Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Alchemy of Gold and Silver ❯ Saved ( Chapter 8 )

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Chapter 8: Saved

 

The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about, nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived.

-Soren Kierkegaard

 

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“Yahiko! What did I tell you about that left foot of yours?” Kaoru barked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

 

The boy groaned and mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “busu.”

 

“What was that?!” she yelled. “Want to say that again, little Yahiko?” She knew the barb would hit home, and was inwardly gratified when he rose to the bait.

 

“Don't call me little!” Little?! Why I oughta… with this, he redoubled his efforts, doubtless to show her what he was made of. His eyebrows furrowed together as he concentrated on the basic kata she was making him practice, and she could have laughed at the intensity of the expression. He's a little bit like me.

 

Kaoru had immediately recognized the danger of keeping the young thief around with nothing to do. It was far too likely that if left to his own devices, Yahiko would just make some foolish rescue attempt on his own. Aoshi was inclined to agree, though he had no time to see that the boy was occupied. Kaoru had offered to make the energetic kid useful to his companions by teaching him something of her style, and the others were only too happy to put him to work doing odd jobs at the restaurant. This way, he stayed out of trouble and was doing honorable work to earn his meals.

 

She let a small smile creep onto her face even as she continued to correct his form with terse comments. Who'd have thought I'd end up teaching my father's style to anyone? It seemed, though, that the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu was perfect for this situation. It required no deadlier weapon than a simple shinai, though she'd probably promote him to a bokken in a few years.

 

A few years… I'm already making plans like that. Though the thought was unexpected, it was far from unwelcome. Perhaps in those few years, this cursed war would finally be over. Maybe, when all was said and done, she would return to her father's dojo in Tokyo. It seemed… right somehow.

 

“Watch your balance!” she called. When Yahiko merely grunted and adjusted nothing, she sighed theatrically, and gave him a light shove with the butt end of her sheathed sakabatou. He tripped, tried to right himself, and then fell straight over.

 

“You have to anchor yourself to the ground, Yahiko,” she explained. “Otherwise, you'll never hold steady when someone comes at you.”

 

Picking himself off out of the dirt, he frowned. “Why won't you teach me to attack from the air then?” he huffed grumpily. “Show me something cool, Kaoru.”

 

“That's sensei to you,” she responded irritably. “Look, all that fancy-looking stuff is completely useless without the basics. The sooner you master these, the sooner you'll learn the rest. Or is it too hard already?” the question was flippant, the challenge in it palpable.

 

“No way! Fine, I'll master your stupid basics, you'll see!”

 

“Good. Five hundred more of those. Oh and add thirty laps around the Aoiya for not calling me sensei.” She grinned wickedly in full view of him, then turned and left before he had a chance to respond. He'd do each and every thing she'd asked for no other reason than the fact that she'd suggested he couldn't.

 

Picking out a secluded spot in the garden for her own practice, Kaoru began with meditation. She had yet to fully master the technique on the scroll Hiko-sensei had given her, though she could feel that it was close. She wanted to get some practice in today, because tonight was the one Misao had picked for their raid of Kurogasa's warehouse. Though she had projected confidence for Aoshi's sake- heavens knew he had enough to worry about- she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that overtook her each time she thought of going. Perhaps she was just afraid that Yahiko's friend might be deceased already; or maybe she lacked faith in their ability to creep past so many armed guards without being seen, then sneak back with a young girl, whose condition they could not know in advance.

 

Either way, she needed to focus, and make sure that she had every advantage available when the time came. Ignoring the rain that was just starting to spot her face, she fell into deep contemplation, shutting out the world.

 

***

 

The Battousai passed through the streets of Kyoto without paying much heed to the lively activities of the markets nor the more seedy dealings of the side streets and alleys. He needed to find someplace to rest for a few hours from his journey, preferably an inn where he might also eat.

 

No one paid him much mind; those oblivious to ki saw only an ordinary samurai in a white gi and black hakama-since it would do little good to parade around in the characteristic all black of the Isshin Shishi- and those few who could read auras studiously avoided him.

 

Springtime in this area was a tricky thing, and so he was unsurprised when it started to rain. The peaked straw hat on his head was not merely for the added obscurity to his rather distinctive appearance, after all. Still, he would do well to find somewhere soon.

 

As if in answer to this, he noticed a medium-sized inn not far down the street. The Aoiya… The sign out front indicated that rooms with meals were available, and for a moment, he thought his search had concluded. The place appeared to do enough business that he would not be especially noticed. What was more, there was no shortage of the martially-inclined among the clientele.

 

He probed the area with his ki-sense, though, and immediately walked straight past it. Though they hid it well by catering to warriors, that establishment was more than just an inn. Very few of the people inside lacked training of some sort, including the staff. The Aoiya was clearly a front for something, and it would be unwise for him to enter without knowing what.

 

Filing the information away for later use, he decided that an establishment on the bad side of town was less likely to ask questions anyway, and headed in that direction.

 

 

***

 

“I don't suppose you could be bothered to knock, could you?” Megumi sniped. Though she would never admit it-least of all to herself- she was glad to have company. His company particularly, actually.

 

Sano's only response was a grunt as he unceremoniously dumped the crate on the floor. The noise was a bit louder than he'd anticipated, and he flinched as it hit the ground.

 

Megumi sighed. “Watch it, chicken-head. There's valuable medical supplies in there.”

 

He responded with a careless shrug, and she could not help but roll her eyes. “Is that the last one, then?”

 

“Yep.” Sano slid lazily down the wall to the floor and he remained there as she began to unpack the crate and organize the contents onto numerous shelves. She'd been at the process for the entire day now. After she'd agreed to put her medical abilities to use for the Oniwabanshu, the group had bought an empty building a block or so away from the Aoiya, as well as all the supplies necessary to start a clinic. Of course, there were less cold remedies and more bandages and sewing needles than your average doctor needed, but such were the perils of a warrior's lifestyle and she'd thought it wise.

 

As she busied herself about the room, the young doctor could feel Sano's eyes on her back. He seemed content to take a break from the heavy lifting that had preoccupied him all afternoon and merely watch her. Not that she really minded; this was a game that Megumi had played before, and one whose rules she knew well.

 

“You know, chicken-head, you could just make yourself useful instead of sitting there and staring.” She didn't even bother to look at him, though her tone was one of slight irritation. Yes, the fox was well aware of how the game worked, and she had a feeling the advantage was hers on that front.

 

“Oh yeah?” Sano drawled. “Knowing you, I'd screw something up and you'd throw me outta here. Just let me know if you need anything else moved.” With that, he stretched himself out on her floor and proceeded to make a great show of falling asleep.

 

Megumi shook her head in exasperation, but she couldn't help the small smile that settled on her face. She knew he would occasionally crack an eyelid, and once she even turned around to catch him doing it. She raised a sardonic eyebrow, but the fist fighter just gave her that silly grin of his.

 

Frankly, she wanted to smack him. Not because he was doing anything wrong, exactly, but more because she didn't understand it. The doctor knew she was attractive; it didn't take a genius to notice the fact that men were generally inclined to ogle her. She knew how to deal with that. No, the problem was that Sano didn't act like that at all. Sure, he watched her, but it wasn't a leer or anything of such an overt nature. It was as if he was simply interested in what she was doing. Or in who I am… the thought was foreign enough to make her shake her head. What confused her more was that when she caught him at it, he didn't apologize or make lewd comments- the two most common responses- but rather seemed to acknowledge what he was doing and nothing more.

 

Men were supposed to be easy to figure out. Leave it to this pest to throw all that out the window.

 

“Tea?” she inquired politely, trying not to let her annoyance show.

 

Sano grunted in reply, and she frowned. “Excuse me?”

 

He picked himself up off the ground, dusting his pants as he did so. “I said no thanks. I'd better be headed back to the Aoiya. I'll come by tomorrow to help you get this place fixed up, okay?” he gestured to the rough wooden floors and the rotting ceiling beams. Not exactly a marvel of craftsmanship, certainly.

 

The frown unconsciously deepened, and Sano chuckled. “Don't worry, Kitsune-chan, I don't think the place will fall in on ya overnight.”

 

She realized what her face must look like, and abruptly straightened it. What had caused her to frown? It's not as though I'm going to miss him sitting around doing nothing. “Hmph,” she sniffed. “I just hope you know what you're doing. I wouldn't put it past you to make this place worse off than it already is.”

 

It was a pathetic attempt at a barb, and they both knew it. He raised an eyebrow, and to Megumi's eternal mortification, she felt a faint blush rising on her face. Damn him! What on earth possessed her to act like this around him, anyway? She was supposed to be the one with the upper hand here, so how was it that he seemed to be playing a different game, one that had her, of all people, blushing like a lovesick schoolgirl?

 

As if sensing her discomfort, Sano smirked in a most annoyingly self-assured kind of way. “You know,” he said casually, “that's a good look for ya, Kitsune-chan.”

 

That did it. Megumi was confused, and she knew it should make her angry. Instead, she was merely further embarrassed. Perhaps it was time to try saving some face. “Get out of my clinic this instant!” Megumi huffed, tossing the teacup in her hand at his head. He laughed and caught it, placing it on the nearby counter before executing a mocking bow.

 

“If the lady doctor wishes,” he drawled, taking his exit before she had the chance to throw something else.

 

As soon as he was out of sight, Megumi brought her hands to her now-burning face. This wasn't good. This kind of thing never happened to her. She was supposed to be the one to leave him confused and frustrated, not the other way around! This game, it seemed, was getting dangerous, and she had the sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be long before she, at least, was playing for keeps.

 

***

 

Kaoru caught the signal from Misao, and moved silently to her side. The two of them had ceased speaking the moment they had “snuck” out of the Aoiya- Misao was still unaware that Aoshi had unofficially sanctioned the mission- and had reverted entirely to the Oniwaban's system of hand signs.

 

The two of them were standing outside what was generally suspected to be Kurogasa's warehouse. The information Aoshi had passed to her that afternoon had all but confirmed it. It seemed that street urchins were disappearing at an alarming rate from the worst areas of Kyoto, and an Oniwaban spy had managed to trace the disappearances to this place. It was unlikely that they were kept here for any great length of time, but apparently Yahiko had only been working for Kurogasa's flunkies for a few days when they met him, so there was a chance that his friend Tsubame might still be here.

 

Unfortunately for their operation, the moon was near-full tonight, meaning that they would be more easily spotted should any guard happen to be patrolling this place. Of course, it also meant that Misao's well-trained eyes would pick out just about anybody before that happened, but Kaoru would still have preferred it to be a little darker.

 

She was dragged unceremoniously from her thoughts when she caught Misao's command from the corner of her eye. Stiffening, she waited a few tense moments, and a guard appeared from around the corner. Noiselessly, Kaoru drew her blade and waited with stilled breath. As the man passed their hiding spot, she slid smoothly behind him, delivering a sharp rap to his skull that sent him crumpling to the ground.

 

Misao let out a small sigh. “I think we can speak now. That should mostly take care of the guards, if the numbers you guessed were right.” It unnerved Kaoru how much Misao trusted her; she was glad the information really was more than just estimation.

 

“Right. Shall we?” The two set forward again, more swiftly than before but still with the caution that kept many a warrior and spy alike breathing when the more reckless ceased to. It was only this caution that gave them notice of the police officer's presence, and only it allowed Kaoru to haul Misao backward in enough time to save her the ill fortune of meeting the sharp end of his katana.

 

The man straightened, regarding them through narrowed eyes. Kaoru's hand flew to the hilt of her sword and Misao withdrew several knives, but nobody attacked. The element of surprise ruined, the man seemed disinclined to continue his assault and instead spoke in a low voice.

 

“Who are you? What do you want?” The voice was edged with venom, and Kaoru found that her first instinct was to get as far away from this man as possible. Dismissing it, though not ignoring it, she replied carefully.

 

“We're nobody important, and we seek only what is lost,” she said steadily. It was more cryptic an answer than she wanted, but there was no way she was telling this guy anything.

 

It seemed that he knew it, because his next question was far less probative. “Do you know the way in?” Misao snorted, but the yellow eyes never left Kaoru.

 

“If I did, I wouldn't tell you,” she bit back. Something about this man made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She couldn't yet identify it, but it was setting her teeth on edge, and making her disinclined to give anything away, no matter how trivial.

 

It was the man's turn to snort, little more than an aggravated exhalation. “Let's cut the crap, shall we? I work for the Shinsengumi, and I'm here to kill Jin-e, also known as Kurogasa. That's obviously what you're after, too, or you wouldn't be here.” He reached to his side, and Kaoru tensed, but he merely retrieved a cigarette, lighting it with a match from another pocket. He did not hurry to speak again, and the silence dragged long and tense. He was clearly waiting for them to confirm or deny what he'd just said.

 

Kaoru was opening her mouth to tell him that he could believe whatever he wanted when Misao piped up, clearly uncomfortable with the atmosphere. “Ehe… ya got us!” she squeaked. “We're vigilantes, ya see. Kurogasa captured us, but we managed to escape, and now we're back to make him pay.”

 

While she attacked the lie with gusto, Kaoru flinched inwardly. It was far too outlandish for anyone to take it seriously. Still, the man's eyes flicked to her partner and he shrugged. “Whatever. Just don't get in my way.”

 

What game is he playing? There's no way he believed that. And he gave us so much information about himself. Either he thinks we're no threat at all, or he means to kill us anyway. The swordswoman had a sneaking suspicion that it was the latter. While she had no doubt that she and Misao were being underestimated, such a man would not leave loose ends, no matter how innocuous.

 

It was at that point that Kaoru felt a somehow familiar ki enter her range of sense. It disappeared almost immediately, as if someone were remembering to mask it. Her eyes flicked instinctively to where she sensed it, but she saw nothing. It was only when the mysterious man followed her gaze that she realized her mistake. So instead of looking away just as quickly, she let her eyes travel over the spot and the area next to it, as though she were looking for more guards. She had a feeling she knew who was there, and something told her she'd do well not to expose the fact.

 

“If we're going to go, we'd better go. Never know when more guards might show up,” she said, looking sidelong at the tall man beside her as if to drive home the point. This lie, at least, he seemed to accept, because not a moment later he had turned on his heel and was approaching the warehouse.

 

With another pointed look back, Kaoru followed him, unease weighing on her heart.

 

***

 

The Battousai watched as the girl pulled her ninja friend out of the way of Saito's sword with something approaching amusement. It wasn't every day someone survived an attack from the Wolf of Mibu. The exchange that followed was terse, though the hitokiri was somewhat surprised when Saito chose to reveal his purpose there. It seemed the Shinsengumi wanted Jin-e dead as well.

 

Of course, the moment the soldier said as much out loud, the Battousai knew that the lives of the two women were forfeit. Clearly, Saito was planning on dealing with them in much the same way as he was known to deal with criminals. From the look on her face, the girl knew it, too.

 

For some reason, this bothered him. Saito was probably right; the fewer people that knew about this, the better. Then there was the fact that he himself had been ordered to kill the girl should he ever cross paths with her again. It was better if she died, so why did the very thought anger him?

 

He must have let his ki get away from him, then, for the girl's gaze traveled in his direction. She couldn't see him of course; he'd made sure of that. Realizing his lapse, he fixed the problem even as Saito turned to look in his direction as well. The manslayer's eyes narrowed. While it would not necessarily impede his mission to fight Saito here and now, he would rather wait until he had dealt with his target. Luckily for him, the girl seemed to have a little more guile than her small friend, and made it appear as though she had been generally scanning the area. Saito, not terribly skilled in the ki-sense area, seemed to accept this, and turned to leave.

 

It was then that the girl turned around a second time, fixing him with a stare that said she knew exactly who he was. There was confusion written there, as well as… trust? No, that's not right… is it? If it was, she was more foolish than he had thought.

 

He absently traced the scabbing scar on his face as he watched them enter the building. Slipping in after them, he immediately ducked behind some shipping crates. Some of Kurogasa's men were lounging about at the front of the storage area, and it took them far too long to notice that three highly-visible strangers had just traipsed into their headquarters. Even when it did register, they were slow to react, as though the idea of intruders was completely foreign to them. Why were they so unworried that they might be inspected? Was the government's arm really that weak here? Or was it merely that officials were so easy to bribe?

 

The Battousai felt a stirring of the sort of ire he had not felt in a long time at the thought. Such a government did not deserve to rule anything. He was distracted as the ex-hitokiri's men finally gathered their wits about them and attacked. The three, who had been content to allow them to do so, split and retaliated, felling opponents with practiced ease. The Battousai was surprised to note that even the small ninja haled her own quite well; most of them were trained for stealth attack alone, with a few notable exceptions. He saw the girl flinch at the sight of Saito's katana severing limbs from bodies, and felt a painful twang reminiscent of the agony that had assaulted him on the battlefield. Is it… guilt? But that didn't make sense. The Battousai felt no such thing, and Himura… Himura was too far gone to feel anything. Wasn't he?

 

He was distracted by a small sound in his immediate proximity. Was that… crying? He cast about for the source of the sound, and came to a realization that made even his stomach turn. It was crying, and it was coming from inside the crates. If he strained his ears, he could hear breathing as well, the breathing of several people. Why would…?

 

“Kaoru!” The shout caused the Battousai's gaze to snap back to the field, crates and their occupants temporarily forgotten. It seemed that the smaller woman was the one who had shouted, and with good reason. The other had sheathed her sword, and Saito had taken the opportunity to strike at her.

 

Without another thought, the Battousai leapt from his hiding place, employing all the speed he had to try and reach the place in enough time. He knew, though, that Saito was fast enough to beat him to it.

 

He had covered about half of the twenty feet between them when the girl did something that nobody had expected. She smiled. Blue eyes glinting, she reached towards Saito's blade, and, in one smooth motion, caught it between her small hands. Twisting herself around, she managed to pry the sword from the grip of a shocked Saito, and caught the hilt in her own left hand, drawing her sakabatou with her right, and leveling the latter at the Shinsengumi's throat.

 

For a moment, there was naught but silence. The kunoichi was regarding the scene with wide eyes, her jaw slack. Saito had recovered his stoic expression, and his eyes flicked knowingly to the Battousai. The man had just lost, so why did he look so self-satisfied?

 

It was then and only then that the Battousai realized that he was highly visible to everyone involved, and that the swordswoman's successful maneuver was not the only reason for her friend's facial expression.

 

“And so he emerges,” Saito drawled. “And here I was, thinking I'd have to kill the extras before you'd show yourself so I could kill you. I have to wonder, though, why Battousai the Manslayer would expose himself to try and rescue someone when even godlike speed wouldn't be enough…” he trailed off absently, and looked at the girl.

 

The Battousai barely heard the question, though he knew well enough what it was. Bright silver eyes were asking him the same thing; he was asking himself.

 

“The girl and I have unfinished business,” he replied flatly, looking not at Saito but the swordswoman. “If she dies today, it will be because I killed her.” He let the implication hang in the air, and watched their reactions. Saito shrugged it off; in truth, the hitokiri knew the Wolf could probably care less. The kunoichi's face hardened from amazement to anger. The swordswoman, though, betrayed no reaction until her eyes hit his obi. Doubtless recognizing the hilt of his sakabatou, her eyes widened slightly, as though she didn't believe it. She met his gaze, and he watched as the silver in hers receded, leaving bright blue behind.

 

Returning her attention to Saito, she spoke, words more hard-edged than he would have expected. “I ask only that you do not make the mistake of underestimating me again, Shinsengumi-san.” To everyone's amazement, she returned his sword to him, hilt-first. “I know more than one trick.”

 

The Shogunate law officer regarded her with narrowed eyes, then flicked the blood off his blade in a practiced motion, sheathing it.

 

“Haijime Saito,” the Battousai supplied, causing the other man to glare. His only reply was the tiniest of smirks, but it was enough to ire his long-time opponent even more, and the taller man swung to face him, hand on the hilt of his sword.

 

The manslayer locked gazes with him, and his own hand moved as well, but whatever would have happened next was interrupted by an impatient voice. “As much as I'm sure you'd love to fight each other,” the ninja-woman began rapidly, “We've got company!” her voice ended in a squeak, and caused the two men to look in her direction.

 

Sure enough, it appeared as though Jin-e had decided to make an appearance at last. The back half of the warehouse was soon filled with men, and the two women already seemed prepared to begin. Sending Saito a glare that was equal parts promise and threat, the Battousai stepped between the Shinsengumi captain and the woman who'd caught his blade.

 

Her eyes had changed again, and she stared hard at the man who was clearly the leader. “Be careful,” he murmured low enough that nobody else could hear. He was unsure what made him say it, but it seemed… appropriate somehow.

 

She looked understandably confused for a second, but then turned the tables by smiling brightly. “Of course. You as well, Himura-san.”

 

He did not reply, but simply nodded. The four of them surged forward to meet the tide of men who came at them, and the Battousai felt himself reaching for his sakabatou and drawing it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Not taking the time to consider why this was so, he instead accepted it and mowed down those who chose to stand in his way.

 

It did not take long, though between the men the other three had dealt with on the way in and those present now, the Battousai estimated that Kurogasa had command of just about seventy poorly-trained mercenaries.

 

Leaving Saito and the kunoichi to deal with the bulk of them, he and the swordswoman felled a swath of men that led directly to Jin-e himself, who by now was so caught up in the battle that he was cackling madly.

 

***

 

Kaoru inwardly rolled her eyes. Are all crime lords insane? Between this guy and Takeda, she'd had more than enough crazy ramblings and weird laughter to hold her over for a while. Nevertheless, she knew not to underestimate him. That was the kind of mistake that got your sword ripped from your hands.

 

She smirked a little at the memory. Serves him right, the ruthless jerk. It didn't take too many observation skills to notice that Haijime Saito was the only one of the four of them using deadly force. She and Himura were both fighting with sakabatou, and Misao had learned long ago the fine art of the bloodless knockout, knowledge which she was putting to good use.

 

Himura came to a stop, and she halted beside him. For whatever strange reason, she trusted the manslayer. It probably wasn't the wisest position to take with someone who had openly declared that their intention was to end your life, but Kaoru was pretty used to taking risks, especially in a fight. It wasn't by sticking to convention that you got stronger, at least not when you fought using the Kamiya-Kasshin. Innovation was risk, and so was trusting the golden-eyed hitokiri, but in both cases she had confidence in her choice.

 

It was probably a good idea to follow his lead anyway, since he seemed to know more about Kurogasa than she did. Her eyes flicked in his direction, and she watched with some trepidation as he sheathed the sakabatou. Was he going to use the katana instead? Don't be stupid, Kaoru, he's sheathing it so he can use battojutsu! He is the Battousai, after all!

 

She was aware of Misao and Saito flanking them, and the grin on Kurogasa's face widened, until she was sure it would split his face. “Oh, look what we have here. Battousai the Manslayer, the Wolf of Mibu, and two little Oniwaban, too!” Misao flinched noticeably as Saito shot them both a glance. Himura didn't seem terribly surprised. Still, she sighed inwardly. Saito knowing who they were didn't seem like the safest of situations. It seemed she could count on Himura to interfere until this mission was over, but what then?

 

Kurogasa moved so quickly she almost didn't have time to react. Luckily, she was near enough to Misao that it took but a moment to ensure that she was between the two when he struck. The clang of steel-on-steel rang out, and Kaoru's arms jarred. Strong.

 

The unstable manslayer caught her eyes, and Kaoru immediately felt herself stiffen. Behind her, Misao fell to the ground, apparently too shocked to do much else. She recovered quickly enough to jump back, dodging his next blow before Himura and Saito took over.

 

Kaoru willed her body to move, to respond to her mental commands to do anything, but it seemed all she could manage was the shallowest of breaths. She had no idea what Kurogasa had done to her, but until she did, it seemed struggling against it was mostly useless.

 

So she watched silently as Himura and Saito glanced at each other, and rose out of their stances somewhat. “I don't really care who kills him,” Saito said flatly, shrugging, “but you'll never be able to manage it with that toy you've got.” He indicated the sakabatou, and Kaoru felt the sudden urge to punch him. She probably would have, if she could have moved at all.

 

Himura appeared to hesitate, and sheathed the reverse-blade sword. Pease don't tell me he's… But his hand grasped it, and not his katana, as he fell smoothly into drawing stance.

 

“Ah-ah-ah,” Kurogasa admonished. “Keep in mind that my spell can only be broken if I die, Battousai. If you don't hurry, the little girlie over there is going to die.” He grinned, and Kaoru heard Misao gasp behind her.

 

The swordswoman watched with horror as Himura's hand moved to grasp instead the hilt of the katana. No! No, no, NO! You must not kill for my sake! Damnit! She threw herself against whatever magic held her and felt the spell crack even as Kurogasa's made to grasp his own hilt.

 

Himura made a half-step forward, toe angled inward slightly, and she tried once more, summoning her strength. “Don't!” she cried, but Himura's sword was already halfway drawn. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Please, don't,” she murmured softly.

 

A few seconds passed before Kaoru found the will to open her eyes again. Perhaps Hiko-sensei had been right after all. Perhaps there really was no room in the world for the sword of a protector, and she was the only one who didn't see it.

 

The thoughts flew from her mind as she observed the scene before her. Somehow, Himura had managed to resheathe his half-exposed katana and draw his sakabatou in the time that it had taken Kurogasa to make only one draw. Now, both men still stood. A few more seconds ticked by, and the silence was broken as Kurogasa coughed, spewing blood from his mouth before collapsing. A small line appeared on Himura's face, neatly bisecting his recently-acquired scar. He… he did it.

 

Kaoru sheathed her own blade and looked up to see him doing much the same, heedless of the blood that ran from just below his eye down his jawbone, dripping onto the floor. Saito was busy handcuffing the still-breathing Kurogasa.

 

“The prisoners are in the shipping crates,” Himura spoke flatly, not to her, but to Misao. The girl's eyes widened, and she nodded, running back over to the other side of the warehouse, and setting about using her kunai to pry the crates open.

 

“You're an idiot,” were Saito's parting words to Himura as he bodily dragged the criminal onto his feet. He paused for a moment, then continued. “The war will be ending soon. The Shogun has lost, and everyone but him can see it. People are reconsidering alliances. Soon, you won't be necessary anymore. I wonder what they'll do with you then, hitokiri…”

 

Kaoru was both excited and mildly horrified by his words. The prospect of the war ending was wonderful, but those other things…

 

“You are well?” Himura's eyes locked onto hers, and she immediately forgot what she had been thinking.

 

“Yes. But, your face…”

 

“It is nothing.”

 

Kaoru considered for a moment, then approached him to examine the wound. Why she thought that was a safe thing to do she would wonder later. As it was, she felt responsible for it.

 

When she tore the sleeve of her dark blue gi, he did not react. “I know a doctor, if you…” She raised the strip of clean cloth to his face and dabbed at the wound. He stiffened, but chose not to move.

 

“No. It will heal itself.” Golden eyes bored into hers, and she lowered her arm, growing self-conscious. The wound was as clean as it was going to get for now, anyway. She noticed that the scars would form an `X' and found herself curious as to where the other had come from. It would probably be unwise to ask…

 

“I…” she began falteringly, searching for the words. “Thank you.” She stepped back and bowed deeply, her ponytail falling over one shoulder.

 

“For what?” he asked, and she was sure she had detected some measure of confusion in his voice.

 

Straightening, she met his gaze again, tilting her head a little to the side. “For saving me.”

 

“I did not.”

 

She thought back on it. No, he had not physically saved her life, but… I doubted. For the first time in my life, I doubted what father told me. But he… She smiled slightly. “No, I'm quite sure you did. Besides, you have yet to kill me, Himura-san. Is being alive not enough to be thankful for?”

 

Red brows descended over a bright gaze, but he did not reply. Kaoru was about to say something else-what, she did not know- when she heard Misao. “Kaoru! I've found her!”

 

Sure enough, a girl about Yahiko's age was with her, clasping the kunoichi's hand so tightly Kaoru was surprised Misao didn't wince. The swordswoman's heart lifted at the sight; it seemed her grumpy student would have something to be happy about soon. She felt a big, silly smile spread over her face, and turned to Himura.

 

“Until next time, then?” she asked lightly.

 

He seemed slightly taken aback by the change in her mood, but that was really only a guess, seeing as how his expression barely changed at all. A curt nod was her only reply, and she inwardly rolled her eyes. Men and their need for stoicism- between Hiko, Aoshi, Himura, and Saito, she supposed, there were just too many of them. Sano was the only well-adjusted male she knew, and Yahiko was just plain cantankerous.

 

She turned to meet Misao, when she heard his voice behind her. “You know my name, but I do not yet know yours.”

 

“Oh,” Kaoru said, somewhat surprised. It hadn't occurred to her that she'd never introduced herself. “My apologies, Himura-san. I'm Kamiya Kaoru. It's nice to… er… meet you?” she finished lamely.

 

“Kamiya…” something about that seemed to interest him, though she had no idea why. Hearing Misao call her again, she looked away.

 

“Just a second!” she called cheerfully, but when she turned back, Himura was gone. Huh… well, I'm sure that's not the last of him I'll see. Somehow, the thought sat well with her, and she found that an irrational happiness was bubbling up in her stomach. Perhaps she was just glad this mission was over.

 

“Well, I guess we'd better get out of here before these goons start waking up…”

 

*****

Kiku's Corner

 

Hello, again, dear readers! Welcome to the end of chapter 8. I do hope you enjoyed it.

 

Not much by way of notes this time, profound thanks are due to Beth for her edits, and to the reviewers as well. GreyPhoenix, in answer to the question about the scar; it's a different guy, and in this case it's less about who gave him the wound and more about why. His first scar was earned because he was uncertain about his goals and his identity, the second… well, maybe I'll let you guess, ne? I also hope nobody thinks it's FMA though.

 

~Kiku~