Author's note: There's the next chapter, and it's more interesting than the previous two. Truth will out! Please read!

The Lonely Tiger -Chapter Three

Sano rushed in the room, straight towards Odora. Megumi frightenedly screamed, but the samurai pushed her aside, before the big blow hit him. Odora staggerde for a moment. Sano took the opportunity and passed him through the wall. He twisted back his opponent's arm and angrily whispered into his ears:

'I don't like your damn face from the beginnings...You'll never snatch her!'

'Sanosuke, are you crazy? Let him go!'

'Shut up!' cried Sano furiously. He didn't admit himself, but he was very jealous of that yerk.Because of the big noise, the others were arrived at the room, too. Saitou grabed his sword, but Kenshin stopped him.

'What are you doing Sanosuke?' asked angrily Kaoru.

In the next moment, Sano felt a sharp pain in his leg and than, a strong fist hit his face. That unexpected action surprised him, so he couldn't dodged the next attack. Sano simply fell to the floor. Odora wanted to continue, but Saitou stepped between them:

'That was enough for him! Stop it!'

'Calm down Sano!'

'A coward bastard like him never will defeat me!'

'He could easily kill you, if he want. So sit calmly on your back, you big moron!' said seriously Saitou.

'Ch, you think a little to much about him.'

'No, I'm not. That's why I told you to stay quiet.'

Meanwhile the scuffle, a crumpled paper dropped out of his clothes, and laid next to Sano. He curiously picked up and surprisingly whistled:

'Man, she's pretty!'

Odora irritatedly reached for the picture, but Hiko preceded him. His hand quivered, and a little wrinkle appeared on the corner of his mouth. Just stared at the paper strangely, than slowly began:

'How... got you this?... Do you know her?' poked to the beautyful, young lady on the picture. Her plum-coloured hair softly fell to her shoulder, and the gentle blue eyes kindly looked back to him.

'Answere me!'

'...She's my mother.' said sharply the young man.

'Your... mother?' Hikoshocked, and Megumi happily sighed.

'Hn... so she found a good man...' grumbled thoughtfully Hiko, and smiled. The others looked him marvellingly.

'Where is she?'

'...I don't know.' answered Odora, while he gazed at the floor.

Hiko nervously grabed him:

'What do you mean? You left her alone, don't you?'

Odora's eyes furiously shined. His face became as hard as a stone, and his voice was cold:

'I never left her alone... Strange to hear that someone, who left a pregnant young woman all alone!' hissed hardly, and his voice was full of hatred. Hiko let him off and immediately stepped back. Odora hardly continued:

'Hn... it's really pleasurable to hear the truth, isn't it? After you killed her father, you left her alone... The great Hiko Seijuuro!' sneered at him widely. 'A wonderful man, isn't he

Before he could continue, Hiko slaped him with his full strength, whereby Odora helplessly fell to the floor.

'Don't talk me like that!' lifted up his voice and looked at the other.

'I think he learned the lesson.' Saitou stood in front of him.

'That Odora-san said...was all true?' turned to him Misao.

'So... Odora-kun is your son, isn't he... Shishou?

There was dead silence. Nobody wanted to spoke. They were all surprised.

'I think, you should tell the whole story, that you should.' said Kenshin.

In the middle of the room, they all listened with both ears, when he began to spoke:

'After my mother stayed alone, she tooke to the road. She teached a fich family's children in Kyoto for a while, but when I was born, they dismissed her , so we left the city. We always were wandering, than when I was 5, she finally found a job in a little villige. She was a cook in a lodging house. Hn, those were very good days... The owner's son was really kind with us, and slowly fell in love with her. However, she didn't requite his feelings. She waited for someone... the man, whom truly loved.' he stopped, and looked at Hiko.'But one night, everything was changed. A band of robbers attacked the villige and burned it. The owner and his family was killed, and... they kidnepped my mother... I hunted tham for 18 years. And now, I finally found them.'

'You... You're all alone since than?' asked pityingly Kaoru.

'Hn... Not exactly.' answered with a bleak smile and glanced at Saitou, who continued the story.

'We met since 15 years ago. An idiot attacked the family, with whom he lived... That little frog wanted to stopped him...' smiled softly at his frien

- Flashback –

'What's your name kid?'

'I have no name.'

'I see... They wait for you?' noded towards the two women.

'They are not my family.' answered the child, and gazed at his sword.'Could you teach me how to fight...Samurai-san?'

'What?' asked surprisingly Saitou, and almost laughed. 'Why would you learn such a things?'

'I must kill the man, who kidnapped my mother!'...

- End Flashback –

'I teached him everything, what I could. We haven't seen each other for 6 years. Just recently found out, that he's near to Kyoto. I sent him a massage, because Yoro Karasu, the one who took his mother, is here in the city.

'What?' tossed up his head Hiko.

'Odora said the same. He wanted to attacked them...'

'So this evening...' began excitedly Misao, but Saitou interrupted her.

'I stopped him, of course.' they looked at that two man. So they fighted against each other... Kenshin was a bit surprised, too.

'The two had a truly strong friendship...' thought Kenshin with a smile, and turned to the young samurai.

'If you agree, we will help you with pleasure, that we will.'

'I don't need anybody!' answered coldly and went to the door.

'Odora!' stood up Saitou.'I don't let you made something stupid, like before. You'll do, what I say. Made myself clear?

'I'm not your apprentice any more.'

Saitou stepped next to him, and put his hand on his shoulder.

'Yeah, I know...But you still trust me, don't you?'

'Hn.. I always trusted you.' smiled at him softly.

Misao marvelliously whispered to Kenshin:

'That's strange... They both looks like a sanseless demons, but when they together, they acting like normal people...'

'They are the same... They know each other better, than any of us.'

'Hmm...'

'We have to attack at night. They little know, that they are in danger. We must prey on it.' began Saitou. and lighted a cigarett.

'You are right, that you are. Kaoru-dono, Misao-dono and Yahiko will stay here...

'Hee??' jumped up Misao.'Tou don't think, that the leader of the Oniwabanshu will moon along, like a tabby? No way, I'll go with you!'

'Yeah, we are strong enough!' cried Yahiko, and Kaoru approved with a serious face.

'We don't need flimsy brats.' said Saitou, and calmly dodged some kunais and a heavy pale.

'Kaoru-dono...'

'There's no need to contest Kenshin! We'll go!' declared Kaoru hardly.

'Me too.' said Aoshi, and everybody looked him surprised.

'I promised, that I take care of Misao, and I keep it.'

'Aoshi... sama!' piped the girl with tears, and she would fell upon her beloved Aoshi's neck.

'Moron!' sneered widely Odora.

'You're not right. Love is a wonderful thing!' began Shiro, but Odora narrowed his eyes.

'Just a pathetic cock!' answered and quickly passed out.

'Oro?'

The others stared after him wonderingly. Hiko just gazed the floor.

'What about you, moron?' asked Saitou, when he turned to the speechless Sano.

'Don't call me 'moron'!

'Than don't acting like one!'

'Of course I go! I wont't miss such a good fun, because of that bastard!'

'You're truly a moron...'

'Damn you!'

Not so much later, the team were ready.

'According to Okina-san's informations, they hiding in the forest. There's a desolate house, not far from the city. I'm sure, that Yoro and the woman are there, too... We made two groups, and approach the target from two directions. One distract the attention, the other attack. Any question?' turned to them Saitou.

'Who will be the two leader?' asked Misao, but Yahiko interrupted her.

'And what's with the two team?'

'Shinomori Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu cover us, while we rescue Murasaki Ume and arrest Yoro Karasu.

"I'm with Aoshi-sama!!!" enthused inside Misao.

"Grr... Why Saitou?!" thought Yahiko.

"Kenshin!..."

"Great! I'm the same team, like that bastard..."

The sun went down and everything became dark. They tensely waited. Saitou calmly smoked, than suddenly dropped the cigarett and turned round:

'We can go!'