I took Haruhi's hand and she grabbed the pistol, ammo and the two kaiken that she put back in her obi. She stopped in front of the Aizu commanders and bowed to them.

« I apologize for the inconvenience. » she said in a very respectful voice « please, pardon me. »

I nodded, proud to see her be as polite as suitable. The Aizu commanders smiled and slightly bowed in response, sign that no harm was done. Haruhi took back my hand and I led her to my room, asking for a third futon on the way. I put down her swords and mines and asked her to put away her other weapons.

« Is that all ? » I asked « don't you have a bag ? »

« No... I only had that training kimono made in your own... I left in a hurry... » she said, keeping her eyes on the ground.

« Where did you get these ? » I asked, pointing at her little arsenal.

« Hummmm... » she blushed « I... stole the gun at the inn... It's a Shinsengumi one... »

« When ? » I sighed, taking my forehead in my fingers in despair to have a daughter that disobedient.

« When I heard that Sannan-san left with all the Rasetsu and that there were still a lot of weapons that you couldn't carry... People talk around kids as if we don't exist... Souji was telling it to Matsumoto-sensei... »

« What was Souji doing at the clinic ? » I frowned.

« Hummm... » she blushed some more « taking me back ? »

« Haruhi... » I scolded « Can't you just follow orders ? »

« I only did it once ! » she protested « and after we found a compromise... »

« A compromise ? » I frowned again, knowing already that I wasn't going to like what I would hear « with Souji ? »

« Yeah ! » she nodded vigorously « a very secure one ! »

« Enlighten me. » I ordered, crossing my arms to mark my disapproval.

« Souji was coming to the clinic to train me and all our weapons were hidden by Matsumoto-sensei in case Souji would have an episode and Matsumoto-sensei had the gun to stop him and was staying during the training ! » she explained, proud of herself.

« This seems like a lot of effort and inconvenience when the only thing I asked was for you to keep away from Souji. » I frowned.

« I still had to train ! » she protested.

« No. » I corrected her « you didn't need to, you wanted to. There is a nuance. »

She looked at the ground, hands clenched to her kimono on her knees, a pout on her face.

« Where is this katana coming from ? » I asked.

« Souji. » she replied without an hesitation.

« Don't lie to me, Haruhi. » I warned « I know Souji's katana and that isn't his. It's signed Yamashiro no kami with the chrysanthemum crest. It's an excellent blade and far too expensive for Souji to give it to you. »

« Yeah... It's a Yamashiro no kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo... and Souji gave it to me. » she affirmed, looking at me directly in the eyes and I saw she wasn't lying.

« Tell me how. » I said, showing that I was willing to listen to her story.

« Souji came to the clinic and... he handed it to me. He said the blade was given to him by Kondou-san when he asked him to be the 5th master of Tennen Rishin Ryû, a position that Souji refused. That was when Kondou-san left for Choshu or something. Souji didn't want to take Kondou-san's place until he become an old man, unable to fight, but since Kondou-san insisted, he took the blade. When he came to the clinic, he told me that he was going to rescue Kondou-san and to keep the sword for him until he returns. He said that the blade should be kept by someone practicing Tennen Rishin Ryû. »

« So you kept the blade ? » I muttered, taking it in my hands and unsheathing it in full. It really was of extraordinary facture...

« No... » she avoided my gaze « I followed him... »

« Pardon me ? » I asked her, astonished.

« I put the kaiken in my obi, they come from the inn too, and the gun and ammo in my loosened kimono to hide them. I can still pretty easily pass for a boy so nobody cares if I'm wearing boys kimono and if my chest is visible. A loosened kimono is better to hide stuff. I kept the katana and my wakizashi and followed Souji. He spotted me quite easily though and tried to take me back but in the end, he agreed for me to come if I did not help him rescue Kondou-san. »

« If you couldn't rescue Kondou-san then what good was there for you in coming ? » I asked.

« I wanted to be with Souji. » she answered firmly « I knew he had no intentions in coming back... »

I nodded. Kondou-san was everything to Souji. If one of us had to go and rescue him, it had to be Souji, regardless of his weakness and illness. He would rather had died with Kondou-san than live without him and with his progressive tuberculosis and his Rasetsu nature, it was only logical he wanted to end it and why not, save Kondou-san in the process.

« When we arrived to Itabashi, Souji asked me to hide and stay there until he returned with Kondou-san. And he told me to keep the katana and treasure it with my life. He said that he was passing the torch and that I had to make the Tennen Rishin Ryû live and become the 5th master in his place. I told him that if he really were to return then I wouldn't need to do that... and also that I wasn't good enough yet... but he just grinned as usual... I waited for hours but he didn't come back so I went closer to the prison and I heard people say that he killed a lot of men, moving like a white haired demon but that when he was getting closer to the door, he turned to dust... »

« He what ? » I asked, astonished.

« He just vanished... » she said « That's what I heard... I didn't see anything... I... I think he's dead... »

« That's when you came looking for me ? » I asked.

« No, I tried to get back to Edo but the doors were closed and they were arresting loyalists and I wasn't sure I could pass through without any papers and with my swords and gun... So i turned around and went to Nagareyama but you were already gone. I asked my way and listened to people talk, like you taught me, and I arrived here and got spotted. »

« How did you travel all by yourself ? » I asked « it's far too dangerous ! »

« I avoided roads, like when we travelled from Osaka, and I hunted. » she said, proud.

« Hunted ? With a sword ? » I frowned.

« No, with the gun. » she said with a big smile.

« So you know you to use it ? » I asked.

« I had to learn... » she muttered « it wasn't easy. »

« Alright. » I nodded « I think I have enough informations for today. Go get cleaned, there is a bathroom downstairs. I'll try to find some spare clothes for you but until then, you'll have to keep this kimono. When you're clean, you come back here immediately. You do not wander in the castle and you do not talk to anyone. »

« Where is Chizuru-neechan ? » she asked.

« Working. » I answered « you'll see her later. Now go. »

She stood up and made a move towards her swords but I cut her.

« You don't need them. » I stated.

She nodded and got out grudgingly under my gaze. I wondered what I was going to do with her. She was even more of a troublemaker than her mother... Blood don't lie...

When she came back, I gave her one of Chizuru's nagajuban. It was a bit too long, especially on the sleeves, but it fitted once I tied her sleeves up. The nagajuban was supposed to be knee length but for her, it was going to the ankles. I took her blue kimono for laundry and gave her a cup of tea.

« Chizuru will probably be able to find you spare clothes from the womens of the castle. » I said. « Until then, you do not leave this room. »

« There are other women here ? » she asked, surprised.

« Of course. » I answered « It's a castle. There is the Lord and his wife, concubines, sisters and children... And some of the samurai wifes too. »

« So there are children too ? » she asked again.

« Yes. But for now, you stay here and I won't tolerate any disobedience, am I clear ? » I ordered.

« Cristal clear. » she nodded vigorously « I will stay here and obey you in every way, Otousan. »

« Good. » I nodded in response « I'm going. I have some work. »

« Otousan ! » she called when I was at the door, putting my boots on « I don't hate you, you know... I'm sorry I said that... »

« Good. » I smiled slightly « I don't hate you either. »

She smiled shyly and I got out to get to the meeting that was planned. I stopped at the infirmary to inform Chizuru of Haruhi's presence and of Souji's death. Since I had no time to explain it to her in full, I told her that we would have a proper conversation about it in the evening. She agreed and told me that she was almost finished anyway so she would go and ask for spare clothes. I thanked her and got to my meeting, confident in our victory prospect.