AN: Wheeeeeee! It's part five! I'm so excited I could die! Just kidding! OK! We have a guest speaker today! Jay Gordon of a band you probably haven't heard of! (Except, of course, Aoshi-sama's weaslegirl. And, yes, I stillhave troublespelling your pen name.) Read this if you had any questions! I might answer them here!

Jay: Hey, how you doing?

Psycho: Just peachy! So, do you have any questions regarding my fic so far?

Jay: Yes, actually. Uh, what took you so long to update?

Psycho: Well, as a matter of fact, that's an interesting story. Ok, I was all set to update a few days after I posted chappie 4, when I found out that my internet had some sort of error. It wouldn't turn on! I swear I was ready to cry! Think of my readers, I said! I felt soooo bad, I'm sorry, guys. Then I was just SOOO busy, you can tell what a great dedicated author I am...

Jay: Alright, and, uh, me and quite a few, uh, quite a few other readers are wondering why you made Kaoru seem so wimpy in the last chapter.

Psycho: Oh, you mean the whole whimpering and crying thing?

Jay: Yeah

Psycho: Well, I was just trying to prove that EVERYONE has weaknesses, y'know? I wanted to make Kaoru , like, this really cool kicking butt kinda person in this fic cuz, hate to break it to you, but I find her kind of a crybaby annoying person in the real series. Sorry. This seemed like a good time to show that this version of Kaoru has weaknesses too. I don't think I'll really do it that much anymore, kay?

Jay: Excellent. And...I think that covers it. Except, I, personally, was kind of disappointed that Kaoru didn't die. I was hoping she'd die.

Psycho: She's a main character, she can't die YET! Silly.

Jay: that! Didn't you say you liked tragedies, and you DIDN'T really like Kaoru?

Psycho: Well, yeah, but think of the readers! THEY might like her!

Jay: But--

Psycho: That's it for now! Enjoy the fic!

Disclaimer: 5th chappie and I haven't forgotten yet! You know the drill! Oh, and I didn't REALLY talk to Jay Gordon. Just in case you couldn't figure that one out. Am I supposed to put a disclaimer on him?

part five: Innocence

Afternoon. Kaoru awoke the next day. She opened her eyes but things were still blurry. But she could see a person with red hair ever so faintly.

"Akage?" She asked in a whisper and coughed right afterwards. She found it a bit difficult to breathe. But the figure nodded.

As her vision began to focus she saw him more clearly. His golden gaze burned into her cold silver as he stood up. A woman walked up to his side. She had inky black hair that fell past her shoulders and held something that Kaoru made out as a cup in her hands.

"You're awake?" She asked, "Drink this, then," Kaoru drank down some of the wierd stuff the woman put up to her lips. Then she sat up, and was suddenly pulled up by the one and only akage who had hovered over her when her eyes had first opened. She swayed for a moment but he kept her standing up.

"She should lay down for a little while longer," The woman told him. He just gave her a death glare and she backed off, "Fine, whatever, just don't come crying to me when--" She stopped at the death glare that pierced her again.

"I think we're leaving today, as soon as possible, if you don't mind," He said with and icy voice, "You obviously don't know what battle is. You don't just drag someone out of a fight because of a scratch, you know. He is our target. One way or the other, we'll get him."

The woman put a hand up to her mouth. Then she brought it down and shouted with tears in her eyes, "You can't! He doesn't do it because he just feels like it! People pay him to fight, he needs the money! They're the ones responsible for his actions! Like you! Which reminds me, pay up! You owe for the fight!"

He stared daggers at her, "We are assassins. And obviously he's been doing something bad or else we wouldn't be killing him, now would we? How about gambling? Could that add to his black record? What about--"

"Stop! Please don't kill him! Please!" Tears were now streaming down her face.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. Nope. Definately doesn't understand what being an assassin is.

"Look, you know how generous I'm being?" He asked her with frustration growing, "I usually would have just killed you and your tori friend and then anyone who witnessed. But I didn't yet so what are you nagging me for?"

"Listen, we're innocent," She pleaded, "Honest! We work for two guys named Kanryuu and Gohei. They're crime partners. We're slaves for them. Please, help us! Kill them!"

Kenshin sighed and grabbed Kaoru's arm. He then dragged her out the door and headed back towards home.

"We'll finish them when you get better," He said, purposely loud so that the sobbing figure in the door could hear as they marched into the woods.

When they arrived Kenshin made Kaoru lay down and they both laid/sat on their separate futons. Kenshin spoke as an excuse to break the silence and think about something other than his haunting thoughts.

"She said her name was Takani Megumi. The tori boy, she said he was called Sagara Sanosuke. Apparently they work together as servants for these crime partners. But I don't trust her. She makes opium and she knows medicine. She could poison anyone easily."

"We should tell the boss and see what he says," Kaoru suggested in a quiet voice, harsh from her injury.

Kenshin was silent. It was probably a good idea but he didn't care right now. He was thinking about himself again, despite his attempts to think about something else. Sure it was selfish, but he was confused. What was happening to him? Did he...like her? As what? A sister? He doubted it. But he didn't want to say to himself that he actually...

Kaoru sat up and winced, clutching at her upper stomach.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kenshin asked.

"Going to talk--"

"Takani said you probably have a couple of broken ribs or so. Lay down," He demanded. She just stared maliciously at him, "Now!" He hissed a bit more demanding. She pursed her lips and laid down again.

He did the same and put his hands under his head then shut his eyes. Let me sleep...Take away the thoughts... At long last, he fell asleep. It was the first time he had fallen asleep laying down since the death of his parents.

Kaoru sat up again and walked quietly over to Kenshin's futon. She kneeled next to him and waved her hand in front of his face. When there was no response, she stood and left. He didn't even grab her hand. He was dreaming...

Kenshin dreamt of Kaoru. Kaoru happy, which made him happy. And Kaoru sad, that made him sad. He saw her dancing in the bedroom after he had chuckled, he saw her hovering over him and shaking his hand before she went to bed.

Kenshin smiled in his futon, but Kaoru did not know because she was not there.

Kenshin dreamt on. Kaoru stood before Zanza with cold stealy eyes, imprisoning them in her powerful gaze. She attacked until she was attacked. She flew and hit the side of the cabin, falling to the ground. He ran up to her and placed his hand over her heart. Nothing.

He sat up and gasped as his eyes opened. Panting heavily, he looked around. He was alone.

"They said they work for two crime partners called Kanryuu and Gohei, sir. They say they're innocent."

"Work for them? I learned that they worked with them," Boss replied, "You say they're slaves? Well, I'll do some research or something and see who they really are. We don't usually make mistakes but…So this Megumi helped you?"

Kaoru thought about when she fought to keep her conciousness from slipping away from her.

She had hit the cabin and more pain smacked her full on. It couldn't be…It wasn't possible. She couldn't lose. How Kenshin would laugh at her when he found out she lost the fight. But she wouldn't know because he was going to finish her off, here and now, while she was knocked out.

No. She couldn't pass out now. She had to get up and complete her assignment. It was the only way to prove to Kenshin that she could do her job. Maybe they could be friends…

She struggled with herself to stay conscious for what seemed like hours but was really only nanoseconds. If only Kenshin had been with her. They would have won the fight together. But he was nowhere in sight. Why? Why didn't he come after her and try to stop her as she thought he would?

She couldn't give up, not now. But despite that, she felt herself being lost in blackness. Her vision darkened and she fought with herself. No! No, I can't! Please!

She pleaded with herself to stay awake. He would come to help her soon! She felt numbness instead of the biting pain as the unconsciousness came. She couldn't move her muscles no matter how hard she tried. Tears formed in her eyes and as her head started to tilt forward one of them slipped out. She felt it roll down her cheek and drip onto her kimono.

Darkness covered her eyes and she felt them start to close.

Nooooo! Please…

Then she felt nothing. She fell into the sleep that she didn't want.

That was the last thing she could remember before she woke up with Kenshin hovering over her. The woman came up and gave her medicine of some sort.

"Y-yes, she did," Kaoru answered painfully at the memory of her failure. And she was still alive, so surely Kenshin would laugh, sooner or later.

"Well," He continued, "Then I guess you can go. Just wait for my order, you hear?"

"Yes, sir," She replied. Just then the door opened and Kenshin walked quickly to her side. He grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing? Where have you been? I thought I told you--"

"Get off me!"She turned and yelled at him. Then she winced, clutching her ribs.

"See?" He said, "You shouldn't have come. You're wounded!"

"I don't care! Right is right and I had to talk to the boss!" She shouted. The boss cleared his throat and the arguing teens looked his way, just remembering that he was sitting there.

"I say that you carry your little spat back to your room and await my decision. When it arrives, Kamiya should feel a little better. Then carry out your assignment when you're ready."

Kenshin gripped Kaoru's arm tighter and pulled as he turned towards the door. She stood up and walked with him to avoid serious pain in her arm. She was finished with pain for quite a while and didn't want to give it a reason not to be finished with her.

Kenshin dragged her all the way back to their room and let go of her to shut the door. He stood in front of it as if he was blocking her from leaving. They glared at each other with their icy stares for a few minutes it seemed, each thinking about the other.

Kenshin's mind was in turmoil. He had never been so…confused…Was it possible?

I have a crush on her, He thought quite simply. And were anything to ever happen to her, I would go mad. I've already gone mad. When she lost that fight the only thing I could think of was revenge. But I have no clue of why I stopped when that girl walked out of the house. I had never done that before. I guess he's just a lucky man. He should be dead for what he did. Argh! I can't have a crush on her! I don't have crushes! I'm an assassin! What is happening to me!...

He noticed that they were just staring at each other and he cleared his throat while looking down.

What is wrong with him! He must be really confused. He's so confused that it makes me confused by what he's confused about. Mou, that was confusing. Argh! Why does such a cute boy have to be so...mysterious? Dark? And most of all confusing! I wonder what he's thinking about...Wait, what am I thinking? I can't have a crush on him! No! Love is not an option for me. I loved my parents and they got themselves killed! If something were to happen to him it would drive me crazy! But it shouldn't... What is happening to me!… (AN: Can you say ironic?)

She noticed that they were staring at each other and coughed, looking away with a blush creeping onto her cheeks as he looked down.

"Well?" he said.

"Well what?" She asked.

"Well what were you thinking, leaving while I was asleep?" he asked. She rolled her eyes as if he were asking the obvious. Which he was.

"Duh! When else would I have left, baka?" She said.

He stared at her. She was right. That was the only time she could have left. But…

"You shouldn't have left at all, anyway!" He shouted.

"There's something I want to know," She said suddenly and looking down at her feet. "Why were you hovering over me when I woke up if you didn't follow me? And…why didn't he kill me?"

Kenshin looked down as well, "But I did follow you…I couldn't just let you die," He said quietly. Then he clenched his fists, "And I would have had him, too. But I stopped. Why did I stop? He should be dead. But I didn't kill him. She came out of the house and I stopped. That's the first time I've ever stopped myself from killing. I'm so confused. I need someone to help me."

While he was talking, Kaoru had walked up to him. She grabbed his hand.

"I can help you. What do you think I've been trying to do?" She said and then whispered, "Let me help you."

He looked up with shocked eyes. He eyed her and then shook his head.

"Come on," She pleaded, "For once can we talk? For once can we be allies?"

He closed his eyes and sat down against the wall on his futon. Kaoru, still clinging onto his hand, followed and sat down next to him.

"I loved my parents, you know?" He said. She looked up.

"I loved mine too. What happened?"

"They died…" He said. She rolled her eyes at the obvious but then he continued, "…of a disease. Cholera, I think. And at the time I barely knew the difference between life and death. That might have been the first time I was ever truly confused. I didn't know what to do. I was all alone when he found me in the graveyard. He told me that my name was too wimpy or something like that and told me that from then and there my name was going to be Kenshin."

Kaoru stared confused at him, "What was your name before?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter," He said, "Anyway, he brought me to his cabin and trained me in the swordstyle Hiten Mitsurugi-ryû. Part of that training was building a cabin. Said it would make me strong. He would tell me odd details about this unusually large home now and then. I learned that it was his dream to rid the world of criminals but he wanted to do so in secret. It is the Meiji era after all. Even though he would be breaking the law, no officials would know and it would be for a good cause. I soon found out that the cabin was an assassins' quarters. And I was the first assassin. I agreed willingly, for I knew that I would be doing this job to help the building of a better world, well, Japan, at least. I wanted that because, well, I grew up in a pretty crappy environment. But I guess the job turned me into a cold-blooded murderer…I used to be a child. A normal child, and now I'm a machine..."

Kaoru stared then asked, "And who was your master?"

"Seijuro Hiko," He replied in a whisper.

"Boss?"

AN: Anything to say? uhhhhhhhh…Oh, for the love of Media Play, I don't know! Just review, please! And sorry for the LAME cliffhanger!

Jay: Thank you! Bye! flips readers off with a huge smile>

Psycho: Jay! Can we try to keep this AN PG-13? Sorry about him! Seeya next chappie!