Hello! Here's the next chapter! Thank u too the reviewers! )
Chapter Two:
"All right ladies! Line up! Katsura-sama is almost here. Two will be selected to cook and clean. The wage isn't much but decent enough to buy your own food." A man said as women lined up gracefully lifting their kimono's so they wouldn't trip. Most of them had worn make up and fancy kimono's, but as for Kaoru she decided to keep her face the way it was, no make up. She wore a white kimono with purple designing, the only thing she changed was her hair. It was no longer in a high pony tail like usually but in a bun. She almost looked like a geisha.
"Are you sure you don't want to put powder on missy? You'd look more beautiful with it on." The man said with respect.
"..eh..Iie. Arigatoo." She replied with a bow. Kaoru let out a sigh as the man left shaking her head a little. Things were a little different than Meji era. People were cold, so unfriendly, obviously due to the war. A certain redhead came to her thought, wondering how he'd looked like, obviously younger but still..
"Kaoru-chan!" a voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and over to the entrance of the house. A young girl with ponytails peaked in waving at her. Kaoru smiled at the girl. She was the first person to talk to Kaoru and asked what she was doing around the village. The young girl ran over to her and gave her a hug.
"Good luck Kaoru-chan! I hope you get the job." She said smiling.
"Thanks Yuki-chan. Now go.. I don't want you getting into trouble." Kaoru said pushing her towards the door. Finally this Katsura person had arrived and so it began. It was quiet and every woman in line looked straight forward as Katsura passed by slowly eyeing them. As he passed by her he stopped and looked at Kaoru.
"Miss…is there a reason you're not wearing any make up?" he asked with an interest. Kaoru looked at him confused and lifted an eyebrow.
'of all the questions?...baka..'
"I believe you are here to look not ask. Besides some of the others aren't wearing it either so why am I any different?" she said camly. The manager went up to her with rage and held her tightly by the arm.
"You will talk to Katsura-sama with respect is that clear?" Katsura looked at her with amusement.
"Tch…but he's enjoying it. Look at that face." She said glaring at the man. The manager raised his had to hit her but was stopped by Katsura.
"It's not proper to hit a lady. I don't take offense at all. But it looks like you don't want to be here. How old are you?" Kaoru kept quiet and closed her eyes in annoyance.
' Why is he asking questions? He never talked to the others…'
"Hmm…can't have a person like you aboard my place." He then went to the next woman.
'…great! I should have just kept quiet…how am I suppose to get in there now?' Katsura went up to the manager and talked quietly as everyone waited for the decision.
"You with the blue eyes and you over there. The rest are free to go."
" Eh?...i thought he wasn't gonna choose me…" Katsura passed by her with a grin and motioned the two girls to follow him. Kaoru stepped out of the house shielding her eyes from the bright sun. The streets were packed with people walking around, either selling or carrying things. They kept on walking until they reached an inn. The place was big unlike the rest of the inns she had seen but still had a nice touch to it. Kaoru halted as two men approached Katsura. Kaoru looked around finding a small pond not too far from them eagerly wanting to explore the place. Katsura turned around bringing back Kaoru's attentnion.
"This here is Izuka. He will be showing you your rooms and what you have to do at specific times." Katsura left before anyone could speak, silence meeting them.
"Well…I guess we should start the tour." Izuka suggested and led them inside the inn. Kaoru took a look around the place as they entered noticing the room was filled with men. They sat around tables talking, laughing, and drinking. The stench in the room disturbed her greatly making her want to puke. It was obvious these were Katsura's men, but only a few. The girls followed Izuka down to a hallway with different private rooms on their left, and their right was the garden and the pond Kaoru had seen earlier. Izuka stopped and slid open a door.
"One of you can stay here the next room over here is for the other. Take your pick." Kaoru entered the room to take a look at the place. A futon was neatly folded on the floor and a table was set in the corner of the room. She turned around with a smile.
"I think I like this room."
"Well anyways be sure to follow the head mistress orders if needed and I'm pretty sure you know when to clean and cook."
"Head mistress?"
"Katsura-san's 'friend'." He replied boringly.
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"Well I that pretty much covers the things I wanted to talk about. You guys are dismissed." Katsura said standing up. The men in the room stood up bowing before leaving the room. A young boy rose up and took his sword from the corner tying it to the side of his hip. Katsura watched the boy as he turned around and bowed towards his direction before leaving. He was the youngest one that had joined the Ishin Shishi because of the skills he had with swordsmanship. He was different from the rest, quiet, but he had created a title with his skills. Battosai, the boy that killed with no mercy. Even though he followed orders with no complaints and completed assignments he was too serious, he needed to loosen up.
"Himura." The boy stopped to turn around. His amber eyes stared back Katsura questioning him.
"I will be dinning along with an acquaintance this evening, why don't you join me?" He nodded and turned around to leave.
The boy walked down the hallway looking out to the gardens. He spent most of his free time sitting down at the edge of the floor looking out to nature. At other times when it was too noisy he'd take a walk around the village. He sigh thinking of Katusra's request. He was probably trying to set him up with another concubine. Noticing another presence he turned his head slightly and walking towards his direction was Izuka.
"Izuka."
"I've just heard news that the Shinsengumi is passing by this town. I'm not sure what day exactly but somewhere around this week. So be careful when you finish your assignment today."
"Does Katsura-san know?"
"No. But I'm heading to him." Izuka bowed and headed towards Katsura's room. The wind blew lightly scattering the petals of a Sakura tree to the ground and over to the hallway. Somehow the scent jasmine popped into his thoughts when he looked at the cherry tree.
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Kaoru looked at herself through a small mirror that was placed on the table in her room. She had cut her hair before she arrived to earth her hair now reaching halfway of her back. Her clothes were now changed into a dark purple kimono, leaving her other one neatly folded next to the futon. She put her hair up half way up leaving a few strands of hair beside her cheeks. Kaoru turned her head to the right looking at the side of her eyes to the mirror. She had missed her long hair but she had liked it better this way. So when she tied her hair up it only stopped to her neck. Everything was going smoothly so far but she hadn't seen Kenshin yet. The assignments she was given were simple tasks except for one She never really did learn how to cook because Kenshin always took over and made her relax or take a bath, while Sano laid down on the floor and Yahiko in the dojo practicing. A smile appeared on her lips at the memory. Well reminiscing wasn't going to help her cooking so she had to find help. Sliding the door shut she went pass the hallways and to the kitchen. To her surprise she found a middle aged woman stirring some soup in a pot while adding small pieces of wood to the fire.
"Ano…are you-"
"Yes. I'm in charge of the cooking." The woman said turning around.
"Oh..i haven't seen you before. Are you new?"
"Hai."
"I'm Chiyako. Is there something you need?"
"I'm Kaoru. Actually yes there is. You see…I-I don't know how to cook." Kaoru replied with a blush. Chiyako looked at her surprised and smiled.
"I'd be glad to teach you." Kaoru looked at her with gratitude.
"Arigatoo-gozaimasu."
"Well, let's get started. That way when it's your turn to cook you can make an impression on the men." She said with a wink. ", Okay. First of all let's start with the soup….."
Kaoru sighed as she poured water to her hands. She stood up and picked up the bucket of water and threw the rest of it outside. Chiyako and she had spent an hour learning how to chop up vegetables, meat, and other important ingredients to the soup. She was enjoying it but her energy was going down. She covered her mouth as she yawned looking outside at the sky. She shook her head. It was only the middle of the day. But resting sounded so tempting. Maybe she would find a quiet place to rest and close her eyes. Exiting the kitchen she bowed as guests arrived then went outside. Kaoru wandered around the place before finally sitting down and resting her head on a wooden pillar. She closed her eyes enjoying the cool breeze.
"Oy! Busu! When will you teach me already! Stop gawking at Kenshin and help me!" Yahiko stepped inside the house with his bokken at his shoulder.
"Hai Hai. But for once Yahiko could you please not call me busu?" Kaoru replied in a calm voice. Yahiko looked at her in surprise and in worry.
"Kaoru…are you okay?" Kaoru blinked twice.
"Hm? Oh yeah. I'm just a bit tired. Yesterday's work ti-" Kaoru stopped herself realizing what she had said. Yahiko frowned.
"Your working?"
"Yahiko please don't tell kay? Money is short and I really want to help. Kenshin and even Sano is working and I want to help pay. Besides I own this place so it should be me working not them." She said with a frown. ", Anyways, go ahead to the dojo and start some warm ups. I'll be there in a sec." Kaoru turned around but two arms wrapped around her to keep her from moving.
"Kaoru? Don't overwork yourself and get sick. I don't want to loose you like I did with my parents." He then ran out and to the dojo.
A sad smile appeared on Kaoru. It was the first time he showed he cared for her. At that time she was short on money and it was worrying her so much that she barely ate. He was like a little brother to her. She hoped she didn't cause him too much pain after her death. They were bound to find out sooner or later that she had died. She was beginning to miss Yahiko. Kaoru opened her eyes and stood up.
"Ah. Himura, there you are." Kaoru turned and found a boy with red hair listening to one of Katsura's men.
"Kenshin."she whispered.
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After a talk with Izuka, Kenshin stayed outside under a tree. He found himself not knowing what to do with his spare time. If he was with his Master right now he would have told him to get up and help him with some wood or do other chores, then after he was done he would make him do two hundred strokes with a bokken. But since he saved him when he was little he didn't mind. Blood replayed in his mind as his loved ones were protecting him, watching them one by one die. They were his reason for living. They were why he was in the war. To find peace. A new era. Kenshin stood up and headed for his room. He decided he would start his assignment a little early that way it could kill time. On his way to his room he spotted a figure sitting down and leaning its head on a pillar. It was a girl. He wasn't familiar with the face so she must have been new. A smile appeared on her face but her eyes were closed. A dream? She opened her eyes and slowly stood up.
"Ah. Himura, there you are." A voice called out. He turned his head towards the man as he began to talk.
"The men are eating now. Just thought you might wanna know. It also seems we have two new ladies. I hear one of them is eye catching. She has sapphire eyes. She looks young though. Anyways I'll see ya later, if you're still coming." Kenshin turned his head back to where he saw the girl but no one was there. He stared at the spot for a while then left.
Kaoru walked quietly to her room and slid the door shut once she was inside. He was young alright and very handsome. She didn't know how long he was watching her but if she tried to avoid him he would get suspicious. Or maybe this was all in her head. After all she knew nothing about how the Kenshin here was like. But still, he looked mature, quiet perhaps.
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"Hey Akira. It's time to switch post." A friend of his called out.
"All right. But let me light the lamp. It's getting dark." He said before going outside. A few of his other friends went out with him looking around at the quiet streets. Not a single soul was seen. Everyone knew it was dangerous to walk out in night. Akira walked away from his post patrolling other areas. He grabbed his sword once he heard a slight movement near an alley. The bright moon shined out clearly so seeing wasn't a problem. Akira looked over the alley only to find a cat walking. He sighed and let go of his sword, turning around to go back to his post. Amber eyes opened from an alley where the moon could not reach and he slowly followed Akira.
Akira took his sword out and turned around just in time to block a sword coming his way. He jumped back and held his sword in defense taking a look at his enemy. It was a young boy. Kenshin wasted no time and attacked blocking a couple attacks the man had swung at him. He pushed his sword away and slashed him on the shoulder, sending him to the ground.
"Akira!" Kenshin looked up and found more men coming at his aid. He rushed over to them simply cutting them as if they were paper. He turned around blocking an attack from behind and plunged his sword to his heart, turning the sword so that his palm faced upwards he moved his left hand to his right and pushed upwards with his sword as it cut through the mans left shoulder. The man gave a painful cry, his body dropping to the ground as blood quickly rushed out of him.
"You bastard!" a man shouted as he carelessly attacked Kenshin. Akira watched in horror as the young boy dodged his friends attack. The young boy slashed his friend twice and watched as the body dropped. His friend breathed hard starting at the boy with anger. Kenshin looked at him with no emotion and finished him off by piercing the sword through his neck.
A hand touched Akira and he felt nauseated. The boy wasn't alone. He turned his head and to his surprise he found sapphire eyes looking at him. She brought her index finger to her mouth and quickly helped him up. Kenshin turned around remembering there was still one more he had not finished off. His eyes widen as he saw two figures escape through a corner. He quickly chased after them through another alley. Kaoru stopped moving as she saw him jump down his amber eyes staring intensely at them. Akira dropped to his knees trying to ignore the pain from his body. Kenshin eyes widen as he saw the girl from this morning. Her sapphire eyes looked at him with plead. He took a step forward pushing the girl away as she came running towards him. He raised his sword and struck down only to stop midway. The girl had thrown herself over the man her eyes shut hard waiting for the impact. What the hell was she doing? Did she even know the man? There was only one answer to that. She was working with them too. Probably a spy.
"There! It's the battosai!" Kenshin turned his head. Great they called more men. If he left them he was sure they would run away. Looks like he had no choice.
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Kenshin woke up due to the noisy people in the inn. He was in no good mood today and it was because of that girl. Shutting the door closed he walked to the dinning room. Laughter filled the room as other men sat down in tables eating and drinking. Kaoru walked out of the kitchen brining bowls of food to the men. As she turned around she found herself slammed against the wall hard and looked up in surprise. It was Kenshin.
"Hey! What's the big deal Himura?" one of the men said looking at him.
"She's a spy." He replied his eyes staring heatedly at her.
"No your mistaken I-"
"Himura-san. Let go of her." Katsura voice called out. The men and Kenshin looked at their leader.
"She's a spy Katsura-san." He said once again.
"She works here. I hired her. Even if she was how would you have known."
"Apparently she interfered with my work last night." Katsura looked at Kaoru surprised and raised an eyebrow.
'oh shit…'
"How so?"
"She let one man escape."
"You're wrong." Kaoru said in defense. ", he died before I could save him. Too much blood had spilled." Kenshin let go of her as Katsura moved towards her.
"And what were you following Himura for?"
"I wasn't," she replied calmly. ", I wanted to visit a friend of mine. She happened to live nearby."
"You should know its dangerous to go at night." Katsura said eyeing her for any hint of lie.
"You know it's a lie Katsura-san." Kenshin said interrupting. ", if she was passing by she would have kept on going instead of interfering."
"I have you know I hate seeing people kill each other. That was my only reason of helping the poor man." She said angrily. Katsura stayed quiet obviously trying to decide what to do with her.
"You are no longer allowed to leave this place without an escort for obvious reasons. Though I don't fully trust you I will let last night pass. But if I find out that you really are a spy I will not hesitate to kill you." Kaoru closed her eyes in annoyance.
This was just great. She knew it was stupid of her to follow Kenshin last night, but she really wanted to know what he was doing and she defiantly couldn't tend the wounds of the man she saved last night. Of course she had lied about the man being dead. Otherwise her rescue would have been for nothing. She had to be more careful now especially with Kenshin.
Curiosity killed the cat.
TBC…….
A/N: well! How was it? Good great? Hehe funny thing was I played SamuraiX OST when I wrote this. So sad! But I love the music::sigh: well plz review n I'll update soon! Ja ne! )