Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Rurouni Kenshin, even though I would like to be.

Chapter Three: Sanosuke's Journey

It was around lunchtime when Tsubame and Megumi returned. Kenji and Chiharu were sitting by the table silently eating some food that had been given to them. But Yahiko was leaning in the corner staring up to the ceiling with a small frown.

"So how is he?" he said when they entered the room.

"We were able to patch up the wound," answered Megumi; "but he has lost a lot of blood and we don't know if he'll be fine after that."

They noticed that she had a very sad expression.

"Don't worry," said Tsubame who was now trying to calm the tense atmosphere around them; "Megumi is one of the best doctors in town, like Dr. Genzai was, so I'm sure Sanosuke will be back to health sooner or later."

"So what happened to him anyway?" said Kenji as he placed his empty bowl back onto the table.

"I don't know for sure," replied Megumi as she sat down beside Chiharu; "but it looks as if he had been attacked because I noticed that the bleeding had come from a deep wound, possibly a slash, that was made across his chest. It might have sealed for a moment when you found him, so it only started bleeding again during your trip over here."

"But it would take a master swordsman to do that to Sano! Even at his age!" exclaimed Yahiko.

"Well," said Tsubame; "we have no way to know about now. We'll just have to wait until he wakes up."

"Fine then." he muttered as he sat down again.

Two days had past since Sanosuke returned. Kenji and Chiharu would be returning to Hiko's that day and decided to pay a last visit to the Myoujins. They received a warm welcome from Yahiko and Tsubame then went inside.

"I can't believe you two are leaving already," said Tsubame with a sigh.

"And if I know Hiko Seijuro, you won't be coming back for a long, long time." Yahiko chuckled.

"So we can't stay very long," said Kenji, more cheerful than he had been in the last few days.

"But," whispered a voice from behind the screen "at least stay long enough to hear this."

"Huh?" they all said in surprise, as they turned to the door as it slowly slid open. And from the other room emerged…

"Sanosuke!" yelled Yahiko as he ran over to his old friend.

Sano gave him a big grin but suddenly stumbled over. He said a soft ouch in his old hoarse voice then stood up again.

"Why are you out of bed?" scolded Tsubame as she rushed over to join them along with Kenji and Chiharu; "You're not fully healed yet! Come on, let's get you back in there."

They went back to the spare room and made Sanosuke lie down again. He paused for a moment to get his thinking straight.

"How long have I been here?" he asked a little later.

"About two days," answered Kenji.

Sano looked over to him again and said; "So you must be Kenshin's son. Kenji, right?"

"Yeah," he muttered.

"You and that girl over there were the ones that found me before I passed out?" said Sano, looking towards Chiharu who had just returned with Tsubame carrying a small tray of food. "I'm sorry if I mistook you for your father, you look so much alike that I could not tell the difference."

Kenji shot him an angry look for a second then turned away.

"Don't talk to him about this father much." whispered Yahiko.

"Oh," he said silently.

"So what happened to you anyway?" asked Chiharu, trying to change the subject.

"It's a long story," he told them as all of them were now paying close attention to him; "but I guess this is what you've all been waiting to know all this time. So here it is…

"While I was in Mongolia, I was living in a very crowded town, so news traveled pretty fast. Now, most of them were most unlikely so I didn't really believe one that had been going around for a while. It was about how a certain Hitokiri Battousai had just died back in Japan. Well, that was until I remembered that Kenshin was suffering from a deadly sickness the last time I saw him. It was a confusing time for me then since I had not been there for him when, or if, he passed away. But it became worse after I heard another rumor not long after.

"Many people were talking about how some skilled swordsmen were then hoping to claim the title of Battousai for themselves. Just like before, this did not bother me for this had already been going on even when your father was alive. So I just went along with my daily business and soon I had forgotten about what I had heard that day.

"But still the possibility of Kenshin's death bothered me. One day, I could not take the tension any longer. So I packed my bags and set out toward Japan. Things went very smoothly on the trip for there to China, yet things turned ugly when I arrived here a few weeks ago.

"I was a few miles away from here when I decided to take a little break. I sat down behind a large boulder and fell asleep. I was startled awake by the sound of footsteps from behind the rock shortly after. I assumed that they had not noticed me so I just sat there to make sure it would stay that way.

"I was able to hear some of the conversation, I knew at once that these people were not going to tolerate my being there. It proved that the rumor from Mongolia was true, one of them was an excellent swordsman and I found that out not long after. The man and two others were discussing something about their possible take over. One of them reported that Battousai had a son that was now considered his momentary successor since no one had proven himself worthy of the title yet. And to them the only way to earn it was to defeat you. But their leader was the sort of person that will not settle for only victory, you know what I mean.

"So, I knew everything then, Kenshin had gone, and you were in danger, Kenji. I was about to sneak away, but suddenly a voice shot out.

"It was the leader that spoke; 'I know your there,' he said with in a cold voice; 'Do you think I did not notice? Well I guess you were wrong.

"It all went so fast that I cannot recall the exact details. All I can remember is a hooded figure diving at me from behind and slashing me on the chest. I had tried to defend myself but it proved useless against him. I found myself lying on the spot, I had somehow survived it with only that injury, but I still felt weak. Once I got my thoughts straight, I had to rush over here before it was to late. And that's when you found me after a while."

When Sanosuke finished, everyone was silent. No one had anything to say, except Kenji.

"And so that means that the only way for that person to get my father's title is for him to kill me then." he said with slight anger.

Sanosuke nodded and a look of guilt spread across his pale face.

"Well, I'd better get going then," he shot back as he headed towards the door; "Come on Chiharu."

She looked up at him then stood up to follow; "Okay."

"Goodbye." he said finally, not looking at either of them as he walked into the gloomy street.