Chapter 4: More Than Just Enemies?

This chapter is dedicated to Kuro-chan! (Thanks to her wonderful ideas, she gets me through my stories.)
Disclaimer: Go to chapter one please.

"KENSHIIIIIIIIN!!" a towering man stomped into the room, yelling with a ferocious growl.

Running through his mind, Kenshin immediately knew whose voice that belonged too.
"Oh no. Hiko-san? How in the world did he find me here? Ahh! Don't think about that... Wh-what should I do?! He can't find me! If he does...he'll probably drag me away! NOOOO!" Kenshin winced and quickly turned around, falling on top of Souji.

Souji choked, "What?! Get off me you-"

Suddenly, without thinking, Kenshin pressed his lips smack dab center on Souji's mouth. Forcing moans and groans, he rolled on the floor, yanking Souji along with him. Souji's eyes widened, almost gaping his jaw if allowed, except for the fact that Kenshin continued his mischief and wouldn't let go of his lips. Finally, the drunk, old man got a clue where he was and what he was in the middle of.

Too carefree to be embarrassed he spoke in a loud, hoarse grumble. "Oh, please excuse me. I-uh, thought...oh never mind." He then walked away figuring that the two weren't listening at all.

Once he left, Kenshin quickly gasped for air and jumped off of Souji just as quick as he leaped onto him. At the same time, Souji nearly shrieked with disgust and spat out the awful saliva.

"What...WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Souji yelped, horrified.

"Eh...sorry. That man, he..." Kenshin fidgeted nervously, "Let's see, how should I put this?"

"Oh who cares about that man! Seriously, what's your problem?" Souji exclaimed. "And here I was acting polite!"

After a few minutes of awkward silence, the two finally got their act together and began speaking more calmly then before.

Souji started, "Okay, so I already know that man, his doings, and connections to you. But... still! How badly do you not want him to see you?"

"You know him? What?! I mean," cough, "You don't need to know."

Souji glared, still annoyed by Battosai's "attack." "Fine, I'm leaving now." He turned around, heading for the exit in a huff.

"Wait, we need a time and date, have you forgotten?" Kenshin stared, expressionless.

Souji remembered his position and his priorities. "Five days from now, noon time, at Forest Park... the bridge. Don't be late."

Kenshin snorted, disgusted with his bossy attitude. "...Fine."

Heading for the door, Souji looked at the boy, smiling and whispered, "So, Kenshin's the name?" In surprisement, Kenshin shot Souji a glare and quietly stood for a moment. Things were getting too out of control, the Shinsengumi knew too much about him and the Choshu. Now he would be forced to kill him. But not here, not now.

Walking away as if nothing had happened, Souji left the room turning right as Kenshin turned left. Suddenly, Tetsu appeared from no where with Saya, looking horrified. Running past the hitokiri and down the hall up to Souji, Tetsu yelled breathlessly with Saya wobbling after him.

"ISAKO-SAN!!" Tetsu screamed as he nearly fell into Souji's arms with a great hug. "I-Isako-san, We heard a loud commotion here and I got really worried. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, hai hai Tetsu-kun. No worries here," Souji smiled sweetly, but quickly turned his head and shot a death glare across to Himura. It was almost as if he was saying 'You better not touch him.'

With that, Souji looked away and hand in hand, continued walking away with the short boy and petite girl. For some time, Kenshin didn't flinch and just stared frozen at the three until they turned the corner. He felt no emotions... almost. It was more like a mixture of jealously and want. Jealously of Souji's strong relationships and wanting friends who actually worried about you. And yet, Kenshin still felt lost and buried in his feelings, unsure of how he truly felt.

How lonely Himura felt when he saw those three together... how lonely.

After sending Saya away, Souji and Tetsu finally found Hijikata's room, hidden in the very back.

"Hijikata-san!!" Souji chirped merrily as he entered the room. "Wake up and good morning! Did you have a nice nap?" He pounced on the vice commander, shaking him wilding as Tetsu snorted and squated behind his superiors.

Hijikata woke up groggily, mumbling, "Huh? Did I really fall asleep? Sigh. And here I was, trying to find out information. I guess Plan B ended up a total disaster."

"Hijikata-san, I have lots to tell you, and supposing you haven't noticed, Tetsu-kun is here too," Souji continued smiling.

Hijikata cocked his head, just noticing the boy in the room. "Oh. You're here, huh?"

"Um... hello Hijikata-san," Tetsu murmured quietly, bowing his head slightly.

Hijikata looked away, ignoring Tetsu's greeting and slightly nodded his head towards Souji.

Immediately, Souji began, "Hai, I've met the Hitokiri Battosai, which I'm assuming you were in the same room as he."

Hijikata nodded his head, allowing Souji to continue.

"From what I received, Hiko, the man you mentioned to me before, is definitely looking for this Battosai. In fact, I was rooming with Hiko, but when I went to get tea and such, he disappeared. That's when I decided to go looking for Hiko. However, instead of finding him, I found Battosai; his full name being Himura Kenshin. In the end, we chose a time and date to fight later, knowing that we couldn't fight right then and there. Five days time, noon at Forest Park, the bridge. From now on, I'm not sure where he will be staying, but from what he told me, Choshu aren't staying here at Shimabara. ... Also Hijikata-san, I'm sorry. I revealed my cover to Battosai, even though he already knew who I was. Luckily, I don't think he'll tell anyone here because he doesn't seem like one to start unnessecary commotion."

When Souji finished his report, he breathed in heavily and smiled proudly to himself while Hijikata sat in awe.

Finally, Hijikata pulled his act together as a vice commander, assertively spoke. "Well, what's done can't be fixed. It's fine. But, what is really bothering me is... that all this happened while I was sleeping?!" Hijikata grumbled and shook his head, "What a shame. Plan B is definitely a complete failure."

Souji laughed and patted Toshi, "Hijikata-san, don't worry yourself too much. Besides, everyone needs a rest once in a while, ne?"

Hijikata glared at the tatami floor, still frustrated by his uselessness. "Ack! Whatever, just be prepared in five days time, Souji."

"Hai!" Souji replied with great satisfaction. We're finally going somewhere, I'll finally have a chance to destroy one of Ishin Shishi's greatest assets. The legendary shadow assassain... the Hitokiri Battosai. I must take this seriously... no matter how much I would rather be his friend.

That night somewhere in the red light district...

"HIIIIIII-YAAAAAA! CRACK-A-LAKA!!" Heisuke grinned, showing off his set of four cards. "HAH! Roy-al flush!! In your face, Sano!"

"OOHH!? HEISUKE!! You cheater!! Give me my money back!" Sanosuke slammed down the cards and growled at the sneaky fool.

In the background, Shinpachi rolled over from drinking too much sake. "G-guys! I think I'm gonna blow!" As expected, the short, little fellow flipped over and gaged all his past meals.

Time passed, and the three Shinsengumi drunkards continued gambling until they finally left the bar. Outside the inn, the Comedian Trio skipped along the center of the road, heading for Shimabara. It was their day off, and obviously, the three would get bone drunk, but they also desperately needed a pleasurable place to stay for the night before a hard knock out would come for the night. Entering the warm, well light room, the trio pranced into the welcoming, whore house.

"Hello pretty lady! You already now why we're here, don'tcha?" Heisuke winked at the poor, young counter girl Miri-chan.

"Oh-uh, hai! With anyone specific?" Miri asked, presenting herself mature and adult-like as she flipped through a list.

"Hmmmm. How 'bout ya beauty Isako-sama!" Sanosuke gladly requested for Souji.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." Shinpachi suddenly roared in laughter and hiccuped, belching randomly in between.

Immediately, Heisuke punched him, trying to make him quiet and sober again. "Sigh, nothing works to make this guy normal again. Oh well! Tonight's a night off! HAHAHAHAHA!" The two skipped in circles in the tight, crammed room as Sanosuke, the only sober one, watched in embarrassment, trying to shush them.

Miri frowned slightly, unable communicate with the loud, bellowing drunkards. She coughed, trying to get their attention, "Anyway, Isako-san isn't available at the moment. I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait in the-"

Just then, Souji ran out skidding to a stop. "Miri-chan!" he spoke in an accidental loud, deep voice. Cough, cough. "I mean, what I meant to say is that I'm open," he regained his high-pitched voice.

Miri responded shocked and quite unnerved, "Oh, did Hiko-san leave already then? Is everything all right?"

Unsure if Hiko had actually left, Souji just smiled, "Hai, Hiko-san left. Oh, and these three men are my old friends... when they're sober. I'll take them in off your hands."

Miri sighed as if she could breathe again, once and for all. "Thank god," she thought.

"Hai!" Miri grinned, shoving the three men into Souji's arms. "They're all yours."

A/N: Chapter 4 is completed! Please review! (The more you do, the faster I move along.) And I've hope you've enjoyed it. I'm making them more and more funnier, all the way up to when the 5th comes, the day when Himura Kenshin and Okita Souji fight. I'm also thinking of making a sequel. I'm not completely sure yet, just pondering around.

Oh, and also. Throughout these series, italics will be in thought speech. I don't want to continuously say '...he thought.' It's gets annoying for me, and probably the reader too.

Reiia