A/N: Thanks to the readers who gave reviews and followed this story. I was starting to wonder if people are really reading this. Nyahaha! You guys made my day.Honto ni arigato!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)

Chapter 3 : Wanted

It has been three days since the theft at the Asamoto mansion. By now, news about the thief being a girl has spread all around Tokyo. Ryuu wasn't really sure how he should feel about it. Of course he should be feeling happy since it meant that he was far from being caught by the authorities, but he also didn't like the thought of having someone else take the blame for his wrongdoings, let alone a girl. Two days had passed since the day he met the girl and had a chat with her at the river. It wasn't actually what he can call a chat but it was probably the closest to one he'll ever get from a girl with a temper like hers. She probably has the worst temperament he has ever seen. He couldn't really blame her. After all, she's in a lot of trouble because of him, whether it was unintentional or not. He had not originally planned on really talking to her that day. He only wanted to know if she would recognize him or not, and planned on blackmailing her if she did, but things turned out differently. Well, in a way he had been successful with the blackmail. At least he was sure that the girl won't tell on him for the time being. And even if she did, no one would really believe her. However his conscience won't let him sleep if she did get arrested. He tried looking for her every time he strolled around town but he wasn't able to find her.

Maybe she went into hiding, he finally thought. Suddenly, someone dragged him into a nearby dark alley and pinned him into a wall. To his surprise, it was her.

"YOU LOATHSOME PIECE OF TRASH!" The girl screeched, clenching the front of his gi.

"Whoah! I didn't know you were that excited to see me –"

He didn't have time to finish what he said as the girl pinned him harder against the wall. He glared up at him as though she was ready to skin him alive that very moment.

"Tell them the truth! Go to the police and tell them the truth!"

"I can't do that –"

"Tell them or I'll kill you!" She said in all seriousness.

"Why don't you calm down first? Okay?" He said trying to ease her murderous disposition.

"Calm down? You think I can calm down? Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me? I can't walk around town without thinking that someone will come to arrest me or point a sword at my face any moment! I can't even go outside whenever I want coz those guards are waiting to cut me down the moment I show up!"

"Wait, what?"

"Asamoto's guards, they've been roaming around town and I know they're looking for me!"

He just stared at her for a moment. He didn't know about it. "Are you sure about that?"

"Green and orange haoris, who else could they be? It seems like you stole something very important. I want you to surrender now and give me my life back!"

"But I can't do that," he said calmly.

"What?! So you really want me to suffer for your crime?" She raged.

"I didn't say that," he said trying to gently move her hands away but she didn't let go of his gi. "We're not even sure yet if those guards really recognized you. It was pretty dark back then and they might not have gotten a good look at you. All they know is that it's a girl. For all we know they're just searching heedlessly for some random girl out there who'd fit their description of you."

"And what if you're wrong and I get arrested?"

"Then that's when I come out."

"What?" She said a little surprised. She had not expected his answer.

"If they arrest you, I'll tell them the thief was me," he stated, staring at her intently.

"Why?!" She leered at him suspiciously.

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Why would you do that?!" She probed, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"As you said, I can't let somebody else suffer for the consequences of my crime."

"That sounds really suspicious!" She hissed, tightening her hold on his gi.

"Hey I'm not as bad as you think I am."

"How would I know I can trust you?"

"You wouldn't. You'll just have to take my word for it."

"That's bullcrap!" She spat, every bit of her anger showing on her face. Her hold on his gi was starting to choke him. He could choose to forcefully push her away but he didn't want to hurt her.

"It's not like you have any other choice. Even if you go out there and tell 'em I did it, no one will believe you unless I admit to my crime, which is something I don't plan on doing yet. There's really nothing else you can do but to trust me," he stated.

She bit her lip in frustration.

"Look, whether you trust me or not, it's really up to you. You can kill me now if you want but killing me won't help you," he said calmly. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to pin this on you or anything. But you see jou-chan, I also can't just get myself locked up in jail when I know there's another way."

She seemed to be thinking hard. Her brows creased and she was tapping her feet in agitation.

"You swear to keep that promise?" She finally said.

"Yeah."

"Do you swear to keep that promise?" She pressed louder, moving her face closer to his. She was staring at his eyes intently, as though she was trying to uncover even the smallest hint of lie in there.

"I do solemnly swear that I will keep my promise. Satisfied? Now please remove your hands on my clothes before you tear them apart. On the other hand, this position isn't really that bad. With your face this close it would look like you're trying to force a kiss on me. I really wouldn't mind if you ever decide on doing that," he grinned roguishly.

The girl's jaw dropped at what he said before she punched him hard in the face. He nearly toppled to the ground. He stood up, rubbing his jaw and tasted blood in his mouth.

"What'd you do that for? That hurt you know," he grumbled.

"You deserved it," the girl said indignantly.

"Man! Couldn't you at least just have slapped me like a normal girl?"

"If by normal girls you mean those who prostrate themselves before drunken men at some bar, then you obviously have a horrible taste in women. You better be thankful that's all you got. Perverts like you piss me off."

"I'm not a pervert," he said. But she was right about the women at the bars part. He laughed, fascinated. The girl stared at him in confusion.

"You're interesting," he said and laughed some more. "But you do know you don't look much like a girl yourself."

"I don't want to hear that from someone like you!" She spat. "So what do you propose I should do? I've got things to do. I can't hide and just wait for things to cool down."

"Hmmm…," he muttered and thought about it for a few minutes.

"Hmmm what?" The girl asked impatiently.

"Meet me here tomorrow around noon," he declared.

"Why would I do that?" She hissed instantly.

"Since we can assume that they really didn't get a good look at you, all we need to do is to change your appearance a little."

"And how do we do that?"

"Leave it to me. Just come here tomorrow. In the meantime, refrain from going out too much."

She didn't answer but only continued to give him suspicious looks.

"Fine," she finally answered. "You better not be plotting something."

"If I had wanted to do something I would have done it by now, when I'm sure that no one will help you. With that small body of yours, it's pretty easy to break you,ojou-chan," he said coldy, giving her a hostile smile.

"I'd like to see you try!" The girl raged already moving to attack him. He moved a few steps back defensively and raised his hands up as he saw the girl ready to throw him another punch.

"Whoa! Whoa! Kidding! I'm just kidding!"

The girl stopped her fist in midair but she still looked royally pissed.

"Besides, couldn't you be a little more grateful? Even though this mess was my fault I could still choose to just leave you on your own. But I'm actually helping you, aren't I?"

The girl seemed to realize this just now. She gave him both an angry and conceding look.

"Whatever! You better not be late!" She barked and stormed away.

I still didn't get her name, he realized after some time.

He rubbed his still throbbing jaw and tried to move it around. It didn't seem to be broken. It was the first time that a girl had ever punched him, and for something which normally would have made other girls blush. In fact, it was the first time that a girl has treated him with so much hostility despite his efforts of being 'friendly'.

"What a troublesome girl," he murmured to himself as he watched her walk away.

Aki spent most of her time inside her room. She didn't want to be cooped up in that tiny little space but she knew it was for the best.

This is all that bastard's fault, she thought. She was starting to sizzle with anger again. She vowed to make the thief pay for all of it someday. But she has to set aside that thought for now since no matter how hard she denies it, she knows she'll be needing his help.

She was not able to do anything the past two days. Since the guards and now the police are hunting her, her movements are now limited. She had settled in doing whatever she can in the meantime. Returning to the mansion was out of the question, and so was meeting her brother. She had decided to finally start looking for Hiragata Masashi. He was her father's close friend back in the days and she heard that her father entrusted his will to him. She learned that the man was now working for the government as a civil affairs official. She had no idea how he had gotten the position since he was also a supporter of the shogunate during the revolution just like her father. She was starting to worry if she can still trust him after learning that, but he probably was the only person who can help her. So far she had no idea how to get in contact with him yet. Besides, she still needed proof to convince him that she is her father's daughter. And that proof for now was still out of her reach.

She had also tried digging some information on his uncle, Hyosuke Asamoto. She had been very shocked back then when she learned that her brother was under his care. She could not imagine how Asamoto would accept such an arrangement. Later on, she learned that his father had left a will stating that if anything happens to him, all his properties were to be divided among his children. A small portion was also allotted to his half-brother, Asamoto Hyosuke. If in any case something should also happen to his children, then all of Nakamura family's possessions will be given to the shogunate. She could easily guess that Asamoto then had taken the position of being Ichiro's legal guardian when he learned of the will, being the only living relative of the family. And since Ichiro was way too young back then, the responsibility of managing the family's wealth naturally fell on his hands.

Clever bastard, Aki thought bitterly.

What concerned her was for how long his uncle would continue the scheme. Ichiro is already a grown man. He would be turning 20 like her next year but according to the information she had gathered, Asamoto was still the one heading the family's wealth. Asamoto would have to hand over his control to Ichiro sooner or later. Something wasn't right. She knows Asamoto was the kind of person who would not willingly give up things like money and power. It is very unlikely that he would be willing to let Ichiro take over. He definitely is planning something, but what? And why wasn't Ichiro not the one managing the family's wealth yet? Did Ichiro not want to take it?

Her brain was throwing her too many questions and her head was starting to hurt from trying to figure out the answers.

"Ugh," she sighed, giving up. There were too many things running on her mind that she can't think of anything properly. Finally, she decided that a few drinks would help soothe her mind. She quickly headed out into the already dimming streets. It was already dusk. She knows she was supposed to stay inside as much as possible especially after sunset but she really could use some fresh air. Furthermore, it was almost time for dinner and she was getting sick of the horrible food offered at the inn.

"I'll be real quick," she reasoned, trying to assure herself. Besides, she was running low on funds so she can't stay out to drink to her heart's content even if she wanted to.

She went to Akabeko, a sukiyaki restaurant. She heard that the restaurant offers great food but at an affordable price and that they also serve sake. She was astonished to see the number of people inside. It was still a little early for dinner but the restaurant was already packed with people. It wasn't really as grand as she had imagined but it looked clean and cozy. The tables were placed in cubicles to imitate a make-shift room. She guessed that it was supposed to make the customers feel as though they are in their own homes while they ate their sukiyaki.

"Irashaimase," a cute young girl with short brown hair greeted her.

"Oh hi," she said. "Is there still space for me?"

"Yes. Please come this way," the girl said and led her into an empty cubicle around the corner. "What would be your order?"

"Hmmm," she muttered thoughtfully. "Well, it's kinda lonely eating sukiyaki by myself. Do you serve ramen?"

"Yes," she answered.

"I'll have that then and a bottle of sake. And if it's okay, please make the ramen extra spicy."

"Wakarimashita."

"Thanks. Oh, where's the toilet?"

"Just go straight past the cubicles then turn left," the girl directed.

"Thanks," she said and stood up.

"You're welcome," the girl replied and left to attend to her orders.

She started making her way to the toilet. She almost literally jumped a few feet back when she passed one cubicle. Inside were men wearing green haoris with orange triangular patterns. She stayed hidden for a while, trying to eavesdrop on them. She had heard other people coming in and she knew she must look really suspicious but she really didn't care.

"Oh, hello there!" Someone called out to her.

She turned around to see a short guy with a scar on his cheek whose hair reminded her of carrots. It was the guy who had returned her bracelet. He was smiling like an idiot like he usually did and was walking towards her. She scowled at him and without thinking, dragged him into the vacant cubicle next to the guards'.

"Ororo," she heard the redhead mutter as she almost smashed his face into the wooden floor.

"SHHH!" she hissed and tried to concentrate on the guards' conversation. The redhead looked at her in confusion but she just gave him a 'make-some-noise-and-I'll-kill-you' death glare. The redhead seemed to understand what she was trying to say and stayed quiet.

She sighed. They didn't seem to be talking about anything concerning her. She turned her attention back to the redhead.

"If anyone asks, tell them you haven't seen me, understood?" She leaned, literally hissing at his face.

"Alright…," he answered hesitantly.

"Kenshin! Hey Kenshin! Where are you?" Someone was shouting nearby.

A girl with black hair and blue eyes passed their cubicle and stared at them wide-eyed. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh Kenshin. There I was looking all over for you because I was worried that you suddenly went missing then I finally find you here doing Kami knows what. Mind explaining yourself?" The girl sizzled.

"Oro," the redhead muttered and stared at her in terror.

"Well?" The girl demanded.

Aki scowled at the two in annoyance. They were making too much noise. She left the cubicle and quickly went back to hers, leaving the two to settle things on their own. Her ramen and sake were already at her table. She shifted uneasily on her seat. She couldn't help but feel nervous. She would probably be okay if she'll just make sure she doesn't draw any attention to herself. Her cubicle was located at the corner so there is a big chance that the guards will not notice her if they passed by. And even if they did, they might not recognize her, just as the thief had said. She decided to take her time. She didn't know how long the guards had been there and she definitely didn't want to meet them at the exit. She decided that she'll wait for them to leave first. She had finished her ramen and was on her last cup ofsake but she still didn't see the guards leave. The crowd inside the restaurant was starting to thin. Even the redhead and his companions were already starting to leave.

Are they planning to sleep here? She thought, irritated.

She thought hard on what to do. If she continued to wait, there'd be less people left inside by the time they decide to leave and she might risk herself getting noticed. Finally, she decided to just leave first. She downed her sake in one go and left her payment on the table. The moment she went out of her cubicle, she saw that the guards had also just gotten out from theirs. She considered going back to her cubicle but it was already too late. One of the guards had already noticed her and was now giving her scrutinizing looks. It would be too suspicious to go back inside. She made her way towards the exit like any other ordinary customer. She fought the urge to run away while she was still inside. Once she was out, she walked a few steps away from the entrance and finally broke into a run. She sure hoped that the guard didn't recognize her.

"Hold it!" Someone shouted to her dismay. She ran faster as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She decided to zigzag her way just like last time, since staying on the main road would only increase the chances of her getting caught. She was not familiar with the streets of Tokyo but she cared less where the alleys would take her. She'll just have to figure her way back later. What's important to her for now was to lose those guards. She just hoped that she won't get herself caught on a dead end.

And as though the heavens were playing mad jokes on her, she did end up in a dead end. She looked around desperately for a way out. She even decided that she'd break in on any window she'll find but there was none. The guards caught up with her shortly. Five big men were now blocking the entrance of the dark alley.

"You sure have a lot of energy missy," one of the guards said. "Don't you know it's bad for the digestion to run just after eating?"

"I'll make sure we make you pay for running around like that," another one spoke.

"What do you want?!" She barked, trying her best to hide the nervousness that was quickly building up inside her.

"Stop pretending that you don't know what we want. It's not gonna work," one of them snickered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she persisted. Her voice was starting to shake.

"But you do. Isn't that why you run away? You filthy little thief." The guards jeered at her.

"I'm sorry but you have the wrong person so leave me alone," she said with all the confidence she can muster.

"Stop lying bitch! Did you really think we will not recognize you, and after running away like that? Just surrender and we might consider not hurting your pretty little face. We'll just settle for your body. It's not really much but it will do," one of them smirked as his eyes traveled leisurely all over her body. The other men laughed at what he said.

Her face twisted in disgust. She was aware of what their dirty little minds were thinking. She wanted to take their eyes out for making those disgusting looks on her.

"Kuso!" She swore under her breath. She needed to think fast. Her few skills with the tanto made her a little capable with close-ranged combats. It would have been an advantage if only there were not five of them. Usually, she can take on three at most, given that her opponents are not fighters. But she knew these men can fight, if not skilled, as they are guards of a wealthy businessman. Furthermore there were five of them. What's worse, she already ran out of explosives to cover for an escape. She knew she was in a really bad position.

"I don't know what's going on here but I don't like what I'm hearing, that I don't," a voice sounded in the darkness.

The guards turned to look at the owner of the voice behind them.

Aki's eyes widened. It was the red haired man. She didn't recognize him right away since he sounded different from how he usually does. His tone was serious, almost cold, and his usually credulous expression looked as serious as he sounded.

"HUH?! And who are you?" One of the guards said.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, but I will take you on if you hurt her in any way, that I will," the redhead stated.

"WHAT? Did you just say you'll take us on? Hahahaha!" A guard snorted and his companions laughed. The redhead did not answer and only eyed the men intently. "I suggest you mind your own business if you don't want to get hurt."

"If someone is getting hurt tonight, I can assure you that it won't be me," the redhead answered as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What do you think you're doing, baka!" Aki yelled. "Go now while you still can! I can handle these fleas."

"Oh, I see. You know each other. Are you her accomplice?" A guard said.

"Leave him alone! He's got nothing to do with this!" Aki snapped.

"Oh? I don't think so."

"Your opponent is me. Let the guy go," she said.

"Hmm? But your friend here seems to have another idea," the guard answered as the redhead still had not moved from where he stood

"Baka! GO NOW!" Aki yelled in frustration.

Why is he trying to be a hero? What can he possibly do, and with that strange sword of his? Does he want to die? She thought in exasperation.

It was bad enough that she wasn't sure if she could even make it out there alive. And it's definitely worse now that she needed to protect someone else.

"Leave him alone. I told you he's got nothing to do with me. I don't know him!" Aki told the guards.

"Let the girl go peacefully and I can assure you that no one will get hurt," the redhead stated.

"Hmm?" The guard muttered a little amused and turned to the redhead. "You see boy, this girl right he ef. She stole something important from our master so we are only doing our jobs."

"If she really is a thief then you should hand her over to the police, that you should," the redhead answered.

"Oh we will, when we're done with our business," the guard answered and the others laughed with him wickedly.

"Then you leave me no choice," the redhead said in a colder tone, his eyes narrowing into slits as he moved his hands to his sword.

"So, you still plan on taking us on huh?" The guard said as he moved his hand to unsheathe his own sword. "Let's see how far that arrogance will get you –"

He wasn't able to finish what he was saying since Aki already landed a blow to his face. He toppled to the ground in shock. His companions were also stunned for a moment and Aki took the opportunity to dash past them and took the redhead by the wrist

"Oro?" He muttered, his eyes wide in surprised but she just ignored him as she literally dragged him with her.

"Get her!" She heard a shout behind her as the sound of the guards chasing after them echoed in her ears. Aki gritted her teeth as the sound of their footsteps got closer.

"I want you to continue running while I hold them off," she told the redhead as they ran. He looked surprised at what she said.

"But –"

"Just go!" She said as she let his wrist go and turned around to face her opponents. She took out her tanto seeing that their swords were already unsheathed.

She immediately moved to attack the guard who came first. She quickly sent him to the ground when she kicked his crotch area with her knees. That technique had always worked on guys based on her experience. The next one arrived shortly and she quickly buried her elbows under his chin without giving him a time to attack. She quickly threw the second guy to the ground just in time for her to block the sword of her third attacker. She pushed him back as she jumped away herself. The other two had already gathered around him while the two she knocked down earlier had also recovered.

She breathed heavily. She was doomed. There was no way she could defeat all these men. She just hoped that the stupid redhead had gotten far enough. But she was startled when she heard a sound of movement behind her.

"You're still here?!" She yelled in anger when she saw that the redhead was still standing behind her. He took a step forward, his hand at the hilt of his sword. "You stupid carrot head! I told you to run!"

"Game's over missy. You'll pay for this," the man he had just punched said as he rubbed the spot where her blow landed.

She charged at him, now desperate, before the redhead could start doing something reckless. The man easily blocked her tanto with his sword.

"Run!" She yelled at the redhead and got frustrated when she still hadn't heard him run. "Run for Kami's sake!"

The man jerked her tanto away with his sword and made a slash at her. She barely dodged it and the blade scraped her shoulder. She moved away putting a hand on her bleeding shoulder but the man was already moving to attack her again. In the corner of her eye, she saw something red dash past her and in the blink of an eye, the redhead was already in front of her, blocking the man's attack. She had no time to recover from her shock as the redhead pushed the man's sword away and swiftly turned his way to the man's side, swinging his sword towards the man's nape. A loud crack sounded and at the same time the man gave a short gasp of pain. The man fell on his knees, his mouth hanging open and his pupils rolled up his lids. He then collapsed face-first to the ground. Another guard started to attack but the redhead also defeated him with ease.

Aki stared wide-eyed at the redhead before him. He looked so small and frail that it actually deceived her to think that he was weak, but he was surprisingly skilled with a sword.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!" One of the three still standing guards yelled at him. The redhead didn't seem to be shaken by the man's threat. He just positioned himself in a defensive stance. Aki could almost feel her heart stop beating for a few moments when she saw the three guards started charging at him all at once. Aki watched in fear for him. She wanted to help him but her body wouldn't move. The confusing jumble of too many intense emotions she was feeling at the same time rooted her to the spot.

Suddenly, she felt her pulse start to race. Her vision begun to blur and she felt her body sag. She quickly squinted her eyes to where the fighting was but her vision only got more blurred each passing second and it was getting harder to breathe. She saw the blurry vision of the guards slashing at the redhead simultaneously. She had expected to hear the wet sound of blades cutting on human flesh, but all she heard were blades cutting through thin air. She was not sure of what happened since she could now only make out silhouettes of them. Her knees started to buckle under her and she felt her strength starting to wane. She gave a soft gasp as she fell on her knees and was able to support her body from completely collapsing with a trembling hand.

"Are you alright ojou-san?" She heard the worried voice of the redhead over the clash of swords. Everything sounded muffled and distant. She clenched her hand harder on the throbbing wound on her shoulder. She bent on the ground desperately, trying not to give in to her quickly diminishing strength.

What's happening? She panicked. Her breathes came harder by the second. Her head felt like it was spinning.

"Ojou-san are…..," she heard his voice again but she was no longer able to hear the rest. Her vision started to dim until it finally faded into total darkness.

End of Chapter Notes: My dear readers, let me know what you think about this story so far. And I hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me if there are spelling and grammar mistakes, and other things that don't work. XD ... This is the first fic I ever dared to publish here and I don't have a beta reader, or anyone else for that matter who checks on my story first before I publish it... There's just me and my word processing software that is kind enough to point out my spelling mistakes... XD... Thanks for reading this far~!

Reference:

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Baka – Stupid / Idiot / Dummy

Gi – literally translates to 'clothes' but in this story, it refers to a short robe-like top often paired with hakama, (used during martial arts training like karate in the modern world);

Hakama – traditional garment similar to trousers that is worn over a kimono or gi, originally worn by men.

Haori – a hip-length or thigh-length kimono-like garment worn over a kimono; used the same way as a jacket

Irashaimase – Welcome / Welcome to our shop

Kami/Kamisama – God

Kimono – traditional Japanese clothing worn by men and women. The hem of these full length robes usually falls to the ankles, but the more extravagant ones can be longer with floor-length sleeves.

Kuso – Dammit! / Damn!

Ojou-chan – little miss / missy

Jou-chan – a shortened / slang way of saying ojou-chan

Ojou-san – Miss

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying 'ara'

Ramen – a Japanese noodle dish, consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in meat or fish-based broth and is often topped with thinly sliced meat, green onions, dried seaweed and occasionally corn.

Sake – rice wine, a traditional Japanese liquor

Sukiyaki – a stew style Japanese hot pot dish usually consisting of beef and vegetables, simmered in a large pot at the center of the dining table as you eat. Hot pot dishes are meant to be shared by many people, mostly among family members.

Tanto – a traditional dagger used for closed ranged combat, often carried around by women in the past for self defense

Wakarimashita – Understood / Got it