I

Edo Harbor, May 1881. The Blue Leaf House was not the type of place a married man would generally find himself in. It was a seedy, smoke-filled dock-house of debauchery and cheap-liquor, where young, Japanese women with few options left in life would go to whore themselves out to greedy foreign businessmen and sailors. This was probably why Himura Kenshin didn't often find himself there. My wife would most certainly disapprove was a nice way for him to tell his friend Sagara Sanosuke that he didn't want to risk any potential head or groin trauma. Still, every now and then, the silver-tongued devil who wore the symbol for bad on his back would convince his friend to come with him. Kenshin would protest, and ultimately they would compromise to sit outside and play Go. At present, Kenshin found himself concentrating with great intensity on the board, not paying any attention to the gathering crowd a few feet away from him.

"Kenshin?" asked Sanosuke, himself becoming more and more curious with the gathering flock of people.

"Eh?" muttered the red-headed samurai, not looking up.

"What do think that's all about?" he asked as he pointed with his thumb.

"Huh, what?" replied Kenshin absent-mindedly as he looked up. For the first time he actually noticed the multitudes of people now gathered by the dock and peering out into the distance. "What the going on?" he asked. Sano rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Idiot, have you really not noticed that crowd until right now?" Kenshin nodded. "Oi. Well, let's go find out." said Sano as he stood up. Kenshin placed his sword on the ground and pushed himself to his feet. The pair made their way through the crowd, Sano pushing people aside rather brusquely while his friend simply moved through the newly opened space, apologizing along the way. When they reached the front the dock, they found themselves watching a ship slowly steam into the harbor. "Hey, buddy," said Sano as he nudged a fellow next to him rather hard. "What's going on here?"

"Oof! There's a new ship from the Americas coming in."

"Americas?" Kenshin squinted and placed his hand over his brow, peering out into the distance and making out any indicating details of the incoming vessel. On the mast flew a flag which he could make out was red, white and blue, but he couldn't see anything of great detail.

"Here, use this." said the stranger, handing the man a spy-glass he had hidden in his robe.

"Oh, how convenient. Thank you." Kenshin extended it and brought it up to his eye, this time being able to see men walking up and down the deck. He also got a look at the flag and saw that it had two red stripes and a single white between them. In the upper left hand corner was a blue field with a circle of stars. He recognized the flag from newspaper articles that extolled stories about the United States and the newly formed Confederate States. The flag was the stars and bars. The ship was confederate. This was further confirmed in Kenshin's mind when saw the title painted along the bow. He could read and speak English fairly well, and so mentally noted the name C.S.S Old Dominion as the ship came into the harbor and made a full stop.

"What's it's say across the side there?" asked Sanosuke. The man in question could speak English fairly well, but was illiterate even when it came to his own language.

"It says C.S.S Old Dominion. I believe that means Confederate States Ship." replied Kenshin mildly. Suddenly, a gang plank smashed down from the side of the ship and smacking hard against the stone. Men in light-brown uniforms began to walk down the plank, two rows of four each. At the head of them was a man in a gray uniform and a man in light-brown carrying the Stars and Bars. Kenshin eyes followed the men. Then he thought to himself his powers of observation must be at premium today, for he had not noticed the congregation of men in imperial robes and western style coats and tails greeting them as they marched down.

"Hmm, so this is a diplomatic issue." commented Sano.

"It would appear so. It seems only natural that the Confederacy would want to come here. We've been trading with the United States for years."

"Well, if that was the excitement for the day, I think I've had enough." Without word, Sano turned and began walking back towards the Blue Leaf House. Kenshin followed closely behind once he had seen he had left.