Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Man who Loves Kamiya Kaoru ❯ Ryunosuke's True Nature ( Chapter 3 )

“Ahh. Kamiya-san, I'm glad you decided to come,” murmured Ryunosuke from the far corner of the room. Kaoru gave a little gasp. The man was sitting in the shadows and had startled her. He looked a good deal less handsome and great deal more dangerous.

“To be honest, I'm surprised that man allowed you to come at all,” he continued, a slight sneer coming to his voice. Kaoru wondered what happened to the man she'd met 30 minutes ago. He seemed less suave and more…well…evil. She wished she had listened to Kenshin.

“He...uh…didn't want me to. But he doesn't know I'm here, I just stopped by on my way to train Yahiko in the inn's spare room,” Kaoru said, forcing a smile on her face. There was no need, she decided, to get afraid just yet. Maybe Shichiro-san was just not a morning person.

Ryunosuke's face split into a silent smile. Perfect, he thought. To Kaoru he said:

“So that's why you're wearing that dogi, eh?”

Kaoru looked flustered. “I'm sorry, but I train everyday and I teach Yahiko to fight, too.”

“No, no, Kamiya-san, you misunderstand me,” Ryunosuke said, standing up. He moved closer to her. “I think a woman learning how to fight for herself is an irresistible feature.”

 

Kaoru blushed. “Thank you, Shichiro-san. Please call me Kaoru.” A bell rang in the distance. “Oh,” she cried. “I'm late to train Yahiko. I mus-” Ryunosuke swung an arm around her and pulled her close. Kaoru gasped.

“Call me Ryunosuke, Kaoru-sama,” he whispered huskily in her ear. Kaoru felt herself shiver.

“O-Ok, Ryunosuke-san,” she stammered. Ryunosuke grinned.

“I would love to see you train, may I come?” he asked.

Kaoru nodded. “Of course.”

 

******

 

“Kaoru! What are you doing? Kenshin told you that guy was bad news! Just because he called you beautiful, ugly, doesn't mean he's a good guy,” Yahiko hissed, after their training had started and one of the attacks brought the two within whispering reach of each other. Kaoru slammed her student to the ground.

 

“What could I do, Yahiko, he wanted to come watch, and-” she brought her kunai down on his head playfully. “Don't call me ugly, pipsqueak.”

 

Yahiko, for once, ignored the remark and glanced over his shoulder at the man who had come to watch. Shichiro Ryunosuke definitely fit his own description of “creepy” after the bath incident last night. But today he had a look on his face like something was about to be accomplished.

 

Some plan had fallen into place.

 

But what?

 

******

 

“Kenshin!” Sanosuke roared, flying into their rented room with such a speed that he couldn't stop in time and had to hold his fist out to the wall to steady himself. Misao dropped her knives at his abrupt arrival. Kenshin looked up from folding the futons up in the corner. His eyes narrowed slightly.

 

“Sano! News about the mysterious Shichiro Ryunosuke?”

 

“Yeah, all my contacts are saying the same thing. The deaths of those men and their wives later-they're from him! He's the one we've been looking for, right?”

 

“No way! That creep! He-” Misao started.

 

“Yes,” Kenshin interrupted “-and now Kaoru-dono is his target. Misao, do you know where the room Kaoru-dono and Yahiko are training in is?”

 

“Yes, I-”

 

“Go down and warn them. Bring them back here. This one will go to the man's room himself and deal with this a quickly as possible,” Kenshin said. Misao nodded.

 

“I'm on it,” she yelled and raced from the room. Kenshin turned to Sanosuke.

 

“Sano-”

 

“I'm coming with you. I wanna see this creep get what he deserves!” Sanosuke grunted. Kenshin nodded.

 

“Now,” he said.

 

******

 

“Kaoru! Kaoru!” Misao shouted, running into the training room. She vaulted over the back of the strange person watching the training session. Kaoru and Yahiko stopped mid-attack.

 

“What is it, Misao?” Kaoru asked.

 

“Shichiro! He's a murderer!” Misao yelled. Kaoru and Yahiko's eyes widen with fear and look at something over Misao's shoulder. “He kills men and takes their wives! Himura says he must be after you next! We have to go! Himura's going to find him right now in his room!” Misao finished. A laughed echoed behind her. She turned and found what Kaoru and Yahiko had been staring at. The person she'd vaulted over… Shichiro Ryunosuke.

 

“ This `Himura,' he's looking in the wrong place. Too bad for him,” Ryunosuke laughed. Kaoru's eyes widened even more.

 

“Ryunosuke…you…you-” she started.

“Kill if I have to? Yes. I guess you figured me out. Though that little girl only got it half-right. I take women I want whether they have a husband or lover or not. If they do, I kill them. If they don't, I just take the girl. It matters not to me,” Ryunosuke laughed again. “Now, you, Kaoru-sama, are the one I want. Will you come with me willingly, or will I have to convince you with a demonstration of my power; perhaps on this `Himura' person.”

 

“Don't joke,” Yahiko shouted. “Kenshin won't be defeated by the likes of you! He was once the Hitokiri Battosai!”

 

“Hmm. You have a big mouth for a child. You should keep it in check. I may not have yet stooped so low as to kill a child, but who says I can't start?” Ryunosuke sneered. “As for this `Himura' or “Kenshin' or `Battosai,' I don't care. If a man claims to be invincible he never is. I will never say I am invincible, but I daresay I'm pretty close. Now Kaoru-sama, if you please, let us go to my mansion and live as husband and wife.”

 

He took a step towards the still shocked Kaoru just as Yahiko and Misao stepped up shoulder to shoulder in front of Kaoru.

 

“Over my dead body!” They yelled together.

 

“You can't possibly take us all on by yourself!” Yahiko added. Ryunosuke smirked and snapped his fingers.

 

******

 

“Damn! He's not here! Where is he?! Do you think the stupid little miss went to see him and got caught?” Sanosuke yelled, slamming a fist into the wall.

 

“This one told Kaoru-dono not to meet with him. Perhaps, Shichiro has been spying on her, but whatever the case, we must not raise the alarm. If we do Shichiro's sure to act and then Kaoru-dono, as well as Yahiko and Misao, we'll be in trouble,” Kenshin said calmly, though his eyes narrowed more still. Sanosuke realized what Kenshin had just said and slapped a hand to his face.

 

“Kenshin! You sent loud-mouth Misao running down to tell Kaoru where Shichiro might be! He'll no doubt hear her and-” Sanosuke broke off as a serving maid came running at them.

 

“That man! The one you asked about! He's in the empty room now and has summoned at least fifty men in there with him now!” She gasped. Sanosuke and Kenshin's faces registered shock. Kaoru-dono, Kenshin thought just as a scream, unmistakably Kaoru's rang through the air.

“Kaoru-dono!” Kenshin roared. Cursing himself for letting down his guard, Kenshin ran from the room with Sanosuke, once again, on his heels.

The two of them ran at top speed to the room and skidded in front of the door, eye's widening in anger at the sight before them.