A/N: Ah! This took WAY too long to update! Sorry everyone! I had beta issues! But I have my favorite beta back! Yay! Thanks to Nekotsuki for taking over the beta work after my first beta got abducted by little green men.

Reviewers!

hana - Sorry it took so long to update!

ami - Please forgive me for taking so long with updating!

moeru himura - Sorry your wait was so long!

Shauntell - Here's the next chapter!

misaoshiru - Ack! You poked my eye out! How am I suppose to type when I can see! Ah!

BakaBokken - I'm glad you're liking this story so much!

tsumesgirl05 - Actually the torture won't start until the chapter after this.

Shadow Wolves - I LOVED the fanart! I plan on leaving a link for all the fanart I've gotten at the end of the story. I would do it now… but I'm in a bit of a hurry… -laughs meekly-

lolo popoki - I'm not sure if I answered your questions in a review to you… I think I did. Just in case: The answers! Yes! I have read Bakumatsu Mud Fight by koe760 GREAT story! I loved it! Also Shaolin 10 had personal issues that made her decided to leave I don't know the full story.

Rurouni Oro - I don't post it all at once because that would that a lot of work. That and I'm trying to get it all looked over by a beta to catch mistakes so it will be an easier read this time through.

FairyMage - I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Sorry this one took so long getting to you!

Chapter 9 - Broken Safety

The next morning Kenshin and Neko sat together on the back porch. The ground was still wet, and Kenshin gave Neko strict orders not to play in the mud. Instead, the two sat on the porch, Neko playing with her doll and asking a couple of questions now and then. When there was a lull in the questions, Kenshin decided it was time to tell Neko.

"Neko, remember how I told you that you wouldn't be living here forever? It was just until we could find your uncle?"

"Uh-huh." Neko stopped playing with her doll and looked up at Kenshin. "Did you find him?"

"No. Neko, you like Reizo, don't you?"

Neko's eyes looked past Kenshin. "Yeah," she answered a bit hesitantly. "He's nice, but he kills people."

Kenshin looked down at his hands and slowly rubbed his thumb over his palm, feeling the calluses made by his own sword. A sword that had killed a lot more than Reizo's.

"Why do you ask Kenshin?"

Kenshin looked straight ahead, unable to look at her anymore. Why was this so hard all of a sudden? "Because you'll be moving soon with Reizo. It's not safe here anymore."

Neko looked up at Kenshin. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Her stomach felt as if it was twisting in on itself. Why did she feel this way? Everything was fine. "You too, right?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm. "You're coming too." She was on the verge of tears, yet she didn't know why. Of course he was coming too; he was her angel, after all.

"Neko, I can't come with you."

"No," Neko said, shaking her head. Tears slipped down her cheeks. "No. No, no, no, no!" She stood up and looked Kenshin straight in the eye. "Why? Why aren't you coming with us?"

"It's not safe for you to be around me anymore, Neko," Kenshin answered simply.

"No!" Neko wailed. "You keep me safe. I know I'm safe when I'm with you. You protect me!" She sobbed. "Do you hate me?"

Kenshin was so startled by the question that his mouth hung open slightly. "No! Neko, you've done nothing wrong! This isn't your fault! You can't stay with me, it's not safe."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. The only sound was the occasional sob from Neko. Without any warning or prompting, Neko climbed into Kenshin's lap and snuggled up to him.

Once again Kenshin's mouth hung open, not sure what to do with the child in his lap. "But…" Neko's shaky voice broke through before Kenshin could think of what to say. "But I want to stay with you. I feel safe when I'm with you. Please don't go away."

Kenshin hugged Neko to him. "I'm sorry. There is no other way. I don't want you to get hurt." He could feel his clothing becoming damp from Neko's tears.

Neko pulled herself off Kenshin just enough that she could look up into his face. "You'll visit us, won't you?"

"I don't think we'll ever see each other again." New tears streamed down Neko's face.

"WHY!" She shouted, slamming her head back into Kenshin' s chest. "Why can't I see you again?"

"I can't be with you. I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm sorry, Neko." Silence fell around the two for a long time but this time it was bearable. They sat together for a long time, the only sound being the birds and Neko's choked sobs.

"Kenshin?" the little girl asked quietly. She sat up slightly to look up at him.

"Yes?"

"Can I brush your hair?" she asked, barely above a whisper. For a moment Kenshin couldn't answer. It seemed to be such a strange request, but if it made her happy… he nodded his head. Neko carefully climbed out of Kenshin's lap and moved behind him. She reached up and gently worked out the tie that held his hair up in a high ponytail. Kenshin's hair floated down against his shoulders and Neko began to run her hand through it, using her fingers as a brush.

Neko had wanted to do this ever since she had first seen her angel. It was such a strange color, but it was so beautiful. Now that her fingers slipped through the soft locks, she felt content for the moment. Cupping her hand slightly she brought a few strands to her face and inhaled. He filled her lungs and body and she felt safe. There was an odd smell that never left him that she couldn't figure out what it was. It reminded her of a doctor's office, but it wasn't a clean smell. She didn't know what it was but she didn't care, it was him and she loved it. She let the strands fall from her hand and continued stroking Kenshin's long red hair.

Neko let her mind wander as her hand automatically moved up and down; feeling his hair separate between her fingers. She stared hard at the back of Kenshin's head, trying not to cry, but it soon began to blur. "Neko?" Kenshin questioned softly when she stopped, her hand still entangled in his hair. Feelings of abandonment and loneliness radiated from her. It hurt Kenshin knowing it was because of him that she felt that way. He was going to turn around and say something to her when he felt a weight against his head.

Neko placed her forehead against Kenshin head. Why? Why was it when she met someone, they went away forever? Her mother and father, Makoto, and Akina; they were gone and she would never see them again. Now she was supposed to lose her angel as well? Tears fell from her eyes. Why did everyone she cared about leave her?

Kenshin felt Neko's tears fall, wetting the back of his head. He wanted to tell everything was going to be all right, but he knew that wouldn't help. His heart yearned to go with her and Reizo, but he knew it would only put Neko in danger. No, it was best if he disappeared from her life.

Neko lifted her head and wiped her eyes. She felt so helpless. Her hand began to move again. Deep down, she had always known her angel would leave her when her uncle was found, but she didn't think it would be so soon. She took a deep breath and sighed. If these really were the last few days she had with her angel, then she was going to make them happy memories. In both hands she took hold of Kenshin's soft, silky hair and began to style it. Yes, if she was going to make these memories ones she could look back on and smile ...

She was just finishing as Reizo walked up.

Reizo had his head down as he made his way outside. Kenshin had told him that he was going to tell Neko today. He wanted to know how Neko had taken it and he wanted to know if there was anything he could do to cheer her up. "Done!" he heard Neko call out in an accomplished voice, and as he looked up to see what the child was talking about he felt himself choking in surprise.

Neko had put Kenshin's hair up in a bun like the women who worked at the Inn wore their hair. It was sloppy from Neko's inexperienced hands, but it still held the effect she wanted. As Kenshin reached his hand back and felt Neko's work his face went red, matching his hair. "Neko!" he shouted from a sudden loss of words.

"It's a nice look for you, Himura!" Reizo yelled, embarrassing the young man even more.

"You're so pretty!" Neko added, clapping her hands together.

Kenshin let out a grunt showing his annoyance. He put his head in his hand and glared out in front of him. Neko giggled but walked up and took down her work. Using her fingers again she brushed out some of the tangles and then put his hair back up in the ponytail, although it was slightly lopsided.

The days passed one by one. Neko did notice that the faces she had gotten to know were slowly disappearing, but she didn't think too much about it. The only thought on her young mind was to spend as much time with her angel as possible. Kenshin grew to like Neko as a constant companion. He treasured her innocence as she followed him around.

"I have to talk to Katsura and Reizo today," Kenshin informed Neko one morning when they finished breakfast.

"Can I play outside then?" she asked, already knowing she wasn't going to be invited. Kenshin had many meetings with Katsura and other people that she was never allowed to join. She looked up at Kenshin with pleading eyes. "Pleeeeeeeasse?"

"Alright, but don't go too far." Kenshin waved goodbye and headed towards the meeting as Neko made her way outside.

Neko hummed to herself as she walked down the street, looking at the different shops selling their wares. Finding a nice spot out of the way and where she wouldn't be trampled, Neko sat down and held out the doll Kenshin had given her in front of her. She held each arm and slowly twirled the doll as she hummed. "Hmmm, hmm, hmmm, hm, hmmm." She gave her whole attention to the dancing doll, so she never noticed the two shadows that stopped over her.

"That's a pretty song," a voice called out to her, making her jump. Neko turned and let her eyes slowly trail up the two men that stood behind her. They were both wearing the same uniform; she knew she recognized the pattern from somewhere. Light greenish blue with white … Neko's eyes widened in fear. They wore the same uniforms that the men who killed her parents wore. Neko's eyes shot up to the men's faces; no, they weren't the same men as before.

They were both a little taller than Kenshin, making them both too short or tall to be either of the men who had slain her parents. One had short black hair tied in a simple topknot, while the other had hardly any hair at all. Both men had brown eyes and they were smiling down at Neko. "Are you lost little girl?" the one with only stubble for hair asked.

Neko slowly began to scoot away from them on her butt. A low, high pitched growl rested in her throat but neither man heard it. "Why don't you come with us?" the other man said, reaching his hand out. "We'll help you get home." Neko hissed as the man tried to grab her, and jumped to her feet out of the way. Her heart was beating fast as she took off for the Inn. She wasn't going to let anyone grab her again. "Get her!" the man yelled as they both took off after Neko. "We're supposed to have her BEFORE the attack!"

As the two chased Neko they had smug smiles on their faces. How hard could it be to run down such a young child? But as they neared the inn, their smiles vanished. They couldn't catch up; Neko was slowly pulling farther and farther ahead of them. Soon she burst through the inn door and ran down the halls. "KENSHIN!"

Kenshin and Reizo walked down the hall, discussing various things said at the meeting. Reizo was going on about something when Kenshin stopped. Reizo continued on a little bit before looking back. "What's wrong?"

Kenshin felt that something was wrong. He started to put more thought into it when a flash of terrified ki flashed through his mind. "Neko," he said out loud. "There's something wrong with her."

"Where is she!" Reizo said, stepping closer to Kenshin, worry written in his eyes.

Kenshin hushed him. "She's coming this way." The danger he had felt before tried to gain his attention but he ignored it, focusing on Neko.

"KENSHIN!" Neko rounded the corner and ran into Kenshin's legs, hugging him to her. "Kenshin! The bad men are here!" she yelled.

"The bad men?" Reizo repeated.

Kuso. He knew he shouldn't have ignored that feeling. Kenshin grabbed Neko's wrist and began to lead her down the hall. "Quickly! We have to get Katsura out of here!" he yelled.

"Wait, Himura! What's going on!" Reizo shouted as he caught up to Kenshin, who was constantly increasing his speed.

Kenshin turned his head so he could see Reizo. "The Shinsengumi are here!"

"The Shinsengumi!" Kenshin led the group to where he knew Katsura to be. Not even bothering to knock, he threw the door open.

"Katsura-san! The Shinsengumi are here!" Kenshin shouted. Katsura and his two bodyguards quickly rose to their feet, not bothering to question Kenshin's statement. Quickly, they made their way down the hall and towards the back door.

Neko clutched her doll close to her as she ran to keep up with Kenshin. She was so frightened as the sounds of fighting quickly escalated. They seemed to echo all over. A shriek escaped her when a member of the Shinsengumi jumped out in front of them. She felt Kenshin let go of her hand and push her back. As she stumbled backwards, she watched as Kenshin gave a yell and charged the man standing in front of them.

Grabbing the hilt of his sword, Kenshin pulled the blade free, bringing it across the man's chest. The man screamed out in pain as he fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding chest. His blood flew through the air and splattered the people standing behind Kenshin. Kenshin sheathed his sword with a small click as the last bit of life poured from the man.

"Kenshin?" a meek, questioning voice called out. Kenshin turned and saw Neko, blood splattered across her tiny chest. She looked down at the body as its blood pooled by her feet. She moved her head up and stared at Kenshin.

Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide. "Neko," Kenshin called her softly and went to take her hand. Neko winced and backed up slightly. Angels weren't supposed to kill. Neko's lip trembled; she had seen it. She had seen the cold eyes of a killer, and they frightened her.

Kenshin saw the fear in Neko's eyes. He had seen that look in just about everyone he had killed, but seeing that look in those dark green eyes hurt more than any time before. He had touched her and she had flinched. A dying scream from somewhere else brought everyone back to reality. Kenshin grabbed Neko's hand again and led the group onward. Neko didn't flinch this time, but Kenshin could still feel the uncertainty coming from her.

They were able to get outside without any further trouble. "Reizo, you take Katsura and Neko and get them to the safe house," Kenshin said, not wasting any time and pushing Neko towards Reizo.

"What are you planning on doing, Himura?" Reizo asked, grabbing Neko's shoulders.

"I have to go back in there," he stated simply.

"Himura, come with us!" Katsura demanded.

"You'll be fine, but you have to go now," Kenshin said, wishing they would leave. "Katsura, if you die everything we've worked for will be ruined. Do not worry about me!" With that, Kenshin gave one final look at Neko and started to head back inside.

"Himura!" Katsura shouted after him, but he was already being led away by his bodyguards.

"Come on," Reizo said, taking Neko's hand and leading her away. Neko let Reizo guide her as her mind drifted. Her feet moved underneath her automatically as she tried to sort things out.

I'm no angel.- -You've been living with the Battòsai! How many people has he killed?- -Soon the battlefield was as red as his…- -It's really the Battòsai! From all those stories I told you!- -A man with red hair and a cross shaped scar on his left cheek- -I'm no angel- -Did he kill your parents?- -Thank you nice man. Nobody has ever said that to me before.- -Child… I….I think that was the Ba… I think he was an angel- -Soon the battlefield was as red as his…- -Did he kill a hundred?- -Cross shaped scar- -You can't stay with me, it's not safe.- -Red hair- -You don't need to know my name- -Amber eyes- -Soon the battlefield was as red as…-

"His hair," Neko said out loud, finishing her memory. No! He couldn't be the Battòsai! Neko yanked her hand free from Reizo. She had to know, she had to find out if her angel really was the Battòsai. She ignored Reizo's yells to come back and ran straight for the Inn.

"Keep going! I'll get her!" Reizo yelled as he took off after Neko. She wouldn't answer him, and all he could do was watched as she disappeared inside the building.

Kenshin made his way from one attacker to the next. With his sword, he cut down man after man. Their blood pooled at his feet but he continued fighting the unending attacks. Block, slice, scream, fall, bleed, and move onto the next. He moved without thinking, but that wasn't entirely true; he thought about Neko's eyes and how she had looked at him. He screamed as he pushed his blade through a man's chest and out his back. Kenshin pulled his sticky sword free and continued on.

He wasn't sure how long he had been fighting, but without even noticing the fighting stopped. Kenshin blinked his eyes a couple times and took a few deep breaths and looked around. The Inn was a bloody mess with bodies strewn every where. There was a flash of ki from behind him and Kenshin turned, his sword in hand, ready to attack whoever turned the corner.

To his surprise it was Reizo. He was covered in blood and his left arm was injured. "Himura!" he yelled when he set eyes on the youth. "You're alive."

"Reizo, you're supposed to be protecting Katsura. What happened?" Kenshin could feel himself growing nervous but he kept it all out of his face. "Where's Neko?"

"Katsura is fine, but Neko…" Reizo had to take a couple breaths.

"What happened?" Kenshin demanded.

"I don't know! We were running and she pulled her hand free and ran back here. I tried looking for her, but I kept getting attacked." He shook his head. "I'm sorry Himura, but I can't find her." Reizo looked up and for the first time ever could clearly see fear written all over the manslayer's face.

Kenshin walked past Reizo and made his way to his old room. "Neko?" he called out. His eyes wandered the floor, looking for her body. "Neko?" he called again, as he opened the door to the room he and Neko had occupied. It was empty. He turned to continue his search elsewhere. "Neko!" he yelled, growing frustrated. He moved down the halls, swiftly calling her name. He passed the old eating area but he stopped cold. Had he seen correctly? Kenshin backed up and looked in the room once more.

Bodies were piled inside the room. Kenshin entered and looked straight ahead at a little puddle of blood but it wasn't the blood that concerned him. It was the grass doll that lied face down half in the good-sized puddle. "There were other children here," Kenshin tried to tell himself. "It could belong to them." Besides, Neko would never leave that doll anyway. Ever since he had given it to her, it had been her constant companion. Slowly, Kenshin knelt down and reached out his hand to pick the doll up but stopped just over it. What if it was Neko's? For a moment he sat there, not knowing what he wanted to do. Making up his mind and grabbing the doll quickly before he could change it, Kenshin turned the doll over. There was no mistaking it; it was Neko's doll. As Kenshin held the doll, its half red face looking up at him mockingly as the inconstant dripping sounded. He couldn't breath. He didn't know what else to do. He lowered his head and pressed the doll against his forehead. Kenshin slowly closed his eyes. "Neko…" he spoke softly.

Reizo found him like that. Bent over the shimmering blood, doll pressed against his forehead, eyes closed. Reizo could see the blood on the doll and could tell who it had once belonged to. "Himura, is… is there a body?" he asked, fearful of the answer.

Kenshin opened his eyes and quickly scanning the room. There were plenty of bodies, but none belonging to a small girl. "No, but if she is bleeding this badly then she won't be alive much longer."

"DAMN IT!" Hiroko yelled angrily. He had promised to kill both the Battòsai and Katsura on that ambush. Instead, those two idiots fumbled the very simple task of grabbing a girl to keep Battòsai from fighting. Not only that, but she had been able to warn everyone and Katsura had escaped while Battòsai was able to cut down nearly all of his men. "Damn it!" he yelled again.

A shadowy figure approached Hiroko. "Master," the man dressed in black called out with a bow.

Hiroko turned to look at his best ninja. "What did you discover?"

"There are two alive who are still at the Inn."

"Someone survived. That's surprising. Bring them back," Hiroko ordered, not entirely thrilled by the news.

"They are not our men, sir."

"Then why didn't you kill them?" Hiroko yelled, annoyed.

"One man has red hair."

Hiroko smiled; he still had a chance then. "You are dismissed." The ninja bowed and left the room as silently as he came. Hiroko took out a sheet of paper and began to write a note.

Reizo held his arm. It had been glanced in one of his last fights. Now it pounded like hell. As he held it, he wondered slightly how Himura could fight his way through countless battles and come out unscathed and almost completely clean. Speaking of the man, Himura came outside and sat down next to him.

"So her body isn't in there?" Reizo asked, hopeful. The two had searched the Inn looking for survivors, and they had looked for the body of a small girl they hoped they would not find.

"No," Kenshin replied.

"Where could she be?" Reizo yelled out, frustrated. After all it, had been his responsibility to protect her, and she was nowhere to be found.

"How's your arm?" Kenshin asked after a few moments of silence passed.

"Fine," Reizo lied. "It wasn't a bad wound." Silence fell around the two like a blanket. Reizo let out a sigh as Kenshin jerked his head up. "What is it?"

"Shh," Kenshin ordered, as he rose to his feet. Reizo grunted slightly as he picked himself up. They made their way towards the entrance of the Inn. Two voices could be heard arguing. Kenshin recognized the first as belonging to the Innkeeper; the other sounded like a young boy. Together, Kenshin and Reizo peered out from around the corner.

The Innkeeper was a tall man with graying hair. Although his face appeared old his body suggested that of a young fighter. He stood with his arms crossed, arguing with a young boy dressed in the Shinsengumi uniform. His black hair hung around his cheeks as he glared up at the Innkeeper with his brown eyes. "Listen here, old man! You're in enough trouble for housing Ishin Shishi members. Now tell me where the Battòsai is!"

"Ha!" the Innkeeper laughed. "How was I supposed to know they were Ishin Shishi members? They were all the same to me: customers. And I'll tell you again. The Battòsai has never been, or never will be, here." The Innkeeper knew very well of the two men that had been searching the bodies, but he was too loyal to give them away, even if the kid was a member of the feared Shinsengumi.

"I know he's here. Now tell me where he is!"

"You looking for a deathwish, kid? He'd kill you before you had a chance to draw your sword," he mocked.

The boy's face went slightly red. "I know that. I'm not here to fight him! I have a message for him!"

Reizo tensed. "I don't like this," he whispered. "It's probably a trap." He didn't need to tell Kenshin that.

"A message? What's it about?" the Innkeeper asked, thinking the same thing as the two around the corner.

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't allowed to read it. I was told to give it to him and leave. They sent me because they knew I wouldn't pose a threat to him, and the only other thing I know is it's about some girl." Actually, although he wouldn't admit it, the boy was sort of glad the Battòsai wasn't here.

"A girl?" Reizo repeated. "You don't think…" Kenshin didn't wait for Reizo to finish his question. "Where are you going!" Reizo hissed, as Kenshin began to round the corner.

"Stay here." Kenshin took a couple of steps forward.

"You have a message for me?" he asked, his voice carrying venom on it.

"It's! It's! It's the Battòsai!" the Innkeeper yelled, running away to pretend innocence.

"Battòsai," the boy said, speechless as he looked at Kenshin. His eyes stopped at Kenshin's hand, which rested on his katana.

"Well?" Kenshin asked, trying to get the boy out of his stupor.

The boy jumped and started to fiddle in his pockets until he pulled out a note. He held it out straight in front of him. "Here… this, this is for you." Kenshin went to take the note, but the boy's arm was shaking so badly that it took Kenshin a couple of tries to grab it. Once he had it, the boy took off at a run.

Kenshin unfolded the note and read it over carefully. His hand tightened around the paper the more he read. When he finished, he crumpled the note and stuffed it into his pocket. "What did it say?" Reizo asked behind him.

Kenshin didn't answer. He walked up to Reizo and placed Neko's doll in his hand. "Here. Take this and head to the safe house." Kenshin turned to leave.

"What about you!" Reizo yelled. "Himura, what are you going to do!" Reizo's question went unanswered.

Dusk, at an old temple no one prayed at anymore. Kenshin knew how to get there. As he climbed the steps he could feel the ki of eleven strong swordsmen. His instincts told him not to go there but the twelfth ki, the one of a small child, pushed him on. He was infuriated at the sight that awaited him at the top.

Standing in a small group were ten men; in the middle he could see Neko. One of the men held her by the shoulders, and her hands looked to be tied behind her back. She was scared out of her mind as she stood there sobbing, looking up at the men that surrounded her. Kenshin looked her over for any injury. There were none. He let out a small sigh; the blood had not been hers. There was an eleventh man standing just outside of the others. He was the first to acknowledge Kenshin. "Ah. Battòsai. So glad you could come," Hiroko welcomed him.

Neko looked down and saw her angel. She wanted to shout to him, but her voice wouldn't work and instead of a yell she was only able to whisper. "Kenshin."

"Let the girl go," Kenshin ordered from where he stood.

"I don't think so," Hiroko answered, shaking his head. "You see, I promised to bring in the head of Katsura and Battòsai today. You cost me a lot of men today, Battòsai." Hiroko waved the man who held Neko to him. He separated from the group dragging Neko with him. Hiroko bent down to Neko's height and rubbed her chin lovingly. "I can't go home empty handed." Hiroko nodded his head as he stood up and the man drew his sword and placed it near Neko's throat. Neko shrieked in terror.

"So is this what the Shinsengumi have lowered themselves to? Killing innocent children to get what they want?" The man holding the sword to Neko seemed surprised, while Hiroko stood unfazed.

"I'm willing to make a deal Battòsai!" Hiroko shouted over Neko's screams. "I'll trade her head, for yours." Kenshin unsheathed his sword as an answer. "Stop right there Battòsai, or she dies!" Hiroko warned as the man pressed the cold steel closer to Neko's neck, making her scream even louder. Kenshin took another step closer, keeping an eye at the sword to Neko's throat. It didn't move.

Kenshin didn't believe that man had the strength to kill a child. He took another step.

"Don't move Battòsai!"

And another.

"I said stop!"

Another.

"Don't you care about her life?"

Kenshin laughed. "Don't you know? I'm the Battòsai. I don't care whose blood has to be spilt as long as it's not my own," he said, using the false rumors to play on the men's fear.

Neko was heartbroken. Not only had her angel just admitted to being the Battòsai, he had also just stated he didn't care about her life. "Kenshin! I hate you!" she yelled, tears running down her face in rivers. "You never cared about me! Why? Why? You jerk!" Her words hurt but Kenshin didn't let that show. If he wanted to get them both out of this alive, he couldn't let that show. The man lowered the blade from Neko's neck, surprised by Kenshin's statement.

Hiroko on the other hand, didn't believe it. "Then why did you come here?" Kenshin charged, aiming at the man that held Neko hoping to kill him, before he could comprehend what Hiroko had just said. Hiroko, unfortunately, had great reflexes. "Give me her!" He grabbed Neko from the man and took his sword as well. He slammed the blade against Neko's skin, drawing a thin line of blood. "Stop Battòsai!" Kenshin stopped at the sight of Neko's blood trickling down her throat. "Good boy."

Kenshin could feel an angry growl growing in his throat. "Let her go and fight me," he challenged. "Eleven against one are very good odds."

"Normally yes, but not against you," Hiroko sneered. "Last chance Battòsai; only one has to die. Now drop your sword. Drop it and I promise to let her go."

Kenshin lowered his sword slightly and hung his head but kept a strong grip on it. "I have your word then? You'll let her go?"

Neko was speechless. So he really did care about her. "Kenshin." She tried to squirm out of Hiroko's grip.

"Yes. I give you my word."

There was a loud clang as Kenshin flung his sword away from him. He then reached for his wakizashi and his katana's sheath and tossed those to the side as well. As the sound of them hitting the earth vibrated through the area five of Hiroko's men rushed forward. They roughly grabbed his shoulders and wrists as they tied his hands behind his back. Kenshin let them do this without protest. "Your word," was the only thing he said, as the knots were tightened.

"Yes, of course. I am a man of my word." Hiroko moved the blade away from Neko's neck and used it to cut the ropes away from her hands. He returned it to its owner when he was done. "Now Battòsai, I think you owe me something." The men who had bound Kenshin pushed him down to his knees. They bowed his head, and moved his hair from his neck. It was when Hiroko drew his own sword and raised it that Neko realized what they were going to do. They were going to kill her angel.

Her breath caught in her throat and she did the only thing she could think of. She had to save her angel. She had to know more about him - why he had killed people - but she couldn't do that if he was dead! Using her tiny body, she crashed into Hiroko's legs as his blade raced for Kenshin's neck. The two fell to the ground and Neko didn't waste anytime hitting the man. "Don't you dare touch him!" she screamed. "Don't you touch him! I won't let you kill him!" She scratched Hiroko's face with her nails.

"GET HER OFF ME!" Hiroko yelled as one of his men rushed up and plucked Neko off him. "Hold her back!"

Neko kicked and screamed, trying to free herself. "Neko." A soft voice quieted her. "It's all right, Neko." Her angel was calling to her. She looked to him, was he smiling? Was he happy to die or was he trying to be brave for her? "You have to find Reizo, okay? Go back to Kyoto and find Reizo," he instructed her as Hiroko got to his feet. Kenshin bowed his head, ready for his fate. "This isn't your fault, Neko. It's mine." Neko shook her head as tears streamed down her face. Hiroko raised his blade again.

"Don't look," was Kenshin's last instruction to her.

"KENSHIN!" Neko cried as she shut her eyes tight and listened as Hiroko's blade cut through the air.