Kaoru dropped two cleaning rags next to the tub before heading inside, but paused at the top of the steps as though changing her mind then went to sit against the wall under the kitchen window relaxing until Yahiko was finished with the bath. She turned her head to the side on the off chance Kenshin decided to talk to her. Kaoru wanted to know what was going on with these current enemies, although at this point she'd welcome any topic.
He noticed that the sleeves of her gi weren't covering her wrists. From under his uncombed bangs he saw her shift slightly exposing her right ankle with none of the modesty she displayed last night. Why was she revealing herself to him like this? Did she do this before? It took him a while to catch on that she covered her smile with a hand for everyone except him, maybe this was the next step.
The bathhouse door slammed open then shut soundly as Yahiko ran to the gate yelling that he'd be back later. Kaoru stood up and stretched before heading to the bathhouse without even glancing his way. Kenshin dumped the wash water feeling like an idiot for his assumption; Kaoru was in her training clothes sitting and walking like a typical swordsman. He refilled the tub and began rinsing their laundry as he considered the safest place for her to be tonight. There weren't many options.
Kaoru towel dried her hair still unsure how to make Kenshin talk to her. By the time she tied her obi she decided to spend the afternoon somewhere else "I'm going to visit Tae-san."
Kenshin instinctively stopped her from going alone "I will come with you."
Now he wants to spend time with her? Fine then, she got straight to the point "Was Akabeko destroyed by the men you're looking for?"
"A man from my past, yes. There are two, possibly three others who haven't made a move yet."
"Was that really so hard to tell me?" Kaoru looked at his set jaw and long fringe "Kenshin, why won't you talk to me?"
"I've brought dangerous men to your doorstep and chatting about it over a pot of tea won't protect you."
Kaoru met his eyes when he turned to her "Does that mean you don't like tea or that you don't enjoy watching sunsets, Kenshin?" She paused for a moment "I suppose we can go for a walk or watch the stars instead if you prefer."
How can she not care? Isn't she the least bit concerned? He held her shoulder to emphasize his point "Now isn't the time to be thinking of tea or watching the sky. We must prepare."
"I listen to you when facing an enemy, Kenshin." Kaoru put her hand over his "Relax and enjoy the little things until then." She let her fingertips slide across the back of his hand and he released her.
Sano and Yahiko helped clear some of the debris while Kaoru took Tae to visit Tsunan. Kaoru thought buying a custom made portrait for her was the best way to take her mind off of the destruction for a while. Fortunately he already had a selection of military heroes ready to take to the art dealer and he let Tae browse through them as he quietly questioned Kaoru.
"Do you know who is responsible for the Akabeko?"
"Another old enemy of Kenshin's."
"Who is Kenshin, really? I mean, Lord Okubo personally visited him to ask for his help in a matter of national security and this morning Chief Uramura officially stated that cannon misfire from a band of rebel samurai was at fault. Kaoru-san, you and I both know that if the rebels were rich enough to buy an Armstrong they would have bribed enough government officials to make that level of firepower unnecessary."
"You have access to history archives and know officials who are willing to give you inside information. What have you found out about Himura Kenshin?"
"Only that he went by the title 'Battosai' when he was an assassin for the Ishin Shishi. He once stopped me and Sano from bombing the Dept of Internal Affairs, but I see no reason for him to be attacked as if he controls the new government."
"Politics isn't involved."
Tsunan was stumped. "Then I don't know what I can do to help except make more grenades."
When Kaoru and Tae returned to the remains of the Akabeko Sano was gathering large stones from the foundation while Yahiko helped load broken timber onto a cart to be hauled away. Kenshin came back from visiting Chief Uramura as Tae thanked Kaoru for the two portraits then went to discuss the rebuilding with her father.
"Sano, we need to figure out a strategy for tonight." Kenshin stopped by the pile of rock.
"Do you have an idea how they choose their targets?"
"The day I came back I searched for you and this was the last place I tried. The next target will be the dojo or Shuei-Ya if they chose by how often I go somewhere."
"I got no problem guarding it." Sano hoped to double the money in his wallet while he was at it.
"I'll keep Yahiko at the dojo, but she needs to be somewhere safe." Kenshin watched Kaoru talk with Yahiko by the cart waving her over when she glanced his way.
"What is it, Kenshin?"
"Tonight I'm keeping Yahiko at the dojo and Sano is guarding Shuei-Ya. Is there anywhere else that ought to be watched?"
"Well as long as the gambling hall is safe" Kaoru rolled her eyes at Sano's priorities. "Do you think they'll attack Oguna Clinic?"
Kenshin frowned "We shouldn't assume they won't. Sano, warn your friends to close early tonight and both of you watch over the clinic."
"Kenshin, do you think they'll take the last train from Yokohama?"
"Possibly, or they may already be here."
Sano grabbed a couple of foundation stones after the pair left and headed home. He doubted Kenshin's enemies were going to drag this out long enough for him to master Futae No Kiwami with his left hand, but his right was too close to useless.
"Good afternoon Chief Uramura, what brings you to my humble office?" Saito's practiced greeting and fake smile didn't faze his visitor.
"Lieutenant Fujita, you recall asking to be notified regarding the whereabouts of certain men. This morning a respected citizen named Himura Kenshin came to me with concerns regarding a few of these men and I verified that their descriptions match the document you sent with Cho." He handed over a legible version of Kenshin's statement. "Kujiranami-san was the one who fired an Armstrong cannon at a restaurant called Akabeko last night. This same gentleman also saw Otowa Hyoko and Banjin Inui at the Kannai train station in Yokohama several days ago and happened to follow them to an Inn."
"Is Himura-san expecting another establishment to be destroyed tonight?"
"Lt Fujita, it is foolish to assume last night was an isolated incident."
It's also foolish to let that idiot run loose making enemies of foreign arms dealers. "You are quite right Chief Uramura."
Once his visitor left Saito lit a fresh cigarette leaning back to read Himura's statement. Leveling the restaurant sounded more like leaving a calling card than a matter of poor timing. Who was with Otowa last May? How far back does this go? There was no contact between them in Kyoto so why attack now and involve so many others in a personal grudge? Perhaps that idiot could be used to draw out Yukishiro making his capture quick and easy.
"Are the girls already in bed?" Sano ran his left hand through his hair messing up the short spikes.
"It's a quarter to ten, so yes, they're sleeping." Megumi set another candle by her medicine box. "Is Kaoru going to stay outside?"
"I guess." Sano dropped onto the stool and rested his right elbow on the table. "Kenshin isn't hiding what's going on anymore and he's letting the little Miss help out some."
"Help out?" Megumi unwrapped his right hand wondering why Kaoru wore boys' clothes "Is she guarding the clinic?"
"We don't know where they might strike."
"How are they doing?" She kept her eyes focused on the alignment of his index finger.
Sano watched her lips press together as she moved on to the next finger "They were up on the roof when I went over around dusk. Apparently they left Yahiko to do the dishes."
Megumi imagined Kenshin and Kaoru sitting side by side watching the sunset from the privacy of the roof. "How is Tae-san doing after the attack?"
Sano watched her lips relax "She was talking to her father about rebuilding." He wasn't sure what to make of her expression as her fingers moved up and down his pinky "Is Shitago still talking about moving to Aizu?"
"Yes, he's trying to sell his clinic." Megumi began wrapping his hand "I hope Shitago makes enough to build a new treatment center if Aizu doesn't have one already."
"You can always sell some of that cream you're making."
"It ought to be tested on someone else first to make sure it works."
"Ask Tae-san."
Rapid pounding on the door interrupted Megumi's response. Three men stumbled in beaten badly by something hard enough to split skin. By the time Sano heard enough to understand that a man with armor covered forearms was trying to kill the men at Maekawa dojo Kaoru was long gone. These guys were throwing their net too wide going after the little Miss as well. Every curse and foul oath he ever heard ran through his head when he knew he wasn't going to catch her before she got to the dojo. Short legs had no business running to trouble that fast and how was he going to face Kenshin if she gets hurt on his watch?
Kaoru approached one of the guys most able to run "Please get Kenshin then come back with Yahiko and our medicine kit." She watched four police officers with thin wood sticks surround a brawny man with armor plating extending from the back of his hands to his elbows. Of course the sticks broke easily and the metal gauntlets tore through uniforms and flesh. Another four officers knelt taking aim with handguns and Kaoru unsheathed her bokken seeing that bullets ricocheted off the metal. She wasn't going to aim for his arms.
"Get back Kamiya-san!"
"No, Kamiya-san!"
The man laughed "What do you think you're going to do little girl?"
Kaoru ran at him expecting the man to block his chest the way he did when the first group of police attacked, and he did. A double shoulder strike bruised his right shoulder. He scoffed as she took another step back just in case he lunged.
"Hey Missy, let me have a crack at him." Sano hoped he wasn't going to take a swing at her.
"He has no spirit, no skill, no honor" Kaoru took a step to the right "and is not worthy to be in this dojo."
Sano smirked at her insult and stepped to the side "Does that mean I can help dispose of the rat?"
"I am no rat! My invincible gauntlets will pulverize you!"
Kaoru executed another shoulder strike when the man turned to yell at Sano. When the man turned to lunge at Kaoru Sano struck his lower back with Mastery of Two Layers. She sidestepped his attack ducking under a swinging arm and also struck his lower back.
Kenshin arrived to see Kaoru's bokken land hard on the man's back then step away giving Sano a chance to use Futae No Kiwami when he took another swing at her.
"Where is the Chief?" Kenshin asked the closest officer.
"We sent word to him, but he hasn't shown up and the man we sent didn't come back either."
Sano let the man land a punch so that Missy had an opening to jab the end of her bokken where Sano already hit him.
Kenshin saw that Kaoru didn't have a scratch on her yet so he ran to Uramura's home trusting Sano to keep Kaoru safe.
Three minutes after Kenshin left Iwanbo crashed through the front gate followed close by Yahiko. Sano and Kaoru stepped back from their opponent to see what the new arrival had planned. Yahiko dropped the medicine kit and moved to join Kaoru while Iwanbo opened his mouth wide, wide enough for a cloaked man wearing a skull mask to climb out and jump to the top of the front gate. Sano didn't make a move as the man ran to join the masked one.
"Gein! What are you doing here already?"
"It's time to go back Banjin. Jinchu is now."
"Get out of here Gein; I want to kill him first!"
"If you want to be right in the middle of it then fine with me." The cloaked man jumped from the top of the gate to the street and ran off.
"Be grateful I'm ending it here!"
"What are you talking about?" Sano smirked "You only landed one hit!"
"If there's a next time I'll-" The man stopped short seeing a tendril of smoke rise from Iwanbo's mouth and ran off when it started to hiss.
Everyone came closer to the fake body curious about the thin column of smoke.
Sano took a minute to put Jinchu and a smoking fake body together before concluding it was a bomb. "Run! Now!" He kicked the body with all his might and a bomb came sailing out "Get down!" It exploded as it flew over the courtyard.
"Sano, why didn't you let me face him alone?"
"Kenshin asked me not to fight fair with any of them."
From the gate Kenshin saw the man's shadow with three long spider legs on each side stretching out toward the goldfish pond in the middle of the yard. Kenshin snuck along the side of the house hearing Otowa Hyoko threaten to kill the whole family.
"If you want to hold a grudge…"
"Hold it against me? Kenshin stepped into the open doorway "No, this isn't vengeance. You are only here because you enjoy hurting those who can't defeat you." He saw the chief on the floor in the middle of the room. His mangled right hand was pinned to the floor with a katana and his wife and daughter were huddled against the far wall with an officer who was beaten unconscious.
Otowa turned toward Kenshin "Draw your Battojutsu against my Baika Chuzen." He raised his left arm in front of him.
"Himura-san! No!" The chief tried to stop Kenshin despite his right hand being pinned to the floor with Otowa's sword.
Kenshin dropped into the Battojutsu stance to see this Baika Chuzen attack that was probably used against Chief Uramura and the other officer.
A small arrow, not that much longer than the breadth of his hand, but not impossible to catch "This is your great attack?" Kenshin let it drop from his hand.
"An arrow?" The chief didn't know how that was possible without a bow, but if one lodged in the barrel of his hand gun it will cause a problem. He looked over at his damaged weapon trusting Himura to protect his wife and daughter.
Kenshin stepped back into the yard taking a defensive stance next to the goldfish pond "Come then, let's finish this."
Otowa Hyoko pulled his katana free not foolish enough to fight a man able to catch a small arrow bare handed without first trapping him with his poison mist. He threw two small cubes into the fish pond before realizing how late it was "As much as I'd enjoy facing you Battosai, it's time for jinchu."
Kenshin let the man retreat as he sheathed his sakabato and took two steps toward the doorway intending to help clean and bandage the chief's hand. He must have inhaled some of the mist because he ended up on his knees with all his memories intact, whether he wanted them or not. He was such an idiot.
"Himura-san, what did he mean by 'it's time for jinchu'?"
"Run!" Kenshin was at the door in a flash grabbing Chief Uramura then jumping to the roof just as a small bomb landed in the yard. He thought that the house was the target and was relieved that only the goldfish died. Mother and daughter were a bit traumatized by the whole ordeal, but uninjured so Kenshin left not wanting to intrude on the suffering family anymore. He stopped by the clinic to ask Dr. Gensai to check on Chief Uramura's hand then headed home.
It was dawn by the time Kenshin reached the canal road, probably because he was in no hurry to face the others. It seemed that everyone he knew was subjected to random attacks and destruction and he had no idea how to put an end to it. He even let Kaoru be involved which was possibly worse than walking away from her, stupid fool that he was. A white haired man stood in the middle of the bridge blocking the way. A flash of light made Kenshin squint and then he recognized the man only because he'd recently read Tomoe's diary again.
"Yukishiro Enishi, you are behind these attacks."
"Of course, ever since the battle of Toba Fushimi eleven years ago I've lived to avenge my sister. I sailed to Shanghai and began in the gutter. Now I'm the head of the Shanghai mafia controlling the weapons market." Enishi pulled out a revolver and shot at Kenshin's feet "Kujiranami's Armstrong cannon, Otowa's shadow instruments, bombs, even an ironclad battleship for Shishio Makoto so I can have my revenge."
"It is understandable that you can't get over the fact that she's gone, but endangering innocents isn't revenge; it's murder. Do you truly think Tomoe would be proud of you?"
"Don't you dare speak her name! You don't know her!" Enishi threw the empty gun toward Kenshin's head "I'll set Tokyo ablaze if you say her name again!"
"She was so happy when you came to visit and yet disappointed because you were involved in the plot. Your sister wanted to spend more time with you and refusing her dinner invitation hurt her feelings making her wonder if you cared more for revenge than for her." Kenshin combined bits of their last night together with parts from Tomoe's diary to remind Enishi that she had been a serene woman who opposed blind destruction.
"How dare you try to shift the blame for sister's unhappiness! In ten days the six of us will complete jinchu at the Kamiya dojo." He turned away after delivering his challenge.
Kenshin watched him walk to the other side of the canal "Your sister didn't smile at murder."
"You will suffer!"