Hello. In just one chapter I managed to get misaoshiru to review, Maeko-Nohara to give a seriously constructive review, junyortrakr to give a comprehensive (read: LONG!) analysis, Zezura to say something BESIDES the gum, pnaixrose to give a somewhat long comment, Chiki to say "Oh my gulay!" (a distinctly Pinoy reaction), and zantaz to give a fight post-mortem. I am deeply honored. All comments are seriously read and thought about, and I am really grateful for all of them. It helps me to see what I am overlooking (especially in characterization), and helps me to think of future content. I wouldn't give you guys up for many "Please update!" with nothing else reviews. This is a much better story because of all of you. Comments at the end as always.

I apologize for the delay. I had to take removals, which are the pass/fail, last chance exams. That's what I deserve for typing, I think it was chapters 3 and 4, during the finals. 8 ) I'm actually still studying for another removal exam on Friday, but I was going crazy and decided I had to finish this. Dialogue-intensive chapter coming your way.

RK ain't mine. Soujirou ain't mine. But I stake my claim in calling him Jiro. 8 )

…………………………

It had always been the problem with Yahiko. He was a very strong young man, with an unbelievably high endurance. But he put all his energy into a fight. Once his strength was fully depleted, and he finally went down, it took a long while before he regained consciousness. It was one of the reasons why Yahiko did not become master of the Hiten Mitsurugi school. He was not like Kenshin, who saved enough strength to keep standing.

Almost an hour had passed before all the students congratulated Jiro-san, asked if Sensei would be alright, and went their separate ways. Yahiko still had not come to, despite the many calls and tugs by the little boys, and patching up by Kaoru. As the minutes ticked by, the smile on the winner's face slowly lost its artificial nature, and slowly turned into a concerned frown. He barely noticed the young lady who lingered over him and rubbed ointment on his face. She was the older sister of a student, but she was quite ignored.

Tsubame walked away and found solace in the dining table, where she sat alone, thinking nothing, not knowing exactly what to think. She just stayed there and waited for news.

Kenji was the last to approach Jiro, since he stayed with his uncle and helped in the poking and tugging. The little redhaired boy marched toward him, looked up, then kicked the young man's foot. "If Uncle Yahiko dies, I will kill you." The boy said it with incredible seriousness that for a moment the older, taller person got worried for his life. "I liked you before. Now I hate you!" The boy stuck a tongue out at him, then ran away, toward the kitchen and Tsubame. Both of his parents were unable to stop him.

The couple heard the shuffling of feet toward them. Soon, Jiro was standing by Yahiko's feet. The green ointment placed on the wounds in his face was still prominent. He bowed to them deeply.

"I sincerely apologize for hurting Myoujin-san so much. I got carried away."

"Damn right you got carried away!" Kaoru stood up and shouted. Only Kenshin's eyes stopped her from slapping him.

Kenshin gave his wife a few instructions, then stood. He motioned for the young man to follow him, as he walked to the front porch.

"Sit down, Soujirou," Kenshin said, both kind and decisive.

The young man obeyed.

"I know you have been perching a lot on our trees, but it still does not mean you know us. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." He looked up at Kenshin in surprise, then looked down again and chuckled. "I should have expected as much from you, Himura-san. So you knew all along."

"Do you realize that the police are monitoring you? And that your activities could have been regarded as suspicious?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why have you been spying on us? Are you under orders from your new master? Or is this only about Tsubame-dono?"

"Quite an interrogation, Himura-san," he commented. "I have been doing this only in relation to Tsubame, on my honor. This is not my master's idea. He's actually quite furious with me nowadays, running off to see her at odd hours."

"I could see why," Kenshin grinned, then grew serious again. "But do you understand what I am trying to say? There are better, simpler ways to gain information than by espionage. You have a reputation to clear! This is not the way to clear it."

"Yes, sir," he said, and smiled sadly.

Kenshin went to the kitchen for a few minutes, and returned with a teapot and cups. He poured out a cup for Jiro. "How have you been these last few years?"

"Quite well, thank you," he answered. "I have enjoyed the last seven years, really, Himura-san. I have learned much about Japan, about other people, about myself. I met many good people in my travels, people like you. But I realized that I missed running errands, so when I looked for work and met Yuan-san, I decided to stay on for good."

"Why this Yuan-san?" Kenshin asked.

"He knew me from before, from back then," he looked away. "It felt more comfortable working for that kind of person, someone who knew what I was hiding. I did not always have to be everybody's friend, this nice dependable young man….."

"I thought so."

"Huh?"

"You still do not understand, Soujirou!" Kenshin shook his head. "It seems to me that you only added more things to bury behind your mysterious smile. You never really took off the mask."

"But I have been true to myself since then……"

"Not entirely. I know you are not the same young man I met many years ago. Nevertheless, that is a part of you. You have to accept it. You have to face who you are, entirely. Good and bad. And if you plan to share yourself with someone special, that person has to know you, entirely. Good and bad."

"Not everyone here in your town knows your history, Himura Battousai," Jiro countered.

"Yes, that is true," Kenshin answered without hesitation. "But those are dear to me know it. The people, the person, YOU hold dear should know you inside and out as well."

"But I have told her almost everything about myself…"

" 'Almost' is not all. You have to tell her. The sooner, the better," he said.

"Why?"

"The longer you wait, the more it will ruin your relationship with her."

"Easier said than done, Himura-san." He sighed again. "Most people do not understand how hard it is for someone like me to have friends……….."

"I understand, Sou…"

"Jiro, please?"

"Alright, Jiro-dono. People like you and me find it hard to believe that there are people who will accept who we are. But there are some who do. Tsubame is one of them, so do not be afraid, stop hiding behind a mask, and just be yourself. She already considers you a close friend, as it is."

"Still…."

"When I first came to Tokyo, I too did not want to tell anyone who I was, much less the brave young lady who was kind enough to let me sleep for the night at her house." He turned and glanced at his wife with a smile. "But things happened, and I finally had to tell her the truth. I wanted to keep from her the truth about my first wife, but things happened, and I was forced to tell her that as well."

Jiro nodded his attention.

"I still find it incredible now, how she accepted me. How she said that she wanted the wanderer to stay, not the assassin. I remember how she said it, half-pleading, half-annoyed. She did not ignore who I used to be, but saw beyond it. For the first time in my life, I met someone who wanted to know me, not ignoring the past, but going beyond it."

The young man kept silence, and looked down at his hands.

A long silence between them passed, as they sat and gazed at the setting sun.

Kenji came along and saw the two men on the porch. He hid beside his father then stuck his tongue out at Jiro. Kenshin gave his son a stern look. "That is NOT the way we treat our guests, Kenji."

"But he hurt Uncle Yahiko really bad!" the boy scowled.

"All the same, he is our guest," his father said. "Now apologize."

"No way," the boy stuck out his tongue again and ran to his mother.

Kenshin profusely apologized for his son, but Jiro brushed it aside and let it pass. He looked inside the practice area. His opponent had started to move his head and whimper, but still did not respond to calls.

"Please explain, Himura-san," the blue-black-haired young man said. "Why is Myoujin-san so protective of her?"

Kenshin answered, "Yahiko has admired Tsubame since he was 10 years old. Everyone here knows that. Everyone wants them to be married already. Then you came along. Suddenly Yahiko had a serious rival for her."

"Ah," he sunk his head and sighed.

"From the way you fought, I figure that she is the first young lady you have admired. True?"

He nodded. "I finally found a friend, someone who actually likes me! And I think, I even love her."

Kenshin poured him a last cup of tea. "It is your choice to make if you will continue your efforts to win her. But realize that, no matter what happens between you and her, whether she accepts you or not, you will cause her pain. Are you sure you want to do that?"

The young man looked at the man still on the floor behind him. He looked toward the dining area. He looked at Kenji, still scowling at him, and at his mother, still hovering over Yahiko. Finally, he looked at Kenshin. He smiled.

"Yes."

"Very well, Jiro-dono." Kenshin took the cups and teapot and placed them back on the tray. "Please, do not hurt her too much."

"I will try."

…………………………………………..

It was already one hour and twenty minutes by her count. 82 long minutes. It was too long.

It had been years since Yahiko fought that hard and for that long. During kendo competitions his opponents were often defeated in less than fifteen minutes. During big fights around town, he would have all opponents down and begging for mercy in under twenty minutes, and it would have been easy.

The fight with Jiro took almost thirty minutes, and Yahiko had been forced to keep moving and blocking all that time. There had been almost no time to breathe, to think, to recover. And the strikes to his chest and back must have been terrible.

The eyes of a killer haunted her. And that killer set his eyes on her best friend. But that killer was her friend, too.

That was the real man, behind the nice young man she knew. A dangerous and unstable character who could kill if he wanted. She mentally banged her head on the table. How could she have been so blind? Himura-san had already warned her! Why didn't she pay attention? Why did she give her heart to that kind of man? Why?

Someone coughed to signal his presence. It was Jiro. He bowed to her from the door, then walked in. She was still too mad. She did not stand. She did not offer him tea. She waited for his reaction.

He sighed and smiled, then sat across her at the table.

She looked up at him. "Yahiko?"

He sighed again. "He's still there."

She just looked at him, tears starting to well up at the corners of her eyes. "What did you do? What did you do to him?"

"I am sorry, Tsubame……"

"What was the wager?"

"What?"

"Tell me, Jiro," she said with clenched teeth. "What was the wager between the two of you?"

He said it quickly. "If I won, I would take you to Kyoto. If he won………well, I will let him tell you that himself."

"No. You will tell me."

"If he won, he would take you to the hot springs, when the Himuras go."

"I have not been told?"

He lowered his head. "It was supposed to be a surprise. I found out about it."

"How?"

"Perching on the trees outside."

"Exactly the same thing you were doing at the Akabeko."

"Yes."

"So Yahiko was right. You WERE stalking me, and you WERE spying on him as well."

"In a way, yes, that is true."

She looked down at the table. "Who are you?"

"I am Jiro. You already know that."

"No. Who ARE you? Really?"

"Well, I…."

"You will tell me now, or we will not see each other again."

"But, Tsubame…"

"These last two months, they were wonderful, really and truly. But suddenly………….it seems that I don't know you, that I never really knew you. What I saw was a mask. Well-made, beautifully painted. But a mask."

"You don't know how much of that mask is gone! Because of you!"

"Then, answer me, Jiro. Who are you?"

He smiled a sad but sincere smile.

"I am Seta Soujirou. That is true. I work for Yuan Xue Dai as his messenger. That is true. What you know about me so far is true. I just did not tell you everything. But what I did tell you were all true."

He sighed, and continued.

"I am known as the Tenken no Soujirou. I was trained to kill since I was about eleven years old. I was the right-hand man to Shishio Makoto, a man who planned to overthrow the Meiji government. I had killed many people for him, including Prime Minister Okubo. People did not fear me, because they did not know me. Those who had reason to fear me were dead, except for Himura-san and the Juppon Gatana."

So, the warning was real. He used to be a killer. An assassin. A killer of many. Her eyes grew wide.

Nonetheless, she hazarded the next question. "Do you………still kill people?"

"No." He took a deep breath. "Since I met Himura-san, I no longer took anyone else's life. I promised that no one else would die by my hands if I could help it."

Much like Himura-san. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"It was also with Shishio-san that I learned how to be a spy. Killing people, I never liked, even once. But spying gave me a sense of power over people, so I liked that aspect of my work. Old habits die hard, I suppose. I apologize if I concerned you about my habits."

She wrung her hands on her lap, confused about what to do or say.

So he spoke. "What I feel about you, what my kiss told you then. They are true."

Now she was really confused. What was she to do?

Then she heard Kaoru's voice, calling to Kenji and Kenshin.

She remembered the many times Kaoru talked about Kenshin. Yes, she knew about his past. She had seen for herself how dangerous he could be. But she decided that the Kenshin she met – the cook, the cleaner, ultimately her protector -- was the real one, terrible past notwithstanding. She could not change him, but she could love him.

Tsubame decided to give him a chance.

"I liked you, I really did, since that time we met in the market. I couldn't keep my mind off you," she blushed and admitted. "You had always been so nice and friendly with me. Then I saw you fighting with Yahiko today. It made me wonder if all that was just an act, a sham. I guess I was surprised to find such a nice guy like you hiding a power so….so……deadly."

He lowered his head, and stood to leave. But she raised a hand, and told him to sit down again.

She smiled. "Everyone has his or her secrets. In the end, I am glad you told me yours. Besides, you decided to move on beyond that horrible life. I respect you for that. But, do stop spying on us, alright?"

It seemed like a big weight was taken off his shoulders. His smile seemed lighter, easier to give. "Are we still friends?"

She nodded.

"Can I still visit you at the Akabeko?"

"If you like."

He paused for a moment. "Can we go to the theater again some time?"

At this she stopped, and looked down. "I don't know. Give me time."

She stood, bowed politely, and walked out of the dining room.

…………………………………

Yahiko opened his eyes, and found Kenshin and Kaoru watching over him. He was still alive. Unreal.

He both saw and felt the many bandages and plasters placed on his arms, chest, abdomen, and head. Never in his life did he imagine that the strikes from a wooden sword would hurt and injure so much. Never did he imagine how much a man could hurt and injure his pride and his heart so much, with just a wooden sword.

But there was only one thing he wanted to know. "Where is she?"

A familiar young girl's face appeared just beyond his reach. The same young girl that peered at him when he was 10, newly clobbered by men twice his height, back when he first tried to save her. "How are you?"

"Sleepy," he said. His vital points were throbbing, and he felt weak all over. He also wanted to stay half-dead, and to forget that he just lost face in front of his students and, in front of that young girl he had failed to save yet again.

He peered over at his feet, and saw a hazy version of a perfect man standing beside them. He might have been wrong, but Jiro did not look exultant for some reason. His head was still pounding too much for him to be sure.

"I must be going," the man bowed to the group. "My boss is probably wondering where I am. Myoujin-san, it WAS a good fight."

It was good because he won, Yahiko sighed.

"Give my regards to your master," Kenshin faced the man at his feet and said.

Jiro seemed uneasy, but nodded. "I will." He bowed again, then his hazy profile disappeared from view.

Kenshin asked him a quick series of questions. Yes, he knew he was Myoujin Yahiko, almost 19, living in Tokyo, teaching kendo at the Kamiya dojo, it was the middle of the week, he just lost to Seta Soujirou………and he still felt tired and sleepy. At least he assured his surrogate parents that his brain was still intact.

Nonetheless, he tried to get up, and failed miserably. "I have to go home, I can't keep bothering you…"

"No, that's alright, Yahiko, you can stay here tonight," Kaoru said. "I'll get dinner ready for you."

"Not hungry. Join you for breakfast tomorrow. Stop being so nice, raccoon," he muttered.

What used to be Yahiko's room in the Kamiya dojo was now a guest bedroom, and was still kept clean. Leaned on Tsubame, he dragged himself there, then flopped onto the waiting futon.

"Sorry about today, Tsubame," he said, as the young woman tucked him in. "Whatever happened between you two, that's none of my business." He sighed deeply, and forced himself to say the next words. "I'm still your best friend, okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "You did well, Yahiko."

"Are you just saying that to be nice?"

"No. I haven't seen you fight like that in a long time. You were really good."

"Who did you want to win? Honestly."

"You." She gave him a small peck on the forehead.

"Thanks." He squeezed her hand, and closed his eyes.

The last thoughts he remembered having were these: THIS was definitely the last time he would allow himself to be under Kaoru's thumb. This was the last time he would be a little boy. He would be a man, in earnest. Being her friend for so many years had been nice. Now, he wanted to be her husband. Steps had to be taken.

He would take them.

………………………….

I call our friend Sou-chan as such in the end notes so I can think of him at least at the end as a cute smiling guy you just want to hug. And, if I don't do this, I just might forget that Jiro is Sou-chan.

Maeko-Nohara – I was trying to show how rattled poor Sou-chan was getting, but evidently I wasn't getting across properly, sorry!

Misaoshiru – Thanks for reading Days of Nightmares! I took out some of the ellipses (it was hard), but thanks for noting it. I make that many dots because I want to show time and thought lapses and stuff. As for your guess: you are correct. His appearance is planned, but don't expect it until several more chapters have passed.

Pnaixrose – Thanks for liking it. I hope that flamer gets burned eventually. 8 )

Zezura – Thanks for liking Yahiko! I liked your sketches, thanks for showing me!

Chiki – Don't think people have forgotten you! Far from it! You should've seen the uproar at RK Dreams when the people found out about your disappearance. Sorry you got disappointed with the end of the fight. I still need work with my descriptions, though. It comes from paying attention to dialogue in books, and mostly skipping long, long descriptions, oh dear.

MK Zantaz – This story is addictive? Erm, thanks! I'm glad you thought it was riveting. I do know it wasn't the best I could do. Less cliffhanger? Okay, I'll see what I can do. Yahiko got panicking in this fight because unlike in earlier situations he had faith in himself. In this fight I made him lose it. Thanks again for all the character analysis.

Aikida – Hiya, and thanks for liking, and thanks for liking the contradiction. Was he telling the truth? I think so. 8 ) I guess if you've been a spy for so many years in your life you won't know if you're just being curious or you're being a stalker. 8 ) Unfortunately, I think I'm one of the group that makes Sou-chan find truth in insanity, but hopefully I will not be too cruel.

Junyortrakr – Wow, astounding. Thanks. That's all I can say. But I do have to ask, how are you good friends with Chiki?