**Back and alive, ahahahaha. That was such a nice… break? Sorry to be gone so long.

** Another one :3 thanks for all the previous reviews enjoy…

**thanks to anyone who is willing to keep up and wait D: but the wait is over! . major exams are all over, now left puny assessments (^-^) time for me to finishing up all my stories :D

** this chapter might be a bit confusing since I haven't write this story for such a long time ., my draft papers were all over the places, and I was trying to get the story's feel back XD um… regardless, I managed to finish this chapter after all these months . enjoy!

* *from this chapter onwards the plot will diverge and following less from what is happening in the real anime :3 it will be more focused on Hotaru and Okita.

Um, in case anyone forgets, up to chapter 8, here's what had happened(summary on main points):

-Hotaru joined the shinsengumi under squad one.

-Hotaru found out that Saitou Hajime was her childhood friend that killed her brother in a duel.

-Green ochimizu is introduced: a type of ochimizu that can make the consumer replicate its DNA and transform into anyone he/she sees. The only thing that distinguish Rasetsu (green ochimizu drinker) from normal human is the color of the eyes(rasetsu will have red eyes). origin of the potion is not yet reveal. It is the modified version of ochimizu, thus the original properties of ochimizu is also in effect (blood thrist, enhanced abilities, weak against silver weapon etc)

-Okita found out that Hotaru is a girl but didn't want her to get punish so he keep quiet about it.

-Hijikata, Heisuke and Sanosuke also found out Hotaru's true gender through trainee profile inspection, but they wanted to investigate the real reason why she entered the shinsengumi that's why they didn't reveal her immediately.

-Chizuru told Hotaru there's someone in shinsengumi suspect that she is a girl. Hotaru is asked to be careful.

-And, coming up next… physical exam week!

CHAPTER 9

After Hijikata told Chizuru to notice everyone in the shinsengumi about the upcoming checkup, Chizuru last stop in squad one's last member: Hotaru. Chizuru break the news to Hotaru in her room.

"Eeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhh?!" Hotaru shrieked. Chizuru sweat drop and cover her ears, "you're over reacting…"

Hotaru walked around in circles, then stopped and turned to Chizuru, "you don't get it! I heard this once that during shinsengumi physical checkup the guys are check even at their chest!"

'Oh…' it took some time for Chizuru to click, "oh yeah! Naked! That's bad!"

"I know right! They will definitely find out that I am a girl-"

"Kyaaa! Hijikata-san is going to be naked?!" Chizuru blushed and covered her face with her hands.

Veins popped at Hotaru forehead, "chizuru-chan! That is so not the problem!" Hotaru sighed 'what should I do, what should I do, oh yeah I can- no wait, I can't, omg, what am I-' Hotaru felt a chill run over her spine as a huge bucket of water splashed all over her.

"Saitou-san?" Chizuru greeted, "what are you doing?"

Saitou emptied the rest of the content onto Hotaru, "Heisuke told me this is the fastest way for a person to catch a cold."

"Eh?"

Hotaru sneezed, and a drip of snot came out, "C-cold… curse you Tou-chan." Saitou pour another bucket-full of water on her, "I can't help it, and you have to be sick to escape the exam…"

"Isn't that… a bit harsh…..." Chizuru said, giggling herself

"Stop it Tou-chan- Achoo!" Hotaru rushed over to the cabinet to get a towel to dry herself, "geez, you two are hopeless!"

(Hijikata's room)

"I see... she-, I mean, he fell sick... it can't be helped. Excluded him out from the checkup."

"thank you." Saitou bowed and left the room.

Hijikata opened up a book and start writing his haiku, "guess I have to ask her directly then... Heiwajima Hotaru..."

(A week later)

Hotaru cleared her nose for the ninth time of the day, "I'm feeling so sick.. Tou-chan… why do things have to turn out your way…" Hotaru got up from her bed… "This room sure feels stuffy… I wonder how the others are now. They are in the middle of the check-ups…" she went over to the windows, and opened it, "guess I'll let some air in- hmm?" Hotaru peeked through the gap between the windows, outside, down the porch, stood Okita and doctor Matsumoto, "what are they talking about…?"

"-culosis." Hotaru moved to another window which brings her closer to the two, she get a better hearing this time, "its tuberculosis." Hotaru eyes widened in shock, 'Captain Okita… tuberculosis…?! This can't be…' Hotaru was too shocked to eavesdrop on anymore of the conversation, until she realized that the doctor is gone and Okita was all alone, Okita turned to his right, "How long you plan on hiding there?"

Hotaru gulped, 'He found me out!' she was about to say something when she was interrupted by Chizuru, who was now out from her previous spot, "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdropped, Okita-san…"

'Chizuru-chan, it was her Captain Okita saw…I was saved…' Hotaru slide her window closed and when back to her bed, "… …Captain…"

(A few days later)

'Tsk… this isn't like me at all…' Okita walking ahead of the entire patrol troop with his men followed closely behind. 'Isn't obvious I should kick Hotaru out now…?'

Another walk around the city, Okita took a glance behind him, at his troop, at a particular blond. Lately, she has been trying too hard to be man. If Okita didn't know Hotaru is a woman, he might have fall to her actions. 'I could not tell anyone about it, not Hijikata-san, not Kondou-san, of course not Hotaru herself, this is so stressful... I could not tell them there is a woman in my troop. But if we were attacked, or should we fighting on war field, she might die. I should… find her an excuse and ended her time in the shinsengumi. Yes… that is what I should do…'

"Shut up!" Okita winced at the voice, then he was taken aback to see it was from Hotaru. 'Since when Hotaru become so rough with her tone…?'

"Should I kill you, you bastard? You knocked the granny over so apologize already, you scumbag!" Hotaru threatened, grabbing a thug by the collar.

"Oi, Hotaru," Okita called, "don't cause trouble here."

"Sorry, captain." She replied with a very cool tone and throws the thug down to the floor, spit and turned to walk away. 'How on earth her personality changes so much in such a short time? Is she really the Hotaru I know about?'

'Bwaah, that was so scary!' Hotaru thought as she walked away from the incident she started, 'urghhh, I do hope anyone who thinks I am a girl as how Chizuru-chan told me will change their mind now, I am not going to do THAT again…'

Just as the troop was walking ahead, Okita stopped, grabbing his chest in pain.

"Captain?" Hotaru went over to his side "Are you okay?" Okita coughed and covered his mouth with a piece of cloth. After the cough subsided, he covered it up with a fake grin, "it's not a big deal, let's move on."

When they entered the shinsengumi base, Heisuke came running to Hotaru, "Hei-Heiwajima Hotaru, Captain Hijikata wanted to see you at this instant."

"Huh? But…" Hotaru turned to her captain, Okita nodded. She mumbled "thanks" to Okita and turned back to Heisuke, "okay, I am going now."

To be continued…

**R&R will be appreciated, next one will be up prolly… idk D: um… can be range from a day to a year . um… so… will try in a week… ahahaha….