Disclaimer: Kenshin… he's hear somewhere, let me find him…

Author's Notes: THIS CHAPTER OF BREAKING THROUGH IS DEDICATED TO RurouniNikkitch13. Read her story, 'Controlling Velleity'. You will be surprised. Very good. And I'm dedicating it to her because in her story, she said she was very honored to have me review. ALSO! I'M DEDICATING THIS CHAPTER TO SILVER TEARDROPS! She sent me something that made me so happy I could have burst. It was an an award! It says: Awarded For a Compelling Piece: Breaking Through. I'm so happy! And also, I'm so sorry for my lack of updating. I don't know what happened! Time flew! I wasn't really looking forward to updating, because of the lack of reviews on my other updates (a new oneshot, 'Weakness', then updates on 'Building the Hitokiri' and 'The Legend of Himura Kenshin'.) so yeah. Sorry to keep you all waiting so much.

Breaking Through

Chapter 10- The Battousai's Heir

'He's going to help me become stronger? So I can protect myself better?' Kaoru thought as she followed Kenshin back to the dojo. 'But why? I can get stronger on my own.'

Her eyes settled upon Kenshin's back, eyeing him for any signs of pain in the travel. He shouldn't be up and she knew that. Katsura's doctor was probably hassling Sanosuke and Yahiko, or had left to tell Katsura that she had lied. Her heart fell. That wouldn't be good for anyone, if it was the case.

"Kenshin……… there should be a doctor waiting to see you when we get back." she whispered. "I hope you'll let them work on you."

He only grunted as he went on, and she bit her lip. It wasn't possible that after all that, that he was now angry with her. Was it?

"You really put yourself in danger today. You shouldn't do things like that," he told her gruffly, anger laced in his words.

"Why does it matter to you? You yourself said that you didn't plan on staying around."

"And you're the one who insists that I do." he said. "And you have just branded yourself, I hope you realize that, Kaoru-dono. You're not safe anymore, therefore I have no choice but to stay around as much as I can."

Kenshin was trying to come up with excuses, and he knew it. There had to be a justifiable reason for this. If he could convince her, then he could convince himself, too.

"Branded myself as what, Kenshin?" she asked him "I don't see any marks anywhere on me that give as a claim of someone."

Kenshin put a hand on his forehead, gripping the skin there tightly. This wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to, because of the questions that were bound to jump from her mouth. But the way she had him cornered, he had no choice. If he had to explain this to her, he'd go the indirect path, that way it wouldn't seem so much as if he was the one doing the claiming.

"Kaoru-dono, what did Jineh call you?" he questioned.

Kaoru stopped in her tracks, trying to remember exactly what Jineh had called her.

"Battousai's woman." she breathed.

Kenshin nodded. "You've been branded that, Kaoru-dono."

She hung her head; shock dissolving her body and flowing thought her veins. Battousai's woman. They thought she was Kenshin's woman? Why? It didn't make sense to her. Why would they think that?

"Why do they think that?" she questioned.

Kenshin stopped and turned to her, seeing she hadn't walked from the moment he had asked her what Jineh had called her. He kept his eyes glued on her, searching her face for fear, or any other emotion. Not even the slightest emotion spilled from her features, which in turn scared him.

"Because you worry about me. Because I spend time with you, I talk to you. Because I protect you. Because it was you I came to when I was injured. The Shisengumi and my other enemies probably have spies hanging around your dojo at all times, trying to figure out a way to get to you." he explained softly.

She lifted her head, which had been facing downward as he began to explain the reasoning behind this. "But……… why me, Kenshin? I'm sure there has to be………"

He shook his head. "There was only one other, and she's dead now. I don't converse much with other people, as you've noticed I'm pretty closed up. I need this emotionless exterior, and despite your attempts I'm keeping it. But it's those small advances you've made that makes them so sure you're my woman and not just my friend."

"If you were to……… leave………do you think that they would leave me alone?" she asked.

Kenshin walked toward her, noting the seriousness in her gaze suddenly. This wasn't the vivacious Kaoru he knew, this was one who was worried for him. Why, he still didn't know.

Kenshin stopped before her. "No. That's what they're waiting for; they're waiting for an opening. Even if I were leaving because I never planned to see you again or talk to you, they'd still take advantage of the moment. Next time it may not be a kidnapping, Kaoru-dono. I can't take that chance."

She looked at him, setting defiance through her gaze. "You don't need to protect me, Kenshin. I didn't have a weapon with me. If I had my bokken, this wouldn't have occurred, I swear to you. Besides I don't care what happens to me in this case. You're more important."

"There is nothing important about someone who does nothing but kill. And I know you don't need me to protect you, but, that is exactly why I'm going to train you."

She glared at him. "You have a heart, and that's important. You're using it now."

Kenshin blinked, and he could feel the change in his attitude. What she said was true. He was using his heart. If he had been emotionless like he was trying to say, he wouldn't be so set on making her stronger to protect herself. If he were emotionless, he wouldn't have gone to find her. She would have died by suffocation by that log.

"You're always using your heart, Kenshin, you just don't notice because it's only subtle things. The reason you kill is because of your will to not let the future generations feel the pain you do, it's to protect the innocent. That is a twisted ideal, but it's the only way you thought you could help. All the times you came to check on me, like after the fight with Gohei when you brought me dinner, that was subconsciously your heart working. You reveal more than you realize, either that or people just haven't taken the time to notice what you do show. Your not a monster, Kenshin, just driven in the wrong direction."

Emotions swirled in Kenshin's head. Should he be happy? But why did he want to cry? What was it about her words that made him feel so much better about himself, that made him so light? He settled for bowing his head and muttering thanks. Until he could process the extent of those piercing words of Kaoru's, he wasn't going to give her a proper tongue-lashing or thank you, which ever it should be.

He was confused.

"We'd better get back." he muttered quickly. "Sanosuke's waiting."

Reaching back without realizing his movements, Kenshin took a tight hold of Kaoru's hand and began to run. In his subconscious, he was making sure he didn't lose track of her again. Not only would that be devastating to him, by Sano would have his head. Besides, the faster they got back, the quicker he got to rest.

Kaoru sat in the kitchen, giving silent responses to the bombardment of questions from Sanosuke and Yahiko. She was thinking mostly about Kenshin and the news that the doctor, Megumi Takani, had yet to give them. She'd been in the spare room with him for over two hours by now. It left a forebodingly guilty feeling Kaoru's gut, one that tore through her mind and into her soul.

If he were injured badly, it would be her fault for getting caught. The pain he would be in, the extend time of it, would have been caused by her. She couldn't hold in that guilt; she couldn't hide something like that. And Kenshin, let alone anyone, had no reason to see her cry.

"Jou-chan………" Sano asked.

She shook herself out of her troubling thoughts and focused her attention souly on Sanosuke. "Aa?"

"That fox doctor is done, if you wanna hear what she's got to say," he explained. "I'm taking Yahiko home. The brat fell asleep, so now I gotta carry him. I think I'll walk that doctor home first, though. It's too late and too dangerous for her to go off alone."

Kaoru nodded in response and listened as her loyal friend walked off, hands sprung haphazardly into his pockets, that infamous fishbone protruding nonchalantly from his mouth. She didn't look up at him, just listened to go check on his brother as Megumi walked into the room Kaoru was set up in.

"Sir Ken should be fine by the end of this all." Megumi assured her. "I was hoping you could talk him into returning with me."

Kaoru looked up, her aqua eyes glazed over, as she looked Megumi's incredulous gaze. "He's made up his mind. You should know better than I that he won't change his mind."

"He needs to come back. If I can keep track of his healing progress, he'll have a better chance of regaining full strength and reduce the risk of infection. He's stubborn sometimes. I was hoping you could shed some light to him and make his agree to go." Megumi stated. "I'm only asking because of the importance to his health."

"I know." Kaoru responded. "But there is a reason why he wishes to stay."

Megumi sighed. "You are just as stubborn as he. If I didn't know any better I'd say you had a connection with him."

"A connection?"

"No matter. If he stays here, keep him under lock and chain, you hear?"

Kaoru nodded as quickly as she could and then Megumi stood and elegantly left the room without another word. Kaoru could hear the heated argument that look place between her and Sanosuke over the offer of someone to walk her back to the Inn. In the end Sano won over, and they decided to drop Yahiko off at the row house on the way. She waited for them to leave before she stood and silently made her way across her home.

The safety she used to feel here now felt so foreign to her being. Nothing made sense anymore. She used to feel safe inside the dojo, with the burning memories of her father's training and strength, her mothers flowing grace, but now, it just felt empty. She wasn't safe anymoreshe'd never be safe anymore. She didn't have enough strength to protect herselfthe Kamiya Kasshin Ryu wasn't enough when it came to war. She felt helpless knowing this.

Everything she'd ever believed in was now falling apart. Would she still be able to have these ideals, the ones about not killing? Was it true, that in war, you either killed, or were killed? It was confusing and she didn't want to believe it. But her mind, her common sense screamed to her that it was the truth. Instead of swirling colors, the answer was in black in white.

She was in the middle of an emotional war, stuck between the memory of a person lost, and a bleak future that tormented the man in the room she now stood before. She was stuck in the center of a physical battle, a revolution that raged outside her home, two sides clashing like sea and fire, neither side relenting. She was the target of many attacks, and her ideals were shunned after a war that had taken place so long, one that was controlled by men like Kenshin, a civil war that would be determined by the blade of a tormented hitokiri.

But she had to believe, she had to uphold the ideals and reasonings of her youthuphold her father's legacy. No matter what lay a head for her, she had to continue pulling the potential of people out, revitalizing them and making them better people. And her heart decided for her, that she would begin by working with Kenshin.

If she could save him from a demon that possessed him, the on that he carried on his hip at all times, then she could help anyone. And she'd work at this, no matter what, even if it meant death on her part. She wasn't giving on him. She wasn't giving up on Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She was going to keep pulling through the winds of life and the carnage of war, all without lifting a bloodthirsty sword.

Catching her courage and bottling it, she slowly slid open the shoji door to the room that encased Kenshin. Her eyes darted around, in search of an unknown enemy.

"You're not the one supposed to be checking for threats. That would be my job, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin mumbled.

Blushing, she entered and took her seat next to him. "What is the use of teaching and preaching the ideals of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu if I don't do as I say? Protecting those I love without giving harm to others, protecting others without killing. Even you deserve to be protected, even if it is from yourself."

Kenshin was silent for a moment. "You do realize you'll never be able to use a bokken when I begin training you."

"I'm not carrying a katana." she stated. "You'll never get me to touch one of those."

"I'm not asking you two. There are alternatives." he stated. "We'll find something you can use."

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you want to train me so badly? I can never stray from the teaching of my family's school. I will never kill."

Kenshin looked at the ground by him momentarily. "The first principle of Hiten Mitsurugi. The sword swung in my name shall be swung for the people of the world, to prevent the shedding of innocent blood. You are the most innocent person I know, and you're ideals prove this. Our schools are not all that different the means of ideals; both of them are there to protect others. The difference is mine does not deny the death of the opponent, and yours wishes to change the opponent. Both are meant to save the innocent, although mine denies a second chance to the corrupt, yours is more merciful and gives them a chance to replace their lost innocence. Yours is a calculated technique, one with a deep love that pushes it. Mine is one that revolves around speed and battou-jutsu to ensure the victory."

She looked at him, confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Our schools are not all that different. I'm expanding your technique with mine; melding the factor of speed into it, to make your technique more precise and more advanced. You can't hold up your ideal of protecting others if you can't protect yourself." he explained. "I'm doing this for piece of mind. I'm swinging my sword, as I teach you, to protect the innocent, an innocent, you, Kaoru-dono. To prevent the shedding of innocent bloodyour blood. Yahiko's blood. If you can protect yourself, in turn the security of those you hold dear will be increased."

"Kenshin." she stated. "That's not why you're doing this. It's because I'm not safe you won't always be here to protect me. You can't relay on Sanosuke's fists, or my bokken or Yahiko's shinai. Therefore, in order to keep me safe, you need to be sure I can protect myself. That's why you're doing this."

"You can never be too safe."

"I'll be fine, Kenshin, trust me." she told him. "Worry about yourself now. Protect me while you can, but you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of me."

"You're going to get some training from me."

She nodded. "I understand, I can't stop you. I'll train, but I am not using a killing blade. And I will not even try if you don't get some rest, Kenshin."

He nodded. "Aa. I'm not as bad as Megumi makes me out to be."

"You're still injured."

Kenshin held his tongue. This question had been plaguing him all night. "Will you sleep near tonight, Kaoru-dono? I don't want anyone taking advantage………"

She gave a small, sympathetic smile to him. "Kenshin, don't worry about me. I think one attack in a day is all you'll need to worry about. Besides, my room is right next door if you must know."

He turned over and grumbled. "You're a very stubborn woman."

"You're a stubborn man."

Kenshin said nothing more, but she could feel his frustration building. It made her want to giggle. Standing she walked out of the room and went to her own, exhausted from the days experiences. Kaoru fell asleep almost immediately.

That night, despite his injury, a slowly growing hitokiri took up residence outside the bedroom door of a female kendo instructor, katana in hand, and slept listening to her breathe.

She held her new weapon firmly in her hands. It had been nearly two weeks since the incident with Jineh, and even though his arm wasn't strong enough yet, Kenshin demanded that Kaoru begin her training under him. Much speculation and arguing took place, but finally it was decided that a sakabatou was in to be put in her hands instead of a bokken when the times were necessary. He had argued that the wooden weapon would not protect her against a real sword, and she had argued that she refused to kill anyone.

So, because of the stubbornness of the naïve kendo instructor and deadly Ishin Shishi hitokiri, a compromise had been established on the choice weapon of a sakabatou.

Kaoru had never felt so cheated.

The sword was heavy, and that in turn caused her kata to become sloppily executed. Adjusting to the difference in weight between a steel blade in an iron sheath and that of a low-density wooden sword had not been as easy as Kaoru had originally expected. She had to go slow to get her movements into a semi-fluid motion; and then Kenshin complained she was too slow.

Too sloppy, or too slow. Which did he prefer her to have? He had probably been borne into the sword easily, but she had never handled a live blade before, especially one that still possessed the ability to kill. Just one flip……..

Kenshin watched as she moved. His arm was still in a sling, and he could sense the stiffness in Kaoru's shoulder from the now healed dislocation. She'd have problems with that, he realized, but there was nothing he could do. She'd have to work the stiffness out. He prayed he didn't have the troubles was.

She became noticeably distracted, and Kenshin frowned at this. Now what was bothering her? Pain? It was hard to tell, because she became so stone-like and unapproachable when she was concentrated on her swordsmanshiphe had known that long ago. She could show her fiery spirit when she needed to, but her concentration was always on the impending fight.

Shaking his head at her sloppily executed kata, he snuck behind her, slipping his arm from the sling and studying her motions more closely. He spotted the problem immediatelybesides the weight of the new blade, and her stiffness, she hadn't positioned her hands correctly and she wasn't holding her arms far enough away to make up for the momentum she'd need with the new weapon. Her feet needed to be spread slightly, too. Otherwise, to the untrained eye, she would seem to be in perfect form. But it was these subtle disturbances that could mean life or death in the end.

"No, Kaoru-dono. Look." He commanded, lifting up the nearby katana that he had long ago stranded to watch her practice.

Kaoru halted her movements and turned to face him, drawing her sword down before placing it back into its sheath with a wholesome click. Crossing her arms over her chest, an aggravated expression on her face, she watched him with hawk-like eyes.

"First, you need to position your hands like this." He explained, placing his the ideal distance apart. "Then, your arms should be at least this far away to make up for the weight of the weapon. Your feet should be placed this way, with this knee bent just slightly. Then, when you swing, swing down at a left diagonal and draw up after the hilt reaches below your hip. And repeat."

She nodded. "Put that sword down, quit stressing your shoulder and I'll do what you say."

Grinning at her demanding attitude, Kenshin did as he was told and resumed his post of sitting against the wall of the dojo. She adjusted her position ever slightly, and started up again. Kenshin watched her with a critical eye, staring at every muscle contraction in her body, and taking note of every hesitation in the stiff shoulder, or in her eyes. She showed so much, yet hid even more while she trained. It was like solving an enigma that went on forever. His questions would keep popping up without answers.

Her movements slowed again, and he mentally groaned. She'd lost her position enough to slowly seep into a more comfortable and relaxed, sloppy movement. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he removed the sling completely, and walked up behind her again, placing his hands on her arms and then sliding them down to her fingers, moving his body against her back.

"Here. Let me do it with you."

She stiffened and nodded slowly, and he grinned, glad she couldn't see his expression. She was nervous. Somehow, in someway, that made him feel good. Or was it more, that he was anxious to see how far he could get before she retaliated?

Using his feet, he moved hers apart to the perfect distance, and then mimicked the position with his own. He moved her hands over the hilt of her sword until they were in the ideal placement, and let his own larger, calloused hands cover hers. He was slightly surprised that her hands were so soft, but he knew she had calluses on her palmthey'd been bleeding a lot recently. He forced her arms outward to the distance he wanted, and then placed his head next to hers, so it rested on her shoulder.

"Okay. Now. Just let me do the moving, and next time you'll lead me, all right?" he whispered, so his voice wouldn't hurt her ears. Again, all she did was nod.

Kenshin moved her body in tune with his own, causing her to mentally remember what she was being taught. If this didn't work, he'd have to call it a day. He led her through a few more kata, and then slowly she began to take over. Mildly, he was aware of the growing blush in her cheeks, but he ignored it. She had probably never been this close to man in her life, and it was highly unlike him to make such a bold statement that in the end would mean nothing.

But, that didn't mean the little spy that was peaking around the corner from on top of his brothers head didn't think that way.

Looking up, Kenshin sent his deadly amber stare over at Yahiko and Sanosuke, who both backed off around to the front of the dojo without another word. He grinned more. His actions may be giving them ideas, but if they mentioned anything to Kaoru he'd have a few words with them himself. That thought alone made him want to laugh.

Her movements became stronger as he slowly eased up on his own control, and edged away. He finally backed up and watched her move, happy with the results. She had finally figured out how to move correctly without falling out of stance or loose momentum. He hailed to his own mini achievement.

Finally becoming exhausted, Kaoru pulled the sword forward and began on swings, forcing herself to go faster. She needed to think, and the only time she could think was when she was doing something that involved physical activity.

Kenshin saw her lost gaze and placed a hand on her sword hilt, twisting it restlessly from her hands before she realized it was gone. He held onto it, swinging the sword back and forth like a soup ladle. She spun and glared at him.

"Hey! I was just starting to get into that," she complained.

He hid his wide grin with a menacing smirk. "I think you were into it a long time before you started performing the kata on your own."

She blushed before glaring at him. "Shut up, Kenshin no baka!"

He pretended to look wounded. "That hurt. For someone who doesn't want me to leave, you certainly are mean to me." She rolled her eyes at him for his comment.

"Give me back my sakabatou, Kenshin," she stated, reaching for it and absently missing it as he dashed away toward the side.

"You need to work on your speed, Kaoru-dono, that was pathetic. I wasn't even going that fast."

She turned around, her ice alight with mischief. "Do you really want to push me, Kenshin?"

He nudged her shoulder. "Yes."

Taking advantage of the moment, she took a hold of his bad arm and gently twisted it behind his back. "You're so infuriating sometimes, you know that?" she asked.

Sighing in mock defeat, Kenshin turned to her, blue eyes with tears on. "You're hurting my shoulder."

She jumped back. "I'm sorry!"

He turned and gave her a bigger smirk. "I can't believe you fell for that."

She stared blankly at him and then growled. "Kenshin, I'm gonna get you for that……… you shouldn't use my sympathy to your advantage."

"I stopped you because you don't need to overwork yourself. Go take a bath." he said, grabbing the sheath from her side and sheathing the sword.

Her hand flew to her hip, and then her eyes flew back up to meet his. Kenshin held the sheathed sakabatou to her. Her hand went out and take it from him, but he yanked it back.

"Put this away, and don't think of training anymore today." he warned her. "Or I'll be forced to take drastic measures."

"And what would those be?"

"You don't want to know."

Giving up on him, she took the sword and left toward her room. Kenshin watched and was sure she was out of earshot before he did anything else.

"Sanosuke, Yahiko……… you can stop hiding in the bushes now." he said, turning toward the offending shrub. "I think I need to have a talk with you two about eavesdropping and spying."

Author's Notes: Oh my. Battousai was a little more playful than I had expected. Actually, I didn't plan on him BEING playful. Oh well. This stuff happens, right? I hope you liked this………… I tried really hard on it. Now, to finish the new chapter to Silhouettes of Shadows!

Love and hugs,

Crystal Renee