Kyoto was a prime example of a capital city; crowded streets, people of many trades and diverse backgrounds, and intimidating to anyone coming from the country or who didn't know the city at all. The city itself was rather huge, and it took people that were even born here a while to adjust themselves and find their way around with ease. The citizens were friendly enough to outsiders, and yet you could also feel a sense of bitterness emanating from them, as if warning the newcomers to not bring anything into the city that would change their way of life.
It was the tail end of December in Kyoto, and despite the extreme cold of the season, the streets were still crowded with people going about their own business, shopping, and the like. With the recent political issues of the dispute of power between the shogunate and the emperor, the country was dividing itself into different factions, the main two being those who wanted the emperor to rule and for foreign powers to stay out of Japan, or those who wished for the Shogun to remain in power but varied in opinion on what to do about foreigners in the country.
The city of Kyoto was primarily sided with the Choushuu domain, a clan from the west who favored the emperor's rule, but the only ones who actually did anything to show how they felt were the imperialists, who began to commit violent acts of murder in Kyoto. The shogun decided then to enlist a force of over 200 rônin in charge of patrolling Kyoto and keeping the city safe and arresting any other rônin or Choushuu extremists that was called the Shinsengumi.
People who had previously flooded the streets suddenly began to disperse away from the street and lower their voices as a group of samurai, distinguishing themselves by wearing light blue haori as the Shinsengumi, walked through the middle of the street, glancing around and looking for any sign of trouble. The city folk murmured their disgust and put on faces of worry and anger, but overall did nothing but watch as the samurai passed.
"They're glaring at us again..", one of the samurai toward the front said in a careless tone. It didn't take much for anyone to realize that he, along with the shorter samurai next to him, were of high ranking in the Shinsengumi. He had a certain air about him that told others that he could easily kill within the blink of an eye.
"So it would seem.", his companion said, his tone not nearly as carefree as the other.
"That doesn't bother you, Saitou-kun?", the first asked.
Saitou shook his head almost unperceptively. "As long as the city and the people within are safe, it matters not what they think of us."
The first rônin laughed at Saitou's words. "That's just like you… Not worrying about what others think about you, just focused on your job."
"You should be as well, Souji.", Saitou said, ignoring his friend's jeers.
"Nah… That's you and Hijikata-san's job, not mine.", Souji said.
Saitou rolled his eyes. "Putting that aside, there is little activity today."
Souji nodded. "Yeah, things do seem awfully quiet today… Not that it's a bad thing."
"Hey, back off, we weren't doing anything!"
"If I believed that pathetic excuse of a lie, I'd be dead long before now."
"So what? You gonna punish us? You part of the Shinsengumi, too?"
Souji and Saitou glanced toward each other, nodded once, and headed toward the commotion, which had a drawn a crowd surrounding the outside of a tea house. They managed to ease their way close to the inner part of the circle, taking in the scene before them before making a move.
Five rônin had a woman surrounded, their hands tightly clenched on their swords. She stood calmly still, almost as if she were unaware of the impending danger she was in.
"You seem confident, since you haven't drawn your sword yet! Or is it just for decoration?", one of the rônin shouted at her.
She flicked her gaze coldly toward him. "I haven't drawn it purely because I'd rather not waste such wonderful craftsmanship on scum like you."
"What was that?!", another yelled, stepping closer to her and holding his sword out further.
"At any rate, you were about to steal from this shop, were you not?", the woman continued, ignoring the man's question.
"And if we were? Are you gonna stop us? A simple woman?"
Her already icy gaze hardened all the more. "Watch your tongue, or no mercy shall be spared on any of you.", she said, her voice low but the threat easy enough to hear.
"I've had enough of you talking like you're something, girl!" The leader charged toward her, a savage battle cry tearing from his lips.
The woman barely moved as she easily dodged his blow, and she grabbed him by the back of his kimono and flung him hard to the ground, the ronin gasping as air rushed out of his lungs.
"Why you-" The rest of the rônin charged as well, only to be beaten down as well. No matter how many times they rose, she continually beat them down until they couldn't even lift their heads to look up at her.
Her hand swiftly but elegantly drew out her sword from its scabbard, and held it close to the back of the lead rônin's neck. "I believe you were talking about how a simple woman couldn't stop you earlier? Want to take back those words now?", she said.
The rônin didn't say anything, his body quaking in fear as the woman's sword lingered over his neck.
She glanced up toward the crowd, and the people surrounding them instinctively flinched at her gaze. "You two are Shinsengumi members, am I right?"
Saitou and Souji both knew that she was talking to them, so they saved some time and pushed themselves out of the crowd and walked toward her.
"Yeah, we are. You handing these guys to us, then?", Souji asked.
"If you wish, unless you want me to handle them. I warn you, though, that might not be the wisest decision if you have any intention of letting them live.", the woman said, her sword creeping closer to the rônin on the ground, making him flinch and whimper.
"We appreciate you handling them for us. We'll take it from here.", Saitou said calmly, beginning to get the other rônin up and ordering the other Shinsengumi soldiers to escort them to headquarters.
"Never seen a female samurai before.. How long have you been a swordsman?", Souji asked the woman as he lifted up the rônin that she had held at sword point.
"All of my life.", she replied curtly. She sheathed her sword fluidly. "Now, if you will excuse me." She bowed, turned on her heel, and walked swiftly away, her back disappearing into the crowd.
"How interesting…", Souji said to himself.
"Souji, let's go. We have to hurry and get these men to headquarters.", Saitou said urgently.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'.", Souji said, dragging the rônin he had along with him.
Souji could feel that they would see her again…. He had an odd feeling that she was more important than merely being the first female samurai he'd ever seen.
Meanwhile, neither the female samurai nor the Shinsengumi captains were aware of someone who watched everything that had just occurred. A worried look crossed her face, and she made her way through the streets of Kyoto, her hands clasped in prayer that she had chosen the right man for what she needed to be done.
And thus the grand stage was set….