Kenshin ran down the hill, long red hair flying loose in the wind. He stumbled, but barely saved himself in time. Cursing under his breath, he hoped to be on time. Hiko-sensei could be hard to deal with when he was late. Unfortunately, the stupid lady didn't care about his 'being on time' with the big samurai, and insisted on weighing the stupid tofu five times to make sure he had ONLY 3 yen worth.
He ran to the dojo, kicking off his sandals on the steps. He took a deep breath, putting the tofu on the step, and slid open the door, regaining as much composure as a teenager with his age and experience could muster after running a ten minute walk in about three minutes.
Hiko-sensei had told him the day before that he was going to teach him 2 special things that day. He HAD to be on time!
It was highly irregular, and in fact it had never happened to Kenshin, to be taught 2 strikes in one day. But he knew that he, Himura Kenshin, could do it. He could do ANYTHING!
"Ah, Kenshin-kun. Just on time," Hiko-sensei rose from his tatami, his deep green hair rippling over his shoulders. "You may have noticed your training taking odd turns for the last week."
"I don't question my training, Shishou."
"Yes. Well, thinking along these lines, have you any thought about what I will teach you today?"
"Yes, Shishou. I think you will teach me Ryuu Tsui Sen," Kenshin said, breathlessly excited. The strike was the hardest of his school of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu-- at least, that's what his Shishou told him. "But I'm puzzled on the second thing you have to teach me."
"Kenshin-kun, do you know how old I was before I was at your level?" Hiko-sensei asked, sounding like he was concealing all feeling.
"No, Shishou," Kenshin said quietly, reflecting the changed mood of his master.
"I was almost 17. It took me almost three months of training until my master showed me the strike I'm about to teach you. It took you a week. My little tenken."
"Shishou?"
"Someday, Kenshin, you'll be the inheritor of this school. Mark my word."
"Uh-- yes, Shishou." Why didn't he get on with it? Kenshin thought impatiently. Windbag...
"Now. I will teach you the secret of the strike that you wish to have so badly. The strike that, in all my teaching, I have never taught another student."
"I'm honored, Shishou," as far as Kenshin knew, his Shishou had never HAD anopther student.
"Come, Kenshin-kun," Hiko-sensei strode out into the sunlight. The cherry petals flew through the air in swirls of pink. Several fluttered into Kenshin's hair, as he stood across from his master, holding the new steel sword that he had only aquired recently from his sensei. It was an old, worn blade that his Hiko had used in youth, but served Kenshin well.
"Bind your hair, Kenshin. At this stage of your training, you can't afford to be distracted," Hiko-sensei said looking severe.
"Yes, sensei," Kenshin murmured, sheathing the sword quickly, then pulling his hair up on his head. He knew he might be belted for presuming to put his hair up like a master samurai, but he was feeling daring. He didit often, when Hiko wasn't around.
He looked at his master, his gentle face looking very young and innocent. However, Hiko knew there was a seriousness behind that facade, and there wasn't very much innocence left within the child. And later in the day, what innocence was there would be stolen. Leaving Kenshin, not quite 14, a man. A man ready to go and face the world as a samurai. He had never killed before, but was ready.
He carefully took Kenshin through the steps that he had already taught the boy, making sure that Kenshin knew them now for what they were, and why he did them. When Kenshin finally tried the full move, Hiko was unsurprised to see him do it perfectly. As he worked with Kenshin, the child became more and more serious, sometimes even looking ferocious.
He finally brought Kenshin into the dojo, both of them tired, but Hiko was assured that Kenshin had the strike perfectly ingrained within him now.
"Very good, Kenshin," Hiko told him as they sat on the tatami together.
"Thank you, Shishou," Kenshin said, adrenalin still pumping from the 'fights' that Hiko-sensei had used to test him in many different ways.
"You will soon have no further use for your master."
Kenshin said nothing, looking down at the mat. How could he tell his sensei that he had been approached by the Ishin party? They wanted his services to deal with people that would get in the way. Kenshin thought the views of the party were good, and thought that he might do this for them. They had already sent a person to guage his fighting ability. They knew it was great when that person didn't get back to report to them. He would leave on his 14th birthday, which was not long ahead.
"Kenshin-kun."
"Shishou?" Kenshin looked up.
He reached over and grabbed Kenshin by the ponytail.
"Oro?!"
"You presume to wear the style that master samurai wear. Are you so cocky as to believe you're a samurai already? You'll never be samurai until I tell you that you are."
"Yes, Shishou!!!"
"Yes, Shishou," Hiko repeated wryly. "For what I'm about to teach you next... I'll make you a man."
"Oro?"
"Indeed," Hiko chuckled. He undid the sash of Kenshin's kimono, getting a blank look of confusion from the young redhead. "Your hair style suits you Kenshin-kun. You may keep it." He pulled Kenshin closer to him, using the red locks, and kissed him roughly on the mouth. Kenshin's eyes widened at the kiss.
"You must NEVER show mercy to an enemy. You must use your skill to protect the people who can't protect themselves. You must NOT join the Ishin party."
"Shisho!"
Hiko ripped open Kenshin's kimono, and threw it over his shoulder. Kenshin was a small boy, and would be a small man, but already his arms and chest were finely muscled. He was slender and compact. Hiko would have begun this sort of training with his student soon after he came to him, but Kenshin, at 6 years old, had been too young. He hadn't expected to aqquire a young pupil like that.
He pushed Kenshin to the floor, then yanked his kimono bottoms down. He heard Kenshin oro in surprise.
He pulled his own kimono off, and allowed Kenshin to see him, his member fully arounsed by the sight of Kenshin's firm, young body. He reached down to stroke the soft hair between Kenshin's legs, allowing his fingers to gently graze over his sex.
"Shishou?!" Kenshin cried out. His mouth formed a perfect o as his body suddenly responded to Hiko's touch.
"Not everything in this world is as it seems. You may find yourself doing this with many men. Only another samurai will understand you, Kenshin. Only another killer will want to know you. Why do you think most samurai aren't married?"
"You-- you said it-- it w-w-was because- oh- of... of... mmm. Because women were inferior to us."
"Women, and most other men, Kenshin. We are samurai. We turn to other samurai for companionship. The only time we marry is to continue our line, and then most times the males have relations with other samurai in the area."
"But... mm... but... ohhh!!" Kenshin's eyes closed at his sensei's ministrations.
Hiko slid Kenshin's shaft between his hands, pumping it slowly. His thumb grazed the tip, carressing. Kenshin's hips jumped at the touch. His eyes closed tightly. Hiko stroked more firmly and faster. Kenshin's breathing quickened, until he was panting, making low growling noises deep in his throat.
He began to shudder, and then came in a gush, which Hiko caught carefully in his hand. While Kenshin slowly came down from his climax, Hiko spead Kenshin's seed over his hard sex. He took his fingertip and spred some of the creamy liquid over Kenshin's lips.
Kenshin's tongue flickered out over his lips, tasting the salty liquid on them. Hiko slipped a finger into Kenshin's mouth. Kenshin licked at the finger, then began to suck on it, running his tongue around it.
Hiko smiled at his student, then pulled his hand away. He grabbed Kenshin's hips, and hiked him up to him. Hiko entered Kenshin without a word, enjoying the tight sheath of Kenshin's body.
Kenshin's eyes widened in shock. "ORO!!" He cried in startlement and pain. Hiko reached down and grabbed the small boy's arm, then pulled him to a sitting position, in a prime place for Hiko to hold his hips, and pull him up and down on his tool.
Even though Kenshin was so small, only about 4'5" next to his 6'2", he knew he couldn't show Kenshin mercy in this respect. He had to learn.
He began to thrust within Kenshin, his hands squeezing the luscious cheeks of Kenshin's butt, pumping hard and deep. Kenshin's hand clenched at Hiko's chest, and he put his head on the larger man's shoulders.
Kenshin felt his master slide out of his body, and he braced himself for the next thrust in. It hurt like hell. He knew what sex was, having heard about it in town, but he had never expected it from his master.
Kenshin noticed the thrusts slowing down. He relaxed, thinking his master would pull him off, and then he pushed Kenshin back down. The feeling was different this time. Kenshin forced himself to relax more, keeping his head on Hiko sensei's chest to stabilize himself. As his Shishou slid back into him, Kenshin felt that feeling again. It tickled his insides, and his body began to tingle. He began to shiver, his body anticipating Hiko's thrusts, and he began to move in rythym with them, using his knees and calves to push himself up and down.
His master's hard, slick staff slid into him again, and Kenshin cried out softly. Kenshin began to move more violently, and unconscious need to get his sensei in deeper and harder driving him to buck against Hiko. He bit the large man's shoulder, his fingernails digging into his muscled chest. He keened a high note as the orgasm overcame him, shoving himself down on his master's sex as hard as he could. He felt his throbbing muscles clench around Hiko, and then felt his sensei's sex pulse within him once before releasing. The hot, wet feeling invaded Kenshin deeply, and he shouted as he climaxed again.
Hiko pulled the limp boy off of him, and gently laid him on the tatami in amazement. Like everything, Kenshin did this well, also. Hiko's seed ran down Kenshin's thigh, a white river of sex.
He wiped away some of the blood that Kenshin drew, small rivulets coursing down his chest. The scratches, claw marks and bites went well with the bruises forming on Kenshin's hips, thighs and ass.
"Get up, Kenshin-kun," Hiko said, once they could both breath normally again, raising to his feet.
"Shishou?" Kenshin murmured, gracefully getting to his feet. Hiko could see some blood on the tatami, Kenshin's virginity sitting in a small pool.
He leaned over and picked up his katana, unsheathing it. "You," he said severely, touching the tip of the sword to Kenshin's smooth forehead, "are almost ready to go into the world on your own. I won't teach you anymore until I decide that you have earned the right to the succesion technique. But, hear this, Kenshin. You are not to join the Ishin party," Hiko growled, sheathing the sword.
"Shishou, I-"
"No. You don't."
"I- I must, Shishou. I have already decided to join. I agree with and believe in their views. I will help them see their views become reality with my sword."
"No. You can not do this, Kenshin-kun."
Kenshin lifted his chin, the master's ponytail proudly fluttering. "You call me a master now. I will do as I wish," he said firmly, then turned his back, walking to his kimono.
Hiko pulled his katana and lunged after Kenshin. The redhead ducked, half turning. He rolled, his long katana coming within reach. The sword flshed in the sunlight faster than Hiko could blink. Kenshin was on his feet, in a heartbeat, facing his master.
Hiko stood in one spot, looking calm. He showed, nor projected any emotion. He had never trained with Kenshin in this way. He had always shown his battle ki to his pupil. He was hoping that this would throw the child off, and there would be a minimum of bloodshed.
Kenshin stood for a moment, assesing his apponent. He gave of very little battle ki. Well, Kenshin had fought two of those people before. One from the Ishin party to assess him, another from an opposing party, to kill him. During the first match, Kenshin was a jumble of nerves, not knowing what to do. He had won through virtue of being small, fast and very well trained. Thinking about it later, he had decided what to do in a situation like that. He turned slightly to the side, left hand grasping his saya, right hand on the hilt of his katana. He watched Hiko steadily, waiting for his sensei's first move.
Hiko watched Kenshin, bemused. What was the child doing? Was he purposfully leaving himself open like that? He looked into Kenshin's eyes, and blinked. He suppressed the feeling of foreboding that those orbs gave him. He looked beyond fierce. The purple had shifted into amber, glinting in the evening sunlight.
Well, he thought, enough of this. He twisted around, feignting to the right, but coming in on the left. Before he had even reached Kenshin, the redhead had pulled his katana in a blur of steel.
Reflex made him bring his sword up short, blade pointing downward. The crash of steel against steel was almost deafening. If he had followed through with the move, his head would have reached the floor before he even knew he was dead.
The amber eyes looking into his showed Hiko that Kenshin had indeed killed before, maybe even using that deadly move.
Kenshin's eyes shifted back to the purple Hiko had always known them. "Please, I don't want to fight you," he whispered.
"When did you develop that?"
"After the first hitokiri came for my life's blood. I barely survived that encounter. I wanted to be ready for the next."
"Were you ready?" Hiko asked, taking a guess that more than one assasin had gone for him.
"Yes. He thought I was stupid for opening myself up. He didn't think I was stupid a minute later. In fact, he didn't think again."
"You've killed two hitokiris."
"Yes."
"I'm sorry for thinking of you as an innocent child."
"I'm sorry I never told you about this."
"Kenshin?"
"Yes, Shishou?" Kenshin called over his shoulder, as he pulled his kimono on.
"I don't want you to join this Ishin party."
"I'm sorry, Hiko-sensei. I wish you could see that I must."
"Once you leave, you have no need to ever come back again, then."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Shishou," Kenshin smiled sweetly. "But this is destiny that calls me. I'll grasp fate by the hand and dance with her."
Hiko shook his head sadly.
"Master, I give you my word of honour. I'll never shed innocent blood. And perhaps someday, we'll see each other again."
"Maybe."
Kenshin walked down the hallway to his bedroom, knowing he hadn't heard the end of this subject. But soon, it wouldn't matter. He would go and join the revolution. And he, a master of his craft, would rock the world. Because he knew he was the best.

By Michiru