Okina, to distract all the younger agents while we interrogate her."
"I already have" said Okina with a grin. "You see, Aoshi, Kaya, Okon, and Omasu are coming back to Tokyo for some of the filming. The kids can greet them and pick them up from the airport during your interrogation."
"Then it's settled" said Kenshin. "We'll come tomorrow."
"I'll be unable to come, because Kenji has a doctor's appointment, but I'll take the car after Kenshin drives here" said Tomoe quietly. "You'll have to do this without me."
"That's quite alright Tomoe" said Tokio with a smile. "You have a new child, and I think you should spend your time with him. Don't worry about this."
Tokio, Saitou, Kenshin, Tomoe, Hiko, and Kenji left, leaving Okina in the room alone. Okina sighed and gathered all the contents of the folder.
"For Sagara's sake, I hope she can appease everybody" whispered Okina. "Sagara's ghost will finally be at rest if she is taken care of…"
"What the hell is all this stuff?"
Kaoru, Megumi, and Enishi simply stared at the room as Sanosuke yelled for Misao.
"It's like a small tornado hit this room" whispered Megumi, slightly shocked.
"Wasn't this a clean room the last time I saw it?" asked Kaoru quietly.
"If you look really closely, I think you can see how the room originally looked" said Enishi softly. "You just have to get rid of the sheets and clothes, the five dressers, the three desks, and the two bookshelves and it'll look like it's ordinary self – a room with a bed, a nightstand, and a closet."
"I see what you mean" replied Okita, his smile for once seeming slightly forced. "I just hope she doesn't make us clean-"
"Hey everybody!" yelled out Misao suddenly, appearing in the doorway. "Rooster, why are you yelling?"
"You better not think that I'm gonna help you clean up this mess" muttered Sanosuke darkly. Misao nodded happily.
"That's exactly what I want you guys to help me with!" cried out Misao. "We need to organize this room for tomorrow!"
"That's exactly what I was afraid of" whispered Okita.
"Misao, this room's a dump!" shrieked Megumi angrily. "How do you expect us to clean this?"
"And why is this room needed tomorrow?" asked Kaoru.
"Because Aoshi-sama and Kaya-san are coming back to Tokyo!" screamed Misao happily.
"Hey, Aoshi's coming back" replied Enishi with a smile, jabbing a glum Sanosuke with his elbow. "Why are you so glum?"
"Because that ice-block in no fun" muttered Sanosuke.
"Don't call him an ice-block!" yelled Misao angrily. "Megumi and Kaoru have never met him, so don't try to fill their heads with lies!"
"Kaya's coming back?" asked Okita, his smile as wide as possible. "Are you serious Misao?"
"Yes!" shrieked Misao. Okita hugged her tightly and they started dancing around.
"Will someone please fill me in on what's happening right now?" asked Kaoru, slightly confused.
"Kaya is Okita's girlfriend" said Sanosuke with a wink. "I honestly think she's mental for falling in love with him, but then again, I'm not her!"
Okita retorted by punching Sanosuke hard in the shoulder.
"HEY! That hurt!"
"It was supposed to!"
"Why you-"
"Aoshi is Misao's brother" said Enishi with a grin, interrupting Okita and Sanosuke's fight. "When she was adopted, he became her official baby-sitter, but as she grew older, they developed a close brother-sister relationship. She adores him so much she calls him Lord Aoshi."
"Oh!" said Kaoru with a smile. "Misao, you must be thrilled!" Misao nodded happily and hugged Kaoru tightly.
"So, how does Aoshi look like?" asked Megumi curiously.
"Here's a picture" said Sanosuke offhandedly, pulling out a frame from a heap of clothes piled in a corner. Megumi looked at the photo and a smile surfaced her face.
"Hey, he's an actor!" said Kaoru with a smile. "I've seen previews for that new movie of his! It looks so romantic, I can't wait to see it!"
"She's dragging us to another chick-flick isn't she?" groaned Enishi.
"I don't want to see anything that ice-block acted in!" yelled Sanosuke.
Misao's kunai suddenly flew by and framed his head. Sanosuke muttered imprecations under his breath as he began to pull out the kunai from the wall.
"He's cute Misao" said Megumi with a grin.
"Megumi…" Sano growled, promptly dropping all the kunai. Megumi's fox ears popped up and she started laughing mischievously.
"Sano no baka, don't you think I need to date an actual man sooner or later?" asked Megumi sweetly, a hint of laughter in her voice, enjoying teasing Sanosuke to his breaking point. Kaoru, Okita, Enishi, and Misao started laughing upon seeing Sanosuke's eyebrow twitch.
"MEGUMI!" he yelled angrily. "Don't joke about this!"
"Sanosuke, how are you going to silence me?" asked Megumi with a laugh. The angry look on Sanosuke's face dissipated and a smirk replaced the previous anger. He walked up to her until there was only two inches between them, and then leaned over and whispered into her ear.
"It's easy" he whispered before he kissed her passionately on the lips. Her eyes widened with surprise, but then she wrapped her arms around him and began kissing him back.
Suddenly, they both realized exactly where they were, and they broke away from each other. They turned to their friends and hoped that they had not seen the public display of affection.
No such luck.
Misao, Enishi, and Okita stood their, rooted in place by shock. Kaoru however, was grinning widely.
"It's about time you two were finally together!" replied Kaoru with a smile. "I always saw the love for each other in your eyes, but I was hoping you'd realize it on your own.
"How long have you known?" asked Megumi, surprised.
"Ever since I met you guys three years ago!" said Kaoru with a laugh.
"But we've only been going out for two months now! And we've kept it a secret from all you guys!" said Sanosuke.
"Yes, but it was obvious that you two were going to get together! You know the saying, 'love the one you hate' or something like that!" said Kaoru.
"Then how come they seem so surprised?" asked Megumi, snickering slightly as she watched her other three friends finally recover from their shock.
"Two months…" whispered Misao.
"You couldn't tell us right away?" asked Okita.
Enishi shook his head. "Kaoru, looks like you won the bet" he muttered, drawing out a hundred dollars from his pocket and forking it over to a joyous Kaoru. "I'm never betting on you when it comes to love."
"Okay, we need to fix up this room!" interrupted Misao quickly. "And then, after this room is done, we can use rooster as a punching bag!"
"Great plan!" said Okita cheerfully, moving around the dressers.
"Hey, I don't want to be a punching bag!" yelled Sano indignantly, causing everybody to laugh. "And weasel, why are there two bookshelves, two dressers, and three desks?"
"We have to choose the best ones out of the three categories, and the rest you get to take downstairs!" said Misao with a grin, skipping away to get some cleaning material.
"HEY! I'M NOT LUGGING EVERYTHING DOWNSTAIRS BY MYSELF!"
"I'm exhausted!" cried out Tokio, flopping down onto the bed she and Saitou shared. He smirked; she looked so adorable lying on the covers, her long hair slipping out of its usually neat bun, framing her face.
"So, how was your trip?" he asked.
His question remained unanswered. He turned around and gave a genuine smile as he saw the sleeping form of his wife. He gently draped a blanket over her and turned off the lights before searching for his hidden pack of cigarettes in his policeman's uniform.
It's a good thing you're asleep, because I have some research to do…
He crept downstairs to his study and typed in a single name into his database. After a few paltry seconds, his search was deemed successful.
Staring up at him was Sagara Miyana, the exact same photo Okina had showed him today. His lip curled with hatred as he stared at her.
"You escaped me once" he whispered, his voice almost a growl. "This time, I'll prove to this world what kind of girl you are…and this time, you will not escape your fate. I will make sure of that!"
So...any guesses about Miyana and Saitou's connection?
A little information about Miyana as a character - I made her up, and she is one of my favorite characters. If you read my fic 'Run To You', you'll find out her history (the history I made up from the manga), but after creating that eight-part-series and involving her in so many parts of it, I can't let her go! So I brought her back in here? Any guesses about her future?
I will probably post the next chapter in a week, so hopefully I'll see you next Saturday/Sunday!
Ja ne! Now, hit that review button...