A/N: This story was set after the last episode of RurouniKenshin's second season (after Kenshin beat Shishio and went back to the Kamiya dojo). Let's pretend that the whole Season 3 and all the rest [OVA / movie] didn't happen (except for the Trust and Betrayal OVA [Tomoe's story]) but Kenshingumi already knew about the whole Tomoe affair. This story mentions lots of Japanese stuff and I also made use of some Japanese words. The words and their meanings/definitions are listed in alphabetical order at the end of each chapter. ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and any of its characters. If I did, I'd be doing mangas and not fanfictions. XD.. The OCs are mine though. =)


Chapter 1 : The Thief in Town

"Listen, I want you to run as fast as you can. And no matter what happens, don't look back!"

Chiaki gaped at her father in horror. "But what about you – "

"Run!" Her father shouted.

She stared at her father hesitantly. She didn't want to leave him, but she had never seen him look so desperate. She took Yumi's hand on hers and her brother's hand on the other and started to run but Ichiro didn't move. She tugged at his hand but he still refused to move. He just stood there and stared at their father.

"Nii-chan come on!" She cried, desperately pulling at her brother's hand.

"But-" Ichiro reasoned but their father cut him off.

"Ichiro!" Their father snapped at him.

She saw Ichiro's face twist in pain. She knew that he didn't want to leave their father too. Ichiro bit his lip. He gave one last look at their father and hesitantly started to run with them.

"Nee-chan what's wrong?" Yumi asked.

"Just run Yumi," she told her little sister, dragging her as they ran as fast as their little feet could.

She looked back and saw her father unsheathe his sword and started talking to the person who killed their guards. She hoped and prayed that her father would be alright. She tried to ignore the images of the murder she had witnessed a while ago. Her father wouldn't die like them. As Ichiro said, their father was big and strong. He told them to run and she needs to trust him. She looked at her brother running beside her. He was gritting his teeth. His hand shivered in hers.

"Aaaah!" Yumi cried as she stumbled to the ground.

"Yumi!" They stopped running and helped their sister up. Yumi started to cry.

"Yumi you need to stop crying –"

"NOOOOOOO! Otousan!" She was cut off by Ichiro's sudden cry.

She looked back at her father and saw a sword sticking out from his back. Before her little mind could even find time to comprehend what was happening, Ichiro was already dashing towards their father.

"Nii-chan no!" She screamed but Ichiro was not listening.

She contemplated between chasing after her brother and staying with her crying sister. She was not able to make up her mind. She heard her father gasp as Ichiro froze in his steps. The killer had pushed the sword deeper into her father's stomach. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Everything was still. Even Yumi had stopped crying. Chiaki stared in fear at her father, her mind blank. Though she was young and couldn't understand lots of things, she understood that her father was in danger. She wanted to scream but her voice wouldn't come out and instead muffled into a choking sound.

Her father's hands dropped to his sides and the killer pulled the sword out of his body. Blood gushed out from the spot where the sword had been. She saw her father crumple to the ground. She felt relieved when she finally saw him move. Her father picked his sword up and slowly stood back up again.

Yes, otousan is big and strong. He will not lose. He will be alright, she thought to herself.

Her father tried to attack the killer but he missed. He stumbled back to the ground. He tried to stand up but he fell down again. He slowly crawled towards the killer, his hand reached out to the killer's foot, holding onto his ankles. He seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't hear it. The killer kicked his foot free. Her father's body rolled over to the ground. The killer moved closer as her father lay there, motionless. The rain started to pour. The killer raised his sword in the air.

Chiaki's eyes widened in terror. She grabbed Yumi and covered her sister's eyes. With a swift motion, the killer thrust the sword into her father's heart.

"NOOOOOOOO!" She heard Ichiro cry through the sound of the pouring rain.

The killer pulled his sword out of her father's chest. She could no longer see her father moving. Yumi collapsed beside her, snapping her out of her daze.

"Yumi!"

Yumi didn't answer. Her sister just sat there, eyes wide staring into nothing. She didn't seem to hear her.

"Yumi!" She called again, shaking Yumi's shoulders, but the girl didn't move.

"Otousan!" She heard Ichiro cry. He ran towards their father, slipping along the way. He stared intently at their father's lifeless body shaking it as he called out to him.

"Otousan! Otousan…no…"

He wept there, hugging their dead father. He saw his father's sword lying nearby. He picked it up and charged at the killer without hesitation. The killer dodged his sloppy attack which sent Ichiro stumbling to the ground. He stood up and tried to attack again. The killer kicked him straight in the chest that sent his little body flying and it hit the wall.

Chiaki watched at the scene unfolding before her. It was like seeing a flashback of what happened to her father minutes ago. She had no time to think. She dashed towards Ichiro as fast she could.

The killer slowly walked towards Ichiro, dragging his dangerously unsheathed sword behind him. Ichiro tried to move but pain filled his little body. He watched as the killer's steps stopped in front of him. For a moment the killer just stood there looking at him with those cold eyes, as though he was hesitating whether he should kill him or not. The killer slowly lifted his sword and pointed it at him.

Chiaki jumped in between them, her arms stretched wide to shield her brother. The killer looked stunned at her sudden interference but it was only for a brief moment. The killer eyed her coldly and pointed the sword at her chest.

"Chiaki what are you doing? Run…," Ichiro called behind her weakly, but Chiaki didn't move. She stared at the killer's golden eyes with all the audacity she can muster. Her body was shivering both from the cold and from fear. The rain was now falling harder, hurting her skin. But she didn't budge. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity. The killer then raised his sword high in the air. Chiaki closed her eyes on impulse. A few seconds passed but she didn't feel anything hit her body. She slowly opened her eyes. The killer was still standing in front of her, but he didn't move, his sword was still raised in midair. The killer just stared at her. Menacing shadows of death lurked behind those cold golden eyes. But she could almost see something else behind them, something that almost made her hopeful. Was it mercy? She felt her heart thump wildly inside her chest. The sound of her heartbeat felt so loud in her ears. She just stared at him unblinkingly. It was all she could do. She didn't even notice that her knees were already shaking uncontrollably. The killer slowly lowered his sword to the ground. He her one last contemplating look before he sheathed his sword and turned away. Chiaki collapsed from where she stood. She watched him take a piece of paper and he dropped it on top of her father's corpse. He started walking away and she watched him slowly disappear into the rainy night.

Fourteen years after : Meiji Era, 11 years after the end of the Meiji Revolution

Aki jolted upright from her sleep. Her clothes were drenched in sweat though the room felt awfully cold. Her heart was beating frantically inside her chest. The first thing she sought for was her blanket. She found it strewn across the floor a few feet from her futon. She must have unintentionally kicked it there while she was asleep. She moves a lot when she's sleeping ever since she was little. It was a habit she wasn't able to fix. She reached for her blanket and covered her body with it, thankful for the warmth the piece of fabric offered.

She just lay there for a long while staring at the ceiling. She couldn't get back to sleep, and the sound of the pouring rain outside was not helping. She rested an arm over her forehead, as though the effort would keep the horrifying images from popping into her mind. She tried to recall how long it has been since she last had the nightmare. It used to torture her every night when she was a child. Everything in her nightmare had all seemed real. Because it was real. The desperation, the anguish, the fear – she had to constantly endure the torment of having to relieve the memory of the night her father was murdered every time she fell asleep. But there was no pain. The pain came afterwards, when she was wide awake, with her little body drenched in cold sweat. The pain would remain for a long time, much longer than the dream. And it would throb in her chest, like it was repeatedly stabbing her heart and tearing it into pieces. But she didn't cry. She didn't know why but tears refused to fall from her eyes. She had not cried a single tear since that fateful night. Not even when she held her father's lifeless body. Not even when she realized that he was never coming back.

Tonight was the same. It was just like any other night when she had the nightmare. The only difference was that she was no longer a child, and there was no more Yumi that she can hold beside her until she drifted back to sleep.

Ever since Yumi left, her nightmare's constant visits had decreased until time came that she completely had not dreamed about it again. She wondered why it now came back. Maybe it's because she was now about to confront her past. Maybe it's because she was going back to Edo, Tokyo as people call it now. She was a little worried that it was back to haunt her every night the way it used to. If the nightmare had brought her anything good, it was the image of her father. She was still so little when she had last seen him that her memory of his face faded through time. Even now as she laid there, her father's face is starting to fade from her mind again.

"Otousan…,"she unconsciously whispered. She reached her hand out as though the very act would stop her father's memory from fading, but her hand only grasped thin air.

She gave a heavy sigh. Now was not the time to dwell on those things. She needed to get back to sleep. Tomorrow would be the beginning of her battle that she has been putting off for so long. Finally, she'd be able to see his brother again. Ichiro, she wondered how he has been. Would he remember? Unfortunately, there's also the chance of coming across the person she hated most in the world. She hoped that she wouldn't have to meet that despicable uncle of hers yet. She wasn't ready, and meeting him once more would only ruin her plans.

She shifted to her side and slowly dozed off, hoping that the nightmare won't visit her much needed sleep again.


It was pretty much another typical day for Kenshin. The redhead woke up as early as usual and immediately set off on doing his chores. The laundry has been piling up for the last few days. He was not able to wash them because of the continuous downpour of rain, and the ones he had already laundered had still not dried. He smiled at the clear bright sky above him. Hopefully, the weather would be kind to him and his laundry today. Kaoru came out a while later. She was dressed in her white gi and hakama underneath a moss green haori. She was carrying her wooden sword and her long black hair was neatly tied into a mid-high ponytail.

"Kenshin! I'll be out to give some lessons. I'll be back before lunch," the blue eyed girl told him.

"Okay Kaoru-dono. I will prepare for lunch after I finish the laundry, that I will," Kenshin replied wearing his usual kind smile that often gave other people the wrong impression that he was pathetically gullible.

"Thanks," Kaoru said as she turned to walk away but she stopped midway.

"What is it Kaoru-dono?"

"I'm wondering whether I should bring my umbrella. It doesn't look like it's gonna rain anytime soon," Kaoru said thoughtfully as she looked at the clear blue sky.

"Well, it has been raining a lot recently, that it has. It would be better if you leave prepared Kaoru-dono," he answered. Kaoru paused for a moment.

"You're right," she finally said. She went back inside to get her umbrella. She came out again moments later and hurried outside.

"Oh," she paused just outside the gate, "I almost forgot, Doctor Gensai and the girls will be dropping by around lunch time. I'm not sure if we have enough food left. I left some money inside my room. Take it if you ever need to shop," she said and left without waiting for Kenshin's reply.

Yahiko woke up a while later and went to clean the dojo. Kenshin had already finished doing the laundry by then and he went straight to the kitchen to prepare for lunch. The food was still enough to last them until dinner. He would have to shop soon for their next day's consumption. He was nearly done cooking when he heard Suzume and Ayame's voices. He went out to greet them.

"Uncle Ken!" Ayame called out followed by Suzume.

"Ayame, Suzume!"

The two little girls rushed towards him.

"Ororo," Kenshin muttered as the two almost choked him with their hugs.

"Good morning Kenshin," Doctor Gensai greeted him.

"Good morning Doctor Gensai," he greeted back. "Kaoru-dono is still out giving lessons but she will be back anytime soon."

"Hey Kenshin!" A tall guy with spiky brown hair came walking towards them.

"Sano," Kenshin greeted his friend.

"Lunch ready yet?" Sanosuke asked as he joined their little cluster.

"Couldn't you have a better reason to come here than just to look for food?" Yahiko said as he approached them. The dark haired boy was covered in sweat, having just finished his cleaning chores.

"Nice to see you too Yahiko," Sanosuke sarcastically answered.

"Seriously! You should get that big body of yours to work. You're too old to still freeload on other people's kindness," Yahiko commented.

"Shut up you weasel," Sanosuke said.

"Yahiko's a weasel," Ayame said giggling.

"Yahiko's a weasel," Suzume echoed.

"No, you shut up you rooster-head!" Yahiko retorted at Sanosuke.

"Ororo. Stop fighting now, you two. I will be serving lunch in a while. Why don't you go prepare the table?" Kenshin interfered.

"Let Sano do it! He should at least help around here since he always comes here to leech on our food," Yahiko scowled.

"Tadaima!" Kauro called out to them.

"Okaeri nasai Kaoru-dono," Kenshin greeted.

"Okaeri!" Ayame greeted.

"Okaeri!" Suzume echoed.

"Good morning girls. Good morning doctor Gensai," Kaoru greeted.

"Good morning Kaoru," the old doctor answered.

"Have you been here long?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, we just got here a moment ago," the doctor replied.

"Good. Kenshin is lunch ready yet? I'm starving," Kaouru inquired.

"I'm almost done Kaoru-dono, that I am. I'll be serving lunch in a while," Kenshin replied.

"Hey! You're here again?" Kaoru demanded at Sanosuke.

"Why isn't anyone here happy to see me?" Sanosuke frowned.

Kenshin knew too well that this was going to be another argument. He put Suzume and Ayame down as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Why would I be happy to see you when I know you're only here to freeload again? Why I'm not surprised since I always seem to find you hear around meal time," Kaoru stated.

"Well you know how it is. I quit being the underground fighter so I don't have money," Sanosuke reasoned.

"That was already a year ago! For Kami's sake, get yourself a job!" Kaoru retorted.

"Yeah! Make yourself useful you old geezer," Yahiko chimed in.

"Kids shouldn't butt in on older people's conversation," Sanosuke countered.

"Who are you calling a kid?!" Yahiko demanded in irritation.

Kenshin chuckled as he listened to his friends argue. They were always at it almost every day. He knew how long the argument was gonna last and that in the end, Kaoru would let Sanosuke join them to eat. It had almost been a year since he first came to the Kamiya dojo. He had become so used to his fun and noisy life here that the ten long years he spent wandering now all seemed like some distant memory. It was a miracle for him to have found people who treated him like family and who were willing to accept him despite his dark past. For the first time in his life, he had found a place that he can actually call home.

"Hey Kenshin! Hurry up!" Yahiko's voice tore him away from his thoughts and he started preparing the food.

Lunchtime was pleasant, if not peaceful, with Sanosuke and Yahiko fighting over food again. The old doctor filled them in with some news about certain thefts that had been occurring around town over the last few days. It appears that the thief was only targeting rich businessmen around the area. It was good news that nobody had been physically hurt so far. Though it was not likely that the thief would intrude their humble home, he reminded himself to not lower his guard since danger is always lurking around the corner, even in this peaceful Meiji Era.

After lunch, Kenshin took care of the dishes as he always did. He then spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Ayame and Suzume while Kaoru and Yahiko trained at the dojo. Sano passed the time napping in the hallway. The doctor and the kids stayed for dinner and decided to go home shortly after. Since it was already dark, Kenshin offered that he and Yahiko would walk them home.

After dropping the doctor and his family home, they were now on their way back to the dojo. The night was cold, but at least it wasn't raining tonight. Kenshin gazed at the sky above him. The stars were out, but there was no moon. Yahiko's lantern was the only thing that lit their way. He heard Yahiko yawn beside him. He gave a smile as he stared back at the moonless sky. If it was fourteen years ago, he wouldn't have had this kind of peace. He was always on alert for anyone who tried to kill him, or for the people he was about to kill. Most of the time, he was the one who did the killing. But that was then. The revolution had ended, and so had his life as Hitokiri Battousai. He was now a changed man. He made an important vow, and up till now he has been true to that vow. He would never take another life again, that he would only use his sword to protect the weak.

Kenshin was so lost in his thoughts when he and Yahiko saw a man dart past them.

"What was that?" Yahiko asked.

"I'm not really sure," Kenshin answered looking at the slowly fading figure in the distance.

"Looks like he's being chased or something," Yahiko commented.

Suddenly Kenshin heard footsteps from the dark alley to his right. Someone was running fast towards their direction. The footsteps became clearer. His mind quick, he calculated that if he didn't move from where he was right away, he would surely collide with whoever it was that was running towards them. However, if he did try to dodge, the person would surely collide with Yahiko instead. He decided to stay where he was. The impact came shortly and he was thrown to the ground.

"Ororo," Kenshin mumbled. He found his face almost buried on someone else's neck. The smell of fresh sweat, dust, and a faint scent that reminded him of sakura filled his nostrils. He was also aware of the weight of a small body on top of him. He couldn't get a good look at whoever it was since strands of rough hair pricked his face and some of it strayed dangerously near his eyes.

"Kenshin are you okay?" Yahiko inquired as he lowered the lantern at them.

"Itai…," the boy on top of him groaned. The boy shifted into a sitting position and examined his bleeding elbow.

"Hey watch where you're going!" Yahiko told the boy.

"Oro?" Kenshin muttered in shock as he looked at the person sitting on top of him. He had surely thought the person was a boy if not for the obvious bump on her chest.

"Ara?" The girl said as she seemed to have finally noticed Kenshin beneath her. She looked as shocked as he did. The two of them just stared at each other for a while until the girl gave a short scream and landed a punch on his face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The girl yelled as she reflexively removed herself on top of Kenshin. She was standing a good few feet away as though Kenshin was some dangerous creature she needed to get away from.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who bumped into Kenshin!" Yahiko reacted angrily.

The girl seemed to realize this. She only stared at them for a while looking uncertain about what to say.

Kenshin stood up to face his earlier assailant. The girl was oddly dressed in a light colored hakama which was carelessly torn just below the knees. Her dark colored gi was too large for her small frame, exposing her bandaged chest and the sleeves were also carelessly torn an inch above her elbows. She had a pair of old kote on her arms which upon closer look, were actually just make-shift kotes made of old pieces of cloth wrapped carelessly around her arms. She was wearing black tabis and her worn out zoris had strings that strapped them securely to her feet. Her hair was worn in a messy ponytail and long stray strands fell at the side of her face. Her bangs were also a mess. All in all she looked scruffy if not bizarre. Now that he had a good look at her, she didn't look anything like a boy except for the way she was dressed.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I was in the way," Kenshin said after he dusted himself off. He gave her his usual kind, almost idiotic, smile.

"What do you mean it's okay? And why are you the one apologizing? It's her fault! She even punched you for no reason!" Yahiko objected.

"Where did she go?" They heard a voice not too far away.

"Catch that thief!" Another voice came.

More footsteps were coming their way now.

The girl snapped when she heard the voices and she broke into a run.

"Hey where do you think you're going?!" Yahiko yelled after her but the girl didn't pay him mind and just continued running until she disappeared into the darkness.

The voices soon materialized into figures as a number of men wearing green haoris with orange triangular patterns emerged from the same alley the girl had come from. They were carrying wooden swords but some had real swords with them.

"Hey! You two! Have you seen where the thief went?" One of the men asked them rather crudely.

"Oro?" Kenshin said looking confused though he knew full well what the man meant.

"Did anyone pass by recently?" The man asked again irritated.

"Oh! If you're looking for the girl she went – "

"Oh right! Someone did pass here just a little while ago," Kenshin cut Yahiko off.

"Tell me where she is," the man demanded, towering over Kenshin.

"She went that way, that she did," he said and wore his idiotic smile again. Yahiko looked at him confused as he pointed towards the opposite direction from where the girl had run to.

"Let's go! Don't let that bitch get away," the man said to his companions and they immediately set off to where Kenshin had indicated.

"What was all that about?" Yahiko asked in confusion. "And why'd you lie?"

"I don't know what's going on but those men looked dangerous," he answered still staring after the men. "We might endanger her life if we told them the truth."

"But what if she really was a thief?" Yahiko's asked then his eyes widened in realization. "What if she was the thief that's been stealing around town? And that man earlier was her accomplice?"

"Let's just hope that the police will catch them soon." Kenshin answered and finally looked at Yahiko. "We'd better get going. Kaoru will get worried if we don't come back soon, that she will."

Yahiko still looked hesitant but started walking anyway. Kenshin did the same but suddenly stopped when something caught his attention at the spot where he and the girl collided.

"Oro?"

"What is it?" Yahiko asked.

Kenshin bent down to pick up something that he wasn't quite sure what.

"What's that?" Yahiko asked him, leaning in to also examine it closely. He held it over his eyes and turned it over his hand a couple of times.

"I think it's a bracelet," he answered.

"You think it's hers?"

"Maybe."

"What if it's stolen," Yahiko yelped.

"I don't think so," Kenshin replied, eyeing the ornament. It was an old piece of string. The beads that were pierced through it didn't match at all and were most likely chosen at random. He guessed that this was originally a child's bracelet. A newer string was carelessly tied to the end of the old one to make it longer, enough to fit a grown woman's wrist.

"You're right. It doesn't look like something worth stealing," Yahiko agreed.

"In any case, we really should get going, that we should," Kenshin said. He tucked the bracelet inside his pocket though he really had no idea what he was going to do with it. He had a feeling that it was something important since the owner made an effort to still make it usable. It felt wrong to just throw it away.

He rubbed the side of his face where the girl had punched him a while ago. He knew he was gonna have problems moving his facial muscles for a while.


Ryuu was sure he was now out of danger. He walked casually inside a nearby bar called Shimabara and scanned the place, looking for someone.

"Good evening Ryuu-san," a couple of maikos greeted him. He didn't miss the mischievous stares the girls were giving him.

"Good evening ladies," he winked at them and gave them a playful grin. The girls gave an expectant look but ended up disappointed when he just passed them by and continued on his business. If it had been any other night he would have eagerly responded to their flirting. But tonight, he had a more important matter to attend to first. The girls can wait.

At last he found the person he was looking for. He went straight to him and sat on a seat beside him.

"How'd it go?" The middle-aged man asked him.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course it went well. You know me Noburu, I'm the greatest thief in town," Ryuu laughed. He took something inside his pocket and dangled it in front of the man's eyes. Noburu's eyes grew wide that it almost seemed to sparkle. He moved to take it but Ryuu snatched it away before he could even touch it.

"Tsk tsk. You know the rules. Money first," Ryuu grinned impishly.

Noburu took a stack of cash and laid it in front of Ryuu.

"That's it?" Ryuu complained.

"What do you mean that's it?" Noburu asked grouchily.

"Do you know how hard it is to get this stuff? It took a while for me to find it that I almost got caught," Ryuu grumbled.

"Ha! I thought you were the best," Noburu taunted.

"Course I am! Just had a little glitch that's all," he answered.

Noburug runted and grudgingly laid another stack of cash in front of Ryuu.

"Now that's more like it," Ryuu grinned and gave him the item as he took his pay.

"You're gonna get me broke you know," Noburu muttered.

"Nah. You can sell that thing at a much higher price outside," Ryuu said examining his money.

"Why do you keep selling your loot to me then?"

"Because it's easier. I may be a great thief but I'm no salesman," he said nonchalantly. "Besides, don't pretend you don't like working with me."

"Arrogant bastard," Noburu chuckled. He eyed the loot briefly and placed it inside his pocket, satisfied. "So what happened?"

"Well, I couldn't find the loot where it's s'posed to be. I decided to look for a while and found it in Asamoto's room instead of his study. I was already on my way out when some guard saw me. Alerted the others and I got chased. Lucky I got a little distraction," he explained.

"You working with someone now?" Noburu asked a bit surprised.

"You know me, I prefer to work alone. I don't know why she was there but she did save my ass. Used some smoke bomb or somethin'. Then the bastards started tailing her instead of me."

"It was a girl?"

"Yep," he said feeling a little uneasy.

"Any idea who she is?"

"Not really. Must be some other thief like me. Too bad for her I got there first. Guess I'm really lucky," he said grinning wickedly again. He pushed away the unsettling emotions that have been tugging at him for a while now.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't get caught or I would have waited here the whole night for nothin'. Gotta go now. Till next time," Noburu said and turned to leave.

"Yeah, sure," Ryuu answered and ordered a bottle of sake for himself.

"If it isn't you again," a smiling maiko arrived carrying his bottle of sake. She laid the liquor and ochoko down and nestled beside him.

"Evening Kumiko-san," he greeted the older woman.

"You always come here almost every night," Kumiko said as she poured sake.

"I love seeing you every night," he teased.

Kumiko laughed coyly. "Don't pretend you haven't been with the other maikos."

"But you're my favorite," he answered as he kissed the maiko's hand. "Shall we play again tonight?"

"Oh, shall I?" Kumiko purred, playfully twirling his brown hair around her long pale fingers.

"I know you want to," he whispered in her ear.

"You're such a naughty boy," she giggled and poured him another shot of sake.

This is the life, he thought and smiled, satisfied. Other people might view his way of living as crooked and immoral, but he really didn't care. As long as he can have enough money, and women, to satisfy his needs, he was okay with it. Besides, he was only doing what the others have without all the cover ups and under the table schemes. He was a thief, that's true, but he can point out others who deserved the label better. Those corrupt government officials who have been imposing ridiculous taxes to the citizens, isn't what they're doing called stealing? Though the condition was worse during the Tokugawa period, not much really changed at present. A lot of people in the new government still used their power to oppress others. And of course, those wealthy businessmen who use money to get what they want in order to gain more. This world is all about money. If you have money, you have power; if you don't then get ready to be kicked around by those who do. He knew that too well.

"Ne Ryuu-san," Kumiko called.

"I'm sorry what?" He asked.

"You weren't listening to me," Kumiko pouted.

"I'm sorry I was just thinking of something," he reasoned.

"Ara? Are you thinking of someone else?"

"Of course not. Why would I think about another woman when a very beautiful one is sitting right next to me?" He whispered and put an arm around Kumiko. Just then the image of the girl who helped him a while ago flashed into his mind. The unsettling feeling at the pit of his stomach started to rise again. She was the one who voluntarily helped him back there. She helped him on her own accord so he shouldn't feel guilty and let alone care about what happens to her.

Kumiko poured him another shot and he downed it in one go. Somehow he hoped that the sake will help clear his annoying thoughts away, but another image of the girl flashed through his mind. She lay in the cold, her body drenched in blood as she cried in agony. A heavy feeling kept on tugging at him, telling him that it would be his fault if anything ever happened to her.

If she decided to interfere then she must have been sure she can handle it! He thought irritably.

He felt silly. It was as though he was having an argument with his own mind. He kept thinking of reasons why he should not concern himself with her. But it's also undeniable the she did save him back there. And no matter how capable he presumed her to be, he can't ignore the fact that she's still a girl. He may be a thief but he was not a fan of violence, especially against women and children.

"Kuso!" he swore as he unintentionally slammed his ochoko into the table.

"What's wrong?" Kumiko asked him, startled.

"Gomen Kumiko-san. There's somewhere I need to go," he said and left.

Ryuu roamed the dark streets of Tokyo but he wasn't really sure where to go. He wouldn't have any idea where in the world the girl and those guards ran off to. He glanced around, irritated and decided to survey the places she might have gone to. He examined the areas for a while and finally decided that he was just wasting his time. There were no more guards and there definitely was no dead girl lying around. By the time he went back to Shimabara, Kumiko already had another customer to attend to and his half consumed bottle of sake had already been cleared away.

It's tough being a proper man, he thought as he asked for another bottle of sake.


End of Chapter Notes: Aside from Kenshin's unique way of adding 'de gozaru' (that I am / that it is, etc.) at the end of a sentence, Kenshin also has a unique way of referring to himself in the original Japanese dubbed anime. He uses 'sesha' (this one) [ex. This one will do the laundry, that he is] instead of 'I' [I will do the laundry, that I will] when he is in rurouni mode/normal mode. He then uses 'Ore', a more masculine/rougher way of saying 'I' and drops 'de gozaru' when he's in serious mode/Battousai mode. However, I decided to just use 'I' in the story instead of 'this one' for Kenshin's dialogues since 'this one' sounds odd in English. Also, in the original english dubbed version of the anime, Kenshin was using 'I' instead of 'this one' even in normal mode.

I'm not quite sure if people already wore gi (please see definition) during the Rurouni Kenshin timeline. Originally, Japanese wore hakama over their kimono.[According to what I read somewhere on the internet] As time passed, the gi was often used with hakama in place of a kimono. A kimono's length extends up to the ankles so it's more comfortable to wear gi with hakama instead since the gi is shorter (hip-length or thigh/length). For this story, I decided to use gi since it's easier to imagine. XD

Reference:

Ara – could mean any of these depending on how it's used: oh my! / oh my god! / oh! / huh? / oh?

Dono – an honorific appended after a person's name that used to mean Lord. Later on it was only used to denote respect (as Kenshin uses it). The use of dono doesn't necessarily mean that the speaker is of lower status, as opposed the the suffix sama (roughly translates to master) which is also used to show respect but to people of higher status than the speaker.

Gi – literally translates to 'clothes' but in this story, it refers to a short robe-like top paired with hakama, (used during martial arts training like karate in the modern world);

Gomen – Sorry / I'm sorry

Hakama – traditional garment similar to trousers that is worn over a kimono or gi, originally worn by men.

Haori – a hip-length or thigh-length kimono-like garment worn over a kimono; used the same way as a coat

Itai – It hurts / Ouch

Kimono – traditional Japanese clothing worn by men and women. The hem of these full length robes usually falls to the ankles, but the more extravagant ones can be longer with floor-length sleeves.

Kami/Kamisama – God

Kote – arm greaves

Kuso – Dammit! / Damn!

Maiko – apprentice geisha, often generally called o-shaku(one who pours alcohol)

Ne – could mean either of these depending on how it's used: Hey / Right?

Ochoko – sake cup, often shaped like a very small bowl

Okaeri – Welcome back / Welcome home

Oro/Ororo – a unique way of saying 'ara'

Otousan – father

Sake – rice wine, a traditional Japanese liquor

Sakura – cherry blossom

San – an honorific appended after a person's name that could mean any of these: Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.

Tadaima – I'm back / I'm home

Tabi – traditional ankle-high socks that has a cleft to separate the thumb from the other toes.

Zori – traditional slippers often made of cloth, rice straw or other plant fibers

Why was the girl's chest bandaged?

-At that time, women don't wear bra underneath their clothes simply because bra didn't exist in Japan yet. [In animes,] Women wrap their chest with cloth (the same way you put on bandages) when they needed to wear clothes that exposes their chest or when they're doing strenuous activities, just like when Kaoru is training her swordsmanship. I don't know if that's true in real life though since Japanese women were very conservative then.