Kurama stretched himself lazily. His wounds were almost completely healed. He would be able to leave Ningenkai soon, not that he would mind staying a little longer. He enjoyed the attention the young mortal showered on him, the way he stroked his fur, scratched him behind his ears, the way he took it upon himself to see that Kurama was never hungry, the way he anxiously peeped over his master's shoulders (much to his master's annoyance) when his wounds were being examined...
The boy's master called him 'Kenshin'. Heart of Sword. A very apt name for him, Kenshin's heart was overflowing with compassion and innocence, yet when he wielded his sword, a deathly swordsman replaced that gentle, sensitive demeanor. As for the master, Kurama had never heard Kenshin call him anything other than 'Shishou', still, that did not make him his 'shishou'.
In the past couple of weeks that Kurama had been with them, he had been privy to the way they trained. They were good, even by Makai standards. Swift. Deadly. Their swords transforming into silver arcs of light whipping through the air. The Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. The Strike of the Flying Dragon. A beautiful dance of death.
From what he saw, Kenshin was almost always on the receiving end of an uncountable amount of 'knocks and bumps' with sincere regards from his master during their training sessions. He wondered how that frail looking child had managed to survive thus far. Small wonder that Kenshin had made no sound when he was scratched by Kurama. He must have been so used to the thrashings he got from his master that the scratches Kurama inflicted on him were just like any other injury he received from his training with his master. However, that did not make Kurama feel any less ashamed that he had hurt a child who was only trying to help him.
In atonement for his griveous sin, Kurama resigned himself to playing with Kenshin whenever Kenshin was not training or performing a chore for his master, much to Kenshin's delight. Kurama followed Kenshin wherever he went, he would prance a little way before Kenshin, inviting him to try and catch him before darting off. Ever since Kurama started following him wherever he went, Kenshin seemed a lot more willing to draw water for his master. It was afterall, one of those precious few moments when he could spend some quality time with his 'pet'. One thing that frustrated Kurama intensely was the fact that Kenshin almost always managed to catch him. Him. Kurama. A youko. Caught by a mere child. He never expected Kenshin to be so fleet of foot.
Kenshin insisted on calling him 'Kitsune' much to Kurama's amusement as well as his master's. "He's such a beautiful fox. Why should we call him by any other name?" Therefore, he was christened 'Kitsune'. Fox, not that he could fault Kenshin's reasoning...
End of Part 5