Six Months Later

With the completion of her first year as Inspector, Kaoru's confidence returned in bounds. Criminal activity returned to normal limits, and the rates were even lower than when Saitou had been Inspector. Sano told her it was because she was more willing to be reasonable than simply throw anyone found breaking the law in prison as her master had done. Agreeing with the comment seemed almost like a betrayal to her sensei but she couldn't quite deny the truth either.

The new three-member Council was appointed quickly, and this time they were actual citizens born and raised there. Kaoru found herself enjoying working with people who knew better than any outside politician what the city needed. She stopped dreading the meetings so much, though she privately thought they still called more than necessary.

And with the new Council members' approval, she also made changes in the police department. Her first official act after Saitou and Kenshin had left was to hire Sanosuke as the Deputy Inspector, her second-in-command. Under normal circumstances, his appointment would have never been allowed. But his assistance with Kurogasa was widely noted and Kaoru unabashedly used whatever leverage she had to push it through. With Sano's experience on the other side of the law and his ready fists, he corralled the criminals much quicker and more efficiently than she could alone. His easy going demeanor helped him get along with most officers and citizens which helped improve relations. And by hiring someone she trusted completely, it allowed her to relax somewhat for the first time in months. As Kaoru suspected, Sano proved himself capable of handling things by himself.

All of this took weeks to get approval and organize and finally happen, so she remained preoccupied. But in those moments when she caught her breath and had a spare second to think, Kaoru wondered why Kenshin hadn't come back yet. She had received notice that the former Council members and Kurogasa were being held in the capital, awaiting their trial. Since Kenshin had accomplished his goal, surely he'd return? He had said he would.

But he didn't. Autumn abruptly turned colder with temperamental winds blowing constantly. People predicted a stormier winter than normal and braced themselves for heavy snow. But winter drifted in quietly and left even more serenely with only mild dustings of wet powder. Then spring gradually took over and warmed the earth until plants and trees budded and blossomed again.

On one of those serene, perfect days, Kaoru sat in her office, trying to work on a budget proposal to add two new deputies to the force. The work was tedious but necessary and probably the worst part of being an Inspector. At least, she consoled herself, it was easier to recruit more officers now that she'd been established firmly in her role. Through the open shouji, she sighed as the sky stayed a relentless clear blue. It was days like this when she wished she had an excuse to avoid paperwork and go outside to enjoy the weather. But the vision of Okon scolding and nagging her again kept Kaoru in place, at least for now.

Just when she was about to give up on the proposal in favor or something easier, Kaoru heard the faintest shuffle of footsteps on the engawa approaching her office from the back way. It wasn't Okon's usual brisk pace or Sano's heavier tread. It had to be someone who snuck into the back offices; her protective secretary wouldn't let a cockroach in without informing her first. Frowning, Kaoru rose to her feet and picked up her sword from its stand, waiting for the intruder to show themselves. The challenges to her authority had all but died down now that the bounty was removed, but Saitou had taught her it was never wrong to be too careful.

But the face that appeared in front of her was no challenger. A face she hadn't seen in six months offered her a sheepish smile. He hadn't changed at all except for a few minor details. His front bangs looked even more ragged than before as if he hacked it off himself without even looking in a mirror, but the rest of the flame red locks were still the same soft, voluminous messiness tamed by a tie at the nape of his neck. His hakama looked dusty, most likely picked up from the parched road. The seams of his gi showed more loose threads and another small, careful patch on the shoulder.

For some reason, tears filled Kaoru's eyes at the realization. Aside from those tiny changes, he looked precisely as he did a half a year ago: that vague smile she despised pasted on his face and the ever-present sakabatou at his waist. She blinked the salty liquid away impatiently. His presence finally sunk in and the seeds of buried ire suddenly bloomed into a full-blown temper.

It wasn't to disguise the relief that he was alive and not laying dead in a common grave somewhere. It wasn't to look too deeply at how her heart pounded with her not-so-clear feelings for him.

Well, perhaps all that. But she realized now she was also quite furious with him.

So Kaoru allowed herself to purely react and she did. She reached for the closest portable thing at her hand - the open ink pot on her desk - and threw it at him.

"Oro?!"

They both watched as the container full of black liquid arc through the air, most of the ink spilling out on its journey. The pot itself landed squarely on Kenshin's forehead and knocked him off balance.

The tiniest niggling of guilt wormed its way through her anger and latched onto her conscience but Kaoru squashed it ruthlessly even as Kenshin flapped his arms in a comical effort to stay on his feet. If he thought she would feel bad about him letting himself get hit when he could very well have dodged it, he thought wrong.

She crossed her arms and waited with a huffy breath. Kenshin finally righted himself and rubbed his injury with a mournful look. Kaoru glared when she caught him peeking at her between his fingers to gauge her reaction.

The sheepish smile grew even more chagrined. "I know I deserve that," he said ruefully, removing his hand from his face. There was only a trace of red where he was hit and her guilt faded away completely. Trust Kenshin to lessen the damage by leaning back and turning slightly from the projectile so its velocity slowed and made less of an impact.

"You're lucky I didn't throw my sword at you," Kaoru retorted. "Would you have dodged that?"

"Ehehehe, I never knew you had a vicious sense of humor, Kaoru-dono."

She narrowed her eyes. He thought this was funny, did he? After keeping her waiting for months without a single word of reassurance that he was well, or that he had been exponentially delayed for a number of good reasons, all he could do was crack pitiful jokes?

Apparently her murderous aura finally sank in because Kenshin held his hands up in surrender. "I know you must be very angry with my late appearance, but I had good reason for being gone for so long."

Still irritated but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, Kaoru gestured and said curtly, "Go ahead. Let's hear this 'good' reason."

He opened his mouth to answer and then paused, as if reconsidering his words. Seconds ticked by, accompanied by her tapping foot. Kenshin then exhaled and offered her a meek smile. "I guess I don't have one after all."

He was hiding something from her which infuriated her even more. "So you aren't going to tell me what you've been doing for six months?" Maybe she should have thrown her sword at him after all.

"Ahahaha, well, it wasn't all that interesting," he began, then seemed to realize that may not have been the best answer. Correcting himself hastily, he continued in a rush, "What I mean is, I stopped a few times to help some people along the way, and some of my errands took a little longer than I expected."

That was better, but Kaoru was hardly mollified. "So you went back to wandering then?"

"No, not quite. I had to visit several different places, and that's where I helped people. I wanted to keep my promise and come back as soon as possible, but only after I did everything I needed to do." Kenshin smiled tentatively. "When I returned here, I didn't want to have to leave again so soon."

She studied his face and realized he had changed after all. There seemed to be more peace in his eyes, and the gentle demeanor didn't appear like a mask so much as it was truly who he was. Whatever happened in the past six months seemed to have helped Kenshin, and she wasn't so annoyed that she couldn't be glad for him. "All right, then." A sudden thought occurred to her and Kaoru craned her neck to look around him towards the outside. "How did you get to my office without being escorted by Okon-san?"

That sheepish smile returned and Kenshin rubbed the back of his head ruefully. "Ah, well, your secretary is rather... terrifying, so I circumvented my way around her."

Kaoru's eyes widened at the implication. "You snuck in here?"

"I was in a rush to see you."

That sincere comment sent a curl of warmth around the vicinity of her chest and she decided to let it go, just this once. "Okon-san is going to lecture both of us later on propriety, but I suppose we should take advantage of the peace now. Sit down, you must be tired. I'll ring for some tea in a few minutes."

Kenshin ventured inside her office, deftly avoiding the ink spill, and glanced around the spartan area, taking everything in with curious eyes. Kaoru realized this was his first time here, but there still wasn't much to see. As busy as she was, none of her free time went to decorating her office any further, much to Okon's chagrin. But he didn't say anything about the spartan embellishments and merely seated himself on the mat across from her desk.

Placing her sword back on the stand, Kaoru sat down and shuffled the papers away. Since she threw her ink source, she couldn't do any more work until Okon came in with new supplies. "So, if it's not a secret, tell me some of what you've been doing."

"I will. But before I do, I want to give you something." Kenshin pulled out a folded paper and handed it to her. His demeanor had suddenly gone serious, making the hair on the back of her neck rise uneasily.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked, unfolding it. Her eyes widened as she scanned the words on the page.

"It's about you, I presume," Kenshin replied and she felt his eyes watching her face.

"It is. And it contains information that no one apart from my immediate family should know." Kaoru looked up at Kenshin, trying to figure out what this meant. "Explain yourself."

He sighed and glanced away, looking as if he would rather swallow his sword whole than answer. But he replied, "I asked for information about you. This was right before the fight with Udo Jinei."

So he had this for months then. Kaoru wasn't sure how to feel about that. Hearing the silent conjunction, she prompted, "But?"

Kenshin smiled, a little tentative, a little careful. "But then I realized I would prefer to hear your story directly from you instead. So I didn't read it. And I wanted you to have it so you know I won't read it."

Looking back down at the paper again, Kaoru marveled at whoever Kenshin's source was, they were extremely thorough. Disturbingly so. There were occurrences from her childhood that even she had forgotten. But as personal as the information was, Kaoru wondered why she wasn't so bothered by the idea of him reading it. In fact, she was more focused on who dug the background up for him. Having a source as thorough as this person would be extremely valuable in her line of work. "Am I so interesting to you that you'd ask for information on me?" she asked, wondering if she really wanted to know the answer.

Kenshin didn't hesitate. "Very much so, Inspector."

Kaoru thought about that as she set the paper down on her desk. "So... what does that mean?"

He smiled again, though his movement seemed a little uneasy. Or perhaps nervous? "It means that, with your permission, I'd like to stay here in the city for a while and find out what more you're willing to share with me about yourself."

It suddenly seemed harder to breathe as if her lungs decided to stop working properly. Her heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears and blood rushed straight to her cheeks until she was sure every bit of exposed skin was stained crimson. Kaoru swallowed audibly, wondering if she was imagining this happening. But no, Kenshin was sitting across from her because the paper with her background information lay on her desk. She pinched herself on the thigh hard enough so that her eyes almost watered. Yes, this was definitely real. "And?" She managed to say as an encouragement for him to continue.

Kenshin obliged with another shy smile. "Well, and I could share about myself with you. And maybe, after all that, we can see how it fits together. That is, if you're agreeable."

Kaoru drew in a quiet breath, but inside her heart soared with a sparkling joy that nearly set her chest to bursting. She had wondered about this moment for months after they left their discussion unfinished. While there was still more to discuss in the weeks to come, his suggestion of getting to know one another with an eye to the future was exactly what she had hoped. "I think I'd like that," Kaoru murmured. She almost missed the tension leaving Kenshin's shoulders, and the palpable relief from his exhaled breath.

"That's… yes, well I'm glad. About you agreeing," he replied.

They stared at each other for a while, exchanging wide smiles, until Kaoru suddenly realized how ridiculous she was acting. Straightening up her spine, she cleared her throat and shuffled more papers around to keep her hands busy. "So, um, what else did you do?"

Relaxing under a more neutral topic, Kenshin told her what happened when they arrived in Kyoto to drop off the prisoners. He had been asked for his statement which Saitou grudgingly corroborated and then politely shown out the door. From there, he stopped by his friend's place for a few days, and finally went to his master's house to drop off a bottle of sake before heading out of the city to his next destination.

"So you made amends with your Shishou?" Kaoru asked with interest. She was curious about the man who had taught Kenshin swordsmanship.

"Er, not quite. He wasn't home when I stopped by, but that's probably for the best," he replied. The grim tone unsettled Kaoru; she had never heard Kenshin talk like that before. "Besides, he's not the kind of man to forgive so easily."

"Still, you left him some sake. Wouldn't he consider that a tentative truce?"

His bark of laughter sounded less amusing and more derisive. "I doubt it. But I'd rather not talk about Shishou anymore." Kenshin paused long enough for Kaoru to shoot him a questioning glance. Finally, he said, "From the capital, I went westward. I had a few favors to fulfill and did so until I ended up in Edo."

The name of her hometown startled Kaoru but she masked it as best she could. "It's a beautiful city. Have you been there before?"

"I've passed through a few times, but I've never stayed longer than a day." Kenshin hesitated again, then asked, "That's where you grew up, right? Because I met your father there."

That wasn't what Kaoru expected him to say and this time she couldn't hide her shock. Her mouth moved but no sound emerged for a good ten seconds. "What?" she finally managed to croak.

His eyes watched her carefully and his voice remained neutral and quiet. "Since I happened to be in your hometown, I thought I'd stop by and pay respects to your father."

Kaoru shook her head slightly, trying to understand how Kenshin managed to uncover her past. She had deliberately left out where she was born and raised to make sure this very possibility didn't happen. "Why? How did you even know where he lived?" Her brain was still trying to process how they had gone from talking about his errands to meeting Kamiya Koshijirou.

"He's rather well known in certain parts of the country. It was actually rather easy to hear about him in the city. " He still watched her with that same wariness, body tense as if ready to catch her should she fall over from distress. "And still very well respected, despite his unorthodox views on kenjutsu. The Kamiya dojo is highly esteemed by everyone I ran into, even if people don't necessarily agree with its philosophy."

"I would imagine." Suddenly Kaoru wanted to just lay down and sleep for the better part of a week. Dread and guilt and depression pressed down on her limbs until she sagged with the weight of it. It had been a long year of settling in as Inspector, and despite having made new friends and finally feeling comfortable in her own skin, it seemed as though she wouldn't be able to remain content for long.

Kenshin frowned and leaned forward slightly, his voice turning earnest. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't say anything about you. I simply told Kamiya-san that I heard great things about the Kasshin Ryu during my travels - which is true, by the way - and I wanted to stop by to see what it was about since I was in the area." He paused, then added quietly, "Your father was very hospitable and dojo has a strong following. But there still seemed to be something very melancholy about him."

"Let me stop you there, Kenshin," Kaoru said wearily. "I think I appreciate you checking on my father, even without my permission. But he made it very clear to me that no daughter of his was going to learn how to kill. He disowned me the day I left. What I mean is, he took my nameplate off the dojo wall and broke it in half right in front of my face. That seems like a rather clear declaration to me."

He didn't speak for a long moment but she wasn't naïve enough to think the conversation was at an end. Finally, Kenshin replied, "A man in the throes of grief will do and say foolish things that, later on, he will regret with all his heart. Just as you regretted taking someone's life, your father carries a sorrow within him that cannot be buried." The sudden intensity in his amethyst pupils jolted her. "Besides, have you ever wondered what caused your father to create his ryu? The ones who come to value life as precious are usually those who have taken one."

Kaoru blinked several times as she considered that line of thought which had never occurred to her. "Are you saying," she said slowly, "that my father killed someone, felt remorseful, then decided to create the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu because of what he did?"

"I'm not certain if that is truly the case. There are those like Megumi-dono who see life as precious without having taken it away from someone voluntarily. But Megumi-dono also values life even more because she has seen it destroyed by something of her own creation, even if it wasn't intentional."

"The opium," she murmured.

Kenshin nodded. "Exactly. I'm not saying people should kill to see how much life is worth; that is the excuse Jinei used as he slayed. But perhaps, because we have taken a life, we can see even more how important it is to protect people."

The idea that her father had also killed and came to regret it shook her. Was that why he had been so passionate about the idea of katsujin-ken? He had never really talked about his own upbringing, rather choosing instead to focus on his present with his wife and daughter. Was that to avoid talking about a guilty action?

Kenshin's thoughts made so much sense that she felt ridiculous in never having asked her father about it. And yet, while it might have changed her perspective of her father, Kaoru didn't know what she was supposed to do with it. It was, she mused as she eyed the rurouni, probably Kenshin's way of urging her to reconcile with her father. A part of her wanted to, but another part didn't want to try. She'd finally settled down, for kami's sake! She was no longer under the shadow of her father or her sensei. She was a respected Inspector, gainfully employed and no longer in need of anyone's approval.

But even so, her heart lurched at the idea of reuniting with her father. She still loved him, even if he hurt her as terribly as she hurt him. Kaoru wondered what he would think about her journey back to where she started. If Koshijirou had gone through the same cycle, he would understand. But if Kenshin was wrong, she would be opening herself up to more pain again. And in many ways, it would be much worse because there might be no other chance for reconciliation. At least, right now, she could always dream of them forgiving one another.

Sighing, she massaged her suddenly throbbing temple. "I don't know, Kenshin."

"Just think about it," he suggested. "There's no particular rush. But I thought you should know what I observed. No parent wouldn't want to be reunited with their child."

"He could have come to me if he really wanted to make amends," Kaoru pointed out. "He must know where I am; I'm one of the few female police officers in the country, and currently the only female Inspector."

Kenshin smiles ruefully. "Perhaps he is, like you, afraid of being rejected. What if you didn't want to see him?"

"Ah, kami, this is getting ridiculous." Kaoru scowled at her desk from the headache-inducing circular argument. "Let's talk about something else. So they didn't arrest you even after you willingly walked into the national police headquarters. That's a little surprising, but maybe Saitou-sensei decided he'd let you go this once. And speaking of which, did you and Saitou-sensei fight during your travels?"

The abrupt change of subject must have been expected because he merely blinked owlishly at her. "Fight? We are two grown men, Kaoru-dono. Why would we fight?"

"Oh, so you did," she replied drily.

He smiled, but there was far too much innocence in it. "Only a few times. And we never drew our swords. Much."

Kaoru gazed at him, vacillating between exasperation and amusement at the equivocal response. "Well, you look hale and whole, and I heard the Inspector General was in Fukushima so he's unscathed enough to keep working. I suppose your mission was a success. How long are you planning to stay in the city?"

At the question, all traces of jesting faded. "I'm not sure," Kenshin said slowly. "For as long as I can. But there are a few things coming up I'll need to take care of."

She blinked a few times. "What? But I thought you finished everything? Hence why you were gone for six months?" she added pointedly.

Offering an uneasy smile, he explained, "I did what I could for the moment. The other things will be in the future. Please don't worry, Kaoru-dono, there'll be time for us, including right now. But for tonight, perhaps we can meet up with Megumi and Sano."

"Yes, sounds good," Kaoru answered with a stifled sigh. Perhaps she shouldn't have expected Kenshin to settle down right away. After wandering for eleven years, it was probably a hard habit to break. She'd have to exercise patience and see where this led.

They chatted a while longer with Kenshin describing some of the sights he had seen and the people whom he had helped during his travels. As he spoke, his body seemed to relax incrementally. But upon hearing the familiar tread of purposeful footsteps heading in their direction, Kaoru winced at the upcoming confrontation. "Brace yourself, Okon-san is coming," she murmured.

And right in front of her face, Battousai, the most feared hitokiri in all of history, paled as the reserved secretary appeared in front of the open shouji, lips pressed together in disapproval.

Having survived Okon's cross lectures on propriety and decorum, Kaoru and Kenshin managed to escape in time to meet their friends for dinner. Sano and Megumi peppered him with questions, especially about what happened with former Council members and Kurgoasa. Kenshin patiently answered even though he had already told most of it to Kaoru. She didn't mind. While the three of them maintained their earnest, free-flowing discussion, Kaoru watched Kenshin. He seemed at ease and comfortable, finally over the blistering scolding from Okon. He acted as if he hadn't been gone for a half a year away from his friends who also treated him as if he had only been gone for a week. They must be used to the disappearing and sudden reappearing act, Kaoru concluded silently, but she was not. If Kaoru looked away for one moment, she was afraid he would disappear.

Unfortunately, her steady gaze didn't escape the notice of their friends. Sano constantly snickered at her while Megumi decided on a more straightforward approach. "Are you all right, Inspector?" the doctor asked with feigned concern. "You look like you're scrutinizing a criminal, trying to figure out where you've seen him before."

Kenshin blinked in confusion at the cryptic remark. But Kaoru shot Megumi with a vitriolic glare, immediately recognizing the sly words for what they were. "Not at all," she replied curtly.

"Don't let us stop you if you need to work," Megumi continued with her innocent act. She even had the gall to flutter her lashes. "We understand if you need to study the suspect in great detail alone. Maybe even where he's locked up so he can't escape?"

Sano choked back laughter while Kenshin looked back and forth between the two women. "What am I missing here?" he asked plaintively.

"Nothing," Kaoru grumbled. "Megumi-san is just teasing me. Eat your hot pot." And she plopped some meat into his dish. The gesture only made Sano finally let loose with a roar of laughter and even Megumi chuckled behind one demure hand. No amount of glaring or nudging stopped them from indulging themselves. She finally gave up and resolved to eat all the food before they calmed down.

With piping hot food and good company, the hours passed by quickly until Megumi couldn't hold back a yawn. But after they paid for the food and trooped outside, the four of them lingered and chatted longer until the doctor reluctantly spoke. "I'm sorry but it was a long day of seeing patients, and I need to get up early tomorrow."

"Of course, Megumi-dono. You should get some rest," Kenshin assured her.

"I have some work I need to finish too," Kaoru said. "Since somebody didn't finish his share of the paperwork." She glared pointedly at Sano.

Sano opened his mouth to protest, then apparently thought better of it. Instead, he turned to Megumi and told her, "I'll walk you home. Let's go. Right now."

"Coward," Kaoru muttered as Sano all but dragged Megumi towards her clinic.

Kenshin chuckled. "I'll make sure he gets up early to help you with some of that work tomorrow morning. While you two are working, I can find a more permanent place to stay than Sano's room."

Eyebrows shooting up, she turned to Kenshin. "What? You're going to look for a place of your own?"

"Well, I did say I was going to stay here as much as I could," he pointed out. "And while I consider Sano a good friend, it's just not big enough for the two of us long-term. Besides, I prefer my own space." He glanced upwards at the darkened sky. "It's going to take some getting used to staying still. I didn't enjoy traveling so much in the past few years but it's familiar. Settling down is a bit scary."

Kaoru nodded, trying not to show any further shock or amazement. She hadn't expected him to commit long term to finding his own room, especially after mentioning he would be leaving again for his mysterious errands. "I can imagine. It might feel odd for a while until you get used to it. If you get used to it."

Kenshin side eyed her, his expression turning fierce. "I will. Even if I have to leave again, I'll come back. We agreed to get to know each other better, after all."

The firm tone was reassuring but Kaoru couldn't help but ask for one more confirmation. "Is that a promise?"

"It is."

Feeling a sudden weight lift from her shoulders, Kaoru offered him a tentative smile. She still didn't understand all the demons driving Kenshin to wander for over ten years and she suspected she never would. But perhaps as they opened up to each other little by little, Kaoru would see the kind of man he was as Battousai, the rurouni, and now a man more at peace with himself. "Then I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kenshin nodded. "Yes. Good night, Kaoru-dono."

"Good night, Kenshin."

She turned and headed back to her office, knowing he watched her leave before heading off in the opposite direction. Unable to help the wide smile spreading across her face, Kaoru hurried back to the station lest someone see her unusual expression and comment on it.

With the late hour, only a skeleton shift remained on duty and most of them were out patrolling the city. It was late enough that even Okon had gone home, but not before re-stocking the ink and cleaning up the dark stain on the floor until only the faintest trace of black remained. Inside the safety of her office, Kaoru sank down on the tatami mat and sighed at the work piled on her desk. Whether it was revenge on her secretary's part or simply Sano slacking off on his reports, the amount of papers on her desk seemed to have multiplied since the afternoon. "I don't need to worry about people challenging me anymore, it's the paperwork that's going to bury me," she muttered to herself.

Having no choice, Kaoru reached for the top paper on her stack. Okon, ever efficient, had organized everything by importance first and then chronological order. Smoothing it on her desk, she noted it was the national illegal activity report. All prefectures were required to share major and noteworthy criminal disturbances so other Inspectors would be aware and look out for similar occurrences in their precincts. In the aftermath of the civil war, yakuza members had begun to recruit out-of-work swordsmen from the losing side and thus grew more powerful.

Kaoru skimmed through the report, noting anything that happened close to her city to share with Sano and the other deputies. But halfway through, a short paragraph caught her eye.

The village of Anan has recently been run over by bandits who stormed the government center and has declared it free from the sovereignty of Japan. Current efforts to remove the bandits are underway but are hampered by the location of the isolated town. Several civilian casualties reported. Further updates to follow.

Frowning, Kaoru exhaled slowly and looked up at the ceiling to think. While Anan was located relatively close to her city, the tiny farming village didn't hold any type of importance. And yet, bandits had taken it over and declared it independent? It rang vaguely similar to what nearly happened to her city six months ago. According to the report Saitou had released on the three traitorous Council members, they were intent on declaring Toei a self-sovereign state with its own private army. In Anan, the bandits would be the ruler and army. While the occurrences weren't exactly the same, it was similar enough to make her belly churn uneasily.

Reading the rest of the report and finding nothing else unusual, Kaoru's eyes lingered back on that tiny blurb most would overlook. And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wouldn't be the last she heard of this type of activity.

All thoughts of giddiness and Kenshin vanished. After a moment of hesitation, Kaoru reached for paper and uncapped her new ink jar. Picking up her brush, she wrote two sentences and waited for it to dry. Once it did, she sealed it as an official police correspondence and set it aside for Okon to hand to a messenger tomorrow. Within a few days, the note would reach Saitou. There was nothing else to do but wait.

To her surprise, the response came in less than a week. There was nothing marked urgent about it, but Okon left it at the very top of her pile anyway. Kaoru picked it up and broke the return seal, noting that Saitou hadn't even bothered to reply on a new sheet of paper. And when she unfolded it, she realized why. The answer was as short as the question and would have been a waste.

To: Inspector General Saitou Hajime, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto

From: Inspector Kamiya Kaoru, Aichi Prefecture, Toei

Anan. A coincidence?

To: Inspector Kamiya Kaoru, Aichi Prefecture, Toei

From: Inspector General Saitou Hajime, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto

No.