“Betrayal By Blood”
Part 9
Nori walks from Hijikata’s office standing at the edge of the walkway looking out into the courtyard as the men running around start to thin out. She steps down to the ground as the last man runs from her sight. She walks out a few steps when she hears, “All this commotion for little old me.”
Nori spins around as Oukami leaps from the top of the building landing just a few feet from her. He places his hand on his sword,
Nori laughs at him, “We have to make it look good, do we not?” Oukami says as he draws his sword running toward her. Nori stands there not moving, when Oukami gets a few steps from her she springs her self over the top of him as she flips her self around to land on her feet so she is facing his back.
“Oukami, why are you here?” she whispers to him. Oukami spins around drawing his wakizashi now having two swords drawn on Nori.
“You have completed your revenge on your sister, am I right?” Oukami says has he drops his wakizashi to his hip and the katana rises above his head.
Nori looks at Oukami, “She took her own life, she did not give me the chance to kill her with my own two hands.”
Oukami lunges at Nori as Nori steps into the wakizashi delivering a sharp hit to the wrist of the hand that held it, the wakizashi went sliding across the ground. Oukami, in the same action, brought down his katana over Nori. Nori quickly looks up seeing the blade come for her head as she brings both hands up catching the blade between her hands, putting her and Oukami just inches away from one another.
“She took her own life, you say?” Oukami says.
“Yes she did.” Nori tells him.
“Then you must finish the job and bring justice to the one that brought this on for her.” Oukami says looking at Nori. Nori lifts her foot placing it in the center of Oukami’s chest pushing Oukami back and looks at him with a confused look.
“The one that brought this on to her, she did it to herself?” Nori says.
Oukami starts to walk around Nori has he was holding his katana high, “Hijikata made her what she was. If he would not have trained her and allowed her to be here, she would have eventually gave up the thought of fighting with a sword. He caused her the grief she carried for so many years.” Oukami says slowly walking around behind Nori.
Nori stands there looking over her shoulder at him as her mind races with the thought of Hijikata teaching her sister to fight with a sword. Nori turns just as Oukami lunges toward her, Nori barely missing the attack as it cuts through her kimono.
“Hijikata will pay for what he has done in time, but only when I say.” Nori says. Oukami looks at Nori.
“Take his head now Nori, for if you do not... Hijikata WILL surly take yours.”
Nori hangs her head as the thought of what happened between her and Hijikata swirls in her mind. Oukami lunges at Nori as she hears someone yell.
“NORI!!” she looks up just in time to catch Oukami’s blade between her hands once again only this time the blade slices into the palm of her one hand.
Oukami sees two of the Shinsengumi men running toward them as three more come around the corner from hearing the others yell. Nori grits her teeth as Oukami steps toward her pushing the blade through her hands cutting her more.
Blood runs down her arms, as Oukami leans toward her saying, “Kill Hijikata before morning or I will be back to kill you.” Oukami is gone as Nori falls to her hands and knees into the dirt.
“Nori, are you all right?” she hears Shinpachi say, as he kneels at her side placing his hand on her back.
Sanosuke runs after Oukami trying to stop him. Soji, Tetsu, and another Shinsengumi member run over to Shinpachi and Nori. Tetsu looks down at Nori’s hands seeing blood soak the ground under one of them.
“Nori, you have been hurt?” Tetsu says. Nori pulls her hand up looking at it.
“They were not wrapped…,” she says at a whisper.
Hijikata and Toudou walk over to the others to see what was going on; Nori is looking at her hand still as a tear starts to trickle down her cheek blood filling her palm. Hijikata pushes the men out of his way to get to Nori when he sees that she is bleeding. Hijikata kneels down and places his hand on her shoulder, “Nori lets go get you taken care of.” Hijikata tells her.
Nori does not look at him or any of them for that fact, she was crying and she did not want them to see her weakened. She pushes Hijikata away causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Nori jumps up running from the men with her head hanging down. She steps up on the walkway and continues running as she disappears around the corner of the building. Susumu catches her as she runs by, Nori jerks from him but he grabs her again this time pulling her close to him and holding her tight.
Susumu takes her one hand that as been cut and looks at it, he slides his hand under her chin lifting her head he sees her eyes filled with tears. Susumu wraps his arms around her pulling her close to him and holding her to give her comfort. After a few minutes of standing there, Susumu hears Hijikata and Soji talking, they were getting closer. Susumu picks Nori up and runs off so not to be seen by them.
Later that night, Nori awakens in her room, getting up and walking to the door. As her hand touches the door, a sharp hot pain shoots through it. She looks down at her hand wrapped with a white bandage. Nori unwraps it as she walks out onto the walkway in front of her room.
“It is not safe for you to be out here.” She hears, turning to see Hajime standing behind her.
“Oh really now, why would you say something like that Hajime?” Nori asks him.
“He will come back for you, if you do not do as he has told you to do.” Susumu tells her as he jumps down from the top of the building.
“What do you two know?” Nori says looking at Susumu and then at Hajime, Susumu walks up to Nori and puts his hands on her shoulders.
“I know what he said to you Nori.” Susumu said. Nori steps back into Hajime startling her as she spins around, looking at both of them.
“So now what am I under lock and key until they catch him or until you know I am not going to do it?” Nori asks them.
“As long as Hijikata does not know you can still walk around free.” Hajime says.
Susumu walks closer to her, “If you make a wrong move Nori you know…”
“She is not going to kill Hijikata Susumu!” Hajime says cutting him off.
Nori hangs her head; she feels Hajime’s hand under her chin lifting her head he looks into her eyes.
“You are not going to kill Hijikata, right Nori?” Hajime says.
“He is safe from me, but not from the ones that want me to kill him.” Nori tells him.
“Then you are not safe either from them, if you are not going to do it for them. They will be back for you.” Hajime says.
Nori looks at Susumu, “How did you find this out Susumu?” Nori asks him.
“When the doctor knocked you out to stitch up your hand... you talked in your sleep.” Susumu said.
Nori’s face went blank. “So the doctor knows as well. Hijikata will find out for sure then.” Nori says.
“No, this was after I brought you back here and put you to bed. I sat with you for a while to make sure you were going to be alright.” Susumu tells Nori.
“I guess you went and told Hajime when you left me?” Nori asks.
“I needed someone that knew you better then I did, and Hajime I knew I could trust on this.” Susumu tells her.
Nori looks at Hajime, “I really hope you guys believe me on this. I am not going to kill Hijikata, I am not going to lie to you and tell you the thought did not cross my mind at one time, but things have changed and… well… I cannot explain them right now, but I am not going to kill him.” Nori tells them.
“Kill who?” They hear as they all look to see Hijikata walking down the walkway. Nori starts to think fast.
“The guy that attacked me today.” Nori tells him. Hijikata walks over to her taking her hand and looking at it.
“The doctor did a good job of sewing it up…” He looks at Nori, “He would have killed you if you would not have caught his blade in your hands.” Hijikata says. “Why would you not want to exact your revenge on him?” Hijikata asks her.
Nori pulls her hand from Hijikata, “Because I am not a killer.” Nori says, as she turns walking into her room.
