Chapter 6- Warrior's Potential
Four years came and went. Genichi thrived under the care of his ninja/restaurant working family, transforming into a bubbly, energetic toddler.
"Misao's soul must have been preserved in the lad." Okina would say as he watched the child play games with the others. "Yes, it is a lot more than just his looks."
Genichi certainly did look like his mother as well, as if all her traits were molded to fit a boy. His hair had grown thick and spiky over his head and radiated iridescence in the sun. His eyes, that cheery ocean blue, were filled with life and undying joy. But the blood of his father told of a child that would be tall, almost towering, with a rather thin profile to match. All these traits of the four-year-old made him all the more endearing.
On one spring day, Aoshi was at an all-too-familiar temple, meditating the morning away. He rarely had the opportunity to reach a peaceful state of mind like this, but whenever he could, it was a blessing.
However, as he listened to the soft breeze streaming in from the open window, he suddenly knew his meditation was over.
"Papa! Papa!"
"Genichi! Will you slow down already?!"
Aoshi's eyes snapped open and he rose to his feet. It was only a matter of moments.
WHAM!!!! The sound of the door slamming open echoed throughout the corridors. Aoshi failed to suppress a smile as a small child came scurrying over to him. It seemed that, with each step, the room seemed to light up more.
Genichi skidded to a halt, panting from the running. "Papa."
"What is it? What's wrong?" Aoshi questioned. For all he knew, the Aioya could have been burning down or something.
In stumbled Shiro, who saluted upon stopping. He hesitated to catch his breath, having tried to keep up with the little boy. "Aoshi-san.your friends.have come!"
"The Himura family?"
"The red head guy with the 'x' on his face!" Genichi explained in his childish vocabulary.
Inside, Aoshi smirked. "I was wondering when they would come." He nodded. "Alright then. We will go meet them."
Shiro wheeled around on his heels and left the building, obviously wanting to get out before he was asked to race back to the Aoiya. But Genichi ignored him and planted himself in front of his father. "Papa, carry me!"
"Here we go again." Aoshi thought. Genichi always wanted his father to carry him even though he was keener to show off his speed around others. Poor Shiro had experienced that on the way to the Aoiya. But he never ran ahead of Aoshi. He always waited. Aoshi didn't mind his request and leaned down and gathering him up in his arms.
"Yay!" Genichi squealed delightfully while wrapping his tiny arms around Aoshi's neck. He loved being close to his dear father. And as Aoshi carried him up the road to the Aoiya, he too smiled.
Sure enough, the Himuras were standing outside the building, already chatting with the rest of the Oniwaban members. Kaoru was the first to spot father and son coming and gasped. "Ohhhhh! Look how much he's grown!!!"
Kenshin smiled towards Aoshi and bowed. "Long time no see, Aoshi."
The okashira lowered his head slightly in his own bow. "Himura Kenshin, Kaoru."
Genichi beamed at them, as well as Yahiko, who was standing in the background. But then the 4-year-old noticed another child standing behind the spiky-haired teen, looking bored out of his mind. "Ah! Kenji-kun!"
Kenji, who had failed to notice the arrivals earlier, practically jumped. "Huh? Hey Genichi!" A grin flashed over his face at the sight of his friend.
Genichi tugged at his father's shirt. "Papa, can I go play with Kenji-kun?"
Aoshi nodded and bent down to place him on the ground. Instantly, the two boys ran off into the building.
Kaoru glanced towards the one behind her. "Yahiko."
"What?"
"Remember our deal." She told him.
His face scrunched up in a childish scowl. ".Right.the deal." He turned and proceeded after the two boys. "Hey! You kids slow down!"
Okina chuckled. "Miss Kaoru, what may I ask, was the deal?"
She smirked. "I told him that if he babysat the kids, I'd let the incident with the broken door pass."
"I must admit, I was wondering when you would come." Aoshi declared softly, leading the couple inside.
Kaoru smiled. "It's been a long while. And since Kenshin's back for now, we figured it would be a good time."
"Papa!"
Genichi bounded up to his father once again. "Papa! Can Kenji and I practice with the wooden swords? Please?"
"Sword fight?" Kaoru gasped.
But Aoshi smirked. "So long as they're the wooden swords only. Wait for us before you start."
"Oka' Papa!" Genichi bowed respectfully towards Kenshin and Kaoru before running off down the hall.
"He is a fiery one, that he is." Kenshin remarked.
"And so mannerly for his age." Kaoru added.
They failed to notice Aoshi blushing beneath his thick bangs. They followed the boy at a slower pace.
"So your Genichi has learned the art of the sword already?" Kenshin asked.
"I told him to wait for us." Aoshi stated. "We will see."
"Oro?" The Himura couple murmured in unison.
Yahiko and the two children were in the training room as the three parents filed in to stand along the edge. "Look there, you got an audience after all."
Kenji was already swatting at the air with his sword, eager to test his skill. Genichi stood facing him a few feet away, wooden blade in front of him. Aoshi wasn't truly surprised at how well he held it since the boy was notorious for watching him train. But nothing could prepare him for what to expect next.
"Can we start now?" Kenji whined, glancing repeatedly at Yahiko.
Receiving the nods of their fathers to proceed, the teenager raised his hand. "Alright you squirts! Let's see some action!"
He brought down his arm and backed away. "Iku!" (A/N- Iku= Go)
"HAH!" Kenji charged first, his body zipping across the floor. While Kaoru leaned forward worriedly, both Kenshin and Aoshi folded their arms, both wondering what their boys could do at such a tender age.
CLACK!!
Wood met wood in a powerful strike. Kenji used his slightly larger size to gain the upper hand, pushing the blades back.
But Genichi smirked, his eyes suddenly igniting into a blue fire. "HYAH!" He ducked low and propelled himself diagonally into Kenji. This not only freed his sword, but it sent Kenji's flying across the floor. Even Yahiko gaped in amazement.
Knowing he was defeated, Kenji backed up. "Genichi, how did you do that?"
The 4-year-old suddenly looked more like a child now, holding an instrument that, at his age, barely had the knowledge of to hold. "I dunno, it just happened!"
He shot a glance at Aoshi, who continued to stand in the audience of three. "How did I do, Papa? Huh? Huh?"
Aoshi couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Genichi had instinctively evaded the strength of a superior and even won with a simple twist of the handle! Oh sure it wasn't the most advanced of moves, but to be performed so easily at the age of four was exceptional.
His eyes were shining a bit as he gave his son a proud nod.
Four years came and went. Genichi thrived under the care of his ninja/restaurant working family, transforming into a bubbly, energetic toddler.
"Misao's soul must have been preserved in the lad." Okina would say as he watched the child play games with the others. "Yes, it is a lot more than just his looks."
Genichi certainly did look like his mother as well, as if all her traits were molded to fit a boy. His hair had grown thick and spiky over his head and radiated iridescence in the sun. His eyes, that cheery ocean blue, were filled with life and undying joy. But the blood of his father told of a child that would be tall, almost towering, with a rather thin profile to match. All these traits of the four-year-old made him all the more endearing.
On one spring day, Aoshi was at an all-too-familiar temple, meditating the morning away. He rarely had the opportunity to reach a peaceful state of mind like this, but whenever he could, it was a blessing.
However, as he listened to the soft breeze streaming in from the open window, he suddenly knew his meditation was over.
"Papa! Papa!"
"Genichi! Will you slow down already?!"
Aoshi's eyes snapped open and he rose to his feet. It was only a matter of moments.
WHAM!!!! The sound of the door slamming open echoed throughout the corridors. Aoshi failed to suppress a smile as a small child came scurrying over to him. It seemed that, with each step, the room seemed to light up more.
Genichi skidded to a halt, panting from the running. "Papa."
"What is it? What's wrong?" Aoshi questioned. For all he knew, the Aioya could have been burning down or something.
In stumbled Shiro, who saluted upon stopping. He hesitated to catch his breath, having tried to keep up with the little boy. "Aoshi-san.your friends.have come!"
"The Himura family?"
"The red head guy with the 'x' on his face!" Genichi explained in his childish vocabulary.
Inside, Aoshi smirked. "I was wondering when they would come." He nodded. "Alright then. We will go meet them."
Shiro wheeled around on his heels and left the building, obviously wanting to get out before he was asked to race back to the Aoiya. But Genichi ignored him and planted himself in front of his father. "Papa, carry me!"
"Here we go again." Aoshi thought. Genichi always wanted his father to carry him even though he was keener to show off his speed around others. Poor Shiro had experienced that on the way to the Aoiya. But he never ran ahead of Aoshi. He always waited. Aoshi didn't mind his request and leaned down and gathering him up in his arms.
"Yay!" Genichi squealed delightfully while wrapping his tiny arms around Aoshi's neck. He loved being close to his dear father. And as Aoshi carried him up the road to the Aoiya, he too smiled.
Sure enough, the Himuras were standing outside the building, already chatting with the rest of the Oniwaban members. Kaoru was the first to spot father and son coming and gasped. "Ohhhhh! Look how much he's grown!!!"
Kenshin smiled towards Aoshi and bowed. "Long time no see, Aoshi."
The okashira lowered his head slightly in his own bow. "Himura Kenshin, Kaoru."
Genichi beamed at them, as well as Yahiko, who was standing in the background. But then the 4-year-old noticed another child standing behind the spiky-haired teen, looking bored out of his mind. "Ah! Kenji-kun!"
Kenji, who had failed to notice the arrivals earlier, practically jumped. "Huh? Hey Genichi!" A grin flashed over his face at the sight of his friend.
Genichi tugged at his father's shirt. "Papa, can I go play with Kenji-kun?"
Aoshi nodded and bent down to place him on the ground. Instantly, the two boys ran off into the building.
Kaoru glanced towards the one behind her. "Yahiko."
"What?"
"Remember our deal." She told him.
His face scrunched up in a childish scowl. ".Right.the deal." He turned and proceeded after the two boys. "Hey! You kids slow down!"
Okina chuckled. "Miss Kaoru, what may I ask, was the deal?"
She smirked. "I told him that if he babysat the kids, I'd let the incident with the broken door pass."
"I must admit, I was wondering when you would come." Aoshi declared softly, leading the couple inside.
Kaoru smiled. "It's been a long while. And since Kenshin's back for now, we figured it would be a good time."
"Papa!"
Genichi bounded up to his father once again. "Papa! Can Kenji and I practice with the wooden swords? Please?"
"Sword fight?" Kaoru gasped.
But Aoshi smirked. "So long as they're the wooden swords only. Wait for us before you start."
"Oka' Papa!" Genichi bowed respectfully towards Kenshin and Kaoru before running off down the hall.
"He is a fiery one, that he is." Kenshin remarked.
"And so mannerly for his age." Kaoru added.
They failed to notice Aoshi blushing beneath his thick bangs. They followed the boy at a slower pace.
"So your Genichi has learned the art of the sword already?" Kenshin asked.
"I told him to wait for us." Aoshi stated. "We will see."
"Oro?" The Himura couple murmured in unison.
Yahiko and the two children were in the training room as the three parents filed in to stand along the edge. "Look there, you got an audience after all."
Kenji was already swatting at the air with his sword, eager to test his skill. Genichi stood facing him a few feet away, wooden blade in front of him. Aoshi wasn't truly surprised at how well he held it since the boy was notorious for watching him train. But nothing could prepare him for what to expect next.
"Can we start now?" Kenji whined, glancing repeatedly at Yahiko.
Receiving the nods of their fathers to proceed, the teenager raised his hand. "Alright you squirts! Let's see some action!"
He brought down his arm and backed away. "Iku!" (A/N- Iku= Go)
"HAH!" Kenji charged first, his body zipping across the floor. While Kaoru leaned forward worriedly, both Kenshin and Aoshi folded their arms, both wondering what their boys could do at such a tender age.
CLACK!!
Wood met wood in a powerful strike. Kenji used his slightly larger size to gain the upper hand, pushing the blades back.
But Genichi smirked, his eyes suddenly igniting into a blue fire. "HYAH!" He ducked low and propelled himself diagonally into Kenji. This not only freed his sword, but it sent Kenji's flying across the floor. Even Yahiko gaped in amazement.
Knowing he was defeated, Kenji backed up. "Genichi, how did you do that?"
The 4-year-old suddenly looked more like a child now, holding an instrument that, at his age, barely had the knowledge of to hold. "I dunno, it just happened!"
He shot a glance at Aoshi, who continued to stand in the audience of three. "How did I do, Papa? Huh? Huh?"
Aoshi couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Genichi had instinctively evaded the strength of a superior and even won with a simple twist of the handle! Oh sure it wasn't the most advanced of moves, but to be performed so easily at the age of four was exceptional.
His eyes were shining a bit as he gave his son a proud nod.
