standard diclaimer apply

"Sorry about this Kenshin, but there is not much information I can gleam out of Raven. All that my informants can gather about her was that she was adopted by Madame Butterfly at the age of three. She was one of the many orphans that recruited to be assassins during the end of the Tokugawa era. The Balancers basically did mass adoption and those who did not make the mark were found dead some way or other. There were those who were stabbed to death, those who drowned and all other ways that you can think of.

You should understand that it is hard to get anything about orphans from that age. People wouldn't spare a second glance at kids since there were too damn many of them then." The speaker was a middle-aged man who was rubbing his stubbed chin thoughtfully. He knew better than to give out an all out no to the former manslayer.

"I understand that this is difficult but can you help me at least find out how she has kept out of sight for the past say ten years or so? I think that I may have met her somewhere disguised as someone else. I would like to know her persona so to speak." Kenshin asked politely as he pressed on.

"That is possible if you can give us a brief idea of where you have been these past few years? Focus on the place that you spent most time in."

"I spent most of the time in Tokyo. That is the place where I have been staying for the past two years." Kenshin replied.

"Tokyo huh? You may consider looking at the Dojo there. There is a dojo owned by the Kamiya family. The owner, Kaoru I think, she has some big patches in her past. No one knows what happened after her mother brought her away at birth. Rumor has it she reappeared because her mother died and sent her back to her only kin. She was about ten then, and no one knew what the hell she had been doing those past few years." The man answered calmly.

"How did you know that?" Kenshin asked. "You seem to know so much even without checking." This man did not give information out unless he was extremely sure so it was queer that he did not cross check his information first.

"I can tell you the answer but you must make sure you keep your cool when you hear."

"I will," Kenshin promised.

"Saitou came over and asked me to check on her. He had a hunch that there was more than meets the eye. Turns out his hunch was right."

"Saitou asked for this information too," Kenshin asked, his voice wavering slightly.

"Everyone has some element in their past they want to hide. This lady took a lot of effort to cover it with many half-truths or outright lies. It took us quite a while to locate what was under all that muck she heaped on."

"You are saying that I have been lied to for the past two years?" Kenshin questioned as his grip on his sword tightened. The veins in his hands started to become more obvious on his tanned skin.

"About the girl's past? Yes. Then again, you have not been entirely honest with her either. That would make you both quits. I don't think that she is lying about caring for you though," the man emphasize as he stared Kenshin in the eye. "She did you a great favor with Shishio. I got word today that the only reason Shishio didn't get what he wanted was because she deliberately sabotaged his army.

If it wasn't for her, you would have never left his lair alive. He figured that he might lose and prepared a thousand strong army outside as a parting gift for you. Shishio wanted to ensure that if he didn't win, you shouldn't survive much longer. He knew that you could not fight the army even if your comrades were with you. Not after all the little fights he placed in your way."

"So I should be thanking her instead? For lying to me?" Kenshin asked, his normal voice sinking to the baritone that defined Battousai.

"I'm not saying that cause if I do, I'll suffer hell from you. Just bear in mind, people tell white lies often to protect themselves and others around them from getting hurt. It seems to me, that this girl put in a lot of effort to spin lies that she could have not bothered about."

"What do you mean?"

"No one would have taken a second glance at her if it wasn't for you. She's just somebody who people look and forget; there's no need to do so much cover up. If she'd chased you out of her home, she would have spared herself the trouble of covering up her past.

Even thought you are no longer as Battousai most of the time, there are people who still keep tabs on you to be sure. They will check up those around you as a safety precaution. The girl I expect would have had less trouble without you."

At these words, Kenshin stiffened as the crux of the situation struck him.

"I hate it when the truth blows up in my face," Kenshin muttered under his breath as he left the scene.

slight edition because of missing words. hope that it is more readable now it i lost you then