Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters are copyrighted by their respective owner.


The rain slanted down in a steady drum as the heavy clouds rolled through, letting loose their burden. Although it was not quite evening yet, most people had shut themselves inside their warm houses, avoiding going out. The streets of Tokyo were unusally quiet except the pattering of water as it pooled together, creating a jagged image of the heavens above.

Leaning against the wall of a closed store, Hajime Saitoh took a long pull from his cigarette dangling from his fingers. The eaves of the building protected him from most of the rain although there were wet spots on his uniform that claimed him before he could find shelter. The fire at the end of the stick flared up briefly before it died down again as black and gray ash. Saitoh pulled it from his lips and tapped the butt gently, his eyes still trained on the scene before him.

It had been a matter of luck when he came across the injured man lying in the street. He had been on his way home when a groan had caught his attention. He had followed the sound until he saw him slumped against a wall, the blood draining from his body in small rivulets. Saitoh had checked him over and immediately noticed the distinctive four slashes on him. The would-be murderer had struck again.

Saitoh immediately withdrew to his current position across from the pitiful victim, now waiting for what he suspected would happen next. Getting help for the man would come soon enough. It was all a matter of time.

Tokio is going to be upset again, he thought before the cigarette descended back into his mouth. He made a mental note to do something nice for her later. It wouldn't quite make up for the fact that this would be the fourth time he was late to dinner this week, but he knew she also understood that his job as a police officer came first.

A flash of something at the edge of Saitoh's senses caught his attention and he straightened, tossing away the used cigarette. He blew out, the white smoke curling about lazily. When it cleared, he saw a figure bent over the injured man. Hmm, exactly on time to save him, he mused. The wounds on the man would be fatal without immediate medical attention.

The police inspector took a moment to study the figure through his narrowed eyes, memorizing the shape of the newcomer for future reference, thought it was hard to discern both from the rain and the black cloak he wore. The stranger knelt in front of the injured man, hands reaching out to touch him.

Saitoh jerked slightly as he suddenly felt a wave of powerful ki emanating from the person. But it wasn't directed at him and it felt slightly odd. Instead of putting him on the defensive, his body seemed to absorb the energy eagerly as a refreshing wave washed over him. He stared at the cloaked figure. What in the world …? Was the stranger doing what he thought he was doing?

There was only one way to find out. Ignoring the steady hum of rain, Saitoh pushed away from the wall behind him and strode forward towards the injured man and the stranger. It was time to lay the cards on the table. With every killing, or attempted killing that occured so far, those who could be saved were. It had to be by this person. "So tell me, what exactly is your connection with the murderer?" he asked casually, stopping a mere two feet away from him.

The kneeling figure stiffened at the sound of his voice which pleased Saitoh immensely. Whoever the man was, he had a very well developed ki and sneaking up on a man like that was only a testament to the former Shinsengumi's skills. Saitoh could feel the power ebbing away slowly as the person slowly stood, face away from him. It was done deliberately, he was sure.

"He will still need to see a healer, but his life is safe at the moment. I would like to leave that in your hands, Inspector."

Saitoh raised his eyebrows at the low, feminine voice reaching his ears. So it was a woman. "Not so fast, miss. You'll need to come with me to headquarters."

Instantly the cloaked head shook furiously. "I cannot. I am so close this time. If I leave now, I can stop him from killing more people."

"And who is this 'he'?" Saitoh pressed.

Again, she shook her head negatively. "I will take care of this, Inspector. Please tend to that man." She took two steps before an iron hand gripped her left wrist. She gasped in shock and looked over her shoulder. The Wolf of Mibu was there, close enough so she could see the menacing gaze in his yellow eyes. He was crowding her, trying to keep her off-balance and unable to escape. But she knew that he wouldn't harm her, at least not with what little she had shared thus far. He needed the information she knew.

That thought gave her enough courage to gather herself together and push out with her ki, hoping to catch him unawares.

It worked far better than she had expected. Apparently, he had underestimated her strength and actually stumbled back a few steps, clumsy enough to release her wrist. She took advantage of that moment by turning and fleeing to safety, automatically dampening her ki so that no one could find her. Behind her, she heard the mumbled expletives from the officer's mouth and she allowed a brief smile. But reality settled in all too quickly and she knew that next time, he would not be so easy to evade.

Well, I suppose I'll just have to find him before there is a next time, she thought grimly, slipping into the shadows of the darkening evening. The steady rain caused everything to be slick which slowed her considerably. Still, going slower was better than slipping and getting a broken bone. And who knew what the police officer would do now once he caught up with her?

Saitoh cursed at himself, annoyed that he had made such a stupid mistake. He had forgotten all about her impressive display of ki, instead choosing to see her as a helpless woman trying to save the people the killer had attacked. He knew without a doubt the woman knew who the killer was and why he was doing what he did. Saitoh no longer cared for the reason, unless it would help him capture the murderer, and interrogating the woman would help him find the killer all that much faster.

Saitoh kept after her, looking down to read her muddy steps. She might be good at dampening her life spirit until it was undetectable, but she knew next to nothing about covering her tracks. He followed her trail throughout the silent city, his senses flared out to see if he could find a hint of the powerful ki he had experienced earlier. She had mentioned she was close to finding him; perhaps he would just allow her to lead him to the killer. Either way, he couldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose her.

Her tracks suddenly disappeared and Saitoh stopped short. Examining the ground, he noticed the last footstep in the mud before it disappeared. His eyes narrowed as he let his gaze drift around the area. There were no other trails or markings which would give away which direction the woman went to. Had she figured out he was tailing her and managed to hide from him? Or perhaps …

Saitoh looked up, his eyes settling on the trees that bordered the area, bowing in deference to the rain. He scanned the branches until he found what he was looking for. A smirk settled on his thin lips as he plunged into the woods, following the trail of broken branches the woman left behind in her wake.

He was a wolf and wolves never let their prey escape.

Kenshin Humra stared out of the open shoji doors, idly watching the rain patter down in a steady rhythm. There was something calming about the continual cascade of water, although his violet eyes were more fixated on the scene in front of him.

Direction across the yard from where he was seated, the training hall of the Kamiya Dojo were flung open to reveal two people, one master and one student. The taller of the two was lad in her usual training outfit, her wooden sword resting point down as her hands clasped the top of the hilt. The younger one was following her shouted orders, practicing his swings.

That, too, was a soothing routine the wanderer had come to expect in his life. Normally, his time would be consumed with his daily chores, but the rain had interrupted his laundry and it was still too son to start dinner. This gave him the opportunity to watch two people whom he cared for the most, enjoying their interaction with one another.

But something had been putting Kenshin on edge the past hour or so, setting him on guard. His eyes scanned the dojo continuously, hoping to spot what would make him so uneasy that he couldn't concentrate on Yahiko's training. It seemed that he was able to focus on it for a split moment, only to have it slip away from his grasp of comprehension. The odd part was, he didn't think it was directed on him.

Then who else would it be for?

Involuntarily, Kenshin's gaze drifted back to Kaoru and Yahiko, still in the training hall. His gut clenched at the thought that one of them could be in harm's way. But Yahiko was still too young to really make enemies, even if Kaoru claimed he had a bigger mouth than he did an appetite.

Which left Kaoru.

Perhaps one of her father's old enemies again? Kenshin still remembered Gohei Hiruma, the utter hatred in his gaze when he saw Kaoru, and his ten year grudge against the Kamiya family. Could this be another disgruntled student seeking revenge against his former master?

Kenshin was soo deep in his thoughts that he almost missed another subtle aura of power creeping in his consciousness. Now thoroughly alarmed, he picked up his reverse-blade sword and stood, eyes narrowed. The second force was gone, the ki disappearing as quickly as the first. He took two steps outside and slipped in his sandals before venturing further into the rain. The second ki had allowed him to pinpoint the general location of the intruders.

Kenshin stopped ten feet away from the house, staring intently into the wooded area where he was reasonably certain someone lay in wait. His left hand gripped his weapon in an unconscious gesture of reassurance to himself and a warning to the strangers. He waited patiently, allowing his won ki to flare up, informing them that they had been found. He didn't mind the driving rain which instantly soaked his clothes and flattened his flame-red hair, instead focusing on those who were watching them. Patience had been something that Seijuro Hiko had desperately tried to teach him but was never really cultivated until his ten years of wandering. Now that he knew of the threat, he could wait.

"Kenshin?"

He didn't turn around at Kaoru's questioning voice. Without looking, he knew that she and Yahiko had stopped their practice to watch him stand out in the rain. "Miss Kaoru, you and Yahiko should stay back, that you should."

"Is something wrong?" Kaoru persisted, peering into the trees where the wanderer was looking at. The rain hadn't slacked off in the slightest, making it difficult for her to see much further.

"I'm not sure yet," he said slowly. He tensed as a sudden flare of the intruder's ki spurted alive as a blur launched itself from the trees where Kenshin had been staring. "Miss Kaoru! Yahiko, Don't come any closer!" he warned, drawing his sword.

But the intruder didn't even glance in Kenshin's direction. Instead, he veered towards Kaoru and Yahiko still standing in the shelter of the training hall's porch. With a feral war cry, he raised his sword as he raced towards them.

"No!" Kenshin shouted, sprinting after the stranger. His mind seemed to detech itself from his body, as if he was watching himself make a futile effort to reach his friends before they could be slain by the killer.

Kenshin's yell pierced through the mute fog that tugged Kaoru into paralysis. Jerking herself from stupor, she shoved Yahiko behind her and ignored the dull thud as he landed on his backside with a cry of surprise. She held up her wooden sword in a defensive position, lips set in pursed determination. "Stay back, Yahiko," she ordered, keeping her eyes on the approaching intruder. She was determined to protect her student at all costs.

He was suddenly upon her and her breath caught in her throat at the man's speed and presence. Nearly twice her height and size, the imposing figure lifted his sword in one smooth motion, the metal blade flashing even in the dull afternoon. One flick of his wrist sent her bokken spinning out of her grasp. Kaoru gasped as the wooden sword was ripped from her hands from the mere ferocity of that one motion, leaving a dull ache in its place.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko yelled, frozen in position as the man shoved her aside roughtly with his free hand. She yelped as she fell off the porch and onto the wet ground.

The man slowly turned to look down at Yahiko, his dark eyes blazing with triumph and something else the youth couldn't identify. Silence dimmed the air between boy and man, the world falling away into nothingness except the two of them. He finally spoke, shattering the deadly calm. "Die with honor, son of Myojin," he said softly, his voice surprising gentle. He raised his sword up to deliver the final blow.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried desperately, trying to scramble back to her feet. The slick mud gave her no purchase to regain her balance and she slipped back down.

Kenshin leapt forward into a high jump as he passed Kaoru in a blur, the reverse-blade sword poisted to strike. "Hiten Mitsurugi style Ryu Tsui Sen!"

But it was too late. The samurai was already slashing downward as if to cut the boy in half. Yahiko opened his mouth but no sound emerged as he braced for death.

A sudden blast of forced erupted, so strong that Kenshin was nearly blown away from it, being in mid-air. He twisted around and used of the columns supporting the training hall as a spring to land back near the man, crowed low and ready to strike. But whatever had broken the wanderer's attack also affected the man, causing his blow to land mere inches from Yahiko's side.

There was silence for a long moment as they recovered fromt eh shock, looking around for the source of that unseen power. But Kenshin took advantage of the surprise attack by inserting himself between the stranger and Yahiko, his violet eyes narrowed in anger. "Who are you? Why do you want to kill Yahiko?" he demanded. Behind him, Kenshin could feel the boy quiver in fear and anger at his helplessness and his near miss.

The larger man turned his gaze to look down at the wander. "He is the son of my father's enemy. He and all his line must die," he said simply. Without another word, he whirled around and sprinted away, leaping up into thei trees and disappearing from sight.

Kenshin slowly lowered his sword as the samurai's ki disappeared from his senses. The second ki had gone as well, presumably retreating with the warrior. With a sigh, he sheathed his weapon and stepped forward to help Kaoru up from the mud. "Miss Kaoru, are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"I'm all right, Kenshin," she said, leaning on his arm as she carefully climbed to her feet. She flashed him a grateful smile, reveling in his quiet strength. As one, they both looked at Yahiko who had not moved from his position on the ground. His eyes were fixated on the trees where the stranger had disappeared to.

"Yahiko?" Kaoru said uncertainly. When the boy didn't answer, she and Kenshin exchanged a worried glance. The rain had finally slackened to a drizzle but both were so wet it didn't matter. Carefully making their way back to the shelter of the training hall, they knelt beside the boy. "Hello? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I … couldn't do anything."

The words were spoken so low they had to strain their ears. Kaoru blinked at the defeated expression on her student's face. It was one she had seen only once, when they first met. "It's all right, Yahiko," she began.

"It's not all right!" He sprang to his feet, evading her outstretched hand to comfort him. He stepped to the edge of the porch, not daring to face either person. "I came here to get stronger and I couldn't even move! Not when you were in danger, or when that samurai was going to strike! It was like … it was like I was just … frozen." He heaved a sigh, fighting back the tears of frustration gathering in his eyes. He felt as worthless and helpless has he did the first time he had met Kenshin and Kaoru, a feeling he wanted desperately to forget.

"Every swordsman goes through this, Yahiko," Kenshin said quietly. It is what you do in response to your emotions that determines your worth as a warrior, that it does."

"That's right!" Kaoru chimed in, determined not to let him sink into a self-pitying depression. "This just means you have to train harder than ever to face your fears! So stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back into that training hall for another five hundred swings!" She jabbed finger inside to emphasize her point.

Much to Kenshin's relief, Yahiko scowled at Kaoru as he did a million times before when she said something he didn't appreciate. "Whose feeling sorry for himself! I'm going to get stronger and defeat all of my enemies!"

His master whacked the side of his head with her fist. "To protect the ones you love, idiot!"

"Ow!" A vein bulged on Yahiko's forehead as he clenched his fists in anger. "Who are you calling idiot, Ugly?"

Kaoru's eyes narrowed dangerously as she stood, looking down at her student. "Who are you calling ugly?"

"You, Ugly!"

"Why you little … get back here, Yahiko!" Yahiko, having perceived that his life was in danger, began to run with Kaoru on his heels. They began to chase each other around the dojo, trading insults back and forth. Kenshin watched them for a moment, getting dizzy from their antics. Still, it was a relief to see that Yahiko had recovered from the serious blow to his samurai's pride.

Still, it didn't answer questions from what had happened. The fond amusement faded from the wanderer's eyes as he recalled what had just happened. The man who had tried to kill Yahiko had said he was an enemy of the Myojins. But why? What did he have against them that would drive a man to kill a mere boy, to end their line?

One thing Kenshin knew for certain was that whoever the man was, he would be back to finish the job.