I really apologize for how long this one took to update. I defiantly had planned to have this up several weeks ago. If you are reading my Inuyasha story you know why it took me so long, but on top of that now I have been really busy preparing for my Sophomore year in High school and now being in it. Plus this last week I have been extremely sick with a bad flu. Hopefully all of you will forgive this unworthy one for taking so long. Here is your chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters. Although I do own the British men but I guess that is nothing to brag about is it?
Ch. 7 The Truth of the Matter
"Kaoru!" Kenshin screamed in horror.
There was no response to his answer. His tongue was dry now and stuck to the roof of his mouth. The churning in his stomach grew worse. Were she and the baby truly dead? And where was Yahiko now?
"Heh!" the Chief laughed, "Told you my men would get the job done. 'Mazing how I hear all these things about how protective the Battosai is of the people of Japan, yet he can not save his own wife and child."
The ex-rurouni snapped his head back in the direction of his enemies. Now he was officially pissed. They would answer his questions or feel the wrath of the true Hitokiri. He prayed for his sake and theirs that Yahiko had saved Kaoru and that she had only been hurt slightly or not hurt at all.
"What do you want me for? Tell me now, or else."
"Amusing how quickly you can revert back to the Battosai with just a couple words of the horrible truth." The large man said stroking his chin with a sly smile.
"Quit wasting the rest of your few minutes by being amused by something so foolish." Kenshin spit out having his eyes complete their golden color.
His statement made several of the men behind the chief step back a little in nervousness. They may have seemed it but they were not fools. All of them had heard the stories of this small man from former soldiers in the British army. He was nothing to underestimate by any means.
"Don't be intimidated by this man. We have the advantage men. Look who has the guns." The Chief said to his group.
Kenshin smiled at this.
"I promised Kaoru that I wouldn't fight. And that is what I intend to do. But if you don't at least tell me why you are all after me then I will have to bend matters." He said this readying his hand on the hilt of his sakabato.
The large man just shrugged his shoulders and sighed.
"It's quite simple really." The Chief said now with a little of a different tone in his voice. Kenshin could tell that the man's ki had changed slightly and this encouraged him. He let the man continue his apparently 'simple' explanation.
"Back in the Bakumatsu era you and the rest of your group of samurai stopped my father and his army from entering Japan. The ones who didn't get killed or banished by you and the Ishin Shishi got killed off by the Shinsengumi."
The redhead's eyes slightly lost their gold tint.
"I've killed a lot of people. I'm not proud of what I've done. Instead of feeling sorry for my self and choosing death I have decided to repent ag-"
"You say that but yet you don't mean it." The chief interrupted loudly.
All gold disappeared from Kenshin's eyes and he gasped halfway in surprise.
"My father a couple years ago then came back with a new group including my brother. They were stationed in Yokohoma and everything was going as planned. Until one day a rurouni and his friends came to town and almost started another war with their new found friends." There was anger and pure devastation in the strong, large man.
"Shigure-san and Toki-dono." Kenshin whispered under his breath in anger at the insult to his friends.
"About when the treaty between Japanese and the British was to be signed, the late Mr. Takimi attacked and killed my father and brother. And you let them get away with it after having killed so many of them as a Hitokiri and feeling bad about it ten years before that. That is an unforgivable sin Battosai."
The ex-rurouni shut his eyes in thought and sadness.
"Like I said earlier I'm not proud of what I have done. I used to wish and still do everyday about how I want to go back in time and change those things I did."
Everyone on the street was quiet and had their weapons lowered intent on the conversation. Not even the chief was going to speak until the redhead said what he had to say in his defense.
"The fact is though that I can't take it back. I know the pain you feel for losing people dear to you, trust me. Going after someone for revenge is never the answer though. If you come back and kill for your pain you will only gain more. The guilt of possibly killing someone else's loved one will hang on your shoulders for the rest of your life then too. What will you gain from killing Kaoru, the baby, and I?"
Once again there was a long pause and only the cold night breeze could be heard through the trees.
Finally the tall British man spoke again.
"You may be right Battosai. But I still can't forgive you for what you did. Plus it is already too late for your woman and child. I told you my men already took care of them."
Kenshin's eyes began to tint the slight gold color again in anger and defeat. Why wouldn't this guy just listen to reason? He sighed at that thought. The ex-samurai knew very well that once someone has their mind set on something there is almost nothing to stop them.
All the men held up their guns and pointed them at their target. They had made their decision to follow their leader until the end. No one was going to except death by this little ex-samurai with no gun.
"Goodbye to you Himura." The chief said with an evil smile as he readied his gun.
Once again Kenshin gritted his teeth and readied his sword unwillingly and with pain behind his eyes. He really didn't want to fight. But, if Kaoru hadn't survived . . . he couldn't think of that. She was alive, he could feel it. Kaoru just had to be. He must have faith in Yahiko.
"Ready men," the chief continued, "steady, aim, and fi-"
He was cut off in surprise by the war cry of a little boy as he jumped of the gate wall of Kaoru's dojo and landed in front of Kenshin, ready to defend his friend till death.
Yahiko was going to fight and get rid of these men if it was the last thing he ever did.
Once again I apologize on taking so long. This was another chapter that was extremely hard to write. It just didn't seem to flow. Really I still don't think it does. But it is as close as I can get it with out going insane. What really helped me with finally writing this chapter was listening to the OVA soundtrack that Dragon let me burn off from her. Arigato Dragon-chan! Please don't call me chibi for that! I know I am shorter than you for the hundredth time already. So give it a rest. Please?
My birthday is in two weeks and I hope to upload my next chapter whether it is for Inuyasha or this, maybe both. No guarantees though because I have a lot of homework this year and band is being a pain in the ass this year. So until I have time, I'll write to you all later!
Please review guys! I love hearing from you all! Plus I would love to have this story get above one hundred reviews soon. It would be my first one to do so, and I would be so happy! I would feel like giving everyone a hug! But I won't. People might think me strange.