Rain of Blood

-revised-

Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own RK.

Chapter Two

Scars across the Moon

Kaoru woke up slowly; it was like swimming through inky water. It took several moments to figure out how to open her eyes but when she did, her visions swam and all she could make out was the white ceiling above. She became aware of the sharp pain jagging at every part of her body when she tried to sit up from her original position. She felt like all her energy was swooped away by the single movement and her leg throbbed in time with her heartbeat. Her head was causing a terrible headache and she blinked twice, lifting her hands up slowly to touch her cheeks. She withdrew them the instant her fingers made contact with trails of dried tears from last night, and uninvitingly images of blood, flickering swords and her own scream of agony struck her like a hard brick. Her lips trembled as she searched around the surroundings in panic, hoping to catch a glimpse of something living in the room. When she found none, she shrunk back on the futon with her eyes fixed absently on the whiteness above once more, not even caring where she was.

Thunder boomed distantly as the rain continued to pour endlessly, but Kaoru heard none of it. Her thoughts wandered to her dojo, how she would smile when she saw her family waiting for her return. Her father was a man of honor, not only was he a trained swordsman but also a well-known government official. She would never forget the day her father opened the dojo, she even remembered how many pieces of clouds were drifting in the sky. He told her a sword was not a tool for murder, but a tool you use to protect the ones you love. The sword that protects. She closed her eyes at the thought. If what her father said was true, then why…

She swallowed the lump in her throat and did not stop the tears from sliding down. Her eyes stung like hell but it was nothing compared to the torment battling inside her mind. Thunders struck again, a raging storm was about to come. Kaoru's body shook with silent sobs; her long shadow loomed on the floor making her look smaller in a world that was too unfair.

He lurked behind the cold wall and waited. His calloused hand draped across the katans that hung at his side and took a step closer. The splattering rain roused his ki as a slayer and he knew it was time.

"You die Battousai, and I take what belongs to me."

The moment he tore the paper door open so quickly that no one noticed it until Battousai had whipped out his sword and swept the air with it like a God-like speed. Lifeless bodies fell down individually as he slashed them without any sign of hesitation. Blood dotted his face, his amber eyes glowed in the darkness, there was the metallic taste again.

He walked without stepping on any of the dead bodies toward the final entrance. Droplets of fresh blood trickled down his silver katana, leaving dark blotches behind on the wooden floor as he strolled. His stony expression did not change when he revealed himself before his enemies. Their faces were of fear, crushed under his piercing gaze. Battousai had the look to kill; it was a face only an assassin could hold.

"Don't come any closer Battousai! We've got guns!" one voice broke the intensive atmosphere and a man raised his gun and aimed shakily at him. Others started to aim their guns at him also. Then, thunders of repeatedly gunshots cut through the silent night. Battousai smirked before bullets and smoke filled the small room.

"Stop!" a man dressed in dark green gi ordered firmly. The gunshots stopped immediately; they saw nothing but waves of dust and ash floating before them.

"Sir?"

"Quiet." The man snapped. His eyes tried to peer into the smoke when suddenly something silver flashed. Before he had the chance to turn toward the source of the cry, his comrades fell to the ground with sickening thuds while crimson blinded his vision. His muscles froze rigid cold; standing right in front of him was the Legendary Hitokiri. He saw him wipe away the blood at the corner of his mouth, the tainted sword he held in his hands glared mischievously at him.

Realization dawned on the young leader, so it was going to end this way. "I'm no match for you Battousai."

The redheaded assassin did not reply and rested his sword against the leader's neck. He stared at his own blade and voices at the back of his mind echoed clearly.

The cycle has no end.

In a swift motion Battousai brought his sword up, pausing a second to gather the strength that was going to be needed later, and crashed it down with all his might.

Somewhere in Kaoru's conscious she heard footsteps. Long, heavy footsteps. She sat now, carefully not to put pressure on her wound. She heard a soft click of the shouji door and she brought her azure eyes up to meet the silhouette that stood a few feet away from her. A bright burst of thunder roared and Kaoru could see his body outlined harshly by the jagged light. His dark blue gi clung to his lean body as water dripped incessantly down. Darkness returned abruptly but Kaoru could still see those amber eyes, gleaming like molten gold. Her breath was caught in her throat as another fleeting lightening occurred and she was astounded by his crimson hair, just like the moment she bumped into him under the rain.

At that instant she immediately knew why she was there.

When thunders struck, Battousai wasn't expecting a woman to be sitting on his futon with a look of surprise after he returned. He met her azure eyes and he remembered how daring and obvious those orbs were last night. Her beautiful long black hair framed her petit face gracefully and hung past her shoulders down to her waist; her skin was not as pale compared to their last encounter, but nevertheless they still glowed an innocent milky color that he yearned to touch. She was indeed a beautiful woman. And her eyes, he simply couldn't tore his eyes away from them. A familiar feeling began to spread but he didn't know what those tingling sensations were. He took a step closer to the frail girl as if attracted by a magnet, another step; he stopped when he was no more than three feet in front of her.

Kaoru's eyes never left his, even when he advanced toward her she still held his blazing amber. Strangely, her palm became sweaty. Never in her life had she been so nervous, not even when she trained with her father under many students' gaze. Her hands tightened into grips when he stood facing her, opening her mouth the words escaped before she had the chance to register.

"We finally meet."

Kaoru covered her mouth in shock, we finally meet? Finally? She was confusing herself; standing in front of her was a man she never came across with. Why on earth did she say such puzzling words?

Battousai's eyes widened, he stared unbelievingly down at Kaoru and his heart thumped in an erratic speed. Her words continuously rang in his ears as his head spin in uncertainty. We finally meet…finally…

Strangely, an overwhelming sense of grief crept into both his body and soul and he found it impossible to breathe properly.

It was a very, very heartbreaking feeling.

Kaoru composed herself and spoke "I… I want to thank you."

Battousai sucked in his breath.

"You saved me last night, didn't you?"

He never had this sense of insecurity before, no, he was a powerful murderer, he had been through countless of deadly situations before, even when he faced death itself he was not afraid. And there was this woman, sitting right under his eyes speaking the words that could so easily control his mood, and he was clueless on how this could possibly happen. This was intolerable!

"Who are you?" he asked in a low tone.

Kaoru paused and looked away while Battousai's eyes narrowed in slight anger. He snatched Kaoru's kimono and pulled her closer to his face, he didn't know where his anger came from but he couldn't stand the fact of her looking away from him.

"Do you know who I am?" he hissed.

Kaoru's cerulean eyes locked with his turmoil amber once more. "You're bleeding."

Indeed, various scars were shown on his body when thunder roared. Battousai looked at her shadowed face, "I know that." he let go of her suddenly and turned to his backside.

"Do they hurt?"

"I'm used to it." He replied harshly, hoping to stop her mesmerizing voice.

Kaoru traced her eyes along his firm back and felt her muscles soften. She wanted to stand up but the wound on her leg rejected causing her to yelp in pain. Battousai caught her falling form swiftly and Kaoru had to cling onto him for support. Neither of them moved and Kaoru could feel his hot breaths on her cheeks, and unexpectedly she had the urge to cry in his arms. There was something about his presence, something about the bitter look in his eyes made her tears want to collapse like a broken dam. Who was this man? How could he turn her guard down so easily by a single glance? Or even a breath?

"Foolish girl," Kaoru heard his husky voice. She was about to tilt her head up when Battousai carried her off the ground and placed her on the futon slowly. Her questioning gaze was stopped by his warning glance.

"Stay." He commanded and sat cross-legged beside her lying form. Maybe…maybe he should get a doctor to treat her wound appropriately. He mentally slapped himself for being so considerate.

"My name," Kaoru started and looked at the white ceiling above. "My name is Kamiya Kaoru."

Battousai's head snapped at her name. "Kamiya? You're Kamiya?"

"You know someone in my family?" Kaoru tossed her head sideways and asked eagerly.

"No." his answer melted Kaoru's hope.

"Oh."

Battousai cast his head down. He knew the name Kamiya; it was a name that his boss and organization was against during Japan's chaotic riots. She couldn't possibly be that Kamiya, could she?

"What's your name?" Kaoru's question cut off his thoughts. "You do have a name, don't you?"

He paused. "People call me Battousai."

"Battousai?" Kaoru repeated. He was expecting her to shrink back in fear by knowing he was the most fearful assassin that people murmured about in the darkest nights, but when she didn't, he asked

"Do you know who I am now?"

"Yes." Kaoru closed her eyes. "I know who you are, the Legendary Hitokiri Battousai."

He did not even sense a hint of panic in her voice. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Should I be?" she questioned back. "You saved me didn't you? There's no reason for me to be afraid of someone that saved my life."

She caught Battousai off guard. Her words weighed on him as he grew silent; no one had said something like that to him in his entire life. This girl was full of unexpected things, he thought to himself.

"Gomen nasai, for taking your futon."

No one had apologized to him before also, never.

"…I don't sleep on it."

"Honto? Where do you sleep?"

"An assassin never sleeps."

Eyelashes fluttered. "It's not easy."

"What is not easy?"

Her eyes met his. "I know how you feel."

"How would you know how I feel?" he growled.

Her dry lips formed into a sad smile. She reached her arm up and touched the spot in-between his knotted eyebrows. Battousai flinched when their skin made contact.

"It's so tight, you have so many worries…" Kaoru gently soothed his frown away. Bolts of electricity shot through him and he couldn't snatch her hand away, in fact he couldn't even move.

When she retrieved her hand he immediately missed her warmth. He stared down at her and a realization dawned on him quietly.

Things would be different from now on.

MAJOR changes!