As the hours passed, Koaru was starting to shiver with cold although the weather was quite nice. Aizu summers weren't like Kyoto's, they were a lot more bearable in heat but yet, it wasn't that cold at night either. I guess he was so weak and thin that the cold could enter his bones more easily than ours. I made a fire to keep him warm since I didn't care about being seen. Normally, there wouldn't be any villagers near, the SatCho wasn't that far north yet and the Rasetsu would find un with or without a fire. He immediately got closer to the flames and his eyes were sparkling with tears when he brought his palms in front of the heat. Toudou came closer to him and handed him one of the Onigiri that Haruhi made the day before. Kaoru accepted it with a small smile and they ate silently around the campfire.
« Do you want one, Saito ? » asked Toudou.
« I'm fine. » I answered, sitting arms crossed against a tree, alert « Thank you. »
« You're sure ? » he tried again « There's enough you know and you should eat something. »
« Do whatever you like with my portion, Toudou. » I said « I'll eat in camp. »
My friend nodded, understanding that I would never say « give it to Kaoru » but that I wasn't blind enough to see how the boy was starving. He needed to eat more than I did. Plus, I hated to see Chizuru's face so sad and weak and beaten... Reason why I was avoiding Kaoru's sight and wasn't with them around the fire.
How long would we have to wait ? I was growing impatient. The sooner they would be here and the sooner we would be back to camp. Or dead. Yet, waiting was unbearable.
« Toudou » I asked « you're a good climber ? »
« I'm a real monkey ! » he goaded « but why do you ask ? »
« Your scent is unknown. » I explained « when you're finished eating, you should get in a tree so we could use this as element of surprise if needed. »
« Yosh ! » he said with a grin « that sounds like a plan ! »
« If you can, take down the fox first. » I said. « I probably won't be able to fight them all at once with my eyes closed, so we need to get rid of her as quickly as possible. »
« You mean, kill her ? » said Toudou.
« If she bewitches me, or Kaoru, yes. We will not have any other choice. » I nodded « If she stays out of the fight, we'll see. »
« And... what about Sannan ? » he asked.
« You wanted Kaoru. There is no possibility that we take Kaoru without killing Sannan. If you want to save Sannan's life, hand him the boy. »
Toudou looked at Kaoru who replied with a frightened gaze and he handed him another Onigiri.
« I can't do this. » he stated « Sannan's wrong. And... now I owe Kaoru anyway. »
« I see. » I just said « I'm going to sleep a little, wake me up if anything occurs. »
I threw my katana to Kaoru who caught it. Seeing my blade into his hands made me want to puke but it was better than giving him the sword with which he could actually kill me.
« Use this. » I told him « to fight for your life. »
« Thank you, Saito-san. » he bowed « you r... »
« I have no interest in what you have to say. Silence. » I said harshly.
I hadn't forget all the altercations I had with him, how he tried to abduct Chizuru at Tenmaya, how he told me that my marriage had no value and how he mocked me, making me believe for weeks he was a suffering Chizuru while she was taken away from me by Kazama. Brother in law or not, he couldn't expect us to be the best friends ever with that much history between us.
His gaze dropped and he shut up, eating his rice. I closed my eyes and tried to get into a half sleep to get some rest but keep all my senses alert. I heard that Toudou was finished eating and he got in a tree as planned to wait for the Rasetsu.
I was getting moodier and moodier. I had so much to do, back at the camp : supervize the construction of the batteries on Bonari Pass, write to Hijikata-san, meet with Otori about our strategy, make a full inventory of our ammo to ask Matsudaira Katamori-sama for what we needed... and if I had time, try to spend some with Chizuru before I send her to Wakamatsu. Since I became Taichô, I had to make my authority respected and I couldn't be as caring as I used to be with her. Most of our conversations were more reports or orders between an officer and her commander than banter of husband and wife. I knew she was suffering from it and that she would have given everything for me to have a lower position which would have allowed me to be myself with her but we both had to submit to our duty. After the war... I would make it up to her, but in the meantime, she would have to cope with my cold demeanor.
I heard the sound I was waiting for, footsteps, and I opened my eyes and stood up, hand on the pommel of my sword.
« Saito-kun » said Sannan as nine Rasetsu surrounded us « there is no need for us to fight. »
Another Rasetsu came closer, carrying papers and books tied together and he let the package down, bowing.
« These are copies of all my up-to-date researchs on the Ochimizu. It's yours if you hand me the boy. » continued Sannan.
Kaoru shivered in fear and unsheathed my katana, ready to defend his life or die trying.
« I'm afraid I cannot let you take him. » I stated.
« Why ? » asked Sannan « from what I understood, he caused you problems in the past. You should look forward to get rid of him. »
« I don't expect you to understand my reasons. » I said, taking a fighting stance « you will take the boy over my dead body. »
« I see » he smiled « kill him. »
All the Rasetsu came to me at once and I unleashed my powers to be able to keep up with their speed and strength. Fortunately, I was used to fight alone against numerous opponents and I had Kazama's blade, heavy but longer than their own. The weight of the katana wasn't really a problem anyway now that my eyes were crimson and I started my mad dance to cut down my opponents. They hadn't realize yet that I was healing and they weren't and so, they weren't cautious. Kaoru came to help me and he was able to kill one of them. My sword was swinging mercilessly and I got able to wound them all and kill four of them before Sannan unsheathe his sword and Toudou landed in the fight from above.
« Toudou ! » I yelled « have you found the fox ?! »
My friend turned to me, eyes empty of all feelings apart from an extreme devotion and he unsheathed his sword, facing me.
« Mika wants the boy, Saito. You have to give her the boy. She will reward me if I bring her what she wants. » he said, getting closer.
Shit !
I looked around me to find Mika but I couldn't find her. I was still opposing five wounded Rasetsu and now I had Sannan and Toudou against me too.
Shit !
I resumed fighting, getting rid of the remaining Rasetsu but Toudou and Sannan with white hair and crimson eyes, that was a different story. In duel, I would have beaten them both but the two of them against me... I wasn't sure about my chances of success. I blocked their blows, one after the other, trying to find a way to save Toudou's life. When I could, I was looking around me, trying to find the damn fox. If I could get to her, Toudou would be free. Yet, she was well hidden, probably up in the trees if she had been able to find Toudou. I couldn't possibly climb and fight at the same time and I was tiring. Sannan's sword wounded me on the side and I hissed.
It's alright... I'll heal...
I wounded him too and evade one of Toudou's blows. I was trying my best not to hurt him until I found a solution to free him from his bewitching. Kazama's swords would cause irreparable damages to his body and I didn't want to hurt him. I was trying to focus on Sannan and kill him, hoping that Mika would flee if I were to kill her beloved Kei-chan.
Suddenly, I backed off and unexpectedly tripped on a root and I lost balance for a second but it was enough for Sannan to land an attack on my head.
And then, everything went so fast.
A head fell.
A sword swung.
Another head fell.
Feet landed on the dirt.
Sannan's body collapsed on me and I looked, confused, at his head rolling on the floor, cut in a single blow by Toudou. I turned my gaze on Kaoru and the ginger fox head at his feet. He climbed, unnoticed even by myself, and took down Mika just in time for Toudou to get his senses back and save my life. In a way, I owed my life to Kaoru... I removed Sannan's body from my own and got up. I cleaned and sheathed my sword calmly, as if I was completely unfazed and I went to take the researchs that Sannan brought with him and tied them to my saddle. Toudou was still looking at the friend he killed and I wanted to say something meaningful but I didn't know what. I took the shovel I had brought with me and started digging. The faster they would be all burried, the faster we could go. They were Rasetsu and enemies but they were Shinsengumi men and Sannan... He was my friend. They deserved a proper treatment. Toudou took his too and he helped me dig. We made twelve tombs, for the men, for Sannan and a small one for the ginger fox that once was Mika, now joining her father and sisters in the afterlife. When we were finished, I wrapped back Kazama's sword in a cloth and extended my hand for Kaoru to give me back my katana. He complied without any protests and I bowed to him.
« Thank you, Nagumo Kaoru. » I simply said and I think he understood that I wasn't thanking him solely for handing me my blade.
I got back on my saddle and so did Toudou and Kaoru and we headed back to the camp as the sun was rising up. We managed to do this quick, after only three days of absence and we were returning hands full with reseaches and books for Chizuru to study. That would surely make her stop moving so much.
