Kenshin

Kenshin returned back to Kaoru a little later. He had sat there at the table, he had watched Saitou leave and he had thought, long and hard. Something someone had once said to him was, 'Once a killer – always a killer, I will deny everything that you are'. And he had proven that man wrong. Or so he thought. There were many things that he had thought that had not at all turned out the way he thought they were. So he sat and thought, and wanted a drink and then cursed the Prohibition because he remembered he couldn't just order one.

And then he thought, Kaoru. If I talk with Kaoru, then everything will be alright. So he stood up and unsteadily walked back to Kaoru.

The instant that she opened the door and saw his eyes, she knew something was wrong. The way her eyes widened a fraction, the way she had looped an arm around his waist and led him inside. Kenji was asleep, burbling happily to himself. Yahiko was laying in the corner, but when Kenshin walked in, he jumped up. "Yo, Kenshin." He said worriedly. "Everything okay? What did that asshole chain-smoker say to you?"

Kenshin had laughed a little at that. "It was someone from ten years ago, indeed it was. His name is Saitou Hajime and he came to warn this one."

Kaoru's eyes had widened further at that. "Warn you?" she parroted. "Of what?"

Should I say this in front of Yahiko? He'll get worried, he'll want to get involved, Kenshin worried. Yahiko stared at him, looking right through him. "I'm not gonna do anything stupid." He said reproachfully. "I might be kind of a kid, but…"

Smiling, Kenshin was reassured. "Yes." He said quietly. "This one apologizes." He settled back in his seat and reached for his cigarettes, but caught himself. I shouldn't smoke when Kenji's in the room. "Back when this one was the Battousai, there was a group. They were… A powerful group, almost like several military units rather than an organized crime syndicate – working for the government, indeed they were. They were called the Shinsengumi."

Kaoru nodded and Yahiko edged closer. Kenshin continued. "Now that the gang war of ten years ago is over, the captains of each Shinsengumi unit have gained places in the government, the military and the police. Some other members of the Shinsengumi were rewarded with money and sent away to other countries under a vow of secrecy." Kenshin took a deep breath. "But the government did not want anyone to know of their involvement in the gang war that had killed so many – even civilians. So they massacred most of the non-ranked members. The Shinsengumi was a large group, but those who know of it are so few, it is inconsequential. Because those who knew of it and those who took part have been killed, indeed they have."

"Shit!" Yahiko exclaimed.

"Watch your language!" Kaoru glared at him, gesturing to the still peacefully sleeping Kenji. "Not in front of Kenji." She hissed. Turning to Kenshin, she smiled encouragingly. "Sorry. Please, keep talking."

Kenshin nodded. "Saitou Hajime was the third unit Shinsengumi captain. He and this one were mortal enemies, indeed we were. But when we realized that the true enemy was not each other but the government, we became more like rivals – him competing for the strongest and I for my… Ideals." Kenshin forced himself to breathe evenly. "In the worst situations, when the two of us were backed into corners, we had each others' backs. It was a relationship befitting those times, indeed it was."

Yahiko shifted impatiently. "But what did he warn you about? What's going on?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

Kaoru nodded, looking concernedly at Kenshin. "What is happening that a man you've not seen for ten years is warning you?"

"Something to do with Wu Heishin, indeed it is." Kenshin answered. Almost as if he was thinking aloud he continued to speak. "He's the reason. The reason why Shinomori Aoshi is on this train, the reason why Saitou is here, the reason why apparently Shishio Makoto has his claws in this whole situation." He said quietly, his eyes narrowing. "And according to Saitou, this one will be dragged into all this whether I want it or not."

**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**o**

Kenshin went out for a smoke in the hallway, leaning against the slightly swaying wall, the movement of the train barely noticeable. Kaoru had reacted the way he'd knew she'd react – with firm determination to have things stay the way they are and avoid any icy mob bosses or ex-Shinsengumi members. Yahiko had been thoughtful, biting his lip and furrowing his brow. "So who's gonna drag you into it?" he had asked. "Heishin? Shinomori? Saitou? Shishio? All of 'em?" Kenshin had only shrugged and smiled, shaking his head. I have no idea.

He breathed out a ring of smoke, folding his arms and sighing. I guess even after ten years the Battousai is still catching up to me, he thought wryly. I thought I had left. I had settled down, left all of it behind. And yet the Battousai is still there, behind me and ahead of me. I can never escape him for good, it seems. Kenshin sighed again letting a steady stream of smoke escape his slightly parted lips. Let's hope Saitou is wrong. Although… he thought back. I don't recall any instance of him being wrong. And he always rubbed that in people's faces.

Kenshin smiled slightly. Actually, no. He was wrong once. He had said that he would never get married. But he has a wife now, he says. If I ever get a chance, I'll rub it in his face, Kenshin thought. I just hope that he's going to be wrong again.

Hearing soft footsteps down the carpeted hallway, Kenshin looked up. It was a boy, black hair in a bowl cut, a slight smile on his face. He leaned against the opposite wall and nodded to Kenshin. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked with a wide smile.

Kenshin shook his head, trying to smile back. "Oh no, not at all!" he said.

The boy lit his own cigarette. Kenshin could feel his eyes on him. They are unnerving, those sky-colored eyes, Kenshin thought. They're completely empty. Even though he's smiling I can see no expression on his face. Oh! He realized. It's the opposite of Aoshi. Aoshi's face is always blank or frowning, but his eyes are very expressive. Kenshin tried to distract himself with idle thoughts, but his mind was always drawn back to Saitou's words. '…You'll be dragged into this whether you want it or not…' Without realizing it, he frowned.

"It may be none of my business, sir…" said the boy with the strange blue eyes, disrupting Kenshin's anxious thoughts. "…But you seem rather troubled."

Slightly startled, Kenshin looked up at him. "O-oro?"

The boy's smile widened and Kenshin felt a slight chill run down his spine. "You're rather strong, sir." Continued the boy. "Very strong." he laughed a little. "And in this world, if you are strong, you have nothing to worry about. Because strength is the one thing besides time that conquers all." The boy breathed out a puff of smoke. "So fight and kill – all with your strength. Then all of your problems will be solved."

"…Oh…?" Kenshin's eyes widened as the boy walked by him, the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, sending a string of smoke up towards the ceiling. As the boy disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, he could've sworn the boy had said something that made Kenshin instinctively reach into his jacket for a gun that was not there.

"I'll be seeing you later, Battousai-san."