A New Battle

Chapter 4 - Gaiyo

A couple of days later everyone forgot about the pranking and just went about their daily routine as usual, Misao and Sanosuke had gone to town to see a friend in the hospital while Kaoru and Yahiko practiced. After they finished with their workout Yahiko decided to go see his girlfriend, leaving Kaoru and Kenshin alone in the dojo. Kaoru smiled as she watched him leave, he really liked that girl of his, Tsubame, and she wondered just how far they would go, maybe they would still be together in high school.

Kaoru changed out of her training clothes and put on an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts, looking around to see if she could find Kenshin, she hadn't seen him since breakfast and she was starting to worry about him. She heard a soft sound coming from the laundry room and she poked her head inside, smiling at the sight before her. Kenshin was standing at the counter, neatly folding the laundry as he sang softly to himself, apparently lost in his own thoughts. She listened to him sing and sighed, he had a mesmerizing voice, it seemed to just draw you in and make you want to go to sleep, it was soft and soothing with a slight edge to it. Kenshin suddenly stopped and chuckled slightly, "Are you going to talk to me, Miss Kaoru?"

"How did you know I was here?"

"I sensed you, that I did."

Kaoru went and stood beside him, smiling as she watched his hands quickly fold shirts, "You have pretty good senses, are you a martial artist?"

"Well... kind of, I guess."

"What do you train in?"

"I finished my training a couple of years ago, that I did, I just practice once in awhile now, that I do."

"What do you do?"

"I'd really rather not say, if that's alright, Miss Kaoru."

"That's fine, and by the way, you really don't have to do the laundry, I was just kidding when I said that."

Kenshin smiled, "It's alright, Miss Kaoru, that it is, I kind of enjoy doing the laundry, that I do, it relaxes me for some reason. And besides, I don't feel comfortable sitting around someone else's home being a bum and doing nothing for my host in return, that I don't."

Kaoru giggled, "You're so old fashioned, you're like an old warrior or something."

"How so, Miss Kaoru?"

"Well... you're polite, soft spoken, you have battle scars, you don't like to talk about your skills, and you enjoy doing chores. You remind me of a samurai I saw in an old movie about the Meiji era, he was just like you."

"Was he?" he asked smiling, not looking up from his folding.

Kaoru smiled and sat on the counter next to him, "Yeah, he was a kindly old wanderer like you and he would beat up thugs and robbers when they tried to hurt someone. I think he was trying to repent for the lives he took during a war or something like that, he said that he took a lot of lives at a battle on some kind of town during that time... but I can't think of which war it was they were talking about."

"It must've been about the Revolution."

"The revolution?"

"Yes, the Meiji restoration, a.k.a. 'The Revolution,' was back during the 1800s, it started in 1863 and ended in 1869 when the Imperialists finally managed to overthrow the Shogunate and place Emperor Meiji on the thrown. The battle that they were talking about was Toba/fushimi most likely, that it was."

"Toba/fushimi?"

"Yes, it was the first, and one of the bloodiest battles during the Boshin Wars. It was where the Choshu, Tosha, and Satsuma clans fought against the Bakufu and forced the Shogunate's armies out of the towns of Toba as well as Fushimi."

"The Boshin Wars?"

"It's sometimes referred to as the 'Restoration Wars,' it was a series of different battles and rebellions to 'capture' areas that were still under the Shogunate's control as well as to suppress certain areas that were still loyal to the Shogunate, such as Aizu. It came to an end at the battle of Hakodate in 1869 when the naval units in Hokkaido surrendered."

Kaoru flashed a smile and patted his shoulder affectionately, "My, you certainly know your history, Kenshin."

Kenshin flushed, "Well... my parents used to tell me stories about Battousai and I would ask silly questions and I just... learned over the years, that's all, I'm not really that smart, that I'm not."

"You're kidding! I had a final on that stuff about a year ago and I've totally forgotten it, it's almost like you were there!"

Kenshin laughed at that, "I'd be awfully old if that were true, Miss Kaoru, that I would."

"Yeah, you'd be a walking mummy."

They laughed and Kenshin handed her a stack of clothes, "I believe these are yours, Miss Kaoru."

"They are, thanks Kenshin, hey listen, do you want to run to town with me on an errand?"

"Sure, just let me put these clothes away and we'll go, that we will."

"Great."

Kaoru quickly put her clothes away, being careful not to mess them up before running out to meet Kenshin at the gate, "Ready?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Let's roll then."

Kaoru locked the gate and they headed off into town. Over the course of the afternoon, Kaoru drug Kenshin through several stores until she found what she was looking for and by the time they'd finished she had ended up with about three things she didn't really need. As they were heading back to the dojo Kaoru checked her watch and sighed, "Sorry Kenshin, I didn't mean to keep us out all day, do you just want to order out for dinner?"

"Oh no, I can fix something quickly, that I can, it's no problem, I've cooked later then this, that I have."

Kaoru smiled and unconsciously moved a little closer to him as a cold wind came up, not noticing his smile as she did so. About a block from the dojo Kenshin suddenly stopped, getting Kaoru to glance around, "What's wrong Kenshin?"

"Someone's following us, that they are."

He said it loud enough so that the said person could show themselves and sure enough, a man stepped out from behind a tree and smiled brightly at Kenshin, "I should've guessed that you would sense me, it's been awhile, Kenshin."

The man was about six feet tall and had shoulder length black hair and strange blue eyes as a scar ran along the length of his jaw on the right side of his face. Kenshin apparently recognized him and smiled, "Gaiyo, it has been awhile, that it has, how have you been?"

"Pretty good, I'm just more bored than anything. When I saw you walking down the street I about tripped over an attractive young woman while I was trying to see if I were seeing things or not."

Kenshin laughed, "Serves you right, that it does."

"Who's your friend, Kenshin?"

"Oh, this is my friend, Miss Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled and bowed slightly, "Hello there, nice to meet you, um..."

He smiled brightly at her, "I am Gaiyo Hishatakemi, it is an honor to meet such a pretty young woman."

He took her hand and kissed it, getting a nice flush from Kaoru, "Um... thanks, so how do you know Kenshin?"

"Gaiyo and I have known each other for several years, that we have, I met him when I was a teenager and we've been friends ever since, that we have. The last time I saw him was... what, five years ago?"

"I believe so. So tell me, Kaoru, why is a lovely young lady, such as yourself, hanging around with a street rat like Kenshin here?"

Kaoru giggled at the dirty look Kenshin shot at his friend but answered just the same, "I keep him because he does the laundry."

"Really? You wouldn't mind coming over and doing mine would you, Kenshin?"

"Gaiyo, I love you like a brother, that I do, but I wouldn't touch your underwear if my life depended on it, that I wouldn't."

They all laughed and Gaiyo slapped his shoulder playfully, "You haven't changed a bit my friend, and I hate to depart so soon, however, it is getting late and I have to get home. Perhaps you and I can get together sometime and get a drink while we reminisce about the past for old times sake."

"I'd like that, that I would."

"I'll see you later then, it was nice meeting you, Kaoru."

"You too."

Gaiyo walked off and Kenshin chuckled, "I never thought I'd see him again, that I didn't."

"Because of wandering around?"

"Yes, I'm glad I ran into him though, that I am, it's good to see a familiar face once in awhile, that it is."

Kenshin caught the glare that Kaoru was giving him and quickly smiled, "But I always enjoy seeing you, that I do, Miss Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled and hugged him, "Thanks, but let's get home now, I really don't want to be out when the vampires start to show up."

Kenshin smiled gently, "Don't worry, Miss Kaoru, I'll protect you, that I will, you have nothing to fear."

"Thanks, but still I'd like to get home just one night without being mugged, grabbed or bitten by something."

Kenshin laughed, "So I take it that you would hurt me if I locked you out?"

"Definitely, and besides I have the key!"

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him just as they reached the gate and she unlocked it, quickly running inside and locking Kenshin out, "Let me in, Miss Kaoru."

"Nope, I forgot how to unlock the door."

Kenshin heard her giggle and reached up into his hair, "Lock me out will she?"

He pulled some kind of hair pin out of his ponytail and easily picked the lock open before he went inside and locked it back, looking around for Kaoru as he did so. He spotted her heading into her room and smiled evilly to himself, "I know I shouldn't but I feel a mean streak coming on, that I do."

Kenshin waited outside her door and just as she was about to come out he grabbed the handle and held it tightly as Kaoru jerked against him to open the door, "What the... Kenshin is that you?"

"No, it's the Boogy man, that it is."

"Kenshin let me out!"

"Why? You seem to be alright in there, that you do."

"Kenshin Himura! Let me out of here or I'll tell everyone about what kind of boxers you wear!"

"Good enough."

Kenshin suddenly turned loose of the door and Kaoru, not expecting the sudden release, flew out and was caught by Kenshin before she could hit the floor. Kaoru stood up and giggled, "You jerk, how'd you get in?"

"I learned how to pick locks when I was younger, that I did."

Kaoru smiled, "Ok, I guess we're even now, so do you want to help me fix dinner?"

"Sure."

They started down the hall but Kenshin paused when he sensed a familiar, evil presence. He turned around and looked over the courtyard with cautious eyes before Kaoru tapped him on the shoulder, catching his attention, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing Miss Kaoru, I just thought I heard something, that I did."

Kenshin took one more glance at the yard before following Kaoru into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

As they were cooking Yahiko came home, as did Misao and Sanosuke and they caught up on the days events until Kenshin and Kaoru came out with dinner. After they were finished they all decided to watch one of the numerous talk shows and laughed at the different mishaps before heading off to bed, saying goodnight to Misao and Sanosuke as they headed home for the evening. Kenshin was about to turn in when he heard a tap on his door, he opened it and was surprised to see Gaiyo there, "Gaiyo? What're you doing..."

Gaiyo cut him off short by placing a hand to his lips, "Shh! I need your help, come with me."

Kenshin nodded and shut the door before following Gaiyo out of the dojo and down the street. They went to an ally and Gaiyo paused for a moment, "I warn you, it's not pretty, he's gotten worse."

Kenshin nodded and looked to the ground, gasping when he saw what Gaiyo was talking about. A young girl lay on the ground, covered in blood, her clothes ripped to shreds and two punctures in her neck, "Are you sure it was him, Gaiyo?"

"Yes, he came here to Tokyo about a week ago and he's been killing ever since then. He's becoming more and more brutal with each killing, Kenshin, we've got to stop him before he goes too far."

"Has he converted anyone?"

"Not lately, the last person I heard of being transformed was a young man about a month ago in Kyoto, I don't know of any conversions here just yet."

"How long have you been investigating here?"

"About a year, I was sent here to keep an eye on the vampires running about but none of them have done anything like this. The worst any of them do is bite a kid once in awhile but they don't hurt them and their victims don't remember anything afterwards. This one though, he seems to enjoy killing and there's more and more blood each time we find someone and what's worse is that he's taking advantage of his female victims while they're being bitten."

Kenshin winced slightly, "Damn, I thought that was him that night."

"What do you mean?"

"About a week ago I was heading home and I saw a vampire grab a girl and take her into an ally, I managed to save her but I wasn't sure if it was him or not but now I know for sure that it was him."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, he hurt her pretty badly and after seeing this I'm glad I stopped him from doing the same to Kaoru."

"Kaoru? The girl you were with today?"

"Yes, he attacked her but he didn't bite her, he was about to when I got to them. By the way, have you been sneaking around the dojo lately?"

"No, why?"

"I keep sensing a vampire and I also keep seeing someone sneaking around all over the place, mostly at night and when Kaoru and I are by ourselves."

"You'd better keep an eye on that girl of yours, Kenshin, if she's one that survived an attack then you know he'll come back to claim her, you remember how he works, don't you?"

"How could I forget? He tends to seek out and either destroy or convert anyone strong enough to evade him, and don't worry, I intend to keep a sharp eye on Kaoru."

"You'd better and be cautious going into town from now on, if he finds out that you're here all hell will break loose, he's been trying to destroy you for years."

"I'm aware of that, Gaiyo, but as long as he's here I cannot leave, especially knowing that he may be after Kaoru."

Gaiyo smiled, "You like her, don't you, Kenshin?"

"What?"

"I never thought I'd live to see the day that Kenshin Himura fell in love again, so that heart of yours isn't completely stone after all, is it, my friend?"

Kenshin gave him a harsh glare and looked to the ground, "You know that we can't get involved with anyone, and you know me, I've sworn off of women."

"Really? Then why is it that when I kissed her hand today you gave me a look that could kill?"

"Shut up!"

Gaiyo laughed, that was the response he expected, Kenshin had always gotten angry when you hit the nail on the head, "Back to serious matters, what do you plan to do about all these attacks?"

"I don't know, first we have to lure him out into the open and then find some way to kill him."

"How do we lure him out?"

"I don't know, but we need to find a way and quickly, we can't afford to let this go on."

End of ch.4! I know, it's cheesy, but hey I'm trying. Any ways, ch. 5 will be up soon so read on gang!