A/N

I have been writing this chapter for a very long time. My hard drive crashed and ate the original version of this half-completed chapter. Then, I was struck by a writer's block that had persisted for quite some time. It was more than writer's block, to be honest. The voices in my head, the characters that once chattered in my ear so incessantly to have their story told...stopped. They no longer talked to me. They seemed to have nothing left to say to me, and I was wholly depressed. I would write a paragraph here and there, but I was writing what I thought the characters would say, what I thought they were feeling. It wasn't their words, their voices. So, the paragraphs felt like imitations. I would look at the screen and shake my head, and close the file ashamed.

I had always thought myself to be a writer. Writing was not a hobby, it was a demand from my brain that made me whole. When my mind stopped making the demand, I questioned everything. Who was I? What was wrong with me? Was I ever really a writer?

So, I have had to battle with myself. I've never left a story incomplete. Do I complete the story, even though I am unhappy with the product, or do I wait for the characters to speak to me, no matter how long it took?

I decided to wait. I hope these last few chapters are worth it to my faithful readers.

~Sosoru

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Chapter Seven

"Stop, Kamiya!" a familiar voice rang out. Kaoru turned around and faced Makato, the officer that interviewed her after her sister's murder.

There was a taller, thinner man standing next to him. He was older than Makoto, but not by much. He was attractive, in a wolfish sort of way. His dark hair was slicked back, two stray pieces framing either side of his angular face. The man smiled, and again, Kaoru was reminded of a wolf, a wolf that had just cornered a particularly plump rabbit.

Kaoru's first instinct told her to run, but the girl was mesmerized, intrigued by this man. If he had meant to kill her, she would have been dead already, she reasoned. The girl stood her ground as the two men approached her.

"You defeated my men?" the taller man asked.

"Hai," Kaoru said flatly. So he sent them after her...but why?

"How old are you, girl? Seventeen? Eighteen?" he quizzed.

Before Kaoru could respond, Makoto told the man she was fourteen. Both looked impressed.

"Why did you send those men after me?" Kaoru found the courage to ask.

"Who are you working for, Kaoru?" Makoto asked. Kaoru looked perplexed and answered that she worked for no one.

"How did you come about your skill?" the tall man asked.

"I've been on my own since I was 10. I just learned what I needed to learn," Kaoru paused to collect her thoughts. They were peppering her with questions, but had not answered hers. Mustering more courage, she continued. "Why did you send men after me? What is this all about, Makoto-san?"

Makoto held his hand out to Kaoru in a kind gesture. "I'm sorry about the men. Will you come with us? We will explain everything."

Kaoru stared at the hand offered, then looked at the tall man. An unlit cigarette balanced on his lower lip, giving him a carefree look that warred with the seriousness of his eyes. Could she trust this man? Usually good a judge of character, Kaoru was unsure. It was clear he was dangerous, but would he harm her? Something told her that he wouldn't, so she took the offered hand and was led to a part of the airport where private planes departed.

Kaoru stopped and looked up at the airplane. The rain had not stopped, yet she could not feel the damp and cold. Her heart pounded furiously and the young girl realized she was more nervous now than when she killed Kyo. How long had it been since she killed him? And hour? Two? It seemed like an eternity had passed, or like she was in some sort of dream. Where were they taking her on this plane?

The tall man turned and looked at Kaoru. He marveled at how in this unguarded moment, he could read her feelings as clearly as if she had verbalized them. This girl interested him greatly,. No words were exchanged as Kaoru, Makoto and the man obviously in charge boarded the sleek private jet. Once fastened and secure, the jet rose to the skies and Kaoru felt her stomach flutter. She was nervous, but curiosity trumped all.

"Makoto-san, what is going on?" Kaoru asked with a voice more timid than she intended.

"Makoto is not an officer. In fact, his name is not Makoto," the taller man said without preamble. "He is a spy and sometimes assassin; and he works for me."

Kaoru's brow rose and she asked, "And who are you?"

"I am Saitou Hajime," he replied with a wolfish grin.

"Hajime-san, was Kyo Makoto's target?" Kaoru asked, picking up quickly on the situation.

"Hai. And he proved incredibly hard to track down. That you, a mere girl with the most rudimentary training could do what he could not, is quite remarkable." Saitou said, and the man called Makoto shifted uncomfortably.

Kaoru knew she would have to proceed carefully. They were trying to decide whether or not to kill her, she realized. What was this all about? Who was Kyo that these men would be after him?

"I was mad and hurt, and that pain drove me to find Kyo. I doubt that Makoto-san could feel the same way…hurt the same way. I'm not saying that Makoto-san is bad at his job," Kaoru quickly added, not wanting to insult the man, "but I wanted revenge. It was all I thought about."

Saitou nodded and said, "Very astute observation. You are right; emotions can play little part in what we do. My question is; do you think you could have done what you did without the motivation of your emotions?"

"No," Kaoru said quietly, but definitely.

"But, now that you've killed a man, you will forever be a killer. Do you think you will kill again?" was the next question.

"No."

"But, what's to stop you? You've already decided to kill someone that was in desperate need of killing. If you ever come across someone else that does not deserve to be in this world, how can you stand by and let them live?" Saitou asked the young girl.

Kaoru paused. It was an interesting question. She would kill to avenge her sister, but what stake did she have in another person's life, another person's tragedy?

"I went after Kyo because I knew if I didn't, no one else would make sure be paid for what he did to my sister…what he did to me. If I come across someone that deserves death, shouldn't the person crossed do what's needed? Why should I put myself in danger because they can't do what they should?"

"What if you were the tool used to exact justice?" Saitou asked. Kaoru paused to think, her brows furrowing.

"You mean what if I killed for other people, the way Makoto-san sometimes kills for you?" Kaoru asked slowly. Saitou nodded. "I do not know. I think you'd have to be a person that enjoyed killing."

"You didn't enjoy killing Kyo?" Saitou asked.

"No," Kaoru replied quickly.

At this Saitou laughed. "That is the first dishonest thing you've said." Kaoru said nothing, nor gave any indication that she was offended. Saitou continued. "Have you considered what you want to do with your life, Kaoru?"

What to do with her life? She had not given it much thought. The man called Makoto spoke.

"Is there anything you thought you wanted to be, wanted to do?" he asked. "Do you have any aspirations...dreams?"

Kaoru lowered her head, her voice sounding like the child she was for the first time. "I wanted to be like my sister."

"What if you could be anybody? Go anywhere? Do anything?" Saitou asked. Kaoru raised her head, but said nothing. "I can teach you, train you to be a spy. As a spy, you have to fit in seamlessly to any given role. You can think of it as being an actress, a dangerous actress."

Kaoru looked at Saitou, then turned her head to look out the plane's window. They were high above the clouds and she could see only blue sky and sunshine. What did she have left to look forward to after today; a continued life of petty crime? Though intelligent, Kaoru could not tolerate the pretentious atmosphere of school. She had no family and few friends. And now she was a killer, a fugitive with no face and no future. What did she have to lose? Then, another question popped in her head.

"What choice do I have?"

"Death," was Saitou's cool response.

"How would this work? Am I given a place to live? An allowance?" the girl asked.

Saitou smiled and went over the rules of engagement. He was surprised when the girl told him she would not accept the pay he first offered. When he asked her reasoning, she said, "You obviously think I am talented, so I feel I am worth more. If you think I am not, you can kill me now. I've completed my goal in life; avenging my sister. So there's not much for me to look forward to."

"I'm beginning to think killing you may be the safest course of action," Saitou said darkly. "You are too smart...and bold...for your own good."

"It is your decision to make," Kaoru said in a tone she hoped passed for indifferent.

Saitou was more than amused by this girl; he was intrigued. At 14, she knew how to command respect. She knew how to negotiate. She knew when to demure. She trained herself to be an assassin, and while Kaoru did not initially realize her worth, she quickly ascertained that worth upon Saitou's interest. The girl had a natural acumen for the ways of world he sought to rule. Saitou would indeed have to kill Kaoru if she didn't want to work for him, because the thought of her working for one of his foes genuinely frightened him.

"I think I will keep you alive," Saitou said graciously.

"May I be excused a moment?" Kaoru asked.

"Of course," Saitou replied, and the girl politely left for the restroom.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Makoto leaned over to his boss and whispered in Mandarin, "Do not take offense to my words, Saitou-sama, but I do not think it is wise to keep her alive."

When Saitou did not command him to cease, the man continued. "I see great potential in her…too much. It is possible that if left to her own devices, she could have started her own syndicate one day. Will we be able to control her when she realizes just how powerful she is?"

"I think she is yet young enough for us to control. In a year or two, yes, she would have been too powerful, but there is still enough innocence in her to exploit. A little bit older, she would have realized Kyo was one of our own. He should have killed her that night, but Kyo was ever a failure. And I understand you could not kill her once the police showed up. But, that failure will be our gain. What a beautiful monster we've created…" Saitou trailed off as Kaoru returned. She knew they were talking about her, but her command of Mandarin did not go much further than a few curse words and basic phrases.

"What happens now?" Kaoru asked, looking at Saitou as she took her seat.

"We will go to Japan. You will learn about our world and you will learn how to thrive in it," Saitou said, and for a moment, Kaoru looked like an excited child.

Under Saitou's tutelage, Kaoru made the leap from vigilante to assassin. Even the young girl was surprised how easy it had been for her. Her upbringing did not foster the growth of empathy, and the only person who tried to cultivate it was long gone. In this new environment, Kaoru could be anyone and anything she wanted to be. She felt she had a purpose and she enjoyed her lessons in language, combat and stealth. The girl had a natural talent that could not be denied, and with practice, the deadly girl turned into a deadly woman.

As time progressed, so did her reputation as being a top-notch spy and assassin unparalleled. . Kaoru did not realize how short of a leash she was on. Always on a mission, she rarely had downtime…time to think about just how powerful she had become. So much time was spent on becoming a new person; no time was left for self-discovery. Her mind was never idle, so she never was able to cause any trouble.

The Shishio job was a turning point for Kaoru. For the first time since her sister's murder, she experienced real emotions. Kenshin shook her. Not just his skill, but everything about him. Though she had her share of lovers, it was the first time since her sister she had grown to love someone. It was the first time she began to question herself.

When Kaoru returned to receive her punishment, Saitou left the assassin much time to think. She thought of Kenshin, how she failed to kill him though she certainly could have. She thought of Saitou. The thought of being imprisoned annoyed her. He exerted so much power and control over her life; he had from the very beginning. Kaoru blindly and willfully followed his every instruction. In turn, Kaoru became extremely wealthy and feared. But, did she have any power?

Was she powerful? Yes. She was most skilled at her job, but that was the extent of her power. She was an extension of Saitou. She was the property of Saitou. Kaoru's very existence depended on his need not for her, but her skills. As far as spies and assassins went, she was unique. But in the eyes of Saitou, all Kaoru was and needed to be was a useful body. And he used her well.

The useful body, the glorified minion, helped Saitou grow his network into one of the most powerful in the world. He had become a king in the underworld on her back. Yet, she was not a queen. Kaoru was a servant and sometime lover. No matter how useful she had been in the past, Kaoru had to plead for her life, even though she had saved Saitou's countless times. Kaoru finally realized, no, she finally accepted that she was being controlled. The woman had known it, but for some reason, she did not mind. She was content with killing and making money and being feared. She relished the last part, and if it were not for Saitou, she would not be who she was.

Kaoru's struggled against the rope binding her as her mind worked backwards to that plane ride with Makoto and Saitou, when they spoke of her in a dialect she did not understand. If only she could remember the words. What were they saying about her? Then Kaoru shook her head. Was it even important? Then, Kaoru did something she had not done in many, many years.

She cried. For her sister, Megumi. For her life before that assassin killed her. She might have become a different person had Megumi not been murdered. Why was she murdered? For some reason, Karou never seriously asked the question, for who could answer it? Why was she targeted by Kyo? And why was Kyo targeted by Saitou? Kaoru never asked.

You have to remember the words, Kaoru told herself. Her arms and leg may have been bound, her body battered, but her ever-facile mind worked. What did they say to each other? For hours, Kaoru struggled to swim through the memories of the past. Though she could remember the exact color of the blood that gushed from Kyo's wound, she could not remember Makoto's words.

Makoto. He was the key. He could never get Saitou to reveal anything he didn't want to. But Makoto was weak, much weaker than she was. Kaoru, learning the value of patience, had waited for exactly the right moment to strike. Soon she would look into the eyes of Saitou and watch as they glassed over.