Well... I was informed that there IS a Hakuoki spin-off called Urakata Hakuoki which focuses on the anti-Bakufu side! 0^0 How did I NOT knowww! *pouts* (Aoi! waiii!) but teehee funny how the premise of my fic is similar to it...*cough* anyways.. ah! My other ocs (Takasugi Shinsaku, Sakamoto Ryoma...etc.) look different to the Otomate versions (obviously!) My Shinsaku is based on the Toukiden mitama (hawt~) *ahem* Letsa goo!

" Kiri-chan. I think the higanbana is a beautiful flower too." He bends down so that we are at eye level and pats my head "It can also mean 'independence and passion'. Traits that you have."

"..." My older sister Otome takes the higanbana out from the vase and tosses them onto the ground "It's a flower of death Yugiri. Choose something else, hmm, the yuri is a nice one. Let's pick that one instead"

"See? Onee-sama, he thinks so too!"

Otome Onee-sama tucks a strand of hair behind her right ear and sighs "You...stop spoiling her like that. She's already troublesome as it is."

"Haha" he laughs. I always liked his laughter. "It's fine. Kiri-chan is perfect the way she is. Promise me you won't change ok? Kiri-chan?" He sticks out his pinky towards me and smiles "Promise?"

Without hesitating, I wrap my tiny pinky around his and smile "I promise! Kirino Onii-chan!"

Oops. I ended up dozing off again.

I head quickly towards the front door, peeking through the slit between the wooden door frame to see a handsome blonde man staring directly at me from the outside. "Ah, Chikage-dono!" The blond haired man looks disinterestedly at me and turns away with a barely whispered 'hmph' of disdain. I hurriedly unbolt the door and notice his attendants are mysteriously absent; though knowing him it would be wise not to ask.

"Where is Ryoma-san?" He folds his arms and looks around, hoping to get his business over and done with. I frantically glance around the house, hopefully it isn't too messy since I haven't cleaned up today. Thankfully I already brought in the laundry so nothing embarrassing is out in the open. "..mm?" My eyes follow his line of vision as he gazes with curiosity at the brush painting pinned to the wall. It's the one Ibuki-kun gave me, of a white haired man with horns slashing something with his sword. "hmm? This painting? A friend painted it for me..." I point awkwardly at it, hoping to get rid of this very tense atmosphere "You know, it seems to resemble the Onryo...the ah rumours that have been spreading.."

"Hmph. Nothing more than pathetic imitations of the real thing." He shakes his head and seats himself down on Onii-sama's chair, tsk, how rude! Though since Onii-sama isn't here...I guess he can sit there. Wait, so he already knew about the Onryo? and what did he mean by 'real thing'? I turn my head away from the teapot and look at him with my mouth wide-open. "So you kn—"

"Oni. That's what they claim to be." He spits out the words like the mere mention of the Onryo or whatever would permanently dirty his mouth. " Nothing more than a mockery. Humans are so presumptuous."

"Oni? are... real?"I set down my teacup and look incredulously at him, he stares back at me with no emotion on his face but a hint of annoyance and exasperation is in his eyes. "Of course. Mere humans like you wouldn't be aware of the existence of superior beings such as myself."

"So...you're an oni?" Onii-Sama used to tell me stories about oni when I was younger, one of my favourites had been the fact that they were weak against beans...perhaps now was a more opportune time than ever to test out that theory. I grab a handful of beans from the bowl on the table and toss them at Chikage-dono. "..." I watch them fly into the air and slowly descend with focus, something interesting might happen. Would he get set alight? disappear?

Instead, they fall carelessly to the ground as Chikage-dono brushes them off his arms with a look of disdain. "What the hell were you expecting?"

I watch the rest of the beans roll around on the ground and bow my head apologetically "I'm sorry Chikage-dono. I was under the assumption that beans would dispel oni...which is why I wanted to test the theory...umm..against you. hahaha..ha? ah! I'm so sorry!"

"..." There is an incredibly awkward silence as Chikage-dono sips his tea and pretends I don't exist. In the meantime, I am desperately trying to figure out how I can appease the frozen wrath of the Angry One.

"..erm..so how do you know about the..ah...fake oni?" To be honest, I AM curious about how the fake oni suddenly popped up. Actually, maybe I should have asked Chikage-dono if he was joking when he mentioned he was an oni? I had seen photos of white haired men in the West so there was a possibility that - *clack*

Chikage-dono places the teacup onto the table and looks at me with a 'fill-this-up-pronto' look...which I oblige to and he takes his damn sweet time drinking it up. "There's a medicine, known as the 'Ochimizu' which once consumed transforms a human into a copy of an oni. Your brother has asked me to report whatever I knew on the matter." he pauses and looks towards the empty hallway "where is he?"

"..Ah..well.." I cringe and avoid any form of eye contact "Onii-sama is away in Osaka on business."

The atmosphere within the room instantly drops to a temperature so cold I bet the hot water froze up. Chikage-dono sucks in his breath softly, though to me it sounds like a typhoon blasting through my house. Kamisama...save me from Chikage-dono's wrath... *gulp* I lift my head up slowly and turn to face Chikage-dono.

"..." If looks could kill, I would be dead right now. 'why the hell did you wait until now to tell me? How dare a human like you waste my time? and wtf were you thinking throwing your smelly beans at me?" His eyes seem to scream that out to me. Gulp. "..." He glares at me with an expression that could turn hot coals into ice and stands up slowly "...Tell your brother I will pay him a visit once he returns."

"Uh..yes. Sorry about that Chikage-dono." I bow politely and follow him to the door, locking it securely as he exits and lean against the wall with relief. I guess Shin-chan was able to inform everyone else about the Onryo-no the Oni. Now that we have an idea of what they are, gathering evidence on how they link to the Roshigumi will be much easier, especially since Chikage-dono is also one...wait...Chikage-dono is an oni?

"Chikage-dono is an oni." I repeat that to myself a few times, slowly allowing the reality to sink in. Hmm, Chikage-dono certainly didn't seem like the type of person to joke around. " Chikage-dono is an oni!"

"Oh. So you know?" Someone speaks from behind me. Huh? I thought I was the only one at home.

"Hwah!" I let out a squawk and whirl around to smack my head right into Shin-chan's chest and somehow bury myself within his kimono. "Geez, it's unlike you to be so affectionate." He pats my head mockingly, making me more entangled within his kimono and having a change of heart helps me up. "Anyways, I've got a message to pass onto you, himegimi." He smirks and tries to hide his laughter. Unfortunately he fails and ends up cackling for a good 10 minutes. "Karyu-san from Shimabara has something to say to you. Fufufu, something about compensation for hurting a customer?"

I groan loudly and pinch his nose " You know I can't help it...geez Shin-chan." He responds by patting my head like a kid and nodding " Ehh, that's because I know Kiri-chan well. It's just...you don't need to go there yourself Kiri-chan. We've got more than enough girls helping out already."

"I'm not a kid! and besides, I can easily handle gross jijis. Later Shin-chan!" I give him a brief hug and head off to Shimabara. Gathering information this way is something only I can do, therefore I have a reason to do so.

~x~x~x~

"So. You decided to come back?" Karyu-san folds her arms and scoffs "Really. You're more suited to be a man than a woman. Honestly, what is Shinsaku-kun thinking le-"

"Yeah yeah, I get it baba." I wave her away and get walk towards the hallway, hmm I wonder if I'll be able to sneak a few rounds of sake before guests start coming?

"Yuu-chan!" An overexcited girl's voice calls out to me before I am partially strangled by thin arms and tumble to the ground. "Yuu-chan!"

"..iitaii!" I rub my head and peel off the hyper girl hugging my leg. Tsuyo, one of the younger maiko and a spy working for us. Tsuyo's eyes widen and she bows her head apologetically "sowwy! but you're fine aren't you Yuu-chan?" I give her a slow nod and sigh before she can burst into tears.

"Yuu-chan. A word of warning. Do you know Harada-san? The captain in the Roshigumi?" Her warm brown eyes stare unblinkingly at me with an aura of seriousness she hardly ever shows. I nod and shrug my shoulders "The Roshigumi guy right? what about him?"

"He came by the other day asking for you. and..." She hesitated and looked slowly at me "He'll be coming by again today as well. Please don't do anything that will ..umm...draw attention to us or the fact that we're assisting the Emperor...or anything that might be an inconvenience to Takasugi-sama." she twists her hands together nervously and bites her lip. Haha, another girl in love with Shin-chan. Well, isn't he the lucky guy, practically every girl who lays their eyes on him falls in love and becomes a devout fangirl. I shrug and pinch Tsuyo-chan's cheek."haha. ..is...that...so...? Don't worry Tsuyo-chan. Besides, Karyu-san is right. I'm far more suited to the blood and grime of the battlefield." I give her a forced reassuring smile and nod my head confidently" with Shin-chan. Everyone acts like he's the chosen one."

~x~x~x~

Great. An unfortunately familiar face shows up. A certain middle-aged pervert named Serizawa who happens to be the leader of the Roshigumi. Not to mention his pack of rabid dogs have come to join him. After the Kosuzu harassment incident, somehow her popularity skyrocketed among the Roshigumi and well...Karyu-san decided to group our spies together with Kosuzu as it was the best method of gathering information. Unfortunately, that's doubled the amount of perverted old men I've had to deal with, though I suppose the benefits DID outweigh the losses. For the greater good. I guess. *sigh*

"Heh..Na~Na~Yaaaa..." A drunken Serizawa leers at me and winks over his overflowing sake cup. I plaster a serene smile over my face and bow stiffly at him "Yes? ah. More sake?" I reach for the bottle to refill his cup, resisting the urge to spit into it and prepare to refill his already empty cup. Ara, the man drinks sake like a vacuum. Witholding my temptation to pour the bottle onto his head, I edge as close as possible and pour delicately into the tiny cup in his meaty hands "...hehehe.." He places his arm around my shoulder and grins. "..." Stay calm Yugiri. Deep breaths, . three. Just be patient, you'll be able to humiliate him later. Chanting mentally to myself, I manage to endure the weight of his heavy arm and stench worthy breath.

"...Please withdraw your arm. Serizawa-sama." I look coolly at him and slowly remove his hand from venturing too far "Do remember that I am only authorised to pour drinks and perform non-contact entertainment."

"heh? Like I care!" He staggers drunkenly towards me with a wild look in his eyes. Great! I needed to let off some steam anyways. I grab the shamisen leaning against the wall and cough meaningfully at him. The erojiji doesn't get the message and staggers closer to me, his hands outstretched and cupped together.

~x~X~x~

"Hey!" Harada and Hijikata rise up from their seats and prepare to charge the drunk Serizawa down. Honestly, do they think they'll be able to reach the drunkard in time?

"Tsk." I flip the shamisen around and smack it as hard as I can onto the erojiji's head. "guuuuh..." It clonks onto his head with a satisfying thump and he rolls unconscious onto the floor. "Hmph." I drop the broken shamisen onto his knocked out body and give him a kick while throwing my head back and laughing "That'll teach you. Kisama."

"..." The room has fallen silent and I slowly scan my eyes around the room, the realization of what I have done barely sinking in.

Everyone stares at me in silence *twang* The shamisen makes a sad mewing sound as the last string snaps and falls onto the floor next to Serizawa. Kosuzu and Tsuyo are hugging each other in fear with tears about to spill from their eyes. One of the other girls Kikka, has fainted dead away. Ibuki is staring at Kosuzu and probably wishing he was the one to knock out Serizawa. There's a time and place to play hero boya.

Hijikata looks embarrassed, though I can't blame him in this situation. The girl with the Roshigumi is staring bug-eyed at me. Weird, she's dressed as a guy. Okita is laughing silently with tears streaming down his cheeks while Toudou is giggling along with him. Saito is as blank as always. Huh, a model samurai eh? and as for the red-haired akuma? he's...next to me?

"Are you alright?" There is genuine concern in his face as he looks worriedly at me. Geez, you should be more worried about Serizawa buddy. Instead, I groan softly to myself and make shooing motions with my hands "I'm fine. Thanks for your unneeded concern." I cross my arms and take a step back "This sort of thing happens all the time. I can handle things on my own."

Well, that seemed to be the wrong answer because he grips my hand and makes me face him "You're a woman. Just leave the protecting to the men." His golden eyes glint with determination. The sort of determination which translates to 'I-will-protect-you-so-stay-back-and-be-a-damsel-in-distress'. Exactly the sort of thing I DO NOT need. At all.

"Hmm, if I can recall correctly. It was a man that did the molesting. Correct?" I look coldly at him and smirk a little as he falters and shakes his head "Even so, let me handle it next time."

Oho, is that a 'women are weak' statement I hear? oh boy, you're messing with the wrong girl here. I, Sakamoto Yugiri may be a woman, but I most definitely am not weak. The nerve of him. How dare he say something like that? For a brief moment I contemplate slapping him in the face a la Kosuzu style but settle for a good old right hook .

"Ara, well allow me to thank you IN ADVANCE!" I pull my right fist back and slam it into his face. Ouch, seems like his face is also just as well built as the rest of his body, but I send him crashing to the ground. "Cheh, just as bad as your superior." He falls onto his butt and crashes into the tables set in front of Saito and Okita. The latter stare back in silence before Okita cracks up laughing.

"..haha..." Harada rubs his cheek and starts laughing "hahahaha!" He stays seated awkwardly on the ground and slaps his knee "You're the first woman to bring me down this way."

"Oh? Well I certainly am not the kind of woman who would bring you down using pillow tactics." I look smugly back at him and make a show of dusting off my (aching) hands. "...and there WON'T be a next time." I stab my index finger towards him with disgust "You don't need to get involved. honoured guest. I don't want-no, I don't NEED your help." I sniff and turn back to the audience, well everyone who is watching us in silence. "Everyone, I'm sorry about this. Please enjoy your evening." I kneel down and bow politely with a huge fake smile plastered on my face.

Nobody says a word until Kosuzu the sweetie giggles awkwardly and holds up the sake bottle "Shall I pour you a drink?" Well, I guess I'll leave now..while things are getting back to normal.

"Y-yes!" Ibuki-kun raises his cup and turns beet red as Kosuzu goes over to serve him. "...thanks." he manages to mumble something under his breath before glancing over at Kosuzu. She smiles sweetly at him and sets the bottle down. "Nanaya-san is very admirable isn't she?"

Geez. She's so naïve. I sigh and slide the door as quietly as I can before an 'ahem' catches my attention. I look up slowly to see none other than the demon queen staring at me. oh kamisama...help me...

"..." Karyu-san looks silently at me and slowly flicks me in the forehead "Yugiri-san. Please don't ever come by again." She brings her pipe to her lips and exhales slowly "You knew very well that there a things you can and cannot do while working undercover at Shimabara. As such, I have no wish to jeopardise myself or any of our allies. Understand?"

I nod slowly and can't conjure up words to answer back "...uh Karyu-san. I'm sorry. Really. I should have known something like this isn't suitable for me...even though I wanted to help..hahaha..." I scratch my head awkwardly and pull the loose kanzashi off my hair "Guess I should stick to the battlefield . right?"

"Quite right." Karyu-san smiles wryly and whirls around to leave "Feel free to come by and visit anytime."

"huh?" Didn't she just ban me from coming to Shimabara? It's impossible for the old hag to go back on her word! Never, never has she ever done something like this. Well, I guess she IS old so her memory could be failing.

"Shizu-chan has taken quite a liking to you. I think it's best for the both of us she continues to have a source of motivation..after all..." she stops talking and walks off quickly leaving the rest of her sentence unspoken. "After all, Shizu's mother is an important benefactor to Shimabara."