They started following the river and it did not take long for him to realize that they were walking towards the woods. They crossed the first cluster of trees, and Sakura immediately started examining plants here and there until they found themselves in a small clearing.

Abruptly her whole countenance changed. Her face hardened and she focused her gaze on the tree line, crossing her arms across her chest. "Alright, I think I've had enough of you sneaking around. Why don't you come out now?"

Almost instantly, two figures emerged from among the trees, and Sanosuke immediately tensed, his hand on his Yari.

"My, little girl. You have a good head on your shoulders. Too bad it's not gonna do you any good once I take it."

Instinctively, Sanosuke jumped in front of Sakura protectively, spear at the ready. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he growled out two names he knew all too well.

"Kyo. Amagiri."

"Long time no see, Harada."

"Not long enough, Shiranui."

Kyo threw his head back and cackled. "Always so unwelcoming, Harada. And here I was excited to see you." He pulled his pistol out and pointed it at Sanosuke. "We haven't played in a while, have we?"

Damn it! Why do these two always have to be stuck at the hip?

"I don't have time for your games, Shiranui. As you can see, I'm escorting a lady."

The man smirked. "Oh, don't you worry. Amagiri will take really good care of her."

Sanosuke bared his teeth in a snarl. "Over my dead body."

Kyo jumped forward, gun at the ready. "Let's get to that then!"

Despite wanting more than anything to stay where he was and shield Sakura, Kyo's shots forced him to the side, effectively separating them.

"Sakura-"

"Stay focused on your own fight, Harada! I'll be fine!"

Sanosuke prayed she knew what she was doing.

XxxxX

Sakura's eyes hardened as she followed the large red-head's movements closely. His face was serious, stoic even, and he did not appear to be carrying any weapons on his person.

A taijutsu type then…

To her surprise, the man – Amagiri, as Sano had called him – stepped forward and bowed. "Please forgive me, but I have to fight you."

She fell into a battle stance, her chakra already circulating wildly just beneath her skin. "Feeling sorry for fighting will only end up killing you in the long run."

The man simply grunted and charged. His punches were swift and powerful, and Sakura could not help the spark of excitement that ignited in her belly. She could not remember the last time she'd had a good fist fight outside of training with her teammates.

She dodged his attacks with ease, taking advantage of their size difference to slip between his defenses. Locking his arms in an iron hold, she delivered a powerful kick to his gut that sent him crushing into a tree. Before he had the time to get up, Sakura propelled herself forward after him, and punched him hard. The tree trunk exploded into splinters under the force of her first, and she heard the man groan in barely concealed pain.

She jumped back to avoid the broken parts of the tree, and taking advantage of her enemy's state, dared to check on Sanosuke.

He and the other man – Kyo, if she remembered correctly – were going head to head, though she could see that Sanosuke was panting slightly.

"Please keep your eyes on me."

She reacted instinctively before Amagiri finished his whole sentence, and backflipped out of the way of his punch.

Interesting. My punch did not kill him. Not many would have survived that, and certainly no normal human. Who is this man?

He tried to overwhelm her with a flurry of punches and kicks, but she evaded them easily. If there was one thing Sakura was thankful for, that was Tsunade's grueling training methods.

She looked around, determined to put an end to her fight and go help Sanosuke, but her options were limited. The clearing was not big enough for her to use her strength without risking Sanosuke's safety, and they were far too close to civilian population.

Huh, I guess it cannot be helped…

Untangling herself from their exchange of blows, Sakura jumped back to put some distance between them. In a move that clearly caught her opponent off guard, she tilted her head to the side and offered him her most innocent smile.

"Well, this was fun but I'm afraid I must put an end to it. You see, Sano-kun and I are already late for dinner."

Her fingers flew through the familiar seals, her whole body brimming with the overflow of chakra as she called upon the body of water to their left.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

The wind picked up and the earth started to rumble, throwing Sanosuke, Kyo and Amagiri off balance. The trees shook as tendrils of water appeared out of nowhere and began twisting around each other, quickly taking form.

The water dragon roared, ferocious in its fury, and dived in towards Amagiri and Kyo, who were unable to get out of the way in time. It swept them both up, and with a flick of Sakura's finger, brought them crashing down on the forest floor. With one last roar that shook the ground, the dragon dissipated.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, gazed trained on the two bodies. They were not dead, that much was obvious by the rise and fall of their chests. After all, her intension was not to kill. What she really wanted was answers.

"Sakura! Are you alright?"

Sanosuke rushed to her side, checking her over anxiously. She pressed a hand to his bicep to calm him down, glad to see that he was in one piece.

"Don't worry about me, Sano-kun. I'm perfectly fine."

"What was that?"

She shrugged. "Just a trick up my sleeve."

"Quite a trick that was, little mortal."

They both tensed at the sound of the new voice and turned to regard the newcomer. Sakura immediately disliked him. Tall, with blond hair and crimson eyes, the man exuded arrogance and self-assurance.

Little mortal?

"Look at what you did to my good friends here."

Taking a step forward to subtly put herself between the stranger and Sanosuke, she followed his every move with her eyes. "Perhaps you should have taught your friends some manners. Accosting a lady in the woods? How very disappointing."

The man chuckled – a dark sound, that made the hairs at the back of her neck stand.

"You're amusing, I'll give you that. And strong. Stronger than anyone I've met in a while." He sniffed the air, taking a deep breath. "Ah, I can smell a demon on you. How curious."

Demon…? Then, it clicked. He must mean the residue of Kyuubi's chakra that remains in my system. But wait. How can he smell that? Could he be a sensor?

Sakura huffed, feigning disinterest. "I'll tell Kurama you said hi."

"Huh, the Fox Demon from the East? Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time." He walked towards her slowly, confidently.

He came to stand right in front of her, but she refused to back down. Catching her chin in his hand, he forced her to look up at him.

"Sakura! Let her go!"

The blond man laughed. "Sakura, huh? How fitting."

Without breaking eye contact, Sakura's arm darted out to keep Sanosuke from taking another step. He stopped abruptly, though she'd bet it was more out of shock than compliance.

"Talk to me, little mortal," the stranger purred in her ear. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

Sakura smirked, and for a moment, the man's composed façade slipped. "I can give you two." She looked down, and he followed her gaze to see the glinting blade of a kunai pressed to his stomach. When he looked back up at her with hard red eyes, it was to find a thin senbon needle between her lips.

Pushing the needle to the corner of her mouth in a fashion that Genma would be proud of, Sakura leveled the man with a calm stare. "Now, it seems to me that you have two options. Option number one, you try to harm me or my partner, and I give you ten seconds to decide how you want to die. I either gut you like a fish or stick this needle in your neck. Be warned, it's coated in toxins that cause excruciating pain. It's a slow, agonizing death. It'd take the gutting if I were you."

The dangerous glint in his crimson eyes and the growl that erupted in the back of his throat made Sakura's smirk widen. "Option number two, you take your pathetic cronies with you and walk away with your limbs intact. It's a bargain, really."

He did not move for a few seconds, and Sakura was ready to put some pressure on the kunai when he finally released her chin and backed away. Sanosuke immediately rushed to stand beside her, spear at the ready.

"You have guts, little mortal." He chuckled. "I can't decide if you're really brave or simply that big of a fool."

The stranger helped Kyo and Amagiri to their feet, though both still seemed rather shaken. He turned to her, composed façade back in place, and smiled cruelly.

"Since you amused me, I shall extend you the courtesy of introducing myself. I am Kazama Chikage." He bowed with an air of nobility that was hard to miss. "Remember my name. Us Oni never forget, little mortal. We'll see each other again, Sa-ku-ra."

"Don't bet on it."

She watched them take their leave, and despite having more questions than answers, she sighed in relief when their forms finally disappeared in the trees.

The moment they were alone, Sanosuke stepped in front of her and took her face in his hands. "Sakura, are you alright? Did he do anything to you?"

You are always worried about me, aren't you, Sano-kun? You always make sure I am safe…

She shook her head, smiling. "I told you, Sano-kun. Do not worry about me. He didn't harm a single hair on my head."

The man sighed deeply, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "Thank Kami." He pulled her to him, engulfing her body in his embrace.

After a moment of stunned hesitation, Sakura relaxed and put her arms around his waist, pressing herself closer to him. She could hear his heartbeat, every single pound in his chest. It was a soothing sound, a rhythmic song that promised warmth and laughter and reminded her of everything she had ever dreamed of as a young girl.

Oh, Sano…

"Who were these people? Seems like you have a history."

Sanosuke scowled. "This was my first time meeting that Kazama guy, but the other two I've come across before. The one you fought was Kyuujyu Amagiri. The other was Shiranui Kyo. A pair of pests is what they are. Satsuma dogs, who cause trouble wherever they go. We have fought again in the past."

Sakura filed that information for later. She had to get word to Kakashi soon. Apparently, things were a lot more complicated than initially thought.

Could the Shogun be leading us to disaster-?

"Let's get you home, my lady." Sanosuke's voice broke her out of her thoughts. He smiled down at her and made a show of bowing.

Sakura giggled. "Be still my beating heart! My very own knight in shining armor."

He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I'll always be your knight in shining armor, my lady."

She squeezed back. "I know. Come now, let us head back. I'm starving!"

"Now that you mention it, you do look more like a ravenous dragon than a princess."

"I hate you, Harada."

An Oni…Kazama Chikage…I will remember that name.

XxxOxOxOxxX

This mission is officially the most nerve-wracking thing I have ever done in my life, Kakashi-sensei. And that's including the War.

For a place so small and lacking in technological advancements, Kyoto sure hides a lot of secrets. I do miss the old days sometimes, sensei, when we were still stupid genin and you had to save our asses three times a week. Simpler times, those were.

I did a bit of digging into that Kazama guy and the whole 'Oni' thing. People are scared to talk about them, but you know me, I can be pretty convincing. Turns out, the Hidden Villages are not the only ones inhabited by demons. Though Oni are vastly different from the Tailed Beasts, their capabilities far exceed those of an average human. I would say even a Special Jonin would have some trouble with them. Their hierarchy is a jumbled mess of ancestral families and heirs, but from what I've gathered, the purebloods are at the top. The apex predators, so to speak. Kazama's one of them. He's also a grade A asshole.

I haven't seen Kazama in a while, and I hope it stays that way. That man has a superiority complex bigger than Sasuke's.

Bigger than freaking Sasuke's, sensei. I used to think there was no existing unit to measure the size of his ego. I take that back. He's a little less than half a Kazama.

Having said that, Kazama did not cross my mind for a while after that as I had way more pressing matters to attend to.

I must have done something terrible in my previous life, sensei, because for the second time in my relatively short present life, I saw my previous people going off to war…

XxxOxOxOxxX

Sakura frowned. "So, you're saying that this Kazama guy is indeed in league with the Satsuma?"

Hijikata nodded gravely. "That is what our sources report, though he seems to be a bit of a wildcard. Whatever he does is for his own benefit. He is a formidable opponent. I'm surprised he allowed you off so easily."

"He's obviously after something," Sakura started, deep in thought. "He's looking for something, something he believes will help him with whatever plan it is he has. And he thinks that the Shinsengumi have it. Otherwise he wouldn't have let his dogs loose on us." She swept the room with her gaze, watching the expressions on the faces of all the captains.

What could that something be?

Kondou sighed, the deep lines in his faces making him look older than he really was. "The Satsuma and Choshu forces are wreaking havoc on villages, setting crops on fire, pillaging. They are trying to force Tokugawa's hand. They are hoping that a military response to their actions will strip the Shogun of his power and influence."

"Those bastards!" Nagakura gritted his teeth angrily. It would be a lie to say the rest of the captains didn't share that sentiment.

Sakura glanced at Kondou, then at Hijikata. "I could send a message to the Hokage. Ask him to deploy the shinobi units earlier. The journey from Konoha to Edo takes about two weeks. We could have several three-man cells arriving in about seventeen days, twenty tops. Our men could hold off the Satsuma and Choshu forces and protect the villages unofficially until the contracts are signed."

Kondou shook his head. "I appreciate the sentiment, Sakura-san, but Hatake has already put his head on the line by sending you here off the record for my sake. The alliance with the Shogun has not been signed yet and I went behind his back to bring you here. We all know he is aware you are here courtesy of young Iba, and he simply turned a blind eye to my indiscretion because it benefits his cause. However, if word of that gets out, we could be jeopardizing everything. Tokugawa will not be able to help, not when he never sanctioned my calling you here. We can't risk the alliance, not now."

Sakura's frown deepened, and despite her own reservations, she knew that Kondou was right.

"Which leaves us with this letter I got today." Kondou took a piece of paper out of his uniform. "New orders from the Aizu Domain. The Shinsengumi are to go to the front lines."

Sakura felt her breathing hitch at the news, and her blood ran cold in her veins. Oh, no…

"Sannan and Souji, you two have not recovered fully. You remain here." If the two captains had anything to say about that, they kept it to themselves. Kondou turned to Todou. "Heisuke. You are to remain here as well. It's up to you three to protect our headquarters."

Sakura clenched her fists and made to speak but Kondou silenced her by raising his hand. "I know what you're going to say, Sakura-san and my answer is no. This is not about us anymore. If I allow you to come even as a medic, word will spread like wildfire. If the wrong people were to learn of your presence here, it would only mean disaster. I'm certain you have no wish to start a war between your village and the Imperial nobles."

Gritting her teeth, Sakura turned her gaze away wordlessly. Because regardless of her own feelings, Kondou was right. If the Satsuma and Choshu forces took wind of her identity as a foreign official operating in Edo territory in secret, that could possibly drag Konoha into the conflict. She could be labeled a spy. There was no doubt that in an effort to mitigate the backlash, the Shogun would denounce not only the alliance but also the Shinsengumi as a whole for harboring her. Konoha would be in a very precarious position and who knows what would happen to Kondou and the others.

And now Kazama and his Satsuma-loving cronies know I am here, which means things might already be over. Damn it all!

She felt a hand on her back, and she shifted her eyes to Sanosuke, who was standing beside her. His expression remained unreadable, and he was not even looking at her, but she could feel his thumb rubbing comforting circles on her lower back.

"Toshizo and I have already started preparations." Kondou looked each of his captains in the eye. "Saito, Nagakura, Harada, get ready. We're leaving for war tomorrow at dawn."

Something inside Sakura broke.

TBC

So, um…This happened.

I got carried away. As in, really carried. So carried away that I managed to type out a whole freaking chapter in one day. I'm officially obsessed with this story! Yay?

In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it, especially the part with Chikage. The man's a jerk but he's a hot, interesting jerk. Rest assured that he'll make another appearance soon.

Sakura showed a bit of ninjutsu, but I'm saving something big for the ending. I sincerely hope it works out the way I currently have it in mind.

Also, more SanoXSaku content, yaaayyy!

If you have a minute to spare, drop me a review to share your thoughts on the chapter. Reading what you have to say always makes my day.

Until next time,

Lots of love!