Kaoru turned away from observing Yutaro and Yahiko alternating between offense and defense on each other when she heard the front gate open. It was already mid-morning and Kenshin was just getting home. He looked rough and she wanted to ask him what happened, but the way he shuffled to the kitchen door made her hesitate. Did he get to the Chief's house too late? Did the Uramura's blame him?

Kenshin dropped on his futon and fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Nightmares made him toss and turn. The noon bang made Kenshin jump from his futon in a panic. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm his racing heart; that cannon fire was only to mark the time, not an attack.

Enishi sat facing the back yard with his eyes closed picturing his sister's face the way she looked thirteen years ago before she left for Kyoto. Her eyes were sad, her lips a flat horizontal line; he still couldn't get the image to smile. "Don't worry dear Tomoe; we attacked everyone close to him and his replacement for you. In ten days you will be avenged so please smile for me." The vision remained unchanged.

Sano's knuckles were raw from repeatedly smashing against stone. His timing was way off even after changing positions. He stood in frustration before focusing on the week with Anji in the mountains then removed his white gi and sat in front of the stone again trying to strike twice within a seventy-fifth of a second. That's how Megumi found him and no amount of scolding made him stop. He didn't even look up, but merely held out his right hand for her to fix. Again.

"Sincere apologies for interrupting you Kaoru-dono," He watched her hesitate then set aside the letter to face him "Yahiko get Sano…and Megumi-san if possible. There is something you all need to hear about the beginning of this battle."

Kaoru knew Kenshin was back to his old self by his choice of words so it didn't matter that he was hiding his eyes from her. Kenshin leaned against the door still wearing the same gi and hakama from yesterday and it hurt her to see him suffering like this. "Kenshin," Kaoru stopped within arm's reach "thank you for confiding in me yesterday and for giving me a chance to help."

"You were put in a dangerous situation. That is nothing to be thankful for." He tilted his head down using his bangs as a barrier between them.

"If you didn't let me help then I wouldn't know that Iwanbo is a fake body controlled by a man named Gein."

"What?"

"I don't know why he was watching me instead of fighting the Oniwabanshu at the Aoi-Ya; however bombing Maekawa dojo had more to do with me than with you so it seems we're in this together."

He turned his face away from her assuming this was what Enishi meant by telling him to suffer; Kaoru was right in the middle of this battle.

When he turned she saw the scabbed bruise on the left side of his forehead where the revolver struck. Kaoru carefully brushed aside his long fringe "Kenshin, please let Megumi look at this."

"Thank you for your concern, Kaoru-dono." He grasped her arm as it fell away from his hair and pressed his fingertips to the pulse of her wrist feeling the rhythm of her heartbeat. "The man who attacked Chief Uramura was the same man this one encountered on the roof last May. He uses a poisonous gas that somehow affects this one's memories." Kenshin met her eyes making no move to release her arm. "How this started will be hard for you to hear so it is understandable if you wish take back what was said on the roof the other night."

Kaoru blushed at the intimate way he held her "You chose this as your home Kenshin; therefore you have to be the one to take it back, I won't."

Megumi brewed tea while Kaoru opened the sliding screen revealing the garden and fence. Kenshin ignored everyone as he took his usual seat at the table preparing to reveal his worst crime. "While on the way home this one's brother-in-law… Yukishiro Enishi…made a declaration of war. He spent the past eleven years…preparing to avenge Himura Tomoe…this one's wife…who died by these hands." Once Kenshin stumbled through his confession it was a bit easier to continue "Ten days from now our home will be under attack from six men, including the ones we've encountered so far. Because they all claim to carry grudges from the Bakumatsu it may be best to tell the story of this scar." He gestured to his left cheek.

He began with the night he killed Kiyosato Akira; Tomoe's fiancé cut Kenshin's cheek from the outer corner of his eye to his chin before dying. Skipping ahead to meeting Yukishiro Tomoe at a tavern, Kenshin relayed the ambush that lead to taking her to the Kohagi-Ya Inn, Choshu headquarters. He didn't disclose many details on sharing a room together for six months other than inadvertently drawing his sword on her when she startled him to eventually sleeping in front of her, something he didn't do with his comrades. Her calm manner kept him grounded somewhat to offset the madness from killing men almost every night.

An Ishin Shishi traitor leaked information to the Shinsengumi about a secret meeting that Katsura was to attend and the resulting Ikedaya incident left no one else alive. Three thousand men from Choshu marched on the Capital where twenty thousand Bakufu forces were waiting. The city was torched. Kenshin took Tomoe with him to meet with Katsura and was told to hide out in Otsu. Katsura then asked Tomoe to watch over him. By that time Kenshin didn't want it to be just for show and Tomoe agreed with a smile.

Megumi and Sano suggested taking a break to give him a few minutes to catch his breath. She brewed a pot of tea while Yahiko's sliced the last of the Yokan. Megumi suspected that she was the traitor; Sano thought she was involved with the traitor, and Yahiko refused to believe that Kenshin actually killed his own wife. The three settled in their seats, yet Kenshin remained quiet staring at a knot hole in the wood as Kaoru poured his tea then moved the cup closer "Please Kenshin," she waited for him to take a sip "tell us the rest of the story."

There were good memories of playing with the local children and making simple medicines to sell as summer turned to autumn. It was a peaceful life after Kyoto and she was beginning to smile. Kenshin spent more than a year killing for an age where the powerless could find happiness, but he didn't understand what that happiness was until he spent five months in the country with Tomoe. The next day her younger brother Enishi showed up to visit for the afternoon which then prompted her to open up and they talked long into the night.

The next morning she was gone by the time he woke and his search was futile. A ransom note was slipped under the door so he headed for the woods after nightfall. There were only four of them, but they were well prepared for the fight to come to them. Explosions caused temporary deafness and blindness and by the time Kenshin reached the final enemy he was numb from the cold. He didn't know that Tomoe ran out of the shack and stepped in the middle of the fight until he smelled her white plum perfume. She stabbed the man in the chest as he sliced her back open unable to stop in mid-swing. The force of the blow caused the knife to fly out of her hand and cut his left cheek from his nose to the corner of his jaw. There was no way to save her from bleeding out. His senses gradually returned after he scooped her onto his lap holding her close to make her last minutes as easy as possible. That's when he noticed Enishi.

"Tomoe said it was better this way despite all protests that she ought to be the one to live instead of someone with such bloody hands."

Sano walked Megumi home "I guess that explains why he was so mad about the little Miss interfering in his fight with Saito."

"To die protecting the one you love doesn't seem so bad."

"It is when he wants her alive."

Kaoru sent Yahiko to start a fire in the bathhouse and washed their dishes then closed the sliding screen by the time Kenshin climbed to his feet and wearily trudged toward his room. She held the end of his sleeve as he passed by making him stop. He didn't take his eyes from the floor while he waited for her to release him so she rested her forehead on his upper arm for a moment before letting him go.

Kenshin woke up later than usual and in desperate need of a bath so by the time he entered the kitchen Yahiko was yelling.

"Hey you big rooster-head, quit eating off my plate!"

"I'm doing you a favor not having to eat something that smells like this."

Kaoru gave him a bright smile "Good morning, Kenshin. Please have some breakfast."

"No, don't do it. This miso soup is poisoned." Sano pushed it away from him.

"Oro?" He accepted a bowl of rice and began eating while she ladled some soup for him.

"It's like a secret weapon. Too bad we can't feed it to the enemy." Yahiko thought he went too far with that one and looked over at Kaoru dreading the consequences.

"…so long since I heard you say that." She offered a cup of tea with a grin.

"It slipped out without realizing. Thank you for cooking this morning." He gave her a shy smile.

"Seriously?" Yahiko turned to Sano who shrugged "Had to happen sooner or later."

Kenshin put the cup down "There is much to plan and this ten day grace period is not for our benefit."

"You're right about that. Who knows what kind of weapons he'll throw at us by then."

"Tsunan is making more grenades in case you want to use them." Kaoru began gathering the dishes.

Kenshin frowned "A way must be found to make Enishi listen."

"I wrote a letter to Misao so if there is anyone in Kyoto that may be able to reach him perhaps we can ask her to pass on a message."

"He will only listen to his sister. Please ask Misao-dono to bring Tomoe's diary." He told her exactly where he left it.

Sano stood up and stretched "I'm heading back. There are a couple of stones waiting for me and it's going to take more than a week to finish my Two-Layers training at this rate."

Kaoru grew frustrated with Yutaro and Yahiko beating on each other and attacked both at once sending Yutaro's shinai skidding across the floor. "You're depending too much on the blade, Yutaro! And you Yahiko, when are you going to learn not to let your emotions control you?"

Over an hour later Kenshin entered the training hall to find both boys attacking Kaoru. If they worked together she would have been seriously hurt. "Kaoru-dono, what is this?"

She stepped back when he interrupted "Jodan kata, Yahiko. The secret to Kamiya Kasshin is in the hilt so master it!" Kaoru grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from her face, but Kenshin stopped her.

"Why are you letting him rush ahead?" He watched a bead trickle down the side of her flushed face.

"He was left behind when Akabeko was destroyed and again when Maekawa dojo was attacked. Yahiko said he can't stand being the weak one and wants to become stronger for you and himself."

Kenshin released Kaoru to watch Yahiko attack his rival "He will make mistakes, but not such mistakes as this one has made. If you do not mind, perhaps a stronger sparring partner may help."

"Go right ahead, Kenshin." Yahiko ought to spend time with a great man and Kenshin enjoyed playing with him. Yutaro counted how many times he hit her bokken while she thought about Kenshin playing with the children in Otsu and Dr. Gensai's granddaughters. He truly deserved to live a peaceful happy life in a quiet village with a beautiful wife, but since he decided to make this his home Kaoru was going to take a chance. Tonight she was going to give him the hakama she bought letting him determine if he wanted them to be a useful gift or a traditional engagement present. And if he took off with Sano again she'd simply leave them on his futon as a token for helping out around the dojo. At least she'd know exactly where she stood with him.

"Kaoru-sensai, I reached one hundred."

"You did well, Yutaro-kun. Drink some water before you head home and I'll see you tomorrow."

Kenshin and Yahiko weren't in the yard and Kaoru didn't sense his chi. She tried not to mind and went back inside remembering the shy smile at breakfast. It was a big step. Battosai ate all her cooking as if it didn't taste bad, but he didn't smile and didn't say her name. Kaoru flipped through her father's book passing the dry step-by-step instructions for each kata and stopped at the first page of tactics.

To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. Kaoru didn't see how negotiating was going to change Enishi's mind after he spent eleven years planning this attack.

"Yahiko, do you understand the importance of reaching an enemy's heart?" Kenshin blocked a shoulder strike as if swatting at a fly.

"An enemy attacks, Kenshin talks to them, and then they're not an enemy."

"…"

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Kaoru knew Kenshin's strategy was to keep everyone alive and while not dying was an excellent goal her father didn't give any advice on tactics to use against cannons and bombs.

"Do you know what strategy is, Yahiko?" Kenshin side-stepped a down-ward blow.

"It's long range planning to ensure security or victory." Yahiko frowned when his Migi Nagi attack was deflected.

"And tactics?"

"The use of forces in combat."

"Which do we attack, Yahiko?"

"Ugly said strategy, but she didn't say how to attack their plans." Putting more power behind each blow didn't make elbow strikes land any better.

"To know your enemy you must become your enemy." Kenshin repelled a double shoulder strike. "Apply it to us."

"So if the Kenshingumi's strategy is that no one dies, then Enishi ought to try killing one of us?" Enishi's goal was to kill Kenshin and Yahiko had no clue how to attack that.

"Very good, Yahiko." Kenshin already knew Enishi's strategy was to make him suffer by putting Kaoru in the middle of this so he had to find a way of getting her out of it.

He is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack. Kaoru thought about that for a while. Perhaps she ought to discuss it with Maekawa-sensai tomorrow after training, and maybe Dr. Gensai also. Because he played Go so well he might have some insight as well.

"With each sword move you know which part of your body is open to attack." Kenshin tapped Yahiko's left side to make his point. "Apply that to all of us as a whole and then we will better know what areas to strengthen."

"I already know I'm the weak point." My right foot and your left cheek.

"No, Yahiko. You might be the strongest ten year old in Japan, but you are still only ten and have much to learn." Kenshin stepped back to get his full attention. "You may have to face a man who relies on devices rather than skill."

What the...? Unskilled Gadget-Man? "I understand." Henya didn't have any skills either so bring it on.

Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will. Kaoru stalked away from Koshijiro's book because Udo Jin-E already did that. If Enishi tried it she'd beat him blue.

The evening sky gradually grew darker while Kaoru sat on the covered porch listening for Kenshin. She was certain he'd gone to his room when she began washing the dinner dishes and she grew concerned when the first three stars appeared before he did. He wasn't in the kitchen, his room, the dojo, or the bathhouse. Kaoru wasn't quite ready to give up searching yet and gripped the paper wrapped pants tucked in her sleeve as she latched the gate behind her.

A swarm of fireflies in the copse of trees on the right drew her attention and she suddenly felt a strong surge of chi as she came closer.

"Ken…shin?" She must have interrupted some type of chi training.

"Kaoru-dono," he moved toward the road where she waited for him "This one apologizes for worrying you."

"No, I'm sorry for disturbing your training." She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind an ear with no courage to give him the package now.

Kenshin watched tiny lights flicker around her hair and face unwilling to let such an opportunity go by. "This unworthy one hopes that you will accept this small gift, Kaoru-dono." The words didn't come out quite the way he planned as he pulled a plain paper wrapped bundle from his kimono.

Kaoru opened his gift just enough to see it was an obi to match her yellow kimono. "What does this mean?" She whispered softly.

"The obi means whatever Kaoru-dono wishes it to imply, that it does."

Her heart was pounding as she reached into her kimono sleeve "Then I want it to represent an old tradition. I want to stay with you."

Kenshin gripped the package tightly discovering that it was probably cloth, most likely the customary pair of hakama. He wrapped his arms around her without opening his engagement gift, too wrapped up in the tiny lights hovering around her hair to clarify that they were officially engaged.

Kaoru expected him to say something because of the way he held her or whisper to her when he turned his face toward her neck; although she tilted her head and wrapped her arms around his waist Kenshin only buried himself further.

The italicized lines are quoted from The Art of War by Sun Tsu which Koshijiro probably learned from his commanding officer.