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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: I don�t own RK, the characters belong to Watsuki and co, but the OCs, plot, words and ideas are *mine*.
Irresistible
Chapter 8: Outbursts

�She was killed in front of me, so to speak,� Okita finished bitterly.
He and Saitoh had settled on the little tatami corner of the spacious kitchen. Hatsue and Tokio had gone to bring the tea to the girls, just after the first Captain�s arrival, and he had explained the events to his friends.
�I was nearer than you were.�
They turned towards Nagakura, who had just come back from the common room; his opening of the door was accompanied by the endless sobbing sounds. He was as always placid, in spite of self-loathing tainting his voice.
�How are they?�
�Some of them are a bit better, Okita-kun. Niwada Torimi is still hysterical, the others are only crying now. Kojima-san is very affected, but quieter. Tokio-san is calming her down, so she can answer our questions.�
*Tokio*-san? Saitoh�s brows furrowed, and even more as the two others were exchanging suddenly a bit too approving glances for his taste, as the second captain settled next to them.
�Are the families informed?�
�Kondo-sama went to tell the Daimyo himself, Saitoh-kun. He will decide if we can pass it as an accident.�
�They know that they are the rebels� targets. Especially with Niwada Torimi�s little accident, that makes two problems in one morning. They won�t buy it,� Saitoh warned.
�It�s better than admitting a murder, and they can�t put it in question if Matsudaira says so,� Nagakura retorted. �I can speak for Okita-kun, saying that we are ready to take our responsibilities, but there are other circumstances to consider. The declaration is redacted at the very moment we are speaking, but they will sign it tomorrow only.�
�That can change everything, I know,� stated Saitoh. �But they are more likely options for them to swallow: even if it�s a murder, it might be at random, and have nothing to do with the conspiracy.�
�You don�t believe it yourself. We weren�t followed, though. I�m sure of it. Nagakura-kun?�
�No, we weren�t. My underlings were categorical.�
�They didn�t see anything?�
�No, they were on their way down, but the trees covered their view on the rest of the park.�
�I noticed that, too��Okita stated. �We should have told them to follow us more closely. Maybe seeing so few Shinsengumi around the girls emboldened the rebels��
Saitoh shook his head.
�I was there when the orders were given. Considering the tactics of the attackers during the trip, let them back you up from afar, and undercover, was the sensible option. Half of the troops are after those who escaped Ikedaya, the other half assuming their daily duties, so we didn�t have that much of an escort available, either. Kondo and Hijikata had the approval of Matsudaira himself, and he was the one who insisted on that sightseeing�.and who didn�t provide his personal guards.�
�You sound like he used the girls as pawns, Saitoh-kun.� Nagakura was dubious.
�I agree with him. Matsudaira-sama certainly didn�t expect this, yet it was a way to show that we were in control of the streets, and that the population should feel safe�.and prone to obedience. Not a bad idea. It�s a pity that we ended up proving the contrary.�
The first Captain sounded utterly grim. Saitoh knew that not only he was reproaching himself with failing to his duty, but that he was also personally offended. Okita didn�t like to be tricked, or to lose, any more than Saitoh did.
�Nobody would have expected such a move, after the lesson we gave to the traitors, anyway�.�
�Are you sick, Saitoh? Comforting your companions, it�s nice, you know that?�
Harada was standing in front of the back door, hands on his hips. Saitoh had noticed his presence, and shrugged off his intervention.
�Moron. What I do is building a theory.�
�Yeah, I thought that you couldn�t have become charming overnight.�
Nevertheless, Harada went to sit with the others, not pursuing the argument further. They were gathered around the small table that Hatsue and the daily maids used for their meals. Lighting a cigarette, Saitoh took a pause. He knew that Okita and Nagakura would arrive to the same conclusion as him, soon, and decided to let them know.
�You weren�t followed, or your underlings would have noticed it. The population is way too afraid of us for committing a crime against a group under our protection, so soon after Ikedaya. A random act is hence out of question. Yet, Choshu traitors are eliminated, or on the run, and a ploy seems impossible. One thing only is sure, then: whoever it was, they had to know where to find you��
�We were betrayed again,� Nagakura said, with fateful resignation.
Only the sound of the nabe boiling on the fire, furiously, the water and steam pushing the lid up, was cutting the deep silence that followed his words.
Okita looked intently at Saitoh. There was a traitor: that was an undeniable fact, now. Yet, it couldn�t be someone from the Shinsengumi. He and Nagakura hadn�t uttered a word of their direction, only the people at the residence knew which of the cancelled visits they had decided to choose for that morning. It left only one logical conclusion: there was a mole at the Daimyo�s court� and his friend already knew it. That explained his little conference with Kondo and Matsudaira, after they went back from Aizu. Okita didn�t feel deceived by his friend: Saitoh�s secrecy was a side of his loyalty. Yet, he was feeling a bit discarded not to be in Kondo�s confidence.
And, at least, the Shinsengumi was safe, this time, and there wouldn�t be the same internal war as bef�
He realized suddenly that he was wrong. The itinerary of the trip from Aizu was known only in their organization. Except for Nagakura, Kondo and Hijikata, no one had had access to both plans here. Logical conclusion again: there were two traitors, one as the court and one in the compound. Were they working alone, or together? Saitoh was right, the Choshu clan was too crushed to act, and so soon�.Did Satsuma have the same idea, of getting to the Aizu officials� families? That seemed extremely unlikely. Or did the two clans work together? The idea was even more unrealistic. They were bitter rivals, fighting each other for the leadership of the rebels as violently as they opposed the Bakufu. They wouldn�t have shared such information.
Okita lifted his eyes to Saitoh, and realized that his friend had followed his train of thought. He took a drag of his cigarette and shrugged; his amber gaze imperative. Okita smiled, knowing what it meant. It was too soon to draw a conclusion, better to focus on the facts�while keeping all the cases of figure in mind.
�I gave a look at the body, as Kondo-sama asked me,� Harada finally said. �No accident, I�m positive on this. If she had slipped, she wouldn�t have these little marks on the sides her throat. Her neck has been twisted around, like cats do with birds, and it didn�t take more time, I think. Only one second was necessary to commit the crime.�
Harada was from lower extraction, and his childhood spent in the streets made him a specialist of other techniques, while most of the Shinsengumi men only mastered sword fighting. Kondo�s disciples knew merely the basics of physical confrontations included in the Tennen Rishin Ryuu. At the exception of Saitoh, mused Okita, though he was seldom showing it. He had, in the beginning, tried to share some of his own memories in the hope to push the enigmatic man to reveal some of his past. Saitoh had awoken his curiosity, and it was his little weakness. His tactics had failed miserably�and on the opposite, Okita had found himself more comfortable talking with the silent outsider than with the others�once he had been assured of his loyalty to Kondo-sama. Saitoh knew more about him than many, including Nagakura, an old companion.
�So, they, whoever they are, hired some other thugs?� Nagakura proposed.
�It can be. But that didn�t require professional skills. Your underlings said there was some shoeprints indicating that somebody hid behind the tree. The guy just had to grab her, break her neck, and leave. One second or two, I tell you. And the girl was so small and fragile, it didn�t demand some particular physical strength, even a sissy could have done it,� snorted Harada. �Maybe Katsura did the job himself, for once. That would explain it all.�
Saitoh�s eyes glittered: �And a woman?�
�*That* would explain why Nagakura and Okita didn�t notice the assassin, yes. Or a very small guy, disguised as a woman. Well, I have to go; I�m in charge of training the recruits with Takeda and Tani, today. Not that they need me, of course, and I hate holding the candle�but duty is duty.�
Harada had hoped to relax the atmosphere, with the allusion to the compounds� most famous lovebirds. Saitoh ignored him, that was normal, and Nagakura wasn�t at all into gossiping but Okita was usually a good client, though he had the sometimes the feeling that it was out of politeness. The heavy silence made him once more painfully aware that being the only captain with a real sense of humor was a cross to bear, and he left, disappointed.
The atmosphere of the kitchen could have been cut with a knife. None of them had judged necessary to point to Harada that it wasn�t what Saitoh had meant, but they were weighting the consequences.
�You aren�t serious, Saitoh?� Nagakura asked, bewildered.
He didn�t answer, the time to finish his cigarette, his mind wandering towards very interesting possibilities.
�You didn�t notice that one of the girls was missing, immediately. You could have missed another one. With what Harada said, the crime could have been committed in a window of, let�s say, 2 or 3 minutes? Maybe less��
Okita considered the problem for a moment. One of the girls could have indeed discovered the itinerary of their trip. And if one of them was guilty, that could explain why the enemy struck, in spite of the Choshu clan�s situation.
�I�ve been with Tokio-san all the time, from the moment we arrived to the fountain, which is the last time when I can swear that I saw Takamura Reiko alive, from the moment we discovered the body. She never once left my field of vision. I think that you can say the same for Kojima Miyu, can you?�
Nagakura nodded slowly. �I had arrived with the first group of girls. We joined the main group, and Takamura-san was discussing with Fujiki Sarina, the last time I remember seeing her, before I accompanied Kojima-san, who wanted to buy a cup of tea from the merchant. I had also my eyes on Tokio-san, who was alone and waited for you near the fountain, Okita-kun. Terada had left the main group, to follow Imada Maru, after she had expressed her will to sit on a bench nearby, and to rest. He can answer for her. That left Tanaka alone with the other 6. All he can say is that Niwada Torimi was there all the time, but he can�t be 100% sure for the others. The surrounding of the fountain where rather crowded. Terada thinks that Kawashita Kana didn�t go away, either.�
�What he *thinks* is irrelevant. We need certainties. Any idea of when Takamura left the others?�
Okita cracked a smile. �Thankfully, we have the testimony of Tokio-san. She gave it to me on the way back, for fear of forgetting a detail later.�
�And since when are you so familiar with one of our ladies, to call her by her first name?� Saitoh let out, containing his exasperation. That Harada was bewitched, that was normal: he was nothing but a moron. But Okita and Nagakura were supposedly smart.
�Since she was a great help, probably,� Nagakura retorted, all deadpan irony. �She was the one to say that it was an accident, to start with, preventing a bigger panic and an embarrassing situation for the Shinsengumi. Okita and I wouldn�t have reacted this way, and though it costs me personally, I have to say now that it is for the best. But you are right, Saitoh-kun, thank you for reminding us of the correct etiquette.�
Saitoh raised a brow. The girl definitely had a little too much self-control when it came to dead bodies. If Okita and Nagakura couldn�t both assure that she had had no opportunity, she would be his prime suspect. Too bad, that would have been the solution to all his problems in one. Nevertheless, something wasn�t fitting there, and he would investigate on this.
�She saw Takamura Reiko leaving the main group, while she was drinking the water. She assumed that she was going to join Kojima Miyu. Then, there was the incident with Niwada Torimi�� Okita said.
�Kojima-san was the first one to notice her absence. It was a real mayhem, and before I could verify if all the girls were there, she asked me to come with her, to the little shrine on the way up hill, she thought that Takamura-san had gone there��
�And why would she have done something so stupid?� Saitoh snorted.
�Takagi-san told me that it was because of the oracle paper. She thinks that Takamura Reiko, who was very superstitious, realized that she forgot to tie the �ku� omikuji, which she got a little earlier, at the temple. It was indeed in her hands when we found her�Not in her obi, which would have been more natural if she had intended to keep it.�
�There is a consecrated tree at that shrine,� the second Captain added.
�She got herself killed for an oracle paper�moron.�
Okita had his mouth opened to answer, but interrupted himself as the horses� gallop announced the return of Kondo.
�We�ll continue this later. We have to go and see what Matsudaira-sama decided,� he said, exchanging a dark glance with Nagakura.
***
While his two colleagues had gone to meet their superior, Saitoh decided to spend his time usefully, and make a little observation of his potential suspects. Maybe the assassin wasn�t amongst them�but there was something fishy about it all. He was leaning against the wall of the corridor, in a corner, able to see the occupants of the main room, but not being noticeable immediately.
Niwada Torimi, settled at the center of the room, was complaining aloud of everything, and especially of her �broken ankle� and demanding for the search and punishment of the commoner responsible for it. Some people *really* had a sense of priorities. So much selflessness was admirable. He was almost moved, not. He smirked at the way Hatsue handled her, and made her shut up, the recriminations of the harpy rolling away like rain on a solid roof. The old crone was stubborn and managed to convey a lot without forgetting her rank�he knew first hand. Kawashita Kana didn�t appreciate, and as soon as Hatsue had turned her back, she massaged the feet of her idol, in a devout attitude not even ruffled by the low hisses of the noisy moron diverting her bad mood on her.
Diverting�
Niwada had had no opportunity to commit the crime, as always the center of attention�could she have *diverted* it, on the other hand? Oh, very, very interesting idea, Hajime. Her over-the-top attitude could very well be a fake. Definitely, this one was a suspect.
Where was the other one�? Ah, there, kneeled at the right corner of the room, with most of the others: Fujiki Sarina, the last one who had talked to Takamura Reiko. The others couldn�t say whether she was with the group when Niwada�s �accident� had happened. Had she accompanied Takamura to the shrine and killed her? She could even have convinced her to go. She was sobbing with the others, and was rather convincing. Another bad point for her: if the mole was one of the girls, she had to be a consummated actress.
Talking about the devil, he thought, and his gaze finally fell upon the one he had, if he was honest, saved for last. Takagi Tokio was sitting next to Kojima Miyu, apart from the main group. He observed his �bride-to-be� closely. She was composed, too composed, way too composed. He would have expected a reaction similar to her friend�s, who was faring quite well. Neither hysterical nor crying, except for a few tears that she wiped away immediately, from time to time, Kojima Miyu was the incarnation of what he thought a lady in shock should be: clearly moved, but trying not to show it. Takagi Tokio reacted as a samurai would have, she was distant, and sensible. But she was a sheltered lady, and he had been witness of her temper. This was not fitting at all. Could she have influenced Takamura to go apart from the group, in a way that he didn�t figure out yet?
The shoji giving on the courtyard opened in a move so violent that they almost broke. Saitoh had already his hand on his sword, when he realized that the man was Fujiki Kouhei. Looking beyond, he saw Takagi dismounting, and recognized Matsudaira Michiko, too, getting out of a kago.
Fujiki�s face was red with anger, and Saitoh remembered that he was a sleaze. Another bad point for his daughter: these �qualities� ran usually through blood. As Kondo was getting out of his office, followed by Nakagura, Okita and Hijikata, the governess approached and entered the common room.
�Ladies, behave, will you,� she said, after her hawkish stare had rapidly taken the situation in. �Crying in public? Do you think that you are commoners�Torimi-san! What are you doing with you legs uncovered? And can�t you sit properly? I expected better from you.�
�I�m sorry, Michiko-sama, I have been attacked by a commoner, hurt and indeed��
Fujiki Kouhei roared. �Hurt? You too? This is��
He ran to Kondo, addressing him in the middle of the courtyard. Alerted by the noise, the Shinsengumi men had gathered on the engawa of the buildings, Tani, Takeda and Harada showing out of the Dojo, while the recruits were peeping from behind the doors.
�What is this mess?� he shouted at the top of his lungs. �We entrusted our daughters with you, for an innocent ballad, and one ends up dead and one hurt? How are you supposed to defend Kyoto when you can�t protect a group of women? You�re a shame!�
Saitoh felt his nerves wrenching, and the need for blood mounting. The man insulted the honor of the Shinsengumi, hence his, in their own compound; this was already an offense. But coming from a man who wouldn�t find his sword�s hilt, lost in the plies of his overdeveloped belly, and would less know how to use the weapon if he could, that was another one, and more aggravating. If there was one thing that Saitoh couldn�t stand, it was hypocrisy. Fujiki needed to have his head chopped off, and he would gladly volunteer�though he would have competition. Okita and Nagakura were blatantly furious, Hijikata�s eyes were icier than Hokkaido in winter, and Takeda and Tani were holding firmly Harada�s shoulders to prevent any hotheaded reaction. He glanced at the girls. Niwada Torimi seemed extremely satisfied, and the others stunned at the outburst. Matsudaira Michiko had lifted a disapproving brow; surely, this wasn�t of a noble attitude to her. And Takagi Tokio had her fists tightened into balls, her face white and her eyes bright with fury, as if she had been personally insulted.
�Fujiki! Control yourself!�
Takagi Kojuuro had intervened, his voice merely rising, yet with such an authority that the other was left speechless.
�Kondo-sensei, accept for the Shinsengumi my apologies for this scene. It was uncalled for,� he added, with a severe glance at Fujiki, who was choking in disbelief, but didn�t dare to say anything more. Saitoh noticed that the governess didn�t approve of Takagi�s apology either: she seemed briefly disgusted. �We are all in shock with this unfortunate accident.�
�We apologize humbly for not having been able to prevent it, Takagi-sama,� Kondo answered, bowing deeply to him and Fujiki, while Hijikata was nodding to the men, in a silent order to go back to their routine.
The courtyard emptied, while Kondo made way to his office for the noble men. Takagi glanced towards the common room, just before entering, with a reassured expression as he noticed his daughter. She smiled to him, her pride of him obvious, but she retrieved her mask as Matsudaira Michiko�s voice raised.
�Now, ladies, please get ready to pay your last homage to Reiko-san. You won�t be authorized to leave the residence anymore, until you go back to Aizu the day after tomorrow, and the rituals will take place here in Kyoto.�
�I don�t want to see her�� Fujiki Sarina protested, approved of by most of the girls.
And that made three points for her in Saitoh�s list.
�We are going now,� Michiko snapped, making the girls bow their heads. �You, guide us to the place,� she ordered to Hatsue, who curtsied with enough false obsequiousness to make her discontent clear. Saitoh smirked again. He didn�t actually dislike the old woman: she was entertaining.
The girls obeyed, the harpy using her worshiper�s help to walk, with difficulties. She was faking some of it: Saitoh had noticed that her foot wasn�t swollen enough for her to be that debilitated. Another point for Niwada Torimi in the suspect contest.
The sheep went outside, yet Kojima Miyu hadn�t moved.
�Miyu-san, stop being childish and��
�She will join in a minute, Michiko-san.�
Takagi Tokio had stayed next to her friend, and interrupted the governess� exasperated scolding.
�Tokio-san, I didn�t ask you anything. I have enough of your attitude.�
�I�m sorry to hear it,� she answered, her disdainful shrug changing her words into an insult.
�Should I call your father?�
�Please do. Interrupt his meeting with Kondo-sama for such an urgent problem. He will be delighted to see that you grant so much attention to Miyu-san�s feelings, after what she witnessed.�
The other girl had finally reacted, standing up and murmuring to her friend: �I�ll go now. Please, don�t get into trouble.�
The gray eyed girl didn�t answer, just grabbing her friends� wrist, preventing her from going away.
�See? She has to learn life. We all die one day,� Michiko said, with a compelling look at Miyu.
�Some not soon enough,� Tokio retorted, her eyes fixing those of Michiko, and in a voice so sweet that Saitoh doubted of what she had said.
�Tokio-san! How dare you!�
The scandalized yelp made the little witch smile wickedly.
�How dare I wish that some people, like the rebels who have attacked our lands, die soon? I thought that there was nothing more natural.�
�I won�t play your childish games, Tokio-san.� The governess had regained her distant attitude.
�But you will leave Miyu-san a few minutes here, so she can have another cup of tea, get over her shock, and be steady enough to control herself. You don�t want to be made responsible for her collapsing, do you? Her father wouldn�t be pleased, and neither Matsudaira-sama��
Michiko glared at the girl. �I have to look after the others. 10 minutes. And this is the last time that I indulge you,� she let out, before leaving. �
Tokio bowed mockingly, and turned towards her friend. �Take your time. I�ll be right back with the tea.�
�Wait�she�s right. And she�s mad at you, now.� Miyu�s expression oscillated between shame and determination. �I�ll go immediately, and apologize�I�ve already�seen Reiko anyway��
Tokio lifted her friend�s hand in front of her face.
�You�re still trembling,� she said, calmly. �Listen to me. You tried to forget what you�ve seen, but it will come back to you when you see her body again. You have to be ready for this. It won�t make it easier, believe me��
Miyu watched Tokio�s face intently. �Was it�?�
Tokio pretended not to hear, and glancing at the shoji, she added peremptorily: �And don�t worry about Michiko. She�s just furious because it�s the day where she receipts the supplies, and she had to leave her dear work, poor maids, later she will be all over them because nothing is done maniacally enough��
�I do hope that Torimi will help her tomorrow, I�m not sure that you are in the mood to bear her company,� Miyu sighed. �You�ll get in trouble, too.�
�I�m never in trouble,� Tokio answered. �Now, sit down, and��
Knowing that she would get out of the room soon, Saitoh retreated discreetly to the kitchen. He had wanted to have a conversation with Takagi Tokio, and this was the occasion to do so without witnesses. He had to check one or two facts.
***
Tokio was overwhelmed by exhaustion when she entered the kitchen. Pretending not to be affected and diverting Miyu�s attention had drained her. Putting her hands on the cupboard, to sustain her tired body, she took a long, cleansing breath.
It was so unfair. It shouldn�t have happened. Reiko was innocent; she didn�t deserve this. It was revolting. Tokio was so furious that she hated the whole world: the rebels who had killed Reiko, herself for not having paid more attention, Torimi for her selfishness, Fujiki for offending Kondo-sama, and Michiko for her insensitivity.
Seeing her friend lying down, her face contorted with pain even in death, had made her want to scream. It was so weird that she didn�t, that she felt so foreign to her own acts. Habit, for sure, she sighed inwardly. She didn�t remember when she had been allowed to be herself and express her real feelings for the last time, with no pretending and no lies. No, she did know, but it was better not to think of it. She wished she had cried and expelled all this pain and anger. It was weighting her so much that it hurt.
That wouldn�t change anything, how stupid. She had things to do, like looking after Miyu, and thinking about it, she should be preparing the tea, already, instead of wallowing into self-pity. Control yourself. That was the point. That was what she had to do. What she always did. And it was for the best.
She had grabbed a pottery cup, when a nonchalant voice behind her made her bolt and drop it. It reached the floor with a thud, breaking neatly in two.
�Maybe your friend will need this more than tea��
Oh, no. Not him.
Saitoh Hajime was standing behind her, leaning onto the wall near the communication door and the cupboard where Hatsue kept the alcohol reserve. Too caught up in her thoughts, she hadn�t noticed him. What a mistake. He had a bottle of sake in one hand, and that creepy falsely polite smile belied by the alert light in his wolfish eyes.
She took her most noncommittally sweet face.
��and maybe you need one, too. You looked tired a moment ago,� he added, with unmasked irony.
Bastard.
�That�s so thoughtful, thank you, Saitoh-san. I unfortunately have too little time. Michiko-sama is awaiting us.�
�You have ten minutes and I have some questions for you,� he said, cutting the game short. �I need to clarify some things that you said to the other captains.�
�And why should I answer you?� she shrugged.
�Because the following interrogations will be made in public, and that could be embarrassing for you? You surely don�t want some things to be known��
There. Something flicked in her eyes, within a second, but there was the fail. It was extremely fast, but enough for him.
��like your initiating a lie to the other families? That wouldn�t be good for your reputation, neither for your father�s...�
�Oh, you�re indeed very kind. Why didn�t I notice that charming side of your personality until now?� she retorted with the same sweet tone as she had used with the governess.
He didn�t answer, staring at her with a satisfied smirk. She wouldn�t refuse, and they were both aware of it now. He waited until she decided to admit it.
�And what it is that you want to know?� she finally said, a tad too haughtily.
�You and your friend assumed that Takamura Reiko went alone to tie her oracle paper to a consecrated tree. Why didn�t she earlier?�
�We were behind the others, who already did it with theirs, and probably too caught in our conversation�she was also very eager to drink from the magical source. She is the youngest, and it�s her first trip in Kyoto.�
�She *was* very superstitious�Was it a known fact at the court?�
Tokio contained her resentment, as his insistence made her notice that she had used the present to talk about Reiko. Not wanting to give him any satisfaction, she pretended not to pay attention.
�Yes, she was superstitious. Everybody knew, especially after O-bon last year. She was afraid of ghosts, and believed in oracles papers and fortune tellers.�
�A moron,� he let out.
�Oh, is that a crime in your book?� She had more and more difficulties to keep her calm at his disrespect towards her late friend, and at the smug smile that he had for her. He was provoking her, purposefully. Why?

Be careful. Stay in control.
�Being a moron? Yes, it is. More important for your friend, being one got her killed,� he stated, with insufferable arrogance.
�What got her killed is that she ignored that we were threatened. She didn�t know that we�ve been attacked, remember? And *who* got her killed, is one of those rebels, whom she had heard were crushed, for the last two days. How could she have been worried, under the guard of the invincible Shinsengumi?�
She had walked to him, contained anger vibrating in her voice, under the suave tones.
�Kondo-sama wouldn�t be very pleased by your last sarcasm��he remarked, presenting her the sake bottle, with a mocking nod of the head. He could clearly see that she wanted to hit him on the head with it. He had her where he had wanted to, and her mask was cracking, though she still managed some self-control.
�I wasn�t criticizing the Shinsengumi,� she pointed, bolting as if she had been bitten by a snake, �but stating that the secrecy prevented Reiko from being aware of the danger.�
�And yet, you contributed to it. Thanks to you, nobody knows that it�s a murder�yet. Saying that it was an accident was a good idea. That would be a pity if your friend Kojima-san had doubts when she recovers from her emotion. Will she?�
She gave him a puzzled look. He had let go of his provocative ways, looking seriously into her eyes. She sighed, welcoming the break.
�She won�t. She doesn�t know about the attack, so she has no reason to suspect it, and she never saw a dead body in her life. She didn�t notice the marks on Reiko�s neck.�
�And you saw many bodies in your life, to notice?�
He was sure that this last, sudden sarcasm, after his brief change of attitude, would definitively make her lower her defenses. She had been exhausted and visibly under stress. He added a superior grin, for good measure.
�Only the ones of the men you killed the other day,� Tokio retorted, with the same tone. She bit her bottom lip, exasperated at the petty attitude of the man. What did he want, in the end? �I thought that it was better, do you have a problem with it?�
�Better? Why is that?� Saitoh asked again, suavely hostile.
�Because the �twits� would have turned �hysterical�, isn�t that a familiar reason to you?� she bit back.
�And you never go hysterical, obviously. How admirable�.how rare, for someone so�inexperienced� he mocked.
�You would have preferred me to scream that one of us had been murdered under the guard of the Shinsengumi, surely?� she finally hissed.
�Tokio?�
Miyu calling her from the main room made her anger vanish. There was a slight worry in her friend�s voice, and Tokio blamed herself for letting her alone.
�As there is obviously no point into your questions, I will leave you,� she announced icily, pouring the sake in the cup and taking it. �Thank you for the recommendation.�
Still smirking, he bowed formally.
�We will have the occasion to meet again, or so I have been told. We can continue our conversation in a more� intimate environment, then. So, until next time, *Tokio*-san.�
Without a word, but with a visible effort to avoid an outburst, she turned her back on him and left.
Saitoh lit a cigarette. He had had partly what he wanted. Takamura Reiko�s moronic attitude made sense...and could have been the result of a maneuver, since it was well known. Maybe she had been persuaded by Fujiki Sarina. And the little witch had nothing to do with her death, even indirectly. She was too devoted, maybe not to Matsudaira as the Daimyo had asserted, but to Kondo, to be associated with the rebels. He knew how to differentiate a lie from a truth, and she had been sincere. His efforts to unnerve her had paid: it was a way to know more about people than they were willing to reveal.
Yet, she was hiding something. He just knew it; her reaction had been a telltale. He wouldn�t lose his time on it now that he was convinced of her innocence in the conspiracy, but later, when the traitors had their head nicely cut, he would investigate it. Wasn�t she supposed to become his wife? He had the right to know, then.
If her little secret didn�t give him a way to avoid the marriage, of course.
To be continued
Authors� notes:
Many thanks to Firuze and L.Sith for their beta-reading and useful help (^-^).
I use �curtsy� for Hatsue, as a general term for a codified move, I know that Japanese bow and don�t curtsy.

Thanks to Firuze, Lilith fair and Kireiko for their reviews of "Dear Debbie" and "Of love and mind games" :)

Next chapter: Riversides are charming, and Okita meets people there�one whom he knows, one whom we know *winks*. Bath houses are made for relaxing, yet when steam blurs the view, one can�t see the danger�Tokio should be careful. (Is that suspenseful enough? (^-^))
- 7
- 8
- 9
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