Author's Note: Sooo. I haven't updated in like...what, five years? I actually never thought I'd write this thing again, but I noticed that the hits on this story have spiked this past week...and I thought: Hey...people are reading this...why would they do that? And so I reread some of it, and I realized, you know? This isn't half bad. And I still remember how this was gonna play out, and I got nostalgic, remembering how I had originally worked out the kinks in the idea to one of my best friends in high school as we walked home together every afternoon. I suddenly feel obligated to work on this. I've actually outlined at least the next two and a half chapters, and I'm feeling hopeful about the rest.

You will find that I'm not using much in the way of Japanese language from here on in. The over-usage of it in earlier chapters hearkens back to my early days of fandom, and I was acustomed to seeing in in many other fanfictions, and I fell onto the bandwagon. That said, there are still many Japanese phrases that are lost in translation when it comes to Rurouni Kenshin and Sailor Moon.

Most common Japanese words will be these: Alu, Soku, Zan. (Evil, Swiftly, Slay-Saitou's catchphrase), Senshi (Warrior, but if you don't know this one I might have to hurt you j/k) de gozaru (the archaically polite phrase Kenshin often ends his sentences with) and Sessha ("I" used by Kenshin, roughly translates to "this unworthy/clumsy one"...a very humble title.) And of course Oro (Huh? Kenshin's own brand of special.)

Well, here goes:

Chapter 12

"Che," Sanosuke muttered as he, Usagia, Makoto, and Minako headed back to the Kamiya dojo.

"You alright there, mister Sanosuke?" Makoto inquired.

Sanosuke glanced at her, looking a bit surprised at her voice. "Oh. Um...it's just that...damnit. Kenshin needs to stop being so secretive! After all we've been through, he just goes off with that squinty-eyed jerk and won't even tell me what's going on! You'd think I'd—GRRR!"

Sanosuke punched a stone wall that lined the borders the street, causing it to crack. He sighed, then looked back to the ladies, now noticing how the three girls were shying away from him. "...oh. Sorry ladies. Didn't mean to frighten you. It's just that..." Sanosuke sighed again, "..it's just that, when that guy starts keeping secrets, it always leads to something dangerous."

"It sounds like you guys have been through a lot together," commented Usagi.

Sanosuke smirked. "Yeah, we've had a few adventures. The last one nearly killed him."

"Sounds like he's lucky to have you as a friend then!" Minako praised him. "It's important to have a good team to reply on."

"Yeah, I'd be happy to have a guy like you on my side in a fight." Makoto added enthusiastically.

Sanosuke developed a sheepishly proud look on his face. "I am pretty great, aren't I?" he said, starting to relax.

"So, who was that cricket guy?" asked Usagi.

Sanosuke's grin widened. "So you think he looks like a bug too? Heh, he's one guy you don't want to mess with," he explained. "And I've got the scars to prove it," he added, muttering and rubbing his shoulder.

"He's a policeman...spy...killer...all around jerk when you get right down to it. He calls himself Fujita Goro. But he's better known as Saitou Hajime, the wolf of Mibu."

Saitou's office was windowless and dark, save for the light of a small gas lamp on the wall behind his desk, where he sat. Kenshin took a seat across from the ex-Shinsengumi captain.

"So," began Saitou, pausing a moment to light a new cigarette, "Tell me. What do you know about this Yukishiro Enishi."

Kenshin looked at Saitou pointedly. No sense in drawing this out. "He is my brother-in-law."

Saitou quirked his brow, and exhaled slowly. "Brother-in-law, how—"

"My wife's brother." Kenshin clarified.

"Wife?" Saitou pressed on.

"Yes. Her name was Tomoe Yukishiro Tomoe. She died. During the revolution. Enishi was her younger brother." Kenshin broke eye contact with Saitou for a moment. "It was after the Ikedaya incident."

"Ahhh..." Saitou's face had a look of realization. "You killed her."

Kenshin looked as though he'd been struck.

"How did you...?"

Saitou cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I was aware of a plot to assassinate you. There was a traitor amongst the Ishinshishi. A man called Izuka, if I recall correctly."

"Yes. In the end he was assasinated by Shishio Makoto."

Saitou smirked. "Small world. I'd heard later that everyone involved in that feeble attempt had been killed. I knew it wouldn't work. You were far too professional."

Kenshin's eyes grew dark. "Not professional enough."

"So you really did fall for her." Saitou furrowed his brow. "But you killed her."

"It was an accident." Kenshin relied, almost venomously. "She saved me...and she died for it."

"I'm sorry."

The words were softer than Kenshin had ever heard from Saitou. So soft that he wasn't entirely sure they had really been spoken, until Saitou continued.

"Don't give me that look Battousai. I do have a family if you recall. I'm not some monster." Saitou's next puff of smoke hit Kenshin square in the face, almost making him gag, but he did his best to keep a straight face. "This Yukishiro Enishi on the other hand, well. He's another story."

Saitou tossed Kenshin the file he'd been working on. "Enishi disappeared last week. He broke off all communications a few months ago, but not before making deals with Shishio. He was the one who provided Shishio with the Purgatory. For a man as powerful as that, to disappear so completely, would have led me to think he's been killed, or kidnapped. But you say you saw him, not even 15 minutes ago. I've sent out a patrol made up of my best men. But something tells me that they won't find anything."

"I think he's looking for me," stated Kenshin.

"I'd agree, but those mystery women definitely provide a new slant to this investigation."

"Indeed it does." Kenshin sighed. "Saitou, I haven't a clue what's going on with those ladies. But they weren't normal. The level of Ki that I sensed was phenomenal. I've got nothing to compare it to. I can't chalk it up to optical illusions or mental trickery. What's more, is that I felt a very similar power emitting from Enishi. I'm not even certain we can fight it."

"A truly disturbing thought," Saitou commented. "Whatever the case may be, I'll fight it. It poses a threat to Japan, and I will stop it, one way or another."

Saitou grabbed the file back from Kenshin, and closed it with a SNAP.

"Aku, soku, zan."