When he opened his eyes, Goro was acutely aware of the man standing in the raod in front of him. "Who are you?" he asked, standing up, positioning himself between the baby and the road while lying one hand on his sword.

The stranger, clad in a long coat and sandles, carrying no sword or walking stick of any kind, raised one hand and shook his head. "I mean you no harm, old one. I have merely come for the child. Kindly step out of the way and you will not be hurt."

"I have been charged with defending this child unto death. You shall not touch a ahir on his head while I still breath."

"So be it." The young man said, looking up at the older man with deep, black eyes like twin pools reflecting the light from hell. A sudden force knocked the old man back against the cherry tree. The branches of the tree suddenly began to twist and writhe, the trunk splitting down the middle to reveal a hollow inside. He began to scream as he was forced inside. The last thing he ever saw before the tree swallowed him whole was the strange man picking up the basket and cooing softly at the baby inside.

* * *

Hitokiri Batou-Sai waded through the sea of guards, knowing that his ultimate goal lay beyong the double doors in front of him. He broke his gaze at the door for only a second as he dispatched each guard from this world to the next, glancing at each one's face and memorizing it. One could never know when a man one thougth he had killed would return and it was best to know an enemy before that enemy could strike.

Soon, the way was clear except for disembowled and slashed corpses. Batou-Sai walked up and kicked the heavy doors open. Inside, standing on a raised dais and holding a well-polished sword in front of him was Jiro Matsuda, daimyo of Kyoto and well-known opponent of the Emperor. It was Batou-Sai's duty to kill this man and kill him fast.

He sprung forward quickly, drawing his own sword and struck before he thought the other man could react. Suprisingly, the daimyo blocked with a deft parry. This man had seen combat before and knew how to handle a sword but could he handle the fury of Ken no Mitsurugi. Batou-Sai swung around in mid-air, planting his feet against the far wall and sprung, leading with his sword. Jiro tried to bring his sowrd up but it was knocked aside by Batou-sai's scabbard which was clutched in his other hand. Jiro's eyes went wide as the sword struck home, neatly cleaving his left side in two. Batou-sai had his sword sheathed before either he or Jiro Matsuda's body hit the ground.

From the next room, Batou-sai heard a small yelp. He turned and flung the door's wide, revealing a small woman in her mid-twenties, bowing before him in submission. At least this woman knew her proper role. There was no reason for her to die this night. The professional killer turned again and walked off into the night. Once again he had destroyed an obstacle to the new era.

* * *

The mysterious man approached the daimyo's residence, the basket clutched in one hand, a sheaf of small papers in the other. Instantly, he sensed something wrong. There were no guards outside, no hidden watchmen. No, he couldn't have been beaten here so soon.

With a long stride, impossible for any normal man, he alighted upon the outer wall. Down below he could see the bodies of the guards, neatly slashed and left for dead, beneath the cherry trees in the courtyard. Hopping to the ground, he strode through the carnage, listeneing as his footsteps splashed in the blood that had not yet soaked into the ground.

Inside, the scene was the same, dead guards cut down before they could even strike. Secretly, he knew exactly who had done this and hoped despite his feelings to the contrary that his mission might still be salvaged. Walking on, he came to the huge wodden doors leading to the daimyo's court and stopped. He was too late, the doors had already been forced. All he could do now was go home and report his failure. The plot to capture the child and kill the entire family once and for all had failed. He did not even need to check, he knew the mother would also be dead, there was no way a man like Batou-sai would leave such a powerful adversary alive. Perhaps the only hope left was to raise the child in his own clan and thus ease his failure, to turn an enemy into an ally.

Then, and only then, would he be able to destroy Hitokiri Batou-sai and restore his family as the greatest assassins in all Japan. The honor of Sakurazukamori was at stake.

* * *

SUMMER 1878 - TOKYO

Himura Kenshin awoke from a restless sleep covered in sweat. It wasn't just the heat that had awaoken him, the dreams had started again. He had seen their faces, each man he had killed, staring back at him and seeming to ask, "Why?" He'd hoped he'd made up for it by now but such was not the case. He still had much to doto ever redeem himself for his actions in the Ishin group.

"Kenshin," a feminine voice came from outside his door, "Are you alright?" He realized he must have called out in his sleep and awaken the dojo's owner.

"Yes, Kaworu-domo, now go back to sleep, you have to train a class in the morning."

"Okay, but if there's anything you need, I'm in the next room." She didn't need to tell him that, Kenshin knew where she slept. He knew where everyone was sleeping, Yahkio, Sano, the girls and Ji-san. He even knew that should he need her, Megumi's clinic was only three minutes away. It made him feel warm though, to know the invitation was there should he choose to accept it.

That was what he lived for now, to protect them. To help everyone his life had become intertwined with and make sure none of them were injured by his past. If he did that, then maybe he might make up for what he had done. Kenshin laid back and let his eyes close, slowly allowing sleep to overtake him. This time, there were no dreams.

* * *

In the morning, Kaworu sent Yahiko to get water so she could make breakfast. The young man hated the chore, and she knew it, but one lesson he needed to learn was that sometimes, people have to do things they hate before they can do things they enjoy. It made her laugh to thing of him lugging the heavy water baskets down the busy street, while trying to walk with the pride he felt as the son of a samurai. Still, she had to acknowledge that he had prgressed far, learning skills necessary to survive. If it hadn't been for him, she never would have gone to Kyoto after Kenshin and Kenshin would probabaly be dead now. However, with Shi-shi-o taken care of, things had settled down to as noraml as they every got at the Kamiya dojo.

Yet since then, something had changed. Maybe it was the way Kenshin treated her. Since their return, she felt closer to him yet he had not returned the feeling. Maybe he was still afraid of his past, or of what might lie ahead in the future. Why couldn't he just let go and accept the present. It was a puzzle she never thought she'd figure out.

"Ken ni-san," one of the little girls shouted at his closed door, "come out and play with us." The door parted and Kenshin strode out, his sakabato sword at his side as it always was. He bent ovcer and picked up the smaller of the two placing her on his shoulder and visibly straining slightly under her weight. It had been two years since Kenshin had arrived at the Dojo and still he played with the girls everyday like they were his own children. He would make a good father, Kaworu thought and then blushed before turning back to her work. Where was Yahiko anyway?

"Kaworu-san!" she heard Yahiko yell from the front courtyard. She turned and saw him running, no buckets to be found. She considered scolding him but stopped when she saw the man standing behind him. He wore a black uniform, like one of the local constablary but emblazoned upon it was the seal of the Emperor himself.

Kaworu rushed out and told Yahiko to wait inside, whatever this was, it was sure to involve Kenshin. "Hello, I'm Kamiya Kaworu, wlecome to my humble dojo, it is a pleasure to meet you," she stammered.

"I am chief inspector Tanaka Biji of his Majesty's royal guard ," he said, bowing lowly, his bald head reflecting in the sun, "I have come to speak with the one known as Batou-sai on a matter of urgent court business."

Kaworu was about to speka but was cut off by a sudden voice from behind her. "What does the Emperor require of me this time? I thought after I solved the problem with Shi-shi-o, I would be guaranteed my privacy. Does his excellency wish to disturb me again."

"Be assured Batou-Sai sama that we would not have requested your help had it not been a matter of the most urgent importance. Also, this does not directly involve the Emperor. I was sent by his majesty's Onmyou-shi."

"Onmyou-shi?" Kenshin asked, "Who might that be."

"A lady Sumeragi Sakura. She asked for you by name and sent me to find you. She said she met you once, twelve years ago under a full moon."

"Sumeragi Sakura," Kenshin said, his eyes growing wide with sudden recognition, "I will be prepared in five minutes. Wait for me here."

"Yes, Batou-sai-sama, there is a carriage waiting for you outside. Take as long as you need." Biji turned and walked out the gate. Kaworu spun around to face Kenshin but he was already back int he dojo, packing up his few belongings.

"What is this all about?!" she asked him. "why are you leaving again? I thougth you weren't going away again after Kyoto."

Kenshin turned, his eyes locking onto hers. "Kaworu-domo, I must go. I must see that woman, I owe it to her. I will be back as soon as I can." With that, he left again, saying a brief goodbye to Yahiko and the little girls before exiting the gate. She heard hoofbeats and saw a dust cloud rise over the gate, heading towards the imperial palace.

* * *

Kenshin recognized the woman immediately. He had not seen her in over twelve years but he knew her on sight. She looked up at him and smiled politely. "Please enter and make yourself comfortable, Batou-Sai san," she said, motioning towards a pillow resting on the floor in front of her. Kenshin knelt and studied the woman. She was older now, in her mid thirties, with flecks of grey in her long black hair and wrinkles forming on her face but she was still quite attractive.

"Leave us Biji," she said. The guard bowed and left the room, closing the paper sliding door behind him.

"It has been a long time, Batou-Sai," Sakura began, pouring some tea for herslef and the younger man. "I would be willing to venture that you are wondering why I have asked you here?"

"Yes, Sumeragi-sama," he said, taking the cup and sipping the delicate green liquid.

"Please, call mwe Sakura. I have news for you. The night you came and killed Lord Matsuda, you spared my life. It was a very uncharacteristic action for a man of your profession. I always wondered why you did it?"

"Sakura-domo. I do not mean to sound rude but at the time, I thought of you as only a powerless woman. If I had known then what I know now, I would have killed you. I ahd been informed that someone else had killed the daimyo's Onmyou-shi before I had even arrived."

"A clever lie spread by a loyal retainer," Sakura said, "the second assassin came after you did and found the castle gutted. He never checked to see if I were still alive, assuming that you had killed me just as you had assumed I was dead from his hands."

"Why did you not fight me. Surely, with the power you wield, you could have struck me down?" Kenshin asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

"I try not to practice agressive magics. Offensive and destructive spells have a tendency to rebound upon those who deleve into them at a later date. I only practice protective and banishing magics. That is my fate as a Lord's Onmyou-shi.

"Also, it mattered not to me that Lord Mastuda was dead. I had seen his death at your hands in a dream. It is best not to interfere in someone else's fate lest you share in their demise. I am destined to serve whoever rules and with his death, I was destined to serve the Meiji Emperor."

"I see, Sakura-domo. Why have you called me here?"

"You see, the night that the assassin came to kill me, he also kidnapped my infant son. I had assumed the boy to be dead but last night I had a vision of the man my son had become. He was different, clod and harsh. He cared nothing for the living and made his trade in death and destruction. I also saw him come to Tokyo in an attempt to kill the Emperor."

"Then he must be stopped."

"Yes, but I also saw you. I saw you engage my son in battle and die. My son did not kill you though. He is saving that privelege for me. You were killed by the man who believed you had cheated him of his mission in Kyoto those twelve years ago. You were killed so that his family might regain the title of Japan's greatest killers."

"What is this man's name?"

"Sakurazuka Serizawa of the Sakurazukamori assassin clan."

"Then he is a ninja?"

"No, he is an Onmyou-shi like myself but one who practices the darker magics. To reduce the effects of the rebound, he surrounds himself with underlings who will take his place and die from his heinous spells. He thinks you robbed him of his honor and soiled his family name. He will come to Tokyo along with his prodigy, my son, to kill both you and I."

"Then why have you warned me. I think you would be glad to see my gone, the man who killed your former master."

"True, but you killed him and spared me and by sparing me you allowed me to serve the new Emperor. Also, because we used you to cover up my not having been killed, I feel responsible for what happens to you at his hands."

"Is that all."

"No, there is another reason. I am growing older and my powers are out of practice and not quite up to what they used to be. I want you to protect me from my son while I protect you from Sakurazukamori. What do you say, Batou-sai, will you help me out or will you die."

"But fate has already decided that I should die, why try and change that. You said yourself that to try and change someone else's fate you risk sahring that fate. Why do you try and change it now, Sakura-domo?"

"Because, our fates are already intertwined. Trying to change them now can only lead in two directions. A new fate where we don't die or the fate I have seen where we both end up dead."

"Very well, I will retun tonight and make plans. It was a pleasure drinking tea with you Sakura-domo. May I be excused now, I have things to take care of."

"But of Course, Batou-Sai-san." The samurai got up and left, bowing deeply to the older woman as he went. After the door closed, Sakura Sumeragi looked puzzled. She had heard rumors of a change in the former proifessional killer but she never thaought she'd see them.

The look of a wild killer had left Batou-sai's eyes. In their place was a look of profound regret and steely determination to make things right. If it was true that he had changed so much in the alst twleve years than perhaps, he could make things turn out for the better.

* * *

Kenshin returned to the kamiya dojo in a drk mood. Kaworu noticed the minute he walked through the door that something was the matter. "Kenshin, what's wrong?" she asked but he did not respond so lost in thought was the samurai.

Something must have been really wrong. Kenshin hadn't been that concerened since the Shi-shi-oh affair. Kaworu froze, if this was that serious then Kenshin would leave again and this time he might not come back. he might even die.

"Kenshin," she asked again, "waht happened in this meeting of yours? What did she say?" No response. "Are you going to leave again?"

"If we're lucky," Kenshin replied, a serious look darkening his usually smiling features.

"What do you mean?" Kaworu asked throwing her arms around Kenshin's back and laying her head against his shoulder.

"Someone is coming, someone who would make Shi-shi-oh seem weak."

"Why must you fight him?" Kaworu began to cry, "why, run away Kenshin, run far away."

"I can't. If I don't fight, he could kill you all. I must do this one last time, this man must be defeated." Kenshin pushed her away and walked into his room, closing the door behind him. From inside, Kaworu heard him begin to clean his sword and also, she heard a sound that almost sounded like crying but maybe it was the wind, or the water Kenshin used to clean his blade.

End of Chapter 1
To be continued...