Chapter 1

In the moonlight they fought. The darkness impaired neither of them. As one advanced, the other – a silver shock of hair – disappeared, replaced with a log. Before either man could register the change, the wood splintered and hovered in the air for seconds before falling. The red haired demon's eyes widened, surprised. The silver-haired man, hidden in the leaves, let out a breath – if he had taken that blow, it would have sliced him in half. He took a moment to observe the other man. The redhead was facing the opposite direction, breathing slowly, resheathing his sword. The shock of silver hair shook; did the red-haired man really believe it was over? No, the man realized, he was waiting.

Suddenly, five kunai flew out towards the red-haired man. He quickly grabbed the log that he had bruised and shielded himself with it. Angrily, he tossed the quite-dead log aside. "Show yourself," he demanded in a calm voice. A silvery sheen lay on the forest, making it hard for the man to see the difference between moonlit tree and his assailant. The silver-haired man did not, however, come out.

A woman came out. "Kenshin!" she said, walking towards the red-haired man, unperturbed. Kenshin's eyes widened, and he ran for her, but the silver-haired man got there first. "What're you-" the woman said before realizing her predicament.

"One more step and she dies," the silver haired man said, holding her to him. Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and he took his stance. What was this man playing at? In the other man's arms, the woman struggled and made a lot of noise.

"Yeah, right, taking me hostage! I'm Kamiya Kaoru, head of the dojo where we practice Kamiya Kasshin style. Let go!" She succeeded in stomping on the man's right foot, making him loose concentration. Kenshin saw his chance and shifted closer, but Kaoru was still in the way. She bit the silver-haired man's left arm and elbowed his right side at the same time, but by that time the silver-haired man had already regained his composure and was cursing his lack of concentration. He wrapped his elbow around her neck and grabbed her right hand at the same time, also holding her left arm to her body with his other arm.

Kenshin was about to draw his blade for a second time when he saw a kunai in the other man's hand, pointing towards Kaoru's belly. "I don't know if you can see this, girl, but perhaps you can feel it." He poked Kaoru gently with the kunai. "I wouldn't move if I were you, unless you want to die." Kenshin shifted back slightly, a little more than a pace away from the silver-haired man and his captive. "And you, Kenshin, was it? Who do you work for?"

Kenshin frowned. Did the man need to prove Kenshin had worked to further the new era? Usually this happened the other way around… But, this silver-haired man was unusual in many ways. "What do you mean?" he said, still tense.

The silver haired man was getting impatient, Kaoru could feel it when he tightened his grip on her. "He works in my dojo! What's so bad about that, huh!" she yelled loudly.

"You're a samurai?" the silver-haired man said, his brows furrowed.

"No," Kenshin admitted quietly, "a Ruroni."

"Why do you have a sword?" the silver haired man wondered aloud.

The woman countered. "Why do you carry knives? Look, weird guy, whoever it is that you're looking for isn't Kenshin, because Kenshin cooks and cleans my dojo in return for staying there. He's just a ruroni."

The silver-haired man paused and then shook his head slightly. He had just realized that these people weren't enemies. They were civilians. The man carrying the sword was probably the local law enforcement, not a ninja as he had first believed. Had these people ever seen ninja like him, from a Hidden Village? It was unlikely. He was a long way from home. Still he held the woman captive, and he could feel others approaching. This could get sticky, fast. He should retreat. "Come with me right now or I cannot guarantee the woman's safety," he said. 'or yours,' he thought. The man flipped the kunai and hit the woman on the head with it in one fluid movement. She sagged in his arms, unconscious.

"Can we not talk this out, here, now?" Kenshin said as the man threw Kaoru over his shoulder. Kenshin kept his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The man ducked and redirected Kenshin's blow before jumping high into the tree branches. "Not if you want her to ever see you alive again," the silver haired man said from the tree tops. "Stay here if you want to die. Then I will hold no regard for her safety. Kaoru, I think." Kenshin grimaced. What on earth was going on here? Follow the man who was trying to kill him just a few seconds ago or he would die? One thing was certain, however. If he did not attempt to follow the silver-haired man, the man would probably kill Kaoru. Once again, she would be in danger because of him. Kenshin sighed and sheathed his sword. "Come on, Yahiko, you can come out now."

The bushes rustled. "Aww…"

The man with the silver hair had been moving quite slowly for some time before the red-haired man had caught up with him, and now he knew why. Trailing after him was a noisy kid and someone far stealthier than either the kid or the red-haired man. Great. Perhaps another enemy? Making a quick decision, he sped up a bit and then stopped in a clearing, taking the time to rig a few traps, just in case. He laid the girl behind him, checking her vitals. She was still out cold. The man with the silver hair then began the waiting game.

When Kenshin caught up to Kaoru's kidnapper, he was slightly out of breath. The man was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing, reading a book. "Kenshin! Wait up! I-uh," the kid said. Kenshin's hand shot out and grabbed the back of Yahiko's yukata.

"Yahiko," Kenshin murmured under his breath without taking his eyes off the silver-haired man. He was a dangerous fighter; Kenshin had fought him with all he had, and the man hadn't tired at all.

Anger flashed in Kenshin's eyes as he slowly approached the man, stopping about halfway between Yahiko and the center of the clearing. He said nothing, but narrowed his eyes. The man smiled, or rather, Kenshin supposed he smiled because of the way his eye crinkled. All that was visible under the man's various garments was a single eye and his silver shock of hair – and indeed, his hair did look shocked. "I was thinking this would be a good place to make camp," the man said. Kenshin faltered.

"What do you want?"

The man's silver eyebrow creased slightly. "I believe we've met under unfortunate circumstances. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves again, this time as fellow travelers." He snapped his book shut and stood, presumably smiling again. Kenshin frowned. What was this guy thinking?

He looked down at Kaoru purposefully. "Travelers headed in the same direction," he mused out loud.

"That's right!" the man spoke again. "Greetings, fellow traveler. You look tired. Fancy some water?" Kenshin looked dubiously at the man and hesitated forward.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko burst out, unable to control himself any longer. "You're not thinking of working with him, are you? Look what he did to Kaoru!"

Kenshin was silent. The only sound in the clearing was Yahiko's breathing and the wind; Kenshin, Kaoru and her kidnapper were all silent. A bird called from a distance.

"Who are you?"

"Huh?" Yahiko said, confused.

"Who are you?" Kenshin said again, leaning forward.

"Noone of consequence," the man said, looking bored. Kenshin stared pointedly at him, but it seemed to have no effect.

Kenshin sighed, tired of being tense. "Is there something we can call you, then?"

The man with the silver hair scratched the back of his head. "Ah." He paused, considering something. "Call me anything you like," he said, thinking he would properly apologize later. That is, if he ever saw Konoha again. He shook his head slightly, chastising himself for losing his focus. For all he knew, he could be behind enemy lines.

Something rustled near the silver-haired man's ankle. He withdrew his ankle just in time, and heard a snapping sound as Kaoru's jaws clamped shut. "You jerk!" she practically screamed. This wasn't good. He turned and grabbed her jaw, pulling her face towards him while taking a knife out of his pack.

"Kaoru!" Yakiko cried.

He was glad he'd tied her arms. "Listen," he said testily, "I am trying to help you, because the people following me would kill you."

She spat in his face.

As he was avoiding getting spit on his eye, he realized his mistake. He half turned and made a frantic hand sign, but Kenshin's blade was too fast. 'This is it,' he thought, closing his eye. He shouldn't have let down his guard, even around civilians. The last thing he heard was his bones cracking. " 'ts weird," he slurred before passing out.

Dawn was breaking. Two figures sat near each other, leaning against the tree. "What is going to happen to him?" one asked the other.

"We'll turn him in," snorted the other. "Maybe they'll make him work off his debt!"

"That's unlike you, Kaoru," the first said. A thwump sound could be heard throughout the clearing.

"That's what I'd expect from her," said a third voice.

"Aah!" agreed Kenshin, rubbing his head. "This one never knew you could sneak so well, Sanosuke," he added after a moment. Sanosuke chuckled. It was a skill he'd learned as a street fighter, and he wasn't proud of it.

"So, what are you going to do with him?" Sanosuke asked, anxious to change the topic. The three of them looked towards a slumping man tied to a tree a few yards away.

"He never did say what his name was," Kaoru murmured. For a moment no one spoke. Then, "Whatever, he's just an old man."

"Well, said Kenshin as he stood up, "let's just get him after some sleep; it's been a long night."

"Aye to that," Sanosuke said. "What about the kid?"

Kenshin turned and then smiled. "C'mon, Yahiko, time to go. Hup," he said, pulling the sleeping boy onto his back.

Kakashi opened his eye and grimaced. Breathing hurt. He exhaled slowly and tried to remember why he was tied to a tree. Oh yeah, he had been in combat, and he had gotten hit… why wasn't he dead?

Kakashi went limp and concentrated on his surroundings. Bird songs filled the air, and there was a frog nearby. A frog… Kakashi hadn't noticed any water nearby. It was probably a signal, but he didn't know to what end. He began to pick at the knots that held his wrists. It could be Tenten. Last time Kakashi had faced his rival, Gai had bragged about his student's signaling abilities. Neji was better at recon, though, and if Team Gai was here, than they wouldn't have waited for him to wake up to rescue him. Or maybe it was Sakura… but then again, why would it be Sakura? Heck, Naruto was the one who could summon frogs. Kakashi suppressed a painful sigh as he remembered what had happened. He had been preoccupied with the girl when the guy had gotten him from behind. It had hurt, too. It still hurt as if it had just happened. Kakashi shifted, trying to get a different angle on the knots at his hands. Instead of feeling the slick, sticky smear of blood on his clothes, Kakashi felt a dry burn that shot pain through his side and back.

What?

He opened his eye again, and his clothes came into focus. There was no rip or tear. Confusion swept over Kakashi like a tidal wave. As Kakashi's mind reeled, his eyes wondered. He noticed the ground: it was pounded dirt with patches of grass, like a yard. He had gotten hit. He was in the shade. But his clothes weren't ripped or bloodied. There was a fence nearby. That could mean that he was or wasn't bleeding, but at least he wasn't bleeding a lot. The fence was connected to a gate. Kakashi's arm was hurting, too. Next to the gate was a house… Perhaps that was the reason these knots were taking so long to undo. …and sitting on the porch of the house was the red-haired man from before, staring intently at Kakashi's every move.

Kakashi's blood froze and his stomach flipped. His pain-blurred stare became a hardened glare. "What do you want?" he said, or tried to say. What came out was a rather loud and painful sigh. In response, the not-ruroni smiled. Kakashi wasn't sure what the man was, but he definitely wasn't a ruroni – he was too skilled for that. Or maybe Kakashi was just mending his wounded pride. The not-ruroni (It was Kenshin, right?) stood and went inside the house. No, not a house, Kakashi realized – a dojo. Kakashi picked at the knots with his good hand a little more frantically and, thankfully, got one loose enough to pull out. Before he could begin the second knot, Kenshin came back out with the woman, who was holding a cloth and a bowl.

"We've sent for a doctor," she said, coming closer than Kakashi felt comfortable, although that was about five feet away at the moment. Whatever was in the bowl smelled good – it reminded Kakashi how hungry he was. If only he could get in his pack, he could eat the last of the rations he had prepared. Kaoru kept coming. Kakashi tensed his legs and glared. That's what he meant to do, anyway, but a fresh shot of pain lanced up his arm, and he almost passed out again.

"You shouldn't move," Kenshin said, moving closer. He brushed a hand over the katana at his hip. "The sword this one carries doesn't kill, it protects the weak."

And then Kaoru was wiping his eye with the damp rag. "Can I wipe the rest of your face too? Jeez, you are sweating like a dog! Kenshin told me I shouldn't but I know how hot it can get in the summer, and you're wearing all those things on your face." She put the damp rag on his hair and continued without waiting for a response. "Well, we were going to leave you there, but you don't look like you're from here, you know? And then you said people were after you, and you sounded like you were trying to help us, so…" Kaoru held the bowl up to Kakashi's face. "Would you like some curry?" Kakashi leaned his head back until he hit the tree. He was very, very hungry, but it wasn't worth taking his mask off.

"No," he said, turning his head. His side was aching, and his arm felt like it had been stabbed. He tried moving his fingers, but another bout of pain was all he gained for his efforts. He grunted and hardly noticed the cloth fall to the ground.

Kaoru drew back, abashed. "Won't you at least try it?" She paused, waiting for Kakashi to say something, but he couldn't. She continued. "Look, mister, we're trying to help you. I'm trying to help you. I made this curry, and so help me you will eat it or starve, so don't even mention how it tastes, because I went through a lot of trouble for you, and don't you go thinking I'll do it again, do you hear!" Her voice had steadily risen in volume, and now she was standing over him, looking a lot like a dark-haired Tsunade-sama.

He looked up at her weakly and replied, "Aah." Frustrated, she turned on her heal and left, stammering something about men and food while gesturing violently. A hearty laugh sounded from somewhere near the gate.

"Sanosuke!" Kaoru growled as a warning. Smiling, a rather tall man held his hands out as consolation. Instead of accepting the peace offering, Kaoru took a swipe at Sanosuke, which he avoided. "Aah, so violent!" Sanosuke said, which inflamed Kaoru even more. She charged at him, throwing a lot of punches, and he held her back by her head. "Sagara Sanosuke, you will be in trouble when I'm through with you!"

Kakashi chuckled. He could see Naruto and Hokage Tsunade arguing in the exact same way in a decade or so. He hoped he'd be alive then to see it come to pass.

"Kenshin, Megumi said she'd gather some things before coming over. She's coming this afternoon," Sanosuke said, avoiding Kaoru's shinai now.

"Is that so?" Kenshin said, sitting down just out of Kakashi's range. Kaoru paused and drew her eyebrows together. "Megumi's a doctor," Kenshin continued, talking to Kakashi now. "She's mended this one's wounds before. You'll be in good hands with her, that you will."

"Who'll be in good hands?" Kaoru growled before hitting Kenshin from behind.

"Oro!" he said, rubbing his head.

"But it's true, she's a really good doctor. She saved my life once," said a kid coming around a corner. He held a shinai over one shoulder. "Kaoru's just upset because every time Megumi comes over, she makes a move on Kenshin," the boy said with a smile, waggling his eyebrows.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried, hitting Kenshin again. "Don't you have training to do?"

"Oro oro!" Kenshin responded again. "That hurts!"

"Sheesh, the kid beat me to it," Sanosuke said.

"Alright, alright! And I'm not a kid! I'm the second best swordsman, got it?" Yahiko yelled over his shoulder, retreating. Sanosuke chuckled, Kaoru fumed, Kenshin smiled and Kakashi sagged, trying not to laugh. 'Forget the decade,' Kakashi thought, 'these people are like my team now.'

Kakashi's stomach grumbled, causing everyone left in the yard to glance at him purposefully. Kakashi lowered his head and raised his visible eye in a way that made it almost seem as if he was pleading, if he didn't also look so bored. "I eat alone," he began, trying to explain. After a pregnant pause, some weird looks and another painful gasp, he continued. "A man has his dignity." Kenshin smiled, understanding to a degree. Sanosuke rocked back on his heels, a little surprised.

Before anyone could do anything else, Kaoru was crossing the yard again. "Oh, that is such a stupid reason! You're going to starve, just because-" she growled, and made a swipe at Kakashi's face mask. He ducked right and she missed. He let out a strangled cry and Kaoru paused.

"Do you make all men groan like that, Kaoru?" said a womanly voice from the direction of the gate. Kaoru's face gained a reddish hue and her eyes narrowed. She looked like she had frozen, which Kakashi was grateful for. He suddenly remembered he had one knot more to go, and tugged absently at it.

"Megumi," Kenshin said, waving. Sanosuke slouched towards Kaoru and Kakashi.

Megumi continued, "It sounds painful. Kenshin, I am a much gentler… opponent. Call if you ever have need of me," and drew near to Kenshin. 'She is as they described her', Kakashi thought. As Megumi began patting Kenshin's hair, ("Oro!"), Kaoru broke her wordless stupor.

"It's not! I wasn't! It wasn't like that," at this point, Kaoru's eyes had begun to shine with unshed tears. "He wouldn't eat, even though he's hungry," the tears were spilling over now, "and what are you talking about, being Kenshin's opponent!" Kaoru finished, growling loudly.

"Heh, you don't look up to taking Hiten Mitserugi, you old fox," Sanosuke said through a spoonful of Kakashi's curry. Megumi gave him a dark look. "Bleh! This is really disgusting," he added.

"Y-you!" Kaoru growled, turning on Sanosuke. He wasn't far enough away to dodge the blow to his head, so he took it. "I thought you would get here this afternoon!" Kaoru continued towards Megumi, flustered.

"Why, I just had to come see Ken-san, I couldn't keep myself away any longer," Megumi explained, hugging Kenshin. ("Ahaha," from Kenshin. His eyes were darting back and forth between the two women.)

Kakashi looked at Sanosuke, who was on the ground. "You don't have much luck with women, do you," he said. Sanosuke's brows furrowed, and he grinned. The newly forming bruise looked like the ones Naruto frequently received from Sakura. Naruto… Kakashi wondered absently what his two remaining students were doing.

"Anyway," Kenshin was saying, "Megumi should probably look at his wounds, now." The words blurred together as Kakashi dealt with a bout of homesickness. He was roughly jerked back to reality with a very, very painful twist in his left side, arm and back. He caught back a noise of anguish just in time, but could not hold back a grunt. His jounin vest was unzipped, and Megumi was pulling gently at his shirt.

"It's sewn all the way around," she was saying. She sounded confused. Kakashi bit back another groan and, just as he wished his arms weren't tied, they were free. He shut his eye and clenched his teeth, preparing himself.

"Kenshin!" he heard a male voice exclaim. Kakashi ignored it. He needed medical attention very badly, and he knew it. He slipped his right arm out of his shirt relatively painlessly, grabbing the end of his sleeve with his teeth. The other sleeve proved more difficult. Groaning, Kakashi whipped his left arm around, grabbed the sleeve with his other hand and pulled. One third of the sleeve slipped over his arm. Chilled hands grasped at his elbow, pulling, helping him, Kakashi realized. As Kakashi willed down another bout of pain, he opened his weary eye. A blur of colors met him as he grabbed at his shirt, pulling it back down around his neck. He didn't want it all the way off, because it was connected to his mask. Heaving a sigh, Kakashi passed out yet again. "This is not good," Megumi said, echoing through his dreams.

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