Chapter 3: Shades of Black and Green

The wind was violent that day. Kenshin stared out the window at the blowing leaves, seeing as he was condemmed to the bed.

"How you doing down there?" asked a woman's voice, shocking Kenshin. He turned to the left of him, and out the window was Kumui, upside-down, no less.

He qawked for a few moments, seeing as she was somehow suspended in mid-air, smiling and waving. She pressed her hand to the window, and it flung open.

She let herself float in, and landed on her feet beside the injured red-head. The two of them blinked, but she did circles around him.

"Did I reall get you THAT bad? Really sorry." she apologized. "I could heal it if you wish, of course it would be unmanly to be helped by a woman like me." she smiled, flicking her chestnut hair to the side, as it quickly fell back into place, seeing how short it was.

"What, dare I ask, do you want?" he inquired. He usually forgave people, but she was an exception. she just gave off this feeling. The same feeling Kenshin had when he was around Saitoh, or Shishio, before he had passed.

And her looks didn't help her either. Dressed in dark green and balcks, eyes narrow and cunning, and her mouth in an evil grin, as though she wouldn't hesitate to kill anything.

" Like I said," she bgan, and shrugged," My new mission is to watch and protect your ass. If it was Sano, it would be another story, but...ya know, you get what you deserve."

"You're not a very proper OR kind lady, that you are not." he muttered, forgeting his own manners. What made him more confused was her response to it.

"Thanks for noticing.I try my best to be as unladylike as possible. And kindness is for those who haven't killed in cold blood before." she spoke, turning and closing the window.

She turned to him and smiled. "I bet Shiken would be so happy to see you."

"Shiken..?"

"Kaika would probaly try to take your head off in a playful fight. Muscle head...just like Sano...hmmm, they ARE about the same age...."

"Kaika? Who are these people?"

"Oh, I was talking about Kaika Misu, her younger brother, Ukyo, and someone you might know...His name's Shiken.Shiken Himura."

Kenshin lay shocked. He didn't know any Shiken, but if he hadn't, then this must be an imposter...but if not...

"Don't let it get to you. Guy's a pain in the rear end, I'll give him that. Only reason I'm nice to him is because of how close him and Tokio are."

"Who's Tokio?" asked Kenshin. For a trained killer, she seemed to know alot of living people.

She blinked. "Tokio? He's one of the people I work with...He was involved in a...slight accident, buit he lived while his parent's didn't. Kodachi took him in. Poor kid, he's only fifteen."

"And who's Kodachi?"

"Kodachi? She's another person I work with. I also work with a guy named Rin, but he's more of,how would I say this, more of an assasin then a ninja. "

"I see..." Kenshin responded. That might explain her looks. " Kumui- dono?"

"Do me a favor. Don't call me that. Ku's what most people call me. This now includes you, Himura." she sighed. She was pretty when she was grinning and glaring.

"Alright, Ku, what ninja clan do you work for, if I may ask?" he questioned.

"The Fuuma Shin Gumi, you probably never heard of it. It's top secret. We were first brought together by the imperialists, but we soon became to strong for them, and did our own thing. VERY few know about us. Tokio, Kodachi. Rin and I are basically the elite four of the clan."

"You seem to give out information quite freely, Mi..Ku." Kenshin warned. "It's dangerous, that it is." He shook his head slighty. Kumui laughed.

"I like living on the edge."

With that, she turned to the window, and in a barrage of shades of balck and green, she diappeared. Kenshin blinked a few times. She was quite knowledgable, but all of this was happening so quickly. He had a feeling that they inhabitants of the dojo were now in something big. Maybe something too big for them to handle.

After all, he himself could barely handle the woman known as Gust, but the woman who was now protecting him. Kumui had too many secrets...

Then it hit Kenshin. That twenty-five year old had visited Hiko once. He couldn't hear what they had spoke of, but she was there. She did have longer hair then, though. That's when he had heard of the Fuuma Shin Gumi. They had a reputation worse then his as the Manslayer.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! You did that on purpose, you porcupine- headed dumbass!!!" suddenly broke through the silence. Kenshin rose to the window again.

Sano and Kumui were seemingly having an argument. Sano was laughing, and Kumui had a look to kill.

"Respect your elders, Sanosuke Sagara!" she shouted, "And never pull my kimono again! It nearly fell off!"

"You're right, Ku. That WOULD have been horrible!" he laughed...well, he laughed BEFORE he recieved a blow to the head with a broom Kumui grabbed. She began to storm off.

Yahiko, not paying attention, accidently rammed right into her, and nearly fell, if not for her grabbing his arm. She set him back on balance.

"Oh, umm...thanks." he thanked. She smiled softly.

" No problem. Later." she said, turned around and raiseing one hand. Then the woman in shades of Black and Green faded into the distance.

To Be Continued....