Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Time Changes All ❯ Hitokiri Battousai ( Chapter 20 )

The shadowy figure walked into the living quarters of the Ishinshishi and was greeted by, a now familiar face, Kogoro.

"So is the job done?" Kogoro said leaning against the doorframe, blocking the figure's path.

The figure glared at Kogoro and spoke in a voice dripped with ominous promises, "Have I ever failed you or your foolish organization?" Shoving Kogoro out of the way, the figure went over to the bathroom connected to his room to clean up.

"Now don't speak like that Kenshin. Even though you may hate me, I do worry about your well being."

"Yeah, because it was affect my performance as a hitokiri." He said this as toweled off his face after washing the sweat and splattered blood from it.

Kogoro sighed from exasperated and set a black envelope on the pillow to Kenshin's bed. "You next assignment requires you to go far and work with others. Don't mess it up. You know the consequences if you do."

Kogoro left through out the door leaving a now shirtless Kenshin leaning over the sink with soaking hair. A towel was draped across his shoulders as he looked over at the black envelope with hatred. Making his way out of the bathroom, he slammed the door to his room non-too-gently and crossed the room to pick up the envelope. Ripping it open he read the contents of it then out pulled the Zippo from his pocket, lit the paper on fire and threw it in his metal waste paper basket. He flopped onto the bed, his untied hair spewing around him as he cover his eyes with his left forearm.

Ever since the first meeting with Kogoro two years before Kenshin's life changed, for the worse. He was forbidden to the outside world. School was no longer something he went to. The Ishinshishi was determined to lock him up, so they had private tutors for him. There was no one his age at the headquarters or the living quarters. At night he was the shadowy figure known as the Hitokiri Battousai, during the day he was also the Hitokiri Battousai. He never got a break. When living with Hiko, he used to be in the sword fighting competitions with the nickname Battousai. He hated the name. Nevertheless, he concluded that it was better than being known for his real name when it came to killings. He lived in the living quarters where some of the Ishinshishi lived. Most of them lived normal lives and were allowed to leave, except for Kenshin. The living quarter was like a dorm, small and cramped. Human contact was a rarity for him; most of it was the assassinations he was ordered to carry out or Kogoro's frequent visits. Kenshin kept to himself, not that there was anyone to talk to. His eyes were always cold amber; the peaceful depths of amethyst were nonexistent.

Staring up at the patterns in the ceiling, Kenshin couldn't help but remember the way he lived as a child. Not just the time he had with his best friend, Kaoru, but also the times with Hiko. He hadn't seen Hiko in two years. The man he had considered as a father figure for six years was gone from his life. Kenshin no longer lived in the cold environment of Hokkaido, but in the old city of Kyoto. There was no way out. Sure, there was one way. But that ended up with the death of Kaoru. He hadn't seen her eight years; she might not even remember a childhood friend.

He rolled over in bed to lie on his side, his right arm used as pillow as he glanced at the digital clock. The red lights of the clock read 1:23 AM. `Great, I have three and a half hours of sleep.' He reached over and flipped of the only light in his room, the one on his right stand, the room was engulfed in darkness and he surrendered to sleep.

Kenshin was on a train to Matsudo-shi, he stared outside at the scenery passing him. There wasn't much to look at, trees and houses. He was traveling alone and was to meet up with a group called the Sekihoutai in Matsudo-shi. He was zoning out and his mind wandered. This wasn't the first time he worked with someone outside the Ishinshishi, but it was a rare occasion. The assignment was either really difficult to kill or hard to track down. He assumed it was the later. Shishio Makoto. Kenshin was assigned not to kill him, but to bring him back to headquarters. This was a new thing to Kenshin. The only assignments he's gotten in the past two years were to assassinate, not to retrieve. Not that he minded retrieving because Kenshin was not one to enjoy killing. Every time he took a life, he felt like he was gaining a worse place in hell. With at least two assignments a week there was a lot of blood on his hands. He was ashamed of what he was forced to become.

During his daze he didn't realize that he had reached his stop until he was heard the announcement from the speakers from the train station. He rose from his seat walked onto the platform with only a small backpack and his sword wrapped in a form that one would think it was only a bouken. As he made his way out of the train station to the street he walked over to the payphone that was across the street. As said in the envelope he put in his customized calling card and dialed the number 4. (the number four can be read as `shi' which is also a way `death' can be read)

The phone rang four times until someone picked up. `Damn, how cliché could they get with this four thing?'

There was breathing on the other line, but no answer. Sighing Kenshin spoke into the receiver, "Hitokiri Battousai. Designated assassin for the Ishinshishi. License number MZ08210."

Clicking could be heard as the person on the other line typed in the said information. Once it was confirmed a voice was finally heard, "Go to the apartment complex that's two block north. Room 105."

"What was 104 not available?" Kenshin said sarcastically. The person on the end hung up. Kenshin stared at the receiver as if waiting for it to start talking. He put the phone back in its cradle and made his way towards the sad apartment. Upon reaching the door he knocked on it twice but there was no answer. Sighing in frustration, he knocked two more times, totaling four knocks. The door swung open and he stepped in. There stood a young woman about his age with long black hair and brown eyes a red tattoo on her right hand, she bowed to him.

"Hello Hitokiri Battousai-san. My name is Takani Megumi, you probably know me as your connection to the Sekihoutai."

Kenshin made no verbal response but just bowed back.

"I will be telling you the details that go along with your assignment." She walked over to the dinning room table and sat down, bringing out a manila folder. She gestured for Kenshin to sit cross from her, as he did, she opened the folder. "Your assignment, as you know is to retrieve Shishio Makoto and take him with you back to your head quarters. I must tell you that Shishio Makoto is not one to go along without a fight, this is wear you come in. I understand that you are very skilled with your sword, but remember you are not to kill him. Shishio is known to be a very skilled swordsman as well, do not underestimate him. You will be getting him from a restaurant he will be at tonight with Komagata Yumi, she is not to be harmed in anyway. Once you leave the premises, with Shishio of course, some of my people will come and take him under their care. After that you may stay at this hotel, reservations and expenses have already been taken bare of." At this time, she slid over to him business card of a local hotel. "Your ticket for the train back will be under the nightstand. You will return to Kyoto the next morning and your superiors will already have Shishio under their custody. I'm sure whatever questions you may have will be answered when you return. Any questions?"

Through out the whole monologue Megumi stayed very calm, collective, and authoritative. One would not think that she was a teenager. Kenshin soaked in the information quickly and started pondering about how someone so young could be involved in this. He thought that no one else should go through the thing he did.

"Ms. Takani, how did you get involved in this?"

This was not a question she was expecting and was taken-aback. "I-uh. . . I have been with the Sekihoutai for only a short period, but from the experiences I had with them, they are not bad people. They may be a gang, but they have helped me when I was kidnapped by another gang to make cocaine. I am grateful to them and decided to join."

"So you are located with the sect in Matsudo-shi?"

"No. I am here temporarily and was assigned this job. I am part of the group in Tokyo."

There was silence. Then Kenshin spoke, "You should get out of this. A person of your age shouldn't be doing this."

Megumi lashed back at him, "What about you? We're not that much different in age. I do not plan to get out, the Sekihoutai is a good group of people."

"They are a gang nonetheless." Kenshin stood up, reached over closing the manila folder, and shoved it into his backpack. He made his way over to the door, he stood there for a moment with his hand grasped around the doorknob. His head was slightly bowed hiding his eyes with his bangs and he whispered loud enough for Megumi to hear, "I am not in the willingly."

With that, he opened the door and left leaving a speechless and confused Megumi in the apartment.

___________________________________________________________

Standing in front of the restaurant Kenshin had already finished his assignment. Megumi had warned him that Shishio was not going to leave without a fight. She was very much mistaken, after just going up to him after he finished his dinner he graciously followed. Saying something about expecting this confrontation for sometime. When they got out of the restaurant, the promised members of the Sekihoutai were there and took him with them. Yumi seems to have been expecting this as well and told him she would be waiting at home. He wasn't really paying attention.

Now was walking down the street and wasn't really in the mood of going back to the hotel just yet. This was rare chance of freedom for him, and he was going to take advantage of it completely. It began drizzling he still wasn't willing to go back to the confining hotel so he stopped by at convini to buy a cheap black umbrella. Soon after he walked around the town, it really was a small town. He went to the playground and stood there for a while. He must have looked weird because there was a young man in the rain dressed in black with a knitted cap and a muffler. Then suddenly he heard footsteps. He whirled around and he saw a teenager running as if the hounds of hell were after them. They had their hood up to their hoody sweater and so he could see if the person was female or male. As the teenager turned the corner, out of Kenshin's view, two other men came into view running in the same direction. One of them shouted as they were running, "Don't let her get away Yuu!"

Kenshin started wondering what they wanted with a girl. Taking in their appearance it seemed as if they just chose a random girl, probably to rape. Kenshin couldn't let that just slide thinking it had nothing to do with it, so he scaled up a low wall and ended up in an alley on the other side of the block. Right when he landed from his jump off the wall the girl came into the alley trying to evade the two men. She leaned against the wall trying to catch her breath. Seeing that she was soaked he approached her reached out to cover the girl with his umbrella.

"What's wrong?" He asked, startling her for she had her head down. She went into a defensive stance and Kenshin noticed that this girl did some form of martial arts.

"What's wrong?" He voiced his concern again.

She stuttered out her answer and started inching away to the entrance of the alley. "T-two men were chasing me. . . I think I lost them now. . ."

He tried keeping the umbrella over the head of this frightened girl. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." With that, she whipped around and ran to the opening, running into the two men that had been after her.

"Hey look Yuu, the chick tried to dodge us here." The man that just spoke grabbed her upper arms on both sides and slammed her against the wall.

"When you're done with her let me have a go Hiroshi." Yuu stood behind his friend with his arms crossed and looking at the girl as if about to devour her. Just as Hiroshi was about to unzip her sweatshirt open Kenshin who had been witnessing all this spoke up.

"Don't touch her."

Yuu and Hiroshi whipped around oblivious that there was someone else was with them in the alley. Seeing the young short boy in front of them, they turned to look at each other and started laughing.

"What do you expect to do about it kid?"

"Don't touch her." Kenshin threatened closing his umbrella with a snap.

Seeing it as a challenge Hiroshi unzip her sweater and snaked a hand in and reached for her bra clasp in the back, the girl's eyes going wide with fear and panic. Kenshin's suspicions had been confirmed, they were trying to rape her. Seeing the distraction, he hit Yuu in on the head with the move ryu tsui sen with his umbrella. Hiroshi noticed his friend on the ground and turned around. "What the-"

There stood Kenshin with his umbrella and standing before Hiroshi in a kenjutsu stance. "Don't touch her."

"You piece of shit!" Hiroshi let go of the girl who slid down the wall slumping to the ground. Hiroshi reached for his butterfly knife and flipped it open lunging at Kenshin nearly missing him in the chest but stabbing him in the upper left arm. He swirled on his heel and knocked Hiroshi out by hitting him at the back of his neck.

As Hiroshi fell Kenshin flew over to the girl. "Are you alright?"

". . .thank you. . . I could have been. . . y-you could have almost been killed. . ." Tears were streaming down her face mixing in with the rain falling around them.

"Don't worry about that, I wouldn't have been killed." Kenshin was certain of that, he was considered one of the skilled assassins in the Ishinshishi. The girl started to bring her gaze up when she noticed the knife sticking out of his arm.

"Y-your arm!" Kenshin was surprised that she seemed to have forgotten about being nearly raped and her state of undress as she focused her attention on his arm. Her hands hovering over the knife afraid to touch it. Kenshin finally noticing the weapon sticking out of his arm grabbed the handle and yanked it out and looked down at her shocked form.

Kenshin let a smile cross his face, an action he hadn't done since left the dojo two years before, as he looked down at the girl. "You put the concern of others before yours don't you?"

She turned her face up towards him and he was met with sapphire eyes. `Why do they look so familiar?' He was brought of his musings when she suddenly asked a random question.

"What's your name?"

After composing himself, he grabbed the clasp of her zipper and started zipping her sweatshirt up causing her to blush. She repeated the question again and she looked as if she was fighting to keep from fainting.

He responded, "Battousai." Unexpectedly she suddenly fell into his arms limply seeming as if she fainted.

Then she whispered words that he never expected anyone to say, "Battousai. . . shinja dame. . ." and so darkness took over her.

Two years later. . .

"Kenshin, I have to speak to you." Kogoro said from the door of Kenshin's room. Kenshin swirled around in his chair slowly to glare at Kogoro with his piercing amber eyes.

"I'm studying, come back later." Kenshin turned back around to get back to his chemistry textbook.

"It's about your status here. My superior wants to see you." After a few moments of silence Kenshin stood up from his chair, pulled on his shoes, and walked towards the door.

"Make this quick. I still have Archimedes's Principle to go over."

Following Kogoro down the corridors of the living quarters they made their way into his car. The headquarter was only a few blocks from the living quarters and so they reached their shortly. Stepping out of the car in the underground parking lot, they made their way over to the elevator. Kogoro inserted his key for the access of the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The ring of the elevator told them they had reached the floor. What met them was a large waiting room, in the corner a secretary was typing way at her computer. She looked up, recognized Kogoro, and smiled.

"Hello Katsura-san. Uchiyama-san has been expecting you, he told me to tell you to just head in."

"Thanks Imai-san." They walked up to the large wooden doors and walked in. At the mahogany desk in the room sat a man in his late fifties looking over papers. Noticing Kenshin and Kogoro he looked up and greeted them.

"Hello Katsura-san, Himura-kun. Have a seat I have a few things to discuss with the both of you." He seemed like jolly man, that was until you reminded yourself in the business was in. He was a high-ranking official in the government and is proud to serve his country, even if that means using a child to do his killing. "Himura-kun, you have been with us for four years. How do you feel about it?"

Kenshin glared at Uchiyama, he wasn't afraid. Fear was something he lost within the years serving under the Ishinshishi. "I'm not here on my own free will. How the hell do you think I feel?"

Kogoro yelled at Kenshin, "Show more respect!" He faced towards Uchiyama and bowed in apology, "I'm sorry about his behavior. He's just in a bad mood."

"Then I've been in a bad mood for the past four years." Kenshin spoke with venom dripping from his voice.

Kogoro was about to yell at Kenshin once again when suddenly Uchiyama started laughing. He was hysterical with laughter, the only thing going through Kenshin's mind was: `He's nuts. I've been following orders from a lunatic.'

Uchiyama started talking as he continued laughing, "I like your attitude Himura-kun! There are very few people that actually stand up to me! It's a nice breath of fresh air!" He leaned over his desk trying to stop his laughter, when he did; he looked at Kenshin with a serious face. "Do you want out of this that badly?"

"I never wanted to be here in the first place." There was silence after that. Uchiyama looked at Kenshin as if contemplating something. Kenshin glared at Uchiyama, and Kogoro was looking from one to the other digging an early grave from the amount of stress he was getting from this meeting.

Coming to a conclusion Uchiyama spoke, "You are very young Himura-kun, seventeen I think you are. I'll give you two options. I will not permit you to choose another option nor will you be allowed to compromise. Are you willing to agree to these terms?"

Kenshin continued glaring at Uchiyama, "Do I have a choice?"

"Yes, you have two choices. The first one being that you stay here and continue what you have been doing for the past four years; carrying out assignments without question. If you stay with us you go up in government ranks and live a very good life working for the government. Your second option would be that to leave and live the `normal' life you seem to want so much. You will leave, but you must take into account that people outside the government might come after you what you have been doing for these past years. You may go back to Hokkaido to you legal guardian, Sejiro Hiko. Going into high school will not be hard. We will make sure that the school of your choice will allow you to take the entrance exam, even though you should be in the second year of your high school career."

Kenshin was speechless. What was he supposed to say? The dream he's had for the past four years was coming true. But then he snapped back to reality. "What's the catch?"

Uchiyama chuckled, "That's an instinct you get from being with us too long. Well there is small catch."

"I'm not surprised." Kenshin said looking at the floor seeing his dream dissipate.

"You can't tell any civilians about what you have been doing for the past four years. The only person we will permit you of telling is Sejiro Hiko. If you can keep to the promise of not telling anyone you can leave. If anyone asks you, you were at a boarding school. So what do you say?" Uchiyama intertwined his fingers, propped up his elbows on the desk and rested his chin on his hands.

"I want to leave. . . but what about Kaoru?"

"Kaoru? Oh! You mean Kamiya Kaoru. She will no longer be used as collateral. She has no idea what you have been doing."

Kenshin stood up abruptly and headed for the door. Uchiyama looked puzzled and spoke, "Where are you going?"

Not even turning around Kenshin said, "I'm leaving."

**************************Flashback/Story Mode Ends**************************

"I went back to Hokkaido for a couple months, but Hiko told me that I went through enough hell that I could come back here for high school. And do I'm here with you." Kenshin finished his story and gave a large sigh. It was as if weight was lifted off his shoulders. He stared at the ground for a moment then looked up at Kaoru to see her reaction to his past. `She's probably disgusted now.' However, when his eyes met hers he was surprised, she was crying. Tears were overflowing from her eyes, streaming down either side of her cheek. "Kaoru?"

"I'm sorry Kenshin."

He didn't want pity, nor did he want her crying. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything."

"That's the problem! I didn't! You were with the Ishinshishi for four years because of me!" She was now standing from the place she had been sitting at during Kenshin's telling. Her back towards him, it was obvious she was crying with her shaking shoulders.

He never really thought of it that way. He shook his head to get the thought of his head, it wasn't Kaoru fault. He stood up, went behind Kaoru, and put a hand on her shoulder as comfort. "It wasn't your fault. If they didn't use you to get me join they would have used someone else." He removed his hand from her shoulder and started walking away. It took a moment for Kaoru to register what was going on, Kenshin was already ten meters away.

She ran and called after to him, "Kenshin! Kenshin! Where are you going?!"

"I'm leaving." Kenshin said without turning around, just how he had done a few months ago.

Kaoru finally caught up to him grabbed onto his right upper arm, "Why?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'll go back to Hokkaido." Kenshin still looked ahead afraid of what he might see in Kaoru's eyes. Pity, disgust, or even fear. He couldn't stay here with her if he brought fear to her.

"You leaving? Again?" Kaoru `s voice was sad, "What about the promise?"

Kenshin looked down at her surprise, one thing e was expecting was for her to want to carry out the promise even after she heard that. "But what about me being the Hitokiri Battousai?"

"I don't care! I'm not asking the Hitokiri Battousai to stay I'm asking Himura Kenshin!"

Kenshin stopped walking. Kaoru didn't know what else to say as tears continued streaming down. Then suddenly strong arms brought her into a strong embrace. To the two of them they everything was going to be alright.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^

A/N: THE FIC IS NOT OVER! DO NOT GET CONFUSED THERE MORE TO COME! Ok, so I did the common story line of Kenshin being an assassin. But I hope you guys don't hate me for it. I've been planning him to be an assassin since the first chapter. . . I'm sorry!. . . but you guys saw the twist right? He didn't willingly go into the Ishinshishi. . . I had so much trouble in figuring out why he would go back to Tokyo, I never really got that planned out. . . oh well. . .and did anyone notice that I threw in some dialog from the manga into my fic?. . . ok. . .hehe. . .I hate Archimede's Principle! Evil!. . . ok, enough of that. Uchiyama is the name of my dad's boss, and Imai is the name I used for the secretary in my Inuyasha fic. These are not actual characters in the Rk manga series.

Aryanne- The reason why Kaoru didn't stick up for Kenshin is because she knew her friends were just kidding. But I agree! Kaoru, you gotta stand up for your man!

thunder sister- Yeah, Kaoru hangs out with guys a lot. Just like me, but then again the RK cast is mostly filled with males.

SVZ- I have flow?! wow, I always thought my fic read kind of choppy. . . thank you so much!

BillabongBob- I changed he rating for ya! It's back to PG-13! Yay?!

Kurai Mori- I think you're the only person that reads both my fics! Thank you for your support for both my fics!

Thank you to the following people as well: Maylar, Ryoko.Kilala, Yurikkuna, XP-DarkAngel, Punky1, chris37, flyingangel777, Azura Dea, dragontamer9741, and beriath.

I love reading each and every one of your reviews!!!! It brightens up my day! Till next time!