Saitou sighed looking at the sky. The rain was pouring down in sheets as it always did when there was blood in the streets of Kyoto. He hadn't asked for this assignment. He'd been told to take it, and now one of his officers was dead, sliced in two by the man who had fallen finally from Saitou's Gatotsu. Saitou hung his head, letting the rain wash over him. It was exactly like the Shinsengumi, the way it always ended up for one such as him.
Saitou picked up his jacket, smeared with blood from the fight, some of it from the villain he'd slain and some from his dying officer, and put it on. The blood would wash off his clothes, but not his soul. It was days like these in his line of work where the Meiji era weighed most heavily on his heart; when close colleagues and comrades, genuinely good and pure people died in the lines of duty. It was these days where he wrestled with kami sama and the conception of justice. It was these days where his life's philosophy Aku Zoku Zan was put to the test and weighed heavily in balance. Was it really worth all this suffering, all of this pain? Was justice truly just? Could he claim justice given freely from Kami sama ….and then this?
He sighed deeply, and made his way from the place of death, the smell of blood irritating his senses. He may have been a mibu wolf but senseless and cold death was something he did not enjoy. Other officers would be there soon enough to clean up the mess. Saitou merely wanted to be away from the violence and bloodshed at the moment. He made his way down the steps, wondering how many times he had come down from them in the days of the revolution with these same melancholy thoughts. Truly today was no different from one of his many days in the revolution, but bloodshed, even if one of purity died fighting, had been new to him, had seemed honorable. How naïve he had been then he thought with a snort of derision.
The rain came down harder, blowing a westernly wind right into his body. He ignored the chills he felt from the cold and the rain that continued to fall down upon him, and made his way down the streets of Kyoto. Not very many went out in the streets of Kyoto during the rain. Perhaps the people knew, from the days of the revolution that the rain meant blood and death on the streets. Smart of them, Saitou thought with a smirk that faded as he once again found the image of the police officer's face stuck in his mind. He had acted on impulse and had paid for it with his life. Damn it. Another one falls in the line of duty. Another death, that he, was technically responsible for, as a captain. Saitou's eyes closed, and he rounded the corner…
Bumping straight into One small Itachi girl.
"OW-!" The girl hit the road harshly, umbrella flying out of her grips and her bag of peaches tumbling to the ground.
"Ooouuu" She moaned, rubbing her head, as she looked straight into the eyes of the Mibu wolf.
Yellow eyes glanced at her casually, coldly even, watching her from her place on the floor.
"Oyeee,,, baka wolf! Watch where you're going!" She cried, getting to her feet, her fist shaking mud at him and splattering mud over her soaking gi. Saitou sighed.
"I don't have time to do this with you today Itachi" Saitou told her, picking up her peaches and placing them in the soaking bag. Fortunately for him the bag held them.
"Then you shouldn't have run into me!" She screeched as she grabbed her umbrella and jabbed it into his chest. Saitou eyed her wearily, eye brow arched, wishing he didn't have to deal with this annoyance. The look was not misplaced by the Itachi and she responded in turn, setting the umbrella down.
"Oooo I bet you did on purpose too, you cold, jerky, uncaring wolf! Hey-" She cried as Saitou shoved the bag into her arms and walked past her.
"OYE!" Misao cried, running after him. "Matte!" She cried.
"I told you I don't have time for your incessant moanings Itachi. I meant it" Saitou replied, waving off the annoying girl.
"Incessant moanings indeed!" Misao cried, indignant, as she jogged to keep up with the wolf.
"How convenient of you, Saitou, to run into me, then blame ME for bumping into you. You practically threw me to the ground and ruined my peaches! They're covered in dirt and mud now thanks to you! And now I'm soaked to the bone and it's entirely you're fault, but forgive these incessant moanings!" Misao cried.
Saitou sighed irritably and stopped, Itachi bumping into his back as he stopped sharply.
He dug some money out of his pockets. "Here, go buy yourself another bag and leave me in peace" He said tossing the money to the ground.
Misao's eyes narrowed. "I don't need your money baka! But I demand an apology for your behavior" She said.
Saitou ignored her and kept on walking. "OYEEE!" She cried after him, clutching the bag and the umbrella as she ran. "I'm not finished with you yet!" She cried jogging after him.
Saitou ground his teeth in frustration. "Don't you have something better to be doing? Like stalking Shinomori, or taking care of your perverted grandfather?" Saitou demanded.
"Ooooo! How dare you speak about Aoshi sama like that and-" She continued to prattle, following him all the way down the streets. He was starting to get funny looks from the few people who were on the road, but he ignored them. Itachi, however he couldn't ignore, as she steadily got louder.
"LOOK!" Saitou said, pulling her down an alley and pressing her to the wall. "I'm sorry about your ridiculous peaches, but I tried to give you money for them, and instead I have you stalk me all the way to my home. Go home Itachi" He ordered, tone deadpan and eyes dangerously sharp. His arms around her tightened emphasizing his point.
Misao glared directly into those eyes, not blinking for a moment. She wasn't afraid of him. He realized the grip he had on her arms, pinning her to the wall and let go, sighing as he made his way down the streets, but still furious.
Misao growled, and followed after him, wet braid trailing behind her.
"Just what the hell is your problem today Saitou?!" She yowled very much like a cat. Saitou cringed and scowled. Would she just leave him in peace?
"I thought I told you to go away" He told her, making his way to the cemetery as he pulled a flower from the rapidly growing bushes in Kyoto.
She would have appreciated the color and the weather today, he thought grimly. She'd have been laughing at him for his gray and sullen mood, he thought eyes closing in sorrow. He doubted Itachi would follow him all the way to her grave. Although she's stubborn enough to he thought irritably.
"You still haven't apologized and I'm not leaving till you-" She stopped as Saitou made his way into the graveyard. Perhaps it was idle curiosity, an amusement to bother him, perhaps it was her pride too, but she wasn't going to allow him to get away without apologizing to her. She had paused, but made her way inside the graveyard mumbling her fervent prayers to the dead. Saitou kneeled at the grave, touching his gloved hand to the headstone filled with beautiful kanji. Misao watched, a few yards back, but said nothing. He laid the flower by the grave and she thought she could hear the distinct name, Tokio, being spoken.
She hadn't realized he visited his wife's headstone every day. She had, of course, heard about his wife's untimely death and made sure that the Oniwabanshuu sent and offered their condolences for his grief. She had remembered signing paperwork for her plot of land in the cemetery to help unburden Saitou with that miniscule task, but hadn't really been involved in much of the details that went through the death and proper death rites of his wife.
Misao wandered down to the headstones they had made for her friends. Her friends actual burial site was still somewhere near Tokyo, but she had wanted to be connected to them in a way…anyway really, and had insisted they put headstones up in Kyoto, the Oniwaban's true home so that they could return, in a sense to Kyoto. She kneeled by their graves and offered her blessings and wishes to her dearly departed friends. She also offered up a wish for Aoshi to someday let go of their deaths. For someone as smart as he was he still couldn't get over their deaths. For some reason he thought he was responsible for it, when they had willing offered up their lives, dying as true warriors should, in the heat of battle and with honor. Misao could only hope for such a death, as opposed to dying from crippling joints and bones or disease.
She sat up and noticed Saitou was making his way out of the graveyard and she followed hot in pursuit, still clutching the wet bag of peaches. Saitou rolled his eyes as he made his way from the graveyard.
"Don't think that this is over simply because I allowed you a moment's peace in the graveyard Saitou. I still demand my apology." She cried as she followed after him.
"I gave you an apology already Itachi. Are you as daft as you are deaf?" Saitou snapped.
"You didn't mean it!" She snapped in reply.
"How the hell would you know that?" Saitou retorted.
"Your tone and the way you carry yourself says everything Saitou. Now I'll ask you again, what the hell is your problem today?" Misao said.
Saitou rolled his eyes and kept on towards his empty home…the home he had shared with her for only a little while, until she died. His heart briefly kindled the loneliness he'd felt at her death. But even that loneliness was starting to fade, and he wondered if anything would ever truly stay with him…besides the annoying Itachi following after him.
"Saitou! Did you not hear me? It's rude to ignore people, ya know?" She cried, jogging after him.
"I think the dead could hear you Itachi" Saitou said sarcastically as he made his way down the roads of Kyoto again.
"Good! I wonder what the dead would have to say about you, Saitou!" She said, green eyes narrowed.
That certainly grabbed Saitou's attention and he was tired of making condolences for her blithe tongue. He grabbed her arm hauling her in to an abandoned alley.
"You go too far Misao" He told her, amber eyes narrowed dangerously as he pulled her to the back of a building. He pinned her only way of escape with his own body, dangerously close to her.
"Take it back or I will take insult" He demanded, eyes harsh as they glared down at the small weasel of a woman.
Misao's eyes took on an interesting shade of green as they peered back at him, still narrowed, but also widened in surprise.
"That's what's eating you. Someone died today, didn't they?" She asked smugly. Saitou's eyes widened in surprise and fury and he whirled on his heels, refusing to acknowledge her. Until she latched onto his arm.
"Wait!" She cried, with a pull. Saitou paused, his ki rising with his fury. All he had wanted to do was get away from the annoying girl and now she was being even more of a nuisance than before. She felt the rise of ki but refused to let go.
"Who was it?" She asked softly, voice delicate and surprisingly reserved. If only she would let go of his arm…..
"Saitou?" She asked softly again. He didn't know why he still stood there. The wolf in him said to take his arm from her, leave her, and get out of the rain. But he could no more leave her, a young girl in the streets of Kyoto, in the rain either. He sighed as he looked up at the sky and cursed the gods for his luck. He closed his eyes again.
"A good police officer. No one you knew." His own voice surprised him. He hadn't actually intended on answering her. She paused, assimilating the information.
"I'm sorry for your loss"
Saitou whirled on her, eyes fierce and hot as he glared at her, pinning her again to the wall, The weasel squeaked in surprise and fell back against the wall, those amber eyes burning her in their intensity. He was so very close to her. She swallowed, not moving for an instant as she looked deep into those eyes.
Saitou had expected sarcasm, had been ready to reply in turn. He hadn't expected what he saw in those eyes, the eyes of an innocent. The little itachi girl's eyes held the knowledge of loss and sorrow, and a depth of compassion he had never seen. His eyes widened then narrowed again. She had lost her friends in the Oniwabanshuu to Shinomori's stupidity. Saitou's arms dropped to his side, and he sighed looking up into the rain, allowing it to pour down his face. The gray fog swirled around them, the rain falling through it.
Then he heard the bag of peaches drop to the floor and felt the little Itachi girl's body connect with his. It nearly threw him off balance as he felt her small arms wrap around his torso tight, her head pressing to his chest. Startled, but still composed, he looked down at her. Apparently she'd grown some since the Kyoto incident with Shishio. Still surprised by her actions, hugging him so boldly, in such a place, with the rain falling down, he welcomed the warmth of her body, the touch of another human being. He had been so alone…so terribly alone…. for so long. He wanted…no needed the contact, and so his arms wrapped around her, despite himself and his own mind's retort.
"I'm truly sorry for your loss…but you don't have to push people away Saitou! You're human and you're allowed to feel for the loss of friends and comrades, especially in battle! They fight and died with honor! And you're not responsible for that" Her head shot up as she rebuked the startled police officer.
A smug tugged at the corner of his lips as he looked down upon the girl, glaring up at him with her hands on her hips now. Apparently she'd forgotten what an intimate position they'd been in, to scold him so.
"Aah" He replied his eyes dancing with laughter as he looked down on her.
"I'm serious Saitou! You've lost so much in your life and just because you're a jerk and a wolf doesn't mean you cant…caaannt…ACHOO!" She cried as she sneezed.
Itachi was going to get sick in this weather, he thought sullenly. Since she had unknowingly done him a favor, simply by being another decent human being and hugging him, he would return the favor in kind.
"C'mon Itachi girl. I'll walk you home" He told her. She scowled at him. "I'm serious Saitou" She whined with a stamp of her foot.
"Your peaches are ruined" He pointed out, changing the subject as the girl looked upon the bag. The bag had torn and ripped up, peaches smashed and gooey in the puddle of water and mud.
"My PEACHES!" She cried, causing Saitou to wince. "Oooo!" She wailed, shaking her sopping hair in the rain.
Saitou sighed. "I'll get you some more damned peaches too…Let's just get out of this kami forsakened rain" He told her simply.
"Really?" Her eyes brightened and her smile returned, warming her face. She really was an attractive young woman, a thought that he brushed aside.
"Yes, really" He said regrettably with a sigh.
"You know Saitou, you remind me a lot of Aoshi sama" Misao said, startling the wolf that walked alongside her, as she opened up her umbrella.
"W-what?" He retorted. "How so?" He demanded, irritated to be compared to the ice block.
She turned and smiled at him, holding her umbrella close. "You both are so cold on the outside" She said with an amused glimmer in her eyes. He scowled at her.
"But it's because you have to protect your warm hearts" She said, her smile radiating.
Saitou was taken back by the clarity in her words. So this was the power the small girl had over the Oniwabanshuu and the icicle and the rurouni and friends. She could see beyond the charades people put up, straight to the heart and soul of the matter of people. She lived her life passionately, albeit annoyingly, but Saitou couldn't fault her for that. He too lived his life with passion. It made him wonder what else he had written off about the girl walking at his side and gave him half a curious desire to find out. Saitou tucked the moment into his heart and memory, and offered the smaller girl his arm as they made their way back to the Aoiya.
"And don't forget my apology" She told him, glaring up at him as she took his arm surprisingly. She walked with the dignity of an Okashira, Saitou thought as he watched her parade alongside him. Saitou grinned, his soul lifting from his dark place as they bantered their way down the streets.