Truth, Lies, Betrayal And Love

Chapter 9

The next morning Rika went into Kenshin's room and saw that he was still sleeping against the wall. She smiled and took a dry cleaning cloth from her bucket before she moved to stand over him. She dangled the cloth in front of his face so that it barely touched his nose and before he thought he swatted at the annoyance and slapped himself, "Oro!"

Rika started laughing, "Good morning Sir Kenshin, I see you're wide awake now."

Kenshin couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm, "You startled me Miss Rika that you did."

"I'm sorry, I have mean streak…"

"Psst!"

They looked to the doorway and there stood a nervous looking Daigoro, "What is it Daigoro, what's wrong?" Rika asked

"I need to talk to you, Rika."

"I have to clean Sir Kenshin's room…"

"Go ahead Miss Rika my room can wait that it can."

"Are you sure sir?"

"Yes I'm sure, go on now."

She smiled and bowed to him, "Thank you sir."

Rika headed to the door and followed Daigoro down the hall, missing the smile Kenshin gave them as he watched them leave, "Oh to be young and innocent."

He looked around his room and discovered that the bed was empty with no sign of the girl that had slept there, "Hmm… I wonder what happened to Lady Kiyoko…"

There was a tap on his door and he answered, "Come in."

The door opened and Naoto entered, smiling at his cousin, "Good morning stranger."

"Oh Naoto, good morning, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, did you."

"Fairly well, by the way have you seen Lady Kiyoko?"

"She's downstairs helping Lady Suki."

Kenshin looked at Naoto's face and saw a tired look in his normally vibrant eyes; he seemed to be off in his own little world, "Naoto?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright, you look troubled that you do."

"I'm quite alright there is no need to worry about me, Kiyoshi. I'm just a little tired is all."

"Up late?"

"Yes, perhaps later then I should have been."

Kenshin chuckled then he suddenly had an eerie feeling wash over him, as if someone else was nearby, one that wasn't supposed to be there. Naoto caught this and rested a hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong Kiyoshi, you have a look of dread on your face."

"I have a strange feeling that I do."

"About what?"

Kenshin put on his usual rurouni smile and laughed, "It's probably nothing at all, why don't we go downstairs and see if we can help the ladies shall we?"

"Alright, let us go then."

They headed off downstairs and as the reached the bottom step Kenshin caught site of two people in the corner and he paused, nudging Naoto to do the same, "Naoto look."

"What is it?"

"Look, it's Daigoro and Miss Rika."

"So it is."

They strained their ears to hear and they heard Rika giggle, "Daigoro…"

"What?" he asked laughing

Naoto chuckled at the site, "That's sweet."

"Yes, do you remember being that young?"

"Not really."

Both men chuckled and Naoto gently poked Kenshin in the arm when he saw Daigoro place a gentle kiss on Rika's lips, "I told you they liked one another."

"So you did."

Kaede suddenly came out of the kitchen and gasped at the two young lovers, "What are you two doing! Get back to work immediately!"

"Yes ma'am," both answered quickly

Kaede shook her head and walked off, missing the laugh that came from the two, "I'll see you later, Rika."

"Alright."

Daigoro kissed her one more time before heading back into the kitchen. Rika smiled and started up the stairs where Naoto caught her arm, "Rika!"

"Ah! Oh Lord Naoto you startled me!"

He smiled, "Are you not ashamed of yourself young lady?"

"For what sir?"

"For taking advantage of that poor boy."

Rika laughed and rolled her eyes, "Oh yes I am just so ashamed."

She waved at Kenshin as she headed up the stairs and both men chuckled before Ryunosuke came up to them and bowed, "Lord Kiyoshi."

"What's wrong?"

"There is a man here looking for you."

"Really… umm… thank you, Ryunosuke."

"Yes sir."

He headed off and Naoto raised an eyebrow, "I wonder who it is?"

"I don't know, that I don't, but let's go see."

They went into the main hall and Kenshin stopped in mid-step when he got within a few feet of his visitor, he knew that face from anywhere, "Saito… I should have guessed."

The retired wolf of Mibu looked up and smiled at the red head, "Well hello there Himura, rumor had it that you were captured and taken to a castle but I didn't believe it."

"Well now you know it's true now what is it that you want, Saito?"

"I was hoping for a duel."

"Not here not now."

"Pity, I was in the mood for a decent fight."

Kenshin changed the subject, "Is everything alright at the dojo?"

"I don't know I haven't been there for sometime and quite frankly I don't care."

"That's just like you."

Saito looked at Kenshin's fancy attire and chuckled mockingly, "I love the prince outfit Himura, you look so handsome."

"They make me wear it."

Saito smirked, "It really doesn't suit you… oh no, now there's two of you? As if one isn't bad enough."

Naoto cleared his throat and turned to Kenshin, "You… know this man very well, Kiyoshi?"

"Unfortunately yes, this is Hajime Saito."

Naoto's eyes went wide and his mouth flew open slightly, "Hajime Saito… the leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi Saito?"

Saito chuckled, "The very one, I'm glad you've heard of me and just who are you?"

"Naoto sir, I am Kiyoshi's cousin."

Saito raised an eyebrow at Kenshin, "Kiyoshi?"

"That's what everyone calls me here."

"Yet another alias for you to go by eh Himura?"

"You'd know all about having numerous aliases to hide behind wouldn't you, Saito?"

Naoto looked nervously between the two and asked, "Um… I take it that you two do not get along very well?"

Kenshin decided to answer, "We'd rather not see each other if it's at all possible, unfortunately he keeps coming to look for me and cause trouble."

Saito laughed, "You cause enough trouble on your own without me, Himura but it is rather amusing to annoy you. And as for your earlier question, I'm here on business only. I have a warning for you."

"What kind of warning?"

"There's a stranger going house to house looking for you, it's only a matter of time before he comes here to search for you, the chief told me to come and warn you."

"Thanks."

"Well, now that I've completed my mission I'm going home."

Saito headed to the door and stopped as he stepped out, "Try to stay out of trouble… Battousai."

He left without another word and Naoto turned to Kenshin with a mixture of confusion and fear, "B… Battousai… the manslayer… Kiyoshi… are you…"

"Oh no! Please don't worry Naoto it's nothing that it isn't."

Naoto looked him directly in the eyes and asked calmly, "Are you hiding something from me, Kiyoshi?"

"No why would I hide something from you, Naoto?"

"I suppose…"

There was a scream off in the other room and they ran in to investigate what was wrong, Naoto somehow beat Kenshin and rushed through the door, "Milady what's wrong!"

Suki was standing on her chair, holding up her long skirt looking fearfully around the floor, "A snake! There's a snake in the castle! Oh it's horrible!"

Kenshin looked around the floor, "A snake… where?"

"Over there!"

Kenshin knelt down by the corner and caught sight of the tail and raised his hand to grab it, earning a shriek from the already terrified queen, "Kiyoshi please be careful, let the guards handle this!"

"It's alright that it is I've already got him that I do."

He held up the snake and she screamed, "OH!"

Kenshin couldn't help but chuckle, "It's alright Lady Suki that it is. It's only a little garden snake he won't hurt you that he won't."

"Oh Kiyoshi put it down it's horrid!"

Kenshin chuckled, "Alright I'll put him out."

He set the snake outside and dusted his hands off before going back inside and smiling at his frantic mother, "He's gone now."

"Thank you."

Naoto went up to her and helped her off the chair, his eyes full of concern, "Are you alright Milady?"

"Yes thank you… but you shouldn't have done that Kiyoshi! You should have let the guards handle it what if you hade been bitten!"

"I'm alright that I am but where's Lady Kiyoko I thought she was with you?"

"She went out to the garden… oh by the way did you see your visitor Kiyoshi?"

"Yes he's already left that he has."

"Was it a friend of yours?"

"Um… I guess you could say that."

"Well I'm thankful that this is over but I must go and get myself a drink, excuse me boys."

Suki left the room and Naoto let out a sigh of relief, "That nearly frightened me to death, I was fearful for you, Kiyoshi you could've gotten hurt."

"Oh no, Kaoru makes me do this all the time at the dojo that she does."

"Really?"

"Yes she always makes me get rid of the snakes and critters that get into the dojo that she does."

Naoto laughed, "One of your favorite chores eh Kiyoshi?"

"Oh yes it's quite enjoyable actually."

Kiyoko came into the room and smiled brightly at the two chuckling men, "I'm glad to see that the two of you are finally up and about. Are you alright Naoto you look awfully tired."

"I'm alright Milady, no need to worry about me."

They looked into one another's eyes for a moment and in that instant Kenshin caught a glimpse of something that he hadn't noticed before, was that love in their eyes that he saw, "Is there something going on between those two?"

Kiyoko broke eye contact with Naoto and smiled at Kenshin, "So what is on our agenda for the day gentlemen?"

Kenshin smiled, "Stay out of trouble?"

She giggled, "That is a good suggestion, Kiyoshi but what else shall we do?"

"We could go outside for a bit and take a stroll." Naoto suggested

"That sounds like a lovely idea, what do you say, Kiyoshi?"

"Sounds fine to me that it does but I have something that I need to do first that I do, you two go ahead and I'll catch up that I will."

"Very well we will see you shortly, let's go Milady."

They headed outside and Kenshin headed back upstairs to his room, looking around for his missing sword. He felt strange and slightly helpless without the steel nestled safely on his hip and he didn't like that feeling at all, "I know my sword's here somewhere… but where could it be…"

He finally found it in the closet and smiled, slipping it into his belt as he passed by the window, "That's much better… huh? Is that Naoto and Lady Kiyoko?"

He looked down and saw the two glancing around nervously as they hid in the shadows of the balcony, straining his ears to hear what they were saying.

"Kiyoko… perhaps we should tell Kiyoshi what is going on between us."

"No he would be angry with us."

"Kiyoko I… I don't know if I can continue to hide like this."

"We shouldn't be doing this at all we should have waited for Kiyoshi to join us, I… I don't trust myself when I'm alone with you."

"Why is that, Milady?"

"Because I tend to say and do things that I should not."

Naoto smiled and twisted a piece of her hair around his fingers, "I wish there was something that I could do for you… for us…"

"There isn't anything that you can do Naoto, I am destined to marry Kiyoshi…even… even if I do love you."

Kenshin arched an eyebrow and scratched his head, "I didn't quite hear what they were saying… wait… are they kissing! Oh my… they are kissing aren't they!"

There was a dark chuckle as an all too familiar voice sounded in his ears, "No Wanderer, they're down there sword fighting."

"I don't recall asking you for your opinion Battousai."

"Don't get touchy with me now… hmm… she's kind of cute."

"Battousai…" Kenshin warned

"What, I'm just making an observation."

"Well just keep your observations to yourself."

"You can't tell me what to do, Wanderer."

"You wanna bet, Battousai?"

Battousai chuckled, "Oh I see, you're having obscene thoughts about the princess and you don't want me to be in on them do ya?"

"Oh course not you pervert!"

"You know she is cute… well… not nearly as cute as our sweet little Kaoru but…"

"You leave Kaoru out of this Battousai!"

"What? I was just having pleasant thoughts about our beautiful kendo master, is that a crime?"

"When it comes to your thoughts yes so just get them out of your mind right now, Battousai!"

"What's wrong with you? Don't stand there and tell me that you wouldn't like to go back to the dojo and throw Kaoru on the floor and…"

"HEY! That's far enough Battousai, don't you dare go there!"

"Fine, be a tight ass then… party crasher!"

Kenshin felt Battousai slip back into the back of his mind and he growled softly, "Jack ass."

"Excuse me sir?"

He turned around and saw a stunned Rika standing next to him and he flushed when he realized he'd been talking out-loud to his darker half, "Oh Miss Rika, I'm sorry that I am. I was talking out loud to myself that I was."

Rika smiled, "I thought you were talking about me for a moment there sir."

"Oh not at all, oh Naoto you're here too?"

He chuckled and patted Rika on the head, "Yes, I decided to follow little miss trouble maker here to make sure that she didn't try to kill you."

She elbowed him in the ribs and laughed, "No, you're the only person that I try to kill Lord Naoto."

Kenshin laughed at them then realized that there was one person missing, "Where is Lady Kiyoko?"

"She's tired, she's gone to take a nap."

"I see…"

"So who were you calling a jack-ass, Kiyoshi?"

Kenshin flushed again and started laughing nervously, "I was… just talking to myself that I was, it wasn't directed at anyone in particular that it wasn't. I like talking to myself because I enjoy the echo that I do."

Naoto laughed, "That is a good enough reason to talk to yourself I suppose."

Rika suddenly gasped and looked around, "Did you hear that sirs?"

"Hear what Rika?" Naoto asked

"I head a strange noise by the window."

Kenshin suddenly sensed someone nearby and grasped the hilt of his sword, "Someone's here."

"Who?" Naoto asked, grasping his saber

"I don't know, Miss Rika get behind me and Naoto."

She nodded and did as she was told. A moment later someone came crashing through the window, hitting the floor with a loud thud, "Oh! Damn it! Knew I should've took the stairs!"

Kenshin looked on with wide eyes as he realized just who the intruder was.

Author's Note: Sorry about not updating, I've had a ton of homework lately but I'm back on track and I should have the next chappie up really soon so stay with me 'k, thanks guys you're all great! .