All for Love- Chapter Six Disclaimer: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment. Dr. Genzai hugged Megumi close...very close. He must have really been worried, Megumi thought as she pried herself away from his tight grip. Sanosuke looked on with amusement, and shook his head. �Oi! Old man, you�re trying to cop a feel! Man, I hope I still have that kind of drive when I�m your age,� he said and winked at Dr. Genzai. The old man shot Sano a sly smile, unbeknownst to Megumi, who went to say hello to Suzume-chan, and Ayame-chan. Dr. Genzai waited until Megumi was out of earshot to continue. �How is she? Was she hurt?� he asked with concern. �She�s fine. I�m sorry that I kept her at my place for so long. It got to be so late, that I told her to just spend the night. I didn�t want her walking outside by herself,� Sano said, hoping that this explanation would satisfy the doctor. Dr.Genzai narrowed his eyes. �I see. So after the rape attempt you just took her to your apartment?� Sano froze, his eyes wide with shock. How did he know? Dr. Genzai walked calmly to his desk, and sat down. �I ask you this because I had a patient yesterday who was in very bad shape. He had a slash mark from a Katana that went down his back. Surprisingly he did not die from it. I was able to operate on him, but he was not allowed to stay and recover, because the police came to take his statement, and then take him to jail. He was arrested for attempted rape, and he confessed to everything. He described the victim as a tall, beautiful doctor whom he was sent to abduct, but that his plan was foiled by a gangly man, with spiky brown hair, a red bandana, and a jacket with the Kanji, �Bad� on the back of it. I knew that the man was talking about you, but to my amazement the police acted as if they had no idea who it was. �Must be someone new in town causing trouble,� is what they said. Now what I want to know is, why did you not bring Megumi-san to me? Who took care of her?� Sano was dumbstruck. He had never thought that the man would be taken to Dr.Genzai. He cursed his stupidity. He looked at the doctor who wanted answers. He told him only what he could tell him. �I took care of her.� Dr.Genzai nodded his head. �Really? Then I have one more question for you. How long have you been using a sword? I asked Kenshin to analyze the wound. Oh, don�t worry; I didn�t let him know that it was done by you. But he told me something very interesting. He said the wound was purposely executed to be non-lethal. A horizontal slash down the back can automatically kill anyone. But he said that whoever made the wound, knew how to execute it without killing the victim, which is very unusual. In fact it is unheard of.� The doctor stopped and stared at Sano. Sano was stiff, standing against the wall afraid to utter a word. �Kenshin wants to find whoever made this unusual wound. He is curious as to how it is possible to do such a thing and not cause someone to die.� Sano used all the energy he had in his being to take a breath. He had momentarily stopped breathing during Dr.Genzai�s revelation. Sano was surprised that he had figured it out, but he was glad that he was keeping it to himself. He looked to the door to make sure that Megumi was not nearby. He should tell her that the man had not died. He knew that the man would not die. Kenshin was right. He did make the wound non-lethal, using a technique that he had developed during his training under Saitou. He respected the man�s ideals, but he just could not follow, AKU, SOKU, ZAN, to the extent that Saitou did. Sano believed that there were ways to abolish evil without death. That was Kenshin�s influence. He wondered if Kenshin thought his technique to be honorable. Probably not. Even though the victims don�t die, that doesn�t take away the fact that I butcher their bodies. Sano shook his head. I�m dumb to think that Kenshin would admire something like that. �Sano, does this American want to kill Megumi-dono?� The question brought Sano back from his thoughts. He looked in the direction of the voice. His Rurouni friend stood in the doorway of the office. �That patient babbled a lot for the short time that he was here. He kept saying, that someone named, Austin wanted to get back at Takani for messing up his plans. Is Megumi-dono in danger?� Sano nodded solemnly. He didn�t want to get anyone involved in this- namely, Kenshin but he had his blank, thoughtful stare fixed on Sano and this unnerved him. It always meant that he was pondering the situation, and how he could help in it. Well, Sano appreciated it, but this was police business. Kenshin was not invited to fight in this one. �I can handle it. The enemy is a small time crook from America. Nothing to worry over, Kenshin. You actually get to rest one out for a change.� Kenshin kept staring. Then he shook his head. �He�s more dangerous than you�re letting on. How is it that you know so much about this case, Sano?� The authoritative tone of the Battousai. Sano felt a slight chill pass through him, but he shook it off. He couldn�t let Kenshin know anything. And just when Sano was determined in his decision to remain quiet, Kenshin revealed just how much he knew about the entire situation. �When that man was here, he revealed a lot of what had happened to him. What intrigued me most was when he was finally sleeping and dreaming things that made him restless. In one instance he called out to someone, and begged him not to slash him.� Kenshin paused and looked squarely at Sanosuke. �He called out to someone named, Zanza.� Sano wasn�t surprised with what Kenshin knew. Yet, his mind raced to search for an explanation, one that wouldn�t reveal too much about what he had been doing with his time for the past year and a half. He hated the fact that he couldn�t tell any of his friends about his position with the secret police. They would definitely be proud of him. �You finally got a real job, and you make an honest living-now you can pay us back the money you borrowed from us�... Then again, maybe it�s good that they don�t know anything, Sano decided. But nevertheless, he felt funny. A year and a half ago, this question would never have been posed to him. Sano using a Katana would have been unheard of then, yet today it still seems odd. He even found himself questioning why he wielded such a deadly weapon. Kenshin gave these up over ten years ago. Why have I decided to take them on? Sano was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not notice a presence come to stand by him. He felt a hand slip into his. Soft, and small yet firm in its grip. He didn�t want to face her, for he knew that she heard what Kenshin had said, and she too wanted to know if he was the one who attacked the man. He had no choice. He had to tell her something. �Megumi, what I can reveal about the incident is that I did not kill that man.� Those dark eyes were questioning him. He couldn�t look into them any longer. He slipped his hand away from hers, and walked to the door. �I want to go and check something out. Kenshin, can I trust you to see that Megumi remains safe?� �Where are you going, Sanosuke?� Megumi asked, preparing to bolt after him. Sano stopped and looked over his shoulder. He seemed so stiff and unmoved, his gaze hard and penetrating. Megumi felt her breath catch in her throat as she took a step back. He was not the Sano that she knew. He hadn�t been the Sano she knew for a year and a half. She felt as if she did not know him at all. Yet at this moment something had changed even more. He took on an air that was fierce, cold, and vaguely familiar. Then it came to her. Sano reminded her of Saitou...and of the Hitokiri Battousai. Sano was emitting a warrior�s spirit that was powerful enough for Kenshin to acknowledge. His eyes widened. Sano locked eyes with him. �Kenshin, I am leaving Megumi in your care. I know that you�ll protect her the way that I would.� Sano went to Megumi now, and took both of her hands into his. His eyes had softened. �I�ll be back for you. Don�t worry about me, okay?� he said, and leaned close to kiss her. They should all know about us. No sense in hiding what we do, Sano thought as he pulled away to meet everyone�s eyes. Kaoru had come to stand beside Kenshin, and along with Dr.Genzai, the three stood there watching the exchange between the lovers. They all let out hopeless sighs, and Kaoru�s eyes looked as if they took on the shape of hearts. Sano shook his head. Poor Jo-Chan. I wonder if Kenshin does any of this kind of stuff for her. She�s probably the fiend in that relationship. Sano gave Megumi one more peck on the lips, and then made his way to the door. He stopped momentarily to look back at the group, feeling as if he had to make some sort of parting gesture. An odd feeling of foreboding came over him, and he unconsciously lifted his hand and waved to them. When he saw them wave back, he snapped out of his trance...and then he disappeared. * * * * * The afternoon sun was beginning to grow dim, and Sano sat on a rock, chewing on a twig, waiting for Saitou to arrive. There was some important business to discuss, an assignment that Saitou had in mind. For the past week he had been in deep discussion with the department heads, so Sano knew that it must be crucial stuff maybe more dangerous than he imagined. He looked absently over at his Katana, which lay next to him, and wondered if there would come a day when he would trade it in for a less dangerous weapon. Maybe go back to fighting with his fists. He was always good at that. He still was. Perhaps better now, than he ever was in the past. He had to admit, that Saitou�s training had some benefits to his old fighting style. Should he choose to retire when this ordeal ended, he would definitely be better prepared for a street fight...and he would definitely retire his Katana. A year and a half with this thing, and I�m ready to part with it. I never was able to get emotionally attached to this sword the way that Kenshin and Saitou got attached to theirs, Sano thought to himself, as he leaned back and decided on a short late afternoon nap. �Ahou! I didn�t call you out here so that you can sunbathe.� Sano groaned at the sound of that voice, and he sat up lazily, leaning on his elbows to face Saitou Hajime. He rolled his eyes at his superior and grunted. �I got tired of waiting for your grand arrival, Sir. I was dreaming of ways to bail on you and your AKU SOKU ZAN bullshit, Sir,� Sano said, knowing that Saitou hated that formal address, and hated to hear disparaging words about his code of justice even more. Saitou raised an eyebrow, and Sano wondered if he was thinking of which Gatotsu strike to use on him. But he merely snorted at Sano, and regarded him with his usual cool amber gaze. �We don�t have much time to talk, and we may not be as secure as we think here so I will make this short, and to the point. I want you to take on your former lifestyle as a Yakuza, and infiltrate Henry Austin�s ring. I want you to gain his trust, become some sort of right hand man to his gang leader, and tell me what he plans to do. I need more information than what I have. I think that he is planning something big, and only using the Fox as a decoy for something else. I can smell it coming, but I don�t exactly know what it is, and when to expect it. That is why I need you in there.� Sano sat up and moved slowly off the rock to stand before Saitou. He was dumbfounded. �You want me to become a gangster? How am I going to do that when all the Yakuza know that I�m not in that business anymore? The word has spread about my connection with Kenshin. No one�s going to buy it.� �There�s nothing that says that you can�t turn your back on the Battousai. Friends have disagreements, and fallouts occur. Perhaps he believes that your boss, Sagara Souzou and the Sekihou Tai were a weak and foolish group who got entirely what they deserved. Conjure up whatever you can to make it convincing. You�re going to have to be the Battousai�s enemy for a while.� Saitou stopped for a moment. A thought suddenly came to him. �Do any of them know about what you now do? I mean, besides the Fox?� Sano shook his head. �But they did find out about the man that I attacked.� Saitou looked as if he wanted to thrash Sano. �Dumbass! That non-lethal bullshit that you do is going to blow your cover! Now I�m going to have to pay that man a visit in his cell; and after they clean up the mess that I left behind, I may just lock you in there.� �They don�t know anything, Saitou. Besides the police did a good job at covering it up-� �That is because they realize the secrecy of this case. There is more to find out, and you may have blown it, now that the Battousai has his eye on you.� Sano was taken aback. �Kenshin? Watching me? Why would he do that? We�re still buddies last time I checked.� Saitou sighed heavily, and wished that there were a brick wall around so that he could bash his head against it. He wondered what had possessed him to take Sano on as a prot�g�. �Ahou! The Battousai knows that you made the wound on that man. The wound was done using a technique that is meant to render the victim unconscious from all of the pain that he experiences, but he does not die. You mean to tell me that Battousai is not the least bit interested in how you learned how to do that? Something so damn impossible for any other swordsman is easily accomplished by you. I�ll give you credit. It takes tremendous skill to wield the Katana the way that you do; and I�m sure that Battousai is curious to know when you learned these unusual skills.� Sano was silent. Saitou was right, but he still could not understand what he was implying about Kenshin. We�re the good guys in this. We�re trying to help Megumi, not hurt her. Sano shook his head, and decided that it was time to go. The area was indeed not safe for their conversation, and it was best to end it. Sano made his way to the dirt road that would take him to Tokyo�s city limits, when he was stopped by Saitou�s hand planted firmly on his shoulder. Sano was alarmed at the unexpected touch from the Wolf. It was uncharacteristically gentle. Sano flinched, and shrugged the hand away. Saitou raised an eyebrow. �You�ve been too jumpy for too long. Lately you have no idea whether you�re coming or going. I think that I may need to reassign you and let someone else handle this case.� Sano whirled around to face Saitou. �I�m perfectly capable to continue with this case-� �You�re too emotionally involved with the subject! I need someone less affected by the Fox�s presence. At this point, I think that you will do her more good if you stayed out of the way.� Saitou fished inside of his pockets for his cigarettes. Dealing with this damned Rooster made him want to smoke two at once. If this dumbass throws a tantrum I�ll just light the whole fucking pack, Saitou thought, wearily eyeing Sanosuke. He had just come to the conclusion that this may be something that Sanosuke was not prepared for. He did not doubt the man�s abilities. He just realized that the Fox had been right to worry with this case. He needed his officers to concentrate on the entire situation. Although he understood Sanosuke�s position, he could not let him go any further with just the interest of his love as his motivation. That could lead him to make some seriously bad judgments. No, it is best that he stay uninvolved from this point on, Saitou decided lighting his cigarette as a gesture that the conversation was over. Sanosuke glared at his superior, but it faded quickly enough for he had already made a decision of his own. He had the sword by his side now, and his hand went to gingerly finger the hilt of his Katana. Saitou noticed this immediately and shot Sano a quizzical look. Sano drew his sword and pointed its shiny blade at the Wolf. Saitou raised his eyebrow again and held his breath for a brief moment. He hid his shock well and recovered quickly. �Ahou! Put your knife away. You won�t be of any help to me if you�re dead.� Sano smirked confidently, and positioned his body into the familiar first stance of the Gatotsu. �You called me a weakness once. I�ll make you take that shit back,� he said focusing on Saitou�s right shoulder as his target. He had suffered such an injury at the hands of Mibu�s Wolf, so he was eager to return the gesture...along with a little surprise. Saitou stood calmly smoking his cigarette, and deciding whether he should take it easy on the dope or fight him for real. He was confident that he had trained Roosterboy well, but even with all those skills that he acquired this was not a fair fight. Saitou knew that he could easily counter Sano�s Gatotsu, and kill him; and that would not help him at all. He dropped his cigarette, and glanced at his prot�g�. The fool waited patiently for him to draw his sword. If he wasn�t in such a rush to end this, he would stop and observe how well Sanosuke posed, and how precisely he positioned his Katana. He�s aiming for the shoulder. Not a severe wound. He�s also in a hurry to end this, Saitou thought as he took one last moment to look into the eyes of his officer. Something lay behind that determined gaze; something that told Saitou that he had better fight for real or suffer something worse than a shoulder wound. He sighed deeply and drew his sword. He hoped that he would not hurt Roosterboy too badly. He was actually beginning to like him. He positioned himself into the Gatotsu stance. His lips curled into a wry smile, as he stared at Sanosuke. He knew exactly what he was going to do and where he was going to strike. This was going to be too easy. �I�ve decided to be nice and give you a chance to reconsider. I won�t penalize you for insolence, and you will be spared the wrath of, AKU, SOKU, ZAN.� Sano remained as he was. His smile faded. �Bite me! I won�t let you back out of this fight. Where have your balls gone? Were they sliced off during your last sword fight?� Sano didn�t know where that came from, but he saw the effect that it made. Saitou�s characteristically cool demeanor turned into silent rage. The tables were now turned in the insult department. He actually got Saitou to react. �I see. You want this to be serious. Then that�s what you�ll get. I think that I�ll give you that same wound from two years ago. Only this time, there won�t be a shoulder left to mend.� Both men stood in position...and then they both charged. Their speed was the same. Their lunges were equal. But Saitou was the one to establish contact. His sword hit, but Sanosuke saw the strike in just enough time to move and prevent himself from being impaled, and then sliced. The blade grazed his right shoulder leaving just a scratch. Sano got into position again. He had to win this fight. If Saitou wasn�t going to let him help Megumi, then he would have to grant permission to himself. If someone else took this assignment then they would definitely mess it up, and Megumi may end up dead. No one has taken this case more seriously than he has, and he was damned if he was going to let someone take over and do a half-assed job. Saitou got into position and glared at Sanosuke. What the hell has gotten into him? Is this about his woman, or is this something deeper? Our old grudge is back, I guess. Yare yare. It was only a matter of time before this came up again. But he�s different this time. And something about him right now really bothers me. Saitou�s Gatotsu was ready for another round. He read Sano�s move already. �You are so charitable. An attempt to take out my legs; preventing me from interfering with your plans, yet not killing me. You really should give it up. Your Gatotsu is no match for my Gatotsu,� he said, a deep growl coming forth as he charged at Sanosuke with immense speed. Sanosuke stood where he was, having no choice but to defend against the attack since his had already been detected. Saitou held nothing back. His blade ripped right into Sano�s side, but again, Sano was able to see it in time to prevent it from being a serious wound. Sano sucked in his breath as he felt the blood seep from the gash. Saitou scowled at Sanosuke, breathing heavily with his sword still raised. He shook his head. �Ahou! If we keep this up you�re going to end up dead. Like I said before, your Gatotsu is nothing compared to mine. I�ve mastered it, whereas you only know its basics. I have no problems sticking my Katana into your guts. You�re asking for it and you�ll get it- but not today. I order you to give this up.� Sano�s breathing was heavy, and his loss of blood was causing him to grow dizzy. Yet he wasn�t going to give up. He had something to say, and something to show his superior. The fierceness in his eyes would have made any other man shudder, but Saitou merely glared back. �You�re right. My Gatotsu is nothing compared to yours. But the Shinsengumi never taught you how to counter my, Inochi Ni Kakawaru De Nai slash.� Sano moved with lightning speed. He came behind Saitou like a sharp gust, and brought his Katana swiftly across the wolf�s back. Saitou showed no pain, or surprise as he fell face down onto the ground. The wound was deep, extending from the tip of his left shoulder to the right side of his waist. It bled very little, which was a good sign. Saitou lay unconscious, and Sano knew that he would be okay. He sheathed his Katana without cleaning it, and with one last look at the Wolf, he headed for the road that would lead him to Tokyo. He planned to stop by a message center, and send word to the police department to collect their boss in the forest and tend to him. Sano would do it himself but he had no time, and he needed tending to himself. His side had stopped bleeding, but he wondered how far he could go before it got infected. Nonetheless, he had to forgo that, and be on his way. He was going to find the Austin compound, and if need be, he would take the De Nai out of the Inochi Ni Kakawaru, and slash that bastard up. Chapter 7 Fanfiction Archive Main Page |