Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Her Own Path ❯ Sins of a Hitoriki ( Chapter 8 )

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

Hello once again!

Disclaimer: I still don’t own it, but a person can dream! After all, dreams can come true!

Warnings: A wee bit of swearing, nothing to drastic. (These days eight year old probably say worse than these…)


HER OWN PATH

Chapter Eight- Sins of a Hitokiri




‘Kenshin swung, the sharp edge of his sword connecting with his intended foe, and someone else. As he smelt the faint scent of white plums his eyes widened in horror.

“T-Tomoe…” He cried as he held her head, rocking her back and forth slowly. The huge gash on her right shoulder was seeping blood away into the snow.

Tomoe looked up to him and touched his cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled her best smile, just for him.

Kenshin was speechless. It had been so difficult to get her to smile before now… Why was she smiling in the face of death? For he knew that that was what he himself was, the bringer of death. She was looking straight into his amber eyes and smiling as if nothing was wrong. As if he had not just brought her the death that he’d already brought to so many.

Kenshin then remembered the small jug that Katsura-san had given to him. He had said to not use it under any circumstances, no matter what they may be. But despite Katsura-san’s orders, he found himself reaching for it in his gi, regardless.

“Tomoe, I won’t let you die. You have to live with me in the new era. We must both live to see it,” Kenshin said to her quietly while he gently poured the substance into her mouth. He had only to hope that she would not hate him for what he had just done to her…’

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‘Kenshin watched in a stunned daze as the bullet flew straight through Tomoe’s skull.

Tomoe and him had watched the Meiji era come in, the century turn, and the simple yet beautiful sunsets that she seemed to love so.

As her body fell back Kenshin rushed to grab her before her delicate body hit the pavement. He held her as he felt her body turn cold.

In the distance he saw Shishio running from the scene, to evade the police.


Kenshin’s numb body could only watch her face, her small smile that would forever be on her lips…’

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Rough hands desperately shook him, slowly bringing him from the dream-like world that he was in. Away from Tomoe’s dead body, and to a world he did not want to be in.

His pathetic attempts to get whatever it was off of him went unheeded. The hands continued shaking him mercilessly.

As he became more aware he saw a blur of white and brown, and a voice. The words seemed foreign as they reached his ears. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t make out what it was that was being said.

The blur of colors suddenly became clear and Kenshin snapped awake.

“Thank kami Kenshin! You scared the shit out of me!” Sanosuke half-yelled in Kenshin’s ear.

Kenshin looked down at himself, why did he feel so wet?

His fuzzy head panicked at the sight of so much blood on himself. Who did it belong to? What if it was Sano’s, or Kaoru’s? But as he glanced back up to Sano he realized that there was no wounds on him. And the stinging that followed told him that the blood was his.

Kenshin could recall running after smelling the scent of roses that did not grow this far in the forest. He remembered the shock of seeing Enishi after all these years. Then it struck him. Enishi had stabbed him, and Tomoe was with him.

“Hey, you alright?” Sano asked as he tried to brace Kenshin up better with his left arm.

“What happened to Kaoru-dono?” Kenshin had not seen nor heard anything from her, where could she be? ‘Sano… Don’t tell me you left her alone…’ He thought with a grimace.

“Don’t worry, she’s in the car. First off, we’ve got to get you bandaged up before you get more blood on me,” Sano smiled in humour to show that he wasn’t serious.

In the car…

“Sano you baka!” Kenshin yelled as he got up and ran back to the vehicle, hoping that Kaoru was still there.

He heard Sano topple over behind him as he started to curse and yell. But he knew that Sano could take care of himself, so he should be fine.

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Well, Kaoru was definitely not in the car. That much was made clear by the vacant backseat. There was however, a red rose on the hood. Kenshin picked it up and stared at the dew still clinging to the petals.

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‘”One day Kenshin, I would love to go to a huge meadow with tons of roses in it. Just one rose by itself is beautiful, but imagine a whole field! The sun would absorb into them and they would positively glow. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” Tomoe asked with a smile.’

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Roses.

A whole field.

Enishi had been present when Tomoe had said that. With Kaoru gone, it could only mean that Enishi had kidnapped her. And the rose must have been his way of telling Kenshin where to find him.

Not far from where Kenshin was there should still be a grove with roses growing near. It wasn’t exactly a meadow, but seemed the closest lead that Kenshin had.

He stepped on the gas pedal. In the rear-view mirror he saw Sanosuke clumsily sprawl out of the bushes. Sano’s body soon disappeared as Kenshin sped away in the car.

However, with his window open he still heard Sano’s cry of “KUSO!” echo throughout the forest.

Kenshin set his attention on the battle that was ahead. He was determined that he would not lose Kaoru like he did Tomoe.

‘I will not let the same happen again Tomoe.’

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Kaoru sat glaring at the man before her.

Breaking up with her was enough, but kidnapping her went way over the line.

Her arms and feet were tied together with thick rope that she could not escape from. From what she saw on the way there, they were in an abandoned building in the middle of a grove. She only titled it as ‘abandoned’ by the evidence of an inch of dust and the creepy crawlies running over her fingers.

Enishi was a small distance away from her, and he was smiling. Kaoru only wished that he was closer, then she could reach him to spit in his smug face.

“Why are you doing this?” She snapped in need of information.

“I am so glad you asked that Kaoru-chan. So very glad indeed. However, you must wait until the Battousai gets here in order to find out.” Enishi couldn’t help but continue to smile as he said this.

“When Kenshin does get here he’s going to defeat you!”

“Defeat me? I think not… It’s in your best interest to stay away from him Kaoru-chan. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t kill you by the time this is over,” Enishi snarled and Kaoru had to wonder what he meant by that.

“You’re a fool to think that I would kill her Enishi.”

A smile spread across Kaoru’s face as she followed the voice, and saw Kenshin who had entered soundlessly.

“Kenshin!” She cried out with happiness.

He smiled, “I’m sorry to be so late Kaoru-dono.”

Enishi stood and turned to face Kenshin. “Why are you doing this Enishi?” Kenshin asked as he glanced back to Kaoru.

“You killed my sister, the only person I ever loved. I saw you with her blood all over you. I cannot believe that I actually thought you to be in love with her. She always tried to reason with me, tried to get me to overcome my initial hatred of you. But… You see Battousai, that was the one time that my perfect sister was wrong. If I had heeded my natural instincts, I could have saved Tomoe from you before you killed her,” Enishi hissed as he drew his sword.

Kaoru looked from Kenshin to Enishi. Tomoe was Enishi’s sister… But, that would mean that Kenshin and Enishi were brother-in-laws.
“I don’t know what it was that you saw Enishi. But I do know that I did not kill Tomoe. It was Shishio-” Kenshin’s words were cut off as Enishi charged at him.

“Do not LIE Battousai!” Enishi screamed as Kenshin blocked his attack. “Do. Not. Lie.! I saw you kill her just as you killed Kaoru’s parents!”

Kenshin’s entire body froze as Enishi broke away from him. “That’s right Battousai! I saw you stab through her father!” Enishi taunted.

Kaoru stared at Kenshin in disbelief.

‘She had come home from Misao’s house one day to find both of her parents smothered in each other’s blood. She knew that they were murdered, and she always swore to herself that if she ever found their killer that she would kill them.’

But, maybe Enishi was lying. Maybe Kenshin really didn’t do it. But if Kenshin was innocent, why did he look so guilty?

Her body numbed as she realized with horror that she had fallen in love with a man that she had swore to kill.

“You ruined my life twice Battousai! After killing my sister I thought that you would leave me alone, but how wrong I was! I had fallen in love with a beautiful girl, so much that I gave her the necklace that Tomoe gave to me. I even planned to ask her to marry me when we were out of school. But the day that I went to ask permission from her father, I saw you stab him straight through his heart. When I realized that Kaoru was involved with you, I knew that I had to leave her, so that I could kill you first!” Enishi began running towards Kenshin at full pace.

Kenshin knew that what Enishi had said was true as he gazed at the faded image of Tomoe standing near Enishi.

Instead of blocking again, Kenshin through a sucker punch into Enishi’s gut. “You speak of loving Kaoru-dono, yet you use her to get to your enemies and put her in danger!”

Enishi stumbled backwards from the force of the hit and spat blood onto the ground, “Don’t you speak to me of loving someone Battousai! You don’t-Tomoe?” He questioned as he watched his sister move. Slowly she walked over to Kenshin and turned her head back and… She smiled.

‘She smiles for the man that killed her but not for me, her own brother?’ Enishi thought with disbelief.



“I did not kill Tomoe Enishi. I would have died if I had killed her. But, I am afrain that you cannot be saved…” Kenshin spoke as he drew his sword. He lept into the air and with a cry of “Ryu tusi sen!” sent Enishi straight into the wood floorboards.

Kenshin flicked his sakabatou free from the dust and dirt covering it and promptly sheathed it.

He quickly approached Kaoru, who had her eyes downcast. Kenshin broke the ties that were holding her and urged her to stand up.

But rather than comply she shoved him away. “Did you really kill them Kenshin?” She asked in a broken voice.

“Kaoru-dono, sessha…”

“I NEED to know Kenshin! Did you kill them?” Kaoru stood and began shaking Kenshin for an answer.

Kenshin gave a tired and sad smile, and with little effort collapsed to the floor. His body splashing in the pool of blood surrounding him.

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Sano tied the end of the bandage off and set Kenshin back down onto the seat. That stab in the shoulder luckily looked as though it wouldn’t get infected, despite the obvious strain that Kenshin had put on it.

He glanced back up to Kaoru, she sat, unmoving. Sano wasn’t really sure what had happened before he had arrived. With the idiot that he had just finished bandaging suddenly speeding away in the car, it had been damned hard to find where he went. Fortunately, getting out of the forest was easy enough, and the car was easy to spot in the distance. Never had he thanked the gods that he could run that fast.

When Sanosuke burst through the doors he only found Kaoru bent over a collapsed Kenshin, crying madly.

He went around the car and got in the driver’s seat and prepared to start it. A brief look up at the mirror revealed Kaoru silently crying again. She was sitting in the back with Kenshin’s body stretched over the seat, and his head on her lap. Sano sighed.

“Jou-chan, what’s the matter? You’ve been crying ever since we got out of that place.”

Kaoru’s fingers intertwined themselves with Kenshin’s bangs as she spoke, “Enishi told me that he killed them… And.. Kenshin won’t tell me if it is true or not.”

“Well Jou-chan, you were the one that told me you loved him, weren’t you?” Sano asked and Kaoru’s head snapped up. “So if you really love him you’ll wait and hear his side of the story.”

Kaoru nodded mutely, realizing that Sano’s logic really made sense.

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Kaoru nearly lept out of her seat as she felt Kenshin shift for the first time in an hour. Gradually, his amethyst eyes opened and focused on her, “K-Kaoru-dono?” He questioned to try and get his head sorted out.

“Nice of you to join us Kenshin. Jou-chan’s been so anxious for you to wake up back there that she was starting to get to me,” Sano merely smirked at Kaoru’s irritated glare.

Her gaze softened as she turned back to Kenshin, “How do you feel?”

“Fine,” Kenshin relied with that warm smile he usually wore.

Kaoru blushed as Kenshin became a bit startled at himself laying on her lap.

Sano gathered from the silence that Kaoru still didn’t want to ask him. But, she couldn’t be left in the dark forever, so it was best for both of them to get it over with. “So Kenshin, plan to answer Jou-chan’s questions?” He asked inorder to get Kaoru started.

Kenshin looked from Sano to Kaoru with a questioning look placed on his face.

“Did you do it Kenshin?”

Kenshin sighed, “If I had not been there, there is a good chance that he may have lived…”

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& #8216;”What are you waiting for Battousai? Kill that wench before she escapes!” Saitou yelled as he rushed to where Kenshin was standing in aghast. The woman kneeling before him was separated from her husband and the perfect time to kill her was now. Kenshin knew this, but if that was so, then why was his arm shaking instead of striking?

Saitou’s blade came forth in a parallel Gatotsu and pierced through the woman’s chest.

As the blood sprayed from the vital wound she clutched at the air, trying to grab hold of something that was not there.

The force of the attack even made the blood reach Kenshin, and as he felt the warm tracks it made down his arms his face cringed in horror.

“Saitou! What have you done?!” He demanded while Saitou blocked the devastated husband that charged at him.

“I killed our assignment! You know that these two have been illegally sneaking cash from our funds, and using it to repair this pathectic excuse for a dojo. For this transgression they deserve to die!” Saitou knocked the man backwards on the floor with a backhanded hit to the man’s jaw.

“That’s no reason to kill them! You only told me that we were apprehending them and taking them into custody! I’m told that they have a daughter, what will you do with her?” Kenshin snarled back.

“I will kill her if need be.”

“You bastard! You-” Kenshin stopped his rant mid sentence as he felt a faint tugging on his pants. He looked down to see the man grasping his pants near the ankle.

“Please…” He sputtered through his tears, “Please don’t kill my Kaoru… I will do anything to keep her safe.”

“You heard the man Battousai. Why not put him out of his misery?” Saitou asked with a smirk.

“Shut up!” Kenshin yelled as he watched Saitou take leave. “I leave you to deal with this,” was all he said before vanishing in the darkness.

“Please sir,” the persistent man tried to gain back Kenshin’s attention. “If I am killed, then my Kaoru should be safe from all the trouble that follows us. Then your people will have no reason to go after her, is this not so?”

Though Kenshin knew that the man was indeed right, how could a father say such a thing? How could he be so selfish as to willingly leave his child alone in the world?

Suddenly, while Kenshin was still lost in his thoughts, the man stood. Kenshin’s initial reaction as a past hitokiri brought his katana upwards to protect himself.

As the man stepped forward, Kenshin’s outstretched blade stabbed straight through him. Kenshin gasped in shock. The man had just committed a sick suicide, knowing that Kenshin would not kill him without a push.

Kenshin was about to phone for an abulance, tell the man to hold on, something!

But as the man looked into Kenshin’s amber eyes with a look so fierce, Kenshin found that he could not move.

“I see in you what I see in my Kaoru. The spirit of something other than a killer. In my place, watch over her,” He whispered as his body fell tp the ground, dead.’

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As Kenshin finished his tale, he glanced over to see Kaoru and the tears that were silently falling down her cheeks.

“That’s why you were always in the restaurant?” She asked with a smile.

“I promised myself that day that I would do as he asked and wach over you,” Kenshin said and he grasped her hand from his laying down position.

Kaoru brought both of their hands up to her face, only to be moisturized by her tears.

“Geez you two! Enough mush! We’re here,” Sanosuke announced as the rendevous point came into view.


AC: Another of Kenshin’s secrets revealed! (jumps up and down in background). Well, for those of you that were thinking that Kenshin did kill them or something close when he remembered the family name, you were close. But, I couldn’t have Kenshin kill them in cold blood, there had to be some emotion in it.

Mother of pearl! This is the longest chapter yet! Didja notice how they seem to get longer with each entry? I did this one all at once, so if it seems to rushed I’m sorry!

As usual, expect the next chapter within a week!

Ja ne!