MadiSano: Chapter two...ano. Gaining confidance! I still think my story sucks so far, but it should smoothen out by the next chapter, ne? First fanfics must have a flaw or fifty...

Disclaimer: I would love to, but I don't own Rurouni Kenshin...

CHAPTER TWO: FALLEN WIND

"WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO MY DAMNED FISHBONE?"

Zanza was having another complicated day. It turned out that a cat had robbed him of his fishbone—in which he had the odd habit of chewing on—and now Zanza was a wee bit upset about it.

Leaving his house in a severely grumpy mood, Zanza slammed the door shut, breaking it again. Whirling around and reentering his home, he took another ten minutes to fix it once more. After doing so, he grabbed his Zanbatou and left, making sure not to fly his door like a kite this time.

Mumbling in an irritated fashion, Zanza made his way to a river and sat down, his Zanbatou near his right hand, ready for anything. Kasumi still hadn't made his move, after all this time.

Maybe it was all a hoax? Zanza wondered.

Zanza, the Fighter For Hire, got to his feet, and sighed…Life is so boring these days. I think it's about to get interesting, and the threat dies. After a moment, he went off to gamble.

It was late at night, and Zanza once more found himself lurking in the shadows of his remaining territory. He yawned—he was so bored that it was sad.

Kasumi, Zanza thought. You really are a big chicken. Lost the nerve to come after me, eh?

Zanza chuckled to himself. Ever since that morning, Zanza had lost all worry over the formidable Kasumi, his rival Fighter For Hire. In fact, Kasumi had lost the honor of even being considered Zanza's rival—they had never even met face-to-face.

"Coward," Zanza muttered.

CRACK.

Zanza had barely blinked, when suddenly a small, triangular weight came crashing against the wall centimeters next from his face. Attached to the weight was a rope of chains.

Chains…! Zanza looked up to see whom the attacker was, killing off his surprised expression with his game face.

"Konnichiha, Zanza," the assailant said, stepping from the shadows.

It was a slightly built person who barely came up to Zanza's shoulder. He wore a dark red cape that concealed his body, and a hood that cover his hair. Along with that, a scarf around his neck covered the lower half of his face. Two bright blue eyes stabbed through the darkness like azure knives, fixed on Zanza. Two gloved hands clutched a coil of chains, with weights at either end.

Zanza narrowed his eyes. "Took ya long enough."

The person blinked. "My name is Akiyama Kasumi, and I am the Fight Merchant who has come to challenge you, and for the title of Tokyo's most potent Fighter For Hire."

"Oh?" Zanza smirked, tugging the ladder half of Kasumi's chains out of the wall and tossing it at Kasumi's feet. "You're kinda overconfident, don't ya think? You barely reach my shoulder in height."

A trace of a smile came from behind Kasumi's cloth. "Ah, so you are a person of the 'bigger is better' mantra? I'm afraid I'll have to prove you wrong, like I have so many others." Kasumi's smile disappeared. "Get your weapon."

"Don't have to ask me twice," Zanza sneered, lifting his Zanbatou and ripping off the wrapping. "Let's go." Zanza got into his battle position, turning on his side, lifting the Zanbatou over his head, and aiming the point of his blade at Kasumi.

Kasumi gathered his chains, waiting silently for Zanza to make the first move.

Zanza charged, swinging the sword and making a thunderous blow to where Kasumi was standing. Kasumi leapt aside, tossing his chains, wrapping them around Zanza's right arm.

"Your Zanbatou is nothing if you can't use your arms to wield it," Kasumi said.

"Shut up!" Zanza snarled, using the strength in his left arm to swing his Zanbatou upwards and chop the chains in half, freeing his arms. "Your chains are nothing if they're hacked into little bits."

Kasumi narrowed his eyes, whipping his chains around and sending the other weight into Zanza's stomach. Zanza gasped, blood spilling from his mouth as Kasumi threw his chains around to tug Zanza off his feet.

Zanza fell to the earth, his Zanbatou pressing him to the dirt. Kasumi sent the weight of his chain across the taller Fighter's face, and stated, "I'm hoping you'll give up now."

"No," Zanza said, struggling to his feet, and charging again. Kasumi dodged the Zanbatou's blade, jumping onto and off of it and tackling Zanza to the earth.

Now without his Zanbatou, Zanza resided to his fists. He went to punch Kasumi in the face, but the man blocked it and threw his chains around Zanza's wrists, forcing the Fight Merchant onto his face.

Kasumi got up, and put his foot on Zanza's head. "Are you done, yet?"

"NO!" Zanza yelled, tearing out of Kasumi's restraint, and picking the man right off the ground by the collar. "Who the heck are you?" Zanza yelled, ripping off Kasumi's scarf.

The prettiest face Zanza had ever seen glared out at him. Locks of raven hair fell around the pale face, over hanging the sharp blue eyes and contrasting with Kasumi's pastel skin. Cherry lips scowled out at him, allowing Zanza to see exactly how irritated Kasumi was.

Zanza stared, completely taken by shock. "Kami-sama… You're a woman."

Kasumi smirked a devious smile, seeing that Zanza was now off his guard. With a yank of her chains, the remaining weight smashed into the back of Zanza's head with a sickening thud.

"Night, night, Zanza," she whispered. Zanza's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he released her, falling to the ground as his vision faded.

Everything went black.

Dictionary:

Konnichiha—hello, good afternoon

Akiyama—Kasumi's last name which means autumn, or the mountain

Kami-sama—Lord God.

MadiSano: Now I feel bad. Zanza-chan got his butt whupped. .''' Gomen nasai, Sano!