Although he was often critical of humans, Kazama Chikage could not ever deny that the humans were brilliant engineers and artisans. Ever since his arrival in Kyoto, he had never ceased to appreciate the beauty of the city, the capital of their crumbling nation that has lasted for a thousand years at least, and he realized that there… could be some use for humans after all.

Smoking on his pipe (he had forgotten how he had picked up that habit), he rested on the windowsill of his lodgings with one knee curled to his body and looked out to the scenery that greeted him, sprawling streets filled with majestic houses, temples, gardens and lakes, watched over by the Imperial Palace. When the night came, the city would be crowned with stars, but on the ground, its roads would be illuminated by countless lanterns…

The view of the night, however, was marred the sight of men patrolling in uniforms of light-green haori. They came from the Mibu district of the city, a gang of rowdy peasants that were playing the game of being samurai, thinking that they could change the world by just killing whoever the Bakufu asked them to kill. They had just been placed under the direction of the leaders of the Aizu-han, and called themselves the Kyoto Roshi-gumi, but were more like wolves attacking in a pack. There was no wonder that they had attained the nickname of "Miburou" (壬生狼), or rather, the "Wolves of Mibu."

Yet, even as the Roshi-gumi were the rising stars of the Bakufu, he had heard of another rumor. A rumor that perked his ears the moment he heard them. "There is word among the streets that the Roshi-gumi had acquired the services of a doctor practicing Western medicine," Amagiri told Kazama just that afternoon. "A man named 'Yukimura Koudou'."

"The sole survivor of the Yukimura clan," Kazama replied, recalling that ten years ago, the scout from Yase had reported that a son of the branch family had escaped the fire that razed his clan's village, one initiated by the rebels of the Tohoku region. "What is he doing there with those peasants?"

"Some form of research," Amagiri said, for once, without his usual confidence. For all his network of spies could do, he could not still ascertain the nature of the Roshi-gumi, and those they had associated with. It seemed that they were more than what the general populace of Kyoto had deemed them to be, a gang of killers with cold hearts… They seemed to be hiding a secret that no one else had yet discovered, and somehow, there was a cold chill that filled his spine whenever Kazama had thought of it… "Do you plan to investigate it?"

"We might as well," Kazama said lazily. The din of the Roshi-Gumi's heavy footsteps had gone, and he once again looked out the window. "We shall coax the secrets this city holds, and see what it bodes for us."


The first point of investigation would of course, be the one place where men gathered in large numbers, where alcohol flowed freely, and where women were abundant. In Kyoto, such a place would mean the Sumiya. It was where one could find Kyoto's many officials in the same place, drinking, eating, and making-merry, no matter their faction, or political ideology, surrounded by geiko and oiran, depending on the tastes of the men who held great parties there. It would be the perfect place to start.

When the sun had set, and the lanterns were raised, Kazama and Amagiri set out to Shimabara, the well-known pleasure quarter of Kyoto. Passing to the great gate that marked the entrance into the district, they soon entered a different world, a world of perfume, music, sake and laughter. The rule was that no weapons were allowed in Shimabara, but there were many who turned a blind eye to this, due to the chaos of the age. Every sensible man would want to defend himself, in times where he might be cut down the moment his guard was dropped, and no one, could afford to do so in those times, even if they were in the company of beautiful women, food and drink.

The Sumiya was the largest establishment in Shimabara. Its façade the longest and widest of all the shops and restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. Women of the tea-houses or the pleasure houses came in and out with their chaperones and servants while men entered in droves. It was the best place to find and receive information, if one knew where to look.

"I will take the upper floors," Amagiri said, and moved with a few men who were headed up the stairs. Humans were such dull creatures that they could not notice that there was a tall, stocky man with red hair and blue eyes walking among them, but it had always been an Oni trait to walk around in the company of others unseen, being otherwise hidden in plain sight.

Amagiri's absence meant that Kazama was supposed to tackle the lower floors, which proved to be the greater mine of information that he had first expected. There were drunken men, or men who were set on getting drunk, left, right and center, and these were men whose tongues could be loosened easily with the availability of alcohol. He just needed to be sure which sort of information suited him and which did not.

He went from corridor to corridor, using his superior Oni senses to sieve through the words being uttered, but found nothing of particular interest. Most was talk of grandeur and bravery, but he doubted that any of the men present could carry their boasts into reality. Rolling his eyes in the foolery of men, he took a left turn and before his eyes appeared a most peculiar company.

There was a boy, around his teens, perhaps, with striking hair of navy and eyes the color of the setting sun. He was trying to sooth a much older man, who was tall, with tufts of white hair in a sea of blackened grey, tied into a mage. The old man had become loud and violent in drunken stupor, even forgetting who he was for a moment. The boy tried to bring the man back to his senses, but was interrupted by the appearance of three other men who sought to challenge the man into a duel.

Kazama could easily tell that this man was no pushover. He was a strong, powerful swordsman with the authority of a dictator. However, not all men were blessed with a perfect life. For all the ability and power that this man had… there was a weakness that was hidden from the façade of his existence, one that no human could easily see with their naked, and blurred eyes. "Leave it," he told the challengers. "You are hardly a match for a man like him."

All eyes were upon him when after he said those words, and he revealed himself, stepping away from the shadows and into the light. All looked upon him with suspicion and unease, which was an effect of his presence that he strove for. A steward directed the would-be combatants to the path that they were supposed to be heading to, and gave him a small nod in thanks for preventing a fight that would certainly lead up to costly damages.

The drunken man merely shrugged and began to leave with his servants. As he passed Kazama without so much as appreciating his presence, Kazama asked, "You are suffering from a debilitating disease, are you not? Your body should have been rendered useless at this point, it is a miracle that you can even stand now."

The man smiled crookedly in reply. "I am impressed that you can tell that even if we've only met," he said to Kazama, turning slightly to try to have a look at the stranger who so accurately assessed the predicament that he was in.

"I have met a man who had your condition," Kazama replied. It had occurred to an old grandfather that bought the vegetables from the plantations of his family at cost price to sell at the market. He had lived a long life providing for his large family, but the Gods decided to be cruel and curse him with such a disease, leaving him immobile, riddled with dementia. "Day by day, he slowly forgot who he was, nor could he recognize those he once knew… After suffering for too long, he passed on. You shall share his fate shortly."

The man harrumphed. "What of it?" he asked Kazama. "I am well aware that I will die, writhing in agony." There was such great resolve in his voice, as if he was trying to convince Kazama that he would not have wanted it in any other way.

Kazama watched him leave, and he mused to himself, "What an interesting human," he said, words clearly meant for that dying stranger. Perhaps the man already knew that he was no ordinary man as well… Thus, he started to continue his search for information anew, disbelieving that he would return to his lodgings empty-handed that night.

"What have you found?" Amagiri asked him when they were in the safety of the safe-house of the Satsuma-han.

"That there are strange sounds of wailing, dying men in several houses near Mibu, which get louder closer to the house where the Roshi-Gumi call home," Kazama answered. "Half of Mibu village is spooked, and they dare not find out the cause of such… disturbances. They seem to be crying out of thirst and hunger for blood." In the past, his people had told humans that the Oni drank the blood of humans and ate their flesh so that they would leave their people alone, but… to actually hear of humans with a literal thirst for blood, was ultimately interesting indeed.

Amagiri crossed his arms. "Meanwhile, I have received hearsay that Yukimura Koudou is indeed working with the Roshi-Gumi, but he does not treat their sick and wounded," he added. A doctor practicing Western medicine was priceless these days, and yet if they did not utilize his services, why did they hire him in the first place?

"Perhaps we should pay a visit to Mibu soon," Kazama suggested. "Let us see what the last son of the Yukimura has planned up his sleeve."


In the morning, when the sun had just barely risen, the two Oni moved towards Mibu village, with the permissions of the leaders of the Satsuma-han's presence in Kyoto, of course. They did not need to see an image of Yukimura Koudou, they would know him just by the presence he had, the Ki he held. They knew that they were not pursuing an Oni of great power, because Koudou did not have a great deal of Oni blood in his veins. Whatever he had as an Oni, was only an illustrious surname and the excellent training given to him as a scion of the great healer-clan.

Once in Mibu, Amagiri spotted a man with a shaven head, walking around the village in the most suspicious manner. Every few steps he took, he would look back to check if he was followed. A strange behavior to be having if one was not harboring secrets of any kind. They followed him to an almost-empty street, where they could see that he was headed to a certain house with no signage as to whom it had belonged to.

At that point of time, Kazama had been ready to pounce at his target. He wanted to know what Yukimura Koudou was doing, and he would have his information immediately. However, as he was ready to close in on Koudou, he felt a hand on his shoulder. The reaction was so natural, so immediate, that he drew his katana as he turned to face the person who dared to interrupt him.

It was a tall man, graced with greyish-lavender hair and eyes the color of mulberries. "Shiranui Kyo," Kazama greeted with a scowl, knowing that Yukimura Koudou would have already disappeared into one of the many houses in Mibu Village. Shiranui was the nephew of the current head of the Shiranui clan, an Oni clan that was based in Hagi, which was the capital city of the Chouhshu-han. If even he was there, it meant that the Choushu-han also required the assistance of the Oni. In their own politics, the Shiranui clan was not a vassal-family to the Kazama clan like the Amagiri, but for the fact that the head of the Kazama clan was also the leader of the Oni in the Western territories of Japan, some amount of respect was expected from Shiranui.

"Yo, Kazama, Amagiri," Shiranui greeted casually. Of course, not having the mark of a potential Oni-leader gave him certain freedoms, especially in conduct. Only those who were destined to lead were tied to the strictness of Oni traditions and culture. "Fancy meeting you here, even if it's a breeding ground for certain breeds of hounds."

"Hmph, I would guess that you have come here because of the humans," Kazama replied. "What has your family done to the Mori clan that they demand your presence here?"

"Well that's a little bit mean," Shiranui replied. "Aren't you pleased to see me here?"

"Get on with it, Shiranui," Amagiri continued. "Do not go around in circles." Shiranui, Amagiri and Kazama were the closest in age among the children of those in the Oni Council. While Amagiri and Kazama grew up in close proximity to one another, Shiranui Kyo would often come to the Kazama village for visits just because his uncle thought that it was best that his nephew spent some time with boys his age.

"Yare, yare, what am impatient bunch," Shiranui muttered under his breath. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. I'm here to help a friend out, not out of some land-debt like the two of you." It was an interesting twist, of course, but Kazama had heard tell that the Shiranui clan has indeed been worshipped like gods by the humans in their own lands. Perhaps the Mori clan had only a hint of authority upon them because of this fact.

"A friend?" Amagiri inquired further. It was rare to hear of an Oni befriending a human, especially after the decimation of the Yukimura clan.

"He's an idiot, but he has a good heart. Says he wants to change this country and whatnot, but I'm just here to make sure that he doesn't kill himself," Shiranui answered plainly, with that infuriating (at least to Kazama) grin on his face still.

"This friend of yours… he serves the Choushu-han, does he not?" Kazama asked.

"Well, of course he does," Shiranui answered. "But that doesn't mean that I'll have to blow the two of you into pieces whenever I see you right? I'm still Shiranui Kyo, and I don't want the entire Oni Council after my blood if I do that." Arrogant bastard or no, Kazama Chikage was not the Oni to be trifled with at all, and even Shiranui knew that, despite the current antagonism, whether apparent or not, between Choushu and Satsuma.

"Very well then," Amagiri concluded, and gave a belated greeting bow to Shiranui. "It was a pleasure meeting you,"

Shiranui nodded and waved them goodbye. "I'll be seeing you two idiots for sure!" he exclaimed, before turning his back and walking towards a different direction.

Once Shiranui was out of earshot, Kazama sighed. "That fool lost us our target," he growled. "I should have him skinned alive."

"You will risk the wrath of the Oni Council if you do that, Kazama," Amagiri cautioned. Shiranui was still the much-beloved nephew of the Shiranui clan-leader, after all. "We shall hunt for Yukimura Koudou another day."

Kazama harrumphed. "Another day, then."


HAN: Ah, finally Kazama and Amagiri enter the city of Kyoto. The drunk, old man Kazama talks to is Serizawa Kamo, who was one of the commanders of the Shinsen-Gumi before he was ordered to be assassinated by Hijikata and Kondou. The conversation between Serizawa and Kazama appears in Episode 10 of Reimeiroku's anime. It is implied that in the anime, and the movie, that Kazama has met Yukimura Koudou in Kyoto before he met Chizuru, so I decided to make them look for Koudou. I'm wondering if I should let Sen-hime appear soon or not, though. What do you think? Oh, and another point of conversation would be should I incorporate Kazama's routes in the two Hakuouki Yuugiroku games into this fic. If you want me to, then I'll be glad to oblige, since it sort-of shows how Kazama attempts to court Chizuru heh heh heh.

Wishica: Heh heh, meanwhile I hope you've enjoyed this fic so far!

OniKuShita: If I remember correctly, Kazama will meet Chizuru during the Kinmon No Hen, where he stops the Shinsen-Gumi from heading to Mt. Tennou.

aryaputra: Oh, do tell me when the second movie is online! It almost happened in Blood+ when Saya almost took Solomon's hand, but too bad damned Haji had to interfere *grinds teeth*.