* * * * * *
Saitoh's Interrogation
* * *
Saitoh Hajime was in a foul mood.
Five good men had been assassinated, a spy very likely lurked in the Shinsengumi ranks, and now the Hitokiri Battousai had returned to Kyoto. Someone was going to pay.
As Saitoh strode through the Shinsengumi compound, the men quickly walked out of his way, careful to avoid Saitoh's eye. Everyone knew better than to further displease the third captain of the Shinsengumi while he was in an angry disposition.
Finally, in the courtyard, Saitoh found the men he was searching for.
"I don't need a new corporal right now, Toshi-san," Okita was saying.
"Every division captain needs two corporals to assist him at all times," answered Hijikata Toshizo, vice commander of the Shinsengumi.
"I know," Okita answered, "But I don't know of anyone else who can replace Iyabe-san."
Saitoh quickly marched up to the two men, interrupting their conversation. "I'm going downtown to find out what Iyabe-san and Naruda-san discovered last night," he said, glaring at two new recruits who were trying, unsuccessfully, to cover up the jar of sake they had shattered and spilled on the ground. Their pathetic attempts with unsteady hands would have amused anyone. Except Saitoh Hajime.
Hijikata nodded to Saitoh. "Take a few men with you. When the second division returns from patrol, I'll send Nagakura-san to see if he can track down where the hitokiri fled."
But Saitoh was already on his way to leave. He frowned at the two new recruits. " You two." He motioned to the two young men, their hands spread innocently on the ground. "The serving girls will clean that up. Come with me." The two young men, wide-eyed in terror, stood up to follow Saitoh. Okita and Hijikata stayed behind, laughing quietly in amusement at the scene.
Just as people parted way for Saitoh inside the Shinsengumi compound, the people of the streets quickly walked to the side for the three Shinsengumi. The two recruits walked nervously a few steps behind Saitoh, unnerved by the effect of their new uniforms on the people of Kyoto.
Suddenly, Saitoh stopped in front of a popular diner.
"You take this one," he motioned one of the recruits to the front door. He pointed to the other young man. "Go to the back and take that door. Do not let anyone in or out."
As Saitoh strode inside the large eating area, he commented calmly to the young men, "Hopefully, you two are less clumsy with katanas than with sake." The two recruits, looks of horror on their faces, quickly scrambled to their respective positions.
The people enjoyed breakfast inside the diner soon noticed that something was wrong. But it was too late. As soon as they stood up to leave, two nervous looking Shinsengumi blocked the front and back doors, both fingering their katanas anxiously.
The manager, looking scruffy, quickly walked in. Saitoh strode up to him, asking in a calm, threatening voice, "Who was here late last night?"
"Last night..." The manager sputtered uneasily. "Well, last night... last night... well..."
Saitoh stared at the blubbering man. He could not tell if this middle-aged, balding manager was feigning or truly frozen in terror. Saitoh demanded again, this time to the head waitress nearby, "Who was speaking to two of our men here last night?" His hand rested on his katana ominously.
"I don't know," she said, terrified. But she lifted her hand and pointed a shaking finger to the area behind Saitoh, whispering over her tears, "But probably he does."
As Saitoh turned around, a table suddenly overturned behind him. A man in a untidy gi and hakama sprung up, attempting to bolt through the back doorway. Saitoh's katana was immediately in hand. But before he could give chase, the man shouldered past the new recruit, out the back door.
Or so he thought.
The young Shinsengumi guarding the door had, too, drawn his sword. It was over in a second.
The young man was visibly shaking as he stared at his bloody katana.
Saitoh strode over to the fallen man. He cursed. The man was dead. Saitoh quickly searched through the body's shirt, and quickly pulled out a piece of paper. A certificate of lease. Saitoh stood up.
"Get your friend," he said to the young Shinsengumi, ignoring the young man's quaking fingers that were trying to clean his katana. "We're going uptown."
The badly shaken recruit did not move. He was staring at his hands, stained with blood. Saitoh growled. "You may not have to wipe up sake, but you'll need to know how to wipe up blood."
Saitoh turned away as the young man scrambled away. He needed to know the important information that the two Shinsengumi found out the night before, the importance shown when the two men were assassinated.
Only then could he find the hitokiri.
* * *
Gomen if this is a rather boring chappie, any ideas to spice it up? (I know, I know, hitokiri-san, it's still not long enough)
R&R!! Flames, whatever! I still have the aquarium... poor goldfish...
Arigatou hitokiri-san, A-chan, Agenda23, and ChocoBerry for reviewing! You have all made my time well spent on ff.net! Especially for the kindhearted ChocoBerry for her (their?) reviews. (I still feel horrible about falsely accusing you, so this chappie is for you, ne?)
Saitoh's Interrogation
* * *
Saitoh Hajime was in a foul mood.
Five good men had been assassinated, a spy very likely lurked in the Shinsengumi ranks, and now the Hitokiri Battousai had returned to Kyoto. Someone was going to pay.
As Saitoh strode through the Shinsengumi compound, the men quickly walked out of his way, careful to avoid Saitoh's eye. Everyone knew better than to further displease the third captain of the Shinsengumi while he was in an angry disposition.
Finally, in the courtyard, Saitoh found the men he was searching for.
"I don't need a new corporal right now, Toshi-san," Okita was saying.
"Every division captain needs two corporals to assist him at all times," answered Hijikata Toshizo, vice commander of the Shinsengumi.
"I know," Okita answered, "But I don't know of anyone else who can replace Iyabe-san."
Saitoh quickly marched up to the two men, interrupting their conversation. "I'm going downtown to find out what Iyabe-san and Naruda-san discovered last night," he said, glaring at two new recruits who were trying, unsuccessfully, to cover up the jar of sake they had shattered and spilled on the ground. Their pathetic attempts with unsteady hands would have amused anyone. Except Saitoh Hajime.
Hijikata nodded to Saitoh. "Take a few men with you. When the second division returns from patrol, I'll send Nagakura-san to see if he can track down where the hitokiri fled."
But Saitoh was already on his way to leave. He frowned at the two new recruits. " You two." He motioned to the two young men, their hands spread innocently on the ground. "The serving girls will clean that up. Come with me." The two young men, wide-eyed in terror, stood up to follow Saitoh. Okita and Hijikata stayed behind, laughing quietly in amusement at the scene.
Just as people parted way for Saitoh inside the Shinsengumi compound, the people of the streets quickly walked to the side for the three Shinsengumi. The two recruits walked nervously a few steps behind Saitoh, unnerved by the effect of their new uniforms on the people of Kyoto.
Suddenly, Saitoh stopped in front of a popular diner.
"You take this one," he motioned one of the recruits to the front door. He pointed to the other young man. "Go to the back and take that door. Do not let anyone in or out."
As Saitoh strode inside the large eating area, he commented calmly to the young men, "Hopefully, you two are less clumsy with katanas than with sake." The two recruits, looks of horror on their faces, quickly scrambled to their respective positions.
The people enjoyed breakfast inside the diner soon noticed that something was wrong. But it was too late. As soon as they stood up to leave, two nervous looking Shinsengumi blocked the front and back doors, both fingering their katanas anxiously.
The manager, looking scruffy, quickly walked in. Saitoh strode up to him, asking in a calm, threatening voice, "Who was here late last night?"
"Last night..." The manager sputtered uneasily. "Well, last night... last night... well..."
Saitoh stared at the blubbering man. He could not tell if this middle-aged, balding manager was feigning or truly frozen in terror. Saitoh demanded again, this time to the head waitress nearby, "Who was speaking to two of our men here last night?" His hand rested on his katana ominously.
"I don't know," she said, terrified. But she lifted her hand and pointed a shaking finger to the area behind Saitoh, whispering over her tears, "But probably he does."
As Saitoh turned around, a table suddenly overturned behind him. A man in a untidy gi and hakama sprung up, attempting to bolt through the back doorway. Saitoh's katana was immediately in hand. But before he could give chase, the man shouldered past the new recruit, out the back door.
Or so he thought.
The young Shinsengumi guarding the door had, too, drawn his sword. It was over in a second.
The young man was visibly shaking as he stared at his bloody katana.
Saitoh strode over to the fallen man. He cursed. The man was dead. Saitoh quickly searched through the body's shirt, and quickly pulled out a piece of paper. A certificate of lease. Saitoh stood up.
"Get your friend," he said to the young Shinsengumi, ignoring the young man's quaking fingers that were trying to clean his katana. "We're going uptown."
The badly shaken recruit did not move. He was staring at his hands, stained with blood. Saitoh growled. "You may not have to wipe up sake, but you'll need to know how to wipe up blood."
Saitoh turned away as the young man scrambled away. He needed to know the important information that the two Shinsengumi found out the night before, the importance shown when the two men were assassinated.
Only then could he find the hitokiri.
* * *
Gomen if this is a rather boring chappie, any ideas to spice it up? (I know, I know, hitokiri-san, it's still not long enough)
R&R!! Flames, whatever! I still have the aquarium... poor goldfish...
Arigatou hitokiri-san, A-chan, Agenda23, and ChocoBerry for reviewing! You have all made my time well spent on ff.net! Especially for the kindhearted ChocoBerry for her (their?) reviews. (I still feel horrible about falsely accusing you, so this chappie is for you, ne?)