Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. FF is non-profit, meant for entertainment only. FF can be archived anywhere, just let me know where. Please send no flames, I'm sensitive. For all other comments 0_o you may contact me at kaoru_koishii@yahoo.com

Chapter Nine

*************

Kenshin and Cho faced each other in the deserted alley. The air was thick with tension. Cho took in the narrowed eyes and the deadly look the battoussai gazed him with. He didn't have to die here. He just needed to buy Yasuyoshi enough time to get the girl back.

"You know what I've heard battoussai." Cho said in a mocking tone.

The battoussai only gazed back.

"I heard you went into hiding. Scared shitless." He took satisfaction in seeing the battoussai clench his fists.

"That Mibu Wolf still looking for you?"

The battoussai didn't respond. He knew Cho. Knew he liked to talk, in fact he was better at talking than at fighting. Kenshin took his stance and waited.

"S' you ready then old man. This time I'm gonna Fuck'ya up." Cho made sure to keep his distance. He knew how fast the battoussai's elbow could connect to his jaw. Cho's blade extended like whip. He angled the blade and whipped his hand back. The blade only swooshed by the battoussai. Cho tried again. He ran to the left and whipped the sword again. His heart was racing. He snapped his hand back to draw the blade inward. He wasn't getting anywhere at this rate. He stood back and watched the battoussai. He hadn't even broke a sweat. Fucking bastard. "Are you just gonna stand there?"

"How soon do you want to die?" Came the cold reply.

Cho just smiled. The man was truly amazing. He could strike fear in any man. He stood there a moment. It's been long enough, Yasuyoshi probably had the girl by now. He shielded his eyes with his hand so the sun wouldn't block him from seen behind the battoussai. "Is that you're woman they're throwing in that carriage?"

He got the satisfaction of seen his head whirl around. He didn't have much time to enjoy it though. He ran the opposite way. He used the boxes plied behind the restaurant and ran away.

The battoussai ran out of the alley. He ran back into the restaurant. "My Wife?" He said as he looked around. Where is she?"

The waitress from before looked at him. "She ran after you didn't she find you?"

The battoussai didn't wait for her to finish he ran out of the restaurant. Which way would she have gone? He looked to his right. A lot of shops. He looked to his left. More shops but there was an alley. He didn't a waste anymore time. He ran around the corner but there wasn't anyone there. His hand flew to his hair, grabbing handfuls. This was not happening. He took an extra second to look around before he headed in the direction he'd been at before. Cho.

Cho ran as fast as he could over the buildings. The battoussai was a fast runner. Every so often he threw backward glances to see if he was following. It was hard to run with so many swords on his back. He looked back and thought he saw something. His foot slipped through a small opening and crashed through the ceiling. He landed on his back. Took him a moment to regain his breath. His knees were a little wobbly but that didn't matter right now. He stepped out of the restaurant and into the busy street. He looked around the crowed before he took off again. It was clear. He stepped to the left.

He crashed into someone.

He looked down. It was too late. His hair was yanked back forcefully. "I . . ."

"Shut UP!" Snarled the voice.

People looked around as a small red head yanked a taller skinnier man away.

Cho was looking around trying to find anyway to escape. He saw a cop. He turned his head slightly but the battoussai knocked him on the back of the head. He grimaced. His mind was set. "Help!!" He made his cry long before the battoussai kneed him in the mouth.

"Hey!"

Cho didn't have to look, it was the cop. He felt the battoussai pick him up by the hair again. He brought his head close to his mouth. "You're making it worse for yourself. The battou jutsu kills immediately. But if you want me to drag it out. That will be fine."

"Hey!" This time the voice was closer. "What's going on here? Ya wanna let the tall guy go."

The battoussai's amber eyes connected with a pair of startled brown. Any other time, he thought. For a moment he wished they were all back with him in the Bakumatsu. There was no way they would have tried anything then.

"Ya need to let the other guy go." The policeman, a man in his late twenties tried to make his voice commanding. It would have been but it wavered at the very end.

The battoussai didn't let him go. He kept his eyes on the cop while the cop glanced at him nervously. The moment the policeman's eyes fell on the sword he took his out.

Big mistake thought Cho, right before the blackness engulfed him.

Cho's eyes opened slowly. He had a killer headache. He looked around it was dark. He closed his eyes for another moment. No, it was still black. His heart started racing again. Where was he? Most importantly, where was the battoussai?

"Where's my wife?"

The voice sent chills down his spine. Wait, wife. He swallowed hard. He said wife. He felt a blow connect to his temple. Fuck.

"Where is she?" He hissed.

Cho felt the blood trickle down the side of his face. If he waited too long to answer he was going to hit him again.

"Wife?" He was saying when he felt the side of a blade digging into his hand till he felt the his pinky fall off. The battoussai had cut it off with the blunt side of his blade. He gritted his teeth. His breathing was shallow.

"If I tell you will you let me go?"

"No."

He felt the blade drive through his shoulder blade. He couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know." He felt the blade drive into the other side of his shoulder.

"Wait! Wait, I can tell you who . . . ." He said taking large gulps of air.

The battoussai pulled the blade out. "Who?"

"It was some guy. Yasuyoshi."

The battoussai stepped back. How did he find them? "How" No, he didn't really need to know how. Cho had been following them since the first town. He must have kept sending info back to Yasuyoshi. "You led him to me."

It wasn't a question, he knew. If only he'd gotten away. Things never worked out him. Why didn't he just leave well enough alone. He'd gotten away once before but that was before. The battoussai was different when his woman was involved. He was crazy.

"Is he taking her back to his house?"

"He didn't tell me. He even paid up front so I wouldn't go looking for him."

The battoussai stood of to the side. She'd been snatched away from him. His thoughts were jumbled. The obvious place to hide out would be his ancestral home in Akita. But how? How would he travel there. By boat or by carriage. He had to hurry and decide.

If he'd gone by boat, he must know that there was a chance of being caught. So it must mean that he'd gone by carriage.

He knew where he had to go. He stepped away from Cho, not sure what to do with him. 'Kaoru' he thought. Any feelings he might have had were swept away with the thought. He ran the blade through quickly. No pain, for the other.

The battoussai went back to the Inn. He'd pick up their things and then they'd . . . . .

No. Then he'd leave.

He was packing things into the carriage when the old man from the desk approached him. The battoussai didn't look up. He had a feeling that somehow this man had sold them out as well.

The old man cleared his throat.

The battoussai continued his work.

"Hmm, Aya brought this over from the restaurant. She said you left it behind." The old man stood there a moment with all the things in his hands. "Well I'll just leave it here then." He put everything down by the carriage and left.

The battoussai finished packing everything in. All except the new packages. Now was not be the time to open them but there was something about . . . .

He bent over and removed one of the packages. It was wrapped in silver silk with a cobalt ribbon. It wasn't very big. Probably a night gown. Though why it was wrapped that way was beyond him. He caressed it once more before he put it away. He put everything inside the carriage and headed of to Kyoto. He'd drop everything there and then he'd head for Akita.

*************

Kaoru's eyes opened slowly. She closed them again and tried to shield her eyes. Her hands were tied. As her mind cleared she noticed that so were her feet. The back of her head hurt that's were she must have gotten hit. She looked around but she was alone in the carriage. Kami . . . . Her husband. Tears escaped the corners of her eyes. She refused to believe that anything could have happened to him. She shook her head. He was the best fighter ever, alive and dead. Her mind raced, they probably just kept him long enough for them to take her. There were only three people alive who could cause him serious damage. Correction, the rurouni damage. The battoussai was stronger. He wasn't hindered by the vow to not kill.

Still she worried. Enishi and Saitou. Those were the only two that hated him enough so much that they might actually ally themselves with someone else.

No it wouldn't have been them. Saitou wouldn't allow her to get kidnapped and Enishi wouldn't be happy unless he could hold her captive himself. He needed to run things.

It was someone else. His shishio: Hiko Seijuro was the only other person who could inflict serious wounds but he'd never do that. Despite what he said he loved the baka-deshi. He'd raised him after all.

Someone else meant no serious wounds. It meant he was safe. He'd come for her. Sooner or later he'd come. Though she preferred sooner. She looked out her window into the rising sun. She never got to tell him she was going to have a baby. The tears came down faster. She never got to tell him. She cried harder into her hands. Maybe he opened the package. The silvery one with the blue ribbon, the one she'd bought in Fukui. Anata, she thought as she felt the medallion. She pulled it out and ran her finger over the symbols. Unable to see through all her tears, she cried as she held it.

*************

"Himura-kun, don't worry will take care of everything here. You just go."

The battoussai bowed in gratitude to the old man. He mounted the horse and left.

"Jiya!"

The old man turned.

"Jiya was that Himura?" Misao's breathless voice carried across the street.

He looked over at Aoshi, silently communicating his worries. "Yes it was. He was in a hurry and couldn't stay." He said as he walked back into the house.

"Does this have anything thing with her being sick?" She asked catching up to him in the kitchen.

Again Okina caught Aoshi's eyes. "No, seems someone took her from him."

At this Aoshi turned around towards Okina and Misao stopped fidgeting.

She suddenly turned on Aoshi. "This is what you were hiding from me?"

Aoshi looked down into her face. "No."

"No?" She echoed. He always did that. He knew things but he'd never say anything to her.

"Don't interfere." His voice broke through her thoughts.

"Oh, I see. It's not like Kaoru's my friend or anything. I don't need to know she's sick. I don't need to know she's in trouble and I don't need to know where you go in the middle of the night." Her hands were fisted. "When will you see I'm not little anymore. I'm almost twenty." She turned her back on him before he could see her tears. She walked out but paused right by the door. "Sometimes I think It would be easier if I was crazy."

Aoshi's head didn't turn in her direction but he'd heard her.

Okina only shook his head. After all this years Aoshi was still putting up a fight, reluctant to give up his heart. Though if he were truthful with himself. He'd know that he left it here years ago at the age of 15 to a small carefree girl with large blue eyes. Now that Misao was older he didn't know what to do with her. He had to smile at that.

"What did Himura say?"

Okina's smile left him a moment. "It seems that they were visiting Okayama. They're married you know. Anyhow a man named Yasuyoshi Tokuma came and took her away while Katan-gari, Cho distracted him. The sad thing is that she'd been getting better. Himura is extremely angry and at the moment extremely dangerous. He has become the Hitokiri Battoussai."

He was right. The bit of contact they'd had, had made him suspect as much. Aoshi's face remained a mask.

*************

It had been a week of silent treatment before Jiya told her what had been happening. Misao was in charge of putting Kaoru's things away in her trunks. She had some really nice stuff, she thought as she put away a jade kimono small dragon flies on the hem. She continue to put things away till she came across a curious package. Misao bit her lip. She really shouldn't pry. She looked down to the silver package she held. The ribbon around the package was very soft. Feeling confident she could wrap over, she opened it.

She gasped.

Her hands were trembling. The package hadn't been open. Himura didn't know. She finished the rest of the packing quickly. And then took her time to re-wrap the gift. There was only one thing for her to do.

Misao made her way to her room and fixed a small bag. She scribbled something on a paper and left it in the middle of the room. She made her way out of the house and strode down the street swiftly.

"What are you going to tell Aoshi . . . ." Okon didn't get to finish.

"Tell me what?" His voice broke in.

Everyone in the room turned to their attention to Aoshi.

Aoshi stood in the door way waiting for a response. "Okina?"

The elder man stretched his arm and handed Aoshi the note left behind.

Jiya,

Please don't worry. I have set out to find Himura. There's something he doesn't know and I have to tell him. I don't know how long I'll be gone so if you could have one of the other girls bring Aoshi-sama his tea. Please don't tell him where I have gone. Tell him I'm in Tokyo visiting Yahiko and the rooster. I'll see you all soon.

Love

- Misao

p.s. If you let Aoshi-sama see this note I'm going yank of your whiskers old man.

Aoshi-sama, I don't need a babysitter so stay home.

Everyone watched as he read the note. They had already read it. They watched as he folded the note again and handed it back to Jiya.

"Are you going to follow her?"

"No." He said as he turned around and went back to her room. He was half way there when he realized what he'd thought. He had meant his room. He passed her room before he got to his.

He took a deep breath and started meditating. He was not going to think of Misao. She didn't want him with her anyways.

Okina knocked on the shoji before he entered the room. It had been several hours since they'd found the note. He had hoped that Aoshi would have left on his own accord but he was a stubborn man. So fine, he'd give him the excuse needed to follow her.

Okina couldn't see anything it was so dark. "I've brought you something to eat Aoshi. You haven't eaten anything today." He said as he placed the tray by the door and lit a candle. A smile that made his eyes twinkle spread over his face. The room was empty.

*************

Kaoru sat in the a spacious room, very similar to the one in Aomori. She was dressed in a beautiful pink silk kimono with large flowers on the bottom. The sleeves were long and wide. Her hair had been styled into two buns held together with large silver comes. She sat in front of the large glass window. There was nothing to do but stare out.

This is how Tokuma found her. She'd been starting to do that again. She'd started it in the last week. He had hoped as much. It had been five weeks since he'd taken her from the battoussai. It had been very hard to control her in the first few weeks. She'd kept trying to escape. She'd beaten a lot of his men too. Now though things were as they should.

"You look beautiful Kaoru-chan." He said as he came closer to her. Not too close though. The first week after she had arrived she'd almost broken his nose. Kei and Yusuke had to pull her off him.

Kaoru kept staring out the window. The wind was getting stronger. Autumn was in full swing. Soon it would be winter.

"I thought we could have dinner together what do you think?" He said tilting her face upward. She was crying. "Kaoru-chan?" He said as he wiped her tears with his thumbs. Her eyes were still glazed. She wasn't seeing him. He let go off her face. She turned back to the window. Why did she have to love the battoussai so much.

He took a seat to the side and just watched her. If he was with her enough she'd forget about the battoussai. Maybe if she thought he was dead then she'd let him go. He'd gotten word about Cho earlier in the week. He was dead. It was true, there wasn't anyone that could stand up to the battoussai. But he was confident that the battoussai would never find them here in Sapporo. He could live here the rest of his live if need be. Though he hoped to live here only till she either fell in love with him or started to hate the battoussai. Either one was good.

*************

The battoussai stood on a large hill in Hachi-no-he. Even from this distance he could still see the fire raging on. It gave him very little satisfaction to see Tokuma's house on fire. He made his way down the hill in the dark. Another day was about to begin and still he couldn't find her. He'd spent the last month searching every corner of Akita. Only to find nothing.

The guards from Aomori had also been reluctant to talk. All in all he had nothing. He had a meeting with some weapon smuggler here in Hachi-no-he in a couple of days. One of Yasuyoshi's contacts. He might not know where the bastard was hiding but he might know others who did.

*************

Kaoru laid in a huge four poster bed, her eyes closed in slumber. Tokuma bent over her and kissed her cheek before leaving. His foot steps growing softer as he got further away from the her room. Soon all that could be heard was the faint sound of crickets. Kaoru eyes snapped open. She sat up and looked around. She wiped her cheek with the sleeve of her yukata in disgust. Did he really think she could love him after trying to kill her husband. Forcing her away from the father of her child. Thirty four days, that's how long she'd been with out him. She was three months into the pregnancy and just barely starting to show. Something she was glad for. Kami only knew what Tokuma would do if he found out. She got up quietly. She finally knew where she was. It had taken a while for him to reveal the location. Sapporo. There was no way for her anata to know where she was. She just needed to get back to the mainland. If she could just make it back to Aomori. She was sure he'd find her.

Kaoru dressed quietly and opened the balcony door. She stepped out, looking around carefully she crossed the yard. Today she was planning on heading just a little further than last night. In a week or two she'd have the schedule to all the guards. She'd also have a better feel for the grounds.

She snuck back into her room several hours later. Tired and hungry, she changed into her yukata again. Then proceeded to hide her night clothes in their usual hiding place. She laid back into her comfy bed and fell asleep. Soon she thought.

*************

Two months and no luck at all. This was starting to seem as hopeless as when she'd gone looking for her Aoshi-sama. She gave a small shudder as the wind blew cold. She should have brought some sort of coat. winter was just around the corner. She sat closer to the fire she'd made. Can't believe he didn't follow me. You would think that as much as I look out for him he'd give me the same courtesy. Misao threw a small branch into the fire. Watching the flames grow large for a moment before settling back down. Aoshi-sama, she sighed. I wonder what you're doing now.

Aoshi settled into sitting position for the night. He'd been walking for a while. No sight of Himura, Kaoru or Misao. Misao, Misao. If she had only asked he'd come with her. Instead she decides to run away. Why did he even bother. She had always been an impulsive child.

"When will you see I'm not little anymore. I'm almost twenty." He could hear her voice as clear as if she was sitting in front of him. She had turned her back on him then trying to hide her tears. She had walked out then but paused right by the door. "Sometimes I think It would be easier if I was crazy."

Misao, why do you love me? He thought. He had tried to dissuade her at first. Some one like him didn't deserve to be loved. Specially by someone like her. He had to admit he hadn't done a very good job at making her back off. And he knew why. He never said it out loud but what would he be if he wasn't her Aoshi-sama. He needed . . . . . what . . . . . her love. . . . her. He shook his head trying to shake the thoughts out of his head. He needed to meditate longer than he was now other wise she would consume his mind. Back at the Aoiya he spent most of his day just meditating. It cleared his mind and allowed him to live. Even if it wasn't really living.

*************

Kaoru ran though the forest. She ran as fast as she could. She felt branches ripping at her kimono and some pulling on her hair. She ran faster even as the braches slapped and scratched her face. In the distance she could hear the barking of dogs. They'd be able to follow her. They'd force her back to Tokuma. She ran faster the river was just ahead.

She threw herself in. It felt like her whole body had gone numb. The water in the river was freezing. But then she should have know it would be during winter. She forced herself to swim across. Her only thoughts were on her husband. He was going to be a daddy. They were going to be a family. Family she thought. Her muscles ached but she did it. She crossed the river. She could still here the barking. She continued to run again. The feeling in her limbs was starting to come back. She'd never been passed the river and she didn't have any sort of map. She'd have to keep running till she felt safe.

Finally just when her legs were about to give she spotted several houses ahead. She slowed down to trot, eventually coming down to a slow pace. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. She needed to catch her breath but she'd do that ones she was safe. All the lights were off. She stood at a distance look intently at the houses. When she could finally make out the better one she approached it cautiously. The better house meant the people there had more money. If they had money then the shed would only hold keepsakes. A place they would hardly ever visit. She thanked Kami when she finally made it inside the shed. It was just as she had hoped. She made her way all the way to the back just in case some one came in. She looked for an old blanket to keep her warm. She could hardly see. Finally she felt something thick. She pulled on it carefully, they had placed stuff over it. When she finally got it she found it to be two futons one slightly thinker than the other. Smiling at her luck she unstrapped her bag and then she took her kimono off. She place it on what she could only assume was a large stove. She placed the thick futon on the floor and covered herself with the thinner one. She rubbed her belly to make it warm. She was shivering from the cold. But the futons were thick. It would take a bit but she'd be warm soon enough. Her eye lid were getting heavy. Sixty-four days, she thought. Sixty-four days without you anata. Sleep came to her seconds after her thought.

*************

"Well did you have any luck?" Tokuma was in a really fowl mood. How could she have escaped. He had so many men guarding the house.

"We lost her just before the river." Yusuke said.

Tokuma shook his head. "We need to find her. She's going to try and get on a boat. She's going to try and head back to her home. I don't know where she and the battoussai lived."

Kei looked at Yusuke.

Tokuma watched them exchange looks. "What? What is it?"

Kei looked a little apprehensive. "We received word today, from home. Seems the battoussai has gotten to twelve of your contacts." Kei and Yusuke exchanged looks again.

"What do you mean gotten hold?" Tokuma had stopped his pacing.

"They're not . . . .anymore . . . he . . . ." Kei stopped for a moment. "They didn't know where you are so it doesn't matter."

Tokuma had a funny feeling. He had always know Kaoru loved her rurouni. He'd been surprised and angered to find out that the battoussai and the rurouni were one and the same. He'd never taken into account that Himura loved her back. The thought had just never occurred to him. He started pacing again. What could he do? He loved Kaoru too. A lot. Enough to take her away from her husband. Enough to want to kill her husband so he could keep her. That could still work. He just needed to find someone strong enough. "I want you to offer a reward for her. She is to be brought in alive and safe. No harm must come to her. She couldn't have left Sapporo so easily."

Kei and Yusuke stood there a moment.

"Well, GO!" Tokuma yelled at them.

The other two bowed and left the room quickly.

*************

Aoshi stood in the middle of chaos. The buildings blazed in the middle of the night like towers of flames. The whole line to the left was burning to the ground. At three in the morning he and a large crowd watched as the buildings were reduce to ashes.

From the information he'd gathered these buildings were warehouses. Yasuyoshi stored illegal arms for his contacts. His Chinese contacts weren't going to be happy.

Aoshi took his eyes of the inferno. The battoussai must have been very mad. The odds of him still being around were slim. He was obviously trying to draw Yasuyoshi out. He looked down at the note in his hand. Fourteen of the twenty men Yasuyoshi did business with had gone missing. There were still two more sites were warehouses remained. He looked further down the paper.

P.S. Still no word on Misao.

How angry would one have to be to cause this much destruction. Was it even anger? It seemed more like desperation. The battoussai really loved his wife. Even beyond reason, it seemed. He folded the note and placed it back into his coat. He walked away from the flames. The night air warm with the heat of the fire. He walked away, alone. Always alone.

-

Ok, this is it for chapter nine. I hope all of you loved it. I found my inspiration again. I'm so happy. Please read the small notes, I don't want anyone to get lost. It should explain it all. But if you still have questions e-mail me. ^_-

Small Note: Cho was captured and blinded by the battoussai. After trying to escape he was bound and interrogated. In the end he met his fate, quick and painless.

Kaoru has had to play along with her captor in order to find out where she was and to figure out a way to escape.

Misao learning of Kaoru's condition, set out to find Himura to tell him. And perhaps find Kaoru if she can. She decides she can do this without her Aoshi-sama. Feeling the need to prove to him she's not a child anymore. She's loved him all her life, despite his stubborn streak she knows time and love will conquer all.

Aoshi under the pretense of duty sets out to find Misao. Having being Okashira of the Oniwa-banshu he's a skilled fighter with contacts all over the country. He's on the trail of the battoussai, having just missed him. He sets out for one of the last two remaining warehouses. Love is something Aoshi doesn't understand having never felt the feeling. He strives to keep his life uncomplicated. Determined to remain alone because it's what he deserves. (Thinks he deserves.)

That's all, thanks for reading. Please review :P