Chapter Ten
Kaoru could only watch, as the town's doctor did all he could for Hiko. The older Hiten master was now firmly under the effects of some anesthetic; sleeping through the impromptu surgery to stitch his wounds closed and put a stop to the bleeding.
"Um...Kamiya-san...?" the girl from before whispered, startling Kaoru from watching the grim event taking place before her.
"Hai?" Kaoru replied, softly.
"We've...found some clean clothes you can wear." she replied; seeming ashamed for having mistook her for a hitokiri before. Kaoru gave her a gentle smile, in an effort to reassure her that no harm was done.
"Arigato." Kaoru said, as she, as quietly as she could, left the room to follow the girl to what posed as the bath house for this family.
"G-gomen...for mistaking you for a man, Kamiya-san..." the girl stammered, still embarrassed by that seeming lapse in intelligence.
"I told you, it's fine! I can see now that it was easy to have made that assumption, since most women don't dress like this..." Kaoru said; her tone nearer to normal now, since she was now a little bit farther away from the sickroom.
"And most women don't teach kenjutsu or get themselves involved in Jinchuu, either..." Kaoru mused; only wondering just how worried Kenshin and the rest must be about them, by now.
"By the way, what's your name? I feel rude about not having asked before." Kaoru stated, as the girl beside her gave her a confused look for a split second, then smiled.
"My name's Uki Higashidani!" the girl said, brightly.
"Then my full name is Kaoru Kamiya. It's good to meet you, Uki-chan!" Kaoru said, pleasantly.
"Good to meet you, too! By the way, what is that man's name? He's awfully handsome, even though he's so badly hurt." Uki murmured; blushing as she admitted her attraction to Hiko.
"His name is Seijuro Hiko...But I'd watch out, if I were you. When he's awake, he's normally very arrogant and egotistical." Kaoru warned, then added, "And he's extremely cynical and sarcastic, to boot."
"Tou-san is the same way, sometimes." Uki said, with an exasperated sigh, "And hard-headed, stubborn, and carries grudges."
"Men. They're a handful, sometimes." Kaoru said, her smile softening when she recalled Kenshin's gentle and polite nature.
"Don't I know it." Uki muttered, irritably.
"And yet...he put all of that aside, just to keep me safe. Just to keep a promise. Sometimes...I'm just not sure what to make of him. There are times when it seems that his arrogance is only a front...A defensive measure, if you will...to keep himself from becoming emotionally attached to anyone..." Kaoru added, as they entered the bath house, and Uki showed her the kimono someone had been kind enough to bring over for her.
"I'll...wash your clothes, Kamiya-san...But I can't guarantee if I'll even be able to get the bloodstains out." Uki said, as she took in the ruined state of Kaoru's clothing with a sigh.
"It's okay. If they don't survive, then that's fine. I don't think I'll be able to continue wearing them, anyway...not with the knowledge of how long he must have lain there bleeding till I regained consciousness." Kaoru murmured; as some feelings of guilt came down on her.
"Don't feel bad, Kaoru-chan. He did what he wanted, by keeping you safe for your friend." Uki said, then added, "The hot water's in the tub, so enjoy your bath!"
"I will! Arigato!" Kaoru replied, as the other girl quickly left.
"No problem! Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Uki asked, from outside the door.
"Hai!" Kaoru said, with a smile, then went about preparing for her bath.
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"Deshi..." a ghostly voice called, at the edge of his awareness.
"I take it my Baka Deshi wouldn't listen?" Hiko asked, as the phantom owner of the voice appeared to him.
"He's firmly convinced that he'd failed you and the young lady, Deshi. But it won't stop me from trying to pull his soul out of the abyss." the Twelfth master murmured, determinedly.
"I see. That makes him as stubborn as you were." Hiko muttered, irritably. The Twelfth master only chuckled at this, much to Hiko's chagrin.
"Well? What can I say? If I hadn't been stubborn, then you wouldn't have turned out as well as you did." the Twelfth master joked; enjoying irritating his former apprentice for old time's sake.
"And Kenshin had thought I was twisted..." Hiko inwardly sighed, then gave the ghost of his master a deadpan look.
"Well, I'd best get back to young Kenshin's side. I did tell him I would remain with him till he found an answer." the Twelfth master said, then gave Hiko a vague, concerned look before saying, "Let your body heal, Deshi. Give it some time to rest...after all, you've had so little in the days leading up to the battles."
"I know only too well what you mean." Hiko reluctantly admitted; remembering, with a wince, the sleepless nights he'd spent patrolling the streets around the dojo. But those nights were finally behind him...and he could afford to rest.
"Sleep well, Deshi. I'll let you know of any changes in Kenshin." the Twelfth master's voice promised, as the ghostly owner of it faded away, and Hiko allowed his mind to drift into deeper slumber.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Misao gleefully whooped, as she chopped the funeral plates to pieces. Both Hiko and Kaoru were alive!
"They're alive! These are of no more use!" Misao sang, as she kicked over the tables the plates had been on; scattering the incense all over the floorin her joy.
"You'd better clean that up." Yahiko muttered, as he ate. Megumi had cooked a well-earned meal for the group as a celebration for what they had found out the previous night. Yet she still sighed, every now and again.
"Hey, don't let it bother you. Even the best doctor in the world wouldn't have been able to tell. That sort of stuff is the expertise of people like Aoshi." Yahiko muttered, from between mouthfuls. Megumi chuckled softly and nodded in agreement.
"Thank you. I'm not disappointed, believe me. I'm actually happy. Ken-san will be happier knowing that they are alive." Megumi said, quietly.
"That's right! Let's hurry! Let's go tell Himura right now!" Misao shouted, yet her excitement was brought back down when Aoshi's soft voice spoke up.
"Don't do it. It's too soon." Aoshi stated, from outside the dojo.
"What?" Misao and Megumi both asked, confusedly.
"Even if Kamiya and Seijuro are alive, there is no change in the fact that Battousai, once again, could not defend those he loved. When he finds out that they are alive, Battousai will act. He will defeat Yukishiro Enishi, no matter what it takes. But...that will be the end. He will never return to the dojo, and he will once again wander. He will become an inhabitant of his lonely travels and live the rest of his life without involving himself with anyone else. The only difference is whether he's sitting or walking. He will be no different inside, than he is now. The bottom line is...He needs to find his 'answer'...The 'answer' to paying for his past crimes that he has been searching for these past fifteen years...Unless he finds that...his soul will never inhabit his body again. The one who must find the 'answer' is Kenshin himself." Aoshi explained, grimly.
"But then..." Megumi began, yet was stopped by Yahiko.
"Wait, Megumi. Let's listen to Aoshi here...since he's experienced this sort of thing." Yahiko said, having full confidence in the fact that Aoshi knew what he was talking about.
"Now we need to find out where they are being held..." Misao murmured.
"If they are being held anywhere. My search of the dojo and its' grounds yielded some more unusual clues...There was actually blood on the undamaged portions of fence, and on the buildings outside of them." Aoshi stated, as he gazed out at the clear blue sky overhead.
"What does this mean?" Megumi asked, bewildered by this twist in the tale.
"It could mean that Seijuro had managed to rescue Kamiya himself, and then made an escape. I found a blood trail that led as far as the woods...but that was as far as I could follow." Aoshi said, coolly, as realization came to their eyes.
"Also, there's this sword." Aoshi added, as he then showed them Winter Moon. The blade was sheathed, once again; yet it still showed the bloodstains from having been stabbed through the false body's chest.
"What about it?" Megumi asked, "It looks like his sword, to me."
"Wait a sec..." Yahiko mumbled, as he carefully took the sword from Aoshi, and looked closely at the hilt.
"This isn't Winter Moon...It looks a lot like it...but this isn't Hiko-sensei's sword at all." Yahiko muttered, after he'd taken a good close look at it, and then handed it back to Aoshi.
"How could you tell?" Misao asked, curiously.
"His sword had engraving on the hilt...even though it was very worn down and faded, it could still be read; and it was the sword's name engraved there. So I know for a fact that this isn't Winter Moon..." Yahiko said, as Aoshi filled in the thought that was now beginning to cross their minds.
"Seijuro is still armed with his heirloom blade...Therefore, they are both still free." Aoshi murmured.
"If he had been captured, then the sword left at the scene would have been his! Oh, Aoshi-sama! He's protecting Kaoru-san with his blade! He's keeping her safe for Himura!" Misao whispered, as relieved tears now flowed from her eyes.
"Just as he'd promised." Megumi added, as an honest smile crossed her face for the first time that day. Even though they had no idea where the pair now was, they knew they were safe from Yukishiro Enishi.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Kaoru sighed, as she sat down beside the slumbering Hiko Seijuro. It was coming to the close of their third day within the Higashidani house, and he still hadn't awakened.
"I shouldn't be surprised. After all, he slept just about as long, after the Izuna had almost torn him apart, in Kyoto." Kaoru mused, as she gently placed a cold compress on his brow. Now that the blood had been cleaned from his face, he actually looked very peaceful. All hint of stress and pain had been banished from it. Yet her heart still ached, when she saw the bandages on his chest and abdomen.
"Kamiya, I'm not going to die here...Stop looking at me as though I were on my deathbed!" he had irritably told her, that night; yet reacting to her worry, regardless.
"Try it and die." he had growled, when Enishi had threatened her.
"I will guard your life, from here on out. I owe Kenshin that much." his voice had gently said; his tone having surprised her even more than his actions had.
"How is he, Jou-chan?" Higashidani asked, as he looked in on her with some concern in his stubborn gaze.
"Still sleeping. His fever's come down a lot, though." Kaoru replied, quietly. She heard it when the older man sighed what seemed to be a sigh of relief.
"Good. He's a good man...too good to let die like that. Those wounds had looked pretty bad, and the doc didn't seem so sure that he would even live this long after treatment." Higashidani said, then added, "But he seems to be hanging on."
"Hai...and I'm glad he is...I'm glad he's so stubborn." Kaoru agreed, as she gently brushed a strand of hair off of Hiko's face; smiling slightly when an eyebrow twitched in response to the touch.
"Well, I'm gonna call it a day. You'd better get some sleep too, Jou-chan, since you haven't gotten much." Higashidani stated, as he started to pull his head out of the room.
"Okay...But...there's something I've been wondering." Kaoru said, as she stood and made to leave the room, as well.
"What's up, Jou-chan?" Higashidani asked, curious about what was on her mind.
"Why are you calling me 'Jou-chan'?" Kaoru asked, in turn. The man only gave her a slight abashed look, before answering.
"The nickname just seems to suit you, that's all. You don't take offense, do you?" Higashidani asked.
"Not at all...It just reminds me of someone back home, that's all." Kaoru admitted; proving that she wasn't insulted by the older man calling her by that name, at all.
"Good. See ya in the morning, then." Higashidani said, as he dismissed himself to go to bed.
"Oyasumi." Kaoru said, in return, as she also headed to bed. And yet, before her head hit the pillow, a strange sense of foreboding came to her.
"I wonder what tomorrow has in store? Will Hiko-san finally wake up? Will something happen that will take us back to Tokyo?" Kaoru wondered, as she blew out her lamp, and went to sleep; rest coming easier to her, than it had for quite some time.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Four days. It had been four whole days since they had discovered that the bodies in Kaoru's and Hiko's graves had been fake. Yahiko could only sigh, as he walked down the street with Tsubame. He could tell that she was very depressed about Kaoru's death, and wanted so badly to tell her that she was still alive.
"It is easier for us to take action if we don't let them realize that we have discovered their trick. It is not to be revealed that they are alive, until we have discovered their whereabouts, and brought them back to Tokyo." Aoshi had said, the night before.
"That's what we decided, but...I don't want to see her looking like this." Yahiko mused, as he gazed at the dulled eyes in the young girl's face.
"How are your injuries? Should you be moving around like this?" Tsubame asked, finally breaking her unhappy silence.
"I'm not all that well, but I can't get anything done by staying still." Yahiko replied, honestly.
"Yahiko-kun, you are so strong...to recover from something like that..." Tsubame said, her voice wavering as she continued, "We...promised...I believed we would all see each other again. But...it turned out this way..." Yahiko then gently placed a hand on her head, and calmly looked her in the eye.
"It's okay. Our promise won't be broken. You'll feel better when you hear my news. We'll all be able to see each other alive again...So stop crying." Yahiko gently said, the look in his eyes soothing Tsubame enough to stop her tears. Yet she couldn't help but giggle softly when she remembered that Kenshin had done the same thing, not so long ago.
"What?" Yahiko asked, curiously.
"Yahiko-kun, you've grown bigger!" Tsubame said, as a smile finally returned to her features and, even though Yahiko pretended it annoyed him, he was secretly glad to see it.
"But what was it you'd said would cheer me up?" Tsubame asked.
"Well, you needed some cheering up to begin with, so I'll tell you. Listen and cheer up some more! Well..." Yahiko began, yet, before he could get very far, an alarm bell was rung.
"What's going on?.!" Yahiko wondered, as panicked voices were heard, coming towards them.
"Run everyone! Leave town immediately!" the voice cried, frantically.
"What the heck? What's going on?" people actually asked, confused and a bit disturbed by this turn of events.
"Yahiko-kun!" Tsubame yelped, as the only Kamiya Kasshin Ryu student rushed forward to find out what was happening.
"Hey! What is going on!" Yahiko shouted, yet went ignored by the worried policeman before him.
"Hey! Hey you!" Yahiko tried again, yet still was ignored.
"I'm asking what's going on! HEY!!!" Yahiko snapped, as he launched a flying kick at the young cop; doubling him over by the blow.
"Sorry. I didn't see you because you're so small..." the cop squeaked, painfully.
"What did you say?.!" Yahiko snarled, furiously.
"'Small' or 'bigger' makes him mad..." Tsubame thought, exasperatedly.
"There is a violent escapee coming towards town! He has a huge weapon attached to his right arm! A one-armed, monstrous man! The police confronted him, but we could do nothing, and the station has been annihilated!" the cop said, worriedly. Yahiko' s face went pale; he knew who it was!
"That guy again..." Yahiko muttered, then asked, "Where's Saito? If he's around..." Yahiko began, but only got a blank look from the cop.
"Saito?" the cop asked, confusedly.
"He has bangs like antennas, and eyes like a psychopath." Yahiko described, not realizing that, when he said that, it got a sneeze from the man in question.
"Ah! Lieutenant Fujita! He left this morning. The chief is out with him, and the assistant chief is seriously wounded. The chain of command has broken down! Those of us who can move, have split up to notify nearby stations, the army, and headquarters. The rest of us are evacuating the town. But no matter how fast they go, it will be at least an hour before we get any reenforcements! By then, the town will be burned to the ground!" the cop said, his words making the people around them panic and begin running.
"You're just making things worse!" Yahiko snapped, then asked, hurriedly, "What's your name?"
"Huh?" the cop confusedly asked.
"Name!" Yahiko repeated, with authority.
"Shinichi Kosaburo, Fifth Officer!" the cop replied, smartly.
"So, you're a rookie. All right. We're going to stop him! Gather one third of the policemen aiding in the evacuation!" Yahiko ordered, getting a look of confusion from the young cop in front of him, for that.
"Stop wasting time, Shinichi! Hurry!" Yahiko shouted, as he began running in the opposite direction.
"O-okay!" Shinichi replied, as he made to dash off as well. Yet, Yahiko froze when an enraged, altogether insane ki crossed his senses.
"Yahiko-kun..." Tsubame's voice fearfully said, as she looked shakily at him.
"What?" Yahiko asked.
"There's nobody here...Saito-san, Shinomori-san...Sanosuke-san, Hiko-san, or Kenshin-san...There's nobody we can depend on, in case something happens..." Tsubame whispered.
"That's true...but because nobody else is here...I will have to fight." Yahiko replied, boldly.
"Yahiko-kun!" Tsubame yelped, instantly afraid for him.
"I'll be fine! Don't worry. I just told you...We'll all see each other again! So don't cry, and wait patiently." Yahiko said, as he turned and dashed off.
"Yahiko-kun..." Tsubame murmured, as frightened tears started to run down her cheeks. She didn't want to lose him too!
"Yahiko-kun!" Tsubame's mind cried, as she watched him disappear around a corner...
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"What are you thinking? It's not possible! It's already clear that police equipment is insufficient to...!" one cop said, as Shinichi cut him off.
"Don't tell me..." Shinichi replied, dejectedly.
"It's not impossible!" Yahiko's voice shouted, from overhead. To their evident shock and surprise, he was now standing on the roof of one of the buildings near them.
"In the narrow halls of the station, only two or three can attack head on, but this area is wide open! And, if we run through the sides of the buildings, we can easily take his back! We definitely have a tactical advantage!" Yahiko said, intelligently.
"Who is that kid?" one cop asked, bewildered by this turn of events.
"I dunno...but...what he is saying is right..." Shinichi murmured, then shouted, "All right! I may be a rookie and only fifth officer, but I'm still a policeman! If I can die fighting for this world and its' people, that is my wish!"
"That's the spirit!" Yahiko encouraged, with a grin. He could feel their spirits returning.
"He's coming!" one of the cops below him warned, as the behemoth stomped into view.
"I will not let anyone die within my sight!" Yahiko bravely said, as he gripped his shinai, and prepared to fight. Yet, he could almost feel a pair of eyes on his back, and sensed when a hint of pride came to him from what felt like miles away.
"Hiko-sensei?" Yahiko wondered, as he listened to Kujiranami bellow, and saw his new weapon.
"That weapon is different. It's not a cannon." Yahiko mused, then asked, "Shinichi, what is that?.!"
"It...It looks something like a grenade launcher!" Shinichi replied, mere seconds before the monster before them fired the weapon in question. Yahiko yelped when explosions went off; one of them blowing him off of the roof.
"What now? How will we fight that?" Shinichi asked, when he'd caught Yahiko, and set him back on his feet.
"Isn't it obvious?.! We can only 'charge'! I'll take his right side! You go on his left!" Yahiko commanded.
"Wait a minute! We should think about this some more!" Shinichi shouted, cautiously.
"I'm not waiting! The longer I wait, the closer he will get to the town!" Yahiko shouted, then released a battle cry, and charged.
"He really charged!" one cop yelped, stunned by the bold move.
"Reckless!" another said, agreeing with the first.
"This is impossible!" a third cried, watching as the behemoth fired a grenade at Yahiko, as the explosion went off and threw the boy forward, and as he got back to his feet and charged again. Again and again, grenades were launched, yet, somehow, Yahiko managed to keep ahead of them.
"He's dodging by a hair. Impressive reflexes..." one cop muttered.
"Yes...but...Unless he can go on the offensive...he definitely won't continue dodging those shots..." his companion grimly said, both of them stiffening when Kujiranami got a lock on Yahiko.
"No, he's doomed!" another cop cried.
"I knew it was reckless!" the first shouted, as fear for their new comrade emerged.
"Shinichi!" Yahiko shouted, and as the young cop leaped from overhead and landed a blow on the giant's head.
"How's that?" Shinichi asked, yet panicked when he saw that his blow had had no effect.
"Over here, whale-mouth!" Yahiko taunted, then attacked again.
"Miyomimane, Ryu Sho Sen!" Yahiko cried, as he struck with the powerful Hiten move (and almost felt some surprise from the distant ki he'd felt earlier). To the cops' shock, the blow worked! Blood spurted from one side of the stitches on Kujiranami's right arm, and he recoiled in pain.
"It's working!" the cops muttered, in surprise.
"I see...he's right! No matter how fast he could fire, there is only one muzzle...He can't attack simultaneously from left and right." one of the cops muttered, as they listened to Yahiko rally their friend to fight at his side.
"Yeah...and once we're in close proximity, his size makes it easier for us to attack!" another said, his eyes widening at the thought.
"That kid...thought of all this..." yet another murmured, as they watched the fight.
"No way...but...That kid took the right side...the side with the grenade launcher, without hesitating...Facing danger...is not 'recklessness', it's 'courage'!" the last of their number muttered.
"And fearing danger when we see a chance to win...is not 'precaution' but 'cowardice'!" the rest realized, as their own courage was bolstered, and they took Yahiko's advice, and got behind Kujiranami.
"That wasn't the coolest move, but we can say 'That's the spirit!'." Shinichi said, when he saw his companions take the monster's back.
"All right! Let's go!" Yahiko shouted, yet, before any of them could move, crying came to their ears. A frightened child was coming their way, searching for his father.
"A child?.!" one cop yelped.
"He got lost in the chaos!" another worriedly added; feeling his heart leap into his throat when he saw Kujiranami aim at the younger boy, and when Yahiko leaped to try and get him out of harm's way. With the courage of a true warrior, Yahiko grabbed the boy, and shielded him with his own body. An explosion sent both flying.
"KID!!" Shinichi shouted, alarmed by what had just happened, yet could only watch as Kujiranami beat them all aside, and continued firing his grenades at Yahiko. When the explosions had died down, Kujiranami allowed a mad laugh to escape.
"Now...all my opposition...is gone. Where are you...Battousai? There is no use...hiding!" Kujiranami snarled, not even hearing when Shinichi called out to Yahiko from where he stood.
"Kid!" Shinichi shouted, fearing the worst.
"It's all right! No injuries here!" Yahiko replied, when he'd emerged from under some debris, with the younger boy still alive beside him.
"No...injuries...?" two cops asked, incredulously; they could see, very clearly, that Yahiko was bleeding from numerous wounds.
"No...The child...has no...injuries..." Shinichi murmured, then thought, "He used himself as a shield in that cannon fire and protected the child..."
"What a...man...!" Shinichi stated, admiring Yahiko's courage even more.
"Kid, can you run?" Yahiko asked, breathlessly.
"Huh?" the child replied, shakily.
"Are you able to run?" Yahiko again asked.
"Uh...hai..." the child said, as he started to get his wits about him.
"We'll look for your dad later...so run full speed towards town when I tell you." Yahiko murmured, then ruffled the younger boy's hair and gave him a slight smile, "Don't worry. You're strong. You didn't cry once in that storm of grenades. Right?"
"Y-yeah!" the child said, as some courage was awakened in his young eyes as well.
"Good. All right. Don't turn back, even if you get afraid. Trust me, for now. I will definitely stop him." Yahiko said, as he turned and gave Kujiranami a look he had seen on only two other faces before...Himura Kenshin's...and Seijuro Hiko's. With a roar, he started to aim the launcher at Yahiko again.
"Run!" Yahiko shouted, and the child did exactly as he was told, and raced towards town.
"I found you. There you are! Ba...?.!" Kujiranami bellowed, yet was prevented from firing by the five cops. In a valiant, last-ditch effort, they all leaped onto his right arm; hanging on for dear life when he started trying to shake them off.
"We will not let you fire!" Shinichi cried, speaking for all of them, as they did what they could to make sure that the boy would escape unharmed.
"DON'T INTERFERE WITH ME!!" Kujiranami roared, as he finally shook the five tenacious men off of him; bashing them into the sides of buildings as he did so, "BATTOUSAI!!"
"Kenshin is in the midst of a battle against himself. It's a very important battle...I can't have him bothered by the likes of you." Yahiko's voice growled, as he stood right in front of the behemoth, and stared him down, "At this distance, neither of us will miss! Let's do it!"
"Let's...do it..." one of the cops muttered, as he watched the standoff tensely.
"It's true that he won't be able to use a grenade at that distance, and it's close enough for one blow each...But there's too much of a difference in body size and sheer strength..." another said, as he gripped his injured arm, and gazed concernedly at the young fighter.
"Do you have a chance to win, kid?" Shinichi wondered, worriedly.
"There's only one hope. Only one chance to win! But if I fail...Do not cower! Look forward! In order to catch up to the back...that I see every time I close my eyes...and to eventually...surpass it...That path...lies forward. I can only go forward!" Yahiko thought, as the wind whirled around him, and a leaf burst right in front of him.
"Never forget the will to live." a voice said, at the back of Yahiko's mind...and Yahiko knew that, somehow, the elder Hiten master could sense what was going on, and felt his growing ken-ki from as far away as he was.
"I won't." Yahiko promised, as he determinedly gripped his shinai, and unflinchingly gazed up at Kujiranami.
"Let's go!" Yahiko shouted, as the monster above him brought his gun-arm down on him.
"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu! Hadome!" Yahiko cried, stopping Kujiranami's downward stroke with the backs of his hands, then launched into the second part of the ougi, "Hawatari!"
"I won't say there is nothing to worry about, but there is a vital point under the arm that I struck. The impact went through the ribs to the lungs. He may be conscious, but he won't be able to move, because of the difficulty breathing." Hiko's voice echoed, as Yahiko also aimed for that spot...but was bashed aside before he could get there, and held down by Kujiranami's huge hand. For a brief moment, he saw what Hiko had seen, in that split second before Fuji had slashed at him with his giant sword.
"That was good. You had your heart in that...And because you had faith in that Baka Deshi of mine..." Hiko's voice had said, those two months ago; the memory echoing even as Yahiko slowly lifted the brute's hand off of him, as he stood there, gasping and covered in blood, and as he was lifted into the air by his gi, that a desperately-needed miracle occurred.
"You win this fight!"
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Kuzu Ryu Sen!" a voice shouted, as its' owner knocked Kujiranami away, and forced him to let go of the young fighter. Himura Kenshin had finally returned...He'd finally found his answer.
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He could feel it. It was faint, but there was definitely a re-awakening of some kind happening. Ken-ki. And a familiar one, at that.
"The baka has finally found his answer..." Hiko thought, as awareness finally returned to him. Sunlight was filtering through one of the windows in the room he now lay in; and he could hear what sounded like a child playing outside.
"You're finally awake! Kaoru-chan has been so worried!" a girl's voice said, from beside him. Slowly, Hiko turned his head to look at the speaker; giving her a questioning look when he didn't recognize her face.
"In case you're wondering, I'm Higashidani Uki, and you've been unconscious for four days." the girl stated, when she'd seen his expression.
"Not as long...as I'd thought...Where is Kamiya?" Hiko asked, softly.
"Outside with my little brother. Wait a minute and I'll go and get her!" Uki said, as she rushed out of the room on her self-imposed errand.
"Four days..." Hiko mused, with a sigh; looking up when Kaoru ran into the room; feeling some surprise when he saw her shedding relieved tears as she did so.
"Hiko-san!" Kaoru almost shouted, as she sat down beside him and grasped one of his hands in both of hers', relieved beyond words that he was awake. Just as before, in Kyoto, he could not simply give her an empty 'I'm fine'...Instead, he merely gently grasped her hands, to reassure her even further.
"I'm so glad you're awake! How are you feeling?" Kaoru asked, concernedly.
"Better. At least I'm no longer losing blood." Hiko responded; perking up slightly when he saw a small boy peek into the room. Kaoru noticed this, and turned to look; smiling when she saw the child shyly peering at them from around the doorjamb.
"It's okay, Ota-kun. Come on in." Kaoru invited; coaxing the little boy into coming a bit closer, and giving Uki (who had been hovering protectively over him) the 'okay' to return as well. With childish curiosity, Ota carefully approached; staring in wonder at Hiko from between the two young women.
"So, I have been unconscious for four days...Has anything happened?" Hiko asked.
"Not really." Kaoru replied, yet smiled at Uki when she growled something under her breath.
"Some jerk arrived in town sometime yesterday, though. He called me 'fore-half' and then hit Ota for not 'protecting' me!" Uki muttered, angrily; seething when she remembered that. She and Ota had been sent into town for some more medicine, when she'd been accosted by the local yakuza. The one person that had saved her had been the 'jerk', and he'd been drunk at the time!
"And all Tou-san would say was 'I'd like to meet him'!" Uki said, as she finished explaining what had gone on the previous day.
"Did I hear my name called?" a man asked, as he poked his head in the door, and gave Uki a look. Then he noticed that Hiko was awake, and smirked at him.
"Good to see that you've decided to stay in the land of the living." the man added; much to Hiko's chagrin.
"Don't jinx it." Hiko muttered, as Kaoru chuckled at his expense.
"I'm going out for a bit. I should be back by noon." Higashidani said, as an afterthought.
"What are you talking about? The deadline for those hats is tomorrow! If we don't hurry, we won't make it!" Uki shouted, in frustration, as her father walked off.
"Let me help! Just tell me how to do it!" Kaoru offered; eager to help repay them for their kindness.
"You sure, Kaoru-chan?" Uki asked, a bit surprised by this. The kenjutsu teacher nodded, enthusiastically. And yet, they were both surprised when Hiko spoke up, as well.
"Might as well." Hiko muttered, as he carefully sat up.
"He wants to help make the hats too?" Kaoru wondered, then remembered, he was a potter as well as a swordsman!
"He wants something to do that will keep his mind busy, and knows that if he sits still for too long, he'll go crazy." Kaoru mused, then nodded.
"Okay! Let's get started, then!" Kaoru encouraged; this being enough to get Uki to bring the materials and unfinished hats into that room, and for them to get started. Uki couldn't help but stare, as Hiko skillfully and quietly worked, his dark eyes focused on the task at hand. When he was done with one hat, he handed it to her for inspection.
"This is amazing! You did even better than Tou-san does!" Uki gasped, when she'd tested the handiwork of the Thirteenth Hiten master. Hiko gave her an arched eyebrow.
"There aren't too many differences between working with these, and working with clay. The main difference is, there isn't a risk of getting burnt." Hiko said, simply.
"You're a potter? I would never have known, if you hadn't said anything." Uki murmured, very impressed by this.
"Think what you will." Hiko retorted, then got started on another hat. Kaoru could only smile, as she watched Hiko from her seat beside him. Despite the image he put forth of a gruff, sake-drinking hermit, he was actually a very skilled, and very patient, craftsman. The same hands that would grip Winter Moon so dangerously, were nimble and gentle enough to weave the straw together into a hat.
"He never ceases to amaze." Kaoru thought, as she went on with her own work; having just a little more difficulty adapting to the task, yet feeling somewhat more at ease when one of them would point out and correct anything that needed it.
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Higashidani sighed, as he approached the promised meeting place. He could see what appeared to be a lone fighter, reclining against the tree; and felt some disappointment.
"Oh boy. Only one guy? You underestimate me." Higashidani muttered, irritably.
"I hate unnecessary interruptions. One-on-one fights are the most interesting." the fighter said, as he got up and dusted himself off. At this, Higashidani allowed himself a slight smirk.
"You're high quality, for one of Fudosawa's gang." Higashidani stated; actually feeling a little impressed by the young man's principles.
"I'm not one of his goons. I'm just a fight merchant. Now, let's hurry up and...!" the younger man said, then trailed off when he saw Higashidani's face.
"What's the matter? Is there something on my face?" Higashidani asked, noticing when a hint of recognition appeared in the young man's eyes.
"Dad...?" the young man asked, stunned by this turn of events. Higashidani raised an eyebrow, then peered closely at him.
"You're...Sanosuke..." Higashidani muttered, equally as surprised by this. The son that he had lost to the Sekihoutai was standing right in front of him, after ten long years...But what had brought him back?
Author's Note!
Yeah, this chapter is a bit weird, but please bear with me, okay? Thanks for reading!
Gemini14