Author's Note: Omg! Thank you all once again for reviewing for my story! It makes me super duper happy. Lol, well this chapter a lot of action is taking place and someone is about to die! Omfg no I'm not saying anything; you all will just have to read on. Please read and review! Enjoy!
EcstasyOfSesshoumaru: I understand what you mean but I just never though of Sano looking at Misao in THAT way.. like, ever, no matter how incredibly beautiful she became. But he is the kind of person to do that I know. But just not to Misao, especially now when he is married. But yeah I knew what you meant, and thanks for your review!
blacksheep21: Aw thank you so much! Yeah it's sad, I agree, but that is what the truth of the world was back in those days huh. The peace they worked hard for can't exist forever. It's an unfair truth that still lives on today. Thank you very much for your review!
Gillian: Lol, yeah I know what you mean! Well, it's been two years of just living in peace with Misao and his other friends of the Aoiya. And because he has grown more attached to Misao now that she is older (instead of when she was a child), he tends to smile rarely only for her because their friendship is just growing such a stronger bond. And it may be at the peek of a real relationship! But whoa now hold on lol you'll have to read more to find out! Thanks for your review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin
Chapter Eight: The Crisis Unfolds
Misao sighed tiresomely and put a slender hand smoothly against her forehead, 'That's strange… I feel fine, but I'm so very tired. I hope I'm not getting sick or anything.' She thought as worry tugged at her heart, though not everyone in the room took notice of it quickly.
"When will you grow up, Sano?" Megumi muttered to herself, but loud enough for Sano to hear. Apparently Sanosuke was once again doing something which made Megumi very irritated… which could be pretty much anything the poor guy did. But that didn't stop them from marrying each other. It seems his annoyance in a good way attracted her to him. And Sano couldn't have been happier; he after all, truly loved her, as she truly loved him. He was a real romantic guy when it came to getting the woman he wanted, and that was Megumi.
"What was that?" Sano asked dangerously and turned to his wife with a soft glare. Megumi was far from unnerved by it, "You heard me." She answered calmly and poked his chest with a finger, "When (poke) will (poke) you (poke) grow (poke) up?" She waited to hear his answer.
Sano folded his arms over his chest and looked down at her, "Look here you. I'll have you know, that I have matured quite diligently in the last year." He tried to say in a smart voice and all. Megumi rolled her eyes and smirked, "Believe what you want hon. I'm surprised you even know what the word diligently means." She murmured with a smirk and then left his side to talk to Kaoru. Sano only followed her with his gaze and a mischievous smirk of his own. He would get back at her later.
Yahiko was chuckling behind Sano and suddenly felt a painful punch to his head, "Ow! What was that for?" It appears that old habits would certainly die hard.
Sano just sighed and ignored him, "Geez, now I know how the fox feels. Oh well, doesn't mean I won't stop torturing that beautiful mind of hers." He said with a grin and put his hands in his pockets. Sano loved Megumi no matter how rude and nasty she may act in public, but messing with her head is always something he enjoyed doing, and laughed to himself as he thought of a plan to 'torture his fox' at a later time to get her back.
"You're so stupid." Yahiko muttered and placed a hand on knot upon his head from the hit, gently trying to rub it and make the pain go away.
Kenshin smiled and shook his head, 'I'm glad they haven't changed. It seems like too much has changed ever since two years ago that it has.'
The doctor glanced at Misao and gave her a look of fret, "Misao are you ok? You look a little pale." asked Megumi. She looked at the younger girl and walked closer to her to get a better look.
Misao smiled and shook her head, raising her hands in front of her slightly in protest, "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. Um, but I am awfully tired today. I don't know why though." She didn't want everyone thinking she had gotten a disease or anything, and so tried not to make a big deal of it. Nonetheless, Megumi felt her forehead the back of her hand. Aoshi waited to see what the doctor had to say; hopefully Misao wasn't catching some kind of cold.
While Kaoru played with Kenji in her arms, she looked only over at them with worry, but said nothing. Megumi took her hand away, "I can't assume anything as of yet, just get some rest and maybe we can stop whatever might be coming before it starts." She suggested and motioned for Misao to retreat to her room.
The ninja nodded, "Yes you're right. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me." She said and disappeared into the hallway and on the way to her room to get some rest, which sounded really great to her at the moment.
Kaoru looked after her friend in more worry than before, "Megumi, do you really think Misao is getting sick?"
Megumi waved her hand casually to show it was no big deal, "Oh don't worry about it.. She won't even get anything if she gets a lot of rest now and drinks a lot of fluids." The doctor answered and watched as Kaoru nod in final agreement, "Glad to hear that." Aoshi looked away from the girls, he was glad to hear it too.
Misao walked gradually to her room, almost dragging her feet, which was very unlike her.
Sliding open the light shoji door, she stepped inside and closed it behind her noiselessly. She went to her window and leaned on the sill of it, enjoying the light breeze that blew her way. Misao yawned, 'Why am I so tired?' She shrugged, not wanting to think about it, and just sleep instead.
Before leaving the window, something caught her eye from a nearby tree next to the Aoiya. "W-What was that?" She asked in a whisper and held her breath. The wind picked up slightly and she gently pulled back a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 'I can't sense anyone. It must have been an animal or something.' She decided and tried to calm herself down; maybe she was sicker than she had first thought.
But, the figure moved once again, and Misao could clearly see that it was a human. "All right, that's it." She murmured and jumped out of her window. She landed on the ground gracefully, thanks to much of her training, and ran after the mysterious being that was also running away.
"H-Hey! Come back here!" She shouted and continued to run after the dark form. The person was obviously dressed in all black; otherwise Misao would've gotten a better look at this person. And also be able to tell if it was a man or a woman in the least. Though Misao now had a strong feeling that it was a man. The figure was tall and looked strong.
"I said come back, you coward! Why were you around the Aoiya?" Misao shouted again. She was distancing herself away from the Aoiya, as she never stopped running.
The figure ran faster and faster. It ran through gardens, through the trees, across dirt paths and over rocks and bushes.
The person stopped and turned around. Misao stopped running too, much more agitated than before, "Finally! What the hell took you so long to do what I said?" She asked in an enraged voice. "Alright, tell me who you are right now. And don't you dare tell me that you were just passing by because I know that you weren't." She said and got into battle stance. As she ran a moment ago, she had searched inside her pink and green kimono to check and make sure that her weapons were present and not left behind. Thankfully they were all with her.
The figure shrugged slightly and took of its mask. As expected by Misao, it was a grown male. The man smirked, "So, finally caught up to me have you Makimachi Misao?"
Misao faltered at this and subconsciously lowered her guard slightly. "How... How do you know my name?" She asked, now fearing for what this man could possibly know about her. She had never seen this person before in her life, and yet he knew her somewhat. Misao grew nervous, but stood her ground all the same. Breathing heavily now from all of the running, she feared deep down that she was no match for this one man. This idea frightened her, because not so long ago she was able to take down ten bandits on her walk home with Aoshi from the market. Something about him, made her skin crawl.
Next thing she knew, Misao heard his deep voice, "I'll tell you who I am, sure. However, I will only tell you, if you win the fight." He said and got into a battle stance of his own.
"Fight?" Misao asked in whisper and before she knew it, he was running straight for her.
Misao didn't have a chance to swallow her anxiety as she dodged out of the way, what felt to her, was just in time. She staggered back and turned around rapidly to face the man that had attacked her. Misao felt her hair follow the same motion and twirl around her neck and fall back around her shoulders again. She was shocked to say the least, 'This guy is fast.'
The man stood straight and turned around to face her. Once he did, he revealed a katana that was stained with blood at the top. Misao gasped and looked at her arm. Slowly, a cut started to appear on the pink fabric of her kimono, and blood as well. She grimaced vaguely, 'Too damn fast.'
"What's wrong Misao? Did I give you a cut?" The man taunted.
Misao frowned, "Not as much of a cut as I'm gonna give you, bastard." She muttered to and went into her battle stance once again. Misao concentrated her energy and was now remembering everything the Oniwabanshu group had taught her. 'Hannya, please have faith in the fighting abilities that you have taught me for so long back then. I need to not be frightened now. I'm stronger than this.'
The young ninja ran toward him. Once she was right in front of him and he was about to attack, but his blade caught no flesh as she stopped and leaned to the side. He was about to turn strike her again when he felt searing pain in his back. He slowly looked behind him to see that Misao had a kunai driven in him deeply.
Misao back flipped out of the way and landed about ten feet away from him. She watched him try and get the kunai out of his back. He had not let out so much as a painful grunt as he was doing this. 'He-He's not in pain?... Or is he just holding it in?' She wondered and took a small step back and think of what she would do next. Then, she took that same step towards him again, 'I will not show weakness, no matter how much I am afraid, I must stand my ground.'
"You'll pay for that, Misao." He said and pulled the kunai out of his back and threw it as far away as he could and faced Misao once again.
"How?..." Misao wondered aloud, but the man didn't answer her as he started to run toward her again.
Kaoru sighed with a soft smile, "I think someone needs a nap." She sang to Kenji in her arms as he rubbed his eyes. Kenshin smiled and watched Kaoru take Kenji to a room so she could put him to bed.
Aoshi watched the scene with slight interest; it still seems unbelievable that the Hitokiri Battousai had a family. Aoshi was sure everyone in Japan didn't see that one coming. He turned his head from them now and looked outside a window nearby.
"I said give it to me Sano." Yahiko said in an angered voice.
"Why should I? For all we know, you're just gonna hurt yourself... again." Replied the tall brown haired man.
"That was one time! And Kenji would've gotten hurt if I didn't save him from it!"
Apparently, Yahiko had just gotten a katana and was now practicing it with the help from Kenshin and Kaoru, but mostly Kenshin since Kaoru was always taking care of Kenji more often than she practices swordsmanship like she used to.
Sano sighed at the boy in front of him and raised the sword, which was still in its sheath, above his head for Yahiko to get it.
Yahiko grumbled, but then smirked, "Ha, I can get that no problem. I have cat-like reflexes." He said and made a jump to get it. After about four tries, Sano sighed and just hit Yahiko on the head with it, and the young boy fell down.
"Yeah, dead cat-like reflexes." Sano responded as he looked down at the fallen boy.
Aoshi remained as he was the entire time while Kenshin was telling Sano to give the sword back before Yahiko gets even angrier. He wondered if Misao was alright. Aoshi was about to stand up and go check on her when Kaoru burst into the room, "M-Misao is gone." She said worriedly.
"What? Where is she?" Aoshi stood up. Kenshin frowned at Kaoru's frantic expression; he never liked it when she was worried like this. Sano and Yahiko paid attention at this now when Sano gave the younger boy back his sword.
Kaoru furrowed her brow in worry and let out a helpless whimper as she looked behind herself again to really se if Misao was gone. She looked at him and shrugged her shoulders and shook her head vigorously.
Aoshi left the living area and went right passed Kaoru toward Misao's room. When he arrived to the entrance of it he saw that her curtains were blowing in the wind from her open window and he looked out of it. He sensed anxiety and fright. He now knew that either Misao was kidnapped or must have taken off in pursuit of someone, but if so, then who and why?
Aoshi walked back out of her room and stood in front of everyone who was in the hallway now, "Everyone remain here, I'm going to find her."
When the mysterious man had gotten close enough to Misao, she predicted his next move by the beginning of his technique, and ducked. Misao was on the ground and she rolled away from him. He had meant to kick her, but she had dodged it. "You are a better fighter than I thought, Misao."
"Yeah well, years of training will do that for you." She answered back and slid to the side, trying to knock him down with a powerful kick to the shins.
"So it seems, let's just see how many years that is exactly." He said and readied his katana as he dodged her moves. Misao jumped up and came into battle stance again, letting him know she was ready for anything.
He ran towards her yet again and Misao brought out many kunai. With a flick of her wrist, her kunai spread apart and appeared to be like a fan. Misao flicked her arm swiftly and her weapons flew straight to her enemy. He dodged to the side, missing most of them, but a few caught his arm and he flinched.
He spun around and grasped his katana tight. Misao was going to dodge it, but he predicted this and struck his sword to the place she was going to dodge from him. Misao felt immense pain on her side. Misao let out a groan of pain and quickly hugged her waist. She shuddered and fell to her knees. She knew that the wound was not only long, but it was deep too. She felt her warm blood appear on her clothing and she gasped weakly.
Misao slowly looked down and removed her arms from her waist to only reveal blood everywhere. Her hair fell about her face and stuck to her sweaty forehead and neck.
"No, not now..." She murmured and fell face down on the ground, still hugging her waist loosely now that she was loosing consciousness.