Okay people, this is the first chapter of my first ever fanfic. This is a Soujiro fic, okay? No mushy gooey romance here, got that? This chapter will feature mostly Shishio for the time being. Please RandR, but go easy on me, I'm open for some constructive criticism but remember, I'm a newbie. I'm not very sure I got my research right, so please bear with me. Lastly, I know some of the people are a little OOC, so again, please bear with me. Hope you enjoy!

Oh yeah, one more thing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, I wish, but I do not.

Chapter 1: Unfinished Business

"You've finally done it." Yumi said.

"Hmmm…"

"What's wrong...Shishio-sama?"

Shishio had taken over Hell, which is…well, was ruled by Amatsu-Mikaboshi. It had not been an easy task, it took many decades. But this time, as Shishio had predicted, was relatively easier than taking over Japan. In Hell, there were only evil people, so no one really cared who conquered them and did not fight back, because Hell could not get any worse, it was hell for Pete's sake. Shishio's only conflict was Amatsu and his demon army, but of course, Shishio had his own army. Many of Shishio's followers in his former life were already there before he, Yumi, and the others came, and soon many more followers arrived. In fact some of the evil people who did not even know Shishio before, joined him, seeing his growing army. And of course, it helped that Shishio no longer needed a 15-minute limit. After many brutal battles against Amatsu, Amatsu simply disappeared; Shishio took this as surrender, for he had gained the upper hand during the last battles. And then Shishio sat himself upon Amatsu's throne, gained incredible demonic powers, and was now the god of Hell.

"What's wrong Shishio-sama?" Yumi said again.

"I was just thinking of something…some unfinished business" Shishio replied.

"What do you mean? You have everything you ever wanted, you have your kingdom, millions of followers, and you have…me."

"That's not what I mean; I mean unfinished business back on Earth."

"Oh…that", Yumi replied in a relieved voice.

"I just can't bear the thought that the Battousai is still out there, with his bunch of merry little friends, alive!" Shishio was getting a little moody now.

You see, time on Earth did not pass as speedy as Hell. Fifty years in Hell, was only one year in Earth time.

"Well Shishio-sama, you do have those cool demonic powers now, you could just pop up there and teach Battousai a thing or two"

"You are forgetting one thing Yumi; up there I won't be as stable I am down here. It'll be like before; I wouldn't be able fight at my best, I'll have a time limit again, I want to at least surprise Battousai and make him suffer a slow death…" Shishio kept ranting on.

"Ehem!" Yumi cut Shishio short. Shishio paused

"But you do have that other power don't you?" Yumi explained

"I can see your point, but where will I find…" Shishio again, was cut short.

"Soujiro is still alive isn't he? It's only been about four years up there. I've been keeping my eye out for that boy, and believe me Shishio-sama, that brat's improved." Yumi said smugly.

"Yumi…what would I do without you?" Shishio was pleased now, pulling Yumi towards him.

And in the palace of Hell, a sinister, baleful laugh was heard.

In the forests of Japan, Soujiro was there, camping out in the cold dark night. He was in his fifth year of wandering. His physical appearance had not really changed greatly since the time in Kyoto. His face was still of a child, though he had matured a little bit. His baby blue eyes were still mesmerizing, but there was wisdom there now. His dark hair had grown, and he now kept it in a neat little ponytail. Regarding his height…well, height isn't really that important. All in all, he was still more of beautiful than handsome. But inside, Soujiro had changed dramatically. He had emotions now, not that strong yet, but it was there. Also, he was searching for his truth now; he wanted to have a purpose. In addition, he was committed to follow Himura-san's truth for the time being, while he searched for his own: The strong shall protect the weak. And this made him happy. In lame man's term, he was one of the good guys now.

But that smile was still there, although he could smile a true smile now, the emotionless, defensive smile never faltered. It was just part of his system. Even though his face was now able to show anger, sadness, etc., the smile always crept back on his face involuntarily. But it wasn't all bad, it did make getting odd jobs easier, people saw him as a good and friendly person, people who did not know who he was. Also, it still did wonders during battles.

Soujiro looked up the night sky.

"Well, it's been four years Himura-san." Soujiro said to himself

"I wonder what new adventures I'll be having this year." Soujiro smiled, and then abruptly stopped.

Soujiro rose quickly, putting his hand on his sheath. He had felt a strange aura, menacing and ominous, yet somehow eager.

"Who's there?" demanded Soujiro, calmly yet still holding a firm voice.

Soujiro then realized that this aura was somehow familiar. There was something behind it though, something he could not put his finger on, there was something terrible behind this sensation. Then he gasped, he had recognized this aura. But it was impossible, how could this be possible!? He felt overjoyed, at the same time incredibly horrified.

"Shi…Shishio-sama?" Soujiro muttered incoherently.

A dark figure appeared behind the trees.

"I'm glad you still remember me…Soujiro"