Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.
Chapter 8
Kenshin's eyes snapped open and he held his breath, listening for the sound that had awakened him. A faint scratching met his ears and Kenshin repressed a groan. Stupid mouse! Doesn't it ever sleep?! he mentally complained, grumpily. Kenshin was not going to let Hiko have the opportunity to wake him up in a creative way again, so he was not allowing himself to fall into anything more than a very light sleep. Any noise out of the ordinary woke him and the mouse's scratching was irregular enough to fall into that category. Kenshin had lost count of how many times it had woken him up already.
Giving up on getting any more sleep, Kenshin silently left the room, but not before noting that Hiko was having no problems staying asleep. He walked outside, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air, realizing it was well before sunrise. Kenshin glared at the dojo, thinking of the sleep he was being cheated out of by the little rodent and by his master the day before. Actually, this is about the same time Shishou woke me up yesterday... Kenshin thought, an idea forming in his mind.
Kenshin filled the furo with water, making as little noise as possible, and built a fire under the tub to heat it. When the water was warm, Kenshin filled a bucket with it and went back to his room. He checked to make sure his ki was completely masked, before silently sliding open the shoji. Hiko was sitting across from the doorway, his head hanging limply in sleep. The sakabato was leaning against his right shoulder, his left hand loosely clutching the sheath just below the hilt. His right hand was lying across his lap.
Being extremely careful to not make a sound, Kenshin removed his mantle, folding it and setting it on the floor, before he crossed the room and set the bucket down next to Hiko. If Shishou wakes up while I'm doing this, he's going to kill me. If he wakes up before I can get away, he's going to kill me. If he catches me before he's calmed down, he's going to kill me. But how can I resist? It's been so long since I've been able to pull pranks on Shishou. Now that my skills have improved, I can do more dangerous jokes and have a good chance of surviving Shishou's rage. I just have to make sure I do this right, Kenshin thought, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly.
Carefully, so as to not wake his master, he took hold of the sleeve of Hiko's gi, pulling it up very slowly until Hiko's hand was above his leg. Kenshin paused, studying Hiko's ki for any indication that the red head was waking. He didn't even stir. Shishou, you shouldn't have let yourself sleep so deeply. After all, I've always at least tried to get you back for your pranks in the past. Why would it be any different now, when the chances are higher that I'll succeed? You're getting soft in your old age, Kenshin thought, smiling as he eased his master's hand into the warm water. As soon as Hiko's hand was resting on the lip of the bucket, Kenshin sprinted from the room. He found a place to hide and settled down to wait. He knew he wouldn't have to wait long.
Hiko awoke, knowing instinctively that something was wrong. He scanned the room, noting that Kenshin was gone, before realizing he felt warm and...damp? That's... That's not possible. That's just not possible. I... I wet myself? Hiko thought, his mind in a state of shock. It's a good thing Kenshin isn't here to see this... Hiko's thoughts trailed off as he moved his right hand to push himself up. It was then that he noticed his hand was resting in a bucket of warm water. Instantly, he realized what had happened. "KENSHIN!!" Hiko roared at the top of his lungs.
From his hiding place, Kenshin fought to keep his snickers quiet. He knew Hiko would be looking for him in a few seconds. All laughter died when Kenshin realized Kaoru had been woken up by the yell and was going to investigate. Hiko would not be happy if she saw him in his soiled hakama.
Hiko entered the hallway, eyes amber, as he searched for Kenshin's ki. Instead, he felt Kaoru's worried ki and heard the shoji to her room slide open. Cursing mentally, he ran using all of Kenshin's speed and was outside before Kaoru could look down the hall. He skidded to a stop, shivering slightly in the chill air, hoping the assistant master would go back to her room.
Kaoru looked around, wondering where the yell that had woken her came from. Having been awakened from a deep sleep, she hadn't recognized the voice, nor could she understand what had been said, but one thing was obvious. Whoever had yelled was very upset. Hearing a noise outside, she hurried to Kenshin's room, noticing with some alarm that the shoji was open. She stopped in the doorway, becoming even more worried. The room was empty.
Where is Kenshin?! she thought, frantically. Thinking about the noise she had heard seconds earlier, she hastened outside, hoping that Kenshin was alright.
Hiko, mentally cursing again as he felt Kaoru's ki coming towards him, looked around for someplace to hide. His eyes landed on the roof of the dojo and he quickly jumped up, lying down to conceal himself from sight. He shivered again as he pressed his body against the cold roof tiles, his wet clothes only making matters worse. When I catch Kenshin... His thought trailed off into a low growl. He stopped as Kaoru's ki neared his position.
Kaoru's hand was on the shoji when a deep voice stopped her in her tracks.
"So, it seems my baka deshi woke someone up, after all," Kenshin said, walking up behind Kaoru.
Kaoru relaxed when she recognized the voice. Then she realized what he said, her worry mounting once more. "It was Kenshin who yelled? Is he all right?! What happened?!"
"Calm down, Kamiya. My baka deshi is just outside training," Kenshin explained, walking back down the hall. Who would have ever thought. The great Hiko Seijiro XIII, hiding on a roof from the curious eyes of a kendo instructor. That's almost as embarrassing as the legendary Hitokiri Battousai treed by a five-pound dog. Although, Shishou's never going to find out about that, Kenshin thought, reentering his room. He wouldn't stay there, of course, but he wanted to make sure Kaoru went back to bed.
That must have been Kenshin's battle yell, Kaoru thought, her worries put to rest by 'Hiko's' relaxed attitude. If he wasn't worried, why should she be? Realizing just how tired she was, Kaoru made her way back to her room. Kenshin gets up and trains every morning? The sun isn't even up yet. He's usually the last one to go to sleep, too, yet he's never tired. How does he do it...? Kaoru wondered, her thoughts trailing off as she drifted off to sleep.
As soon as her ki settled down, Kenshin exited his room and headed back to his hiding place. It was still much too soon for Hiko to find him.
Outside, Hiko was a little confused as to why Kaoru left. First, her ki was worried, then she calmed down a bit, then she was worried even more than before, and finally she became completely calm and went back to bed. Taking advantage of the situation, Hiko snuck quietly back into the dojo and retrieved a change of clothes. He quickly made his way to the bathhouse, a little surprised that there was already a bath ready. Making a mental note to not kill Kenshin in as quite as painful a way as he had been entertaining earlier, Hiko peeled off his wet clothes before soaping up and slipping into the steaming furo. He sighed, allowing his eyes to close as the hot water encompassed his cold skin, relaxing him.
Perhaps I shouldn't kill Kenshin. I mean, he is my only apprentice, even if he is a baka at times. I suppose I should let him live. However, an act such as this cannot be ignored. What would be a fitting punishment...? Oh, that would do nicely... Yes, just wait, Kenshin. I will get you back for this, Hiko thought, plotting his revenge against a certain mischievous deshi.
Elsewhere in the dojo, Kenshin sneezed.
. . .
After his bath, Hiko had calmed down to where he no longer wanted to use the Ama-kakeru-ryu-no-hirameki on Kenshin, but not to the point of it being safe for the taller swordsman to come out of hiding. Thus, the residents of the Kamiya dojo ate breakfast without the presence of one Hiko Seijiro XIII.
"Hey, Kenshin, where's your master?" Yahiko asked, looking around as if the tall swordsman would walk in.
Kaoru answered before Hiko could come up with an excuse. "He's probably still training, right Kenshin?" she asked.
"What?" Hiko looked at her, confused. Training?
"Yes, he told me you were out training, earlier. Although, you really need to try and not yell so loudly. You woke me up," Kaoru explained, looking at Kenshin reprovingly.
Kenshin told her we were training... That means, Kenshin snuck back in here, talked to Kaoru and left, all without my being aware of it! I was sitting above him on the roof, and I had no idea he was here! Hiko thought, his anger flaring. "Yes, he's probably still training, Kaoru-dono," Hiko agreed, standing up. "I'll go look for him right now, that I will." Hiko cringed, mentally, as the last part slipped out. Great, now I even talk like my baka deshi! he thought, irritated, as he headed outside and left the dojo.
Kenshin discreetly tracked Hiko until he reached the forest. Shishou, do you really think I would hide from you in there? It would be much too easy for you to find me. However, feel free to search all you want, Kenshin thought, reentering the dojo. He had to make use of Hiko's absence to get some breakfast.
In the forest, Hiko searched, making a pretense of looking for signs of Kenshin. He wasn't sure if his deshi was watching him or not, but it was better to be safe, just in case. After about five minutes, he found what he was looking for. Bending down and pretending to study some tracks, Hiko laid a cloth on the ground. Using a smaller cloth, he carefully picked some plants, wrapping them up in the larger cloth and storing them in his sleeve. Having obtained what he came for, Hiko abandoned the 'search for Kenshin' and returned to the dojo.
Feeling Hiko's ki nearing the dojo, Kenshin decided it was time to make himself scarce again. Not having as many places to hide in broad daylight, Kenshin opted instead for hopping over the back wall and keeping tabs on Hiko's ki from there. His master was still too upset to approach just yet.
Arriving back at the dojo, Hiko made a beeline for his and Kenshin's room, shutting the shoji behind him. I still can't believe Kenshin had the gall to do that to me, he thought, spreading the mantle out on the floor. Hiko removed the cloth containing the plants he had picked from his sleeve. Not only was he willing to try a prank like that on me, but he was actually able to pull it off! Being careful not to touch the plant itself, Hiko got to work. And then, he was literally underneath me, and I had no idea! He had his ki completely masked and didn't make a single sound! In my body! It is a simple task to mask one's ki and I can move quietly, with barely a whisper. That is quite a feat, especially for a body as large as mine, but he didn't make a single sound! He's had my body for two weeks, and he's quieter than I am! he seethed, internally, as he gently rubbed the leaves over the inside of the mantle where it would rest against Kenshin's back when he put it on. After he was done, he studied his work. Although, I suppose that could have a lot to do with his training as a hitokiri. I need to move silently on occasion, but not often. An assassin, on the other hand, would have to move silently wherever he went. After several years of doing that, it would become second nature to Kenshin. But that doesn't make it any less embarrassing for me! he fumed, noticing there were a few green marks here and there but not too many and certainly none that wouldn't wash out. The entire area Hiko had applied the plant to had a slightly green tint to it, making the darker spots easy to miss. Even if Kenshin glanced at the mantle before putting it on, it was unlikely that he would notice anything amiss.
Folding the mantle so that the tampering couldn't be seen, Hiko replaced it where Kenshin had left it that morning. At least I'll get the last laugh on this one, he thought, with a smile that was the closest he'd come to mimicking Kenshin's goofy grin. Hiko went outside and looked at the soiled garments on top of the pile of laundry, his ki becoming angry again. Not only do I have to suffer through the embarrassment of Kenshin successfully pulling this prank on me, but now I have to wash my clothes, too! Baka deshi!
. . .
Kenshin was sitting behind the back wall, idly throwing rocks at a tree. Hiko had finally masked his ki when he had started washing the laundry-- at least, his ki was near the laundry tub before it disappeared, so that's what Kenshin assumed he was doing. The fact that a faint splash could be heard now and then, possibly from Hiko wringing out the clothes or dropping something in the water, supported this theory. After about a half hour, Kenshin decided to peek over the wall and try to determine his master's mood.
Grabbing a low tree branch, Kenshin hoisted himself up and peered into the courtyard. Hiko was kneeling in front of the washtub, scrubbing away furiously. Kenshin cringed, looking sadly at the garments that probably wouldn't survive the encounter with the irate swordsman. I think I'll wait a bit longer, Kenshin thought, silently lowering himself to the ground.
. . .
Hiko stood in the kitchen, washing the dishes. They had just finished eating lunch and there was still no sign of Kenshin. I've been masking my ki so he'll think I'm either not here or not as angry at him as I was and come back. I can't get my revenge if he never puts the mantle on! Hiko thought, rinsing out the last bowl and placing it on a rack to dry.
At that precise moment, Sano walked into the kitchen. He smiled when he saw the red head had finished the dishes. "Hey, Kenshin, are you doing anything this afternoon?" he asked, grinning.
"Why?"
"Well, I've got something important I want you to help me with..." Sano trailed off, his smile widening.
Perhaps if I leave, Kenshin will return to the dojo. It's not like I have anything better to do. "All right, Sano, what do you need help with?" Hiko asked, following Sano out of the kitchen.
"I know you don't like to go gambling with me and your guesses are always dead wrong, but..."
. . .
Kenshin watched as Hiko and Sano left the dojo. He shook his head. Sano's probably going gambling, again. I forgot to warn Shishou about that... Oh, well, it's too late now. At any rate, he doesn't seem like he's still mad at me, so I guess it's okay to come out now, Kenshin thought, entering the gate as soon as Hiko and Sano were out of sight. He made a beeline for the kitchen, noticing the Hiko had saved some food from lunch for him. I suppose Shishou's not that upset with me, after all. All he needed was some time to calm down, Kenshin thought, eating the meal.
After he was done, he went to his and Hiko's room. I'd better put this back on before someone asks about it, he thought, throwing the mantle around his shoulders.
Having nothing better to do, and knowing better than to attempt any chores, Kenshin decided to sit in the dojo and watch Yahiko's kendo lesson. Kaoru looked up as he entered, but didn't say anything about his absence. Choosing a spot out of the way, Kenshin made himself comfortable and watched Yahiko practice.
. . .
It wasn't until late afternoon that Hiko and Sano returned to the dojo. Sano had stayed longer than he'd planned because 'Kenshin' was on a winning streak today. He'd correctly guessed every roll of the dice until all of Sano's buddies had run out of money and withdrawn from betting. The street fighter was ecstatic and lost track of the time. Thus, the two walked into the dojo courtyard and were assaulted by the burnt smell that accompanied Kaoru's attempts at perfecting her culinary skills.
Sano, upon realizing who had cooked, immediately turned and walked back out the gate, the money won from the gambling clutched firmly in his hand. I think I'll go to the Akabeko tonight, he thought, setting a quick pace before Kaoru saw him.
Hiko watched Sano leave, a little confused. He turned when he heard someone call his borrowed name.
"There you are, Kenshin! Your master told me you went off with Sano, but I thought you'd be back earlier than this! Anyway, you're just in time! I just finished cooking dinner. I tried a new recipe and I want you to tell me what you think!" Kaoru said, all but dragging Hiko inside.
The smell of ruined food worsened as Hiko neared the dining area. Kaoru had already set out the food and as Hiko kneeled in front of the small table, he couldn't help but notice that his deshi was nowhere to be seen. Kenshin's warning about Kaoru's cooking came unbidden to Hiko's mind as he stared at the inedible looking meal before him.
Yahiko was eyeing the food warily while Kaoru stared at Hiko raptly. "Well? Try it, Kenshin! I want to know what you think!" she said, excited. She was obviously very proud of herself.
Knowing Kenshin, he'd eat everything and then compliment her on it, even if he got food poisoning. Lovely. Seeing no way out of it, Hiko picked up his chopsticks and gingerly put a small bite in his mouth, preparing himself for the worst. He choked, almost spitting it out, but somehow forced himself to swallow it, instead.
Kaoru stared at him, unsure what to make of his reaction. It was the first time Kenshin had choked on his food. Her eyes stared to tear up. "You-- you don't like it?" she asked, hesitantly.
Hiko coughed, trying to clear his throat so he could speak. Kenshin wasn't kidding! I didn't know food could taste that bad! Ugh, she should be banned from the kitchen! Unfortunately for me, my baka deshi would never say that. Oh, I want my body back. I hate Kenshin's life, Hiko lamented. "It's not-- I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono. I wasn't expecting it to be that spicy," Hiko explained. He just couldn't bring himself to say that it tasted good.
Kaoru accepted his excuse and seemed to think that it meant he liked it. She happily started on her own meal. "I'm glad you like it, Kenshin. I made it just for you," she said between bites.
"I really wish you hadn't," Hiko muttered. He didn't realize that he had said that loud enough to be heard. Yahiko laughed.
Kaoru looked up, surprised and a little hurt. "What?"
"Uh, it's just, uh, you have so much to do-- I don't want to have to burden you with cooking, as well," Hiko lied, quickly.
Kaoru waved her hand, dismissing his concerns. "Oh, don't worry about that, Kenshin! I really enjoy cooking! I wish you would let me cook more often, though. You yourself said that my cooking has improved a lot. How can I continue to improve it if you don't let me cook?"
Hiko nearly choked on his food again. Improved?! I hope Kenshin was lying, because if this is what her improved cooking tastes like, I shudder to think what it was before! Hiko was saved from having to answer by Yahiko.
"Let you cook so you can get better? Yeah, right, you ugly old hag! I'm still young and I don't need the poison you call food sending me to an early grave!" Yahiko jumped back, barely dodging Kaoru's bokken.
"You little brat! You should be grateful that you're getting free food!" Kaoru yelled, chasing Yahiko.
Seeing Kaoru distracted, Hiko quickly took the opportunity to dispose of his food. It wouldn't kill him to miss a meal.
. . .
Kenshin walked into the kitchen while Hiko was washing the dinner dishes. The red head looked up at his appearance.
"So, you finally decide to grace me with your presence? I saved some dinner for you," Hiko said.
"No thanks. I decided to eat out tonight. I saw Sano at the Akabeko and he asked me to thank you," Kenshin said, leaning against the counter. "You shouldn't have done that," he added, quietly.
Hiko snorted. "Why, because it ruined your 'losing streak?'" he asked, derisively.
"Partly. Sano is now going to try to get me to go with him as often as possible. However, I would like to know why. I'm sure you could tell from the way Sano acted that I never guess the dice correctly. You don't need the money, so why did you do that?" Kenshin asked.
Hiko shrugged. "Bored, I guess."
"You stole money from Sano's friends because you were bored?"
"It's not stealing, Kenshin-- it's called gambling."
"Gambling is a game of chance. You knew exactly how those rolls would land and were thus able to guess them correctly. That's essentially the same as playing with loaded dice," Kenshin retorted.
Hiko shrugged again. "They're all grown men. It was their money to throw away as they saw fit. They could have gotten up and walked away at any time," Hiko replied, not bothered by his actions in the slightest. He dried off his hands, picked up a sake saucer and walked over to Kenshin, holding it out expectantly.
Kenshin sighed, reaching for the jug of sake on his belt. He stopped as a peculiar odor caught his attention. Leaning towards Hiko, he sniffed delicately. That's what I thought. Shishou had more than a bit of cheap sake when he was out with Sano, Kenshin thought, straightening up. "Sorry, Shishou. You've had enough sake for one day."
"You've been hiding out with the sake jugs all day, Kenshin. What do you mean, I've had enough sake?"
"When Sano goes gambling, there is always sake involved," Kenshin answered.
"Sano only had the cheap stuff," Hiko said, his voice the closest he'd come to whining since his childhood.
I know. I can smell it, Kenshin thought, fidgeting a little as his back started to itch. He looked down at Hiko. "That sounds like a personal problem to me, Shishou," he replied, scratching his back.
Hiko's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to retort when Kenshin's movement caught his attention. Instead, he turned away, hiding his smile, as he 'stormed' out of the kitchen. Kenshin will be a little distracted tonight. That's when I'll make my move, he decided, still smiling as he headed to his room. Revenge is so much fun.
. . .
The crescent moon hung high in the night sky, shedding it's feeble light on the world beneath it. The Kamiya dojo was dark, all of its residents having gone to bed several hours previously. All was still until a pair of violet eyes opened in the darkness. It was time.
Hiko stood, carefully watching and listening for any reaction from Kenshin. There was none. Completely masking his ki, the red head silently crossed the room to where his deshi sat, sleeping. Squatting down, Hiko slowly put his arm out, reaching toward the sword-- and accidentally brushing against Kenshin's hand.
Immediately, Kenshin jumped up into a defensive position, drawing his katana from its sheath. Hiko, expecting this, quickly moved to the side. The sake jug, having fallen out of Kenshin's lap when he jumped up, rolled on the floor before the red head snatched it. Hiko held the sake jug almost protectively, glaring at Kenshin as if daring him to try and take it.
Kenshin blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. Seeing the sake jug in Hiko's grasp, he shrugged his shoulders before sitting down against the wall once more. I doubt Shishou realizes that isn't the jug we've been drinking out of during the day, Kenshin mused, trying to distract himself. His back was itching again, but he forced himself to remain still until his master took a drink.
Hiko was startled when Kenshin gave in so easily. Perhaps he is going to try and take it back while I'm drinking, he thought, watching Kenshin closely. He waited, but his deshi wasn't even paying attention to him. It seemed the larger man was having a difficult time trying to sit still. Ah, yes. I had forgotten about that. Well, more sake for me! Hiko thought, cheerfully taking a drink. Immediately he choked, coughing and sputtering at the awful taste. That tasted like...valerian tea?! Kenshin replaced my sake with VALERIAN TEA?! Hiko realized, enraged. His head snapped up and he noticed Kenshin was gone. Checking to make sure Kaoru and Yahiko were both asleep, Hiko followed him.
Kenshin was standing outside in the middle of the courtyard. Upon seeing his master, he took off running. Hiko gave chase.
"Remember, Shishou-- I'm in your body. What are you going to do?" Kenshin asked, almost playfully.
"Nothing," Hiko ground out, making sure his voice was loud enough for Kenshin to hear him, but not loud enough to wake the residents of the dojo.
Kenshin laughed. "Then why are you chasing me?" he asked, innocently.
"Stop and you'll find out!"
Knowing better than to do as he was told, Kenshin continued running. Not wanting to risk being seen by anyone who happened to be out for a midnight stroll, he stayed within the fence surrounding the compound. He ran around the bathhouse before jumping onto the fence and running down its length, Hiko close behind him. From there, he hopped lightly onto the roof and ran over Kaoru's and Yahiko's rooms, before leaping into a tree and back down to the ground, being careful to not make any noise as he ran. The lack of sound and his white mantle moving through the darkness gave him an almost otherworldly appearance. He was pleased that he was having little trouble staying ahead of his master, all his training was paying off.
When the chase had started, Hiko had actually been glad he'd been in Kenshin's body for the first time since the switch. Kenshin was slightly faster than Hiko, so the red head thought it would be a simple matter to catch his deshi and teach him a lesson. However, he had not been able to get within arm's reach of the ebony-haired swordsman. He had stayed right behind Kenshin, tantalizingly close to his prey, but still out of his grasp. Why can't I catch him?! Kenshin's body is faster than mine! Suddenly, Hiko remembered when he had found Kenshin training in the stream, two days after they had switched. He wasn't training himself to use my body-- he was training my body to become faster! He got up and trained every morning during the trip to Tokyo, and now I can't catch him!
Hiko noticed that it was getting more difficult to focus on things around him. His steps were slowing and he felt very tired. What the-- oh, that's right. Valerian tea. Must have been a strong dose to be affecting me this much already. Blast it, Kenshin. Hiko came to a stop, his zori scraping softly on the dirt. Kenshin stopped across the yard. Glaring disdainfully at his deshi, Hiko turned and reentered the dojo. Not having much choice in the matter, he returned to their room to sleep off the effects of the drug.
Kenshin waited outside until he was sure Hiko was asleep. Going inside, he resumed his seat against the wall, trying to get comfortable. His back was itching like crazy and refused to be ignored. Scratching only made it worse, as did any contact in general. Opting to unfold the futon and lay on his stomach, Kenshin sighed. It was going to be a long night.
. . .
To Be Continued