A/N: Well, although not many seem to be reading... sniff sniff ; ) I'll keep writing the story. I happen to like it a lot so far.
Reveiws: Ronkid8829: Thanks for reviewing, glad you like it.
Katana watched the dojo, from a nearby tree, hiding herself amongst the branches and the many leaves. A young woman dressed in a kenjutsu outfit slid open the dojo doors, with a bokken in hand.
"Yahiko! Where are you? You better not be skipping out on your chores again!" the woman called, scanning the area. Katana sat perfectly still, this woman might sense her swordsman spirit and it was not time to make herself known yet.
Just then, a man with red hair came into view with a bucket of water and a pile of dirty clothes. Rolling up his sleeves, he squatted next to the bucket and began scrubbing the clothes.
"Don't worry, Miss Kaoru. I'm sure he's around here somewhere," the man said cheerfully, starting on the next item of clothing.
"Well, I'm going to go find him. You'll be all right here, won't you Kenshin?" the girl named Kaoru asked the redhead.
"I'll be fine, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin reassured her.
"Okay," Kaoru said, before leaving Kenshin to do the laundry.
"Oh boy. I hope Miss Kaoru goes easy on Yahiko. She's not an easy person to live with, that's for sure." Kenshin said to himself. Out of nowhere, an empty bucket flew through the air, bonking Kenshin on the head.
"I heard that Kenshin!" growled the voice of Kaoru.
"Oro!" exclaimed Kenshin, who now had several large bumps on his head.
'So, you're Kenshin. You're alone. Perfect,' Katana thought placing a hand on her sword. Suddenly, Kenshin straightened and scanned the area where Katana was hiding.
"Is someone there?" he called. Katana took her hand of her sword in surprise, before leaping down from the tree.
"Kenshin? Is something wrong?" It was Kaoru. Katana paused and turned, before leaving. She wanted to fight Battousai alone.
"I thought I sensed someone out there, that I did. Whoever was out there is gone now," Kenshin said, turning back to the laundry.
"Kenshin..." Kaoru said in a worried tone.
"It's nothing to worry about Miss Kaoru. Did you find Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, changing the subjects. There really was no need to worry Kaoru, especially since it seemed to be nothing.
"No, did he say he was going somewhere?"
"He's probably at the Akabeko, helping Miss Tae and Tsubame." Kenshin said with a smile.
"All right then, let's go," Kaoru said grabbing a hold of Kenshin's arm and pulling him up.
"But Miss Kaoru, the laundry-"
"Yahiko is NOT getting out of his chores again," Kaoru interrupted the Rurouni. Kenshin sighed, looking back at the half washed clothes, knowing he'd have to finish it later. Katana watched them leave. That was Battousai. Strange, he didn't seem as evil as she remembered. In fact, he appeared quite wimpy…
BREAK
"Hm. This won't be as easy as I thought it would," Katana said aloud. She had found a place to hide that wasn't too far from the Kamiya dojo.
Suddenly Katana felt a hand, rest on her shoulder, and she spun around her sword half-drawn before she realized it was only Katsuro.
"Ho! I don't think you'd want to kill me, now would you?" Katsuro said, throwing his hands up in defense.
"Sorry about that," Katana said, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Wonderful reflexes you have though," commented Katsuro, as the young girl slid her sword back in its sheath.
"You really need to stop sneaking up on me like that, or I will end up killing you one of these days," she replied, with a hint of warning.
"What do you plan to do, Katana-san?" Katusro asked. Katana sat down, leaning the nearest tree.
"I need to get him alone," Katana thought out loud.
"There are others?"
"Yes, a woman named Kaoru. There also seems to be a boy called Yahiko as well," Katana mentioned.
"You could take any number of people. I'm confident in you're abilities." Katana looked up at Katsuro, and narrowed her eyes.
"You mentioned a woman. Was she his lover?" Katsuro inquired. Katana stood and looked Katsuro straight in the eye.
"Let me make something clear, I will kill Battousai. That's a promise. But I will not, under any circumstances, hurt anyone else. And I have not sunk so low that I would kidnap the girl to get an advantage," Katana told Katsuro. The sixteen-year-old girl left Katsuro to think on her words.
Meanwhile, Katana knew that getting the Battousai alone would be hard. At the moment she had little money, and she needed it for food. Buying paper for a note would be too much trouble, not to mention a waste of money. She would have to confront him, even if the others were there. Katana headed back towards the dojo to wait for the Battousai to return.
BREAK
The Kenshin gang arrived back from the Akabeko, Kaoru dragging Yahiko by the ear. Sanosuke was with them, as they arrived at the dojo. Clouds began rolling in, and only a few rays of the fiery sunset pierced through.
"You're hurting me, ugly!" complained Yahiko. Veins popped out all over Kaoru's forehead, which only caused her to pull harder.
"Come on missy, don't be too hard on the kid. You can't blame him for putting moves on Tsubame," teased Sano, fully enjoying the moment.
"Shut up Sano!" growled Yahiko. Kenshin's smile faded as he spotted the unfinished laundry he had left. He headed over to it and rolled up his sleeves once more.
"You'll have to do the dojo floors twice for skipping out on your chores, Yahiko," ordered Kaoru, letting go of Yahiko's left ear. Kaoru went over to help Kenshin with the laundry.
"Don't tell me what to-" started Yahiko, but stopped when Kenshin took a step forward, a dead serious look on his face.
"Whoever you are, come on out," he called to the trees. There was no answer.
"Kenshin, what..."
"Show yourself," Kenshin said in a slightly dangerous tone. A young girl dropped from the trees, with a calm smile on her face. Kaoru and Yahiko backed away a step, Sano had a surprised look on his face, but her cool demeanor didn't throw Kenshin. The whole Kenshin gang just watched the girl, making note of her look. She seemed to be about sixteen years old, with ink-black hair that was pulled in a high ponytail. Her attire certainly wasn't that of a normal swordsman. She had the gray hakama pants, but she also had a blue strip of cloth wrapped over her chest in a criss-cross, and a maroon colored cloth that was tied around her stomach. A single sword was at her side.
"My name is Katana Ryusaki," the girl told them in a fully confident tone.
"Is there something you want, Miss Katana?" Kenshin said in return, not liking the way the girl dropped in out of the blue. He especially didn't like the way that her hand was resting on her sword.
"There is. I've come to kill you Battousai," Katana stated, taking a step forward and gripping her sword handle.
"What!" Yahiko exclaimed.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried out at the exact same time Yahiko did.
"You've got to be kidding me," Sanosuke said. "You wouldn't be able to beat Kenshin even if you tried."
"Sano, I wouldn't underestimate this young woman, that I wouldn't," Kenshin said, turning to Sano.
"Miss Katana, I'm sure you are aware that since it is the Meiji era, swords have been banned. Why do you carry one?" Kenshin said, trying to figure out this girl.
"Haven't you figured it out by now? I'm going to kill you, so prepare yourself Battousai!" Katana warned drawing her sword.
"I don't want to fight you, that I don't," Kenshin replied.
"Katana, please put away your sword. Why do you want to kill Kenshin anyway?" Kaoru intervened.
"That doesn't matter!" Katana said, leaping towards Kenshin with incredible speed.
"No!" cried Kaoru, placing herself between Kenshin and Katana's attack.
"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin cried, his eyes wide with horror. Katana's attack missed Kaoru by a hair, as she twisted at the last second to avoid stabbing Kaoru. Katana landed smoothly, a few feet away from Kenshin and Kaoru. Everyone was nearly speechless. Katana re-sheathed her sword, focusing on the ground in confusion at what the girl named Kaoru did.
'She was able to avert herself and the attack at the last second,' Kenshin noted, torn between confusion and surprise.
"It seems I can't kill you now. I'll be waiting under the bridge for you, Battousai. Come alone," Katana told him, before turning away and running off towards the dojo entrance.
"You're not getting away!" Sano shouted after her, running a few feet before being stopped by Kenshin.
"Let her go Sano, there's no point in going after her, that there isn't," Kenshin said watching entrance where Katana left.
BREAK
Kaoru slid open shoji doors to find Kenshin sitting outside watching a moon that was barely visible.
"Kenshin?"
"The clouds are coming in fast. It's going to rain tonight, Miss Kaoru, that it is," Kenshin looking up at her with a smile, trying to mask his true thoughts.
"You aren't going to fight Katana, are you Kenshin?" Kaoru asked taking a seat on the steps next to him.
"I don't know if I have a choice, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin replied softly, looking back at the now completely hidden moon.
"There's always a choice, Kenshin!" Kaoru said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.
"Katana seemed so intent on killing me. I will avoid a battle if I can. At least I until I can find out the reason behind her threat," Kenshin said, mostly to himself.
"It's just...you've been in a lot of battles lately. I-I don't want you to get hurt," Kaoru told him, averting her eyes, so Kenshin wouldn't see the tears well up in her eyes. Kenshin picked up Kaoru's right hand and squeezed it gently.
"There's no need to worry about me Miss Kaoru-"
"I can't help it. You saw her. Katana's no ordinary swordsman. Not many people have challenged you unless they knew they were good," Kaoru said to him, trying to push the suffocating lump in her throat down.
"I saw her, Miss Kaoru. When you jumped in the way, she turned aside at the last second to avoid hurting you, that she did. There must be some good in Katana, and I have to try and find it to stop the both of us from this fight. And, in any case, I don't know enough about her to take the chance in risking the lives of my friends, that I don't," Kenshin told her in a serious tone.
"Now, you should get some rest, Miss Kaoru, that you should," Kenshin said, trying to push the no-worry tone into his words. Kenshin let go of her hand as they stood. Kaoru turned to go inside, but then stopped. Hugging Kenshin, she gently laid her head against his chest.
"Please be careful Kenshin...I-I need you," Kaoru said softly. Kenshin held her and kissed the top of her head.
"I will, Miss Kaoru. Now go and get some sleep. I'll be back soon, that I will," Kenshin told her before turning away and heading towards the dojo gate. Kaoru let out a worried sigh, before turning to enter the dojo.
A/N: Okay, yes, quite a dramatic and sappy scene, but I'm a girl; I happen to like them. Anyway, about Katana's outfit. When deciding what she'd look like, at first, I thought she'd wear something similar to what Kenshin wears, the kimono and hakama pants. But then I decided to have a little fun in creating her clothes, and make it more of something a sixteen-year-old girl would wear. So I started drawing outfits on paper, and came up her final clothes. Now, I'm not such a great anime drawer yet, so that might've been part of the problem, lol. Anyway, so if you want a better picture of what her outfit looks like, leave ur email address and I'll send it to you. I don't have a scanner so I had to use paint (that was interesting, lol), so that'll be what you see. Ciao! Any questions, just leave them in a review or email me.
Reveiws: Ronkid8829: Thanks for reviewing, glad you like it.
Katana watched the dojo, from a nearby tree, hiding herself amongst the branches and the many leaves. A young woman dressed in a kenjutsu outfit slid open the dojo doors, with a bokken in hand.
"Yahiko! Where are you? You better not be skipping out on your chores again!" the woman called, scanning the area. Katana sat perfectly still, this woman might sense her swordsman spirit and it was not time to make herself known yet.
Just then, a man with red hair came into view with a bucket of water and a pile of dirty clothes. Rolling up his sleeves, he squatted next to the bucket and began scrubbing the clothes.
"Don't worry, Miss Kaoru. I'm sure he's around here somewhere," the man said cheerfully, starting on the next item of clothing.
"Well, I'm going to go find him. You'll be all right here, won't you Kenshin?" the girl named Kaoru asked the redhead.
"I'll be fine, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin reassured her.
"Okay," Kaoru said, before leaving Kenshin to do the laundry.
"Oh boy. I hope Miss Kaoru goes easy on Yahiko. She's not an easy person to live with, that's for sure." Kenshin said to himself. Out of nowhere, an empty bucket flew through the air, bonking Kenshin on the head.
"I heard that Kenshin!" growled the voice of Kaoru.
"Oro!" exclaimed Kenshin, who now had several large bumps on his head.
'So, you're Kenshin. You're alone. Perfect,' Katana thought placing a hand on her sword. Suddenly, Kenshin straightened and scanned the area where Katana was hiding.
"Is someone there?" he called. Katana took her hand of her sword in surprise, before leaping down from the tree.
"Kenshin? Is something wrong?" It was Kaoru. Katana paused and turned, before leaving. She wanted to fight Battousai alone.
"I thought I sensed someone out there, that I did. Whoever was out there is gone now," Kenshin said, turning back to the laundry.
"Kenshin..." Kaoru said in a worried tone.
"It's nothing to worry about Miss Kaoru. Did you find Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, changing the subjects. There really was no need to worry Kaoru, especially since it seemed to be nothing.
"No, did he say he was going somewhere?"
"He's probably at the Akabeko, helping Miss Tae and Tsubame." Kenshin said with a smile.
"All right then, let's go," Kaoru said grabbing a hold of Kenshin's arm and pulling him up.
"But Miss Kaoru, the laundry-"
"Yahiko is NOT getting out of his chores again," Kaoru interrupted the Rurouni. Kenshin sighed, looking back at the half washed clothes, knowing he'd have to finish it later. Katana watched them leave. That was Battousai. Strange, he didn't seem as evil as she remembered. In fact, he appeared quite wimpy…
BREAK
"Hm. This won't be as easy as I thought it would," Katana said aloud. She had found a place to hide that wasn't too far from the Kamiya dojo.
Suddenly Katana felt a hand, rest on her shoulder, and she spun around her sword half-drawn before she realized it was only Katsuro.
"Ho! I don't think you'd want to kill me, now would you?" Katsuro said, throwing his hands up in defense.
"Sorry about that," Katana said, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Wonderful reflexes you have though," commented Katsuro, as the young girl slid her sword back in its sheath.
"You really need to stop sneaking up on me like that, or I will end up killing you one of these days," she replied, with a hint of warning.
"What do you plan to do, Katana-san?" Katusro asked. Katana sat down, leaning the nearest tree.
"I need to get him alone," Katana thought out loud.
"There are others?"
"Yes, a woman named Kaoru. There also seems to be a boy called Yahiko as well," Katana mentioned.
"You could take any number of people. I'm confident in you're abilities." Katana looked up at Katsuro, and narrowed her eyes.
"You mentioned a woman. Was she his lover?" Katsuro inquired. Katana stood and looked Katsuro straight in the eye.
"Let me make something clear, I will kill Battousai. That's a promise. But I will not, under any circumstances, hurt anyone else. And I have not sunk so low that I would kidnap the girl to get an advantage," Katana told Katsuro. The sixteen-year-old girl left Katsuro to think on her words.
Meanwhile, Katana knew that getting the Battousai alone would be hard. At the moment she had little money, and she needed it for food. Buying paper for a note would be too much trouble, not to mention a waste of money. She would have to confront him, even if the others were there. Katana headed back towards the dojo to wait for the Battousai to return.
BREAK
The Kenshin gang arrived back from the Akabeko, Kaoru dragging Yahiko by the ear. Sanosuke was with them, as they arrived at the dojo. Clouds began rolling in, and only a few rays of the fiery sunset pierced through.
"You're hurting me, ugly!" complained Yahiko. Veins popped out all over Kaoru's forehead, which only caused her to pull harder.
"Come on missy, don't be too hard on the kid. You can't blame him for putting moves on Tsubame," teased Sano, fully enjoying the moment.
"Shut up Sano!" growled Yahiko. Kenshin's smile faded as he spotted the unfinished laundry he had left. He headed over to it and rolled up his sleeves once more.
"You'll have to do the dojo floors twice for skipping out on your chores, Yahiko," ordered Kaoru, letting go of Yahiko's left ear. Kaoru went over to help Kenshin with the laundry.
"Don't tell me what to-" started Yahiko, but stopped when Kenshin took a step forward, a dead serious look on his face.
"Whoever you are, come on out," he called to the trees. There was no answer.
"Kenshin, what..."
"Show yourself," Kenshin said in a slightly dangerous tone. A young girl dropped from the trees, with a calm smile on her face. Kaoru and Yahiko backed away a step, Sano had a surprised look on his face, but her cool demeanor didn't throw Kenshin. The whole Kenshin gang just watched the girl, making note of her look. She seemed to be about sixteen years old, with ink-black hair that was pulled in a high ponytail. Her attire certainly wasn't that of a normal swordsman. She had the gray hakama pants, but she also had a blue strip of cloth wrapped over her chest in a criss-cross, and a maroon colored cloth that was tied around her stomach. A single sword was at her side.
"My name is Katana Ryusaki," the girl told them in a fully confident tone.
"Is there something you want, Miss Katana?" Kenshin said in return, not liking the way the girl dropped in out of the blue. He especially didn't like the way that her hand was resting on her sword.
"There is. I've come to kill you Battousai," Katana stated, taking a step forward and gripping her sword handle.
"What!" Yahiko exclaimed.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried out at the exact same time Yahiko did.
"You've got to be kidding me," Sanosuke said. "You wouldn't be able to beat Kenshin even if you tried."
"Sano, I wouldn't underestimate this young woman, that I wouldn't," Kenshin said, turning to Sano.
"Miss Katana, I'm sure you are aware that since it is the Meiji era, swords have been banned. Why do you carry one?" Kenshin said, trying to figure out this girl.
"Haven't you figured it out by now? I'm going to kill you, so prepare yourself Battousai!" Katana warned drawing her sword.
"I don't want to fight you, that I don't," Kenshin replied.
"Katana, please put away your sword. Why do you want to kill Kenshin anyway?" Kaoru intervened.
"That doesn't matter!" Katana said, leaping towards Kenshin with incredible speed.
"No!" cried Kaoru, placing herself between Kenshin and Katana's attack.
"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin cried, his eyes wide with horror. Katana's attack missed Kaoru by a hair, as she twisted at the last second to avoid stabbing Kaoru. Katana landed smoothly, a few feet away from Kenshin and Kaoru. Everyone was nearly speechless. Katana re-sheathed her sword, focusing on the ground in confusion at what the girl named Kaoru did.
'She was able to avert herself and the attack at the last second,' Kenshin noted, torn between confusion and surprise.
"It seems I can't kill you now. I'll be waiting under the bridge for you, Battousai. Come alone," Katana told him, before turning away and running off towards the dojo entrance.
"You're not getting away!" Sano shouted after her, running a few feet before being stopped by Kenshin.
"Let her go Sano, there's no point in going after her, that there isn't," Kenshin said watching entrance where Katana left.
BREAK
Kaoru slid open shoji doors to find Kenshin sitting outside watching a moon that was barely visible.
"Kenshin?"
"The clouds are coming in fast. It's going to rain tonight, Miss Kaoru, that it is," Kenshin looking up at her with a smile, trying to mask his true thoughts.
"You aren't going to fight Katana, are you Kenshin?" Kaoru asked taking a seat on the steps next to him.
"I don't know if I have a choice, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin replied softly, looking back at the now completely hidden moon.
"There's always a choice, Kenshin!" Kaoru said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.
"Katana seemed so intent on killing me. I will avoid a battle if I can. At least I until I can find out the reason behind her threat," Kenshin said, mostly to himself.
"It's just...you've been in a lot of battles lately. I-I don't want you to get hurt," Kaoru told him, averting her eyes, so Kenshin wouldn't see the tears well up in her eyes. Kenshin picked up Kaoru's right hand and squeezed it gently.
"There's no need to worry about me Miss Kaoru-"
"I can't help it. You saw her. Katana's no ordinary swordsman. Not many people have challenged you unless they knew they were good," Kaoru said to him, trying to push the suffocating lump in her throat down.
"I saw her, Miss Kaoru. When you jumped in the way, she turned aside at the last second to avoid hurting you, that she did. There must be some good in Katana, and I have to try and find it to stop the both of us from this fight. And, in any case, I don't know enough about her to take the chance in risking the lives of my friends, that I don't," Kenshin told her in a serious tone.
"Now, you should get some rest, Miss Kaoru, that you should," Kenshin said, trying to push the no-worry tone into his words. Kenshin let go of her hand as they stood. Kaoru turned to go inside, but then stopped. Hugging Kenshin, she gently laid her head against his chest.
"Please be careful Kenshin...I-I need you," Kaoru said softly. Kenshin held her and kissed the top of her head.
"I will, Miss Kaoru. Now go and get some sleep. I'll be back soon, that I will," Kenshin told her before turning away and heading towards the dojo gate. Kaoru let out a worried sigh, before turning to enter the dojo.
A/N: Okay, yes, quite a dramatic and sappy scene, but I'm a girl; I happen to like them. Anyway, about Katana's outfit. When deciding what she'd look like, at first, I thought she'd wear something similar to what Kenshin wears, the kimono and hakama pants. But then I decided to have a little fun in creating her clothes, and make it more of something a sixteen-year-old girl would wear. So I started drawing outfits on paper, and came up her final clothes. Now, I'm not such a great anime drawer yet, so that might've been part of the problem, lol. Anyway, so if you want a better picture of what her outfit looks like, leave ur email address and I'll send it to you. I don't have a scanner so I had to use paint (that was interesting, lol), so that'll be what you see. Ciao! Any questions, just leave them in a review or email me.