Chapter Text
Chapter Twelve: Where Do We Go From Here
As soon as Saitou got to the Police Station, he went to the Captain and soon officers were being sent to different parts of the city.
Takahashi was informed about the threat on his life and his bodyguard was doubled with officers until all of the perpetrators were apprehended.
Kenshin watched as Sano took messages to different areas of the building and helped in planning parts of the operation.
‘You enjoy doing this, don’t you, Sano?’ Kenshin was smiling gently at him, having order food and drink to keep everyone’s energy up.
‘Yes, it’s almost better than just beating up on guys. And, you know, Kenshin, I kind of like the fact that I’m helping to protect people. It makes me think that Captain Sagara would have been proud of me.’ Sano drank his tea and smiled over at Kenshin. ‘Don’t you think so?’
‘Yes, because that’s exactly what you are doing. And I’m proud of you, Sano. This is a good choice for you, that it is.’
Sano’s eyes got misty and he blushed. ‘Wow! I never expected you to say that, Kenshin. Thanks.’
‘If the appreciation society could adjourn for the moment, the first raids are going out.’ Saitou stepped out of his office, eyes gleaming. ‘We’ve got the primary target. Let’s see what kind of vermin we can flush out.’
‘Takahashi was targeted because he has been instrumental in normalizing our relations with the west. If the Battousai had killed him and then been caught as was planned, it would have disrupted several delicate negotiations, as well as causing distrust within the government because of who you were. It would have been seen as an attempt to continue to control the people by the new government. You, Battousai, were drinking a tea that had several drugs in it, making you vulnerable to suggestions. Unfortunately for them, Himura’s vow not to kill kept getting in the way. The Kamiya girl was just a pawn to get you to do the job,’ Saitou explained as the carriage took them across the city. ‘Then you convinced her to go to Kyoto on vacation, to get her out of harms way, without knowing why.’
‘Once I knew the target, the rest was easy. Takahashi is thankful that we were able to avert his assassination, even though it means he’s losing some of his people. But better to get rid of traitors in his organization now, then after when he’s dead.’
The carriage pulled up in front of a brick building and the three men got out and stood looking at it.
‘Seem familiar, Battousai?’
Kenshin was looking up at the building, a slightly glazed look in his eyes. Slowly, he went up the stairs and walked into the building, the other two men following him. Kenshin wasn’t really thinking, he just walked and made turns unconsciously until he stood outside a door.
‘Here, here’s where all the voices are…’ Kenshin just stood there, his eyes still glazed and Saitou reached around him and opened the door.
‘Well, let’s see who all the voices belong to, shall we?’
Three men looked up as the door opened.
‘Oh my god, how did you get here?!’ One of the men turned to the others. ‘You said that he wouldn’t remember any of this!’
‘Shut up, you fool!’
‘It’s a little too late for that, I’m afraid. You are all under arrest for plotting the murder of Takahashi, the drugging of Himura, and profiteering.’ Saitou’s eyes were gleaming and Sano could tell that he wanted the men to resist.
At that moment, the rest of the team arrived and took the three into custody, handcuffing them and leading them away.
‘You have no proof! You won’t get away with this!’ Numaru, Takahashi’s second in command, shouted as he was pulled from the room. ‘I have very important friends!’
‘Yes, that was the main voice. I remember it well.’ Kenshin had finally broken free of the daze he was in, and he looked at the man as he was led out. ‘And I’m sure we’ll find all sorts of evidence here, including the tea that kept me drugged, that we will.’
‘Man, what a tame ending.’ Sano looked disappointed that none of the men had tried to fight.
‘Cowards have a tendency to act that way, ahou. Can’t kill everyone, every time. So, feeling better, Battousai?’ Saitou glanced over at him as more officers came in and started to remove files and materials from the room. ‘Let’s get out of here. It’s done.’
Kenshin looked around and nodded. ‘Yes, and now maybe my life will go back to normal, well, as normal as it ever is.’
As they walked back out of the building, Saitou said, ‘Yes, well, everything contributed to your involvement; your match with yourself in Nikko, Takahashi and his next-in-command being at the ceremony where they learned of your presence here in Tokyo, Numaru being in a position to drug you. And the fact that you weren’t sharing any of your problems is something you’ll have to deal with on your own.’ Saitou smirked at the discomforted Battousai and then at Sano.
‘Take the rest of the day off, ahou.’ And Saitou turned and walked back into the building to continue directing the operation.
‘Sano, I’m so sorry. Saitou is right, that he is. If I had told you…’ Kenshin was apologetic.
‘I’m not too sure, Kenshin. You might have told me about the fight with yourself, but I think the fact that Saitou had offered me a more permanent job and that job involved moving to Kyoto had something to do with all of this, too. You can’t go back to Kyoto and live there, can you?’ Sano looked sadly down at Kenshin, knowing that he would lose Kenshin if he took the job and not willing to do that.
‘You know it would be a good move for you, Sano. And we could visit. But you’re right, I can not live in Kyoto, there are too many memories there, and I’m not ready to confront all of them, at least, not yet.’ Kenshin looked back up at Sano, his eyes large and dark.
All of a sudden, a window on the second floor opened and a voice called, ‘By the way, ahou, the Captain had decided he wants us based here in Tokyo, we’ll be traveling some but too much goes on here for me to be away too often.’ The window slid shut and Sano began to laugh.
‘Sometimes he really amazes me! C’mon, Kenshin, we’re going to go eat! It’s not every day we solve a case, I get a well-paying job and you get a new lover! Let’s celebrate!’
‘But, Sano…!!!’ Kenshin protested as Sano pulled him, laughing, down the street.