6. Confrontation

When Yamano and Matsumoto arrived at the Katagiri home, they were greeted by the sight of a teenage girl waiting outside for them. Both researchers, wondering what was going on, glanced at each other. "Is Katagiri-san okay?" Yamano was the first to reach the girl.

"You guys must be the people Grandma was talking to". The young lady smiled. "She was taken to the hospital last night."

"Is it anything serious?" Matsumoto asked next.

"I'm not sure", the teen's name was Chiyo. "She fell and my mom got nervous and took her to the hospital." In her arms was a leather journal that looked to have seen better days. "My grandmother said that it was okay for me for you to give you this."

Matsumoto took the book.

Later, the two had lunch nearby at a local place. "Anything interesting?" Yamano asked.

"I think I have an idea of what happened to Ishida-san". Matsumoto was engrossed. "I hope Sakura-san is okay. She's an interesting lady." She then showed Yamano.

####

1 Month Later

The summer grew hotter and hotter as Sakura continued her time in this alternate version of Japan. It had been a quiet morning; all of the teams were out, leaving her newbies to train and at least two somewhere on the premises (Ookurikara was off feeding the strays somewhere while her lovely Yama-chan was just moping outside.) There had been two teams engaged in various battles while a third team was sent on an expedition. Today's mission; she was to gain two new additions. Feeling bored and finished with her paperwork, she walked to the refinery.

"How are things?" The blacksmith was hard at work, "You'll be celebrating a year soon!"

"Well...I have a few more months to go yet". Deep down, she was thinking {If I live that long...}

"You seem to be getting along better with everyone now at least".

Sakura looked at the word that he was working on. "Newcomer?"

"This here is Yagen. He's almost done." He then pointed to another sword, already forged. "And that one's his brother."

{Another rare one?} She took the sword into her hands. A regally dressed blue-haired young man appeared before. {Whoa.}

"Hello", he introduced himself as Ichigo Hitofuri.

"Nice to meet you", she bowed, "wow...I'm actually honored!"

"I'm honored to meet you as well, Aruji." He gave her a friendly smile. "Thank you for taking care of my brothers."

"They're good kids", she smiled back {He's really...young-looking.} "And Sakura's fine; I don't mind you addressing me by name." This seemed to have surprised him at first. However not as much as her beloved crane(who was on latrine duty as punishment for scaring Gokotai again) whom hours later, she found flirting with her newest ally (who blushed like crazy).

"We're back!" Hasebe's voice ran throughout the citadel. Since Yagen was still in the process of being made ("Come back in a half hour", the blacksmith told her, much to her disappointment...and Ichigo's), she mentally prepared herself for the worst, only to be greeted by one of her right-hand men holding onto two seemingly drunk men, one older and one younger. The older man, who seemed to be dressed in something out of a maintenance department, lit up when he eyed her. "Wow, you're a beauty!"

"Tha...thank you".

"Forgive me, Sakura-sama", Hasebe appeared to have each of them in a head hold. "This is Nihongo".

"Oi", the second man looked to be around the same age group as the Shisengumi group. "You our master? *hic*"

"Forgive me, my lady, but please let me make examples of these two!"

"Ooooh", the older sword was eyeing Sakura, especially around her breasts. "So you're the one Hasebe won't stop gushing over huh?"

"Nice tits", Fuydou, the younger sword, just kept drinking as the most normally composed Hasebe sunk his face into his hands wishing that he could seriously kill his two former comrades from their days with Oda.

{It's going to be a long day}

####

After training the new group (which now included Yagen. Sakura truly loved her Tantous, but if she had a son in the future? She hoped he'd be like Yagen, with his curiousity about science and his battle experience), she finished fixing up things when she noticed that she was low on supplies. She decided to take Yagen along since she decided to make him her aide in medical matters; soon enough, his brothers all wanted to tag along. Ichigo, ever the mindful big brother, told them, "Mind what Sakura-dono says!" Soon enough, Akashi and Hotarumaru joined, along with Tsurumaru and a surprising face that she did not expect...Ookurikara. "Where did you come from?" She jumped when he popped up with a box of supplies. Normally, the mumeitou never did anything unless she or Mitsutada bugged him too. "I thought you'd be waiting for Mitsutada."

"They're back". His cheeks were pink; he sure as hell wasn't about to let her see him like this. "So I got bored...I guess."

"Are they okay? None of them were wounded badly were they?"

"Munechika's there."

"Oh Lord." She loved Mikazuki dearly, like the older brother/father figure she never had growing up. However sometimes, his mental state really was like a grandfather's. A grandfather with dementia.

{At least Shokudaikiri-kun is there. So is Hasebe}

####

At first, Yui did not recognize the young woman dressed in Miko clothing talking with an exotic-looking man. Then when the woman turned, Yui knew.

*Shall I see her? Will she remember me?*

"Prime position to kill them." The corrupted priest whispered in her left ear. She was about to reply when she heard one of theirs scream "Shit!". The young lady that they held made an escape.

"Lady Yui?" The priest asked. However, Yui didn't care about the escaped saniwa and just made a beeline for Sakura.

####

"Hey", Midare had been looking around with Yagen, "Who's that?" But before they could answer, two of the demon swords caught the young woman running and slashed her throat. Both Tantous jumped into action, though Midare was knocked unconscious.

####

Sakura had finished her business and was about to head back when she and her companions saw the girl die before their eyes. Then she saw her.

"Yui..." She stood in shock for a second until Akashi bought her back. "Oi!"

"Go get the others. Anyone not injured..."As he ran off and the others fought, she faced Yui.

"Sakura! It is you!" Yui was crying. She started to embrace her. Sakura held her for a second until she noticed something unusual.

{Her eyes...are red?}

"I'm so happy you're alive!" Yui continued, "we can leave now!"

"General!" Out of the corner of her right eye, Sakura could see Yagen running towards her, "I'm here."

"Do you think I'll hurt you?" Yui looked at her friend. "How rude!"

"She's corrupted", the teen tantou continued.

"Huh?"

"Yui", Sakura took a deep breath, "did you have that girl killed?"

"I'm saving history. I'm just putting the poor dear out of danger", Yui laughed, "ne, Sakura...let's join up okay? We can escape together!"

"Lady Yui", the priestly figure drew his sword.

"Join you?" {What the fuck is going on. I will fucking kill her if one of them die} "You just killed someone. Not to mention that my men are injured!" Ichigo, Tsurumaru, Mitsutada, Jiroutachi, Mikazuki and Horikawa arrived. She breathed a sigh of relief though she could see Midare and Aizen were out, with Ookurikara banged up. An anger rose in her. "You're not yourself!" She then punched Yui hard in the face, knocking her to the ground. Yagen, defeating a smaller demon that was centipede-like in appearance (Sakura would later learn that they were lost Tantous), ran to her side...but it was too late.

Sakura felt a sharp pain in her arm and saw blood. The priest aimed for her chest, but she blocked the shot in time. Yui got up slowly rubbing her face.

"Next time, my lady", the priest whispered to Sakura, "it'll be your heart." She felt a hot flash of pain hit her in the chest.

{I was hit in the chest...}

She heard Yagen and the others calling her as she passed out.

####

"General!" Yagen held his mistress, examining her wounds. He was soon joined by Mitsutada and Tsurumaru as the others looked over their wounds. The slash in the arm was deep in the muscle, the teen noticed.

"Yagen-kun!" The one-eyed tachi was the first to reach them. "She isn't..."

"She's not dead but I need to bandage her arm." The supplies were scattered but he managed to find enough to bandage her. "I don't know what he knocked her out with, but it looks like her left arm took the damage."

"SAKURA-SAMA!" Hasebe sped over prompting Tsurumaru to mutter under his breath, "oh boy...". Ookurikara came over as well. "Kuri-chan, you okay?" Mitsutada asked.

"I'm banged up, but it's nothing to baby me over." He looked at the scene as sadness crept into his eyes. "Hey, she was talking to some girl before everything went to shit."

"I wonder if that was the woman, Sakura-sama was talking about..." Hasebe looked near tears.

"If it was, then no wonder she went straight to Sakura-chan". Mitsutada was angry as was Tsurumaru.

"Hey, she dead?" (Akashi)

"We should get back", Yagen stated. Ichigo and Jiroutachi, holding the unconscious bodies of Midare and Aizen. "We need to rest before something else happens."

####

Hours Later

"Shit..." When Sakura woke up, her whole body ached. She saw her left arm bandaged and knew.

{It's bad.}

"General", Yagen smiled, "welcome back. How do you feel?"

"Grateful that I'm alive after all." She hugged the teen. "You bandaged me up. Thank you."

The teen smiled back and hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you're alive too. Looks like he knocked you out and bruised your ribs; but your left arm is damaged."

"Is everyone else okay?"

He stated that while Aizen got the wind knocked out of him, Midare had damage. Everyone else had some damage, "however, I think we'll survive."

Three faces suddenly appeared. "Yay!" Jiroutachi hugged her. "You're okay!"

Tsurumaru embraced her tightly and was quiet. "This is a surprise", she grinned, "no snappy remarks?"

"Heh". He sat next to her. Then Mitsutada came in and hugged her too, which both freaked her out...and made her secretly happy.

"I'm okay." She stated. "You guys need to rest."