Disclaimer: I do not own Peacemaker or Ruronin Kenshin, nor their characters fictional or historical.

Sakamoto did get assassinated in 1867. Whodunit? The belief at that time was the Shinsengumi. However, later accounts put the blame on the Mimawarigumi (the Shinsengumi's sister patrol unit from Aizu) or on rogue factions in the Ishin.

Fiery Winds of Change

November 1867

Kenshin watched Katsura's face change as he let the letter from Kyoto fall to the ground. With an air of defeat, Katsura spoke. "Sakamoto-san is dead." Dead? Kenshin blinked in disbelief. When they had parted ways a few weeks ago, the man was a picture of health and good cheer, having pulled of the near-impossible task of forcing the shogun to submit to the imperial will and abdicate.

"See ya around then, Kenni! I'll watch out for your pal Oki!" Those were his parting words, his last words to Kenshin. Sakamoto Ryouma, his wacky ways, his quirks, his big laugh… it seemed impossible that such a man so full of vigour and life would be so easily killed.

"Did Umeko-dono write?" Kenshin asked. Umeko was especially fond of Sakamoto. Katsura shook his head.

"She took the news very badly. This letter is from Hotaru-san. Umeko has been taken to Nagoya by Nami. The change of scenery might be good for her. Those hotheads have placed the blame on the bakufu. Everything he worked so hard for is in shambles…" He leant against the wall as if nursing a headache. "There's another one for you, Kenshin…"

It was written by Hotaru.

… There's fighting in the streets. Umeya's burnt, as is the neighbourhood. Umeko-dono is safe with her cousins in Nagoya. Nami and the others got her out before the rioting started. She's still upset over Sakamoto… The city is a war zone. They blame the Shinsengumi for Sakamoto and attacked the HQ. The bakufu came down like a ton of bricks. Many lives are lost in the riots… Your friend is gravely ill and in my care.

1868

The violence was spiralling out of control. Armies were preparing to move. For all his attempts to appeal for calm, Katsura could not control it. Like leaves in a current, they were all caught up in the upheaval. The Peacemaker Sakamoto Ryouma is dead. Japan was on the verge of chaos once more.

Then Toba Fushimi happened. The once proud bakufu forces were now on the run. Fortune had deigned to beam upon the loyalists. After all the death, the blood, it was over. It was over for Battousai. Never more need Battousai appear on the battlefield. After Toba Fushimi, Battousai bade a quiet farewell to Katsura before stepping off the battlefield and into the mists of history.

Still, Kenshin journeyed back to Kyoto for one last look. Hotaru-san was right. Kenshin stared in dismay at the charred ruins of Umeya. He strode hurriedly down several streets. He had an appointment to keep with a certain swordsmith outside town later. It would never do to be late. Finally, he came to a nondescript house and knocked sharply on the door.

It opened a crack and Hotaru peered out cautiously. "Kenshin!" She gasped when she saw the redhead.

He was too late. Hotaru had been caring for Okita in Kyoto since he became an invalid. Kenshin had wanted to say goodbye. However, Hotaru informed him that Nagakura and some friends had fetched Okita from her place as the heat was growing for all former bakufu supporters in Kyoto. Hotaru had no idea where they took him, except that Nagakura had reassured her that the former Miburou would be in good hands.

With a sigh, Kenshin left. There were some really troubling signs. He had heard rumours spread of the Seikihoutai being a fake army, led by a fraud. Sagara was no fraud. Kenshin had the good fortune of meeting him once. That once was sufficient for Kenshin to know that he was a man of honour. He worried for Sagara and the men under him.

Someone whispered in the marketplace that Ryouma was murdered by the Shinsengumi and they were going to execute its commander for it.

Okita had spoken a little to Kenshin about his 'Uncle Isami'. Kenshin gathered that Okita would be very upset if they really had Kondo beheaded and his head up in the Kyoto marketplace for everyone to gawk at. Maybe it was just as well Okita was whisked off somewhere by his pals.

"Hang in there," Nagakura whispered encouragement as they plodded along. Too weak to walk for long, Okita was tightly wrapped in blankets and bundled onto a hand cart like a sack of rice with Nagakura and Harada pushing. "Eh, looks like another bloody roadblock up ahead."

"Ahous," Saitou muttered under his breath as he recognized the group approaching him. He had accepted the offer of amnesty from the new government, more for the sake of his ailing wife than anything else. Like many of the populace fleeing the city, the couple had found themselves caught at the roadblock.

The soldier manning the roadblock gave a cursory glance to Saitou and his wife. The pair looked like a tired couple. Then he looked at Nagakura and company. Nagakura had not yet accepted amnesty. "What's this?" The soldier indicated the soundly bundled-up Okita. Nagakura tensed instinctively. They had their swords hidden under the sacking on the hand cart. But in his state, Okita didn't have a chance if they were to fight their way out.

"My sick sister, you moron!" Saitou exclaimed in frustration. "My brother-in-law's trying to get her out of the city for her health, right, Eiji?" He nudged Nagakura. Recognizing Saitou, the other captain played along. "Right, this is my wife… and this is our household…" he nervously swept his hand over his rag-tag group.

"Look, my wife and sister look fit to drop dead on the road and you are holding us up," Saitou hissed.

"You peasant, you do you think you are?" The soldier growled.

"Does the name Saitou Hajime ring a bell?" Saitou gave the poor man his most withering glare. "If anything untoward happens to my wife or my sister thanks to your delaying us, I'll hunt you down and skewer your sorry carcass to the nearest tree." The soldier blanched.

Many nervous minutes later, safely out of earshot of the roadblock, Okita let out a weak chuckle. "Saitou-san, do I make a good sister?"

"Not on your life. If you were my sister, I'd rather change my name and move…"

"I wonder how Kondo and the others are doing… and Kenni too…"

Saitou made an annoyed sound. "Our paths part here. Nagakura-san, please take care of this sorry baggage." Without a backwards glance, he left with his wife.

"Saitou-san sure is sour as vinegar after hanging with that Itou too much. Don't you worry, Okita. My sister Midori will take care of you…" Nagakura reassured his comrade. He would leave Okita in his sister's capable hands before moving on… to what? Kondo had not met up with them like he promised in Kyoto. What would they do?

Author's notes:

All right, some things about Saitou. First, he married twice. Tokio (mentioned in RK) was his second wife. His first wife was Yasue. She died of an illness some time before he re-married. At some point, Saitou might have realized that it would be wiser for him to accept amnesty offered instead of persisting in a losing war as certain members of the bakufu armies did. Family might have influenced his decision. The Shinsengumi suffered heavy losses at Toba Fushimi. Some time after that, Kondo was captured and beheaded. One account had it that he was captured after he sneaked into Kyoto to visit Okita.