Disclaimer: I don't own RK or XXXHolic, along with any other CLAMP manga I may make reference to (aka: Tsusbasa Reservoir Chronicle)

A/N: thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, it means a lot to me that you took the time out to review.

Yay! this is like the longest chapter of this entire story I believe. Hope you enjoy, and for those of you who don't know what Watanuki and Yuko look like take the spaces out and follow this link:

www. hillcity-comics. com/graphicnovels/newgraphicnovel3002. htm

And here's a picture of Mokona Madoki(both of them lol)! Please put the http in before you copy the link... it wouldn't stay in quick edit :grumbles:

trchronicle. altervista. org/clipart06. jpg

The sun hadn't even touched the horizon but that didn't faze Kaoru, she had been awake for a few hours now, packing. There was only one thing left to do, and that was to write a note to the ones she loved. What would she tell them? Steeling herself from the tears that threatened to pour down her face she wrote on the small piece of parchment before setting it where her head should be on her futon.

She quietly exited the dojo and walked the beaten road to her unknown destination. The only thing she knew was that it would hold a future of loneliness, away from the one that still held her heart in his hands.

"Sayonara Kenshin." She whispered looking down at the sleeping city below her now. Turning towards the wind she walked away from everything.

0-0-0

Kenshin's eyes snapped open, he had no idea why he was awake at such an ungodly hour, or what woke him. For a brief moment he thought he had heard someone say his name. He shook the thought from his mind he knew there was no reason to think this.

Kenshin sighed and dressed almost reluctantly, deciding that he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. 'I guess getting some laundry done before I make breakfast won't be so bad.' He stepped out of his room and stared at Kaoru's shoji wanting to look in on her, but finally deciding against it.

A sudden smile crept up on his lips as he traced his fingers on the rice paper shoji. He was thinking about the chaste kiss he had shared with the young kendo instructor. He would have never thought that he would have the courage to do that, but something had changed, what was it?

Kenshin stared at the sky deciding he would start to prepare breakfast; he didn't feel much like doing laundry in the cold morning mist.

He hummed peacefully as he prepared the miso soup, and onigiri. 'It's so quiet this morning, that it is.' He thought looking out the window at the sun which was finally peaking over the horizon.

"Kenshin?" Yahiko yawned as he stepped in the kitchen some time later.

"Good morning Yahiko, I'm surprised to see you awake so early, that I am." Kenshin smiled as he set his breakfast in front of the boy.

"I wanted to sneak out of here before Busu got a chance to assign me with chores, I promised Tsubame, and Tae-san that I would help at the Akabeko today." Yahiko ate the rest of his meal in silence before he got up.

"Yahiko, can you wake Kaoru up before you leave-" Yahiko opened his mouth to protest but Kenshin continued, "-I will make sure she doesn't give you any chores I promise you."

"Alright," Yahiko sighed knowing that it was useless to argue with the redhead, he headed down the hall way mumbling curses as he came closer to his sensei's room. The sound of the Shoji sliding open could be heard from the kitchen.

Kenshin half expected to hear Kaoru yell at Yahiko, but she didn't 'Hmm... that's new.' He thought at the long period of silence. What he heard next would nearly stop his heart.

"KENSHIN!"

It wasn't Kaoru's voice, but Yahiko's frantic cry from her room that jolted through Kenshin like a lightning bolt.

The red head was in Kaoru's doorway in an instant. Staring in the first thing he noticed was the room being void of Kaoru. He looked to Yahiko who's face was pale and his hands were shaking as he thrust a piece of parchment almost violently at Kenshin.

"Read." Was all the boy said, his voice sounded strained as if he were holding back something.

Kenshin looked down at the letter; his eye's widened as he read.

When you read this letter I will be far away from this place, I please ask that you do not follow me. I was not forced out of here against my will ( so don't you dare think that Himura Kenshin). I have to do this. Forgive me. I love you Kenshin, I will always love you. You gave me a life worth living. Maybe once I figure everything out I can face you again and ask you for forgiveness someday. Would you be willing to give me that? I have signed the deed for the dojo into your name. I expect you take good care of it while I am gone, or else I will pummel you!

I love you and Yahiko both so much. Take care of each other, you are my family and I couldn't bear it if something happened to either of you.

Sayonara

-Kaoru

Kenshin read the letter, and then he read it again. He couldn't believe it, she had left them, but why? Nothing could be so bad about her that she ran away from them. He hadn't driven her away, had he? Had his affection towards her scare her away from him? No it couldn't be, she said that she loved him. Shouldn't that count for something?

"Kenshin?" Yahiko looked at him apprehensively; the rurouni had been staring off for a while now. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Yahiko, I don't know." Kenshin sighed dropping the letter to the ground leaving the young boy to be alone with his thoughts.

0-0-0

Kaoru decided that the best plan was to go to Kyoto first to speak to Misao and Aoshi, begging for there silence when (not if, when) Kenshin asks for there help to find her. She decided to take the Toukai Way; it would be harder for them to trace her that way. Sure, the path was said to be full of bandits and other hapless figures but that didn't faze Kaoru, she had seen worse in her time.

"Hey gorgeous, how's about spendin' the day with a real samurai?" A drunken man asked leering behind her.

"How about I don't, and you go away?" She responded holding herself tall, and tried to prevent herself from gagging. She was glad she had decided to wear her gi and hakama, her hand had instantly flown to the bokken at her side, and she pulled herself into a defensive stance that seemed almost natural for her.

"Oh the little woman is going to fight me," The man guffawed. Stupidly the drunkard decided for some reason to lunge at Kaoru.

Kaoru rolled her eyes and took a side step before smacking the man on the base of his neck with her bokken. As she watched the man fall to the ground unconscious, she shook her head in dismay, "Drinking not only made you stupid, and stinky, it made you slow too, bakayarou!" Kaoru walked on not caring to look back at the man writhing on the ground.

After that little incident not many people seemed too apt to approach this bokken carrying woman. Truthfully she wouldn't have it any other way.

Kaoru had made it to Kyoto in a record time of seven days ((A/N: I believe it takes the average person 9 days and Kenshin 6, and Kaoru is determined.)), and she found herself pacing outside of the Aoiya trying to think of the best thing to do. She was about to turn around when the door opened.

"Kamiya-san," That drawl sent shivers down her back.

"Aoshi-san," Kaoru bowed, as the man stepped aside letting her enter. "Kenshin has already sent for you hasn't he?"

The only response she got from the man was a curt nod.

A noise was heard from within the complex, "Kaoru-chan!" It was Misao, the young itachi bounded towards the kendo instructor before pouncing on her.

"Misao!" Kaoru said returning the hug, "How are you?" She asked trying to evade the inevitable.

"We got a letter from Himura." Misao said very sternly, getting to the point.

Kaoru looked away, "I know, that's why I'm here." Kaoru said very gravely. "I came here to beg that you not help him look for me."

"But why Kaoru?" Misao pleaded, it wasn't like her friend to want to run from Himura, usually, it was just the opposite. Kaoru was usually the one chasing after him.

"I am doing this for him." She said looking into her friend's eyes, silently pleading with her.

"How does you running away from him supposed to help him?" Misao demanded.

"I want him to be at peace." She said sadly, "He will keep on suffering if I stay near him. Please don't ask me why it is that way, it just is. I want him to be happy, even if it means that I have to be miserable. It doesn't matter, I would rather live out my existence knowing he can sleep well at night rather than live existence watching him wither away before me."

"You are stronger than I could be." Misao muttered stealing a glance at her Aoshi-sama. "But I don't know if I can lie to him. You know how Himura is..."

"Please Misao, this is for his own good, I beg you, please." Kaoru pleaded turning to Aoshi for some kind of answer.

"You have my word." Aoshi said surprising both her and Misao.

"I-" Misao was at a loss for words, did her Aoshi-sama just agree with Kaoru? "M-me too Kaoru," Misao kept her eye on Aoshi as she said this, that man had something up his sleeve, and she knew it.

"Thank you, I need to go, my boat is leaving soon." Kaoru bowed.

"You're not staying?" Misao pouted, looking hurt.

"I'm sorry Misao, but I can't risk staying in one place for to long, especially here..." Kaoru trailed off looking around her.

"Where will you go?" Misao asked in earnest.

Kaoru gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Away."

"I have one question for you before you leave Kamiya-san."

Kaoru turned and looked at Aoshi.

"Do you love him?" He asked, surmising what he suspected her answer would be. "Do you love him enough to leave him and never look back?"

"Yes." She replied with a sad smile fiddling with the small silver ring on her finger as she walked away.

"Aoshi-sama, what are we going to do?" Misao asked as she watched her friend disappear in the distance.

"I have something in mind Misao, don't worry about it, just go pack, we are going to Tokyo." Aoshi said putting his hand on the young girl's shoulder, before he too walked away; no doubt going to the temple to meditate on his ideas.

0-0-0

It had been nearly three weeks since they had arrived in the Meiji era and still Yuko-san seemed content on staying there for a while longer.

'I'm missing too much school...' Watanuki sighed as he looked down to the market below there hotel room. Kaoru-san had left just as Yuko-san had requested her to. The man that Kaoru-san had sacrificed what seemed like everything for had tried to enlist the help of some friends of his in Kyoto, but he had heard nothing from them, and was now going down to the police station. 'Wonder why he's going there...'

"Himura-san has someone there that may be able to help him," Yuko said looking over Watanuki's shoulder, "but it is a serious blow to his pride to go to this man."

"Who is it?"

"Saitou Hajime."

"W-what!" Watanuki's eyes bugged out, he had heard about Saitou Hajime in his history lessons, but he was sure the man had died in the fourth year of the Meiji. "Shouldn't he be dead now?"

"Of course not!" Yuko laughed, "This is a different dimension from our own, here Saitou Hajime is still alive."

Watanuki looked at her skeptically.

"I know I explained different dimensions to you when we met Sayoran-kun, and Sakura-chan." Yuko said feeling a little exasperated.

"Oh... okay sure." Watanuki said recalling that experience with a slight wince, that is where this all began isn't it? "When are we leaving here?" Watanuki asked nonchalantly

"Once our business is done here." Yuko said looking down at the market below where a certain red haired man walked into the police station.

0-0-0

Kenshin stepped in to the police station a shiver shot down his spine, he has the slightest feeling that someone was watching him. As soon as the door to the building closed he was immediately greeted by a young officer asking for him to check in his sakabatou.

"That won't be necessary." Said a drawling voice as a man walked down the hall.

"Inspector Fujita, sir!" The officer said saluting the man.

"You wanted to speak to me Battousai?" Saitou said looking at Kenshin, the young officers face seemed to pale considerably when he looked at the short man in front of him. He had just asked to take away the Battousai's sword?

"Hai." Kenshin said curtly.

The two men walked down the hall to Saitou's office. "What ungodly thing can you not do without my help Battousai?"

"I need to find Kaoru, she seems to have left the dojo without a trace." Kenshin gazed at the mibu wolf, challenging him to say no.

Saitou raised an eyebrow, "How long has the tanuki been missing?" It must be important if the great Battousai was coming to him of all people for help. How long could Saitou hang this over his head? It almost made him want to smile, almost.

"Nearly three weeks."

"How did she disappear?" He was a little surprised that the man had waited that long to ask for his help.

"She left in the middle of the night, leaving a note saying she needed to leave for her own reasons."

"So she left upon her own volition?"

"Hai."

"I can't help you then," Saitou replied shuffling some papers on his desk, "She is not a missing person, nor a runaway, she is an adult who decided to leave her place of residency." Yet another few precious moments wasted on the ahou that once was a manslayer. 'What a child...' the mibu wolf thought mentally rolling his eyes. "I am not saying that it was smart, but neither is it a crime, I can't expect to use my forces, and costing tax payers more money to look for a girl who does not want to be found."

Kenshin felt anger bubble to the surface, he wasn't going to help? It was bad enough that he hadn't heard back from Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu, but now the police weren't going to help him? What was he going to do? Did no one care about her besides himself and Yahiko?

Kenshin arrived back at the dojo greeted by Yahiko running up to him.

"Kenshin, Aoshi and Misao are here!" The boy skidded to a stop before turning around and walking back inside.

Kenshin followed the boy into the sitting room, where, sure enough Aoshi and Misao where sitting sipping tea.

"Himura." Misao said not in her usual hyper tone, she seemed more subdued.

"Is everything alright, have you found Kaoru?" Kenshin asked looking at the two hopefully.

"Yes, and no," Aoshi said taking another sip from his teacup.

"That's why we're here Himura." Misao fisted her hands at her knees, "Kaoru came to visit us. She asked us not to follow her, she knew you would ask us. She said-"

"The girl said she was staying away for your own good." Aoshi cut the girl off, "That she needed to stay away for your wellbeing. We can't follow her, it wouldn't be right to disrespect her wishes as such."

"So you just let her leave!" Kenshin yelled at the Okashira, his nerves were reaching there end now. "You didn't even ask her where she was going?"

"Don't think so little of us," Aoshi reprimanded, "Of course we asked, but that doesn't mean that she told us anything."

Kenshin breathed rubbing the bridge of his nose in irritation, "So what am I to do now?" To say he felt helpless was an understatement.

"Nothing." Aoshi said simply, "You can't do anything."

"What did you mean 'she left for my good'?" Kenshin asked.

"I cannot tell you what I do not know," Aoshi said taking another sip of his tea.

He had had enough of this, "I think I need to take a walk, that I do. So if you will excuse me." Kenshin left the room without another word, gliding easily out the back gate and into the forest.

He walked, and he walked, it seemed like he had no particular destination. His feet took him aimlessly through the forest until he stopped in a small opening.

"So it was true..."

Kenshin turned swiftly around; he hadn't sensed anyone's ki. A tall woman stepped out in front of him followed by a young man who held what looked like a fuzzy stuffed creature.

"Welcome, Himura Kenshin."

"Who are you, what am I doing here?" To the normal onlooker one would think that this question may have been a bit dumb.

The woman smiled kindly at the confused man in front of her. "That, my friend is a very long story. But the reason you are here is the easiest part, and it is the hardest part." She said enigmatically, "Your coming here was hitsuzen."

To be continued...

A/N: Again with the hitsuzen, sheesh Yuko! don't you ever get tired of saying that!