Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the property of Watsuki-sensei, Viz, Shueisha, Media Blasters, ADV, Fuji TV and Sony. I'm just a little blip on the radar screen. No money goes into my wallet for what I type.

Betad by charmed-sword and Hidari.

Meiji Jidai: Year 17, April 1884
Tokyo, Kamiya Dojo

It was a warm, spring day with the sun out, the birds singing and no clouds in the sky. Kenshin had just finished the laundry and decided to take a break. He laid down under the sakura tree in the backyard and closed his eyes, drifting into a light doze where he wasn't quite awake, but could still hear everything around him.

He felt the strong, familiar ki of his five-year-old son coming outside and promptly heading toward him. Hiding his smile, Kenshin feigned sleep. He felt the expected weight of Kenji jumping on him and putting his hands over his eyes.

"Oro?" went Kenshin, hearing the child's bubbling laughter.

"Guess who?"

"Is it Yahiko?"

"No."

"Could it be Yutaro?"

"No."

"Perhaps you might be Kaoru?"

"Who's that?"

Kenji only knew Kaoru as Mommy.

"Heh heh. Might it be... Kenji?"

"Yes!" said the little boy, pulling his hands off Kenshin's closed eyes. "Fooled you!"

"Aa, so you did," said Kenshin, sitting up, grabbing his son and tickling him on the ribs while he squirmed and laughed.

Kenji wriggled out of Kenshin's embrace and stuck his tongue out at him, trying to taunt him.

"Betcha can't catch me!" he taunted, blue eyes dancing with mischief.

"Betcha I can," returned Kenshin.

The little boy took off with his shinsoku. Kenshin smiled to himself. It didn't matter where on the compound Kenji hid. The little boy exuded an unusually strong ki for a child his age that he didn't yet know how to cloak, thus making him easy to find. Kenshin intended to teach his son about ki when he was a bit older.

Starting off slowly, Kenshin followed Kenji's ki as it flew around the compound. Kenji came to a stop when he realized Dad wasn't right behind him. Why was Dad so slow? Kenji went back around the side of the building and saw Dad walking in his direction. The child smiled mischievously.

"You'd best run if you don't want me to catch you," called Dad's soft voice.

"Heh heh heh!" laughed the boy, as he turned and ran off again.

Kenji ran all the way around to the other side of the dojo and hid. Kenshin took his time trailing him through the frontyard to where he was hiding on the right side of the building. He came silently upon his son and stood just feet from him.

"Got you," he said softly, startling the child.

"How'd you find me?" asked Kenji, his eyes widening.

"It's a trick I know that I'll teach you when you're older," said Kenshin with a grin.

"OK..." said Kenji, still a bit annoyed that he'd been found so easily and that he'd have to wait to learn Dad's "trick".

Kenshin moved quickly away from his little boy, launched himself into the air and hid in the sakura tree. Kenji finished counting, opened his eyes and looked around. He looked to the left, then to the right. There was no sign of Dad in either direction.

From his vantage point in the branches of the sakura tree, Kenshin could see the small boy as he returned to the backyard, looking around at his level. All Kenji needed to do was look up and he'd see his dad, who was in plain sight. Kenshin smiled, wondering if it would occur to the boy to look up.

Kenji walked right underneath the sakura tree and looked behind the trunk. He walked slowly through the backyard, blue eyes constantly scanning the landscape for any movement or a glimpse of red hair. He went over to the koi pond and looked under the water. Nothing there but the fish. He walked around to the other side of the pool to see if Dad was hunched down. No sign of him. He looked under the bushes growing along the perimeter fence, succeeding only in scaring a few small animals from their hiding places.

Kenji scrunched up his face and looked around at his level. Perhaps Dad had gone inside! Kenji headed for the building, slid the door open and went inside. Kenshin cocked his head and wondered how long Kenji would look around inside before he realized that he was most definitely outside.

Kenji went from room to room, searching every inch as though he were a detective looking for a clue to some great mystery. He left nothing unturned. He went into the kitchen and looked in the pantry, finding nothing in there but insects that had chewed holes in some of the food boxes. Having checked all the rooms in the living quarters, Kenji headed for the training hall. He slid the door open and stepped in. The hall was dark, which made it a good place to hide. Kenji went slowly through, looking around continuously in the low light.

From his hiding place outside, Kenshin was able to follow his son's ki from room to room. A smile flashed across his features at the boy's persistence. The training hall was the last room in the dojo, after which Kenji would almost certainly come back outside.

Having gone over the training hall with a fine tooth comb, Kenji walked back through the door, sliding it shut, only to run into Mom, who had just returned from wherever she'd been to.

"Why were you in the training hall?" she asked.

"Looking for Daddy. He disappeared," said Kenji.

"Is that so?" said Kaoru, remembering back to that winter day six years gone when Kenshin had pummeled her with snowballs from above. "Have you tried looking up?"

"Up?" asked Kenji, raising his eyes.

Mom nodded.

"No. I'll try that. Thanks, Mommy," said Kenji, turning and heading back outside while Kaoru watched him go, smiling.

Kenshin watched as the door slid open and Kenji re-emerged into the backyard. This time, the boy lifted his eyes skyward and immediately saw his dad in the sakura tree. Kenshin smiled, knowing he'd been found when he saw the boy's eyes light in glad recognition.

"Found you!" called Kenji, running up the tree.

Kenshin dropped down from the tree, landing gracefully on his feet and scooped the boy into his arms.

"How'd you find me?" he laughed.

"It's a trick," said Kenji, a gleam in his eyes.

'A trick?' thought Kenshin as his eyes travelled back to the door which had slid open to reveal Kaoru standing in the entrance.

"I see," said Kensin, putting two and two together. "Your special trick was even better than mine."

Owari