I own nothing but my OC.

Chapter 16: Opposing Blades

"I'll put your tea here." Sumiko said, setting Hijikata's cup down beside his tray for him.

"Yeah. Sorry." Hijikata said as he picked up his bowl of rice to begin eating. Sumiko smiled slightly and looked away before she started to blush.

"Um, where's San'nan-san?" Chizuru asked as he held the tea tray with his cup still on it, glancing around the room. They had already been warned that Shinpachi and Kondo wouldn't be eating with them that evening, since Kondo had gone to Edo, but they had assumed San'nan would still be there since nothing had been mentioned about him.

"It looks like he's doing a little investigating." Okita said.

"Is that so? Then, I guess tea would be better once he's gotten back." Sumiko said.

"We made too much." Chizuru said regretfully.

"Just leave it there." Hijikata said. "Someone will drink it later."

"Oh, okay." Chizuru said, perking up. Sumiko smiled.

"It's salty." Saito abruptly.

"Huh?" Sumiko said as they glanced at him. For a moment they had almost thought he was talking about the tea, but he was staring at the seaweed he was holding up in his chopsticks.

"Whoa! This is terrible!" Sano exclaimed after tasting his own. "Souji, you made this, right!?"

"You don't have to say it like that!" Okita said with an annoyed sigh. "Anyway, I'm the one who boiled the greens and flavored them with soy sauce. I don't think it tastes nasty or anything…" He said, calmly taking a bite of it, while Saito stood up, holding the small dish of salty greens.

"I'm going to rinse this off." Saito stated coolly. "Too much sodium isn't good for one's health."

"Ah, that's true. You're more likely to have high blood pressure." Sumiko said as he left. Sano glanced between his nasty veggies and the door.

"Me, too." He said, getting up to follow Saito.

"Heh?" Chizuru said when even Hijikata got up quietly and left with his veggie dish, closing the door behind them. Okita stared after them for a moment before putting down his chopsticks.

"Well, I guess I'll rinse this off a bit, too." He decided, heading out the door at a quick pace. Chizuru stared after them in silence for a moment, stunned. Each and every one of them had just got up and left…

"Pfft!" Sumiko laughed. Even Okita had given up. It tasted that bad, huh? "Come on, Chizuru, we should probably go rinse ours off, too."

—∞—

"Are you going to see San'nan-san?" Okita asked Sumiko when he spotted her heading for the deputy-commander's room with a tray of rice balls, water, and a packet of medicine.

"Yeah. I can see a light in his room, so he must be back, right? It seems like he's been trying to avoid me recently, so I figured it's about time I give him a check up. Even if he's doing something important, he shouldn't skip meals. He'll make himself sick." She said.

"Is that why you're bringing him medicine?" Okita asked.

"He told me that sometimes he still feel pain in his left arm." She replied solemnly. "This is just a weak painkiller to help dull it in case it's acting up again."

"I'll take it to him." Okita offered, surprising her a bit. "I've brought my own medicine to share with him." He said, smirking, as he held up a jar of sake. Sumiko smiled.

"You're a sly one, aren't you? Yeah, I think that's a good idea." She agreed, handing over the tray. "Too much sake is bad for the body, but a cup or two every now and then with a friend is good for the soul."

"I wish you'd make prescriptions like that more often." Okita said, with a laugh and a rueful smile.

"Good night, Okita-san." Sumiko said, smiling wryly, as she turned and headed for her own room. Okita watched her walk away for a few minutes to make sure she was really going before continuing on his way to meet up with San'nan.

"San'nan-san? You still awake?" Okita called through the door.

"Is that you, Okita-kun? You may enter." San'nan replied. Okita slid the door open while balancing the tray and sake in one hand.

"Diligent, aren't you?" He asked when he saw that San'nan was holding a beaker of red liquid. Just as he had thought, San'nan was still working on that medicine. "You won't get anywhere if you get sick doing all this research, though." Okita said, shutting the door behind him.

"No need to worry." San'nan replied calmly. "I've been sick for some time now."

"Yeah, and certain doctor has noticed." Okita said, setting down the tray from Sumiko. "She was going to come herself before I intercepted her. She knows you're avoiding her. Still, can't have her finding you here and seeing all this, can we?"

"No." San'nan replied a bit more solemnly, narrowing his eyes slightly as he glanced at the rice balls. "Anyway, look at this." He said, showing him the glass container of red medicine. "I've improved the Ochimizu. Theoretically, this should have reduced side-effects."

"Feel like trying it?" Okita asked. "If you feel confident, I won't try to stop you."

"I find myself hesitant for some reason." San'nan admitted.

"Well, if you fail, I'll do you a favor and kill you." Okita said.

"My, that's reassuring." San'nan said with a wry smile.

"Well, anyway, what do you say? Want some?" Okita asked, switching to a happier subject, as he held up the jar of sake.

"Sake? That sounds better for my body." San'nan agreed, smiling, as he turned away from the red medicine sitting on his desk.

—∞—

October, 1864

"Itou-dono!" Kondo said excitedly, smiling brightly, as he greeted their honored guest and the two men he had brought with him, with Hijikata at his side. "We've awaited you."

"I'm humbled you came to greet us in person, Commander." Itou said as they shook hands, smiling politely.

"Who's that?" Sumiko asked curiously. After hearing an important guest was coming, she had snuck out with the captains to have a peek from a safe distance away. Heisuke was still headhunting in Edo.

"Itou Kashitarou." Shinpachi replied. "Apparently, he's achieved full mastery of the Itto style."

"I see…" Sumiko said thoughtfully, furrowing her brow slightly. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't really remember why it was important at the moment. At any rate, she wasn't sure she liked the look of this guy… there was something too rehearsed about that smile of his. His mannerisms were kind of feminine, too.

"I heard Itou-san espoused imperial nationalist philosophy. I'm surprised he'd have his name associated with the Shinsengumi." Saito said.

"The same mindset as those Choshu guys, huh? Can someone like that really get along well with us?" Sano asked.

"Itou-san is a highly educated and gifted speaker." San'nan said as he came up behind them.

"Heh?" Sano said, as they all glanced back at their guest.

'But don't we already have San'nan-san for that?' Sumiko thought, frowning slightly.

"Ah! So, San'nan-san, you know…?" Sano started to ask, but by the time they turned to look back at him, the deputy-commander was already walking away with so much as a parting word.

"San'nan-san is becoming less and less congenial lately, huh?" Shinpachi asked as they all stared after him, concerned.

"Yeah. He hardly ever talks these days, either." Sano added.

"He's always been a difficult patient, but now whenever I try to talk about his progress with the physical therapy exercises, he ignores me or shuts me down." Sumiko said, frowning.

"Well, he never was the kind of person to engage in idle chatter…" Sano said. Okita remained silent as he chewed on a piece of grass.

"Well, I guess I'd better go help Chizuru get the refreshments ready." Sumiko said, heading for the kitchen. "You guys better look busy before Hijikata-san catches you."

"Ah, that's right." Shinpachi said, sweat-dropping. Who knows what their demon vice-commander would say if he found them slacking off while they had a guest.

—∞—

"Ow!" Chizuru said, quickly pulling her hand back after burning her finger on one of the hot sake containers they were heating up in a pot of boiling water to go with their guests' evening meal.

"Ah, did you burn yourself? Let me see." Sumiko said, checking her friend's sore finger. "It looks all right." She told Chizuru, smiling. "Just pour some cool water over it for a minute or two."

"Sumiko. Chizuru." Hijikata said, getting their attention, as he walked up to stand the doorway of the kitchen. "Bring the sake to the room once its warmed."

"Okay, we'll be there soon." Sumiko said. Hijikata watched as she began carefully removing the hot containers one at time and placing them on a tray to carry while Chizuru quickly took care of her finger.

"I got word from Heisuke." He said.

"Huh?" Chizuru as both girls stopped to glance up at him.

"Apparently, he went to your home. There was no sign of Koudou-san." Hijikata told Chizuru. "Heisuke will stay in Edo a while longer. He'll let us know if he finds any clues."

"Is that so? Thank you very much." Chizuru said, though she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Yes, thank you." Sumiko said, placing a hand on Chizuru's shoulder.

"Sure." Hijikata said, smiling slightly at them. Those two really were close, weren't they? Just like sisters.

—∞—

Kondo and Itou laughed as they dined together, enjoying their meal and conversation.

"This is wonderful." Kondo said, smiling. "I'm thrilled to have added more men to our ranks. Even more so that they have such skill."

"Oh, not at all." Itou said, holding up a hand to cover his mouth as he smiled, looking as though he was very much enjoying all the compliments he had been receiving. Hijikata quietly and San'nan had been eating their meals quietly, leaving the conversation up to Kondo. "The Shinsengumi's codes are quite strict, are they not?" Itou said, turning to look at the two executive officers. "San'nan-san, please be my teacher, if you would."

"Heaven forbid. There's nothing I could teach you Itou-san." San'nan said politely with a self-depreciating smile.

"Itou-san. Come, have another." Kondo said, offering to pour his new friend some more sake.

"Thank you very much." Itou said, smiling politely, as he held out his cup.

"Hijikata-san." Itou said, turning his attention to the silent and stoic vice-commander. "I've heard the men regard you highly, and that you are a man of action. I would be grateful for your support going forward."

Hijikata closed his eyes and inclined his head slightly in response.

"Pardon me." Chizuru said, opening the door. "I've come to collect any empty containers."

"Ah. Thanks." Kondo said as she knelt down beside him and set about her task.

"Not at all." Chizuru replied humbly. "Su–Miyagawa-san is preparing more sake as we speak."

"Oh, is that so? Miyagawa-san knows how to have a good time, huh?" Kondo said, laughing good-naturedly. Chizuru smiled. Neither of them seemed aware that Itou was watching her every move with keen eyes.

Outside in the courtyard, Chizuru placed the empty sake containers in a wooden tub of clean water to be washed.

"Could you, perhaps…?" She heard Itou muse aloud. She turned to see that he was standing just a few feet away. He had followed her out.

"May I help you with something?" Chizuru asked politely as she stood up and turned to face him.

"What, pray, is a person like you doing here?" Itou asked, stepping closer.

"Huh?" Chizuru said, confused.

"You're not a soldier, are you?" He asked, moving even closer. Chizuru took a step back. Something made her feel uneasy about the way he was looking at her.

SLIDE.

Before Itou could take another step, the sliding door of the room next to the one he had been eating with Kondo and the others in slid open, and his eyes widened slightly as he had to spin around and dodge the sword being swung in his direction. Chizuru stared with wide eyes, stunned, as leaves that had been sliced from the camellia bush that Itou had been standing beside fluttered in the night breeze. The person who had charged forth so forcefully was none other than Okita Souji.

"Okita-san!" Chizuru said, surprised. Itou stared calmly at Okita before glancing at the beautiful camellia flower that was balanced so gracefully on the tip of the his raised sword.

"A place of men is not a place of flowers." Okita said smoothly as he positioned his sword so that it was aimed at Itou, and the flower was now within the other man's reach. "But as Itou-san has graced us with your presence, I thought I'd give you something for your eyes…"

Translation: Take this and get lost.

"My." Itou said, reaching out to take the flower from the sword. "Yes, it is lovely." He held close to his face and inhaled the camellia's sweet, subtle fragrance. "Cutting it with a sword is rather heavy-handed, however." He said, glancing up at Okita from over the flower. Don't think I don't know what you're up to.

"Being somewhat heavy-handed is a hallmark of the Tennen Rishin style." Okita replied as he re-sheathed his sword. Good. Better watch your back, then. "You! There's still some cleaning up to do, right?" He told Chizuru. "Hurry back."

"Hai!" Chizuru said. Itou smiled slightly as he watched her obediently run off to attend to her duties.

"Thank you for the flower, Okita-san." Itou said calmly as he walked past him to return to the dining hall.

"Hnn." Okita said, smirking a little darkly as he watched the other man leave. That man was pretty sharp. Well, as long as he remembered to keep his hands to himself in the future…

"Did something happen…?" Sumiko asked, raising an eyebrow, when she rounded the corner with a tray of fresh warm sake containers and saw that someone had sliced part of the top of the camellia bush off at an odd angle.

"Just a little pest control." Okita replied with a Cheshire cat smile. "It would seem one snuck in through the front gate."

"Oh, is that so?" She asked carefully, eyeing the room Itou and the others were in, taking the hint. "I suppose we'll have to be more careful not to let ourselves get bitten, then…"