A man crept up to one particular room in soft feline steps, the sharp end of his sword glistening under the dim moonlight. When he reached the door, he motioned to five others, following him about 4 feet away, to take their place around the area. He slowly counted until 4 and with a loud shout he charged into the room, his friends following after him.

"Auh!!!!" They broke the door and shoved their swords into the futon that appeared someone was sleeping in. When the leader withdrew his sword, he looked at it with surprise.

No blood.

He threw up the blankets and found several pillows piled up together. The rest gasped.

"She's not here!" He yelled.

"Yes, I am.." A quiet and low female voice answered behind them. It rang up chills in their bones. It took merely 10 seconds before all his men stopped breathing.

"You.. YOU!!!" The last man charged at her with fury but she simply thrust the sword in his chest without even moving. She shook the blood off her sword and placed it back into its sheath.
"I've warned you. Stop following me." She looked around her bloody room and sighed in remorse. "Why won't you listen… Darn it, now I can't stay here any longer…"

She heard people coming near in surprise as to what all that screaming was about.

"Kuso.." She quickly grabbed her bags and disappeared out of the motel.

The people arrived to her room and screamed. Six men sprawled dead, their blood covering the floor.

Kaoru yawned and stepped outside. Kenshin was sweeping the yard, practicing his lines over and over when she spotted him. Their eyes met. 'Say it Kenshin!'

"Ah… OHAYO! Kaoru.. u.. u..u … -dono.." Kenshin hit his face hard with his hand and cried, "ugh…"

"eh?" Kaoru looked curiously at Kenshin and laughed slightly. She quickly walked over to take his hand and laid a light kiss. "Ohayo, Kenshin." She smiled with a little blush and scurried over to the kitchen.

Kenshin stood there speechless looking at his hand. He soon smiled and whispered, "Ohayo, Kaoru…"

"Hai!!" Kaoru answered from her room changing her clothes to train Yahiko.

"Buso, hurry up! I ain't got all day!" Yahiko shouted just as Kenshin left the dojo pondering what kind of war those two would rage about.

It was very busy at the market. Just as soon as Kenshin bought his tofu, he was able to feel one significant chi amongst the crowd.

"What is it now?"

"Something I should tell you… in which you have no clue about" Kenshin turned around. Saito puffed his cigarette.

"Nani…" Kenshin asked a bit puzzled. Saito motioned him over to a less crowed area.

"There's a hitokiri out on the loose…" Saito started.

Kenshin was walking back home deep in thought.
"Oro?" Kenshin startled himself as he was near the dojo, when he saw a woman, a cone-shaped hat covering her face, looking steadily at the dojo. She slowly walked away, her sword tied tight on her side. Somehow Kenshin couldn't call out to the stranger and kept his silence, watching her disappear in the distance.

"Oi.." Someone patted his shoulder.

"Oro?" Kenshin looked up and found Sano starring in the direction that Kenshin was looking at.

"Wacha looking at?"

"Nandemonai." Kenshin smiled.

"Ok, then. Go in and cook. I am hungry." Sano smiled mischieviously as Kenshin walked into the dojo with a sweat drop.

"Oro?" Kenshin blinked.

"What's wrong? Here, take your rice," Kaoru responded puzzled.

"Ah.. arigatou."

"Are you okay?" Kaoru asked getting worried.

"Ah.. I am okay," Kenshin smiled.

Sano carefully observed his face. He put down his rice bowl and asked, "What were you starring at out there?"

"Huh?" Kenshin looked at Sano. "I kinda got a glimpse of what you were looking at. 'Tis a woman!!" Sano shouted flashing a devilish smile and pointed at Kenshin with his chopsticks. Kenshin's face reddened at the unexpected accusation.

"A woman??" Yahiko repeated. Kenshin quickly looked back at Kaoru, who's eyes sparkled with cruelty.

"Kenshin…." She growled.

"Ano.. it's not what you think.." Kenshin answered half-smiling. Kaoru's blazing eyes soon dismonished as Kenshin silently wnet back to deep in thought. Sano and Yahiko exchanged looks to each other knowing something is up with him.

"Sou, sou, I see. Kensin has fallen in love with another woman," Yahiko started.

"Yah, and that woman is so gorgeous, glamourous and sexy," Sano continued. Kaoru's eyes fired up as Kenshin became a rock at their mocking story.

"Right and he couldn't resist the temptation when the woman wanted him…" Yahiko replied giving an evil grin.

Sano and Yahiko yelled out together, "And Kenshin and the woman did that and this on that and upside that and this, in and out on that and this and he can't stop thinking about her!!!"

"URUSE!!!" Kaoru punched both of them out to the yard and they flew collapsing on one another , their eyes losing focus. @_@ Kenshin remained sitting there, still a rock, awe-struck by Kaoru's power as she dusted her hands. "Hmph!" Kaoru sat back down and looked straight at Kenshin. He only starred at his rice.
"Tell me, Kenshin.. what's wrong?"

"Everything is fine, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin answered smiling.

Suddenly Kaoru broke down and cried, "Anata…. You.. really did this and that with another woman as they said!!!"

Kenshin's smile twitched with a sweatdrop. "No no no!! Of course not Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru's tears disappeared as if they weren't there before. "Then?" she asked.

Kenshin sighed and put his chopsticks down. "I met Saito at the marketplace," Kenshin started.

"We wanna listen too," Sano and Yahiko came back in a flash.

"Continue Kenshin," Kaoru said.

"Looks like we have another wondering former hitokiri but she's not dangerous, but in danger."

"Another former hitokiri…" Sano murmured. "Huh??"

"DID YOU SAY "SHE"????" All three shouted at the same time. Kenshin nodded.

"There was a female hitokiri??" Kaoru asked stunned.

Kenshin continued. " I didn't know about it until Saito told me. He, himself didn't know about it until the officials told him. When I was quitely living with Tomoe, they had hired Shishio and a girl, named Rei, to take over my place. Unlike Shishio, however, Rei took on the title of a hitokiri solely on patriotism. She loved Japan so much that she wanted to help out bring peace as soon as possible."

"Wait a second," Sano interupted. "You can't just become a hitokiri without skill."

"From what I hear, better than Shishio… much better," Kenshin answered deep in thought.

All three's eyes helplessly widened to the beginning of this incredible story.

-to be continued-

-author's note-

Hi!! I am finally starting the HITOKIRI! As for the people who think this will not be a Kenshin+Kaoru romance, think again! It is a K+K fiction. I have created Rei for a specific purpose and you'll see that towards the end! ^_^ Please give me comments, criticisms or anything else! EMAIL ME! I welcome them all!! ^_^