Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I wish I did though.

Chapter 5: Flames of Fate

By InuShemeeko

Nori smiled lightly as she scrubbed the laundry. Kenshin had argued about her doing the laundry this morning. He had finally given into Nori and let her do the laundry. Nori in turn had talked Kenshin into going to town with Kaoru. Yahiko, as well as, Akira and Kyoko had decided to go with them. That gave Nori the dojo all to herself; her thoughts drifted to Sanosuke as she thought about the big rooster head as Megumi called him. He had been to kind to her, more then what she was used to. Kenshin was always kind to her, but that was just Kenshin being Kenshin.

Nori smiled up at the clothes as they whipped in the wind. She then turned slowly as she felt as presence behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Seiichi."

A tall man about 6 feet tall stood behind Nori. His black hair that had once been longer then Nori's now hung down to his shoulders. His right hand rested near the hilt of his katana. His dark honey eyes glared down at her. As Nori looked Seiichi over she could see that the years were taking their toll on him.

"Hello, Tigress did you think that I would never find you. How thoughtful of you to make sure that none of your friends were here."

Nori's green eyes shone with anger as she stared at Seiichi.

"My friends and family are none of your concern, indeed they are not."

Seiichi sneered in disgust at Nori.

"You have let your years of wandering soften you to much. I shall have to find a remedy for that today. Surely I can not fail to defeat you as you are now."

Nori used her lightening speed to get behind Seiichi. She then reached inside of the training room doors and reached for her sakabatou. Nori then wrapped her fingers around the hilt. She heard Seiichi draw his katana from its sheath. She jumped as Seiichi's katana came crashing down toward her, the force was so strong that it caused Nori to slide into the dojo, the winded whipped Nori's brown red bangs around.

Seiichi soon followed her inside a wicked smile was etched on his face.

"It pains me to say this Tigress, but today is the day one of us dies. If the fates wish it we will both die today."

Seiichi then charged at Nori his blade drawn toward her. Nori gritted her teeth together as metal stuck metal. She had managed to block Seiichi first attack.

"Seiichi, if you are meaning to turn me back to whom I once was you are mistaken, for I will not kill you indeed not."

A strange glint shone in Seiichi eyes as he slid away for her.

"That is why my plan is so excellent, for if I fail to kill you, you shall die anyway."

Nori shook her head.

"What?"

Her senses then picked up on two familiar things, the crackling of a fire and the smell of smoke. Nori's eyes widened as she saw the flickering of flames on the roof of the dojo.

"The years have truly made you go insane. People shall see the dojo burning and come."

"Yes, you are right Tigress they will come but by then it will be too late."

"Mr. Himura!"

A small boy came running up to Kenshin and Kaoru he held a letter in his hand.

"This letter came for you today. I was told to find you and deliver it to you."

Kenshin smiled down at the boy as he took the letter.

"Well thank-you very much. I appreciate it very much that I do."

The little boy then disappeared into the crowd of people. Kaoru peeked over Kenshin's shoulder as he looked at the letter.

"Kenshin who is it from?"

Kenshin was almost to shocked too reply.

"It's……….it's from Master Hiko."

Kenshin,

I do not intend to make it a habit to write to you. Seeing how you are just my idiot apprentice. I am writing to you to inquire about the Swordsman known as the Tigress, the swordsmen's name is Nori Hiromasa. A few weeks ago I had a strange visitor dressed in black come and see me. The stranger asked me many questions about Hiromasa none of which I truly answered. He also kept his face in the shadows so I never did get a good look at his face.

If you happen along Hiromasa warn her that danger is closing in on her once again. I'm leaving this up to you; I'm hoping that my idiot apprentice won't mess anything up.

From Kyoto,

Hiko

P.S. I should be arriving in Tokyo in a few days. Try not to mess this up.

Kaoru watched as the expressions on Kenshin's face changed.

"Kenshin what is it?"

"I would seem that Miss Nori maybe in danger. That she may indeed."

Kenshin's face fell as he read the last line.

"Orooooo."

"Kenshin what is it what's wrong?"

"Master Hiko is coming here to Tokyo, that he is."

"What!" was all Kaoru could say.

Nori cursed lightly as perspiration ran down her face. Blood oozed from the wound on her right arm. The battle with Seiichi had been going on for an hour. The Kamiya dojo was all most completely engulf in flames. Nori knew she would have to end this soon.

"Sarasu Hiten Nokan Ryu Style! Tora Jihi Sen!"

Nori propelled herself into the air, the blade of her reversed-blade sword catching the hilt of Seiichi's katana. There was a clang of metal, Seiichi then stumbled backwards he stared in disbelief as the blade of his sword flew through the air and landed on the floor with a clang. Nori took in as much as air as her dared; flames were on every wall the air thick and heavy with smoke. Her eyes stared to water as she watched Seiichi's movement.

"You may have broken my sword, however I have one last trick up my sleeve."

Nori stared at what Seiichi held in his hand. It was one of Miss Kaoru bokkens, however it now looked like a torch. Seiichi thrusted the bokken torch out toward Nori. She could feel the heat from the flames as the near her face. All of a sudden Seiichi whipped the bokken sideways toward Nori's face.

Nori's movements were slowing down she was losing great amounts of blood from the wounds she had received from Seiichi's katana. However, it was her lungs that were now giving up. She had managed to dodge Seiichi's first attack, but had failed with the last one. Shearing pain over came Nori just before she fell into darkness.

Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Akira, and Kyoko were on their way back to the dojo, when a man ran by hem yelling.

"The Kamiya dojo is on fire!"

Both Kenshin and Kaoru's eyes widen in surprise. Their eyes then drifted to the direction of the dojo. The afternoon sky was tinged an orange, however it was Kaoru who reacted first to the sight.

"Kenshin, the dojo it really is burning."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed then widened as something flashed in to his memory.

"Miss Nori!"

With that Kenshin and Kaoru took off toward the dojo Yahiko and Akira and Kyoko following behind them.

Nori blinked a few times; unfortunately her vision was a little hazy. As Nori lifted herself up there was a cracking and popping sound as a few of the boards from the ceiling crashed to the floor. She rolled out of the way only to have the fiery boards landed beside her. Hot ember jumped out at her like little demons, biting at her flesh and clothes. Nori winced when a few of them hit her in the face. Her eyes felt as if someone had poured acid on them. Nonetheless, she pulled herself across the floor her sight set on the opening that lead to outside. Nori glanced around for Seiichi, not seeing him, she figured he had fled during the time she had fainted.

"Please forgive me miss Kaoru."

Her body started to weaken on her once more, but she forced herself onward. Her blood ran from her body as if it no longer wished to be a part of her. Nori reached a blood stained hand out toward the dojo doorway. She heard someone yell her name just as her senses gave into the darkness once more.

"Miss Nori!"

The heat from the flames was unbearable as Kenshin made his way into the dojo. Water dripped from his gi and hair as he made his way through the flames. He gasped in horror when he came upon Nori's lifeless body. Blood continued to pool from the wound in her right arm. Once Kenshin was closer to Nori he could see that not only was her right arm wounded but she had also been burned as well.

Kenshin then gently lifted Nori into his arms and ran out of the dojo.

"Hold on Miss Nori, you got to hold on that you do."

Once outside Kenshin saw that many men were already working on putting the fire out. Kaoru rant to Kenshin's side her gaze fell on Nori who lay lifeless in Kenshin's arms.

"Kenshin, is Nori?"

Kenshin saw the worry that shown in Kaoru's eyes. As she looked at all of Nori's wounds and burns. He couldn't blame Kaoru for worrying, for he was also worried. Kenshin did not like the burns that marred Nori's face, for the burns where straight as if they were made by a sword.

"She is alright Miss Kaoru, that she is."

Within a few minutes Miss Megumi came bursting through the dojo gates.

"Is everyone alright?"

However Megumi's question was answered with a sad heart when her eyes caught sight of Nori lying in Kenshin's arms. She gasped when she not only noticed the deep bleeding wound on Nori's right arm, but the burns that marred her beautiful face.

"Come bring her inside quickly."

Kenshin did as Megumi asked. Kaoru followed behind with Akira. Yahiko lifted Kyoko up in his arms and followed suite. Once inside Kenshin laid Nori gently down on the futon that Megumi had spread out on the floor. He then turned and walked outside leaving Kaoru to help Megumi tend to Nori's wounds.

Who could have done something so horrible? Kenshin had no idea his thoughts drifted to Sanosuke. He had told Kenshin he was going out of town on an errand, but he had not said what that errand had been. Kenshin knew that he was due back in a few days.

"Sano, I'm sorry."

Then there was the worry of Master Hiko's coming. Surely he wished to speak with Miss Nori. What was he to do? How was he supposed to fix all of this? There was also the training room that needed rebuilding. Kenshin was unsure of what he should do. He then sat and waited for new on Miss Nori.

Megumi busied herself with stopping the blood flow from Nori's right arm. Once the bleed stopped Megumi let out a breath.

"Kaoru, can you go and get me some fresh cool water?"

Kaoru nodded and rose she held the pan tightly as she made her way out to the well. Upon coming out side the scent of frying fish hit her nose. A smile then crossed her lips. Kenshin had remembered that by now it was almost dinnertime. He always seemed to remember the to small children needed to eat at the proper time. She smiled in Kenshin's direction on last time before making her way back into the dojo.

Once inside she placed the pan down beside Megumi. Megumi then dipped a cloth into the water and gently dapped the burns on Nori's face. She then mixed and herb salve and started to place it on the burns. Megumi winced when she saw how close the burns were to her eyes. She knew that there could have been damage done to Nori's eyes. Megumi then gently placed the salve on Nori's eyes her fingers ran across small blisters that lay on her eyelids.

"Megumi, What is it what's wrong?"

Megumi sighed as she looked up at Kaoru.

"I'm afraid that the fire may have taken Nori's eye sight."

Kaoru then helped Megumi wrap a bandage around Nori's eyes. Both of them knew that time would only tell.

( That it for now. Please read and review, oh and remember to keep the flame low. Tora Jihi Sen- Tiger Mercy Sword.

Ciao,

Tainted InuShemeeko)