I didn’t see that attack coming... why did I expect better from a supposed honorable man?

Awesome idea. So original and perfect.
I have always wanted to read a story exactly like yours, not only regarding this fandom, but others as well.
Lovely writing.

You know, I wish an awesome writer like you made a dream of mine come true:
A self-insert/OC/reincarnated girl in Kamiya Kaoru’s body. How a woman of the twenty first century would navigate Japan and deal with Kenshin and the others? She would not need to have meticulous knowledge of Rurouni’s adventures, but she’d change the plot for the better, probably converting people and making friends.

I am a fan of Kaoru/Aoshi couple, as rare as it is. So, I would love for Kaoru to positively impact his life and avoid his spiraling into madness and hatred... I think they could be great friends, and in the end, get married. I believe Aoshi would be one of the few people to actually get Kaoru and accept her oddness... besides her late father who knew of her being from a future.

Kaoru would be a bit ostracized because she was so different and had so many revolutionary ideas that many were not ready to accept, like feminism, equality, justice, and other human rights topics. She’d debate things, she’d criticize a lot how the government dealt with Shishio and created their own monster... she’d have an opinion on everything, especially public health care, hygiene, and she’d love languages and writing... poetry, fiction, tales she read in her past life in a possible future... maybe she’d make extra money by writing.

She’d make her father proud. She’d be great at the Kamiya Style, but she’d also incorporate some hand to hand learned from her previous life and some inspiration from MCU’s Black Widow. This Kaoru was very intelligent and good at deduction, but she was oblivious to many societal rules, she didn’t care for hierarchy, respect of superiors and her mouth usually got her in trouble.

She’d be horribly stubborn and difficult to have her mind changed; she could not ever accept injustice. Ever. She saw something wrong, she’d fight to make it right, she’d put her foot down and get into people’s business in order to do the right thing, even if society said otherwise or turned the other way around.

She loved kids, sometimes she babied Yahiko, and said boy secretly adored the hugs, and cuddles. She completely tried to adopt Seta Soujiro, the poor baby... she’d huff and puff and debate and demand he is put into her care, because “he was a victim of human cruelty and this failure of a system that allowed a family to abuse a child”.

Kaoru needed some help learning more about strategy, which would make her get along well with Aoshi and sometimes Saito. She adored Megumi... and helped the medic with her knowledge of the future regarding treatment and such.

Megumi adored Kaoru, and usually suffered a lot in order to help said young woman to behave with the minimum decorum asked of a Japanese female of marriageable age. They had lots of fun together... Kaoru was brutally honest and blunt, to the point of seeming rude and inconsiderate. Her friends helped her work in that, lest she offend another higher up and Aoshi so won’t bail her out. Lie, he totally would.

Saito likes the woman child, she was smart, quick witted, stupidly kind and caring, but her ideas were dangerous and her mouth would get her killed. Damn it. What a nightmare.

Kenshin adored Kaoru’s passion for debate and languages. He loved her passion for life, and battousai felt a possessive feeling towards her, who was so darn bright and full of life and love. They were great friends, but she had trouble dealing with his inability to accept his past and let it go, so he’d have a brighter future. They fought a lot because of that... she usually got ridiculously worked up and went to rant to Aoshi, because he understood her point.

The thing is, due to her maybe distorted idea of the plot, the mere thought of her ending up with Kenshin made her feel ill, because she didn’t find theirs a happy ending. Kenshin was never able to forgive himself and live with his family happily ever after, he felt like he needed to atone for basically killing in a war, doing his duty, and he left his wife and kid behind and that sucked.

Lucki, this Kaoru felt nothin but sisterly love for Kenshin, but unbeknownst to her, everyone but Aoshi would think she was madly in love with Himura, even said Rurouni would wrongly assume so. She loved him... like the brother she always wanted *ouch*.

She may have had a tiny crush on handsome Aoshi, but she valued their friendship way too much to say anything. After her father, she felt like he was the only person she could open up about everything and he wouldn’t judge. He’d actually enjoy their conversations and he’d have so many questions about the future and science. They’d be best friends... and end up husband and wife.

She was extremely intense and Aoshi was so calm. He usually helped Kaoru when she felt worked up by certain people who got on her nerves.

Anyways... that’s the idea. Sadly, I can’t write it because I have no knowledge of the Rurouni universe to actually make something decent, so I leave it to the Pros. Please think about this.

Absolutely amazing story! I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon it. Once I started I couldn’t put it down!

I would love, love, love it if you made extended versions of "A Year of Silence" and "Sweet Silver Lining." Those stories are some of my favorite in this fandom, including this one! You write Souji (and everyone else) amazingly. I also really like your take on Chizuru in all three of these, all very different, though I'll admit I really enjoyed "Year of Silence" for her character being close to the original story, while also making her more three-dimensional. Of course, I'd also love it if you wrote a new Chizuru/Okita story. You're a fantastic writer and I hope you continue soon!

No clue what possessed me to check ff or your profile again but I am so glad I did? I don’t know how much of your original plot I can remember but I’m looking forward to reading up on your finished work when I have time (probably tonight because who needs sleep haha). I already know my dirty okichizu heart is gonna love it so thank you for delivering such awesome content after all this time! I think I first read your stories back in like, senior year of high school and now I’m a college grad. I wish I could remember my ff info LOL but boy oh boy does time fly. Hopefully I’ll be coherent enough to check back in when I’m done!

wahhh sorry for jusr reviewing _ I just finished reading this and it's a beautiful ending. Thank you very much for your hardwork and I hope I can read more of your works in the future.

What a wonderful way to end! I'm a sucker for happy endings :) You really wrapped up all the ends... except Hachiro's arm. Now I'm sooo curious what Sen did to it!

The scenes between Souji and Chizuru's family were very well done. I loved how you kept Souji in character throughout the exchanges. He can certainly behave when he wants to but it can still be jarring XD

Now that I've finally gotten my life back into some semblance of order I'm looking forward to anything you write in the future, no matter if its updates or something new. You are one of the best writers in this fandom and I sincerely thank you for all of your hard work and for sharing these amazing stories!

My heart was in my throat the entire time when Chizuru's identity was revealed! What a rollercoaster of emotion for Souji, torn between killing the woman he loves, ruining things for Kondou, or breaking Kondou's heart. Absolutely amazing writing. And then Hijikata saving the day in his typical grumpy fashion, I loved it! I also appreciated how you incorporated the eventual divisions in the Shinsengumi with the Baka Trio saying they were thinking of leaving.

Oh. My. God. You did it. I know we had talked about it forever ago but you weren't sure if that was the direction you were going yet. And OF COURSE Souji was the flirty concubine and Hijikata was the prettiest. "Shut up and get your make up on." I'm dead. Everything about this was my favorite!

I liked the addition of Seiku and his family. Of course Souji would adore Iori and Chizuru's argument to sway Seiku to help make weapons was brilliant. It's always fun to see a little RK mixed into Hakuouki.

Hijikata finally got up the nerve to confront Chizuru on her identity XD It has been so amusing to see him struggle with this. So grumpy, yet still cares so much about Souji.

Mmm many thanks for the steamy OkiChi fanservice in this chapter!

I'm not as familiar with the newer characters (I'm so out of the loop!) but I've really enjoyed what they've added to this story. I mean, it was already amazing but characters like Hachiro and Sakamoto have provided even more depth.

I absolutely adore Jealous!Souji and his modified training. If Chizuru was smart she would "struggle" with this new training regimen which would of course necessitate more practice sessions XD

It was an awesome story! I really enjoyed it! Good work, thanks for taking the time to create this piece

It's very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very amazing story with very very very very very very very very very
very very very very very very very very very very very very and intelligent and incredible author. I DORE THIS FIC A LOT. And I DORE OKICHI. I SHIP THEM STRONGLY. They're just so cute together. I hope you don't stop writing coz u r very talented otherwise it'd be such a waste. I hope your next work would be for OkiChi.
A lot of thanks for your amazing story and for your efforts. I'll always be here eagerly waiting for your next amazing works. It'd be such a great waste if you stop writing.

Wow! That was a exceptionally satisfying wrap to the story. You tied up all the loose ends and touched all the bases. So many great scenes from Chizuru asking that her reward be the freedom of her friend to Ryunosuke standing up to Serizawa. The eavesdropping on Okita and her father's conversation was priceless. Got a laugh out of the 'if she has gotten over her aversion to marriage' bit and her response to it. I'm really glad that you included Okita asking for her hand in marriage. How could she not sneak into his room in the middle of the night after that, laughs. Nice revelation about the Yukimura's (mukashi, mukashi) demon background. Have to say that the little clues you dropped have Sen and Kazama and Shiranui pegged as demons. So with their healing powers it is no wonder that Sen could help Hachiro with his injury. So nice that he found a happy ending, too. The last scene with her apprehension and Okita's steadying presence was great, especially when we learn that there appeared to be no doubt that she was expected to report back to duty. There are many other parts I really enjoyed, too. Thanks so much for writing this. I like your writing style and how you plot and craft a story. I truly hope that someday you will be back and write another adventure for Chiruzu and Okita. Reading the wonderful stories that you craft gives some of us some escape and rest from our busy lives that always seem to be filled with challenges. It was definitely worth the wait. Thank you and best wishes for wherever life takes you!

This was a rip, roaring, action packed chapter! Itou, Miki, and Takeda were as smarmy and slimy as you would expect. Hijikata was given a chance to show his true heart to Souji and Chizuru. Both of them were true to their ideals to be loyal to Japan and the Shinsengumi's mission regardless of the trouble they were in. Chizuru's great idea of having the guys get in those disguises to gain access to the castle also served to distract Kondou from his wounds as he watch the spectacle. Love the silver sword and kodachi. Seems quite appropriate that her family's Arai Shakku swords are made of silver. Nice ending with Sakamoto and Shiranui showing up to finish off Kodo after what he did to Takasugi.

I really like how Chizuru is resourceful and a creative thinker. She was willing to take one for the team, and although very dangerous. Taking the horse and tar barrels to spread the stuff around the enemy was a brilliant idea as was pushing the black powder cart into the fray. There is no way that Hachiro and Souma would not help her. And there was Okita at the end to put out the flames. I like that you used names from RK. In both instances they went along with cannon. Shingetsu where all the people were killed, and Seiku no longer wanting to make weapons of destruction.