Thank you very much for taking the time to read and review this fan- fiction. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Rurouni Kenshin R.K. and all of the characters from this show are the property of Watsuki Nobuhiro-sensei.

The timing of this story is about the same time as Trust and Betrayal, the Kenshin Ova's. If you haven't seen the Ova's and have only watched the TV show, Trust and Betrayal is the story of Himura Kenshin while he was Battosai the hotokiri. The Meiji restoration was from 1853 to 1868. The Shinsengumi was formed in 1863.

Also woman in samurai families were encouraged to know how to use the naginata, or the wakazashi in case of an emergency. computer was being mean so had to use for italic section

Also I went back and changed some mistakes that I hadn't noticed. Spelling of names and martial arts styles. Nothing critical, but it should be fixed.


Author's Notes:


Tokio: is Saito's wife. She is mentioned both in the manga and in the anime, though we never actually get to see her face in either.

Bokken: wooden practice sword shaped and balanced as a katana would be.

Hakama: Traditional Japanese skirt that is divided like trousers are.

Dojo: Training hall

Kyoto: where the Emperor Meiji, his family and his court resided from A.D. 794 to 1868.

Tokugawa Bakufu or shogunate: it was the military government that controlled Japan from 1603 to 1867.

Hotokiri: it means an assassin. Kenshin's professional hotokiri name was Battosai.

Ishin Shishi: Loyalists. They fought to restore the emperor to his rightful seat of power.

san; -chan; -kun; -sama; -sensei: they are titles like Ms, Miss, Mr., Dr., etc etc. –sama I is like lord, -sensei is teacher, doctor someone with a certain type of skill, -san, -chan, -kun denote the relationship between them and the speaker.

Samurai: warrior class in Japan.

Menkyo Kaiden –Knows all of the skills and everything... a master... it's the highest rank you can earn.

Fusanaga Soushi / Okita Souji Kaneyoshi: Captain of the 1st Shinsen-gumi group.

Naginata: kinda like a spear with a strange shaped blade at the end. Common for samurai women to train in the use of.

Wakazashi: short katana used mostly for indoor combat. A lot of samurai carried 2 swords a full katana and the smaller one is the wakazashi.


Buddha is his Bride


Chapter 1: Buddha's Blade


"Next!"

Tokio-san took a deep breath before rising from the hard wooden floor. Her bokken was gripped tightly in her left hand and she could feel the sweat on her palms make her practice sword feel slippery. Hastily she wiped her palms dry on her hakama.

She had watched four fights, and in all four of them the same man had won. His control was something to be admired, and his level of skill was truly amazing to watch. Serizawa-sama was his name she believed...

Now it was her turn.

Both fighters took their positions on the dojo floor, facing the other in silence. Serizawa-sama looked her over with a casual glance, and chose his stance. In that one moment, his eyes had reflected many things.

Disappointment.

Boredom.

Resignation.

If she used that to her advantage... The signal was given to begin.

In less than a heart beat you could hear the wooden blades striking each other. Her amazing speed and agility had caught him completely off guard and he was barely able to parry in time.

Relentlessly she attacked forcing him on the defensive, she wasn't going to give him a chance to counter. She kept pushing him back.

Every attempt he made, she destroyed. Every step forward he tried to take lead to a step backwards, until he found himself with his back against the wall, and Tokio-san's bokken against his throat. His own bokken had fallen to the ground. There was a long crack running down the middle of the practice sword testifying to its battered and abused state. It was a miracle it hadn't shattered.


The streets of Kyoto were stained red with blood. The Loyalists and the hotokiri that they hired were assassinating anyone with any connections to the Tokugawa family.

The Shogunate was not pleased.

In hopes of curving the bloodshed a new police corps was being formed for the Kyoto area. During the Meiji Restoration the hotokiri, the Ishin Shishi, as well as anyone with any sense feared them. Their skills were extremely famous. Legendary even.

They were the Roshi-gumi... the ones that would become the Shinsengumi...


Everyone in the dojo was silent. Tokio-san's victory had taken everyone by surprise. No one had doubted that she was talented, but to have done this...

"What is your name?"

"Fusanaga Tokio."

"Come with me."

Serizawa -sama ordered her.

She handed the bokken to a younger student that she had always looked after. His worried expression was clearly etched on his young face. She could only give him her best and brightest smiled to reassure him that everything was fine.

She followed behind him as he walked outside, and into a near-by forest. After a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

"Your father served me well before his death, he was among the most skilled of samurai."

Tokio didn't know how to reply to this so she stayed silent. Was there a reason for this impromptu interview?

"You are Fusanaga Soushi's cousin?" He turned to her holding her chin he examined her face carefully. "Your face is very similar to his."

She had loved her cousin very much and was pained to be reminded of what had happened one month before. She refused to cry, or betray any emotions of grief.

"You are as skilled with a blade as he is. Would you be willing to finish his work?"

"My Lord? I don't understand."

"An alliance may be made with the Kondou-gumi. Your cousin was to join them, if one was made. With what has happened I have to find a replacement, as well as a bodyguard for the talks. Skilled swordsmen are difficult to find, and harder to spare, your style and skill are almost the same as your cousins with continued training you could possibly surpass him. Though I don't believe it is the training in the dojo that you require."

Tokio thought back to her long years of studying Tennen Rishin Style along side of her cousin. She had thought that together they would reach the rank of Menkyo Kaiden, having mastered all of the skills of the style... but now there was only her...

As a girl she had been encouraged to study the naginata, or the wakizashi, but through constant work, Kondou Shuusuke-sensei had permitted her to study alongside her cousin. The two of them had always competed against one another for the place of strongest.

He had always teased her saying that she had a boy's heart and not a girl's, but she didn't mind. She enjoyed playing with him. After all he was the only one she could count on after her fathers death. He was more like her big brother than her cousin. If he had work he had failed to complete it was her responsibility to see to it that it was finished.

"I will do what I can."

"Tomorrow we will leave for Aizu. Dress in your cousin's clothing, and carry his sword with pride. We do not know how these talks will go. If things go well, you must carry your cousins name."

"His name?"

"I doubt they would ever accept a woman, even one as skilled as you, so you shall be your cousin, Fusanaga Soushi-san. I will inform your sensei of this decision. You must guard yourself carefully among that pack of wolves."

A pack of wolves?

The image reminded her of her cousin as he got older, and how at times he seemed to resemble a wolf. As they slowly walked back to the dojo together, Tokio had a bright smile on her face, this would probably be highly amusing.