OH MY GOD I updated. It's been what? Two years?

This chapter is for you, melissa g.! This fic was all but forgotten until you reviewed it, and seeing as I FINALLY had some free time cuz of Thanksgiving break, I wrote up a nice chappie. v

Disclaimer: Fanfiction. Fan Fiction. FAN Fiction. FANFiction.

Chapter Eleven:

Saitou Hajime looked tiredly at the mountain of files that were stacked high on his office desk.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

He leaned back in his chair, taking a long, sighing drag from the lit cigarette that dangled from his thin lips. He was trying to make sense of it all. Yukishiro Enishi, head of the Chinese mafia, weapons supplier to Shishio Makoto (including the sale of the battleship "Purgatory"), was missing. Vanished. Evaporated like a drop of water on a hotplate. Saitou couldn't understand it. Six months ago, this man had connections in all corners of the globe, had made contact with several dangerous individuals, and established plans for a large shipment of questionable merchandise…then it all stopped. In the last week, all shipments had been halted. Shipments entering Japan had not been collected (and upon inspection held hundreds of illegal weaponry). To leave such shipments in limbo was costly and stupid for anyone, let alone an organized crime syndicate. It made no sense.

Saitou Hajime did not like things that did not make sense. If something didn't make sense, there was something wrong. There is an answer to everything; and explanation to every question. The answer to this question, however; was quite evasive. And Saitou Hajime very well knew one thing: people did not go poof and disappear. At least he didn't think they did. But he was running low on options. The last contact Enishi had had with anyone was when he had boarded a steamship to Japan the week before. But if he had made it to Japan, those weaponry shipments would not have gone untended.

He sighed. No, it did not make sense.

BOOM!

Saitou jumped up in practiced alertness at the sound of the explosion. A terrorist attack? He didn't stop to ponder. Ever the man of action, he hurried from his office to investigate the disturbance, his nihontou at his side.

It was pandemonium. Passersby were screaming and fleeing the scene of the explosion's epicenter—about two blocks away. He ran as fast as he could, dodging the frightened citizens that hindered his progress.

When he finally arrived, the scene of the crime has been deserted, except for a lone figure in white clothes and a black kanji on his back. A man whose voice he recognized without the aid of his trademark outfit.

Saitou groaned inwardly. What had the Ahou done THIS time?

Sanosuke was too busy shouting profanity to the sky to notice anyone approaching him, and when Saitou grabbed him tightly by the arm, he threw a left hook out of pure reaction. Saitou his fist easily and retaliated, landing a fist snugly into Sanosuke's stomach.

Sanosuke's face contorted with a myriad of expressions, as he felt the wind thoroughly knocked from him, ranging from surprise, to pain, to anger, to realization. The first words he managed were ones of startled bewilderment.

"Are you a ghost too?" he gasped before crumpling to the ground.

When Kenshin finally returned to the scene, he found at least two dozen police swarming about the area. He scanned the uniformed men until he caught sight of Sanosuke's stark white Aku jacket. And the tall nihontou bearing police office beside him.

"Sano!" Kenshin called as he hurried over to his friend and former ally with caution.

"Oi, Kenshin!" Sanosuke responded, "'Bout time you showed up! Look who it is! Old cricket face, back from the bowels of Hell!"

"Ahou, do you want me to arrest you?"

"What? You could have let us know you were alive you squinty eyed jerk," Sanosuke growled at him. "And you won't arrest me because I'm innocent and I'm cooperating with you boys in blue for once."

"And the story you gave is ludicrous."

"WHAT?"

"Maa, Sano," interjected Kenshin, "Saitou, I was here as well, and whatever Sanosuke told you, it's true."

Saitou exhaled his latest drag of smoke. "I know that," he smirked, "He isn't stupid enough to lie to me, and at the same time he isn't smart enough to create such a fantastic tale on his own."

Sanosuke glared at the older man.

"So what happened here?" he asked Kenshin, "Besides the bit about scantily clad females and people flying that everyone has been talking about?"

Kenshin sighed. "I don't know why or how or what was going on here. Nothing made sense."

"Having a bit of that too, today?" Saitou commented more so to himself than to the men next to him.

"Himura-san!"

The three men looked about to see Usagi, Makoto, and Minako walking hurriedly towards them. They had returned on Luna's urging to see if they could find out anything about what had happened.

"Friends of yours?" Saitou stated more than asked.

"Heh, they are staying at the Dojo for a bit…" Kenshin explained a bit sheepishly.

"Himura-san, what on earth happened here?" "Are you alright?" "Sanosuke, did you get into a fight?" They all clamored.

"We are both fine ladies, no cause for concern!" replied Kenshin in his usual I-am-happy-and-care-free face.

"Battousai" Saitou's commanding voice interrupted, demanding everyone's attention. "Is there anything else you can tell me? Did you know or recognize anyone from this afternoon?"

There was a silent pause, and all eyes turned to the red-head.

"Yes."

At this, there was a tense collective silence, punctuated only by a resounding, "huh?" from Sanosuke. Had Kenshin recognized one of them? thought the three senshi.

"Who?" Saitou inquired.

Kenshin let out a breath he had been holding. "Yukishiro Enishi.

With those words, the three girls relaxed, and then were perplexed. Who was this Yukishiro Enishi?

Saitou was equally perplexed, but for different reasons. "Are you sure? How do you know Yukishiro Enishi?"

"Who IS this Yukishiro guy?" demanded Sanosuke.

"Sano, take misses Usagi, Makoto and Minako back to the dojo."

"But—" Sano protested, but Kenshin stopped him.

"I need to discuss something with Saitou." Kenshin pressed, his voice acquiring a sharp edge. "Please escort them home."

"Okay…" relented Sanosuke, and he and the girls turned back down the street.

Author's Note: Heehee. Saitou. Sanosuke. OH GOD THE TEMPTATION TO YAOI-IFY THIS CHAPTER! XD But I resisted! I DID I DID! No yaoi in the ficcie. Fun as that might be. I have The Game for SaiSa yaoiness. Check that out if you want a fic about them. XD