Kurama opened the door, calling out, "I'm home!"

"How was your day with your friends?" His mom said from the kitchen.

"Fine!" Kurama called back. He headed for the stairs, not noticing that his mother had come into the hallway.

"Shuichi? Is that a sword?"

Kurama turned around, patented rurouni grin on his face. "Technically, it's a sakabato." Shiori gave him a look.

"Where did it come from?"

"I found it," Kurama said truthfully enough. Seeing the suspicious look on his mother's face, he quickly elaborated. "We met at the house of a friend, and she said I could have it. You know, to practice with!"

"Alright," Shiori said, still suspicious. She watched Kurama continue up the stairs, thinking, He couldn't have stolen it. He wouldn't do a thing like that…

"But I don't want that thing unsheathed in the house!"

"Okay, mom!"

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Knock, knock, knock.

"Noboru, you get that!"

"Alright, Kumiko, alright…" Myojin grumbled most of the way to the door of the apartment he shared with his sister.

He blinked as he opened the door to find one of his students outside. "Minamino-kun? What--?"

"I need to talk to you," Kurama interrupted. He looked down. "It's kind of important."

"Is this about the dreams?" Myojin said excitedly. "Cause I think I might have figured something out about that. I did some research, and I think you're remembering…"

"A past life. Yes, Myojin-sensei, I figured that out," Kurama laughed slightly, noticing the extremely disappointed expression on his teacher's face. Myojin clearly wanted to be the one to tell him.

"Yeah." Myojin finished lamely.

"But you're right in guessing that that's why I'm here. I found your name and address in the school directory. Like I said, I need to talk to you."

Myojin blinked at the red-head, noticing that his eyes looked ancient. "Okay, come on in." His voice fell as he whispered, "Don't pay any attention to my sister, she's a demon. A harpy or something, I swear."

"I HEARD THAT!"

Myojin winced, expecting something to come flying towards his head. When nothing collided with him, he looked up. His sister, a sweet looking woman with long hair pulled back in a ponytail and the red-brown eyes of the Myojin family, stood, glaring, in front of him.

Seeing that Myojin would not be very forthcoming, Kurama stepped forward and bowed. "You must be Myojin-sensei's sister. It's very nice to meet you, Myojin-dono."

The two exchanged looks. Dono Kurama went red. "Sorry."

Myojin coughed. "Ah, Kumiko? Would you bring the two of us some tea?" He shrunk as she glared at him again.

"I'm not you maid," she muttered, stalking off toward the kitchen. "Hot or cold?"

Myojin's grin returned full force. "Hot!" he looked at Kurama. "You don't mind?" Kurama shook his head.

Myojin led him to the couch and sat. "You wanted to talk to me about the dreams."

"Right. Remember what I said? I was having dreams about being an assassin in Kyoto of the Bakumatsu, and I practiced Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Well, I've finished with that. I'm remembering a life in Tokyo. Oh! And I've remembered my name. Himura Kenshin."

Kurama was half-glad that Kumiko-dono had not returned with the tea. From the look on Myojin-sensei's face, he would have spit it all over Kurama or himself. He managed a strangled "What?"

"Himura Kenshin." Kurama repeated, slightly confused. He was even more confused when Myojin bowed extremely low, clonking his head against the floor.

"Shishou!"

"Oro? Myojin-sensei, what--?"

Myojin sat back up. "Wow… this is amazing. I knew it... I knew that was Hiten Mitsurugi... man, to meet the reincarnation of my great-grandfather's mentor, this is totally amazing." He gave Kurama a look that could best be described as a begging puppy. "Um..." he began, his voice suddenly small and barely understandable. "C-could...couldyoupleaseteachmethehitemmitsurugiryusecretpleasepleasepleaseplease???"

"Say again...?"

"Will you please teach this unworthy one the Hiten Mitsurugi final secret, Himura-shishou?!" Yahiko practically shouted. There was a loud clatter and a tinkling noise in the kitchen, as well as a long string of curses that made Kurama wince.

Kumiko ran back into the room. "I AM NOT MAKING ANYMORE TEA! YOU CAN CLEAN IT UP YOURSELF! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF! GET IN THERE, NOW!"

Myojin's eyes were as big as dinner plates. "Yes ma'am!!"

Kumiko continued to seethe for a couple of moments before grabbing her purse, saying, "I'm going out for a while." She glared over her shoulder at the two of them one last time before slamming the door.

Myojin sighed, shaking his head after her. "She better not be off to the pool hall again. Last time we almost got thrown out because of her hustling."

"Never tried that," Kurama said absently, remembering the other cons he and Kuronue had pulled off.

"What was that?" Myojin asked suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Kurama grinned disarmingly.

Myojin half-smiled, half-smirked. "You have a lot of secrets, don't you?"

"What's makes you say that?" Kurama asked, guard up.

"Just a lot of little things. Hardly anyone knows anything about you. You're a very mysterious person, Minamino-san." Myojin grinned, serious moment over. "Anyway, we better get started on cleaning up that tea."

As the two of them grabbed old rags to mop up the spilt tea, Kurama asked, "What did you mean when you said I was your great-grandfather's mentor?"

"Do you remember Myojin Yahiko?"

"YAHIKO?" Kurama yelped. "Yahiko is your great-grandfather?"

Myojin grinned, glad to see that he had caught his student off gaurd. "Yep. You do remember him, then?"

Kurama merely nodded, still shocked. The two continued talking, Myojin telling Kurama some of his family history, and Kurama giving more details about Yahiko. "You know," Kurama commented at one point, "You and Yahiko look quite similar. I'm surprised that I didn't realize you two were related earlier."

Myojin smirked. "Don't worry about it, I wouldn't think you would be on the look out for descendents of friends from a past life. You're just lucky I believe in the occult. Otherwise, I'd have had you locked up."

Kurama nodded, smiling. To the ones not interested in things like that, he would have definitely seemed certifiable.

Conversation drifted back to Yahiko. "Little brat," Kurama muttered fondly. "He stole my sakabatou at one point. Managed to get it back in time though."

"In time for what?"

"Well, the whole reason he stole it was because of a man I had already defeated. That man, Gohei, incited him into taking it, at the same time hiring mercenaries to come after me. So I was stuck without my sword, in the middle of a fight. And, to make it worse, Yahiko was kidnapped. He didn't get it back to me until the last moment. But hey," Kurama said, shrugging, "No harm done. No one was hurt, except of course Gohei and the two mercenaries."

Myojin sighed, shaking his head. "Amazing."

"What is?"

"That now you can be so bad at swords."

Kurama sulked. "I'm getting better. And I'm beginning to remember more of Hiten Mitsurugi." He sighed, realizing something. "Speaking of, I don't think I should be on the kendo team anymore."

"WAH...?" Myojin was taken by surprise. "Why not?"

"Unfair advantage. For both the other team, and for our own. Besides, if I keep using Hiten Mitsurugi, I don't think the school would be very happy picking up the bill for all of the broken shinai."

Myojin laughed at the unexpected joke. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But I wish that wasn't the case. So that was Hiten Mitsurugi you used against the post that first day? Makes sense..." Myojin sighed. "Wish I could see some more. It's such an amazing style."

Kurama agreed.

Myojin blinked, remembering something that he'd been wanting to ask. "You wouldn't happen to know where the sakabatou is now... would you?" He asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Hanging on my wall. Why?"

"Really?!" If Myojin was a girl, he would have squealed. "Can I see it? Please?"

"It's at my house..."

"I don't care!" Myojin said, finishing straightening the tea pot. "Let's go!"

"Oro..."

Kurama sighed as he kept pace with Myojin. How in the three worlds would he explain this to his mother? "Hi mom, my teacher is apparently a fan boy of my preincarnation and wanted to see my past life's sword!" That wouldn't work…

Something tickled at the back of Kurama's senses. Ki? Of demons?Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Myojin stiffen as well. So his teacher could sense ki… Kurama filed that tidbit of information away for future reference. Before he could ask any questions, three burly, rough looking men stepped out of the alleyway in front of the two. Kurama didn't even need to turn around to know that some—two, he believed—had appeared behind them.

"You!" one of the thugs in front of him yelled, pointing at the redhead "Youko Kurama!"

He mentally winced, before taking a leaf from his past life's book (no pun intended) and acting innocent. He cocked his head to one side, saying, "Youko Kurama? Who's he?"

Myojin looked suspiciously at his student. He was usually smarter than this. The demons were scratching their heads as well. "Uh… You are…?" one of the more stupid ones said.

Kurama sighed. Ogres. Had to be. Only they would be thrown off by that simple tactic. Just great…

"I think we got the wrong guy." The blonde one said. "This one doesn't have a tail."

The only demon that hadn't spoken yet whacked him upside the head. "Noroi, you idiot. He's in his human form! Gods, I don't know why I even teamed up with you."

"Yes, Ikasu, sir." Noroi and the first that had spoken chanted dutifully.

"That's why. Obedience." Ikasu muttered. The two demons behind them laughed.

Myojin chose this moment to interrupt. "What did they mean by 'tail', Minamino?" he asked, glaring at the fox. He only looked innocent in response.

Myojin continued watching him suspiciously. He'd heard all too often from his father stories about how Kenshin-san would act innocently. Ikasu chose that moment to attack. Myojin whipped around, looking for a stick or something to defend himself with. Anything that would help him fight off the unnaturally strong thugs behind him.

Worriedly, he glanced over at his student to make sure he was able to get away. To his surprise, Minamino wasn't trying to escape. Oh no he was actually fighting back! Watching him, Myojin was shocked that Minamino looked completely at home in a fight for his life. Where in the world had the child earned such experience? This couldn't be just from being the reincarnation of Himura-san.

This was all forcibly shoved from his mind as he saw a rusty fire escape dead ahead of him in the alley way the first group of thugs had come out of. Myojin used the speed that he had acquired over the years, dashing past the three people and running towards it. Leaping up he grabbed a bar from the railing and pulled. Luckily for Myojin, it was so rusty it snapped immediately. A little shorter than he would have liked, but since he was being attacked, it hardly mattered.

Quickly, he dived back into the fray. Before he could try and attack, however, the blonde swung his fist down at his head. Myojin quickly blocked the fist with the blade catch, holding the hand away from his skull with the back of his wrists. Myojin swung his hands apart and ducked away from the burly man, pivoting and slamming the railing into the man's side.

It snapped in half.

Myojin stared down at it, shocked. Glancing up, he was just in time to see the leader of the gang swing a small club over his head to kill him. Myojin braced himself, expecting the club to slam into his head any second. Instead, he watched, amazed as the demon was sliced in half. Minamino stood behind him, glaring down at the pieces with amber eyes. In his left hand was clutched a wooden bokken, and in his right was a… large piece of grass…?

"Minamino? What the f--?"

"No time now," his student cut him off, tossing the bokken to him. "Use that, and do try to stay alive, Yahiko."

This did not help Myojin's confusion at all. "Minamino?!" Luckily for Myojin, the red head didn't even give him a chance to use the wooden sword. He turned around, slicing through the blonde's arm, who was attempting to sneak up behind him.

Myojin put the questions from his mind for now, vowing to ask his student what the hell was going on when both of them were safe. Spinning around, he managed to knock out a black-haired thug that was (very noisily) attempting to sneak up behind him.

Circling slowly, warily, he saw that the other four demons had been swiftly killed by the teen. Gazing around in confusion, Myojin's eyes eventually traveled back to the red headed figure, who was breathing deeply, head down, apparently trying to gain control of himself. For the first time since he had begun to spend time with Minamino, Myojin was slightly afraid.

"Oi! Kurama! What's up?" a black haired, brown eyed street punk came out of nowhere and whacked Kurama over the back of the head, perhaps a little too hard.

Myojin was surprised with the apparent ease that Minamino attempted to slam the hilt of the green sword into Yusuke's gut. The street fighter just as smoothly dodged it, as the redhead turned, green-eyed again, to face Yusuke.

"Watch it, Kurama, you can do some major damage with those things now... Not that you couldn't already, but... what?" Yusuke nervously finished, as he realized that Kurama wasn't joking. In fact, he was glaring. Not a good thing for one Urameshi Yusuke.

"Yusuke, this is my teacher, Myojin sensei." Kurama said, watching with slight satisfaction as Yusuke's eyes grew huge as he recognized his mistake.

"Oops?" he half-asked, half-pleaded. Then the normal Yusuke showed through. "If you didn't want him knowing, then why did you use a grass blade?!"

Kurama gestured to the bodies around him that were beginning to dissolve in the sun. "We were attacked." he said, simply.

Defeated, Yusuke merely said, "oh. Well, that all works out, because Ko--" he cut off as Kurama's eyes narrowed again. "Er..."

"He sent you to tell me that we were walking into someone's territory?"

"Yeah, basically…"

Myojin, meanwhile, was getting rather annoyed. "Excuse me," he said as calmly as he could.

The two teens ignored him.

"Please don't tell me we have another assignment, do we?"

"Well, not anymore…" Yusuke shrugged, still surveying the damage around them. Only wet spots were left of the dead ogres, though the one that was unconscious remained.

"Convenient. Has he—?" But Kurama's question had been cut off by the bokken he had grown connecting with his head. "ORO!"

"Thank you…" Myojin said, a small vein pulsing on his forehead. "Now, what the hell is going on?!"