"Stop!" Hajime slid to a stop and looked down as Souji did a few feet behind him. It was a message left on Isami's headband.

"What is it?"

Lifting it up and reading it he smiled. "They were coming this way. Isami and Heisuke are with Chizuru and Yamazaki as well as the Sekihoutai members."

With a smile Souji dropped his head. "That's good. Now we can rest for just a little while until the men catch up to us. Then just head on to Osaka like we were supposed to do in the first place."

"Indeed. However we won't go slow. With Sanosuke, Shinpachi and Toshizo in the West, they won't slow up not knowing what is going on." Looking up at the sky he sighed. "But at least she is safe."

"Strange huh? How one ordinary looking little girl could have thrown the Shinsengumi for a loop." Sitting down now Souji was still breathing heavy as he leaned back against a tree."

"Indeed." But then his eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "But still. There are a few things that we need to do first as the Shinsengumi before I suggest that we are disbanded."

Jerking up to him, Souji had wide eyes. "Suggest that we are disbanded in the middle of a war! Are you insane!?"

Turning his blue eyes on Souji he was serious. "No I am not. However, with how the war is going, and the recent strange orders from Tokugawa. I am sure that Isami and Toshizo are feeling it too. It isn't exactly like they seem to really be fighting back. All of the Tokugawa supporters and troops are being sent into situations and getting cut down. Including some of our men."

"I get that. But to just give up…" Then he looked down and sighed. "Well what are the things we need to do?"

"Koudou Yukimura and Kazuma Chikage need to be dealt with before we can do anything. Seeing as Kisuke has already been dealt with."

His eyes looking sad, Souji dropped his head as he crossed his arms. "I wonder how Toshi is doing right now? Of all the ones of the Shinsengumi, Toshi, Kisuke and Isami were the last ones I thought would turn on each other like that."

"I am sure he is not happy with it or himself. However, no matter how close a friend he was, he could never turn his back and let Kisuke do something that he knew was wrong and shouldn't be done. Especially to someone like Chizuru."

"Yeah."

X

His amethyst eyes narrowed as he ran as hard as he could. Having sent the rest of the in disguise through the towns to make sure that everyone else is on the move as well. But his thoughts were on Chizuru. He was in love that woman. She didn't know how to take a hint to leave him be, and managed to work her way into his heart. But he was incapable of giving her the love and life that she deserved. And that did not include letting someone use her as a feed bag for his own selfish gain. No matter how good of a friend he was or not.

Though he would be lieing if having to kill one of his best friends for any reason wasn't hard on him. But he had to do what he had to do. Now he only hoped that someone found her, and when he reached Osaka, she would be there and safe and sound.

X

Stopping for the night again, Chizuru once again found herself sitting with Sanosuke and Katsu as they worked to get some fish for everyone to eat. She for one would be thrilled to get to Edo, at least then she would be able to make something other than fish. But at the moment she looked over at Sanosuke as he sat next to her with his eyes down and sad. She hadn't seen him like that since the day after the attack on the Sekihoutai. "Sanosuke what is wrong?"

"I know what you and Captain say. I know what Suzuki use to say. But I don't know….after what happened the last time the Shinsengumi were around before meeting Captain….." Dropping his head he sighed. "I am just not ready to let any of the Shinsengumi in. I don't want to trust them."

"You trust me don't you?"

"You are different Chizuru." He smiled up at her for a moment and laughed. "I would trust you no matter what."

"Why is that? Especially since you know that I was with the Shinsengumi the last battle."

Looking back down at the water he sighed as he half smiled. "That is because I don't think your heart is a Shinsengumi. If it was, then you wouldn't have said the prayer over the Sekihoutai like you did. And you wouldn't have risked your life to keep me, Katsu and Captain alive." Looking back up at her with a nod and a big smile he laughed. "That is why I trust you."

With a sigh as she dropped her head, she looked more sad than happy at what he just said. "To me, I don't see any of us on sides. The Imperial Army betrayed you. And that makes you their enemy just like me and the Shinsengumi."

"But I can't believe that the army as a whole has done this to us Chizuru! I say it was just that one general in the mask that didn't like it because in a fair fight Captain would kick his ass!"

Jerking around to look at him with shocked eyes, Chizuru couldn't believe what came out of his mouth! She understood it, but at the same time, she knew in his heart of hearts that he knew better than that. "Sanosuke…."

"Hey kid. First of all you really should learn to control your language in front of women. It isn't something they like and you should always respect them."

Looking up to find Isami Kondou there, Sanosuke turned away from him with a glare. "I am sorry Chizuru I didn't mean it."

"Come with me."

"No."

"I don't care what you do or do not think of the Shinsengumi boy. I want to talk to you about Suzuki."

"I said….."

"Go with him now Sanosuke."

Flinching at the sternness of his voice, Sanosuke dropped his head and stood as he walked into the woods with this Shinsengumi. He hated it, but he would never disobey an order. Once they stopped he kept his hands fisted to his sides. "What do you want?"

"I already talked to Souzou about why you hate us so much. I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for the conduct of those men personally." With sad eyes he sat down and leaned against a tree. "A lot of people don't know it, but the honor and code that Shinsengumi stand for is not like what most people think it is."

"You don't have honor."

"Actually we do. No women. No children. Above all they are to be protected. Do not fight dirty. There are so many of them in our code, that it is hard to remember. But there was one. One added in by a very close friend of mine. And one of the strongest members of the Shinsengumi that I had ever known. Until our beliefs drew us apart."

Looking up to see Sanosuke glare as he dropped his eyes. He was at least really listening. "You see his name was Suzuki Mikisaburou."

Jerking up to look at him Sanosuke glared. "You liar! He would never befriend you! He told me! He joined the Shinsengumi cause he wanted to do good. But he left because all you ever do is evil!"

"Not ture." Standing to look down at him with stern eyes, Isami crossed his arms. "You see I knew Suzuki before there was a Shinsengumi. He helped to found it and make it what it was. IT wasn't the Shinsengumi and the way we did things why he left us. He wanted something different than to be under the thumb of the Tokugawa. It had nothing to do with the Shinsengumi. We shook his hand and watched him leave. Suzuki and I smiling as he left. He was doing what a man does and following his own heart."

He sighed when he realized that the boy was just as stubborn and hardheaded as his Sanosuke. "You know what I know the perfect thing to do and the perfect person to do it."

"What is that?"

"You fight with my Sano. You really try to hurt him. If you can at least scratch him, you don't have to like us. If not, you will at least be open minded about us."

"If I say no?"

Pointing back toward Chizuru he glared down at the boy. "Then that is the only one here that you are going to hurt like that. If you care about her like you tell her you do, then you shouldn't make her feel like she has to pick sides because she cares about us in the Shinsengumi and you."

Watching with wide eyes as he walked away, Sanosuke knew what he was saying. He knew it was true. But he didn't like them! He hated them. But he did love Chizuru, and he was right it was like he was trying to make her pick sides.

Dropping his head he headed back to camp. He wouldn't act like that until they got to this Sanosuke they know in the Shinsengumi. Then he would prove that they are nothing and be done with it all together. 'Watch me!'