A/N: Yo, my fellow readers. I have the sudden urge to write my story here, so I am going to!

Special Note: Guys, please. Don't rush me… I mean, I don't mind little e-mails and such, but some people have bothered me non-stop and I've been told (quite nicely) that I'm slipping with my grammar because of my haste for updates. (Thank you, Tsuki-san :) ) Listen, I know you guys want updates, but although this seems like the old excuse, I really am pressured for time. You gotta lay off.

I'm sure you'd all rather have an elaborate, long, and alluring update, rather than a sloppy, short, and disinteresting one. So PLEASE DON'T NAG… I'm not saying you're all nagging, but just don't push. I'm not upset at all, really! I don't usually ever get upset. Just give me some time and I'll update, you'll see. As they say, patience is a virtue.

…Is that not a corny excuse or what?

Anyway! I am going to reply to your reviews in the next chapter…IF YOU REVIEW! LAZY BUTTS.

I should stalk you all and force you to eat cabbage and celery until you review…WITH SALT AS A SIDE-DISH (cue lightning and evil organ music)

Anyway! Here's chapter five!

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Chapter 5 – Scratch my back, I scratch yours

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Stealing a small glance to her left, then quickly shifting her gaze away, Kaoru had productively gained enough proof that indeed, the young man called Battousai was attempting to ignore her. He had been doing so successfully for the past two weeks.

Kaoru sighed as she let her shoulders drop. She felt as though she could chop through the air like a hot knife through butter because of the thick staleness. The annoying silence was starting to break its way through her nerves and make way to her brain. She felt her muscles tighten and then relax as her irritation started to build. She glanced at the other participants at the table and sighed to find that they had stopped their staring once she made eye contact with them.

She shuffled her feet a little so the constant pressure on them wouldn't cause the circulation to cut down, along with constantly fiddling with her hair to ease her anxiety. She felt her mind start to bend out of place and the silence was so great, the beating of her heart could be heard as clear as a drum.

She retraced her mind several times, questioning as to why she had to be there at that particular moment, doing absolutely nothing and getting no further in anything what so ever. Once again, she cursed the decision of Kogoro Katsura, as soon as she remembered why.

"Kenshin."

Stopping the repetitive motion of his hand that was previously cleaning his blade, Kenshin looked up to come in eye contact with the man who called his name.

"I need to ask a favor of you."

"Who do I need to kill."

Katsura chuckled good heartedly and shook his head, holding up his hand.

"No, no – nothing like that. I need you to look after someone for me."

Kenshin's eye brow cocked slightly as his confusion built. He placed his blade back in his sheath and directed his complete attention to Katsura.

"What do you mean."

"The girl-"

"Forget it!"

Kenshin stubbornly snatched up his sword again and began to polish it a bit more forcefully than before. Katsura sighed and rubbed his temples. He had a feeling that would be the boy's reaction.

"Kenshin listen. I can't trust anyone else here to look after her."

This time, Kenshin persistently kept his gaze to his sword bussing and didn't look up when replying,

"Why the hell not."

Feeling the urge to sigh, Katsura took a large breath and stated the obvious just to ease his upcoming stress.

"Because all the other men are not of her age. You're the only one who's actually within the boundaries of her age group. And, not to mention, the other men have obviously shown a want for her, as much as I hate to admit it. Their desire could prove to be fatal and no matter what I may say to them, their lust will override my command any day, considering she has no particular importance and I have no reason behind stopping them. You know that better than anyone. What, with your age and going through-"

"I know! But why me? Why am I always the one you just have to rely on?"

With this, Kenshin slammed his katana down onto the tatami mat and glared up at the man. Katsura was taken aback by his outburst. It was rare for Kenshin to be so ruffled by something.

"Kenshin, I'm sorry you feel that way. But you have to consider the circumstances…"

Kenshin gave out a harsh groan and hung his head, running a hand through his red locks in irritation.

"Why can't we just let her go…or let someone in a nearby inn take her in or something. I don't want to baby-sit a little girl…"

Katsura raised an eyebrow.

"Kenshin, I can assure you, she's hardly a little girl. In fact, I believe she's more mature than you in some ways."

Kenshin let out a little growl. Katsura, not hearing anymore comments from the red-head, thus confirmed his decision. He lifted his chin and put on an air of seriousness.

"So. You'll be taking care of the girl and that's final."

"Yes sir…"

Kenshin's reply was merely a breath of air, but Katsura heard it just fine. And with that, he left Kenshin at his place, exiting the room - Only to collide with non-other than Kaoru herself.

"Oh, Miss Kamiya! I apologize. I didn't watch where I was going."

Kenshin's head perked up from its earlier position, then whipped his gaze to the door. Kaoru gulped and mutely nodded her head, gripping her hands closer to her chest. She shyly traced her sapphire eyes into the path of golden ones.

Kenshin, having been caught staring, angrily snapped his head away and pensively returned to his polishing. Kaoru snuffed and turned her gaze back to Katsura.

"I heard that I'm going to be under the look out of that boy?"

Kenshin cringed in irritation at her inferred assumption of him. He gripped his sword just a little firmer and cursed her under his breath.

Katsura smiled and nodded. This sent a cold chill down both the backs of Kaoru and the red-head.

"Yes. From now on, Kenshin will be your guardian."

And with that information delivered, Katsura hastily excused himself and walked down the hall, leaving Kenshin and Kaoru in a thick fog of tension.

"Damn him…"

Kaoru's curse was very subtle and quick, but the loathing dripping from her words couldn't be any more clear. She was very upset with Katsura-san for putting her in that kind of situation.

Kaoru was ready to curse him a few more times, but her dark prayers were cut short by the sudden approach of Kenshin. He stood up earlier, unknown to Kaoru, and hovered over her, announcing with no chance of protest,

"Get up. We're leaving."

Kaoru almost jumped at his surprising address to her and turned to face him, a look of annoyance on her pretty face.

"Why?"

Battousai's eye twitched in agitation as he glared at her and repeated once more through grit teeth,

"We're leaving."

Kaoru had no fear in rousing him and certainly didn't hesitate in pressing the subject even further.

"Yes, you already said that. But why are we leaving."

Battousai had the urge to rip her from where she sat and drag her back to the room. Instead, he resulted in taking a large intake of breath and then letting it out slowly.

"Because I said so, that's why."

His voice was dangerously low, challenging Kaoru to speak once more. But, once again, Kaoru's fiery spirit didn't heed the warnings that the other men gave from their facial expressions.

"Is that really a reason to just leave?"

Although she had earlier wished to leave, the fact that it was initiated by Battousai had irritated her enough to refuse her earlier desire.

Her haughty nature irked Battousai to the next extreme. His hand clenched tightly several times, trying to retain his building anger.

"I would advise you to get up before I get angry."

His command was hissed through clenched teeth as his eyes became frightening flames of gold. But Kaoru was not shaken by his attempt to scare her. She simply stared back into his eyes with ignorance. Her wisdom could easily pick up that he was simply trying to frighten her into obeying him, but there lie no threat behind his words.

Little did she know that his anger had yet to bare itself to her knowledge. But she didn't need to wait long to realize her mistake.

Finally, his anger had snapped his iron firm patience like a twig - and without another minutes hesitation, Battousai seized the arm of the girl and quickly brought her up to his face level.

"You listen to me, and you listen to me good. I'm taking care of you, got that? So what I say, goes. I don't want to hear any complaints or remarks from your mouth. So keep it shut."

Kaoru fought to keep her eyes locked with his. She couldn't show her growing fear to him. She just couldn't allow her weakness to shine through. Because she knew that the first chance he got, he would snatch the moment into his grasp and use that flaw to his advantage.

Kaoru remained silent, that stillness giving Battousai his victory in the argument. He swiftly turned on his heel and tugged Kaoru out of the meeting room as quickly as possible.

He sped down the halls with a familiar accuracy, making sharp turns and twists, padding skillfully like a cat. Kaoru could barely comprehend which way they were turning, let alone when they had reached their destination. She was shoved onto the tatami floor and landed with a painful bashing to her hip and shoulder. In his anger he had forgotten his manners and his gentlemanly nature altogether. Slamming the shoji shut, he quickly turned around and approached her with a threatening growl.

"Don't you ever, ever dare to do that again in my presence, do you understand me!"

Kaoru kept her sour gaze directed to the wall, unable to bring herself to meet his gaze.

"Answer me!"

His forceful shout jumped Kaoru into directing her gaze into his course – something she shouldn't have done. Once her eyes had locked with his, there was no averting them. She felt herself tremble as his eyes penetrated her.

She didn't know what to do. How come she was never this frightened before…? Why was she so scared now?

Battousai's glare didn't falter at her fear. He continued to glower at her, awaiting an answer. Kaoru's lips moved only slightly, but her comment wasn't heard. That only angered him more. He stamped his foot and proceeded forward.

"What was that!"

Kaoru jerked at his forceful demand and repeated her answer.

"Yes."

With that, Battousai composed himself and let his anger recede only slightly. The grip on his sword lessened vaguely and his gaze became less terrifying.

Kaoru was ashamed with herself. After his gaze had lessened, she had finally found enough courage to avert her eyes away. She felt a blush come onto her cheeks due to the humility. She promised to never allow herself to be intimidated by the redhead. And yet she had been so easily frightened by him – his eyes. The molten gold that burned into her sapphire had petrified her the most. Behind those golden eyes, there hid a murderer. She almost had been surprised that he did not show himself.

Being so lost in her own thought, Kaoru had barely managed to catch the small talk of the much thought of Battousai. She turned to face him, though not directly in the eyes.

"From now on, you'll do what I say, and what I say, you'll do. And, if you do just that, I'll remind the other men to keep their hands to themselves… If not-"

Kaoru's eyes widened as she felt herself shiver. The smirk on Battousai face was apparent.

"Well, we'll find out when you don't obey, now won't we."

Kaoru's fist was balled up tightly as she grit her teeth in anger. Her hatred toward the boy in front of her couldn't grow any more immense. And she wanted to make that clear to him. She hesitantly lifted her gaze to his and transferred her anger into the path of her eyes – But Battousai held them with great ease. It wasn't the first time he had gotten that kind of stare. He easily brushed off her loathing and turned his back to her.

"For your disobedience, you'll stay in here…for the rest of the night. You got that…?"

Kaoru had the urge to pounce on him and scratch his eyes out. He had no right to tell her what to do! Kaoru growled audibly and her sapphire eyes stared angrily at his back, wishing she could bore holes into it.

"You've no right to tell me what to do!"

With that, Battousai chuckled – distressing Kaoru even further.

"You don't have any idea just how wrong you are."

And with that message delivered, Battousai strode out of the room with a departing gift.

"Oh. And if I catch you out of this room, I won't be so courteous as to give you a slap on the wrist, kitten. Don't think I won't catch you, either…that'll just get you into even more trouble."

With the tap of the closed shoji, Kaoru was left alone in the empty room. Letting her fists relax and her gaze soften, she finally realized the tears slipping by her face. Hesitantly drawing her knees to herself, Kaoru wrapped her arms around them, letting herself cry.

It was then she felt truly lonely.

..Papa….

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Lendra – Well hello everyone! I'm sorry for the delayed update. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Oh, and no, for those who may be wondering, Kaoru doesn't know about her father's death just yet.

And yes….Battousai was a bastard in this chapter.

Battousai – Hey! You made me act that way!

Lendra – That's a child's excuse. I did nothing of the sort!

Battousai – -growls and grabs sword-

Lendra – Now, now Battousai. It isn't me you should get angry with!…The readers are the ones who can spread word about your actions! So get angry with them:)

Battousai - -rolls eyes and points sword toward you- review or else I'll have to stalk you down and hurt you.

Kaoru – That's enough to convince me.

Lendra ­– you heard the two love-birds! (Kaoru+Battousai : -fumes-) Review:D