Disclaimer: Same as the last 14 chapters.

Spoiler: Episodes 29 and 30

A/N: Well everyone, this is the final chapter for the story. I know that there are other stories out there that depict this battle. I just hope that I can do it justice. (I'm not going to copy the dialogue word for word, but it'll be close enough.)

Ten years later….

Kenshin walked into the dojo behind Kaoru and stared at the kneeling man's back in shock. He flexed his hands slightly within the sleeves of his kimono and waited.

"You had a hard time with Akamatsu. You've grown much weaker than I expected. The last time we fought was, I believe, Toba-Fushimi wasn't it? It's been ten years." Saito said remaining kneeling.

Kenshin's POV

I couldn't believe Saito was sitting in front of me. His hair was cut short in the Western fashion and he was in a police uniform, but it was undoubtedly him. I knew the moment I saw him that he had been the one to hurt Sanosuke and his words needled me.

"You're no longer the man I once acknowledged as a true warrior, Hajime Saito, Leader of the Third Squad of the Shinsengumi." I said barely noticing Kaoru and Yahiko's reactions to this news. Saito stood and turned, his eyes flashing in the dying light.

"I was afraid your sword had become rusty, but I didn't think that your brain had become rusty as well. Akamatsu was a dog? A weakling like him couldn't even begin to fulfill the role of a dog. We of the Shinsengumi knew the strength of Battousai the manslayer better than anyone else." Saito said his voice low and even. "Being a wanderer that doesn't kill has obviously made you weaker Battousai."

"As long as I have the strength of a wanderer to protect the people in my life then that's as good enough for me." I said staring Saito down. "I no longer need the strength of a manslayer, of a murderer, that I do not."

Saito's POV

I walked over to the entrance of the dojo, looking over the Battousai yet again. The last ten years had been kind to him. I could still sense the hidden strength that his small frame didn't show. I unbuttoned my jacket slowly.

If that's the case, then even as the wanderer you are now, you're a failure. While your hands were full fighting Akamatsu, I was here the whole time. On top of that, your ignorant friends let their guards down simply because I happen to be a police officer." I said unsheathing my sword slowly and lowering the sheath to the ground. "In other words, if I wanted to kill them, I could have done so at any time. But it wasn't just this time. When you fought Jin-e and again with Kanryū. You allowed the people in your life to fall into your enemy's hands. And even more pathetic, you allowed a complete fool like Raijūta to wound you in battle. Mediocre strength is as good as nothing. And the words of a hypocrite are empty words that disgust me."

I ignored the boy and woman's reactions to the news that I had been the one to hurt the Fighter for Hire and watched the Battousai. I could tell that he was showing a calm exterior to his friends but inside, he was slowly returning to the Battousai I knew from Kyoto.

"Drowning yourself in this false sense of justice. A wanderer that doesn't kill. How does Battousai the manslayer protect people without slaying others? Have you forgotten? Aku Soku Zan." I said feeling the lust for battle rising in my blood. "Slay Evil Immediately. That was the one truth about justice that we had in common. It's unbearable for me to see you standing there as the man that you have become."

"It doesn't matter what you say to me. I have no intention of ever taking the life of another person again." The Battousai said his voice firm, but I could see his eyes were flashing.

"I see." I said settling into the Gatotsu stance. "Then I shall deny you your entire false existence."

Regular POV

Kenshin pulled away from Kaoru and walked to the side of the dojo; Saito mirroring his movements. Saito settled into the Gatotsu stance again and they waited. Watching each other for the miniscule tell- tale muscle movement that would signal the beginning of battle. The sun set behind the clouds, darkening the dojo and setting the battle in motion.

Saito's eyes widened for a moment before he lunged forward and Kenshin jumped to avoid the thrust. Saito crushed part of the wall and used the momentum to thrust upwards, catching Kenshin's right side. Kenshin coughed up a small amount of blood. Saito swept his blade sideways, pulling the blade from Kenshin's side and kicked him across the dojo. The sounds of Kaoru and Yahiko's voices fading into nothing for both men.

Saito flicked Kenshin's blood from his blade and readied himself for another Gatotsu. Kenshin's stared up at Saito, his breathing harsh. Saito lunged forward and Kenshin drew his sword, blocking the Gatotsu and the following slash; only to have Saito drive his shoulder into his wounded side. Kenshin hit the wall and slid down it; leaving blood smears on the wall. Kenshin glared up at Saito, his mind no longer in Tokyo, but in the bloodstained streets of Kyoto. His breath came in harsh pants, willing his body to stand.

"Stand up." Saito said his sword ready. Kenshin's view was suddenly blocked by a woman he had no recollection of. Saito glared at Kaoru. "You're in the way."

Kenshin stood and gently pushed the woman out of his way. He walked forward holding his bloody side, watching Saito wait for him. Kenshin darts forward, ducking low to avoid Saito's sword and attempting to attack him from behind. Saito glances back and kicks him hard in the upper chest. Kenshin lets out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a groan; feeling the leather thong in his hair snap. Saito stared at him, trying to figure out where that burst of speed had come from. Kenshin's held his side and tried to steady his breathing; he needed to find his strength or he was dead. He closed his eyes and soon his breathing steadied. He stood and walked forward, ready to kill the enemy in front of him.

"Now I'll attack with my true Gatotsu. No more holding back." Saito said holding his blade much higher than before. He shouted and lunged forward; his blade in line with the center of Kenshin's forehead. Kenshin dodged to the right and Saito's blade followed. Kenshin crouched down and spun, drawing his sword and smashing the reversed-edge blade into the back of Saito's skull; sending him straight through the wall.

"Stand up. It would be a poor ending to our first duel in ten years otherwise." Kenshin said staring at the hole in the wall. Saito's hand appeared on a jagged edge of wood and he pushed himself up.

"The end? This wasn't my plan, but it doesn't matter." Saito said walking back onto the dojo's floor. His forehead bruised and blood dripping down his face. "I'll kill you now."

"I think you got it wrong, those are my words." Kenshin said sheathing his sword and readying himself for the next attack. Saito shifted into the Gatotsu stance and lunged forward with a yell. Kenshin blocked the attack and the battle commenced in earnest.

Their blades met and disengaged over and over; sending sparks into the air. They dodged around each other and Kenshin flipped over Saito's blade several times. Kenshin pushed off the ceiling and then the wall to gain speed and Saito put all of his strength into the next slash. Kenshin used the wall again and met Saito in the middle of the dojo. Their swords met and they both refused to move. Saito pressed his gloved hand against his blade and used his strength to push Kenshin back across the floor and into the wall. Kenshin shifted away from his own swords edge and used the space to kick Saito hard in the jaw. He flipped over him and landed in the middle of the dojo, sheathing his sword. Saito turned and spit out a bloody tooth.

Saito lunged forward with another thrust, which Kenshin blocked. Saito felt when his sword shattered and didn't bother to glance at where the top four inches of his sword had landed. Kenshin held up his sword and stared at Saito.

"It'll be your turn next and it'll be your head." He said with a small snarl on his face. Saito simply settled into the Gatotsu stance. "You Shinsengumi guys never did know when it was in the best interest for you to retreat."

"The first rule of the Shinsengumi is to always follow the ways of the samurai. And fleeing an enemy in front of you isn't an option!" Saito yelled lunging forward in the start of the Gatotsu and then throwing his sword at Kenshin, who blocked the sword with his left hand. Saito continued forward, snarling.

'And you choose pride over life as a Samurai should.' Kenshin thought raising his sword for a killing blow. Saito's snarl turned into a smirk as Kenshin's eyes widened slightly as his belt connected with Kenshin's sword hand. Kenshin's sword flew out of his hand and before he could do anything, Saito landed four hard punches to his chest; knocking the air out of him and stunning him momentarily.

Saito slipped out of his jacket and wrapped it around Kenshin's neck as Kenshin got his breath back. He gripped the edges and pulled; hauling Kenshin into the air. He leaned back slightly to gain more leverage and pulled harder, trying to snap Kenshin's neck. Kenshin had managed to get both his hands under the jacket, but Saito had tightened the noose far too much for his struggles to be much use. Kenshin pulled his left hand away and pushed his sheath back and up with all of his strength, connecting with the underside of Saito's chin. Saito released the jacket with groan and Kenshin fell to the floor, landing on his feet just enough to jump forward, out of Saito's reach. He tore the jacket off his neck as Saito fell to his knees.

They stayed kneeling on the floor for a minute, both trying to summon the strength to keep fighting. Saito prodded a few loose teeth with his tongue and watched Kenshin rub the rapidly forming bruises around his neck. They both stood, having gathered everything left in their bodies for one final clash.

"I think it's time we put an end to this." Saito said cracking all of his knuckles and staring at Kenshin.

"I agree." Kenshin said pulling his sheath and gripping it until it shook. Kenshin took a step forward and lunged forward with a yell. Saito matched him step for step. Both of them intent on finally finishing the battles that had started over a decade ago. Two steps until the deciding blow. One step…

"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Yelled a voice from out of nowhere. Saito and Kenshin stopped and turned towards the door. Both still in position to deliver the final blow. "Get a hold of yourself Saito. The mission you accepted from of office was only to determine the Battousai's competency."

"We're in the middle of something here." Saito said straightening up. "I won't allow even you, the police commissioner, to interrupt us."

"Mr. Saito, I know you have your pride as a member of the Shinsengumi, but I don't want you or Himura to waste your lives needlessly here." Said an older gentleman walking through the dojo's door.

"I see. The true mastermind behind all of this was you. An old Imperialist from the Satsuma area." Kenshin said watching the men at the door. "The Meiji Secretary of the Interior. Toshimichi Ōkubo."

"I truly am sorry that we had to be so rough on you but it was important to determine just how effective you still were after all these years." Ōkubo said looking directly at Kenshin. "You will stay and hear me out, won't you?"

"I will. Why don't you start now?" Kenshin said roughly. Saito tilted his head slightly, hearing rustling outside the dojo's window. The noise was confirmed when he heard Akamatsu rambling to himself. He leaned down and picked up his jacket, heading for the door.

"It looks like our final duel has been pre-empted. We'll have to settle out score another day." Saito said glancing back at Kenshin, even though the eye movement made his head throb.

"Your life's been spared for now." Kenshin replied watching Saito closely, the wound in his side starting to make itself known again.

"And so has yours." Saito said walking over to the doorway and answering his superior's question. He walked out the gate and into the night to finish a few loose ends. Inside the dojo, Kenshin forced himself to back away from the manslayer that had once again taken a hold of his body and allowed Megumi to bandage his wounds before listening to what Ōkubo had to tell him. After Ōkubo and the police commissioner left, everyone went to their rooms to recover from the day.

Kenshin fell asleep almost instantly, but his dreams were again of the bloody streets of Kyoto. He was standing on the bridge that had collapsed beneath he and Saito all those years ago and Saito was standing with him. They looked over the river in silence for a time and then Saito spoke, but it sounded as if he were far away.

'Some things never change. A wolf will always be a wolf, the Shinsengumi will always be the Shinsengumi, and a manslayer will always be a manslayer. Correct, Battousai?"

As Kenshin turned at his words, Saito's image faded from view and Kenshin fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

THE END

Well, the story is finally over. I hope you all enjoyed it because I had a hell of a lot of fun writing it.

Thanks again to everyone who stuck with me through all the long update periods.

Silverfox588