Sakura,

All my shinobi units that have passed within 200 miles of Edo's borders in the last eight months have returned to Konoha with reports of, and I quote, a pink-haired menace that kills and heals with equal fervor.

I say this with every ounce of affection and respect I feel for you, but…

What the hell did you do?!

Sakura rolled her eyes at Kakashi's wording, skimming over the contents of the short letter with her gaze. She glanced out the small window on her left, noticing the height of the sun in the sky. She'd have to report to her captain and start her patrols soon, but she resolved she had some time left to spare on a report to Kakashi. Knowing her sensei, he'd keep sending her hawks until she got back to him. If anything, she'd rather avoid having him send a whole squad to get her to reply. And considering who exactly she was dealing with, she had no doubt the squad would be one very obnoxious Naruto and one very pissed off Sasuke.

She snorted at the thought, absently stroking the spotted belly of the hawk perched on her desk.

Determined to finish the report, she started penning her reply.

Hokage-sama,

I've been doing good, thank you for asking. I'm making progress with the sick here, and the first official medical practice of Kyoto is almost open. It still needs a long way to go before it can be classified as anything remotely close to an organized, equipped hospital, but it is already starting to make a difference.

There is something strange going on here, Kakashi-sensei, make no mistake about that. Most of the men here don't believe I notice, the gullible fools. But there are some that do. Smart men.

I've seen a few terrifying things here, sensei. People with crimson eyes, white hair, and an uncontrollable bloodlust that robs them of their free will. I've never seen anything like this before. I examined the corpse of one of these…creatures. There was something in their bloodstream. Something that didn't belong there. I can't say more in paper, lest this report falls in the wrong hands and they manage to break our seal.

For someone who personally asked you for medical help, Kondou sure seems very eager to keep his lips sealed shut. Are you sure we can trust him? I know you said he's an old friend, and an honorable man, but people change. You should know that better than anyone, sensei.

I'll tell you everything when I return for a short while in a few months. I'm hoping to have a few samples with me too. I can't wait to run some tests on them in the lab. The resources I must make do with here are primitive at best.

This fresh batch of nurses I'm currently training shows promise. None of them can channel or even handle chakra but they are eager to learn what they can. They should be perfectly able to deal with most common ailments and injuries by the time I'm done with them. After all, the people of Kyoto don't require much more than that.

A pink-haired menace you say? Why, I wouldn't know anything about that. I have just been doing my job, is all.

Care to share the names of the units that told you that? After travelling so far away from Konoha that they came so close to Edo's borders, I should like to check on them. To make sure that they are in peak health, of course.

And just to avoid any future…misunderstandings, Kakashi-sensei, allow me to explain how everything that happened (and will happen in the months to come) is, was, and always will be your entire fault.

Was Sasuke one of the shinobi that reported back to you? Really, sensei? Sasuke? Because we all know that if there's one person on this earth with sound judgement, that's Uchiha Sasuke…

XxxOxOxOxxX

Nine months earlier…

Kyoto, Sakura decided as she gazed at the marketplace from under her hood, was pretty in its own unique way. The houses were simple but uniform in their structure, and the people, though apparently more preoccupied with their own thoughts than their surroundings, seemed amiable enough.

Her table in the far corner of the small tea house was a perfect vantage point, allowing her to observe the city and its inhabitants without drawing too much attention to herself.

She sipped at her tea absently, skimming one of her older medical scrolls that she usually carried for when she had a bit of time to kill. After spending the better part of three years post-war rebuilding the village, overseeing the new hospital, and negotiating a home for war orphans, being away on her first long-term solo mission was refreshing, to say the least. She meant to enjoy every second of it.

Leaving a few coins on the table, she picked up her traveling pack and stepped into the busy street. It was chilly outside, and she noticed that most vendors were starting to close for the night. The sun was slowly setting, and she meant to take one last walk around the city before retiring back to her inn for the night, after another fruitless day of searching.

She had yet to locate the man who had sent an official request to Konoha, asking for medical aid. Isami Kondou, she remembered the name. A man that had once helped Kakashi-sensei, the last time he had been on a mission in Edo.

Initially, she had warned Kakashi against fulfilling the request, despite feeling her very soul constrict painfully at the thought of refusing a person in need. This Kondou person had clearly stated in his letter that he had acted on his own, requesting aid from a foreign government without the shogunate's approval. Sakura knew for a fact that was one of the simplest ways to start a war, and if there was one thing they'd had enough of, that was war.

Despite her doubts and clear warnings that things could get nasty, her sensei felt it was his duty – and a way to repay his debt – to send the requested help. Covertly, of course, and under a secret, S-ranked mission clearance.

Kakashi had tasked her with finding the right person to assign the mission to. Sakura was certain she had taken him more than a little by surprise when the only name he found on his desk was hers.

They all knew that she was the only one with both the medical and combat training that such a mission required. Despite having a reputation of her own, especially after the war, Kakashi couldn't deny the fact that she was the best medical ninja the shinobi nations had to offer. If there was one person who could take on such a mission – preferably without starting a new war – that was Haruno Sakura.

Despite Naruto's obnoxious theatrics and Sasuke's firm belief that it was somehow a trap, she had been allowed to leave the village for a prolonged period of time.

The kunoichi rolled her eyes at the thought of her teammates, and glanced around her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man she was supposed to be helping.

Isami Kondou is one elusive man.

Despite not having a specific address, Kakashi had given her a description that was detailed enough, and she was certain that she would recognize him. But first, she had to pinpoint his whereabouts, or at least a place he frequented. Since she had no idea who was an ally in this place, she had refrained from going around asking for the man with his name, lest she asked the wrong people.

From what she knew, Kondou was the head of a team of samurai, an organization called the Shinsengumi. A police force of sorts, or so Kakashi-sensei had told her.

Shifting the backpack on one shoulder, she sighed deeply, resigned to the fact that after three days of being in Kyoto, she still hadn't found her employer. Deciding that it was time to call it a day, she took the next turn left, eager to return to her rented room, wash, and sleep.

It was dark outside, and whatever light the moon offered was just barely enough to allow her to see a few feet ahead. She walked calmly, confidently, sure in the fact that no one here was a match for her. Many men carried swords and held themselves with arrogance, but she could tell. If anything, she was the most dangerous creature that ever walked these streets.

Chuckling to herself at the thought, she held her cloak tighter around her body and quickened her pace. The inn was just a couple of blocks away, and she could almost hear her comfortable futon calling her name.

"Quick! Call some of the other men to come help!"

Sakura's head snapped towards the destressed voice, ducking in a nearby alley to hide.

"Damn it, Hijikata! He's losing too much blood. At this rate, he'll bleed out before we manage to find a doctor."

"Where the hell is Kondou? He and Harada should have returned with the medicine by now," the second male voice hissed, adjusting his grip on a clearly just barely conscious, injured man. Her eyes widened at the sound of the familiar name, and for the first time in weeks, Sakura thanked her lucky stars. Finally, a solid lead.

"Look around you, Hijikata. It's dark, and the shops are closed. No one in their right mind would open their door this time of night. Not to the Shinsengumi."

Shinsengumi! Kondou's organization. Sakura frowned, trying to decide what the best way to approach them was. She knew that no matter what she did, there was no doubt they'd consider her appearance awfully convenient, if not outright suspicious. Still, this was her only chance to get closer to Kondou, not to mention that the man had been right earlier. If they didn't do something, their injured companion was a good as dead, judging by the impressive puddle of blood at their feet.

Taking a deep breath, she masked her chakra in the unlikely case that they'd sense it and jogged to their side.

"Hey, are you alright? Do you require assistance?"

One of the two, a tall man with long dark hair pulled in a ponytail and hard violet eyes, snapped his gaze to her and glared. One arm supporting his injured companion, his other hand flew to the sword at his hip.

"Who are you? Who sent you here?"

They never want to do it the easy way, do they? Sakura refrained from rolling her eyes for the hundredth time that day. "Please don't be alarmed. I'm a doctor. I can help your friend."

The other man, shorter than the first, with chestnut hair pulled in a bun, and dark green eyes, put his body between her and the other two. "We don't need your help. Go back home and make sure not to walk around after sunset."

The kunoichi crossed her arms across her chest, making sure her face was partially covered. "I can see that. I'm sure the man clearly bleeding out in your arms begs to differ." This time she did roll her eyes. The men just growled at her. "Look, you are armed with swords, and I am but a healer with nothing to protect myself. I just want to keep your friend from dying."

"What makes you think we don't already have people ready to do that?"

This stubbornness of men is why women live longer…She sighed, taking a non-threatening step towards them. "Well, if you do, they are doing a pretty lousy job. Considering you two are still here, holding a gravely injured man in your arms, and obviously hoping for a miracle, I'd say your options are rather limited."

They both fell silent, and Sakura allowed her lips to curl in a triumphant smirk under the hood of her cloak.

"Now," she continued, "we can sit out here and talk about this while your friend dies, or you can take us to a quiet room, and I will save this man's life. The choice is yours."

The two men looked at each other, some type of secret message passing between them. After a few seconds, the dark-haired one looked at her and snarled. "You try anything, and your head will be off your shoulders before you manage to say a word. Are we clear?"

"Crystal. Now lead the way. We've wasted enough time as it is."

Never taking his eyes off her person, the dark-haired man addressed his companion. "Souji, stay here. Bring Kondou and Harada inside the moment they return."

They didn't wait for the man's reply. Picking up the injured bridal-style, they hurried inside a large building, Sakura following close behind. They encountered a couple of people along the way, all men, but none of them seemed to be willing to stop them or question her unfamiliar presence.

Reaching a room at the end of corridor, the man motioned for her to open the door and strode inside the moment she did. He placed the injured man on a futon and stepped aside, nodding curtly at her.

Understanding that as her cue, she kneeled beside the bleeding male and assessed the damage. He had been stabbed once in the side, fortunately between the ribs and judging by the angle of the cut and his breathing, it hadn't pierced any vital organs. His left hand was in terrible condition, bleeding profusely from a long slash that started right above the elbow and reached his palm.

She turned to the man standing a couple of feet away and watching her like a hawk. "I need clean bandages, clean water, a cauterized needle and sturdy thread. Preferably right now."

He glared at her, fully aware that she was asking him to leave her alone with his injured friend for a period of time, though she could tell he was torn. With a firm grip on the hilt of his katana, he took a threatening step towards her.

"You try anything while I'm gone, or harm him in any way, and I swear I will hunt you down. I won't rest until my sword is bathed in your blood." He hurried out without a word, leaving Sakura with her patient.

Finally alone, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and set to work.

Cutting away the man's sleeve, her hands shown with green chakra as she quickly set about restoring the torn muscles of the man's arm. Her time was limited, and she couldn't heal the whole wound without betraying her identity as a Konoha medic nin – not before talking to Kondou first – but it should be enough to reduce the injury to nothing but a harmless flesh wound. She'd have to stich it up just for show of course, but she figured that was a small price to pay. Her patient would recover fully soon enough and regain full use of his arm.

With one crisis averted, she turned her attention to the stab wound between his ribs and disinfected it with chakra, patiently waiting for the other man's return with the items she needed.

XxxxX

Sanosuke frowned at the sight of Okita pacing outside the Yagi residence. Hijikata and Sannan were nowhere to be found.

"Souji!" he called, gaining the man's attention. "What the hell is going on? Where are Hijikata and Sannan?"

Without offering a reply to his question, Souji turned to Kondou. "Did you find the medicine?"

The older man shook his head. "We managed to convince an apothecary on the other side of town to open his shop for our sake, but he didn't have much left. We only got a couple of doses."

Souji swore under his breath before hurrying towards the Shinsengumi headquarters. "Follow me! I'll fill you in."

Both Kondou and Sanosuke needed no further encouragement, and they ran after Souji.

"We were attempting to move Sannan to one of the rooms and wait for you to return with the medicine, when a kid showed up."

Sanosuke raised an eyebrow. "A kid?"

Souji nodded. "Some boy. Short, swallowed by his cloak, not much to look at. Said he's a healer, was pretty convincing. He and Hijikata are looking after Sannan as we speak."

"Local kid? Someone we know?" Sanosuke seriously doubted that. They had never met such a boy in Kyoto.

"Definitely not local. Never heard his voice before and his accent is a bit strange."

"You entrusted Sannan to some strange kid? Are you guys out of your minds?"

"What would you have us do, Harada? Keisuke's dying. We have to try everything to save him."

Sanosuke had no answer to that, and neither had Kondou who chose to absorb the information in silence.

"Hijikata!"

At Souji's shout, they looked up to see Toshizo hurrying down a corridor with a bunch of items in his arms.

Their vice-commander turned to glance at them briefly, never slowing down. "You're here, good. Follow me. I take it you have the medicine?"

Sanosuke nodded and they passed a few corridors in tense silence before Hijikata finally burst through a door.

The sight they were met with was equal parts distressing and peculiar. Keisuke was unconscious on a futon, chest bare and red. His brow was sweaty, and his hair was matted due to all the blood. His breathing was labored, but he wasn't wheezing which they all took as good sign.

Sanosuke shifted his amber eyes to the figure kneeling beside him. This has to be the kid Souji mentioned.

Swallowed by his cloak, the boy was shorter than any man Sanosuke had ever seen. His face was hidden under the hood of his cloak, but they could see his hands working on stitching Sannan's arm back together. His fingers were slim, delicate, feminine even, but he worked quickly and confidently. The kid obviously knew what he was doing. He cut the thread with his teeth and turned to them over his shoulder. They could just make out the shape of his lips as he addressed them.

"Do you have the medicine?"

His voice was muffled, and he spoke softly, but he didn't appear intimidated by any of them. Definitely not a local kid. Without a word, Sanosuke handed him the small jar with the salve inside. Lifting the lid, the boy smelled the mixture. "It should do," he said and expertly spread the thick substance on the stitched wound. With one last look at his handiwork, the kid wrapped Sannan's arm in clean bandages and tied it in place, before doing the same for his side too. Clearly satisfied with the state of his patient, the kid stood and dusted himself before turning his body towards them.

He really was a short boy, and Sanosuke was certain that he was slim as a stick underneath all that fabric.

"Your friend will recover. The blade that stabbed his side was on the short side, and it went right between his ribs without nicking any vital organs. His arm will take a couple of months to heal completely, but he will regain full use of it soon enough. He's lucky. Had we delayed treatment any more and he would have lost the ability to wield a blade."

"How do you know he's left-handed?" asked Souji, crossing his arms across his chest with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"I noticed his sword on his right side. The fraying of the hilt's cord wrap suggests a left-handed user."

Sanosuke would never admit it, but he was slightly impressed. Smart kid. Observant too.

"May we know your name?" Kondou said, stepping forward. "We would like to formally offer our thanks to the person who saved our comrade's life. I am Isami Kondou."

The kid's shoulders shook as he giggled.

Giggled? Sanosuke frowned but then his eyes widened. Wait a minute…That kid's not-!

"I know who you are, Isami-san. I have been looking for you. Consider me impressed. You're hard to pin down."

Kondou raised an eyebrow, hand on the hilt of his sword. "Looking for me? Why, I do not believe we have ever met before. Why don't you take that hood off? I should like to see who I'm speaking with."

With another giggle, the kid slipped a hand from underneath his cloak – a hand that was decisively not male – and pulled the hood down.

The shock in the room was palpable, and Sanosuke's eyes widened at the sight of the woman standing before them. Her hair, illuminated by the moonlight, was a pastel pink that shown almost silver. Woven into a long braid, it fell over one shoulder, reaching all the way to her belly. She was dressed in men's clothing, with a pale green shirt trimmed in white and grey hakama pants that hung loosely on the dip of her waist. Some kind of purple ornamental marking adorned her forehead, shaped like a diamond.

Her eyes were by far the most striking thing about her though. So bright and so green. Greener than any spring pasture Sanosuke had ever seen.

"Nice to meet you, Kondou-san. Kakashi-sensei sends his regards." Her smile was wide and welcoming and genuine.

Kondou's chuckle snapped Sanosuke out of his daze, and he turned to look at the man questioningly.

"Huh, I should have known. That silver wolf always knew how to take me by surprise." He turned to look at the rest of them, expression cheerful and relieved. "Allow me to introduce you. These are Souji Okita, Hijikata Toshizo, and Harada Sanosuke. The young man you treated is Sannan Keisuke, though proper introductions shall be made once he wakes up." He turned to them, a pleasant smile on his face. "Gentlemen, you may relax. This young lady was sent by an old friend of mine to help with our…problem. Please welcome our new medic and temporary addition to the Shinsegumi."

Okita's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "Eh? A medic? All for us? I've heard these guys go through really harsh training before they're allowed out in the field. She's pretty cute too." He flashed her a cheeky smirk. If possible, her smile widened.

Sanosuke had to agree, though cute wasn't exactly the word that came to mind as he looked at her. She exuded power, and a type of relaxed confidence that he hadn't seen in another woman before. Even Chizuru – brave little Chizuru, who abandoned her home to look for her father – seemed to pale in comparison.

The grin that split his lips came easily and he found himself eager to get to know this extraordinary stranger better. Much better. "May we ask your name, my lady?" he said pleasantly, taking a step closer. He towered over her, his height easily dwarfing her delicate frame.

She glanced up at him and he found himself enthralled by her green – so, so green – eyes looking at him from under thick, rosy lashes. She tilted her head to the side in a way that was so innocently seductive he had to wonder if she was doing it on purpose.

She smiled – a brilliant smile, that knocked the breath out of his lungs – and bowed her head respectfully.

"My name is Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

TBC

HEY GUYS!

I hope you have been good and happy and healthy and hanging in there. It's been a while since I last posted here, but I had to take a break because my eyes were giving me serious trouble. I couldn't glance at a computer for more than half an hour without getting a headache, so I had to stay away for a while. Doctors' offices were closed because of COVID so I had to wait for my optician to open back up. Turns out, my astigmatism has gone up and I just needed a new pair of glasses. All's good now!

My new guilty pleasure that I have been overindulging in? Otome games! I have already played a bunch of them and let me tell you, there is nothing better than romancing a dozen hot, anime guys.

So, while I'm at it, and skimming Play Store for more, what do I find out? Hakuouki, the anime that introduced me to one of my favorite beaus – a.k.a Harada Sanosuke – actually started out as an Otome game. So, of course I downloaded it and of course I fell in love with Sano all over again.

Which is why this little fanfic exists. Thank you, Otome Goddess! If this isn't the first story of mine that you're reading, first, I love you and thank you for being awesome and supporting the literary whims of my crazy muse, and second, you probably know that I ADORE crossovers. If this is indeed the first story of mine that you're reading, welcome! Thank you for clicking on this fic, and I hope you enjoy it!

I haven't forgotten/abandoned my other stories, of course, and I will get back to more frequent updates. I just thought this two-shot (most likely) would be a good way to say a big 'hello, I'm back' to you all after a long absence.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There's more where this came from, so I'll see you in the next chapter!

Let me know what you think! Reading your thoughts always makes my day.

Until then,

Lots of love!