Chapter Seventeen:

"So..Kaoru-san has been with us the whole time without knowing that she was working for Shinsen Gumi." Katsura closed his eyes. Kenshin and Yuji were both sitting down in silence.

"Send in Sanoske." Yuji came back with Sano.

"Where is Jou-chan?"

"Were you in the plan too?" Katsura questioned.

"What plan?"

"Don't play dumb with me Sanoske. Kaoru was a spy from the Shinsen Gumi the whole time.The day she joined Ishin Shishi was a whole set up."

"What?!?!? Jou-chan never mentioned anything of this to me! I don't recall ever going to the Shinsen Gumi's-" Sanoske stopped talking.

"What is it."

"Damn it!!! After my mother died I let Kaoru have her alone time. I guess she just happened to bump into the Shinsen Gumi cause she told me after she came back that she got into a fight but she said that she took care of it. Then mentioned that she wanted to join the Imperialist. I told her that was a crazy idea but she insisted." Katsura looked at Kenshin. Yuji was the one to tell Katsura about the betrayal. Katsura asked Kenshin what else had happened but he wouldn't talk. Katsura knew Kenshin had fallen hard for Kaoru.

Kenshin stood up and walked out of the room.

-different scene-

Kaoru was sitting down in a room looking at the ground. The door slid open and someone came in. Kaoru looked up to see Tomoe. She looked at her in anger.

"Sorry Kaoru-san but this is for the good."

"Shut up! All this just for the revenge of Akira!"

"I'm not done with my revenge! I'm going to kill Kenshin! Better yet I'll kill the one he loves!. He takes my happiness and I take his happiness." Kaoru bowed her head.

"If I had only known that this would have happened I would have never joined Shinsen Gumi!"

" Just to tell you your going to have to fight with the other men.

"What?! No! I'll never!"

"You have no choice."

"Go to hell!" Tomoe smirked and left the room. Kaoru covered her face with her hands and cried. The next day Kaoru was awakened by a familiar voice.

"Kaoru. Wake up." She opened her eyes to find Enshi.

"Enshi." She frowned. Enshi sighed.

"Kaoru. I did not think that you would be the one. I am sorry we are putting trouble on you."

" You have nothing to be sorry about. Even though you decided to take part in this plan you are still a friend." Enshi looked at her.

" I hate to say this but you are now a servant. You will have to prepare food for the men, clean the place and wash their cloths."

"Tomoe said that I was to fight against them." Enshi said nothing.

"You have to prepare breakfast now."

"Are you the one guarding me?" he gave a nod and helped her up.

"I do not wish for you to be in this situation but you must follow orders if you want to stay alive." Kaoru gave a nod. Men started at her smirking and with lust. One of them grabbed her and tried to kiss her.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"Unless you don't want to eat I suggest that you let me go." She said calmly.

" I rather play." He said squeezing her breast with one of his hands. Kaoru's eyes widen in anger and she kicked him where it hurts the most with her knee. The man dropped to the ground moaning in pain.

"Serves you right." She then left to the kitchen. Enshi looked at the man and grinned. Once Kaoru was done cooking the men sat down at the table and Kaoru passed out bowls, and then served the food.

" Well boys it looks like we have a new girl." Said one of the men. He stopped her by grabbing her wrists.

"Hold on there honey. We have to give you a welcome to girls who serve us. Just like all the other girls who were knew. Two men held her to the wall and then started to rip her cloths off.

"Ahhh! Stop it!!" Kaoru struggled to get out of their grip but she failed. Enshi came in hearing screams and saw what was happening. He quickly knocked the two men out. The other men who had been cheering and laughing stopped and went back to eating.

"If any of you try to do this again I will see to it that you never live to see light again! Understood?!" Enshi turned around to Kaoru. She was almost naked. She hugged and buried her face to her knees. Enshi saw one of the other servants and called her.

"Shioki. Bring Kaoru out of here and give her something else knew to wear. After that have her help you with your chores.

"Hai." Shioki helped Kaoru up and went to her room. Shioki took one of her kimonos out and gave it to Kaoru.

" Here you go. I'm sure this one will fit you perfectly." She said sitting down beside Kaoru. Kaoru only stared at the ground. Shioki put her hand on hers.

"I'm sorry for what they have done. All the girls had gone through it except they did much worse. Your lucky Enshi-san was there to stop them. Enshi is the only man here who doesn't participate in those harsh games. I say he's the nicest man here. He treated my wounds when I was new here. He said that he would talk to the men about this problem. Kaoru smiled.

"Enshi is one of a kind." ( yes I know pp say that he's really a lunatic but I don't think that he's a lunatic. I mean come on he just wants revenge for his sister nothing wrong with that.)

"I'm taking that you know him?"

"Yes. We were friends years ago."

"I see. Well I think we should start our chores." Kaoru nodded.

" Hey Shioki-san? how did you end up here?" she said handing Shioki wet clothes.

"I was a witness on seeing one of the men killing a person. Luckily the man was drunk and I begged him not to kill me and said that I would do anything and here I am now."

"I see. Your family must be worried."

"That was a year ago. They probably think I'm dead." Kaoru kept quiet, picked up clothing and washed it.

-Two months later-

Kaoru got used to working with the chores. She became good friends with Shioki and made other friends with the other girls who worked there. At times she would get sick and Shioki had to take care of her. They also made her go with some of the men when they were assigned to kill. She only saw Kenshin twice. The two were doing their same routine. Kaoru was scrubbing the floor.

'Kenshin…'

Shioki noticed that Kaoru wasn't looking too well and she was sweating.

"Kaoru-san I think you should rest. You don't look to well."

"No..i'm fine." Pain struck at her heart. Kaoru dropped her bucket she was carrying and clutched her hand to her chest.

"Kaoru-san!" Shioki went to her. She put her hand to Kaoru's forehead.

" My God your burning! Kaoru I think you-" Kaoru pushed away from her.

"No..I-I'm fine." Kaoru took a step forward but dizziness took over and she fell unconscious.

-different scene-

Kenshin woke up with a headache.

'ugh..i feel like shit.' He tried to get up but got dizzy and fell back down. Once the room stopped spinning around he tried to remember what he did last night.

'that's right. I went out for a walk and ended up drinking a lot of sake. Great now I have to deal with the hangover.' Kenshin went outside and found Sanoske eating.

"Well look who finally woke up. Drinking again?" Kenshin gave him a 'leave me alone or else I'll kill you' look. Kenshin went to the bath house and warmed the water. Then took his cloths off and went in. Kenshin closed his eyes.

'damn it! Stop thinking about her! She obviously betrayed you. I was a fool for even letting my guard down the moment she…comforted me.' Kenshin half opened his eyes.

-in the house-

"Katsura I think we should save Kaoru" Sanoske said.

"We've been over this Sano.There would be no point. I would have to kill her for betraying us."

"Bullshit! Both you and I know that she didn't mean to!" he said with anger. " I know you know her very well and have grown to care for her. Would you really kill her? And of course you can't have Kenshin do it cause he has already fallen for her!" Katsura stayed silent.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you won't feel a thing when you have one of your men to kill her." Katsura still stayed silent.

"Tch. That's fine. I don't care if you answer. Cause I'm going to get Kaoru on my own. And we're not coming back here. Even if you do hunt us down I swear to God I'll protect her even if I die trying." With that Sanoske went out of the room. A carriage stopped by the house and out came Megumi. She quickly ran to the house and bumped to Sano.

"wow. Slow down there." Megumi looked at Sano.

"Sanoske! where is Kaoru? I have-" she stopped talking and looked at Sano.

"What's wrong?"

"Kaoru is not here."

"Where is she then?" Kenshin soon came in the house with a towel around his neck.

"Kenshin. Where is Kaoru?" Kenshin just looked at them coldly and went to his room.

"She's with the Shinsen Gumi."

"How long? Since when?" Sano sighed.

" Two months ago."

"What?!? But Kaoru's illness! They don't have any medicine to keep Kaoru's illness down! We have to get her!"

"Trust me Megumi I wanted to get Kaoru the day I heard she was taken. But Katsura wouldn't let me."

"No Sano! You don't understand! I found a cure for her illness!"