Disclaimer: So, it's the usual again. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin...
Perseverance
He stood there with his feet anchored to the ground, a short statue clutching a wooden sword in his tiny hands. His mouth was drawn in a tight line, his eyes burning and focused. They were directed toward him with all the fierce intensity a ten-year old could muster. It was a serious expression fraught with certainty, one Hiko had never seen him wear before. Perhaps, his deshi thought it was the face of determination a warrior used. Amused, the corners of Hiko's mouth turned upward.
Within the space of a breath, the boy was moving, dashing forward with surprising agility. The jarring impact of wood against wood shook his small body and forced him to stumble backward a few steps. He quickly regained his footing and slipped into an offensive stance in preparation to strike again. Hiko read each movement with ease, watched as he brandished his bokken and held on to it as if it were the source of his life. And with a grimace, he assessed the unstable footwork and balance. Those were things they had to work on. The boy closed the distance between them and swung, only to slice the air as his target parried. With a grunt, Hiko brought his own sword down effortlessly where it landed as intended. The sparring ended as soon as it began.
"You were leaving yourself open," he spoke to the bowed head before him, his voice low with more than a touch of impatience.
Kenshin rubbed his injured shoulder with his hand, his violet eyes wide with something synonymous with shock. There was sure to be a bruise tomorrow. For a brief moment, guilt overshadowed Hiko's thoughts as the boy raised his red head to stare at him with those wide eyes of his, but he brushed it aside with a dismissive sigh.
"We will finish this tomorrow," he said before Kenshin could lift his sword again. It took a moment for the words to break through his daze, but when they did, the shock on his face melted seamlessly into frustration, and Hiko disinterestedly observed the transformation.
"Shishou! But I almost—"
"Enough. If you were not able to land a blow today, then it's pointless to continue." Hiko turned away from the child while listening to him grumble with displeasure. And as Kenshin stalked away to the nearby stream to wash away the grime and dirt collected from the entire afternoon of training, he resisted the urge to smile. His footsteps were loud and heavy just to spite him.
"The baka deshi," he muttered, "will never learn."
Author's Note:
I apologize for not updating frequently! This past week has been particularly overwhelming, and I've been buried in schoolwork. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please write a review! Concrit is welcome, too.
Thank you to my reviewers: Scarred Sword Heart, donhisiewen, SRAS9, Syolen, and Jasmine blossom625. And thank you to all the other readers for taking your time and reading my drabbles!