He took her hand and led her to the bed, coaxing her to sit down with her back turned to him. Without a word, she let her shirt fall loose around her again, leaving her bleeding wounds and her back visible. Painfully aware of how few layers of fabric separated them, Sanosuke soaked the fresh bandages in the basin of water she always kept at her bedside.

"You don't have to do that, Sano-kun. I can heal myself, you know."

"I know."

He touched the wet bandages to the wounds, stroking away the blood and grime. He watched transfixed as the drops of water trailed down her back, following paths he wished he could trace with his fingers.

All his life had been about being a warrior and surviving, about being the last man standing. He had never learnt how to be gentle, but around her he found himself unable to be anything else but that.

So close he was to her that he could smell her. The cinnamon and the lavender and something else that was entirely her. He could feel the heat of her body seeping into his chest, and he wondered what it would feel like to lean in and kiss her neck the way it deserved to be kissed. The way her whole being deserved to be kissed and worshiped and loved.

One way or another, this woman will be death of me…

He leaned closer to her ear. "Forgive me, Sakura. I never meant to lie to you. I'll spend the rest of my life helping you find a cure to make up for my mistakes, I swear."

Her head wobbled from one side to the other as he continued to run the soaked bandages and his fingers all over her back. "I'd rather you spent it doing something that makes you happy, Sano-kun," she said sleepily, her breathing starting to even out as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up.

He smiled tenderly in her hair. "That's easy. I could spend the rest of my life protecting you."

XxxOxOxOxxX

Not to brag or anything, Kakashi-sensei, but I told you so.

I knew something was wrong the moment I set foot inside the Shinsengumi headquarters.

Granted, I never imagined I'd find a whole human experimentation program hiding right beneath our noses, but many things did seem strange. I don't know what Kondou told you when he sent that first letter, but he sure as hell took his sweet time telling me.

I know we've taken care of the problem now and the creation of Furies has been outlawed, but you know me. I'm never letting you live it down. It just feels so good to be right. Wouldn't you agree, sensei?

Wipe that sour expression off your face, Hatake. I get the attitude from you. Who do you think I blame whenever Souji-kun tells me I'm too much of a smartass for my own good?

A couple of weeks after that incident, Kondou finally announced the Shinsegumi's impeding relocation to the Nishi Hongwan ji temple. Not all of us were happy with that decision, mind you, but oh well, I'm not the Chief.

To be fair, the temple really does offer a lot more room. It can house nearly twice as many men as the old compound. Has a prettier view too.

The new infirmary is a stellar upgrade from the last one, and I even got my own office. That makes training new nurses a whole lot easier, you know.

The move itself was relatively easy. The Shinsengumi don't have a lot in terms of material possessions aside from weapons and clothing, so it only took us a couple of days to relocate and settle in.

Now, as you very well know, subtlety is not my strongest point. But to my defense, no one bothered to give me a heads up!

I know things worked out just peachy, but uh, sensei, a few months ago…I did something really stupid…

XxxOxOxOxxX

"Souji! Get back here!"

"Ne, Pinky, I didn't know you kept such toys around."

"That's the point, smartass. You're not supposed to be aware of things I keep concealed."

Okita twirled the kunai between his fingers, examining it closely.

"Watch it, Souji! You want both your eyes intact, don't you?"

"Huh, what kind of damage could this little thing do? Sure, it's pointy, but it just doesn't seem all that effective."

Marching up to him, Sakura snatched the kunai away from him. "Give me that." Putting it back inside her pouch, she glared at the man. "Why were you going through my things?"

The man shrugged. "You were late for my check up and I was bored."

"How is that an excuse?"

"You know, for a girl, your stuff is terribly dull. Does Harada know?"

Flushing, Sakura nearly chocked on her own saliva. "W-What?"

"Do I know what?"

Jumping in surprise, Sakura whirled around to find Sanosuke leaning against the door of her office, glancing between them curiously.

"That Pinky's girl closet-"

"Sano-kun!" Blushing furiously, the medic jumped between the two men, desperate to steer the conversation to safer topics. "Nothing, nothing at all. Souji here was curious about the progress of my research, but he was just leaving." She sent the man a pointed look over her shoulder. "Weren't you, Souji-kun?"

Okita snickered. "You're pathetic." Stretching his arms above his head, he made to leave, but not before sending Sakura a smirk over his shoulder. "No fun, at all, Pinky. No fun at all."

"Souji, you have ten seconds to leave this room or I'll poison you."

He gave them a two-fingered wave, and walked out. "Don't do anything I wouldn't, kids."

Hiding her burning face in her hands, Sakura cursed under her breath. "I'm gonna kill that man one day."

"Please save me a seat when you decide to do it. I want to watch." Still leaning against her door, Sanosuke flashed her a wide smile.

Shaking her head, Sakura turned her eyes to him. "I think I've had enough of Okita's antics for one day. What can I do for you, Sano-kun?"

"Smile for me? This room could use more light."

He said is easily, his lopsided grin in place, and Sakura found herself unable to do anything but beam at him. "You're the biggest flirt I've ever met, you know that?"

He winked at her. "Only when it comes to you."

With flushed cheeks, Sakura crossed her arms across her chest, feigning indignation. "You came all the way to this little hideout of mine for a reason. State your business, Captain Harada."

He chuckled. "Aye, my lady. Kondou wants to see us. Says he's got a big announcement to make."

Immediately interested, Sakura hummed in understanding. "Big announcement? Are we finally kicking Itou and Miki out?"

"I hardly think so, but let us not lose hope."

Sakura sighed. "Aa. Let me grab my pouch, and we can be off."

"After you, my lady."

They walked to the new headquarters' main hall, a spacious room flooded with light from more than a dozen windows. By the time they arrived, most of the captains were already there along with a big chunk of the soldiers.

Sakura looked around curiously. "Huh, must be something big indeed. Nearly the whole organization is present."

"Heyo, Sakura-chan!"

The woman turned just as Nagakura threw an arm around her shoulders. "Shin-kun." Noticing someone else behind him, she smiled. "Hajime-kun."

"Sakura. Harada."

"Ne, Harada, do you have any idea what Chief wants?"

"Perhaps he finally realized what a bag of bricks you are, Nagakura, and means to kick you out while we celebrate."

"Shut the hell up, Souji, before I make you!"

Sakura shook her head at their antics but smiled, nonetheless. With Sano, and Souji and Shinpachi and all the other Shinsengumi around, it was easy to forget that she wasn't in Konoha. She hadn't felt homesick in a while, and if she were to be completely honest with herself, having to spend any amount of time away from these men seemed a lot more difficult a task than she cared to admit these days. They could be brash, and rough around the edges, but she wouldn't have them any other way.

"That's a pretty smile you got there, Pinky. Thinking of the last time you undressed me?"

Beside her, Sano coughed in his fist. "Last time she did what?"

Souji smirked. "Didn't you know, Harada? Pinky here made a habit of taking my clothes off every other day while you and the others were gone."

Beat red, Sakura whacked him on the head. "Souji!" Turning to Sanosuke, she clapped her hands in front of her in embarrassment. "This idiot here caught a nasty cold and because he didn't tell me in time, I had to arrange for multiple healing sessions to get his lungs to work properly again. The only thing he had to do was untie the front of his uniform!"

It was a mutual decision between Okita and herself to keep the true nature of his illness from the others. While he was no longer sick and not a single trace of his tuberculosis remained, he still wished to keep how close he came to death a secret. There was no doubt in both his and Sakura's minds that Kondou and the others would be upset if they ever found out.

A thoughtful look crossed Okita's face. "Huh, don't know about that. You got pretty hands-on."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the medic swatted him on the arm. "Oi, stop it. Otherwise, the next time my hands are on you, it will be to throttle you."

Souji shrugged, but the wide grin on his face told her the teasing was far from over. She was thankful when Nagakura finally managed to rope Okita and Saito into a conversation about the ronin, effectively taking his attention off her.

Sanosuke leaned closer to her ear. "Hands-on with Souji? I feel left out."

"Sano-kun, usually, when I put my hands on you, it's to heal you after you've stupidly gotten yourself injured."

"Oh, there are other ways."

The grin he sent her was wolfish, and it made her knees tremble. It took her a few seconds to find her voice, but the arrival of Kondou kept her from saying anything. It was probably for the better. With Sanosuke so close and so devilishly distracting, she couldn't be sure that she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself.

It should be a crime for a man to look so handsome without even trying…

"Settle down, settle down!"

Kondou's voice brought her back to reality and she turned her attention to him.

"By now, I imagine most of you have heard that Tokugawa Iemochi, the fourteenth Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, will be visiting out city of Kyoto. The Shinsengumi have been tasked with guarding him as he passes through the city on his way to Nijo Castle." His words were followed by excited whispering.

Sakura's eyes widened. Not only will the Shogun himself pass through here, but we will be his personal guard?

Nagakura seemed to share her thoughts. "What?! The Shinsengumi guards of the Shogun?!"

Sanosuke whistled. "That's one big promotion."

Hijikata chuckled. "Heh, too hard for them to ignore us after Ikeda and Hamaguri, huh? Our work's finally paying off."

"Guess you could say the fate of the country will be resting on our swords."

Well, Souji's not exactly wrong.

Toshizo clapped him on the back. "That's exactly it. You better be ready for it."

"Guarding the Shogun…" Takeda said thoughtfully, "That's one big role."

Beside him, Itou smiled his usual foxy grin. "Indeed. Rejoice, friends. We have been granted a great honor. This is the perfect opportunity for us to thrust our name into the forefront of the masses."

Kondou nodded. "We ought to get our assignments handed out. Toshi, Souji, and I will manage the troops that will escort the Shogun. Nagakura, Harada, and Saito, you three will be in charge of setting up a perimeter around Nijo Castle. No one goes in or out without permission or an escort."

The men nodded, excited grins splitting their faces.

Kondou turned to her. "Sakura, you're one of us, so I expect you to stand with us when we escort the Shogun to Nijo-jo."

For a moment, Sakura's eyes widened, stunned by the man's public proclamation. It was no secret that many of the captains already considered her one them. But there still were those who thought of her as an intruding foreigner who did not belong among their ranks. For Kondou to declare her a member of the Shinsengumi so openly…It dispelled any doubts regarding what her position in the organization was.

Her expression softened and she bowed her head respectfully. "Of course, Kondou-san. It would be my honor."

The man smiled kindly at her. "Good. Your task is probably one of the most important. Considering the circumstances, we need to make sure that we are prepared for everything. What materials do you need to set up a medical unit outside Nijo Castle?"

Sakura beamed at him. "Just a large tent, a few beds, and myself, Kondou-san."

"Excellent. Make us and your sensei proud."

"You have my word."

XxxOxOxOxxX

As Sakura found out, Nijo Castle was a place for the Shogun to stay on his way to the Capital, though it had been a while since the last time someone had stayed in it.

With the recent ronin activity, it was no wonder that everyone was on edge, and working extra hard on patrols. Since arriving at the Castle a few hours earlier, she'd only managed to catch glimpses of Sanosuke and the other captains.

Well, of course. They take their jobs very seriously.

Humming an old song under her breath, she went about putting the finishing touches on the makeshift infirmary. As she had told Kondou, a tent, a few beds and her chakra were the only things she needed.

She rummaged through her pouch, taking note of her supplies and what she'd have to restock at some point in the near future.

Bandages, sealing scrolls, soldier pills, ointment jars…

The ruffling of the ten's opening alerted her to the presence of someone else, and she turned to see who it was.

A young man – perhaps a year or two older than her – stood before her, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Um, good afternoon. Are you Haruno-san?"

Sakura put her pouch down and smiled. "That would be me. How can I help you?"

"I am Akuyaki Katsuo. I believe I injured my right leg during a training session and Chief Kondou directed me to you. May I trouble you with taking a look at it? With the Shogun here, I wouldn't want to be caught in a compromising situation."

"Yes, of course. Please, have a seat."

She directed him to a bed, taking note of the slight limb, and helped him sit down. She kneeled before him, and started massaging his leg. "Please let me know where it hurts."

"Have you been with the Shinsengumi for long, Haruno-san?"

"A few months now. I'm their resident medic."

"A medic?" the man said thoughtfully. "Aren't you medics extremely sought after? How do they manage to afford you?"

Sakura smiled at him kindly. "I am a doctor, Akuyaki-san. Proper care and medicine shouldn't be accessible only to those with enough coins in their pockets. After all, the Shinsengumi have dedicated their lives to the noblest of causes. They protect the public. I'm happy to aid them any way I can."

"Yes, of course. Forgive me, Haruno-san." He winced when she pressed a particular nerve in his calf. "Still," he continued, "word goes around regarding the Shinsengumi."

"Oh, really?" she said, feigning indifference. "What kind of nonsense rumors are circulating again?"

"Scary rumors, Haruno-san. People speak of white-haired monsters in Shinsengumi uniforms that kill mindlessly and drink the blood of their victims."

Sakura's eyes flashed but she kept her composure, continuing her examination. "Surely you don't believe unsubstantiated gossip, Akuyaki-san?"

"I don't know, Haruno-san. People talk. And when they speak of these monsters, they speak of something else too. A drink called Water of Life-"

In an instant, Sakura had a kunai pressed to the man's neck, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Who are you and who sent you?"

Akuyaki's – or whatever his true name was – eyes widened, and he vainly tried to put some distance between his jugular and the sharp blade of her weapon.

"I asked you two very simple questions. I hate repeating myself so don't make me say that a third time."

"I'm no one! I'm just a soldier!"

Sakura pressed her kunai harder, breaking the skin and drawing a thin line of blood. "Wrong answer. Lying won't get you very far with me so I advise you to reconsider your strategy."

"I swear, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Sakura chuckled darkly. "I am working really hard to see my village's alliance with the Shogun through and ensure the safety of all parties involved, including the Shinsengumi. It will be a cold day in hell before I allow anyone to stick their meddling noses in that. You come here knowing things no one but a few select individuals are supposed to know. So," she said, glaring at him, "you have thirty seconds to tell me the truth or your head rolls."

"Hey, Sakura-What in the world is going on here? S-Sakura, what are you doing?!"

Without breaking eye contact with her target, Sakura addressed Kondou. "Be careful, Kondou-san. I have reason to believe this man is a spy."

"That's not a spy!" the man behind her sputtered, causing her to glance at him over her shoulder in confusion.

"Then who-"

"That's the Shogun!"

You could hear a pin drop in the room as Sakura absorbed what Kondou had just said.

Holly hell…

Finally realizing who exactly it was she had just threatened, Sakura jumped back, and scrambled to bow low.

"Please forgive me, Seii Taishogun! I had no idea-"

To the utter bewilderment of both Kondou and Sakura, the Shogun threw his head back and laughed loudly. "My, Kondou! You did say your medic was spirited, but I never expected this. At ease, Haruno-san. You have pleased me greatly."

"Huh?" Sakura looked up at the man. She would have never guessed him to be the most powerful man in Kyoto. He's so young…So…unassuming.

Tokugawa smiled at her. "I've been wishing to meet you since Iba brought tidings of your presence in Kyoto. Let me tell you, getting my guards to agree to allow me to walk in here without them was a daunting task. As I understand it, you are here as an authority in the medical field, but we both know that your Hokage sent you here as a sign of good faith."

The woman nodded. "That is correct, Tokugawa-sama."

"Good. I admit, me posing as a soldier to meet you was also a form of test. I am sure you understand the need to make sure that one's potential allies are as dedicated as they proclaim to be. You have exceeded my expectations, Hauno-san. Please forgive my unorthodox methods."

Flushing to the roots of her hair, Sakura rushed to save herself from further embarrassment. "Tokugawa-sama! Please, do not apologize to me! I was the one who pressed a weapon to your neck-"

The man raised his hand to stop her. "You are the one who very readily protected your village's interests and by extension, my interests. I say that is commendable, Haruno-san, and proof that this alliance was the correct decision. It is my understanding that you were the one who proposed the new amendments to the alliance? Regarding the use of the formula?"

Sakura nodded nervously, suddenly worried that she might have overstepped her bounds. "Tokugawa-sama, that formula is death in a bottle. It robs men of their humanity-"

"I have been made aware of that, Haruno-san, make no mistake. Your Hokage was very thorough in his explanation and he offered very good alternatives. He also trusts you blindly. Which is why I have decided to accept the new terms, though please keep that to yourself for the time being."

Relief flooded her body, and she nodded. "Of course, Tokugawa-sama. My lips are sealed."

"Good! Now, would you mind healing this cut? I'm afraid blood will stain the uniform and I would hate to return it damaged to the poor soldier I borrowed it from."

Scrambling to her feet, Sakura pressed her glowing hand to the Shogun's neck.

Beside them, Kondou scratched the back of his head with a smile on his face.

XxxxX

Nagakura guffawed loudly as she recounted her meeting with the Shogun later that night.

"Damn it, Sakura-chan! I wish I was there to see!"

"Stop it, Shin-kun. It was not funny at all! I could have injured the Shogun. The Shogun!" She hid her face in her hands.

Souji snickered. "Oi, Harada, keep your woman in check or she might kill the Emperor next."

Sanosuke chuckled, throwing his arm around her shoulders, and pulling her closer. "Watch it, Souji, or I might let her unleash her wrath upon you instead."

"Cut it out, idiots! I can't handle any more embarrassment today!"

"You're too uptight, Pinky. You need to take care of that."

"Souji, cut it out this instant or so help me God, I will…"

She let the sentence die on her lips as a chill went down her spine.

Picking up on her change of demeanor, Sanosuke frowned and squeezed her shoulder. "Sakura? Are you alright?"

The hair at the back of her stood on edge, and without answering him, her gaze was drawn to the section of the roof not illuminated by the moon. There they stood. Three figures that Sakura wished she had never laid eyes on.

Oh no…

She immediately pulled out a kunai, a move that alarmed the captains around her. They followed suit and unsheathed their weapons, following the direction of her gaze.

The three figures jumped down from the roof, landing gracefully a few feet away from them.

"You!"

Kazama smirked, his red eyes glinting dangerously. "Hello, Sa-ku-ra. I have returned for you."

TBC

Heya people!

New chapter alert!

So, I got news. What if I told you that I couldn't help myself and I have already started writing a ChikageXSakura one-shot?

I can't help it! The guy's kind of an ass but I just love him!

So, stay tuned because that's coming soon.

Anyway, not much to say here.

Sakura is in a bit of a pinch now that Kazama's here and his little visit with her will be exposed. Oh, the drama!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

If it's not too much trouble, drop me a review. Reading your thoughts always makes my day.

Until next time,

Lots of love!