Disclaimer: I own nothing Ruroken. And actually the idea of Ushiro discussing the kata with Kenshin comes from sueb262's excellent fic "Fear No Evil." Granted, this doesn't perfectly fit. But she referenced Ushiro in that fic, and the idea just popped into my head to write the scene. This is what came out of it...

Set during the brief description in sueb262's"Fear No Evil" chapter seven of Kenshin's comerade asking about his "battle mein." Also, set about a week after my own, "Assassination of Shinta," probably about a month or so after "Envy," and a couple of years before "Out of Time."

Like Breathing

He watched the boy performing his kata. Totally immersed. If Ushiro hadn't known better, he'd almost be convinced that Kenshin didn't know he was there. But that kid could sense ki a mile away.

That was why the tall swordsman felt no guilt in watching the kid practice. It wasn't like he was sneaking around. He leaned against a post, arms crossed, eyes silently following the redhead's movements in the early morning air. It was beautiful. There was an amazing grace to his movements. Everything was perfectly in synch. The katana was a natural extension of his arm. He would have looked strange without it.

And Ushiro didn't miss the fact that the area was dead silent. Or that the strength of this child's ki was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Enough to make him occasionally, involuntarily tense if the ki happened to flow in his direction. It was impressive.

Most importantly, Ushiro didn't miss the fact that Kenshin looked more alive now, during his kata, than he had in the past week.

Ushiro winced, thinking back. That first kill had obviously been hard on the boy. Although he'd always been quiet, Kenshin had withdrawn even more after that. He hadn't left his room for two days after his first duty. Katsura had claimed the boy had needed rest. Ushiro suspected that Kenshin had been ill. Kata was one thing, after all. But when actual blood was spilled, it was something different entirely.

He continued watching the youth's graceful dance in silence, lost in thought. When Kenshin had finally emerged, he'd been different. Tense. Colder. There was something harsh and different about his eyes. Something frightening.

Or frightened.

The swordsman's thoughts were interrupted by the soft click of Kenshin's blade as he sheathed it, before turning to his observer. "Ushiro-san," he said softly, avoiding eye contact. "Did you need something?"

The taller man grinned at him. "No. Not really. Just watching your kata." His grin spread as the kid finally locked eyes with him, clearly surprised. "You come out and practice before anyone else is usually even up…" He trailed off in an unspoken question.

Kenshin managed a faint smile and approached his comrade. "They all stare at me," he replied softly. "I'd rather practice alone."

Shit. Ushiro winced. "I'm sorry I interrupted then."

Kenshin blinked at him, then shook his head. "No. It was alright, Ushiro-san. You were just watching. That's different."

"Ah." The tall man nodded, relaxing a little. "I see." God, the kid was perceptive.

There was a moment of silence before Ushiro spoke again. "Can I ask you something, Kenshin?"

The redhead nodded shortly.

"You seemed so at ease back there. What were you thinking of?"

Kenshin appeared startled, blinking at him again and then turning to look back at the spot he'd just vacated. "Thinking?" he asked. "I… I don't know. I wasn't thinking of anything. Thinking would have ruined it…"

"Ruined it?" The older man's expression was quizzical.

Kenshin's brow furrowed as he tried to explain. "I can't think about it. I mean…" He floundered, puzzled. After a brief hesitation, he looked up at Ushiro with those now not-quite-so-innocent blue eyes. "Do you think about breathing?"

The strange question took Ushiro by surprise. "What?"

"Do you think about breathing? I don't. I think if I tried to focus on my breathing, it wouldn't work right. That's my kata. It's… just what I do. It isn't something to think about…" He paused, a little frustrated. "Does that make sense?"

Ushiro shook his head, smiling. "Not really. But that's okay. You do whatever works. Me, I have to focus or I lose it."

The boy seemed amazed, and Ushiro had to fight not to laugh at the look on the kid's face. "Don't worry about it," he said kindly. "If it's breathing for you, I'm glad." He paused a moment, then gently added, "Just be careful what air you breath, okay?"

Kenshin nodded, then politely took his leave.

Ushiro watched the boy walk away. Inwardly he sighed. Just like breathing… And we're poisoning the air you breath, aren't we?

He looked back at the clearing, finally hearing the sound of a single bird.

Singing alone, a graceful song.

After a moment of listening, the swordsman finally walked away, leaving it in peace.

Author's note: Thanks so much for reading. To those who asked for another chapter of "Envy," I hope this suffices!

Please review!