Hey everybody, Blue here once again for 'Tears of the Demon'! I've been hard at work getting chapters out as best I can and hope everyone truly loves what I've posted so far. You've been great and I'm enjoying the praise, really. Now that I've done my bit, I don't own 'HSK' but I'll be damned if I don't get it on DVD someday. Enjoy!

"Iii" = speech

Iii = thought

Chapter 5: Blood on the Blade

Staring out at his expansive garden, Kazama took vague interest in a late season butterfly making its almost drunken way over the pond and towards a bush. He'd sent his men to Kyoto over a week ago and had yet to hear even a whisper of what the human fools were up to. I knew I should've sent Amagiri with them… he'd keep the damn vermin in line no problem. He thought absently as the butterfly, a sprite and brightly colored thing, did loops before vanishing somewhere beyond the pond and the bushes behind it. Behind him, the sound of rushed footsteps met his ears, followed by the sound of his door being slid open.

"My lord!" a servant gasped, straining to sound respectful in spite of his haste. "A messenger has returned from Kyoto!"

Blinking his surprise at his news, Kazama turns to stare at the servant. "What? When?"

Sweating either from nerves or from running, Kazama didn't know or care, the man kept his head bowed as he spoke, his words coming out rushed. "Only a few moments ago, I came as soon as I was informed myself, my lord. It's Yoshi, one of the men you sent with Jin."

"Bring him to me." Kazama retorted coldly, turning away from the man, ignoring the servant's flinch.

The servant stammered as he backed out of the room again. "At once milord!"

Kazama only had to wait less than two minutes before more footsteps came thumping across the floors of his mansion, followed once again by his door being slid open. Two sets came in before halting some distance in, Yoshi's familiar voice sounding off behind him. "My lord, forgive my tardiness. I came as quickly as my horse would allow."

As he turned around again, he looked down at the slightly disheveled man, wearing a dirt-covered and sweaty yukata of a faded red. His own red eyes seemed to burn holes into the top of the mercenary's head. "I'll forgive you when you I hear what news you have. Speak now."

"Yes, of course." Yoshi stammered, obviously nervous about facing his employer face-to-face, not for the first time but definitely without any of the other of his band there to act as a shield from the oni's gaze. "As his lordship is aware, we went to Kyoto seeking the girl. For several days we found nothing when, close to seven days ago everyone but me was arrested. I managed to escape before they caught me but I saw who they were."

"And? Who were they?" Kazama stated, trying not to sound impatient. The last thing he wanted was to scare one of his own men into silence.

Suddenly, Yoshi looked angry but kept his gaze locked on the floor, knowing the man before him would see it as disrespect. "It was soldiers of the Shinsengumi my lord! They had come to our inn and were waiting for us. They got Sanji and Hiro but I managed to get down the street before they could catch me and I got a horse before they could close the gates."

Mildly impressed, Kazama stared at the man thoughtfully. Maybe he wasn't so useless after all. "You came straight here? No delays?"

Yoshi shook his head, seeming to take some small pride with himself for returning as quickly as he did. "None sir, I barely slept and changed horse several times but little else. I knew you'd want to hear this news as quickly as possible and surmised a message might take too long. Otherwise, I would've been caught myself."

"That was wise of you and I commend you for your foresight. And yet you know nothing about the girl, or the warriors at all?" Kazama asked, managing to keep his voice neutral. What the man said next kept the oni from killing him.

Again Yoshi shook his head, this time with hints of disappointment. "Not personally no but, maybe the others do hence possibly why they were caught." He paused, unsure of what else to say. "As I said, I came as quickly as I could to report to his lordship."

Kazama scowled, thinking it strange that his men had been caught so quickly. "Hm, this does hinder my plans some. Very well, get some rest and report to me tomorrow for further orders. Be gone."

Suppressing a smile of relief, Yoshi bowed further as he backed away, following the servant to the door. "You're most kind my lord, thank you." With that, the pair were gone, again rushing to get away but with a bit less haste in their steps. Unnoticed in the corner, a large man stood up straight and came into the light of the sun shining lazily into the room. Hair a dull crimson and eyes of opaque purple, the tall oni was as large as he was strong, dark kimono and haori shifting slightly as he moved. Amagiri had long served Kazama's family and now wasn't any different.

The large man looked at the door where the two men had vanished before looking back at his master, his deep, calm and ever polite voice seeming to rumble like thunder. "That girl has either gotten smarter or she has help. What did you want to do?"

"Exactly what I've wanted to do this whole time: send in the dogs." Kazama growled, red eyes shimmering with frustration.

Amagiri smirked only just, giving the young oni lord a bemused look. "You see me as a dog now sir?"

Kazama found himself smirking in turn, though a bit more coldly. "Just the most loyal and capable kind, and nothing like these almost rabid humans under my employ. Take Shiranui with you. Find the girl and bring her back to me. Take more of the humans with you to ensure your success against these interlopers. It would be wise if you didn't fail me like they have."

"Yes, my lord." Amagiri said with a deep bow before he too left the room, his steps sounding as deep as his voice against the flooring.

Ruby red eyes stared at the garden, the butterfly having come back to swoop over the pond in endless circles, the colorful bug seeming lost at the sight of its own reflection. It didn't get to ponder long as a shape made of opaque white and almost burnt orange shifted and jumped at the insect, the koi fish opening its large mouth wide to swallow its victim whole. As the fish landed back in the water with a loud splash, making the pond's water ripple almost violently in response, Kazama let a toothy grin spread across his face. Despite their failures, it was possible his supposedly useless human servants had found what he sought after all.

"All the way up." Chizuru instructed, watching the stoic warrior obey, the limb stretched towards the ceiling. Noting that there was no straining to keep it upright, she asked him. "You feel no pain at all?"

Jewel blue eyes glanced at her as he shook his head. Though the door to the room was open, both seemed able to ignore the chill of winter that drifted in. "None. Aches sometimes, mostly when I move it but little else."

Chizuru looked thoughtful but eventually nodded. "Hmm that's good. Now to the side."

Saito obeyed, breathing much easier now that more than a week had gone by, rest and Chizuru's medicines working in unison to make his swift recovery seem miraculous. Now he sat in the young woman's office that doubled as her clinic, letting himself be poked and prodded by her small hands and their delicate fingers. Ever observant, Chizuru's hazel brown eyes watched his arm and shoulder for proper range of motion while glancing at his face for even a hint of discomfort in his features. But Saito had remained pain-free as the session dragged on, feeling only slight aches from his disused muscles and only residual pangs from his lung. Naturally he told Chizuru this and she'd only smiled, telling him that was normal and that both would eventually fade. More so, the wound of his ordeal would be little more than a discoloring line across his body than become a scar, also thanks to Chizuru's skills with needle and herbs. So he sat patiently as Chizuru gently and carefully felt the muscles of his arm, seeming to be in search of something that escaped him. After a moment she backed off, smiling her approval. "Alright you can put it down now."

He did as he was bid as the familiar ache of the muscles came flowing through him but it was so minor he easily ignored it. Since he honestly wanted to know, he asked. "Your diagnosis Chizuru-san?"

Her reaction was a big smile as she informed him casually. "It would be a wise move to reenter your normal routine slowly, exercise and training should get rid of those aches after a while but aside from that, you're completely healed. I'm sure Hijikata-san will be most pleased to hear it when he and Sannan-san come back from their trip."

"Yes, he will." Saito responded, knowing that the vice captain would be pleased but Sannan would be relieved that his friend hadn't been permanently maimed.

Chizuru nodded and kept going, heading for her desk where paper was stacked neatly, pulling one from the top before reaching for the brush. "In the meantime, as I said take it slow but getting some training in today wouldn't hurt the slightest. Try and get yourself back into fighting form before trying for patrol duty."

"Thank you." He said, getting to his feet to head for the door where his shoes sat on the floor, easily slipping them on over his tabi.

Turning to watch him leave, Chizuru smiled widely and sincerely at him. "You're most welcome Saito-san. If you'll excuse me, I'd best write that report for Kondo-san. Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Thank you." Saito responded with a respectful bow, turning on his heel and walking out once she'd bowed in turn. As he walked away though, Saito was mentally kicking himself for a perfect opportunity wasted, a chance to try and talk to the young woman about his potential feelings for her lost. Irritated with his own foolishness, Saito felt the sudden urge to let his frustration out in the form of a loud roar but nearly bit his lip open keeping it contained. Such an outburst would attract attention and it would be so out of character most would think he'd suddenly gone made or worse. He forced himself to take a calming breath or two, letting the fact that though he'd yet to speak to Chizuru on the matter didn't mean he wouldn't get another chance. He would just have to find a way of doing it properly, alone and without distraction and most of all, timing it well enough not to be strange or awkward. It was situations like this that he always remained silent: anything he said could come out wrong or be misinterpreted so badly that he ruined things. Having seen the others do this countless times, and being witness to the tragic results, Saito knew that if he was going to go through with this, he needed to at least try to figure out what to say. If he could even bring himself to say it to begin with.

"Well, well, if it isn't Saito-san!" a familiar voice called out, casual but knowing.

Pausing to look who was speaking, Saito felt a pang of unease upon seeing the russet-haired samurai. But ever polite, he just nodded as the other man caught up with him. "Okita-san."

Green eyes shining with mischief, Souji gave his friend his usual smirk. "Up and about I see. So has Chizuru-chan given you permission yet?"

Saito nodded, moving to keep walking, Souji quick to follow. "She has. I go to practice."

Next to him, Souji immediately smiled a little wider, his interest piqued at the man's ability to finally wield a sword. "Really? Well I'll go with you! See if I can keep up with you."

"If you wish." Saito responded casually, internally bracing for any indication of what his fellow captain was up to.

But Souji kept up the charade, though the sly look in his eyes didn't help. "Did she clear you for patrols though?"

"No, she said it was wise to wait."

"Ah." They walked in silence for a moment before Souji finally deadpanned. "You still haven't told her have you?"

Saito tensed up immediately, jewel blue eyes wide with honest confusion though he was panicking inside. "Told her what?"

Beside him, Souji seemed to deflate dramatically, giving his friend a bemused look at his baffled expression. "Saito, my friend, if you think I'm blind then you're wrong. It's obvious to me you're interested in her."

Am I that obvious? Saito thought, a bit crestfallen that he'd been discovered so quickly by the other man. "I-it is?"

"Yes, it really is but you're wise to hide it from the others. Who knows how much they'll tease you about it!" Souji retorted with an amused laugh.

Recovering quickly, Saito gave his fellow captain a hard stare as he bit out. "You do that yourself well enough."

"Only because it's fun." Souji stated, raising his hands in surrender when his friend's gaze became a full-on glare. "I'm kidding! But honestly Saito-san, you mustn't let these feelings remain hidden for long else you'll burst at the seams. Are you sure you didn't try to mention it when you were there?"

Anger vanishing, Saito turned away with a frown. "It wasn't the appropriate time. To do so would've been unprofessional."

Considering him for a moment, Souji gazed at him thoughtfully before answering. "Hmm I see what you mean. Bringing it up right then would've been a poor choice but next you see your opportunity, take it. Life is too short for such regrets." Smiling widely and patting him almost roughly on the shoulder, Souji gave his friend a light push forward. "Enough on that though, we'd best get you back into fighting form again. I'm sure Heisuke has been itching to take you on since you got back from Edo."

Saito walked with his fellow captain to the training area in silence, his face its usual mask of disinterest but inside he was reeling. The fact his feelings for Chizuru were so strong they showed on his face was shocking enough, but that Souji had figured him out was worse. Knowing the man, anything he came up with would likely lead to trouble that would only please him rather than help others. As they got to the training grounds, seeing others were already there with practice swords in matches, Souji didn't hesitate to start calling all around to tell them he'd finally been approved to join them. The surprise and relief that spread through those gathered was palpable, but did little to lighten Saito's mood. Beside him Souji was talking and laughing, probably coming up with some crazy scheme that would only stress him more. Responding to his fellow warriors with nods and short answers, Saito couldn't help but think: what have I gotten myself into?

Shuffling through the snowbound streets of Kyoto, a slim figure walked calmly and purposefully along the outer wall of the mansion, ever aware of anyone around who might see him. As of yet, none had noticed him, dressed in a thick cloak protecting him from the early winter's harsh chill. Finding a good spot to go over, the man looked around to make sure none could see him before jumping for the ice covered tiles, getting a good grip and hoisting himself over. Ignoring the frigid snow that tried to block him, the man fell lightly and stealthily to the ground beyond and onto his feet, eyes darting for anyone who may spot him. Like on the other side, no one was around, no activity save for an open door across the yard to his right. From what he knew of the mansion's layout, the room beyond the open door was exactly where he wished to go. Crossing the yard, quick but silent, the figure made his way towards the door in several long strides, practically jumping onto the wooden deck. Once there, he looked around one last time for any observers, saw no one and slipped inside while sliding the shoji door shut behind him.

Susumu Yamazaki was still in full shinobi gear as he walked through the mansion, having just come back from a surveillance detail. He was heading to his room to change when a dark shape caught his eye. Violet orbs tracked the movement easily, adrenaline aiding his vision as well as his own motions, quickly hiding behind a wall when the shape that he identified as a cloaked figure turned to look around. Appeased at finding nothing, there was no sound save for the light shuffle of a shoji being slid shut, making Yamazaki turn back around the corner to find the stranger was gone. Upon glancing at this area mere seconds earlier, Yamazaki had recognized that the door that'd been open was Chizuru's clinic. And if the door had been open…. Then Chizuru is still inside! If this person is another kidnapper, then I need to get help. Like a shot, Yamazaki forgot all fatigue and darted back the way he'd come and towards the training grounds, knowing several of the captains were there. If anyone wanted to know about this, then they were certainly it.

Chizuru didn't think much of someone softly coming in and shutting the door. She was used to the men coming in that way when they needed help, especially when they saw her at her desk as she was. Only when the person spoke did she jump in surprise. "Chizuru! It really is you!"

Turning, Chizuru's chocolate eyes widened when an odd figure wearing a cloak removed their hood to reveal the one person she hadn't expected to see. "Kaoru? What're you doing here? I thought you were in Edo!"

Her only brother and sibling, not to mention her almost identical twin, Kaoru was just as tall and slim as his sister, all the way down to the color of their eyes. Only major differences were his hair was cut short and he had the katana that was paired with Chizuru's own short sword. At her words, his relieved smile gave way to a dark frown. "I was but I found your house empty. I had to sneak in, there was so many watching it."

"There are people watching my house? Could you tell who they were?" Chizuru asked him with her own grim tone, just as confused by this news. Anyone watching the house should've moved off by now.

Kaoru shook his head, short hair shifted with the movement as he continued to frown with irritation. "No, if they work for anyone, they hid their involvement well. Especially if they're using humans to do their dirty work."

Only then did Chizuru frown herself, her voice firm. "We talked about that Kaoru, humans aren't as inferior as you think."

"Is that why you're here, working like a servant? What a way to treat my sister…" her brother growled angrily, his eyes burning with inner rage.

Chizuru cut him off before he could continue. "It's a position I asked for, one I actually enjoy no matter what you think. Thanks to father, it's the only way I can repay them for housing me."

Frowning, Kaoru didn't respond but instead changed the subject. "Hence why I'm here, looking for you. You left a note, but it only said you'd come here to Kyoto. Why?"

"That's exactly it Kaoru! Father was here, working for the Shinsengumi, but now he's gone missing and they came to the house looking for him. I convinced them to let me come here when we were attacked."

Surprised, Kaoru could only gape before his youthful fact twisted in fury. "Attacked? By the men watching the house?"

"We believe so but who they work for has yet to be divulged. A few were caught following me back from the market and they've yet to talk. And I doubt they will." Chizuru admitted, sounding tired as she leaned back a little against her desk. Just thinking about it was giving her a headache.

Coming to sit across from her, Kaoru rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm that means they're either being paid very well, or don't wish to die for potential disloyalty to their employer. But honestly Chizuru, must you let these humans treat you this way?"

Letting out a tired sigh, she openly glared at him in annoyance. "They respect me same as they respect each other and have treated me with kindness. If anything, they've gone out of their way to make me feel at home here. Leaving now would be suspicious and harmful. They're my friends Kaoru, I'm not about to abandon them."

"Fine, but I still don't like it. In the meantime, what should be done now?" Kaoru asked, looking away from his sister's heated gaze.

Satisfied by his reaction, Chizuru continued, tone still firm. "Not much until the two of the captains come back from a trip, I'm not sure where. The most we've done is wait—is someone coming?" she asked, both clearly hearing the thundering rush of footsteps coming along the wooden walkway. Both got their feet as Chizuru whispered harshly. "Were you spotted?"

"I was careful I swear!" Kaoru snarled back, hurriedly putting his hood back on and drawing his sword as he turned towards the door.

Shocked, Chizuru managed to call out. "Kaoru, don't do anything you'll regret!"

Too late for as the door opened, Kaoru was already in a defensive stance, the first to step forward with his own sword was Heisuke. The youngest captain glared at the other boy, his eyes hard as stone as he called out. "Get away from Chizuru-chan!"

Much to everyone's surprise, his words were enough to make Kaoru screech out in full-on rage, knocking Yamazaki aside roughly when he tried to block the other man's path and instead running forward to clash swords with the captain, yelling. "I'll tear you apart!"

"Kaoru, no!" Chizuru called out, hoping to stop her sibling with words rather than force.

But it was too late, the boy was already hacking at Heisuke's defense, making the young captain retreat as quickly as the blows came down, their blades sending sparks flying. All around them, soldiers moved to block the boy's path to the wall and any exit while Heisuke struggled to hold his ground. Close by, Shinpachi, Souji, Saito and Harada all stood by with their own swords, glaring at the cloaked figure as he unleashed an almost endless barrage of attacks at their younger comrade. Chizuru silently cursed as she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to staunch the blood coming from Yamazaki's head wound, the spy nodding his thanks as he moved to hold the cloth in place. Looking over at the would-be fight, she almost cursed aloud to see that Heisuke was barely keeping himself from being hacked to pieces. She had to act fast if more harm was to be prevented.

Looking at the closest soldier, who was watching the fight with a hard glare, Chizuru spoke with authority as she called to him. "You there!" the man turned, blinking at the sound of her voice, some of his hostility vanishing upon seeing who was speaking to him. She felt guilty for not knowing his name, but there was no time. "Yes you! Get Susumu-san inside while I deal with this."

"But Yukimura-san, if I just let you-."

"There is no time to argue! If I let this continue, Todo-taicho could be killed!" the soldier stared at her, shocked. He jumped with she nearly shouted. "Quickly!"

"Yes, at once!" the soldier managed to say, rehousing his sword before moving to obey her, gently helping Yamazaki to his feet. Chizuru only moved away when they began to reenter the clinic, turning to face the skirmish with an expression made of stone. Drawing her short sword, Chizuru didn't hesitate to dart forward.

Heisuke had never met anyone like this stranger, he could barely block and was given no time to dodge as one slash after another was brought down on him with vicious succession. The amount of pure aggression, the sheer rage of the man's movements were beyond anything the young captain had ever encountered before. Still, Heisuke did his best not to back down or give in, else he'd give Shinpachi something new to tease him about. All the while they fought, Heisuke was only able to get one strike in, and the man had dodged it like it was nothing just to come back just as strong as before. Heisuke could almost swear the man was trying to break his arms, if not his sword. Just as another set of strikes were about to come down on him, Heisuke let out a grunt as he was rather bodily shoved out of the way. Stunned the young captain stumbled away just for Harada to come forward to keep him steady. Confused, Heisuke turned only to be shocked further to find Chizuru had taken his place, her short sword locked with the stranger's katana. And from the way the stranger was hesitating, he was just as stunned as he was, unable to defend as Chizuru did some attacking of her own. The rest of the fight went swiftly, the young woman able to use her weapon's shorter length to get well within the stranger's range but too far in for proper strikes thus throwing him off. With a powerful parry the katana went flying to land point first to the side, followed by the girl darting forward to shoulder him in the stomach. The blow sent the stranger stumbling backwards and into Shinpachi's strong grip, bringing his large arms under those of his stunned foe and locking them at the shoulder.

Stunned but still enraged, the stranger's young voice was practically shrill as he snarled at them all. "Let me go! Let me go dammit! I'll take you all! How dare you treat me like this? I'll make sure you all burn for it!"

"Kaoru! That's enough." Chizuru stated, her eyes burning and her face a mask of barely contained rage at her sibling's actions.

From behind the intruder, Shinpachi stared at the young girl in confusion. "Chizuru-chan, you know this guy?"

"I'm sorry that it happened this way but there seems to be no avoiding it now. Everyone, meet my older twin, Kaoru." The young woman stated, much to the shock of everyone within hearing distance.

Stunned, Heisuke called from where Harada was helping him stay upright. "Wait, you have a twin?"

"He's a hot-headed fool but yes, this young man is my brother." Chizuru admitted, turning to the larger man before her. "Shinpachi-san, if you would."

Despite his confusion, Shinpachi still managed to pull the hood off his captive without losing his grip on him. Upon seeing what Chizuru said was true rippled through the collected onlookers. If they didn't know any better, there were two instead of just one Chizuru! "Whoa! She's not kiddin'! They're practically identical!"

Angry and openly snarling, the young boy glared up at Shinpachi viciously. "Unhand me and fight me like a man dammit! I'll gut you and your friend for this!"

"Kaoru!" Chizuru bit out, her voice having become cold as ice, stopping her brother short. "How many times must I warn you before you learn? There will be no gutting, not when I have a patient to attend to."

Surprised, her look-alike turned to stare at her in disbelief. "But-."

Chizuru continued to glare coldly at her sibling. "No buts! We shall speak later, when you've had a chance to cool your head." Turning away from him, she turned her attention to the spear-wielder only a few feet away. "Harada-san, if you'd see Heisuke-kun to my office please."

A bit shaken but determined to keep his composure, the redheaded warrior nodded as he pulled one of Heisuke's arms over his shoulder. "Sure thing Chizuru-chan. C'mon Heisuke, let's get you patched up."

"The sword please." Chizuru commanded, stepping forward to pull the sword's scabbard from her brother's belt. One of the soldiers came walking over, helping her sheathe it before accepting the short sword to place it back in her office.

Watching it all in shock, Kaoru suddenly began to struggle more, his voice coming loud and desperate. "Chizuru-!"

Ignoring him, Chizuru handed the sword over Souji, who was watching her with a truly serious look on his face. "Okita-san, please take this and hide it where none but you can hope to find it. My brother will remain here so long as the sword is."

Forest green eyes darted to the young boy, who by now had stopped struggling, watching his sister in sad confusion. "And him?"

"Give him a room away from others, tie him up if you must but don't underestimate him. And if he should escape, he'll remain in the city out of loyalty to me." She said with an unusual cold finality before turning back to her brother with a harsh stare. "I expect you to stay put until this is sorted out Kaoru, and without protest. Continue this path, and I may have to give up on you completely." Once again turning to the gathered men, she spoke with a much kinder tone of authority. "Shinpachi-san, everyone. If there's anyone else who may be injured, please follow me to my office. This incident is now resolved."

Mouth agape in shock, Kaoru couldn't find a thing to say as Shinpachi hauled the young man away, surrounded by soldiers to keep him from escaping as both Souji and Saito remained behind. Looking at the young woman carefully, Souji didn't bother sounding sarcastic as he remarked to her. "That was pretty cruel of you Chizuru-chan. Was treating him like that really necessary?"

Watching them leave solemnly, Chizuru nodded. "Yes, indeed it is. I'm more than willing to tell you all about it but now isn't the time. I have patients now, courtesy of my brother, who require my attention. Perhaps later when we all have had a chance to calm down and, hopefully, think more clearly."

"Are you okay?" Saito asked, his face ever a mask of disinterest but his concern for her was hard to keep out of his eyes.

Smiling at him Chizuru only nodded. "No but in time I will be. Again, I'm very sorry that all this happened. Had I known he was in the city, I would've handled the introduction myself rather than… all this."

Giving her a smile of his own, Souji tried to be reassuring. "We understand. Just see to Heisuke and Susumu. We'll handle the rest."

"Thank you. That helps immensely." Chizuru managed to say before leaving the two in the yard, rushing over to her office where Harada sat by Heisuke and two soldiers tended to Yamazaki not far off. Assuring them of their work, she chose to focus on the young captain, looking him over with a concerned gaze. "Where does it hurt Heisuke-kun?"

Despite his pain, the young brunette smiled weakly at her. "Everywhere but I'll be fine. Deal with Yamazaki, he needs you more."

"Oh Heisuke-kun I'm so sorry! Had I known he's go off like that-."

"Chizuru-chan it's fine. I'm fine! You've got nothing to be sorry about!" Harada managed to say, smiling as well in an effort to reassure the girl that she was free of any real wrongdoing.

Finally their expressions were enough to satisfy her as she too smiled, if weakly, in return. "If you insist." Then her face became stern again as she looked the young man over, examining bruises and wrapping up cuts that were too big to heal on their own. She then got up to retrieve a small jar from one of the boxes that lined the room. When she returned she held it for Heisuke to take. "You got off lucky with just minor scratches and some bruises, so you should be fine in a week or two. Put this salve on the bruises and they should disappear faster, but come back about the cuts especially if the bandages get wet."

"Right, thanks Chizuru-chan." Heisuke said, smiling a little wider as he took the jar of salve from her, once again using Harada's assistance to stand. "It really isn't your fault. Got it?"

"Yes, thank you." Chizuru said, waving goodbye to the pair before finally going to where the two soldiers were struggling with her other patient. "Yamazaki-san, can you tell me how bad the pain is?"

"Mostly in my head but I'm otherwise uninjured." He said, his violet eyes meeting her warm brown as she stared with regret. Letting out a sigh, the spy didn't bother trying to smile away his pain. "Don't look at me like that Yukimura-san, this wasn't your fault. It's only thanks to you that your brother didn't do much worse."

Nodding at his logic, Chizuru couldn't help but smile at him anyway, the expression unusually free of it usual mirth. "True but I should've done more to prevent this. But I will at least defend your initiative upon thinking he was an intruder. You'll find it's my brother's habit to sneak in like a thief rather than walk in same as any warrior. I think that has much to do with how he was treated."

"How he was treated?" he asked, his face twisted in confusion.

Shaking her head free of the line of thought, Chizuru allowed some warmth return to her face again. "It's a long story, one that must wait. For now, you need to lie down."

"Alright." Yamazaki said as he relented, allowing the two soldiers to help him lie down as the young woman began to examine the nasty bump her brother had given him. True to form, she gave him instructions on what to do and forbid him from doing any work until she was certain he'd suffered no permanent damage. She then ordered one soldier to escort Yamazaki back to his quarters for bed rest while the other reported to Kondo on what'd occurred. Once the trio left did Chizuru finally feel at ease, practically slumping over her desk and onto the report she'd all but forgotten about. Only now instead of having to write on, she now had to write three.

"What? You were attacked by an intruder? How?" Kondo exclaimed to the collection of warriors before him, looking at each of them for the answer.

Taking charge of everything, Harada's golden eyes were hard. "Not just any intruder it seems. Turns out, he's actually Chizuru's twin brother."

"Y-you're kidding!" the head captain stuttered in shock and amazement, trying to picture the boy as they had seen him.

Next to Harada and covered in small bandages, Heisuke shook his head at his commanding officer. "I'm not. He beat me pretty good and gave Yamazaki a nice bump before Chizuru stopped him."

Kondo gaped a little at that, his mind obviously having trouble getting his mind around what he was being told. "Wait a moment, Chizuru stopped him? Now I'm very confused."

"She did, pushed Heisuke out of the way and everything! Disarmed him and told us to lock him up until he calmed down. Given how upset she was with him, I imagine she needs some time too." Shinpachi cut in, his green eyes going soft at seeing Chizuru looking so irritated and saddened by the boy's actions.

"And she said nothing else?" Kondo pressed, again looking between his men.

Again Harada answered, shaking his head at the man. "Only that she apologized and didn't want to discuss it right then. Apparently there's much that she's been keeping from us."

Not about to let the girl go undefended, Saito cut in with his own monotone response to his comrade's words. "She probably had a good reason. We can't assume anything until we know the truth."

"Well put Saito-san, well put but she can't keep us in the dark forever." Kondo stated, frowning at the usually silent man, his scowl hinted with curiosity.

It was Harada that saved him from further scrutiny as the redhead nodded. "Kondo-san's right, since we all know that secrets can get people killed." He said, voice grave and let the brief silence sink in before he went on. "But it could be wise to wait for Toshi-san and Sannan-san come back. They should here this same as us, hopefully at the same time."

"A wise observation Harada-san." Kondo responded, nodding in turn and distracted by Saito's uncharacteristic outburst. "Given what's happened, it would also be unwise to press Yukimura-san until she's ready to express to us just what is going on."

"Until then it's business as usual? Fine by me." Souji declared in his usual, laidback manner, stretching a little from having to sit around for so long.

Normally kind eyes rounded on the former prodigy, the head captain glaring meaningfully at him, his voice unmistakably stern. "Behave yourself Souji, I may seem slack in discipline but I know you too well. No schemes until Yukimura-san is fully prepared to tell us the truth and not before. Understand?"

Blinking in surprise to the man's curt response, Souji merely smirked lazily, nodding his acceptance to his orders. "Alright, alright, I'll be a good little boy then." Leaning forward so to propel himself upright, Souji the pointed a thumb at Saito with a wide grin. "At least one good thing that came from all this is Chizuru-chan gave Saito-kun the all clear to start training again."

Clearly surprised by this news, Kondo's firm look softened as he turned to the stoic man in question. "Did she? That is good news Saito-san. I hope we can have you back on duty soon. This meeting is adjourned."

More or less the men filed out to go training, Shinpachi already teasing Heisuke about not being strong enough for Chizuru's clearly more talented brother. Watching the pair quarrel like always, Harada stuck back long enough to see Saito following with an oddly sullen look in his eyes. Smiling at his friend and fellow captain, the spear wielder patted him on the shoulder as he spoke. "Don't look so down Saito-san, even you couldn't have predicted all this."

"True." Saito muttered, nodding. It didn't keep him from frowning a bit, still feeling uncomfortable about it all. "But to not tell us she has a brother?"

"We all keep secrets Saito-san, you should know that better than anyone." The redhead pointed out before walking away to break up the fight that Shinpachi was clearly escalating and Souji was watching with his usual bemusement.

Saito didn't respond but still followed his fellow warriors back to the practice fields for daily training before lunch. But the fact that Chizuru had kept such a thing from him still hurt a great deal, even though she seemed to trust them all immensely.

Writing the reports had taken her nearly two hours but she got them done and sent before she needed to head to the kitchens to make the meals for the men. She felt a thrill of pride for having the foresight to prepare some of the dough the day before with the full intention of dealing with it now. At some point, one of the soldiers told her they'd successfully secured her brother in a normally unoccupied part of the mansion and were watching him carefully. She thanked the man and bid him return to his work, reminding him to not do too much else he'd tired too quickly. He thanked her in turn, giving her a smile, barely able to hide the blooming blush on his face as he made his escape. Chizuru had to hold down an infectious giggle as he departed, returning to her work so to better distract herself from the man's reaction. She knew her father had called her 'naturally beautiful' as she had grown from a child into a teenager, already on the verge of being labeled a woman. Every time he told her, she had laughed him off, calling him silly for it. Though she knew what she looked like from puddles or a rare mirror, Chizuru had no delusions about her appearance. Then again she was jealous of all the girls from her neighborhood that always looked so well done and pretty with things she'd never have. Or I would've had…. But those days are long gone, with no hope of ever seeing them again.

She was brought out of her downward spiral by familiar voices at the door leading into the kitchen. "Chizuru-chan? You already in here?"

Turning to the door, she called back, smiling at hearing the arrival of her helpers. "Yes, come in Harada-san. Ah Shinpachi-san, it's not your turn today."

The towering brunette smiled back at her, if a bit bashfully for showing up in place of his friend. "True but Heisuke did get pretty beat up. Letting him come in here would be unhealthy for everybody. He's already volunteered to take my spot when he's not so battered."

Chizuru couldn't help but laugh a little at the thought of the teenage captain struggling not to contaminate the food with his bandage bound hands. "I see what you mean. Well get in here and wash both of you. The last thing we all want is our own troops to come marching in here demanding where their food is."

"That would be something, even if it wasn't for something good. This the meat we want to use?" Harada asked as he approached the wooden counter where the large side of beef had been placed for cutting.

"It is, if you'd get that started. Shinpachi-san, if you'd get started on the vegetables while I finish this bread." She said as she expertly flipped the large mound of dough over.

Looking at the heavily powdered dough, the brunette towered over her for a moment as he glanced between her and her task. "What are you doing anyway? Making buns?"

"No, just noodles." She stated simply.

Both men stared, confused. "Noodles?"

Smiling at the pair, Chizuru nodded as she stretched the dough before rolling it. "Uh-huh. Now get started both of you. All of this needs to be ready at the same time for it to come together right."

"You got it." Shinpachi stated, turning away to do what he was told.

Across the room, Harada found a knife, acknowledging her command with a nod. "Right away."

Giving the pair one last look, Chizuru smiled happily before returning to her own work, her small hands working the dough expertly though it'd been a few years since she'd done it. A few more stretching and puffs of flour, the brunette teenager used a clean wooden stick to lift on end up while gently clutching the other as she put the freshly made noodles into the water. She did this several more times, making enough for the whole compound and a bit more for the rare second serving. From the way the two men helping her were practically slobbering told her she'd done her chore right. Knowing how her daifuku had been almost literally devoured earlier that week, Chizuru had a feeling that the men she saw as her friends and protectors would also enjoy her latest feat. Giving everyone equal amounts of broth and noodles, Chizuru sent the food out to all within the compound, even to her brother's room knowing he probably wouldn't eat it. Still it sent thrills through her when the captains let out hums and awes of surprise upon tasting her food, allowing herself a small smirk of satisfaction as it was all but devoured. It was a wonder she got back to the kitchens without more than half the compound begging for second helpings! Her chores took almost an hour to complete, taking mental notes on what to make for dinner later on, moving about with casual efficiency. Save for having to explain just what she'd been keeping from them later that day, Chizuru honestly felt that nothing else could go wrong.

Jin glared at the wall in his slowly boiling anger. They'd been imprisoned for nigh on a week and still they had yet to be released or executed. Every day, the man with raven hair and purple eyes came in, demanding to know who they worked for and why they sought the girl. And every day, he and the others told him nothing. But from the cold rage in the man's eyes, Jin knew he was running out of patience and would likely resort to extreme methods of getting him to talk. Only Jin wasn't planning on talking, he was planning on escaping. Whether the others came or not didn't really matter, only that he got the girl and got away. If one objective could be achieved, then so could the other if not in quick succession. After some hours of talking, the others were already rallying under his leadership so to escape their present situation and maybe salvage their operation. If possible, even appease whatever rage their master was feeling over their failure and capture if they managed it before dawn. Breaking the lock to the door caging them had taken forever but it was worth it as they swiftly ran as quietly as they could to the nearest doorway in the hopes it was the way out. Seeing a pair of guards in the room beyond stopped them if but for a moment as they rushed the men, taking their spears and swords before anything could be done. Grinning like a demon unleashed from its unearthly prison, Jin didn't hesitate to kill one of the guards with his own sword before looking at his counterparts. "Let's go."

Chizuru had been halfway to her quarters, tired from a long day of work when distant noise brought her mind back to life. Her long month in the Shinsengumi compound had made her familiar with the gait of every man of the military group, and the shuffling steps she heard now only registers as that of strangers. Worse, one of them sounded much like the man who'd been caught following her not a week earlier. That only meant one thing. They escaped! And my sword is in my office! I could call out but that might make things worse…I must act if I'm to stop them in their plot. She pondered what to do as she kept her leisurely pace so not to arouse their suspicion too early. If she could get to her clinic, maybe she could get her sword and fend them off until help arrived. Still she walked casually until she came to a corner than cut off their line of sight on her before she was jogging as quietly as possible as she distantly heard the men curse softly. Already she knew they were rushing to catch up but she didn't risk using her enhanced… skills to get away lest someone see her or the men wandered off to cause trouble. Relief still filled her chest when she got enough distance between them to double back to her clinic office where she'd put the short sword after Kaoru's rather disruptive introduction to her protectors. All but straining her ears for her pursuers, Chizuru managed to slip into the small office to find the sword by the desk where she'd left it. Quickly slipping it into her belt, Chizuru made for the door only to hear the men approaching, each of them doing poorly to keep from being detected now that they'd lost track of their quarry. Knowing the door was no longer an option, Chizuru's mind sped up as she tried to think of a way to escape undetected. The ceiling and its distance from the ground was out of the question and would take too long, the floor solidly built and her attempts to break through would be heard. There was no window to crawl out of, just a thick wall separating the different rooms and what the other door did lead to was used for mostly storage or housing a patient.

As their footsteps and voices got closer, Chizuru knew she had to act fast if she hoped to buy time. Picking up one of the lanterns Chizuru plucked out the candle prior to going into the store room for some bandages and a broomstick. Drawing her sword, if but for a moment, she cut the stick in half to wrap the smaller piece up in the bandage. Pausing long enough to hear if the men were closer or not, Chizuru immediately found a match (a Western item she was more than happy to use right about now) and lit the candle. Hiding the candle and its light, she doused the match as she stood in the dark and waited. Her heart pounding in her chest and her ears, Chizuru could hear the men get closer as they burst into each room in search of her. Each time she could tell their frustration was getting to them when they found nothing. Eventually they came to her clinic's door, the shoji kicked down roughly in their irritation, loud shuffling sounding like thunder in her mind as her heart started to race. It was now or never.

Frustrated muttering sounded from the other side of the door and she knew they were going to come in at some point. Not wasting time, Chizuru lit her would-be torch with the candle with one hand while she kept her sword in the other. As the torch began to burn greedily into the bandage's woven fabric, Chizuru blew out the candle and used what little distance that existed in the enclosed space to burst through the shoji. Shouts of surprise met her as some of the men had moved to investigate the odd glow coming from the room only to be taken aback by a small form breaking the door and waving a lit torch into their faces. Blinded and confused, the men shouted and scrambled to get their bearings as Chizuru dashed through the room and out the door. Her feet thudded loudly against the wood beneath her as she ran, already the group of escaped men giving chase as all stealth was abandoned in favor of catching her. Memory served her well in her dash across the mansion and its grounds, passing by the barracks and the kitchens as she headed straight for the captain's quarters. Breath seemed scarce as she ran, all the while shouting for all to hear. "Help! Help! They've escaped! Aid me!"

"Come back here!" she heard one of them snarl from behind her but she didn't stop, her mind's map telling her which way to run, which way to turn. It almost became a blur of wood, stone and shoji panels before she tripped trying to take a turn too fast, making her fall and lose her grip on both her sword and her torch. Mind reeling and pain dulling her senses, she hissed as she tried to get to her feet, loud shouts and clashing swords meeting her ears as she did. Then the sound of rapid footfalls made her look up to see a man in blue come charging at her, stolen sword in one hand as the other was stretched forward to grab her.

"You won't get away this time!" he growled as he came running up, nearly colliding with the young woman as he made to take hold of her arm. Only her returning reflexes helped her avoid his grip as she stumbled away and down into one of the smaller yards. Looking around frantically for something to fight him with, she saw her sword was too far away even if she did make a move for it. Time seemed to slow down as orbs of deep brown fell upon the torch she'd made back in the storeroom almost forever ago, its small flame still burning brightly despite it sitting on exposed earth. Panic and desperation urged her to try for it, though this same mindset stretched her perception of how far away the torch was. Glancing between the man and the torch, Chizuru moved toward it as if in a bid to escape, hoping he wouldn't notice her attempts to reach the object of her focus. Too angry to let his quarry get away, the man in blue was already making his way towards her, his face twisted in a vicious look that scared Chizuru more than the piece of fire she was striving for. Dark memories haunted her in the torch's flame but she had to ignore them if she was going to keep this man from succeeding in his goal. When his hand finally found her arm, it was a shock that she almost froze in place but forced herself to push forward, already pulling against his hold. Daring to look back, his dark eyes were like bottomless pits of anger and ire the like she'd never seen before. If someone was calling her name, it was a distant echo that she couldn't decipher. What happened next became a blur of motion that her mind almost couldn't comprehend it: her grasping hand finally fell on the torch, small fingers wrapping around the wood like a vice as she instinctively brought it up and into the man's face.

The scream that was pulled from his throat as the flames hit his face and engulfed his vision was enough to chill her to the bone. Surprised by the unnatural sound, Chizuru lost her grip on the torch just as he let go, desperate to get away from the small fire burning his flesh. In consequence, the flames were able to grab onto the edge of his kimono to spread happily across the worn fabric. Arms flailing, sword swinging, voice high in a continuous shriek, the man in blue soon became a human candle as flames burnt cloth, cooked flesh and boiled blood. Too shocked to even cry out for help or try to aid her former attacker, Chizuru forgot about everything else as she backed away from the burning figure as best she could. Somehow, she was on the ground and trembling as her eyes remained transfixed on the sight before her, movement out of the corners of her vision not enough to make her turn away. At some point, Chizuru noticed her sight had become blurry but she didn't care. For all she knew, she'd just killed the man who'd sought to take her to an unknown place for potentially dishonorable reasons. She could hear someone calling to her, calling her name desperately but it didn't register. Whoever it was sounded distant, like a muffled yell that one couldn't quite hear no matter what they did. Then something dark blocked her view of the still flailing man, letting her mind catch up to reality so quickly everything that'd happened overwhelmed her. In seconds, Chizuru fell into a blissful darkness where the man's screaming would never reach her.

"Chizuru-san! Chizuru-san!" Saito called hopelessly at the girl in his arms. Given the way she'd folded over boneless, obviously limp, it was safe to say she'd fainted in shock of the horror before her. The horror she'd created. For someone so gentle, it must've been too much for her. He thought sadly as he lay her down onto the soft ground. Behind him, some of the soldiers were already working to put out, or at least silence, Jin as he kept on with his high-pitch wailing as flames kept eating at him. Part of him hated the man for trying to catch Chizuru, forcing her to resort to such a violent means of keeping him at bay. Given how the young woman had reacted was enough to tell any man that it was meant as a distraction and not an attempt to kill. The other half was in agony that such a kind person had been forced to do such a thing. It made him sick, it made him angry. Most of all, it made him confused. As a samurai, his duty was to his lord and to his cause of keeping the people of Kyoto safe. But as a man? As a person? These things were a puzzle to him, his training having kept him ignorant of such things. At least until now. Now he needed such knowledge to handle the woman he found himself paying more attention to than any man should. Thankfully motion and voices behind him became a welcome distraction from his emotional turmoil as Hijikata called out over their men's efforts to douse Jin.

"Get that fire out and secure the compound. And dammit will someone tell me what happened?" Hijikata growled as he stomped into the small yard, glaring at the still flailing man on the ground in disgust. His eyes were hard as stone and his sword was bloody. Given his rage, he probably hadn't noticed.

Having gathered around Chizuru to act guard, Harada was the first to speak. "Exactly what we hoped would not: they broke the lock to their cell and surprised the guards, killed them with their own weapons if the wounds are to go by. Given the path they took through the mansion, I'd say they were looking for Chizuru." Pausing in the middle of his report, Harada looked down at where Saito still knelt over the young woman with concern in his golden eyes. "How is she?"

"Fainted, likely from…that. It was too much for her to handle." Saito remarked in a hollow tone, jewel blue glaring openly at the smoldering pile of burnt flesh and cloth who'd, finally, stopped screaming after being splashed with water. Off to the side, he barely noticed Heisuke picking up her sword and coming over to take the scabbard to sheathe it.

Fury soon vanished from Hijikata's face as pain and regret came over their collective faces. "Gods that's terrible. Get her back to her room and find any more of those mercenaries before the night is through." His anger quickly returned as he moved to leave, all but shouting into the night. "I want to know what the hell is going on."

"Hai taicho." They all stated respectfully at their vice-captain's departure.

Already stepping forward, Shinpachi spoke quietly. "Want one of us to carry her?"

"No, I can do it." Saito managed past his anger, already slipping his arms around the woman's shoulders and knees to lift her up.

"Alright. Just don't blame us when she learns you carried her when you just got permission to train again." The brunette giant teased, though some of his usual mirth was lost to the grim events that'd just plagued them.

Saito didn't answer, instead moving with ease past all the loud shouting, running men and calming chaos knowing the youngest captain was behind him. Very few glanced their way as they trekked across the mansion and its grounds to the young woman's quarters, Heisuke scurrying ahead to get the door open for them as he moved to light one of the lanterns within. Not acknowledging his companion, Saito mechanically walked into the room to kneel at the bed mat on the floor as he gently set her down. As Heisuke moved about, Saito was pulling the sheets from under her so to cover her unconscious form with them. Assured that she was comfortable, rather than standing, Saito sat down on the floor. By now, Heisuke had approached with a bowl of water and a cloth in hand about to kneel beside Chizuru to wipe her face of her now dry tears. Saito's grip on his hand stopped him, making him blink at the older man. Confused, the teenager stared. "Saito-san?"

When he spoke, Saito felt a rush of surprise at how dead his voice sounded to his ears as the words came forth. "I'll do it. Go and make sure there are guards outside in case any of the escaped prisoners come here."

"But-." Heisuke began to say.

This time Saito brought his gaze up to meet the boy's, putting more force in his tone than necessary. "Go."

Heisuke stared but eventually backed down, knowing better than to argue against his superior. "Okay. I'll be back." The teen promised as he let Saito take the bowl and cloth prior to quickly leaving.

But Saito didn't hear any of it. All he could focus on was the young woman before him and how distressed she looked even in sleep. Her expression only angered and pained him even more than he thought possible but he kept it contained lest it somehow burst through his stoic exterior. He wasn't sure how he'd explain to the guards who would soon be outside, or to a startled Chizuru, why one such as him was acting so irrationally. Willing his hand to be steady in its movements, Saito dipped the cloth in the water, squeezing out the excess before gently wiping away the girl's face of her tears. It took him a few minutes but he moved on to her hands which were also dirty from scrambling in the dirt. Drying her face and hands with the dry part of the cloth, Saito put both bowl and cloth away before reclaiming his spot by her bed. With only the one lantern filling the room with light, Saito didn't notice, much less care. Nothing short of death or fire was going to make him move…even if he stayed there the rest of the night.

It's been so long since I posted and it's not as long as the others so please forgive me! My brain likes to use its impulsive, creative mojo against me. Either way, I hope everybody will like what's already posted so I can work on what's next:

Chapter 6: Honesty

Kazama's mercenaries have failed once again but more are on the way. With the arrival of Kaoru things are already starting to shift for Chizuru and her protectors. But is it enough to lead to them parting ways or rallying against an uncertain future? See how it all unfolds in:

Chapter 6: Honesty!