Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story.
Chapter 9
Hiko woke, feeling very well rested. He stood, stretching luxuriously, before looking at his deshi, curiously. That's odd. Kenshin was sleeping sitting up last night. Why is he using a futon? Hiko wondered, absently scratching his back.
Hearing Hiko's movements, Kenshin turned his head, opening his eyes wearily. He was still lying on his stomach, that having been the most comfortable position he had been able to find due to the discomfort of his back. The circles under his eyes clearly indicated that he did not get nearly as much rest as he should have. Morning already? he wondered, firmly resisting the urge to scratch his back. So much for getting any more sleep.
Hiko raised an eyebrow at Kenshin, but the ebony-haired man turned his head away, clearly dismissing Hiko. The red head almost felt bad for doing that to Kenshin-- almost. Hiko made his way to the kitchen. That'll teach Kenshin to try and make me wet myself again. Now, about his little trick with the valerian tea last night... Hiko's thoughts trailed off as he searched around the kitchen for something. I know I saw some in here the other day. Where did it go? Ah ha! Found it! Hiko thought, triumphantly, as he spotted what he was looking for. Smiling a little evilly, he started breakfast.
. . .
Hearing the other occupants of the dojo moving about, Kenshin reluctantly drug himself off of the futon and entered the dining area. The itching on his back grew worse as his movements caused the fabric of his gi to rub against the sensitive skin, irritating it even more. Determined to hide his aliment, Kenshin firmly quenched the urge to scratch and kneeled next to Hiko, as always, and began eating. He poured himself some tea, so distracted he didn't notice the powder in the bottom of the cup.
Bringing the cup to his lips, Kenshin took a drink. He froze, blinking back the tears that stung his eyes as the spicy liquid burned his mouth. Shishou put wasabi in my tea. He held his breath to keep from spitting it out, vehemently cursing Hiko, mentally. His face started to turn red, beads of sweat forming across his brow as he forced himself to swallow it. He set the cup back on the tray, his motions controlled.
Hiko looked at Kenshin approvingly. Kenshin has more self control than I'd realized, he noted, trying not to smirk. He shifted, trying not to show how much his back was bothering him. My revenge would be perfect if not for the annoying fact that I can feel what Kenshin feels. Although, if my back is bothering me this much, I can only imagine what his back feels like, Hiko thought. Seeing Kenshin twitching slightly, obviously unable to sit still, Hiko decided it was time to make his move. Making sure his ki was completely masked, he placed his hand on Kenshin's shoulder, 'accidentally' brushing his back. "Shishou? Are you okay?" he asked, drawing the attention of Kaoru and Yahiko.
Kenshin's entire body tensed, the contact intensifying the already unbearable itching. The burning sensation in his mouth left by the wasabi, coupled with the sleepless night and his back, caused Kenshin to react angrily. "Don't touch me," he growled, glaring venomously at Hiko.
The red head snatched his hand away as if it had been burned, a look of hurt flashing briefly across his face before quickly being replaced with an emotionless mask. Immediately Kenshin felt bad, but before he could apologize to his master, Hiko turned to Yahiko.
"Yahiko, would you mind running to the clinic and bringing Megumi-dono?"
Yahiko nodded, running out of the room without even finishing his breakfast. Kenshin watched him leave, a little guiltily. Great. I scared him. Even if I am having a bad morning, that's no excuse to take it out on anyone else. Although, Shishou did put wasabi in my tea, I deserved that for making him wet himself yesterday. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on him, Kenshin thought, berating himself. His shoulders slumped, causing the material of his gi to shift on his back and intensifying the itching once again. I just hope Megumi has something that can help!
Breakfast was continued in silence. As Hiko began to clean up the dishes, Kenshin noticed that he was avoiding eye contact and his face was carefully devoid of any emotion. Feeling guilty for lashing out at him, the tall swordsman felt Hiko's ki, trying to determine how much he had hurt the red head's feelings. Kenshin was considerably surprised when he couldn't feel anything at all. Shishou's masking his ki? That's odd. He never masks his ki. Unless-- The front gate opened, distracting Kenshin from his thoughts. That must be Yahiko and Megumi.
Sure enough, the two walked into the dining area a moment later. Immediately, Megumi moved to Hiko's side. "Is everything all right, Ken-san? Yahiko said that you asked him to come and fetch me."
Hiko nodded. "I'm fine, Megumi-dono, but could you examine Shishou? I think something is wrong with his back, that I do," the red head replied.
Without a word, Kenshin stood and left the room. Megumi followed him.
A slight frown marred Hiko's young face. I thought Kenshin would put up more of a fight than that. He hates doctors just as much as I do. Shrugging, he carried the dishes into the kitchen.
Kenshin walked down the hall, turning into his room with Megumi right on his heels. She closed the door behind herself, before turning to look at Kenshin, expectantly. "I need you to remove your gi so I can take a look at your back."
Sitting on the floor, he shrugged out of the mantle, tossing it carelessly on the floor, and slid his arms out of his gi, letting it fall around his waist.
Megumi kneeled behind him, taking a moment to catch her breath. Her eyes lingered on the bare, muscular arms and broad back before noticing the blisters and redness. Sternly reminding herself why she was here, she began to examine his back, feeling his muscles tense under her gentle fingers.
Kenshin glanced at Megumi over his shoulder. Her faced was stern, focused solely on the task at hand. However, although her face and hands remained professional, her ki was running wild. The feelings she was exuding made Kenshin feel like a tender piece of meat in a butcher's stall.
After what seemed like an eternity to Kenshin, but was actually only a few minutes, Megumi was finished. "It seems that you came in contact with quite a bit of poison ivy," she informed him, standing. "Don't put your gi back on. It'll need to be washed. I'll be right back."
Stepping out into the hallway, she quickly located Kaoru. "Do you have any comfrey in your garden?" she inquired. At Kaoru's nod, Megumi continued. "Could you bring me a few leaves?"
Kaoru went off to get the requested items while Megumi went back to Kenshin's room. "Kaoru is bringing me some comfrey leaves and I'm going to rub them on your back. It'll relieve the itching and will help the blisters heal faster. How did you get poison ivy on your back, anyway?" she asked.
Kenshin grumbled something that sound vaguely like 'baka Shishou.' Kaoru entered before Megumi could question the response. "What do you need the leaves for?" she asked, handing the leaves to Megumi.
"Hiko-san has a bad case of poison ivy across his back, and this will help," Megumi explained, rubbing the leaves over the infected area.
Kenshin stiffened initially, but relaxed a little bit as some of the itching began to fade.
"I suppose you must have fallen into some poison ivy while you and Kenshin were training yesterday, didn't you? You need to be more careful," Kaoru admonished him, wincing sympathetically as she saw his back.
Kenshin snorted. My back wouldn't be this bad if I had just fallen into some poison ivy while training. Actually, I wouldn't have fallen into it at all. No, I know exactly whose fault this is. I'm just not sure how he did it, Kenshin thought, glaring at the floor.
Megumi finished rubbing the leaves on his back and stood up. "That should do it. It'll take a few days to heal completely and a cold bath will help relieve the itching. Well, I really need to get back to the clinic. Remember, if it gets bad enough, go ahead and rub some more comfrey leaves on it. Oh, I would suggest thoroughly washing all of your clothes you wore yesterday, just to be safe," she told him, exiting the room.
Kenshin sighed, not moving from the floor. Poison ivy. How did he do it? I hardly saw Shishou at all yesterday and he didn't have access to my clothes, except the mantle, but-- no. He wouldn't... would he? Kenshin reached over, picking up the mantle and studying the inside with a critical eye. There was a slight greenish tint to the white material and a darker green spot could be seen here and there. Well, that answers the question of how, Kenshin thought, dropping the cloak back on the floor.
. . .
Hiko watched as Kaoru left through the gate. He turned to Kenshin, sitting on the porch behind him. "All right, let's go."
"Oro?"
"I told you not to say that while you're in my body! Yahiko is at the Akabeko and Kaoru is going to teach at another dojo. This means that we finally have the several hours we need in order to re-enact the sparring match that led to this problem in the first place. As often as we've discussed what happened, we haven't been able to have a decent sparring match since, what with all of your friends around all the time. Perhaps retracing our steps will cause us to switch back," Hiko explained, impatiently. Regardless of whether or not an intense training session would solve their current problem, he needed to work off some frustration. This gave him the perfect excuse to do just that.
Kenshin cocked his head to the side, considering it. Of course Shishou would wait until I'm exhausted to suggest a sparring match. Oh, well, who knows? It might actually work. "I doubt it's that simple, but it's worth a try. I'll leave a note for Kaoru, saying that we're out training. We'll be interrupted if we stay here," he said, walking back into the building. Having left the note where it would be easily found, the two masters left the dojo.
Kenshin led Hiko to where he usually trained, a secluded little clearing in the forest. They faced off, each eyeing the other warily and waiting to see who would make the first move. Deciding to take the initiative, Hiko sprang forward, his sword swinging in an upward arc. Kenshin easily blocked the blow, throwing Hiko back, and they began.
The red head attacked with alarming intensity, holding nothing back, and using every technique of Hiten Mitsurugi, short of the ougi. Caught off-guard by the vicious onslaught, it was all Kenshin could do to block or dodge the fervent attacks. Well, it's nice to know my body hasn't lost any of its speed. However-- why is Shishou so upset?! I'd think he was trying to kill me, if I didn't know better! I mean, he still wants his body back, right? Kenshin wondered, jumping out of the way as Hiko sent a Do-ryu-sen his direction. He landed on a low branch of a nearby tree, only to have the red head arrive about the same time, felling the tree with one swing of the flipped sakabato. Kenshin jumped clear as the tree fell, eyes locking onto Hiko's. The shorter swordsman glared back at him with amber eyes. His rage was practically palpable. What has made Shishou so angry? Am I missing something?! he thought, countering Hiko's battoujutsu with one of his own. Kenshin restrained his strength, allowing their blades to lock. "What has upset you so, Shishou?" he asked, staring into Hiko's eyes over their crossed swords.
The poison ivy wasn't enough. He didn't even have to suffer, because of Megumi! No one-- NO ONE makes me wet the bed! I am Hiko Seijiro, the thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! I am the greatest swordsman to have ever lived! No, this heinous act cannot go unpunished! I will make you pay for that, Kenshin!! Hiko thought, growling. He jumped back, breaking their stalemate.
Kenshin's eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing in anger as he heard Hiko mutter something about 'bed-wetting' and 'injustice of it all' in response to his question. He's upset because I made him wet the bed? That is what this is all about?! What, does he think I enjoy having poison ivy covering my back?! Kenshin raged, silently. The sweat worked up from such a rigorous workout had washed away the soothing relief provided by the comfrey leaves Megumi had rubbed on his back and the itching was making it difficult to concentrate on the fight. He thinks to make me pay for the injustice done to him. You arrogant, over-confident, self-centered, egotistical little prat! If anyone deserves revenge around here, it would be ME! And believe me, Shishou, I will make you PAY!!
The tables turned as Kenshin took the offensive, attacking savagely while Hiko scrambled to maintain a proper defense. Although the flora surrounding them sustained heavy casualties, both masters remained untouched by the other's sword.
Kenshin was quite annoyed that he could not land a hit. It is only to be expected. After all, we are both masters and know all the moves of the style, inside and out. That makes reading your opponent ridiculously easy. I need something that is not of this style-- something that Hiko has never seen before. And I know exactly what to try, Kenshin thought, a feral grin sliding onto his face. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared as he shifted his katana to his left hand, drawing back his elbow and holding the sword almost parallel to the ground. He bent his knees, turning his body slightly, and raised his outstretched right hand to hover near the blade.
Hiko watched him, warily. This is not of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. It does not appear as though Kenshin has done this often, if ever before, so I doubt it is something he has added to the style. That leaves only two choices: a borrowed attack, or a quickly contrived one. However, the intended result is the same, to catch me off balance. Hiko allowed himself to smile. Poor baka deshi. You really think that is going to work. I can tell it's a thrust attack. There is a reason why there are no thrust-only attacks in Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. It leaves you vulnerable immediately afterward. It will be my pleasure to show you the error of your ways, he thought, waiting for Kenshin to strike. He didn't have to wait long.
Mentally going through the attack in his mind once more, Kenshin sprinted forward. Hiko stood waiting for him, a confident smirk on his face. I am going to thoroughly enjoy knocking you off of your high horse, Shishou!
Hiko side-stepped the thrust, bringing up his sword for a counter attack when pain erupted in his side. The force of Kenshin's attack sent the smaller man flying to the side, landing several feet away. His arm curled protectively around the injury as he lay on the ground. He stood up slowly, noticing Kenshin was holding his side in pain, as well. However, that didn't keep the cocky smirk from appearing on his face.
I'll have to thank Saito the next time I see him, Kenshin thought, waiting for the pain in his side to subside. That was definitely annoying when sparring with Hiko-- despite who delivers the blow, both can feel the pain. "Shishou, I'm surprised at you! I would have thought that someone with your level of skill could have easily seen that the thrust could be easily turned to a side sweeping attack," Kenshin said, mockingly. It didn't matter that he hadn't realized it until he had felt Saito's sword in his side.
Hiko's eyes narrowed as his ki spiked in anger. Kenshin's ki spiked with Hiko's, although neither fighter seemed to notice this. First his prank yesterday and now this. I will get you for this, Kenshin! Hiko mentally swore, jumping up to perform a Ryu-tsui-sen.
Kenshin watched Hiko jump high, desperately trying to ignore the almost unbearable itching on his back. So, you think to humiliate me by using my favorite attack to defeat me? I don't think so! I'm not done with you yet-- I still have to repay you for the poison ivy. I will get you for this, Shishou! Kenshin mentally swore, jumping to meet his master's attack.
There was a harsh sound of metal against metal as their blades clashed, the noise seeming to echo all around them. Kenshin's eyes slid out of focus, his master's face blurring and then disappearing altogether. Time seemed to slow as the rest of his normal senses disappeared: smell, sound, touch. He could still feel Hiko's ki almost next to him, noting curiously how similar it was to his own, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the two. There was an odd sensation of falling, yet Kenshin felt as if he weren't moving at all. Time and reality seemed to come back as Kenshin's body impacted with the ground. What an odd experience, Kenshin thought as his mind was enveloped by a natural darkness and he lost consciousness.
. . .
Hiko woke up with a dull ache in his side, his head throbbing and his back demanding in no uncertain terms that he scratch it until the skin was gone. Opening his eyes, he studied his surroundings. I'm lying on the ground in the middle of a forest. What am I doing out here? His eyes fell on a red headed figure lying face down several feet away. That's right, Kenshin and I were training-- His gaze snapped back to the smaller swordsman. That's Kenshin's body. That means-- Hiko looked down at his hands. Disbelievingly, he patted his chest, making sure it really was his body and even pulled some of his black hair in front of his face, just to make sure. It's me! It's really me! I'm back in my body! he thought, happily, smiling like an idiot and hugging himself. Instantly realizing how he must look, Hiko immediately crossed his arms over his chest, assuming an air of dignity as he surveyed the forest around him, making sure no one had witnessed that spontaneous event. His eyes once again landed on Kenshin.
He smirked, opening his mouth to make a snide remark when he noticed Kenshin hadn't moved. Starting to become worried, Hiko stood and walked over to his deshi's prone form. Kenshin was lying on his stomach, his arm outstretched as if reaching for the sword that laid a few inches out of his grasp. His hair tie had broken, the red locks partially covering Kenshin's face, and swaying gently in rhythm with his breathing.
Hiko smiled slightly, the sight of Kenshin lying unconscious on the ground bringing back memories of the last time he had seen the red head in such a position. Gently, he rolled Kenshin onto his back, arranging his arms in an orderly fashion and stepping back to wait. He had made the mistake of being too close when Kenshin woke the last time and ended up with a bump on his forehead. With his head pounding the way it was currently, he didn't think repeating that experience would be very enjoyable.
It wasn't long before Kenshin began to stir. He opened his clear, violet eyes, staring up at the sky. Confusion and disorientation shown clearly upon his features as he looked around.
"Oh, so I see you finally decided to wake up, "Hiko said, arrogantly. It didn't matter that he himself had woken up only moments previously.
Violet eyes landed on the tall swordsman. The red head sat up, hissing involuntarily as his side informed him that using any of those bruised muscles was a bad idea. He looked at Hiko, critically. "Shishou?"
The master just smirked. "It's about time you did something right." He paused, and felt around in his cape. "Well, almost."
"Oro?"
"Baka deshi. You forgot to bring the sake."
Kenshin rolled his eyes. Shishou's feeling better, I see. He looked at his master again. "What happened?"
Hiko's smirk disappeared, his face becoming serious. He sat down on the ground next to the red head. "Obviously we switched back, but I'm not sure how. That last attack-- did you feel anything different?"
Kenshin closed his eyes, remembering. "Yes. It was as if I lost all my senses except the ability to feel ki. And there was something else... As a matter of fact, I believe I experienced the same thing the first time we switched. I wonder why I didn't realize that sooner...?"
"Probably because the first time we were both attacking with ki, as well." At Kenshin's confused look, Hiko elaborated. "You were so focused on countering my ki with your own that you didn't perceive the loss of your other senses. The one that you would be most likely to notice would be sight and, if you'll recall, it was dark. I take it you remembered an odd falling sensation?" Hiko asked.
Kenshin nodded. "Yes, it was like I was falling, but I wasn't moving at all. Very strange."
Hiko nodded. "I experienced the same thing. The question is why?"
They sat in silence for a few moments, trying to figure out what happened. Kenshin thought about the first time they switched, comparing the two training sessions. It wasn't the technique, obviously, since the Ku-zu-ryu-sen was used the first time and the Ryu-tsui-sen the second. Also, ki didn't have anything to do with it, as neither of us used our ki the second time. But, what else is there? Did one or both of us do something that I am missing? he wondered, folding his arms. He thought back to what happened at the moment of the switch. We attacked simultaneously. My senses disappeared, leaving me only with the ability to read Shishou's ki. Then-- Kenshin paused. He looked at Hiko. At the moment of our switch, Hiko's ki was almost completely synchronized with mine. Could that have something to do with this...? he mused, going over the fights again.
Hiko was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate. The sparring match had not helped the itching on his back, and it was driving him crazy. How did Kenshin put up with this?! His back had to have been as bad as this, if not worse, for all last night and this morning before I had Yahiko bring Megumi! I'm pretty sure she gave him something because my back didn't itch after she left. It'll be suspicious if I go and ask her what she did and there's no way I am going to go see a different doctor. I wonder if I can coerce Kenshin into telling me what she did... Oh, I can't stand it!
Suddenly, Kenshin chuckled, interrupting Hiko's thoughts.
"Would you care to share what you find so amusing?" Hiko asked, dryly. I don't think I was being that noticeable, but Kenshin would find it hilarious that I have to suffer the consequences of the poison ivy, he thought, sourly.
"I think I may have figured it out. Our minds were synchronized," Kenshin said. Hiko raised an eyebrow at that statement.
Kenshin just smiled. "It is safe to say that it is not the attack that caused this to happen, as we used two different techniques; nor ki intimidation, since we didn't even use that in this last match. Think about it. At the moment of the switch, I felt your ki. It was almost completely synchronized with mine, making it difficult to tell the two apart. And our thoughts were the same, as well-- we were each dead set on making the other pay for the pranks pulled yesterday. We were united in our efforts to exact revenge upon each other," Kenshin said, smiling ironically.
"I believe the same to be true of the match when we switched the first time. I was exhausted and wanted to end the fight. I assume the same was true of you?" Hiko remained silent, so Kenshin continued. "I thought as much. So, really, it didn't matter that we had been fighting. All that is required in order for us to switch is for our minds to synchronize, which would explain why we couldn't switch when we tried the Ku-zu-ryu-sen two days ago. Although, I haven't figured out why that would be the case," Kenshin admitted.
Hiko snorted. "That's easy. Almost any skilled person that has mastered a style of fighting can synchronize with another skilled fighter of the same style, to a certain degree. It usually happens in battle." Kenshin looked a little lost at how Hiko had come to that conclusion, so the ebony-haired man elaborated. "For example, if two skilled fighters of the same style are fighting together against a group, they will begin to synchronize with each other. Without even realizing it, they never get in the other's way, and they never trip over the other's foes. It could be the first time they have fought together, but it would appear as if they had been fighting side by side for years."
"Users of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, however, are different. Because of the type of training undergone by apprentices, a close bond is formed between master and deshi. Apparently, you strengthened that bond when you learned the ougi without killing me," Hiko explained.
Kenshin considered his master's words for a moment. "However, that still doesn't explain why we switched. We know how, but why? That wasn't the first sparring match between us since I became a master and I'm sure our minds have synchronized before. So, why did we switch now?"
Hiko glared at him. "Well, I certainly did not want to use your body, so it must have been you that wanted my body. Although I can't blame you for being envious."
Kenshin didn't even dignify that with a remark.
. . .
The walk back to the dojo was uneventful. Although Hiko did an admirable job of hiding his discomfort, Kenshin could feel the intense itching on his own back. Knowing Hiko probably wouldn't stoop so low as to ask for relief, Kenshin decided to get some more comfrey leaves for him when they got back.
Walking through the dojo gates, Kenshin automatically turned his footsteps towards the garden. He paused in mid step, a horrid smell assaulting his nose. Casting out his ki, Kenshin's suspicions were confirmed. Kaoru was in the kitchen, attempting to make dinner. Momentarily forgetting about the garden, Kenshin rushed to the kitchen.
Kaoru was standing in front of the sink, trying to scrape what appeared to be charred rice out of a pot. "I was sure I had enough water in there," she mumbled, scraping the spoon against the blackened mass. She turned when she heard the shoji open. "Oh, hi, Kenshin!" she said brightly. "You weren't back from training yet, so I decided to make dinner, although I've run into a little bit of a problem," she explained, showing him what was left of the rice.
Kenshin doubted the pot could be salvaged.
The was a sizzling sound and Kaoru's eyes widened as she dropped the pan in the sink. "Oh no! The miso soup!" She ran over, grabbing the pot with her hands in her haste to get it off the stove. The pan burned her, causing her to drop it almost immediately. The pot fell back on the stove, soup sloshing out into the fire before it fell to the ground, spilling all over the floor. Kaoru jumped back, miraculously managing to avoid the soup.
Kenshin surveyed the kitchen, dismayed. If only he had gotten back just a little sooner...
Kaoru looked at Kenshin a little sadly. "It was almost done. Oh well, I'm sure you're tired from practice, so why don't you go take a nice hot bath while I make dinner? Don't worry about the mess, I'll clean it up," she said. Kenshin seemed like he was under a lot of stress lately and this was her way of helping him relax.
Kenshin paused, thinking of a reason to get her out of the kitchen. "Uh, Kaoru-dono, that isn't necessary. Um, could you go get Shishou some more comfrey leaves for his back while I clean this up?" Kenshin asked.
"Kenshin, I told you not to worry about it! You know where the comfrey is in the garden, and I'm going to cook dinner while you go relax! Is that so difficult to do?!" she exclaimed, annoyed Kenshin was ignoring her. Kenshin no baka! Why is it so hard for you to accept help?!
Kenshin opened his mouth to reply, but someone else beat him to it.
"You have no place in the kitchen."
Kaoru and Kenshin both turned to look at Hiko, who was standing in the doorway, examining the mess on the floor. He wrinkled his nose at the smell. "Even your cooking was never this bad, baka deshi."
"My cooking may not be as good as Kenshin's, but I'll bet it's better than yours!" Kaoru said, feeling defensive.
Hiko raised an eyebrow, smirking at the irony of her statement. She had been eating his cooking all week. "Oh, really? And just who do you think taught my baka deshi how to cook?" he asked casually.
Not being able to come up with a good comeback, Kaoru stomped out of the kitchen. Kenshin sighed, and began cleaning up the mess she had left behind.
"Kenshin. Get me those comfrey leaves, and then be quick about cleaning this up. We're all going to the Akabeko," Hiko said, turning back down the hallway. He wasn't sure why he was being nice, but it was partially his fault that Kaoru was trying to help Kenshin relax in the first place. If left alone, she would undoubtedly insist on cooking dinner. Not even Hiko was cruel enough to do that to Kenshin.
. . .
To Be Continued