"I got it!" Shinpachi suddenly yelled aloud as Tora served him some more of her home made miso soup, startling her enough to spill a little of the hot food onto her leg and she hissed slightly, hurrying to wipe away the spillage as Shinpachi grinned. "You don't have to pretend to be a boy, since it's never going to work, we'll just say that you're Kondo-san's sister and you're here to help with chores and take over the kitchens!" He declared, cheeks a little red from where he had been drinking a little too much sake.

"Shinpachi, that might actually be a half decent idea." Harada chuckled, saluting his drink as Kondo pondered the idea for a few moments. "Who knew? You actually do have a brain up there."

"Hey, what you trying to say you bastard?" Shinpachi demanded, slurring his words slightly so Tora confiscated his sake and replaced it with food instead. "Hey! Tora-chan!"

"I think you have had enough, Shinpachi-san. You are quite clearly intoxicated." Giving him a stern look, Shinpachi complained as others laughed at him whilst Tora continued to serve, Chizuru handling the drinks. "Chi, I think Shinpachi should refrain from drinking anymore alcohol tonight."

"Understood, I'll make sure to give him water from now on." She nodded her head, the two of us sharing a smile before passing one another by.

"I have to agree with Shinpachi, Tora is too distinguishable. I think our only option is to accept her as staff and claim her to be your relative, Kondo-san. That way, her reputation is not tarnished and she will remain under our protection still." Sannan-san offered, accepting some more food from Tora who gave Kondo a warm smile.

"I would be glad to be your little sister, Kondo-san, I think people will fall for the ruse."

"Well, I'm not opposed to it either. Anyone under the Shinsengumi roof is family anyway, so this shouldn't be too hard! Besides, very few people know that you're here anyway, we can easily say you've only recently moved here from out of town to keep an eye on me." He laughed, patting his belly. "Ah, excellent food as always, thank you Chizuru, Tora."

"You're welcome, please have as much as you like. There's plenty to go around." Tora said as Chizuru also called back with a smile, everyone relaxing with the two girls emitting their calming and bright auras which instantly lightened any mood. Tora hardly noticed due to her business that she was almost constantly being watched, and not always by the same pair of eyes. Every detail about her was being recorded. Her movements, gestures, smiles, expressions, everything that could be observed was absorbed into ever watchful eyes.

The next day, the arrangements were made for Tora to be officially introduced as Kondo's younger sister, which meant unfortunately that she could no longer share her room with Chizuru, who for safety still had to masquerade as a boy. Neither of them minded as Tora was only moved to the next room and they were still close, so it hardly mattered. All the same, as Tora smiled and greeted everyone officially, she could not help but lose her warmth when she came face to face with Itou. In order to conceal herself, she had taken particular care to change her hairstyle and even wore a little makeup to ensure that Itou did not recognise her. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, such a lovely cherry blossom as you needs careful and delicate nourishment in order to blossom, yet I see that you are well on your way to becoming the loveliest flower I have ever seen." Of course, blinded by his own foolishness, Itou was never the wiser. Tora shuddered slightly at the words but forced a smile to her lips, hiding her lower face behind a fan.

"You are too kind." She answered, glancing up at Kondo who quietly placed a hand of reassurance on her shoulder, the heavy weight allowing her to draw strength from its firmness so she drew herself up a little taller. Once all introductions were over, some of the captains came to speak to her in friendly conversation, complimenting her appearance and that she looked much better dressed as a woman than as a man. "You should see Chizuru when she's all dressed up. She is quite a sight to behold." Tora whispered to them secretly, winking as Chizuru continued to serve drinks, none the wiser.

"No way! I want to see Chizuru-chan all dressed up just like you!" Heisuke gaped with Shinpachi and Harada all for once in agreement. Leaving them to their discussion, Tora left the men to continue her business and left her outer robe in her room, letting down her hair to then tie it back into a simple knot in the centre of her back, pinning back her fringe with her mother's hairpin before getting to work, beginning with sweeping the yard. She worked through her chores until past sundown, not stopping until everything for the day was done and she went to bed sufficiently sleepy, wanting nothing more than to rest, however on her way, she heard a disturbance in one of the outhouses, including a cry from a voice she knew all too well.

"Chizuru!" Quickly jumping off the wooden platform she slipped into her shoes with the utmost haste, racing towards the sound however Hijikata, Saito and Souji had all beaten me to her. Hijikata was dragging a rather dumbfounded and shocked looking Chizuru, making Tora skid to a halt with laboured breath as she reached the outhouse. "Chizuru! Chi!" Tora called out for her, making to run forwards with an outstretched hand to claim her back but Saito caught her with an arm around the middle, stopping her from going after them.

"Not now, you must be quiet." He murmured softly, placing his other hand against Tora's shoulder and she immediately calmed down, looking his way before turning to see what had happened inside the outhouse, however all she saw was a glimpse of white hair and what appeared to be Sannan-san's form on the ground. "Do not speak of this to anyone. Understand?" He gave Tora a little nudge, trying to get her to contemplate what was happening, however her firm gaze fixated on his, cool and calm yet threatening to spark ablaze.

"Is she hurt?" After a brief moment, Saito shook his head. "Good. That is a relief to me." Exhaling to loosen her tense limbs, Tora stepped back and gripped her arms, glancing away from Saito with a slight blush of embarrassment as Souji remained inside, tending to an unconscious Sannan-san. "Do you need any assistance?"

"No, we got it. Just go back to your room and stay there." Souji ordered in his usual harsh tone, however over the months spent in their company, Tora had grown accustomed to it. All the while, Saito never looked away from her.

"Very well, I shall leave you then. Goodnight Saito-san, Souji." Bowing her head, Tora walked away back to her room, however she could not help but feel concerned, glancing back the way Chizuru had been very quickly carted off to. Would she really be alright? It was not that Tora did not trust Hijikata, however she could not entirely rely on his character when around Chizuru, as in her opinion, there was no one better suited to protecting Chizuru than herself. Disturbed and greatly troubled, Tora found no peace as she paced inside her room, waiting to hear for Chizuru to return, however when she heard footsteps, they did not sound like Chizuru's.

Sliding her door open quickly, her shoulders went lax as she saw Saito walking towards her door, not stopping even as she had opened the door. "Saito-san. Where is Chizuru? Is she alright? What happened to Sannan-san? Why was his hair white just like those…" Saito suddenly sped forwards like a rush of a shadow, making Tora's eyes widen in alarm as he pressed a hand against her mouth, sealing it shut and all at once, pushed her inside and slid the door shut behind him, trapping her against the wall and the single candle that she burned was snuffed out, plunging them both into momentary darkness until the moonlight allowed their eyes to adjust and Tora remained staring in shock at Satio's uncharacteristic behaviour.

"Asking so many questions when anyone could be listening is unwise." He said to her quietly before pulling back, taking several steps away with a dip of his head in apology, giving Tora a few feet of space so that she could recover herself.

"Y-Yes, I understand. Forgive me, I was just concerned." Tora explained, gripping onto her arm a little nervously as she looked away, a heavy rosy hue dusting her cheeks. Tora could not control the heat rising to her face or the sudden nervousness that she began to feel when usually, Saito was always such a calming presence for her. "It's just…I worry about Chizuru."

"Yes, I understand." Saito assured her, bowing his head into his scarf slightly and as he looked down, Tora dared to lift her eyes to try and read his face. As always, Saito was as undiscerning as ever, however that did not dissuade Tora from continually trying. One day she would understand him, it was a solemn vow she had taken upon herself. "But you need not worry. Hijikata-san may seem unforgiving, but he will not go back on his word to protect Chizuru. It is not in his nature to break a vow." This brought Tora a small measure of comfort, however now her worry centred on Sannan-san. She knew very little of the secrets of the Shinsengumi, however she knew for certain that there was something happening in the shadows of this order, especially considering she knew she had not been dreaming when those white haired monsters had attacked. No one had ever answered her questions and Tora knew better than to ask too many, however she could not help but continue wondering.

"Sannan-san…he's not going to become like…them…is he?" For once, Saito heard a small degree of timidity from Tora, her voice quiet and a little shaky as she thought back to how she had nearly lost her life in that fight. She did not know if she would be able to face one of those again, much less if they were that of a friend, however when Saito noticed her discomfort, he sought to appease her, stepping closer until he was close enough to reach out a hand and place it upon her shoulder.

"I do not believe so." He murmured softly before touching her chin, making her lift her gaze to meet his, their eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Where hers were bright and sharp, his were softened by the silver glow, shimmering richly which drew Tora unconsciously closer, feeling his cooling fingers as he continued to hold her chin, tilting her head at just the right angle to expose her face fully. She was more beautiful each day he saw her, noticing new things almost with every glance. Never before had he felt to be so compatible with a woman. He wanted nothing more than to be closer to her, so he pushed the boundaries, allowing her to lean towards him with only the slightest of guidance from his hand as her eyes began to slowly slide shut, focusing on his lips as they became the centre of her world.

Before her mind could catch up to what her body was naturally craving, Tora had lifted her hands to rest against Saito's chest, one hand curling into the softness of his white scarf and she rose up onto her toes to reach his lips, touching them intimately with her own as Saito closed the last of the distance by meeting her at the centre, shutting out all other thoughts as their warm embrace deepened but did not hasten. Saito's calming presence quelled the thundering in her chest and her mind allowed itself to go blank, comforted by the quiet strength that he emitted which naturally enveloped her. In contrast, Saito felt strengthened and empowered by this kiss, Tora filling him with her own resolution of character as he remained standing very still, not wanting to startle her.

His one hand remained at her chin, remaining as intimate as he dared but did not lift the other hand, wanting to allow her room and space to back away should she suddenly change her mind, however much to his pleasure, she did not. When they did finally break apart, it was to draw air into their spent lungs. For a moment they simply stared at one another, both of them blushing blatantly in their embarrassment, unable to explain what had just happened between them. Tora felt happy, very happy, yet she could not help but feel a little vulnerable and timid in the wake of what they had just shared, being her first kiss. Saito was also at a loss for words, uncertain of what to do so he began by letting Tora go and stepping away, once more giving her space to move where she will without feeling trapped by him.

Quickly they averted their gazes, recovering their breath until finally, Saito bowed his head respectfully and without a word, quietly slipped away, closing the door behind him as Tora gripped her heart which once more started to thunder in her chest the moment Saito was gone from the immediate vicinity. Reality hitting her all at once, she slid to the ground and clapped a hand over her mouth, still feeling the warmth of Saito's kiss against her lips as a tingling sensation began to fill her core and move up to her neck until she started shivering. If sleep had eluded her before, Tora knew that she was unlikely to get any now so with a furious blush, she prepared for a long night ahead of her, mind reeling with that kiss as it played over and over again in her head until finally, she went to sleep with a smile.