Honor

Chapter 2

A Threat


Swords clashed and a clang rang out throughout the courtyard. Okita was sitting on the hallway steps, watching as Saito and Tsuyuki sparred. It was their seventh day with the Shinsengumi, and Chizuru and Tsuyuki were kept in their room all hours of the day. This was the first time they were let out.

"Tsuyuki is skilled with her blades, what is it she carries that staff for? What does it do?" Okita questioned Chizuru as Chizuru watched, excited.

"Tsuyuki doesn't like to talk about her abilities, but her staff is her main weapon and her swords are a diversion. Her staff… well, you'll see. She won't use it in spars; it's too dangerous despite her skill to maneuver it." Chizuru danced around the topic, answering his question but not fully. If Okita noticed her lacking answer, he didn't say anything. Instead he watched as the spar ended in a draw, Tsuyuki's first sword was at Saito's neck and her other sword was at his heart. Saito's sword was behind her neck and he was almost hunched over her.

"You're very skilled; it was an honor to fight you. You're skilled in left handed swordsmanship as well as a master of Iaijutsu." Tsuyuki complimented smoothly as she sheathed her swords. She looked to Chizuru.

"Well, we'd best train you now also." Chizuru stood up, looking at Okita who gave her a reassuring grin.

"Hajime won't kill you." Okita assured her as Tsuyuki stepped off to the side, leaving Chizuru shocked and in front of Saito.

"But Tsuyuki-kun, I'm used to training with you." Chizuru meekly protested. Tsuyuki shook her head.

"My style of swords is a style you will not see. Dual wielding seems to not be popular in Japan either, which I had been hoping for when I arrived here from my homeland. And I am not the only opponent you will face; Saito-san will be a better opponent for you for now. He's a master of Iaijutsu, let's give your skill set diversity." and without another word Tsuyuki took her seat next to Okita. Chizuru looked at Saito with determination. She unsheathed her sword and got into the stance she had been taught.

"Come at me with intent to kill. You will not harm me." Saito told her shortly. Chizuru waited for Saito to move, but he merely let out what Chizuru took to be a kind of laugh. He didn't move to get into a position. Chizuru knew that Tsuyuki typically began her spar like this also, so Chizuru nodded before rushing at Saito and swinging at him. She missed as he deftly dodged to the side, and in one motion unsheathed his sword and had it placed at her neck. Chizuru stood, shocked.

'When Tsuyuki-kun and Saito-san fought earlier, they had made it look so easy…' Chizuru gulped as Saito sheathed his sword.

"Your master should be proud. Your blade was not clouded." Saito informed her stepping back.

"Well, it shows that you two can at least hold your own. We can probably take you with us on patrols soon so that you can search for Kodo-san, we know you've been itching to do so. You'll just have to wait for Hijikata to return from Osaka so we can ask him." Okita announced, walking over to Chizuru. Saito took Okita's seat next to Tsuyuki. Tsuyuki watched as Chizuru blushed, remembering how when Tsuyuki had been taken to take care of her bodily needs, Chizuru had been talking to herself and Okita had been outside as their guard that evening. Tsuyuki and Shinpachi, who had taken her to where she could relieve herself, had returned to Okita smirking and Chizuru blushing wildly as she attempted to fruitlessly explain she had not been talking to herself.

"You taught Chizuru-san to fight?" Saito asked as they watched Okita tease Chizuru.

"No, I've only sparred with her on our travels here. Her father had her under the tutelage of a skilled instructor from Edo." Tsuyuki corrected him.

"Is she hesitant?" Saito questioned.

"Yes, I believe she fears getting hurt. Should she need to, I'm sure she may draw her sword. But she's afraid of pain and afraid of hurting others. Thus why I am with her." explained Tsuyuki, watching as Chizuru blushed madly again and Okita threw his head back to laugh loudly.

"You are a mercenary?" Saito looked over at Tsuyuki, who smirked.

"Possibly. I could also be an assassin. Or a mere warrior. Or perhaps a shinobi." Tsuyuki countered.

"Chizuru-san refers to you as Tsuyuki-kun, is kun not insulting to a woman such as yourself?" Saito tilted his head. Tsuyuki sighed and looked at Chizuru.

"She's very friendly; I was Tsuyuki-taichou to her when we began our journey. Then I told her we are more familiar, and she called me Tsuyuki-chan. I told her that I am Tsuyuki-kun, if anything else. Chan is an insult to me, I am a warrior. Calling me chan is just as insulting as calling me Tsuyuki-hime." explained Tsuyuki. Saito nodded in understanding.

"Alright, let's head back in. It's freezing out here." Okita called. Saito and Tsuyuki looked over at him, and Tsuyuki looked at her fingerless gloved hands.

"My fingers are turning red, it's best to go inside." Tsuyuki agreed, standing. Saito stood behind her and Tsuyuki turned to him, feeling his eyes on her.

"Your yukata is thin." Saito pointed out. Tsuyuki laughed, a creepy, scratchy sound.

"I wear more layers beneath this." explained Tsuyuki. She gestured to the black collar that reached up her chin, the dark blue western shirt she wore above that, the white hakama that was worn under her red yukata. As she moved the fabric, a silver chain caught Saito's eyes. He reached for it, and Tsuyuki flinched back in the most undignified manner he had seen from her so far.

"Don't touch that." she hissed, eyes narrowing considerably. Saito had never taken notice of her eyes before now. Her eyes were the same color as blood, a rare color for eyes he noticed. Her hair was also a strange hue of silver almost white. Were all foreigners strange like this?

Tsuyuki held Saito's gaze for a moment before she turned and stormed off towards where Okita and Chizuru were making their way back to the girl's room. Saito watched her go, taking note that when the wind blew her hair back it revealed a tattoo mostly hidden by the black collar on the back of her neck. Saito looked up at the darkening sky, watching the clouds come in.

'That woman…'

Later in the day at dusk, Tsuyuki sat meditating on her bedroll. Chizuru was looking around the room, utterly bored. There was nothing in their room for her to do, conversation with Tsuyuki was out of the question as she almost always meditated when they were in their room, and they were not allowed to leave the room. Chizuru knew Tsuyuki was itching to leave, as Tsuyuki had predicted snow and Tsuyuki loved to meditate in falling snow.

'I remember when I came across Tsuyuki last year, I had been over to her home to ask if she had any dried herbs left and I found her in her yard, sitting on a rock as the snow fell around her. She had looked like an angel, the snow falling around her silver hair and landing on her pale skin. I had been worried; her hands were almost blue from cold. So I had called her and had her go inside. She gave me the herbs I came for and I left, but I peered into her yard again only to find her on the rock meditating once again.' Chizuru thought fondly, recalling her memory. She looked to Tsuyuki. Tsuyuki's face was relaxed, giving her a small, innocent look. She looked defenseless and sweet when relaxed. But when footsteps reached Tsuyuki's ears, her eyes opened and the look was shattered by the crimson pools.

"Okita-san." she greeted as the door slid open. Okita stuck his head in, grinning lazily at them.

"Hajime says dinner time." Okita informed them as Saito appeared behind him. In his hands were two trays that were precariously balanced with food on them.

"Guys! Dinner time!" Heisuke called as he sprinted down the hall and pausing at Saito and Okita.

"My apologies. I'll finish my job." Saito told him. Heisuke turned to the girls.

"Yeah yeah, hey, what's the harm in letting them eat with us? It must be boring, watching them eat." Heisuke commented.

"I was told they were to be in their room." Saito answered.

"It's okay; Hijikata is out to Osaka on a business trip."Heisuke pointed out. Okita rubbed his chin.

"You're right, it's boring to watch them eat." Okita announced, he grabbed one of the trays Saito had in his arms and passed it to Heisuke.

"Why'd you give it to me?" questioned Heisuke.

"You were the one who proposed it. Let's go." Okita turned and started down the hall.

"Thank you, Toudou-san." Chizuru said politely. Heisuke frowned.

"Listen, you can drop the "Toudou-san" thing, okay? Just call me 'Heisuke'. Everybody else does. Besides, we look to be about the same age. And I'll call you Chizuru." Heisuke told Chizuru before turning to Tsuyuki, "You too. You can't be much older than us, Tsuyuki." Tsuyuki's lip quivered slightly.

"What?" Heisuke asked.

"Chizuru-san is older than I am; I just look older due to my height and foreign facial structure." Tsuyuki informed him, her smirk widening when Heisuke looked absolutely flabbergasted.

"It's not by that much, Tsuyuki-kun. I'm only a year older than you, and you're much more experienced than I am." Chizuru blushed as Heisuke looked between them incredulously.

"I'd say you're joking, but you're not a joking person… anyway, let's go eat…" Heisuke looked between them once more, still looking unsure. But he shrugged it off and started off. Tsuyuki, looking thoroughly amused, followed behind and Chizuru followed Tsuyuki, giggling to herself slightly.

"You're late." accused Harada as they entered the room.

"You kids're late, who's gonna answer to my crying stomach?" questioned Shinpachi loudly.

"What're the girls doing here?" Harada inquired, noticing the girls and looking them over.

"You mean growling Shin." Heisuke snickered at Shinpachi, before blinking and turning to Harada, "What? They're not allowed?"

"Nah, that ain't it. Food tastes better when everyone eats it together." Shinpachi sat back and pat his stomach while grinning.

"Look, quit just standing there. Have a seat." Harada got up and sidled over a spot. Chizuru took the spot between Harada and Shinpachi while Tsuyuki sat next to Saito and across from Shinpachi.

"You guys oughta apologize to my stomach! He wanted to dig in, but I said, 'No, we've got to wait for them.'" Shinpachi commented as Saito set Tsuyuki's tray down.

"You're such a softie, Shin… alright guys, it's time to eat and that means every man for himself." Harada announced. Everyone sat at their places and muttered "Itadakimasu" with their heads bowed and chopsticks clasped between their hands. Then they dug in.

"Man, these portions are stingy. Barely enough to feed a kid, let alone a man. So I'll just have to…" Shinpachi looked over at Heisuke, who sat to his right, "Take yours!" His chopstick flashed out and before Heisuke could say anything he had ripped part of the fish off, "Survival of the fittest! This food is mine!"

"Oi! Shipatsu, why do you always go after my food?" Heisuke sputtered, annoyed. Shinpachi laughed full heartily before replying.

"It's cause of the difference in size, kid! I got a bigger body. That means I need more food!" Shinpachi explained, and Heisuke snorted.

"Well, I'm still growing, old man, so I gotta eat more too!" Heisuke went to go get a piece of Shinpachi's fish, but Shinpachi grabbed the entire fish with his chop sticks.

"Too slow!" he laughed before taking a bite of half the fish and chewing.

"You're eating it as-is!?" Heisuke cried, "At least spit out the bones… that's disgusting." Shinpachi, ignoring Heisuke, crunched through the rest of the fish and swallowed. He still held the fish tail in his chop sticks.

"Want this?" he questioned, waving it before Heisuke's face.

"No, I don't!" Heisuke yelled.

"It's like this every time," Harada sighed with a grin, "Sorry for the ruckus."

"Why don't ya eat it?" Shinpachi pushed the tail into Heisuke's face.

"I said I don't need it!" Heisuke protested, leaning back away from the offending fish tail.

"It's fine. It's fun, eating together and it being lively." Chizuru replied to Harada with a smile. Harada grinned down at her.

"You've finally smiled." Harada noted in a friendly tone. Meanwhile, Tsuyuki saw the flash of chopsticks from the corner of her eye and she easily blocked them with her own.

"Okita-san, this food is mine." Tsuyuki growled, eyeing Okita who was giving her a lackadaisical grin.

"Is acceptance of such insanity not somewhat frightening?" wondered Saito, blocking a pair of chopsticks from his own food that came from Heisuke, "… this food is mine."

"I'm good, if I get too full then I start getting slow." Okita leaned back patting his stomach. His tray was almost empty, some of the fish still sat there.

"Hey! What do ya mean, 'slow'!?" cried Shinpachi as he eyed Okita's tray, "Whatever, I'm taking that." Shinpachi snatched up the remainder of Okita's fish and gulped it down as he did to the previous fish.

"Go for it," Okita pushed his tray toward to reveal a few vegetables were left in a bowl, "So long as I got a little sake to sip, I'm good."

"I guess I'm going with sake too." Harada smiled contentedly as he sipped his sake.

"Pass me the sake." Tsuyuki requested, receiving a few looks.

"Can you even drink?" inquired Okita, "Besides, women don't really drink sake."

"You forget I'm a foreigner and that before I am a woman I am a warrior." demurred Tsuyuki as she grabbed the bottle of sake. She poured it into her cup and sipped it. She put her cup down.

"I've always liked sake. It tastes like the wine where I come from, only it's stronger." Tsuyuki let lose a little smile, which made everyone feel a little bit more cheerful. Tsuyuki didn't smile often.

"You two, eat your hearts out okay? You're not freeloaders or anything." Harada told them when he noted Chizuru's picking at her food.

"I feel a little bad for not helping at all." she admitted.

"Eat. You have to protect what's yours. How can you when you have no energy?" Saito didn't say any more, instead going back to his meal. Tsuyuki finished her own meal, eyeing Saito's rice. Then, quicker than Saito could block, she had swiped up a bit of rice.

"Every man for himself." Tsuyuki snickered when Saito glared at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door slid open and Inoue entered the hall.

"Gentlemen, do you have a moment?" Inoue inquired. His voice was warm but his eyes showed a solemn sadness. Immediately, the room's atmosphere changed.

"I've just received word from Osaka. Sanan has been gravely injured in battle." The room went silent, and even Tsuyuki looked on in grave silence. Inoue continued to explain the situation, about how Sanan had been injured by a ronin when investigating a cloth merchant who had been getting harassed by several ronin.

"Will he be alright?" Chizuru questioned.

"It wasn't his sword arm that was wounded. He's almost certain to survive, but wielding a blade will be… difficult for him." Inoue answered quietly.

"Thank goodness." Chizuru whispered.

"He should be returning here in a few days. Now please, excuse me. I must speak with Kondou." Inoue bowed to everyone before backing out of the room. As soon as the door closed, the room was enveloped in silence. Saito was the first to break it.

"A sword is not made to be carried in a single hand. If his injury is severe, he many never carry a blade again." Saito stated ominously. Chizuru gasped, eyes wide.

"Couldn't he learn to do what Tsuyuki-kun does?" Chizuru asked weakly.

"Unlike me, Sanan does not duel wield nor is he, oh, how do you say it in Japanese… ambidextrous? Yes, ambidextrous, excuse my accent on the word. Should I lose an arm, I am able to easily still wield one sword. however Sanan's blade requires both hands as he isn't as strong as me or as used to dual wielding as I am." explained Tsuyuki carefully. Chizuru nodded in understanding.

"Well," Okita sighed, "If push comes to shove he'll just have to accept it. Sanan's not the type to give up."

"Hey don't jinx him, Souji. It's gonna look bad if officers start joining the Corps." Shinpachi spoke up.

"Corps? Isn't that the Shinsengumi?" Chizuru questioned before Tsuyuki could debate if staying silent would be detrimental to them.

"Well," Heisuke began, "Normally, yeah. You might call the Shinsengumi the 'Elite Volunteer Corps'. When we talk about 'the Corps' though, we-"

"Heisuke!" Harada was on his feet in an instant and Heisuke's eyes widened as Harada's fist connected with Heisuke's face. Heisuke was thrown back into the wall and he landed with a thump.

"Heisuke, are you alright?" gasped Chizuru. She didn't move to help him though. Meanwhile, Tsuyuki's hands were on her staff, ready to fight if Harada had lost it or if they had just learned the information that would sentence them to death.

"Sano, you're overreacting." Shinpachi told him, looking serious. He turned to Heisuke, "And Heisuke, think before you open that damn mouth." Shinpachi turned to look at Chizuru, then turned to Tsuyuki only to be met with eyes as cold and hard as his own.

"Sorry…" Harada gave Heisuke a nod of apology before sitting down next to Chizuru again. Chizuru gave him a cautious look before Heisuke who gave them a pained smile. A bruise was already forming on his bloating cheek.

"Nah, I should've been watching what I said. Still… Sano you start throwing those things around way too easily. And you hit hard, I can taste blood." Heisuke rubbed at his sore cheek, wincing slightly when touching it.

'Harada-san's punch had the force to knock someone out cold… and Heisuke is only slightly worse for wear… these men…' Chizuru thought to herself. She looked to Tsuyuki, who was looking down at the floor. Her eyes were in the shadows, but a glint of crimson flashed between her silver bangs. A smug grin was on her face, and Chizuru knew that like these men, Tsuyuki was also on a whole other level of strength.

"That's all you're going to hear about this particular topic, Chizuru." Shinpachi said, catching Chizuru's attention. She didn't mind the lack of honorific, she actually preferred it, "I'm sure you're curious, but we can't tell you anything else so don't ask."

"That goes to you as well, Tsuyuki." Harada gestured towards the silver haired girl. Tsuyuki nodded, not looking up.

"The Corps that Heisuke was talking about are men to be pitied." Okita spoke up. His eyes were grim, and his tone emotionless. The sudden change from his usual attitude to this melancholy one was too much for Chizuru.

"It's nothing you need to worry yourself about. You don't have to get all worked up." Shinpachi interrupted, his grin uneasily sliding back onto his face. There was a strict, uneasy silence.

"Put it from your mind. Involving yourself in our affairs will only put you in greater danger." Saito professed. Tsuyuki and Chizuru were led back to their room when the tense air didn't go away, and Tsuyuki held her head as if she had a migraine. When they got to their room, Tsuyuki leaned against the wall and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you ok?" Chizuru quietly asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine, just a migraine from stress." Tsuyuki whispered. Tsuyuki crawled over to her futon, and slid off her yukata and hakama leaving her in a large dark blue top that was secured to her body by thin straps around her upper arm and the black collared shirt. Chizuru watched as Tsuyuki turned onto her stomach and buried her face in her hands. When her breathing evened out, Chizuru sat on her own futon. Then she turned on her back and stared at the ceiling until sleep overcame her.

0o0o0o0o0_July_Months_Later_0o0o0o0o0

Chizuru nervous looked at Tsuyuki, who was composed and elegant standing next to her. Chizuru attempted to copy Tsuyuki's calmness, but felt her nerves get the best of her.

"It is only Hijikata-san, he called for Okita-san and Heisuke as well." Tsuyuki attempted to calm her, as if reading her mind.

"Yes, but he intimidates me." Chizuru admitted.

"Don't let him. Remember, as long as I am at your side, you have nothing to fear." Tsuyuki informed her. Chizuru shook her head.

'You can hold your own against many normal men, but these men aren't normal.' Chizuru thought to herself, thinking back on Heisuke's face. His bruise had finally gone away after several days of waiting.

"You can enter now." Hijikata's voice called from inside his room. Tsuyuki went first, and Chizuru meekly followed behind. Okita and Heisuke already stood waiting. Okita's face had its usual smug grin, and Heisuke looked slightly confused. Tsuyuki took her spot next to Okita, and Chizuru next to Tsuyuki. They stared expectantly at Hijikata, who nodded at Okita.

"You two can leave the compound." Hijikata sighed. Chizuru's face lit up in a bright grin while Tsuyuki nodded as if she had been expecting this.

"You'll be accompanying whoever's on duty. You jump when they say jump, and die when they say die. Are we clear?" Hijikata snapped, his composure staying unlike Chizuru who was barely containing her composure.

"Yes sir!" Chizuru nodded in excitement. Tsuyuki managed a slow nod.

"Souji, Heisuke, you two have patrol today?" Hijikata questioned, looking to the two men.

"Oh, I get it now. That's why you pulled us in here, right?" Heisuke realized. Then he turned to look at Okita, "I think it's going to be Souji's turn this time, though. The First Division's doing rounds today, isn't it?"

"Yes, Heisuke and the Eighth are going out tonight, so think he has a point. They'll be safer during the afternoon." Okita agreed, nodding at Heisuke and winking at Chizuru. He gave Tsuyuki a smug smile.

"Do not forget, kodomo, I am a master of dual wielding. Do not take my skills lightly." growled Tsuyuki in response to his smug smile. His smile turned to a smirk, pleased he had managed to get a rise out of her.

"Don't forget," Okita spoke directly to Chizuru this time, "If you run, I'll kill you. And if we get jumped by ronin, I'm not sticking around to pull your ass out of the fire, okay?"

"We will stay with you, and Chizuru does not need your protection. I will protect her." Tsuyuki sneered at him. She picked up on his humorous tone, but still felt the need to sneer at him. Hijikata, despite Okita's humorous tone, turned his cold gaze to Okita and glared.

"No, it's not okay, you idiot. Why the hell do you think I'm sending them with you?" Hijikata questioned. Tsuyuki scowled at Hijikata.

'They'd best remember I'm not a damsel in distress like most women.' Tsuyuki thought, eyes narrowing when Hijikata looked to her. Okita gave a short snort of a laugh, and Hijikata turned his gaze back to him.

"I won't run, neither will Tsuyuki-kun. She's very honorable." Chizuru promised, looking between the men and Tsuyuki, "When we came here, we made a deal. The Shinsengumi will help us find my father and we would keep quiet and not run away in exchange."

"We will keep our end of the deal, so long as you keep yours." Tsuyuki added calmly, as if she had not been glaring at Hijikata and Okita like they had truly offended her deeply. Chizuru bowed to Okita, and his smirk slowly became a bit more of an awkward grin.

"I apologize, I guess I underestimated you. Just realize, that there's no way to know what could happen out there. You're not battle hardened like Tsuyuki. Just know that our rounds are dangerous and you'll be in danger should you come with us." Okita told her, serious.

"The Choshu have been acting up. We don't know what they're up to, but it's probably bad for us. I'd rather not be sending you out." Hijikata added, however he seemed to be talking more to himself than them.

Tsuyuki didn't care for their political struggles. She knew some of the Shinsengumi's struggles with the Choshu. She knew that the Shinsengumi were loyal to the shogun and that the Choshu were their enemy at current as they belonged to the imperial nationalist party. Lately they had been turning to force in their pursuit of their goals. Tsuyuki had never cared for politics, she just fought when attacked and lived where it suited her.

"Why are you allowing us out when we're such a burden at a time like this?" Tsuyuki questioned. Hijikata's face hardened and he looked away.

"Kodo-san hasn't gone back to Edo and we've heard that a couple people saw someone matching his description. Besides, you two have been locked up for almost half a year. The Choshu are a threat, but if it wasn't them there'd be a different threat. I have to let you out sometime or else you won't find anything." explained Hijikata. He seemed reluctant, noted Tsuyuki.

"Thank you very much for allowing me to go out. I trust that Okita-san will protect me, as will Tsuyuki-kun." Chizuru bowed to Hijikata, and Hijikata ignored her and turned back to his work.

"I think it'd be good to bring them. Some of the men have fallen ill from the heat anyway." Heisuke pointed out, his tone slightly joking. Chizuru looked to Tsuyuki. Tsuyuki hadn't shed any of her layers from winter despite Chizuru desperately trying to convince her to. July was being cruel, its heat was terrible and the compound was incredibly humid.

"If you want to go, you can go. You have my permission." Hijikata repeated, not looking back from his work. Chizuru bit her lip at Hijikata's tone.

'He doesn't want me to go, does he…' Chizuru looked at Tsuyuki.

"Chizuru-san, if you wish to stay in the compound I can go in your stead on patrol." Tsuyuki offered.

"No, it's alright, I will come too. When do we leave?" Chizuru turned to Okita, who grinned.

"Be at the gate when the suns at the highest point." Okita told her. Chizuru nodded, and bowed before leaving. Tsuyuki nodded at them, and went to leave, but was stopped.

"Tsuyuki, before we let you leave…" Hijikata looked at her and Tsuyuki turned to look him in the eye, "Will you be fine in this heat?"

"If you refer to my apparel, I will be fine. I have always worn this garb year round." Tsuyuki nodded and left the room briskly.

"Lost your nerve to ask her about her staff?" Okita questioned. Hijikata threw him a glare.

"She's guarded well; I want to see if she's a threat. Chizuru is honest and innocent, but she is not. Watch her carefully, Souji." ordered Hijikata. Okita nodded and left, Heisuke silently following.

When time for the patrol came Chizuru was excited. Tsuyuki didn't share her excitement. Tsuyuki had managed to get a hat to give her face some shade and to attempt to keep her cool.

"We're out here for business, not fun. Don't be too excited Chizuru." Okita laughed as they entered the busy streets of Kyoto. The patrol was in two lines with Okita beside Tsuyuki and Chizuru in the back of the patrol.

"Sorry, things are just so busy…" Chizuru trailed. Tsuyuki understood that being kept inside for all the time had made this outing seem very exciting to Chizuru. Tsuyuki didn't care; she normally didn't go to festivals or out to visit others. Who did she have to visit back in Edo, anyway?

"Well, the Gion Festival's coming up. Things are more lively than usual, I'll give you that." laughed Okita, "Just watch yourself. Some nationalist ronin have been suspicious lately."

While walking down the streets of Kyoto, the blue garb the men wore would make people step to the side to be away from them. The people of Kyoto feared the Shinsengumi, noted Tsuyuki. Chizuru had been dutifully stopping to ask not as disturbed passerbies about her father. After several apologies and no's, someone had some information.

"Tsuyuki, that store over there!" Chizuru excitedly bounced towards it. Tsuyuki kept up with her, looking back when Okita had went to give them a stern order to wait. However his attention was diverted when one of Okita's soldiers went after a ronin.

"Well shit, they would choose the worst possible time to stir up trouble, wouldn't they?" Okita asked with a shrug and grin as he pulled his sword out.

'Chizuru has Tsuyuki, they'll be fine long enough for me to finish up here.' he decided, running at the ronin. The surge of people running caught Tsuyuki and Chizuru, pushing them towards the store they were heading to.

"Hey kids, get in here. You don't want to be caught up in that fight." the store owner called. Tsuyuki immediately went on guard, but looked as calm as usual on the outside. As they entered the store, Tsuyuki caught eyes with a familiar man sitting outside cleaning fish. Once inside Chizuru brightly went to ask the store owner about her father. However, one of the employees interrupted before she could ask.

"I saw those kids with Okita, the Shinsengumi captain!" the employee called, pointing at Chizuru and Tsuyuki.

"Shinsengumi? Run!" the customers began to stream towards the door, and Tsuyuki shook her head in annoyance. Once the store was devoid of customers, several employees wielding their blades surrounded Chizuru and Tsuyuki. Tsuyuki looked at the employees before sighing. She pulled the staff off her back; there were about two dozen men. It would be best to use staff.

Tsuyuki, not even looking immediately ran for the huddle of men. She pulled at her staff and brought the two sides together, doubling its length to the size of Harada's spear. Pulling at the staff again, it dislodged into two parts. The end with the crystal was wider than the rest, and the reason why was revealed as a scythe blade slid out from its hiding spot inside the staff's grooves. The same thing happened on the very end of the bottom of the staff, only a thin sword blade slid from that groove rather than a scythe blade. The two halves were connected by a chain that had been wound up inside the staff.

"Heh, haven't used my staff in awhile." Tsuyuki murmured, gripping the chain and bottom end. She wound the chain around her fist tightly two times before she was ready to fight. This had happened in the span of three seconds. She spun the scythe end above her head before expertly maneuvering it around and into the body of the closest enemy. As the men charged at her she would slice them apart with her scythe end, and if they managed to dodge or she was too busy with one man, she would use the bottom half's blade to kill them.

By the time Okita reached the store about forty seconds later, of the two dozen or so men, only four were left. And Okita witnessed Tsuyuki's expertise as she knocked them out with either the blunt end of her scythe from across the room or with the blunt end connected to the chain on the bottom half. When no more men stood against her, Tsuyuki pulled the scythe back in and connected the two pieces again as the two blades slid back into the staff.

"Are you alright, Chizuru-san?" inquired Tsuyuki, looking to Chizuru. Blood stained the room and Tsuyuki. Her hair had taken a brutal spray of blood from a man who had been decapitated, and blood dribbled down her face from where she had been splattered. Tsuyuki looked unharmed, though with the blood covering her it couldn't be known what blood was hers and what wasn't.

Okita watched in stunned silence as Tsuyuki licked the blood off from around her mouth and walked over to them. Tsuyuki looked more alive and excited than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were wide and alert, and her mouth twitched into a wolfish grin. She looked like something possessed. Tsuyuki looked to Okita.

"They attacked us; I left a few alive for interrogation. The rest I killed." she reported, Chizuru nodding along in stunned silence.

"You two are really unlucky, aren't you? I guess I could also be unlucky." Okita sighed. He gestured for them to wait outside as he looked around the store.

"She's guarded well; I want to see if she's a threat. Chizuru is honest and innocent, but she is not. Watch her carefully, Souji."

"Well, as long as she's on our side we're fine. But looking at this massacre…" Okita knelt by a body that had been decapitated.

"She's a definite threat to someone. And I hope that someone isn't us."


AN

Chapter two, woo. Fun stuff. i'm enjoying this.

So, names suck ass. I found that when i was rereading this, i accidentally placed Saito for Souji or Okita and etc. So if you see that, read it again to see if it makes sense if it doesn't. And i absolutely love the scene where Shinpachi and Heisuke are arguing over the food. In the game, Saito says "...that food is mine." but it doesn't clarify what he says it to.

I love Tsuyuki's badassery. If her staff doesn't make sense, there is a weapon i based it off of but i can't remember what it's called. If you've ever seen Naruto, thing of something similar to Hidan's scythe. Only hers starts as a black stick and the curved blade slides out. The bottom is basically a sword for close combat in case someone gets close to her.

Thanks you to the following for reviewing:
Star (Guest)
unicornmeat3
AnimeGirlDreamer
Rei-chan the Shinigami