Title: Tears of Blood Author: Kenshin's Radish

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Rurouni Kenshin. That's only wishful thinking.

Chapter 1: What Seems Like a Perfect Day .

Kenshin Himura napped lazily on the porch. On the bare wood. To Kenshin, it was better than not napping at all. He napped, and napped, and napped, the whole afternoon away. To him, the former Hitokiri Battousai, napping was unusual but today was a perfect spring day to just stretch out and nod off. He usually does his chores all day but that morning he had gotten up so early and he was in such a bright and vibrant mood, he got everything done by noon. So he settled on the porch and listened to the birds chirp and the wind blowing through his disgruntled, long, vermilion hair. Yes, it was a good day to be alive. And napping was how he wanted to spend it. It was peaceful. Yahiko Myoujin was training with Kaoru Kamiya in a nearby forest's clearing, and Sanosuke Sagara was off on a walk somewhere, likely beating somebody up. But there Kenshin sat.fast asleep as the sun slowly arched over Tokyo from the east into the west.

"Uncle Kenny!" shrieked a little girl as she sprinted over to the sleeping Himura.
"Uncle Ken!" chorused another little girl following her older sister. Kenshin woke startled from his sleep by the screeches, only to realize that it was only little Ayame and Suzume, the granddaughters of Dr. Gensai, a close friend of the Kamiya family.

"Ah! Ayame and Suzume! A pleasant surprise, that it is!" exclaimed the ever-polite Kenshin. The little girls sprung up into Kenshin's arms screeching with excitement. They loved their Uncle Kenny. "Ah, I believe it's almost time for supper, that I do. How would you like to help me make some beef stew?" asked Kenshin, even though he didn't particularly care for beef stew, he knew the others loved it.

"Beef stew! Beef stew!" chorused the little girls, as they trotted after him like baby ducks following their mother.

"Kaoru! How much more do we have to practice? Kenshin gets to stay at home and become a veritable vegetable and you sit out here and make me work! It's not fair!" cried Yahiko indignantly, slashing his wooden sword through thin air.
"Kenshin, unlike you, works very hard all day and he deserved a rest, besides, you are doing that stroke wrong, let me show you the CORRECT way to do it," replied Kaoru as she demonstrated to Yahiko the correct way to do the move.
"Well so? The sun's almost all the way down. Jeez, can't we go eat, I haven't eaten since breakfast!" nagged Yahiko as he threw down his shinai.
"Pick that up Yahiko, they aren't cheap!" scolded Kaoru, "But you're right, it's getting late and I'm starved too, let's go."

The two of them picked up their training equipment and headed toward the Kamiya Dojo and where they lived with Kenshin and Sanosuke. They were almost out of the forest when they heard a chilling, malignant voice behind them scowl, "Ha, I finally found you."

Sanosuke was walking up and down the river. He was very subdued compared to his regular smart-ass and outgoing ways. It was the ten-year anniversary of the death of his mentor Captain Sagara, and even after all those years it still hurt him. Finally he came upon a jetty in the river and he walked to the very last and largest rock to think; he ended up falling asleep.

When he woke up he was achy and very uncomfortable, as nice a day as it was, nothing can make sleeping on a rock comfortable. He got up and stretched. All throughout the dreams he had in his troubled sleep, Sano could only think of Captain Sagara. He punched himself in the face, trying to shake the dark mood that still hovered over him like a rain cloud but it was futile. His stomach rumbled and he looked to the sky, the sun was low. It was time to head back to go eat. He got off the jetty and meandered back to the Kamiya dojo.

When he arrived he noticed that Kenshin just finished making beef stew, his favorite. His mood lifted and putting on his classic "Sano-Face" he strutted over to Kenshin, he was prepared to make a crude remark when he saw little Ayame and Suzume and thought better of it. Instead he just sneaked up behind Kenshin and just inches away from him he said in his loudest, most obnoxious voice, "HELLO!" Kenshin barely batted an eye. He turned around smiling at Sano and greeted him warmly. Sano's face fell. He forgot that Kenshin always knew when somebody was behind him. It was just apart of his legendary Battousai instincts. It killed Sanosuke's mood immediately. Sourly, he sat down and picked up his bowl of beef stew, which Kenshin had just dished up. He looked over at Ayame and Suzume who were already gobbling it up.

"Hey Kenshin, where are Yahiko and Kaoru? They should have been back by now shouldn't they?" inquired Sano as he picked at his stew. "I don't know where they are, that I don't. But when they left they said that they might be late for supper and not to worry about it that they did," Kenshin replied nonchalantly. He was lying. He knew that Sano was in a bad mood because of the anniversary and he had a feeling something was wrong, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it until he was sure. "Ah ok. This is really good beef stew.it's better than the slop Kaoru tries to serve us," said Sano. "Yeah, it's good!" chirped Ayame. "Yeah! Good!" quipped Suzume as she accidentally spilled a bit of broth down her kimono. She cried out but Kenshin calmed her down and gently cleaned up the mess.

That evening after Dr. Gensai picked up Ayame and Suzume, Kenshin was sipping tea and Sano was impatiently pacing around the room. "How can you be so calm!" he demanded, "Kaoru and Yahiko are still gone! Something is wrong Kenshin, and you're not telling me. What's going on!" "I don't know what's going on, that I don't. But I have a feeling a certain somebody has something to do with it," was the reply as he took another sip.