Disclaimer: I don't own RK, I own about five cents, and a hanky, and they
will be sold in auction for ten thousand each.
Dedicated to:
marstanuki- is this soon enough?
Val- yes I agree with you about Kaoru being strong willed, and well in this chapter you will find out about Kaoru's relationship with Katsura. I'm glad you like it, I thought that Kaoru should have some kind of attitude problem as well her families died and she's a bit confused about her life right now, and well Kenshin is just troubled and his soul is tainted by all the killing, so go the attitudes yeah, plus its more fun this way :D
Leigh- it took me awhile to figure out what you meant about meeting his parents, but, well being blonde sometimes make's you dense, I now understand yay go me hehehe, um Kaoru would be around fourteen and Kenshin is about fifteen.
Ariela- Thankyou for telling me that geisha's aren't whores, I will remember that now.
Luraia Soul- thankyou for reviewing
tir-synni- I hope that I have fixed up that problem, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
By Sujakata
Warning: OOC ness and strange plots
Sacred Sword
Chapter two: Daughter
~()~
It seemed like a very quiet and happy place called the Akabeko
~()~
Bakumatsu 1864 Japan, Kyoto
Akabeko
They had just been seated at one of the tables in the small restaurant and bar when Kaoru noticed something she hadn't before, her 'body guard' was carrying not one but two swords, the fact that the man in front of her could be such a skilled fighter frightened her a little, oh of course she had guessed that he was the famed Batousai, but she had thought that he just used the art of surprise to kill his victims and not pure skill. The young red head glared at her and turned his attention to the kneeling woman in front of them.
"Some sake and green tea" Himura grated out, he really wasn't up for babysitting some child, and he still didn't know how she knew he was the Batousai, and figured that it was now or never. "Answer me girl, how do you know who I am?"
Kaoru flipped her hair over her shoulder and shrugged
"I guessed, it wasn't too hard you know, anyone with a brain would have known." Himura not happy with the answer grabbed Kaoru's leg from under the table and gave it a sharp squeeze; the young blue-eyed girl cringed under his hand but shrugged it off. "I'm not working for anyone so drop it," she snarled out, not even looking to the red haired young man. Himura growled but released the girl, as the woman came back with their order. Himura took the sake before Kaoru could try and reach for it, and pushed the green tea towards her.
"Drink" Kaoru rolled her eyes but pulled the beverage towards her and took a few sips before placing it back down. She eyed the man before her with a suspicious eye
"Do you enjoy it?" Himura raised an eyebrow and waited for her to elaborate. Kaoru sighed "killing" Kenshin's eyes glowed a violent amber and he said nothing for awhile
"You don't need to know"
"Hai I do"
"Iie"
"Does that mean that no I don't need to know or that you don't like killing?"
Himura grunted and continued to drink his sake,
"Which one?" Kaoru was getting exasperated just talking to this man, his answers were confusing and she hated it when people didn't give straight answers.
"Does it matter?"
"Hai"
"Fine" Kaoru waited for a moment and when it looked as if Himura wasn't going to say anything else she blew out some air loudly and pulled the sake from his grasp. "Give it back" Kaoru crossed her arms and turned up her nose
"Iie" Kenshin bared his teeth at her and with lighting quick movements retrieved his drink.
"Shut up, no more questions."
Kaoru humphed and looked away, the Akabeko was filling up and some of the customers were getting slightly drunk from all the potent liquor they were consuming. She was silent for a few moments, but she couldn't handle the awkwardness of her situation.
"When do you think it will be safe?" Himura glared at Kaoru and felt his hand twitch, 'oh how I wish I could just slit her throat..wait! Where did that come from? I am not that violent, I only kill when told.
~Yes, you are a machine, something that they use, you aren't important, you are nothing but a murderer~
Shut up! I don't need this, I know what I am and I am doing this for a better Japan
~Sure you are, just keep telling yourself that, but you know its not true, why do you kill for a better Japan, is this new Japan going to be built up from a bloody ground?'~
He realised that the girl was still waiting for an answer and he grunted
"Iie" Kaoru groaned and sat back on her heels, 'he is insufferable, I mean come on, how hard is it to answer a question properly? And what is with the grunting? Is he some barbarian?'
Iizuka chose that moment to come breezing through the door of the Akabeko and he sidled casually over to their table, taking a seat next to Kaoru, he moved close to her and smiled.
"You are a very pretty girl, I don't know what you see in Himura, do you like the silent, violent type? Because I can be just like that" Kaoru recoiled from the man as if he were a snake and bit back a rude comment. However Himura had felt a strong anger well up inside of him when Iizuka sat down next to the girl.
"I assume that it is safe?"
Iizuka turned and looked at the red haired Hitokiri with a blank look "huh? Oh, yeah" the older man then returned his gaze on Kaoru who stood up and pushed past the disgusting man. Himura growled and followed after the impudent girl, throwing down some yen onto the table to pay for their drinks.
~()~
The streets were silent as the trio made their way towards where the Ishin Shishi inn was, Iizuka leading the way and Himura keeping in step with Kaoru. Kenshin didn't understand why she was so important, but when he had seen Katsura and the way in which his leaders aura had spiked with emotion at seeing her, he knew she was very important and that he had to keep her safe, even if he didn't want to be near her. He stopped suddenly and grabbed Kaoru's arm, making her cry out in annoyance
"What are you doing? Let me go!" She then wrenched her arm from Himura's painful grip and glared at him, and that was when she noticed how tense he was and how his eyes had returned to that piercing amber 'his eyes are more amber then purple, but I like the purple better, the amber just freaks me out.' Staying close to him, as she didn't have any weapon to defend herself with Kaoru watched the shadows for any movement.
"Batousai, tonight you die" the voice was that of a mans, and had come from the alley across the street from them. Kaoru watched as Iizuka who was a little ways ahead unsheathe his sword and point it in that direction, and she also noticed that the Batousai had not. Confused she felt out with her aura and gasped, they were surrounded and she knew the auras, they were of the Yaminobu. Growling in anger she took a step forward, only to find Himura's arm blocking her way.
"Do not act foolish girl, they would kill you in a second." Kaoru glared and went to push his arm out of the way, when she heard the sound of metal on metal, looking upwards she found the blade of Himura Kenshin blocking that of one of the ninjas, he had just saved her.
Pushing her slightly behind him Batousai twisted his blade and pushed forwards, effectively unbalancing the ninja and then with a flick of his wrist the man was beheaded. Two others attacked and the Batousai quickly unsheathed his second sword and impaled both men at the same time before bringing his swords upwards and slicing the men in half, blood sprayed the scene and drenched his clothing, and splattered his face, blinding him momentarily, he sensed the attack more then saw it and dodged just in time, spin kicking at the Yaminobu ninja he then pinned the black clad man to the ground with his sword through his neck, giving it a twist to kill the man he turned around to see if there were any more. He could feel them, just on the edge of his abilities, like shadows that hide from the sun, but they were just watching from afar, they would not attack again this night.
Deeming it safe enough to continue he grabbed the blood soaked hand of Kaoru and pulled her shaking form after him, Iizuka stood a few feet away, and two bodies of the Yaminobu ninja lay beside him.
"We will have to take the long way so as not to be followed." Himura grunted in acknowledgement and continued towards the inn. It took them another half an hour to reach the inn, and to make sure they were not followed, and another hour for all three of them to be clean and in new clothes.
Himura pulled along the now clean, but still shaken girl towards Katsura's meeting chamber, Katsura had asked to see her again, something about setting something straight once and for all. A few candles dimly lighted the room they went into and the window was open and allowed a generous amount of moonlight to spill inside. Katsura sat at the window looking out into the night with a strained look on his face.
"Iizuka, leave us, Himura as well." Both Ishin Shishi members obeyed and left the two in the room alone. "Come, sit Kaoru" Kaoru sat and watched as the man she had sometimes called uncle turned towards her, a hooded look in his eyes.
"I should have told you this long ago, but, I thought it best if we kept you from the truth, and from harm. It seems though that someone has found out and tried to harm you." Kaoru looked on
"I don't understand" she said in a small voice, she had a feeling that what she was about to hear would be something very big and life changing.
"I, it was a long time ago, I was young and foolish, and I was in love. The woman that I was in love with was called Yukani Sashiya, and she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever known. We married, as young and in love people do and we had a child together. However I had many enemies, even back then. They found out I had a wife and captured her and tortured her to death, trying to find out if I had any other weaknesses, about my plans, who the important members were. She told them nothing." Katsura paused here and looked back to the night sky.
"What of your child?" Kaoru asked, her eyes teary. Katsura turned and looked back at the young girl before him.
"I had to keep her safe, I would not allow the only reminder I had of Yukani die as well, and so I gave her to my most trusted friend, he took her and his wife into the mountains and started a dojo, and he taught the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu" Katsura watched as all this information sunk into Kaoru and she gasped, all that she had known, everything, had been a lie. She looked at the man who had treated her as if she were a daughter every time he had come to visit, and she saw the likeness of herself somewhere in his face and saw the truth in his eyes.
"Forgive me my daughter, forgive me" and for the first time in her short life she saw a grown man cry, and her heart broke, she realised then and there all that he had had to give up to keep the only thing he loved left in the world safe. She leaned forward and held the man who was her father in a hug and cried with him, and she whispered to her father
"There is nothing to forgive."
They stayed that way for a while before they pulled back and smiled at each other, Katsura gently wiped her tears from her face, not bothering with his own.
"It is still dangerous for you to be hear, that is why when you are not with me you will have Himura or Iizuka with you." Kaoru nodded her head in understanding, and sniffed loudly, this made her fathers smile to brighten. Standing up he pulled his daughter with him. "You will stay in my rooms, and you will be given a weapon to defend yourself with." Kaoru stopped walking with her father and shook her head.
"I have seen enough killing in my lifetime and even more tonight, I will not kill."
"I would not ask that of you, my daughter, you will be given a Sakabatou." Kaoru grinned and hugged her father, 'this is all knew, but I think everything will be alright.'
~()~
Sujakata: So your back from outta space, no not really I cant back that up! Alrighty people I'm back from Melbourne and I had a great time, so, like the strange thing I put in there, hopefully that doesn't put you off too much :D
Read through by Kami, so if its bad yell at her. :"D
Kami: I'm not that bad of a reader! You just can't spell! I even had to fix up a mistake.
Sujakata: oh shush you, there is spell check, I'm not that bad :D
Dedicated to:
marstanuki- is this soon enough?
Val- yes I agree with you about Kaoru being strong willed, and well in this chapter you will find out about Kaoru's relationship with Katsura. I'm glad you like it, I thought that Kaoru should have some kind of attitude problem as well her families died and she's a bit confused about her life right now, and well Kenshin is just troubled and his soul is tainted by all the killing, so go the attitudes yeah, plus its more fun this way :D
Leigh- it took me awhile to figure out what you meant about meeting his parents, but, well being blonde sometimes make's you dense, I now understand yay go me hehehe, um Kaoru would be around fourteen and Kenshin is about fifteen.
Ariela- Thankyou for telling me that geisha's aren't whores, I will remember that now.
Luraia Soul- thankyou for reviewing
tir-synni- I hope that I have fixed up that problem, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
By Sujakata
Warning: OOC ness and strange plots
Sacred Sword
Chapter two: Daughter
~()~
It seemed like a very quiet and happy place called the Akabeko
~()~
Bakumatsu 1864 Japan, Kyoto
Akabeko
They had just been seated at one of the tables in the small restaurant and bar when Kaoru noticed something she hadn't before, her 'body guard' was carrying not one but two swords, the fact that the man in front of her could be such a skilled fighter frightened her a little, oh of course she had guessed that he was the famed Batousai, but she had thought that he just used the art of surprise to kill his victims and not pure skill. The young red head glared at her and turned his attention to the kneeling woman in front of them.
"Some sake and green tea" Himura grated out, he really wasn't up for babysitting some child, and he still didn't know how she knew he was the Batousai, and figured that it was now or never. "Answer me girl, how do you know who I am?"
Kaoru flipped her hair over her shoulder and shrugged
"I guessed, it wasn't too hard you know, anyone with a brain would have known." Himura not happy with the answer grabbed Kaoru's leg from under the table and gave it a sharp squeeze; the young blue-eyed girl cringed under his hand but shrugged it off. "I'm not working for anyone so drop it," she snarled out, not even looking to the red haired young man. Himura growled but released the girl, as the woman came back with their order. Himura took the sake before Kaoru could try and reach for it, and pushed the green tea towards her.
"Drink" Kaoru rolled her eyes but pulled the beverage towards her and took a few sips before placing it back down. She eyed the man before her with a suspicious eye
"Do you enjoy it?" Himura raised an eyebrow and waited for her to elaborate. Kaoru sighed "killing" Kenshin's eyes glowed a violent amber and he said nothing for awhile
"You don't need to know"
"Hai I do"
"Iie"
"Does that mean that no I don't need to know or that you don't like killing?"
Himura grunted and continued to drink his sake,
"Which one?" Kaoru was getting exasperated just talking to this man, his answers were confusing and she hated it when people didn't give straight answers.
"Does it matter?"
"Hai"
"Fine" Kaoru waited for a moment and when it looked as if Himura wasn't going to say anything else she blew out some air loudly and pulled the sake from his grasp. "Give it back" Kaoru crossed her arms and turned up her nose
"Iie" Kenshin bared his teeth at her and with lighting quick movements retrieved his drink.
"Shut up, no more questions."
Kaoru humphed and looked away, the Akabeko was filling up and some of the customers were getting slightly drunk from all the potent liquor they were consuming. She was silent for a few moments, but she couldn't handle the awkwardness of her situation.
"When do you think it will be safe?" Himura glared at Kaoru and felt his hand twitch, 'oh how I wish I could just slit her throat..wait! Where did that come from? I am not that violent, I only kill when told.
~Yes, you are a machine, something that they use, you aren't important, you are nothing but a murderer~
Shut up! I don't need this, I know what I am and I am doing this for a better Japan
~Sure you are, just keep telling yourself that, but you know its not true, why do you kill for a better Japan, is this new Japan going to be built up from a bloody ground?'~
He realised that the girl was still waiting for an answer and he grunted
"Iie" Kaoru groaned and sat back on her heels, 'he is insufferable, I mean come on, how hard is it to answer a question properly? And what is with the grunting? Is he some barbarian?'
Iizuka chose that moment to come breezing through the door of the Akabeko and he sidled casually over to their table, taking a seat next to Kaoru, he moved close to her and smiled.
"You are a very pretty girl, I don't know what you see in Himura, do you like the silent, violent type? Because I can be just like that" Kaoru recoiled from the man as if he were a snake and bit back a rude comment. However Himura had felt a strong anger well up inside of him when Iizuka sat down next to the girl.
"I assume that it is safe?"
Iizuka turned and looked at the red haired Hitokiri with a blank look "huh? Oh, yeah" the older man then returned his gaze on Kaoru who stood up and pushed past the disgusting man. Himura growled and followed after the impudent girl, throwing down some yen onto the table to pay for their drinks.
~()~
The streets were silent as the trio made their way towards where the Ishin Shishi inn was, Iizuka leading the way and Himura keeping in step with Kaoru. Kenshin didn't understand why she was so important, but when he had seen Katsura and the way in which his leaders aura had spiked with emotion at seeing her, he knew she was very important and that he had to keep her safe, even if he didn't want to be near her. He stopped suddenly and grabbed Kaoru's arm, making her cry out in annoyance
"What are you doing? Let me go!" She then wrenched her arm from Himura's painful grip and glared at him, and that was when she noticed how tense he was and how his eyes had returned to that piercing amber 'his eyes are more amber then purple, but I like the purple better, the amber just freaks me out.' Staying close to him, as she didn't have any weapon to defend herself with Kaoru watched the shadows for any movement.
"Batousai, tonight you die" the voice was that of a mans, and had come from the alley across the street from them. Kaoru watched as Iizuka who was a little ways ahead unsheathe his sword and point it in that direction, and she also noticed that the Batousai had not. Confused she felt out with her aura and gasped, they were surrounded and she knew the auras, they were of the Yaminobu. Growling in anger she took a step forward, only to find Himura's arm blocking her way.
"Do not act foolish girl, they would kill you in a second." Kaoru glared and went to push his arm out of the way, when she heard the sound of metal on metal, looking upwards she found the blade of Himura Kenshin blocking that of one of the ninjas, he had just saved her.
Pushing her slightly behind him Batousai twisted his blade and pushed forwards, effectively unbalancing the ninja and then with a flick of his wrist the man was beheaded. Two others attacked and the Batousai quickly unsheathed his second sword and impaled both men at the same time before bringing his swords upwards and slicing the men in half, blood sprayed the scene and drenched his clothing, and splattered his face, blinding him momentarily, he sensed the attack more then saw it and dodged just in time, spin kicking at the Yaminobu ninja he then pinned the black clad man to the ground with his sword through his neck, giving it a twist to kill the man he turned around to see if there were any more. He could feel them, just on the edge of his abilities, like shadows that hide from the sun, but they were just watching from afar, they would not attack again this night.
Deeming it safe enough to continue he grabbed the blood soaked hand of Kaoru and pulled her shaking form after him, Iizuka stood a few feet away, and two bodies of the Yaminobu ninja lay beside him.
"We will have to take the long way so as not to be followed." Himura grunted in acknowledgement and continued towards the inn. It took them another half an hour to reach the inn, and to make sure they were not followed, and another hour for all three of them to be clean and in new clothes.
Himura pulled along the now clean, but still shaken girl towards Katsura's meeting chamber, Katsura had asked to see her again, something about setting something straight once and for all. A few candles dimly lighted the room they went into and the window was open and allowed a generous amount of moonlight to spill inside. Katsura sat at the window looking out into the night with a strained look on his face.
"Iizuka, leave us, Himura as well." Both Ishin Shishi members obeyed and left the two in the room alone. "Come, sit Kaoru" Kaoru sat and watched as the man she had sometimes called uncle turned towards her, a hooded look in his eyes.
"I should have told you this long ago, but, I thought it best if we kept you from the truth, and from harm. It seems though that someone has found out and tried to harm you." Kaoru looked on
"I don't understand" she said in a small voice, she had a feeling that what she was about to hear would be something very big and life changing.
"I, it was a long time ago, I was young and foolish, and I was in love. The woman that I was in love with was called Yukani Sashiya, and she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever known. We married, as young and in love people do and we had a child together. However I had many enemies, even back then. They found out I had a wife and captured her and tortured her to death, trying to find out if I had any other weaknesses, about my plans, who the important members were. She told them nothing." Katsura paused here and looked back to the night sky.
"What of your child?" Kaoru asked, her eyes teary. Katsura turned and looked back at the young girl before him.
"I had to keep her safe, I would not allow the only reminder I had of Yukani die as well, and so I gave her to my most trusted friend, he took her and his wife into the mountains and started a dojo, and he taught the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu" Katsura watched as all this information sunk into Kaoru and she gasped, all that she had known, everything, had been a lie. She looked at the man who had treated her as if she were a daughter every time he had come to visit, and she saw the likeness of herself somewhere in his face and saw the truth in his eyes.
"Forgive me my daughter, forgive me" and for the first time in her short life she saw a grown man cry, and her heart broke, she realised then and there all that he had had to give up to keep the only thing he loved left in the world safe. She leaned forward and held the man who was her father in a hug and cried with him, and she whispered to her father
"There is nothing to forgive."
They stayed that way for a while before they pulled back and smiled at each other, Katsura gently wiped her tears from her face, not bothering with his own.
"It is still dangerous for you to be hear, that is why when you are not with me you will have Himura or Iizuka with you." Kaoru nodded her head in understanding, and sniffed loudly, this made her fathers smile to brighten. Standing up he pulled his daughter with him. "You will stay in my rooms, and you will be given a weapon to defend yourself with." Kaoru stopped walking with her father and shook her head.
"I have seen enough killing in my lifetime and even more tonight, I will not kill."
"I would not ask that of you, my daughter, you will be given a Sakabatou." Kaoru grinned and hugged her father, 'this is all knew, but I think everything will be alright.'
~()~
Sujakata: So your back from outta space, no not really I cant back that up! Alrighty people I'm back from Melbourne and I had a great time, so, like the strange thing I put in there, hopefully that doesn't put you off too much :D
Read through by Kami, so if its bad yell at her. :"D
Kami: I'm not that bad of a reader! You just can't spell! I even had to fix up a mistake.
Sujakata: oh shush you, there is spell check, I'm not that bad :D