The Color of Blood by Simply Hopeless (FF)/ Assassin's Kiss (AFF)/ Devil_n_Blue (MMPH)/ Hopeless_Blue_Kiss (AO3). I am 1 writer w/ 4 usernames on 4 sites.

Warning: Refer to first Chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own or make any profit from the animes/mangas 'Inuyasha' or 'Rurouni Kenshin' and/or own any of the characters from it. Inuyasha is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. And Rurouni Kenshin is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Viz Media. I am, however, the sole author of this fanfic. So please do not steal my story. It's happened before.

Author's Note: Hello Simply Hopeless here and I thank you so much for reviewing me. Too be honest I didn't think people would want to review this story what with the bloodshed and angst right of the bat, but you did and I'm happy. I really hope you enjoy and send more encouraging reviews my way.

Chapter Two

Kenshin watched in surprise as the strange girl bolted. Even with her foreign clothes covered in what seemed her own blood she seemed to move as if she was possessed. Bounding over the fields with a war cry of her own that could have easily rivaled the battalions formed below them.

"Women do not belong in battle," he said firmly as he pulled out his reverse blade. With one look at the specially made sword he took off after the girl to put an end to her suicidal attempts.

WHERE KAGOME IS

She ran blindly out, stumbling across the grass to find a willing sword to pierce her flesh. Bile filled her mouth as her heart pounded painfully against the ribcage of her chest. She picked up her steps, her bare feet slapping against the ground.

Her heart jumped into her throat at the sight of the battle boiling in front of her. But even as she faltered in her running she shook her head 'no.' 'I have to do this now or never. I can't think about it just do,' she thought desperately and continued on her mad sprint.

"Kill me," she demanded as she came to the outskirts of the battle. She stopped in her tracks to hold her arms out wide ready to embrace any arrow or sword that came her way. She could see them despite the tears blurring her vision and she willed desperately with her mind for one of them to take the initiative.

"Kill me damn it!" she nearly screeched as she saw them ignoring them. She found herself envying the men falling in the heat of battle. Watch with narrowed eyes as their life snuffed from them wishing over and over again that that was her.

She let out a growl of frustration and dove forth into the thick of the fray. "Don't you see me? I'm defenseless! Kill me!" She pulled desperately at a nearby stranger's sleeve only to have him push her away from her.

"Are you mad woman? We are fighting a real battle here we do not have time for your silly whims.

"Silly whim? SILLY WHIM! My wanting to die is not a silly whim," angry tears began to roll down her already wet cheeks as she howled in rage. "Give me that sword and I'll show what a silly whim it is."

She quickly reached out for his blade but instinctively he whirled around and sliced across her stomach. Kagome gasped in pain clutching her stomach as she stumbled back. She lifted up bloody fingertips to see her own fingertips before she turned wide eyes on the man who did this.

But quickly he fell down with a sword in his back from a neighboring soldier before they wrenched the blade out. "Are you okay Miss? Do you need to see the army doctor?" the new stranger started off blocking a sword's blade as he walked towards her.

Kagome tried to form the words she needed desperately to say. 'Please… finish the job,' she thought frantically to herself not wanting to feel this pain any longer. But before she could train her voice to get a word out she fell finally to her knees, her legs unable to support her.

She wanted to curse whoever it was up there that was laughing it up because they didn't want her to die. Her body yearned badly for release as her tired lungs forced out a sob. Not for the pain lancing from her abdomen but for the escape she'll probably never have.

She didn't know when the man had left her behind but he had. He and others like him had no time to deal with a weeping female who wouldn't try to help her own self. But she couldn't help it… couldn't stop the tears running down her cheeks before tickling down the curve of her throat.

'Stop it… please stop crying,' she tried desperately to plea with herself. Her fingers digging themselves into her pajama bottoms as tear after tear fell on her dirty little hands. She felt so terribly light headed at the lost of so much blood making her a bit lethargic.

"J… Jewel shards," she gasped as if she had just remembered that she was supposed to breath. Her eyes began to examine the soldiers still in battle wondering who the possible candidate could be. Not even the fact that she wanted to die could elude her to the fact that she did have a responsibility even if she hated it.

Slowly pulling herself up she swayed on unsteady feet. Eyes feverishly bright she instinctively plucked a bow from a dying man's hand just as she quickly took his neighbor's quivers because his arrows weren't strewn on the ground. She quickly placed the arrow to the bowstring and honed in the person who was receding such an ominous shard.

Without hesitation she let the arrow fly knowing that in her heart that person must be the one who was creating all of the chaos. She did not let the arrow leave her sight as it swished past people's elbows, ears, and cheeks to pierce the chosen ones chest.

A roar rent the air in two, which would have made her quiver in normal circumstances if it weren't for her recent reckless nature. Quickly she started off in a run stumbling over bodies, caking her pajama front in blood and grime. "Jewel shard," she murmured as if she was in a dream, her hands outstretched.

She barely noticed the soldiers clearing a path for her in reverence. Faces that were harden with battle now blinked with confusion as if they had just wakened from a dream. The sound of weapons dropping down to the ground echoed as they all began to collect their dead passing their enemies without a seconds thought.

Lips formed into a smile of peace as she plucked out the jewel shard from the huge general's body. She wasn't surprised to see the corpse dissolving; she had struck to and pierced his blackened heart. Her eyes began to flutter close as she swayed on her feet.

She didn't even have to have her eyes open to see it being purified under the grime of his blood. "I can't escape you, can I?" she questioned the jewel shard sadly before she finally fell forward only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

She had welcomed the darkness willingly since this was the closest thing she would get to peace in a long while. Feeling the inky darkness surround her and muffling out the sounds of the outside word she didn't notice at all what Kenshin did next.

It wasn't until three or four hours later that she managed to drag eyes open to peer at the world before her. She blinked in confusion not knowing where she was

"I don't know what you did but it seems your little stunt helped them. It was as if they had awoken from a spell," a male voice mused before he moved towards her with a warm bowl in his hands.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Kagome looked suspiciously at the young red head. "Why didn't you leave me out on the battlefield to die?" she continued trying to sit up only to let out a gasp clutching at her stomach.

"It was the right thing to do," he nodded his head and pushed her gently down again. He began to wring out the washcloth before starting to dab her brow with it gently.

"No what would have been right was to let me die," she sighed and looked away from him. She wanted to blame him for everything that was going wrong right now but she could blame no one but herself. It wasn't his responsibility to kill her, only hers and hers alone.

"Why do you want to kill yourself anyway?" he turned those magnificent lavender eyes on her.

They were so intense she had to look away, her fingers moving to feel the bandages wrapped around her through her pajama top. Then on closer inspection she realized that they weren't even the soft cottony fabric of her blue pajamas. Brown eyes fastened curiously on a white kimono that was tied loosely by a wide, red and blue obi.

"So I can join him. So I can repent," she breathed snapping out of her observation. She didn't go on to elaborate just looked up at the wall. She just couldn't look in those eyes for long for. So full were they with compassion for her when she was filled to the brim with self-loathing.

"And may I ask who this him is?" he began courteously. He handed her a bowl of soup to drink, forcing it into her hands when she made no move to take it from him herself. "Eat."

'No you may not know who he is,' she wanted to snap at him. Her eyes flickered over to him to see that he was tending to wash her pajama top for her. Sleeves tied up, he was almost elbow deep in soapy water.

"Let me," she murmured meekly. She set her bowl of soup down on the floor before getting off the futon. Her slim fingers worked to pull the obi's to rights using the skills taught to her by Kaede and even her own mother. Quietly she padded towards him on bare feet and kindly took her sopping pajama shirt from him.

"No you must rest," he began in a firm voice.

"That I should," she nodded her head in understanding. She bent her head down her face full of concentration as she tried to scrub the bloodstains away.

"Huh?" She could already feel his lavender eyes focus on her in confusion.

"My father… Whenever he wanted to make it clear that this was the best decision to make he'd say that. 'Kagome you must go to bed, that you should.' It was so endearing the way he said it that I could rarely refuse him," she manage a ghost of a smile.

She dipped her hands into the warm water and began to gently scrub once more. "If I die Kenshin I'll be able to see him again and the others," she tilted her head back trying to fight the tears.

"You shouldn't die… that you shouldn't," he tacked the last words on at the last moment as if unsure it would help.

"That I shouldn't," she laughed bitterly not daring to look at him. "But it would be so easy to die right now."

"But would he have wanted it? Many a time I wished I had died but still I am here. Not because I'm afraid of death but because I can best atone while I'm still alive," he nodded his head slowly.

"What could you possibly atone…" and then she trailed off. "I'm sorry," she quickly muttered. She had almost forgot about the famous Battousai in her books. The manslayer, that seemed to have no equal and no fear of death as he delivered it to his enemies.

"You shouldn't. I have seen many people that have been tainted with the color of blood. Be it there on or others. That I have," he said brightly as he got used to the phrase.

"That I have," Kagome nodded her head then fingering the kimono she looked at him questioning. "Whose—" she started off before she was gently cut off.

"My wife's. She always loved to wear that same white kimono," he said not looking at her questioning brown eyes.

"S… She died?" Kagome ask hesitantly somehow sensing the bitterness in his voice.

"Yes," he nodded his head once not elaborating.

"I'm so sorry for bringing it up," she bit her bottom lip tears ready to spill over again.

"Don't be," he said in a quiet voice.

"I've troubled you too much already I should go after my clothes dry," she nodded her head slowly. "I will clean your wife's clothes and fold them neatly before leaving."

"So you can beg someone else to kill you?" he turned his lavender eyes accusingly towards her.

"And what if I do…" she looked accusingly at him. 'I am just a stranger. Stop caring. I don't want you to care,' she screamed in her head.

"I won't let you," his words firm.

"But why!" she almost cried out and fell into his arms pounding on his chest. "Why did Kami have to take them away? Why can't I remove the blood from my hands!" she sobbed burying her face against his chest, fingers clutching desperately at his clothes.

"I do not know why, that I don't," he sighed deeply.

To be continued…

A/N: Hey, this is your longtime authoress Simply Hopeless here. I've been on since 2003 and I'm thinking about hanging up my keyboard for good. I've danced around the subject off and on for three or four years now, but I'm honestly thinking about doing it for real this time. Maybe I've lost my edge or something, but I don't think I love fan fiction writing as much as I did when I first started out. Back then three reviews could have spurred me to write even if it was 'I like, update, more'. Sure I wasn't the best writer then, but I know I've grown leaps and bounds, despite my grammar. I'm still growing and I'm proud to say that a lot of people have favored my stories and me as an authoress. But as my skills improved I've found that I desire reviews that will help push me to improve and/or encourage me/ stroke my ego. That, however, has sorely been lacking for a lot of my stories and the alerts/favorites frustrate me because it shows that you guys like it, but won't put in the effort to tell me why.

So long story short, for better or worse, I'll try to update 6 times in 5 months for a few of my stories from different fandoms. By the beginning of June 2014, if I feel dissatisfied, I'm going to hang up my fanfic writing hat for good guys. If I do find that I'm loved I'll start writing again in August 2014 in time for an anime convention in Baltimore. I've thoroughly enjoyed my ten and a half years of writing and growing as an author, but I don't think I can put up with the disappointment of writing and feeling like some of my readers don't care. It doesn't mean I think all my readers don't care. I know there are tons of people out there who have written well thought out reviews from one or two sentences to mouth-watering paragraphs that have made me just itch to write just to see what you might say next. But as I look back at some of my reviews for inspiration for a new chapter I've realized that some of my reviewers write the same thing over and over again and I'm beginning to question why bother agonizing day in and day out how you might react to something in the story if no one tells me.

So if you have ever liked any of my stories, please remember to review. It doesn't have to be fancy but I need to know that I shouldn't retire. If I do retire, I'll keep my stories up for the rest of the year before deleting my account on here and the other websites. This might leave a lot of stories with unresolved endings but I will not be giving any of the stories up for adoption. I've put a lot of effort into my work, they are my children and I'd feel hurt to see someone else continuing on where I left off. So if I find anyone trying to adopt and finish my stories for me I will report you. But hopefully it won't come to that. =/

Next Update: March 25, 2014