(Disclaimers: Nobuhiro Watsuki is the man, see Chapter 1 disclaimer for details)
4/18/02
5/12/02 – revised
Chapter 3
Celestial Sakura: Blossom Viewing and Blood
5 days later - Mibu Guard Station
"I thought you said finding him a wife would pacify him." Isami was looking none too pleased at the moment. "I told you it was a fool's journey at the time."
"I said taking a woman might pacify him, but he's not married yet," said Toshizou.
In the common room of the Mibu Guard Station, but separated by a low painted screen from the other troops, the two men along with Souji Okita and Sanosuke Harada, Shinsengumi Captains of squads one and ten respectively, were drinking tea and discussing what to do about Hajime Saitou. Never an easy man to deal with when he wasn't in a blood letting mood, but for the last few days he had been brutal.
Sanosuke said, "We were in the Jodoji district the day before yesterday, and Saitou saw a man strike a young woman, knocking her down into the street. Faster than you can blink the man is disemboweled and lifted off his feet by the sheer force of Saitou's up-thrust through the chest. Not that the guy didn't have something coming but…oh, and that wasn't the really strange bit, get this, even before he cleans his blade he helps the woman up out of the dirt." Sanosuke nods to his listeners, emphasizing not only the truth to his story but the unusual actions of the most aloof member of the Shinsengumi. "The streets were cleared in seconds."
"I've heard rumors that people are saying Mibu's Wolf is rabid," said Souji, "but he hasn't actually done anything…wrong, even if every action is extreme."
Toshizou appealed for patience, "Just a little while longer and we'll be through this."
"Well, I hope we have a few squads left by then," growled Isami. "Yesterday he put two of my best men on the injured list!"
Just then one of Heisuke's men came in, looking a little out of breath, "Commander Hijikata, could I have a word."
"Ryota isn't it, go ahead."
Ryota looked around a little uneasy not sure how to begin with so many commanders present, "Commander, it's about Captain Saitou. He's in the dojo and… well, already Furumatsu has a broken arm and Akahana just got taken to the doctor. He may have lost the use of one eye. No one wants to practice with the Captain but he isn't taking "no" for an answer." Ryota looked around at the faces before him desperate to place this in someone else's much more capable hands.
Toshizou started to rise but Sanosuke stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Let me." He got up and headed out to the dojo with a much relieved Ryota at his heels.
It wasn't much more than 15 minutes later when another Shinsengumi troop member came running in saying, "Saitou and Harada are really going at it!"
Instantly about thirty or so members jumped up and over tables trying to get outside and into the dojo at once.
Isami, Toshizou, and Souji were the last to make it in, but the crowd of men gave way to let them to the forefront of the practice floor. There an intense looking Hajime circled bokken in hand, around a very angry looking Sanosuke who was holding a padded version of his deadly kuda-yari. The spear's metal collar in his left hand and spear shaft in his right, he was also looking for an opening.
None of the recently arrived commanders said anything yet, content for the moment to watch this little theatric unfold.
"Com'on Wolf-pup," Sanosuke taunted, "let's see what you can do. It's a little different now isn't it!"
Judging by the swelling marks on both, the first engagement had already taken place.
"On the contrary, Ashigaru," came Hajime's low menacing reply, "I'd like to see what you can do with that peasant toy of yours." There was a collective inhale around the room. Sanosuke was known to be rather sensitive of this particular insult.
"Time for you to taste what the "king of the battlefield" can do!" and Sanosuke let fly his shaft; it shot through the metal tube. Hajime parried, sweeping into a side attack, but the unique spinning action of Sanosuke's engetsu thrust slowed his strike down, allowing Sanosuke to sidestep and withdraw.
At nearly twelve feet in length, Sanosuke's weapon had the advantage of reach and he was trying to keep it that way.
Souji, in a soft voice aside to Toshizou, said, "This should be interesting. I don't think I've ever seen either one lose."
"Harada has already lost."
"What makes you say that?" Souji never took his eyes off the fight.
Toshizou raised a brow, "because he's angry…and Saitou's not."
For an intelligent man Souji thought sometimes Toshizou said some of the dumbest things. "Saitou is not angry? He sure looks vicious to me."
"Vicious, yes, but being vicious and being angry are not the same. You can be brutal and not be angry. Anger clouds the mind."
At that moment Sanosuke let fly his spear again, this time Hajime was the one to sidestep and then lunge in and bring his sword stroke up, but Sanosuke was able to block and Hajime's bokken slid harmlessly over the kuda hand guard. Sanosuke was able to withdraw instantly. He was a master of the Kan Ryu style of sojutsu, and he was ready again to take on his opponent.
"I don't know," said Souji. "The speed with which you can pull back the forward thrust of the yari determines victory or defeat. I've never seen anyone better than Harada, and the katana is not the best weapon against it, the kodachi is."
"Souji, I told you, it's not any lack in Harada's mastery over his weapon of choice that will defeat him. He is honestly angry at Saitou for needlessly injuring his fellow Shinsengumi. Saitou, on the other hand feels nothing, absolutely nothing. There is no bond right now whatsoever with anyone in this room. He is a lone wolf out for blood. It's this very emptiness that makes him so deadly."
There were several more even match exchanges. A strike on the leg here, a shoulder hit there, but nothing debilitating. Hajime made a few basic thrusts but Sanosuke, cranking his spear at the hip, deflected each one.
"What's the matter nihontou boy?" Sanosuke had been getting in a couple of really good hits. "Your soul is gone; all that's left is to take the emblem!"
"If it makes you fight any better to think you can, go ahead and try."
Sanosuke slammed his yari through the kuda; it twirled in a circle the size of a man's hand. As intended the curvature of the "crescent moon" strike made it difficult to parry, but Hajime had no intention of doing so anyway.
Hajime had been slowly closing the gap, and Sanosuke, usually attuned to the maai between himself and his opponent, hadn't noticed. Normally it would have been second nature but he could smell Hajime's defeat at hand and it made him careless.
Hajime took the hit to his side, instantly knowing that he had at least one broken rib, and brought his bokken straight down over Sanosuke's wrist. The crack was loud and Sanosuke's bellow was even louder. Sanosuke didn't bother pulling back his spear but instead let fly a right punch straight across Hajime's face, the brutal force spinning him around!
Both men stepped back for a moment, Sanosuke practically cradling his hand against his kuda, and Hajime spitting out a mouth full of blood.
Utter silence dominated the dojo as everyone watched the current standoff.
"I don't understand," whispered Souji to Toshizou. "Why doesn't Saitou use any of his special thrust attacks?"
"He might eventually but he doesn't have to. So far they are about even on strikes but Harada is becoming exhausted. His weapon isn't meant for sustained combat. Saitou knows that." Toshizou explained. "Saitou could have finished this at any time but the real reason he doesn't is because he wants the pain to continue. He needs to feel something, anything, and pain will do."
Souji really didn't know where his commander came up with some of these theories.
The combatants had been moving ever closer to the gallery of spectators, not that they cared; no one existed except their opponent. Sanosuke had already picked up his kuda in an awkward overhand grasp. He tried not to gasp! It felt like Oni were poking red-hot needles into his flesh but he didn't care. He was only going to get one more good strike in before he was done and he wasn't going to miss.
Likewise, Hajime moved into a hiratsuki thrusting stance.
Sanosuke hurled his yari! Hajime sidestepped but not completely, taking the strike in the shoulder. Instantly his own strike was headed for Sanosuke's torso but Sanosuke was able to crank the shaft for an omote, a parry front and inside. Unfortunately that is exactly what Hajime anticipated. Letting the momentum of Sanosuke's spin carry his bokken out and up, the setup was complete for an upper straight thrust to the base of Harada's throat, and Hajime committed everything to it!
With a flash of metal the bokken was sliced in two! One half of the bokken arced through the air to land on the polished dojo floor spinning, skidding, nearly its entire length. Off balance, Hajime landed on the floor. Sanosuke eyes wide, had thrown himself backwards in a vain attempt to evade Hajime's death blow and he too landed on the floor.
Toshizou returned his sword to its sheath. "Well Captains, I think that's enough practice for today."
Souji took the kuda-yari from Sanosuke and handed it to someone nearby. Then he helped the injured man stand. They both left without saying a word.
Isami looked around at everyone standing there with eyes that said they had better find somewhere else to be…quickly. He also left.
Toshizou didn't bother helping Hajime up off the floor. "The shoulder is dislocated."
Hajime nodded. He laid down flat. Toshizou put his foot on the dislocated shoulder and slammed it into the floor. Sucking air was the only sound Hajime made.
"Are you going to see her tomorrow?" Toshizou's tone was tinged with annoyance.
Hajime sighed with deep resignation, "Yes."
"Good." Toshizou turned around and left the dojo.
Later same day – Kyoto: Fushimi district - Takagi residence and warehouses
Tokio had managed to make it through the week by exhausting herself working in her father's warehouses sorting merchandise for different markets, and directing preparations for transport. Having secured a viewing of artisan glass beads and jewelry, her father had approved and purchased almost everything. She hoped they sold well, so many of her plans depended on it.
The days weren't the problem. The nights were. At night there was nothing to take her mind off of Hajime Saitou, warrior, potential husband. She had thought about what it would mean to make a commitment to this man. It scared her and thrilled her all at once. She tried to sleep but merely succeeded in twisting up the bedclothes. She kept remembering the feel of his fingertips on her wrist, his cool dry lips. Finally, in the earliest hours of the morning she would fall into an exhausted sleep and dream about an intense amber-eyed man promising her something, touching her, leading her somewhere, but she always woke up before she could find out where.
Gods, how she had wanted this week over, but what if he changed his mind? What if he had thought better of tying himself to a sho-onna? She tortured herself with thoughts of Matsudaira offering him a Shi beauty instead. How had he become so important to her in no time at all?
Late in the day a hikyaku showed up at the front gates with a message for her. Taking the message into her room she examined the seal. She didn't recognize it, a three leaf device within a stylized triangle. Breaking the seal and looking quickly to the bottom of the scroll she could see his firm clear signature. Rapidly letting her eyes skim the page for content…he was coming tomorrow evening! She lay down flat against the tatami with his letter clasped to her chest. After she had mastered her emotions again she allowed herself to read the entire letter in detail.
He would be arriving at noon. He would escort her to the Higashi-Honganji Temple, and then from there to the Shoseien Gardens. They would be out past dark to watch the floats on the Kamo River so she should bring a haori or other wrap to keep warm.
She went to inform her parents.
The Next Day – Kyoto; Fushimi district - Takagi residence and warehouses
By the time Captain Saitou arrived at the Takagi residence the next day, Tokio could swear that she and her mother had been thru every article of clothing that she owned at least twice. She had finally decided on a simple cotton kimono of varying shades of green. It had a stylized riverbed curving around the bottom edge. Her mother chose an obi that was a very pale blue, devoid of any design except across the obi knot which displayed one small trailing spray of sakura blossoms. Tokio picked an obijime woven of pink and white silk threads with the ends displaying two small exquisite lampwork glass beads, from her own pet project. The final touch was a delicate obiage of puckered dark pink silk tucked into the top of her obi. Her mother kissed her cheek, and they went in to greet her escort.
Hajime felt his senses come alive the minute she walked into the room. She wasn't beautiful, he told himself, but he thought she was very pretty.
She kept her eyes demurely lowered. Bowing she knelt down next to her mother.
"You thought about what we discussed?" he said.
Kojuurou looked a little surprised and none too little concerned.
"I did," she said softly.
"And what did you decide?"
Risking a direct look she saw that he had not worn his uniform but still looked every bit as intense. She gave a little smile, not all of his hair wished to stay in place and four or so thick locks brushed over his hooded amber eyes. Her heart raced. "I decided that I would accept your suit."
Her father looked on the border of outrage, "OF COURSE you will!" What was going on here? He had no idea they had discussed anything important at dinner. He thought it was all flirtatious.
Hajime gave Kojuurou a look. It conveyed some of the frustration he had felt this last week. Kojuurou wasn't stupid. He stopped his current course of action immediately.
Hajime said to him coolly, "The Daimyo will have someone contact you regarding the details of further arrangements."
Hajime looked back to Tokio. He said nothing for a moment, allowing the tense feelings of uncertainty to leave his muscles. Nodding to her. "I have two kago waiting outside to take us to the temple", he got to his feet. Tokio thought there was something odd about the way he moved. "Where is your wrap?"
"Oh, I forgot." But her mother was there almost immediately with her dark blue haori. Putting it over her arm she allowed him to lead her out to the waiting kago. He helped her inside and got into the second one.
The trip to Higashi-Honganji Temple didn't take very long. It was a bit crowded with those who wished to offer prayers and make requests. They burned incense and purified themselves in the smoke before entering the Temple. Tokio and Hajime both made an offering and said a prayer before leaving.
Her escort offered to take her to the restaurant of her choice but she convinced him to buy something from a street vendor and take it to the Shoseien Garden instead. It was beyond beautiful. Finding a place beneath the sakura, they settled in and ate in companionable silence. The sun was shining brightly and a light breeze drifted across the pond every once in a while taking with it a sprinkling of tiny blush-pink petals.
After eating Tokio waited for Hajime to say something but he seemed content to sit silently. Searching for something safe to say she said, "The wisteria will be blooming next."
He looked at her with a smirk that could only be described as sinfully wicked and said slowly, "Why yes, I believe you're correct."
Casually leaning back on one elbow he studied her.
A flood of self-consciousness threatened to overtake her. "What did you do this week?" She gave a little inward wince. That had sounded so awkward and abrupt.
Now how to answer that, he thought. "I killed two men," just didn't sound like good conversational material. "I trashed several idiot Shinsengumi and almost killed a good one out of frustration" didn't sound too good either. He finally settled on, "Patrols mostly, and some training."
She nodded. The conversation was stilted and she didn't know what to do about it.
"You?" he said.
"Oh, I helped my father ready some of his shipments." She couldn't very well tell him everything she really did.
At that moment three Shinsengumi members, in their distinct blue haori's with white mountain stripes, came walking around the pond.
"Souji, look. It's Captain Saitou and a lovely companion," this from Sanosuke, left hand and wrist bandaged, and a look of mischievous delight on his face.
"What? Oh, Hello." Souji spun around. "We didn't know you were going to view the flowers."
"'The Sakura is among flowers – is the samurai among men'," quoted the third man solemnly.
"Shinpachi, that's true," said Sanosuke, "but it's too depressing for a day like today. So, Hajime, aren't you going to introduce us to your…companion."
Tokio looked to Hajime and back to the new arrivals. Preparing to get to her feet Hajime suddenly clasped hands with her in her lap, applying just enough pressure to keep her from unbending her knees and getting to her feet. Tokio was rather surprised that he would touch her in public, and in front of his friends, she didn't know what to make of it.
The speaker was a good looking young man who evidently did his best to confine his hair to a topknot and headband, but if Tokio thought Hajime had a rough time with his forelocks it was nothing compared with the casual disarray his fellow warrior had.
"I don't suppose if I close my eyes and count to ten that you'd all find a way to leave?" said Hajime with doomed optimism. "No. Well then, before you say something that you will regret I better introduce you. Tokio, the tall brash one that doesn't know when to quit," Hajime let this one hang in the air a bit, "is Sanosuke Harada, 10th Squad Captain."
"The man next to the wild boar is Souji Okita, 1st Squad Captain, and the poet is Shinpachi Nagakura, 2nd Squad Captain."
"Captains, this is my bride-to-be, Tokio Takagi." He felt Tokio's look although he didn't take his eyes off of the newly arrived group. He knew they hadn't made an official announcement yet but he didn't want anyone here to have a misunderstanding.
They all noted Hajime's protective glare and smiled at her. Tokio bowed from where she was. She was a little disconcerted to be surrounded by Shinsengumi men. The second man looked like he couldn't be a day older than she was. The one who made the sakura comment looked to be about Hajime's age. "It is nice to meet you."
They returned the greeting and Sanosuke sat down next to her, despite Hajime's glare. The others felt compelled to join him.
Sanosuke just couldn't help but tease Hajime a little bit in front of his woman. "So are you really going to marry him?"
Tokio felt Hajime's hand tense. She wasn't sure if these two were friends or not, if she should rebuff the man, or dismiss his teasing question. She decided to answer plainly, "Yes, Captain Harada."
"I don't know, Shinsengumi probably make very poor husbands. No money to speak of, strange – often late hours, not to mention we're hard on laundry, I'm curious why such a lovely young woman like yourself, who probably has many suitors, would tie herself to such a man… even if he didn't have the personality of a serow." Sanosuke could have sworn he heard Hajime growl.
Tokio thought she should let the comment pass by unchallenged but she didn't. "That is because of all the men of my acquaintance Captain Saitou is without peer." Tokio realized that she didn't know many men and she was walking a fine line with that comment but felt that it was true enough, and she left no doubt that present company was included. She thought she heard a stifled cough from Hajime's direction.
"Ouch. The flower has thorns, but everything I said was true." Looking over to Souji, "You tell her."
Souji smiled, and never one for tact he said, "Yes, Shinsengumi can be difficult. A warrior must survive the patrols and the training, but except for yesterday that's been very easy for Captain Saitou."
"What happened yesterday, Captain Okita?" asked Tokio.
Both Hajime and Sanosuke looked distinctly caught off guard.
Blithely unaware Souji continued, "Captain Saitou and Captain Harada had a fighting match yesterday that was particularly deadly. I've never seen anything like it."
"Okita…" said Hajime warningly.
"Captain Saitou must have broken a couple of ribs," Souji rolled on, "and Captain Harada has lost the use of his left hand for at least a month."
"Um, Okita…" said Sanosuke urgently.
"I have to say though, in all honesty, that Saitou would have won if Commander Hijikata hadn't stepped in and stopped him from ki…"
"Okita!" snapped Hajime. "I'm sure that Tokio isn't all that interested in our training practice details." His voice held a hint of threat.
"Oh, well then, uh, it was quite a sight." Souji finished lamely, and smiled.
Wide eyed, Tokio looked from Sanosuke to Hajime. Sanosuke stared up into the sakura blossoms, and Hajime woefully shook his head. "Did you too witness this fight, Captain Nagakura?" she asked.
"No, but I heard enough about it. Actually you're both lucky that the Commander didn't find you in violation of Shinsengumi law."
"The Shinsengumi have their own laws?" What else didn't she know?
Shinpachi nodded sternly, "There are 5 original laws and several codicil laws. All of which carry a death sentence for violation, so you see, it was very fortunate that the Commander decided to take the training session at face value."
Tokio felt stunned. She had thought Hajime rigid, but he was only one of an entire group of unyielding violent men, men who would soon surround her life as these men surrounded her now. How could she survive? Then she felt Hajime's thumb stroke her palm from beneath. She looked at him and he shook his head slightly. He knew what she was thinking.
Sanosuke, trying to change the subject, said, "Speaking of the Commander, he has asked us to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, rumor has it that this temple originated the Sonno-Joi, 'serve the emperor, drive barbarians away' idea. He thinks the Ishin Shishi might use the festival as a cover to meet here or plan a disturbance."
"Alright, this garden has thirteen views. Why don't I watch this one for awhile and you three go cover the others." Hajime didn't bother to disguise his attempt at getting rid of them.
"Ha! I should make you suffer more but I'll be merciful, which is more than you'd do." Sanosuke stood up. "Come on, Captains, let's leave the lovers alone."
Tokio could feel the heat in her face and kept her eyes down. That Captain Harada was a bold speaking man!
After they were alone Hajime said, "Do I have to apologize for my friends?"
"Are they your friends? I wasn't sure."
"Yes, I suppose they are," his voice deepened, "we laugh, we fight, we watch each other's backs. Okita was correct when he said that the Shinsengumi was a difficult group to be with. I hadn't thought so from my view but yours may be different. The group quarters in many places within Kyoto but the squad always quarters in the same place together for logistical reasons. You will be with me, but we will be with them in the same residence"
"Do you always act like this toward one another?"
"I think it's safe to say that Harada, and perhaps a couple other personalities, are an exception, but there are a lot of antics that go on. They face the possibility of a warrior's death everyday. Nagakura's comment about the sakura was in reference to that. Some allowance must be made so long as it doesn't stain the samurai's honor."
"Thank you for explaining this to me. I know that you really don't have to."
"I'll always be honest with you, although I may not always be at liberty to reveal everything."
Tokio nodded, she understood.
They enjoyed the rest of the afternoon free from further interruption. It was wonderful. They walked around the pond, and enjoyed several of the garden's other crafted views.
Toward dusk they started toward the Kamo River to observe the colorful floats. It had gotten much cooler as the sun went down, and Hajime helped don her haori, the one he had reminded her to bring. This was the man she wanted to marry, this thoughtful man.
The river was beautiful with thousands of candlelit floats, some small, some large and elaborate. They had found a quiet place to watch.
A couple of party revelers had joined them on this otherwise empty stretch of river bank. They talked and laughed drunkenly. Tokio paid them little mind until Hajime tensed beside her, his hand going to her side, and she realized one of the men was very close.
"Takagi!" he said with a strong southern provincial accent. She looked up but Hajime had suddenly pushed her behind him. The man had thrust a kodachi straight through the space that she had been standing. Hajime took the blade instead! Blood appeared to spread instantly from his side.
"No!" she screamed.
***
Author's Notes:
Sanosuke Harada was said to use a spear. I couldn't find anything to indicate what kind so I gave him the unusual kuda-yari (what can I say, it sounded cool). The spear is real; the engetsu (crescent moon) attack with the spinning shaft is real. The manner in which Harada uses it is completely my imagination.
All the blame…er, I mean credit, for selecting Harada, not necessarily as Saitou's sparing partner, goes to Plate-chan. It really did only start out to be a paragraph or so, that fight scene took on a life of its own. It's all Plate-chan's fault.
The temple and garden are authentic (you can visit them) and it was thought to be the origination of the "serve the emperor, drive barbarians away' movement adopted by the Ishin Shishi.
The quote sited by Nagakura is also authentic and since the cherry blossoms here in WA/USA are just reaching the end of their full bloom and ruthlessly washed away by the rain and wind I felt maudlin enough to put it in. I'm so glad Nagakura obliged me.
Any pleas for chapter 4 should be appropriately accompanied by at least one Sake brand recommendation ;-)
