Disclaimer: I confess I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and its characters. They all rightfully belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sensei. So be nice and don't sue me for I am still young and very poor, in that matter. I write this kind of stuff for entertainment purposes only.

Author's greetings: It's been a while. How was Chapter VI? Hope you reviewed. Anyway, I'm having trouble with my other fic, "Love Me As Who I Really Am" so I wasn't able to continue this fic. And my stress level's extremely high. I'm having one of those post-traumatic era in life after you've lost a loved one. That's, I think, four months ago. You won't be reading this anyway, most people like continuing reading the fic rather than reading the author's crummy greeting. Okay, I'm exaggerating, maybe it's because I'm tired. Now just read on… *tries looking cheerful * and enjoy! Ganbarimasu!

Rating: G (though ratings might fluctuate as story progresses)

Second Chance

Chapter VII: Behind The Shadows

"Now the only problem is how to find a ryo-kan where we can stay." Kaoru told the gumi, looking around. "Everybody, find a ryo-kan that's cheap, okay?"

"Oi busu, how can you find a CHEAP ryo-kan around?" Yahiko asked, scratching his head.

The Kenshin-gumi had arrived at Kamakura half an hour ago. They had been wandering around the busy town since then. And now they're in the market place.

"Oi, Jou-chan! Why don't we check in that ryo-kan we passed by on our way here? You know, the one near the train station…" Sano suggested.

"Hai, that's to the west, ne? Because from the train station to here, we went east, ne?" Kaoru asked them sensibly, shifting her weight to her other foot.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go now." Sano began leading the group.

"Sano…" Megumi called.

"Hai, Megitsune?" Sano turned around.

"You're heading south."

"That's it! If you're so smart, lead the way!" Sano stepped aside huffily, motioning Megumi to lead the way.

"My pleasure, rooster-head." Megumi responded incisively, walking to the west as the two of them bickered.

Yahiko followed close behind while swinging his bokken at his side. Kaoru walked slowly behind the trio before her. Suddenly, she stopped and looked around.

*Funny, I felt somebody watching me… *

She scrutinized the entire busy marketplace. Every one else was actually moving around, working like bees, minding their own businesses.

"Kaoru, are you coming?" Megumi looked expectantly at her.

"Hai, Megumi-san. Coming." She answered without looking at the young doctor for she was still checking the area around them. Kaoru always trusts her instincts, but this time, maybe her instincts got carried away.

*Maybe I'm just being paranoid here. * She told herself, sighing. And after one more suspicious look around, she chased after her guys.

@@@

Kenshin retreated into the shadows behind a meat stall. He had been following the Kenshin-gumi since they got off the train thirty minutes ago.

Now they're heading to the train station's direction once again. But he saw Kaoru turn and look around. He retreated farther into the shadows. Her sapphire eyes searched the area behind her, forehead wrinkling in confusion.

*She must have felt me watching them… *

But Megumi had persuaded her to hurry it up and now they're heading west.

*Hiding behind the shadows… * Kenshin sighed. *Always behind the shadows… *

"Oi!" A voice behind him shouted.

Kenshin jumped back slightly in surprise. "ORO!" Kenshin exclaimed, pointing at his chest to see if the butcher was referring to him.

"Yeah, you!" The man replied impatiently, waving the butcher's knife he was holding very close to Kenshin's face. "If you're not gonna buy, move it! You're scaring my customers away with that sword you're wearing!"

Kenshin placed his hands before him in a defensive manner as he smiled nervously. "Ano…"

"So… are you gonna buy or what?" The man asked, slicing the meat one woman had asked for with the knife he had just waved at Kenshin's face.

Kenshin's nervous smile widened. "Iie… I'll go now!"

Kenshin fled from the stall alarmed as he realized his friends were nowhere in sight. He looked around frantically, but then he saw Sano's black and white shirt with the symbol at the back. He began walking after his friends slowly; arms tucked inside his gi, careful not to let them see him… yet.

A few moments later, the Kenshin-gumi reached the train station. Yahiko and Sano climbed up the dais, looking around for the ryo-kan they were searching for.

Kenshin hid behind the… train. He watched his friends who were at the train station's platform, looking around for… something, oblivious to the pair of amethyst eyes that were spying on them behind the train that's supposed to be leaving two minutes from now.

Megumi climbed up the platform and stood beside Sano. "Sano, can you see it yet? Are you sure its nearby?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure about everything." Sano replied, one hand above his eyebrows, looking around intently, searching for the ryo-kan.

Yahiko closed his eyes in irritation and threw his hands up with a sarcastic look on his face. "Well I guess no rooster-head could remember which ryo-kan we passed by thirty minutes ago."

Sano looked down to him and placed one hand on Yahiko's head. "Yeah? Well, you can't remember where the ryo-kan is, yourself, can you? Can you, Yahiko-chan?" He patted the boy's head.

Yahiko removed Sano's hand from his head angrily. "Hey! Don't call me CHAN!" He shouted at him, looking very outraged. His 'fangs' were really showing now.

"Whoa… calm down, Yahiko-chan." Sano said calmly, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Yahiko snarled and glared at him.

"Oh, there it is!" Kaoru pointed to the direction of the ryo-kan triumphantly.

The three others looked at the direction where she was pointing.

"Yeah, that's what I was telling you about, Jou-chan." Sano said, feeling very proud of himself.

"Well, as I recall, it was Kaoru who found the ryo-kan, and not you, Sano." Megumi said contemptuously as she followed Kaoru to the direction of the ryo-kan.

Sano turned to Megumi and was about to curse her when he saw that Kaoru and her were actually very far away from them already.

"Oi! Wait for us!" Sano and Yahiko yelled, running after the two women.

Megumi and Kaoru just chuckled as they quickened their pace.

Kenshin sighed. *They're having so much fun. And I'm so miserable. * He sighed once again.

"BUOOUOUP! BUOOUOPPP!" The train wailed, signaling Kenshin to get out of the way or else he'd get crushed over. Kenshin jumped back, eyes wide with surprise. "Oroooroo…" he muttered. *The train sounded like someone burping… *

"Oi! Get out of the way! We're leaving in a matter of minutes! Are you boarding?!" The train operator asked Kenshin, compelling his voice to be heard over the loud roaring of the train's engine.

Kenshin shook his head. "Iie!" Kenshin shouted back at him.

The operator tilted his head to his companion and shook his head. "BUOUOPPP!" The engine wailed once again as it started moving.

Once the train was nowhere in sight any longer, Kenshin sighed deeply. *Am I always going to hide… behind the shadows? *

He decided to just roam around for a while and just see what his friends will be doing sooner or later. That is if they're gonna do something. Kenshin looked up to the sun and concluded it must be a few hours before noon.

@@@

"Nice place you've got here." Sano remarked. He looked around the ryo-kan. "For only a few silvers, we can have all these accommodations? Is that what you mean, obasan?"

The old woman, who was apparently running the place, nodded smilingly. "Hai. That is quite an over praise, young man. My ryo-kan is quite simple. Futons, hot baths, the likes. I inherited this ryo-kan from my ancestors who built this before the Tokugawa government was even established." She explained, happily filling them in.

"So, I see." Kaoru smiled. "Can we have two rooms, please?"

"Certainly." The woman nodded. "If you could just leave your geta here… I'll lead you to your rooms."

The four of them removed their footgears and began following the old lady through the hallway with only their tabi on their feet.

Suddenly, the old woman stopped in front of a room and slid the door open. She turned to Kaoru's direction. "This will be the ladies' bedroom. And this…" she walked to the room beside Megumi and Kaoru's room, "will be the boys' room."

The four bowed at her slightly and entered their respective rooms. Sano and Yahiko closed their door immediately after they have entered but Kaoru didn't do the same. Instead, as Megumi was fumbling through her belongings and seemed rather occupied, Kaoru chatted with the old lady.

"Arigato." She thanked her, bowing slightly.

The old lady tilted her head. "Do itashimashte." She responded.

"By the way, what should I call you, obasan?" Kaoru asked.

The woman hesitated, as if she's afraid to reply. But if she doesn't reply, it would be rather rude. "Takami Yusime." The woman answered hastily, hoping the young girl didn't hear.

But Kaoru heard all right. Kaoru's eyebrows shot up in surprise. *Oh, Kamisama! *

The old woman noticed her reaction. She sighed. "You heard me clearly, ne?" She asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Hai." Kaoru replied, setting her jaw firmly.

"This is what I've always never liked, dear. I never liked saying my name. It's because people think I'm associated with the Takamigumi." Takami Yusime explained weakly.

Kaoru stepped out of her room and slid the door close behind her. "Naze, are you?"

Yusime sighed. "Hai."

"How?"

"I'm the aunt of its daimyo."

Kaoru's eyes became blue puddles on her face. "Tell me about them!" She urged the old woman.

Yusime turned her back. "I cannot. You see, I've always loved the Takamigumi's present daimyo. But when the Takamigumi started all this madness, I had forgotten my relationship with them." Yusime faced her squarely and smiled weakly. "What I can advise to you is this. Please stay out of their way, dear. They liquefy anybody who hinders them from killing, from tasting blood. They are heartless. They hide behind the shadows and pounce on their target. Their victims never knew what hit them. I even heard that they had just recently recruited a new slasher, one that is very excellent in the field of sword fighting."

Kaoru listened to Yusime intently, memorizing every word she said. Yusime paused. That's when Kaoru realized that Yusime thinks that she had said enough. She smiled at the old woman. "Arigato for telling me all those things, Yusime-sama. My curiosity got the best of me, I guess."

"Uhuh. That is fine." Yusime grinned slightly, then the grin widened. "What is your name again?" She asked the girl as if nothing happened.

"Kaoru." Kaoru replied. "Kamiya Kaoru."

"Kamiya Kaoru… all right, Kaoru-chan. Enjoy your stay here. How long will you be staying here in Kamakura?" She asked.

Kaoru twirled a lock of her hair that escaped from her ribbon. "Gee… I'm not sure. One month. Just kidding!" She smiled.

Suddenly, their door opened. "Two." Megumi stated,

Kaoru stared at her in bemusement. "But what about the clinic?"

Megumi's fox ears went up. "I guess Genzai-sensei just have to take care of it. Ohohohoho!" She laughed, covering her mouth with her paw… er… I mean hand.

Yusime laughed with her. "Well, I better go back to the entrance now. Lots of other visitors might be coming." And with that she left.

"Kaoru, you better come in here and put your things in order." Megumi told Kaoru.

"Hai." Both women stepped into the room as Kaoru closed the door behind them.

@@@

"Don't eat too fast, Yahiko!" Kaoru rebuked her student. "You'll choke!"

The Kenshin-gumi was eating lunch at a nice restaurant just beside the ryo-kan they were staying at. Yusime-sama had recommended that place.

Yahiko coughed involuntarily, trying to cough out the rice that got stuck at his throat.

Sano handed him a cup of water. "Here you go."

Yahiko drank it all in one gulp. He sighed with relief as the food went down his throat. "I told you to eat in a normal rate. There's enough food for everyone anyway." Kaoru said, annoyed.

"Whaddya mean, enough food? Sooner or later, when I reach out for a rice ball, I'd find out that you and rooster-head had gobbled it all up!" Yahiko declared, reaching out for another rice ball and shoving it into his mouth.

Kaoru punched him on the head. "You need to learn some manners!"

When Yahiko recovered, he glared at her for a few seconds. Just then he saw Sano reaching out for another rice ball.

"Oi! Leave some for me!" He shouted, slapping Sano's hand away from the plate.

"Brat! You've eaten half of the rice balls already and you ask me to leave you some?!" Sano asked heatedly. Sano was quick, even for Yahiko, so he was able to reach for the remaining four rice balls and shove all four into his mouth.

Yahiko growled at him angrily. "Rooster-head!"

"Why don't you ask Jou-chan to order some more, Yahiko-CHAN?" Sano insulted coldly.

Suddenly, Sano, Kaoru and Yahiko heard a soft chuckle. They all turned to look at Megumi, who was actually trying to suppress her laughter but was very near failing. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. The chopsticks she was holding fell to the table as her right hand clutched her stomach. She was laughing very, very hard.

Megumi's laugh was very contagious. For Yahiko and Sano that is. In a minute, the two males were laughing with the kitsune.

Kaoru looked at the three of them with this really weird look on her face. But her lips gradually curved into a smile. The young doctor did look a little silly laughing because she never did it that often. What she always does was cover her mouth with a paw and go, "OHOHOHO!"

Seconds later, the whole group were laughing silly and everybody turned to their direction, wondering what was so funny.

A few minutes later, Kaoru stood up. "Minna-san, I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back before dark. You can go around if you like. But wait for me at the ryo-kan, then we'll have dinner." And saying so, she left.

@@@

Kaoru walked slowly, savoring the cool breeze. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. What she really wanted to do was wander around, find some things about this Takamigumi. Who knows, she'll probably run into Kenshin. She giggled at the thought.

Her eyes snapped open as she turned and looked around. *Odd… really odd… * She thought. She was certain this time that someone was really watching her. She didn't see anybody, but she was sure somebody was watching.

"Onegai, come out, whoever you are." Kaoru said to no one in particular, hoping that whoever was watching her could hear her small voice. *Oh, great! I left my bokotou under my futon! * She thought.

A twig behind her snapped. She turned around, alarmed. "Come out, onegai!" She said loudly, desperately. She wished that her voice would stop quavering, because it really showed how frightened she was. "Onegai…" She pleaded one more time as she brought her gently clenched right hand to her chest. She felt her heart beating faster. *What if it's one of the Takamigumi? What if it's Himitsu? * She shuddered at the thought.

Suddenly, she heard somebody move from behind a tree. "Come out." She said abruptly.

She stood her ground, mustering all her voice power into her voice box, ready to scream any second. The man stepped out from behind the tree slowly.

Kaoru's eyes became large sapphire orbs on her face as she held her breath.

TBC

Author's notes: Okay, it's finished. *sigh * I have the feeling only a few reads my fics. Most other authors have at least twenty reviews when their fics reach Chapter V, but look at my fic. Only fourteen reviews. That's why I wanna say thanks to all those who reviewed. You helped me a lot, actually. You motivate and inspire me to write.

I'm supposedly a journalist! *wails * Actually, I'm a member of the school organ. I dunno if I'm good enough so I'm depending on you guys to review and tell me what you think. Probably it's my grammar… or maybe it lacks fluffiness and WAFFiness… I dunno that's why you gotta tell me, so please review. Anyways, the next chapter might contain some scenes that are kinda… no, not lemon! I'm a minor. The next chapter might contain a little bit of sugar because of excessive sugar-intake. I'll just upload if I have time. That's it. Review. Aishiteru. GANBARIMASU.

Once again, I'm grateful to those guys who reviewed.

REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW, I'D BE LOOKIN' FORWARD TO IT.

lieveit1 '^-^'