It’s been about a week since my brother fought Sanosuke. He hung out with us a lot, and he was becoming a good friend. “Hey Aka, there’s an emergency and I need you and Kenshin!” Sanosuke said urgently as he ran up to me. I nodded and grabbed my brother. We followed him to a gambling hall. We sat down with Sanosuke, Kenshin on his right and I was on his left.
“The dice are thrown! Please bet!” one of the guys said. I sighed.
“So which is it?” Sano asked us.
“A five and six...odds,” my brother replied, unamused.
“Call! Five-six! Odd!”
“Ooo, this training I like! Just watching the hands though, right?”
“‘Come on,’ you said. ‘It’s an emergency,’ you said. Sano, gambling is illegal,” my brother said and I agreed.
“And…!? Your sakabatos are illegal, too. Violation of the sword ban,” he countered.
“You’ve got a point….” I said in defeat.
“Don’t worry so much. Everyone here’s a friend of mine. Nobody’s getting cheated. It’s just a bunch of guys having fun,” Sanosuke smiled.
“But…”
“You two are way too serious about everything. You’ve gotta lighten up or life’ll never be any fun. We’re already here, so we may as well enjoy it. Your bad mood ends today.”
It’s true my brother hadn’t really been his normal self since Jin’eh. Knowing him, I was pretty sure what he had said about being a manslayer hadn’t left his mind. “Anyway, next! Is this one odds? Evens?” Sanosuke asked, grabbing and shaking Kenshin.
“Snake eyes, evens,” I replied for him. Sure enough, it was two ones.
“Sano, you’re on fire today,” one of his buddies said.
“It’s been a while, so go easy on us.”
“No way! I’m gonna send you all home in your underwear! By the way, where’s Yoita, the candy vendor, today? How can a gambling addict like him not show?” Sano asked.
“...you didn’t hear, Sano? Yoita died, beginning of the month.”
“What the…!? How? Disease? Accident?” he asked, getting upset.
“Opium. He overdosed by mistake.”
The three of us were both surprised. Opium had been banned for a while because of how destructive it was. The government was pretty strict with it, or so I thought.
“That’s odd. Opium is a very expensive drug. Not something a normal person can buy in large quantities,” my brother said. Suddenly we heard running outside and then a woman with long, black hair opened the door, breathing heavily.
“And you are…?” Sano asked. She looked around and then noticed Kenshin.
“Please help me! I’m being chased by some bad men!” she exclaimed suddenly, practically jumping onto my brother. Hm, the guys chasing her might be part of the Yakuza, or she could’ve done something to tick them off. Either way, we can’t let them get her.
Before anyone could react, a couple of men came bursting in. “Megumi, you witch! There’s nowhere else for you to run!” one of them yelled.
“One after another. Who are you punks?” Sano asked, annoyed.
“Shut up and back off! Hand over that girl now, or else…”
Sanosuke punched the guy in the face. “Better watch your mouth. I’m not in the mood right now.”
“D-do you think you’ll get away with this? We’re with the private army of Kanryu! Opposing us is the same as opposing Kanryu-san!”
Huh, so they’re not Yakuza members.
“I told you to watch it, low life!” Sano said angrily, punching that guy too. I heard his friends murmuring about this Takeda Kanryu and how bad it was.
“Who is this Kanryu?” I asked.
“He’s a young industrialist living outside the city. At least outwardly. I don’t know what it is he does in the dark, but in the past few years he’s gained a lot of power. Now he’s even created his own private army. A very shady guy. The people in the city, from the Yakuza to politicians, all avoid confrontations with him,” the long haired woman, apparently named Megumi, replied.
“If these guys are his thugs, then are you part of his house?” Sanosuke asked.
“I am not! They’ve nothing to do with me. I don’t even know this person!” she defended.
“You shouldn’t tell lies, Megumi,” a new stranger who was sitting in the corner said. Woah...he’s good. I didn’t even realize he came in. I looked up and saw a corner panel in the ceiling was open. I looked at my brother, who noticed it too. I stood up. “You escaped thinking only two guards would follow. But by those beneath the head, you are always under watch,” he added. Stalker much? Sheesh, who is this guy, and what does he mean by the head?
“Go back and tell Kanryu that I’ll keep running from him!” Megumi declared.
“Ha. How cute, thinking you can run…”
The stranger then flicked something, hitting two of Sano’s friends in their shoulders. “Tomo! Ginji!” Sano exclaimed worriedly.
“Spiral darts. Your legs are next as a punishment.”
Just as he was about to flick them at Megumi, Kenshin and I jumped into action. We flipped the mat up so the darts hit it instead of Megumi. I noticed that the new guy became nervous. “The situation here isn’t very clear but I can’t watch as people get hurt, that I can’t,” Kenshin said.
“Beware! Do you think to stop my darts with one lousy…”
Before he could finish, Kenshin and I rushed at him. We both hit him with our swords. “Say, will you guys help me get away from Kanryu? I’ll reward you….very generously,” Megumi said.
“Nevermind that. Explain this first. Two of my friends were hurt, okay!? I’m not doing anything until I know what’s going on!” Sanosuke demanded, grabbing her arm.
“Hey take it easy, Sano,” I said, gently putting a hand on his shoulder.
“That hurts! I’m not one to get tough with!” Megumi proclaimed. As she jerked her hand away, three small paper triangles fell out of her sleeve. My brother picked one up and opened it. Inside was a white powder.
“By reward, you don’t mean this opium?” he asked calmly.
Megumi fell silent. Sano was shocked. “Miss Megumi, why don’t you come back with us? We can talk more there,” I suggested. I led the four of us back to the dojo.
“We’re home. We’re sorry we’re late,” my brother announced when we got back.
“What a dried up little place. A sword arts dojo, you said?” Megumi asked. Kaoru didn’t look happy.
“Uh...This is Takani Megumi. There was….an incident...with the gambling, and…” my brother started but Sanosuke interrupted him.
“The guy wouldn’t pay his losses, so we took her instead. Sorry, but she’ll be staying here a while.” Kenshin then turned to him.
“Sano!? What the-”
“Tell the truth, and she’ll know about the opium. Best to keep that quiet for now.”
“Kenshin, is what he says…?” Kaoru asked.
“You don’t want her to get involved, do you?” I heard Sano tell my brother quietly. He sighed.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“Shame on you!” Kaoru then exclaimed out of nowhere, punching him in the face. “Are you turning into a slave trader!? Sano would do this, sure! But you!?”
“I heard that,” Sanosuke said, making me smile a little.
“Ummm, Takani-san, was it? I’m sorry. I’ll have a good talk with him. You can go home,” Kaoru apologized to Megumi.
“Oh I have no intention of leaving,” she replied with a sly smirk. “I think I like this man. I couldn’t leave him, not for a moment.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. This is not gonna end well. “I’m much better than that sweaty girl, aren’t I, Ken-san?” Megumi asked my brother.
“No! You can’t do that!” Kaoru spoke up.
“Oh, why is that? You don’t seem to be Ken-san’s lover. Have you the right to say that?”
“Don’t tease her too much. She’s a simple girl,” Sanosuke mentioned.
“Get out! All of you! Out!” Kaoru ordered, kicking us out.
“Sheesh,” Sano commented.
“Indeed,” my brother agreed with a small nervous chuckle.
“Himura Kenshin, was it?” Megumi asked and he nodded.
“At least tell us your story,” Kenshin said.
“Yeah, you’ve been dodgy with the details. Just who and what are you? Why are you running from Takeda Kanryu, and why’s he so determined to catch you? And this! Where and how did you get a hold of this?” Sano asked angrily, pulling out the opium.
“It’s rude to speak of a lady’s past,” Megumi responded, dodging the question again.
“Fine. If I stick with you, I’ll get to the source. My friend was killed by opium. No matter where it started, this is where it stops. One way or another, it stops!” Sano said.
“If you don’t wish to speak of yourself, at least tell us about this Kanryu. I assume he’s the leader of the opium ring,” Kenshin said. However, before she could respond, someone came running up to us.
“Sano! There you are! I found you. Looked all over…”
“Hey Shu. Thought you were taking Gin and the others to the doctor,” Sano said.
“Yeah, they’ll all be fine. Their lives aren’t in any danger.”
“Good.”
“But there’s something else, you gotta come with me!”
We all followed him to the bridge, where a huge crowd had gathered. On the ground by the river, there were two dead guys. “All from Kanryu...the same guys,” Megumi told us.
“That’s pretty vicious…” Sanosuke said.
“Failures are quickly disposed of. It’s Kanryu’s way,” Megumi explained to us. I looked at my brother. I knew he was very bothered by this, as was I. I then noticed that he saw something. I looked where he was looking and saw them too. Three men, one of whom I recognized from the attack when we first met Megumi.
“What do you two see?” Sano asked us. I then saw that the tallest guy locked eyes with my brother. I saw him talking, and then the shortest guy we met before about to lash out. However, the man with the glasses stopped him. They talked some more, then Megumi saw them.
“Kanryu!” she said nervously.
“She’s right, no mistake. The one with the glasses is Takeda Kanryu,” Sano said.
“But who’s that to the right, the tallest?” Kenshin asked.
“Dunno, maybe the boss of the private army?” Sanosuke guessed.
“No! He’s...the Okashira! The private army wasn’t enough. What Kanryu wanted was the Oniwaban group. So, he hired a former head. Just before the Meiji, the one who at the tender age of 15 became the Okashira, or head, of Edo Castle’s Oniwaban group was Shinomori Aoshi!” Megumi explained.
“And someone like that is working under Kanryu? Why?” Sano asked.
“I can’t say, but he seems more like the problem than his employer. Up against a crooked industrialist and an infamous Oniwaban leader, there’s no way we can abandon Megumi-dono now,” Kenshin said and I agreed. We went back home and started making a plan. My brother tried to get Megumi to talk about the opium, but she still didn’t want to talk. After a bit I went outside and saw Kaoru snooping around. I chuckled, which surprised her.
“Akasuki! I...um…” she said nervously.
“Relax, Kaoru. I get it,” I smiled.
“You shouldn’t eavesdrop though. It’s unworthy of the Kamiya Kasshin style,” Sano then said.
“B-but they've been alone in the room ever since they came back!” Kaoru protested.
“It’s alright. Nothing to be afraid of. It’s Kenshin’s nature,” Sano said.
“He’s right. My brother can’t leave anyone in trouble alone. He’s strong with swords, but when it comes to people, especially those in danger, he jumps in to save them,” I explained.
“And you, Sanosuke?” Kaoru asked.
“Not even close. I only want revenge. I care for my friends, not that...vixen.”
“Did I miss anything?” Kenshin asked us as he came out and Sano shook his head. He then handed me a piece of paper. “The chart of Kanryu’s men. Look it over. Since they work with the Oniwaban group, we should assume they know our location. We can’t let our guard down.” I showed it to Sanosuke and Kaoru.
“Kenshin...your handwriting is awful,” Sano commented.
“As bad as Watsuki’s…” Kaoru agreed. I just chuckled.
“Never mind that and listen!” Kenshin responded, making me laugh a little. “Oh, and Kaoru-dono, I can’t give details now, that I can’t but there may be an incident or two in the near future. There won’t be the same mistake I made with Jin’eh. This time you’ll be protected. That’s a sworn oath,” my brother paused for a few moments, “So for a while, just pretend that nothing’s going on!” he then finished cheerfully. Kaoru sighed.
“Alright. But when it’s all over you had better explain.”
“I heard that, Kenshin,” someone said from under the porch, spooking my brother which made me laugh. Sure enough, out came Yahiko.
“How long have you been there?” Kenshin asked, surprised.
“Bendy kid,” I heard Kaoru comment.
“All evening and I’m flat because of it. I’m a member of Team Kenshin, aren’t I!?”
“Don’t give us any lip, kid.”
“Don’t you give me any lip, Sanosuke! I’ll strangle you!”
“Not in 100 years,” Sano replied as the two began going at each other. I smiled and shook my head. Suddenly, there was a loud crash, getting everyone’s attention.
“They’re here, at the gate!” Megumi said as she ran out. Once the dust settled, I saw a big olive green dude with beaver-like teeth and a barrel on his back standing there.
“Hand over Megumi peacefully, and I’ll go a little easier on you,” he said.
“Oniwaban group, correct?” I asked.
“Yeah, one of the Oniwaban. I am the great Hyottoko!”
ns 15.158.61.8da2
