Disclaimer: Nope. Don't even think about it. I do not own a thing. But
one thing I should mention: there is a Jin-e versus Battousai scene here
that comes directly from the manga, so take caution if you are wary of
spoilers! Thanks! (
Definitions:
¤ Jajauma - unnmanagable woman, shrew
¤ Sessha - this unworthy one
¤ Tanuki - raccoon
¤ Shin no Ippo - honestly, I have to say, I'm not sure what the translations of the word is, but I can tell you that 'shin' is leg and ippo is 'a step' . so . yea.
¤ Soryusen - Doulbe dragon strike
¤ Oji - uncle younger than your father
¤ Oba - aunt younger than your father
¤¤**¤¤
A Love for One Hated
By: Mystic Song
Chapter 5: Udo Jin-e
¤¤**¤¤
Kaoru was pulled at the waist and thrown carelessly over a man's shoulder. Her face was dangerously close to the man's rear end and she mercilessly kicked her feet, hoping to strike the man's face.
The man laughed his spine-chilling laugh. "Uhu-hah-hah-hah! You should know better than to kick Udo Jin-e!"
Kaoru growled and pushed her hands at the man's back in an attempt to roll off of him, but the man just held tight to her legs. Kaoru let out a cry of frustration, looking down at what she had to work with.
The man that was carrying her, Udo Jin-e, wore a baggy blue attire over black limbs and a black chest. Kaoru crooked her neck over to look at the man's face and immediately wished she hadn't. The man's face had multiple, jagged lines, and was tugged up into a displeasing smile. And his eyes, those tantalizing eyes just wanted to make Kaoru shiver. They seemed to paralyze her on the spot.
When Kaoru tore her eyes away, Jin-e laughed wickedly. Kaoru became even more irritated and reached for a tree branch that they ran under. She snapped it off and immediately whacked the man over the head with it, causing him to abruptly stop and throw her onto the ground.
"Jajauma!" Jin-e yelped as Kaoru dropped to the ground.
Kaoru stuck her tongue out and walked over to the clearing, looking for a means of escape. Jin-e sneered when he noticed that Kaoru was backing up into his camp. Kaoru looked frantically about her and immediately smacked herself in the head.
'Now look what you got yourself into!' She chided.
"I'm sure the Battousai will be coming shortly, so in the mean time, go ahead, make yourself at home. Uhu-hah-hah-hah!" Jin-e derided.
Kaoru firmly gripped her wooden stick as if it were a bokken as five men crept out of their tent, all jeering and making uncalled catcalls. Kaoru happened to notice that each man had an unsheathed sword at his waist.
Kaoru tossed her hair back as well as her black cloak and brushed her loose bangs behind her ears when the first one launched at her. Kaoru was glad to notice that he was more than sloppy in his movements, allowing him to charge forward until his back was open beneath her. She immediately swung her makeshift bokken down onto the man's back as he fell limply to the ground.
"One down, four to go." Kaoru muttered.
She looked up and found that the next man had started his attack. Kaoru could tell he was more then a little nervous at seeing his comrade being defeated by a woman wielding a stick.
The man fumbled nervously with his sword as he swung blindly at the adjutant master. Kaoru neatly dodged his attacks by stepping to the side. She knew that it was hopeless to counter the attack unless she wanted a split sword.
The man was panting now and his slipshod attacks were becoming even more careless. Kaoru sighed and jabbed the man in the stomach, causing him to lull onto the ground.
Kaoru turned to the three remaining men, wondering if all their skills were that poor. As if in answer, two men stepped forward. One man settled into a decent offensive stance while the second formed a fitting defensive stance. Kaoru immediately assumed that they would be fighting together.
Kaoru took a step forward, her bokken low to the ground. In response, the other two took a step backwards, the one sword up offensively while the other sword was pointed down defensively. Kaoru quickly halted, wondering how she should go about in attacking them.
'Perhaps I should go attack the defensive man, that way the aggressor won't have a defendant.' Kaoru nodded her head in reassurance as she launched herself at the assailant, but only stepped back as the defendant stepped forward, his sword arcing upwards to meet Kaoru's.
Kaoru retreated back and growled, the fight would be over if their swords met! Kaoru stepped forward again, and did a mock lunge in one direction. BINGO, the man lunged dramatically to meet Kaoru's bokken, but was surprised to see that Kaoru had swung and slashed the man in the side, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Now the offensive men looked at Kaoru, his eyes wide in shock. Kaoru smirked and walked towards the aggressor, sword ready for attack. When the aggressor decided that Kaoru was taking too long to attack, he lunged forward and managed to slice Kaoru's upper arm. Kaoru winced but followed through with her attack: ducking under the man's out thrusted hand to reach the unguarded chest and elbowing him hard. The assailant stumbled backwards and Kaoru finished him off with a blow to the gap between shoulder and neck.
Kaoru stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief, slowly turning to the fifth and final man. Without a moment's hesitation, the fifth man ran forward, his body perpendicular to hers and sword held tightly to his body. Kaoru recognized this stance to deliver power full stabs that could be fatal if pierced in the stomach/chest area. Kaoru scrunched herself smaller and easily dodged the man's straightforward attack. What she didn't see, however, was the man throwing his sword out to strike Kaoru's leg.
'He's good,' Kaoru thought involuntarily, teeth clenched tightly at the pain the two wounds were causing. She prayed for help as she took her next stance.
¤¤
"Kaoru!" Kenshin yelled, eyes flashing hazardous amber as he watched Kaoru being carried away into the woods with a man wearing a black hat. "Damn women!" Kenshin muttered, "How can they be so distracting!"
'Not all women are as distracting as Kaoru is.' A voice peeped up from deep within Kenshin's head. Kenshin bowed his head and cursed again. "It would be best to follow her then, make sure she is not hurt."
With that in mind, Kenshin rushed forward into the wood, straining his senses to catch any sign of Kaoru's ki.
After a minute of zipping through the woods, he abruptly stopped at a clearing. His nerves had settled a bit, and his eyes were fading to a steely blue. Kenshin darted his head around the clearing when he noticed four bodies were sprawled out across the ground. He quirked an eyebrow and slowly lifted his head to find a raven-haired goddess fiercely fighting a nimble man.
The man was presently launching an attack at the goddess, and in response she balled up. 'KAORU!' Kenshin screamed mentally, wanting more than ever to rush in and save Kaoru from what could be a fatal attack.
Kenshin took a step forward. Just watching her standing there, wielding a wooden sword, attracted him to her. He vowed at that moment that he would always be there for her, always there to protect her.
'WAIT!' His inner voice screamed. Kenshin halted. 'Keep your stealth. One wrong move could put Kaoru-dono in even more danger, that it could. Wait.'
Kenshin bowed his head, concealing his burning amber gaze. He flinched as he watched the man strike Kaoru's leg and Kaoru staggered away.
No voice was going to hold Kenshin back. With an audible cry, he rushed forward, and before the attacker had a chance to register anything, the attacker fell victim to Kenshin's hilt. The assailant had become one of the five unconscious bodies sprawled across the forest floor.
Kaoru gasped as she watched Kenshin stand above the fifth assailant, head bowed with red bangs covering his eyes. Kaoru looked at the scene around her with a sense of awe: he had come to rescue her; he was trying to protect her. Kaoru immediately wished that she had stayed with Kenshin by the riverside and left with him when he asked to leave.
After reprimanding herself several times she looked up to find Kenshin staring at her with a breathtaking steely blue stare. Kaoru stammered for a bit before finding the words to say. "K-Kenshin . I'm s-so sorry! I-I should've listened to y-you!"
Tears threatened to fall from Kaoru's deep blue eyes and Kenshin quickly approached her to comfort her. Reaching a sword calloused hand to her face, he brushed back the hair from her face and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
"You are not to blame, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said soothingly, resting his hands on her shoulders. "We have only just met, and sessha cannot force you to trust me in the small amount of time we had together. Sessha only hopes that now you will trust what sessha says, de gozaru yo."
Kaoru emitted a soft giggle at Kenshin's polite words, eliciting a small smile from Kenshin's lips. After Kaoru had regained herself, she looked up into his eyes and said, "Let's go then."
"You will not be going anywhere . BATTOUSAI!" A voice said that stopped Kaoru in her tracks.
"Kurogasa." Kenshin muttered, a scowl crossing his lips.
The man laughed wickedly behind him. "That's right, Battousai. I was hired to oversee the capture of that tanuki over there. Of course, I wouldn't have taken the job when I learned that the girl was not to be killed, but when I heard that the Battousai might also be present, I changed my mind."
"And why is that?" Kenshin asked, his arm flying up to prevent Kaoru from going any closer to the battle that was about to come.
"How could I pass up the pleasure of defeating you, Battousai? The feeling will be exceptionally sweet when I pull my sword away from your dead body. So DRAW YOUR SWORD! Once we draw swords on each other, we swing until one is dead. Nothing else will SATISFY." Jin-e said with a hideous sneer.
Kenshin turned his head to face Jin-e fully, and for some reason, Kaoru was comforted to find that Kenshin's gaze stayed at a steely blue.
"I have no wish to fight you." Kenshin said softly, yet sternly. "There is no need to settle differences through the action of our swords."
Jin-e scoffed at Kenshin. "Listen to those words. You have become weak! Look at your blade even! You REFUSE to kill?"
"Swordsmanship is a way to kill. A sword is a weapon. Whatever pretty names you give it. Take Kaoru-dono and her style of fighting in an effort to not kill as a method to protect the ones she cares for as an example. Her sweet, naïve lie she tells is so much better. If sessha had a wish, sessha would wish for her lie to become reality, that he would."
"Stop your rambling, flip that odd blade, and let our swords do the rest." Jin-e said, that wicked gleam back in his eye.
"Kaoru-dono, sessha wants you to leave this place immediately." Kenshin said quietly.
Kaoru nodded and backed away until her back encountered a tree. "Uhu-hah- hah-hah!" Jin-e laughed, "Don't dare try to go any further, there are men in the town that are currently looking for you. I'm sure that you won't be as lucky with fifty men as you were with five." Kenshin growled and Jin-e directed his attention to him. "Those eyes . fine eyes . full of rage. I see you care for the girl. Now what if ."
Jin-e shot his glance over at Kaoru and she gasped. Kenshin whirled around to see what had affected Kaoru. Her hands were bawled tightly into fists, clutching her chest, and her large sapphire eyes seemed to bulge in shock and pain.
"What did you do?" Kenshin growled, eyes flecking amber.
"GET MAD, BATTOUSAI! Then we'd have our legendary Hitokiri back."
"Rage ." Kenshin muttered, and his eyes flashed amber as he gave Jin-e a horrifying death glare. "At you, who involved Kaoru-dono . And at me, who couldn't prevent it."
"Perfect!" Jin-e exclaimed, drawing out his sword to become parallel to the ground, "You've stopped using that wimpy 'sessha' and started talking like you used to!"
Jin-e launched forward and Kenshin was forced to draw his sword. A loud CLANG was heard in a matter of seconds as the swords clashed, crossing towards Jin-e's sheath. Just as quickly as they withdrew from each other, they were back at it with multiple KLINGs.
Kaoru sat mesmerized by the two fighting; her eyes could barely follow the battle. She was nervous for Kenshin's life. Kaoru only met him that day, and already she had to trust him with her life. The way he rushed after her fight with the five men, it looked almost possessive. 'After all, he was told to keep you safe' Kaoru reminded herself in an effort to push away all thoughts that would lead her to fantasize with a non-existent relationship between herself and the Battousai.
For the first time, Kaoru tried to release the breath she had been holding, but realized she couldn't. Kaoru then tried to draw in a breath, but realized that she couldn't do that either. Her eyes began to water as fright overcame her: she couldn't breathe! What did Jin-e do? "Kh..Khh.Ken." Kaoru managed to strangle out.
Kenshin immediately heard Kaoru's weak plea and withdrew from his attack. "What did you do to her, Jin-e?" Kenshin snarled.
"Shin no Ippo." Jin-e said with a cruel sneer plastered to his face. Kenshin gasped and Jin-e let out a long, wicked laugh. "A secret technique that paralyzes. I made it stronger than usual . enough to stop her lungs. She will last two minutes at most."
Kenshin's eyes widened in horror as his pupils shrank to a miniscule size. "What happened to your assignment: bringing her here without killing her?"
Jin-e smiled evilly. "I already fulfilled my assignment, it's over. Plus, who cares about the job when you are fighting the legendary Hitokiri Battousai!"
Kenshin knelt down, sword at the ground.
"Death by suffocation is so messy. The carcass spills out saliva and waste." Jin-e drawled on.
Kenshin growled, gripping his sheath. Faster than a blink of the eye, Kenshin leapt up and struck Jin-e in the nose, causing Jin-e to stumble backwards.
Jin-e straightened himself and looked at Kenshin. His eyes were full out amber. "This . this is the Hitokiri Battousai."
"Shut up, so I can kill you." Battousai growled.
Kaoru gasped. Never had she heard someone with such a tone, and it frightened her! No matter how evil Jin-e was, she wouldn't stand sitting there, paralyzed, watching some man get killed. It was against her morals! She struggled with herself, desperately trying to shout out for Kenshin to stop.
Kenshin crouched, hands inches away from his sheath. "The stance . of Battojutsu!" Jin-e gasped. Kenshin remained emotionless. "The God-speed sword of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu - the fastest of them all!"
"Come," Battousai beckoned, "Learn the meaning of the name Battousai."
Jin-e ran his thoughts through his head. Certainly he would die at the hand of Battousai if he couldn't dodge this one attack. He looked over the Battousai's stance. 'The Battojutsu is when the attacker presses the blade's edge against the inside of the sheath. When drawing the sword, his speed would have increased to three times as normal. There is no time to react. But wait! This isn't a regular sword; it's a reverse-blade sword! The speed would decrease by just a fraction! Is it enough . yes, it's just enough! After Battousai strikes, he is left completely defenseless. I can dodge it!'
"Die now, Battousai!" Jin-e cried as he rushed forward. Kenshin stood his ground, and quickly drew his sword at an incredible speed. Jin-e leaned back, just a fraction, missing the blade. Jin-e was about to release a victory cry when he felt something strike his chest hard, causing him to collapse. "He used the sword . and the sheath."
Jin-e crumpled into a heap on the ground as the Battousai stood above him. "Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu Battojutsu . Soryusen. One who has mastered everything of Battojutsu, that is the meaning of the name 'Battousai'. I crushed your elbow, and severed your ligaments. Your life as a swordsman is over .. And now, this is the end of your life."
Kaoru choked out, "Kenshin," but nobody heard her soft cry. Yet, the Battousai seemed to pause.
"There's no reason to hesitate, there's no time for it." Jin-e said weakly from the ground. "You must kill me to break the spell, it's either my life or hers. It's the easiest of choices."
Kenshin raised his sword. "To save Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin cried, about to swing his sword down.
"NOOOO!" Kaoru shrieked, and Battousai halted. "Don't . don't become a Hitokiri." With that, she fell forward, her world threatening to go black.
Kenshin rushed forward, his eyes returning to a soft violet hue. "Kaoru- dono." He said as he caught Kaoru lightly in his arms. "Are you alright?"
Her face was flushed and her sapphire eyes were sparkling. "Hai." She muttered, her face lighting up.
Jin-e started to sputter on the ground. "I never thought this little girl could break my spell. I must be getting soft myself."
Kenshin felt himself becoming angered by Jin-e's rambling, and as he turned to face Jin-e he heard Kaoru gasp. Jin-e was gripping his sword and raising it above his head. "You've lost. It's over. Give in peacefully."
"No, it's not over yet." Jin-e said as he raised the sword even higher. Kenshin, in response, gripped his sword. "I've got some clean-up to do."
With that, Jin-e plunged his sword into his heart and collapsed back onto the ground. Kaoru was startled, and she instantly sidled up to Kenshin's side, her eyes wide with horror.
"You look as if you don't understand." Jin-e commented, his words short and strangled. "That is why I think you have gone soft, Battousai. The Hitokiri chooses his own will. Yet, he does not choose the target, ne? When I challenged you, I broke that rule, and now look at me. But I don't mind. The death-match was quite fun, and with my right arm crushed."
Kaoru slightly backed away from Kenshin as his and Jin-e's eyes seemed to be privately conversing. "Jin-e." he muttered solemnly.
"Don't look at me like that." Jin-e said, the tantalizing smile still in place. "Your eyes were much better before, when you said you were going to kill me. The Hitokiri is your true nature. Another Hitokiri tells you this. It cannot be wrong. A Hitokiri is a Hitokiri until death. You cannot be anything else." And with that, Jin-e's eyes went blank.
Kenshin bowed his head and walked forward, the words running through his head over and over.
Kaoru watched Kenshin walked out of the woods and to the riverside where she had swum. She looked around, draping her black cloak around her shoulders. Kaoru wasn't sure how Kenshin was reacting to the entire thing. She had disobeyed him and could have died. Kaoru shot a glance at Kenshin to find his head bowed as he examined his surrounding thoroughly.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked timidly, taking a tentative step forward. Kenshin stayed silent. Kaoru frowned and persisted a bit louder. "Kenshin?"
Kenshin slowly turned to face her, his body still facing the river: his face seemed so carefree! "Hmm, Kaoru-dono? What is it?"
Kaoru blushed suddenly and said quietly, "Thanks for saving me." She paused and said even quieter, "Let me say that at least."
Kenshin smiled gently at Kaoru and turned his entire body to face her. "There is no need for thanks." He said kindly, taking a reassuring step forward. "In fact, thanks should go to you." Kaoru shook her head in denial but Kenshin cut her short. "Really," he said sincerely, "Sessha is so grateful! If Kaoru-dono hadn't said 'no'.sessha would still be Battousai.the assassin."
Kaoru's eyes widened slightly. His eyes were so full of remorse! She wanted to step forward and comfort the ex-hitokiri, but decided against it. Instead, Kaoru decided to keep her head bowed and waited for Kenshin to make the next move.
After a few minutes of silence, Kenshin made up his mind. "Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said gently, realizing that Kaoru's head was bowed in a rejected manner, "Sessha knows of a place where Kaoru-dono can stay safely."
"Oh?" Kaoru asked, looking up anxiously.
Kenshin nodded and walked through the clearing and a ways into the wood. Kaoru followed obediently, never complaining as she realized that they were about to walk several miles deeper into the forest.
¤¤
A few hours had passed and Kaoru's feet drew weary as they continued to trudge through the forest. "We're almost there, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said, immediately sensing Kaoru's exhaustion. Kaoru nodded weakly and continued onward.
It wasn't much longer when Kaoru realized that they had, in fact, reached a large cottage. Kaoru looked at it in wonder at its enormity. "It's beautiful," she muttered.
"Hai," Kenshin said as he pushed open a small black gate, "That it is."
"Oji Kenny!" Two little voices exclaimed excitedly as two small girls rushed out of the cottage.
"Ayame! Suzume!" Kenshin chuckled as he knelt down to hold each girl on each arm. The two girls threw their small arms around Kenshin's chest in a hug. Kaoru giggled behind them, wondering how a man who used to be an assassin could be so caring.
"Who's that, Oji Kenny?" The oldest girl asked suddenly, pointing her finger at Kaoru. "Is she your lady friend?"
Kaoru watched Kenshin blush at the small girl's comment. "Maa, maa, Ayame- chan. This is Kaoru-dono."
"Oba Kaoru!" The youngest girl, who had to be Suzume, exclaimed as she crawled down Kenshin's leg and made her way to Kaoru with open arms. Ayame soon followed, not wanting to be left out in the introductions.
Kaoru squatted down to talk to the two girls. They were very energetic and wanted to know everything about Kaoru. All Kaoru could do was answer yes or no questions with the shake of her head because she was giggling so much.
"Girls? Are you out here?" An elderly voice drifted from the cottage's doorway. Kaoru turned to face to see an elderly man. He seemed concerned at first when he saw his two daughters talking to a stranger, but when he saw Kenshin he immediately relaxed. "It's so good to see you again, Kenshin."
Kenshin nodded, "It's good to be back, Dr. Genzai. Dr Genzai, this is my friend, Kamiya Kaoru."
Dr. Genzai looked up at Kaoru with a surprised look on his face. "Well, what a pleasure, Kamiya-san."
Kaoru bowed respectively. "Arigatou, Genzai-sensei." Dr. Genzai nodded and stepped aside as Kenshin led his way inside the house.
"Make yourself at home." Dr. Genzai said as Kenshin and Kaoru passed him.
Kaoru leaned in close to Kenshin and whispered. "Where exactly are we?"
"Lord Seijuro's summer home." Kenshin said, smiling. "You will be safe here, I promise you."
¤¤**¤¤
A/N: Gomen, minna-san! I said I would post this story yesterday, but I didn't. It was a pretty nasty cliffhanger though, wasn't it? Well, I'm trying not to use a cliffhanger for a while, let's see how long that will last. Also, I used this scene between Jin-e and Battousai because you not only understand how the Battousai really is, but you understand why Kenshin feels so unworthy most of the time. Oh, and another thing, I made this story around three pages longer than it normally is, well at least on my computer it is. I got four reviews from the last chapter, so I'm quickly going to thank all of you because I'm in a slight hurry. ^-^
ChibiBattousai, Silver Eyes Bright, Bando-Eido no Megami-sama, and Koishii Sweet. ARIGATOU! ^_^
Definitions:
¤ Jajauma - unnmanagable woman, shrew
¤ Sessha - this unworthy one
¤ Tanuki - raccoon
¤ Shin no Ippo - honestly, I have to say, I'm not sure what the translations of the word is, but I can tell you that 'shin' is leg and ippo is 'a step' . so . yea.
¤ Soryusen - Doulbe dragon strike
¤ Oji - uncle younger than your father
¤ Oba - aunt younger than your father
¤¤**¤¤
A Love for One Hated
By: Mystic Song
Chapter 5: Udo Jin-e
¤¤**¤¤
Kaoru was pulled at the waist and thrown carelessly over a man's shoulder. Her face was dangerously close to the man's rear end and she mercilessly kicked her feet, hoping to strike the man's face.
The man laughed his spine-chilling laugh. "Uhu-hah-hah-hah! You should know better than to kick Udo Jin-e!"
Kaoru growled and pushed her hands at the man's back in an attempt to roll off of him, but the man just held tight to her legs. Kaoru let out a cry of frustration, looking down at what she had to work with.
The man that was carrying her, Udo Jin-e, wore a baggy blue attire over black limbs and a black chest. Kaoru crooked her neck over to look at the man's face and immediately wished she hadn't. The man's face had multiple, jagged lines, and was tugged up into a displeasing smile. And his eyes, those tantalizing eyes just wanted to make Kaoru shiver. They seemed to paralyze her on the spot.
When Kaoru tore her eyes away, Jin-e laughed wickedly. Kaoru became even more irritated and reached for a tree branch that they ran under. She snapped it off and immediately whacked the man over the head with it, causing him to abruptly stop and throw her onto the ground.
"Jajauma!" Jin-e yelped as Kaoru dropped to the ground.
Kaoru stuck her tongue out and walked over to the clearing, looking for a means of escape. Jin-e sneered when he noticed that Kaoru was backing up into his camp. Kaoru looked frantically about her and immediately smacked herself in the head.
'Now look what you got yourself into!' She chided.
"I'm sure the Battousai will be coming shortly, so in the mean time, go ahead, make yourself at home. Uhu-hah-hah-hah!" Jin-e derided.
Kaoru firmly gripped her wooden stick as if it were a bokken as five men crept out of their tent, all jeering and making uncalled catcalls. Kaoru happened to notice that each man had an unsheathed sword at his waist.
Kaoru tossed her hair back as well as her black cloak and brushed her loose bangs behind her ears when the first one launched at her. Kaoru was glad to notice that he was more than sloppy in his movements, allowing him to charge forward until his back was open beneath her. She immediately swung her makeshift bokken down onto the man's back as he fell limply to the ground.
"One down, four to go." Kaoru muttered.
She looked up and found that the next man had started his attack. Kaoru could tell he was more then a little nervous at seeing his comrade being defeated by a woman wielding a stick.
The man fumbled nervously with his sword as he swung blindly at the adjutant master. Kaoru neatly dodged his attacks by stepping to the side. She knew that it was hopeless to counter the attack unless she wanted a split sword.
The man was panting now and his slipshod attacks were becoming even more careless. Kaoru sighed and jabbed the man in the stomach, causing him to lull onto the ground.
Kaoru turned to the three remaining men, wondering if all their skills were that poor. As if in answer, two men stepped forward. One man settled into a decent offensive stance while the second formed a fitting defensive stance. Kaoru immediately assumed that they would be fighting together.
Kaoru took a step forward, her bokken low to the ground. In response, the other two took a step backwards, the one sword up offensively while the other sword was pointed down defensively. Kaoru quickly halted, wondering how she should go about in attacking them.
'Perhaps I should go attack the defensive man, that way the aggressor won't have a defendant.' Kaoru nodded her head in reassurance as she launched herself at the assailant, but only stepped back as the defendant stepped forward, his sword arcing upwards to meet Kaoru's.
Kaoru retreated back and growled, the fight would be over if their swords met! Kaoru stepped forward again, and did a mock lunge in one direction. BINGO, the man lunged dramatically to meet Kaoru's bokken, but was surprised to see that Kaoru had swung and slashed the man in the side, causing him to collapse to the ground.
Now the offensive men looked at Kaoru, his eyes wide in shock. Kaoru smirked and walked towards the aggressor, sword ready for attack. When the aggressor decided that Kaoru was taking too long to attack, he lunged forward and managed to slice Kaoru's upper arm. Kaoru winced but followed through with her attack: ducking under the man's out thrusted hand to reach the unguarded chest and elbowing him hard. The assailant stumbled backwards and Kaoru finished him off with a blow to the gap between shoulder and neck.
Kaoru stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief, slowly turning to the fifth and final man. Without a moment's hesitation, the fifth man ran forward, his body perpendicular to hers and sword held tightly to his body. Kaoru recognized this stance to deliver power full stabs that could be fatal if pierced in the stomach/chest area. Kaoru scrunched herself smaller and easily dodged the man's straightforward attack. What she didn't see, however, was the man throwing his sword out to strike Kaoru's leg.
'He's good,' Kaoru thought involuntarily, teeth clenched tightly at the pain the two wounds were causing. She prayed for help as she took her next stance.
¤¤
"Kaoru!" Kenshin yelled, eyes flashing hazardous amber as he watched Kaoru being carried away into the woods with a man wearing a black hat. "Damn women!" Kenshin muttered, "How can they be so distracting!"
'Not all women are as distracting as Kaoru is.' A voice peeped up from deep within Kenshin's head. Kenshin bowed his head and cursed again. "It would be best to follow her then, make sure she is not hurt."
With that in mind, Kenshin rushed forward into the wood, straining his senses to catch any sign of Kaoru's ki.
After a minute of zipping through the woods, he abruptly stopped at a clearing. His nerves had settled a bit, and his eyes were fading to a steely blue. Kenshin darted his head around the clearing when he noticed four bodies were sprawled out across the ground. He quirked an eyebrow and slowly lifted his head to find a raven-haired goddess fiercely fighting a nimble man.
The man was presently launching an attack at the goddess, and in response she balled up. 'KAORU!' Kenshin screamed mentally, wanting more than ever to rush in and save Kaoru from what could be a fatal attack.
Kenshin took a step forward. Just watching her standing there, wielding a wooden sword, attracted him to her. He vowed at that moment that he would always be there for her, always there to protect her.
'WAIT!' His inner voice screamed. Kenshin halted. 'Keep your stealth. One wrong move could put Kaoru-dono in even more danger, that it could. Wait.'
Kenshin bowed his head, concealing his burning amber gaze. He flinched as he watched the man strike Kaoru's leg and Kaoru staggered away.
No voice was going to hold Kenshin back. With an audible cry, he rushed forward, and before the attacker had a chance to register anything, the attacker fell victim to Kenshin's hilt. The assailant had become one of the five unconscious bodies sprawled across the forest floor.
Kaoru gasped as she watched Kenshin stand above the fifth assailant, head bowed with red bangs covering his eyes. Kaoru looked at the scene around her with a sense of awe: he had come to rescue her; he was trying to protect her. Kaoru immediately wished that she had stayed with Kenshin by the riverside and left with him when he asked to leave.
After reprimanding herself several times she looked up to find Kenshin staring at her with a breathtaking steely blue stare. Kaoru stammered for a bit before finding the words to say. "K-Kenshin . I'm s-so sorry! I-I should've listened to y-you!"
Tears threatened to fall from Kaoru's deep blue eyes and Kenshin quickly approached her to comfort her. Reaching a sword calloused hand to her face, he brushed back the hair from her face and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks.
"You are not to blame, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said soothingly, resting his hands on her shoulders. "We have only just met, and sessha cannot force you to trust me in the small amount of time we had together. Sessha only hopes that now you will trust what sessha says, de gozaru yo."
Kaoru emitted a soft giggle at Kenshin's polite words, eliciting a small smile from Kenshin's lips. After Kaoru had regained herself, she looked up into his eyes and said, "Let's go then."
"You will not be going anywhere . BATTOUSAI!" A voice said that stopped Kaoru in her tracks.
"Kurogasa." Kenshin muttered, a scowl crossing his lips.
The man laughed wickedly behind him. "That's right, Battousai. I was hired to oversee the capture of that tanuki over there. Of course, I wouldn't have taken the job when I learned that the girl was not to be killed, but when I heard that the Battousai might also be present, I changed my mind."
"And why is that?" Kenshin asked, his arm flying up to prevent Kaoru from going any closer to the battle that was about to come.
"How could I pass up the pleasure of defeating you, Battousai? The feeling will be exceptionally sweet when I pull my sword away from your dead body. So DRAW YOUR SWORD! Once we draw swords on each other, we swing until one is dead. Nothing else will SATISFY." Jin-e said with a hideous sneer.
Kenshin turned his head to face Jin-e fully, and for some reason, Kaoru was comforted to find that Kenshin's gaze stayed at a steely blue.
"I have no wish to fight you." Kenshin said softly, yet sternly. "There is no need to settle differences through the action of our swords."
Jin-e scoffed at Kenshin. "Listen to those words. You have become weak! Look at your blade even! You REFUSE to kill?"
"Swordsmanship is a way to kill. A sword is a weapon. Whatever pretty names you give it. Take Kaoru-dono and her style of fighting in an effort to not kill as a method to protect the ones she cares for as an example. Her sweet, naïve lie she tells is so much better. If sessha had a wish, sessha would wish for her lie to become reality, that he would."
"Stop your rambling, flip that odd blade, and let our swords do the rest." Jin-e said, that wicked gleam back in his eye.
"Kaoru-dono, sessha wants you to leave this place immediately." Kenshin said quietly.
Kaoru nodded and backed away until her back encountered a tree. "Uhu-hah- hah-hah!" Jin-e laughed, "Don't dare try to go any further, there are men in the town that are currently looking for you. I'm sure that you won't be as lucky with fifty men as you were with five." Kenshin growled and Jin-e directed his attention to him. "Those eyes . fine eyes . full of rage. I see you care for the girl. Now what if ."
Jin-e shot his glance over at Kaoru and she gasped. Kenshin whirled around to see what had affected Kaoru. Her hands were bawled tightly into fists, clutching her chest, and her large sapphire eyes seemed to bulge in shock and pain.
"What did you do?" Kenshin growled, eyes flecking amber.
"GET MAD, BATTOUSAI! Then we'd have our legendary Hitokiri back."
"Rage ." Kenshin muttered, and his eyes flashed amber as he gave Jin-e a horrifying death glare. "At you, who involved Kaoru-dono . And at me, who couldn't prevent it."
"Perfect!" Jin-e exclaimed, drawing out his sword to become parallel to the ground, "You've stopped using that wimpy 'sessha' and started talking like you used to!"
Jin-e launched forward and Kenshin was forced to draw his sword. A loud CLANG was heard in a matter of seconds as the swords clashed, crossing towards Jin-e's sheath. Just as quickly as they withdrew from each other, they were back at it with multiple KLINGs.
Kaoru sat mesmerized by the two fighting; her eyes could barely follow the battle. She was nervous for Kenshin's life. Kaoru only met him that day, and already she had to trust him with her life. The way he rushed after her fight with the five men, it looked almost possessive. 'After all, he was told to keep you safe' Kaoru reminded herself in an effort to push away all thoughts that would lead her to fantasize with a non-existent relationship between herself and the Battousai.
For the first time, Kaoru tried to release the breath she had been holding, but realized she couldn't. Kaoru then tried to draw in a breath, but realized that she couldn't do that either. Her eyes began to water as fright overcame her: she couldn't breathe! What did Jin-e do? "Kh..Khh.Ken." Kaoru managed to strangle out.
Kenshin immediately heard Kaoru's weak plea and withdrew from his attack. "What did you do to her, Jin-e?" Kenshin snarled.
"Shin no Ippo." Jin-e said with a cruel sneer plastered to his face. Kenshin gasped and Jin-e let out a long, wicked laugh. "A secret technique that paralyzes. I made it stronger than usual . enough to stop her lungs. She will last two minutes at most."
Kenshin's eyes widened in horror as his pupils shrank to a miniscule size. "What happened to your assignment: bringing her here without killing her?"
Jin-e smiled evilly. "I already fulfilled my assignment, it's over. Plus, who cares about the job when you are fighting the legendary Hitokiri Battousai!"
Kenshin knelt down, sword at the ground.
"Death by suffocation is so messy. The carcass spills out saliva and waste." Jin-e drawled on.
Kenshin growled, gripping his sheath. Faster than a blink of the eye, Kenshin leapt up and struck Jin-e in the nose, causing Jin-e to stumble backwards.
Jin-e straightened himself and looked at Kenshin. His eyes were full out amber. "This . this is the Hitokiri Battousai."
"Shut up, so I can kill you." Battousai growled.
Kaoru gasped. Never had she heard someone with such a tone, and it frightened her! No matter how evil Jin-e was, she wouldn't stand sitting there, paralyzed, watching some man get killed. It was against her morals! She struggled with herself, desperately trying to shout out for Kenshin to stop.
Kenshin crouched, hands inches away from his sheath. "The stance . of Battojutsu!" Jin-e gasped. Kenshin remained emotionless. "The God-speed sword of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu - the fastest of them all!"
"Come," Battousai beckoned, "Learn the meaning of the name Battousai."
Jin-e ran his thoughts through his head. Certainly he would die at the hand of Battousai if he couldn't dodge this one attack. He looked over the Battousai's stance. 'The Battojutsu is when the attacker presses the blade's edge against the inside of the sheath. When drawing the sword, his speed would have increased to three times as normal. There is no time to react. But wait! This isn't a regular sword; it's a reverse-blade sword! The speed would decrease by just a fraction! Is it enough . yes, it's just enough! After Battousai strikes, he is left completely defenseless. I can dodge it!'
"Die now, Battousai!" Jin-e cried as he rushed forward. Kenshin stood his ground, and quickly drew his sword at an incredible speed. Jin-e leaned back, just a fraction, missing the blade. Jin-e was about to release a victory cry when he felt something strike his chest hard, causing him to collapse. "He used the sword . and the sheath."
Jin-e crumpled into a heap on the ground as the Battousai stood above him. "Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu Battojutsu . Soryusen. One who has mastered everything of Battojutsu, that is the meaning of the name 'Battousai'. I crushed your elbow, and severed your ligaments. Your life as a swordsman is over .. And now, this is the end of your life."
Kaoru choked out, "Kenshin," but nobody heard her soft cry. Yet, the Battousai seemed to pause.
"There's no reason to hesitate, there's no time for it." Jin-e said weakly from the ground. "You must kill me to break the spell, it's either my life or hers. It's the easiest of choices."
Kenshin raised his sword. "To save Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin cried, about to swing his sword down.
"NOOOO!" Kaoru shrieked, and Battousai halted. "Don't . don't become a Hitokiri." With that, she fell forward, her world threatening to go black.
Kenshin rushed forward, his eyes returning to a soft violet hue. "Kaoru- dono." He said as he caught Kaoru lightly in his arms. "Are you alright?"
Her face was flushed and her sapphire eyes were sparkling. "Hai." She muttered, her face lighting up.
Jin-e started to sputter on the ground. "I never thought this little girl could break my spell. I must be getting soft myself."
Kenshin felt himself becoming angered by Jin-e's rambling, and as he turned to face Jin-e he heard Kaoru gasp. Jin-e was gripping his sword and raising it above his head. "You've lost. It's over. Give in peacefully."
"No, it's not over yet." Jin-e said as he raised the sword even higher. Kenshin, in response, gripped his sword. "I've got some clean-up to do."
With that, Jin-e plunged his sword into his heart and collapsed back onto the ground. Kaoru was startled, and she instantly sidled up to Kenshin's side, her eyes wide with horror.
"You look as if you don't understand." Jin-e commented, his words short and strangled. "That is why I think you have gone soft, Battousai. The Hitokiri chooses his own will. Yet, he does not choose the target, ne? When I challenged you, I broke that rule, and now look at me. But I don't mind. The death-match was quite fun, and with my right arm crushed."
Kaoru slightly backed away from Kenshin as his and Jin-e's eyes seemed to be privately conversing. "Jin-e." he muttered solemnly.
"Don't look at me like that." Jin-e said, the tantalizing smile still in place. "Your eyes were much better before, when you said you were going to kill me. The Hitokiri is your true nature. Another Hitokiri tells you this. It cannot be wrong. A Hitokiri is a Hitokiri until death. You cannot be anything else." And with that, Jin-e's eyes went blank.
Kenshin bowed his head and walked forward, the words running through his head over and over.
Kaoru watched Kenshin walked out of the woods and to the riverside where she had swum. She looked around, draping her black cloak around her shoulders. Kaoru wasn't sure how Kenshin was reacting to the entire thing. She had disobeyed him and could have died. Kaoru shot a glance at Kenshin to find his head bowed as he examined his surrounding thoroughly.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked timidly, taking a tentative step forward. Kenshin stayed silent. Kaoru frowned and persisted a bit louder. "Kenshin?"
Kenshin slowly turned to face her, his body still facing the river: his face seemed so carefree! "Hmm, Kaoru-dono? What is it?"
Kaoru blushed suddenly and said quietly, "Thanks for saving me." She paused and said even quieter, "Let me say that at least."
Kenshin smiled gently at Kaoru and turned his entire body to face her. "There is no need for thanks." He said kindly, taking a reassuring step forward. "In fact, thanks should go to you." Kaoru shook her head in denial but Kenshin cut her short. "Really," he said sincerely, "Sessha is so grateful! If Kaoru-dono hadn't said 'no'.sessha would still be Battousai.the assassin."
Kaoru's eyes widened slightly. His eyes were so full of remorse! She wanted to step forward and comfort the ex-hitokiri, but decided against it. Instead, Kaoru decided to keep her head bowed and waited for Kenshin to make the next move.
After a few minutes of silence, Kenshin made up his mind. "Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said gently, realizing that Kaoru's head was bowed in a rejected manner, "Sessha knows of a place where Kaoru-dono can stay safely."
"Oh?" Kaoru asked, looking up anxiously.
Kenshin nodded and walked through the clearing and a ways into the wood. Kaoru followed obediently, never complaining as she realized that they were about to walk several miles deeper into the forest.
¤¤
A few hours had passed and Kaoru's feet drew weary as they continued to trudge through the forest. "We're almost there, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said, immediately sensing Kaoru's exhaustion. Kaoru nodded weakly and continued onward.
It wasn't much longer when Kaoru realized that they had, in fact, reached a large cottage. Kaoru looked at it in wonder at its enormity. "It's beautiful," she muttered.
"Hai," Kenshin said as he pushed open a small black gate, "That it is."
"Oji Kenny!" Two little voices exclaimed excitedly as two small girls rushed out of the cottage.
"Ayame! Suzume!" Kenshin chuckled as he knelt down to hold each girl on each arm. The two girls threw their small arms around Kenshin's chest in a hug. Kaoru giggled behind them, wondering how a man who used to be an assassin could be so caring.
"Who's that, Oji Kenny?" The oldest girl asked suddenly, pointing her finger at Kaoru. "Is she your lady friend?"
Kaoru watched Kenshin blush at the small girl's comment. "Maa, maa, Ayame- chan. This is Kaoru-dono."
"Oba Kaoru!" The youngest girl, who had to be Suzume, exclaimed as she crawled down Kenshin's leg and made her way to Kaoru with open arms. Ayame soon followed, not wanting to be left out in the introductions.
Kaoru squatted down to talk to the two girls. They were very energetic and wanted to know everything about Kaoru. All Kaoru could do was answer yes or no questions with the shake of her head because she was giggling so much.
"Girls? Are you out here?" An elderly voice drifted from the cottage's doorway. Kaoru turned to face to see an elderly man. He seemed concerned at first when he saw his two daughters talking to a stranger, but when he saw Kenshin he immediately relaxed. "It's so good to see you again, Kenshin."
Kenshin nodded, "It's good to be back, Dr. Genzai. Dr Genzai, this is my friend, Kamiya Kaoru."
Dr. Genzai looked up at Kaoru with a surprised look on his face. "Well, what a pleasure, Kamiya-san."
Kaoru bowed respectively. "Arigatou, Genzai-sensei." Dr. Genzai nodded and stepped aside as Kenshin led his way inside the house.
"Make yourself at home." Dr. Genzai said as Kenshin and Kaoru passed him.
Kaoru leaned in close to Kenshin and whispered. "Where exactly are we?"
"Lord Seijuro's summer home." Kenshin said, smiling. "You will be safe here, I promise you."
¤¤**¤¤
A/N: Gomen, minna-san! I said I would post this story yesterday, but I didn't. It was a pretty nasty cliffhanger though, wasn't it? Well, I'm trying not to use a cliffhanger for a while, let's see how long that will last. Also, I used this scene between Jin-e and Battousai because you not only understand how the Battousai really is, but you understand why Kenshin feels so unworthy most of the time. Oh, and another thing, I made this story around three pages longer than it normally is, well at least on my computer it is. I got four reviews from the last chapter, so I'm quickly going to thank all of you because I'm in a slight hurry. ^-^
ChibiBattousai, Silver Eyes Bright, Bando-Eido no Megami-sama, and Koishii Sweet. ARIGATOU! ^_^