End of Chapter Nine: "Are you certain you want to sacrifice yourself so easily? With a change in Kyoto's ruler ship I doubt your little group can afford to lose one of its leaders." Kazama held Chizuru a little tighter when her body grew rigid at the argument. "You are disturbing my future wife."

Chapter Ten: A Minute Closer to Midnight

"Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it. Those who do, will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, will never…never forget it."

-Curtis Judalet

Hijikata was obviously displeased and Chizuru looked away even though his glare was leveled on Kazama, it felt like two demons facing off. Hijikata had earned his nickname, she was more certain of it every time she saw him angry. Before they started to fight she spoke up, not sure where she suddenly had picked up the ability to be so direct.

"It's okay…" Chizuru sighed; dropping her hand from Kazama's hesitantly. "Kazama needed to leave anyway, what did you need Hijikata?"

Kazama retained his superior smirk, leaning down to kiss Chizuru's cheek, amused at the way it made the purple eyed man ruffle before he shifted to his feet, setting his future wife down before sauntering past Hijikata with his usual lazy grace. Hijikata resisted the urge to stab the man in the back, glancing back to Chizuru. He wasn't sure what to say exactly but he hadn't realized until just then how much the demon had already affected Chizuru.

"Um?" She looked nervous when she glanced up at him, and he sighed.

"I thought you'd like to eat dinner with us later." Hijikata stated coolly, it was difficult to keep his head level. "Do you love him?"

"Kazama?" Chizuru laughed a bit at the idea. "I doubt it, I just think…he's not completely bad…if I have to be with him I don't want to hate him. Like Sen says, he doesn't have the best personality but he's been thoughtful to me, almost kind."

"Once you've had his child? Do you think he'll stay that way?" Hijikata was concerned for the girl. Her father was gone, the Shinsengumi had been her only family for years, and it was hard to just let her go to this demon.

"I don't know." Chizuru said with a shrug. "I don't mind so much, I mean…before I met you guys I would be a lot more scared. I'm still frightened, but I can handle it. I guess it could just be the weird demon hormones too, I don't know much about that stuff. I'll find a place for myself once Kazama and my relationship ends, if it does. Maybe after I get more training I can take over my father's clinic."

"I could see you doing that." Hijikata said with a nod. Chizuru's comfort helped settle his own doubts. Even if it was just hormones now she was a girl that traveled as a man in search for her father all the way from Edo. For as timid as she could be it was easy to forget how brave she was as well. "If he hurts you…let us know…we'll take him apart."

Chizuru laughed, her mood lightening at the offer, she nodded a little. "Thank you Hijikata. I'll come by for dinner; I think I'd like to go to the hot spring for a while but thanks."

The two parted and Chizuru felt a little better still, perhaps her situation wasn't amazing, but it was something, and hoping that it wasn't just hormones she had to at least appreciate that Kazama was trying to do things for her sake. Getting up to head back out to the spring in hopes it would be a more relaxing visit this time.

Elsewhere the next day – Kazama -

Kazama frowned as he looked over the gore around the opening of his quarters. The blood was getting into his room, and those stains would never come out of matting completely.

"You think you could have gone easy on the guy?" Shiranui asked, amused as he looked over the man Kazama had chopped into a dozen pieces. "I know you don't like to be woken up but this is overreacting a little."

Kazama was shrugging on his haori and his voice held a similar dismissive tone. "They were supposed to stay out of our space, and I was having a nice dream when he woke me."

Shiranui rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you see in that girl, she's such a wimp. Guess the royals are just so bored they need the high maintenance sorts. You know they aren't going to be happy about this."

"Unless you are offended by their sorrow then bringing it up is meaningless. It is better they understand we are not as they are, and we will not tolerate any breaks of contract." Kazama replied, stepping over the corpse, kicking it just enough to be able to close his door.

"Kazama, Shiranui…" Amagiri paused nearby, he looked over the bits of the man that had gone into Kazama's room then sighed before turning his attention on them fully. "I have more information from the others. Kodo Yukimura has been working with the other lost twin of the Yukimura family to craft the water of life. It's some tainted version of the healing their family was capable of."

"Location?" It was a single question that Kazama followed the explanation with. The others meant the demons they were working with beyond enemy lines. Not all demons were warriors; there were still others such as informants and spies working other aspects of things with this war and other interests the demons needed to deal with before they left. These furies the Shinsengumi had crafted…the magic did seem like some broken version of the old gifts he'd been taught about involving the Yukimura family.

"We aren't sure yet, but reports still place him as working with the Choshuu. I have one of them working on finding exactly where he is but they're moving him around a lot as far as I can tell. We wouldn't even know about the Yukimura family but one of them reported Chizuru as being there and it was near Edo." Amaguri continued, the serious demon, glancing up the hall and listening a moment before continuing. "I only know it was a twin because you were with her that night. It seems the rumor of the surviving twins is true."

"Oh?" Kazama shook his head. "If they are working with Kodo on developing the broken copies we need to make Chizuru the only remaining member of the Yukimaru line."

"It'll be harder to track him; he's been hiding his entire life and we only got wind because of his connection to Kodo." Shiranui commented. "Though I agree he needs to die, don't you think your new girlfriend will have a problem with us killing her brother?"

Kazama shrugged at Shiranui. "Did you think while courting I would suddenly turn into a philanthropist? Chizuru doesn't know he exists, she can't bring up issues for those things she is unaware of."

"So if she finds out that her long lost brother and dad have to be killed?" Shiranui adjusted his question, frowning still.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you almost questioned my integrity Shiranui." Kazama replied as he walked off. "Get someone to clean that up and catch up to us, we have things we need to get done today."

Shinsengumi Headquarters – Chizuru – Several days later

The rest of the trip to the hot springs had allowed Chizuru to relax, actually get a real massage, and while it was still a little awkward with the others things were relaxing steadily. A few days had passed and they were all aware of her leaving in a few weeks and while there had been a few strange conversations she found that her life seemed easier now that she'd told them. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Even the dreams had died off for a few days, she wasn't sure why that was. If it was just how intimate she and Kazama had been at the hot spring or not; but it was a nice break either way. She knew it would only be temporary but was intent on enjoying the solace while it lasted.

She was sitting in her doorway looking out at the stars, it was too cold to stand out in the courtyard but even though it was late she was restless and didn't want to just lie in her bed without sleeping. The air was crisp but the sky was clear and she was enjoying the view when her world changed suddenly.

A flash of white was all she saw before she was relocated to the floor of her room with a white haired Sanan holding her down by her throat. His eyes were a brilliant red glow and she found her own gaze going wide as she realized he must have lost control again. "Sa..nan…"

It was difficult to even get those two syllables out, her own gaze had widened, there was nothing visibly wrong with him but when he spoke there was a manic edge that made her shiver. "Blood…give me your blood…"

Chizuru couldn't breath and she was already starting to see spots in front of her eyes. The only call for aid she could manage was a broken whisper. "…elp…me."

"Sanan! Stop it!" Okita slammed into the transformed Sanan, knocking him free a moment before falling himself, coughing as he tried to get back to his feet. His disease was getting worse with the cool weather of the coming winter. He still tried to stand as he half spoke between coughs. "Get…away…Chizu…"

"Your blood…" Sanan had already grabbed her again by the time she took steps toward the door, driving his nails into her arm hard enough to draw specks of scarlet liquid. Sanan held up her arm, licking along the wounds though they were already starting to close.

"Sanan! Get a hold of yourself." Okita pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the blood on his chin and what he'd coughed up on the floor. Drawing his sword and pointing it at the white haired man as he pulled Chizuru behind him. Sanan had paused though, holding his head as he backed a few steps. His hair slowly started to return to black.

"Huh?" He blinked with confusion as he looked between them, Saito, Hijikata, and Heisuke arrived at the door.

"Sanan attacked Chizuru." Okita explained, then his cough returned and Chizuru bent down next to him to check on him, concerned.

"It's getting worse." Hijikata commented, frowning at Sanan. "Do we need to throw you in a cell?"

"No sir…" Sanan replied quickly, glancing at Chizuru again, his eyes flickering down to the blood drying on her arm. "I'm fine now…"

"Heisuke escort Sanan back to his room. Saito take Okita, Chizuru you going to be all right? I can have Saito stand guard when he's done helping Okita." Hijikata offered; eyeing her over and frowning at the lines of blood on her arm.

"I'm fi…Kazama…" Chizuru stopped; and nearly smiled as she could feel the demon nearby. Her lips didn't quite perk before a sudden bloodlust returned to the air. It wasn't like the violent fit of Sanan moments before; instead there was a sharp steel that seemed to pressurize the air around them as if intent on holding them in place. A silent promise of oblivion that left her hairs standing on end…her eyes widened as she realized what he was here for.

She ran out after the other members of the Shinsengumi, pausing as she saw Kazama in his demon form forcing Sanan backward, knocking the man's arm wide. Heisuke had been tossed into a wall and Hijikata was drawing his sword as he ran toward them but he couldn't possibly get there in time.

"Don't!" Chizuru called, but it was too late, her scream came out a moment after it had already happened. Kazama was already on the other side of Sanan, whose body was sliding into multiple pieces, though the gore was replaced by ash as his form seemed to completely decompose before it hit the ground. Kazama turned with a lazy step, blocking the blade that came down at him from Hijikata.

"How dare you…" Hijikata's voice was a growl, he was obviously beyond being reasoned with. The pair of blades singing several times before Hijikata backed off from Kazama breathing heavily. Kazama meanwhile didn't seem as if he'd been doing more than taking a stroll.

"The same will happen to any that would touch what is mine." Kazama replied in a matter of fact way. "Here I thought you were going to protect her and you allow your own tainted monsters to attack her."

"Sanan was fine, he had returned to his senses or we would have slain him ourselves." Hijikata growled.

They danced still, Kazama dodging and weaving around Hijikata, though his last comment seemed to make the demon snap. Kazama knocked the blade out of the other warriors hand and buried his own sword into Hijikata's shoulder until it came through his back.

"When it was luck that the cripple reached her in time? When I could feel that monsters fingers wrapped around her neck? You dare tell me it was under control?" Kazama's voice was twisted with rage, his volume rising with each question he asked until it was nearly a snarl. Then he pulled his katana free and swirling in the same motion kicked Hijikata in the chest. After a sickening crack Hijikata went flying several feet through the air and when he came down he didn't move though his chest was barely rising and falling.

"I'll finish every one of those monsters tonight, and any that would stand in my way." Kazama glanced at the rest of the Shinsengumi darkly; his words didn't give the faintest hint that he would allow a compromise of any kind. "Your leader lives only by the grace of Chizuru's kindness."

"Wait…Kazama!" Chizuru spoke too late again, he had vanished and she could hear a scream from the barracks that housed the fury corps a few moments later. "Dammit!"

Chizuru took off toward the corps despite the other leaders of the Shinsengumi at her heels, if she could stop him before he killed so many people then she had to try even if it put her in danger, as it was it seemed very unlikely she'd be able to stay the whole few weeks she'd had planned.

End Chapter

I figure the fight with Hijikata came at a point that wouldn't be easily predicted. Kazama was an unhappy camper. Angry voice and all, though you can't really blame the guy…he's a tad overprotective…just a bit…

-Aura

To my reviewers:

DivineRose91 – I figured Okita would be the most likely to accept it given his own odd mannerisms. I also thought Saito might but he doesn't really talk much so I figure he wouldn't really discuss it even if he did. Kazama is really fun to write for though sometimes I have to sit and ponder just how to phrase his dialogue before I put it down. Yeah I love sweet moments between Chizuru and Kazama though they aren't all that common. Hijikata was okay at first! He just didn't make it til the end of the chapter.

Yeah I like Saito a lot, I'm pondering writing something for him and Chizuru sometime, but I have to finish this first. Yeah, any ending with lots of Kazama made me 3. Even the sort of creepy rape bad end. Well the vampire/zombie thing could work but you have to augment the story a little I think, that's' what I'd do if I did a Saito/Chizuru fic. In the end, Chizuru x Kazama will always be the way it should be in my brain. Thanks for the awesome review as always – you're definitely one of my best readers ever.

Animawolf – LOL, yeah I never liked Hijikata much, I always thought he was exceptionally selfish in the relationship with him. He more was concerned about his own honor and that of the Shinsengumi anytime than Chizuru's feelings. I might take that out on him a bit in my writing, but I still try to keep him IC. Thanks for your review and support, knowing I have avid readers really keeps me motivated.

Eternal Tempest – Love your name, and I'll try to at least take the story to a conclusion, I am enjoying writing it.