Author's Notes: AhhOkay. I know that the name 'Sireta' has been popping up a lot lately in the story. I apologize. Wherever it says 'Sireta' it should say 'Kaoru'. I'm taking another story I wrote and changing the characters names and some other little facts that I've written so that I can make this a Batt/Kao story. Like I said in the previous notes, please tell me where I wrote 'Sireta' by e-mailing me at the address on my author's page. Copy down the story into to word if you could and wehre I wrote the wrong name, please color it so it is easier for me to find. I will update with the corrections ASAP if you can do this for me. I would do it on my own, but my time is sparse as it is. I didn't mean for the last chapter to be a filler chapter, so I hope this one doesn't seem that way, either. The whole theme of the story is Kaoru teaching Battousai to trust again.
Breaking Through
Chapter 7- A Promise To Keep
Kenshin stood and surveyed his work. The floors looked good as new, no splints where a foot could catch a splinter, no out of place boards. He was actually surprised that he could fix something up so well after the destruction that had covered it before.
He whipped his brow and then preceded to clean up the mess his work had caused. Then he would leave some food behind for Kaoru before he left, just to be sure she didn't catch the whole place on fire. Then he'd never come back again.
Turning around, he bowed his head before walking out the door. He bumped into something.
"You didn't make it in time. You're still here and I'm up." Kaoru grinned. "I guess you're staying longer."
"I didn't plan on staying any longer then I need to." He growled.
"You show too much anger," she told him, crossing her only usable arm across her chest. "You really should try feeling other emotions. I know it's not good for the assassin, but couldn't you at least be human around other people?"
He glared down at her. "If you don't like what I am then why are you welcoming me here in the first place?"
"If you didn't like being here then why would you keep coming back? You are offered something here you're not used to, I can tell by how defensive you get at slight kind gesture." she countered.
"I really don't know why I keep coming back, it's been troubling me. I keep asking myself the same question..." he stopped short, upon realizing he was explaining his inner thoughts.
Kaoru's eyebrow rose. "Go on."
He shook his head. "Don't meddle with my mind more than you already have."
"You're going to get yourself killed one of these days, you know," she told him. "You really are. And then what? You will have died not knowing that anger isn't the only emotion. Don't expect me to cry over a stubborn man. I'll be crying over the man he could have been if his ego didn't get in the way."
"Thanks." He muttered. "I'll remember that the next time Katsura sends me out."
He cursed himself. He had told her the name of his boss. Great, more information that could leak out. He was seriously beginning to jepordize the Ishin Shishi's secrecy.
"You do that, Kenshin." Kaoru muttered. "You are thickheaded. One of these days you'll understand what I mean."
"You really are testing me, you know this?" Kenshin barked. "I'd say you're not in a position to be angering me. You're injured. No chance to fight back. I could kill you with one swipe."
"If you wanted me dead," she began, turning to him, "then you would have killed me back in that field that day we met."
She marched out. Kenshin stared at her. She was right. If he had wanted to kill her he would have already done the deed and gotten it over with. She trusted him now. That was foolish of her, he told himself. She was naïve and innocent to the ways of the world. He suspected she had some problems with the fact being she ran a dojo and had Zanza, fighter for hire, as her closest friend, but she was still blind to the horrors of the war.
He envied her.
His face contorted with the unexpected emotion.
And to top it all off, he couldn't call her foolish for trusting him, because he was guilty of the same thing. He already trusted her.
Angered and confused all at once, he dumbly continued cleaning the dojo he had been previously intended to fix. He figured that after this he would leave. He needed to get back to the Inn before Katsura sent some men out to find him and endanger Kaoru's life in the process. Why he cared he still wasn't sure. She was an intriguing person, her strength and innocence, power and grace, intelligence and friendly demeanor. They were rare traits in men, and even rarer in women.
But she wouldn't let him leave that easy. She had said he was a part of her makeshift family. Which meant she'd probably follow him. Great.
What had he gotten himself into this time?
All of these thoughts whirled in his mind.
"Hey busu!" came a yell.
His head turned. He had been expecting Sano, whom he could see from the corner of his eye. But there was a little kid there, holding a shinai and pointing it at Kaoru.
"Busu! Aren't you going to teach me anything? Get me through all this protecting mumbo jumbo and then maybe I can become a real swordsman and train in a real technique!" the kid laughed.
Kaoru stormed out quicker than Kenshin had thought she could and had whacked the unsuspecting child to the ground with her bokken.
"I'm not busu!" she cried. "And that is precisely why I haven't been teaching you any techniques! Your ego is too big and I will not have a student who refuses to respect his sensei's style, Yahiko-chan! You can't learn a technique you don't respect!"
"Geez, can't you go easier on him?" Sano said.
"If you'd rather have this bokken up your butt, then yes, I can, Sanosuke!" Kaoru shot at him. "And besides Yahiko, does it look like I'm going to be able to teach you with a dislocated shoulder? But if you must train, do three hundred swings. Now!"
Grumbling the boy stood off to the side and began to train. A smug grin on her face, Kaoru turned to face Sano. He held his hands up and his fishbone fell from his mouth.
"What are you planning to do to me? I didn't do anything!" Sano defended himself.
Kaoru glared at him and turned. "Kenshin, you'd better still be in there. Don't try running off. You have to meet another member of the makeshift family. Get your butt out here before you end up like Yahiko."
Kenshin glared from the crack in the door with amber eyes. "No."
Kaoru's eye twitched and she stomped off toward the dojo. Kenshin found himself walking backwards. Why was he afraid of her? He could stop her if he wanted to. But there was something just so frightening about an angry, injured woman. Sano shook his head as he watched Kaoru walk inside and yank the cursing assassin out of the dojo and into the yard.
"Kenshin, meet Yahiko, Sanosuke's little brother." she said. "Say hi and then I'll let you go back to wherever you came from, but you have to come back again."
Angered, Kenshin turned and said hello to Yahiko. Yahiko jumped and hid behind Sano's legs.
"Who the hell is that?" Yahiko asked.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "His name is Kenshin."
"He looks like Battousai!" Yahiko cried. "Is he some sort ofcool, a real sword!"
She shook her head. "Men are so one minded! It's either 'oh my god, look at her' or 'wow, how many guys can you kill with that sword'." she sighed.
"I resent that." Kenshin said. "I don't measure my killings as great." He yanked his swords away from Yahiko's prying grip and glared his assassin's death glare. "Do not touch Battousai's swords."
Yahiko sunk back. "You're really... Battousai the manslayer? In the flesh, not killing anyway? Geez, did busu hit you on the head hard or something? I know her ugly looks are scary but I didn't think they'd be enough to scare the Battousai!"
Sano winced as Kaoru ran shrieking after Yahiko. He looked over at Kenshin. "He'll regret that in the morning. If he wakes up in the morning, that is. So your name is Kenshin, huh?"
Kenshin nodded. "I think she'll regret this too."
Sano cocked a sideways grin. "She was right. You are pretty okay to be around when you get rid of those scary yellow eyes. Why do you think Jou- chan's gonna regret this?"
"She dislocated her shoulder yesterday. It's bound to come back out again if she moves it to much." he responded, and then looked at Sano in shock. "What color are my eyes?"
"Blue." Sano responded, scratching his head. "Why does it matter? Don't you know your own eye color?"
A loud crash alerted the two the downfall and a screech told them that Kaoru hadindeedredislocated her shoulder in the process. Sano picked Yahiko up and hoisted him over his shoulder. He saluted Kenshin sarcastically.
"See ya round. Take care of Jou-chan while you're here." he instructed.
Kenshin watched Sanosuke leave before he walked up to the injured woman. She whimpered as she held her limping shoulder again.
"Mou! Stupid shoulder!" she whined. "I hate this!"
Shaking his head, Kenshin knelt next to her and look her arm in his hands. "Okay, ready?"
"Again? Great. Go ahead." Kaoru told him.
With a twist and a push, her shoulder was popped back into place and Kenshin placed her arm back into the sling. He helped her stand.
"I think our little talk this morning has helped a lot." Kaoru said. "You're being really considerate and more caring. I told you there were other emotions than anger."
Kenshin glared at her with blue eyes. "I'm doing what Zanza said. I don't want a fight with him."
She stomped her foot. "You're so thickheaded!"
He grinned. "Glad to be of your service, your highness."
"Don't push me, you may be Battousai but I hate to break it to you, but you don't scare me." she said. "I'm uncovering a part of you that you like to hide. I'll figure you out, you just wait."
"You should go rest." Kenshin said. "Really."
Kaoru wasn't going to argue; she really was tired. She followed him back inside and went into her room. Kenshin sat across the hall from her room, sensing her ki. When he was positive that she was asleep, he left to go back to the Inn. That was the only place he was pretty sure she couldn't find him. Besides, he needed to get back before Katsura got curious. If he had to come here to keep her from following him, then he would. He didn't need to place anyone else in danger.
Kenshin walked up the crest of a green hill, only to find the Inn in utter chaos. He shoved his way through the hoards of men that ran to and fro around the dwelling. Amongst shouts of 'Battousai's back' and 'he'll protect us', he had almost figured out what was going on. He had to find Katsura, and fast.
He shoved past most of the men that were there, none of which he truly knew. He never really got to know any of the men that took up arms for the same reason as he did. All he did was remain in the shadows and take his orders.
"Himura! Finally. I nearly sent men out to find you." came Katsura's voice.
"Forgive me, Katsura." Battousai answered.
"You seem troubled?"
"What's going on here? Everything is in chaos." Kenshin noted irritably. "Do I have to be here all the time to keep things in order?"
Katsura shook his head. "It was not your presence that has worried the men. Our forces in the east were completely disbanded by the Shisengumi, which in turn as sent the war against us."
Kenshin held his swords. "Let me guess, I need to take a few missions tonight?"
"I'm sorry. I know I promised you a week off, but I didn't expect this to happen, Himura. Yes, I have three for you tonight."
Kenshin took a hold of the black envelopes and nodded. "Anything else before I move off?"
"I need you to stay- for a meeting."
With curt, yet deathly nod, Kenshin took his usual seat in the back of the meeting room. He leaned back and opened the three envelopes Katsura had slipped him. Two of them contained the orders to assassinate Shisengumi supporters, which were political leaders. The other one was to assassinate a Shisengumi captain.
It was a few hours before the meeting finally adjourned. Kenshin saw then how badly hit they were. All the forces had been slaughtered in the east, and they needed to disband the tight Shisengumi army before they could send a new group of men in. A lot of the assassinating would be laid upon his shoulders, he realized, that the three assassinations a night were going to increase.
But he wondered if he could still kill. Something told him it wouldn't be as easy to shut it out like it had been before
Stepping out of the room, he heard more unusual commotion. He had thought that everything had calmed down before the meeting. So what was wrong now? He stepped around his comrades until someone stopped him. The man shook as he held onto Kenshin's gi; obviously frightened he had offended him. Kenshin decided to humor him.
"Do you have a reason for stopping me?" he asked him calmly.
The man nodded. "Some woman just turned up at the Inn, wanting to see you for some reason. The men out there are detaining her but she's putting up a fight."
"Did they hurt her?"
"I'm not sure," the man stated. "Why? Do you know her?"
'Kaoru... you are such a baka' he thought to himself. "I might."
Kenshin stepped past the man, not all shocked to se a young girl with midnight hair and her arm in a sling. She glared at everyone around her and they tried to push her off but she kicked at them viciously. He shook his head.
"Kaoru, I can't believe you managed to follow me here." Kenshin stated, uncharacterically leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a small smirk on his face.
She pulled away from the men. "I'm surprised you left such an easy trail to follow. I thought you, being the Battousai and all, would be able to mask his trail."
The men still held their swords to Kaoru's chest, head, and neck. She glared at them. "Oh give it a break you guys, can't you see he knows who I am?"
"You can go. I'll take care of her."
The men walked off and Kenshin walked closer to her, glaring at her with venomous eyes. "You are stupid. You shouldn't be following me around."
"Well when a member of my little family disappears, I'm going to find them! You, Sanosuke, and Yahiko are all I have. I'm not going to just sit back and watch you guys all run off." she shot back.
"Well, don't expect me back for while." he told her. "My vacation just got cut short."
She glared. "You do realize that you can stop fighting in this war if you just ask, don't you? You don't have to kill people anymore! I know you don't want to!"
"Well I am. I'm needed and I'll keep fighting until this war is over and the peaceful era is here. And then I'll stop." he told her.
"Battousai! You do realize that you're just a tool in this! You're not as significant in this war as you think you are."
"I've killed so many men that I amount to about hundred soldiers on my own."
"Then stop!" she demanded.
He let and eyebrow raise. "Since when was it your decision?"
"It's not, but I don't want you making some stupid mistake. In case you didn't realize, the war is headed toward my dojo and I'm not just going to stand there by myself, hopeless. Even with this stupid injury I'm going to fight until they kill me." She shouted. "I am not just going to sit there, especially when I'm alone."
"What does that have to do with me?" he asked her, confused.
"Well... I don't know. I just thought... well maybe I was wrong. Maybe you are still the thickheaded, emotionless assassin. I guess my attempts to open your eyes wasn't enough. One day you'll see Kenshin." she said, saying his name low before she spun around to leave.
He stared at her. "Wait..."
"What? Watch my back because I'm next on your assassination list?" she asked, angry.
He glared. "No. I'll make sure no one makes it to your dojo doors, I promise. And if they do, I'll be there to take them out on my own, you hear me?"
She smiled at him. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind. But you're not there and the war gets to my home, I'm damning your name to hell, you hear me?"
"They won't get within ten feet, I promise you this." he said, looking a her. 'Although I'm not sure why I'm promising you' he thought.
Author's Notes: Ah yes. A promise, you all see? I liked the ending to this chapter. Kinda of. I'm making this move so slow, I'm surprised you guys like (or at least you say you do) it still. I'm listening a song from Escanflowne. My friend taped me a bunch of anime songs. I think this is my favorite so far. Well, must go. I don't know when I will be able to get around to review responses, but thanks a bunch to you all keep them coming, okay?
Love and hugs,
Crystal Renee