Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Blood and Amber ❯ Truth- Part 3 ( Chapter 20 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sanosuke ran, replaying Kaoru's story in his mind.
'"Kenshin was trying to rescue me... my finger was almost sliced off- I wouldn't have been able to practice kenjutsu again if I didn't have my pinky finger- well, it would have been extremely difficult... and the man that had nearly sliced off my pinky had also slashed my back. It was a shallow cut, but it bled a lot. Kenshin was just so angry, Sano. He. he was going to decapitate the man, but I yelled for im to stop. He tried, he really did. It was too late. Instead of slicing off neatly, it went up into the windpipe, and that must have hurt. It took a few minutes... a few minutes.... Kenshin tried to stop himself, but now he doesn't seem to trust himself anymore.... I've told him it's not his fault, but he doesn't believe me."'
'Kenshin, you idiot! Making jou-chan worry like that. Not to mention me and the Fox.' Sano's eyes softened as he thought of the Fox. Her hair had been cut so short- it had really thrown him for a loop, but not as much as the vurnerable look in Megumi's eyes.
He hated that look.
All of her passion and anger had seemed to have left her, cut away like her hair had been. She had been worried for some reason, like she wouldn't be recognized or accepted. She had actually been scared, looking for all the world like she needed someone to comfort her and tell her that everything would be OK...
'Yeah, right. She's the untouchable Fox- like she'd let me near...' Sano shook his negative thoughts out. He had to help his best friend.
'Kenshin, why won't you believe jou-chan? You know you didn't mean to kill him...'

Kenshin panted heavily. Chishio was a maginificent swordsman- he had landed several minor blows, but Kenshin hadn't landed as many minor blows, but he had landed a solid slash at Chishio's back, which was even now- a minute after the strike had been delivered- gushing crimson blood. Chishio's floor and gi were soaked.
"Surrender now." Chishio smirked, though it was a bit of an effort, and Kenshin could read fear and shock in Chishio's green eyes.
"I don't think so. Hiten Mitsurugi is a great style for outdoors fighting, but the low ceiling in a building makes it difficult to perform your most powerful moves- and the room is too narrow for you to perform battoujutsu." Kenshin almost cursed out loud. Yes, the low ceilings prevented him from using any attack that required him to jump- such as Ryu Tsui Sen- and he couldn't use any battoujutsu techniques- like So Ryu Sen- and the floor was wooden, preventing him for using Do Ryu Sen. His attacks that involved running, or required the opponent to be far away- wouldn't work in a house. Basically, the quarters were too cramped to attempt much.
A loud knocking could be heard- someone was pounding on the door. Both sworsdsmen paused, unsure of what to do.
Just who the hell was pounding on Chishio's door?
"No answer? Hello? I'll just let myself in, then." A voice that Kenshin knew well said. In another two seconds, the door was but a fond memory, just dust on the wind, thanks to a certain tori-atama's punch.
"Oi, Kenshin, I thought I'd find you here." Sanosuke said, pleased. Chishio groaned with disgust, but Kenshin felt his ki. It became more intimidated, and more afraid. Chishio knew that he didn't stand a chance against Kenshin and Sanosuke.
'Damnit, I had expected to finish him off before that doctor lady managed to get any of his friends.' he fumed.
"Sano?" Kenshin asked, shocked to find him here. Suddenly, his eyes flew open. "Is Kaoru okay?"
"Aa, but the Fox-lady told me to come and help you." Sano suddenly locked eyes with Chishio. "So, you're the bastard that cut off Megumi's hair?" Kenshin froze.
It was the first time that he had heard Sanosuke use Megumi's real name. Chishio smiled cockily at Sano.
"Would you prefer it if- next time- I cut off her finger? Or a toe? Or her head?"
"And you think that there'll be a next time?!" Sano growled, punching his fist into his palm to prove his point.
"You'll never get near her again, if I have anything to say about it." Sano charged straight at Chishio, ready to punch. Chishio brought up his sword and managed to block Sanosuke's fist- Chishio even drew blood from the knuckles.
"You don't have much." Kenshin stepped forward, prepared to help his freind, but Sano shot him a look.
"Stay out of this, Kenshin. I'll fight, this time." Sano turned back to his opponent. "You say I don't have much, but that was just my left fist." Sano crackled the knuckles in his right fist, then smirked.
"Can your sword really withstand a force that can shatter boulders?" Sano rushed in again, preparing his right fist this time. Chishio brought up his sword to block. Sano's fist hit the metal blade, and everyone present heard a loud cracking noise. Something gave- and it wasn't Sano's hand.

Chishio stared in horror at the hilt of a once beautiful blade- a blade that now littered the floor, so much metal dust and scraps.
"Not so confident now, eh?" Sano said, smirking. Chishio did the one thing any sane man would do: he kneeled before Sano and touched his head to the floor.
"I'm sorry! I'll turn myself in- I never meant any harm." Chishio played his part perfectly, every inch the remorseful and turly sincere man...
.....Unfortunately for him, Sano isn't as dense as everyone thinks.
"And if I buy that, I'm stupider than a bag of rocks." Sano folded his arms. "I won't believe it until you're in jail, and locked up good." Chishio kept his gaze on the floor, folding his arms in a further gesture of submission.
"I truly am sorry! I'll even let you escort me to jail, I swear!" Chishio smirked, pulling out a long dagger, hidden in his kimono sleeve.
"I'm not that- ITAI!" Sano yelled, dropping to his now injured knees as a smirking Chishio rolled out of the way, holding the bloody dagger.
"Temene... you had a hidden dagger..." Sano said, grimicing. Chisho smirked.
"My my my, how the tables have turned....."
"Not for long, Chishio." Kenshin said, stepping in from the sidelines.
"Kenshin, stay out of this- I'll be fine. This is my fight." Sano said, getting up with some difficulty. Chishio smirked.
"Your fight? Well, it'll be Battousai's soon enough- as soon as I lay your corpse at his feet!" Chishio rushed in, swinging the dagger down. It cut shallowly into Sano's chest, ripping away the bandages he usually had around his abdomen. Sano grunted, but whirled and delievered a roundhouse punch to Chishio's face, breaking his nose. Chishio grunted and lept nimbly away, stumbling slightly as he landed.
"Damn.... you..." Chishio said, trying to push his nose cartilege back into place, only serving to mess his face up more.
"Plenty more where that came from, bastard." Sano said, rushing in again. Chishio blocked, but the punch still hurt him- badly.
"Bastard.." Chishio said, reeling from Sano's punch. He lifted his head up just in time to see the hook puch connect solidly with his temple, very effectively knocking him out.
"Keh...." Sano said, panting heavily. "Easy.." He stumbled forward, but caught himself.
"Sano.." Kenshin said. Sano looked at him, then grinned.
"Let's get back to the dojo. I have to talk with you on the way back, anyways..."
Kenshin nodded, suddenly apprehensive.
'What does Sano want to talk about with me?' he wondered. Chishio suddenly gave a loud groan, and both men turned to look at him.
"Maybe we should drop him off at jail first....." Sano said. Kenshin nodded. Sano easily picked up the unconscious Chishio, though some more blood poured from his chest wound.
"Let's go- I need the fox-doctor to look at these." Kenshin nodded, knowing that Sano wouldn't go to the dojo or the clnic without first discussing what he wanted to.
'Besides, those were shallow wounds. He'll be fine.'

Megumi ran to Kaoru's room.
'The Incident? They've finally talked..?' Megumi thought, then she got to Kaoru's room. She opened the door.
Kaoru was laying on her futon, bandaged inexpertly. It was decent, but not up to Megumi's standard- it wouldn't last long, bandaged as it was. Megumi sighed and woke Kaoru up. The rebandaging would go quicker if she had cooperation.
"Hhmmmm... Megumi-san?" Kaoru asked, opening her eyes. Megumi saw Kaoru's eyes flick to her hair, then guiltily back to her face.
"I heard what happened." Kaoru said, almost as if apologizing. Megumi just nodded.
"What happened here? Sword wound to the back, correct?" Kaoru nodded, grimacing. Megumi smiled. "And Sano bandaged you- inexpertly. I'll have to rebandage that- unless you want it to fall off?" Kaoru shook her head no.
"Good. While I rebandage it, you can tell me what happened in the Incident." Kaoru opened her mouth to protest, but Megumi continued talking. "You've told that tori-atama- why not me?" Kaoru nodded.
Megumi went to where the dojo stored its extra bandages, and quickly selected a roll. She helped Kaoru out of thye old bandages, and off with the gi. Kaoru lay on her back while Megumi examined the wound.
"Not that bad- I was afraid that it would be worse." It took Megumi all of five minutes to bandage to wound the proper way, all the while discussing the Incident with Kaoru. Or- to be exact, listening to the story as Kaoru told it.
"Arigatou gozaimatsu, Megumi-san." Kaoru said quietly, selecting a new gi from her closet. Megumi sat there in shock.
'Ken-san.... killed someone?' Megumi's eyes softened. 'No wonder he's been so distant.... Poor Ken-san.'
"You don't hate him now, do you?" Kaoru asked, truly worried about her friend's reaction. Megumi closed her eyes and shook her head.
"I'm more worried about Ken-san. I know that he meant to stop himself- our Ken-san is not the kind of person the kill someone. He might have, back in the war, but now- never." Megumi looked at her. "He's saved my life. Even if I did doubt him, I do owe him the benefit of the doubt." Megumi Was about to throw her hair over her shoulder, in an obvious gesture of indifference, but it didn't do much expect shake.
And her hair wasn't the only thing that was shaking. Megumi's shoulder's shook.
"Megumi-san?" Kaoru asked, curious. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder, feeling the tense muscles and the shake, as though she was cdrying.
"It's stupid..... it's just my hair- it'll grow back....." Megumi looked at Kaoru, her eyes red around the edges and glittering with moisture. "I'm acting like a stupid tanuki-chan that we all know..." Kaoru ignored the comment. meant to cover Megumi's crying.
"It's okay- I understand. Your hair coupled with your looks is what made you pretty- now that you don't have your looks, you don't think that you can attract Sanosuke any more-" Megumi sat up, fuious and embarrassed.
"Like I care what that tori-atama thinks!" she huffed, folding her arms and looking away from Kaoru. Kaoru smiled.
"That's the Megumi we know. Don't worry about it. Your hair will grow back."
"Like I need my hair to attract a guy..." Megumi said, regaining some of her fire. She looked at Kaoru, proud defiance in her eyes- but also fear.
'By the time it grows back to its former glory, I'll be too old to marry. I'm stretching the limits as it is.' She felt a wave of sadness come over her features, but forced it back.
'Sano won't want an old lady with short hair.'
Someone knocked at the dojo door.
"Huh?" Kaoru said, looking in the general direction of the door. "Sano or Kenshin would come straight in... A visitor?" she asked herself. She stood up and walked over to the door.
"I'll be right back." she told Megumi over her shoulder. Megumi just nodded. Kaoru walked quickly to the door, and opened it to reveal a lady in a beautiful kimono, accompanied by two men- on of them a man about thrity, the other about forty.
The lady had aged well, grey streaks barely showing in her black hair- but she hda to be around sixty.
"Is this the Kamiya-Kasshin Ry dojo?" the older of the males asked. Kaoru nodded.
"I'm Kamiya Kaoru, the assistant master here. May I help you?" she asked uncertainly. The lady spoke up then.
"Yes, I'm looking for someone. I've heard that she is often here, if she's not working at the clinic."
"You mean-?" Kaoru asked, surprised. She felt nervous- the two men were staring at her intently, as if her words were a lifeline. The lady seemed almost afraid to hear what she had to say.
"-Megumi?" Kaoru finished. The two men seemed happy, but shocked, and the woman clapped her hands together in delight.
"Does she really come here? Is she really in Tokyo? Takani Megumi?" the lady asked. Kaoru nodded slowly, slightly unnerved by the lady's manner.

Megumi was slightly restless. Something told her to follow Kaoru. She gave into the impulse and followed her freind, stopping at teh front of the dojo- she could see the main doors, and catch some conversation, but no one was looking at her.
What she saw nearly made her freeze up with shock.
An old lady she knew was talking to Kaoru, accompanied by two men that she knew.
"Mo-Mother...." she said, shocked. Kaoru turned to look at the her.
"'Mother?'" she asked, then glanced back at the lady she had been talking with.
The lady was staring at Megumi, a look of pure joy on her face.
"Megumi!"