"Literally." Saito shook his head with a bored expression, "It's no longer interesting to stay under your command."
Hijikata Toshizo didn't speak, just remained silent.
The air is silent.
"Are those who leave the group going to commit seppuku?" Saito's hand had already climbed up to the handle of Wakizashi's sword.
If Hijikata told him to commit hara-kiri, he might actually commit hara-kiri.
Hijikata's eyes were complicated, with a drop of tears and sadness that he didn't want to shed.
"...No, it's no longer needed."
"I'll just lead the team by myself from now on."
Saito looked at Hijikata Toshizo for a long time.
"...I said, Deputy Chief. No, Mr. Hijikata."
"That's enough."
Hijikata Toshizo picked up a pen and continued to observe the map. At the same time, he asked Saito: "What do you mean is enough?"
"Don't you know what I'm referring to?" Saito rolled his eyes, "Director Kondo is dead, and Okita is no longer here."
"There are not many old acquaintances left."
"understand?"
Hijikata stopped holding the pen.
"It's not over yet... The Shinsengumi isn't over yet."
"It's over!" Saito suddenly slammed the table.
Tears flowed from Saito's eyes and wetted the map.
"Where else is the Shinsengumi? Can you please wake up?!"
"If you weren't Hijikata, do you really think that I would be standing here to advise you?"
"The Shinsengumi is over!"
Hijikata Toshizo looked at those tears and said slowly: "...I."
Saito looked at Hijikata Toshizo blankly: "What did you say?"
Hijikata Toshizo said loudly: "I am the Shinsengumi!"
"...Deputy Chief...you still..."
Hijikata Toshizo looked ahead, his body trembling, but he had no words.
Saito suddenly smiled and wiped the corners of his eyes.
"That's it. Goodbye then."
"You can die alone like this."
"...Saito!" Hijikata suddenly shouted.
"...Is there anything else, Mr. Hijikata?" Saitoichi didn't want to look back.
Hijikata Toshizo stood up, took out an envelope from his arms, and placed it in Saitoichi's hand.
"Please help me bring this...to Zuo Cun...please...goodbye."
Saitoichi was speechless, put the envelope away, and left without looking back.
"...Just do this until you die."
...
February.
Zuo Cun was sweeping snow in the courtyard.
Suddenly I found a man standing at the door of the courtyard.
"...Are you, Saito?" Zuo Cun straightened up his stooped body and looked at the figure standing at his door wearing a windbreaker.
"Hey, long time no see." Saito smiled with his scarred face, "Can I come in?"
Zuo Cun put the broom aside and clapped his hands: "Come in."
Then he turned his head and shouted into the room: "Zhenna, we have a guest at home!"
The two of them were sitting in the living room, and Sumina brought the tea set over.
"Shouna has grown up completely." Saito sighed, "I feel that I am still relatively young, but only when I face Souna do I feel a little older."
"Long time no see, Saito-san." Souna also said hello with a smile.
After Ezuna left the living room, Saito leaned his head over and said, "How old is Ezuna."
"It's almost nineteen, what's wrong?"
"Why aren't you married yet?" Saito scratched the back of his head.
"I asked her, and she said she couldn't find her sweetheart, so I just let her go." Zuo Cun picked up the cup and took a sip of tea.
Now this small house has been turned into a large mansion with several rooms.
"It seems you don't hold a knife now." Saito sighed and looked at the four knives hanging on the wall.
Crane feathers, pheasant feathers, rhinoceros feathers...and California clear light.
Saito looked at California Qingguang and didn't know what he was thinking.
"What's the point of holding a knife? I don't want to kill anyone anymore. Let's put it down." Zuo Cun took a sip of tea with mockery in his eyes, "But you, why did you think of coming to my place?
."
"Now...I have left the Shinsengumi and am a pure free man, so it doesn't matter where I go." Saito shrugged his shoulders and curled his lips, "I was the first one to go.
Thinking of you as an old friend, I came to see you."
"Old friend... I am the only old friend you have left..." Zuo Cun sighed, "But seeing you still living so casually makes me feel better.
Better.”
Saito was silent.
The air was silent for a while.
"Take me to see... Inoue and Okita." Saito picked up the teacup, drank the tea, and said in a low tone.
"Okay." Zuo Cun nodded.
After lunch, Samura first took Saito to the river, where Genzaburo Inoue is buried.
The two of them stayed with Inoue for a while, and then came to a cherry blossom forest.
Now the cherry tree has just started to branch out, and the leaves haven't grown yet.
But it won’t be long before the garden here will be filled with spring scenery.
Saito stood in front of Okita's tombstone and paused for a while.
He stood up, took out a letter from his arms, and handed it to Zuocun.
"...Who wrote this letter to me?" Zuo Cun took the letter.
"Hijikata." Saito put his hands into his pockets, "When I left the Shinsengumi, Hijikata asked me to bring it to you."
"Hijikata..."
Samura opened the letter to see what Hijikata had written to him.
After reading the letter, Zuocun let out a long sigh.
"That is to say...do you want me to go to Ezo...and compete with him again...?"
"So this is what I wrote..." Saito touched his chin, "So are you going?"
Zuocun didn't say anything, just folded the letter, put it in his arms, turned around and walked away.
"Huh? Zuo Cun?" Saito was a little confused about Zuo Cun's attitude.
Samura walked home, with Saito following behind.
Zuocun took off the eagle feather fabric from the wall and put it on his body. Then he also took down the crane feathers, pheasant feathers and poisonous feathers.
"I once said...I don't want to pick up these old guys anymore..."
Zuo Cun tied two knots on his belt and tied up He He and Zhi Yu.
"But since Hijikata wants to fight me again..."
"No matter what, I can't help but respond."
"Didn't you just ask me if I wanted to go..." Zuo Cun stretched his neck and sighed, "How could I not go?"
"Do you want to come with me?"
Saito shook his head: "No... I guess if you go, either you or Hijikata, you two will probably be gone. I don't want to see that scene."
"Really?" Zuo Cun's stooped figure gradually became taller and straighter.
"Souna, I'm going out!"
Shouting these words loudly, Zuo Cun jumped up with a knife.