Flags
The soldier scoffed, "The Shinsengumi was ordered to join the Aizu Clan on standby?" Consulting his comrade at his left, he shook his head and added coolly, "Sorry, never got wind of it; you'd better discuss this with our clan leaders."
"Not twice in one friggin' day…" She growled under her breath, hands formed into fists at her sides as the momentary idea of slugging such a snobby foot-soldier entertained her for that one moment.
The second division captain strode forward, biting out annoyedly, "Your leaders just told us to get the hell over here!"
The first division captain hummed mildly, "This's so annoying. Get yer heads on straight, will ya?" He declared, brow slightly twitching as he looked at the soldiers with stoic green eyes.
Their commander placed a placating hand up to prevent either captains from saying more, looking at the soldiers. "Would you please fetch your superiors?" He asked, keeping his tone of politeness even though the rest of his party was otherwise frustrated.
Hesitating to fire back a snarky comment at him, the soldier who'd spoken gauged the frustrated glares filled with daggers that put the term 'if looks could kill' to shame; he huffed in reluctant defeat and nodded, sending the soldier on his left to do as asked.
Once both Toshi and Kondou had gained an audience with the head of the Aizu party, the rest of the Shinsengumi members took refuge around small campfires that were near the Aizu tent as the day gave way to twilight.
"… I think the Aizu forces here are being treated more like reserves than actual combat force. Their main forces are keeping watch over the Hamaguri Gate." Inoue-san mused aloud to Saitou, Sano, Souji, Shinpachi, Kawa and Chizuru as they were huddled around a small fire.
Chizuru raised both brows, "So do they intend to treat the Shinsengumi the same, as reserves?" She asked.
"So it would seem." Inoue-san nodded.
Kawa shot a scowl at the tent, "I'd love to hope not, or my foot's gonna go up their leader's ass for being such a bastard." She said bitingly.
"Get in line." Shinpachi huffed, sharing a slight smirk with the swordswoman.
Saitou rolled his eyes, "At this rate, I doubt you'd meet much resistance on that front." He offered.
Souji scritched the back of his head aimlessly, "So what the hell happened to us bein' called because it was such a big emergency?" He wondered, scowling slightly at the fire.
Kawa sighed, "It wouldn't surprise me if we had to head out to the battlefield at any given moment…" She mused, resting her head on Souji's shoulder.
Sano rolled his eyes at the fond glance she earned from her lover, throwing a look at the quieted Chizuru, smirking. "Ne, Chizuru, let me know if ya get tired, I wouldn't mind lettin' you sleep on my lap." He said with a teasing light on his handsome face.
Cheeks coloring a shade of pink, the younger girl looked away shyly. "I-I'll be fine!" She assured.
Souji smirked amusedly at the flustered girl, folding an instinctive arm around his lover's shoulders. "Ne, Sano-san, what happened to yer sense of chivalry?" He teased.
"Kinda hard to keep it up with two beautiful girls in our midst, Souji." Shinpachi remarked with a chuckle, only making the younger girl blush again.
Kawa shook her head as the three brunette captains chuckled. "That's sweet of ya, Shinpatsu, but I'm happily taken." She stated, nudging the youngest brunette with her elbow.
"Like that speaks for both girls." Sano rolled his eyes again.
Saitou shook his head at the trio's antics, staring at the fire. "I don't believe flustering Yukimura or Kawa-chan is part of 'waiting for orders'." He pointed out.
Chizuru blinked at his basic defense of both she and her roommate, smiling slightly when his words quieted both Shinpachi and Sano. "Thank you, Saitou-san." She said.
Kawa yawned slightly and held onto Souji's sleeve out of habit, "Sano's chivalry was passed on to a more promising swordsman." She hummed, smirking cheekily when noting her fellow lefty's cheeks tinge a shade of pink.
Souji pouted at her, pinching her cheek and making her grumble an 'ow'. "Shouldn't ya be sleeping?" He sniffed, knowing she didn't feel anything for Saitou aside from friendship, but even so, she was still his lover.
Saitou huffed, "Souji's got a point, you should get some sleep." Instead of heckling me at this hour, he silently added, looking at the fire pointedly.
Kawa rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat, "You two are no fun…" She said sulkily, snuggling closer to Souji even as his arm squeezed on her back and she closed her eyes.
Saitou scowled slightly at the barking match going on between both clan members that were protecting the 5th Gate. "Both the Satsuma and Aizu clans' bickering is only making them look foolish."
Souji poked his ear with a pinkie, "Cripes, they're bein' annoying."
The head of the Satsuma pack noted the blue coats and huffed, saying loudly, "Ne, don't tell me your Shinsengumi friends are here to back you up. I'm shocked you let that pack of loser-mongrels in your ranks; the Aizu Clan must be full with so many damn cowards. It's almost a shame that you're friends with such lame-ass ronin!" He smirked arrogantly.
Kawa bristled slightly at his insult and huffed, smirking. "Like Satsuma's got the balls to go against the Choshu dogs!" She drawled, arms crossed at her chest, gauging the annoyed and outraged glares from said clan's forces. "I'm surprised you lot got off your lazy asses to actually give a damn about meager threats to the Emperor." She said.
Souji felt like slapping his forehead, even though his chest swelled with something he could only assume was pride at seeing his lover, the Shinsengumi's She-Wolf, defending their pride… even if they were all going to get their asses chewed out later by Hijikata-san.
"Bitch, watch your mouth! Don't tell me the Shinsengumi sank even lower and started recruiting brash insolent women like you…" The main Satsuma soldier snapped bitingly, glaring at her.
"You can call me whatever the hell you want, you weak dog… If you dare insult the Shinsengumi name again, you'll be lucky if you can breathe after I kick your ass." Kawa promised frostily, a glare similar to a certain oni's gracing her pretty face as she held the soldier's glare in her own, standing her full height.
"Hijikata-san, that's enough." Saitou placed a hand on her shoulder from the side, earning a brief scowl from the woman, before he looked at the Satsuma forces with cold blue eyes. "We did not come here to start squabbles with the Satsuma Clan, if you recall. Focus on the task we were ordered to do." He reproached calmly.
Kawa spared the Satsuma forces a final dagger-filled glare before obeying. "Right." She muttered, trudging to stand near Souji.
"Smart move, putting your bitch back in her cage!" The Satsuma soldier jeered, making her pause.
Souji grabbed her wrist to keep her from lashing out at the soldier just as one of the Aizu drew his katana out of frustration at the front.
The Satsuma soldier made to draw his own sword had a large gloved hand stopped him; both parties balked slightly at the tall redhead that had stayed the soldier's blade, his icy blue stare fixed on the Shinsengumi members.
Souji stiffened slightly at recognizing the behemoth, a cold smirk gracing his features. "Well, look who's here…" He mused lowly, earning a look from his lover before she turned to see where he was looking.
Kawa tensed as her thumb instinctively pushed the blade of her katana out, gray eyes narrowing. "Like today couldn't get any crappier." She scoffed.
Saitou reprimanded the Aizu soldier that made to strike the behemoth, blue eyes stoic as he held up his sheathed katana. "That wouldn't be such a wise idea, given the gap between you two is spaced." He mused, surprising the soldier.
Souji and Kawa moved closer to back up their friend, both green and gray stares set on the redhead.
"I must apologize for the commotion we caused at Ikedaya. Is the injury to the boy's forehead healing well?" The redhead asked the trio, namely the couple, slightly taking the third division captain off guard. "Please let him know I'm sorry that I didn't hold back."
Kawa huffed. "Depends if your friend's pride healed after that night." She returned stiffly.
"Fate must have a whacked sense of humor, seeing you again." Souji chimed, the cold smirk never leaving.
Saitou huffed as well even though his jaw tensed, "So you're the one who injured Todou. That makes sense…" His blue eyes turned cold as he added, "As I suspected, the Satsuma Clan sent you as a spy that night to see what Choshu was up to." He slightly surprised Souji and Kawa as he drew his katana and pointed it directly at the redhead's jugular. "The Shinsengumi has a problem with you; to be frank, I see you as the reason for Todou's vengeance." He stated coldly.
"Saitou-kun…" Kawa began quietly, glancing between them both, her left hand gripping the hilt of her sword; she saw what that man did to Heisuke, and given Saitou was just as old as the absent captain… Her jaw tensed.
"And yet I don't have any strife against the Shinsengumi at the moment." The redhead pointed out.
Souji scowled at him with stoic green eyes, "Tch, if yer not willin' to fight, then we've got no reason to cause trouble. We came here just to guard the gate, not scuffle with you lot. Our objectives are the same, ain't they?" He reasoned with a hard edge to his voice, keeping one hand on the hilt of his katana just in case, not minding the surprised glances from both left-handed swordsmen at his strangely calm rationality. "I'll admit though, fer your own sakes, if ya insult the Shinsengumi again, we and our dear friends from Aizu will hafta kill you. Got it?"
Gauging the steely glint in the brunette's stare that promised death on his part if he tried to turn on them when they were coming to a reluctant truce, the tall redhead nodded slightly. "Given that it was our fault that the scuffle began, I apologize on behalf of the Satsuma Clan." He looked at the three of them, namely the blue-eyed captain that reluctantly sheathed his katana. "I also didn't intend for a fight to go down, so I'm glad you decided to stand down." He bowed slightly to the trio. "My name is Amagiri Kyuuju, and I pray the next time we meet, that we'll be in a situation where we can help one another." He turned to leave the scene, walking through the throng of Satsuma soldiers that made a way for his exit.
Saitou stared at his retreating back, "Amagiri Kyuuju… I thought for a second that he would back down if I threatened him with my sword." He muttered.
Kawa exhaled through her nostrils, scowling reprovingly at her friend. "You're lucky he wasn't in a fighting mood today; you saw what he did to Heisuke, imagine it happening to either of you…" Her gray eyes tightened in revulsion and worry, looking away.
Souji gauged her frowning face and exhaled, instinctively tousling her hair. "Like that'd happen without a fight, princess." He remarked, winking when she opened her mouth to add something.
Smiling briefly at her worries being placated, Saitou huffed. "Souji's right, it would take more than someone like him to give us cause for concern."
"Ne, so you got any bright ideas on where the hell the Satsuma picked up that freak?" Souji wondered of his fellow captain as the Satsuma forces were trailing behind the redhead's leave.
Kawa huffed, "Whatever he is, he'll have to own up for screwing with us." She mused quietly.
Saitou nodded, "Regardless, it appears the Satsuma have some dangerous allies with them." He chimed.
A/N: yo sorry for the prolonged update! i'm going to put out ch.5 too in a second, so hope this'll make up for my not updating sooner /bows
elsewise, thanks to Dragonmaster789 for reviewing and Vivid x Dream for the fav/follow. anyway, again, ch.5 will be out shortly!