After Katsura's visit, Miryu was particularly bored, and would often beg Hiko to go to the marketplace to purchase books (by the cart-load) so that she could ease her boredom. By three weeks, she had consumed the Book of Five Rings, learnt the Chinese language from various books about the subject that she could speak it fluently and swallow more masterpieces of Chinese literature, aside from daily training sessions with Hiko. The latter was really satisfied with his young pupil's eagerness with knowledge, and the will to improve herself. But one problem still gnawed at her heart, and that was the reason as to she was hunted by the Shinsen-Gumi as their greatest prize (other than her mother), but they hadn't made any moves to take her.
"Shishou, I still do not understand…" Miryu said one night when the both of them were having dinner in the form of rice, eggs stolen from the local farmer (for Hiko had used much of his earnings on Miryu's books for the past three weeks) and some vegetables he'd grown in a sunny patch some ten feet from his ceramics kiln. "If the Shinsen-Gumi wants to me so badly, why can't they just come get me?"
"That, Miryu, is a question that too, bothers me" Hiko replied, "My guess is that they are afraid to incur the wrath of Choushu when they try to pry you from their hands, or they would rather take you by force in the middle of some big battle… but I'm no politician, and I do not know, make it do not care what happens to both sides as long as you and a certain baka-deshi is safe"
She could only stare wide-eyed at her master. Never has he mentioned Kenshin ever since the latter abruptly ended his training, and severed ties with the master of the Hiten-Mitsurugi… Perhaps, Hiko still had a heart, or that he finally admits that he misses that red-headed pupil of his… After a great amount of thought, it wasn't impossible for him to actually miss another person; the best example would be her mother, but Kenshin? She thought it better not to push the envelope further.
Hiko dismissed the curious look on her flawless face and left for his kiln without saying a word, which infuriated her. "Shishou, it is your turn to do the dishes!" she yelled after her master, "I've cooked for you, washed, and cleaned this place for three weeks on end without you helping at all!"
"Good point, Miryu, but you must remember," Hiko said, "That I was the one who housed you for the past fifteen years, six months, eight weeks and three days, imparting to you the secrets of the Hiten-Mitsurugi despite the fact that you are a woman. You could, at least, make sure this place is completely spotless as gratitude, right?"
She tried to fight back, but found it to be an extraordinary feat. Hiko gave every last detail and reason on why she was indebted to him. Besides, he hated doing all the household chores, sometimes leaving them undone for weeks, which made her shudder to think what would happen if she wasn't there to clean up for him. Thus, she gathered the dishes, and headed for the nearest river.
Once she was there, she laid the dishes at the river-bank and began her task while she enjoyed the view around her. Although night had brought a cloak of darkness over the mountain, she could still see the lilies and lotuses that grew there. Once she was done, she took off her socks and sandals to dip her feet into the cool water. I wonder if oka-sama and Shishou came here before. She asked herself, bemused by the romantic scenery. However, she knew that inquiring her master on such matters would be suicide.
Then, she felt the blunt end of a katana touch her face, which shocked her to no end. "Battouryu, finally, I have you" said a cold voice. "Would you kindly rise, so that I can see your face?"
She obeyed, knowing that she had no choice. She was unarmed, and so deep in the forest that she doubted Hiko would hear her. "Who the hell are you?"
No reply came, but only a laugh that made her blood curdle.