Chapter 4: Demon drifting on the River Sanzu
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Rorouni Kenshin.
The policeman searched through the woods for any trail they could find of those involved in the fight that just took place. Most of what they found were musket balls left in the bark of trees or laying on the ground cut in half by a masterful swordsman, something of amazement because some of the musket balls were cut clean in half. Saito looked over the subordinates scurrying around like ants at the bark of the Captain or his superiors, who were also interested in finding a trace of whoever they could find. Of course, Saito was mistrustful of the higher ups because of most of them had their heads stuck up their ass or their ego, so he made sure that anything very important that he discovered would not be noted.
The cigarette burned in his mouth as he thought of what the swordsman they had captured had said about their master and his plans to assassinate the head of police along with the new foreign emissary from Britain. A smirk spread across his face as he thought about the session that he had, he thought about how fun it was and how long it had been since he had a real challenge in interrogation that forced him to resort back to his use of the Shinsengumi methods.
Bankotsu was a tough one to break, keeping quiet for most of the session until Saito had ordered all of his men out and started to resort to his own brand. Torture in the Meiji era left something to be desired for someone who had been brought up in the unleashed violence of the Bakumatsu era. Though Bankotsu had put up some resistance to his methods it wasn't until after he saw all those pieces of himself on the table that he started to talk. As soon as Saito had stepped out of the room he noticed the foul stench in the air and turned towards some of the younger orderlies to chastise them for being so squeamish.
"Sir, we have found nothing to track any of the parties in this battle, Captain Goro sir," reported one of the older officers who had a limp ever since he got on the wrong side of fight.
"Okay then I want you to take the men back to file each and every musket bullet to find out who made them," ordered Saito as he took long breaths on his cigarette. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a droplet of blood, obviously someone had come this way and was holding their wound closed to hide the blood. A Shinsengumi technique, must be Keiji, I just hope he isn't dead right now.
"Aren't you coming along, Captain Goro sir," asked the officer before being waved away.
"I'll continue searching this area now get the men back," said Saito as he started following the trail while keeping his head up to make it appear that he was just taking a little walk. Few people ever made the mistake of further questioning the Captain, even if they were of higher rank. So you managed to bloc and decided to flee from the fight and led them into a place of better fighting….wait there are tracks following your trail so you must have been too closely pursued to do much, but where did you go?
The trail picked up into the more rocky terrain that led to a hot springs and he could see that a lot of the musketeers tripped in the waters, with some being trampled and left behind. The trail went straight to a waterfall, with a blood drop right on the rocks at the edge of the cliff. Is this the end of you Keiji or are you still on this Earth, waiting for the day in which you will be allowed entry into the River Sanzu? Whatever road you take though, I am sure, and I am partially sorry, even if you enjoy it, that it will always be filled with bloodshed. Then again, that is the fate that we all share, all of us who are tied to the war.
Kenshin walked with Yahiko and Kaoru through the market place as he tried to look for something to cook for everyone tonight since Kaoru would be busy teaching Yahiko how to fence. The boy had come along ways and was already becoming a great swordsman in his own right, but hopefully he would not have to be tied to the sword forever like Kenshin was. Even more so he hoped he did not become like the young Fourth Seat of the Shinsengumi, who existed only to kill as many people as possible. That fate should not be cursed on anybody.
"I wonder where Megumi was, she said she was helping to teach a young girl," said Kaoru as she looked around the doctor's residence, but found no sight of Megumi anywhere. "Kenshin I want you to stay close, there is no telling what that vixen may be trying to pull, but I know that whatever it is no good."
"Well if you are curious of my next scheme it's to treat a new patient," said Megumi as she had Sanosuke bring in a person wrapped in cloth and dripping wet, his hair blocking the view of his face. "The young girl that I train found him floating and I almost passed him up for dead, but she said he had a pulse so I brought him here."
"I think she might be mistaken he looks plenty dead," said Kaoru as she looked at the body and to her surprise, the body sat up.
"Don't bury me yet, I'm still not allowed the cross the River Sanzu," said the body as he brushed his long wild and wet hair aside to show a very familiar face and cold, dead silver eyes.
"Keiji," exclaimed Kaoru as she stepped back and Kenshin moved a bit forward. Kaoru immediately felt a bit ashamed like always, that Kenshin was always stepping out to help her. She could never do the same for him and that frustrated her that she was so helpless to save the man she loved.
"I wouldn't have any fear of him right now; most of his bones are out of place," said Megumi as she poured a cup of hot herbal tea and put the tip up to his mouth as a sickening pop rang out. "Take it easy with your body, you were pretty banged up by your fall and you're lucky to be alive. Right now you need to take it easy before you damage that handsome face of yours."
"I wonder if you come on to all of your patients," replied Keiji as he drank the tea, popping his jaw back in place while snapping a few others in place, all the while showing no signs of pain. "My bones were made special just for my life, I can pop them in and out at will so there is no need for me to worry about them, but I'm not going that far with a damaged shoulder. I want to be in tip-top shape when I fight the man who tried to kill me."
"You could just help the police catch him you know," said Kenshin as he stared at Keiji's facial expression and saw that Keiji wouldn't even think about it. Will he be wishing to fight me when he's done and what will he do to fight me?
"I have no intention of letting the possibility of fighting a worthy opponent," replied Keiji as he sat there and continued to drink, his cold silver eyes peering over the four in the room. "I see the Rooster Head got himself bandaged up, he has some form of talent I guess."
"No fighting until you are healed," said Megumi as she pulled out a few tools and started to pull out the fragment of the musket ball that he sliced wrong. "Just who you are I don't know, but right now you are under my care and will do as I say if you want to fight this man in tip-top shape."
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt for the mean time," said Keiji as he gave a very innocent smile that was nothing like his look before. "For now I would like some bandages to cover my face just so I can't be spotted or else my target may send someone to finish the job. Battosai, you better be ready for after the assassin I'll be coming for you."
The assassin looked out at the men who were gathered in the garden at the back of the Nakajima estate. Most of the men referred to him as Tiger, but his real name was Toyatomi Nakajima. During the war he was one of the hired killers by the Ishin Shishi and had lost most of his squad to the Third Division, his brother was killed by the fourth seat. The death of his brother hit him harder than the loss of any of the other members of his group and it left him a bitter man at the end of the war before the Meiji government started to backstab the very samurai who saved it. Not knowing any other way to live and lacking a skill that could give him a different life in the current government, Toyatomi became an assassin for anyone who would pay his fee. Through this life, he found another way to live, one that kept his skills at their peak and would give him the challenges that he so desired, even allowing him to get revenge on the Meiji government and recently, his brother's killer.
Now, before he finished off his revenge of Third Division by attacking Saito Haijime, he decided to test his skills out on the one member of the Ishin Shishi that he always wanted to fight, Hittokiri Battosai. This was nothing personal, only a way to see how great his skills were and to see if he could recruit another ally to his cause of rescuing the samurai from the corrupt Meiji government. It had now become his obsession to make Japan like his own and he knew now that there would not be any other time for him to do so than now when the government was barely setting in. As an assassin he could carve the rankings of the elite into those who would support him and would soon be able to dispel the foreign influence that was poisoning Japan.
One of his searchers ran out to his spot overlooking the garden and the rest of his men, a place where soldiers could hide from the police. His searcher was a raggedly looking man who looked so frail, like a skeleton with skin on it, and dressed in tattered clothing that made him looked like a beggar. This of course was a clever disguise so that no one would pay any attention in what they said or what they whispered, after all, who would listen to a beggar's words. Especially one who had such messy black hair and a face that was marred by an overly large nose, and so he was able to do his job very well with how much people let their guards down around him.
"Tiger-sama, I have looked just as you have asked and have found Battosai," announced the searcher as he stay in a bowed and kneeling position. "He goes by the name Kenshin Himura now and is currently staying at the Kamiya dojo that is run by Kamiya Kaoru with two others, a boy who is training in the style and another man who we believe is Zanza, the fighter for hire."
"Good work," replied Toyatomi as he dismissed the searcher away and called on his thirteen guards. "Men I believe that we are close to the moment in which we await our attack, but for the moment I will only take my top thirteen. The rest of you I want to remain here and be ready to move to the outside when I say so. First we must draw Battosai to us for help, willingly or not."
"Sir, what about that Police Captain you wanted to kill, Saito Haijime," asked one of the thirteen, a tall and grim looking man named Ikkaku who was number ten of the group.
"First we test Himura, and then we can send an invitation to our dear captain," declared Toyatomi as he picked up his sword and a straw hat to put over his red and white clothing. "At any case, it does not matter the order, only the outcome, onward to victory!"