Rurouni Misao
-------------------
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Rurouni Kenshin! They all belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki.
------------
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I tried to get it done fast butit just made it take longer. Stupid writers block!
Anyway, thanks to bee and Celtic Oak for reviewing again and thanks to Phoe-chan, Renmauza, Cat H and angeliceyez for reviewing this time!
I hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint!
------------
Chapter 2: Why Won't You Train Me?
It was in between late at night and very early in the morning with only the full moon above for light. A cool autumn breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves that had fallen astray upon the ground and making a couple more drift lazily down.
And on a path in the woods, ran a little weasel carrying the Aoiya's best sake
------------------
*When I get back to the AoiyaOkina is going to murder me for this.*
"This" meaning the Aoiya's best sake.
*But if this works it'll be worth it. I just hope he's as crazy for sake as Himura said he was*
She clutched the sake a little tighter, being sure not to shake it up or drop it as she ran.
*Perhaps if he drinks enough, he'll forget what time it is...*
She slowed down a little as she approached a small wooden house, stopping shortly before the door.
*This has to be it! It's the same place I took Kaoru-san and Yahiko to back then*
As she reached for the door, her hand began to twitch and she scowled at it distastefully.
*Kuso! This is no time to develop a door-complex! I can't be nervous! Jeez, the worst he can do is-*
At this point, she decided it was best to stop thinking and still scowling, she grabbed the knob and swung open the door to see-
"Ah, now that you've finally gotten through the dooryou can tell me who you are and what you want."
Hiko Seijuro stood in the middle of the room staring at her warily, his right hand slightly behind his leg and although she couldn't see his sword, she had a feeling he had other ways of dealing with unwanted visitors.
She stepped forward into the doorway where he could see her better, raising her hands to show she didn't mean any harm.
"I am Makimachi Misao of the Oniwabanshuu. Icame to ask you for a favor."
He gave her a tired/bored look. She wasn't entirely sure which it was
He walked to the back wall and sat in seiza facing her. After he was all settled he looked up at her expectantly.
*Eh??? What does he expect me to do? Did he notice the sake?*
Misao racked her brain trying to figure out what he wanted her to do until she was interrupted by a sigh of exasperation.
"Well, Don't just stand in the doorway like that! Come in and sit down."
Startled, Misao stood there a second longer before it sunk it.
"Ah, gomenasai!" She said hurriedly as she closed the door and sat across from him.
"So what's my baka-deshi's friend, Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu doing here at this hour"
He trailed off as Misao shook her head. "I'm not Okashira."
"It's justMisao of the Oniwabanshuu."
He raised an eyebrow curiously but when she didn't explain further, he didn't try to pry. She was greatful for that.
"Sou ka, Misao of the Oniwabanshuuwhat favor is it that can't wait until more reasonable hours of the morning?"
Taking a deep breath, she looked him straight in the eye. "I need you to train me in the ways of Kenjutsu."
"No." was his almost immediate response.
*Ok, I didn't really expect him to say yes butI have to keep trying!*
"Why not?" she asked as calmly as she could manage.
"Because I've already had one baka-deshi and one is enough."
She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from yelling that Himura wasn't stupid and neither was she.
*I can't yell at him or he'll have a reason to refuse! I have to stay calm. If he won't train me, how will I get strong enough to beat Aoshi-sama?*
She reached for the sake bottle.
*Calm, calm, calm*
"If you agree to train me, I'd be willing to give you the Aoiya's"
*That's strangewhere is it?*
"The"
She looked around frantically but it was nowhere.
"Aoiya's"
*I know I brought it with me and I didn't drop itI couldn't be sitting on it-*
Her thoughts were inturrupted by the sounds of sipping.
"Ah, I haven't had sake this good in a while"
She stared in horror. Hiko Seijuro was drinking her back-up plan. Her fists shook with anger.
"The Aoiya's"
And all plans of staying calm crumbled.
"BEST SAKE!!!"
She shot up, pointing at it in disbelief. How had he gotten it? Suddenly she was reminded of her first encounter with Kenshin.
*Kuso!!! I should've known!*
"The Aoiya's? Hm, perhaps I should stop by some time"
He just went on casually, ignoring the fact that Misao was turning into a human volcano.
*He knewI'll bet he knew I was going to bribe him with it! That cocky, egotistical*
"Chotto! You weren't supposed to get that until you agreed to train me!"
She tried to grab it back but he was to quick for her and she ended up with a knife pressed against her throat.
*So that's what he had in his right hand* She gulped, trying to move as far from the knife as possible.
"Never try to come between a man and his sake!"
"It's not yours. It's mine!" she growled furiously, Forgetting about the knife for a second.
"But still" he took the knife away from her throat as he began to rub his chin thoughtfully.
"You did give me this great sake"
"I didn't give it to you! You stole it-"
*Thwap!* He silenced her with a smack to the head and cleared his throat while she rubbed her head, pouting.
"Stop whining! I already told you, I won't train you."
She opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with a glare.
"Besides, why is it that you need to learn Kenjutsu?"
*Why?*
"So I can become strong enough to beat Aoshi-sama!"
He cocked an eyebrow again.
"You didn't answer my question. Why Kenjutsu?"
She blinked.
"Because"
*Idon't know?*
When she didn't answer, he continued on. "If you start from scratch in Kenjutsu, it would take years for you to get as strong as you already are in Kempo so"
"Why not just work on improving your Kempo instead of trying to learn something you've only done once or twice?"
"But how?" she asked frowning.
"Aoshi and Okina are the only ones I know who could teach me butah, currently on a journey."
*I can't go back and ask them to train meafter leaving. I said I had to do this without their help andI do! So how*
She suddenly realized that Hiko had asked her a question and was waiting for her to answer.
"N-nani?"
"Are you planning to pass Edo during your "journey?" He asked, suddenly thoughtful.
*WellI guess I could stop by...*
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, I heard my baka-deshi had a son and I've been meaning to stop by and see why he hasn't brought this "son" of his to see me."
*Awhe wants to see how Himura's doing!*
"You mean Kenji, right?" She asked smiling.
*This guy isn't so bad, I guess.*
"Kenji, huh?" he said approvingly.
"That's a good name for a swordsman"
*Eh?*
"Alright, it's decided! I'll come with you to Edo and teach my baka-deshi's son the Hiten Mitsurugi Style!"
*Eh!?*
"What??? You'd teach a toddler but not me?!"
Yelling was useless. He was in his own little world. "And maybe this student will actually take the my cape"
*Yep, this guy isn't so badhe's the worst!*
"Hey! I never said you could travel with me!" She said pouting again.
"Eh?" Hiko looked up and grinned. "Alright, suit yourself but if we traveled together then maybeI could train with you."
"What? Really?"
*Yes! Finally be able to get stronger!*
"Ok you can come!"
She replied cheerfully, not yet realizing he hadn't said he'd train her but that he'd train with her. And though the difference in wording is subtle
"Excellentthe torture begins." Said Hiko smirking the evil smirk that Kenshin knew so well.
"What?" asked Misao innocently.
"Nothing." He said equally innocent.
the two are nothing alike. It was gonna be a long trip for Misao
-------------------------------------------
Tsuzukeru
-------------------------------------------
A/N: Ugh, surprisingly, I had a harder time with Hiko then Aoshi even! And I'm not sure how well I did on his characterBut I'll just blame any OOC-ness on the fact that it was very late at night! For him and me both! I'm also not as pleased with this chapter as I was with the other twomaybe cause I was rushing more. Anyway, I'll try to get Hiko's character better next time so please keep reading! And don't forget to review! It's really all that keeps me going when I get stuck in a rut ^_^.
---------------
-furin
