Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin

Chapter Two

1878

Iwao stretched, wiping the sweat off his face. "Sure is hot out today."

Two children laughed and played in the yard. He walked over to the well and brought up a bucket full of water. He filled a canister and drank what was left. "Shinta! Lila! Don't stray too far from the house!" He called to them. "I'll be right back."

"Ok dad!" They replied.

Iwao strolled along the trail that lead to the base of the mountain where a waterfall dropped ninety feet down onto the stream that provided their small village with fresh water daily. Toward the top of the cliff was a clearing. Iwao leaned against a large bolder at the edge of the clearing and watched his wife practice.

Violet eyes stared intently at a imaginary opponent. In a blink she attacked from one end to the other so swiftly that only the air around the waterfall moved.

"You continue to amaze me Hinageshi."

"Hm?" She rose from her stance. "Iwao." She walked toward him, her eyes closed. "It's Lina now." She tapped his shoulder with her sheath. "After all these years you'd think you'd remember that."

He gave her a smile. "Well I did bring some lunch and water." He handed her the canister. He noticed her left hand shaking slightly as she took the canister and opened it. "Your attacks are flawless."

"I try."

The call of a hawk sounded out.

"Kem." Lina replicated his call. The bird swoped from the sky, following the edge of the waterfall down into the small pool. In moments he returned to the air with a fish in his claws. Dropping it, Kem purched on Lina's arm. "Good boy." She stroked his breast with the back of her pointer and middle fingers. With a small jolt of her arm he was in the air again, retrieving the flopping fish.

"His been gone for a while."

Lina sighed and watched him rip the fish apart. "He's had nothing to do but travel freely since the end of the shogunate and the beginning of this Meji era."

Iwao glanced at her. "Do you still feel that way as well?"

"Eleven years." She looked up at the sky. "This past decade has been different for me. I wouldn't change it for the world."

"I see." Iwao stood straighter. "I'm going back to the house." He turned and smiled at her. "Don't train too hard, dear."

"Lord Kogoro, we've found Phoenix."

"Good, where is she?"

"In a small village outside of Tokyo."

Kogoro smiled. "Let's head out."

"Yes, sir."

Kenshin held up a sheet. "All clean."

"All clean." Ayame repeated.

"All Clean." Suzume copied.

"Time to play uncle Ken."

"Yea, to play."

Kenshin smiled. "Alright, let's go play."

"There's a rumor going around." Dr. Genzai commented.

Kaoru faced him. "A rumor? About what?"

"I heard that a gang has been looking for a warrior from the Shogunate."

"A Shogunate warrior? But why?" Sano asked. "A what kind of gang?"

"I don't know the gang, they're a mysterious bunch. But the girl they are looking for used to be the number one assassin for the Tokugawa Shogunate."

Yahiko thought a moment. "Wasn't the Shogunate one of the main enemies of the Imperialist army?"

Kaoru turned toward Kenshin. "Enemy of the Imperialists?"

"Phoenix!"

"Tomoe!" She reached out her hand. "Hold on Tomoe."

"Hinageshi!"

She blinked.

The night air was warm with flames. A red haired warrior ran through the fog. "You!" She ran after him. "Akira." Blood splattered around the buildings. "Kiyosato!"

Lina shot up, her breathing labored until she calmed. Taking care not to wake Iwao or the children she stepped outside. "That dream again." She rubbed her eyes. "My first and only fight with the manslayer." She stepped back, throwing shurikens toward the forest. A blade cut them off.

"My my. Eleven years and you're still as sharp as ever, Pheonix."

"And who might I be speaking to?"

"Katsura Kogoro."

"Leader of the Chosuhuu Ishin Shishi."

"That's right."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to do better then that, friend." She smiled.

"I see that your knowledge hasn't dulled either."

"You are you really?"

"I wonder, since your fatal end with the Shogunate have you been looking for him? That man who killed your friend Kiyosato and also Tomoe Yukishiro."

Lina gritted her teeth. "What is it that you want?"

The man smiled. "Simple really. I want the same thing you want; the Battousai dead."

Kenshin sneezed.

"Jeez Kenshin." Sano smirked.

"Oh I hope your not catching a cold Kenshin."

Sano chuckled. "Some girl's probably talking about him."

Kaoru hit him over the head. "Sano that's not funny."

Kenshin smiled at them. His gaze directing toward the night sky. /But the girl they are looking for used to be the number one assassin of the Tokugawa Shogunate./ He sighed. /It couldn't be her, could it?/

"Kenshin."

"Hm? Yes Miss Kaoru?"

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Not at all."

"See I told you missy. Kenshin's fine."