Chapter 135: Those who Gather, Those who Leave

Soujirou: If you just go a little farther you'll find Mr. Shishio. You won't need Miss Yumi to guide you anymore.

(Kenshin and Sanosuke pound down the corridor.)

Kenshin: I wonder if he'll be all right.

Sanosuke: What? He's fine. He's not gonna die, anyway.

Kenshin: Not of his wounds.

Sanosuke: Oh--you mean the problem of his heart. It's not for us to say now. We should be thinking about what's up ahead.

Kenshin: True enough.

(In Soujirou's room)

Yumi: Will you be all right? I should be going too--

Soujirou: Mm. Just a little longer. Your thighs are so soft.

Yumi:... You're weird...

Soujirou: Ha ha. Joking aside, you don't have to worry. Through those doors is a secret passage that will take you straight to Mr. Shishio. Get to him before Mr. Himura does; there's something I want you to tell him. Tell him what the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki really is...

(In the library, Aoshi slowly gets to his feet, obviously in pain. He tries to pull his sword from the floor, but has to stop.)

Saitou (at the door): I see you got your ass kicked again.

Aoshi: Saitou Hajime...

Saitou: Hm? You should know me as Fujita Gorou.

Aoshi: I heard about you from a man called Seta.

Saitou: Is that so.

Aoshi: Well, you've been hanging around here for a while. Battousai's long gone.

Saitou: Then everything's going according to plan.

Aoshi: What...

(Saitou tosses him a folded paper.)

Aoshi (opening it): This is... (thinking) A rough sketch of the headquarter's interior... How did he...

Saitou: Your intelligence network is formidable, but the national system is the best in the country. It's one of the reasons I work for the government. If you've gotten this far in, you won't need a guide. Splitting up is the better plan.

Aoshi: So you're only using Battousai and the others as decoys.

Saitou: Yes. Something like that. This is a war to decide the future of this nation. Nothing can come before that.

Aoshi: Then what about your match? The conflict between you and Battousai, that you've carried on ever since the Bakumatsu and still haven't settled? If Battousai dies here, what will you do?

Saitou: Then whoever lives is the victor. You've been useful. (as he walks out) Your fight with Battousai distracted both the enemy and Battousai from me. I've been able to move in the shadows.

Aoshi (thinking): Saitou Hajime, captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi... Seasoned veterans like him were thronging to Kyoto during the Bakumatsu. If the Oniwabashuu could have fought then... (he closes his eyes) Regrets... (he pulls the kodachi from the floor) The present is more important than the future. The time to fight is now!