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         "Aoshi-sama, Aoshi-sama, how do I love thee?" Don't they just look cute together?

         Misao has adored Aoshi-sama from an extremely early age, and has been going on for about ten years or so now. Unfortunately, Aoshi has yet to express if he feels for Misao the same way Misao does for him, although there's been some hints of that towards the end of the Rurouni Kenshin television series. Here's a deeper look at the so-called "Misao - Aoshi relationship" :

          "Aoshi-sama! Play with me, please? Play!"
           Misao first meets Aoshi when her father, the current Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, died when she was still a child. She was taken in by the Oniwabanshuu, then trained by Hannya in kenpou, and Aoshi in other subjects. Even then she was already enamored with Aoshi, and usually begged him to go "play" with her. Aoshi himself used to make origami for Misao, and thought of her as a kid sister.

         "I'm looking for my Aoshi-sama. Do you happen to know where he is?...."
          At the start of the Kyoto arc of the Rurouni Kenshin plotline, Misao is on the prowl, searching for any clue Aoshi might have left behind, so she can follow him and the rest of the Oniwabanshuu to wherever they were at the moment. Unfortunately, she chose to tag alongside Kenshin Himura in the hopes he might know where her Aoshi-sama is. Still unfortunately, Kenshin Himura and Aoshi Shinomori were sworn enemies, Aoshi blaming Kenshin for the deaths of the other original Oniwabanshuu members. Kenshin tries to lose Misao, finally leaping over a cliff in the hopes that Misao might give up and leave him alone.
          But then, he didn't know Misao that well at that time.
          Misao goes on to shout how she'd risk her life to find Aoshi whether Kenshin wants it or not, then leaps out after him, although she knew she could never make the jump. Fortunately, Kenshin rescues her in the nick of time.
          Contrary to what most people say, this isn't puppy love. From Misao's end at least, it's love pure and simple.  Puppy love doesn't really mean nearly killing yourself trying to find out where your crush is only to have his supposed enemy rescue you in the nick of time.

          "I don't ever want to see your face again."
          A little after meeting Kaoru and Yahiko, Misao learns that, joy, Aoshi is back! Elated, she runs to Okina's quarters (where Aoshi had been last seen) and flings the door open.....
          ....only to watch Aoshi as he nearly eviscerates her mentor Okina. Aoshi, driven by his need for revenge against Kenshin, had finally snapped and joined Shishio Makoto's Jun Pon Gatana, and as he was leaving the scene of the crime, tells Misao to forget him, as he never wants to see her again.
          Poor poor Misao. I suppose that the deaths of the Oniwabanshuu he swore to protect was still fresh on his mind. Either that, or at that time, revenge was more important to him than Misao.

            "I promised Misao that I'd bring Aoshi back to her."
            When Kenshin and Sanosuke leaves for the Jun Pon Gatana headquarters, Kenshin promises Misao that he would bring Aoshi back  with him when he returns. He almost wasn't able to keep his promise during his fight with Aoshi though, because to his way of thinking, that Aoshi wasn't the Aoshi that Misao knew and loved. Some of what Kenshin tells Asoshi during their fight finally penetrates through to Aoshi (notably the part where Kenshin tells Aoshi his promise to Misao and that she was crying when he left) which results in him getting soundly defeated by Kenshin. By then, aoshi had reverted to his normal self, and promises Kenshin he wouldn't get in the way. Later on, he attacks Shishio along with Kenshin, Sanosuke and Saitoh.

             "Aoshi-sama! Where's my Aoshi-sama?!!"
             Needless to say, Misao is elated to discover that Aoshi has finally come back. She rushes to meet him, only to be told that he was meditating and didn't wish to be disturbed. Misao understood, and a short while after the Kenshin-gumi leaves for Tokyo, patched up her differences with Aoshi.

              "You're still the same even after all these years, Misao."
              "You're wrong, Aoshi. When you weren't looking, I grew up. I'm a woman now......we might want to talk about that."
              "I.....would like that. Very much."
               After helping the Kenshin-gumi defeat the Black Knights and the Sorata ninja clan in Tokyo, Oumime and Masukami (I think that's their names) arrive in Tokyo to bring Misao back to Kyoto, and with them is Aoshi! Thrilled at first, Misao grows angry when she realizes Aoshi was only there because Okina ordered him to, and stalks off. Later assured by the other female cast that Aoshi wouldn't have come to see her if he didn't want to, Misao agrees to leave for Kyoto...but only afte they've shopped around for gifts to take back home, resulting in the weirdest shopping expedition in history (which involves all the girls taking on all the small-time thieves of the Tokyo district, Megumi giving Misao tips to have a better developed body, and Sanosuke and Yahiko following the women around). Aoshi stays behind and shares a tea ceremony with Kenshin. Watching Kenshin play with Dr. Genzai's nieces Ayame and Suzume helps Aoshi remember of the times he had played with Misao when she was younger. (flashback alert!) When Misao returns to the Kamiya Dojo, she gives Aoshi a paper ball; a toy Aoshi used to give her when she was younger. She points out that she's a woman now, and slyly suggests if he might want to talk with her about that later. Aoshi's response seems to imply that he likes Misao as a woman too, even if it's not as much as Misao does Aoshi yet.