The Inevitable

Disclaimer! Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, but to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Darn, maybe some day ^_^x

'......' signals thoughts

hey, minna-san! Thanks for all the reviews I received! I don't think I've ever gotten so many reviews for just one chapter! Anyway, sorry for the wait.

Chapter 3: The Scar

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Misao had mentally berated herself for that outburst. 'Baka!! You're such a baka!' She yelled inwardly 'Is that the best control over your emotions you can do? Two and a half years of learning to control your emotion has been just bull hasn't it? You totally lost your control! After what happened over two and a half years ago, you still haven't learned anything!!'

--Flashback--

"You silly little girl! I expected more from the Okashira of the famed Oniwanbanshuu!" Misao was in Okayama now. Not even six months had passed since she and Soujirou had gone their separate ways. And Misao couldn't help but think that if she had stayed with Soujirou, this wouldn't have happened. 'You probably would've been pregnant by now, if you were still with Soujirou' She told herself. But here she was, cornered by the leader of a rival ninja clan. His clan, or what he had brought along, had been long defeated, but Misao was tired, worn-out, and sporting new cuts and bruises, she was in no condition to fight yet another onmitsu.

Misao whipped out eight more kunai and threw them straight at the leader. Although, she had been training most of the time, Misao did not improve much in his standards, or any of the Oniwa's standards for that matter.

The leader of the Funaki clan easily deflected them. And then he attacked Misao, full force. Misao tried to run, but he reached out and yanked on her braid. She let out a yelp and fell back into Funaki Kazou's arms.

He laughed. "What an easy opponent!" Misao's anger flared. "Your weakness is obvious. Your eyes show too much emotion and you let them take advantage of you."

Misao struggled a bit and tried to kick him. She was successful in making contact, but it barely fazed it. "You stupid girl!" Pulling her into firmer grip, he placed his sword against her throat, slight pressure, but not enough to pierce her skin.

Putting his mouth to her ear he whispered in a deadly tone. "You will never do that again." Not yet moving he bit her ear, leaving a tiny mark. "I would kill you, but you're much to pretty to die, just yet."

Misao stifled a gasp. Was he going to do what she though he would?

He continued. "You have the potential to be a great fighter. I want a rematch with that fighter. Train hard and you might be able to defeat me. I will leave this as a parting gift." He put more pressure onto his sword and cut into her neck. Blood trickled down her neck like blood red tears. It was not enough to kill her and would surely heal, but it would leave a scar for many years to come. "Before this scar fades, I will come back and finish you."

Misao looked at his face, memorizing his features. Dark black hair glinting in dark crimson, matching his erubescent eyes. His eyes were beautiful, slightly smaller than hers. His nose as no definite angularity and his lips were thin, grinning wickedly his face was rather slender, narrower than Aoshi's. She stared and his face was the last thing she saw before falling unconscious.

Misao woke with a start. She heard a voice yell. "Miss! Don't move, your wounds will reopen!" Misao looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "Miss, I'm over here." Misao turned her head and saw a young girl, no more than 12 or 13.

"Where am I? Who are you? What happened?" Misao questioned groggily.

"My name is Tsuruya Aya. You're staying at my family's inn. A man brought you here. Black hair, red eyes. He said you were attacked by bandit and he managed to fend the rest off." Aya answered. "Oh, and he said to tell you to train hard, next time you won't need anybody's help"

The memories of the other days fight flooded back into her mind. "Arigato, Aya-chan." Misao said. "I will repay you for your family's kindness."

Aya shook her head. "My mother would never accept it. Oh! and since you're awake, I'll tell her your awake." Aya left a moment and returned with an older woman of about 40 years of age.

"I'm glad to see you're awake. I'm Hikaru and this is my inn. I see you have met my daughter."

"Yes, and thank you for your kindness. I will repay you, somehow"

Hikaru laughed. "You will do no such thing! Your injured and I want to help you. And I don't want you repaying me!"

Misao smiled. "Alright then, Hikaru-san"

"Think nothing of it. Stay as long as you'd like" she waved her hand.

"May I ask, where are my clothes?" Misao had just noticed she was wearing a yukata.

"Over there" she answered, pointing to a corner "You may borrow one of my kimonos while I mend it for you." Hikaru said. "But for now, you rest, at least until you heal properly" Misao nodded.

Days passes and Misao had recovered, nothing left to be shown of the battle except for one scar. Misao traced it with her finger, feeling the roughness. It was a tiny scare, no more than five or six centimeters long. hardly noticable, you'd never be able to see it from a distance. You'd have to be within one meter to notice a faint line running down her neck. The scar was an everyday reminder to train hard, get stronger, and when Kazou came back, to kick his ass.

Misao had talked Hikaru out of mending her uniform for her, so she could do it herself. She gave Misao a pale blue kimono and a dark blue obi and told her when she left, she would bring the kimono. Misao protested, but Hikaru would hear nothing of it.

Misao had later on decided to learn to fight while wearing a kimono. When Misao was not mending her uniform or helping out in Hikaru's in, she was learning to fight in the kimono. In the folds of her obi, she stuck in her kunai.

A month had passed and Misao's training had paid off. She could fight almost equally in her kimono as her loose uniform. She would be leaving Hikaru and Aya soon. But before she did, there was one thing to do.

Misao lifted a kunai to the start of her braid and cut it. It was too troublesome in battle. If she didn't have her braid, this whole might now have happened. She might have gotten away. 'Damn braid' Misao thought. 'It's just like Aoshi. You love it, but you hate it Misao could not bear to part with her braid, so she secured the loose end and tucked it into her belongings.

"Hikaru-san, Aya-chan." Misao bowed to the two. "Thank you very much for helping me. You have my endless gratitude."

"Oh, Misao-san! It was nothing! If you are ever in Okayama again you must come and see us!"

"You would be the first I come to." Misao replied smiling the last true smile that she would show for a long time.

Hikaru handed Misao a package. "What's this fo-"

"It's a little care package. There's some riceballs, a few yen, and another kimono." Hikaur said, answering Misao's question.

"Hikaru-san, I can't take this!" she protested. "You've already done so much for me."

"Nonsense You need food to live, yen to buy food when the riceballs run out and clothes to keep you warm."

"Someday, Hikaru-san, I will repay you for the kindness you have shown me." Misao hugged the older woman. "Sayonara!"

Misao sat down, dead tired. It had been two months since she had started wandering again. Constantly training, Misao's endurance had improved quite a bit. She was twice as fast and moved soundlessly. Her aim, however, had not improved much. 'That's it. tomorrow's target practice. I'm going to improve my aim and the speed and power behind it' and with that she fell asleep.

True to her word, Misao spent, not one, but one and a half weeks improving her kunai skills. They whizzed by three times as fast, almost always hitting the target and embedded it self all the way into the tree trunk. The next day Misao changed into the second kimono Hikaru had given her, a pale green kimono with a dark green obi. She walked into the town of Hiroshima, ready to learn to conceal her emotions.

--End Flashback--

Misao sat at her windowsill, looking out at Okina'a garden. The cherry blossoms were so beautiful at this time of the year. She changed into her pale green kimono and left for the garden. Misao sat, hidden by the branches and blossoms, on her favorite cherry blossom tree. It was the one where Hanya used to teach her kempo.

She could see it, the past resurfacing.

"Like this, Hanya?" a chibi-Misao punched and kicked.

It happened right before her eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Hanya . . . " she whispered and the tears fell. "I wish you were still here. Still here to comfort me, like you always did." After what seemed like an eternity, Misao dried her tears. 'He's not here to protect you anymore. You have to protect yourself now,' Misao thought forlornly.

And Misao planned to protect herself, no matter what.

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A/N: This chapter was mainly supposed to explain why Misao changed the way she did. I can tell you right now, Kazou's going to be back, and of course before the scar fades. As for Hikaru and Aya, I'm not sure if they'll be back

To ArchAngel Of Fire: Soujirou and Misao first met at Shingetsu village, remember Eiji? And Senkaku?

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