Disclaimer: I do NOT own Peacemaker Kurogane or Rurouni Kenshin. They are the properties of their respective creators and the Shinsengumi and Ishin belong to history. This is an insanity fic not to be taken seriously.
Sailor-Earth13: Yes the Saitou/Fujita and the Kamiya households have a lot in common. Dad's a dreaded hitokiri/ Shinsengumi captain from the Bakumatsu. Mom wields a mean bokken/naginata and the kids… well…
M.Kasshoku: Kenshin should open a crèche. If Okita weren't already dead, they could have a partnership. Just don't let Kaoru cook. I will insert more insights into the Fujita couple dynamics. They are an interesting pair.
YamiChikara: Yes, Tokio has girl power. She must have to get Saitou.
Lolo: The couple's a pair of lovebirds, no?
Swirly: I look forward to your version of the Okita-Kenshin friendship thingy. And about Hijikata-san… Well, about the time of Okita's harassment, he was rather preoccupied with a power struggle in the group involving one military advisor out to pull the rug from under him. I may come up with a side story...
This chappie's for Hiko fans. For all teachers, 10 yo for puttin' up with our atrocious grammar and worse language. And 4 givin that nodding off incidents in the classroom with the snoring from sleepless nights.
Sake Shack LIVE! 10: My Shishou
In their room at Aoiya, Okon and Omasu are plotting to jump Hiko, yet again. "Okon-san, I think he loves me…" (Insert shojo-type squeals)
"Nonsense, you know he loves me more…" That was as far as Omasu got before both girls crashed to the ground in a deep slumber as two darts met their marks. The masked duo of Hotaru and Nami emerge from the laundry closet. Hotaru stops to retrieve their darts. Now they need not worry about those two interrupting tonight's show. Both kunoichis silently exited the inn unnoticed.
At the Kyoto Sake Shack, Umeko is inviting her guest on stage.
Welcome everyone and a good night to all! Tonight we have a master swordsman, one even more skilled than Ken-chan… His shishou! (Resounding round of applause as Hiko steps onto the stage with his white cape billowing about him. He sits in his chair a little uncomfortably, not being used to sitting on a Western type chair.
Kenshin? Why don't you get up here as well? Kenshin blushes as he obeys, handing his son over to his wife. He's thankful his little stint babysitting the Fujita/ Saitou kids went well.
We understand that you and your student were close, living alone on a mountain away from the troubles of the mundane world. However, some rumours have it that you abused your disciple physically, mentally…
"That is a lie!" Hiko roared. "I never hurt my baka deshi!"
Nami wordlessly presses the on button on the projector.
(Flashbacks of Kenshin's training under his shishou.)
"BAKA-DESHI! You hold your sword properly!" WHACK! Hiko slapped 10-year-old Kenshin on the head. The boy gritted his teeth and continued swinging his bamboo sword.
"Do it a thousand times!"
"HAI!"
(End flashback)
"That is just part of any kendo instruction!"
Oh yes, you knocked him unconscious as part of his training about fifty times. And it included a couple of broken bones, near-drowning in the waterfall… Does it include the laundry? And this next clip…
(Flashback. One winter night. In that tiny hut of Hiko's)
Hiko and Kenshin are sleeping, sharing one miserable falling-to-pieces blanket because they're that penniless. Amazingly, Hiko never seems to be short on the sake money. Hiko is soundly smoring. He turns over, pulling the blanket from the little boy.
"Nghh…" Kenshin shivers as the cold hit him. He gropes for the blanket. He tries pulling at it. His shishou, still sleeping, kicks him off the raised platform they were sleeping on and out the front door into a snowdrift. The man wakes up to see a shivering Kenshin buried headfirst in the snow.
"Baka deshi! What are you doing playing in the snow in your PJs?"
(End flashback)
"Umeko-dono, that incident was an accident. I never got too badly hurt."
Kenshin, you did leave him before finishing your training…
(Flashback. Kenshin is fourteen now.)
Kenshin is arguing passionately with his shishou over his decision to join the revolution. "No! The answer is still no! You are NOT going to join any dumb revolution unless you can defeat me!" Hiko concluded and turns his back on his deshi. Big mistake.
WHACK! Kenshin bonks him on the head with his bamboo sword. For a couple of minutes, Hiko sees stars.
(End flashback to pleas of laughter from the audience)
Kenshin sneaks a smile. The blow was really enjoyable. Think payback for years of suffering under his shishou's often harsh teaching methods. Of course, his shishou had booted him off the mountain after that so he had no choice but to join the Ishinshishi or some other group for food and board.
Hiko, there were some rather (cough) disturbing rumours about you having a fondness for under-aged redheads…
Kenshin flushes red. Hiko blinks and goes "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
I mean an older man and a young, comely boy alone together… tongues will be wagging…
Hiko stares at a straight-faced Umeko and then turns to face Kenshin. Those freaky fanfic authoresses… senbi! Don't you dare! "Baka deshi! It's all your fault for acting and looking like a girl! I knew you should have chosen that black gi instead of the pink!"
"Gomen-nasai, shishou… But we did have some fun times together…"
"Kenshin, don't you dare tell!"
(Flashback start. Shishou and young deshi are sitting at the threshold of their wooden shack, admiring the moon.)
"Shishou, look! A cricket!" The young boy's eyes glowed as he spotted the little insect. He scampers after it like a child would, trips on a stone and twists his ankle. Biting his lip to keep from crying out, he limps back to where his shishou is drinking sake. He pretends to be unhurt, but Hiko's sharp eyes had picked up the slight limp the boy had.
"Hurt yourself? Let me take a look." Hiko motions for Kenshin to sit next to him and show him the ankle. The master feels the injured ankle carefully like a concerned parent. He slowly massaged it to ease the swelling. "Better?"
Kenshin nods in reply. Then his eyes glowed again as he spots a cricket next to them. Hiko sees the boy's reaction and tries to catch the insect, only to miss it. Not one to be deterred, he tries again. The 13th master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is hopping after a cricket like a large frog, much to his disciple's amusement.
(End reel to laughter from the audience)
Hiko groans. "I must have been moon-struck to do that…"
How touching. Am I right in saying you felt like a father felt towards his child?
"Hai. You caught me, Umeko-san."
I can understand your feelings. I have no children of my own but I feel as if I have a daughter or son in every young person working at my Umeya back then. I believe Kenshin has something he wants to say to you.
"I'll listen so long as it isn't too sappy…" If he declares his love or something, I'm gonna migrate to China.
Kenshin bows formally before his shishou. "Arigato for everything you have taught me… er, can I hug you?"
"NO! You baka deshi!"
A resounding round of applause for Master Hiko and his baka deshi! After our break, we will have a special guest. It took quite a while to talk him into coming for our show. Between me and you, he's an idiot… For now, let's have a student say something touching to his sensei. Come on up, Yahiko!
Yahiko takes the mike from Umeko, clears his throat and reads.
"To my most respected sensei, Kamiya-san. You are the most patient kendo instructor I know. I acknowledge that I am a brat at times. I apologize for calling you a hag. To show my sincerity, I give you this present."
Kamiya Kaoru blinks in a mix of surprise and shock as Yahiko presents her with a present. Still speechless, she rips off the paper…
"Arigato for giving me this book… Is it the latest Harry Potter…" She sees the title of the book. "COOKING FOR DUMMIES? YAHIKO!"
Yahiko flees with his sensei chasing after him with a bokken. "My cooking isn't that bad!"
Yahiko, you just had to blow it, didn't you? Kenshin sweat-dropped. Hiko chortles and then chokes as he recognizes the pair of kunoichi coming through the door. The sleeping drug has worn off. He quickly slips away to the safety of his mountain shack.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far. Who else from PMK or RK should Umeko grill next? Yoshida and Suzu?