The sun was still up when Kenshin started to stir. He blinked his eyes to see Kaoru before him, tightening the obi to her kimono. "Kaoru?" he yawned sleepily.

She smiled at him, and then put a hair clip through her hair, which she wore down. Still smiling, she knelt down and kissed him on the cheek. "Aishiteru, Kenshin."

From that, he sat up, wide awake, his face full of delight, “Mou ichi dou kudesai!” he said reaching to pull her down to him.

Laughing, she shook her head and held him at bay. “Not right now. You’ll wrinkle my kimono.”

“Demo, why are you wearing that kimono de gozaru?”

“You see,” she noted, getting up and putting on her sandals, “I have an excellent plan on how we’re going to get save Sanosuke and Yahiko and get your sakabatou back.” She put her shinai on her shoulder and winked at him. “All I need is your help and cooperation.”

Kenshin nodded. “Okay, I’ll do anything you ask, Kaoru.”

Happy at his response, she helped him get on his feet and put on his gi. Then she gave him Yahiko’s bokken to use as a cane, his leg was still a bit troublesome. After that, they had fish and eggs for dinner. The sun was merely setting.

“First we have to trap one of the members and get his uniform so you’ll have a disguise.” Kaoru explained, peeling him an egg, “They’ve already seen you and who you are. Oh and…” She put a bandage over his scar, “This might be able to help.”

“But how are we going to disguise me as a Reisengumi member?” he asked, removing the bones from a fish for her.

“Easy. We simply draw out one of the guards, then double team him. And while I was investigating this morning, I know there’s a single guard now where our old campsite was. He’s probably waiting to see if anyone’s coming to look for Sanosuke or Yahiko.”

He nodded. “Good observation. All right, then I’ll be disguised and you will be…” Kaoru reached into her knapsack and pulled out a mantle. She giggled gleefully. “ORO?! Where’s you get that?!”

“Misao-chan. She taught me a few pointers too…” she chuckled. Kenshin nearly fainted; his mind going elsewhere. “NE! KENSHIN!” Kaoru called, “I’m not finished telling you the plans yet!”

“Oro, oro!?” His eyes popping open. “Hai de gozaru. Please continue.”

“Anyway, we find the camp. You convince their guard that you were sent to take over and I’ll find a way to get your sakabatou back. It’s a bit risky, but do you have any better idea?”

Kenshin shook his head, but he had questions. “But what if the leader arrives? He saw me…”

“That’s why we got to work fast. The leader will arrive by tomorrow. We’ve got the time to make this work.” she noted.

He couldn’t help but feel proud of her; the way she was handling the situation, the way she eased all his worries. “Such strength…” he uttered, making her lift her head from the fish, “Is this truly because of me? I ought to be the luckiest guy in the world.”

“K-Kenshin!” she cried, wiping the food off her face, “No, I’m the luckiest…”

“No, I am.”

“I am!”

“I am!!”

“I am!!!”

The two continued this all throughout the meal, while laughing at themselves. When they had finished all the food, they packed up what they needed in her knapsack then set out for a very dangerous mission.

* * *
“There he is, that unfortunate sucker.” Kaoru whispered, her and Kenshin peering through the bushes.

The man was rather goofy looking but his uniform was a perfect fit for Kenshin. It was a black cloak with a hood and basket hat. Kenshin sighed at the outfit. “Do I really have to wear that?!”

“Shhh! Hm, what should we do…?” she thought, rubbing her chin. Then it came to her. She took off her sandal and threw it at his head. His attention instantly turned towards their direction.

“KAORU!” Kenshin cried, “Why’d you do that for?” Kaoru ignored him and threw herself on the ground. “Kaoru?” he uttered, hovering over her. She suddenly grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down with her. “ORO?!”

“DAME!! DAME!” Kaoru screamed, shaking Kenshin, “DAME! NO! NO!”

“Oro, oro, K-Kaoru, w-what are doing?!” he cried, trying to hold her still, “Have you lost your mind?! That guy, he’s coming this way!”

Her screams still continued, “DAME! DAME! We mustn’t! I’m still a virgin! DAME!!”

At this Kenshin was shocked. Did she just say…? Blinking his eyes, he saw the raging look of the guard approaching them. “What the hell is going on here?!” the guard cried, looking at the situation, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Ki-sama!”

“ORO?!”

The man lifted Kenshin up in the air by the collar, and then went to draw his sword. “Bastard! I won’t let you get away with this dishonorable act! In the name of Reisen-gumi, I…!” But he didn’t finish. Kaoru had hit him on the head with a mighty large log. The guard swerved a little, releasing Kenshin, who stumbled to the ground, still recovering from the rapid event.

“Where is your village?” Kaoru interrogated, pulling him by the hair.

“That’s… er… a... se…crettt…ttt.” he uttered painfully, “OW! All right all right! It’s on the side of the mountain. By the mouth of the river! OW! Why you scrawny little…!!!”

Kenshin then finished the guy off by hitting him in the gut with Yahiko’s bokken. “That’s no way to talk to a lady.” he hissed at the unconscious guard.

“Gomen, Kenshin.” Kaoru said, “It was all in the spur of the moment.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” he noted, impressed by her acting skills, “Well, let’s get me suited up.”

They took the guards’ uniform and put it over Kenshin’s gi. He looked really like imperial soldier going off to war. Kaoru looked him over with shimmering eyes. “You look so handsome!”

Kenshin blushed, but he then saw the sword. “Should I use this?” he asked uneasily.

“Just wear it. You don’t have to use it. It would be strange if you showed up without a weapon. And maybe you could just use the sheath. I’ll do my best to get your sakabatou back.” she said. He nodded; relieved he wouldn’t be using a real blade. Kaoru tied her shinai around her shoulder, and then put on the mantle. “Well, let’s go, Kenshin!”

* * *
The two of them wandered towards the village. It was hidden extremely deep in the forest, behind the giant trees and large boulders. It was as if nature had constructed the fort for them. When they approached the entrance, a guard came to greet them.

“Taichou sent me ahead.” Kenshin said, trying to disguise his voice.

“I see. What do you have there?”

“A cheap hooker. Thought I could liven up the place with some entertainment till the boss comes back. Personally, I wanted to keep her to myself, but since we’re all Reisen-gumi, I figured it was my duty to share what I got eh?” he noted. Kaoru blushed. How could her shy and sweet rurouni possibly say those things?

“Is she any good?”

“Oh yeah.” Kenshin grinned at her, “She’s the best. I’ve never met anyone like her. Keeps me up at night, just thinking about her.” Kaoru’s blush deepened under the hood of the mantle. Kenshin turned back towards the guard, “I’ll take over. You guys have a bit of fun, okay? But don’t keep her away from me too long.”

The guard nodded and took Kaoru by the arm. “Looks like you and that guy got along well.” She just giggled and followed him to the main camp where the rest of the small army was. They all became quite energized as they saw the mysterious woman in a mantle. “This here is a cheap hooker one of our comrades has brought us. I think it’s all right since the boss is away. Can’t leave us in the middle smack of nowhere deprived! After all, we’re fighting for this country’s freedom!”

“Dang right!” someone yelled, “Especially me! Me first!” This erupted in an all out argument over who should go first. Kaoru watched with amusement. She hadn’t realized how one-tracked minded men were until now. “Let the lady choose!” another said. They all calmed down and tried to look their best. Kaoru’s eyes scanned the crowd. The one with the sakabatou at his waist was spotted.

“Him. I want that one.” she purred.

“Aw! Lucky!” everyone sighed, as she led the soldier away to the tent. Of course once in the tent, Kaoru turned into her violent self, bashing him with her shinai until he gave up the sakabatou and passed out. Everyone was listening to the crashing and the screaming. “Aw! Lucky!”

Kaoru came out from the other side of the tent, the sakabatou on her shoulder. She stopped to see Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Kenshin running over. “Hey, you guys…” she whispered, handing Kenshin the sakabatou, “Good work!”

Yahiko pointed at her. “What are you wearing? Isn’t that a…??”

“Not now,” Sanosuke uttered, “We’ve got company.” The Reisen-gumi had now caught to what had happened and were surrounding them. “Ch! You bastards don’t stand a chance without your arsenol or your arrows.”

Kenshin explained, “We threw all those things into the river. Now we can fight as an honorary battle should be fought!” He drew his sakabatou and grinned, “Let’s go!”

“Right!” the Kenshin-gumi chimed and proceeded to kick butt. By daybreak, the camp was cleared. All the soldiers were tied up and put to sleep.

* * *
It was in the afternoon when the sounds of hoofs came towards the village. The man in black dropped the guard he had found lying sorely at the old campground and had heard his story. He saw what he had expected. ‘My men didn’t stand a chance without me…’ he thought, dismounting his horse. “All right! Come out, Battousai!”

Kenshin got up from his huge pot of stew, as he was making lunch for everyone. He turned towards the young man, wearing the black robes over his gi and hakama. Kenshin took off his bandage that covered his scar. “You truly have the heart of a samurai. I admire it, but I cannot allow you to continue to conspire against the government. It could lead into unwanted bloodshed de gozaru yo.”

“You should know about bloodshed, Battousai.” The man sneered, “You fought in the Bakamatsu. With the Ishin-Shishi. Against my father. And for what? A better world? It’s not a better world; I’d have to say! It’s corrupt and conniving! All those Ishin-Shishi care about is themselves and money and power! What about us people?!”

Kenshin stared at the ground. “I agree: it’s not the better world that I had hoped and fought for. Yet, that is. I don’t think further bloodshed will help it either. The answers aren’t found in fighting or changing the government or digging up the past, but living – moving on. We can make do with what we got by not repeating our same mistakes.”

The man pulled off his dark robes and his bowl hat and drew his sword. “I won’t listen to an Ishin-Shishi member!”

Kaoru gasped, “It’s… Takeru-san!” The Kenshin-gumi were surprised that she knew his name. She explained, “I met him back in Wakana. He’s married to the dress shop keeper, Miki-san. But…”

Takeru had finally recognized her. “You’re that girl from before, who Miki liked so much… how could this be?” He snapped his fingers. “Ah! I get it! You came from Tokyo to investigate! Looks like the Reisen-gumi is getting the attention it deserves! Right fellows!” His army murmured an affirmation, although they were still tied and gagged.

Kenshin noted, “Listen to me, Takeru-dono. If you do not stop your conspiration, the government will send their armies and kill you all. I merely came to warn you and stop your plans. I do not wish to fight you, especially now that I’ve discovered you are a friend of Kaoru’s.”

“Battousai, don’t get me wrong. I don’t intend on giving up without a fight. If you wish to get out of here alive, I advice you draw your sword.” Suddenly, the four guards that had assisted Takeru when he went into town showed up and grabbed Sanosuke and Yahiko, holding guns to their heads as they tied them up.

“YAMERO!” Sanosuke sneered, “Kenshin! You can beat him right?”

Kenshin uttered, “I’m not sure. My injuries have started to act up and my leg has really slowed me down. I’m not…” Kaoru put her hand over his hand that was resting on his sakabatou. “Kaoru…?” She had her hair up in a pony tail and her sleeves rolled up. “What are you…?”

“I’ll fight him.”

He stared into her determined eyes and nodded. “Very well. I’ll leave it to you.”

Yahiko and Sanosuke were shocked. “But Kenshin!” Yahiko cried, “Does Kaoru stand a chance against this guy?! We’ve never seen him fight! And this is Kaoru we’re talking about! If she loses, we’re all going to die!”

“She’s not going to lose.” Kenshin said, “I believe in her. I know she could win.” He entwined their fingers together. “I know.”

Takeru smiled slyly. “I see… you’re trying to throw me off by sending a girl to attack me. Fine then, I won’t go easy on you. I’ll make you regret your decision, Battousai by killing her.” he said, pointing his sword at them. “Then I’ll come for you and have those two over there shot to death.”

“Not so fast!” Kaoru’s voice rung loud and clear, “Before you can think about harming my friends, you have to get through me, Kamiya Kaoru!” She pointed her shinai at him. “Let’s go!”