Hikari

By KCSobe

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Duh.

A/N: Omg! We got so many reviews! We're already well over 60! Thanks so much you guys! We've taken in all your advise that we hope you like this chapter. It's a good one!

Tears of Blood

CRACK! Kenshin attacked the pile of logs with a vicious swing. CRACK! CRACK! With each chop of the axe he sent shards of wood flying off to the side. He had promised Kaoru to refill her supply of kindling, and he was almost done.

He closed his eyes and envisioned Shinomori. That idiot has delayed my work by weeks. I had estimated a few months for this mission, and I haven't turned up anything. This is all his fault. CRACK! He cut the log in half. Looking at one of the halves, he could have sworn it resembled Saito. He isn't helping either. If he asks one more time about what I've been doing for the past week, heads will roll. Most likely his. CRACK! He spun around to where the other half lay. Kenshin tried to imagine Shishio, but since he'd never seen the man, that proved slightly difficult. The final product looked suspiciously like a cross between a few of his former 'antagonists'. CRACK! If only reality was this easy…

Discreetly looking around, he see Kaoru's silhouette in the dojo, along with several others. Giving a lesson, like usual, he surmised. Kenshin carefully placed the axe several yards away, and grabbed the handle of his katana. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet silence of the forest.

When his eyes opened once more, they were amber. He launched himself forward with inhuman speed. To the untrained eye, he would have simply vanished. His sword shot out in a horizontal thrust, slicing through a log. Without pausing, he chopped it up before the first piece could even hit the ground. Using his momentum, Kenshin pushed off a tree into a flip, landing so he was faced in the opposite direction, with his body crouched in a defensive stance.

As he straightened to sheath his katana, he heard somebody clapping.

"Now that was cool!" Sano laughed, as he walked across the yard. Kenshin ignored the taller man, and picked up the axe to continue chopping wood.

"I was meeting with some friends last night, checking whether anyone had seen anything suspicious. They promised to keep their eyes open," Sano continued cheerfully.

"What makes you think your friends can find these people? They're professionals, and what's more, nobody has the slightest idea of what they look like," Kenshin answered, as he took a vicious swing at a piece of wood.

"Hey, don't underestimate what people overhear. My friend Katsu runs an underground newspaper. There isn't a thing going on in this city that he doesn't know about. He even knew who Shishio Makoto was!" Kenshin's head snapped up.

"You're going around, telling top-secret information to random strangers? What's wrong with you?" Kenshin snarled.

"Katsu isn't a random stranger! I told you, he's my friend and you can trust him!" Sano responded heatedly.

"Because I feel so comfortable trusting an arsonist and an explosives expert who tried to overthrow the government," he sneered. "But you know all about that, don't you Sano? After all, you practically helped him."

"Wait, how'd you find that out?" Sano asked pulling back.

"It was in your police records. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get this wood over to the kitchen." Kenshin lifted his pile of kindling.

"Look, take it easy okay? You seem really uptight about something," Sano said, moving in front of Kenshin.

"It's nothing," he replied shortly, trying to get around.

"I'm your friend. You can trust me, all right? I'm trying to help you out here," Sano folded his arms, refusing to budge. Kenshin sighed, and almost unbidden, words came bubbling up.

"I'm just a little frustrated about this mission. It seems like every time I'm getting somewhere, I hit a dead end. And it's not like I've got unlimited time here! Not to mention Shinomori showing up and attacking me twice. He's still out there, and as much as I'd like to believe it, he's not going to just give up and go away. Which means that every second I spend here, I putting all of you into more and more danger. The only way I can protect Kaoru and Yahiko is to spend every waking moment with them, and while I'm accompanying them on pointless errands, an insane hitokiri is coming closer and closer to pushing Japan into civil war. Then there's the fact that I have no clue what he's planning to do, and without any information, I might as well be fighting a shadow." Kenshin finished his rant by neatly sidestepping around Sano, and heading back up the path.

"Well, I guess that answers my question," Sano blinked, as he turned to follow. "But you can't be so hard on yourself. This whole thing with the trench coat guy…"

"Shinomori."

"…With Shinomori, was completely out of your control. Besides, he can't keep hiding forever. Sooner or later, he'll make a mistake, and then you'll get him. And Japan will be safe once again!"

"…Are you talking about Shinomori or Shishio?"

"Both, I suppose." Sano was relieved to see a faint smirk creep across Kenshin's features.

Kaoru wiped the sweat from her face as she finished her lesson. Hira-kun was getting much better, although Sato-kun could probably still beat him. If only Sato was a little less confident about his abilities, he too would see a vast improvement.

Her thoughts on her morning's students abruptly vanished as she saw Shinta and Sano walking up the path. They were talking together in low, subdued voices, and Shinta looked unusually serious. However, when he deposited the firewood, he straightened up with his normal smiling expression. Kaoru felt a pang go through heart.

He seems so much more natural with Sano. As if every moment when he's around me, he's hiding his true thoughts and feelings. It's strange, Shinta has become such a huge part of my life, and I still know next to nothing about him. I don't know where he was born, or whether he still has family somewhere. I wonder why he even became a traveler. Is he running from something? That would make sense, the way he has those sudden mood swings. Kaoru carefully stowed the practice equipment in a cupboard. She looked back once more towards the red-headed swordsman.

I suppose he'll leave someday. I'm trying not to think about it, but it's not like there's anything to tie him here. He's only waiting for the right time. Kaoru's vision became suspiciously blurry.

He'll leave, and it'll go back to being like it's always been. Just me and Yahiko, and sometimes Sano or Megumi.

"Kaoru-dono?" Shinta asked gently. "Is something bothering you?" And just like always, she forced a smile and shook her head. Kaoru watched as Shinta ambled over to talk to Yahiko, and ruffle his hair. Yahiko, who normally would snap at the gesture, only grinned. Shinta then continued over to clothing line, and began to take down the garments and neatly fold them.

But he looks like he belongs here. I can't imagine him anywhere else. No, Shinta won't leave. He would never do that to us. To me.

At the police station, life was carrying on as usual. The everyday hum of a cacophony of conversations getting jumbled together was undisturbed. Papers rustled, and the occasional door slammed.

Sitting calmly at her desk was the secretary, who had on previous occasions greeted Kenshin and informed him of Saito's whereabouts. Glancing at the clock, she was pleased to discern that it was indeed time for her lunch break.

"Fujita-san?" She knocked timidly on the door to his private office. A growl sounded from within. "I'll be going out for lunch now. I should be back in about an hour." This statement was followed by a non-committal grunt from the other side of the door.

Shrugging, the secretary pushed her way outside, and turned towards the restaurant district. She was quickly lost amidst the throngs of people; just one more face in the crowd.

Somewhere in a secluded alley, a teenage boy stood, leaning casually against the wall. His brown hair hung down in bangs that were occasionally tossed by the wind. Underneath his gi, he wore a western styled collared shirt.

However, as he stood there, the boy seemed supremely unconcerned with the state of his clothes or his hair. He was preoccupied with searching the crowds that passed by, a small smile on his face.

But despite the smile, a careful observer would have felt that there was not something quite right about this boy. If pressed to explain his impression, the observer would have probably settled on his eyes. They were a pale blue that seemed strangely incongruous to his other features. While the rest of his face looked cheerfully content, his eyes were different. After a few seconds, the observer might have felt that those eyes had seen too much. That they could see straight past your façade and sum you up within an instant. That you had been summed up, and found wanting.

"Sou-chan!" He looked up as he heard a light voice call out. A young woman in an office uniform was making her way towards him. Her hair was black, almost purple in a certain light, and was cut about chin length.

"Kamatari-san. I was worried you couldn't make it," the boy took a step forward. "Do you have anything new to report?"

"Actually I do," Kamatari smiled smugly. "Something that will be of great importance to Shishio-sama." There was a brief pause.

"And…?" Soujirou prompted, his smile never wavering. Kamatari took a deep breath to heighten the suspense.

"Well, when Fujita-san, or should I say Saito-san, went out for soba yesterday, I managed to slip into his office undetected. Most of it was just routine paperwork, but I did find a couple of interesting things." Here there was another pause, as if she was determined to drag this information out for as long as possible.

"For example…?"

"Only that the government has seen fit, in light of the recent threat to national security, to send an unnamed assassin to Kyoto to stop Shishio-sama." Had Kamatari been seeking some sort of reaction from Soujirou, she would have been disappointed. The smile may have widened imperceptibly, and the eyes looked slightly more thoughtful, but overall the boy was unmoved.

"An assassin, huh? Did you find out any more information?" Kamatari pouted.

"No, before I could read anything else, I sensed Saito approaching. As it was, I barely managed to put the papers back where I found them before getting out." Soujirou shrugged.

"Ah well, there will always be other opportunities. As it is, I suspect that Shishio-sama will be most pleased."

"Make sure you tell him that I found the information!" Kamatari reminded him, her brown eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I still don't see why I can't go and tell him myself."

Soujirou turned again to face her, the ever-present smile still lingering. His eyes however, had become cold and wary.

"I'm afraid you'll have to talk to Shishio-sama about when you see him. Of course, I'll be glad to tell him and Yumi-san that you said hello." Kamatari opened her mouth to make a retort, but before she could reply, Soujirou had jumped up to the nearest rooftop.

Looking across the buildings, Soujirou could see hundreds of people moving on with their daily lives. Tap…Tap…They had no idea what awaited them in the rapidly approaching future. Tap…Tap…Completely oblivious to their surroundings, and wrapped up in their petty lives, they would be unable to retaliate when Shishio seized control of the government. Tap…Tap… He would lead them on to a better, stronger Japan. Some would die of course, but that would be a small price to pay. Tap…Tap… After all, they were weak; their fate was inescapable. And nobody, not even a government assassin would stand in Shishio's way. Tap…Tap…TAP!

In a streak of movement, Soujirou shot out over the rooftops, his legs blurring into a churning mass beneath him. Within minutes, he had left the city of Kyoto far behind.

"I was thinking of maybe starting a vegetable garden in the backyard," Karou mentioned cheerfully to Kenshin. "It would be nice to have some fresh food every once in a while. You'll have to help me, I'm afraid. I don't know anymore about farming then I do about cooking. But just think of the harvest we'll have next year!" As she happily chattered on, she failed to notice the way Kenshin's shoulders stiffened. Next year? Will there be a next year? He asked himself.

"Shinta! What do I do next?" Kaoru interrupted his reverie. Kenshin focused his attention back on the dishes before him.

"You can add the soy sauce now; but make sure you spread it evenly. Next we'll get out the tofu." Kaoru nodded, and bent down to find the needed ingredients. After several minutes of searching, she emerged, looking unhappy.

"I can't believe it! I forgot the tofu again!" She groaned. "I'll have to run to the market to get some." Kenshin looked outside worriedly. The stifling heat was still present, and it was getting late. Chances were good that a storm was on its way. The sun was already approaching the western horizon.

"It's getting late, Kaoru-dono. This one will come with you. But we should hurry- this one can smell rain in the air," Kenshin responded quickly. Kaoru beamed excitedly.

"Then there's not a moment to lose!" She exclaimed, as she dragged him out the door.

Hidden the growing shadows of a nearby grove of trees, Shinomori Aoshi watched the couple. His hand clenched the kodachi at his waist when he saw the woman take the Battousai's arm. Go ahead. Enjoy your moments together while you still have them. He glared, seething with rage. I only have to wait until darkness…You and your woman…You're living on borrowed time, Battousai.

Kaoru gripped the bucket of tofu more tightly as the pair made their way through the shadier section of Kyoto. Huge storm clouds had rolled in, and the sky was ominously dark. It felt as if the entire city was holding its breath; the shaky calm before the storm. She felt a drop of rain hit her face, and without meaning to, subconsciously quickened the pace.

Kenshin was relieved when Kaoru began to walk faster. The last rays of sunlight had been long gone, driven off by the fast approaching twilight, and the thunderclouds. It was getting more and more difficult to see, and they were still in a very bad part of the city.

Just then, he felt a familiar tingling sensation on the back of his neck. Whirling around, he saw an empty street. But it did not matter; he had felt Aoshi's presence. Striving to keep his voice steady, Kenshin urged Kaoru on.

"Hurry, Kaoru-dono! I think the rain is picking up!" Placing one hand firmly against her back, he began to push her forwards. He felt himself panicking, his mental barriers shattering one by one. It was pitch black now- there was no way they would make it back to the dojo in time. And Kaoru was with him. If Aoshi attacked, she would be completely vulnerable.

The rain was coming down harder and harder, drumming against the dry, dusty roads. As they moved along, the dirt turned to mud under their feet.

BANG! A flash of lightening, and a crack of thunder boomed out across the city. Kaoru yelped in surprise, and glanced around fearfully.

Another bolt of lightening zigzagged across the sky, and in the brief flash of light, Kenshin looked up.

On the rooftop above him, stood a man in a trenchcoat looking down. Their eyes met- and amber collided with an icy blue.

With a curse, Kenshin grabbed Kaoru's arm and violently yanked her out of the way, as the man landed where they were standing, his kodachi drawn.

"RUN KAROU!" Kenshin yelled, dragging her down the street. They were sprinting now, and the buildings blended together into dark shapeless forms. He knew, without even looking behind him, that Aoshi was catching up. He shifted his weight, preparing to pick Kaoru up, when her sandal stuck in the mud.

With a shriek, she stumbled and fell heavily, the bucket of tofu rolling off the side of the road, where it was lost in the shadows. Kenshin immediately stopped, and tried to help her back up.

Aoshi laughed softly as he approached the two, his kodachi gleaming in the dark. There was no rush now- they were far from anyone who could help them.

"Get behind me, Kaoru. I'll protect you," Kenshin ordered, his eyes glowing amber in the dark. Kaoru struggled to stand, wincing at the stabbing pain that shot through her ankle.

"No, Kenshin. You're just a beginner! As long as I can still fight, I can't let you face him alone!" She drew out her shinai.

Aoshi raised an eybrow by a fraction. This was amusing.

"What do you mean, 'just a beginner'? Surely you know who he is?" Aoshi asked mockingly. Kaoru's confidence wavered, and she looked to Kenshin for clarification.

"You mean, Battousai, that you haven't told her? Don't you think that she has the right to know who she sleeps next to at night? The infamous assassin, Hitokiri Battousai?" He drawled, unsheathing his second kodachi.

Kenshin glowered, saying nothing. His katana was held in a defensive stance. There was a brief pause, and for that moment, it seemed like the world stood still. Even the torrential rain ceased for that brief second.

Then time snapped forward, and with a cry, the two combatants hurled themselves forward. The clash of steel rang out, as Kenshin pushed his opponent back with a series of offensive strikes. He quickly noticed that for all of Aoshi's confidence, his left arm had not completely healed. Taking advantage of that crucial weakness, he sent a devastating blow towards the left shoulder. Aoshi staggered backwards, and Kenshin followed, eager to keep his enemy off balance.

Too late, he realized the trap; by luring him away from Kaoru, Aoshi now had a clear shot at the defenseless girl. He covered the distance within an instant, Kaoru holding her shinai up nervously. With a swift kick to her arm, he knocked it out of her grasp. His kodachi flashed through the air, and once more time groaned to a sickening halt.

Kenshin knew on one level that it was over. She was too far away, Aoshi was too close. But he had to try. With an inarticulate cry of rage, he shot towards them, his vision narrowing until all but the two figures had vanished.

Kaoru watched the blade arcing towards her helplessly. At the last moment, she closed her eyes, against the pain that never came. Opening them again, she saw Shinta dive in front of her, his katana meeting the first kodachi with a clang. She sank to the ground in relief. But that block had left the Battousai's defense nonexistent. Aoshi's eyes hardened and he whipped the second kodachi down towards the unprotected flesh.

She screamed as she saw the blood spray outwards, spattering the ground.

Kenshin winced, temporarily blinded, at the burning pain across his face. When he opened his eyes again, they were murderous. He flung himself at the Okashira, his speed elevated beyond comprehension. Aoshi barely managed to parry the blows. His own counter strikes were weak, and easily deflected. He could feel his left arm trembling under the strain of the constant attacks.

Then, with a sudden chopping motion, Kenshin slammed his sword against the ground, the tip angled towards his opponent.

"Doryusen!" He shouted, as a wave of debris shot outwards at Aoshi. When the dust had lifted, Aoshi looked around from under the raised kodachis. He could see the blurry outline of the Battousai, with one leg extended, in the traditional form of Battojutsu.

His mind had hardly processed this information when Kenshin shot his sword out of the sheath, his legendary speed enhanced twice-over by the lethal move.

It collided with the lower kodachi, but its power carried it onward, slicing deep into Aoshi's side. He stood for a moment- trembling with the effort, as blood dripped down from his mouth. Then he collapsed into the mud.

Kaoru gasped. Shinta- if that was even his real name, was standing over his fallen opponent, the katana raised. A long jagged cut ran from just below his eye down to his jaw. His eyes were a deadly shade of amber, making his entire form seem almost demonic.

"The last time we met I warned you…" he hissed in a low menacing voice. "Your life ends here!" His sword started down.

"NO!" Kaoru cried loudly. "Shinta, don't do this!" Startled, he turned to look at her, his blood red hair falling into his face.

"You can't… He's beaten Shinta. If you kill him… you won't be any different from them." Her gi and hakama were torn and muddy where she had tripped. Her hair had escaped its tie, and flowed down her shoulders. Those brilliant cerulean eyes stared at him, bewildered. He stiffened, and unconsciously took a step toward her.

Kaoru-dono. She could have died. Because of me. Because of what I've done. I am no different from 'them'. I'm a killer, and I endangered her. All of this… because of me. I was selfish- I wanted to be with her, and she almost died. I can't let that happen. I can't hurt her anymore.

Kaoru came closer, and reached a hand up to gently touch his face.

"You're bleeding Shinta. Let me clean it for you…" He felt her hand shaking. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her against him in a warm embrace. As he held her, he felt his heart melt.

"I'm so sorry Kaoru-dono. I didn't mean… I never wanted this to happen. I would never let anything happen to you. But as long as I'm here, you'll always be in danger. Please forgive me… Sayanora." He swallowed. Then with a deep breath, he released her, and disappeared into the darkness.

For the second time, Kaoru's legs folded beneath her, and she sank to the ground.

"Shinta…" Her eyes were burning now. "SHINTA!"

Kenshin ran along the rooftops, trying to escape his thoughts. He felt the drying blood from his cut, and something else. He slowly lifted a hand to touch his face, and brought it away wet.

Are these… my tears?

A/N: Well, hope this chapter was to your likeing! We were trying to deside which chapter was our favorite, and at lest one of us likes this chapter best. Review please! Ciao!

Next Time on Hikari:

As Kaoru trys to cope with "Shinta's" disapperence, Kenshin heads off to Osaka and meets the last person he expected to meet.