AN: Misao's POV. Also for this story, assume Misao does not know any martial arts and cannot defend for herself.

Shinobi's Sacrifice

Written by Wintersnowfallz

I skipped work for a couple of days. Not like it mattered, to be frank, I just was not doing too well in my job as a medic for the Bakumatsu. Being abducted and forced to work for my enemies usually doesn't inspire me to try my best. I know this nation will probably eliminate me soon, since that's what usually happens with a useless hostage – especially after I refused to heal one of their top ranked ninjas. I would rather die than to betray my country.

Actually, I have been treated quite well. I was stuck in a mansion surrounded by a seal so that I could not leave, but at least I had the whole place to myself. I felt like a sitting pink duck, waiting for the time to come when they determined I was of no use and execute me. I did not dare to send a message for anyone in Oniwabanshu. There were at least 20 ninjas guarding me, hoping to hold the Okashira's granddaughter as leverage against Okina.

Two weeks ago, the Bakumatsu assigned a "bodyguard" for me. I didn't know if this body guard was suppose to actually protect me, prevent me from committing suicide, or guard me from leaving the fortress. He was about a good foot taller and me. His hair and features were hidden beneath his black outfit. The Bakumatsu clan also continued to drug me, to ensure I won't be using any spells or tricks to leave.

I was just sitting in my room, when I heard a loud crack, and my door shook with the force of this unknown impact from this unknown source. I was tempted to look outside of my room through my glass door, but I figured that would just be asking for immediate death. I started backing up towards the window, but I noticed someone's head was slowly rising to view. He had crazy fluffy black hair and a creepy grin on his face, staring at me with a pair of beady black eyes.

At that moment, I started shaking from his eerie stare. My door flew open, catching half of my remaining conscious attention, and an assassin dressed in dark red stood there. His eyes were targeted on me and started to rush towards me. I didn't even have time to recognize what he was holding.

Just as quickly, or perhaps even quicker, I saw a black blur fly by the corner of my eyes. I recognized it was my bodyguard's outfit as he started to fight against my attackers. How many assassins did they send to kill some girl who can't fight? My window shattered, and the assassin with the fluffy hair near the window was gone. There was nothing there anymore except my shattered window that was profusely blowing in air and gusts of snow.

Why was I not dead yet? I look back towards the assassins who came in my door. My bodyguard wasted no time as he begun to fight the remaining Ninjas standing just outside of my door. My eyes darted between the two sides. I didn't understand why two people on the same team were fighting each other. Why would my bodyguard protect me, if he was just preventing me from leaving?

Within seconds, kunais were spiraled through the air, I was shoved a few times. The first assassin fell down on the floor, apparently dead. The second one glanced between my bodyguard and me. He decided his chances were slim, and quickly turned on his heels and ran away. Although my unknown bodyguard held no weapon, but still managed to defeat the round of assassins.

He walks to me slowly and removes his mask. His blue eyes glanced at me with concern but I was mesmerized by his face. It was just so perfect, so handsome.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" He asks, probably wondering why I haven't said a single word.

He continued to glance over me to check for any injuries I may have sustained.

"Who… are you?" I questioned.

"I'm Shinomori Aoshi, your bodyguard." He mutters while he's checking.

"I will always come to your rescue, no matter what, as long as I am alive." He promised.

He told me to call him Aoshi. I thought it was weird but I accepted it. He helped me up, and asked if I were hurt anywhere during the process when he shoved me. I responded to his question urgently with a question of my own, "are you hurt anywhere?"

He says no, and continues to glance over me to make sure I was alright.

"Aoshi … sama." I said.

He looked up from where he was, surprised by my honorific I had added on his name.

"Aoshi – sama, you haven't answered my question... Are you sure you're not injured?"

He lifted his wrist, "No, I'm fine. Unless you count this scratch."

He raised his wrist. There were a scratch that looked as if he rubbed the outside of his wrist on cement and hard. But it didn't look life threatening at all.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

He looked at me wondering why I was so concerned, but didn't question any further. "Let's get up upstairs, there's more protection there."

"Why did you save me? Aren't you all on the same team?"

"Listen carefully, Mikamachi-san – ."

"Misao. Call me Misao" I interrupted him.

"Very well Misao-san. I'm a spy sent to you by Okina. I had pretended to be the bodyguard they sent to keep you in this mansion but ultimately, my goal is to eventually sneak you out of the Bakumastu's domain."

"Then, can we go? Right now?"

I'm so sick of being stuck here. Perhaps I can see my family again.

"No… When I get the signal, we can leave. They will shoot a flare gun a few miles away on the east side of this building, next to your bedroom. When that happens, we leave. There's too many guards near this mansion. These assassins today were not sent by the Bakumatsu's leader. They gave your grandfather 2 weeks to back out of the war. Today, it was probably just some groups getting sick of waiting. In 2 weeks, if we don't see a signal, we'll have to make a run for it."

He continued to lead me back into my room. I sat on my bed, staring at him. Afterall, he was just standing near the window, watching me.

"So… Aoshi – sama. Let's play the 1000 question game."

"What is the 1000 question game?" He asked, confused.

"It's where I ask you 1000 questions and you answer it… duh! So… what's your favorite color?"

I swore I could sense him sweat drop inside, though he tried hard to maintain his nonchalant image.

"Blue" He replied, after clearing his throat.

I waited for him to ask me a question, but there was only silence.

"Aoshi-sama! You're supposed to ask me one now."

He looked at me to see if I was joking… I wasn't. I patiently, or more like impatiently, waited for him.

He sighed. "What's your favorite color."

… this will be a very long 2 weeks.

Days passed and nothing happened. We continued to play our 1000 question game throughout the day. He lived there with me. At first he was reluctant to talk to me, but eventually I got some small talk going. I learned he started training since he was four years old and was adopted into our Oniwabanshu as a spy, which was probably the reason I haven't met him. But honestly, over the past week or so, I found myself becoming more and more attached to him.

My biggest goal everyday was to make him smile at me. I went through every joke I was ever told and every funny story I ever had. Rarely, I see the corners of his mouth, start to creep upwards, just slightly.

"Ok, I have a good joke. What came first? The chicken or the rooster?"

"That's not a joke… usually it's the question of chicken or the egg…"

"Uh… Well, it's my joke. You should answ—."

I saw that fuzzy head starting to appear on the window slowly look in, as if he really was a peeping tom. Then another one started to rise near my door. Behind the assassin outside of my window, I saw a flare of green smoke rising into the air.

"Aoshi!" I alerted him, but he was already well aware as he pushed me near the bathroom.

"Go in there and try to hide" He said urgently.

I turned around and ran as fast as I could, but an assassin popped out of nowhere and started to chase me. I quickly ran in the bathroom, and locked the door. It took me a couple of tries, but I managed to get it locked. He pushed against the door with all his might and the shook as if an earthquake was going to take me under.

After several tries, he realized this re-inforced door was too strong to break physically. He decided instead he was going to climb over through the vents above the bathroom blue-old fashion door and get in that way.

I counted to ten, waiting for him to enter the vent and crawl over a bit. I heard the vents behind shoved open and my heart jumped to my throat. While he was jumping down into the bathroom, I opened the door and ran out towards the kitchen. I grabbed whatever I could find, pans, pots, dishes to throw at him. At first I caught him off of surprise and managed to scratch his face, but that satisfaction was a fleeting feeling as he was filled with rage. I grabbed a butcher's knife and threw it at him. That was stupid, and I knew it: he is an assassin, my weak throw won't do anything, in fact, and he'll probably use that against me.

I backed away into the dead end of the kitchen, squeezed my eyes shut, and shouted, "Aoshi-SAMA!"

The knife never struck me as I was pushed to the side. When I looked up, Aoshi was fighting with the assassin, but not nearly as with ease as the last time I saw him, but after a few moments, he was able to knock the assassin out cold or perhaps killed him.

He takes my hand as gently as he can, and pulls me out of the room and into the common areas. We were on the second floor, but the middle of this building was an open space. He looked through all the path of escapes, but they were all blocked except the one through the front door.

Other assassins were coming after us.

"Go" he tells me.

"What? No I can't leave you."

He turned to a maid, and commanded her, "take Misao and get out!"

The maid shook with fear and nodded. She took me by my hand and started to drag me down stairs to head for the door.

I ran with her, realizing that I may just be a burden to him. I figured I better get out of his way. He can handle himself better than I can if I were around.

Tears were building up, as I could barely see where I was going. She dragged me down the stairs and headed towards the opening. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

"No!" the maid gasp, but I didn't realize until I ran into a body, dressed completely in black.

He cocked his gun and pointed it at me. Such close range, there was no way I'll survive this time. And I thought, "Aoshi-sama, don't worry you didn't break your promise, it doesn't count when I'm being stupid."

Bang.

I sat in a beautiful garden, talking to a beautiful woman with black hair and blue eyes and a red-haired man with purple eyes.

"So Mikamachi-dono, how've you been lately?"

"Please don't call me that anymore, my name is now Shinomori Misao" I replied with a firm smile, honest yet with a trace of pain as I started to recall.

The man in black cocked the gun and pointed it at me. I felt the air knocked out of me as I fell to the floor. My ribs ached intensely but I wasn't shot. I looked up, and see Aoshi snatch the gun out of his hands and shot the assassin.

He pulled me by my waist and dragged me back up the stairs as I realize a cloud of purple smoke was started to seep in from the front door. My relief was short lived. When we got up there, Aoshi leaned against a wall and slid down into a sitting position. Sweat covered his handsome face.

I was bewildered at first, but then I realized that he had not just pushed me out of the way this time, but took the bullets. Along with scratches, cuts, and other various injuries he sustained when fighting with four or five other assassins, he had a nasty gun shot on his shoulder, bleeding freely.

"Aoshi-sama! Aoshi, are you alright?"

He looked at me with concern, "Are you ok? I shoved you really hard earlier."

I could tell he was bleeding, and injured as beads of sweat covered his beautiful face. I kneeled down in front of him, carefully dabbing his face.

"I'm alright" he tells me.

How could he even say that right now in his condition?

"Come out, come out where ever you are!"

I felt him tense up.

"There's only one left, be when I glanced outside I recognized him. His name is Saitoh, also known as the wolf," Aoshi whispers to me with struggle, "but he is a lot more experienced than any of the ones I took down. He's about my level."

I didn't know what to do. "What can we do?"

"We may be able to find an exit, and you can try to escape. I'll try to take him down."

"Like this in your current condition? Did you say he was almost on the same level as you when you're all in shape?"

He grimaced butt didn't say anything.

"Suicide mission." I realized in horror.

"A man fighting without care of his life is much stronger than on who cares."

"No! You can't do th-" I wasn't able to finish before he covered my mouth.

He grunted slightly and lifted me up completely by my waist and dashed to the other end of the hall that surround the square room. I realized why as I heard gunshots showering where we had sat.

Although there was plenty of noise in the room, considering Aoshi managed to turn on the music before we left the room, the assassin was still able to distinguish us.

He set me on my feet before slumping into a pile on the floor.

"Aoshi!" I remembered to whisper it so softly it was almost as if I was just mouthing it.

He breathed heavily and closed his eyes, not willing to let me see his pain. I noticed now that it wasn't only the one gun shot, but he has sustained a couple.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I suddenly remembered. I was not hunted down for my just my connection to Okina, but rather for my unique DNA. My blood can help heal the body.

I reached into his pockets, looking for a knife. When I found one, I took it out.

He grabbed my hands, "What are you doing?"

He hands shook on top of mine with barely any strength left.

I brushed his hands off, "I know what I'm doing, don't worry."

I sliced a thin cut into my thumb, and pulled him into a sitting position. I kneeled between his legs, and bent over to squeeze some blood out.

"Open your mouth."

He was too tired to protest. I dropped a few drops of blood into his mouth.

"The backdoor, go out there. You should be alright by then. I promise he is the last one. They wouldn't send out Saitoh if there were any other ways. You will be safe after this." He promised me.

He says with some struggle, as I realize he was thinking of a plan this whole time.

"No, I refuse."

"Please, just do it, it'll be easier for both of us."

"Yeah, easier for you to die."

I went back and cut a bigger line. The blood flowed more easily. I put it to his mouth again.

Instantly I could see his injuries were starting to close up. It may help him heal, but it didn't help that he lost much blood already.

Few more moments of him sitting there, before he took my hand away from his mouth and dragged me into a run. Saitoh was too tired to wait and decided to randomly shoot. Aoshi dragged me around the hall to reach the rear, where there was a stair case leading to the outside.

"GO!" he shouted at me when we reached the back.

I was about to protest, but Saitoh was already half way up the stairs. Aoshi gripped his double short swords so tightly, his knuckles turned white. I nodded, turned around, and practically flew down the stairs. I could hear metal clashing with metal and a few gunshots into the wall.

I ran out the back door, and ran around the house. I stumbled upon an auto-gun. I can't just leave him. He saved me and he's a good person. Plus, I haven't made him smile at me yet. I picked up the auto gun and ran into the house through the front entrance. I could see the two of him from the first floor. I aimed the gun at Saitoh, who was there just kicking the prone figure, which I assume to be Aoshi, mocking at his condition.

I didn't really know what I was doing, but all I knew was that I had to point and shoot, and so I did. Rain of bullets came pouring out of my gun, but I didn't know where I was aiming, hopefully it was fatal to him.

My attack took him by surprise as he grunted forward a bit. He had taken several hits. I assume taking multiple hits would be fatal. I dropped the gun as it ran out of ammo. That's when I saw it. Saitoh gripped the railing hard, there was blood streaming down his chest, and he coughed up blood. With the last of his breath, he cocked his own gun, pointed at me and pressed the trigger.

It all happened in slow motion.

Aoshi jumped over the railing from the second floor. He didn't even take the time to absorb the shock and ran towards me. Saitoh pulled the trigger, and Aoshi shoved me with all his might to push me out of the way.

The bullet had struck Aoshi square in the chest. Saitoh and Aoshi fell at the same time.

"NO! AOSHI!"

I rush back over, despite that I may have broken a rib and I held his head in my lap.

"That was stupid of you for coming back, are you alright?" he managed to ask, placing his hand on my face.

I nodded with tears profusely running down my face.

"Good" he whispers and pulled on a smile as his hand fell limp and an unpulled grenade from his other hand rolled across the floor.

AN: In case you didn't get it, Aoshi was planning on pulling a grenade when he was sure Misao had left as a suicide bomber. This story was based off of my dream a few nights ago. I woke up crying .