Prayer of the Refugee

Chapter 2

The broken soul

AN- Hello my wonderful readers! Here is chapter two. Another gore warning and a surprise guest character! Can you guess who it is? Well, I'll give you a hint. This story is based off of his. Good luck. PS- I hinted at who it was at the beginning of the first chapter of Eyes of the Devil!

Disclaimer- I own none of the character other than those I created, obviously.

"Sakura…"

Her heart stopped. It was really him.

He stood there, the glow of the full moon lighting his features. He wore white gi, starkly contrasting the darkness of the night. It hung loosely on his thin frame, and was opened slightly in the front, showing off his ripped chest and abs.

On his wrists he wore dark blue swordsmen's gloves. Matching hakama, the same shade of dark blue, was on his legs. They were fitted tighter than most hakama, and about two inches longer, but didn't restrict his movements. Black shinobi boots adorned his feet.

A black obi (cloth belt) was around his waist. Draped through it on his side was the shining black sheath to his sword and a wakizashi. It mirrored his sword, from what she remembered: dark blue grip, same guard design, the same black sheath. He still wore his shuriken holster strapped to his right leg.

Of course he looked the same; his bangs were a few inches longer, and hung in his eyes.

She shuddered as her eyes locked with his, as far away as he was. She felt that familiar warmth spreading through her. She welcomed it like a long lost friend, resigning to beat the hell out of him and then proceed to fuck his brains out.

His gaze left her and he studied their surroundings.

The mass of enemy, Kakashi and Inubo down; this wasn't good.

And Sakura… She was hurt. Because she'd come here for him. Rage coursed through him.

"Why are you all quaking? It's just one man. Kill him then kill the others!" A rather bold shinobi yelled, but was silenced at the glares of his comrades.

"Don't you get it? That's the Demon of the Shadows! He'll kill us all!"

"Fools…" Takashi muttered.

"Demon! Why are you here? These people mean nothing to you!"

"Wrong. The woman you sliced is my love." He said darkly as he saw the blood dripping from his blade.

Inubo had done a number on them. From the brutally dismembered bodies, bits of flesh lying here and there, and decimated buildings he guessed Inubo had used his Angel's Right Hand technique.

The men were horrified at his words. A few cocky shinobi stood. One of them jumped up to the roof next to Takashi.

"So what if she's your bitch? We'll…"

"Bad move." Kakashi whispered as the man's body came crashing down, rent clean in half.

Takashi had a few flecks of blood here and there on his body. He growled. Swinging his blade to clean the excess blood away, he disappeared.

A scream from behind one of the masses of warriors caught their attention. They scattered, and Takashi growled at how cowardly they were.

Almost a hundred men to four shinobi; their cowardice disgusted him.

"Now you all die." He growled before shooting forward, using his incredible speed to slice down the men.

Sakura looked on in horrified amazement as he glided through the men. His grace with a sword was incredible yet terrible to behold. Blood, bit's of bone, limbs, chunks of flesh; all were left in his wake as he destroyed those foolish enough to attempt to kill her.

Blood sprayed, falling like rain as he went.

Screams echoed in the night as he quickly dispatched almost fifty of them, each swing of his sword sending three of them to the afterlife.

He slid to a halt a few yards in front of her. He turned, not even glancing at her as he swung the blade to get rid of the bits of flesh and bone and splashes of blood on the cold steel.

His clothes were soaked with blood, and it was matted in his hair and dripping down his body. Sakura was shocked as she saw the man she loved. He really was a demon.

He growled at the remaining forces, most had scattered, running for their lives. How could one man be so incredibly powerful?

It seemed unreal to her that the one who'd caused so much carnage was her Takashi.

He turned back and Sakura saw his eyes were molten gold, Sharingan spinning menacingly.

"Sakura. Get Inubo and Kakashi out of here!" He barked before surging forward at the remaining enemy. They would all die for hurting Sakura, his Sakura.

Sakura swallowed hard. His eyes. They'd scared her, but they, for some reason she didn't know, aroused her. His sheer strength… God, it was terrifying.

She did as he said and grabbed her teammates. Inubo could move by himself, but Kakashi was injured badly. His left leg was slashed deeply; hot blood seeped from the wound.

Inubo carried the wounded copy ninja as they leaped through the seemingly endless field of fallen men, blood, twisted limbs and deformed bodies.

Sakura knew as soon as they could stop she'd vomit.

She heard Takashi yell something and was almost knocked off her feet. She turned and her jaw dropped.

A black tornado, fiercer and more terrible than any natural cyclone, made of black wind; had enveloped the buildings, ripping them apart and destroying everything in its wake. It didn't move, and as suddenly as the great cyclone had appeared, it was gone.

Sakura gasped while Inubo growled.

"Why did he use that? Now they'll be all over us!" He growled as they returned to their flight.

Takashi stood alone in the center of the field of destruction caused by his juutsu, his sword now sheathed.

His eyes remained the same molten gold as he looked up into the dark clouds, some still spinning in the after-affect of his juutsu. Rain spilled from the heavy cloud. He growled and he loosened his shoulders, allowing the rain to drench him. To wash away all the blood that covered his body.

He grimaced. So she'd really come for him. This was exactly what he was trying to prevent. Why did she follow him? He left to protect her damn it!

The sound of men running was growing louder.

"Reinforcements." He muttered before launching himself to the nearest rooftop (which was a good fifty feet). He spared one look back, in the direction his love had gone. She'd have to forgive him for not coming straight to her. He had to get the reinforcements off their tails.

He started off, running into the darkness.

"Sakura…"

He sat huddled under his black cloak, as he'd done in the cave the night before. A fire would give away their position, so they had to try and keep warm without it.

Inubo shivered violently, sneezing.

"Damn cold." He muttered angrily.

Kakashi grunted in pain.

"Sit still." Sakura barked. She was trying to stitch up the very deep wound to Kakashi's left leg. But it wasn't going well, and Kakashi had lost too much blood as it was. If he continued to bleed, he would die before the sun rose.

Sweat beaded from her forehead as she pooled her chakra and pushed it out of her body and into the wound. The bleeding slowed, but still wouldn't stop.

"Damn…" She muttered as she made a few choice hand-seals. Blue flames surrounded the young kunoichi's hands as she placed them over her friend's wound. Kakashi's teeth gritted on reflex and he growled in pain as she pumped blue flames into the wound.

She grimaced. His cells were regenerating, but he'd be down for a few days at least days. None of them had expected that many people to show up. And he was there…

Why did he come? Why did he come to her after he broke her heart?

Takashi slowly entered the dark room. It was an almost claustrophobically small apartment, fit for only one man.

He knew this place well. It was here that he lived during the revolution. It seemed that he was forever doomed to return to this place.

His body ached. As powerful as he was, he had been training when he sensed her. His body was completely exhausted. He walked over to the small table. He wearily removed his sword and Wakizashi, allowing them to fall to the floor.

He wearily pulled his gi down from his shoulders. More than sixty men had died by his blade that night, and he didn't have a scratch on him.

His torso was exposed now, his gi hanging loosely from his waist. Sighing, he removed his kunai holster. One hand rose to rub at his sore neck.

He was in shock at seeing her. Why here, of all places, why did she have to come here? Exactly where he didn't want her to be! He left to protect her, didn't she understand that?

He growled menacingly as he completely stripped. The only thing keeping him from being completely exposed was the black cotton boxers clinging loosely to his waist.

Collapsing weakly onto the futon with a grunt, he closed his eyes, praying not to be haunted by the visions of his past or bloody premonitions of the future.

The sun shone brightly in Sakura's eyes as she stepped out into the dull morning light.

She brushed the short, dark bangs back from her eyes. She smirked at the thought of her rather impressive genjutsu work.

She was now a six inches shorter and had short black hair and blue eyes. Although she was confident in her genjutsu abilities, there were a very large number of skilled shinobi within the city right now, and she'd have to constantly exert small amounts of chakra to maintain her appearance. Not to mention she'd left all weapons back at the warehouse.

She smirked as she padded the gloves stashed in the bag she wore on her shoulder. If it came down to it, this was all she need.

Still, if she ran into even a few shinobi things could go bad. Inubo had assured her that the disguise was so thorough that nothing short of Sharingan could penetrate it, but she was still wary of open combat.

She headed off to the store. She decided to pass herself of as a nurse in training- the perfect disguise to buy the medical supplies they direly needed.

Takashi sat wearily on the roof in nothing but his hakama, his sword resting by his side.

He looked around. His sensei would have to forgive him. He had to see her, if only to tell her to return to Konoha. This was no place for her, especially with the war.

Oh yes, the war had already begun, though on a more diplomatic level, blood was already spilling. People had already attempted to hire him for assassinations, but he refused. He would fight in the open, and for the good of the people and only for the people.

He grimaced as these thoughts ran through his head. He stood and leaped from the roof, gracefully tucking his blade into his belt as he went, his gi held in his hand.

Sakura was heading down a back alley, a bag of medicinal products hanging by her side.

Her senses strained. It had taken longer than expected to find somewhere to buy the supplies, especially when she had to duck guards and patrols everywhere she went.

The afternoon was waning and evening was descending upon her, and a patrol was due in the area. She had to avoid combat at all costs. She dipped down another alley and quickened her pace.

Hey flew across the rooftops, swinging his blade, blood flying off. Stupid guards. Did they really think they could stop him from finding her?

He felt her. She was exerting chakra in small amounts. A disguise he decided. A wise choice on her part.

He halted on a low rooftop as his Sharingan spun into life as he scanned the crowds below from the shadows. Thankfully for him, evening was gripping the city. It was unnerving, even after all these years, how many places were hidden by shadow in the evening.

"Plenty of places to strike from." He thought with a grim smile.

His senses flared as the chakra flow he'd been sensing disappeared suddenly. Too sudden to be death, he knew that. She must have returned to where they were hiding. He sighed.

"Well…" He began as he began to seemingly melt into the shadows. "I guess I should get back to my training. Be safe Sakura."

With those final words, he disappeared with the soft breeze, his godlike speed propelling him.

The sun had set and Sakura was looking directly at the spot he'd just been standing at. He'd been right there.

She'd felt him following her, but was scared to talk to him. She'd felt his presence on her, even greater than those around her who shivered at the cold he brought.

Why was that dark aura still surrounding him? What had changed in him? Why would he want to stay in that monstrous form?

Takashi walked solemnly down the trail, completely expecting his master to bring his full wrath down on him.

He looked up from the path to see his master waiting on the rock he always sat on, eyes closed, and a mildly annoyed expression on his face. He had a sword clutched to his chest, almost mirroring the way Takashi sat when he slept upright.

His sensei's mass of crimson hair blocked most of his face from view. He was clothed in a light red gi, white hakama, and straw sandals.

"Himura-sensei." Takashi whispered respectfully as he stood before his master.

His sensei's eyes snapped open, shinning amber. They softened to a dull violet as he saw his student standing before him.

"You're late." He said in an annoyed, yet happy voice.

"Gomen-nasai." (A/n- it means I'm sorry in Japanese. Gomen is the slang term)

"No apology is necessary. I know why you are late. Is it true that your Sakura has come for you?" He said in a knowing tone.

"How did… You know what? I'm not even gonna ask." Takashi said in a sarcastic yet respectful tone as he took a seat beside his master on the stone. "Hai, it's true."

"If she loves you as much as you say, did you really expect her not to come?"

"I don't know." Takashi said, shivering slightly. He was still cold from when his master's aura flared earlier. As powerful as Takashi was, his sensei's aura had always made his blood run cold.

His master had a darker side, and just as he, he was known by another name. It's hard to believe, but his master was the man known as the greatest swordsmen to ever live, master of the Nine Dragons style, Battousai Himura, the infamous demon assassin.

Oddly enough, for all his power, his sensei wasn't a shinobi. He considered himself samurai, a class that had died out over five hundred years ago. The samurai were once as powerful as the shinobi are today. Hundreds of different styles were used back then, now the only style from that era was the one his sensei had mastered: the Nine Dragons of Chaos, by its proper name.

"Takashi, there is something I must tell you, but before I do, we must go over one final lesson." His sensei said as he stood.

"What?" Takashi asked, his curiosity peaked. His sensei had decided to get him to regain the power he once had, he would have to get a crash course in his original training.

"Today we must revisit one of our first lessons." He said as he walked out into the field. It was a full moon and their forms were given a demonic looking glow as they took their positions, facing each other down. "Do you remember?"

"Yes. To die in battle is noble, but to die protecting the ones you love is a death all warriors should strive for." Takashi said, this particular lesson burned into his memory. Now it served as his mantra.

"You do have an impeccable memory, but today we'll add to it." His master said. His tone deepened and his eyes bleed amber as his hand gripped the hilt of his blade.

Takashi mimicked his actions, gripping his blade as his eyes bleed golden.

"What is there to add?"

His master disappeared, and the sound of clashing steel rang out in the night as the two's blades clashed.

Moving at inhuman speeds they battled, blades shinning in the moonlight.

"To use one's power for protecting others, to die in the attempt is noble, but for what you must do, we must change this philosophy."

"What do I need to do?" Takashi asked as he spun to dodge his masters thrust, striking back by swinging his kattana upwards in a vertical slash. Battousai dodged, the blades tip coming shockingly close to his left eye.

"Takashi, do you understand what it means to protect?" His master asked coolly as he spun, swinging his blade.

Takashi used his speed to dodge the attack, disappearing and reappearing above his sensei.

"Ryutsuisen!" He yelled as he brought his blade down with incredible force.

His master, with speed beyond even Takashi's easily dodged the attack by stepping back quickly.

"Do you?" His master asked again more forcefully as he lunged forward, his blade clashing with Takashi's and pushing him back, their blades locked together near the hilt, both attempting to use their bodyweight to suppress the other.

"Yes." Takashi grunted. "To protect is to preserve something."

"No." His sensei growled, winning the battle for supremacy and sending Takashi sliding backwards.

"What?" he growled as he slid to a halt, hunched down to preserve balance.

His master disappeared and appeared mere inches behind him.

"To protect, Takashi, is to be prepared to give your life for something, to be completely ready to sacrifice everything for that one thing's survival. Can you do that?"

Takashi disappeared as Battousai struck and reappeared behind him, his blade sheathed for a battoujutsu strike.

He drew his blade at a godlike speed, but his sensei blocked the attack, though it sent him sliding backwards.

Takashi stood up straight, his blade held before him at a slight angle to his left, his left hand gripping the sheath.

"Yes. I would give my life to protect Sakura."

"Yes, I know." Battousai said as he entered a stance Takashi himself used countless times.

He was low to the ground, his knees bent to propel him, his body hunched down, the dull edge of his blade resting in the crook of his shoulder, his right arm pinning his left.

This stance allowed him to give himself an extra boost as he moved, allowing him to attack at almost double his normal speed. The position of his arms allowed him to compensate for any attack quickly and effectively as he moved, so he didn't have to slow down. This stance was the perfect stance for a master of high speed kenjutsu.

"But, in this battle death is not an option. You must know you can defeat an enemy. I taught you to be confident, not arrogant, and you've followed this lesson well. But to defeat Kaitsu, you must know you can win, not just think it. And to think you're ready now would be suicide."

Battousai moved, his speed surpassing Takashi's as he struck, but Takashi's stance allowed him to counter, managing to stop the lethal blow, but being sent flying by the sheer power of the attack.

Takashi slammed into the ground, and slide. He back-flipped and regained his balance. Only to slam into Battousai, who was now standing behind him.

His sensei grabbed him by the throat and sent him flying.

Takashi grunted as he slammed to the ground, rolling at least fifty feet.

He stood and his master appeared a few feet before him, a look of dead seriousness on his face.

"And for me to allow you to face him as you are now, even though you've regained the power you once had, would be insane."

"So what are you saying, sensei?" Takashi said as he stood and regained his stance.

"I'm saying that in your condition, you can never defeat Kaitsu. There is only one way."

"What?"

Battousai entered the same stance as Takashi.

"To defeat him, you must master the Nine Dragons of Chaos style." He said darkly as he ready for attack. "And to truly be a master of the style, you must defeat me."

Takashi's jaw dropped. His master wanted to fight him?

"Is there no other way?"

"None."

Takashi was at war with himself. Could he really attack his master for real?

"Sensei… Are you sure? I will not hesitate to go all out against you." He said weakly.

"I'm positive, but this is a battle for another day." He said as he sheathed his sword. His aura retracted instantly as his hand left the blade, and he was slightly overwhelmed by his student's. "To think he's really this powerful. I might have underestimated him."

Takashi sighed and sheathed his blade after Battousai had sheathed his.

"Takashi." His master said after they'd walked in silence back to the road.

"Yes sensei?"

"From this day on, I consider you my equal. You no longer need to call me sensei." He said seriously, the smiled. "Now, I've got to go home before Kaoru kills me." He said, smiling as he turned and started down the opposite side of the road.

Takashi smiled. He remembered Battousai's wife. She was a kind and beautiful woman.

He felt a pang of regret as he realized how much the Himura family had done for him. Battousai had been his teacher, his father after the massacre, taught him everything he knew about kenjutsu, about honor. He remembered how Kaoru used to laugh at how alike they were.

Kaoru; she'd been like a mother to him. She'd treated his wounds and gave him advice. She'd supported him through his original training.

He owed everything he was to Battousai and his wife. Wait a second.

"Sensei!" he called.

"I told you not to call me that anymore!" His ex-teacher called back.

"That's the thing… I don't know your real name!" He yelled, kind of embarrassed.

"Kenshin, my name is Kenshin." Kenshin called back, smiling warmly.

"Very well, see you tomorrow, Kenshin."

Takashi nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned and Kenshin was mere feet behind him. He shivered unnoticeably as his watched Kenshin's eyes fade back to violet.

"I forgot to mention something." He said as he moved a few steps forward, leaning on Takashi's shoulder. "We'll meet again in one month, instead of tomorrow. And remember this."

"Hai?"

Takashi was nearly crushed by Kenshin's aura.

"When we meet again, we'll be enemies. If you hold back at all, I will kill you."

Takashi flared his aura as well, and if they were visible, the clash would have been intense. Their auras were on almost the same level.

The tension between the two was incredible. For the first time, they were acknowledging each other as equals.

His sensei disappeared without another word.

He sighed, making his way back down the road to Hitsuya. He'd check on his beloved before turning in.

Sakura stretched her gorgeous body, yawning loudly. She wore nothing but her shirt and underwear as she was readying for her bath.

She stoked the small fire under the steaming tub, making it roar. She removed the rest of her clothes and moaned as she entered the water. She loved the feel of the hot water licking her skin.

Pulling her hair up into a half-hazard bun she sighed in bliss.

Kakashi and Inubo had been shocked at how much she was starting to open up again. It was startling how much just knowing he was alive had made her come out of her shell.

She sighed happily. She'd been followed by him again today. It made her giggle to think that he'd skipped his dire training just to stalk her. Well, no, stalk is a very strong word. She knew he was just watching over her, more like a guardian angel.

No, she decided. He was to dark to be an angel.

She smiled to herself as she decided that he was an angel, her angel.

"Takashi… I still love you; even after all we've been through. God, you've no idea what I'd give to just be able to lay in your arms, like we did back then. Come back to me, my black angel."

A single tear ran down her cheek as she thought those last few words.

He was sitting on the roof across from the dojo they had moved too. Takashi smiled.

Inubo had used a contact from the war to get better shelter for them. The dojo belonged to an old friend of theirs, and they were posing as a man, Inubo, his daughter, being Sakura, and her uncle, whose part was played by Kakashi. Thank god for genjutsu.

He looked down from the stars he was watching. He knew she knew he was there. She'd even glanced at him as he watched over her when she was out in the city.

This time he'd chosen to follow her from the ground, sticking to the shadows.

She'd even smiled at him.

As his gaze fell he saw the last light in the small dojo go out. Good, everyone was turning in for the night.

He groaned as he looked over at the small bathhouse.

Sakura had exited wearing only a towel that was so soaked that it was see-through, pulled down to show just the right amount of cleavage and up a little near the waist to show her creamy thighs. Her hair was pulled up into a cute bun with random strands hanging loose.

She'd even neglected to use the genjutsu.

He growled irritably. She was doing this on purpose. The little hellcat was screwing with him!

He growled again as she looked directly at him (even though he was almost fifty yards away and a good twenty feet up off the ground) with an innocent smile on her face.

He glared playfully at her and even though he couldn't hear it, he could tell she was laughing silently by the movement of her shoulders.

She looked back over with her eyes closed and her tongue poking out.

She finally, after purposely walking as slow and sensuously as possible, left his field of view.

He sighed, his gaze returning to the stars above. He was scared to talk to her. She should hate him, but she was flirting with him like they were nothing more than horny little high-school kids.

Takashi didn't want her there. She was in danger. But staying away from her and not giving in to his deepest, darkest desires was growing to be more than he could handle. The lustful beast within him was breaking its bonds.

He hated himself for when he first noticed her.

He'd sensed her presence before she even entered the walls. He'd come to get her to turn around, plus he had a very bad feeling that she was in mortal danger.

He couldn't help but admire how powerful she was as she fought. In fact he was so caught up in… admiring… her that she'd gotten cut before he could step in.

She'd been wounded because of him, but she didn't seem to care now.

It was as if all was forgiven between them.

It still shocked him that she was even willing to flirt.

Oh well, two can play at that game.

A/N- Wow. This was the longest chapter I've ever done. I hope you like it, and by the way, there will be more guest characters, and it's not just cuse I'm lazy, I don't want this fic to feel as dry as Eyes of the Devil did (yes I realize it was kinda boring at times) so I'ma use characters from other anime to keep people entertained instead of this being a name memorizing smut-fest. I'm trying more for an ass-kicking fiesta, but do not worry, there will be a lemon soon smut fans!

Anyway, I tried using the lines to show the jumps in pov better without having to spell it out. I think it's a good idea, do me a favor and tell me what you think in reveiws please.