Genre

Rating

Spoiler Level

Kyuushutsu (Rescue, Deliverance): Chapter Seven

by Terry L. McElrath ::: 15.Aug.2005

"He's dead!"

All the fighters seemed to freeze – the fateful words echoing through their minds – as they stared down at the body of the notorious red haired hitokiri.

Ishin Shishi squad leader Motoyoshi's shoulders slumped at the horrifying pronouncement. First, Katsura Kogorou was captured by the Shinsengumi, and now the Battousai had been killed. This was indeed an evil day for the Imperialists. Motoyoshi could hear the Choshu fighters around him muttering amongst themselves as they tried to deny the evidence of their own eyes.

"Battousai's dead!" a Shinsengumi swordsman yelled, raising his sword in a victory salute.

"Take the bastard's head! The Captains will want to put it on display!" another man shouted.

Motoyoshi's eyes narrowed as he lifted his katana. He would not allow Himura's body to be defiled by these Mibu dogs! Taking his stand in front of the manslayer, he was flanked by two other Ishin Shishi swordsmen, their grim expressions mirroring his own. If the Shogunate's lapdogs wanted Himura's head, then they would have to kill him, too!

Shouting fierce battle cries, the clash began anew, with the Shinsengumi seizing the initiative. The Ishin Shishi met them head on, but it quickly became apparent that the momentum of the fight had gone against the Rebels again. With the realization that their greatest asset was dead, the Choshu fighters had lost heart and were barely holding their own against the exhilarated Shinsengumi.

The Rebels were looking at certain defeat when shouts suddenly rang out nearby. Another troop of Ishin Shishi ran up to join the fight, abruptly turning the tide in the Imperialists' favor. Faced with nearly overwhelming odds, the Shinsengumi chose to withdraw, deciding that delivering the news of the Battousai's death was the best thing they could do right now.

Somewhat surprised, Uchida watched the Shinsengumi swordsmen retreat. They didn't usually show such good sense, seemingly preferring to die rather than dishonor their bushido. Briefly, he wondered what had changed their minds this time. Shrugging at the mystery, he turned back and saw that many of the Choshu fighters had gathered together and appeared to be staring at something on the ground.

Seeing Motoyoshi standing there grim-faced, Uchida walked up to him. "What's going on, Motoyoshi-san?"

The squad leader looked up, meeting Uchida's eyes bleakly. "It's Himura-san, sir. He was killed a few minutes ago," he said, stepping aside.

Appalled, Uchida looked down at Himura's body. He was lying face-down. His left hand, clutching at his neck, was coated in blood the same color as his long hair. He had a gash on his left side, and both his gi and hakama were drenched in blood. Somehow he looked even smaller, now that he was dead. When he had been alive, his vitality and enormous presence had made him seem much larger than he really was.

"What happened?" Uchida asked numbly. This was the worst possible thing that could have happened to the Ishin Shishi.

"Himura-san was already injured when he got here. He said he had been to Shinsengumi main headquarters and that Katsura-san wasn't there. He looked like he had taken them all on. . ." Motoyoshi's voice trailed off.

Uchida's thoughts were whirling. Katsura hadn't been at Shinsengumi headquarters? But Commander Gushiken had confirmed that Katsura had been taken there just minutes before Himura had arrived! Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Uchida asked, "How did he get killed?"

"That's the sad part, sir. It was an accident. A Shinsengumi fighter was shoved towards him, and Himura-san just couldn't get out of the way fast enough. His throat was cut."

"Sou ka." Uchida had never been so worried in his life. He did not want to inform Okubo and Saigo that not only did he still have no idea where Katsura was being held, but that Himura was dead as well. Without Himura, he couldn't imagine how they would be able to rescue Katsura, even if they did find him. Uchida shook himself out of his daze. They couldn't stay here any longer. He had to get back to the inn and begin making plans, although he had no idea what those plans might be.

"Come on, we've got to move out! It won't take the Shinsengumi long to send more troops, we're too close to main headquarters!" Uchida snapped, bringing the men out of their stupor. He looked at the fallen hitokiri once again, sighing heavily. Glancing at the fighters surrounding him, he selected the largest man. "Nishiwara! Bring Himura-san. Let's go!"

Nishiwara reached down and respectfully took the katana from the manslayer's limp hand, sheathed it and slid both swords free from his obi, handing them to Uchida. Bending over, he hefted the Battousai's body over his right shoulder, somewhat surprised at how light the assassin was. For some reason, it just didn't seem right. It was hard to reconcile this small man with the legendary assassin's reputation. Standing with ease, he immediately started trotting after the others, one arm wrapped around the Battousai's legs, steadying his burden.

------------------------------

Saito had just finished his second cigarette when he heard the clatter of hoofbeats as a stablehand ran towards him, leading a saddled horse. Dropping the cigarette butt, Saito took the reins from the young man and prepared to mount.

"Saito!"

Hearing Okita call out his name, Saito turned to see him standing in the doorway that led into the administration building.

"Hijikata-san said to get complete details on the damage done at Higashiyama-ku district station and, if possible, determine who actually carried out the attack." Okita paused, thinking. "Oh, and he wants to know who the ranking officer in charge is. You are to return and report to him as soon as possible, so that plans can be made." Okita started to step back into the building, having delivered Hijikata's orders; but stopped, looking back at his friend. "Be careful, Saito. Somebody is out to destroy the Shinsengumi and you can't afford to take chances."

With a grunt, Saito acknowledged both the orders and Okita's concern. Swinging himself into the saddle, he gathered up the reins and was preparing to ride out when a group of Shinsengumi fighters walked through the gate. Several of them were injured and were being helped by their comrades. The men stopped just inside the ruined gate, staring around at the men picking up the bodies lying in the courtyard. Lifting the reins, Saito walked his horse over to the bewildered group.

One of the men looked up, whispering, "What happened here, sir?"

"Battousai decided to go on a rampage through headquarters," Saito answered sharply. "What happened to you?"

"Battousai? He's dead, sir! Bando killed him a few minutes ago!"

"Battousai? Dead?" Saito repeated incredulously. Eyes narrowing suspiciously, he snapped, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir! The Ishin Shishi checked! We all saw it. Bando cut his throat!" the man declared, while the others all nodded. "Battousai's dead and on his way to hell, sir!"

"Hn. Go report in." Nudging his horse forward, Saito left headquarters, his thoughts preoccupied with the startling news of Battousai's death. He clenched his fists and stiffened in anger, his horse fidgeting nervously in reaction. How dare the Battousai get himself killed! He was supposed to kill him! Not some average Shinsengumi fighter! Scowling ferociously, Saito kicked his horse into a gallop and headed towards Higashiyama-ku district station.

------------------------------

Running down side streets and dodging through alleys, the troop hadn't gone much further than half a mile when Nishiwara heard a furious voice snarl, "Put me DOWN!" Each of the Battousai's words was laced with so much venom that Nishiwara nearly dropped him right there. He stopped so suddenly, the men coming behind him were hard pressed to avoid crashing into him.

Moving very carefully, Nishiwara bent over until the Battousai's feet were on the ground, reaching up to help the injured hitokiri lift himself off of his shoulder. Staggering a step to the side, the enraged manslayer stood there, his fists clenched at his sides, glaring balefully at the men who were staring at him wide-eyed.

Kenshin had awakened feeling horrible. His head was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode. Everything kept fading in and out. He was being bounced around and he couldn't seem to think clearly. After what felt like an eternity, he finally figured out that he had been slung over somebody's shoulder and was hanging upside down. The jostling was making him nauseous and if it didn't stop very soon, he was going to vomit. Kenshin was furious. He didn't know where he was, but nobody treated him like a sack of rice! It took him three tries, but he finally managed to growl out, "Put me DOWN!" Apparently whoever was carrying him heard his command because he stopped as though he had run into a wall. The sudden jolt nearly caused Kenshin to throw up right then and there. Then he was set on his feet and that was almost worse than being hauled around upside down. The abrupt change in position made him lightheaded and he nearly passed out. Dizzy, he lurched a step sideways before he could catch his balance. He clung to consciousness by his fingernails, only his iron will keeping him on his feet. He couldn't see clearly, his vision was very foggy; but he could feel many warriors' auras surrounding him and wondered if he had been captured. Refusing to show any weakness before his enemies, he concentrated all of his anger and glared defiantly at the men he could dimly see standing around him with as much force as he could manage.

"Uchida-san!" Nishiwara yelled. Given how upset the Battousai seemed to be, Nishiwara was glad that he didn't have his swords. He breathed a sigh of relief when Uchida ran back to see what had happened.

"Himura-san!" Uchida exclaimed upon seeing the supposedly dead man standing there. Thrilled to find that he was alive, he began walking towards him. He stopped short – sweat suddenly breaking out on his forehead – when the assassin focused the full fury of his blazing glare directly upon him.

Somebody called out a name that sounded familiar, but Kenshin couldn't quite remember it. He heard footsteps running towards him and then his own name. He immediately looked towards the threat. Then he recognized the voice and realized why the name he had heard earlier sounded so familiar. Blinking, Kenshin tried to clear his vision. Slowly the man's face came into focus.

"Uchida?" Kenshin asked uncertainly.

"Yes, Himura-san, it's me. Thank Kami-sama you're all right! We thought you were dead!" Uchida relaxed as Himura stopped glaring. He seemed confused, but that was certainly understandable, considering what he had been through.

Disoriented, Kenshin was having difficulty recalling what had happened. The last thing he could remember was the sunlight glinting off the keen edge of a katana that was rushing towards his head. That's right! I couldn't block the thrust. My throat. . . Slowly he raised his hand and felt the side of his neck. The cut hurt like hell when he touched it. Dazedly, he brought his hand around and looked at his bloody fingers. My throat was cut. I could feel the blood. . . Why am I still alive? Everything had gone black right after he felt the blade slicing into his neck. The next thing he knew, he had awakened draped over somebody's shoulder.

"What's going on? Where are we?" Kenshin demanded, trying to figure out what was happening.

"We were returning to the inn, Himura-san, but you need a doctor. There's a safe house near here. We'll go there," Uchida replied. "Chikanatsu! Find Yasukawa-sensei and take him to the safe house. Hurry!"

Motoyoshi had been watching the hitokiri closely. Although he was standing, he was quite unsteady on his feet and it seemed obvious to the squad leader that he wouldn't be able to walk unaided to the safe house. However, Himura had a strong sense of pride and Motoyoshi was certain that he would not be happy about being helped.

Walking over to the redhead, Motoyoshi asked quietly, "May I be of assistance, Himura-san?"

Reflexively, Kenshin started to refuse, shaking his head, but thought better of it when a wave of dizziness washed over him. "Arigatou, Motoyoshi-san, I appreciate your offer," he said with as much grace as he could manage, swallowing against the rising nausea. Lifting his right arm, he let the squad leader place it over his shoulders. Kenshin gritted his teeth in humiliation, walking slowly alongside the Ishin Shishi swordsman.

As they made their way to the safe house, Uchida observed Himura very carefully, trying to judge how badly injured he was. Now that he was no longer glaring, it was easy to see that his eyes were unfocused, indicating a possible concussion. Uncharacteristically, he had allowed Motoyoshi to help him, and was leaning much of his weight on the squad leader. Even more disturbing, was the fact that the manslayer hadn't yet noticed that he wasn't carrying his swords. That showed a lack of awareness that worried Uchida. He could only hope that Himura would recover quickly.

Fortunately, the safe house really was very close by and it only took a few minutes to get there. By the time they had arrived, Kenshin was beginning to feel a little better. His head was still aching, but at least it didn't feel like it was going to split open. His vision was almost back to normal, too, which was reassuring. He would have preferred to walk into the safe house on his own, but Motoyoshi wouldn't release his arm when he tried to stand alone, and Kenshin decided against making a scene by arguing with him.

Ryusaki Hana, a sweet grandmotherly woman whom Kenshin had met before, greeted them at the door, murmuring in concern over his injuries. She led them to a small room and left after announcing that she would be bringing them something to eat in just a few minutes.

Motoyoshi helped Kenshin sit down and then went to stand guard outside the room. Finally alone with Himura, Uchida was able to ask the question that had been clamoring for an answer since he had learned that Katsura was not at Shinsengumi headquarters.

"Himura-san, I know that Katsura-san was not at Shinsengumi headquarters. Were you able to learn anything about where he might be?"

"No." Anticipating Uchida's questions, Kenshin gave a brief account of his unsuccessful mission at Shinsengumi main headquarters, pausing now and then to organize his thoughts. But, unfortunately, he could give no suggestions as to where Katsura might have been taken.

Uchida sat quietly, listening intently as Himura gave his report. It was disturbing that he had not found Katsura. Still, even though they had no direct information as to Katsura's whereabouts, there were some conclusions that could be drawn. Himura had heard the Shinsengumi captain at Higashiyama-ku district station say that an officer by the name of Hokusai had taken Katsura to Shinsengumi main headquarters, yet he wasn't there. Therefore, someone had gone to great lengths to make it appear that Katsura was being taken to Shinsengumi headquarters. It was reasonable to assume that the intent had been to mislead the Imperialists and make a rescue attempt more difficult, if not impossible. However, Uchida suspected that the Shinsengumi were not responsible for the Choshu leader's disappearance. It simply did not make sense that they would make themselves targets for an Ishin Shishi assault and then not be prepared for that attack. Uchida had one lead, the name of the man who had taken Katsura from Higashiyama-ku. Hokusai might not be the man's real name, but it was a start.

Motoyoshi's voice came through the shoji and informed Uchida that the doctor had arrived. Moments later he heard a knock and the door was slid open. Carrying a large black leather bag, the squad leader escorted a middle-aged man into the room.

"Yasukawa-sensei, arigatou gozaimasu for coming on such short notice," Uchida said, standing and bowing respectfully.

"I will always be available to help the Ishin Shishi, Uchida-san," Yasukawa replied politely, although his attention was focused on his patient, already beginning to evaluate his condition.

Uchida turned back to Himura, bowing again. "Arigatou, Himura-san. I have some ideas to investigate, so I am returning to the inn. Please stay here until Yasukawa-sensei releases you. It is important that you rest and recover." Catching Motoyoshi's eye, Uchida left the room, gesturing for him to follow.

"Himura-san, I am sorry to see that you have been injured," Yasukawa said as he slowly crossed the room, closely observing the young man kneeling listlessly on a light blue cushion. Himura was very pale, his eyes dull, and he was watching him approach with only half of his attention. Having treated the redhead before, Yasukawa was accustomed to his usual high energy level, and seeing Himura so lethargic worried him.

Years of practice kept Yasukawa from showing the concern he felt for his patient. He was positive that he had never seen so much blood on a person before in his life and have that person still be alive. Therefore, not all of the blood was his. Certainly quite a bit of it was, though, since he could see the injuries on his side, arm, abdomen and especially his neck. Given the amount of blood that had run down his chest, Yasukawa was amazed he was alive. What kind of fight had the young hitokiri been in? Opening his medical bag, he began laying out the supplies and equipment he would need. He picked up a stethoscope and stepped towards his patient.

Just then someone knocked on the shoji and Motoyoshi opened the door. Ryusaki-san walked into the room, holding a tray laden with a large bowl and steaming water kettle. A guard following her was carrying a medicine box and cloths.

Yasukawa looked up as they came in and smiled. "Arigatou, Ryusaki-san! Your timing is perfect! I will be needing that in just a few minutes."

"You're welcome, Yasukawa-sensei," Hana said, bowing. "Would you like me to stay and assist you? I have nursing experience."

Seeing his patient's eyes widen and a shocked look cross his face, Yasukawa quickly shook his head. "That won't be necessary, Ryusaki-san. I can manage just fine, arigatou." There was no point in embarrassing the young man.

"All right, doctor. And I haven't forgotten about you, Himura-san! I was just going to bring in some food for you when Yasukawa-sensei arrived and I didn't think you would want to eat right now. So I'll wait until after he's done treating your wounds. Is there anything else I can do for you, Himura-san?"

Kenshin started to shake his head, but stopped, grimacing slightly, at the pain the movement caused. "No, Ryusaki-san. Arigatou," Kenshin said softly, lifting his hand to his head. Nodding, she left the room.

"Would you please remove your gi, Himura-san. Do you have any injuries besides the ones I can see?" Yasukawa asked.

"No," Kenshin repeated, slipping his arms out of the sleeves of his gi.

"Good. How do you feel, Himura-san? What happened?" Yasukawa queried, placing the earpieces of the stethoscope into his ears. He hadn't missed the hitokiri's grimace of pain. Taking a good look at Himura's eyes, he could see that his pupils were dilated.

"I was injured while fighting. My head is pounding and I'm feeling a bit dizzy." As an afterthought, he added, pointing to the side of his neck, "I passed out when I got this cut."

Yasukawa listened to his heart and was pleased to find that the heartbeat was strong and regular. Then he looked at the wound on his neck, which had worried him from the moment he first saw it. Pouring water into the bowl, he picked up one of the cloths, dipped it into the warm water, and began cleaning the blood away. Although he could see Himura's jaw muscles tighten, he didn't make a sound. The more clearly he could see the injury, the more amazed he was that the young man was alive.

"Cut? You call this a cut? Himura-san, your jugular vein was almost severed! It is a miracle that you survived! Were you attacked from behind?"

"Yes, it was a thrust aimed at my back," Kenshin said, surprised that the doctor knew what had happened.

"That explains this slash. It is much deeper at the back of your neck and becomes more shallow as it moves forward. It missed slicing through your jugular vein by a hair's width. You said you passed out afterwards. Were you nauseous when you woke up? Have trouble seeing?"

"Yes. My stomach has settled, though, and I can see fine now." Now that he thought about it, it sounded like he had gotten a concussion. I must have been more shook up than I thought. I should have recognized the symptoms right away.

"All right," Yasukawa said, reaching up to run his fingers lightly over the back of Himura's head. He stopped when the young man winced. Yasukawa removed his hair tie, gently grasped his patient's chin, and turned his head to the side. He parted his hair, leaning forward to look at the injury. "Hmmm, there's a lump here behind your ear and you've got a small cut, too. You were hit on the back of the head and got a concussion." Yasukawa paused, considering how the injury might have occurred. "Your neck was cut by a thrust from the back. . . it was probably the sword hilt that caused the concussion. Do you know how long you were unconscious?"

"No. I don't think it was for more than a few minutes, though." Gingerly feeling the back of his head, Kenshin found a rather large lump. The hilt? How? he wondered. Concentrating, he tried to remember exactly what had happened. Let's see, he was trying to run me through. I twisted, and his katana went over my shoulder. Closing his eyes, he visualized the attack. The blade must have cut into the back of my neck first as it came forward. Then. . . it must have been the tsuba that hit me.

"Any concussion that causes you to lose consciousness for more than a minute is serious. Because of the risk of complications, you should not sleep for at least the next ten hours."

Sitting back, Yasukawa picked up another cloth and began cleaning the wound on Himura's arm. After a brief look, he could tell that it wasn't deep enough to require stitches, so he switched his attention to the long slash across his abdomen. It soon became evident that, while it had bled quite a bit, the slice wasn't particularly dangerous. Only a four inch section was deep enough to require stitches. That left only the vicious-looking gash on his left side. This injury was more serious and would require quite a few stitches. Altogether, though, Yasukawa was astonished that Himura's injuries weren't more severe. With the exception of the slice on his neck, which had come close to ending his life, his other wounds had looked far worse than they were. The fact that he was covered in blood had led him to believe that he was much more critically wounded.

After dumping the bloody water out the window, Yasukawa washed his hands and threaded a needle. Throughout the entire procedure, Himura sat absolutely still, his eyes closed. Having finished, Yasukawa was reaching for a roll of bandages when his quiet voice stopped him.

"I would like to bathe first."

Looking at the young assassin, Yasukawa considered his request. "All right, Himura-san, but don't stay in the water for too long. I'm concerned about the possibility of the warmth making you fall asleep. After everything you've gone through, it would be a shame for you to drown." Chuckling a little at his own joke, he stood up and walked across the room.

After slipping his arms back into his sleeves, Kenshin automatically reached down for his daisho. His hand landed on the floor instead and he glanced down, only to find that his swords weren't there. Quickly, he looked around the room, searching for his weapons.

"My swords. Where are my swords?" he demanded, upset that he hadn't noticed they weren't there before.

Yasukawa stopped, his hand on the open shoji and turned to answer the question. "I don't know, Himura-san. . ." Swallowing heavily, his words died at the expression on Himura's face. Slowly, the redhead stood up and stalked stiffly forward, his smoldering glare causing Yasukawa to shudder as a chill of fear ran down his back. Seeing the blood-covered hitokiri's completely impassive face and burning amber eyes gave frightening meaning to the words ‘Demon of the Bakumatsu' that Yasukawa had heard whispered in the streets and suddenly he had no difficulty believing that this quiet young man was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of men.

"Where. . . are. . . my. . . swords?" Kenshin repeated icily.

From his position outside the room, Motoyoshi heard Himura speak. His voice had grown colder with each word and, after taking one look at the infuriated hitokiri's face, the squad leader immediately spoke up. "I'll get your swords, Himura-san!"

In only a minute, Motoyoshi was running back down the hallway, Himura's swords in hand. He almost dropped them when the assassin's eyes narrowed threateningly, his glare not easing in the slightest.

"Never touch my swords," Kenshin growled, taking them back and slipping them through his obi, relaxing once the comforting weight was back on his hip.

"Yes, sir! Gomen nasai, Himura-san!" Motoyoshi apologized, bowing. He should have known what Himura's reaction would be!

His hand tightly grasping his katana, Kenshin speared the two white-faced men with a hard, piercing look before turning to pace down the hall towards the bath room. The rush of adrenaline he had felt when he discovered his swords were missing had burned through the remaining fog in his brain. Feeling much more alert, Kenshin extended his senses, becoming aware of the presence of nearly twenty fighters scattered throughout the building and gardens. Concerned at first, he realized that their auras were not hostile, merely alert. Uchida must have left a couple of squads here.

Kenshin entered the bath room and stepped around the screen to the furo. The bath was filled and he decided the water wasn't too hot after swirling his hand around in it. Setting his swords into the rack, he began stripping off his uniform eagerly, looking forward to relaxing for a few minutes. With distaste, he examined his gi and hakama, which were slashed and stiffened from dried blood. He knew he would not enjoy putting the filthy clothing back on, but he had no choice. Perhaps I should just wear my yukata instead of the gi. It seems to be a little cleaner. But the crimson bloodstains stood out shockingly on the white fabric, unlike the midnight blue of his gi. Sighing, he dropped the garments on the bench and returned to the other side of the screen.

He poured two buckets of warm water over his head before beginning the time-consuming job of scrubbing off as much of the blood as he could reach. Working carefully, he tried to avoid getting too much of the stinging soap into his wounds. When he had finished, he started washing his waist-length hair, hissing when his fingers inadvertently rubbed against the lump behind his ear. The dried blood matting his hair had dissolved, turning the lather a gruesomely bloody hue. Shuddering, Kenshin rinsed the lather out as quickly as he could. He was certain that he hadn't gotten all of the blood off his body or out of his hair because he could still smell the stench of fresh blood. He would have to apologize to Ryusaki-san for the mess he would leave in the furo.

Gratefully, he stepped into the bath, lowering himself slowly into the warm water. It didn't sting his injuries as badly as the soap had and in moments he was slumped down, luxuriating as his tense muscles began to relax. After a couple of minutes, he ducked his head under the water, making sure that all the blood and soap was completely rinsed out. He leaned against the back of the furo and let his mind go blank, releasing all of his anxiety and concern about Katsura, if only for the moment.

Sputtering, Kenshin bolted upright. Apparently, he had fallen asleep and slipped down into the water. He suddenly realized that Yasukawa hadn't been completely joking about the possibility of his drowning. What an incredibly embarrassing way to die, he thought, quickly climbing out of the furo.

After wrapping a towel around his waist, he used another one to dry his hair, and walked around the screen to get dressed. Kenshin stopped in his tracks when he realized that his uniform was nowhere to be seen. Laying on the bench next to his arm guards was a neatly folded dark pine green gi and white hakama. Where is my uniform! he fumed. First my swords and now my clothes? What is going on! After a moment's thought, he realized that somebody must have come in while he was asleep. Unwilling to run out into the hallway to look for his uniform wearing only a towel, he was forced to put the clothing on.

Well, he thought a bit more charitably, at least they're clean. All benevolent thoughts disappeared, however, when he discovered that the short-sleeved gi was several sizes too small. No matter how much he tugged, the front of the gi barely crossed and it only came halfway down his thighs. Not only that, but it fit so snugly it clung to his chest like a second skin. With trepidation, he pulled on the hakama. He had to loosen the obi so much, the side slits gaped alarmingly. But that wasn't the worst of it. The hakama was much too short. It ended at least eight inches above his ankles! I can't wear these! There has to be something else I can wear. Anything would be better than this! I'll gladly wear my uniform, rather than this ridiculous outfit!

Muttering to himself in outrage, he prepared to go in search of his clothing. He spent time looking for his tabi, but his socks had disappeared as well. When he went to put his hair into its usual high ponytail, he remembered that Yasukawa had taken his hair tie. He shook his head in disbelief, wondering which kami he had offended that day. He slipped his swords through his obi, grabbed his arm guards, and left the bath room.

He slid the shoji open and stepped out into the hallway already seeking Ryusaki-san's ki. She had to have been the one to provide the new clothing, so she should know where his uniform was. He found her on the porch at the back of the safe house. The two guards posted at the back door looked at him rather oddly, but quickly turned away when he glared at them.

"Ryusaki-san? Where is my uniform?" Kenshin asked politely, firmly resisting the urge to try to pull the hakama down further on his hips.

Hana smiled and turned to face the young Choshu fighter. "I hope you don't mind that I replaced your uniform with one of my grandson's outfits, Himura-san. There wasn't any other clothing available."

Grandson? How old is he? Ten? Kenshin speculated, before repeating his original question. "Where is my uniform, Ryusaki-san?"

"I burned it, Himura-san," the old woman answered calmly, gesturing at a small fire blazing brightly in the courtyard.

Blinking, Kenshin looked at her in shock. "You WHAT?"

When the Battousai raised his voice, the two guards flinched and stepped back a couple of paces, exchanging worried glances.

"Well, I did look at it to see if it could be salvaged. But, really, it was hopeless. The gi was so torn that it couldn't possibly be repaired. And they were absolutely stiff with blood! There was no way those stains could ever be removed. So, you see, I really didn't have a choice," Hana finished.

Kenshin turned away utterly stunned. He would have to wear this humiliating outfit until he could return to the inn. He briefly considered sending someone to fetch another uniform, but decided not to bother, since it would take over an hour for them to make the round trip. He had to get back to the inn. By now, Uchida might have gotten some information about Katsura's whereabouts. But how could he walk through Kyoto dressed like this? The answer was simple: he couldn't. He would have to use the back streets and every trick of stealth he knew to get to the inn unseen.

As he was walking down the hall, he noticed that several of the Ishin Shishi fighters were staring at him. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Kenshin returned their stares with an intense amber glare and flicked out an inch of his katana. Blanching, the men rapidly looked away. I'll never live this down!

Motoyoshi had to carefully control his expression when he saw Himura stalking barefoot down the corridor, his hand resting on his katana, glowering at everyone. It only took a second for the squad leader to realize what had angered the manslayer so much. With his flame-bright red hair flowing over his shoulders down to his waist and the skin-tight gi molded to his chest, he was quite a sight. However, Motoyoshi had only thought the Battousai was upset when he discovered his swords were missing. Compared to how he was right now, Himura had been in a good mood then.

Confronting the squad leader, Kenshin snapped out, "Where is Yasukawa-sensei?"

Before he could answer, Yasukawa stepped out of the room. Motoyoshi could only hope that the doctor had enough sense not to antagonize the incensed assassin.

"I am right here, Himura-san. Are you ready to have your wounds bandaged?" Yasukawa's eyes widened slightly at Himura's appearance, but he carefully concealed his surprise. The young man's rage had been directed at him once today. He wasn't anxious to repeat the experience.

"Yes," Kenshin said to Yasukawa. " As soon as you're done, doctor, I'm returning to the inn."

"NANI?" both men squawked in unison.

"You can't, Himura-san!" Yasukawa declared.

"But. . ." Motoyoshi started to say, only to have Himura cut him off.

"Why can't I return to the inn?" Kenshin asked, his voice lowering dangerously.

"You've been seriously injured! You have to rest, Himura-san," Yasukawa insisted.

Snorting, Kenshin dismissed the doctor's concerns. "I can rest as well at the inn as I can here and I need to know how the search for Katsura-san is going. Now, if you have no more objections, doctor, I would appreciate it if you would hurry," he said, fixing Yasukawa with an unblinking stare. "Otherwise, I will take care of them myself after I get back to the inn."

"Oh, all right, Himura-san," Yasukawa gave in, sighing. "I can't very well force you to stay here. But you are in no condition to walk all the way back to the inn! I'm coming, too, so we'll use my carriage. It's parked behind the house." Seeing the recalcitrant look in the assassin's eyes, Yasukawa glared at him in exasperation, his concern overriding his fear of Himura's anger. He would not allow his stubborn patient to overexert himself! "Of course, I'm coming with you! Somebody has to make sure you rest! Now, come along, Himura-san." Yasukawa walked back into the room, leaving the other two men staring at his back in astonishment.

------------------------------

A guard stepped forward to take Saito's horse when he rode into the Higashiyama-ku district station, while another guard ran into the main building. Dismounting, Saito lit a cigarette, waiting for whomever was in charge to arrive. He was looking at the headless bodies of two guards lying nearby when the front doors opened and a Shinsengumi swordsman Saito didn't recognize stepped out. He dropped his cigarette and stepped on it before turning to watch as the man walked towards him.

"Captain Saito. Squad leader Oshima Michio, sir. As you requested, nothing has been touched. I was expecting someone to be sent to investigate," Oshima said, saluting.

Idly returning the salute, Saito got straight to the point. "Who's in charge here?"

Rubbing the back of his head ruefully, Oshima replied, "Well, sir, until headquarters sends someone, I guess that I am currently in charge. Captain Isayama and his second in command were killed, as was the senior squad leader."

"Sou ka. What happened here?"

"In a joint mission with Shimogyo-ku district station, we attacked an Ishin Shishi tactical meeting last night and captured six Commanders and Katsura Kogorou, one of the Ishin no Sanketsu, although two of the Commanders were killed during the engagement. At approximately five thirty this morning the district station was attacked and the four Ishin Shishi Commanders were rescued, sir. Altogether, twenty-seven men were killed during this morning's attack," Oshima said, finishing his brief report.

"Katsura Kogorou was captured last night? Where is he?" Saito demanded.

"Sir, Officers Hokusai and Matsushina arrived here at five o'clock this morning and transported Katsura to main headquarters," Oshima stated, confused by Saito's question.

Deep in thought, Saito strode back to the main building, Oshima walking at his side. If what he thought had occurred here was correct, then he knew what had happened at headquarters. He needed to see more evidence first, though, before making any conclusions. Hijikata wouldn't appreciate an incomplete report.

A few minutes later, Saito stood up from analyzing the bodies of the Shinsengumi guards inside the maximum security cell. From these two bodies, and the bodies of the other Shinsengumi he had examined in the building, the conclusion was inescapable. He knew of only one man who used such a distinctive sword style. Battousai. It was obvious that the Ishin Shishi hitokiri had come here to rescue Katsura. When he discovered that the Ishin Shishi leader was no longer here, he had released the four Commanders and then gone to Shinsengumi main headquarters to free him.

So. The Ishin Shishi haven't declared war on the Shinsengumi. Only the Battousai. It's a good thing he's dead. Nothing else would stop him from freeing Katsura, Saito mused. I have to admire the man's courage, attacking headquarters singlehandedly. Something had gone wrong, though. Battousai had not rescued Katsura because the Choshu leader had not been at headquarters. And that raised some very interesting questions. Who was this Hokusai and where was Katsura?

------------------------------

Katsura lifted his head when he heard footsteps echoing down the hall that led to the detention center. His eyes narrowed slightly when a squad of soldiers walked up, led by the brutish guard that had brought him to this cell. He was joined by one of the jailors, who quickly opened the door. Taking his time, the guard swaggered up to Katsura, a gloating smirk plastered across his face.

"Colonel Hokusai is ready for your little talk," the man said, stretching up to lift the manacles' chain off of the hook it had been looped over, jerking the Ishin Shishi leader's arms painfully in the process.

As his arms fell, Katsura had to clench his jaw to stifle a gasp as intense pain flared in his stiffened shoulder. Staggering, he nearly fell as his tired legs almost gave out. The guard scarcely gave him time to catch his breath before he had grabbed the manacles and was hauling him out of the cell. Katsura followed him out of the detention center and down the hall to a small room that was empty, save for a chair in the center of the floor. A partially open window gave him a glimpse of blue sky, but he barely had time to look around before being shoved down onto the chair. Grateful for the opportunity to rest, he used the time to try to prepare himself for the upcoming ordeal. His thoughts were disturbed by the sounds of conversation that filtered through the window.

". . . Battousai. . ."

Katsura's attention was caught when he heard the name Battousai, but whatever else the man said was drowned out by the sound of a cart passing by. Kenshin? What about Kenshin?

". . . being killed like that."

Who was killed? The men were walking away now and Katsura had to strain to hear what was said next.

"Yeah. Without the Battousai, the Ishin Shishi don't. . ."

‘Without the Battousai?' Katsura thought, stunned. Kenshin's dead? No. . . no, I must have misheard. . .

His dazed thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and Hokusai walked in, followed by two more guards. The Army officer seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood and looked as though he had received particularly pleasing news.

"You know, Katsura, I really must commend you Imperialists. You certainly do not believe in wasting time," he remarked conversationally, while observing Katsura. He appeared to be distracted, which pleased Hokusai. It seemed that giving him the chance to think about what was going to happen had provided the expected results. However, the news Hokusai had to tell Katsura would go a long way towards breaking the Choshu leader's spirit.

"The Shogunate has spies at Shinsengumi main headquarters. That is how I knew you had been captured. They have kept me informed about what has occurred since we transported you from Higashiyama-ku district station. As I told you, the purpose of my little charade was to convince the Ishin Shishi that you were being held at Shinsengumi main headquarters. I knew that they would eventually try to rescue you; but I must say, your people outdid themselves. Little more than an hour after we left Higashiyama-ku district station, Battousai attacked Shinsengumi main headquarters. He killed sixty-one men during his rescue attempt. Too bad you weren't there, Katsura. Of course," Hokusai mused, "had you been there, he probably would have succeeded in freeing you. That man was simply amazing." Hokusai's eyes, full of cruel amusement, never left Katsura's face.

‘That man was simply amazing'. . . was simply. . . Katsura refused to believe what Hokusai was saying. He had lied before when he had said that he was being taken to Shinsengumi headquarters. But those other men had said that Battousai was dead. Were they lying, too?

Hokusai watched as Katsura turned pale, his composure slipping a little. However, he could tell that Katsura didn't quite believe that Battousai was dead. It was time to give him a few details.

"The truly ironic thing is that Battousai wasn't killed at Shinsengumi headquarters. No, he escaped after killing nearly one-third of the men stationed there. By himself. And in only a few minutes. Incredible." Hokusai's voice was admiring.

"However, afterwards he had the misfortune to come across a fight involving Ishin Shishi and Shinsengumi and he joined in, like the true patriot he was." There was no mistaking the sarcasm that dripped from the word ‘patriot.'

Was. . . Katsura shook his head in denial.

"I have been informed that he fought very well and took out seven swordsmen in very little time. He must have been exhausted, too. After all, think about it, Katsura! Considering how quickly he attacked Shinsengumi headquarters, he was probably up all night searching for you. And then he fought so valiantly at headquarters trying to free you! I just have to admire the man's loyalty." Hokusai paused, watching Katsura's eyes become more tormented by the moment.

Kenshin! First you escorted the weapons shipment and fought those ninjas, and then I sent you out as a bodyguard for Nakajima. . . Katsura knew all too well how exhausted Kenshin must have been.

"Perhaps Battousai's exhaustion explains why one of the Shinsengumi was able to get behind him, we'll never know now. We do know that a man by the name of Bando got past his guard. Battousai did try to defend himself, of course. According to the report, he made a tremendous effort to block the thrust, but his reaction was just too slow, too late." Hokusai relished seeing Katsura's expression become more strained as he pictured the gruesome details of Battousai's death. Just a little more. . .

"No," Katsura whispered.

"Yes. Bando's thrust cut the Battousai's throat. He fell, clutching his neck, while his blood gushed down his chest." Hokusai was thoroughly enjoying painting the horrific picture, noting as the look in Katsura's eyes changed from denial to grief.

Kenshin. . . Katsura thought sorrowfully. I always knew you might be killed, but not like this! It was my fault, Kenshin. . . I pushed you too hard. . . forgive me. . .

"There were quite a few witnesses to Battousai's death, Shinsengumi and Ishin Shishi both. In fact, it was an Ishin Shishi fighter who checked for his pulse. There is no question that Battousai is dead, Katsura. And without your pet hitokiri, your people don't have the slightest chance of rescuing you."

This was what Hokusai loved about interrogation: pitting his will against another's, seeking the weaknesses that could be exploited, cracking a person's mental defenses, eliminating any hope of being able to escape. Most people thought that interrogation was primarily a matter of beating a person into submission. Hokusai was unimpressed with such crude methods. No, it was so much more satisfying to break a person from within, rather than relying on mere physical pain. That was not to say that Hokusai never resorted to using the time-honored techniques, but it was his gift – and pleasure – to accurately judge how much of each method to use, so that they complimented each other. He considered himself something of an artist, using as little physical force as necessary. Of course when he was under a time limit, as he was now, then he had little choice in the matter. But, still, how one used pain was an art in itself.

Katsura struggled to regain control of his emotions. Later he would be able to allow himself to grieve over Kenshin's death; but for now, he had to keep his mind clear. He had no doubt that Hokusai was a very clever man. Katsura would have to be ready for whatever was coming.

Hokusai was pleased. He had taken advantage of one of Katsura's weaknesses, his loyalty to his men. The Battousai's death had been a marvelous bit of luck. By using the hitokiri's own loyalty to the Choshu leader as a weapon, Hokusai had been able to greatly intensify any guilt that Katsura might be feeling. And from his reaction, it was obvious that he was feeling very guilty right now. However, he was quite a strong opponent. A fact proven by the way that he was visibly pulling himself together, trying to prepare for the upcoming questioning. Now, to keep him off balance.

With a gesture, the two guards that had accompanied him walked over to Katsura and hauled him out of the chair. The third guard brought the chair over to Hokusai. Sitting down, he prepared to enjoy the show.

Startled at being dragged to his feet, Katsura found himself caught by surprise. The guard who had been his chief tormentor so far reached forward to grab his manacles, eyes alight with anticipation. Unexpectedly, he took a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the shackles, throwing them aside with a loud rattling that was shocking in the quiet room. With no warning, the guard buried his fist in Katsura's stomach, doubling him over in agony, wheezing as the air was driven out of his lungs. Retching, his legs gave out, but the men holding him would not let him fall. Frantically, Katsura fought to draw a breath, desperate for air. Inexplicably, the guard simply stood there waiting patiently until he finally caught his breath.

Katsura had managed to stand unassisted when the next punch landed directly over his left kidney. Stiffening, he almost passed out from the shooting pain that radiated outwards from the blow. Again the guard waited, watching avidly, until Katsura had recovered somewhat from the pain.

The pattern was established now. The guard would slam his fist into Katsura and then wait for him to catch his breath before once again hitting him somewhere else. The beating was frightening in its calculated precision. Katsura's mind was clear, each painful hit experienced with brutal clarity. What confused him, though, was the utter silence with which the beating was administered. No one said a word. No questions were asked.

Finally, a punch landed directly on the scarcely scabbed over wound on his right shoulder, reopening it yet again. Although the red-hot agony that coursed through his shoulder threatened to drive him into unconsciousness, Katsura dimly heard Hokusai say, "Ah, ah, ah! Do NOT lose control, Taku! There will be no unnecessary violence during this preliminary session. You will follow orders, do you understand? That's enough for now."

Through slitted eyes, Katsura saw the guard look fearfully at Hokusai before walking over to pick up the manacles. This ‘Taku' is afraid of Hokusai? Katsura wondered curiously, filing away the information for later contemplation, along with everything else that had happened during the last hour or so. Returning, Taku roughly clamped the manacles tightly around Katsura's wrists.

As Katsura was half-dragged past Hokusai, the officer had one last comment to make. "By this time tomorrow, you will tell me everything I want to know. Your little Revolution has come to its ignominious end, Katsura Kogorou."

------------------------------

The inn's common room was crowded when the front door slid open. Everyone looked up to see who had arrived, immediately recognizing the three men framed in the doorway. The Battousai entered first, followed by squad leader Motoyoshi and Yasukawa-sensei. However, all of the Ishin Shishi fighters instantly felt the Battousai's sword ki crackling throughout the room as he stalked towards the stairs. His face was as expressionless as ever; but his eyes glowed ferociously, daring anyone to speak to him or get in his way. Silently, he made his way across the room and up the stairs, while the men shied away, giving him plenty of room as he passed by. Once he was out of sight, the murmuring began.

"Have you ever seen him with his hair down before?"

"No, but what's with those clothes? What happened to his uniform?"

"I heard he killed over half of the men at Shinsengumi headquarters trying to rescue Katsura-san!"

"I can believe that. You should have seen him! He was covered in blood!"

"Yeah, and Katsura-san wasn't there, either! Could he be dead?"

Rubbing his forehead, Motoyoshi shook his head in frustration before speaking up. "All right! That's enough idle speculation! We have enough problems without you idiots creating even more rumors!" The last thing he needed was for Himura to hear those rumors.

Sighing, Kenshin closed the shoji behind him, having finally reached the privacy of his room. Of course, virtually every person in the inn had to see me dressed like this, he thought resentfully. He placed his daisho in their rack, laying his arm guards next to it, and quickly began stripping off the offending garments, dropping them onto the floor. Only after he was once again wearing one of his Choshu uniforms did Kenshin begin to relax. Taking a moment to quickly run a brush through his hair, he found another strip of leather and gathered his long hair into a high ponytail. At last feeling presentable, he slid his swords through his obi, picked up the discarded clothing, and left his room. Once he was downstairs, Kenshin sought out Tsunoda, finding the innkeeper in the kitchen, as usual.

"Himura-san!" Tsunoda exclaimed, hurrying over to see what the hitokiri needed.

"Please have these washed and returned to Ryusaki-san at the safe house off of Sanjo-dori," Kenshin said, handing the clothes to the innkeeper. As he turned to leave, he added, "Arigatou, Tsunoda-san."

Kenshin padded silently down the hallway to Katsura's office, ignoring the nervous glances cast his way by the men he passed. Knocking softly, he slid the shoji open when Uchida called "enter."

Looking up from the report he was reading, Uchida was surprised to see Himura standing in the doorway. "Himura-san! I wasn't expecting you to return to the inn this early. So, Yasukawa-sensei released you?"

"Yes, he said I could return," Kenshin replied, not feeling that it was necessary to go into any further detail. "Have you learned anything new about Katsura's whereabouts?"

"No, I'm sorry to say," Uchida said, keeping a wary eye on Himura. He knew how anxious the assassin was about Katsura and was afraid that he would demand results. However, if he was upset by the lack of news, he was keeping it to himself, as his expression never changed. Uchida continued, "My people are searching for information about this Hokusai who took Katsura-san from the Higashiyama-ku station. The only thing I know at this time is that he is definitely not a member of the Shinsengumi. I anticipate learning more soon. Why don't you rest as much as you can, Himura-san? I will let you know as soon as I hear anything." Uchida watched as the hitokiri simply nodded and left, closing the shoji softly behind himself. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he went back to studying the latest report he had received.

Out in the hallway, Kenshin turned towards the common room, preoccupied by the brief meeting. It was obvious to him that Uchida was worried about not having any information. Kenshin hadn't needed to read his ki to know that he was doing everything he could, so there was no point in pressuring him for results.

"Himura-san!"

Suppressing a sigh, Kenshin turned to see Yasukawa coming towards him. Was he planning to follow him around all day, as he had threatened?

"Have you eaten yet, Himura-san?" Yasukawa inquired, eyeing the young man closely. "You have lost a lot of blood. You need to eat to restore your strength. If you don't mind, I'll join you for an early lunch. I've been up since quite early this morning."

Resigning himself to having a well-meaning watchdog, Kenshin accompanied the doctor to the kitchen. Taking their trays to the dining hall, they ate in relative peace, with Yasukawa eventually taking the hint when Kenshin kept his replies to monosyllabic answers. Finishing, he picked up both his and the doctor's tray and took them back to the kitchen. When Yasukawa followed him up the stairs, Kenshin stopped to face the older man.

"Do you intend to follow me to my room, as well?" he questioned challengingly. "I can assure you I will not fall asleep."

Yasukawa met his gaze unflinchingly, merely commenting, "I could use the company, Himura-san."

Snorting softly, Kenshin led the way down the corridor and slid the door to his room open, waiting for the doctor to enter first. Pacing across the floor, he opened the shoji that led onto the balcony. He picked up two cushions and placed them near the railing. Without a word, he knelt, laying his swords down, and began watching the clouds as they drifted slowly south. Unbidden, his thoughts returned to sitting here yesterday morning, enjoying the infrequent opportunity to relax. Was it only twenty-seven hours ago? It feels like it's been days. It was an incongruous beginning to a series of events that would lead to this dark moment. The clouds were moving north then, came the irrelevant thought.

Now that his mind wasn't occupied with anything, Kenshin inevitably began thinking about Katsura. He had been a prisoner now for nearly twelve hours and Kenshin worried about what he was going through. Having been a captive before, Kenshin knew only too well what Katsura might be experiencing. His memory provided horrifically detailed images. He could only hope that whoever his captors were, they weren't as barbaric as a couple of men Kenshin had met. Katsura was already injured, how much more could he take? Beginning to feel violently ill from the thought of Katsura being tortured, he desperately tried to think of something else, but his anxiety would not release its hold on him. He could not allow himself to dwell on the horrifying possibilities. To do so would only weaken him, both physically and mentally. To rescue Katsura, he had to be strong – be prepared for whatever might happen.

Kenshin knew he was tired, exhausted might even be a better word for it, but sleep was not an option. The best he could do right now was to allow himself to go into a state of meditative relaxation. It was a technique his Shishou had taught him and he had spent many hours mastering the skill. It was a useful means of resting without losing any awareness of what was going on in the vicinity. While it would not replace sleep, it would help him recover some much needed energy. Shifting himself into a comfortable cross-legged position, he resolutely focused on the clouds while slowly allowing his mind to process and discard all external sensations until he was floating in a state of calm tranquility. His inner senses would warn him of any changes that occurred around him.

Yasukawa watched, fascinated, as Himura seemed to withdraw into himself. His breathing slowed until it was barely noticeable and his eyes, which were usually so intense, softened. Yasukawa would have given almost anything to be able to take his pulse right then. While it appeared that he was completely unaware of his surroundings, it was obviously untrue, since Yasukawa saw his eyes flicker when he inadvertently leaned forward to look more closely at the young man. Curious, a little later he deliberately made a small sound to see if Himura would notice, and again his eyes flicked in his direction. It was an impressive display of physical control.

It was mid-afternoon when Kenshin finally stirred. Feeling somewhat refreshed, he knew he had gotten as much rest as he would be able to at this time. Besides, he wanted to check in with Uchida to see what progress had been made in the last few hours. Glancing at the doctor sitting next to him, Kenshin was surprised to see him smiling.

"Himura-san, I must say I am impressed. You look much more rested. How are you feeling?"

"Better, doctor. Arigatou." Picking up his swords, Kenshin stood gracefully, sliding them through his obi before leaving the room, still followed by Yasukawa.

A few minutes later, Kenshin walked out of Uchida's office looking pensive. The meeting had not gone well. Okubo and Saigo were putting more pressure on Uchida to find Katsura. None of his spies had yet been able to locate either Katsura or Hokusai, and Uchida was becoming frazzled. The lack of news was upsetting to Kenshin, as well, and he completely ignored Yasukawa as he walked down the corridor towards the back of the inn. The tedium of waiting was beginning to wear on Kenshin's nerves, making him jumpy and distracted. He much preferred action and, while he had a predator's unlimited patience when on assignment, this feeling of helplessness was very difficult for him to deal with.

Shortly thereafter, Uchida came out of his office looking for Himura. He wanted to talk to the hitokiri about one of the reports that had described some rumors that might be worth checking into. Perhaps discussing the situation with Himura would make him feel as though he was at least doing something to help find Katsura. Entering the common room, Uchida walked around looking for the assassin, but didn't find him. He was about to go back to his office when he saw Himura and Yasukawa-sensei standing next to the stairway. He had just started to walk towards them when the inn's front door slid open. Everyone in the room stopped talking and looked towards the newcomers. Two men, wearing Choshu uniforms, entered the inn and in the sudden silence their voices were abnormally loud.

"I know what you mean."

"Yeah, and I heard that Katsura only killed one man during the Shinsengumi attack. I thought he was supposed to be such a great swordsman!"

Uchida blinked, stunned by the fighter's rude comment. He recognized him as a new man who had only been assigned there a couple of days earlier. His anger flaring, Uchida turned to confront the man when he suddenly realized that Himura had shoved the insolent ahou against the wall and had his sword's blade pressed tightly against the fool's throat. When the terrified fighter gulped noisily, a thin trickle of blood trailed down the side of his neck. The hitokiri's eyes blazed with amber fire, staring into the cowed man's wide eyes. Astonished, Uchida looked from the stairs where Himura had been standing a moment before, to where he was now threatening the petrified fighter. How did he cross the room so fast?

The Battousai's icy voice was sharper than the cold steel of his katana, and was clearly heard across the room. "You will always speak respectfully of Katsura-san."

After holding the terror-stricken man's eyes for another few moments, Himura released him, stepping back and sheathing his sword with a decisive click. The trembling fighter stumbled away, a panicked look upon his face. The other swordsmen moved aside silently, their disapproval of his comment clear in their expressions. Uchida's eyes followed the fool's retreat, having already decided to transfer him to another troop. But first, he wanted to speak with Himura.

After the disrespectful fighter had left, Kenshin stood silently in the common room, trying to control his rage. He knew that he had overreacted, that he had undoubtedly made the others nervous, but hearing Katsura spoken of with such contempt had caused him to lose his self control for a moment. He desperately needed to release his tension and would have given a lot for the catharsis of a good sparring match right now, but he hadn't been able to get any of the Ishin Shishi to spar with him since he became the Shadow Hitokiri. In fact, right now I would even spar with that bastard Saito. Taking out his frustration on the smirking Shinsengumi Captain would truly be satisfying.

------------------------------

It was late afternoon when Saito walked into the restaurant, pausing in the doorway to look for Okita. With all the excitement, this was the first time they had been able to get together and discuss the incredible events of the day. Saito spotted him at a table in the corner and went over to join him, ignoring the nervous looks the other customers were giving him. As usual, Okita had already ordered and a bowl of plain hot soba was waiting for him. Seating himself, Saito had only taken a few bites of his noodles when he suddenly sneezed violently three times.

"How unfortunate for you, Saito! I'm so sorry!"

"Hn," Saito grunted. "What are you babbling about, Okita?"

"Don't you know what sneezing three times in a row means?"

Saito didn't bother answering the inane question, simply looking quizzically at his friend as he ate another mouthful of soba.

"Oh, the old legends say that if you sneeze three times, then someone must not like you," Okita said, laughing.

"Hn. I think I'll survive," Saito responded dryly.

"So," Okita said, opening the conversation. "In your report to Hijikata, Oshima stated that Isayama sent a courier to headquarters informing them that Katsura had been captured. Is that right?"

Saito hesitated before answering, his chopsticks halting in mid-air. "Yes. I spoke to the courier myself. He said he gave the report to Ayabito. When I went to talk to him after returning to headquarters, I found out he was killed during Battousai's attack."

Frowning thoughtfully, Okita replied, "But the courier had to have been there at least an hour before the Battousai attacked. Granted, Kondo-san and Hijikata-san were at the same meeting we were, but why wasn't the courier told to give them the report?"

"The courier said that Ayabito told him that he would take care of everything and sent him back to Higashiyama-ku. His orders were to tell Isayama that Katsura would be transported to headquarters as soon as possible."

Okita considered what Saito had learned from the courier before shaking his head. "Ayabito was a good man. He wouldn't have waited for Kondo-san and Hijikata-san to return from the meeting before informing them about Katsura's capture. There's something wrong here."

"Exactly." Saito nodded, having already reached that conclusion. "The courier said that another Shinsengumi entered Ayabito's office just as he was leaving, but he didn't recognize him. I have not been able to identify that man. Somebody has interfered with Shinsengumi affairs and I will find out who it is. Sixty-one men died this morning because of that interference. Their deaths will not go unavenged."

Saito's voice was cold, promising swift death to whomsoever dared to use the Shinsengumi as pawns, and Okita knew his friend well enough to know that whomever was responsible for what happened this morning would die. Saito's specialty was gathering intelligence and, once he started, nothing would stop him from fulfilling the Shinsengumi code of Aku Soku Zan.

------------------------------

Once again Kenshin began to prowl restlessly through the inn. The longer Katsura was a prisoner, the greater were the chances that he would be broken or killed. The apprehension was beginning to build to such levels that it was threatening to overwhelm him and cloud his judgement. He needed to release the tension, to do something active, rather than just stay here and wait uselessly. If he could not spar with anyone, then the best way he knew of to clear his mind and let go of the stress was to perform his kata. Since he had to stay at the inn, however, he would not practice his standard Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu routine, not before witnesses. But that was probably for the best, anyway. It would most likely be too strenuous for his current condition. There was no reason why he couldn't execute a standard forms kata, though. If necessary, he could even modify it so that there was no chance of aggravating his injuries. Decision made, Kenshin headed outside to the inner courtyard, followed at a discreet distance by Yasukawa.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Kenshin closed his eyes, centering himself and clearing his mind of all distractions. Once he felt ready, he drew his katana and took the starting position. Mindful of his injuries, he began moving through the prescribed forms of the first level kata in extreme slow motion, judging his body's reaction to the basic movements, noting any limitations his wounds were imposing upon the motions. He felt the stiffness in his muscles this first time through the set and repeated the entire routine at the same speed. By the completion of the second set, his muscles had warmed up and loosened, so he increased the tempo for the third set. When he no longer felt any stiffness during the fourth set, he moved to the second level of the kata, maintaining the same pace as he had during the last set of the first level.

Kenshin could sense the presence of a number of the Ishin Shishi fighters watching him, but he paid them no heed. He kept his focus completely on performing each of the movements exactly as his Shishou had taught him: crisply, perfectly, with no wasted motion between each one.

As his body relaxed into the intermediate movements, he increased the speed for each of the sets until he truly began to become one with the exercises. At the end of the fourth set, he continued smoothly into the third level kata, increasing his speed considerably. He was still moving more slowly than he normally would at this level, but he was pleased by his body's reaction to the advanced moves. Once he completed the prescribed four sets, he began on the fourth level kata, stepping-up the pace to near his usual tempo.

The moves at this level of mastery were challenging, but it was so liberating to be able to lose himself within the sword dance, to feel the exhilaration of adrenaline without having to walk the knife-edge of death. By the third set, he was moving at his full speed, glorying in the freedom of the movement. When he completed the fourth set, he repeated the entire four levels of the kata at full speed. His body was a finely tuned instrument, responding to his will instantly, his katana merely an extension of himself. He had achieved the peace that came with totally submerging himself in his sword art.

Concerned, Yasukawa stood watching the young redhead as he went through the strenuous routine. If he had thought he could have stopped him, he might have tried, but the doctor recognized the futility of such an attempt. At least it appeared that Himura's injuries were not hampering him in any way. Although Yasukawa could not understand how he could manage to move at such speeds and with such control.

At the end of the final level, Kenshin began to perform the cooling down routine that would allow his muscles to slowly relax and his heart rate to return to normal. As usual, he felt some sadness when he entered this phase, since it marked the end of the harmony and completeness he always felt while performing his kata. When he was finished, he was both tired and energized at the same time, his mind at ease.

There was awed silence from the men standing around the sides of the courtyard. Uchida stood there, in something akin to shock, after witnessing Himura performing his kata. Uchida was a better than average swordsman, but what he had just seen was totally amazing. This was the first time that he had ever seen Himura in action. It had been a standard kata, and he recognized almost all of the moves; but the way that Himura had done it! Never had Uchida seen a kata executed with such grace and precision! The hitokiri had started slowly, but before he was halfway through the routine he was moving with such speed that Uchida could almost see his invisible opponent. And by the end of the kata he was moving so fast that he completely disappeared at times, reappearing across the courtyard to perform a blinding attack only to once again disappear. It was a truly breathtaking display of sword mastery. And Himura can do this as injured as he is? Was this what he was like at Shinsengumi headquarters? he wondered, no longer questioning Katsura's claim that Himura was the best fighter in the Ishin Shishi.