I don't know...I just thought Kenshin's so called "childhood"
with Hiko wasn't very detailed. So I wrote my own...
C&C welcome.
Kakunoshin Niitsu - the false name Hiko Seijuro the 13th used to disguise
his identity. For purposes of this story, it'll be his real name.
The Hiko at the beginning is the 12th inheritor.
-=Lucky Number 13=-
A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Rain.
"Damn." Niitsu snorted. (This always happens when he's teaching
me something new. And I always seem to screw it up because of this damn
rain. And my uniform getting soaked to the core doesn't help much either.
Why me?)
About 20 yards in front of him, a tall man, cloaked in a dramatic
manto, was facing him, his sword drawn. He looked to be about in his
mid-thirties, though no signs of that age could be seen on his face. From
any casual observers eye, he wouldn't be any older than 21. His face was
serene, calm, and yet serious at the same time. He was superbly built,
his perfectly honed muscles tensing in his stance. His long black hair
was soaked to the scalp, but he paid no mind. His concentration was
fully on the younger man in front of him.
"After this, Niitsu, you will be the 13th successor of Hiten
Mitsurugi Ryu. You realize this, correct?" Hiko said, no emotion
showing. Niitsu could only nod silently.
"I have shown you Kuzu Ryu Sen. Not too shabby, eh?" Hiko
said, a smile forming ever so slightly.
"You're damn right. Can't be dodged or defended against, the
'Nine Head Dragon Strike.' That's one hell of a move, master." Niitsu
said, smiling.
"There is only one thing that can cancel out a Kuzu Ryu Sen,
my pupil..."
Niitsu lifted his head in surprise. (It can be countered?)
"...that is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Ougi." Hiko said, raising
the sword and laying it to rest on his shoulder.
"You mean...that Kuzu Ryu Sen WASN'T the ougi?!" Niitsu said
incredulously.
"Nope."
Niitsu displayed a formidable sweatdrop.
"But it's impossible to dodge and defend against. I figured that
would qualify as an ougi..." Niitsu said softly.
"Think about it, though." Hiko said nonchalantly.
A questioning look appeared on Niitsu's face.
"What could possibly stop a move that cannot be stopped? I'm sure
you know the answer. But you may have to think...and I know that's tough
for a guy like you..." Hiko said, grinning.
(Stop a move that cannot be stopped...how? It can't be defended
against...then the only way to defend against it is with a...!)
Niitsu sheathed his weapon, and stood in a Battou stance.
Hiko smiled.
"I guess I taught you something after all. But you guessed
correctly. A Battou stance that is faster than your fastest Battou
stance is the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Ougi. Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki."
Hiko said triumphantly as he uttered each syllable. He took his
position in a Kuzu Ryu Sen. "Once you can defend against my Kuzu Ryu
Sen, your training will be complete." Hiko said.
Niitsu nodded, but he was confused.
(He's not going to show me how to do it? You can only go so fast
in a Battou stance...how do you go faster than fast?) he thought.
"Another thing you might want to keep in mind." Hiko said
suddenly, as he removed his manto.
"Yes, master?" Niitsu said questioningly.
"If you don't succeed in this technique, you will die. It is
unfortunate, yes, but that has been the tradition of Mitsurugi Ryu
for generations. There can be only one wielder of the Ama Kakeru Ryu
no Hirameki in the world at any given time. Remember that." Hiko
said, and slowly began to walk towards his student.
Niitsu's hand trembled.
(So I die if I fail, eh...?)
Hiko screamed his battle cry, and in an instant, was speeding
towards Niitsu at top speed.
Niitsu screamed his battle cry, and answered his master's
challenge.
Almost an eternity passed as master and student attacked each
other simultaneously with their most powerful Mitsurugi Ryu. And as
the eternity reached a close, Hiko Seijuro the 12th was lying on the
soaked ground, mud covering various parts of his body.
A thunder crash.
Niitsu looked at his master's fallen body. A scar reached all
the way from his shoulder to his hip, and blood was oozing from it.
The sight horrified Niitsu, who was instantly at his master's side.
"Shishou..." Niitsu softly said, a tear brimming.
Hiko gave him a pat on his shoulder.
"Good...you got it..." Hiko coughed up a small patch of blood.
"Now...don't worry. I knew this would happen. I did it to my master
as well..." Another gag from the blood filling his mouth did nothing
to ease Niitsu's horror at what he had just done. "Remember what I
taught you...and find another who shares our ideals, and teach him
well what I did you..." Niitsu was wide-eyed in shock. Hiko
only smiled his genius smile, and with his final breath, uttered:
"Hiko Seijuro, the 13th inheritor..."
And Hiko's body was silent.
Niitsu's body, though, was screaming in anger.
* * *
(from this point, the Hiko in the story is the Hiko we all
love and admire. ^_^)
The store was a small, well-kept shop, well stocked and maintained
by owner Kinuko Oomori, whose family had owned the shop for 5 generations.
They also had a talent for singing, the women did anyway, but none ever
struck out on their own. They liked the simple life they led, on the
outskirts of Kyoto, in the countryside near the mountains.
Hiko and Kinuko had been great friends in childhood, which is why
Hiko always bought his necessities there. Sake, some mizo and rice,
and some materials to feed his artistic passion. Kinuko knew his
habits, and she had even made a little stash for him behind the counter
so that he had the best of what he needed every week. Kinuko sighed.
(He's so handsome, but he just doesn't seem interested...) she
thought to herself.
Not that she was unattractive, but quite the opposite. She usually
dressed informally (Hiko hated formality) and wore her hair straight.
Her figure was exceptionally nice, as she had overheard other men in town
say so, but Hiko just seemed so distant, so out of it, that he'd have
nothing to do with her but an understanding friendship at the store.
Hiko walked in briskly, going straight to the counter.
"Will that be all for today, Hiko-san?" she asked, putting on her
cutest voice and smile. Hiko's eyes narrowed.
"Don't call me Hiko. That's supposed to be a secret, you know."
he said seriously, taking out his money.
She took the money and began to rummage for his usual supplies.
"You're no fun, Niitsu. I was just teasing. I don't see why
you're so ashamed of that name. Doesn't it signify the master of ...
well I forget what it is..."
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." Hiko quickly interjected.
"Yeah. That's it. Isn't that a very exclusive style or something
or other? I remember you used to tell me all about it all the time when
you were in training with your master..." Kinuko said, noticing Hiko's
face turning grim at the mention of his master.
"That's everything, right? I'll be on my way then..." Hiko
said suddenly, with no nonsense behind it. He turned to the door.
"Wait!" Kinuko said suddenly.
Hiko stopped, and turned to see her face.
"Ki o tsuketene, Niitsu-kun." she said, smiling.
Hiko returned a genius smile, and replied.
"Hey, it's me, remember?" Hiko said, his confidence displayed
prominently in his speech. It was like a different person, completely
changed from the grim man who had been there just a second before. He
turned, gave a brief wave, and was gone.
Kinuko could only smile.
"He's so cool sometimes..."
* * *
Hiko trekked down the old road, the dirt making a crunching sound
under each step. Hiko's thoughts of Kinuko kept intruding, entering his
mind.
(Why did she bring up shishou...? I tell her I don't want to talk
about it, and she just keeps on probing. Next time she says anything, we're
going to have a serious chat...) Hiko thought, but his train of thought
was broken by screams. He knew that there was a small village past the
woods, and it could probably be coming from there. He set his supplies
near a safe spot under a tree, and rushed to the source of the screaming.
When he broke through the woods, his eyes narrowed. About thirty
people lay dead or dying on the ground, blood everywhere. Then he saw
them. A group of bandits had plundered the town, and murdered everyone
for sport. Now they huddled near a young boy, who was kneeling near a
body. He was very small and slender, looking somewhat malnourished, but
his biggest distinction was his flowing red hair, red as blood. He
looked to the body, hoping to find some answers.
(Probably his mother...or father...) Hiko surmised, and headed
towards the bandits.
"Hey kid. Whatcha doin'?" one of the bandits asked.
The boy didn't reply, only stared at the blood-soaked body that
lay before him.
"I said, what're you doin'? If you don't answer me..." the
bandit said again, revealing a short sword.
He heard the clashes of metal, and then some screams.
Hiko stepped into view.
"Who the hell are you?!" Another bandit asked, drawing his
weapon.
"Dead men don't need to hear my name." Hiko said, and attacked.
He saw their lack of skill, but paid no mind. He killed them
all, wasting no time. He looked to his side as he wiped his blade of
blood, and frowned. He walked up to the boy.
"Hey, you're pretty lucky kid." he said.
No response. Hiko's eyes narrowed.
"Look, kid. No matter how much it may hurt inside, the dead
can never return." Hiko said, hoping to bring a response. However,
he received none. He sighed mentally, and decided to leave before he got
too personal.
"There's a village nearby, kid. Head over there and tell them
what happened. They can take care of you there." Hiko said, sheathing
his sword and heading back to the main road. And as he walked, he left
a final thought for the boy.
"Just be glad you're still alive." Hiko said, as he looked at
the boy, over his shoulder. Still no movement.
(Either he's traumatized or he's a mute. But, I guess I can't
help him either way. Good luck, kid.) he thought to himself as he
left the scene and headed to his home on the nearby hills.
* * *
Almost a week later, Hiko still couldn't get the kid he had
seen in that clearing out of his head. It was early morning, as Hiko
trained vigorously in the hills, practicing his multiple strike attacks
on rocks and other small targets, to further improve his aim. His
shirasaya sword was a symbiote, feeding from Hiko's strength, as Hiko
also used it for guidance. They needed each other, used one another
to be the best that they could, the quickest, and strongest pair. Both
were lethal weapons by themselves, but when together, they could do
anything and everything they wanted to.
But this morn, the two weren't clicking very well. In fact,
they really weren't 'clicking' at all.
Thoughts of the boy snuck in. His shaggy red hair, tied in a
small ponytail near his neck. His large violet eyes, gazing at a
massacre that had happened right before his eyes.
He would never forget that look.
Death was something Hiko had been living with for some time.
However, the image of a young boy in the middle of a sea of corpses
wasn't an easy one to shrug off, either. Just something about it...
(Damn. I can't concentrate...) he thought, sighing mentally.
The grip on his sword loosened, and he brought it back to it's home
in the saya. He stood there in the early sun, sans shirt and manto
sweating a bit from his work, in solemn thought. Finally he awoke
from his reverie, grabbed his clothing, and headed back to his humble
abode. He hung the mantle and gi near the doorway as he entered,
and sat in his spot, reaching for his sake bottle.
Only to find it was empty.
"Chi." he frowned.
"Back to Oomori, the second time this week, too. She'll
probably ask if I'm an alcoholic now. Feh." he mused.
He grabbed a rag and wiped himself off, then picked up another
gi that was clean, snapped the manto on, and was off.
* * *
About an hour down the well traveled dirt road, the Oomori
shop came into view. But Kinuko wasn't there to greet as usual.
An old man was there instead.
"Ah, Niitsu-dono. Something you need today?" he said.
Hiko should've recognized him sooner. Kinuko's father, Jin.
"Yes, sir...I'm in need of more sake...if you please?" Hiko
said politely.
"Of course, of course...just a moment, it's in the back..."
Jin remarked, leaving the room through a door behind him. Hiko lazily
draped his body on the nearby wall as he waited.
"Wonder where she is? Well, I AM a little early this week..."
His thoughts were interrupted as Jin returned with a filled
bottle of sake for Hiko. It was then Hiko remembered something.
"Excuse me, Kinuko-san, but did you see a boy come by here,
about yea high and with red hair? Looked about 9 or 10?" he asked
using gestures to aid the description.
"Afraid not, Niitsu-dono. Not a living soul, much less a
boy matching that description." he commented, rubbing his chin,
and handing Hiko the bottle.
"....well then. I owe you...?"
"5 ryou, Niitsu-dono." Jin said, after a moment's pause.
The exchange took place, and Hiko began the hour long trek
to his home. The trip was plagued with thoughts of the boy.
(So he didn't go to the village...perhaps he killed himself,
or got killed by some other sicko. But, none of that is a surprise,
anymore, in this war. I can only use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu to bury
the mess, and nothing more...) he thought.
It was then he noticed he was close to the place where he
had found the boy. He looked in the direction, and after a moment's
pause, turned, and began to walk towards it.
As he entered the clearing, the vision that came to his eyes
was baffling to him. Graves. Everywhere.
(What the hell...?) Hiko thought, trying to find an
explanation to the scene that lay before him. Then he found the
answer, standing a short distance ahead of him.
The boy.
He walked up to the boy slowly, and stopped slightly behind
him. The boy didn't move.
"So you dug graves for your parents and the bandits?" Hiko asked.
The young boy turned his head to face Hiko.
"They weren't my parents. Mine died last year of cholera." he said.
Hiko nodded in understanding.
"Then why did you dig graves for the bandits?"
The boy's head drooped a little at this question.
"They were people, like everyone else. It's all the same when
we are dead." the boy replied.
Hiko's eyebrows raised in interest. (Not your typical boy...)
He then moved closer, and ended up beside him. There, he noticed three
headstones. None of the other graves had headstones.
"Who are these headstones for?"
"Akane-san, Kasumi-san, and Sakura-san. They were sisters who
were sold as slaves to pay their family's debt. I had met them the day
before. When the bandits came, I was the only boy there. I wanted to
protect them. But they wouldn't let me..." the boy said.
Hiko looked at the boy, then at the stones. He uncorked his
bottle of sake, and then let it slowly run over the graves.
"Dying without tasting good sake is a bad thing. I guess you
could say that this is my gift to them." Hiko said, and recorked the
bottle. Everything this boy had just said, what he had done, was the
work of a truly honorable and caring person. Hiko smiled, and he made
his decision. Besides, he needed something to do.
"Hey, kid. What's your name?"
The boy looked surprised slightly.
"Shinta." he replied. Hiko smirked slightly.
"Well, that's definitely not the name of a future swordsmaster."
Shinta's expression turned to surprise once again.
"From here on, your name is 'Kenshin.' I will teach you all
of which that I know." Hiko said.
The boy really didn't know what to make of this man, he barely
knew who he was. But he had saved his life. And was offering him a new
one as well...
"And who are you, sir?" Kenshin asked.
Hiko smirked.
"Hiko Seijuro, 13th master and inheritor of the Hiten Mitsurugi
Ryuu school of Kenjutsu."
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu? .... Never heard of it..." Kenshin replied.
Hiko face faulted, but quickly regained his composure. The boy
simply looked at him, not quite sure what to do. Hiko then turned away,
and began to walk back to the main road. He looked behind him as he was
about to exit the clearing, only to find that Kenshin hadn't even made
a move to follow him at all. He sighed.
(I guess some just can't get a clue...)
"OOOI! How long you gonna stand there? Come with me, you fool!"
Hiko yelled back at him. Kenshin stood there for a second, looking puzzled,
then began to come to him. Hiko smiled, and began the trip back to the
main road. As Kenshin was about to leave the clearing, he turned to take
one last look at the scene. His eyes focused on the three head stones
in the center, and the memories flooded his mind.
"Please save this boy...Stay alive, Shinta...I'm dying..."
Followed by the screams of pain from being cut down by the
vicious blade of the bandits. The blood staining his face. Kasumi,
Akane, and Sakura's bodies.
Kenshin turned away from the scene, a small tear in his eye.
"Goodbye..." he said softly, and ran to catch up with his savior.
End of Part I
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