Way of the Sword

CHAPTER 6

In the dark evening sky, the scattered stars glittered brightly. A gentle breeze blew through, gently lifting a dropped piece of paper on a dirt pathway. The paper stopped in front of the gate of a dojo. In the dead of the night, almost everyone inside the dojo was asleep and soft snores could be heard from various rooms. But in the training hall, a soft glow of light could be seen through the screen door.

Inside, the lit lantern cast a soft glow in the room, its light striking upon two figures, their bodies intertwined with each other. Hands were lost in each others\' hair and soft moans filled the otherwise empty training hall.

As the kisses deepened, Hiro pushed himself against Sano, grinding his groin against the older man. A soft moan from Hiro, due to the contact, was cut short as Sano\'s tongue entered Hiro\'s mouth. After what seemed like an eternity, both men parted, gasping for air. Calloused fingers from fighting slowly touched the side of Hiro\'s face. The fingers stroked up and down Hiro\'s jaw line, then made their way to the lips. Rough skin gently outlined the soft lips.

Gray eyes closed, embracing the caresses of Sano\'s fingers. Hiro opened his mouth and grasped two of Sano\'s fingers with his lips. Gently running his tongue over the two digits, Hiro could faintly taste the saltiness from the sweat, evidence of their long forgotten workout. While gently sucking the fingers occupying his mouth, Hiro wrapped his arms around Sano\'s waist, drawing the taller man closer.

Their groins ground together once more, this time harder. Sano took his free hand and ran his hand through Hiro\'s long hair. Slowly, his hand moved through the soft mane. When he reached the end, Sano gently grasped and tugged the hair, applying the just the right amount of pressure to make Hiro sigh. Freeing his fingers from Hiro\'s mouth, Sano set to disrobe Hiro of his clothes. Occupying Hiro\'s now free mouth with his own, Sano expertly untied the gi and pushed the restricting top off of Hiro. Smooth white shoulders, hard pecs and abs greeted him. Sano\'s hands traveled all over the revealed body, relishing the soft skin and the taunt muscles underneath.

Light panting escaped from Hiro. He found it hard to breathe, lost it the many sensations he was feeling. His hips pulled away from Sano\'s, causing the older man to growl softly. Hiro smiled and slipped his hands inside Sano\'s open top. The hands found their way towards the already hard nipples. Hiro rubbed his thumb back and forth against the tiny nubs. Wanting to feel more of Sano, Hiro pushed the top off of Sano\'s shoulders, exposing the chest. Hiro\'s free mouth quickly clamped on the older man\'s right nipple. Teeth gently bit down at the base of the nipple and the tongue lightly brushed against the sensitive tip. Hiro\'s hands ran gently up and down Sano\'s sides, causing the taller man to shiver in delight.

Sano\'s hands stopped its exploration of Hiro\'s body. His arms now free, Sano quickly discarded his top which had only been hanging by this arms. He found himself softly moaning from Hiro\'s ministrations. Sano\'s own hands reached the waistband of Hiro\'s pants. Untying the knot holding the pants up and with a swift tug, the pants fell.
Shivering from the cool air that hit his now exposed naked body, Hiro returned Sano\'s favor by taking off the remaining clothes off of the taller man\'s body. Hiro eyed Sano\'s cock, now exposed. His hand quickly grasped the member and gently started to jack it off at the base.

Trying to stifle his moans, which continued to grow louder, Sano pulled Hiro\'s hand away. Hiro tried to protest but groaned loudly as Sano got on his knees and enclosed his mouth over Hiro\'s own erection. Sano\'s tongue played over the tip, the fingers on his right hand running gently over the exposed part. With his free hand, Sano gently fingered Hiro\'s entrance. As he deep throated Hiro, Sano pushed his finger into the warm hole.

Hiro gasped, partly from the sting and also because of the growing pleasure thanks Sano\'s mouth. Hiro ran one of his hands through Sano’s short locks, placing his other hand on the kneeled man\'s shoulder. The intruding finger was soon forgotten, as Sano\'s mouth continued to work wave after wave of pleasure.

Sano stopped taking in all of Hiro, not wanting the man to come just yet. Instead, Sano gently blew on the cock and received a growl from Hiro. \"Be patient,\" whispered Sano. His mouth went to work on the balls, ignoring the shaft. His finger continued to stretch Hiro. As he added another finger, Sano directed his attention back to the ignored shaft, once again deep throating it. He was rewarded with a loud moan from Hiro, which excited Sano even more. Not able to wait any longer, Sano quickly added a third finger, needing to prepare Hiro faster.

The moaning grew louder and more desparate as he came inside of Sano\'s mouth. Hiro gently ran his fingers through Sano\'s hair as the kneeled man\'s mouth licked everything clean. After getting slowly to his knees, Hiro\'s mouth found Sano\'s. After a hard kiss, Hiro pulled away. \"Now it\'s your turn.\"

It took all of Sano\'s will power not to touch himself at the sight of Hiro slowly lying on his back, with his legs bent and hips raised. Sano leaned over and kissed Hiro hungrily on the mouth. Calloused hands cupped Hiro\'s ass cheeks, kneading them. Hiro mewed and Sano was delighted with the new sound the boy had made. Not able to wait a moment longer, Sano spread Hiro cheeks and entered.

Hiro gasped and threw his head back. Sano was so big, filling him completely. Just as soon as Sano had entered, the man withdrew. Hiro blinked in dissatisfaction, only to be penetrated into again. His hands formed into claw-like grasps and he arched his back. \"Faster,\" whispered the boy, aching to feel pleasure once more.

The hands that had been fondling the cheeks made their way up towards the hips and found their hold there. The grip tightened as Sano thrusted into Hiro. He felt his cock brush up against Hiro\'s sweet spot. Sano looked down to see Hiro, with his mouth slightly parted and breathing heavily. The sight drove Sano to thrust harder. Loud moans echoed in the large training hall. Again and again, Sano thrusted, as Hiro\'s legs wound themselves around Sano\'s waist. Sano looked down to see Hiro\'s newly formed erection and took a hold on the member. \"I want you to come with me,\" gasped Sano.

In response, Hiro could only nod. He moved his hips in rhythm to Sano\'s thrusts and into Sano\'s warm hand. Gritting his teeth, Hiro moved faster, almost impatient. With a yell, Hiro came, shortly followed by a gasping Sano. The legs circling Sano’s waist lowered and Sano laid down with a thud onto the hard floor, next Hiro.

Hiro turned to his side and looked at man next to him. Sano was covered with a thin sheen of sweat, making his body glisten in the soft light. Soft brown eyes twinkled as they met Hiro\'s gray ones. Hiro reached for Sano and embraced him tight.

Welcoming the contact, Sano drew his arm across Hiro\'s back. His hand gently combed through Hiro\'s hair, finding comfort in the act. A gentle kiss was placed on Hiro\'s forehead and a soft kiss to the neck was given in response from Hiro.

The two men lay there, in each other\'s arms, as the cool night breeze entering from the slightly opened door cooled the flaming bodies.

***

In the night, besides Sano and Hiro, another person failed to remain asleep. Yuki Eiri had opted once again to sit next to Shuichi. Even though Megumi and told Yuki that Shuichi\'s condition was no longer critical, Yuki still felt that he should be by the boy\'s side. Or more accurately, Yuki wanted to be by the boy\'s side. He sat with his back against the hall, his seat next to Shuichi\'s sleeping face. Yuki glanced down and stared at the sleeping face, wondering when the boy would wake up. Unable to control himself, Yuki traced his slim fingers along the boy\'s forehead, disturbing the bangs that had settled on the skin. The former assassin marveled at the softness of the touch. The hand quickly drew back, not wanting to disturb the boy during his rest. With a sigh, Yuki leaned back and closed his eyes as a welcoming sleep slowly crept over him.

Shuichi\'s nose twitched and a pair of unfocused violet eyes opened. A quiet groan escaped as the world the seemed to be moving. Shuichi could not seem to focus, the room seemed to be spinning. Trying to move his arm to sit up, Shuichi found himself unable to do so. He seemed to have lost control over his limbs. Another groan escaped from the tiny lips as waves of pain came from all part of his body.

Hearing Shuichi\'s groan, Yuki quickly snapped out of the spell of the sleep. The blond turned to look at the boy, surprised to see him awake. Yuki\'s heart beat faster after taking in the beautiful sight of a pair of violet eyes. After finding his voice, Yuki asked softly, \"Are you awake?\"

Shuichi turned his head, hearing the deep voice. He tried to respond, but could only groan. Taking in a deep breath, he managed to gasp, \"Where am I?\"

\"You’re at my friend\'s home. I found you unconscious back at the home of Eguchi.\"
Closing his eyes, Shuichi tried to recall what happened. Trying to ignore the dull pain tingling on his skin, the pink haired boy recalled that he had been visiting someone named Eguchi. The violet eyes snapped opened as a mental picture of Eguchi dying surfaced. Someone had warned Shuichi, but the boy could not recall what happened after that. Despite the blanket covering him, Shuichi shuddered violently, not wanting to remember all the blood, Eguchi\'s dying eyes, the coldness of the dying man\'s skin.

An alarm rang through Yuki\'s brain, as he saw Shuichi shake. For the first time in his life, the blond was at a lost to what to do. His heart clenched as he saw a tiny tear escape from the violet eye, creating a wet trail across the face and towards the pillow. \"Please,\" whispered Yuki, \"don\'t cry.\"

Hearing the soft voice, Shuichi used the remaining amount of his energy to sit up. He forced his disagreeing body into sitting position. After achieving his goal, the dizziness Shuichi was feeling got worse. Putting a hand to his forehead, the tired boy gasped. Finally giving into his body\'s poor condition, the boy started falling backwards again. However, instead of falling back into the futon, he found himself leaning back against a warm chest.

After sensing that Shuichi was unable to sit up, Yuki had moved to catch the falling boy. Now, the blond sat with his long legs crossed in front of him, holding the exhausted boy in his lap. The pink head leaned against Yuki\'s shoulder and the blond could not but help be amazed at how light the boy felt in his arms.

Shuichi looked up from his newly found pillow and saw a perfectly structured face framed by short blond hair. A pair of hazel eyes, filled with concern stared back at him. \"Arigato,\" muttered Shuichi. Before falling back asleep, Shuichi managed to mutter, \"Please, send word to my uncle. Shindou Haruki.\"

Closing his eyes, Shuichi finally realized where he had seen the blond before. \"You\'re the angel,\" he whispered very softly.

Not believing he heard the last statement correctly, Yuki looked down upon the now sleeping form. Angel, huh? though Yuki. Unable to control himself, Yuki smiled, feeling a wave of happiness that he was unable to experience during the war. Careful not to disturb Shuichi, Yuki shifted so that his back was once again towards the wall. Leaning against the wall, Yuki closed his eyes and fell asleep, his arm cradling the person who, in such little time, had managed melt the ex-assassin\'s cold heart.

***

Kenshin woke up before the sun even rose. The uneasiness he had been feeling since last night had caused him to have difficulty falling asleep last night. It was that same feeling that had made him wake up so early. Since he knew he could not fall back asleep, Kenshin decided to get up. He quickly dressed in his usual attire and pulled his long red hair back in a ponytail.

Walking silently, the ex-assassin made his way towards Shuichi\'s room. Kenshin wanted to make sure the boy was awake and that his condition did not worsen. As quietly as he could, he opened the sliding door to the boy\'s room.

Hearing the slight movement of the door, hazel eyes opened with alert. Yuki\'s eyes met Kenshin\'s violet ones. Kenshin stood at the doorway, gaping at his friend. Never, in all their years of friendship, had Kenshin seen Yuki holding someone in his arm. Never, in all their years of friendship, had Kenshin thought that Yuki would ever allow himself to come close to someone. Speechless, Kenshin just stared at Yuki, his mouth still hanging open.

Yuki raised an eyebrow at the look on his friend\'s face. \"Baka, are you just going to stand there all day with your mouth open? If you are not careful, a fly might go in there you know.\"

\"Eh?\" Kenshin still stared, wondering if pigs were flying outside right then.

\"Battousai!\" snapped Yuki, hoping to get his friend out of his trance.

\"Oro?\" Kenshin finally closed his mouth. But the violet eyes still remained huge as he walked into the room and sat in front of Yuki. \"Ano... Yuki... I was just wondering what happened last night, I was....\" said Kenshin, his voice trailing off.

\"Oh. Nothing.\" Yuki did not really want to explain what happened to Kenshin. If he was being truthful, Yuki felt embarrassed to be caught as he was and could not bring to tell Kenshin what happened. Yuki could just imagine how he could explain to Kenshin: \"Yeah, the poor kid was crying and my cold assassin heart melted. Out of my own will, I pulled the kid into my lap and we both fell asleep.\" Yuki would go back to his hated profession before admiting that to Kenshin. Instead, Yuki said, \"Ne, Kenshin, I have a favor to ask you.\"

\"Nani?\"

\"Shuichi woke up last night and said he wanted to let his uncle know where he was. The uncle\'s name is Shindou Haruki.\"

\"Shindou Haruki...\" Kenshin frowned, as he realized that he had heard that name from somewhere. He finally remembered and wondered why he had not made the connection before.

Yuki caught the slight change of emotion on Kenshin\'s face. \"Do you know Shuichi\'s uncle?\"

Kenshin nodded. \"Ah. He\'s a powerful businessman at the next town, not far from where Hiro\'s sensei lives. I just didn’t know that our Shindou was the same Shindou as Haruki, that I didn\'t. But sending a message should be no problem. I believe Megumi-dono was planning to make a trip there for some medical supplies. I will ask her to deliver the message, that I will.\"

Smiling gratefully at his friend, Yuki smiled. \"Thanks Kenshin. I know Shuichi would appreciate it.\"
A little smile formed on Kenshin\'s face as he stood up to leave. As he made his way towards the door, Yuki, not one to let things go unnoticed, asked, \"Oy, what\'s up with the smile? What\'s so funny?\"

The smile turned into a big grin as Kenshin answered. \"Hn... I was just wondering when you got so close to Shindou-san to call him Shuichi, that I was.\" The former battousai hurried out door, barely in time to miss getting hit with the pillow.

***

In his gray kimono, Haruki sat worriedly behind his desk in his study. It was noon and he was still debating whether to go to the police. Haruki knew time was essential, especially if Shuichi had been attacked or kidnapped, but the businessman had a gut feeling that Shuichi was actually alright.

\"Shindou-sama?\" said a female voice outside his door.

\"Hai?\" answered Haruki.

\"There is a person here who wishes to speak to you regarding Shuichi-san.\"

Haruki jumped up at that response. \"Send him in.\" He remained standing, waiting to greet the person who could help him find his nephew. Haruki was taken back as a beautiful women with long raven hair entered the room. The woman smiled and bowed.

\"Hello. My name is Megumi. Nice to meet you.\" The lady doctor eyed the man in front of her. She pitied him, as she caught the anxious look on his face. The man had bags underneath his eyes, giving away the fact that the man had not gotten much sleep lately.

Haruki regained his composure and bowed in return. \"Hello. I\'m Shindou Haruki, Shuichi\'s uncle. Please, take a seat.\" He settled back down behind his desk as Megumi took as seat in front of him.

\"Let me get to the point, Shindou-san. I can see that you are eager to hear about your nephew. To make it short, your nephew was found injured. He has been resting at my friend\'s home, recovering from his wounds. He is fine, but his injuries are too severe for him to be moved. He only woke up last night and he wished to let you know that he was safe.\"

Fists clenched, Haruki breathed deeply; his nephew had been found. \"When can I go pick him up?\"

Megumi shook her head. \"As a doctor, I advise that your nephew not be moved for a week, if not, definitely for not another three days.\" The sharp lady had caught the surprised look on Haruki\'s face when she mentioned that she was a doctor. Trying to ignore the growing feeling of annoyance caused by the man\'s reaction, Megumi continued. \"Your nephew had sustained severe wounds and had lost much blood. He is better now, but only because he has been resting. A trip here, even if it was by carriage, would drain him too much. If you wish, he may return here in three days after I see the state of his condition.\"

Hmm, thought Haruki, this lady has brains. Haruki decided that it was best to listen to the pretty lady in front of him. After being years in business, Haruki had learned how to read people and his gut told him to trust the doctor. \"Alright. I\'ll heed your advice. If you need anything, please, just let me know. Also, if Shuichi\'s condition changes, notify me immediately.\"

With a nod, Megumi replied, \"Of course.\" She stood up and Haruki followed. \"Now, if you excuse me, I have some other business to attend to.\"

\"Thank you very much for coming to see me.\" Haruki bowed deeply in appreciation. The doctor returned the bow and left.

***

A hand clenched the handle of a small dagger. The dagger was tossed in the air and caught, over and over again. The owner of the dagger smiled. So far, everything was going as he planned. Sure, there was that mishap with Shuichi¡̅s body and the witness, but those details could be taken care of later.

He was delighted at how predictably the police had reacted. Upon his order, his men had spread the word that a murder had taken place in Eguchi\'s home. Of course, the police took the bait and went over to the place. A chuckle escaped from him, as imagined how stupidly the police just fell into his trap. He had ordered the killing of the two goon under Mizuki and there bodies have been left at Eguchi\'s home. The police had found Eguchi\'s body along with the bodies of the two goons. Like the good investigators they were, they assumed that the goons probably killed Eguchi but that they had been acting under orders because of the name \"Mizuki\" carved on the tree.

The chuckle grew louder, as he replayed the previous day\'s events. The police had barged into Mizuki\'s home, only to find out that the man had \"shot himself.\" Next to him was a \"suicide note\" and incriminating papers proving that he was the mastermind behind Junichiro and Ikuko Shindou\'s deaths. This turn out of events have been the buzz around town. The police seemed real proud of themselves for solving the old crime that had went so long being unsolved.

His hand grasped the dagger and he expertly threw it across the room. The point hit the wall directly and the weapon remained stuck on the wall. But it was too early to celebrate. Shuichi still had to be eliminated. Who knew what else the little brat might dig up. The man let out a long breath and he reached for his sake. He worked too hard for some little brat to come and ruin everything. Not only did Shuichi need to be eliminated, but so did that witness. But with the police and everyone in town fooled, he at least bought some time.

\"You are next Shuichi,\" whispered the man. \"You\'ll meet the same fate as your parents.\"