Ok sorry it's been a long timebut i wanted to make sure that this one was longer than the last.

Warnings:bloodPG-13

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Sorrow & Pain

Kenshin fell back onto the hard wooden floor.

"Who are you?"

The ninja didn't answer. Kenshin knew what he was going to do if it was déjà vu! Was this another dream? He pinched and punched himself over and over again feeling the stinging, searing pain every time. The ninja opened his mouth and took in a breath to say something.

"You…Shinta…are now branded with the burden of murder..."

The green eyed ninja whispered. Kenshin's eyes widened as the ninja grabbed his own sword and shoved it through his own gut

"I have come to turn you into…this Shinta… you will be the greatest nightmare known to Japan…"

The ninja coughed and hacked up some dark red blood. How did he know his real name? The name his parents gave him! Kenshin stood there puzzled by the ninja's actions. He knew this person, someone that he had known before Hiko, but who? Kenshin bent down to unmask the now grey eyed ninja. As he did so he knew right away, this was the man who had killed his parents. His memory of his parents was very faint, but their death was as clear as day. Why did he say those things? Kenshin was no murderer! Kenshin looked around at the blood stained wooden floor that Remiyu had worked so hard to get so clean. He was…in fact…a murderer. He had caused this. He collapsed onto the floor blood soaking into his hakama's.

"I want to help people! Not kill them!

He whispered. He didn't want to be a murderer; he wanted to be people's savior, not their nightmare. Now he had caused this blood. These men were not innocent, so he had stuck to what he wanted to do. But now he, he himself was not innocent! What if these killers had families? His heart then hardened.

"He killed my family though, they…they killed my family!"

He whispered. He still grieved for the blood and pain he had created, but at the same time he was…happy…happy that they who had killed his parents, who had prevented him from obtaining a normal life, were dead. He sat there blood dripping from his red locks. It made no difference, he was a murderer. He wanted this to be a dream more than ever now; his feelings were mixed with hatred, sadness and confusion.

"NO!"

He shouted, this cry echoed through out the home. Hiko came rushing out sliding across the blood stained floor.

"Kenshin…"

Hiko whispered and Kenshin didn't answer, all he wanted to do is sit there in a helpless ball and cry. He wanted his mother and he kept on seeing the replay of the murder in his mind. There Kenshin was in his mother's arms just a small red headed baby. He awoke to a horrible scream, he opened his eyes and there was his black haired father, lying in a pool of blood. He could hear the screeches of his mother and he began to cry when he was dropped onto the wooden floor. His mother was screaming for mercy and then suddenly, his mothers red hair was now matching the color of her once black kimono. Kenshin's wide blue purple eyes looked up at her killer. Her killer smirked and his green eyes sparkled.

"Kenshin, please speak!"

Screamed a high pitched voice, It was Namika the one who held him, as if he were her own.

"I've committed….murder…"

Whispered Kenshin, his blue purple eyes flashed in the darkness.

"This blood…I had no right."

Hiko walked over to him smiling.

"Well done, for a seven year old apprentice."

Kenshin glared at him.

"This…Master...—

"Yes what about, this?"

"…This is your fault…"

"Mine? Boy you're the one who took your sword to the neck and waist of these men!"

"…Yes Master I did… but if it weren't for you…"

Kenshin looked at him glaring purple blue daggers at him.

"…I wouldn't have caused such a sin…"

Hiko did nothing but smirk.

"The real truth is boy that if it weren't for me you'd be a bloody mess!"

"Yes… but at least I wouldn't have to live with the thought that I…just a seven year old boy slaughtered the life out of these men…"

Hiko knew how this felt to be branded with the guilt of spilling someone's blood. He thought it would be best if he made his apprentice think it was no big deal and that they deserved it. Now he realized that he was so wrong to think that he could do such a thing.

"Kenshin…"

"What…"

"I know… what it's like…I know your guilt and pain… This was your revenge… I'm sorry you had to experience it at such a tender age…but you cannot call yourself a murderer just yet Kenshin."

"With your training I will be the nightmare of Japan!"

"Now where the hell did you get that idea?"

"The ninja that killed my mother told me that now that I had made myself a murderer, I would soon be the nightmare of Japan."

"Now Kenshin, he can't tell that. He was just mad that he couldn't get close enough to gutting you."

"Hiko…"

He said with clenched fists millions of shiny red tears dripping onto the floor.

"They killed…my mother… and my father…"

He whispered trying not to choke on his words. Remiyu walked out slowly and a big brown eye looked at the blood stained floor and a bloody Kenshin.

"What have you done?"

She whispered. Someone so young that she was sharing a room with tore through these ninja's flesh and bones! She held her arms around her self glaring at Kenshin who looked at her with a helpless look, bloody tears running down his cheeks and neck. Remiyu slowly made her way over to Kenshin.

"Kenshin…let me help you…"

She knelt beside him blood seeping onto her night attire. She gently took his sword out of his hand of which he had the tightest death grip on. She wiped it off and sheathed it; she slowly helped Kenshin up and took him to their room. Remiyu sighed and took some knew clothes out for him to wear that her mother had made for him. She laid out the fresh black hakama's and a red gi onto his bed. Kenshin stared at her from a corner blood staining that area as well. He smelled horrible.

"Kenshin my mother drew you a bath in the other room you should hurry while it's still hot."

"Remiyu…"

Kenshin whispered.

"Yes Kenshin?"

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"You are our friend Kenshin."

"It is not wise to call a murderer your friend Remiyu…"

"Oh Kenshin stop trying to act all grown up! This is a bad thing and I'm sure you feel bad! But this is what your training is for; at least you didn't ruin your master's reputation by standing there like a fool. You did a bad, bad thing but you still are a person, murderer or not. Now I suggest you go and take a bath before it gets cold."

"Whatever…"

Kenshin grunted and got up walking groggily into the other room. He quickly undressed himself the cold air sending shivers up his spine. He looked at himself in the mirror. There he was covered in blood, blood that did not flow through his veins. He wanted to get it off right that minute. He jumped into the steaming water crying in agony for a moment and then became calm as his skin adjusted to the sudden warmth of the water. He watched as the blood that had once coated his body pooled around in the water. He quickly washed and got dressed into his new attire. He stared at himself in the mirror again and decided that he was satisfied with the way he looked. He liked himself in black hakama's and the red matched his hair too much but he could live. He scowled as Namika combed his ratty red hair that probably hadn't been brushed for over a year or so. It had gotten really long since Hiko had found him, he decided that he liked it this long. Kenshin yelped and bit his tongue when Namika yanked at a snarl. After Namika had finished his hair was quite dry. He ran his fingers through his now silky red hair. He liked it when it was clean. Namika then came in with a comb and a hair tie. He felt like a girl, what was she going to do next, put curlers in his hair!

"Turn around Kenshin…"

"What are you going to do?"

"Well I was going to pull it back for you, isn't that the way you like it?"

Kenshin sighed in relief and turned around.

"Yes I like it that way…"

"So do you want it high or low Kenshin?"

"High thank you."

He liked it high; it kept it from rubbing against his neck. He shivered as she took his hair in her hands pulling it off of his neck. She combed it so it was free of bumps and so that the surface on top was smooth and even. He smiled he liked the way it felt to have someone else doing his hair. It took him forever to tie it up like that where as it only took Namika a matter of minutes. He smiled and looked up at Namika with big purple eyes.

"Thank you Namika, I appreciate it."

"It's alright I love doing hair it's not everyday that I get to comb and style a boy's hair, a red headed one too."

"I'm unique!"

He said smiling. He never had seen anyone with the same color of hair that he did. They all had black hair. He liked his red hair. Hiko said that he might even be half Irish. He didn't believe that as far as he could tell he was a full blooded Japanese boy!

"You sure are Kenshin, now get to bed!"

Kenshin scurried into his bedroom and saw Remiyu sitting there.

"Hey Remiyu…"

No answer.

"Remiyu?"

He heard a soft sniffle come from her direction. She was…crying…?

"Remiyu…what's wrong?"

"I…I want my daddy…"

Her father was gone…dead from a disease…and she was obviously pretty close to him. He smiled and sat down next to her to comfort her.

"It's alright Remiyu…think of happier things like butterflies or me getting hurt or something."

She giggled at him getting hurt part. She sniffled and smiled at him.

"Well you're not getting hurt."

He smiled got up and ran into the wall falling backwards.

"Aye…aye…aye…"

He said rubbing his head as Remiyu burst out laughing. He got up slowly and pretended to sway like a drunken idiot her laughter still booming through out the room. He collapsed onto his bed and fell right to sleep still hearing Remiyu's laughter. Remiyu awoke hours later and walked into the kitchen. Everything was clean, no bodies, no blood. This would make Kenshin happy. She walked in to find her mother cooking breakfast already. Hiko sat there sipping coffee instead of sake for once.

"Why good morning, Remiyu, care to help me cook?"

"Yeah!"

She exclaimed, and ran to fasten on her apron. She quickly put it on and ran into the kitchen again. There wasn't any cooking left to do but she did get to help set the table and serve everything. She loved helping her mom cook, she loved cooking and she was quite good at it too. Hiko, Namika and Remiyu quickly ate the wonderful meal leaving them all grinning. Kenshin's plate was still sitting there rice and all. Remiyu excused herself and left Namika and Hiko to their conversation. She walked into their room and peeked behind the curtain.

"Kenshin…"

She whispered. He moaned and turned over.

"Come on Kenshin we can play today!"

The word play raced through his mind. He sprang up from his slumber and ran to the kitchen. He breathed in his food all at once leaving Namika and Hiko staring at him in wonder. They both raced to the door and opened it. Kenshin's jaw dropped and so did Remiyu's. There was snow! The poor cherry blossoms didn't even get to become cherry's! Kenshin and Remiyu watched from the window as the pink, white cherry blossoms drowned in the cold white snow. The branches sagged on the trees and everything that was once green and colorful was now a plain white. The sky was grey and the day looked gloomy, not even a drop of sunshine peeked through the clouds. They both sighed and went to their room. Kenshin sat in the corner of Remiyu's side and wound the string around his spinning top and pulled it free watching the top spin. Remiyu watched Kenshin do this and sighed.

"Well, there is one thing we could do."

"What's that?"

"Well we could play in the snow!"

Kenshin looked at her and lifted up his eyebrow.

"It's too cold Remiyu, I'd rather sleep."

"Oh come on Kenshin it'll be great!"

"Fine..."

Kenshin said rolling his eyes. They bundled up and were ready to go! They stepped out into the cold and Remiyu pulled out something that looked very strange to Kenshin, it was a wooden brown and it also had some sort of bars on each side along with a rope that was attached to the front.

"W-What's that?"

Kenshin questioned.

"It's a sled!"

Remiyu exclaimed.

"A-A sled?"

"Yes a sled! We are gonna take it to the tippy, tippy top of that hill and ride it down!"

"How are we gonna do that?"

"Come on I'll show you!"

Kenshin and Remiyu marched up the steep hill and came to a stop when they had reached the tippy, tippy top.

"Alright Kenshin, first you set the sleigh down like so!"

She set the sled down on the strange looking bars and Kenshin tilted his head at it like a dog does when it's puzzled.

"Then you sit on it, but you have to stick your feet out so you don't slide down yet. Go on Kenshin sit!"

"M-Me?"

"Yes you now sit!"

Kenshin hesitated for a moment and had then decided to try. He slowly sat down telling Remiyu to hold it for him. He pulled his feet up and told her to not let go because he'd never tried this before and the hill was very steep. It made him a little bit nervous.

"Ok Kenshin, hold on to the rope with both hands as tight as you can so you don't fall off! When you're going down the hill don't pull the rope at all or else you'll turn. While you riding it think of your self as a bag of bricks, so when you hit something you don't fly off got it?"

Kenshin gulped and nodded and suddenly Remiyu pushed him with full force and he went zooming down the hill. He closed his eyes and screamed like a girl and then decided to open his eyes. He grinned when he saw the speed he was going. It was fantastic! When suddenly the joy and excitement stopped, he had forgotten not to pull on the rope! He was so excited that he was jerking with the sled and now he had hit a lump of snow and was sent flying. He felt a thump on his head and he couldn't breath. He heard the muffled screams coming from Remiyu and was relieved when he could finally breathe again but shrieked in pain when he felt someone yank on his hair.

"Kenshin get up!"

Said a deep voice, Kenshin rubbed his eyes until he could see and saw his master towering over him. He slowly got to his feet and brushed himself off.

"I'm sorry master."

Kenshin said bowing.

"Don't bow Kenshin its fine. At least you're alright. Me and Namika are going to walk into town before the snow gets so deep that we wont be able to get out of the house. You and Remiyu stay here we'll be back tonight. And remember boy always keep that katana by your side."

"Yes master Hiko."

He replied obediently and with that Hiko took Namika's arm and locked it with his. Kenshin watched as the two left in a cold white mist. He had a horrid feeling in his gut but it seemed to flutter away as Remiyu came running down the hill to see if he was alright. She had seen Hiko so she didn't want to interfere.

"Are you ok Kenny-kun?"

"Yes I'm fine Remiyu."

"Are you sure because I feel an awfully big bump on your head, maybe we should get some ice."

"Ice..?"

Kenshin looked around him, there was ice everywhere! He snickered and stuck the tip of his head in the snow.

"This should work."

She glared down at the redhead and pulled him up by his hair.

"AYE!"

He screeched and Remiyu frightened by this dropped him leaving him in a heap on the snow rubbing his head saying over and over again.

"Aye…Aye…Aye…"

"Sorry…I-I"

"…Aye…its ok Remiyu Hiko made most of the pain."

Remiyu smiled happily and took his face in her hands.

"Kenny's got a birthday coming' up!"

She said pulling at his cheeks. Kenshin sat there glaring at her as pain shot from both sides of his face.

"Yes I have a birthday coming up. Just mean's I'm gonna be older that you!"

He teased. She stuck out her tongue at him and jumped on him.

"ACK!"

He cried and she giggled pinning him to the ground. Kenshin got an evil look on his face and his hands slowly crept towards her sides and began tickling her. Remiyu rang with laughter and rolled off of him.

"HA! I bet your little 7 year old legs can't catch me!"

"Yeah well a 7 year old can run faster than a 6 year old!"

"We'll just see about that, Kenshin the great samurai!"

He felt his ears redden and he began to chase her. She was fast for a girl. Kenshin liked this, she'd be a challenge. After a long while the chase continued and Kenshin couldn't see Remiyu anymore. He stopped running after a while and called out her name.

"Remiyu! Remiyu-chan!"

Kenshin became worried and looked all over when suddenly a scream came from behind and Kenshin was face first into the ground. Little six year old hands began to tickle his sides. Kenshin laughed into the snow and breathed in some in the process. When he let out a huge cough Remiyu stopped and let him get up.

"There you are! You worried me!"

"Come on Kenshin it was only for fun. Don't get all worked up over it."

Kenshin glared blue daggers and that look she was giving him was precious. He then stopped glaring at her and his blue eyes gleamed at her. She smiled.

"What? Not mad at me anymore?"

She said sweetly.

"No."

"Good, that works every time!"

He glared again and began to chase her. Remiyu stopped when she noticed that the sun was going down but she saw something in the distance. She saw swords and grabbed Kenshin by the sleeve running into the house.

"What's going on Remiyu!"

To be continued...

A/N: There you have it! I enjoyed writing this chapter though I wish it could have been just 2 pages longer maybe. So anway people don't forget to R&R! x Thankies! Oh and sorry if some things are a bit confusing. Feel free to put your questions in your Review or please e-mail me, Thankies once again!

Rachee-chan