Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Evil Within ❯ Unseen Power - Puppet Strings (3a) ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Unseen Power - Puppet Strings - TEW 3A




The Evil
Within


Chapter 3A -
Puppet Strings




Houji
is one of the biggest idiots I've ever seen. Aoshi
thought derisively as he half-listened to the man plan his attack on the
Oniwabanshuu.


Why
so? Rofocale seemed to hear every single thought of his.


It was
bothersome.


If
he thinks his "Night Owls" can easily defeat the Oniwabanshuu, he's
disillusioned. The Oniwabanshuu are one of the best ninja clans in Japan. They
won't go down without a fight. Aoshi silently told him, crossing his arms
over his chest as Houji continued to speak.


"Do
whatever you wish to do…I couldn't care less. All I want is Battousai."
Aoshi stated flatly as Houji turned to him.


Houji
smirked. "All right. Tonight I send the best of my Night Owls to kill those
little rats."


Aoshi
felt his eyebrows raise contemptuously at his reference to the Oniwabanshuu as
"rats". Rats? He though scornfully as he watched Houji walk out
proudly. Even I know the Oniwabanshuu are worth more than that…


Houji
is even stupider than I thought.





Aoshi sighed
impatiently as he stood beside Houji, waiting for the return of the Night Owls.
"The
Night Owls are the best of the best." Houji crowed. "By now all the
Oniwabanshuu should be dead."


"Honto."
Aoshi said dully, if not sarcastically.


Houji
seemed to have noticed his tone, and he threw him a scornful look.


Suddenly
a man emerged from the murky shadows. "Houji-sama!" he gasped, "The Night
Owls have been defeated…"


Aoshi
couldn't help but smirk slightly.


"Nani!?!"
the arrogant expression on Houji's face quickly disappeared. "How could this
have happened?"


Aoshi
took notice of a wooden plank on the back of the man.


It was
a message for him, from Okina, telling him to meet at an old hideout.


What
could he possibly want? He wondered, despite his minor amusement at
Houji's desperation.


Got
to the hideout to find out, then. Rofocale replied.


I
will.


When
Aoshi began to listen again to Houji rant disbelievingly, he couldn't help but
rub it in little.


"It
looks like the 'rats' were more cunning than the 'owls'."
He said, the smug tone in his voice discernible. Feeling strangely
satisfied, he began to walk away from Houji.


"Shinomori!"
Houji called after him. "Where are you going?"


Aoshi
glared at him with icily narrowed blue eyes. "That's none of your
business."


Turning
around again, he strode off.





Aoshi
looked around the sinister surroundings he had become so used to years ago.


"I
see you've decided to come." A voice said as a figure emerged from the
darkness.


Aoshi's
eyes narrowed in precariously thin slits as he recognized the old, throaty
voice.


"Okina."


Okina
nodded as he stared at Aoshi listlessly.


"Why
did you call me here?" Aoshi asked, his tone void of any emotion whatsoever.


"Because
I made the wrong choice for Oniwabanshuu Okashira. You let us all down, Aoshi.
You betrayed us." Okina answered, his voice and gaze never wavering. "You disgraced
us."


Aoshi
stiffened angrily at his final words, and then his eyes moved to Okina's
hands, which clenched the hilt of his sword tightly.


"And
I know you are looking for Himura-kun."


Aoshi
sneered in response.


"Killing
him would not bring justice to the death of Hannya, Hyottoko, Beshimi, and
Shikijou, you know." Okina continued, leveling him with a steely glare.
"Killing only makes things worse…" he hesitated only for a moment before
continuing.


"And
that is why I have to fight you. It was I that made the mistake of choosing you
as Okashira, and now I have to stop this…this…shura. I do not know
much about what happened to you after you left, Aoshi. I just know that it
turned you into one." Okina pulled out his katana and leaned forward, only
slightly, but it was enough of Aoshi to take notice of his almost-battle stance.


The
swift fury that coursed through him seemed to guide his own hands to his
kodachi, which he quickly unsheathed and held them out before him.


And he
attacked.


Okina
moved speedily, especially considering his age, and blocked his initial assault.


Surprising,
Rofocale addressed Aoshi, I never expected that you wouldn't mind
killing the man that brought you up. You might have more potential than I
thought.


Shut
up, Aoshi thought irritably as he continued to fight, I don't want to
kill Okina. All I need is to get him out of my way.


You
may have to kill him, Shinomori.


I
won't. Aoshi silently swore, wincing only slightly as Okina's blade cut
through the cloth that covered skin on his left shoulder, allowing the scarlet
liquid to seep out. Now shut up. I can't concentrate.





"Jiya?"
Misao yelled, her youthful voice echoing throughout the Aoiya. "Jiiiya!" she
repeated, her voice increasing in volume.


She
walked into the kitchen, where Omasu, Okon, and Tenkage sat, all with
apprehensive expressions on their faces. None of them seemed to notice Misao
rush inside.


"Minna,
where's Jiya?" she asked. "I've been looking for him, but I can't find
him."


All of
them simply looked back at Misao, quiet.


"We
don't know, Misao-chan." Okon replied finally.


"He
just left." Tenkage added, her eyes now trained on the teacup in her hands.


"He
didn't tell us where he was going." Omasu mumbled almost incoherently.


Misao
narrowed her eyes suspiciously. They're not telling me something.


Disregarding
the uneasy voice in her mind, she spoke again. "Thank you anyway."


She
then walked into Okina's room, wondering if there would be any clue as to
where he was in there.


She
swiftly opened his closet, and let out a soft gasp of surprise.


His
uniform and weapons are gone. She thought, her heart thundering ominously. This
has got to be something important if he took them out.


"Minna-san!"
she cried again, hurriedly walking back into the kitchen.


"Minna,"
she repeated, "I know you all know where Okina went. Why did he bring his
weapons? He doesn't want to fight any longer…it must be really important if
he brought out his tonfan. Please tell me where he went. Onegai?"


The
three older women looked up with tense, almost pitying expressions.


Tenkage
opened her mouth, as if she were about to speak, but then faltered as Okon and
Omasu threw her dark looks.


"Onegai?"
Misao said again pleadingly.


"Misao-chan,"
Tenkage began quietly, "Okina left to meet with Aoshi-san."


"Demo…don't
go." Omasu added hastily. "Okina told us not to let you."


"Besides,
it's too late." Okon muttered, refusing to meet Misao's wide cerulean
eyes.


"I have
to go…I'm begging you, tell me where they are." Misao asked pathetically,
her hands fidgeting uneasily.


Omasu
sighed. "All right, Misao-chan. We will tell you."





Aoshi
clenched his kodachi even harder as his fight with Okina raged on.


"You're
wrong, Aoshi. Death and killing is never the solution." Okina whispered over
the sharp sound of their two blades making contact.


Aoshi
didn't answer. "I don't have the time for this." He said calmly as they
continued dueling.


Then
kill him, dammit! Rofocale hissed. Because if you continue fighting him
with no desire whatsoever to kill him, then you will be the one
slaughtered.


No.
I am not going to kill him. I don't have a cause to. All I need is Battousai.
Aoshi thought back, wincing again as Okina's sword cut through the skin on the
side of his abdomen.



You can easily kill him, you
know. Okina is good, but he is also old and much slower than you. Even now I
know you could see several openings for your attack. Rofocale
whispered.


I
already said no. I don't want to kill him, and I won't. Aoshi
told him impatiently.



If you won't kill him,
then I will. Rofocale's voice seemed to
adapt a cold, wicked edge suddenly.


Nani?


And
then Aoshi felt his arms moving again, this time tucking themselves behind him.


But he
wasn't controlling himself anymore.


Rofocale
was.


Dame!
He thought angrily as he felt his own legs tense, ready to attack. Rofocale,
don't! I swear, if you kill Okina, I'll-


He
heard an echoing chuckle. You'll thank me for this, Aoshi. Then his
right leg slid forward, just seconds away from assault.





Misao
ran, faster than she ever thought she was capable of, and swung the door of the
hideout open.



She breathed a sigh of relief
as she realized that both of them were still all right. Wounded, but they were
all right otherwise.
And
then she noticed Aoshi's stance. He was ready to attack.



"Don't!" she cried
desperately, but it was too late.




Rofocale's using the Kaiten Kenbu
Rokuren. Aoshi realized. An attack to
kill.



Then he felt both his legs moving,
running at a quickly increasing speed.

I said I wouldn't let you kill
him! He thought angrily, fighting to regain control of his body again. With
every last ounce of his willpower, he tried to at least soften the impact of his
kodachi.

As he heard the familiar sound of
metal cutting through human flesh, the familiar feel of blood gently coursing
down his wrists, he knew he succeeded, but just barely. Rofocale still had power
over him, but at least he had been able to alleviate the power of his technique
just enough to prevent Okina from dying.

And then he heard a soft sob from
behind him.

Rofocale turned Aoshi's body
around.

Misao. Aoshi narrowed his
eyes-Rofocale seemed to have given control back to Aoshi, though he didn't
feel quite complete yet-and took note of the tears that were rapidly filling her
eyes.

He began walking out the door
without even as much as a glance at her.

"Doushite?" she whispered as he
passed. "Why did you do this? How could you do this?"

Aoshi paused and glared at her. The
words that escaped her mouth didn't seem to be wholly his own. "If you
aren't on my side, then I never want to see you again."

He heard the soft sound of Misao's
tears slowly spilling.

"And tell Battousai that I will
have my fight with him." He finished before leaving Misao alone with
Okina's prone body.



*~End
Part A~*





Author's
Note: Er, I decided to split this Chapter into two because I was too lazy to
finish the next half…I'll probably post that in a few days. :)
I really hope this was at least a little better than chapter 2 (I hope Jan has
more to say about this one, hehe), and things will really start to…erm…heat
up in the next chapters. Second, I'm not sure I got the details of this right,
because I didn't see this episode. *cries* Third, I know it's supposed to be
impossible for anyone to hear the sound of tears falling, but note that
his senses are sharper now. ^-^ (Check out Chapter one)




<<<Chapter
2

Chapter
3B>>>

Evil
Within

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