**Pechan still doesn't have any Rurouni Kenshin things.

~ Rice Farming Lessons~

~~ A few months later~~

Tokio sat looking into the sky. The clouds had swirled into beautiful shapes, and Tokio had thought she had seen a duck in one of them.............

"Girl, quit daydreaming and get your butt in gear!!"

Tokio bowed to the old woman yelling at her, "Oh, so sorry Minami!! Thought I saw a duck......."

Minami laughed, a deep throaty laugh, "Ahh, I hear you, girl. When I was young, I always thought work wasn't for me and I should just be living my life as a, I don't know...... spiritualist or something. You know?"

Tokio smiled, bending over to plant more sprouts of rice. "Yeah, I hear you."

Minami walked next to here, slightly wading through the muddy fields of rice. "Well, tell me! Why choose this job? You're obviously not cut out for it."

Tokio stood up straight, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you're work hard, but you shouldn't."

"Ummmm... care to elaborate?"

"See? That's what I mean. You're words are so big."

"Are not, Minami," Tokio giggled.

The elderly farmer lady laughed, taking Tokio's hand. "Look. Not a single callous on them. Obviously, you never had to prepare your own meals, lift your own carts, or stuff such as the like."

Tokio sighed, wiping her face, causing a streak of mud to wipe on her cheek. Her black hair was scooped into a handkerchief around her head, and her pants were tied above her knees so they wouldn't drag so much in the mud. Her pale skin seemed a stark contrast to the black mud, and even though she didn't wear make up when she worked on the fields, her lips were forever tinged red, because she used to stuff so damn much...........

Minami, on the other hand, was a dark, wrinkly skinned little old lady. Her hands were rough like sandpaper, and her back had a hunch from naturally bending over planting rice. Her skin matched the mud, and her eyes were dulled over a bit.

Minami smiled, "Even with these bad eyes of mine, and those poor clothes I let you wear, and that mud all over you, you certainly do not look like a farmer."

Tokio sighed, "I'm that obvious?"

Minami's eye glinted, "Only to those who can spot runaways. I was one myself."

Tokio smiled, bending to plant another line of rice, "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. My father was forcing me into a marriage I didn't want. Well, you know, I met this boy I really liked, but my father didn't approve of him at all. Instead, he tried to hook me up with one of his friends."

Tokio plunged her hands into the water, planting, "So? Just say no."

"Only if it were that easy. If I said no, my father would have said I was a disgrace. So, I left."

"To plant rice? I think marriage would've been easier."

Minami laughed, "Ah, yes, it is easy to submit. But I prefer freedom, no matter how feeble it may seem. Wouldn't you agree?"

Tokio smiled at her, really smiling, "Yeah, I think I do............."

"Excuse me, ma'am," called a familiar voice.

Tokio twisted her head, and found Fujita at the road. He had his arms in his pockets. Two other police men were behind him. Probably waiting to receive orders. She frowned at him.

Minami smiled, "Ah, Mr. Fujita!! Just the young man I was looking for....."

Minami waddled over to him. Tokio thought about finishing her work, but then dropped her plants and walked over as well.

"Would you mind if the two men here searched your house, Miss Minami?"

Minami nodded, "Oh, go right ahead."

Tokio frowned, "What's going here?"

"Nice to see you too. Miss Tokio."

Minami smiled, "Ah, you know this girl? She's quite different, I should say. Very fun to talk to! Maybe you should hook up with her," she nudged Tokio, "Eh? Don't you think it'd be a waste if you turned into an old maid like me?"

Tokio blushed, "M-Minami!! Don't say such awful things like that!!"

"Oh, I'm only suggesting dear......"

Goro smirked, and folded his arms, "For the past week there have been a few convicts trying to exit Kyoto. Minami's farm is known for harboring travelers."

"Are you accusing her of holding criminals?" asked Tokio.

Minami shook her head, "Oh no, sweetheart, my eyes are very bad. I might have accidentally given them a room, or something."

"Hey, I didn't know you gave rooms! Why didn't I get one?"

"You never asked."

Tokio fell over, grumbling to herself.

Goro eyed her up and down. "Nice make up. Very becoming of you."

Tokio wiped the mud off her cheek. But, it had already dried and caked up, so she turned away, scraping at it.

"Fujita!"

Goro turned his head.

The fat officer was holding a young man buy the scruff of his neck, "I didn't find the guys, but this child here had a sword!!"

The kid reached for it, but the cop held it out of his reach. The boy snarled, "GIVE IT BACK!!"

Goro walked over, "Young man, what do you think you're doing with that?"

"It's for self defense!!"

Just then, the other cop came around the house. "It's all clean. Juts some other migrant workers."

Goro nodded, "Well now. Yamada, let me see the sword."

Yamada tossed it to him, and Goro caught it in the air with one hand.

The boy jerked against his captor," Hey, don't!!"

Goro slid out the blade, revealing a broken blade. Only a shattered 3rd of the blade was still intact. Yamada scoffed, "What the..... is that your all worried about? That flimsy piece of junk?"

The kid kept his eyes on the sheath, but muttered, "Y-Yeah....."

Goro looked at him, and then tipped over the sheath. Out poured a small, but large enough stream of gold ryo. (later counted forty six)

He placed the sword back in it's sheathe, then tossed it to the boy's feet. "Did you happen to pick up this spare change on your way here?"

"It was an inheritance!! My grandfather left it in his will!!"

"Why aren't your parents holding onto it?"

The boy said nothing.

The other officer spoke, "Hey, answer us kid!"

"Quiet, Take." Goro looked back at the boy, "You do realize, since this is such a high amount, your theft sentence will be carried longer than the usual few months."

Tokio narrowed her eyes, recognizing the money, "Hey, Fiji!! Just what the hell so you think you're doing!? That's....."

Fiji looked up at her, panicked. Tokio was going to kick herself in the head for this later, she just let it slip!!

Yamada glanced at her, "Ma'am? Do you know this boy?"

Tokio bit her lip, "Sorta.... kinda... maybe?"

"Come on, let me go!!" pleaded Fiji.

"Miss Tokio, do you know where this money came from?"

Tokio frowned at the wolf, and then sighed. "Yeah. It's Minami's savings."

Yamada growled, "Scoundrel....."

Fiji kicked, "Come on!! I'm poor! I need to pay off a few family debs, alright?!!"

Minami sighed, "Ah, I see. Well, if you need it young man, you may keep it."

Made looked at the old woman, "M-Ma'am? He just stole-"

"Yes, I see what he stole. But, I didn't even know I had it. Plus, I do not need it. Besides, I'm old, I could wake up dead tomorrow. Let the young man keep it. He'd better it to better use than me."

Goro uncrossed his arms, "You drop all charges?"

Minami nodded, "So long as he stays off my property from here on in, yes. But next time I see his face, I'll alert the police. Come Tokio, we need to finish with the rest of the rice......."

Minami turned away, seemingly through with the matter. Tokio fixed her head band, tucking in a lock of black hair that had escaped.

"......what are you here for? I thought you were the deputy sheriff or something back at the police station."

Goro placed his cap back on, "We were looking for a pair of murderers, but they're not here. They carry weapons, so be careful in the fields."

"Why would they pass through here?"

"It's one of the easiest was out, Miss Minami is known for taking anyone in," Goro looked down at her, "In any case, do be careful, Miss Tokio."

Tokio felt a strange warmth rush all over her. He was very good at sounding concerned. Well, big deal, so can she. She smiled, "Sure. I'll see you around."

She splashed back into the water, and followed after Minami. She picked up her load, and stooped with her, planting it in fine, straight rows..........

Yamada fixed his hat, "She's quite a looker for some farm girl."

Take smirked, "You mean Minami?"

Yamada laughed.

"Hey, where did you find her, Goro? Does she have any sisters?"

Goro turned away, watching the young Fiji run away with his money. ".... No, she's just some poor lonely girl. Probably lonely because of that temper-"

Tokio turned, and growled, "I CAN HEAR YOU!!"

Yamada bowed, "Ah, so sorry ma'am!!"

Take walked down the road, following Goro, "Feisty, like I like it."

"You'd settle for anything-"

"Ah, shaddap."

Goro lit a cigarette, and walked down the road, tuning out their bickering for the remainder of the journey.

~~In the Evening~~

After Tokio had finished planting, she came to Minami's room.

"Oh? Is there something you need, Tokio?"

Tokio placed her hand on Minami's shoulder, "Minami, you've been good to me, but I must get going."

"Really? Too bad. I liked talking to you."

"Yeah me too."

"Can you tell me why?"

Tokio stared at her for a long time, then whispered, "When I was little, my family was devoured by a pack of wolves."

Minami looked up at her, "Huh? Child are you-"

"I'm sorry, but I really needed to make some money, and I did, and I have to get back to some very urgent business."

Minami nodded, "Ah, I understand. Revenge. Well, I hope your plan doesn't fall back and hit you smack in the face, my girl."

Tokio smiled, "Good bye, Minami. I'll see you around sometime."

"Oh, don't bother coming back for a dying old lady like me. Go visit Tokyo, or better yet, somewhere over the seas. Then tell me about it at my grave, alright? Ha!"

Tokio nodded, and left the room after saying many good byes.

She felt bad. She stole at least thirty ryo from Fiji, after he stole it from Minami.

Hey, it's a dog eat dog world.

~~Later, When Tokio Returned Home~~

Tokio sat down in her single-room house. She had written down all things she knew of Goro Fujita:

'As far as his story was concerned, he was just some police official from Tama. He was in his mid twenties, and no known family seems present in his life. I wouldn't be surprised if he left his family for the Shinsengumi, or if they were killed themselves.'

'Killed themselves? In that case, maybe he had reasons of revenge for himself.....'

Tokio chewed on her brush, then shrugged. "Who cares what his motif was......?"

She scrawled down some more: 'People know him as a friendly, dutiful, and respectful man. He is polite and courteous to those in need of the police's assistance. He never manages to say the wrong things, and can get out of most situations by negotiating. '

'He only carries one weapon, and I've never seen him use it. But, he is not off guard. I can see his eyes, always watching. And he can hear things from great distances away. I bet he can even smell my fear when I'm around him, or my hatred. Perhaps that's why he doesn't pry into my life like he usually does in his friendly way. He is the only police member that does not carry a saber, he uses the traditional katana. The only real blades. Was it his same katana from the revolution.....?'

Tokio took another sheet of paper, and continued writing:

'I've never seen him use it, though, but I am certain that Goro Fujita is the same wolf that killed my parents. After much probing and searching, I found out the leader of the third squad Shinsengumi's name is Saito. I do not know his first name yet, but it's not really important right now. According to his dossiers back then and dossiers now, the only thing that's changed in his appearance is that he had cut his hair. That, and he smiles more often.'

Tokio tapped her brush, thinking hard. Then wrote: 'As far as anyone knows, he's just a regular police man. Assistant inspector at that. Citizens obey him, and respect him just the same way he treats them, with professional care and compassion. He's polite to everyone, even the prisoners. And people are relieved if he's nearby. But he's never even drawn his sword.'

Tokio frowned, sighing, "So basically what I got here is some corn-fed white guy. (pardon the expression. It makes no sense back then, but you all know the expression means a perfect guy) Just great. How can I kill him?"

'Ever since my parents were murdered, I have not seen him draw his sword. But the night I was.....'

Tokio unconsciously reached down to her wound.....

'..... attacked, he said he had killed the men that did it to me. I saw the bodies before they burned them, he had sliced both neatly in half. Even if they're unskilled, they shouldn't have caused much trouble for Saito. A stab into the chest would've finished them right off. So why the elaborate kill?'

Tokio thought, then mumbled, "Maybe he was bored.....?"

'He works usually all day, I've never seen him out of uniform. I've got an address to his house, so I'm going to try and sneak in later. I wonder if he'd kill me. Perhaps back then, he might have, but he's changed.'

Tokio stopped, realizing what she was writing.

Changed?

She frowned, who cares if he was? To me, he's still the same bastard that slew my family. Well technically just my father. But still...........

Tokio scribbled: 'I WILL go to his house. I'm going to know everything about him. Maybe I'll even get close to him. If I do that, maybe he could let his guard down. Just for a second. And I'll only have one chance, but it'll be worth it. Risking my life to kill the wolf that had killed the only man who ever loved me...'

Father.....

'..... it'll be worth it and more.'

Tokio blew out the lamp she was using, and laid down her brush. She read the paper once, and twice. Then, she lay down in bed, sighing. She looked up at the ceiling in her tiny apartment.

She looked at the corner of the room, where there was a European style clock. She had a pocket watch too, but she usually left it at home.

Her father was always buying elaborate gifts for his family. He found foreign things to be very exotic. Maybe that's why Tokio found it that way too. He said he was even going to name her a funny name, something like 'An- je-ra' but her mother said too many children would poke fun at it. Tokio could see why, even she would kick her own but from such an embarrassing name.

Finally, her comforting thoughts were put to rest, as she fell asleep.