Ok, I just wanna state this now, I do not own Kenshin and company. I am merely using them to fufill my boredom and write something original. However I do own Hitoriki Kage, and Kaoru's "family", so here we go.

"normal speach"

'thoughts

Battousai's speach

"Kage, how long do you plan to fight?" A female voice spoke softly to a figure in the shadows of the over hang. Her brown locks were swept up into a loose bun at the crown of her head. Chocolate eyes darkened in concern and fear, fear for the one she spoke to. "You can't continue like this, you're body is all ready covered in fresh wounds, not to mention old scars that are barely healed. Please Kage, stop?" she begged and grabbed hold of a bandaged arm; tears slipped down her cheeks.

The shadowed figure pulled their arm loose and turned to face the woman. Normally dark eyes glowed brightly in the fading light of the sun. Anger filled eyes, rimmed with knowledge stared at the woman. She whimpered and stepped away.

"No," was the only word spoken as Kage turned away from her. She huffed and straightened her spine and she felt her resolve strengthen.

"There is only one thing that will make you rest and even then you push too much. You can not fight the truth forever Kage. When you finally do admit it, there is a chance we won't be around to help you, and then you'll have none to blame but yourself." She spun on her heel and stomped away, she barely opened the shoji door when Kage's voice stopped her.

"I will rest when my part is done, I'm sorry my friend, but you know I won't let anything happen to you and minna-san." She sighed and placed her hand on the edge of the door as she bowed her head.

"Don't worry about minna-san, we can care for ourselves, we're more worried about you." She smiled faintly and looked over her shoulder to find Kage looking at her with night colored eyes. "Just stay alive until the end." Kage let a faint smile appear and turned from her to look outside again.

"You have my word Tae, so long as you promise me the same." Tae giggled and nodded, then remember that Kage couldn't see her.

"You have my word; just remember the Akabeko is always open to you." She watched Kage nod and disappear from sight. With a sigh Tae shook her head and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. "Please Kami, keep her alive."

Chapter One: The Path Home

"Welcome to the Akabeko!" a young girl smiled and bowed before her sight could register the familiar faces of the inhabitants of the Kamiya dojo.

"Good evening Tae-dono," a masculine voice said, she jerked up and smiled even brighter at the sight of her friends.

"Oh, it's been so long since you've come down,"

"Yeah, well busu hasn't been in the kitchen for a while and," he was cut off by Kaoru hitting him in the head.

"Little ungrateful brat," Kaoru mutter and turned to smiled at Tae, "I've been too busy trying to put some money in the dojo, and get some students back. Thankfully Kenshin has been around to handle things." Tae nodded in agreement and led the group to a table in the back. Before Kaoru could sit, Tae tugged on her kimono sleeve.

"I just remembered that I wanted your opinion on a new painting upstairs." Kaoru's eyes lit in understanding.

"Another of your collection?" Tae nodded and walked from the table closely followed by Kaoru. They quietly climbed the stairs, Kaoru's mind wandered.

"It came the other day; I was going to bring it if you didn't come soon." Tae stopped rambling as a warm hand gripped her right shoulder. They stood in Tae's room above and just behind the diner.

"Tae, just let me see it," Tae nodded and reached into a drawer on her desk. When she turned back to Kaoru she held a parchment folded up.

"He sent me one as well, he's asking for his dying wish," Tae said, sadness lacing her soft voice. "He wasn't even sure you were alive. Didn't you ever go to him?" Kaoru sighed as she read the short letter and shook her head.

"I couldn't, I know that I should have but he would have pushed me into following him, when all I wanted was a little peace and quite. I wanted to rebuild my life with what was left of my past"

"Kaoru that was the one thing he had asked of you. You have to go to him now," Tae's voice and posture was firm. Kaoru nodded distractedly and placed the letter in the folds of her obi. "Kaoru," Tae tapped her foot lightly and crossed her arms under her breast.

"Okay, okay, I'll go, but you have to get the money from the account. If the guys find out that it's my money that's getting me there, I'll never hear the end of it." At Tae's questioning glance, Kaoru explained, "I'll just tell them he sent the ticket." Tae shook her head and laughed.

"Come, the others have to be wondering where you are," Tae said leading her from the room and down the stairs. "You'll have to send my regards; our busy season is just starting. So I can't afford to leave."

"Thank you for dropping this on me old friend," Kaoru laughed, hugged Tae and returned to her table with the others.

"How was the painting Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin looked up from the food. Thankfully Yahiko had his mouth full so he couldn't make a come back.

"It was magnificent. There are no real words to describe it," she spoke with amazement and excitement. "Enough about the painting, lets eat and enjoy this peace," 'Because it's not going to last much longer.' She didn't show any of her inner thoughts, but led everyone to believe she was enjoying herself.

When the gang got ready to leave, Tae pulled Kaoru aside and gave her a small box. Kenshin watched the exchange carefully, and noted a veiled understanding in Kaoru's eyes. She had been slightly withdrawn all day, ever since Tae had taken her to see the 'painting'. She's hiding something 'I know she is, but how can sessha ask for her to reveal a secret she obviously doesn't wish to share.' Would you remember who the hell you are? You are me, a legendary hitoriki, a man slayer! Kenshin's ears rung from his other personality yelling at him.

"Kenshin, are you all right?" Kaoru's voice silenced the warrior in him long enough to respond.

"Hai, I'm just thinking, that I am," his usual rurounin attitude back in place, she nodded and took his arm as they walked away. "What did Tae-dono hand you Miss Kaoru?"

"I'm not sure; she said something about an old friend wanting to see me again." Kaoru shrugged her shoulders and looked at the box.

"An old friend?"

"Yeah from during the war, I may have been young, but not that young," she laughed slightly at Kenshin's questioning glance. "If it's the guy I think it is, he's also family," she said and rubbed her right temple.

"I thought you had no family, that I didn't," his eyes flashed golden.

"He's not someone you want to talk to; he's all about having a family and not fighting. My father always told me to be careful around him; he might trick me into marriage." Kaoru laughed again and looked forward to the gate of the dojo. "My otou-san called him a trickster god."

"Exactly who is he?"

"My uncle, he took care of me during the war. Thankfully I was too young for him to marry off back then." Kenshin's posture relaxed slightly, almost unnoticeably.

"That was generous of him that it was." 'Thank Kami that he's not your age,' A little scared?

"Of course his number one prospect was a young swordsman that was distant kin to his deceased wife. Last time I saw the boy he was growing into his skin, he should be a few years younger than you." Kenshin felt a jolt of fear race up his spine, and his posture stiffened at her words.

"You are being very calm Kaoru-dono that you are. But why?" Kenshin asked. With her back to him, she smiled. She could hear the undercurrent of jealousy.

"I know my uncle, I know his moves. Besides I all ready have a family and I'm happy." She said walking through the gate and heading straight for her room. 'I don't want to loose you above anything else,' she thought as she opened the box behind the closed doors of her room.

Resting inside the simple box was a few hundred yen and a kunai with a dragon carved in the small blade. Smiling, she shook her head and handled the old kunai with care, knowing Tae there was no poison, but one could never be too careful. Kaoru tucked the blade in the folds of her obi and hid the yen in her purse which went inside her kimono between in her breast. There was a small slip of paper folded in the bottom. She unfolded it and read it.

Kaoru,

Travel with care and remember to come back.

The Akabeko is always open to you.

Tae

Kaoru smiled and folded the note up and placed it back in that box, slid the lid shut and set it on her low desk by the window. 'I just wonder what my uncle wants,' she asked herself as she pulled out the letter from him.

Kaoru,

I hope this letter finds you alive and well. I know that my words when we last saw each other were most likely the reason why you have yet to see me. I can never apologize enough for what happened, but I am asking you to come to my side now in my dying days. I will not request more for I know the chance of you answering this one is slim.

Uncle

Kaoru sighed and place the letter on the box, 'I have no choice really, it's his dying wish, and he is kin.' She sighed and rubbed her temples, 'This can only create chaos.'

"Busu, Kenshin says there is a bath ready if you wanna bathe. And you might want to," Yahiko muttered the last sentence. Kaoru's eye twitched as she stood silently and ripped open the door to find Yahiko walking away from her room.

"You little brat!" she yelled and the classic chase of teacher and student could be seen in the yard of the Kamiya dojo. Kenshin and Sano's laughter could be heard from the door to the sitting room where they were talking.

"So you think Jo-chan will go alone?" Sano chuckled as Kaoru caught Yahiko and knock the poor teen into the ground to the point that his body formed an indent. She stood and walked toward her room, most likely to get a change of clothes. Kenshin watched the woman closely and nodded.

"She told me that her uncle had requested to see her, from the way she was spoke, it was to find her a husband and get her to start a family." Kenshin's eyes flashed gold as he spoke, making Sano shrink away from the former hitoriki. "But she said she won't let him do that, because she all ready has a family." He spoke softly, and Sano almost missed it; yet it made the ex-gangster smile to know the little missy saw them as family.

"I was wondering when she would call us family, I mean after everything we've all been through together. It only makes sense," Sano looked back to the yard and saw the boy trying to get up, and a small way away was the missy entering the bath house. "I guess that makes me her big brother," he stood and walked to the boy still trying to get up, and grabbed him by the collar. "Come on Yahiko; let's get you to the Fox so she can look at those." With the young samurai slung over his shoulder, Sano left through the main gate toward the medical clinic.

Kenshin laughed at the two 'brothers' to Kaoru and looked to the bath house where he knew she was. Go in there and tell her his hitoriki yelled at him. 'I can't do that to her, she's too young and innocent.' She is not you fool! Have you truly forgotten everything from the war that Hiko taught you? 'What are you talking about?' The warrior growled with a feral quality in his mind as his eyes flashed gold again. She is not as innocent as she seems. The shadow we first saw around her is darker and taking over her natural bright aura. 'True, but how do we know it is not the death of her parents hanging over her? And/or her age slowly erasing the brightness?' Another growl echoed in his head, and he got the distinct feeling of his other half pulling at their hair.

You are a true idiot, but I am going to let this go for now, only because when she leaves we will follow her and I'll finally prove to your simpleton self what I'm saying. 'No we will not, this is a family matter and I will not let you humiliate the poor woman.'

"Kenshin?" Kaoru's timid voice reach his ears, he looked up at her and saw concern and fear in the sapphire depths of her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Hai, gomen nasi for scaring you Kaoru-dono, sorry," he smiled as she smiled.

"Its all right Kenshin, you just sat there staring into space, not responding to anything." She eased her cleansed body to sit next to him, her long hair in a heavy wet braid that rested over her shoulder. He watched her from the corner of his eye as he always did, her presence soothing his tired soul. "Its beautiful tonight isn't it Kenshin?"

"Yes it is Kaoru-dono, truly it is," he looked fully at her when she sighed, "What's the matter Kaoru-dono?"

"I'm leaving in the morning, and I don't truly desire to go." She caught his confused looked and tried to explain. "I mean I love my kin, but I don't want to hear the lecture about not being married and childless. My uncle was never much of a fighter; he was more of a lover and a family man." She laughed and shook her head, "He actually was sent home early in the war, sent home by a hitoriki."

"A hitoriki?"

"Hai, Kage sent him home, saying that his family needed him more than the war did. It was humorous to the family that someone like Kage agreed with us."

"Your uncle knew Kage?" if she had looked at him, she would have seen his eyes flash gold for a moment at the name.

"Knew Kage? The family was practically bonded to the warrior. The hitoriki was and still is the family guardian, but no one has seen or heard from Kage in over ten years." Kenshin's aura and mind settled with the knowledge that Kage wasn't around, but he was still curious about how it was possible. "Well I guess I should go to sleep, I do need to be up early so I can get to the family house by night fall."

"Sleep well Kaoru-dono, I'll make sure that you have a healthy breakfast before you leave." She giggled and thanked him as she walked to her room and closed the door. Kaoru leaned against the frame of her door and sighed. She sent out a silent apology to Kenshin for lying to him. She would have to leave before everyone awoke if she was to get out of here on time. The walk after the train ride would take most of her day and she wanted to be in Yosaka by dinner time. She settled under the covers and yawned. Tomorrow would be a long day and not a pleasant one.

Kaoru looked around the sleeping dojo and shook her head with a smile. She checked for her purse resting against her sternum and the kunai within her obi. She didn't care much for the dark jade green of her kimono, it was the family color. Along with the black dragon that curled around her left shoulder on hung on her breast to stare at all that saw her.

The smile turned to grin as she remember the black hakama and light jade gi that Kage always wore, but the dragon had resided on the right showing the guardianship. Unfortunately not many knew about the Kamiya crest any more. It was a thing of the past that everyone ignored nowadays.

Sighing she gripped the travel bag and bokken that she never left home without. She slid the door shut and quietly walked out of the grounds without placing on her shoes. Kaoru knew full well that Kenshin would hear it and awake when she needed him asleep. She would wait until she was a block away and closer to traffic to put them on.

Once she reached the station she looked back toward the dojo and sadness filled her eyes. 'I'm sorry everyone, Tae please take care of them.' She walked to the train and found an empty room. After making sure everything was in quick reach she relaxed in her seat next to the window to watch the people run around. Some reminded her distinctly of chickens with their head's cut off. She laughed as one mother was rushing around trying to catch all the children she was caretaker to. Tears came to sapphire eyes as a couple shared a teary, loving goodbye.

"Miss, is it okay if I sit here?" A male voice brought her from her observations. Kaoru turned to see a rather handsome young man looking at her and pointing to the seat across from her. She nodded quickly and looked back out the window as the train whistle sounded the warning. "So where are you headed Miss...um?"

"Kamiya, I'm going to Yosaka," he nodded in understanding.

"I should have recognized the color and dragon," Kaoru looked at him shocked.

"You know the old family crests?" he nodded with a smile and pointed to his bag which he had put up yet. She could see the faint outline of a set of swords. She grinned and held out her hand to him to shake and told him to sit across from her. "It's been a while since I met anyone with knowledge of the crests. From what family do you hail?"

"The Kirken, we're a small family, not many know of us,"

"You're a bushido family, a really low key family, you fought as protectors in the war, and you were allies of Kage." He stared at her in wonder at her smile and grinned.

"You really know your stuff Miss Kamiya." He stopped short as he seemed to remember something. "Wait a moment; didn't Kage fight for the Kamiyas?" Kaoru's smile widened and she nodded, "But his dragon was on his right shoulder." Kaoru sighed and rubbed her temples, he asked her what was wrong and she looked up at him.

"Her shoulder," he looked at her as if she was crazy and shook his head.

"I met him, Kage is a man." She sighed again and slumped in her seat, 'this is going to be a long train ride.' she thought as the train pulled out of the station.

"I'll tell you a story about when I was a kid. I lived in a small dojo a few miles out of Osaka where I first met her. She was under training by my aunt's husband. Whenever she was hurt during training my aunt and I would be the one's to tend to her wounds. At that age any would easily believe her to be a man. Kage's body was young and small in structure, any shape she had was hidden by the hakama and gi.

"I left for Yosaka not to long after and came under the care the other Kamiya's still alive. We heard word of Kage's battles to protect my aunt and uncle. I begged the family to take her in and care for her. And once more I found myself in Kage's company while caring for her wounds." Kaoru looked out the windows as she remembered the past and the blood. A grief filled her eyes as she spoke, "My uncle barely managed to survive the fight and escape with Kage. My poor aunt, they had mercilessly stabbed her and saw to her death before coming after my uncle and Kage.

"She continued to return to us until roughly ten years ago when she and my one of my uncles had and argument about her life after the war. In all that time I was the one person that Kage trusted to treat her wounds. I watched as her body went through the changes from childhood into adulthood. So Mr. Kirken, do not question my knowledge of Hitoriki Kage."

She heard him sigh and turned back to him. He had crossed his arms over his chest and had a faint grin on his face. Kirken shook his head with that same grin and chuckled.

"I should have known. Kage always avoided contact with everyone, especially the women who we offered or offered themselves. Many of them were heartbroken to not be able to share Kage's bed." Now it was Kaoru's turn to grin, a sly look in her sapphire gaze.

"More like they were disappointed to not get a chance at the seed of a powerful warrior." He chuckled and nodded with a faint blush on his cheeks. "See, I bet you had a female in your family that even tried at her a few times." Again he nodded, with slight guilt.

"My older sister Yuka. She's happily married now, and she has two healthy daughters and is expecting another child. That's why I'm heading to Kyoto." Kaoru felt a pang of jealousy in her heart as he continued to speak of his sister and nieces; and the man her sister married.

Eventually the ticket master came around and checked them off. He told Kaoru that it would be about fifteen minutes before they reached her stop. She thanked him and took back her ticket.

"Quite a bit of a walk from Shiru to Yosaka isn't it? And for a beautiful young woman such as yourself, it's a bit dangerous if you ask me."

"Well I am a master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, I didn't gain that title just by being my father's daughter. I earned it; besides I stay in shape. I'm not afraid of any bullies or anything along the roads." She said with a grin as the voice sounded off the time till the stop. "And I never leave home unprepared," Kaoru point to above here were her bag and bokken rested in easy reach.

"Smart woman." he nodded

"Well you don't grow up in a war and not learn a few things," she said with a shrug. The rest of the ride was in silence. When the train stopped Kaoru said a quick fair well to him and grabbed her stuff before rushing out the door and off the train.

Only once she was on the dirt road to Yosaka did she relax. No one would bother her now, this would be one of the few times she was grateful to her family crest. No burglars or muggers would dare to touch a Kamiya in this region. Sadly if anyone was to try and touch her at this moment, she might snap and hurt them far worse then anything her kin could do.

All that Mr. Kirken's talk of his sister's family and about his fiancé struck a deep cord with Kaoru. She had wanted to strangle him personally to get him to shut his mouth. But she couldn't, she would have gotten into trouble. She sighed and rolled her shoulders and popped her neck.

Her mind kept trailing back to home in Tokyo, 'I hope they don't get too upset when they find me gone like that.' She could just imagine Kenshin's reaction, and couldn't help the frown. He would stay calm, and search her room for clues; tearing the whole thing apart. 'I pray he doesn't find those loose floor boards. Heaven knows what he'll do when he finds my father's sword hidden away like that. Sometimes I hate you Kage, I wish I had never let you use my father's sword.' She sighed and rubbed her temples, ranting in her mind toward Kage would not change a damned thing and she knew it.

She looked a head of her and watched the road, knowing that though no one would touch her, they would leer at her. When they did that a simple icy look that she was famous in her family for would discourage them and they would run off. She grinned as the light faded to dark slowly and saw the wall of Yosaka in her approach.

Against the entrance to the city stood two guards in traditional armor, they crossed their spears in front of her asking for her name. She grinned, even though she bore the family crest they were still wary of outsiders. "Kamiya Kaoru, daughter to Master Kamiya Ryuko and Lady Kamiya Kanga. And master of the Kamiya Kasshin." Their gasps of surprise and the clanking of armor and weapon made her truly smile. Voices yelling inside of the walls made her look at her old home and bow her head to the people she passed.

A woman stood in front of the main doors to the family house which was straight down the main road from the gate. She stood there with a smile as Kaoru approached her and bowed.

"Kaoru, silly girl, stand before me at my side not bow as the servant you once were in youth." The gentle soothing pitch of the elder woman made Kaoru glance at her as she stood. The woman had aged with beauty, her once pitch black hair showed grey streaks that were swept back into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her sun kissed skin looked pale and her face held laughter lines. But Kaoru could tell her body had not aged by the way she held her back straight and held out a hand that did not shake with age.

Kaoru again grinned and stood to face her fully, "It has been a long time Aunt Saka." The woman now known as Saka smiled gently and held out her arms for Kaoru. Of who gladly complied in crushed herself against her aunt.

"We've missed you so much little Kaoru and you've grown into such a beautiful woman." Saka's words brought tears to Kaoru's eyes but she knew better than to answer the hidden question. She asked her own instead.

"How is he?" she whispered while pulling away from her aunt to grab the bag she had set down and followed her in. Saka sighed and shook her head solemnly. "That bad?" Again Saka gave silence as her response. "Did my master stay after I left?"

"He was stubborn about it, but yes he did. He teaches the children basics now; you are his successor after all. We keep telling him that he doesn't need to teach, but he keeps saying that he won't grow old like your uncle has." This made Kaoru laugh as well as her aunt despite the fact that it was her husband that was dying.

They came to stand outside of a shoji door, their laughter dying immediately. Saka held out a hand and Kaoru gave her the travel bag.

"Let him know you're alive and well, and then he can rest." Kaoru nodded and waited for the elder woman to leave before sighing inwardly and setting her shoulders square. He may be dying but knowing him, he'll still pound her ears about marriage and children. She carefully slid the door open to the room and found him lying on his futon staring out the window to the fading light.

"So you decided to grace me with knowledge of your living finally?" his voice a quiet raspy version of the form she remembered; he tried to sit up but fell. She rushed to his side and helped him brace his body against the wall near by. "Twelve years is a long time," She set her lips in a firm line as she bowed to him in respect for his family position. "Rise child, you owe me no respect. You have every right to command this family and this city. So rise." And she did her back straight and firm while she sat there in silence with him.

"Had you ever planned to tell me you were still alive?" She didn't answer him, couldn't answer him. "We all thought you dead, especially after learning that you had once more crossed paths with Battousai." She bit her tongue as a lady was supposed to and merely clinches her fist, digging her nails into her palms. "But Akio insisted you would never be beat by him. I believed him and left you to your own life if you still had one. Then this happened; I had to speak to you before everything came to past." He finally turned to look her in the eye.

"You have a responsibility to this family Kaoru; you can no longer ignore it. Your father and aunt ran from it, but I did not. My children have run from it as they did and declared themselves unfit for the title. You are the only one left." A faint sigh left her and he turned silently back to the window.

"I can not uncle; it's all ready been proven. Genzai ran all forms of tests and studies. Every single one said my time during the war had wounded me too deeply" She gritted her teeth and bowed her head as tears slipped past her guard. "I will never be able to have children." He sighed, making her look up at him in curiosity as she wiped away her tears on her sleeve.

"That is not what I meant dear child; I meant we need you to protect us once more." He paused and turned from the window again, his age clearly showing in his eyes. "We are at war."

One thing I forgot to mention is that this story is a repost. Originally titled Koi's Blade, I didn't like how the chapters had formed and I forgot that I had posted it all ready, hehe. Any who, I think I have all the kinks worked out, if there is any problems with grammar let me know, I'm a college student so I don't get a lot of time to go over these things and edit.