The Courtship of Lady Tokio
Disclaimer: all character rights belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha etc. This is a fictionalized account based in part on historical facts.
Chapter 10 – The Ikedaya Affair
- Late May 1864 -
"Hijikata-san, you aren't serious when you say that you're going to search our rooms as well, are you?"
"Souji, I've told you already. We've already been through the regular troops quarters, so now we do the executive rooms. Nobody is above suspicion, otherwise we'd be guilty of favoritism."
"But Hijikata-san, I'm sure everyone will protest. I mean, I know that I have nothing to hide, but do you really suspect the people who traveled all the way from the Shieikan with you?"
"Get out of the way Souji."
Hijikata pushed Okita aside, and although Okita grumbled a little, he let his older friend pass. The Vice Commander was searching for evidence of enemy infiltrators; he was sure there was a leak somewhere and it made him furious. For the last couple of weeks, radical Choushuu groups had been forewarned of their patrol routes and had been able to escape or lie in ambush. And Hijikata would be damned if he couldn't find the source of the leak.
Okita's room was bright and "a tad untidy" with a book, some children's toys ("I was playing with the children in the neighbourhood") and an old box of letters from his sisters on the floor. Hijikata smirked. For all that Okita had come to be feared for his deadly swordsmanship, he also had a childlike quality that was hard for people to dislike. Hijikata opened the oshi-ire: some futons, and a few blood stained rags.
"Souji, what are these?" Hijikata asked accusingly, gingerly lifting the soiled cloths.
"Aah, yes, I had a nose bleed earlier on from eating too much youkan, and I couldn't be bothered cleaning them straight away so I stuck them in there." Hijikata grunted in annoyance. "I promise I'll wash them later. Are you satisfied with your search?"
Hijikata really couldn't be bothered looking anymore – in any case, Okita was the last one he'd suspect after himself. Stomping out of the room, he made his way to the next one: Saitou Hajime's room. Saitou's room was sparse, and gave away absolutely nothing about the man who resided there. Hijikata opened the small chest of drawers, which was the only piece of furniture in the room besides the writing table. Among the neatly folded clothes, he discovered a wooden box, undecorated but polished, a fine piece of craftsmanship. He opened it, and found within a sheaf of letters.
"Ummm, Hijikata-san, I'm not sure that it's such a good idea to go through Saitou-san's personal correspondence." Okita sounded slightly worried.
"Souji, when I say that nobody is above suspicion, it means that nobody is above suspicion. Letters are probably among the most suspect items of all." In fact, Hijikata was curious. Saitou was such an austere person, and did not confide in anyone about his personal life. He was respected within the Shinsengumi for his sword which was as deadly as Okita's, and for the fact that he seemed to be the model samurai, and he was liked, if not for his manners and temperament, for the fact that he could drink most people under the table. But he remained an enigma. A trustworthy one, but an enigma nonetheless.
He opened the first letter. 'Takagi Tokio... Matsudaira-kou's scribe?' Surely not. There must be some mistake. He sorted though the rest of the pages. There must be some explanation.
When Saitou came back from duty, he found Hijikata waiting for him in his room. Tokio's letters were placed in front of him. Saitou stepped inside, closed the shoji, sat down cross legged opposite the Vice Commander, and he glared at his superior, though trying to conceal the extent of his anger.
"Is it not against the way of the samurai to invade one's privacy and go through his personal effects?" The first rule of the Shinsengumi: one must abide at all times by the code of Bushido or commit seppuku.
"Not for the sake of maintaining order within the organization, especially when there are spies within our ranks." Hijikata disciplined the members with an uncompromising iron fist. He was ruthless when it came to maintain order within the ranks.
"I am not a spy." Saitou stated simply, though if looks could kill.
"No, you're not. But this is unacceptable conduct on the part of one of our executive leaders."
Saitou snorted in extreme aggravation.
"This conduct has been nothing inappropriate. And I fail to see how her letters make me an incompetent member of the Shinsengumi. Especially seeing as how it was all one-sided. I never replied."
"So it would seem." Hijikata studied Saitou warily. It would be a long time, he realized, before Saitou forgave him. "Do you have any idea what the implications would be if this were to come to the notice of the Aizu-han?"
"I know her father," came the curt retort.
"You know her father because you killed a man that you shouldn't have. Her father helped you escape a murder trial by sending you to Kyoto with us. And now, again without any regard for rank or class, you are engaging in a clandestine affair with a lady who is far above you in station."
Saitou almost laughed bitterly. 'Clandestine affair? Walking around at night with her dressed as a monk? And that fool in Edo had it coming.' But he did not say this, and instead commented,
"I didn't think that rank or class were of significant importance to the Shinsengumi."
Anyway, she was engaged to be married, to a man high above him in rank, and for important political purposes.
"Saitou, we can't afford to lose face with Aizu. Bear that in mind." Hijikata handed the letters back to Saitou. "And I don't want to know how you two met, or how this came about. I've a feeling that it'll cause me an unbearable headache. Though I am glad that she decided to end the correspondence. It was for the best."
Saitou felt his insides churn again as he tried to detach himself from his impulse to draw his sword against Hijikata there and then. It was not too difficult - it would have been too irrational an action for such a logical man.
"Not that I blame you, Saitou. She seems to be...an interesting person."
With that, Hijikata stood up and walked out, leaving Saitou alone to dwell on his resentment.
Saitou would proceed to get very, very drunk in Gion that night. He even spent the night with Kohana, who seemed determined to have this man whom she couldn't seem to tame, and who smiled triumphantly at getting her way at long last. Rationalism and logic, it seemed, always had its limits where women were concerned.
"Okita, hey, don't you think that Saitou's changed?" Harada sounded tetchy the following morning. Okita looked across the room at Saitou, who seemed to be suffering from the ill-effects of excessive drinking and was having trouble finishing his breakfast.
"Harada-san, are you sure you're not just feeling resentful because he drank you under the table last night?"
"What! Him? Drink me under the table! Where were you looking last night you brat!"
"At you when you passed out as Saitou-san continued to knock back his shots." Okita nimbly dodged the punch that Harada aimed at him. Saitou was acting more violent, and more taciturn, and a good bit more self-destructive than before, but then again, Saitou had never been the easiest person to get along with. Besides, Okita had a feeling his recent mood had something to do with the letters that Hijikata had found in his room. And Okita was not going to divulge that information to Harada. No, such information was best kept to himself, and then maybe used to blackmail Saitou at a later date. He wondered how much youkan he could get if he did.
"And why the hell did he get together with Kohana, after all this time? He couldn't stand her! And he still barely says two words to her, but stayed all night in her room after hours!"
"Harada-san, I told you, you're just jealous."
"Okita, c'mere and I'll beat the crap out of you."
Just as Harada reached out to grab Okita, the younger man was racked by a fit of coughing.
"Uurrrgghhh! Gross Okita!" Harada wailed in disgust as he watched Okita cough up phlegm into his hand. Okita frowned at Harada, and then stretched out his hand towards him. "Argh! Get back, stay away! That's so disgusting!" Harada shrieked and shied away from Okita, who looked like he thought this was a great game. The more Harada squealed and tried to run away, the more Okita laughed. An empty rice bowl came flying across the room, and hit Harada right on the forehead.
"Ahou ga."
4th June 1864 –
Hijikata smirked as he uncovered the encoded messages in Matsui's diary.
"Souji, take a look," he said pushing the notes towards Okita.
"Wow, it looks like your snooping really paid off!"
Hijikata, ignoring Okita's impudence, flicked through the pages. There it was, the proof that they needed to search the Furutaka store. Hijikata had suspected Matsui for a while now, after seeing him hesitate to engage Choushuu Ishinshishi in battle. Matsui would be executed according to Shinsengumi regulations, but only after Hijikata had wrung as much information from him as possible. Hijikata knew that fear was a great motivator, and he had a knack for motivating unwilling parties.
5th June 1864 (Early morning) –
"Hijikata-sensei! Please come quickly with Kondou-sama! Takeda-sensei urgently requests that you join him immediately at Furutaka's place." A member of Takeda's fifth troop came running to the Yagi estate, out of breath and sweating. Hijikata had been waiting for just such a report. Nodding to Okita, who went to call Kondou, he rose and prepared to leave. By the time Kondou joined him a few minutes later, Okita had also told Harada and Nagakura that something big was happening at the Furutaka store, and there the two of them were, Nagakura looking solemn and Harada as though festival preparations were underway. Saitou was also there; Hijikata had called him. Yamanami was left in charge of headquarters while they were absent.
While they did not exactly run to the store, there was a tangible sense of urgency to their pace as they left Mibu. Takeda greeted them at the entrance.
"Kondou-sensei, Hijikata-san, I am most pleased to inform you that I have foiled the most reprehensible plot that Choushuu has come up with so far." Takeda announced with his usual self-importance, conveniently forgetting that it had been Hijikata who had ordered him to go there in the first place. Hijikata had consulted with Yamazaki, who informed him that the Furutaka store was most likely covering for a fairly large group of Choushuu and Tosa roushi.
"Did you find the Choushuu men?" Hijikata asked brusquely.
"Worse, Kondou-sensei." Takeda did not appreciate Hijikata's tone and turned to address their commander. "Please, take a look inside their storerooms."
He led them into the compound and into a separate holding that would usually have been used to store food and cloth products to sell in their shop. Instead, it was packed with rifles, spears, swords, and explosives.
"Cool!" Harada looked delighted. He touched some powder in an open barrel.
"Don't touch that!" Takeda shouted. "It's gunpowder, and very volatile!" Harada immediately jumped back, as if it would explode right there and then.
"Here Harada-san, I've got some matches!" Okita cheerfully offered as Harada looked aghast.
"Souji, this is no time to be fooling around," came Hijikata's sharp reprimand. The others were examining the stockpiled weapons with apprehension.
"What were Choushuu thinking, to start an all out war in Kyoto!" Kondou's voice was low, but sounded furious.
"We assume so, we wouldn't put it past those Choushuu dogs," sniffed Takeda disdainfully. "Thankfully, we found this in time."
The furrow in Saitou's brow deepened, unconvinced. He exchanged a glance with Hijikata. 'There are not enough men or weapons here for Choushuu to wage a battle and win against the might of Aizu and Satsuma combined. And they know that.'
"No... It's something else. Something different, something more insane..." Hijikata's mind was racing furiously. "Takeda, where's Furutaka now?" He called out.
"We have him under arrest inside the house, and we made sure that he can't commit suicide. He's refusing to talk though."
"Oh is he now?" Hijikata smiled, though it was more of a grimace. "Well I do like a challenge."
5th June 1864 (Afternoon) -
It was mid-afternoon before Hijikata emerged from the shed where Furutaka Shuntarou, master of the Furutaka store was being held for 'questioning'. Nobody had been allowed near, except for two guards. Nobody had really wanted to go near, hearing the screams that had issued from within. Earlier on in the day, several Choushuu men claiming to be Kyoto city officials had tried to get passed the Shinsengumi guards stationed outside the Furutaka's weapons depot. That Choushuu were trying to reclaim the confiscated arms was a sure indication that something important was being planned. However Choushuu moved, the Shinsengumi had to be prepared. A state of nervous tension permeated the air of Mibu headquarters. Now that Hijikata had succeeded in making Furutaka crack, action would be imminent.
"So, sometime during the Gion festival over the next couple of weeks, while people are too distracted to be worried about an attack, they plan to burn Kyoto to the ground, and the imperial palace, kidnap the Emperor in the confusion and abduct him to Choushuu, where they will establish the new seat of power!" Kondou's face was knotted in shocked disbelief. "Have these men no honour, no thought for the people who will suffer as a result of their fanatical scheming?"
"This is unforgivable. Kyoto is an ancient city and the heart of Japan. Such a thing would utterly destroy our country." Yamanami said with quiet disgust. Yamanami, an extremely gentle man who would have seemed out of place in the Shinsengumi if not for his skill with the sword, turned to Hijikata. "What are our plans?"
"We've sent messengers to Koumyouji with the information. I expect to hear back from them soon. Most likely, we'll be placed with an Aizu force to track down the conspirators. Yamazaki is investigating all likely meeting spots at the moment. We're just in time, as it seems that the final meeting was scheduled for tonight."
"Those damn Choushuu people, they're all insane! All these assassinations, the Hitokiri Battousai, and now this!" Harada was fuming. "Hah! We'll make this a proper matsuri for them alright!"
As Kondou, Hijikata and Yamanami started to discuss the details for their mission and to divide the troops between the different groups, Okita smiled at Saitou and said,
"Exciting isn't it?"
"Hmph." Saitou didn't seem to be in the mood to be particularly expressive.
"I mean, this is the first time that this big a group is going to be called into action." This was true – such a critical development called for official mobilization of nearly the entire force. "We're going to get the bad guys."
"The bad guys?" Saitou raised an eyebrow. "How... theatrical of you."
"It's true, Saitou-san," said Okita indignantly, "they're the bad guys. And we're the good guys. We're fighting for the peace and they want to destroy it. You said it yourself, we fight for peace. Their evil schemes must be stopped."
"Evil schemes?" Saitou taunted Okita for his dramatic words.
"Yes, it's evil," Okita insisted. "We have to stop such evil. At once. Aku, Soku, Zan!"
"We're going to slay the evil-doers?" Saitou's sardonic tone served to make Okita look more riled. "Don't get so worked up, or you'll wet yourself."
"Heh, Saitou-san, be careful not to end up on the other end of my sword in the fight tonight. Although, if we're talking about slaying evil swiftly, then I should probably kill you first, as you are positively the most wickedly malevolent thing in this compound."
"Souji! Saitou! Pay attention!" Hijikata barked at the two of them. "Souji, you'll be going with Kondou-san. Saitou, you'll be coming with me. We're splitting the two of you up for your incessant bickering."
"You say that as if it's a punishment, Hijikata-san," said Saitou, with a wicked glance at Okita.
5th June 1864 (Evening) -
Kondou frowned. His and Hijikata's groups had been running around for three hours, searching for the meeting place of the Choushuu conspirators. There had been no movement or action from Koumyouji that day; they had been ordered to act on their own initiative, the entire mission being entrusted to them. Aizu, he assumed, was putting the Shinsengumi to the test. So be it. He had confidence in the abilities of his men. This place though, the Ikedaya, seemed almost too convenient. Firstly, it was near the Choushuu-hantei. Secondly, it was an easy place to observe and spy on. Thirdly, it was vulnerable to attack with regard to the layout of the building. Still, Choushuu's bad judgement would only play into their hands. Yamazaki, who had entered the building undercover to investigate, came quietly running out. He bowed to Kondou.
"They're here. A large group, more than twenty, upstairs in the main room."
"Find Hijikata's group and tell him," Kondou said in a low voice. He nodded at his men. There were only ten of them – as he had taken both Okita and Nagakura, his group had been smaller.
"Souji, Nagakura, Toudou, with me inside. Three of you watch the back entrance, and three of you stay out front." They bowed, ready for battle. They quickly entered the building.
"Goyou aratame de aru! Shinsengumi da!" Kondou called out.
The master came out, saw who they were, turned as white as a sheet and rushed up the back stairs. Swiftly, Kondou and Okita followed him, while Nagakura and Toudou stayed below. Just as the master was shouting a warning at the group inside, Kondou and Okita slammed open the shoji.
"Goyou aratame, resist and you will die." The twenty-odd men there grabbed their weapons. Two against them all, they'd chance the odds. The first man to charge was cut down by Okita before he had a chance to fully draw his sword. Okita – smiling like an angel, showered in blood – chilled the other men to the marrow of their bones.
"Run!"
"Fight!"
"Get out of the way!"
Havoc ensued as the conspirators tried to decide what to do. The lights were extinguished abruptly. Most took a dashing chance at escape. Kondou, seeing them flee downstairs, nodded at Okita and also followed them. Below, the sounds of Nagakura and Toudou facing the Choushuu men resounded in the narrow corridors. Only five men remained upstairs, each looking confident in his swordsmanship.
"Quite heartless of your commander, isn't it, to leave such a young boy all on his lonesome with us," snarled one of the men.
Okita looked nonplussed. One of them swung his sword, but the next instant, his head rolled. The others looked surprised – the first man Okita had killed, they thought had been a fluke. Now, the remaining four looked apprehensive about their situation. They all charged at once, crying out. In the dark, Okita's sword flashed like lightning. Strangled screams cut short, the smell of blood rising. It was over so quickly... But the next instant, the young man doubled over as a fit of coughing racked his body. He couldn't stop, he couldn't breathe. He remembered tasting the blood in his mouth before he was engulfed from within by darkness.
"Kondou-san!" Hijikata cried as he burst into the Ikedaya with his group. The fighting was frenzied and furious when he arrived. Kondou was surrounded by four men, Toudou was bleeding from his forehead as Nagakura came to his aid, and there was no sign of Okita. 'Souji...' Hijikata had no time to worry as Choushuu men hastened to attack.
Saitou moved boldly and quickly through the chaos. He made his way upstairs, where he thought Okita might be. He found him passed out on the bodies of his slain enemies.
"Okita!" Saitou spoke in a severe voice, shaking his colleague. "Okita!" Okita opened his eyes blearily.
"Aah, Saitou-san! It's you. See, we're slaying evil doers, hehehe." Okita laughed weakly. "And now I'm not as inexperienced as you're always claiming I am."
"Ahou ga. You pass out during battle because you're inexperienced." Saitou said this mockingly, but his sharp eyes did not miss the bright red stains down Okita's front. Stains that were not the blood of his foes.
"Hehehe, Saitou-san," Okita was still smiling. He paused for dramatic effect. "Aku. Soku. Zan!"
Shinsengumi Gaisen!
The streets on their way back to Mibu from the Ikedaya were lined with spectators. They watched in curious awe and horror as the bloodstained Miburo marched through the streets back to their headquarters. They had captured three men who surrendered. The rest of the conspirators had been killed, including a few prominent Choushuu leaders. Katsura Kogorou had not been present. 'Shame,' thought Saitou. Killing Katsura would have been a huge blow to the Choushuu Ishinshishi. Saitou himself had killed two men who had returned upstairs, retreating from the advancing Hijikata group. He turned to look at Okita, who although aware of Saitou's scrutiny, just kept smiling and waving at the people. Okita had not been wounded, Saitou knew, but his hurts were eating him from the inside out. He wondered who else knew. Knowing Okita, he was hiding it from them all.
Suddenly, he felt the hairs on his neck rise, and a strange sense of foreboding. He stopped for just an instant, and glanced back. There, in the midst of the crowd, was a short figure wearing a hat. The hat could not cover those cold eyes, full of rage, and abnormally red-coloured hair. He sneered maliciously at the man, and the feeling rose that he should fight him there and then.
"Saitou-san, is something the matter?" Okita turned back and called to him.
"Nothing, Okita-kun." Saitou replied with a fake smile. Okita looked at him suspiciously.
"Saitou-san, something is really wrong. You're smiling. Nicely. It's creepy. Stop, please."
"Saitou, what the hell's wrong with you!" That was Harada yelping. "Urgh! Stop smiling like that!"
Saitou kept smiling. There would be no point in going after the man, whoever he was, with such a crowd here tonight.
"Look at them, rejoicing in bloodshed."
"How horrible..."
"It's true that the Miburo prefer to kill more than their three meals a day, you know."
"Kuwabara kuwabara."
The hushed whispers of the crowd did not escape his ears as their procession made its way back to Mibu. He stopped smiling, the implacable look back in the amber of his eyes. 'Fools,' he thought, 'with no idea of what terrible fate they've been saved from tonight.' He scanned the crowd, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw another familiar hat further up ahead. A monk's hat. 'Tokio.' He stared at her with narrowed eyes. 'She shouldn't be out tonight,' he thought angrily. As they drew level, she lifted her hat just an inch, and met his gaze, gave him the faintest of smiles, the most imperceptible of nods. She was not alone, he could see now. There was a man standing behind her, apparently ill at ease and whispering furiously in her ear. She seemed to be paying him no heed. She held Saitou's gaze for as long as possible. And then she turned to the man and said something. The man looked irate, but grudgingly nodded his head. He hurried to catch up with Saitou, spoke low out of the corner of his mouth.
"My lady wishes to extend her congratulations to you and the Shinsengumi for saving Kyoto and the Emperor. Aizu are most proud to have you in our service, and it seems like the Chuushingura Akou Roushi come back to life, on their return from the completion of their mission..."
The man hastily drew away and ran ahead, and next muttered something to Kondou. Saitou snorted contemptuously. The Shinsengumi, it would appear, had passed Aizu's test. Saitou gave the quickest glance behind him. Tokio had lowered her hat deep over her face again. 'Takagi Tokio... She understands.' She did understand.
"You must work hard to live up to that uniform," she had once laughed.
Peace. He would fight for peace. 'And she won't even have to marry me,' he thought to himself with a sarcastic shrug.
She trusted him. She believed him to be an honourable man. A good man. Okita's voice replayed itself in his head.
"We're the good guys. And they're the bad guys. It's our duty to slay the evil doers. Aku Soku Zan!"
He smirked. Aku Soku Zan had a certain ring to it.
Author's notes:
As always, my sincerest gratitude to all my reviewers. Gumi bears indeed! I really, really appreciate the comments, and also the fact that people actually seem to understand what I'm doing. It's hard writing realistic, old-style Japanese romance, partly for the fact that Japan tends towards subtlety in all things, but mainly because of my lack of writing skills. Still, I do hope that you'll bear with me patiently
And yes, Saitou is a young man, surprise surprise, with thoughts like any other young man, as unusual as he is. Also, obviously, he wasn't born chanting Aku Soku Zan.
* Actual event: The Ikedaya Affair: This battle would propel the Shinsengumi to nationwide fame (or infamy) and ensure them a place in the history books.
1. Matsuri: Festival. (Begs excuse for this very Japanese pun, which involves the Gion Matsuri, the fact that political operations were called matsuri-goto in old Japan, and the turn of phrase in Japanese that likens battle to festivals.)
2. Hantei: Regional (han) headquarters. Aizu-hantei being Koumyouji, of course, but since Aizu were Kyoto Shugoshoku, it was more than a normal regional base.
3. Goyou aratame de aru: difficult to translate, basically meaning that they were under official Shogunate orders to assist and/or surrender. Kind of like modern day police shouting "Police", or the FBI shouting "Federal Bureau of Investigation".
4. Gaisen: A triumphant return from battle. See Rurouni Kenshin Volume 20 page 48 for a picture. Alternatively, watch the Shinsengumi Taiga Series!
5. Kuwabara: Not the character from Yu-Yu-Hakusho, but an incantation to ward of evil.
