The day started out like any other day. Kenshin doing the housework, Yahiko doing his sword practice and
Sanosuke loafing around. Kaoru walks out the dojo door smiling. She looks over at Kenshin.
"Isn't it a wonderful day kenshin?"
"Oh yes Kaoru a perfect day for fishing I will go as soon as I'm done with my chores."
Suddenly Sanosuke pops up.
"Kenshin r u going fishing? Um.... Kaoru can I stay for lunch? My tab at they akabeka is getting
pretty high."
Kaoru looks over with annoyance in her eyes, at the pleading Sano.
"Fine u can stay but u have to chop some wood. There will be no free meals when there is work to
do."
Sano looks down glumly.
"I didn't want to work for it, I just wanted a free meal."
As Sanosuke walks off glumly out back looks over and heads toward yahiko.
"Hey Yahiko y don't we get some practicing done together before lunch?"
Yahiko looks blankly for a sec...
"Now why would I want to see a ugly face like yours before I eat. I at least want to keep my food
when I eat it."
Kaoru thought," insolent little whelp"
"Yahiko how could you say something like that to your sensei?"
"Easy just tell the truth."
As Kaoru and Yahiko argue kenshin walks into the shed and fetches the fishing pole. As he walks out he
looks over at Kaoru's and Yahiko's verbal battle with a blank stare and slowly but surely starts to creep to
the door, in order not to get caught in the battle.
Soon Kenshin was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip.
"Sigh my it's a slow day for fishing."
Suddenly Kenshin felt another presence nearby from the acute senses he got from fighting in the mejii
restoration. He puts his left hand on his Sakebato in preparation for a attack. A slight breeze blows by and a
moment passes and the presence is gone. Kenshin relaxes but makes a mental note of it. He looks up just in
time to see his bobber go down.
"Oro?"
Kenshin is then pulled down the river bank by his catch.
Later that day all four of them r enjoying a small bass the size of a shoe.
"Kenshin this is all u could catch? Kaoru looks over disappointedly at Kenshin"
Kenshin just looks sheepishly at Kaoru. Suddenly Yahiko looks up from his bowl.
"Yo ugly u better stop yelling at Kenshin and start eating or Sanosuke is going to eat it all."
They all look over at Sano and see him eating and stuffing his face with as much fish as possible. He looks
up to see all of there faces.
"What?"
Outside the house a ominous shadow lurks on a tree branch. Watching the commotion that has started
down below. Watching and hearing screams and a woman's voice yelling. A smirk appears through the
gloom of the night. and in a instant the man disappears.
Sanosuke scrambles out the door and turns the corner to avoid a flying pot and pan. Suddenly Kenshin
appears behind him.
"Sano have u felt it?"
"Felt what? the wind on that pot that almost clocked me?"
"No the feeling that we r being watched."
"Yeah I have for the last four days. No good Baka ru. They should just come out of hiding."
"Just keep your eyes open and watch out for anything suspicions."
And with that kenshin goes back into the house and sits down to eat what's left of the fish. He realizes
that it has all been eating except for the bones.....
"Oro??"
And then tips over.
Sano just walks out the entrance and walks home mumbling about how he didn't get enough to eat.
The next day.
Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko r coming back from the market, with Sanosuke trailing behind
complaining and pleading to be fed, and kenshin caring a brick tofu. Then as they come around the bend in
the walk they start to see smoke. Kaoru screams.
"Oh my god. It's coming from our house."
They all rush and start to run to the house. When they reach the house there is a big smoldering whole
in the side of the cement wall. when they walk in. they see the house with broken paper siding and doors
and torn sheets...
"What the hell happened here. "
yells yahiko.
Kaoru just slumps down on her knees and legs and looks blankly at the house. Just then there is a
movement and there is a yell.
"Die Battousai!!"
Three men were in mid air with swords drawn. Kenshin jumps up. Wack, wack, wack. All three
attackers were on the ground holding there sides. Kenshin gently drops down right in the middle of the
three. Kenshin just stares at the house.
"U can come out now and stop hiding."
A voice comes from behind the house.
"Hahahaha. I should have known the famous Battousai would know we were hear.
And with that thirteen men step from behind the house. It was a man in simple brown clothes with a sword
at his side. with Brown hair .Kenshin just stood there unmoving like he had known how many there were
already."
"Y did u do this?"
The man looked as if he was contemplating the answer.
"U will have to find that out in due time. Oh yes. We are only here to pick up one thing, and one
thing only."
He points a hand solidly on Kaoru. This time it was Sano to speak.
"Aho! Do really think u can just come in whenever u damn well please and just take Kaoru?"
The man just looks at Sanosuke as if he were just something in his way.
"Oh no that's why I brought three of my Best people. I would like to introduce Shin my captain."
Shin was a man with bright red clothes and black dark hair.
"Japu."
He wore green clothes and had blue hair.
"And of course, Garu."
Garu was a small man that came up to Kenshin's shoulder. He wore yellow clothes and had red hair like
Kenshin's. Kenshin still stood there unmoving.
"And what is your name? For the man who orchestrated this whole thing."
"Oh my name? My name is Hakero."
Kenshin's eyes widen.
"HAKERO!!"
The man just stood there with a smile on his face.
"I'm glad you've remembered me. I would have been worried if u had forgotten about me."
"I thought u were dead."
"Yes well as u can see I'm not. Well enough chit chat. Shin!"
"Yes my lord? How may I serve you?"
"I'm leaving now. Take the girl and bring her to out place."
"Yes sir."
Then the man casually walked out the door. This is when Sanosuke leaped out.
"Where the hell do you think you are going? Your going to stay right here."
Sanosuke was running towards Hakero when suddenly Japu ran in front of him and punched him in the
stomach. Then Japu took out a dagger and stabbed Sanosuke in both arms.
"Sano!!!!"
Kenshin rushed over to where Sano was laying unconscious from the punch in the stomachs. When kenshin
looks back up Shin had Kaoru over his shoulder. And Yahiko had been tied up and was being held by Shin
as well.. Shin just looks calmly at kenshin.
"U can do either of two things. You can either follow us or you can help your bleeding friend over
there. It's your choice."
Kenshin just stares at Shin with flames in his eyes, and watches Shin and all the men walk off with Kaoru
and Yahiko. Then he picks up Sano to take him to Megumi's to treat his wounds.

TO BE CONTINUED........