Finally another chapter with some meat! Sorry for the shorter last one. I wanted it to be longer but it did all I needed it to do; I felt like anything else I wrote would have been extraneous. Check out A/N at the end, my use of the characters' ages and timeline are explained.

It was strange, walking without a sword at his side. Kenshin felt as if a part of him had been cut off. When Hiko had asked for his sword, Kenshin had been on the verge of recanting everything he'd said. Then he'd remembered the conviction with which Hiko had spoken that one word, "no." There was no hesitation there, no trace of insincerity. His master truly thought he lacked the ability to become a master of Hiten Mitsurugi. The knowledge was almost enough to break his spirit. But it was also something of a relief.

Kenshin was under no illusion that he was unskilled with the sword. Of course he was good. What did it matter though, if it wasn't good enough for his teacher? If he couldn't perform at the level of mastery that was necessary for the style he studied, then he wasn't good enough. Kenshin would just have to go where his skills would be appreciated, where his level of talent would be taken at face value. He was doing Hiko and himself a favor by letting both of them get on with their lives.

Kenshin recalled Yoshinobu's words, I'm here every morning. Unfortunately, daylight was hours away, and now that the intensity of his emotions were waning, he was beginning to feel the chill in the air. Briefly, he regretted his impulsivity, wishing he'd waited until Hiko had gone to bed and then snuck away. Then he could have brought a jacket and kept his sword. Too late now, he'd just make the best of it.

The only place Kenshin knew to go was the market. It was surrounded by a small town, and there might still be people up who would take pity on him for the night.

The moon was almost full and the road ahead had a luminous sheen to it. The scene had an eerie quality of déjà vu. Kenshin could picture all too clearly a tragic moon-lit night several years earlier, and he felt afraid for the first time in years. It was like he was a helpless eight-year-old all over again. If only he still had his sword. At least then he could fend off any dangers that might threaten.

It almost seemed as if his line of thinking caused the following events. Still wrapped up in his recollection of the past, Kenshin felt several presences impossible to ignore, their ki charged with evil intent. At least he had something still available to him from his training.

Kenshin's heart thudded against his chest. What should he do? He could tell the ki was behind him, but it was spreading out and moving closer with swift surety. No doubt he was being closed into a circle. He couldn't just let what was sure to be a group of grown men surround him; he had nothing to fight them with. He knew a smattering of martial arts, but as his shishou so often liked to remind him, his size and bone structure made him pitifully inept at inflicting bodily punishment.

That left only one option, one that even his shishou praised him for.

Run.

The speed with which Kenshin's feet touched the ground left a wake of dust that shimmered in the moonlight. Kenshin moved as fast as he ever had, thinking it was ironic that he'd ended up with the element of surprise. He hoped he could gain a sizable lead before whoever was following him realized their prey was escaping.

It didn't take long. Kenshin surmised he'd only got three meters before there was a shout. "Go after him! Now!" He heard the pounding of feet behind him, then, "Whoever was careless enough to tip him off is going to answer to me after this!" Kenshin would have laughed in a lighter situation. The yelling man's ki was the first he had noticed.

Although Kenshin's speed had given him a sizable lead he could hear the men behind him catching up. He was unbelievably fast for his age, but a grown man could still outstrip him in brute speed, if not stamina. If he didn't do something, and fast, they were going to catch him. He was at a loss for solutions though. The trees on either side of the road weren't thick enough for even his slender frame, and there weren't near enough to disappear into. Panic began to grab hold of him and he forced himself to think logically. Ahead, he saw the grove of bamboo that led to the market. Great, even worse to hide in than trees. Then inspiration struck and he had a wild idea. One that could turn events in his favor if only it worked.

Kenshin ran towards the bamboo, bringing his ki in tight around him. Hand flattened, he swung it the first clump of bamboo he reached. There was a sharp, electric crack and three stalks toppled sideways, split cleanly. There was no time for celebration. He already sensed the first man was less than five feet behind him.

Faster than a blink, Kenshin slid sideways, a stalk of bamboo in either hand. He moved with practiced ease, panic beside him as he did what he knew best. One of the makeshift weapons swept across the ground, knocking the man's feet from under him. Almost simultaneously Kenshin lifted the other stalk high in the air and swung it down to meet the man's forehead. The man fell backwards and lay still, a trickle of blood coming from his hairline. Holding one stalk to protect his front and the other off to the side, Kenshin faced his attackers.

The rest of the men had caught up, four of them, five including the man Kenshin had just incapacitated. Panting and wheezing, they eyed Kenshin with disbelief, and even though their swords were out they seemed unsure what to do.

Confident now that he was fitted with a weapon, Kenshin moved his gaze quickly from face to face, committing them to memory. When he looked at the fourth man, shock made his jaw fall open. "Yoshinobu-san! It's me, Kenshin!" The other three men looked at each other in confusion. An indecipherable expression crossed Yoshinobu's face, and then he lowered his sword, mouth hardening into a cold smile.

"I know exactly who you are, little deshi. And I know just how you're going to help us convince your master to do us this favor." Kenshin had a sinking feeling that Yoshinobu had never wanted his help . He was just bait.

"I was coming to find you though. I told shishou I−I was going . . ." Kenshin trailed off. Current circumstances warranted he didn't share too much information.

"Oh, our reconnaissance man heard everything you told Seijurou." Yoshinobu said smoothly. "In fact, it worked out much better for us this way." Too much was being thrown at Kenshin at once. They'd followed him to Hiko's hut and spied on him? "You see, we do need you Kenshin. Maybe not for the reason I first mentioned. It's imperative that this−assassination take place. And also imperative that none of us are tied to the event. Hiko is the perfect candidate. He answers to no one and will be considered merely a rogue samurai, unhappy with the current state of affairs. But unfortunately, he is a hard man to reason with." Yoshinobu took a step towards Kenshin and he stiffened in response, raising the bamboo ever so slightly. "I think he'll be much more agreeable when he finds his deshi an enemy of the state marked for death."

Kenshin's heart skipped a beat and his mouth went dry. How could he be marked for death when he hadn't done anything? "It won't work." Somehow he projected confidence into his tone. "I left shishou, I'm not his student anymore. He doesn't care what happens to me. He even took my sword away."

Yoshinobu threw his head back and laughed. "Of course he did. Lucky for us, eh? But I'm fairly certain that even your hard-hearted master will sing a different tune when he learns your fate. Now," Yoshinobu hefted his sword and the guard clinked against the handle. "Shall we do this the easy way, or the hard way?"

The words brought Kenshin a measure of focus, and he set his mouth grimly. He couldn't afford to lose this fight. For his sake and his master's. He watched Yoshinobu carefully, intuitively knowing he was the most skilled of the three men who circled him.

Wait−three? Where is the fourth?

The sound of rushing air met his ears and realization came too late. Kenshin whirled even as a heavy rope settled over him and pinioned his arms at his side. Before he could react he had been yanked to the ground, the bamboo kicked from his grasp, his legs quickly and efficiently bent behind his back and tied. Then he was pulled to his knees. Yoshinobu walked towards him, sword still out.

"You didn't really think you were good enough to escape my men?" He asked mildly. "I am head of the most highly trained swordsmen in Kyoto. Although your master would certainly give us a run for our money." He conceded.

Kenshin strained mightily against his restraints but there was no give. Yoshinobu reached out and patted him on the head gently. "Patience, Kenshin. You'll be free soon enough. Although I think you'll find this situation much more enjoyable than the one you're going to be in." There were scattered laughs. "We'd better wrap this up," Yoshinobu addressed his men. "We don't want the early travelers to find us enjoying the sunrise." Yoshinobu lifted his hand a fraction. It was so casually done Kenshin hardly noticed the sword hilt headed his way. The heavy wood cracked against his skull, and fell wordlessly onto the road amidst visions of brightly flashing lights.

***

Yoshinobu sheathed his sword as he stared at the small form crumpled on the ground. Bound as he was, the boy was no bigger than a large dog. It was a shame Seijurou wouldn't listen to reason, because in another few years his deshi could be a useful ally. "Ah well, you can't have everything." Yoshinobu murmured. There was movement from the man Kenshin had knocked out, and Yoshinobu took his attention from the boy.

"Did we get him?" The man on the ground asked blearily, wincing and holding a hand to his head as he sat up.

"We did, Kaga." Yoshinobu turned to see two of his men emerging from the bamboo grove with several horses and a cart. Another of his men threw a grain sack over Kenshin. Kaga stood slowly. "I'm sorry, Yoshinobu-san. I didn't think he would-he could-"

"Break the bamboo?" Yoshinobu asked.

"Yeah. It's impossible! Shindou couldn't even do that!" Kaga indicated the swarthy man leading the cart, his arms bulging with muscles.

"Not impossible. Improbable." Yoshinobu bent and picked something off the ground. He held it aloft for his men to see.

"What's the big deal about a torn leaf?" Kaga scoffed.

"Not just any tear. This was split with ki." Yoshinobu bent again and grabbed one of the fallen stalks of bamboo. "That's how he did this." Everyone's eyes strayed to where Kenshin had lay seconds earlier. "A kenki that strong . . ." Yoshinobu spoke as if to himself, brow furrowed. "It's no wonder Seijurou took him as a student." He stood deep in thought for several moments, then raised his gaze to the heavens. Liquid blackness still cloaked the sky. "Alright, let's get started. It's a long way to Edo."

Wah-? you say. Kenshin got snagged by a lasso? Yes, he did. My reasoning is that he's still quite young and hasn't developed his senses anywhere near the point they're at when he's a hitokiri. Also, despite the fact that Hiten Mitsurugi is designed to pit one against many, Kenshin has had little to no experience with fighting multiple opponents at this point in his life.

A/N: Does it bug anyone else about the Kenshin-gumi's age discrepancies in the anime versus the manga? It bugs me A LOT. The only age relevant to this story though is Kenshin's. According to Kenshin's birthyear in "Profiles," and Hiko's reference to the black ships in the manga, Kenshin is 6, maybe 7, when he meets Hiko, not 8 or 9.

To get to the point though, Kenshin is 10 when my story begins (1859), and I'm assuming he met Hiko as a 7-year-old.

Thanks to Mistress Ayesha and ZukoFlame for being faithful reviewers! Hugs! To answer your question, ZukoFlame, this is not an AU of how Kenshin joins the Ishin Shishi. Although these events definitely would have helped steer him in that direction.

As for Hiko going after his zealous deshi - there's a very good chance he'll miss his personal errand boy enough to wonder what he's up to. *grins*