Saitou and Okita were examining a piece of a broken sword blade. "Do you think it was Jigen Ryu that did this?" A Shinsengumi officer asked. "No if you went up against the very best of Jigen Ryu you might have your blade you might have you sword shattered but look there are 10 men dead here whoever did this did it in an incredibly short amount of time." Saitou muttered. Okita nodded. "Whoever did this was on a totally different level." Okita said while staring at the broken blade lodged in the tree. Back at Headquarters Kondo and Hijakata were just ending there meeting with their inside contact Iizuka. "So Miyabe and Toshimaru will be meeting at the Inn Ikedaya two days from now?" Kondo questioned. "That's right" Iizuka responded. "Well then we'll just have to come to" Hijakata responded flatly. Iizuka nodded and wandered off into the darkness. Saitou and his patrol were just returning as Hijakata stepped out of the building. "Well did you find what happened to the 2nd squad?" Hijakata asked. Saitou nodded. "Apparently there was an assassin there. He dispatched all 10 men in a very short amount of time and broke a couple of swords". Hijakata nodded. So the Ishin Shishi have a stronger swordsman than one of our entire squads". Saitou nodded before turning and walking toward his quarters. Okita followed. "So do you think that the assassin will be at the Ikedaya?" Okita asked. Saitou stared blankly ahead. "I'm not sure" he mumbled. "But we'll find out when we attack it wont we?" Across town Katsura Kogoro was asking Himura Battousai a question. "Theres going to be a meeting in secret at the Ikedaya Inn.. I was wondering if you might join us?" "Do you need a bodyguard?" Battousai asked. "Well, no I was wondering if you'd like to sit in at the meeting" "I'm a Hitokiri I have no other skills. If you'll excuse me" Kenshin bowed before turning a walking away. Iizuka bowed "Excuse him" he add as he ran after Kenshin. Later that afternoon as Kondo entered a mans shop Saitou ran up behind him and whispered something to him before leaving. Kondo stepped up to the man. "We are the Shinsengumi, Defenders of Kyoto. You are accused of being part of the Choshuu Ishin Shishi." The man protested only to have Kondo's short sword thrust against his neck. "Quiet. We're searching your store" A Shinsengumi ran up to Kondo. "Sir we found several papers linking him to the Choshuu, as well as several boxes of ammunition for what appears to be a gatling gun." Kondo nodded and had the store owner tied up and dragged back to headquarters. The papers described that there should be nearly 20 Choshuu leaders in Kyoto that night for a large meeting at the Ikedaya Inn.

Kenshin was sitting in a Tea House with Tomoe when Iizuka ran up. "Kenshin.The Shinsengumi are on the march. They found out about the Ikedaya Inn meeting." Kenshin jumped up. "Where's Katsura?" "no one has any clue where he might be hes not at the meeting yet so.he could be anywhere."