Chapter 3

Game set!

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Kaoru sighed as she stared out into the ocean, It had been months since she came here, and despite the fact that she was a prisoner, she really couldn’t complain of her treatment. Enishi was rather cordial to her, in a cold sort of way. Every once and a while he’d comment on getting a cook, but as of yet he hadn’t and he never refused Kaoru’s cooking. She’d fallen into a daily routine of practicing her skills out in the forest from morning to nightfall, breaking only for meals. She used a wooden broomstick, as she lacked a boken to practice with. Less than a week after she started her routine, she found an assortment of bokens on a rack left in her room by the bed. She smiled to herself then, thinking that it would be nice if Kenshin could change Enishi around like he had Aoshi and Sanosuke. Enishi would be probably much more helpful around than that Freeloader Sanosuke, she fumed, and then grew sad as she wondered what he was doing. She took up a nice polished black boken and headed out to her clearing in the forest. She had learned that it was better to just not think about them, as she could do nothing to get to them. She halfway wondered why they had not come to get her yet, but she had also realized this thought only led to pain, as she had realized those months ago when she had started training. She had found it was easier to immerse herself in a relentless schedule of training which would leave little room for painful thoughts.

Enishi watched her in silence from the shadows, as he had been doing since he first noticed Kaoru going of into the forest. She really wasn’t half bad. His spies hadn’t really given him much information to that effect as they had kept tabs on Kenshin. Enishi assumed that being around Kenshin would not give her much opportunity to fight. He was tempted to go out ant correct her every time there was something she could improve on. Many a time he had left after only a short while of watching her for that reason. She had improved vastly in the few months she was here, but seemed to be in a slump for the last few days. He sighed inwardly to himself and stepped forward, grabbing her boken mid-swing. Kaoru looked at him startled. He let go of her boken, then replied to her confusion

“You’ll get further with someone to practice with.” He said calmly. Kaoru seemed to hesitate for a moment, but unable to come up with a reason against it, she nodded. Lowering her boken she said simply.

“My style is an art of defense, you will have to attack first.” Enishi almost smiled and nodded, pushing off the ground at a speed that surprised Kaoru. He knew that she was fully capable of attacking, yet wanted to measure his skill and style. She would learn that was easier thought than done. But he would humor her for now.

Kaoru stretched as she stumbled into her room and flopped onto the bed. She’d gotten quite used to having a bed. It would be strange to sleep on a futon again. A tear slid down her face as she remembered what used to be. As hard as she tried to forget everything for as long as she was stuck here, it always came back to her at night. She sniffled burying her face in her hands as she brought her knees up to her chest.

She was glad that Enishi had started practicing with her, because she was left exhausted at the end of a day and it didn’t take her as long to cry herself to sleep, but if he weren’t around in the first place she wouldn’t be stuck on this island far away from Kenshin. Kenshin, who hadn’t come for her yet, her sobbing renewed at that thought. Half of her believed that something was keeping him away, but yet another part off her was almost sure it was just wishful thinking. She held on to her trust in him like a fire in the midst of snow, but as each day passed even the fact that he’d never failed her yet seemed to drift away like snowflakes in the wind. The fire could no longer keep away the chilling cold of her own bitter thoughts.

She’d always been so optimistic in the past, why was it failing her now. She even doubted her own ability to judge people. Everything she saw in Kenshin her mind twisted around and returned to her with a malicious end. Her fears told her that Kenshin had been changing ever since before the fight with Shishio when he first left her, and she feared that everything that had happened even before was a lie, although she knew it couldn’t be true, at least she hoped so. Kaoru punched her pillow as she told herself to shut up and tried to keep her mind from wandering as tears slid down her face. She slumped onto her pillow still curled up against her knees. Her last thought as she fell asleep was that she somehow couldn’t bring herself to blame Enishi for all of this.

Enishi leaned back in his chair sipping on some oolong tea. It was way to strong and a bit bitter but he paid no notice. Most anything was better than what he’d been forced to eat during the war. He wasn’t really a picky eater anymore. Hell, he’d likely eat his own pet without regret if it came down to it… he’d eaten worse.

His thoughts came back to the problem he’d been pondering lately. Kenshin. Yes the Battousai was often on his mind. He had no doubt he’d get his revenge. He was already halfway there. But there was this issue of Kenshin disappearing. There had been no word of him and it had been a few months. It was likely safe to say that it could take years to find him again. From what he’d been able to find out the Sekihoutai survivor, Sanosuke, had also disappeared with him. He idly chewed on the end of a chopstick before sticking it back in the bowl of rice.

Sanosuke had some odd friends. Enishi frowned. They’d likely gone to China somehow. It seemed like the most obvious course. Sagara wasn’t a complete idiot, and seemed to have some sort of fixation on Kenshin. He wouldn’t easily let his friend be found. Enishi stared off into space in front of him. China was a big place. His mafia mostly had strings on the cost and most of the central regions. There were still the outer wilds towards the west, and the north. Even parts of the big city could be overlooked. This would defiantly take a while.

Then there was Kaoru. He really had no ill will towards her. She wasn’t a fool like most of the women he’d met. Though many had been brought to him at gifts. He snorted. He had no interest in things like that. He hadn’t had time, what with striving for survival, then ripping his way to the top of the underground world. And then there were his plans for revenge. Those had started shortly after Kenshin had settled in one place. Enishi supposed Kaoru could be considered partly to blame for Kenshin’s state now, if one were to think about it. He wouldn’t point that out to her though. She already seemed to have enough to cry about at night.

He should send her home. After he verified if any of her friends knew where Kenshin was. He almost wished they did, in one part of his mind, he’d never realized he was lonely until he’d spent so much time with her. He brushed the thought away like cobwebs. He defiantly needed to send her home. He needed to concentrate on finding Kenshin, she was no longer a part of his plan. She’s already served her use, he’d thought as he’d stood and set the empty rice bowl down. Enishi walked towards his room as he told himself that he’d have someone check out Kaoru’s friends. He’d know by the end of the week.