Disclaimers : I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

The Truth

       "The old man in that town said that I had to walk this way to go to the north…," the 19 year old, Soujiro Seta, said to himself. He looked to his left, then his right, and then his left again –before looked down to his map.

       "Haha.. I must have been lost," he chuckled. A smile appeared on his face.

1. The Prologue

        Too tired of walking, Soujiro decided to sit down and rested his legs. It has been 3 days since he entered that luxuriant wood. He had no problem with the food. The old people in the previous town seemed to like him a lot –that they gave him enough food suplies for his 'self-finding' journey.

         He also had no serious problem with the wild animals or the robber. He was the Tenken. And even he had wandered alone without Shishio near him –he still had that hidden aura. Powerful enough to make anybody or anything realized that he wasn't just an ordinary boy.

        "Ah! That was refreshing!" he said after he washed his face wih the water from the clean river. He then stood up. The morning sun rays met his face. He smiled widely as if he wanted to greet the sun.

       2 years had passed since the Kyoto Arc. Makoto Shishio was dead. Juppongatana had seperated and they were working for the Meiji Governess now. It was only him who kept untrackable.

       In that search of 'his answer' , he'd never used his sword to kill people again. But that didn't mean that he thought that the ex-battosai was right. It was more because, killing was unnecessary. As the matter of fact, if he make his sword wet with anymous people's blood, the Meiji police will soon find him. He might spend the rest of his life in the prison or worked for them. And he'd never had the answer.

       "Hey boy! Give us your money!" came a deep and husky voice. Three big men then came out form their hide out. They were only about 5 meters in from of Soujiro. Swords were in their hand. Evil smirks were plastered on their face. Talking about crime. There needn't any specific time for it.

        "Eh?" Soujiro dumbfully replied.

        "I said, give us your money! You have it right?!" said another guy with a big nose. And in a second, the man quickly moved to Soujiro and grabbed his bag. Satisfied, he then said, "We have an incredible speed! You seem to be a good guy, kid. But again! This isn't a place for kids!!"

         "If you still have time and strength to babble like that, I suggest you'd better use it to heal yourself first, " the cute blue-eyed boy calmly said.

        "What do you…Gyaa!!!!!" he suddenly screamed in agony –even before finishing his words. He looked down to his badly bleeding stomatch. Too panic of seeing too many blood, the coward man then fainted.

        "I didn't cut it deep. If you're lucky, you will found a healer in the middle of this wood," Soujiro said as he walked near to them and took bag his money bag.

       The other two men quickly kneeled beside their wounded friend. They all stared at Soujiro's back, with their wide eyes. Their body were trembling in fear and shockness.

       The young boy than stopped walking and turned his body to face the terrified men. "Ano, if I go straight, where I will be? I don't understand my map and I'm kinda lost."

       "…K, Kyoto!" one of the man replied with his quivering voice.

       Soujiro sighed. "Kyoto…" He was in a deep thougth until he clasped his hand. "Ok, Kyoto then it be and thank you for the information anyway!" he said with a big grin, and he continued walking.

      Soujiro Seta… 2 years being a rurouni, didn't change him a lot –apparently.

      ~ ~ ~  Later that afternoon, in Kyoto ~ ~ ~  

      He fixed his hat position once he entered the busy city of Kyoto. He decided not to show himself too much. The risk of being recognized by the people in Kyoto –especially the police and the Kyoto Oniwabanshu –was too high. Two years wasn't enough to forgot the unpleasant incident that happened in Kyoto back then.         

       But remembering how nice Kyoto was, Soujiro's innocenct side dragged him there –risking the danger.

        Quite an advantage actually that people in Kyoto were all busy with theirselves. Too busy that they didn't even notice that the ex member of Juppongatana was among them. That gave him chance to walked freely with the less precentage of being noticed.

        The building with "Aoiya" text on the name board suddenly attraced his attention.

        If I'm not wrong, this is the Kyoto's Oniwabanshu headquarter , he thought.

       With a grin he then said, "Aoiya, hmm?"

To be continue…

A/ n : Konnichiwa, minna-san! I'm Pinboo and this is my first RK fic. This will soon be a Sou/Mis story, I think. I hope you like it. Please review and read the next chapter. Arigatou!!