I own neither Rurouni Kenshin or Highlander

Please don't sue me. For one, I could not afford it

I would have to marry a Moroccan and stay here

Sometimes I feel like all I do is apologize to you all

Excuse of the week is technical difficulties

Finally just downloaded Open Office

Chapter Six

To say the residents of the dojo were pleased by Kenshin's absence would have been a vast overstatement. However, they had settled down quickly enough. Most of them anyway. Everyone save the one person who hadn't the faintest clue where the redhead had gone. The others had guessed.

Methos snarled, resisting the urge to kick the nearby fence. Temporarily breaking his foot would in no way improve the current situation. Now he remembered why he didn't like taking on students. It was far too stressful. Not that the situation would improve once they were trained. The ancient knew approximately where each and every one of his former students were at this moment. He was a bit of a worry wart that way.

The immortal turned, pacing back the other way. Continuing his tirade of ancient curses, only a few of which were understood by his audience. Finally, the brunette took a deep breath. Then another, this was getting him nowhere.

"I am going to kill him," Methos announced calmly. Probably more than once. Kenshin wasn't nearly old enough ( in the terms of their race at least) to be wandering around by himself. What if he ran into a headhunter?

Like his younger student, Methos also possessed a dragon's eyes. Going from a dark brown color all the way through hazel to pure gold. Something Saitou noted with interest as the ever changing gaze was focused on him. "You could show a bit more concern you know," the ancient spat.

Hajime Saitou was hardly the type of person to wear his heart on his sleeve. But Methos had known men like him before. Just because they didn't show it, didn't mean they were devoid of feeling. And it was obvious his two students knew each other well. Better than Kenshin's friends knew him as ironic as that seemed.

The police officer's only response was to slowly take another drag of his cigarette. Unfortunately his immortality had not resolved that issue to his satisfaction. The fox lady had immediately started going on about second hand smoke. Whatever that was. He would figure it out later.

For now though, Saitou blew the smoke back out. "He'll come back when he is good and ready." It wasn't like Himura was in that much danger. "Not more than usual anyway," he muttered under his breath.

A pair of hazel eyes narrowed at the aside. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" Methos demanded.

Sano chuckled. "What he means is that if someone were to make a list of the ten most skilled swordsmen in Japan, Kenshin's name would be on it." So would Saitou's come to think of it. And Aoshi's, Hiko too. Then there was Enishi. The wild-haired man mentally shook himself. Anyway, his point was that such men inevitably made enemies.

"Oh," Methos said. He had known Kenshin was a good swordsman. But he hadn't known he was that good. "It doesn't matter," the ancient continued after a brief moment of silence. "There is always someone better."

Aside from the rare fellow who was extremely lucky, either an immortal was a good swordsman or they were dead. Their kind tended to collect Masteries the way some people collected postage stamps. He turned to face Aoshi, intent on gaining an ally. "It only takes one mistake." Then it would be all over.

"I doubt any encounter would come to a fight," the ninja answered coolly. "And if the other insisted," Aoshi paused a moment before shrugging. "It has not been so long that Himura has forgotten what it is like to be hunted."

That was one area the redhead had ample experience in. In truth, Kenshin had only worked as an assassin for two years. After that he had been a skirmisher. It had been his job to buy his comrades time to escape, which ensured he was always the last to leave the line.

Countless hours had been spent hunting the Ishin swordsman through Kyoto's bloody streets. Ultimately though, it had been an exercise in frustration. No one had ever caught him. Too often, it had been they who had become the prey. Early warning system or not, Aoshi doubted an immortal would do any better.

Methos meanwhile was looking thoughtful. "And just when," he drawled. "Was Kenshin hunted?" There were several possible explanations for the ninja's statement. But at this point he was unsure which of them, if any, was the correct one.

A pair of dark eyes blinked, Yahiko looking up from his kendo practice before sheathing his bokken. "You have no idea who he is," the boy said, staring at the other in wonder. "Do you?"

"Should I?" asked Methos, wondering just what he had missed.

"Kenshin was the Hitokiri Battousai."

Now it was the ancient's turn to blink. He might have been newly arrived to Japan but he had still heard the tales. Stories of a man-slayer with eyes of fire with hair stained by the blood of his victims. Of an invincible swordsman who reveled in death and destruction. "The Demon of Kyoto?" Methos inquired, just to be sure.

The group nodded. Waiting to see how the ancient immortal reacted to this new information.

Methos just looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. "Ah well," he sighed. "I guess it is true what they say." At the others' puzzled expressions he elaborated. "It's always the quiet ones."

At the same time this was happening, the object of their discussion was busy climbing a certain mountain, not far outside the borders of Japan's capital. In an attempt to shorten the length of his trip, Kenshin had jumped the train. Unlike his last trip to Kyoto, he didn't have to worry about endangering the other passengers with his presence.

As he approached the summit, the redhead was unsurprised to see someone waiting at the top. Slowly, the redhead walked forward. Stopping a bare three feet in front of the other. "Master," he greeted.

Hiko was silent as he examined his (former) student from head to toe. Something was different. Another would not have sensed anything amiss. Even he would have been unaware, the swords master admitted silently, had he not known the younger man so well. Finally he sighed. "Just what have you done now baka deshi?"

Kenshin winced.

SSSSSSSSSSSS

Not entirely happy with this one

Had trouble putting it together

But feel I need to post something

Have a plan for the next chapter though

So no worries