I do not own Hakuouki or it's characters, Kasumi is mine though!
Unfortunately this chapter is long over due :( Delayed = Life happened.
I hope you enjoy it though, this fanfic has grown from a planned 9 chapter tale to...well I'm not sure, it keeps on growing. It's just as much a journey for me as it is for anyone who reads it. I can however say that a fateful meeting will take place soon :D :D
Chapter 10
Five days had passed since Okita waited under the tree, the last three marked with the lack of a green vial and it's soothing fire . Okita clearly felt the disease in his lungs again, the painful gargle in his deeper breaths causing him to feel intensely nauseous.
A forlorn expression beset his face as he stared out the window at the courtyard outside, the snow was all but gone now and most of the plants and trees were painted in their respective colours. For all the beauty, he was blinded, his heart aching more than the illness in his lungs.
At first he had believed she had not cared to meet him, but as the days passed and there was no nightly visit or potion, his fear for her increased. Now he had convinced himself that she was in danger and he was helpless, he did not even know her face, let alone her name, he could do nothing for her. A harsh sigh left his lips as he slammed his palm on the windowsill. Frustrated.
Asuka lightly skipped into view, Nagakura following close behind, since the festival night they had been near inseparable, clearly infatuated with each other.
"At least that worked out." Okita whispered to himself. He watched as Nagakura made her giggle in delight with a mere sentence, she gave him a meaningful smile before she wrapped her arms around his waist, he threw a quick glance around the courtyard before gently curling an arm around her shoulder, they strolled towards the solitary bench on the far side of the courtyard, adamant not to be seen by the other Shinsengumi.
Where are you? Are you safe? These questions milled in Okita's mind, making any other thought nearly impossible. One thing he knew for sure: who ever she was, she was capable of getting herself in grave trouble. His mind conjured multitudes of grim scenarios, all ending in blood, her blood.
His thoughts were interrupted by an excited shout from the courtyard, Asuka's voice piercing the blue sky like a lance.
Okita's attention was drawn to the large gate opening, letting Heisuke and a clearly limping Susumu through. Asuka ran up to greet her friends, excited and alarmed by Susumu's struggling gait.
A frantic flutter of arms ensued as Asuka overreacted to Susumu's injuries, even from afar she tired him and Okita let out yet another sigh as he watched Susumu untangle himself from her clumsy aiding hands.
Slowly he moved from his windowed view, strained footsteps leading him to the common room where he was sure all would gather soon, Susumu's news would be important and even in his depressed state, Okita could feel the urgency that now filled the air.
/
"Ouch, fuck!" Kasumi complained as the old woman pulled the wrappings tighter around her abdomen.
"Now my dear, watch your tongue" the woman chastised with a smile.
"Easy for you to say, oba-chan" she muttered under painful breaths.
Shinji could only smile as he listened to the two women, hidden, he stood on the closed side of the tent, the conversation taking him back to a time when he was the one grumbling in pain.
- x -
He had lived on the farm all 14 years of his life, used to hard labour and heavy punishment, he was strong for his years, with this knowledge he strolled onto the training grounds, radiating misguided confidence.
He came to a halt at his designated spot in the clearing and trailed his eyes over his likely opponents, they all looked weak in his eyes and a grin spread across his face as he felt his confidence grow tenfold. "I'll crush you all, privileged weaklings."
The day's bouts started, testing skill, endurance and strength.
He watched as, one by one, the candidates were pitted against each other, culling the weak from the strong, the tacticians from the brutes, each match ending with a bloodied loser and an elated victor.
"Kanzaki Shinji...Kanzaki Shinji?" it took him a few moments to realise that he was being called, his newly assumed identity still unfamiliar to him.
He stepped forward, beaming confidence as he slowly removed his shirt to reveal his lean, hardened muscles.
"Kasumi-chan" the instructor called.
From the crowd a girl appeared, tall and beautiful, Shinji could only stare as she came closer to the fighting ring. She stopped in the center of the rough bloodied patch of earth, staring him in the eye, only then did he realise they meant him to fight her.
"I...I can't..." he stammered. "She's...a she, girl, I mean." he shook his head in disbelief.
A rich laugh came from her lips and filled the air with it's sweet music, her left eyebrow arched as she looked at him with a grin on her face.
"You afraid...boy?" she teased. "Afraid I might beat you?"
"No!" he shouted. "It's just that...well you're a girl." Shinji felt rage building in his veins as he looked at the over confident girl in front of him.
"My...you are observant" she chuckled. "Now come! I don't want to miss lunch." she ordered as she took a defensive stance.
"I...can't" he shouted.
"Fine then!" she shouted back.
As nimble as a cat, she launched her body from her defensive position into a full on assault, before Shinji could react her feet connected squarely with his chest, he felt his knees buckle as the air was forced from his lungs, the side of her palm connected with his neck moments later and a final blow came to his nose before darkness took him.
As his body connected with the red sand of the ring, he could hear her laugh again, a gasp escaped the surrounding crowd.
That moment had taught him never to underestimate the enemy and never be over confident.
Later she came to him and gave him a sympathetic, if excrutiating pat on the back.
"Don't let it get you down, I cheated." she whispered in his ear, gave him a sly wink and jumped from her seat like a gazelle. As he watched her leisurely stroll away, he knew she had lied, she had not cheated.
That moment Kasumi stole his heart.
- x -
"I'm fine oba-chan, stop fretting." Shinji recognized the annoyance in her voice, also the lie. Kasumi was in pain and most probably she was not fine, something besides her broken bones was troubling her.
Shinji's frown marred his face as is thoughts returned to the name she had called out in her pain-filled haze.
"Okita" he growled to himself.
Feeling his temper rise he made to leave, determined to find this man.
I will find you and I will rid Kasumi of you.
/
"Hijikata-dono, Kondo-Shushou." Susumu bowed down slowly, never one to forget his manners.
"Please Susumu, don't strain yourself, get up." Kondo ordered, worry clear in his tone.
"Yes Shushou" Susumu grunted as he tried to straighten his aching body.
"What news do you bring?" Hijikata's voice was strained and carried a strange high pitch as he asked, the tension of the last few days showing itself in earnest.
"It...I...I lost half of my team..." Susumu's head fell despondently, silence filling the room. Hijikata winced as he saw the heartache and disappointment in Susumu's face, his friend was broken, in more ways than one.
"Tell us Susumu-san." Kondo's voice broke the silence with distinct sympathy, it amazed Hijikata how this man, his captain, could convey so much in a mere sentence, no long meetings or speeches were ever needed, Kondo-dono just combined all of their thoughts in two words, and gave Susumu exactly what he needed.
I have much to learn before I am ready to be a commander , Hijikata thought to himself as he listened to Susumu's report.
Shock. Anger. Worry.
Hijikata felt all of these as Susumu's report unfolded. A quick glance across the room told him that his captains, friends felt the same. The silence that followed was deafening as they all digested what they had been told.
"As a last resort..." Susumu spoke up again, his report seemingly not over. "...the Shogunate has ordered a full offensive against the Mori Clan, starting 8 days from now." another stunned silence.
"All troops and operatives will meet at the eastern border of the Province Aki, where more detail orders will be given by the Shogunate representatives." Susumu bowed slightly to his leaders, indicating that his report was done.
"...Toshi..."
"Yes Shushou?"
"Get the men ready, we travel in four days, as the sun rises...Okita, Saito, Harada, stay here for a few moments." with that Hijikata sprang into action, barking orders even before he had left the room, his heart pounding in his chest.
The three Shinsengumi were left staring at their leader, now a complete different man to the one of a few minutes before, his grim face set with an unknown determination.
"Susumu?" Kondo looked at the last of the unsummoned Shinsengumi still in the room, his brow raised in question.
"I shall gather my operatives Shushou, we will need their skills, I will meet you at the border."
A faint flicker of a smile flitted over Kondo's face. "You are a strong man Susumu-dono, even after your loss, your injuries, you are still willing to sacrifice more. Let that be an example to all Shinsengumi."
Susumu bowed his head in awe as he realised the honour he had just been bestowed. "I will leave at day break Shushou."
Kondo nodded a smile as Susumu limped from the room. "Now...shall we begin with assessing what we have?" Kondo turned to his men, resolute.
