Hola my friends.

Thanks to those of you who have requested I keep updating. I plan on it.
To be honest, I've had this story written for a long time now, but I'm revising it and I love it more and more.
As I hope you do.

Please rate&review or Kaoru and Misao will have to beat you up. =)
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As the sunset and the wind sang the lullabies of old, two strangers wandered down the road. The strangers spoke none and walked like soldiers down a dirt path. Deciding to take a small break, the two wanderers sat by an oak tree and began to partake in their small rations. The silence echoed in the forest, but the strangers paid no heed. They were on a mission that might cost them their lives. As the wanderers ate in silence two screams shattered the silence.

The two men leapt to their feet and listened urgently. 'Help!' a young female voice cried before the woods were encased in silence. The men glanced at each other deciding if they should intervene. The taller one nodded his head slightly and took off, as the red head followed closely behind. They rushed into the woods, straining to hear the desperate cries once more. The red head stopped abruptly as the stench of blood filled his nostrils. "This way!" he called to his companion. The men rushed in the direction of the river and found a small cabin. Then they heard the cries again, accompanied by an aged male voice.

"You will never go back there again," the old man said. "Says who?" a girl demanded. By the sound of her voice she was no older than twenty at the most. "You should be thanking me ladies," the man said. "Thanking you? For kidnapping and injuring us?" another girl said. This one couldn't have been a few years younger than the first one. The two men listened as the man and two women argued once more. "Are you blind?" the man shouted, "that place is evil and so is your uncle!" The older girl laughed. "Are you nuts? Our uncle is the pride of Japan. He only does good and only wants to help Japan in its time of need. You're the evil one, kidnapping us and holding us against our will."

"Wrong!" the old man cried. "Don't you recognize me Misao?" the old man asked. The younger girl sighed. "Actually, I think I do. You're the crazy old man who kidnapped me and my sister! Now let us go!" Misao cried. "Fools, he has brainwashed you! You have to wake up and smell the bloodshed your uncle is responsible for!" said the old man. "Our uncle would never kill anyone! You lie!" the older sister cried. "Kaoru, my leg hurts." Misao gasped as she tried to stand. "Misao!" Kaoru exclaimed.

The old man sighed. "If you can't see the truth, then I'll just have to make you!" The two wanderers heard the unsheathing of a sword and the screams of the two girls. In a split second the door of the hut was blown open and the two men rushed in. the old man gasped in horror as the candles illuminated their faces. Although it had been years since he had last seen him, the old man called Okina, would never forget the face of his old companion from the Oniwabanshu. "Aoshi Shinomori…and the Battousai." Okina muttered then passed out from shock as if his heart had given out.

The two assassins in question smirked as the old man collapsed from the shock. Kenshin laughed, "Was the shock too great for your heart old man?"

Aoshi and Kenshin both approached the old man. They failed to notice that the katana Okina had been holding, had landed next to Kaoru. Kaoru glanced at the katana and quietly picked it up. Misao stood up and latched onto Kaoru, knowing this next second could be her last. Kaoru hid the katana behind her back as the two assassins turned their attention to her and Misao in the corner.

Kenshin took a step towards Kaoru but stoped when Aoshi coughed quietly. Kaoru saw a thin margin for attack and seized it. Kenshin was caught unaware that Kaoru had advanced upon him, but as he saw Aoshi's eyes widen he turned around in a quick second narrowly missing the katana. But Kaoru's quick reflexes were too fast and in a single instant an eighteen-year-old girl cut the infamous Battousai on the arm. The pain barely registered. For the first time in years, the Battousai found himself shocked beyond words.

Aoshi drew his kodachi and aimed for Kaoru's side, but he had failed to notice the kunai coming straight at him. Misao had phenomenal aim, and she never missed a target. The kodachi was knocked out of Aoshi's hand and landed with a loud thud on the wooden floor. Time stoped as they all watched the weapon fall. Kenshin and Aoshi found themselves stunned beyond all belief and barley heard Kaoru's words. "We're taking the old man with us. Don't you demons of hell even think of following us, or our uncle will have your head on a silver platter."

Misao rushed to grab the old man but hesitated once she looked over to Aoshi Shinomori. His eyes paralyzed her and made her heart sputter. Aoshi felt his heart beat hard in his chest as he locked eyes with the young girl. There was something so familiar about her, but he didn't know what. "Misao!" Kaoru cried knocking Misao from her trance. She grabbed the old man and leapt to the door where Kaoru stood. Without so much as a glance to the assassins, Kaoru grabbed Misao's arm and ran off into the woods.

Kenshin and Aoshi stood there in silence for a few more minutes, both slightly unnerved by the events that had just occurred. Two girls had just kicked their asses…in a manner of speaking. And they took their captor with them. Aoshi bent down and sheathed his kodachi. Kenshin covered his wound with his had, and together the two ego-wounded assassins continued their journey to the city Kyoto in silence.

Kaoru and Misao continued to run until they were sure the Battousai and Shinomori had not followed. Gently they laid the old man by tree on the road, in hopes someone would find him and take care of him. Kaoru quickly checked him out and concluded that he would be okay. He had just collapsed due to shock and would recover in a few hours or so. The two girls waited behind a tree until a group of travelers saw the old man and took him in. Kaoru and Misao watched as they rushed him to the village not far down the road. Feeling tired and sore, Kaoru gently picked Misao up and let her ride on her back. Misao's leg was not healing as well as Kaoru had hoped. They decided to stop at the village and clean up before heading back to Kyoto.

A kind old lady offered the girls some food and medical treatment until they were able to go back home. Kaoru gladly thanked the kind old woman and sought a way of transportation to Kyoto. Thankfully a group of traders were on their way to Kyoto and wouldn't mind if the girls joined them. "Thank you very much sir." Kaoru thanked. "No problem Miss." The lead man said and offered the girls a horse. Kaoru sat in the front while Misao clutched to her. The girls traveled with the traders to Kyoto, with the events of the day hanging over their heads like a rain cloud. They couldn't wait to see their uncle Shishio again. But they couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming.

Misao kept thinking of Shinomori as Kaoru wondered if the Battosai was very angry at her for cutting him. Little did the girls know that the assassins that plagued their thoughts were on their way to Kyoto as well. Kenshin and Aoshi found themselves thinking about Kaoru and Misao and how their encounter had been the most interesting by far. Aoshi couldn't shake the feeling that he had know Misao from somewhere and Kenshin couldn't believe that Kaoru had actually injured him. Little did they all know that their next encounter in Kyoto would raise hell for the large city, and for them as well.

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So, any thoughts? *laugh*

I didn't want Kaoru and Misao to be weak girls in the fanfic.

It bugs me when they are portrayed as weak women in other fanfics.

And even though Aoshi and Kenshin are assassins they show lots of mercy and almost protectiveness towards women.
Just thought I'd clear up my thought process to you.

=)