A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic summer. I know I am!! Maybe too much fun, since I am finding it hard to spare my time devoted to writing this story. Well, here is Chapter 4. Hope you like it. Enjoy! And don't forget to review!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rurouni Kenshin. I am merely borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment!

Note: This chapter contains double flashbacks in Kenshin's POV.

Chapter 4

"It's Saitou. Saitou Hajime is here."

Kenshin dropped the white linen sheets in his hand and rushed towards the front gates of the Kamiya residence. He felt dread washing over him like poisonous gas. His footsteps were hurried and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Sano approach him with his hands shoved in his pockets from the shadows of the tall oak from where he had been hiding. Sano's face told him that he had obviously heard what Yahiko had said and with a grim expression he asked, "So what occasion graces us with that damned Saitou's presence?"

"I don't know. But I have a bad feeling about this" said Kenshin with equal solemnity.

The dreams that he had forgotten during his waking hours rushed back to the forefront of his mind. Something was telling him that danger was approaching and this time, he wasn't sure if he had a chance of winning. He could not help the sudden dread that filled him and suddenly he felt as if he was drowning in cold, dark water with no sign of rescue. He shook himself a little.

'Get a grip. It's probably nothing' Kenshin berated himself. But then again, Saitou had not visited Kenshin since Enishi Yukishiro had been defeated. Usually, Saitou's visit warranted a catastrophic event. His coming was definitely not a good sign.

Kenshin approached the gate with Sano, Kaoru, and Yahiko at his heels and saw the tall and slightly sinister man standing in the doorway.

"Saitou, what brings you all the way to Tokyo?" asked Kenshin with a slight bow, but there was no trace of warm welcome in his demeanor.

"I have urgent business to discuss with you" replied Saitou curtly.

"What business?" asked Sano, rather rudely. Sano had never liked Saitou but held a grudging respect for the man. The feeling, of course, was mutual between the two of them.

"A business that does not concern you, rooster head" replied Saitou with equal rudeness, albeit more even tempered than Sano.

"What did you say?" said Sano, his temper flaring up. He bared his fists and stepped forward towards him. However, at that moment, Kaoru sidestepped Sano and got in front of him to prevent him from hitting Saitou. Instead, she looked up at the tall man before him and bowed graciously.

"Why don't you come in, Saitou-san?" said Kaoru. She had never forgotten the help she and Kenshin received from Saitou when Enishi kidnapped her a year ago. For that, she was forever grateful.

With a slight bow in her way, Saitou entered the threshold into the Kamiya residence as Kenshin led the way into the tea room. He opened the shoji doors and invited him to sit while he himself took a seat across Saitou. Sano placed himself behind the doors so that he could hear the conversation but not be seen by Saitou. How he loathed that man that he didn't even want to look at him! Yahiko sat on the side of the room near Kenshin, keeping quiet and ready to listen. Kaoru offered Kenshin and Saitou cups of tea and seated herself next to Kenshin, ready to lend him support if he should need it.

Saitou glance about the room and discreetly met Kenshin's eyes. He looked squarely back at Saitou and said, "If you trying to imply that Miss Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke to leave, then forget it, Saitou. If you have something to say, you are going to have to say it in front of them."

Saitou sighed and resigned himself to do a lot of explaining to the group. He pulled out a letter from his pocket and held it out towards Kenshin.

Kenshin looked at the letter for a second and looked back up at Saitou.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Just take it and read it" said Saitou who was getting slightly irritable. Because of the events that have transpired in the last few days, even he – the cold and stoic Hajime Saitou of former Shinsengumi Captain – was running on a short fuse of temper and his emotions were running amuck.

Kenshin looked at the letter with apprehension but took it from Saitou's hands. He opened the letter and began to read:

"Captain Saitou,

It has been ten long years since I have seen you, Captain. I hope you are doing well. I've heard that you have become a policeman, working to protect the citizens from the corrupt government of the Meiji. I admire you for living always for the sake of justice and to eradicate all evil from the world. Even without the Shinsengumi, you still strive to live by our laws.

I am sure you are surprise to receive a letter from me. No doubt you would have thought that I had died in battle all those years ago. I assure you, Captain, that I am very much alive. I cannot die without fulfilling my revenge; revenge that I swore upon the blood-soaked bodies of my parents.

This is precisely why I am writing to you. For ten long years, I've wandered Japan, honing my swordsmanship skills and waiting for my chance for divine justice. I have finally found him in Tokyo, Captain. The Battousai, the legendary Man Slayer of the Revolution, is residing in Kamiya residence in the heart of Tokyo. Gods have finally listened to my prayers and the river no longer speaks of sorrow and pain like it used to when I first met you. I can feel that my time for revenge is drawing near, Captain, and I ask for your help.

During the course of ten years of wandering, I have met a few worthy swordsmen like us; lost amid the new Meiji Era where their skills are no longer needed. They, too, hold grudges against the Imperialists who brought about the new era and are delighted at the prospect of defeating the strongest of their kind – the Battousai. They long for his blood as much I do and are eager to enter battle even at the cost of their own lives, like true warriors. But they are not as great as you, Captain. I need your help. I know of your rivalry with the Battousai and I ask you to see the end of it and come out of battle victorious once again. Relive the glorious days of the Shinsengumi, Captain. Help us rid the world of this evil man who killed countless people left others to suffer. It is only just that he feels the same pain; to know our suffering; to see hell like we have.

I await your answer by the end of the week, Captain.

Until then, my Captain…

Your faithful soldier,

Hiroshi Yamada"

Kenshin's voice trailed off into a whisper as he came to the last words of the letter. His hands trembled slightly but he kept his face devoid of all emotions, just as he was taught during the days of the Revolution. He refused to show fear, the dread at the prospect of having another vengeful man coming after him and the possibility of endangering his friends. He dropped the letter in his hands and looked at the man sitting in front of him – Hajime Saitou, the former Captain of third unit of Shisengumi, the Wolf of Mibu.

"When? How?" asked Kenshin incoherently.

"Two days ago the letter came. It was delivered to me but there was no name or return address when it was delivered. It was only when I read the letter that I knew it was Yamada who wrote the letter to me" replied Saitou.

A deafening silence fell over the group, all lost in their own thoughts. None cared to acknowledge the sun bathed grounds of the Kamiya residence nor the songs of birds welcoming the coming of summer days; nor the whispers of leaves in the gentle breeze; nor the sounds of children's laughter from the outside the gates. The peacefulness of the outside world belied the dark and gloomy mood inside the tea room.

'Hiroshi Yamada…Yamada…Who…? Wait, it can't be…' Kenshin's eyes widened in realization.

"Kenshin? What is it? You've gone pale. Are you alright?" asked Kaoru with concern clearly shown on her delicate features.

"I am fine, that I am, Miss Kaoru. No need to worry about me" replied Kenshin with as much bravado as he can muster.

But Kaoru could see that he was not fine at all. Kenshin had indeed visibly paled and his hands trembled even more now. His usually relaxed face was drawn tight and the lines that etched his face sprung out. His shoulders were tense and his eyes had a far away look about them, as if he was thinking of things that she or any of others could not reach nor comprehend. She saw Kenshin clench his fists in effort to stop their trembling. She reached out and gently grasped his hand and let him know that she was there. Kenshin turned to face her and she smiled faintly and squeezed his hand. But he did not reassure her like he usually did. Instead his eyes held sadness and regret and unfathomable pain that Kaoru was momentarily overwhelmed by all the emotions.

"Kenshin…?" said Kaoru uncertainly.

Kenshin mentally shook himself. 'Stop it. You are worrying her. Just keep it to yourself. Don't let her get involved!'

"Saitou, who is this Hiroshi Yamada bastard? Why is he so keen to seek revenge on Kenshin?" asked Sanosuke, speaking for the first time since they entered this conversation.

Hajime Saitou turned his cold eyes upon the figure sitting just outside the shoji doors and replied, "Hiroshi Yamada was my subordinate during the days of the Revolution. When Kondo-san, the Commander of Shinsengumi, requested that he join my unit, he was just thirteen years old and had lost his parents some time ago. I've never asked him the circumstances regarding the deaths of his parents, but I've heard from the Commander that an Imperialist killed them. For as long as I've known him, he held great hatred for the Imperialists and that's why he made such a good soldier for the Shinsengumi."

As he said this, his gaze shifted towards the man sitting in front of him, the Battousai.

Kenshin returned the gaze unflinchingly but Saitou was surprised to see incomprehensible emotions swimming in the legendary Man Slayer's eyes.

With a faint nod from Kenshin, Saitou continued, "Yamada trained under me and I taught him everything I know. Then, about ten years ago, during the end of Boshin War – it was the Buddha Hall conflict, I remember it well – I thought I had lost him in battle. I myself was almost killed. I lost all hope of reuniting with any of my comrades. After that, when I became a policeman, I attempted to find any Shinsengumi soldiers that had not perished in the Revolution. I found a few but not Hiroshi Yamada. I believed him to be dead for certain then. I haven't the faintest idea or the wildest dream that he had survived."

"Tch. Why are you telling us this Saitou? If this Yamada wrote to you asking for help, doesn't that mean that you are in the same league as him? Have you come here to fulfill his revenge in his stead?" demanded Yahiko furiously. He could not stand idly by and let another man take away Kenshin's happiness. Not while he was around to protect it.

"Be quiet boy. You do not know what you speak of. I came to the Battousai to warn him, not to kill him. I have no desire to fight him any longer. Our rivalry is in the past, and that is where it shall remain; it does not have a place in this present times" said Saitou, casting a cold glare in Yahiko's direction.

"You still haven't answered my second question, Saitou. Why is he so keen to take revenge on Kenshin?" asked Sanosuke.

"I don't have the answer to that question. Perhaps you should ask the Battousai. I like to know the reason as well" said Saitou. His eyes came to rest upon Kenshin and asked, "Why is Hiroshi Yamada so determined to kill you?"

Kenshin remained silent, his eyes cast downward and shoulders slumped.

Kenshin was lost in thought. His nightmare was rushing back to him, and along with it, the pain and regret.

"No! Please spare my child. Please don't kill him. Spare the child!"

Flash of blood…a dead body…

He thought he had forgotten these memories of the past, tainted in blood and tears. Yet the ghost of the past still haunts him to this day. When will it all end? Will he ever be able to live his days in peace with his beloved ones?

"Kenshin?" asked Kaoru, bringing Kenshin out of his deep thoughts. She looked at him in concern.

"Kenshin? Who is Hiroshi Yamada? Why is he after you?" asked Kaoru, her eyes questioning him for the answers that he was too reluctant to give.

Kenshin heaved a sigh. 'There is no way that I can keep this from them. If they don't know, they'll be in greater danger. At least, if they know the truth, they can take whatever precautions.'

"I was the one who killed Hiroshi Yamada's parents."

Yahiko's eyes widened in surprised and looked at Kenshin in shock. Although his expression could not be seen behind the shoji doors, Sano's back tensed at Kenshin's reply. Kaoru brought her hand to her hand to prevent herself from crying out loud in shock. However, Saitou's expression remained unchanged and he steadily continued to gaze in Kenshin's direction.

'I thought as much. Why else would Yamada seek to revenge his parents' deaths by killing the Battousai?' Saitou said to himself.

Kenshin looked about the room at the shocked faces of his friends.

'Kaoru…I'm sorry I've caused yet another pain to your heart' thought Kenshin as he reached for her hand again and gave a reassuring squeeze. He cast in her direction a faint smile and tried to reassure her through his eyes that no matter what happened, no matter how painful it might be for all of them, he will always protect her.

He turned to Saitou and continued to tell the story of his blood-tainted past.

"It was fifteen years ago when I was ordered to kill Kisuke Yamada and his wife. During those times, they were prominent members of the anti-Imperialist groups. They were rallying people like them to take up arms and directly go against us. Of course, Katsura-san felt threatened by them even if they were just a small group of people. He felt that if they became associated with people with greater influence and power, like the Shinsengumi, they could potentially become too great of a threat to overcome later on. So he ordered me to assassinate the leaders of this small group. And the leaders of that group were the parents of Hiroshi Yamada."

He closed his eyes as the memories of his past began to surface, opening the old wounds that even he had forgotten. He reopened his eyes and began to tell the tale of the faithful night; the night when he sealed the fate of one man who would come later to haunt him.

Kenshin stood in the shadows under a tree, watching a large house that lay in front of him. The cold late winter winds nipped at his skin and ruffled his long red hair. But all these things did not faze him. He stood like a stone statue, motionless and silent, waiting for the right moment to complete his assignment, his next kill.

When he observed the last candle go out and the house immersed in darkness, he made his move. Without disturbing a blade of grass under his feet, he leapt from shadow to shadow, and swiftly and silently entered the house.

He leapt over the gates into the threshold of the Yamada residence and there, standing in the moonlight was Kisuke Yamada, waiting for him with his sword drawn.

"I see the Imperialists have finally taken action" said Kisuke, without a trace of fear. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I do not reveal my name to those who have no need to know it. You definitely don't need to know it; you will be dead in the next five minutes" said Kenshin coldly.

"I have come to deliver heavenly justice."

Kenshin charged, withdrawing his blade as he went with lightening speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. He raised his sword and brought down upon his opponent. But Kisuke parried, bringing his own sword upwards to block the fatal blow of the Battousai.

Kenshin's amber eyes narrowed and sprung back. He sheathed his blade and took his stance.

'The sword-drawing technique. He will draw out his blade faster than the eye can see. He is truly the master of Battojutsu. Can I dodge it? No, I must dodge it. I have a family to protect!' thought Kisuke as he saw the infamous Battousai take his deadliest stance.

Kenshin's eyes flashed and he once again charged at Kisuke Yamada. He never even saw him coming nor did he see him withdraw his sword. Next thing he realized was that his chest was pierced by the Battousai's sword and life was fading from his body, just like the blood that was gushing out of his chest.

Kenshin withdrew his blade from the man's chest and Kisuke fell forward, his eyes still hanging on to the surprise of Kenshin's attack. Kenshin saw the man fall, yet his eyes held no remorse, no regret, no pain. He was emotionless – just a shell of man who had sold his humanity to the demon himself for the sake of the new Meiji Era.

He turned and came face to face with a woman – Kisuke Yamada's wife.

"You monster…" she whispered to the night, staring at the dead body of her husband, lying in the pool of his own blood. She looked up defiantly at the man who stood before him, tainted in the blood of her husband. Her eyes filled with tears but she refused to let them fall; she refused to let an Imperialist like him to know her weakness.

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to kill me too?" she asked her voice hard and cold. She had no regrets, only that she will have to leave her young son behind. 'I'm sorry Hiroshi. I love you.'

She hardened her heart and looked up defiantly at her would-be killer.

"I do not fear death" she said coldly.

Battousai merely gazed down upon her, unflinching and uncaring at the sight of a helpless woman.

Then suddenly, her eyes widened in horror as she glanced at something behind him. He turned around and his eyes found a ten-year-old boy hiding behind the shoji door of his room.

His superior's voice rang out in his mind as he turned his amber eyes upon the young boy: 'Leave no one alive.' As a shadow assassin, this was imperative. He can leave no witnesses alive or the whole Ishin Shishi will be in danger.

As if the woman read his mind, she screamed, "No! Please spare my child. Please don't kill him. Spare the child!" Her mask of fearlessness crumbled away as she frantically screamed at him to spare her only son.

He stared emotionlessly at the figure of the pathetic woman before him and begging him – screaming at him – to spare her only child. Without blinking an eye, he plunged his blood soaked sword into her heart. She fell forward, dead like her husband, laying the pool of her own blood.

He watched her fall, his eyes cold and devoid of all emotion. But his ears rang with the woman's last words.

"Spare the child!"

He had heard those words before long ago. It was nearly ten years ago when three women died to protect him – just a little boy of five years of age. It was because of them he exists today.

Flashback

"Please! Not the child. Spare the child!" screamed one of them. Yet the men before them slashed away at the helpless woman and turned their blades upon the remaining two.

A flash of blood… Another dead body…

"Shinta. Listen to me. You have to live. You have not yet had the chance to choose a life like we did. You must live Shinta and…"

A man grabbed the woman's hair, dragging her body that was protecting the little boy and thrust his sword through her neck.

"Shinta…live…" she whispered, as her life was cruelly ended by the hands of nameless and faceless men.

End Flashback

Battousai now turned his cold, unfeeling gaze upon the mere ten-year old boy, staring at the dead bodies of his parents. He had once been in the same position as the boy. Then doesn't the boy deserve the same second chance like he did? Did he not deserve a chance to choose his own path of life, just like those three women wanted him to choose his own life?

Making up his mind, instead of turning his blade upon the boy, he sheathed his sword.

"I shall spare your life, just as your mother wished. Hate me if you wish, but choose your own path of life. Come after my life to avenge your parents' deaths if you desire, but do not speak of my existence to anyone. Or I may not be alive for you to take my life."

Without turning back, he slipped away into the darkness of the night, leaving the young boy with the dead bodies of his parents whose blood seemed to be flooding he house.

The room was heavy with silence when Kenshin finished his story. Kaoru was opening crying now. Nobody had ever known where and how Kenshin came to be and knowing that he had such a tragic and bloody past broke Kaoru's heart.

'Oh, Kenshin. What can I ever do to heal the old wounds of your soul?' she thought, sadly. It hurt her to see her loved one in so much turmoil, as if his pains were her own. She wished to make him forget about his past, to live for the present, and to never be hurt again. She wanted to take his pain away, wipe away the regrets, and love him for what and who he was and is and always will be. If only she could make him see how much she loved him…

"I see…" said Saitou, breaking the silence.

Kenshin lifted his gaze to meet Saitou's. The pained lavender eyes met cold and calculating brown ones, sending messages through just one glance. With that one look, they both knew what was to come. They would be ready when the time came and they would protect what is theirs with their lives.

Saitou looked away and readied to stand up and leave.

"Where do you think you are going?" asked Sano brusquely. "We haven't finished talking yet."

"Yes, we have. There is no more reason why I should stay any longer. I've learned what I needed to know and staying would only be an unnecessary and unpleasant experience for me" replied Saitou, coldly.

"How do we know that we can trust you? How do we know that you won't go to Hiroshi Yamada and tell him everything we've talked about today?" asked Yahiko, unfazed by his coldness and looking at him directly in the eye.

"You don't have to worry about that, brat. I already told you, I have no intention of fighting the Battousai ever again" replied Saitou. He stood and went out the shoji doors into the courtyard and lit a cigarette. He puffed out a smoke and turned his back upon the group still sitting in the tea room.

"Battousai, I know what you are thinking. Don't do it. You can't possibly win. Leave this one to me and to the police. Make no mistake, I still don't like you, but I know what it's like to live with regrets and a tainted past. It's about time that you and I deserve some happiness too."

With that, he strode towards the gate and without turning back, he left the Kamiya residence.

A/N: Whew! That took a really long time to write. I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Review please! Tell me what you think of this story so far. But remember to keep flames to small flames. I have a sensitive heart…

Next Chapter: What are Hiroshi Yamada's plans? What will Kenshin do? And how do his friends feel about all this? Find out in the next chapter!