Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Survival of the Spirit ❯ Survival of the Spirit Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Survival of the Spirit Chapter 10

Soujirou stepped from the bright sunlight into the dim interior of the club his eyes raking over the forms of men and the women who frequented places like this with little interest. When his eyes, hidden behind reflective lenses, fell on the man he was looking for his expression didn't change from the one he'd worn when he walked in. Except for the slight air of menace given by the reflective lens of his shades his expression was actually pleasant. There was no hostess here and he walked slowly towards where the man was seated, the silver object in his hand appearing to be no more than a pen. No one paid much attention to him but when he got close to the man the man looked up and he visibly paled. Soujiro wondered if he'd shit his pants as he continued towards him. The man seemed frozen in place and Soujiro put his hand on his shoulder seeming to talk to him as he bent down close to his ear. After a few seconds Soujiro stood up straight and walked back out, climbing into the sleek sports car he drove and taking off. Later no one could describe him all of them saying they remembered a pleasant looking kid coming in and talking to the man who was now quite dead as if he was his father or a close relative. A trickle of blood oozed out of the mans right ear and was the only visible sign of how he had died. An autopsy would later show a thin metal object had entered his brain and had set off a small explosive device that had killed quickly.

"Why this guy?" a policeman asked.

"Who the fuck knows why these yakuza kill each other?" his partner said.

"Let's clean this mess up and notify his family."

Shishio looked up as Soujirou sat down. He reluctantly removed his mouth from Yumi's breasts as he sat up. For her part Yumi took her time covering herself up enjoying Soujirou's eyes on her and earning her self a sharp look from Shishio. Thinking about how he would punish her later she squirmed, her labia itching and already wet with anticipation.

"It's done Shishio."

"Good."

Shishio dialed his contact and said he expected payment within the hour. The man on the other end gulped and said he'd be right over.

Soujirou had an erection from watching Yumi and Shishio refrained from killing the boy outright instead deciding on another course of action.

"Masae!!!" he shouted slipping his hand between Yumi's thighs and feeling the come that already coated the top of them knowing it was partly for him and partly for the boy who was openly ogling her.

Masae was about sixteen and lush didn't begin to describe her. Shishio knew she was still a virgin and had planned to give her to Soujirou for quite some time. She was the daughter of a man he'd killed a long time ago and raised as his. Yumi had kept him from taking her himself but now with Soujirou obviously ready to assume more responsibility he would give her to him. Soujirou removed his shades and looked the young girl over. She was wearing a modest one piece that did nothing to conceal her full breasts and almost Western hips. Her hair was long hanging to her waist.

"She's yours Soujirou," Shishio said coldly, shock registering on Masae's face as he spoke. Soujirou scared her and the last person she wanted was him. But she owed Shishio everything, her life, her education, a place to live. She had thought that one day she would become his lover displacing Yumi but now it seemed that she was to be given to this boy.

"Thank you but I'll wait here until I get paid before I take her."

Soujirou turned to the girl and felt as if he was going to come right then. She hated him and that was good.

"I will pay you Soujirou. She's clean, never been touched. Make her yours or else I will have to kill you," he said with finality.

Soujirou bowed and walked over to Masae, taking her by the hand and pulling her behind him.

Once in his room he threw her down on his bed and began to strip. Masae, knowing what was coming wouldn't be pleasant tried to inch her way off the bed and towards the door.

"Don't do that Masae. I don't want to hurt you but I will."

"You're going to rape me," she spat at him.

"I don't know why I displease Shishio-sama so that he would give me to you," she said crossing her arms under her breasts. Soujirou was down to his shorts and she stared in spite of herself. She'd seen Shishio naked and he, a grown man, didn't compare to this boy who was maybe two years older than her.

"I see what makes you shut up," he said grabbing her by her arm and flinging her onto the bed where she landed legs akimbo and chest heaving.

"Bastard."

He sat down next to her on the bed and roughly kissed her. Masae expected not to like the kiss and instead felt her resolve melting as his lips caressed hers and his tongue demanded entry to her mouth. His arms bracketed her on either side and she fought the urge to snake her arms around his thin frame. But that fight caused her mouth to open and his tongue to seek and subdue hers causing a deep moan to erupt from her throat.

For his part Soujirou didn't want oral sex from her he wanted to bury himself inside of her, feel her blood coat him before her come did and he would follow, coating her, filling her with his essence. He had wanted this girl for a long time and now that Shishio didn't want her for himself he was free to take her, to make her his. She was not a skinny girl, but she wasn't fat, her hips soft and round, her breasts large and ripe, her thighs soft. He'd been with whores before but this one…

"Soujirou…"

Her voice startled him and made him so hard it hurt, his penis red, the top near purple with blood and pre come leaking and staining her swimsuit. Did he dare to be loving to her, did he dare to be Soujirou? He' d locked that person up a long time ago replacing him with the persona Shishio wanted, a man who saw himself at the top of the food chain, a predator in the land of prey. To be loving to Masae would make him into prey and he couldn't be that or Shishio himself would kill him. So he pushed Soujirou aside and roughly tore the swimsuit from Masae's body before falling onto her breasts, biting and licking until she thrashed under him as her first orgasm hit her. He continued his assault moving between her legs and seizing her clitoris in his mouth biting down and making her scream in agony and pleasure. He couldn't wait anymore and knelt between her thighs, pushing them back so that her glistening wet vagina was open to his eyes. He looked up at her and saw her eyes riveted on his dick, eyes glazed with desire and need and with no words he plunged into her, ripping past her maidenhood and ending only when he hit the soft surface of her cervix. Her cries of pain turned to gasps of pleasure as he moved in and out of her, her juices flowing over him and out of her body and still he moved inside of her, seeming to grow as he did. He felt his balls contract and the coil of pleasure move through his groin and into his rigid flesh before exploding inside of Masae who had collapsed in orgasmic pleasure, her eyes rolled back in her head, her legs wrapped around his waist so as not to lose a drop of his come which was leaking from her surprisingly small and very tight vagina coating her labia and the path to her asshole.

Shishio smiled and looked down at Yumi who was servicing his cock. Soujirou had not wimped out and had taken her roughly, with no emotion. The young man would be dangerous one day but for now he was under his control. Yumi felt his balls tighten and knew the girl must've come. Shishio shoved further into her mouth and came, the salty sweet taste of him filling her mouth faster than she could swallow. So now the little bitch Masae was Soujirou's whore and she would live a while longer. The day Shishio didn't want her would be the day she died. She knew too much.

Shishio watched as Soujirou rolled off of Masae, blood and his come flowing from her vacated pussy.

"Soujirou," she sighed putting her arm across his body before closing her eyes and falling asleep. If he was right Soujirou would make her pregnant. Once that was confirmed he could fuck her at will. He just hadn't wanted to be her first.

Kenshin had taken shelter from a downpour in an abandoned cave. He'd used it once before when he had to go into hiding for a while and after making sure it was animal free he built a small fire way in the back so that it would not be visible from the outside and lay down closing his eyes. He wondered how Kaoru was doing, if now, three weeks after he'd left, she'd pulled herself together and resumed her life. One day she'd see she was better off without him. The man from the bank had probably visited her by now and gone over the arrangements he'd made for her and Yahiko. He smiled knowing she would curse him out for giving her more money than she would ever need. She had never wanted immense wealth, just enough to live on. Now she'd have more money and a chance at getting a good husband. Even though he knew this was the best for her the thought of another man in his place hurt. He'd had every intention of being that man, of being her husband, but circumstances had made it impossible. His body ached for her, needed her, but he fought those urges and pushed them aside. He was going to do what was best for everyone and leave this world, a man of the shadows would leave as nothing more than a shadow. He turned over on his stomach closing his eyes letting the sound of the rain lull him to sleep. But once he was asleep his barriers against Kaoru fell and he dreamed of creamy thighs and dusky pink tipped breasts, of sweet come and powerful orgasms. His come stained his clothing and he woke up to the smell of his semen.

"Shit," he said, getting up and walking further into the cave where a stream flowed. He waded into the ice cold water and closed his eyes staying submerged until his body was numb from the cold.

Kaoru was drunk. Sano and Megumi looked at each other nervously as she slow danced and made out with some guy she'd met at the club. They had thought resuming their Friday night clubbing would be a good idea but Kaoru had quickly downed five cups of sake and then run out on the dance floor gyrating alone until someone came over and joined her. The man looked like a gang banger with blue streaks in his hair that matched the color of his outfit and Sano had had enough. He got up and grabbed Kaoru by the arm breaking the kiss she was sharing with the man.

"Sa-nosuke…stop it…I, I am having a good time…"

"Yeah leave her alone," the gang banger said, striking a macho pose.

"If you don't get the fuck out of my face your mother won't recognize you," Sano said softly. The gang banger recognized the attack stance and backed down.

"Damn if she's yours all you had to do was say so," the young man muttered as he walked away.

Kaoru went to take a swing at Sano but lost her balance and fell into his arms. He carried her to their table where she reached for more sake.

"Jush one more drink of sake please?" she said slurring her words to the point of being almost incomprehensible.

Megumi gathered her things.

"Time to go," she said. "I'll bring the car around.

"Let's walk. The air will do her some good."

He put her arm over his shoulder and led her outside. He heard her gag and leaned her over the curb as she threw up everything that was in her stomach. The stench of alcohol permeated her vomit and Sano realized Kaoru had not eaten at all.

"What the…"

Kaoru began to sob and Sano didn't need anyone to tell him what she was saying. She kept repeating Kenshin's name over and over and he shook his head walking slowly to where they'd parked the car. Having vomited Kaoru was now beginning to doze and he cursed, picking her up and carrying her to the car.

"She'd better not throw up in my car," Megumi said.

"I don't think she will but let me line the back with some paper."

Kaoru was sound asleep and snoring loudly as they drove her home.

"Bad move huh?" Megumi said touching Sano's face tenderly before starting the car.

"I'll say. That guy was around today again."

"The one who likes her? The teacher?"

"Yeah. Yahiko was so rude to him."

"He expects Kenshin to come back. Of course he was rude to him."

"Takani, do you think he's coming back?"

"I don't know. Those creeps have stopped coming around and unless we figure out where he came from I don't think we'll find him in time."

"The old man knows."

"I think he suspects. I don't think he knows. He sees how Kaoru is suffering."

"But he and Kenshin were close," Sano insisted.

"He was helping Kenshin with his issues. I don't think he knows anything else."

"Someone had better find that little bastard soon. I can't take much more of this."

HikoSeijurosat calmly outside of his house watching the sunrise. The winds had been blowing strangely all day, first one-way then the other. He had actually had two visits today and sold quite a bit of his pottery. Some people in this country still had money he said to himself.

Despite the busy day he'd had the tendrils of his dream from the night before still pulled at him. He had not dreamed his apprentice in many years and he wondered if the boy, now man, had managed to change his life. He had worked for the government when the boy had been brought to him.

"This is Shinta," the man had said.

"He's shown extraordinary ability as a martial artist and now he wants to use his talent in support of the government. I trust that you'll be able to make him into what we need."

The boy had looked at him coolly and he passed his minimum requirements to become his student. In a year's time he had surpassed all the others in ability and skill. His first kill had gone well and there was talk about him becoming the lead assassin before he had even finished his course of training. It had worried him that Shinta had very few interests outside of martial arts and one night he'd taken him into Tokyowhere they'd gone out eating and clubbing. Shinta had not danced and watching him Hiko knew he was going over strategies of killing. He had probably picked out a hypothetical victim and was setting him or her up.

He had trained many hitokiri's in his time and he knew what they had in common- a coldness of heart, and an amoral approach to people and life. Shinta had none of this. He was simply good at what he did.

"You like what you do."

Shinta had looked at him.
"I'm good at it," the boy had replied.

"You should get a hobby of some kind."

"A hobby?"

"Painting, sculpture, something to focus your energy on other than killing. You're not a killer at heart."

"What have you been teaching me to do? What have I done at your direction?"

"Killing will kill you."
He had laughed.

"One day you'll understand what I mean. I hope that by then you haven't lost your mind."

Shinta had been renamed after his first kill and was now called HimuraKenshin. And he had become the premier assassin for the government. And he had gone quite insane.

Maybe he was out of the asylum and making his way here. He wondered if they had released him or if he had escaped. Knowing Kenshin it could be either one. But if Kenshin was coming back here after all these years…

He would have to wait and see the man to know his reasons for coming. Hiko had no illusions about the man who approached now and despite having retired several years ago he felt his body begin to move into the place he needed to be to face him if he was coming as an enemy.

"Saitou."

"Hello old friend."

"Friend it is now Saitou? As I remember it you led the charge to get me out after what happened to Himura."

"A mistake."

"And now you come to apologize? I think not."

"If we had listened to you about how to handle him things may have turned out differently for all concerned."

"I see."

Hiko lit his pipe and Saitou a cigarette as they sat on the gallery of the house proper.

"Why are you here?"

"Himura is coming here."

"Why?"

"To ask for your forgiveness and blessing."

"What happened?"

"He hasn't exactly confided in me but I think he's going back to the place of his birth to die."

"Is he ill?"

"Not in the sense you mean, no. We want him to come back to work full time for us."

"And he doesn't want to."

"He's made a vow not to kill again and because of it he's determined not to sign up again."

"How does Shura feel about his decision?"

"Shura? He's not with her anymore."

"I see. I guess I'm really out of the loop."

"Actually he tried to kill her."

So that had been what Himura had done. Hiko had been sent a terse message that his services were no longer needed and that he should consider receipt of the letter formal notification of termination. He'd known about the first breakdown and had thought that was what prompted his dismissal.

"I don't understand."

"He tried to kill her. Would've if not for her training. He's formed a relationship with a civilian, a girl more than ten years younger than he is."

"Does she know what he is?"

"She knows. He told her."

"Does she understand what he is?" Hiko asked.

"She's young, and she's a civilian. I doubt if she understands totally."

Hiko met Saitou's eyes.

"So again, why are you here if you know where he is going?"
"Only you know where he is going. I was never given his complete file. I need to intercept him and bring him back to Tokyo."

"And how do you plan to do that Saitou?"

When he didn't answer Hiko continued.

"Is he on medication?"

"Not any more. He's working with this herbalist Genkai and his shrink Ayame."

"If he's not on medication…"

"He's been all right but they're worried he'll have a psychotic incident and civilians will be harmed. If he gets paranoid…"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Tell me when he gets here."

"If he thinks he can't trust me he'll kill me. He's much stronger than he looks as you know."

"Some people think he's back in circulation. He's not."

"I hear Shishio is gaining followers. What do you people plan to do about that?"

"That's what bringing Kenshin back is all about."

"You want him to kill Shishio huh?"

"Yep."

"I can't promise to give him to you since you people helped bring him to the state he's in."

"Do you want him to succeed in killing himself?"

The two men looked at each other in silence.

"I'll be seeing you HikoSeijuro."

Hajime left and Hiko relit his pipe. Despite his age he looked like a man twenty years younger and his instincts were the same as when he left active service.

"It's safe now Kenshin," he said softly.

There was still no motion among the foliage and he sat still smoking and letting day slip into night. There would be no moon tonight and he knew Kenshin had to be close. He was still sitting in the dark when Himura appeared in front of him. He met his pupil's eyes maintaining contact until Kenshin spoke.

"Are you turning me in to HajimeSaitou?"

"No. But we have only a day before he comes for you. And he won't come alone."

Kenshin put his backpack down and sat down digging into the food that was laid out. Hiko had known he was coming.

"You were right sensei. About what killing would do to me."

"I wish I hadn't been. Come. You need a good night of sleep indoors. We'll talk in the morning."

Kenshin followed him taking off his dirty clothes and dropping them outside. He had intended to take a bath but he stretched out on the bed and despite his intentions, he dozed off. Hiko stood staring at him, at the dark circles under his eyes, at the tension around his mouth even in sleep. Like him, he looked younger than he was and of course, that was an advantage in his chosen line of work.

"What have they done to you Shinta?" Hiko said softly closing the screens and leaving Kenshin to sleep peacefully until morning.

Kenshin lay in the dark watching the shadow move back and forth across the screen. It was still dark out, that deep dark the world turned before the gray of dawn crept over the land presaging the rising of the sun. Hiko was up early he thought to himself and his room was just as it had been when he'd lived here so many years ago. Of course Hiko had put in modern amenities and Kenshin made use of the bathroom, brushing his teeth and looking at himself in the mirror. His hair was still matted and dirty, he hadn't even rinsed himself off last night, and his eyes floated deep in the sunken hollows of his eye sockets. How long had he been asleep he wondered as he went back into his room, sliding the side screen out and looking down on the valley that was partly visible below. The wind brought his scent back to him and he scrunched up his nose. He needed to bathe. It had all started here and he wondered if they would come for him today or tomorrow. A good bath, a meal, a talk with Hiko, and he would be off. Staying was not an option with Saitou around. Saitou would be gone long enough to bring in enough people to take him down. It was probably better not to wander outside of the house and make himself a target for a tranq dart.

The bathing room was traditional Japanese and he smiled to himself as he prepared to enter the bath, stripping naked and easing his body into the hot water. Damn it felt good he thought to himself as he sank beneath the surface wetting his hair thoroughly before coming up for air. There were soaps and shampoos arranged on a shelf and he washed his hair before tackling the rest of his body and letting the dirty water out before refilling the tub and laying back in the water, his arms floating at his side as he relaxed. He would just rest a few minutes he told himself.

Hiko had heard Kenshin get up and knew his first order of business would be getting completely clean. Even as a boy he'd been obsessed with body cleanliness and there was no reason to think the man was any different. He prepared a simple meal, one like they had eaten when he'd been training, and sat back to wait. Saitou should be back before dark he thought to himself and he'd be ready to take Kenshin back to Tokyo, back to the hospital ward. Once there they could work on him, give him enough drugs to function as they needed him to until he killed Shishio. After that was done he knew Kenshin would face two choices, resume his old job or face institutionalization for the rest of his natural life, his mind erased and existing in drug induced nether world until his heart would give out, oblivious to his condition. Hiko stood up and went inside finding Kenshin asleep, and very much aroused, in the now warm water. As he backed out of the room he made a noise, a bamboo mat crunching under his feet, and sure enough he heard the man in the bathing room stir. Kenshin didn't make a loud splash and most people wouldn't have heard it. But just as his light sound had gone off like a fire cracker in Kenshin's sleeping brain the movement of human skin through water was as loud as a waterfall to him. These were the sounds men like them had to hear if they wanted to live another day.

Kenshin got out of the tub and walked into his room, senses alert. He knew Saitou would be coming tonight to get him, if he indeed waited until darkness. Kenshin felt that in the dark he had the advantage. As a child he'd run all over these woods and knew them well. Saitou would know that and would come to the house itself rather than let his men get picked off one at a time over the course of the night. Kenshin toweled his hair dry and pulled on a pair of wrinkled but clean jeans and a plain black tee before joining Hiko, who handed him a plate and watched as he ate.

"There are still things you need to learn you know."

Kenshin looked at him and stood up stretching his body, his arms above his head.

"Nope."

"You came this way for a reason. I thought it was to prepare."

Kenshin looked down on his seated teacher, the only man he had ever called his Master and frowned deciding not to answer.

"It's still beautiful here. You don't get lonely?" Kenshin asked instead, meeting his teacher's eyes.
"I do. And I take care of that in town."

Kenshin nodded.

"You're moving on Kenshin?"

"Yes."

"When?"
"You know better than to ask that," Kenshin snapped, annoyed.

"You need to learn one more lesson…"

"No Hiko, not now. The lesson I should've learned, listening and understanding, I should've learned all those years ago when you told me what killing would do to me. It's too late for me, but the next boy they bring to you I hope you will make that your first lesson and not your last."

Hiko heard the bitterness, the tiredness, and the acceptance of life as he'd lived it in Kenshin's voice. At barely thirty, Kenshin sounded like an old man.

"You haven't loved Kenshin? Is there nothing, no one to hold you to this world?" Hiko asked, remembering the state Kenshin had been in when he'd found him. It was several minutes before Kenshin answered Hiko, and his voice was far away, barely above a whisper.

"I've said my goodbyes. Life goes on Hiko. You know that."

Feeling the effects of the food Kenshin stood up and went back inside the house. For once Hiko was at a loss as to what to do. To save him meant to turn him over to his puppet masters. To let him go would mean he'd sanctioned his suicide. Hiko sat waiting for Kenshin to return, he didn't think he'd leave yet, and after an hour he stood and walked into the house. The bundle of clothing was gone, and Kenshin was no where to be found.

Kaoru woke up to silence. It was as if the entire world had gone away and only she had been left alive. The dojo was quiet, no one was moving around downstairs and she wondered what time it was. Sitting up she looked over at the clock and sat it was four a.m.

"No wonder stupid girl. It's not time for anyone to be up."

"Kenshin will think I'm so…"

Her voice trailed off and she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on the plateau they formed, her hair a blue black curtain of silk around her legs and feet. Kenshin was gone. Surprisingly there were no tears. As she sat there the last few weeks crashed into her consciousness, finding his note, the visit from the bank, the visits of his shrinks, and Hajime. Hajime was the only one who had come and he'd come to check on her condition, to make sure Kenshin wasn't somewhere in the dojo. No police, none of them had come which meant that they knew where he was. Probably they all did. Only Kaoru, dumb, stupid Kaoru who had thought that he loved her didn't know where he was. She thought of the women she'd seen at the restaurant, of the faceless women from the party he'd taken Yahiko to, and saw Kenshin in his suit, sitting surrounded by beautiful women laughing and talking, and probably making fun of the young girl he'd used and abused, and how even now she was pining away for him.

A small voice whispered to her that she was mistaken, that he had given her his real name, told her why he'd become what he had. He had taken things from the fancy penthouse and brought them here. He'd provided money enough that she wouldn't have to work hard another day in her life if she so chose, and Yahiko, when he passed his tests, would be able to afford school and wear the nice clothes the other kids wore but she shook her head, pushing the voice aside. If he loved her he would've stayed, would've tried to work things out with her. Instead he'd taken off, leaving her just as he'd found her, alone. She had asked once if she was so easy to leave. Now she had her answer.

A knock on the door startled her and she lifted her head, still unable to speak and totally unaware that she was crying.

Before she could answer Megumi poked her head in.

"Kao?"

"Me, Megumi? Why are you up so early?"

"It's seven. Yahiko is up already and I thought I'd bring you some food before I go to the clinic. Sano is walking Yahiko to school."

"Seven?"

"Yes," Megumi said coming into the room and kneeling next to Kaoru who was stunned, realizing she'd sat frozen for three hours.

"Thank you for the soup Megumi," she said as she took the tray and began to eat.

"Well, looks like you're hungry today."

"Yes. I'm fine. I have to go open the gym."

"Meiko can do it…"

"No, I will. Tell me how Yahiko is."

"He's doing great at school. He's got so many top grades on the fridge we've had to take some down."

"You didn't throw them away?!"

"No, he has a folder he's putting them in."

"I see."

Megumi didn't tell Kaoru why he was keeping the papers but she had a feeling Kaoru knew.

"Well. Let me shower and I'll be down to see him off. Maybe I'll walk with Sano. It's a nice day today."

With that she finished her soup and went and took a shower. When she came downstairs Yahiko and Sano were on their way out of the door.

"Wait for me!" she said with a smile.

"I want to walk with you."

Sano and Yahiko were so surprised they didn't say anything. As they walked to the school Kaoru talked on and on about the dojo, about redoing the floors and getting new mats, and being able to pay a better salary to her workers. Sano was afraid to ask where the money to do this was coming from and said nothing. Once Yahiko got to school he gave her a fierce hug before joining his friends and running inside.

"He's really getting big," Kaoru said with a smile.

"Kao…"

"I'm fine Sano. Life goes on. I go on. I made a mistake and now it's time to move on. So, what do you think about my ideas for the gym and the dojo?"

Genzai was worried. Any conversations he'd had with Kenshin he'd treated as if they were part of the doctor-patient relationship and therefore he'd told no one where he thought Kenshin had gone. But as the weeks passed and Kaoru had not come out of her depression and Kenshin had not reappeared he had begun to doubt his actions. It had been two weeks since Kaoru had started showing her face in the neighborhood and she seemed to be the same Kaoru she had been before Kenshin had come into her life, talkative, fiery, and thoroughly focused on her business. Both Megumi and Sano had begged him to tell them where Kenshin had gone and he'd told them he didn't know so many times they'd given up. But today Tae had come to see him and he looked at her, watching her watch Kaoru talking with Ami and her new instructor Eiichi, MasaokaEiichiand ignoring his obvious interest in her.

"I'm afraid for her sensei. I think she's going to harm herself. She acts as if being with Kenshin was a period of insanity for her and should just be forgotten. You don't fall in love like that and then just act as if it didn't happen."

Genzai sipped his tea and said nothing.

"You know sensei. You know where he is. You should've said something, let Sano go and find him. Between her and Yahiko I don't know who's hurting more."

When Genzai didn't reply Tae got up, bowed and left. When Genzai became aware of his surroundings again night was falling. Kenshin had been afraid, afraid he would harm this woman he so desperately loved. He had also known his illness was not something he could control on his own, that he would need help, whether the type Genzai could provide or the pills Ayame wanted him to take. And he knew he could not be a father or a husband if he was doped up all the time, or always living with the possibility he could wake up and find he'd killed everyone he loved and cared for. It had been Kaoru who'd asked him to leave but maybe she thought he wouldn't, that he would continue to live here in the temple. Kaoru was young and in love and she hadn't thought that her words would send him away. That was the source of her pain, something she couldn't tell anyone. But she had yet to come and see him. Until the day she did he couldn't tell her anything about where Kenshin had gone.

HajimeSaitouknew where the camp was. To an untrained eye the area was uninhabited, a wilderness, but he saw where Kenshin had gone, saw the cave high up on the mountainside and knew it must go deep into the rock because no light was visible from the valley floor. A voice crackled in his ear asking if he had seen anything. These new agents knew the wilderness of the cities. Only a few, like Kenshin, like Shishio, knew about the ways of the countryside. The government wouldn't pay for the type of training they received for everyone. Only a few, destined for the top, received it. He told his men to go back to the base camp and that he would meet them there. Once he was sure they were on their way back he began to move. He knew Kenshin knew he was coming and that he would be guarding the perimeter. If his hunch was right Kenshin would be unarmed but the area would be booby trapped. It took over an hour for him to reach his destination and he stood hidden in the shadows, waiting to see if Kenshin would come out to him. After half an hour he walked into the pitch black interior of the cave. There was no light anywhere.

"Himura!!! I sent my men away. Come and talk. Just talk."

There was no response and Saitou stood still letting his eyes adjust to the darkness.

"Your country needs you. Shishio will be here soon and you know he will not be coming to talk. He will find you and kill you."

His words were swallowed up by the silence and dark, and Hajime played his last trump, the card he hoped would at least make Kenshin surface within the next few days before Shishio found out where he was headed. Shishio would play the card too, but not the way Hajime was going to play it.

"MissKamiyais active again. And Yahiko is doing well in school. They both miss you."

A breath? A movement of shadow within a shadow? Nothing. Hajime sighed loudly and left. Kenshin waited another hour before coming out of his hiding place. Kaoru. He hung his head, his hair covering his face. Late at night he longed for her so badly sometimes he had to relieve himself, adding shame to the pain he felt.

"It's for the best," he said to himself as he prepared to leave the cave. He would find a new place to sleep when daylight came. His destination wasn't far now, and soon he would be at peace.

Shishio sat in the darkness of his room, alone. The house around him was silent, he'd said anyone who disturbed his reverie would be dealt with and they took him at his word knowing from past experience what he was capable of.

Kenshin's disappearance wouldn't have concerned him except that he couldn't be sure it was a result of Kenshin's illness or a plan of Kenshin to take him out. He was not convinced that Kenshin's appearance at the rally was for the sake of his friend as the report Saitou had filed indicated. He knew the tricks of the trade and knew that anything could be placed in a report. The ones on file were sanitized. The real ones were heavily encrypted and even accidental attempts to access them were followed up on. He had someone working on it though, and he'd know soon enough.

He went over in his head what he knew about his predecessor and after doing so reached the same conclusion he had before. Kenshin would not be able to hold onto his sanity for long on his own, and someone would die. He'd seen the overt version of Kenshin's psych report. His handlers felt that without careful supervision his attempt on Shura's life would be nothing compared to what he would do.

Shishio sighed and took a deep breath. It could all be lies of course.

He stood over the body, hands slimy with blood, his mouth set in a feral rictus. "One assassin down," he thought to himself. There would be others, they'd be coming for him soon. He'd be ready for them. No one was going to take the Battousai down without a fight. No one would be able to stop him. He was the best. Would always be the best.

His jeans and tee were soaked with the blood of this one, and he stripped, moving back into the shadows where he bathed and dressed. Once finished he put the clothing into a pile and burned them. He stood watching the flames, the eerie light throwing his features into high relief. None of them, Kaoru, Sano, the boy Yahiko, would recognize him now. Ambereyed and ready he spread the ashes from his fire making sure they were all extinguished before moving deeper into the woods. By nightfall he was far away from the death scene. The town was small, and the only paper it boasted came out once a week. The next day a special edition was published featuring the grisly murder of one of the most respected women in the area, daughter of a prominent family. Her throat had been slashed, she'd been nearly decapitated, and her body mutilated by someone or something in a killing frenzy. There was no mention in the article about how the chief of police for the district had thrown up at the sight of the body, or that the girl's mother was medicated into a coma like state. The girl, all of seventeen, had been out gathering flowers. Wild rumors spread that Americans from a nearby base had committed the crime after raping the girl but everyone denied it. A pathologist came out from the nearest city and performed at autopsy which confirmed the girl had not been raped.

Meanwhile Kenshin sharpened his knife on a flat rock after rinsing the blood off in a nearby stream. When he was finished he checked the number of clips he had for his automatic. He'd been sent here to take care of the subversives and he'd do what he was sent here to do, one way or the other.