Disclaimer: Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan anime or game does not belong to me.

"Fukuchou" = Vice-Captain

The Accidental Meeting

It was quiet, silent as a cat's purr. That was the kind of sound Hijikata Toshizo's feet made as he landed on one of the rooftops of a building. He exhaled a slow breath, making a puff of air visible in the dark night. Hijikata watched as the white cloud that he made slowly dissipate into moisture and fade into the chilled air. Turning away from his slow moment of interest, he inspected the area.

It was a calm night, and nothing seemed wrong, but Hijikata remained in his crouch stance. His left hand lightly rested on his hilt as he took in the winter iceland that surrounded him. Fresh snow was falling upon the Capital, making the grand city covered in a thick white sheet. The towers that usually loomed dangerously over the city degraded into nothing but a single pillarof snow. As Hijikata stared at the picture presented to him, he knew that beneath all this wintry beauty, there was something menacing lurking within the shadows. And it was he, the Vice-Captain, who discovered the danger first.

It happened within the Shinsengumi Headquarters, just before Hijikata was going to turn in for the night. He was making one last round around the vicinity, inspecting any sign of rogue samurai's attempting to infiltrate the grounds. He made a turn towards the courtyard and was then brought to a halt. There, on the stone pathway were two vials shattered on the ground. A red residue was turning the pure white snow into a sickening blood red color. Hijikata's face furrowed with irritation as he made a "Tch" sound. He looked at the erratic footprints that was imprinted on the snow and saw that it led outside the gate-- towards the heart of the city.

Hijikata was thinking to investigate this on his own, but as he was readying himself in his room, Saitou Hajime and Okita Soji inquired about the opened gate.

"Failed soldiers," he murmured, as he strapped his sword onto his side.

"Do you need back-up, Fukuchou?" asked Saitou.

"No need," said Hijikata with a sigh, as he passed by him while straightening out his coat.

"Hijikata-sa~n?" droned Okita with that excruciatingly smart tone of his, "Even three people can cover more ground than just one," He ended the statement with a smirk as he watched the Vice-Captain walk down the hallway.

Hijikata exhaled, "Do what you like."

After the two got ready, he then sent Okita and Saitou on ground level while he took a higher route. An aerial point of the city could give him a better picture of the circumstances as a whole.

As Hijikata continued to scan the area for any sign of a drifting light blue coat, he heard a distant shout coming from his left. He turned his head towards the main road and saw three shadows running along it. There were two men, each with two swords slung on their hips grinning with a wild intent as they chased down their prey. Hijikata looked at who they were chasing.

...A boy?

He certainly seemed like one. The long chestnut hair was tied back high on his head, his clothing was the right fashion for a man, and he had a sword strung on his left hip. The kid could possibly be a student in one of the dojo's held in the Capital, but somehow got entangled with these men.

But as Hijikata continued to stare at the escapee, who took a turn down an alleyway, he looked much too petite than the average boy. The young samurai then confined himself behind a well, shaking with fear as he watched the two men draw out their swords. Hijikata quirked an eyebrow in puzzlement. He looked no more than seventeen years old, and for a boy his age, his shoulders and limbs looked much too thin. This kid was terribly smaller in size compared to Heisuke Todo, the Shinsengumi's youngest samurai Commander.

Then Hijikata's forehead creased as he saw an approaching man nearing the boy. Why isn't he drawing his blade? He thought, as he stared at the crouched body. But as the man was about to close in on the boy, Hijikata heard a sickening sound of flesh. His eyes flashed with alarmed, and he quickly shifted his gaze towards the entrance of the alleyway. A man wearing a light blue coat and silver hair that shone like star light screeched with laughter as he slashed across one of the rogue samurai—splitting the bandit into two halves. Another one just like him was sparring with the other. Even as he was sliced along his body, the blue crazed swordsman only screamed in delight.

"Shit," Hijikata said, as he took off from his spot. From where he was standing, he was quite a ways from the battlefield. He jumped from roof to roof, not letting his eyes off from the scene. Just as he was nearing them, both outlaws were viciously slain, their blood painting the walls and ground. One of the samurai then spotted the boy with his blood-red eyes and gave him a sickly grin. At that moment, Hijikata saw the boy try to back away, which he in turn increased his speed. As the man raised his sword above his head, Hijikata heard the young teen scream and he immediately placed his hand on his sword and started to draw it—

But stopped short as Saitou's sword impaled the deranged man. The fallen soldier crumpled to the ground and Saitou whipped his sword, cleaning off the blood. Hijikata sighed and relaxed his shoulders; they somehow made it on time. He then saw Okita arriving shortly after, who started conversing with Saitou.

As Hijikata looked at the frozen boy, his mind started to turn. Judging from the scream that the boy made, Hijikata thought as he landed lightly on level-ground, the boy was not a boy but a…

Hijikata then caught Okita's light playful eye and smirk directed at him, but he quietly ignored it. So I am right…, he mused.

He closed in on the teen and drew his sword, pointing the tip towards the throat, "Listen, don't you dare run away." The runaway, with fear embedded in the eyes, stared at Hijikata with horror. Hijikata's eyes widened, but only slightly. "Turn around, and you'll be slain."

…You are a girl.