Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Rurouni Kenshin
The Wandering Priestess: We Meet Again.
"Could you please stop following me around?"
"No way Sagara you owe me money." Usagi said as she walked behind the irate man her long blond hair trailing behind her.
"I'm hungry" the little girl on Usagi's back said interrupting the two adults.
Usagi sighed, "Don't you have any food Sagara?" she asked. "ChibiUsa is hungry."
"Iie."
"Then how do you survive?"
Sanosuke allowed the fishbone to fall from his lips," I usually go to the Kamiya dojo, Kenshin lives there."
Usagi's eyes lit up at the mention of Kenshin's name. "If Battousai lives there we have to go there" she exclaimed. "Maybe he'll accept my challenge."
Sanosuke snorted, "Kenshin won't ever fight you, you don't fight fair."
"You're just a sore loser!"
"And you're just a big cheater!"
"Humph" Usagi turned her back to him, "Well can we still go there, I'm starving too."
Sanosuke shrugged. "Not my problem."
"Is that how you treat your friends?!" she yelled.
"You're not my friend."
"Sagara!"
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"So she's following Sano around?" Kaoru asked.
"Uh huh" Kenshin nodded.
"I still can't believe she beat Sano." Yahiko said.
Kaoru's eyes moved to the open door of the dojo and looked to street beside the dojo, "Isn't that Sano coming this way?"
Yahiko jumped up from his position. "It is him and he has Usagi and the little pink haired brat with him."
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"Wow this food is really great." Usagi said as she stuffed more morsels into her mouth.
Kaoru smiled. "It's nice to have my efforts appreciated"
"She must have a stomach made of iron" Yahiko whispered to himself when Usagi asked for more.
Kaoru handed another bowl of rice to Usagi. "If you eat another bowl there won't be any left for the others."
"Eat all you like" mumbled Yahiko.
Sanosuke glared at the eating Usagi. "You've got to lend me some money Kenshin" he said turning to his redheaded friend.
"I would lend you the money Sano but Kaoru-dono needs the money for supplies" Kenshin said as he gave Sanosuke a look of pity.
"Sanosuke" a small voice squealed and Sanosuke was almost knocked over by a pink blur.
"Let go of me" Sanosuke hissed while glaring down at the small girl clinging to his leg.
ChibiUsa shook her head 'no'; "Yahiko is being mean"
Sanosuke glared at Yahiko.
"She started it."
Kenshin chuckled. "Yahiko won't hurt you" he assured her.
"I like you." She giggled as she flung herself at Kenshin who barely caught her.
"Oro"
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"So this is Kyoto" she whispered to herself. This is where she would find her beloved Battousai. She could feel many eyes on her as she mad her way to the small restaurant called the Kana.
"Excuse me" she said walking up to the first person she saw.
"Hai?" the girl said as she turned around her long blond hair swishing behind her.
"I require some assistance."
The girl smiled. "Sure, Watashi wa Aino Minako."
"Hino Rei"
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"Now that I'm finish.." Usagi said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand." I challenge you again." She said pointing to Kenshin who still had the ChibiUsa in his arms.
"Kenshin won't fight psychopathic stalkers!" Sanosuke shouted.
"If he beats me you don't owe me anything and I'll stop following you"
Sanosuke shoved Kenshin towards Usagi. "Go Kenshin."
"Oro" Kenshin looked towards the door of the dojo. 'That presence….so familiar'
"Let's do-" Usagi never finished the sentence because the dojo door was pushed opened by someone or something.
Minako stuck her head through the opening, "Ohayo!" she waved at them before stepping unto the dojo grounds.
"What brings you here, Minako?" questioned Kaoru.
Minako smiled. "Kenshin-kun has a visitor" she moved to her left revealing a woman with long black hair and calculating black eyes.
"Battousai" the name rolled off her tongue.
"Rei-chan" Kenshin whispered.
"You know her Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.
Kenshin nodded his eyes never leaving the woman's. "Hai"
"It's good to see you again," Rei said.
"What are you doing in Kyoto?" Kenshin placed the young ChibiUsa on her feet.
"I came for you of course."
Kaoru frowned. 'Just who does she think she is?'
Sanosuke blinked in confusion.
"Look Rei or whatever your name is you have to wait your turn, I'm going to fight him first" Usagi said.
Rei turned and glared at the blond, "I don't want to fight him and it's Hino-sama to you Odango."
Usagi's face turned red. "My name is Usagi not Odango" she screamed as she tried to grab Rei but was held back by Sanosuke.
"Your friends are crazy." Rei said dryly.
"Oro"
"Watashi wa Kamiya Kaoru" Kaoru said as she pushed herself in front of Kenshin. "I own this dojo"
"Hino Rei" Rei said as little impressed that a woman owned a dojo.
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"Sir we lost track of her"
The man pulled the cigarette from his mouth. "She must be here then, find her and bring her to me" he dropped the cigarette and stepped on it with the bottom of his shoe.
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Kaoru watched as Kenshin and Rei chatted about the past. She hoped that was all the girl was to Kenshin his past.
"Kaoru where did Sagara go?" Usagi asked.
"He left while you were busy glaring at Rei" Yahiko informed her. "You know you have a right to glare after all she has more beauty that you and Kaoru put together." He laughed.
"Why you little.." Usagi tired to grab Yahiko but he ran.
"Ignore him, he always says stuff like that."
"Take care of Chibi for me I'm going to find Sagara" Usagi told Kaoru before glaring at where Yahiko ran off to then turned on her heel and walking out of the dojo.
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"Arigatou for walking me back." Minako smiled.
Sanosuke nodded. "Anything to get away from my stalker"
"Stalker?"
"It's a long story."
"We have time."
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Usagi cursed to herself when she saw no sign of Sanosuke anywhere on the streets. "I'll check that place where he lives" she ran towards the area covered densely in trees.
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Kenshin gave a small smile before he became serious," Rei chan how is Hino-sama?"
Rei's eyes lowered as tears began to gather in them." He's dead."
Kenshin's eyes widened "Gomen."
"That's why I had to find you. A year after you left these men came and started terrorizing people they were after something grandpa had." Rei pulled out a book from the bag lying beside her. "They killed him but he had given me the book already and had told me to find you and give it to you" she handed the book to Kenshin.
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Usagi remained hidden as she watched the men setup camp around Sanosuke's home. She gasped when the door to the small house opened and a man with long brown hair that went just passed his shoulders stepped out.
"We'll go into town tonight, remember I want Hino alive." He said to the men.
"Hino.." That name sounded so familiar to Usagi. 'That girl at that came to the dojo looking for Battousai!'
"A spy!" a voice sneered behind her.
"Ack" Usagi exclaimed as she ducked just in time to avoid the slash that the man did with his katana.
"Ugn" he grunted when he tried to dislodge his katana from the bark of the tree.
Usagi smirked and slammed her small fist into his chin and sent him to the ground with his mouth bleeding. "Ha ha"
Her victory was short lived for she was soon surrounded by more men all wielding katanas.
"I don't suppose you'll let me leave peacefully" Usagi sighed as she removed her staff from her back. 'I've got to warn Battousai'
She didn't wait for them to attack she just ran into the group swinging her staff at anything that moved and before long more than half of them were on the ground. Now was her chance to get away.
Usagi turned, intent on fleeing but found her path blocked by the brown haired man. Her eyes widened in shock when he pulled out his katana and slashed her hand that was holding the staff.
"Hn." He grunted his green eyes shining with malice.
Usagi's mouth opened but no sound came from it and the staff dropped from her hand and she fell to her knees holding the bleeding wound, the pain almost to much for her.
"Sir don't kill her, she knows Hino." The first man who had attacked her said as he rubbed his jaw.
The man looked down at the bleeding Usagi, "Bring her."
Two men grabbed her and lifted her from the ground and began to practically drag her to the house.
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"Sano have you seen Usagi?" Kaoru asked the man when he walked into the dojo.
"Iie" he mumbled.
"She went looking for you hours ago and she's not back."
"Great."
"Sanosuke she could be in trouble we have to go look for her!" growled Kaoru.
Rei smirked at the interaction between the two, Kaoru reminded her of herself.
"I'll go with Sano" Kenshin said.
"I shall accompany you." Rei got to her feet and stood beside the two men.
"Me too, Yahiko will stay here with ChibiUsa" Kaoru insisted.
"Aww man " whined Yahiko.
"Stay here Yahiko" Kenshin ordered as he and the others left the dojo.
"I'm hungry" ChibiUsa pulled on his shirt.
Yahiko rolled his eyes, "Why me?"
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Usagi glared at the man standing in front of her, he however paid no attention to her as he cleaned the blade of his katana removing what she assumed was her blood.
"Where's Hino Rei?" he suddenly asked.
"Who?"
The man's face soon was right in front of hers and his green eyes bore right into her sapphire ones. "Don't play games with me" he snarled.
Usagi smiled. "I'm not playing games" 'Somebody better save me.'
"You need some persuasion." He slapped her face and she winced.
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"We've been looking for hours and the sun is setting" Sanosuke looked to the sky.
"We haven't checked the forest yet." Kenshin said as he led them to the forest path.
Sanosuke yawned and followed Kenshin through the path, "I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry Sano"
Kenshin stopped at a clearing, "Isn't that Usagi's?" He had directed that question to Sanosuke.
Sanosuke jogged over to the staff and picked it up with his hand. "Hai it's hers" he said.
"Are you bleeding Sanosuke?" Rei asked.
"Iie" Sanosuke looked at her curiously.
"Then Odango is."
Sanosuke looked at the staff and noticed that several parts of it were covered in blood. 'Usagi'
"I hear something up ahead" Kaoru told them.
Kenshin covered the handle of his katana with his hand, "Let's go"
When they reached where the laughter was coming from Rei tensed and Kenshin noticed.
"Rei-chan?"
"These men are the ones who killed Grandpa, they must have followed me here" she whispered her eyes narrowing.
"Well if they have Usagi I'll beat all of them." Sanosuke said to them then stepped out from his hiding place.
The men's laughter stopped and they all stared at Sanosuke.
"That baka!" Rei cried.
"Sanosuke is always determined to show people what lack of brains he has" Kaoru sighed.
"Gentlemen this happens to be my home and have you seen a blond running around out here?" Sanosuke asked.
One of the men tried to attack him but soon found himself face down in the dirt.
"Now let's try this again." Sanosuke cracked his knuckles.
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"Still no answer?"
"Still asking the same question?"
He raised his hand ready to strike Usagi but stopped when a loud crash was heard.
A guard burst into the house, "Kouji-sama we're under attack"
"Kuso" he cursed." Get up" he hissed as he grabbed Usagi by her hair.
Usagi's eyes lit up at what she saw when they reached outside. Sanosuke was tossing the men around like garbage.
"Who are you?"
Sanosuke dropped the man in his hand. "Usagi!"
"Let her go Kouji" Rei stepped from her hiding place with Kenshin and Kaoru closely behind her.
Kouji chuckled. "Now that you're here Rei I have no use for her." He pushed Usagi down the stairs roughly.
"Usagi!" Sanosuke rushed forward and caught her in his arms then gently placed her on her feet." You're hurt" he said noticing the wound on her hand.
"Untie me you baka!" she snapped, her wounded arm was becoming stiff.
"You ungrateful little-" Sanosuke growled.
"Where's my book, Rei?" Kouji lit a cigarette.
"You would hurt a woman for a book?" Kenshin frowned.
Kouji placed the cigarette in his mouth then pulled it from his lips. "That book holds many secrets and if I have to kill all of you to get it, I will"
"Go ahead and try pretty boy, Battousai will make you eat those words." The now untied Usagi said.
Kouji's cigarette dropped from his mouth and he quickly stood on it. "The Legendary Battousai."
Usagi laughed, "That's right are you-"
Sanosuke covered her mouth with his hand. "Stop babbling."
"You never cease to amaze me Rei, when you told me you knew Battousai I thought you were joking, but I guess your stories are true then." Kouji walked down the stairs.
"Leave Kenshin out of this Kouji."
"Why should I?" laughed Kouji." It would be my greatest pleasure to kill you and your pathetic lover."
'Lover?' Kaoru thought.
Kenshin blushed.
"First your lover then you and all your friends." Kouji crouched down placing his katana diagonally in front of his face.
Kenshin turned to Kaoru, "Usagi needs to see a doctor, take her to Megumi's"
"Demo.."
"Onegai Kaoru, I'll be fine."
Kaoru nodded reluctantly, "Of course" she carefully held Usagi and helped her away from the upcoming battle.
"Stay alive Sagara, you owe me money!" Usagi yelled over her shoulder as Kaoru dragged her away.
"It doesn't matter, I'll get them eventually" Kouji sneered.
"You'll have to go through me first." Kenshin's eyes narrowed.
"I intend to go right through you Battousai, with my katana."
"Careful Kenshin." Sanosuke said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I will have your head Battousai!" Kouji shouted as he ran towards Kenshin his katana poised and ready to deliver a death-defying blow.
"Kenshin!!" Rei shouted.
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Kaoru:Will Kenshin survive the battle with the evil Kouji? And Usagi decides to reveal her past to me? Find out next time in Samurai Past - The Wandering Priestess Part II: Fight to the End.
AN:Many thanks to the few people who reviewed the story it's very encouraging.