A/N – Thanks to all my reviewers. Apologies in advance to any Enishi fans, but he is going to be a villain in this story.

Disclaimer – I don't own Ruroken. Don't sue.


CHAPTER 4


Sano led the way into what passed for his living room. Kenjiro looked about, his expression deliberately neutral as he noted the piles of unwashed laundry, of used plates and other, less easily identified mess.

"Sorry about the mess," Sano said with breezy, casual confidence. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to clean…"

"Yes," Kaoru said faintly. "I can see."

Unperturbed, Sano shoved at a pile of old porno mags, revealing a dingy brown lounge. "Right," he said with a generous, expansive gesture, "sit down, and tell me everything. I'm assuming you're in trouble."

They perched gingerly on the edge of the lounge seat. Kaoru launched into her explanation, explaining about her kidnapped brother, Enishi Yukishiro, and her uncle's connection to Kenjiro. Ken had always wondered just how much Sano knew of his secret role in the war – the slightly puzzled look in the younger man's eyes told him that he had always suspected something was amiss, but had never been able to put all the pieces together. And then Kaoru finished up with her trip to Thailand, the watcher in the strip club, and the three men who had ambushed them in the street.

"You killed two of them," Sano said neutrally. "With that sword."

"Yes," Kenjiro answered.

Sano shook his head. "I always knew there was something you weren't telling me, Ken, but I never suspected…" he trailed off. "A sword?"

Kenjiro sighed, and then began his own, slightly edited tale.

Sano listened, open mouthed, as the redhead spoke. His voice and manner as gentle as they had always been, Ken recounted stories of government assassins and cold-blooded murder with a matter-of-factness that made Sano's blood run cold.

"You're saying," he said, still not believing, "that you were one of Katsura's men?"

Major Katsura was a well-known name among those who'd had to go into the more dangerous situations across the river. He had a reputation for clearing the way for the conventionals who'd come after him, but there had been whispers that his methods weren't always…savoury.

Ken smiled sadly. "I was among the first of Katsura's men," he admitted, "and his most effective. But that's beside the point," he said briskly, cutting off Sano's awkward questions. "The problem here lies with Yukishiro."

"The biggest, baddest yakuza boss in Japan," Sano said. "You do know how to pick your enemies, girl," he said as an aside to Kaoru, who bridled at the mode of address. Sano only grinned.

Ken put a warning hand on the girl's arm, which calmed her down, but also made her blush slightly.

"Enishi's grudge is against me, Sano. There was a – a misunderstanding, years ago. I'm afraid Miss Kamiya was dragged into it."

"Are there any other big bad bosses out there, gunning for you? You must have made a hell of a lot of enemies."

"Sano –" for a moment, Ken's voice tightened and his eyes narrowed, but then he smiled, somewhat reluctantly, and lowered his head. "If there are, they would have every right. I killed many, many people in the name of an ultimately empty promise."

"Keh." Sano had never thought much of official propaganda. "How old were you?"

Ken blinked. "I volunteered when I was eighteen. Why?"

"Yeah," Sano said impatiently, "but how old were you when Katsura got hold of you?"

"Just past nineteen, I think –"

"Bastard." Indignant, angry on Ken's behalf, Sano clenched his fists and ground his teeth. "Bloodthirsty, murdering bastard."

Startled, Ken's eyes opened very wide, and for the first time Sano could remember, he looked shocked. "Sano!"

"No, no, not you, fool. Katsura. Christ! You were just a kid."

"No older than you were, Sano. And I volunteered…"

Sano shook his head. "It's not the same."

Ken's clear, compassionate eyes searched him, filled with gentle, somewhat sad laughter, just as Sano always remembered them. It was hard, very, very hard to imagine his gentle mentor/companion/friend as a cold-blooded assassin –

But that was the point, wasn't it? No one would believe it of the slight, innocent looking kid he must have been – Christ, five years of murder on demand, all on the word of a ruthless zealot like Katsura, who had truly believed in what he'd been doing, and so had been prepared to go to any lengths to achieve success.

"He was not a saint, Sano, but nor was he a monster. He was a man, trying to do the best he can, in accordance with his own beliefs."

Faced with the gentle implacability of Ken's slight smile, Sano gave in.

"So, what are you going to do, Ken? You said Yukishiro likes to stage illegal fights – obviously, he wants you as his prize attraction. From what you told me, there are people who'd pay big money to see you fighting for your life."

Ken nodded.

"Then why did he send those goons after you? You'd think he wanted you alive and well."

"He wanted to test me, to see if I'm still as good as I was, during the war – if I hadn't been able to defeat them, then all his dreams of a tournament would be useless."

"That's terrible!" Kaoru exclaimed. "To throw away his own men so easily."

Sano grinned toothily. "That's good business, girl. No use talking up a tournament, drawing in all the high rollers, and then finding out your star draw is only a shadow of what he once was. –Are you, Ken? As good as you were, ten years ago?"

Ken only smiled. "Are any of us? Ten years ago, it was easy to push my body beyond its natural limits – but now?" He shrugged. "I'm thirty-three years old, Sano."


1973

Shocked, numbed, Ken sat on the edge of a cheap, filthy bed, his long, unbound hair falling about his bruised, bloody face like a false black veil. Sometimes he forgot that it was a disguise, that his hair was truly red, blood red, like blood on the snow… Suddenly desperate, he fumbled for the bedside phone, almost spilling it in his haste. Fingers shaking, he dialed Katsura's number –

"Yes?" The Major's voice was cool and calm, as always, even at three in the morning.

"Major Katsura. It's Ken –"

"What are you doing, calling here?"

Ken had to pause, to take deep, calming breaths – Katsura, uncannily perceptive, must have heard the panic. "Take a moment. Breathe – now tell me what's wrong."

"Attack. Ikeda-ya cafe. Breakfast, this morning." Ken's fist gripped the receiver tightly, his knuckles white from the tension and strain.

There was a moment of brief silence. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. General Trang told me himself – before he tried to put a bullet in my head." Closing his eyes, he relived, over and over again, the look of terrible triumph on the General's face as Yukishiro stripped him of his cover, and the terrible moment when Tomoe stepped out from behind her brother, her eyes dark, begging him to forgive her…

"I killed Trang, but Yukishiro is still alive – he'll stop at nothing to carry out the attack, now. It's a matter of pride. And," he took a deep breath, "Tomoe is dead. She's here, with me – but I can't stay here, I have to…"

His voice trailed off, and his hands started to shake.

"Ken. Listen to me. Where are you?"

"I don't know. A small pay-per-hour in the red-light district. I don't… I can't…"

"Ken. Ken! Tell me where you are. I'll send someone over to take care of all the necessary arrangements – come back in, and we'll plan our defense together."

Ken calmed down long enough to reel off the address, and put the phone down with exaggerated care and precision. Slowly, he stood up, stripped out of his bloody, ripped shirt, and finally turned to face the horrible truth –

Tomoe was dead. She'd betrayed him, and then she'd thrown herself in front of the man who would have killed him, if Ken (eyes almost swollen shut, only one thought running through his mind – bomb, Ikeda-ya, warn, protect, survive!) hadn't swung his sword with the last of his mad blinded strength, and cut through her and the killer both.

He didn't remember the rest of the carnage, but when he could think again, he was alone in the room, surrounded by bloody, ripped up bodies. He'd picked up Tomoe's limp, blood-soaked body and staggered outside, somehow stealing a car and making his way here, to a phone, where he could contact Major Katsura.

It was all for nothing, anyway. The next day, four bombs went off at the Ikeda-ya, and Katsura, hunting for the bombers, was struck and killed by flying shrapnel…


"Yukishiro-sama!" A small man rushed into the room, clutching his wrist protectively to his chest. "Yukishiro-sama, please forgive me!" He threw himself on the ground before Enishi's seat.

Enishi looked at him blankly.

"We went after the assassin, hoping to collect your bounty on his head. But he killed Sakamoto and Matsuda so easily…" he trailed off, swallowed. "I returned here to warn you that he knows we came from you."

The assassin.

Himura Kenshin.

Enishi's mouth twisted, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You presumed to use my name?" he asked, very softly.

The man cowering at his feet flinched.

"You informed him of my attentions, like a gift? You fool!" he snarled angrily, smashing his foot into the man's ribs. The unfortunate fool collapsed, whimpering, and Enishi made a point of ranting and raving for a little longer. But when he sent the man off, bruised, battered, and thoroughly terrified, he allowed himself a very small smile.

Sixteen men, Himura Kenshin had slain on that last night in his escape from General Trang, before he murdered Tomoe. Enishi had seen it all, had watched the incredible, uncontrolled violence with shocked, fascinated awe: Himura had been a master killer at his absolute peak, driven beyond any thoughts of rationality, and Enishi had never seen anything else that could ever rival it for its raw, visceral thrill.

Ten years, it seemed, had not diminished his skill.

For Tomoe, his beloved, murdered elder sister, Enishi would make sure the bastard paid. He would take Tomoe's blood price out of Himura's hide…


A/N – This chapter was short but necessary. I've taken some liberties with the true facts of the Ikeda-ya, but I hope you'll forgive me. Next chapter – Enishi formally invites Kaoru to his tournament to win her brother back.