Tanuki To Ryuu

Wow, looks like I left Kenshin in a tight spot.   How can he defeat
Shuro the Dark Monk with his sword sealed?   The real question is how
CAN'T he?   Sorry, but even without the sword, Kenshin still has divine
speed and I'd think Hiko taught Kenshin a few manuvers with his
barehands.   I've written three chapters in the space of a day, WOW!
This is for you, RuroKen fans!   Oh, and some past C&C said I forgot of
the romance!   I'm sorrrrryyyyyy!   I'll fix that soon, trust me.   I'm
just trying to get the feel of the manga.   C&C please!

Chapter 11- The Staff of Darkness

        "I'll do more than try," the dark monk said as he twirled his
dark staff.   "DIE, BATTOUSAI!" Shuro shouted as he jabbed his staff
straight at Kenshin's neck.   As the staff neared Kenshin, he felt his
ki sense went blind, yet he didn't allow that to distract him.   Kenshin

ducked under the jab and narrowed his eyes at his opponent.

        "You don't have what it takes to kill me!" Kenshin announced as
he made a fist with his right hand.   "Hiten Misturugi Ryuu Kakatou!
Ryu Tsume Sen!" Kenshin called out as he jabbed up with a divine-speed
uppercut.   Shuro's eyes widened as his staff moved up and intercepted
Kenshin's fist.   The force of the punch knocked Shuro straight up, yet
Shuro swung his staff around and whacked Kenshin in the head.   Kenshin
rolled away from the blow and stood on his feet at the other side of the

shrine.

**author's note, Kakatou means barehanded technique and Ryu Tsume Sen
means "Dragon Claw Flash"**

        "Surprised Battousai?" Shuro yelled in arrogance.   "My Staff of

Darkness both protects me and robs you of your strength!   Nothing can
defeat me as long as my staff is in my hands!   As I thought, without
your trusted sword, you are useless!   You have no hopes in breaking my
spell!"

        Kenshin laughed a rude laugh at his opponent.   "Its magic?   If

it were magic, you wouldn't need to gloat about the staff.   Your
arrogance has revealed the secret of your darkness!"   Kenshin crouched
low then disappeared from Shuro's view.

        Shuro narrowed his eyes and held his staff in a defensive
position.   He heard legends of divine speed but that was the first time

he witnessed it.   His staff tingled in his hands, and Shuro let the
staff move where it pleased straight up to block.   "RYU TSUI SEN!"
Kenshin shouted as he smashed his fists down on the black staff, then
lept away.   The staff took the hit but did not so much as bend from the

impact.

        "If you used a sword, that might have cut it.   You hit like a
woman, Battousai!" Shuro taunted.

        "Such an insult cannot bother me," Kenshin said, then
disappeared again.   Shuro held his staff, felt it tingle to the left
and let it guide his hands.   Kenshin reappeared to the left of Shuro
and his right fist blurred.   "Hiten Misturugi Ryuu Kakatou, RYU SOU
SEN!" Kenshin announced as his right fist flew towards Shuro at
startling speed.   Shuro's staff flew with equal speed and blocked all
of the strikes.   Kenshin leapt back away from Shuro, then blurred as he

approached divine speed yet again.   Without warning, Kenshin attacked
from the left with his right fist aimed at Shuro's head, yet his fist
was deflected yet again by the monk's staff.   Kenshin ran around Shuro
then lept up as the monk's staff was swung right at his head.

"Hiding from me, Battousai?" Shuro taunted again.   "These aren't the
actions of a man!"   Shuro let his staff guide him and he looked up to
see the Battousai clutching the roof supports upside down.  "Found you!"

Shuro shouted as he swung again.   Kenshin released the wooden supports
and pushed off with his feet.   With a flip, Kenshin landed on his feet
and faced Shuro.

"I understand your trick now, of how you can block my strikes and how
you sealed my sakabato.   Most importantly, I understand why I can't
sense your movements or ki," Kenshin stated as he narrowed his eyes.
"Because of that, you are already defeated,"

***

        "How's the rice coming, Ayane?" Kaoru asked as she worked on the

fish.

        "Its almost done Kaoru," Ayane answered as she limped back
towards Kaoru.   "Where's your fiancee?"

        "Oh, he went to talk to your boss, or so he said," Kaoru
muttered the last part in aggrivation.   "And he really isn't my
fiancee.   Not yet anways.   He announced it as a way to 'shield' me
from you all using his reputation,"   Kaoru held her head down, "Maybe
he'll ask for real,"

        Ayane's eyes went wide.   "He went to the shrine alone?" she
asked.   "We need to get there fast!"   Ayane took the rice off the
cooker and grabbed Kaoru's hand.

        "Wait a minute, why?" Kaoru asked, confused.   "I thought Tonno
Akutsa wasn't anywhere near Kenshin's level!"   Ayane sighed.

        "He isn't," Ayane answered.   "None of us are.   Who I'm worried

about is Shuro the Dark Monk.   He's like a demon,"   Ayane shuddered in

horror as she recalled the dark monk.   "He can seal a swordsman's
abilities with his dark magic then toys with them before he moves in for

the kill!"

        Kaoru didn't move from her spot.   "Ayane," Kaoru said, "Kenshin

will be back soon and I'd think he would like his rice to be warm,"
Kaoru turned her face to Ayane and smiled.   "I have faith in him.   His

opponents never matter because he will fight through hell to come back
to this dojo.   And if this guy uses trickery, then Kenshin most
certainly will see through it.   Now get that rice cooking,"

***

        "Understand?   Ohhh?" Shuro asked in skepticism.   "Even if you
understand, I doubt you can stop me from killing you,"

        "Yes, I can," Kenshin answered.   "Your staff is made of wood
from the Kekkai forest.   It emits an energy field which neutralizes my
sixth sense and the sixth sense of any swordsman within 2 meters of your

staff.   It also actively seeks ki from my attacks and blocks them,
despite the fact that you are nowhere near my ability physically,"
Kenshin slowly walked towards Shuro and continued, "Your first strike
against my sheath magnetized it to my sakabato, keeping me from drawing
it.   However that will end once I break that staff,"

        "Break it?" Shuro laughed, "Hahahah, you don't have the strength

without your sword aiding your Hiten Misturugi Ryuu!"

        Kenshin narrowed his eyes.   "If that were true, then Hiko
Sejiro the 5th would have never defeated Musashi after he was disarmed,"

Kenshin assumed a strange stance that looked almost like a battoujutsu
stance if not for his right arm pulled back to his side.   "Your staff
is as good as broken,"

        "You don't seem to be bluffing, Battousai," Shuro responded,
"But I killed over a hundred kenjutsu masters with my staff!   Nothing
you have can change that!   Shuro the Dark Monk kills all opponents with

his dark staff!"   Shuro charged forward and swung his staff down with
mighty force.   Kenshin's right fist moved to intercept the staff with
ferocious blinding speed.

        "Hiten Misturugi Ryuu Kakatou, Ryu Sou Sen Kamu!" Kenshin
shouted as he pounded the same spot of the staff with blinding speed
repeatedly.   The staff exploded into a shower of black toothpicks and
Shuro's eyes widened in fear.   "Just like when a magnet is broken, its
field is reduced in half.   When your staff is shattered into over a
hundred pieces, the field the individual pieces generates disappates to
nothing.   You rely on trickery over skill, Shuro, and you shall never
take a victim again,"   Kenshin reached for the hilt of his sakabato and

performed a battoujutsu against Shuro's chest.   Shuro flew into the air

and hit the far wall of the shrine.   "You aren't worth the full
strength of the Hiten Misturugi Ryuu.   That Battoujutsu didn't even
touch divine speed.   Now go turn yourself in to the police before I
decide differently," Kenshin said as he sheathed his sakabato and glared

at the fallen monk.

***

        "Kaoru, I'm home!" Kenshin shouted as he entered the gates.
Kaoru walked over to Kenshin and greeted him.

        "Welcome Back, Kenshin!" Kaoru greeted, then saw the small
bruise on his forehead.   "Are you alright?   Oh, and did you find Tonno

Akutsa?"

        Kenshin shook his head and answered, "No, the shrine's already
abandoned, but he left another of his elite behind to fight me, a monk
named Shuro,"  Kenshin pointed to the small bruise, "He got one hit on
me, but no others,"   Kenshin smiled in a reassuring manner, "Don't
worry, I'm fine!   Where's Ayane-dono?" Kenshin asked.

        "Oh, she's getting the rest of breakfast!   Care for some?"
Kaoru asked as she put her arm around Kenshin's.

        Kenshin smiled at Kaoru and answered, "I would love some
breakfast,"

***

        Ayane watched Kaoru and Kenshin talking about the battle and
couldn't understand how they were unmarried.   "Oh Kenshin, you're
kidding right?   I didn't know there was a Kakatou school of the Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu!" Kaoru said as she giggled.

        "There's quite a bit about Hiten Misturugi Ryuu that's unknown
to most, Kaoru," Kenshin reminded Kaoru.   "Thank you, Ayane-dono for
helping Kaoru cook breakfast," Kenshin said.   "She usually forgets
something subtle in the process when she cooks alone,"

        "KENSHIN!" Kaoru shouted as she lightly slapped him on the arm,
"Don't tell people that!"   Kenshin and Kaoru laughed lightly at the
slap then both turned to Ayane.

        "Ayane-dono," Kenshin said as his face became much more serious,

"Do you know where Tonno Akutsa will be next?"

        "No, sorry," Ayane answered.   "He always kept his organization
layered like an onion.   The closer those are to his trust, the more
they know about his organization.   There's only two left of the Elite
though, now Shuro's defeated.   The twins,"

        "Twins?" Kaoru asked.

        "Yeah, two boys which wield wakizashi and fight exactly in time
with eachother.   They move as one," Ayane repied.   "Alone, I doubt
they have much skill, but together they are a force,"

        "Much like the Shinsengumi," Kenshin noted with a thoughtful
look.

        "I think Akutsa will try to stay low for a while, to rebuild his

resources," Ayane added.   "As he is now, he lost his best resources and

needs to regroup.   The defeat of the 3 of the Five Elite took away his
best resources for assasination, and the loss of the Five Shadows took
away his ability to gather information," Ayane smiled slightly,
"Anyways, I think this conversation's getting a bit dull.   Where do you

keep your sake?" Ayane asked as she got up and limped into the kitchen.

        "Oh, I'm sorry Ayane," Kaoru shouted, "but Kenshin's master took

the last of the sake when he left last night!"

        Ayane sat back down and grumbled a bit about the lack of alcohol

but continued to eat her rice.

***

        Lord Tonno leaned against the wall of the damp cave with his
thirty men and the last of his elite.   "It seems the Battousai defeated

Shuro the Dark Monk," Tonno muttered to himself with a small laugh.   He

never did trust the monk and was only able to convince him to join his
ranks for the sake of killing important men in the Meiji government.
The dark monk's power did make him important in Tonno's plots to
overthrow the Ishin shin rule, thus his defeat meant Tonno's overall
plans to bring back the Shogunate and recreate the Shinsengumi were
temporarily delayed.

        "Tonno-sama," one of his young Shinsengumi said as he bowed
down, "how long must we stay in this cave?"   Tonno smiled at his young
soldier.

        "Not much longer," Tonno answered with an evil gleam, "I just
had an idea,"

***

        "Alright you two," Kaoru said to her young students, "That's it
for today,"   Yahiko and Yutaro both bowed at Kaoru before they started
to walk out of the dojo.   "Yutaro, wait a moment," Kaoru said to
Yutaro's back.

        "Yes, Kamiya-sensei?" Yutaro answered as he turned back to his
instructor.

        "You are progressing well, Yutaro, but I need to ask you," Kaoru

said with a sigh, "are you really prepared for the sword that protects
life?"

        "At first, no," Yutaro admitted, "But as I stay here and watch
you, I think about how I don't want anyone else to lose what I lost,"
Yutaro's head dropped down.   "Am I no longer your student?"

        "Oh, not at all, Yutaro!" Kaoru answered.   "I just needed to
know, that's all.   You better head on home before it gets dark.   Oh,
and get along with your neighbors!"

        Yutaro blushed as he realized Kaoru must have heard Yahiko was
his neighbor.   "Yes, Kamiya-sensei," Yutaro answered as he exited the
dojo.

        Kaoru sighed then sat down and looked around the empty dojo.
"I know you're there, Kenshin," she shouted, "so you better just come
out!"   Kenshin let go of the ceiling of the dojo and dropped on his
feet.   "Do you have to always watch after me?" she asked, half amused
and half annoyed.

        "Sorry, Kaoru," Kenshin apologized, "but I believe the matter is

not yet finished.   Tonno Akutsa has an insane goal in mind and he lost
most of his resources.   I disagree with Ayane's assessment of the
problem.   The Shinsengumi were always like wolves, and a wolf half
injured is more than likely to snap at your jugular than back into the
woods,"

        "Well, then I guess it's a good thing I have a Hiten Misturugi
Ryuu master as a bodyguard then," Kaoru said in a humorous manner.

        "Kaoru, there's something else I wish to discuss with you,"
Kenshin stated as he sat down infront of Kaoru.   "The engagement.   Can

we make it real?"

***

That's right, CLIFFHANGER!   BWAHAHAHA!   How's that?   Ok ok, anyways,
what did you think of barehanded Kenshin?   Oh, and because I did it
with Ayane....

The making of Shuro the Dark Monk-  It started when I realized in this
storyarc, Kenshin won't get to really fight!   If there was someone that

was HMR level that was an UNDERLING of the main boss, then that wouldn't

make much sense.   I needed a trick that would keep Kenshin busy, and
that's when I remembered the Kekkai forest in the manga.   But then, how

can he stop Kenshin fron using the ougi?   Seal the blade!   Did I pull
it off lamely?



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