Author's Note: Reloaded this chapter yet again, and the others cuz of spelling and mistakes P But it's the same, oh and yea when I write out of the story, it's all in misspelled wordz as u can see.

P.S. - I do not and never will own Rurouni Kenshin

:Nobuhiro Watsuki eyes Nymph: What? (Sweat drops)

:Stare at each other for a while:

Alright, alright already! I don't own Soujiro Seta a.k.a. Tenken either! There I said, ya happy! Sheesh!

:Soujiro pops out from behind Nymph and sighs: I'm sorry Nymph- chan, but I have to go.

:Nobuhiro smiles:

YOU MEANIE! ONE OF THESE SOUJIRO AND BATTOUSAI WILL BE MINE! WAHH!

Read and ignore my dumb ramblings :P

Prologue: Halfway There

He should've taken the left route instead of the right.

He should've listened to the old man who was fishing at the river. He should've ignored his wanting to come to this place.

The place where he now stood, staring at the sign on the gate. He had stood there for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. His nerves were screaming at him to leave and continue walking. But his heart was begging him to simply knock on the gate and wait. With all the commotion battling inside him, he didn't know what to do except stare at the wooden gate.

What do I do? What do I do? The question rolled over and over like waves in his mind, drowning him in nervousness.

"Oi! Are you just gonna stand there like a moron or actually knock?" A voice yelled, breaking through his battle raging inside.

He looked at his side, seeing a boy and a girl walking towards him. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. Falling in defeat, he gave into his old self, his only facade that protected him from the world.

"Konnichiwa, I'm here to see Mr. Himura." Seta Soujiro spoke with a simple smile and his eyes squinted to the point where they looked closed.

The kids stopped walking and stared at him with pale faces, neither saying anything.

Soujiro meanwhile was kicking his own conscious for being so useless. He found it very ironic that his notorious self could say the words so flawlessly while his new normal self had practically peed in his pants trying to speak.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH KENSHIN?" The boy yelled abruptly and charged at Soujiro who was confused at his outburst.

"Yahiko be careful!" The young girl cried out as if the boy was in any great danger. Then again he was trying to attack the legendary Tenken.

Soujiro absentmindedly stepped out of the boy's way and turned to look at him with his eyes back to normal. "I just want to talk to him, that's all."

The boy laughed bitterly and then pointed at the sword that hung at Soujiro's hip. "Oh yea, and I'm guessing you're just bringing a sword to show Kenshin how shiny it is. Tell me who you are before I decide to kick your ass all the way back to your mother's lap!" The boy named Yahiko shouted in rage.

Soujiro's eyes narrowed a bit when Yahiko's words sunk in. He had vague memories of his mother, but even those few priceless visions were enough to say that NO ONE could ever say something about his mother, even if it were meant as a joke much less a threat. Soujiro the Tenken wouldn't allow it, not while he lived.

Tenken, no longer the calm Soujiro, placed a hand on his sword and almost popped up the hilt of the sword with his thumb when the gate opened, showing a redheaded man.

Both swordsmen looked at each other, Soujiro's eyes still narrowed dangerously and Himura Kenshin's face a bit pale.

"Kenshin get back! This guy is trying to kill you!" Yahiko panicked and ran up to Kenshin, pushing the ex-hitokiri back in the residence, where they both fell to the ground.

"Yahiko! Kenshin-san!" The girl peeped, now standing by Soujiro's side.

Soujiro took his eyes off Kenshin who had swirls for eyes and was making a noise, which sounded, to Soujiro like: ORORORORORO.

He placed his blue eyes on the girl who looked up at meet his. She gasped and stepped back, trembling in fear. "Y-Yahiko..."

"Tsubame!"

The little boy who seemed to be ten or eleven yelled and quickly got off Kenshin and raced to stand in front of Tsubame with his arms stretched out at his sides, protecting his secret crush and beloved friend.

"Leave or die." Yahiko growled, his eyes burning with flames.

Soujiro out of habit smiled and nodded. He then turned to Kenshin and bowed to him, "Sayonara Himura-san."

With that he began to walk away, leaving behind a shocked Yahiko and a confused Tsubame. I-Is he leaving? Is he actually leaving us alone? Yahiko's conscious questioned, watching the young swordsman retreat.

Kenshin stood up and smiled sincerely at Yahiko and Tsubame, "Arigato for protecting sessha, Yahiko and Tsubame. But he is not here to kill me. Sessha guarantees that to you."

Yahiko slowly nodded; his mind still in shock. Kenshin turned to Soujiro's form and called out to him.

Soujiro turned around with his mask back on, his blank smile and squinted eyes. "Hai, Mr. Himura?"

Kenshin bowed to him and looked at the confused young man, "You are welcome here."

Soujiro stood there for a few moments and looked at the kids who were peeking from behind Kenshin.

Kenshin as if reading his thoughts, chuckled, "It's not everyday a swordsman comes here to do something other than try to fight me. Yahiko doesn't bite, not that hard at least. And Miss Tsubame is too sweet of a girl to barely even bark."

Soujiro nodded and slowly walked up to Kenshin where he hesitantly took off his facade and showed the real him. "Arigato, Mr. Himura. And please forgive me for causing such commotion, Sir Yahiko and Lady Tsubame."

Both Yahiko and Tsubame stood rooted to the ground; did he just give them honorific names? Yahiko stared at Soujiro with a bewildered look on his face while Tsubame blushed furiously.

Kenshin placed a hand on Soujiro's shoulder, which caught his attention. Kenshin smiled kindly at Soujiro, his amethyst eyes telling the young man that it was all right to come inside.

"How are you Mr. Himura? Well, I hope. It's been 8 months since your battle with Mr. Shishio." Soujiro finally spoke, breaking into conversation as they walked into the small estate. Kenshin led him into the dojo and around until they reached the kitchen, where Kenshin was brewing tea.

"I'm all right, that I am. How's traveling? You're still on your journey correct?" Kenshin answered, sitting in front of Soujiro.

The young man nodded and looked around the room, "This is nice place, Mr. Himura."

Kenshin watched Soujiro closely, noticing the sad emotion in his eyes, and the anxiety in his soul; which made Kenshin faintly smile. He's feeling once again… I'm glad for him, I'm very glad for him.

"Mr. Himura, I came to ask you something." Soujiro said still scanning the room.

"Fire away, Soujiro." Kenshin noticed Soujiro's nervousness slowly but surely go away.

"Well, it's about my journey. But before I start, I want to thank you for what you done. Thank you very much...But about the journey, the truth that I'm searching for... I hope I don't sound immature or pesky, but I would really like to...To know how to find the truth in an easier or simpler way. I'm very grateful that you even gave sessha advice, but I just ne-- what?"

Soujiro interrupted himself noticing Kenshin's eyes light up with laughter.

"Nothing Soujiro. It's that, I haven't heard any one else other than sessha call themselves unworthy."

Soujiro looked at Kenshin with a shocked face, stunned that the legendary manslayer called himself an unworthy person.

"Mr. Himura, you are not unworthy. I'm the sessha. I've been a complete idiot for ten years. If anyone here is an unworthy person, it's me."

Kenshin frowned at his words and shook his head in disagreement. "Soujiro, you think too lowly of yourself. Yes, you were on the wrong road for a decade but everyone makes mistakes. That does not make you unworthy; it makes you human. If you were unworthy why would I bother bowing to you as a sign of respect?"

Soujiro smirked and answered back, "The same question goes to you, Mr. Himura but... Thank you."

Kenshin stood up and signaled Soujiro to stay seated as he went to get the tea. "Please continue with what you were saying."

The young man nodded and let out a shaky breath before he continued. "I'm very grateful that you sent me on this journey to find my own truth, but it seems like it's so far away… It seems so distant like the stars, I know it's there, you told me so, but it's so unreachable. So...I came here to thank you and to ask you if you could help me a bit more." He felt so selfish, so low; it was killing him inside. He couldn't bear to look at Kenshin in the eye.

Kenshin stayed quiet for a while which made Soujiro's nerves to raise their volume.

"Soujiro...I think it would be better for you if you worked hard to get the truth. When I started my journey, it seemed like yours, never-ending. But now, after all the trouble I went through, all the pain, the misery, I learned that it was all worth it. It seemed hopeless at first, I was frustrated, like I'm sure you are now, and it was excruciating to know that I still hadn't found my truth.

But now, I found it. And I think back on those painful days where the forest was my home and the weather was my friend and I smile on it, because I truly value my truth. And you will too when you find it." Kenshin sat down with two cups of hot tea and gave one to Soujiro who was letting Kenshin's words become engraved in his mind.

"I understand, Mr. Himura...I think." He said with an embarrassed smile.

Kenshin nodded, "You'll understand one day, Soujiro. I can assure you that your journey will lead you to the truth."

Soujiro cupped his tea and drank some, his stomach thanking the Gods above for food after being starved for three days straight. "This is good tea, Mr. Himura. The best so far."

"Thank you... Sano, Yahiko, Miss Kaoru, Miss Megumi, Miss Tsubame, would all of you like some tea as well?"

The group behind the shoji panicked, and tried getting up but their legs were tied up with each other's.

"Oi, get off me!"

"Raccoon girl your sweaty hair is on my face!"

"Oi, fox get your damn ass off me, you weight like a cow!"

"Miss Kaoru I can't breathe!"

"My hair is not sweaty you fox!"

"Busu, get off Tsubame!"

"I am not a fox nor do I weight like a cow you damned rooster-head!"

"Go to hell and stay there FOX-LADY!"

"You're gonna eat dirt once I'm outta here Yahiko-CHAN!"

"Miss Kaoru, please get off me!"

Soujiro looked at the wall, hearing the loud yells coming from behind it. He turned to Kenshin, puzzled, but Kenshin simply drank his tea as if nothing was happening.

The wall suddenly broke, and it slammed down onto Kenshin's head, squashing the poor swordsman under the weight, but leaving the younger one as the audience. Soujiro turned his perspective towards the group of people who were fighting to be set free. From under the wall, Soujiro could hear Kenshin do that silly noise again, the "ORORORORORORORORO" but a bit slower now.

"Kenshin!" The girl named Miss Kaoru cried out, somehow free from the tangles of limbs.

She ignored the fact that Soujiro was there sitting watching everything happen around him and dragged Kenshin out from under the wall, his feet were the only things that stuck out from under it. She pulled him out and got on her knees to see if he was all right.

"Kenshin! Kenshin are you alright?" She panicked, shaking him a bit causing more swirls from his eyes.

"I'm... All right... Miss...Kaoru..." Kenshin reassured between "oro's".

Kaoru nodded and got back on her feet, twirling around to meet with Soujiro's eyes.

"Konnichiwa, Sir Soujiro! I'm Kamiya Kaoru, and you are welcome to stay! Don't say no, because by the looks of it, you're in need of some meat on your bones, a nice bath, new clothes, and a home if you want to find out the truth of your journey!" Kamiya Kaoru rambled on, and gasped at the end when she noticed what she had let out. She blushed tremendously and bowed her head in embarrassment.

The others were now getting somewhere; Yahiko was now loose and was pulling out Tsubame from under Sano and Megumi who were still bickering.

"'m very sorry…We were rude for eaves-dropping on your conversation, Sir Soujiro." Kaoru apologized in a small voice, her eyes staring at the ground.

Soujiro got up and bowed at her, smiling at her. "There's no need to apologize Kamiya-san, this is your home after all. And I'm afraid I have to say n--"

"Oh my Gods! Look at him! Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen!" Takani Megumi gasped as she ran to Soujiro and hugged him tightly, stuffing poor Soujiro's face in her bosom.

Sano's top blew off and Kaoru's temper went sky high, watching Megumi squeeze the life out of Soujiro.

"Megumi get off the damned kid!" Sano yelled, glaring at Megumi who ignored him.

"I am trying to talk to my guest Miss Megumi! Get off him! Damnit Megumi, get off the guy!"

Kaoru snapped and attacked Megumi, prying off the doctor's arms around Soujiro who was suffocating, waving his arms around.

Sano pulled Kenshin up to his feet and grabbed the short man by the collar of his magenta gi. "Kenshin, do something ya lame ass! Get that broad off the poor kid before she kills him! Stop the damn oro's and do something!" Sano shouted at Kenshin, his breath on Kenshin's face.

With that, Sano threw Kenshin over to the site where Kaoru was still struggling with Megumi and Megumi was slowly killing Soujiro who was muffling cries of help.

Yahiko stomped Sano's foot whom howled in pain and growled at him, "Don't call Kenshin a lame ass, you rooster-head!"

Sano let out curses that Captain Sagara would've gasped at and chased after Yahiko who dragged Tsubame with him.

This was how it started, how they added a member to their family. Seta Soujiro, or as Tsuzume and Ayame called him, Sou-ni, was part of this family and was half way through finding his truth. Now all he needed was love, love that wasn't found in family but in a single heart...

Hope you like it.

Review if you'd like. Flame if you dare. Enjoy all you want.