Happy New Year! This is the first of my chapters uploaded for 2010.

Enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

Chapter Twenty

Stealth ninja moved silently along the shadows.

Lina grinned. The on looker was now with the larger group, leaving the Kamiya dojo free. She gave Saito another looked over. "You're a loyal lap dog, aren't you?" She asked as they traveled along to the main government building. "Nothing wrong with it though. I was once one as well."

Saito frowned.

"If you're going to lock me up, make sure it's in a place that even the Battousai couldn't remove me from."

"For an assassin you sure like to talk. Besides what makes you think someone like the Battousai would even want to rescue you?"

"Hm, a valid point."

They walked a little further; the Embassy building was in sight, when they stopped.

"It seems we have followers." Lina cut her eyes to the side.

Saito reached for his katana. "I can assume you brought something with you."

Lina smirked. "What kind of assassin would I be if I didn't?"

"Leave the woman and walk away."

Saito chuckled. "What makes you think I'm going to do that?"

"We have no issue with you."

"But you want my prisoner, so you do."

"There's no point in talking to them Saito. They won't listen to reason."

"This is the end for you Phoenix." A shiruken was thrown. Lina blocked it with her dagger. A ninja appeared behind her and slashed down with his katana. Lina spun out of the way but her kimono still was caught and ripped. The rest of her clothing fell at her feet.

"Aw and I really liked that kimono." She stepped out. Saito shook his head. Lina was dressed in her own ninja clothing.

"See, I knew there was no reason for someone like the Battousai to save you."

Lina shrugged.

Iwao stared up at the sky. In the distance a blade shown and an arrow was released. His one leg was still injured but he moved enough out of the way to catch the arrow with further harm to himself. Attached to it was a letter. Iwao threw the arrow down, unraveling the note.

Overhead a cloud passed over the moon.

Kaoru sat in her room. She brushed her hair, thinking about earlier, before dinner. She had accidently overheard Kenshin and Lina's brief conversation. And now she wondered if it is what caused Lina to say what she did while they prepared dinner.

//Kaoru entered the kitchen smiling. "They really love you don't they, Miss Lina?"

Lina chopped vegetables for the stew. "It seems that way."

"You said you had siblings once," Kaoru stood next to her. "What were they like? I bet you got along well, just like Shinta and Lila."

Lina paused for a moment. "I don't know. I was orphened before I could really enjoy my family. But I know I had one. I had a mother who loved to cook. A father who took time to be with us. And an older brother."

"What about your other siblings?"

She shook her head and continued chopping. "They were from the family that took me in during the Meiji Revolution. And believe me when I say, it wasn't the best but it could have been worse; far worse." She gathered the vegetables and placed them in the pot to boil with the noodles. "It's nice what you are doing here. Teaching one to protect themselves against real voilence."

"Oh, thank you." Kaoru smiled brightly. "I'm trying to keep up what my father worked hard to maintain."

"I think I would have enjoyed what you do here, Miss Kaoru; if things were different."

"There's still time." Kaoru's eyes lightened. "If you wanted you could help teach. I hear you're great at swordsmanship. It would help a lot of young students."

"I'm afraid not Miss Kaoru. No matter how the times change, warriors like me can never change. We haven't the right to." Lina whispered.

"That's not true." Kaoru defended. "Just look at Kenshin. He's changed."

"The warrior's heart can never be changed, nor tamed; no matter how long it is caged." Lina looked down at her calloused hands. "Our swords are our hands and for some of us, death is the welcoming partner we've waited so long for." She sighed. "We can only change as much as our past will allow."//

Kaoru walked out onto the porch. Kenshin was nearby. She walked over to him. "Kenshin, I'm worried about Lina. It's something she said to me earlier." She sat next to him. "She talked like she wasn't coming back."

Kenshin gazed at her and smiled. "There's nothing to worry about Miss Kaoru. She'll return." He turned back to the outside. /The real battle hasn't begun for her. Not until he shows himself for the last time./

Kaoru glanced at him. /Lina and Kenshin are the same. I see it in his eyes./ She looked away.

Lina was breathing heavy as she blocked another attack.

"You're slowing down." Saito mocked.

Lina gritted her teeth. "You're not doing so good either." Just as she sliced through one ninja another came from the side. She blocked the attack but was thrown back in the process. Saito lunged forward and cut through several men. As Lina was getting up, with the aid of a dojo's outer wall, it was then when Saito noticed blood seeping through her clothing on her side.

Suddenly more men surrounded them. Shadow appeared. "This is Lord Katsura Kogoro's last warning Phoenix. Kill or be killed."

"I will do neither."

Shadow smirked. "Then you shall pay the consequences."

In the distance bombs went off all around the government buildings.

Lina's eyes widened. Saito went on the attack.

"My my." Shadow shook his head. "I was wondering when your bombs were going to go off Phoenix." He began to disappear. "You should really decide which side you're going to fight on."

Lina swung around to attack him. "Shadow!"

"No don't." Saito called out.

She took several steps after Shadow before an arrow struck her in her right shoulder. Her vision blurred and she dropped to the ground.