shishou master

baka yuushi stupid nephew

oji-ue "Uncle" (archaic; polite)

ki wo tsukete Take care.

Honor-Bound

by Dead of Night

prologue

Once upon a time, upon the soft green slopes of a formidable mountain, where bright rivers tumbled through vast fields that blazed with green and gold, a great daimyo ruled over a quiet, peaceful han.

In that han the proud name of the daimyo had been passed on through many generations, and now it was Hiko Seijuurou the Thirteenth who governed, with a wisdom and justice that had helped his han become one of the happiest and most prosperous domains in the land.

Hiko Seijuurou the Thirteenth had no lady or children of his own, but had raised from their infancy the three children of his brother, who died from a terrible illness together with his young wife. And so in the daimyo's castle grew up two young and dashing boys named Kenshin and Sanosuke and a single effervescent girl, Misao. Kenshin, the eldest, was the softer-spoken and more somber of the two boys, with a shy smile, gentle mien, and solemn violet eyes that he inherited from his late and much lamented mother. Sanosuke, tall and dark-featured and roguish, looked and acted more like his father. Between the two of them, the daimyo's sons captured virtually all the hearts of the ladies of the han. For her part, the youngest, Misao, enthralled the menfolk with her eyes blue as the distant ocean, her exquisite skin like porcelain, and her hair black and shining like the great river under the new moon.

Trouble was ever to be found on the borders of the han in that uncertain age, and the matchless strength and skill of Hiko Seijuurou the Thirteenth was invaluable for preserving the peace. To the children in his care, the heirs of the han, Hiko devoted himself to teaching the ways of the warrior. Kenshin seemed to have inherited his uncle's talent for the sword, although Hiko's pride would never allow him to speak much of the boy's remarkable skills. Sanosuke was fearsome even with just his bare hands, and Misao's agility and speed suited her perfectly for the arts of stealth.

Time wore on. The rice in the bright green fields grew heavy and ripe many times over, and before anyone was quite aware of it, Misao had seen fifteen harvest moons wax and wane.

When the great river broke free of the winter frost that followed, Hiko Seijuurou the Thirteenth packed a meager bundle of possessions and called his young wards together in the dead of night.

"W-what do you mean, you're leaving?" gasped Kenshin, violet eyes wide. "Shishou!"

"I mean exactly what I say, baka yuushi," snapped Hiko, who hated repeating himself. "If you're not paying attention, maybe I should leave the roosterhead in charge instead—"

"Oh, no, Kenshin can take care of it," interrupted Sanosuke nervously, clapping his older brother on the shoulder and grinning weakly. "Right, Kenshin?" But his brother had fallen silent and merely stood frowning at his uncle and teacher, his fists clenched at his side.

"When are you coming back, oji-ue?" asked Misao, coming to stand on the other side of her eldest brother.

"I don't know. But I don't think it will be soon. I have my own affairs to attend to, and I've put them off for too long." Hiko strode up to his wards, eyeing them sternly. The three met his gaze directly, even though his powerfully muscled figure dwarfed them all in the dim light of the hall.

"You're all of age now," he said at last, gruffly. "Not that that gets any of you half the brains or brawn I had when I was that age"—he let them pretend he didn't see the long-suffering looks they exchanged—"but at least I don't have to hold back anymore if I come back and find the han in ruins and have to kick all of your asses."

"Like you ever held back," muttered Misao.

"You two are responsible for your sister," continued Hiko smoothly, addressing the two boys.

"What--!" Misao flashed her kunai, more out of instinct than any real disrespect, but Hiko silenced her with a glare.

"...and you"—he waited until she shamefacedly lowered her weapons—"are responsible for your brothers. Make sure these blockheads wear clean clothes and don't kill any innocent traders, and..." He arched an eyebrow at Sano. "...don't eat anything off the floor."

"Hey!" roared Sanosuke, as Misao erupted into laughter. He promptly headlocked her. "Why you little weasel..."

"'Of age,' don't make me laugh," grumbled Hiko to himself, turning his back. Sano and Misao were now busy wrestling with each other and Kenshin had simply bowed his head in silence, lost in thought.

Casting a last, lingering glance around—Misao, flushed with the excitement of a fight; Sanosuke, grinning cockily; Kenshin, his usually bright eyes lost in the shadow of his fire-colored hair... Hiko hefted his pack onto one massive shoulder.

"Right, I've wasted enough of my time on you idiots."

He stalked down the hall toward the doors at the end, acutely aware of Sano and Misao's scuffle slowing to a halt as they realized he really was leaving.

Kenshin, for his part, made no movement, spoke not a word. Of all the children, Hiko knew, for all his cleverness and his skill with the sword, he was the most given to thought and careful deliberation—as perhaps was only fitting for the leadership he would assume.

Given to thought and caution—and to doubt and uncertainty as well.

Cursing himself for spoiling his brother's kids too much, Hiko stopped just before the doors.

"This is your han now. And together, the three of you will protect it."

He realized belatedly that he was gripping the strings of his pack a little too tightly. Scowling, he shoved open the door.

"Yes, shishou."

He stopped again at Kenshin's low voice. Hiko didn't need to turn around to see Misao and Sanosuke step up wordlessly beside their brother, the two younger faces equally honest and solemn as his beneath their scrapes and bruises.

"Ki wo tsukete, oji-ue," said Misao, her tone unusually subdued.

Hiko Seijuurou the Thirteenth allowed himself a tiny, tiny smile in the darkness of the hall.

Then he left, slamming the doors behind him.

tsuzuku

The crossover with Inuyasha is coming... I promise! I'm still not totally sure where to take this, so reviews would be great!