I couldn't resist to bring Hachiro in the picture, he's such a nice character, and a very good historial figure. We'll see more of him during the war, and at the end of the second installement.
What a waste of time. Tch. I walked briskly, my legs aching from the long trip. A part of me was glad to have left Ōsaka behind. This whole restoration business was blowing our fondations to bits. Both Satsuma and Chōshū forces had swarmed the imperial palace, causing the Emperor to edict his own rise to full power.
Thus started the Meiji Era; I didn't quite grasp how deeply this would affect us all. The Shōgun himself didn't seem to know what to do other than gather his troops. The British fleet threatened its authority, massed in the Ōsaka bay; it didn't bode well for us either. Even though I was part of the Hatamoto elite group, I wasn't of those who could sollicitate a private council with the Shōgun, nor did I want to be.
My aim was to protect him, period. The betrayal of Satsuma, and its consequences only seemed to stir things that had laid dormant for years. With the arrival of those gaijins, what more could we do than survive? Too bad the clans didn't agree on how to handle that foreign threat. Old rivalries caused alliances to collapse, and the emperor was too young to make heads or tails of this mess.
I shook my head. Why, in truth, was I here instead of staying at the Shōgun's side? My butt ached from the day of riding; Ōsaka to Kyōto was no short distance. Yet, walking inside the Shinsengumi's coumpond brought a smile to my lips. I had heard rumours about the demon commander and was glad that the Shōgun had chosen me for the task, no matter how distasteful. If that demon was who I remembered…
For sure, The Yūgekitai wasn't exempt of supersitions – me included – but the chances of finding a Kitsune were fairly low. Even though I'd been nicknamed the young Tengu of Iba, I was still a human. If such a thing existed, I doubted a yōkai spirit would agree to fight by our side. Still … if anyone was able to create such an alliance, I bet it was the Oni no Fukuchō.
Speaking of which… A long ponytail seemed to be dancing under the Sakura tree. I progressed silently as I heard the clash of a bokken. Sparring in the courtyard rather than in the dojo? How peculiar. I hastened my steps, curious to see if the Oni no Fukuchō was still the same person I'd known in Edo. The man moved like a demon, and I had little trouble recognising his features when he turned around, his expression so damn fierce that I chuckled.
Three men – Kondō at the center – stood beside the engawa, watching the mermerising sparring session of Hijikata-kun against … a woman. Eyes wide, I nearly misstepped and tumbled. She leapt at him with the grace of a cat, and the fierceness of a tiger. Stunned, I felt my jaw slacken as I watched their deadly dance. A long, reddish braid swung as she moved within their own personal battlefield. A supple body that twisted, jumped and slithered like water. And that colour … like Kitsune fur.
I reached Kondō-san and his men, but couldn't take my gaze away from the fight. The taller captain I recognised; Okita-kun had certainly grown since the days of Shiei hall. He barely spared me a glance before his own eyes returned to the fight with glee.
"Definitely innovative", I mused, eyes following the Kitsune's weapons.
Unsurprised to find me there, Okita smirked.
"Her style is even more erratic than Hijikata-san."
I snorted at the description. If he had obtained the menkyo Kaiden under Kondō-san's guidance, Toshi always was a wildcard. The result of years gleaning techniques in many different dōjō as he pebbled the paths of Edo with a medicine box strapped upon his back. Hijikata always fought to win, because 'loosers die'. Meaning he could fight dirty, and adapt techniques to fit his own body style and speed, transform and restructure at will. Form didn't matter to him, only results. Hence the birth of Hiratsuki – the direct blow.
Hijikata's innovative style was one of the reasons I had befriended him in the first place; a visit never went without a duel as Shiei Hall. His new findings were all too interesting to pass. Yet here he was, facing a woman who fought with even less structure than he did… and was still standing.
"Shinpachi would throw a fit", Kondō-san confirmed with fondness for his second captain.
I nodded, my eyes following the young woman who kept Toshi on his toes.
She pulls it off. Why throw a fit on technicalities when the woman fights like a panther ?
Whomever she was, she was holding the demon at bay, both of her swords dancing around her like a set of ribbons. When eventually she sent him tumbling to the ground, I couldn't help but gasp. Her swords framed Toshizō's neck, and the men by my side erupted into cheers.
The young woman exchanged a very loaded look with Toshi, then offered her hand. I expected him – ever the sore looser – to swat it away moodily. He accepted it. My eyebrows rose; his eyes sparkled with an undescribable sense of pride. He wasn't pissed. Of course, the young woman had shown incredible skills, but talent never prevented Hijikata-kun from grumbling after a defeat.
Kondō's and Okita's wide smiles threw me into doubts. Sōji so barely praised strangers, and the Kyokuchō seemed literally enthralled. For a moment, I wondered if the Shōgun wasn't right after all; there was a mystical creature fighting for the Shinsengumi.
When silence returned, I could only clap my hands.
The Kitsune turned to me, her brown eyes catching the afternoon light in such a way that they almost seemed golden. Her whole body coiled as she cocked her head aside, studying me. Reading me, tearing my soul apart with her gaze. Instantly, Hijikata's shoulders tensed as well; how could he be so attuned to her, if she wasn't magical ?
My gaze found his, and a grin broke over my face. It was so good to see him! I spotted the exact moment he recognised me, for his body relaxed.
"Iba Hachirō", he greeted me. "What brings you here?"
I gently laughed. Always with the right questions, and straight to the point.
"You really have a gift, Toshi, for taming the surnatural."
Discreetly, I glanced to his side. The Kitsune should have recoiled at being called tame, but she smiled instead. It brightened her whole face, a sparkle gleaming in the immensity of her eyes; so wide, so deep that I found myself enthralled.
"Another friend that calls you Toshi", she told Hijikata. His feature softened, and he nodded. I'd seen that kind of wordless conversations between brothers in arms. Complicity with a spine of steel.
"Hai", I told her. "My dōjō and his used to meet in friendly encounters in Edo."
Both Okita and the woman snorted at the word 'friendly'. This was the moment Kondō-san decided to greet me. His bow was low, too low for a man I had looked up to as a boy. But I was a Hatamoto now. Despite him being the Kyokuchō of Shinsengumi, I outranked him.
"Ah, Iba-san. How good to see you!"
I gave him a true smile.
"You too, Kondō-san."
We indulged in small talk for a moment, me enquiring about his family, and him about the Shōgun's morale. Kondō was always dedicated to the core; he probably was more loyal than some of the Yūgekitai. As we talked, Hijikata made himself presentable, splashing a little water over his face before he passed his purple hakamashita. I watched, from the corner of my eyes, the familiarity with which he offered the bucket to the woman. Definitely brothers in arms, if not more.
Without a care in the world, she also splashed her face and neck, and detached her long fiery hair to fasten it in a quickly spun bun. I nearly gaped; this kind of behaviour would be inacceptable to any Japanese woman. Her attire, for one, was far too revealing. The way she didn't adorn her hair, or allowed it to dance freely in front of a man broke so many rules of propritety that I almost blushed. But spirits were reknown for spurning the rules of men…
Kondō-san's gaze travelled to the Kitsune, catching my innattention, and he smiled knowingly. Okita, though, narrowed his eyes at me. Yet, he didn't say a thing. The third man had already left, and I wondered, once more, if I was going crazy. Kitsune, or gaijin? If so, how had she won the loyalty of such men?
Impossible.
The Shinsengumi had strict rules, and Hijikata-kun enforced them ruthlessly. As Kondō-san turned to the young woman, she approached, her hair still wet from the impromptu shower. Hijikata-kun was struggling with the tie in his hair by the bucket of water.
"Kitsu-chan, this is Iba-san."
"Hachirō, please", I bowed.
Kondō gave me one of his ice melting smiles and relented.
"Very well, this is Hachirō-kun, and young man so skilled with a blade that he got nicknamed the little tengu of Iba."
The young woman snorted while I slightly reddened at the praise.
"A Tengu and an Oni", she called back to Hijikata-kun. "You two certainly make the pair."
What kind of woman wasn't afraid of calling the Vice Commander an Oni? Didn't she know what fierce temper he possessed? Although, come to think of it, she's just kicked his ass in an extraordinary display of skill; she couldn't possibly ignore it.
"Ah, that is quite true", Kondō-san mused. "Hachirō-kun also is a Hatamoto."
Most people usually stammered and bowed low after hearing my title. Some dared complimenting my skill, praising me for obtaining such a position at such a young age. None of the usual reactions registered on the woman's face; her eyes lit up, and she only chirped.
"Oh, a Hatamoto?"
"Okuzume, more specifically," I responded, watching for her reaction.
Curiosity sparked in her eyes, but the revelation went otherwise ignored.
"So what, you're a bodyguard ?", she asked bluntly.
She seemed almost eager, as if knowing the significance of my title was a game to her.
"Kitsu, show some respect", Hijikata growled as he marched back to us. She bit her lip shyly, her cheeks reddening slightly.
"Oh, sorry. Am I being disrespectful?"
Toshi sighed warily.
"You… Yes. You should bow to him."
"Sumimasen", she told me, bowing respectfully.
I watched, pretty confused, the young woman who'd kicked Hijikata's ass behave like a respectable young woman. Then, my brain kicked in and I rushed to smooth things over.
"Don't! It's all right, really. It's actually a refreshing change not to be gushed about."
"You're safe with Kitsu then", Toshizō snorted. There was a story here. "So, care to tell me what this visit is about?"
Ah. Good old Toshi.
As allergic to small talk as ever … people might say rude, but his propency to cut to business was a quality too rare to shed aside. This time, thought, I wish we could have stuck to pleasanteries; given what I'd just witnessed, I wasn't too sure my next words would be very welcome.
"I was sent to investigate a rumour…", I started, my eyes darting to the foreign features of the young woman. "The Shōgun asked me to bring the Kitsune back with me."