Chapter Four: April - Uzuki (卯月): Because you're a comrade in this citadel.

The year is 2205 A.D.

To annihilate the History Retrograde Army who schemes to alter history

Them, who were born from swords,

Engage in mortal combat as well!

Tsurumaru, is that...?

Xxxxxxxxxx

Dazzling sun shining above a bluish-white sky filled with cotton candy clouds and accompanied by the warbling of birds, a resplendent morning had just ended and, with their arms laden with provisions, the Saniwa and a certain lavender-haired Toushirou were walking rhythmically along the path, slowly returning to the citadel.

"I have no affinity with stores. " suddenly stated Honebami, looking into the plastic bags he was carrying.

"Yet, you choose all the things your brothers love the most. " replied the Sage with a smile, pointing out with his chin all the packets of sweets.

"I guess… I got a little carried away. " whispered his sword, embarrassed.

"This isn't bad, sometimes, you know. " declared the boy, chuckling slightly before asking with curiosity. "But what about you? Did you choose something you like? You could share it with the others too. "

"This. " indicated the Wakizashi, pulling a packet of biscuits out of one of the bags. "These snacks are good. I would like to brother to try them. "

"Great. I'm sure he'll like them very much. "

"Would you like to try a bit, too? " enquired the Awataguchi, facing his master.

"Hmm? Me? How nice of you. Why not later? " answered the Saniwa before frowning regretfully. "However, I will be awfully busy today, I might not be able to rejoin you and the others to share them. "

"Then, I will spare some and directly bring them to you. " simply said the Toushirou, nonchalantly.

"Thank you. That's very considerate. " added the Sage, touched.

And as they were finally crossing the gates of the estate, a red and black hakama abruptly appeared in front of them, the sword wearing it looking particularly annoyed.

"How could you have done that?! How could you have gone to the merchant without me!? "

"I'm going to take this. " announced Honebami as if nothing had happened, taking the provisions from the cherry-haired boy's hands along with his, and heading back in the inside.

Sighing, the Sage raised his eyebrows, not in the least perturbed by the tantrum of his Uchigatana and began to head toward his office, assuming that he would follow him.

"Well, Kiyomitsu, is it some kind of rule? Do I always have to take you with me when I go shopping? "

"But it's shopping! You know me! " Kashuu exclaimed, eyes widened in shock.

"Exactly, I know you. How many nails-polish and accessories do I still have to buy before you're satisfied? " retorted the Saniwa with another sigh.

"It's not my fault that my reserves are running out quickly! " expressed the Uchigatana, spreading his arms whilst pouting.

"Last time I checked, you were buying colours that you don't even like to wear. " lectured the boy, although he did not seem really angry at his Toudan, just bothered by his behaviour.

"They were so pretty, and on sale! What if an occasion required me to wear them?! " the Touken Danshi revealed as if it were obvious.

"Kiyomitsu… You're overreacting… " the Saniwa said with annoyance, accustomed to this fuss.

"It's not just about the merchandise… " murmured Kiyomitsu, his eyes obstinately turned to the floor.

Entering into his office, the Saniwa sat down at his desk and, tilting his head, questioned, curious:

"So what is it about? "

"I… " stammered the sword, hesitantly.

"Tell me… You know you can tell me everything, right? "

"S-Sure… "

Frowning worryingly, the boy started to stand up but was stopped in his gesture when Kashuu finally claimed, his cheeks red, and almost inaudibly:

"These are master and I moments... Recently, you were so busy sending reports to the Government of Time and summoning new Touken Danshi... Since Yasusada's departure, I'm completely left alone! "

"What are you talking about? "

"Huh? "

Smiling softly, the Saniwa stood up again, walked around his desk to face his Toudan, and put a comforting hand on his cheek.

"How dare you say that you're left alone when so many people surround you? Not only your former Shinsengumi comrades but all the Touken Danshi of this citadel too. "

"It's… not the same. " confessed Kiyomitsu, watching absently the carpet.

"Is it true? I thought we had overcome all those old feelings of yours already… " enquired the Sage, leaning his back against the desk.

"I… am not sure about anything anymore… " stuttered the Uchigatana, lost in thought.

"I guess it's my fault for having neglected you so much lately. I'm deeply sorry. " indicated the Saniwa, regretfully.

"No! Aruji, you're not responsible at all! " hastened to say Kashuu, panicked. "I just wish we could spend more time together, just like in the past, when it was the two of us only. "

"Do you feel insecure again, Kiyomitsu? " asked the Sage, anxious.

"N-No… Of course not… " said his first blade, his voice lower and lower, a certain disappointment veiling his garnet pupils.

"I hope so. If there's anything, don't hesitate to disturb me in my work, come straight here, alright? " announced the cherry-haired boy, still worried.

"Don't need to. But thanks! " exclaimed suddenly his Toudan, head raised up, his smile strangely tense.

"Well… if you're sure… "

"I am sure! "

"In this case, we both have work to do. " declared the Saniwa as he got back to his chair.

"A new sword to take care of? "

"Here. "

Slipping a white paper-man over the wooden table, the Sage pursed his lips hesitantly and finally gave it to his sword as the latter was moving forward to take it.

"This one might be pretty difficult to deal with at first, he's kind of stubborn and… slightly alcoholic depressive… "

"What?! " exclaimed the Uchigatana, surprised.

"But! He will get accustomed to this citadel in no time, I'm sure! " interjected the boy, now being the one with a tense smile.

"You're sure? Or, you hope for…? " questioned Kiyomitsu with a dubious look, not fooled by his master's words.

"W-Well… you know… maybe you could ask for Yagen or Souza's help. " indicated the Sage, embarrassed in his turn.

"Souza? " repeated his Toudan, curious.

"He's a former sword of Oda Nobunaga. " related the Saniwa, his elbows resting on the table, fingers crossed.

"Which explain the depressive part. "

"Not quite exactly. Actually, it's even the opposite. "

"Really? He's not part of the 'I don't like talking about my previous master' club? "

"Definitely not. But Souza will know more, he will help you with his… complex personality. "

"I see. Well, I'm off then. " Kashuu said with a nod, heading toward the door.

"Kiyomitsu… " called the Sage, troubled.

"I'm fine, Aruji! As you said, I have work to do. See you later! "

Waving a hand in the air, the Uchigatana did not turn around and left without any further words, leaving the boy alone in the room, completely silent.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Dear Master,

I left on a journey to become stronger, but in the end, I ended up at the place of my previous master... Okita-kun.

I wonder if you're angry at me.

But, please forgive me.

I think that, even now, I have been placing myself at a standstill. In order to move forward, I have to sort things out in my heart, about Okita-kun.

.

It was already dark outside. The night reclaiming its throne on heavens as the hours had passed faster than he would have thought. Invisible stars in this picture of infinite blackness, the sky was no more than a huge continual void.

Letting out a yawn inadvertently, the little kitsune stretched out on the couch before jumping over the desk, tilting his head worriedly.

"Are you still working? It's already so late... "

"It can't be helped, look at all these reports... I'm one of the few Saniwa who must send them all the time since I'm summoning so many swords... "

Not even looking at the animal, the Saniwa continued to write, one scroll after another, holding a sigh of fatigue to cross his lips.

"But... " objected the fox before being interrupted by his master.

"It's okay, Konnosuke. Tomorrow will be a day off, well... after nightfall, probably... " indicated the Sage, offering a quick exhausted smile to the hairball before resuming his work.

Stopping suddenly, the cherry-haired boy noticed that his brush, previously softly sliding on the paper, was almost dry as the inkpot now completely empty. Huffing, he opened the drawer to his right, ready to refill it again when the little kitsune jumped abruptly on his knees, exclaiming, his eyes wide open:

"What is that?! " he asked, pointing out an envelope decorated with blue flowers resembling roses.

"A letter. I received it early this morning. "

"Does it come from him? "

"That's right. "

Watching the Saniwa for a second, the fox turned his attention back to the mysterious letter, eagerly questioning:

"What does it say? "

"Well... not much... " the Sage replied, gently stroking the animal. "He seems to be fine. He travelled to the exact place where I thought he would go and now he's learning what he needs to learn before coming back here. "

"So, he will come back? " enquired the little kitsune, curious.

"But of course! What are you even thinking! " the boy said with a frown.

"I just... It's always hard to know if a sword cares enough about you not to betray you. " stated the hairball, pouting.

"Nevertheless, this isn't his case. " the Saniwa expressed, closing the drawer.

"I'm glad! "

"Yes. "

A few knocks suddenly echoed in the room and the western-style door opened slowly, three heads sneaking into its small opening in an uncertain manner.

"So, you're really still awake, huh? " Taikogane argued, entering with his partners.

"Indeed I am. " answered their master with a sweet smile.

"Wow! You really are overwhelmed. " exclaimed the Tantou, astonished to see all the papers and scrolls that filled the office, from the boy's desk to his coffee table. "Now I understand why you didn't show up since this morning. "

"You must rest. " the dragon-tattooed Tachi retorted nonchalantly.

"Kara-chan's right. " Shokudaikiri added in his turn, slightly worried. "Otherwise, you'll catch a cold... "

"As I said to Konnosuke before, I definitively can't stop with all these things to do. "

"Do you intend to work all night? " asked Sadamune, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm afraid so… "

"Well... we won't let you done! We made zunda mochi earlier, we will bring some to you with a full hot teapot! " related Mitsutada, cheerful, already heading for the door with the others after they nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. I'm looking forward to tasting them. " replied the Saniwa, delighted.

He was certainly swamped with the Government of Time's reports, but his burden seemed to have suddenly lightened after the passage of his Touken Danshi.

Sweets and hot tea... I guess it's going to be a good night. I might even finish early enough to rest.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"And so ends my report. "

"It looks like everything went well. "

Smiling softly, the Saniwa was going to resume his work when his Toudan added, a little hesitant:

"Yes, although… "

"What's got wrong, Tsurumaru?" he asked, head tilted to one side, frowning.

"There was a little incident… " began to tell Tsurumaru.

"With Fudou-san? " the Sage finished, nonchalantly, staring at his papers.

"Did someone tell you?! " enquired the Tachi, surprised.

"I expected it. " answered the cherry-haired boy, eyes closed, a hand raised in the air. "Actually, that's why I sent him on a mission so soon."

"Aruji, that's crafty, even for you. " stated Kuninaga, a mischievous smile on his lips as he leaned slightly against the armrest of the sofa behind him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You think so? " simply said the Saniwa. "Well, I just wanted to see how he would react to Oda's castle and cortege. "

"You knew about the procession?!" exclaimed the sword, staring blankly again at his master.

"1579 of the Azuchi Momoyama period. At this time, Oda Nobunaga was just coming back from a military campaign, wasn't he? I thought it was appropriate. " indicated the Sage, shrugging.

"How surprising… and scary… Master can really be sneaky…"

"I wish I did not have to… " sighed the boy, sadness veiling his golden pupils. "To be truly honest, all I ever wished was for you not to be disturbed in your history. But in times of war, we don't really have any choices, do we? "

"I didn't know the master had these feelings… " whispered Tsurumaru, standing up.

"Well, this isn't a problem. " quickly replied the Saniwa with a slight smile before continuing in a low voice. "I really love being surrounded by all of you. But, seeing swords like Fudou-san regretting so much their masters… I'm very well aware that I'm out of the league… "

"This isn't…! " wanted to interject Kuninaga, but his master stopped him partway by shaking his head from right to left, explaining:

"To force one to accept another master, to adapt to a new life, a body, the ability to talk, to breath, to feel… I perfectly know this is a lot to get accustomed to. That's why I give you time, and that I'm so indulgent with you. Some would think the contrary, but generally, Saniwa understands without any difficulties the burden of a Tsukumogami. To confront you with something that haunts you… I guess there are more pleasant solutions to make you move forward, but one says that the hardest way is always the more successful one."

Lowering his head, the boy pursed his lips, and grabbing his brush, finished writing his reports before being suddenly interrupted by Tsurumaru's statement:

"For me, there isn't better master than you…"

Raising his head again, the boy's eyes widened, and he murmured, stunned:

"Is that right? "

Looking pointedly at the gears filling the wall on his left, somehow embarrassed, the Tachi bit his lower lip and confessed:

"Compared to my past… This citadel, this life, where the only blood I shed is that of my enemies… As long I'm no longer bad luck for my precious master, there is nothing better in this world. Plus, I'm here reunited with friends and… family… I don't care about the rest… " (*)

Choked, the Saniwa offered a large smile to his blade and nodded with a chuckle.

"I'm glad to hear those words, Tsurumaru. They reassure me a lot. "

"Good. "

Xxxxxxxxxx

The storm had finally calmed down, leaving behind a dark-bluish sky illuminated by a gleaming moonlight. An unparalleled silence was reigning in the citadel, and he left his office with a long sigh, the day ending and with it, all the paperwork he had had to deal with these last two days. Walking along the engawa towards his room to take a well-deserved rest, he stopped abruptly when seeing his second blade talking with Fudou Yukimitsu. A less animated discussion than they had had before.

Tilting his head slightly, he smiled softly and retraced his steps, moving towards them eagerly.

"So you were there. "

"Aruji. "

Turning their gaze to the Saniwa, the Tantou and the Uchigatana greeted him discreetly before returning to their contemplation of the nothingness. Sitting beside them, the Sage did the same, opening his mouth to announce to the former sword of Oda Nobunaga.

"I was so overwhelmed by work today that I couldn't even take a minute to take care of you, and then there was this attack of the Retrogrades and I had even less time to grant to you. When I heard what'd happened, I was really worried, so I quickly finished all that I had to do to see how you were doing. "

Letting his golden pupils drifted towards Fudou, he smiled again, asking:

"Will you forgive me for taking so much time? "

Drinking a sip of his sake, the latter huffed without a word, lost in thought. Standing up suddenly, Heshikiri dusted his clothes for a second before starting to walk, indicating with a thin smile:

"I'll leave you, now. "

"Good night, Hasebe. " said the boy whilst nodding, having understood the hidden intentions of his attendant.

"You too, Aruji. "

"So, are you feeling better? " he enquired after a moment, facing his Tantou. "Between drowning your sorrows with alcohol and drowning underwater, I rather prefer alcohol. "

"Y-Yes... " this one stammered, uncomfortable.

"Today's mission must have been particularly painful for you, right? " declared the Saniwa, closing his eyes and leaning on his hands.

"I... maybe... " Yukimitsu whispered, his look vacant.

"I was hoping to trigger a stimulus, but since you've just arrived, I wonder if I didn't precipitate things a little. "

"You... did you purposely assign me a mission where I could meet Nobunaga-sama? " exclaimed the Toudan, widening his eyes in surprise.

"That is right. "

"Why? "

"Hmm... I tend to believe that it's only after facing our past that we can move forward in the future. " the Sage explained, smiling gently as he straightened up. "You aren't the only one in this citadel that had to do a retrospective on oneself. And believe me, for some, it must have been harder than it had been for you. But so far, I've never been wrong when making this choice. Was this time a mistake? "

"No... well, I'm not sure yet... " Fudou said, uncertain.

"Don't hesitate to come and talk to me when you have decided. Your opinion matters a lot to me! "

"Yeah, I'll do it... Aruji... "

Xxxxxxxxxx

The cherry tree was standing from all its height on the hill, its pale pink petals twirling here and there in the wind as if dancing with the Touken Danshi; a graceful Kagura dance, swinging and whirling theatrically.

The days of overwhelming work were finally behind him, and he was glad to now have time to rest, finishing at a good timing as the hanami was taking place.

Narrowing his eyes, he approached his swords who were settled on the ground, the latter watching with entertainment at Shishiou and Yamanbagiri dancing alongside Kogarasumaru.

"I told you, I'm not an attendant! "

Smiling, he sat beside Midare and Atsushi, the latter being delighted to see their master join them.

"Are your paperwork over now? " asked Atsushi, concerned.

"Absolutely. " replied the Saniwa offering a smile to the Tantou.

"Great! " added the second Toushirou, returning his attention back to the show.

The three dancers finally ended their performance, and greeted the audience before going back to their places.

"How impressive, Yamanbagiri. For someone who always thought he had no talent because he was a simple replica. " teased the Sage, making the crowd around them laugh with amusement.

"Ah! That's not…! " stammered the Tachi, embarrassed. Then, shaking his head, completely red, he added: "Anyway, Kogarasumaru has finally appeared. "

"Indeed. " the boy nodded as he turned his head toward his new blade.

Watching him with a curious look, the old sword blinked several times before smiling softly, saying:

"This father must assume that you are the Saniwa. "

"You're right, but… Father? " questioned the Sage, stunned.

"Chichi-sama has said he's our father to all! " claimed Midare, smiling like it was totally normal.

"Your…! "

Guffawing, the Saniwa wiped the slight tears that had formed in the corner of his eyes and tilted his head to the side, relating to the ancient Tachi:

"Kogarasumaru-san… Don't you think you're overdoing it? "

"Well, as long as it pleases them. " stated the sword, winking at his master knowingly as all the other Touken Danshi were watching them with curiosity.

What a puckish sword… the boy thought, silently accepting to play the game of his Toudan.

Then, seeing his first Uchigatana watching absently the cherry tree, he settled next to him, the latter not noticing his presence immediately.

"They bloomed properly this year, too, Yasusada. Are you doing well? "

"Something tells me you really don't have to worry about him. "

"Aruji? " expressed Kiyomitsu, surprised. "How do you know? "

"Well… No matter what… I'm his master, right? " declared the Saniwa, glancing at the cherry blossoms. "So, if something had to happen to him, I would know, don't you think? "

"Hmm… "

"Just like I know something is bothering you… " the Sage added with a sad little smile, pushing Kiyomitsu to deny fiercely.

"That's not true! "

"You shouldn't let this pretty face said such bad lies, you'll become ugly. " indicated the boy, a mischievous grin on his lips.

"Ah! " exclaimed Kashuu in horror, putting his hands on his face before frowning angrily, shouting: "Aruji! You're mean! "

"Such, such a horrible demon you will become… Aaah, my dear, most beautiful Uchigatana… " retorted the Saniwa, overacting whilst chuckling.

"Stop it already! " shouted Kiyomitsu again, more and more worried as he was starting to believe his master's words.

"Well… I guess I will just have to choose another favourite. "

"No way! "

Endnote:

(*): Refers to Tsurumaru's story, see his Wikia "trivia" page for more information.