Chiyo let out a sigh. She and Saito were on their daily patrol and everything seemed to be peaceful. Sometimes Chiyo felt conflicted; She liked peace but sometimes she wanted some action. She looked at Saito and he seems like his usual quiet self. Guess some things never change eh?
" Neh Saito-san?"
" What?"
" What were you like as a child?"
" What sort of question is this? He huffed
" Well, I've told you what you were like when I was younger. So...I think it's only fair that you tell me about yourself.
He was about to say something when someone shouted," Look it's those filthy scum!"
A man dressed in a dark brown robe sneered and pointed at the patrol group with his friends. Chiyo looked back at some of the men in the group. A few looked ready to draw their swords as they grumbled in anger.
" Men! Keep your composure! We are proud warriors of the Shinsengumi and we cannot let childlike taunting get the better of us." Chiyo commanded.
" Yes sir!"
She turned to Saito and nodded. It wasn't uncommon for passersby to taunt them. A few times, some people even though fruits at them. There was so must hate and animosity towards the Shinsengumi. It was so frustrating sometimes. However, it's not like they could fight back. They were there to keep the peace. Not destroy it. The group proceeded with thick silence amongst the men. Chiyo's normally neutral face was plastered with a stern frown. It upset her that people hate to say such hurtful things to her men. It only there was something that she could do about it.
" You there! Woman!"
The voice came from the same men who had taunted her men earlier. He was standing in front of her to block her way. She merely coughed and ignored him as she shoved him aside.
He snickered and sneered," What's you a little girly doin' in the wolves den eh? You should be out there with them other girls doing what? Gossiping, wearing the pretty dresses, getting married. What's a little pretty thing like you doing with these fools?"
He was about to pat her head when she grabbed his wrist and held it hard. She replied with an icy voice," I would appreciate it if you got out of our way so you don't get trampled." her look darkened," And as a side note, no one get's to call my men fools. Especially not from a low life imbecile like you."
" Of course you guys are fools. You looked smarter than the rest of them but guess' I was wrong."
He grabbed his arm away from her hold and yelled to the gathering crowd," Everyone one of the fools in the Shinsengumi are pathetic idiots! They live to believe that they can actually be samurai worthy of honor and pride. In reality, they are only children who hold onto this stupid dream. Nothing will ever make them true samurai!"
A crows started to surround the patrol group and Saito started to get a bit uneasy. Chiyo heard some men start to unsheath their swords.
" Men do as I said! I told you not to draw your swords! Do you wish for the world to see you as bloody warriors?! Do not draw!" Chiyo shouted.
She sighed in relief as she saw everyone reluctantly let go of their blades. Turning to Saito she whispered," I need you to go back to headquarters and call for help. Get Hijikata-san! He's the only person who can take care of this crowd."
" Yakamura-kun but I can't just leave yo-"
" We don't have this luxury to stay together! Now go while you still can!"
He gave a look of concern before weaving through the patrolman and running out of sight. She watched him go while whispering," Hurry Saito...we're all depending on you."
Chiyo turned back to the older man and said," What do you have to gain by insulting my men? All of you don't know how hard they train! They follow their beliefs to keep the peace yet none of you rouge samurais can ever understand that! All you do is cause trouble and bring disturbance to the streets of Kyoto!"
" Hah but you see little girly…", he leaned in close to her face and put two fingers between her chin," We are real samurai. Now why don't you come join us for a drink while we educate you on what real samurai do-"
" Get away from me!" Chiyo stomped on the man's foot causing him to cry out in pain. Someone in the crowd screamed from the sudden shout. Chiyo mentally cursed herself," Great job! You just caused some more unrest! Good job Chiyo, you deserve a medal!"
The man looked up with vengeance in his eyes," Why you little brat! Here's your reward!"
He unsheathed his sword and immediately brought it down on her head. Something snapped in Chiyo's brain and she immediately drew hers to counter his attack.
" Captain!" yelled one of the men known as Takanachi.
" I'm fine! Stay back.:
" But Captain! I-"
" Just do as I say and don't interfere!"
Chiyo sheathed her sword once again and waited as the burly man charged at her. 1 click, 2 clicks, three clicks. When he was a three clicks away she immediately swung her sword out. Saito had been helping her for months to refine this technique.
" Gah!" the man screamed in pain.
The shock from the impact of the sword was just too much. He dropped his sword and Chiyo took that chance to hit the back of his head with the hilt of her sword. While he lay unconscious, Chiyo sheathes her sword and heard a number of cheers from her men.
" You'd showed him who's boss Captain!"
" Amazaking!"
" Good job!"
" Nice! I know that Hijikata-san will be so proud to hear this!"
Takanachi put a hand on her shoulder," Great job Captain! You did an amazing job!"
A blush spread through her cheeks after all, she had never been good with compliments. However, on the dark side, she had caused quite a ruckus which would definitely earn her an earful from Hijikata-san.
" Fuji-kun are are you okay?!"
There were some men standing by the man that Chiyo had just rendered unconscious. They seemed to be in a fluster. The whole group was probably some gang of rogue samurai and Chiyo's past opponent seemed to be the ringleader of them.
" Mistress."
Chiyo groaned mentally and grumbled at Valerise," This isn't the time! We can talk later."
" Wait but one of those men have a g-"
" Just wait till later. I promise you that I won't forget next time."
Chiyo turned back and shouted," Men let's go before we cause anymore damage. We've done enough patrol today."
" Yes sir!" came the chorus of approval from her team.
While turning the group around, she could still head the frantic cries of the unconscious man's gang as they struggled to rouse him. Chiyo winced as she thought," Well...that might leave him with an unpleasant head injury tomorrow." People cleared the way as they weaved through the growing crowd.
" My how violent! The Shinsengumi are getting out of hand these days!" a woman said gossiping to another woman.
" Can't we just have a day where they stupid wolves could just leave us alone?"
" We were better off without these fake men that call themselves samurai!"
" Stupid wolves."
" I hope you all see the fate of death!"
" I won't be surprised if all of you fools ended up in hell where you belong!"
" My mommy says that she wishes you were dead."
The whispering of the crowd continued to echo over and over in Chiyo's head. They seemed to almost overwhelm her with the hate and dark feelings pointed towards her team. She sighed sadly and continued to usher her team out of the godforsaken area. Suddenly she head a man yell out," Bitch! You've killed Jushiro!"
Chiyo turned to a man who wore magenta hakama. He seemed to be part of the man's gang. Jushiro...was that the leader's name?
She told her men to halt as she walked by herself to the circle of men that formed around her opponent.
" How could he possibly be dead? I just merely gave him a scuff upside the head. That imbecile had it coming towards him. In my part of the country, that was what we did to children who eat sweets before dinner." she replied flatly with obvious sarcasm laced in.
She walked over the fallen man and flaced a gentle finger to his wrist. T-There was no….pulse. In an immediate haste she placed another hand on his neck and chest.
" O-oh my freaking god. I-I-I've killed him…" she whispered shocked
The man in the magenta hakama grabbed her shoulder roughly and sneered," Well little lady. An eye for an eye and…", he moved his head so close that she could smell his putrid breath," A life for a life."
Chiyo panicked as she let out a gasp before yanking herself free of his grip and fled immediately. She kept running as she heard footsteps running towards her. " Get back here bitch!"
Suddenly she heard a gunshot ring out. " Huh? What's a gun doing he-"
Her thought ran short as she felt a searing pain bite at the back of her shoulder. Something warm lodged itself into her flesh and a flash of white burned across her vision. She felt the harsh contact of ground skin the flesh off the palms of her hand and her chin make contact with the dirt floor. In a daze she hissed at the pain from her shoulder that seemed to throb once she fell.
" Ugh" she groaned as she tried to sit up with the blooming pain in her back.
A black shadow loomed over her as the man caught up with her. There was a black pistol in his hand with smoke still floating out from the last shot. He snickered," Well miss. That teaches you to mess with the Lotus snakes. You've killed our boss and now here's your reward."
Throwing the pistol to the ground, he unsheathed his blade and placed it in the air ready to strike. Chiyo could hear the distant shrieks of her men running towards her. However, nothing made sense or even mattered in the strange haze she was in. She didn't even have to sense to defend herself. " Is this it? Is this really it?"
Chiyo's vision slowed down and everything seems to be going through slow motion. The man brought his sword down and she closed her eyes ready for the end. " I'm sorry Annie I really am. I didn't get to help you live. I-"
A loud clang seemed to wake her up from her dazed state of mind. Saito grunted as he blocked the man's sword which was merely inches away from Chiyo's face. Her eyes widened as she stuttered," S-S-Saito-san."
He wrestled the man's blade off from his only the have it block again. " Can you move?"
" Yes"
" Good now get out of here while you still can. I'll take care of him."
She nodded and winced when she felt the bullet wound bite at her flesh once again. Chiyo wasted no time before running to the safety of her team members.
" Hey come back! I'm not done with you!"
Saito narrowed his eyes and said," I'm your opponent am I not? Now face me unless you wish to render yourself a coward."
" Captain are you alright?!"
" What happened?"
" Are you okay?"
She mumbled," Yes I'm fine. Just stand your ground and be ready is Saito-san needs it!"
Her hand found its way to the wound and she felt the warm sticky texture of blood coat her hand generously . " Not again!" she thought.
They watched in silence as Saito effortlessly finished off the man and wiped his sword clean of blood on the man's haori. The crowd that had grown to the size of a small city stepped away as he passed by. Mothers shielded their children and men glared at him. He payed them no heed and continued in a steady path to the rest of the group.
He walked over to Chiyo and asked," Are you okay Yakamura-kun?"
" Yah I'm fine. Let's go back before anything else happens."
He peered suspiciously when she started to walk with her hand cupping the back of her left shoulder. Saito sighed before turning his head and walked ahead. " She..was definitely not fine…" he thought.
