Sakura walked down the same crowded streets a few days later enjoying the sights and sounds of the busy city. Sighing, she watched the mothers attend to their young children, the shopkeepers trying to attract customers, and the innumerable amounts of men with swords by their sides. This just made Sakura sigh even harder. I wonder where he's at…is he even still in the city and why do I keep thinking about him. I only was with him for a very short period of time. All he did was help me with my groceries. It's not like my father would have ever approved of me seeing such a man. As she continued to walk mindlessly down the street she bumped into a tall man, much taller than many of the others, with a scar on his cheek wearing a blue and white haori and holding a spear.
The giant looked down at her, his eyes shining with good humor and friendliness. "Sorry about that Ma'am, guess I wasn't looking where I was going." He easily hefted the large spear over his shoulder and jabbed a thumb toward his chest. "The name's Harada Sanosuke. Anything I can help you with?"
Sakura stood stunned for a moment, unsure of what to do, the only thing that came to her mind was, The only thing you can help me out with is point me in the direction of that ronin. What was his name…Hitegawa Seiji. Snapping out of her thought she responded quickly, "No I don't believe there is anything you can help me with." Sakura smiled slightly. "I should be the one apologizing; I was the one to bump into you Harada-san."
Grinning widely, he replied, "No problem little lady, I can take it... What do you say we bump into each other some more sometime?"
She tried her best to keep her voice in a polite tone but all she really wanted to do was laugh at him for using such a horrible line. "I do not think that will be necessary Harada-san. I am sure my father would not approve of that."
Sanosuke merely grinned wider and let loose a loud, booming laugh. "Well, suit yourself," he sighed, winking at her. "But if you change your mind, look me up at the Mibu Village." With that he turned and began strolling away, spear in hand.
Sakura watched him strolling down the street thinking to herself, These past few days have been so weird. She started her walk again when she heard a noise of what sounded like an argument of some sort. Looking up, she spotted a trio of dirty looking ronin standing in a loose circle around a woman outside a small tavern.
"Come on sweetheart," one of them drunkenly slurred, grabbing the girl's wrist and pulling her to him. "You think you can just play with our emotions like that?" The other two started chuckling as they closed in on her.
Fuming, Sakura shouted to the big man with the spear, "Hey! Why don't you do something about that?"
His eyes narrowed, Sanosuke clenched a fist at his side. He looked to be barely containing his fury. "Believe me, I would if I could…"
Seiji sat on the raised walkway in front of his quarters at the Mibu Village. The trademark blue-and-white haori of the Shinsengumi draped over his shoulders as he held a scroll and read aloud, committing the words to memory. "One: You shall not stray from the Samurai Code… Two: Desertion is not permitted… Three: Privately raising money is not permitted… Four: You shall not take part in litigious matters… Five: Private fighting is not permitted… All those who break these rules shall be sentenced to commit seppuku without question." Laying the scroll aside, he let out an uneasy breath and thought, Boy, these are some strict rules! Hijikata's definitely the one who wrote them.
Just then a trooper ran up to him, bowing low to the ground. "Captain Katsumori! We've just received word that Captain Harada is on the scene of a street brawl on Fujiwara Street. Apparently the Choshu are involved."
"How many?" Seiji demanded, turning serious.
"Three," the trooper answered. "Commander Kondo has ordered you to assist Captain Harada right away. I am to accompany you."
"Very well," Seiji replied, leaping to his feet and slipping his arms through the sleeves of his haori. He grabbed his katana and, tucking it into his obi, rushed off with his escort, nearly trampling a young red-haired page on their way out the gate.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave the girl alone!" Sanosuke bellowed at the three drunks.
One of them turned to him, sneering. "You think that getup scares us? You know who we are?"
Sanosuke grabbed him by his kimono and lifted him off the ground, bringing him face to face. "I don't really give a damn. You're causing a scene on a public street, not to mention bullying a weak innocent girl."
"Now you've done it," the drunk grinned, and the big man could smell the sake on his breath. The other two immediately ignored the girl, turning on Sanosuke and drawing their swords. "We're just going to have to leave the body of a dumb ronin on the street now."
Sanosuke hurled the man to the ground and took a step back, readying his spear. This isn't good, I should've tried to buy more time, he derided himself. The first man charged, katana held high. Sano stepped to the side and spun around, slapping the butt of his spear across his attacker's backside and spilling him face-first to the ground. The second man came at him, but this time Sano swept his blade aside and slammed the spear shaft across his face. "You guys make it too easy!" he gloated, grinning from ear to ear.
As he stepped back, twirling his weapon expertly, the three downed men picked themselves up and prepared to attack him all at once. Just then someone in the crowd that had gathered around them shouted, "Shinsengumi!" Sano glanced over to see the sea of people part as the new captain, Katsumori Something-or-Other came running up, sword already drawn.
"I've come to assist!" the new guy called to him as one of the Choshu turned to face the new arrival.
"Thanks for the help," Sano replied as he brought his spear up horizontally to catch the blades of the other two. "But I think I can handle these twerps." With that he reached back a fist and punched one of his assailants out, dropping him to the ground in a heap. Then, shoving the other's blade up high into the air, he slammed his forehead into the man's nose, sounding a dull, wet crack as the bone and cartilage gave out.
The third Choshu man charged at Katsumori, bellowing at the top of his lungs. Without a word, the new captain merely grabbed him by the wrist, gave it a sharp twist, and punched the hilt of his sword into his stomach, then his face. "You know that screaming you do just runs you out of breath, right?" With that, he tugged the man past him, released his grip on his wrist, and planted his foot against the Choshu man's rear end, tumbling him to the ground.
As the men lay sprawling on the ground the crowd that had built around the area began to disperse. Sakura made her way through the crowd to make sure that neither of them was hurt. She yelled out, "Harada-san!"
Seiji immediately began to look around. I know that voice.
"Hey little lady!" Sano called out.
Finally pushing her way out of the crowd she walked up to Sano giving one of the guys a kick to the stomach as she made her way.
Sano grinned cheerfully. "Did you change your mind?"
Slightly annoyed, she answered, "No I haven't, I just came over to make sure that you and your companions were all right."
Laughing heartily Sano pulled his companion forward so that Sakura could see him clearly. "The new guy and I are just fine. See not even a scratch."
She swore she felt her heart skip a beat once she realized who Harada-san's companion was. It's him! Her green eyes grew big in disbelief. "Hitegawa-san!...I see you are still in Kyoto and helping out more women in need."
Seiji tried his best to remain calm. "It seems that I will be staying in Kyoto for a long while now, Sakura-dono"
Sano looked from What's-His-Face to the little lady then back to What's-His-Name again, slightly confused. "I thought you said your name was Katsumori?"
Seiji, unsure of what to do, decided he would have to admit that he had lied to the young miss about his name. "… It is"
Sakura tilted her head slightly. "So your name isn't Hitegawa Seiji?" He shook his head. She could feel her cheeks begin to turn red as she thought, He looks a lot like him, the same dark green hair and everything. She lowered her head to hide her face.
Sanosuke, still confused, went on to say, "And you two know each other?"
They replied in unison, both looking shamefully away from each other. "Yes we do…" "No we don't…"
Seiji's eye's widened in shock. "You… you don't remember me?" he stammered, shoulders slumped in disappointment. "B-but…"
Who does this guy think he is? Sakura thought, annoyed. "You said your name wasn't Hitegawa," she stated bluntly. He seemed to look even more depressed as Sano just became more confused. Sakura decided things were getting just too strange for her and turned, hurrying away.
"Hey wait!" Seiji called, chasing after her down the crowded street, pushing past people as she got away. "Sakura-san, please wait!"
Tossing his spear over one shoulder, Sanosuke just watched them go, scratching his head. "What the hell's up with those two?" he wondered aloud.
Gritting her teeth, Sakura looked back at the man behind her. "Quit following me!" she demanded. "I made a mistake, so what?"
"Just let me explain," he begged her, never wavering in his stride. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a stop. "Aren't you at least curious about how I know your name?" he asked, eyes hard.
Fed up, she turned and glared at him. "Let me guess: He's a member of the anti-Shogunate movement and you want to know where you can find him, right?" Her green eyes blazed with fury as a surprised look crossed hi face.
"Of course not!" he blurted out. "I just gave you a false name that day." He stared at the ground, embarrassed, and tugged absently at the hem of his haori. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel about my true reason for coming to the capitol." He looked up at her and saw that she was still glaring at him.
"Prove it," she demanded.
Seiji sighed and started counting on his fingers as he spoke. "That day you bought rice, tofu, vegetables, miso, and a watermelon." He looked her straight in the eye. "At least that's what was in the basket I was carrying," he added cheerfully.
Sakura's eyes went wide and then her expression softened. "Hitegawa-san!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry."
"It's Katsumori," he corrected, "but please… Call me Seiji?" He looked at his hand still grasping her wrist and released it, turning slightly red. "I'm the captain of the Shinsengumi's new eleventh unit.," he explained.
Sakura, trying to make sense of everything responded, "That was your reason for coming to Kyoto? To join the Shinsengumi, and become a captain no less."
"Yes that's basically what happened… I didn't know that they were going to make me a captain… all I had heard was that they needed members…" Seiji continued to explain but all Sakura could do was think of what a fool she was for not figuring out that it was him from the very start. "…That's how I got to Kyoto," Seiji finished his explanation. Taking a deep breath he looked up at her very apologetically. "I'm sorry for lying to you Sakura-dono. I didn't mean to mislead you about who I really was." He then added, "I hope you don't hate me for being a Wolf of Mibu."
Unsure of how to feel about all this, she replied, "How am I able to trust you now, knowing that you have already lied to me once?"
Seiji eyebrows arched in shock. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He then hung his head low, looking at the ground. "As a captain of the Shinsengumi, the Choshu will want me dead. In order to obtain the information they would need to kill me, they would resort to anything, even harming an innocent girl I had just happened to help one day."
Sakura was taken aback. "You mean me? Why would the Choshu harm me?" she gasped.
"Because you might know where to find me," he replied grimly, meeting her gaze evenly.