Kenshin got back to the hut to find Hiko sitting on the stump, a surly look on his face. He was rather late in returning and Hiko needed his sake.
"There you are. Did you get lost again?" he asked in that sarcastic tone Kenshin loathed.
"No, Master," said Kenshin, holding out the jugs of sake.
Hiko snatched both jugs from him, popped one open and took a swig. Ah, that was the shit.
"Master, you won't believe what happened in the village," began Kenshin.
"I'm sure I won't," said Hiko abruptly, standing up. "Your fucking around in the village has eaten up valuable daylight. To the waterfall!"
"But I haven't had any food yet!" protested Kenshin.
"That's your fault for taking so long. I've already eaten and am ready to spar," said Hiko without glancing back at his pupil.
With an angry huff, Kenshin fell in behind his master. For the master of a sword style that was supposed to protect the weak, Hiko could be very inhumane. Kenshin vowed then and there that he would never be like Hiko once he'd mastered the style.
Hiko and Kenshin came to the waterfall. Kenshin, not wanting to be put off any longer, spoke up.
"While I was in the village, 12 ronin showed up and started hurting people," he said.
"Oh?" said Hiko with an impatient glare.
"I defeated them with the new move I mastered," said Kenshin, drawing himself up proudly.
Hiko quirked an eyebrow.
"And?"
"And? That was it. My sword beat them," said Kenshin.
"And you expect me to praise you for simply doing what I taught you to do in the first place," declared Hiko.
Kenshin was deflated, but persevered, determined not to let his master ruin the afterglow for him.
"I was approached by a scout from the Kiheitai of Choshuu. He said our skills could be of great use to the people of Japan by overthrowing the Shogunate. Master, let's join the Kiheitai!" said Kenshin, eyes glowing with resolve.
"You idiot," was the answer Hiko snorted.
Kenshin face faulted.
"What?"
"Do you have a hearing problem? I-DI-OT," answered Hiko. "I sent you into town to pick up sake, which you take forever to do and now you come back with nonsense stuffed into your head by some army scout."
"Not army, revolutionary militia," corrected Kenshin.
"Same thing either way," said Hiko. "Now enough of this, we've training to do."
"But if we join the Kiheitai, we can protect the people with our swords," said Kenshin, shocked at his master's indifference.
"No," said Hiko, turning his back on Kenshin to show the finality of his answer.
Kenshin's eyes lit with anger. He remembered the people of the village being terrorized, especially that woman being assaulted. He wanted to do something, had to do something, but Hiko wouldn't even hear him out. How typical! Well this time, he wouldn't allow his master to just cut him off without listening.
"Master!" he shouted.
"Don't worry about the outside world. Just concentrate on your training," said Hiko.
Kenshin's eyes widened in stunned silence. He knew Hiko was a rough man, but surely he couldn't be this callous!
"But so many are being killed as we speak!" Kenshin cried. "Isn't the purpose of Hiten Mitsurugi to protect people from suffering? When do we use our swords if not now? Master!"
"You think it's as simple as that?" asked Hiko, glaring over his shoulder. "That you can just go down there, join your little militia and save everyone because you know Hiten Mitsurugi?"
"Yes!" cried Kenshin, gripping his katana's hilt.
"Stupid, arrogant boy..." snorted Hiko, looking forward again.
"Master!"
For his part, Hiko wanted to do nothing more than to club the little idiot one over the head, then go down to the village and strangle the militia scout. He could already see that there would be no talking the boy out of it.
"Well, if you really want to go, fine. But first, fight me and defeat me," said the swordsman, shooting a glare over his shoulder.
Without warning, Kenshin leapt up and brained his master with the sheathed katana.
CRACK!
"You hit me. You really hit me!" cried Hiko as a lump welled up on his head.
"Because you don't get it!" cried Kenshin, with all the certainty of 14.
Now Hiko felt true anger, not just annoyance, boil up in him. How dare this insolent whelp tell him off!
"You're the one who doesn't get it! Hiten Mitsurugi is the strongest sword school in this country. It's like the black ship of the land. That same power will guarantee victory to whichever side you help. If you get involved in the fighting before your training is complete, your power will be used by corrupt men who write their own justice in blood! You will be nothing more than their tool of murder! Now do you get it?" he barked.
Kenshin's cheeks flushed scarlet with righteous anger.
"No!" he shouted. "The people are suffering! They are afraid! No matter what you say, I won't turn my back on them!"
Hiko and Kenshin never did get to training that day. They stood there at the waterfall, arguing back and forth, until Hiko barked at Kenshin to get the hell off his mountain and never come back.
Lithe body shaking with rage and indignation, and violet eyes burning with unshed tears, Kenshin returned to the cabin to pack his things. The young swordsman knelt down and started tossing his clothes and few possessions into a shoulder pack. He would take his katana as well.
What did Hiko know anyway? All he ever did was hide on the mountain and drink sake. Hiten Mitsurugi was meant to be wielded for the people to protect them from suffering. How did one do that if they isolated themselves from the world the way his master did? Hiko had apparently forgotten the true meaning behind the sword school. Old people never understood. Omara-san had told Kenshin he should use his skills to make life better for the people. Fudoro-san had said that he might be the one to bring peace to the land. He would join the Kiheitai and show his ignorant master how wrong he was.
As soon as he had everything packed, Kenshin turned and walked out of the hut, without once looking back at the place in which he'd spent the last four years of his life. Kenshin picked his way down the mountain, oblivious to the beauty of the land around him, his soul still stormy after his parting with Hiko. He hadn't wanted it to end like this. He'd looked forward to the day he would have completed his training and he and Hiko would have drunk sake together as equals. Now that would never be.
Once he got to town, Kenshin kept a low profile, moving along silently and keeping to the shadows as Hiko had taught him and headed straight to the Hiraya. Kenshin entered the inn and went to the front desk where a kindly old lady was working.
"Why hello there. How may this woman assist you, young samurai?" she said when she saw the heart-shaped face and the huge violet eyes.
"Hello, ma'am. Would you be so kind as to tell me where Omara-san is staying? He's expecting me," said Kenshin softly.
"Oh, that big man with the daisho. All the way back and to the right," said the okami.
"Thank you," said Kenshin with a bow before departing.
Kenshin made his way to the last room on the right side and softly wrapped at the wallSuddenly the shouji slid open and Kenshin found himself facing an unsheathed sword. Instinctively, he jumped back and unsheathed his own sword in a battoujutsu, his blade meeting Omara's with a solid CLANG, knocking the katana from Omara's hand! Omara paled when he recognized the boy who stood before him. He had tried to kill the boy who might be the revolution's only hope!
"Ah, kid. Sorry about that. Can't be too careful, ya know. I wasn't expecting you and your master till tomorrow," said Omara with an apologetic bow.
Upon seeing that Omara wasn't trying to attack him, Kenshin resheathed his katana while Omara retrieved his from the floor.
"I'm alone. My master refused to come," said the boy flatly.
"Did he? Well that's too bad. But no worries. You're more than enough... um," said Omara, just now aware of the fact that he'd never heard the boy's name.
"Kenshin," said Kenshin.
"Good name for you," said Omara. "Well since you're here, you can stay in my room tonight. Have you eaten?"
Kenshin's stomach answered with a low growl before his mouth could. After all, he hadn't had a thing to eat since breakfast that morning.
"Excuse me," said the boy with an embarassed blush.
Omara smiled indulgently at the young swordsman standing before him.
"You stay here. I'll go get some food from the okami. I wouldn't want you collapsing before we get to Hagi," said the samurai.
"Thank you," answered Kenshin with a bow before entering the room.
While Omara was fetching food for them, Kenshin set down his shoulder pack. He wandered over to the window and looked at the village outside. Everything was beautiful and peaceful; people coming and going quietly in the twilight. There was no sign of the earlier altercation.
'I'll fight and won't stop until it's always peaceful like this for people everywhere,' thought the boy, gripping his katana's hilt.
Presently, Omara returned with the takoyaki and saw Kenshin facing the window and gripping his katana. The samurai smiled, sensing the strength and conviction in the boy's spirit. Presently, Kenshin turned to face Omara and smiled when he saw the octopus balls. Those were a rare treat because Hiko didn't believe in splurging.
"Thank you," said Kenshin, as he happily took an octopus ball and began eating.
"No problem," said Omara, sitting down and eating his own.
As they ate, Omara surreptitiously gazed at the young man before him. When he was eating like this, Kenshin didn't seem as much like a swordsman as like an ordinary boy. Omara's heart wavered a bit. Was it right to drag this boy with the innocent eyes and high ideals into the ugliness of war? Was his spirit truly ready?
But how could he not? In just his brief viewing of Kenshin, Omara had seen that Kenshin had more ability with the sword than anyone else on whom he'd laid eyes. The war effort needed a strong blade like Kenshin's. Kenshin would be fine with the Kiheitai. It wasn't like they'd make him an assassin or anything!
Presently, Kenshin finished the last octopus ball.
"Thank you, Omara-san. It's been a long time since I've had takoyaki," said the boy brightly.
"You're welcome, Kenshin. I hope you enjoyed it to the fullest because that's the last time we'll get food like this until we're back in Hagi," said Omara cautiously.
"I know," said Kenshin with a smile.
Presently, the boy's face broke out in a yawn and his eyes looked very sleepy. When he yawned, Kenshin only looked about five years old.
"There's an extra futon you can use. We'll head for Hagi first thing in the morning," said Omara, trying to rid himself of these lingering doubts about Kenshin in the war.
"Thank you, Omara-san," said Kenshin with another bow.
'Great manners. His master did a fine job training him,' thought Omara.
Omara slid the shouji partway open and scanned the hallway. After shutting the door, he turned and saw Kenshin snuggling into the futon, katana within easy reach.
"Night, Kenshin-kun," said Omara.
"Good night, Omara-san," said Kenshin as Omara put out the andon.