Kenji sighed as he stared into the night sky. the stars slowly came to life flickering like a candle caught in a breeze. the back drop of pitch blackness soon would become bright with the stars. Turning his attention back to the men ahead of him he listened in to their conversation.

"Hey did you hear?" The man asked.
"Hear what?" his friend mumbled.
"They're finally sending reinforcments to Kyoto to back up the Shinsengumi" The man replied.
"So they finally decided to put together the Kyoto Miwarigumi neh?"

Kenji listened for a bit more before he turned and slowly slipped into the alleyway. with no money for food or shelter he resorted to sleeping in the alleyway. Sliding his sword out of his belt he propped it up against himself. He turned his head up again to watch the stars passing overhead...his thoughts turned to the previous few months.

Being the son of a samurai family he had been told to go to Aizu and to join the Bakufu. his elder brother had left a few months before him turning his sights on becoming one of the Shinsengumi. Soon after he left news of his death reached the family. He hadn't died on the glorious field of battle but rather had been assassinated by what seemed to be a shadow Hitokiri of the Ishin Shishi. Kenji was still uncertain to what he should do and quickly left home to decide on his own.

Now it was 5 months later. He had wandered from his home town and headed for the capital. after passing through Kyoto he had headed even farther north toward the island of Hokkaido. Although his brother had been assassinated by them Kenji had a feeling that no matter what the Bakufu did, they would lose to the Ishin Patriots. Kenji had long since thought of joining the Ishin but also the Bakufu. Ahead lay a path with a fork in it, Should he avenge his brothers brutal murder or should he disown his family and side with the Ishin, that seemed to be winning.

He sighed as he sank into sleep, wondering what the next day would bring him...

The bright morning sun woke Kenji up, Sleepily he stood up sliding his sword back into his belt. He patted the dust off of himself, yawning. slipping back into the street he soon became just part of the hustle and bustle.
Suddenly a whistle blew. everyone hurried off the streets except Kenji. standing alone in the street he wondered why everyone had hurried off. Ahead he saw a group of swordsman approaching him.