Author's notes: In all truth I'm a little scared to start this fan fiction because it actually requires knowing a bit about the culture and history, which I did breeze over here and there and will continue to do so as needed but until a few weeks ago I probably knew nothing. I definitely don't find it a waste of time to learn but obviously it won't be perfect so just bear with me.

I wanted to take the risk because the character Soujiro really interested me and many have probably wondered what becomes of him after his fight with Kenshin (and like me write a fan fiction because it's never really answered) so this is simply a possible continuation of his story. I hope you enjoy it!

Obviously, credit of the show/books and his characters goes to Nobuhiro Watsuki (Duh)

Her tears were frozen to her pale cheeks as she hastened her small legs that struggled to stand against the blustering winds. More tears threaten to run down her frozen skin, but she refused to cry anymore. In fact, she was determined to not falter in her steps despite the raging blizzard facing her head on. She had long tried running through, but her small legs could barely carry her over the mass amount of snow that had accumulated on the streets. She still continued forward without let up, knowing little progress was better than not making any.

She let out a cry as her legs, in spite of all, failed her and she went plummeting into the ground and nearly disappeared into the blanket of snow. She raised her dark eyes back against the cold winds and clenched her teeth in an effort to muster up her strength to keep moving. Her ebony braids whipped around as she dared to stand and defy the piercing winds lashing against her. One braid failed to hold together having become a matted mess instead and the ribbon that had been tied to it just moments before was lost to the raging storm. The other braid was about to suffer the same outcome.

The ribbons were hardly a concern to her at the moment, however. Instead, her eyes were remained focused on the dark path before her.

Am I even going in the right direction? There's no time for this!

She was running out of time. She squinted her eyes in an effort to try and see through the darkness and blinding snow being thrust against her face. She tried looking around hopefully to see if there was any soul awake at this hour that would be willing to help her. The businesses and homes surrounding her had long closed down and left the streets completely abandoned. She felt her hope quickly diminishing.

She took a hurried step forward. "Help!" She screamed before her legs failed her once more, and she collapsed into the cold snow. The winds drowned out her cries so that if anyone did care to listen, they would have easily overlooked it as mere cries from the howling winds. For a moment, she considered giving up. She had been given specific directions to follow, and she was relying on her own memory to maneuver through a town she had barely been inside for a few days for.

Remember the Kamiya Dojo. He had spoken to her urgently. He never gave her a chance to respond. Go there for shelter. They'll take you in. I know they will. Go Koharu, now!

But she wasn't just running to save her own life. She was running to save his. He had told her to run for shelter, but she was determined to save his life too.

She forced herself back up at remembering her mission more clearly. She wasn't trying to save herself. She was trying to save him. Whether he knew it or not, his life was depending on her. She was his only hope.

She coerced her body into obeying her as she trudged onward in opposition to the blizzard winds. She could somewhat remember seeing the dojo just the day before. It had stood out from the surrounding businesses in that it had large protective walls surrounding the whole of the school. She was sure it had a sign, but all she could do was try to picture what exactly that sign had looked like due to her illiteracy. She knew she would recognize it once she saw it, she just had to find it. Tokyo was rather a large city, however, especially to a girl who had never ventured there before. She could still be going in the opposite direction, she couldn't be sure yet.

At this point, Koharu was about ready to pound on any door she managed to find and pound on it until her cries for help were answered. Before she was going to take such drastic measures, however, she turned the street and was finally able to spot the dojo. She would not have been able to spot it from so far away if it weren't for the glass lanterns protecting the precious flame on the inside and illuminating the way for her. They hung high on the main entrance of the dojo where she recognized the characters on the sign from being able to gaze upon them earlier just the previous day. She didn't care to question how and why they were still lit at this hour. They were her beacon of hope. At the sight of them, she scrambled through the snow as she reached her arms out to be that much closer to her destination.

After what took too long to reach them, she had her fists raised and fell against the door as she slammed her fists against the massive door. "Help! Someone please!" Her cries started to come out as desperate sobs. "Answer me! Please, I need help!" He could be dead already and the people on the other side were no closer to hearing her. "Hel-" her voice broke at her strenuous efforts to be heard. When her voice already started giving out on her, she started thrusting her shoulder in the door to somehow push it open. The door never gave. She let out a sob as her frozen tears fell upon the snow and her palms slide hopelessly down the door. "Please..." She cried softly as she managed to throw one last desperate punch into the door.

Knowing that she had failed, she regretted ever leaving his side. She had only left it because she thought she could save him. "I'm so sorry," she cried softly. She was angry that he had made her leave him like that. That he would even think she would leave him to die to save herself. She felt like that's exactly what she had done. "Baka!" She hugged her arms as she fell over her knees at the mercy of the storm. At this point, her ebony hair had fallen completely from its braids they were usually in and her hair was now being whipped savagedly around her face.

Her forehead was against the wooden door when to her sudden surprise, it opened. More light was shone upon her, but she was still in such disbelief that her cries had actually been heard. She finally risked looking up and saw that it was a man with red hair and a scar on his left cheek that was to be her savior. He was holding out another lantern so to be able to gaze more clearly on the intruder. His apprehensive face was quickly replaced with one of sympathy at the sight of the petrified child before him. Despite the battle scar on his face, everything about his appearance seemed heartwarming and filled her heart with new hope.

He at once knelt down to her with the lantern held high enough to see her face riddled with her tears. "What are you doing at this hour? Where are you parents?" Even as he spoke with compassion, he took the wrap he had on and wrapped it around her shivering body. Koharu was still trying to grasp the concept that her cries for help had been heard. Immediately, when he took off his wrap, her eyes fell upon the sword he happened to be wearing. Maybe not all hope was loss. She raised her eyes to meet his kind, violet eyes sparkling from the lantern he carried. "Please! It's my brother. I think he's about to die unless he gets help."

"Your brother?"

She nodded as she got back to her feet. "Bring your sword. There's no time to waste!"

-Late Summer, Early Autumn of that year-

Seta Soujiro kept his head down as he made his way through the streets of Kyoto. The sun was just now setting with dark clouds approaching in the distance. Looks like rain, he thought to himself as he watched the surrounding market start to close down their shops for the day. Despite the closing hours, the streets were still bustling with people trying to get their last minute shopping in.

Usually he would avoid entering such large cities, seeing how he wasn't exactly on the good side of the law, but events of the past few weeks have led him to take the risk just this once. Someone was following him. Even now, through the bustling streets of Kyoto, he could feel their presence. He almost felt like they were trying to corner him, somehow lead him somewhere before revealing himself.

He had first felt their presence in a rural village he was passing through. Instead of revealing he was aware of their presence, he had carried on in his peaceful activities in the village. He had only entered the village to find shelter from a storm and use what little money he had to splurge on a hot meal. He had then calmly left the village and continued his journey through the wilderness as a rurouni. He had thought then the stalker would reveal himself then since he would be alone.

When a few days had passed and the perpetrator still hadn't revealed himself, Soujiro finally revealed openly he was aware of their presence. He was walking through a dense part of the forest in the dead of night before he finally came to a halt. With his usual Tenken smile, he spoke loud enough to be heard by whoever was pervading the air with their presence. "You can come out now." He had slowly turned while raising his arms, his smile never wavering. "I'm unarmed, but I guess you knew that. You've been following me long enough. What exactly are you waiting for?" When silence had been the only response, he dropped his arms to his side with a sigh. "I see. You're waiting for something. Though, I don't know what that could possibly be. I've been without my sword for months. I may be a little rusty. Now would be the time to strike, would it not? Or maybe..." he turned around and slowly continued walking, "You don't want to have such an easy target. I guess I'll have to change that. But I'm a little offended you won't even try to face me."

So off he had been to hunt down a new sword. Of course, the chances of coming upon any sword in the wilderness was slim. So he felt he had no choice but to head into a larger city. Sure, there would be blacksmiths dwelling in the more rural villages, but that would entail being able to buy one. He didn't have the funds to buy a sword out right and while he wasn't exactly on the good side of the law, it did bother his conscience to a degree to attack a blacksmith and steal his hard earned work and means to live. It wasn't exactly the kind of criminal he was or ever had been... Not that being an assassin was that much better. So he was motivated to obtain a sword by different means.

Soujiro was not too worried about being recognized in the crowd by anyone, not even by a government official. Many might have heard his feared name, Teken, or even, Teken no Soujiro, but they didn't know the face the name belonged to. He was still so young and many could mistaken him to be younger than he actually was. He had been broken by Himura Kenshin, but he still hid much anger and frustration behind that smile, which only further serve to add to his look of innocence. No one would ever guess he was cold-blooded assassin walking freely among them.

For that reason, he had easily concluded that whoever had been tracking him had to know exactly who he was, and Soujiro would know them. If someone was simply paid to kill him off, they would have just done it already. This person was holding off. Soujiro had narrowed it down to it being one of the former members of the Juppongatana, the elite warriors once assembled and commanded by Shishio. An elite force Soujiro had once help lead and been apart of. Hardly anyone else knew of his true identity, nor had more reason to come after him. He was the only one of the Juppongatana, after all, that had not been killed or employed by the government as the only means to continue living and doing what they know best. They were working for the very people they were sent out to destroy. They must have resented the fact that Soujiro was still wandering freely. They probably had revealed what they could about the Teken to their former enemy. Now, Soujiro was the one being hunted.

One thing Soujiro still didn't understand is why they haven't attacked or even revealed themselves to him, especially when he was at his most vulnerable. They had more reason to want to take him down than the average hired assassin, who would have just done it already. Even if they weren't allowed to kill him, they were surely allowed to cause him harm. Whatever the reason, it was becoming obvious to Soujiro that he would need to obtain a sword if he were to put an end to this, once and for all. He was as confident as ever in his abilities to take down his new enemies, even if they had once fought on the same side.

He smirked when he saw his chance at obtaining his new sword. Straight ahead was a policeman bearing such a sword that would serve its use for him. The policeman was patrolling the streets and paying close attention to the closing shops and any suspicious activity within the crowd to make sure no criminals would take advantage of the business owners while they had their backs turned and counting their money for the day. Just as the policeman turned his attention from a certain shop to focus on the crowd ahead, he plowed into the Teken, nearly falling over his small frame.

"Watch it, brat!" He yelled impatiently. From his taller height and barely paying Soujiro another glance, he easily mistaken him to be a wandering child.

"Oh sorry! How clumsy of me." Soujiro smiled innocently as the policeman shoved him aside. Soujiro pulled from his sleeve a coin pouch and gave the bag a shake so all the coins inside chimed against each other. "I hope you weren't looking to buy some last minute groceries." He had never pick pocketed anyone before, despite how easily it came to him. He never had a reason to while working for Shishio.

Even at the sound of the coins chiming against each other, the policeman knew what had been done. Usually policemen were not such a target considering the consequences if one were caught stealing from them, let alone a sword bearing policeman. He could hardly believe someone dared to steal from him. He was infuriated as he whirled around to see the boy still smiling before him like he had done no wrong.

Soujiro's eyes narrowed deviously as he tossed the coins in the air and caught them again before stuffing it in his pocket. "You want it back? You'll have to catch me."

"Baka! Do you know who you're dealing with? "

"Clearly, someone who's incompetent. Tell me, how can you feel like you're doing a service to these people when I can steal from right under your nose? Did I mentioned it's my first time? Says a lot about your skills as a policeman if you ask me." He spoke in his usual cheery tone of voice.

The policeman already had his hand on the hilt of his sword. "You're going to regret-" he swiftly drew his sword only to strike nothing but the air. Soujiro had dodged the attack by what looked to just be a simple side step. He immediately followed it by stepping on the blade that had been thrust out beside him and jumped. He briefly grabbed the man's shoulders to complete his flip and landed behind the man. The policeman whirled around clumsily and for a moment, lost all sense of direction. He heard giggling from behind and darted his eyes behind to see it came from two women dressed in kimonos trying to hide their giggling behind their fans.

"What are you looking at? "

The two girls halted their giggling and continued about their business by walking in the opposite direction. By the time the policeman turned his attention back to Soujiro, he was nearly lost in the bustling crowd of people.

"Hey you, boy! Stop right there!" He hollered as he shoved people aside in an effort to not lose sight of Soujiro.

Soujiro looked over his shoulder and slowed to a stop when he saw how far he managed to out run the man already. He knew he could do so easily, but that had obviously not been the goal. He thought he had been going easy on the guy. He sighed in annoyance as he folded his arms behind his head and leaned against the wall behind him.

"Stop that boy! " He heard the policeman shout from down the street.

An elderly man carrying a basket of his merchandise into his home from the booth out front paused when he noticed Soujiro standing close by. Soujiro felt his stare and shifted his eyes to meet his gaze.

"Konnichiwa! " Soujiro greeted with a smiled.

The elderly man looked down the street where the policeman was pushing through the crowd and then back at Soujiro.

"Are you the one he's after?" The old man asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah." Soujiro stood straight and held the coin pouch up. "I stole this from him. I'm just waiting for him to catch up."

The man could only stare with his bushy eyebrows raised, as if waiting to hear if it were all somehow a joke. Soujiro was hardly acting like your average thief. "Well, I should get going. Sayounara!" He yelled leaving the bilwildered old man behind.

Soujiro turned and started cutting between alley ways to lure the policeman away from the main street. He was careful to at least stay in the policeman's line of sight before cutting across the allies. Finally, when Soujiro felt he had removed both himself and the policeman from the bustling streets, he turned one last corner that cut into the darkest part of the alley streets.

"You little brat! I'm going to sever those hands of yours and I'll be well within my right to do so!" He unsheath his sword as he turned the last corner Soujiro last disappeared behind of. The policeman turned the corner and found himself in a four way cross intersection of the alley, none connecting to the main streets of Kyoto.

At this point, the sun had long set and the dark clouds were about settled over the whole of the city. The city allies were about as dark as they could be at that point. The policeman was far from thinking he had been lured into such a place for a reason. Naturally, when he finished turning the corner, Soujiro was nowhere to be seen. The policeman did a full 360 as he gazed down each alley way carefully, his sword kept raised. "You coward! Show yourself!"

Immediately after he spoke, he recognized the sound of coins being tossed, but couldn't pinpoint where the sound was coming from right away.

"I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this, "Soujiro's voice could be heard. "There's hardly anything in here. "

At once, the policeman looked above him and found Soujiro sitting on the window sill of an abandoned home on the second story. His leg was swinging casually back and forth as he tossed the coins one by one back in the pouch.

"You committed a crime, boy... Against a policeman at that. "

Soujiro rolled his eyes and sat up to better face the man. "First of all, stop calling me boy. I'm almost twenty. Second, I've committed worse against higher officials. "

"Get down here and answer for you crimes! " He had heard enough of what he thought were lies. To his eyes, Soujiro looked no older than fourteen.

Soujiro was also getting bored and felt he had fooled around long enough with the policeman. He had other matters that were pressing and now he was just wasting time. He stood holding until the side of the window and held the coin pouch out. "All right. Here's your purse back."

He acted like he was simply going to toss the pouch but at last second and almost too quickly for the eye to see, he tightened his hold on the pouch and thrust it forward. The policeman had barely been able to blink before the coin pouch struck his face. Coins could be heard striking against bone as the man clutched his face and his eyes watered from the seething pain. By the time he managed to look back up, he was met with Soujiro's foot striking his chest. The force catapulted the policeman back against the closest wall as Soujiro landed with grace before the fallen man. Metal was heard clattering to the ground before Soujiro focus his gaze on the fallen sword before him. He slowly knelt down before the sword and slowly cradled it in his hand. He stood holding the blade before him and decided to practice a few swings to test the weight and feel of the sword.

"It will have to do, I suppose. "

He turned to face the policeman when he heard him grunting in effort as he tried to stand and recover from Soujiro's blow to the chest. It was clear Soujiro had managed to knock the air out of him by his inability to even stand on his knees. It was also becoming clear to him what Soujiro had been up to this whole time. "Who are you?" He softly wheezed.

Soujiro smiled as he approached the policeman cowering on the ground before him. "I'm the last thing you're ever going to see." He struck the sword against the ground sending sparks soaring towards the man before he raised the weapon to deal the death blow. "It's the strong who live and the weak who die," he smiled sadistically, his eyes widening with anticipation to spill the man's blood.

The man was cornered. He no longer was seeing the weak, foolish boy he had first judged him to be. He had hardly seem capable at first of being able to stand up in your average street fight and now he was about to be murdered by him with his own sword. Soujiro was a killer, a psychopath from what the man was putting together all too late. "No wait! Just take the sword and go. You can have it!"

Soujiro brought his sword down in such a way to decapitate the man as he screamed for his life and fell to his side in an effort to dodge the attack. Sparks showered the man and singed his garments from the force of Soujiro's strike. A moment later, the man could be seen flat on his side against the wall...cringing. After he realized he was still breathing and that his neck was still intact, he risked opening his eyes and glanced up at Soujiro.

Soujiro was still standing in the ending stance of his attack, panting softly. The lust to spill blood had completely left his eyes, and instead, was replace with hurt and confusion, even sadness.

The man then turned his attention to the wall above him and coward at the scar carved into it by Soujiro's attack. "Did you...miss?"

Soujiro narrowed his eyes and lunged at the man, clutching his throat while setting the blade across to slit his throat. Just before he was going to follow through with the action, Himura Kenshin's words flashed back in his mind.

If its not too late now, couldn't you make a fresh start? If winning and being strong makes you right, then it's Shishio you should believe. But if you could find truth by fighting once or twice, everyone's way of living would be right.

Soujiro shook his head in confusion. But am I weak if I can't even kill this man? He thought. I'm not Kenshin. The truth I discover on my own doesn't have to be the same truth he believes in. But even now I'm still allowing Shishio's principles to guide my actions.

"I don't know what to do... " He whispered as the sword slipped from his grasp. He was frozen in place as the sword clanged against the ground. I'd be a coward... Weak... If I turned and ran now.

The policeman saw his chance and drove his elbow down on Soujiro 's arm still connected to his throat and broke through Soujiro's grasp. He grabbed hold of Soujiro's shoulders and kneed him in the stomach and was satisfied to hear the boy choke out a cry. He followed the action by swinging a right hook to his jaw that knocked him against his side on the ground. He was surprised how easily he overcame Soujiro just now and was all the more angry he had allowed the boy to threaten him. He turned his attention to his sword Soujiro had dropped and picked up the sword before turning to face him one last time. Soujiro's eyes were half closed as he lay in a vulnerable state and seemed oblivious of the policemen's intent for him.

"Unlike you, boy, I won't hold back. You might have been able to make a fool of me, but I know now that you really are as weak as you look. "

At hearing those words, Soujiro's eyes snapped wide open. He pushed himself off the ground to throw himself on his back as the blade of the sword struck just where he was before. He threw a roundhouse kick at the base of the blade, knocking it from the man's grasp and was on his feet when he grabbed the hilt of the blade in mid air. "I am not," he slashed the katana down the man's torso, "weak!"

Again, what the policeman thought he knew of Soujiro was completely wrong, and this time, his assumptions cost him his life. He wheezed out his last breath before he fell forward to his death. There was no triumphant smile upon Soujiro's face, however. For a moment, he just stared at the corpse before him, his eyes burning with anger, but quickly succumbing to utter confusion.

At the crack of thunder, Soujiro felt his knees give away and fell upon them still gripping the sword at his side. He was reminded why he had not picked up a sword since his fight with Himura Kenshin. He was feeling all these emotions at once like he had when he had fought Kenshin. Kenshin had proven to Soujiro that he was stronger and was able to defeat Soujiro without killing him, while Soujiro had not planned to show the same mercy in return if he would have been victorious. Kenshin had spared Soujiro, however, and encouraged this journey to discover the truth for himself. He had said being the strongest did not matter to him.

If winning and being strong makes you right, then it's Shishio you should believe.

He's sworn off of killing, yet he defeated me. He should have just killed me. I deserved it for being the weaker one. Yet, even though he's stronger, he said none of that mattered.

"Damn it! I don't understand. Why am I feeling this way?" He clutched his bangs in frustration. Is this guilt? Regret? Should this have had a different outcome? Could I have handled it differently even though my life was in danger? No, I acted in anger.

He touched his face as he felt warm tears start to flow like they had done when Kenshin shattered everything Soujiro had been led to believe for most his life. He didn't know why he cried. He knew it wasn't exactly that he felt sorry for the policeman, but that he had taken another life,. Sorrow, regret or guilt, he didn't know. He had suppressed his emotions for so long he didn't even know how to categorize them properly.

Soujiro suddenly became alert to another's presence and secured his grip on his sword. He whirled around on his knees and raised the sword in defense in time to catch another's blade against his.

"Konnichiwa, Teken no Soujiro, "the intruder mocked.

"Sawagejo Cho. You're the one that's been following me." Soujiro was right to assume it be someone of the former Juppongatana. "What do you want?"

Cho relaxed his grip on his sword and rested both the katanas he usually fought with on each of his shoulders. Soujiro kept his sword raised on guard.

"I had heard the Battousai had broken you. I didn't really believe it until now. You're a mess."

Soujiro said nothing in response to the comment, but lowered his sword as he stood to his feet. Instead, he asked the question he had been wondering for weeks now. "What do you want? Why did you wait until now to reveal yourself?"

"Don't think I didn't want to. I'm just following orders."

"Whose orders?"

"Don't play dumb, Seta. You know you're the only one of the Juppongatana who hasn't been caught. What do you think the rest of us have been doing? Taking it easy like you? "

"Answer the question, Cho."

"You're a wanted man and happen to be the one they're most interested in. Shishio shared details with you he never revealed to us. Since we couldn't give enough of what they wanted to know about Shishio, we told them everything about you. That includes Henya, Kamatari, even Anji. Even then, they think we're just making you up."

"So you were sent after me to take me in? " Soujiro asked in disbelief. "That's not likely to happen."

"Oh I don't need to defeat you. "

Soujiro raised his brow suspiciously and tightened his hold on his sword.

"They want me to prove that you really are the one and only Teken. You've clearly been broken, Seta, but if you wish to live, you have to become the Teken you once were before," Cho lowered both of his katanas as he spoke. "I hope the Battousai hasn't broken you beyond repair. Your life is going to depend on it." At that, he lunged with both katanas raised to strike.

Soujiro responded quickly by raising his sword in defense and allowing Cho's power attack to fall against his blade. In response, Soujiro's feet skid across the ground, but his stance remained strong as he was able to absorb the full force of the attack. He managed to thrust both blades off his own. Cho followed with another series of fluid strikes at which Soujiro blocked with ease. Cho even tried fooling him several times by making Soujiro block one sword attack so the other sword could make the fatal blow. None of it worked. Soujiro was as good as ever at reading his attacks and if Soujiro was forced to turn his back on his opponent, he would raise his sword swiftly to protect his back without ever glancing over his shoulder.

"That's good, Seta. But all you're doing is merely defending yourself. If you wish to defeat me, you actually have to fight back! " He lashed his attacks out more violently in an effort to get Soujiro to fight back. "Can you not even beat me? You were supposed to be the best out of all is us!"

Soujiro said nothing in response and only continued to parry off Cho's predictable attacks.

"Use the shukuchi! You can defeat me then, can't you? Do it! " He yelled, getting rather impatient.

Soujiro didn't doubt his skills to defeat Cho, but clearly someone else was watching and Soujiro was afraid to reveal too much.

Unfortunately, Cho had long learned what got underneath his skin and used that to his advantage in an effort to bring the true Teken out. "The Battousai weakened you immensely, hasn't he? Have you really forgotten everything Shishio taught you? Was it for nothing? Have you adopted the ways of the Battousai instead?"

Soujiro let out a growl as he suddenly lunged for an attack and hastily relieved Cho of one of his katanas. His eyes were quickly becoming the cold, murderous ones they were before. "I am nothing like Himura Kenshin!" He began to tap his foot against the ground as he began to show the true Teken smile he was known for. "You want to see the shukuchi? Fine!" His foot only tapped the ground once more before he disappeared before Cho.

Cho had never personally witnessed this special skill the Teken was known for. He just knew if he got him to show it, there would be no ounce of doubt that Soujiro was who he said he was. The last thing he expected was to see his opponent disappear. He could hear Soujiro's footsteps and even see movement on the ground where Soujiro ran, but it happened too fast for Cho to comprehend. Before he could blink, Soujiro swiftly lunged from behind and struck Cho down his back like he had once done with Himura. By the time Soujiro was visible to the human eye, he was in his finishing stance, almost bowed towards the earth and his blade set at an angle beside him on the ground from where the attack ended.

Cho stood for a few more seconds before he collapsed on his knees and then fell flat on his face. He was not dead. Soujiro still needed answers so he had gone rather easy on him. He had professed he was going to implement the full shukuchi, but in fact, it was three steps short of the true shukuchi. It was all Soujiro dared to reveal at this moment.

"Who sent you after me, Cho? " Soujiro demanded.

Cho responded with a pathetic whimper as he feebly clutched his sword in some last desperate attempt to fight back. Soujiro stepped forward and kicked his last blade out of reach then followed the action by kicking Cho's head so it struck the ground with a sickening thud. He then thrust his foot into Cho's wounded back. "Answer me!" Cho craned his head back as he hollered in pain in response to the torture. Soujiro raised his blade about to thrust another strike in an effort to get him to talk.

"That's enough, Seta, " a new voice entered the scene. "You have spilled enough blood today."

Soujiro turned his gaze behind him to see a man around his forties, dressed in formal military attire now invading the scene. He emerged from the darkness of the shadows after having watched the fight, no doubt, from within one of the abandoned buildings surrounding the block. The man stood tall and proud, especially to approach Soujiro so calmly after all he witnessed. "Forgive me for just now revealing myself to you. I had to make sure you really were this Teken before making my presence known. I'm Yamagata Aritomo, Lord of the Imperial Meiji Army."

Soujiro remained silent. He knew he had been played into revealing one of his techniques, but in a way, he felt he had no choice. He was getting no where with Cho and wanted to see an end to being tracked by him. Soujiro felt confident if anything from here on out went wrong, he could get away and manage to not be tracked at all anymore. Nonetheless, he was not about to grace this man with a formal greeting.

Lord Aritomo decided to continue. "As Cho mentioned, you're a wanted man but I have no plan on taking you in as of now."

"Is that so?" Soujiro risked speaking.

"Haven't you wondered why little notice has been sent out to have you captured? "

" Hardly. Even you know I can't be caught. It's why you came alone... for the most part, " he looked at Cho's limp form on the ground.

"I respect you, Seta," He said with a bow of his head. "I don't want to see these talents of yours go to waste. I wanted to make a deal with you. Forgo this life as a fugitive and come work for me."

"If I don't?" Soujiro immediately interjected.

Aritomo's face hardened as he stood straight from his bow. "You've done unspeakable things against the Meiji Government. Many are seeking to have you executed. You might be able to out run the wrong you've done for awhile longer, but sooner or later it will all eventually catch up to you. Next time, you'll be taken in by force and more likely executed. You'll have to atone for your sins one way or another. I'm giving you the chance to atone for them now without it having to cost your life. You'll work directly under my hand and you'll receive my full protection for your loyalty. You'll also be paid, of course, for your service. "

"You want me to become a soldier in the Imperial Army?" Soujiro scoffed at the idea.

"Actually, you'll be handling more delicate matters than that of the average soldier. Much like your Juppongatana friends. "

Soujiro's eyes narrowed in contempt. "So I'll be doing for you exactly what I did while working for Shishio. Tell me, how will that atone for my sins if I'm continuing just as I was before?"

"You'll be doing it in the name of justice and peace. "

Soujiro stepped forward becoming incensed that he even dare use those words now. He raised his sword threateningly. "You speak for the well of Japan, but I've seen first hand the wrong done by the Meiji and they do it in the name of peace. It's a disguise to continue oppressing the people of Japan. You justify your actions saying its in the name of peace, but it's all a lie. Shishio knew that better than anyone. He was under the government's thumb before they tried killing him off because they feared he might know too much. They probably would have done the same to the Battousai had he decided to not disappear for ten years. You expect me to fall under that trap? You speak as if Shishio was the bad guy, but in my eyes you are no different."

"Despite what you think, they fought for a better world. You have to realize Shishio and the Battousai came to us first, willingly. Your only other option is to remain a fugitive and live everyday looking over your shoulder if you turn your back on this offer, " he risked approaching the young assassin. "Even your former Juppongatana will be sent to hunt you down. Seeing how you've clearly made up your mind, I'll let you go for now." Soujiro stepped back when the man reached inside his coat. He had half expected a gun but was more perturbed when he pulled out an envelope. "This is my office address. It bears the Imperial Meiji Army signet on the inside with my signature. Show it to the guards and you'll be brought to me unharmed." He placed the envelope in Soujiro's gi. "That's if you come to your senses in time. It's better to surrender than to be caught."

He had his stern gaze fixed on Soujiro before he turned on his heel and walked in the direction he had crept out from. "Come Cho. I'm not carrying you out of here. Unless of course you want to remain alone with the Teken."

At that, Cho made an earnest effort to get to his feet and struggled for awhile to do so. Once he finally managed it, he met Soujiro's eyes one last time. "Think about it, Seta. Why should you be able to roam freely when you're no better than us? You'll pay...someday." It came across as a threat. With that, he finally continued and limped after his employer.

When Soujiro knew he was alone for good, he reached for the letter sticking out from the fold of his gi and stare at the Meiji symbol on the front for a moment.

Himura said I needed to go off and find my own truth. This certainly couldn't have been what he meant for me to do. He thought to himself. It began to rain as he hid the letter back fully within his gi so it wouldn't get wet. They say that I have to suffer the consequences of my actions sooner or later. He raised his eyes to the clouds above shedding it's tears upon him. But I feel like I already am suffering so much because of them. I'm lost; broken, no thanks to Himura. He lowered his head towards the ground as the rain began to fall in buckets upon him. He gazed upon his reflection on the blade of the sword he held. I know I need to atone for my sins... I just don't know how.