CHAPTER THREE: THE TRUE ARTIST

Notes: Mmmmmm...nostalgia.

A week had passed. Kenshin sent a note to Sanosuke about what had happened only hours after he saw that picture, but he had not yet gone to find Tsunan. Kenshin was hoping for a reply soon, but he wanted answers. How did Tsunan know about Tomoe? Or Yahiko's parents? He could literally feel his body temperature rising from the frustration, but a soothing hand touched his shoulder.

"Kenshin. Do you really think..."

"No Miss Kaoru. I don't. But I don't know what else to think."

"I thought this ended with Enishi."

"It did. But someone wishes for it to still be my burden to bear."

"Who? Tsunan knows no details of your past, unless Sanosuke..."

"Sano's too loyal. He knows not to tell anyone."

Kaoru tried to think, but she didn't know. All she could do was provide a meal to try to take his mind off of the situation.

"I'll prepare lunch Kenshin."

She left to make a meal. As the dojo door closed behind her, a tear streamed her cheek and she fell to her knees. Her face went to her hands

"Who? Who's still trying to do this to him?"

She prepared a lunch for the two of them. She put his in a napsack and decided to eat hers alone. She knew what was going to happen. She went back outside to find him putting his sword into the belt of his robe. Yahiko stood by his side, with his shinai on his back.

"Yahiko, did you eat?"

"Yeah. Before I left."

"Good. Kenshin. I know you're going to see Mr. Tsukiyoka. Here."

Kenshin took a peek inside the napsack. He smiled gently.

"Thank you Miss Kaoru. You have always been there for me. I appreciate it."

She smiled. She smiled because he smiled. They turned and left the dojo. But unlike last time Kenshin left, this time Kaoru knew he would return. As she looked at Yahiko, she found herself staring wide-eyed. In that moment, she saw something. Yahiko was growing. She could see it in him. In that moment, she saw that same confidence, that same pride. She saw Sanosuke. He was catching up.

Kenshin and Yahiko were approaching the district of Tsunan Tsukiyoka's residence. Their questions were to soon be answered. They would soon find out what they needed to know. And nothing would stop them. They approached the door of his residence. Kenshin waited a moment, still wondering how Tsunan knew this. Yahiko took that moment to smash on the door himself.

"OPEN UP!"

Silence.

"OPEN THE DOOR TSUNAN!"

They heard slow steps approach the door. They were slow, but Kenshin did not hear fear in these steps. He heard sorrow. The door opened. There stood Tsunan. No anger in his eyes, but tears. He spoke solemnly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want it this way. Please Himura, Yahiko. Come inside."

Kenshin and Yahiko went inside and sat, without a word.

"I can see that you want some answers."

Yahiko abruptly shouted.

"YEA WE DO! SO SPILL IT!"

Kenshin spoke up.

"Yahiko. Calm yourself. Tsunan. Please. Tell us what happened."

Tsunan took amoment to compose in his mind what he was about to tell them.

Meanwhile back at the dojo, was Kaoru. She knew in her heart that Kenshin would return, whether she felt it or not. In her worry, her sense of time was fading. She realized that it would not be long until the sun would begin to set. Kenshin and Yahiko had left a few hours ago. She was getting hungary. Perhaps some time with a friend was what she needed. Miss Tae...yea.

"I'll go to the Akabeko!"

She got herself ready quickly.

"I just need someone to talk to. Hmmm...If only Misao were here."

Kaoru finished readying herself by tying in her indigo ribbon.

"There. All set."

She opened the front gate to leave, only to be immediately pushed to the ground. She felt the taste of the dirt on her tounge. She spit it back out and looked up. Before her stood two men, but she had met these men before.

"You two...you're the ones..."

In one man's hands, were a pair of wooden nunchaku, and in the other's a staff that ended in a spear type point.

Kaoru remembered them. These were the men hired by Gohei Hidema to take Kenshin's sword. These were the men that kidnapped Yahiko.

"Where is the Battousai?"

Kaoru quickly ran into the dojo and grabbed her bokken. She turned only to have enough time to duck. The brother with the spear had tried to kill her. She was alive, but her bokken was split. The nunchuk brother spoke up.

"We won't ask again, so I would advise you answer us quickly."

Kaoru's mind was racing. She never imagined seeing these two again. Had Gohei hired them again? Or did they want revenge? As her mind raced, they advanced towards her.

"Have it your way."

The brother raised his spear to strike her down."

"This was your choice."

Kaoru's eyes closed, hoping for Kenshin to return. He swung down. Only an instant before he connected, a foot slammed into the brother's head. Even still, her eyes remained closed. He flew onto the dojo floor, unconscious on impact. The other brother turned. He didn't know this man, but he was clearly strong. The man spoke.

"You guys. Do you always pick on lonely innocent girls?"

Kaoru opened her eyes. As she did so, the brother swung both nunchucks at him. He swiftly dodged every one, save for the last two strikes, in which he caught them. He head butted the second brother and knocked him unconscious. He threw his unconscious body on top of the first brother. Kaoru almost had died. These brothers of the past were less than a second from killing her, and now they lay heaped in a pile. But even so Kaoru smiled.

Tsunan's story had begun.

"Someone came here. He knew all about you. I don't know how, but he knew things even I had never even imagined could have been true. He came here. He was somewhat proper in his speech. He asked me 'Excuse me. But would you just so happen to be the famous artist Mr. Tsukiyoka?' I answered honestly, but he then asked if I was affiliated with youi guys. 'Mr. Tsukiyoka. Would you happen to be affiliated with Battousai the Manslayer?' That's when he placed a wad of money on the table. I couldn't believe it. This guy came off as no one of note. But that's when I let my guard down. He put an expensive looking pistol to my head and demanded I make a picture. It was the picture that you have brought here. He also threatened to kill all of you. I refused his money, but I couldn'tlive with the idea that he could kill you guys."

Yahiko had been listening intently, but he couldn't help but to ask his questions.

"Who was this guy? How does he know about us?"

"I don't know. I can only tell you what this guy looks like. I heard his name, but I do not remember it."

Kenshin didn't recollect anyone who would do something like this. Sure, there was Enishi, but he was broken by what he saw in that diary. He was most likely in no state to ever believe that the diary was wrong. Tomoe herself had written it. But who else knew about her? Tsunan spoke.

"Kenshin. He obviously knows who you all are. And he was able to obtain information. Personal information on both of you. But he..."

Yahiko butted in.

"Just spit it out! What'd he look like?! You don't have a name, give us a face!"

Tsunan looked down. He closed his eyes to recollect.

"He was somewhat tall. He wore a blue business suit, with a hat on his head. His hair was brown, but most notably, he was missing some teeth."

Kenshin's eyes shot wide open. He knew exactly who this was. But it didn't fit. Kenshin thought hard.

'MISS KAORU!'

"YAHIKO WE HAVE TO GO!"

Kenshin grabbed the picture, Yahiko and ran. It happened so fast. The town was like a blur in Yahiko's vision.

"Kenshin! What's wrong?!"

"That man he described. Yahiko. Do you remember? Only one opponent we have ever faced fits that description."

"But...who?"

"The merchent of death Yahiko. He wanted us gone from the dojo. There's no doubt! Kanryu Takeda."

Yahiko stopped breathing. He remembered seeing the Oniwaban get killed. He remembered...Yahiko knew. This was gonna get bigger.

They had apprached the dojo. The door was obviously forced open. Kenshin could only hope. He put Yahiko down and ran. Yahiko was only behind a little bit. The got to the dojo door and looked inside. Yahiko and Kenshin stopped dead in their tracks. There they saw the two brothers, tied up and in a pile. Kaoru stood there with a bokken in her hand in case one tried to move, but that wasn't what stopped them."You didn't think I was just gonna stay put did ya?"

There on top of the piled brothers sat Sanosuke.