Betrayal - Nataki Forest P2

Kiriko's body stiffened when she heard the approaching footsteps. Shio gently pulled her arms from around his neck.

"Stay close behind me." He whispered as he stepped in front of her. Kiriko watched the mist. Her mind begging for her father not to appear. No daddy…don't. Turn around. I had it under control. Please turn around and go home. But her father couldn't hear her thoughts. He continued his approach.

Shio backed up and drew his sword. "I want you to go and hide when I tell you, okay?" He whispered over his shoulder but Kiriko didn't answer. Her eyes stayed fixed on the thick silver mist.

"Did you hear what I-" Shio cut his sentence short when Kenshin finally emerged from the steamy air.

Kiriko was the first person Kenshin saw when he could finally see. The way she was dressed made it hard for him to recognize her. Then he looked up at Shio. Kenshin had to stop the urge to gasp and keep the shocked expression off his face. He didn't know what he was expecting to see when he saw Shio but he wasn't expecting this. Kenshin figured that Shio must look normal if Kiriko liked him so much but, even he had to admit, Shio was a very good looking guy. He must be what Shishio looked like before they burned him, Kenshin thought. However, his shock wasn't totally from Shio's looks. Kenshin also noted the protective way he held Kiriko behind him.

"Battousai." Shio seethed. "Kiriko I need for you to get out of here."

Again, Kiriko didn't move. She just kept staring at her father. Kenshin looked his daughter's pleading eyes and finally understood. At that moment Kenshin wished he wasn't so protective of her. He could see in her eyes that she just had the situation under control and he messed it up for her. Oh no…I've underestimated her again. I've put her in danger.

"Kiriko, NOW!"

She jumped a little at his bombing voice but didn't move. "Shio…I can't…" She came around to his side and looked up at him.

"What…" He looked down at her then he blinked and looked over at the Battousai. He looked at her again then at the Battousai. He eyes began to widen and he stepped back away from her. Kiriko heart raced like a locomotive.

For the time being, Shio totally forgot about the Battousai standing only a couple of yards away from him. His mind could only focuse on Kiriko and the unmistakable resemblance she had to the Battousai.

"Who…who are you?" He asked angrily.

"Shio I…." But the words were choked by the stone in her throat. Kenshin watched helplessly. It was the first time in his life he didn't know what to say or do. All he could do was just watch and see.

"Who… Are...You?" Venom seemed to drip from his clenched teeth. His eyes boiled with the blood of a dragon but Kiriko stood her ground and stared straight into them. Kenshin became slightly frighten at that moment. He'd never seen eyes like that not even from Shishio. They were the eyes of a man that had been betrayed.

Shio back away some more this time pointing his sword at Kiriko. "WHO ARE YOU!"

His voice was so loud that birds scattered from the trees to the quiet sky.

Any other time, Kiriko might have jumped at the huge power behind his voice but she had finally got her self under control. She was here on a mission of her own and, unfortunately, this was part of it. It was time to tell him her little secret.

"Shio…My name is Kiriko……Kiriko Himura…Daughter of Kenshin Himura…the man once known as the legendary Battousai the man-slayer." She spoke in a voice Shio didn't recognize but Kenshin knew it well. It was the same voice she used when she was about to become Battousai.

Shio couldn't believe his ears or he didn't want to believe them. He didn't want to believe his eyes either but the resemblance was uncanny. She was his daughter.

"Shio…I'm sorry…I-"

"Now I see why you don't want me to kill him……He's your father……You betrayed me. You LIED TO ME!"

"No-"

"Shio she didn't know." Kenshin spoke up coming to Kiriko's defence.

Shio slowly turned his bloody glare to Kenshin. It was hard for him to stare into those pools of blood but he had to help Kiriko out. "Shio, she didn't know I was once the Battousai. I kept it a secret from her. That was the secret she was looking for in Kyoto. There was no way she could betray you if she didn't know who I was.

Shio took his sword off Kiriko and pointed it back at Kenshin. "And you," he growled,

"Don't you dare speak to me like you know me. You murderer."

Kenshin opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

"You murdered my father." He continued, "You destroyed his dreams. Now I will destroy you." Shio's eyes widened as Kiriko stood firmly in front her father.

"Kiriko what are you doing?" Kenshin whispered.

"You've underestimated me again because you're over protective. I've come to understand that factor and it's okay but this time. Let me protect you …Father."

Meanwhile, Kenji, Kano, and Saganno were racing through Nataki forest trying to find the whereabouts of the battle. Saganno was extremely angry at Kiriko for leaving him behind but his anger soon faded when he heard the enraged shout of a man's voice. They all stopped running and quietly tiptoed towards the voices. It was still hard to see clearly through the haze, so Kenji suggested that they climb the trees and continue forward that way.

They jumped from branch to branch then finally Kano spotted something below. They looked through the brush and saw Kiriko standing in front of Kenshin and a man standing a few yards away pointing his sword at them. Saganno took a closer look at the guy.

"Oh my god, I've seen that guy before." Saganno whispered to Kenji and Kano.

"You have? Where?" Kano asked.

"In the market place, he helped Sanni out the other day. I-I didn't know he was Shio Makoto."

"Ssshh…let's just watch and see what happens." Kenji whispered.

"Get out the way, Kiriko." His eyes remained hard and deadly but his voice had softened slightly.

She spoke calmly, "I'm sorry for misleading you, Shio. I never met to hurt you……but have you forgotten my words so quickly. Just like I said before you don't have to do this to be hap-"

"Get.. out.. of the way, Kiriko. I'm sorry but I must kill the Battousai in order to avenge my father's death."

Kiriko took a few steps in Shio's direction.

"Kiriko don't." Kenshin went to grab her but she turned slightly to look at him. The expression on her face made him stop. Her face was calm and composed and told him that she knew what she was doing.

She turned her full attention back to Shio. "You keep saying that but who are you trying to fool? I already know why you want revenge and it's not because you want to avenge your father……You're doing this because you were unloved and unhappy."

Shio clenched his fist. "SHUT UP! Don't you dare talk to me about something you will never understand!"

She looked at him sadly. "You're right. I will never know what it feels like to be unloved. But….let me help you…" She started walking towards him again, "…Shio, there's another way-"

"THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!" His voice echoed through the trees.

Kiriko stopped in her tracks. Tears stung her eyes. She could see that her words weren't getting through to him. "Okay…If this is the way you want it…" She unsheathed Laplatina, "I'm ready when you are."

"I didn't come here for you!" His patience was wearing thin. She had spoken the truth about his real reasons for revenge in front of the Battousai. She was making him look weak. Just the thought of it made his eyes glow more intense. She was in the way. He didn't want to have to hurt her but he was beyond determined to kill the Battousai regardless if he was her father. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"