Author's Note: Alright. So, even though I am pretty busy and can't commit to super frequent updates, I couldn't resist the temptation to write this new story. The plot bunny burrowed its way into my brain and won't let it go. It's much easier for me to write one-shots because of how little free time I have, but this idea just wouldn't leave it at that. XP

Disclaimer: I don't own Hakuouki; I'm merely borrowing the (super attractive) characters and setting, as well as some plot elements, to play with them. I'm poor, so please don't sue me! (The dialogue at the beginning of this chapter is borrowed almost directly from the game with some slight tweaks, for plot setup, but from there on it is all fabricated by yours truly.)

"Ah, thank goodness you're here. If you had gone out, I wouldn't have been able to look for you." I turned to see the owner of the voice who had let himself into my room unannounced. I felt a small chill run down my spine at the almost too-pleasant tone of Sannan's voice.

I told myself I was merely imagining things and tried to ignore my discomfort, "Sannan?! But…it's daytime! Are you sure you're alright?!" It was always easiest for me to deflect my own feelings when I worried about someone else's; a defense mechanism in its own right.

"Yes, yes. I've just had a revelation. I can't possibly stay in bed," his smile was genuine and gleaming, but I couldn't help the bubble of unease that erupted in my chest once again. There was something about his expression which hinted at manic elation rather than friendly joy. "Will you listen to my idea?"

I had a feeling he was going to tell me whether I said yes or not, but in case he was feeling on-edge, I didn't want to do anything to exacerbate the situation. I tried to make my nod as nonchalant as possible, doing my best to arrange my face into an expression of simple curiosity.

"You're a demon," he stated bluntly. Of course, I had already known this fact, but hearing it was never easy. I hoped he didn't noticed I had flinched at his words. If he did, he ignored it easily and continued, "And as a demon, you're stronger, faster, and more resilient than a human." Although he seemed overjoyed at whatever epiphany he'd had, the tone he'd taken on for this explanation seemed so… clinical. I tried to keep my gaze blank as he went on, "Demonic superiority was displayed quite clearly by those demons who attacked us just the other night."

I understood that he was implying I held those same attributes, but I wasn't following where any sort of revelation could have occurred; where exactly he was going with this explanation. I tried to sound offhand, "What are you trying to say?"

"A demon possesses immense power. It follows that the blood which flows through demon veins should be similarly powerful. Perhaps it is even potent enough to completely counteract the madness of furies." Even if there was a manic edge to his words, his explanation was logical.

I couldn't deny that, but what if he were wrong, "How can you know that for sure?"

He answered without missing a beat, "Since before I became a fury, I've been researching how the ochimizu works. I know more about it than anyone else here." His smile turned slightly smug, "How could I be wrong then? In any event, I believe it's worth testing." Suddenly the manic edge creeped in again, but I couldn't exactly blame him for it, even if it made me want to take a step away from him, "If I am correct… Oh, it would be wonderful! Your very existence could save the Rasetsu Corps! …No, the entire Shinsengumi!"

I tried to ignore the madness in his tone, and instead focus on the logic to his theory. My thoughts were abruptly interrupted, however, when I noticed he had unsheathed his blade! "Wait!"

His features were devoid of mania, but the apathy behind his eyes as he spoke words meant to reassure me only unnerved me further, "Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not going to kill you or anything. I just want a small sample of your blood. That's all…"

I wanted time to think it over before blindly agreeing to such a proposition, but it seemed Sannan didn't want to give me that chance. My heart stuck in my throat as I slowly backed away as he advanced, still brandishing his blade. I felt my back hit the wall; there was no escape. It was at that moment that I heard the door slide open, "What is this, Sannan?"

He turned to the Shinsengumi commander with a smile, "Oh, Hijikata. Excellent timing. Please, give me a hand here."

I let out a sigh of relief as Hijikata carefully entered the room and stepped between me and Sannan's blade, his hand resting on the hilt of his own sword. Sannan was aghast, "What are you doing? This could be a breakthrough for the Shinsengumi."

Violet eyes narrowed; he spoke through gritted teeth, "For the last time, Sannan. What are you doing?"

Unfazed, Sannan continued to smile in that slightly manic way, "I'm searching for a way to treat the madness of the furies. For the good of the Shinsengumi."

Suddenly, Hijikata was yelling, obviously unhappy with how Sannan had decided to handle the situation, "And that means you have to cut her?"

As though he had been slapped, Sannan took a step back and slowly lowered his blade; he seemed to finally realize what he had been doing – and how it had looked. Sheepishly, without looking either of us in the eye, he returned his sword to its scabbard, "I – I apologize. I had no intention of killing her, however. I only meant to collect a bit of her blood." He sounded sad, almost defeated, as he continued, "…We've lost so many of the furies. Many of our human soldiers have fallen as well. If we abandon the furies, and finding a cure to the madness they endure, I fear more of our men will die." Finally, he looked up, and in his eyes I saw pain; pleading, he went on, "Everything I do, I do for the Shinsengumi, Hijikata. You must understand."

"I do understand, Sannan. But you are a colonel of that very same Shinsengumi; are you prepared to break the Code?" He had lowered his own weapon, as well as his voice, while taking in Sannan's desperate rationalization. "What I walked in on you about to do to Yukimura would have broken the Code. We don't fight our own, no matter the circumstances. Or have you forgotten?"

Sannan's shoulders sagged as he averted his eyes once again, "Of course I hadn't forgotten. I just got so caught up…" With another sigh, he turned his gaze to me, "Please, forgive me, Yukimura."

He looked so broken, so genuinely apologetic, I didn't even have to think before I found myself nodding.

He gave me a sad smile in return, "Thank you. And, please, don't let my…behavior deter you from answering." Although he was clearly embarrassed by his earlier actions, he'd meant what he had said to Hijikata. The Shinsengumi came first, and now was not a time to let his pride stop him from reaching his goal, "Will you help us?"

Now it was my turn to avert my gaze, opting instead to stare at the ground as I turned over the idea in my head, carefully considering each of his words from earlier. The threat of war was certainly growing ever more perilous, and I was feeling increasingly useless as time wore on… but no, this was not a split-second sort of decision. With a gulp, I tried to steel my resolve as I looked up to meet his eyes once again, "I – I'd like some time to think it over, if that's alright."

Sannan looked for a moment as though he wanted to argue against my request, but it was Hijikata who spoke instead, "That's an excellent idea, Yukimura. We'll leave you to consider your position…alone." He directed the last word pointedly at the colonel whose shoulders sagged in resignation.

His pale eyes met mine briefly as he followed the commander from my room; I saw Hijikata pause beyond the door, though he didn't turn it was obvious he was listening to Sannan's words carefully. It seemed unnecessary, however, as the colonel simply apologized once again for his previous actions, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Yukimura. I… appreciate that you have decided to at least consider the possibility." He looked as though there was more he wanted to say, but after a moment's hesitation he merely bowed awkwardly before sliding the door closed behind him.

I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding and leaned against the wall. I tried not to dwell on the thoughts of what could have happened if Hijikata hadn't intervened when he did. Instead, I needed to focus on the issue at hand. Looking around my room, I felt almost like the walls were closing in on me; claustrophobic. I decided a walk around the compound would allow me to better clear my head and heart before tackling the question; I knew that whatever I decided, I needed to give it the careful consideration it deserved first.

After a small jaunt around the compound, I found myself in my favorite place beneath the small cluster of trees in the corner of the courtyard. I breathed in the cool air deeply before leaning against the largest tree and looking up to the sky.

With all-out war on the horizon, and looming more and more heavily over us, the captains were beginning to feel less and less comfortable using me as a messenger. I understood their reasons quite clearly, although no one had taken me aside to explain. I had long ago honed my skills of reading between the lines where the Shinsengumi were concerned. I knew that they were no longer apprehensive to send me on missions due to the risk to my safety. It had grown to be more than that. Years ago they had admitted that I could hold my own well enough to join them on raids and patrols, but I was still far from being able to come out on top in a one-on-one battle with a trained and skilled swordsman. And certainly even less capable of taking on multiple aggressors at once. A messenger who cannot run a solo mission, or fend off potential interceptors is useless. If the message is never delivered, it does not only mean my safety was compromised, but also that of the Shinsengumi. The chances of me failing such duties were increasing just as tension between domains across the country were.

Therefore the only responsibilities I could reasonably shoulder were, once again, cooking and cleaning. After finally having made progress in proving my usefulness to the captains, I felt like I was back to square one. Even if they let me explore the compound freely nowadays, it was hard to glean purpose and satisfaction from such inconsequential tasks. Although the men seemed to appreciate my cooking, and the softness of their linens, I knew they had easily taken care of such chores without me before I came along.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the bark of the tree, letting my eyes drift closed. If I were being honest with myself, I knew from the moment the words left Sannan's lips that I there was no way I could refuse. It was the perfect opportunity to repay the men of the Shinsengumi, especially the captains, for all they had done for me. However, I couldn't deny that I had some reservations. The manic gleam in Sannan's eyes as he'd pulled his blade on me earlier hadn't left my mind. I involuntarily shivered at the memory.

Author's Note: I've already got the next chapter written (though not typed) and the general gist of how things are going to play out in the beginning worked out, but I'm hoping to get reader input to determine how things will go beyond a certain point! It won't quite be a choose your own adventure, but making sure people are enjoying what I'm writing is important to me, so I'd love to hear what folks would like to see happen to our protagonist in the future. Please let me know what you think of the story otherwise, too. If you like the plot, want to read more, or have any sort of comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading~ See you next time!