zetsuboū no sakura, budding

by shiroyuki42

A Dutch woman, Melissa van Rijn decides to go to japan to studie the samurai there. But its the year 1864, Japan is in turmoil. She is captured by the samurai opposing the westernizing of japan and is allowd to live with them as she wittnisses the bloody bakumatsu and the falling of the last samurai.

1. Chapter 1

Zetsuboū no sakura,

Chapter 0.1, Midori no oka (green hills)

As I stood there, watching the battel infront of me. I had the feeling I finaly understood Bushidoū, the way of the samurai, for the first time.
This battel cruel and jet beautiful, short and jet it felt like ages. Just like watching Sakura fall.
Kazama once told me " we samurai tend to live like sakura, short but we die in full bloom"
And it was true.

It was 1867, the last year of the bakumatsu. And the last samurai where falling infront of me like sakura.