Kyaa Kyaff here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Kenshin & co doesn't belong to me, too bad!

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'…' Kaoru thoughts

"…" dialogue

An Alternate Time and Place

Chapter 4: Training, Hitokiri Battousai

"Put that silly piece of wood down, girl. It won't do you any good."

Kaoru turned at the voice.

A tall man stood analyzing her every move. Kaoru had no idea who this man was, but she did not like the way he was looking at her. Almost as if her next action might prove whether she lived or died. Kaoru felt like things had just went from bad to worse. She slowly pointed her bokken at him, taking a defensive position.

"Do you intend to attack then?" he asked with contempt.

"If necessary," she said back defiantly.

"I could kill you easily."

Kaoru's temper flared at this.

'He is just toying with me.'

"I don't intend to die without a fight!"

The man started to chuckle.

"Perfect, come with me," those words being spoken he turned and started to walk away.

Kaoru watched him completely dumbfounded.

'What just happened? Does he really expect me to follow him?'

"Hey! Who are you? What do you want?" Kaoru shouted after him.

"Follow me and I will explain."

Kaoru considered and decided she had no other choice. The guy had just saved her, so she started to follow him keeping a considerable distance away.

"My name is Amakusa Shougo. I was watching you and you displayed some potential. I have decided to train you. You will do so girl, or I will kill you."

Kaoru stopped short. He wanted to train her.

"Nani…?"

"I will not repeat myself. Now follow me." He continued walking.

Kaoru had no other choice once again but to follow. She would trust her instincts on this one. They were telling her this guy would follow through with his threat. Kaoru was in a state of disbelief.

'Train me in what? To do what?'

None of this was making sense. You don't just walk up to people and tell them what to do!

"Where are we going?" Kaoru asked.

"Be silent. "

Kaoru wisely stayed silent the rest of the way there, fuming silently.

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A considerable time later they arrived in a clearing deep in the forest. Kaoru heard shouts coming from the other side of the small house in the clearing. Kaoru did not have time to look at the scenery though. Shougo continued on into the house. Once inside he turned to look at her once again.

"Sit." he commanded.

Kaoru sat in the only seat available.

Shougo faced her his face impassive.

"I have chosen you to train. I have one other student, whom you will be working with. You will learn to fight with a sword. To protect with a sword. For what purpose you will find out later. Refer to me as Amakusa-sensei. Understood, girl?"

Kaoru was trying to digest all of this. She was just supposed to stop what she was doing and begin training with this nutty guy.

"Your name." Amakusa demanded.

"Kamiya Kaoru."

"First, you are to go outside and bring Seta in."

Kaoru assumed that was who she heard when they first arrived. Numbly, she put down her pack and went outside toward the back. There she saw a very cute guy with short black hair doing a sword kata. She watched fascinated at his fast movements. He stopped suddenly and looked over at her.

"Ah, so Amakusa-sensei has found me someone to train with." Smiling as he walked up to her he continued, "Seta Soujiro, but you can call me Soujiro."

Kaoru said nothing, continuing to stare.

"Amakusa-sensei isn't the most subtle person. He probably dragged you here and gave you orders right? Well, nothing to be done about that. Don't let him intimidate you too much. Once he warms up to you he isn't so bad."

Kaoru shook her head.

"Who said I was staying? You don't pick people out of nowhere and expect them to do all this! Is the guy nuts?!"

"Well, Amakusa-sensei won't let you leave. You obviously have some skill for him to choose you. Don't worry it won't be so bad. I will be your friend." Soujiro gave her another smile.

He was calming her nerves a bit. Maybe training to become stronger wouldn't be so bad. Then she would never have to worry about men like those lying dead in the forest.

"O! Amakusa…sensei wanted me to get you."

"Alright then let's go."

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That was how it all began. Kaoru and Soujiro started to train together and under the instruction of Amakusa Shougo became excellent fighters. They were being trained to become part of the Shinsengumi, a group of secret police opposed to the idea of restoring the Emperor to power. But they were not to be the ordinary fighters. No, they would be the secret weapons of the Shinsengumi. There were rumors that a band called the Ishin Shishi were training people as well. There had been no outright fights between the two opposing groups but the time for peace had passed.

Seven years passed from the first day Kaoru had met Amakusa Shougo. Kaoru and Soujiro excelled in everything they were taught. After a year of training Kaoru had earned the right to leave once in a while to visit her friends in Kyoto. Soujiro always escorted her there. She never told her friends exactly what it was she was doing. They did not mind, though. The time came when their training was complete. Tension was building up between the two groups. There were some minor skirmishes. Kaoru had been given the assignment to guard an important person to the Shinsengumi. Soujiro had to leave with Shougo on a different assignment.

Myojin Yahiko was the nine-year-old terror Kaoru had to protect. The reason he was so important, and Kaoru had a hard time believing this, was he had the ability to plant commands into ones head by touching their forehead. The person would then have to do whatever was commanded. Quite useful. Kaoru had been told he was a sullen and rude boy. After all he was a target for assassination, and he was being used as a tool. Kaoru did not think he would be too hard to deal with. She was wrong.

___________________Flashback_________________________________________________

"This girl is supposed to protect me? Couldn't you have gotten someone prettier?" Yahiko exclaimed.

Kaoru remained calm and chose to ignore that comment.

"Hey! busu, are you deaf?"

'Calm, just stay calm.'

"I think the old hag has some problems here… Itai!"

Yahiko rubbed his head where he had been hit. Standing next to him was a fuming Kaoru. Everyone in the room became silent. Many feared the boy and now this girl had gone and hit him. Amazingly enough he began to laugh, shocking the people that knew him.

"busu, busu!" He cried running away from his now thoroughly pissed bodyguard.

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Over the next three years violent fights and assassinations occurred. During this time Kaoru lost contact with her friends in Kyoto. She was worried about them, but hoped they were safe. Kaoru continued to protect Yahiko, and a special relationship formed between the two. He persisted in calling her busu and always got a good whack on the head for it. Many attempts were made on Yahiko's life but that was what Kaoru was there for. The men would talk about her though, because she refused to kill her opponents. Instead, she carried a reverse-blade sword that Amakusa-sensei had provided for her in her training days, when she had stated her beliefs to him. Highly amused, uncharacteristically, Amakusa allowed her to state her opinion deciding to give her the reverse-blade sword. Kaoru would take the person down, and Yahiko would sometimes command the person to forget everything. Otherwise the two other guards, Shion and Issei would finish the person off. She much preferred Yahiko's method. The two guards would often tease her about her beliefs on not killing.

Rumors were flying rampant about someone called Hitokiri Battousai. His name was spoken with fear on the lips of many. Kaoru wished to meet him and see what all this fear was about. She knew the man would come for Yahiko someday, and kept a close watch on the kid that she saw as a younger brother. Which brings us to the present.

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"Kamiya, you are to bring Myojin to Fujita Gorou. You will have further instructions there. Dismissed."

"Hai." Kaoru replied and got up to leave the room.

Yahiko ran up to her quickly once she had exited.

"Go pack your stuff. We must go into Kyoto tonight." Yahiko nodded and turned to leave to do as he was told.

When it was something serious Yahiko would always listen to her. Too bad he wasn't so compliant all the time. Kaoru sighed and tilted her head to one side to rub her neck.

"Hey Kao-chan, long time no see!"

Kaoru jumped happily at the voice and threw her arms around Soujiro.

"When did you get back, Sou-chan," she cried happily to her best friend.

Soujiro smiled at Kaoru with affection.

"Just now. I do believe it has been a year, hasn't it?"

"Yes, and now I have to leave tonight! I never get to see you anymore" Kaoru said frowning.

"Once this is all over we can catch up on time missed. For now I have to go. Stay safe." Soujiro gave her a hug before heading toward the main building of the place they were staying at.

Kaoru decided to go check on Yahiko. She saw his pack lying in his room, but he was nowhere in sight. Kaoru wasn't alarmed though. She knew exactly where he was.

Kaoru found him in the kitchen speaking with one of the young girls his age. Sanjou Tsubame was a quiet girl, who Yahiko seemed to have a crush on. She was one of the assistant cooks working here. They had been staying here for three months, and he always seemed to disappear only to be found in the kitchen. It was quite endearing seeing him stand there with a blush on his face trying to tell the girl goodbye.

"Just kiss her already, Yahiko. We have preparations to make," Kaoru said mischievously.

They both jumped their faces flamed to red and Yahiko started yelling busu. The shy Tsubame leaned forward tentatively placing a kiss on his cheek. His yelling immediately stopped and Kaoru decided to leave the lovebirds alone.

Kaoru herself did not have time for that kind of thing. There was one point after three years of training that her and Soujiro were more than just friends, but it did not work out. She saw him as her best friend and that was it.

Kaoru thought it best if she finished the rest of the preparations.

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Walking along the quiet back streets of Kyoto; Kaoru, Yahiko, Shion, and Issei made there way to the chosen destination. There had been no incidents thus far, but Kaoru was not about to let her guard down. Her instincts were right when she felt the presence of someone else. She quickly drew her sword and threw Yahiko behind her only to see Issei lying dead on the ground and a flash as the assassin approached her. She swiftly blocked the blow that would have separated her from her head if she had been a second slower.

"It's the Hitokiri Battousai," hissed Shion.

Kaoru deflected another blow. And the assassin backed up assessing the situation.

"Get Yahiko out of here now! Take him to the place. I will hold him off."

The man known as the Hitokiri Battousai stood in the shadows ready to attack what he considered an obstacle.

"Move aside. I've only come for the boy." He said coldly.

"You will have to come through me first," Kaoru yelled.

"busu, no! Don't get yourself killed." Yahiko yelled trying to get away from the guard that was pulling him away.

'Leave it to him to call me busu now of all times!'

"Yahiko, have a little faith. Stay safe." And with that she knocked him out, "Gomen Yahiko."

Shion scooped the boy up and started to retreat.

"Come then, you want the boy, you will have to kill me first." Kaoru yelled.

His weapon was a daisho, and he held the longer of the two. He slid into a fighter's stance.

"Fair enough." He raised his sword preparing to attack.

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I really have to stop it with these cliffhangers. I don't mean to! I'm sorry!

Okay, and just so you know.

I used Amakusa Shougo cause I didn't want to make up a name. So he is no way related to his character in the anime. And I did some research and it said the shinsengumi recruited master less samurai and farmers good with sword technique. So… you know! The ages again if you don't feel like adding. At the end of this chapter Kaoru is 24. Yahiko is 13. Soujiro is 25.

Ummmm… remember this is Au so anything goes!

See I told you Kenshin would show up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to all who reviewed. I really appreciate it. I decided to write this chapter instead of my homework. So leave me a review to let me know how I am doing. I feel more motivated that way!

I love you guys!

Kyaa Kyaff saying til next time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!