Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Blade of the Immortal is not mine.

Rin's blood was boiling as she stalked into the changing room of the steaming baths, and grabbed a basket for her clothes. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this utterly furious at her bodyguard, and she was somewhat ashamed by her own emotions. Chucking it to the ground with force, she glowered at it, as if it was the very source of her irritation. She couldn't understand why, after all this time, after all they've been through she was still just a kid. She'd gone to Kaga alone, met Anotsu, and came back alive. A memory that was still fresh in her mind, sometimes rippling through her memories like the surface of a disturbed pond. That was when she realized that she didn't just need her bodyguard, but wanted him by her side. That realization had beed what made her do the impossible and rescue Manji from Edo castle, witnessing unspeakable things in those underground caverns. The relief she had felt when they had emerged from that hell nearly unscathed and felt once more the sun's rays touch their skin with it's warm kiss had been overwhelming. They'd both managed to survive Shira's attack shortly afterwards, finally putting that monster in his grave. A chill still ran down her spine when she recalled that madman roping her to the dock, and dipping her beneath the frozen waters of the lake. She had been unconscious to what happened thereafter, but was relieved when she awoke from a gripping fever to find Manji had regained his lost arm. She cringed as she remembered something more, Renzo's enraged face as mad as the man that had been his caretaker, as he swore to kill Manji before running off. Manji had grabbed her arm and refrained her from going after the boy, something which she still regretted not doing. She was sure that Renzo could still be persuaded off this path of revenge. She didn't want him to go down the same bloody road she had chosen. Still, whatever Shira had done to the boy had changed him drastically and she could feel a sob catching in her throat at the mere thought of it.

Removing her blades from the sleeve of her kimono, and dropping them into the basket first, she continued to reminiscence, her undressing becoming almost mechanical as she lost herself in her thoughts. She was still pursuing the lead that Anotsu had come south in order to rebuild his army of outlaws and murderers. She bit her tongue at how much the simple thought infuriated her, at how he seemed to have endless roots dug deep within the earth, and no matter how many times she or anyone cut him down, he always managed to grow back with more power than before. She still recalled their conversation on the hilltop that had left her doubtful of her own intentions- hating him even more when he suggested that she wasn't so different from himself and his men. He had said this to her on several occasions, but when she could not deny befriending and liking Doa a great deal, she had seethed at the truth behind his words. This sparked in her a desire to track him down more fervently than ever before and prove to him exactly how different she really was from him. She had not been able to decide exactly how she would prove this to him yet, but her fingers itched anxiously at the thought of meeting him again. Did they want to hold a blade to his neck and cut through the vein that contained his life? Or did they wish to do something else entirely? She shook her head, confused by what she wanted to accomplish- dejected that her resolve had wavered so greatly when it came to the man who had murdered her parents. Where was the bastard hiding?

Peeling off her kimono, and covering her blades in the basket with it, she finally walked over to the steaming water of the hot spring. The air was cold and enveloped her with a frigid embrace as she quickly dipped one foot in gingerly, before sinking herself entirely in the heat of the waters. She let out a sigh of pleasure, as she immersed herself entirely, the hot waters contrasting drastically with the evening chill. She closed her eyes in a resemblance of peace, the furious beating of her heart calming, as she continued her trail of thoughts. She'd heard about Habaki's execution, and how he had failed to catch Anotsu Kagehisa before his scheduled death. Good riddance, in her opinion, that man gave her the creeps. Still, she'd also heard rumors of a daughter that he had kept in secret, and how she was hell bent on finishing her father's mission. Apparently the shogunate was secretly supporting her, after being rattled by Kagehisa when he stormed into Edo Castle and laid ruin to an army of samurai with only the aid of two other men. Rin knitted her brows together as she contemplated this rumor. Kagehisa had certainly proven to have incredible skill when it came to battle, but could she honestly believe he had left so much destruction behind while being completely outnumbered? She wondered. Stretching her arms in front of her, fingers intertwined, she thought bitterly about the countless amount of enemies that Anotsu kept piling up. Someone was going to finish him off before her if she didn't get a move on things.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind," a voice spoke gently from across the spring, startling Rin nonetheless. She watched as a woman slipped gingerly into the waters beside her, surprised that she had not heard her arrival. The woman was beautiful, her long raven hair pulled back from her face in a tight bun, and her eyes sparkling mischievously as she turned them onto Rin.

"Oh, I'm sorry ma'm, I didn't see you there!" Rin apologized, somewhat embarrassed.

"It's nothing to be sorry for, I just arrived here," the woman replied, smiling kindly, "although your expression is too serious for someone your age."

Rin laughed it off nervously, bowing her head shyly, "I was just thinking about my travels."

"I see," the woman said, falling silent momentarily, "Are you traveling alone?"

Rin was surprised, but not disappointed that the other woman seemed interested in initiating conversation. She had not talked to another woman in far too long, recalling the late-night chatter she would initiate with Doa while they had planned their raid.

"Oh no! I have this samurai traveling with me. He's my bodyguard, and he's… helping me find someone." She trailed off, deciding to keep the conversation somewhat vague. She had learned not to give out too much information, for she had been betrayed far too often since her journey began.

The woman looked at her, curiosity peeked, "Is that so? Speaking of, I saw a samurai leave the inn as I was making my way in here. Frightening looking man, with scars on his face. It made me wonder how he got them…"

The woman gasped in surprise as Rin suddenly stood up out of the water. Small droplets of water running down her pale skin, trailing over the crevices of her body, as the chill air cause the hair on her body to prickle. Her face was a mixture of anxiety and disbelief, as the other woman's concerned inquiries seemed like a distant echo. Did Manji really go buy a whore like she had implied? She was an idiot for ever opening her mouth. She had not expected him to take her up on her suggestion, and had nearly forgotten her previous anger while washing. Ignoring the other woman, she ran over to her basket, and quickly dressed herself, haphazardly tying the obi of her kimono as she scrambled up the stairs of the inn, her feet slapping against the heated wooden floors audibly. She could feel her heart beating as if it was going to burst out of her chest, the sound throbbing against her ears.

When she opened the sliding door to their room, she half expected to find him still seated by the window, smoking his pipe and making a piercing comment on how she was storming about like some child. What she saw was their dinner set out on the floor, growing cold, abandoned in the room like some sort of offering to the emptiness. The room was silent, her bodyguard nowhere in sight. She felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes, as a hand constricted around her heart. Any appetite she may have had earlier, was gone.

"Manji, you idiot…"

Manji grit his teeth in annoyance as yet another drunken sailor swaggering down the street harshly bumped into him as he made his way through the jostling crowd, trying to keep his only eye locked on the hooded figure drifting along before him. He had caught sight of the woman shortly after leaving the inn, and had been trailing her since. What irritated him was how she seemed to make her way through these crowds with such ease, like water trickling through the fingers of a clenched fist. He hoped Rin remained true to her words, and was taking a long bath. She would grow concerned at his absence, and he had wished to relay some message for her, but he did not have time for her knew first handedly the speed of his target. He wasn't sure at first, but the more he watched her and the way she moved, the more he became convinced. The woman he was trailing was Makie, and if his suspicions were true, she was very well aware of his presence. She led him down a more secluded street, and he thanked her for that. It was clear she was leading him to his death, her slim figure making her like a beautiful ghost from the afterlife.

The woman vanished as she rounded the corner of a building, and Manji picked up his speed in order to catch up and keep her within sight. There were no longer the crowds of people he had only moments before been wrestling his way through. The silence that enveloped the dark alley was almost deafening, as the sound of his sandals scratching against the rough dirt underneath echoed in the enclosed space. The second he rounded that corner, Makie's spear-head was pricking his neck, and leaving a hot droplet of blood to make it's way down his jugular.

"….You?" she said, her face showing mild surprise.

"Shit, you don't have to sound so disappointed, babe." Manji grinned, lifting his hands in feigned defeat.

Makie relaxed her stance, but did not remove her spear-tip from his throat, "Why are you following me?"

Before he could reply, Manji noted a dark figure suddenly spring up behind Makie, an iron blade whistling towards her head. He acted quickly, and withdrew a blade from his kimono sleeve, sending it flying towards the dark figure. A howl pierced the night air as the man fell to the ground, Manji's blade imbedded hilt-deep in his shoulder. Makie danced back, putting distance between herself and the attacker, but not before Manji noticed her slight stagger. The man dropped to his knees with an animalistic grunt, enraged eyes lifting to face his inevitable death. Makie threw out her spear with a flick of her wrist, and the injured man's head was severed instantly, breaking the spell of his penetrating glare.

Manji walked over to the corpse and retrieved his blade, studying the attacker's attire with mild interest. It seemed like Habaki's assassins were still on the large, despite his execution. Rin had mentioned to him a daughter that, in his mind, must resemble the girl he traveled with as she sought out vengeance for her father. It seemed as if no matter who was killed, there was always someone pinning for their retribution. Wiping the blood from his blade using the dead man's clothes, before sheathing it once more inside his sleeve, he returned his attention to Makie.

"What's the matter with you, woman?" he demanded, more than asked, "Your reactions are hell of a lot slower than what I remember."

She gazed at the crude man in silence, her expression emotionless. His words hit home, despite her calm facade, for she knew all too well how the illness had started largely affecting her movements. She was no longer the warrior that she had once been, a fate that she would have gladly escaped before, but that pained her now. It seemed that as soon as she made up her mind to do something, an obstacle would appear to prevent her from completing whatever task she'd set her mind to. She attempted to clear those negative thoughts, as she watched the scarred man close the space between them. What was the Killer of a Hundred doing here? She internally debated wether his death would benefit Anotsu Kagehisa in any way, or if she should avoid the bloodshed. She wasn't so sure she could defeat him in her current state, anyway. Her cough was making her fatigued and her killing hand slow, and the man before her now had noticed that already.

"Don't get the wrong idea, sweetheart," Manji continued, "I have no interest in killing a bitch whose obviously lost her talent. Just let me ask you this," he crossed his arms nonchalantly and fixed his one eye on her, "where is Anotsu Kagehisa?"