I Was a Page "Boy"
October 27, 2005
By: SakuraSamuraiGirl
Disclaimer: Peacemaker and all its characters belong to the wonderful Nanae Chrono.
Summary: We all know of the story of Tetsunosuke Ichimura and his life with the Shinsengumi. But here's a what if! What if Tetsunosuke was a Tetsunami force to pretend she was a boy to stay within the walls of the Shinsengumi.
Tatsunosuke looks down at the girl and blanches. The girl smiles nervously and scratches behind her head. She then looks down at her attire and notices the dirty smudge marks and tears on her kimono.
"Oh...uh...heh heh...I guess I'm a little dirty, eh?"
Tatsunosuke's fist clenched tightly and strange sounds began to slip out of his stomach.
"Grrrrr...TETSUNAMI!"
Tetsunami grins even more nervously and awaited the lectures. But the only sound was a sigh and hand on her head. Tetsunami looks up in confusion and looks up at her older brother with her big, brown eyes.
"Tatsu?"
Tatsunosuke sighs and offers her his hand.
"C'mon, Tetsu. Let's go home."
Tetsunami takes his hand and they begin to walk home. They reached a small inn and proceed inside. They bide their landlady a good afternoon and head towards their room. Their room was small. In the room was a small desk, two futons in a corner, a small chest for their clothes and a little table. Tetsunami sets up a curtain and as she does this Tatsu flops down on the floor with his head in his hands and groans. Tetsunami looks at her brother and sits beside him.
"Hey, Tatsu? What's up?"
Tatsunosuke looks at Tetsunami. Tetsunami pulls a "oh, I know what it is" look.
"You didn't get the job."
"No, I got the job, Tetsu."
Tetsunami frowns.
"Then what the heck are you being so moepy about?"
Tatsunosuke groans and looks away from Tetsunami into his hands.
"No, I got the job!"
"Really! That's so cool! You get to work with the Shinsengumi!"
Tatsunosuke grabs Tetsunami and begins to bawl.
"I'm sorry, TetsuuuuuuI"
Tetsunami growls and tries to pull away from Tatsunosuke.
"Tatsu! Stop it, you're hurting me, stupid! Why are you apologizing any ways?"
"sniff...WHEN THEY HIRED THEY TOLD ME I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THEM...hic...THEN I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD A YOUNGER SIBLING THAT I AM IN CHARGED OF...hic...sniff...SO...SO..."
"So what?"
"WAAHHH...I'M SO SORRY, TETSUNAMI! I TOLD THEM THAT YOU WERE A BOY!"
Tetsunami stiffens and eyes widen.
BONK!
Tatsunosuke grips his head. A huge bump on the top. Tetsunami was standing over him with her fists clenched.
"You told them I was a boy, Tatsu! Why you bast..."
"Tetsu, I can't leave you out here by yourself! There are horrible men out here that would awful things to you! I have to take you with me inside the Shinsengumi! And who knows what does men are like! So I had to tell them that you were a boy! Besides you act like one anyway!"
BONK!
Tetsunami sits down and begins to pout with her arms cross. Tatsunosuke sighs and rubs his bump twins and begin to takes something out of his sleeve. He places it beside Tetsunami who looks at it at the corner of her eyes.
"What's that?"
"You're new clothes."
Silence. Tetsunami sighs and pick ups a white shirt.
"Tetsunami, I want you to do this so I can protect and at the same time provide for you. Please."
Tetsunami gets up with her new clothes and goes behind the makeshift curtain. After a few minutes Tetsunami comes from behind the curtain and reveals her new clothes. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt and black pants with straps over her shoulders. She looks at herself and then blushes down at her chest.
"Um...Tatsu..."
Tatsunosuke turns around and sees a blushing Tetsunami.
"Yeah?"
"Um..." looks down at her chest. "How am I going to hide these?"
"These?"
Tetsunami gives her brother a impatient glare and points down her shirt. Tatsunosuke takes a look and realizes "those". Tetsunami's "these" were her breasts. Of all the things Tatsunosuke thought was difficult about his sister (beside her behavior) was how despite all the other girls her age Tetsunami was a bit more developed than the average fifteen year old of that era. Tetsunami's "bit more developed" figure has not only captured the attention of boys her age to Tatsunosuke's dismay, but to his even greater dismay was how it even caught the attention of full-grown men. Which is why Tatsunosuke lied to the Shinsengumi about his younger sister so they won't pay her any mind while Tatsunosuke worked. Unfortunately, the new, baggy boy clothes that Tatsunosuke had purchased for her were maybe a bit to baggy and loose for her breasts. So with another sigh for the one-hundreth time he got up and tried to fix the problem. After a few attempts he scratched his head looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment. Finally with his thinking done he told his sister to come with him and they left.
"Where we going, Tatsu."
"To practice."
"Practice?"
"Yes, to practice how to become a boy, although we both know you're fifty percent there, huh?"
JUMP. SMACK!
Later that afternoon...
"MOVE..MOVE...MOVE...MOVE! C'mon Tatsu!"
"Tetsu, wait a moment!"
Tetsunami or her new name Tetsunosuke was nervous and excited at the same time! She decided to act excited and try out her new boyish behavior as she and Tatsunosuke practiced as an outlet. She ran across the bridge but suddenly bumped into a boy with white hair and orange-brown eyes.
"Hey!"
"Wake up and don't walk in the middle of the road!" Smirks slyly. "Moron!"
Tetsunami/Tetsunosuke runs off grinning to herself. As a girl she would be getting all sorts of disapproving stares from the adults for not acting like a true young lady but now with this new personality! She didn't get much glares of disapproval.
'But...' Tetsunami looks back at the boy staring at her. 'He's kind of cute...like a little cat.'
"Moron!" The boy repeated.
Tatsunosuke stops in front of the boy to catch his breath.
"Sorry about that. My name Tatsunosuke and I'm...he...his older brother for my sake please forgive him. TETSU!"
The boy watches Tatsunosuke go and thinks aloud to himself.
"If not the middle then where should I be walking?"
Tetsunami arrives at the Shinsengumi headquarters. She feels the butterflies return to stomach as she looks at the two men guarding the entrance in uniform. She gulps takes a huge breath and...
"I"M HERE!"
Both men groaned as Tetsunami's scratchy voice ranged in their ears.
"Who the hell are you!"
Tatsunosuke grabs Tetsunami and covers her mouth.
"I'm very sorry, sirs. I'm Tatsunosuke Ichimura and I just signed up as the new bookkeeper. This here my little brother...Tetsunosuke. I apologize again for his rude behavior!"
Tatsunosuke emphasized on the word "rude" and "behavior" towards her and lets her go. Tetsunami just snorts and crosses her arms over her chest, carefully.
"Oh, so you're the new bookeeper are ya'?" the other guard asked.
"Well now, from this point on you better make sure this little runt watches himself. Won't cha' ya', runt?"
Something snapped in Tetsunami's mind. Suddenly out of nowhere Tetsunami drew back her arm, balled her hand into a fist and socked the guard's face with all her might and anger.
"Who the hell are you callin' a runt!"
The man was sent sprawling and Tatsunosuke mouth fell to the ground in shock. Just as the other man was about to give Tetsunami a piece of his mind there was thunderous shout!"
"Don't let the second unit beat us to it!"
A man with a spear and in uniform was leading a squad of men out of the gate.
"Tenth unit! Move out!"
Tetsunami was stuck where she stood as the shadow overshadowed her and was suddenly ran over by the man and his unit. When the stampede was over Tetsunami was covered in dirt and foot prints. Tatsunosuke fell to his knees and apologized and picked her up to enter the headquarters. The man that was sent sprawling was recovering and growling to himself. Tetsunami finally came round and was given a very, very long lecture from Tatsunosuke. Tetsunami listen and promise Tatsunosuke that she will try not overdue it. They were called by a member that the Commander was ready to see them. As they made their way Tatsunosuke gripped Tetsunami's shoulder and Tetsunami looked at him.
"What now, Tatsu?"
"Tetsu, let me do the talking and only talked unless they speak to you and keep it short and to the point, alright?"
Tetsunami sighed and look forward with her hands behind her head.
"Yes, whatever."
The presence were announced and they sat in the middle of room. In front of them was man whose hair was in a topknot and had a wide face and was smiling at Tetsunami. Tetsunami decided to assume that he was the so-called commander.
"Welcome back, Tatsunosuke." Looks back to Tetsunami and grins even widely. "So, this is your little brother Tetsunosuke, hmm?"
Tatsunosuke bows and rise back up again.
"Yes sir, this is he."
The Commander rubs his chin in thought.
"Tetsunosuke, do you know who I am?"
"You're the commander, right?"
The commander nods.
"Yes, Commander Kondo, please to meet you."
Tetsunami nods in return. Suddenly the door reopens and enters a man in white and another man in black. The man in white had a youthful face and bright eyes. He also had sunny smile as he greeted the commander by rushing up to him and hugging him and complains how bored he was. Kondo laughs and began asking the man in white if he was drunk. The other man in black made a grunt of disapproval of the man in white's actions. The man in black made Tetsunami's skin crawl and the butterflies scramble about in her stomach. The long hair tied in a high ponytail and his hair swept back except for a few strands. His dark, piercing eyes looked at Tetsunami for moment and then looked at the commander and man in white before taking a seat beside the commander.
"Souji, knock it off! This is a meeting."
"Awww," the man called Souji whined. "this isn't a important meeting, is it?"
Tetsunami snickers at his question but was nudge roughly by Tatsunosuke with his elbow into her ribs. She glares at him but silently whimpers at the three men's stares at her. She becomes nervous and fiddles with her pants. She realizes this is not boyish behavior and stills her hands quickly.
"Well, I have called this meeting for us to discuss on our new bookkeeper's younger brother that has come along with him. We have required of the bookkeeper to stay on the grounds but we can't have in going in and out to check on his brother all the time. So we must have the boy move in."
"And do what, lounge around and act like a brat." The man in black stated.
"That's where you come in, Toshizo Hijikata."
Toshizo Hijikata and Souji looked at Kondo with curiosity. Tetsunami and Tatsunosuke looked at each other and then back at Kondo themselves. Kondo smiles at the attention and looks at Tetsunami.
"That won't be decided till tomorrow! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!"
Tetsunami mouth drops and she stares at the commander.
"What the hell! How are you going to drag us in here and then just...AH!"
Tetsunami's face hit the hard, wooden floor as Tatsunosuke grabs her head and holds it there.
"Good sirs, I apologize for my brother's rude behavior!"
"Ow, Tatsu! That hurts! Stopit!"
Kondo and Souji laugh at this but Hijikata grunts in disapproval.
"Brats." He muttered.
Tetsunami was wandering around the grounds as her brother was talking and apologizing to Mr. Kondo as he wanted her to call him for now on. Tetsunami sighs. Suddenly a blur of pink comes straight towards Tetsunami's face and knock her over.
"Oooww! What the...huh?"
The pink thing that hit her face was a piglet with little brown ears and a never-leaving glare.
"Buku!"
"Hey, you just a pig!"
"Buu!"
"What's your deal! Maybe I could crave you into a piggy bank or..."
Tetsunami quickly grabs the pig and gives him a tight hug.
"Or a hug! You're kind of cute for a pig!"
The piglet grunts in confusion and glares at her questionably. Tetsunami realizes this and quickly lets go of him and looks around.
"Oh man! I hope nobody saw that..."
"My weren't you friendly?"
Tetsunami let out a eep and turns to the man who full name was Souji Okita.
"Sorry about Saizo." Picks the piglet up and carries him in the crook of his arm. "He was just saying "hi" in his own special way."
Tetsunami huffs and gets up to dust herself off.
"Gee, don't I feel special?"
Souji giggles and looks at Tetsunami.
"Say, would you like to go the training hall?"
Tetsunami looks at him and blinks.
"The training hall?"
"Yes, I mean...you don't have anything to do, do you?"
Tetsunami things about this for a moment and nods.
"No, I guess not."
Souji motions Tetsunami to follow him.
"Well, c'mon. Let's go, Tetsunosuke!"
Souji and Tetsunami walked together and finally reached the training. Tetsunami peered inside and stared in fascination. There were men sparring against each other. Letting out shouts and grunts of pain and other things. Tetsunami knew a few things maybe even a lot about swordfighting. In fact, when her brother was away doing odd jobs she would sneak off watch boys train. She would pretend to flirt with some the boys and would "shyly" asked them to show her a few moves. She then would take these moves home with her and practice till her brother finally came home. Tetsunami started this new interest of fighting after the murder of her parents. When her parents were murder she began to wish she was born a boy. If she was born a boy, than she would of been strong enough to save her parents but she was a girl and she let her parents down. She shook those saddening thought out of her head and paid back attention to the sight before her.
"Wow! They're really training!"
Souji nods and smiles at Tetsunami's happy face.
"Hey! I have an idea Mr. Okita!"
"Hmmm? What?"
Tetsunami grins widely and points a finger at Souji.
"I challenged you to match, Mr Okita!"
Souji's eyes widen and his mouth parted open in shock. Every man that was training stopped in midstep or with what ever they were doing and stared at Souji and the boy. They began to whisper amongst themselves. Tetsunami heard them but successfully blocked them out still looking at Souji with a look of determination. Souji finally smiled and giggled again.
"Would someone let this little boy borrow their protectors?" Souji looked back down at Tetsunami and nods.
"I accept your challenge little Tetsunosuke Ichimura." He giggles.
Tetsunami let out a cheer and grins widely.
"Get ready, Mr. Okita cause I'm going to send you sprawling!"
Tatsunosuke and Kondo had finished with their talks and were now searching for Tetsunami. Kondo called out to a pair of men as they were hurrying to the training hall.
"Say have you seen young boy with spikey hair?"
"He's my younger brother, sirs." Tatsunosuke added.
"Yeah, he's in the training hall. He's challenged Mr. Okita to a match!"
"Oh, he did?" Kondo asked in mild surprise. "That's brother of yours is something for challening Souji to a match. Considering his repuation. Hah ha ha!"
Tatsunosuke didn't hear any of this. All of what was going through his head was...
"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE THINKING!"
TBC: PLEASE REVIEW