KK: I realize that I haven't updated in a while, but I've really wanted to work on Love Portal Problems. But now, because no one has reviewed Alice Riddle (all I need is for three ppl to, come on!), I've finished Love Portal Problems, I hit a block on my Peregrine story, Love Lost is done, and because Seven Artifacts is my lowest priority, I've decided to update this wonderful little Rurouni Kenshin fanfic. Well, enjoy and review!
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Chapter 5: A Second Try
Suruka awoke with the sun shining in her eyes. Her every single part of her body hurt, but especially her back. She remembered that man...Kenshin...hitting her in the back with his sword. 'Why am I not dead?' she wondered. She was sure she should be sliced in half right now. 'That sword should have cut through.' But then she shrugged. After all, if she wasn't dead, she should be happy just not to be, not pondering why.
She decided to go outside and do some fishing. The fish probably wouldn't be biting, but she needed time to just sit in the sun and relax. Fishing was the most relaxing thing in her life and she did it often. Suruka shouldered her fishing poll (which she had in a chest at the end of her bed) pulled out some bait, and headed down to the river near by her house to fish.
'I wonder what day it is,' she wondered as she sat on the back, poll in the water, 'I think I still have a day left, but I'm not sure.' "Oh well," she sighed, "Even if today is the last day, Kaoru doesn't have to dead until midnight tonight. I can just slip into the dojo later and kill her."
Suddenly, something cold, sharp, and made of metal pressed against her throat.
"Don't be so sure," came the cold voice of her employer behind her.
Suruka pushed the blade away and stood up. "Look, I still have another day left. Kaoru Kamiya is as good as dead. I'm on it."
"You don't seem to be doing much about it now," the man said, referring to her fishing poll.
"Come on!" Suruka exclaimed, "You can't expect this to absorb me day and night. It's not that important to me."
"Your life isn't that important?"
Suruka opened her mouth to say something, and then stopped. She had forgotten his threat.
"If you plan to go back tonight, you should be careful," said her employer, "The Battousai will expect you to come back. I don't think he'll expect another direct attack again. He knows you'll try to attack Kaoru at night. He'll be waiting for you."
Suruka pondered this for a second. "I'll be ready to fight him this time. I now know his strength."
"Do not underestimate him."
Suruka rolled her eyes like a teenager talking to her father, "I won't. I'm not stupid. I know how to fight."
"Of course," her employer smiled, turned, and walked away from her. Suruka felt scared, though she didn't show it. That man unnerved her.
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"Good night Kenshin," Kaoru smiled.
"Good night, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin smiled back, "Sleep well."
"I will with you guarding me."
Kenshin stood outside Kaoru's now closed door. He was worried about another attack from Suruka. Kaoru had given him her permission to guard her during the night incase Suruka should try an attack then.
"You really think she'll come?" Sano asked as he walked up.
"Yes," Kenshin replied, "I do not think Kaoru is safe while Suruka is at large, that I don't."
Sano chewed on his fish bone. "I still can't remember anything about this Suruka girl. I don't think I've ever met anyone like her. I don't know anyone her age."
"Have you thought anything about what she said to you that day at the hospital?"
"Yah," sighed Sano, "But what she says doesn't make any sense. She can't know about the Sekihoutai. She's too young. And I didn't think Captain Sagara had any relatives. But, if what she says is true, she's his younger sister."
"Good job," Suruka's soft, calm voice floated into the dojo from outside, "I never thought you would figure it out."
Kenshin and Sano looked at each other, and then ran outside. Suruka stood on the roof, framed in the moonlight. Her long, dark hair was lifted slightly off her back by a soft breeze, giving her an almost godess-like appearance.
As soon as Suruka was sure that only the Battousai and Sanosuke were outside, she jumped backward and off the roof. Through spying earlier, she had learned that Kaoru's room could be reached by a window just beyond the roof. She pushed open the window and jumped in. Kaoru was, surprising, asleep. Suruka smiled. She would hate to kill Kaoru if she was alive. Suruka pulled out a knife and tiptoed forward to Kaoru's bedside. She raised the blade above the sleeping woman's chest, ready to plunge it into her heart, when the door flew open. Kenshin drew his sword hit Suruka in the chest, once again slamming her into the wall. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and then fell to the ground. She breathed hard, trying to catch her breath and unable to get up. Kenshin walked over and placed her sword at her neck.
Kaoru, meanwhile, had woken up when Suruka slammed into her wall. She sat curled up under her sheets, waiting for what would happen next.
There was silence for a moment. Kenshin's sword stayed at Suruka's throat. Her breathing was a little labored, but basically normal. Sano wasn't sure what to do.
Finally, "Kill me," Suruka's soft but angry voice broke the silence.
"What?" Kaoru gasped.
"Kill me, Battousai," Suruka repeated, "Go ahead. It's no different than what I'm gonna get if she doesn't die," she jerked her head toward Kaoru.
"What are you talking about?" Sano shouted.
"My employer told me two days ago that I had to kill Kaoru in two days. At midnight tonight, if she isn't dead, he'll kill me."
"Who is your employer?" Kenshin asked.
Suruka shrugged dejectedly, "I don't know. He never told me his name."
Kaoru suddenly thought of something. "Hey Kenshin, do you remember that man that came to pick Suruka up after you beat her? Do you think that man could have been her employer?"
"Kenshin thought for a second, his narrowed eyes not really seeing Suruka on the floor before him. "Perhaps, Kaoru, but I do not know why he would want you..." suddenly, he bent down and grabbed Suruka. Then he jumped backwards, still holding her.
Kaoru and Sano gasped. A small throwing knife was buried in the floor right where Suruka had been sitting.
"Dead Battousai?" said a calm, cool voice.
"It's him," Suruka murmured as Kenshin set her down. Her legs shook for a second, and then she collapsed. Kenshin moved to stand in front of her, so that the man now standing in Kaoru's window couldn't get to her.
"You know, Battousai, I'm surprised you didn't kill Suruka when you had the chance. She's a dangerous girl. You should watch out for her. She could be plotting your death right now," the man leered.
Suruka glared daggers at him.
"I do not think that Suruka would try to kill me, now that I have saved her life. If I am right, then she no longer has any reason to wish death on any of us," said Kenshin calmly.
The man chuckled, "She may not, but I do," he leapt down from the window. Kaoru quickly got out of bed and stood next to Sano near the door.
"What do you want?" Sano yelled, "Who the hell are you?"
"My name is Hanyo," the man said.
Kenshin's eyes went wide and he almost dropped his sword. "What?" he gasped, "But I killed you. I'm sure I did."
The man chuckled. Then he through back his head and let out a mighty laugh, "Killed me? No, no one can kill me. Not even you, Hitokiri Battousai could ever hope to match my strength and stamina. I'm immortal!"
"Impossible!" Suruka snorted, "No one's immortal. Everyone in the world must die sometime. It's the law of nature."
"Nature forgot about me when I was born, little girl," Hanyo sneered.
"You sound like a pretty good fight," Sano smiled, "I'll take you on."
"No, Sano!" said Kenshin sternly, "You can't win against him. He's not a normal man."
Sano ignored Kenshin's warning and stepped forward. But his foot had no sooner hit the ground than Hanyo had drawn and it was at Kaoru's throat."
Kaoru, Suruka, and Sano gasped; Kenshin's eyes became slits.
"Battousai, you put me through the worst pain I've ever experienced in my long life. But, thanks to the care of the best doctors in Japan, I was able to regain almost all of my original strength. The only sign that I have ever fought you is the large, jagged scar where you, supposedly, slit my throat. Then I went on a long journey, looking for you. But it seemed you had fled your hometown and become a wanderer. I would never have found you if it hadn't been for that girl behind you. You see, when she called the Battousai that day in the market, I overheard. Then I realized that she what right. I recognized the cross-shape scar on your cheek and you blood-red hair. But it seemed that you no longer cared for yourself and that you only thought of your friends' safety. That's your weakness, Battousai. And that's why this girl has to go."
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KK: Suspense. I may not post the nxt chapter 4 a while, but ill try.
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Chapter 5: A Second Try
Suruka awoke with the sun shining in her eyes. Her every single part of her body hurt, but especially her back. She remembered that man...Kenshin...hitting her in the back with his sword. 'Why am I not dead?' she wondered. She was sure she should be sliced in half right now. 'That sword should have cut through.' But then she shrugged. After all, if she wasn't dead, she should be happy just not to be, not pondering why.
She decided to go outside and do some fishing. The fish probably wouldn't be biting, but she needed time to just sit in the sun and relax. Fishing was the most relaxing thing in her life and she did it often. Suruka shouldered her fishing poll (which she had in a chest at the end of her bed) pulled out some bait, and headed down to the river near by her house to fish.
'I wonder what day it is,' she wondered as she sat on the back, poll in the water, 'I think I still have a day left, but I'm not sure.' "Oh well," she sighed, "Even if today is the last day, Kaoru doesn't have to dead until midnight tonight. I can just slip into the dojo later and kill her."
Suddenly, something cold, sharp, and made of metal pressed against her throat.
"Don't be so sure," came the cold voice of her employer behind her.
Suruka pushed the blade away and stood up. "Look, I still have another day left. Kaoru Kamiya is as good as dead. I'm on it."
"You don't seem to be doing much about it now," the man said, referring to her fishing poll.
"Come on!" Suruka exclaimed, "You can't expect this to absorb me day and night. It's not that important to me."
"Your life isn't that important?"
Suruka opened her mouth to say something, and then stopped. She had forgotten his threat.
"If you plan to go back tonight, you should be careful," said her employer, "The Battousai will expect you to come back. I don't think he'll expect another direct attack again. He knows you'll try to attack Kaoru at night. He'll be waiting for you."
Suruka pondered this for a second. "I'll be ready to fight him this time. I now know his strength."
"Do not underestimate him."
Suruka rolled her eyes like a teenager talking to her father, "I won't. I'm not stupid. I know how to fight."
"Of course," her employer smiled, turned, and walked away from her. Suruka felt scared, though she didn't show it. That man unnerved her.
* * * * *
"Good night Kenshin," Kaoru smiled.
"Good night, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin smiled back, "Sleep well."
"I will with you guarding me."
Kenshin stood outside Kaoru's now closed door. He was worried about another attack from Suruka. Kaoru had given him her permission to guard her during the night incase Suruka should try an attack then.
"You really think she'll come?" Sano asked as he walked up.
"Yes," Kenshin replied, "I do not think Kaoru is safe while Suruka is at large, that I don't."
Sano chewed on his fish bone. "I still can't remember anything about this Suruka girl. I don't think I've ever met anyone like her. I don't know anyone her age."
"Have you thought anything about what she said to you that day at the hospital?"
"Yah," sighed Sano, "But what she says doesn't make any sense. She can't know about the Sekihoutai. She's too young. And I didn't think Captain Sagara had any relatives. But, if what she says is true, she's his younger sister."
"Good job," Suruka's soft, calm voice floated into the dojo from outside, "I never thought you would figure it out."
Kenshin and Sano looked at each other, and then ran outside. Suruka stood on the roof, framed in the moonlight. Her long, dark hair was lifted slightly off her back by a soft breeze, giving her an almost godess-like appearance.
As soon as Suruka was sure that only the Battousai and Sanosuke were outside, she jumped backward and off the roof. Through spying earlier, she had learned that Kaoru's room could be reached by a window just beyond the roof. She pushed open the window and jumped in. Kaoru was, surprising, asleep. Suruka smiled. She would hate to kill Kaoru if she was alive. Suruka pulled out a knife and tiptoed forward to Kaoru's bedside. She raised the blade above the sleeping woman's chest, ready to plunge it into her heart, when the door flew open. Kenshin drew his sword hit Suruka in the chest, once again slamming her into the wall. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and then fell to the ground. She breathed hard, trying to catch her breath and unable to get up. Kenshin walked over and placed her sword at her neck.
Kaoru, meanwhile, had woken up when Suruka slammed into her wall. She sat curled up under her sheets, waiting for what would happen next.
There was silence for a moment. Kenshin's sword stayed at Suruka's throat. Her breathing was a little labored, but basically normal. Sano wasn't sure what to do.
Finally, "Kill me," Suruka's soft but angry voice broke the silence.
"What?" Kaoru gasped.
"Kill me, Battousai," Suruka repeated, "Go ahead. It's no different than what I'm gonna get if she doesn't die," she jerked her head toward Kaoru.
"What are you talking about?" Sano shouted.
"My employer told me two days ago that I had to kill Kaoru in two days. At midnight tonight, if she isn't dead, he'll kill me."
"Who is your employer?" Kenshin asked.
Suruka shrugged dejectedly, "I don't know. He never told me his name."
Kaoru suddenly thought of something. "Hey Kenshin, do you remember that man that came to pick Suruka up after you beat her? Do you think that man could have been her employer?"
"Kenshin thought for a second, his narrowed eyes not really seeing Suruka on the floor before him. "Perhaps, Kaoru, but I do not know why he would want you..." suddenly, he bent down and grabbed Suruka. Then he jumped backwards, still holding her.
Kaoru and Sano gasped. A small throwing knife was buried in the floor right where Suruka had been sitting.
"Dead Battousai?" said a calm, cool voice.
"It's him," Suruka murmured as Kenshin set her down. Her legs shook for a second, and then she collapsed. Kenshin moved to stand in front of her, so that the man now standing in Kaoru's window couldn't get to her.
"You know, Battousai, I'm surprised you didn't kill Suruka when you had the chance. She's a dangerous girl. You should watch out for her. She could be plotting your death right now," the man leered.
Suruka glared daggers at him.
"I do not think that Suruka would try to kill me, now that I have saved her life. If I am right, then she no longer has any reason to wish death on any of us," said Kenshin calmly.
The man chuckled, "She may not, but I do," he leapt down from the window. Kaoru quickly got out of bed and stood next to Sano near the door.
"What do you want?" Sano yelled, "Who the hell are you?"
"My name is Hanyo," the man said.
Kenshin's eyes went wide and he almost dropped his sword. "What?" he gasped, "But I killed you. I'm sure I did."
The man chuckled. Then he through back his head and let out a mighty laugh, "Killed me? No, no one can kill me. Not even you, Hitokiri Battousai could ever hope to match my strength and stamina. I'm immortal!"
"Impossible!" Suruka snorted, "No one's immortal. Everyone in the world must die sometime. It's the law of nature."
"Nature forgot about me when I was born, little girl," Hanyo sneered.
"You sound like a pretty good fight," Sano smiled, "I'll take you on."
"No, Sano!" said Kenshin sternly, "You can't win against him. He's not a normal man."
Sano ignored Kenshin's warning and stepped forward. But his foot had no sooner hit the ground than Hanyo had drawn and it was at Kaoru's throat."
Kaoru, Suruka, and Sano gasped; Kenshin's eyes became slits.
"Battousai, you put me through the worst pain I've ever experienced in my long life. But, thanks to the care of the best doctors in Japan, I was able to regain almost all of my original strength. The only sign that I have ever fought you is the large, jagged scar where you, supposedly, slit my throat. Then I went on a long journey, looking for you. But it seemed you had fled your hometown and become a wanderer. I would never have found you if it hadn't been for that girl behind you. You see, when she called the Battousai that day in the market, I overheard. Then I realized that she what right. I recognized the cross-shape scar on your cheek and you blood-red hair. But it seemed that you no longer cared for yourself and that you only thought of your friends' safety. That's your weakness, Battousai. And that's why this girl has to go."
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KK: Suspense. I may not post the nxt chapter 4 a while, but ill try.