** Few days later **
- "Idiots!!! How could you go against Taiju alone?!" Katsumi shouted at Takemichi and Chifuyu. "And the cherry on the top, you allied with Kisaki and Hanma?! What was in your mind to trust those two snakes?! You should have called me. Takemichi, you should have told me that Taiju's death would have altered the future! I'm the only one of the 3 of us who could fight him!"
- "I didn't want to get you in trouble!" Takemichi said.
- "Me? To get me in trouble?! Those guys beat you up while I stomped half of their gang along with Draken and got away with just one punch in the face!"
- "I thought we could handle it ourselves, Katsumi", Chifuyu said. "I wanted to protect you."
- "E? Since when do I need to be protected?" Katsumi asked in surprise. "There's something you're not telling me Chifuyu. Takemichi? Are you hiding information from me?"
- "Kat, you are the one who puts up as a shield in front of everyone, you are the one who is ready at any moment to protect us... I wanted to offer you the same thing for the first time. Plus Baji-san asked me to take care of you, not to put you in situations where you could get hurt! Baji-san wanted to protect you all the time, that's why he didn't want to tell you anything even about his suspicions about Kisaki! Baji-san would never forgive me if he knew you were hurt because of me!"
- "Fuck Keisuke!" Katsumi said with tears in her eyes. "He always wanted to take care of me...even after his death he gave you the task to protect me..."Katsumi took a deep breath.
- "In the future, don't do things like that without consulting me first", he told them in a calm tone. "Takemichi, I saw the look you had when I asked you if you were hiding something from me."
- "It's nothing important", Takemichi tried to defend himself.
- "Takemichi, if we are partners in this matter, you will have to tell me everything."
Takemichi was hesitant at first, but then told her:
- "The last time I was in the future and you killed Kisaki, before Chifuyu and I left with him, you grabbed Chifuyu by the collar of his shirt and kissed him and then threatened Kisaki that cut off his hands if he touches a hair on his head."
Katsumi looked at him socked with their face red and with wide-eyed.
- "Ok, some things you can keep hidden", she said without looking at them.
Chifuyu also blushed a little.
** 31st of December **
Katsumi was with Mikey, Draken and Emma at the new year festival. She was wearing a Kimono with a fur scarf around her neck. Their attention was drawn by Takemichi who was screaming and trying to catch an ema on which he had written his New Year's wish.
- "Did you lose this?" Mikey asked picking her up from the floor.
After him came all the other captains and vice-captains from Toman, along with Hina and Mitsuya's sisters.
- "Onee-chan!! You are so beautiful!" shouted Luna and Runa, hugging Katsumi, who bent down so that she could hug them too.
- "There are 10 seconds left until the new year!" someone shouted from the crowd.
- "Let's all jump together", said Mikey.
Katsumi lifted Luna and Runa in her arms and they all started counting down from 10.
"Kat really looks good in festive clothes" thought Chifuyu. He rarely saw her elegantly dressed.
- "Happy New Year!!!" they all shouted in unison.
Runa and Luna ran to Mitsuya to hug him, Emma hugged Katsumi, and then Katsumi went to Mikey and hugged him tightly.
- "Kat-chin, we're in public", Mikey protested.
Everyone started laughing.
** First Toman meeting from that year **
- "The first Toman meeting this year will start now!" Draken announced.
Katsumi was sitting with him and Mikey at the top of the stairs leading to the Manji temple.
- "Following the conflict between Toman and Black Dragon, Toman came out victorious. Initially we had a truce that failed. There will be 3 people who will discuss this incident today", said Draken.Katsumi stared at Kisaki.
- "First will be Hakkai Shiba. Hakkai, come forward!" Draken shouted.
- "It all started with a stupid lie I told", said Hakkai." In order to maintain this lie, I dragged my family...I dragged Toman into this. Then the problem became bigger until it led to a conflict between Toman and Black dragon. I am responsible for this. I apologize to everyone!" said Hakkai and bowed to everyone present.
- "Don't worry, Hakkai, conflicts always start from something small", said Muto.
- "Besides that, we defeated the people from Black Dragon. It all ended well", Kawata said.
- "You can get up Hakkai, no one blames you!" someone shouted from the crowd.
- "You still have a place among us as vice captain of the second division!" Mitsuya said. "Does everyone agree?"
The members of the second division started calling his name.
- "Now, the second person. Inui, come forward!" Draken shouted.
- "Seishu Inui, from the 11th generation of Black Dragon", the boy introduced himself.
- "Hajime Kokonoi, from the same gang", announced another boy who came to him. "The 10th generation Black dragon lost to Toman."
- "After talking with Mikey, we decided to join Toman", said Inui.
- "I will assign black dragon to the first division", announced Mikey. "In other words, they will be under the command of Takemichi Hanagaki."
- "What the?!" Takemichi shouted.
- "Oi, Takemichi, your leader offered you the honour of leading the 11th generation black dragon, how do you respond to that?" Katsumi shouted at him.
- "How was this decided?" Takemichi asked in surprise.
- "That's what they asked me", said Mikey.
- "We were happy to be here captain", Kokonoi told him.
- "We don't ask you to trust us, just tell us if you need something and we will help you," said Inui.Everyone started talking chaotically.
- "Quiet!!" Draken shouted at them.
- "Lastly, I want to talk about something that happened on Christmas Day", said Mikey. "Kisaki Tetta, I'm kicking you out of Toman."
Katsumi smiled with the corner of his right mouth and looked at Kisaki in the crowd. Kisaki was shocked by the news.
- "What are you saying Mikey? You're joking right?" Kisaki asked agitatedly.
- "Do you think that Mikey is in the mood for jokes?!" Katsumi snapped at him.
- "I'm not joking around, you're kicked out", Mikey said calmly.
- "Hold on Mikey, if Kiski leaves, I leave too. And together with us 300 members from Toman, former members from Moebius and Valhalla. Toman will only reach 100 people, are you sure about that?" Hanma asked arrogantly.
"I'm going to squish this guy like a bug," thought Katsumi.
- "I don't care, Toman was getting too big anyway", Mikey said.
- "Has it become too big?! What the hell, Mikey? Isn't that what you wanted?" Kisaki asked.
- "I understand that the instigation of the Christmas conflict was aimed at increasing Toman?" Mikey asked. "You betrayed Takemichi and gave Yuzuha a knife to kill Taiju, Mitsuya and Chifuyu told me all about it. Out of a desire to make Toman bigger, you ignored your behavior until now. But that ends here and now."
Mikey moved away and Kisaki came after him, Draken wanted to stop him, but Hanma attacked him. Katsumi was sitting next to Mikey.
- "Don't listen to those brats, Mikey, you will make a new era for delinquents!" Kisaki said. "You need me Mikey, I'm your shadow, we need each other. Please think about it. You cannot achieve your dream alone."
Katsumi punched Kisaki in the stomach, knocking him to his knees.
- "Trash like you should kneel in front of the leader of Toman. And what makes you think Mikey is alone?" she asked him, putting her hand in his hair. "Nobody needs a parasite like you, Kisaki Tetta. I know you are responsible for the death of Keisuke Baji, I will hunt you down and torture you to death. I will enjoy your screams of pain, I will make you beg me to kill you", Katsumi whispered in his ear.
Then she took her hand off from his hair and went after Mikey. Kisaki was smart enough to not provoke Katsumi in that moment. He thought that maybe he could use Katsumi in the future in his plans. Kisaki always admired Katsumi's strength and her wit, but also hated her.
- "Takemichi, look at Katsumi", Chifuyu whispered.
Takemichi looked into her eyes and for a moment it seemed to him that Katsumi had the same look as in the picture he had seen with Akuma in which he had the impression that he was looking death in the eye.
- "Do you think Katsumi could lead to Toman's downfall?" Takemichi asked in a whisper.
- "No, I just think that Katsumi would rip the hearts out of the chests of those who would threaten Toman and especially Mikey with her bare hands", Chifuyu whispered worriedly.
- "Do you think she will kill Kisaki?"
- "I'm sure she wouldn't do anything to put Toman in danger, even though she knows he's to blame for Baji-san's death." said Chifuyu.
- "The meeting is over!" Draken announced.
Katsumi was sitting with Mikey near the temple.
- "You made a good decision, Mikey", she said, sitting down next to him.
- "He will turn against us", said Mikey.
- "Of course he will, it's obvious that he's obsessed with you, but whatever he will do, we'll defeat him", said Katsumi taking his hand.
- "Kat-chin, we are in public!"
- "Everyone knows I'm your twin sister", Katsumi said rolling her eyes.