Chapter 4- Assassination Attempt

"Oh no…" Kaoru gasped as she read the morning paper.

"What is it Kaoru?" Yahiko asked as he came to stand next to her and Sanosuke.

"The battles in Kyoto are getting worse. It says here that forty men were killed yesterday," she explained with a sad tone.

"Forty men… it's getting that bad huh?" Sanosuke asked

Kaoru nodded, "Yes, they don't know how much longer it's going to go on. It says here that the Satsuma and Choshu clans have reunited."

"Wasn't Choshu Kenshin's old clan?" Yahiko asked

"Yes." Kaoru said plainly

"Was that the guy who was here the other day?"

"Yes, it was Katsura, Kenshin's old leader… he asked Kenshin to rejoin."

"What! What did Kenshin tell him?"

"He said 'no' but… I'm worried…"

"What for Missy?" Sanosuke asked curiously

"Kenshin told me about all the nightmares he's been having lately… he's afraid he's going to be forced to return to being a manslayer."

"Well all we gotta do is keep him here with us. Come on Missy, you know as well as I do that Kenshin's not going to go back to being a manslayer."

"I know but… I'm still worried about him…"

Unaware to Kaoru and the others was that Kenshin could hear everything they were saying as he did the laundry. He let out a sigh as he went back to scrubbing the gi in his hands, "I don't want you to worry about me, Kaoru…"

Against his will he began to remember battles from his past. He saw the little girl as she burst into tears in front of him then he saw his friend Nijito as he took his life with a single swing of his blade. Kenshin shook his head to get rid of the memories, "I don't want to go back to being that man… not ever!"

Later that night Kenshin was sent into town to run an errand for Megumi. She needed something to cook for dinner but she was too busy with patients to go herself and Dr. Gensai was out of town. So Kenshin volunteered to go for her and arrived at the clinic just as the sun was settling down behind the horizon. Megumi took the food and smiled, "Thank you so much Sir Ken."

"No problem Miss Megumi, anytime you need me I'll be here to help you that I will."

"I know. You're a prince when it comes to helping others."

Kenshin flushed slightly but smiled at the beautiful doctor all the same, "Where are Ayame and Suzume?"

"They're napping but I'll be sure to tell them you stopped by."

"Thank you, well I must be off, Kaoru will worry if I'm gone for too long that she will."

"Indeed she will, please get home safely Sir Ken."

"I will don't worry, goodnight Miss Megumi."

"Goodnight Sir Ken."

Megumi shut the gate and headed off to prepare dinner and Kenshin started off towards the dojo. He picked up the pace when the sun disappeared behind the mountains, being out after dark wasn't a smart thing to do while this war was going on especially if you were Battousai. About half-way home he sensed someone following him a little too close for comfort and he picked up his pace to a fast walk. The person following him picked up their pace as well and he realized that they weren't going to let him be. He stopped and placed a hand on his sword, "Who's there? Come out and show yourself."

There was a long moment of silence as Kenshin waited for his opponent to show themselves but no one came. Eventually he decided to just run for home but before he could take two steps someone stepped out of the shadows to stand in front of him, "Stop where you are, Battousai!"

Kenshin growled softly and rested his hand back on his sword, getting into a fighting stance as he looked over the man in front of him, "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

"My name is not important since you're not going to live long enough to remember it. All you need to know is that I am here to end your life. Now die Battousai!"

The man charged at Kenshin and he drew his sword, blocking the assassin's attack. The man came at him again and slashed at his side but Kenshin side stepped and dodged him. This went on for several minutes then the assassin somehow managed to get behind Kenshin and stabbed him in the shoulder.

Kenshin yelped out in pain and pulled away from the sword, swinging around and letting the tip of his sword dig into the ground, "Do Ryu Sen!"

A blast of dirt and earth shot up at the assassin and caught him off guard long enough for Kenshin to charge at him and hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The assassin slumped to the ground and coughed up some blood before glaring up at Kenshin, "I'll be back Battousai and next time I will not leave without your head in my hands!"

The assassin jumped off into the shadows and Kenshin leaned forward on his sword, panting slightly as he grasped his shoulder, "Great… I'm not even involved in this stupid war and people are already trying to kill me over it… ah!"

He cried out softly as a throb of pain coursed through the wound in his shoulder. Kenshin sheathed his sword and ran back to the dojo, heading to the well and removing his gi to clean his wound. He looked at the gash on his shoulder and sighed; the sword had gone all the way through his shoulder which meant that it would take that much longer to heal. He quietly went into his old room and took out a needle and thread, gritting his teeth to keep quiet as he sewed up his wound.

Once he was finished he put a bandage on it and let out a sigh, "I have to hide this wound from Kaoru, I can't let her find out that I was attacked… it would worry her."

He put the needle and thread away and silently made his way to the bedroom that he shared with Kaoru, relieved to find that she hadn't come to bed yet. He quickly changed into his night clothes and rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to dull the pain that had started up again. Kenshin gasped softly when he felt slender arms wrap around his waist as a head rested between his shoulder blades, "Where have you been Kenshin? I was worried about you."

Kenshin quickly thought of a lie, "I um… got captured by two vicious little assassins that I did."

Kaoru chuckled, "Ayame and Suzume made you stay for dinner right?"

"Yes, they refused to let me leave that they did."

"Did they tie you up and everything?"

"Don't they always?"

Kaoru laughed before she noticed Kenshin holding his shoulder, worry creeping into her voice as she asked, "What's wrong with your shoulder, Kenshin?"

"Oh nothing koishii, I was playing with Ayame and Suzume and ran into the doorframe that I did."

"I swear Kenshin you can be so graceful in battle but completely clumsy in everyday life!"

"I know. I'm sorry to worry you that I am."

"Well I'll make you pay for it later let's get to bed now."

"Yes, sleep sounds good right now that it does."

"They wore you out huh?"

"Yes, I'm getting too old to play with children that I am."

Kaoru laughed as she laid down on the futon, "You're only thirty Kenshin."

"That's old for a swordsman like me that it is, I don't have the stamina that I used to that I don't."

Kaoru rolled her eyes at his remark and turned her back to him to get comfortable. Kenshin slipped under the covers next to her and draped an arm over her waist, pulling her close to him before he drifted off to sleep.

The next day Kenshin was outside with Yahiko and Kaoru, watching them spar and try to kill each other. Yahiko had managed to hit Kaoru and called her ugly which ticked her off and now the chase was on. After about the third lap around the dojo Kenshin headed off to start lunch. On the way his shoulder started to throb again and he groaned slightly, "Damn… that assassin got me pretty good…"

His thoughts were interrupted when Sanosuke came up to him and gave him a friendly slap to the shoulder, "Hey there Kenshin."

"AH!"

Sanosuke raised an eyebrow at his friend's sudden outburst, "You ok?"

"Oh… I'm fine Sano that I am you just startled me is all."

"I startled you… that's a first, now what's really wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me Sano that there isn't I'm alright that I am."

Sanosuke opened his mouth to say something then he felt something sticky on his hand and looked down, gasping slightly when he saw blood on his palm. He looked at Kenshin's shoulder and saw a small dark circle on his gi, "Hey you're bleeding!"

"Sano no wait!"

Before Kenshin could stop him Sanosuke reached over and pulled his gi to the side, seeing the bloody bandage there, "Kenshin what happened to you?"

"Nothing Sano really it's nothing…"

Sanosuke gave him the 'yeah right' look and Kenshin sighed, pulling the taller man to the side where no one could hear them, "You have to swear to me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"I swear now what happened?"

Kenshin glanced around to make sure the others weren't nearby and whispered to Sanosuke, "Last night on my way home from the clinic I was attacked… by an assassin."

"An assassin!"

Kenshin shushed him, "Be quiet Sano."

Sanosuke looked around before leaning down to look the red head in the eyes, "What do you mean an assassin?"

"Someone was sent to kill me last night."

"What're you gonna do?"

"I don't know that I don't, hopefully that's going to be the only attack for awhile. Please don't tell anyone especially Kaoru I don't want to worry her that I don't."

Sanosuke sighed, "Alright I won't."

"Thanks Sano."

Their conversation was cut short when Kaoru's voice reached their ears, "Hey Kenshin can you help me for a moment?"

"Sure Kaoru I'm coming that I am."

Kenshin pulled his gi back up and headed off to find his wife, not noticing Sanosuke as he followed him down the hall. Sanosuke peered around the corner and watched as Kenshin helped Kaoru with the laundry line that had gotten caught. He sighed as Kenshin flinched slightly when he raised his arm up, knowing full well how much pain he was in.

As he watched the pair his mind began to race, "If an assassin is already after Kenshin… then that means that this war has already found him. What if he does return to being a manslayer? What would that do to Missy… to the rest of us? Worst of all…"

Sanosuke looked on and saw Kenshin pull Kaoru to him for a loving embrace. His hands curled into fists hard enough to turn his knuckles white as the last thought ran through his mind, "worst of all… what would it do to Kenshin?"

Well how's that? I know I haven't updated in awhile but school wiped me out this past week but I'm back on track now that I am :). Any ways, I'll have the next chapter up soon and you definitely won't want to miss out on what's going to happen next so stay tuned!