Chapter 4: Nothing Ventured...
Tokyo
It had been one week, and already Kenshin's handiwork was visible. Only one week, yet they'd already fallen into a routine. He would wake up early and disappear while she bathed and dressed. After close to an hour, he'd return to cook, eat and clean... sometimes laundry, sometimes the dojo itself.
By early afternoon, he would shop and return with both dinner and whatever supplies he needed to spend the next few hours patching and improving upon her family's small dojo. The only thing he didn't do was recruit for her. That was left to Kaoru herself. Otherwise, for the amount of time and effort he put into the place, one would think that he were its owner. Just because he'd promised to "earn his keep." She couldn't help but wonder if he put this much passion into everything that he did.
And even with all of this hard work during the day, he still had time to make dinner and disappear in the evening for a few hours to himself for his mysterious business. She hardly ever asked him about it anymore. Not since the first morning that he'd made breakfast and she'd asked where he had gone. But this time he hadn't returned until the sky was pale pink on the eastern horizon. She couldn't hid her concern... and so she had asked him again.
His response had been short and careful. His voice measured. His tone polite. She was still "Kaoru-dono," which she hated. He wouldn't even agree to "Kamiya-san." And so, in her irritation, she had stopped referring to him as "Himura-san" and simply called him "Kenshin," or occasionally "Kenshin no baka" when he really irritated her, as he had that day.
"Kenshin," she'd suggested, "why don't you take a day off from this?"
He hadn't answered.
"You don't need to work yourself to death."
He'd taken her by surprise then, chuckling softly at that comment, while he hung laundry. "You needn't worry about that, Kaoru-dono. If my work is ever the death of me, it certainly won't be from this."
She'd ignored the enigmatic statement, stepping up beside him, and handing him wet clothing from her tattered basket. "I just mean that you never seem to sleep. You're out all night, and then you come in, sleep for an hour and take off again, only to return to more work. You're going to run yourself ragged."
His laughter had stopped, and he'd turned his ordinarily blank eyes toward her. There was a hint of amber in them this time. She'd said something wrong. "Why do you note my movements?"
The wet obi fell from her hands, as she stared at him wide-eyed. "What?"
"Why do you track my activities? Why do you pay attention?" His eyes narrowed. "We aren't married. I owe no allegiance to you other than what I'm paying back now."
Her cheeks flushed. "I didn't mean that..."
He snatched up the obi, which had fallen into the grass, and dusted it off before hanging it. "Don't worry about me. Forget I exist at night. Remember me when I return in the morning. That is all I ask. I am sorry that my sleep habits bother you, but I'll be out of your hair in a week's time."
"That's not what I meant. Ken—"
He looked at her sharply, and she fell silent. "I don't care if that's what you meant, Kaoru-dono. Mean what you like. Do as you like. Only don't bother with my business, and don't follow, even if it is only in your mind."
He turned abruptly away, picking up the now empty basket, and examining it, as though his thoughts had never left the laundry. "You need a new one. I'll purchase one today." Without warning, he turned from her and walked away, while she was still trying to regain her voice.
He was barely down the road when she'd screamed after him that he was a baka and she'd never marry him anyway. The words had made more sense in her mind as she'd tried frantically to keep up with his own emphatic speech.
They were lost on him either way. He didn't hear her. Or, more likely, he simply found it easier than she to forget what was no longer in his presence.
He didn't look back.
Kyoto
The Mibu wolf emerged silently from the cover of trees. He had been watching this place for awhile, but time was running short. He had to make a move. The only person in the clearing was a large man in a long white cloak, seated facing a kiln.
So this was the great Hiko Seijuro, thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi, and trainer of Battousai. This... potter in an ugly cloak. Saito Hajime stealthily crept forrward, moving silently. One of the police force by trade, he was used to loud entrances. But the wolf was his soul... and this wolf was stalking dangerous prey. Slowly, carefully the tall, gaunt man advanced. His katana barely whispered as it slid gracefully from its sheath. Two more steps and he was in place. Still the large man before him remained motionless.
Let's see how skilled Battousai's master really is. He readied his katana for attack and charged with a full speed gatotsu. In a single instant he was plunging his blade through Hiko's breast. Except that the swordmaster was no longer there. The cloaked figure now stood casually about five feet behind him.
Saito sheathed his sword and turned. Hiko didn't look remotely disturbed about having almost been run though. In fact, the man was still holding a full sake cup, which he was currently drinking from.
Hiko raised an eyebrow and commented, "Interesting. Has the government sunken so low that innocent potters become targets of the police force?"
"Innocent potters have noting to worry about," Saito replied, his voice cold and soft. "It's Hiko Seijuro, thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu that I'm after."
Hiko snorted. "I see. Make your point quickly then, and leave."
Saito nodded, smirking. "Fair enough. You have certain skills that I need for a... project I have been sent to work on." He paused. "You were difficult to track down."
Hiko took another drink of sake, this time directly from the jug, and circled the wolf, stopping when the lowering late afternoon sun was directly behind him. "I assume that's all." He laughed harshly. "You may once have been a wolf of Mibu, Saito Hajime, but right now you are also a government dog. I have no intention of teaching you Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, whatever your project may be." He tipped the sake jug in Saito's direction. "However, thank you for reminding me why I lost interest in mankind. Goodbye, wolf." He turned his back and began walking toward the shabby hut where he resided.
Saito watched him leave, unfazed. "That's right. I'd heard that you don't like people. I wonder, does that stem from your apprentice, hitokiri Battousai, leaving you, or do you really just hate everyone that much?"
Hiko froze, as Saito had expected. The man's voice was rough when he replied. "I have never met the Battousai. My apprentice was a boy named Kenshin. And that boy is dead now." He turned, glaring darkly at Saito. "Battousai killed him."
"Interesting." Saito could tell that he'd hit a nerve. Perfect. He lit a cigarette, requiring the swordmaster to wait. Finally, after a few satisfactory drags, he remarked coolly, "Then Himura Battousai's name is a mere coincidence. But if that's the case, then I still can't understand how a mere peasant boy managed to claim a surname before the Meiji era. I was under the impression that he received his name from Himura Miki, later to be known as Hiko Seijuro the thirteenth." He grinned, an even less pleasant sight than his perpetual scowl. A flash of teeth. Of fangs. And the wolf went for the kill. "Surprising that you gave some random boy a surname. Especially that of your real name. A very personal gift to a man you no longer acknowledge fifteen years later." Saito snorted. "You call me a government dog, yet you seem to play the game pretty well yourself. Take in a boy. Give him a name. Use him for your purpose, and when he stops being what you want, then you pretend he doesn't exist."
The poison in the older man's eyes silenced him. Barely. "What do you want? If not training, then what more do you expect of me? I have no desire to take part in your little government intrigues. And I refuse to train anyone. One baka deshi is plenty."
"Baka deshi... how refreshing... I will have to remember that nickname when I see Himura Battousai..." He smirked and puffed at his cigarette, bowing slightly in a mock apologetic motion, "...excuse me... when I see Himura Kenshin... again."
"You try my patience."
"At least I try to do something."
That was enough. The long white cloak snapped in the wind as Hiko turned and began walking away, choosing silence over childish bickering.
But Saito wasn't through. "I have a proposition to make," he said softly. "A way to atone."
"Atone..."
The cigarette was flicked to the ground where it smoldered a moment before dying. "Yes. To atone for bringing a demon into the world. You trained him. You created him."
Hiko stood in the doorway, making no move. "He chose his own path. He left me."
"Fine. He left you to kill. And now he's gone over the edge. You ignored his assassinations during Bakumatsu. Will you continue to ignore him when kills innocents? When he wipes out entire villages?"
"He wouldn't."
"How do you know he hasn't?"
Hiko turned, his eyes black. Silent. Dead.
"Battousai must be eliminated, Hiko-san. Now is your chance to exorcise the demon you helped create..."
Tokyo
Kaoru hadn't even noticed the young man approach. He'd been as silent as a ghost, materializing out of nowhere.
When she'd turned, he was just suddenly there, smiling as he easily blocked the bokken, her automatic response to anything unexpected. She was growing irritated by how many seemed to be able to block it.
"I'm sorry to intrude," the youth said, his voice higher and younger than she'd expected. "But perhaps you can help me. I'm looking for a man named Himura Kenshin. Have you seen him?"
She glared at him, but remained silent. God only knew who this youth was, and she certainly had no interest in getting her one and only tenant killed for no reason.
But the young man was undisturbed. He laughed lightly, "Don't worry. We're acquaintances. I'm just looking for him. I was sent to meet him to take care of some business. That's all." He glanced around the deserted grounds. "I take it he's not here?"
"No." She would offer him nothing else.
He didn't seem to care. "A shame. I'll have to catch up with him later, then. And I think he'd have liked to join me, too. A job right up his alley." The boy shrugged. "Ah well... that's what I get for coming early. But just in case, let him know I dropped by. I'll return in a week."
With those words he turned to leave.
Kaoru stared after him a moment, before finally pulling out of the confused fog that this eerie young man had drifted her into. "Wait... who are you?"
He smiled back at her from the gate. "Just tell Himura-san that the Tenken came for him."
Author's Note: As usual, a big thank you to sueb262 and lolo popoki for their extremely helpful beta work. Thank you so much!
And a big thanks to all readers. Please review!
Dewa mata!
Sirius