And yet, none of them had particularly matched what he was facing at the moment.
The young man standing before him bore the mannerisms of a skilled swordsman, but as one with little experience in true battle. His manner of dress was in the same styles as the samurai had been before him, but that wasn't too unusual even in this time. In his stance there was supreme confidence in his skill, even if he would have been only at most a boy during the Revolution.
"I,Tatewakei Kuno, say again," declared the young man, glaring at the redheaded man, "Who are you to be searching for the four conniving murderesses?!"
"I am but a simple man, that I am," Kenshin answered evenly.
"I can see that, but that is not a task for a simple commoner. Only one who has been tasked by the heavens may draw the steel that will punish those criminals."
"They will be punished as is appropriate, but it sounds as if you have some sort of problem with them."
"You must be an observant individual, as I am ashamed to say that I do have a personal stake in this matter."
"What would that be, might I ask?"
"Saotome was a rival, craven and tricky, but one to be respected, not slain like an animal in such an ambush. My own twisted sister had been infatuated with him and was one of those who had the gall to kill him as they did. Another was one that I had to be pure and lovely enough for me to profess love to, but turned out to be the basest kind of creature that could be," lamented Kuno.
"You feel the need to find them and punish them for their misdeeds."
"So you understand why I must do what I have to. Then you will also agree that you are not needed on this task."
"I will not abandon my search, that I won't."
"Admirable, but for what reason could you have to seek out the filth who have done this."
"I was a friend to the couple. Misao was living with us when she met, was courted by, and wed Ranma, that she was."
"Ah... I see now," Kuno replied, relaxing his stance, "You wish to find them to make certain that they are punished."
"That is part of it, but I have another mission, that I do," Kenshin told him.
The younger man nodded in understanding. "The children."
"Yes, and we have been looking for them everywhere that we could."
"Perchance could you explain who this 'We' is."
"Misao had other friends, that she did. And they are all out looking just as we are."
"Truely they are real friends, but have they found anything of intrest?"
Kenshin frowned and shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. No sign of them at all, none that we could find."
"That is truely unfortunate, as my attempts have found little of intrest."
"Your sister has not tried to go to you for help?"
Tatewakei snorted. "She would know better than to seek my assistance. But she has little need of that as she seems to have hidden her own sources of funds quite skillfully."
"Then there is little to do than to seek them out, that there is."
"You speak the truth unfortunately. But once after this is all over, we can meet again under more comfortable circumstances."
For a moment, Himura had an image of Karou trying to deal with this young man, and twitched a bit. "Perhaps..."
"Good then, and good day to you, good swordsman."
Watching Kuno turn and leave, Kenshin groaned to himself. He did not look foward to telling Kaoru about this, as they had heard of the boy and counted themselves lucky when he had decided that Ranma's marriage meant that he could dismiss him. But that was for later, thankfully, and he had a search to do while:
(Posted Mon, 21 Jul 2003 21:42)
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