"Well!?" Misao asked, an edge of fright on her voice. "What does that mean?""It means I’m glad Aoshi asked for Megumi-dono," Kenshin replied, rising gracefully.As he spoke, Kaoru and Yahiko’s voices drew closer. Just as he finished both of them burst through the door. Kaoru wore a hakama and gi and both carried weapons."Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, reaching a hand out to the girl. She placed her hand in his and he drew her closer to him. "I’m glad you’re prepared.""What happened? Who is that? Where’s Enishi? Misao-chan, are you okay?""I’m fine, I’m fine, Kaoru-san," the girl replied. She tucked one leg under her and held some pieces of fabric against her wound.

"Misao was attacked as we were returning from delivering a message for Okina," Aoshi said blandly. "She was injured in the fight.""And this person," Kenshin said slowly, "is one of the leaders of the kidnappers. They have some form of control over the people they were with.""What happened to them?" Yahiko asked, pordded their supine form with his shinai. "They look pretty trashed.""Enishi hit them."Yahiko whistled and poked some more. Aoshi noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Kenshin was rubbing his thumb back and forth along the knuckles of Kaoru’s hand. In a hushed voice she asked, "How close did they come to getting you, Misao?"

"Too close," Aoshi answered for her. He knew his voice was too cold, too angery, but he didn’t care. He had failed to protect Misao. He was pissed.Shortly after that the doors of the dojo opened once again and Sano, Enishi and Megumi entered. Megumi carried her medicine box and a clean, white rag. Sano trailed after her, a sleepy air about him the suggested he had just been roused from bed. Enishi shut the door with the hand that didn’t hold his sword and looked at the people gathered around the room."We’ll need some water," Megumi said, opening her chest in front of Misao. Yahiko darted out and returned a moment later with a basin full of clear water.

"Now let’s see who our mystery man is!" Enishi stated dramtically, kneeling at the black-clothed man. Their clothes were slightly familier; a combination of Enishi and Aoshi’s styles. They wore a black, mandarin-collared shirt with gold brocade fastenings at the collar and upper chest. The pants were similer to Enishi’s, though gathered with black silk cords around the calves and tied off at the knee.Enishi slid his hand around the man’s neck and grabbed the full-face mask. With a twist and a tug, the dark fabric came free in his hand. "And he is…" Enishi cried, flinging the mask behind him.A collective gasp of surprise issued from the mouthes of all present. Hidden by the mask were a set of delicate, distinctly feminine, features. The girl’s eyes were closed and long lashes, which nobody had noticed before, rested on ivory-white cheeks. A prim mouth, set in a loose frown, and stuborn chin emphasized the girl’s petite form. Her dark heavy eyebrows were pulled down in a small scowel behind her whispy bangs. Her ebony hair was pulled back in two flat buns at the back of her head. Gold cord was wrapped around them. As he head fell back to the floor with a soft thump a jingling of charms echoed in the deadly silent dojo.

"A woman," Yahiko finished for Enishi."Why would a woman want to help the kidnappers?" Kaoru mused, her bokutou held lax at her side. Unlike her, Aoshi, Kenshin, Enishi and Sano were all wary and on guard."Women are capable of a lot of things," Kenshin said grimly."That’s why they make such good spies," Aoshi added. "Even women such as yourself," he told Kaoru with a nod in her direction, "don’t suspect another woman to be an enemy.""Well," Enishi said weakly, "I guess we’d better wake her up."Sano picked up the basin of water and splashed most of it over the girl’s head. Megumi didn’t even glance at him when he dumped the rest on her face a moment later. She began to stir and, of one mind, everybody backed away.The girl’s eyes opened and saw Enishi standing over her, a scowel on his face. She sat up half way and scooted back on her rear. Kenshin noticed it wasn’t the fearful kind of retreat. It was a tactful retreat, aimed in buying more time to procure a weapon and assess the enemy. He rested his hand on the hilt of the Sakabatou nervously.‘This woman is a trained fighter. She may look innocent, but she’s worth our worry.’

Enishi spoke to her in Chinese and she replied. He asked her another question and she shook her head, then winced."What did you just say?" Sano asked."I asked her if she understood my Chinese and she said she spoke my variation. Then I asked her if she could stand. I don’t think she’s strong enough yet," he answered absently. He spoke with her sternly for a few more moment before Aoshi said, "Ask for her name."At the sound of his voice, the girl’s face lit up and she turned excitedly towards Aoshi. In terribly accented Japanese, she cried, "Shinomori-kun!" Before anybody could respond she leapt effortlessly to her feet and jumped at Aoshi. The moment’s hesitation he afforded her gave her enough time to fling her arms around the stunned man’s neck.

"A- Aoshi-sama?" Misao stammered in a voice choked with rage, confusion and tears. "Do you know this woman?""I think I might…"Enishi asked her a sharp question in Chinese. "Woo Su-Shen!" She replied, rubbing her cheek like a cat against Aoshi’s."Su-Shen," Aoshi repeated slowly. "Su-Shen Ask her if she knows Makimachi-sama," he told Enishi."Makimachi-sama!" Su-Shen said enthusiastically, nodding. "Good?"

"Dead!" Misao growled from across the room. Her jaw was clentched in anger and her face was pale."No! No dead?""Very dead," Misao affermed.She said something in Chinese to Enishi and he replied with Aoshi’s name. "You kill?" Su-Shen asked happily to Aoshi."Get her out!" Misao screamed. All movement in the room ceased. Su-Shen glared at Misao angrily. "Or get me out, I don’t care. I won’t watch this, this, kidnapper insult the two men I admire most!" When nobody moved towards either her or Su-Shen, she pushed herself to her feet violently and headed out the back door of the dojo."Girl no good!" Su-Shen chirped, pulling herself closer to Aoshi.