Noticing a silent Sannan standing aside, Sakura left the others captain to converse among themselves and headed towards him. "Keisuke-san? Are you alright?"
"Don't concern yourself with me, Sakura-san. I'm fine." He offered her a kind smile and she could tell immediately that it was fake.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but please don't lie to me. I can tell." She smiled at him gently. "I'm almost certain that Itou was simply being a bastard, but even if there are such nonsense rumors going around, you and I both know them to be false." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it comfortingly. "After all, Hijikata was right. Even if your injury had been serious, your worth to the Shinsengumi and as an individual wouldn't have diminished one bit. Why, I believe you are one of the smartest people I've ever met. Your sword skills are just an added bonus."
Obviously surprised, Keisuke looked down at their joined hands and then back up at her. His eyes softened. "Thank you, Sakura-san."
"Please, call me Sakura."
"Only if you call me Keisuke."
She grinned widely. "It's a deal."
"Ne, Harada, if you're not careful, Sannan will snatch Pinky away from you."
"Souji-kun, you're dead."
XxxxX
"You guys are a disaster."
Sanosuke chuckled. "You do know how to make a man feel special, Sakura."
Tapping her foot, Sakura pointed at someone in the distance. "You are supposed to be patrolling, and I am supposed to be delivering medicine to people who need it. Instead, we're standing here, watching Nagakura fail at sweet talking a girl."
"Fail? One would think you're jealous." He smirked at her.
"Jealous? Of what? Of Nagakura who's currently making a fool of himself, or of the poor girl who's too flustered to do anything?"
A thoughtful look crossed Sanosuke's face. "I don't know. Seems to me that you'd love to have someone whispering sweet nothings in your ear."
"That's ridiculous-"
"Sakura-san! Over here, Sakura-san!"
Oh no…Someone show mercy and kill me now.
Sakura groaned at the sound of that voice, causing Sanosuke to look at her curiously, but she plastered a pleasant expression on her face as she turned around to face the man.
"Masaki-san. What a pleasure to see you." Not.
Futaba Masaki was a handsome young man a few years older than her with chestnut brown hair and violet eyes. The only grandson of an affluent apothecary, he wandered the streets of Kyoto like he owned the place. In true brat fashion, his couple of cronies were never far behind him.
He was also quite literally the biggest pain in the ass Sakura had ever had to deal with.
He and his grandfather were dead set on getting her to accept his advances and they never missed a chance to remind her of their good breeding. In an attempt to get her to agree, he had spent the whole duration of one of her visits to his grandfather's shop trying to convince her of how he was going to make all her wishes reality if she only gave him the chance.
"Your beauty shines brighter than the rising sun, Sakura-san. You grow more radiant every time I see you."
"You're too kind Masaki-san-"
"I am but a mortal in your angelic presence, Hime."
Sakura scratched the back of her head awkwardly, trying hard not to let her annoyance show. "Thank you, Masaki-san, but I think you exaggerate-"
Without warning, the man's hands shot out and grabbed hers. "Sakura-san! Please accept my sincerest affections!"
"Um, Masaki-san-"
"Oi, brat, hands off her." With a scowl on his face, Sanosuke slapped the man's hands away from hers and stepped in front of her, effectively blocking Masaki's view.
The man looked scandalized, glaring openly at Harada. "How dare you! Do you know who I am?" Masaki's hand flew to the hilt of the sword against his hip.
"I couldn't care less who you are, kid. No man should ever put his hands on a woman without her permission." Noticing where the other man's hand was, Sanosuke chuckled darkly, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "Please, do me a favor and draw that sword. Make something happen."
Behind Masaki, one of the men accompanying him stepped closer to him. "Futaba, watch what you're doing. That's not just any man. That's-"
"Remove yourself from my presence, cretin!" Masaki pulled his sword out, the unsheathing of the blade catching the attention of the people around.
Sano smirked, twirling his spear in his hand. "I can't decide if you're brave or just that big of a fool, kid."
"Who are you to call me a kid, you blackguard?!"
"The man who'll kick your ass if you don't back off and behave."
Sakura sighed, and put a hand on Sanosuke's bicep. "Sano-kun, let us not cause a scene in the middle of the street. Please."
The red-haired man glanced at her, searching her face for a few seconds, and then his shoulders relaxed. "Heh, you're lucky I can't say no to my lady here." He flashed her his usual lopsided grin and Sakura had no doubt that he saw the blush that rose to her cheeks.
Across from them, Masaki's companions grabbed him by the arms. "Let it go, Futaba. Don't you know who that is? That's Harada Sanosuke of the Shinsengumi."
Futaba blanched, though to his credit, he stood his ground and put his sword back in its scabbard. "It appears we have garnered an audience." With a determined look on his face, he bowed to Sakura. "Sakura-san, I shall keep your fair countenance in my thoughts and heart until we meet again. I hope you will have realized the sincerity of my affection for you by then. I bid you a good day."
"Good day to you too, Masaki-san."
She waited for the men to disappear in the crowd and sighed in relief. "That man just can't take no for an answer…"
Sanosuke crossed his arms across his chest. "This has happened before?"
Sakura shrugged, completely missing his frown. "A few times. He and his grandfather seem convinced that I'll make the perfect bride for Masaki. It's kinda sad, really. He's not a bad man, only a little…spoiled."
Sano scowled. "If he bothers you ever again, just come to me and I'll have a talk with him."
She waved his concerns off. "It's not a big deal, Sano-kun, really-"
Grabbing her hand mid-air, he pinned her with a serious look. "Sakura. I mean it."
She flushed under the scrutiny of his gaze. "A-Alright."
"Ok guys, what did I miss?"
Dropping her hand, Sanosuke sighed deeply as he turned to look at Shinpachi. "Nagakura, how nice of you to join us. Tired of getting rejected already?"
"Shut up, Harada. I wasn't rejected."
"Really? It sure looked like that from where I was standing."
"Well, perhaps I should shove my fist down your throat to show you another angle, you bastard."
"Now, that's not the kind of language you use in the presence of a lady, young man."
All three of them turned around at the sound of that voice and Sakura beamed at the sight of the familiar herb vendor.
"Nakamura-san! What a pleasant surprise."
The old man chuckled, his kind blue eyes crinkling. "Indeed, Sakura-chan. You've been so busy lately; I hardly see you around the shop."
The young medic smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Nakamura-san, but you know what a toll the fires took on our town. People need my services more than ever now."
"Aye, I know. You are a local celebrity now, Sakura-chan. No one can forget how willingly you disregarded your own wellbeing to help the people. Why, I believe I alone saw that other young man carrying you back home unconscious at least half a dozen times."
She looked at her feet shyly. "Please, Nakamura-san. I was simply doing my duty."
The man patted her arm. "Was that Masaki bothering you again? What was this? The tenth time? I could speak to his grandfather. Perhaps Gorou will be able to set him straight."
Sakura giggled prettily. "I don't think he'll listen to you, Nakamura-san. I'm afraid Futaba-san actually encourages Masaki. Please don't go through all the trouble on my account."
"You're a real heartbreaker, good doctor. Half the young lads in town are vying for your attention."
"Are they now?"
Nakamura raised an eyebrow at Sanosuke's question. "Well, of course. Anyone with eyes can see how great our good doctor is. As I said some time ago, Sakura-chan is the kind of woman you bring home to your parents. Wouldn't you agree, Harada-san?"
Getting more flustered by the minute, Sakura quickly shook the old man's hand. "It was wonderful to see you again, Nakamura-san, but we must get going. These two need to get back to their patrols and I need to deliver medicine to a few more houses. Please say hi to Hiro-kun for me!"
"I will, Sakura-chan. Take care of yourself."
"You too!"
XxxxX
Nakamura Akio stared after the trio as they walked away, his eyes straying to the protective hand the young man with the spear put on the medic's lower back as he scolded her for not taking proper care of herself. Sakura's flushed face was visible even from a distance.
He chuckled to himself, a nostalgic expression on his face. "Ah, to be young and in love."
Turning around, he resumed his walk towards his home where his own lovely wife of forty years was waiting for him.
He just couldn't wait to see her.
XxxxX
Sakura sighed, the exhaustion of the day weighing heavily on her shoulders, as she made her way through the dark streets of Kyoto. Night summons were by no means her favorite, but when a man came knocking on her door, frantically pleading for someone to help his wife who had just gone into labor, there was absolutely no force capable of keeping her from offering her services.
Seeing that new mother's joy at finally holding her baby in her arms after hours of hard labor was all the reward she needed. After all, she was no stranger to the shadows of night. Shinobi thrived in them.
She knew Sanosuke, Shinpachi and Souji hated it when she went out alone after sundown. Even though they knew perfectly well that she could take care of herself, they always demanded that she take at least one of them with her. It was a waste of their time, if you asked her, and she never hesitated to tell them just that. Surely, as captains of the Shinsengumi, they had better things to do than escort her around town.
Don't be too hard on them, Sakura. It is only because they care.
This time she was alone. Kondou had called an emergency meeting a couple of hours before Sakura was summoned for the birth, so she never actually got to see any of the captains to let them know she was needed in town. It was of no consequence as Chizuru knew where she was, but she had no doubt that the three men would have a few words to share on the matter considering it was well past midnight.
She looked up at the sky as a canopy of luminous stars materialized amongst the sea of blackness. Her mind immediately flew to Konoha, and she wondered what Naruto and Sasuke were up to. Were they missing her? Were they pestering Kakashi for information on her mission and whereabouts? Of course they were. This was Naruto and Sasuke. She was surprised they had not yet showed up outside the Shinsengumi headquarters demanding to know why she wasn't sending them any letters. They knew she couldn't, not when the mission was filed under an S-Rank classification, but that had never stopped them before.
She chuckled at the thought of her teammates. Gods, how she missed them. She missed everything about them. Naruto's sunny smile, Kakashi's constant excuses, even Sasuke's brooding. She missed everything.
Huh, Naturo and Shin-kun would get on so well with each other. And I'm sure Sasuke and Hajime would find at least a bit of common ground.
As soon as those thoughts crossed her mind, she caught herself frowning. I'm not…I'm not replacing them…Am I?
No. There was no place on Earth that would ever compare to Konoha, no trees that would look greener or birdsong that would sound sweeter. There was no other Naruto or Sasuke or Kakashi. There was no other Will of Fire.
But it is not that simple anymore, is it?
Despite the grief that welled up inside her, she allowed her thoughts to wander down that particular path. Because there was no other Shinpachi, or Okita or Saito either. There were no others like the Shinsengumi. This place and these people…In a unique, unexpected way, they were her own. They depended on her to treat their wounds and heal their sick and bring them hope. After all, Konoha, in all its magnificent glory, was missing something important.
Konoha did not have Harada Sanosuke.
She sighed deeply, naively wishing that would be enough to rid herself of her worries and her guilt. Looking up at the sky, she prayed for an answer, searching in the vastness of the unknown for a sign.
Please…Hear my plea. Help me make the right choice-
Without warning, the silence of the night was pierced by what could only be described as a wail. Immediately alert, Sakura gripped the hilt of her sword and got off the main road.
She intended to keep herself in the shadows and follow the disgruntled moaning, but that plan quickly flew out the window when she heard a woman's scream. Without hesitation, she took to the rooftops, expanding her senses and finally locating a person's faint chakra signature. It was all over the place, indicating that the person was experiencing feelings of extreme fear, and that only fueled Sakura's need to run to her aid.
When the next scream sounded, she knew she was close.
"No! Stay away from me, monsters!"
Her eyes flashing, she jumped down from the roof and landed between a young-looking woman dressed as a geisha and what looked like a group of samurai. What struck her the most about them was the white uniforms. Uniforms she knew all too well.
Shinsengumi?
She gritted her teeth, pointing the tip of her sword at them. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing? What division are you from?"
If they heard her, they said nothing and simply continued to approach them. The young woman's terrified whimper from behind her fueled Sakura's anger.
"Oi! Answer me!"
The soldiers only cackled – an ugly, ominous sound – and raised their heads. A shocked gasp slipped past her lips when she finally got a chance to look upon their faces.
Their hair was pure white, shining under the light of the waning moon, and their eyes glowed red. Their faces were contorted in expressions that could only be described as bloodthirsty.
Who…What are these creatures?
Falling into a battle stance, Sakura glanced at the woman cowering behind her. "You need to leave now. I'll hold them off."
When the woman didn't move, Sakura waved her hand at her. "What are you waiting for? Go hide or you'll die!"
When the woman still didn't appear to be comprehending her words, Sakura sighed. "What's your name?"
The girl turned her frightened eyes to her. "A-Akemi."
"Right. Akemi. I'm Sakura. Where are you heading?"
"I-I work in Shimabara. I-I'm supposed to go home."
"Good. Now, I want you to listen carefully. Can you do that, Akemi?"
The girl nodded fearfully.
"I need you to find a place to hide. I promise to keep you safe, but for that to happen, you need to take cover. Do not come out until I come get you."
The seemed to finally do the trick. The young woman nodded and took off, disappearing in an alley. With that taken care of, Sakura shifted her attention to the creatures dressed like Shinsengumi soldiers.
What the hell is going on? What happened to these men? Are they even men anymore?
She had little time to ponder it. With an ugly grunt, the creatures lunged at her with their swords raised. With no other choice but to defend herself – Shinsengumi or not – Sakura threw herself into battle.
These creatures…They are stronger than the average human.
One of them tried to grab her from behind but she ducked in the nick of time, the creature's sharp nails managing to graze her shoulder blade.
They are faster too.
Taking out a kunai, she slashed one of the men's side, but that did not seem to slow him down in the least. Before her surprised eyes, the wound closed, leaving behind a torn uniform and smooth skin.
What in the world…They regenerate?!
Noticing that they were trying to surround her, she backflipped to put some distance between them, releasing half a dozen shuriken midair. Under normal circumstances, the men would have already fallen dead with sharpened steel lodged in their chests, but these creatures were only slightly delayed.
Brandishing her sword, she propelled herself forward and jumped over them, twisting her body in time to decapitate one of them. The body slumped to the ground, where it twitched for a few seconds before going limb.
Bingo.
The sight of their dead comrade did nothing to deter the remaining three, and they lunged at her again. With practiced ease, she plunged her blade up one's head from underneath, and kicked the body away to disengage. Delivering a swift kick to one of the creatures' jaw, she rolled herself over the second one's back, slitting its throat with a kunai before finishing it off with her sword. She made quick work of the last creature, severing its spine and pushing her katana through its heart for good measure.
"Over there! I hear commotion!"
"What the-Sakura?!"
With her sword still in hand and her clothes tattered and covered in blood, Sakura turned her furious gaze to a bewildered Sannan.
"Keisuke, I think it's about time you people and I had a chat."
TBC
The nerve of YouTube!
Just yesterday I was looking for some music, clicking from one video to the other and this happened.
YouTube's algorithm had the AUDACITY to suggest a 15-minute video with every Hakuoki death. Every single one of them.
I've watched a lot of anime in my life, but to this day, not a single one of them has made me cry the way Hakuoki did. Not even one. Though technically the game is our canon and in that game at least some of them got a happy ending, that second anime season destroyed me. I bawled like a baby, people. I wept for Souji, and Heisuke, and Saito, and Sanosuke and everyone else. I wept! Took me days to get over. That very last scene when they all appear in the sky wearing their Shinsengumi uniforms…I'm literally tearing up right now just thinking about it!
Headcanon, guys. The only way to deal with the absolute grief that anime Hakuoki causes you is to create your own headcanon. And in my headcanon, everybody lives happily ever after, END OF STORY!
Rant over, I'm going back to writing because I need to write something happy and cute. That stupid video made me go through their anime deaths all over again.
Damn you, YouTube algorithm!
Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
I have a super cute SanoXSaku scene coming up so stay tuned!
If you can spare a minute, drop me a review! Reading your thoughts always makes my day.
Until next time,
Lots of love!