Hijikata watched his wife, Chizuru, fondly as she did her chores around the house energetically, like back in the old times. It was another peaceful day in Edo, but something was different. He just knew it. Each passing day, he felt his body losing the strength he used to have when he wielded the sword as the oni-fukuchou of Shinsengumi.

And finally, the time had come.

The effects of drinking the ochimizu had finally taken its toll on his body. He sacrificed his life for this power; there is nothing much he can do now to prevent this. It was an inevitable ending for him.

"Chizuru," his voice came out barely a whisper.

"Yes?" Chizuru gave him a forced smile. It seemed like she was aware of it as well.

"Let's go for a walk."

Hijikata had his arms around Chizuru for support, as she brought them to the precious place they shared – the sakura tree where they were finally free. He did not want to put his weight onto her small shoulders, but he was too weak to walk by himself. He hated how weak he was now, but this was the choice he made in exchange for the power he needed to end the war. He glanced at Chizuru, desperately holding onto his body, while guiding him to their place. For the first time, he felt so strongly against dying. He wanted to stay alive, to be by her side until they are both old and wrinkled.

The oni-fukuchou from the past would not have expected that I want to live on, all for the sake of a woman. Hijikata chuckled, but instead, only a dry painful cough came out.

"Are you okay, Hijikata-san?" She asked; not even hiding the anxiety in her voice. "Should we head back home?"

"No, let's continue."

Hijikata thought back into his life. How he first met Kondo-san, Souji, and everyone else in Shinsengumi. How he, a mere son of a farmer, became a samurai and fought to protect Kyoto. He remembered the sense of guilt, and pain when Kondo-san surrendered, and how he wanted to end his life then. If it wasn't for her…

"We're here, Hijikata-san," Chizuru's gentle voice interrupted his thoughts. Chizuru sat under the tree, resting his head on her lap. He gazed at the sakura petals falling from the tree. Many things happened since then. She was the reason he found to be able to live on until now. She was the reason he wanted to continue living on, even now.

"Chizuru."

"Yes?" She smiled down softly at Hijikata. Her eyes filled with love.

"A sakura petal." Hijikata used the free hand he had; the hand that was not interlocked with hers, to remove a petal off her soft hair.

How much longer can I enjoy the warmth of her love?

Slowly, as if on cue, Hijikata feel the inside of his body burning. He finally understood what Sannan-san and Heisuke meant when they said they knew their time was up. Somehow they just know. And so did he.

He did not have much time remaining.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" She stroked his hair. That felt good. "Just thinking about the night we first met."

Hijikata laughed. "If you try to run, I'll kill you, huh?" He could barely muster up enough strength to talk.

Droplets of water splashed on Hijikata's forehead, but not to his surprise. He knew how she had been holding back her tears when he asked her out on a walk. He watched her as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Throughout his life, Hijikata had watched tears of grieving families, and shed some tears of his own, but nothing was more painful than watching the tears of his beloved. Not even the burning pain his body was enduring can be compared with the pain his heart was feeling at seeing her suffering.

If I had not met you that night, would you be living a better life now?

"Chizuru, don't cry." Hijikata lifted his hands to wipe the tears off Chizuru's eyes, an action that used to be so easy and simple took up most of his life strength now.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't…" She choked on a sob.

Meeting Chizuru was his regret, and yet also the happiness of his life. Hijikata was glad to have met her, but he wished he could spare her from the heart wrenching farewells she had to give to her friends and him. Time is ticking, and his life is fading. He could no longer feel his legs anymore.

"Chizuru, I'm sorry I had to leave you behind, all alone." He was by her side as she cried over the tears of losing her father, and her friends. What he could not bear was that now even he had to leave her all alone, in this world, to cry for him. "If possible, I want to live on and spend my entire life with you." Hijikata could barely contain his true feelings.

"No…" She mumbled as her tears continued to fall. He knew his words were killing her. But…

If I don't say it now, I will never be able to tell her again.

"Chizuru, I love you." He was slowly losing control of his body; he could no longer feel her warmth through his hands. "In this lifetime, and in my next lifetimes, I will always love you. Even if I'm no longer beside you, just know that I love you and my heart will eternally be yours."

Chizuru, I really really loved you. I loved how strong-willed you are, I love your warmth, I love your everything. I love you.

Hijikata let out a groan as he felt the insides of his body burning away. "Chizuru," He whispered. His breath was getting ragged.

Please don't forget about me.

"Stop crying… And please smile, and call me using my name… I…" No, just a while more. "want to hear…" Chizuru. "you say my name… for the… last… time…"

Just for one last time.

He could no longer see her face, as he felt his consciousness slipping away.

"I… I love you Toshizo."

Thank you, Chizuru. I love you, too.

And everything went dark.

"Hijikata-san, the betrayers were spotted in Kyoto." A member Hijikata had seen before, but not yet remembered his name, reported.

"Thanks." Hijikata mumbled gruffly, before dismissing the member. Ex-members that were once a part of his mafia, Shinsengumi, had betrayed them and were working for the their rivals. They had broken the mafia code. Unforgivable.

"Hunt them down, Saito, Souji." Hijikata instructed his most trusted aide, Saitou, and the boss, Kondo-san's loyal friend, Souji. "We will eliminate them all."

"Yes." Saito answered indifferently. Souji just gave a short laugh.

Less than a few hours later, Hijikata received information that the betrayers had been found, and disposed off. However, not everything had gone as planned. There was an eye witness.

He sighed at the troublesome task he was assigned to as he made his way to where Souji and Saito were at. An alley nearby, not far from where he was at. There was an unsettling feeling within him that bugged him this whole time, causing his crankiness and irritation.

Just what is this feeling?

It didn't take him long to reach his destination. He spotted the eyewitness – a small petite girl, with her hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Tch, a woman." He clicked his tongue and took out his gun from the inside of his blazer pocket, pointing it towards the girl.

Woman, men. It doesn't matter. All eyewitnesses must be disposed of.

Before Hijikata can even pull the trigger, the girl turned, making her attempt at escaping. But she stopped short at the sight of his gun.

"Listen, don't you dare to run. If you try to run, I'll kill you."

The girl froze for a second before she looked up, her eyes met with his. Suddenly, a scene flashed before his eyes. A girl, dressed in a pink kimono top, trembling right before him. He knew he had never met this girl before, but there was no mistaking the sense of familiarity that he felt when he looked into her eyes. His heart rate was accelerating; he felt his blood rush through his veins. The feelings that was bugging him was gone. It was like all the puzzle pieces have clicked together. A voice rang loudly in his head.

"Chizuru, I love you. In this lifetime, and in my next few lifetimes, I will always love you. Even if I'm no longer beside you, just know that I love you and my heart will eternally be yours."

Finally, I've found you again.