Hakuouki: Hitsuzen

The Flurried Dance of Commotion

Kazama could still hear the ruckus from the ongoing fight as he started making his way back to meet up with the men from the Satsuma clan.

"Come and get me!"

"Don't underestimate geikos, you bastards! Show some damn respect!"

"Ah! That's no geiko! That's an oni!"

Kazama smirked. Those men had no idea how close to the mark they really were with that comment.

"Wait, woman!"

"Hn?" Kazama said, turning when he heard soft and fast footsteps approaching him from behind. Yukimura Chizuru had just rounded the corner and was heading his way. She seemed to be too preoccupied with the man chasing her to notice this, though.

"Eh?" Chizuru gasped, surprised, when she nearly ran into him.

"Oh? Did you come back to let me take you?" Kazama asked her.

"Kazama-san!?" Chizuru said, taking a step back.

"Well, looks like I've caught ya!" a drunken rogue samurai said as he wandered up behind them, reaching for Chizuru.

"No! Please, don't—!" Chizuru started to yell.

"Back off, pervert!" Sumiko shouted as she took Chizuru's would-be molester out with a beautiful flying kick that caused the skirts of her kimono to fly up a little and give them a nice view of her legs up to her knees.

"S-Sumiko-san!" Chizuru said, blushing out of embarrassment on her friend's behalf.

"Man, these guys are persistent! Are you all right, Chizuru..." Sumiko said, trailing off when she noticed Kazama. "Wait, weren't you just—"

"Heheh!" another drunk pervert exclaimed as he suddenly came out of nowhere and threw his arms around her. "Gottcha!"

"Ugh!" Sumiko grimaced. Kazama narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her away from the lech. "Huh?" she said, surprised to find herself being rescued.

"What the—Ah!?" the man who grabbed her exclaimed in pain and surprise when Kazama grabbed him by the wrist, as he stuck his foot out to trip the other man, and twisted his arm behind his back. Kazama knocked the troublesome human unconscious and let him drop to the floor with a thud.

"Um... thanks," Sumiko said a little awkwardly. "But I could've handled him." It felt weird to suddenly be saved by a guy who had insulted her and tried to kidnap her best friend.

"Hmph. I know," Kazama said with a slight smirk as he glanced back at her.

"Eh?" Chizuru said.

"Oi, oi! You think you have enough guts to fight me!?" the three of them glanced up when they heard Heisuke's voice.

"I'm on your side, hothead!" Shinpachi said. They could hear the grin in his voice.

"Um, this..." Chizuru began as Kazama turned and walked up to look over the balcony into the courtyard below.

"Pick fights with us, and we'll return the favor!" Sano said.

The two girls approached the balcony, too, and saw that Sano, Shinpachi, and Heisuke were having a rough and rowdy free-for-all fight with the roshi and anyone else who happened to come at them. Sumiko sighed.

"Looks like our covert mission ended up turning into a battle royale..." she commented, smiling wryly, as she sweat-dropped.

"Hmph. Thanks to you people, my investigation for Satsuma seems to end here," Kazama said.