A/N: To begin with, lemme say this here: thank you all you lovely people who review and fave! It means the world to me. Shout out to everyone and especially the wonderful anons whom I cannot communicate with on private. You rock.
Now, on to the story! This is not rushed per se, but I had too little time to work on it. Any glaring grammar mistakes you may find, sorry. I tried to look it over but hey, it's only one of me. Also, finally, we went forward in terms of time, yay! And if the chapter may not feel all that much to you, it really prepares the ground for the revelations of the next one - where you will be adequately surprised I hope - , as well as the delicious problems it also creates.
I really love putting them through hardships, hehehe. And now enjoy~
Historical facts:
1) Tokio's birthday is on the 15th of April. She was born in the year 1846.
2) On April the 16th there was a demonstration held for Matsudaira Katamori and the daimyo, Gozenjiai! Saitou was paired with Nagakura Shinpachi.
Timeline: and of March to 16th of April, 1683.
A fine lady...
...and unruly patients.
The Matsudaira compound was in an uproar; the Aizu-han had taken to pacing up and down the corridors, inside and outside the mansion, in a very specific line: office, main gate, and Tokio's quarters, over and over again. Hijikata was silently fuming, standing right by the main gate for hours; Serizawa was on Matsudaira's side, talking and talking, always complaining how this never would have happened if Tokio had chosen one of his own men; and then there was Kondou who did his best to diffuse the situation any way he could. But even his exceptional skill of silver tongue wasn't capable of keeping the Aizu-han calm after the sun set.
They should have been back by now! What could be taking them so long?
Those two sentences were spoken countless times that afternoon. It can't be good, whatever it is, was far less frequent but once the clock showed nine, it became the general consensus and pretty much everyone was convinced. Even Hijikata had to admit this delay was too much to be anything good—or ordinary.
It was twenty past ten that Matsudaira had started showing his anger to people; it did nothing to help anyone's mood Serizawa's constant mumbling of accusations in the lord's ear, said lord included, and he lead to incense everyone more. It wasn't too long after that the Aizu-han opened the doors wide, walking out to the garden and declared his intention of sending out a search – hopefully not rescue – party to his retainers.
Hijikata knew he had to be talked out of it. Doing something like that now was foolish. But he also knew that if either of them was the one who said it, the lord would react even more unfavourably, seeing he was already blaming them about the inability of their men – even if he never really said it out loud – so it had to be shot down by someone else.
"If we send a search party out now, it won't help, my lord," Serizawa, surprisingly, advised "the light is already gone and the forest can prove treacherous."
"Then you should have let me do it four hours ago!"
This was the first time anyone had ever heard the man raise his voice and it felt every bit as foreboding as they could have imagined. But the lull of silence that followed their numbness allowed for the sound of horses to successfully reach them. Each and every head snapped towards its general direction, breaths held in anticipation.
"It's them!" The lookout was heard shouting. "It's Tokio-sama and her escorts!"
The gates parted on cue; a collective sigh of relief was released, Hijikata and Matsudaira more than anyone – even if for different reasons – while servants and maids started crowding the garden. They were all anxious to see their lady again, make sure she was safe, but they also knew no one was allowed to formally greet her before the lord, so they subtly urged him to move a little forward. But Matsudaira had been unable to move, not until he saw the little procession with his own eyes…any second now…yes!
Three horses, one after the other, appeared on the narrow street leading right into the estate; the Aizu-han felt his heart swell with happiness! But it went as quickly as it came, for now that they were close enough to see, morbid details jumped out at him: the leader of the procession, the Okita kid, had red strips of…something all over his clothes. In some of those places the clothes were also ripped; his forehead had some red, too. Red—blood; he was bleeding!
The lord's eyes frantically ran over the three horses, striving to find Tokio's figure, needing to make sure she was safe…! At first he didn't notice her and was about to go mad, but then he realised the reason for that was that the man who had her on his horse was the one most bloodied and imposing of the three, Saitou Hajime, and he had actually looked away a little uncomfortable at the extent of his wounds. But there Tokio was, safe in his hands, and he could tell she was safe for there was barely a speck of blood on her as far as he could see.
At least from this distance.
It suddenly clicked that the horses came to a stop and he needed to go down the stairs if he wanted to welcome them back. "Tokio-sama we were so worried" and "my lady, you're here" was muttered breathlessly all around by the staff, as they came close enough to touch. Everyone fell back as the men dismounted…and Matsudaira approached. Once they noticed, all manner of talking stopped. Saitou and Okita gave their hands to the lady of the party then, getting her down; all four aligned and immediately bowed deeply to the Aizu-han.
"Please forgive us for the delay, Matsudaira-sama," Tokio started, rising first "but we have had a very rough journey, riddled with obstacles and unpleasant encounters. We are truly sorry."
He took a very deep breath; all four braced for the scolding.
But he deflated. "…I'm simply happy to see you unhurt." His relief was palpable. "Every second that went by and you were nowhere to be seen, my heart raced; what would I say to your father if anything happened to you?"
His scolding tone didn't go unnoticed.
"I am well, my lord." She inclined her head slightly. "These three men did everything in their power to keep me that way…so please be kind."
Nods by all three followed her words and finally he looked at them from up close.
Battered, bloodied and bruised, but proud; that was the essence of their presence in that very moment. Serious, standing upright, they looked exclusively at the unreadable Matsudaira, ready to receive any sort of punishment or lecture he was willing to give. They were prepared for it, anyway; and when Okita reminded them Hijikata would be there, too, they knew they'd be receiving at least one lecture, might as well brace themselves for two.
"How can I be anything but, looking at the two very contrasting appearances?"
And just like that, the tension finally dissolved; Hijikata felt like he could be having a heart attack, but all's well that ends well. Conflicted between hugging his protégé and keeping up appearances, Matsudaira settled for a modest pat of Tokio's head. "I am relieved to see you uninjured;" he turned to the men "but you are anything but! Just what happened?"
The Aizu-han started ascending the stairs, everyone followed. The three men felt their throats drying by the second, the closest they got to Hijikata, who was glaring daggers by now, feet planted next to the entrance.
Saitou took the lead. "We encountered the bandits I wrote Hijikata-sama about."
"I received no such letter from you," Hijikata immediately stated when everyone gave him a look. "In fact, the only letter that made it to us from where you were was from a woman referring to herself Sac-chan."
Matsudaira's disbelief was properly conveyed through his question of "Sakura wrote to you? Why?"
"…I can't say I understood her letter fully, but she is under the impression I would scold the men once they came back for some reason." He might have said men, but he only looked at Saitou. "As it were, I received no letter from you."
"But I saw him writing it and then sending it out the same day we arrived in Kobe," Okita assured.
"I saw him, too," Tokio corroborated "he even said it was urgent." A small pause. "…though if the letter was intercepted by the bandits, it can finally be explained why they knew exactly when we'd be leaving and where we were headed."
"They were very well prepared to receive us indeed," Nagakura informed the men; by now they had entered the mansion, throngs of people following inside "laid numerous traps on our path to lead us where they wanted."
"And that was done by simple bandits?" Serizawa snorted. "Unlikely."
"…they held a grudge," was all Saitou said.
"Why would they hold—?"
"Hijikata-sama, Serizawa-sama, my lord," Tokio cut in abruptly then, coming to a stop; if that wasn't enough to attract everyone's attention, she actually cleared her throat "I understand you need to be informed of everything that has transpired, even more so since Saitou-san's letter never reached you, but I would like all of these questions being put on hold for now. These men need to be looked at."
"But of course!" Matsudaira shook his head. "You're right, Tokio, my concern got the better of me. Someone go inform the doctor he is needed right now." He didn't need to speak a name, because all of the servants surrounded him. "We shall continue this discussion once their injuries are taken care of. Someone escort these men to—!"
"I'd like to do it myself, my lord," Tokio intervened again, head lowered eyes on the floor.
"But you must be tired."
"No, not at all;" eyes remained peeled on the floor "it shall be impossible for me to relax otherwise anyway."
She dared not look up until she heard Matsudaira sigh defeated. "Alright, you may; you might as well help the doctor while you're there, too." Her eyes widened in surprise, head snapping to him in a split second. Matsudaira knew what this meant to her, if his shy smile at her excitement was any indication. "But I want you to come tell me all that happened as soon as that is over with."
"Of course, my lord!" She gave a deep bow before straightening and looking back at the rest, holding herself back from hugging the man just barely. "Please follow me."
Soon enough, the only ones left were the four of them and an absurdly irritated Hijikata heading to the infirmary – of sorts – of the compound; they could see him seething, counting down to the explosion. Any minute now…any minute…
It happened as soon as Tokio drew the shoji door closed behind them. Hijikata rounded all three just as they sat down in the middle of the almost bare room, towering over them ominously.
"What the hell could have possibly happened that took you so many hours to counter? Do you have any idea how long you were on the road? You were supposed to leave at ten—that's nearly thirteen hours ago! Excuse my language, my lady," he added in the end far calmer, conversational even, just remembering she was still there.
It might had to do with the fact she had nearly buried herself in the supply cabinet, searching for the medical kit, too seeing it was facing the man's back.
"I don't mind your language Hijikata-sama," she began fairly polite and everyone was ready to dismiss her "but you shall not talk to these people in such a way for as long as I'm here."
The bite in her voice unmistakable, they turned their attention back to her. "Did you not hear what Matsudaira-sama said when I told him these men should be treated?" At his expression of "of course I did, why is this even a subject" her chest swelled with righteous indignation. "Then why are you making these questions? I realise they need to report, but it can wait once the doctor is finished!"
"Respectfully, Tokio-san, this isn't something you have a say in."
"Of course it is," she asserted her authority as he tried to dismiss her again "these men are hurt because of me, no matter what other reasons lie behind it; I cannot rest easy until the doctor makes sure they are fit to be interrogated by you, their very strict commander, or any other person."
"That is incredibly selfish of you!"
"So I am selfish; I don't mind—I've been called far worse." He thought it would throw her out of balance, but she took the insult in stride! "What I also am, though, is incredibly stubborn; and apparently I am spoiled rotten, too thus, I have gotten used to getting my way, Hijikata-sama, and guess what will happen this once, too?" A momentary pause; a deep bow from the woman. "You will do as I kindly ask of you, for both their sakes and mine, yes? After all, your curiosity and anger can't be more important than my ego, yes?"
All men in the room had the same expression of disbelief imprinted on their faces, each colouring it with their own special hue: amusement, scandal, admiration…and annoyance, from the commander's part. Because even when one had tried to stop these two from arguing, the tempestuous attitudes put them back to silent, watching them with interest.
A groan was heard then and apparent shock coloured the three men's faces because they recognised that sound. It was produced in the rare occasion of Hijikata giving in. They had only heard it twice and it always had to do with Kondou, always followed by a murmuring tirade of how that man was stubborn as a mule. But now…it was directed at her and that was amazing!
"Alright." Because her ego was basically their well-being and he'd be damned if he allowed his ambition to cloud his judgement enough to shout at incapacitated men. "I'll wait until the doctor makes up his mind."
He sat in seiza at the far corner of the room, silent and brooding.
In fact, he was so silent in his brooding, he became invisible to the occupants of the room, especially after the doctor made an appearance. He was a middle aged man with a round face that exuded calmness, instantly putting all three men in an odd state of relaxation, mingled with sleepiness. He was wearing expensive but informal clothes of dark colours, while his hair were cut a little too short. He had brought his own tool kit, but it was obvious it wouldn't be enough—the med kit Tokio brought out would be useful.
The man greeted everyone upon entering, announcing his presence. "My name is Takahiro Furuichi, pleased to meet you; I am the resident doctor. Allow me to help you. Ah, Tokio-san, I see you're here as well; am I to assume you remained here to help?"
"Indeed; Matsudaira-sama proposed so and I admit I would be glad to assist you."
Saitou was hurt; Saitou was tired; his vision swam many times, attention distracted for small reasons. But he was sure he hadn't misheard that. His eyes slid to his two friends on his left and when they too had the same look, he knew he wasn't imagining things.
"Then let's get to it, quick; I see bleeding from all of them but I would like to know who the priori-…ty is." Even before he finished his sentence, three fingers pointed to a – now – disgruntled Saitou; he growled annoyed. "Alright, if everyone agrees…remove all clothing from the wounds, Tokio-san."
She nodded once and before any of the three could blink, she was standing behind Saitou, studying his shoulders. Without a shred of redness on her cheeks, she gently pulled the fabrics off of him, circling from the back to the front casually, fingers probing, but light. She unwrapped the bandage around his abdomen…and took pause at the sight of his bare skin, for it was raw and mangled; she had to look away for a second, take a deep breath and look back.
"Eh, it's not that bad," Okita opined, after curiously leaning forward.
"It may not be too bad, but it isn't common either," the doctor spoke absolutely. "It is deeper than you'd expect but not as deep as I feared when I saw the blood on your hakama."
"It will require stitches," she immediately assessed, already going through the motions to clean it.
"Indeed…would you like to do it yourself?"
Everyone stopped to look at the doctor.
"You think I could do it?"
"You think she should do it?"
Tokio and Saitou spoke together but each had a very different tone: surprise and anticipation contrasting with scepticism and worry; she rolled her eyes but otherwise did nothing to acknowledge his comment.
"Why not? She's training to be a doctor after all."
She garnered many looks of surprise that made her blush. "Why would I be here in Kyoto, in Matsudaira-sama's court otherwise? Sensei is one of the best physicians in the entire county. Once Matsudaira-sama received this post, Tokugawa Iemochi himself sent one of his best to our lord; such an important man should not be unattended, he had said, thus the good doctor arrived. And once I voiced my wishes to enter this profession, my father contacted our lord to ask him if I could come here under sensei's tutelage. Apparently, he said yes."
"Such praise isn't necessary, Tokio-san; I think you are quite ready anyway." She chuckled; she wasn't trying to flatter him, but confirmation is always welcome. "Besides, you should make the transition from corpses to real people at some point."
"Buddha help me."
Saitou's prayer was quiet but everyone heard him. As Okita tried not to laugh and Nagakura fought to keep his smile hidden, Tokio glared, even if she still occupied herself with his wounds. "What is that supposed to mean?"
But the doctor rushed to soothe the patient. "Not to worry; Tokio has proved to be an excellent student so far." At the same time, he occupied himself with Okita.
"…what else could you say, doctor? They're paying you a king's ransom."
Blood rushed to her entire face up to the ears! "We pay him so he can teach me, not say nice things about me!"
"Don't scorn that money; it can raise an entire family."
"They wouldn't have kept me here for three entire years if I wasn't good at it," she snapped, yet less angry than before "yet here I am. Now prepare yourself; stitches can hurt."
"I know stitches can hurt, you don't have to tell me." Meaning he had had them before; why was she not surprised?
"They hurt more if the person's hand is shaking," the good doctor reminded.
Tokio nodded mutely. She knew her hand was shaking, it was natural; this was the first time she ever attempted this at someone who still drew breath. Of course, the fact it was this particular man did nothing to calm her nerves…taking deep breaths, she concentrated intensely, needle and thread red from the blood already. She'd started very slowly, carefully…but as the seconds went by, her movements became more confident, almost practised! Still, it hurt and her inexperience showed when she'd grab more skin than needed.
"If I end up dying because of you, I'm definitely coming back to haunt you."
"Oh yeah? I didn't see you complaining when I was dressing that same wound while galloping on horseback mister!"
"That's because then I could have bitten off my tongue."
She shook her head. "I should have let Hijikata-sama interrogate you when I had the chance."
"You should have; these aren't that deep anyway."
She gawked; looking to the rest for support, she saw they were useless for both were walking that fine line between sleep and waking and none had heard a thing. "…how can you say that when literally not two hours ago you were asking me to tie your hands to the reins so you wouldn't fall of your horse!?"
He smirked. "Blood loss and severity of the wound are two different things, hime-sama; shouldn't a student of medicine know that?"
"Stop calling me that…! Or else."
"Else what, hime-sama? You'll complain me to dea—eh…! th?"
He winced as Tokio jabbed her finger right into one of his open wounds! His eyes became wide as he turned to stare at her, not sure if she was real.
"Oh?" Her look was challenging. "And here I thought these were just scratches."
"…it didn't really hurt…" he mumbled stubbornly, not looking at her anymore.
She snorted, a smile leaking into her face. "Do you expect me to forget how you just flinched like that?"
"…are you sleepy, hime-sama?" She gave him a questioning look. "You're being awfully confrontational again."
She chuckled. "Can you blame me? I have had the worst day of my life so far…and still haven't so much as rested."
"Don't go falling asleep now."
"Says the man who barely stays awake even when I'm putting a needle in him." He groaned in response; she shook her head. "Men."
It took half an hour for everyone to be treated. Saitou was the main focus, but Okita wasn't that far behind…he simply had less areas of focus, meaning less wounds, but as serious as his friend's. Nagakura was relatively fine, more beaten than stabbed. And as soon as the doctor congratulated Tokio for a job well done, assured the men they were going to be alright yet warned them not to engage in combat for at least a week – in Saitou's case mostly – he made suggestions about foods that help replenish the blood, gave a respectful bow and took his leave.
"I shall leave once I have put everything back in its place," she rushed to appease Hijikata who was now glaring daggers "it'll only take a second."
"No," Okita drawled "stay Tokio-chan!"
Already putting things in order, her eyes fleeted to the superior of the men, but no one followed the movement. "B-but you have to report to Hijikata-sama."
"Even more so; he can be so mean! Don't go," he drawled again, pouting. "Not yet; give us another five minutes, at least. Then you can go fetch him."
"Wh-what?"
She stared, mouth hanging a little; her eyes darted across the three of them and then to Hijikata's corner who was now watching the scene unfolding like some unbelievable but exciting theatre. "B-…but Hijikata-sama is sitting right here."
Her head inclined towards him; all three men turned white. She tried not to express any emotion in this exact moment because she feared even one of them would create an avalanche effect and she'd cry, laugh and shake her head at the same time like a crazy person. Finally, she decided how to approach this crazy situation: she straightened her back, ironed out any creases in her faded, pink kimono and took a deep breath.
"Hijikata-sama, may I have a word with you outside?"
When he nodded, suspicion yet intrigue evident, they headed outside once she was finished; all three subordinates lowered their heads ashamed under his cool gaze. The shoji door closed behind them.
"Care to walk with me to Matsudaira-sama?"
A small smirk played on his lips. "…what about my reports?"
"Ah yes; can I ask for a favour?" He gave a small nod. "They thought you weren't even in the room, because they dozed off many times; they are tired, they have lost a lot of blood and they fought admirably. Will it be too much of an inconvenience if you maybe asked them about this tomorrow?"
His look became scolding but she looked down immediately.
"I know what you are about to say and you are right; which is why I am asking this as a favour. I do not expect you to do it, nor do I expect you to want to do it; I'm begging you to do it. Allow them this night of rest, please." Her eyes raised to his, even if her head was still inclined downwards. "And I shall tell you my side of the story while you walk me to Matsudaira-sama; you shall have four different perspectives."
It took a full minute for the man to make up his mind, despite him being famous for his quick decision-making skills. He was practically squinting his eyes at her, mouth a hard line. She waited, lowering her eyes respectfully…and then she heard that sigh from before and allowed herself to smile!
"You are making sense, so I shall oblige…but remember it still is a favour."
"Of course." After she instructed a servant to make arrangements for the three in the room, they started walking. "What would you like to hear first?"
"Start from the beginning."
She took a deep breath; she started her tale from their first encounter with the bandits…she noticed they had been keeping a slower than usual pace, the starved for information commander obviously needing to know all he could before the night was over; she told him of the hot springs incident – and how Sa-chan's letter referred to that – as well as how bravely Saitou defended them. She told him of their bad luck from the get-go of their journey back home and all of the happenings; the traps; the misfortunes…and in the end, she told him of the fight, too.
She heaved a deep sigh, trembling.
"All I truly remember from those fifteen horrible minutes is a sense of urgency and screams and Nagakura worrying and—well…blood. Blood on blue." She was working her brain hard to remember, an expression of deep concentration yet horror furrowing her brow. "I do remember how scared I was at the beginning; then Haj-…" she stopped, pretending to clear her throat, red rising on her cheeks "Saitou-san came to take Nagakura-san's place because something happened and ten men came running towards us; I remember him getting stabbed." Her voice was small; she could still hear that cry of pain echoing in her mind. "Then he killed some people and that must have signalled the counter attack; they managed to take them out and then everyone was dead."
"I see."
He saw many things: her downcast eyes, her frown, her guilt, her fear, her shame…and he saw something else, too, something he hoped he was wrong about.
"And what about your nose?"
"Oh! One of the men, the only one who wasn't immediately dispatched, he, um, tried to attack me, but I evaded. Okita-san…took care of him."
"And then you came straight back here?"
"Yes, with all twenty four killed, we headed here immediately; took us something longer than an hour."
"And the rest I know." She nodded affirmatively. "Alright that sounds perfectly adequate." A small smirk. "You could make an exceptional information broker if you are ever interested."
She gave a little polite laugh. "I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I fear if Matsudaira-sama ever so much as heard you, he'd exile you promptly! So shush…"
"Ah, yes, I noticed his lordship is protective of you…we all did…which is why I will be telling you this."
He stopped walking, forcing her to look at him.
"I know this isn't my place and I would have never said anything under normal circumstances, but I couldn't help but notice…you allow Okita and Saitou to speak to you unbecomingly; one is way too familiar and the other almost rude." She obviously knew she did something wrong, because she wouldn't look at him for more than two seconds. "I wouldn't have cared, but…if Matsudaira-sama is this protective of you, I fear the consequences this might have on my men—or my unit."
"I understand."
"I don't think it's especially worrisome, but I don't know how the lord will react. Also…" he struggled to find the right words "I worry the affect this will have upon my men's morale. Attachments are quick to form, my lady, from both parties."
"Ah…I wouldn't worry about the second part, Hijikata-sama; Okita is always cheerful with everyone, while Nagakura-san would honestly faint if I so much as touched his arm."
"Isn't there one you're forgetting?"
"Who…?" Then her eyes widened! "Wh—Saitou-san!? Of course not! How can you imply such a thing about me—about your own man, too?"
Her voice was laced with offense, true offense, and shock. "Why-?"
"Saitou-san is married! Why, I would never…ever…consider looking at someone who's taken! How can you think that?"
"Oh, you know he's married?" He dipped his head. "Forgive me, Tokio-san, I was not aware you were privy to that information."
Misunderstanding dissolved, her anger seemed to evaporate with her exhalation. "Your apology is accepted."
"My warning is still valid, for the first part at least. Please be more careful."
She nodded respectfully.
.
She got to rest really late that night. After talking with Matsudaira-sama quite extensively, relaying details of their journey and misfortunes alike, she was allowed to leave only after the lord had satisfied his curiosity adequately. With the promise to talk about the good things tomorrow, he dismissed her around two am. But the black circled underneath her eyes were worth it, for she managed to give enough praise to the three men accompanying her, often reminding him how well they handled things and how only three men managed to take down twenty four with no casualties from their side.
And her personal relationship with him notwithstanding, she reserved a lot of additional praise for Saitou, who saved her life not once, but twice, including her friend, too. The Aizu-han was mighty impressed with him, knowing full well Tokio would not exaggerate in her recounts of the incident; if his protégé spoke with such admiration about this man, he could be nothing short of admirable indeed.
Feeling she had fulfilled her role of making them look good, exactly as she'd promised, she fell asleep as soon as she lay in her bed.
.
.
"Did you hear? The Roshigumi took up permanent residence in the Yagi compound."
"Yagi Gennojou-sama is way too generous and kind—to allow those barbarians to stay in his home…I never would have."
"So many men in one place, too; he sets a bad example for his son, too. Too many bad influences will eventually get to him."
"Yagi Tamesaburo-sama isn't so simple-minded, surely."
"No, but I heard those men are shameless."
"Hmm, Gennojou-sama's wife says they act perfectly reputably around her."
"Even they wouldn't be stupid enough to provoke their benefactor's wife; they do like the female presence though—always holed up in Shimabara with geisha and drink."
"Oooh, I've heard that, too!"
"Heard? I even saw some of them go there, night after night…there are a couple, maybe more, who go nearly every single night! How uncouth."
"Do they have that much money to spend on the first place?"
"You don't believe me? I'm telling you, I've seen them! One of them has wild red hair and always smiles at me whenever our eyes meet; another has glasses and short hair, never even so much as looks at me; and the other one is very tall with long black hair, can't miss him, and always appears taciturn."
Tokio had heard all sorts and types of gossip about "the men of Roshigumi" – as they were dubbed by the people of the capital – so she couldn't have cared less for the conversation the three women around her were having, even if she was supposed to be receiving them at the Matsudaira compound for her birthday. After all, she had come to know these people personally and none of them was as horrible as the others presented them.
Still, her shoulders stiffened; eyes narrow, she slightly turned to the speaker.
After all, the woman on her left had just described Harada-san, Nagakura-san and Saitou with such accuracy, it was highly unlikely it was simple gossip—she must have seen them. Had she seen them walk into Shimabara? More than once? And why were they heading there so frequently? She could believe Harada-san would visit the place shamelessly, it seemed to fit his character; and if the goal was to make Nagakura-san more outspoken with women, she could imagine why they'd take him to meet geisha; but Saitou? What reason did he have?
If it was about the pleasure, well, it made no sense; why would he risk turning down Sa-chan just to come home and fool around anyway? She didn't know why but the thought the certain man would waste all of his time on paid company rubbed her the wrong way.
"No matter what, this is none of our concern, yes? So long as the men do not behave shamefully…"
Gossip number two flicked her dark locks gracefully. "I suppose you are right, Tokio-san," she agreed "let us speak of more enjoyable things! I heard Tama-san is getting married!"
The conversation never really went back to the Roshigumi and its men after that, but she couldn't help but returning to it mentally; surely, it's been half a month since they last met, but…no one changed that fast and for no reason. She felt she had to investigate; and how fortunate, tomorrow the men had an audience with Matsudaira-sama. And it wasn't like last time, when Hijikata-sama merely brought some men to the lord's attention—it was going to be a demonstration. After all her compliments of the men's talents and skill, the three leaders of the Roshigumi jumped upon the chance to have them actually display their potential.
So tomorrow, on the sixteenth day of April, they were to hold a demonstration in the Matsudaira compound, for the Aizu-han's entertainment and the Roshigumi's benefit.
.
"I really wished I could watch, too…"
"I know Tokio, but I'm afraid that can't happen; demonstrations like these are too crude for a young woman like you to attend. Haven't you had your fill of violence lately?" The puppy look was working though, so Matsudaira had to think fast. "I did assign you as the attending physician of the men though!"
She perked up at the sound of that; yes, good, the plan was working. "I thought they might get a couple of broken noses or bruised shins and shoulders and I wouldn't be a proper host without offering some medical help. So I chose you."
Her smile became so wide, eyes shining, he had to mimic her unguarded display of happiness. "That is a great honour; thank you my lord! I will do my best…even if all I get is running noses."
"I am sure you will. Now please go man your post; our guests are soon to arrive."
She did it without delay; turning about, she headed for the room she had taken care of their injuries the last time they were in this house. As soon as she set foot in it, she got right into picking her supplies, singling out things like cotton, disinfectants and maybe a couple of drinks. One of the first things sensei had taught her was alcohol was always good to have on hand, either for unruly patients or in case anyone reacted unfavourably with the usual disinfectants.
She went to the balcony door then, fully prepared, and opened it; it not only offered more light, but she could watch the coming and going of men and approximately guess when someone could be coming her way. So far, they had already arrived – testimony to that the sound of additional horses – but had barely been introduced to the daimyo. Looking out at the garden, she sighed. She would wait for a long time…
At least that was what it felt like when the first one to appear was at least an hour later; judging by the size and shape of the shadow cast on the shoji door, it couldn't have been anyone other than Saitou…carrying someone. She focused on the shadow. It had stopped directly in front of the room, adjusting the weight on its shoulder. "I'm coming in," he announced and she was convinced it was him, she'd recognise that deep voice anywhere. Immediately after the door opened and there he was, in his usual colours, hair in that same ponytail.
As expected, he was carrying an unconscious person on his shoulder…and she knew that one too; it was Nagakura-san! Eyes widened a fraction on both sides then; still, they gave a little nod of recognition.
"Tokio." He apparently wasn't expecting to see her there. He closed the door behind him.
"Hajime." A pause and a half smile. "Is that Nagakura-san you're carrying?" He nodded. "What in earth happened to him?"
He deposited the man right in front of her on the tatami mats, a little careless of what additional damage he might have caused. "We held a demonstration for the Aizu-han and the daimyo; we were instructed to have duels…one of the pairs were Nagakura and I," he'd say in the meantime.
She snorted her laughter away as she examined the patient. "A bit enthusiastic, yes?"
He shrugged. "I brought him here, didn't I?" She shook her head in response; he huffed. "…they were shinai."
Why he thought that explained anything to her was beyond her. "…so?"
"It's easier to get carried away when you know you won't be inflicting real harm."
"Say that to him once he wakes up," she commented, too amused for the situation. "How did you knock him out?"
"Blow to the head and then the back."
"Hmm…he's not bleeding, so it must have simply been pain that caused him to faint." She looked at him a little more. "Nothing a strong scent won't fix." She reached to her left and found a vial; uncorking it, she brought it close to the man's nose and they both saw it twitch. Soon enough, he was trying to open his eyes.
Success.
"Wh…ere am—?"
The first thing Nagakura saw upon waking was her face looking down at him with a smile; he turned so red, he matched the blotches of red on his clothes. And when he fully realised his head was resting in Tokio's lap, he nearly fainted again. But wait a minute; if he wasn't bleeding, then where did the blood spatter come from? She immediately looked up at Saitou, who was careful not to face her fully.
"You are in the room we took care of you last time you were here," she assured, not really looking at him. "You," she snapped at the tall man who was now looking away from her on purpose, trying not to meet her eyes "come sit here."
"…there's no need, I'm fine. If you've had your fill down there Nagakura, let's go."
"I'd never-…" When he saw he was only teasing him, he relaxed a little. "Right away, Saitou-san."
But she didn't like his attitude at all! "Why are you so unwilling to receive medical help? You are obviously bleeding from somewhere; even if it isn't serious, at least let me stop it."
"Because it's nothing, only a scratch."
"Like the scratches from those bandits? How are those going by the way, let me see." He wasn't pleased with her insistence; she huffed. "Alright, I see how this is going to be."
When he saw her get up on her feet, he actually took a step back, hand held out to stop her.
She gawked. "What is this? Unless we're paid to do it, no woman can come near you?"
Curses, her tongue slipped! This subject wasn't supposed to be broached in this fashion, damn it. There go all of her eloquent plans…and yet, his reaction was different from what she was expecting.
"What are you even talking about?"
He was acting like he was ignorant very successfully. "Nothing."
She felt shame rise to her cheeks; this wasn't something a respectable young woman of her standing should be talking about with a young man behind closed doors! Especially when there were witnesses…and yet, her annoyance and stubbornness prevented her from being casual; nothing about that "nothing" sounded genuine. Instead it was clipped and evasive.
"It didn't sound like nothing."
And of course he'd pick up on it. "It's irrelevant for now, yes? Just let me look at—"
He swatted her hand away like a fly! "Are you accusing me of something?"
"No, not at all," she lied and she wasn't even ashamed at the sarcasm her voice held, despite it also being extremely improper "how could I accuse you of anything? I haven't seen you for almost a month."
He crossed his arms with authority and stubbornness to equal her own, obviously not buying it; she sighed, irritated. "I have some…acquaintances that saw you two and Harada-san visiting some reputable establishments of the red light district; in fact, they claim you have taken to frequent them."
Question, curiosity and then realisation flashed by his face; in the end, he settled for staring at her with eyebrows raised, challenging. "…and what's it to you?"
"So it is true." He shrugged; she gawked once more. "That's all you have to say?"
"What else do you want me to say? We do go there; it's a fact."
"Then why in earth did I go in so much trouble to-…?" She stopped, allow a moment to collect herself. "I take it back; no woman should ever be married to such a hypocrite! You refuse one lady's advances only to turn around and go pick another one? What, was Sa-chan simply not to your liking? Some ethics you have!"
His look of absolute affront was unparalleled! "Those places do not serve women; they serve drink; the women simply pour the sake." She stopped to stare as her brain came to a screeching halt. "Granted, you can have the women if you so desire, but that's not why we go there; at least not usually…certainly not I."
"Oh. I, I see."
Gaining ground at her lowered spirits, he kept pressing. "But even if I were, what reason would you have to scold me about it?"
"I wasn't scolding y—"
"You may be someone important to someone important but that does not give you any leave to control other people's actions."
"I know, I didn't mean it like that."
"Then how did you mean it?"
"I didn't mean it at all; I have no authority over what you do; I was simply upset you wouldn't let me take a look at you." She tried and tried to assure him, but it wasn't working. "Alright, it might had to do with the fact I thought…I thought highly of you and, and I'd hate to think less of you for such a reason."
"Why would you think highly of me? – Her look of "do you really have to ask me that" was completely ignored – And why would that change your opinion? It's something all men do."
"Because I thought you were better than that!"
"Why? You don't even know me."
"I know you well enough," she countered his accusation, cheeks beet red. "Besides, I didn't realise admiring a person for faithfulness to his wife, as a woman of marriageable age, was such a bad thing!"
He chuckled an incredulous "women!" to no one in particular, yet calmer than three seconds ago. After that, silence spread between them, each cooling down as they knew.
As Tokio looked everywhere but him, she noticed something…or, more accurately, an absence. "Where's Nagakura-san?"
"He ran away the moment the words you two and Harada-san left your lips."
She giggled. "He's really faint-hearted; you must help him through that."
"We are trying; we take him to reputable places of the red-light district to talk to women more easily. It seemed to help…until now. I have no idea what sort of impact you'll have on him."
Just as her colour seemed to settle back, she became red once more. "Nagakura-san in a single man who needs the practise, he's different from you. My criticism did not apply to him."
"M hm…"
"Now will you let me look at you? It doesn't seem like much, but I can see the bleeding starts from your temple."
He rolled his eyes, but stilled long enough for her cotton to dab his injury. "Nagakura's shinai splintered badly and scratched me a little, that's all."
"Aha." She extracted a long piece of not so thin bamboo wood then. "Can't say you're one to exaggerate; though this splinter looks to be the size of a knife," she continued as she began disinfecting. "Yet not quite life-threatening, to be sure."
"I told you, it's nothing," he murmured.
She finished in half a minute, but didn't allow him to move. With a nod of her head, she signalled for him to show her his newest old wounds, the ones she was there to witness. Begrudgingly, he pulled the hitatare free and exposed his skin; ah, it was healing greatly! She smiled. "There; see? It did not steal too much of your precious time." He made a face. "You are most welcome." His "yes, whatever" wave of the hand followed suit, marking his exit. "Bye now; and remember: there are perfectly fine establishments outside of the red light district next time you feel like going for a drink."
Just as he was about to slide the door open, he stopped to look at her. "But they won't pour your drink for you there; a man can't pour his own drink."
She clicked her tongue at his nonchalance. "I am sure you can pressure one of your peers to do it for you."
A smirk formed on his lips. "Have a man pour my drink? The sake will go bad."
"How incredibly…manly of you," she spoke with apparent distaste as she shook her head.
"That's a common belief amongst everyone, you know, not just men."
She pursed her lips. "Is that so?" He nodded haughtily. "And to think I deemed lessons such as this useless and archaic in this day and age; after all, why one can't pour his own drink, I used to think, how lazy can a person be that I would have to do it for them?"
"Of course they taught you how to pour a drink; of course. The perfect fine lady, aren't you?"
"No need for contempt; or generalisations..."
"It's…not contempt. It's amazement." And it really was, he found out with a start, a second after he'd said it. "How many people must have slaved over your education…! At least it paid off, I'll give you that much. You are bearable to be around."
"The height of praise, once more; nothing but the kindest words from you."
Her mocking tone sent him off in a good mood; she really did get to know him some, he was being unfair to her. He finally slid the door open then, unwilling to accept any sort of defeat or compromise. "Goodbye hime-sama."
"Haijme."
Somehow, right after he exited, a bunch of men came rushing in! Head of the little party was Harada-san with a bloody nose but more men, those that introduced themselves a month ago, followed right along. No one had anything serious so she was almost convinced they didn't happen to crowd that moment, but they waited for Saitou to exit; and when she heard Okita's discreet laugh from somewhere outside, she was certain: everyone knew they were arguing and steered clear, most possibly due to Nagakura-san warning them off.
She only hoped he told no one the reason of their fight.
A/N: Chapter six just ended! Now, I want you to know, I didn't just gloss over Tokio's birthday, if anything it serves a purpose. It was mentioned on , I'm looking forward to hearing from you lovelies! So please leave a review on your way out.
Kisses, FAI