AN: Hey there, folks! Sorry, i just typed ths up fast for you so i didn't read it over or anything yet. sorry if it's stupider than usual. Anyhoo! This is chapter seven but first, as usual, our guest speaker! It's—

Guest: I'm Chibi! I'm from a band called the Birthday Massacre, and personally, I think you'd love our music, cuz it's always melodic and listenable! You need to get our cds and come to our concerts! The band, we all met at college, and that's where we started the music thing for fun, but then it turned out to be original material so we got everyone together and made a band for real! My favorite song to perform at the moment is "the Dream" cuz it's such a high energy song and—

Me: Well, that's great, Chibi! Really, but I kinda brought you here cuz we were supposed to talk about my stupid story!

Chibi: Oh, it's not that bad! Anyway, one time my parents came to one of our concerts and my mom even made a TBM baseball cap for herself!…I cried…(sniff) Aheheh…

Me: Well, then, any questions that you have so far?

Chibi: Who me? Oh! Um…well…not really…I don't think…gimme a second…

Me: Ok, thanks, Chibi! On with the show! You know the drill with the disclaimer, I know you're not stupid!

part 7: Pomegranite

Evening the next night. Kenshin and Kaoru were in Hiko's cabin. Katsura and Iisuka were there.

"Sorry we missed the show, guys, but something came up," Iisuka smirked.

"Something big…" Katsura went on, "And we won't miss this show, trust me…"

"So, here's the scoop, a man was found to have abandoned the government and now works for a criminal group, not a very well known one, but still…Anyway, he's the easy part for now. We just want you to kill him and his partner. They guard a small headquarters and as soon as we get in there we'll probably be able to scavenge up enough info on this group and get you back into work mode. Any questions?" Iisuka explained to them all that they needed to know, or wanted to know.

"Fine," Kenshin said impatiently when Iisuka was finished and Kaoru had no more questions, "Now let's go, before the sun rises."

"Kenshin…!" Kaoru rolled her eyes. Why was he so eager to kill this person after he told her to not to want to kill?

"I want to get it over with, is that so terrible?" Kenshin asked, not looking over at her, but straight ahead.

Kaoru just looked away and waited for Katsura and Iisuka to lead the way. They took them through the shadows quite expertly to a small little house with two men standing outside.

"THAT is the headquaters of a criminal group?" Kaoru asked surprised.

"I told you," Iisuka said, "that they weren't really well known yet. And this isn't their ONLY headquarters…"

"Well, then, Kenshin, shall we?" Kaoru looked to him.

Katsura grabbed her shoulder, "We'll be watching…Do your best, first impressions are important."

Kaoru nodded and she and Kenshin stepped into a patch of silver moonlight. The two guards saw them immediately and got into identical stances.

"Who are you?" The man on the left of the door said, eyeing Kenshin and Kaoru's swords.

The other one said, "If you mean to get in here you'll need to get passed us! We know you're assassins! Why else would you be carrying blades!"

"We just serve as heaven's justice," Kenshin said to them.

"You should prepare to meet the face of death that we have chosen for you…" Kaoru said maliciously.

"I warn you," The man on the left said, "We have not been trained to die, or to let you pass…So if you want to die, step forward!"

Kaoru and Kenshin just paused. He seemed confident enough. But they looked closely and noticed that we was shaking violently in fear. They almost felt bad for him.

They lunged at their opponents, each taking one in order not to interfere with the other's battle. Kenshin took the man on the left, Kaoru took the right, obviously. They were both engaged in heated battles, not the worst they had ever fought, but still good competition. Metal scraped on metal as the four attacked and blocked each other.

Katsura and Iisuka stood, still in the shadows, absorbing Kaoru and Kenshin's every moves. Kaoru was very graceful and speedy, but not as fast as Kenshin, however. But still, they knew she would get the job done. Kenshin was not attacking with all of his strength they could tell. Perhaps he was saving it, and tiring out his opponent first.

The two guards were beginning to falter and sweat. Kaoru and Kenshin were pelting them with attacks, but they managed to block them. Now that Kaoru and Kenshin could tell that their opponents were panting and tired they threw all of their power into their blows.

Kaoru managed to dig a deep gash into her opponent's arm so he was stuck with only one to fight with. And by now he was having much trouble keeping up with her.

Kenshin still wasn't giving all he had but it didn't matter. He growled at the man he was trying to kill, "Give up already! You cannot beat the legendary hitokiri! I will cut you up slow if that's what you force me to do! And that will hurt much more than ifyou let me do it quick!"

"Never!" He shouted back, "You won't kill me, I won't let you! I have my whole life ahead of me! You would too if you hadn't become a servant of death! I'll ease you pain, assassin!"

Kenshin threw another great attack, this one much stronger than the others, and the guard noticed that. Realizing his assassin's power, he stumbled back, thinking quickly, Gods! He's too good! But Kenshin didn't need time to think.

"Here it comes!" Kenshin screamed at him and lunged a downward attack at him. The boy was lucky enough to have attempted a dodge and the attack only grazed his shoulder, blood seeped out and soaked into his clothing.

Meanwhile, Kaoru was throwing swings at her opponent by the second. He wasn't able to attack her as much with his bad arm but he was managing to frustrate her by blocking all of her attacks, even if just barely. Maybe if she could throw off his balance she could get a clear shot.

Since he was used to her trying to hit his neck or chest he was caught off guard when she struck at his legs and she hit. She cut half way through his leg, she could hear it as much as he could feel it. She didn't really mean to do that but she didn't really care. He was off balance all right.

But since he was already suffering and he had greatly frustrated her, the question was should she finish him now or later? She decided to stall a little. As he tried to crawl away on his back she stuck her sword through his leg to pin him down and he screamed in pain.

That's when she pulled out her sword and stabbed it through his neck. He clutched at the blade as if he would be able to get it out and survive but his hands fell to the ground, limp and he gave up. His eyes glazed over and he tried to speak but was only able to mouth the words, I'm sorry, Kiyosato…

Kenshin was trying to finish his battle and Kaoru just watched dazedly, not wanting to interfere but not wanting to take her eyes away either.

Kenshin attacked, and even with his bad shoulder the man blocked him. But now Kenshin wasn't going to hold back. He pushed his strength into his sword and forced the man's sword away and dug his own deep into the man's side. Heis eyes widened at the pain, more blood gushed out and he stood there with shock and pain writen clearly across his face.

They were standing a bit far apart now after Kenshin had jumped back and they stared at each other, Kenshin gripping his sword, his opponent clutching his side.

The voices of Kaoru, Katsura, and Iisuka rang in Kenshin's head for some reason.

W-What is this man's name?

His name is Kiyosato…and it is unfortunate that he must die, for it was arranged for him to be married in a few springs. He's only two years older than you at the most, but he's pretty good. However, unforgivable deeds must be disposed of and cast out of our memories if we ever hope to make this city a happy one.

Kiyosato stared angrily at Kenshin, not looking away, trying to catch his breath. The same confident thoughts buzzed in his mind loud and clear.

I am not going to die…I refuse to die…I won't let him kill me…For her…I will live…we will marry…We will live together…That is why I am doing this…For her…To support her…I won't die!

Kiyosato winced as he got back into stance as Kenshin had waited for him to do. This was it. Determination was set in their minds and they lunged at each other. Kiyosato was going to cut his head clean off, he would do it to save his life to make her happy.

Kenshin was going to tear him apart. He would do it for his boss, his city, his partner…though he didn't exactly know why…still…

One inch separated them from the other's blade…Time stopped…Kenshin's sword was right on target, Kiyosato couldn't dodge it and hit at the same time…But Kenshin could. And he did.

Kenshin's sword tore through Kiysato's chest while he also got out of the way of Kiyosato's fatality attempt. Or so he thought, until he felt a stinging pain on his left cheek, then a flow of a sticky liquid run down his face to his neck. His eyes were wide. No one had ever struck him the tiniest bit except for his master, the strongest man in the world.

Kiyosato fell to the ground and his blood spilled all over the place around him, "To…moe…I…I failed…please try…to…forgive me…Tomoe…Tomoe!" He reached out to a pomegranite blossom in front of him, envisioning his bride-to-be…maybe he wouldn't die…if he could just get to her first. But his vision darkened and he had no strength left to even crawl. He let his face hit the ground and eternal rest claim him, pleading for the forgiveness of the one he was supposed to marry…

Kenshin put his hand up to his face and touched the cut on his wound. He looked at the red on his hand to be sure that he had really been cut. It was unbelievable.

Katsura and Iisuka came out of the shadows now.

"Well, Kenshin, looks like you have your first scar. I can't believe he actually managed to mark you. I guess he was pretty good after all." Iisuka said to him, getting ready to clean up the mess.

"No he wasn't," Kenshin told him, "Just full of spite…"

Kaoru rushed to his side and wiped the blood from his face with her bare hands, "Does it hurt? He was stubborn. More than mine…You should have let me fight him, I would have been the one to get hurt, not you…"

"No…I'm fine, just…just leave it…" He turned his face away from her, angry that they had to see him actually get marked. His ears felt hot from either frustration or embarassment…or both.

"Well," Katsura began, "I am pleased. You are both very skilled. We'll clean this up, you guys go on back to your room, clean up, and we'll keep in touch…"

the next day

In a restaurant. A woman sat weeping at the table, her friend holding onto her hands, deeply sorry. The night before, her fiance was found dead with her hankerchief bloodstained and tied around his sword where he had put it the night she gave it to him and he left to get some money for the wedding. It was undoubtably Kiyosato because everyone knew they were to be married and when they found the hankerchief with her name embroidered on it, it was sure…

"What will I do?" She weeped.

Months passed, and Kaoru and Kenshin we given plenty of assignments. They fulfilled them all. But everytime Kenshin would kill a man his wound would open up again and start to bleed. Kaoru told him not to worry, that it was just having trouble healing. But a year later, that was getting hard to believe.

AN: Ok, thanx for sticking with me, this'll be a long ficcie…Anywayyawn i'm gonna go make me some lunch…say goodbye, Chibi…

Chibi: AAHHH! I wish you didn't have to go, but BYE-BYE!