At long last, the sequel to 'To Be Free'. To better understand this fic, it's advised to read the prequels since this is an AU. This chapter is based off of the extra story in the Rurouni Kenshin manga volume 1. All characters are all characters belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and Shoshen Jump and not to me. I didn't make any money.

I had been working on this fic for a long time and I figured I can post the first chapter. It might be a while before I can post the second one. In the meantime, enjoy!

To Be Loved

Part One

By Maria Cline

The sun shone as Kenshin open his eyes. He stretched like he normally did and looked to the side to see Kaoru asleep on the ground on a futon. Her long black hair flowed around her giving her a softer gentler side. In one hand was her trusty bokken, ready to be drawn out just in case something happens. She did not sleep with it like he did; she slept with it more like a little girl holding a doll.

The man gazed at her as her hands twitched. /She looks so peaceful./ Kenshin thought as he watched her. /I better go and cook breakfast./ He got up from his spot and started to gather the wood needed for a fire. Quietly, he picked up his reverse-blade sword and sliced off several branches. Immediately, visions of his past kills flew through his mind and he fought off the nausea. After the visions passed, he picked up the branches and started the fire.

He glanced at the sleeping woman again as he put the fish on the sticks and had them over the fire. It had been over a month since they started traveling together. It was strange at first, him being alone with another woman. True, he did live with her in that dojo but he could keep a comfortable distance away from her if he needed to. Now, they traveled together, eat together, and even slept together, but just in the same area. He cannot handle the idea of sleeping while touching another person even if she was his friend and self appointed bodyguard.

Kaoru yawned as she opened her eyes and saw her friend boiling tea. "yawn Morning, Kenshin."

The man smiled as he bowed. "Good morning, Kaoru-dono. Did you sleep well?"

The woman stretched out the kinks in her body and replied, "Okay. This sleeping on the ground is getting easier." She looked to see the food cooking. "Cooking again, I could have done that. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

After breakfast, Kenshin and Kaoru walked down the road as always. Kaoru walked with her bokken over her shoulder while Kenshin walked behind her. The woman paused as she looked behind. "Kenshin, the woman walks behind, not the man."

The man smiled slightly and rushed up to catch up. Kaoru shook her head. Despite the mutual understanding that they are equals, the young woman still had to urge Kenshin not to be like a floor mat.

"Someone help!" A frantic cry came out of nowhere. Kaoru and Kenshin turned around to see a young girl running towards them with a couple of men wielding knives running after her. The girl ran behind Kenshin and demanded, "Save me!"

"Oro?" Kenshin gulped as his eyes bulged.

"Leave them alone." Kaoru demanded as she held up her bokken.

The girl looked at the slightly taller woman and then at Kenshin. "Aren't you going to help her? You're the guy with the sword; you're supposed to save me!" She whined.

Kenshin looked down to see his sword on his hip. He had forgotten to put it into his cloth sheath again. "Oro?"

"Can't you say anything besides 'oro'?! Fight them!" The girl wailed at the top of her lungs.

"Don't worry, Kenshin, there's only two of them." Kaoru said as she went into attack pose.

"Hey, the runt got a sword." The first attacker said, "That's illegal, shame on you."

"So is attacking a defenseless girl." Kaoru said as she glared at them. "Leave them alone, now!"

"Let's just kill all three!" The second attacker yelled as the two ran after them.

"Oh dear." Kenshin said as he picked up the girl. "Kaoru-dono, can you-"

"There's only two! Go already!" Kaoru waved away and then faced the two attackers.

"Hai, Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin ran off leaving the three behind.

"Coward!" The first attacker laughed, "Leaving his woman behind!" Then, he and his friend rushed at her.

Kaoru focused and then knocked them out in just three strikes. "Teaches you to ignore me." The woman took a deep breath as she looked at her kimono to see a sizable gash. "Damn! I just had this thing fixed too!" She sighed as she turned around and walked. "Better find Kenshin."

Kenshin ran as fast as he could until they reached a bridge. The man stopped and looked behind. "I think we lost them, that we do." He said as he sighed in relief.

"Put me down you pervert!" The girl screamed as she kicked and hit the man.

"Gomen nasai, Jou-dono." Kenshin put her down, placed his reverse blade sword to the side, and bowed low on the ground. "I did not mean to touch you like that, forgive me."

"That's okay." The girl sweatdropped, "You are strange. Why did you leave that lady along with those creeps?" She muttered as she stepped back.

"Oh, she would hate it if I fight them for her." Kenshin replied as he smiled, "There were only two of them and not very bright. You should try to flirt more carefully."

The girl became bright red as she ran up and started punching Kenshin in the face. "I WAS NOT FLIRTING!!!"

Kenshin's eyes became swirls as he absorbed the blows like he normally did when he faces angry women. "Then, you are not attracted to either one of them?"

"HELL NO!" The girl raised her fist when her hand was grabbed from behind.

"Leave Kenshin alone." Kaoru said as she held the girl's wrist firmly.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?" The girl demanded sounding more frustrated all the time.

"This is Kenshin; he's a good friend of mine." Kaoru introduced, "And I'm Kaoru, Kenshin's guardian. Who are you?"

"Chizuru." Chizuru said as she pulled away. "Hey, I'm sorry for yelling like that but you guys are weird. What kind of woman protects a man like that especially since he has a sword?"

Kenshin slipped the sword onto his side and replied, "We are mere wanderers. I am a believer in non-violence so I won't fight. Kaoru-dono is my protector so she fights for me if we are being threatened."

Chizuru sweatdropped at the explanation. It didn't really make much sense to her. A female bodyguard to a sword wielding wanderer, how did that happen? "Okay."

"Chizuru-dono, may I ask why were those men attacking you?" Kenshin asked concerned, "They seemed determined to hurt you, that they do."

The girl shrugged as she straightened out her skirt. "I don't really know. I never met them before in my life. It might have something to do with my grandfather's business, he's a foreign exporter. Those guys might be interested in kidnapping me or something. Oh well." She looked at Kenshin and smiled slightly. "I should thank you guys properly for saving me even if it was a little weird. Why don't I treat you at my house for some lunch?"

Kaoru blushed as she nodded. It had been a while since she had eaten anything besides berries, cooked fish, and frogs. "Okay. If that's okay with you, Kenshin."

"I will if that's okay with you, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin nodded at Kaoru.

"Of course it's okay with me. I was just asking if it's okay with you." Kaoru nodded at Kenshin.

"Enough already!" Chizuru screamed as she grabbed the two by the hands and dragged them down the road. "Grandpa will not be back until late this afternoon so you can stay at my house for a while." /Geesh, what's the deal with those two?/

The two stared at the huge mansion wide-eyed. "It's huge." Kaoru gasped in astonishment.

"What's wrong, haven't you seen a mansion before?" Chizuru asked as she crossed her arms.

Kenshin laughed as he rubbed his head. "Well, I figured you to have money due to your clothes but we have no idea you are this rich."

"Well, I am thanks to my grandfather's business." Chiruzu opened the door and led the two in. "Most of my servants are on vacation but I'm sure someone can whip up something for you. Come in."

The two anxiously entered the building and took off their shoes. As they went into the main room, Kaoru noticed Kenshin's hands were shaking. "Kenshin, are you okay?" Kaoru whispered, "Have you… been here before?"

The man shook his head. "No, I... I am just a little… this place just looks like the others that I stayed at."

The woman sighed as she took his hand. It was times like these when she was reminded of all the hardships Kenshin endured as a slave. No doubt that he had stayed in houses like these but as an unwilling worker or worse. "It's okay, just relax."

After they reached the table, they knelt down and a servant came up. "Ah, Chizuru-san, you brought guests. That's wonderful, you rarely brought anyone here." He paused when he saw Kenshin's sword on his shoulder. "Chizuru-san, you know how your grandfather feels about samurais."

"Oro?" Kenshin looked at his sword.

"He's not here so it's no big deal. They saved my life, Manta-san." Chizuru shrugged, "It's no big deal. Kenshin doesn't even fight. His bodyguard, Kaoru, does."

"A female bodyguard?" Manta repeated as he stared at Kaoru. "sigh This era is getting most odd. I will get the food." He bowed and walked away.

"What's the big deal about the idea of a female bodyguard?" Kaoru moaned as she held her head. "Women protect men all the time!"

"Yeah right." Chizuru rolled her eyes. "I don't know where you two are from or even if you're from this country but here, the woman serves the man and the man protects the woman."

"Not with me and Kenshin!" Kaoru slammed her hands on the table. "I was raised to protect the ones I care about. I care about Kenshin so I will keep him safe."

Chizuru raised an eyebrow and then sighed, "I get it now. You must be a horrible swordsman, Kenshin."

"Oro?"

"That's not true! Kenshin's… Kenshin just hates to fight!" Kaoru blushed as she sat back down. She nearly blabbed about Kenshin's skills as a fighter again. It just irritated her all the time about how people always think that just because Kenshin was so small and polite that he was a lousy fighter. True, it was better than people knowing how strong he was and then trying to fight him but she wanted people to not bully him because of his appearance. That was why she had to defend him and make sure people won't take advantage of him so he won't have to show his darker half.

Moments passed as Kaoru watched the birds sang just outside. She glanced to the side to see Kenshin was gone. "Kenshin?"

"Here's lunch, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said as he appeared next to the two women holding several bowls with Manta staring at him.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed, "How many times do I have to tell you, no serving others while in another person's home?!"

"Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said as he put down the food. "I just found myself in the kitchen and I thought I should help."

"Oi…" Kaoru moaned.

Chizuru looked between the two and said, "No, I will not ask. I am having a headache right now thinking about this."

"Let's eat!" Kaoru and Kenshin said as they started to eat. Kenshin paused when he saw there were no drinks.

"I'll go and get some tea." The man said as he snuck off to get the tea tray.

"I'm home!" An old man said as he entered the house. "That meeting ended early." He explained as he stepped into the room to see Kaoru and Chizuru eating. "Oh, and who is this, Chizuru-chan?" The old man asked as he came up to Kaoru and bowed politely.

"This is Kaoru, she and a guy helped me with some men." Chizuru explained, "Kaoru, this is Rakiouji, my grandfather."

"Hello, Rakiouji-san." Kaoru said as she bowed.

The old man bowed back and then looked at Kaoru's bokken. "You are a fighter?"

"Yes, I am a dojo master who is traveling with a friend of mine to train." Kaoru replied.

"I see." The man stared at the bokken. "I never heard of a female dojo master; except for that one that had the Battousai as a student."

Kaoru paled and then sighed, "There are female fighters out there."

"Who is there?" Kenshin asked as he entered carrying a tray of tea.

"It's Chizuru's grandfather, Rakiouji." Kaoru replied as she took the tea tray. "And you didn't have to do that."

"Get out." Rakiouji whispered as he glared at Kenshin's sword at his side. "I will not be in the same house as a damn samurai like you. Chizuru, you know that samurais are nothing but trouble!"

"Oro?" Kenshin gulped. "Gomen nasai, Rakiouji-dono, we will leave." He bowed low and then Chizuru led Kenshin and Kaoru away.

"What's his problem?" Kaoru asked as the three went outside.

The young girl sighed and replied, "Oh, when I was a baby during the Bakumatsu, my parents were caught in a fight between the Imperialists and the Shoganate."

The man stared at her. His heart ached every time he heard about another life ruined thanks to the Bakumatsu. He could not help but wonder if he was somehow involved in her parents' deaths. "I am so sorry."

"For what?" Chizuru asked, "I don't even remember my parents so I don't miss them."

Kaoru gasped in shock. "How can you say that?"

"I know that sounds cold and I do wonder about my parents but… my grandfather raised me and to me he is my father." Chizuru said as she grabbed Kaoru's kimono. "Is it bad to not mourn someone you don't even know?!"

Kaoru smiled sadly as she pulled away the girl's hand. "Sorry, I was just confused. I lost my mother when I was a little girl but I remembered her and I missed her so much like my father. What about you, Kenshin?"

Kenshin looked up. "I once remembered my parents and my brothers when I was growing up but now, I can't remember their names."

Chizuru watched the two try to remember their parents and the girl felt bad for inadvertently causing their pain. "Hey, we barely ate so why don't we have some early dinner on me?"

"We don't want to trouble you any more." Kenshin said as he waved his hands and grinned helplessly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll go and get the food. Where's your inn?" Chizuru asked.

Kenshin took out his pouch of money and he and Kaoru looked in and sweatdropped. "Errr… we'll be under that bridge we passed over." Kenshin replied as he smiled slightly.

"All right. I'll see you two in an hour." Chizuru nodded and then walked off.

Kaoru sighed as she looked in the pouch. There was barely any money left. "We'll need to start getting some odd jobs soon again." Kaoru commented as Kenshin closed the pouch.

"Maybe in the next town." Kenshin offered, "Let's go to that bridge."

The two walked down to the bridge and sat under it. Kaoru took a deep breath as she held the bokken in her hands. "I can't believe that old man didn't like you just because you wield a sword."

"I do not blame him, Kaoru-dono. Those people were just innocent bystanders." Kenshin stared out as he gripped his sword. "Chizuru is about fourteen and so her parents could have been killed while I fought in the Bakumatsu."

Kaoru's eyes widened at the sentence. "You think that you were involved in Chizuru's parents' death? That's crazy! Lots of people died in the war! The chances of them dying by your sword are… tiny." Kaoru said as she took his hand.

"But, there is a chance." Kenshin muttered as he tightened his grip.

"I know but there's a chance it wasn't you." Kaoru supported.

"Maybe."

Silence passed between the two. After a while, Kaoru spoke up. "Shouldn't Chizuru be here by now?"

"I know." Kenshin got up and walked toward the street. He looked down a boxed lunch sitting on the path with a familiar white ribbon to the side. He picked it up and stared at it. His eyes widened as Kaoru stood there. "We have to find Chizuru-dono!"

"To the foreign trader Raikouji Muneiwa. By filling your own pockets by trading in foreign goods you have committed a grave offense and polluted the holy nation of Japan. It is a crime that calls for the blood of your granddaughter as a punishment from heaven. But if this is not so we will have mercy. Come alone to the Hai Shrine in the foothills of Mt. Yuukyuu with a thousand yen if you want to spare her life. If you refuse our request your granddaughter may never come home. The Shinshuu Konoe Samurai Forces of Heaven" It sounds like some malcontents with a grievance against the government." The police chief said as he held the ransom note in his hands.

Rakiouki snatched the note from the chief's hands. "Those damn samurai! Even after ten years they still take lives!"

The chief took the note back. "I understand that your samurai origins pain you but stay calm. I will send my men out to that location to get the feel of the area and we can work on a plan to rescue your granddaughter."

"No! I have to do this alone. If your force and those ronins fight and my little girl is in the middle… I can't let that happen again! I'll die before I let that happen again!"

"But, they didn't ask you to die." A young man said as he appeared out of nowhere reading the note. "Hmmm… Hai Shrine… Mt. Yuukyuu…"

"Where did you come from?!" Rakiouki screamed as he grabbed Kenshin by the arm and held him.

"Just outside." Kenshin gulped.

"What are you doing?!"

"Reading your note."

"Why you little…" Rakiouki growled as his free fist shook and then he felt a bokken up his back.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Kaoru demanded as her eyes glowed with fierce protectiveness.

Stunned at the fact that a woman was threatening him in front of the police Rakiouki let go of the much smaller man. "This is none of your business."

Kenshin rubbed his arm and said, "Actually, it is now. Kaoru-dono and I know what it was like to loose those we cared about. We remembered our parents and mourn for them every day. Chizuru-dono was fortunate not to remember her parents so she did not have to mourn so much. However, if she were to lose you, she will mourn and I cannot wish that on anyone. Do not worry, we will save your granddaughter, just wait here for her sake. Let's go, Kaoru-dono."

"Right." Kaoru said as she smiled and put her bokken on her shoulder and ran off with Kenshin out of the door.

Rakiouki scowled. "Those two… they'll get killed." He glared at the chief who was just staring at the door. "Chief?"

"Th-that man. It can't be." The police chief said as his voice shook. "Oh God. That cannot be him."

"Who!" Rakiouki demanded as he came up.

"Wh-when I fought in the Bakumatsu in Kyoto, I saw this assassin. If I had on the side of the Shogunate, I would've died. He was deadly, the most feared assassin known. He was called 'Himura Battousai' because he was the master of the Battoujitsu move. After he killed so many, he became known as the Hitokiri Battousai. His hair was red from all the people he killed and he bore a crossed shaped scar."

Rakiouki paled as he remembered that strange man what was just in the room. "My precious girl is going to be rescued by A BLOODTHIRSTY ASSASSIN FROM THE BAKUMATSU?!"

"It will be a bloodbath. No one like that must exist now." The chief said as he wiped his brow. "Get all men ready. We'll need every one."

"To handle the kidnappers?" One of the officers asked.

"No, to handle the Battousai."

Chizuru struggled in her bonds as she looked up at her captors. There were over thirty of them and only one of her. Even if she could get out, there was no way she can escape from all those men. /Geesh, talk about overkill./ Chizuru thought to herself. She was not afraid of her own life, she knew that they needed her alive and unharmed but she was afraid for the guys who will rescue her. The only regret she has was that she couldn't deliver her gift to Kenshin.

"Well, looks like the negotiators showed up." The leader said as he came up smirking.

Chizuru glanced up to see Kaoru and Kenshin walking towards them.

"We are not negotiators." Kenshin said calmly as he held up his sword. "Kaoru-dono, I... I do not need your help."

"Okay." Kaoru nodded.

Chiruru's eyes bulged as she gawked at the two. One guy against over thirty armed men is impossible odds. "Mmmhpp mmmphh!" She cried out only to realize she was still gagged.

"Do not worry, Chizuru-dono, I'll be fine." Kenshin said as he smiled as he waved his hand.

The leader smirked as he came up. "You are a samurai like us. By the looks of that sword, I could tell that you were upset about the Meiji Era as well. We had devoted out lives to the war and how were we treated? Like criminals stripped of our pride and swords. You can join us and aid us in restoring Japan."

Kenshin glared at the man and said, "No."

"No?" The leader repeated.

The smaller man nodded. "You said to be men of honor and yet you resorted to kidnapping an innocent girl to meet your ways. You used all those men just to guard one girl. The Shinshuu Konoe Samurai Forces of Heaven? You are more like a band of cowards to me."

The leader tensed up. "GET HIM!!!" He bellowed.

Chizuru turned her head and closed her eyes. She couldn't stand the idea of seeing a kind man like Kenshin get cut to shreds. Instead of one man screaming, she heard moans and screams of disbelief. She opened her eyes again to see Kenshin slashing through hordes of men like a reaper through stalks of wheat. The way he moved, the way he acted, it was nothing like the kind overpolite girly man she had seen before.

In seconds, all that was standing was Kaoru, Kenshin, and the leader. /How did he do that?/ Chizuru wondered.

"You're better than I thought." The leader said as he came up. "However, you cannot kill me." He flung off his long cape to reveal a suit of sleek armor.

"Armor?" Kaoru asked as she kept to the side.

"European Steel Armor, the strongest type out there. Not even you could slice through it." The leader said as he flung the cape over Kenshin and sliced through it. He gasped when all that was cut was the cape.

"You're slow." Kenshin said as he appeared next to him. His eyes were dark blue and hard and his hair tie had snapped leaving his long red hair flowing in the wind.

"He's fast." The leader muttered and then he attacked again. "Even if you're fast you're still can't-"

WHACK!

Kenshin's sword smashed into the armor and knocked the man down.

Kaoru sighed in relief as she came up and untied Chizuru. "That was close. Are you okay?"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Chizuru screamed at the top of her lungs. "How can that girly guy take down all those men?"

"Chizuru! Get away from there!" Rakiouki screamed as the police came out of nowhere. "That man is the Hitokiri Battousai!"

"WHAT?!" Chiziru's eyes bulged out of her sockets as she gawked at Kenshin who was looking down.

"I'm sorry but you must come in for murdering all these…" The police chief paused when he saw that all of the bodies were not slashed in half and there was very little blood. "people?"

Several officers hesitantly checked the fallen fighters and one of them said, "Sir! They're all alive! In fact most of them aren't even badly hurt. They… fainted!"

"They're alive?" Chizuru whispered, "But how?"

"That leader must learn to see a man's sword before fighting." Kenshin said as he held up his sword. Chizuru noticed that the sharp edge was facing in and not out. "This sword cannot slash through people."

"I don't understand. You are the Hitokiri Battousai right?" The chief asked stunned as he looked at the group, "So, why did you spare them? You had killed hundreds of people before."

Kenshin smiled at him and replied, "Because of all of the blood on my hands, I learned how precious life is."

"All he did now is save an innocent girl from a gang without killing anyone." Kaoru said as she stepped up. "So, we did nothing illegal and we're leaving now."

"Right, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin nodded toward her.

"Wait a second!" Chizuru cried out as she came up, "I don't get it! If you were this hot shot assassin, why do you need a bodyguard?" She gestured to Kaoru.

"Someone has to protect him from those who don't understand." Kaoru answered for Kenshin. "Kenshin won't kill. He had been through so much just to make sure."

"Hai." Kenshin agreed as he handed Chizuru her ribbon. "Here is your ribbon, Chizuru-dono."

Chizuru accepted it and then went behind him. "Wait a second, you keep it, Kenshin." She said as she took his hair and started to tie it with her ribbon. "All that hair would get in your face and I have lots at home."

Kenshin stiffened at the touch. "Chi-Chizuru-dono, you do not have-"

"Hey! You saved my life twice and this is the least I can do. You gotta learn to accept gifts. Geesh!"

The man smiled at her. "You are a good person, Chizuru-dono. A lot of blood has been spilled to make this new era come true. We will need people like you to make it worthwhile."

Rakiouki couldn't help but be stunned at the sight. He had thought of samurais to be cocky sword wielding fools who couldn't care less about those around him. However, he had seen this strange frail looking man save his precious granddaughter despite the old man's hatred. Not all samurais were like that band of thugs who were being tied up by the police. "Kenshin-san, Kaoru-san, forgive me for my rudeness. If we meet again, I will do everything I can to give you a proper thank you for your help."

"Thank you." Kenshin smiled at him and nodded. The two bowed and walked away leaving the group alone.

Rakiouki's eyes widened and he said to his granddaughter, "How old is that man? If he did fight in the Bakumatsu, he must be at least thirty."

Chizuru choked as she fell over.

Kaoru sighed as she walked down the path out of the city. Her stomach rumbled slightly and she blushed. With all the confusion that happened, she never did get to eat lunch.

"Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono. We didn't get to eat again." Kenshin said as he looked down. "I think there are some berry bushes nearby."

"I'm all right." Kaoru said as she smiled slightly. "I'm happy you didn't kill any of them."

"I had to keep my promise." Kenshin said as he felt his scar. "I wish I could kill them though. They did not have to bring innocent people into their fights. I understand how they feel but, they should have protested in ways that doesn't involve swords or killing."

"Yeah." Kaoru sighed as she glanced at the ribbon in Kenshin's hair. "How long are you going to keep that in your hair?"

"Oro? You don't like it?" Kenshin asked confused as he fingered the white ribbon.

"Well… it's just that… women wear ribbons not men." Kaoru giggled, "But it does look good on you."

"Oro…"

To Be Continued...