A/N: Hello lovely people! I can't begin to express my gratitude and love to you all. Thank you so much for the support and the kindness. I will keep trying my best and hope I don't disappoint you.
Next instalment is here and it's, well, war. Hope you enjoy.
Historical facts:
1. On the 19th of July, the Kinmon Rebellion (or Hamaguri gomon no hen) happened, right outside the gates of the Niijo castle, the Hamaguri Gate. As Chousuu men retreated, after their crushing defeat in the hands of Aizu and Satsuma forces, they set fires to the capital. Those fires are known as dondon yake. The original advance was set into motion, on 16th of July, after the Chousuu men were chased away from the capital or were captured and killed at the Ikedaya Affair. The Chousuu-han karo (men with equal or less power than Matsudaira) led the attack.
2. Fukuhara Echigo, Kunishi Shinano, and Masuda Uemonnosuke were the karo that rode to the capital.
3. Kijima Matabei, Kuzaka Genzui and Maki Izumi were troops that rode with them.
4. Kijima and Kunishi were killed in the battle. Maki and Kuzaka committed seppuku.
Timeline: 16th of June - 19th of July 1864.
A fine lady...
...and civil war.
It'd been half a month full of awkward waiting and getting their bearings when the first real strike happened. Right outside the capital, where they had made camp, they watched the Chousuu troops finally make the first move and attack! Well, watch was an overstatement. The Chousuu forces were outnumbered by the shogunal ones and they could see it clear as day. Which is why they attacked during the night.
Despite being on full alert, it still took a little while to gather up the men and put them in formation; they were taken by surprise – the very goal of this surprise attack – and driven back quite a long way! First skirmish ever, and they were being beaten? Impossible!
The shogun's right-hand man, Akira, the same one Saitou had met on his journey to Osaka months ago, rose to the occasion more than admirably, stopping the panic from spreading too much that could not be contained and gathered them around. He blew the horn and everyone knew to follow the sound; when that was done, four commanders took the scene, effectively putting them back in line.
"Where is your armour?"
"Hold that spear right!"
"Aizu men never leave their swords behind!"
"Satsuma has the best archers or not!?"
And similar shouts were being heard from the commanding officers as they rushed to get their men ready. If it weren't for those four and Akira, the shogunal forces would have been dispersed due to a simple surprise attack, that was what the records later said.
But the real heroes of this fight were undoubtedly the Shinsengumi.
Hijikata was ready for everything, at all times; Kondou had the strength of a bull and the stubbornness of a mule, as well as the despotism of the emperor himself. His voice alone served as the best wale up call and call to arms ever made; one work from him and all were on their feet, ready to battle! Given Hijikata wasn't given much of a budget to march and the men were tasked with urban patrols, their armor was too light. They didn't even need to take it off when going to sleep.
And when a warrior sleeps with their armor on and their weapon at arm's reach, how surprised could they be? So, the Shinsengumi forces fought and kept back the Chousuu army long enough for the other two armies to prepare…and eventually overwhelm the enemy. Harada was maybe the first person of the second line, leading the spear unit, right behind Okita's unit, the first one, with their swords and exceptional techniques.
But the first in line were the first to die.
Despite his condition, Okita never asked to be relocated though; he weathered it out with his men and his friends, slashing through enemies with ease. It wasn't their skill any of them feared, no; it was their numbers. Because the Shinsengumi was nothing compared to the force Chousuu sent that night. Yet, it was thanks to Okita, and men of such caliber, they lasted as long as they did for the Aizu and Satsuma forces to regroup and strike back! Or lesser men's sacrifices; the losses weren't crippling, not even important in the end, but for such a small unit even one man made a difference. And more than three Shinsengumi men lost their lives that night.
Nagakura was on the fourth line, much like his unit's number; he put up a great fight, despite him being usually overwhelmed in battles such as these. Training with those overachievers he called friends, really helped hone his skills and his survival tactics; it came to no one's shock he managed to not only live, but be ahead of the unit with the less injuries. They were never hidden; only commanded to sting attacks of small groups of enemies that they themselves separated from the larger forces, opposed to Okita's first line tactic.
Saitou was on his own on the day of that opening skirmish; he was rallying the men along with Hijikata, sounding the alarm. In fact, he was the one who noticed it. Hijikata had given him second watch, being far too tired for anything other than sleep himself that night, asking him to wake him only should Masuda Uemonnosuke or Fukuhara Echigo be seen trying to raid them.
Funnily enough, it was the former he saw, leading the men towards their encampment. He noticed it early enough to wake the others, thankfully, but there was no way he could have noticed it early enough for everyone to prepare, simply because that night the mist was almost otherworldly, and nearly blinding. He never believed in the supernatural but if someone had told him Masuda Uemonnosuke had summoned it, he might have accepted it as fact.
Being the one who noticed it first, he rushed to alert everyone! First was Kondou and Hijikata, his own commanders and the ones closest to his position; then, he rushed to Akira's tent and the other four men, sounding the alarm. Meanwhile, men would wake and see the marching Chousuu and what with the mist, would shout something like "oni!" and fearfully wake others and panic everyone.
But the crisis was averted successfully and they were pushed back before they could cause any real damage.
Thus, the first real battle was carried amidst confusion, fear and efforts to rally; it wasn't a bloodbath, but it was no win either, for either side. And yet, the one who lost the most was the shogun side, so the blow to their egos was biggest.
"Where the hell have you been?" Hijikata all but rounded Saitou, furious, hopping off his horse. Because, even though Saitou was Hijikata's assistant, he never fell back in line with the rest of the Shinsengumi. "The battle was waging on while you-!"
"Hijikata," the stern voice of Tokugawa Akira was heard right behind them, he and his horse coming into the light slowly. The sun might have rose, but the mist was as thick as ever "leave the man alone; he was with me. Ah, Kondou-san," he inclined his head then to both, catching the commander with the edge of his eyes, almost as furious as his second. "Hello."
Naturally, his words drew the attention of both men, vice commander dropping his hands – as he was about to grab his subordinate by the collar – and bowed shortly, pacified enough not to cause a scene anymore.
"What do you mean he was with you, my lord?"
"I asked him to stay and be my second," he admitted nonchalantly and he too hopped off his horse, finally coming to the same height as everyone else "we needed him close. If it weren't for him, this battle could have gone a lot worse, to be sure."
Hijikata actually looked mildly impressed with Saitou, who now tried not to smirk too much – to think they had him capable of running from the fray – and Kondou was full blown smiling, hitting Saitou's back to show affection. "We are honoured you think so highly of him."
"He proved his mettle when we rode together to Osaka," he informed everyone, him too smacking Saitou's back once or twice "there was no doubt in my mind he'd pull through. In fact," his tone changed then, eyebrows rising, looking even more formal and superior than usual "I want this man in my unit for as long as we'll be here."
Everyone, the man offered the job included, stared at Akira in utmost surprise.
"He's capable and although it will hurt you parting from him, it would be a waste not to give him his own troops to command. You both have yours, yes?"
"Yes," Kondou admitted lamely, trying not sound too defeated. Hijikata could only nod. "Then I see no reason not to hand him over. I promise I'll return him to your Shinsengumi, as soon as the fight ends."
Saitou stared at Hijikata hard; he'd alternate looking between his commanders and Akira in an endless loop, but it was the stoic vice commander he concentrated on. If he said yes, Kondou wouldn't contradict him. So, he stared; one, two, stare again; one two, repeat. Until—
"It's a great honour to be asked such a thing from a man like you. Saitou is undoubtedly capable and we'll be reluctant but happy to part with him." Saitou's satisfaction was too much for Hijikata to handle; he turned his back to make sure he couldn't see him, otherwise he'd pull the plug on this entirely.
"Great!" He turned to Saitou, as he headed to his horse. "As soon as you are ready, come to our side of the encampment." He got on and rode away.
"Yes sir."
They inclined their heads and watched him go. As soon as Akira was out of earshot, Kondou burst out laughing, smacking him on the back repeatedly, until he finally said "well, well, well; look at you, moving up in the world!"
"And it's all thanks to you; I must thank you, Kondou-san, Hijikata-san."
His laughter returned. "Look Toushi! He actually bowed his head to us, look how proper he is!" He kept smacking him, all in good humour, and then almost put him in a headlock. "You go there proud and leave the same way; you are a good soldier. Go prove yourself!" He finally settled and harrumphed. "And now, I too will go; need food and water."
With that, Kondou left the two men alone; Hijikata was an odd mixture of irritation yet pride in an eternal struggle. "I want to scold you for leaving us but I also must congratulate you for your indirect promotion."
"I am deeply honoured by your words."
He tapped his foot. "You do realise you represent not just yourself but the entire unit now, yes? Yet most importantly your commanding officers—don't make a fool of me to Tokugawa Akira."
"I won't. You can count on me."
He sighed. "I know you are capable; how capable remains to be seen. But you are also reliable so I shall expect no news other than good ones from now on. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"And no matter what, never engage in political talk with anyone." He nodded. "You'll be returning to the Shinsengumi immediately once this is over, too."
"Of course, sir."
"Good." He sighed. "To think I just lost one of my most valuable men without a fight…" He sighed again. "Let's just hope, you'll live up to the expectations, for all our sakes."
"In this moment in time, there's nothing I could want more than that, sir; believe me."
Hijikata's head bobbed to the sound of that and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Make us proud, Saitou. And while there, make yourself valuable; there's only benefits to sow from that."
They inclined their heads to one another and the older man left. Finally, Saitou was left alone to process the news and…his chest swells involuntarily just at the thought, a smirk forming on his lips. War or not, things were looking up for him at an alarming rate. The only man the shogun trusted more than Matsudaira-sama, outside his advisors, just spoke such words about him to his superiors and – no doubt about it – to the four commanders from the north. He was being promoted; he was being appreciated. There weren't many things that could go right on a battlefield, but all that could, just did.
Satisfaction could burst through his chest; he had to share these news with his friends or he'd explode! He decided: once he moved to the other side of the encampment and received his orders, he'd come back to tell those idiots the news.
.
The opening skirmish was misleading; after that one somewhat successful fight, the Chousuu men had nothing but losses. Despite that, they weren't driven back; so many people needed to be housed and fed somewhere and given the capital was just behind them, they couldn't not enter in their time of need. At some point, they had to portion the food, so the thousands of men that came for the battle could be properly nourished.
Of course, that created problems in on itself, but the most were loyal to the shogun, so no large complaints were made.
At the same time, Saitou was basically going through one of his hardest, yet most rewarding phases of his entire life. The responsibilities were many and the nay-sayers were even more, but his performance overall made everyone basically shut the hell up. When he did no wrong, one could hardly be criticised. Of course, that stopped no one from professing Akira-san made a big diplomatic mistake by appointing him to such a position, thus in the end, Saitou was reassigned a smaller unit, but still at Akira's side.
And of course, Saitou had the added responsibility of dealing with the Shinsengumi, seeing he was still one of their own. Anything they needed from them, they put him up to it, to convey the terms and conditions or the order itself. It wasn't anything much, but it was another blow to their egos, for being "lesser" than lords, thus inferior, say, to the Mimawarigumi who was pretty much an exact replica of the Shinsengumi, only they were all high-ranking retainers of the shogun, reporting directly to him and not Matsudaira-sama.
A bunch of horseshit, if anyone asked Saitou; their performance was still inferior to theirs – for the most part – especially if one thought all they had to guard was the Nijo castle. Still, men like Sasaki Tadasaburo, head of the Mimawarigumi, were being classist little shits, even on the battlefield.
So be it; Hijikata warned Saitou to be careful. All he did was accept whatever mission they gave him and made sure to succeed in it and then some; so no one could say anything bad about his unit because of him; and because he was just that good. And he'd be damned if a bunch of pampered assholes told him what to do.
No matter; the point was, they were doing their best and that was enough to curve all and any resistance from their enemies.
But it was on a day that the war was all but won that they received the most damage, surprisingly. The Chousuu had somehow pushed them inside the city, right outside the Palace's gates, where the shogun was. everyone was on high alert, citizens had locked themselves inside—those that hadn't left running.
But the Chousuu were being massacred, it was plain as day; the time was right for a retreat—a permanent one.
"Pull back right now!"
Yet, it was Akira who gave the order, almost hysterical! Saitou couldn't blame him. He too saw what was about to happen and knew urgency was needed. So, he commanded just as hurried: "Everyone who's with me, move to the flank immediately!" while he pushed his horse to sprint, to show the right direction.
The Chousuu men were retreating; that was a fact. Everyone could see it from the way they moved their horses or where their leaders were situated. What none other than the two men at the vanguard, riding on their horses, could see was the ones at the very front of the battle, the soldiers leading the attack, now switched to be the last ones…but not the last line of defence, holding strong while the others escaped, no; they moved to the back, being the first ones to go.
Leaving wasn't what they did though.
Instead of running away, the moved to the left or right; more than one hundred men broke ranks and ran to the right, lighting torches as they went. Yet none turned back to strike at the soldiers, or set fire to the horses or the enemy's supplies; instead, like a swarm of angry fireflies, they descended upon the shops, teahouses and residencies of the common people all around.
Run as he might, horrified, Saitou watched as more than ten simultaneous fires erupted, easily catching on the wood and paper the houses were made of. And all that, right outside the gates of the Nijo castle.
Priorities, his mind screamed at him and he had to put them in order: first, catch the ones causing the fires to prevent them from lighting up more of the capital; then, put out the ones already burning. Evacuate the civilians and after that, tend to the wounded soldiers.
Right.
"AFTER THEM!" Saitou commanded furiously, already spurring his horse into action.
His call was so wild and so ferocious, some of the Chousuu men heard him and looked over their shoulders.
"PLAN 2, PLAN 2," Kijima Matabei, one of the leaders – and most probably the one who conceived this plan – shouted even more hysterical than Akira a second before.
But it was too much for his men to understand, for at least three hundred enemies now came towards them, their leader galloping in incredible speed. Pale and mortified faces replaced the confident ones in an instant. "You idiots—SCATTER IMMEDIATELY!" he shouted again "take to the streets, split up! They won't be able to stop you that way, and—."
"Hey, you!" Saitou attracted his attention; Kijima turned to face him just as Saitou cut off the hand of one of his men, torch falling to the ground, next to the man who was now screaming. Kijima blanched. "You're taking it up with me!"
The horse couldn't go any faster; but there was no need. The man was waiting for Saitou to descend upon him, hoping it would distract him enough from giving the right orders. He even jumped off his horse in an attempt to make himself a more appealing target and gripped his spear tighter, katana on his hip, safely in its scabbard.
And Saitou didn't spurn the challenge. "Everyone not engaged with driving the enemy away, head for the ones with the torches! Put out the torch, never mind the person holding it!"
He gave the final order, as he jumped off his horse, before he entered the spear's range. His impressive somersault allowed him to bypass his opponent without getting hit, landing perfectly on his feet after two more tumbles. Crouched as he was, his opponent had the height advantage…but that was exactly what Saitou was aiming for: with an abrupt upward move of his sword, he sent the half spear flying, cutting it in half.
Enraged, his opponent threw it away at him, causing Saitou to jump backwards to dodge, while his opponent unsheathed his katana.
And now Saitou knew he was going to win; he picked himself off the ground but only slightly, legs bend and he switched hands. From the right to the left went his sword, while the right was now used as a ruler right at the tip of the sword. His opponent wasn't as thrown as he would have liked, he simply shrugged his – admittedly odd – stance off and prepared for his own hit.
"So, you're a leftie," Kijima commented casually "no wonder you are so difficult to—."
"Shut up and fight," was all the warning he received. Kijima blinked and Saitou was gone; he blinked again, and there Saitou was, stabbing him through and through…
Kijima coughed up blood; some of his men that were still around, froze completely. Most thought to a go at the man who just killed their superior, when Kijima grabbed Saitou's blade. "Run you fools…! Set the entire city on…fire…"
Slightly panicked, Saitou tried to pull his sword out immediately but Kijima held it in place, cutting his hands in the process. Saitou couldn't help but notice how everyone literally took off at their commander's order. "You will…all…burn…"
Saitou struggled some more, but the man was holding on to it more firmly than a lifeline! Remembering, hey, I have legs, he kicked the man back, finally making him let go. Shit, they won themselves precious moments! He flicked his blade clean and ran back to his horse in a second.
"I need two more spears!" he shouted to no one in particular as he took off, counting the two already on his horse's saddle. A man threw him one as he rode by him; so did another, ten metres after.
Four spears now in his possession, he was confident he could neutralise enough men without having to halve his speed. Urging the horse to go as fast as it was able, he took off in the direction most men with torches did; but he was too focused on his own band of torchbearers to notice: slowly, yet steadily, most of the retreating Chousuu forces employed the same tactic. But now, instead of breaking off one by one, and heading to other residential areas, what they did was just as horrid: they set a line of fire so potent, no one could pass through. If anyone dared, they'd be caught behind enemy lines, massacred without a second thought.
And Saitou, as well as some more of his comrades, had set out towards that exact path, without noticing…
"Saitou-san! Finally, I see you again; it's been half a month since we drank together."
"Not now you idiot!" He cleared his throat. "Everyone get out of your houses! Grab a bucket of water and help put out the fires! Everyone get out! Get out!"
Seeing the objective, Okita started shouting, too; a third voice joined the effort and he noticed it was Harada's; soon enough four voices, Nagakura further back but undoubtedly there, warned the people to act sooner rather than later, for they were about to lose their lives, not just their homes.
When they noticed the first torchbearer, he was too far away; this was why he wanted the extra spears. He took no time to aim and…throw! The spear pierced him, pinning him to the ground. The fire fell on the floor and they put it out as they ran over it.
The next ones, were an entire group, far less than the original group to disperse, but plenty to be considered a real threat. Swords were drawn from the Chousuu side, but none on the horses even made the effort; they all grabbed their spears and kept running…! The men on the ground stood no chance; Harada was a spear master, and Okita and Saitou had no equal in battle; Nagakura came a second later, giving him the advantage of the unexpected!
All thirteen men were dead, fires put out, before five minutes passed.
Okita looked all around. "Where do we go now?"
"We can split up and cover more ground," Harada reasoned.
"But we are far more effective like this," Nagakura protested, "and many of them are bound to be in groups as large or even larger. Otherwise, the strugglers can be taken care of by our men on the ground, too."
"He's not wrong," Okita agreed, seeing Harada was about to contradict him. "So where do we-?"
"These ones were heading to the left, but I noticed they first watched something at the opposite direction; off of that, I say we go right," Saitou actually pointed with his spear still in hand. "They probably saw some of their own heading there and decided to go the other way."
"Makes sense," Nagakura agreed, "let's go!"
They rode fast and hard; they saw no signs of their enemies though, not for a long time. could Saitou be wrong? But no; just as they were about to turn back, they saw it: smoke and loud screams, further down their path. "That's what they saw and went the other way," Okita commented bleakly "the rising smoke."
"And there's no smoke without a fire," Harada painfully reminded them.
"Keep riding," Saitou snapped. "We'll catch up to them sooner or later."
Let's pray for sooner.
Something unsettled him, but he didn't know what yet. He could see the smoke rise higher in front of him; he could smell it from behind him, too, yet it was the one down their path that made his stomach twist. Why?
He kept urging his horse forward, everyone following closely; the more they rode, the hotter it got; people were screaming, running up and down frightened; and no enemies were in sight, only a series of infernos, leading away from the palace…
And right towards the Matsudaira compound!
His brain finally connected the dots. He had never followed this route, so he couldn't place it immediately but the fires undoubtedly led there. His breath caught and not because of the smoke. The rebels, they were aiming to kidnap the Aizu-han amidst the chaos!
"Head for Matsudaira!" he shouted instantaneously. "They're trying to take advantage of the situation!"
Okita looked at him horrified, an expression Saitou returned. But it was the rest the short man turned to and exclaimed "Tokio-chan!"
Everyone had the same visceral reaction; simultaneously, they kicked their horses into action and went by people so fast, no one could or thought to stop them for help. When soldiers rode that fast in the middle of the city, they certainly had places to be, after all.
.
.
"You were right my lord; the string of fires lead here," the head of security confided in his excellency, the Aizu-han "they haven't reached yet, but judging by the time it takes from one fire to the next, I say we are to be attacked in ten minutes."
He considered. Immediately, he started walking to the armoury. "Take all of the women and lead them away; you know how." The guard nodded. "My wives, Teruhime and Tokio first; the servants follow. I need your best man to escort them to safety; you stay here."
"Yes, my lord."
"What about the battle? Can we get any reinforcements?"
"I don't think so my lord; it's just us."
He swore under his breath! "Do as I say; be back in four minutes, and be ready to battle."
"Yes, my lord."
"Make sure my sister fully grasps the danger and doesn't want to stay back!" he warned as the man was running to where he was ordered; the only indication he was heard was the curt head gesture from the man. "Keisuke!" He called for his head of staff, who magically appeared behind a corridor. "Go barricade all the exits and entrances of the house; we're expecting company. Once the ladies leave, shut off the secret passage, too."
The fact he didn't have a heart attack right then and there, considering his age, was an omen of good luck in Matsudaira's eyes. And when the man nodding repeatedly, head almost touching the floor and then taking off as fast as his old feet could carry him, spoke of true fortune.
Just as he was about to arm himself, finally reaching the desired room, the head of security showed up again. He was panting, a sign he had been running to reach him. oh no; developments. "What Is it Isao? Are the rebels-?"
"Reinforcements arrived my lord," he managed to pant out, hands resting on his knees "Shinsengumi…men…four…at our…doorstep."
The relief was nearly palpable. "Let them in!"
"They said…they wanted…a word."
"Take me to them."
He didn't have to walk long; no wonder Isao found them so fast. They were already inside the garden, but not in front of the front door, but the room Tokio used for her examinations. He had to do it through the window, but he could talk to them just fine. "I have never been happier to see your faces! Come inside quick—!"
Saitou shook his head. "We have to stay outside, make sure no one breaks in. You have to seal all of the possible points of entry or exit."
"We're already on it," Isao assured proudly.
"We saw the men coming here, but the force was too large for the four of us to stop on the run; we can bunker down here and take them," Okita informed in haste "and they all have torches. But we outran them, they are on foot."
Harada looked to the ponds and artificial river around him. "Stock up on all the water you can and bring it out here; bring out your guards, too. If this turns into a war of attrition, we can easily take them, their side is retreating."
"Of course, we're on it."
But just before Isao left, Saitou made a seemingly unrelated question. "Are you the only one left to be evacuated, my lord?"
"…no one has been evacuated yet," Matsudaira admitted with some shame "the order was only now given."
Shit; shit, shit, shit; why did he ask? Now all he could think of was how they needed to make a path for the women to escape and once they are secured, grab Matsudaira and run, let the mansion burn to the ground. Houses can be rebuilt, people cannot come back from the dead!
But he knew he couldn't do that. The plan was precarious to say the least while they had no idea where they would be running to—friend or foe. The Chousuu hadn't retreated fully yet, they might head right into their hands. Saitou took a deep breath, Okita always watching him closely. He made up his mind.
"Keep them inside then—keep everyone inside. No one leaves this house. We'll keep it safe."
"But you're only-!"
"No one leaves this house;" he repeated absolute – his tone scaring Harada a little – "and no one comes in. On my life and honour as a Shinsengumi, a man, and a warrior, I will not allow a single rebel to set foot on the wooden floors of this house."
Harada wasn't the only one who seemed to get a little scared of Saitou; both the lord and Isao had to take a step back and nod once, to show they understood and complied.
"If Saitou says we can do it, we can do it," Okita reassured, trying to inspire confidence – instead of fear –. "Keep everyone inside."
"And away from windows!" Nagakura warned, just remembering. "Arrows don't discriminate."
The two inside nodded furiously. "Go bring out your men, then, leader-san," Okita urged and Isao disappeared without being told twice. He turned to Matsudaira. "But Saitou will be the commander for now, hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. If you need any weapons, just say so; we have an armoury in here."
"Spears and swords for all," Saitou immediately ordered "and if any of your men are skilled archers, have them equipped with a bow and arrows. We'll need one of those for Nagakura, too."
"As you wish."
Just as Matsudaira was about to leave again, Saitou stopped him with another out of the blue observation. "Keep all those you wanted to evacuate in the same room; easier to monitor."
Nagakura's eyes became wide as saucers! "But should anyone infiltrate-"
"No one will enter this house," Saitou stood his ground too firmly "if they do, assume I'm dead."
Even Harada felt like he had to intervene. Being sure of yourself is all well and good, but if it led to recklessness it was folly. "There are plenty points of entry; one man out of tens is easy to slip by unnoticed-,"
"Assume I'm dead," he repeated absolutely and it was too obvious from the way he was staring at everyone, he wasn't to be disputed. By anyone.
Watching the scene unfold right in front of him, Matsudaira knew and saw there was nothing he could add to this conversation, other than "we do as you say," defeated, in the end. He too thought it a bad idea to put everyone of importance in the same room, but Saitou's refusal to back down from this one term inspired confidence in him. So far, the man had never broken his word, even when the task handed to him seemed impossible. No reason to disbelieve him now.
"My lord, once the preparations are done and you are no longer needed, lock yourself into that room, too." Saitou's look was full of meaning. "You need to take no guards with you; we shall all be out here defending. It sounds dangerous, but trust in me. I will not allow a single person to even so much as reach the inside of the main entrance."
Matsudaira returned the look tenfold "Please remember…the results of this endeavour will follow you everywhere."
Saitou recognised a warning when he saw one; a promise, too. But there was no need for the lord to worry about him not keeping his word: Saitou would be damned if he let anything happen to the woman he was begrudgingly in love with.
A sentiment only Okita appeared to comprehend, thus him never questioning his decisions. It was a wise move, too for they just handed him over command of this…post, in lack of a better word, so what goal would it serve to second-guess him all the way? Frankly, it was a good choice to do so for he was quick to organise all the guards Matsudaira sent out. Isao was relegated a post, too, not as the commander obviously—but he did receive some command.
The entire guard consisted of thirty-five men; the manservants were another twenty. Five of each team was given to the flanks of the mansion, while the back was simply made inaccessible, by stockpiling debris and anything else they could find, pouring as much water as they could to make it inflammable – to an extent – . Okita was given command of the left, Harada of the right; Nagakura was his second at the front, regularly jumping on the roof to check on the back. And Isao was in charge of the manservants who had to put out the fires in case any caught.
Once everyone was explained their positions, Okita brought them together. Saitou had no idea why at first, until the shorter man whispered: "say something will you? Boost morale."
"I'm not good at this," he vehemently protested as he was pushed in front of the crowd of fifty-five by all his friends.
"Be passable then," Harada chuckled out, enjoying the revelation there was one field his friend wasn't good at.
"I'll be so bad, it'll have the opposite effect."
"Nothing can be so bad," Nagakura encouraged. "Now speak."
It appeared everyone was waiting for him to do just that in fact, as the moment he was ushered in front of the crowd, it converged to be even closer to him. He swallowed. He had to think of something to say…especially when everyone was looking at him so intensely. He had to make an effort.
He took a deep breath. "I know none of you asked for this. Υou are not soldiers; you are guards. Some of you not that even. This isn't fair to you. but to you I say, war never is. And so far, you have shown exceptional discipline and nerve, even soldiers would have panicked in the face of such adversity. But you didn't; you immediately did what was asked of you and never stopped to think about anything. You are more than worthy.
And I promise you, I'll be a worthy leader and lead you through this mess.
But I won't lie to you; there will be blood. Some of us will be injured, some even killed." The men in the crowd seemed to all be thinking it, but none dared say it. When Saitou did, they either bit their tongues or looked away. "That's a lot to ask of you but it's inevitable. But that doesn't mean it has to be meaningless. We do it for what's important, we do it—,"
"—for our lord!"
"Yes, sir!"
Isao's voice was heard loud and clear; many of his guards followed it up with cheers and whistles, but not all; and even some that did, it was obvious they didn't whole-heartedly feel it. the manservants particularly felt like they couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Saitou grew worried; not only could he hear the Chousuu men approach but having such a mixed unit with no real unity could very easily lead to death—everyone's death, not just the one or two men he feared would fall. He had to somehow make sure they would listen to him, and not believing in him or themselves would definitely bring the opposite results.
Think fast Hajime, he snapped at himself, what do they lack?
"My father was a soldier by profession," he said then, out of nowhere, recapturing everyone's attention at that "he fought many wars; he met all sorts of people and was part of a wide range of units. Do you know what he used to tell me?" He paused for a second to give everyone a chance to think. "Not three people in the same unit had the same reason to join; not three people in that same unit had the same cause to die; everyone is different."
That's when people actually stopped looking away, and finally Saitou thought he had established the needed connection. "Some do it for their lord," he nodded to Isao "some for money, some for glory and others for love. But there is no nobler cause to die for, than protecting one's home and livelihood."
Cheers and shouts greeted his words; some balled their fists in the air while others nodded furiously. "Ideals are all good and great but not for all; what we all care for though, is where we live, where our families are."
"Yeah! For my son!"
"For your son," he repeated evenly.
"For my wife!"
"And your wife."
"And my family who had to send me away so that I can have a better life!"
"For my freedom!"
Alright, it started getting out of hand.
"For the girl down the street who always smiles when I walk by."
"And Matsudaira-sama!"
"And the ladies of the house!"
"And the right to bear a last name of my own!"
"And Tokio-sama!"
Saitou couldn't see who that last one was, but he felt him on a spiritual level. Okita seemed to take advantage of the expression Saitou had and repeated with even more fervour: "And Tokio-chan!"
"Yeah!"
The four Shinsengumi men tried hard not to laugh when the men actually rallied under that; in half a second flat, they had taken up arms, all fired up and ready to tear people apart.
Saitou allowed the shouting to die down on its own, before wrapping up his speech. "That's right; man your posts with conviction and hold fast to what you want to protect. But never forget: the one thing that's better than dying for the ones you love…is coming back to see them again." They all took a second to appreciate that. "So be good in this fight if you want to die a memorable death; but be great if you want to live to tell the tale."
That was it; the moment he was done talking, the men swarmed the garden and ran to their positions, successfully finding the right spot for their delegated task, without causing a commotion.
"And to think you said you aren't a good speaker, Saitou-san!" Okita had to tease him.
"I ain't," he admitted after a beat of disbelieving silence.
"Come on, guys," Harada interjected then, look devilish "time to talk is over." He gripped his spear tighter. "Let's do this…for Tokio-san."
They all chuckled.
Nagakura smirked teasingly, too standing a little straighter on his horse. "For Tokio-san."
"For Tokio-chan!"
They all turned expectantly to Saitou; shaking his head, but actually smiling, he finally said: "for Tokio."
They all shouted a variation of "alright" and immediately rode to their respective posts. But just before Okita vanished to the left side of the house, Saitou called out to him.
"Yes?"
"Do you remember where the room Tokio put us in to look at us when we came back from Kobe is?"
He took a moment, but finally nodded yes. "Won't that be literally behind me from where you stationed me?"
"Make sure Tokio stays inside. She'll definitely try to sneak out and see us, stop her; warn her I told her to go back to the room Matsudaira put her in, or else."
Okita chuckled; Saitou's threat reminded him of his brother-in-law and how he would try to discipline him before even thinking of what the punishment for doing otherwise would be. "Yes, Saitou-san!" he stretched out his vowels and saluted.
"That's why I stationed you there, to be honest."
"Aw, you worry about her, do you?"
"Don't you?" Okita was taken aback by his sincerity. "That woman is a walking attraction of trouble."
"True…don't worry, Saitou-san; I'll keep her inside. Let's all do our best!"
They nodded to each other, and rode to their positions.
.
It wasn't a sea of fire seen approaching the Matsudaira compound, but a river. They'd left buildings burning left and right, but after a while, they rescinded, to reveal nothing but luscious green, parks and trails. Even the rebels weren't so stupid – or vengeful – to set fire to vegetation, knowing full well they were headed at a place where they could easily be held up for a long time, in battle no less.
What worried Saitou was the number though. They barely were fifty when the four rode past them, but they had already added twice that number to their ranks; some of the retreating Shishi joined their comrades in their endeavour and now he counted about one hundred and seventy, in lines of five each, for their meagre sixty men. He had fought with worse odds, but those were all soldiers damn it! and none of the enemy had carried torches before.
He had to be too effective; he needed to hold. But the thing that concerned him was how they were all coming from one direction; it was a clear tactic to distract and have him command reinforcements from the side, but that immediately opened up the path to someone slipping inside without being noticed. No, he would not be taken by surprise; he would anticipate the enemies' movement.
"Everyone with a spear move closer to the barricade and stay low. Anyone with a bucket of water, be prepared to use it. Archers, I want you all at the ready. Stand your ground but be effective; those with firefighter duties, simply put out the fires. That's the greatest heroic we're gonna need today."
Although none said anything, they all nodded furiously. "I didn't hear you!"
"Yessir!"
Good; they were smart at least. "They are coming closer but we have the advantage of fortification; we know their tactics; we'll do our best."
"Yessir!"
"Be ready; on my mark, archers shoot on sight."
"Yessir!"
He heard them; feet banging on the ground on purpose, shouting nothing but war cries. They did it in succession, from the last line to the first, making it feel like the calling was coming from somewhere beyond. He couldn't help the Goosebumps, as the scent of burnt flesh and paper reached his nostrils at the same time.
"Don't fear; don't despair; they are just the same as us, humans, who want something very much. What they want, is to kill us and take what's ours; what we want is to protect our home and live to see the next day. It's up to you to decide who wants it more."
"We do!"
"That's right. And no cheap intimidation tactics will work. Let them howl, like the animals they are; let them bang their feet on the ground. We can do the same."
Without a warning, Saitou started banging his spear on the ground; without a delay, anyone with a spear started doing the same. It took no time to spread to the rest of their own troops and soon enough, there was a small quake shaking the entire building. "Now wait…wait…"
Saitou spotted the second row of Shishi drawing the string of their bows, handing their torches to the ones at the front; the tips of the arrows were blackened by some liquid; Saitou saw what would happen before it did.
He didn't allow them to light anything. "NOW!"
Already prepared, arrows flew at the patriots.
They didn't manage to hit many of them, but it mattered less than it would have, for now the enemy's archers struggled to find cover and had to reposition themselves and their comrades. "Aim for the archers and immediate torchbearers!" Saitou commanded, just before the second aerial strike was released again.
Adjusting their aim as much as they could, they let the arrows fly a second time. This once, they find their targets at a bigger percentage; some muffled screams were heard and a couple of torches and bows fell to the ground.
"Aim for—take cover!"
The Shishi adapted fast; they abandoned the idea of setting the arrows on fire, in favour of swift a counterattack. Arrows flew in the air, but more than just one row of men fired; they were at least twenty.
But Saitou was prepared. They had provided planks of wood for those exposed, from the fences or benches they tore apart to form the barricade, while those close to the barricade had no issue protecting themselves behind it. The water-carriers were stationed next to an archer for protection. It saved their lives; other than a couple of calf injuries, none others occurred. Thankfully, those stricken were archers, who would stay still for the most part—should everything go well.
But how could it? When the numbers of the enemy were so overwhelming, one had to be a miracle worker! Without a chance to breathe, a second volley came their way, effectively pinning everyone to the ground, followed by a third with no delay. At the same time, sword-bearers of the enemy's ranks broke the line and advanced for their walls! Torch in one hand, katana in the other, they ran as fast as they could to jump the barricade.
"Spears, now!"
Could he be potentially injuring the whole lot of them? Yes. could some of them die? Sure. But if he did nothing, they would all be swarmed for sure. But it all worked out. It was a blessing that the Shishi had not noticed those men crouching down there; they were so taken by surprise, they all had to take at least on step or two back, while those who failed, ended up impaled on the spearheads.
In the confusion of the first three lines trying to retreat and the rest trying to push forward, there was a stalemate for the Patriots movements and a counterattack on theirs. Spearmen kept stabbing at their foes, more lethal with every second spent not knowing where to move, while the enemies' arrows instead of hitting his men, hit their own allies, spurred on by this sudden immobilisation.
Arrows stopped altogether, then, giving them a chance to pull back and escape the massacre.
Saitou lost no chance. "Archers, fire!"
His own men were now retaliating, shooting at the retreating Shishi and the vanguard of their archers, too; try as they might to take cover, many fell mortally wounded or not. But the Shishi had larger numbers at their disposal, and while Saitou worked on the immediate threat, they put their original plan into action: archers from further back must have dipped their arrows in oil and fired for now he watched as burning projectiles came towards them.
"Take cover now; water bearers, put out all budding fires!"
Saitou finally saw it: an arrow headed straight towards him, flaming and bright. It was the sole one not aimed at the roof or the courtyard, and it was the only one that was followed so closely by a regular arrow.
They were trying to take him out. Huh, took them long enough; it was the first thing he would have done in their stead. In fact, the only reason he hadn't done anything similar himself, was the fact the one leading them was nowhere to be seen.
But he had no time for that—he needed to dodge! In an impressive show of skill, he pushed off the horse and to the side, effectively jumping to the ground and landing on his feet, while using his sword to deflect the lit arrow. The second one simply missed him; thankfully, it missed his horse, too.
Everyone watched mystified as the man executed his move…and then actually stood up fully and grabbed the reigns from his horse.
"Put out the fires now!"
While they were watching, the arrows landed and started catching things on fire. "Don't panic, prioritise; any fire next to anything that's a catalyst gets put out first. Leave the ones next to the water alone."
He jumped on the horse while he was moving it around on purpose; this was the same horse Matsudaira had once upon a time given him to ride to Kobe; it was the same he kept giving him on assignments; and when the Shinsengumi was sent to the front, as a token of appreciation, he gave him that same horse to battle. It was a good horse. He would hate to see it killed now.
But he got back up, using his sword to cut any arrows headed his way. He was prepared this once, he would not be knocked down again. "Archers, shoot back! Spears, stay low and when I say so, stab from where you are. No one gets to their feet unless I explicitly say so."
But when he surveyed the enemy troops again, he noticed something was off…small a change, but it had happened. What was it? He looked to the right; he looked to the left. That was it—a small unit was heading where Okita was!
"Nagakura!" he shouted urgently.
"On it!" he shouted back.
Nagakura was on the roof, with a bow ready, looking over the battlefield. He immediately ran to Okita's side, and aimed with his bow; an arrow next to the commander was how they knew the enemy was coming to their side. Nagakura himself had the side at the back, but seeing he was the one with the vantage point, and the enemy had to go through everyone else first, he was the one worried the least.
His feet ran back to Saitou's side swiftly. "Should I go help him?"
"No, stay in your current post and just keep an eye out. But if Okita gets overwhelmed, signal me immediately."
"Yessir," he commented simply and ran to the other side.
Meanwhile, Shishi had stopped firing flaming or simple arrows at them, and reverted to taking out their swords and trying to storm the keep with sheer numbers. No other group of theirs broke off, wanting to use maximum men for best results.
This was the move Saitou feared. They were so much more, it would be a difficult task to simply not get everyone slaughtered. "Stab them!" he commanded, and valiantly, they all did, but when so many men advanced, it was difficult to keep them low and out of danger.
He ordered for them to stand and fight; all but four archers should take out swords or spears – whatever suited them – and fight, too. water bearers should scatter and put out fires. And as far as he was concerned, well…he threw spears at men first, the ones who managed to break through the barricade and his men; when the spears ran out, he ran to the very front line, always on his horse, and after taking a spear out of a fallen enemy, started hitting left and right.
But this was only temporary; if he wanted a chance to hold them off, he needed to call for backup. It was the last thing he'd do, seeing that's what the Shishi wanted – he could see the five-men unit hanging at the back, behind the ten remaining archers of theirs. And he'd die before leaving any entry point defenceless, he said so already. But something had to be done, otherwise—
An arrow flew past him from behind, and killed one of his foes; his head snapped back instinctively.
"Harada's side is being attacked, too! Twenty men, armed like freaking generals." Why did Nagakura have only bad news for him? But he didn't stop there, no. "And there's an entire fifty men unit heading towards my side, from the other side, additional to these ones."
Saitou's stomach dropped to his feet. "I have to go; hold the fort, Saitou-san."
With those parting words, Nagakura was lost from sight. Saitou felt his throat going dry. He had only two options: freeze up and die or fight to the death. And he knew exactly how he wanted to be remembered. "Fight!" he commanded, jumping off his horse. He smacked it once to send it towards the house, then covered the distance literally in a split second. Before anyone knew it, he was standing next to them. "Fight with me, fight by my side! Let's show them what Kyoto men are made off!"
A war cry was collectively released; with newfound morale, the men started cutting away at their enemies, bodies falling from their hands! As long as this makeshift barricade held them, they could fight back; as long as their will endured, they would not die. They would strike out at their enemies, ignore the blood that stained their faces, their clothes, their weapons; no matter the metallic taste in their mouths, the wet sensation on their clothes, their strength leaving them, they would make this work.
They had to.
It felt a week later when it was only half an hour; the wooden structure shook. The enemies fell back and instead of fighting with Saitou and his men, they concentrated all of their efforts on bringing the now shaky barricade to the ground. they pushed; and pushed; and pushed. "Push back, all of you!" Until—
"GET BACK NOW!"
The part that held everything together, the one they were defending, fell; horrified faces watched entranced as the walls gave away and crashed down around them. One by one, each fortified space fell over, like a huge deck of cards.
For a moment, there was silence.
"GO!"
The order was given; the Shishi stormed inside from all sides.
"STAY CLUSTERED TOGETHER AND FIGHT AS A GROUP! DON'T LET THEM DIVIDE YOU!"
Saitou was the leader; he was at the very first line of defence…all alone, surrounded by many. But that was alright; he had fought worse odds. And he had no fine ladies at his immediate back to keep safe; he could be as reckless as he wanted. But they were too many for only one man; he cut two down, three were there to take their place. The doors of the house wouldn't hold much longer either.
Just as he was about to despair, he saw an arrow killing one of his opponents; it came from up high. He turned to look over his shoulder again and there was Nagakura; he smirked.
"Reinforcements are here."
And before he could finish his sentence, like raging water, Aizu troops spilled from behind and swept the Shishi like a river. Saitou shook his head. "Seems like the fifty-strong coming your way were allies, huh," he casually quipped turning to Nagakura who had just jumped down next to him.
"They look very similar from far away, Saitou-san." He defended himself far more casually than the situation called for.
"Well, no complaints for me…so long as you assure me you left someone to guard the rear in your absence."
Nagakura clicked his tongue. "Who do you take me for? Okita is guarding the left, Harada the right and one of the Aizu lesser leaders the rear."
"Good to know."
The win was eminent; though still less in numbers, the Aizu warriors were no match for the Chousuu men, who were all but slaughtered. The impossible situation was turned on its head and became a clear victory. The enemies were driven back as easily as they had arrived, all survivors running off to join the retreat as fast as they could.
When they were certain everyone was gone, the four Shinsengumi friends and the Aizu leader met at the main point of entry.
"Report on casualties," Saitou immediately ordered.
"None from my side," Harada was proud and quick to announce.
"A single man from my side," Okita said confidently.
"None from my side, too, obviously," Nagakura said just to say it.
"I had six; two water-bearers and four spearheads. They fought well. You, my lord?"
The Aizu man said "none dead, a couple of injured," in his exceedingly military tone.
Perfect; better than he could have ever hoped for. "Was the house breached from anyone's side?"
They all shook their heads emphatically, but it was Okita who stated with conviction: "not by a longshot."
Saitou smirked because his side was safe, too and he was right after all: not a single toe touched the wooden floors. He managed to keep his word, and for that he was eternally grateful to the Aizu helping hand.
"One of us has to stay back and keep an eye out here, as well as inform Matsudaira-sama of what happened. I suggest, if you don't mind my lord, you to stay back. You are from Aizu and who better to protect the Aizu-han? The rest of us are Shinsengumi and we shall follow the rest of our unit, wherever they are."
"Makes sense," the older man admitted with some satisfaction "you can go."
"Thank you; let's go."
Everyone got back up on their horses and after saluting the Aizu man one last time, thanking him for his intervention, they rode away.
"Okita," Saitou called out while they were riding their horses; Nagakura's ears caught his tone of voice and, could it be, he sounded worried? "What about that thing I told you to keep an eye out for?"
Okita smirked. "You were right; it did happen." Saitou swore. What the hell is wrong with this woman? "But I took care of it."
"As I told you to?" Okita nodded affirmatively. "And it worked."
"Like a charm." At least she listened; that was a good sign. "Oh, and I got this for my trouble." A wink from the short man. "It's for you."
Without slowing down, the shorter man reached in his pocket and threw something at Saitou; he caught it in the air and glimpsed it before putting it away. An involuntary smirk graced his face. The city was burning all around them, people were getting killed left and right, war was upon them, but she had still found the time to take one of her burn ointments, wrap it up in her favourite ribbon, attach a note…and somehow deliver it to him.
How frivolous. And yet, he felt a surge of adrenaline course through his veins at the exact same moment. Peas in a pot; two stupid, lovesick peas in the same scalding, overflowing pot.
A/N: No appearance from Tokio in this chapter, I know. But it will serve its purpose, it was deliberate. Thank you for reading my wonderful peeps and be good until next time...which will probably be around Christmas. I got a promotion at work and now I work longer hours, you see, so we'll see how much free time I will have. Plus, because it's the holidays, I'll work even on Sundays. Hurrah. Ah, what to do...anyway, the wait will be worth it. Leave a review on your way out to tell me what you thought.
Kisses,
Fai~~