(A.N.-anything marked with "***" denotes a dream sequence/memory. I couldn't italicize it in text format. bleh.)

***Sano-Kun! Chotto Matte!!!***

***Sano you baka! You said she was distracted!***

***Don't call me a baka, you baka! And I did distract her!***

***Well, she ain't distracted now!***

***Sano-kun! Katsu-Kun!! Matteo!!***

"Hiten Mistsuguri Ryu Sui Sen!" a young voice suddenly proclaimed. A wooden kendo sword suddenly
contacted with the back and already lumpy side of Sanosuke's head.

"Ah ts ts ts ts..." Sano winced as he drew up into a fetal position from his back. He looked up to find a
smug Yahiko hovering over him, Suzume and Ayame complimenting their Yahiko-Nii-San on his new method of
waking Sanosuke up. "Yer gonna regret that Yahiko-Chan".

Yahiko's swelled ego suddenly deflated and he stomped one of his feet forward and held out a challenging
fist to Sanosuke.

"Wanna make something of it Chicken-Head?" He challenged. His mouth quirking into a half-grin at Kenshin's
protégé, he lifted his hand and flipped two of his fingers against Yahiko's forehead. Yahiko's face turned red,
and he looked as if he were about to spew fire.

"Maa maa...." came a soft male voice. The door to Sanosuke's apartment slid open and Kenshin, a pole over one
shoulder, a bucket in his other hand, and a grin on his face appearing behind it. Ayame and Suzume ran and
tackled Kenshin's legs in hugs, as if they hadn't seen him for days.

"Ken-Nii-San!" they both chorused loudly. Sano winced and held his head, which, now that he was awake,
throbbed angrily as if it was showing its displeasure at his sake binge the previous night. Flopping back down
on his futon, he draped an arm over his eyes and tried to forget that there were people waiting for him to get
up. A moment later, Ayame and Suzume jumped on his bruised gut, giggling. Sanosuke jerked upright quickly and
tried to pry the overly-loving little girls from his chest.

"Oyy...Kenshin, get some control over these two ferrets, would ya?" He winced, trying yet again to pry them off.
Yahiko stood by the door, his hands on his hips, laughing like a pompous idiot. Kenshin smiled nervously and reached
for Ayame, pulling on her waist. Her death grip on Sano wouldn't let up, however.

"Ferrets! Ferrets!" both girls chorused loudly. This caused more laughter out of both of them, and Yahiko. "C'mon!
Get up Sano-nii-san! It's time for fishing!" Ayame proclaimed between pulls from Kenshin. Suzume let go of
Sanosuke and began dancing around his futon singing "fishing! Fishing!" Finally getting Ayame loose from Sano's
chest, he sent both the girls and Yahiko outside to wait for them. He then sat down cross-legged next to Sano, waiting.

Still half covered with his blanket, Sanosuke brought his knee up to rest his elbow upon. He knew that Kenshin had
saw the bruise on his jaw, and was waiting for him to explain it, scolding him for getting into another senseless fight
in his silent way. Slumping over his leg, he gave in to the silent battle of wills.

"It was a girl."

"Orooo!" Kenshin choked out as he fell to the side, his eyes bulging out of his head. Pulling himself up again, he
looked at Sanosuke with a bewildered expression. "How could you tell?"

"....saw a boob.." he mumbled, fighting back a nosebleed. Kenshin landed on his side again with another thud, a
weak "oroooo" coming from him as he went. Standing up, Sanosuke took his gi from where he had thrown it the
night before. Shrugging into it, he tied his red headband around his head a moment later and turned to Kenshin,
who seemingly hadn't recovered yet. Walking over to him, he nudged him with his foot.

"Oyy...Kenshin..." Blinking rapidly, Kenshin came out of his daze. "Fishing, remember?" Sanosuke replied to Kenshin's
confused look. Kenshin stood up and picked up the bucket and pole once more.

"Why did you fight a girl?" He asked, slightly bewildered. Sano shrugged as they walked outside.

"She looked like a boy before we started fighting." He replied, shielding his face from the glare of the early-
summer sun. Confusion wrote itself across Kenshin's face, but then quickly left it, dropping the subject. Ayame and
Suzume quickly latched themselves onto Sano's legs as he approached them with Kenshin, and refused to let go.
Battle weary with the girls, Sanosuke trudged along after Yahiko and Kenshin, the little girls giggling at their free ride.
-----------------------------

A few hours had passed. Yahiko amused himself by practicing some of Kenshin's techniques, earning a nervous smile
and sweatdrop from Kenshin each time he got a move correct. Ayame had fallen asleep and Suzume sat next to
Sanosuke, who was laying on his back, a chewing on a spade of grass, and put braids into his spiky brown hair.
Kenshin yawned and pulled his pole in for the tenth time to check the bait, then re-settled it into the river. Suzume
clapped her hands and giggled.

"Look Ken-Nii-San! I made Sano-nii-san into Sano-nee-chan!" she announced joyfully. His face reddening, Sanosuke
sat up and began pulling his hair out of the braids. Kenshin laughed in amusement as Sano tried his best not to curse
in front of the girls. He stopped laughing and stood up as a mans angry yell carried over to them. Standing as well,
he looked in the direction Kenshin was intently staring. Two men stood on the bridge crossing the river, trapping a
smaller figure against the railing.

"Ooh! Is it time to kick some as-err...butt?" Yahiko asked, coming up between Kenshin and Sano. Yahiko had ushered
over Suzume to the still sleeping Ayame. Kenshin reached for his sakabatou as one of the men shouted an obscenity
at the smaller figure and backhanded them. Squinting, Sanosuke held out an arm to stop Kenshin.

"Chotto matte...." he murmured. There was something all too familiar about the light blue fabric the smaller figure wore underneath the moth-eaten brown shawl. The figure's body jerked with the hit, then slowly turned to face the men. A
Bo-Staff was suddenly produced from the long shawl, which, in turn, made contact with the man's gut. Shocked, the
man clutched the staff, ready to wrench it away. Smoothly, the figure, which was now revealed to Sanosuke as the
girl from the day before, lifted the man up onto the man on the staff, and tossed him over her head and off the bridge.

"Bo-Staff Jiu-jitsus" Kenshin murmured. The second man came running up behind the girl, his wooden sword raised.
Without turning around, she held her hands at the ends of her staff, and brought it behind her head, catching the
sword's blow. Sliding the staff away from the sword, she turned around and landed a roundhouse kick to his abdomen.
Another hit from her staff, and he too joined his buddy in the river. Suzume waved cheerfully at the men as they
floated past, dazed.

His mouth agape Yahiko dropped his kendo practice sword and gawked at the girl, who was collecting what looked like
dropped ryo off of the bridge. Kenshin, equally amazed, barely caught his fishing pole as it was dragged into the
water by a snagged fish.

Determination setting into his face, Sanosuke marched over to the girl on the bridge. She looked up, and, recognizing
him from the day before, finished collecting up the men's money and took off into the town. Stopping for a moment,
surprised at her sudden retreat, Sano regained himself and jogged off after her.

Coming into the town, which, of all days, was crawling with more people than usual, he scanned the crowd for the girl.
Cursing under his breath he pushed his way in the direction he thought she had gone. Taking a detour through an alley,
he ran to the other side of town, only to find even more people milling about. Leaning his hands on his knees, he paused
to catch his breath. Looking up again, he cursed and kicked a box next to a merchant's tent, only to slump down to the
ground, his hands on his temples and his knees drawn up afterward. He was getting the feeling that he was getting
himself into something he didn't want any part of.
----------------------------------

Evening had settled onto the town. There were still quite a few people wandering about, but the crowd had died down
to a bustling street. Sanosuke sat on the porch of Katsuhiro's apartment, fanning himself and staring out at the people.
Katsuhiro was painting a new scroll, and would pause every three seconds to tilt his head and look at the parchment
thoughtfully. Leaning against the post holding the tarp roof over the porch, Sano took in a deep breath and let it out
slowly. Ears perking at the noise, Katsuhiro looked up at his friend.

"Somthin on your mind?" he asked, glancing up from his painting. Startled, Sano's head snapped to the side to look at
his childhood companion.

"Nani?" he asked, confused. Katsuhiro let out a bored sigh and returned to his paint.

"Never mind." He mumbled, dipping his brush into some paint. Sanosuke shrugged and leaned back against the post.
He was contemplating going and getting some sake at Tae's...but he doubted she'd let him in with a few sweet words
after what had happened yesterday. Fanning himself lazily he looked up at the dusk sky, a few stars peeking through
the rosy pallor.

"You're right of course. I have learned my lesson. I've finally stopped pretending to be a boy. I've disgraced myself
enough, don't you think?" a female voice giggled. A couple walked past Katsuhiro's apartment, the girl laughing good-
naturedly. It took Sanosuke a moment for "stopped pretending to be a boy" to register in his head. When it finally did,
he stood up quickly, dropping the fan in the middle of Katsuhiro's scroll.

"Kusou you baka! I was almost finished!" Katsuhiro yelled, throwing the fan back at Sano. Not getting a reaction from
Sanosuke as the fan left a nice black spot on the sleeve of his gi, Katsu blinked at him in confusion. "Nande?"

"IT'S HER!" he exclaimed, and took off after the couple. Katsuhiro stood up, looking after his fast departing friend.
He shook his head and sat down, starting over on his scroll.

Racing down the street that was now all but empty, save for the families sitting on their porches, enjoying the summer
evening, Sanosuke chased after the girl and her companion. Reaching a crossroad, he looked in each direction for her,
his ears straining to hear her laugh, and his eyes searching for the tell-tale pale blue hakama. Another thread of her
laughter met his ears. Yosha, he thought, and ran down the street on the left. Meeting a dead-end this time, he
skidded to a stop and wildly scanned the stores and house porches for them. Seeing nothing, he crouched to the
ground. A moment later he cursed loudly and punched the ground with his bandaged hand. Shoulders slumping, he
walked back towards Katsuhiros apartment.

"...7 ryo down." a faint voice reached his ears. He lifted his head, recognizing it. His brow furrowing, he walked
back into the dead end, straining for the voice again. Passing by an alley, he heard a man grunt a reply, then a
chinking of coins. Halting, he backed up to the alley again. Peering through the gloom, he crouched, and silently began
to approach the noise. As he got closer, he made out the bulky figure of a man leaning over the girl in the blue hakama,
kissing her neck. His eyes widening and face reddening, he began to scoot back out of the alley when a thump was
heard, and the mans body dropped to the ground.

Holding her Bo-staff to the side, she leaned down and slipped the rest of the mans money from his gi. Taking a small
money bag from her own gi, she deposited the contents of his pouch into it, and dropped the empty piece of fabric
on his unconscious body. Her head rose swiftly, hearing a noise from the opposite end of the alley. Still looking in the
opposite direction, she began to run in the direction Sanosuke had come, and soon collided with him. Gasping, her fist
flew out in reflexive defense, but was caught and wrenched behind her back. The next thing she saw was the ground
as it met her face. Struggling, she pushed against Sanosuke's pin.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed. Sanosuke answered her by pushing her farther into the dirt ground.

"Be quiet would ya?" he whispered hoarsely. Shock raced across her face as Sano leaned down and covered her body
with his own. Glancing up she saw that his eyes were intently watching the men who had entered the opposite end of
the alley, and were checking on their friend. Finding him unconscious and ryoless, they raced back the way they had
come, intent on finding the girl. Releasing the girl's arm and standing up, Sanosuke brushed off his hands and looked
at the girl.

She had pushed herself to a kneel and was holding her gi shut, a pale look on her face. A second later she stood and
punched Sano across the jaw.

"Don't ever touch me again!" she cried. Bewildered at his 'thank you for saving my life', he looked at her, holding his hand
to the already bruised jaw. Glaring at her, he backhanded her back. Her head snapped with the blow, and she was
knocked into the wall of the store that sided the alley. Touching her own bruised cheek she looked at him in shock.

"What's your fucking problem?" he growled. "I just saved your fucking life, and I get punched for it?" Defiantly
glaring at him back she leaned down to get her Bo-staff.

"What would you have preferred? Services rendered?" she scoffed. "You men are all alike. You should start thinking
outside of the manly ego for once." Sanosuke's eyebrow twitched in anger as he searched his brain for a decent
comeback to bandage his wounded pride.

"Pretending to be a boy and then a whore, yeah, that's thinking highly of yourself. What do you want, pity?
Shimatta..you really are a baka, aren't you?" Smiling smugly as his words hit the cord he intended them to hit.
She turned away from him, her face contorted into hate.

"I'll make my money my way and you mooch money your way. Deal Sekihoutai-Sempai?" she asked icily. He stared at
her as she walked away, then turned towards Dr. Genzai's place to have Megumi take a look at his nicely swollen, and
probably re-fractured hand.