Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

Author's Note—Kenshin is a woman in this story. I find Hiko to be an awkward character to write about, so I hope I did okay here. Also, thank you for the reviews everyone.

14. Guardian Angel

Himura had often found herself in sticky situations, but never one like this.

A dozen men, ridiculously wielding weapons they had no idea how to use properly, had surrounded her in one of the emptier streets of the city. It was early morning, just past sunrise, and she had been heading back to the inn. She had lied to Katsura about going to Miss Mae's to work for the evening, instead spending the night hours in a bar, ignoring the calls of the drunk men. Unfortunately, some of those men had decided to follow her.

"Too good for us, eh?" said one of the men. He was ugly, resting his sword against his shoulder, trying to act superior.

"Yes, I am," Himura said bluntly, too tired to deal with them. She wasn't worried about injury. The strange bundle strapped to her back disguised the swords that she had begun carrying around again after her most recent assassination.

"Tch, women should learn their place. Be respectable," sneered another. Himura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. A woman's place, hah.

"We not as good as your little Shinsengumi wolf?" said yet another. At this, Himura's eyes narrowed. She remembered the gangsters that had come after Okita about a week before.

"What do you want?" Himura asked sharply.

"Touchy, touchy," snickered the men. Himura glared, her eyes melting into that dangerous amber color.

"You don't wanna be doing that," called one of the men to his friends, "she's a lot more than she seems."

Himura turned, meeting the gaze of the man who had spoken. She recognized him as the passive one from before, the one who walked away alive. What did he know, exactly?

"That's what we're counting on, heh," said the first man, leering at Himura.

That's it, Himura thought. She began to reach back for her sword as the men advanced, save the one who gave the warning. However, a familiar presence stopped her.

"I warned you this would happen if you didn't listen to me."

Himura closed her eyes. "Shishou..."

"If you value your lives, leave now," Hiko said to the men. Hiko's intimidating presence was enough to convince them. Long after the gang left, silence stretched between master and apprentice.

"Shishou," Himura repeated, arm dropping to her side and facing her teacher. "Shishou--."

"You've said that three times now, baka deshi," Hiko said dryly, folding his arms over his chest. "Did you lose your speech along with your common sense?"

"I-- I was fine. I didn't need your help," Himura said defensively.

"This is why I raised you a boy, Kenshin," he emphasized the male name, "because women cause trouble. Your features are distinguishable enough. The last thing this country needs is rumors about a sword-wielding woman along with the stories of the demon Battousai."

Himura said nothing. She could practically feel the waves of anger building up in him as he lectured her. Obviously he was still mad at her for running off last year to join the Imperialists.

"Not a single thing I ever taught you stuck in that head of yours. You are a disgrace to the Hiten Mitsurugi Style," Hiko said. Himura was beginning to look appropriately scolded, so his tone didn't change as he continued, saying: "When you are through with being an idiot, you can beg me to take you back. I might decide you're worth my time again."

Himura blinked, looking up. Had he just offered to continue her training? She nodded mutely.

"Hmph," grunted Hiko, walking past her as his cape billowed dramatically around him.

Caught up in the revelations of her teacher's words, she distractedly resumed her walk back to the inn. She didn't notice that one of the people she brushed against on her way back was a certain Shinsengumi captain.

Saitou paused in the middle of the street, staring at the retreating red-head with a calculating gaze. That woman; she smells of sake… and blood, he thought.