What makes history (Hijikata x OC)

Assassins

Days passed in the light of my new discovery. I said nothing – another secret – while I worked on strengthening that soul binding with the blade. Strangely, my condition drastically improved every time I managed to make the blade burst into light. Which, in retrospect, only happened thrice over a dozen tries. Yet, I still limped from the weakness of my muscles, and wasn't rid of the pressure tightening my chest. Its ache was becoming familiar; its limitation, still unacceptable.

The sword helped, but it wasn't miraculous. It was a strange sight, though, to see the steel diffuse such intensity rather than catch sunrays. I never managed to keep it flaming for long, but its hum always diffused in my whole body. Soon, I would have to find different items to test it. For the moment, tiles and wood had been cloven in two at the slightest touch. Somehow, the magical blade had cut through different material like butter.

The physics of it baffled me; had it transformed into a light saber altogether? Unfortunately, the blade returned to normal as soon as I lost my concentration. Which usually occurred after a few seconds.

Today, I cinched the sword, and joined the common room as a meeting had been called. This was the first time, since the poisoning, that I set foot in this place again. Sanan and I were still not on speaking terms, but Harada, Okita and Chizuru had visited often, pleased with my recovery. Hijikata had requested my presence; it could only be important.

The room was bathed in dim light, but I couldn't mistake the captain that sat beside Fukuchō. Saitō, hair set aside, and features as placid as ever, crossed his arms in a gesture that betrayed nervousness. I was so happy to see him after so many months of absence that I nearly tripped on the threshold. And when he bowed to me, I just froze.

"My apologies, Kistu-san", he said, both hands braced on the tatami mat. "My warning came too late. Forgive me for failing you."

Uh ? Forgive him ? Failing ?

It took a moment for my brain to register his words. Then it clicked. The poison ! So this was where the information came from in the first place; a reliable source indeed. What could I say, expect that he had probably done his best.

"No apologies are necessary, Saitō-san. No one can be asked to perform the impossible, after all. I am glad to see you."

The third division captain simply nodded, and the affair was over before it could be debated. I took my seat with barely a wince, and didn't dare catching Sanan's gaze.

Coward.

Yes, I was a coward, for now. Hijikata's demeanour was stern, but he granted me an assessing glance, and nodded to me. I could nearly feel the relief, drowned in the midst of his worries, as he watched me at the corner of his eye. Yamazaki closed the door behind us and the meeting started without preamble.

"As from today, Saitō-san will resume his duties with the Shinsengumi."

Shinpachi ruffled his own hair in confusion, and Kondō-san explained how they had sent Saitō with Itō's faction to spy upon them. Given the stoic nature of the man, no one could have remarked that his loyalty still laid with the Shinsengumi.

Clever. Very clever. Poor Saitō, six months away from friends and support, hearing about killing foreigners every single day. Damn, I hoped Heisuke, at least, was good company to the ever-silent captain.

"Come on, Hajime-kun, I can't believe you had fun for six months and kept us out of it!", Okita quipped.

Saitō remained cold like marble in front of the first captain's teasing. Whether he was plainly ignoring his friend's mood, or reflecting upon the grave news that had caused him to break his cover was yet to be seen. Shinpachi, though, didn't catch the mood and turned to his Captain with a reproacheful look.

"Not good, Kondō-san", he accused, annoyed.

To my amusement, the Captain scratched his head with a sheepish look, telling us how 'secret mission' meant he couldn't really tell anyone. I found him utterly adorable as he closed his eyes; sometimes, the captains acted like a bunch of naïve children. All was fair in war, and sending a mole showed excellent strategy skills.

Did Hijikata suggest it ? Sanan ? If Saitō's warning had not saved me from poisoning, I had no doubt his presence here meant a drastic measure.

Or he'd been discovered, and forced to flee. His loyalty floored me, and I found new respect for the man who stood stoically in front of Okita's teasing. If Saitō was surprised by the first captain's lack of cough and apparent health, he didn't show it. The news he brought were dire enough to overlook his miraculous recovery.

Baffled, Chizuru decided to leave to make more tea; was she expecting a family reuion with this grim mood? Kondō encouraged her, and I wondered if they were not trying to shield her from whatever reality was about to come down upon us. Silence settled as Chizuru knelt to quit the room, slutting the shōji behind her.

My thoughts wandered, for a moment, to the protocol of door opening; there was a full art of balancing oneself to slide the partition open. Etiquette created harmony, and people strived to use the right gestures for every single action of the day. It disciplined the mind and the body alike, and I found myself, too often, breaking those rules. Yet, I marvelled at the way people moved and lived around me; it felt like a ballet.

Eventually, Saitō started speaking of Itō's positioning against the Shinsengumi, and his new alliances with the Satsuma clan. Where the former spy's words were circumvoluted, Hijikata's conclusion didn't give any room for interpretation.

"Itō-san's new faction plans on leaking out the information about our rasetsu unit to break the Bakufu. They also are responsible for the accusation on Harada regaring Sakumoto's murder, they aim at weakening us."

"Son of a bitch", I swore under my breath.

My words carried more than I had hoped, but not a disapproving look was sent my way.

"Another offense from that enfoiré", Harada added, the French word emphasising his anger. His features were grim, and Saitō's countenance stiffer than usual.

"Itō's faction are devising a plan to assassinate our Captain", Saitō revealed.

I gasped, shocked to the core. I prayed I had heard this wrong, but Okita's strained voice confirmed my fears.

"You mean Kondō-san".

I stiffened immediately, shocked. Kondō-san didn't move, regal upon his own cushion, as if he wasn't a target. Saitō explained, in details, how they planned to do the deed; I found their methods absolutely despisable. A dagger to the back, on my tender hearted Captain! I shivered violently, my chest tightening in anger.

"There are definitely no feelings in politics", I spat, revulsed by Itō-sod's methods.