Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Strongest Will Always Feed off the Weak ❯ Distraction ( Chapter 4 )

The Strongest Will Always Feed off the Weak

Chapter 4: Distraction

The faint light in the room cast dim shadows along the walls and the furniture that adorned the room. Dying red coals, the last of a once livid fire, let the cold creep up unaware on the inhabitant of the room. Houji sat at his large desk, up to his elbows in documents and the like. He had become bothered by the deal with an unknown merchant from China about the iron ship Lord Shishio had wanted to purchase. The deal had been going rotten from the beginning. Nothing he could solve, he would have to find Shishio to straighten out matters.

Houji was tired from lack of sleep and the mess the problems with the deals negotiation. He hadn't slept since yesterday, and had stayed up all night looking at the same problem after he had dealt with the Kawacana Band that had interfered with earlier missions. He rubbed his temples as he remembered the patients and delicate planning that had all been for not when the bandits of the Kawacana Band had destroyed precious resources.

Placing the documents back in their places on the desk, Houji stood up to leave his study when he noticed the chill in the air. He shivered, pulling his coat closer to his chest. Deciding that he'd find Shishio in his practice room he headed off in that direction. The clicking of his western style shoes were the only sounds echoing off the walls.

Houji stopped in front of Lord Shishio's arsenal he fought up the audacity to charge in. Shishio never liked someone watching him handle his swords unless he was using it against another human being, being interrupted by a bothersome detail wasn't something that would help with the temper that he sometimes showed. Houji slid his hand over the doorknob, he opened the door before he thought to and found someone other than Shishio the weapon room.

In front of a rack of the most impressive of Lord Shishio's weaponry was Seta Soujiro. He threw his back his head to look over his shoulder the moment Houji opened the door, he had an almost startled look the way his mouth was slightly agape but he recovered, closing as soon as Houji was inside. Soujiro was kneeling in front of the sword rack, holding a wakazashi in his hand hovering over an empty space. Houji couldn't tell if he was taking it or returning it, but whatever he was going to do he placed it on the rack.

Houji noticed the sorry state of Soujiro's clothes, guessing that he must be returning from an arduous mission of lord Shishio's.

"Hello Houji," Soujiro stood up, dusting himself off. "I was just, uh, looking for Shishio-sama but he doesn't seem to be here."

Nodded his head as if he already knew that. "Would you like to accompany me in seeking Shishio-sama, Soujiro?"

Soujiro shifted under Houji's question, "eh, no. It isn't that important. I'll talk to him later."

With that Soujiro brushed past Houji disappearing out the door.

Curious about the wakazashi, Houji walked over to inspect the weapon that Soujiro had held. He respectful picked it up from its resting place and pulled it out slowly from its sheath. The blade looked to be old, maybe ten years or more of hard use. It didn't seem to fit in with the other, more exquisite of Shishio-sama's sword collection. Houji put aside his ponderings, doing the same with the wakazashi.

Houji soon departed from the room with one backward glance back at the short sword, then continued on his way. There were countless guards stationed at various outlets of the corridors that Houji walked, they would have taken notice of Shishio-sama if he had passed them by, but he couldn't bring himself to ask them. It would, he figured, make him look a little less professional, that would lead to disobeyed orders. Also, it would seem he was disorganized and that would lead to loss of respect. Houji refrained from that course of action.

Houji was taken by surprise at the appearance of both Yumi and Kamatari walking closely together. Those two could never stand to be in each other's presence for long.

Houji figured one, maybe both, would know where Lord Shishio was. A slight change in his direct and he was walking towards the pair.

…

…

Kamatari followed closely behind Yumi who had taken it upon herself to direct them in their proceedings. Kamatari wore a scowl on his smooth face, telling himself that it would look suspicious if they were seen un-angry, or at least bothered, in the others presence. The set of Yumi's bare shoulder's told him that she was stressed and deep in thought to carry on any charade.

Truth was, Kamatari wasn't holding any grudge against Yumi to incite his anger, this moment anyway, and was only scowling because he was still wearing his travel stained close from yesterday. That anger was also a brief barrier of protection against breaking down now that the adrenaline of last night evaporated with the moon.

"Where on earth are you dragging me to? Yumi! If you won't answer that than what about this: We, alone, are no match for Soujiro! We won't be able to find him." He was silent for a moment, waiting for a response that never came. "You know what we must do, don't you? We have to get another ally, another member of the Juppongatana will do just fine!"

"We can't afford to waste time now."

He shook his head in annoyance. "It won't be a waste of time, we don't even know how much time we have before Soujiro's trail is lost! If you don't want to then I will! With or without your help." Kamatari said the last with a hush, as if it would be blasphemy to announce going against her wishes.

"Do what ever you want, just don't let it get in the way of what is important, okay, Kamatari?" Yumi looked to Kamatari for the curt nod of agreement.

Kamatari rested a finger against his chin in thought, and then out of the corner of his eye saw Houji approaching them.

"What about it Yumi? Do you want to leave?" Kamatari said in a suave voice.

"What are you talking about Kamatari?"

"I see that you two aren't getting along," Houji said, interrupting any un-pleasantries that might have been spit out of Yumi's lips like venom. "Do any of you know where I can find Lord Shishio?"

"I'm sorry, Houji, I don't know Shishio-sama's exact location at this moment."

Houji looked expectantly to Kamatari, "I just arrived last night, I don't know yet."

Houji looked a disappointed, "Okay." He walked away without another word.

Kamatari watched him go. He feeling a little like there was something he was missing, something important. "Hey, Yumi, what would you say about Houji?"

"Houji?" She sounded confused.

Kamatari sighed; realization that she had already forgotten their earlier conversation hit him like a ton of bricks, making his already weary spirit bend in exasperation. "How would you feel about telling Houji about Shishio-sama's condition?"

"Houji? You'd tell Houji? I don't know how he would react to it, but it might not be good. It most certainly won't be good." Yumi stopped to stare at Houji's back as he disappeared down another corridor. "Maybe as a last resort… if you want."

Yumi turned suddenly on her heel, leaving Kamatari behind her; he had to rush to catch up. They walked in an awkward silence. They stopped at Yumi's quarters, starring at each other not vet not actually taking in what they saw.

"You should get some rest," Kamatari told her, looking at the ground. "I'll come back in a couple of hours."

She smiled thankfully then entered her room, Kamatari watched her go inside, and when the door clicked shut he let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. He stood there a moment to collect his thoughts before he went about making some preparations that could not be held off any longer. Then he remembered that they might no longer be necessary now that Shishio-sama is now out of commission, but his sense of duty told his that they were important.

His weary muscles screamed for the attention that hadn't been spared them last night. He tried fighting the urge for sleep, his body soon won. Kamatari found himself in his own private quarters. He rested his scythe near the queen sized European bed then fell face first into the covers, not bothering with changing his or covering himself in blanket or sheet.

…

…

After leaving Houji and the wakazashi behind, Soujiro hastily went to his own room as quickly as he could. Being seen back here, back in Mount Hiei, didn't seem right to him. And the faster he got his belongings together the quicker that he could be one his way.

His room hadn`t changed. It was the same as it ever was. Not that he expected it to look any different, but it felt as though it should have changed. A silly thought, one that he hastily brushed off as he started towards his wallet and some other belongings he would need on the road. His wallet fit comfortably in his hands. He picked up his favorite katana, one of two that was kept in his room, and placed it on his belt.

He stopped in front of his bed. His old bed. One that he would never use again. Soujiro smiled at that thought. He walked over to it, trailing his hand over the warm bedding that would be more comfortable than any hayloft or even any inn that he would ever stay at. He yawned as his thoughts turned to the next time he would ever sleep in a European bed. He hadn't used a futon in what felt like ages.

Then he remembered last nights horrible sleep in that dank cabin somewhere on Mount Hiei. His back ached just by thinking about it. Another yawn escaped from his lips, he must have not gotten as much sleep as his body needed.

"Napping here won't be that bad," he reasoned to himself as another yawn escaped unhindered.

Soujiro removed his katana from his belt to lean it against the nightstand near his bed. He laid his wallet on top of the same nightstand.

Before hopping into the bed he looked down at his travel-stained clothes. His hakama and gi had pieced of dirty etched into the crevices, if he were to sleep in the bed with it one it would cake off into it. Soujiro decided that it wouldn't matter if the bed got dirty or not, he would never use it again. He crawled onto the bed, on top of the covers. The covers would make the bed too inviting. He might sleep longer than he should if he were to sleep in them.

Soon rest found him, his cheerful façade slipping off as he in turn slipped off into the world of dreams.