Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rurouni Kenshin


Chapter 1

A breath of fresh air, that's all I needed. The spring rain is always a comfort to me. Working with sensei is hard work, but it's lots of fun. I can practice my Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu all I want out here with him. None of that awful city life for me. Just peacefulness. Sigh.

Argh! It's too quiet. I need to be fighting or cleaning or doing something! Sitting around at Seijuro Hiko's house all day alone gets really boring. I'm almost seventeen, I THINK I CAN GO AWAY NOW!!!!

Hiko is like my father though, I just can't leave him. Especially since he's so . . . old. He could die any day now, since he's like sixty something. Oh I can't bare the thought of poor old Hiko passing away. What would I do without him.

"You're a baka denshi you know that?

"I don't know what to do with you, I could have mastered that trick when I was three.

"Time to get up . . I don't care if its 3 AM its time to get up!

Sigh, I'd probably have a less stressful life.

But my life is nothing without sensei. Without him I'd probably be dead. He told me he found me out in the woods, alone, dirty, and unconscious. He said I looked about two or three. I don't remember any of my past. Master says I must have had a concision. Hiko decided to give me to one of the midwives in Kyoto, the closest city to the village and also the capitol of Japan. But none of the midwives wanted a little girl to take care of. He decided to take me in. Sensei had no successor for the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu of swordsmanship. Since Hiko had me with him, he decided that I would become the successor. Even though I was a girl, it didn't really matter. I had always had my dark black hair cut short. It was easier to keep care of. When Sensei Seijuro sends me out to do errands in Kyoto, no one realizes that I am a woman. I wear mens clothes, but I have a few kimono's. I also know a few woman's trades, like cooking, cleaning, sewing, other stuff. I was taught by this really nice widow. She's a little senile, but she's really sweet.

"You want to be like a lady sometimes, don't you?" Hiko once asked me when I was young.

"No! Never, I want to be just like you, sensei!" I pleaded with him. Sensei Seijuro was the only person I ever looked up to. He was strong and brave and anything you would want. Except for his age, his love of sake, and his quick ended tongue that usually ticks me off.

Of course, sometimes I'd think he's been hiding something from me. Every time I get mad at him and flash my eyes with anger, he looks at me like I was a different person. I asked him what was wrong one time, and he told me my eyes looked like someone he once knew. I asked about that person, but sensei changed the subject.

Hiko says I am very excellent at this swordsmanship. But what I really want is to learn the final technic. That is my true dream. To become the best swordsman, or swordswoman if there was ever one.

In the distance, down the road I see a shadow coming towards the house. Good, it's Hiko. Now we can finally have dinner. "Sensei Seijuro!" I waved at him down the road.

"I'm coming Sukena! Did you practice any of your technics?" Shisho asked me.

I just stared at him as he came up on the porch. " . . . you want me to practice in this kind of weather, ALONE! Are you nuts or something?" I continued bothering him until he gave me the food to prepare.

"Now! Get started." He barked at me while he sat in the corner of the room. I didn't mind cooking. It was kind of fun. His house was quite unique since it had a place for cooking without burning up the house, except for that one time. I almost burned down the whole house. From then on, shisho had to watch me cook. I was ten, what do you expect of ten year olds to do, cook without ever having an accident (A.N. as I sadly know, that is impossible, at least for all the people I know)? Hiko probably could when he was a kid. I glared at him from he corner of my eyes. He looked like he was half asleep except for one eye open, staring at me. "Well? Are you done yet, or do you like taking your precious time in everything?"

I growled and finished stirring the soup. I poured out two bowls, and handed one to him. We sat like we usually did, around the fire under the floor. It was quiet for a long time, until I spoke up. " So . . when are you going to teach me the final technic of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." That's it, take it slowly and take your time.

Master just laughed. "So, is that what you want. I'm afraid I can't teach it to you, as I am to old." He laughed again. I just sat there, staring at him, wishing to kill him right there with one of the tricks he taught me. That would be true irony. He laughed once more at me. "Ha, ha don't give me those eyes. Which reminds me, I do know someone who could teach it to you. If your willing to be taught by-"

"Really!! You really know someone that would teach me it! Please I'll do anything to learn it. Just tell me where he is. I know I can find him." I was so happy! I can finally find someone to teach me the final attack. Then I can truly be the successor for the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, the ultrasonic killer technic. I can be able to wear the coat of the masters and I will be the Fourteenth Master, Akesukena-

I looked down at the floor. My eye's watering. If only I knew my real family, my real name, then I can be a whole person at last.

Being Seijuro Akesukena is ok, but I'd rather be my real family's name. That way they would be proud of me. I don't even know where they are. I don't even know if I want to meet them. What kind of family lets their child alone in the forest. But there must have been some sort of explanation. For instance, what if they were being chased after, and they wanted to save their precious girl. The only way to save her was to leave her in the woods. They would have come back for me, but they could died trying to save me. No, there has to be some kind of explanation in where they are still alive.

"Sukena, are you alright?" Sensei sounded unsure of me since I seemed to be crying. I lifted my head and put on my best smile.

"I'm just so . . happy master!" I put my food aside and gave him a hug. He was surprised, but I'm usually affectionate. I wouldn't know if he would understand my problem. I used to ask him about my past when I was younger, but he would just keep on telling me he didn't know. I finally realized, no one really knew, except for my true parents. Once I gain the final technic, I will find them, and show them what a wonderful person I've become.

Suddenly, Hiko moved with his lightning quick reflexes. I moved also sensing danger. We picked up our swords and headed outside. We went separate ways. I was still raining, but it seemed to have turned into a raging storm. Finding anyone out here was near impossible. I heard a wiz near my head and jumped up to find the shooter. I looked around, but it was so dark I couldn't see or feel anything. I came back to the house, assuming sensei was there. He wasn't anywhere.

I ran outside screaming. "SENSEI! SENSEI SEIJURO HIKO WHERE ARE YOU!" I started crying and yelling for him. He couldn't die. Not sensei. Not him. Not the master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. He couldn't leave yet. I ran through the trees surrounding our house. I found a body laying in the muddy road.

I ran up to it, and turned him over. "SENSEI! Please, please don't die." I cried at him. With the rain in my eyes it made me cry more. "Hiko you can't die you have to stay with me, you have to!" He groaned. "Ah! You're alive! Come on lets get you to the house!" I was so glad he was alive. I hated myself for always assuming the worst.

He groaned again. Seijuro took in a deep breath, "Just . . . let me lay here."

"No you can't, we have to get you inside so you won't catch a cold. Come on let me help-"

"NO!" He slapped my hands that were trying to help him up. He just looked at me. His raged breaths came in slowly. "I've . . I've been shot by a poisoned dart. It won't be long now. I," another raged breath, "I just want you to know that the man you need to see is Himura Battousai-" I shushed him. I stopped crying but I felt a stab in my chest. I couldn't believe this. The only man I ever loved (A.N. for all you psychos out there, I mean it as a family love, not relationship love .) is now dying in front of my eyes and I can't do anything to stop it. What's wrong with this! Something is wrong. None of this should happen.

"None of this should ever happen!" I spoke my thoughts out loud. The tears came back to me I choked out my next words. "None of this is right Master, you shouldn't die, you shouldn't have to die!"

"It's better for me this way. I was going to die soon, now you have a chance to go be the Fourteenth Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. That is what fate had promised for you. But you must track down Himura. Once you have mastered it you can come back and have this coat of the Hiten Mitsurugi Masters." He reached into his breast pocket in his gi and pulled out a blue bandana and a half heart necklace that had inscriptions on it. "I found these on you when I found you in the forest," a heavy breath, "they may be a clue for your family that you lost a long time ago. Now, I must leave you; make me proud, Kyota . . ." He took his last breath.

I looked at the necklace and bandana. The necklace's writing had Kyota written on it. Kyota. I traced it with my thumb in my right hand. I clenched the blue bandana in my other hand, and I vowed that I would kill anyone and everyone who had to do with this killing and the separation from my family. They would pay for the pain they caused.