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The Courtship of Lady Tokio

by Misaki Toyodome

Chapter 11 - The Ikedaya Affair

4th June 1864 –

Hijikata smirked as he uncovered the encoded messages in Matsui's diary.

"Souji, take a look," he said pushing the notes towards Okita.

"Wow, it looks like your snooping really paid off!"

Hijikata, ignoring Okita's impudence, flicked through the pages. There it was, the proof that they needed to search the Furutaka store. Hijikata had suspected Matsui for a while now, after seeing him hesitate to engage Choushuu Ishinshishi in battle - he would be executed according to Shinsengumi regulations.

5th June 1864 (Early morning) –

"Hijikata-sensei! Please come quickly with Kondou-sama! Takeda-sensei urgently requests that you join him immediately at Furutaka's place." A member of Takeda's fifth troop came running to the Yagi estate, out of breath and sweating. Hijikata had been waiting for such a report. Nodding to Okita, who went to call Kondou, he rose and prepared to leave. By the time Kondou joined him a few minutes later, Okita had also told Harada and Nagakura that something big was happening at the Furutaka store, and there the two of them were, Nagakura looking solemn and Harada as though festival preparations were underway. Saitou was also there; Hijikata had called him. Yamanami was left in charge of headquarters while they were absent.

While they did not exactly run to the store, there was a tangible sense of urgency to their pace as they left Mibu. Takeda greeted them at the entrance.

"Kondou-sensei, Hijikata-san, I am most pleased to inform you that I have foiled the most reprehensible plot that Choushuu has come up with so far." Takeda announced with his usual self-importance, conveniently forgetting that it had been Hijikata who had ordered him to go there in the first place. Hijikata had consulted with Yamazaki, who informed him that the Furutaka store was probably covering for a fairly large group of Choushuu and Tosa roushi.

"Did you find the Choushuu men?" Hijikata asked brusquely.

"Worse, Kondou-sensei," Takeda did not appreciate Hijikata's tone, and turned to address their commander. "Here, take a look inside their storerooms."

He led them into the compound and into a separate holding that would usually have been used to store food and cloth products to sell in their shop. Instead, it was packed with rifles, spears, swords, and explosives.

"Cool!" Harada looked delighted. He touched some powder in an open barrel.

"Don't touch that!" Takeda shouted. "It's gunpowder, and very volatile!" Harada immediately jumped back, as if it would explode right there and then.

"Here Harada-san, I've got some matches!" Okita sounded cheerful as Harada looked aghast.

"Souji, this is no time to be fooling around," came Hijikata's sharp reprimand. The others were examining the stockpiled weapons with apprehension.

"What were Choushuu thinking, to start an all out war in Kyoto!" Kondou's voice was low, but sounded furious.

"We assume so, we wouldn't put it past those Choushuu dogs," sniffed Takeda disdainfully. "Thankfully, we found this in time."

The furrow in Saitou's brow deepened, unconvinced. He exchanged a glance with Hijikata.'There are not enough men or weapons here for Choushuu to wage a battle and win against the might of Aizu and Satsuma combined. And they know that.'

"No... It's something else. Something different, but something more insane..." Hijikata's mind was racing furiously. "Takeda, where's Furutaka now?" He called out.

"We have him under arrest inside the house, and we made sure that he can't commit suicide. He's refusing to talk though."

"Oh is he now?" Hijikata smiled, though it was more of a grimace. "Well I do like a challenge."

5th June 1864 (Afternoon) -

It was mid-afternoon before Hijikata emerged from the shed where Furutaka Shuntarou, master of the Furutaka store was being held for 'questioning'. Nobody had been allowed near, except for two guards. Nobody had really wanted to go near, hearing the screams that had issued from within. Earlier on in the day, several Choushuu men claiming to be Kyoto city officials had tried to get passed the Shinsengumi guards stationed outside the Furutaka's weapons depot. That Choushuu were trying to reclaim the confiscated arms was a sure indication that something important was being planned. The only question was, would they decide to abort operations because Furutaka had been captured, or would they continue, thinking in terms of a double bluff that the Shinsengumi would think that they had decided to abandon their plans and hence be off guard. Whatever Choushuu decided, the Shinsengumi had nothing to lose by being prepared. And they were. A state of nervous tension permeated the air of Mibu headquarters. Now that Hijikata had succeeded in making Furutaka crack, action would be imminent.

"So, sometime during the Gion festival over the next couple of weeks, while people are too distracted to be worried about an attack, their plans are to burn Kyoto to the ground, and the imperial palace, kidnap the Emperor in the confusion and abduct him to Choushuu, where they will establish the new seat of power!" Kondou's face was knotted in shocked disbelief. "Have these men no honour, no thought for the people who will suffer as a result of their political scheming?"

"This is unforgivable. Kyoto is an ancient city and the heart of Japan. Such a thing would utterly destroy our country." Yamanami said with quiet disgust. Yamanami, an extremely gentle man who would have seemed out of place in the Shinsengumi if not for his skill with the sword, turned to Hijikata. "What are our plans?"

"We've sent messengers to Koumyouji with the information. I expect to hear back from them soon. Most likely, we'll be placedwith an Aizu force to track down the conspirators. Yamazaki is investigating all likely meeting spots at the moment. We're just in time, as it seems that the final meeting was scheduled for tonight."

"Those damn Choushuu people, they're all insane! All these assassinations, the Hitokiri Battousai, and now this!" Harada was fuming. "Hah! We'll make this a proper matsuri for them alright!"

As Kondou, Hijikata and Yamanami started to discuss the details for their mission and to divide the troops between the different groups, Okita smiled at Saitou and said,

"Exciting isn't it?"

"Hmph." Saitou didn't seem to be in the mood to be particularly expressive.

"I mean, this is the first time that this big a group is going to be called into action." This was true – such a critical development called for official mobilization of nearly the entire force. "We're going to get the bad guys."

"The bad guys?" Saitou raised an eyebrow. "How...quaint of you."

"It's true, Saitou-san," said Okita indignantly, "they're the bad guys. And we're the good guys. We're fighting for the peace and they want to destroy it. You said it yourself, we fight for peace. Their evil schemes must be stopped."

"Evil schemes?" Saitou taunted Okita for his dramatic words. "Evil is a strong word to use in any circumstance."

"But it's entirely appropriate this time," Okita insisted. "We have to stop such evil. At once."

"Yes Okita-kun, we're going to slay the evil-doers." Saitou's sardonic tone served to make Okita look more riled. "Don't get so worked up, or you'll wet yourself, boy."

"Heh, Saitou-san, be careful not to end up on the other end of my sword in the confusion tonight. Although, if we're talking about slaying evil swiftly, then I should probably kill you first, as you are positively the most wickedly malevolent thing in this compound."

"Souji! Saitou! Pay attention!" Hijikata barked at the two of them. "Souji, you'll be going with Kondou-san. Saitou, you'll be coming with me. We're splitting the two of you up for your incessant bickering."

"You say that as if it's a punishment, Hijikata-san," said Saitou, glancing maliciously at Okita.

5th June 1864 (Evening) -

Kondou frowned. His and Hijikata's groups had been running around for three hours, searching for the meeting place of the Choushuu conspirators. As well as that, there seemed to be no movement or action from Koumyouji. They had been ordered to act on their own initiative, the entire mission had been entrusted to them. Aizu, he assumed, was putting the Shinsengumi to the test. So be it. He had confidence in the abilities of his men. But this place, the Ikedaya, seemed too convenient. Firstly, it was near the Choushuu-hantei. Secondly, it was an easy place to observe and spy on. Thirdly, it was vulnerable to attack in the layout of the building. Yamazaki, who had entered the building undercover to investigate, came quietly running out. He bowed to Kondou.

"They're here. A large group, more than twenty, upstairs in the main room."

"Find Hijikata's group and tell him," Kondou said in a low voice. He nodded at his men. There were only ten of them – as he had taken both Okita and Nagakura, his group had been smaller.

"Souji, Nagakura, Toudou, with me inside. Three of you watch the back entrance, and three of you stay out front." They bowed, ready. They quickly entered the building.

"Goyou aratame de aru! Shinsengumi!" Kondou called out.

The master came out, saw who they were, paled and rushed up the back stairs. Swiftly, Kondou and Okita followed him, Nagakura and Toudou stayed below. Just as the master was shouting a warning at the group inside, Kondou and Okita slammed open the shoji.

"Goyou aratame, resist and you will die." The twenty-odd men there grabbed their weapons. Two against twenty, they'd chance the odds. The first man to charge was cut down by Okita before he had a chance to fully draw his sword. Okita – smiling like an angel, showered in blood – chilled the other men to the marrow of their bones.

"Run!"

"Fight!"

"Get out of the way!"

Havoc ensued as the conspirators tried to decide what to do. The lights were extinguished abruptly. Most took a dashing chance at escape. Kondou, seeing them flee downstairs, nodded at Okita and also followed them. Below, the sounds of Nagakura and Toudou facing the Choushuu men resounded in the narrow corridors. Only five men remained upstairs, each looking confident in his swordsmanship.

"Quite heartless of your commander, isn't it, to leave such a young boy all on his lonesome with us," snarled one of the men.

Okita looked nonplussed. One of them swung his sword, but the next instant, his head rolled. The others looked surprised – the first man Okita had killed, they thought had been a fluke. Now, the remaining four looked apprehensive about their situation. They all charged at once, crying out. In the dark, Okita's sword flashed like lightning. Strangled screams cut short, the smell of blood rising. It was over so quickly... But the next instant, the young man doubled over as a fit of coughing racked his body. He couldn't stop, he couldn't breathe. He remembered tasting the blood in his mouth before he was engulfed from within by darkness.

"Kondou-san!" Hijikata cried as he burst into the Ikedaya with his group. The fighting was frenzied and furious when he arrived. Kondou was surrounded by four men, Toudou was bleeding from his forehead as Nagakura came to his aid, and there was no sign of Okita. 'Souji...' Hijikata had no time to worry as Choushuu men hastened to attack.

Saitou moved boldly and quickly through the chaos. He made his way upstairs, where he thought Okita might be. He found him passed out on the bodies of his slain enemies.

"Okita!" Saitou spoke in a severe voice, shaking his colleague. "Okita!" Okita opened his eyes blearily.

"Aah, Saitou-san! It's you. See, we're slaying evil doers, hehehe." Okita laughed weakly. "And now I'm not as inexperienced as you're always claiming I am."

"Ahou ga. You pass out during battle because you're inexperienced." Saitou said this mockingly, but his sharp eyes did not miss the bright red stains down Okita's front. Stains that were not the blood of his foes.

"Hehehe, Saitou-san," Okita was still smiling. He paused for dramatic effect. "Aku! Soku. Zan!"

Shinsengumi Gaisen!

The streets on their way back to Mibu from the Ikedaya were lined with spectators. They watched in curious awe and horrified as the bloodstained Miburo marched through the streets back to their headquarters. They had captured three men who surrendered. The rest of the conspirators had been killed, including a few prominent Choushuu leaders. Katsura Kogorou had not been present. 'Shame,' thought Saitou. Killing Katsura would have been a huge blow to the Choushuu Ishinshishi. Saitou himself had killed two men who had returned upstairs, retreating from the advancing Hijikata group. He turned to look at Okita, who although aware of Saitou's scrutiny, just kept smiling and waving at the people. Okita had not been wounded, Saitou knew, but his hurts were eating him from the inside out. He wondered who else knew. Knowing Okita, he was hiding it from them all.

Suddenly, he felt something. He stopped for just an instant, and glanced back. There, in the midst of the crowd, was a familiar hat and red hair. Cold eyes, full of rage. He sneered maliciously. 'Battousai...!'

"Saitou-san, is something the matter?" Okita turned back and called to him.

"Nothing, Okita-kun." Saitou replied with an affable smile. Okita looked at him suspiciously.

"Saitou-san, something is really wrong. You're smiling. Nicely. It's creepy. Stop, please."

"Saitou, what the hell's wrong with you!" That was Harada yelping. "Urgh! Stop smiling like that!"

Saitou kept smiling. There would be no point in going after the Battousai with such a crowd here tonight. He was too fast, he would escape.

"Look at them, rejoicing in bloodshed."

"How horrible..."

"It's true that the Miburo prefer to kill more than their three meals a day, you know."

"Kuwabara kuwabara."

The hushed whispers of the crowd did not escape his ears as their procession made its way back to Mibu. He stopped smiling, the implacable look back in the amber of his eyes. 'Fools,' he thought, 'with no idea of what terrible fate they had been saved from tonight.' He scanned the crowd, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw another familiar hat further up ahead. A monk's hat. 'Tokio.' He stared at her with narrowed eyes. 'She shouldn't be out tonight,' he thought angrily. As they drew level, she lifted her hat just an inch, and met his gaze, gave him the faintest of smiles, the most imperceptible of nods. She was not alone, he could see now. There was a man standing behind her, apparently ill at ease and whispering furiously in her ear. She seemed to be paying him no heed. She held Saitou's gaze for as long as possible. And then she turned to the man and said something. The man looked irate, but grudgingly nodded his head. He hurried to catch up with Saitou, spoke low out of the corner of his mouth.

"My lady wishes to extend her congratulations to you and the Shinsengumi for saving Kyoto and the Emperor. Aizu are most proud to have them in our service. She says that it seems like the Chuushingura Akou Roushi come back to life, on their return from the completion of their mission..."

The man hastily drew away, and ran ahead, and this time muttered something to Kondou. Saitou snorted contemptuously. The Shinsengumi, it would appear, had passed Aizu's test. Saitou gave the quickest glance behind him. Tokio had lowered her hat deep over her face again. 'Takagi Tokio... She understands.' She did understand.

"You must work hard to live up to that uniform," she had once laughed.

She trusted him. She believed him to be an honourable man. A good man. Okita's voice replayed itself in his head.

"We're the good guys. And they're the bad guys. It's our duty to slay the evil doers. Aku Soku Zan!"

He smirked. Aku Soku Zan had a ring to it that started to grow on one, once you got past the melodrama.