Chapter II: The Second Bakumatsu

"Sir," Hayate said, "I'm here with the report on the recent uprisings you requested."

Hayate was in the office of Akio Tatsuya, the new vice-commissioner of the Kyoto police. Unlike his predecessor, Akio was an honest man, and was fast adjusting to his new position of power. Like Hayate, he had become fixated on the uprisings and the Shinsengumi.

"Let's hear it then," Tatsuya said.

"Well," Hayate began, "since the assassination of Takeda almost three weeks ago, the Shinsengumi have not been seen in Kyoto. There have been reported sightings of them in the south, and I have reports saying they have moved to Fushimi-Ku. However, we haven't been able to get much by way of reports from there, and it's my belief the people are actively supporting their revolt."

"Damn," Tatsuya sighed, "if they have that kind of support, this could end up turning into a real war."

"Yes, their support from Fushimi-Ku is troubling," Hayate said, "but as much as I hate to say it, there's more. We cannot forget that man Daisuke Katsuo, who announced his presence with the Shinsengumi before the assassination. Several government facilities and officers have fallen victim to attacks from forces identifying themselves as his within the last couple days. It appears the call themselves the 'Tenken Clan.'"

"So they think themselves the sword of Heaven," Tatsuya said, "bringing divine retribution to the sinful Meiji government."

"Childish, I know," Hayate replied, "but there's one more thing. This uprising is doing a severe blow to the police force. We've been losing numbers, due to men resigning out of fear, as well as some defectors. Furthermore, our forces are spread thinly as it is with all the trouble they've been causing. Criminals have taken advantage of this chaos for their benefit, now that we're more powerless than ever to stop them."

Tatsuya let out a long sigh. "This is proving very troublesome. We absolutely must put a stop to this as soon as possible, before the whole city falls into chaos. If that's all, Hazama, you may take your leave."

"Sir," Hayate said as he stood up and replaced his hat on his head. "I'd advise you to try and look on the bright side, if only to keep your sanity. At least the Shinsengumi got you a promotion."

"Damnit, Hazama," Tatsuya snapped, "you were supposed to be the one to get Takeda, through the law!"

"I'm only kidding, sir," Hayate said, smiling lightly, "I swear, I will bring down these rebels, and they will answer for trying to bring chaos to this country. Take care, vice-commisioner Tatsuya." Before Tatsuya could respond, Hayate was out the door.

-------------

Three sword-bearing police stormed through the streets to the place they were told of. It was a small restaurant in the middle of town. They burst in to find the man who was reported to have been sighted there several minutes ago, calmly finishing his meal.

"Daisuke Katsuo!" one man shouted, "We've found you! Did you really think you could evade the police force?"

"No, not really," Daisuke said, slowly standing up after calmly placing some money on his table. He grabbed his swords and turned to the policemen. "And how dare you imply I was actually trying to hide from you Meiji swine!" He shouted as he drew both his swords and charged toward them. One of the policemen swung at him, and he narrowly dodged a blow to the neck, then turned and responded by quickly cutting two men down with a slash of each of his swords. Daisuke dodged another blow from the surviving policeman and kicked him out the door. Before the man could get up, Daisuke mercilessly plunged his katana through the man's chest.

"Damned weaklings," Daisuke said to himself as he sheathed his swords. "These swine call themselves swordsmen, but they're nothing in the face of a true warrior."

In the lower ward of Kyoto, Fushimi-Ku, the Shinsengumi had spent the next weeks consolidating their power. The people there gave overwhelming support, seeing them as old heroes of the Shogunate who would bring back the old regime. The Shinsengumi, in turn, promised the people just what they wanted, as well as the benefit of their protection. Their force had already swelled to just around two hundred men, more than half of which had to be trained for combat.

Every day, there would be several guard units going through their rounds in the city, while the same would occur all night. The city of Fushimi-Ku seemed to finally reflect what was before the Meiji, and indeed the Bakumatsu itself. As long as they were under the Shinsengumi's control, peace pervaded through. The last of what Kyoto police forces where stationed in Fushimi, left just after news of the attack of the HQ came to their ears. Any, and all opposition left the city.

Souji took his role as 1st Squads Captain happily, training his own men with gusto. Kondo Isami found himself in the same position of ten years ago: Commander of the Shinsengumi, with his two Vice Commanders, Toshizo Hijikata and Keisuke Yamanami. Sanosuke Harada, Heisuke Todo, and Shinpachi Nagakura took their own squad captain roles with pride.

................

Almost three weeks after their move from central Kyoto, to Southern Kyoto, the officers held a meeting at the central dojo of the Shinsengumi's headquarters. There, Hijikata gained the attention of them all, backed by Kondo. Clearing his throat, Hijikata started what would be the introduction to their next mission.

"Welcome, everyone, and good morning. I have called this meeting today, for only one reason. We are short one officer, and I fear there is only one man who can fill it. Our spy, Susumu Yamazaki will share his info on the matter."

With that, Yamazaki stood and bowed to the Vice Commander, then faced his audience.

"Yes. I have infiltrated our various enemies and gained some rather troubling information as for the whereabouts of our target. He has last been seen working for the Meiji as a lapdog police-man. By all accounts, however, he still follows our creed of Aku Soku Zan, stating it publicly. Surely, if one were to confront him, he would rejoin our organization." Yamazaki finished.

"Indeed. Now, is the time for the Wolf's howl to reach the ears of one Saito Hajime." Hijikata said with a grin.

Huang Xun Wu, the owner of a mildly popular restaurant in Kyoto, sat behind the counter, watching his customers enjoy the food that was prepared for them. Truthfully, seeing such things as these were enough for him to be happy.

"I hope peace such as this can be held on to forever," he said to himself, smiling. Then he remembered the few reports he had been hearing over the past few days. Grisly murders; street fights; lack of police authority... What was going on? He already knew that many were angry because of the Meiji government, but he could not understand how someone could be pushed to murder because of this. If the rumors were true that the Shinsengumi of Japan's past were rising once again, things would not look good for this peaceful country.

Interrupting his thoughts, a few police men burst into the restaurant, immediately pointing at some man with an eye-patch that had a dangerous look on his face. Before he could act, Huang found himself looking at the dead bodies of the few police officers, killed by that foul man with an eye-patch.

"What..." Huang said to himself in a hushed voice. "What is wrong with this man? He just... killed those men..."

Huang's narrowed his eyes. He would not have horrible criminals like this men ruining his restaurant. He finally decided what he had to do and reached under the counter, picking up his bo staff, a weapon he had stored for these sorts of problems. Jumping over the counter he walked over to the man, standing a safe distance away from the swords.

"Who do you think you are, spilling the blood of our noble officers, criminal?" Huang asked the man. "Daisuke Katsuo... I know not who you are, but I know enough to comprehend that you are not a good man. In payment I should kill you as well for taking the lives of these men, but luckily for you I don't think that way."

Huang raised his staff, his piercing eyes staring into Daisuke's.

"Leave now," he said to him. "Leave and never return, unless you wish to deal with me as well. And believe me, I am more than ready to defend myself and my restaurant from a barbaric man such as yourself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryouichi walked over to the building where the Westerner was being held after waking up. The streets were more hectic than before. It was clear that the recent events were taking a toll on Japan. If these things kept keeping up, things would not fare well for the citizens of this fine country. Ryouichi sighed. He couldn't believe these terrible things were happening. It was like a bad nightmare you couldn't wake up from.

After a few minutes of walking, he finally made it to the building, entering through the door to see the Westerner sitting in a chair, a nurse tending to a few of his bandages.

"Looks like you've been recovering remarkably fast..." Ryouichi said, a bit surprised.

"Damn right," William replied, looking a little grumpy. "I could've come with you guys yesterday if I wanted. I hear I missed out on some action anyways. I'd better not miss the next time. Especially if we're up against those damn samurai who think they can make a difference in this country."

Ryouichi sighed.

"Sounds like you still want revenge," he said. "I fear that's probably not going to happen anytime soon, to tell the truth. He is much more skilled than you with the sword."

"Then I'll get better," William said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm sure sticking around with you and that other guy will give me plenty of fighting experience."

"If you say so..." Ryouichi replied, sighing once more. Speaking of Hiraku, he wondered when the man would show up, if he ever decided to today. He was very curious as to what they would do now that the Shinsengumi were becoming even more public than before.

Daisuke chuckled. “So, you think me a barbarian,” he said, “I suppose that's understandable. However, I am only cleaning out the garbage. As for you,” he continued, crossing his blades in front of his chest, “I will not be leaving. I've never backed down from a challenge, and I'd like to see just how ready to defend yourself you are after seeing me kill these men. Come! These words are meaningless, the only true language of warriors is combat!”

---------------------------------------------

Hayate walked through the street with his right hand in his pocket, and his left holding a small piece of paper. On the paper were directions to the home of Kyoto policeman and former member of the Shinsengumi Saito Hajime. Since the Shinsengumi had gained so much power lately, Hayate feared how Saito would react. It was clear he still believed in the old creed of “Aku Soku Zan,” and Hayate considered it quite possible that he would rejoin the Shinsengumi.

“If I can get to him first,” Hayate thought aloud, “maybe I can talk some sense to him.” He shook his head, “I swear,” he grumbled, “I don't know how long I can keep hearing the words “Aku Soku Zan” before I lose it. It's not a code, it's an excuse. The childish belief that all it takes to extinguish evil is a sword.” Hayate felt the sheath of his own blade beneath his coat. “If I'm not careful, this night will end in another swordfight.”

Hayate put the paper in his pocket as he approached his destination. He peeked into the building and called out, “Hajime Saito! I'm detective Hayate Hazama, of the Kyoto police. I need to speak with you.”

From the small home, Saito did emerge. The door opened with a tall man in traditional kimono standing at the threshold. In one hand, he held loosely a sword in its sheath, contrary to most sword-bearing police, his was a katana, rather than a western saber. His narrowed eyes sighting the inspector. With a coy smile, Saito approached and bowed respectably to Hayate.

"It's about the recent awakening of the Wolves of Mibu, yes?" Saito said with a rather cold, indifferent voice.

................

The whereabouts of Saito's place of residence became known to the Shinsengumi at the early hours one day, as the spy, Susumu Yamazaki, entered the headquarters after a job. He immediately requested a meeting with Hijikata and Kondo on the matter. In his black kimono and uniform, he entered the quarters of the 'Demon Vice-Commander' along with Kondo.

Upon sitting, he started to speak of their targets home within the central district again. The mission was to be done swiftly, and without any conflict with the police. A unit of five Shinsengumi was chosen already, its leader the First Squad Captain, Okita Souji. The command was given henceforth for the unit to move out.

.................

Through the streets, early around five o'clock in the morning, the group of five Shinsengumi entered the central streets of Kyoto. No one was awake at the moment, so the streets were clear. Just as the Shinsengumi planned for, the number of police in central Kyoto had been lessened so much, that they could hardly keep an eye on every street anymore. Mibu's Wolves took full advantage, swiftly moving through alleyways and sidestreets.

As they found themselves at their destination, Souji slowly peered around the corner to a dead-end street. There, before a lone house, stood a man, speaking with Saito himself. Souji recognized the man in question as one of the warriors that they fought against at the Police compound weeks ago, Hayate Hazama.

"We should refrain from any conflict, as are orders. Stay to the shadows and we wait until he leaves." Souji ordered.

Huang looked at the blades in front of him scowling. With quick speed, he lifted his rod and smacked the swords away from his chest, simultaneously dodging back a bit to get more distance between himself and the warrior.

"It seems that I have no choice," Huang said, closing his eyes for a moment in frustration, but not allowing the emotion to show. "Very well. I do not like going down to the level of an animal such as yourself, but it appears I have no choice. As they say, you must fight fire with fire..."

Taking a low stance, Huang held his staff above his head, ready to fight. He had not been in mortal combat for a while, but he knew he could take a wild man like this. A moment of silence passed. The breath of the two warriors seemed to be magnified, as it was the only sound heard in the room.

Huang's eyes flashed and he took a step forward, his foot slamming into the ground as he prepared to use his momentum to stab forward with his rod into the chest of his enemy. If the attack connected, it would deal a stunning blow, but he knew this swordsman had more to it than that, unless his previous dealings with those police men were all luck.

Hayate sighed. He already didn't like the way Saito's response sounded. “That's right,” Hayate said, putting on the same smile as Saito, “may I come in?”

-------------------------

Daisuke dove to the side quickly, but was barely able to avoid the attack. This man was certainly more skilled than he looked. After dodging, Daisuke made a quick swing at the man's side with his kodachi.

A sudden, barely noticeable glint passed over Saito's eyes, its emotion something akin to brutality. However, his face of indifference remained, not even his Ki could be felt. He knew Hayate was a skilled swordsman, but even he did not wish to start a conflict as of yet. Avoiding the inspector's question, Saito stepped down from his door to the street-side.

"Hazama-san, I understand your leeriness... however I have rather pressing matters to attend to. I am afraid our chat will have to wait until a later time." Saito replied, a coy grin still spread across his lips. "Good bye, Hazama-san."

At that, without a single backward glance, Saito re-entered his abode and shut the door behind him. His eyes glanced back to a side window, looking out from the front of his home to the alleyways across the street. He could just see the shadow of Hayate moving away from the building. However, over by the sidestreets, he could just barely spot the several shadows of people standing in wait. His look of indifference shifted to that of interest, a genuine smile taking its place.

.......

Once the man left the front of Saito's home, grudgingly it seemed, judging by the appearance of his face, the Shinsengumi moved in. They wore their uniforms, Souji bringing up the front of the unit. They stopped in a line before their old friend's home, knowing that by now, Saito knew they had come.
Souji took an extra step forward. One hand strayed toward the hilt of his katana, which he slowly drew. The deadly curved blade gleamed and glinted in the sunlight just then climbing higher into the sky. With a loud voice, Souji called out to Saito.[/i]

"By order of the Shinsengumi, you are to appear before us, Hajime Saito." Souji bellowed with the voice of authority.

At that, Saito casually exited his home. In one hand, his drawn katana glimmered. His smile had vanished at that moment, replaced now with a straight face.

"What do the Wolves of Mibu have to do with me?" Saito asked innocently.

"You know the Creed. 'No one leaves the Shinsengumi.'" Souji said.

Suddenly, like a flash of light, Saito was blade-locked with Souji. Their faces turned to smiles instantly, feelings transferring through their blades.

"Okita-san, I never left the Shinsengumi." Saito said with a grin.


..........

After the short duel between old friends. Saito started to pack his belongings in preparing to leave for Fushimi-Ku with Souji and the retrieval unit. Dragging out a dusty old case from beneath his bed, he opened it slowly. Inside, sat neatly and folded, his old Shinsengumi uniform; unworn in ten long years. Donning the uniform, he sighed, feeling that he made the right decision. Walking out, tightening his arm and leg bracers, he then slipped his sheathed katana into his obi. Looking to Souji, he nodded, and the unit of Shinsengumi extracted from central Kyoto to Fushimi-Ku.

Huang grinned as the man dodged his staff with the skill of a highly trained warrior. It seems it will take more than this to defeat this foe, Huang thought to himself on that instant. I must not let him defeat me, but I cannot kill him, either. He has done a wrong here, and probably many wrongs elsewhere, but he can still be redeemed like all criminals. I am not betting on the chance that I will be able to change his life in the slightest, though, so I might as well give up on that thought.

As the man dodged, he brought up his kodachi and slashed at Huang's side quickly. Huang pulled back his staff just in time, slamming it down by his side onto the floor, blocking the sword and pushing the man back.

"I guess it's safe to say you are no common criminal," Huang said to Daisuke, slightly impressed. "But let us see how far your lust of blood and fighting gets you in this battle."

With a swift kick, Huang jumped onto a nearby table and leaped off of it, raising his staff above his head and preparing to slam it down onto his opponent with a concussive smash.

As Daisuke's opponent brought his attack down, Daisuke jumped up above him, and as the man landed, Daisuke dropped down bringing a powerful ax kick down for the back of the man's head.

-------------------

Hayate walked off to a safe distance and found himself a suitable hiding place for watching over Saito's home. He didn't have to wait long before he saw the Shinsengumi arrive. Hayate decided not to interfere, as he knew he stood no chance against these men alone. He watched them have a brief duel before departing, and walked off for the police station.

"It's not going to be easy explaining to Tatsuya how I let them get away," Hayate said, irritated. "Damn Saito! And that Souji, and all the rest of the Shinsengumi. I'm usually able to keep calm, I don't think I've ever been so angry in my entire life. I really can't do this alone. If I'm going to bring down the Shinsengumi and end this war before it starts, I'm going to need help."

Late in the evening, the group of Shinsengumi returned to their headquarters in Fushimi-Ku. A celebration was held privately by the original members of the group for the return of Saito. The rest of the Shinsengumi remained on duty or went to sleep. The night was spent in one of the larger spare rooms. Miya came and left once in a while, brining food to them along with plenty of sake. Hijikata made a toast, standing and clearly his throat.

"To one remarkable samurai, may his blade never dull."

The rest cheered, clapping Saito on the back, who merely grinned and peacefully sipped his own steaming cup of sake. Souji sat over by Saito wand Kondo. The night was spent with laughter and cheer.

............

The next morning, Souji awoke to the sight of his own breath. He hadn't noticed that winter was well on its way, and the climate was already turning colder. Snow hadn't fallen yet, however anticipation over the first fall was growing in everyone living in Japan. Yawning and getting out of his soft-silken mattress and blankets, he changed into his winter kimono. After tying up his hair, and grabbing his swords, he slipped them into his belt and wandered from his quarters toward the main area of the compound.

The Shinsengumi on duty all wore their winter kimonos beneath the usual uniform of light blue and white. A cold gust of wind blew the orange and red Fall leaves from the ever-bearer branches of the trees. Walking into the main building, he caught the looks of those inside, giving sound stares as if to say "hey, close that door"... and so he did.

Walking to the closed doors into Hijikata's quarters, he knocked and received an answer. Within sat all the officers of the Shinsengumi before a large rectangular table. Souji bowed slightly and then sat in his own spot. At that point, Kondo stood up from his spot and looked to his men.

"Now, we must start the planning for the re-introduction of the Shogunate and the Old Regime. It is time once again for the Wolves of Mibu to bare their fangs! The new Bakumatsu, to end this Meiji Era, shall start tomorrow!"

Huang turned and blocked the kick with his staff, the force of the impact knocking him back. Huang laughed. This man was apparently both skilled in the sword and hand to hand combat. He lifted his rod, the end of it level with his face.

"I'm going to ask you to leave one last time," Huang said, grinning. "I don't want to hurt you, after all. You're lucky I'm giving you a second chance."

Seeing as his words would probably mean nothing to this brick of a man, Huang shrugged. He planted his left foot near a chair, launching it at his opponent as he followed up with a horizontal swing towards the criminal's temple.

In the early morning of November second of the Meiji Era, the first of the snow did fall. The sky was a forlorn gray, matching the small flakes that descended from the heavens. Outside, by the entrance gates of the Shinsengumi's compound, one of the guards flinched. He felt a cold drop fall upon his scarfed neck, slowly seeping down into his light blue outfit. His eyes lifted to the sky, seeing the first flakes of winter.

"Ooooi, Haku... snow." The guard said with a smile to his companion who stood alongside.

"It seems to be early this year." Haku replied. "I should grab a scarf, can you watch the road in my stead, Genzaburo?" Haku asked.

"Fine fine, but hurry it up before Hijikata-sama finds you away from your duty." Genzaburo said.

At that, the guard slowly walked into the compound, outside of which was completely quiet as everyone was inside in the warmth. Haku entered the soldier's quarters and grabbed an off-white scarf laying by his own mattress. He looked around the room at the other Shinsengumi, who either were still sleeping, or sat by the candlelight reading or writing calligraphy. Sighing, he wrapped the scarf around him, and set off back to his post.

~~~~~~~~~

Inside of the Vice-Commander's quarters, Hijikata and Yamanami (Sannan) sat quietly, sipping cups of steaming tea. Both were wrapped to the neck with heavy blankets. Souji sat in a corner, sniffling with a pale complexion. Kondo walked in and shut the shoji door.

"Okita, you don't look well today. Have you been outside without any winter clothes?" Kondo asked with surprise.

"I suppose I was a bit earlier. I think I might be sick. I have been coughing and blowing my nose all day.. and haven't stopped since." Souji said with a congested voice.

"An officer of the Shinsengumi should know better." Hijikata retorted, not looking up from the book he was reading.

Souji gave an indignant face and resumed blowing his nose into a handkerchief. Kondo sat at the table with the two Vice-Commanders and looked to Souji and the others.

"Have you heard of the recent happenings back in the central districts of Kyoto? Hell has broken loose with the near-destruction of the Police presence there... and now the crime levels have risen greatly since we left. Our ally has also begun to move... however I am still unsure of his motives. One thing I do know, however, is that the Shinsengumi are the guards of Kyoto..." Kondo said.

The three officers in the room looked to Kondo questioningly.

"Isami-san... what are you saying?" Hijikata asked.

"I am saying that even though the overall objective of the Shinsengumi is to restore the Shogunate... we shouldn't forget our other duty." Kondo replied. "Before the police force was created by the Meiji, who was tasked with the protection of Kyoto and her citizens?"

"The Shinsengumi..." Souji replied mid-cough.

"And thus, I have come up with the next step in Japan's peace." Kondo started. "Here, and now, I shall compose a declaration of war against the Meiji Government by the hands of us, the Wolves of Mibu. Starting tomorrow, war will begin once more. If other Shogunate supporters around Japan here of our actions, a new Bakumatsu will begin!"

As Hayate was walking, he came upon a mortifying sight in the street. Three men in police uniforms lie dead in front of the door of a restaurant. Hayate darted inside to see a man with a staff fighting against a man with two swords who matched the description of the insurrectionist Daisuke Katsuo.

Daisuke ducked under the staff and sliced his way through the chair, but to his surprise, the sheath of a katana struck him in the stomach and he doubled over. He looked up to see Hayate kick his blades out of his hands.

"It looks like things are finally looking up for me," Hayate said with a grin, "Daisuke Katsuo, you are under arres-"

Hayate was interrupted by a vicious punch from behind. As he dizzily collapsed, he saw Daisuke being helped to his feet by a woman in black he recognized from the assassination. The two of them ran off accompanied by a large man in a trenchcoat, who he assumed was the one who delivered the punch he was still suffering from.

Damn, by the time I'm able to stand, they'll probably have gotten too far off to find, let alone catch up to.

After a short time on the floor, Hayate shakily stood up. He looked at the man who had been fighting with Daisuke. "To be able to fight that man," he said, "you're clearly a skilled fighter." Hayate smiled faintly. "I've been chasing that man and others like him for a while now. However, so far I've seen little but failure, and, to be frank, I need help. So, would you be willing to help me stop that man?"

Haung cursed as the man ran off with the strange woman. He had failed to immobilize and capture the criminal. It was quite obvious that his years sitting back in peace had turned him a bit rusty. What a coward... Huang thought to himself. Warriors truly have no honor these days!

Huang watched as the man who intervened stood up after taking that vicious punch. The detective wanted help, it seemed, and assumed that Huang would be qualified for it.

"This man made a mess of my restaurant and killed three men right on my doorstep!" Huang said, angered. "Of course I'll help you! I will do whatever it takes to give this irresponsible beast a beating!"

Huang slammed his rod onto the floor with his right hand, grinning. He was ready to give some payback. Now they just had to track the fool down...

“Then consider yourself the first member of my investigation team,” Hayate said. He'd need a lot more than this one man to accomplish his goals, but it was a start, and this man was clearly strong.

------------------

Daisuke and his allies kept running away until they felt they'd traveled a reasonable distance away and went into an alley to catch their breath.

“Dammit!” Daisuke growled as he beat his fist into a wall, “I hate running away!”

“I don't care,” Shougo said, “you're our leader, so we can't just let you die or get captured.”

“He's right,” Onibasu said, “your life is important to our cause, so you can no longer risk your life so carelessly.”

Daisuke sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, I suppose you're right. I've never been afraid of putting my life on the line, but I suppose it's not mine to risk anymore.”

------------------

“So, General Minamoto? What will be our first move?”

Jun sat at the head of a table occupied by military officials. The day before, they had received the declaration of war sent by the Shinsengumi. This conference was called to decide their first move in the war.

“We can't underestimate the Shinsengumi just because we outnumber them,” Jun said, “Their skill with the sword is nearly without peer, and they've created quite the stronghold in Fushimi-ku. However, we need to strike them down quickly before they manage to further muster their forces. Ready our armies, because in one week's time, we will form an assault on Fushimi-ku. It's time to stomp out the remnants of Japan's past so that we can finally make our way into the future.”

The Shinsengumi, only days after sending their declaration of war, made the first strike. Clad in their trademark light blue haori and uniforms, an army of two battalions advanced into the next ward of Kyoto to the north, Minami. The civilians who stood outside, ran within their houses, closing doors and windows. The 'enemy of the state' advanced as a convoy, all armed and willing to fight.

Unlike many other armies, there was no looting or pillaging of the city. They took it over peacefully and without bloodshed. It was only a matter of a mile or two between Fushimi-ku and Minami, therefore one could only surmise that popular opinion started to spread as a positive outlook on the Shinsengumi. Outside the city, flags bearing the Kanji of the Shinsengumi were raised, signaling the complete occupation. The invasion only took a matter of an hour and a half, no opposition found. However, even the Shinsengumi, as happy as they were, knew that it was only a matter of time before they found their enemy... the Isshin-Shishi.

_______________

Back at Fushimi, preparation of two other battalions was under way. Those officers who invaded Minami were Nagakura Shinpachi and Todo Heisuke. Both had already sent word of their full occupation of Minami in only an hour and a half... much to the surprise of the Vice-Commanders and Kondo Isami.

The two battalions still in Fushimi would henceforth be put on guard of their city and headquarters in case of attack. The Shinsengumi knew well that it would come by the Meiji, and they had to be prepared for them. One preparation came as a surprise to them, in the form of minutemen. Volunteers from Fushimi vowed to help the Shinsengumi in the protection of the city, even going to the trouble of paying for arms shipments. Crates would arrive, filled with muskets, from the underground markets.

Jun looked down on their target, Fushimi-ku, current home of the Shinsengumi. The day had come for the first attack against them. They had already taken over the Minami ward with ease. Jun was determined to beat them back down before they made any further progress.

Jun gave the order to move in, and the soldiers made their way to the city. Their objective was to reach the Shinsengumi HQ. Two other orders were also issued to them. The first was simply to avoid civilian casualties at all costs, and the second was that they were not to engage members of the Shinsengumi in single combat. Jun knew well that the men he faced were among the elite of the shogunate's samurai, while many of his own men were fairly inexperienced. However, they had the advantage when it came to numbers and resources.

----------------------

Hayate and his unit gathered on the edge of Fushimi-ku. They were a team created for the purpose of stopping the rebels. Among them were his friend Hiraku Raiden and his new aquaintance and first member of the team, Huang Xun Wu, as well as several others hand-picked by Hayate.

“All right then,” Hayate said, “I assume everyone is ready for our mission?”