Rurouni Kenshin is the properties of Nobuhiro Watsuki-dono not mine.
So please don't sue.
Author's Notes: Himura-chan asked about switching Yahiko with Tsubame. And thinking about it I would but for the fact that I really don't want to have too many changes (I'm having a hard enough time as is with the people that I have changed). Plus I can't have Kenshin be as violent with a girl as I would a young man, and beating a young girl is kinda where I draw the line, but thank you Himura-chan for the idea!
Act II Rurouni in the city.
Kenshin sat and glared at the wall where once the many names of her students hung...but was now nearly empty. It had been a week since Kaoru had come to stay with Kenshin and his anger about the fake Battosai had increasingly gotten worse considering what it had done to the amount of students he had once had.
"No one, not ONE. Cowards!" he growled eyes turning to slits in his rage.
"These are times of great change. Once they move on, it's not easy to come back." Came the sweet voice of our dear resident rurouni - Kaoru. She stood next to a barrel filled with soapy water and a pile of clothes that had been washed and were ready to be dried.
This set Kenshin off, he dashed out of the dojo and ran pointing a very angry (and pointy) finger at Kaoru saying "And you! You say you're 28!? It's a lie and you know it!"
Kaoru looking very perplexed and asked "Would '30' make you happier?" this innocent question instantly calmed the fury that was Kenshin though only a little.
"...no, it wouldn't..." he answered grudgingly.
Kaoru in her defense squeaked "This isn't going to be easy."
Later that day they took a trip to the market. Kenshin the man with the money hung back from his would-be protector and watched her carefully. Kaoru once again the happy-go-lucky lady that she was, was walking with her sweet smile plastered on her face sort of like a billboard, prompting happiness in all its forms.
'Kamiya Kaoru is a swordswoman with no destination. A "rurouni" who's currently staying at my dojo,' Thought Kenshin as he watched her intently, 'But once, she was one of the revolutionary warriors who slashed open the new age...the legendary, incomparable Hitokiri...Kamiya Battosai herself.' As Kenshin thought this he watched Kaoru walk right into a rather large man...head on. "Or so she says..." was how he finished his thought out loud. Kaoru on the other had squeaked and 'oro' in response to the incident. She began to apologize for her clumsiness. 'Why is she a rurouni...while all the other revolutionaries threw away their swords...and have now taken positions of power and glory in the Meiji government...?' Kenshin continued his thought watching Kaoru carefully.
Kaoru noticing that Kenshin was lagging behind turned and stated "You have a question in your eyes." Her adorable smile on her lips once again.
'We all have things in our pasts that we don't talk about.' Was the last thought that Kenshin had before..."IT'S NOTHING! And didn't I tell you not to carry a sword?!" and commenced to beat Kaoru for her...insolence?...
"Calm down!" cooed Kaoru "Just two years ago lots of people carried swords. No one's really bothered by it, are they?" She smiled and waved her hands before Kenshin trying to calm him down.
"What are you gonna do when the police spot you? Do what you did last time?! They'll arrest you even if it's a sakabato!"
"Ummm well it worked last time, didn't it?" smirked Kaoru. Kenshin's response was to growl and glare at Kaoru for her calmness. Kenshin thought the police and all their laws might take this sweet woman from him and it seemed that she really didn't care, which just pissed him off more.
"Let's just get our shopping done. You get the miso, salt and soy sauce." Kenshin ordered.
"Always the heavy things." Groaned Kaoru, though Kenshin should have been the one to carry it but Kaoru had offered, to do things for him, and well carrying things were good for her upper body strength.
"No complaining!" scolded Kenshin, not really that upset with what Kaoru had said.
In the background the noise of a carriage was heard, a large carriage at that which stopped right behind Kenshin.
"Please pardon our rudeness." Spoke a kind looking gentleman with small eyes and a thick moustache that looked more like a large caterpillar. "We need to ask directions. Is this the correct direction to the police station?"
Kenshin turned and stared at the man but soon found his body answering without his knowledge, "Uhhhh...yes. Take a right onto the main street when you hit the end." and pointed out the correct direction.
"Thank you." The man said and sitting spoke to the driver, "Let us hurry."
"Man, he startled me. I wonder who he is; I think I would have noticed...AHHHH I have to finish shopping!"
As the man in the carriage continued on his way he thought to himself 'Are you here? Are you truly in this city....Kamiya Battosai?'
Kenshin stood with a whimsical look on his face, he had been looking for Kaoru but was having a rather hard time at it when "What's the commotion? What's happened?"
A young boy going by answered his question "The police caught someone - I hear a chick – violating the sword banning act!"
Hearing this Kenshin crushed the turnip that was in his hands, and his look of whimsy turned to shock and utter exasperation.
"You gave us a good chase, but now you've got nowhere to run!" yelled an officer. All six of the officers were quite winded. They all breathed heavily though Kaoru was quite still her breath calm and even.
"Hmmmm...so persistent." She sighed rubbing her head in dismay. "What can Sessha do but surrender?" She bowed very - not - upset about her situation.
But a loud shout stopped everyone. "MOVE!! Let the sword corps though." Behind the crowd a tall man stood out and his other 'companions' began to shove aside the people. There standing before Kaoru were over a dozen tall and very not nice men stood. And in the front was a tall thin man he eyes like slits glared out at Kaoru, not simply anger in them but resentment as well. The man who had been shouting before continued "Move it or our blades will move you!"
The young officer who had cornered Kaoru stood to attention his arm raised in a salute, "Lieutenant Ujiki..." he began, but the Lieutenant stopped him.
"Good job. We will take it from here, you are dismissed."
"But the young woman hasn't drawn her sword, and we have her surrounded. There's really no need for the sword corps to..." the young officer was silenced when Ujiki's sword butt meet his face.
"A third Lieutenant would tell a veteran from Satsuma what to do?" he questioned, the arrogance dripping from his lips like venom. "When I tell you to leave, you leave."
Kaoru watched surprised and the beginnings of anger growing in her deep blue eyes.
"What's this?" Ujiki turned his attention to Kaoru, "Such a gentle looking woman carrying a sword?" Instantly his blade was free and making a direct path to Kaoru's head. The crowd gasped and many women covered their eyes in fear and sadness that this seemingly gentle woman was going to be murdered in front of their very eyes.
"Draw your sword, dear 'lady'." Continued Ujiki his blade was mere millimetres from Kaoru's face, though her expression never changed. "You must be confident to be carrying a sword here."
"Sessha does not carry a sword...merely to flaunt it as a symbol of undeserved power." Kaoru closed her eyes and gently pushed aside Ujiki's blade unconcerned.
Ujiki snorted and swung his sword back to his shoulder.
"KAORU!" cried Kenshin as he sighted her facing a large group of unhappy men.
"He's with her?" asked Ujiki turning his attention to the young man hastily making his way towards them.
Kaoru sensing the danger turned and yelled to Kenshin. "Kenshin-dono! Run away!"
Kenshin began to slow when he felt the breeze of two swords pass by his face. They tore though the band that tided his hair and he felt the weight of his blood red hair fall over his shoulders.
"It will be more interesting when we start cutting his yukata. I wonder what it 'takes' to make a woman like you so attracted to a 'little' man like this. Now...I'll say it again – draw your sword."
Kaoru's eyes began to change; the sweet innocent blue of the rurouni was soon clouded by the golden amber of the creature that was the Battosai. "Are you really a policeman?" she said her face tight and the anger seeping through every word.
Ujiki, his arrogance getting the better of him said "An officer, permitted to carry a sword. A swordsman who can kill people legally." One could hear the happiness in his tone. He was glad that he could kill people. "What's the matter? Aren't you going to draw?" he whined.
Kenshin watched the one sided conversation, anger and a sense of betrayal in his features.
Then the crowd began to get riled up they shouted "You tyrant! You aren't a God! Go back to Satsuma!"
Ujiki turned to the crowd his arrogance pooling around him, "Courage in numbers huh? This is now a case of obstruction of justice. Discipline every one of them. Draw your swords!" His followers drew their swords high ready for a good time. The crowd gasped fear rippling through them like a drop in pond. "If any of them resist...KILL THEM." The crowd ran the sword corps followed.
"Do not lay a single blade on any of these citizens." Came Kaoru's strong, demanding and utterly powerful voice over the screeches of the crowd. She stood like a goddess of war her blade raised and ready for the attack. "Sessha is your opponent. If you want death, come and get it."
"At last, she takes the bait. Whatever happens now, what I do is clearly self defence."
Ujiki said preparing himself. "To stay in practice I need to kill someone every once in a while." He grinned and licked his blade (wont that thing taste like blood after all the lives he's taken? Or does he like that taste...don't answer that).
Meanwhile at the police station where the gentleman from the carriage sat talking with the police chief (don't quote me on this I'm guessing).
"Then it was a hoax?"
"Yes I was delayed by the mopping up of the Seinan war. But had I really thought about it I'd have realized that Kamiya would never have used her sword in such a mad way, plus it was a man, and any good swordsman knows that Battosai was a woman. But it is true that she killed many in earning the name 'Hitokiri' Battosai...but never once did she wield her sword in self-interest. All she did, she did for the emperor and the new era. She saved the lives of many of our warriors. Without her, the revolution would have not succeeded. But anyway, we found the culprits of the hoax tied up in front of the station early one morning...we don't know who arrested them, but...when we interrogated them they said 'the real one got us.'" Paused the man, his lean face with small seemingly innocent eyes covered by small seemingly innocent glasses.
The man with the moustache looked up suddenly very interested. "What?"
"But of course it's probably a lie but they seemed so convinced..."
Then suddenly a young officer barged in yelping out "Chief there's an incident!" (Guess I was right!)
The man in glasses now known as our resident chief stood up and answered back anger rising "I'm in a meeting fool! At least you could knock!"
"M-my apologises" stuttered the man as he saluted. "But sir, the sword corps is..."
"Ujiki? Is he causing trouble again?"
"The sword corps? I haven't heard of just yet." asked the (as yet unknown) man.
The chief began to explain, "We formed them to deal with this 'Battosai' problem, but they are all brutal men, and the captain is a revolutionary warrior from Satsuma. It's too much for me to handle, they are getting out of control."
"Indeed, a 'hero' from the Satsuma must show off, mustn't he?" asked the man who reached for his coat.
The chief his attention still oh the officer said "So what did he do this time?"
"Well...ummm..." stammered the man. "They're getting beaten. By just one swordsman, and he's a she."
The chief enraged yelled "WHAT?! That's impossible! They're the finest swordsmen in our department!!"
"But sir it's true!"
"Unbelievable...who is this-this woman?"
"We don't know, she's short...skinny - for a woman...and quite young looking...but she's faster then the eye can see...and she has a scar like a cross on her cheek."
The carriage had yet to stop when the man ran from it the name 'Kamiya' on his lips.
Kaoru was still finishing her rounds with the sword corps, her blade basking each man in its deadly technique.
"One left." She whispered harshly, standing tall she continued "Swear that you will not tyrannize your people any longer. Then we can end this. And you may arrest Sessha for violating the sword banning act." She said calmly standing before the crowd, her sword balanced between her wrist and elbow, creating an enticing yet terrifying image.
But this image only angered Ujiki. "SLIENCE! I cannot bow to you!!" he raised his sword and began his attack.
In the crowd Kenshin watched and saw Ujiki's move "He's a master of Jigen-ryu!" he yelled hopping that Kaoru would hear him.
The chief yelled out "Ujiki stop you're..."
The man with the moustache finished for the Chief "A dead fool. Jigen-ryu is a style of unmatched power. Except..." Ujiki brought his sword down where Kaoru should have been but found nothing but earth. But she was already above him, her upward/backward jump bringing her sword down heavy on the unsuspecting man. "In the face of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu."
Kaoru stood her back to the prostrate man, her sword already sheathed.
"Kaoru!" cried Kenshin happily. "Are you all right?" in that moment they were surrounded and crushed by the crowd that Kaoru had saved. "Good job miss! Hey there how's about we go grab a few drinks! Where are you from?" Came questions and comments from the delighted people.
"Kamiya." Came the man's voice, which caught both Kaoru's and Kenshin's attention. "I've finally found you. For ten years I've been seeking you..."
Kaoru smiled and said "You've grown a moustache, Yamagata-san."
The man, now know as Yamagata said "Chief, please have the people move along."
"Right!"
The Yamagata? Really...' thought Kenshin as he watched the two interact. 'General of the revolutionary army's 'Kiheitai'...now General of the Army's ground troops...the revolutionary warrior Yamagata Aritomo!'
"I have a carriage waiting." Yamagata reached out his hand to Kaoru and Kenshin pulled back. "Many of your comrades await your return. Come!"
"My apologies but...not one strand of hair on my body wishes to spend the rest of my life as a Hitokiri." Said Kaoru sweetly and casting her now blue eyes to the hand in front of her.
"What are you saying?! Yes, you killed – but it was all for the revolution! Your soul bears no burden!! Only cowards and fools would denounce you as a 'Hitokiri'! But I will..."
"Silence them with your powers?" Kaoru finished. "It's such thinking that creates men like him." She glanced over to the unconscious Ujiki. "It was to create a world of peace...not to win positions or power...that we raised our swords and killed. If we forget that we are no revolutionaries after all." Kaoru walked off finishing her statement her back to Yamagata and walking away from the life that she had fled in the first place. At which point Kenshin ran after her.
"Kamiya!" came Yamagata's voice once again the two turned, "Times have changed! This is the age of Mejij! Swords have been banned – and the samurai have fallen! This is the age of Bakumatsu not longer! This is an age of law! You'll accomplish nothing with a sword!"
At this Kaoru smiled softly, and placed her hand on Kenshin's shoulder "With a sword, the people within my sight...can at least be protected. Sessha is no different now then from before." Kaoru looked upon Yamagata her eyes soft and translucent, her gentle nature that she had worked so hard to achieve shining through. "Except that she is now a 'rurouni' and not a 'Hitokiri'" and so they walked off, Kaoru never turning back.
"Chief, I know it's clear who was at fault here." Yamagata spoke his head hanging "And a sword worn openly is safer then concealed."
"I won't pursue this. After that hoax I thought that Hitokiri Battosai...was a dangerous figure. But now...now I know the truth is different."
"My apologies Kenshin-dono."
"For what?" I think I understand...
"Your hair band, it was ruined because of me." Kaoru looked at Kenshin her eyes crinkling at the corners, her smile adorable.
She wants to protect people. Without being tied to them. "Oh don't worry. You can just do some extra housework!" Kaoru sighed/laughed was her answer. A rurouni, a heroine, but free in spirit.
"Carrying all this isn't enough?" Kaoru begged. "Plus...did you really have to buy it all at once?"
Kenshin pursed his lips and moaned "Maybe not..."