A sea of officers parted for Saitoh Hajime. He reached the front and stared down into the eyes of Himura Kenshin, who resembled the Hitokiri Battousai of old. Saitoh took a long draw on his cigarette.

"Battousai." Saitoh eyed Kenshin. "You have no business here. Leave."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed into thin slits, the purple irises practically glowing in an amber rage. His right hand held onto the sheath of his sakabatou blade, his thumb ready to flick the blade from the sheath. He took up a guard stance.

"Saitoh, get out of my way," his voice grated with feral rage.

Saitoh took another long drag on his cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly.

"I can't allow you to force your way into a government building and raise hell."

"So be it."

Kenshin, with his left hand, held his sakabatou to the side of his hip and parallel to the ground. His right hand hung loosely above the pommel as he edged his right foot forward and turned his back away from Saitoh.

Saitoh took one last drag from his cigarette and flicked it in a high arc over the gathering crowd to burn itself out in some darkened corner of the street. Saitoh unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Kenshin as he slid deeply into the Gatotsu stance.

The two stared each other down, waiting, analyzing, watching both eyes and the body waiting for a tell-tale tensioning, a further narrowing of the eyes, as a warning of a movement to come.

In a simultaneous blur, both Saitoh and Kenshin lashed out; the movement of their swords were so fast that only the sounds of the two swords connecting could be heard.

They broke apart. Kenshin analyzing his foe of old for any weaknesses, any signs of sloppiness. Their narrowed eyes took the measure of one another, and they both came to the conclusion that they were as equally matched as ever.

The *Wolf's eyes glowed with an old fierce light, the power of wind and rain, storm and moonglow held mirrored within those dark irises, within the depthless dark pupils that glared intently into a separate but similar set of glowing amber eyes.

*Author's note: (Saitoh Hajime was a member of the Mibu Wolves. The Mibu Wolves was the nickname of the Shinsengumi. When the Shinsengumi was first formed, they were stationed in the village of Mibu, hence the name.)

The wolf stared into the eyes of the prowling crimson-maned lion. The two predators circled one another, their feet padded softly on the crisp dying grass. The lion's eyes glowed from the darkness borne from unknown origins, a darkness full of thunder and lightning, hurricane and spring. The mystery and raw power held in check like nature's balancing of the changing seasons.

The calm, the eye of the hurricane broke into the torrential flood of rains as Kenshin leapt, a blur of sight, coming down on Saitoh with blade in hand, like a flash of brutal lightning.

Saitoh raised his sword, blasting the lightning strike and holding it dead in its tracks. Sparks flew and thunder rumbled from the two silvered-edged beams, as the two combatants held each other to a standstill. A rush of wind passed through, and the lightning strike subsided showing two men glaring at one another again. The sparks of the raging lightning still illuminated their narrowed primal eyes.

A rhythmic pounding of hearts and hooves was heard both near and far as the cry of a horse pierces the sky as it is brought abruptly to a stop. Murmurs rippled through the gathering crowd like a spreading wave on the surface of a disturbed pond.

Kaoru in her haste, dismounted by sliding and hopping off the horse, landing on her feet which gave way. Falling to her knees, she stifled a sob of pain, and stood erect. Biting her lip, Kaoru began pushing her way through the crowd to the center, where she heard a return of the lightning clashing against this earthly storm.

Wading through the crowd she reached the shore, and looked desperately at the combatants.

No... I'm too late.... how can I stop them?

Kaoru wracked her dizzy head trying to think of something. The last time these two had fought she had been unable to stop them, and only Toshimichi Okubo* had been able to stop them.

*Author's Note:(Toshimichi Okubo, in real life, was the most powerful man (politically, that is) in Japan during the Meiji Era where Kenshin and the rest supposedly existed. In the RK story, he was also the man who asked Kenshin to assassinate Shishio Makoto but was in turn assassinated by Seta Soujirou.)

Trusting in her faith of both of these men, she did the only thing she could think of to stop them. Just as she sensed the subtle change indicating another engagement between them she rushed out and stood between them. Her head bowed not looking at either one of them, her hands held at her sides in the most meek and submissive pose she could manage.

I'm not a threat. I'm unarmed. Please.... please let this work.She cried out to a fate that could be merciful or merciless, all depending on fate's whimsy.

She felt a displacement of air, and flinched internally, feeling wisps of her hair tug to the side. Then stillness.

"Get out of here, this isn't a place for little girls to be traipsing along!" Saitoh said gruffly.

Kaoru with her head still bowed, shakes her head slowly but sadly. "I can't do that. Not when this fight serves no purpose, not when this is because of me!"

Kenshin moved toward her and walked past her, then in a rush charged at Saitoh again.

"Kenshin! NO!!!!"

Kaoru was grabbed and pulled back from off the battleground by strong hands.

"What do you think you're doing Ojouchan?"

"Sano, I just can't stand by and do nothing! Please, let me go."

"Gomensai (sorry). I can't do that. You'd just end up getting yourself hurt or killed. Stop being so selfish."

Kaoru's eyes began to tear up at those harsh words from him and in frustration. And spoke with a voice thick with raw emotion, "Forgive me Sano..."

As she kneed below the belt and got free again, Kaoru stepped over the prone Sano while trying to impede the fight going on before her.

But before she could do more than limp a couple of steps, she felt arms wrap around her legs and pull her back.

"Stop being so stupid you old hag!"

"Yahiko! Shimeteyaru!" (I'm gonna beat the living crap out of you!)

Yahiko, for Kaoru's own good, kicked at her feet, catching her as best as he could when she fell. Sano was there helping Yahiko, and quickly untied his headband and bound her feet together.

"Stop this. It's not any use!" Sano said in a slightly high-pitched voice.

Kaoru still tried to struggle, but Sano held her down by placing his hands on her shoulders. Sano leaned over her some and whispered in her ear, "You getting in the middle of them didn't do any good, give it up. This is beyond us."

Kaoru stopped fighting him, and looked up at Sano who was gazing intently at the fight. With a heavy sigh, she stopped struggling, then watched the fight unfold, terror rampant in her heart and mind.

Kenshin dashed at Saitoh as his sakabatou leapt out of his scabbard in an arc of silvery light. Saitoh parried Kenshin with a flick of his blade and sidestepped to the left as he toe-kicked Kenshin in the small of his back with his boots.

Unfazed by pain that would make a normal man submit, Kenshin woozily stepped to his feet only to see the glimmering point of Saitoh's Gatotsu. He held out his sakabatou in desperation, and he just barely managed to prevent himself from being skewered onto Saitoh's sword.

Meanwhile, lightning erupted from the sky as the two titans wage war in a gamble of skill and chance; the stakes: their pride and their lives. In the background some of the government officials were waging their own war... a gamble on the outcome, Kenshin or Saitoh. Money was exchanged amid sordid laughter.

Yahiko heard the laughter and turned, wondering what sort of idiot would laugh at a time like this. Yahiko saw the exchange of the money, furious he tugged at Sano and pointed them out.

The men were tapped on their shoulders. They turned around, and one of them was impertinent enough to ask "How much and on who?" and his answer was a face-caving punch that knocked him out. His companion fell less than a second later with the sound of shattering wood.

Sano walked away smirking, pocketing the money in his pocket. Yahiko trailed Sano, muttering about his shattered bokken.

Kaoru sat there watching in horror, tears fell shamelessly from her eyes, her body numb, her mind far from it. She was analyzing ever move, ever tactic, and searching desperately for a way to stop the fight.

From the vaguest, most ethereal recesses of her mind a thought came, and formulated.

He's doing this because of me. What if...

Before the thought could even be finished Kaoru cried out with body, heart, mind, and soul.

"KENSHIN!!!"

Delving deep inside of herself, recalling the attack from earlier in the day, she brought all of it back to mind, and called out for help with the voice she could not use earlier.

"HELP!!!"

In a flash, the Hitokiri Battousai of old turned toward Kaoru looking for a foe, seeing none, he stopped dead in his tracks, trying to fathom who the enemy was.

The shimmer of tears in Kaoru's eyes as she gazed at Kenshin, her mouth moved with unvoiced words. The tempest abates, a calm wind breaking through the brooding amber eyes of Kenshin, leaving behind a violet haze.

"K-Kaoru?" whispered Kenshin, his mind still in a haze.

Kaoru half sobbed in relief, then to her horror saw something from the corner of her eye "Kensh-"

Kenshin half turned, seeing the sword coming down for him, not having time to react.

The sword screeched to a halt through the air, and flinged off several drops of sweat from Kenshin's neck.

Kaoru sighed in immense relief. Sano and Yahiko looked at one another smiling.

A smirk appeared from the face of the wolf.

"Battousai, there's no challenge when you don't fight back. Go take the little girl home, as well as the brat and the spiked-headed fool."

"What the hell did you just say?" Sanosuke blurted out.

Saitoh turned around grinning while he re-sheathed his sword. He then lit a match and a cigarette, as he walked back into the building.

Sano frowned. "What an asshole," he muttered.

The crowd mulled, staring at the odd little group.

"Hey what the hell are you staring at! Go home!" Sano yelled, and the crowds knowing his reputation decided it would be in their best interest to leave.

Kaoru tried to get up, but fell to her knees, forgetting about Sano tying her legs together. Kenshin was at her side in an instant.

"You shouldn't be straining your foot like that."

He gently untied her bindings and returned the offending article to Sano.

"Let's go home."

"Hai," Kaoru whispered it, yearning for home and the safety there.

Before Kaoru realized what was happening she felt herself lifted off of the ground.

"What do you think you are doing?!"

Kenshin merely smiled down at her in his arms.

"You're in no condition to walk, and you have to get back to the dojo somehow."

"But I came here on a horse..."

"Oro? There aren't any horses around."

"Nani?"

Kaoru heard the soft padding of hooves and her eyes followed the sound to see Sano and Yahiko sneaking off with the horse.

"HEY! Come back here Sano! Yahiko!"

The two looked at one another, bolted onto the horse's back and galloped down the road into the sunset.

"I'm going to kill them."

Kenshin looked down at her, and smiled.

Don't you know why they did that?

"Kenshin, please put me down. I don't want you having to carry me."

Kenshin looked down at her, his face unreadable.

"No. I'm not about to let you walk home, not like that. Especially when if it wasn't for me you wouldn't need a way home."

Kaoru looked intently in his eyes and sighs. Her eyes closed tightly, and she whispered "why?"

Why do you go that far for me? Why did you even have to come here in the first place? Why do you now have to carry me? Why is it I never know your heart, whether it's in regards to me or others? Why? Why do you hold back so?

The approaching night hid his face in shadows.

"Because, I wasn't there to protect you when you needed me earlier. All I am now is a man sworn to protect my friends, what am I if I can't do that?"

"Kenshin, you can't be everywhere with us, and I can usually take care of myself. Please, don't go that far for me. I don't need the hitokiri as my friend, I need Himura Kenshin as my friend."

Silence fell between them like a shroud. Kaoru leaned against Kenshin, both for comfort as well as for the more practical reason of moving the center of gravity closer into Kenshin, to make it a bit easier for him to carry her. She closed her eyes allowing her raw nerves relax a bit in the warmth of Kenshin's arms.

Twilight fell upon the land like a comforting blanket. Kenshin walked toward home, the sleeping Kaoru held gently in his arms.