May 1863 Osaka

"Well, there doesn't seem to be trouble here yet, huh, Shimu?" Shimu barked in response to Haruka as they walked around Osaka. She was asked if she could patrol for a couple of days to scare off imperialists as they have been a problem lately. This was a normal thing for her that she often got called for. The scary shogun demon with a snowflake crest is a known tale amongst ronin. If you see her, don't mess with her. If you mess with her, assume you will die.

"Maybe I scared them all off already.." Haruka then turned her head when she heard a loud weird laugh. At a store she saw a group of men just outside it. Seems they were having some sort of infighting. She listened for a little bit to their conversation before deciding she should step in or not.

A tall man with shoulder length hair, with a top knot, beard, and a green haori, was speaking. Next to him was a more slender man with a gray kimono, yellow hakama, and black hair in a top-knot with shaved sides. "The ones that make easy money today are those that sell to foreigners. All the hard work people of Japan do and they just sell it straight to them. It just makes them a pest to our society. Shouldn't we as nationalist then punish them for betraying their country? As our duty?"

Haruka then looked over at the man he was arguing with, black hair in a ponytail, purple eyes, light purple kimono, gray hakama, and even though he looked pissed off, handsome. "What the hell kind of logic is that!?" He said.

The slender man then spoke. "Hijikata-kun, you and Kondou-kun keep criticizing our choices, but yet have either of you two brought in any money for the Roshigumi? All the while, Serizawa-sensei had been using his connections to not only make us have good graciousness with the Aizu but gain us money. It's unfair for you two to criticize like that, is it not? "

"That.."

"So what?" Haruka said as she had walked up to them.

The men looked over at Haruka. She just walked up to them out of nowhere. A woman wearing a hakama and carrying swords at her side. Kondou looked down at her sleeve and saw the snowflake crest, his eyes widened as he saw it. "Were you eavesdropping, girl?" The slender man asked.

Haruka just had a bored expression on her face. "You're out in public arguing. Everyone can hear your business."

Serizawa could only give a small laugh. "No one else is messing in that said business but you, and you have no need to be. That and with a sword at your side. As if you yourself were a samurai as a woman."

Haruka glazed down at the metal fan in his hand and then back at Serizawa. "Serizawa-san of the Roshigumi, is it?" She tilted her head slightly. "Surely making money this way isn't your only plan?"

The men's eyes widened. She knew who he was, what their group was. Serizawa took a glance at her family crest as well and figured out who she was."So, you know who I am? What gives you the right to judge how I handle things, girl?"

"No, it's not my right, but I surely have an opinion." She put a hand on her hip. "And a plan relying on bad reputation and excessive force is not only going to make it harder for you but cause a rift. Pushing people to the edge of their limit." She then grinned with a laugh. "Then again it really is all someone as bull headed as you could come up with. Your fate is probably set in stone at this moment!"

Serizawa sneered. "You little-!" Serizawa raised his metal fan at her.

"Serizawa-san!" Hijikata shouted.

"Serizawa-dono!" Kondou yelled.

But all they heard was a clash of metal and metal. The fan flew out of Serizawa's hand, landing on the street with a thud. Haruka had drawn her sword and had a bored expression on her face again. "Yeah..Bull headed it is, huh?" She sighed. "Predictable." She sheathed her sword back into its scabbard before she started to walk past the group, stopping for one second at Kondou. "Get your damn business done and leave Osaka before I come back. And get rid of Serizawa unless you want more problems."

She then whistled. Shimu was patiently waiting across the street and came running after Haruka with several happy barks. The group just watched her walk away. The slender man went and retrieved the fan that was knocked away. One of the men in the group with short brown hair, and a green hand towel tied around his head, spoke up. "Who was that..?"

"The Shogun's Demon." Serizawa said.

"Shogun's demon..?" Hijikata repeated.

"Never thought I'd actually meet the Demon herself." Serizawa had a small grin. "But the fact she was a woman was left out. Anyone that crosses her has ended up dead. Or so they say, she's still just a girl." Hijikata just glared at him for a second before he noticed Kondou looked distant.

"Something wrong, Kondou-san?" He asked.

"No. Well…"

"You got that feeling too, Kondou-san?" Another man with brown hair and green eyes asked. Kondou just nodded his head. "There's no way, right?" He asked. Kondou just looked uneasy as he was asked that.

"For now…I'm putting that aside.."

Mid August 1863

At the Yagi residence in Kyoto, the Shinsengumi, formerly the Roshigumi, were in a bit of trouble. Recently, a person known as Kodo Yukimura that they were working with had disappeared. They were working with him by orders of the Shogun. Of course, what they were told to do was uneasy for Kondou and his faction but they needed the support.

When Kodo went missing, they had to report it to the Aizu. Fortunately, Matsudaria, the daimyo of Aizu, knew exactly who could help in this situation. "Shinomi-san, thank you for arriving here quickly."

"I wasn't that far away to be fair." Haruka then crossed her arms. "What did you need?"

Matsudaria smiled. "Do you know of the Shinsengumi in Kyoto?"

"Shinsengumi? Wait, is that Roshigumi's new name?"

"Yes. We even have them serve under us."

Haruka put a hand on her hip. "Let me guess..Serizawa?"

"Well…You know as well as I do he has relatives working for us."

"A pain in the ass is what he is."

Matsudaria chuckled. "You really do not hold back. Now tell me.." His face turned serious. "Do you know about Kodo Yukimura and his experiments?"

Haruka blinked. "Of course I do. He came to me about it a while ago. Asked me what to do with it and as a joke said to try it on lower vessels if he wanted to experiment so badly."

"Well, he took that to heart it seems."

Her face turned surprised for a second and then nervous. "You're not saying…The Shinsengumi is that lower vessel..are you?"

He nodded his head. "I'm afraid so. But that's not the problem. It seemed that Yukimura had disappeared completely."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes. I was wondering if you could go and figure out what happened. You will be cleared of all assignments and this will be your only task."

"…Is it really necessary?"

"I already told them that an Okuzume will be on their way. Unless you want me to send Iba-san or Motoyama-san?"

Haruka shook her head. "No. This is fine. They are still training and I caused this accident somehow."

Matsudaria smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Think of this as a time to rest. You don't have to move from place to place for a while."

"So you say. Well then. I should head off, shouldn't I?"

"Yes. Ah, and Shinomi-san, Nakano said she had a gift for you for the trip to Kyoto."

Haruka gave a small smile. "Really? Then I will find her before I leave." Haruka bowed and then made her way towards the exit. There she found a young girl with her hair tied back, orange amber eyes, and blue kimono. "Takeko. I thought you were headed to Edo?"

Nakano's eyes lit up when she heard Haruka. "Haruka-san!" She ran up to her and hugged her. "I couldn't leave once I heard you were coming!"

Haruka was surprised at the hug and just awkwardly patted her back. "Ah…I see." Nakano let her go. "But seriously? Adopted by Akaoka-sensei? How lucky you are."

Nakano smiled. "I'm just glad my skills are recognized! And you seem to have a super important task now, right? Matsudaria wouldn't have requested you like that, right?"

Haruka gave her a smile. "Yes. You're right. But you can't know what it is."

"Aww..I bet it's more secret demon stuff."

Haruka just gave a content sigh at the younger girl. "So, what did you want to give me?"

"Ah! Right! Here!" She handed her a bento box. "Full of hand made dorayaki! I made sure no plums touched it! All by me!"

"Oh! I appreciate it, Takeko."

"And one more thing!" She crouched down to Shimu. "This is for you, Shimu!" She took out a bone and showed Shimu. He happily opened his mouth and accepted it. His tail was wagging like crazy as Nakano gave him head pats. "Good boy!"

"I suppose we won't see each other for a while."

Nakano stood up. "Yeah. But can I at least know where you're going?"

"Kyoto. Though if you don't hear from me, you can send letters to the Shinsengumi."

"Shinsengumi? Are you staying with them?"

"I'll probably get an inn, but if something happens, just check with them."

"Okay, got it! Oh and don't push yourself okay? I know your secret but you are not invincible."

Haruka laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll be careful."

Yagi Residence

Hijikata was walking to the entrance of Yagi. "They should arrive today." Today was the day an Okuzume was to arrive about the Kodo situation. Of course, they weren't given a name. He didn't know what he expected but someone had to greet them so it may as well be him.

He sighed and closed his eyes as he stood there at the entrance. Luckily, it wasn't that hot that day and a breeze was passing through. On occasion, some soldiers would guard the entrance but with how hot it got, having them stay like that would only give them heat stroke. But today he'd just have to deal with things himself.

Eventually he heard footsteps approaching the entrance. He opened his eyes to see the woman from Osaka and her dog. The expression on his face was surprising and uneasy. "You..What are you doing here?"

Haruka just stopped in front of him. "The Aizu sent me. Looking for an Okuzume, right?"

"You are…?" Hijikata narrowed his eyes on her.

"I'm guessing Serizawa already told you I'm the Shogun's Demon? I'm usually the one officials call on to fix problems." She then shrugged her shoulders. "I just got a new official title."

Hijikata still looked uneasy. "You are going to help us?"

"That depends if you want my help or not." Haruka said.

Hijikata just sighed. "Alright. Follow me." Haruka and Shimu followed Hijikata as they walked through Yagi. Some soldiers from far away saw Haruka and were curious. She had a calm expression on her face that reminded them of the third division captain. They came to a building separated from the main building they used.

Hijikata saw the door was slid open to let the air in. Stopping in his tracks, he looked at Haruka. "Stay there. I'll give you a proper introduction." Haruka just nodded along with his suggestion as Hijikata went to the open room.

In the room was Kondou, Serizawa, the slender man, a young man massaging Serizawa's shoulders, and a man with shoulder length brown hair and glasses sitting next to Kondou. Hijikata just cleared his throat. "The Okuzume sent by the Aizu has arrived." Hijikata stepped into the room and sat on the other side of Kondou. Haruka walked to the opened room and bowed. Shimu also bowed.

"I believe we have met before without introductions. I am Haruka Shinomi. This is my companion, Shimu."

Everyone except Hijikata and Serizawa had their eyes open in surprise. Serizawa spoke first. "So, they sent the Shogun's Demon, huh? Oh sorry, you made a name for yourself didn't you? The Icy Okuzume, was it?" He smirked. Haruka looked at him for a second when she straightened herself back up, sat down, and focused back on Kondou and his men.

"I am Isami Kondou. One of the Chiefs of the Shinsengumi." He bowed. The man with glasses next to him bowed as well. Hijikata just looked at her before bowing a bit himself. "To my right is Vice Commander Toshizou Hijikata. And to my left is Vice Commander Keisuke Sanan."

Sanan raised his head and smiled at Haruka. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Shinomi-kun."

Haruka gave a small smile in return. "It's also a pleasure to meet you too." Then she glanced over at the slender man and young man. "And you two?"

The slender man spoke first. "I am Nishiki Niimi. Vice Commander for Serizawa-Sensei. I must say you have made quite a name for yourself considering your circumstances."

Haruka stared at Niimi. "What would those circumstances be?"

Niimi now looked nervous. "Ah, well, you worked for the Shogun from such a young age, no? You must have had some trouble with the older officials in your field!"

Haruka just disregarded Niimi's words for now and looked at the young man. "And you?"

"M-Me?" He asked.

"Introduce yourself, mutt." Serizawa said.

"I…I'm Ryuunosuke Ibuki…I'm..uh..Not really a part of them…" Ibuki's hand was then hit by Serizawa's metal fan. "Ow!"

"Enough. She doesn't need to know that much about you." Hijikata noticed Haruka's hand gripped her Hakama a bit. "So why did they send the pretty Okuzume here to the Shinsengumi?"

Haruka ignored his comment about her. "I'm here to investigate the disappearance of Kodo Yukimura. And the last I heard, he was working with the Shinsengumi. Naturally, I expect you to cooperate with me."

Serizawa laughed. "Cooperate? More like they just sent us a babysitter. Isn't that what you really mean?"

Haruka just raised an eyebrow. "If you are going to be no help to me at all then just leave. The Shinsengumi has two Chiefs for a reason, no?"

Serizawa clicked his tongue. "And you can't do this work on your own? I thought you worked alone. Or are all those rumors about you just made up?"

Haruka just gave him a cold stare. "You can test my patience all you like. But do not forget, you were given a second chance. I'm sure being imprisoned again isn't something you'd like. Right?" Everyone, except Serizawa, eyes widened. Niimi, Hijikata, and Ibuki thought she was crazy talking like that. Sanan was impressed. And Kondou was just surprised at the threat in general.

Serizawa gritted his teeth at her. "You really know just what to say don't you? I see how you've made your mark." He then got up, Niimi following his lead, and started to head out of the room. "Kondou-kun. You deal with the pretty Okuzume. She and I have no reason to communicate any further."

Haruka smiled as he walked past her. "Good. It seems you can keep your temper in check. Do more of that."

That pissed off Serizawa more as he stomped off, Niimi trailing behind him and sliding the door closed. Ibuki just blinked a couple of times before just falling to his knees and sitting down. "...Hey…Are you crazy? Threatening Serizawa-san like that?" Ibuki said.

Haruka looked over at Ibuki. "Hm? Crazy?"

"Yes, crazy!" Hijikata yelled. "Did that title of yours make you think you're invincible!?"

Haruka just blinked. "No. I just have better connections than he has."

"Still…" Sanan said. "You intended for him to stay out of this, didn't you?"

Haruka smiled. "I have no idea what you mean, Sanan-san." She then looked at Kondou. "I believe I said to get rid of him back in Osaka, did I not?"

"Yes, well…" He said.

Haruka just gave him a small smile. "I'll give you another chance. But just be careful." Shimu yawned and finally laid down on the floor from his sitting position next to Haruka. Haruka looked over and patted his back. "Seems the air has cleared a little bit. Shall we continue?"

Kondou cleared his throat. "Yes. Well, what do you need to know?"

"When was the last time you saw Kodo-san?"

"It must have been at least two weeks ago." Ibuki said. ""I remember him coming here to see Niimi…"

Haruka looked a bit surprised. "Two weeks?...No..nevermind that, there's a better question I should have asked first.." She looked over at the three men in front of her. "Exactly how many people know about the water of life?"

"There's 14 people involved." Sanan said.

Haruka's eye twitched. "Did…you say 14?"

"Maybe this is better explained when we have the others around. Shinomi-kun must be tired."

Haruka was still in disbelief and muttering to herself. "14? How the hell did it get to 14 people involved in this mess?"

"Are you okay, Shinomi-kun?" Kondou asked.

"Huh?" Haruka snapped out of her thoughts. "Ah, yes. I'm fine. I think it really might be better if we discussed it with the rest of them together so I don't have to repeat myself…Assuming this excludes Serizawa and Niimi."

"You don't like them, do you?" Ibuki asked.

"I've dealt with enough people to know when they will be a pain in things." Haruka then started to get up. "I assume this meeting will happen tomorrow?"

"Oh! Yes!" Kondou said as he got up as well. "Shinomi-kun? Do you have a place to stay?"

"Huh? Well, I was going to go get a room at an inn."

Kondou just smiled at her. "Nonsense. I'm sure we have a spare room for you. It would make your work much easier if you were closer to us, right?"

Hijikata looked surprised and then looked at Kondou a bit mad. "Hey, Kondou-san, what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"I'm just offering her some hospitality. She is a guest after all, Toshi."

"And you think having a woman here is a great idea? Especially with Serizawa around?"

"Hijikata-kun." Hijikata looked over at Sanan who had stood up, walking over to Kondou. "I believe Shinomi-kun can defend herself enough. Though if the men do make trouble for her, the code is there for these problems, aren't they?" He had this small, but sinister, smile on his face.

Hijikata just sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Haruka though had this face of discomfort. "Is..it really okay? Don't you need the space?"

Kondou nodded. "Like I said, you are a guest during your investigation. Sparing one room for you and Shimu is fine."

Haruka looked at the three men and her arms loosely crossed with a look of uncertainty. "If..that's really okay, I suppose I can't turn down the offer."

Kondou looked overjoyed at her acceptance. "Wonderful! Then let me show you around." He then lead the way while putting a hand on her upper back to guide her along. Hijikata, Sanan, and Ibuki saw Haruka's face of overwhelment as she was dragged off. Shimu barked and followed his master.

"My, it seems our Okuzume isn't used to kindness like that." Sanan said.

Hijikata sighed. "That or he's too generous.."

Ibuki walked over and saw the two figures walk away. He saw the snowflake crest on Haruka's kimono and looked at Sanan and Hijikata. "She has a snowflake crest. I've never seen that before..Is she really that important then?"

Hijikata raised an eyebrow. "Snowflake?"

"Interesting. I was wondering if maybe she was from a samurai family in her position." Sanan smiled. "But for now, let's see what happens."

Meanwhile, Haruka was walking alongside Kondou, looking around a little bit. It was a bit of an awkward silent walk until Kondou spoke up. "I'm sorry if this is a bit personal but…Are you the same Shinomi-kun who came to Shiei Hall years ago as a little girl?"

Haruka stopped in her tracks and looked at him. "Yes, I am. Then you really are Kondou-san?"

Kondou had that joyful look on his face again. "Yes! To think we would meet like this again! I can't believe it!" He laughed loudly. "And you have been doing well for yourself as well! Working for the Shogun!"

Haruka blinked, her mind still overstimulated. "Ah..Yes. I suppose it is a..good thing?" She then shook her head to regain herself. "But then there's you, right? You no longer run Shiei but a leader of the Shinsengumi serving the Shogun as well. My position is nothing special."

Kondou gently put a hand on her shoulder. "But it is. You must have worked hard for the position you are in now?"

"Well…Actually..I only gained this position when my father died."

"Ah.."

"I'm just in it due to being the leader of my clan. Nothing really special about it.."

"Shinomi-kun…"

Haruka then gave him a small smile. "Don't feel bad about it, Kondou-san. Since that day I met you, I was already training for this position. I just…Didn't expect it to happen when I was 15."

Kondou patted her shoulder. "I'm sure your father is proud of you. I would be if you were my daughter."

Haruka was surprised at what he said. But she ended up giving him a warm smile. The wall comes down again. "Thank you, Kondou-san."

Kondou nodded his head and then looked where they stopped. "Ah. Seems we stopped in the right place." Haruka turned around and saw the room was wide open. "This is the room you will stay in while you work. I hope it's enough."

Shimu quickly ran into the room and stopped in the middle to look around. He barked happily. Haruka gave a small laugh. "It's enough." She looked back at Kondou. "Thank you, Kondou-san."

"No need to thank me. I'll bring you and Shimu some food later. For now just rest, tomorrow, you will meet the rest of us."

The next morning, the common room was filled with people who knew about the Water of Life. They were a bit restless about suddenly being summoned there early in the morning. Ibuki sat in on the meeting as he knew too much. Luckily, Serizawa left that morning so he could take part. He looked around the room of men he got to know in the last few months.

"So what? The Aizu really sent someone to work on finding Kodo?" The one with green eyes asked.

The one with the hand towel tied to his head spoke next. "Why did they even send someone? We can handle this on our own!"

"They are more informed about this than we are. So let's just help them as much as we can. After all, we are responsible for letting it out of here the last time." Sanan said.

Kondou looked at the door. "It's alright for you to come in now."

The door slid open slowly, however the first thing that ran in was small. Shimu had gotten excited and ran to the middle of the room. He looked around and barked happily.

"Oh. Sorry." Said a voice. "He gets excited sometimes." They all looked to the door and saw Haruka step inside. She bowed to them all. "I am Haruka Shinomi, the Okuzume Aizu sent to investigate Kodo's disappearance."

When she stopped bowing, the man with green eyes spoke up. "So it really is you.."

Haruka looked at him for a second before her eyes widened. "No..way…"

He grinned and waved at her. "Long time no see, Haruka!"

"Souji!?" Haruka was shocked as she heard Kondou laugh behind her, cheerfully.

"Seems it was more than just us reuniting, Shinomi-kun!" Kondou said.

Haruka just looked over at him. "You damn well knew the entire time he was here and didn't tell me.." She then paid her attention back to the other man. "Then..you're really.."

"Souji Okita, captain of the 1st division." Okita grinned.

Haruka sighed. "Oh that's you alright, with that grin and everything."

"Oh, don't give me that. Lighten up." Okita said back.

Hijikata just cleared his throat as Haruka sat down. "Since Souji introduced himself, the rest of you should too."

The next person who spoke looked stoic. "I'm Hajime Saito, Captain of the third division."

Then the man with the hand towel. He pointed to himself with his thumb. "I'm Shinpachi Nagakura! Captain of the second division! Nice to see you again since that day in Osaka!"

"Ah..Sorry if I came off too strong back there.."

He grinned. "Don't worry about it, Haruka! It was actually cool!"

"Hey, Shin! Quit flirting with her!" Said a young man.

"Flirting? Who the hell said I was flirting, Heisuke!"

"I am!"

The two started to go for each other when another man, tall with red hair in a low ponytail, pushed them away from each other. "Come on, quit it for now you two. Really isn't a great impression when you're meeting a lady for the first time is it?"

The two who were fighting just turned from each other with their arms crossed. The man who stopped them just chuckled. "Sorry about them. I'm Sanosuke Harada, Captain of the 10th division."

Shimu came over to the young man and sniffed his hand. "Whoa!" He looked stunned for a minute before patting his head. "I'm Heisuke Toudou. Captain of the 8th division. Your dog is pretty friendly!"

Haruka smiled a bit. "He's just making sure you're a friend."

An older gentleman spoke up. "Well, then you've trained a bright dog. I'm Genzaburou Inoue, captain of the sixth division."

Haruka turned her head when she noticed two men left. The stoic one bowed slightly. "I'm Susumu Yamazaki."

The taller, bulkier one, spoke next." And I'm Kai Shimada. Both of us are part of The Watch."

Haruka looked over at Kondou. "The watch?"

"They gather information, not just on the enemy, but even watch our own men, for traitors or spies. It's come in handy a couple of times." Sanan said.

"I see.." Haruka crossed her arms a bit and closed her eyes. "If introductions are done, then I have one thing to ask."

"What would that be?" Hijikata asked.

When she opened her eyes, they were cold as ice. "How did this end up with 14 people involved? Wasn't this supposed to be a small thing?"

Everyone in the common room froze. Of course that was something she'd ask. They all looked at each other before Hijikata spoke up. "We found out Niimi was experimenting on prisoners in secret when one of them escaped."

"That doesn't explain the obscene amount of people here."

"You don't know anything about them do you?"

"Then explain to me. Because all I know right now is that Kodo has disappeared and this has spread too far."

"Those things are something else, Haruka." Haruka looked over at Okita. "They basically lose their minds after they drink that stuff. Sure, they can heal and are super strong and fast afterwards, but they are tough to kill when you need them to be dead."

"Seriously.." Harada spoke next. "When that one escaped, we were surprised by it. It took just about all of us to take it down."

"So it overwhelmed you? Is that why there's this many people?" Haruka asked Kondou while looking at him. He nodded his head and Haruka sighed. "Okay…Fine. Just don't let this get any further."

Her eyes then landed on Ibuki. "Ibuki-kun. You said you saw him last about two weeks ago?"

He flinched when he was called on. "Oh..Uh..Yeah. But that's pretty much it…Sorry."

"Really?" She glanced at the others. "Anything from any of you?" But they all shook their heads. "Great..So I'm running on very little information.."

"I don't know how much it will help but you can look at his clinic." Yamazaki brought the idea up.

"His clinic?"

"It had burned down. Along with most of his notes and belongings. We found what we could but maybe you can find something we missed."

Haruka thought for a moment and crossed her arms. "That might be a good idea.."

"See, you're not completely without any lead." Okita said.

"You are not making this any easier, Souji."Haruka looked at him deadpanned. "Alright, another question then, who's in charge of the water of life experiment?"

"Niimi-san is in charge of it." Saito answered.

"Niimi…?" Haruka looked a bit uneasy. "Wait, you're still letting him handle it after the one thing got out?"

"We call them furies." Sanan said. "And it's not like he's doing it alone, I also share responsibility with the serum after the event."

Haruka just shook her head. "Anything else I should know?"

Kondou shook his head. "At the moment, this is everything."

"If that's the case…Let me look into things for a little while. Just keep Niimi in check. I sense that man could be up to something regardless of him being watched or not." Haruka stood up. "I'm going to go look at the remains of the clinic. Go on with your day."

Haruka started to go to the door, with Shimu quickly following her, but Okita stood up. "Hey, hold on. You don't know where it is, do you? I can take you there."

Haruka blinked. "Sure, Souji." Okita caught up to her and they left the common room together. The room got quiet for a little while as the room became a bit calmer.

"Is it really okay to not tell her about the other fury that killed Sakai?" Nagakura asked.

"I'm sure she already sees us in a negative light." Sanan said. "It's best she doesn't know how worse this really is."

"But won't she be mad when she finds out?" Heisuke said.

"It won't come to that." Hijikata said. "So long as we all keep our mouths shut." They all looked at each other and nodded their heads in agreement. Except for Ibuki. He just looked at the ground, uncertain about this decision.

"Who cares if they look like fools, she needs to know the truth." Ibuki thought.

A few days passed, Haruka was sitting outside a tea shop at a table. There was a game of go in front of her. Shimu was just laying at her feet. She placed a piece down and looked up at her opponent.

"So, how have you been, Kimi?" She asked.

A graceful hand picked up a go piece and held it up while looking at the board. She had long black hair tied up in a bun, a purple floral kimono, dark pink lip makeup on her lips, and a mole under them.

She then gently placed her piece down. "Things could be better." She glanced up at Haruka. "It has been a long time since you visited Kyoto. I also heard you're working with the Shinsengumi."

Haruka saw where she placed her piece and tilted her head. "It's not like I can pick and choose my assignments. Besides, this one is different."

"Oh? Different how?"

Haruka glanced up at her, her hand about to place her next piece. "One of our own is missing, Kimigiku."

Kimigiku glanced back at the board and where Haruka's hand was placing her piece. "That is serious. I suppose you want some information."

Haruka smiled. "Maybe I just want to catch up with an old friend."

"Really?" She leaned in a bit closer to whisper. "Have you noticed we're being watched?"

Haruk turned her head to the side to hear her. "I know. Play it off." They both pulled away laughing a bit loudly. "Oh, Kimi. I'm not ready for that kind of thing yet."

Kimigiku smiled. "But he's really sweet. Won't you give him a chance?"

"Maybe when I'm older and done with this job."

From a shop nearby, Hijikata was watching them. He had been on his rounds when he spotted them. Told his men to take a break while he watched discreetly. To him, they just seemed like old friends catching up with each other. Haruka moves from place to place so who knows when was the last time she was in Kyoto.

"They're just playing a game together…" He told himself. "Nothing more than friends." He entered the shop he was at to make sure things were fine or if assistance was needed.

Ibuki was nearby and when he saw Hijikata enter the store he walked over to Haruka. "Shinomi-san. I'm sorry to interrupt you but…I need to talk to you."

Haruka and Kimigiku looked up at him. "Oh? Is this young man your page?" Kimigiku asked.

"H-huh!?" Ibuki looked surprised.

Haruka just grinned and got up. "Kimi, you know I work alone. Oh, and tell Sen I said Hi." She put some money on the table and looked at Ibuki. "Come on, let's head back to Yagi, you can tell me on the way there."

"Oh, uh, right.."

She, Ibuki, and Shimu started to walk in the direction of Yagi in silence for a little while. Ibuki just felt anxious at how quiet they were. Haruka didn't look a bit unnerved.

"Ibuki-kun?"

"Huh!? Uh…yes?"

"What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh…" Ibuki looked down watching Shimu walk in front of him. "The fury that got out…It wasn't the only time.."

"Hm?"

"I-I mean…Another fury had gone out. It got out and it killed one woman and one of our own and his lover..."

Haruka kept walking, showing no emotion at all at the information. "I know."

"H-huh!? You know?"

"I know that and that you all were hiding something. I don't blame you thinking I might think you're all incompetent. I do, to a degree, but Serizawa already caused enough problems for you without me adding more on top of that."

Ibuki blinked in surprise before calming down a bit. "Man…You really do know about things quickly…Is that what happens when you work for the Shogun?"

"No. That comes from training to be a leader."

"A leader?"

Haruka smiled a little at Ibuki. "I'm not just an Okuzume. I'm also the leader of my clan back in Ezo. I have to be aware of things or else I might end up losing my head."

"Well…It's more than what I can do…"

"I'm sure there's lots you can do. You just haven't found it yet."

Ibuki looked at her for a second before looking back at Shimu. "I can't be a warrior like everyone else can. I don't want to be anyway."

Haruka glanced his way. "Feel like sharing?"

"I was born into a samurai family. A low ranking vassal that serves for one year. But my dad decided to rake up debt and ended up selling his status to someone to fix the debt. In the end, he died in an accident and left mom and I with that huge debt."

"Ah..I'm sorry about that."

"I'm kind of over it. But…Mom kept pushing me for years about how to act like a samurai. To be a samurai. She'd yell at me when I do stuff like chop firewood for people for money because it just wasn't what a samurai does. And I was just a kid. So…I ran."

They walked in silence again as the day turned into afternoon. Ibuki kept looking at Shimu who took a look at Ibuki as they walked. "...Why did you pick Shimu to travel with you?"

"Well, if I traveled alone, I'd probably go insane."

Ibuki gave a small chuckle. "Pretty sure you already are."

"The other reason is, Shimu is actually from a generation of dogs that live with my clan. I decided it was time one traveled with a clan leader again. Plus, he has better senses than a human."

"Even a dog has a legacy…" Shimu barked at him.

"He's just happy to travel, really. Legacy and all that means nothing to him."

Ibuki gave a small smile. "No human worries for you, Shimu." Shimu barked again in agreement with Ibuki. When they got close to the entrance of Yagi, they saw Harada come out.

"Something wrong, Harada?" Ibuki asked.

"You two seen Niimi around?"

Haruka shook her head. "Not since I've head out this morning."

"Yeah, same for me too."

Harada looked frustrated. "Tch. Damn it."

Haruka stepped forward. "What happened?"

"Niimi left. And I mean left with everything on the water of life."

"He what!?" Haruka yelled. "What did I tell you all!"

"I know!" Harada yelled back. "But Niimi can be slippery when he needs to be!"

Haruka gave a heavy sigh. "We're having a meeting with everyone but Serizawa in the common room. Go get everyone."

"Right." Harada turned to go tell everyone involved. Ibuki looked over at Haruka. "What does this mean?"

"Means someone is going to probably end up dead."

After a few days, they had all found out a fury was on the loose in Kyoto. Their search to find it for nights got nowhere until one morning it showed up dead on the bank of the Kamo. It was not one of their own, but a random stranger. Niimi had been doing experiments while on the run but they still had no clue where he could be.

Haruka had her head on her desk as Shimu laid on her lap. "The damn rat is still on the loose. No trace of him at all. And worse he's probably exposing the water of life in some way and endangering more people than necessary."

She sighed heavily. "Why did I have to joke like that to Kodo…Now there's just a mess.." That's when she heard her door slide open suddenly. She looked at the figure in the doorway.

"Haruka-nee!" It was Shota. He was wearing dark clothing reminiscent of that of a ninja, with a sword at his side."Bad news."

"Shota? What's wrong?" She said as she stood up.

Shota stepped into her room and closed the door. "They found Niimi."

"What!?"

"They found him and Hijikata, Okita, Saito, and Yamazaki went after him."

"Damn it!" Haruka grabbed her swords and tied them to her hip with her sash. "Shota! Lead me!" She said as she ran out the door with Shimu right behind her.

"Right!"

They ran out of Yagi onto the streets of Kyoto. Haruka followed Shota as he led her to where Niimi was suspected to be. Before they turned fully into a corner, they saw Yamazaki at the back of the restaurant. They both hid back into the corner and watched. "Shota…Get behind him. If he won't tell me, you'll be convincing enough."

"Got it." Shota jumped up to the roofs above as Haruka headed towards Yamazaki. Yamazaki heard her footsteps and saw her walking to him calmly. This unnerved him as he knew what was going on inside. "Yamazaki. What are you doing out here? Did you get lost?"

"Ah. I may have. Kyoto is large as it is and a bit disorienting at night."

"Is that so? I was out on a stroll and saw you. I can lead you back to Yagi if you want."

"T-That won't be necessary. I can find my way there."

"Fine, if you're that insistent on it." Haruka turned around, about to leave, when she looked back at him. "By the way, you haven't seen Hijikata-san, Saito-san, or Souji, have you?"

Yamazaki tried to not react to her question. "No. I don't think I-" His eyes widened when he felt something sharp press against his back. He took a glance behind him as discreetly as he could.

"I suggest answering truthfully." Said the voice behind him. Yamazaki's eyes looked back at Haruka. He realized Haruka was never really alone on her travels. Someone was always looking after her, if from a distance.

"I don't-"

Haruka stared at him. "Please don't take me for a fool. You grew up in Osaka, Kyoto was a sort of hunting ground for you, and as the watch's leader you should know Kyoto inside and out." She walked closer and leaned into him. "Now tell me the truth."

Yamazaki let out the breath he was holding. "Okay. We found out Niimi was using the name Iori Tanaka and I tracked him down to this teahouse tonight. He's been trying to sell the water of life to some imperialists. The vice commander thought it would be wise to take care of this quickly before things got out of hand." When he was done, the sharp object was removed from his back and the person walked over to Haruka, nodding his head confirming the information was correct.

"Thank you, Yamazaki." Haruka looked over at Shota next to her. "Shota. Stay here and watch him. You too, Shimu. I got business inside."

"Don't worry, Haruka-nee. I got it." Shota said through his scarf. Haruka entered the teahouse and made her way to find the three that decided to take action themselves. It didn't take that long as she found broken shoji doors and the strong stench of metal in the air. She just walked calmly till she found them. Two imperialists are dead and Niimi as well, but with white hair. "Had fun?" Hijikata, Okita, and Saito's eyes widened as they turned quickly around to see her there.

"Shinomi…" Hijikata managed to say. She was staring at all three of them with cold, narrow eyes. The temperature in the room dropped considerably. They had been found out and now they made an official mad.

Okita tried to pull off a smile."H-Haruka! See we just-"

"No. No excuses. You blatantly went behind my back! You knew where Niimi was! You didn't inform anyone else! Not Kondou! Not the other captains! Not even me! If I didn't think you incompetent before, I do now!"

"But-!"

"No, damn it! I only found out about it because I have my own people watching you idiots! Also, you can do this by yourself but you can't take care of Serizawa? What the hell is wrong with you! And now you have this mess to clean up!"

Haruka just turned to leave. "No more secrets. Any information goes to me. Understand? This shit happens again and I will do something extreme like disbanding the Shinsengumi entirely." She then walked away back outside.

The three men let go of the breath they were holding. Hijikata just grit his teeth in frustration. Okita looked over at him. "She…She can't really do that can she?"

"...I don't know what she can do…But if the Aizu trusts her that much…And she works directly under the shogun…" Hijikata balled his hand into a fist and punched the ground. "Damn it!"

Saito just watched Haruka leave. Okita came over to him and watched her leave too. "Then it's clear we can't keep things from her. We can't make this mistake again.." Saito said.

"No way I'm gonna let her just break us up like that.." Okita looked down at his sword. "This has been Kondou-san's dream…"

Hijikata stood up. "We won't give up. We can't. This…This is just a lesson. Let's take care of Niimi and the other two. We can't let anyone else have a closer look at this scene."

Haruka got back outside and saw the three still waiting there. "Shota. Back to work. Yamazaki. Go to them. I'm leaving. Let's go, Shimu." Shimu barked as he followed Haruka out of the alley. Shota looked over at Yamazaki. "I'm sorry I had to force you."

Yamazaki looked surprised. "You…were just doing what she told you right? Why are you apologizing?"

"Not everyone has to be cold when doing stuff like this. Plus, I'm sure we both know you wouldn't have told her the truth without some pressure." Shota said as he smiled with his eyes closed. "Well, if you need me, I'll be around somewhere." Shota then jumped back up to the roof and ran off as Yamazaki watched him leave.

In Kondou's room, Haruka was staring down Kondou, Hijikata, and Sanan as she sat across from them. Hijikata was staring right back at her. It had been quiet for several minutes already. Haruka just crossed her arms. "We are dealing with Serizawa."

"What..?" Kondou said.

"You've had more than enough chances. I told you in Osaka, Aizu told you twice, I gave you one more chance, and now I've had enough of that man. Not only that, but Niimi worked under him as well and caused that mess in Yamao."

"Then what exactly do you expect us to do?" Hijikata kept staring at her. "He won't back down at all."

"The only option is to kill him."

"You can't be serious Shinomi-kun…" Kondou looked at her upset. "We can try-"

"Talking has not worked. This man has set fire to buildings. Demanded Geisha's hair be cut off. Accepted the water of life experiments. And one of his men caused chaos. There is no other choice in this matter. He dies."

The room became silent again.

Sanan finally spoke a word. "Shinomi-kun is right."

"Sanan-kun, you think this is the right choice too?" Kondou asked.

Sanan nodded his head. "We can't move forward this way. Much less on bad reputation."

"Bad reputation can always be fixed. But any worse than that and they may run you all out of the city" Haruka said.

Hijikata looked ticked off. "And what exactly makes you think that?"

"The people of Kyoto already don't like the Shinsengumi. They would like a reason to toss you out."

"And killing Serizawa is the only answer to you?"

Haruka shrugged. "I'd be happy if you offer another suggestion, Hijikata-san, but if there is none then we have no other choice."

Hijikata grit his teeth. "It's okay, Toshi." Kondou said.

"Kondou-san.."

"I know now that we have come to a standstill with Serizawa…We will deal with him the way you want Shinomi-kun."

Haruka then looked at them. "Then let's work together on a plan."