After leaving the longhouse, I went to Hiro’s place and convinced him to join me in a jaunt to Yoshiwara.

After all, there’s only one way to forget about women—hang out with your buddies, go gambling, and drink large quantities of sake.

Just outside of Yoshiwara, we ran into Kamue, another of our mutual acquaintances. Within minutes, all three of us were in the heart of the pleasure district, at one of best gambling houses around.

I lost all my money in less than an hour.

Not that I cared that much as long as I had enough sake to drink, which wasn’t that much of a problem. Hiro won quite a bit and bought enough for all of us.

After awhile, we got tired of gambling and stumbled back into the street, half-empty sake jugs in each of our hands, looking for something else to entertain ourselves with.

Kamue suggested that we go out try out the new place.

“I am not going to the Kite,” I told him emphatically.

“No, not there!” he replied. “I was at this place last night. Let’s go!”

Hiro and I followed him along the streets, into one of the seedier parts of the district. He led us down an alleyway, in which I could hear a lot of noise. At the end of the alleyway, he stepped through a door. Hiro and I followed him only to have our ears assaulted by a loud, large jeering crowd of men. They were gathered around an open area of the floor in a circle, betting, yelling, and applauding while two men wrestled and beat on each other.

“Wrestling?” I asked Kamue with disdain. “Watching wrestling is boring. I’d rather fight myself, you know?”

I turned to leave, but he stopped me. “No, that’s just it, Sano! You can!” He pointed to the bulkier of the two men who were fighting. “All you have to do is stay in with that guy for three minutes, and you’ll win three yen. Take him down and you’ll win 10 yen. I heard that no one has been able to even stay in with him.”

I look over at the guy and sized him up. Geez, if I could take down Shikijou, I could take this guy.

I shoved the sake bottle at Hiro, took my gi off, and handed it to Kamue.

When the guy in charge asked who was next, I stepped up.

I took my opponent down in less than two minutes.

Then the man in charge offered me his place—I was offered another two yen for any other guy that I took out. He had a deal.

Yeah.

This was the way to make money.

I didn’t look back to check if Kenshin and Kaoru had followed me when I left the cabin by the river. I had a feeling that they wouldn’t. It was okay with me, because I did want to be alone, as least for a little while.

Besides which, they deserved some time to be alone together. I did, after all, drag them along on a search for a woman who did not want to be found.

As I walked, trying not to think about anything at all, I eventually reached the dojo. I paused, hands in my pockets, as I stared at the gate for a moment or two before I shook my head and moved on.

I kept on walking, my feet taking me through the streets of Tokyo until I reached the long house. I entered, slipped inside, and locked the shoji behind me.

Once inside, I leaned back against the wall, eventually letting myself fold down to the floor.

I stared at the opposite wall for a very long before I fell asleep.

I step outside of the cabin and move a few feet away from it as I wait for Kenshin and Kaoru to come out.



Suddenly I'm feeling very tired.

After leaving Saitou, as Kenshin and Jou-chan catch up with me, I tell them that I want to check along the bay.

I may have checked the port, but what if Shura just went off to be alone for some reason? She definitely wouldn't go to the port, then.

The bay would be the perfect place for her to go. It's got lots of little places where a person can be alone and not see another single soul.


I lead both Kenshin and Kaoru over the stretches of white sand and the occasional bits of rocky soil that make up Tokyo's open waterfront.

As we walk, my eyes are constantly moving. Up to the water and back, all the way to the tree line that marks the border between the forest and the beach. Searching for any sign of Shura.

It's October and grown colder, so there's no one else about. The wind off the water has a chilled feeling to it.

After we all hike for a long while, I suddenly stop walking and find myself staring across the water as a few clouds go scudding by on the horizon. The water is a blue-gray today; not as beautiful as the clear crystal blue that I usually like, but still pretty.

"Why don't we take a break?"

(Kenshin and Kaoru moved with players' permission.)

I lock the gate after Kaoru and Sano step out into the street. I wonder if Sano is still gagging on that……soup…..too. I only know it was soup because it was liquid – or at least had liquid in it. And it was in a bowl. What else could it have been? Kaoru is not trying to poison me already, is she? Then, I notice she did not have any “soup”. Note to self: hide the daikon.

Once the dojo is locked up, I turn to speak to Sano. “Where shall we start our search? Do you know where Shura is living in Tokyo? Perhaps we should check there again in case she returned home?”

He left me.

Left me half-naked and tied to a bed with no means of defending myself.

Well, it's not like I could defend myself anyways.

Not in this condition.

But still...HE LEFT ME!

I have no clue where I am at or what time of day it is.

Not that it matters.

I can't say that I blame him for leaving me, not after I pulled that knife on him.

But I sort of wish he would come back and do whatever he did the last time to render me unconscious.

It hurts.

A lot.

I stare up at the ceiling, feeling extremely tired yet unable to sleep.

I wonder what happens if I need to use the bathroom?

I close my eyes once more.

((As you may already know, Shura is located here. Anyone can stumble upon her, using a little creativity of course.))

I set up the laundry tub and get to work re-washing all the laundry that was knocked down last night during the reception and needs to be washed again. I sure wish I had remembered to take it in before going to the dojo! I was too excited about sex celebrating with our friends.

Still, it is a beautiful day, my bride is fixing our lunch, and I am sitting here in the sun in my favorite place on earth. Life is good!

(Kenshin is definitely in the honeymoon laundry zone! )

After leaving Chou and Seta, I hurried back to the long house and changed into my regular clothes. If I’m going to be running around Tokyo looking for Shura, I definitely did not want to do it in the only set of good clothes I had.

I criss-crossed the streets of the market and at one point almost stopped at the precinct. After staring at the window of Saitou’s office for several moments, I decide that I don’t have the patience to deal with the damn Wolf today. Besides, if Chou didn’t know where Shura was, Saitou probably didn’t, either.

After searching the market, I decide to go look near the port. Shura’s an ex-pirate, after all—she’s might just be down here to be near the water.

The wharves are teeming with people. I always found the market crowded, but this place has far too many people, many of them foreigners who are either getting off the ships or dock workers and stevedores unloading cargo. There’s lots of yelling going on, some of it in Japanese, but some of it in languages I don’t know.

As I keep a look-out for Shura, I constantly have to dodge and zig-zag among the people, rickshaws, and carriages that are on the streets. Some of the carriages are actually being driven at a crazy pace.

It’s a wonder that more people aren’t hurt.

Just as I finish that thought, I spot a little girl fall down in the street and a carriage barreling down the road toward her.

The Chou heads for the best market stalls in this here To-ky-o. When you’re cookin’ for a cookin’ lady, ya gotta be sure ta get only the best ‘gredients! That’s gonna be a challenge this late in the day, but the Chou has got buddies who save a good catch here an’ a special late veggie there jus’ for the Chou. An’ they should, too. The Chou sends ‘em ‘nuf business!

I get us a very nice fish from jus’ such a friend an’ take plenty o’ time ta shoot the shit with ‘im. Ya never know when one o’ my buds is gonna know somethin’ that the Chou or Freakin’ Fujita wants ta know.

All that freakin’ fresh fish has given me a taste for a treat I rarely ‘dulge in. An’ No, the Chou is NOT talkin’ ‘bout the ladies!

The Chou has spotted a vendor sellin’ somethin’ the Chou hasn’t had in ages. Nope. The Chou hasn’t had one o’ these since he came ta this here To-ky-o!

Hot Damn! That vendor has fresh grilled squid on a stick!

(Come and have lunch with the Chou if you dare!
*snicker* In honor of our very own Squid.)

"KUSO!" I growl out as I wake up.

I sit up and hold my head in my hands.

Fuck, my head really hurts.

I sit that way for several minutes as I wait for the very painful pounding to subside into a dull throb.

For a moment I wonder if I should blame Shura for drinking so much sake.

After all, she didn't show up.

No, it's your own fault, Sagara, and you know it. Did you really expect her to show up after the fight you had?

Sighing, I manage to stand up with just a little bit of a wobble. I straighten the yukata I threw on last night, slide open the shoji door and step out into the hallway. It's quiet, and I wonder when everyone left. There were still people hanging about the place when I went to bed--I don't know when. Maybe 3 or 4?

I make my way down the hallway and onto the engawa, where I sit down for a few more minutes to clear my head a bit more. Blinking up at the sky, I figure it's got to be well into the morning at least.

After sitting there quietly for several minutes, I stand up again and walk into the dojo.

"Kami, what a mess!" I say to myself as I enter.

There's plates and dishes full of left over food everywhere, and the tables and cushions are strewn all over the place, not to mention the several empty sake jars lying about.

I bend over and start to gather the dishes together, stacking them all on one table. I might as well start cleaning up now than later, cause I know that Jou-chan will demand that I help her clean up anyway.