Kendo Club

Ch "?" (even I dont know that O.o)

Alright everyone.. the next chapter is FINALLY up. I'm sorry it took so long, but I didn't like the way it turned out so Yanikei (my beta-er) and I had to do a LOT of fine tuning!

Hope you enjoy!

Hiko was sitting on the couch watching late-night TV, when his senses alerted him that someone loitering in the backyard, waiting for.. for him?

The man slowly stood up, turned off the television, and walked over to where he had a sword hidden for safety…and emergencies.

He then made his way to the sliding glass door that led to the back yard, and quietly went through it, stepping out onto the patio. Hiko closed the door behind himself and, keeping a cautious hand hovering near his sword, slowly walked across the patio-his shoes barely making a sound on the bricks.

"Who's there?"

No response was made to the question and in the silence the wind howled through the trees and the crickets chirped loudly.

Hiko slowly took a step out onto the grass, turning his head to try and find the person he had sensed before.

"Hiko Seijuro, I presume?" asked a disembodied voice from above, positioned somewhere in one of the trees.

Hiko spun to face the tree, scowling at it darkly. Barely visible in the shadows, a half-hidden figure sat in the lower branches. A soft laugh called Hiko's attention to the figure, who said, "No need to scowl at me, Seijuro-san. I am here for a higher purpose."

The stranger jumped off of the branch of the tree, softly landing in its shadow. "And what would that be?" Hiko snapped at it, wondering why the voice was so familiar.

The light from the street lamps gleamed off of the stranger's teeth as he smiled, an unemotional gesture. "I have come to deliver Tenchu." He stepped into the light, and Hiko saw him clearly for the first time.

"Kenshin?"

The redhead didn't react to his name. "It is time for you to die by my hands, Seijuro-san." He drew his sword and rushed at Hiko, who had to put all questions about his nephew's strange new behavior out of his mind and parry the blow. He tried to strike Kenshin back, but the boy had already moved on and was attacking him again from a new direction. Hiko was surprised at Kenshin's speed- the boy had never shown this before in his training sessions. Hiko couldn't do much more than block, Kenshin was attacking too rapidly to attack back.

Several exchanges later, the teen drew back out of Hiko's range and rested while studying his opponent carefully, and watching to make sure he wasn't ambushed. Hiko took the chance to question Kenshin. "Kenshin, why are you trying to kill me?" he demanded. Kenshin didn't respond to the demand, or his name. Apparently deciding that he'd rested enough he walked forward and engaged Hiko, nimbly dodging the few attacks directed at him, making the swords sing with each attack.

Kenshin, although extremely fast, was not using any advanced Hiten Mitsurugi techniques in the fight. Hiko noticed this, and managed to form the basic beginnings of a plan.

After a few minutes of the deadly dance, accompanied only by the ringing of steel and their heavy breathing, Hiko attacked. Kenshin spun to avoid it, and Hiko quickly darted in and used the flat of his blade to hit the backs of Kenshin's knees. Kenshin fell, but managed to recover, flipping to his feet and pointing his sword at Hiko's neck, only millimeters away from Hiko's jugular vein.

Hiko raised his sword so the two blades rested against each other. "Why?" Hiko asked again. No answer, other than Kenshin pulling his blade away and attacking relentlessly, pausing after every few strikes to circle the man. After the fifth such exchange, Hiko had noticed the amber of Kenshin's eyes and his cross-shaped scar. So. They had turned the boy into a heartless assassin. But how, and why?

Hiko wanted answers. He glared at Kenshin, his annoyance clearly showing, and swung carelessly at him. Kenshin easily dodged the attack by getting close to Hiko where he couldn't be hit by the sword on its careless path. Hiko quickly recovered and swung at Kenshin again, who simply moved behind Hiko and tried to make him lose his balance by sweeping a leg out from under him. It didn't work, but it distracted Hiko. When he was focused again, he looked around. The redhead was gone.

He turned in a circle, trying to find the teen while simultaneously casting out his ki to see if he could sense the boy that way. No luck. The kid wasn't himself any more, he was now an assassin, a shadow in the darkness, and his spirit was too different to detect.

Hiko looked around again, trying to locate Kenshin, and then finally looked up. Quickly, he raised his sword to prevent an aerial attack by Kenshin, from splitting him in half. Seeking to gain the upper hand, Hiko used his strength, and, the two crossed swords as leverage, to throw Kenshin back across the yard. He expected the boy to flip and land on his feet, but instead he crashed full-force into a tree, his back slamming into the trunk. Hiko sheathed his sword and cursed inwardly before yelling, "What the heck were you thinking, baka?" at Kenshin as he watched the teen slide down the trunk to land in a crumpled heap at the bottom.

As usual, there was no answer. The readhead sat there, not making a sound or moving a muscle. Hiko only knew the boy was conscious because he could see him breathing. He was either brooding or plotting, and Hiko couldn't tell which. He grew annoyed and barked at Kenshin, "Kenshin Shinta Himura! Why are you doing this?"

To his surprise, Kenshin looked up, directly at him. The boy's cold amber eyes flickered at the sound of his full name. Hiko watched with hope rising in his chest as the amber flickered, until something occured in Kenshin's mind and the amber came back full-force, while the boy became distant and calculating again. Hiko, sighed, discouraged. Kenshin had almost returned, the real Kenshin. However, something had caused him to withdraw again, something had stopped him from remembering his past.

Hiko decided to experiment, softly saying, "Kenshin."

No response. No flickering. No reaction.

Just cold, calculating, amber eyes.

"Listen Kenshin," Hiko called, his voice gentle and persuading, "you don't have to do this. You don't have to kill me." He raised both of his hands upward, releasing the hilt of his sword. "Just set your sword down on the ground, and we can talk." As a show of faith, the man reached down, took off the sheathed sword and placed it gently in the grass. Straightening, he steadily watched the teen.

The redhead made no move to copy Hiko's actions, instead he continued to sit underneath the tree while studying his opponent carefully and perhaps also curiously.

Suddenly, the man had an inspired idea, "Shinta, please. Put down the sword," Hiko said, trying to persuade the boy's gentler nature to a truce. However, the idea, although brilliant, didn't work. Kenshin didn't react to his childhood name. Hiko racked his brain for another idea that would help his nephew.

Kenshin slowly began to struggle upright, digging his fingers into the trunk of the tree for support as he gradually made his way to a standing position, leaning against the tree for relief. Pushing himself away, he took two firm steps forward and then abruptly stopped, gripping the hilt of his sword. Hiko watched carefully, trying to sense an attack, but Kenshin's ki was masked.

Deliberately, Kenshin lowered himself into a battojutsu stance, his hand poised over his hilt and his eyes watching Hiko, calculating the force that would be needed to overcome the strong man. Minutes passed. Then, on an impalpable signal, Kenshin darted forward, drawing his sword as he drew nearer to the man. Hiko stood there, watching coolly as the boy rushed towards him. When Kenshin's blade flew up at him, he used the only defense available to him and caught the blade between his hands.

"Don't try to use Hiten Mitsurugi techniques on me, baka. I taught you everything you know."

Kenshin didn't respond to his sword being caught or Hiko's reprimand. He only kept a firm grip on the hilt, and watched Hiko's hands inscrutably. Hiko tugged on the blade of the sword, pulling it out of Kenshin's grip. Quickly, he tossed the sword carelessly away and squeezed a pressure point on Kenshin's neck. The redhead slumped forward, unconscious. Hiko picked up his own sword, slung the teen over his shoulder and walked slowly into the house.

Acting in the role of a caring parent, Hiko undressed the boy, bathed him, reclothed the teen and put him to bed-pulling the covers over the thin body, then quietly exited-locking the door to the room. The redhead slept for days, restlessly tossing and turning, twisting his sheets into one huge, tangled pile. While he recovered, all the doors and windows in the house were closed and locked, preventing anyone from entering- or leaving.

Several times a day, Hiko unlocked the bedroom door and looked inside, checking on his nephew. He always found the boy sleeping soundly, lying on his side, eyes closed. Then, one time that Hiko went to check, the teen was awake and surveying his surroundings. Hiko entered and closed the door. The click of it closing alerted Kenshin to another's presence, and he sat up, staring accusingly at Hiko with cold, amber eyes. "You are Hiko Seijuro?"

"Yes."

"Then I have failed," he stated emotionlessly, resting his head on his knees. "My orders have not been fulfilled. You are still alive. I have failed,"

Hiko scowled at the boy. "That's not true Kenshin," he scolded, but continued when there was no argument, "It's a good thing you didn't kill me. If you had, you'd still be out there, killing people."

The teen scoffed quietly. "Of course I would be, that's my job. I'm just an assassain."

"Are you hungry? There's some left over ham and eggs," Hiko questioned, trying to change the subject and take the boy's mind off of his "failure."

But the redhead just shook his head, not turning to look at the man, "why should I eat, when my life no longer has any purpose?" Then he began to whisper to himself again, his head still resting on his knees, refusing so much as to look at the other man.

Hiko sighed, slid off the bed and exited again, leaving the teen alone in the strange room with his depressing thoughts, then locked the door behind him.

After that, the boy slept restlessly. As the days went on, and the week ended, he began having nightmares of his past deeds-seeing many of his murdered victims again, covered in blood and pointing accusing fingers at him.

When the seven days were over, the bad dreams suddenly stopped and the teen was left alone to sleep in peace. He was able to sleep easily while the drug he had been receiving weekly, to keep him from remembering his memories and to keep him obedient to Katsura, slowly made its way out of his system.

A few days later, when he was completely free of the medicine and its effects, the memories returned. Not in a flood, but instead in a thin stream. Each time he fell asleep more came and the teen remembered even more of his life before becoming a hitokiri.

Finally, several mornings past, nearly all of them had returned.

Hiko walked into his nephew's room, carrying a tray loaded with food that he had cooked himself. He shut the door with his foot, then set the tray down on the dresser before pulling a chair up to the side of the bed.

He sat for a few minutes, watching the teen sleep peacefully- reminding Hiko of the kid his nephew had once been.

Then the man reached across the bed to gently shake the redheads shoulder, "wake up Kenshin."

But instead of replying, or actually waking up, the boy mumbled something and snuggled deeper underneath the covers.

Hiko growled softly, then shook the kids shoulder again. "Time to get up boy, rise and shine." When his nephew only mumbled quietly, he spoke again, "wake up baka, or I'll get a bucket of water to pour on you."

The man had expected the teen to react to the usual threat for not waking up when he was supposed to, but this time there was none. Becoming frustrated, Hiko shook the thin shoulder more roughly-then tensed, waiting for the firm grip on his wrist and glaring amber eyes.

Instead the redhead grumbled something, then rubbed his eyes, "Uncle?" asked a quiet, sleepy voice.

Hiko withdrew his hand, blinking down at the teen in surprise, "Kenshin?" he questioned cautiously.

"Mmm," the teen answered, then slowly opened his eyes to peer at Hiko with sleepy violet.

The man nearly smiled at that sight; they were warm violet, not empty amber. "Well, well. Look who's finally awake," he teased, masking his happiness at having the boy back.

Kenshin slowly sat up, continuing to look at his uncle. He didn't smile or twitch at the teasing, instead his expression showed he was wary but curious.

"Are you feeling better, boy?" Hiko questioned, trying not to sound as worried as he was.

The redhead slightly bobbed his head in answer, but then the violet eyes slid sideways to look curiously around the room-as if he had never seen it before. His head turned as his eyes moved, surveying everything and anything occupying the space around them.

Curious at his nephews reaction, the man asked, "what's wrong Kenshin?"

But the boy didn't answer, instead he slowly slid off the bed, stood up and immediately waved his arms to recover his balance after nearly falling. He stood once more and walked over to stand in front of the dresser.

Kenshin's eyes traveled over the numerous picture frames littering the dresser, mainly of family photos, then caught sight of the tray laying on the other side. He crept closer to the wooden tray and peered closely at it and its contents. "You can cook?" he asked after a few seconds, sounding surprised.

Hiko again nearly smiled, "a few things." He admitted, then added quickly, "but not very well."

"Oh," was the redhead's distant reply. After that he continued to walk around the room, looking at everything. A long silence took place as Kenshin examined the room.

Hiko grew weary of the silence, and said, "A lot has changed while you've been gone," causing Kenshin to pause in his examination of the room, and look at Hiko before turning back to look at a picture on the wall. Hiko watched his nephew, noting the scar revealed when Kenshin absently brushed his hair away from his face. It had faded now, only a faint shadow of it was left on his skin.

Hiko shook himself out of his reverie, and continued to talk to Kenshin. "I'm a teacher at a high school now," he said, telling Kenshin of the major changes. "And I'm also the kendo instructor for the after-school club they recently started," he smirked. Kenshin flinched at the word kendo, and Hiko decided not to continue explaining it. "And Ishi had a son, right after you left."

"Ishi?" Kenshin questioned blankly, revealing that he had, in fact, been listening. "Ishi..." He drummed his fingers on the top of the dresser, obviously trying to remember who the name belonged to. He turned and looked at Hiko, wide-eyed. "Aunt Ishi?"

"Yes, Ishi- my sister, your Mom's sister, your aunt," he nodded. "She would be the one," he added sarcastically.

"A son?" Kenshin turned back to the wall, holding the photograph he had unhooked from it.

Hiko nodded again, although Kenshin couldn't see him. "Yes, he would be about four now. A very cute little boy." He smirked, again without Kenshin seeing, and watched the boy carefully as he added, "She named him Shinta."

The photograph Kenshin was holding fell to the ground with a thud, and Kenshin was very, very still as he asked, his voice barely a whisper, "W-what did you just say?"

"She named him Shinta. You heard me," Hiko repeated, annoyed, yet also worried.

Kenshin slowly lowered his head until it was resting on the wall. "Why? Why did she-" he stopped as his throat constricted and his body shook with silent sobs.

"Why did she name him that?" Hiko finished for his nephew, getting up to stand next to his chair, "Who knows? I don't understand how your aunt's mind works." He paused, listening to the boys quiet sobs. "But, I can think of some possibilities. One, that Ishi wanted to maintain your honor, the honor and meaning behind that name." Hiko paused to chose his next words carefully, "However, I think it is much more likely that she named her boy "Shinta," to remind you of your childhood, of how happy you were, and," he paused cautiously, knowing that his next words might break the fragile teen, "to help you find, and remember, what you've seemed to lost."

His nephew broke down, his thin body shaking wildly while silent tears ran down the pale face and soft gasps, sobs and hiccupping noises escaped from his partly opened mouth.

Hiko stood and walked over to the door, opening it as he said, "the eggs and ham are there for you to eat, if you want them." Then he closed the door, leaving it unlocked this time.

The boys quiet sobs and hiccups filled the empty room, reminding him just how hard his life had been…and how harsh the memories of those times were.

Yay! Kenshins back! well...sorta .

Anyways, like I said this chapter was REALLY hard to write, mostly cause I stink at writing fight scenes which is basically what most of this chapter consists of. Also I hold the belief that the begining stinks, but that it goes downhill from there. So please, if you are a kind reader, please review to help me distinguish that belief. One more note: Microsoft Word stunk for editing this chapter, so I did it on my own.

If you can't tell I'm kinda going through a depressive mood right now, nothing serious, so it took me a long time to write this chapter, and also it might take me just as long to get the next one up. I would greatly appreciate support from you all, my wonderful supportive readers, so please leave review. (Also Minnesota winters DO NOT HELP)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed least chapter... I really appreciate it! We're over 100 REVIEWS! O.o

Also, if anyone wants to read a hilariously funny/amusing fanfic, check out the Narrorators (I know I spelled that wrong) fic "Kenshin Outtakes." It's in my profile under "favorites" for a shortcut. One example: Two words Guaranteed to floor any of the Kenshin-gumi:

"Saitou's married"

XD That just cracked me up the first and every time I read it. Plus Saitou has obsession with super-glue. XD. Warnign though, be ready for pervertedness. And those Saitou obsessors, be careful reading it. Yanikei was ranting over her "Saitou-sama" for days.

Thanks again... please review!

ja ne,

miji-chan