Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but I do own Meru, Shiru, and Rushi.

"Be that as it may, you still hit like a six year old."

Laughter greeted these words from Saitou. All except for Sanosuke, who instead grumbled and snarled under his breath.

"Hey, you'd be insulting me, that you would!"

Shiru said. Shiru was Kenshin's first child and he looked almost identicle to his father, he even talked like him. The only difference was that Shiru had blue eyes like his mother, instead of lavender. His sister Rushi however, had Kenshin's lavender eyes and white hair like her mother. Shiru was a mere six years old, and Rushi was two and a half.

"Sorry kid. Even your sister hits harder than he does."

Saitou said, looking at Shiru and jabbing a thumb at Sano.

More laughter came from that, and Sano lunged for Saitou, who easily and quickly stepped off to the left causing Sano to fall flat on his face. Meru and Kaoru rolled on the floor laughing, holding their sides. Meru Hinami was the current upholder of the Hiten Mitsurugi Sword style, which Kenshin had taught to her starting at an early age. She had long white hair tinged with blue at the edges, worn in a samuraiac ponytail and deep blue eyes. She had married Kenshin after thinking he was dead for many years, then found out that he was indeed alive and ran into him literally in her hometown.

"Saitou, knock it off, you're going to kill us!"

She managed to gasp between laughing. Saitou muttered something that sounded oddly like 'You say that like it's a bad thing.'

Aoshi chuckled lightly at hearing Saitou's mutter. He had at least heard it, even if no one else had. Smiling slightly he looked around the room at the people he had come to call his 'friends'. The Battousai had been the last person on his list as to who he thought he would be having repeated contact with, but sure enough, Battousai was one of the people he got on the best with here. If he had to place them in a list, Saitou would have to be next. He didn't know why the wolf of Nebu appealed to him. There was just something about him, the serious attitude, witty humor, sarcasim, and the way he fought in battle. As for the rest, they pulled about the same rank in his heart, and it didn't really matter to him.

Rushi crawled/ran over to Sajiro Hiko and tripped and fell at his feet, catching the hem of his white cloak. She laughed as though she thought the whole idea of her tripping and falling at his feet was extreamly funny, and she looked up at him smiling.

Hiko looked down at her, and tried to keep a straight face. This small child it seemed was always trying to push him into smiling, and she had always failed, but that didn't stop her. If he wasn't careful, she would catch him off guard and he would at least smile at her, if not start chuckling. Hiko bent down and picked her up, to a squeak of delight from her. He stared at her with the normal look he had on his face. Rushi grinned and clapped her hands together. Hiko couldn't help it, he smiled. That just caused Rushi's grin to get bigger and she squealed and clapped her hands again.

Soujiro Seita smiled his usual smile, and looked over at Kenshin.

"Mr. Himura, do you think we should stop them?"

Kenshin shook his head, also smiling however.

"No, because if we tried Soujiro, it wouldn't work. That it wouldn't."

Soujiro looked from Kenshin, to Sano and Saitou who were both getting into a yelling match, before looking back at Kenshin again.

"I think you're right, Mr. Himura."

Kenshin looked at Soujiro again.

"Soujiro, you don't have to call me 'Mr. Himura', just Kenshin is fine. You know that right?"

Soujiro gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry Mr. Himur- ano, Kenshin. It's just out of reaction."

Kenshin smiled at him.

"It's quite allright, that it is."

Soujiro smiled and turned his attention back to Sano and Saitou.

"I GUESS YOU REALLY CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!! HUH?"

Sano yelled.

"IT'S MORE THAN YOU CAN DO!!!!"

Saitou yelled back.

Aoshi and Kenshin glanced over at each other. If this went on, the house would probably go up in an atomic mushroom cloud. They both nodded and arose silently from their seats. Quietly sneaking over twards Sano and Saitou, they pounced upon the unexpecting men and pinned them to the floor.

"What the-?"

Sano questioned angrily.

"AOSHI!"

Saitou snarled at him.

Both Kenshin and Aoshi held their arms behind their backs and struggling to keep their grips on them said.

"Knock it off, both of you and we'll let go!"

Sano and Saitou struggled a bit more before finally giving up. Sighing in defeat they both said.

"Fine, we'll cut the crap."

"Good."

Aoshi and Kenshin let the two men go, and got off them. Saitou and Sano both stood and Saitou went and leaned on a wall, while Sano sat down in a chair. A child's scream caught all of their attention. Meru's voice suddenly said.

"Where's Shiru?"

At this, Kenshin's now narrowed eyes darted quickly around the room to find that his son was indeed not there. Quickly standing, he walked swiftly outside and hurriedly looked around. His eyes fell upon a black figure that had a sword's blade tip pointed directly at Shiru's jugglar vein. His eyes widened and his heart stopped as the figure swiftly, without a moment's hesitation, slit the young boy's throat.

The figure darted away, and the others got there just in time to see the young boy's limp body fall to the ground. It took maybe point five seconds for what just happened to sink in. In Meru's case anyways. She darted over to her son's body and kneeling down gently lifted it up. Her deep blue eyes full of disbelieving shock and pain as she felt her son's crimson blood wet her fingertips. Kenshin quickly went over to her, and dropped to a knee at her side. Placing an arm around her shoulders he pulled her to him and the two parents mourned the loss of their first child.

Sano and the rest, silently bowed their heads. Even Saitou. But Rushi, who didn't understand the concept of death, looked questionatly up at Hiko and blinked with her wide lavender eyes.

"What's wrong with mommy and daddy?"

Hiko looked down at her and again picked her up. He knew it would be pointless to try to explain this to Rushi, or at least at this age for the time being, so he said.

"They're both very sad."

Rushi blinked questionatly.

"Why?"

Hiko shifted a bit uncomfortably. What could he say to a two and a half year old to try to make them understand what death ment? But at the same time, without saying it too heavily?

"Ano, they're sad because they won't get to see your brother for a long time."

Rushi's eyes travled over to her parents again, and over her brother's still body. She still didn't understand why they wouldn't get to see her brother for a long time. It only looked like he was sleeping to her. But she didn't question Hiko again. And, she thought to herself, she would be very sad too if she couldn't see her brother for a long time.

Hiko knew that Rushi still did not understand, but he was a bit releived when she did not ask him another question. Kenshin would have to be the one to answer these for her, not him. Rushi struggled to get out of Hiko's grip for once, and he let her down. She walked/crawled over to Kenshin and Meru and placed her small arms around them, attempting to hug them both. She didn't want them to be sad forever, so she was trying to comfort them by giving them a hug. Like what they did when she had a bad dream and woke up scared.

Meru smiled through her tears at her daughter's attempts to cheer them up, and she lightly hugged her back, careful not to get Shiru's blood upon her. Kenshin too smiled, but he however stood and gently scooped up Shiru's limp body, that was now paling from blood loss, and walked from the scene, and out of sight. He did not want Rushi to watch him bury her brother.

Sano followed Kenshin, knowing he would need help and he easily caught up with him. Stopping just about as soon as they were out of sight of the others, Kenshin layed Shiru down breifly and both he and Sano dug a shallow grave for him. Neither saying a word the whole time. Once they were finished, Sano stood back as Kenshin placed the small boy within the grave. Kenshin's hand lingered over the boy, tucking his hair behind his ears, before slowly pulling it away. After another few minutes, He and Sano silently buried the child, and once they were done, the tears were now falling noticibly down Kenshin's cheeks. Sano's face softened with sympathy, and he placed an arm around Kenshin's shoulders in a comforting manner. Kenshin turned his face into Sano's shoulder and sobbed, with his shoulders shaking every now and then. Sano placed his other hand on the back of Kenshin's head, tucking it into his shoulder, and softly stroking his hair a bit, murmering comfortingly in his ear.

The black figure stood high in a tree watching all of this, smirking. Lord Shishio would indeed be pleased by his work. Very pleased indeed...

And thats the end of my second chapter! See I told ya It'd be longer than the first ^.^ Well, please R&R as again I live for reviews, and I'll bring out the third chapter soon. Just for reference, "Ano" can mean "well" or "um". The way Hiko used it, it was "well". Just thought I'd say that for those who don't know.