Two more days have passed. Chizuru sighed as she once again found herself preparing fish that the boys caught. Glancing over her shoulder she was glad that Souzou was stronger now, and that Sanosuke at least did join them. Though he refused to acknowledge Yamazaki, he at least wasn't isolating himself anymore from everyone.

Looking back down she smiled. They still had a long way to go before they reached Kyoto. But then she looked back at Yamazaki with an arched eyebrow. Remembering something Heisuke said to her on their way to Iga. "Yamazaki?"

"What?"

Her eyes meeting his amethyst ones. "On the way to Iga. I was walking mostly with Heisuke."

"Yes?"

"He told me something about just before he joined the Shinsengumi, that he and a few of his friends had a cabin between Kyoto and Iga. Near Soraku."

Blinking as he walked up to stand next to her, Yamazaki crossed his arms. "Well I am not sure where we are but why are you bringing it up?"

With a serious look she kept her eye contact with him. "I was wondering if they had any supplies left in it. Anything from an extra blanket to perhaps some food or anything that we could use since we can't go through towns."

Pulling all eyes to him as he slowly stood and went to stand on the other side of her Souzou smiled down at her. "That is actually a good idea. And we are actually really close to Sorako." He then turned and winked at the boys. "Who wants to help me explore and find a cabin for a night or two?"

Chizuru laughed as both boys jumped to their feet and the shine in their eyes when she first met them flew into them. Watching as they ran off as Souzou walked away from them she sighed as she turned and went back to getting the fish ready. 'I am going to miss them when they leave.'

"Chizuru."

"What is it Yamazaki?"

"I see it. You should tell him. It might do more than you think it will."

Not even looking up she sighed as she let her shoulders slump. "I am really that obvious?"

"To someone who knows you as well as I do. Yes."

Standing as she headed back for the campfire she shook her head side to side as she let out a small sigh and laugh. "I can't tell him Yamazaki. He speaks honorably about the Shinsengumi, but he could never be one of them. I know that. And I care about you, and Inoue, and Toshizo and everyone else too much to turn my back on you. It is better this way."

"I doubt that Commander Hijikata would agree with you on that one Chizuru." Laughing when she gave him an odd look he shook his head. This was going to be a pain in the ass in one way. He knew how Toshizo felt about her without him saying it. But it is clear that she loves Souzou as much as he admitted he does her. 'Toshizo will just have to get over it and let her be happy with the one she loves.'

X

"What!?"

His own eyes glaring Isami ripped the message with their new orders from Tokugawa. "That damned bastard is ordering all the Shinsengumi back to Osaka and then once we are all there we are to board a ship and head for Edo."

Jumping to his feet Shinpachi glared. "But Chizuru and Yamazaki aren't back yet and we don't know what way they would be coming! We can't really leave without them can we!?"

Walking in with a rather forced concerned face Sannan sighed as he cleared his throat. "That can be solved simply enough. After our defeat at Iga, the Imperial Army is sure going to be looking for us to make a move. We leave a unit at a time and go under cover of darkness. Some around from the East and some around from the West. That would be the only two ways coming from Osaka that Yamazaki would bring her. That is how we will find her."

Nodding Toshizo sighed. "That is a good point. We start that tonight."

"I volunteer to head out first and to the East." Sannan turned a serious look to her. "With just Yamazaki with her and a former Seikihoutai Captain the sooner we get to her the better."

Not hiding the glare he had for his best friend Toshizo shook his head no. "No. You are now the head Captain of the Fury Unit. They are going to be the last to leave and tie up loose ends along the way. I need you for that." He then turned to the others. "This is how we are doing it. We leave two at a time. Hiesuke. I want you and Isami to leave and head to the East at sunset tonight. Sanosuke and Shinpachi the two of you go for the west tomorrow night. The next, Souji and Hajime will for the East." He then turned and looked at his friend. "If we go in pairs it would mean more eyes and safer. You and I will be the last to leave. You will go west and I will go east that night. Cleaning up any loose ends that we come across."

With a glare for himself, Sannan kept his eye contact with Toshizo. "With her with the enemy, even with Yamazaki the faster that we can get to her the better it is. You know that Toshizo. And the Fury Unit is faster than anyone here."

Standing face to face with his old friend, who had changed to someone he didn't know after he got hurt and drank the Water of Life. And he seems to have taken an unhealthy obsession over Chizuru and it was time that he come out with it. "Why do you seem to think that you are the only one who can get to her fast and help protect her? Yamazaki is not a liar and you know it. The man and the two kids she is with risked their own lives to make sure that Chizuru lived. They are not to be touched by you or anyone else. But this goes deeper than just being worried about her doesn't it?"

"I don't know what you are getting at Toshizo. If you want to accuse me of something just come out and do it. Don't beat around the bush."

"I want to know what your recent obsession with Chizuru is? Every time I turn around you are spying on her from the shadows. I see it in her eyes there is something that you are saying or doing that has a look of fear in them. What is going on Keisuke?"

Closing his eyes with a slight smile Keisuke sighed as he fixed his glasses on his nose. "She is the key and I am certain of it. Her blood can quench the blood lust of a fury for weeks not hours. With her blood, the Fury Unit could be sustained and….."

"Enough!" Toshizo was clenching his fists as he glared into his eyes. "Unless you know a way to take just a small sample of her blood and duplicate it, it is never going to happen. Demon or not she is not going to be used as a feed bag for anyone! That was a botched experiment that Tokugawa never should have put faith in. And I will not allow you to use an innocent women who knew nothing of what a Fury was until she became involved with us. Forget it Keisuke."

Hardening his glare Keisuke also clenched his fists. "Whether I tap into it or her father either way the result will be the same and you won't be able to stop it at all Toshizo."

Stepping closer to Keisuke, and pleased when a level of fear leapt into his brown eyes, Toshizo narrowed his eyes and evened out his voice. This man was one of his best friends in the world. One of very few men who knew who he truly was to his very core. But he would fight this man to the death if he had to do so to uphold what was right and what was wrong. And it was clearly time that he understood that without a doubt. "Know this Keisuke. You are one of my best friends. One of few who know me as well as you do. But if you try to go anywhere near Chizuru, I will stand in your way. In her Father's way. In Chikage's way. And I will fight to the death for her."

"Because you are in love with her? Or you want to exploit her for what she is and what her healing could do for you!?" Keisuke regretted his words the second they came out, but before he could say he was sorry he felt a pain in his gut from where Toshizo punched him. "Damnit!"

"I care about her more than just a person we are protecting yes. Could it mean that I love her, maybe but it would never work between she and I and you know it as well as I do. If we lose this war everyone here is a marked man and she won't live like that if I can help it. But never question my intentions on protecting her for personal gain. You know better than that." Then to make sure that he could keep an eye on him, without warning he brought his hand down and hit him in the back of the neck sending him on down to the floor with a thud.

Turning to Sanosuke and SHinpachi he sighed. "Take him to his room. Use the ropes we know work to restrain the Fury's and tie him then leave him. I will tend to him until we are the last two left. Heisuke you still leave tonight."