Chapter 1: Reunion of sorts

Disclaimer: I'm not sure on what I own, but I know I don't own RK or Samurai X.

Ever the silent man, Saito made his daily rounds around the town of Tokyo and casually greeted the people who would give him a respective bow or just look away suspiciously. He had managed to keep this masquerade as the very kind, but silent officer Goro Fajita for so long, much to his displeasure for it was tiring being someone else all the time. Sometimes he would be as cold as he could wanted to on the days he decided he could, these days were often put off as his "demon days" and he had managed to slip between the two personalities without causing any unnecessary attention to himself. His men were used to his cold personality and he was able to drop that mask when he was around them, but few people even knew that he was really ex-Shinsengumi third captain Saito Haijime working under the assumed name of Goro Fujita because it helped keep his enemies away.

"Gomen, sir, but I have some bad news for you Captain," said a young police officer as he ran up to Saito and bowed to him quickly. He was a timid man, who looked very effeminate and was a panty waste as far as Saito was concerned, but the man had one thing going in his favor, he was the son of an important official. "We have found another body out by the river banks, but there is still no sign of Anatsuki or any of his followers."

"Well then get going on finding him," barked Saito as he turned to the officer with menacing eyes that could chill the blood of any official who thought they could be a pompous ass around him. "The only worse than that revolutionary in my opinion is a revolutionary who is too incompetent to do anything about it."

Just at that moment there came another young officer, a boy by experience, but his age deemed he should be called a man, and his talents were above average. Saito would often train the eighteen year old in the ways of interrogation, investigation, undercover work, the ins and outs of politics, and other things that a young officer would need to survive. The one thing Saito never taught anymore was his swordsmanship because he didn't want to take on another student after experiencing the loss of another student far back in the line of duty during the Bakumatsu era. He could remember another young man just like that boy except he had the experience that the young police officer would never have. Of the many other subordinates that Saito had led, only one had managed to leave a lasting impression on him.

"Excuse me, sir, but we have a disturbance between a suspected follower of Anatsuki and another man," said the police officer as he gave a low bow and then looked back up, standing at attention.

"Well then, it seems like we have finally gotten progress," said Saito with his cold dangerous smirk and he turned to the timid police officer. "I want three men out searching the suspects home and questioning his neighbors about any strange activity!"

"Yes sir," shouted the timid officer in response as he ran away from his terrifying captain.

"Also, sir, I confirmed the presence of Kenshin Himura among the spectators in the crowd," said the remaining officer and he noticed the grin on Saito's face.

"Is that so, well I guess I should hurry up before it's all done."

Kenshin looked worriedly at the two men who were standing in the middle of a crowd out in front of the crowd and he looked at Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko, worried that they might get involved. He was always concerned for their safety because they were the last thing in his life that he put any worth in. From what he could see of the two men he noticed that one of the men was a very well respected swordsman who was often currying favor with the government officials according to gossip, but Kenshin never believed in such things. The other man was a wanderer by his clothes and straw hat that blocked his face from the view, but he had a long object that was wrapped in cloth that Kenshin had recognized immediately as a sword. In the Meiji era, swords were not allowed so the wanderers blatent showing of his weapon was either arrogance, caution, or just pure foolishness.

"Look here you ignorant fuck, I am a very important man so when I say that a table is mine then you better get up," shouted the famous swordsman as he started to snap his fingers and one of his men came out with what appeared to be a sword, something the swordsman could probably get away with because of his connections with the officials.

"From what I understand you haven't reserved that table for yourself and it was made before you even started frequenting the restaurant and started to shamelessly touch the beautiful waitresses," said the wanderer, not even bothering to lift up his hat, but from his voice he was judged to be a very strong man with a noble appearance. "Since you only frequent that table when you go there it's not considered your table because you have not paid anything for it and you have no right to disturb the harmony of their respectable restaurant with your loud voice."

"Oh you're just asking for me to hurt you, you're practically begging for me to cut you in half," warned the swordsman as he brought his right hand to his sword handle. "You aren't going to win against me and you won't be the one coming away from this fight alive. What is your name?"

"My name….you can call me Naraku," said the wanderer playfully as he unwrapped his sheathed sword and then held the sheath in his left hand while his right hand was on his sword handle.

"My name is Ishin Nomada," said the swordsmen as he brought his sword out at an incredible speed and cut a line into the wanderer's hat. "The master of the Zabuza technique."

"Oh yes that technique," said the wanderer as he took his ruined straw hat off revealing his cold features that made him look like some ancient samurai, especially with the slight groomed beard under his chin and his long raven hair that was tied into a samurai pony tail. "If you are a master of it than you wouldn't be just a master of it unless you happen to study other styles that or you are an assassin."

"Well I'm master enough to kill you," said the swordsman as he stepped forward with his sword and drew it at a lightning fast speed, but instead of killing the wanderer named Naraku as he had hoped, the man had pushed his sword a bit out of his sheath so that his sword handle blocked the blade.

"All you're doing is drawing your sword quickly, but you can't do anything else," said Naraku as he kicked the swordsman in the stomach and drew his own sword ready to kill.

"Excuse me, sir, but what would you gain from killing a man when you have clearly won," said Kenshin as he stepped forward in hopes of stopping the wanderer from killing the swordsman. Anything to prevent bloodshed that was Kenshin's motto.

"Tell me, sir, how is it that you have a kind face, but your own soul smells of blood shed," asked Naraku as he turned around and then turned his head to examine Kenshin further. "Have we met before? I feel like I can place your face somewhere, perhaps you were the brother of someone I killed during the revolution?"

"I'm afraid not, I have not brother, but it would be good for you to put your sword away before the police arrive," replied Kenshin with another smile, but inside he knew where he had seen the wanderer before. "Why don't you come along to the Kamiya dojo with us?"

"Normally I don't accept invitations from someone who used to be my enemy, but I suppose it would be good to get out before the storm arrived," said the wanderer as he walked with Kenshin and the others of his group, away from the scene of the fight.

When Saitou arrived there his men were holding the suspect n custody, but the other person that Ishin was fighting had already left after easily defeating the swordsman. Saito had never thought much of the swordsman, who was a one trick pony that would have never had survived had he fought in the war. Most of the good fighters had given up their swords and were now trying to find their way in this new world that they had either created or were forced into. Most of the people were eager to give their account of the events, some blowing things out of proportion with the addition of men whom he knew the mysterious swordsman had never taken on due to the fact that there was a lack of footprints. Really he would just tune in and out of the stories while he thought within himself and only took interest when he heard that Kenshin had stepped in.

"Okay then that is all we need to hear, we only need to worry about the suspect right now," said Saitou as he walked away from the scene.

"I thank you for the hospitality," said the wanderer as he started to place his sword down but picked up a dagger and then turned to Kenshin. "Sorry it's just that I have certain habits that I can't kick."

"Yes I can see how it would be hard to change, Keiji Matsuda, fourth chair of third division of the Shinsengumi," said Kenshin as he looked at the wanderer with his hand on his sword.

"And here I thought you had forgotten me, Hittokiri Battosai," replied the wanderer as he held up his own dagger in a fighting stance, but both men relaxed as Kaoru entered the room.

"Oh hello there, rurouni-san," greeted Kaoru as she bowed to him and Keiji returned the bow before giving Kenshin a re-assuring smile. "I hope that you will stay as long as you want teach us some of your sword techniques. That was very impressive what you did today."

"Oh it was just my talents from my old life that wouldn't fit your own style because it is only a killing sword style," replied Keiji as he gave her a cheerful smile.

"That really is too bad, well anyway I will let you be so I can go prepare dinner," said Kaoru as she started to walk away from the two men, but turned her head back to see a faltering in the wanderer's face. "My name is Kaoru Kamiya, it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"My name is Keiji Matsuda," said the wanderer as he bowed to her.

Kaoru didn't know what it was about the wanderer's face, but something about the way it looked for that once second reminded her of another person. That police officer who was Kenshin's rival, he even fought him once and made him transform to that other Kenshin that everyone knew him as. She was somewhat suspicious of the wanderer, but she put those thoughts away in case she would be accusing the man on a flaw of face, the worse thing she could do. As she went to get started on preparing dinner she ran into the very police officer that she was worrying about, Saito Haijime.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" exclaimed Kaoru as she backed away from the police officer who put his hands up assuringly.

"I'm not here to fight him I just want to talk to him and the mysterious swordsman who left with him," said Saito as he walked past her and looked around. "Where are they or he?"

"Keiji-san is taking a bath," declared Kaoru as she crossed her arms and turned away from the very intimidating police captain.

"What is his last name," asked Saito as he walked towards the bath house, despite the protests of Kaoru. Are you still alive, Keiji Matsuda?