I feel very bad about Chapter 6... so I'm posting the other half as well.
When he awoke it was because of the approaching presence that until last night he would have ignored. It only got to entrance roof top when Kenshin opened the window to glare down upon the figure. He was at the entrance as the figure blinked pointing at the ground with a very irritated expression. It was a wolf, but not a Shinsengumi member. Therefore the man had no tact, and had choose to forgo the ground in his original approach.
"Walk with me," Kenshin hissed, "or you won't be invited back, ever." The informative wolf nodded, following the red head out of the Choshu infested hotel. He was glad that the heir was fighting for a cause in the war, but he was also happy he didn't have to run into a camp full of soldiers just to get his attention. He waited until the red head jumped up onto the rooftops to start talking, and even then he was hard pressed to keep up with him.
"The third captain approached me this morning, and asked me to confirm certain details. Is now a good time for you to meet with him?" the normal looking wolf asked, "if not you can continue this later if you desire…" Kenshin sighed, he should have known they would be pushy once they finally figured it out. He nodded, and the non Shinsengumi wolf led him away. They were back down on the street after a while, and Kenshin recognized where they were going to be a teahouse. Inside he almost felt relieved at the amount of familiar dark energies.
"Kobe san, over here," someone called, Kenshin's nose already caught the captain and his friend's scents. Suddenly he realized, his cover was about to be majorly blown, he realized only too late that his energy was mingling and it was far to loose to hide at moment. He saw the smile cross the captain's lips as he reigned in the extra energy tucking it back away neatly before sitting down before the Shinsengumi's third squad captain.
"Now that I have a better look at you, you're the assassin known as Battosai, aren't you?" the captain smirked, "not a wonder now how they lost so many men. There is someone in your vamp that wants you dead." This last statement was softly as to not attract so much attention. Kenshin suppressed the shutter at the thought, that was least of his concerns since he left his master. His master had taught him many lessons about giving away information, what he hadn't learned from Hiko he had learned during his time with the Choshu clan.
"Is that so?" he wasn't surprised seeing as he was running into more Shinsengumi then Choshu or Satsuma men combined lately, "It will just get them killed faster, especially now. Will it not?" His tone was cold, he had no intention of searching out the murderer.
"I suppose so, do you remember our discussion yesterday night?" the Shinsengumi Captain asked somewhat nervously.
"You mean that bit about this event of yours? The moon festival wasn't it?" Kenshin mumbled under his breath, "so much for me lying low in Wa…" The captain nodded, he laid out the information he had gathered from the higher ups running the festival ignoring the strange behavior that the Battosai was displaying.
"Most of Kyoto will be involved, all of Lycan that reside in Japan will be here for our festival. On the night of the full moon is when most of the ceremonial rituals and such go on, your introduction there would be the most powerful Battosai."The captain brushed across the info, "if you were to attend we would be most honored Battosai. It is not for a few weeks so you have time to think it over…" He hadn't forgotten that fact, he had been avoiding it for a reason, it weighed heavily on his mind. He had not decided if it was a good idea considering all that was going on, what with the traitor in the Choshu camp currently.
Perhaps… he should deal with this annoying pest after all. At least before the truth was discovered and something best left buried under a bloodstained sheet of the past. A past that if uncovered would interrupt his life so abruptly he wouldn't have enough time to flee. "I have a favor to ask," he looked the wolf straight in the eyes, "upon your assistance I will attend the lunar festival without fuss." He would keep his word regardless, but Katsura had to be protected.
"But of course, you need only ask," the Captain looked as pleased as he was relieved. Kenshin idly felt bad, had he refused to show this man would have been punished for his cowardice. It worried him to no end, that his past might be discovered, and when that happened…
He simply could not be prepared to deal with it… Not now, not then, or ever again. It was far too painful, even with Sophitia's assurance that it would be alright. "Thank you then, I will meet you here at midnight, I have arrangements to make, but the favor I am in need of is a place to stay until something has been done with the Choshu traitor. It would be my assumption that this arrangement would make it easier to attend the Lunar festival."
"I will have the arrangements made for your stay then," the Captain bowed his head, "will you be disguising yourself Battosai?" Kenshin nodded, he had no doubt he could alter his appearance. He had been forced to do so enough times already, "Midnight here, in your disguised state already. We wouldn't want your traitor to send any extra, and unwanted company."
"This, is very true. Look for me on the roof at the designated time then."
~Choshu Clan hotel HQ~ Later that same day of course.~
Kenshin approached Katsura's room for the second time that week. Normally he would have simply avoided the Choshu leader and taken care of the problem, the thing was like it or not Katsura was involved. It was one of his men, and they would not live to regret this mistake.
"Katsura san, I need to speak with you," Kenshin let his voice be heard. He could hear someone other than Katsura in the room, from experience he reasoned it to be Katagai. The man was the Choshu leader's unofficial bodyguard, he was never far during the daylight hours.
"Come in," Katsura's voice was light. He was not intruding on anything significant then, he cautiously opened the door. Sure enough there was Katagai shooting him the 'insignificant boy' look that meant disapproval of his actions. He in fact had opened the Shogi right in front of Katagai's impassive face. "I cannot thank you enough for that favor earlier. Is there anything you need from me Himura?"
"I unfortunately have a matter to attend to that demands my absence sir. You probably noticed I was out earlier," Kenshin was not going to lie to Katsura, "I have… certain obligations to attend to, ones that will make that earlier favor more permanent. There is however an area of concern that makes my absence necessary, I will not lie to you, there's a traitor amongst us. As I have mentioned previously, I have things that I do not want unburied from a very distant past." Katagai looked pissed, Katsura however looked unsurprised seeing as the chats that had been going on for the past week about the extra bodies being found around Kyoto.
"I unfortunately have to agree, I know that those men aren't appearing out of nowhere and jumping in front of your blade Himura. So what are we to do about it?" Katsura's answer surprised both of them. "I assume you have a plan for dealing with this traitor, otherwise you dared not bring it up at this point." Kenshin nodded, he placed his sword in front of him as a sign of good faith.
"Because of my other standing there is death warrant on the man, the wolves will take care of it I assume. He will be found and he will be killed," Kenshin informed them with a cold expression, "I know that under any other circumstances I am to let you handle it. However the man has struck a nerve with me, he is digging in dangerous territory."
"Undoubtedly Himura, I am sorry it has become an issue. Is there someone you trust should I need to contact you?" Katsura asked. Kenshin nodded, looking only briefly at the expression crossing Katagai's face, extreme confusion.
"Send Rin, no one else will be able to find me. Rin will be confused, but he will be able to, and he wouldn't dare betray either of us Katsura san. I will still be accepting assignments regardless of where I am," Kenshin explained, "I have no doubts that things will be made interesting during my absence…" Katsura nodded, Katagai however had listened enough and still didn't really understand.
"Why are you listening so intently to this whelp?" Katagai half yelled. Katsura whispered something in his ear, his expression went from confusion to fear in moments. "He's… a what?"
"I believe the term is a count unfortunately. I had yet to inform Katsura san yet," Kenshin admitted quietly, "I am a feudal lord basically to the supernatural… It changes nothing about my standpoint, I serve Choshu, and some of them serve Mibu, Satsuma, and Rin is one that serves Choshu. It's actually quite equal throughout that I am aware of, anyways I will be attending a festival under my rank later this month… Wish me luck, I have no idea what I'm going to do…"
"You'll do fine Himura," Katsura assured him with a bright smile, "now get going, I'll have Rin deliver your assignments. Good luck Himura kun." Kenshin smiled back and took up his sword. He left without too much fuss towards Rin's room. The lower Vampire was half asleep when he knocked lightly on the window's frame. The stuttering was enough to alert Kenshin to the current time that and the unceremonious greeting.
"God damn it Himura! Just because you're a god damn freak of nature that walks in the sun, doesn't mean you have to go and wake me up in the f-ing daylight hours!" Rin of course probably didn't remember last night… Kenshin knocked again, "GO AWAY!" He snickered and climbed in the window slowly. Rin was looking at him bleary eyed and very irritated.
"Is that any way to treat the heir?" Kenshin snickered at the amusing expressions crossing Rin's face, "don't worry I forgive you. I needed to warn you of a couple of things though." Kenshin grabbed the hand that shot out towards his face, narrowly avoiding the annoyed night dweller's claws. "Katsura is going to give you my assignments to deliver to me. Can you handle this or do I need to tell him otherwise?" Rin looked annoyed but more responsive.
"There's no one else who stalks you without knowing your secrets, right?" Rin asked semi conscious finally, "I'll do it, but you owe me Himura. You are such a pain in the ass, you know that right?" Kenshin smiled, leaning down in Rin's face and giving him a real reason to cringe.
"Would a good rank later satisfy my being a pain in the ass right now? You're a loyal guy Rin, even if you don't know what's going on you stick with your allies," Kenshin held his chin up, "the powers I hide from would make you tremble, let alone the ones I possess and hide from you at this very moment. I expect great things from you Rin, don't disappoint me…" He ghosted out, satisfied with Rin's answers he made for the market.
Kenshin's going Kimono shopping! You'll find out why in the next chapter. :)