Disclaimers: Rurouni Kenshin was created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I don't own anything I'm just borrowing.

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WHEN IT RAINS

Chapter 5

It's been a while since he had first left Tokyo and now that he was actually back he felt strangely at home. It was his choice to leave in the first place but never his truly wish. And he knew that because when he was leaving he couldn't help but look back even as his mind shouted at him not to. 'Don't look back. Don't you ever look back' he remembered how fiercely, but pointlessly, his mind tried to convince him.

He was walking the same old road he had gone before. And he noticed that just a few things had changed. The same trees, the same houses and even the people seemed to be the same. He knew he had changed though. 'Will she recognize me? Will she welcome me back?' his thoughts broke off when he felt something tap against his foot. He looked down to see a small ball and a little boy approaching him.

"Sorry, sir" the boy muttered apologetically.

"Here, take it." He said as he crouched to get the ball and handed it to the little boy.

"Thanks", the child replied cheerfully "Er… you are not from here, ne?"

"Yes, I am. Why? Doesn't it look like I'm from here?" he asked, a genuine grin spreading on his lips.

"Uh… well not really. You dress weird!" the boy said but quickly took his hand over his own mouth a little embarrassed by his daring. "S-sorry!"

The man couldn't help but laugh, "You think my clothes are funny, don't you?" he asked, eying himself. He was wearing western clothes, a gray cloak and a black hat, very different from what other people showed off there.

The child shook his head, "No, I think it's coll. Especially this!" he said pointing to the man's hat.

"Oh, you like it. It's a cowboy hat."

"What is a cowboy?"

The man chuckled, getting up. "Cowboys are people who ride horses."

"So where is your horse?" the boy asked looking around.

The man laughed, "He ran way."

"Oh!" the child sounded disappointed.

"But when I found it back I'll let you see it, ok? He said walking past the boy "I have to go now."

"Where are you going?" the boy asked promptly.

"I have to go see a friend." He said and inwardly he went on, 'She needs my help.'

"Ok then. Bye Cowboy-san!" the little boy said as he ran off.

The man smiled brightly and resumed to his walk. He knew exactly where he was going, the Kamiya dojo. 'Finally I'm coming back.'

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"Hey, busu! Wake up! I need to practice!!!" Yahiko yelled from behind Kaoru bedroom's door.

He didn't have to yell though for she was already awake for some time now. Kaoru laid on her futon; eyes steady on the ceiling lost in thoughts. Her body was still sore and she refused to get up, knowing that when she did the reality would come crashing at her all again. But when Yahiko began to hit his bokken insistently on the floor making a lousy and noisy sound she decided that it was better to get up otherwise, she believed, he could go on with that for the entire day.

"I'm coming Yahiko!! Stop making this awful noise!" she shouted from inside her bedroom as she lifted up of her futon and walked toward her closet to get dressed. When she noticed Yahiko's noise had stopped and the boy wasn't behind her door anymore, she put on her gi and hakama. 'There's no way I can practice today' she thought as she eyed her bandaged wound. 'Dr. Genzai told me to be careful otherwise the cut could break open. Mou, I'll have to tell Yahiko something.'

Kaoru stepped out of her room to promptly collide with Yahiko. "Mou, Yahiko!! I told you I was coming!! Can't you wait?!"

"It's your fault. You took too long busu and I have to train! How do you think I will become the strongest swordsman of Japan if I don't practice?" Yahiko asked her as he took her from her arm and was pulling her towards the dojo. "Come on! Let's go!"

Kaoru snapped his hand off of her making him turn around to face her puzzled. "What's wrong, busu?"

"I won't teach you today." She said passed by him on the way to the kitchen.

"And why not?" Yahiko demanded incredulous.

"Uh… because you keep calling me busu!!"

"I always call you busu, busu! And it never stopped you to train me before!!"

"But this time I won't. So you will learn to respect me, Yahiko-chan!" she said from over her shoulder and went on to the kitchen.

Kaoru stepped into the kitchen and her heart went fast when she saw Kenshin there. He was making breakfast and had his back to her.

'This is it! He's going to ask me to explain everything to him and I won't be able to say no since I've already promised him. It's not that I don't want to tell him but I'm afraid he'll hate me or leave when he finds out that I've been lying about my father and his school. If only I knew he loved me it would make it easier but I don't and I'm afraid that telling him would put an end to any possibility that could exist of him loving me back.' Kaoru thought in distress not even realizing that her breathing quickened and became uneven and heavy, her hands dampened as she began sweating in apprehension.

Kenshin felt her presence as soon as she got there and he was going to turn around to greet her when he felt her uneasiness and her inner turmoil and couldn't help but feel hurt. Was his presence the reason for her disturbance? Why didn't she feel comfortable near him anymore? He wanted answers and he needed them now. These past few days had been a hell to live. She had been so distant and he felt like she was leaving him behind. 'Does she know that I love her? I know I never told her I should have but…I … Does she love me back? I used to think she did but I'm not so sure anymore.' Kenshin signed inwardly his thoughts have been torturing him lately.

Kaoru felt the urge to walk away and she was going to when Kenshin's words stopped her. When he felt that she was going to leave he quickly turned around to face her. 'I can let her keep running away from me any longer. I have to put a stop to that.' He thought very decided.

"Ohayo, Kaoru-dono" he saluted her.

"Ohayo, Kenshin" she said softly.

"Breakfast is almost ready. Did you sleep well?" he asked 'because I haven't' his mind added.

"Yes." She answered more like a whisper.

"Sessha was thinking that after breakfast we could go to a walk. What do you think, Kaoru-dono?" he inquired looking straight to her sky-blue eyes.

The power of his penetrated gaze made her shiver slightly and she wasn't sure anymore if she could ever face those eyes to tell him the truth. Was she ready for his reaction? Was she ready to see those beautiful violet orbs filled up with disappointment, recrimination or even angry? 'No, not yet. I have to think about the best way to explain to him first. To make him understand that I never meant to lie to him… that it was my unsolved problem and I never could face it before.' She decided inwardly.

"I have to…" she trailed off but when she saw Yahiko she found her excuse "I have to train Yahiko. He's annoying me since I woke up this morning!!"

"Huh? But busu you said…" but Yahiko was interrupted by Kaoru abruptly.

"I said hurry up if you want to practice!! Mou, Yahiko I thought you want me to teach you!!" Kaoru exclaimed hands on her hips. 'I know I shouldn't practice today. Dr. Genzai told me to take it easy but I'll be careful. I'll tell him to do some swings with the bokken and that will have to do!' she decided

"Er… Ok, I guess!" a very confused Yahiko replied.

"So let's start right after breakfast." She said as she walked towards the table where Sano and Misao already were.

"Hey, Kenshin! Hurry up with this food." Sano yelled but regretted immensely after Kenshin cast him a glare that could froze him on the spot. "Wow! Sorry! What's wrong, Kenshin? Bad night?" he tried.

"Nothing wrong. You wanted food now why don't you eat de gozaru ka? Kenshin asked in a solid voice.

"Hey, I was just…"

"Sano can we just eat in peace?" Kaoru interrupted him.

"Jou-chan? I was just trying to…" but he broke off once again when he saw Kaoru's pleading eyes staring at his.

"Here rooster-head, eat." Misao said as she handed him the bowl with food.

The tension between Kenshin and Kaoru didn't pass unnoticed by the others even Yahiko could tell that something was wrong. But neither of them said a word about it and the silence remained until the end of breakfast.

When it was finished Kaoru and Yahiko went straight to the dojo followed by Misao who said she wanted to watch more to annoy the boy than anything else. Kenshin decided he needed to do some laundry and maybe cool himself a little while Sano sat on the porch and soon began to snore.

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"Oh! Come on busu I'm tired of doing swings with the bokken. I want to spar with you. Why won't you?" Yahiko shouted very frustrated.

"That's enough Yahiko-chan. I told you to do the swings and that's what you will do!" Kaoru said, voice steady, not a sign of giving up for him.

"Hey! Why don't you spar with me, kid? I'm sure that the so amazing swordsman of all Japan can't be frightened by a beautiful Oniwabanshu ninja, right?" Misao challenged him.

"Who are you calling kid, Weasel? I'll show you." Yahiko replied, brown eyes narrowed.

"Let's go then." Misao said, an evil grin spreading over her lips.

'Thank you, Misao. That was close.' Kaoru thought letting out a sign.

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'She's avoiding me, that she is. But I will find out what is going on and why she is acting so strange lately. She won't train Yahiko during the entire day and when they stop I'll go talk to her and clear everything up.' Kenshin thought as he sat on the porch next to a sleepy Sano. He had already finished doing the laundry and was now staring at the dojo where he knew Kaoru was practicing with Yahiko. It was taking all his good will not to get into there to grab her and pick her up and drag her to a place where they could talk. He gave a mischievous smile as the picture was formed inside of his head. 'That wouldn't be bad at all. No! I shouldn't be thinking those kinds of things I must find a way to convince Kaoru to tell me what's going on. Maybe if I …' but his thoughts trailed off when he heard a familiar voice.

"Ohayo, Ken-san" a happy Megumi greeted him from the gate.

"Ohayo, Megumi-dono" Kenshin replied polite as always but finding very hard to hide the resentment he was feeling towards the female doctor due to her latter behavior.

"Look what I brought to you, ohagi! I know you like it." She said handing him a bowl full of them."

"Thank you, Megumi-dono." He replied as he took it. "That's very nice of you."

"I'm always nice, Ken-san" she said grinning at him. 'He's still mad at me. But wait until he finds out that I'm not the one lying to him.'

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*Crack*. Yahiko flew straight to the wall. "Hey! Weasel, that wasn't fair! Tell her Kaoru!" he muttered as he got up from the ground.

"Oh! Booo-hooo, Yahiko-chan, stop weeping like a baby." Misao teased him.

"Mou! Yahiko that happened because you didn't block her attack and there was no way you could since you were holding your bokken too low. Here, let me show you." Kaoru interfered in their argument and walked towards him. She took a bokken for herself and held it like he was doing when Misao hit him. "See, that's how you were holding it. Too low down." She said. Then Kaoru raised the bokken just a little. "If you were holding it like this then you would be able to block her attack."

"Like this?" Yahiko asked as he did exactly like she was showing him.

"Yes. Now If I attack you can block it." Kaoru said as she lunged forward to hit him on the stomach like Misao had but this time he was able to stop the blow.

"Yeah!!" Yahiko shouted cheerfully. He was so excited that he didn't stop and went on fighting with Kaoru despite her protests. "Yahiko, I've already said I'm not going to spar with you today. Misao will be your opponent. Now stop it!"

"Oh! Come on, busu! This way you can tell me what I'm doing wrong." He said as he moved forward.

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"You know, Ken-san, I hope you're not still mad at me. I mean I've always been very honest with you, haven't I?" Megumi said sitting down next to him.

"What is that supposed to mean, Megumi-dono?" Kenshin asked noticing she had wanted to mean something else.

"Nothing, I just want you to know that I am not the one who is keeping secrets from you." She taunted.

"Of whom are you talking about?" Kenshin asked curiously. 'Does she know something about Kaoru? But how?'

"Nobody in particular. I just wanted you to know that you can trust me. By the way, where is the tanuki-chan?" Megumi questioned more to give him a hint.

"She is practicing with Yahiko. Why?" Kenshin's voice was full of suspicious, his brows knotted.

"Oh! It's just that I …Wait! She's what?" Megumi suddenly realized what he said. "But she shouldn't be training, I mean she's…" but she broke off when she saw Kenshin's narrowed eyes at her.

"What is the problem, Megumi-dono? Why can't Kaoru practice?"

But before she could even think about something to answer they heard a desperately scream coming from the dojo that startled both of them and woke up Sanosuke.

"KAORU!!" Yahiko yelled.

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Dr. Genzai was arranging meticulously some medicines in a closet. He was still very concerned with Kaoru and was thinking about checking on her later. 'Poor girl, she has to go through all this now and she's been trying her best not to let anyone find out nor be worried about her. Maybe I shouldn't have forced her to tell the others what's going on. It's her decision after all. But she could have…' his thoughts broke off abruptly.

"How is she?" came a voice from the shadows causing the old doctor to drop the bottle of medicine he was holding, making a piercing sound as it broke in pieces against the floor. The content of it spread on the ground. Dr. Genzai promptly turned over to look at the intruder.

"Who…Y-you?"

"How is she?" came the same sharp voice, his face still hidden in the darkness.

"What are you doing here?" Dr Genzai asked his voice filled with shock. He could only see the shadow of a man wearing a dark cloak and a hat but still he recognize him.

"I just want to know how is she?"

"You are talking about… Kaoru-chan?"

"Yes. I need to know if she's ok."

"So you know something is going on. How did you…"

The man interrupted the doctor in a rush "Did something happened to her?"

"Oh…Well…Yes. She was stabbed on her abdomen so I guess she's not all right!" Dr. Genzai said in a low voice.

"What!? When? Is she ok now? So they are after her too, I should have known. I was hoping they would let her out of this that's why I came here first. Well it doesn't matter anymore. I have to go to her now." Almost like his sudden appearance he was leaving, swiftly and silently.

"Wait!" Dr. Genzai requested. "I'm going with you" But the man wasn't there anymore. 'Oh, Kami-sama this is running out of control. I have to go after him.' Deciding to follow the man Dr. Genzai left the clinic and headed towards the dojo.

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Kenshin was the first one to show up at the dojo and what he saw as he got there made his blood froze. Crouching on the ground was Kaoru she was totally still as she embraced her own stomach. Her expression was of utterly pain. Tears streaming down her face. Kenshin looked then at Yahiko the boy's face was completely bewildered, the bokken hanging loose from his hand. Kenshin's eyes followed the boy's hand to the end of the bamboo sword and in there he saw blood. He gasped. "What the hell is going on here?"

But when he looked back at Kaoru, his eyes widened, his mouth snapped open, his breath caught in his throat and anger came over him. He saw her blood in her hands. How a bamboo sword had done that he didn't know and right now he couldn't care less. All he knew was that blood was hers. Those were her tears. That was her pain. And that was all he needed to know.

Almost immediately his eyes changed from peaceful violet orbs into dreadful amber ones. Kaoru saw him and was startled "K-Kenshin?"

Misao saw it too and was worried about something else. "Yahiko." It took what seemed like forever for the boy to realize someone had called him but he finally turned around to stare at her and saw that she was looking from his bokken to Kenshin and back again. Yahiko dropped his sword promptly causing a sharp sound the only one that could be heard in the room at that moment. He lifted his head and saw Kenshin menacing face directed to… Him.

Kaoru realizing that tried to explain too "Kenshin? Wait! It wasn't him. He didn't hurt me."

"What did you do to her, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked in a low but powerful voice. That people kept harassing her over her bad cooking, her manners and even her appearance, he could deal with those because he didn't care if she couldn't cook to save her life nor if she wasn't the perfect lady, always contained and polite, he didn't want her that way and he knew she was beautiful and that was what counted. But what he couldn't and wouldn't allow was that someone no matter who came to shed her blood and cause her pain.

"What is going on here?" Sano asked as he stepped in with Megumi who saw Kaoru bleeding on the floor "Tanuki?" she went to the injured girl her medical side greater than any kind of difference she and Kaoru had.

"Kenshin? Where are they?" Sano asked looking around in an attempt to find possible invaders ready to fight. But Kenshin said nothing he kept looking at Yahiko who had now his face white like snow.

"Kenshin? Yahiko?" Sano looked form the first to the second in confusion.

"K-Kenshin…I didn't do anything to her… You see, we were sparing against each other and…She didn't want to but I never thought…" Yahiko wasn't making any sense at all.

"Himura, he's right. Everything happened so suddenly" Misao tried.

"Hey, Kenshin you can be possibly thinking that Yahiko would hurt Jou-chan, now can you?" Sano said with a chuckle but it died in his throat when he saw that the red head's face hadn't changed in amusement. "Kami-sama, tell him, Jou-chan." He looked at Kaoru whose face was a mixture of pain and surprise but both feelings seemed to keep her quiet.

"Megumi-dono, please take Kaoru-dono to her room and make sure she is ok." Kenshin said his voice softening as he mentioned Kaoru but he didn't drove his gaze away from the shaking boy.

"Tell him, Kaoru. Tell him that it wasn't Yahiko. That someone else did this to you and yesterday you went secretly to the clinic where Dr. Genzai took care of you. Tell him that you were stabbed on your stomach and didn't care to let anyone know. I only know because I saw you at the clinic. Tell him that you've been lying."

Kaoru couldn't believe what she was hearing she knew Megumi could be harsh and even mean sometimes but to talk like that, it was just too evil. She pushed the female doctor away from her and clumsily got up. "Shut up!! How dare you spying on me? Stay away!!" She yelled as she walked backwards. But then she stopped for a moment to consider what was going on at that moment. There she was bleeding after a typical practice with Yahiko who was now startled to death both because of Kenshin furious expression and the thought that he could be the one who caused his teacher that wound, which she knew he didn't and was caused by a man they had no idea whatsoever but was threatening her because of her father, which they didn't know anything about as well. And there was Kenshin who had now turned his gaze from the boy to look at her in question. It was a great relief for her that at least his eyes had softened as he stared at her. She had promised him to tell what was going on. And now he would find out in a way she never wanted but it was beyond repair. The damage had been done and she could only blame herself. Neither Megumi nor her father. Just herself. Kaoru let out a deep sign and she fought back some tears that were threatening to fall down her face. She had to fix the mess she had caused.

Kaoru lifted her face and look straight at Yahiko, her eyes full of sorrow. "I'm sorry, Yahiko. It wasn't your fault. Megumi is right. I knew it could happen and that's why I didn't want to spar with you in the first place. I hope you can forgive me I never meant any of this. I was just trying to deal with my problems on my own… Well I guess I didn't do a good job."

"Kaoru-san, maybe it would be better if you let Megumi-san take care of your wound. I'm sure this can wait." Misao said as she realized Kaoru's agony.

"It's ok, Misao. It stopped bleeding I guess it was only one stitch that broke open. Besides it was my silence that drove us all to this point and it's time for me to talk." Kaoru said her voice steady and decided. She then looked at Kenshin whose eyes were back at the usual violet color he was staring back at her confused.

"I wanted to tell you, Kenshin but I couldn't find the right words. I thought that you, I mean, all of you would hate me."

"Hate you? Why would we, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked concerned as he walked toward her.

"Because I lied." She said, no, more like whispered.

"Kaoru-dono, who did this to you? Whoever he is sessha needs to know. He probably did that to you to get to me. I'm sorry it's my fault." Kenshin muttered as he went closer to her and put his hands over her shoulders.

"W-what?" Kaoru couldn't believe that Kenshin was blaming himself. 'Oh! But this is so typical of him.' She could no longer hold the tears back "You think it was because of you I was attacked, Kenshin?"

"Sessha has many enemies, Kaoru-dono but just tell who he is and I'll take care of everything." He said rubbing her shoulders gently.

"No! You can't!" Kaoru blurted all of a sudden as she moved away from his grasp. "There you go again, assuming that its all your fault, your problem and it's up to you to solve it. But it's not. It's my problem, my burden this time and has nothing to do with you. You assume too many things about me, Kenshin. I do have problems and great part of them doesn't concern you…" Kaoru broke off in a hurry and as soon as she realized what she had just said she regretted it immensely because she didn't mean it like that.

Kenshin was staring at her taken aback by her words "What are you talking about, Kaoru-dono? Whatever it is sessha will help you."

"Maybe this time you can't. Maybe I deserve to pay for his sins. Maybe this is my legacy. I've always tried so hard to make his technique, his teaching real and truthful and make them known. Why? Who was I trying to convince? Ordinary people or myself?"

"K-Kaoru what's going on, please tell me." Kenshin said, he was totally exasperated now and didn't have a clue of what she was talking about. He walked closer to her but she moved away, she had now her both hands covering her face as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Who hurt you that much?"

"I'm carrying his lies for so long. But they were my lies and I needed to believe in them because they were the only good things he had left me. You said yourself, remember, Kenshin? When you saved me from Goheh? That you liked my idealism better than kendo's true nature?" she said among sobs. She lifted her head gradually and looked at him with watery eyes "What you didn't know was that it was actually a lie."

"Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin whispered as his hands were clenched into fists in frustration because there was nothing he could do to help her.

"Now you hate, don't you? That's why I didn't want to tell you. I understand if you want to leave." Kaoru said her head was bowed her shoulders still shaking.

The others just kept watching them in utter confusion but none of them said a word most of all because there were nothing they could think that would make any difference right now.

"Leave? Who said anything about leaving you? And I don't hate you." Kenshin said calmly trying to reassure her but failing to do so.

"But you will" Kaoru shouted as she walked backward.

"Kaoru let me help you." Kenshin asked. 'I had no idea she had all this pain in her heart and she had been keeping it for herself for so long.' He thought.

"No! But you can't. I don't deserve your help… your kindness. I've lied to you about my father and the murderer that he was." She said in a defeated voice he never expected to hear from her.

"We'll find a way… I promise you," he said as he walked closer to her and took one of her hands in his. But she shoved him away she was too confuse right now and didn't want him to make any promise that everything would be all right.

"Kaoru… Wait! I just want…" He held her by her arm. He didn't want her to leave, not in that condition.

"No, please let me go." Kaoru demanded as she tried to break free from his grasp.

"Get your hands off her now." Came a voice from outside the door. "Or I'll make sure to tear them away very painfully."

Everybody looked at the source of the voice to see a tall man wearing a dark gray cloak only they couldn't see his face for it was shadowed by his hat. What they could see clearly was the two shotguns that he was holding. The one in his left hand was pointed to Kenshin while the other in his right hand was pointed in the direction of Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi and Misao.

"Who the hell are you?" Sano was the first one to talk.

"Who I am doesn't concern you. I came for her. You," he said meaning Kenshin "I said let go of her."

Kaoru herself couldn't tell what was going on there and was totally puzzled. However there was something about that man. Something strangely familiar. His voice. She knew him. But from where? Then it came to her. Realization. And she knew who he was. 'It can't be.'

Kenshin let go of her but walked in front of her shielding her body with his own. "Who are you and what do you want with her?" His voice was sharp and his narrowed cold eyes could have make an entire army retrieve in fear but had no effect at all on that man who kept standing in front of the door, blocking the sun light, the guns in his hands.

"Kaoru-chan, are you all right? Now listen to me, slowly I want you to walk in my direction, ok?" the man said his tone down.

"She's not doing such a thing. Now explain yourself. Who are you?" Kenshin snarled, hand coming instinctively to the hilt of his sakabatou. And he was ready to send that guy whoever he was flying away from there if it wasn't for what Kaoru did next. She walked past him so she could face the stranger and she was… 'Smiling at him?' his mind screamed at him in utter confusion. And he was about to ask her if she knew him when she spoke.

"S-Seiya? Is that you? I can't believe"

"So you haven't recognized me right away, huh? Have I changed that much?" He asked her, the corners of his mouth curved up slightly as he lifted his head to look at her making his previously shadowed face clearly visible now. And all of them could see a young man with blue gray eyes, a black long hair tied up in a short ponytail most of it hidden by his black hat. He should be no more than 25 years old and was pretty obviously that he knew Kaoru.

"It's been a long time Seiya. A lifetime." Kaoru replied in a small voice.

"Yes. Long time. Long enough to forgive but not too long to forget, I hope."

"There's nothing to forgive and I could never forget you, baka."

His smile became larger but then it faded and was replaced by concern, "Are you all right? I… I'm sorry."

"So you know?"

"Yes… But you don't have to worry anymore. I'll protect you from now on."

Kenshin watched them a feeling of uneasiness growing inside of him. So Kaoru knew that man. But stranger or not he didn't like him…at all.

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AN.: Hi!! ^.^ I hope you liked this chap. Let me know what you think. Review!!