Disclaimer: I am not Watsuki-san therefore I hold no ownership to the Rurouni Kenshin series.
A/N: Okay guys I need help, what is Kaoru's fathers real name? I know he has one... I just can't remember it... actually I know it's one of two and I just can't for the life of me spell one of them so can someone tell me what his name is? The person (or people) who can tell me gets a cookie!
Last time...
Kaoru chuckled darkly, "I think Mr. Hiko you seem to know more than what you let on, so maybe we should start with you, is this a special day for me?"
- - -
Hiko laughed at the clever girl in front of him. "It was nothing more than a simple question; there is no need for accusations."
Kaoru shook her head, this had been bugging her for a while, "Sir, I mean Hiko, I think you know something about my past that you are not saying aloud, I would like to know what that is?"
Hiko shook his head and looked seriously at the girl. "I think we both know what it is Miss Kamiya, I think we have known since before you first met my idiot apprentice."
Kaoru's gaze faltered for a moment and then she started to laugh darkly. "Yes I guess we have."
Kenshin blinked looking between the two. "Umm... excuse me, but what's going on here?!" He asked meekly, trying to understand the round about conversation.
Kaoru looked at him for a long moment. She had almost forgotten the rurouni's presence next to her. She looked at her feet 'Oh yeah... I almost forgot, Kenshin where do I begin...' she thought to herself.
"Maybe Miss Kamiya, you should explain from the beginning." Hiko suggested. It was almost like he read her mind, creepy...
"Heh, the beginning, which beginning would you like?" She knew the answer to this; it was obvious what the older man had meant. "Kenshin, you know nothing about my family," Kaoru stated this fact very bluntly. "But at the same time you know a lot about its history, you have lived by the very bases of which that teaching was built."
"Oro?" If there was a time that he was more confused than at this moment he would have truly died.
"My ancestor, My great, great some odd grandfather was named Seijuurou Hiko the first."
Kenshin blinked and looked between Kaoru and his teacher, and then he looked back again. What ever he was expecting her to say it wasn't this.
Kaoru took in his confused silence in and continued with her story. "You know the story of how he created Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu. You also know how the successors carry his name."
Kaoru took a deep breath; this was going to be one long story, 'Let's see how much I confuse him this time.' She thought before continuing. "Well what you don't know is that he had a son, one that did not learn his swordsmanship, but did have his own child who did, and he became Hiko 2nd." Kaoru sighed, waiting for their thought process to catch up with her explanation. Kenshin may be a very smart man, but that still didn't help the fact that this was a very unique situation he was dealing with.
"Hiko 2nd himself had a child, a daughter, who married a man by the name of Kamiya. This is where the story gets interesting, Kamiya had two children, one that learned and respected Hiten Mitsurugi and became the next Hiko, but this mans brother did not. The child who did not follow his forefathers created his own style of swordsman ship. He abused the power that Hiten Mitsurugi gives a person and he used it not to protect the weak, but for his own personal gains, and to oppress them."
"Does that make any sense to you my idiot apprentice?" Hiko asked to make sure Kenshin was still following the story.
"The descendant of the first Seijuurou Hiko betrayed the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi, and instead used it to give himself power." Kenshin looked at the girl. "But what does this have to do with today? And why didn't you tell me about any of this Miss Kaoru?"
"I will get to that in due time, but you need to understand this to know about today, and maybe this will give you some information on a few other things." Kaoru said sternly.
"Now back to the story," Kaoru said changing the subject before Kenshin could ask her what she meant. "The one who created this new style himself had children, and for four generations they all became corrupted just as he, except for one."
"Your father?" Kenshin asked, now it was getting easier to follow her story. It was like playing connect the dots, now he was starting to see the outlines of a picture.
"Yes, my father was blessed with a mother who told him that a person should protect the ones they love. Those words imbedded into my father's soul, he created Kamiya Kasshin-ryuu on that, Needless to say that his father and the rest of the family did not approve of this, they excommunicated my father from the family."
"What does this have to do with today?" Kenshin asked trying to think up possibilities.
"In time." Kaoru said simply.
"Oro?" Kenshin muttered, "What does this have to do with master?"
"Haven't you figured that out yet?" Hiko laughed, "Don't you see the parallels between Kamiya Kasshin-Ryuu and Hiten Mitsurugi? The basic principles are the same, to protect those who are too weak to protect themselves. You should know that every form of Kenjutsu is different, but the principles for these are the same." Kenshin blinked, "You idiot, Tetsurou Kamiya could learn his forefather's sword technique from one person."
"You..." Kenshin muttered, catching on again. "But he- I thought." And all these years Kenshin thought he was the only one Hiko had ever taught.
"My father was obviously much older than you Kenshin, actually he was older than Hiko but, let's not get in to that. My father like many men at the time fought in the Bakumatsu, my father wanted a new Japan. Just like you and many others he fought for a new future. He wanted a better future for his wife's children, for me. After he served in the war he came home and started His own Dojo. He created a style based on Katsujin-ken from what he had learned from Hiko, and many others. Kind of a melting pot of swordsmanship. Not long after he started the dojo his wife, my mother had me."
"Maybe you should tell him the significance of today, now that you are done with that longwinded story?" Hiko suggested as he brought out some tea, they might be here for a while, Kenshin had a lot to catch up on.
"Yes," She agreed, "Well Today, June 3rd , is my birthday, it is also the day I lost my whole family..."
To be continued...
A/N: Well I finally updated! Tell me what you think of this chapter. Frankly I found this chapter boring, but that is just me. More explanations for Kenshin to come (poor rurouni) You didn't think I would leave it at that did you?