Warnings: See Rating.

Beta: The fantabulous Laegdin


"Do you know anyone whom Battousai might have been in contact with?"

Kaoru gulped; she hadn't realized he would ask this question. Answering it truthfully would only get Sano in trouble.

Apparently, Saitou recognized her hesitation and his eyes narrowed. Leaning over the desk, his aura took on a more menacing impression. "Let me assure you, Kamiya-san, we aren't going to necessarily arrest these people. We just want to question them about what they know about Battousai." He sat back and straightened the cuff of his left sleeve nonchalantly. "However, if I find that you are lying to me, you will regret doing so. And believe me, I will find out."

The steel tone underlying his words convinced Kaoru that he was not joking. She considered trying to convince Saitou that Sano wasn't really dangerous or anything, he just had bad taste in … well, almost everything. But as she met the police inspector's gaze, Kaoru realized he would have no compassion for foolish rooster-heads no matter how much she begged. She fought back the urge to squirm in her chair like an errant child under his stern gaze. Sano, forgive me, she thought silently. Clearing her throat, she said softly, "I only know two. Shinomori Aoshi and Sagara Sanosuke."

Saitou sat back in his chair, lips curving up into a feral smile upon recognizing a name. "Sagara."


Nightmares kept Kaoru up all night, just as it had the day before. Finally, at six am, she gave up trying to sleep and stomped into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. She had already notified her boss that she was taking a few personal days off while Kaoru tried to get her life back in order. Heaven only knew she had more than enough time saved up and she definitely needed the time for things to return back to normal.

Setting the kettle on the stovetop for the water to boil, Kaoru leaned her hip against the counter and stared blankly at the red pot. If she were honest with herself, it wasn't just the nightmares that had kept her up. It was also that kiss. The hot lips seared onto hers, the faint taste of salt and other spices, the dim realization that Battousai, no matter his reputation, was still a man …

"Argh, stop thinking about it!" she ordered herself sternly. To emphasize her point, she seized her arm in a hearty pinch.

It hurt but neither did it keep her thoughts from wandering back to Battousai.

Sighing in disgust at her lack of control, Kaoru pulled out a teabag and plopped it in an empty mug. As soon as the kettle whistled, she turned off the stove and poured the hot water into the cup before wandering to her living room. Where the kiss had taken place.

Kaoru groaned out loud. Now would be a good time to find her bokken. Perhaps a nice whack to her own head would help keep her mind focused on facts instead of her careening emotions. At this point, she was almost desperate enough to try.

Kenshin's sudden appearance also brought another dilemma to mind. Sinking onto the couch, Kaoru held the mug with both hands, inhaling the clean, fresh scent of jasmine in her tea. "I should call Saitou," she mumbled to the teabag. "I should tell him of Battousai's night visit to my apartment."

But really, would that accomplish anything? Kenshin hadn't told her where he was going. In fact, he hadn't said anything except he that had wanted to kiss her all those months ago. And really, that was the last thing she wanted to tell Saitou or even dwell on the thought. So telling the police would only give her another three hours in the torture chair at the station while Saitou went over every single word of their conversation. And all this just to conclude she had no information in the first place.

Not Kaoru's idea of fun. Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was to tell Saitou about her love life.

No, not love life. She couldn't afford to think like that.

Kaoru dropped her head into her hands. From the first moment she had met Kenshin several months ago as her new neighbor, Kaoru had felt an attraction to the shy, soft-spoken man who seemed about as harmless as a newborn kitten. Kenshin had always treated her courteously like a true gentleman and Sano seemed pleased they got along well.

"Hah!" Kaoru muttered bitterly. Too bad the kitten had claws sharper than Megumi's tongue when the doctor was riled up. Kenshin was actually Battousai, the Manslayer of legend, the most notorious criminal in the city, and the killer of one hundred people. One hundred! Could she be more any more perverted than having lustful feelings towards a man who was an infamous murderer?

Yet while Kaoru remembered his golden eyes gleaming from under the long, crimson bangs, the gentle touch of his lips reminded her of the man she had thought was Himura Kenshin.

Which brought up another point: why hadn't Battousai killed her? He obviously knew she was responsible for pointing the police in his direction and accused her as much. Did a man who killed over one hundred people have enough compassion to spare the life of a slightly nerdy biologist?

Kaoru stared at the teabag floating innocuously in the water, yielding no answers to the zillion questions she had. The faint pounding in her temple was a good indication all this uncertainty would lead to a great, big headache. She sighed and set her mug down on the coffee table. Unfortunately, none of her current thoughts helped her make any decisions. Should she tell Saitou or not tell Saitou? Kaoru wasn't in the mood for another lengthy discourse on every syllable her former neighbor uttered. And she didn't know anything else that would help the police find him. Kenshin had only said he would come back for her.

Kaoru blinked as she suddenly remembered he had actually spoken those words. That gave her the excuse she needed. Perhaps it was best to see what would happen next. If – and a very big if at that – Kenshin ever did return, the first thing she would do is whack him over the head with her bokken. While he was all swirly-eyed and counting birdies, she would run over to the phone and call Saitou. He would come, lock Battousai up, and her life could return to normal again.

The thought of Kenshin being locked up in a prison for life - or worse - unsettled Kaoru somewhat. But the plan seemed otherwise sound and she felt relieved to have thought up a workable plan. Suddenly feeling exhaustion overcome her sleep-deprived body, Kaoru pulled the afghan off her couch and wrap it around herself before finally falling into a dreamless sleep.


"Hey, Missy! Open up already!"

The pounding on the door roused her from her nap. Kaoru slowly sat up and looked at her clock groggily. Realizing she had actually slept for almost an hour and a half, she lurched to her feet and stumbled to the door, trying to figure out how to work the complicated set-up on it. Kaoru finally remembered out how to undo the bolt and tumbled the lock free before she yanked the door open, catching Sano in mid-pound. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" she asked in irritation, stepping aside to let him in.

Sagara Sanosuke thrust his hands into the pocket of his jeans as he ambled inside. "I went to visit you at work but they said you suddenly took some time off. I just wanted to make sure everything was all right." Since Kaoru hadn't mentioned using her vacation days, Sano had been a little worried that something happened. After all, she was practically a workaholic.

His worry had increased when he had noticed the gaggle of tv reporters outside, all trying to peer through the door of the apartment building as he went in. Something had definitely happened and Kaoru not being at work was far too much of a coincidence for him.

Trying to appear casual, Sano wandered throughout the apartment before he was satisfied everything seemed normal. Except, he noted, her bookcase had been moved so that it mostly blocked the balcony doors. No one could enter or exit without having to squeeze through the remaining space.

More awake now, Kaoru remembered she had a bone to pick with her friend. A very large bone. She pushed her front door shut and watched Sano with narrowed azure eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "Oh, yes, everything's fine and dandy," she said sarcastically, "considering it's not every day that a girl realizes Battousai the Manslayer happens to be her acquaintance and neighbor." Kaoru thrust an accusing finger at him. "You knew about Kenshin, didn't you? I could kill you for keeping that a secret!"

Something flickered in Sano's chocolate eyes as he slowly drew himself up from his usually slouched position. "Did something happen to Kenshin?" he asked slowly.

Kaoru wished she had something handy to throw at her friend. Or even her trusty bokken so she could whack him on the head with it. "Are you paying attention to me?" she demanded. "Kenshin is Battousai. He's a dangerous criminal and the police have been looking for him for years! You knew about him and you didn't tell anyone about him!"

Sano lifted his hands up, palm out in a gesture of placation. "There's a lot more to this than that, Missy," he said rather calmly. "Look, just tell me what happened and I'll share what I know, all right?"

Kaoru stared hard at Sano who suddenly seemed far more serious than she had ever seen him. It was as if a mask had been cast aside and he was no longer the same freeloading gambling-addicted ex-punk she had known for years. Had Sano also hidden his true identity just as Kenshin had done? She could hardly believe there was a side to him she had never seen before.

All these sudden changes in her life were taking a heavy emotional toll on her. Kaoru genuinely felt hurt that someone whom she considered a good friend – albeit an annoying one – would hide something so vital from her. Did she really know the real Sagara Sanosuke?

The thundering in her temples that had faded with her nap reappeared and nearly doubled in intensity. There wasn't enough medicine in the world to relieve her of this pain.

"Kaoru? Are you all right?"

The concern in his voice, coupled with the actual use of her name, sent a stab of pain through her heart. Kaoru massaged her head with the tips of her fingers. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Sano," she said wearily. "I thought I knew Kenshin but I was proved so wrong about that. And then I learn you're keeping secrets from me. Who can I trust now?"

A flash of panic crossed Sano's face and he strode to her side in an instant, settling his hands on her shoulders. "Look, Missy, I know you think I've lied to you, but there were good reasons for it. Just trust me on this, all right? Let me explain what's going on and then you can decide whether or not I'm the same guy you've known for the past six years." His chocolate eyes unconsciously pled with her to give him the benefit of the doubt.

And Kaoru gave in because she knew she couldn't just cut off years of friendship based on events she still didn't even understand. Everything had happened so quickly and no one – least of all Saitou – had answered any questions she had. She owed it to Sano to listen this one time.

But she was still going to whack him with her bokken as soon as she dug it out from her closet somewhere. Oh, yes, he was still going to pay for lying to her.

There must have been some sort of answer in her eyes because Sano sighed in relief. "Come on, let's sit down since this is going to be a little difficult to understand." He paused and glanced at the kitchen. "On the other hand, I haven't had breakfast yet …"

Kaoru scowled; they could be dying and Sano would still try and wheedle free food from her. "Forget it, Sagara. Explanations first. If they're good enough, I may let you have the last frozen waffle."

He frowned but accepted her edict. Flopping down on the couch, he waited until Kaoru curled up on the other end. "Okay, first thing's first. What happened? How did you find out about Kenshin?"

Kaoru wanted to argue that he should go first but realized it would make more sense if she told her side of the story before getting any details. With a disgruntled sigh, she leaned back against the cushion. "Before I begin, I just want to ask you one question: are you taking part in Battousai's um ... activities?"

Sano blinked. "Are you asking me if I've killed anyone before? No, I swear it."

Exhaling slowly, Kaoru allowed herself a sigh of relief. The earnest expression on his face was sincere enough for her to believe in him. "All right, then." She began by briefly describing the scene in the alley. She took care not to mention too many details since doing so would bring the bloody memory back again. She had seen it one too many times in her head already. "What else could I do? I had to turn Kenshin in," she said flatly, giving Sano a pointed look.

He seemed to miss the jibe completely. "Then what?" he prompted.

Kaoru frowned. "Then I talked to Inspector Saitou who asked me a zillion questions before he and some men went over to search the apartment. They went inside but Kenshin was already gone by then." She frowned, realizing suddenly how odd that was. "But how in the world did Kenshin know the police were looking for him? I didn't tell anyone what I saw, not even Megumi."

Sano appeared deep in thought which startled and amused Kaoru at the same time. She had never seen him look so serious and while it was a nice change, it was also a bit disconcerting. "I may have a few ideas on that, but let's move on for now," he said. "Then what happened?"

Kaoru could feel a blush blossoming in her cheeks as she remembered the next sequence of events. "Um, after the police finally left, I came home. Kenshin was waiting for me here."

Sano's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward slightly. "What did he say?"

"Um … he asked if I had turned him into the police. I threatened him with a hanger – that had better not be a smirk on your face, Sagara, or I'll wipe it off with sandpaper – and he grabbed it from me." The flush deepened until Kaoru was certain she was as red as a fire engine. "He uh … kissed me …"

"He what?"

The outraged tone in his voice almost made Kaoru smile. Sano had always been protective of her when it came to guys and while it was a little embarrassing every time she went out on a date, she was also rather touched that he was so concerned about her safety. And there was nothing better to bring out his big brother streak than a kiss from a friend.

One hot and heavy kiss, at that. But Kaoru would rather have her arms twisted off than admit that to Sano.

So she shrugged and nodded. "After that, he left. Through the balcony door." It had been a pain to move the bookcase but Kaoru figured it was a necessary precaution on her part.

Sano automatically slid his gaze to the balcony and realized why Kaoru had moved the tall shelf until it nearly blocked the entrance. He nodded in approval. "I see. And that's it?"

"Well …" Kaoru wasn't sure if she really believed he would return as he said, but Kenshin was still a murderer. Maybe telling Sano would open up his eyes to the truth. "He said that he'd come back for me. And I don't think it was to thank me for doing my duty as a citizen, if you know what I mean."

Brows furrowing into a deep frown, Sano mulled her words over for a long while. "Do you think he meant he was going to hurt you?" he asked at last.

Relieved that he was taking the situation seriously, Kaoru forced herself to ponder the question. The fear that she felt every time Battousai was mentioned wasn't exactly for her life. For her body, maybe, but he had never overtly threatened her. It was his presence that felt so overwhelming. "Well, Kenshin didn't leave because the police were breaking down the door."

Sano raised a brow at her. "So if he wanted to harm you, he would have done so right away."

She shrugged. "I guess. But I don't know, maybe he likes making his victims all squirmy and nervous before he decides to kill them."

Even as Kaoru spoke, Sano shook his head. "That's not Kenshin's style. He's very straight-forward and to the point. If he wanted you dead, he would have killed you already."

The blunt words weren't exactly what Kaoru wanted to hear. She suppressed a shiver at Sano's matter-of-fact attitude. Since when did he take topics such as life and death so lightly? Had Battousai done that to him?

Still, Kaoru now had to admit her own fear of the manslayer wasn't for her life. It seemed rather odd that she was afraid of him but not because he might kill her. It was just …

Sano had an annoying smirk on his face that just begged to be wiped off. "And anyway, when Kenshin said he'll come back, I don't think he meant to harm you. He always casually asked questions about you. You know, about what you like and if you had a boyfriend or something. The man practically worships the ground where you walk."

That seemed a little too hard to believe even if it was something Kaoru sort of hoped for. Trying to hide her embarrassment at his words, she scowled at her friend. "Don't even joke about these things, Sano. Battousai doesn't worship the ground for anyone."

"I'm not joking. Come on, Missy, you know I wouldn't do that. I think I'd know what he's feeling a,lot better than you do."

It was definitely time to change the subject. Thinking about this any more would give her a bigger headache and more things to obsess over. Sano's words gave her the perfect opening to ask her questions and Kaoru seized the change in topic eagerly. She sat up straight and fixed her best intimidating glare at her friend. "It's your turn. Just how long have you known Kenshin was really Battousai, anyway?"

Realizing he shouldn't push the issue anymore, Sano held his hands up again in surrender. "Whoa, slow down there, Missy. I'll answer your questions as best I can but there's something else you need to know first. Kenshin's secrets and reasons are his own and I won't be able to tell you exactly why he's doing what he's doing."

Kaoru frowned. "Can't or won't?" she asked.

He considered her question for a long moment. It was nice that he was taking her so seriously. "Both," Sano said at last. "There are some things I know but can't say because it's not my place. And I don't know everything that's going on either. I can guess at a few things but I don't think it's right that I tell you things that haven't been confirmed yet. It's best that we stick to the truths we have for now."

She mulled over his words before nodding in agreement. "Fair enough."

Sano smiled at her. "Good. As for how long I've known Kenshin's secret, I'd say pretty much since I met him a few years ago."

Kaoru blinked at him. "A few years?" she repeated in disbelief. The urge to clobber her friend over the head returned twofold.

"Now, now, Missy, don't get all worked up about it. Kenshin saved my life."

There was a long pause as she absorbed that bit of news. Kaoru took a deep breath. "He what?"

Sano nodded in confirmation. "Saved my life. Do you remember about three and a half years ago I owed some money to a loan shark who promised to break every bone in my body if I didn't pay him within a week? Well, he was about to make good on that promise when Kenshin showed up. I'd never seen a man move so fast in my life. The fight was over within seconds and Ikuya was dead."

"But why didn't he kill you, too? I mean, you witnessed Battousai committing murder!"

A wry smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "He said he doesn't kill innocent people." Sano tilted his head slightly and added, "Though he did scold me about gambling too much and finding myself in debt to loan sharks."

Kaoru slanted him a skeptical glance. "Battousai said that to you?"

"Kenshin said that to me." Sano sighed and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Look, I know you think he's some crazy killer guy who runs around murdering people for money or something, but he's not. Kenshin is a good guy and I know he has his reasons for doing what he's doing."

She stared at him. "So you're saying the police are wrong in accusing him of killing about a hundred people?"

Sano shook his head. "I'm not excusing his methods at all. But I don't think we should judge him without finding out why he's doing this. It's not for money, I know that. Ikuya probably had a small fortune on him but Kenshin didn't even bother going for it. He said that's not why he killed the guy."

Kaoru placed her fingertips on each side of her head. "I don't think I can buy this, Sano. How can someone who kills people be a good guy?"

"You'll just have to trust me on this one, Missy," he insisted. "Kenshin isn't the enemy here."

"I saw him slaughter a woman in the alley." Kaoru rubbed her bleary eyes before meeting her friend's gaze. "How does that not make him an enemy?"

Sano nodded sympathetically. "I know it's tough to believe, especially after you saw him in action, but I won't change my mind about this. I don't know what the woman was doing or saying, but there's a reason for everything he does. Reasons that we don't understand at the moment. If it helps, think of him like a soldier who has to kill for the good of the people."

This was getting too convoluted for Kaoru's peace of mind. Imagining Kenshin as some sort of vigilante man didn't sway her at all. She just couldn't understand how killing a person wasn't a bad thing. Murder was wrong no matter which way people looked at it. "I don't know, Sano. Are you sure Battousai didn't scramble your brains or something while saving your life?" she asked.

Sano scowled at her. "Hey, give me some credit here! Do you honestly think I'd introduce you to someone whom I didn't trust?"

She returned his glare with one of her own. "No, but how could you introduce anyone to a killer, no matter how good his intentions were?"

He winced at that and his head dropped a little. "I guess I shouldn't have done that. But he seemed so … lonely. I don't know, most of the time when I see him, I barely remember that he's Battousai. To me, he's just Himura Kenshin."

"A lovely sentiment. If only that was true," Kaoru said dryly. "Look, Sano, we have another dilemma. Kenshin or Battousai or whatever he wants to call himself is wanted by the police. You're aiding a known criminal. I had to give your name to Inspector Saitou and now I'm sure the police want to question you. What are you going to do?"

Sano shrugged, looking supremely unconcerned. "I guess I'll have to go into hiding for a while or something. Who else did you name?"

"Just that Shinomori guy I ran into a few times." Kaoru studied him for a long moment, searching for any signs of anger or hurt. "I'm sorry for this, Sano, but I had to. Saitou said he only wanted to question you."

"Don't feel bad, Missy, I know you didn't want to. Besides, I know how Saitou works so don't worry about it."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

A rueful grin touched Sano's lips. "Yeah. He and I have had a few run-ins during my turbulent years as a street fighter. He'd like nothing more than to lock me up in some hellhole and melt the key into scrap metal."

"Great," she muttered. No wonder Saitou had smiled like a wolf getting a whiff of his prey when she mentioned Sano's name.

He grinned again and rose from the couch. "Listen, I'm going to get in touch with Ice Man to warn him. Don't worry so much, Missy. You did what you thought was right. Kenshin is probably safe for now and eventually Saitou will get bored of chasing after me. He's got better things to do than to track me down."

"He wants Battousai very badly. I don't think he's going to give up as easily as you think."

Sano grimaced at the truth of her words. "That's what makes Saitou so annoying. He's about as persistent as a gnat. Take care of yourself, Missy. I'll call you later."

Kaoru watched him head for the door before she spoke again. "Sano? Do you really think we can trust Kenshin?'

He flashed her a grim smile over his shoulder, one hand on the door knob. "I'm about to stake my life on it. Let's just hope this time my gamble is a lucky one."

And with that comment, he shut the door behind him.


A wisp of smoke curled up as the cigarette flared to life for a moment before dying down to an ember of gray ash. The flash of light briefly illuminated Saitou's angular features staring contemplatively at the wall in front of him. The stain which, if one squinted just right, could resemble the face of a dragon, fierce and protective. Much like a wolf.

But two predators never got along well together.

The faint beams spilling inside his open door from the hall lights reflected just enough brightness for him to see the list that lay on his desk. The list contained the names of the one hundred or so victims who had fallen under the manslayer's sword. Saitou dropped his eyes to stare at the paper again. "What are you up to now, Battousai?" he murmured. "What was your purpose in killing Handa?"

While he was still in thought, a shadow fell upon his desk, blocking the light. Irritated at the sudden intrusion, Saitou looked up and noticed one of his subordinates hovering at the threshold uncertainly. With the light at the person' back, he couldn't tell exactly who it was. "What is it?" he asked sharply.

"Sir, Officer Notoya called in to say that suspect Sagara Sanosuke was seen leaving Kamiya-san's apartment building." The voice, while nervous, relayed the message succinctly enough for Saitou to be satisfied.

Saitou, expecting the news, nodded. "Very good. Call Chou and have him follow Sagara. I want Notoya to continue watching the building. If anyone else goes in or out that matches the description of the people I gave him, I want to know immediately."

The office saluted. "Yes, sir!" Wheeling around on his heels, he marched away.

Saitou directed his gaze back to the list on his desk as a smirk dawned on his lips. "Keep running if you want, Battousai. It's only a matter of time."


Re-edited 10.7.07