Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hakuouki or anything related to it.

"The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it."
— Lisa Unger (Beautiful Lies (Ridley Jones #1))

Sen strolled through Kyoto, hands folded in front of her. She hummed to herself. A smile was plastered on her face, practice for her dealings at court and a mask to hide her true self from the humans and any fellow Demons lurking nearby. Much was on her mind lately in regards to Demon politics.

Lately, Kazama had shown an interest in the Shinsengumi. Kimigiku doubled her espionage efforts whenever a Shinsengumi member, be they a high ranking leader or a common soldier, went to Shimabara. No luck. If the Shinsengumi was keeping secrets that attracted Kazama, they were good at ensuring they stayed hidden. Sen had to admire that skill; it must match that of a Demon for Kazama to be so fixated on them. Even Kazama required compelling reasons to justify his pettiness, or to make an amusing attempt at justification/reason.

Kimigiku got along well with Amagiri and Shiranui, perhaps a bit too well with the former. They endured Kazama's behaviors, but never approved of it. Still, she didn't trust the games of Shiranui and nearly unshakeable loyalty of Amagiri. So asking them about it was out of the question.

Sen would be lying if she denied wanting to satisfy her own curiosity by learning more about the Shinsengumi. Anyone who could get Kazama this obsessed and frustrated deserved respect. It could be an unintentional thing, but Sen didn't believe the rumors about the Shinsengumi being fools and criminals masquerading as samurai. Humans simplified their own kind so easily to soothe their pride and avoid acknowledging humilation, something they shared with Kazama, though he'd sooner die than admit that.

Her hand came to rub her chin as she thought. Perhaps she should start prying directly into the matter herself instead of relying on information from others. Things had been relatively peaceful for her village lately, so what was the harm in a little investigating? She giggled at the image of Kimigiku facepalming in response to those thoughts.

She'd become so lost in her musings that she bumped into another girl. Before she could look up to apologize, someone seized her by the wrist and yanked her to her feet. She met the arrogant, threatening eyes of a ronin and noticed that the other girl had been grabbed by another ronin.

The girl widened her eyes. She was pretty, dark hair pinned up, simple makeup, and a kimono with flower decorations. She tried to free her wrist from the man's grasp; he yanked her closer and she gasped.

"What do you want?" The girl asked. She wrinkled her nose when he got close enough for their noses to touch. Sen fought not to roll her eyes and kick her own captor in the groin when he ran his free hand through her short hair.

"You should know already," the second ronin said, smirking."You owe us money, like any other citizen to their protectors."

Sen's captor nodded, which distracted him long enough for her to free herself. She grabbed the girl's shoulder and stood between her and the men."We owe you nothing," she said, cold as ice.

"Settle down, young lady," one man said in a false soothing tone."Money isn't the only way to honor us." He eyed her up and down and then looked over her shoulder to do the same to the girl.

Yes, their presumptions that they were owed worship, especially from women, reminded her of Kazama so much that she imagined his face ogling them.

"Leave us alone," the girl said, sounding more angry than afraid. In fact, any remaining fear seemed forced. Sen could only raise her eyebrows before someone suddenly intervened, placing themselves between the girls and the men. The girl gasped and moved to stand beside Sen, looking quite interested in their rescuer.

"Don't touch them!" The new arrival, who Sen could tell just by looking at their back was the same age as herself and the girl, put an arm out to shield them and the other arm reached for the sword sheathed at their side. Their body shook with indignation on behalf of the citizens they were protecting.

"What the-" the ronin blinked. The surprise quickly became rage, as they reached for their swords. The protector tensed, realizing they had entered a dangerous position without proper consideration, but tightly gripped the handle of their sword, refusing to back down.

The ronin only managed to reach for their weapons afore swords were pressed against the napes of their necks. Standing behind the ronin were Shinsengumi men, based on their blue haori. One of them was purple-haired and showing no emotion. The other was clearly enjoying the way the ronin froze in terror as they realized they were doomed.

The purple-haired man gave the young person shielding the girls a scolding look."Next time do not rush into danger so easily, especially alone." His expression softened."You should know better."

The person lowered their head."Sorry, Saito-san."

The other man laughed."With how scary you've been lately, I wonder if you really needed our help."

"Okita-san," the person said in a half-amused, half-embarrassed tone. They relaxed and turned to the girls.

Sen's eyes went wide. Their savior was a young girl dressed in male clothing and now that the danger had passed, Sen felt the unmistakeable aura of a Demon. Were it not for that Demonic aura that the girl either didn't know how to suppress or chose not to, Sen would have believed she was a normal human boy.

Sen lowered her guard over her own aura, hearing her fellow former damsel in distress gasp yet again. Their savior gave no indication of noticing the lowering of guard.

Was this the secret Kazama was so obsessed with? The Shinsengumi kept a female Demon hidden among their ranks? For once, Sen couldn't blame him, but she certainly wouldn't let him get his hands on this girl.

"Are you both alright?" Their savior asked, fidgeting with her hands.

"Yes, thank you," the overdramatic girl said, also fidgeting with her hands. Sen was uncertain what to think of her but she was very curious about their savior.

"That was very brave of you," Sen remarked, gesturing to the ronin who were being taken away by other Shinsengumi soldiers. She bowed."My name is Sen. A pleasure to meet you."

The other girl also bowed."And I am...Kaoru. Thank you for your help."

The crossdressing girl blushed."I just...saw you in trouble...and I...wanted to help."

"Might I know know your name?" Sen asked.

The disguised girl looked to Saito and Okita, who exchanged a glance before the former nodded curtly and the latter shrugged.

"Chizuru," she muttered, rubbing her arm."You can call me Chizuru."

Sen smiled."Chizuru-chan then." Okita raised an eyebrow at the choice of honorific.

Kaoru stepped forward to touch Chizuru's shoulder."Thank you again for your help, Chizuru-san."

Chizuru inclined her head, still blushing."You're welcome, Kaoru-san, Sen-chan." She gave each of them a bow.

Okita and Saito watched the seemingly innocent and grateful women with suspicious eyes. Chizuru did not notice this.

Okita sighed."These ronin are getting stupider and more boring everyday."

Saito rolled his eyes."Only you would complain about an easy arrest. And considering your condition, you should be grateful you are allowed to patrol at all and that we have had little trouble lately."

Okita pouted. Saito rolled his eyes again. Chizuru, despite having her back to the men, giggled at their exchange.

Sen clasped her hands together, her smile as much a practiced one as it was a genuinely fond one. She found herself taking a quick liking to Chizuru."If you do not mind, I would like to thank you for your coming to my - I mean, our - rescue." She pointed to a nearby place."Would you like some tea and dango, Chizuru-chan? My treat."

Kaoru, whose hand hadn't left Chizuru's shoulder, gave it a squeeze."Yes, I can pay as well."

Sen and Kaoru locked gazes for a split second, the latter breaking contact before Sen could decipher her emotions. She'd like to know more about both of the young girls in front of her. The two enigmas, seemingly well-meaning but clearly hiding secrets. With Chizuru, it might be unintentional, or at least not maliciously intended, but Kaoru was impossible to figure out. Sen wondered if Kaoru was a Demon too, or had some Demon heritage diluted by human blood, since she couldn't sense the Demonic aura from her like she could from Chizuru. Or maybe Kaoru was skilled enough to hide her aura like Sen.

Chizuru bit her lip."Oh, um, that's very kind of you, but I'm on patrol and investigating an important lead-"

"We were on our way there anyway," Okita said."Shouldn't take more than five minutes to check it out and I doubt it'll end up being a real lead." When Chizuru slumped her shoulders, Saito nudged Okita, and Okita shrugged. Whatever lead they spoke of must be personally important to Chizuru, and possibly related to her Demonic heritage.

Either this girl was inept enough to think no one would notice her aura or she didn't know who she really was. But that made no sense. She was bound to notice her healing powers and wonder why she was different from everyone else. Yet something about her made Sen want to trust her. She clearly did not sense Sen's aura. Kaoru's reaction at the same time that Sen realized what Chizuru was and when Sen lowered her guard to see if Chizuru could sense her Demonic aura added credence to her theory that Kaoru had Demonic blood.

Okita patted the crossdressing girl's back."Go on ahead, Chizuru-chan." He slowed his voice and smirked at Sen as he uttered the honorific. Sen innocently tilted her head, and the very brief glint of suspicion in his eyes showed that he didn't believe her innocent act any more than he believed Kaoru's.

"We will let you know if the lead proves useful," Saito said to Chizuru. He avoided looking at anyone except for Chizuru, subtly revealing his own suspicions toward the girls they'd rescued.

Chizuru turned to the men and bowed, then turned back to the girls. Sen hooked her arm through Chizuru's while Kaoru copied the action at the disguised girl's other side. Chizuru smiled politely as she allowed them to lead her to the shop.

Sen tried to meet Kaoru's gaze, but Kaoru ignored her in favor of focusing solely on Chizuru. In fact, Kaoru seemed to tighten her grip on Chizuru as they neared the shop.

A very pleasant surprise.

Kodo had sent Kaoru to search for his sister after Kazama came to him to complain about not being informed about her. Kaoru never would have thought his long-lost sibling would jump right in front of him.

Sen didn't trust him, maybe suspected his Demonic heritage. Her name rang a bell to him, some high-ranking leader within the political world of Demons, but the Nagumo Clan had always been considered outsiders by their fellow Demons, so he wasn't certain. What he did know was that Sen was a Demon, as she'd lowered her guard, perhaps to test Chizuru. Kaoru couldn't help but gasp at that. Running into two fellow Demons within moments, how amusingly coincidental.

Okita and Saito didn't trust either of them, as much as the "innocent citizens" trusted each other really.

As much as Kaoru wanted to pick his sister up and carry her away, that went against Kodo's orders. They weren't anywhere near ready to take her, so they needed to watch her. They couldn't risk the Shinsengumi finding Kodo.

The lead they discussed was obviously related to Kodo. Just as Kodo suspected, Chizuru was searching for him alongside the Shinsengumi. Whether she knew about the Water of Life or they knew about her healing powers was unclear. Kodo had taught Chizuru to guard that secret with her life and would not hear a word suggesting she would ever disobey him. Even if Chizuru knew their secret, they definitely didn't know hers. The argument replayed in his ears on an endless loop.

Chizuru has never disobeyed me. She has always been my good smart little girl.

So have I, Uncle.

Good children don't complain and ask questions. They simply obey...and endure.

I have obeyed and endure more than she ever has!

You fulfilled your duty to protect your sister, as you were obligated to. And you complain and glare at every opportunity. Chizuru stopped questioning and hesitating by the time she reached this age.

I'm the same age as her! Older even by a few moments!

And yet she does a much better job of showing her age than you do. Now stop your whining and go find her, and remember-

Just watch her, don't take her.

See to it that you never forget that order.

Kaoru tightened his grip on Chizuru, ignoring Sen's attempts to initiate eye contact with him. If Kodo had taught Chizuru to hide her aura, they wouldn't have to deal with this nuisance. But, of course, Kodo was determined to maintain his deception until the time for their revenge and restoration plans came, not a second sooner, and revealing the full truth to her before then might risk the success of their plotting.

"So tell me, Chizuru-chan," Sen spoke smoothly and sweetly."How did a young girl like yourself join the Shinsengumi?"

Chizuru's head snapped toward Sen so swiftly it was a wonder her neck didn't break. She paled and tried to pull out of Sen's grasp, but received a kind smile.

"I'm sorry." Her smile reached her eyes."I didn't realize that was supposed to be a secret."

Chizuru's unease remained. Kaoru patted her shoulder."If it's any consolation," he spoke just as smoothly and sweetly as Sen.", we simply recognized you as...one of us."

"Yes," Sen said through her teeth."It was mostly a lucky guess." Kaoru resisted the urge to scoff at the lie.

Chizuru hesitated."You're the first ones in awhile to see through me." She bit her lip."Although I haven't spoken to other girls for a long time..."

Sen nodded."Yes, I heard the Shinsengumi don't have women in their ranks." She grimaced."It must be terrible living with all those sweaty, improper men."

Better than living with a bunch of presumptuous, naive little girls, Kaoru thought while suppressing a scoff.

Chizuru let out a true laugh."They're not that bad. Well, most of them. And not all of them know about me."

"Your secret is safe with us," Sen said. She showed Kaoru her teeth."Right, Kaoru?"

"Of course," Kaoru replied immediately.

Five minutes later, the three of them were sitting on a bench, trays carrying dango and hot tea on their laps. Chizuru was in the middle. Sen and Kaoru each had a hand on one of her shoulders.

"So how did you join the Shinsengumi, Chizuru-chan?" Sen inquired once more. Seeing her hesitation, she squeezed her shoulder.

Chizuru brought the teacup to her lips. She rubbed her thumbs on the cup's surface as she contemplated. Eventually, she looked to the sky."I-I'm looking for my father." She drank again."He's a doctor, so he travels a lot, but he always wrote to me. But then, awhile ago now that I think about it, he stopped writing. I came here looking for him and...the Shinsengumi told me they wanted to find him too. He was working with them when he went missing so we...made a deal." She shut her eyes."We get leads sometimes, like today, but they turn out to be useless."

It was merely a verbal confirmation of Kodo's suspicions. They were desperate to locate him, chasing down every lead even if they knew it would almost certainly reveal itself to be void.

"I'm sorry to hear to that." Sen patted her shoulder."How long has it been?"

"Long enough," Chizuru murmured, taking a bite of her dango. Tears pricked her eyelids; she blinked them away.

Before Kaoru realized what he was doing, he wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sure he's closer than you think." The words left of their own accord, soft and reassuring.

No sooner had he spoken, than his eyes widened and perplexity at his own actions filled him. He relaxed, recalling that they weren't alone. Sen watched them curiously.

Kaoru lifted his eyes to glance at Chizuru. She wasn't smiling, her eyes were still shut, yet he could tell from the way she relaxed that he'd managed to console her. Just like when they were children. It didn't need to automatically lift her wavering spirits, so long as her brother was there with an embrace and some reassuring words Chizuru's sad mood would lessen slightly. Kaoru bit his lip in response to the memories.

"He always came back," she muttered."I've heard some disturbing rumors about him, and-"

"You'll see him again," Kaoru stated firmly, wanting to be annoyed and instead feeling the urge to comfort.

No doubt Kazama also told Chizuru that Kodo was on the enemy side. Hence her worry about him.

"Your father," Sen spoke slowly, running a finger through her hair."Who is he? Perhaps I can ask around for clues. It may not be that helpful, but every bit counts, yes?"

Kaoru turned his head to hide his eye roll.

Chizuru chewed on her lip, tensing as she pondered. Kaoru kept his arm around her, neither tightening nor loosening his embrace.

"Kodo," she eventually said."Yukimura Kodo."

"Yukimura?" From the corner of his eye Kaoru noticed that Sen's eyes grew wide.

"Yes, you've heard of him?" Chizuru sounded hopeful."He's a well-respected doctor, so maybe-"

"I've heard the name Yukimura before, yes," Sen said. So she was the high ranking leader Kaoru had vaguely heard of. She hadn't put her guard back up, though Kaoru didn't drop his, and he sensed human blood within her. Just a little, nowhere near enough to weaken her, but it was there.

Kaoru rebuilt his innocent girl facade as he turned back to his sister."I've heard it too," he said, fluttering his eyelashes. Now Sen was hiding her eye roll."Perhaps if we keep in touch we can help you." This was way too easy.

Hope brightened Chizuru's eyes, though not without some caution and reluctance. Good to see she wasn't completely gullible and naive, though given her situation, he couldn't blame her for being desperate. He ignored the flicker of anger he felt toward Kodo for being so arrogant and reckless with such a very important component of their plan. He also ignored his imagination filling his ears with Kodo's potential response of a scoff and telling him to look at his own actions before he judged Kodo for his.

Chizuru unconsciously leaned further into his embrace and placed her hand over Sen's."I guess it couldn't hurt. People would be more willing to talk to other civilians than the Shinsengumi officers."

Kaoru grinned from ear to ear."Splendid." He coughed to cover up his regular voice which he drifted into briefly using due to his satisfaction. Luckily, neither girl noticed. Sen was too occupied expressing her own joy at the decision.

As if on cue, Okita and Saito returned to collect Chizuru. She finished her tea in one gulp, stood and bowed to her new friends and then ran to the men. They were too far away to be heard, but she was obviously telling them about their offers of aid. Saito rubbed his chin thoughtfully and eventually gestured that they should return to headquarters. Okita watched Sen and Kaoru over Chizuru's shoulder with a mixture of amusement and distrust, paying no attention to their innocent expressions. After a moment, he gave Chizuru a grin and touched her shoulder to indicate that she should walk ahead of him. He shot Kaoru a menacing glance that lasted for a microsecond afore leaving with his comrades.

So Okita didn't trust them and was quite open about it, wanting them to be aware of that, while Saito chose a more subtle approach. Kaoru expected similar reactions from the other men. He made a mental note to work on his act. He could pass off his constant gasps today as results of the threats from the ronin. After all, fear affected people, especially a so-called helpless young woman, harshly. That would give him an advantage over Sen.

Once the Shinsengumi and Chizuru were out of their sight, Sen turned to Kaoru, but he was already gone.

Kaoru had a report to make to Kodo.