Hakuouki: The Masked Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 20

~~Sakura POV~~

I woke up still groggy. It looked like a gray early morning. I could tell it had snowed or at least was going to by how cold it was. But luckily I was really warm thanks to... Souji!?

My eyes trailed up his arm and neck to his sleeping face. He had his arms around me with my back against his chest. "Souji?" I asked giving him a small shake. He mumbled for a second before blinking his eyes opened.

His eyes lit up when he saw me and grinned. "Why are you in my blankets and in my room? This is actually what a pervert would do." He chuckled.

"I decided to keep you company last night." I though for a second and my face darkens when I realize what had happened last night. His does too when he sees my face.

I pull the blankets over my head and he says nothing.

~~~

He had fallen asleep as planned. I slipped away and went for payback.

~~~

"Who's doing this!?" Yamazaki yells, stilled tied up against the tree and blind folded. I sip my tea calmly and throw another snowball at him that hits his shoulder.

"It is vary early. What's going on out here?" Hijikata asks angrily but is surprised to see me. He watches as I throw the next snowball at his face. His eyes turn to me to shock. He gives me a stern look and I sigh getting up.

I go up to Yamazaki who struggles when he senses me. I pull off the blindfold and he looks at me angrily. His expression turns frozen. I untie the rope.

"I gave you that for emergencies. I told you to kill me if you ever used it on me. And right now, I would be happy if you did. It would let me know you actually had any shred of resolve in doing what I trusted you with." I growl at him.

"Sakura-" I punch him straight in the face knocking him down.

"I trusted you and you threw it back in my face. Twice. Your lucky all you get is cold feet and a bruised cheek." I say as he holds his cheek. Hijikata seeing as I could control myself, allowed me to walk away calmly.

He put a hand on my shoulder and I leaned my head against his chest. "I talked in my sleep didn't I?"

"Sadly." He says making me wrap my arms around him as I feel my eyes water. He's surprised at first but eventually hugs me back.

"This is embarrassing." I whisper. "What did I say?" He tenses uncomfortably making me pull back.

"Many things, but I believe we accidentally heard a conversation between you on Matsumoto over wanting to protect us." I think and I finally remember what I remembered.

"Oh..." The cherry blossoms always took me to the same memory and then another random one. He sees that I remember and sighs.

"I'm-"

"Don't say anything Hijikata-San. It was a long time ago." I say leaning back on the pillar. "I forgot how beautiful snow could be." I breath surprising him. "I would always be to busy working to notice it." I explain.

"What work did you use to do?" I have to chuckle at his curiosity.

"I was a shadow worker determined to make a name for myself, which I did. People with valuable information hired me for protection and people who wanted it would hire me to get it. I've learned how to gamble and trade well from this. Negotiations is what I'm about." I wink.

"What name? I've never heard your name before we met." I laugh.

"You think a person who works in the shadows gives out their name? No I got a nickname that I won't tell you because you'll probably arrest me." His eyes widen. I nod. "I didn't have good or bad sides. Only the value of information mattered at the time. So in end I got business from both sides. He lets out a breath.

"I apologize for not being able to stop-"

"It's fine. Yamazaki overreacted because whenever I got stressed with him when I was gone it would lead to flashes. I just hate how he did it. I'll get some payback later."

"This wasn't it?" He asks worriedly.

"No, there are many more pranks to come." I smile.

~~~

I go back to my room where Souji is still sleeping. I sit next to him watching his sleeping figure... What was I doing?

"Souji, usually guys confess their feelings before spending the night in my bed. Are you trying to do that?" I ask grinning at him. His eyes slowly blink open. He grins. "So what is it Souji, you confessing or are you a pervert? Because..." I grabbed his wrist tightly. "Either way I'm throwing you out." I drag him up and kick him out of the room as he laughs.

We walk to breakfast together and everyone is happy to see me and gives me hugs. "So, Sakura, Toshi told me about how you didn't want to tell us about your life because your afraid we'll have to arrest you but considering everything you've done for us we'll pardon it." I sigh.

"Do you really wanna know?" I ask.

"Yeah!" They all yell. I chuckle.

"Have you heard of the Masked gang in Edo?" I grin.

"No way, you were in there?" Heisuke asks excitedly.

"Guess which one." I smirk.

"The Masked Champion!" Heisuke guesses loudly.

"The Masked Informant?" Saitou guesses.

"Masked Bounty Hunter?" Souji grins.

"The Masked Aid?" Kondou asks.

"The Masked Geisha?" Shinpachi and Sano grins.

"The Masked Researcher?" Sannan guesses.

"Masked Protector?" Hijikata asks. I grin laughing.

"There's really that many? How about I show you the mask?" I ask and they all want to see it.

I walk back in with the masks wrapped in a black scarf. "The truth is," I say pulling back one side of the scarf leaving the other scarf still covering the masks. "I was all of them." I pull back the scarfs to show the stacked masks.

I lay each one out along the scarf. "What!? How!?" They ask.

"I wore different masks for different jobs to keep my identity a secret. And because of the different masks people thought there was more than one person. They made up the gang name and I was harder to track down. The only time I was really exposed was when I had fun being the Masked Champion at tournaments." I say picking up the Blue Devil mask and holding it to my face. I put it down.

"So you were also the Masked Assassin?" Hijikata asks.

"That was different! I didn't kill people that people told me to. I killed those who needed to be stopped. Like a few doctors who somehow heard of the Water of Life. When I met them I killed them. Nothing personal."

"It's surprising that this was your life." Kondou says. I shrug.

"I actually had a lot of free time since I only worked at night, at first until I was forced into an arranged marriage."

"What!?" They yell.

"Yeah, but it didn't work out. We both were young so we agreed we would just act for our families and fooled around with other people whenever they weren't watching."

"So do you have a boyfriend?" Souji grins.

"Use to but I broke it off so I could work over here. It wasn't too serious though."

"You broke off your relationship to work with us?" Kondou asks sadly.

"Yeah, but don't feel bad, I wanted to. Anyway he probably got over me pretty quick." I shrug.

"If he can get over you that quick than maybe it's good that you left him." Sano says making me smile.

"Sakura..." Kondou says worriedly. "We're getting a new member."