Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin…I just worship it!

Chapter 1: A Letter from Saitoh

"Busu, busu!" Yahiko chanted down the hallways of the Kamiya Dojo. Today had started off as any normal day at the Kamiya Dojo, breakfast, the usual fight over food between Yahiko and Sano with little interjection from Kenshin and Kaoru, and then Yahiko's exhausting two hour training which involved taunting the short tempered Kenjutsu instructor.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru yelled. She was getting tired of his childish behavior, not to mention his comments on her "beauty" were irking her to no end. Kenshin and Sano were sitting on the porch of the Dojo smirking at the scene unfolding before them. Yahiko was mature to a point but when it came to Kaoru, maturity was thrown to the wind. Sano sighed and leaned against the hard wall and closed his eyes. Kenshin sipped quietly at his tea, his eyes fixated on Kaoru.

"It never gets old" Sano smiled lazily, chewing away at the remains of his fish bone. Kenshin averted his gaze toward Sano and smiled; the dimples in his cheek protruding. Kaoru stared at Sano obviously annoyed at his comment and slid the Shoji screen to the side. She stepped into the foyer and began the search for her student. Kenshin lowered his head and let out the small amount of air he had been holding in.

"They fight like brother and sister that they do, but you can tell that they really do care for one another" He replied. Kenshin had been too scared to say it outright in fear of Kaoru-dono's violent reaction. He could just see it, or rather hear it now. "WHAT? AS IF I COULD CARE FOR AN ANNOYING BRAT LIKE HIM!" Kenshin shook his head at the imaginary voice. Sano nodded in agreement leaning back farther on the wall. He stared at the thatched roof above his head, waiting. It was quiet for a few minutes, but then again it was always quiet before the storm. Kaoru suddenly barged through the shoji doorway, her face flushed from running around inside.

"Oi, Jou-chan, where's the brat?" Kaoru smiled sweetly at Sano, that look alone gave him shivers; boy did he feel bad for whatever happened to Yahiko.

"He went to go take a dip in the Koi Pond out back." Kenshin and Sano sweat dropped, inching slowly away from the insane smiling Kenjutsu instructor. Kaoru wiped her hands on her hakama and took a seat next to Kenshin on the hardwood floor; turning her attention to her growling stomach.

"So Kenshin what's for lunch?" Kenshin smiled before listing his meal preparations.

"We'll be having Salmon, daikon radishes and tofu that we are." Kaoru clapped her hands together with delight and Sanouske's eyes lit up with the mention of Kenshin's cooking; it was always good when Kenshin cooked.

"Mm sounds good!" Kenshin bowed his head slightly.

"Arigatou Kaoru-dono." Kaoru beamed at Kenshin. She wished he would just drop the –dono at the end of her name, he could be way too formal sometimes but then again he was Kenshin. A soft clicking at the entrance gate caught their attention.

"Sir Ken!" called a cheerful voice. Kaoru could feel the vein in her forehead pulse with the sound of that sickeningly sweet voice. Takani Megumi closed the gate behind her and beamed at Kenshin from across the way. She smiled seductively and strode up Kenshin. Before Kenshin could react he was in a death grip by the young doctor.

"Ken-san, I've missed you so much! How are you?" Megumi locked eyes with Kenshin. Utterly helpless to free himself from her bear hug Kenshin just smiled while Kaoru was practically seeing red. Her hands tightened into fists in her lap as she glared at Megumi. Noticing this, Megumi strengthened her hold on Kenshin and smiled at Kaoru.

"Umm…Megumi-dono… I can't……breathe…" Kenshin gasped out. Megumi, oblivious to the pleas from the suffocating Rurouni, continued her staring contest with Kaoru.

"Ahem..." Kaoru cleared her throat to get Megumi's attention because she obviously wasn't listening. Megumi snapped out of her reverie and looked down to Kenshin's face which was currently turning purple from the lack of oxygen.

"Oh!" She quickly released Kenshin and laughed nervously; covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Kaoru frowned and tapped Kenshin on the back a few times to get the circulation in his lungs going again. Sanouske just sat there observing the two women. He knew Kaoru was in love with Kenshin, as oblivious as he was to it, but Megumi…well he didn't know exactly how she felt about Kenshin, but he knew it wasn't love.

"Jealous are we?" Kaoru glared daggers at Megumi, she was not happy at all.

"What did you say?" Kenshin quickly jumped in between them. The last thing they needed was a yelling match between the two of them.

"Now, Now Kaoru-dono, don't pay any attention to Megumi-dono." Megumi wrapped her arms around Kenshin's neck again when he wasn't expecting it. If it was possible at all Kaoru had just become even angrier.

"Oh come now Sir Ken, you obviously want a woman, not some sweaty little girl now do you?" Megumi laughed while Kenshin was helpless to watch. The last remaining shred of control that Kaoru possessed snapped and Sano was sure he heard it.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I AM NOT A SWEATY LITTLE GIRL YOU PERVETED WOMAN! NOW LEAVE KENSHIN ALONE!" Kaoru stood up and pulled the sleeve of her gi back getting ready to shove her fist where it belonged, right in Megumi's mouth.

"My my my, do you have anger management problems? You should stop by the clinic; maybe I could help you with that and dress you up like a woman too while we're at it, ne?" Sano stood up and held Kaoru back before she had the chance to strike.

"All right Fox that's enough, no more tormenting Kaoru for today." Megumi pouted, he always had to go and spoil her fun.

"Tori no Atama." She retorted. Sano smiled, she always had to go with the name calling. Kenshin deftly escaped Megumi's vice like grip and tried to settle down both Megumi and Kaoru with some small talk.

"So Megumi-dono what brings you here?" Kenshin asked, genuinely curious. Kaoru pushed Sano's arms away and sat down in a huff thinking of all the possible ways she could get revenge on Megumi afterwards.

"This." Megumi handed Kenshin a sealed envelope with the Kyoto Police signature on it.

"Kyoto? Is this from Saitoh?" Kenshin asked Megumi. She nodded and went into explanation.

"I was at the Clinic yesterday making my usual rounds when Saitoh waltzed in. He had a small abrasion on his arm so of course I took a quick look at it, and then he told me his real reason for stopping by. He said that he was in town on important business and that he needs you, Kaoru, Sano and me to help him." Kenshin blinked several times. Kaoru quizzically stared at Kenshin wondering if he knew what was going on. From the blank stare on his face he obviously didn't now so Kaoru asked.

"Why does he need all of us?" asked Kaoru. Megumi shook her head before turning to talk to Kenshin again.

"I have no idea, but he said that Aoshi and Misao were also coming to stay in Tokyo. He mentioned something about a gang and he needed all the help he could get since he was denied the Tokyo police squad. They refused to get involved with a gang battle because of what happened with Kanrayu a year ago."

"Well that's understandable; there could be too many casualties besides the police force is small scale compared to a gang." Sano replied knowingly. Kenshin nodded, agreeing with Sano's conclusion.

"When will they arrive, Aoshi and Misao?"

"About another few days or so, at least that's what the letter said. I received it Monday so they should be here in about two more days." Kenshin nodded and looked around at everyone.

"It's set then."

A/n: Stay tuned!