Yumi opened the double doors to the temple's main chamber revealing an oversized golden statue against the far wall that dominated the space. Sano was shocked to see Anji, the fallen priest that he encountered while lost in the mountains. "Why do you support Shishio Mokoto? I thought you wanted to make the world a better place." Sano dropped his gi on the floor by the door preparing to fight the man that trained him.

Kenshin sat against the wall studying Sano's fighting style. The posturing and attempts at intimidation were also used by some members if the Ishin Shishi although he found them to be a waste of time and energy.

Anji wanted to destroy the Meji government because there were corrupt members. The 'Bright King' rose from his position in front of the statue apparently disappointed in fighting the man he trained to use his Futae No Kiwami, a rapid double punch technique. "I will bring divine retribution to the corrupt Meiji government and all who support it." He struck first using the 'Mastery of Two Layers'.

Sano was fighting to protect the future of all the people living peacefully. He wasn't as strong as Anji, but he had more experience in street fighting. He dodged Anji's next blow while delivering another one himself conceding that some of the politicians in the Meji government were corrupt then shifted their debate to the need of protection as opposed to destruction.

Was this odd because Sano didn't separate a political debate from a fight or was this odd because it was Sano debating politics? The young man was able to dodge Anji's left arm and land a hit on his ribs, but it turned out to be ineffective. Too bad Anji wasn't a rock. It was also too bad that a fist wasn't able to slip between the ribs nice and clean.

Sano extended his fingers as he aimed his swing at Anji's fist creating 'Mastery of Three Layers' knocking Anji to his knees. "With the Bakumatsu and Boshin War there has been enough destruction of lives. Isn't there anything or anyone you want to protect?"

Anji pulled out a stone bar cracked and bloody from contact with Sano's right fist. He wiped at the blood with his thumb then urgently rubbed the stone against his hakama even though that wasn't the best way to clean it. Only three of the five names were still legible. "I wasn't there to protect them. I failed to keep them from being murdered. So no, there isn't anything or anyone to protect now."

Sano came close enough to see that names were carved into the stone. "Who were they?"

"Five orphans who were killed when the village chief had the temple torched while they slept. I turned from being a Buddhist monk to a monk of destruction to avenge them."

"And twisted your spirit." Sano frowned knowing how grief twisted his own spirit "Would they like the person you've become?"

Anji wasn't able to get the blood out of the cracks; he needed water. What would they think of him? The children had been too young to understand vengeance, to grasp the concept of killing a man simply because someone else killed them. He looked at the young man he trained a month ago seeing sharp eyes despite a broken hand. "Your right hand will be useless for some time." He rose to his feet

Sano took a couple steps back as Anji ambled out of the room toward the shrine entrance. What would Kenshin say? "There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect the weak, but it should be done not through destruction, but through kindness." Or something like that maybe.

Anji paused at Sano's words. The children weren't saved by his kindness, but they thrived while living at the temple with him. "It was good to see you again, Sanosuke."

Sano held out his mangled hand for Kenshin to unwrap after Anji left. Sano pulled a small jar out of his pocket and handed it to him as Kenshin pulled a similar jar out of his sleeve. "Megumi gave me this before I left Tokyo. Where'd you get that one?"

"She got it from Dr. Takani Shitago" Kenshin stated as he began wrapping each broken finger.

"Dr. Takani Shitago? She didn't say she met Megumi's family."

Yahiko saw the gathering crowd from the window upstairs and called the others. By the time Kaoru and Misao showed up there were over a hundred men forming a half circle in the street. When Okina and the rest of the Oniwabanshu came to look out the window there were two men and a woman in a kimono standing in the in front of the Aoi-Ya as though in an arena with the crowd seeming to make the boundary.

"Think defense not offense." Kaoru looked pointedly at Yahiko "Everyone got that?"

"No one is allowed to die while I'm Okashira!" Misao turned to Okina "Three on the biggest and two on the others?"

"A crowd that size is bound to attract the police so just have to stall until then." Okina frowned "Four on the biggest will give us better odds."

Kaoru turned from the window "I won't count on the police being of any help. Yahiko and I can take on the guy that looks like a bat."

"That's Henya." Kurojo adjusted the shuriken on his arms "Which leaves us Kamatari the Scythe and Iwanbo."

Okina stroked his beard rethinking their best odds "You four are on Iwanbo and Misao has Kamatari. Now go."

Shirojo opened the window allowing four of the Oniwabanshu to jump Iwanbo from the porch roof. Omime and Masagami threw their sharpened metal shuriken simultaneously aiming for his neck and massive belly. Kurojo and Shirojo landed in the street before aiming their shuriken at his belly to incapacitate rather than kill. All their weapons ricocheted from his thick elastic skin to land in the street causing the four to step back and regroup.

Misao held a set of throwing daggers between each finger "I've got the scythe-woman!"

"Scythe-woman?" Kamatari giggled "Not quite." Kamatari showed Misao the he was a man which completely threw off her state of mind.

Kaoru held Misao back "Falling into his trap like this will get you killed. Yahiko you might have to be on your own."

The boy nodded "That idiot is in no shape to fight. I've got this bat-guy."

"Yahiko no, wait!"

"Trust me!" All this time training with the strongest woman while carefully watching the strongest man and she still thinks I can't handle myself? Just wait until our next sparring session.

Since they were close together now Iwanbo took the opportunity to strike at his opponents with the blades around his fingertips. However, the four were agile enough to prevent getting eviscerated, hardly cut further than skin deep when he took a second look. No matter, the mighty Oniwabanshu were now huddled against the wall while they began dressing their wounds. He dismissed them as scared rabbits then took a step back to get a better look at Kaoru.

Henya sighed in disappointment that after all the men he murdered over the years some little boy calls him bat-guy. "I had hoped to face the one who uses Hiten Mitsurugi, but all I get is one little boy."

"If you turn from me you're not worthy to face him." Yahiko moved his shinai into Mugyo position "Kill me first bat-guy!"

"I'm Henya the Flighted foolish child." Henya unfolded his huge bamboo and leather bat wings revealing an emaciated figure and sticks of dynamite tied together to hang in two columns from the frame of his wings.

The first stick of dynamite propelled Henya into the air where his wings kept him aloft for a short time revealing his fighting style to an unimpressed Yahiko. A starved skeleton using the force from an explosion to remain out of sword range while injuring whoever happened to be within blast radius of the dynamite took no more skill than using a gun. Unskilled coward.

"You're all going to die in the end." Kamatari smirked at the girls' reaction to Henya dropping dynamite on Yahiko.

"Will not!" Misao released a handful of daggers aimed at Kamatari's chest.

He caught the blades then let them drop to the ground shaking his head in disappointment "Someone who wears an Okashira uniform ought to know to attack simultaneously when fighting two on one; you're just two little girls playing dress-up."

"You're one to talk." Misao really wanted to punch his face, but Kaoru was still holding her back.

The fourth stick of dynamite landed close enough to Kamatari to pepper him with debris and Yahiko looked like he wasn't going to last much longer. How was he going to get close enough to land a hit without being close to the blast? The fifth stick sent him flying into the front doors and the sixth removed a section of the porch roof leaving him fully exposed as he pulled a dagger size piece of wood from his back. Yahiko gritted his teeth to keep from saying something that Kenshin would never say.

"Misao, look at Kamatari's heavy blade." Kaoru whispered as best she could between explosions "If it lands you're done for, but if it misses there's a huge opening. We also have to consider the cannonball counterweight. Have you ever swung anything attached to a rope, or chain in this case?"

"Yeah, it will move in a circular pattern and the chain isn't long enough to leave much of a window." Misao took another set of daggers from her belt.

"The chain length defines his zone so stay out of it. I'll make him swing, you attack his weak spot."

Okina cracked opened the front doors "Yahiko, get in here. You won't survive another blast and I can counter his ranged weapon, now run!"

"Myojin Yahiko doesn't run!"

Henya tied five sticks together, lit the twisted fuses and let the bundle drop.

Kenshin kicked in the door to the next room before Yumi had a chance to tell them whether they faced Usui or Sojiro. No one cared, but Yumi didn't like having her menial task reduced to merely following behind Mokoto's enemies.

Usui sat in the middle of the ante chamber with his blindfold securely in place giant tortoise shell strapped to his back and short spear ready. He recognized Battosai and Saito, but the third man had a strange ki he'd never read before. He must've been the one Anji fought; the 'Bright King' was too compassionate letting him live.

Saito pushed Kenshin aside. "It's my turn."

Usui smirked at Saito "Why send Battosai away?"

"He can have the next one."

Kenshin nodded in agreement and headed through the double doors in the back of the room with Sano and a protesting Yumi not far behind. Fighting Usui was a waist of his energy. Saito was welcome to face the man alone.

"How odd that a former Shinsengumi Captain and Battosai join forces, yet you send him away" Usui rubbed his chin in thought "your heart is softer than I remember."

"It seems your 'Shingan' isn't as sharp as I've heard." Saito drew his katana debating whether to use Sanshiki Gatotsu or Nishiki Gatotsu.

"Ever since I lost my eyesight to Shishio during be Bakumatsu I've been training my other senses to the point that I have invincible Shingan. Saito Hajime, you are still a worthy opponent although your famed Gatotsu is nothing to me now."

"We shall see." Saito ran at Usui only to have his blade slide to the right when it hit the curved shell. The blind swordsman instantly stabbed Saito's right thigh with his spear.

"You've polished your best move to perfection I see. Unfortunately that means your only attack is the finished version of the thrust." He moved his shell shield out of the way to better hear his shoes on the wood floor.

Saito stepped back to his original position realizing that Usui heard his approach and had enough time to raise his shield. He gave it one more try; this time his blade slide to the left and Usui stabbed his left thigh.

"Tell me Saito, what does your own Shingan tell you about the outcome since you can no longer release your Gatotsu?" He moved his shield aside confident that the Wolf of Mibu lost his fangs.

"You accepted Shishio's offer with the understanding that you'd try to kill him. If you seemed to be after his life no one else would realize how beaten you were." Saito could either remove his shoes or use Zeroshiki. This whipped dog wasn't worth the effort of tying his shoes. "When you lost to Shishio without a fight, you should have abandoned your sword."

Saito took two running steps gaining momentum to throw his katana at Usui's chest with enough force to pin him to the wall.

Okina was knocked to the floor by the explosion. One door was knocked off its hinges and the other one was gone, replaced by a crater. There was no trace of the boy. Kaoru and the six Oniwabanshu stared at the hole in front of the entrance.

"Miyominane Homage Hit!" Yahiko yelled from the top side of the door that was blown over Henya's head from the force of the blast. He struck bat-guy with Kenshin's Dragon Hammer Strike breaking the bamboo frame and sending both hurling to the ground from the height of the upper story windows. Yahiko landed on Henya's skeletal frame which didn't break his fall much; however he was the only one to stand which send a murmur through the crowd of men.

Omime motioned him to join them by the wall out of Iwanbo's range where it was easier for Masugami and Omime to tend to his back and broken ankle while Shirojo and Kurojo debated strategies to defeat the man with impervious skin.

Directing the battle from the middle of the fray instead of from the sidelines might give them an edge since Yahiko was in no condition to continue. He made sure that the boy was going to be fine before demanding that a couple of Shishio's minions carry Henya to the clinic. There was no need to leave him lying in the dirt giving Yahiko a chance to see the damage done when an emaciated person falls from the second story.

Kaoru tapped Misao's shoulder to get her attention then ran at Kamatari's exposed right side hoping he'd swing level and hoping that the girl realized where his weak spot was.

Yumi crossed her arms, fuming as Kenshin and Sano debated the presence of a ki behind the door to Hoji's library. They weren't listening to her explain that Sojiro was waiting in the smaller training room and everyone else was gone. She checked the time on the pocket-watch Hoji lent her. Almost 2:00, there was plenty of time unless they stopped to chat again. Yumi wasn't that surprised about Anji bailing out on Mokoto. Usui was probably dead by now, no great loss there. She hoped the Aoi-Ya had fallen already. She'd feel better when the remaining Ten Swords returned, or was it Eight Swords now?

"No, someone is in there. It doesn't matter who." Kenshin ended the debate by breaking down the door.

"Draw Battosai!"

"It's Shinomori Aoshi." Sano warned Kenshin.

"No, she already thanked me for sparing him."

"What do you mean?" Why bust down the door and not fight?

"Master Hiko is the only one who still lived after I drew my sword so there is no point in facing him."

"I challenge you, Battosai!"

Kenshin jumped to the top of a bookshelf to avoid Aoshi's kodachi. He landed on the other side and pushed the bookcase over to land on the man. How was he supposed to make this man turn aside? Sano reached Anji's heart and persuaded him to choose another path, but Kenshin had no experience with influencing a man of war to seek peace.

Aoshi grazed Kenshin's neck with both kodachi swords, but was quickly struck under his chin hard enough to send him flying into the back wall. He rose and faced Kenshin with an offensive stance.

Sano looked at the former leader of the ninja clan who faced Kenshin as though expecting to die. Why did he prefer to be with the men that died fighting by his side rather than fight by the side of his comrades that lived?

"I will defeat Hitokiri Battosai, the ultimate warrior of the Bakumatsu, for the sake of Han'nya, Shikijo, Hyottoko and Beshimi. Then everyone will know that we are the strongest."

"That title means nothing." Hiko was still alive after all.

Aoshi attacked Kenshin's neck again with a Curved Blade X-Slash which Kenshin countered with a Dragon Flight narrowly avoiding a slit throat. Kenshin struck Aoshi's shoulder bringing him to his knees.

Aoshi punched Kenshin splitting his lip as a blade sliced through the fabric of Kenshin's kimono. He turned quickly and grabbed the base of Aoshi's blade with his left hand letting it cut into his palm and fingers to prevent being gutted.

The other kodachi sliced into Kenshin's neck again and he answered it with Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki. He walked closer when the tall ninja hit the floor the same way Hiko hit the dirt after his succession.

"Your men died protecting you, do not waste their sacrifice."

Aoshi laid on his back with a shallow slash across his chest the length of a katana blade. Shishio sent men to desecrate their gravesite, yet was able to sidetrack him into chasing after someone else's long faded glory and a title that held no meaning after the Meiji Restoration. He had to do something about that – as soon as he could feel the rest of his body.

Kamatari swung his heavy blade in a diagonal arc forcing Kaoru to dive into a summersault to avoid the cannonball. She jumped to her feet and found herself behind him and still within his zone so Kaoru struck Kamatari's right shoulder before she had to duck under the handle and roll out of his reach.

Misao hesitated in releasing her daggers until Kaoru was no longer directly behind him. Three were deflected by his rotating weapon and two imbedded in the wooden handle while the remaining five stuck in the obi tying his kimono. "What? Not laughing anymore? This isn't so funny now is it?"

"This was never funny to me." Kamatari continued swinging his blade in a more horizontal line to keep the woman at bay now that the girl was out of daggers.

Kaoru ran at him with both hands firmly on her hilt, front flipped over the blade and struck one of the daggers in the handle. A crack spread toward the blade, but she didn't have time to see how deep or far it went before ducking under the cannonball and out of his range again.

Misao came closer, stopping within a couple steps of the whirling scythe and still not seeing a way to retrieve any of her blades. Those stuck in his obi obviously didn't penetrate far enough to matter. She looked over at Kaoru who misjudged the timing of re-entering his zone ripping her left sleeve off at the elbow. Misao tried stooping under the blade to pick up a couple of daggers and got hit in the ribs by the counter weight.

Kaoru waved Misao to stay down as she ran toward Kamatari and flipped over his weapon again to successfully re-enter his zone, although this time her upper right arm was cut as the bade ripped off her right sleeve. She struck the other dagger imbedded in his cracked handle breaking off the heavy scythe and leaving him with a short length of wood attached to the chain. Unfortunately the blade of her father's bokken also broke leaving Kaoru with only the hilt.

After all the men Kamatari killed without so much as a scratch she destroyed his weapon with a stick. "Shishio-sama will be pleased by the outcome." Kamatari picked up the shortened handle and used both hands to swing the chain around his head preventing her from flipping in and out of his zone for another quick attack. He took a step closer to her with the intention of wrapping the chain around her neck or splitting her skull open with the cannonball.

The hilt was a little longer than the width of both her hands, completely useless against the ball and chain approaching her. She took a step back noticing that he swung high leaving his legs fully exposed and also his front fully exposed if she got the timing right. Kaoru ran at him again, this time ducking low to get under the chain and breaking the hilt as she smashed it against his left knee.

Kamatari looked at the woman still crouching where he'd been standing "Finish me."

"Kamiya-Kasshin teaches not to kill our opponents, but to conquer them."

"I cannot go back to Shishio-sama defeated. I'm useless to him now, show mercy."

"Your knee will heal; will he really reject one of his swords?"

Kamatari looked away from her blue eyes "I am not as beautiful as Yumi and no matter how hard I train I'm not as strong as Sojiro. I tried for years and unlike you I will never please him as a woman nor as a man."

"What do you mean 'unlike me'? No man is interested in me as a woman neither am I considered a strength in a fight."

"You certainly aren't a weakness. It seems we share more than the desire to be strong for the one we love." Kamatari frowned as the pretty woman moved to join the Oniwabanshu. If she wasn't Battosai's woman after all then who was?