A/N: I am so sorry I didn't update this last Thursday like I planned... but I'll be frank, this was a horrible week, another one of my teachers died Wednesday and I couldn't bring myself to updating this (or demon).
I am sorry that I have been lax on updates for this story, but it's hard when you have little time and are losing ideas. (But I do have the ending written out... it's just writing the stuff in between)
Tameka-tanuki-jouchan - You were right, it has become more of a mystery story hasn't it? You know that isn't how this story was supposed to go, but recently it has turned out that way Lol. thank you for your input!
Kaoru was pacing in the shrine, what did Saitou have planned? She was almost afraid to find out. It was inevitable, tonight, whatever plan the wolf had would be seen through, whether she liked it or not.
"Ma'am?" It was the priest, he was standing at the door, waiting for her to acknowledge him.
"Oh!" Kaoru exclaimed finally noticing the old man, "I'm sorry..." She stopped for a moment and laughed at herself, "You know, I don't know your name."
The priest gave her a geniel smile, "I lost my name."
"You lost your name?" she gave him an incredulous look.
"My name will stay in my past, where it belongs. You may call me Kai if you wish to call me by any name." The old man noticed her eyes widen, "I have always liked the ocean, it shows so much power, but at the same time it is so peaceful."
"Yes it is isn't it?" Kaoru smiled softly looking at the old man, she still couldn't shake the fact that he looked so familiar. "I know that this question seems out of place but; do I know you?"
The priest chuckled lightly, "Perhaps in another life, but in this one, I would say that now is the only time we have met."
Kaoru nodded, "Did you need something? You seemed to have an agenda."
"No Ma'am, I was just coming to check on you," The priest called Kai said in earnest. "You seem a little off since you spoke with that police officer."
"You saw him did you?" Kaoru's cheeks colored embarrassed that she had let the wolf bother her.
"It's kind of hard to miss that man." It may have just been Kaoru's imagination but she had thought the priest's voice had taken a chilling overtone.
"It is isn't it?" Kaoru laughed to shake off the frozen feeling.
"You look like one who has been through a lot, may I give you some advice?"
Kaoru nodded, she was always open to what people had to say.
"I may be an old codger but trust me, I have been around. Appearances are deceiving. Whatever it is you are running from is not what it seems. I hope you will not find out the hard way. But that is how it is, keep an eye open, stay vigilant, it is all we have left."
"We?"
"Yes, there is someone else out there who is depending on you as well," I believe. "So don't get caught in their trap."
"What?"
The old priest smiled, "Just trust me child."
0-0-0
Aoshi was mere inches from putting his part of the plan in action. All he had to do now was wait for Kenshin to join him for tea.
"You asked for me Aoshi?" Kenshin stepped into the room and sat across from the man.
"I thought we could share a cup of tea." Aoshi motioned to the steaming teacup in front of Kenshin. "Kamiya will be brought here tonight." Aoshi said lightly as he watched Kenshin pick up the steaming cup and take a sip.
"Tonight? Why didn't I know of this earlier?" He took another gulp, the tea tasted different than the stoic mans usual brew, but he paid it no mind.
"You will know soon enough." Aoshi filled up Kenshin's already empty cup, "How do you feel?"
"Oro?" Now that Aoshi mentioned it, he was feeling a bit fatigued; but what did that have to do with anything?
"Never mind, you look a bit off color, take another drink of your tea."
Like a puppet Kenshin complied. It was after he had downed his second cup he noticed that the world around him seemed to spin. "Or-" but he didn't get his quirk out in time before he flopped face first on the low to the ground table.
"Shiro," Aoshi turned to the Oniwaban that was sitting outside of the room. "Take Himura back to his room, make sure you take the back way, we don't want take the risk of unwanted eyes upon us."
"Yes Lord Aoshi."
0-0-0
It was nightfall and Kaoru was pacing around the shrine again, her nerves were on end, something bad was going to happen she just knew it.
"Calm down raccoon, you are making yourself look even more pathetic than usual." Saitou's voice cut straight through any thoughts she had been thinking.
Kaoru didn't respond to the insult she just stared at him not daring to ask the obvious question.
"We are going to disguise you, you seemed to like doing that at the port in Hokkaido."
"Shove it wolf."
"No sense in idle threats, I am the only thing that can help you right now."
"Is that so?"
"Put this on." Saitou threw Kaoru a parcel, it was heavy, it obviously had more than just clothes in it.
Peeling back the brown wrapping one glance at it and she knew this is what she was dreading.
"No way in hell." She stated flatly shaking her head. A girl could only go so far.
"It's either that or you wait here to see how long it takes for those stupid ingrates find you."
"Couldn't you have picked out a different disguise?" Kaoru pulled out a pink gi and a flaming red wig. "Or do you have some twisted sense of humor?"
"I could have gotten one of the oniwaban itachi garbs but I thought you would be more comfortable in that."
"Does Kenshin know that I am dressing up as him?"
"Probably not, Shinamori drugged him."
"He did what!"
0-0-0
A black carriage rolled down the streets of Kyoto towards the governmental buildings. Inside sat a lonely ambassador. He sat calmly not knowing that his fate would soon come to an end.
Dearest Sister,
He was writing a letter to the sister that he left back home.
I hope everything is well, I am presently on my way back to my room, today has been a long day. We are still trying to quell the threat of this rouge murderer that has escaped from a prison recently, but we are making progress, and things can only get better from this point on.
He stopped writing on the creamy white paper to think what else he could say to entertain his dear little sister.
"I have come for your life."
The words cut straight through any thought he had. Likewise the blade of his assailant cut through him. No one would know of the demise of this man until the carriage finally stopped at its final destination, its occupant never making it that far. When they opened the carriage door a letter that will never be complete floated to the ground.
Things can only get better...
0-0-0
Kaoru finally complied with Saitou. She felt weary about the idea of dressing up as the one who was supposed to protect her (oh the irony!). "When this is all over you will pay for this."
"Enough with the idle threats Kamiya, they are getting old." Saitou said irritated, how long does it take one person to dress?
Kaoru stepped out of the shrine, she had basically forced the wolf to wait outside the complex.
"One problem."
"Eh?"
"Put this on your cheek," The wolf handed the girl a bandage, she couldn't replicate the samurai's trademark scar so they came up with a simple yet subtle solution to that, hide that which isn't even there. "Take this, there is no sword, just the hilt and sheath, we're on a limited budget." Ah yes Kaoru had almost forgot about a sword. It was the perfect way to top off her faux rurouni look.
It was sad how well she looked the part. Kenshin was graced with very feminine features, and Kaoru had a natural tomboy air, the two things seemed to meld and make the perfect guise for the girl. Yes there were defiantly major differences in their appearance, but in the dark no one would notice. Or at least that was what the Wolf and the girl were banking on.
"Let's go," It was a command, Saitou was already starting to get a headache, a wolf could stand only so much of the girl in one day. How battousai put up with it on a daily bases he would never know, maybe he was the stronger man... nah!
To be continued...
A/N: Yay Kaoru's actually going somewhere! Sorry if this is bad, I only edited it through once.