Author-chan's notes: I want to thank everyone who pointed out my mistake from last chapter about how "Tadima" should be "Tadaima". Winces I was so worried about "Chichi-ue" that I forgot to make sure everything else was spelled right! Yare, yare, no harm done, but I thank everyone who pointed out my little blunder.
Key:
"talking"
'thoughts that can only be heard by thinker, a.k.a. private thoughts'
/thoughts that can be heard by thinker and spirits, a.k.a. telepathy/
writing in a letter
qpqpqpqp indicates scene/time change
Like Father Like Son
(Chapter Twenty: Suspicions)
Back at the Aoiya
"Sanosuke? What are you doing here?"
"Hey, all," the former fighter for hire greeted with a casual grin.
"Sanosuke!" Yahiko cried out, coming over to slap the older man on the back, "Where have you been?"
"The idiot rooster has been here in Kyoto for the past nine years eating us out of house and home," Misao answered as she glared at the spiky-haired former Sekihoutai, "You mean he hasn't told you or written to you?"
"Hehehe, I forgot?" Sano grinned sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Baka tori-atama!" Kenji yelled, whapping the fist-fighter over the head with the sheathed sakabatou, "We were worried out of our minds about you! You didn't visit, you didn't write; we all thought you were dead!"
"Sheesh, sorry," Sano grumbled, rubbing his head, "I've been busy."
"Doing what, bumming around?" Chizuru asked, stepping into the conversation, "It's not that hard to write a letter, Sanosuke."
"I've been training, alright?" Sano sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I found Anji. He taught me the rest of his technique."
"Futae no Kiwami?" Yahiko whispered, his eyes wide, "You've mastered it?"
"Ahem?" Michiyo coughed, butting into the conversation, "I know you all have catching up to do, but the children seem to be tired. Why don't you all get settled, and then exchange stories, ne?"
"That's a good idea," Sano nodded, walking over to where Kenichi, Sasuke, and Shinya stood with the baggage.
"Shinya," Sano grinned at the teenager, "You've grown."
"Sanosuke-san," Shinya bowed politely, "I –"
"Don't worry about it, kid," Sano interrupted, "I know you don't remember me. You were only five when I left after all."
"Aa," Shinya nodded, blushing anyway. Sano shook his head good-naturedly.
Kneeling down so he was the same height as Sasuke and Kenichi, he grinned at the younger boys, "Hey there. You probably don't remember me, but I'm your Uncle Sano."
Sasuke grinned, reached over, and tugged Sano's hair, just like he had when he was a toddler. "I think I remember," the blue-eyed ten-year-old grinned.
"I guess you do," Sano laughed, ruffling the boy's messy dark hair. Then he turned his gaze to Kenichi, who had been quiet throughout the entire conversation.
"Kenichi, it's been awhile," Sano murmured, smiling sadly at the now nine-year-old boy who had once been the infant he couldn't protect.
"Sano," Kenshin greeted, giving the fighter a gentle Rurouni smile, "I suppose it has been a long time."
Sano blinked at Kenichi for a few seconds. For a moment, just a moment, the boy's visage had been replaced by another, older man's face with tired eyes, and a pain that could not be contained by the half-healed lacerations on his cheek.
Shaking his head to clear it, Sano patted the young redhead on the shoulder before picking up the luggage loitering around the entrance.
"Where are their rooms, Aoshi?" Sano asked, "I'll take them up."
"Chizuru-san and Kenji-san are in the first room to the right," Aoshi began, "Yahiko and Tsubame are in the room to the left. Shinya has the room at the end of the hall, and the children will be sharing the room next to the Himuras'."
"Got it," Sano nodded as he led everyone upstairs.
Just as Kenji was walking up, out of nowhere, Michiyo grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Yes, Michiyo-san?" Kenji blinked at the quiet young ninja.
"Himura-san," Michiyo began in a slow tone, "My father has told me to respect you and your family. Out of that respect, allow me to offer you a piece of advice while in Kyoto: Don't go outside without a hat."
"O-Oro?" Kenji blinked, confused. Michiyo let go of his arm.
"Trust me on this one, Himura-san," Michiyo murmured as she turned to walk away, "Kyoto is not Tokyo."
qpqpqpqp
Back at the police station
Sitting in a spare office at the police station was Sai and Chou. Suddenly, Sai rubbed his eyes and yawned, tired from reading though all the documents about his old boss, Hamano Genji. The only thing he had to look forward to was that after this, Chou had promised they would go off and find a room at that Aoiya place.
"So, brat, what did ya find out?" Chou asked his assistant, startling Sai out of his thoughts.
"Genji has gotten better," Sai shrugged, "It seems that while he was doing all sorts of unsavory business in Tokyo, he had also set up a network over here in Kyoto. It's rather impressive. In fact I'm not quite sure that Genji did all those crimes that were committed in Tokyo. I think he just ordered them. He could have been bouncing between his Tokyo and Kyoto strongholds for years without us knowing."
"Well that explains why we never caught 'im," Chou sighed, raking a hand through his hair, "He's slippery."
"Luckily his stronghold in Tokyo burned down," Sai said, "He's cornered here in Kyoto until he can find a new base back home in Tokyo."
"How long do we have until he'll be able to run away?" Chou asked as he began to polish one of his swords.
"A month, maybe less," Sai sighed, "And that's assuming that he doesn't have any hideouts in other places. But I don't think we have to worry about Genji running away any time soon. He's been having some trouble over here in Kyoto."
"What kind of trouble?"
"Control over his men," Sai replied, "After Kenji-san broke his kneecaps nine years ago, Genji has walked with a limp. Some yakuza see this as a weakness. But Genji is a tricky bastard. He pits his own men against each other and tricks them all. But some of his men are still deserting him because of one old man who is standing up to him."
"Who?" Chou asked casually.
"I believe the yakuza call him the 'White Tiger'," Sai replied, looking over his notes, "But his real name is Yukishiro Enishi."
qpqpqpqp
Elsewhere in Kyoto
The PBKB Club smiled in satisfaction as they surveyed their work. They had turned a dirty old warehouse into a clean well-decorated party house.
"So what do you think?" Kaito, the beheaded Shinsengumi, asked his fellow club members, "You think Battousai-san will like it?"
"You might have done something right for once, Kaito," Takumi, the disemboweled Mimiwari murmured, "The flowers were a nice touch. Nothing like a dusting of spirit made cherry blossoms to 'liven' a place up."
"I agree," the ninja Hideki murmured quietly, "Better sakura than a rain of blood."
"Damn it, Hideki!" Kaito swore, "What is it with you and rain and blood?"
"The sky cried tears of blood once," Hideki replied, "It was most beautiful."
"It was much more sad than beautiful," Masahiro, the melancholy former guard, murmured, "In those days, even the cherry blossoms were sad, no longer a gateway to heaven, but a portal to hell… I'm feeling very depressed right now."
"Kami-sama!" Kaito snapped, "We're supposed to be happy right now! HAPPY! Ahou!"
"You know those two," Tomoe laughed softly, "Masahiro is only happy when he is depressed and Hideki is Hideki."
"Very funny, Tomoe-san," Takumi sighed, "Do you think you could get Katsura-san to come over now?"
"Very well. I will…summon…that insufferable man," Tomoe sniffed stiffly, her entire posture rigid.
"Er, never mind, Tomoe-san," Takumi said, stopping the female ghost, "Kaito and I will get Katsura."
"Do we have to?" Kaito whined, "I wanted to go and bug Saito-san!"
"Oh fine, you big baby!" Takumi huffed, "Masahiro, Hideki, please get Katsura-san. Kaito and I will go and find the Shinsengumi captains, and we will NOT bother Saito-san."
"Aww…" Kaito grumbled.
"You should leave once the sun sets," Tomoe suggested, nodding to the others before fading away.
qpqpqpqp
The Aoiya, several hours later
Kenshin sighed as he finished unpacking. Shinya and Sasuke had already finished before him and had gone downstairs for some food, leavingKenshin alone. He sat on the futon and put his head in his hands.
Everything was so strange. The others, Aoshi, Misao, Sanosuke…They had all gotten older while he was suck in the body of a child.
He still remembered Misao as an energetic young girl. While she was still energetic, Kenshin could still see that age had slowed down her movements slightly. She didn't skip everywhere like she used to, but rather walked most of the way. She also dressed more conservatively, no longer wearing her ridiculously short shinobi outfit. Her face held lines he had never seen before, and now and then he could pick out a gray strand in her formally raven mane. The wild sixteen-year-old he had known was now a more settled mother at the age of forty-two.
Aoshi too had changed. It was slight, but Kenshin could tell that the former "ice-block" had melted over the years. There was a gentleness in his eyes when he looked upon his family. He too had lines on his face that had not been there before and his hair had turned into salt and pepper. Aoshi no longer wore his trademark trench coat or Western styled clothing, having traded them in for a comfortable looking yukata with solid patterns. His kodachi were no where to be seen. Aoshi was now a father to a twenty-two-year-old at fifty-two.
And then there was Sanosuke. At first glance, his carefree attitude hadn't changed much, but Kenshin could see that the wildfire that had once burned within the former fighter-for-hire's eyes was more tamed than before. Sano had become more muscular, obviously a side effect of his training in the Futae no Kiwami. The former rooster head had grown out his hair again so that his hair hung down to brush his shoulders as it had when he was in China. Sano only had a light dusting of gray in his hair and light lines around the eyes and mouth, but it was enough to make Kenshin feel disturbed. Sano was forty-five.
"Everyone has changed in more ways than one, de gozaru," Kenshin murmured, "Sessha can't keep up anymore."
"And you think that you haven't changed, anata?" Kaoru's voice asked as her form shimmered into existence next to him. Kenshin smiled at her.
"Sessha knows," Kenshin replied, "Everyone changes, de gozaru. Even the dead. But it just makes me feel so…"
"Old, right?" Kaoru finished for him. Kenshin nodded.
"They seem content," Kenshin commented, his eyes gaining gold flecks, "Aoshi, Misao-dono, Sano, Yahiko, Kenji…They seem content with their lives as they are now. Why do I feel like I am an intruder to their peace? Why do I feel like something terrible is going to happen to them because of me?"
"Don't be silly, Shinta," Kaoru scoffed as she wrapped her ghostly arms around his small form, "Everything will turn out alright in the end. Even what is going on with Hiko will turn out alright. I promise."
"A-arigato, Kaoru," Kenshin murmured, closing his eyes contently.
They stayed like that for several moments with only the sound of breathing to accompany them.
qpqpqpqp
Downstairs, Aoiya
The Myojin, Himura, Sagara, and Shinomori families were eating a meal together, chatting about various things. Megumi had appeared not too long ago as well to join them.
From the talks, the group from Tokyo found out that when Megumi and Sano had gone off Hokkaido to see Anji, they had, thanks to Sano's terrible sense of direction, ended up in Kyoto. Lucky for them, Anji happened to have moved to Kyoto several years prior. Ever since then, the couple had lived in Kyoto. Megumi had started a thriving clinic while Sano got various odd jobs while training with Anji. They never bought a home, but instead either staying at the clinic or having either the Aoiya or Anji "adopt" them for awhile. In fact, one of Sano's recent odd jobs was being a waiter over at the Aoiya since many of the old ninja who had manned the restaurant/boarding house had either moved on or died.
Now the group was just talking about random things, laughing at old memories, remembering old friends, and talking about the future.
"Do any of you know where Kenichi is?" Chizuru suddenly asked, "He hasn't come down yet."
"He'll be fine, Chizuru-san," Misao laughed, her face slightly flushed by the sake she had been drinking earlier, "Aoshi-sama would be able to tell if he left."
"Actually, I would not be able to tell if he left," Aoshi murmured, taking a sip of his tea. The others looked at him in surprise.
"Oi!" Sano growled, "I thought you had like swordsman senses or something. Ki sensing abilities, that's it!"
"Kenichi-kun has no ki," Aoshi murmured calmly, drinking again from his teacup.
"That's impossible!" Kenji cried out, "I can't sense ki myself, but from what I was taught about it every living thing has ki!"
"But regardless, Kenichi-kun has no ki, Himura-san," Aoshi shrugged, "So either he is not alive, or he has trained in the sword arts long enough to hide his presence from me. The former is impossible and the later is improbable."
"Yeah!" Misao agreed, bobbing her head up and down, "There has only been six people that have the training to hide their ki from Aoshi-sama. Of those people we only know of two that are positively alive: Hiko Seijuuro and Saito Hajime. Two others of the six we have no idea what happened to them: Yukishiro Enishi and Seta Soujiro. Then the last two we know for positive that they are dead: Shishio Makoto and your father, Himura Kenshin. So unless Kenichi-kun is one of these six, there is no way that he can hide his ki from Aoshi-sama!"
"So what are you saying, Shinomori-san?" Chizuru asked, reaching over to grasp Kenji's hand for support, "What is wrong with my baby?"
"Something, maybe nothing," Aoshi shrugged, "Although it is unlikely, it could just be that Kenichi-kun has a natural ability to control his ki. I need to observe him for awhile."
"You'll let us know if you find anything?" Kenji asked, "Anything abnormal?" Aoshi nodded.
"For now, let's just all rest on it," Michiyo suggested, "It might be a good idea to figure out what is happening in the morning."
After a few nods, the group dispersed to head up to their own rooms. Just as Kenji was leaving, Sasuke ran up to him to get his attention.
"Tou-san," Sasuke whispered to his father, "You don't think that what's happening with Ken-nii might have something to do with the people I see around him?"
"I-I don't know," Kenji replied, his brow creasing with worry, "It might. We should talk to Aoshi about this in the morning."
"Hai," Sasuke nodded before heading off to the room he shared with his brother.
Meanwhile, Shinya was also heading upstairs talking to himself.
"I always knew there was something wrong with that brat Kenichi," Shinya muttered under his breath, "A freak, that's what he is."Yahiko, who was right behind Shinya, glared at him and smacked him discreetly. Shinya whirled around, his eyes wide at the attack.
"Do you realize what you are saying, young man?" Yahiko hissed, glaring at his son, "Kenichi is a friend. He's practically your cousin! I will not have you bad-mouthing family!"
"Family?" Shinya scoffed, "You consider that freak family! Don't try to deny it, Tou-san, there has always been something off about Kenichi, and Sasuke too! In fact, there is something wrong with the entire Himura family! All of Tokyo knows it! Have you heard the rumors about that family? Or are you too deaf to notice?"
Yahiko punched Shinya across the face. Hard.
"You complete baka!" Yahiko yelled in Shinya's face, "You have no idea, none at all! I know why you're acting like this, so spiteful! It's about the sakabatou, isn't it? Baka Shinya, this is why you will never hold that sword!"
"Damn you," Shinya hissed, rubbing his throbbing cheek, "You would taint this family's name!"
"Then so be it," Yahiko snarled.
Shinya stormed off, muttering curses in his wake. As soon as he was gone, Yahiko slumped down against the wall, completely drained.
"Dear kami-sama," Yahiko whispered, burying his face in his arms.
"Anata?" Tsubame's soft voice murmured as the small woman sat down to comfort her husband, "It will be alright, anata. We'll find a way."
"Tsubame," Yahiko sobbed, opening his arms to hold her and hiding his tearful eyes in her hair, "I hope you're right."
qpqpqpqp
A little while laterThe Himura and Myojin families had settled into their rooms already by the time the other guests of the Aoiya entered. Michiyo bowed to the two guests, who, judging by the bags they held, wanted boarding for a few days, not just a coming by for a meal.
"Welcome to the Aoiya, good sirs," Michiyo murmured politely, "Will you be requiring a room or two?"
There was a moment of silence as the older blond whispered something to the young sable-haired man next to him.
"Excuse me, miss," the younger man began after the older man finished whispering to him, "We are looking for the Oniwabanshu."
Michiyo's eyes widened. Then, without thinking, she leaped at him, drawing her swords where they were sheathed behind her back. Throwing out the chain that connected her swords together, Michiyo swiftly tied up younger man. Using her momentum, she slammed into the chained male, pushing him to the ground as one of her swords moved up to kiss the man's bobbing Adam's apple.
"Who sent you?" Michiyo hissed, her eyes narrowed, "How do you know about us?"
Next to her, she heard the older blond laughing madly. Pulling out some hidden kunai that were strapped to her leg, Michiyo flung them to the general direction of the laughter. She didn't even have to look to know that she had pinned the older man to the wall.
"Kuso," the older man swore, finding himself unable to move.
Michiyo turned her attention back to the chained man she was pinning down, "Who are you?"
"I-I am Fujiwara Sai," the man stuttered out, "Over there is my boss, Sawagejou Chou. We're police officers."
"With that get-up?" Michiyo scoffed, "Liar. You have done a foolish thing, wandering into the base of the Oniwabanshu and lying. I should take your head."
"It's the truth!" Sai whimpered, "Boss man just said to ask about the Oniwabanshu, honest! I don't even know who you guys are!"
"Liar," Michiyo hissed.
"Michiyo-chan, what's going on?" Misao asked as she walked into the scene.
"Thank kami-sama yer here, Weasel girl!" Chou sighed, spotting the braided Okashira, "Call of yer ninja!"
"I am not a weasel!" Misao snarled, throwing more kunai in Chou's direction. Chou squeaked as the blades missed him by a mere hair's breath.
Suddenly Sano walked in, staring at the enraged female shinobi.
"Kami-sama!" Sano gasped, seeing Chou, "Houki-atama?"
"Nice to see you too, tori-atama," Chou sniffed, "Now help us get out of here!"
"Why should I?" Sano grumped, "You're a bastard."
"Can you at least help me?" Sai asked from the floor. Sano turned his attention to Chou's assistant, a look of rage encasing his features.
"I know you," Sano hissed, glaring at the former thief, "You're one of those bastards that kidnapped Kenichi nine years ago! You bastard, I should beat you up until you're bloody and raw. No, better yet, I should hand you over to Kenji so he could beat you bloody and raw!"
"Look, I can explain!" Chou protested, "Can ya back off?"
"Talk fast, broom head," Sano growled, "Neither you nor that kidnapper down there are my favorite people."
"Same goes to you, Zanza," Sai said sarcastically, "Damn it, I always knew that kidnapping was a bad idea."
"Can we have some introductions, please?" Aoshi's voice murmured from behind the group.
"Aoshi-sama!" Misao cried, turning to smile at her husband.
"Shinomori!" Chou yelled, "What took ya so long?"
"Chou the Sword-Hunter," Aoshi murmured, "It has been awhile. Are you still in the police force?"
"They really are officers?" Michiyo blinked at her father.
"Yes," Chou answeredsmugly,"I'm a lieutenant."
"Please forgive me then, officer," Michiyo bowed, getting off from Sai.
"Yeah, he may be an officer, but he used to be part of an elite assassin group bent on taking over Japan," Sano muttered, "And that idiot you chained up was a thief and a kidnapper."
"Wait a second; 'assassin'?" Sai echoed, slightly startled at Sano's words,"I knew you were a criminal, Boss Broom, but I had no idea how bad you were!"
"Emphasis on the bad part," Sano smirked, "He was the worst of Shishio's Juppongatana."
"Shut up, tori-atama!" Chou snarled, "I can still take you on!"
"Oh yeah?" Sano smirked, cracking his knuckles, "Bring it!"
"Enough," Aoshi cut in, "Chou, why are you here?"
"We need a freakin' room!" Chou hissed, "We've been working on a case, and we need a place to sleep at night!"
"What's the case on?" Misao inquired.
"We're tracking down Genji, Kenichi-kun's real kidnapper," Chou answered.
"'Kenichi-kun'?" Sano hissed, "What gives you the right to be so friendly towards Kenichi?"
"'Cause Battousai's brat sometimes works for the police department and me an' Sai go over to the dojo at least twice a month!" Chou bit out, "Himura-han already knows what went on with Sai and so does Kenichi-kun. We've worked out already, ahou!"
"Urusai, houki-atama," Sano groused.
"Michiyo, Misao, release those men," Aoshi ordered.
"Hai, Chichi-ue," Michiyo bowed as she began to unwrap the chains from around Sai. Chou started when he heard how Michiyo addressed Aoshi.
"Oh dear kami-sama, Shinomori has kids," Chou muttered as Misao pulled out the kunai that was pinning him down, "Please say he didn't have them with weasel girl."
"Don't make me hurt you, broom-head," Misao gripped as she pulled out another kunai.
"Kami-sama, he did!" Chou moaned, closing his eyes, "And her name is Michiyo!"
"What's wrong with my name?" Michiyo asked as she sheathed her swords.
"Michiyo, huh?" the newly freed Sai asked with a weird glint in his eyes.
"I know what yer thinking!" Chou yelled at his assistant, "What the hell is it with ya and girls named Michiyo?"
"The name is sexy," Sai replied, leering at Michiyo, "And that's not the only thing…"
The youngest Shinomori gasped and slapped him with enough force to smash the former thief into the wall as soon as she felt a hand on her curves.
"You hentai!" Misao yelled, tossing kunai after kunai at Sai, "Touching my daughter in such a way!"
"Kya!" Sai yelped, dodging a kunai and skittering behind a silent Aoshi.
Aoshi simply kicked Sai back against the wall.
"Michiyo, bring my kodachi," Aoshi ordered.
"Hai, Chichi-ue," Michiyo bowed as she went off to do his bidding.
"Ahou," Chou groaned at the dazed Sai, "Didn't I tell ya not to mess with ninja?"
-
Author-chan's notes: Eh, to lazy to put up a glossary…If there are any words that need defining, just ask me.
And yes, there is yet even more set up in this chapter…Sheesh, I've been setting up everything since I started this arc! I want some action! As for Sai liking girls called Michiyo, refer back to the omake with him and Chou.
I've been told to focus more on the Kenshin/Kenji fix-up relationship thing by reviews as well as my own brain, but trust me; I have a master plan at work. We'll get some Kenshin/Kenji bonding time, hopefully even as soon as the next chapter.
Next chapter (hopefully) will hold some quality Kenshin/Kenji time, the PBKB Club's party, and some Hiko time so that no one will forget he's dying.
Next chapter: Nighttime Talks