It was a beautiful spring day in the 16th year of the Meiji era when Kenshin and Kaoru gathered with their friends at Mount Heno. It had become a tradition for the young couple to take Kenji to see the cherry blossoms, and they looked forward each year to seeing Misao and Aoshi and Megumi.
This year the young doctor was the first to arrive, followed by Misao and Aoshi. Misao was twenty-one, but although she had cut her hair and dressed now in a kimono and hakama, she still exuded the same effervescent quality she had as a teenager. Aoshi still looked serious, but there was such a pleasant relaxed expression on his face these days that nobody noticed he never smiled. He and Misao had gotten married shortly after Kenshin and Kaoru, and they still ran the Aoiya, content to be simple innkeepers.
As for Megumi, she was happy working at her clinic in Aizu, or at least she said she was. She was still unattached, living only for her work, and Kaoru worried about her. The few times she tried to talk to Megumi about her future, though, the older woman deflected her questions with such determination that Kaoru finally gave up.
Megumi smiled at them all. "It's so good to see everybody! Kenshin, how are you feeling?"
The redhead smiled back. "Pretty good, thank you."
Aoshi took off his long white coat and spread it on the ground, sitting on it and patting the spot next to him. Misao sat down and took his hand. "I love coming here, Kaoru. What a wonderful thing to gather to see the cherry blossoms."
Aoshi leaned forward. "Kenshin, I got the information you wanted about Saito-he's in Hokkaido now on some mission, and he's doing fine." A slight frown came over his face. "Did you decide to have a final match with him after all?"
"No, I passed the sakabatou on to Yahiko-I don't practice swordsmanship any more. I just wanted to know how he is. If he's all right, that's all that matters." Kenshin looked down the path and smiled. "I see Yahiko has arrived."
The teenager was toiling along with two bottles in one hand and a huge basket in the other. Tsubame followed with a single small container, and Kaoru bit back a smile. "Yahiko, what is all that?"
He dropped everything on the cloth she had spread on the ground. "I went to the Akobeko for sake and a few side dishes. You don't mind that I brought Tsubame, do you?"
"Not at all." Kaoru gave a warning glance to Megumi and Misao and they remained quiet, though their eyes danced at the thought of Yahiko bringing a date. Well, are we all here?"
Kenshin sighed. "All but one."
For a moment they were silent, thinking about their missing friend, then Yahiko felt in his sleeve. "We did get a letter from him."
He drew it out and handed it to Kenshin and everybody crowded around eagerly as the redhead opened it and read it out loud.
Hey, it's been a long time, huh? How is everybody? Alive and well? I'm having quite a lot of fun here in Mongolia right now. After that departure I took a tour to America, then to Europe, and then to Arabia, and I've had a very good time so far. I'll be around here for a little while and then I'll go back to Japan. So have some white rice and miso soup ready upon my arrival, okay? See you all in a couple of weeks! Sanosuke
"He's really coming back?" Yahiko asked, eyes glued to the paper as he looked over his friend's shoulder.
"It seems so, that it does." Kenshin read the letter once again. The thought of his best friend coming home was wonderful, but a little surprising. After all, it had been five years without much news and they had all gotten used to the idea that they might never see Sano again.
"So the rooster is finally coming home." Megumi took the letter. It was about time she went to see Dr. Gensai-he was probably overwhelmed with work and could use some help. At least, that was the reason she assigned to her sudden wish to visit Tokyo.