Update #2 this month! I'm on a roll.

~Saitou with his elders sometime later~

"Saitou you are late, did you run into problems getting here?" the elder wolves looked uneasy as they sat amongst themselves at their hidden den. Saitou shook his head, what they were assuming wasn't connected to the Battosai's little panic incident. Although he would have to explain that rather delicately to the older wolves before him, while they would enjoy the news they would not be pleased at the complications.

"Not particularly, I have ensured us favor with the heir to the counts during my absence though," he smirked, time to let his hand unfold as it would, "the heir to the counts will be coming to the Lunar festival. He ran into some unwanteds and he dispatched them all accordingly. We are to eliminate any from Chugoku who come sniffing around where they don't belong." The elders looked very pleased for the most part with his decision.

"That doesn't seem too difficult, is there any particular reason for this?" one of the younger elders asked, "and are you certain it will not be any trouble for us to keep this promise?" Saitou couldn't say for sure, but he was positive that all of the chi he sensed disappear was human. That would be short work for any real wolf, let alone his kind.

"Positive, the examples given were all human, and none were of any skill as a samurai or ninja. Is there any information or preparation on our part that must be done?" Saitou waited for some sort response from the elder council.

"No, keep out of his way, for you see he is not what you think he is," one of the eldest of them answered, "should you require help ask him, because he holds far more power than you think he does. In the meantime we shall assist him in his efforts, the heir must be present if the power struggles are to subside for any real amount of time."

"I understand, and what would you ask of him at this time?" Saitou asked, he had no idea that the Battosai had even more power hidden than what he had already shown.

"I met with Sophitia sama when I was a young man, and he was already with them at that point Saitou," the elder wolf answered, "he is a good man, but he is not someone we want as our enemy. He is not all seeing, but he is extremely powerful. Sophitia thought he was from Chugoku originally, he's also old enough now he might not remember, but she thought that he was caged and used when he was young. She also confided in me that he was older than she or Felix."

"He doesn't act that old," Saitou answered, "he acts about what he appears to be age wise. There are very few times he has acted outside that age, and each time it has surprised me."

"He is older than our council, and as to your earlier question. I wouldn't have you ask anything of him, other than he rely on us should he require our assistance," the elder wolf responded, "even the all powerful are scared of something, if he believes he is a child then there is something he is still scared of. I am going to make the assumption that it is of being alone, so look after him. He's going to need the help, and he is going to need people that he can trust to rely on. Make yourself that person Saito, and you will bring us more glory than your war ever could."

"What makes you think that the heir is going to be willing to trust me?" Saito questioned, "he's not one of us, and his loyalties lie with the other clan. He's Hitokiri Battosai for kami's sake, I don't expect him to be grateful."

"Assassins are more lonely than you can imagine Saito, it's a life of solitude and paranoia. Just being there sometimes makes all the difference," the elder wolf placed a hand on his shoulder, "the difference between a kind hearted ruler and a tyrant. Do you understand what I mean Saito?"

"No, but I'm sure you'll make sure that I do," Saito answered. He made his way out to his patrol routes. His unit didn't find anything unusual, except him looking awfully perplexed at the Battosai's compatriot Rin who was waiting for him.

"Apologies, but I figured this was safer than walking into a den of wolves. You got a minute?"the vampire asked quietly, "its about a certain redhead's issue." Saito nodded them off, assuring his pack mates he would be fine with the vampire. They left reluctantly, but he waved them off knowing they would be asking questions about it later.

"What did you find out about our mutual friend's issue?" Saito asked.

"Those men we found were from China, none of them are anything of a real threat to us, either of us. I'll ask him what his problem is," the vampire responded calmly, "what did you find out?"

"He's older than the oldest council member," Saito frowned, "he was older than the former countess and her husband too. One of my elders says that the most important thing is that we are there if he needs us."

"That's terrifying to know that he's that old," Rin answered with uncertainty, "but he trusts us. He doesn't trust a lot of people, but he trusts us. If you break that trust I will find a way to break you wolf, do you understand me?" It was comical to hear the little vampire trying to threaten him, but he understood why. The Battosai was all the little vampire had, but he had no intentions of breaking that trust.

"You have nothing to worry about, I have no intentions of betraying our mutual friend. I'm more concerned about what sent him into a panic," Saito answered, "I have actual work to do you know, if you find anything else out about the foreigners let me know."

"Will do wolf," the little vampire was off and about before he could retort again.