Hakuouki in its entirety belongs to IDEA Factory; Kawa belongs to me.

'In order for us to carry on, this is a path we can't simply skirt around.'

Her brow furrowed slightly at the words that hung on in the back of her mind, sighing quietly as she trudged past the back room where the dishes were washed.

At noticing a head of blue hair present inside the room, she paused and backtracked to stand near the doorway, knocking on the frame, meeting the younger boy's orange eyes with a kind smile. "Need some help?" She wondered.

Briefly surprised at her gesture, he returned the smile, albeit weakly, and glanced at the dishes again, "if you don't mind drying them." He replied.

The younger Hijikata shook her head softly and shuffled into the room, catching the cloth he tossed and beginning to dry the dishes. "Sorry for popping in like that, I was bored and the boys were busy again." She apologized with a slight laugh.

"And you wanted to keep your hands busy," Ibuki surmised calmly, seeing her nod and then stack the dishes on the free counter space, handing her a cup.

Kawa smiled a little at the shine the dry cup earned from her drying, thinking back to the meeting held the other night and frowning a little.

Would he have him killed as well? Surely the Aizu didn't include his subordinates when giving them the order to kill that man…

"You alright, you seem pretty quiet..?" The bluenette asked, stirring her from her thoughts.

She blinked before shaking her head and smiling for him, "yeah, I'm fine." She glanced at the dishes she'd dried and huffed quietly. "Did he ask you to wash these, then?" She dared ask.

Ibuki chuckled wryly, "not really, Inoue-san asked. Though something's been up with Serizawa-san lately." His slightly light expression faltered as his orange eyes lowered.

"What is it, now?" Kawa wondered, tilting her head to the side slightly.

His orange eyes glanced past her at the doorway of the room before meeting her gray eyes. "You won't tell Hijikata-san or Okita-san, right?" At seeing her single nod he quietly filled her in on what had been ailing his "master", about the incident at Shimabara and then the night prior when he'd threatened to kill him for speaking about what was ailing him…

She nodded again and placed the second-to-last dish on the counter. "He's too proud to tell anyone, then. I swear men are so damn pig-headed it's annoying…" She exhaled and crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at the doorway. "Now I have reason to pity him. Look, don't act stupid and mention that to anyone else, especially my brother." She thought back to what had been said the night prior and her scowl deepened into a frown.

He nodded. "Right. Um, promise that you won't mention it either?" He looked at her imploringly.

Blinking once, she huffed and then smiled softly, finishing drying the last dish and putting it on the counter before poking his forehead. "I wouldn't be a woman of my word if I spilled the beans to the boys, baka-inu." She winked, chuckling when he shooed her hand away, flustered.

"D-don't call me that," Ibuki stammered indignantly.

Kawa laughed quietly and smirked, patting his head. "Lighten up for once, will you? I'm not my brother." She chided gently, turning to head out of the room.

"And I'm glad for that; thanks for helping, though the forehead-thing wasn't called for." He replied.

She smiled over her shoulder at him and nodded. "Don't mention it, Ibuki-kun." She said, slipping out into the hall and leaving him be.

::::::x|x::::::

"You're nuts," he deadpanned.

She scrubbed annoyedly at a stain on her blade. "Being around you has its downfall. Why should we kill him too? He's just a boy, and besides, he's not the target. That man is." She remarked quietly.

He scowled slightly at her, sheathing his short sword. "You know he won't go through with it." He reminded, indicating her brother.

"I know, but it doesn't make sense to kill both of them. Niimi is gone already, and he was the more loyal acolyte to him; Ibuki doesn't deserve such a fate. I don't think he does." She stated, meeting his green stare.

Souji scoffed and rubbed his neck, "S' your funeral, trying to reason with him. He's as bull-headed as you are, and that's especially so when it comes to gettin' orders from Aizu." He declared.

Kawa sighed and sheathed her katana, straightening to place it against the wall near her futon. "Don't remind me; between the both of you, it's hard to keep my sanity around here." She mused blandly, turning to meet his lazy stare.

"Give it another year, you'll get used to it." He huffed, smirking slightly at the pout forming on her lips.

She rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "Doubt it; I'd have to kill one of you two morons…" She yelped when he tugged on her sash and pulled her down gently to her knees, kissing her neck softly.

Souji chuckled at hearing her mumbled curses in the collar of his haori, his arms tightening around her waist as he nibbled. "Quit frownin', princess; besides, you weren't complainin' that night we came back from Gion-Shinchi." He reminded in a purr, feeling her squirm and cling to him despite her weak protests, pulling back to smirk at her flustered face.

Kawa growled under her breath and pinched his cheek, rearing back to cross her arms. "You're such a pervert," she grated.

His green eyes danced with amusement as he cupped her cheek gently, tracing his thumb over her cheekbone. "You love me regardless, babe." He hummed.

She blushed prettily and snorted in an un-ladylike manner, looking away. "Shut up." She pretended he didn't laugh quietly at her retort, the blush deepening.

"It ain't right for the chief and vice-commander to be at each other's throats, now is it?"

Her eyes gauged the miniscule stare-down between her brother and that man, paused in eating a clump of rice.

The older of the two huffed quietly and complied reluctantly, "Very well; if that's the case, then I'll drink heartily." He mused.

Shoulders slumping in relief, she looked at her uneaten food and focusing her attention on it.

Even with the brief show of childish games from both Shinpachi and Heisuke, the night passed by like any normal night at dinner, a relief as well as a rather peculiar sight.

"…Have you had your fill of sake then?" Sannan-san asked, breaching the calmness of the dining room, glancing at the older man to his right.

"Yeah," Serizawa nodded as he straightened steadily to his feet.

Toshi huffed, "in that case, I'll be headed back as well."

Souji and Kawa briefly shared a look before nodding.

"Sounds good," the former complied as he stood, offering a hand to the latter who wordlessly took it and straightened.

"Then I'll go as well," Sannan-san chimed as he also stood and followed his fellow vice-commander out.

As the bluenette began to hasten and finish his meal, his "master" reprimanded him calmly, "you can stay behind; take your time to finish up."

"But…" He began.

She smiled innocently at him over her shoulder, "don't fret and just finish eating, Ibuki-kun." She declared before being dragged away by the lanky arm around her shoulders of her lover.

The rain seemed to calm, even if only for a moment.

::::::x|x::::::

Thunder growled loudly in the clouded sky that wept.

"Kawa, stick close to Souji and myself, and don't do anything reckless." He ordered as they went over the layout plan, looking at her and meeting her gray eyes.

She thought back to the earlier conversation with Souji hours prior to the dinner at Shimabara and held his stare, "right. The sooner we get this done, the better." She agreed quietly, throwing a glance at the rainy night and furrowing her brow slightly.

Ibuki, don't show up, for God's sake, don't come here…

"Let's move." Her brother declared to those gathered before the pack of six rushed out into the courtyard to take their positions.

Inoue-san and Sano remained near the trees at the back of his room as guards while Souji and Sannan-san took the back entrance to the room and Kawa and Toshi took the front entrance with the former at her brother's back as a second hand; the latter hesitated briefly before throwing the front door open as both Souji and Sannan-san threw open the back door.

He stood in the middle of the room with his katana in hand, gray eyes on the violet scowl of the head of his assassination pack; he had been ready and waiting for this.

"So you've finally come; took you long enough!" Serizawa huffed.

A sharp clap of thunder snarled behind them as lightning danced across the sky, illuminating the corpse of a woman near his feet.

Kawa and Toshi glanced at the poor woman before the latter gritted his teeth and drew his katana as his sister mirrored him with a slight growl in her throat.

Why did she have a feeling that he'd known?

"You've gone too far, Serizawa-san. For the sake of the Shinsengumi, you must die." Toshi stated grimly as he, Souji, Sannan-san and Kawa tensed slightly where they stood.

Serizawa scoffed quietly, "You think you can kill me? What a hilarious joke!"

Toshi's violet glare tightened, "This ain't a joke; I'd never draw my sword for show or fun. For the Shinsengumi, I'll commit any crime… I'll even become an oni from hell!" He snapped as he raised the blade a smidge.

A grin formed, "is that right… do you really think you can become an oni? You dare make that claim!" He lifted the blade high before swinging it down.

Catching the descending blade, he glowered up at his grinning face even as thunder snarled loudly beyond them in the blackened skies of the night as they clashed, blades screeching shrilly against each other.

"SERIZAWA-SAN!" A familiar cry resounded from the courtyard, briefly catching the only woman present off guard, as she glanced behind her to see Inoue holding back a struggling and squirming Ibuki.

You damn fool!

"Stop it; why're you doing this!?" Ibuki shouted even as he fought the tight grip of his senior, orange eyes flying from one Hijikata to the other, to Souji and Sannan-san that were also present and spectators.

"Bakkero Ibuki; why the hell did you come here!" Toshi snarled at him between blocking the strikes, rendered on the defense before retaliating sharply.

Kawa shut her eyes tight and cringed even when she heard him dragging Inoue-san behind him as he neared the porch, "Please stop, I'm begging you; he's fighting an illness! Kawa-chan, Kawa-chan knows! TELL HIM!" He shouted.

Why the hell didn't you tell me this, Kawa? He clenched his teeth and briefly spared a glance over his shoulder at his sister standing closest to the doors, her eyes darkened slightly as the lines of a grimace marred her pretty face.

"I know, but that doesn't change what the hell the Aizu ordered; Serizawa has to die, Ryunosuke!" Kawa said, looking at the hurt light in his eyes as her brow crumpled into a sad frown and she mouthed 'I'm sorry'.

Forgive me, Ibuki-kun.

"Even if he has an illness, so what! Each of us have reached the point where there's no turning back!" Toshi exclaimed, having momentarily evaded a would-be surprise blow from his opponent before shoving back against his much larger form and nicking his left wrist.

Serizawa glanced down at the bleeding injury and narrowed his eyes with a strange light in his beady gray stare, "Stupid mongrel; you're such a handful!" He berated even as he held something small in his left hand's grip.

Those present perked up alertly when noticing it was a vial of Ochimizu, their blood running cold for the briefest nanosecond when he downed the contents of the small container before swinging his arm out and tossing the vial out into the courtyard.

"Fuck." Souji and Kawa hissed in chorus even as the former ground out, "this's gonna be a real hassle, now."

A dark laugh erupted from the transformed Serizawa Kamo as he grinned at the quartet with blazing red eyes, gripping the handle of his katana lightly. "Aren't going to attack? Then I'll be the one to initiate the attack first!" He lashed out at Toshi, katana clashing with his own before he shoved hard and sent him flying to land on the porch.

"Nii-san!" She barked even as Sannan-san flew at him and was thrown back, crashing into the far wall, watching him step out into the rain with a chuckle rising into the air.

"You can't defeat me that easily." Serizawa jeered, red eyes gleaming, as he neared the bluenette and lifted him by the grip on his throat, glaring, "the mere idea of a wretch like you saving my life makes me sick with disgust!" He growled.

"Ryunosuke!" Heisuke exclaimed as Sano flew forward and was sent flying with a sharp kick from the oversized Rasetsu; "Harada!" Ibuki gasped as he wriggled and vainly tried to get free.

Souji flew at him from inside the room only to have the wind knocked out of him when Serizawa delivered a sharp fist to his gut, flying back to land in the wet grass with a muffled 'thud'.

"Bastard!" Kawa snarled as she bolted forward from helping her brother to his feet, plowing her right foot hard into his neck from behind, forcing the behemoth to drop the bluenette and momentarily become disoriented.

Ibuki coughed and hacked for air, gasping. "K-Kawa-chan…!"

"Run, you idiot; RUN!" She cried before being slapped hard with his larger hand across the face and sent skidding back.

Gritting his teeth at the scene, the bluenette scrambled away to duck by the trees and watch the scene play out.

Serizawa lifted the younger Hijikata by the scruff, holding her high as she growled and wriggled in his grip, glaring angrily into his gleaming red eyes. "You're just like your brother and these pathetic whelps you consider friends… Weak, and worthless! Just like a common whore." He sneered, grinning up at the struggling woman.

Baring her teeth slightly, she tensed the muscles in her legs before her gray eyes met his red and she cracked a grin. "Is that the best you've got…?" She asked dryly, ramming both sets of toes into his groin, hitting him right where it would hurt any male –human or Rasetsu—and grimacing when he dropped her to elicit a low snarl of pain from his hurting jewels.

Lifting up her katana, Kawa glared hard at the lightly-injured Rasetsu, gray eyes cold and deadly, a dead-ringer for her brother's infamous glares in the heat of battle. "Quit bitching about your damaged balls and stay still so I can rip your head off your damn shoulders." She growled, watching him regain his composure –as minimally-sane as it was—and face her, his own katana held in hand.

Serizawa roared a battle cry as he flew at her, dispelling the tension that had perched between them, blades clashing and unlocking repeatedly as he easily put her on the defense, swinging down hard on the younger Hijikata.

Kawa dug her heels into the slick ground and glowered up at his beady red eyes, grunting forcibly as she shoved him off roughly, flying at him and sending a round of fury swipes at his face and arms, blood flying when her swipes made contact; she found an opening on his belly and made to take it when he sent a foot crashing into her own gut, knocking the wind out of her as he sent her flying, katana dropping from her hands.

"Foolish brat, dreaming you could even wield a sword when you're so fucking weak…!" He lunged at the woman as she sat up slightly, rubbing her right temple gingerly.

"Kawa-chan!" Heisuke and Ibuki shouted.

A katana stabbed into his gut from behind, halting the Rasetsu; he glanced over his shoulder at the owner of the blade; her eyes sharpened.

"Don't ever lay a finger on my woman." Okita Souji growled frostily, green eyes deadly as he held his stare.

"Souji," Kawa breathed softly.

Taking advantage of the distracted behemoth, Toshi released a brief battle cry and rammed his own blade into his heart, halting life in the courtyard.

Rain beat down on the scene as thunder growled softly in the distance.

"This is for the best… Well done." Serizawa rasped quietly, red eyes on the tight violet stare of the newly-christened Oni-Fukuchou, a sad light entering his gleaming stare.

Both men yanked their blades out sharply, letting the felled Rasetsu drop to the ground with a loud and muffled 'thud'.

Kawa jumped slightly when a familiar hand touched her marred cheek, looking into his slightly-weary green eyes, not seeing him sheathe his katana and come to her side, crouching on one knee infront of the slightly-dazed Hijikata woman. "Souji." She said quietly, her own gaze softening as she raised a hand to hold his own.

"It's over." Souji mused in the same tone, gingerly helping her to her feet, brushing wet locks of hair from her face, smirking softly.

Toshi turned his gaze away from the relieving sight of his sister still standing to the slightly distraught and confused expression on the bluenette's face. "Not exactly." He pointed out, watching the boy's orange eyes leave the sight of his felled "master" to quickly lock on his pointed violet stare, slightly lifting his katana.

"No, Toshi!" Kawa scrambled to dive between them, extending her arms wide to prevent any harm from befalling the boy, surprising him as well as her brother.

"Step aside, Kawa." He ordered, seeing her square her shoulders and hold his stare tightly in her own, a defensive light shining prominently in her gray orbs. "Yasakawa!"

She furrowed her brow into a scowl. "I won't! Ibuki didn't know, he didn't know we were ordered by Aizu to kill Serizawa… They didn't order you to kill him too, did they? Just Serizawa? Why should we be forced to kill Ibuki too!?" Her voice had risen to a shout even as she dug her heels into the ground beneath her and kept up her defensive front against him.

"Don't act like such a child, Yasakawa! Our orders were…" Toshi snapped.

"I know what your orders were, you told us all about that last night! He's just a kid, Toshizou…" Her eyes hardened, resembling his trademark glare in less than seconds. "You're going to have to kill me to get to him." She vowed coldly.

His violet eyes widened alertly at her words; he heard Souji growl behind him.

Why did she have to be so damn reckless…?

"Yasakawa…" He began quietly, the sternness in his face he usually showed slowly fading and making him appear his actual age, the thought of bringing harm to his spitfire beauty of a sister making his insides freeze up in horror, keeping his stare on her stubborn and adamant face.

Tension filled the silence between them as the thunder died down at last, leaving a light drizzle to hit their exposed skin and heads of hair.

Finally allowing the mask to return to grace his handsome face, Toshi scowled a little. "Fine, he can stay." He saw surprise register in her face before her shoulders slumped in relief. "Since you're the one who stuck up for him, you're to look after him and keep him under your thumb. Train him how to use a sword, as well… we can't have a member of the Shinsengumi be witless when it comes to wielding a blade. Am I understood?" He saw her straighten swiftly, looking the part of a willing soldier; he inwardly smirked.

"Hai!" Kawa nodded solemnly.

Nodding curtly in response, he flicked his wrist and sheathed his katana, noting relief and happiness lighten her pretty face and make her seem more matured than she already was. "My sister just took a huge risk for your neck: if you slip up even once, you're dead. Got it, Ibuki?" He added to the dazed bluenette, violet eyes scowling at him as he straightened up sharply and slightly flinched under his scowl.

"U-um, right! Thank you, Hijikata-san!" Ibuki yelped as he started walking away.

"Thank her instead, boy." Toshi barked over his shoulder, not looking back as he continued to his room.

Ryunosuke slumped his shoulders and exhaled in slight relief, yelping again when being bombarded with a bear-hug from both Heisuke and Sano.

Kawa smiled at the scene of the flustered boy, shaking her head softly. Always did like a happy ending, she thought.

"You're an idiot," Souji grumbled as he pinched her unmarred cheek reproachfully, making her squeak and then swat his hand away, pouting up at him; he smirked amusedly at her pouting lips before slinging his arm around her waist, pulling her to his chest with a sigh. "But you're beautiful that way." He mused, smiling at her blushing face.

She pushed on his chest gently to pull away from being so close, blushing again. "Love you too… h-hey, Souji!" She squeaked again when he slipped his free arm under her legs and used his arm around her waist to scoop her up from the ground, her arms latching onto his neck and holding herself to him tightly like a scared cat. "Y-you overgrown…"

He laughed quietly and grinned down at his captive and flustered lover, sighing. "Come on, it's been a long night." He declared leisurely, turning about to carry her to her room.

"Damn you, Souji!" Kawa complained, yelping when he groped her ass lightly.

Souji grinned like the Cheshire cat at her blushing face, ignorant to the numerous sweatdrops on his friends' brows that watched the couple leave the courtyard.

review please, thanks. and thanks for the favs/follows to those of you who've faved/followed.