A/N: Here's the next chapter, although… a bit later then what I had hoped. Sorry for the wait! Been busy! Here it is! Once more THANK YOU NEKOTSUKI FOR BETA-ING FOR ME!

REVIEWERS FIRST! YAY REVIEWERS!

WolfDaughter - Kenshin? Get a break? From me? -laughs- Not likely! Truth is, I would like to have more of Reizo, just don't think I could fit him in and not have it be awkward and weird.

Kenshin'sorrow - Glad you liked seeing Reizo again and that is 'Staying up all night' teasing wasn't corny.

Night-Owl123 - I hope this update was soon enough!

Wistful-Eyes - How will the battle go you ask? -grins- Here's your answer!

Kyoryu - Yay! Another torture fan! Don't feel bad about your love for torture! There's a bunch of us over at the Kenshin Torture C2! (Shameless plug for own C2)

Tsumesgirl05 - Yay for embarrassing Kenshin!

Shadow Wolves - Be patient. It's only the second chapter, the torture will come…

Nekotsuki - YOU! -glare- You! -points finger at you- You… aw… -mumbles- stupid gun…. -pokes you-

Streetwise Girl - Sorry, this will be the last chapter with Reizo, unless I can figure out some way to stick him in later.

lolo popoki - Yes -grins- Reizo is a pest sometimes, but that's why so many people love him!

Chapter 3 - Apprehension

Kenshin waited with the others for their adversaries to arrive. Reizo was next to him; Kenshin was slightly surprised by the change in the man's expression. He was focused and determined, muscles tense, ready to spring at any given moment. His hand clutched at his sword, ready to draw it when it was needed. He was a man intensely focused on the battle ahead of him.

Kenshin let out a silent sigh. Normally waiting like this didn't bother him, but the sun was so hot. It was making him uncomfortable, not to mention the world was tipping slightly. Wait, tipping? The world wasn't supposed to tip.

"Here they come," Reizo said softly beside him. Kenshin looked up and sure enough, the troop was idly walking down the road towards the ambush. He hadn't sensed them; he still couldn't feel their presence.

'That's not good,' Kenshin noted, getting ready to spring as soon as the command was given. Reizo was also ready beside him; he looked anxious to take action. Anxious to spring. Anxious to attack.

The order came; Kenshin's tight muscles sprang to life as he leapt out of his hiding spot, with Reizo right behind him. With a furious battle cry, the Ishin Shishi attacked the startled and unprepared Shogun forces. The commanding officers were barking orders to their frantic troops. Kenshin targeted them; they would be the first to fall. Take out the leaders, and cause disorder.

Swiftly he ran up to the first officer, his sword slicing through the air soundlessly. The man hardly had time to yell out in surprise as Kenshin's sword embedded itself into the man's side. With a violent yank, the sword was free with a spray of blood following it. Not bothering to watch the dead body fall, Kenshin had turned and was already moving towards his next victim before the body even hit the ground.

The next to fall by Kenshin's blade was only a soldier who got in his way. Kenshin removed the man's head from his body and continued his way to the next man, barking orders.

Unlike the first, this man had seen Kenshin coming as he killed the solider. He was ready to face Kenshin. He blocked Kenshin's first attack to his shoulder, pushing the redhead back.

Kenshin was slightly discouraged by his missed attack. He shouldn't have been pushed back so easily. He jumped forward again, his blade raised in an attempt to slice the man's head in two. His target saw the move coming and raised his own sword, once more blocking Kenshin's strike.

The man noted Kenshin's skill; he was doing just about everything he could just to keep up with the redhead. This young man was almost more than he could handle. Another vicious attack towards his head. The man blocked and got his first good look at the warrior's face. The officer's face went white as he saw the cross shaped scar on the young man's features. He was fighting the Battousai.

"It's the Battousai!" The shout came from the man so suddenly that Kenshin was a bit surprised to hear it. "They brought the Battousai with-!" Kenshin found his way through the man's defenses and his sword slid across the man's throat before he had time to finish his warning.

He ducked after his successful attack, just avoiding the blade racing towards his own head. Never slowing, Kenshin spun around and brought his sword across the attacker's abdomen, slicing it open. The soldier grabbed for the gaping wound, as if to close it with his own hands, dropping his sword. Gurgling, blood spilled from the corners of the man's mouth; Kenshin ended the man's suffering with a swift attack to his head.

Now Kenshin paused a moment, as the ground suddenly felt like it was rushing towards him. Regaining his balance, Kenshin turned to see Reizo attempting to hold off four men at once. Right now he was doing a fair job of it, but it wouldn't take long before he fell. Kenshin ignored the pounding in his head and rushed over to even the match.

Reizo was doing his best to not fall into an all-out panic. Four men against one was not something he could handle. Doing more backing up and dodging than blocking was about the only thing keeping him alive right now. He growled in frustration as one of the men made a wide sweep to get around to his back, while two others came in on his sides. The last stayed in front of him. They cut off any escape routes he hoped to find. 'This is it,' Reizo thought desperately as he raised his sword, not ready to give up. He would take at least one of these men with him.

With a cry the four men charged; Reizo ran forward, ready to face the three ahead of him. He deliberately ignored the man that had gotten behind him; there was nothing he could do to stop his attack. Reizo parried the man's blade in front of him, and managed to maneuver himself out of the way from his attacker on the right. He pushed forward and felt the sting of a blade as it ran down his back from the man on his left. Not a fatal hit, but it hurt like hell. With a cry of pain and determination, Reizo charged forward to meet the three again; but what had happened to the man behind him?

"RYU TSUI SEN!"

At the new challenger's yell the three men stopped in their tracks. Reizo backed up and stole a glance behind him. "Himura-san!"

"It's the Battousai!"

Kenshin stood calmly, and removed his sword from Reizo's would-be killer. He didn't move right away; he was doing his best to quell his churning stomach. "Himura-san!" he heard Reizo yell happily, again. He looked towards Reizo with tired eyes. He didn't want to be here, he needed to get out of here, he needed to rest, he had been feeling better earlier, and now all he wanted to do was sit down and throw up.

Yells of retreat came from all around. The Shoguns were retreating, running in all directions, going anywhere; they just wanted to get away from the battle. These men had been poorly trained. Kenshin watched their disorganized fleeing; the other officers had been taken down and their men were left with no one to instruct them. It was disgraceful.

"Himura-san!" Reizo's voice brought Kenshin back to reality. He was just ahead of him, pointing at the three remaining men who were now running wildly away through the trees. "We have to go after them! Come on!" Reizo turned to give chase to the men who had just tried to kill him.

Kenshin shook his head, trying to clear it. He had a job to do; he couldn't let anything stop him from that. Sheathing his sword, he took off after Reizo, quickly catching up to him. Running behind him Kenshin could see the blood from the wound on Reizo's back. "You okay?"

"Hai. Only a scratch," Reizo said, a bit breathlessly, as Kenshin ran ahead. "Keep on ahead! I'll catch up!"

With a quick nod of his head, Kenshin increased his speed, wishing this to be over with soon. The three already had a head start on him, so he had to move fast. One looked back and gave a shout to the others and they ran like wild animals. Kenshin pushed himself faster, trying to catch up; the world was going by so quickly that it was making him dizzy and his legs didn't feel as sturdy as they should have been.

The men ran into a clearing. The one in the lead barked an order to stop; he knew they couldn't outrun the Battousai. "There's three of us. We can take him!" Assuming the role as leader, he instructed the other two to draw their weapons.

Kenshin came into the clearing as the two were turning and had their swords drawn. 'So they decided to die fighting.' He drew his own sword. "Drop your weapons or I'll have to kill you!" He'd give them the choice. He didn't want to kill them, and it was never said prisoners couldn't be taken.

"Stand your ground!" The middle-sized man who had taken the role of leader called. "Don't listen to him!" His chocolate eyes glared daggers at Kenshin as he gripped his hilt tighter. "We'll attack together!" His short, coarse, black hair shook with the intensity of his voice. A nod from the tallest one as he dropped into his fighting stance, his pale blue eyes watching Kenshin closely. His dark brown hair was tied neatly into a topknot. The shortest one, although taller than Kenshin, also nodded, a determined snarl set across his browned face, his black hair, too short for a topknot, was tied up into a high pony tail, his light brown eyes also studying Kenshin carefully.

"I'll give you one more chance." Kenshin fell into a fighting stance, his left leg out. "Throw down your weapons."

"Never!" the leader shouted, and the three men charged at once. Kenshin waited for them, the short one reaching him just before the others. Kenshin swung his blade for a killing strike, but was met halfway by steel.

'Shimatta,' Kenshin thought angrily. 'I screwed up again!' He jumped back in time to feel the wind from a missed strike to his head rush by him. He couldn't even tell who had swung at him. 'I'm getting worse…'

Something was wrong. The self-appointed leader of the three could tell. This couldn't be the Battousai he'd heard so much about. First of all, why weren't they all dead yet? Surely they couldn't be this much of a challenge for him. Second, where were those piercing amber eyes he had heard so much about? Granted his eyes were amber, but they were dull and unfocused. Third, he had given them the option of giving up. This couldn't be the Battousai, could it? Red hair, cross-shaped scar, and amber eyes, it just had to be him. Not many people could fit that description.

Kenshin jumped back a few feet, and the men didn't charge right away. He took this moment to catch his breath. He could feel sweat starting to form on his brow, and his breakfast kept threatening to come up on him. All he could think of was: where the hell was Reizo? He could feel himself getting worse with each passing second. He forgot about Reizo as he could sense the three getting ready to attack again.

Calmly Kenshin returned his sword to its sheath and widened his stance; he would have to end this, and quickly. He could see the tallest member look over to his leader and mouth the word: battoujutsu. They all seemed nervous now, and hesitant to strike again. Kenshin could wait; hopefully they would wait to attack until Reizo could finally catch up and then he would have some help. He could afford to be patient.

Unfortunately, they weren't going to wait that long. "Go!" the one giving orders yelled, but hung back a little bit himself. He would let those two go first before him. Let them take the brunt of the attack while he stayed behind.

Kenshin was ready for them; his muscles tensed as his hand grabbed for his hilt. Regrettably, his stomach muscles tightened a bit too much. 'Not now!' he screamed at his body. 'Not here! Not now!" He couldn't stop himself; next thing he knew he was bent over on the ground. He couldn't work his legs, they were too weak. Everything was spinning; his body began to shudder as he was overwhelmed with a coughing fit. He gasped for breath, trying desperately to get back to his feet.

All three stopped their attack, shock freezing them in place. What was going on? The man they had just been ready to kill was bent over and … coughing?

'Ah, so he's sick,' the leader of the small group quickly concluded, slipping away from the other two.

Kenshin kept a firm grip on his sword and picked his head up. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He glared at the two staring stupidly at him as he picked himself up. Wait, two? 'Where's the othe-'

He didn't finish the thought; instead, a ringing came to his ears as he slumped forward and fell towards the ground.