Author's Note: I got the idea for this chapter from the "Peacemaker Kurogane Original Side Story Vol. 7" by Hasegawa Nahoko (if you bought the anime, it was in the booklet with disc #4). If you haven't read it, the gist of it is that Souji has no qualms about falsifying records and lying to Hijikata in order to help Tatsu explain some missing money. With that in mind, Souji's scheme in this chapter shouldn't seem too far-fetched. Hopefully you'll find it in your heart to review!

Chapter 4: just a killer

Later that night, Souji quietly slipped into the prison shed, where Battousai was dozing, sitting up against the wall. Souji was carrying a sheathed pair of swords and also two bamboo training swords. Souji bent down and placed the pair of real swords on the floor just inside the door. Battousai realized with a flicker of interest that those swords were his own. Perhaps he would be offered the chance to kill himself. If so, that would be a good opportunity to escape. He didn't move when Souji came up to the bars of the cell and peered in at him, though he did raise his dark eyes to his captor's face, as if to make sure it was really the same Shinsengumi captain who had been visiting him and talking to him for the past three days. Somehow the young captain looked different wearing a hakama and with his hair pulled back.

Souji sighed and unlocked the door to cell, gracefully stepping inside and shutting the door again. Before the legendary hitokiri had time to stand up, Souji had stuck his hand through the bars, re-locked the door to the cell, and tossed the key through the bars to the other side of the room. The key clinked on the stone floor, well out of reach, and Battousai's face sank into a tiny frown. He almost looked annoyed. What was Captain Okita doing? His confusion only worsened as a shinai was tossed in his direction, bouncing on the ground and then rolling to a stop at his feet. Battousai stared at it with cold eyes, and then looked up suspiciously at Souji.

Souji smiled. "Would you like to play a little kendo with me, Battousaisan?"

Battousai blinked.

"I know the, ah, 'room' is kind of small, but that should make it more challenging! It will be like fighting in a closet, or a narrow alley!" Souji beamed at him.

"don't be ridiculous," the little hitokiri muttered, closing his eyes. "There couldn't possibly be any point to that."

"So you won't?" Souji looked down at him with round, solemn eyes.

The redhead didn't reply. Souji sighed again, and for a thoughtful moment he studied the prisoner. Then he walked forward until he was standing beside the boy. He turned, leaned back against the wall, and then slowly sank down the wall until he was sitting next to the prisoner. For several long minutes they sat there side by side in the dark, until finally Battousai broke the silence.

"Look…what are you doing here?" he asked abruptly. He glanced at the shinai in disdain. "If you want to fight, why didn't you bring steel, instead of these toys?"

"I don't want to fight; I just want to communicate," Souji replied.

"… you've been talking to me for three days," the hitokiri grumbled, glancing sideways at Souji in annoyance.

"And you can't figure out why," Souji stated.

"…No, I can't," the boy admitted reluctantly.

"It bothers you," Souji said, turning his head to look at the prisoner with an all-knowing expression.

Battousai felt a small measure of heat rise to his face. His mouth twitched. What was going on? For months now, nothing had irritated or agitated him at all. But this Shinsengumi captain was actually starting to get under his skin.

"You're insane. Or just a fool," he told Souji, his voice low and icy. Souji smiled benignly at him again. Meanwhile the hitokiri regained his leaden expression, his eyes glinting like steel-- and Souji knew exactly what was going through his immature mind.

It was no surprise to the Shinsengumi captain when the hitokiri suddenly sprang to his feet, snatched up the shinai, and attacked savagely. Souji was able to match his speed, and in the same split second he was also on his feet, and between their bodies the two shinai formed a perfect "+". Souji's shinai was in the vertical position, and without having to think, he dipped the wooden sword forward, sliding it along Battousai's shinai-- and then in a lightning-fast maneuver, he weaved the shinai underneath Battousai's forearms, and jerked upwards. Had they been using real swords, both of Battousai's hands would have fallen to the ground.

Without giving the young Ishin-shishi any time to understand what had happened, Souji dropped his own shinai and grabbed the prisoner by both stunned wrists. Shoving the boy back into the wall just forcefully enough to make him gasp, Souji pinned the boy's wrists above and to either side of his red-haired head. Battousai clenched his hands into fists and his arms trembled with the effort of trying to escape, but Souji held him firmly in place. The Shinsengumi captain was stronger than him after all.

"Once you're caught like this, it's over for you," Souji told him calmly. "But of course, you're so quick, there's nobody out there who could catch you-- much less get your sword away from you."

"I've never used a shinai," Battousai grumbled, his eyes narrowed in fury. His heart was racing- he knew he'd just lost their little match, and he didn't like being pinned to the wall. He also didn't like being defenseless. And he really didn't like Captain Okita's gentle tone of voice.

"Hmm," Souji said distractedly. He gazed down at the prisoner with eyes that were every bit as deadly as the boy's own. But then he let his eyes unfocus, and lowered his head until his forehead rested against the boy's. Understandably unnerved by this, Battousai gritted his teeth, but didn't try to struggle. Souji's eyes were vacant and unblinking.

"We're just alike," Souji murmured. "It's so easy, isn't it? Killing…it's just so natural. You were born to do it." Souji lifted his head so he could focus on the boy's face again. Suddenly the young hitokiri's eyes looked very purple, and they flashed brightly.

"I'm not like you," the boy blurted out. "I'm just a killer. You've been in here babbling for three days, telling me dumb stories, laughing, pretending to be… to be… human… but it's all a pathetic lie. You're a monster hiding behind a smile."

Souji's voice remained deadly calm. He searched the boy's eyes. "But don't you wish… that you had a smile to hide behind?" he asked.

"No," Battousai replied fiercely, as if the idea offended him. "What would be the point?"

Souji blinked, and was overcome by a deep pain in his chest. He finally let go of the boy's wrists and took a step back, coughing hoarsely three or four times. When the fit passed, he stared at the prisoner, seeing his reflection in the boy's deep, determined eyes. "Someday, you'll understand," Souji predicted. Then he smiled.

"That," Battousai said disgustedly. "That right there! Why do you do that?"

Souji's smile became a little softer, a little more sincere. "It's not so much for my own sake as for the people around me," he confided. "Isn't a peaceful smile better for my friends to see? You do care about the people around you, don't you, Battousaisan?"

The prisoner frowned. Someone who wanted to be a savior for the people couldn't answer 'no' to that question, but recently, it was growing difficult to care about anything beyond accomplishing each mission. Each… kill. Battousai looked away stormily.

"Now then," Souji said brightly. "The reason I came over here tonight: I need to know where Katsura Kogoro is."

Battousai lowered his eyebrows. "So I'm to be interrogated. I promise you I won't break easily."

"I don't doubt your strength, or your loyalty to Katsurasan. But you will tell me where he is," Souji said with a cheerful grin.

"I suppose tonight is my 'last chance' to cooperate before your 'demon' vice commander tortures me, right?"

"Oh, he's not going to torture you," Souji said matter-of-factly. The hitokiri gave a puzzled frown.

"…In that case… are you going to do it?" he asked in a dull monotone.

"Nope!" Souji laughed. "Nobody's going to torture you, because you're going to escape after you tell me what I need to know. You'll have a head start on us, and I'm sure you'll get there in time to warn Katsurasan and enable another of his famous evasions." With a guileless smile, Souji fixed the prisoner with one of those intense, paralyzing looks, staring with near-omniscience into the boy's burdened soul. The message was absolutely clear: You can trust me!

Battousai gaped at him. "There's no way…" he muttered, trying to force reason back into his brain. "You're Captain of the first squad of the Shinsengumi-- You couldn't just let an Ishin-shishi prisoner escape… there's no way you'd let Battousai escape."

"It's true that you're our most dangerous enemy," Souji conceded. "But I don't believe that you're 'just a killer'. If you could show me that on some level you don't believe that either, then I'd have no problem setting you free."

"…What do you mean?"

"I mean… while it would be stupid of me to set Battousai free, I'd have no problem letting Kenshin escape." Souji scrunched his eyes closed in a smile, but didn't miss the brief flash of confusion on the prisoner's face.

"You…you know that much, but you can't find Katsurasan?" Battousai asked breathlessly. "That's a little hard to believe. How do you know that name?" There were only two or three Ishin-shishi who knew that the name 'Kenshin' was in any way connected to hitokiri Battousai. (((author's assumption! Any RK mangamaniacs out there care to dispute?)))

"The Shinsengumi has many connections, and the politics of information are endlessly complicated," Souji said neutrally, tilting his head to one side.

Battousai shook his head in disbelief.

"So tell me," Souji prompted, "that you're not just a ruthless killer. You're not heartless- you don't kill for fun, do you? You want to help people, and someday, if you could do that without killing, you would, right? You want to make the world a better place, don't you?"

"yes," the boy said, closing his eyes.

Souji gave him a smile that was both warm and wistful. "Himurakun. Your life has the potential to be about more than just killing someday! If you can only acknowledge that potential, and hold on to that hope, I'll be happy to help you escape."

"But I still have a lot of work to do," Battousai murmured. "I'll be hunting down your comrades. Knowing that, would you still turn me loose?"

"Why not?" Souji asked, blinking wide, child-like eyes. "What's wrong with wanting to do a fellow genius swordsman a favor?"

"I'm on the OTHER SIDE!" Battousai exclaimed, actually raising his voice. "It's not a joke! When the war finally comes, we'll be on opposite sides! Don't you understand? Don't you ca-…" the boy blinked, and then his eyes widened in realization. He looked up at the Shinsengumi captain in shock, searching his eyes. Souji gazed back at him passively, evenly. He had nothing to hide. The boy swallowed, and continued in a different tone of voice: "You really don't care, do you?" he asked. "About the Bakufu… or the revolution… about what you're supposed to be fighting for-- you don't even believe in it, do you?"

Souji smiled. "I have my reasons for how I live my life. They may not be as 'noble' as yours, but then again, who's to judge?" he asked, and then added softly, "I believe I should do the best I can with what I've been given."

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Then Battousai sighed, and his brow furrowed sadly. "Do you ever wish…" he muttered in a broken voice, not looking at Souji. "…that you had been given something different?"

Souji understood that from the little hitokiri, this question was both a confession and a desperate plea for empathy. He felt strangely compelled to hug the boy, to wrap his arms around those slender hunched shoulders and tell the hitokiri-child not to despair. But as he reached out his hand, Battousai flinched away from it instinctively. Sadly Souji wondered how many years it had been since the boy had been hugged. Souji let his hand fall back to his side.

"Oh," Souji said, reverting to his usual smile and deciding to answer the question. "Sometimes. But it never fixes anything, you know? So I try to make the best of it all, and concentrate on finding the good in things."

"…Even in your enemy," Battousai realized.

Souji smiled and nodded.

Early the next morning, Tetsu headed for the prison shed, fulfilling his duty of bringing food to the prisoner. For some reason Okitasan had asked Tetsu late last night if he wouldn't mind getting up a little early to feed the prisoner before everyone else woke up. Naturally Tetsu had minded, but had also been unable to refuse Souji's request. Tetsu yawned, shuffling across the yard.

As the door to the prison shed creaked open, both Souji and Battousai looked up expectantly. "Good morning, Tetsukun," Souji called as the pageboy appeared in the doorway.

"Okitasan?" Tetsu gasped, almost dropping the breakfast tray. He scurried into the room and shut the door behind him. Then he stared into the cell, where there were two pairs of violet eyes staring back at him. "Okitasan, are you okay? What are you doing in there?" Tetsu demanded, aghast.

"Waiting for you to let me out, actually," Souji replied, smiling. "Tetsukun? Would you mind? The key is on the floor behind you."

Eyes wide, Tetsu turned and spotted the key. He was too surprised to wonder how it had gotten there. He put down the breakfast tray and picked up the key, hurrying forward to open the lock. "But Okitasan," Tetsu hesitated, when he was within a few feet of the cell. "The prisoner's awake! If I open the door, won't he… attack?"

"There's nothing to worry about," Souji assured him. "Just please hurry and open the door!"

"Uh, okay," Tetsu said, nervous confusion buzzing in his ears. Something didn't feel right. What was going on? All he could do was trust that Okitasan had everything under control. After a few tense seconds, the lock clicked open.

"Thank you, Tetsukun." Souji said, pushing the door open and stepping out into the room. Then he grinned brilliantly, winked at Tetsu, and held the door open for the prisoner.

"Katajikanai," Battousai muttered, stepping into the room beside Souji. Tetsu's mouth fell open so dramatically that it nearly hit the floor.

"You… you're setting him free?" Tetsu asked a frantic whisper.

"Ah- don't forget these," Souji said amicably, picking up the katana and wakizashi he had placed by the door the night before. "You'll be needing them." He handed the weapons to Battousai, who bowed his head in gratitude.

"And you're giving him swords?" Tetsu whined, horrified.

"Tetsu, hush," Souji said. Tetsu's eyes were wide as saucers. The Battousai was loose in the room, and armed ! Tetsu clamped his own hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. Souji, meanwhile, returned his full attention to the hitokiri. "Himurakun. Katsurasan is…?"

Battousai looked up at him, his swords already in place at his hip. "Katsurasan is staying at the Tsushima estate," he said quietly, his face expressionless.

Souji nodded. "Ah. That was a wise choice on his part," he said. The hitokiri gave an abbreviated bow and moved towards the door.

"Himurakun?" Souji asked suddenly. "Before you go- I have one small request." Battousai stopped and turned his head, glancing over his shoulder at Souji with a cold gleam in his eye.

"What is it?" the hitokiri asked, his voice deadly soft.

"Will you please… smile? Just once?"

Battousai blinked, but his expression remained as somber as stone.

"Come on, I know it's in you somewhere," Souji said encouragingly.

Battousai looked down at the floor. His mouth twitched several times, as if he meant to speak. Then it appeared as if he was concentrating furiously on something. Tetsu thought he seemed sad, then angry, then simply confused. And then suddenly the young hitokiri looked up.

Without speaking, he tipped his head to one side. The light in his eyes softened- a peaceful look spread over his face- and then, there it was- the slightest of smiles.

Tetsu was duly unnerved. In a matter of seconds, the ruthless assassin had transformed into a friendly-looking kid you might want to hold hands with. But it only lasted for an instant before the tiny smile flickered and died, and was replaced by a grim, impersonal scowl.

Souji nodded, satisfied. "Good," he said. "I guess you better be on your way, Battousaisan."

"Yes," the hitokiri replied.

"Ki 'o tsukete," Souji said softly. From the look in his eyes it was clear that he really meant it. …Be careful.

"Thank you," Battousai murmured, and slipped away through the door.

Author's note (again): sorry for not making this chapter humorous, but this is really the interaction I picture between Souji and Battousai. I think they would naturally trust and respect each other, and become friends if time and fate allowed. Sigh!