A/N: Hello! This is just an idea I had last night! I'm just trying it out!

Summary: What if Kaoru had a brother? Not just your ordinary
brother. He was way to overprotective ever since her parents
died. How would he react if he knew that Battousai the Manslayer
saved Kaoru's life on that fateful day when they first met.

Disclaimer: I don't own the cast of Rurouni Kenshin, however, in this fic, Shinji is mine!

"Kaoru, we don't have much money left. It didn't help that your students left. We might have to sell some stuff."

"We're not selling anything, and I wasn't counting on Battousai the Manslayer to ruin our fighting style. Oh, if Father was here, he'd go beat him up!" Kaoru was pretty pissed at the idea of a killer using a style to protect to well, kill.

"Then we can't buy much anymore. We're going to have to start cooking more."

"Shinji, you know I can't cook. Unless suicide is our only way out, I'm not cooking."

Shinji laughed. He knew that Kaoru's cooking wasn't the best, but he loved it when she joked around like that.

"I'm sick of being poor Shinji. We need to do something."

"Like what, become robbers?"

"No." She knew that she couldn't say what she wanted to do. Her brother would just lock her in her room to make sure she wouldn't. She would do it later, when he went out with his friends to gamble. She had to find Battousai.

Soon, he left. "Kaoru, I'm leaving now, and I'll come back rich!"

"Yeah right, but go ahead!" Now was the time. She had to leave. She watched Shinji walk out the dojo gate, and around the corner. She quickly grabbed her bokken,(did I spell that right?) and headed out the door.

In town, people were mostly inside. She decided to look in the alleys. Suddenly a sharp whistle was heard and she listened. Soon, she heard what she wanted.

"I am Battousai the Manyslayer! I use the Kamiya Kasshin (OK, I think I spelled the last part wrong.) style to kill anyone that tries to fight me." Just by his voice, she could tell that he was a large man. Probably really tall with a beard. She ran around the corner into a nearby street where a huge man was swinging around a sword, hitting anything he could. Kaoru knew she had to act fast. She ran out in front of him.

"The Kamiya Kasshin style is meant to protect lives, not kill them. It's a style that my father worked hard to create, and I don't need you to ruin that!" She tried running at him, but was easily brushed aside like a fly. This only enraged her more.

Around the corner, a small man with red hair, and a cross shaped scar was watching the scene. He was slightly amused with this girl, but he didn't want to see her get hurt. If this man wanted to be Battousai, that was fine, less attention on him, but if he truly wanted to be Battousai, he couldn't hurt this woman. Battousai didn't do that.

Kaoru once again ran at him and this time jumped to hit him, but he caught her in the air, and threw her back towards the ground. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, but it never came. She found herself in the arms of a man that was only a little taller than her. He had flaming red hair, and beautiful purple-ish eyes. He looked a little feminine.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"You shouldn't be trying to fight this man, especially not with a bokken."

"I can take care of myself. I'm not a wimp!" She squirmed so that he had to put her down. She spotted a sword at his side. "Ha! Let me borrow this!" He didn't even have time to protest before she yanked it away from him. When she drew it from it's sheath she looked at it. "Your sword is defective. The blade is on the wrong side."

He laughed. "I know, it's a reverse blade sword. It can't kill."

"Perfect!" But she wasn't used to the weight of a metal sword, and her movements were slowed down. When the man claiming to be Battousai had her pinned on the ground and holding the sword above her, Kenshin took action.

He ran at her with his incredible speed and scooped her up, right before the man stuck the sword in the ground where she was. She was once again, in his arms. They watched the huge man run away, while being pursued by more officers. Unfortunatly, Shinji only saw the part where Kenshin was holding her in his arms. He wasn't happy.

"You! You get you hands off my sister," he shouted. He stormed over to the man and looked like he wanted to murder him.

"I'm sorry." He didn't even defend himself. He just put her down, and started walking away.

"Shinji, that man saved my life! Wait!" She began running after him. When she caught up to him she turned him around. "I never got your name!"

"Himura. Kenshin, Himura. Please call me just Kenshin."

"Kenshin, thank you. How can I repay you?"

"Oh, you don't need to."

"Yes, I do. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Perfect! My brother and I own a dojo. You can stay there."

"I don't think your brother would appreciate that."

"Oh sure he will, and even if he doesn't, I'm old enough to make my own decisions. It's not only his dojo!"

Kaoru proceeded to tell her brother the news. "Shinji, this man doesn't have a place to stay. I'm taking him home to our dojo. You can keep gambling."

"You're going home alone with him?! You don't know anything about him!"

"His name's Kenshin Himura, and you obviously don't know much about me either, because I can take care of myself." She turned around and told Kenshin to follow her.

Shinji watched her. He should give her more credit. He went back inside, along with all of his friends to continue gambling.

"You know Shinji, that man that your sister's goin' home with is the real Battousai."

"What?!"

"Yeah, long red hair, cross shaped scar, kinda short. If you knew his name we could be sure. I know a lot about the guy. For example, he killed his wife."

"His names Himura."

"Yep, that's him. Sorry Shinji. You should probably go check on Kaoru."

"I knew I shouldn't have let her take him home. If he's touched her, I'll rip him apart!"

A/N: Well, that was the first chappie! Please review!