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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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Disclaimer: standard disclaimers apply, see previous chapters.
Irresistible

Chapter 7: Pure water, dark intentions
June 7th, 1865.

It had been two days since the Ikedaya affair, and Tokio could feel the change of atmosphere that it had provoked in the population, while climbing the escarped stairs of the narrow roads leading to the Kyomizudera, the Temple of the Clear Water, situated on top of Higashiyama.

It was one of her favorite places in Kyoto. She liked the calm little streets, around the first dark wooden pagoda, with the high walls hiding the sophisticated gardens, on which she could give a look through the entrance porches, the silence and feeling of peace lingering around. She also liked the animation of the main road leading to the second pagoda, the numerous shops with their talkative owners, always ready to offer a sample of their products or a reduction on the price, addressing the passers by, but less outrageously than the very loud Osaka shopkeepers: the imperial city had a standard to honor. It was the essence of Kyoto, the secular activity of the capital siding the mysterious ambiance of the temples, summarized in this little area, which she enjoyed so much.

Nevertheless, today was different. Ikedaya had changed it all. The main commercial street was almost empty, which was strange for a sunny June morning. The only time when she witnessed such desertion was during the rainy season, the endlessly pouring rain deterring people from going out unless necessary. Yet today, there were few people around, and their uneasiness was definite, though almost imperceptible, until the moment when they noticed the blue haori of the four men accompanying the little group of ladies. Tokio could then clearly see fear in their eyes. The shop owners were always respectful of nobles, yet today, their attitude changed to obsequious.

She smiled to the old woman from who she was usually buying her fans. Okita followed her, and the woman�s face closed, her eyes glancing around as if desperately seeking an escape. The boyish appearance of Tokio�s companion reassured the shoopkeeper quickly, though. It wasn�t long before they had a small talk, and that she proposed to Tokio an exquisite piece, of her favorite color, red. Looking for it in the shop, she remarked that it had been a long time since the girl�s last visit, and Tokio realized that the old woman had kept it for her. It was truly a work of art, and she could have sold it rapidly. Touched by the attention, Tokio bought also another one, as she wanted to bring back a present for Megumi. Her little friend would adore the cute white fan, with silver motives, that was perfect for a very young lady, as the old merchant told her.

�You�re coming here quite a lot, aren�t you?� asked Okita, once they were back in the street.

He gave a look around, Tokio noticing that he counted the number of ladies. They smiled at the same time, as they noticed Miyu asking Nagakura for an advice on a hair ornament, in her naive, but imperative way. Reiko was tugging discreetly on her friend�s sleeve, her face red of embarrassment at her talking that casually to a *man*. Nagakura seemed as uncomfortable as her, scratching his head while trying to figure out an answer.

�Yes, my father has numerous duties in Kyoto. Is Nagakura-san offended?� she asked, a bit worried. Miyu and Reiko, though they gave the same impression of na�ve sweetness, were very different. Reiko was actually very shy, but Miyu was only avoiding talking to control her enthusiastic temper, which led her sometimes to forget whom she was addressing, and could be embarrassing with the complicated etiquette at the Daimyo�s court. Her mother wasn�t indulgent with it, and if she learnt of an incident...

Nevertheless, Okita laughed out loud. �I think that he is at loss�He�s more used to commenting on blades, than on accessories. He isn�t used to beautiful young ladies either. And I have the definitive impression that he is trying to sort out a compliment.�

His laugh was infectious, and Tokio was gained. �That�s good, because I think that she is trying to get one.�

�Let�s go and listen to the interesting outcome of this situation,� proposed boyishly her companion.

Tokio smiled warmly at him. She really started to like him. They had a very funny conversation, the other night, at the dinner. It had distracted her from her gloomy thoughts, and so did it today. The fact that he was faithful to Kondo-sama, and the high esteem of the Shinsengumi leader for his disciple, had well disposed her towards him, anyway.

She followed, seeing from the corner of her eyes Torimi examining some bags, the other girls around her, Kana nodding endlessly to her comments. She briefly crossed Torimi�s eyes, which hardened when the other girl spotted her. It achieved to restore her good mood. Torimi was frustrated that she had to leave Aiko alone, and Tokio enjoyed it. She regretted only that her friend had been sick again this morning, preventing her from joining the visit. It would have made a nice distraction.

Yet, Tokio�s state of mind didn�t last. When they arrived on top of the hill, and stopped to admire the second pagoda, she left the group, to watch the view offered by the city below. It wasn�t dangerous, only at a few paces from the others, and she could feel Okita observing her, anyway.

Kyoto seemed calm under the bright early summer sky, yet again she had the feeling that everything had changed, that the peace was only an illusion. Rebels were plotting and surely scheming revenge against the Bakufu offensive already. The city wasn�t peaceful, she realized, but expectative of deeper troubles, of an outburst of violence like thunder in the middle of a blue sky.

Peace was as much an illusion as the fa�ade that she had been offering for two days, while her emotions were boiling inside of her. She had tried to forget them since this morning, yet it was in vain. They were too deep and too strong, and the atmosphere of the last days had played on her mood, too.

All the nobles at the Daimyo�s residence had been forbidden to go out, in case there would be retaliation from the Ishin, as a measure of precaution. It had driven Tokio crazy. She had been looking forward going out of the residence, and she had felt more than ever trapped into a cage, impression stressed by the company of the other girls, who reminded her more and more about incessantly chirping birds. She suppressed a little shiver, the comparison reminding her of the dead ones that she had found on the engawa, in front of her shoji, for two mornings in a row. That served her well to place a plate with relieves of her snacks for the kittens she had seen wandering in the backyard. She knew that it was the cats� way of rewarding who fed them. Yet, it wasn�t a nice view first thing in the morning.

They were supposed to go to the temple yesterday, and Tokio had hoped to be distracted from her gloomy state of mind. She had been so disappointed by Kondo�s attitude. Hurt. She had always thought that he granted her qualities. He had said several times that her temper was of her grandfather�s, and she had believed that he understood her better than her parents. He had seemed to know that she couldn�t be satisfied by her life, and that she resented being treated like an object, only because she was a woman. That he understood her need for freedom and independence, and would help her get as much as she could. She had been in charge of the Takagi estate for more than one year, her brother was still young, and it wasn�t as if her father needed money or political support. It wasn�t as if he was going to remarry, either, and the estate needed a woman at its head. She had sensible arguments, and she wasn�t trying to lead an idle life. She had her duties, towards her family. How come that neither of them got it?

When Kondo had promised that he would do his best, she had been so happy, thinking that he saw things her way. Yet, she had been disappointed at the rest of his answer. He had agreed with their reasons. She needed discipline, for her own sake, and a good husband could give that to her. She needed to look forward, and to have her own family, not to be burdened with trying to replace a ghost and heal wounds that couldn�t be. Was that what they thought of her efforts? How could they not see that she was doing exactly the opposite? Did they all thought that she was that weak, to accept merely to be a replacement? That she was stupid enough not to see that nothing would be like before?

She had to admit that Kondo-sama was right, when he said that her parents had always let her have her way, and yes, she had a problem with authority. But if they explained it to her, she could understand. It was not her fault if her mind couldn�t let her obey orders blindly. He should know it better than any other. He had been the one who did when she was little, who explained her why she had to do this and not that, because it was unwise, dangerous or mean. Otherwise, her parents forbid her something without reasons, thus she charmed them out of it or out of her punishment if she had disobeyed. She would have never seen the difference between right and wrong without him. She respected Kondo, and his authority, because he respected her.

She had hoped that he would talk her father and the Daimyo out of that *whole* ridiculous marriage idea, but even after she realized that he wouldn�t, she had been still sure that he would never let her marry that man, as she had assumed that he knew her values, and what a personal humiliation such an alliance would be. When he had said that he understood, that he would try to persuade them to consider another candidate, she had been mildly relieved, but only to receive a bucket of cold water on her face at his reasons for helping her. He had insulted her, even more than her father. He thought that *she* was unworthy of the man. Kondo-sama couldn�t be that na�ve and not see that he was an ambitious manipulator, a man ready to sell his honor for his position in the hierarchy, and yet was overlooking this, only to consider that she wasn�t worthy of sharing the life of a real samurai. Even of a despicable one. He had said that he would ask her father to suggest an official�s son, or even a rich merchant�s son, who could give her a safe life, and spare her the worries and dangers of a fighter�s wife. With the upcoming troubles, it would be better for her, he had added.

Anger won over her again, and she breathed deeply, the despair and overwhelming sadness that she had felt at that moment filling her heart again. How could he? How dared he? The only person that she had thought was seeing her real self was underestimating her, like all the others. She had chewed the feeling for two days, the claustrophobia and the atmosphere of the court irritating her more, her frustration growing, as her need for revenge did. So, she wouldn�t escape marriage. But she would do it on her own terms. And she would show to Kondo-sama what she was really worth.

The quasi-imprisonment of the last days had left her time to think of a plan. Kondo had been too busy with the political situation to intervene. Honestly, if she had known that the situation had been that preoccupying, she wouldn�t have asked him in the first place. But she had taken advantage of it to move. The night before, she had managed to meet her father, who had been reuniting with the other Aizu officials most of the time. And she had accepted the idea. The Daimyo had let her father know that he had a preference on the candidate, but that he would let to her a certain freedom in her choice, which she owed to their personal links. That would be useful to her later. She would choose a man of honor, a man not interested in her wealth or her father�s position, and a samurai, only. That would take certainly a long time, and would delay the fateful issue for maybe some years, if she did it with enough tact. Then, it would let her enough freedom, most of the warriors were away, accomplishing their duty, and they would barely meet. Maybe not at all once she had given him an heir. The thought was unpleasant, but life was no bed of roses. She was born a woman, unfortunately, yet she would use her brains to lessen the dire consequences of her gender on her life.

The ideal would be to marry another Shinsengumi Captain. Or even an underling. She would have time to consider the other options. But, in the meanwhile, she would give Kondo-sama a first indication of his mistake.

She had then accepted the Daimyo�s candidate. She would meet Saitoh Hajime.

***

Saitoh was satisfied. Utterly satisfied. The Ikedaya had been a big strike against the Choshu clan. And he remembered pleasantly the reaction of the population, when the Shinsengumi troops, under the directions of Kondo, had returned to the compound.

They were aware of the strength of the Shinsengumi. Though it was rewarding in itself, Saitoh�s contentment wasn�t based on an ego problem, but on a need to be recognized for what they were. As always, he was seeing the practical side of the situation. Fear deterred fools from attacking. And until now, the fools didn�t fail them. Saitoh had been quite annoyed to see his underlings, and especially the new recruits, undergoing wounds because any man with a sword was underestimating their competence, and hence felt allowed to attack them. This kind of incident wouldn�t happen again. Not that he would allow his troops to stop watching their backs, but when they fought, it would be the real enemy. They wouldn�t have to waste their precious time on morons anymore.

Two things were preventing him from feeling *completely* satisfied. First, Katsura had escaped. He was one of the brains of the rebels, if not the arm, he was a pitiful fighter, but his disappearance was annoying. The other problem was indeed the �right arm�. None of his companions had fought anybody strong enough to be that shadow hitokiri.

He would have the opportunity to fight him, though, sooner or later. If left out of the blue, the man might sell his services to Satsuma. If he wasn�t working directly for Katsura, of course, that was a possibility to reckon with. A very interesting one.

Anyway, the rebels would calm down for a while, and if they were fortunate, the investigations on the ones who escaped would lead to the final blow on their so-called revolution. Last night�s patrol had been merely a walk in the streets for all the units. He could thus concentrate on the other part of his mission: finding the traitor at the Daimyo�s court. Matsudaira had requested his presence this morning, and that even spared him the chore of being around the noisy idiots, Okita and Nagakura being the unfortunate ones to accompany them today, on their sightseeing at Higashiyama.

He was now waiting in Matsudaira�s study, which was less heavily decorated than the other parts of the residence. The ornaments were of better taste, according to Saitoh, at least. Matsudaira�s apparently na�ve display of opulence was just a camouflage of his real persona, as he used his rather feminine and soft physical appearance to hide his cunning nature.

The shoji slid open, and Saitoh bowed, head resting on the tatami, until Matsudaira addressed him, after kneeling on the other side of the table.

�That�s enough, Saitoh-kun. I didn�t have the time, the last time we met, to congratulate you for your personal action of the other night. I heard that the traitors who had thought to escape were quite surprised to stumble upon you.�

Saitoh couldn�t repress a smirk at the memory. He nevertheless answered: �Nagakura was with me, and did his share. We merely finished cleaning the place.�

Matsudaira grinned. �What an unusual display of modesty. Your father never mentioned this quality, in his recommendation. Although the rest of his words were accurate, the mere fact that I am alive is evidence of it.�

�My goal is to serve you, Matsudaira-sama,� Saitoh said mechanically, wondering why the other was referring to that old event. Well, not that old, it had been merely two years, yet time had flown since his entry in the Shinsengumi.

�I realized your full potential then, Saitoh-kun, and your indubitable flair to uncover conspiracies. And, while we�re here, what did you think of your table neighbors, the other day? I thought that going for the obvious first was the best way to proceed.�

�Fujiki has a weakness for young girls. The way he was looking at some of them was eloquent. He�s sleazy, and he can be bought. Imada is a born gossiper. He could discover easily information. Kawashita seems rather stupid, but looking stupid is a good cover. Kojima worries overly for his family, though I don�t think that he is disloyal. The sons are bland, the girls, well, I could call one of them retarded, Kojima Miyu only has a few brains�.not enough for that kind of games.�

He knew that he could be completely honest.

�Kojima rallied our camp before Ikedaya, Kawashita just after. Takagi-kun makes an excellent job. The declaration will be redacted tomorrow. I guess that you had a look on the others? Anybody who made an impression on you? Suspect attitude? Likely person?�

�I don�t know if I can be that honest.�

Matsudaira raised a brow. �Go ahead.�

�Takagi�s daughter is playing games with your vassals. Her father might want to assure that she isn�t endangering your maneuvers. The argument and ensuing punching session was her doing. If she decides to do the same with Aizu officials�.�

To Saitoh�s puzzlement, the Daimyo had a laugh bordering giggles. �Ah, Saitoh-kun, you noticed already? It took me more than one year, and I wasn�t sure yet. Do you think that she could be working for the enemy?�

The hawkish eyes had retrieved their seriousness.

�She has brains. She could. I would even say that she is the more likely. Yet, she warned us of the attack�..I see no advantage that she could have retired of it.�

Matsudaira nodded, approvingly, yet he seemed bemused again.

�As always, you rely on facts. Her family is very loyal to me, and I know her enough to say that she is, too. Nevertheless, it�s really interesting that you mention her�.Now that the quasi-elimination of Choshu allows us some respite, there is something else that I want to discuss with you.�

***

The Kyomizudera was, in Tokio�s opinion, the most impressive temple that she had ever seen. Built on the flank of the hill, the main building was reposing on 139 wooden pillars, entwined in a complex structure below it. It was Japanese architecture at its best, ingenious ideas triumphing of the complicated environment. They were supporting a huge terrace, with balustrades of polished wood, which gave another view on Kyoto, on the right; in front of it, on the top of another hill, where the roof of a very ancient pagoda was visible, the rest hidden by the woods; and on the left, on a secondary temple with the statue of Buddha. There was a depression between the hills, with a narrow valley forming the temple�s park, but the view downhill was covered, mostly, by the trees growing around the temple, maples and sakura, creating a curtain of red stars rain in autumn, and of fluffy pink snow in spring.

A road was taking the visitor from the terrace of the main building, to the statue of Buddha, facing the city, and afterwards, the way was separating, to continue towards the pagoda on the other side of the hill, or to go down to the park. There, under the secondary temple, perpendicular to the wooden structure of the main building, was the source giving the temple its name. The �pure water� was flowing in three small waterfalls through a fountain, to fill a circular basin carved in stone. Under the waterfall, a roof was protecting the pilgrims and visitors, allowing them to drink at the source, and to benefit of the magical properties granted to the liquid: one source was bringing money, the second, health, and the last, love.

Tokio was leaning onto the balustrade of the terrace, hearing the voices of the visitors through the heavy green leaves of the trees below, and smiling inwardly. As soon as the other visitors had seen the Shinsengumi uniforms, most of them had rushed away, deciding suddenly to wander in the park instead of around the main building. She didn�t mind, as it was easier to appreciate the atmosphere without people talking loudly, with no respect for the solemnity of the place.

Well, almost, she grimaced, hearing a new salve of giggle and squeals. Her companions were buying some omikuji, or good luck papers, and commenting loudly.

�Tokio-chan!� called Miyu. �Come on, and have one!�

She smiled, and complied, not wanting to dampen her enthusiasm. The other girls were moving forward, already.

�Torimi had daiku, she isn�t happy at all,� whispered her friend, conspiratorial. �And I got suikichi. Not very good, but look: the one you waited will come. Isn�t that great?�

Tokio frowned slightly. Miyu had never shown interest in finding a husband. She heard a loud sneeze, and turned away, a bit shocked. It was Nagakura, looking mortified at his incredible rudeness. He was still around them, the 3 others had followed Torimi�s group. She pretended to ignore that she had seen him, to spare him the need to apologize, and shaking the small hexagonal wooden box, took a long pick, giving it to the temple�s employee.

�I had ku,� worried Reiko.

�You�ll have to tie it to a tree, and the bad luck will be countered, whatever. Oh, I knew it, Tokio. You had to have daikichi!� exclaimed Miyu, after her older friend had received her omikuji. �Let me see�Hoho�Did you hide something from us? True love doesn�t happen overnight��

�It doesn�t happen at all,� Tokio snapped, immediately correcting her attitude with a smile. �At least, not to me��she added, with a sideway look at the Shinsengumi man.

Miyu usually had the sense of repartee, yet this time, she was speechless, and lightly blushing.

�Ladies? We should go,� Nagakura proposed, approaching.

Nodding, they finally followed the road with him, rejoining the rest of the group. Tokio and Miyu were bantering, to help Reiko with lightening her mood, and the girl was soon smiling, promising that she would be the first one to drink the water, to compensate for her bad luck.

Tokio stayed after the others to pray in front of the Buddha, after a last smile at Reiko, hurrying in front of the main group.

Okita noticed her seriousness, and her concentration. She wasn�t making a shallow wish, he realized, intrigued by her reverence, and even more by her sadness, lingering around. Yet, she was perfectly composed when she turned to him, and apologized for the time she had taken.

Okita accelerated the pace, as the trees blocked his view downstairs. Of course, they didn�t have a big escort, as an attack was more than unlikely, and they were covered�yet, one never knew. He heaved a sigh of relief when he spotted all of them, walking rapidly to the fountain. When they joined the group, Takamura Reiko was already done, and Kojima Miyu was first in the small waiting line, the other girls behind her. Grimacing, he followed. Maybe the source granting health would do something for him, he thought grimly, since the doctors had told that it was already out of their hands.

He was finishing drinking, when a loud scream attracted his attention. It was Niwada Torimi�s voice. He rushed, followed by Terada and Tanaka, noticing that Nagakura was already there. All the girls were around, and he couldn�t see what had happened.

�Ladies, give me space, please,� he ordered, politely but definitely.

He was obeyed, except for Kawashita Kana, who stayed stubbornly kneeled next to her idol, and he mentally thanked Tokio for pushing her gently away.

�Oh, my ankle, it hurts!� the girl complained. Her sandal had broken, and she had obviously slipped on the wet stony ground around the fountain.

Okita kneeled, to evaluate the damages.

�It�s not broken,� he finally said, and helped her to a seat, while she was whining that he couldn�t be sure and that it hurt, that her kimono was ruined, that she hated walking in this city, full of rude commoners, that her hair was messy and that she would make people pay for it.

He let go of her happily, letting the other ladies take care of her, under the surveillance of Terada and Tanaka, to join Tokio, who was a little apart. She was frowning, looking at the group, and turned her head on the way uphill.

Imitating her, he saw Nagakura following Kojima Miyu, glanced at the group again, and understood. They hurried after their respective friends, to see the girl stopping neat, 10 meters in front of them, and collapsing in the 2nd Captain�s arms.

They arrived two seconds later, to find the body of Takamura Reiko crouched on the ground, her half-opened hand still grasping the oracle paper.

***

Even the frightened looks of the passers by, as he was walking back to the compound, didn�t ease a bit Saitoh�s cold furor. What the hell was Matsudaira thinking?

He didn�t know which of them, but it was for sure that one had lost his mind.

Getting married. Yes, he had plenty of time for that in front of him. It wasn�t like Katsura had escaped, that the shadow hitokiri was nowhere to be found, and that the Satsuma rebels were still fully operative, no, they had some �respite�. Yeah, right. He didn�t have to investigate on a traitor in the Shinsengumi, and on another one at the Daimyo�s court, either. He was *just* free as a bird.

And Matsudaira found the timing perfect to play the matchmaker.

Saitoh knew that he would have to get married some day. It was part of the order of the society, a duty. A formality. He also knew that he wouldn�t have much of a choice on his future wife, as the code of samurai placed his life in the hands of the Daimyo. He didn�t care that much, though he wouldn�t appreciate, personally, the idea of being associated to a moron. Wives were to bear children, period, and warriors didn�t spend lots of time with their families, thankfully. So yes, considering this, he shouldn�t be bothered at the idea. It had to be sooner or later.

Nevertheless, Saitoh had always considered that once married, he would have the obligation to make sure that his family wasn�t the target of his enemies. Not because he cared, but for reasons of honor. A man unable to offer protection to his mate and offspring wasn�t worth of being called so. And Saitoh took none of his duties lightly.

Matsudaira had forgotten this little, insignificant detail. Saitoh was a Captain of the Shinsengumi, a dreamed target for the rebels, and the attempted killing on the Aizu girls should have given him a clue on their methods. Saitoh had no time, nor was willing, to assume the responsibility of a wife, when all his energy and mind should be focused on eliminating the threats towards the security of Japan.

It would be a weight, a chore, a distraction, and yet, the unspeakable idiot that Saitoh had mistaken for an intelligent man presented it as a reward, for saving his life. He should know that Saitoh had no interest whatsoever in acquiring wealth, neither political influence. These were vices, the pitiful run after them being the reasons why weak men gave in to corruption. Saitoh fought corruption, every single day of his life, and was efficient because such weaknesses were estranged to him. He utterly despised the morons proud of a worth that they didn�t own to themselves, but to their *wives*. He had more respect for prostitutes, who had the credit to be honest about what they were. So why on earth would he care to imitate them?

It served him well to have uncovered that assassination plan against Matsudaira. He should have gone for a drink, instead of running to save his life. He would be in less trouble now.

He took a deep breath. His anger was making him cross the line. The view of the Shinsengumi compound�s gates made his lips twist into a smirk. He was frustrated, and a little sparring session with his underlings would be a good way to vent. They had been a little too careless yesterday, during the patrol, too sure of themselves. They needed to be kept in focus.

He stopped to light a cigarette, and the thoughts that he had tried to avoid surged in his mind. The most infuriating part of the story. He resumed his walk, taking long, steady drags, trying to figure it out.

He had had the very clear impression that, not content with imposing on him a highly unwelcome responsibility, the Daimyo asked him more than barely marry the girl, and offer her protection. He could have agreed on the sensibility of his arguments. She was the daughter of his closest advisor, a support to the Shinsengumi, which was politically coherent. He could have understood the need of Matsudaira to be assured that his friend�s daughter was granted protection. Saitoh didn�t doubt that he was sincere when he said that it was a proof of his trust and esteem. The mere fact that he had given him reasons for his choices was already one.

But he had sounded like he asked Saitoh to control her. And to take care of her.

Saitoh couldn�t deny that the girl needed a firm hand to keep her in her place, and yes, she needed to learn to respect authority, for her own sake, and after what he had witnessed of her manipulations, to avoid that they got out of hands. Reminding their face off in the woods, he couldn�t deny that he had himself wanted to teach her a lesson, amongst other things. Things that he would be entitled to do if he married her�.

He tried to discard the mental images caused by his train of thoughts. She was beautiful, she had brains, and he could sense her passionate nature behind her demure appearance, that would certainly�

He passed under the porch, clenching his jaw. However pleasant it might be, he had no time to waste taming the little witch. He had duties, towards his country. His life was devoted to it.

He would have no choice but to wed her, if Matsudaira ordered it, yet, he would not be consecrating her any time or thought.

The yard was deserted, and glancing at his cigarette, he grinned, walking to the kitchen. Unnerving Hatsue before his training would be very good for his mood, too, he thought.

Once inside, he froze, as the woman preparing tea turned to him, and he met the eyes of Takagi Tokio.

She had stilled, and he had the time to notice that she was upset, her expressive gray orbs full of sorrow, before she retrieved immediately her polite, ladylike mask.

�Captain Saitoh,� she bowed. There was the slightest hint of hostility in her voice, and he thought that she knew, too, and was probably as unhappy as him.

�Takagi-san,� he bowed back, injecting a bit of mockery in his attitude, allowing himself an impertinent, detailing look at her body.

She arched a challenging brow, disdainfully, yet she didn�t manage to completely hide a swift, troubled reaction.

He grinned again, satisfied with himself. That was an excellent way to forget his frustration. She was responsible of it, after all, and it was only natural that she paid for it.

He forgot completely his considerations, though, when Hatsue came back, the opening of the communication door allowing him to hear some sobs coming from the common room, a somber Okita following her.
TBC
Author�s notes:
Thanks to my beta-readers, Firuze, L.Sith, and Mary-Ann.
And about the plot�oh, a murder! Well, it�s a mystery(^-^). You just got on the Bloody Railway, next stop�very soon.
Tourism: There are about 3000 temples and shrines in Kyoto and its direct surroundings�yet the Kyomizudera is definitely one of the best places. The Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) Ryoanji (with beautiful gardens and zen gardens), and Sanjusangendo (with its impressive 1000 statues) are also wonderful monuments, but the surroundings of the Kyomizudera make it the most interesting place in Kyoto. It�s situated on Higashiyama (east mountain), and the visitor can walk there from Gion, taking Shijo bridge, to visit not only this one, but also Maruyama koen, and the Kodaiji (great view, and a spot of the Shinsengumi, and Saitoh�s, history)on the way. The streets around are the best place for traditional shopping.
The temple: Kyo (or kiyo) means pure (in a religious sense) and Mizu water�and the propriety given to the source are no invention on my part. Nowadays, the recipients to drink it are disinfected with UV, automatically, when you put them back in the system for this effect, hidden in the rocks under the little roof. One thing, though: nobody has been able to tell me which was which in the three fountains. It took me 6 visits to try to drink it�and as I wasn�t sick, maybe I had the health one, LOL.
The omikuji: good luck papers, the process is the same as described here and still exists, it costs 100 to 200 yens. The papers are difficult to read, because of their cryptic wording and the use of old, unemployed nowadays Kanji. There are 99 numbers, and each one is different, except for the general luck attributed daiku (disaster) ku (bad) suikichi (fifty/fifty) kogichi (small luck) chuukichi (middle) kichi (good), and daikichi (excellent). Usually, there is also kiikichi (golden luck)�but I�m not sure, as I�ve never seen one of these, LOL. I�m still hunting for one. The tie-up thing is also true. Japanese are more superstitious than really religious, for most of them, and are both Shinto and Buddhists.
In Japan, sneezing in public is very rude. You have an example of it with Saitoh at the soba place, in tome 7 of RK.
Next chapter: Gloomy mood for everyone, the Shinsengumi is stunned, different people are angry, the first theories are thrown in, and Saitoh is SO paranoid�is he?
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