CHAPTER 12- SHINSENGUMI

The time of peace came to a crashing halt soon enough. One cold night in November, Hotaru was returning from a restaurant within the inner city. To avoid raising suspicion, she wore a rose gray kimono with a matching shawl. Her hair, infamous for its long, flowing ponytail, was kept in a bun. In this guise, she resembled a harmless girl. Perfect it was, for a little spying.

On this night, there was a parade of sorts taking place on the main road. Curious to see, Hotaru strode into the crowds of onlookers and peered out. What she saw raised an eyebrow under her bangs.

They were warriors unlike anything she'd ever seen. Dressed in blue and white garments, with white headbands tied around their heads, they marched along. Polished swords, katana and wakizashi alike, hung at their waists. They looked formidable.

A rough hand fell upon her shoulder. It was Tokaji, wearing a hat to hide his face from the crowds. But she could see the icy glow in his eyes.

"Who are they?" Hotaru hissed.

"They call themselves the Shinsengumi." He told her. "They were hired by the government. Think of them as a police force."

"A new threat." Hotaru murmured. The Shogun warriors were no longer their only true concern.

Looking past the parade and to the other side of the street, Hotaru noticed a shadow standing amongst the other onlookers. Looking a little harder, she recognized Himura, wearing a hat of his own. They exchanged quick glances before they were lost in the throng.

Meanwhile, a young man marching noticed the girl in the rose gray kimono.

Saitoh Hajime glanced down at him. "What is it?"

Okita turned back around and shrugged. "I don't know. There was something about that girl back there."

With the Shinsengumi's arrival, the bloody streets became even bloodier. The declining shogun force had found its alliance in these skilled swordsmen. Now the Ishin Shishi was beginning to experience problems.

At one meeting at the inn, Tokaji angrily hit the wall with his fist. "That's the third time those Shinsen bastards have spoiled my assignment!"

"Their numbers have grown dramatically over the last few days." Idzuka reported.

Hotaru thought about her last assignment just the previous day. She had cornered two Shogun warriors in a dark alleyway, an infamous strategy of hers. They were already wounded and bleeding from pursuit and she was ready to finish them. But just then, she heard a swish of a striking sword. It was lancing out at her from behind. When she was able to block and turn around, she came face-to-face with a white headband. It was a soldier of the Shinsengumi.

Back in the present, Hotaru shivered. She had just barely escaped that skirmish. And the situation was the same for Himura and Tokaji too.

Kogoro scowled. "They know who and where we plan to strike. Someone is telling them."

A hush fell upon the group. Who would leak out such information?

...........

Much later on that day, Kogoro called the three assassins, as well as Tomoe out to the stable.

"Times are more chaotic than before." He told them. "Now's not the time for you all to be here. I've made arrangements for all four of you to take up residence in the country."

A wave of shock washed over the small gathering.

"Himura and Tomoe, people won't suspect a young married couple out there. I've arranged a small herbal farm to be your residence."

Immediately, Himura blushed bright red. He was going to live with Tomoe? Hotaru wondered how Tomoe was taking it. She couldn't read her blank expression.

Kogoro placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Tokaji, you have a similar arrangement. Hotaru will play the part of your younger sister."

"Uh.all right then." Tokaji responded.

"Live peacefully." He said with finality. "When the time comes, we will let you know. Take care now."

And so, the four prepared to leave. Tomoe and Kenshin were headed to Otsu. Tokaji and Hotaru, however, were headed to the northern Kyoto countryside, to a small village surrounded by forest and mountains.

Hotaru held out her hand to Tomoe. "I'm glad to have met you, Tomoe-san. Thank you for all that you've taught me."

That's when Tomoe put on a faint smile, the first the child had ever seen. "Yes, good luck to you."

Himura smiled a little too as he gave Hotaru a pat on the head. "May we meet again some day."

She nodded. "Yes,"

She and Tokaji stood alone as Himura and Tomoe walked off together.

Hotaru chuckled a little. "I think they'll be happy together."

Tokaji nodded. "Well, there was a special reason Okami-san let that girl stay with him in the first place." He lowered his hand and ruffled the girl's hair. "Shall we get going?"

It was time for them to begin a life of their own.

Hotaru smiled. "Right, Niisan."