Disclaimer- I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor am I making a profit by writing this story. RK is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Summary- AU. Tokyo's Underground is becoming increasingly dangerous as its prominent figures become more and more powerful. Kenshin must work undercover to help bring down the biggest criminal mindss in the country, as lives all around him that are intricately connected are affected. Ensemble fic, all major characters the focus. Canon pairings.

A/N- Rated 'T' for now because of language but it will most likely go up later. Also let me know if I completely fail at honorifics. I tried.

Chapter Two

Filling in the last answer of the quiz, Kaoru gathered her folder and books and walked to the front to turn it in. With a nod from the professor she was dismissed. Not wasting any time, Kaoru rushed from class; there would only be enough time to stop home and meet up with Yahiko and leave again quickly in order to make it to the restaurant where her father and his cousin were waiting for them. Kaoru's father had been very close to his cousin Kotone growing up and so Kaoru knew her and her family well.

By the time she reached the family dojo Yahiko was already waiting outside, an impatient scowl plastered on his face.

"'Bout time, Ugly," he grumbled as he stood from the steps, waiting as she hurriedly threw her school things into the house before rushing down the stairs. He ducked the swing at his head she made and then they set off together.

The restaurant they entered was crowded with people on their lunch break and bustling servers. Kaoru spotted her father and the others quickly, and she weaved between tables and people to make it to their table. She bent to kiss her father's cheek, and then his cousin Kotone's, whom she considered as an aunt. She sat at one of the two empty seats. Yahiko had visibly slumped when he saw that besides his uncle, it was a table full of women. He had been hoping one or both of Kotone's sons would be there. All the women seemed to do was talk about embarrassing topics.

"We're not too late, are we?" Kaoru asked as a waiter came quickly to serve her water. The middle aged Kotone smiled and denied that they were very late. She and her daughter Megumi were near the spitting image of each other, the resemblance even more pronounced as they were seated right next to the other.

"My, Kaoru-chan, you are blossoming into a very pretty young woman now," Kotone said, "surely you must have a boyfriend now?"

It was a question she asked every time she saw her but Kaoru still felt her face burning up as she sputtered while Yahiko snickered beside her. Megumi laughed behind her hand while Koshijiro looked at his daughter in sympathetic amusement.

"N-no," she denied quickly, taking a frantic sip of water while elbowing Yahiko in the ribs when he snickered even harder. She hadn't had a boyfriend in nearly two years. One of the years she hardly interacted with anybody because she had taken a break from school to help her father run the dojo after his heart-attack. Still, it was quite embarrassing. Her brows furrowed as Yahiko continued to snicker obnoxiously. Feeling a grin sneak up her lips, Kaoru said slyly, "Why don't you tell Kotone-obasan about Tsubame-chan, Yahiko-chan." She said the last part with a particular vicious glee.

Flushing in mortification, Kaoru watched with distinct pleasure as Yahiko stuttered an answer for Kotone, knowing that he wouldn't get out of an explanation easily; especially not with Megumi there to tease him. She was rather merciless.

As Yahiko was subjected to the teasing of the rest of the party, Kaoru observed the way Kotone Takani's face lit up as she teased the teenager. She looked healthier and happier than she ever had in the past two years, when her husband was murdered while making a house call to one of the poorer and more dangerous neighborhoods in Tokyo. Ryuusei Takani's death nearly destroyed his wife and sent his family into despair with little hope at the time of repairing itself. However, things seemed to have vastly improved.

Megumi also looked happy and beautiful as always, albeit tired. She was currently taking her residency at the hospital, all while also finding time to spare for studying and helping out every once in awhile at the Oguni Clinic, where her eldest brother and his father-in-law worked.

"And how are you?" Kaoru asked when Megumi's attention finally diverted from teasing Yahiko to Kaoru.

"Oh, you know," Megumi waved her hand elegantly before sipping her tea. "Busy and exhausted. But never been better."

Yes, things were definitely looking up for her family, Kaoru thought happily.

Disgruntled from a harried day at work, Misao was not in an entirely pleasant mood when she spotted the impossibly tall figure of her friend waiting in the distance at their arranged meeting place, standing with his hands in his pockets by one of the park's fountains. While usually happy to see him since it was a rare occasion, it didn't help her mood that the last time they arranged to meet he blew her off because 'something came up.'

He seemed to spot her as she was storming towards him, as he turned to face her fully, a toothpick casually hanging from his mouth. She felt her annoyance melt away at his carefree and friendly grin.

'Gahh, how am I supposed to stay mad at him?' Misao thought fondly.

"Hey weasel-girl," he called, extracting one of his hands from his pockets to give her a careless wave.

"Don't call me that!" Misao exploded immediately, waving her fists over her head as she neared him, wondering how on earth it was so easy for him to piss her off. Sano batted her tiny fists away easily; they barely reached level with his face because of their extreme height difference.

"Hmph!" she grunted, finally settling on a punch to his midsection. The jerk didn't even flinch. "You better make it up to me for bailing on me last Wednesday!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving his hand as though waving her annoyance aside. "Let's take a walk so we'll have more privacy to discuss your disgustin' gamblin' habits."

Misao punched his arm. "You jerk! You're worse than me!" it was true that their friendship started in high school over their mutual love for gambling, and Misao occasionally—very occasionally she would insist—took part in some not-so-legal gambling places that Sanosuke would hook her up with. Most of the time she only gambled in a completely legal manner, but the occasional indulgence a few times a year sent a thrill down her spine. When she was with them, Kaoru would berate Sanosuke for fueling Misao's bad habits. Sano would argue that Kaoru should be thankful that someone they trusted was setting Misao up and making sure she stayed out of trouble.

"Here," he grunted, slipping her a small piece of paper that she pocketed. "They got the usual mahjong and rock-paper-scissors that you enjoy—cards and other high stakes too. The second address is where they're havin' my next match. If you want to win easy money, you can bet I'll win."

"If I want to lose money, you mean," Misao teased. He playfully swiped at her head, which she easily ducked. She knew if she went to the match—and she would always go with Kaoru—she would bet on Sano to win. He rarely ever lost in his cage-fight matches, but it was still sometimes upsetting to watch them. They were brutal and most of the time Sano always received some sort of injury. Misao had noticed the scraped knuckles of his right hand, but she wasn't entirely sure he had gotten those from one of his matches. Sometimes Sano did things for pay that it was best not to know about. Or at least that's what he would tell her and Kaoru.

He reached over to ruffle her hair, messing her braid completely. She swatted irritably at his hand like a bothersome insect, a grunt of annoyance escaping her as he chuckled in amusement.

"Why didn't jou-chan come?" he asked, shoving his hands back into his jean pockets. "I haven't seen her in awhile."

"Kaoru-chan is having lunch with her father and some cousins. She has informed me that it's been three months since you last saw her and shame on you for being so scarce," Misao scolded, putting her hands on her hips as they continued walking down a busy sidewalk. It hardly made her more intimidating. "You could make time for us more often, you know."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," he said a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He stopped to look in the window of a restaurant. There was a menu displayed and he gazed at the prices in interest before practically reeling back as though they had burned his retinas. Shaking his head and not explaining his absence further, he said, "You get a discount at the Akabeko, right? How 'bout some lunch."

Misao sighed, knowing exactly who was going to wind up paying. "Fine, but Tae-san is going to be incredibly put off when you add more to your tab. Stop wasting your money on gambling and booze and start paying it off, would you?"

"Oi, no lectures from the girl meetin' up with me just for gamblin' locations," he grunted, annoyed. "And I've paid off a bit…"

"Katsu-san loaning you money to pay off your debt at his own fiancé's restaurant does not count, Sanosuke."

"Tch, dunno why you gotta be so stingy."

"If anyone is stingy, it's you. I don't know why you have to be such a freeloading bum…bum."

"Y'know, you might really hurt my feelings one of these days if you keep goin' on like that."

"Oh shut up."

"Ouch, Weasel-girl, my heart might never recover."

"Sanooo!"

A/N- Well, I have the next two chapters roughly written. And Sano's here! Yay!