Author's Note: Hello, Shinigami here!! This beginning fic starts out with Sanosuke – all of his thought are in italics. This is my first Rurouni Kenshin fanfic ever so please don't be too harsh on the reviews (but don't be too nice)!! ^_^ Thank you for taking the time to read this fic – please review!! I'll feel so much better if some one does!! Enjoy!!

Disclaimers: If I owned Rurouni Kenshin would you honestly think I would be writing fanfics? Actually I'd be writing scripts – but you get the idea. None of the Rurouni Kenshin products or characters belong to me, I'm just a fan. ^_^

Chapter 1: Reminiscing

I felt myself being rammed into the brick wall. People aren't kidding – it really does hurt. Well I guess this isn't the first time I've done something stupid. Yeah, yeah I know – it isn't much of a surprise – I am Sanosuke Sagara after all. But for some reason – I just snapped. Watching a half-alive Kenshin fight Shishio is bad enough – but watching Shishio nearly blow Kenshin up? I couldn't take it. Then there was Saito. I can't say I have an extreme fondness for the guy – I mean he DID call me rooster head. But still, seeing him face off against Shishio and then get thrown to the ground as if he were a sack of potatoes– It made me mad. I do the same mistake over and over again – I attack without strategizing. That's probably why Shishio could block most of my punches – hey, I did get ONE though, right? I can feel myself blacking out…and you know what my first thoughts were? My memories of the Sekihoutai…

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"Oww! That hurt!" a kid with spiky brown hair said as he was smacked over the back with a cane.

"Well maybe I wouldn't hit you if you didn't slack off so much!" a fat man, dressed in rich robes said as he started to laugh.

"Someday I'll get you back!" the spiky haired kid yelled. The fat man stopped laughing.

"Why you ungrateful swine! We feed you and clothe you and this is what we get??!!" The man started to hit the kid hard with the cane. "Now go back to your chores you worthless slave!" The man made sure his words got to the kid as he kicked him forward. The kid fell, but nonetheless he still got up and tried to hold up as much pride as was left in him.

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Five days later the same kid was walking down the streets of Ugai – looking for something to steal for his dinner. After all, his "kind" uncle and his family, didn't exactly feed him – just overworked him. I mean – hey – it WAS free labor. So Sano's uncle took advantage of that. As Sano was trying to steal a rice-ball from a nearby food stall, someone noticed him.

"Thief!!" an old woman screeched pointing to the kid. That shout instantly attracted all of the nearby policemen.

"Aha! We finally found you, you little thief! We've been looking all over for you!! All of the customers in this block have been complaining about a certain little pickpocket that steals most of their food!!" said a scratchy-voiced policeman as he grabbed Sanosuke by the collar and held him suspended in the air.

Right about his time I remember thinking, "so go ahead and hit me – being canned is nothing new in my life." I still shut my eyes out of habit as I braced for the blow…but it never came…

"How much damage has he done?" asked a polite and calm voice from behind the policeman. 

"Huh? Who the hell are you?" asked the scratchy-voiced policeman. As he turned around he came face-to-face with a young man, around the age of twenty. The young man had gleaming black hair with a tinge of purple with a little of his bangs blocking his right eye from view. He was also wearing a red bandana on his forehead and a long purple, black and beige trench coat. (A/N: Sound familiar? And no it's NOT Aoshi. ^_-)

"If you release the boy I am willing to pay for all of the damage he has done – including you for your trouble."

"Hmm How much are you offering?" asked the policeman.

"I'll pay 70 yen for the stolen goods and 200 yen for all of your troubles." stated the stranger calmly.

The policeman all but choked in surprise at the high offering. He quickly looked at his police squad, which consisted of five members. The other policeman quickly widened their eyes and nodded for the commander to take the offer. "All right 70 yen for the goods and 200 yen for me and my men it is then!" the policeman said as he extended his hand and the stranger shook it. The stranger then dipped into his pockets and found his wallet, out of which he pulled out the amount and paid in full the officers and the owners what he owed.

"You have your money – now please release the boy." The stranger declared coolly.

"As you wish!" chuckled the policeman as he dropped Sanosuke, who landed on his butt, roughly onto the ground. The policeman continued laughing and dealing the money out as everyone else began to clear the scene. Within a few minutes everything had gone back to normal.

"What is your name, boy?" asked the stranger as he looked down at a shocked Sanosuke.

"Umm Sa-Sanosuke – but people call me Sano for short." Sano stammered.

"Well you should not be robbing people should you, Sano? Here, take this," the stranger said as he knelt in front of Sano and handed him the remainder of his wallet, "it contains 225 yen – which I believe should be plenty enough for all three meals at least for a month until you can find a job that pays." Said the stranger as he smiled at Sanosuke.

"Th-than you! F-for getting me out of the beating and the money and all…" Sanosuke tried to thank the stranger.

"You're very welcome – have a good day." said the stranger as he got up and went on his way. He quickly blended into the crowd as a still dazed Sano sat on the ground…

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When he got home, the first thing Sano did was hide the money in the removable stone slab in his "servant's campartment" – which measured four feet by six.  He slept on a bed of straw with a blanket that was actually a bunch of rags that the cook's daughter had kindly sewn together for him.

San sighed. He could not remember how he had gotten to live in this hell hole. He did remember when. He had been here for three-and-a-half years -  since he was three.  He remembered it had something to do with his brother – but what and why would he be sent here? Sano shook his head and decided to leave these thoughts when he was allowed to think -  when it was time for him to sleep. 

He then went back to doing his "duties"  as if he were a mere hired servant – except that he did everything for free. He even had to scavenge for his own food and clothing  - though sometimes the cook's daughter would find him some hand-me-downs from her little brother. This was why his uncle called him a slave – and Sano didn't feel any better than one.

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Later that night, somewhere around eleven (when Sano finally finished all his chores) he came into the barn to sneak some corn for his dinner. Suddenly he thought he heard a noise coming from the back of the barn – not far from him. Deciding to investigate, Sano crept to where he found the sound – stopping to stand still every now and then when the other person stopped. After a while of creeping around, Sano finally saw a shadow about 10 feet away from him. Not thinking and acting on impulse, Sano tackled the "thing" to the ground.

"Owww Hey! Get off me!!" The thing (err…boy) yelled.

"What are you doing in here?! Who are you?!" Sano yelled as he clenched and unclenched his fists. The boy quietly got up and looked at Sano. The kid looked about Sano's age, he had shinning black hair that was neatly parted in the middle, which created and illusion of two large bangs. His hair was about shoulder length with a green bandana on his forehead. (A/N: Guess who this cutie is? It's NOT Aoshi either!! You people out there who saw the RK episodes about the Sekihoutai will probably know who this is!! Sano's best friend!!) Deciding it best to run – the kid tried to escape by going back where he came from.

"Oh no you don't!" Sano yelled as he dashed at the boy and tackled him to the ground – again. "just tell me your name and what you want!!" By now Sano held the boy's hands flat to the ground and was sitting on top of hi stomach.

The boy sighed in defeat and replied, "My name is Katsu and…I was on a mission, ok? There, happy?!" The boy replied irritably.

"Yeah, actually I am. You were on a mission?! What kind of mission?" Sano asked inquisitively.

Katsu hesitated a little before whispering quietly, "I work for the Sekihoutai…it was my job to see if the coast was clear." Katsu answered.

"Sekihoutai? What are the Sekihoutai?? What coast? There's no ocean around here!" Sano stated back.

"You idiot! Seeing if the 'coast is clear' is a figurative part of speech! It means to see if there was anyone around to see me. Are you really THAT stupid?!" Katsu yelled.

"Figu-what?! Hey! Stop using big words around me!! How do I know you're not swearing at me in some ancient language or something?!!" Sano yelled back.

"You really ARE and idiot AREN'T you?! 'Figurative' is an ENGLISH word!! And it means not the literally meaning!! And literal means the actual meaning of the word itself!!"

"I KNOW what LITERAL means!!"

"Well, you're so stupid who know WHAT you know!!" both boys growled at each other after they finished their verbal spar.

"Can you get OFF me now?! I told you what you wanted to know!"  Katsu stated.

"Fine." Sano said right after he jumped off Katsu and stood up.

"Well it was nice meeting you, " Katsu said sarcastically right before he added, "IDIOT!" and then, before Sanosuke could tackle him again, Katsu sped off.

"Whatever you stupid turd!!" Sano yelled back not even knowing if that was in Katsu's hearing range.

Heh Yeah I remember that day like it was yesterday…And you know what's funny? The names stuck – from then on I was the idiot while Katsu was the turd…

Annoying kid! Who does HE think he is anyway?!," Sanosuke complained to no one in particular. 'Wait – I forgot to ask why he was clearing the coast!! Damn! I should have pounded him to the ground!!! Grr I hate having a goldfish memory!!" Sano shouted irritably.  (A/N: Heheh I have a goldfish memory – so I feel your pain, Sano!! ^_^)

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"Stupid idiot! He even forgot to ask about why I was clearing the coast in the first place!! Now I can tell the Captain that all is ready for the take-over!" Katsu said to himself as he sprinted back to camp.

OK that was my first RK – what do you think? Should I continue or should I quit while I'm ahead? Go on – PRESS THE LITTLE REVIEW BUTTON (you know you want to)!! ^_^