Know Why the Nightingale Sings
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling and Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Author's Note: Sorry about the lateness of this chapter, but Writer's Block attacked this story with a vengeance. More info at the end of the chapter, otherwise enjoy!
Thanks to my good friend and beta, Paladin Steelbreaker.
Chapter Four:
Beshimi's mission to scope out the dojo where the Battousai resided – and recapture Megumi if at all possible – was a failure, and that's with Hannya and Hyotoko as backup.
"To be honest, Haruo, I didn't expect them to succeed," Aoshi confided in the green-eyed man, his voice deadpan as if he was simply talking about the recent weather. "Battousai is known as the strongest warrior for a reason, and this other guy – Sagara Sanosuke – is the infamous fight merchant Zanza. They had no chance against those two seeing as they went in unprepared."
Haruo wondered if he should mention that it was on Aoshi's orders that the trio had acted so quickly, but refrained. "So what are we going to do?" he asked instead. "Kanryou will want his little golden goose back as soon as possible, and quite frankly, I can't stand his whining."
The Okashira seemed to think for a moment before he made his decision. "Tomorrow we shall accompany Kanryou to the river to watch the spectacle that will ensue when someone discovers the bodies of those two unfortunate guards. There is a large chance that Battousai and Zanza will show up, and Takani Megumi will most certainly be with them. They will not want to let her out of their sight."
"And then what?"
"We'lllet them notice us in the crowd. It'll make them edgy and they will be pondering it for the rest of the day. Now, this is where you and Hannya come in. Just around midday, I want you to draw Battousai and Zanza away from the dojo, then Hannya will go in with a message to Takani Megumi. Things will fall into place on their own after that."
Haruo nodded in understanding. "I suppose someone is going to detain this Kamiya Kaoru and her student whilst this is going on?"
"Hannya told me that Kamiya Kaoru usually spends that time training at the Maekawa dojo." Aoshi nodded. "Go alert the others of their roles."
"Hai," the green-eyed man nodded and quickly disappeared from Aoshi's private room. 'This is all Battousai's fault. If the guy had just continued to stay hidden and unknown, then Aoshi would still be relaxed and not obsessed with being the strongest. Just wait until I get my hands on that idiotic hitokiri.' He grumbled all the way back to the room he shared with the other four, and took his frustration out on the poor door.
Beshimi looked up from his sick-bed, and greeted him rather quietly. Honestly, it was a wonder that the guy didn't have a serious concussion after taking a hit to the head courtesy of the Battousai. Shikijo was crooning over the love of his life, a large, spiked iron ball connected to a long chain. None of the others could see what was so special with the damn thing, but Shikijo insisted that it was the most beautiful thing in the world. They let him be.
"How are you feeling, Hyottoko?" Haruo asked the enormous man.
"I'm fine, Haruo-sama. Still a bit sore in the throat, though." The man replied, his voice raspy.
Haruo snorted. "Well, that is no surprise what with you blowing out all that fire carelessly last night, and then having your oil-bag violently ripped out of you by way of your throat… it's a miracle you haven't lost your voice yet." He carefully felt the man's throat, then peered through his mouth to assess how it was healing. "Another couple of days and perhaps you'll be able to get back to solid foods again. For now, continue enjoying your soup and stop complaining!" he added the last part quickly, and Hyottoko huffed and nearly pouted.
Hannya chuckled. "Stop acting like a child, Hyottoko. At least it isn't as bad as the incident when you tried to show off your skills to Misao, and ended up setting fire to the Aoiya and burnt yourself in the process."
Hyottoko's response to this was to curse violently, but quietly.
The green-eyed man shook his head in amusement, then, after checking up on Beshimi, got down to business. "We've got orders concerning tomorrow." He said, and at once everyone else shut up to listen. "Myself and Aoshi will accompany Kanryou to watch the spectacle tomorrow, and…"
The orders were quickly given, and everything was prepared for the next day.
Haruo – whose futon was just placed so that he could gaze out the window – sighed and looked up at the stars. He couldn't help but feel a foreboding feeling about what was going to happen tomorrow. What with Kanryou obsessed with Megumi (seriously, the guy needed a wife – poor woman, whomever she was), and with Aoshi so obsessed with being the strongest, well, things were not looking bright at the moment.
His only hope was that he was wrong about it all.
…----…
They had been completely right in assuming that there would be a large spectacle upon the discovery of the two corpses. In such a peaceful place and era, where the bloody horrors of the Bakumatsu were all but forgotten, a murder was big news, and people flocked to the place like bees to honey. Aoshi and Haruo accompanied Kanryou to watch the entire happening, and the crime lord seemed mighty proud of the commotion he was the cause of.
"I simply love my work," the man sighed happily.
Fortunately Haruo wasn't there to hear it, or else he might have done something stupid. Instead he was mingling with the crowd, trying to sniff out where the Battousai and Zanza were. It took him some time to finally find them, but it was worth it upon seeing Megumi there with them. He went as close as he dared, and listened in on their conversation.
"All from Kanryou… the same guys who chased the kitsune-onna…" the tall, white-dressed guy with the red bandana muttered, and Haruo had him at once pegged down as the infamous Zanza. The man's stance was that of someone who knew how to fight, and descriptions from other people always said that he wore a white jacket with the kanji for evil printed on the back.
"That's pretty vicious…" the Battousai replied.
Once you knew what to look for it was very difficult not to spot the red head. Haruo was amazed that that bright red hair hadn't given the guy away during the Bakumatsu.
Megumi snorted from her place between the two warriors. "It's Kanryou's way." She said and pretended to be unaffected.
Haruo shook his head with a smile. 'Still stubborn.'
A stiffening of Battousai's back and shoulders, brought the green-eyed man from his musings, and he focused on the small but deadly swordsman.
Apparently Zanza picked up on the movement as well. "What do you see?"
Battousai zeroed in on Aoshi and Kanryou with a shocking speed, and Haruo had to admit that even though he had known it was possible, he was still impressed with the guy's ki-sense. Megumi gasped Kanryou's name in shock and surprise, and Zanza confirmed it for Battousai.
"But who is that with him, the one to the right?" Battousai wondered.
"Dunno," Zanza replied. "The boss of the private army, perhaps?"
"No!" the female doctor exclaimed, a note of fright entering her voice. "He's the Okashira!"
Battousai turned towards her. "The Okashira?"
She nodded. "Having a private army wasn't enough for Kanryou, what he wanted was Oniwabanshu! So he hired a former head, Shinimori Aoshi, who – it is rumoured – became the leader at the age of 15!"
"And someone like that is working for Kanryou… why?" the white-dressed fighter scratched the back of his head.
'I am wondering about that one myself.' Haruo agreed in the privacy of his own mind.
"This one couldn't say," the hitokiri said. "But now knowing exactly the danger that Megumi-dono faces, well, there's no way we can abandon her now."
There was a silence between the three people, and Haruo was about to give up and go back to Aoshi and Kanryou, when Megumi spoke up again.
"Could either of you tell me if you see a green-eyed man standing up there with Kanryou?" she asked. "He is usually similarly dressed as the Okashira, and slightly shorter…"
"I don't see anyone matching that description." Zanza said after a while of gazing. "Why do ya ask?"
"Who is this person, Megumi-dono?"
She sighed. "He is Rihito Haruo, the Second in Command of the Oniwabanshu. Wherever the Okashira is, he is never far away."
'To show myself or not to show myself, now that is the question…' Haruo sighed. 'Choices, choices!'
The choice, however, was taken out of his hands when the redhead suddenly spun, and gazed straight at him with lilac eyes that widened upon spotting him and recognizing him.
'The hitokiri has a good memory,' the green-eyed man absentmindedly noted, and tried to ignore the surprised gaze of the Battousai, the growling of Zanza, and the insecure gaze of Takani Megumi. They stood there for what seemed like hours, with Haruo studiously ignoring the trio gazing at him, and the trio not daring to turn their backs on him or even move in case they made an even bigger spectacle.
Just as the crowd started to disperse having had their fill of drama for the day, Haruo turned his head slightly and met the trio's eyes one at the time. Battousai's eyes narrowed, Zanza seemed to take his look as a challenge, and Megumi gulped visibly. Then Haruo simply smiled, turned and calmly walked away whilst humming a catchy, western tune. To both mock the group further, and to throw them even more off kilter, he stopped at a shop and gazed at the selection of beautifully-done combs. He even bought one for Misao to send with his next letter, went straight across the street to the little restaurant and bought dango, then continued on his way calm as calm could be.
He could hear Zanza arguing loudly from somewhere far behind him, and chuckled as he munched on a dango. 'Easy there, rooster-head, we'll meet again before this day is over. If everything goes according to plan then, in a couple of hours time, we'll have a private meeting. I cannot wait.' Even though he disapproved of Aoshi's obsession with being the best, he couldn't deny the fact that he would love to have a fight with two very good and new opponents. By know the members of the Oniwabanshu knew each others moves so well that it wasn't challenging to fight together anymore, and the rest of Kanryou's men weren't even worth thinking of as potential sparring partners. However, here was a perfect chance to test if he hadn't lost his skills in the past three years, and he was giddy like a small child.
'Besides,' he thought to himself, green eyes flashing. 'I owe Battousai a scar. Only then will we be even. Hope nothing ruins the upcoming fun!'
…----…
Haruo grumbled and pouted, and tried to ignore Hyottoko's teasing and Bashimi's snickering.
"There, there, Haruo-sama," the large fire-breather was saying. "It isn't the end of the world, you know."
"You will have another chance to fight with Battousai soon – according to Aoshi-sama, that is." Shikijo said from his place by the window.
And that was the crux of the matter. After having looked so forwards to drag Battousai and Zanza away from the Kamiya dojo that afternoon, and then have a lovely little fight before returning to Kanryou's mansion for tea. Therefore he'd been incredibly disappointed to find out that both of the fighters in question weren't at the dojo, and the only one in sight had been Megumi herself, and she was cooking what seemed to be dinner for the rest of the group. Honestly! After all his hard work Battousai and Zanza had the audacity to not be worried and nervous, and instead they went happily into town. The collected ego of the Oniwabanshu – but especially Haruo's – had taken a hard plummet that day.
"But I so looked forwards to it!" Haruo groaned almost at the verge of tears.
Hannya patted him comfortingly on the shoulder. "It's alright, Haruo-sama." The masked man said, his voice filled with understanding. Everyone in the Oniwabanshu were itching for a good fight, and had been ever since it had been confirmed that the real Battousai was living at the Kamiya dojo.
Haruo took a deep breath and put himself together. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Right, gather around everyone, I'm about to explain the plans for when Battousai and Zanza arrive."
"Why isn't Aoshi-sama here to plan the defences with us?" Shikijo asked as he settled down beside Beshimi. Hannya was sitting beside Hyottoko, and Haruo was sitting just by the heads of the two bed-resting shinobi.
"He's asleep," the green-eyed man replied. "He will need all his strength for the upcoming meeting with Battousai, especially if he's to use his Sword Dance, his Kaiten Kenbou."
The scarred man nodded in understanding. "Right. Now, lets hear what you have planned for us, and then get some rest ourselves."
…----…
Seeing as Aoshi and the rest of the Oniwabanshu were still in dreamland a few hours later, and Haruo was the only one of the group awake, it was him Kanryou's guards came to when Takani Megumi finally showed up. It was already starting to darken outside, Haruo noted as he passed a window on his way to Kanryou's office. Both Megumi and Kanryou were there, and the green-eyed man couldn't make up his mind if he should be worried for Megumi or for Kanryou.
"Welcome home, Megumi-san," Kanryou was saying just as Haruo arrived. "I knew you'd come back. Where else have you to go?"
'He couldn't just leave it with the welcome-home-part, could he? That mouth of his is going to get him into trouble one of these days.' The shinobi thought to himself, and continued observing the scene from his secret hiding place. Kanryou's mansion was full of secret passages which made it very easy for the Oniwabanshu to sneak around.
"Our stock of Spider's Web is almost out. You will make more, won't you?"
Megumi was silent, and Haruo carefully opened the door to his hiding place enough so that he could watch the two in the room. He was starting to get worried, it had been a long time since Megumi had taken Kanryou's abuse and orders in complete submissive silence.
Kanryou sighed dramatically. "Why must you be so rebelling? Why must you always reject me? I think of you always as my darling!"
"The profit you make from the opium I produce, is your darling."
'Back on track I see, kitsune-onna.' Haruo grinned. 'And sharp as ever.'
"Mhmm, that's why I take such good care of you." The opium-dealer licked his lips suggestively whilst holding Megumi's chin with his gloved hands.
The watching shinobi pulled a grimace. Kami-sama, but the guy was gross! Kanryou should've been in jail a long time ago, and Haruo really had no scruples about delivering him to the police personally. Or he could kill the man and make the world a better place. Either suited him just fine, though he preferred the second option.
Megumi, however, didn't even bat an eye, and replied coldly. "Indeed. Sadly, I have not come here to make opium."
"Eh?" Kanryou blinked stupidly.
'Idiot,' Haruo thought to himself and tensed, readying himself for the action that was sure to come.
"Takeda Kanryou, I've come to kill you." The female doctor had drawn a hidden dagger from her sleeve, and took a deadly swing at the man in front of her. And if Kanryou hadn't moved back in shock, and raised his arm in automatic self defence, he would've ended up with a slit throat.
"YAAAHH!" Kanryou screamed and clutched at his wounded arm.
"Don't worry," Megumi raised the dagger again. "You and I are links in a chain. I'll follow you shortly."
'I suppose this is my cue to intervene.' The green-eyed shinobi sighed. 'Oh well, here we go.'
"I did say I'd rather die than return. No longer will others' lives keep me alive!" Megumi backed her tormentor into a wall. "We're falling to hell together. This is the one small apology I can offer my victims."
The dagger went down.
Kanryou screamed like a woman.
Haruo was already moving at top speed.
Megumi's empty hand hit Kanryou right above the heart, and she gasped upon discovering that her weapon was gone. "My dagger!"
Haruo stepped calmly from the shadows behind her, the dagger held loosely in his right hand. "That's enough. Lets stop here before someone loses an eye."
Kanryou was enraged. "You… little… WRETCH!" he backhanded Megumi sending her to the floor. "You little bitch! I was playing nice, and you got your head full of air! Your mentor defied me too, and things went wrong! Do not underestimate the great Kanryou! I'll kill you!" during his little speech he was shamelessly beating up the defenceless woman on the floor. "But first I'll torture you until you spill the secrets of the Spider's Web opium, once I know those I'll have no more use for you! Haruo! Call my men!"
Haruo just sighed. "They're all quite busy right now." He replied without blinking an eyelash.
"Eh? Why?"
"Listen and you'll understand."
There was a short silence in the room. From the outside came the shouting of Kanryou's men, and the whistle was blown in warning. The racket had probably woken the entire house by now, and Haruo knew for a fact that none of the Oniwabanshu would be able to sleep through all that.
"That man… he's here." Haruo said and gazed out the window from a position in which he could see the people in the courtyard, but none of those in the courtyard could see him. And it was true. Battousai and Zanza were moving through Kanryou's guards like a hot knife through butter, and they weren't alone. Kamiya Kaoru and her student were bringing up the rear of the group, taking care of the few guards that would still be conscious after the two males were done with them.
Everything happened at an incredible speed, and with quite a few humorous remarks from the quartet.
"Hey! Sanosuke! How dare you throw me into a group of gun-wielding sissies! I could've been shot!" the lone student of Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu demanded after the last group of guards had been defeated with pathetic ease.
"I was setting the stage for you! You made your dent, kid! You should thank me!" Zanza replied.
Kanryou was just standing by the window, completely shocked. "I don't understand… Why? What could Himura Battousai possibly gain by helping that woman?"
"If Battousai the Manslayer only acted for profit, he would be a high-ranking official in the army by now." Hannya said, his sudden appearance making Kanryou jump around. "A capitalist like you would never understand, but Ishin Shishi – like us, the Oniwabanshu – lived and died for our ideals. In the year of Meiji most patriots have rotted beyond recognition, but his spirit still seems fresh…"
Haruo smirked. "Our bait has caught us a patriot from ten years gone. That man is prey for the Oniwabanshu!"
"You cant be serious! To make the legendary assassin our enemy…!" the man stopped as he noticed that Battousai was gazing straight at him.
"It's time to give up, Takeda Kanryou!" the infamous assassin called. "Come down with Megumi-dono!"
Haruo and Hannya wondered if Kanryou was having problems breathing.
Suddenly Kanryou did a desperate attempt at putting himself together, and applauded. "My, how splendid! To defeat that many people so easily! I expected nothing less from the legendary hitokiri, Himura Battousai!"
"Idiot." Hannya muttered. "He has just given away the small upper hand we had over Battousai. Now the assassin won't feel the need to hold back on his skills and hide his true identity."
"Well, he never was the brightest pea in the pod." Haruo agreed.
"He knows about Kenshin!" Kamiya Kaoru's surprised voice reached them from the courtyard.
"I am sure that the Oniwabanshu did all the research." Zanza said.
Kanryou was ignorant to this, and he was also ignorant to just how much his next words pissed Battousai off. "Amazing! I am quite impressed by your skills, the display thrilled me! Join the Oniwabanshu, serve me and we'll be unstoppable!"
Hannya and Haoru both growled quietly. As if Kanryou could govern them!
"I'll pay the wages of 50 men in my private army! And just to guard me! What do you say!"
Battousai was not impressed. "Are you going to come down, or are you not?" the redhead asked as he stepped forwards.
Kanryou sweated. "100 men's wages!"
The hitokiri took another step.
"200!"
"Don't you get it? Your money's of no use here. I told you already, Himura Battousai does not live for gain." Hannya commented.
Kanryou gave in. "Fine!" he called. "I lose! I'll let Takani Megumi go! Give me an hour, there are things to prepare. She's all yours in an hour, I promise! Now go away and let us be!"
Zanza snorted. "As if we'd ever trust you!"
Battousai retreated from the group, getting some angry not-even-you're-that-trusting looks from his three friends. He stopped underneath one of the two lampposts that were placed on each side of the path, got into a stance which was unfamiliar to both Hannya and Harou, and then drew his sword with such speed that even the two shinobi had trouble following its path. The poor lamppost didn't stand a chance, and the severed upper half flew through the air and connected with the wall of the mansion dangerously close to the window where Kanryou was standing.
Then the dangerous assassin turned towards the house again. "We will now come to pick up Megumi-dono! You just sit and wait, Kanryou!"
Kanryou looked ready to faint.
"Because you tried one of your tricks, you made him even angrier." Hannya was clearly amused. "You do love drama, don't you?"
"That just means that you will have to fend the Battousai off! It's what I pay you good money for! I will have no more mistakes with Beshimi or Hyottoko! You got that, Hannya?"
The masked fighter growled. "The only one to give the Oniwabanshu orders is the Okashira, Shinomori Aoshi-sama, or the Second in Command, Rihito Haruo-sama! And for them we're always glad to die-"
Haruo cut him off. "Easy there, Hannya. Battousai will be defeated; however, it won't be for your sake, Kanryou."
"W-what are you saying? Your duty is to protect me!"
"Who cares about what happens to scum like you? No, their target is Takani Megumi, and I'll place her in the third-floor observatory. Hannya, get to your place, I'll take care of the rest."
"Hai, Haruo-sama!" Hannya disappeared.
"Wh-what am I supposed to do!" Kanryou demanded.
He picked up Megumi and slung her across his shoulder, before he replied. "You can sit here and count your money, or something. I don't care." With that the green-eyed man closed the door and quickly walked to the observatory. He placed the woman on the window seat, and waited.
It didn't take long before she stirred.
"Those from the Kamiya dojo have arrived." Haruo remarked.
"Ken-san's group?" she gasped in surprise.
"Don't get your hopes up, they won't get up here anyway. What awaits you isn't rescue, but torture at Kanryou's hands." He threw her dagger down on the floor between them. "Here. This is for bringing such a strong enemy to us."
Megumi blinked in surprise. "Haruo-san… you… you have changed. I have never seen you so… so bloodthirsty…"
"You seem to forget that I am an Oniwabanshu, and what all Oniwabanshu love is a good battle. However, concerning your options at this moment: you can either die with honour, or live in pain. It's your choice." With that he exited the room and locked the door.
He needed to get ready for the battle ahead.
…----…
I am sorry for the long absence, but at least it's a long chapter. That's good… right….?
Concerning the lack of magic in this fic: there's nothing to worry about, it will all be explained soon. And the first sign of it will appear within the next couple of chapters, so have patience. About the age, well, Harry is about 25 or 26 at this point in time.
Right, I've got a few questions for you, so please answer!
1. Should I pair Rihito Haruo and Takani Megumi?
2. Should I do the entire 'Rurouni Kenshin' series – at least the parts with the Oniwabanshu – or should I just skip to the wizards?
3. Should I write a crossover between 'Harry Potter' and 'InuYasha'? The possible storylines are as follows:
- Harry needs a Shikon Shard to defeat Voldemort and ends up in the Sengoku Jidai.
Or- Harry is Sesshoumaru
Please vote!
Thanks to:
chaser1, Morrolan, Bobboky, korrd, Firehedgehog, ShadoweGoddess, chibimacha7, Kaaera, gaul1, NamelessHeretic, shadow-darkness89, Skuld's Sentaro 5, A-Brighter-Dawn, Ptath, maleficus-lupus, DemonEyesKyoko, Jewelle2, LenJade, Wolven Spirits, Shadowed Rains, XinnLajgin, Wytil, anti-thule, kirallie, PersonaJXT, Stéphanie, crazy-lil-nae-nae, Catylina, hittocerebattosai, Itasuko-chan, Ississ, Ikono, Anave Lipad, O.o, irin, Moonprincess202, fanatic, lil-sis4556, Wraith, Dattatreya, and bluezenith.
