Arigatou for all the reviews, faves, and alerts.

Kenji's talent in swordsmanship is described as "a genius, being able to execute sword moves after seeing them once". And that's why he can do what he does in this chapter.

The soundtrack from RK live action movie #7-Hitokiri Battousai-Satsujinken is perfect for the half part of this chapter. I even replayed the song over and over again when I wrote the part.

Yes, Michelle has her red pen on this one.

Again, basic disclaimer still applies.

The next morning, Kenji rose early. Just like his father, he was also a morning riser. After preparing himself, he went to the training hall, his shinai on his hand. Kenji held his stance after bowing to the shrine and did the first level of his mother's sword style. Kenji swung his shinai beautifully, moving across the room and when he reached the second level, he added with jumping and rotating on the ground; some moves he invented by himself. Kenji's moves were faster when he reached the third level. He felt elated he could use his shinai again. He resisted himself on using Hiten Mitsurugi, worried someone might watch him right now, although he knew some of the moves.

Kenji slowed his breathing after he finished and bowed again to the shrine. He glanced over his shoulder when he sensed the strong ki that belonged to Aoshi-oji-san. The okashira smiled, his demeanor was still cool as ever. He wore his normal shinobi's clothes with two short blades on both sides of his hip.

Kenji smiled and bowed. "Ohayo, Aoshi-oji-san."

"Ohayo, Kenji-kun," Aoshi replied. "Looks like you already practiced this morning. How about a spar with me?"

Aoshi couldn't resist on asking the young Himura to spar with him. The young boy rarely used his shinai when he was visited, because his father usually took him over to the mountain to visit his Shishou, and would later came back to the Aoiya only to return to Tokyo in the next day. Aoshi heard from Misao this year the plan was slightly changed and watching Kenji earlier made him want to try the boy's skill. But, it was more about the curiosity on his part. He wanted to know how good Kenji was, especially being the son of the legendary swordsman. Was he as good as his father who beat him senseless years ago? He was sure Battousai wouldn't mind.

Kenji's eyes widened. "Oro?"

Even in his cold state, Aoshi's lips curled up into a smile watching the young boy imitated his father. "I will use a bokken, don't worry."

Kenji raised his eyebrows. He never knew the Oniwabanshu to ever use a wooden sword. He glanced briefly at Aoshi's blades and stared at the okashira's face. "Iie, Aoshi-oji-san. You can use your blades, that you can. I don't mind." Kenji used to spar before, but often with Yahiko-nii or sometimes with his Sofu although it was more a sword practice rather than a spar. This one was a challenge for him and also he wanted to know Aoshi-oji-san's style.

Aoshi, a little bit surprised at hearing the younger boy's request, only nodded and gestured with his hand, indicating for Kenji to follow him. Kenji pursed his lips and followed Aoshi quietly.

The okashira led Kenji to another garden; the other members of Oniwabanshu stared curiously at both figures. Kenji could sense Misao-oba and his parents' ki. But, he didn't have time to think about what they thought for he was focusing on the upcoming spar.

"There are no rules in this spar. Of course, I won't hurt you. Are you ready, Kenji-kun?"

Kenji bowed and held his stance, shinai on his hand. "The spar stops after I beat you," he said in steady voice.

Aoshi smiled a little. He returned the bow and unsheated his two blades. Kenji's eyes narrowed when Aoshi held his stance.

Kenshin stood in the corner of the hall, watching his son ready to spar. The former hitokiri still remembered his encounter with the okashira and he couldn't help to worry for his young son. But, sensing Kenji's strong ki, Kenshin relaxed a bit. His son wasn't afraid at all. Kaoru held her husband's hand and Kenshin could sense her wariness. The redhead smiled and squeezed Kaoru's hand.

"Don't worry, koishii. Our son will be fine."

Back in the garden, Aoshi leapt forward and Kenji instinctively blocked the attack with his shinai. The young Himura took several steps backward while blocking another attack from the other blades.

'Damn! He is fast!' Kenji thought.

The okashira attacked Kenji again with both his blades and Kenji, with his quick assessment over opponent's move, saw his opportunity; shielding the attack by rotating his shinai and turned around, and in a blink of an eye, hit Aoshi on the back. Aoshi chuckled and straightened his posture before turning around to face the young boy. Kenji already back to his stance and for a moment, Aoshi felt like he was returning back to the war period. Seeing Kenji's red hair with a high ponytail, not to mention his uncanny resemblance to his father, it was like seeing Battousai again. Even Okina held his chest and Misao turned to look at her grandfather with worry in her eyes.

"Grandfather?"

Okina shook his head and whispered, "It's like seeing Battousai again."

Misao took a deep breath. She was still a little girl, then. She had never met Himura when he was a hitokiri. If her grandfather could react this way, Misao wondered what kind of man Himura was before.

Aoshi charged again and Kenji used his skill to block and avoided the blades. Their moves were very fast and Aoshi couldn't help to admire Kenji's ability. Even though Kenji was great for someone on his age, but he was still a young boy and an opportunity allowed Aoshi to hit Kenji on the stomach and he fell to the ground. Collective gasps were heard.

"Kenji!" Kaoru gasped.

Kenshin still watched the spar silently, his free hand unconsciously gripped the pillar when he saw his son getting knock to the ground.

Kenji, meanwhile, tried to breath after being knocked down and rose slowly on his feet. The hit was hard, but unbeknownst to Aoshi, it was Kenji's strategy to learn about the okashira's moves. Kenji returned to his stance, his body angled; his right foot behind his left and his shinai angled along with his body. He looked very much like his father and Kenshin withheld his gasp. He often saw himself in his son and watching Kenji fight this time just strengthened that connection.

"My turn," Kenji said with gleam in his eyes.

Aoshi's eyes widened when he sensed the change in Kenji's ki and didn't have much time to think when the young boy attacked him with unbelievable speed. Shinai clashed against short blades; both of them were ducked and attacked. Kenji demonstrated his talent and speed, using his jumps and dives to vary his attacks and defence. Kenshin frowned a bit when he recognized some of Kenji's moves as Hiten Mitsurugi's style although the young boy mixed it up with Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Kenshin had to admit his son was more than talented with a sword. And he knew his Shishou probably sensed it too. He always worried his young son would never be satisfied with only learning kendo and this was the proof.

Kenji continued his attacks while Aoshi tried his best to block it. In his mind, Aoshi cursed mentally when he realized Kenji was attacking him using his own fighting style. The boy was really brilliant. After a jump and two spins, Kenji swatted Aoshi's feet and the okashira this time fell to the ground on his back. With an elegant movement, Kenji stood above him, directing his shinai in front of Aoshi's face. Time went still for a moment before Aoshi smiled.

"That's good, Kenji-kun. You're really good," Aoshi praised the former hitokiri's son.

Kenji smiled back and shifted his shinai to his left hand. He extended his right hand to help Aoshi rose from the ground. "Gomen, Aoshi-oji-san."

Aoshi hummed and took Kenji's hand, lifting his body to stand before putting his short blades back into the sheaths at his hips.

"KENJI NO BAKA!"

"Uh oh…" Kenji winced.

In one swift move, faster than Kenji had attacked Aoshi earlier, Kaoru took the shinai from her son's hand and hit Kenji's head. Not really hard, but enough making the young boy grunted.

"Ow, Mother! That hurts!" Kenji grumbled as he rubbed his head.

"What were you thinking? What if you had gotten hurt?" Kaoru said in motherly tone.

'Well, Mother, if you only knew what I've done with Sofu', thought Kenji.

And then, Kaoru's eyes turned misty when she touched her son's stomach. "Are you all right?"

Kenji's heart warmed and held his mother's hand that lay on his stomach. "I'm fine, Mother. Aoshi-oji-san didn't hit that hard."

'Kami, I almost forgot Mother can be scary when she is mad. And how the hell did she take my shinai so fast?' Kenji mused.

Kaoru tugged her son's hand. "Let me check your stomach first and then we can go to the cemetery. Have you eaten yet?"

Kenji smiled inwardly. No matter what, he was still his mother's son.

The young boy followed his mother, his father only smiled a little before following them. The older Himura knew not to cross with his wife when she was angry. The rest of the Oniwabanshu were back doing their daily chores as if the earlier spar never happened.

Misao approached Aoshi. "Aoshi, are you all right?"

The okashira nodded, his eyes never leaving Kenji. "That boy…he's going to surpass his father someday. I'm sure of it."

x

Like the previous night, Kenji sat again on the engawa, with another light kimono and his hair down. His back leaned on the pillar, his feet folded beneath his body. This day turned out quite interestingly. In the morning, he had a spar with Aoshi-oji-san, ending in a tie. He also knew the story about his father's fight with the okashira and Kenji shook his head mentally. Trust his father to make friends through fighting.

He stared again at the night sky. He loved the skies of both Tokyo and Kyoto. This night the sky was full with fireworks. Kenji smiled, knowing the festival was over from done. Behind his smile, Kenji also couldn't hide his curiousness after visiting the grave this morning.

The grave was simple compared to others in the cemetery and the scent of white plum filled his nostrils. Why someone put a bottle of perfume in the grave was beyond him. Kenji wrinkled his nose before watching his mother kneeled and prayed after laying down a bucket of flowers while his father only stood next to him under a big tree.

"Don't you want to say something to her?" His father asked.

Her?

Kenji blinked and stared at his father's violet eyes. The once legendary swordsman smiled softly at him, his eyes as soft as his smile. Kenji's gut told him this 'her' was probably special for his father. At least, at one time and his stomach knotted. His father seemed to sense the change on his ki and his smile faltered a little. Kenji looked again at the grave and positioned his hands and began to pray, 'I'm…Kenji Himura. I don't know who you are, but it looks like you are very important to my parents so…I don't know. Um…I hope you are happy in the afterlife.'

Kenji opened his eyes and felt silly for talking to a stone. He glanced again at his father only to find his father was staring at him. The young boy raised his eyebrows. "Don't you want to say something to her, Otousan?"

His father shook his head and his eyes turned to his mother. "Iie. I already said what I have to say fifteen years ago."

His mother rose to her feet and his father, ever the gentleman, offered his hand and his mother accepted it. Kenji walked slightly behind his father and looked over at the grave over his shoulder before walking out of the cemetery.

His memory of the visit stopped when he sensed his father's ki. He turned his head slowly to the older Himura and saw that his father stood next to him before slowly taking a seat on the engawa. His father wore his a yukata and his hair was also down. Even Kenji couldn't suppressed his own awe at how much they both looked alike.

"The fireworks are lovely, that they are," his father said. "Although during the war, it had a different meaning."

Kenji stared at his father's face and then back at the fireworks.

"Are you all right? How's your stomach?" Kenji heard his father asked.

"I can manage."

"You have something in your mind."

Kenji almost rolled his eyes. He looked again to his father who already had eyes fixed on him. Violet eyes met sky blue and then the younger Himura asked, "Who is she?"

His father smiled a little. Kenshin knew his son would ask him sooner than later. "She's Tomoe Himura."

Kenji's eyes widened. His heartbeat increased. "Himura?"

His father nodded and his gaze turned to the garden. "She was my first wife. We were married during the Bakumutsu."

'First wife, huh?' Kenji thought. This was worse than he ever assumed. He thought this person was another friend who fought with his parents back when he wasn't even born. But, first wife? Was that to mean…?

Kenji's sky blue eyes turned cold. "Do you love her?"

His father looked again at his eyes. "I loved her."

Kenji's eyes narrowed. "Loved?"

"We married to hide my identity. And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with her and so did she. Well, it was kind of odd because I was the one who stole her happiness." His father's eyes turned sad. "I killed her fiancé, he was the one who gave me the first scar, and later I found out she was getting close to me asking for revenge."

Kenji blinked several times. Well, this was far worse than he thought.

"She was the one who taught me to become a human again. But, my life as hitokiri cost her life. There was a traitor in the faction and he sold the information to the assasins who targeted me. Tomoe died protecting me…and gave me my second scar."

Kenji frowned. That was one hell of a situation. But, spending time alone in the hideout and just the two of them, it was not odd that his father and this Tomoe could fall in love. Whatever the kind of love they thought they had.

"She made me promise to keep living and I swore to her not to kill again," Kenshin went on.

Ah, so that's why…

"I see," Kenji said in a clipped tone. "So, you became a rurouni to keep your promise. What about Mother, then?"

His father's eyes widened. The older Himura seemed to know what Kenji meant. "Kenji-"

"Do you love her or is she only the second best?" Kenji's eyes narrowed. He had always felt protective over of his mother. Even if his mother understood, but still… "I know Mother loves you, Father. All of you even though your heart is probably not fully for her." Kenji raised his right hand and indicated his pointy finger to his father's slightly fading scar. "That scar…it is like branding this Tomoe as forever yours, Father, and you belong to her."

His father chuckled and shook his head. "You think so low of me, my son." His violet eyes stared at his sky blue one. "What kind of man do you think I am, Kenji? I love your mother very much, even more than my own life. Yes, my promise to Tomoe that's what keeps me going, but after I met your mother, she is the reason for me to live. I wouldn't marry your mother if I still had doubt in my heart."

Kenji went silent.

"Your mother's family sword style was the one which made my eyes open that a sword is indeed not only for killing. Your mother's persistence in trying to keep it alive by passing it to Yahiko and to other students and then to you, her son, makes me happy that finally swords can be used to protect people although I'm no longer wielding a sword."

Kenji frowned again. His blurry memory of his father giving his sakabatou to Yahiko often gave him bitter impressions of the older Himura. Did his father think he was not strong enough? But, what could he do? He was only four, then. His mother gave him a small shinai and with a 4-year-old mind, he only did the moves he saw when his mother or Yahiko-nii taught the students in the dojo. When he got older, he started to learn Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and managed to master all the levels in a short time. Kenji knew his father was reluctant to give him permission to learn Hiten Mitsurugi although during his visits to his Sofu, sometimes he learned it when Hiko-san was in the mood. He even practiced the moves only from hearing stories told by Yahiko-nii. Kenji knew his moves were far from perfect.

"Kenji?"

Kenji looked up to his father. The older redhead smiled. "I'm sure Yahiko will pass my sakabatou to you. Who's more worthy to wield it than my own son?"

Kenji's face remained stoic. "That's beside the point, Father. So, do you still love your first wife?"

His father sighed, realizing his teen son would never get over it soon. "I still have the feelings, but it's not a feeling which can make my heart beats faster. It's more like a respect for her, for giving me a lesson that I'm a human. But, with your mother, that's when I feel loved completely. Your mother accepted me for who I am, even my dark past." Kenshin smiled a little. "Your mother owns my heart, Kenji. All of my heart."

Kenji scoffed. "She better be, Father. No one would likes having their love shared. Believe me." Damn! Even Kenji didn't want that either when someday he got the chance at feeling love.

His father chuckled. "Oh yes, I believe you, son."

"Besides," Kenji looked slyly to his father. "If you didn't love her that much, you wouldn't end up in Rakuninmura, ne?"

For a moment, his father's eyes turned stormy, but he quickly dismissed it. "Hai. That's true. That also adds to the story. The one who planned that scenario was Enishi, Tomoe's brother."

"Oh, for the love of Kami…" Kenji muttered. Will the catastrophe stories of his family ever end? He guessed not. His family was indeed very odd. "I think I already had enough for one day, Father. And, you already told me most of it. I don't need a reminder." Even though his father told him that it was a doll resemblance his mother, Kenji couldn't help but think that if he had seen it, he had doubt he would react like his father too.

His father chuckled seeing the younger boy's face and then he stared to the night sky again. The fireworks had stopped.

"So, the reason for visiting her grave every year?" Kenji asked again.

His father took a deep breath. "It's more of gratitude on my part. As for your mother, she believes Tomoe protected her when she was kidnapped a long time ago. It's the least we can do for her."

Oh…back to that Jinchuu thing.

"Your mother and I…we have a wonderful marriage, that we have." His gaze returned to Kenji. "And we are blessed with a wonderful son."

Kenji's heart warmed. His bitterness over the fact his father had a wife before meeting his mother slightly gone. Now he understood when Misao-oba-san told him how special he was to his parents. And knowing that, he very much wanted to be strong; so he could continue his father's legacy. "Arigatou, Father." Kenji smiled sheepishly. "If I was younger, I'd probably already hug you."

His father's eyebrows shot up. "And now, why not? You're still my boy, Kenji."

"I'm fourteen."

"So?"

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"So?"

"Isn't it weird?"

"It's not weird to hug your father no matter what your age, son."

Kenji chuckled and slowly approached his father. He wrapped his arms around his father's torso while the older man wrapped his arms around Kenji's back and stroked his long red hair.

"I'm proud of you, Kenji. You've become a strong man and hopefully one day, a good swordsman too."

Kenji released his hug and playfully yanked his father's hair, a habit he had since he was younger. His father grinned, but it disappeared when the older Himura saw a mischief in his young son's eyes.

"I will become strong and I'm going to ask your permission and Sofu's to learn Hiten Mitsurugi."

His father blinked. "Nani?"

"Please, allow me to learn your sword style, Father," Kenji said and bowed in front of the former hitokiri.

"But, Kenji…why?"

Kenji straightened up his posture and stared into his father's eyes. "Like I said before, I want to be strong and I will continue your legacy, helping people with my sword. You've made your legend once, Father, and now I want to make mine. The sword that protects."

His father took a deep breath. The older redhead knew the time would come when his son decided his own life path. And as his father, he could do nothing but give him guidance. Deep in his heart, he knew Kenji could do much better than he did. Kenji's spar with Aoshi was enough for Kenshin to believe in his son's talent.

Kenshin Himura smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "You have my permission, son." And his eyes glinted. "Now, we have to find a way to convince our Shishou."

"Oro?"

-Owari-

M rated fic? Nah, I'm not really good on writing that piece. There are a lot of RK authors who are more capable than me. I leave that to them.

Kenji's story has no yet ended, minna-san. The second series will be up some time in the next two or three weeks because I'm going to be busy for the launching of my second romance e-book next week. Visit my bio if you like reading romance story and interested on purchasing my e-book

Meanwhile, reviews, faves, and alerts are really appreciated.

Ja ne…