Summary: Set five years after the last volume of RK, Sanosuke finally returns to Japan to find a dying Kenshin, a depressed Kaoru and a matured Yahiko not to mention the chance to settle an old score once and for all. Not a happy fic!

Rating: M to be safe

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Rurouni Kenshin…if I did there would be some hot yaoi going on throughout the series _ They belong to the wonderful Nobuhiro Watsuki! Also, I refuse to use Japanese in my fics, I know some writers do it and that's fine, not judging it, I just don't want to, except for Ahou because really, ahou sounds so much better than moron and special attacks, other than that, straight up English woot woot XD

Chapter One: There and Back Again

Since that fateful night five years ago, when Sanosuke had been force to flee on an old dingy, he hadn't looked back. There were a lot of things left unfulfilled in Japan; his family, his friends, Saito…but because of his run in with Tani, he wasn't safe here anymore. If the police found him he would be locked up forever, and for a free spirit such as he, being locked away was worse than death. He never even had a chance to explain things to Kenshin and the others, he just had to high tail it out of there. So, he got himself out of Tokyo and to Osaka, where he smuggled himself on board a large ship. Sanosuke didn't know where it was headed, it could be going nowhere for all he cared, but eventually the ship left port and Sanosuke was on the high seas. The ship was full of European tourists, most of whom wished to engage him in conversation, getting the last bit of Japanese culture before they returned to their industrial cities. Sanosuke indulged them some days, others he was quiet, far more quiet than any of his friends would believe him capable of. Endlessly the ship went on and every day Sanosuke could be seen at the stern, looking out at the vast waters in the direction they came from. Yes he had regrets, but it wasn't remorse that had him standing there day after day, no, Sanosuke was just bidding his home farewell before chasing after the horizon.

The ship's final resting place was Germany and Sanosuke was thrust into an unfamiliar world. The German language sounded harsh to his ears and he couldn't understand a single word. Those first few nights saw him pantomiming for the simplest of things, a place to stay, a place to get food, work…and the Germans were amused by him for Sanosuke lost none of his previous spunk. Words were of no avail to him, but that didn't stop him from stopping in front of various couples seated outside restaurants and holding out his hand in a silent demand for food. Most were entertained by his brazen approach and as such he received a reward for his efforts, other times he was cursed at roughly and dismissed by threat of police, the first German word he learned. Everything was modernized compared to Japan, which was still in the stages of shaking its antiquated past from its shoulders. The engineers in this country were the best in the world at the time and Sanosuke saw many things which he couldn't have imagined.

But the novelty wore off; Sanosuke would not have felt at home here, so he began to travel once more. He wandered all over Europe and in the course of three years he had seen it all. So he headed to the east once more and eventually found himself in China. Here was a language similar to his own tongue and he managed to catch on easily enough. Sanosuke made a life for himself in the mountains around Shanghai. The people who knew of him knew him as a respectable young man, one who knew his way about the world, educated even. Their opinions would have made him laugh, though it was true that the man he was in Japan had been left far behind him. He was wiser, his brash attitude replaced by one more calm and calculated and his endless nights of gambling and drinking had been replaced by serious training. His hands, never the same after the use of the futae no kiwami, learned to wield a spear, reminding him of his old Zanbato but far more practical.

In this way, five years passed and Sanosuke, never the type of man to be sentimental, began to think about home. "Heh, wonder what everyone is up to?" he asked himself one night. He was sitting outside his small hut, a ragged cloak wrapped around his bare shoulders to fight off the chill of the evening. The stars were shining brightly, reminding him of the night before the assault on Makoto Shishio. Thinking about Shishio inevitably led Sanosuke to think about Saito. Hajime Saito, former squad leader of the Shinsengumi…hard to believe Sanosuke actually harbored feelings for the bastard back then. Looking back he decided that it had been more admiration than actual feelings. Kenshin was powerful no doubt, but Saito was in a class by himself. Where Kenshin wished for peace and happiness, Saito still lived as though he were caught in the midst of the Revolution. He was still a wolf in every way and to Sanosuke, he was a goal to surpass. He'd never been able to beat Saito in a fight, not even close, always chasing after him and through that passing previous limitations and growing stronger. Somewhere along the way, when he was in Kyoto and waiting for Kenshin to get to the police station, Sanosuke started to feel something more for Saito. Now he blamed it on boredom, being cooped up in an office with nothing but Saito for company was bound to make his mind wander to dangerous territory. Indeed, thinking about Saito now wasn't painful like it was when he first left Japan, it just left him amused that he'd been that stupid to fall for a man like him.

"He's probably the same as ever," he chuckled. Sanosuke stood up and entered the hut as the wind began to pick up. He cast off the cloak and got under the blankets he made from animal pelts. These days he never had trouble sleeping, but he wasn't tired tonight. He kept seeing them in his mind…Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Megumi, Saito…even Misao and Aoshi who really were allies more than friends. Five years was a long time…surely the police would have stopped looking for him by now. So what? Go back? Sanosuke didn't plan on ever going back…at least not until a very long time had passed. He still had much of the world to see, he wanted to cross the ocean to the States, he wanted to perfect his training…and yet, now that he thought about going back to Japan the idea just wouldn't leave his mind. He wanted to see them again. So he would carry on with his plan. He grinned, the teenager from years past reemerging on his features. "Can't wait to see their faces," he whispered, just imagining the shock that would overcome them all.


The next morning, Sanosuke walked to the outskirts of Shanghai and approached a small but well built house. He knocked twice on the door and then opened it. "Oy! Old Man!" he shouted.

There was a muffled curse and a curtain was pushed aside to reveal an old man wearing a robe. He was bony and stooped, his eyes going milky white with blindness and his hair was almost entirely gone. He saw who it was and shook his wrinkled head. "Sagara…you should know better than to start an elderly chap such as myself," the old man chastised, humor coloring his tone.

"I save all my rudeness for you, Li," Sanosuke replied with a wink, sitting down in an old chair.

Li chortled and waved a hand. "I'm honored," he said. "What can I help you with so early in the morning?"

"I need to get on a ship for Japan," Sanosuke said.

Li's scraggly eyebrows rose a notch. "Japan?" he repeated. "I thought you had left that place behind?"

Sanosuke crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "I thought I did to, but you know how we youngsters are…get an idea in our heads and we just have to see it through," he grinned.

"Hmm well I did say I would repay you for your help," Li mused. "But I am going to miss you, my boy."

"Heh, yeah, yeah…save your sentiments Old Man, you say that to everyone who passes through here," Sanosuke replied.

Li chuckled and shuffled over to a shelf full of books. He took one of the bigger volumes from its place and opened it, revealing a stack of crushed bills. He counted them out slowly, squinting at them and then handed them to Sanosuke. "That should be enough for a ticket," he said. Sanosuke carefully put the money into his bag and stood up, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

"Thanks Li," he said, bowing to the old man. Li waved off his formality. "Go on, get out of here," he said. Sanosuke straightened and flashed the man a brilliant grin, nodding. "See ya," he said, though they both knew that their time together was at an end. Sanosuke had first met Li when the old man had been in the forest. He ran into a spot of trouble with some local thieves and Sanosuke had beaten them off with ease, earning the old man's thanks and a promise to be repaid. Sanosuke hated to have to ask Li of anything, he hadn't helped him in the hopes of getting something in return, but as he had no money…big surprise, he needed some way of getting on a ship home.


Fate was shining on him that day. There was a ship bound for Osaka that he managed to get on board. He entered his cabin, one of the shoddier ones as the best were taken and he didn't have the expenses for luxury anyway, nor did he want it, and saw a cracked mirror on the wall. Sanosuke looked into it, startled by his own reflection. He hadn't seen his appearance for some time now. His hair hung to his shoulders messily, his red headband keeping his bangs at bay as it always did, but his hair no longer stuck out in all different directions. The locks were too long and heavy to defy gravity. Light stubble covered his cheeks and chin making him look a few years older than he actually was. His clothing was blessedly familiar. Though no longer wearing white, his outfit resembled that which he wore before he left Japan, only it was black now with red trim. The sign for evil still covered the back. He was bigger now as well, still more lean than bulky but his muscles had definitely gained some mass during his training.

He ran a hand through his long hair. "Sheesh, wonder if anyone will even recognize me," he muttered. He shrugged and turned away from the mirror, flopping down on the hard bed and relaxing.

He was used to long travel periods and compared to some of his other trips, the one from Shanghai to Osaka was nothing. For the last hour Sanosuke hadn't moved from the bow of the ship, watching as Japan became clearer and clearer. His heart beat against his chest and a strange giddiness stole over him as he watched Osaka loom ever closer. He'd only been here once before, when he, Kenshin and Saito came to stop Shishio's Purgatory but it was still so familiar. The ship finally pulled to a stop and Sanosuke practically bounded down the ramp, seeming to forget himself in the face of being home. "First stop, the police station…see if cricket-man is still around these parts," he decided. A police station was risky, but Tokyo was far enough from Osaka that he wasn't going to worry about it. Surely the search for him would not have gone this far. Tani was a bastard though, he couldn't be sure what to expect.

He entered the station slowly and when none of the officers in immediately sight tried to grab him he deemed it safe to go in. He walked confidently to the end of the building but instead of seeing 'Goro Fujita' on the door, it read 'Cho Sawagejo' instead. Sanosuke smirked and opened the door.

"What did I tell ya about knockin', huh?" Cho asked, annoyed. He looked up from the desk and his brow furrowed as he spotted Sanosuke. "Who the heck are you?"

Sanosuke stared at Cho for a moment. He was still a broom-head, though his hair was much shorter now and his colorful clothing was replaced by the same uniform the other officers wore. He looked so plain, hardly like a swordsman who used to belong to the Juppongatana. "Long time no see, Broom," Sanosuke said with a large grin.

Cho's eyes widened and he stood up. "Aw well shoot! If it ain't the Rooster!" he exclaimed. He walked from behind his desk and surveyed Sanosuke more closely. "All grown up too." Cho and Sanosuke had never really gotten along well. It couldn't be considered hatred, their feelings for each other, more that they annoyed each other to no ends. But that was five years ago and in those five years it seemed that Sanosuke was not the only man who had changed. Cho snickered and reached forward, tugging a lock of Sanosuke's long hair. "So you traded the punk look with the barbarian look, huh?"

"Screw you, Broom…or should I call you Brush now?" Sanosuke retorted. He canted his head to the side. "You're not nearly as tall as I remember you being…that hair was most of your height."

"Aw hell, here I am tryin' to look all respectable like seeing as how I'm the Captain of this here division," Cho sighed.

"Captain, eh? Cricket-man finally promoted you?" Sanosuke asked, amused.

Cho's left eye closed as it was prone to do and he rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Nah, he just didn't want to work with my anymore. Went on to work in Tokyo permanent like, see? So I'm in charge of Osaka."

Sanosuke's eyes brightened. "Great, that saves me the trouble of tracking him down, need to see everyone before I head off again, ya know?"

Cho lofted a dark brow. "Oh? So yer not stickin' around then?" he asked.

Sanosuke shrugged. "Nah, no reason to really," he replied. "I mean…I don't know how much you know about the nature of me leaving in the first place…"

"Not a clue," Cho interrupted.

"Pfft, should have figured," Sanosuke laughed. "Let's just say I'm not sure if I'm entirely safe in Japan."

"Hell, Rooster, I know you well enough to know that you did something stupid and had to run away," Cho began, ignoring the annoyed look Sanosuke shot in his direction. "I also know that you don't got to slink around. I, uh, just happened to see a document of Mr. Cricket-man before he left here…"

"You were snooping."

"All right so I was, just because Lord Shishio…I mean…Shishio's name was mentioned and so was yers so I got all interested, see? Anyway, it was addressed to some high rank politician sayin' as how you helped defeat Shishio and saved Japan yer charges should be dropped."

Sanosuke was silent, looking at Cho without really seeing him. Cho snapped his fingers in front of Sanosuke's face to no avail. Why would Saito go through the trouble of getting him off the hook like that? Surely he must have known that Sanosuke had left anyway, so why? "When did you see this document?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Er, must have been close to three years now," Cho replied.

Sanosuke looked away from the former swordsman. Three years, plenty of time for Saito to realize that Sanosuke was out of the country, or at least hidden away so well that it didn't matter where the police searched for him. He smirked and shook his head. Looks like Saito was human after all. "I'll have to thank him when I see him, good to know I don't have to walk with my head down."

"He's a grouchy son of a bitch these days," Cho warned. "Saw him briefly and phew boy I thought he was gonna kill me for just patting him on the shoulder."

"Heh, I bet it's old age," Sanosuke laughed. "Well, Tokyo is a ways off, Broom, so I'm going to get started. Whether I'm a wanted man or not, I'm still not planning on staying here long."

"Good, I got work to do anyway," Cho smirked. "Some of us have responsibilities after all."

Sanosuke adopted an innocent look on his face. "If I wasn't a free loader who avoided work like the plague than I wouldn't be me anymore," he pointed out.

Cho laughed and nodded. "Good point, get on out of here Rooster, send my regards to Himura and the gang."

Sanosuke winked. "You bet, I'll stop by before I leave considering you're on the way to the docks anyway."

"Glad to know you'd go out of your way to visit," Cho grumbled, eyes bright with amusement. "And glad to know you're not an insufferable bastard anymore either."

"Ha! Likewise!" Sanosuke exclaimed, waving farewell and stepping out of the office.


AN: It has been a LONG time since I've written fanfiction. I don't really even watch anime that much anymore, but one anime that will stick with me always is Rurouni Kenshin and as such I wanted to write a story about it. I know the fandom is pretty quiet these days so who knows what feedback is going to be like. I honestly don't need a lot of reviews to continue, I just have this idea in my head and so I'm going to post it and if people like it, that's awesome =)

Constructive criticism is welcome, but don't just flame for no reason because that's lame.