Author's Note: Okay, here's chapter 2! Just so you know, that characters in this story are going to be pretty OOC. I'm trying to make this story a good mix of angst and humor -too much angst just gets a bit tense sometimes. And I'm sorry if all the POV changes are a little confusing -I just really like to get all the characters' thoughts in. So please bear with me, I promise to write more in the 3rd person. (This chapter might be a bit confusing). Please review… it would mean ever so much to me ^_^x.

Warning: Use of colorful language

Disclaimer: You sue me, you die.

Chapter Two: Meeting of Hunter and Prey

(Kaoru's POV)

Damn that Battousai to hell. He couldn't just be in his room like any other person at those unholy hours of the night, now could he? No, Mr. Fancypants Battousai has to be all illusive and unpredictable! Oh well, I suppose this sort of waiting will make the kill all the sweeter. Hmm, a nice drink would do wonders right about now. I'll just head over to the bar -maybe someone will have some information on the Battousai.

I walked to the nearest bar, and sat down at the counter, ordering my usual drink. I was about to leave when a familiar regular entered the bar -Sano. I had met him last week in a gambling ring. The poor bloke has the absolute worst luck with dice. Last I knew, he was on the lamb -trying to get away from his psychotic drug-dealing girlfriend. I believe he called her Megumi.

Sano spotted me and took the seat next to me. "Hey there Missy, what brings you back here?" he asked conversationally.

"Dead end with my target." I simply replied.

"Huh? Oh, that's right -you're an assassin right? Too bad the fish aren't under water, ne?" He said, as though he were a genius. The man was clearly drunk -I had to laugh.

"Sano, you big moron. You're the only person I know who walks into a bar already drunk." I replied.

"I had to drown my sorrows away… Megumi caught me. Or rather, the hit man she sent after me caught me. You know I've been running into assassins right and left. Must be a big industry, ne?" he said slowly, the alcohol clearly at work.

"You mean Megumi caught you and you haven't been castrated yet? You know Sano, knocking up a psychotic drug-dealer with enough money to send assassin after you isn't exactly smart." I replied, finding true amusement in the whole situation.

"You know, I swear I heard that same line somewhere before…"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah… Now I remember! That guy that Megumi hired to catch me -h-he said that same line!"

"Really now. And do you know who this assassin was?"

"Um, I think Megumi called him the Battokai…no, the Battorye? …No, no, that wasn't it either." Sano thoughtfully scratched his chin.

"The BATTOUSAI??!?!?" I screamed. I swear this baka is so slow.

"Yes! That's it. You know him too? He sounds pretty popular."

"You moron! The Battousai is my target! The man that destroyed my life! He's the one responsible for killing everything I ever loved! He's the reason I'm even in this god-forsaken hellhole to begin with!" I continued to scream. Just how dense was this Sano guy?

"Missy, calm down. I get the point."

"Tell me exactly what he looked like. Now!" I said this in a quiet steely tone that clearly put chills don his spine.

(Sano's POV)

Uh, oh. Now I've made this crazy lady angry. I'm in deep shit. And I thought Megumi was psycho… Ok… think, Sano. What did this guy look like? He was short, dressed in a pink shirt, and carried a useless reverse-blade sword. Wait, I can't tell this missy that I was captured by a pansy like that… I'll just stretch the truth a little, that's it -save face.

"Um, well, he errr-" I began.

"Yes? I haven't got all day, Sano. I'm known for my sword technique, not my patience!" The scary lady replied.

"Um, right. He was this real big guy -all muscle and brawn. Yeah, and he had this really sharp, pointy sword. He had crazy eyes and wild hair. That's right. Everyone was scared for their lives after just looking at him. I put up the best fight I could, but I was drunken -yeah, drunk and unarmed. Even so, our battle lasted for hours because we were so evenly matched in strength. And that's all I remember -it's the truth!" I said, trying to keep a straight face. Man, I am too good. What could be the harm? After all, this little missy didn't need to know I passed out at the pansy's feet without throwing a punch, right?

(Kaoru's POV)

"I see, I will go now." I said. I had what I wanted to know. But what Sano had just told me didn't quite make sense. The clothes I stole from the Battousai's room weren't big at all. In fact, they were my size. And if what Sano said is true, and that he and the Battousai were of equal strength, I could easily defeat him. Something wasn't right, but I decided not to further question. The last thing I needed right now was more misleading information.

I casually walked out of the bar, and began walking down the main road. From a distance, I could see a small boy running at great speeds. He was heading straight for me. And it seemed that there was a rather enraged man with a flame of red hair chasing after him. The boy ran past me in a rush and slightly bumped into me.

I was about to just walk away when I realized that little boy had snagged my wallet when he bumped into me. Why that insufferable little thief! I will teach him not to steal my money! I immediately gave chase after the little runt, but he was faster than I estimated. I soon fell into step with the boy's other pursuer -a man who appeared to be nothing more than a simple drifter.

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Elsewhere….

I decided that it would be best if I bought a new wardrobe. These rurouni clothes just aren't my thing. I was just walking along the street when a small child just walked up to me and asked me to play ball. I told the child sharply, no. And left. What was wrong with that kid? You're not just supposed to walk up to a famous manslayer and ask to play ball. What exactly were people teaching their kids these days?

And then I realized. I looked like a nice person, so people were treating me like a nice person. I was not feared as I used to be. During the revolution, if I walked down a street, the entire neighbor hood would run for cover. People never smiled at me, they never said "hello" or "good morning" They just crossed to the other side of the street, and whispered to their children that I was a very dangerous man -as if I couldn't hear them. Fools. I have just grown accustomed to being treated as such and frankly, I never really predicted it would ever change. But admittedly, this whole nice-guy routine wasn't so bad -if it weren't for the fuchsia colored shirt that people had been constantly mistaking for pink.

I was still just walking down the street when a young boy came rushing past me. He bumped into me slightly, but ran away as quickly as he had come. I just shrugged it off and then realized something was missing. My wallet! The little runt had taken my wallet! There was going to be hell to pay for this! I decided to give chase to the brat. I had to give him credit -he was fast. But unfortunately for him, not fast enough. I watched as he bumped into a woman up ahead. I saw him take her wallet in the blink of and eye. Not too soon after, the woman had joined the chase.

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(Back to Kaoru's POV)

Just as we were closing in on him, the boy ducked into a narrow alleyway. Both the redheaded rurouni and myself were hot on his trail and ran into the alleyway at the same moment -only to find that the alleyway was not big enough for the both of us. We collided head-on and after the initial shock, found ourselves in a rather compromising position. I was on top, straddling his waist, while he was pushed up against a hard wall.

"What's wrong with you?" I yelled at the now swirly-eyed drifter. Upon hearing my voice, the man quickly snapped out of his daze.

"What's wrong with me?!? What's wrong with you? I was clearly chasing the kid first!" This obviously flustered man yelled back.

"Yeah, well I was first into the alleyway!" I snapped back at him.

"No you weren't, wench! Stupid woman, we were both in the alley at the same time. That's why we collided!"

"Listen up bastard, I don't have time for this nonsense! And look! The kid is getting away!" I screamed. Today was not my day.

"Well, if you'd get your fat ass off me, we can go catch that damn boy!"

"No one speaks to me in that manner and lives, asswipe!" I yelled for all of Kyoto to hear. Who does this rurouni think he is?

(Kenshin's POV)

Ugh! Just who does this woman think she is? She obviously doesn't know whom she is addressing. No woman has ever spoken to me in this manner. I do admire her spirit, though. It's a refreshing change… she's not too bad looking either. No, this isn't the time, you baka! Fine. If this woman won't get off me, I'll push her off.

*THUD

"Ah! That hurt, baka! Where do get off pushing young women around?" The woman screamed at me.

"Enough! The kid is long gone by now, if you want to get your money back, we had better move!" I shouted, all my admiration for this woman went flying out the window.

"Fine. Let's go!" she said, and stomped her foot.

I ran off at break-neck speeds not only to try and catch up with the kid, but also to ditch that loud-mouthed woman. But to my complete and total surprise, the woman was keeping up with me. In fact, she fell in perfect step with my movements…. but how? Could that woman possibly have done any kind of training?

Those thoughts cleared out as soon as I saw that little runt up ahead. He had stopped to rest, and was just looking positively elated with himself. The woman and I closed the distance and by the time the rascal realized we were still chasing him, it was too late. We stopped right in front of him. I was about to give the kid a serious piece of my mind, but the woman beat me to the chase.

"Hand over the money, brat." She positively seethed anger and even managed to intimidate me a little.

"No. You can't make me! My father was a great Samurai-" The boy began, but was cut off as the woman picked him by the top of his shirt, and held him in the air, face-to-face, his legs dangling helplessly.

"I don't give a rat's ass about your father. You took something of mine that didn't belong to you. Now you give it back before I make you!" she said, in a deadly calm tone. Nicely done, woman.

"Ok, ok! Just trying to cut a living around here!" The boy squeaked, and handed over her purse. She immediately dropped him on the ground, and then unsheathed her sword. Wait a minute! This woman has a SWORD?!?! It was a professional blade at that, probably just as good as the one that was stolen from me.

She held the point of the blade at the runt's throat and said in a menacing voice, "Try stealing from me again, and you will not find any mercy. You're just lucky I like little kids." Then, she pointed the blade at me and said, "If I ever see your pathetic rurouni hide again, you won't be so fortunate either." Then she sheathed her sword and walked away.

I was left dumbstruck to say the least. That woman -she had such a commanding presence and a very powerful battle ki. And unless I'm mistaken, she was using the infamous Kutshiso style battle stance. The only other sword style still practiced that can counterbalance my own style. How very intriguing. Beautiful, strong-willed, practiced in the art of swordsmanship, and able to scare the shit out of small kids -that's my kind of woman! I was snapped out of my thoughts when the brat spoke up.

"Wow she was ugly and scary. Cool!!! Wait a minute. Did she call me a 'little kid'? Wahhhh! Why won't anyone take me seriously?" The child whined.

"Because, brat, you're a sniveling shrimp who stole my money! Now give it back, and I'll leave you in one piece." I said with a smirk. That woman wasn't the only one who could be a scary prick.

"You, a pink-wearing rurouni wants your money back? Ha! What are you going to do to me? Tickle me to death with your useless reverse-blade sword? At least the ugly lady had a cool sword." The kid said doubling over in laughter.

Oh, that is so it! I've had it with this rurouni get-up. It's ruining my reputation. I turned back around, prepared to make that scrawny brat give me my money back, but to my utter surprise, he was gone. Disappeared without a trace. Fuck. Why me? Now I'm stuck as a rurouni without my precious sword, and I don't even have any of the money I made from that drug-dealer, who, if I recall, was the reason for my posing as a rurouni in the first place. Life's a real bitch.

A/N: Oh, the irony! Well, that ends chapter two. Next chapter: Kenshin and Kaoru get to know each other a little better. FYI: Kaoru does not know Kenshin is really the Battousai -just thought I'd make that clear. Special thanks to all the reviewers so far: Rogue Ronin, Auriyu, Angel, Kakarlena Tsugoi, Minami-chan, claire, Sosoru, Anime Lover, seamunkee, Silver Blood, Mina-chan, and Nunichan. If I missed anyone, my eternal apologies and thank you again!!! Any extra questions or comments, e-mail me at dragongrlz@c.com or qtpievtg@cs.com. And remember to PLEASE REVIEW!!!… the button is right there. ^_^x.