Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters other than my OC's.


"Germany?!"

Kyoka blinked a few times trying to process what the man was saying, "You're taking Yutaro to Germany to see a more efficient doctor?"

"That's right. The young master is in a slump and refuses to even eat. Something must be done."

"Germany is so far away."

"That's right. We're leaving today so I came to thank you on behalf of the young master." He hand a box to Kyoka, "I presume you are Kyoka-sama. That is from Yutaro-sama."

She accepted the box warily, "What is it?"

"He said it was the gift he promised."

"Wow… Aren't I popular this week?" She mused, "What gift?"

"He said you would know when you opened it, Kyoka-sama." The man bowed , "I must take leave now but if you'd like to say goodbye come to the station in an hour."

About an hour later the Kenshin-gumi had gathered at the train station, Yutaro would be taking a train to the harbor and go from there. The group was standing there awkwardly, trying to find some way to console the boy without making the situation worse. The boy barely spoke a word and turned to leave when Yahiko called out, "YUTARO!"

Yahiko had lunged out at the other boy with his shinai. Yutaro lifted his walking stick to defend himself, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Are you going to sulk your entire stupid life?" Yahiko screamed, "If you can't take betrayal then make yourself stronger than Raijuta was and come back!"

"Who are you to talk to me like that?" Yutaro shot back, swing the cane at Yahiko, "I don't need my right arm to beat you! I'll learn with my left and clobber you when I come back!"

When the two had calmed down, Kaoru smiled, "When you come back, there will always be a spot for you to be a student of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu."


"Paintings?" Sanosuke let out a satisfied sigh, his belly was filled at the Akabeko like usual.

Kyoka sighed, accepting another glass of tea from Yahiko who had begun to work there for some reason or another, "So you want us to go get it?"

"They sell out quickly and we can't leave work so…." Tae, the owner of the Akabeko, spoke honestly, "But only Sanosuke, Kyoka-chan is a good customer who pays her debts after all."

"Ehhh…." Kyoka grumbled, "I'll buy a painting for you. If it's not way too expensive."

"I'll buy it. Since you always treat me to good food." Sanosuke grinned, "You just have to come with me."

She frowned, "I'm not treating you… You're just freeloading and I have no choice but to pay since we eat at the same table…"

"Don't be that way. I said I'll buy it so I'm paying you back aren't I?"

"Not really..." She sweat dropped.

Ignoring her, he asked Tae, "So which painting by which artist?"

"The swordsman Iba Hachiro by Tsukioka Tsunan." She giggled.

"Got it." Sanosuke pulled Kyoka out of the booth with him. She mumbled something inaudible.

"Umm… Umm…" Tsubame cut in.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." She covered her face with the empty tray she was carrying.

Sanosuke exchanged glances with Kyoka and sighed, "Okay then. Two paintings should be enough right?"

Kyoka's sharp ears caught something as they were leaving. The Sanosuke group of gambling buddies probably thought that they were out of range and began to gossip, "Don't get me wrong, I like this kinder, gentler Sano… But the old Sano was… wow…"

"You mean Zanza." Another man grumbled, "His face was always smiling but his eyes never looked happy. Like a grenade about to explode at any time. Always on fire."

Kyoka glanced up at the boy's face, "Zanza… You don't hear that?"

He looked down at her, completely unaware as to what his friends were saying, "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, she had heard the rumors too. Zanza, the fighter-for-higher, he liked to fight so much he took a job similar to being a hit man. They said the scariest thing about him was the glint in his eyes, like a monster who only knew how to fight. As they walked, she snuck a few glances at the ex-fighter-for-hire and realized for the first time, he wasn't exactly ugly or scarred like a fighter-for-hire. She frowned, "Zanza…"

"Hmm?" He chewed on the fish bone that he had gotten from the Akabeko, grinding his teeth into the bone.

"No… Nothing." She grumbled, spotting the small painting shop down the road.

"Hey. You got two Iba-hachi's by Tsukioka Tsunan?" Sanosuke asked the man.

"You're in luck, I've got just a few left." The man answered, holding one up.

Kyoka looked at the painting with an almost unnoticeably light blush on her face. Her knuckles instantly attached themselves to her nose in attempts to cover the blush. The man in the paintings face had an uncanny resemblance to Aoshi's, except for the fact that an arm was clenched in the man's mouth. But still, she thought the painting was completely… sexy? The light hint of pink grew to a darker shade of pinkish-red, good thing her hand was there or it would be visible to everyone. Even the jacket looked like Aoshi's, her hands flew to her own jacket as if she was making sure it was still there. The man was a traditional samurai, long hair tied up, sword in one hand and his other arm was chopped off and bleeding. The arm that was chopped off was clenched between his teeth but the man was making a godly expression, like it didn't hurt at all.

Sanosuke nudged the girl in frustration, "I'm talking to you."

"What?" She mumbled, not taking her eyes off the painting.

"Jeez. Nevermind." He huffed, "But if you like that painting so much I'll buy you one."

She shook her head, "It's okay… Waste of money."

"Suit yourself. Ossan. I'll take two of those."

"And…" She cut in, "Nevermind."

"If you want one just say so." He chuckled, "Which one?"

"Isn't that… you?" She muttered, pointing over to a painting of a handsome man in a red headband and some sort of army uniform, "Sekihoutai first unit, Sagara Sozo. Sagara…"

Sanosuke wasn't really paying attention, he handed the man the money and received the paintings he had asked for but at the name Sagara he had turned instantly, "WHAT?!"

He snatched the picture off the table, "Sagara-taicho…"

"Oh that…" The shopkeeper grumbled, "That picture never sells. Even though I told him Tsukioka keeps painting the leader of the False Revolutionary Army."

Sanosuke snapped, grabbing the man by the collar, "Where does he live?!"

"He lives one town over. In the long house but he doesn't like people so he probably won't see you." The man stuttered out.

"He'll see me. There's no way he won't." Sanosuke growled, dropping the man and shoving the paintings into the girl's hands, "Take those."

"Zanza! Where a-?" She didn't really bother to finish, the look on his face said he wouldn't answer so she didn't bother. She returned to the Akabeko and handed the workers their paintings before heading back to the dojo. She sighed, "Stupid Zanza. Now what should I do?"

"Nee-san!" Yahiko's voice drew her attention, "Where did Sanosuke go?"

"Zanza went… I don't know actually. He ran off after seeing a painting." She sighed, "Are you done with your shift at the Akabeko?"

He nodded, "I'm headed back to the dojo to train now."

"Then I guess I'll go back too."

The next day, Sanosuke had returned. Kenshin and Kaoru laughed nervously, "What a surprise? You're friends with Tsukioka Tsunan."

"Whatever…" Sanosuke smiled, "So we'd like to celebrate, can we borrow the dojo for tonight."

"And where are you going to get the money?" Kaoru screamed, "You're not going to borrow it off me! NO WAY!"

"Relax. I've got it covered." He smiled, backing away from the screaming girl, "Could you tell Tae and the little girl too? Kyoka-chan, you should drink tonight."

Kyoka hissed but it didn't have anything to do with his suggestion to drink. Her hand flew to her tanto, "Zanza…"

He blinked down at her, "What's wrong?"

She let her hand drop, maybe it was just her imagination but he didn't look like he was happy. His fake smiles reminded her of what his friends were talking about the day before; he tossed a wave over his shoulder as he left the dojo to prepare for the night. He was serious about not borrowing money from Kaoru but he admitted that all the money came from Tsukioka Tsunan.

Kyoka frowned when Sanosuke insisted for her to sit next to him, "I don't want to drink."

"Don't be that way." He offered her a cup with a smile, "Drink."

She took the cup and sipped slowly and when Sanosuke turned around with a satisfied look she spit it all back into her empty bowl, wiping her mouth with a completely disgusted look on her face. Kaoru and Kenshin ate and drank without end, at least they were happy drunks. Yahiko had drunk way too much on his first time and ended up puking and passing out before long.

Kaoru stumbled over to Kyoka, "Kyoka-channnn~ Say aahhhhh."

It looked like Kaoru could stab her eye out with the sushi at any moment so the younger girl opened her mouth, letting out a slightly gagging noise when the chopsticks sunk to the back of her throat from Kaoru's force. Kaoru giggled, "My turn. Ahhhhhh~"

Kyoka shoved a random slice of sashimi into the girl's mouth and watched as the girl picked up another to offer to Sanosuke. Kyoka sweat dropped, "I'd eat it before she pokes your eyes out."

Just like she had done before, Sanosuke let out a choking sound after accepting the sushi. Kaoru drapped an arm around Kyoka, "Kyoka-chan~ Your turn to feed him~"

Kyoka tried to get out of the girl's grasp but it didn't seem possible without hurting her, "I don't want to."

"Don't be shy." Kaoru hiccupped, "He doesn't bite. Right, doggy?"

Kyoka looked at Sanosuke desperately, "Do something."

He seemed to force out a chuckle, "Then feed me."

Kaoru shoved the chopsticks into the younger girl's hands, "Go go~"

Her hand shook slightly as she pressed the food to his lips. He opened his mouth to accept the food, "A guy could get used to this."

She cringed when he returned the gesture, "N-no… It's okay."

"Just take it." He smiled but his eyes flickered with sadness.

She opened her mouth without complaints, after seeing a face like that who could complain? After a few hours, the Kenshin-gumi had passed out, drunk. Kyoka sighed, throwing what little blankets they had over her sleeping friends. She forced a sake cup out of Sanosuke's hand before throwing the blanket over him. She turned to sleep in her room but Sanosuke's hand had snapped up to grab her gi. She tried hard to pry his fingers off but it seemed that after he drank, he was clingy even in his sleep. She attempted to pry his finger off her gi like she had done with the sake glass but failed miserably so she decided to sit beside him.

His head rolled onto her shoulder. She would've assumed he was awake, if it wasn't for the usual light shade of pink that appeared on his face when he drank. Her frustrated sigh changed into a gasp when he lessened his tight grip and removed his hand from her gi. She was going to move away but he had grasped her hand tightly. She let out an irritated grunt, he wasn't a little kid. She sighed for the hundredth time that night but leaned her head against the wall behind them and fell asleep.

Too bad for Sanosuke, Kyoka was a light sleeper. She felt him move and her hand cringed at the loss of warmth when he stood up. He muttered an apology as he tucked the blanket around her before leaving with Tsukioka Tsunan. She stood up at the same time as Kenshin, the two exchanging glances as if they had both noticed the strange change in Sanosuke.

The two followed Sanosuke out but Kenshin had motioned for her to follow him, "Sano was a member of the Sekihotai, that he was. These are precious memories to him so I knew he was going to try something strange, that I did."

"Tsukioka has the eyes of someone who has lost in the past." Kyoka grumbled, "Just like Aoshi-sama."

"Maybe it is not this one's place to say this, but maybe you should think about someone closer, that you should."

"What?"

"Sano is a good person, that he is." Kenshin said awkwardly, like he had just announced something he wasn't supposed to.

"Zanza?"

"No, Sano."

"They're the same person, aren't they?"

"This one believes that they are not. The Sano we saw today was Zanza. Just yesterday he was Sanosuke, that he was."

"I don't know about that but I can say for sure that his eyes are different from yesterday."

Kenshin motioned for her to climb the wall, they had arrived at the Department of Internal Affairs. She scaled the wall after him, with her speed it wasn't impossible to run up the side of a wall. Kenshin motioned for her to keep following him, "Sano has mentioned more than once that you over-tease him about Megumi."

"He makes it easy to tease him." She snorted, "And he's not exactly smart."

"Kyoka-dono, this one believes that Sano is no longer interested in Megumi-dono."

"Who else is there to be interested in?" She snorted again, "I'll believe it when I see it…"

An explosion cut their conversation short. Sanosuke and Tsukioka both stood on the wall, surprised at the sight below. Sanosuke's eyes narrowed, his glare focused on Kenshin, "You brought her?"

"She came on her own, that she did." Kenshin pulled his sword clean out of the sheath and she did the same.

"A girl or not, if she gets in the way I'll get rid of her." Tsukioka wore flint rings on his fingertips, lighting the fuses on bomb in a lightning fast speed. He flung them at her one after the other. She drew her tanto, and with deadly speed, cut the lit fuses off the bombs. Sanosuke literally punched the lights out of Tsukioka.

"Kenshin, Kyoka… If I had kept going, would you have beat me down?" Sanosuke asked.

"Yes." He nodded, "No mercy on friends, never."

"I still kind of want to beat you down." She said, remembering how he had grabbed onto her hand a while ago.

Sanosuke smiled and the happiness had returned to his eyes, "Thanks."


The next day, the Kenshin-gumi sat at the Akabeko examining Tsukioka's final painting. Kyoka felt her cheeks turn pink like they had the day before and her knuckles flew to her nose to cover it up. Tae was squealing and begging for the painting, "Tsukioka's last work?! Give it."

"This one is mine!" Sanosuke held the painting out of the woman's reach but after seeing Kyoka's expression he offered it to her.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered.

"I owe you don't I?" He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before shoving it into her arms, "Just take it. I saw the way you looked at it. Taicho was always good looking."

She muttered her thanks before playing keep away from Tae, "It's mine. You got the h- I mean…"

"Let's trade." Tae offered, "I'd much rather have Tsukioka's final painting."

"No way."

"Why not?" The woman whined, "Isn't Iba Hachiro much more majestic looking? If you don't want to trade then I'll buy that one off of you."

"Cause Sanosuke gave it to me and no and no." She huffed, holding the painting carefully but then she slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Kyoka-chan. Care to say that again?" Sanosuke smirked, ruffling her hair as a teasing gesture.

She blushed an unnoticeably light pink color, "Zanza gave it to me and no and no."

Yahiko's jaw was slightly slack, he had never caught his sister in such a feminine moment, "Nee-san… You're turning pink."

She covered her face with the painting, "No I'm not."

"How cute." Kaoru giggled.

"Unlike a certain ugly girl." Yahiko snorted.

And Kaoru chased the boy around the restaurant like usual. Sanosuke took one last look at the painting before pressing it to the girl's chest, "It's better off with you anyways, I would probably lose it."

She frowned, "If you want it back, ever, just tell me. I'll give it back."

"Just let me look at it every once in a while." He grinned, "And don't tell Katsu I gave it to you."

"Katsu?" Her head turned to the side in an automatic reaction to something she didn't know.

"Ah… That's Tsukioka's name. So if he asks, say I still have it okay?"

The girl nodded, "Thank you…"

He laughed, "No, thank you."