Disclaimer: Peacemaker Kurogane don't belong to me, no siree.
Chapter Eight: Distracted
Toshi was bored.
He had been told by Soujiro to wait outside the shop for his 'surprise.' At first he had been very excited, humming his favourite nursery rhyme and trying to open the shoji door a crack so he could peer in, but now he was just restless and bored. What was taking Soujiro so long?
He leaned forward and pressed his face against the shoji. "Huwwy up Soujiro!" he called loudly, banging the screen.
"Excuse me little boy..."
Toshi turned around and stared up at a bent over old man with hardly any teeth. He put his thumb in his mouth, watching the man's mouth in amazement. The fellow gently moved him away from the screen, then slid it open and disappeared inside.
Aimlessly, he kicked pebbles on the dirt path, until finally the shoji slid open and that familiar musical voice called for him.
"Toshi-chan!"
He turned around in relief. "Soujiro!"
"Sorry I..." Souji puffed as he struggled with his burden. "...made you wait so long ... there was a queue!"
Toshi stared. For a moment, he worried that Soujiro was going to topple over, he certainly didn't look like he could support the weight of all the strange poles in his arms! But then Souji set them down, wiped his brow with the back of his hand and expectantly beamed at him. Toshi scratched his head, looking confused. "Whas that?"
His caretaker patted the poles happily. "Come on, you've got to know what these are! They're so much fun!"
Hijikata groaned silently. This was so typical. He should have known that somehow Souji would get his retribution. A few weeks ago, they had gone for a walk, and when Souji had passed the toys-for-hire shop, he had practically begged Hijikata for stilts of all things, saying it would be so much fun if they tried it out. Hijikata had fixated him with one of his trademark glares, and Souji had sulked for a little while, but hadn't asked him again. And now, it seemed he was getting his way.
"Seeee, you walk on them like this!" And with that, Souji positioned himself on the footstands of the bamboo poles, and took a few wide steps.
He towered over Toshi and the kid's eyes widened. "Wow!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down in his excitement. Hijikata harrumphed in the back of his mind. He didn't see why the thing was so excited. It was just a bunch of sticks for crying out loud, and besides they made you look ridiculous.
Toshi approached the smaller poles, and face tight with concentration, he carefully stood up on the footstands. Souji watched in amusement as the stilts gave way, and the boy fell hard on his bottom.
He giggled.
Toshi was not so amused. "Owww!" He rubbed his rear end, and then glared at the poles. Okita sweatdropped as the boy began kicking it. "Stupid sticks!" he yelled.
Exactly, added Hijikata triumphantly.
Souji walked over to him, still on his stilts. "You know, Toshi-chan, you can't just give up on your first try," he said gently. "When I first tried it, I fell lots of times!"
"Weally?"
"Yep! Like this!" Souji shifted his weight to one side, and the poles began to teeter about. "Woahhhh, Help me Toshi-chan, I'm gonna faalllll!" he yelled in an exaggerated high pitched voice and Toshi laughed as he tried to move out of the way.
"Don't squish me, Soujiro!'
'Then quick, get back on your stilts!'
Feeling lots better, Toshi scrambled back on the stilts again. Soon enough, he was walking about without falling down. They laughed as they took long strides through the streets, with people looking up and staring, some looking amused, others shaking their heads.
"I'm beating you!" the boy announced triumphantly as he took huge strides and managed to get in front.
"Heh, I don't think so!"
Souji quickly slung one pole across his shoulder, and Toshi watched open mouthed as he started hopping down the street, dodging open mouthed passer bys as he did so.
"Heyyy!" yelled the boy indignantly as he struggled to keep up, his bangs flopping about his face. "No fair!"
"Na na na nana!" sang Souji gleefully, looking behind to stick his tongue out at the boy. Not a wise move. When he turned his head around again, the colour drained from his face.
"Look out!" he yelped, but it was too late.
Toshi watched with saucer like eyes as the pole gave way under the Captain's feet, and he hurtled forward, smack into the crowd of frozen girls.
"Aiiiiiiiiii!" shrieked Souji and the girls. It was a perfect chorus---they sounded exactly the same.
In the back of his mind, Hijikata burst out laughing.
It took him completely by surprise, but he just couldn't stop. He couldn't think of a funnier thing that he had witnessed. And it seemed little Toshi agreed. The boy rolled around on the ground, clutching his sides and giggling, as inside his adult self roared with laughter, for the first time in ages.
o-o-o-o
Susumu looked very disgruntled as he stared down at his bright pink kimono, one of Ayu's most expensive, now stained with dirt. His hair was also dirty and lopsided-- when Souji had come flying into him, he had hit the ground hard. He looked very un-feminine, which normally wouldn't bother him, since he was a man, but in this state, it did.
"I'm sorry," said Souji miserably, as he sat on the bench and rubbed his sprained wrist. "I forgot to look in front of me."
"Don't worry about it," Susumu said lightly, trying very hard at what he thought sounded like a kind voice. "I was supposed to find you after all, and so, I've completed my mission."
"Oh?" said Souji, looking curious as Susumu began bandaging his wrist. "And what were you supposed to do when you found me?"
Toshi glanced at the newcomer curiously from where he was sitting next to the Captain, dangling his legs. Is that a boy or a girl? he wondered to himself, feeling awed and scared at the same time. It looked like a girl, yet it's voice was distinctly male. Toshi had never seen such a creature before.
"Well, I am supposed to tell you that the Commander is worried that you er..." Susumu glanced at the stilts propped against the bench, and Okita felt his cheeks heat, "might be getting distracted from your original purpose."
"Thank you," said Souji, hiding his embarrassment as Susumu finished tying up the bandage. He pulled his yukata sleeve down, then stood up. "My original purpose...to turn Hijikata-san back into himself. No, I haven't forgotten that at all!" he said airily.
Susumu bowed his head respectfully. "Of course you hadn't forgotten sir. I wasn't implying that. Just passing Kondou-san's message."
"You see, Yamazaki-kun, Hijikata-san simply insisted we play first, and I couldn't very well refuse the Vice Commander's order."
Susumu eyed Toshi, who gave him a grin.
Looking very mischievous himself, Souji bent over and began whispering into the kid's ear. Susumu couldn't help but feel suspicious, and plus he was confused as hell by Hijikata's behaviour. What was up with his boss? The last time he saw him, he was screaming Bastard! in his face. Which was normal, but this behaviour was just unsettling. Hijikata, asking Souji to play? Could the body change have disrupted his brain? Well, Souji wasn't explaining, and Hijikata certainly didn't look like he was going to.
"Yamazaki-kun!"
"Yes?"
"Hijikata-san says that he wants you to play hide and seek with us, since I can no longer play with the stilts, on account of my hand."
Susumu stared at the child.
Toshi grinned at him expectantly. "You're It!" he declared, pointing a finger at him.
o-o-o-o
With his head held high, Tetsu cackled as he strolled down the street, looking very much like he owned the world.
Passerbys glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "Look at that midget!" said one mean looking ronin as his companion laughed. "Thinks he's such hot stuff!"
Tetsu ignored him, for this was a moment that nobody could ruin. This was the day that he would finally get his revenge on the no eyebrow freak, Susumu Yamazaki! And the ninja would be sorry he ever messed with him. He'd be sorry for calling him a worthless wretch, and nothing but a pup and and...
Tetsu took a deep breath. I'm not going to get angry again, he told himself firmly.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his treasure. Opening the small box carefully, he glanced once again at the rainbow coloured candy inside. Unable to contain his triumph, he practically skipped back to Shinsengumi Headquarters, humming all the way.
When he got to the entrance, he tiptoed in very slowly, and with senses high on older brother alert.
Phew, he thought as he made it across the gardens. Looks like Tatsu's out, he he, maybe today's my lucky day after all...
"TETSUNOSUKE ICHIMURA!"
...maybe not.
Tetsu squeaked in fright as his elder brother came barrelling out of a nearby room, dangerously wielding an abacus, his eyes bulging from his sockets. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Just you wait until I get a hold of you!"
"Tatsuuuu!" whined Tetsu as he was chased around the yard. "Just leave me alone, I didn't go anywhere!"
"Don't you lie to me, Tetsunosuke!" said Tatsu angrily, shaking the abacus at him. "You come here and get your punishment!"
"Punishment?" repeated Tetsu incredulously as he came to a halt, breathing heavily.
"Yes," said Tatsu triumphantly, folding his arms. "For continuously disobeying me and running off, you are going to help Ayu-san in the kitchens. Just because the Vice Commander is... in the state that he is, it doesn't mean you can use it as an excuse to misbehave!"
Oh man,Tetsu groaned as he reluctantly trudged after his elder brother. I wanted to work on my revenge!
o-o-o-o
Hijikata had to admit that he was enjoying himself.
A little.
There was just some satisfaction in watching his stony ninja chase after Souji like a child. It was just...so entertaining. As entertaining as his First Unit Captain crashing into those girls and screaming like one too. Thinking about it made him giggle, and best of all, nobody could hear.
"Please...Okita-san..." Susumu panted as he tried to grab at the Captain, only to have him nimbley dart out of his way again. "I can't...run anymore..." And besides, he thought inirritation, Souji had the advantage over him. Susumu's very pretty kimono was much more constricting than a man's yukata.
"Well then...why don't you chase him?" Souji grinned as he pointed at Toshi. (Who was watching the "girl/boy creature" with great interest.) "It might be easier for you!"
Susumu sighed as he turned towards the little Hijikata. He really didn't want to "It" the Fukuchou, since he might lose a hand, but it looked like he had no choice.
"I'm coming, Fukuchou." he warned.
Souji chuckled behind his palm. Yamazaki always managed to look so solemn, even when he was playing a children's game. Toshi yelped as the "girl/boy" advanced. He started to run as hard as his little legs could carry him.
After a while, he stopped because he couldn't hear anyone behind him, and with a very pleased expression, turned around to see if he had lost the creature. And that's when Susumu shot out from behind the trees, wanting very much to end the game.
Unfortunately, his sudden and very fast lunge out of the trees startled the child, and with a cry, he fell.
"Hmm," observed Susumu, as Toshi began slowly rolling past the trees, down the sloping grass and towards the river. He raised his girlish eyebrows. "I would have expected the Vice Commander to put up more of a fight..."
He sounded a little disappointed.
"Yamazaki-kun!' asked Souji eagerly as he jogged towards him. "Did you get Toshi-chan?"
Susumu shrugged. "Not really."
Souji looked around. "Um, where is he?"
Susumu pointed.
Souji's eyes widened in shock, and he lurched forward, breaking into a run. "He doesn't know how to swim!" he squeaked, trying to catch Toshi, who was yelling incoherent words as he rolled. "The water's too deep!"
"Oh. Right." came the unfazed reply as the ninja took a split second to digest the news, and then, with a very accurate swoosh, he jumped and landed in front of Toshi.
Only to have him smack straight into his legs and knock them both into the river.
"Hahahahah!" crowed Hijikata in the back of his mind.
'Oh no!" gasped Souji, wringing his hands as he ran towards them. "Toshi-chan!"