A/N: Hey all, thanks again for continuing to read my story! Just to clarify, I have changed a few things in the timeline to better fit with where I am going with this story. First thing, the group has already changed their name from "Roshigumi" to "Shinsengumi", having somehow earned the Aizu Lord's respect before Keiko entered the picture. Secondly, Ryunosuke started catching on to Serizawa's sickness a little bit before he did in the show. And, of course, I'm adding Keiko into the mix, so a lot of things are going to play out differently from here than how they did in shows/games. So if things seem out of order, they probably are! It just ended up fitting in with my story better to have somethings happen at different times.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and feel free to write a review! :)

Chapter 3

A couple months had passed since Keiko had joined the Shinsengumi, and day by day, she could feel the tension around the headquarters growing steadily. It was clear to anyone that Serizawa and Hijikata barely held back from killing each other, but Keiko could sense that their resolve to avoid conflict was growing thinner as the days went by. More accurately, Hijikata's patience with Serizawa's antics was on the verge of breaking.

A few days prior, during a peacemaking festival with the Sumo organization of Osaka, Serizawa had taken it upon himself to punish a shopkeep for suspected treachery. He had set the man's shop ablaze, without consulting either Hijikata or Kondo, and had done so in front of a very large crowd of civilians. Hijikata was furious and the tensions between those loyal to him and those loyal to Serizawa was thick. Keiko felt a sense of unease growing in her gut, becoming more and more prominent as time passed. She couldn't be sure, but she was beginning to think that perhaps something else was going on which had caused the conflicts to become more severe. She still hadn't discovered what was causing the dark aura which arose from Kyoto, however after spending so much time with the Shinsengumi, she was absolutely sure that it began with them. Her instincts were telling her that something was stirring here, in this wolf den, with these men. She suspected that the commanders knew about it and that it may be the true source of their bitterness.

Keiko was sitting cross legged on the floor of her room, combing through her long hair, as she pondered over these things. She wasn't sure where to start looking, or if she should ask someone about it. She was certain that none of the members would trust her enough yet to divulge such information to her, so perhaps investigating on her own would be a better option.

As she continued to comb out her hair, she heard a knock on the frame of her door. She haphazardly turned her attention to the door as she mumbled for her visitor to enter. Shinpachi stood there, smiling lazily at her as he opened the door.

"Hey, Keiko-san. It's almost dinner time." He said as he leaned in her doorway, his arms folded across his chest.

"Who's cooking?" She asked, focusing on a nasty tangle she was trying to comb out as she spoke.

"Heisuke and… Saito." He said the second man's name with disdain. Keiko giggled at his lack of enthusiasm, but otherwise said nothing on the subject. While she preferred to eat meat, she could stand Saito's love of tofu, and she was far too polite to turn down a meal just because it wasn't to her tastes. She found it amusing that Shinpachi was so affected by such a thing as there being 'too much tofu' in his meal. Shinpachi grinned down at her, despite his displeasure, upon seeing her laugh. However, his smile did not last long. Looking away from her, he cleared his throat nervously.

"Uhh, Keiko-san…" He started, his eyes shifting nervously to look at her, only for him to quickly avert his gaze again. She glanced up at him, confused by his sudden change in attitude. He wasn't normally like this. "Keiko, can I talk to you about something?" He straightened off of the doorway as she nodded, placing her simple comb down and adjusting her position to face him better. He slid the door shut behind him before sitting down across from her, nervously fiddling with his hands as he looked away.

"What's wrong?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion. Shinpachi inhaled deeply and held it for a moment before blowing out, his eyes closed and brows furrowed.

"I wanted to, well… I wanted to apologize to you." He said, finally opening his eyes and looking up at her sheepishly. Keiko's confusion only grew, so he continued. "It's just, I brought you here right when all this chaos was starting, and now it's gotten so out of hand and everyone is so tense! And, and, I know it must be even harder for someone like you, you got here and everyone is all bitter and shit... " He trailed off, looking away from her again. "I just feel bad that I brought a lady here and got you mixed up in all this."

At that last statement, Keiko couldn't help herself, and she started laughing. Heartily, without even trying to hold herself back. She even felt tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes, she was laughing so hard. She could see Shinpachi stiffen at her laughter, only to glare at her and pout after his initial shock wore off.

"Oh, it's not like I'm pouring my heart out here or anything! Geez, you're a cold woman." He snapped, and Keiko continued to chuckled at his little outburst. She smiled at him warmly, taking his hand in hers gently before speaking to him.

"Shinpachi-san." She started, staring straight into his crystal blue eyes. "I'm not laughing at your feelings, but at your interpretation of me." Her smile grew as she saw the confusion enter his face. "I must admit, it is jarring to be called a 'lady' in such a way. And I am very happy that you worry so much about me, but… You must also know, I am not made of glass. Such things that concern you cannot hurt me, and while I do worry about all of you, I am not afraid for myself in the slightest." She squeezed his hand reassuringly, a gentle smile upon her face as she looked at him. Shinpachi looked at least a little stunned, but slowly his own pleasant smile returned. Tentatively, he took her other hand in his, running his thumb over her palm gently.

"You are still a lady, though. In my eyes at least." He smiled gently, still caressing her palm in his hand as he stared at her.

Keiko suddenly pulled her hands away from him, swiftly standing up and walking over to the door. "We should go, dinner will probably be served soon." She said, opening the door as she spoke. Shinpachi turned around, looking unquestionably confused and the tiniest bit dejected. He decided to refrain from saying anything to her and pushed himself off the ground, following behind her to exit the room.

As he slid the door closed, he noticed that she did not stop to wait for him and was already gone. He sighed, mentally kicking himself for overstepping his bounds. Slightly dejected, he headed off for the dining hall to meet up with everyone else.

A few days later, Keiko awoke with a start to the sound of cannon-fire in the distance. She jolted out of bed, listening in earnest to the noises. They sounded far off, yet still within range of hearing, so she assumed still in Kyoto. It was coming from the direction of the Imperial Palace.

She immediately rose from her futon and began to dress herself in her usual clothing. She knew right away that the commanders would want to hold a meeting of some sort, to address the commotion. She made her way to the common room with haste, speed-walking her way down the halls. Upon arrival, she was surprised to find that the only people there to greet her were Hijikata, Sannan, Yamazaki and Shimada. She knocked casually on the frame of the open door to alert the others of her presence before walking in and folding her arms across her chest.

"What do you think is happening out there?" She asked, facing Hijikata. He shook his head, sighing as he did so.

"No idea. It's good timing you got here though." He looked up at her seriously, and she tilted her head a bit in confusion. "I think it would be in our best interests to have you serve as one of our Investigators with Yamazaki and Shimada. I was actually going to have Yamazaki go to fetch you, but you arrived on your own. I want the three of you to head over to where the cannon-fire is coming from and try to find out what you can. As much information as you can dig up, without drawing undue attention to yourselves." He gave his orders curtly, speaking quickly so as to not waste any time. Keiko nodded, unfolding her arms as she turned to leave, pausing at the doorway.

"If you don't mind, I would like to go on my own. I think the three of us in a group might draw more suspicion. We can meet up at the gates here once we've all gathered sufficient information." She turned her head to look at the other two investigators, pausing only long enough to see the two of them nod once. She offered them a small, soft smile before she marched out of the room.

She quickly made her way into town, following the sounds of the cannons. As she had suspected, the sounds were indeed coming from the Imperial castle. She found upon arrival that she was unable to get close to the action, as members of the Choshu domain were scattered about the grounds, threatening anyone who was coming close. She kept to the shadows, dipping in and out of alleyways to avoid any conflict. Eventually she had come as close to the palace gates as she could without gaining any attention, but she felt that she still did not have sufficient information to report back.

Hastily, she found a spot beside a building where she would be able to grab onto a windowsill and hoist herself up. She crouched down, eyeing around her to make sure there were no stray Choshu wandering about the alleyway, before she leapt upwards towards the window. She managed to grab hold of it, taking a moment to steady herself before hoisting herself up enough the catch her foot on it. Leveraging herself with her knee, she lifted up so that she was standing on the windowsill, before launching herself upwards once again to catch onto the edge of the roof. She just barely caught it, growling a bit in frustration as she felt her fingers slip ever so slightly. However, she was able to secure her grasp, and she managed to pull herself up.

She sat there for a moment, sighing heavily from the effort, before she turned over into a crouching position and made her way across the rooftops - towards the palace.

She leapt steadily from roof to roof, keeping her footing light to remain unnoticed. Finally, she reached the last building and she had a clear view of the palace gates. She could see a large group of Samurai gathered before the gates, bearing two different flags. She could see half of the army carrying the Satsuma flag, and the other half having raised the Aizu flag.

Odd… She thought to herself. She had always heard the Satsuma and Aizu were at odds with each other, yet here they stood, banners raised and standing in opposition of… The Choshu? Very odd. Keiko was never one for politics, so she didn't fully understand why these factions were suddenly changing their alliances, but even she knew that such things were not normal. From her perch on the roof, she spotted Yamazaki and Shimada, somehow having made their way into a corner between the Satsuma-Aizu army and the Choshu army. Keiko grinned to herself, impressed by their stealth.

Taking in one final glance at the scene before her, she turned to head back to the Shinsengumi headquarters.

She was the first to make it back to headquarters, so she took the time to lean against the front gates and gather her thoughts. It still didn't make sense to her, but she could sense how tense the air had been between the three factions. While the Satsuma and Aizu may have appeared to be working together, she could tell that they were barely able to do so peacefully. It was only their animosity towards the Choshu which had kept their swords sheathed and their mouths shut. A precarious truce indeed.

Keiko's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She looked up to see Yamazaki and Shimada, walking briskly towards her. She straightened off of the post she had been leaning on to greet them.

"What did you learn?" She asked, getting straight to the point. They discussed with her much of the same as what she had seen, however they had been unable to discern that the Aizu had been standing among the Satsuma troops as well. She shared her own information with the other two, who nodded with frowns on their faces as she did so. After sharing all that they had learned, the three of them headed back to the common room to divulge their findings with the commanders.

"The Satsuma and the Aizu? Opposing the Choshu? Are you certain?" Kondo asked, seeming quite surprised by the information. Keiko nodded, looking him in the eye.

"They had both Satsuma and Aizu banners raised, guarding the gates. And it was the Choshu banners which were patrolling the streets, trying to get in." She restated. Kondo closed his eyes in thought before Hijikata spoke.

"But why are the feuding Aizu and Satsuma domains teaming up?" Hijikata asked to noone in particular, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Hmph. It merely means the world is not as simple as you simple-minded louts." Serizawa spoke in a bored tone, looking over at Hijikata and Kondo as though they were children. Keiko glared at him, but remained silent. Hijikata grit his teeth.

"What was that?!" He spit, glaring daggers at Serizawa. Serizawa chuckled before continuing. "Both the Satsuma and the Aizu have shunned the Choshu because of how they enter and leave the Imperial Court as if it were their own. Clashing ideals is a minor problem before the chance to crush the Choshu." Serizawa looked down at the rest of the group, a smug smile on his lips as he finished his speech. Keiko huffed as she looked away, still not understanding the thought processes of these domain lords. She supposed she would never really understand politics. Hijikata turned his head away in defiance.

"Thanks for the lecture." He said in a slightly sarcastic tone, his head up proudly. "I don't care what's in the minds of opportunists who change their attitudes based on the situation." He spoke indignantly.

"So, what should we do?" It was Shinpachi who spoke up. The commanders turned their attentions to him, Kondo sighing as he tilted his head down. Keiko leaned back on her hands, stretching one of her legs out in front of her. She was quite bored of this entire situation, if she was being honest. Kondo sighed deeply before he spoke.

"We cannot move the squad without orders from the Aizu domain." He said solemnly. Hijikata looked up in dismay. "So we have to wait?" He said begrudgingly.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Keiko looked around the room. Everyone had solemn or sulking expressions, some looked nervous, others looked disappointed. It was a moment later before someone spoke, that someone was a determined Serizawa.

"We're leaving!" He said, his tone stern. "We'll lose the chance to earn distinction if we just sit around!" He stood up abruptly, facing the other commanders. With a determined look on his face, Kondo nodded before he also got to his feet, followed shortly by the rest of the squad. All of them looked equally as resolute. Keiko opted to remain seated, earning a questioning look from Hijikata. She grinned up at him.

"At least one person should stay to defend the headquarters, don't you think?" She said lazily, before straightening up to sit cross legged. "Besides that, didn't you want me on the Investigator team so that I wouldn't draw attention? A woman bearing the Shinsengumi coat would not bring the respect you seek. They would dismiss you upon arrival if you showed up with a woman among your troops." Keiko looked up at Hijikata, her cold blue eyes piercing his violet ones, and he nodded in agreement.

"You're right." He said as he turned away. Keiko watched as everyone filed out of the room, determination in their eyes. After a few moments, she heard the sound of a horse galloping from the gates, then being brought to an abrupt stop. "I bring orders!" She heard a man shout, and she smiled to herself knowing that the group of men were being asked to participate and were being given the opportunity to distinguish themselves they had so yearned for.

She turned her head to Ryunosuke, who had also remained seated on the ground next to her, and offered him a warm smile. He seemed a bit nervous, so she reached out a hand to grasp his shoulder in reassurance.

"Don't worry, Ryu." She squeezed his shoulder gently. "They will be okay. They're all strong you know." Ryunosuke nodded, a small smile on his face. They both rose from their seats and headed out of the room, Keiko to get in a bit of training with her mock-glaive while the men were out and Ryunosuke to start on some laundry to try and get his mind off of the potential battle his friends were walking into.

Some time later, Inoue returned with a few of the men, a gentle smile on his face as he came back. Ryunosuke ran up to him urgently, shouting out his name desperately. Inoue gave him a short nod as he approached. "Inoue-san, how did it go?" Ryunosuke asked as he ran up to the older man.

"Everyone carried out their duties safely." Inoue replied with a smile. Relief washed over Ryunosuke, his own smile finally returning after a day's worth of worrying. Ryunosuke couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face. "Could you help me prepare dinner for everyone?" Inoue asked gently, his smile never leaving his face. Ryunosuke blurted out an enthusiastic "Sure!" before following Inoue towards the kitchen. Just around the corner, Keiko was leaning and listening. She smiled in relief from the news, then lazily turned to walk back to her room. She was sure that her comrades would be quite rowdy tonight in celebration of their success.

She smiled despite herself. She looked down to see her hands had been shaking, realization hitting her hard. Despite her reassuring words to Ryunosuke, she had indeed been worried. Her mind jumped to Shinpachi and Heisuke, their friendly smiles and their warm personalities, and her heart sunk to think that something bad might have happened to them. Perhaps I should not refrain from participating in such missions in the future. She thought as she walked. I… I don't know what I would do if something happened to them…