Something To Protect (A Hakuouki Story)

Straightening Things Out

(Mitsuru's POV)

I'd never expected to wake up after that first encounter with him; I certainly didn't expect to wake up after the second time. Although, this time was noticeably different than the last.

As I opened my eyes, a familiar face greeted me. "Big Sis!" Kazuto was sitting there, waiting for me to wake up.

"Kazuto?" For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. But the second he hugged me, I knew that this was real. "You're alright!" Seeing that he was safe made me want to cry tears of joy. Suddenly remembering everything else that happened, I got myself under control and looked about the room. Exactly the same room I'd been in before...

"You're awake." The voice that spoke was unfamiliar to me. On instinct, I spun around and reached for my sword at my waist. Only there was no sword there. Glaring up at the stranger, I realized who it was: the man who I'd fought with twice and lost. Seeing the look on my face, he held up his hands defensively. So now he doesn't want to fight? A bit late to be deciding that, don't you think? "Relax, I have no reason to be fighting with you."

I didn't believe that, not even for a second. Just what did he want from me? "Then why have you been keeping me alive? Any idiot could tell you that I know nothing that would be of any value to you." As I spoke, I didn't take my eyes off the red-haired man for even half a second. I didn't even blink. "Just what the hell do you want? I've already lost my home because of people like you once before. Probably twice now, right? After all, you're the one who attacked the town."

He was stunned. "The Shinsengumi were the ones protecting the town. Weren't you working with the rogue samurai that were attacking the place?"

Now it was my turn to be shocked. If he wasn't... "Wait... you mean I almost died because of some stupid mistake you made?" I didn't know whether to be angry or confused.

"Big Sis has only ever been protecting us," Kazuto said, trying to help explain things. "She doesn't even bother to remember your face or your name unless she thinks you're a threat to us."

The red-haired man thought a moment. "So tell me, why is it that a young woman like yourself is disguised as a man?"

I froze. He'd figured it out. When did he find out? Right now I was certain there was a look of pure terror on my face. If he'd noticed it while I was out... Just that thought alone was terrifying. "Don't worry, no one did anything," he said with a gentle smile. "What is your name, little one?"

"Mitsuru Kizukata."

"I'm Kazuto Sata," the little boy next to me said, jumping into the conversation. "Don't you be making a move on Big Sis here, because she's promised to my big brother Takeshi." It was sweet of him to be concerned for me, but what he said wasn't actually true.

"Kazuto..." I sighed. "We don't even know if he's even alive. And I don't recall ever telling him that I would marry him."

"Well me and Yukina want you to marry Takeshi and really be our big sister!"

"Persistent little one, isn't he?" the red-haired man laughed. "I am Sanosuke Harada."

"Well, Harada, I think it's your turn to explain things." I hadn't actually answered his question, though I wasn't about to point that out. The less this man knew, the better. He nodded and I asked my questions. "Just who are you and why did you bring me back here when you could have just left me to die?"

Harada thought a moment before speaking. "We fought because of a misunderstanding on my part, so I felt like it was my responsibility to make things right. As a captain of the Shinsengumi, an error like that is simply unforgivable."

"Shinsengumi?" I heard Kazuto shout out beside me. Didn't he know that before he came here? Even better question, just what was this Shinsengumi?

Harada only laughed. "You mean you didn't know that already?"

Before anyone had a chance to speak, two others stepped into the room. "You're telling me the kid came busting in here acting like he would take on every single one of us, without having a single clue as to who we were?"