Disclaimer: I don't own the anime nor the characters that I write about, however I do own the story idea.
This is an AU so if you don't like the pairing, anime, or AU's then why did you look it up or click on this story?
Chapter 1
The rain cascaded down upon the small and filthy town, trying its best to wash away the dirt that covered every building, street, and person, but it was futile. The town had seen too much corruption, evil, sin, blood, and death to be cleansed by something as simple as rain. This town was where a lone samurai was currently residing, sitting in a bar and trying to pass the time.
He gulped down his fourth beer, listening to the rain pitter pat against the roof with a scowl etched into his face as he looked around. The bar was filled with criminals, bounty hunters, prostitutes, and other such people out to make a buck or find their thrills. It disgusted Zoro but places like these were just a part of his life as a wandering swordsman. He never stayed in one place, never got attached to anyone or anything, didn't care what happened around him as long as it didn't affect him, and he made money doing jobs that no one else would.
Zoro didn't serve a lord or fight for justice but was more of a bounty hunter, an assassin for hire and preferred to kill those of the corrupted, those that harmed many and deserved to die. He slammed down the empty mug and placed money for the drinks on the table before getting up and walking out, eyes from the workers and patrons following him to the door. He had just pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and walked out from beneath the awning of the bar's building when his ears picked up on sounds of a scuffle from a nearby alley. He didn't know what made him move, made him go towards the noise and actually want to know. Call it a morbid curiosity perhaps but usually he minded his own damn business, not caring much for anyone else and their problems.
His hands instinctively went to the hilt of his katana as the commotion got louder the closer he got but what he saw was enough to make the experienced swordsman's jaw drop. The sounds were caused by a fight but what was so unbelievable was that one person, covered up by a cloak, was fighting against at least twenty men, others already lying unconscious or dead around those still fighting. The figure moved with such grace and precision, fast and strong, the men fighting against the figure fell one by one, until only the cloaked figure remained standing. The fight lasted less than a minute after Zoro got there and now Zoro froze as the figure turned toward him, his katana clicked as it began to leave its sheath. Then the figure collapsed, crumpling to the ground, the rain water pooling on the ground soaking through their clothes.
He just stared, not sure if that all really just happened, the rain pelting against his own hood, the rain was all he could hear. Slowly he approached the figure on the ground, his steps splashing in the water and he squatted down about a foot away from the figure. He unsheathed his sword and used the blunt edge of the blade to lift the hood enough so he could see the lower half of the figure's face. The person was breathing heavily, like they had expended all of the energy and he just noticed the water around the person turning red. He didn't know what possessed him to do it but he sheathed his sword and carefully gathered the person in his arms, trying his best not to jostle them and worsen the wounds. As he stood up with the person in his arms the hood fell from their face, revealing orange hair and the face of a woman.