A/N 1: Hello there! I know I haven't updated in ages, despite me saying that I have several drabbles on the backburner. Well, I have several unfinished ones on the backburner. Some are finished but missing… something. Yeah, so… you get my drift. Anyway, after all the AU drabbles, here's a relatively long one (the longest, if I'm not wrong) set in the canon-verse! And it doesn't revolve around K/K (although if you squint real hard, you might find something.)!

Now we move forwards!

Disclaimer: Maybe if I pray real hard… Nah.

Sketch Four: Hot and Cold

Yahiko settles. Kaoru fumes. Kenshin intervenes.


"You've got to loosen your wrist, Yahiko! Mou! This is the seventh time you're tightening your grip! You've got to loosen it to get more flexibility in your follow-up swing!"

Yahiko grit his teeth as Kaoru came at him again, bokken poised high above her head, "I'm trying!"

The wooden swords connected with a piercing crack, and a moment later Yahiko fluidly pivoted on one foot to deliver the counterattack. Kaoru's bokken met his shinai just as he swung out of his arc, but before he could even register the slight ache in his wrist his shinai had flown toward the far end of the dojo.

"Then try harder, Yahiko."

"Busu," he muttered under his breath.

As he turned around to retrieve his shinai, he caught something flying at him from the corner of his eyes. Before he could react, however, Kaoru's bokken had bounced off the back of his head, leaving a throbbing bruise behind.

"That's for calling me busu, you brat! Now get your shinai and my bokken and let's try this again!"

"I'm not your slave!"

"But you are my student! And I'm your sensei, so do as you're told!"

Upset, exhausted and utterly frustrated by his lack of progress today, Yahiko rubbed his head as he retorted, "Sensei? Yeah, maybe I'll learn faster if you were a better sensei, busu!"

"What did you say?"

He picked up her bokken and tossed it back to her. "I said," his words barely made it out through clenched teeth, "maybe the problem doesn't lie with me. Maybe it's just you!"

Kaoru's face flushed an unflattering shade of red, "Why, you-"

"And why am I learning from you anyway? I never wanted to learn the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu in the first place!" He stomped across the dojo toward his shinai. Irritation crept into his voice as he let his annoyance at himself loose. "I wanted to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! It's way cooler, and I bet Kenshin's a much better teacher than some busu! Instead I had to settle for this just because Kenshin refused to teach me! I bet Hiko-"

Yahiko abruptly bit off the last of his sentence when he realized just how unnaturally quiet Kaoru had become. He turned to face her, ready to release some other retort, or defend against another thrown bokken, but all thoughts fled his head when his eyes met hers.

Her gaze was hard and steely, and while her eyes usually reminded Yahiko of the sky, or even the roiling oceans when she was mad, this time the only comparison he could make was to ice. For the first time, Yahiko felt the warmth seep out of him as Kaoru stared him down, eyes cutting, accusatory, and at the same time…disappointed?

"You're right," she began softly, so unlike her that Yahiko took an involuntary step backward, "maybe it is my fault. Maybe the blame rests entirely upon my shoulders-"

"Hey now, Kaoru, no need to put yourself down-" Yahiko began slightly guiltily. If Kaoru started crying…

But then she continued, in that same tone, only her voice was louder now, harder, "For being naïve enough to think that my pupil didn't need to be taught the most basic concept of kenjutsu. If that's what you think, Yahiko, if you think that by practicing the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu you're settling, then by all means leave. You won't be able to go any further, and I have nothing to teach you any longer."

And with that, she walked over to the side of the dojo, placed her bokken back on the rack, and turned to leave. Her steps echoed around the suddenly cold and silent hall; Yahiko's eyes were still wide with disbelief. She paused at the entryway with one hand on the sliding door, head slightly tilted over her shoulder and Yahiko looked at her back expectantly. Then, with a barely audible sigh, she walked out of the dojo.


The next morning, Yahiko waited in the dojo for his morning lessons.

Kaoru never showed up.

Alone in the dojo, Yahiko clenched his fists, fighting the inexplicable shame that burned through his veins.


It had been a week since that lesson in the dojo, and Kaoru still had not given him any lessons. This was the longest he had ever gone without a lesson since he came to the Kamiya dojo, and it was driving him up the wall.

"Stupid, stupid hag, who does she think she is?" He was sweeping the dojo porch, because although Kaoru had stopped his lessons, she hadn't abstained from giving him chores to do, albeit through a third party. And Yahiko didn't really want to incur any more ire than he guessed he had a week ago.

The week had been…awkward. Kaoru was her same old self, or at least, her usual self when it came to Kenshin, Sano and Megumi. But Yahiko had noticed that she refrained from talking to him, sometimes even going as far as to avoid him. She never set foot in the dojo when he was around, but he knew that she practiced while he was working at the Akabeko. Yahiko had tried to tolerate this strange behavior the best he could, but yesterday he finally snapped, and decided to confront her about it. She had only said one thing in reply.

"If you can't figure it out on your own, Yahiko, then there's no point in any further lessons."

What the hell had she meant by that? What was he supposed to be figuring out? Fingers tightening on the broom, Yahiko scowled darkly in the direction of Kaoru's room. Maybe he could ask Kenshin? The rurouni had always offered sound advice when he needed it... But Kaoru said that he had to figure it out on his own. And he knew that if he did ask Kenshin, she would find out sooner or later, and he wouldn't have his lessons either way. So what now?

His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had a shift at the Akabeko this afternoon. Deciding to eat first and think later, Yahiko chucked the broom next to the well and left for the Akabeko.


"Kenshin?"

It was nearing the end of his shift when Yahiko spotted the redhead from the far end of the Akabeko. Only one man in the entire Tokyo had hair that color.

"Ah, there you are, Yahiko." Kenshin beckoned him over, turning to look sheepishly at Tae as Yahiko drew closer.

"Tae-dono, can this one borrow Yahiko for the rest of the day?"

"What for, Kenshin-han? There's still a half hour left of his shift."

"This one apologizes, Tae-dono, but this one feels that it's time that Yahiko-"

The rest of Kenshin's sentence was rendered inaudible as a nearby waitress accidentally dropped a bowl. It shattered when it met the floor, and whatever Tae said in response was lost in the calls for a broom to sweep up the mess. Sidestepping the ceramic shards and hurrying up towards Kenshin and Tae, Yahiko only managed to catch the last of Tae's sentence.

"-and she's really stubborn about this."

Kenshin smiled, a sort of faraway smile that Yahiko couldn't really decipher. "Yes, she is. Thank you, Tae-dono, we shall be going now."

Swiftly grabbing Yahiko by the arm, Kenshin proceeded to drag him out of the Akabeko, apron and all.

"Hey, wait, Kenshin! What's going on?" Yahiko struggled as he tried to remove the apron. Kenshin didn't reply, but he had released his arm. Walking beside the rurouni as he pulled the apron over his head, Yahiko noticed that the redhead was walking at a faster pace than usual. "Why the rush?"

They were already on the bridge and Yahiko could see the dirt path to the dojo ahead. The sun was starting to set, and it set Kenshin's hair ablaze. "Why are we going back to the dojo?" Yahiko frowned, trying to make sense of the rurouni's bizarre behavior. Then something occurred to him. "Is there something wrong? Is Kaoru okay?"

The name seemed to have snapped Kenshin out of whatever thoughts he had been immersed in. "Kaoru-dono? Oh, she is well. However," and here Kenshin's face grew serious, "Yahiko, do you know why Kaoru-dono refuses to teach you?"

Yahiko crossed his arms and huffed. "No. But I think it's that time of the month or something."

A corner of Kenshin's mouth twitched. "Her mood swings have been rather drastic this week… But in all seriousness, Yahiko, do you know why?"

"No! I don't! But that's the whole point, isn't it? Because I don't know why she stopped giving me lessons, she isn't giving me any lessons! Why can't you teach me the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Kenshin?" Yahiko sounded petulant even to his own ears.

It was Kenshin's turn to frown this time. "I do not intend to pass the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu on to anyone, Yahiko, least of all to you." He paused. "Have you seen Kaoru-dono practice her kata before, Yahiko?"

Yahiko was so thrown off by the question that he didn't linger much on the sting of Kenshin's previous words. They were at the dojo gates now.

"Obviously."

"Good. Then you know how skilled she is," he motioned him towards the dojo hall, "But this time, I want you to feel her practice her kata. Then I think you will understand why she has refused to give you any lessons."

Looking skeptically over his shoulder at Kenshin, Yahiko moved towards the dojo doors, which had been thrown wide open to let the cool evening breeze in. Kaoru was at the centre, going through the motions of an advanced kata which he already knew the basics of.

Yahiko knew that Kaoru was skilled in kenjutsu. He had never really doubted her abilities after their first few lessons. It was just that everyone else – Kenshin, Sano, Saitou and all the other bad guys – were so strong that it often left Kaoru's own strength weak in comparison. So he wasn't surprised to see her move the way she did, with strength in each strike and fluidity in every movement of her muscles. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was a good school, Yahiko knew, one that leant more on flexibility and defense as opposed to strength and attacks. And he was happy learning it – proud, even. But it wasn't as…cool as the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. The countless battles he had seen Kenshin participate in further proved this. From the god-like speed to the many aerial attacks – even the most basic battoujutsu was cool when it was done Hiten Mitsurugi-style. Compared to this, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu seemed so… grounded. So mundane and simple that Yahiko couldn't help but sometimes try out some Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu moves on his own in private, just so he could feel what it was like to soar on dragon wings. The Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu seemed so effortless all the time, like wind rushing across the earth, heedless of the obstacles in its way.

Kaoru let out a loud battle cry as she swung her bokken downwards in a strong, sharp strike that would have broken an opponent's wrist bones. Yahiko refocused his attention on her, noticing the way sweat plastered her bangs to her forehead, and the way her breath came in short bursts through slightly parted lips. He sighed. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, on the other hand, has effort written all over it.

Kaoru was nearing the end of her kata, but she still hadn't noticed him at the door, as absorbed as she was in it. He didn't know what Kenshin wanted him to see here. It was nothing that he hadn't seen before, nothing that he hadn't known before.

"I want you to feel her practice her kata."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Yahiko wondered if Kenshin was kidding. But Kenshin hardly ever joked, and he looked serious enough when he said it. Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, Yahiko closed his eyes and decided to give Kenshin's dubious advice a try.

Standing there at the edge of the dojo doors, spying on Kaoru with his eyes closed, the only thing Yahiko felt was stupid. All he could hear were Kaoru's footsteps on the polished wooden floors, her slight pants as she moved on to the more vigorous stage of the kata, and the swish of her bokken as it sliced through the air. He could smell the familiar scent of sweat and wax and wood, and the slight smell of Kaoru's jasmine bath soap. Aided by the sounds her clothes and feet and bokken made, Yahiko imagined Kaoru's movements in his mind's eye – a pivot here, a jab there, followed by an upward strike and then a slight shift in stance to the defensive position… He imagined her face, the way her mouth would be set in grim determination, the way her eyes would shine with challenge, the way her ki-

And then he felt it. He could never manipulate ki the way Kenshin did, but like all swordsmen he could feel it. And Kaoru's ki felt vibrant and determined and…hot. It was like standing too close to a bonfire– just a step further and you knew that you would get burnt. And it was in that moment, sweat beading on his forehead as he felt Kaoru's hot ki wash all over him that he knew – his ki was the same.

The Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was like the wind – it was effortless, it was cool, but at the same time it was cold and distant. The way Kenshin and Hiko wielded the sword, he realized now, was the way they had been taught to wield it through the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu – coolly and distantly. There had always been a certain detachment in the way Kenshin and Hiko practiced their sword style, a certain incomprehensible distance in the way they handled their swords and fought. And that was maybe why the style seemed to make everything seem so effortless. That didn't mean that they didn't fight passionately, of course – Yahiko had seen enough to know that Kenshin poured his soul into every important battle – it just meant that in the end, the swordsman could walk away from his sword and his style. He guessed that it was also because of this distance that Kenshin (and most probably Hiko) had both killed in their lifetimes – in the end, the sword was just a tool for murder, and kenjutsu was just the art of killing.

But the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was different. If the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was like the wind, then the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was like fire – a strong, lively fire that burned in your soul, fueling your ki. It kept you warm, it kept you passionate, it kept you determined and raring to go. And because it was in your soul, you could never practice it without some effort on your part, and everything that you did with it was personal. That was why the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was a non-killing technique, why he and Kaoru never even thought that killing was a choice – because to stain your blade, your style and your soul with that inerasable sin was just too terrifying to contemplate. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was not just a sword style, it was a lifestyle – something that you lived with, grew with, and could never walk away from. In the end, the sword was a part of your body, and the style was a part of your soul.

"I do not intend to pass the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu on to anyone, Yahiko, least of all to you."

What Kenshin had said before, Yahiko realized now, was not an insult at all. Because Kenshin had known long before that his ki resembled a raging fire more than chilly, cutting winds, and that the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu would surely stoke it to greater heights. And in the end…

"If that's what you think, Yahiko, if you think that by practicing the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu you're settling, then by all means leave. You won't be able to go any further, and I have nothing to teach you any longer."

In the end the sword was something you picked up, and kenjutsu was something you chose. A sword style was a choice, not something that you settled on just because no one would teach you the other cooler style. He knew now that Kaoru was right – he would never go far if he didn't realize this, if he didn't choose the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. And he had every reason to, the suitability to his ki notwithstanding. He believed in everything that the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu stood for – the passion for life, the will to protect, the faith in second chances – and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the path he wanted to follow, that this was something that he really wanted to be part of his soul.


"Yahiko?"

Yahiko looked up. Kaoru was hovering over him, looking concerned. Sweat dripped from her chin onto the wooden floor. Kicking off his sandals, Yahiko stepped into the dojo and knelt, bowing as he planted his hands in front of him, forehead inches from the ground.

"Ka- Sensei, I apologize for my rudeness."

"Yahiko? Can't this wait-"

He lifted his head and stared straight at her, knowing this time that the fire of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu burned brightly in his eyes.

"I choose the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu."

Kaoru gaped at him. A moment passed, then the corners of her eyes crinkled, and the edges of her mouth turned up. She was normal, smiling Kaoru again. Sensei Kaoru.

"Very well. Then let's begin."


A/N 2: So what did you think? I was always quite dissatisfied with the way Yahiko seemed to want to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu more than the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu (going as far as to use modified versions of it in battle!). C'mon, I'm sure the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu has a few kickass moves as well! But further down the timeline, somewhere between the Kyoto and Jinchuu arcs, he seemed to understand and appreciate his own style for what it was. And this fic tries to address that moment. And of course, what I personally feel about these two different sword styles.

I also find the relationship between Yahiko and Kaoru in the canon-verse extremely interesting. Even more so in the manga. (Spoilers for Jinchuu ahead!) The way they found a sort of mutual respect for each other, the trust in each other and in the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu… and in the end, the way Kaoru dealt with Yahiko when he wanted to learn the succession technique, as well as Yahiko's thoughts when he found out that Kaoru had 'died' – sometimes I get the feeling that this relationship might even be stronger than that between K&K. Too bad there aren't many fics that focus solely on this relationship. From my experience, many fanfics tend to simplify this relationship. And I get why – it isn't the central theme of the fic, so there's no point trying to really flesh it out. But still, I don't think they can just be dumped into the 'bickering siblings' category. That said, there are a few good ones that offer insight into this relationship… and here's my little contribution to that group.

Okay, that was a pretty long A/N. Sorry for the slight rant, I seem to be doing that quite a lot lately. Anyway, thank you all so much for your reviews and alerts (virtual Kenshin plushies will be delivered to your mailboxes soon) and it'd be awesome if the amazing support continues! This time all I can give is the promise of an update sometime in the next two weeks!