Chapter 12: The Fine Line Pt. 1

"Okami-san do you happen to know anything about Iizuka?"

"Iie, Katsura-sama."

"You expect me to believe a boldfaced lie like that. Okami-san we are in private and I swear that nobody is listening in on us. Drop the formalities and tell me the truth."

"Well then what would you like to know? Would you like to know how he gropes the kitchen girls? How he leaves the inn at all sorts of odd times? Or maybe the way he hits on every girl within his sight?"

"Okami-san has he ever done anything particularly undeserving of trust?"

"You mean like the time he tried to rape Ayumi..."

"He did what?"

"He tried to rape Ayumi. Katsura-san what would you want me say? Should I tell my very best customer that one of his men attempted to rape one of the kitchen girls? Then you might consider leaving. I would end up with an empty inn with no customers! Gomen, I lost my temper..."

"Okami-san, what do you mean by having no more customers? You run a respectable inn."

"Katsura-san you haven't heard the rumors that fly around Kyoto. It's a shame really. You have one of the most advanced and complex intelligence networks in Japan, but the sad thing is that sometimes plain old gossip is just as good."

"Okami-san what do you mean by that? Gossip is surely unreliable."

"Not as much as you think. You'd be surprised what is said in front of hired help. The truth is, this inn and the entire surrounding area and marketplace is known for supporting the patriots. I'm pretty sure that everyone in Kyoto other than people like yourself know this. I bet the Shinsengumi know this. Truth be told, there is as much doubt in an imperialist government as one under the shogun."

"Why?"

"Some people didn't exactly approve with the destruction of the Sekihoutai."

"I thought that was classified!"

"You thought it was classified. Well I found that out while I did the shopping. Supposedly the shopkeeper found that through an underground newspaper."

"Anyway Okami-san, now that you've knocked my pride down a few notches, do you mind telling me why you never complained to me about Iizuka?"

"Well the whole thing was already taken care of."

"What do mean that it was already taken care of?"

"Well you see Himura-san came down to ask me for a few spare kimonos and yakutas for his guest and caught Iizuka in the act. I think that is when the death threats started to come out more openly. He never used to do anything like that in front of us women."

"I hope Himura-chan ends up alright. Katsura-san if I may be so bold as to ask a private question..."

"Okami-san go ahead."

"What is Himura, Kenshin to you? Gomen nasai, I have over-stepped my bounds."

"It's okay Okami-san. You shouldn't have to worry so much about overstepping your position in society. Hopefully such things will disappear once the Meiji government takes over. I honestly don't know what Himura-san is. The only thing that I know is that I took an innocent farm-boy and made him a killer."

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Kenshin froze at the sight of the ribbon. How could he forget the way it bobbed as her ponytail swished. The once indigo ribbon now stained maroon by the blood soaking it.

How could they...

Amber eyes flitted over the plaques. Jinchuu... who would want revenge against me? Too many people to count... it's my fault...

He looked back at the macabre shrine made on the wall. The ribbon wilted with the weight. A white scroll stood out in contrast. Kenshin picked up the small package, the burden suddenly feeling heavier than it should. The red seal had two kanji symbols overlapping each other. They read... tenken...

The seal crumbled at his touch and the paper fell open. Three words stood out on the scroll.

Ask my brother...

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The pink foam left the washbasin along with the tinted water. A lone indigo ribbon hung from the line, limp from water. The blood stains now washed away. He wished it was that easy to clean the blood off his hands but sadly that was not the case. He could smell the blood in the water along with a hint of jasmine. Kaoru and I... like mixing oil with water.

Kenshin wiped his wet hands against his hakama. The pair of swords sitting by his side found their place near his waist as he neared the strong ki coming from the direction of the dojo gates. He recognized the aura as belonging to one Sagara, Sanosuke. This time the jovial edge was nowhere to be found.

At the knock, he opens the door. Instinctively Kenshin raises his sword sheath and all to prevent the oncoming fist.

"Itai!" Sano pulled back his aching fingers after leaving a sizable crack in the sheath.

"I don't need your stupidity around right now, Zanza. Do everyone a favor and leave." Kenshin's tone brooked no argument, but somehow the idea that Sano wasn't wanted around didn't seem to penetrate his thick skull. As the door continued on it's collision course with the frame, a lanky arm appeared at the middle, preventing its closure.

"Listen Battousai, you have a lot of things to answer for. Care to explain this?" Sano dangled a wooden plaque with a replica of Kenshin's famous crucifix inked in red.

"Come inside. Apparently we have something to talk about." The door closed and Kenshin turned to glare at the outwardly calm rooster. His ki told Kenshin otherwise. Kenshin was doing his best to diffuse the situation and get the angry rooster out of his house. "Could you hand the tablet over?"

"Hai," he started handing the tablet over to Kenshin. Midway Sano changed his hand into a fist and socked Kenshin square across his jaw. "That's for Megumi! And this is for..." He never got to complete his punch or tirade. Kenshin had him pinned against the giant wood gate with his katana pressed against his neck. Glittering amber eyes bore into brown.

"If you have nothing of any importance to discuss, leave." Kenshin's tone was icy but despite that and the blade millimeters away from his skin, Sano answered.

"You think that Megumi being kidnapped isn't important! Kisama, it's because of you and the IshinShishi that I've lost everything. Commander Sagara told me to keep living so I did! Now you take the two most important people in my life and you expect me to leave quietly! The great Hitokiri Battousai is nothing but a freaking pansy!" Kenshin's hand at Sano's collar tightened. Sano wondered if his own jacket would be the noose for his demise.

"You think that you can get revenge for Takani-san and Sagara-san by killing me? I'd like to see you try." hissed Kenshin. He was already in a rather foul mood to begin with. He thought that maybe he might find some sort of center to work out of after washing the ribbon. This was just one too many problems for him to simply "wash away".

"Sagara. Get the hell out of our house." Each word was punctuated by Kenshin hitting Sano's head against the gate. Between one moment and the next, the gate was wrenched open and a certain rooster head found himself tossed out of the dojo grounds.

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The dizziness passing, Sano finally started the arduous task of finding out where the hell he was. Granted, getting piss drunk the night before and then going and accusing the Hitokiri Battousai for kidnapping Kitsune from right under his own guard was not a bright idea, but did he really have to hit him that many times against the damn gate!

"Ahou."

Maybe if I close my eyes and open them again, I can pretend none of this has happened and the whole thing is just a dream...

Saito glanced at the figure lying on the ground and took a long draw from his cigarette before attempting to reason with a tori-atama as stupid as the one in front of him. Trying to explain that a situation required delicacy to one so dense was a task more arduous than pulling teeth. But, Saito had always had a certain talent at such things. For example, if the aforementioned teeth did have to be pulled, he would do something along the lines of threatening the person into knocking their own teeth out, or else a few well placed jabs with his sword ought do the trick.

"Ahou, open your eyes."

Sano was still lying down on the floor with his fingers jammed in his ears. "It's the alcohol...I'm just really badly hung over. It's just a hangover. It's just a hangover..."

"Ah, Shinomori, you seem to understand the tori-atama. Care to explain his useless ramblings?" Saito's sarcastic sentence was punctuated with a long draw from his cigarette.

Sano froze. And was ignored. Something that never went over well with the rooster head.

Aoshi brushed past the dynamic duo, knocked on the gate and was admitted into the dojo.

Saito's hand tightened around his sword. That made two people who hate to be ignored.

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"Shinomori."

"Battousai."

"Would you care to explain this?" Kenshin passed the note to Shinomori. Aoshi took a quick glance and looked up.

"Was there a seal?"

"Hai, it had two symbols reading 'tenken.' Who wrote this note?"

"Currently he is an Oniwabanshuu member deeply undercover, but normally he goes by the name Soujiro Seta Shinomori."

A brief barely obvious sigh was heard. I guess I'll just have to ask since he refuses to give me any information...

"Shinomori, was there any information in the last report from your agent?"

"I have the maps, if you are interested. There is one caveat however."

"What do you mean?"

"No sneaking in."

"Nani?"

"There is already a plan in place for the women to escape. We're needed only as a distraction." Aoshi's statement had one obvious flaw. It was a good omen that it wasn't mentioned...

"You assume that they are still alive." Or not.

Disclaimer: I'll own RK on Shinji and Asuka's wedding day!

Author's Notes: I'm so sorry! I haven't updated in like a year! Sophomore year truly sucked. I haven't actually had time to do anything non-school related other than getting together with my friends once a week!

I'm not even at home right now. I'm currently updating this in Toronto on my older cousin's computer during my family reunion.

As for the other fic I'll start working on I've decided on Kei. I've already started working on the prologue and the first chapter. Hopefully I can convey that my writing style has matured in this new fic.

This chapter seems sub par and it is bugging the living daylights out, but I'm lucky I have a beta now! The next part of this Chapter is also in the works.

Thank You Despite!

I especially want to thank all my loyal readers!

Please Review!