Through Time

(A Rurouni Kenshin fic)

CHAPTER FIVE

To Kyoto, now was that west or east?

The sound of applause caught her attention and she looked over her shoulder. She straightened herself up before tossing the pistol to the side.

"I'm impressed really that was truly ruthless of you, I can see now why they hired you as Lord Shishio's replacement."

"Sojiru… nice to see you're still hanging round." She smirked and wiped the blood from her face on to her top.

He smiled. "I couldn't read an ounce of any emotion from you."

Juri let out a yawn and covered her face. "Excuse me I've got this terrible headache so just get to the point."

"You knew those men were working for Lord Shishio didn't you? Yet you killed them regardless…" Sojiru spoke.

"I spose I did, But the minute he found out I was a woman he had to die, it's my code, it's my secret those who know have to die."

"And the Battousai?"

"Eventually I'll get to him." Juri remarked.

"That's good, so are you cancelling the meeting with Lord Shishio then?" Sojiru asked.

"Oh no I'd much like to meet my predecessor…" Juri smiled. "You can tell him I'm coming…"

"Oh I will but I do have some business to attend to in town first."

"This would be Okubo then would it?" Juri smirked.

Sojiru smiled. "So you know then? Wow I must be getting rusty."

"Oh no the Battousai and Okubo are none the wiser… I'm not going to say anything history must be preserved… His fate is sealed… sad but true, if he were to live who knows how that would disrupt things."

"I like you Jun'dai you have a good look on fate and history Shishio might enjoy."

"Yeah… Well have a nice day. I've got to clean up."

"Well you should really wait before you do that…" He stepped away and she looked at the three other figures that blocked her exit and she let out a sigh.

"Once a manslayer Jun'dai always a manslayer…" She heard Sojiru's voice.

Juri drew her sword again. "Sorry Battousai, me or them…"

~*~*~*~

Kenshin looked down the street and he looked round the corner. "No one has seen Miss Juri anywhere, that they haven't."

Sano let out a sigh, "That girl is impossible sometimes… No one at the Ruffian Row has seen her since the other week after Tsuki's death."

The sound of steal on steal suddenly caught Kenshin's attention. "Quickly Sano this way!"

"Hey Kenshin! Wait up." Sano raced after his friend and they stopped at the end of the alleyway.

"We will prove our loyalty to Lord Shishio by killing you Jun'dai!" The figure charged at Juri, she evaded easily by moving to the side and spinning round behind the guy slicing his legs off just below the knees before he fell forward and she drew her other sword and he fell on top of it.

"Miss Juri no!"

"Kenshin look her eyes…" Sano motioned.

"They're green…" Kenshin blinked. "Then when we fought back in Kyoto… she was holding back…"

She swiftly evaded the last person by flipping over the charging figure and he spun round and they watched as both her swords struck in flashes of light before the final blow striking pinning the figure up against the wall her sword through his throat, and she pulled her blade back as the spray of blood continued. Her breathing ragged.

Kenshin looked at the six bodies. "Miss Juri…"

She spun round her sword flying and he blocked quickly with the sheath of his sword and she let out a cry as Sano grabbed her from behind.

"Hey take it easy it's us!"

"Miss Juri…" Kenshin looked at her as she drove him back with her sword.

"It's you're fault he's dead!!" She screamed and Kenshin looked up.

"Miss Juri please I understand you're grief, your anger."

"You were supposed to be his friend that's why I let you live." She cried.

Sano pulled her back flinging her to the ground holding her down as she thrashed about.

"Something's happened to her since she left the dojo Sano… That it has." Kenshin knelt down beside her. "Miss Juri please… come back."

She blinked for a moment and Sano looked at Kenshin, "Her eyes they're brown again."

Juri let out a breath; her shoulders slumped against the ground. "He's dead… they're all dead and I couldn't do anything…"

Kenshin motioned Sano to let her go.

"Kenshin."

"Sano she's suffering…"

Sano let her go and Kenshin pulled her up before placing his arms around her. "It's okay Miss Juri, that it is. Shishio won't kill anyone else close to you I promise."

Sano looked round at the bodies lining the alleyway. "So these guys are Shishio's men?"

"I think Shishio wants to see how powerful his successor is… don't under estimate her Sano. Miss Juri is a powerful opponent. She has improved greatly since we last fought in the revolution, that she has. I wasn't to sure of it but this is proof, six men in a matter of minutes…"

"I'm sorry… I killed…"

"It's alright Miss Juri, you haven't fully recovered from your loss yet, and your anger had clouded your senses and better judgement. That is has."

"Lets just get her cleaned up before someone sees her Kenshin." Sano looked out of the alleyway.

The two helped Juri down to the stream and Sano let out a sigh. "Really kid even if they were Shishio's men you promised Kenshin." He complained as he scrubbed some blood from her face. "If you weren't leaving for Kyoto then we'd say this is a time where we should call your friend Sakama back."

Juri let out a breath that came out in steam form. "Water's cold." She breathed.

Kenshin smiled. "It's the closest water to clean you up in without being seen that it is, you might need to think twice before doing that again. That you will."

"I'm sorry Kenshin… I goofed, my mind… I've been seeing the future again. The world I remember and when I see what happens to those I loved and cared for then…" Juri sighed and trailed off. "I feel helpless, I'm here and they're there I can't help them and they die." She looked down at the water.

"Miss Juri, the future is a long time away, you just need to take each day as it comes, that you do." Kenshin smiled. "Small steps that's all you can do."

Juri clenched her fists. "I hate feeling so helpless. I don't want to feel it again… ever." She flopped against Sano's shoulder tiredly.

Kenshin smiled as Sano stiffened and his cheeks heated up at the contact. "Maybe I should just kill myself." Juri sighed.

"Now now Miss Juri suicide is not the answer. That it is not." Kenshin scrubbed the last of blood from her clothes. "There we go."

~*~*~*~

"Kenshin! Hey Kenshin what are you three doing down there?" Yahiko called from up the side of the bank.

"Just cleaning Miss Juri up. That we are." Kenshin smiled.

Sano continued to sit there still rigid his cheeks still red as his eyes glanced at Juri.

"Juri!" Tanji sighed. "Kenshin Sanosuke bring her up here it's a good thing I brought a spare kimono with me then isn't it?"

"Kimono?!" Juri cried and Kenshin grabbed her by the back of her gi top as she tried to bolt.

"Now Miss Juri don't be like that."

"Kimono's are for girls!"

"No they aren't." Tanji sighed. "Don't be such a tomboy really Juri."

Kenshin sighed as he pulled Juri out of the water and up the bank as she tried to run the other way.

Sano blinked for a moment as he watched the scene.

"Sanosuke, well since we found Juri lets go to the Akabeko then shall we?" Tanji smiled. "Juri's going to be paying your tab now."

"What?!" Juri exclaimed.

"I told you if you ran off I'd make you pay his tab and you will!" Tanji growled before prodding Juri in the arm, "Now c'mon lets get you changed in to this kimono."

"NOOOOO!!!" Juri cried as Tanji dragged her off to get changed.

Sano sighed as he trudged out of the water. 'Snap out of it.' He thought scoldingly to himself.

~*~*~*~

"Allo!" Juri looked up as Sakama popped his head in the window of the Kamiya dojo, Juri was trying to fix herself up in the mirror.

"That was a quick trip." Juri remarked as she fidgeted with the kimono Tanji had helped her change in to.

"Oro! You look like a woman." Sakama blinked.

"Naaaah!!!" Juri squealed.

"AHHHHH!" Sakama hollered and ran off as Juri gave chase waving her sword and sheath about angrily.

"Was that an insult?!" Juri screamed as she chased Sakama.

Tanji watched the two dash past and she sighed. "Sakama sure does remind me of someone I know…" She looked at Kenshin.

Kenshin looked up from his green tea and blinked for a moment before smiling sheppishly.

"Geee I wonder who?" Yahiko drooled the sarcasm obvious.

"ORO!" Sakama's cry could be heard.

"I'll show you woman!!!" Juri cried.

"Oro! Oro! Oro! Oro!" Sakama's repeated cries were heard.

Kaoru blinked for a moment and looked over at Sano as he sat there towelling off his hair and raised a brow. "She's more violent than you missy, if that's possible."

Kaoru's eye twitched as she glared at Sano.

~*~*~*~

The group looked over as Tae brought their food over. "Here we go."

"Thanks Tae." Tanji smiled.

"No problem, are you paying separately?" Tae asked.

"No Juri can handle this." Tanji smiled.

"Wha?! Why am I paying?!" Juri exclaimed.

"I told you." Tanji sighed. "Your memory is as bad as your sense of direction." She looked at Juri. "Every time you run off I'll make you pay for our food and knowing Sakama's appetite it'll make sure you stay put." Tanji grinned.

"You're so evil." Juri glared.

Tanji laughed. "I know…"

"Mmmmm yum!" Sakama began to dig in to the food.

Juri sweatdropped. "Tae can I get some strong sake please I'm going to need it."

Tae smiled. "Certainly." She walked off.

"It's not even lunchtime yet and you're hitting the booze." Sano looked at Juri.

"Leave me alone I'm going to actually have to do merchant work after this and earn some money." Juri frowned.

"Why not go back to your pottery?" Sakama asked.

Kenshin blinked for a moment. "Miss Juri you do Pottery?"

Juri looked up and smiled. "Yep and I'm proud to announce my pottery is so much better than Seijuro Hiko's my cups look like cups instead of lumps of hardened mush."

Kenshin sweatdropped. "Uh Master wouldn't like to hear that from you. That he wouldn't."

Juri waved her hand about. "Psssshhhh as if he could beat me in a pottery match."

"If you ask me they both look pretty crap." Sano remarked.

*WHOMP*

"OW!"

"Remember whose paying for your meal." Juri growled.

"And your tab." Tanji added with a grin.

Juri groaned. "Don't remind me."

Kenshin blinked. "How do you know Master?"

"Ummmm… I was looking for you to kill you remember? I started in Kyoto and um… I got told of a potter on the outskirts of town… so I went to have a look… I'm surprised his bowls can actually hold food… seriously… his bowls looks like a lump of clay without the concave look bowls are suppose to have."

"Master wouldn't like you saying that, that he wouldn't."

"Meh Hiko will get over it… Eventually."

Tanji sighed. "Yet another enemy you've made obviously."

"Well it's his fault for being such a pompus arrogant, narcissist, conceited jerk." Juri growled.

Kenshin blinked and sighed. "Well it's obvious you have met master then, that you have."

~*~*~*~

Juri walked along side Sano carrying a flask of sake over her shoulder and she let out a sigh. "Man do they think I'm rich." She grumbled to herself and looked up seeing Sano smiling down on her a fish bone between his teeth.

"It was real nice of you to pay my entire tab there." Sano grinned.

"It's the least you can do." Tanji glared at her. "We'll make you pay Sano's tab too every time you wander off alone."

Sano looked at Tanji. "Now I get it, this is to prevent her from getting lost isn't it?"

Juri let out a defeated sigh. "I'm nearly twenty-four why can't I have adult time?"

"Start acting like an adult then." Tanji yanked at Juri's bandanna yanking her to the ground with a thump.

"It's not Juri's fault she had no childhood that it is not." Sakama smiled.

Juri glared at Sakama.

"Oro!!!" He took off running.

Juri sat up. "I spose I'm paying for dinner as well?"

"Well since you offered. And you can pay for the freeloader's dinner too." Tanji smiled.

"Gee why not one good turn." Juri let out a sigh.

"Hey I'll pay you back I promise." Sano looked at her.

"No don't… it's on me." Juri waved her hand about.

Sano blinked. "Wow what's up with you, I will pay you back I promise."

Juri looked at him and nodded. "Okay but not in money, just be there when I need you that's how you can pay me back."

Sano blinked shocked for a moment before he nodded slowly offering her his hand, she grabbed it and he pulled her up off the ground.

Kenshin smiled. "Seems you and Miss Juri are getting along better now, that it is does."

Sano stuffed his hands in to his pockets suddenly and Juri yanked the fish skeleton out from between his teeth.

"Hey."

"That's a disgusting habit." She scolded.

Tanji smiled and looked at Sakama as he grinned. "It looks like they are getting along. That it does." Sakama blinked as both Juri and Sano gave him an equal glare. "Oro!" He shuffled behind Tanji.

"Aww you're so damn cute sometimes chibi." Tanji smiled. "But really you are an assassin so you would think you'd have a bit of a backbone."

"Why'd you come back anyway kid?" Sano asked.

"Juri's a good friend I wanted to see how she was holding up. Plus I have a message to give to Okubo at a meeting tomorrow morning, and who else can walk Juri to Kyoto in the right direction." Sakama replied.

Juri just glared at Sakama but he clung to Tanji still hiding behind her, she let out a sigh.

"You know you're one of the fastest travellers I know." Kaoru smiled.

"Sakama does this regularly to the point where his travel time was cut down from two weeks to three days from here to Kyoto." Tanji explained.

"Only cause he goes by boat…" Juri grumbled.

Tanji and Sakama grinned. " Yes and we know what happens when you go by boat…" Tanji teased.

"Don't you dare say another word or the chibi gets it." Juri growled drawing her sword and holding it close to Sakama's throat.

"Oro!" Sakama squeaked.

~*~*~*~

Sakama and Tanji stood at the gates of the Kamiya dojo. "I'll be back on the fifteenth here to meet you and walk with you to Kyoto okay?" Sakama looked at Juri.

She shifted her bag on her shoulder and nodded. "Yeah okay, but what if you have to leave tomorrow?" Juri asked.

Sakama blinked. "Why do you think I'm leaving tomorrow?"

"Just a feeling." Juri looked off to the side. 'Okubo dies tomorrow and you'll have to take the news to them personally or deliver the body back, that's why.' She thought to herself with a sigh.

"Miss Juri is something going to happen tomorrow?" Kenshin looked at her.

Juri blinked for a moment. "Well yeah you talk to Okubo don't you about your decision on to go to Kyoto or not, it's something isn't it?"

Kenshin smiled. "That it is."

"Well let us know of the decision okay?" Tanji smiled.

"Sure." Kaoru smiled.

Juri waved as her two friends headed off and then her shoulders slumped and she opened her wallet up and tipped it upside down.

"He ate me out of money again… Sakama, you're a bottomless stomach." Juri sniffed.

Kaoru smiled. "It's okay I'm sure you'll get some money before you leave for Kyoto."

"I've got two days that's cutting it a bit to close… but I guess if I go to the market tomorrow and set up my merchant stall I guess I can make enough to get my butt to Kyoto and a night's lodging." Juri mused more to herself than anyone else. She looked at the night sky and she let out a sigh. "Guess I'm going to call it a night then I have to be up early to set my stall up, otherwise I won't make enough."

"Night Juri." Kaoru smiled as Juri headed to the room where she was staying at the dojo in.

"Guess I'm off." Sano looked at Kenshin. "See you tomorrow Kenshin."

"Bye Sano." Kenshin watched as his friend walked off.

"That's typical he got two free meals and his tab paid off at the Akabeko and then he just goes off without even giving Juri a cent." Kaoru sighed.

~*~*~*~

May 14

"Hey are you gunna spend all day in bed?!" She heard the voice and she rolled over and looked at Sano standing in the doorway and she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Yes."

"Help us keep Kenshin here." He looked at her.

Juri rolled over in the bed again.

"She's worst than you were when we found you." Yahiko remarked. "I've called her stupid and ugly several times and she hasn't hit me once."

Sano blinked. "Not even once? An attempt even?"

"No not one." Yahiko looked at Sano.

"She's just suffering depression, after a loss like that it will come and go, it'll be one and off for a while, get used to it, and she has lost her husband." Megumi looked at the two. She entered the room. "I know we don't get along very well Juri…" She knelt down by the other woman's side. "But please Sir Ken is very important to us, we don't want him to go, help us keep him here in Tokyo where he belongs, you've lost your husband, don't let us loose our friend."

Juri sat up and she sighed. "I only tolerate him because he was a friend of my husband. Since my husband's dead I'm going to honor his wishes and not kill Kenshin."

There were relieved sighs let out and Sano nodded. "That's good. He means a lot to the people here."

Juri looked down her fringe covering her eyes so they were unable to see the true color. "I'm going to kill Shishio. I'm going to Kyoto tomorrow, so I'll help you as a last deed. Encase I don't…" Juri trailed off.

Sano blinked. "So you think you're going to die?"

"I haven't seen my death this lifetime, but I've seen the one in the twenty-first century… No one can out run a bullet, they do tend to go faster than the human." Juri sighed and she looked up and smiled seeing the trio of shocked expressions.

"But just let me get changed and I'll help you with trying to keep Kenshin here. Me and Saitou can handle Shishio, we work well together." She smiled more.

"Good get rid of that guy, I can't stand him." Sano's fist shook in anger and both Megumi and Yahiko shared angered looks.

"Did I say something wrong?" Juri asked.

"Saitou… I hate that guy!" Yahiko exclaimed.

Juri smiled. "I don't mind him, he has a wonderful smile, in the revolution when he smiled it just made me smile so I called him Mr. Smiley."

"Uh!" Sano and Yahiko's jaws dropped in unison.

"Well I was only eleven mind you." Juri smiled. "And Shishio before the government turned on him and burnt him, he was actually really good looking, I met him once I was pathetically love sick, his voice… it was so distinct, it alone drew me in." Juri then looked at the two guys. "Um… well I would like to help, but I can't if you two are standing in the doorway I'm not getting changed in front of you."

Sano's cheeks blushed and Megumi smirked. Yahiko huffed. "It's not like you're a woman anyway."

*WHACK!*

Yahiko fell backwards as a painting frame hit him in the head.

"Annoying brat." Juri grumbled.

Megumi smiled. "Now don't you feel better?"

"Much." Juri grinned back.

~*~*~*~

Juri sighed as she sat at the bar wearing a pale red western dress with white lace around the sleeves and an ascot scarf tied round her neck, she leant on the bar and stared at the cup of sake and let out a sigh, her eyes flipped to the piece of paper on the table.

'I'm sorry Okubo…' She thought to herself looking at the paper reading over the lines that announced his assassination. 'That move it's changed Kenshin's mind completely. I guess I will be seeing him in Kyoto after all, but he's going to want to travel alone, I know I've got no choice now, since Sakama is going to escort the body back, so it isn't desecrated. I could go with Saitou… but then again I know how his wife feels about other woman, she was fine with me when she thought I was a boy… I wonder if he's told her the truth yet…'

"Juri… hey have you seen Kenshin?" Sano sat next to her then he blinked suddenly… "A western dress?"

She nodded. "Yeah… it was my mother's, I thought I'd wear it in honor of Okubo, he always liked this one, said I reminded him of my mother." Juri lent her chin on her hands and she let out a sigh. "He was like a father figure to me and I let him be assassinated because history has to be preserved or made, maybe Japan could have turned in to a better place if he lived."

"Or not." Sano took her cup of Sake and downed it. "Anyway Kenshin went off to look for Okubo… But we haven't seen him since the assassination notice came out."

"No he's going to go to Kyoto now though, Okubo was his friend, like Tsuki was not only my friend but my husband." Juri sighed.

"No, Kenshin wouldn't." Sano looked at her.

"If something isn't done, then more innocent people will die, then soon who knows maybe Shishio will come here, we need to prevent that, at all costs." Juri replied.

Sano looked down. "Encase I don't see you before you go… then have a safe trip alright?"

Juri blinked as she looked at him and smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck looking upwards, she noticed the light blush on his cheeks and felt a blush of her own and she looked down.

"Thank-you Sanosuke Sagara…"

"Yea well I have to find Kenshin, thanks for the sake…" He smiled and walked out.

Juri looked at the empty cup and she sighed, "Why is it you attract all the damn freeloaders, do I have a sign above my head saying 'rich merchant girl here, all freeloaders get a free meal and drink' or something?" She asked.

The man on the other side of the bar smiled. "I think he just likes you in general dearie."

She blinked. "He can't I'm far to old for him, he's nineteen I'm twenty-four and I just lost my husband, it's not right."

The man smiled. "Age is nothing. You don't look an age over eighteen yourself."

"Flattery will not get you a bigger tip." Juri smirked.

~*~*~*~

After the bar Juri wandered round for a bit looking for the way back to the Kamiya dojo, but she found herself in the hills outside her grandfather's place and walked up the path knocking on the door, yet again there was no answer and when she opened it, the house was starting to grow a layer of dust unlike when she first visited…

"Jun'dai…" She stopped and turned round seeing Saitou standing there. "I thought you'd come here it's the only reason you're in Tokyo isn't it?"

"Yeah… I told you what he said to me, when I mentioned I was a samurai…"

Saitou nodded. "I was suppose to give this to you." He held up a piece of paper.

Juri walked up to him and she took the piece of paper and opened it up and looked at the contents of the letter.

"Friends from your journey to the western world?" Saitou asked.

"Not really it's in hindi…" She smiled. She read the letter further and Saitou watched her face… it fell suddenly.

"Bad news?"

"Uhhh for this man… I guess I'll be going to India after I get back from Kyoto." She mused out loud and looked at him.

Saitou nodded. "You go where they pay you and where evil is to be slayed."

"A guy's daughter was raped by an English solider, he wants revenge… his friend was here and heard about me." She let out a dry laugh, "they address me as sir…"

"Best let it stay a secret Jun'dai." Saitou walked off.

Juri let out a sigh, "Once a manslayer forever one…" She closed the door and walked away from the house pausing to look at it one last time before walking off. 'I'll catch up with you sooner or later grandpa.'

~*~*~*~

It was late by the time Juri mad her way back to the dojo, she found the door unlocked and closed it after her to find Yahiko sitting on the steps looking down rather upset, she blinked and then nodded, she couldn't feel him anywhere near by, Kenshin had gone, her other senses told her that along with the Samurai ones.

"Where were you Kenshin's gone to Kyoto?" She jumped and spun round looking at Sano.

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I kinda got lost and found myself back outside my grandfather's place, it doesn't look like he's there, but someone was living there… least a week ago."

Sano blinked. "Your grandfather huh? Where do you suppose he's gotten to?"

"I don't know but I want to see him before I go to Kyoto. Met up with Saitou too looks like I got a mission after Kyoto I'm going to India."

Sano blinked. "India… but what about the baby?" He asked.

"Oh yeah it might be born in India…" Juri mused. "Oh well can't do anything about that."

Sano sighed. "Well Kenshin's gone… I thought you were going to help up try to keep him here."

Juri let out an exasperated sigh. "Look I'm sorry I have a bad sense of direction, but I doubt even I could make him stay. It's best I don't fight him you know, you saw what happened when I fought Shishio's men."

"Well at least try to talk to missy inside." Sano sighed.

Juri looked to the door, and she nodded, "Yeah. You should get some rest yourself, you too Yahiko, if I know you guys you'll be wanting to follow him and you need sleep for a journey like that."

She opened the door and looked inside. She blinked seeing Kaoru lying in bed not moving and she looked at Sano and Yahiko before sliding the door shut to talk to Kaoru.

~*~*~*~

The Next Morning…

Juri walked in to Kaoru's room and saw she hadn't moved, the talk had revealed something she didn't realise before, Kaoru was worried about Kenshin, that he could possibly die.

"Miss Kaoru I'm off to Kyoto now, I'll try to keep Kenshin alive for you, Tsuki would want that too."

Kaoru just let out a sob and Juri slung the duffle bag over her shoulder and walked out sliding the door closed after her and let out a sigh.

"I've gone from killing him to protecting him, great… what is it with that guy?" Juri began her walk to Kyoto… alone.

~*~*~*~

The trees were starting to look familiar as the day drew on and Juri placed her hand up against a tree and let out sigh before drawing a mark on it, when she head something smash in the distance and watched as a tree fell over in the distance.

"What on earth was that?" She remarked and raced tot eh scene and paused in time to see a second tree fall over and Sano pull his fist back, he looked at it and sighed.

"Damnit all I'm doing is smashing trees, it's not helping me get any stronger." Sano sighed.

"Sano?" Juri blinked.

He stoped and turned round. "Juri… I thought you'd be on you're way to Kyoto by now…"

"I am… but this isn't a good sign…"

"You're lost again aren't you?" Sano smiled.

"Lost? Well… I uh… think I made about six wrong turns these trees all look the same, I should have stuck to the path, but I am carrying swords…" Juri motioned to her swords.

"Good point, you don't want to get arrested." He nodded. "Guess we should stick together then since we're both heading there."

"I figured you'd go after Kenshin." Juri smiled.

Sano nodded. "I'm not a burden on him." She watched as anger filled his expression.

She blinked confused for a moment, "Who said you were?"

"Saitou." Sano growled.

"Oh don't mind smiley, he thought I was going to be a burden aswell when I first met him, then he saw me in action, and well he changed his mind…"

"Just like that?" Sano asked.

"Oh no it was about after the fifth mission, you know, then he was impressed." She smiled. "That's smiley for you."

Sano's eye twitched. "It disturbs me how you call him that."

Juri just grinned. "Well lets go then see how much ground we can cover before nightfall."

~*~*~*~

It was nighttime before the two realised it and Juri set up a small fire area as Sano brought back some dry leaves, bark and dead branches to burn.

Juri blinked as Sano put them down and rolled his shoulder and she spotted the bandages wrapped over his right shoulder. "Sano you're hurt… when did this happen?"

She rushed over to him pulling his top back a bit making him blush suddenly at the female's attention.

"It's okay now." He remarked. "Megumi stitched me up and put the bandages on."

"How long ago?" Juri asked.

"A few days, it's okay. Honestly I'm okay." He remarked a blush creeping across his face.

Juri sighed. "But what happened?"

"I just got stabbed, it's okay."

"No it's okay. Who did this?" Juri examined the bandages carefully.

"It was your good buddy Mr. Smiley." Sano drooled.

Juri blinked for a moment. "Saitou?"

"You don't call anyone else by that do you?"

"Well no… I don't understand…"

"A message to Kenshin namely." Sano grumbled.

"Oh…" Juri looked at him.

Sano frowned. "You look like you don't believe me."

Juri smiled. "Well of course I believe you, you idiot."

Sano raised an eyebrow. "Idiot?"

"Or would you prefer moron?" Juri asked with a smirk.

Sano's eye twitched. "So you're not worried now?"

"You challenged Saitou, I'm sorry, but you're no match for him Sano what on earth got in you're head at the time?"

"I didn't know okay, and he came round looking for Kenshin." Sano glared at her.

Juri laughed. "I'm surprised you're still alive you moron. You could have died. Gee he mustn't think much of you at all."

Sano's eye twitched again. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Juri grinned. "You really are lucky you know?"

Sano grumbled an incoherent reply.

"You are such an idiot really."

"I'm not an idiot!" Sano snapped.

Juri laughed some more and Sano growled. "Stop that! It's not funny!"

She waved her hand about, "I'm sorry I really am."

"Then stop it!"

Juri coughed as she let out a last snigger at Sano's misfortunate meeting with Saitou. "So you want to get stronger then huh?" She asked.

He blinked suddenly. "Well yeah?"

"And I guess you figured out creating firewood wasn't the way to go about it? So now what?" She asked.

Sano blinked. He looked at her as she sat there and opened up her duffle bag and pulled out a blanket and wrapped it round him he looked at her confused. "I… don't know."

"Well how about tomorrow, you show me the way to Kyoto, and we can train a bit on the way there." She smiled. "Maybe next time you might last at least three minutes longer against him." She laughed.

Sano's eye twitched yet again. "You think this is funny?"

Juri smiled as she pulled the blanket over him as it slipped off in his anger. "You're hurt it gets cold at night there isn't much shelter form the wind here, keep this round you, it will keep some off that cold air off your wound."

"You're really hard to understand you know that, you laugh at me then you help me." Sano grumbled.

"Yeah well I'm sorry, I know Saitou he's a good friend probably the closest friend I have after Tsuki and Sakama." Juri sat down as she started the fire up. "Keep close to the fire, but not to close, that's wool, it'll catch easy."

"I don't understand how you can think that jerk is a good friend." Sano growled annoyed.

Juri opened up her bag and pulled out a blanket of her own before wrapping it around herself then pulling out a small brass tin and opening it up.

"Well… I've known him longer, I fought along side him, he's saved my life and I've saved his, it's a mutual respect kind of thing. We earned each other's trust, I used to hum this tune I heard from my premonitions and he heard it once and asked me what it meant cause it was in English. I told him simply it meant 'don't give it up' and he liked that, and neither one of us did." Juri smiled and she pulled out something small and offered a piece to Sano. "You should try some it's Belgian chocolate, it's really good. The sugar keeps you a bit hyped, but it's food at least until I can find something else in my bag, I know I packed some rice balls in here somewhere."

Sano took the piece of chocolate and watched as she popped her own piece in to her mouth and began searching through her bag.

He shrugged and popped the piece in to his mouth and munched on it. He blinked for a moment. "So this is that chocolate thing the missy wanted to try." He smiled. "Not bad."

Juri pulled out another container. "Found it and I found my cigarettes too. I need my nicotine hit. Now where are my matches…?"

Sano shook the matches box that Juri had used earlier to start the fire.

She blushed. "Forgetful me." Juri opened the container up and offered him a rice ball, "Help yourself, I packed a bit for the trip sometimes it can take me weeks to get where I'm going."

Sano nodded and took one before popping it into his mouth. "Hey these from the Akabeko aren't they?" He asked upon recognising the taste.

Juri grinned. "Yeah I can't cook to well so I stopped by early this morning and Tae gave them to me for the trip. They're really nice people, thanks for introducing me to them."

Sano nodded. "No problem kid."

Juri let out a dry laugh, "Guess I still do look like a kid huh?"

"Yeah."

"Did you know when I was eleven I looked like I was sixteen, but when I was sixteen I looked like I was twelve, mixed blood…" Juri sighed. "What can you do?"

Sano looked at her sympathetic, "It gives you passage to the western world though doesn't it?"

Juri let out a breath and nodded. "Sometimes, they look at me as see me as Japanese you guys looks at me and see me as a westerner… I'm an outsider to both worlds."

"What about smiley what did he see you as?"

"A child at first then finally a samurai." Juri leant up against a tree, "I respect him so much if I had an older brother I'd kinda like him to be like smiley."

Sano frowned, "So long as your brat doesn't turn out like him I'm fine."

"No my child is going to grow up in a world of peace that's for sure. I'm not sure if I'm even gunna teach the child the way of the samurai, look what it did to me, my hands are so stained in blood that no matter how much I wash them not every last drop of blood can be removed." She looked at Sano looking at her.

"Who knows maybe Kenshin can help you with that." He looked off in to the forest. "If we can find him."

"He's going to want to learn the final technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi Sano, so we can try Seijuro Hiko's place first." Juri offered. "I don't think he'd be to happy to see me again though."

"What'd you do to him?" Sano raised a brow.

"Oh you know artists that clash what can ya do."

Sano raised a brow. "I get the feeling it was more than that."

Juri sighed. "He started it."

Sano shook his head. "For someone who's nearly twenty four, you sure don't act it."

"Yeah it throws people off my trail completely, they don't realize I'm the Jun'dai. It's quite refreshing actually, but only a few left from the revolution know why the Meji government hired me at such a late time in the revolution."

"Why did you switch sides, was it cause you were loosing?" He asked his expression curious.

"I met Tsuki, he stalked me forever and ever, and bugged me over and over, until it got to the point where he blackmailed me, he walked in on me changing to try and nag me some more and WHAM! I let him have it a screen door right over his noggin, the hentai. But he still saw more than enough to put the black mail in to place." Juri explained.

Sano just nodded. He watched as Juri popped a rice ball in to her mouth before opening up her cigarette packet and pulling one out closing the pack and tapping it on to the packet.

She looked at him and swallowed her mouthful before smiling. "Yeah I know bad for me, cancer stick I should really quit, but nicotine, it's addicting." She waved a hand about before popping the cigarette in to her mouth and lighting the cigarette up.

"Cancer? Nicotine?" Sano questioned.

Juri smiled realizing before blowing out a stream of smoke. "Don't worry, it's as foreign to you as steam trains."

Sano's eye twitched. "I'm not going to forgive Kenshin for telling you about that trip." He grumbled.

Juri smiled. "Wow you are easy to wind up aren't you?" She chuckled. "How cute, this trip is going to be entertaining after all."

Sano's eye twitched and Juri caught the tail end of a grumble. "For you maybe."

Juri winked at him, "You're cute when you're mad."

"Women." Sano complained under his breath.

~*~*~*~

It was pitch black as she sat up against the tree her mother's sword resting up against her a blanket wrapped around her, the fire going in crackles, she looked at Sano ling on his good fire near the fire sleeping and she sighed as she looked down and let out a defeated breath.

"Why does Shishio want to see me, I'm sure he'd want me dead, after all I replaced him." Juri mused out loud. "Unless he heard that the corrupt government members paid to kill me off… first with Sakama and then with that guy on the way to Tokyo."

Juri saw the breath come from her mouth marking how cold it really was. She looked in to the fire and blinked for a moment. She then just nodded to herself as if she could hear someone talking, but all there was, was the sound of the gentle breeze.

"Figures." She sighed.

She looked skyward. "He's heard of my premonitions. He wants to change the future. Do I really wanna join his side especially after that Seta kid killed Tsuki?"

"This is like last time… in the future, the older I get the more memories of that world… but why? I can't go back, I'm not even gunna be alive for Jack the Ripper… what a drag. Or the first cars, I don't mind about missing out on the Brady bunch reunion or Lord of the Rings trilogy coming out on DVD, But Dragonball GT the lost episodes, sooooo not fair." Juri complained with a sigh. She then smirked. "Oh yeah Shishio you wanna know the future… your gunna know the future… just not the one you want."

~*~*~*~

To Be Continued…