Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Of Love and Other Demons ❯ Noodles, Sweets and the Wolves of Mibu ( Chapter 2 )

Timeline: An Aoshi/Misao story set in canon approximately three years after the Jinchuu Arc

 

Author Notes:

 

Shiruko: a sweet azuki bean soup with mochi

Miai: traditional Japanese date set up with the intention of seeking marriage.

 

Shinsengumi cast:

Shuhei Kondo - member 6th squad aka Shuhei Tani

Kuwajiro Oishi - member 3rd squad

Shinpachi Nagakura - leader 2nd squad

Hajime Saito - leader 3rd squad aka Goro Fujita

Sanosuke Harada - leader 10th squad aka Sano Mazaki

Kai Shimada - member 6th squad

Gensaburo Inoue - leader 6th squad (deceased)

Susumu Yamazaki - spy (deceased)

Soji Okita - leader 1st squad (deceased)

Isami Kondo (Katsuta Shimazaki) - Commander of the Shinsengumi (deceased)

Toshizo Hijikata - Vice commander of the Shinsengumi (deceased)

 

 

Part 2: Noodles, Sweets and the Wolves of Mibu

 

 

 

Aoshi's duties at the ministry ended just before lunchtime, so he decided to skip lunch at the ministry and go by the precinct to talk to Saito. He walked into the building and headed towards Saito's office. He found him standing in front of his door and he looked extremely annoyed! An arrogant looking foreigner was talking to him, Aoshi guessed by Misao's description and the look on Saito's face that it was Col. Watts. Saito spotted him coming down the hall and smirked

 

“I knew it wouldn't be long before you stopped by!” he called out to Aoshi as he raised a hand in greeting

 

“Good Afternoon Inspector Fujita,” he greeted solemnly, purposely ignoring the foreigner. Watts cleared his throat noisily. Saito rolled his eyes

 

“Shinomori meet Col. Watts; Col. Watts this is Aoshi Shinomori, elite member of the Oniwaban group of ninjas,” Saito introduced reluctantly. Aoshi nodded curtly towards Watts

 

“Ah! Another ninja! I must say that yesterday's demonstration was quite impressive!” Col. Watts began condescendingly. Aoshi shrugged

 

“Of course it was, she is our leader after all,” he replied coolly, “it's too bad she had to hold back so much of her strength, she didn't want to seriously injure her friends and permanently damage the…” he paused as if searching for the right word “…equipment,” he finished, the disgust in his tone did not escape Watts' attention. Watts' jaw twitched as he tried to keep his anger in check

 

“You know, I have noticed that some Japanese men often disapprove of the use of modern weapons such as pistols and rifles!” Watts began in a haughty tone. Aoshi and Saito exchanged an annoyed glance “but they often change their minds once they see their power!” he added self-righteously, a smug smile plastered on his face that Aoshi wanted to erase with his fist. Saito rolled his eyes

 

“Moron,” Saito huffed irritated as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.

 

“Col. Watts if you're modern weapons are so impressive then how come a young girl in a kimono, wielding a handful of kunai, was able to turn your Gatling guns into useless piles of metal and make fools out of you and your handpicked cadets?” Aoshi countered sarcastically. Saito chuckled and began walking away, stopping for a moment to wait for Aoshi. Aoshi smirked triumphantly at Col. Watts and moved to join Saito without waiting for an answer. Aoshi and Saito walked away leaving Col. Watts to sputter angrily to himself outside of Saito's office.

 

“So I take it the little weasel-girl told you what happened yesterday,” Saito began as they exited the building

 

“Yes she did and I would prefer you not call her that,” he replied stoically. Saito laughed

 

“You two should get your acts together!” he suggested as he took another drag from his cigarette and began walking towards the nearest noodle stand.

 

“What do you mean?” Aoshi inquired, puzzled at Saito's reaction

 

“Yesterday, after the tour was over, I called her by her proper name she wrinkled her nose and said that her name sounded too weird coming from me and to just keep calling her weasel-girl,” he explained, “go figure!”

 

“Well, if she said that then I suppose it's alright,” Aoshi shrugged but made a mental note to confirm it with Misao later. Saito laughed

 

“In any event, I stopped by to thank you for helping her yesterday,” Aoshi stated, wanting to get back to the subject of his visit, “especially for trying to keep her away from the base,” he finished seriously

 

“Hmph! I would've succeeded too if it hadn't been for Col. Gun-up-his-ass Watts sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong!” Saito replied crossly, throwing his spent cigarette on the ground and stomping it out with more force than was required.

 

“Hmm, a shame that wasn't Watts' head” Aoshi remarked calmly looking at the flattened cigarette butt. Saito looked up at him surprised by Aoshi's comment then laughed. Aoshi smirked at his own joke and suddenly wished that Misao had heard it he could almost hear her laughter. Saito stopped at the noodle stand and turned to Aoshi

 

“Do you have to go back to the Ministry today?” he asked suddenly. Aoshi looked at him puzzled

 

“No, I'm done for the day. Why?” he replied, mystified by Saito's change of subject.

 

“I know this place, the tea is pretty good and the noodles are great especially if you know the chef, we can talk about what happened yesterday on our way there,” Saito invited as he turned and walked away from the stand. Aoshi walked beside him

 

“Sure,” he agreed evenly. Saito's out of character behavior intrigued him but he also wanted to hear Saito's version of things. They walked down the street in amicable silence for a few minutes until Saito broke it

 

“Did you ever hear of a man called Gensaburo Inoue?” Saito asked. Aoshi nodded

 

“The leader of the sixth squad of the Shinsengumi, he was defeated in the battle of Fushimi in 1868,” Aoshi replied thoughtfully wondering where Saito was going with this line of question.

 

“He was ripped to shreds by Choshu riflemen while trying to help a wounded member of his squad to escape!” Saito clarified bitterly. “Those cowards!” he stopped, the anger that suddenly flared in his eyes made him unable to speak for a moment. Aoshi waited for Saito to regain his composure; after all he of all people could sympathize. Hannya and the others had been shot while protecting him too. Guilt and anger had very nearly consumed him.

 

“I lost count of the number of men I killed right then, though some of them dropped their guns and ran,” Saito chuckled cynically, Aoshi just nodded in approval, remembering how he had snuck into the jail where Kanryu had been kept. The police in Tokyo still couldn't understand how the drug lord could've been killed inside a top security cell without signs of forced entry or struggle. Not that he was going to tell Saito that! He didn't trust him that far! At least not yet…

 

“I suppose we all have an experience in our lives that makes us act wild,” he added grimly. Aoshi nodded in silent agreement

 

“You knew Misao would react badly to seeing the Gatling guns fired.” Aoshi concluded

 

“Yes I did, but then again wouldn't you?” Saito responded, again Aoshi nodded

 

“Yes, most likely,” he agreed gravely, remembering how Misao had described the mannequins tied to the stakes.

 

“That's mainly why I didn't want her to go; but you know something, she surprised me…” Saito paused thoughtfully

 

“How so?” Aoshi inquired, his curiosity piqued

 

“Well, I expected her to curse and scream and make a big scene, you know typical weasel-girl, but instead…” he paused again and to Aoshi's surprise he smiled and shook his head.

 

“But instead she was silent, swift and efficient; my hand shot out to stop her but I missed!” he paused and turned to Aoshi “I missed!” he repeated incredulous. Aoshi's eyes went wide with amazement this was truly high praise for Misao. He couldn't wait to tell her

 

“She was possessed by a grace and composure truly befitting her rank!” he continued, a touch of pride in his voice. Aoshi's chest swelled with so much pride that it made him unable to respond with anything more than a nod for a few minutes

 

“Oh, just in case you're wondering…to save face Col. Watts agreed to call the incident yesterday a secretly pre-arranged demonstration to show the soldiers that they have to be alert to their surroundings at all times and not relay so much on the awesome strength of their guns,” Saito chuckled in amusement. Aoshi chuckled along with him amused by Saito's mockery of the foreign officer.

 

And so the two men continued on their way with Saito relating the events of the day before in detail from his perspective…

 

@@@@

 

 

Meanwhile back at the Aoiya, Misao trudged on with her daily chores successfully managing to keep an unexpected sneezing fit from toppling the lunch trays she was carrying to the guest rooms. The morning had gone by quickly. The guys had made such a big fuss about how proud they were on how she handled the situation at the base that just remembering made her blush. She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached her next stop.

 

`Just one more and I'm done!' she thought cheerfully as she knocked on the door. The two guests in this room had just arrived this morning from Tokyo for a special family gathering. They were regulars at the Aoiya, especially Mr. Tani who came frequently to Kyoto on business.

 

“Good afternoon Mr. Tani!” Misao greeted cheerfully

 

“Good afternoon Ms. Misao,” the man greeted her with a smile as she walked in and placed the trays down. She discovered to her pleasant surprise that the guest of her last stop, Mr. Nagakura, was in this room right now

 

“Good afternoon Ms. Misao!” the other two men greeted her cheerfully

 

“Mr. Nagakura! Mr. Oishi! It's so nice to see you all again!” she welcomed them happily.

 

“The pleasure is all ours Ms. Misao, as always,” Mr. Tani replied gracefully as he and the other men bowed. It was one of the reasons Misao liked these guys they were always so thoughtful and respectful. The fact that they all seemed to posses Hiko and Kenshin's eerie ability to look much younger than their age made them easy to associate with. Both Tani and Oishi were 28 years old though they looked no older than 19 and Nagakura was 45 years old but looked no older than 30!

 

“So how long do you plan to stay in Kyoto this time?” she asked as she bent down to set out their trays.

 

“Only a couple of days,” Tani responded sitting in front of his tray

 

“Yeah, we're only here for the family reunion,” Oishi added as he and Nagakura took their place.

 

“Oh, I see!” Misao said. Then remembering her manners (as well as her chores!) she sprung up and began to excuse herself so they could get on with their meal

 

“Oh please don't leave yet!” Tani begged with a friendly smile on his face

 

“Yes! Please join us for just a few minutes!” Nagakura invited

 

“Oh I couldn't possibly…” Misao began politely

 

“Yes! Please tell us how things are going in Kyoto!” Oishi encouraged at Misao's polite refusal

 

“Indeed! I heard something interesting about you last night Ms Misao…” Nagakura began but stopped as both of the younger men suddenly rounded on him

 

“Mr. Nagakura sir. It is very inappropriate to listen to and repeat rumors about decent and upstanding women like Ms Misao!” Oishi scolded, glaring dangerously at Nagakura

 

“I'm appalled sir!” Tani added and Misao marveled at how this seemingly harmless looking man suddenly appeared so dangerous. `Kinda like Kenshin!' she thought absently

 

“Whoa! Wait a minute! That's not what I meant!” Nagakura rushed to placate the younger men “I heard this from our friend at the precinct! He said Ms. Misao trashed four Gatling guns and knocked out three soldiers all by herself yesterday afternoon!” he explained. Misao's eyes went wide with shock! `Boy, news travels fast!' she thought amazed `Hmm, I bet it was the old wolf that told him! Or someone who works for him…' she deduced

 

“Really!” both men said in unison and turned awestruck towards Misao. She giggled nervously

 

“Well that's a bit exaggerated! I only disabled the guns, I didn't destroy them,” she amended modestly. Thoroughly impressed both men begged her to give them an account of what happened. After much coaxing she gave them an abbreviated account.

 

“Most impressive, two men with one kick. That must've been an excellent technique,” Oishi complimented gravely, being the current assistant master at Shiei Hall in Tokyo he could certainly appreciate good fighting skills. The men all nodded and voiced their solemn agreements

 

“Ms Misao, would it be rude of me to ask you why you did it?” Tani asked gently

 

“Of course you don't have to answer if it's a private matter…” Oishi quickly added seeing the reluctance in Misao's eyes

 

“Oh no! It's ok! Well you see…my family…well they were all killed by a Gatling gun,” she began hesitantly

 

“Say no more please. We understand…” Nagakura interrupted grimly as the other two nodded

 

“As you probably guessed by now Ms Misao, we were all members of the Shinsengumi once, in fact Mr. Nagakura was the leader of the 2nd squad,” Oishi began seriously, Misao nodded. She had guessed as much when Mr. Tani first visited and said that Inspector Fujita sent him here because the owners of the Aoiya wouldn't overcharge him as all the other inns did, especially the ones in Mibu.

 

“In fact, my real name is Shuhei Kondo, not Shuhei Tani but for obvious reasons I have trouble doing business under my real name here in Kyoto,” Tani added

 

“Oh, that explains why Saito sent you here!” Misao realized. Shuhei nodded. He was pleased that she caught on quickly

 

“And on this day thirteen years ago someone very dear to us was viciously gunned down while trying to help Shuhei here escape,” Nagakura explained

 

“I was wounded and I couldn't make it to the sanctuary were the others were retreating to before the riflemen got there…” Tani paused, a flicker of pain flashed in his eyes. “If Gen-san hadn't rushed out and stalled them so the others could help me limp to safety, I would've died!” he recounted, sorrow evident in his voice.

 

“You see Gen-san wasn't a dangerous wolf like the rest of us. He was once the senior pupil at Shiei Hall but later became leader of the sixth squad. He was a nice old guy who just wanted to make sure we were happy and safe,” he explained, “he was my mentor and my captain.” He stopped the three men suddenly had a far off look in their eyes. Misao couldn't help but sympathize with them. She felt that way about Hannya and the others. She could never forget them no matter how much time had passed.

 

“We were all frozen by our grief, including Commander Hijikata,” Oishi picked up where Tani left off “all except Capt. Saito! I was a junior member of his squad, I looked up seeking some guidance from him but I saw a tear rolling down his face and he screamed out a war cry so full of rage I was shocked…” Oishi recounted. Misao listened attentively her heart went out to them. Now she understood why Saito couldn't stand the sight of the rifles yesterday!

 

“He ran out of the shrine screaming and by the time we all pulled ourselves together and caught up with him…” Tani continued, “the enemy had pulled back and the ground around Capt Saito was littered with dead bodies. He just stood there looking kind of lost…” he stopped his mind traveling back thirteen years ago, the loneliness and grief of that day still fresh in his mind

 

“So you see Ms Misao, even someone as cool-headed as Saito has a breaking point,” Nagakura concluded, “so we understand how you must've felt.”

 

“Oh wow, I didn't know about that, it's so sad…” Misao replied softly, completely at a loss for words. Her heart ached for Saito and now she wished he had let her out shoot those guys at the base yesterday, maybe even kick them in the head too. They were silent for a few minutes until Misao heard Omasu calling for her.

 

“Oh! I'm sorry I have to go! Please go back to your lunches!” Misao quickly excused herself, “Oh, and thank you for sharing your memories with me! I'm sorry I can't stay and talk to you longer” she added

 

“Perhaps another time?” Shuhei suggested amicably

 

“Yeah! That would be fun! It was nice talking to you all!!” she replied cheerfully as she stood to leave and bowed.

 

“Our pleasure as always Ms Misao!” they called as she ran out the door. She hurried towards the kitchen marveling at what an interesting day this was turning out to be! Learning that there was such a human side to the wolves of Mibu changed the way she thought of the old willow-head…a little. In truth, it explained a lot of things about him. Plus, getting to see Lord Aoshi's smile had definitely been a high point and hearing him laugh was the icing on the cake! Furthermore, the knowledge that Lord Aoshi actually listened to things she said instead of just drowning her out as the others sometimes did was encouraging

 

`Don't get excited Misao! Just one smile and a couple of chuckles don't mean anything!! But perhaps it does mean his soul is starting to heal!!! Yeah that's it! Maybe I'll write Himura a letter and let him know of our progress!' she reflected cheerfully, putting a quick damper on the girly daydreams that popped into her brain as she remembered his arms around her. Her silly girly mind had even imagined him smelling her hair.

 

`Stupid Misao! Why in the world would he do that!' she scolded herself as she skidded to a halt in front of the kitchen door. She had barely stepped in when someone in a pretty pink kimono threw herself on top of her. Misao laughed

 

“Sakura! What in the world are you doing?!” she called out pulling Sakura off of her. Sakura was so deliriously happy that all she could do was drag Misao into the kitchen the rest of the way. As soon as she looked around she realized why Sakura had been so happy

 

“Hey Guys! When did you get out of the base? I thought you still had at least three more weeks of training!” she exclaimed happily. Sasuke and Naruto looked up from where they were eating noodles, Naruto smiled cheerfully and greeted her enthusiastically, and Sasuke by contrast merely smirked and bowed his head

 

“Well, thanks to you Sis we get a two day paid holiday! Yay!!” Naruto cheered and went back to devouring his noodles. Misao looked confused

 

“What noodle-brain here means,” Sasuke began sarcastically, “is that yesterday when you attacked the Gatling guns the team in Gun number 1…”

 

“That's us!” Naruto interrupted pumping his fist in the air. Sasuke glared at him to keep quiet

 

“Our team was the only one to show initiative in countering the attack…” Sasuke continued, “Col. Watts said the attack was a secretly pre-arranged demonstration to test our knowledge of the guns capacities and our ability to solve problems quickly,” Sasuke explained seriously

 

“I think he just said that to cover up the fact that Sis made him look stupid!” Naruto laughed and happily continued gulping down his noodles

 

“For once we agree,” Sasuke added thoughtfully munching on his noodles.

 

“Well, either way I'm glad to see you guys!” Misao declared cheerfully. Sakura whole-heartedly agreed as she handed Misao a bowl of noodles and walked out of the kitchen at Omasu's silent beckoning

 

“Umm, Sasuke uh, how are you feeling?” Misao asked timidly, she still felt guilty about knocking him out the day before; she really hadn't meant to hit him that hard. Sasuke winced

 

“Well let's see…my pride is severely injured, my dignity left me without saying goodbye, my over-inflated ego broke my fall but it's been shattered beyond repair and my head stopped throbbing just before I got home last night,” Sasuke explained then shrugged, “the doctor says I'll live.” Naruto laughed so hard he had to put his bowl down to hold his sides, Misao stared in astonishment at Sasuke then laughed so hard she could barely breathe. Such self-deprecating humor was completely out of character for her broody, angsty and prideful friend Sasuke.

 

“I'm guilty of the same crime that everyone else is. I've underestimated you and I've learned the hard way…” Sasuke added his tone suddenly solemn, “but I promise I'll never do it again!” he declared with a hint of challenge in his voice. Misao grinned slyly `Alright Sasuke I accept your challenge!' she thought. Naruto snorted derisively

 

“Sasuke I wouldn't get my hopes up! Sis is in another league! You'll never beat her!” Naruto piped up cheerfully, he was obviously greatly enjoying Sasuke's defeat. Misao punched him in the arm, he yelped in painful surprise

 

“That doesn't mean he shouldn't try,” she put in with as much innocence as she could muster. Naruto grumbled as he rubbed his injured arm.

 

“Nice try Okashira! But I'm not falling for that act ever again!” Sasuke stated as Naruto picked up his bowl again

 

“All right Sasuke, knock yourself out!” she laughed at her own silly pun and again Naruto had to put his bowl down to keep from spilling his food. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and went back to his lunch. As their laughter died down they realized that Omasu and Sakura weren't in the kitchen anymore `That's weird, I wonder where they went?' she thought

 

“Hey Misao! Did you tell Lord Aoshi about yesterday?” Naruto asked quietly, she nodded

 

“Was he mad?” he asked, truly concerned for his dear friend who was practically a sister to him, especially since he's always known how she feels about Lord Aoshi. Sasuke watched her intently concern evident in his eyes too. To their surprise she smiled

 

“No! He wasn't! In fact it was the complete opposite!!” she began cheerfully, then gave them a quick run down of this morning's conversation

 

“He hugged you!” Naruto replied stunned, “Wait, that's not possible! Lord Aoshi doesn't do hugging!” Naruto repeated incredulous

 

“And he doesn't do laughing either…” Sasuke pointed out thoughtfully “I mean I never knew him from before he left but if he doesn't laugh at Naruto's idiocies then I can't imagine him laughing at anything!” he added equally incredulous. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and suddenly smiled

 

“I think your feelings are starting to get through to him,” Naruto concluded grinning ear to ear

 

“You noodle-brain! He just laughed because it was something Hannya said!!!!” she yelled at him. Naruto just giggled mischievously

 

“Did he hug you just a little or did he hug you the whole time with his arms wrapped tight all the way around you?” Naruto asked grinning like a Cheshire cat. Misao blushed a bright red

 

“YOU KNUCKLEHEAD!! WHAT'S THAT GOT TO DO WITH ANYTHING!!!” she yelled. Naruto just giggled mischievously and dodged another punch. Sasuke watched her intently

 

“Did he smell your hair? Or touch your face?” Naruto teased encouraged by Misao's reaction.

 

“WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD HE DO THAT!!!!!!” she screamed in denial. Sasuke's eyes went wide `He did touch her face and smell her hair! That's big!' he realized but at the same time he recognized that if Naruto didn't stop teasing her she would entrench herself in the Land of Denial and miss out on any further opportunities with Lord Aoshi.

 

“Naruto you idiot! Do you ever shut up?” Sasuke scolded, “Why would Lord Aoshi do any of that? Geez you're a moron!” he added glaring at Naruto hoping he'd get the message. Naruto opened his mouth to defend his line of question but stopped at the look on Sasuke's face. He didn't understand why Sasuke wanted him to stop, Sis could handle a little teasing but if there was one thing he'd learned over the years is that Sasuke almost always had a good reason for doing the things he did.

 

“Yeah! You're probably right! It's not Lord Aoshi's style anyway!” Naruto declared gulping down the last of his lunch and getting up for more

 

“Your damn right!” Misao retorted grateful that Naruto's sudden change in track had stopped adding fuel to her silly daydreams. Sasuke relaxed glad that Naruto had gotten the message and went back to his lunch

 

“Hey guys we should do something special today!” Naruto suggested changing the subject.

 

“I know! Let's have a party!!” Misao proposed her tone back to her usually cheerful self though her face was still flushed

 

“Yeah! That sounds like fun!!” Naruto agreed cheerfully chowing down on his third bowl of noodles “what do you think Sasuke?”

 

“Sure,” Sasuke shrugged, he didn't care what they did he was just glad to have a day off to spend with his friends…

 

Aoshi and Saito navigated the maze-like streets of Kyoto all the while discussing the events of the day before. Aoshi looked around, they had traveled quite far from the precinct but still didn't seem to be near their destination.

 

“You haven't told me where we're going?” Aoshi asked wondering how much farther they had to go

 

“Over there,” Saito pointed to a rather busy looking sweets shop. Aoshi frowned, he wasn't fond of either sweets or crowds, and he hadn't thought that Saito was the type either. Saito laughed, obviously aware that the ex-leader disliked crowds and sweets as much as he did.

 

“The owners have a private room in the back in between their house and the shop. They reserve it for family and special guests,” he assured Aoshi

 

“Which one are you?” Aoshi asked unable to contain his curiosity.

 

“Family…” Saito replied softly, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. Both men walked into the lunchtime crowd and were immediately greeted by a cheerful looking man.

 

“Hey Haji you're early! And you brought a friend!! Great!!!” the man called out cheerfully obviously glad to see him. The man patted Saito roughly on the back and to Aoshi's surprise Saito merely smiled. The man quickly led them away from the hustle and bustle of the main shop.

 

“So I'm going to guess you're Shinomori!” the man began cheerfully as he lead them away from the noise of the main room.

 

“You are correct sir. I am Aoshi Shinomori,” he replied politely, a little surprised that this seemingly simple shop owner would know who he was. They arrived in a large room that looked like it had been set up for a party. Trays had been set up in a u-shape and there was an empty sword rack near the door.

 

“I love how polite ninjas are!” he observed with a smile, “Hey Haji! You're right! He does remind me of Yamazaki!” the man observed gleefully elbowing Saito in the ribs. Aoshi observed the interaction between the two men; the shop owner had introduced himself as Mazaki but the familiarity between the two suggested they knew each other well. The fact that Saito would never allow a simple shop owner to poke him in the ribs made him concluded that this man had to be a survivor of the Shinsengumi. `Someone high ranking in fact,' he surmised as Mazaki invited both to sit. Aoshi stared in shock as Saito allowed Mazaki to take his sword and placed it on the rack.

 

“You are Sanosuke Harada! You were the leader of the 10th squad of the Shinsengumi!” Aoshi suddenly realized “but I thought you had died with the Shogitai in Ueno?” Aoshi asked surprised

 

“Ha ha! Very good! Nice to know the Oniwaban ninjas haven't lost their touch, eh!” Harada complimented happily

 

“Thank you,” Aoshi replied politely, pleased that he had made the connection on his own.

 

“You're right! Sanosuke Harada died bravely in the Shogitai!” he winked conspiratorially at Aoshi who nodded in response. Obviously, Harada, like Saito, had changed his name in order to live peacefully and anonymously in the Meiji era.

 

“Speaking of ninjas, I heard something amazing about your current Okashira!” he commented slyly as he poured tea for Aoshi and Saito and sake for himself.

 

“Something amazing?” Aoshi asked looking at Saito and wondering whom else he told about the incident at the base yesterday. He also made note of the fact that Harada had known his preference for tea over liquor without asking, `but perhaps I should expect no less of an old leader of the Shinsengumi,' he surmised

 

“I heard she turned a bunch of Gatling guns into expensive paper weights!” he laughed heartily, “Boy I wish I'd seen that!” he declared gleefully. Saito chuckled

 

“The little weasel-girl is stronger than she looks!” he noted

 

“Ogh!! Don't call her that! You know how riled up Shigure gets when you do!!” Harada complained, “besides she's too cute for that nick name!” he added sounding mildly annoyed. Aoshi frowned

 

“Who is Shigure?” Aoshi asked, wondering why this person's reaction would cause Harada to worry. Both men grinned

 

“Shigure is my 13 year old son! He's a big fan of the little Okashira but then most kids in this city are fans of hers! Ever since the Shishio incident anyway!” Harada explained. Aoshi nodded in understanding as he sipped his tea, not surprised that this Mibu wolf knew about Shishio. He knew Misao was very popular, he'd noticed that when he went out on errands with her. Shop owners would occasionally give her gifts, children would cluster about her wanting her attention and people of all ages would cheerfully greet her anywhere she went. But he didn't realize she had a fan-base! As if on cue a tall boy that looked a lot like Harada came into the room

 

“Hey Uncle Haji! What's up!!” he greeted cheerfully as he walked towards them carrying three bowls with Soba noodles in them. Saito raised his hand and greeted the kid with a smile and a brief hello.

 

“Hey Shigure! This is Shinomori…” Harada began cheerfully as father and son distributed the bowls

 

“Lord Aoshi! I know! I've seen him with Leader at the market sometimes!” Shigure exclaimed cutting his father off who looked mildly annoyed at being up-staged. Slowly Aoshi realized that the boy in fact did look familiar. He must've had quite a growth spurt! The last time he'd seen him was before he went to America, otherwise he would've recognized immediately the boy that was always bringing sweets for Misao every time she went to the market. `Now what was it that Misao called him…' he tried to recall

 

“Gure-chan, you've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you. Do you still bring Misao sweets on market day?” Aoshi asked. The boy blushed slightly as his father stared at him in shock. Saito chuckled amused and sipped his tea

 

“Yeah! Leader loves mother's shiruko!” he replied shyly to Aoshi's question pleased that he remembered. He would be sure to tell Leader about it as soon as he got a chance.

 

“How come you didn't tell me that!?” Harada complained at being left out of the loop

 

“You didn't ask!” the boy retorted smiling mishievously. Harada suddenly grabbed the kid in a headlock and ruffled his short brown hair mercilessly. Saito laughed heartily at the father-son antics. Aoshi just stared at them, a sudden memory popping up into his mind of Lord Makimachi (Misao's grandfather) putting him in a similar headlock years and years ago. He almost smiled, he had forgotten about it. Lord Makimachi had gone to great lengths to try and pull him out of his icy shell. `Much like Misao…' he compared thoughtfully.

 

“Aw come on! Your messing up my hair!!” the boy complained as he managed to dislodge himself from his father's hold. Harada laughed

 

“Go see if the others have gotten here yet!” Harada instructed a wide grin still on his face.

 

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Aunt Tokio just got here and she's in the kitchen, helping mom. Sister is playing with little Soji and the twins outside; she said she would bring in the guests as they arrive! Aiji is helping me with the shop, he said he'd help me close once the last customers are gone!” the boy informed them “See you later Lord Aoshi!” he called back and rushed out

 

“Well why didn't he say so sooner!!” Saito snapped, “I'll be back!” he told the others as he followed Shigure out to go greet his family. Aoshi was left alone with Harada and the man was especially curious to hear the details of yesterday's events at the base or more specifically what Aoshi thought.

 

Just a few minutes later a young girl who looked to be about 10 years old brought a very large man into the room. Harada introduced the little girl as his daughter Osono and the large man as Kai Shimada. Aoshi greeted both of them politely. The girl blushed and returned the greeting but promptly excused herself from the room. Shimada laughed and greeted him cheerfully. He gave Aoshi a friendly pat on the shoulder and sat on his right side.

 

“Saito's right! You really do remind me of Yamazaki!!” Shimada pointed out. Harada joined the big man in laughter as the smaller man took Shimada's sword and put it on the rack. Aoshi raised an eyebrow

 

“Actually, I think this ninja is even more serious then Yamazaki!! At least Susumu smiled sometimes!” Harada noted looking closely at Aoshi after pouring out some sake for Shimada. Aoshi just sipped his tea quietly absorbing all the information he could about these men. One thing he'd learned in his ninja training is that if you just let people talk they'll sometimes volunteer more information then with the best of interrogation methods.

 

“Hmm, you know you may be right! Anyway, what is this I hear about the Okashira beating people up at the army base? Was Watts up to his old tricks again bringing girls in there?” Shimada inquired seriously. Harada piped up excitedly and gave him a full account before Aoshi could say anything. Shimada laughed

 

“Well it's about time someone taught that man a lesson! I'll tell you there's nothing like an old-school butt-kick to teach an arrogant bastard a good lesson!” The big man reasoned seriously

 

“It seems that we agree,” Aoshi replied, unable to hide a note of pride in his voice. Saito returned then with a small boy in his arms. He retook his seat on Aoshi's left side putting the toddler in his lap.

 

“This is my 2 year-old son Soji,” Saito introduced seeing the puzzled expression on Aoshi's face, “and he's just like his namesake! He follows me everywhere!” he explained. Aoshi watched with fascination the transformation that had come over Saito. Gently he admonished his son to keep away from the hot tea and smiled as his little son cuddled up against his chest and played with the shiny buttons on his jacket. Saito stroked the boy's hair as he listened to Harada make idle chatter. The gentleness of their interaction stirred up long-forgotten feelings about Lord Makimachi and his earliest days in the Oniwaban.

 

The little boy left his father's lap at Shimada's beckoning and though the big man made him squeal in delight as he tickled him Soji soon left him to return to his father's lap. Harada stood and removed the empty bowls of noodles to refill Aoshi and Saito's teacups and pour more sake for Shimada and himself. Harada ruffled the little boy's hair and Soji smiled at him.

 

“You know he really does remind me of Soji sometimes…” Harada noted thoughtfully, “Soji could amuse himself with the simplest of things for hours!” he explained as he watched Saito's little son. Aoshi sipped his tea and watched with mounting surprise as the little boy smiled and climbed out of his father's lap to climb onto Aoshi's. `Well, this is new!' he thought as he placed his teacup as far away from the child as possible. Most of the time small children ran away from him in fear. Soji tugged at the chain hanging from his pocket watch as he smiled up at him.

 

“You're right!” Shimada agreed laughing as Aoshi pulled the watch out of his pocket so the child could hold it

 

“Looks like you made a new friend!” Harada laughed as little Soji made himself comfortable on Aoshi's lap examining the watch. Aoshi made sure the watch was securely clipped to the inside of his pocket to keep the child from running off with it.

 

“It would appear so…” Aoshi replied thoughtfully as another memory suddenly surfaced. One were he was very small! He sat on Lord Makimachi's lap looking at a small sundial. He had looked up to see Lord Makimachi smiling cheerfully at him, occasionally ruffling his hair. `He was always smiling at me, no matter what I did' he thought a touch of nostalgia settling on him as he watched the little boy play with his watch `just like Misao' he couldn't help making the comparison again.

 

The two had a lot in common, especially their ability to forgive him no matter how badly he botched things up. He was amazed by how comforting that thought was and at some deep level he knew it was the main reason he stayed at the Aoiya rather than wander off again. Misao was the only person who could really understand him and forgive him. Her grandfather had died when she was very small. He promised himself right then that he would share his memories of Lord Makimachi with Misao as often as he could from now on.

 

“Hey! Remember that time Okita stole Hijikata's haiku book!!” Harada exclaimed. Shimada laughed and to Aoshi's surprise so did Saito. Harada recounted gleefully how Okita and several of the younger members of the Shinsengumi had played a dangerous game of tag with the book.

 

“Commander Hijikata looked like he could breath fire!” Shimada guffawed. Omasa and Tokio, Harada and Saito's wives respectively, walked in carrying large trays full of food. As greetings and introductions were exchanged little Osono came in with two more men. They introduced themselves as Ozeki (the old flag bearer of the Shinsengumi) and Ogata (the Shinsengumi record keeper).

 

Tokio paused and smiled at Aoshi when she noticed how content her little son was on his lap. She leaned over to Omasa and whispered conspiratorially “He'd make a good father wouldn't he!” Aoshi's Oniwaban-trained ears caught every word as Omasa giggled and agreed. Omasa turned to Aoshi and asked him why he hadn't brought Misao with him.

 

“I didn't know I would be coming here or that there would be a party otherwise I would've been sure to invite her along.” He replied. Both women encouraged him to bring her next time since they hadn't seen her in a while and they both enjoyed the young woman's cheerful company

 

Ozeki sat next to Saito and Ogata across from Shimada. Harada flitted from one end of the u-shape to the other helping the women serve sake to the newcomers and refill cups of the ones who were already there. They passed around the food as Harada chattered happily, putting the newcomers up to date with the current topic. Ozeki laughed as he shared his perspective on that haiku theft having been one of the many forced to run for lives with the book in their hands.

 

Ogata on the other hand wanted to hear about the incident at the base and again Harada happily recounted the events embellishing the details whenever possible. Unconsciously, Aoshi stroked little Soji's back listening to Harada's version of the events at the base and the child was starting to drift off into sleep. `A little more sake and he'll have her fighting half the army!' he thought amused.

 

“Hey Capt! How come you didn't let her shoot at the guys with the Winchesters!” Ozeki complained. Aoshi turned to Saito as the man retrieved his sleepy son from Aoshi's lap and handed him to his wife. The child complained at being deprived of his new toy and called sleepily out to Aoshi and his father as his mother carried him off. Omasa followed them trying to comfort little Soji. Aoshi again was surprised at the feeling of regret that he suddenly experienced as the child was carried away. He picked up his teacup and shook it off, reasoning that it was just the old memories that were playing tricks on his mind.

 

“Wasn't necessary,” Saito responded simply picking up his teacup again

 

“So what! It would've been fun!!” Ozeki countered, Harada heartily agreed. Shimada and Ogata laughed

 

“That sounds like something Okita would say!” Ogata noted, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. All the men nodded and became serious. Harada suddenly raised his cup

 

“A toast to Okita! For the best game of tag in history!!!” he announced and all the men laughed “To Okita!!” they all yelled including Saito. Aoshi merely raised his cup and went along with them quietly. As soon as their host was satisfied that the mood was cheerful again they went on discussing their new favorite subject: the current Okashira of the Oniwaban, Ms Misao Makimachi, occasionally noting the similarities in character between her and Okita.

 

“Can you imagine if those two had met?” Shimada asked. Aoshi frowned pensively and Saito chocked on his tea

 

“The level of noise in Kyoto would've quadrupled instantly!” he declared looking utterly horrified at the prospect, “even Shishio would've committed seppuku rather than face the combined might of their brains and mouths!” The other men laughed heartily and Aoshi smiled `He's probably right!' from all he heard about Soji Okita it did sound as though the two would've gotten along famously! He could even imagine Hannya participating in any number of pranks instigated by them!

 

It surprised him to see how relaxed Saito was, he hadn't once reached for his cigarettes and the fact that his beloved kotetsu was on a rack instead of on his lap or his side spoke volumes in terms of how much he trusted the men in the room and how at ease he felt in their presence.

 

He was beginning to understand why Saito couldn't let go of the Shinsengumi. To him they were family not just old coworkers or fellow samurai. In that respect he supposed they weren't all that different he and Saito; he couldn't let go of Hannya and the others for the same motive. And it was that sense of family that had drawn him back to Misao and the Aoiya; and had given Kenshin's words such a strong effect during their fight at the library in Shishio's mountain fortress.

 

He was surprised too by how comfortable he felt among them. This was unusual for him. Misao was the one who usually excelled in this type of situation `I wish I could've brought her with me!' he thought suddenly wishing Saito had told him where they were going, he could've sent for her. He on the other hand had never felt comfortable in any social gathering but he attributed it to the topic of conversation and he couldn't help feeling proud of his leader for impressing a group of strong men like the wolves of Mibu.

 

“Look at him! If his chest swells any more he'll explode!!” Harada teased pointing his thumb at Aoshi and exploded into giant guffaws. Aoshi frowned `Was I being that obvious?' he wondered, a little shocked that he'd let his guard down. A giant hand dropped on to his shoulder and he stiffened a little.

 

“Relax Shinomori! You should be proud of her! I know we are!” Shimada boasted cheerfully. The man's size and good nature made him think of Chikijo and suddenly he felt a yearning to return home and share with Misao what he'd learned today. Osono returned once more with three more men and to Aoshi's surprise he recognized all of them as regular customers of the Aoiya. One of them he'd seen on several occasions talking with Misao

 

“Finally! You're here!” Harada announced getting up to greet the new arrivals, “we were about to send out a rescue team! Can't have a Shinsengumi party without a Kondo!” patting the shortest one of them in the back. There was a lively exchange of greetings as all the men got up and gathered around the new arrivals. Aoshi got up but hung back until Harada rushed over and dragged him forward.

 

There was a redheaded man with freckles all over his nose and cheeks, he knew this was Shinpachi Nagakura, the second was a tall good-looking young man with long black hair and a slightly predatory look in his eyes very similar to Saito's, he wasn't at all surprised to find out that he had been a junior member of Saito's squad, his name was Kuwajiro Oishi. The third and last was a short and cheerful looking but seemingly shy young man with short dark hair wearing a western-style suit and since Saito was still in his police uniform and Aoshi was still in his western suit it made him the third person in the room not wearing regular Japanese garb. He knew this last one as Shuhei Tani but was shocked to learn that his real name was Shuhei Kondo.

 

“Yeah! Most people don't know that the Commander of the Shinsengumi had a son!” Tani explained non-chalantly at Aoshi's surprise. Harada invited everyone back to their seats and poured out sake for the newcomers and refilled the others present; except Tani who passed on the sake and took tea instead. He sat directly across from Aoshi with his best friend Kuwajiro on his right. Nagakura sat between Harada and Ogata across from Ozeki. Shuhei was the one he'd seen talking to Misao often. He wondered what sort of man the son of Kondo was.

 

Again the food was passed around and again Harada updated the newcomers on the conversation topics covered so far beginning with the game of haiku tag Okita had instigated. Again there was much laughter as the newcomers shared their own memories of the incident. When the subject inevitably returned to Misao and the incident at the base Aoshi was surprised to find out that they already knew the story.

 

“Ms Misao gave us a brief account of the events during lunch!” Tani explained shyly. Aoshi frowned, he didn't understand why it bothered him that she had shared this information with them `after all it's not like it's a secret Aoshi!' he scolded himself

 

“Wow, there's a surprise! The little weasel-girl was so worried yesterday about what Shinomori would say I'm surprised she would tell anyone else!” Saito observed sarcastically. Aoshi frowned, Saito's comment made him realize why it was that it had bothered him that Shuhei already knew. He had to practically order her to tell him about it while Shuhei made it sound as though she'd just gone up and told him without any coaxing required.

 

“Capt Saito! Please do not refer to Ms Misao in that manner,” Shuhei replied his voice calm and polite but a dangerous undertone lay behind every word. Saito smirked in amusement and surprise. Aoshi did a double take `Is this the same shy man from just a minute ago!' he mused surprised to find Shuhei and Kuwajiro glaring dangerously at Saito. The transformation made him think of Himura.

 

“Great! First Shigure and now you! What is it about the little weasel-girl that's got every single guy in this town jumping to her defense lately!” Saito asked, a mischievous look in his eyes. Aoshi frowned `why is he getting so worked up! It's not like Misao has anything to do with him!' he thought sipping his tea and watching Shuhei carefully. Harada spoke up

 

“Well she's cute! Why else!!” he responded a slight note of mischief in his voice that went unnoticed by both Shuhei and Aoshi. Shuhei turned a serious expression on him

 

“That's a terribly simplistic explanation,” Shuhei replied sounding offended, Kuwajiro nodded in agreement and encouragement of his friend “there is so much more to her then just mere physical beauty! She's strong, intelligent, clever as well as generous and kind. To merely say she's cute would be cheating her of her true worth!” Shuhei explained seriously to the men in the room who had been stunned silent by Shuhei's eloquent defense.

 

Aoshi's eyes narrowed as he listened. In his mind he quickly reviewed what he knew about Shuhei, where he lived, what his sword style was, what sort of business he had, etc; all the while making a list of his weaknesses and strengths. He stopped when he realized that his mind was classifying Shuhei as a potential threat and possible target. `What's the matter with you Aoshi! He didn't say a single negative thing about her!' he scolded himself, `in fact he's doing a much better job of defending her than you!' he admitted reluctantly to himself. But as his brain continued to process the information a small fact floated up to the top of the stack: though Shuhei had been coming to the Aoiya for over two years, the number of his visits had increased after Misao's eighteenth birthday.

 

“Ok as I told the Ice Block before,” Saito began and gestured towards Aoshi, “when I referred to Makimachi by her proper name yesterday she told me not to because it sounded weird coming from me!” Saito explained “Is that satisfactory?” he added sarcastically. Shuhei thought about it for a moment then nodded reluctantly

 

“I suppose now that she's ok with your nick name for her, you'll be alright with her colorful nick names for you?” Aoshi asked remembering how good Misao was at creative insulting. He had almost laughed when Himura gave him a partial list of all the “interesting” names she had come up with for him when he wouldn't tell her where the Oniwaban group was.

 

“What nick names?” Shuhei asked intrigued. Aoshi suddenly felt a small satisfaction at knowing something he didn't

 

“Well, “Old Wolf” I can live with but “Willow-head” I have a bit of a problem with,” Saito replied thoughtfully. All the men laughed. Aoshi smirked amused and every man there completely missed the conspiratorial glance that Harada and Saito exchanged.

 

“So Shinomori! Is it true about the little Okashira planning to never marry?” Harada asked a little more seriously as the sake continued to pass hands. Aoshi raised an eyebrow surprised by this line of question and wondered if the drink was starting to get to Mr. Harada.

 

“I'm sorry but why are you asking me this?” he countered not liking the private note of the question, he was surprised to hear Ogata answer

 

“I'm sorry it's just that our friend Mr. Yagi recently asked me to be a go-between for his son Tamesaburo and setup a miai with Ms. Misao. Mr. Okina flat-out refused us saying Ms. Misao had chosen never to marry!” he explained looking rather perturbed, “I apologize but that was rather a shocking thing to hear so I might have mentioned it to Sano. However, I'm afraid he doesn't seem to believe it!” Ogata finished apologetically

 

“Yes, that was her choice and I'm sorry if I seem rude but I don't see how it is anyone's concern but her own,” he replied icily

 

“No offense Ogata but who can blame the little wea…Okashira!” Saito corrected himself; his tone between amused and annoyed, “the list of brainless, useless idiots that threw themselves at her was way too long!” Saito pointed out. Aoshi stared at him in astonishment, `how in the world did he know that!' he thought

 

“Well, that's a shame! She's so cute! I bet she would have made a great wife!” Harada pointed out as he continued to flit back and forth refilling people's cups and passing the food around. Shuhei shook his head

 

“Again you're clumping her in with the common women,” he began patiently

 

“What do you mean?” Aoshi asked coolly, not liking the fact that again Shuhei was invading his territory. Conversation slowed as the other men tuned in.

 

“I mean, that what would make her a wonderful companion isn't what would make ordinary women great companions,” Shuhei answered calmly ignoring the cold, hard glare that was coming from Aoshi.

 

“Oh? Is that so?” Aoshi replied, trying to control the anger suddenly flaring inside of him.

 

“Yes, her strength and intelligence along with her quick wits and sense of humor make her ideal, especially in this Meiji Era,” he responded amicably seemingly oblivious to the icy glares Aoshi was directing towards him “It's just a shame that the men of her same age don't have the maturity level necessary to understand the rare treasure that is Ms Misao!” he added solemnly

 

“Perhaps someone older then, like you Shuhei?” Kuwajiro suggested. Aoshi's eyes went wide with shock, his entire being suddenly rebelled against the idea `He's getting too close! Eliminate him now!!!' said a voice in his head that sounded a lot like Hannya.

 

“I don't think so!” Aoshi snapped, “in any event this is not a subject that should be discussed here or by you!” he growled. `And anyway she's not yours to protect! She's mine!!' he thought indignant. Shuhei did a double take surprised by Aoshi's heated response. An eerie quiet settled over the room as all the others stopped to see how the exchange between Aoshi and Shuhei would end. Shuhei smiled and replied diplomatically

 

“I'm sorry Mr. Aoshi but Kuwajiro was merely suggesting…”

 

“Don't!” Aoshi cut him off forcefully glaring dangerously at Shuhei from across the room. The tension in the room mounted exponentially as both men stared each other down. Shuhei smiled agreeably but his eyes were full of challenge, it didn't look like he was going to back down. The glaring match ended as Harada suddenly appeared in front of Aoshi refilling his teacup and grinning innocently

 

“So Shinomori! I heard you fought the Battousai a couple of times not that long ago! Tell us is he still as girly-looking as he was back in the days of the revolution?” he asked innocently. Aoshi frowned and shot the man a calculating glance `Figures you would come to the rescue of one from your wolf pack!' he thought coldly. He took a sip of his refreshed tea and schooled his features back into their usual stoic façade before answering.

 

“Yes he is,” he answered calmly and took another sip of his tea as the noise in the room resumed with the men exchanging opinions and experiences about their encounters with Himura. Saito constantly growled at them not to call him Battousai because according to him the pathetic excuse for a swordsman that now lived in the Kamiya Dojo was not fit to be called Battousai.

 

Tokio and Omasa returned with more food and drink. This time they remained, saying that Shigure and Aiji had closed the shop early and gone over to the Kujacu's next door to visit with Hana and her cousin Anzu. Osono and the twins were caring for Soji. Saito wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and pulled her close. Omasa joined her husband in flitting about the room distributing food and drink, joining in their reminiscence and planning ways to tease Shigure and Aiji when they returned.

 

Aoshi sipped his tea listening to Shimada relate a near deadly encounter he'd once had with the Battousai and how Okita and Saito's great timing had saved him. Occasionally, he would glance in Shuhei's direction and the man would just smile cheerfully back at him if he happened to be looking his way. It only made Aoshi angrier!

 

Little Osono walked in some time later bringing an unhappy Soji with her. Aoshi used the sudden distraction of the child running to claim his father's and everybody else's attention to quickly take a look at his watch. It said 4pm. There was still plenty of time before dark but he knew he'd better leave now if he wanted to talk to Misao before dinner. He rose and began to excuse himself from the party

 

“No don't go yet!!” Harada exclaimed disappointed that Aoshi would leave when the party was getting good.

 

“I usually try to get home before dark so I can help with the evening duties at the Aoiya. I'm sorry but I must go now,” he explained stoically and most of the time it was true. Except today…

 

“All right! I'll walk you out then!” Harada agreed, cheerfully jumping up and joining Aoshi. He bowed respectfully to the group and they all cheerfully waved inviting him to join them the next day at Ogata's place for an even bigger celebration.

 

“Remember to bring Misao with you tomorrow!” Tokio called out as he walked to the door. He turned back and nodded

 

“I will,” he agreed calmly. Normally he would've given a more non-committal response to such invitations but the sudden thought of Misao attending this gathering with someone other than himself was something that he just could not accept! Harada chattered excitedly about how big Ogata's house was and how great a party they would have tomorrow afternoon. To Aoshi's relief they reached the door quickly and Harada gave him directions. He assured him it wouldn't be too hard and in fact judging by the directions he didn't think he would have any problems finding it.

 

He was glad he didn't have to go to work tomorrow the confrontation with Shuhei had left him flustered and confused. He bowed and said his farewells once more to his host. One thing he was sure of as he walked away, he would keep a closer eye on Shuhei during his visits to the Aoiya and as for the trip to Tokyo the ministry was sending him on next week…well, he was sure he could find a way to bring her with him, `Misao won't mind…I'm sure she'll enjoy visiting with Himura and his family,' he reasoned trying to avoid explaining to himself why Shuhei had rattled his usually unflappable composure…