Hey guys. It's time for another chapter. I thank all of you for reviewing. Have fun reading.
Kazama suited himself on the roof of their headquarters with a good sight of the female Oni. "What is it, that you like these humans so much?" he said quietly. Down there she washed clothes and sighed several times. Suddenly he heard another voice. "Chizuru." A male voice called her. It was the hot-headed boy Amagiri fought against at Ikeda. "Heisuke-kun. What is it?" a smile appeared on her lips. Heisuke ran towards her. "How is it doing? You always do our dirty stuff." With a loud sigh he left himself down next to her. "You know, Chizuru, I'm happy, that you are here. You make everything better and everyone more motivated. You're a relief." Chizuru stopped the cleaning and sat herself down, too. "Oh, that's nothing. I'm happy to help." Out of a sudden her expression changed. "I just wish, I could find my father." She said sadly and quieter. Also Heisuke's expression changed, he seemed to be worried. "Oh, don't worry, we will find Kodo. That's a promise." Heisuke shrugged his arms behind his head and he looked up in the sky. A shy smile appeared on Chizuru's face.
Kazama asked himself why Chizuru tried to find Kodo. Or that she thought that Kodo was her father. Though he couldn't stop remembering her sad sight, her sad voice. It must be something very important to her. Another thought came up in his mind. Never had he thought about, what was important to him personally. He knew, that it was important for him, as head of the Kazama family, to pay the debt his ancestors had with Satsuma. Also, that it was important to beware his lineage, but that was nothing he, as Kazama Chikage, wanted for his personal interests. Thus, it became crucial to think about, what he really wanted.
With his thoughts in his mind and his eyes fixated on Chizuru he hadn't realised that she looked back, their eyes locked the next moment. They both didn't dare to break the lock, until Heisuke spoke. "What is it, Chizuru?" he asked irritated. "Nothing. It's time for dinner, go inside. I'll come in some minutes." She said, her eyes still staring at Kazama. A bit irritated, Heisuke went inside. Carefully she came some foot lengths nearer. "What do you want here, Kazama?" Slowly he stood up, a smile appeared on his face. He didn't mean this situation to happen, but he wanted to use this opportunity. Quietly he jumped from the roof and stood in front of her. It was a wonder that she hadn't call for help. Instead she made Heisuke go away. Such a weird girl, such a weird situation. Slowly he walked some more steps into her direction and she didn't dare to move. "What do you want here? Do you want to take me?" she asked insecure and her hand wandered towards her kodachi. He was well aware of the fact, that her hands were shaking, just slightly but they were. She didn't even dare to break their eye contract. Next to fear he was also able to see hatred, but something totally different too. It seemed to be curiosity.
"Yes, I want to take you with me, but not today. I was just here to observe, until you saw me." It wasn't lying, he only wanted to watch her, to understand, why she spends so much time with these humans. "Please go. I don't want to be watched." She said coldly, turned around and went inside. She didn't even look at him one last time, before she closed the door, she totally hung him out to dry. That hurt. "You should go." From around a corner came another member of the Shinsengumi. "You are the one, Shiranui likes so much." He recognised. "Is that so? Harada Sanosuke it is. A pleasure to finally talk to you, Kazama." He smiled, though his Yari placed between the two men. "The pleasure is mine." Kazama said in his usual cold-ish voice. "But I don't intend to play with you today. I don't want to hurt Shiranui's toy." With these words spoken and a smirk on his face he vanished.
"Where have you been?" Amagiri asked him, when he returned. "Out. What's the matter?" Amagiri sighed audible. "We have been invited to Shimabara to investigate for Satsuma. You'll go tomorrow." Kazama nodded. "Fine, I'll go." The Oni was happy that Amagiri always did the official stuff, so that he only had to do the work. Since his childhood they had known each other and have been close friends. They had also divided their work like this. Amagiri had talked to the people and Kazama had done the work. Not, that Kazama wasn't capable of doing politics. He just didn't like it very much and politic conversations always bored him vastly. Mostly he was present, but his mind was almost every time occupied with other things. And this time, it was Chizuru. "Oh, and Amagiri." He said, before he finally left his friend. "What is it?" Amagiri was always relaxed and never showed any kind of emotions, which was a funny thing for Kazama, who was clearly the opposite. "Thanks for your work."
In Shimabara he sat in a room with about ten humans, who discussed the next steps of something. Kazama really tried to listen, but shortly after the event started he got annoyed and left. It was a chilly night and he enjoyed the fresh air, until a certain scent expanded in his nostrils. It was Chizuru's special scent, he was sure. Effortless he found the origin of that smell and saw her outside of a room, who looked puzzled after a noisily vanishing Heisuke. There was another opportunity to take her with him. Before he approached her, he let his eyes run over her appearance. Her usual male clothes were replaced with a beautiful rainbow coloured kimono, which really suited her. The kimono itself was light red and became more orange further down. Lighter red flowers were knitted onto it. The large ribbon, which hold the fabric on her body was dark blue with golden ornaments. It was a masterpiece of clothes, though he could sense that she felt uncomfortable in it. The brown hair of hers wasn't bend to a normal ponytail. Her pony was bend above her head, so that her sight was free.
When he appeared behind her, she magically turned around and their eyes met suddenly. His crimson ones burned into her brown ones. Her face was paler than the last time he saw her, probably due to her make-up. Also her eyes were painted, in fact, they were perfectly highlighted with red ink over her eye lash, her lashes itself dark and long. In the first second, her eyes sunk into his, no doubt, she liked to stare at them. Only when she realised which eyes fascinated her, she was petrified. Her expression changed, he could see fear in them. She didn't expect him, he guessed. "Uhm." She stumbled. "Bring some sake." He said relaxed. He had decided that he wanted to play her game. It would be amusing, to see her react to him. Of course, she recognised him, he was sure that her heart stopped for a second, the moment she realised who he was. Still petrified, they stared into each other's eyes, as she simply wasn't able to move in that situation. That really amused him.
In the distance some men laughed loudly, the men he escaped from. "I'm tired of their monkey business and slipped out to get some fresh air. Drinking with those jerks is great disrespect to sake." He said with his dark voice. It seemed, that Chizuru was still in shock. Their eyes met again, but shortly after, she looked away, a blush appeared on her cheeks. "Hurry. You are the geiko here, aren't you?" Kazama tried to get her out of her reserve. Finally, she spoke. "Yes." Was her short answer. She asked him to have a seat in the room next to them. "Please wait a moment, I am going to prepare the sake right now." She didn't even try to pretend that she was a geiko. Drunken men wouldn't probably recognise, but he wasn't drunk or dumb. It was disappointing, that she was that less prepared for him. "How strange. You don't speak like a geiko. Were you born in the East?" It was fun to pretend not to know. Her mood hadn't changed once, she still had that fear in her eyes, which made him sort of sad. "My apologies. I..am fresh here and still can't be used to it." Such a bad lie, he thought. "All geiko in Shimabara should have started their career as servant girls since childhood." Now your game is over. He smiled, and Chizuru let out a sigh of shock. "Enough of your tricks, Yukimura Chizuru." That was the first time, she really looked him into his crimson eyes with surprise. "Do you think, I would fail to recognise you?" When their eyes met this time, a totally different expression showed in his eyes. It was longing, the more he looked at her, the more he wanted her, just now.
She could be a beauty, if the Shinsengumi let her. It was totally different, to be in her present when she looked like this, when she was so beautiful. The longing expanded from minute to minute, the more he breathed her scent, the more her eyes stared at him, the more she was in his presence, the more his longing grew, until it burned in his chest. Never had he felt anything for a woman before, not only because there were a very few female oni, but also because he never had interest in one in particular. But Chizuru in her beautiful outfit and her perfect make-up changed that. Chizuru became much more interesting.
Kazama made his decision, his heartbeat fastened rapidly. His hand grabbed her chin and he pulled her slowly towards him. Where their skin met, he felt her much colder skin, but the touch became from moment to moment stronger. "Sure enough. Your beauty is worthy of my hand in marriage. My possessiveness towards you grows even stronger now." Then he grabbed her left hand with his free one, their eyes locked. "Please, let go of me, I'm not your wife." She said desperately, her voice almost failed. "This is a compliment. You should be proud." But she tried to get out of his grip, again he could see fear in her eyes rising. His need to kiss her grew in every moment. Her skin was soft and warm, her smell gorgeous. Only inches separated their faces. His heartbeat became faster, the tingling too. He could also hear her heart beat faster, their hearts almost in sync. Her cheeks turned soft red, their eyes still locked. Slowly his lips turned towards hers. But before they could touch each other, they were disturbed. The door opened and the next thing he felt was a hit on his head. "Behave yourself." Sen-hime told him angrily. Because of that, Chizuru was able to free herself out of his grip. "Osen-chan" she spoke out relieved. "Chizuru-chan, run." Kazama still recovered from this shock moment. That woman destroyed his moment. "You bitch." He yelled at her, anger rising. But Sen just made him angrier. "What?" Chizuru took the opportunity and ran out of the room. "Stop. I'm not finished talking yet." Was his desperate response to stop her from leaving. Though, it was useless, she was gone.
"The man who always clings to woman won't be welcomed." Sen's moral suasion irritated him hugely. What was it, she wanted from him? Why bother? "What?" he asked vexed. "It's just normal that your behaviour annoys Chizuru-chan." She lectured him further. Before she went on, they sat down and Kimigiku brought sake. "Kazama Chikage, you don't know how to court a woman at all." Kazama mould himself some sake, before he spoke. "Oh? You want to lecture me on courting women?" he asked amused. To get an advice on how to court women by a woman was absurd, but he still listened, as good as he could. Maybe something would be of any use. "Hum, whatever. You must be well raised as the leader of your family and you also have a nice outward appearance. So, you must think women will all crawl to get close to you. And you never think about what women want." He refilled his cup several times, while she talked. "Are you listening?" she asked angrily, when he refilled another time. Yes, he had listened, but her words didn't sink into his mind. "What did you say?" he asked half earnest, half out of amusement. "I said, have you ever considered what women want?" What women want? That question echoed through his mind. Had he? Was it necessary?
"Nonsense. Why would I ever need to consider such things?" But he wasn't sure, if that was the right answer. It was definitely the easiest one. "You weren't here for Chizuru in the first place, right?" Slowly, but surely that woman made him get annoyed. "So, what?" he asked bored. "You were probably here to find things out about other states and then you ran into her. You thought, she was walking into a trap, so you tried to take her. What happened next was an absolute don't. And you are not serious about that." Sen talked, and of course she was right, somehow. But he wouldn't let her know that. "This sake is not strong at all." He told Kimigiku, who served him the last sake. "Be honest, what do you really think of Chizuru-chan?" Sen asked further. She really was tedious. Much more annoying was, that she had a point. A point, which made up a big question mark in his mind. He never felt forced to think about that at all. "
Yukimura Chizuru is a precious female Oni of the original bloodline. It is beyond dispute, that she should be brought back to our race. The birth rate of female Oni is twenty percent of the whole population. And those of the original bloodline are even more precious. To revive the Yukimura clan and to protect our lineage, it doesn't matter whether there is love between us or not." That was fact and it was important, that he found someone to revive his linage. But that was not, what he felt. It now was the clearest thing in his mind. The more often he saw Chizuru, the more he was sure about it. No way, that he would admit it to Sen-hime, himself or someone else. "So you say, that your attempt to take Chizuru-chan was only for the protection of our linage?" Sen was slightly dashed. "What else did you expect?" Now she was speechless. Then Kimigiku had a pretty bold idea. "Hime-sama is also a female Oni of the original blood." Even when she had a point, that didn't mean that he was interested in Sen. On the contrary. It might have been, that the princess was also beautiful, but he also knew, that she wasn't perfect pure, because her grandfather was human.
But it wasn't even that argument, it was much more, that Chizuru made him feel things, he never felt before. And that was the reason, he would never think about another person to marry, then her. Even if he considered, taking Sen, he doubted, that he was able to take much more than five minutes in one room with her, she was such an annoying oni. "Do you wish to be taken by me?" he asked teasingly non-the less. Her expression showed what he hoped. "Absolutely not." Good, he thought.
Outside noises filled the room. An uproar started again, and Sen had enough. "My, my." She sighed. "Try to make her fall in love with you by your attitude." She said honestly, before she was interrupted by a male voice. "I found her." He yelled. Sen looked troubled. "You should know that taking women only by force is not what real men do. Can't you say something like 'come and follow me!'?" Another men's voice interrupted her, and she had enough. Someone started a fight and Sen stood up. "Wait for a moment, I haven't finished my words." And with these words she was gone.
But Kazama didn't wait. He had enough of her lecturing and how to court women. It was his decision, how he appeared Chizuru. One thing was clear, he realised, he had to face her differently from now on. The other thing that was clear, was the fact that he really wanted her.
Kazama decided to go back and see, how the humans talk progressed, as a certain oni ran into his arms. "Wait woman." An angry voice yelled in his direction. 'Humans.' He thought and sighed. Suddenly he could feel her aura. Slowly he turned around and her eyes stared into his. She was just as much irritated to see him so fast again, as he was to see her again. "Huh? Did you come back to let me take you?" he teased her. He couldn't hide a smirk, when she blushed. Loud footsteps droned over the floor and a drunken man reached out for Chizuru. "Found you." He babbled. A firm grip tried to get hold of her. Distaste and fear hit her body and she begged him to let her go. Revulsion was also the feeling, that went through Kazama.
That man dared to touch his wife! Carefully he grabbed one of her hands, his eyes investigated her face, so signal her, that he didn't mean any harm and he pulled her closer. Afterwards he stepped closer towards the drunk. When that man wasn't able anymore to hold her, Kazama saw irritation on his face. "What the hell?" he asked, but soon after Kazama made him fall to the ground, so that he fell unconscious. From below he could hear her friends start a major tumult. "It seems, thanks to your people, that my investigation for Satsuma ends here." From next to him, he felt a glare from Chizuru. It flattered him, that she examined his appearance. "What's all the noise about?" an angry male voice asked. From the corner of his eyes he could see other men approaching.
Fastly he turned towards Chizuru, her hand pulled in his. When he touched her, another blush appeared on her face but she didn't dare to pull away. Their eyes met another time and it seemed that she wasn't afraid anymore. Not of him, at least. "I enjoyed this evening." He said and smiled gently at her. Before she knew what had happened, he placed a kiss on her forehead, before he faced her again. "Now go. I'll distract him." His voice was just as loud, that she was able to hear him. "Oi, what are you doing there?" a man asked him, slowly coming nearer. Her hand was still in his, as he turned halfway around. "Go, Chizuru." Were his last words, before he rubbed with his thump over her palm and let her finally go. It took her a short moment, before she started to run. "Don't let her go." The man screamed and advised his men to run after her. But Kazama stood himself in their way. "Out of the way." The man yelled at him. Slowly Kazama pulled out his katana, his eyes shone blood red. With a heap of the handle of his katana and his oni speed, he knocked them out. One after another. When they all lay down on the ground and let out a groan, he sighed heavily. The softness of her skin still burned on his lips, her stare was highlighted in his thoughts. Slowly his fingers touched his lips, with the hope, that his lips would some time meet her lips. Another smile appeared on his face, when the thought of their last moment came in his mind again. She wasn't afraid. That let him hope, for something. Then he vanished, as his job was done here.
