Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Her Own Path ❯ Answers ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I still don’t own Rurouni Kenshin…

Warnings: A LOT of explaining in this chapter, and someone confessing their love…


HER OWN PATH

Chapter Six- Answers


“Tomoe,” Kaoru echoed with some awe.

“Hai. She is-was my wife.”

‘A wife,’ Kaoru thought in bewilderment. She had thought that maybe the woman was an old girlfriend or acquaintance. But a wife, that was something she had not even imagined. It made sense though. That was why they both looked so peaceful, in complete tranquility. Kaoru briefly wondered for how long they had been married. The thought however shattered as another revelation came to her mind.

The pain that she heard as he answered her, Kenshin must still love her. How, now could Kaoru tell him that she loves him? That she had loved him for the past year? It seemed so far away now.

But… “Was?” She heard herself ask. Maybe they had a divorce or something…

Kenshin slowly nodded, “Was.” His confirmation seemed filled with grief. “She died around the same time as Megumi did.” Kenshin wasn’t planning on revealing that they died on the exact same day. For the life of him he couldn’t understand why Kaoru looked so depressed as they were talking.

“I’m sorry Kenshin. She must have been wonderful,” Kaoru felt more sorrow dump on her, if that was even possible.

A smile came to Kenshin’s face, which was soon turned to a frown as his phone began to beep and vibrate in his pocket.

He gave Kaoru a brief bow and exited the room.

Kaoru was shocked, ‘Mou! Every time we are actually talking something comes up and he simply gets up and leaves. At this rate I’ll never get to ask him…’

“Himura! Sagara has reported to me saying that the mission failed and Shishio spotted you both. Is this true?”

“Yes, Katsura-san. Due to… uncontrolled circumstances both Sanouske and I were forced to retreat.”

“Hn. Well, did you at least find what it was that he was shipping?”

“Hai, katanas. Hundreds of them by the looks of it.”

“Katanas? What would Shishio want with katanas…”

“I do not know sir. However, Shishio did not directly see us. He does not know who we are.”

“That is acceptable news, the best I’ve heard. In light of that, he also retreated with the… katanas?”

“He retreated as we did.”

“You both did good work so I’ll keep you on this case.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Not so fast. Shishio we’ve heard is planning on fleeing the city. Most likely from his recent discovery of being found. I’ll be sending you, Sagara and Shinomori as well to keep track of him. You will be leaving tomorrow evening. Do this together or separately it makes no matter to me. Contact me again if anything arises. Just make sure to keep on his tail.”

“Understood.”

Kenshin pocketed the phone and released a heavy sigh. He had just got back from his previous mission and was now assigned to another one. A chuckle rose from him as he thought of what Kaoru’s reaction would be.

He slowly opened the wooden door and walked to where Kaoru was currently sitting on the bed.

“Kaoru-dono, I imagine that you wish to return home now. So if you would kindly tell me your address I would be happy to take you home.”

“Why Kenshin? I don’t really want to leave…” Kaoru replied in an almost pleading tone.


‘This isn’t a hotel…’ “In truth Kaoru-dono, you can’t stay here. I have been assigned to leave this city tomorrow, and it really wouldn’t be safe for you to remain here,” Kenshin decided that there was no harm in telling her that much.

Kaoru momentarily froze, “You’re leaving?” Her mind was screaming at her to stop him, to make him stay. That last time he’d left he was gone for an entire year. And who knows what could happened to him if he did leave.

“You can’t leave! I won’t let you!” Kaoru cried as she attached herself to his waist in a tight grip.

Kenshin was baffled. Here was Kaoru acting like Tomoe did when he told her that he had to leave too. He suddenly got a horrible case of déjà vu. “Kaoru-dono, you cannot afford to remain around me any longer. It will be dangerous where I am going and I do not wish for you to get hurt,” Kenshin replied in a stern voice as he gently tried to pry her off of him.

“If it’s dangerous then who’s to say you won’t get hurt? I don’t want to lose you!” Kaoru nearly screamed into his chest. He felt as though he was paralyzed, unable to move or even breathe. “I love you Kenshin. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. I was devastated when you left without a goodbye. Now that I’ve got you, I don’t want to let you go…”

As Kaoru was speaking all Kenshin could hear was Tomoe whispering the same words. It actually took a moment to register in his mind of what she said. She loved him… Loved him? Those words sounded surreal as he repeated them in his head.

He slowly brought his arms around her and murmured in her hair, “I’m sorry Kaoru, I have to go. Besides, it’s unlikely that I’d die. My body can take a pretty good beating.” Kenshin tried not to stop and think just how true those words were. If she only knew…

Kaoru rubbed her face into his shirt to get some of the tears to dry off. “I understand Kenshin,” She tried to smile while she pulled away. That was the first time that ‘dono’ was not added to her name. She hoped that it meant something…

“Kenshin,” Kaoru called him from inside of the car.

Because Kenshin had to leave the next night they had both decided to get out of the house, even for a while. Kaoru was quite amazed when she stepped from the doors. She didn’t even know that a section of the city like this had existed. Kenshin had yet to tell her where it was that he was taking her.

Kenshin then came back from the store and got into the car. Two vanilla ice cream cones were in his hands and he handed one to Kaoru. She giggled at the thought of eating ice cream, it made this feel like a first date.

As she slowly licked the sweet substance she couldn’t help but laugh at Kenshin. He was trying to start up the car while holding the cone, and failing miserably. Ice cream was dripping all over his seat and he was continuously squirming to keep it off of his pants. Once the keys were finally in the ignition and the car started he hit the gas.

“Kenshin, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Kaoru started up the topic that had been bothering her for nearly the entire day. “What exactly does this mean?” She innocently asked as she held up the card that she had found in his wallet and pointed to his birth date.

He visibly paled and swallowed. This wasn’t something he could get out of. “So, you found that… I was wondering where it was,” Kenshin laughed nervously.

“Yes, I found it. However I’m having trouble understanding what it is exactly,” Kaoru smiled to Kenshin in what he thought was a malevolent manner.

With a deep sigh he said, “I had a feeling I was going to have to tell you this sooner or later. You are familiar with the Bakamatsu?” Kaoru nodded, wondering where this was going. “Have you heard of the hitokiri called Battousai?”

“Hai,” Kaoru responded in a quiet voice. Anyone who went to any sort of school knew who Battousai was. A demon hitokiri from the Bakamatsu who slew hundreds of men in the name of the revolution. Some said that if it was not for him that the Ishin Shishi would never have won, and the Tokugawa era would never have been discharged.

“Just after a few months of his assignments in joining the Ishin Shishi Battousai was gravely injured due to a rash and foolish act. Katsura Kogoro himself was there as the doctors tried to save the Battousai. Their attempts however were futile.”

“However, a doctor by the name of Gensai revealed himself with a solution. He had been developing a formula that had not been tested yet. The process was said to rearrange one’s DNA, and back then such a technological advance was an amazing feat for those in the field of science. The DNA would be arranged to fit more of an animalistic quality. In a sense, the person’s life would be extended and their body strengthened. Gensai had planned originally to use the formula for a ransom to the yakuza.”

“But he said that as he watched the young boy of fourteen bleeding like death, he found himself seeing his own son. Who had died months before from the chaos of the revolution.”

“He saved the Battousai ironically by turning him into the demon that so many people had previously called him. Many on the side of the Ishin Shishi were then forced to take the formula.”

“Battousai met Sanosuke ten years after the Bakamatsu, only to find that he had been a part of the Sekihoutai. The captain, by name of Sagara, had given Sano a sample of the formula that they had collected before they were slaughtered. That meant that he was now a ‘so-called’ demon as well.”

Kaoru’s face was twisted into a look of horror. She knew how this was going to end, what Kenshin was going to say. But the biggest fright to her was not that she believed him, but of what was to come.

Kenshin turned to look her directly in the eye. And as his eyes shifted into that terrifying amber that she had met not long ago, “I am the Battousai.” Was all that he said.

Kaoru found tears in her eyes. Kenshin, her Kenshin really was a killer. Not just in the past, but now still. She almost didn’t hear his next words.

“I am currently in the services of the same Katsura from the revolution along with Sanosuke. We are tracking a true demon from back then as well, his name is Shishio Makoto.”

Kenshin pulled the car to a stop. He reached for Kaoru’s hand and led her to the swing set in the near distance. Relief was all that he could feel at that moment. Kaoru was not angry that he kept that secret from her.

They sat on the swings, swinging in a slow rhythm. The sun was slowly sinking in the distance, covering them briefly with a warm blanket of light.

Kaoru glanced over to Kenshin. The light from the sun was causing his red hair to have a strange glow to it. She had to admit that his hair looked even more silky and fine than hers.

She suddenly grasped his hand, “Kenshin, I’m coming with you. Whether you like it or not. I won’t get in your way, I promise,” She smiled. “Just give me a bokken and I’ll nock that damn Shishio out myself and see how he likes it!”
Kenshin nearly gasped at her very fluid use of that particular curse, he would never have thought she would be one to swear like that.

He squeezed her hand back, “Alright. But a bokken can still be broken. So if anything happens, then I’m going to protect you.”

“Okay,” Kaoru grinned. She was quite overjoyed that Kenshin did not even protest. But her happiness deflated slightly as she saw the look on his face.

He was staring at the necklace around her neck. It was only a simple golden heart with a small diamond in the middle of it.
“K-Kaoru, where did you get that?” Kenshin stuttered as she watched the necklace gleam and sparkle.

“Well, I used to have a boyfriend a few years ago. He gave it to me. Enishi…” Kaoru drifted off with some sadness in her voice. She looked to Kenshin in surprise when she felt him let go of her hand.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” He whispered. His mind drifted away from the questions Kaoru was frantically asking him.

“‘Kenshin, it looks like there’s someone there!” Tomoe yelled as she broke away from his grasp and ran to the figure.

It was a boy of maybe ten years of age, drenched in the rain that was viciously pouring down in the alley. He had dark spiky hair and tanned skin.

Kenshin dashed after his wife to help her. “Kenshin, hand me your coat,” Tomoe commanded as Kenshin’s numb fingers tried to comply. He remained under the umbrella so as not to get any more wet.

Tomoe draped the heavy overcoat over the boy and attempted to shake him awake.

The violent action caused the boy to slowly open his tired eyes and blink at the two strangers. He suddenly found himself embraced by the strange woman.

“Thank god you’re alive… Where are your parents?” Tomoe questioned as she let go of him.

His eyes seemed to cloud over as he replied, “They’re dead.”’

‘Tomoe had Kenshin carry the boy home, for it seemed that he had a broken ankle and could not walk on his own.

They now were sitting in the kitchen as the boy watched the television.

“What should we do Kenshin?” She asked while he sipped his tea.

“Well, it may be safe to take him to the police… But he always could stay here,” Kenshin suggested.

Tomoe smiled one of her rare smiles, “Thank you Kenshin. You must have known that’s what I was thinking. I think I should adopt him,” She nearly laughed out loud as she watched Kenshin choke on his tea.


“I meant as a brother anata, not a son,” Tomoe giggled as Kenshin tried to readjust himself. “What do you think?”

Kenshin regarded the situation and then answered, “It’s fine by me.”

Tomoe went to where the boy was, filled with near excitement.

“How would you like to be my little brother?” She watched as the boy gained a shocked look.

“I-I would like that very much Tomoe-san.”

“Alright then, I’ll give this to you as a contract of our deal.” Kenshin watched from the kitchen as Tomoe pulled from her pocket a necklace with a golden heart.

“When you fall in love with a girl, you can give her this. How does that sound Enishi-kun?”’

Kenshin could only stare at Kaoru with a look of complete blankness. The same Enishi that Tomoe and him had taken in all those years ago, the same boy that he called brother from then on was Kaoru’s ex-boyfriend? The boy that had seen Kenshin kill and who had forced the stress from it to turn his hair completely white and who had run away after was still alive?

“Kenshin! What’s the matter?” Kaoru’s voice entered his head through one ear and left directly through the other.

This surely had to be a dream…


AU: So, how was that? Good, bad? I definitely want to hear your thoughts on this chapter.

I apologize if the part of Kenshin describing his past and all didn’t seem realistic enough. I know making him a vampire or a demon would have been more ‘real’, but honestly, I suck with both. And I didn’t want to ruin the story more than it already has been. Misao, Sano, and Aoshi will be appearing in the next chapter!

Second of Kenshin’s secrets has been revealed! (For those who reviewed or were wondering why he was snarling before, the animal inside of his was why. It was NOT that Battousai! I have read all the manga and know that he does not act like that!)

Now that that’s out of my system… As usual next chapter in a week (or less with how this is going…)

Ja ne!