To answer Vegeta 26's question: I had meant to convey that Kenshin was attacked because he was recognized. When I went back and reread that scene, I see that I did not make that very clear. Sorry. Why they attacked will be explained in this chapter, because that I meant to be unclear earlier. I'll probably rewrite that scene at some point.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters.

Kenshin's POV

I allowed my mind to relax completely. My eyes went out of focus and I concentrated on the empty void just behind my eyelids. I took deep, calming breaths. Despite everything I did, there was still that barely suppressed burning rage. They had almost taken my best friend.

Meditation, at this point, was going to get me nowhere. Maybe if I had more time, I could calm myself to the point of rationality. Of course, if I were being rational, I'd have that time.

Suddenly the door of the building I was watching opened, and a tall, rugged looking man stepped out onto the street. He gave me a lopsided grin as he shook his hand through his unkempt black hair.

"Himura Kenshin," he said as he walked towards me. He stopped a few yards away. "I thought we'd meet soon, but I admit, I thought you'd seen enough of us for one night."

I made sure my face stayed impassive as I answered. "I'm afraid your reputation does not precede you. Who are you?"

His face twitched at the insult. "Names aren't really important. We both know what we are and that's enough. I'm the leader of the Black Asps and you are an assassin I want to hire."

My hand suddenly itched to grip the sword at my side. I clenched my fist slowly. I was in control and I would not draw my sword until the threat had been made. "You know I am not for hire. You are a criminal and I will escort you to the police." I kept my voice carefully cold.

"I need you for a job. No one else will be able to pull it off."

"That's your problem, that it is," I said. "Will you come peacefully?"

He gave me a smile that told me what I already knew. This would end violently. Slowly, he drew his slightly curved sword. He gave me another smile. He's bating me, I realized suddenly. He knows he won't win, but he wants me to kill him.

"Why do you want to die?" I asked in amazement.

"I'm tired of talking!" he yelled and suddenly lunged forward. I drew my sword and blocked his thrust in one fluid motion.

"Is you life so meaningless that you'd throw it away?" I said angrily as I dodged another attack. He was very fast and very agile, but his skill with the sword was crude. I took a few steps back as I continued to allow him to play the offensive.

"Answer me!" I yelled, pushing his sword away.

He gave me another grin. "You don't get it? My life isn't important. As long as we can bring down this scheming Meiji government, I don't care what I have to pay."

I dodged to my right quickly. He was slowing down as he tired.

"You are all so careless with your lives!" I yelled. "Two of your men have died to this pointless end!"

The man laughed. He actually laughed at me! We stood paces apart, the fight stopped for a moment. "Is that what angers you? I've learned a lot about you the past few months from watching you. I watched your fight with Yasou, the man you killed. It's that anger that makes you kill! Isn't it ironic that you killed someone because you were angry he didn't care about living!"

I lowered my sword slowly. It was true, I think. I had learned only recently the value of my own life. I don't know why, but suddenly I felt slightly light-headed. Then with more speed than I had thought the tired man could muster, he lunged forward.

I moved on instinct rather than design and rather than merely blocking him as I had been, I made a counterattack. I felt the familiar feel of my blade slicing through human flesh, and I saw the man's eyes widen in shock and pain.

Kaoru's POV

I ran through the dark streets of Tokyo faster than I thought I was capable of. Perhaps it was my panic that allowed me that speed. Stupid Kenshin, I thought angrily. How dare you run off leaving Sano seriously hurt and all of us worried to death.

One of Megumi's assistants had come to the dojo about an hour ago telling Yahiko and I that Sano and Kenshin were at the clinic and that Sano was hurt. We had hurried over as quickly as we could, but Kenshin had already left.

I had followed him as quickly as I could. The only logical place he would have gone was back to where he and Sano had been attacked. It had taken a while to get a coherent description from the groggy Sano.

So now I was running faster than I ever had before to try to find Kenshin. I'm not sure exactly what I planned to find or how I planned to deal with it, but I knew I had to find Kenshin.

Suddenly I rounded the corner Sano had described to me. I stopped dead in my tracks at the scene in front of me. Kenshin was standing with his sword lowered and his back to me. A man's body lay in front of him and I could see blood on his sword blade.

"Kenshin," I whispered, my eyes wide and my mind working slowly in shock. He turned toward me slowly; his face was down and obscured by his long bangs. "What have you done?"

He raised his eyes to mine. I did not know what to think when I saw his amethyst eyes meet mine. "Miss Kaoru," he said with faint surprise. He wiped his bloody sword professionally on his already bloody hakama. He leaned over the body in front of him and slung it over his shoulder.

"This man needs Miss Megumi's skills if he is to recover completely." He took a few steps forward, readjusted the limp form, and then continued walking.

I stood there stupidly for a moment. "He isn't dead?"

Kenshin turned his head toward me and gave me the small rurouni smile I knew and loved. "No," he said with a small shake of his head. I sighed in relief and began following him back to the clinic. We walked in silence for a few moments.

"I don't understand all of this," I admitted quietly.

"Oro?" Kenshin said.

"Well, it's just that, why would they keep attacking you if they wanted to hire you? It doesn't make any sense." I chewed on my bottom lip.

Kenshin sighed and readjusted the man on his shoulders again. "In Tokyo, it is fairly common knowledge that I was the Battousai," he explained. "And my vow is not exactly secret, either. Apparently this man thought if I could be pushed into ignoring my vow, I would be up for hire."

I thought about that for a moment. "Was he right?"

"About what?"

"Would you have been for hire?"

He hesitated before answering. "Maybe, although I honestly do not know. I suppose it is not important anymore."

"Why?" I asked softly.

He turned to me again with that same smile. "I have no intention or fear of ever ignoring my vow again, that I don't."

A/N: Hurray!!! The end!!! If anyone wants it, I may do an epilogue filled with touchy-feely mush probably. I really hope this end was not terribly anti-climatic. Please review and let me know what you think of this fic. I really appreciate all the support every one has given me.