Gamble.

Chapter Two.

Sano sat back and rubbed his full stomach with rare contentment. He was starting to get spoiled, and if he wasn't careful he'd be getting fat. Suppressing a grin at the image of himself with a round belly, Sano pulled out his pouch and picked out a few coins to pay his bill. He never got tired of Tae's surprised face when he actually settled his account at the end of a meal. It would have been worth it even if she didn't make the best ramen in Tokyo.

Little Tsubame rushed up at that moment, wooden heels clacking. "Sanosuke san," she panted, eyes large and nervous. "A boy dropped this off for you." Shyly she proffered a folded piece of paper and Sano sank back down into his cross-legged position and accepted the note.

"He didn't say who it was from?" Sano asked slowly, wondering.

Tsubame shook her head and then smiled and rushed away. Waiting until she was gone, Sano opened the note and frowned down at it. An odd little drawing greeted him, the shape immediately familiar. That darn Chow Chow he'd rescued last year, huge round head and lolling tongue and all. Curiously Sano turned the note over and then flipped it back to the drawing. No message, just this silly little scrawl.

An idea dawned and Sano widened his eyes incredulously. He'd found the dog, who he'd dubbed Notaro, at that old shrine on the east road. Could this message mean he should go there?

Sanosuke left his coins on the table and ambled out of the restaurant, fishbone protruding jauntily from the corner of his mouth. He had his new coat flung over one shoulder and he briefly debated whether to put it on. The winter sunshine was weak but the breeze was chill.

He shrugged into his long coat, mind racing behind his casual facade. If this message were from Saitou, as he suspected, that would mean the man had been watching him for quite some time. After all, at the time the Notaro incident had occurred, Sano had actually thought Saitou was dead.

Morosely the ex gangster kicked at a clod of earth by the side of the road. He didn't even want to remember those bleak days, torn between elation at Shishio's end and emptiness at Saitou's fate. How many times had he visited the scene of Saitou's 'death', in the weeks that Kenshin lay healing?

Eye's blank, Sano wondered at his feelings back then. Why had it affected him so deeply, losing a man whom at best was only an uneasy ally? At worst he had been a bitter enemy, the man with evil eyes who stuck a dirty great sword through Sano's shoulder just to make a point to Kenshin.

Was it perhaps because he'd recognised something in the other man, something he even now couldn't pin down? What was this odd connection between them? He knew the ex Shinsen Gumi captain felt it too. Was he as confused about it as Sano himself was?

Snorting a little at the idea of Saitou confused about anything, Sano made his way to the temple and made a brief obeisance, eyes flickering casually left and right. The temple was deserted, stray leaves blowing across the dirt path, a sweet light chime ringing gently from a clay bell over the arch.

Had he misread the note? This was the temple where he'd found Notaro. Sano wandered over to the very tree he'd found the dog under and sat back, leaning against the bark. Oh well. He could think of worse ways to spend the afternoon than snoozing in the winter sunlight under a shady tree by a quiet temple.

The scent of fine tobacco drifted to his nostrils and Sano smiled, eyes still closed. "Still skulking?"

"Were you born lazy? Or is this a talent you've developed all on your own?"

Sanosuke opened his eyes, keeping his head forward. The voice came from behind the tree he was leaning against, and with a feigned sigh of satisfaction he lolled even further back, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

"You should try it some time," he drawled. "Do wonders for your constitution."

"I prefer working for my living."

Sano felt a bubble of happiness in his chest. The voice was as emotionless as ever, and that lean face was probably just as expressionless. So why did he feel as if he were sharing a joke with Saitou?

"Hey hey hey," Sano protested quietly, eyes still ahead. "I work for my living. I'm a secret-service agent, remember? A stooge of the enlightened government? No offence meant."

There was a snort from behind him and Sano suppressed a grin. "You've got a long way to go before you graduate to stooge, kid," Saitou informed him coolly. "Speaking of which, do you have anything for me?"

"No plots to overthrow anyone," Sano informed him regretfully. "That lousy shopkeeper by the station is beating up his wife again though. And Matsuro over at the Dragon is using fixed dice, so don't bother throwing your money away."

"Do you know the Paper Lantern?" Saitou asked abruptly and Sano frowned.

"Yes, but I don't think their dice are fixed. Are they?"

"A man gambles there named Kojiro. He has a twisted scar down his right forearm."

Sano closed his eyes and squeezed his memory. He got a sudden image of a pale pointed face, sleeves flung back to toss the dice.

"I've seen him."

"Tonight he's meeting a man. I want you to gamble at the Lantern tonight and take careful note of this man. Then wait outside until he leaves. I'll be across the street, so all you'll have to do is point the man out to me."

Sano blinked. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"But how will I know which man? This scarred dude might talk to a dozen people." Sano frowned and risked a glance over his shoulder. "Don't you want..." He trailed away and twisted his head right round to peer behind the tree. Nothing remained but a stubbed out cigarette butt.

"Have a nice day, Sanosuke," Sano huffed, thrusting his hands into his new coat. "Goodbye, Sanosuke. Nice chatting with you."

But he'd see him tonight, Sano thought, whistling cheerfully as he ambled back to town. Not that he cared whether he got to look into that skinny face or not.

Not one little bit.

End of Part Two