All For Love- Chapter Nine Disclaimer: All characters of Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki, JUMP comics, and Sony Entertainment. �That psycho cop is a lot freakier than Sanosuke,� Yahiko said pointedly securing his shinai into the pocket across his back. Kaoru looked at him and raised an eyebrow. What do you think you�re getting ready for?� Yahiko rolled his eyes. �The fight you dumb hag. You know Saitou�s gonna try and kill Sano for slicing him up and I, Myojin Yahiko Tokyo�s Best Samurai, will step forward to defend him.� Kenshin smiled at his spirit, while Kaoru seethed in anger at being called a dumb hag. She belted one over his head before he could bow humbly before Kenshin, and this in turn caused them both to swing at each other. Kenshin chuckled nervously since they both looked as if they were going to tear each other�s faces off. Megumi looked on in disapproval. �Kaoru, as the role model for this young orphan, you really should have more control over your temper.� Kaoru turned possessed eyes on her. �Butt out, Megumi!� she growled and resumed her fight with Yahiko. Megumi merely sighed feeling more and more sorry for her Ken-san. Why did he have to pick such a demon for a girlfriend? Kenshin kept silent, fearful of Kaoru�s wrath-but then he felt something odd. He tuned in to his inner spirit to see if he could figure out what it was. It came to him like a vision from beyond his senses. A presence. Kenshin stood up, and looked toward the door of the dojo. He knew who stood on the other side. Kaoru and Yahiko stopped and looked at Kenshin. They felt the presence as well. Kenshin walked to the door and reached out to open the door, but there was no need to. The door slid open and the answer came right to them; Saitou Hajime stepped over the threshold, taking great care to use slow stiff movements. Kenshin raked his eyes quickly over the injured man. He was in bad shape. Kaoru had stopped pulling at Yahiko�s hair when the door opened, and she had frozen when she saw who so rudely invited himself into her home. Saitou looked as if he were going to faint from the effort of taking that one step inside. His face was pale and drawn, and he gripped his katana as if he drew strength from it to remain standing. Kaoru wanted to offer Saitou some tea, or a futon so that he could rest for a while, but the glare in his eyes stopped her from feeling any more pity for him. He would not appreciate her concern for him, and he would definitely not accept it graciously, so she kept the offers to herself. He had business to tend to and his gaze fell on the one whom he knew would help. Kenshin nodded in acknowledgement and with a gesture of his hand, welcomed his old enemy inside. The amber eyes regarded the hand coldly, pondering the sentiment that lay beyond the gesture. Then he looked into the eyes of the one he always referred to as the Battousai, gathered up every ounce of tolerance for pain he had inside of him, and bowed respectfully. Why is Kenshin inviting him inside? That man always brings trouble into our lives, Kaoru thought watching the display rather disconcerted. He wants to hurt Sanosuke. What else could Kenshin need to know from this man? Saitou had always made her nervous, and seeing him in such a helpless position was just too strange for her. There had to be another explanation for his visit. She looked to Megumi who sat quietly on her mat. She knew more about this than any of them, even Kenshin. Kaoru found that disconcerting as well. She felt Yahiko beside her, heard his nervous breaths and she placed her hand on his shoulder to ease him. He relaxed somewhat but still regarded the former Shinsemgumi Captain with trepidation. He really gave the poor kid the creeps. Saitou stood straight again, showing a slight wince that went unnoticed to all but Kenshin. He saw that they all looked curiously unnerved by his presence. They must think that I�m here to finish that dumbass officer of mine. They have no idea how much I want to have a rematch with that goddamned roosterhead. It was a mistake to underestimate him as I did. But there are more important things to deal with, and unfortunately he involved himself in that as well. Yare yare, idiot. You�re in a shitload now, and after all this is over with. I hope you�ve been practicing something other than that swing of yours. I won�t be a victim to it a second time. He looked to Kenshin who waited anxiously for him to speak. He gave them all, his most wicked smile. They all cringed. �I�m here to offer my help in finding, Sanosuke. That asshole has gone to the Austin compound, which is located just outside of Tokyo. I know that you want to find him as well. I know how to get there, and I have one other contact besides Sanosuke inside as we speak. He will keep an eye on that idiot and alert me when things get dangerous for him, which I believe won�t be long from now. I have already been informed that he has been accepted into the confidence of Mr.Austin�s right hand, an orphan whom Austin adopted after the death of his son occurred. His name is Kyuuto Irushi, and he is a very dangerous man. He had the luxury of traveling back and forth from America and Japan when he was a boy, training with a former Samurai turned Yakuza, and taking this training to America where he developed his own technique of gun slinging. He is well schooled in the art of gunplay, and he uses what he learns to adapt his own sword techniques as well. He is so talented in both these arts he is deadlier than any Hitokiri the Japanese government has ever employed.� He paused for a moment. �I�m sorry Battousai. I didn�t mean to downplay your career as Hitokiri. I am merely relaying the extent of danger that Sanosuke has entered. If Kyuuto Irushi should discover the truth about him, then he is beyond our efforts to rescue him. He would never defeat Kyuuto in a fight, and I wonder if our combined strengths can even affect him. Battousai, if you plan to go after your friend then I suggest you come with me, and we go now.� Kenshin thought intensely about it. He had to go, and they had to hurry. But there was one more thing to worry about. �What about Austin�s plans for Megumi-dono? I was under the impression that he was causing all this trouble on account of her past. Am I right to believe that there is more to this than Megumi-dono�s demise?� Saitou nodded slowly. �The Fox is a decoy. He has unfinished business with her that he will undoubtedly take care of, but she is a stepping stone he plans to take for something bigger. She is part of the famous family of doctors. If he ruins her reputation, and makes her death look like a suicide then this will cause a major disruption in Tokyo. A well-known doctor so disgraced in the medical field will make the people believe that they have put their trust in the wrong person. This will begin the assault on the powers of Tokyo making the people so distrusting that they will want to kill each other. He plans to do this with each major city in Japan until there is nothing but chaos, and another civil war. Then he plans to make his big move. He will come forward and name himself the Savior of Japan.� * * * * * * Sanosuke followed Kyuuto Irushi through tunnels that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was dark and Irushi carried no candle or lantern. Sano had a difficult time seeing him through the darkness, but was glad to have a guide into the depths of this compound. It was a mansion attached to a hill through the tunnels that were dug under ground. Once inside there was light that revealed stairways built within the hill to reach its six floors. There were guards stationed at every landing, and at every door of the rooms that were built into each floor. Sano guessed that there had to be ten rooms on each floor making sixty rooms in total. Irushi explained that each floor had a main conference room, and a group that got together in this room to discuss their plans for Mr. Austin. Each floor was responsible for one aspect of Mr. Austin�s total plan. Each floor had a leader and each leader would meet with Mr.Austin and Irushi inside the mansion to exchange their information, and decide what the next level would be. �We are due to meet with each other this evening. Perhaps you would like to accompany me there. You can meet Mr. Austin and we can decide where you will fit in. Perhaps I�ll suggest that you assist me. I like the way you fight, and I like your attitude. Most of the men here are great fighters, but they take themselves much too seriously. Plus they think that I am a sellout.� Sano silently agreed with them. You are a sellout. How can you take the side of a foreigner? How can you betray your people? He thought to himself as he followed Irushi to a room at the far end of the first floor. This room surprisingly had no guard posted. In fact it was hidden to the eye and he had not noticed it before on their way up the stairs. They passed five guards who regarded Sano with icy stares. They nodded to Irushi when he acknowledged them but once he passed by, Sano noticed that they looked after them with curiosity, especially one in particular who sized him up in less than one second. Something about that one guard didn�t seem to fit into the scene, but Sano guessed that was his nerves reacting. Shit, either I look really good to these guys who haven�t seen the light of day for sixteen months, or they know exactly who I am. Sano recognized some of them. He had had lots of fights in the past and now it was catching up to him. He knew these guys weren�t going to believe that he was legitimate. Now he felt uneasy. They headed for the secluded room and once they arrived Irushi led Sano inside. The dimly lit room contained shelves of books and a desk in the center. �This is my study. I come here to sort my thoughts when things seem to be too much for me,� Irushi said, �Mr. Austin is very demanding sometimes. But you�ll see that soon enough. I brought you here because I wanted to speak to you without any disturbances. I want to know all about you before I bring you to Mr. Austin.� Sano nodded. �I see, so you�re the one who recruits the men for Mr. Austin. How come I never heard of you before? I heard of Austin, but nothing about you. I�ve never even seen you, and I know about everyone who comes into Tokyo. Are you keeping a low profile?� Sano made sure to choose his words carefully. He thought it rather odd that he should be brought to a secluded room for this conversation, but he didn�t want to reveal any of his suspicions. Good undercover work meant that he had to gather information from any possible scenario that he fell into- and do it without the enemy�s notice. But apparently there was nothing to be careful about, for Irushi merely smiled at the remark, and winked as he tipped his cowboy hat. Sano didn�t understand what Irushi was implying, so he took the gesture to mean that he had guessed correctly. So, you�ve been sneaking all over Japan without my notice. You almost passed right under my nose Kyuuto Irushi. Sano studied Irushi carefully, watching him walk to the far end of the room where a futon stood within the shadows of the wall. There was a vulnerability about him that was uncanny. He was a powerful force in this group, there was no doubt about that, but it was obvious that the other men resented him. They probably even hated him, but were not brave enough to let him know it. Two hundred trained warriors were afraid to tell one man that they hated him. This guy has the kind of presence that Kenshin had as the Battousai. Disliked by so many, yet feared by them at the same time. What kind of person is he? Sano thought as he surveyed the room once again. He stopped scanning the area when he spotted a cabinet that he had not noticed before. It was made of wood, and it had a glass door where one could see the display of guns and swords inside. Sano found himself drawn to it, and before he could stop himself he had his nose pressed against the glass. He knew this was rude, but he couldn�t help himself. The Katanas, and Kodachi�s gleamed in the light, and the handguns shined silver against their black background. It was an impressive array of weapons. Sano wondered if this man knew how to use all of them. Then he finally remembered the little manners that he was taught, and backed away from the display clasping his hands together and bowing his head modestly at Irushi. �I�m sorry for that. I have just never seen such beautiful weapons before. The ones I see are always stained with dirt or blood. These look brand new.� Irushi waved his hand dismissively. �Don�t worry about it. They are beautiful and are there to be admired. But you are wrong about one thing. They are not new. In fact they are old and have been used often. They are the weapons of the strongest warriors that I defeated in America and in Japan.� �Trophies?� Sano asked looking at the weapons again. Irushi shrugged his shoulders. �Something like that. I keep them as a way of remembering that I had a strong opponent whom I was able to beat. But I may not be so lucky next time,� he added pulling a chair out from the shadows and placing it before the desk. He gestured for Sano to sit, while he placed himself in the chair behind his desk. Sano leaned his katana against the desk�s edge before he sat down but he couldn�t stop himself from staring at Irushi. He marveled at how this man could sit so easily with two katanas and a gun as if they were not there. As if reading his mind, Irushi unbuckled the holster from his belt, and placed the gun down on the desk with a firm thud. Then he shocked Sano even more by leaning back in his chair and shifting it sideways at an angle to prop his feet on top of the desk, crossing them at the ankles. Sano never knew of a Japanese person to do something like that. He wondered if the katanas poking into his ribs bothered him. Ga-jin do the strangest things. Irushi draped one hand over the gun, which was pointed at Sano. He looked so relaxed that Sano wondered if it was an act. All of this had been too easy thus far, and it was beginning to feel like something was going to go wrong soon. He knew he had to gain this man�s complete trust in order to find out something for this case. Too much rested on this for him to be fooled by Irushi�s hospitality. He was so impeccably kind, and gracious that it was unnerving. Sano felt his mind begin to panic. He welcomed me inside so easily, and like a dumbass I followed. Suppose this is a trap? Suppose he knew everything all along and is luring me to my untimely death? God, I�m so fucking stupid! I�ve failed Megumi! My ass should burn in hell for this! Sano was brought back from his thoughts when Irushi spoke up. �I�m curious to know how you learned to use that sword. From what I heard about the former gangster, Zanza you fought with a Zanbatou but then switched to fighting with your fists. I don�t see where the katana fits into this.� Irushi smiled. Sano sweated an ocean inside. How the hell was he going to explain that one? I�m fucked. Irushi�s smile relaxed into a thoughtful smirk. �That strike you have is most impressive. It must have taken years to perfect that technique, ne? Sano was caught in a corner. He couldn�t lie. The gangsters here would know it was bullshit. He had to tell this man the truth. �It took one year and a half.� Irushi�s eyes widened. �Really? How long have you practiced Kenjutsu?� Again, Sano chose the truth. �One year and a half.� Irushi did not hide his surprise. �Is that all? How can you become a master of your craft in such a short time?� Sano thought of Saitou at that moment, that evil smile of his spreading across his face as he called him a weakness. �I had an old score to settle with someone. He called me a weakness and I was determined to prove him wrong.� �Did you?� �I don�t know. No! That�s a lie, I do know. I did prove him wrong. It was just that one time. But it was enough for him to take it back.� Irushi looked impressed. �You learn quick. I like that. I can use someone like you to help me, but there is one thing about you that still bothers me. I heard that you worked closely with the Battousai, and you even accompanied him in his fight with Shishio Makoto. What happened to your relationship with the Battousai? Why did you end up here?� Sano didn�t have to think twice about that one. Saitou�s words came to him for guidance. �We had a falling out. He�s a great guy and all, but we�ve always been on different sides of this political struggle. There is no way to deny that. His government betrayed my group and as a result my Boss was executed. I guess I couldn�t let it go like I thought I could. But Kenshin understands. That�s the way he is. He still looks at me as if I were his friend, but if it should come to pass we may end up on different sides of a fight.� Irushi studied Sano closely. He narrowed his eyes. �Yes, you may just fight your old friend. How do you feel about that?� Sano thought back about the time he met Kenshin. He had been hired to fight him and he had gotten his ass kicked. He wondered if Irushi knew of this. Then he shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, �It won�t be our first fight. It won�t even be our second, and who knows, maybe this time around I may actually beat him.� Irushi was impressed. �My, you can turn against your old friend so easily. May I ask when this falling out began?� Sano searched his memories for the hatefulness he had succumbed to for ten years. �This falling out began when the government he fought so hard to protect, killed my Boss. Kenshin knows how I feel about that, so if need be I know he will have no problems facing me again. And I�ll definitely be ready for him next time.� Sano said all of this with so much conviction that he almost believed his own lie. His thoughts drifted to Kenshin and he wondered how he was taking all of this. He must know about the fight he had with Saitoh by now. The Wolf probably woke up and he probably told Kenshin everything. Everyone at the dojo must know by now. Sano sighed, yet not so obvious as to allow Irushi to notice. God, what must they be thinking now? It feels as if I betrayed them by not telling them anything about it. Like I don�t trust them. He sat back in his chair looking distracted for just the slightest second yet it was detected by Irushi�s perceptive gaze. �Sanosuke, I seem to have lost you. I have one more question for you before we leave for the conference. What do you know about a woman named, Takani Megumi?� The sound of her name made his heart stop. He wondered how much this guy knew about her. �From what I�ve heard she�s a doctor who helps run a clinic headed by a Dr. Genzai. He�s a very well known doctor here and so is Takani Megumi.� Irushi gave him a blank stare. �Battousai is friends with her. She went to work for that doctor because the Battousai rescued her from her old drug-dealing employer. But, I heard that he wasn�t alone in that rescue. You were also there to lend him a hand.� That answered Sano�s question about how much this guy knew. �You know a lot about me. Why all the questions then?� Irushi�s hand wrapped around the gun. His index finger rested on the trigger as his thumb pulled back the lever just above the gun�s handle. The sound of that lever snapping back resonated throughout the room and it made Sano silently begin to pray. Then Saitoh�s words of wisdom came to haunt him: Rule number one of undercover work: Don�t get your stupid ass KILLED! Irushi still kept the gun pressed against the table, but he looked as if he itched to pick it up and aim for a much more lethal spot than Sano�s chest. �As a former gangster you should know a lot about covering your ass. Questions play a significant part in who I trust and who I kill. If you would like to walk out of this room alive then follow this simple rule. I ask the questions and you give me the answers. That should not be difficult at all. If you answer my questions with one of your own then I will only get suspicious.� Sano didn�t want to find out how serious this guy was, but the fighter in him didn�t appreciate being humbled by a gun. �If my walking out alive depends on how well I face up to your gun then you�ll be disappointed when I shove it right up your ass, and then if I feel like it I�ll pull the trigger.� Irushi visibly pulled back in shock clamping his teeth together so that his jaw would not drop open. He obviously didn�t expect a comment like that. Then he did something that made Sano�s heart freeze for five torturous seconds. He laughed. He threw his head back and let out an uproarious laugh that echoed throughout the nearly empty room. Sano suspected that this was bad, and so he was ready for anything. His eyes gazed at the gun, at the fingers wrapped around it, at the katanas that were now being pulled out of his belt. Irushi looked as if he were going to fall backwards any minute. Sano looked calm, as opposed to how he actually felt. He was ready for the worst. Irushi�s laughter subsided and he wiped the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes. Then he looked at Sanosuke. �It seems that the rumors about you are true. No situation scares you. That was pretty funny. If I would have laughed any harder these katanas would have jabbed right into my ribs. Your remark gave me a good laugh, and contrary to what you might be thinking it has also been forgiven.� He eyed Sano hopefully and then continued. �As I mentioned before, my questions help me decide who I am able to trust. I understand that you want to see if I may be trusted, so all I�ll ask of you is that you see this with me as well. Just answer this question for me. Do you have an affiliation with Takani Megumi?� Sano didn�t miss a beat. �My friendship with Takani ended when Kenshin and I parted ways.� He thought about her flirtatious nature. �She�s so in love with him she�ll do anything to support him.� Irushi nodded his head at that answer and took his hand off the gun. Sano subtly sighed with relief. Being back on Irushi�s good side made much more sense than antagonizing him, but he wondered if the question and the remark were truly forgiven. He was a gang leader after all. Their word couldn�t be trusted. But this game that they were playing was getting old, and time was running short for Megumi. He thought about her smile, and her mischevious little laugh. I gotta get this right. Do it and go back to my Megumi. I really need to see her. I want to tell her that I love her... �You look pre-occupied again, Sanosuke.� Sano came back from his mental wandering and gazed absently at Irushi. He looked suspiciously at Sano. Then he grinned. �I don�t space out like that unless I�m thinking about a woman,� he offered lightly and then grinned even wider. Is he a goddamned mind reader? Now Sano was suspicious. He wondered where that remark came from and where Irushi was going with it. He was indeed thinking about a woman, be he wasn�t about to tell him who it was. �Feh! Who has time for girls? My life is complicated enough. Girls are nothing but trouble.� Irushi nodded his head. �I agree, but one must make time for that special woman don�t you think, Sagara-san?� Megumi came to mind again. He wanted to see her face one more time. He wanted to kiss her lips, feel her grow soft in his arms, and hear her sigh when he whispered her name. They had just started their relationship. There was so much that he wanted, and once all this was finished he would make all the time in the world for her. Now he had work to do. A mind to manipulate into his favor, and from what he gathered from Kyuuto Irushi, it wasn�t too late for that. He had an idea on how to test his theory and get some information with it. He nodded his head to Irushi�s question and then braced himself as he presented one of his own. �Forgive me for prying, but I notice that you speak Japanese with an accent. Were you not born here?� Irushi was taken aback for a second. He obviously hadn�t expected that. �Of course I was. I lived in Japan for nine years until I met Mr. Austin, and I was taken to live with him in America. Twelve years of the Mississippi drawl can affect anyone�s speech.� �It sure can. You have a lazy way of speaking it. If I heard your voice without actually seeing you face to face, I wouldn�t take you seriously,� Sanosuke said, purposely taunting him. Irushi raised his eyebrows, and smiled widely. �No one ever did until they saw me fight.� Then the smile quickly faded. �I had a lot to prove back then. My time there was tough, just as my life was here during the Bakumatsu. My last memory of Japan was of watching my parents die right in front of me at the hands of renegade thieves who had nothing else better to do during the war. I don�t remember what happened afterward. Sometime during my lapse I believe I met Mr. Austin because my next memory was of being on board a ship that was on its way to America. But I soon found out that America wasn�t a land of dreams for me. At least not at first. I had to get past the feelings of contempt from Mr. Austin�s family; and the pure hatred of the people in town.� Irushi closed his eyes. �It took me years to gain the respect of those people in Mississippi.� He opened them and glanced at his cabinet of weapons, �But I eventually did. They take me seriously now and in just a short while the people of Japan will take me seriously as well.� Irushi paused again. Sano noticed that his brows knotted and his expression turned from calm to agitated. The memories were still strong. His eyes were fixed squarely on him again, and Sano felt a tiny line of sweat break out beneath his headband. �You hate the Meiji government don�t you, Sanosuke? Of course you do. The Meiji government is a result of years of civil unrest and betrayal. You know about betrayal. Sagara Souzou was a victim of betrayal was he not?� The mention of his fallen friend�s name always made Sano somber. A shadow of lament crept over his heart for just a brief moment. �My hatred for the Meiji government is what drives me. A government that can�t face up to the fact that it was built on lies and the shedding of innocent blood shouldn�t be allowed to continue on and ruin the people any more than it has. My feelings will never change, and as much as you agree with them, I never again want to hear my master�s name come out of your mouth.� Sano said these last words through gritted teeth, his jaw clamped so tightly shut that it ached. He expected to have that gun pointed in his face again, or to already feel a bullet tear into him, but none of that happened. Irushi merely regarded Sano with a slight nod. �I didn�t realize that your master was such a sensitive subject. I apologize. Your outburst was more of an answer than I needed. I�m very impressed.� Irushi pulled his feet down from the desk and sat so that he leaned forward. �You are very different from the rest of my army. You actually live up to the rumors I�ve heard about you. I heard so many fantastic things that I was determined to find you one day, and I�m glad that I didn�t have to look so hard, because you came to me instead.� Irushi stood up and Sano clumsily got out of his. Irushi was staring intently at him again and he felt another line of sweat form on his brow. Irushi�s eyes narrowed slightly. �I have heard enough. It is time for you to meet Mr. Austin.� His demeanor changed; the open fellow he was a few minutes ago quickly disappeared, and the cold facade of a killer took its place. Within those eyes, Sano saw the number of lives that this man took. They far outnumbered that of Kenshin. Then Sano looked deeper into those icy dark pits, and felt a chill pass through him. He turned away from Irushi�s glare, and started for the door. He waited patiently until he felt Irushi�s presence behind him. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. �Sanosuke. Is there something wrong?� Sano felt his insides go weak. He turned stiffly to face Irushi. He had a slight smile on his face, and his eyes were imploring with genuine concern. The open fellow was back again. But Sano had seen enough. He shook his head to say that he was fine, when he actually wanted to succumb to the weakness in his knees and sink to the floor. He wasn�t really into spiritual stuff and all, but he couldn�t mistake what he saw in Irushi�s eyes. Among those nameless faces of dead foes, Sanosuke saw his own among them. Irushi chuckled and clapped Sano on the back. �You had me worried for a minute. Come. The meeting is going to begin and I can�t be late for it again. Mr. Austin says the next one I miss will find me sleeping outside. Not that I haven�t done that before. I actually wouldn�t mind sleeping outside. It is a beautiful night. Don�t you agree, Sanosuke?� Sano only nodded and followed Irushi out of the room. He walked behind the warrior feeling as if he were walking to an execution. His execution. As they passed the guards who looked him over again with their curiosity, Sano thought of Megumi. He felt a dull ache begin to surface within the walls of his heart. If only he could see her again, he wanted to tell her he was sorry. So goddamn sorry. Chapter 10 Fanfiction Archive Back to Main Page |