Chapter 3: Purpose

It felt wrong. Stepping into the tent that had once belonged to the previous captain felt really wrong. And though Kaoru had never been a particularly superstitious woman, she couldn't quite suppress the shiver that ran down her spine.

The interior of the tent was bare and scarcely furnished, separated into three sections with blankets acting as simple and weak barriers. The section to the right was where she would rest at night. Over a ragged, woven straw mat that seemed eager to merge with the ground it was placed atop of. The middle space just before the entrance was a place of meeting and planning. Though it probably won't be able to fit more than three people at one time… Kaoru thought wryly, staring at the small table and stacked chairs critically. The farthest section contained a tub and a small bucket and it didn't take a genius to figure out what that section was for. Everything in the tent was made with light weighted materials that could be easily dismantled and quickly packed. The furniture were suitable to carry around without taking too much space and weight, however their durability was another thing all together. Everything in the tent – other than the blankets and the tent itself – looked like they were just about to fall apart.

Glad I decided to bring that horrible looking blanket. The female captain sighed softly as she eyed the sorry state of the straw mat placed haphazardly on the ground. Reluctantly, she drew out the rough cloth from her backpack and placed it over the mat. Even if it's itchy and hideous.

The navy blue blanket was old and worn; its texture stiff and prickly as strands of threads stuck out rebelliously from the sides and tiny holes peeked at her. Kaoru hated the blanket with passion, she only brought it along because it was the lightest and took the least space in her bag. It was just marginally better than sleeping on the rotting mat.

Her thoughts travelled back to the horrible encounter that happened just moments ago and the female captain felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Of all things that could go wrong, it had to be the 'pissing-of-your-superior' problem first.

"So much for first impressions." The captain sighed, her arms crossing around her chest in a frustrated gesture.

Setting her bag at the side, Kaoru retired her ponytail and grabbed her katana. Out of habit, she slid her fingers along the sheath of the weapon, sliding the sword out with a soft 'shing'. Soft blue were reflected back at her as Kaoru traced the familiar shape and curve of her friend, admiring and grieving over the memories it held.

Her father had always been a man with many sides, many mysteries. She had never been really able to understand her father as much as she liked to think. He was everything anyone could wish for in a single-parent; caring, patient and loving. But he was also so uniquely different from other single parents that sometimes she felt distanced and alienated from him. Every time she thought she had found the answer, she would find another puzzle in him. He was composed of all question marks and many different colors, all except black and white.

Her eyes traced the carefully etched words on the blade, near the hilt. Her lips moved to read the all-too familiar word – 'Life'. Kamiya Koshijiro was her strange, mysterious father and even in death he continued to challenge her with riddles.

She wondered about her feelings towards her father as she slid the sword back into its worn sheath silently. Though her father had an infuriating way of asking questions and providing mysteries without ever giving an answer, Kaoru knew that the process of trying to solve them was what shaped her to be the strong, independent woman she was today. Her hand paused over the tent flap that separated her from the outside world and that's when she reinforced the decision she made when she joined the army.

She would not fail her father's expectations. She would continue to live strong and healthy, continuously seeking answers to his last mysteries and fulfilling both their dreams.

With reinforced resolution, the captain pushed out of the tent and into the bright sunlight.

She was not at all surprised to find Aoshi's shadow looming over her the second she stepped out of her tent, but instead was more interested in the unusual furrow between his eyebrows.

"What is it Aoshi?" Kaoru kept her voice low as she scanned the area before her casually. There didn't seem to be any unwanted audience nearby and since Aoshi's chi sense was better than hers, he would've warned her if there were dangerous threats within a hundred meters.

"I don't like him." Aoshi's clipped reply came softly and Kaoru instantly knew whom 'he' was.

"Trust me Aoshi, I don't too. But he's our new colonel now, we'll have to accept it." The captain sighed inwardly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't like him." Aoshi's repeated emphasis turned Kaoru's head curiously to him. "He's unpredictable. A dangerous man that's on the verge of breaking." And you just got on his bad side. Kaoru heard the silent message and barely held in the urge to stick her tongue out at him childishly. She decided to nod to convey that she heard and would be keeping an eye out from now on.

Their conversation was cut short as Sanosuke arrived with arms waving wildly above him.

"Hey! Done unpacking? How's the tent?" the male grinned as he approached, chewing on a fish bone. Kaoru wondered how the second in command could chew on that thing without getting his lips cut into bloody ribbons.

"It's perfect." She answered respectfully, ignoring Aoshi's glance.

"Naww you don't have to be polite missy! We know how the tents are; it's fine to say it stinks. But just saying here now missy, we won't be able to do anything 'bout it!" the first division's second in command laughed, scratching his unruly brown hair.

"Well? Are you ready to meet your unit?" the male grinned, arms placed on his waist expectantly.

"Do you even need to ask?" Kaoru allowed a smile to seep through her strict mask as sapphire pools glinted dangerously.

If possible, Sanosuke's grin widened further and the bone he was gnawing on snapped off with a clean crack. "Good answer! Follow me, let's show unit seven their new captain!" with a wave of his hand, the male turned around and began striding towards their new destination.

The female captain smiled inwardly, feeling a spark of possible friendship flame for the rooster head as she followed the large steps with Aoshi trailing silently behind. Cracking her knuckles the female captain straightened her back as she put on an air of confidence and prepared to meet the people she would be fighting with in the battles soon to come.

x x x

"From this moment on, I, Kamiya Kaoru will be your new captain. I demand your complete trust and loyalty and in return I will do the same. I will lead and guide you and bring you to victory! But I cannot and will not do this without your trust! If you have doubts in my abilities and skills to lead you, step forward now and we'll settle this once and for all!"

She knew her eyes would be burning with a slight seep of silver as she faced her new team, waiting for the first person to step out. For now they shuffled, trading careful whispers among the lines. It was only the fear of opposing a higher up that held them at their places. But Kaoru needed not their fake respect or obedience when she knew they doubted her. So the captain crossed her arms, willing to wait until someone gathered their courage to face her and act as her unfortunate dummy.

Finally, a male with high cheekbones and deep black eyes stepped out and unsheathed his sword. His stance quivered with his frustration and annoyance. "I can't swear loyalty to someone like you."

Kaoru nodded but otherwise didn't move from her spot. "And your name and reason?"

"Fujino Hiroto." The male whispered as he licked his lips nervously. "I can't gamble my life to a woman who could walk in and treat this as a game. We didn't train all our lives to be led to our deaths by an amateur leader who walked in and picked a fight with our colonel! I- We! Can't accept this humiliation!" Hiroto all but screamed the last few words as he charged, his sword leveled horizontally in a lethal lunge towards her mid-section.

Aoshi had silently moved to the side as Kaoru stood still, seemingly unfazed by the oncoming stab towards her. "I see." Was her soft answer as the sword point neared her abdomen. Sanosuke's sharp yell to halt the duel was covered by Hiroto's cry. The sick sound of steel through flesh and the gurgled breath as blood choked a pained cry was never heard because the captain was suddenly not there anymore. Kaoru had shifted to the side in the second before the katana made contact and as Hiroto's lunge continued to carry him forward, she brought down her hand on the inside fold of his elbow.

The male stumbled forward with a curse, his hand grabbing his numbed arm as he whirled around in a furious swing. "Firstly," the captain dodged the swing with ease, her expression still the same bored, stoic look as she dodged the messy strikes towards her. She kept her hands crossed casually behind her as she avoided the flashing whirl of steel gracefully and without urgency.

"You'll be surprised to find that I'm no amateur on this battlefield." The female captain tilted to the side as the blade passed by her. The sword having not met a target carried the warrior forward with its momentum and the captain's hand flashed out. Her open palmed hit connected with Hiroto's chest and sent the man stumbling backwards a few paces with a surprised expression on his face.

"Secondly," she continued as she followed him and stepped into his range, pressuring the male to retreat. She easily ducked the soldier's wild swing and returned a kick to his side that sent the grown man skidding across the ground. "I, like all of you, had taken the same oath before joining the army and therefore know that this is not a game. For you to even dare suggest that I think otherwise is not only an insult to me but also of the oath you've sworn upon joining the army."

"And lastly," the woman spoke softly as she met Hiroto's mad charge towards her with a calm face. Like the first time, the captain twisted slightly to the side and the sword passed harmlessly beside her. Her palm reached out and connected with the male's forehead as she stepped forward in a small lunge. The opposing forces clashed and Hiroto was flipped backwards as Kaoru overpowered his imbalanced stance. "The one to blame for the humiliation can only be yourself."

Stunned silence claimed the area as the dust from Hiroto's defeat settled and the captain stepped back and crossed her arms. Then slowly, quietly and gradually building up in volume, applause broke out like a wave crashing over the shore as the members of unit seven clapped and cheered for Kaoru. Several members bowed and apologized while others showed their respect through a small dip of their heads. As her eyes glanced towards Hiroto who was being helped up by several other members, she was inwardly relieved to find understanding and acceptance in black eyes. As the members of unit seven surged forward to offer their apologies and questions, Kaoru managed to sneak a glance at Aoshi that communicated her relief and happiness. Even though first meetings were rough, she was glad she managed to gain not only a new team but also hopefully a new group of soon-to-be friends and comrades.

x x x

Sanosuke was more than impressed at little missy's way of gaining respect and acceptance from her team. Though he was ashamed to admit that he had also been a bit doubtful of the new captain's worth at first, now he knew better than to underestimate her. Who knew that short, slim figure could deal so much damage? Kinda reminded him of someone equally short but much, much grumpier. The male chuckled softly under his breath. It seems things were finally getting interesting around here.

But before he could go ponder over and spread some rumors of the surprising strength of the new captain, he had a camp tour to finish.

Letting the grin on his face show, he welcomed the interesting female with a big hug (ignoring the warning bristles of her stiff companion – mentally dubbed as the walking-ice-cube-of-kill-joy). "You were great out there little missy!" he laughed.

"T-thanks." Kaoru choked out as she tried to free herself from his suffocating hug.

"You scared me for a moment when you didn't move from Hiroto's lunge, I thought you were going to be skewered through!" he set the lady back on the ground and released her from his muscular embrace. "But you knew what you were doing weren't you? Haha showed them whose boss!" he slapped her back as he hooted with laughter.

"S-Sano!"

"Sagara!" Sanosuke paused as he raised a curious eye at the tall second in command in an unspoken question.

"You're breaking her back with that trunk you call an arm." Ah, so the walking-ice-cube-of-kill-joy talks. Surprise, surprise. But he glanced down anyways and was slightly disappointed to find that the female captain was slowly edging away from the range of his arms. Darn, the ice-cube had to be right too.

"Aha, sorry, they always say I don't know my own strength. Hope I didn't hurt you too much Kaoru?" he apologized as he scratched a non-existent itch at the back of his head.

"It's alright." Kaoru smiled wryly as she tried to discreetly rub her back. "Just no more hugs and pat on backs from you Sano and I'll be fine."

"Yes ma'am!" Sanosuke offered a mock salute as he clipped his heels together and placed a false, stoic expression that fell when little missy laughed. "If ma'am would follow me, I will show you the rest of the camp!"

Whirling around the second in command began leading the new comers to meet the rest of the team with a skip in his step, more than eager to show off the interesting new captain and her talking ice-cube.

x x x

She was just slightly annoyed at how slowly the line moved. Just slightly.

After an eventful morning of proving herself and meeting the other important members of the division –such as the other unit captains and a certain foxy lady with a too sly grin- Kaoru was more than starved when the lunch bell finally rang.

It was then the female captain learned first handedly that the battle to get into the lunch line was no less vicious than being on the battlefield. That and the disheartening discovery that all gruel looked and tasted the same regardless of which division's chefs prepared it.

She suppressed a sigh as she stared at the unappetizing gray slop poured into her bowl. She was about to leave when a flash of red caught her eye. Turning around, she barely caught the colonel's shape walking away – empty handed. The noises around her dulled as she worried her lower lip, her grip on the bowl tightening painfully. Why would she care? Why would she worry for someone like him? She shouldn't pry into his business…

With a resigned sigh, the female turned back and asked for a second bowl of gruel.

x x x

He was back at the hill, sitting cross-legged facing the wind swept plains. He could feel the slimy fingers of his nightmares breaking through, taunting and threatening to ruin the peaceful atmosphere. He couldn't suppress the shivers of fear that ran through him as his thoughts began its downward spiral to an endless black pit. There they would churn, froth and boil to seep to the surface of his mind like rotting pus weeping out of a badly healed wound. Slowly they would poison him and take another small part of him and keep it away, slowly, breaking him apart.

I deserve it, I deserve it. He drowned in pity, in guilt, in shame. I deserve it, I deserve it, I deserve it. A mantra he memorized and burned into his brain. He was a man who deserved this torture; he was the one who made the decision-

So trapped in his thoughts, he had not noticed the approach of another presence until a bowl suddenly appeared in his vision, shattering the dark illusion he caged himself in.

Eyes traveling up the hand that held the bowl to a strange, unfamiliar face. Blue eyes that highlighted a soft feminine face that was framed by two locks of raven hair – the rest were swept up into a high ponytail not unlike his.

He turned his head away. "I'm not hungry." I don't need your help.

The bowl moved away from his vision and Kenshin squashed down his hurt when to his surprise, the new captain settled herself next to him.

"Eat it when you get hungry then." She placed the bowl down beside him and stared ahead, wrapping thin arms around her knees.

Kenshin made no move to touch it and she made no further attempts to convince him. There they sat in silence as they both stared resolutely at the plains, neither willing to look at the other in the face.

The wind howled angrily around them and whipped him with his hair but still he ignored her, hoping she'd get the point and leave him alone with his thoughts. But unfortunately, it seemed the new addition to his division was just as stubborn.

Finally, the colonel snapped and he turned to glare at the huddled form by his side, hating how part of him had time to worry if the wind was what made her curl to protect herself from the cold.

"What are you doing?" he growled, amber eyes narrowing in thinly veiled anger.

"Sitting with you." Came the soft response, her eyes never left the plains as the wind played with the strands of hair that had loosened from her ponytail.

They lapsed into another silence that pricked at the colonel's nerves. A muscle in his jaw jumped when it was obvious that the woman won't be providing further explanations.

Kenshin's eyes glinted dangerously as they narrowed even further. Fine, if that's how it's going to be… He tried a different approach.

"What's your purpose here Kamiya?"

The new captain finally turned her head to him, narrowed sapphire eyes burning with sparks of anger as she stared at him. "You still don't trust me." It was a statement not a question.

Kenshin let his silence answer for him as he met her glare with his own. He hated this one, the colonel decided as the woman bristled at him with open frustration blazing in her eyes. What was his Shishou thinking of this time, sending such an emotional being to him? Weren't he the one who taught him to keep his emotions in check at all times? What was the alcoholic planning this time?

"Look, I don't care whether you think I should be home fretting helplessly, doing laundry, washing dishes or babysitting." He was taken aback by her careless wording and commanding tone and was temporarily at a loss for words. Weren't woman expected to perform those tasks? So that men could fight for them and their future? His eyebrows furrowed together in irritation as he was reminded of why he disliked her presence so.

"But let me make this very clear colonel." He startled slightly when the woman stood suddenly, towering furiously over his form and blue eyes seared into him.

"I may have the body of a female but in this war, I will always be a soldier before a woman!" those were her last words before she turned and stalked away, missing the colonel's shocked, wide-eyed stare.

x x x

"Aoshi!" was the only warning she gave before her sword was drawn and swung at the stoic man.

Her tall friend didn't disappoint her as his two kodachis leaped out and blocked her strike fluidly. He didn't question her strange behavior as he defended each heavy blow by blow as he took the full brunt of her fury.

She would thank him later, but only when the red haze from her vision disappeared. She attacked him mercilessly, her sword flying in great arches and swings as she swiveled, lunged and slashed at him.

The infuriating man! Her eyes flashed silver and her motions sped up, blurring her movements as her irritation fueled her on. She was just trying to act nice and apologize for her behavior earlier in the morning. But how dare he start questioning her motives as if she was a threat to his division! Males and their idiotic assumed superiority! She brought her katana down furiously and twisted around.

What's wrong with being a female? She slashed. What's wrong with wanting to fight for my country?

"I'm an independent woman!" Kaoru hissed, slipping underneath Aoshi's guard and lunging forward. The second in command barely deflected the stab in time, leaping away to keep some distance between him and the fuming lady.

"Why won't they appreciate what they have?" she panted, her sword leveled straight at her childhood friend. "Why can't they, for once in their miserable lives, forget that I'm female and see me as a warrior?" She charged, leaping up as she brought her arm down in an overhead slash.

"I'm holding a katana aren't I? I practice a sword style! I'm a fighter as much as they are damnit!" she growled, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she continued to hack at Aoshi's seemingly impenetrable defense.

Kaoru fought until the sun dipped low when finally, her anger and strength seeped out, leaving her both emotionally and physically exhausted. Her sword clattered softly on the ground and Aoshi who was breathing hard from the workout, straightened from his position and sheathed his swords.

"They're all the same." She whispered brokenly, sapphire pools staring at the torn ground beneath.

"Arrogant bastards." She cursed. The captain barely noticed when Aoshi picked up her discarded sword and slid it back into its sheath by her waist. His cold fingers reached towards her cheeks and smoothened the embarrassing droplets on her face.

"Go to rest." He spoke softly. A gentle command and request that Kaoru had neither strength or will to refuse.

"Thank you." She whispered gratefully and turned away, disappearing under the flap of the tent.

Aoshi stared silently at the flap his childhood friend had disappeared under, making sure she wouldn't be coming out any time soon before allowing his icy blue eyes to slide to the side and met the glow of burning amber.

Ice and fire met and locked for a long moment before the moment passed and the redhead colonel turned and left the area.

To be continued...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Looks like Kenshin and Kaoru are having their problems :O I wonder how it's going to work out? hee hee CB actually I know how it's going to work out, but you don't do you?

Anyways, I want to take this time to thank my wonderful reviewers and the many followers of my stories! Just a few days ago, I had turned another year older! I am grateful for all the support I received for my writing C'x even though it is flawed and filled with little mistakes and holes. I was so touched that there were that many that read my works and bothered reviewing c': so thank you, thank you!

I promise to continue improving my writing in the new year of my life so not to disappoint all my reviewers and followers!

Thank you everyone! :'D

Thank you!