Looking up as the door opened, all of the men jumped up to see who walked in behind Isami and went for their swords. Sidestepping, Sanosuke put himself in front of Chizuru. "What the hell is that bastard doing here?"

Holding his hand up, Isami sighed. "Everyone put your swords away and sit down. He is actually not here as an enemy. I will explain it all but you all need to sit!"

Blinking as the guy with the red hair moved with Souzou to sit near her, she blinked as she turned to Souzou with wide eyes. "Who is he?"

With a smile as everyone glared at him, Kenshin laughed. "My name is actually Kenshin Himura though I am sure that you mostly know me as Batousai The Manslayer. However….."

Pulling eyes to him, Isami sat the scroll that explained what the Tokugawa were doing. "I am in direct contact with Tokugawa regularly. I know his hand writing and how he speaks. So I know that this scroll is the truth. It would seem that Kenshin and Souzou were friends once and trained under the same master. When the imperial army told him to come kill the one who had the same swordsmanship as he did, he opted to talk and give us this scroll."

His eyes hard now, Toshizo crossed his arms. "And what is in that scroll?"

"Our execution detailed by Tokugawa himself. He has surrendered to the enemy and those that he knows would rather go down fighting like us, are going to be set up."

Fear gripping her heart as she shot all around the room, Chizuru froze. What were they going to do now? They couldn't just do what he said if he knew that they were going to die in the process that would be pointless! "What are…."

Smiling at her, Isami laughed. "I am not sure exactly what I am going to do other than I will be fulfilling Suzuki's dieing wish."

Their heads jerked up, both Sanosuke and Katsu just looked at him odd. Sanosuke was the one who spoke first though. "Wait so you are going to do what he wants you to do even though you were on opposite sides?"

Nodding as he looked at the boy Isami was serious. "I am. I owe Suzuki my life from when we were on the same side. He was a good man and I will repay my debt to him. Though I do wish that I could have been able to repay it with him still alive."

Wanting to change the subject, hating to hear anything like this, Chizuru started to stand up. "I will go and get him….." But she stopped when Souzou grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to sit with him. "What?"

"I am not all that hungry with you having me taste everything while you were cooking. He can have mine and I will just share yours. Sound good?"

"But I don't mind to go and get him something."

Smiling Kenshin bowed his head. "That is alright you do not need to bother. I am not that hungry so this is going to be just fine thank you very much."

Sanosuke turned to Isami and crossed his arms with a glare. "But we do need to figure out what we are going to do. I believe you when you say that Tokugawa wrote that. I can't believe that he would just turn on us like that."

"It isn't like he did it because he wanted too Sanosuke." Tossing him the scroll, Isami crossed his arms as he sighed with closed eyes. "If I had a wife and children like he does there isn't much I wouldn't do to make sure they were safe. They were who the Imperial Army were targeting. I understand his reasoning, however if he had told us we would have freed them."

"That's what I don't get!" Heisuke crossed his arms as he glared. "So we got Chikage to deal with and now we are going to be set up to die. This is just great why didn't he tell us where they were we could have gone and gotten them!"

Shaking his head Kenshin brought all eyes back to him again. "That would have been impossible. When everything went through, they were not even in the country of Japan. They were on a ship out in the ocean when he was given the choice. He surrenders or they would all drown."

"That is horrible."

Looking down at Chizuru and how she seemed to be shaking, Souzou let out his own sigh. "In any event, perhaps the topic could change from this to something else for the time being."

Seeing her reaction to everything, Toshizo nodded as he began to eat again. "Agreed. We will all meet later."

Giving Souzou a small smile, Chizuru then turned back to her food, though now she only picked at it. She was worried about everyone! And she didn't know what she could do about it other than just what she was doing. Keeping quiet and out of the way.

X

Glaring into the compound, Kazuma had his arms crossed. That Himura was supposed to have attacked them not went in talking to them and eating with them! He didn't want to face down one of the Hiten swordsmans. Let alone two of them. "This just complicates things. And seeing as the higher ups are fond of him I can't get that bastard killed. Damnit."

Kyuuju sighed as he watched the compound as well. "Does this change your plans?"

"It does not. She is a demon and one that has no bodyguard. She will be mine. It just changes how I must go about doing it. It would seem that I need even more furies. Enough to keep Himura busy while I take out Souzou and grab her." But the sound of footsteps caused both Kazuma and Kyuuju to turn their heads to see someone walking toward the gate of the compound. He wasn't from the Imperial army and he wasn't Shinsengumi. "Well who is this?"

X

With a smile at the glares Hiko effortlessly jumped over the gate and used his speed and then found himself standing in the open door of the main dining hall with a glare for two of the shocked faces. "Where in the hell have the two of you been? Damnit I knew taking on two at once was gonna come back and bite me in my ass!"

Everyone on their feet as they drew their swords, it was Isami who spoke. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"

Ignoring them all, Hiko walked toward the now standing and still quiet students that he had. "I am here for them and nothing more let's put the pointy sticks away children." Then his eyes narrowed. "Well are one of you going to answer up and tell me why the hell!?"

Turning to Isami, Souzou smiled a nervous smile. "It is alright. He is Seijuurouu Hiko the Thirthteenth. The current master of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu. Our master."

Reaching them with crossed arms, Hiko sighed. "Everyone can just call me Hiko though. But you two!" He then shocked everyone as he reached out and rapped both of them on the head as he fisted his hands. "I told the two of you to figure out who it was going to be and come back to learn the final technique. But no! I start hearing how you are a killer for hire Kenshin! And you Souzou are leading an army of your own and not using anything I taught you! Have you two lost your damned minds!"

Taking a deep breath, Kenshin crossed his arms as he closed his eyes. Souzou rubbing the back of his neck. "We didn't see the need for one of us to become the next master. After all seeing as we would take the name Seijuurouu Hiko the Fourteenth. Neither of us really….."

Rapping him on the head again Hiko was furious. "So you leave me with the name and the constant stream of people begging for a Master's help! Come on you two!"

"Is everything alright in here?"

Turning to see the small girl dressed like a boy, Hiko was just a bit confused. He knew this was the Shinsengumi compound, and thought that they forbade any woman to step foot in here for fear she would distract the men. But it was the look in Souzou's eyes as he walked toward her with a content smile he hadn't seen on his face since the day he took he and Kenshin in as students. 'Well now that was unexpected.'

Reaching Chizuru Souzou turned and nodded to Kenshin and Isami as he lead her out of the hall. "It is alright Chizuru. That is mine and Kenshin's master. I am sure he will understand. I will come and sit with you for a while seeing what they are talking about doesn't really concern me directly anyway."

Crossing his arms, Hiko sighed. "I see. So I see his excuse what is yours Kenshin?"

"Isn't it enough that I just don't want to have to kill my Master who was more like my father if I don't have too?"