Kaoru examined the bodies on her dojo floor with what... a critical eye? She was about to yell at this man, this murder, when she noticed something. Every one of Gohei's henchmen, the ones who he had ' killed' were still breathing. They seemed to be finally waking up and she could hear pained moans coming out of their mouths.

'' You... you didn't kill them?'' Kaoru whispered.

Kenshin snorted disdainfully '' What do you take me for? I have never wielded my blade solely for the purpose of killing, or taking blood. I wield my blade for the weak. These men, all of them, were weak. After this, maybe they'll try to be a little stronger. That man, however.'' He said as he pointed to Gohei, '' was the monster getting these weak willed men to do his bidding. People like him threaten this new age of peace.'' Kenshin looked her in the eye. '' I did not mean to keep my identity from you, yes, I was Hitokiri Battosai during the revolution, however, I left that name behind me ten years ago. Now I am a simple rurouni, protecting Japan through the ways of Aku Zoku Zan.''

Kenshin turned his attention to the least wounded of the men. '' Clean up your comrades, and leave.'' He said. The man helped his comrades to stand, since Kenshin hadn't wounded them all too badly.

'' I am sorry for the trouble my reputation has caused you. Good luck, Kaoru-dono.''

He turned to leave and was surprised at what happened. '' You Jerk! You can't just leave me here to rebuild the Kamiya Kasshin ryu all by myself!''

He turned around, '' I'm sure having the real battosai staying here wouldn't help either.''

'' I don't want the battosai, I want the rurouni,'' She gasped and covered her mouth. '' If you must leave, then go, but, at least let me say thank you.''

Kenshin slid the shouji shut. Kaoru's shoulders slumped for a second.

'' I guess I could stay here for a while.'' Kenshin said.

Kenshin made dinner that night, since Kaoru insisted upon making lunch and Kenshin almost died. ( you call that food?!)

'' Kenshin, would you be willing to help me teach? Once we get more students?''

Kenshin shook his head. '' I won't teach a style other than my own, and the Hiten Mitsurugi cannot be taught to just anyone.'' Kenshin replied. '' Picking a pupil is one of the hardest things the mast of the ryu has to do.''

'' The Hiten Mitsurugi?'' Kaoru said, letting her tongue get a feel for the name.

Kenshin nodded. '' It is the sword of the flying dragon, wielded by few in the name of the weak. Only two people know the style at any given time, Master and Apprentice. I have not mastered this style, as I left my shishou before learning the ougi. It's an ancient style of Kenjutsu, developed during the sengoku jidai. It was developed to kill as many enemies as you can with a single stroke. In the wrong hands, thousends would fall before the blade of the wielder, and none would know how it happened.''

Kaoru looked down at her food. '' Was it in the wrong hands when you were Battosai?''

Kenshin shook his head. '' No. Contrary to what many believe, thanks to rumors and cowardice, Hitokiri Battosai was not a cold blooded killer, he did not kill for the joy, or to see the blood. I was the assassin of shadows for the Ishin Shishi because of my interpretations of the principles of the Hiten. ' Wield my sword to protect the weak.' and that is what I did. I cannot ask you to understand, as you have grown up within the peace of Meiji, but then, assassination was unavoidable. The men killed by Hitokiri Battosai were men who deserved to die, men who stole from the weak, oppressed them.''

Kaoru shook her head, '' But a life is a life!'' she argued.

'' And the life a peasant lived was not much of a life at all. The life a slave lived was not even life. Yet these men, these Bakufu officials, lived comfortably at the expense of others.'' Kenshin said, '' That is why I fought. That is why I still fight.''

Kaoru thought about what he had said. ' he's right, father was a Samurai, so even when I was young, I never lived a harsh life...' then she looked up, '' but weren't you a Samurai too?''

Kenshin shook his head. '' My parents were poor farmers. I lived a peasants life for 7 years before they died of cholera, then I lived a slaves life for 1 year. Bandits killed the traders I traveled with, and shishou took me in and trained me.'' Kenshin replied.

Kaoru was taken aback by this information. '' Aku Zoku Zan...'' she said, '' why did you choose that path?''

Kenshin shrugged, '' it was the only one that made sense to me.''

Kaoru had a million other questions, but decided it for the best if she didn't ask them, he didn't seem to want to answer anymore questions.

They decided to go to into town to do some shopping. '' We need salt, soy, and some miso.'' Kaoru said.

Kenshin nodded and entered the store.

'' I'm going to hang some fliers Kenshin.'' Kaoru called to him from outside. Kenshin waved and returned to the shopping. ' I'll pick up some tofu as well.' He thought as he began.

He was trying to find Kaoru and was getting annoyed. ' How many fliers does she have?' he thought irritably. He'd been following fliers for nearly 10 minuets and still sign of the young Kendo teacher.

'' Wheeeee! Wheeee!'' Kenshin heard the whistle and sighed.

'' Stop right there!'' A police officer officer yelled. '' You are breaking the sword edict!''

Kenshin turned to face the officer and sighed, again. '' Does it look like I'm killing anybody?'' he mumbled to himself. The officer obviously didn't hear him.

' This happens in every city. Should I just run like I usually do...' His musing was cut short by a rather dirty ki. Kenshin looked in the direction and saw the sword baring police. ' Ah, Just when I do though my day couldn't get any better.' He thought cynically, ' now I get to deal with these fools.' He'd heard of the sword baring police a few times on his travels, and as far as rumors go, their a bunch of evil bastards.

The police officer who had first caught Kenshin walked up to the captain of the sword baring police. '' He's showing no signs of resistance, we really don't need your help, Captain Ujiki.''

Ujiki smirked, then hit the man in the nose with the handle of his katana. '' Are you trying to tell me what to do?'' He sneered. '' Get out of here, you are no longer needed. '' he then turned to Kenshin.

'' To be wearing a sword in broad day light, in front of the sword baring police no less, one has to be pretty sure of his skills.'' he drew his blade, '' How about a fight.''

Kenshin didn't even blink at the sword that was mere inches from his eyes. '' Don't be so reckless.'' He bit out as he grabbed the blade, '' I've no reason to show off.''

Ujiki frowned.

'' Kenshin!'' Kaoru yelled as she started running towards him. Kenshin's eyes widened.

'' No, Kaoru-dono st-'' Too late. Two of the police had already cut off her hair ribbon. She stopped mid step.

'' Next will be her kimono. Will you draw your sword now?''

The crowd started booing and jeering. '' What wrong with you? She didn't do anything!'' Ujiki sneered. '' jeering from the crowd, your all accomplices. Arrest them, kill anyone who resists. ''

Just before they started to attack, Kenshin drew his sword with a sharp '' shing!''

'' If you require an opponent, I'll fight you, just don't expect to walk away alive.'' Kenshin said icily, sharp blue eyes flecked with gold bore into Ujiki's own.

'' Attack!'' he yelled. His squad did as they were told and came at Kenshin. As he weaved and ducked, he slashed each of their sword arms, not enough to sever it, but enough to cut the nerves and tendons. They all screamed and fell to the ground as their arms hung limply. '' Your lives as swordsmen are now over.'' Kenshin said.

Deciding not to kill them, he turned to the last man. '' You however, I have something different planned for you.''

Ujiki just grit his teeth and ran towards Kenshin. Kaoru gasped when she saw that he was attacking using the jigen style. Kenshin scoffed. He dodged the vertical slash and jumped behind him. He came down and slashed him across his back, severing his spinal cord and killing him instantly. '' Aku Zoku Zan.'' He said.

The crowed began cheering and stormed to thank him. '' That was great brother! Yeah where are you from? Join us for a drink!'' Kenshin slipped out of the crowd and walked over to Kaoru.

'' Are you alright?'' he asked her. She smiled and nodded. '' I'm sorry, your ribbon go ruined because I didn't want to fight in front of a crowd.'' kenshin said.

Kaoru just waved him off. ''It's alright, you can just do some extra chores.'' Kenshin sweat dropped, but agreed none the less.

'' Now.'' Kaoru said, '' Lets go to the Akabeko!''

Kenshin raised an eye brow.

'' A beef pot restaurant.'' She answered, then drug him off before he could respond.

One their way, Kenshin felt a peculiar ki. It was quite weak, that of a boy, but it held bad intentions. ' hm... pick pocket?' he thought. Then he sensed the presence coming directly behind him and sighed. The kid was about to reach his hand into Kenshin's gi when he grabbed the kids hand.

'' If your gonna pick pockets, don't be so obvious about it, or pick an easier target kid.'' Kenshin said, clearly not impressed with the young boy's actions.

The boy pulled his hand out of Kenshin's grasp. '' I only targeted you because your wearing those swords. You think your some kinda swordsmen? My dad coulda wiped the floor with you! I'm Myojin Yahiko, descendant of Tokyo Samurai!'' he yelled.

'' Then you shouldn't disgrace your name by pick pocketing.'' Kaoru said, '' What would we have done if you had been able to take that? A samurai would never do such a disgraceful thing.''

'' Shut up ugly!'' Yahiko yelled back, '' You have no idea wh-''

'' I'm not ugly! They call me the beauty of Kenjutsu around here!'' Kaoru yelled back.

Yahiko scoffed. '' Well you still don't understand.''

'' My father was a samurai as well, I understand honor better than you, at least I don't steal.''

Kenshin decided to break this up, '' perhaps you should rethink your morals and values, kid.'' Kenshin said as he started walking. Kaoru turned and followed him.

Yahiko scowled. '' I'm not a kid!'' he yelled threw a rock. Kenshin dodged said rock, and it landed harmlessly in front of him. Deciding to ignore the kid, the two kept walking.

'' You mean you now that pickpocket Tae?!'' Kaoru said, shocked.

'' Well yes.'' she said. '' When his father died, the local Yakuza took him and his mother in, but she was sick. They paid the medical bills until she died, and then afterwards they made him work to pay it off.'' she said sadly.

'' Thats cruel!'' Kaoru said.

Kenshin frowned. '' Kaoru-dono, I'll meet you back at the dojo, thank you, Tae-dono for the food.'' Kenshin said as he walked out. He had stumbled upon the HQ of the yakuza when he was searching for gohei, so finding it again probed a pretty easy task.

He walked in the front door as soon as he arrived,and , unsurprisingly, was met with nearly the entire syndicate. Kenshin unsheathed his wakizashi, '' Move, or taste my blade. I'm not in the best of moods right now so I cannot guarantee your survival.'' He said.

The thugs scoffed. '' Why don't you draw your katana little man?'' One of them taunted.

'' I don't need it. A wakizashi is more than enough.'' He replied flatly.

The yakuza thugs leapt at Kenshin all at once, which didn't make much of a difference in the end. All of them were either unconscious, or dead. '' I held back as much as I could afford.'' he said dryly, '' You jumped to your own deaths.''

He kicked the door in to see Yahiko being held up by his throat.

'' Put the boy down.'' He said.

The man drew his sword, '' I'm hitokiri Gasuke, no one tells me what to do. Especially some has been samurai.'' He said as he ran towards Kenshin.

Kenshin started laughing, a cold hollow laugh that stopped Gasuke in his tracks. '' Whats so funny?'' he demanded.

'' You think your a hitokiri? I don't know weather to take that as a joke or an insult.'' He said icily. Gasuke froze when he saw his eyes, ice blue, with flecks of flowing amber.

'' Who are you?''

Kenshin contemplated on weather or not he should tell him. ' I haven't had a good laugh in a long time.' He smirked. '' Himura Kenshin, Ishin Shishi, Hitokiri Battosai.'' He answered coldly. Everyone in the room froze. Gasuke paled considerably. Kenshin, in the blink of an eye, pulled his Katana, still in it's scabbard out of it's sheath and hit Gasuke in the chin with the the hilt. The force sent him flying into the ceiling. '' And you interrupted me. '' He said disdainfully. He then turned his attention to he Yakuza boss.

'' What'ya say boss? Are you gonna let me take the kid, or do I need to defeat your entire syndicate today?''

'' take the brat.'' he said shakily, '' t-take whatever you want!''

Kenshin smiled and pulled Yahiko to his feet. '' Come on kid.'' he said. Yahiko slapped his hand away.

'' I didn't need your help, I could have handled them on my own!'' He yelled.

'' Don't delude yourself. He may have been weak, but as you are now, you're weaker. Instead of complaining let me take you somewhere to get stronger, but first, let me treat your wounds.'' he said as he picked Yahiko up and slung him over his shoulder.

When they arrived back at the dojo, Kenshin put yahiko down. ''You can become stronger here Yahiko, with the Kamiya Kasshin ryu. Kaoru-dono is quite a good teacher.''

Kaoru walked into the room. '' Are you talking about me Kenshin?'' she giggled.

A look of terror crossed Yahiko's face. '' You want me to learn, from this ugly girl?!''

And the fight started. But in the end, Yahiko was Kaoru's next apprentice.

A/N: next will be the Oniwabanshuu!!! fun stuff.

bbzachariah: I can see where your coming from with thinking that he would take the vow anyway, but he tells Katsura that '' I cannot honor her memory if I die as a swordsmen'' and that is why he takes his vow not to kill, and ultimately gives up the sword after he marries Kaoru.

REVIEW! I want to know if my story is any good or not. =]