Chapter Six: June - Minazuki (水無月): We're counting on you from now on too.

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!

Xxxxxxxxxx

There was something about protecting the past that always made him feel uncomfortable. Even though protecting the past also meant protecting the future, there was nothing glorious about protecting things such as wars and bloodbaths or people like murderers and tyrants… Nonetheless, he had to do it. Protecting these events, these people, with the fearing hope that they would not come back in another form... Whatever it is called... reincarnation or simple karma... The mere thought of such a thing was revealed to be terrifying... What if that was the real purpose of the Retrogrades? What if, by modifying the past, what they were trying to do, was to bring back an age of endless battles and deaths...?

Because, and it had to be said, this war which was currently going on between the Government of Time and the Saniwa versus the History Retrograding Force was quite peaceful. No soldiers were dying on the battlefield - if the Saniwa cared enough about their Touken Danshi not to let them die - there were no civilians wounded or killed, no cities ravaged, no fields soaked with blood…

And yet... hearts were filled with fear, limbs trembled with wrath and the Saniwa were outnumbered. Each time on the verge of losing.

What was even the point of fighting anyway? He had no idea anymore. It was almost as if it had become second nature to him. Constantly trying to find an opening in their tactics, creating new strategies, new troops with different members. Working tirelessly to protect history...

His History The History of his Toudan. The History that brought them to life... Were they as grateful to their blacksmiths for forging them as they were to the Saniwa for offering them a human body? Sometimes he wondered... Their lives had been dedicated to struggling, battling and shedding blood. And now that they were human beings with a heart and a conscience, they were idling in the citadel, regretting their pasts and mourning their passed away masters…

Seriously, what was even the point of fighting!? But still... still... he was standing there... facing the enemy with all his strength, with all his intelligence... like an odd desire for revenge... Impossible to run away from, impossible to deny.

Vengeance... Vengeance... Why did it it felt like revenge? That desire that shadowed his soul and his soul only... What was this darkness that was hiding in him, deep beneath the surface of the sweet, very kind and caring master he was…

He'll get his revenge… He'll get his revenge…

But over who or what? It wasn't him shouting those words… That couldn't… possibly… be… him… right?

The mist around him suddenly faded away as he opened his eyes, still confused and lost, an unpleasant feeling holding his heart that was beating forcefully in his chest.

Revenge…?

Had he even felt this in the past? He wondered... he wasn't sure of anything anymore… And quite ironically, these were the same words that Kiyomitsu had uttered in one of their previous conversations.

Sighing heavily, the Sage lifted his head, only to noticed that it was already past noon and that he had fallen asleep in the main hall, the table in front of him filled with scrolls and administrative papers for the possible construction of a larger citadel…

The sound of several footsteps resonated in the distance and he shook his head vigorously to awake completely before regaining countenance.

"Aruji, we brought lunch! "

"You're eating here today, right? "

"It's delicious when we all eat together, isn't it? "

The sudden appearance of Aizen, Kuniyuki and Hotarumaru in the room had a strange effect on him as if he would have rather preferred to remain alone for the hours to come. But not wanting to let this sensation win over his tender heart, he faked a warm smile on his lips and nodded gently.

"Of course, let's share the meal. "

Maybe he just wanted to wander a bit longer in the dark... or maybe he should just do something about Sayo's nightmares...

Xxxxxxxxxx

Dear Master,

Okita-kun has collapsed. Just like how I knew it would happen. And, later on, he'll die without ever stepping foot on the battlefield. Leaving me behind.

Now, come to think of it, perhaps I wanted to disappear together with Okita-kun into the darkness of history, or break before him. Because soon after, the age of samurai will come to an end, and I will lose the chance to fulfil my role as a sword.

It leaves me with regrets. But, it can't be helped.

.

The sun was already high in the sky even though the morning had just begun. He had not slept much since yesterday afternoon, and strangely enough, it reminded him of the time of last year, when Yasusada had joined the citadel. All those dreams about Okita Suji who had both kept them awake for the sole purpose of torturing their consciences and their hearts.

Now it was Yasusada's letters and Sayo's consciousness that was dragging him into the darkness, full of blackness dreams and despair.

Soon, the shōji would open, letting in his loyal intendant who would greet him cheerfully before complaining, as usual, about the mess of his room. Although, having worked all night, the latter was already tidy.

He was there in his reflections when the said shōji opened slowly, Hasebe entering with a meal tray in his hands.

"Good morning, Aruji! " greeted him the Uchigatana before noticing that the Sage was already awake and settled at his chabudai. "Sorry, I thought you were still sleeping. "

"I… woke up early. " the cherry-haired boy replied, avoiding the look of his Toudan.

"I see. Well, today will be a pretty calm day, we don't have much to do. "

Narrowing his eyes, the Saniwa stood up as the Uchigatana set the tray in front of him, heading for the shelf to grab a small bag, which he presented to his sword, a thin smile on his lips.

"Actually, I would like you to do something for me. "

"What is it? " asked Heshikiri, intrigued, as he took the bag from his master's hands.

"These are lavender seeds. I need you to plant them in the garden. "

"Lavender? "

"I bought them yesterday. It is considered a medicinal plant. It calms nerves and soothes the mind. And it also smells very good. " the Sage explained, retracing his steps to start eating.

"Why would you need this? " Hasebe enquired, curious, watching the bag suspiciously.

"You mean, apart from the fact that it's a long recognised cure? " the boy questioned in return, bothered.

"I-I… yes… " stammered the light-brown-haired Uchigatana, slightly disconcerted.

"I have trouble sleeping recently... " the Saniwa declared, adding supposedly: "probably because of the temperatures. It's getting hot and you know I can't stand the heat well. "

"Oh! Yes! Of course! " exclaimed Heshikiri as if it was obvious. "I'll plant them right away, Aruji! " he said before heading for the exit, leaving the boy alone in the room.

Well... it went pretty smoothly... it's not like I like lying to him but... Anyway, I have other problems in mind. thought the Sage, grabbing his chopsticks, moving on to something else.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Huh? A flowerbed? "

"Yes, for Sayosuke. Maybe planting flowers will help him get better. "

"I see. Well, it's a wonderful idea. Gardening is also a good relaxation method. "

"That's what I've heard. So, is it possible to borrow the unused field? "

"Of course! Anyway, Hasebe has already said it was okay, no? "

"Yes, we just wanted to make sure you wouldn't need it later. "

"No, it's fine. "

"Great. "

The thin smile that adorned the face of the Toushirou slowly faded away at the sight of the absent air his master was wearing, and, tilting his head slightly to one side, he stepped forward, enquiring with anxiety:

"Taishō… Are you all right? "

"Hmm? " the Saniwa said, looking up at his sword, surprised. "What do you mean by that? "

"It's just… you seem a bit tired. " Yagen indicated, crossing his arms over his chest, still worried.

"I'm preoccupied, that's all. " the Sage simply answered, feigning a sorry smile as he shook a hand in front of him. "Some matters required my total attention recently, so… "

"Well, if I can help you with anything. " declared the Tantou, determined.

"Aren't you working on a fertiliser? That's already of big help. " the boy expressed, kindly.

"Yes, I almost finished it by the way. I gave Souza the prototype, but it is still a little too strong. " retorted the scientist after heading for the exit.

"If someone can remedy to that problem, it's definitely you. " the Saniwa related confidently.

"Thanks. " the Awataguchi replied, touched, before adding, a hand on the handle of the door: "I'll warn Kasen it's okay to start the planting. "

"Do so, please. "

The Western-style door closed in a discreet click and he let himself fall back into his chair with a sigh of relief, a hand carelessly moving aside the pink strands that covered his forehead.

It couldn't come at a better time, I didn't even have to intervene. So much the better, now Sayo will be able to sleep peacefully.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Seven days passed without any great change. Standing now in front of the flowerbed he had never visited before, dawn slowly rising through the bluish sky, he observed the small circular construction, the head filled with hundreds of different thoughts.

In a few minutes, the Samonji brothers would wake up and come directly here to water the plants, secretly hoping that they would have blossomed during their sleep.

But no matter how long it would take, taking care of them every day was already an excellent therapy for Sayo's mind as neither his sleep nor that of the Saniwa, for that matter, had been disturbed since.

Looking up at the clouds, the Sage frowned as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

I don't like this. I have a bad feeling.

There was something, he could not pinpoint it exactly, but neither the clouds as white as snow, the sapphire-blue sky or the sun shining intensively, could comfort him.

The recent rains that had fallen a week earlier were certainly a sign... If it turned out he was right, then the beautiful flowerbed that was going to bloom…

"Aruji-sama! "

Turning suddenly, the cherry-haired boy stared curiously at the completely orange-furred kitsune running toward him, his face worried.

"What's the matter, Keisuke? " he asked when he joined him.

"We got an alert! " exclaimed the little fox, concerned.

"The Retrogrades... All right, let's hurry up. "

Leaving behind him the flowerbed, the Saniwa went to his office, still preoccupied with the bad omen that had beset him.

It was only a few hours later, as the team that Sayo was part of had just been sent on an excursion, that the sky darkened, confirming his thoughts. Watching the driving rain hit violently the ground, he approached his office's window, worried about the lavender and the other flowers about to be destroyed.

However, knowing full well that the two Samonji brothers who remained in the citadel would not let that happen, he smiled with kindliness and walked toward the door, a specific destination in mind. Crossing the corridors, he finally stopped in front of the shōji of one of the bedrooms, in this case, that of the Sanjou swords, opening it slightly after having announced himself, and immediately looking for one of the brothers gathered around the small table that adorned the centre of the room.

"Iwatooshi, luckily, I found you right away. "

"Yo, Aruji. Do you need me for something? "

"Actually, yes. " declared the Sage, biting his lip, hurriedly explaining: "As you probably must have noticed, a storm has started and I fear that the flowerbed that Sayo and his brothers have so conscientiously built would get damaged. "

"Well, that's not good news. " Mikazuki said as he rested his cup of tea, worried in his turn.

"Indeed. To say that the flowers had just bloomed. " Ishikirimaru added, sharing his brother's concern.

"How can I help? " asked the Yari, suddenly became serious and already standing on both feet.

"It would be great if you could gather all the strongest swords of the citadel to hold the tarpaulin with Souza and Kousetsu. " the Saniwa related, shifting to the side to let the sword pass.

"Sure! I'll go get them quickly! "

"And I could go even faster warn Hasebe-san and Kasen-san! " exclaimed Imanotsurugi suddenly, also wanting to make himself useful.

"Yes, they would certainly like to help too, thank you. "

"No problem! "

Watching his two Toudan disappear through the corridors, he looked at the back of the hallway, where, at the limit of the slightly wet engawa, the storm was eternally raging.

With that, it should go well, I hope…

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Revenge is always in my heart somewhere. But when I started planting the flowerbed with everyone, I only thought about the flowerbed. Thanks. I'm glad I got to plant it… with you. "

"It makes us happy to hear you say that, too. "

Smiling softly at hearing these words, the boy approached a little more of his Touken Danshi, however, only getting their attention when he began to say, sincerely impressed:

"Isn't it beautiful? Dozens of flowers that hide an even bigger one. "

Turning to the sound of this voice, the Toudan looked with surprise as their master joined them in the middle of the roof, the latter continuing to observe with admiration the flowerbed.

"Such elegance... I bet this was your design Kasen, right? " the Sage then asked the Uchigatana, his golden eyes turning toward him.

"Ah, yes. It's mine. I'm honoured that you've recognised my talent. " exclaimed Kasen, the fact that his work was this way praised embarrassing him a little.

"Well, it can't be helped, I've known you for a long time now. " simply answered the Saniwa, pushing the Uchigatana to agree.

"That is true. "

Giving a last glance at the show of the flowers resplendent under the sun that had just reappeared, the boy finally turned to the Tantou on his left, squatting down to face him, and tilting his head to the side questioningly:

"What about you, Sayo? Do you like it? "

"Yes, very much. " whispered the short sword whilst nodding with eagerness.

"I'm going to tell you a secret. " retorted the Sage, placing a finger on his lips, a mysterious smile on them. "Those flowers… A few days ago, when I bought them… I did it for you. "

"Me? " repeated Sayo, as surprised as his brothers, Souza taking a step forward whilst calling in a dazed voice:

"Aruji? "

"I didn't always tell the truth, for that I'm truly sorry Hasebe. " declared the Saniwa, giving a quick, contrite smile to his attendant before turning his attention back to the Tantou. "Somehow, I knew that Soyo had terrible nightmares, and I wanted to help him. "

"So, you bought those lavender seeds for Osayo? " Kousetsu questioned, putting a hand on the shoulder of his youngest brother.

"That's right. I didn't plan any of this, but I'm glad things turned that way. " the boy indicated whilst laughing, attracting thus the amused smiles of the others Touken Danshi.

"Thank you very much, Aruji-dono. " murmured the turquoise-haired Tachi, grateful, quickly imitated by his second brother.

"Thank you… "

"No need. It's also the role of a Saniwa to make sure all our Toudan feel well. " the Saniwa stated as he stood up, suddenly turning to his swords as an idea crossed his mind. "But speaking of that, are you all feeling okay...? After staying so long under the rain, I hope you didn't catch a cold? "

"Ka Ka Ka! Don't worry, Aruji! We have never felt so good! "

"That's comforting. "

Xxxxxxxxxx

Sitting on the floor of the, now considered, small room of the Awataguchi, the Saniwa was taking a well-deserved rest with the Toushirou brothers, getting to know better the two newcomers as well respecting a promise made to Midare.

Gently brushing and breading the latter's hair, Shinano's head resting on his knees, his hands grabbing his waist like a shipwreck would grab a lifebuoy, he was listening kindly as the Tantou were complaining that they had not had a good night's sleep.

"Aaaah… I'm so tired. "

"It's a good thing that Shinano and Gotou have appeared, but now we have even less space. "

"Yeah… sorry about that. "

"It's not your fault, Gotou. " the Sage suddenly intervened, smiling softly. "Without wanting to say too much, I'm currently working on a project so that you will soon sleep all together comfortably. "

"Really?! " Midare exclaimed, turning around.

"Stay still! Or you'll force me to start all over again. " declared the cherry-haired boy, laughing. "Yes, I have some projects in mind. "

"And we could even sleep with Nakigitsune and Ichi-nii? " Gokotai asked timidly.

"That's what I'm going to make sure of. " the Saniwa replied, ruffling the short sword's hair.

"Are we going to change rooms? Like a bigger bedroom? " enquired Maeda, curious.

"More like a bigger citadel... "

"Huuuuuuh?! "

Exclaiming with the same surprised voice, the Toushirou gathered closer to the Sage, already excited by this idea.

"We're going to move to another citadel?! "

"Is it going to be close to here?! "

"When do we move?! "

"Can I choose the decoration?! "

"Not all together! " the boy interrupted them, chuckling in amusement.

Then, catching the red ribbon of Midare, he tied it in his hair, watching as his Toudan all waited for an answer to their questions, impatient.

"I do hope we'll move soon. Probably not far away, the transport of our belongings would be too painful otherwise. The decor is left to your liking, this will be your room after all. And… concerning the moving date… It's still vague... I have to find a certain amount of money first. "

"If it's about money, why not use the treasure of Osaka Castle. "

"It's a good start, Hakata, that's true. But we need a lot more. " indicated the Saniwa, turning to the Tantou with red glasses.

"What if we fluctuate it? " asked the latter, up on his feet to grab his laptop, tapping on it with ease.

"You mean stock exchange? " questioned the Sage, puzzled.

"Exactly! Prices can rise pretty fast enough if you know how to do it. " answered the Toushirou, starry-eyed.

"And... " the boy argued, narrowing his eyes, a mysterious smile on his lips. "Would you be able to do it? "

"Leave it to me, Aruji! " said the Awataguchi, thrilled.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The days had gone slowly as if trying to test their patience to all, but it worthed the effort as in the early morning, as he was about to go down to his office, an excited Hakata showed up at full throttle into his room, brandishing a heavy briefcase single-handedly.

The sum of money now gathered, they had only to wait a few more days to finally move to their new citadel, some rooms, however, remaining the same, as he had made a point of making sure that his office has exactly the same structure as well as the same decoration. Sometimes, some things were perfect as they were.

The room plunged abruptly into the dark, the light alone from the OHP, placed in the centre of the room, lighting it dimly as a white sheet hung on the wall began to project the image of the entrance to the citadel, a certain Uchigatana starting to talk with enthusiasm.

"Is this thing on? Well, now we have… a new citadel! "

The film stopped suddenly on these words, Mutsunokami's face freezing surprisingly as footsteps sounded towards the shōji.

"Guess I will let you enjoy it. Have fun! " the unknown voice exclaimed, the faint glow of the device showing only the cheerful smile that stretched the corners of his mouth.

"Won't you watch it with me? " asked the Sage standing in front of the screen, his growing shadow covering half of it.

"Huh? " the Toudan gasped with surprise as he stepped forward a bit, Kashuu's characteristic features finally unveiling.

"Didn't you said you wanted to pass more time with me just like in the past? Today is the occasion. " the Saniwa decreed, his golden eyes filled with disappointment catching the garnet ones of his Toudan.

"Hmm… " Kiyomitsu wondered slowly, pouting a moment before smiling widely whilst saying: "All right! Let's do this! "

And the day ended like this, with the playful laughter of the Sage who discovered his Touken Danshi in another light, and the sarcastic comments of Kashuu who were never truly mean.

He had to explain himself about Konnosuke's secret bedroom, confessing with some embarrassment the influence that could have seven kitsune living daily at his side, learning thus to the Uchigatana that the little fox was not the only one of his four-legged comrades to own such a room in the citadel.

He had also mentally made a promise to the Awataguchi to come and have fun with them in their new room, had made it a duty to soon drop by unexpectedly to visit the Sanjou to share a cup of tea, and had agreed with his first sword to be the spectator of his next fitting session with Taikogane.

Quite a program that is to say. Let's hope these days never end...