Wow thank you so much for the reviews! I got more feedback then I expected and Iam truly thankful. At this moment Tomoe won't be in this story because it would complicate things. I maybe change my mind butdon't count on it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any other characters...I no steal, you no sue...lol.
Chapter Two: Kamiya
"Kamiya?"
Katsura nodded. Kenshin slid his finger under the seal and ripped open the envelope. He poured out the contents. There were a couple sheets of paper that Kenshin unfolded and began to read.
"Kamiya Koshijiro." He read aloud. "Powerful swordsman who owns a dojo in Tokyo. Mastered his own style." He paused. "Kamiya Kasshin-ryu?"
Katsura nodded. "Unfortunately we don't have any knowledge on that technique, but you can handle it, right?" Kenshin nodded.
"Why do you want me to kill this guy?" He asked. Usually there was a reason written in the envelopes he received in the past. Katsura looked down and Kenshin felt a change in his emotion.
"Just kill him." He said tersely. "And do it quickly." Kenshin nodded. He wasn't going to argue, not when his boss looked so upset.
Someone who created a sword style has to be a good fight. He thought. Katsura left him in the room. Kenshin read the rest of the paper but nothing seemed to give any clues on Kamiya Kasshin-ryu. I will have to find out for myself.
Kenshin put the envelope in his pocket and went to the mess hall thinking. He felt uneasy about this job. Granted he always felt uneasy about killing a complete stranger, but this was different. He was beginning to wonder what was so special about this Kamiya Koshijiro. Then was no picture in his file, but it assured him that he would be the only one in his room in the inn. The man's wife died and then was no record of a family. Nobody would miss him…or so Kenshin thought.
When the time came Kenshin suited up and disappeared into the dark streets of Kyoto. With his two swords at his waist, he was prepared. He still had the envelope in his pocket and he pulled it out to examine the address. He was close.
Rounding the corner he came to a run down inn that looked like a recent crime scene. Bloodstains were against the unwelcoming windowpanes that jumped out as a flashing danger sign. Anyone in their right mind would turn and leave such a horror, but the Battousai was far from sane during a mission. He sensed a strong chi from within. It was the chi of a swordsman. However he sensed it was idle, the person was asleep.
He ventured inside and was greeted by no one. The workers retired and the guests were long gone. It was just him and his target, which was behind a thin shoji. He drew his sword and slid open the door carefully. He scanned the room for his prey. In the dark he saw someone huddled under layers of blankets. There was slight breeze with a sweet fragrance. He paused as it overflowed his senses for a split second. It was jasmine, a scent he will always cherish.
He blinked and returned to his hitokiri state of mind. He wasted no time in stabbing the figure under the blankets. He expected a groan of pain, but he received was a nasty kick to the back of the head. He fell forward into the blankets and realized that all that was underneath was pillows and dirty clothes. A child's trick, but a successful one.
Kenshin whirled around to see the shadowed face of a person. It had a murderous chi that seemed to surpass one of a hitokiri. The samurai had a sword to Kenshin's throat.
"Who sent you?" the samurai demanded. Kenshin was stunned to hear that it was the voice of a young woman. It was poorly disguised obliviously because of her rage. "WHO!"
"You're not Koshijiro-san." He said in shock. The woman's face contorted with rage. She threw a punch at his right cheek but he quickly grabbed her hand and crushed her fingers. She winced in pain but refused to give in. He grinned slyly and bent one of her fingers back and her grip on her sword faltered giving him the opportunity to disarm her. The woman jumped back but Kenshin was still holding her hand.
Her face flushed whether through embarrassment or more rage, the hitokiri couldn't tell in the light, or lack of. "Where is Koshijiro-san?" He asked wanting to cut the chase and get down to business.
The woman's shoulders slumped and her face saddened. "He is dead." She said. "My father was killed last night." She added bitterly. Kenshin froze. Did she just say he was her father? But the file said he had no family…
"Then who are you?" He said. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. Why was he sent to kill a man that was already dead?
"I'll tell you once you let go of my hand," she retorted rudely. Kenshin's face grew hot and dropped her hand as though it were a brick. He had not realized he was still holding it. The woman seemed satisfied and said. "Kaoru. Kamiya Kaoru. And you?"
He hesitated. "Himura Battousai." He said coldly. He expected her face to be shocked or for her to scream in fright. But she started he down with a stubborn expression that seemed vaguely familiar.
"Well, Battousai. What's your real name?" Kenshin fought the urge to grin. He suddenly didn't feel like an assassin. When he didn't respond she continued. "I know Battousai is a warrior name. I doubt you were born-." She was cut off by his response.
"Himura Kenshin." He looked at her face and found it eerily familiar. Her bright blue eyes pierced through his hardened soul and he could feel her gaze in his bones. It was surprisingly…soothing?
Her awe with him seemed to evaporate. "So Kenshin. Why are you here to kill my father?" She demanded. Her chi was radiating and replaced his comfort with unease. "Answer me, damn it!" Furious tears welled in her eyes, but she paid no attention to them.
He closed his eyes and sighed. He felt her hit him on the head. He grabbed her wrist before she could pull it back. "Damn woman, stop hitting me!" She turned to hit him with her other hand, but he grabbed that one as well. Kaoru was struggling against his hold trying to hurt him. "I was sent to kill your father from my superiors and as a samurai I don't question my orders." Kaoru snorted.
"You kill blindly for your boss? That's pathetic." She said. Kenshin's eyes blazed cold amber. Kaoru actually flinched and expected a blow, but none came. Instead he froze concentrating on something else. Something approaching.
He stood up and dragged Kaoru to her feet. He covered her mouth to suppress her protests. Suddenly she froze as well. She heard them. Her courage was a dying flame and it was reflected in her chi. Kenshin looked at her startled. What caused her panic? If she could bark at him without a flicker of fear, what terrified her?
"Kamiya!" A rough male voice called out. "Are you going to come out? Or will we have to drag you out by force?" His voice was overly sweet and tipsy. Kenshin felt an involuntary growl build up in his chest.
With a loud crash one of the haunted windows shattered. Kenshin yanked Kaoru out of the way of the debris. He stood between her and the windows as anyone one broke sending shards of glass through his back. He groaned and Kaoru gasped. Why was he doing this?
Kenshin backed away crouching out of sight. He pulled Kaoru next to him. He still held a hand over her mouth. She was annoyed but stopped fighting him. Men entered the old room searching for her. She squeaked and Kenshin pressed harder against her mouth. She was quivering in fear and was near bolting out of the room.
All Kenshin had to do was let her go and she would probably be captured. Then he could go home and yell at Katsura for giving him this damn mission and continue with his life in the Revolution. But instinctively he knew that he had to help Kaoru. She was pulling away from him and he put an arm under her waist to stop her from moving. She protested and struggled against, but he whispered in her ear. "Stay still." He spoke roughly and rather unpleasantly demanding. He would apologize later for his harsh tone but now she needed to be quiet if she planned on making it out alive.
Three men walked through the room kicking over piles of trash and overturning furniture. Kaoru tensed and Kenshin's arm tightened. Suddenly she felt very hot. His warm breath against her neck made her senses dull almost intoxicated. A complete stranger who was sent to kill her father was holding her, and she was…enjoying it?
One man dropped a match and bend to pick it up. He saw them crouched underneath. He grinned and then opened his mouth to call to his buddies. But the next thing he knew there was a sword through his throat. Kaoru gasped as Kenshin moved from being right behind her to in front. She fell backwards without a support. The other man ran to Kenshin swinging his sword wildly. Kenshin blocked his first lunge and hit him against the shoulder, his blow grazing off his target. The man jumped back and then slashed Kenshin across the chest opening up his gi and a small trail of blood in the sword's wake. Kenshin wasn't fazed at all and buried the sword in the man's right shoulder.
The next man spotted Kaoru and dove in for the kill. With his sword he slashed at her more playfully than actually intending to kill. He cut at her clothes, enraging her with each swing. She brought out her sword to meet his. "I will not be played with." She said. The man laughed coldly. He had other ideas. Kenshin and his friend were still fighting. He hit Kaoru on the side of her ribcage with the flat of his blade. He was taunting her. She snarled at his challenge and aimed for his head. He moved in a knick of time but she had cut off his samurai ponytail. He froze stunned and then charged at Kaoru, tackling her to the ground. Kaoru's sword next her hands and she gasped in despair. The man was heavy and on top of her. She flinched away from him the best she could, but he was too close.
"I'll play with you all I want!" He said his hand running under her gi and pulling at the bandages binding her chest. Kaoru thrashed against him but it didn't make a difference. "You're mine, wench." The man said successfully ripping open the front her gi and he was working on removing it completely when she cried out.
"Kenshin!" She cried out, not knowing why she was calling to the legendary Hitokiri Battousai. Dimly she heard the other man being run through. The man on top of her was savagely running his hands all over her shapely yet petite body. The next she knew the man was hacked into pieces by Kenshin's blade. It was moving too fast for Kaoru to watch. She caught a glimpse at his face and saw he was completely pissed. In last thing she saw before she fainted was his face was filled with hate.
She smiled as her world went dark. Kenshin stared at her body. Blushing he realized that he had to properly clothe her. Without a doubt she would wake up with a homicidal rage than could rival the flames of hell at the thought of being half-naked in front of him. He closed the front her gi and carefully propped her body against his leg.
"What am I going to do?" he asked aloud. "I can't leave her here alone. Those men's friends will come back." He pondered the problem although the solution was in front of him. He had to take her somewhere else. He was tempted to drop her off on the doorstep of a clinic and hope they could help her. But he couldn't bring himself to consider doing it. He would have to bring her to the inn that the Choshu were staying. He would have to bring her home and hope nobody found her until she woke up. Then she would be let free to start a new life. And then he could yell at Katsura until his face turned purple. It was a plan.
He placed one arm under her knees and one under her shoulders. He settled her in his arms surprised at how little she weighed. He looked her face and marveled at her beauty for one last time before he set out home.
Thankfully nobody saw him slip into his room. He placed her gently on his bed and pulled the covers over her. He tucked her in and suddenly a thought occurred to him. She looked exactly like the samurai in his dream. With a sick feeling he knew it was her.
He sat in the corner thinking with his sword resting against his shoulder. He would steal looks at the girl asleep in front of him. Kamiya Kaoru, he thought. You are the reason I failed my mission for the first time. He knew he should be angry with her but he couldn't bring himself to be. Her mere presence calmed the tides of his emotions and sheathed his madness
Let me know if this is too fast. I wasn't sure whether or not it was. Please Review! Oh by the way I will try the hardest I can to update daily or at least every other day.
Happy New Year!
Silent. Midnight. Rose.
