Chapter 12 - Those Left Behind, and The Warriors They Remember

"Kaoru... This one must leave to-"

"To Kyoto. I understand."

"Then you understand that this one will not leave you behind. This one will return... that is a promise." They came together for an embrace.

"I know. I trust in you, Kenshin. Please, come back soon."

"This one will. Now, however... this one must leave. Goodbye... Kaoru."

Kenshin thought of the last words he had spoken to his wife, two days ago. He would need her for what was ahead, yet she was not there. Ahead would be something that even he did not know of, that could easily take his life. He breathed in deeply, the cold morning air chilling him down to his bones as he remembered Himura Kaoru, and walked into the clearing.

"Soon, I will depart. I will be back soon, however. Then, we'll work together to cure you. I promise that..."

"Saito, please hurry. I cannot stand to be apart from you." Saito took Tokio's hand as she embraced him. He gently kissed her forehead.

"Tokio..." They spoke no more, their hearts saying all they needed to hear.

He awoke early that morning. Saito quickly started a fire and ate the rations he'd packed for that morning's breakfast. Something stirred behind him. The proclaimed midget boy woke up and sat next to the fire Saito had started, also eating his rations.

"Morning, Saito..." Zac said grogily.

"You're obviously not a morning person..." Saito's voice drifted off.

"Yeah..." Grey Wolf began to wake up, surprizing Saito and Zac as it always did. It was rare to tell Grey Wolf's awakening from Grey Wolf's nightmares.

"So we continue tra-"she yawned, then continued, "training today..."

"Yeah." Something was nagging at the back of Saito's mind. Something bad was going to happen today.

"Saito." That 'something' was about to reveal itself.

"Yes, Grey Wolf?"

"That... that technique. That thing you used on Aoshi... the special form of gatotsu..."

"Yes... what about it?" Saito knew what was coming.

"I... I want you to teach me it. The sharingan couldn't catch the technique. The way you screwed up Aoshi's ki while at the same time, slicing him open with the sword... please, I must learn it."

Saito and Grey Wolf stared each other down for a moment, before he whispered, "No. You are not yet strong enough. Train for a few years more, and perhaps-"

"Saito, I know the risks. I know what kind of discipline it would take."

"Discipline which you do not have. Think of what you could have done to Yahiko two days ago. Were you disciplined then?"

"No, Saito. But I believe I am now."

"What changed in two days? You still would harm Yahiko today as you did before."

"I've... I've been doing some soul seeking of my own. And, if I cannot learn the technique now... I can never learn it."

"... Grey Wolf... you are not ready. If you cannot even see this... then you are not my true heir."

"S-Saito..." Grey Wolf spoke, head bent toward the ground.

"The decision is made. You cannot ask to learn the Zero Gatotsu. When the time comes, you will know... and you will harness it. I believe in you. We..." He spoke, looking at Zac, who nodded. "We believe in you."

"I thought I told you, you are not my student anymore." Hiko Seijuro spoke before even looking at who had knocked.

"Master... This one has come to learn the final secrets of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu."

"You did not learn them before, did you? You rushed to the aid of those in need, did you not?"

"Master..."

"You are not my student; I am not your master. Leave."

"Sir, if I may... Kenshin really needs to learn whatever it is he's asking for. This guy, Shishio, is going to try to take over Japan if we don't stop him. Kenshin can't stop him at his current level-"

"So you come to me for help, after you left so long ago? Aren't you going to go help people in suffering? You didn't need my help then."

"Master, please! Put your selfish bitterness behind you! People's lives are at stake! The entirity of Japan will be engulfed in war even greater than the first bakumatsu if we do not stop him!"

"And you call this better?"

"We cannot stop the war altogether by just taking down Shishio... but we can prevent the entirity of Kyoto going up in flames. You know what this one says is true. Please... help me."

"Kenshin..." Hiko sighed and walked outside. "Boy, move away from Kenshin. He'll need his room. Kenshin... it is custom for a master to teach his pupil their succession technique only when that pupil can land a hit... can you?"

Two swords unsheathed.

Ghost's powerful strike to the gut disabled Vejiita from moving, knocking the wind out of him. Vejiita fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. Ghost tried to strike Vejiita, but he fell over, not even trying to dodge, but out of pain. Ghost picked Vejiita up by the collar, then punched him, hard. Vejiita slammed into a rock formation. Ghost flew above the crater, but dodged to the right after Vejiita fired off a powerful blast, at half-super saiyan, the form he and Grey Wolf had used during their fight with Frieza, until Grey Wolf finally changed into a true super saiyan.

"Hell, that wasn't so bad." Ghost said, nicked on the arm. Vejiita flew out of the crater and tried to kick Ghost, but Ghost ducked and fired off a blast at Vejiita. It hit as Vejiita spun around, landing right in his stomach. Vejiita flew back until he finally deflected it. By this time, Ghost was behind him, and used this opening to kick Vejiita in the head, then hit him back and forth like a volleyball. Ghost finally rammed Vejiita one last time, slamming him back into the earth. Vejiita lay in a crater, trying to move in vain. "Vejiita..." Ghost flew to where Vejiita was and picked him up, moving him to the fire near their sleeping bags. "Tomorrow we start a new training, due to your incompetence at this one."

Vejiita moved closer to the fire... it reminded him of Grey Wolf. Clumsiness and pyromaniacy weren't a good combination, not that anyone knew Grey Wolf was a pyro but him. He missed her. He'd missed her for so long, since the day Speedy had died. She had gone somewhere, far away... and he felt she never would come back.

A/N: Three things to say! One, I'm finally all caught up! Tomorrow, I will post another chapter. Two, thank you to all those who have hung in there and actually read my fanfic(though only one has reviewed, heh heh...). Three, for you people, just wait until tomorrow! Tomorrow(Nov 27) and the Sunday after that, you'll get two treats that are sure to... well, not please(unless you're a hurt/comfort fan), but at least satisfy!