Her eyes followed him like haunting ghosts. Her hand crept down her side, resting on the hilt of the katana. A grin curled her lips, racing up her cheeks. There he was.. His prey. Without even knowing it, he put herself in danger. People were so naïve in these peaceful times.

Red hair, and a cross shaped scar on his left cheek. The Legendary Battousai, the Manslayer. How much did she hate him: The Battousai. She gripped the hilt of the katana tightly and was about to step out of the darkness to strike, but he held the hand of two young girls. Her eyes widened. "Wha-what?" She kept her mouth shut. She knew what he was like, she had been watching him for a while. He could hear things other people couldn't, see things other people could not see. She growled quietly and closed her eyes, leaning against the alleyway wall. "…Dammit." She said, staying back.

"I wanna piggyback ride, Uncle Ken!" Ayame whined.

"Me too, Me too!" Suzume giggled.

"Alright, okay." Kenshin smiled and picked Suzume and Ayame up, placing them both on his shoulders. They held onto his hair and started singing, making their way back to the Kamiya Dojo.

Kenshin could hear Kaoru scream at Yahiko before they even reached the gate. "Wow.. I wonder what he did this time." All three of them laughed as they entered. Sano met them outside.

Kenshin sat Ayame and Suzume down and looked to him. "So.. What did he do?"

Sano sighed. "Believe me, you don't want to know."

"SHUT UP, YOU UGLY!" He yelled, running through the dojo.

"Stop calling me ugly, Yahiko. I am the assistant master of this school, you will treat me with respect!"

"Ha, yeah right!" Yahiko ran past Sano and Kenshin. "Save me from the Kaoru Monster!" He teased, sticking out his tongue towards Kaoru.

"Oh, I'll get you!" She yelled, picking up a bucket and throwing it. Of course, it missed its target and hit Kenshin. He hit the ground like a log, a lump growing on his forehead.

"Ohh… Ow.. You should calm down, Ms. Kaoru that you should.." He managed to say before falling unconscious.

Sano sighed heavily and closed his eyes, sitting against the wall on the porch of the dojo. "At least you don't have to hear 'em anymore."

Kaoru and Yahiko continued arguing for a while and Ayame and Suzume started poking at Kenshin. "Uncle Ken!" They pulled his hair. "Wake up!" Ayame cried. "Wake up!" They slapped his cheeks with laughter.

His eyes popped open and he smiled up to the two of them, rubbing his head. He looked up to Sano. "Are they done yet?"

He watched them run across the yard. "Nope."

Kenshin sighed and pushed himself up, sitting himself beside Sano and the girls. "This is happening more and more often. Maybe, Yahiko needs a break from his swordsmanship training?"

"I don't know.. But, its still funny watching them argue."

Kenshin cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, well.. You're not the one getting hit with buckets, now are you?" He laughed.

Her eyes narrowed. Her eyes were caught on the sheath on his belt. Was that the sword he used to slaughter all those people back in the Revolution ten years ago? He seemed like a different person.. But, why? She was beginning to doubt the real motives of her employer, Gohei Hirama. It didn't matter, she told herself. She wasn't hired to ask questions, she wasn't hired to think. She was hired to kill.

She gripped the hilt of the katana tightly and let out a small breath. "..Tonight, Battousai. You will meet your end." She whispered, pushing herself up from the ground and walking out from the bushes quietly. She walked along the village streets, looking at the many people that laughed, that smiled…She wished she could be like that.. Even once. She sighed heavily and looked to the skies. Tonight.. Tonight it would end, even if the Battousai killed her. Even then, she would be at peace. She was getting tired of this life, but she heard so many things about the Legendary Battousai. The deaths he caused, the blood he had spilt. And when she was told he went back to his old ways.. Well, she could no longer deal with a man such as him. He deserved to die.

Kenshin looked to the bushes, his eyes narrowing for a moment. "What is it, Kenshin?"

"I do think we will be having some company tonight, that I do."

Sano looked to him for a moment. "..Can't he ever just give up!" He growled. "..Idiot."

Kenshin looked back to him with a smile. "Let's hope it's not that much of a problem." Kenshin nodded and pushed himself up, walking to where he had heard the soft noise.

He sighed, seeing a woman with a katana on her belt. Had that bastard hired another hired killer to take care of him? When would he ever learn? He sighed heavily.. He wondered for a moment if the woman would actually go through with it, just like the others had tried. He looked back. Including, Sano. He looked back to her. He knew it would be tonight.

He gripped the sheath of the katana tightly.. "Tonight," he said.