Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Irresistible	By : kamorgana Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5018 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Disclaimer: RK belongs to Watsuki, but the text, plots, ideas and OCs are *mine*.
Irresistible

Chapter 10: The sacrificial lamb
June 8th, 1865.
Saitoh looked around the dining room, containing a smirk.
It was almost deserted, what he had hoped for, staying in the dojo longer than the others to put the last touch to this new Gatotsu stance that he had had in mind for a while, then to train a bit on his boxing and kempo moves. A fighter had to have a large scale of technical resources, if he wanted to be ready to face any eventuality. Saitoh reminded too vividly the first battles he had been involved in, after entering the Shinsengumi, not to agree with this truth. Lots of new recruits like him had lost their lives, because they had relied merely on one attack that they had naively thought invincible. And too many samurai assumed that swordsmanship was enough, only to be as vulnerable as babies when they were disarmed. This would not happen to him. He had already had the pleasure to use boxing in a duel and he barely contained a dirty laugh as he recalled the stunned face of his adversary, when Saitoh had ejected the sword out his hand with a good kick. The moron hadn�t lived long enough to regret his mistake, but Saitoh had confirmed the reliability of his strategy.
Yes, with three stances, his Gatotsu would now offer enough technical possibilities. He knew that other experienced fighters were keen on inventing always more complicated attacks, adding ougi to ougi, yet he was very critical of this attitude. Their little fashionable moves demanded a time of preparation, mere fractions of second, yet that was enough for an alert adversary to put an end to their show before it began, not even mentioning the time needed to choose the attack amongst too many. That was why, instead of entering the show off contest, he was sticking to simple variations of his own attack. Simple to choose, simple to execute, and fortunately, with the habit, it would become a reflex, a natural selection of the most appropriate stance according to the situation. No seconds lost on a choice: more chances to stay alive. All he had to do, now, was to work on the strength, the rapidity, and his attack would become as deadly as he wished. He was one of the strongest already, but he was still below Okita�.for now. Yet, he had better keep an eye on Nagakura, who was technically in their league.
Aside from his training, which he preferred to perform without witnesses, he had had another good reason not to eat with the others. He was tired of the gossips: Harada had been into that kind of mood since the morning, and Okita, visibly in need of a distraction, had encouraged him into that direction. Saitoh had no interest into knowing who was sleeping with whom at the compound, nor who had gotten the attentions of the more popular prostitute at the pleasure quarter. What he wanted to know was whether the criticism concerning Kondo�s leadership would manifest again, and from whom it was coming. There was a traitor, and any allusion to Serizawa made the connection between past and present easy. Names had come to his mind, of those who hadn�t taken sides, but whom he had always suspected to have been at the late bastard�s service, secretly...like he had done for the other camp. They could be at the source of these new signs of contestation.
The tales on the sexual exploits of his colleagues weren�t allowing this kind of subject to be discussed�.and he wondered, coming to think of it, if Okita�s attitude hadn�t been motivated precisely by this objective. He probably hoped that the reaction against their leader was spontaneous, related to a fit of disappointment after the �accident�, and that keeping the men�s minds on other problems would muffle them, until another Shinsengumi victory soothed the damage made to its reputation. That was very like his friend, whose devotion to Kondo was open, personal, and complete.
Saitoh had another take on the matter, and the interesting behavior of the two other occupants of the dining room was reinforcing his suspicions. Feeling once more their furtive glances on him, he focused his attention on his meal, which wasn�t asking him many efforts. The soba were delicious, and savoring them quietly would have been reason enough for a lonely meal. Hatsue was grating on his nerves from time to time, yet she could cook, what he was thankful for. She was surely from the Kanto region, or maybe Tohoku, if he trusted her accent; and her cooking was a welcome respite when the Kansai food was so tasteless. A light soba soup was a heresy to any person from Eastern Japan with a liking for soba. And Saitoh liked soba very, very much.
Speaking of the devil, where was she? He had asked her to re-fill the empty teapot more than ten minutes ago, to, as he had put ironically, avoid her some waste of energy as she had come out of the kitchen only to bring him an ashtray, and it was definitely taking too long.
The two others now elbowing each other made his annoyance dissipate quickly. He had a hard time hiding his satisfaction. One of them had been one of the morons Okita had found badmouthing Kondo the previous day. The game was getting started.
***
Tokio entered the kitchen, discreetly, and smiled at the pleasant smell of Hatsue�s soba soup, reminding her of dozens childhood memories. The old woman was mumbling, while preparing some tea, with her usual brusque and energetic manners. She observed her a moment, and contained a laugh at the panicked expression she received, when the governess noticed her presence.
�Tokio-sama!�
Hatsue trotted to her, there was no other word, like a hen, and examined her face in worry.
�You weren�t supposed to leave the residence�you didn�t sneak out yet, did you? This is too dangerous right now, it would be noticed, and we�d all be in trouble, moreover, your father would just die with worry if�.�
Tokio interrupted her with an impulsive hug. �Of course I didn�t! I know all this��
�Tokio-sama, please, this isn�t a ladylike attitude! Hugging is good for commoners,� Hatsue protested.
�But you are a commoner,� Tokio smiled, before adding, with a sigh. �I miss you so much. I wish you were with me, at the residence.�
Hatsue shook her head, giving up the struggle, and hugging her baby back. Nobody was ever able to resist her little Tokio, not anymore now than when she was a toddler, spreading disaster after catastrophe in the Takagi residence, and making everybody forget about it with one cute smile. Even Kazuemon-sama had been putty in her hands. Though she was one of the rare persons able to scold her when she crossed the line, Hatsue knew that Tokio should have been looked after more severely, but even though she had grown conscious of her ability to manipulate people, and to easily get away from the trouble she was steadily creating around her, her little girl had a more deadly weapon: sincerity. The regret in her voice had been genuine, and Hatsue could only share her feelings.
She liked to look after these boys, and to serve Kondo-sama, whom she respected as much as she respected Kazuemon-sama or Kojuuro-sama. She had been honored that the latter had thought of her to be in charge of the Shinsengumi compound. Nevertheless, it had been decided when Tokio-sama had entered the court, and was supposed to be permanently in the company of her mother. When the baby she had looked after didn�t need a nanny anymore. Now that Ryoko-sama had left this world, Hatsue had the feeling that she was neglecting her duties.
�I came along with Father,� Tokio said finally. �He had some matter to discuss with Kondo-sama.�
�About what happened yesterday? Poor Reiko-sama. Such a sweet girl��
Tokio looked around, trying to hide her sadness. �Yes, things aren�t going well at the court, since yesterday. Matsudaira-sama is in trouble.�
Hatsue had turned around, to check on the boiling water, and was pouring some in a teapot.
�So is Kondo-sama. I am disappointed, I tell you�.�
Tokio stilled, and the implications that her own feeling of loss, her exhaustion and worries had made her overlook, dawned on her.
�Is he blamed for what happened?�
�That�s unfortunately to be expected. All they see is that they were taken in the highest esteem these days, and that they are now reproached with the death of an innocent. This is also Fujiki-sama�s fault: he was extremely harsh, unfairly harsh, with Kondo-sama yesterday. He shouldn�t have blamed the Shinsengumi. They�re ready to follow whom they admire, but ready to let down whom is bringing shame on them. This morning, I heard some criticizing him.�
Tokio had lifted her brows in disgust. �I would have expected better. They should be only honored to serve under Kondo-sama�s orders.�
�Most of them are. As I told you, it was just a hotheaded reaction. Young men and their pride��
�Who was it?� Tokio had tried to sound casual, but she was sick to her stomach. Pride? No. Arrogance and cowardice: yes. The Shinsengumi was supposed to assure order, not to gain prestige or popularity. How would they achieve their goal, if they didn�t start to obey to their own leaders, and were prone to mutiny as soon as they had to endorse a failure?
�Tokio-sama, don�t you get involved into this. You shouldn�t attract attention on yourself.�
�Kondo-sama has the right to know who is ready to stab him in the back.�
Hatsue shook her head, giggling somewhat. �He knows very well that his situation is likely to provoke jealousy. It�s been more than one year, and the meetings are still held in the pavilion. The beast is dead, yet there will be other ambitious. He will find his way out of the intrigues. Moreover, he can count on his loyal followers, like Okita-sama and Hijikata-sama. You do not need to worry. Here, have some tea.�
The old woman had spoken quickly, gently helping Tokio to sit down in the corner of the room, on the old tatami space, and put a cup of brown liquid in front of her. Memories caught up with her, as her little girl just sat there, kneeling in the most polite way, yet with her face closed, her mouth tightly thinned, and her eyes stubbornly fixed on the cup, without a word or a move. That had been her way of expressing her displeasure as a lady in training, as it had never been in her temper to throw noisy tantrums, anyway. She had had been able not to move for several hours, and to keep her dignified, polite, unreachable attitude for days.
Hatsue knew that she would be still in that position when she came after bringing his tea to Captain Saitoh. And that she couldn�t stand that coldness, coming from her.
�Promise me that you won�t get in any trouble.�
The beautiful face retrieved immediately its liveliness, with the hint of an apology in the tone of voice, and in the glimmers of the gray eyes.
�I won�t denounce them�yet. It is just in case this information can be useful to Kondo-sama later. I promise.�
�Very well. I still think that you grant too much importance to this, but�.�
***
Kido, that was the moron�s name. He was from Shimada�s unit, and the other, Kikuta, was from Takeda�s. This was already some exploitable information. If they were linked to the traitor, it would be wise to look for accomplices in all the divisions, and not only in one rotten branch. Good.
They had accosted him a few minutes ago, just after Hatsue had at last brought him his tea, and their attempts at manipulation were so pitiful that he wanted to laugh out loud. They had awkwardly jumped from one mundane subject, his soba, to another, and yet another one, with an offensive lack of a-propos, thinking surely that taking a detached attitude was enough to replace psychological skills and the mere possession of a brain. And if only they were good at looking detached, but not even: whenever he had given them subtle encouragements (not too subtle though. The imbeciles wouldn�t have gotten it then), they had let show how satisfied they were with it, their eyes lighting like those of brats watching fireworks during the summer festivals. Whoever was their mastermind, Saitoh didn�t congratulate him on his choice of contacts.
And they were now where they had wanted to be�or more exactly where he had authorized them to lead him. They were talking about reputation, popularity, glory, and other bullshit that those unsure of their worth, and here, plainly, of the content of their hakama, were considering as giving them the quality of �man� and worse, �samurai�. And they slid to the leadership of the Shinsengumi with a directness that would have made Harada pass for a delicate lady.
�Of course, this is very embarrassing, don�t you think, Saitoh-sama?�
�Indeed, it is.� For the one who had authorized their entry in the Shinsengumi. He finished his soba, not to let their stupidity give a sour taste to the food.
�We didn�t have this kind of problem, before�our reputation was burgeoning, but not tainted.�
�Certainly not in the way it is now.� Kyoto people had just loved to have their women aggressed by Serizawa and his minions.
Kido smiled. �I have always admired your wisdom, Saitoh-sama, and knew that you would have a fair and enlightened judgment on the state of our group�after all, you are the only one in that high circle not having personal links with Kondo-sama, and there only by your own merits.�
And Saitoh knew that morons were sure that flattery could blur any other mind. Depressing. He lit a cigarette.
��.considering that you have never let blind loyalty blur your judgment. You didn�t let personal quarrels be an obstacle to your duty. Your neutrality was the show of your devotion to the cause.�
If only you knew, moron. Saitoh had to take a drag, feeling his lips quirking. The irony was just too amusing.
�But there is a time, when taking side is crucial, and can be of more a help to it,� added the other idiot.
�Yesterday was a regrettable incident�it will be erased soon, and the Ikedaya will stay in the memories,� Saitoh objected. Playing hard to get was better�he just hinted in his tone that he kind of regretted it.
�But with the wrong leadership, these mistakes will accumulate, for sure�and maybe sooner than one can think,� insinuated Kido, who seemed to be quite certain of it. Maybe Saitoh should just interrogate him and�
Nah. Somebody able to create a twisted strategy wouldn�t confide his plans in such a dork. Yet, there was definitely something else in preparation.
�Change of pasture pleases the cattle�yet, it was what was promised last year. I was indeed wise not to adhere, with no certainty that it would be for the best of my interests�and in this, I mean the Shinsengumi�s interests, of course,� Saitoh added.
The last part was the naked truth, but these ambitious would understand it otherwise. It would have been annoying to pretend that he was as awkward as them if it hadn�t been that entertaining to see them falling in the trap. They had elbowed each other again, an unpleasantly greedy expression in their eyes.
�Of course, the Shinsengumi�s interest is our preoccupation.�
�I don�t see that we are in so much trouble presently, and as you know, my rank asks me to be extremely cautious. Some of my fellow Captains think highly of the present commandment. I can�t say that they are wrong�for now.�
�Oh, indeed. We can only hope that you are right, and that our reputation will retrieve its brilliance, the sooner the better,� Kido said, with hypocritical suaveness.
�If you may excuse us, we have to go for our training, Saitoh-sama.�
�Please do.� And spare me your presence, to facilitate my digestion.
As they were leaving, opening the shoji, he added: �Yet��
Exchanging a knowing glance, the two others bowed deeply. �Of course, Saitoh-sama.�
He waited a minute that they were far enough to allow his hilarity to show.
***
The short, dry laugh of the man froze Tokio to her bones.
Panting, she retreated in the kitchen, relieved that Hatsue hadn�t come back yet from throwing the garbage outside the compound. She knew that her shock appeared on her face. When Hatsue had told her that two of Kondo�s critics were in the dining room, she didn�t resist to the temptation to see their faces, taking advantage of her nanny�s absence. She had leaned into a corner, from where she was able to see but not to be seen.
And she had seen it all. She knew it. She had recognized the wood from which traitors were made in Saitoh Hajime, that sleazy and ambitious piece of slime. He was ready to let Kondo-sama down at the first contestation. Oh, he had been very careful: nothing that he had told could have been hold against him, and he had taken his precautions. But she knew it as well as the two others.
She had first thought that he had been convinced, but his wicked smile, exact reflection of the one that he had had after talking to Michiko the night of the party, and then this creepy laugh, had shown her that he wasn�t only a weak greed. He had *waited* for them to make advances to him. He had manipulated them into it, encouraging them. He knew that there were possibilities of a mutiny, and he had wanted to place his pieces, like a player on a go board.
They had also repeated what Tokio knew from the few political discussions that she had been able to surprise, during the internal problems of the Shinsengumi the previous year. Saitoh hadn�t taken sides. Kondo-sama had surely given him the benefit of the doubt, and maybe the bastard had served him his discourse on his devotion to the organization beyond internal politics. Yet, he had just admitted it openly: he was concerned about *his* interest. He could have as well given his price, as a street whore waiting for the biggest offer to pick her client.
Tokio was utterly repulsed. She had let this man handle her, lecture her, she had *apologized* to him, oh, she was feeling nauseous at the mere memories. She wanted to run back to the residence and dive into a bath, feeling dirty by association. Yet, her intuition didn�t betray her: her unexplained reactions to this man were telltale of it. She had despised him by name, just because of his neutral stance, yet she hadn�t understood why she had come to dislike him so much. But deep inside, she had known.
Her hesitations, her doubts had just been caused by his manipulation skills. He was a great actor, not minding to hide the cold-hearted, dastardly sides of his personality, which gave to his shows of �honor� the caution of honesty. Plainly devilish. She had unmasked him, though, and had to tell Kondo-sama�
�Who wouldn�t believe her. Saitoh had managed to fool everyone. When she had come to the compound with her father, she had tried to place a few hints that she might refuse to marry Saitoh, eventually, yet he had rejected any objections that she might have, and insisted on how the Shinsengumi leader and Matsudaira trusted the man. She had witnessed herself the reaction of Kondo-sama, when she had accused Saitoh. Any other one would be overruled in the same manner, and attributed to a �childish� dislike, now, she thought with renewed bitterness, because they trusted him more than her�.and that her move had been indeed childish and stupid. She should have waited to have more on him. To have some proof.
Yes, she needed proof, and she had none. She couldn�t say anything for now, or Saitoh would find a way out of trouble�He would also be on his guard. That would make trapping him that more difficult.
She took a deep breath, regaining some assurance, as she would have soon to join her father in Kondo�s office. The good side was that she had the knowledge. She had an ally: she would ask Hatsue to keep an eye on the man�putting her in the confidence about her wedding, so that she wouldn�t worry. Perfect pretext. Hence, if the criticism changed into something more serious, she would be able to provide some information.
Ambitious always made a lethal mistake, and the day when Saitoh would have his head cut for treason, she would be sure that Kondo-sama wouldn�t have a snake in his closest circle, and the satisfaction to have contributed to his safety.
Accessorily, Saitoh wouldn�t be anymore of a personal problem for her.
***
�Is the situation irreversible?� Kondo Isami asked grimly, while pouring some tea for his old friend.
�No, I don�t think that it is. Yet, it�s annoying. Thankfully, they ignore all of the attack during our daughters� trip, because Fujiki has insinuated that Reiko�s death could be linked to the menace against the Aizu nobles. Of course, after Katamori stated that it was an accident, he shut up�yet, Takamura hesitates, now, and has asked for the conference to be reported to tomorrow, time for him to mourn his daughter and take the dispositions with his family. That gave to the opponents time to have new arguments�I had convinced Kojima, but he is reluctant again.�
�The situation here is no better. Okita told me that some men are talking against me. Reaction of wounded pride, that shouldn�t last. But the capture of the traitor will be welcome.�
�Any hint on Reiko�s murderer?�
�The investigation at the Kyomizudera was a dead end. We think that, informed of the destination, a man, from Choshu very likely, has been waiting for an occasion near the fountain. This place is always crowded��
��Perfect to prey on a lamb that went apart from the cattle. Indeed, fate had a role to play in it. But, Isami, now that they won�t leave the residence, our daughters won�t be in danger.�
�Saitoh has another theory. Don�t forget that there is a mole at the court, too.�
�Katamori has thought of it, it seems that nobody here knew where your men were going yesterday. Yet, they won�t have the gall to strike at the court�they don�t know that we are aware of a traitor�s presence, and that could only raise suspicions. To be honest, it seems incredible to me that Choshu, in their situation, can be responsible for Reiko�s murder. I came to think that it�s the act of a random madman. You have to admit that with the late troubles, many people use the situation to free their killing impulses, and get away with it.�
�I can�t overrule this theory either, but you need to hear the other option. I have asked Saitoh to escort you back to the residence, when I got the message announcing your visit. I would need you to arrange a private meeting between him and Katamori, like yesterday. I need the same discretion: I charged him to investigate on these complaints here, in case they are linked to the traitor��
Takagi nodded, sipping some tea. �Indeed, his previous mission gives him the perfect background for it.�
�This is why we can�t afford that he is seen too much with our Daimyo. By the way, Kojuuro, can I ask you why is Tokio here?�
�She asked me to come�I think that she wanted to see Hatsue. And I think that after yesterday, she needed it.�
Kondo acquiesced silently. It wasn�t a bad decision. He was quite sure that the crime was the work of an outsider, but if Saitoh were right�the residence wasn�t as safe as they all thought.
***
Nagakura had a hard time trying to keep his usual placid expression, as he was walking through the corridors of the residence. Takamura Reiko�s death was weighting on his shoulders, darkening his mood. What a shame. A few seconds, Harada had said. A few seconds of not paying attention, a few seconds of arrogance, and a young girl, placed under his guard, had lost her life. Keep a straight face, Hijikata had ordered. Easy to say.
This failure affected them all, especially after the days that they had spent in sheer optimism, after the Ikedaya victory. It had made the tension fall. Of course, they had managed to pass the death as an accident, and things could have been worse. The men thought that they weren�t really to blame. The population didn�t doubt that they had been traitorously, unexpectedly defeated by fate in the gardens of the temple, when they had won over their enemies on the battlefield. What would it be if they all knew? The Shinsengumi would be ridiculed, its newly acquired fame reduced to zero. And considering the reaction of the Aizu vassals, probably also blamed for their swift and immediate departure to their fiefs. Hijikata was right. They had to pretend that nothing had happened, that the girl had slipped and killed herself. That was better for Kondo, better for Matsudaira, better for their cause.
But Nagakura knew.
He knew that a man had grabbed the girl and broken her neck. In a few seconds. Harada pretended that it could have happened under anybody�s guard. Saitoh had hinted that Matsudaira was to blame for having used the girls as a pawn. Maybe they were both right, but it didn�t happen to them. Okita and he were responsible, and they weren�t even getting a punishment for their unforgivable mistake. The first Captain kept his cheerful face but whenever their eyes crossed. They both knew.
They all knew. Yet, he was the only one to be that affected. Kondo wanted to accommodate Matsudaira, and Matsudaira wanted his declaration signed. Okita and Hijikata were living for Kondo. Saitoh was living for his abstract sense of Justice. Harada was living for the furor of the fight. Nagakura had sometimes the very weird impression to be the only one possessing an ounce of compassion. He didn�t make any display of it, and he was as able as any other to sacrifice everything to his duty. No pity for the enemy: that was their common point. Takamura Reiko hadn�t been an enemy, though. There was no harm into considering the ones they were supposed to protect as persons, not as part of the landscape. Yes, though he also considered what was at stake with her murder, he still felt that a young woman had been unfairly deprived of her future.
He made a sign to Tanaka, who was guarding the entrance of the right aisle, nodding as the other signified him that all was quiet. He hesitated on whether to go and check by himself. The thought of Matsudaira Michiko�s suspicious face, each time that she surprised their men crossing rapidly the corridor, during the three daily rounds that the Daimyo had imposed, made him forget about it. They had been into enough scandals already. He would take the engawa way, which would assure him a turn of all the rooms, without being accused of attempting to the virtue of the ladies.
That had been enough to allow the murder of one of them.
He shook his head, as he reached the exterior corridor, and started his round. He should stop wallowing in self-pity. Harada was right: being punished or not wouldn�t resuscitate the dead. Nagakura�s sense of honor was offended, yet, he had to live with his fault. He would just be careful that this wouldn�t happen again. He heard on his way the soft cries of some of the girls, and the first giggles of some others, behind the shut shoji. Nothing like the squealing Saitoh had seemed so tired of: the death of their friend had affected them. Niwada Torimi�s room, the one in the middle, before center of their activity, was now completely silent. The shoji, half opened on the exterior, allowed him to have a glimpse at the girl, preparing some flowers under the hawkish stare of Matsudaira Michiko. The governess noticed his presence, and glanced at him swiftly, lips tightening, before she turned her eyes away, in a contemptuous move.
Turning the corner, glancing distractedly on his left, at the little way surrounded by high bushes leading to the bath house, he arrived on the interior garden side. The first room was Kojima Miyu�s: the shoji was closed and no sound was coming from it. He wondered if she had overcome her shock�she surely needed some rest. Matsumori Aiko�s, it was closed, too; that girl seemed to be sleeping all day long. Takagi Tokio�s, she had accompanied her father at the compound. He stopped in front of the next one. Takamura Reiko�s. Closed, and empty, the body having been transported to the Buddhist temple early that morning, after that the first rituals, and the covering of her face, had been performed. She was to be cremated, and her departure was programmed for the next day. The next one was�
A mewling sound in the garden attracted his attention. The light green color of a kimono was visible for a second behind a darker green azalea massive. Frowning, he walked cautiously towards the woman. The servants weren�t allowed to wander in the garden, and he felt anger flaring at the idea that a girl had left her room alone and unnoticed. How could they look after them, if they weren�t cooperating? It was difficult enough that they couldn�t increase the guards� number, because of their accident pretense.
He had certainly not expected to find what he did.
Kojima Miyu was crying, staring at the kittens eating some relieves that she had brought to them in a small plate. She bolted at his presence, and looked mortified, turning his back on him and wiping away her tears. He found himself speechless, not knowing what to do.
�Please accept my apologies,� she bowed finally, after having retrieved her composure.
�Accept mine,� he answered. It was a stupid thing to say, but the others weren�t wrong when teasing him on his awkwardness with young ladies. His wife had been a farmer�s daughter, of his age, dutiful and not the least sophisticated, and their marriage, though happy, had been short. And the only other women he frequented weren�t the ones to have conversations with. A second before, knowing that Miyu was crying because of her friend�s death, and his own guiltiness weighting on him, he had done what he had wanted to, since the murder: apologize for his failure.
She gazed at him for several long seconds, her rich brown eyes clearing, and she blurted: �It was a murder, wasn�t it?�
Stunned, he opened his mouth to lie, and realized that he couldn�t. There was something stronger than his sense, compelling him to tell the truth. Maybe it was her directness, after he had spent so much time in the twisted world of the Shinsengumi, which appealed to the not completely jaded part of him.
�Tokio said that it was an accident. But it wasn�t, was it?�
There was now a fierce light in her eyes, which he recognized easily. The need to find another responsible than fate, the need to believe that if there had been a wrong done, one could ask for justice. Nagakura knew this feeling.
�No, it wasn�t,� he said slowly.
Gratefulness spread on her face. He felt unworthy of it, and protested. �I should have prevented it.�
�You told me the truth, and I needed it. I didn�t realize yesterday, but then, I thought and thought and I had the feeling to be crazy. The way she was�there was something wrong. And now, I can hope for the murderer to be punished,� she added, fiercely.
�The murderer will be,� he assured.
�Do you know who is it already? A thief? A madman?�
Her questions made him retrieve his sense. He had talked too much�indeed, he was a fool when it came to women.
�Kojima-san, you have to understand that what happened to your friend has to stay an accident, for reasons that I can�t explain, and��
�I�m not stupid,� she cut off, before she bit her lip and blushed. �Excuse-me. I can never shut my mouth��
�Me neither, as it seems,� he sighed, feeling less of a complete imbecile when she giggled, her expressive face lighting, any trace of sadness gone, but in her still slightly reddened eyes.
�You trusted me with the truth, Nagakura-san, and I realize that it was much to ask,� she said, apologetic. �I didn�t understand why Tokio lied to me��
�For the same reason as I ask you to,� he admitted. She had seemed so hurt on the last words.
�Yes, I do now, thank you. I don�t understand the reason either�but maybe it isn�t for me to know. I promise not to say anything. Ever,� she added, emphasizing the word. �You can trust me.�
He looked into her eyes. Frank, direct, honest: that was all that were to see.
�But please, tell me when I can stop to wish for revenge. I don�t need to know who or why, if isn�t possible. Just that justice is done.�
He nodded, and she smiled�before looking alarmed.
�Michiko-san,� she murmured, pressingly, dragging him behind a bigger tree. �If she finds me here, I will be in trouble��
So will I, he thought. She had trapped herself between him and the tree. He was amused at first, at his age, hiding like two children from the governess� scolding. She was so spontaneous and innocent, which was lightening his heart. But as the moments passed, he couldn�t help to grow aware of her small body leaned into his. He tried not to be too conscious of it, neither of her fresh and natural fragrance, so�Shaking his head, he focused on the building, peeping from behind the trunk, to see the governess walk in her decided pace on the engawa. Miyu let out a sigh of relief, as the older woman stopped in front of Matsumori Aiko�s room.
�Aiko-san, are you here?�
The shoji opened after a second. Bowing, Aiko enquired:
�Is there something that I can do for you, Michiko-sama?�
�Indeed. Your health seemed to have improved, today, and I would need your help for preparing the week�s accounting. I planned to ask Tokio-san, but she is absent at the moment, and Torimi-san�s ankle making her suffer, she will rest.�
�Of course, Michiko-sama, I will be glad to be of help. I am not as into it as Tokio-san, but I will do my best. I haven�t been useful, lately, and I am eager to do my share.�
The governess� usually uptight expression softened. �I am very glad to hear that you have your duty in mind again, Aiko-san. Oh, and if you had planned anything with Miyu-san...�
Taking advantage that the governess was presenting them her back and looking at her room�s shoji, Miyu made frantic signs from behind two branches of the tree, attracting her friend�s attention. Aiko�s eyes widened, yet she got over her surprise rapidly.
�She was extremely tired, and has indicated her will to sleep all the afternoon. If I may, she needs it�� she proposed, her stance respectful.
�Indeed. I can let it pass for today,� Michiko decided aloud.
Nagakura heaved a sigh of relief, as the two women left into the direction of the governess� office, situated behind the main park, in the dependences of the residence, and he followed Miyu, stepping aside. It was only to see Aiko give a rapid glance behind, and then a knowing smile, before she attracted again the attention of her companion.
Once they had turned the corner, Miyu looked at him, and laughed so heartedly, that he was unable to prevent himself from imitating her.
They were still prey of their hilarity, when Tokio opened the shoji of her room, her visible stupefaction provoking another outburst.
�You might tell me what happened?� she asked, raising a brow.
�You just avoided Michiko�and so did we,� Miyu exclaimed.
Tokio�s other brow joined the first one on top of her forehead. �We?�
Nagakura looked at his feet, embarrassed by the mocking light in the gray eyes, while Miyu was blushing crimson.
�Maybe we could have some tea, and you will explain? I wanted to have a bath, but it might wait.�
***
It was the end of the afternoon, when Saitoh left the Daimyo�s private office, after hours of talking, and he was mildly annoyed. Matsudaira and Takagi hadn�t been very receptive to his theory. They didn�t discard it totally, but it was clearly at the bottom of their list. Moreover, he had had to talk about his wedding perspectives, too, and this was the �mildly�. Their idea to keep the plan secret was to his benefit: that gave him time and would avoid a scandal if he found his way out.
He stretched his arms. It was time to find Nagakura, and see if he had noticed some weird behavior with the vassals or their daughters.
***
The garden was silent around the residence�s bath house, nature seemed to have stilled, animals to have disappeared, and even the crickets usually celebrating the summer�s soon to be arrival didn�t dare to sing.
The steam�s heavy fog was filling the bathing room, making the surroundings hard to distinguish. The flicking sounds of the little drops falling down into the bath tube were disturbing the silence, red little tears forming bigger and bigger rings at the surface of the hot water; their syrupy odor mixing with the sulfur, forming stomach-churning relents.
The occupant couldn�t care: she wasn�t conscious anymore.
***
Arriving in the garden, Saitoh noticed Nagakura leaning onto a wooden pillar of the engawa, and while he walked towards him, the touching scene, not. Matsumori Aiko and Kojima Miyu were sat next to him, and playing a childish game.
A second later, his number one personal problem came out of her room, carrying a tray of cups while her maid followed with a tea-pot; and after serving her friends she offered some to Nagakura. How homely.
�Having a nice afternoon?� he asked, disdainfully, lighting a cigarette.
His colleague didn�t have the time to answer. A terrified scream resounded in the clear summer air, and they both rushed to bath house, the second Captain ordering to the girls not to move.
The blood had spread beyond the bathing room, and mixing with water, it was wetting the entrance hall. Niwada Torimi�s two maids were crouched there, in full crisis of hysteria.
Their mistress was lying face down on the wooden floor, her head and right hand hovering over the bathtub, her empty eyes staring at the reddening surface of the waters.
To be continued�.
Kishibe Kazuemon is the name of Tokio�s grandfather in this story, but he�s a product of my imagination.
Nagakura and Miyu�damn, I have that awful Aoshi/Misao WAFF vibe about them, I hope to keep the sugar dose under control.

About the strongest Shinsengumi Captain, the interview of a survivor places in order Nagakura, Okita and Saitoh. He says that �Okita was Kondo�s favorite disciple�, and that Saitoh was the stronger after him, but that when it came to keiko, Nagakura had achieved a better level.
Next chapter: One murder, two possibilities�and a very, very chaotic end for the day. Who is the court�s traitor?
- 9
- 10
- 11
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Irresistible