NOTES:

FIRST! I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor Saitou Hajime (although I wish)... RK is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

It's time for me to write again! Yey! This time, it'll be a fic about Saitou's life before Kyoto and the Shinsengumi. This will be a romanticised tale of what he was before joining the Shinsengumi and why he left Tokyo (Edo). There will be times when Saitou will be OOC, I intend to keep most of his personality just twisting it now and then. But the OOC will be very apparent when it comes to his fighting abilities, I don't think Saitou became a great swordsman overnight. Agree? :O)

CHAPTER I – Braveness in a Coward

A group of friends were walking along the streets of Edo through the chilly night they huddled closer together for warmth.

"Hey stop touching me!"

"You too! Stop being so close!", replied one of them.

"I don't like yaoi (boy x boy love) ok???"

"You're the one who's yaoi and who's also ecchi (slightly perverted)!"

The group composed mainly of young men started laughing. It's been a while since they huddled like this. They have grown up now and the chilly night brought back memories for all of them. So much so that they did not notice several older men drinking at the corner.

"Hoi! Hoi! Look at those yaoi's!"

A man reeking of sake spat to the ground and started to get up, another much smaller man stopped him and handed him another shot.

"Let's just enjoy this for now.", the smaller man grinned. "It's good sake (Japanese beer but closer to wine in taste), you don't want it to be spoiled rotten cold."

"Hai! Hai (yes)!", jeered the others.

"Tch... fine..."

Suddenly the low table was turned and glasses started to break. A young man carelessly tripped and landed face first on the table. THUMP

"Hoi Yuuta? Are you alright?"

After helping the young man up, his friends formed a line and bowed.

"Sumi-masen!" (sorry)

The smaller man who offered the sake earlier started scratching his head, "Yare yare (geez, oh my..), looks like we'll have to retire early."

"I've had enough of these bakas!" the bigger man stepped up to the boys and drew a relatively short katana (sword).

The other men who were drinking with them, all of a sudden disappeared. Only two were left of the group, a small one smiling almost devilishly and the other scowling menacingly.

Seeing that they have not attained the reprieve they were hoping for, a brave one stepped forth and bowed his head to the ground.

"Itsuki.. don't.", one boy called.

"Please sir... SUM.."

Itsuki never got to finish. In a blink of an eye, a headless body was slumped to the ground, blood trailed from it. What was once Itsuki's head was thrown to the ground, the lips curled into a frightful grimace.

The young men appalled, started running. They haven't even reached another corner when cries were heard behind them.

Yuuta looked behind him., to his horror, there were two other bodies laid on the ground beside Itsuki. His bestfriend Heidai was fending off the katana's with a mere book. Yuuta closed his eyes Kami-sama this is NOT happening.. Fearful for his life he turned to runaway. Guilt for leaving his friend made his feet heavy.

"If you do that you'll never forgive yourself."

Yuuta opened his eyes. A relatively tall and slim figure emerged from the shadows. Brown-yellowish amber eyes staring intensely at him.

"I don't know what to do.." Yuuta shivered.

"Throw those books down and help him.", the man pointed towards Heidai.

As if drawing his strength from the man before him, the young lad threw his books to the dirt and started running back towards his friend.

"Baka! You are unarmed!", shouted the tall figure, rushing after him.

It was too late though, Yuuta had already started to grab the smaller man. He really had no hand to hand combat experience and since katanas were involved, lets just say it was a futile attempt. The larger man who was trying to slice Heidai in half turned his attention to the two figures wrestling on the ground. One stab and he'll be dead, he smirked and positioned his katana to puncture Yuuta. He drove his katana towards the ground only to be parried off by a Japanese katana that seemed to come from nowhere. The amber eyed man smiled to himself. All that practice is finally paying off

Displeased with the newcomer the larger man wildly swung back, slightly grazing the young man's arm. Seeing blood, the man was greatly pleased and positioned himself for another attack. Luckily, Yuuta was able to get free of the smaller mans grip and ran towards the amber eyed man.

"Koi! (Come)" taunted the larger man.

The amber eyed man motioned Heidai and Yuuta to run and readied himself to attack. Yuuta grabbed him though and started to drag him.

Amber eyes scowled at Yuuta, "What are you doing?"

"C'mon. I'm not leaving without you!"

Seeing that Yuuta was dead serious he heaved a sigh and smirked at the man before him. "Maybe next time?" and started to run.

---------------------------------------

After making sure that they lost the hostile men, amber eyes turned his attention to Yuuta. "You know I'm not like you. I don't like to run away so much."

"Say what you want. I just didn't want another body left there."

Incredulous eyes stared at Yuuta, "So are you saying that I would've lost?"

"I don't know.", Yuuta replied "What's your name?"

"Saitou.. Saitou Hajime."

"Let's go back to my house. Your wound is bleeding." Yuuta motioned to Saitou's arm.

"There's no need for that."

Again, Saitou's reply was brushed off and Yuuta procedded to drag him towards the house.