As the dawn drew near the
people gathered around Kamiya Dojo as they looked at the destroyed building. Megumi rushed
over right away only to find Yahiko half-dead.
“Yahiko!!!” Megumi shouted as she
came running in the Dojo. “Please people, give me some room!!” She pushed other people away
and got to Yahiko to check his pulse. It was weak but still intact. “Hurry!! Get me some hot
water and bandages!!” “Yo, Kenshin you alright?” Sano asked as he observed his face
meticulously.
“Ah.. Yah, I am okay,” Kenshin replied half smiling.
“We are
getting close to the village. This is the part where we are going to come across some trouble,”
Chiemi remarked staying close to Kenshin.
Sano and Kenshin both walked silently
their eyes slightly narrowing to keep alert. Just as Chiemi warned, 10 dark ninjas appeared
blocking their way. “This is your stop I believe,” one of them smirked. Sano laughed and
replied.
“Oi, we don’t need you to tell us where to stop. Where’s
Amano?”
“He wouldn’t want to see worthless crap like you.”
“Ha! Wanna see
who’s worthless?” Sano slowly made a fist at the ninja.
“Mate Sano,” Kenshin suddenly
interfered. He starred at the ninjas with fierce eyes. “We want to avoid unnecessary fights. Tell
us where Amano is.”
“Little boy, you don’t know who you are talking about. Do not
address Amono-sama without sama!!” the leader growled.
“No.. no.. you got it all
wrong,” Sano said, smiling bitterly. “YOU don’t know who you are talking to. If you don’t want
to get your ass kicked you better move outta the way.”
“Uruse!!!” The head ninja threw
a dart straight at Sano’s head. Sano ducked just in time to save his life. He then turned around to
land a punch right into the ninja’s stomach. He gurgled up some blood and fell on the ground
holding his stomach. The other ninjas quickly grabbed their leader and ran off.
“Che...
What is this? That’s it?” Sano retorted rather surprised.
“These men aren’t trained
enough to beat you two,” Chiemi quietly replied.
“Then what is the problem here?
Let’s finish them off and go back,” Sano said wiping off the blood on his forehead that the dart had
passed by.
“It’s Amano,” said Kenshin. He continued to walk again.
“What
of Amano, Kenshin?”
“He’s not like them,” Chiemi answered following Kenshin’s
footsteps. “The government officials haven’t been able to land a finger on them because Amano
takes revenge for his men. Once Amano and his gangs get what they want, they do not disturb
anybody else.”
“This guy is confusing the heck out of me! What is he? What does he
want? He is a killer however you put it tho right?” Sano pulled his spikey hair with his
hands.
“But he doesn’t kill recklessly...” Kenshin quietly answered.
Chiemi
eyed him carefully.“Right..”
“What DOES he want then?” Sano asked looking at the two
all of sudden very concerned.
Kenshin stopped and turned around to look at Sano.
“That’s what we have to ask him de gozaru yo!” Kenshin smiled.
“Don’t give me an
innocent smile when I am seirous, Kenshin!” Sano punched the red-hair rurouni in the face and he
flew over to hit a tree.
“OROOOOO~~~~`” @o@ ‘I love Yahiko and I can
die for him...’ ‘I love Yahiko and i can die for him...’
‘Who???’ Yahiko silently asked
himself, as he desperately tried to open his eyes from the terrible darkness. ‘Who.. who .. said
that?? Why is that voice so familiar??’ ‘I love Yahiko and I can diefor him...” He was able to hear
it over and over again. That was all he could hear until...
“YAHIKO!!!”
His
eyes burst opened, starring straight at the white ceiling of Megumi’s brightly sun-lit clinic. His
senses didn’t respond for awhile but came back eventually as Megumi sat back on her sit sighing in
relief. He looked over to her who smiled warmly at him. “Your eyes were moving rapidly under
your eyelids. I knew you were going to be up.”
“Why.. why am I here??” Yahiko
mumbled trying to gather his memory frowning heavily.
“Yahiko, you dont’ remember?”
Megumi asked him surprised. “This is terrible. I thought you might know where Kaoru might
b...” Megumi was interupted as Yahiko abruptly sat up, shouting.
“KAORU!!!”
Yahiko’s face paled and he looked over to Megumi, who leaned backwards stunned by the sudden
outburst. “Rui.. Rui took her!!! Rui took Kaoru!!! And.. and.. I couldn’t stop him!!!” Yahiko
yelled tears forming as he shut his eyes tightly in remorse.
“Yahiko... Who.. who took
Kaoru and to where?? And Kenshin and Sano.. where are they?”Megumi asked trying to calm her
voice as much as she can but with not much effect.
“I don’t.. I don’t know... Kenshin and
Sano...” Yahiko trailed off. Suddenly, he wiped his tears. “I need to go find Kenshin. I’ve failed
him but.. maybe he can rescue Kaoru, maybe he can protect Kaoru.”
He pulled away the
blankets before Megumi could stop him. His mouth opened in utter shock. Both of his legs were
bandaged with wooden sticks and he couldn’t move them. Megumi looked down at the boy
passionately. “Yahiko.. don’t worry. They are just broken. They’ll heal soon enough. You do
not need to worry. I am actually surprised that your injury is not as bad as when I
sa...”
“I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR MY STUPID LEGS TO HEAL!!!” Yahiko shouted
in despair. “I NEED TO FIND KAORU!!! SHE.. SHE..” suddenly it hit him. ‘I love Yahiko
and I can die forhim...’ ‘I... I heard that as I was passing away... It was.. it had been...’ Yahiko
gritted his teeth and cried silently.
Megumi watched Yahiko, sharing his pain, as her
own tears started to form. She pulled back her chair fiercely and slammed her fist into Yahiko’s
bed.
“Let’s go Yahiko. To wherever Kenshin is. Let’s go together,” Megumi stated
firmly.
“No.. I can go by my..”
“Don’t be stupid!!! Your both legs are broken!!
We can’t afford to lose our time!! I’ll be your legs, Yahiko. I know you care
about Kaoru very much. We’ll take the horse to wherever Kenshin is. Yahiko, don’t you see?
You are our only hope. You are the only person who knows where Kenshin is!!” With that
Yahiko immediately got out of the bed with Megumi’s help and soon the two took off to Akou
with disturbed and impatient hearts.
Yahiko explained Chiemi’s story on their way to
Akou. Yahiko sat in front of Megumi and she was constanly kicking the horse’s rear to speed up.
It was near 9 in the morning. They had to get there at least by the afternoon.
“Yahiko,
your legs okay?” Megumi asked, breathless.
“I am fine.. I just want to find Kaoru, that’s
all,” Yahiko replied as he fliched in pain. In fact he was in much pain, in fact, because he broken legs
were constantly moving as the horse sped up, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t possibly care.
‘Kaoru said those words... I remember... Kaoru..’ Yahiko closed his eyes once more to stop the
tears. ‘Kaoru, I’ll bring Kenshin and we’ll find you.. quito!!!’ In was a bright morning and yet a
most dreadful as well. Under the sun, in the cool air, only the anxious horse hooves could be
heard on the silent mountain road to Akou.