Ah! My Sempai 5

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Aoshi didn't exchange one other word to her ever since the sparring ended a few minutes ago.  All he did was pick up his twin Kodachi off the ground, placed it back in his sheath then walked ahead without looking back to see his partner standing in a small puddle of perplexity.  Couldn't he have at least said, "Hey let's go?" Well…that was unlikely to come from someone like him.  Aoshi didn't say much to anyone anyway.  Makoto's muscles were completely stiff as though the soles of her feet had been trapped in very sticky liquid beneath the ground.  Wasn't Aoshi going to say anything else? He did talk to her while they attacked each other but after letting Makoto's arm free from the arm lock, nothing else came from his lips.

He was just walking on until his figure started to shrink from the auburn Bishoujo's eyes and he Karateka wasn't doing a thing about it either.   She had to follow him, didn't she and start her working day as if nothing happened? But then again…did she want to continue sparring with him? It was her idea that this Kumite ended around now and he agreed just now to finish their fight right away.  In one way or another, Makoto sensed that this wasn't what she was feeling bad about.  Who cared when the fight was going to end? The main concern was what Aoshi thought of it all.   Or, more precisely, what he thought about her skill as a Karate student.  This was *his* idea to begin with and he had persuaded Makoto to accept this Kumite many hours ago.

Maybe Mr 'Ice Blue Eyes' was disappointed, as she had predicted from the very start.   He must have felt ashamed to practise with such a weak opponent.   If this fact was true, did it mean he wasn't going to be friendly towards her anymore? Shouldn't he have listened to Makoto's refusal on sparring? He would most likely not want to make proper eye contact and appear uninterested in having any conversation with Makoto, even though he as a part of the Oniwabanshu loyally respected her family; her father.   Makoto managed to break the hold on her spellbound soles and commenced into a sprint, hoping to catch up with Aoshi.  

The aches in her stomach and arms weren't as painful as before while she ran silently.   Each time her feet clashed with the ground, hardly any loudness came from her soles.  It almost made her like a ninja in the night, trespassing someone's house using stealth as a tool.   It used to hurt Makoto whenever she had to run on bare feet.  What if branches or sharp objects pricked your delicate feet? It would hurt like hell for a few hours and you needed to rest till the rest of the day.   Over the years of training under the supervision of her parents, Makoto had grown used to running and attacking bare-footed.   It only made her techniques stronger.   Nowadays, training without her shoes wasn't a hard thing to do.  

The sunlight had been shielded behind the huge branches of the taller trees, making her running much easier to accomplish.  Being blinded by sunlight while running for a long time only made the fighter more exhausted and lose stamina quicker by the minute.   Thank goodness this morning didn't have a high temperature.   She'd be boiled to death under the heat, as would Aoshi in his trench coat.  As she ran, her voice finally found its freedom into the air and beckoned to the Oniwabanshu Okashira.   While sprinting nearer to him, she caught sight of his azure eyes turning over his right shoulder as soon as his broad back stood still.   The sensation of coldness swept into Makoto's physique as soon as her gaze met his and everything else around her stopped moving.

Fighting back the shivery sense, she knelt down to catch her breath back.   Even with her head facing the ground, she knew Aoshi's eyes were looking down at her, wondering what an absolute loser this daughter of Kino Ryouji was in his mind. 

"You are slow," Aoshi remarked. 

"Well it wasn't exactly my fault." Makoto flipped her ponytail away from her face as she stood back up normally.  What she said was true though.  It wasn't her fault because she was in a deep trance.   Yes, that was the word.  She was briefly in a world where her confusion had been left to waver by itself.  While there was confusion throughout her mind, there was also something else and it puzzled her thoughts a lot.  Makoto had felt what seemed to be disappointment.  But why? She had to ponder this for a moment while Aoshi set his erect figure to await a response.  It was tempting to argue back and say she wanted to take a small break before catching up with him though it wouldn't sound convincing enough.   As if he would understand what her real reason was for the late departure.  Aoshi didn't seem like the kind to believe nonsense. 

Makoto somehow had an idea to her dissatisfaction.   She expected him to say 'Good work' or 'I'm disappointed in you, Kino Makoto.  You're not as skilled as I thought.' Why couldn't he be straightforward on his opinion of her? She wasn't going to be offended by his answer.   Was she? As long as he responded in some way to her then it would ease the curiosity flying all over her brain.  

"Tell me something, Aoshi-san," She said. "What did you think of the Kumite we did?" His eyebrows arched up.  Another voice in Makoto's mind begged him to say something.   Anything!! She wanted to know what he thought of her as a fighter AND as a person.  The latter would be tricky to get out of him though the fighter part shouldn't be too difficult, if he was willing to tell her what he thought.   Aoshi sighed silently and looked straight ahead to where the likely end of this path would lead off.  Oh no, surely he wasn't attempting to ignore her question.   She didn't want that.  Couldn't he see she wanted to keep this friendly conversation going on? Be honest Makoto urged. 

Maybe her predictions were correct.  He was annoyed with her.  He took up the challenge of fighting her and found out she wasn't good enough to meet his standard.  This was a waste of time for the twin-Kodachi wielder, wasn't it? Makoto couldn't help blaming herself for not impressing Aoshi.  OK not as a charming pretty girl but as in a worthwhile sparring partner.   It was too late to change her mind on this challenge and she had endured the speed and strength this Commander had been well known for on the battlefield.  The Kumite was over now.  Her anxiety on this challenge had faded and Aoshi's opinion was all that was left to make her worried.

As though he was psychically reading her mind, Aoshi's eyes descended back towards the pools of jade eagerly watching him.  Makoto straightened her posture like a nervous student listening to the angry voice of a teacher.  She didn't anticipate his eyes were going to look this gloomy as soon as they directed back to her face.  Well? What was he going to say? For five minutes, all these two did was stare each other.   Icy blue clashing with sparkling emerald.   Makoto didn't want to stare at him like before, but the power within his eyes was making her stay still and unable to avert her gaze from him.   Was it a good thing to look into those indigo irises? She could never answer this properly. 

Aoshi recommenced his stroll down the forest, much to the utter surprise of the brunette following him.  She was waiting patiently for him to respond and he left her hanging there for a minute, not giving her a proper answer as a result.   Guess this means he's disappointed in me She finalised.   If he weren't going to tell her anything then perhaps it would be better to help him out a little here by being honest herself.             

"You know, I thought it was a real challenge sparring you," Makoto admitted. "It felt different to use a Kodachi in defence." Aoshi looked at her from the corner of his eye.  Hooray, he was listening to her.  Thank goodness she thought. "Don't get me wrong, Aoshi-san.  I like your sword.  It's just that I'm so used to relying on physical attacks.  That's how my parents trained me in Shotokan Karate." She could have sworn he nodded slowly there.  Was he nodding understandably to her? He must have.   The Oniwabanshu were her family's ally after all.   There was no harm in respecting one of many Karate master's offspring.   Aoshi could tell that Kino-san's ideals had been absorbed into Makoto's head.  She thought like her father in the exact way as a Karateka would.

He automatically pulled back a little once realising that Makoto had tugged lightly on the right sleeve of his white coat.  His stare fixed onto the direction of her finger and saw it pointing towards the river that had never left its sight from either one of them while they had been walking.  However, this wasn't the main river Makoto was pointing to.  She was pointing to a path of pebbles that lead to a cliff, where a small waterfall gently splashed into waves as soon as it connected to the bottom of the ground.

"After my training, I sometimes meditate here for a while," She accounted shortly.

"It's to ease your mind, isn't it?" Aoshi responded.    The dazzle in Makoto's emerald orbs grew larger in surprise and delight at the correct answer.  This would explain her strength within her soul, as well as her body.   If she stayed calm after a moment of intense relaxation then it would make her tactical trait more effective.   It wasn't exactly a problem for Makoto, according to Aoshi's perspective, but he could understand much more on how the Kino family trained in martial arts.  This girl was the living proof and she still kept the tradition alive inside of her.   The waterfall wasn't as large as a giant but to fall from a cliff like that would be very painful if the person landed badly.   Or worse, one could die. 

"Feel free to go back to the inn and have breakfast," Makoto said. "I'm going to sit here for at least an hour." Not seeing the secretly stunned reaction on Aoshi's façade, she jumped across the path of huge pebbles leading towards the bottom of the waterfall.  The sound of the small waves splashing grew louder as she approached her meditating spot.  The best time to head to the waterfall was after intense training.  That was when you could really cool yourself off and free yourself from any aches or disturbed thoughts.  Makoto was probably the only person to greet the waterfall and let the natural flow of the moving liquid crash onto her physique.   Not many used this or the river for any particular purpose.   This was Makoto's hiding place.  Only the essence of nature was what observed her (with exception to today where one tall dark-haired stranger was watching her from afar).  

Aoshi was unsure on whether to obey her suggestion on heading back to the inn first while she sat there like a monk searching for enlightenment.   He wasn't even hungry today.  The duration of the Kumite had taken his mind off any food or drink and his primary thoughts were on Makoto.  Sparring with her also made him less discouraged and hurt from the past event that had taken place.  This challenge was worth it in his opinion.  He had never had the chance to fight her father back then because his duty as the Oniwabanshu Okashira had occupied him day and night.   The only ever chance of meeting Kino Ryouji and his family was through brief conversations with the previous Commander.   Quick verbal communication was all Aoshi could do back then.   But in the present day, there was Makoto, whose tall stature easily brought the attention of passers-by.  She was the only living blood of her family.

Aoshi knew she was tall for an eight-year old though when he looked at this girl at a different angle, he could see she had something nobody else did.   And that was the skill of a Karateka, which would, as time passed, grow stronger by the time she reached an adult age.   So here she was now.  Acting like a normal girl who dressed in a traditional kimono and who trained privately to keep her Karate skill intact.  Aoshi sensed that this girl dedicated her time to her father's teachings.   It was what made her strong inside and out.   Much like Aoshi himself and his men.   Somehow Kino Makoto wasn't fully aware of this and most of the time insisted to Aoshi that she wasn't as good as him in fighting terms.  

The ebony-haired swordsman scanned both sides of his surroundings before carefully stepping onto the pebbled path and walking forwards confidently.   The click of his heels against the rocks' surfaces instantly caused Makoto to open her eyes, breaking the slumber while sitting underneath the waterfall.  She actually thought someone wanted to attack her selfishly during her peaceful moment, but of course her alertness was too hard on her to make this worry come true.   Instead of encountering a crazy lunatic, she was greeted with a distinguishable outline of a tall man in a huge white coat with yellow folds.   What was Aoshi-san doing HERE, by the waterfall? Didn't she just tell him to go back to the inn? Or did he want to do something else with her?     

While sitting cross-legged on the stone, Makoto noticed how Aoshi appeared like a legendary giant, whose stature surpassed the oldest and tallest trees in the forest and was able to look down at the towns at a perfect bird's eye view.  Since he was taller than her, he could act as a shade from the sun, impersonating the gigantic branches that grew long leaves to block out the sunlight beaming down to the bottom of the earth.  

She rose to her feet to ask, "Aoshi-san, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to…"

"Would it be alright if I join you in meditating?" He questioned politely.   A large yet imaginary question mark flew in front of Makoto's face once she heard him say that.  She didn't feel any pain or heavy wetness attack her back as she stood underneath the waterfall, ignoring the motions of the water's splashing.   What could she say to that command? The timidity around the Kodachi wielder flushed through her system again while her jade orbs observed him at a left-sided glance.  The previous time she blushed was when his fingers touched her hand after lending one of his Kodachi in sparring.  That moment was unbelievable.  She didn't think Aoshi could do something like that.   

He wasn't even touching her right now yet she still felt flustered inside.   Who could blame her? After all, he was physically alluring.   She remembered seeing him in his ninja clothes at the age of fifteen.   His dark hair was long and in a ponytail and his physique was slim with agility and strength, which was all concealed beneath his costume.   The one thing that had never changed from the past was his cold stare.  Makoto never forgot his mysterious blue eyes as a child or his fast movements in battle.   Returning to the present, she smiled warmly then gestured to the empty gap next to her.  Aoshi removed his coat and lowered his sheath before sitting in the same position as Makoto, laying his belongings on his lap. 

"Are you sure you're not worried on getting your coat wet?" She asked.  

"I'll be fine," He answered, his blue eyes disappearing as soon as his eyelids closed. Makoto felt strangely honoured to have someone like Aoshi sitting next to her to meditate.  A feeling of gladness travelled in her senses as she sat still to ignore every living sound around her.  She was glad that Aoshi wasn't heavily angry or disappointed with her lack of skill.   Why else would he want to meditate with her? It must have meant something, right? Maybe he still wanted to be her friend.   Wasn't this all a good thing? Now that this scenario had popped up, Makoto reconsidered the desperation of hearing Aoshi tell her what he thought of the sparring.  Perhaps she ought to have been relieved that he preferred not to tell her of his disappointment.

Silence scattered between the two individuals as they slowed their natural breathing in their places.  The sound of the waterfall trickled uncontrollably down their backs and met the main part of the flowing river, moving past the obstacles (i.e. the rocks) that blocked it's normal direction.  Even with her eyes closed, Makoto still sensed Aoshi's presence very close to her.   Hang on.  Why the hell was she thinking of *wanting* to be near to him? Shouldn't she be focusing on clearing her mind from anything? It must be her personal thoughts on Aoshi were what clouded her full concentration.    Don't be stupid! She denied her other self.   Yes, the last thing she needed was to start blaming attraction as the problem here.  It was spontaneous and she didn't find it a real bother to her.

"Makoto?" Aoshi beckoned in a whisper.

Concealing a gasp of surprise, she murmured a throaty, "Uh-huh" to him.   Despite the loud noise coming from the waves tumbling onto them, she could still hear her companion's voice.   It was like a deep note in a musical composition whilst the sound of the water was the front notes that consisted the main music.   Why was he taking a while to say something to her? Perhaps he was thinking to himself, which would explain the quietness from him.   Hmm…an interesting possibility kicked into Makoto's brain.   If he was silent around her then that would mean he was thinking of something to say or was simply in thought.   Finally, after five minutes of quiet reflecting, Aoshi said, "I think you are skilled – just like your father said eleven years ago."

Makoto's head straightened and water seeped down her nose and inside of her gi.   What was she to worry on wetting her clothes? They were washed everyday at the inn.  That wasn't her major concern though.  It was what Aoshi had told her.  At last he had told her how he felt this morning.  But it wasn't the answer she predicted.  It was the complete opposite.  He had praised her – for real.  During the Kumite, sure he did exchange some encouraging words to her though they weren't as effective as hearing him say she was skilled and that her father's comments were true.  There was a clear sign of honesty and high opinion towards her family in Aoshi's voice.   It was unimaginable for Makoto to take in.   She found it irresistible to joke "You were slow on telling me this in the first place" though it didn't seem like a good time to be a tease towards a very serious person like the Oniwabanshu Okashira.  

She should say thanks to him, shouldn't he? But the words weren't coming out because the experience of being praised by a respectable figure hadn't vanished already.   Her difficulty was hindered (by pure luck) when Aoshi spoke again.

"There's another thing," He stated.  More nervousness ate Makoto's insides.  He'd already shown his complimentary side so what could he possibly want to say this time? Makoto had run out of ideas on what he would want to ask or comment and decided to let her mind ease in its thinking process.   She just had to hear him out.  "I wish to see your parents' graves."

"Eh?" Makoto could only say, stunned and confused.   Her eyes struggled to grow used to the true brightness of the air as soon as her eyelids opened to stare at Aoshi.   Now this was something she never considered to occur during their conversations.  This was the first time someone asked about her parents' graves, rather than any past with them.   Whenever she visited them, she spoke to their tombs for long hours, summarising how her training was going or what her life was like in the present.   Nobody ever came to their graves ever since they first heard of the tragic news.  It was a one-day visit and that was it.  Makoto wasn't just a regular visitor to the forest; she was also a regular to see her parents on a monthly basis.  "A-Aoshi-san, did you just say…"

"I want to show my condolences, if that is okay with you," He added and also revealed his amazing azure eyes.  This additional reason to seeing her parents' graves simply made Makoto much more stunned than ever.  Aoshi was truly someone who amazed her with many surprises up his sleeves.   Aside from Ayane, this man without a doubt remembered her parents when they were alive.  Everyone else in town didn't seem to show true sympathy like they used to.   How could she refuse his kindness?

"Sure," She accepted with an appreciative smile. "I'll take you to their graves."

"Why don't we finish meditating first?" He switched the subject.

"Oh uh…right," Nearly forgetting why she was here, Makoto closed her eyes again.   This time her concentration was definitely kicking in and her mind was far, far away from the real world.   

TBC.

The next chapter is the second part of the epilogue (no really.  It is).