Hakuouki: The Masked Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 2

I came back with my things in time for lunch. They insisted I eat with them so we could be "more acquainted" which was their polite way of saying that they were trying to see if they could trust me. I wouldn't, but who said they were smart?

"So your name is Sakura? Isn't that considered a bad thing? Cherry blossoms die fast and all..." Toudou starts off and is immediately elbowed by his two friends, Nagakura and Harada Sanosuke, the tenth division captain. I laugh at his bluntness and inability to think before he speaks but I didn't mind.

"Normally but it's the name I chose for myself. Instead of associating it with rushing to ones death I think of it more like leaving but always returning. No matter how many times cherry blossoms leave, they always come back again, right? It all depends on how you see it." I point out and the commander smiles at me.

"That's a beautiful way to put it. Did you think of that all by yourself?" He asks and I nod.

"After a while I thought a new name would be good way to start fresh incidentally like cherry blossoms. So that's what I chose." I shrug, not really wanting to get into it.

"Then what's your real name?" Okita inquires, digging for his own information making me grin.

"Nice try but I prefer to keep it a secret. It's more mysterious." I say, playfully wiggling my eyebrows.

"Can you fight? If you say you will protect us I hope you can back it up." Okita asks, questioning my capability and slightly ticking me off. The others look between the both of us noticing the tense change in atmosphere but everyone was also curious as well.

"Of course." I keep it short and simple. "You can't do what I do if you're not willing to fight for it. Things happen and sometimes you can't avoid it." That seems enough to satisfy them but now it's my turn.

"So, what's your thing with furies? What goal do you have with them?" I ask even though I already knew since I just wanted to know their response and if they'd lie. Everyone turns serious and I raise an eyebrow.

"We were ordered to research them and find an improved version of the Water of Life." Sannan informs honestly in his soft voice. He was the main one researching, the brains of it.

"May I offer some words of advice?" I offer, putting my chopsticks down.

"It would be greatly appreciated." He smiles, thinking I'd actually try helping with something like that.

"By the looks of it you're no where near any improvement. Your furies will most likely die of starvation. And this is just wasting your time." I inform bluntly, my gaze unwavering. They're eyes widen and they immediately try to defend themselves.

"We keep them fed-" Sannan begins to argue.

"That's another reason your furies fail. Furies do need blood. If not human at least animal. It's a common mistake but they're not human anymore, it's the truth. Blood is just what they need. I'm only telling you this because of how miserable your furies are suffering. Slowly they keep slipping away but hide it from you since the only thing that can be done is mercy, which is really just death. But that's only based off my observations." I add, purposely striking up more questions.

"You've seen them already? When? How?" They ask and I chuckle at their surprise. I was an informant, what did they think that means? It was honestly amusing.

"You seem to forget my purpose here. But my job started as soon as I got to Kyoto. Which was a while ago." I inform as I stand up stretching. "I hate to put you on bad terms with me but I've already investigated you and already infiltrated your base. Not because I wanted to but because that is my job. Without me your furies would've already... There I go. It's been so long since I've been able to talk like this that I rambled." I chuckle, not wanting to give them too much insight in what I do, even without their consent. When I open the door I look back at them.

"Try to at least make an effort to trust me. It'll make things easier for the both of us in the long run." I advise before closing the door and leaving.

Prideful men and a women with no pride... This would be interesting.