Inspired by wonderful battle scenes in the anime and fanfics, especially Umeko-dono's "Green Tea and Haiku." My thanks also to Misaoshiru for betaing this fic for me. What happens to the random thugs Kenshin is always beating senseless?

Aftermath

Toru growled when he finally came to. "Damn that guy didn't even do me the honor of killing me after he got lucky…What a weakling…"

"You miserable idiot…" Toru looked up at the cold-eyed older samurai who he had noticed watching the battle earlier, and who was now leaning over him with a disgusted look.

Toru roared and jumped unsteadily to his feet, aiming a clumsy head butt at the samurai, who merely leaned back from his charge. Rocking a few times, he finally gained a sense of balance and faced down his new opponent. "I'll kill you for siding with that scum who made me lose face."

The other's easygoing features hardened into anger. "Never call that man my ally."

"It's hard to tell scum from scum." Toru derisive laugh became a gasp as pain shot through his ribs. Wincing, Toru softly asked, "Who's he to you anyway?"

"An old enemy..." The other man sighed, meticulously brushing dirt from his green haori and smoothing his short black hair. "Do you have any idea who you were fighting?"

"Ara…an idiot in pink?"

"Who can move faster than you can see?"

"Hey," Toru protested, feeling his arms for bruises, "I was dizzy then; that was just an illusion."

The stranger stared back, eyebrows raised in skepticism. "The whole crowd was dizzy?"

"Well, the sun was in my eyes…"

"It was drizzling…"

"Okay…" Toru conceded, "He was fast, but the rest was just luck."

The samurai shook his head. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

Poor Toru. It had been a long day. First all that work loading at the dock, then he went and tried to have a few drinks with a local girl, and well, that strange idiot showed up…

Toru winced and stared blankly back at the man. Stupid bruises…

Thought dawned… "Hey… why didn't you fight him… if you're enemies, I mean?"

The samurai's face darkened. "He was right to stop you from harassing that girl." More quietly he added. "And I wouldn't have a chance in Hell."

Toru looked at the samurai's burly frame. "Yeah right, you're almost twice his size."

"Enough," the samurai said angrily. "I want to tell you something."

"Okay…" Toru's aching body wanted to collapse back into the dirt.

"Listen to me!" The samurai shouted, grasping Toru's shoulder.

Toru straightened.

"Now," the other man continued on, "if it can penetrate into that alcohol-fogged mind of yours, you fought a dragon today and lived—but only because he was playing with you. He could have killed you at any moment, but he chose not to do so."

Toru blinked.

The samurai sighed again, this time more reflectively. "It made me think. The war has been over for a year now …He has the power to not kill a miserable lowlife like you. Why? I can only think that he's decided to let people live…he must have decided your life has some value…"

Toru shuddered and grew pale as death winked at him from the samurai's eyes. "Value…?"

"That's why you had better behave differently… To be spared death is a great thing… Use this chance well, or answer to me, for dishonoring my comrades who did not survive."

His speech finished, the samurai dipped his head briefly and turned to leave.

"Wait…" Toru called, causing him to turn. "You never told me who it was who spared me…"

Nagakura Shinpachi looked back and smiled. "Red hair…cross-shaped scar… Isn't it obvious? You met Hitokiri Battousai."

Toru promptly fainted again.

"Though the pink gi does throw one's expectations off a little…" The ex-Shinsengumi thought as he continued on his way.