Disclaimer: All hail Nobuhiro Watsuki for making such a great story. In other words, Rurouni Kenshin isn't my story.

Chapter 8:
In A Year's Time

Cling.

The crisp sound of two swords clashing chimed in the dark, mid-autumn night.

"I know that you are a hitokiri... an assassin," Akiko's soft voice echoed through Kenshin's mind.

"AHHHH!" The pricing cry of a man screaming in pain echoed in the narrow side streets as the full moon shone over the ancient city of Kyoto.

"Do you enjoy taking the lives of others?"

Kenshin watched the bloodied man on the floor for a moment. It had been nearly five months since the scent of blood filled the air around him so heavily. Up until now, he had never noticed how much he detested the smell. The man on the floor continued to mutter something with his last breaths as he tried to reach out to one of the swords that lay only inches from his hand. Even if he could not yield the weapon he was reaching for, Kenshin knew that this man would not die without a fight.

"Not the in the least..." he responded softly as he gave the man one last sad look.

"Then why do you want to return to Kyoto?"

"There are people that must be protected..." The young assassin grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands, angling the blade downward as he stood over his fallen victim. The man on the ground continued to murmur something between the gargling sounds he made as blood dripped from the pool that had formed in his mouth. The red haired hitokiri shut his eyes tightly as he thrust his weapon with all his might into the back of the man's head.

"You are not protecting. You are killing to let others have their ways."

Silence.

The young man opened his eyes again, still leaning on his weapon. He looked down at the now dead man. The blood that poured from the dead man's head crept between the small cracks of the stone paved street, seeping into the earth below. "Men will never change their way of thinking," he looked up at the three other fallen men on the cold earth, "only by eliminating those who oppress will others have the chance to live better lives under a new government." Kenshin drew his sword back. He watched as a few drops of blood splattered on the cold ground, dripping from the tip of his weapon. He reached into the sleeve of his kimono and took a few sheets of thick rice paper. Slowly he wiped clean his sword as he continued to look around. "This is the only way this one can protect those who will bring about that new government."

After returning his sword into its sheath, the young assassin pinned a sheet of paper with one of the fallen men's bloody swords to a nearby wall, a simple note stating that the Chôshû clan claimed the lives of these men. Kenshin looked back at the fallen men one last time before trotting away and disappearing into the shadows. The bodies would not be found until the sun rose the next day.

--

Three months passed and the winter season finally arrived in Kyoto. Snow had lightly fallen over the last month and a half, blanketing the city in a thin but bitterly cold layer of snow. Kenshin sat leaning against one of the beams of the veranda that lead from the sleeping quarters to the main hall of the old inn he and his comrades now occupied as a home. It had been five nights since he had last slain a man and the sickening feeling he would normally get in his stomach still lingered. His violet blue eyes scanned the winter sky aimlessly in the late night hours to distract his mind from this guilty feeling he had. Tiny puffs of white frosted air formed with each breathe he took. The small garden before him had been blanketed with snow and now glowed an almost ghostly white tone under the moon's soft light. "Akiko..." he whispered to himself.

His eyes slid close as he tugged on the blanket around his shoulders. The faint, moist sent of the earth reminded him of the cherry blossom perfume that Kuniko had given Akiko well before his arrival. Every day she had delicately placed a drop or two of that perfume on her jaw just below and behind her ears. He had never really noticed that sent until that late summer night when his lips were eagerly pressed onto her soft skin. The velvety soft feel of her skin under his hands had been enticing.

Kenshin let out a heavy and long sigh. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest at the thought of having Akiko with him again. He had left Nara nearly four months ago, and he had longed every day be with her again. Yet he knew that he couldn't. He didn't want to put her in any danger. He knew full well that groups fighting for the Shogunate were ruthless in their ways. They had already slain entire families and anyone else who was associated to a revolutionary in order to "send a message" to their enemies that they will take any and all means necessary to counter any revolutionary.

"Is something the matter Himura-san?" the familiar voice of Kogoro Katsura came from across the tiny snow covered garden. Startled, the young man looked up and across the yard to where the leader of the Chôshû clan stood. His dark blue kimono was wrapped tightly around him as he tugged on a much thicker looking jacket. Even in the late hours of the night his hair was still neatly brushed back, with the exception of a few strands that fell carelessly over his eyes. His dark brown eyes were locked onto the young red-haired man.

"It's nothing Kogoro-san," Kenshin forced a smile.

Silently, Katsura made his way to the young man. The snow made a soft crunching sound with every step the man took. He carefully tucked his kimono under him as he sat down next to the youth. "Akiko," he said as he looked up at the moon hanging low in the night sky. Kenshin's eyes widened as the feeling of his blood running cold in his veins came and went. "That is the name that you have whispered to yourself, is it not?" he questioned turning his attention to the young man.

Kenshin sat bewildered at the question set before him. His lips slightly moved, but his mouth was unable to form words. His violet eyes examined every feature on the face of his elder as the astonished look on his own face began to slowly diminish. "Yes," he finally managed to say.

"May I ask who she is?"

The young man hesitated for a moment. "She is the young woman who took care of this one while he was injured."

"I see," Katsura's breath made a single puff in the chilled air. "It seems like you have taken a liking to her while you were injured... am I not right?"

Kenshin's cheeks flushed red as he solemnly nodded. The two sat quietly for a moment in the frigate night air. "How did you know?" Kenshin's timid voice finally broke the silence.

A smile curved Katsura's lips. "I have overheard you speak that name more then once Kenshin-san... especially when you are deep in thought." Silence filled the air once again as the two sat waiting for the other to speak again. "Will you ever return to see her?"

Again the young man sighed heavily. "That can't be done," he said sorrowfully, "this one wishes no harm to come to her. It is too dangerous for her to even know me."

"I see," Katsura looked down at the young man thoughtfully.

"But, this one does wish to see her once this is all over." A slight, hopeful smile crossed the young man's features and then vanished as fast as it had come.

Katsura's attention returned to the half moon that was beginning to set. He too was well aware of the dangers that fell onto any person associated with a revolutionary. He sat deep in thought at the situation at hand. Himura Kenshin was the best assassin he had at his side and it was thanks to this young man that he and many other were still alive. Yet, it seemed that too much was expected of this youth and he in return had gone through great pains to meet those expectations. "If you wish, Ken-san," his voice came sympathetically, "you may leave this place to go to her."

The young man looked up surprised. "But..."

"It is the very least I can offer after having have used you as bait in such a vicious way." The young hitokiri looked up at his elder. After having retuned to Kyoto in mid September, he had learned that he and his fellow comrades had been used as decoys in their mission earlier that year. The man they had been escorting from Osaka was not Okubo Tochimichi, but rather a follower of his.

With the help of his childhood friend, Saigo Takamori and Tochimichi had gathered enough intelligence suggesting that the Shinsengumi were well aware of his travel to Kyoto. Fearing an assassination attempt on Tochimichi's life, the two decided last minute to send out a decoy with Katsura's group.

"That does not matter... this one's duty is to protect you, my fellow swordsmen, and anyone else you deem important to the future of this country."

"The question is, do you really wish to sacrifice your personal happiness for the sake of others'?"

Kenshin looked down at the snow below his feet. He did wish to help others by all means necessary, after all, that was the reason he had left his master's side nearly two years earlier. He truly did believe that he could make a great change in this world and wanted to. But at the same time his heart ached with each passing day to return to Akiko's side.

"The offer will stand," Katsura patted the young man's shoulder, "you may leave whenever you wish to." The red haired youth watched as his elder rose and made his way across the snow covered garden. Katsura's head hung low as he tugged at his jacket again. He stopped briefly before entering the building where he slept and looked over at the young man. A warm looking smile crossed his face as he nodded to the young man before he finally disappeared from sight.

Kenshin continued to sit the rest of night on the veranda. He wondered if he could really just leave behind all the fighting that he had token up in order to be with Akiko. His strong feelings for both the young woman and his choice of helping create a better world lingered in his mind as snow began to fall in the early morning hours. With one final sigh, the young man got up from his place and made his way to his room as the sky began to glow a faint blue in the distance.

--

The blazing hot summer air was thick with the sent of moist earth. A slight drizzle had fallen only hours ago before the sun rose from behind the eastern mountains. The birds in the area chirped loudly as wagons and other travelers made their way past a young man. The young man of about seventeen years of age casually walked along the road that lead from Kyoto to Nara. Even though he did not live in the surrounding region he was very familiar with his surroundings. It had been these same forested areas that he had once taken long walks through only a year ago. A deep smile crossed the young red haired man's lips as he came to the final bend of the road. Below him lay the city of Nara, nestled quietly in thick forests and high mountains. It had taken him all night and probably a scowling by Saigo when he returned to Kyoto, but he finally made it to Nara.

Kenshin walked down the familiar avenues at the edge of the city. Although he got lost a few times, he finally managed to find his way to the small farmhouse that he had occupied only a year earlier. He knocked on the wooden door of the home.

"Yes?" the door slid open a crack. From behind the door a pair of brown eyes widened as they looked at the young man standing outside. "Kenshin!" Akiko gasped as she slid the door completely open.

"WHO!" a voice shrieked inside the house.

The young man looked over past Akiko. Kuniko was sitting at the small table near the center of the room as her maid fanned some air in her mistress's direction. Both their jaws hung wide open as they looked at the young man standing outside.

"Good morning," Kenshin bowed slighted in their direction as he entered the house.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Kuniko stood up furiously. The young maid fell back looking up at her mistress in surprise.

Without a moment's warning, the geisha took hold of the kettle sitting on the table and threw it with all her might at the young man. Instinctively, Kenshin brought his hands before him and caught the object. His fingers had barely begun to wrap themselves around the kettle before a stinging sensation raced through his hands. "AGGHHH!" he exclaimed releasing it. The steaming hot kettle fell to the floor, splashing the hot tea all over his feet. He began to blow at his hands as the burning feeling continued to tingle.

"Kuniko-san!" Akiko yelled surprised at the woman's actions.

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

Kenshin looked up in time to see a tea cup crossing the room in his direction. Again, he caught the flying object, stepping back as the tea fell out of it and onto the tatami matted floor. "Orrooo...?" he looked over at the young maid with a baffled expression only to receive what looked to be a mixture of pity and despair from the young girl. A question began to leave his lips as he looked back at Kuniko, but he was cut off as the geisha threw another cup at him. Again, he caught the cup. Quickly placing the two cups on the floor near his feet he raced over to Kuniko as she reached over the table and took a third cup in her hands. Before she was able to throw the item in her hands at him, the young hitokiri took a firm grip on her hand, forcing the cup out of her grasp.

"UNHAND ME!" she slapped him. The sharp sound of her hand connecting on the young man's face made both Akiko and the young maid jump.

Kenshin stepped back a few steps placing his hand on the side of his bewildered face. He watched as Kuniko searched her surroundings to find another object to hurl in his direction, but found nothing.

"Kuniko-san!" Akiko yelled, "what is wrong with you?"

Kuniko glanced over at the young girl then at the assassin again, giving him a death glare. He returned her gaze taken aback at the sudden situation. Sure Kuniko had not liked him from the beginning, but he had always been well mannered and proper when addressing her. Never once had he done anything to insult her, or at least he couldn't recall anything out of place.

"It's all his fault," she hissed between her teeth still glaring at the confused young man. "I swear I'll kill him. He ruined it all. Everything!"

Akiko looked at her friend a bit puzzled. "I told you already," she began timidly, "I will not be told what to do in my life."

"Oro..." Kenshin began, "What has this one done to upset you so, Nitta-san?"

Kuniko glared at him once more. Her white painted face scrunched up with anger. The red eye shadow on the outermost part of the woman's eyes helped make the illusion that her eyes were glowing red with rage. "Are you stupid or do you just act it!" Kenshin narrowed his eyes at her as she continued to yell at him. "You make yourself all homely for a few months and then take off like nothing ever happened! Then you dare to show your face after a year! A WHOLE YEAR!"

"Kuniko..." Akiko said in an almost whisper, "maybe you should go. It is getting late and you have to work tonight..."

Kuniko turned to Akiko. "And leave you with that?" she pointed at dumbstruck young man. "NEVER AGAIN!"

The four occupants of the room remained silent as the buzzing sound of insects from the woods behind the small house grew louder. Soon, a completely different sound filled the air. The cries of an infant directed their attention to Akiko's room. The fusuma and shôji doors to her room were wide open, letting air circulate through the house. Kenshin was taken aback as he realized that Akiko's futon was still laying spread out on the floor. Akiko wasn't one to leave her room in the morning without tiding it up. Soon, his eyes fell on to a small bundle laying in the middle of the futon. A small infant began to wave its hands in the air as it continued to cry. Before he could question about the small child, Akiko rushed past the group and into her room. Kneeling down on her futon she carefully took the child in her arms.

"It's alright," Akiko rocked the child back and forth gently in her arms. Kenshin continued to watch from his place.

"Are you happy with what you have done?" Kuniko's ice cold voice came from the young man's left. Kenshin glanced over at the geisha with his jaw slightly opened as she strolled up to him. An evil smirk on her blood red lips caused his eyes to widen. He stared at her confused. He watched as her eyes left him and settled on Akiko. Unconsciously, he followed her gaze onto the young woman. His violet blue eyes widened as he stared at the child's hair. At first glance, the infant's hair looked to be a dark brown, but as he continued to stare he soon realized it to be a very dark red hue.

"She had completely given up hope that you would return," her voice suddenly became sweeter with each word spoken. "She was going to begin her training as a maiko in only a few more weeks." Her right hand reached up and gently touched the young man's left check. A sudden rush of fear consumed the young man. His violet blue eyes widened even more as he took a step back. Kenshin immediately began to question himself why he was beginning to feel this sudden fear towards this woman. Her slender fingers continued to reach out until they finally touched his face again. Slowly her finger tips followed the cross shaped scare from nearly his chin up to the side of his left eye. "She was going to do all of this for the sake of her daughter," her hand lightly tucked the array of flowing red hair behind the young man's ear. "For your daughter!" her eyes narrowed angrily on the young man as she took a firm grip on his ear, pulling it downward.

Kenshin felt a rush of pain flow over the left side of his face as the geisha twisted and pulled downward on his ear. He clasped his hands on the woman's wrist and tried to pry himself free without hurting her, but was unable to. He grinded his teeth in pain as she continued to twist his ear, forcing him down to his knees.

"Kuniko-san!" Akiko called from her room.

The geisha glanced over at the young woman, her dark brown eyes settling on the young woman holding her infant child before returning to the young hitokiri at her feet. Once more she smiled wickedly as she bent over the young man. "Next time you decide to leave, make sure you never return," she whispered menacingly. In an instant, she released the young assassin's ear and made her way to the door, her maid at her heels. "I will be waiting for you in two weeks, Akiko Dear," she looked up one last time, "remember, you need a successful job that will secure your child's life now." With those last words, Kuniko and her maid disappeared from sight as the front door was slid close.

Kenshin sat on the tatami mats rubbing his ear. His eyes narrowed angrily at the now closed door before he directed his attention back to Akiko. The young woman jumped back as the hitokiri glanced at him. Her lips slightly curled into an uneasy smile as she continued to rock the child in her arms. "Umm..." she began stammering, "I really didn't think you'd ever come back..." She looked down the infant in her arms. He continued to watch in silence as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Kuniko-san was right... I could never care for a child with the earnings of a waitress... much less when they don't need me and will fire me whenever they please..."

Without realizing it, Kenshin got up from his place and made his way to Akiko. His heart pounded in his chest as he wrapped his arms around the young woman and the child. In the little over a year that he had stayed away from Nara, it had never crossed his mind that he had fathered a child. "If this one would have known..." his trailed off softly.

"I wanted so much to tell you," she buried her face in his shoulder, "but I had no idea where to look for you." A few tears began to flow down her cheeks and onto the young man's gii. "I'm so happy that you came back..."

Kenshin looked down at the small child in Akiko's arms. "Her name is Sakura," Akiko whispered.

----
A/N: Hurray! I uploaded two chapters in one day! You must all be happy to get so much to read. Now that I think about it, you guys (including myself) probably don't read many books and stuff like that. The only reading we're probably getting is off the internet, fanfics and research stuff hu? Well, at least I'm stimulating you guys' brains a lil, so this isn't a total waste of time as my mother has said. ENJOY!