A/N: Hey here's chapter 4! A little bit more action in this one.

Kawaii Meeh: Thanks for the reviews. I don't mind if you review a lot. By the way, Tasuke's parents were killed by the government, not imperialists. He likes Imperialists so that's why he wanted to join them. His father was an imperialist.

Wistful-Eyes: Thanks for writing. I'm glad you're liking it. It's nice to have new readers.

Chapter 4

Kenshin walked back to the camp, basking in the silence around him. He felt about with his senses, his uneasy premonition coming back full-force. He faded into the shadows and reached out with his mind. Someone was there. A very familiar chi surrounded him and he was unable to tell from which direction it came. A small sound alerted him, and he leapt backwards just in time. A katana whistled through the tree he had been standing in front of.

Taller than any man had a right to be, Satsujin Ryu stared at the spot where the Battousai had been standing. "Very quick. However, you don't seem very alert today. I almost got you that time, Battousai."

"We could just say I was giving you all the chance you will have today." The Battousai's voice echoed around Ryu, and Ryu grinned wickedly.

Satsujin Ryu was a member of the Shinsengumi. He was, in fact, a quick riser through the ranks and though he had not yet been put in charge, he was moving swiftly toward a position of power. Often times he and the Battousai had met in the past, and so far it had come out into a draw. Ryu had sworn an oath, however, that he would kill the Battousai, and to him, it had become almost an obsession. It was an obsession that stood in the way of him progressing in the Shinsengumi because as soon as the Battousai appeared he seemed to forget all about anything else he was supposed to be doing. However, the Battousai always seemed to narrowly escape.

Dark brown eyes searched the foliage surrounding him, and above them, Ryu's eyebrows twitched. "So, if you're out here, Battousai, who's protecting our little fat friend in there?"

The silence that answered Ryu's question told him all he needed to know.

A smile twitched on his lips, and he whispered, "Run, Battousai, hurry to save your traitorous friend. It is inevitable that we fight. It doesn't matter where you go. Today, we will meet and I will defeat you."

Kenshin raced toward the camp hoping that he wasn't too late. He was just glad he'd gotten the boy out of the way before the fighting began. In front of him, he could hear sounds of conflict, and he ran so quickly that the wind of his passing stirred up the vegetation behind him.

He leapt to the top of the wall surrounding the camp and looked down inside. The soldiers were surrounding the tent in which resided Katsui Yasuke with their back turned toward it. Daisuke stood in the midst of them bravely facing the advancing ranks. Surrounding the soldiers were about 30 of the Shinsengumi. Kenshin softly leaped to the ground and charged at the Shinsengumi, his sword drawn.

However, before he reached them, he felt his foot catch on something, and before he could react a net flew up from the ground entangling him. He growled and tried to move his arm around to cut the net, but he was tangled too tight. His eyes began to glow and anger filled him. Caught like a novice! He should have sensed the net, but it was true, he was not quite as alert lately. He closed his eyes and for a moment a picture of a woman standing in front of him her arms spread, her back to him, his sword slicing through her back, and he gasped and snapped his eyes open. He could still feel her blood on him. His Tomoe. His mind was filled with thoughts of her. When he closed his eyes, he could see her, she interfered with his feelings, his killing.

With pain, he wrenched his thoughts away from Tomoe and concentrated on the circumstances that were happening now. He watched with narrow eyes as the Shinsengumi approached him. He was surprised that the Shinsengumi would just turn their back on the soldiers, and he yelled, "Daisuke, strike now!"

"Ah, Battousai, you may be an incredible fighter, but you are still just a boy. Entirely too trusting might I add."

"Daisuke?" he asked, his voice full of wonder, and then the mask slipped over the Battousai's face and he looked at the man he had almost grown to trust and understood the situation completely.

"I see you understand, Battousai," Daisuke continued, his face full of pompous pride. "You see, this was a Shinsengumi operation from the beginning. You've been a thorn in our side for far too long. However, we can never get enough of us close enough to you to defeat you. We also didn't know how to reach you to set our trap, so we sent in Katsui Yasuke. He is a wonderful actor because he makes such a deal out of himself that no one suspects him of anything. Yamagata sucked up his story like a starving camel. Then he sent for you. We were worried that you would sense the treachery, but I see that worry was unfounded. We knew if we could gain your trust, you'd never expect a trap to be set in your own camp. Now here you are, at our mercy, and I know someone who would like to kill you himself."

"Hello, Battousai," Ryu said, walking into the camp. The Battousai said nothing. His stony mask fit into the silence perfectly. The cross-shape on his cheek caught the glare of the sun. "I told you that you were less alert, Battousai, and I wasn't simply talking about earlier today. Now, we have a score to settle. Release him. It is time for our duel."

"Uh, sir, do you really think that it is wise?" a soldier said, darting a frightened glance toward the amber-eyed assassin.

Ryu sighed. Then he smashed his hand into the soldier's face. "Coward," he spat onto the man's groaning body. "Ring us about so there is nowhere for the Battousai to escape. Do not worry. He will not escape me this time."

"I escape you?" Kenshin said, "I don't remember me running away last time."

"If more of you Ishinshishi dogs hadn't arrived, this wouldn't have been finished then," Ryu growled, and the men quickly began to untangle the Battousai's net, carefully trying to stay out of sword-slashing distance. Kenshin thought quickly. He knew that there was now no reason for him to stay in this place. The person he was supposed to protect was a sham. He was a bit angry at Yamagata for so easily being fooled, but not nearly as angry as he was at himself.

As the net loosened from around his arms, he instantly moved and slashed through it with his katana. The net fell into pieces around him, and he sheathed his sword and stood ready. The rest of the soldiers and Shinsengumi backed away. Kenshin stood facing Ryu, one of his most persistent foes, and one of the only ones who was still alive.

Both stood and for an instant everything was still, and then Kenshin smiled and said, "Hurry and attack me, so I can kill you."

Ryu smiled and said, "Let's end this, Battousai!"

With a clash the swords met. Kenshin blocked a downward swing and sent the hilt of his sword up into Ryu's chin, sending bloody spittle flying from his mouth. Ryu, disoriented for a moment, barely managed to block the Battousai's next swing and then he managed to get back into focus as the Battousaid began to go full out. Faster than the common eye could see, the Battousai's blade flickered in and out of Ryu's defences. Ryu, who was no common swordman himself, managed to block most of the attackes and even sent a few in himself. The Battousai flipped into the air and came sailing and down, but Ryu blocked his sword stroke. The Battousai's blade flickered out agian, and though Ryu managed to block the most part, the blade nicked his chin and blood began to drip.

The Battousai flowed toward Ryu and Ryu lashed out angrily. The blades clashed once again and for a while they stayed evenly matched. Ryu roared and managed to get his blade past the Battousai's defenses for an instant and the blade went deep into the Battousai's shoulder.

"Useless!" Kenshin roared, slamming his blade up and ripping the sword out of his shoulder. Then with renewed fury, he attacked, moving so fast Ryu had a hard time seeing him. Ryu barely managed to block his next attack, and while he was still a bit off-balance, Kenshin slashed at him. The Battousai's sword sliced deeply into Ryu's left forearm. Ryu grunted and the fight increased intensity.

It went on for several more minutes, and every few minutes an attack would manage to break through. Blood was dripping off both opponents, but it seemed while Ryu was getting tired, the Battousai was just getting stronger. The pain of his wounds was finally allowing him to get his mind off of Tomoe, and as he did, he became faster and faster.

Finally, Kenshin's blade flashed down so hard onto Ryu's sword that it shattered. Ryu's eyes welled with terror, and he backed up, trying to stay away from the Battousai's blade. The Battousai advanced, but at that moment, all the Shinsengumi attacked at once. Kenshin dodged the first few strikes and began to fight as he used to as an assassin. Three at a time the men began to fall, but enough of them were good enough fighters that they were at least scratching the Battousai in his weakened condition. Kenshin could feel his body weakening. He knew soon he would have to leave this battlefield. There was now over a hundred Shinsengumi in the little area, and Kenshin began to hack his way to the wall and to freedom. He suddenly found Daisuke in front of him, and Daisuke yelled, "You shall not escape! Don't let him get to the wall!" as he charged at Kenshin and dodged his sword stroke.

Kenshin parried a blow from Daisuke, then wheeled around to block an attack on his back and cleanly run through his attacker, and then he turned back to Daisuke just in time to block another attack. Kenshin was now covered from head to foot in blood, a lot of it his, but a large part was other people's as well. He had been slashed in numerous places and he could feel himself slowing down. He flowed from one fighter to the next, but Daisuke continued following him and hacking at him. Daisuke roared in triumph as he sword finally found its way through the Battousai's defenses and sliced open his side. Kenshin jerked, but then his eyes caught just the opening he needed. With a burst of speed, he flashed across the ground and up the wall. He paused on top and then dropped down to the other side. The Shinsengumi members gave a roar of rage and chased after him. Daisuke stayed behind and admired the blood on his sword. Then he walked over to the seething Ryu and extended a hand.

"Don't worry, Ryu," Daisuke said. "He won't go far with those wounds. He had a base somewhere in these woods, we'll find him, and you'll have your revenge. You just need a better sword, that's all."

Ryu looked up, his eyes glittering, and then he accepted the offered hand and stood. He glanced around and shook his head at the sight of the dead and wounded bodies.

"He certainly is an amazing assassin," he breathed, "it's too bad the government didn't find him first."

"Yes," Daisuke agreed, "it is."

Kenshin sped through the woods blood trailing from him. He could smell the stench on the air and hear it drip as he ran. His vision was becoming blurred and he knew he had to hurry. He didn't realize where he was heading until he caught sight of the cave.

He raced to the back and slammed to a stop in front of Omniboshi and Tasuke. Both looked at him in shock.

"Oro?" Omniboshi said, his twisted lips parting in surprise.

"What happened?" Tasuke yelled.

"It was a trick," Kenshin gasped, "whole operation was a trap."

"All for you? Oro, it must stink to be that popular. How many men?"

"Over a hun...well, there were over a hundred, there's probably less than that now."

"Wow, is all that blood yours? Cause I don't remember my sensei having that much blood when he died. Do you mean the imperialists attacked you? Those are the good guys! My Dad was an imperialist and he was killed by the government..."

"Yes, Tasuke, we know," Omniboshi said, rolling his eyes.

"They were all Shinsengumi. I can't believe I didn't know."

"They are government men?" Tasuke said, and the expression came over his face that had been there when Kenshin first saw him fighting. "Don't worry. When they come, I'll kill them." He was silent and he stared with angry intensity at the cave entrance and the blood trail that led in.

"Oro! You led them here!" Omniboshi said, alarmed.

"You're right, we've got to leave." Kenshin went to move and almost tripped on nothing.

"Now just hang on a second. Some of that blood is from you and we've got to stop the bleeding or it won't matter if we run because they'll be able to find us." Omniboshi grabbed one of his shirts and began to rip it into strips. "Quick, jump into the basin and wash off what you can."

Kenshin did, and then took off his shirt. An open wound bled from his shoulder, and a slice was taken out of his side. Numerous other abrasions covered him, but none bled as bad as those two.

"Heh, now we match," Omniboshi said, pointing to the side wound. "Oro, how can you be standing?"

He quickly tied up both wounds and said, "There, hopefully that'll hold it until we can find a doctor. Let's go."

Quickly they left the cave, the now silent boy, the twisted fighter, and the injured assassin. Sounds of pursuit came from far behind them.

A/N: Well, that's it. Wait for the next chapter!