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)

Oh by the way as most of the readers know.. In this fic both Saitou's parents are already dead. In case you wanted to know what their names are. It's Yusuke Yamaguchi and Masu Yamaguchi.

italics - denotes thoughts
asterisks - denotes sound/thoughts/misc

I DECIDED TO ADD THE REVIEWER NOTES ON THE BOTTOM AS I DON'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY THE CHAPTER.. :o)

CHAPTER XIV – Unbeknowst to Him and Her

Midori ran to her room, she did not notice Yuuta behind her.

Where the hell is it?

She frantically rummaged through the drawers of her desk, then to her dresser and finally through the small box she had kept locked away since she was a child.

Where is it! Damn it!

She could hear the clashing of swords outside. With each clang of the blades she felt herself getting weaker. She just could not find it! Her eyes now were getting blurry, and the sounds outside just kept bringing her closer to tears.

Hajime... Hang on. Onegai (Please)...

Tears were now flowing down her face. Her dark brown own eyes disobeyed her.

"Onee-chan (older sister)?" Yuuta could see his sister frantic and breathing heavily.

She turned around and scrambled towards her younger brother.

"Yuuta. If you know were it is please tell me!" she pleaded.

"What do you mean?"

"The red box Yuuta!" she was still crying.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Yuuta closed his eyes and turned his back on his sister but she did not let go of him.

"Yuuta. Onegai. Hajime's life depends on it." She tightened her grip in panic.

Silence.

"If you can do one thing for me Yuuta, just one, this would be it. Please set aside your hurt for now." She trembled as she pleaded with him.

Yuuta slightly turned his face towards his sister. She was almost kneeling, gripping him like her life depended on it. He saw her hands, a tinge of red had started to show on the bandages. He shook his head he hated seeing his sister distraught. He couldn't stand it so he helped her up and guided her to their parents room.

"Don't tell otou-san about this." He warned his sister as he picked the lock on the armoire and took out the red box that his sister owned.

Overjoyed, Midori hugged her brother and kissed him. "Arigatou (Thanks) Yuuta. Hontoni. (Really)."

"Take care of him okay?" Yuuta himself now was getting teary eyed and pushed his sister away. "Go hurry."

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Akio laughed at Saitou. "After all the talk you're still the sorry swordsman you are."

Saitou spit out the blood that came from his lips. He hated it when he gets elbowed like that. If Akio was as good as he said he was there would be no need to use his sword as a diversion tool to land that stupid elbow attack.

He pointed his sword double handed straight at Akio. As he let out a battlecry he lunge at the taller man. Akio parried and evaded Saitou's katana and flicked his sword towards Saitou's exposed shoulder causing it to bleed. As if not feeling any pain, Saitou stubbornly tried to impale Akio.

"You fool. That won't work."

Akio brought down his sword in full force on the middle half of Saitou's katana dragging in down towards the snow. He then took a handful of snow and threw it to Saitou's face, another diversionary tactic to blind Saitou of Akio's elbow attack. Akio then kicked Saitou's ribs which sent the young man flying towards the ground.

"Stubborn fool. This will be the end of you."

"Both of you! STOP!" she screamed and ran in between them.

Akio did not heed her and proceeded to go closer to Saitou, his sword upright and ready to kill.

"I said STOP!" Midori took out a small dagger and pointed it towards her neck. "Stop or I will kill myself."

In that instant the world seemed to have stood still. Midori could see her father's jaw drop and her mother turned away unable to look. Akio stood dead on his tracks, confused and unable to move.

"Midori what are you doing?" Akio asked concerned "Have you lost your mind?"

She was shaking now, but she wasn't sure if it was the cold or not. "Perhaps." She tried to calm her voice.

She inched closer to Saitou and took his hand. Hajime tried to snatch the dagger away, but she was a tad too quick for him.

She whispered to him "If you do that again I won't forgive you and I'll surely kill myself."

She shot Akio a threatening look as she saw him inch closer to them. She pressed the dagger closer to her skin as a warning. As she and Hajime moved further away, only her eyes betrayed of sadness as she saw her parents dumbfounded and disappointed. She wondered if she'll ever see them once more.

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Once out of sight Saitou grabbed the dagger off Midori's hands and pushed her against a tree.

"Ahou! (Fool/Moron!) What were you thinking?" he barked as he leered over her.

Midori was caught off guard, the young man was facing her, his amber eyes almost glowing. When was the last time she saw him like this?

"What is the matter?" she was starting to get annoyed. What you're mad after all I've done for you?

"THAT! The show! The stupid show I've ever seen in my life."

What? She gave him a puzzled look. Hmm.. Is he shaking?

"Don't ever do that again!" he demanded.

"Enough! If you can't appreciate someone trying to take care of you then fine!" "Itai..." she hissed as her palms landed on his chest to push him away.

Saitou did not move. He took a minute and closed his eyes then re-opened them and searched for Midori's hand.

"This." He motioned to her palms, "is exactly what I mean. Do you think I like seeing you hurt all the time?"

She was speechless as he led her back to his house.

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He left her a block away and sneaked into the house. A few moments he came back carrying a bag, bandages and the sheath of his katana.

"Here bandage yourself and go back."

She was stupefied. "Did I hear you correctly? Go back?"

"Yes." He looked around weary that someone might see them.

"And where do you suppose you are going." She pointed to his bag

"Probably to Tama. I cannot stay here any longer. There is a kenjutsu dojo there called the Shieitan."

"And you were going to tell me this when?" she asked crossly.

"I wasn't."

"Oh I see... You know I don't even know why I talk to you."

"Nor do I."

"Do you even have any common sense at all?"

"Yes I do. If you go back there now, they will forget the whole incident."

"What about Akio?" she was now distressed.

"Simply refuse him." He said flatly.

"Ah... Really you have no common sense..." she almost could not believe what he was saying.

"Okay I'm leaving." He turned and started walking.

He stopped though. He heard footsteps behind him. He knew who it was but nonetheless he did not turn back. Until he reached Tama, the footsteps were still there.

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To REVIEWERS:

Ooka-Chan: I see you've changed your name now.. Just curious what is "Ooka"? Ah yes... I love Saitou-sama! I think everyone has a slightly different version of him in our minds though. Although to be quite honest he is invincible and perfect in my book, regardless of how I portrayed him here. Since they're pretty young here, I'm not even close to the kind of character development that I want. But it'll get there slowly but surely. I mean they haven't even met the "soon to be" Shinsengumi yet.

MissBehavin: Yeah... I could really imagine Saitou closing the door on someone's face. Makes me melt! Such a bad boy our Saito! Akio? Well suffice it to say that they will always fight kind of reminds me of the Kenshin rivalry (just a little). Ah I'm sure you were disappointed with the duel, but it wasn't really intended for anything else except for a final push for the both of them to "go" already. A new life awaits!