HAKUOUKI: Back in Time

Chapter 49

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

Several days later, the order was given to begin the Imperial Restoration. The emperor would be restored to power and his court would once again rule the nation. The position of shogun would be abolished and Kyoto's Military and Judiciary Commissioner positions would be eliminated. All that the Shinsengumi had fought for and believed in was falling to pieces.

January 1868

On November 9th, 1867, the shogun abdicated the rule of Japan to the emperor and the imperial court. The Tokugawa resigned their position in the government and with that the shogunae was essentially eliminated.

On January 16, 1868, retainers of the Satsuma Domain who had heard about the Restoration of Imperial Rule gathered in Kyoto. In an effort to counter their presence, the Shinsengumi was assigned to the defense of the Fushimi magistrate's office.

Not only two days later, Kondou was shot while on his was back from a conference with the leaders of the old shogunate army. By the 20th, Kondou had been sent to Osaka to recover from his injury under the care of Doctor Matsumoto along with Okita whose illness seemed t have taken a turn for the worse. The rest of the Shinsengumi remained in Kyoto to keep a close watch on the movements of the Satsuma.

January 27th

I was out in Kyoto once again walking the streets. I found myself nearing the place the Shinsengumi were currently residing. . Whenever I went to Kyoto I found find myself stalking the Shinsengumi. I didn't have enough courage to go up to them and greet them though. In the shadows, I watched as Harada, Nagakura, Saito, and their divisions return from a patrol and greet Chizuru.

"Hey, we're back! ...Looks like Kyoto's winters are as rough as ever..."

"Oh! Welcome back, guys!"

"I'm getting real tired of those Satsuma bastards. We oughta be sitting in a nice warm room getting drunk, not out there stamping out fires. You know I haven't even gotten my zouni this year."

He continued muttering angrily to himself and pulled of his coat and hung it up.

"Ha ha ha... Oh, Nagakura. You haven't stopped talking about zouni once all day.

"Well, can you think of anything better to do during New Years than eat mochi and sleep Or maybe, do you think Satsuma doesn't celebrate New Years...?"

Just like Nagakura. Always complaining about something. But he is right. It is really cold out here.

"How was it out there?"

"There were no serious problems, for now."

"I see..."

Would they let me back in the Shinsengumi if I asked? I had just let out a small sigh when a noise like a small tunder clap sounded from somehwere outside the compound. The noise startled me and I lost my footing on the roof and fell squealing.

"What the hell...? That was a gunfire, wasn't it?"

"And did hear a scream?"

The gunshot was the beginning of what would later become known as the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. I later learned that the Satsuma had opened fire on shogunate soldiers attempting to enter Kyoto but at the time I heard it, I knew nothing. And same for the Shinsengumi.

"Oww... My back." I got up and dusted the snow from my clothes before a deafening explosion tore through the air and the building itself shook. It was no gunshot this time.

What the hell was that?! It wasn't an earthquake, was it? No, it couldn't have been...But...that means_!"

Saito and Nagakura looked at one another, then ran off out of the door of the building. I was able to hide behind a nearby tree in the nick of time. "Oh... That was close. Did they see me?"

A cluster of shots rang out and I jumped before getting back of the roof. "There's a cannon in the Ryu'un Temple. It has to be the Satsuma." The walls shook again as the cannon's thunderous report tore through the air. I managed to stay balanced this time though.

"Dammit! If this keeps up, we're toast!"

"Can't we go over there and take their cannon, Shinpachi?"

"Maybe, but it'll be tough. They got small arms too. A lot of them."

Suddenly, Shimada ran in.

"We're in trouble! The Satsuma are trying to surround the magistrate's office!"

"Building's taken a lot of punishment. They keep this bombardment up, and it's all coming down."

Hijikata appeared, short of breath, and wearing his head guard and Shinsengumi uniform.

"Kondou put me in charge when he left, and I think he wanted us to still be around when he came back... We're going to counterattack."

His words sent the magistrate's office into a frenzy.

"Finally! It's about goddamn time! I've been real tired of just sitting around while they shoot at us. Hard to feel like a man that way.

"Alright, what;s the plan? We gonna shoot them with our cannon?"

"No point shooting from here. We're gonna have to take it up to the front line. We get lucky, maybe we can take their cannon while we're at it."

"That's more like it!"

"Let's do this! Those Satsuma punks better watch out!"

The seemed more than ready to fight and win, but... Something still worried me. I 'll go and watch.

"Don't let those honor-less bastards out there even put a foot inside this building! Stay calm and we can beat them!