Watashi Tachi No Saiai No Megumi: "Our Beloved Goddess"

What would have happened to the fearless warriors of the Shinsengumi if they had met a Goddess instead of an Oni? Yuki is a young girl who is rescued by the Shinsengumi and proceeds to soften their hardened hearts, showing them that even love can be a dangerous weapon in the harsh world they exist in. Follow the group as they live their lives in the company of a Goddess.

Rated M for a reason: intense battle scenes, blood, gore, mature content, and adult situations. Not for the faint of heart, but a good story none the less. Please rate and review! Arigatou Gozaimas!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything of Hakuouki or it's characters (though I wouldn't mind ;) ) This is purely a fanfic that yours truly has devised for your entertainment. Now, on we go!

Chapter 1

Yuki struggled to keep her breath as she ran from the men following her, looking around desperately for a hiding place. Of all times for three drunk men to be following her, this was not a good time. She'd already been injured once while escaping a small group of men and her wounds still hurt. She spotted a small cluster of barrels near the edge of a building, quickly dodging behind them as the three men stumbled around the corner after her:
"Come one girlie, we won't hurt ya!"
"Yea! We only wanna have a little fun..." Yuki held her breath as one of the men passed within a foot of her hiding place, the stench of sake and urine wafting over her:
"Come out here little bitch!" She squeaked as the barrel beside her splintered into a hundred pieces, a very angry drunk ronin facing her. He sneered at her, reaching out. Yuki cried out as the man gripped a fistful of her hair, struggling as he pulled her away from the building: "Stupid little girl, you really think ya could escape from us here samurai? You're gonna regret it..."

Yuki froze as the man drew his katana, her eyes widening fearfully as he let the tip rest at the crook of her neck. She whimpered softly as he let the tip fall slowly down her collarbone, a thin, precise cut forming in bright red against her skin. Yuki squeezed her eyes shut as the man smiled nastily, tears forming in corners of her eyes as he began exerting a little more pressure. Was this really how she would die?

Hijikata sighed as he walked quietly to his room, yawning tiredly. He'd spent the whole day with Kondo-san out in town talking to some storekeepers about the "activities" of some of the members of the Shinsengumi, particularly their distasteful and unmoral ones. Hijikata knew very well that his men didn't always act like the honorable warriors they had vowed to be but that still didn't take from the pain he felt about being so harshly criticized by the people they were trying to protect. All the Shinsengumi had ever wanted was to be accepted as warriors of great skill and endurance, doing everything in their power to make that dream a reality. Even two years after the assassination of the corrupt and manipulative Serizawa Kamo the people of Kyoto still did not trust their guardians despite the fact that crime in the streets had decreased and the people could sleep at night knowing that any ronin running around would be taken care of. The Shinsengumi had taken on the responsibility of cleaning up the "filth" of the samurai world. It was a dangerous and pitiless job, but they were eager for the chance to prove themselves, to prove that even a band of farmers and non-samurai families could protect and serve the people of Kyoto. And the Shogun.

Hijikata sighed again, pausing as a shadow passed by a few yards in front of him. He silently followed the suspicious figure, flattening himself against the edge of a building as he neared the shadow's master. The ronin looked around nervously before turning back to the lock he was picking, quickly entering the building. Hijikata's eyes widened. This was the Rasetsu testing sector.

"Do not release them!" He abandoned the element of surprise as he charged forward, pulling up short as there was a scream from within. He quickly drew his Katana as he started forward, glaring at the two figures that emerged from the building: the two men were breathing heavily, their snow-white hair falling in a disheveled mess around their shoulders, their burning red eyes searching the darkness in a frenzied manner:
"Blood...Give us more blood!" Hijikata stiffened as two of those red eyes settled on him, raising his sword as the monster stepped forward:
"Back-down while you can. I will not hesitate to kill you." The Rasetsu laughed as it lunged at him, a hysterical, mad sound flying from it's fanged mouth:
"Blood!" Hijikata quickly feigned to the left, striking the fake demon across the stomach with his sword. It tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain before it rose to it's feet, seemingly unharmed. Hijikata gritted his teeth as he watched the wound heal over, shifting his stance to offensive. He'd have to behead the beast or hit it's heart to kill it. He yelled his kiai as he struck forward, drawing his short sword as the beast caught his katana in his impossibly strong jaws. The beast continued laughing as Hijikata drove the second blade into it's heart, it's whole body spasming as it sank to the ground.

He turned to face the second Rasetsu, taking a step towards it:
"You're next." The beast glared at him, jumping up onto the roof before disappearing over the edge of the wall surrounding the compound:
"Dammit..."
"Toshi!" Hijikata's head snapped to the side as his long-time friend and sensei's voice reached him, sheathing his katana and short sword as he approached:

"Two of the Rasetsu got out, one has escaped. Where are the others?" no sooner had he spoken when the other five officers of the Shinsengumi rounded the corner:
"Hijikata-san, was it a Rasetsu?" He nodded at their youngest member Heisuke, gesturing to the wall the monster had just escaped over:
"Just one but it's in the city. Break into teams of two and start searching. We will take care of this immediately Sensei." Hijikata gave an apologetic bow to their senei Kondo Isamu before running after the others, his anger fueling him. How could he have let the beast escape? Who knows what it was doing or who it would kill?

Yuki gasped as she was roughly pushed away from the ronin, scrambling back as a white haired man with red eyes grappled with the man who had been holding his sword to her throat. She blinked as the ronin rammed his sword through the white-haired man's stomach, watching in disbelief as the wound closed over. The white-haired man laughed, hysterical and crazed:
"Blood! Give me your blood!" Yuki watched helplessly as the red-eyed man bit the ronin's neck watching in horror as he was then promptly "disassembled", limbs and gore splattering the walls and ground. The two other ronin rushed in to save their friend, their screams filling the night air as they too met the same fate as their comrade.

Yuki suddenly felt very defenseless and vulnerable in the silence of the night, unable to stop the trembling that seized her as the monster turned to face her. She stared wide-eyed as the man took a step towards her, screaming as he smiled at her with bloodied fangs.

"Souji, this way!" Saito Hajime called to his partner as they sprinted down the street, heading in the direction of the scream they had just heard. No doubt this late at night it belonged to someone who was about to become a victim of the horrible man-made creation. Okita Souji quickly ran up beside him, drawing his sword as they reached the scene:
"Mmm...Appears we're a little late." Bodies littered the street, or rather...body 's attention was suddenly caught by a faint glow in the moonlight: White hair. He rushed forward, stopping as his partner's sword pierced the beasts chest: "Dammit Hajime, I wanted to kill it."

"My apologies. I guess you'll have to be a little faster next time." Okita pouted as he sheathed his sword, pausing as a small figure struggled from the monster's dying grip:
"What?" He walked forward to stand beside his partner, looking down at the shaking girl with a raised eyebrow: "She's still alive?" Saito sighed:

"It would appear so." the girl flinched as Saito's sword lightly touched her cheek, tilting her head up slightly as he lifted her chin: "who are you?" she stared up at him fearfully, small tears falling from her eyes:
"I-I..." Okita knelt beside her, his eyes flashing dangerously:
"Come on woman, we don't have all night and I want to go to bed. Or did you want us to kill you too?" The girl whimpered softly, glancing back at the mangled bodies around her:
"I-I'm..." Saito blinked as her eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed, unconscious. He put his sword away, shaking his head:
"Maybe you scared her too much." Okita shrugged, getting up:
"It's not like having a sword near your face isn't kinda scary."
"Saito! Okita!" both men looked up as the two other pairs of their group approached: "Is everything alright?" Saito nodded, glancing back down at the girl:
"The Rasetsu is finished but...this girl saw everything." Hijikata looked down at the still figure blankly, nodding:
"That's unfortunate-" he paused as he noticed a slip of paper sticking out of the fold of her obi, opening it. His eyes widened as he read the small but neat writing, looking up at the third patrol group: "Harada and Sanosuke, go prepare the interrogation room. Heisuke, get this cleaned up." the respective officers nodded, running off to complete their orders: "Saito, Okita. Get this girl to headquarters immediately and stand guard over her. Make sure she doesn't leave. I need to speak with Kondo-san and Sannan-san."

Saito nodded, carefully picking up the small limp form:
"Souji, let's go." Okita groaned loudly, trudging after Saito as they walked back to the compound:
"Why don't we just kill her and leave her for Heisuke to clean up?" Saito shook his head as they walked quietly through the streets, glancing disapprovingly at his fellow Shinsengumi officer:
"Souji, you can't just kill everyone that crosses your path right off the bat. She obviously has something important or else Hijikata wouldn't have kept her alive. Just wait and see what it is before you opt to kill her." The young warrior grunted, following his comrade in a relaxed yet alert manner:
"It's not like we haven't done it before."

Yuki slowly opened her eyes, groaning softly as the cut on her neck throbbed:
"Mrph..." She blinked rapidly as she realized she couldn't sit up or move her arms, rolling onto her side. She had been bound and gagged, the rough ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Whoever had tied her up had been sure to do a thorough job of it, binding her arms to her sides, her wrists behind her back, and her knees together. Thankfully her yukata was stopping the rough restraints from rubbing her preexisting injuries. Yuki tried to spit out the detestable wad of fabric in her mouth, giving up after it refused to move. She looked down at her clothes, bile rising in her throat. She was covered in blood.

Yuki's head throbbed again as the memories of the last night came rushing back to her, small tears falling down her cheeks as the remains of her stalkers filled her thoughts, the blood red eyes of their murderer haunting her. She then remembered the cold and merciless gaze of the two men who had saved her, realizing that it had been the combination of the stress and fear of her situation that had sent her over the edge and driven her to unconsciousness. It was probably then that the two men had taken her to where she was now. Yuki sighed as she lay on the floor, stiffening as the light sound of footsteps reached her. Were they coming to kill her? She tried desperately to calm herself as she began hyperventilating, reminding herself that she was still alive. That's right. If they were going to kill her it would have been when they found her, not now. The fact that she was still alive meant that she possessed something they needed...but what?

She stared wide-eyed at the old man who entered, squirming against her binds:
"Now, now miss, please calm yourself. I was instructed to come retrieve you and bring you to the meeting room. My name is Inoue, I hope you will forgive young master Okita for his rough treatment of such a pretty lady, he often doesn't think before he acts." Yuki remained motionless as the old man sat her up, hardly daring to move as he untied her hands from her sides and cut the binds around her ankles and knees: "You may take that gag from your mouth as I'm sure it is uncomfortable. I'm sorry but your hands must remained tied." Yuki quivered quietly as Inoue retied her hands before her, letting the gag fall to the floor:
"P-Please...I was only trying to deliver a letter..." Yuki blinked as the man smiled, a gentle sadness touching the corners of his aged eyes:
"I'm sorry my lady, there isn't much I can do for you. It is up to the leaders of the Shinsengumi to decide what your fate will be." Yuki felt her heart drop. The Shinsengumi? Weren't they a group of merciless police who patrolled the streets of Kyoto and killed any and all who stood in their way?

Inoue stood, carefully helping her to her feet: "If you'd please come with me, the captains are ready to speak with you. Please do not resist or I will have to use force against you." Yuki nodded, obediently following the man as they made their way across a large mansion. She felt her heart rate quicken with every step she took, threatening to beat out of her chest. She knelt next to Inoue as he stopped outside of a large room, bowing her head as he spoke: "Sirs, I have brought the girl."
"Come in." Yuki kept her head down as Inoue gestured for her to enter, bowing deeply before seating herself where the older man pointed: "Raise your head."

Yuki looked up fearfully, her gaze met by eight pairs of cold eyes:
"What is your name?" Yuki opened her mouth, struggling to speak through her dry throat:
"Y-Yuki...sir..."

"Yuki? Is that it? What is your clan?" she blinked, a familiar stabbing pain hitting her:
"I...Um...I don't know sir...I'm sorry." she flinched as there was a bark of laughter from one of the men, another familiar feeling overcoming her; shame:
"How could you not know what clan you are? Are you an orphan or something?"

"Nagakura! Don't be so mean!" Yuki looked down at the wooden boards beneath her as the youngest looking member of the group spoke, nodding:
"Yes sir..." An awkward silence filled the room as the men stared at the young girl before them, still not entirely sure of what to make of the little figure:
"Please excuse Nagakura's rudeness, it appears we have started off on the wrong foot. We are the leaders of the Shinsengumi, as I'm sure you've discovered. To put this bluntly you are indeed being interrogated for any information that we might find useful. If you comply we may release you. I assume you know what happens if you resist?" Yuki nodded, careful not to look directly at the man who bore an overpowering presence:
"Yes sir..." She tried to relax herself as she realized she had been clenching her hands, her nails biting into the soft flesh of her palms. She slowly uncurled her hands, suddenly aware of the growing pain in her neck:
"Come on Toshi, don't be such a 's scared enough already, we don't need you scaring her even further, she may faint again." Yuki looked up at the man who had spoken in surprise as the rest of the rooms occupants chuckled, shifting uncomfortably as the man spoke to her: "Sorry Yuki-chan, Hijikata here doesn't exactly know how to relax. I am Kondo Isamu, Captain of the Shinsengumi. This grumpy man is First Lieutenant Toshizo Hijikata and this is First Sergeant Sannan Keisuke-"
"Kondo-san! Why are you telling her our names?" Kondo blinked, grinning sheepishly at the irritated Hijikata:
"Sorry, got a little carried away. Oh well, I got a feeling she's not a threat. Anyway Yuki-chan, these other gentlemen are Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke, Toudo Heisuke, Okita Souji, and Saito Hajime. I believe you've met Okita and Saito." She inclined her head respectfully, fiddling nervously with the hem of her yukata. Why were they acting so...kind? Hadn't she been greeted by hard, cold eyes not moments before? Surely she hadn't imagined it-

She flinched as Sannan stood up, quivering quietly as he approached her:
"Don't worry Yuki-san, I'm not going to hurt you..." her gaze fell to his hand as he reached into his yukata and drew out a small vial, staring at it fearfully:
"Wh-What-"
"Don't worry, it's only a truth serum. It won't do anything other than compel you to speak what's on your mind. Of course that could be a little embarrassing, but that is a small consequence. Please drink it." She slowly reached out as he uncapped it and held it out to her, looking around the room uncertainly. Everyone stared at her intently, their eyes kind yet cautious and dangerous at the same time. She raised the vial to her lips, quickly downing the bitter draught in one gulp. Sannan nodded, taking the empty vial: "Good. You're willingness will work in your favor." Yuki blinked rapidly as her fingers began to tingle, slightly alarmed as the tingling continued throughout her whole body:
"Don't worry, the tingling only means the serum is working." she nodded, her breathing evening out as the odd sensation enveloped her mind.

Yuki gave a small sigh as her body completely and totally surrendered to the drug, falling limply onto her side. Almost immediately two large hands were shaking her, a worried voice calling out to her:
"Yuki-san? Are you alright?" she stared blankly at the man named Harada, words spilling from her lips before she could finish thinking them:
"I feel weird...my whole body feels fuzzy and you're hurting me." Harada quickly softened his grip, sitting beside her as he leaned her limp form against his muscled chest:
"Sorry...Does that mean it's working?" Sannan nodded, pushing his glasses up:
"Yes, but much sooner than expected. Yuki-san, do you have a low drug tolerance?" she nodded:
"Yes, I've never really had to use any medications though I have regular access to them and make some of them myself. Last time I used any medications is when I was ten and I had to go to the doctor after I got attacked by some other kids and he had to give me some pain medications because they broke my arm. It only took a little of the medicine and I couldn't feel my arm." Sannan sighed, looking at Kondo apologetically:
"Despite her low tolerance it won't harm her to have taken as much of the drug as she did. She'll just a little ill a few hours after we're finished here." Nagakura chuckled, winking at her:
"So, since you have to tell the truth, do you think we're handsome?" she shrugged, barely able to hold her head up:
"I guess but...you're scary. You all seem like very strong warriors but you also look like you wouldn't hesitate to kill someone...Am I going to die?" Nagakura blinked, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at Kondo and Hijikata:
"Well..." Hijikata waved him off:
"Enough. Yuki, how old are you?"

"Twenty." They all seemed surprised by her answer, her small form and gentle features making her appear younger:

"Where are you from?"
"Edo."
"Do you live alone?"
"No, I lived with the other children in the orphanage until a week ago when I had to come here to deliver the letter." He paused as she began crying, looking completely helpless as the young woman melted down:"I-I only wanted to get the letter to Ikedaya...I never even read it but Koudo-san said it was extremely important in his letter he sent a week ago..." Everyone's interest seemed piqued as she spoke, their full attention on the young girl:
"You never read the letter?" She shook her head, whimpering softly as Harada wiped a stray tear away: "How much do you know about Koudo's research?" she shook her head again, stammering as she spoke:
"I-I knew K-Koudo-san but not that well even though I was his medical assistant. H-he was always very secretive..."

"You said you received a letter from him before leaving Edo. Do you know where he is?" she shook her head yet again, looking around tiredly:
"N-No, but I have the letter in my bag...where...where is my bag?" Hajikata looked over at Okita and Souji, raising an eyebrow:
"Did you bring her bag?" Okita yawned, pulling a squashed and rumpled bag from behind him:
"You mean I have to give up my pillow?" Saito sighed, digging through it's contents before procuring a torn piece of paper:
"Is this it Yuki-san?" she nodded, furrowing her brows:
"Yes, that is it. Why do you keep calling me that? You're all obviously higher in status than I am..." Kondo laughed, accepting the letter from Saito:
"You're funny. It's only simple courtesy to address a lady as an equal. You're only a few years younger than most of the men in this room and status means nothing to the Shinsengumi. We all come from varying backgrounds. It's not really your name that matters but what's in your heart." He opened the letter, looking back to her: "May I read it aloud?" she nodded, letting her head fall back against Harada's chest as her body became to weak to support herself, her breaths becoming more and more shallow. Harada hesitantly put an arm around her to support her, glancing up at Okita as he snickered:
"What? I don't want her to fall over or something..."

"Sure Sanosuke, sure..." Kondo smiled slightly at the boys, clearing his throat before starting:

Yuki, I hope you are doing well.

I'm sorry I haven't been sending more letters, work here in Kyoto has been a little hectic as of late. There have been some suspicious murders going on and I am certain that it has something to do with a new drug that has been released. I know you don't know much about what I am speaking about, but you will soon enough. I need your help here in Kyoto, you have become an admirable assistant to my medical profession and if I recall correctly, you wanted to get out and travel more. If you remember not too long ago I told you that you're secret lineage would become useful in the future and that you would become a person of the most importance to many people. That time is now. You are going to be the most vital piece in a dangerous game and I pray that you will accept your role and help with a good cause. Please gather all of my journals and any personal belongings you would like to bring and meet me here in Kyoto at Ikedaya Inn. Also, there is a letter in my latest log book that I would like you to deliver to another occupant of the Inn. It is of the utmost importance that it gets there as soon as possible. I beg you to not let curiosity to get the better of you and leave the enveloped sealed, it's contents are extremely important. The man's name is Amagiri, he is a member of the Satsuma Clan. Please guard the letter with your life and deliver it safely to him. I will do my best to keep an eye out for you over the next week but in the event that you arrive and I am not present, please tell the Inn keeper that you are my guest and wait for me there. Thank you for being such an important asset in my studies Yuki, you will someday learn of the reward of what I am doing in my research.

Best regards, Koudo

Kondo folded the letter back up and set it silently before him, careful to keep his expression neutral as he looked back at her:
"Yuki-chan...You truly do not know anything of Koudo's studies?" Yuki shook her head, a sudden wave of nausea washing over her:

"N-No...he never told me anything...well...he told me something about my blood being special but he never said any more than that...ugh..." Harada looked down at her in concern as she gripped her throat in pain, tilting her head away to look at her neck:
"What the?" a small cut ran from the crook of her neck down her collarbone, the edges a menacing black. HIjikata and Sannan were immediately by their side, examining the wound:
"Yuki,where did you get this?" she coughed harshly, a small speck of blood trailing from the corner of her mouth:
"Th-The ronin...cut me..." Kondo looked at Okita, jerking his head towards them:
"You're the one with poison resistance training." Okita sighed, getting up:
"Why me? It's not like she'd gonna make it out of here alive anyway."
"Souji!" The young warrior shrugged, holding his hands up defensively:
"What it's only the truth. Hand her to me Sano-san." Harada carefully moved her to Okita's arms, backing away to sit with Saito and Nagakura. Sannan motioned for Hijikata to also back away as he returned to his spot beside Kondo, nodding at Okita:
"It's Bufu poison. I'm sure you'll be just fine with what little amount the wound contains." Okita rolled his eyes, smirking:
"Like I'm gonna die from frog germs." he looked down Yuki as she gasped for breath, his eyes emerald eyes softening slightly: "This is going to hurt a little. Hold onto me." she looked up at him in confusion, squirming in his arms as the pain continued to spread throughout her body:
"What-Ah!" she gasped as he licked the wound, a white-hot bolt of pain shooting through her: "S-Stop!" she squeaked as he not-to-gently wrapped a hand over her mouth, silencing her:
"Quiet." she gripped his haori weakly as his tongue rasped over the wound again, reopening the thin cut. Blood trickled from the wound along with a nasty black substance, soon lapped up by the warrior. Yuki felt hot tears stream down her cheeks as the pain continued to assault her, whimpering as he pulled her closer.

The others watched in mild discomfort as their comrade cleansed the wound of any remaining poison, looking at the small girl in pity:
"Don't be so rough Okita, she's struggling enough as is." Okita looked up, spitting out a gob of black muck:
"She's struggling? This stuff tastes like Nagakura's attempt at miso soup." Nagakura winced, hurt:
"You're so mean Souji..." the man snorted, tilting Yuki's head back as he continued to irritate the wound. She struggled to take in breaths as his hot lips suckled her skin, staring helplessly at the ceiling as he drew the last of the poison from the cut. At least it wasn't hurting as much now.

After what seemed like an eternity Yuki felt Okita loosen his grip on her mouth, and she let her head fall forward onto his shoulder, relieved that she could finally breathe easier:
"You felt that much pain from such little poison? Honestly, you don't have a drug tolerance at all, do you?" she sniffed in response, leaning heavily against him as everything settled back down.

"Well now that that little episode is over, I assume you're feeling better Yuki-chan?" she nodded at Kondo, bowing her head:
"I-I'm sorry for the inconvenience..."

"Don't worry, it's quite alright. Souji, take her back to the containment room and come right back. We'll let her rest for tonight and continue tomorrow." Saito spoke for the first time since they had started, his tone a mixture of disbelief and irritation:
"Kondo-san if you let her go now the serum will wear off and she will have more control over what she says-"

"Don't worry Saito-kun, I have a plan. Go on Souji." The chestnut-haired man sighed, getting up:
"Alright alright..." Yuki could do nothing but dangle limply in his arms as he carried her back to the room Inoue had retrieved her from, looking up at him tiredly as he set her down on the futon and covered her with a blanket:
"I-I'm sorry..." Okita shrugged, tying her hand restraints to a ring on the ceiling, careful to leave the rope long enough for her to be comfortable but contained to one space:
"It's nothing really. I guess Saito had a point in that we shouldn't kill you until we've gotten all the information we need from you. Now." she flinched as he quickly knelt before her, staring up at him wide eyed as the sharp edge of a came to rest against her neck: "Fair warning. If you try to escape I'll kill you, okay?" she nodded faintly, receiving a small smile from the man: "Good, now get some sleep. You'll need it."

Yuki watched worriedly as Okita left the room, slowly curling up into a ball. How did this happen? Why was she in the hands of the Shinsengumi, a ruthless group of ronin who were rumored to kill anyone who even looked at them funny? She sniffled quietly as more tears trickled down her cheeks, fingering the aching cut on her neck. What was going to happen to her?

Harada sighed as they watched Okita take their young captive out of the room, looking over at their silent captain quizzically:
"Kondo-san...what are you thinking?" Kondo smiled at his young warriors, pulling out the second letter they had taken from the girl's person when they found her:
"I think she really is as ignorant and innocent as she claims to be. Not only does the serum that Sannan gave her prove that she does not know anything of the current events surrounding Koudo but I also sense that she is naturally an honest woman. As well, she seems to understand perfectly well the situation she is in at the moment and I believe that she will do anything we ask of her. That is what I think Harada-kun." Hijikata sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly:
"Even so Kondo-san, we cannot just release her. She saw the Rasetsu." Nagakura nodded in agreement, glancing at his Lieutenant dolefully:
"What do you suggest we do with her then Hijikata-san? It isn't our way to just kill an innocent woman because she saw something that was our fault..." Nagakura quickly shut his mouth as Hijikata shot him a warning glare, bowing his head: "Please excuse my words, but it's true. That isn't how we Shinsengumi have done things in the past...why is now any different?" Hijikata furrowed his brows, vexed:
"I understand that perfectly well Harada, you do not need to remind me." Okita entered the room at that moment, pausing as the tension in the air hit him like a physical blow:

"Did I miss something?" Nagakura looked away from Hijikata's intense glare, silent. Kondo looked between his head warriors wearily, opening the letter he had previously taken out:

"Boys, boys...please...Contention in our group will only cause problems, please refrain from arguing about such matters. Take a seat Okita. Let me read this second letter that the girl was carrying before we try to decide what to do about her." Everyone nodded their agreement, sitting attentively as Kondo began reading:

To the Oni of the Satsuma Clan

If this letter has reached you safely I regret to say that our attempts at infiltrating the Shinsengumi have failed and I am fleeing to seek refuge in the arms of the Choshu. I assure you that our studies and alliance will continue despite my lack of appropriate materials. I beg that you do not reveal our personal alliance with the Choshu or the rest of the Satsuma until the time is right, it will serve a more useful purpose later on if we keep our alliance hidden for the time being. On a more positive note, I believe I have found a solution to some of our problems. A girl from an orphanage I served at in Edo named Yuki possesses blood of the finest quality with some interesting properties. Though she is not Oni, I believe she is a demi-god of sorts and thus would be a valuable asset in the battles to come. I have sent for her to come to Kyoto with my personal logs and records. She will be the one delivering this letter so please refrain from harming our young guest unless forced to do so. I will meet you at the Inn as soon as possible though there may be some complications. Put the girl to work if you wish, she is quite the cook and works hard despite her appearance. She does not know of her lineage nor should she at this time. Watch her carefully. She has a tendency to get herself into trouble and wander into situations she should not.

Best regards, Koudo

Kondo refolded the letter and set it next to the first before him, looking around at his officers stunned expressions:
"A demi-god? That little girl?" Their youngest member Heisuke scoffed, waving his hand in dismissal: "No way."

"Don't be so quick to dismiss the idea Heisuke-kun, we have yet to really get to know the girl. If she does indeed carry the blood of a god she could prove to be invaluable as Koudo said in his letter." Saito glanced at their second Lieutenant, keeping his calm demeanor despite the pit of unease welling up in his stomach: "Is there some way that you could test her blood and capabilities Sannan-san?"

The Lieutenant nodded, cleaning his glasses casually as he spoke:
"I could do some blood tests on her to see what comes up but there is no guarantee that we will be able to test her 'capabilities' if she herself has no idea she has them. We would have no idea what to look for even if we tried." Kondo nodded, turning his attention to his first Lieutenant:
"What are your thoughts Toshi? It appears that Saito-kun may have a point." Hijikata shook his head, perplexed by all the possible bad results that could occur:
"I do not believe keeping her here is a good idea but it does give us an advantage over our new enemies. They wanted her for something and if she is as valuable as they claim it could prove to be a good decision. Though my instincts tell me she will bring problems with her if we welcome her into our group I believe that we should give it a try." Kondo nodded, a faint smile spreading across his face:
"I was hoping you'd say that. Well then, any objections?" Everyone's attention snapped to Okita as he raised his hand, preparing themselves for some pathetic onslaught of pure ridiculous thoughts from the young warrior:
"Kondo-san, it's not like I'm opposed to having a cute little lady running around in Headquarters but it could prove to be a distraction for the other soldiers. Might I propose we dress her as a man?" Harada nearly choked on his tea as Okita spoke, staring at the man like he was some crazed bat:
"What? Why would you dress a woman like a man? At some point or another they will find out her true gender whether by accident or some stupid coincidence!" Heisuke chuckled, giving a small shrug:
"It's actually not a bad idea Sano-san. Even if they do find out it won't be until later when they are more accustomed to her presence here. They may be more accepting of a woman once they get to know her." Nagakura laughed, roughly ruffling the younger man's hair:
"Since when did you become so smart Heisuke?"
"You're so mean Shinpachi!" Everyone stared in amusement as the two bickered, rising as Kondo stood:
"Alright then, it's decided, we will let her stay and take Okita's advice to dress her as a man for the time being. We should take turns watching her for the next few days just to ensure that she doesn't get any ideas about escaping. Who will take first watch?" Hijikata nodded, bowing as he left:
"I will, I've got too much paperwork to do anyway." Kondo laughed as he too left, waving at his officers as he headed for his quarters:
"You work to hard sometimes Toshi. It's something I've always admired about you. Goodnight boys."
"Goodnight Kondo-san." Hijikata then continued on to where the girl was being kept as everyone went their separate ways for the nights, smiling slightly as the soft tread of a familiar person reached him:
"Aren't you going to bed Hajime-san? You had the longest patrol today and you're supervising the training of the new troops tomorrow, right?" Saito nodded, continuing to follow him:
"I don't think this girl presents any direct danger to the Shinsengumi but I still don't have a good feeling about her. There's so much we still don't know, it makes me uneasy." Hijikata smiled. Saito was never one to beat around the bush, that was for sure:
"I agree , but if she can give us an advantage over the foe we know even less about I think it's a risk we should take." Saito sighed, letting his weariness show through his usual calm and composed wall:
"I see...Then I shall do my best to complete any task given to me in regards to the girl. I will come relieve you in a few hours." Hijikata shook his head, laying a hand on his comrade's shoulder:
"No, you need to rest. Tell Heisuke or Nagakura to come, they have the day off tomorrow. Go rest, you need it." Saito nodded his thanks, leaving his Lieutenant as they reached the girls room:
"See you tomorrow then."
"Sleep well Hajime." Hijikata silently cracked open the shoji, peering inside. The girl appeared to be asleep, curled up on her side in a tight ball. He closed the door, slowly sinking down onto the edge of the porch as he pulled some documents he'd been given earlier out of his yukata. He truly hoped they had made the right decision to keep her here at headquarters. For all their sakes.

Thanks for reading the first chapter of Watashi Tachi No Saiai No Megumi!

I hope it wasn't too boring, I tried to add a little extra twist from the original story line...anyways, please write a review, it is always inspiring and humbling to hear both the pros and cons of one's work!

Also, please excuse the grammar and spelling mistakes, I'm afraid I am not a professional writer as of yet. :) Arigatou!

(Also, If you have any questions about anything in the chapter feel free to email me or post it as an open question on the reviews!)