A week passed….
It had been continuously raining the past three days and without fail it had rained on Okita's watch each time. He was a bit thankful that their group's patrol was over that night, but he kicked a stone I frustration as he entered the the Mibu headquarters.
"What's the problem?" Hijikata and Kondou asked the young man simultaneously.
"We did not catch the extortionist earlier!" Okita stomped his feet sending a splatter of mud across the garden. He stood there in the rain.
"Souzi… You'll get a cold, get out of the rain please." Kondou requested.
"Ne? C'mon Souzi, give me a report later when you have dried yourself." Hijikata handed the young man a towel. The young man immediately dried his hair but made no move to leave and stood straight giving his report.
"It's the second time now sir that we have noticed extortionist in the market area. The victims said that they were taking money saying that it was for Japan's future. Sonnojoi"
"Sou ka? I've heard a similar report from Nagakura a few days ago. Where you able to identify the men?"
"Iie fukuchou. All I could make out was that they are probably ronin from the south with their heavy accents. They are definitely not from Kyoto."
"Hmmm…" Kondou mused at the information "If I remember correctly according to Nagakura one of the storekeepers mentioned one of the ronins was from Choshu…"
"Yes… Although Nagakura did say that it was just plain old robbery the ronins were doing." Hijikata added.
"Were you able to apprehend them Souzi?" Kondou asked.
"Sorry Commander but they got away. We chased them into Shimabara but they disappeared. I had men sent along the river banks just in case but we did not find them."
Hijikata crossed his arms. "They are probably hiding at the inns. If what you say is true and that they are members of sonnojoi, we have a problem. I doubt that Nagakura's case earlier was independent from this."
"Hai! I believe so too! I can go back and comb Shimabara tonight!" The young lad straightened up readying himself to go.
"That won't be necessary Souzi. Take a rest." Kondou tried dismissing the young man.
"If we go now we can apprehend them. I just need extra men…" Souzi insisted.
"No use in catching small fish when there's bigger fish at sea Okita. Don't scare them away." Hijikata caught the shoulder of the younger man and playfully pushed him into the hall where it was nice and warm.
"Onee-san! What happened to you?" Yuuta helped carry his sister to the back of his temporary residence. His sister was bruised, her one eye closed and mouth slightly ajar with blood seeping from it.
"Please Yuuta let's leave here while Akio's away." She barely managed to say as her jaw felt broken.
"Shimatta! What the hell is happening? Let's take you to a doctor…" Yuuta found himself shivering with anger.
"Onegai no doctors… I was shot by Akio if he sees us we're both dead.."
"Kami… What is his problem?" He took the hoari and draped his sister with it, then he shouldered her weight as they moved through the city.
It was no wonder why Yuuta chose to avoid the trail of the Mimawarigumi's, it would be a hassle to meet Akio at a time like this. For a moment he wondered where he could take her as he only had less than 2 ryo, much less get medicine. As they walked he decided to head south to the Shimabara district (red light district), inns there were cheap and he was pretty sure a different group patrolled the area. Akio will never find us there.
They arrived just in time before night fell. Yuuta made sure that the inn they were staying at, eventhough dilapidated it was at least clean. The innkeeper inquired about his sister whom he left leaning against the entrance.
"Her… She's umm…" Yuuta almost rolled his eyes at the innkeeper.
"Sou ka… I bet you're the jealous type ne?" The innkeeper smiled at him. "A man like you shouldn't hide his concubine."
A shrill breath came out unguardedly from Yuuta. He briefly considered whether he should tell the innkeeper to keep his mouth shut and mind his own business. The thought of him hooking up with a girl gagged him, much more so when it was his sister. Still common sense won, it was at least a good excuse to be not too conspicuous.
"Let's keep this matter between ourselves my good man… alright? Also do you have grilled pork?
"Okay young man. I get YOUR drift. As for grilled pork yes we do."
"I need one order right away."
"Just one?" The innkeeper nodded again to his sister.
"JUST ONE and be quick."
"Okay we will just re-heat it, give me ten minutes."
"NO COLD is fine and make sure you give me a small knife. I can't eat without that."
The innkeeper shook his head and handed him the pork. "You've got weird taste but at least you've got table manners." The innkeeper laughed while he led them to their room.
The man left them at peace and finally Yuuta was able to breathe. He immediately folded out the futon, rolled his sister into it and then loosened her clothing. He let her sleep while he washed the towels provided to them in hot water. He hurried downstairs and ordered the highest distilled alcohol content liquor he could get but unfortunately it was only sugarcane wine but he settled for that nonetheless. He would need them.
He got back into the room and prepared himself for the worst. Now if only he remembered his classes' things will be fine, but it was his sister that he was going to work on and he dreaded the fact that he'll have to take her clothes off. He shook his head. Shape up Yuuta! This is it. You've got to do this right or else…
He removed her clothing looking for the gunshot wound, to his dismay he could not find it but he could see the futon was getting wet and decided to turn his sister over.
"This is going to hurt… But don't shout okay?"
"Just do what you have to."
"Wait for a moment." Yuuta took the pillow at the corner and handed it to his sister. "Here shout into it if you need to."
He turned her over and he saw her shiver. Sure enough the gunshot wound was just at the lower right side of her back. He pressed for a minute and he saw her grip the pillow. Then he released his hand, thankful that the bullet missed her pelvis.
Yuuta has never seen so much blood in his life. As he clumsily sliced her flesh he could barely see where he was going. For a few minutes he battled the poor lighting and the spurting blood, panicking that he was probably burying the bullet deeper as he could not extract it from her body.
Calm down Yuuta… You can do this… If you don't…
It took him a good two hours to do the operation. The only good thing that seemed to happen that day was he just bought stitching materials that he was going to use to mend his uniform. Her stictches looked pretty ugly from where he could see, he wondered if they would come off as it wasn't really made to mend broken flesh. He sighed, at least the worse was over.
"Onee-san? I'm done… You okay?" He whispered softly but when he did not get an answer he panicked and took the pillow from her face.
"Kami Yuuta… Let me sleep or I'll die soon." Midori intended it to be a joke but the young man was just plain shocked.
"Here." He handed the wet pillow back to his sister, a mixture of sweat and tears. "Kume, I'm sorry I'm clumsy and all…"
"Kumenasai Yuuta-kun… You did well… " She drifted to sleep while her brother sat there wondering how he was going to explain to the innkeeper tomorrow about the blood soaked futon and where he was going to get money to keep her away from Akio.
"Okita… Finally! You're going to be a man!" Harada came running down the corridor waving a piece of paper.
Okita who was sitting on the platform beside the dojo blushed. He had secretly hoped to be included in this assignment, but was always fearful that Kondou would be too protective of him. If only his sister did not plead on her death bed with Kondou, things would be different.
"We're not going there for ahem… women Harada-san… We have duties…" Okita blushed again..
"Are? What are you talking about? Hijikata gave us the day off.. You, I and Saitou-san are going out! Hora… See he gave us pocket money!" Harada whipped out the kane and happily counted it, while question marks appeared on Okita's head.
"Where is Saitou-san? I have to tell him the news!"
"I don't think that's a good idea. He doesn't care for THAT kind of stuff Harada…"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? OF COURSE HE CARES… THAT ONI JUST NEVER TOLD YOU BECAUSE HE'S BROKE MOST OF THE TIME… See you tonight SOUZI!!!"
Okita hurried off to Hijikata's room. As he saw the latter mixing herbs he tried to do an about face but Hijikata caught him in time.
"Come in Souzi… "
"Nah I'd rather. I have something to do… umm… somewhere else…" Souzi backed away slowly.
"I said COME."
Souzi shook his head a couple of times… Did I just see horns come out of his head?
"I'd be VERY INSULTED if you do not come and SHARE tea with me." The fukuchou insisted.
Yes I'm definitely seeing horns growing…
It was too late. The oni grabbed him and closed the door behind them. Souzi tried his hardest not to choke as the oni watched him carefully making sure that Souzi drank and not spill a drop of the Ishida tea. As he did so Okita completely forgot to protest about the events to happen in Shimabara that night.
This medicine is the worst! If this doesn't work Toshizou, I'll haunt you in your dreams…