"Tell me why I'm doing this again?" Sanosuke Sagara's eyes narrowed into slits as he regarded the man standing on the other side of the stone wall.

"Because you dimwit--," the man slapped his fist into the palm of his hand. "The condition for taking Outa to Tokyo is that you complete repairing the wall around the fields. If you succeed in convincing Uki of your hare- brained scheme, then Outa won't be here in the spring to help me fix the darn thing. And knowing you, you won't be around here either."

"Dad," Sanosuke sighed at the man otherwise known as Kamishimoemon Higashidani. "This land still isn't good for much. Repairing a fence around a field that just grows radishes isn't really worth all this effort. You could just sell this land and move to the city."

"Move me to the city, you can --but you're never going to sell off Higashidani land!" The older man glared back at his son, "You may be some big shot explorer now, but Outa will need his inheritance someday. Even if the Meiji era has changed things, a man with land is still a rich one indeed."

Sanosuke made a face as he resignedly hefted another rock and put it on top of the existing wall. Never mind that he had managed to barter, swindle, and discover enough gold to keep him, his father, his brother and sister all gambling for eternity if they really wanted to - he knew his father well enough to say that the man would stick to his principles anyways. Outa was going to inherit this field whether he liked it or not.

"I think that rock looks sketchy." His father gave the much larger rock Sano was eyeing a rather annoyed look. "Too big."

"Too big, eh??"

"Dumb son of mine wants to put a big rock on top of the wall, huh." Kamishimoemon had leapt over the wall to inspect Sano's choice of stone.

"We'll see about that." He flashed a smug grin at his father before turning back to the rock. With the grin still plastered on his face, he punched the rock into smaller pieces.

"Woo. Still got that strength in ya, don't you?" The man's face was clearly impressed. "But didn't you say that you weren't supposed to use those kind of techniques?"

"Not this, it's just a punch - not the one Megumi said-" Sanosuke suddenly stopped short. "I mean, Takani-sensei said not to use."

Fortunately his father didn't notice his lapse. He had mentioned many of the dojo regulars to his family, but he always carefully avoided talking too much about the doctor.

He had come here shortly after she had gone of to America. His father had accepted his reappearance here rather nonchalantly, which was kind of funny considering that he had been gone for five years with only a letter here and there. But as for the reason why, his father never did ask. He just sensed that Sanosuke had something on his mind.

And since then, well, he hadn't thought about it all that much. There were other things to think about.

Among them, Outa. His younger brother was now old enough to begin training at the Kamiya dojo. It had been the one thing he had told his father the last time they had parted ways. But this time, it had taken months to get his father to even listen to the request seriously. Outa was still too young in his mind.

"I talked to Uki about going to Tokyo." Sanosuke placed several more flat rocks on the wall.

He saw his father stiffen.

"She agreed with me, Dad. Outa needs to be able to go and choose what his path will be. And these folks are good people. He will be much stronger than if he simply stayed here."

"Hmph." The elder Higashidani looked annoyed. "There you go again with that Kenshin and Kaoru business. I'm just annoyed that you somehow roped Uki into even thinking about letting Outa leave our little place. And now I'll never hear the end of it, I suppose."

Sanosuke grinned back at him. "Well, you know it was pretty easy once she figured out that she'd get to travel to Tokyo too. And in a carriage."

"A carriage!" The elder man growled, "You play dirty."

"Well, the Himuras are expecting us beginning of next week, you know." Sanosuke shrugged, "And you know I like to keep my promises. I'm determined to do things once I set my mind on something."

"Oh alright." The man turned his back on Sanosuke and looked back at the house in the distance. "When you start pulling that crap, and you have Uki on your side, you know I can't get in your way."

"So you'll come?"

"I'll come with you to Tokyo to see Outa off. Have to check out these people you keep talking about. And if I don't go, she'll decide she can't go, in which case I'll never hear the end of 'I wonder what Outa and Sano are doing now,' for the whole winter." The older man started to walk away. "As for the rest, you know I'm not a wanderer like you. I have roots here. I will always return here. Unlike my prodigal son--"

A small pebble hit Higashidani in the back.

"What was that for?!" The man turned around and glared at the younger man.

"Who you calling prodigal?" Sano's eyebrow twitched.

"That's what you are, you good for nothing!" Forsaking any pretense of dignity, the older man made an equally irritated face.

"This good for nothing is fixing the wall while you sit there like an old granny and nag!"

"Old granny!?!?!"

Kamishimoemon tackled Sanosuke as Sano attempted to clear the wall. Unfortunately that resulted in them both crashing into the wall, undoing the work of the last hour.

"Now look what you did!"

"What I did? You did that on purpose!"

"You think I'd resort to a dirty trick like that to keep Outa from going?"

The two were now head to head shouting again. In another minute, they would have probably destroyed the rest of the repaired fence.

Two fists suddenly came out of nowhere and landed in their stomachs.

"Will you two just stop fighting?" Uki Higashidani's punches were pretty weak, but it didn't matter. The fact that she would even try to punch them was just, well ridiculous. Both men were staring back at her with awe. "Lunch is ready and you're making a scene. And I don't want any more of the wall to be broken, understood?"

The two men were about to say something, when Uki leaned in, her eyes suddenly lit with extreme anger. "UNDERSTOOD?!!?!!!!"

"U-u-understood," the two men cowered slightly.

"GOOD! I don't want have to be that unladylike again!" She stomped away back towards the house, and meekly the two men followed her.

"S-s-scary," Sanosuke whispered to his dad. He had seen flashes of this side of his sister in the few months he had been here. But not this. "Do you ever get used to it?"

"It's far better than that romantic mush she keeps spouting," the elder Higashidani sighed. "But it gets worse every year. I certainly hope Tokyo will help."

"Sure. Why not? A change of scenery will help."

The man gave his son a slap on the side of his head. "Not that! Are you that dense?"

Sano was about to punch his father in the arm when Uki suddenly turned her head and fixed a glare on the two of them. Sano began whistling innocently and looking away.

When it was safe, Sano whispered back. "Whaddya mean?"

"Women after a certain age need husbands of their own to bully," his dad smirked. "Speaking of which, some of the families in the village have been asking to have their daughters introduced to you. They're all of marriageable age -"

"Marriage?" Sanosuke felt his knees quake. "I- I- well, too bad that we'll be leaving so soon for Tokyo. Maybe when I come back."

"Come back?" His father poked him again. "You say that, but you'll probably disappear for another five, ten years, won't you?"

"Father!" Uki had fixed another death glare upon the two men. "I saw that!"

"Uki-chan, it's nothing. Just a friendly pat." He gave Uki a smile, which in itself wasn't too convincing, but Sano's own laugh convinced her it was nothing.

When she again turned her head away, Kamishimoemon gave his son a serious look. "About those women-"

"Ah, you know. I think Uki needs some company." Sanosuke, in an act of self- preservation, scooted away from his father and towards his younger sister. Somehow, his sister's ramblings about Tokyo would be far better than listening to his dad start in on the marriage bit.

~~~

An hour later, Sanosuke grimly decided his family was nuts.

Sanosuke had some idea that Uki really wanted to go to Tokyo, but he had no idea that she wanted to go *this* badly.

First it started with questions about what the city was like.

Then she asked questions about the Himuras and everyone else he knew there.

And then what to see in Tokyo.

And what to eat.

And what to do.

It went on and on, with him trying his best to answer. But his eyes were starting glaze over trying to keep up with her anyways.

It was when she got to asking about kimonos that he suddenly resolved to leave the day after tomorrow. He'd stay up all night finishing the fence just to hear her stop.

"Uki-chan, I have no idea how to answer those kinds of questions." Sanosuke saw that she was still waiting for him to say something intelligent about kimonos. He looked across the table at his father and brother, pleading silently with them to change the topic of conversation, but they were clearly too smart to get involved. *They* were simply enjoying their tea.

She looked disappointed. "Didn't you say you had female friends, Sanosuke? I mean, haven't you observed what they wore?"

"Sure, it's just that I don't really notice things like colors and patterns." Sano looked sheepish.

"Uki-chan," her father spoke up with a small smile. "Young men don't care too much about those things. As long as the kimono fits nicely-"

"Hey!" Sano was covering Outa's ears. "You can't discuss those kinds of things in front of the children!"

Uki persisted. "You do have female friends right? Friends who'll take me shopping and show me what to do and what not to do right?"

"Well, uh," he paused to think. When he thought about it, most of his female friends were rather, umm, active. Not the sort that he really thought overly concerned about fashion or kimonos. Except for, well, the doctor . . .

"Never mind," she made a cross face. "Stupid question."

"Stupid question?!" Sanosuke was normally inclined to be kind to his sister, but this was ludicrous. "I'll have you know that I have plenty of women friends and plenty of women interested in me."

"Sure, brother." She gave him a funny look, "But they're probably just as disreputable as you."

"Hey! I have a good reputation!"

"This coming from the man who wears the characters for "Bad" on his back." His father added dryly.

Sano huffed. "Women happen to find me very attractive, I'll have you know."

"I'm sure," she said sweetly, "But I'm sure you could set a better example for Outa."

"I like his jacket!" Outa piped up suddenly.

Sano shot him a grateful look.

"Shhh, Outa." Uki smiled kindly at her younger brother. "Don't you want your older brother to get married and settle down?"

"Oh yeah!" Outa's eyes lit up. "I want a whole bunch of nephews!"

"I think we should start with that jacket," Uki said cheerfully. "Then your hair-"

"Now, now." Sano waved his hands nervously and instinctively brought his hand up to his hair. As his three family members turned and gave him a speculative look, he suddenly knew that his little trip to Tokyo was evolving into something else entirely. And it was going to cost him.

= = =

A/N: For those of you unfamiliar with the Jinchuu arc, there we met Sano's family. And here they are again.

Poor Sano. Actually, good timing Sano. Go back and cause those rabid Aoshi/Megumi fans some grief.

Poor Kenshin and Kaoru. Their home is about to become one crazy place. *evil laugh*

Poor author. I'm heading back to school in a week or so. Must get updates out en masse before then! Read and Review!