Mirai

Disclaimer: Sessha does not own the anime rurouni kenshin or any of it's character.
'Although it would be nice too....* sniff sniff *'
They all belong to the great Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Enemy from the past

"Not again..." groaned the former street fighter, remembering the last time they had came
to Kyoto, Shishio had them running about in a maze, with Yumi as their guide.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that we'll be able to find out way through it." Soujirou said, as he
made sure that everyone was ready.

"How can you be so sure?" A certain spiked haired boy asked.

Even though he has been traveling with the blue clad boy for so long, Yahiko still could
not bring himself to trust him. The fact that Soujirou used to be the Tenken and that he
wanted to kill Kenshin, didn't help much.

Yahiko only received a smile from the boy.

"Alright then, everyone, place your right hand against the wall, and leave there as you
walk. That way, you won't get lost so easily." Soujirou said, walking into the maze first.

Everyone one else only followed him once Kenshin went in after the boy, all placing their
hands against the wall as they did.

According to Yahiko, after almost a hundred right turns and a few thousand left turns, they
were still wandering around the place.

'I don't think that we'll ever make it out of here with Soujirou guiding us...Who knows,
maybe...' Yahiko was cut short, when he felt someone watching them.

Immediately, the boy went on his guard. Soujirou and Kenshin had obviously sensed it too,
both were tensed up, Soujirou's hand inched towards the hilt of his katana, ready to attack
anyone who dared to attack them.

Suddenly, a boy, who looked like he was barely fifteen, jumped out of the bushes, attacking
Yahiko from behind.

The boy had shoulder long hair, which was pulled back into a tiny ponytail tail. He had
chinese like eyes, which showed nothing, It almost reminded Yahiko of a certain raven
haired boy he knew.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru ran towards her former student, helping him with his opponent.

"Kenshin, go, we'll take care of him. " Just then, the boy dashed towards the pair. Katana
held at face level.

"Demo..." Kenshin said.

"Go! We'll catch up with you later." Kaoru yelled, as she blocked his attack, only to have
her boken sliced in two.

"Hai!" Kenshin said, continuing their path. "Let's go!"

'Kenshin..." Kaoru thought, before she heard Yahiko calling her. Immediately, she dropped
her boken, and caught the blade of the boy's katana with the use of her hands.

Shocked, the boy pulled back his katana and blocked Yahiko's incoming attack.

"Kaoru. Daijoubu?" Yahiko shouted as he ran to her side. Shinai still in hand.

"Aa..." The girl's voice trailed off as she tore two pieces of cloth from her hakama. She
took them, and wrapped them around her wounded plams. 'This will have to do for now...'

Kaoru moved forward, picking up the two pieces of stick, which used to be her boken until
'someone' sliced it in two.

"What do you intend to do with that? Stake me?" The boy laughed, as he once again got into
an attacking stance.

"Che! Challenging an injured girl, how cowardly can anyone get?" Yahiko spat, glaring at
the boy, anger growing inside of him.

"And you would be a better opponent for me, why?"

"Hmp! Quit talking so much and fight already, I'm getting bored." Yahiko faked a yawn,
angering his opponent.

"Fine! Let's see if your skills are as foul as your month is." The boy grinned before
running up to Yahiko.


"Himura-san, I think you'd better let me go back there." Soujirou asked, eyes still focused
on the path.

"I'm sure Kaoru and Yahiko will be alright." Kenshin replied.

"I know, but I somehow have a bad feeling about this."

A pause within the group took place. Sanosuke kept to himself, while Hikaru was probably
busy thinking of her sister.

Soujirou suddenly turned to face the older man, apologizing before running off in the direction
they came from.

"Oi! Where are you going?!" Sanosuke shouted behind the boy, but it was too late, he was
already gone.

Behind him, Kenshin stared at the path before him, walking on as what Soujirou had just
said echoed on in his mind.

'I'll save Kaoru and Yahiko no matter what. Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you once I'm
done."

'What did he mean by 'once I'm done'? Done with what?' Kenshin questioned, as he guided his
two friends through the maze.


"Stop!" A voice yelled from behind Yahiko.

At the sound of the voice, the Chinese looking boy stopped in his tracks, staring at the
shadow approaching them.

"Your fight is with me."

Both Kaoru and Yahiko stared at the person who had just emerged from the shadow, both not
believing what they were hearing and seeing.

"Seta Soujirou. I wondered if it was you. I guess I was right." He replied.

"Follow the white thread, it'll bring you back to Himura-san. Hurry up and leave with
Yahiko." The blue clad boy whispered the instructions to Kaoru as he walked past her.

The girl nodded, before motioning to the other boy to follow her.

"Hey, where are you..."

"Leave them out of this, Setsuna, they have nothing to do with this." Soujirou said, moving
to block the boy's way.

"Since when did you care about people?" The boy grinned as he placed his katana back into
its saya and crossed his arms.

"All the time if you must know." The Tenken answered as he relaxed a little.

Setsuna laughed at the answer he had received.

"All the time? What about when you went around killing people, including my family."

"I didn't want to. I was given an order, and I just did what I was told." Soujirou replied
coldly.

"To kill someone who didn't do anything to you. My parents were just farmers, and my sister
was only four when you murdered her."

The other boy's mask was breaking, Soujirou could see the anger building up behind his cold
blue eyes.

"They saw me. That's all that they needed to do to get themselves killed."

"They were only at the wrong place and the wrong time. Is that what you are trying to say?"
Setsuna answered, slowly moving his hand to the hilt of his katana.

"Yes, more or less. Although I'm sorry for what I did in the past, I know nothing I do can
ever change it, but..."

"But what?! You'll change now. It's too late." The boy said, drawing his katana and
attacking the person who had murdered his family in cold blood nine years ago.


"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted as she ran up to him.

"Kaoru...Daijoubu ka?" Kenshin asked, as he took Kaoru into his arms.

"Hai, but Soujirou is still back there." Kaoru answered.

"Oi, busu, don't forget who he is, I'm sure he'll be able to... Itai!" Yahiko bented down,
rubbing the newly formed swell on his head.

"What was that for?!" The boy asked.

"For calling me 'busu'." The girl whacked the boy once again on his head, enraging him even
further.

"Maa maa, right now, we should focus on where we are going." Kenshin said, coming between
the two.

"Ahh...Himura-san is right, we should get going before we are made to spend the night here,
I sure don't want to." Hikaru said as she came out from behind Kenshin.

"Hai hai..." Yahiko said, crossing his arms as he walked on, behind Sanosuke.


"Kaede-chan, good, you're back." Hijikata said, dumping the red headed imp into the girl's
arms.

Kenji laughed as he clung on to the girl.

"How do you get him to listen to you in the first place?" Hijikata asked, staring at the
girl, surprised at how Kenji didn't try to bite or pull her hair, or try to run away.

"Nothing, I just treat him the way my mother used to treat me, that's all." Kaede said,
before turning to go into her room.

"Like her mother?" The man stared at the closed door to her room, before turning to walk
away to handle his own matters.


Soujirou found himself in a little pinch. Setsuna's skills were almost an equal match for
his. Although his skills were not as good as his own, he could feel the boy's spirit, and
he had a feeling that Setsuna would not give up until his last breathe.

'Fine, if he wants to do things the hard way,...'

Setsuna attacked Soujirou, just as he was about to finish the boy off, Soujirou was gone,
disappeared. One moment, he was standing right in front of him, and next, he was gone.

Setsuna grinned. "I was wondering when you would use that technique, but let's see if it
works on me." The boy then stood his ground, with his eyes closed.

As soon as Soujirou moved in for the attack, Setsuna opened his eyes and blocked his attack.
Soujirou, seeing this, jumped away.

"Funny, I thought only Himura-san could block my Shinkuchi. I think it is because of the
lack of practice." Soujirou said, looking like a little lost boy.

"Never underestimate me, or anyone here for that matter." Setsuna replied, grinning widely.

'What was that supposed to mean?'

"I never underestimated you, or anyone, and i never will." Soujirou replied. He had to admit,
fighting Setsuna was almost like fighting his own shadow. Almost.

'I will not let him beat me...' The former Tenken took a deep breath as he prepared himself
for the next attack.

~*~*~*~*~

Hai minna-san. Here's the next chapter. Gomen gomen, I took so long to write this chapter..
hehe....pls r&r ne? Arigatou!!!