Disclaimer: I do NOT own PMK or its characters.

An Assassin's Tale

Chapter 15

Saitou cursed under his breath. Out of concern for his colleague, he had gone over to that Umeya restaurant to look for Okita, and wound up trailing him to Shimabara. He understood if Okita wanted to settle his issues with his brother, but he was taking far too long. Maybe he should go in.

"Don't dare you, Hajime-kun," a reedy woman's voice stopped him. Turning, Hajime saw Emiko. "Grand-aunt, shouldn't you be at home recuperating?"

"Pah! I'm not that frail, boy. You leave them be. I predict that everything will be settled between those two tonight, if you don't go putting your nose in there…" Emiko scolded. "Why don't you run along back to your wolf pack and try to dissuade Demon Hijikata from tearing apart the town looking for his prized…er… swordsman." Saitou winced.

He was certain she meant to be more insulting about the Shinsengumi. He decided that for the sake of his karma, he better take his grand aunt's suggestion…

"Wakey-wakey, boys… Quickly…" Osu shook the sleeping pair. Souji yawned and blinked away sleep from his eyes. The woman was excited. What has happened? Was the brothel being raided or something? Kichi stirred against him. "Osu… what is it?"

"Bad news first. Your last customer's dead," Osu whispered briskly. "Guess I cracked his head a little bit too hard. He was alright when we stuck him in the back room. Then he started foaming at the mouth before croaking." Osu shrugged. "I've cleaned out his belongings and sent for Okitsu's cart."

"So?" Kichi snapped tartly. It was not the first time a customer's death in Yogotoya needed to be hidden. Souji held on to his twin's hand. Suspicious deaths were trouble for all involved. Was Osu's claiming of a dead man's belongings theft? Would the police want to question Akira? As a member of the peacekeeping unit, should he be doing something?

"Here's the good news," Osu slapped her thigh and crackled. "In our late friend's belongings, we found a letter of safe conduct for a merchant. If it were forged, it's a good one." She triumphantly waved the letter before the twins. Souji took it from her and browsed through it.

"This pass, issued by ... of the Shogunate, grants safe passage to the bearer of this letter, merchant, Yamada Taro of Edo, to the port of Nagasaki for the purpose of trading…" he read. The woman's right. If this was a forgery it was a very good one.

"Kichi, or Taro-san, perhaps this is your ticket out of this place," Osu nudged the still-stunned Kichi. "You do have the Edo accent and enough money to get you to Nagasaki…" She patted a fat cloth bundle in her hands. "And you thought I've been blowing your earnings at the gambling tables."

"Osu, I can't pull it off!" Kichi exclaimed as he exchanged looks with his twin. "I'm not a merchant. I only know how to sell death and my body."

"You don't need to be one. I've been speaking to some of my old pals and there's a chap in Nagasaki who needs men to work in his trading company. Bodyguards and that sort of thing. You do know how to use this, don't you?" She threw him his katana. Kichi caught it easily. "If those nosy customs ask, say you're bringing your late father's sword home. In Nagasaki, look for Katsu-san… Hurry and leave Kyoto before the sun rises…"

"Soujirou-niichan?" Kichi was torn with indecision. He wanted to linger a little longer but time was of the essence. Osu took out a set of traveling clothes, suitably worn.

"Go on, Akira… you should leave," Souji forced himself to give a weak smile and patted Kichi's hand reassuringly. "She's right. It is too dangerous for you to be in Kyoto…"

"We need to change the way you look first…" Osu clucked. It was time for Osu to use all the skills she had learnt to disguise the youth. Kichi changed into the plain traveling garb. Osu tied his hair into a top knot and shaved the front of his head to make him appear older. At Osu's insistence, Kichi rubbed a brownish paste onto his limbs and face to make his skin appear more swarthy as if he had spent most of his time in the open.

"How do I look?" Kichi asked Souji and Osu. "See for yourself, good sir." Osu passed him a mirror. Kichi could barely recognize himself. "Arigato, Osu-dono," he bowed politely to the brothel keeper. "Don't thank me, baka. You've stirred up enough trouble for Yogotoya." Osu chided mildly. "And for your brother too."

"Not really," Souji insisted. Kichi shook his head. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble for you… and thank you for thinking of me as your brother… I really wish that someday we can meet up again…" Kichi hugged his brother fiercely for a farewell.

"Me too…" Souji replied as Osu thrust the bundle of spare clothes, travel papers and money pouch into Kichi's hands and shooed them both out through the back door. She took them as far as the main street before disappearing off into the alleys. Acting their parts, both brothers parted without another word to the other. Kichi making his way purposefully in the direction of Nagasaki as pointed out by Osu. Captain Okita Souji made his way back to the Shinsengumi HQ, a few minutes short of the curfew.

"Okita-san! What took you so long? Hijikata-san was about to have us search for you!" Tetsu bawled out as Okita stepped past the gate. Toshi was scowling at him. "I hope that your personal affairs are in order…" he puffed on his pipe.

"Don't you worry, Toshi," Souji gave a big smile. "Everything has been taken care of, everything. Why don't you go back and rest. We'll catch cold standing out here like this…" He coaxed Hijikata indoors.

A few weeks later in Nagasaki.

The new guard watched as another crate of Western weapons was carried into the store. His boss Sakamoto's some character, not that he has had the privilege of meeting the man yet. Sakamoto's trading company was in a class of its own, given special license to trade with the foreigners by his Imperial Majesty, Emperor of Japan. He wondered what Okita Souji would make of all these changes. Already, the katana was starting to feel obsolete. He sighed. "Ueda Akira" was the new identity he has chosen. .

"Hey, unauthorized persons are not allowed in here!" A burly guard bellowed.

"Sumimasen!" The serving girl squealed, promptly tripped and dropped her tea tray to curses from the guard. Akira turned at the sound of the commotion. "Hey, Okawa-san, give her a break, she's new here after all." He rested his hand on the hilt of his katana to emphasize his point. Okawa backed off. The youthful-looking newbie has already gained a reputation for being quick with his sword if pushed to it.

Blame it on a hazing attempt that backfired on the would-be hazers when the new recruit injured two of them before the fight was broken up. An unpleasant business, but everyone got the message that Akira did not appreciate being stripped of his clothes in the dead of the night for the purpose of an impromptu swim in the harbour.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Smiling, Akira helped the servant girl up. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized Hotaru. Hotaru's brow wrinkled as she stared at the face of the man who just helped her. "You look familiar… but I must be mistaken, I have never seen you before…"

"Maybe we have met in a dream," Akira smiled. "I am Ueda Akira… Miss… "

"Please just call me Hotaru," Hotaru replied as she took Akira's hand and allowed him to lead her back to the kitchens. "I just came here to work two days ago… this town is so big and the men on the pier-side scare me."

"If you wish, I can walk with you if you need to go to the piers…" Akira offered. It was the least he could do after scaring the poor girl back in Kyoto.

Hotaru blinked. There was a slight resemblance to Okita-sama, but Ueda-san was Ueda-san, with his easy smile and tanned complexion from working outdoors with the other men. Also, Ueda Akira's hair was clipped mostly short with a thin ponytail at the nape of the neck as was the style of the younger men working in the building. Nope, Ueda was no Okita Souji.

"Thank you, Ueda-san…"

(The End.)

Author's Notes:

I know, Kichi/Akira working for Sakamoto. The twin brothers are destined to be on opposing sides…

In case the name Ueda Akira sounds familiar, Ueda was the name of the family who adopted Akira as a child (See chapter 1 of this fic). Akira probably chose that name on purpose so Okita Souji could find him in Nagasaki.

Threw in Saitou meeting his Grand Aunt Emiko and the little epilogue about where Hotaru wound up after quitting Kyoto.