Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin or anyone or anything related to Kenshin. Blah, blah, blah…I think we all know the drill…as we return to our heroes they were….doing what I've written into this chapter:

A View to a Kill

"Oh great…. not you too." Seijuro leaned back in his chair eyeing Saitou.

"Henya Kariwa. The guy ran a car lot, nothing exciting there, but look at this." Saitou dropped a stack of papers on Siejuro's desk.

"He had ties to the Juppongatana too. Think about it. Four deaths in bombings, four former members of the Juppongatana, and their former leader just released from jail. Kind of a lot of coincidences, if you ask me." Saitou crossed his arms as he stood over the captain's desk.

Seijuro grunted noncommittally.

"As much as you don't want to admit it, Himura might have a point." Saitou continued.

"And maybe as much as you're trying to overlook it, I think we both remember what happened last time we turned Himura loose on a major case. And in case you don't remember, it was the last case involving the Juppongatana." Seijuro retorted.

Saitou narrowed his eyes. "Of course I remember! I was his damn partner. Or were you too involved with stealing all the credit to pay attention to who was actually doing all the footwork?" He challenged.

Seijuro's head jerked up. "I don't like your attitude Saitou."

"And I've never liked yours. But we're not talking about us, or the past. Maybe you'll ignore what's right in front of you, but don't say you weren't warned." Saitou spun on his heel and left the office before he could do something rash.

After Saitou left Seijuro picked up the paperwork, looking it over with a critical eye. Though he didn't particularly care for either man, he put more stock in Saitou's opinions then in Himura's.

"Hmm….interesting…" He mused to himself.

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Detective Aoshi Shinomori looked over the information presented to him.

"After looking into the cases, it would seem a good guess the Juppongatana is behind all this." Seijuro said knowledgably. "Or at least that they are in some way connected to it."

Aoshi didn't look up. "So it would seem." He put down the papers and looked up. "And you called me in to…?" He left the sentence open for Seijuro to finish it.

"There've already been three bombings. Maybe we can figure out a pattern, try and catch whoever this guy is in the process." Seijuro raised a brow.

"Reasonable." Aoshi said emotionlessly. "I'll need some time to look into this Juppongatana though."

Seijuro nodded. "Of course." Though Shinomori was one of the best detectives on the force, he still could never figure out or be totally comfortable around him, Aoshi was always cold, emotionless, but it was as though darker potential lay under that surface. "Take all the time you need."

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Several hours later found Aoshi back in Seijuro's office. "Well?" he asked the detective.

Aoshi still looked as emotionless, even uninterested as before. "I did find out more about your Juppongatana group. There were the four that have already been killed recently. It would seem that one Seta Soujirou left the city not long after the case you told me about 10 years ago, and hasn't been heard from since. Another member, Honjou Kamatari committed suicide right after Makoto's arrest. That leaves us with several members and after further research, the best course of action I can suggest would be this…"

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"So let me get this straight…" Yahiko looked across the patrol car to Sano, who was driving. "We're supposed to go out and track down this guy who runs a pawn shop…to see if we can somehow track down this bomber guy?"

"I guess this guy was part of that Juppo-whoever-the-hell they were, and Seijuro finally decided there was some validity in Himura's idea and has sent out patrols to 'look in' on the remaining members of this group." Sano shrugged.

"And we got this assignment why?" Yahiko questioned. "I thought we were like the…"

"Probably cause someone needed to check this guy out, and he seemed the least likely target right now." Sano shrugged again. "I don't know the politics behind it, but it's better then breaking up teen parties."

"I hear you on that one!" Yahiko agreed, turning on the radio. "You think maybe they sent Kenshin on one of the other ones? It was his idea after all wasn't it?"

"Who knows. He's probably off playing self righteous martyr somewhere," Sano said bitterly. "I've worked with the guy for years, and then he goes off treating me like a damn rookie! That's not what I'm here for…that's…"

"What I'm here for." Yahiko finished for him, eyeing Sano.

The older man let out a heavy sigh, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "I'm sorry kid. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. I'm being no better then him."

Yahiko said nothing, and neither spoke until they pulled up in the alley behind a grungy looking pawnshop. Getting out they walked to the front, taking in the neon sign stating they were open, and the lights illuminating the roughly painted signs advertising 'Pawns, Fast Cash, Jewelry, Guns, Knives.'

"Funny a place like this would be open so late." Yahiko commented.

"Are you kidding? On a Friday night these places are open all night. It's right about 3am these guys realize they gambled up the rent and need to sell something else to get more money." Sano retorted as he opened the door, the sound of a worn down electronic buzzer announcing their presence.

At the sound a man with seemingly gravity defying hair spun, squinting over the counter at the newcomers. Seeing two uniformed police officers both his eyes opened.

"Hey…what'd you want? Ah haven't done nothing!" He spoke indignantly, in a mangled western accent.

"So says you." Sano remarked, looking around. "You Chou Sawagejou?"

The man seemed to consider if he should make a smart remark, but decided against it. "Yeah…what'd y'all want?"

Sano leaned against the counter, eyeing Chou up. "I'm sure someone like you hears all the rumors. You must know about the recent bombings going on…" Sano said causally.

Chou stiffened slightly. "Yeah…terrible. Getting so ya can't go anywhere anymore…"

"Funny thing though…only people that seem to be targeted are former Juppongatana members…"

The slight narrowing of Chou's eyes told Sano everyone he needed to know, the man at least had realized that as well. "You wouldn't know anything about any of this…would you?"

Chou glanced around uneasily, as though looking for a way out. It came in the form of Yahiko, who'd been looking around and had come to a stop in front of a display of all manner of swords and blades.

"You! Get away from mah sword collection!" He snapped, rushing over to where Yahiko was standing. "Those aren't for sale, that's mah private collection and…" he spun around again to look at the two men. "Ah'm very busy, if you two are only here to be in the way, then leave! You'll scare away mah customers!" He was looking at the two men suspiciously, shifting uneasily.

"I told you what I want." Sano took a few steps closer.

"Ah don't know anything about the Juppongatana Ah got mahself out of that years ago!" Chou protested angrily.

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind…" Sano started, but the sudden ringing of a car alarm filled the air. It was coming from the alley. "Son of a….!" Sano ran towards the entrance they'd come in, Yahiko right behind him. Chou rushed after him, his own car was back there too.

Outside the three men looked around. The alarm had stopped, and an eerie silence had filled the alley.

Suddenly everything around them seemed to erupt in a wall of heat, the ground shaking under their feet, throwing all three to the ground. Debris and glass blew out everywhere, along with a noise so loud it was more felt then heard. As soon as it had cleared enough to look around Chou looked up, stunned and angry. "Mah shop! They blew up mah shop!"

Sano and Yahiko looked up as well, even as flaming debris floated through the air.

"Shit!" Sano grabbed his radio attached to his uniform. "Attention this is code 3! This is Officer Sagara I need back up on Delta and 9th! I repeat, backup on Delta and 9th!" he practically shouted into the device.

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"It's not your fault Sagara still has the mentality of a 14 year old." Saitou said flatly.

Kenshin leaned against the door of the patrol car. "But if I hadn't lost my temper…the whole thing really was very stupid." Kenshin sighed.

"Himura, don't start. You're a hell of an officer, but you spend too much time trying to please everyone and always play the peacekeeper." Saitou retorted.

Kenshin shrugged slightly, maybe Saitou was right, but the fight with Sano had been eating at him ever since it happened.

"Attention this is code 3! This is Officer Sagara I need back up on Delta and 9th! I repeat, backup on Delta and 9th!" The familiar voice ringing over the radio made Kenshin sit up again.

"That's only a few blocks from here!" Kenshin exclaimed. What had happened?

Saitou was already ahead of him, flipping on the lights and sirens and tearing down the streets full out.

It didn't take them long to find the spot, several other cars had responded to the call as well. The patrol car had barely slid to a stop before Kenshin had bailed out, Saitou right on his heels.

Yahiko and Sano were standing with a skinny, obviously enraged man who was practically jumping at people in his anger. In front of them were the smoking remains of part of the building. Kenshin felt a sinking feeling inside of him, whoever this was had struck again.

"Mah shop! Ah demand some kind of compensation for this!" The enraged man was shouting to anyone who'd listen.

Sano was trying to talk to him, but Yahiko was looking around. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Over there!" He shouted as a figure was seen trying to slip away into the shadows.

"You! Stop!" Yahiko shouted, tearing off after the figure on foot. Sano spun around to see Yahiko. "Kid wait!" he shouted, chasing after him.

"Oh no…" Kenshin muttered running back to their patrol car and slamming it in reverse shot back out into the main street their were paralleling, sending a spray of gravel flying.

Saitou saw Kenshin leave, and cursing under his breath grabbed Sano's abandoned car, followed by another of the gathered patrol cars.

Meanwhile, while the others followed in the cars, Yahiko and Sano were in hot pursuit on foot. Yahiko slid after the figure through a chain link fence, while Sano cleared the top of it.

The chase continued into a large, empty parking lot dotted with occasional street lights. The figure seemed to be trying to stay clear of those areas, staying barely ahead of their pursuers.

From his car Kenshin had a close eye on them, until those on foot cut out of his vision. "I lost them!" he barked into his radio. "I last saw them cutting off on Baring!"

"I've got them!" Came Saitou's terse reply. "They're in the parking lot on West End!"

The figure was almost to the other end of the parking lot, backing up to the river, in just a matter of moments they could loose two officers. But before that could happen a patrol car swerved out of nowhere, blasting through an opening in the fence surrounding the lot, cutting off escape. The figure spun to go another direction, but that way was blocked by Yahiko, and Sano, who had gained the lead.

Grabbing something out of a pocket a loud crack filled the air, and with a sudden yell Sano fell to the concrete. Yahiko skidded to a stop right behind him as the figure spun to run a different direction, but was cut off by the arrival of the other two patrol cars. The sirens cut out, but the lights still flashed, and the spotlights came on, focusing in on the now trapped figure. A thin woman stood in the spotlights, gasping for breath and a gun dangling from one hand.

"Drop the gun!" Yahiko barked, training his own on her. Kenshin and Saitou jumped from their cars, their own guns trained on her.

The woman looked at each of them, seemingly unconcerned look on her face as she dropped the gun, raising her hands slightly.

Yahiko dropped down next to Sano while Saitou and the other officer who'd followed them cuffed the woman, who showed no signs of resisting.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted urgently.

Kenshin hurried over, but his mouth went dry as he saw Sano. The man's breathing was uneven and raspy, blood oozing heavily from a wound in his upper chest. His eyes were almost closed, but he still struggled as he tried to sit up, fighting to stay conscious.

Kenshin gripped his radio, his voice shaking slightly. "Medical assistance at Baring and West End. We have a man down. I repeat…we have a man down."

Dun Dun Dun Dun...and the plot thickens...