Chapter Text
Sannan sighed quietly as he lowered his brush to rest on the edge of his inkstone before reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefingers. More than a week had passed since Nimi had vanished, taking a large portion of the research into the ochimizu with him and so far in spite of the Shinsengumi’s efforts to determine his whereabouts, they had yet to find any sign of him. In the meantime Sannan had been doing his best to care for the furies which Nimi had abandoned when he fled, and to attempt to recreate the medication to relieve their bloodlust, based on the few faint clues that they had found left behind in what remained of Kodo’s lab and in Nimi’s quarters.
There had been little for him to work with, apart from a handful of notes in the margins of some papers which had been found in Nimi’s quarters and one or two nearly illegible charred scraps from Kodo’s lab. Still Sannan thought that he might be on the right track as those clues seemed to line up with his best guesses about some of what the small packets of medicine he had found appeared to contain, though there were still a number of ingredients about which he was entirely uncertain. Meanwhile, in the time that passed until he did manage to successfully concoct something to reduce the furies bouts of bloodlust, Sannan still intended to continue his efforts to study the ochimizu’s effects as the Bakufu had ordered.
Picking up the book in which he had been writing, Sannan looked over what he had recorded so far before deciding that he was unlikely to gather any further observations of note that night, and that it would be more beneficial to get a few hours of sleep in the little time left before dawn. Closing the book Sannan rose to tuck it away in one of the drawers of the room’s cabinet, his movement setting off the furies who had for the past little while been relatively quiet as they recovered from their last bout of bloodlust and the most recent tests he had attempted. Ignoring the furies reactions to him Sannan took a moment to check that they were still firmly secured before moving to reduce the light in the room to a lower level, prior to leaving the room and locking the door behind him.
As he made his way out of the building where the furies were housed and back toward the Shinsengumi’s portion of the estate, an almost imperceptible frown crossed Sannan’s face as his thoughts continued. He had noticed over the past few days as he continued to conduct tests on the furies in the time since Nimi had gone, that doing so had begun to trouble him a bit less than even the mere idea of such actions had only a short time ago. The recognition of the change within himself was in itself somewhat troubling to realize, and was something which he would have to remain on guard for as his work with the furies continued and he spent increasingly lengthy spans of time around them. Upon reaching his room however, Sannan pushed further thought of the ochimizu, experiments, and the furies away as he laid out his futon and began to prepare for bed, in the hopes that sleep would come quickly and that his rest would be untroubled by the sort of dreams that usually followed his time spent with the furies.
When a voice outside Sannan’s door woke him sometime later he was at first unsure how much time had passed, or even at first who it was that was speaking, until after a few moments had passed as the remains of the sleep that he had been unexpectedly pulled from had faded. Glancing toward the door as he pushed his hair back from his face with one hand, Sannan noted that at least a few hours had passed since he retired, given that the sun had risen enough to filter through the paper panels.
“What is it, Yamazaki-kun?” asked Sannan while reaching for his glasses, putting them on as he sat up in bed.
As Sannan watched Yamazaki’s silhouette appeared, the young man having moved a bit closer to the door before replying. “Vice Commander Sannan-san, Vice Commander Hijikata sent me to tell you that he wishes you to come to his quarters as soon as possible.” began Yamazaki before pausing briefly, appearing to glance around momentarily, as if to ensure there was no one within earshot before continuing. “…There have been some new developments regarding Nimi-san and the furies.”
Yamazaki’s words brought a frown to Sannan’s face. While they had been searching for Nimi, since there had been no sign so far that Nimi’s own experiments with the ochimizu had been continued, some part of him had been lulled to the point of being surprised at the mention of furies in connection. Pushing back his blanket Sannan rose and began to get dressed as he continued questioning Yamazaki. “I see… Have you any further information about the situation Yamazaki-kun?”
The silhouette outside Sannan’s door shook his head slightly. “Vice Commander Hijikata wished to inform you of the details himself.”
Sannan hummed quietly, his eyes narrowing as he paused in his actions briefly to glance toward the door for a moment before speaking. “…Very well. Please inform Vice Commander Hijikata that I will be there shortly.” After Yamazaki had acknowledged his words and departed Sannan was left to wonder as he finished getting ready, just what it was that Hijikata deemed of such importance that he chose to take on the task of informing Sannan of the details, personally.
Upon reaching Hijikata’s quarters Sannan had only to wait for a moment before Hijikata’s voice from within called out in response to his soft knock to grant him entry. Stepping into the room Sannan seated himself a short distance from Hijikata, waiting until the other man paused to look up from his work before speaking. “What has happened Hijikata-kun? …Yamazaki-kun informed me that you wanted to speak with me.”
Hijikata grunted slightly, nodding as he set his brush aside before turning to face Sannan fully. “How much did he tell you already?”
“Only that something new had occurred regarding Nimi-san and the furies.” said Sannan shaking his head, looking intently at Hijikata. “He said that you would give me the rest of the details yourself.”
“Something happened all right…” muttered Hijikata under his breath before returning his attention to Sannan. “I guess you haven’t heard any of the latest rumors from around the city either then. …It seems to have turned out that Nimi wasn’t satisfied with just taking the ochimizu with him.”
A frown instantly furrowed Sannan’s brow at Hijikata’s statement, and he unconsciously leaned forward slightly as he lifted one hand slightly in a gesture to indicate that Hijikata should continue.
Sighing Hijikata folded his arms across his chest, the frown he wore mirroring Sannan’s . “If what Yamazaki told me about the latest rumors is true, then Nimi has started using the ochimizu to make more furies. …And worse yet he’s let at least one of them get away. …Rumors are circulating around town about strange murders, where the victims have had the blood drained from their bodies.”
Sannan’s eyes widened before narrowing as his gaze dropped toward the floor slightly, already beginning to consider the potential implications. …If Nimi had begun testing the ochimizu again, was it for his own purposes or for someone else’s?...
Until now the consensus which he and the others had come to was that Nimi was either laying low, or still searching for someone to sell his information on the ochimizu to. But with this new development it was possible that he had already found a buyer or worse yet that the newly created furies had been made as some sort of demonstration of the ochimizu’s effects. And if that were the case, the secret of the ochimizu’s existence could have already begun to spread beyond their control. Determining who might already know of the existence of the ochimizu would be nearly impossible to discover until they located Nimi, and now that task had gained a new degree of urgency.
Sannan’s lips thinned as yet another possibility came to his mind. …What if Nimi-san has not only given away the information on the ochimizu already, but has also fled the area? And that these newly made furies have been created by a party completely unknown to us...
Hijikata’s voice pulled Sannan from his thoughts and he looked back up to see that the other man was watching him intently. “…So,… what do you think Sannan-san? Is there any possibility that the deaths could have been caused by something other than a fury?”
After thinking for a few moments longer, Sannan shook his head. “…If the bodies were truly drained of blood, I can think of few other explanations which would explain such an occurrence. And given the furies’ need for blood it is certainly a possibility that they could be responsible.” Sannan paused, fixing his gaze on Hijikata. “Do we have any concrete details to work from beyond these rumors?”
“Not yet.” Hijikata shook his head before unfolding his arms, resting his hands in his lap. “I sent out Souji and Saito to see if they can turn up anything else about it.”
Sannan raised his brows slightly at the news that Hijikata had voluntarily decided to entrust Okita with the task of ferreting out information, given his past reluctance to utilize the younger man for many of the Shinsengumi’s more minor missions. The shift in Hijikata’s attitude toward Okita surprised him mildly, in spite of the suggestions Sannan had made in the past, but he could not help but nod in approval of Hijikata’s decision which in addition to gathering the information they needed might also help smooth the relationship between Hijikata and Okita. “…I see. Please keep me apprised of anything that they find out. …And in the meantime I think that I should attempt to see if I am able to learn anything as well. We must make every effort to locate Nimi as soon as possible.”
Hijikata nodded in agreement, watching for a moment as Sannan started to rise to his feet, before half-turning back toward his desk. “Do what you can then, Sannan-san. Keep me informed about anything you find out.”
By early evening that day Sannan had made his way to Shimabara and found himself waiting at one of the teahouses there. Sannan let his eyes wander around the room, studying the arrangement of flowers which sat near one corner before the sound of a quiet voice from beyond the door drew his attention back toward the other side of the room. After granting the person outside permission to enter Sannan watched as the door slid open soundlessly and Kumiko stepped into the room, sliding the shoji door closed behind her before turning back toward him and bowing gracefully.
“Good evening Sannan-han.” said Kumiko, a subtle smile touching her lips briefly as she lifted her head. Sitting up fully she rested her hands in her lap, tilting her head slightly while studying Sannan for a moment before continuing. “…What is it that you’ve come to see me about?”
A faint smile touched the corners of Sannan’s lips as he inclined his head in a slight bow. Rather than spending time on pleasantries, in spite of the time that had passed since his last visit, Takumi-san’s move to turn the conversation directly toward business was hardly surprising given the arrangement that had more or less been established between them. Particularly so when one added the consideration of just how remiss he had been about visiting her establishment for any purpose beyond that recently.
Lifting his head Sannan fastened his attention on Kumiko as he spoke. “My apologies Takumi-san. …As you have surmised I did come with a specific purpose in mind. One which is in regards to the arrangement which had had mentioned during my last visit.” As Kumiko raised her brows slightly in an unspoken signal for him to continue, a minute frown furrowed Sannan’s own brow. “…I had come with the intention of asking what, if anything, you may be aware of concerning unusual events within the city of late. …Have there been any rumors of bizarre occurrences circulating among the townspeople, or perhaps even within your own circles?”
“I see…” Kumiko pursed her lips, turning her head to one side a bit as she considered him briefly. After a moment she looked back toward Sannan fully, her eyes narrowing fractionally. “…You’re speaking of the deaths, aren’t you?”
“I am.” confirmed Sannan nodding. “What can you tell me about them? …Any information you may have heard about either the victims, the event itself, or potential theories as to the cause might be helpful to us.”
“…They’ve been happening all over town. The first person who was killed was a maiko from another okiya. She was only an acquaintance in passing, so I didn’t know her well, but I heard that she was returning from seeing a client when she died.” began Kumiko, before going on to outline what she knew of one or two more of the victims and the most popular theories which were being postulated by the townspeople, with the explanation leaning heavily toward the supernatural.
When she finished Kumiko looked at Sannan a frown as she spread one hand toward the side in an almost forceful gesture. “What is going on Sannan-han? Everyone in town is terrified! Even most of the maiko and geiko are afraid to venture out alone at night, and not just in town, but here within the confines of Shimabara as well. From the questions you’ve asked, it seems as if you know something.” Kumiko shook her head studying him searchingly, and Sannan was able to detect a trace of worry within her own eyes, despite her mostly composed appearance.
Sannan sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Even though he had to some degree taken Takumi-san into his, and by extension the Shinsengumi’s, confidence by using her as a source for information he was still well aware that there was no circumstance which would allow him to disclose the likely truth of what was responsible for the deaths. Still, some part of him wished that it were possible for him to do so, if the knowledge might serve to reduce her fears.
“I’m afraid that I am unable to tell you anything.” said Sannan, returning Kumiko’s intent gaze. After a moment his eyes softened slightly and he attempted to put on a reassuring smile as he continued. “…However, I ask that for now you trust me, and the Shinsengumi, and allow us some time. I assure you that we are working to see that this situation is dealt with, Takumi-san.”
Kumiko’s brow furrowed further, remaining that way for a minute or two, before she finally nodded and sat back slightly. “Very well Sannan-han,… as you say.”
Sannan’s smile relaxed into something a bit warmer as he nodded in return. Rising Sannan stepped toward the door before pausing and turning back. “…There was one more thing, Takumi-san. One of our members has gone missing, if you should hear any word of him I would appreciate being informed immediately.” Following his words with a description of Nimi’s appearance, Sannan secured Kumiko’s agreement that she would inform him of anything she learned about Nimi’s whereabouts, before taking his leave.
Another week passed while the members of the Shinsengumi continued their search for Nimi, scouting the town in groups to look for any sign of the man, while carrying with them the portraits that Ibuki had drawn to aid in their inquiries of the locals. Meanwhile Sannan continued to tend to the furies amid his other duties, spending what time he could find on meticulously going through Nimi’s notes for any clue as to the man’s plans, or further details on the medication that relieved the furies’ bloodlust.
He had just finished administering one of the few remaining doses of the medication to one of the captive furies when the sound of a slight commotion passing by outside drew his attention away from his task. Glancing over to ensure that the furies were fully restrained Sannan made his way toward the door, sliding it open just in time to catch sight of Ibuki’s back as he rounded the corner of a building a bit further away, looking as if he were headed to the other part of the Shinsengumi’s compound. Frowning slightly, Sannan wondered just what it was that had put the young man in such a seeming hurry.
A short time later Sannan learned just what it was that had so excited Ibuki, after one of the captains came to inform him that Ibuki had information for them, and that Hijikata had requested for Sannan to he and Kondou as soon as possible.
“I see.” Said Sannan, looking across the dimly lit room to where Ibuki sat as he continued. “So you mean to say that there is a possibility that Niimi-san changed his name and approached imperial nationalist ronin, yes?”
As Ibuki nodded in confirmation of Sannan’s words Kondou looked at Ibuki with a warm smile. “You did good to inform us, Ibuki-kun.”
Ibuki smiled, but raised one hand to rub the back of his head sheepishly as he spoke. “Nah, this all came from Serizawa-san. I didn’t do anything.”
“But how did Serizawa-san manage to simply come across that information?” asked Hijikata, frowning slightly as he closed his eyes in thought.
“Huh?” murmured Ibuki, his smile shifted to a look of confusion as he pulled his hand from his hair, turning to look toward Hijikata.
“We dedicated over half a month to finding him only to come up empty handed…” Hijikata explained shortly before reopening his eyes to look toward where Yamazaki sat. “Yamazaki!”
“Sir?” asked Yamazaki, his eyebrows raising a bit as he watched Hijikata intently, waiting for his orders.
Hijikata tipped his chin upward slightly, his gaze focused on Yamazaki as he continued. “Please investigate Shimabara immediately.”
Yamazaki bowed his head in acknowledgement as he spoke. “Very well.” he replied before getting swiftly to his feet and making his way out of the room, being sure to slide the door closed behind him, while the others continued their meeting.
Sannan and the others remaining in the room sat in silence for a few moments after Yamazaki left, then Hijikata’s gaze snapped to Ibuki. “…So Nimi-san is in Shimabara. Did Serizawa-san say anything else to you about what he’s up to there?”
Ibuki’s eyes widened for a moment in a mildly startled expression before he shook his head, brows knitting. “…No, he didn’t say anything else.”
“I see.” muttered Hijikata, his gaze lowering to frown at a point on the floor in front of him. “…Very well. You can go Ibuki.”
Hesitating for a few moments, Ibuki looked back and forth between Hijikata, Kondo and Sannan before nodding wordlessly and getting to his feet. After Ibuki had left the room, Hijikata finally looked up, his eyes focusing intently on Sannan’s own.
“So Sannan-san, what do you think?” asked Hijikata sharply, leaning forward a bit as he unfolded his arms from across his chest to rest one hand on his knee. “…Do you think Serizawa-san’s information is legitimate?”
Sannan paused to consider the question. …While it was not impossible that Serizawa-san had given them false information in an attempt to waste their time and deceive and discredit their efforts, after all of the times that the man had already attempted to undercut the authority of himself, Hijikata and Kondo, something about this rang true. Even though he had heard nothing from Takumi-san which would either confirm or refute the information...
Turning his attention back to Hijikata, Sannan voiced his thoughts. “…At the moment we have insufficient information to distrust or discount it out of hand Hijikata-kun. For the time being I believe our best course of action is to stand by, and prepare to act on whatever information Yamazaki-kun returns with.”
Hijikata grunted quietly in response, then nodded. “…And what will you be doing in the meantime Sannan-san?”
“In the meantime, Hijikata-kun,… I will be tending to the furies. …There is still much work to be done there, both in study and in attempting to recreate Kodou-san and Nimi-san’s efforts in regards to the ochimizu itself and to the medication to suppress their blood lust.”
Hijikata’s lips tightened into an expression that bordered on distaste, but from beside him Kondo nodded and spoke up. “Please continue to do what you can Sannan-san.”
“I shall.” agreed Sannan before inclining his head in a nod as he stood, then started toward the door. Pausing at the door he looked back over his shoulder at Hijikata and Kondo. “…Please keep me informed of any further developments regarding Nimi-san.”
After securing the agreement of the two men Sannan left and made his way back toward the part of the compound where the furies were confined, all the while mulling over the potential ramifications and outcomes of the information that Ibuki-kun had provided them with.
Sannan looked up sharply from the notes he was making as one of the furies chained to the wall in front of him let out a particularly loud cry, jerking against his chains. Setting down the brush he was using in case there was a sudden need for swift action, Sannan watched the fury for several minutes until he settled once more. Letting out a quiet breath Sannan started to reach for his brush again, then paused mid motion as his thoughts turned back toward the events of earlier in the day. Glancing toward where the sliver of light from the shuttered windows usually shone on the wall near the stairs, Sannan realized that it had become quite late. He wondered if there were any further news concerning Nimi, or if Yamazaki had been unsuccessful in spite of Serizawa’s information.
As if in answer to Sannan’s thoughts he heard the door on the first floor slide open and shut, followed by the sounds of footsteps crossing the room, before pausing in front of the door to the room which he occupied. “Hey Sannan-san, are you in there?” called a voice, which Sannan quickly recognized as Okita’s.
“Yes, Okita-kun.” called Sannnan as he set aside his notes for the moment and started to rise from where he had been seated. “I am here, tending to the furies.”
Stepping into the room where Sannan was, Okita’s eyes fixed on the chained furies as he closed the door behind him. Sannan watched as the younger man crossed the room toward the furies, studying Okita closely as he did, curious to see what his reaction might be to these furies who were currently not a threat. He noted that Okita’s approach contained a hint of not unreasonable wariness, and that one hand remained resting on his sword, clearly prepared to draw it at a moment’s notice. Sannan wondered if perhaps the young captain recalled the name of the man who had become the fury he was currently observing, or if the man’s “death” had caused the memory of him to subsequently fade from existence as well.
Such thoughts and their potential iterations were for another time however, when there was surely a reason for Okita’s unexpected visit. Sannan stepped closer, coming up behind Okita as the captain’s attention remained focused on the fury in front of him. “…Was there some reason you came here looking for me, Okita-kun?” asked Sannan.
Okita flinched slightly, no doubt startled by Sannan’s seemingly sudden close proximity, gained while he had been distracted by the fury. Turning as he folded his arms across his chest in an attempt to conceal his reaction and appear casual, Okita nodded. “Yeah,… Hijikata sent me to tell you that Nimi-san is taken care of.”
Sannan’s brows rose slightly, then knitted as he masked his surprise at the rapidity with which Nimi had been located after their weeks of fruitless searching. “I see. …What happened when you found him Okita-kun?”
“We caught up with him in Shimabara, like we’d expected…” began Okita, before proceeding to fill Sannan in on the rest of what had gone down after they had located Nimi. He finished with an account of the man’s transformation into a fury, and how he had appeared to retain his sanity fully, before being overcome by his exposure to blood. Hijikata and the captains had then been forced to kill him.
After dismissing Okita once his report was finished, Sannan returned to his desk and sat down behind it as he thought over all he had been told.
That Nimi-san was able to meet with various groups before his death is concerning. We have no way of knowing just how much he told those he met with, or if he might have even revealed one of the men who he turned into furies after his departure to them. …It seems as if his death was unavoidable, but it is unfortunate that we will not have the opportunity to find out further details from him, regarding either his actions, or in reference to the ochimizu and the furies…
Sannan sighed slightly allowing his eyes to close for a moment before he straightened his shoulders and turned back toward his work. The loss of whatever additional knowledge Nimi-san might have had made his own work and observations into the ochimizu and the furies all the more vital, since there was no longer anyone associated with the Shinsengumi who had any real familiarity with the subject in question.
The following day, after a long night spent working with the furies, Sannan was returning to his room in the late hours of the morning when he was stopped by someone calling out from behind him. Sannan ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face in an attempt to rouse himself further, before turning to face the one who had called out to him.
Yamazaki bowed slightly as Sannan turned to face him. “Vice Commander Sannan, your pardon. …The Commander and Vice Commander Hijikata just returned from their meeting with the leader of the Aizu domain and wished to speak with you urgently.”
Sannan raised an eyebrow as he lowered his hand from his hair and stepped toward Yamazaki. “…Very well, then lead the way Yamazaki-kun.”
Yamazaki guided him toward Hijikata’s room, where Sannan stepped inside, closing the door behind him before focusing his attention on Hijikata and Kondo. Both men sat on the opposite side of the room, wearing somber expressions. Sannan surveyed the two of them for a few moments longer after sitting, then at last broke the palpable silence.
“…Yamazaki-kun informed me that you have just returned from meeting with the leader of the Aizu. Can I assume that he had something of importance that he wished to speak about?” asked Sannan, raising an eyebrow slightly.
In response to Sannan’s question, Kondo’s frown deepened and his fisted hands tightened where they rested on his lap.
“You could say that.” scoffed Hijikata, shaking his head before finally opening his eyes to look at Sannan. “The Aizu want us to take over as the leaders of the Shinsengumi.”
This is an interesting development… thought Sannan, tilting his head slightly as he replied aloud. “…Are we not already leading the Shinsengumi alongside Serizawa-san?”
“The Aizu want us to be the Shinsengumi’s sole leadership,… without Serizawa being part of the equation. They were about as clear on that point as I think we can expect.” said Hijikata tersely, his lips thinning as he pressed them together.
“I see.” Sannan let his gaze fall to the floor as he contemplated Hijikata’s news.
The Aizu had increasingly been giving indications of their dissatisfaction with Serizawa’s behavior, but now it seemed that that displeasure had reached its peak if they were so clearly indicating that they wished him to be removed from the Shinsengumi’s leadership. He doubted that Serizawa would relinquish his role so easily, and wondered if the Aizu leadership fully understood what their orders might entail.
Looking back at Hijikata, Sannan studied the others man’s reactions as he continued. “…Then, did they suggest a plan for how we should follow through on their orders?”
“They’re leaving that up to us.” Hijikata paused, glancing out of the corner of his eye toward where Kondo sat, watching as the Commander’s troubled frown intensified. “…But they were clear that he needs to be dealt with, one way or another.”
Sannan let out a breath, sitting back on his heels slightly. He had for some time thought that, with the tempestuous relationship they shared with Serizawa and his at times ill-advised actions in regard to the locals, there might one day come a time when the man’s forcible removal might become necessary. To that end Sannan had on occasion put his thoughts toward developing a plan in the event it might someday be required, though the longer Serizawa had been permitted to continue as he had, the more he thought that the Aizu might choose to overlook Serizawa’s actions indefinitely.
“Then,…” said Sannan raising his chin as his features took on an expression that mirrored the seriousness of Hijikata and Kondo’s. “…Might I offer an idea?”