#Fighting for Gintoki's happiness is something he did on his own free will so you could say it's the only thing he did for himself

[suchine-toki]

About Takasugi's abuse

The other day (totally not months ago) we were talking with @sakukaguxxi about how Takasugi’s relationship with his bio family is overlooked in character analyses. While Sorachi didn’t delve deeply into this aspect, which isn’t inherently bad, I think it’s important for understanding why he turned out the way he did.

We know two canon facts: (1) he comes from a low-class samurai family, and (2) he’s the firstborn. This suggests his family held noble status but struggled to maintain it. As a result, they relied on him to preserve their standing, enrolling him in a military academy and being strict about how he interacted with higher-status classmates.

To enforce this, they employed harsh punishments, such as starving him, tying him to a tree and leaving him in the cold for hours, or physically hitting him with enough force to draw blood when he was just a child (~10 yo?). On top of this, the threat of disownment loomed over him constantly.

These actions indicate they didn’t see him as a person or a child worth protecting but rather as a means to an end (maintaining their status). Consequently, he grew up devaluing himself and lacking the tools to express love in a healthy way. This likely explains why he became so attached to Shouyo and Gintoki.

For Shouyo, he was probably the first and only parental figure to treat Takasugi with genuine respect. While he disciplined him, it was always treated lightly and without causing him any real harm, unlike his bio father. Shouyo provided basic necessities like food, warmth, care, but also a sense of belonging.

Regarding Gintoki, a lot can and has been said. On this topic, he may’ve downplayed or misunderstood the extent of Takasugi’s abuse. This can be inferred from his comments before meeting Sakamoto, where he jokingly implies that Takasugi is still a “daddy’s kid,” even though he knows Takasugi was disowned.

This is interesting because Takasugi mentions being disowned long ago, yet for Gintoki, it doesn’t seem so distant. The timeline is unclear, perhaps Takasugi’s father disowned him during childhood, or maybe he tried to bring him back for years until eventually giving up when Takasugi was a teenager and considered irredeemable.

Moving into non-canon territory, if we consider Takasugi Shinsaku (the historical figure) for inspiration, some gaps can be filled. He was the firstborn, with three sisters, and bore the responsibilities of being the sole male heir. His father reportedly tried to steer him away from radicalism, even arranging a marriage for him to settle down.

This aligns with a seemingly banal joke, that Takasugi owned The Portopia Serial Murder Case and a console to play it (a Famicom?). At first glance, it’s odd that an abusive family would buy him such things. However, abusive individuals aren’t cruel all the time. They can oscillate between being harsh and showing kindness, creating a cycle of manipulation and gaslighting. This could explain why it took Takasugi some time to leave, perhaps he realized they needed him more than he needed them or that they would never truly love him.

The lasting effects on him are evident. Takasugi struggles to express himself in ways that don’t involve violence, and saw himself as disposable, with no strong sense of self. He fought for Shouyo’s freedom, for Gintoki’s tears, and later, for Gintoki’s happiness. While these were his choices, they were never about himself, they were for the people he held close to his heart.

[emicczyk]

I think my favorite anime representing freedom is Gintama. (Before someone says something about AOT, in my opinion, Eren will never truly represent real freedom. Just false freedom he imagined for himself and his loved ones).

(Regarding One Piece that is amazing represention, i would love to write about it next time and show how beautiful it is in showing it)

When it comes to anime that represents the concept of freedom, Gintama stands out as a profound yet often overlooked masterpiece, it captures the nuanced, multifaceted essence of freedom in a way that is both unique and deeply human.

Freedom is subjective—its meaning varies from person to person. It’s not always about breaking physical chains or overthrowing oppressive regimes. It’s about finding the strength to live as you wish, embracing what makes you happy, and forging connections with those who make life worth living. Few characters embody this ideal as beautifully as Sakamoto Tatsuma.

Sakamoto’s story is a testament to resilience and the power of self-determination. Once a pacifist who chose to fight in the war against the Amanto, Sakamoto did so not out of obligation but from a deeply personal conviction. Even when his hand was permanently injured, rendering him incapable of wielding a sword—the very symbol of a samurai—he didn’t falter. Instead, he found another path. His dreams of freedom, not just for himself but for Earth and its people, became his guiding light.

Though he couldn’t fight conventionally, Sakamoto redefined what it meant to be a warrior. He took to the stars, becoming a diplomat and a merchant, using his charisma and ideals to build alliances and bring people together. His dream extended beyond borders, beyond Earth itself—his vision of freedom was boundless. To him, freedom was the ability to pursue his dreams without constraint, and he never let go of that.

Gintoki was his motivation, he found a reason, when Gintoki stayed on earth he could catch the stars, he wasn't alone.

What makes Sakamoto’s journey even more inspiring is his unwavering compassion. He didn’t just seek his own freedom; he made it his mission to liberate others. Whether it was freeing slaves and offering them a place in his crew or helping Mutsu break free from her past, Sakamoto consistently showed that freedom isn’t just an individual pursuit—it’s something we share with others. His relationship with Mutsu, in particular, is a beautiful example of how freedom can be transformative when extended to others.

Even after Earth was liberated from the Amanto, Sakamoto didn’t stop. For him, the stars represented endless possibilities. Earth, with its newfound peace, had become too small for his boundless dreams. Yet, he never forgot his friends or his roots, always ready to return and lend a hand when they needed him. His actions show that freedom isn’t about abandoning responsibilities or severing ties—it’s about staying true to your ideals while cherishing the bonds that matter.

Sakamoto isn't bound by a single nation allegiance, or cause, which exemplifies personal freedom that he reached, like he reached to the stars.

Gintama as a whole explores the interconnectedness of freedom and love. Gintoki, at the heart of the series, is a character who embodies this theme. He helps others find their freedom—whether it’s Kagura discovering a new life on Earth, Tsukuyo reclaiming her identity from the confines of Yoshiwara, or Kondo freeing Hijikata from his haunted past. In turn, these bonds give Gintoki his own sense of belonging. Without his friends—Kagura, Shinpachi, the Shinsengumi, Tsukuyo, Sakamoto, Katsura, and so many others—he wouldn’t have a home to return to. Gintama shows that freedom isn’t isolation; it’s the love and connection we find in the people who accept us for who we are.

At its core, freedom is about being true to yourself and pursuing the dreams that set your soul on fire. It’s about having people who support you and a place you can call home—a place you can return to when you need strength. Sakamoto, Gintoki, and the rest of the cast demonstrate that freedom isn’t a destination; it’s a journey, one enriched by love, laughter, and the bonds we form along the way.

It's about doing what makes u happy,

freedom of begin yourself,

freedom of having people you love,

freedom of having dreams and pursuing them.

True freedom is the courage to live authentically, surrounded by those who inspire and uplift you.

[gintokisimp]

Daydreaming about Silver isn’t good for your Health. Chapter 1: Do you really need a reason to celebrate?

My first fanfiction I wrote. Post Canon GinTsu story. Does ignore some original story parts. All characters involved are adults. Later chapters are full of smut. 

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Light Angst, PWP

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 3,010

"Oi old hag, give me more sake" Gintoki shouted, slamming his fist on the counter.

The ochoko in front of him rattled under the force. 

"Why should I? It's not like you're willing to pay for it. Stop drinking and get out!" Otose yelled back at him.

"What are you saying? I have my money right here!" He babbled back at her and waved his hands, but instead of pointing at his wallet, Gintoki pointed at his crotch region. 

Otose clicked her tongue in disgust.

"I even won something at the Pachinko today, that's why I need to celebrate - that's why everyone needs to celebrate with me. Excluding you cause you need to serve me more sake on this special occasion!" He continued.

"Forget it already! You're only here because you think you can invite everyone on the house. I'll kick you out of my apartment tomorrow!" Otose was getting impatient with him.

"Otose-san, please calm down." Shinpachi pleaded, but he couldn't hear Otoses answer. The bar was packed to the brim and the noises made his ears tingle.

"PATSUAN stop talking to that hag. She will rob you. No more talking, more drinking!" Gintoki leaned over to Shinpachi, the scent of the alcohol brushing over his nostrils and he basically screamed in his ear.

What money though? Shinpachi sighed and got up from his chair next to Gintoki. Let them fight, it’s never a serious matter anyways. He left him alone fighting with Otose-san. On the surface, nothing really changed in the last few years. But in reality, a lot has changed. Someone would notice it in the small details: Katsura celebrating alongside the Shinsengumi. Kaguras growth spurt. The slightly different flair of the bar, after it was destroyed a few years ago and the weird forming of couples. Even the gorilla had given up his stalking habbit.

Shinpachi still had no luck though. But he always appeased himself, that Gintoki did neither in his early thirties. So in conclusion, it wasn’t that bad to concentrate on more important things in life before finding the love of your life. There was the Dojo. And of course Otsu-chan. 

Shinpachi nodded with a smile, lost in his thoughts. 

Gintoki really invited everyone. Hasegawa was sitting next to him and enjoyed the "free" drinks while listening to Gintokis and Otoses fighting. It didn't even bother him that Gintoki started bragging about his Pachinko winning streak. He was just happy to be here. It wasn't that much but still more than he ever owned since he got homeless and after all these years, Gintoki started to feel bad for him. Everyone kind of got their lifes sorted, but he was still living on the streets. Usually Gintoki would not care to ask him to get a drink with him, but they are pachinko buddies, so he felt the obligation to invite him. 

Otae and Kyuubei sat at one of the tables and enjoyed their drinks together with Zura and Elisabeth. Toujou sat between them and nodded heavily at everything they said. It was a weird sight, but today was different. It's a celebration after all. What a stupid reason for a celebration. I could have come up with something better. Gintoki thought after the pointless debate with his landlady. He hoped no one would get behind the actual reason. His eyes wandered lazily through the room. 

Hijikata, Sougo and Kondo arrived at the bar a few minutes ago and were already in a heated discussion if they should kick out Hijikata for putting disgusting amounts of mayo in his beer. Gintoki didn’t remember inviting them, it was probably Kagura's doing. Even Gengai had found his way here for a small drink. But instead of enjoying himself, he eagerly worked on an update for Tama who was standing right next to him. 

She was also here.

He had noticed her arrival before she even stepped through the sliding door. He always feels her presence lingering through the back of his head. After all those years of knowing her, he had never felt nervous or anxious around her. In fact, her presence comforted him in a strange way. She was such a good friend. But the last few weeks have been different. It all started with an accidental meeting they had on the streets of Kabuki-chō.

a few weeks prior

It was a sunny day, not too warm, not too cold. Cicadas chirped, the streets were busy, lively conversations echoed through the streets. All in all, the perfect summer day.

After a job well done, Gintoki and Kagura were casually strolling through the alleys of Kabuki-cho, when they came across a Pop Up Shop that sold kinky stuff. Gintoki didn’t bat an eye on it, but Kagura stopped in front of the store windows, since she never saw this special kind of shop out in the open. They were advertising a lot of different things and displayed strap-ons in the store windows. A vast sign in the window read:

Can a man really size up to these?

Try them out now!

Kagura read the sign and glanced over to Gintoki.

"Gin-chan, why are they displaying them in public? Are they trying to make men insecure? Are they making you insecure?" she asked innocently.

Gintoki stopped in his tracks, a vein popped on his forehead. "HUH?" Why are you asking?” He snarled at her, impatient to get home. Why is she asking those kind of things? Stop annoying me.  

“Why are you so snappy, are ya scared that they are bigger than you, huh?” Kagura started to laugh and his face began to burn. 

“Tch, of course not” He mumbled back at her. “Why would I of all men be scared?” Nervously, he clenched his fists. 

“Maybe because you’re a liar.” She retorted. 

“Lying about what?”

She pointed at the sign. Gintoki had already read what was on it and he sighed. 

"Well, it's definitely not right to brag in front of you,but you leave me no choice." His eyes brushed over the selection and finally, he pointed at a model that was roughly 25 centimeters. "I definitely can."

"Nah you're lying. The screwdriver you once had was bigger than your actual thing!" she snickered.

"I'm not lying, shut up!" He was getting very uncomfortable while talking about those things with Kagura. But she was an adult now and it should be normal to talk about this as adults, right? Right?

"Liar!" She screamed.

"Oi, let's go, we need to be at home soon." Gintoki ignored her bickering. He wanted to get home quickly since Bleach had a rerun and he didn’t want to miss it. 

He turned around fast while he started to walk, so he didn’t notice the woman standing behind him. He slammed straight into Tsukuyo. She was just standing there, now close to him. A little too close. Gintoki guessed she just wanted to say hello and overheard their conversation. Oh..

"Tsukuyo.. why.. what are you doing here?" He asked in confusion to meet her here and she stumbled backwards. 

Tsukuyo didn't answer. She was visibly getting nervous and her ears started to glow a bright pink. Kagura turned around with a smile. 

"Tsukki! We were just talking about this weird shop there. I guess they just want to make men insecure!" She explained, happy to meet Tsukuyo again.

"..uh. yeah I guess so." She said with a lowered voice. "We have a lot of those shops in Yoshiwara though."

"But why are you making a face like that then?" Kagura asked.

"Uhm.. what?" The color from her ears slowly spread to her face. 

"Is it because of what Gin-chan said?" 

"Ka.. Kagura!" Gintoki was shocked how blatant she could be sometimes.

“Don’t worry, he’s lying!” 

“Kagura, stop!” Gintoki felt his face burning again. Kagura ignored him and her eyes flicked between his and Tsukuyos face, visibly enjoying their ashamed reactions. A grin plastered her face. 

"Excuse me, I.. I need ta go." Tsukuyo turned around and hurried away from them in a different direction.

"Tsukuyo, wait!" He weakly held out his hand, but she was already gone.

Since then, he always felt nervous thinking about her. And he did think a lot about her in the last days. He doesn't even understand why. It’s not like it was an unusual situation for him, things like that happened a lot in this district and she for sure was used to it as well. But something was... odd.

The truth was, he was just making up an excuse to invite everyone and have her invited as well. They hadn't met since that incident and he felt the strong urge to see her again. While planning this whole thing earlier, he casually asked Kagura if Tsukuyo would also come to the party. Kagura just grinned at him.

"Of course I already invited Tsukki. She's coming just for you!"

Her reaction kind of scared him. He still didn’t figure out why. But right now it didn't really matter, he could not concentrate on that anyways. His mind was a little blurry from the alcohol and drinking was the only solution he knew against his growing nervousness. Without turning around, he felt her walking past him. 

His ears prickled. 

"maa Gin-san, what's wrong? Did you drink too much?" Hasegawa noticed his weird behaviour.

"Urgh, shut up. It’s nothing" Gintoki snarled back.

Tsukuyo elegantly sat down at the end of the bar, as far away as possible. Gintoki noticed Kagura immediately spurting to the bar stool next to her and they started talking. Gintoki lowered his eyes and focused his empty ochoko in front of him. 

"Where is my drink? Didn't I tell you to give me more?" Gintoki shouted more aggressively than he intended to.

"Pay your rent and I'll give you more, that was the answer." 

While picking up their pointless fight again, Gintoki overheard Kagura snickering. Tsukuyo was quiet, but Kagura didn't stop her laughter. He just hoped Kagura wasn't making her uncomfortable.

Ultimately, it was his job to do that.

Shinpachi heard it as well and got worried about what Kagura was on about again. For a few weeks now, she tried to act mysterious. She was planning something, but Shinpachi couldn't figure it out yet. Still standing next to his seat, he decided to interfere and walked over to them. 

"Kagura, what are you doing?" He asked as soon as he reached the two women. 

"Oh Shinpachiiii I'm not doing anything!" She replied, still snickering.

"Sure.” Shinpachi adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. “But it doesn't look like Tsukuyo-san is enjoying your ‘nothing’!" Kagura stopped laughing, but continued to smile. 

"She was teasing me about liking that ass face Sougo over there, so I told her she should just admit that she wants to fuck Gin-chan - "

"Kagura!" Shinpachi yelled, his eyes widened in shock.  

"- and she didn't even deny it yet." Kagura finished her sentence.

"Kagura, you can't say that, that's rude!"

"But Shinpachi, it's the truth! I know it!" Kagura slammed her fist on the bar, emphasizing her words.

"Stop making assumptions about other people's lives, Kagura!" Again, Shinpachi adjusted his glasses, but this time it was rather shaky. 

Tsukuyos mind was blank. What did she say? Why would she bring that up? How could she know what was haunting her dreams for the last months? Or did she just try to make a joke.. yeah, yeah that's probably it.  

Tsukuyo came here with the expectation to have a nice and chill evening with Kagura and Otae. At least that's what Kagura told her on the phone earlier. She arrived at the bar and saw a lot more familiar faces than she anticipated.

And then she saw him.

His broad back facing her, he was fighting his usual arguments with Otose. She involuntarily tensed up, averted her eyes and hurried to get the opposite side of the establishment. She didn't want to meet him. Not after all those embarrassing dreams.

"I just know it, it is obvious! I'm sure everyone knows it!" Kagura's voice broke through her thoughts. 

"I don't understand what you're talking about Kagura, please just leave Tsukuyo alone!" Shinpachi replied desperately. Apparently, they had exchanged a few more words while Tsukuyo was caught in her thoughts. 

"Shinpachi, you can't be serious. You're such a virgin." Kagura snickered.

"Kagura!" Shinpachi's face turned red. Kagura continued to tease the poor boy and Tsukuyo was glad she wasn't the center of attention anymore. 

"He doesn't even know I'm here. Why should he care.." Tsukuyo mumbled to herself, nervously tapping her fingers against her thighs.  

"Tsukki, tell him!" Kagura exclaimed all of a sudden. Tsukuyo froze. 

"Tell him what?" Tsukuyo asked casually. 

She hadn’t listened to Shinpachis and Kagura's conversation anymore.

"Yea, tell him what?"

Asked the voice that makes her skin prickle in excitement. She turned her head around, knowing what, or rather who was behind her and looked directly into mischievous shining crimson eyes. Her heart stumbled.

"Uh.. I .. nothing. I don't even know what they're talkin’ about. Really, ya should mentor ya kids better." She tried to act cool, while choking on her kiseru with closed eyes, coughing in his face. 

"What do you want to tell me? " He continued, unbothered by the smoke.

His words were enough to make her knees weak and Tsukuyo was glad that she wasn't standing. She would be lying on the floor by now, struck by his intense stare. It sent a cold shiver down her spine, and as he slightly tilted his head in a silent question, she could feel her face heating up. 

"Who said we.. we are talking about ya?" She stammered. 

"We were!" Kagura yelled from behind her. 

Please Kagura, shut up, only this one time! She pleaded silently.

"You were? " Gintoki was teasing her, a light smile played around his lips.

Tsukuyo was sure he was drunk, but right now, he didn't even seem tipsy anymore. His eyes were clear as day. It almost seemed like he was prepared for this and he captured her quick glances at his face with his eyes. Was she imagining things or did she catch a glimpse of pure, primal lust in his eyes. She blinked and it was gone. Dead, bored fish eyes stared back at her, almost uninterested. 

He didn't hear what Kagura said, did he? No, that's impossible.  

Tsukuyo could not focus, not with him in front of him, not with him looking at her, waiting for an answer. She tried to look somewhere else and began to stare at his arms. His right arm, biceps flexed, was supporting his weight on the bar counter. Is he doing that on purpose? She didn't realize until recently how muscular he really was, or rather, she didn’t really care about it prior to their.. encounter.

Why would he need to flex his arms while he was just standing. Veins stretched over his muscles, hypnotizing her more and more the longer she stared. She could almost grasp his blood pumping through them, if he would just let her touch him. Tsukuyo imagined her nails scratching along them, his hands sliding up her spine, pulling her hair and bowing her back and -

"And?"

He was still staring at her, waiting for an answer.

shit.

Gladly, Otose interfered before Tsukuyo had the time to make up an answer. 

"You know, Gintoki, I could forget about the rent if you just gave me some damn grandkids." She said thoughtfully, while puffing out the smoke from her cigarettes.

For a second, Tsukuyo really believed that Otose would distract Gintoki from the question. But actually, she made it even worse.

"HUH, what are you saying woman?" Gintoki snorted at Otose.

"I said you should give me grandkids!" Otose replied a little louder. 

"How does this affect me baba?!” Gintokis attention was now directed at the bar owner. However, his body was still facing Tsukuyo and now, while he was getting worked up again, he flexed his supporting arm even more and unwittingly leant closer to her. The closer he got, the more she felt like her head would explode. Tsukuyos ears were as hot as the midsummer weather outside and her heartbeat quickened, racing the blood through her own veins. 

"Tch, don't play stupid, you idiot." 

"Don't call me stupid, there's no one in this bar who could give you your damn grandkids!"

Tsukuyo flinched. Gintoki noticed that and he turned his head back to her. What's wrong with her, is she in pain? He was confused. His arm started to hurt and he shifted it around. He had placed it in an uncomfortable position in an attempt to cover up his nervousness. Of course, it didn’t work. 

Kagura noticed Tsukuyos reaction as well. "Gin-chan you idiot, shut up!" 

"What the hell did I do wrong? " Gintoki now yelled at Kagura.

"Ah whatever, I don’t have the nerves for this." Otose left them fighting and walked over to her paying customers.

"Everything, you're doing everything wrong!" Kagura exclaimed.

“I would be very happy if you could just explain me what the fuck I did do wrong!”

“You’re making her feel bad!”

“Who?” 

“Men are stupid, men are really stupid!” Kagura threw her hands up. 

"Oh you think so? Go tell your loverboy Okita-kun, maybe he cares about your bullshit." Gintoki mocked her. 

"ew he's not my lover, I could never love a punchable face like that." Kagura's face was genuinely disgusted. Gintoki and Kagura turned their heads as they heard Sougo's sadistic laughter from the table. He was smirking with his eyes closed. Glancing over to Kagura.

"Oh I will make you love me." He whispered loud enough for them to hear it.

“You! Shut up or I’ll make you!” Kagura was visibly getting angry, cracked her knuckles and stomped over to their table in an attempt to beat him up.

"No Kagura, stop!" Shinpachi yelled franticaly and followed her.

And with that, facing each other, Gintoki and Tsukuyo were alone.

[baragakiscans]

Firstly, sorry for losing the post to your ask! Tumblr shitty UI stuff happened and I accidentally deleted the draft TvT (they should make an option for asks to reappear if the draft answer got deleted or sth smh)

Secondly, IM SO SORRY FOR THE EXTREMELY LONG POST AAAAA

I tried to keep the explanations short like I did for Saraba (even that was pretty long) but then the more I tried the longer it became, and in the end what was supposed to be my take on like 2 pages of this book became this extremely long in-depth analysis of the entire book  _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_  But I mean, I’ve agonised over the translations for this book for almost half a year and I have Lots of Feelings about it because GOD I LOVE THIS BOOK

Anyway, Makkura is another one of those books with a lot of hidden layers that can be unpacked from the story with multiple rereads. Unlike Saraba where some things were intentionally left open to interpretation (I think), though, this book is slightly more straightforward, and I’d like to offer my take on the story.

Long post and Makkura spoilers below the cut!

At the beginning of the story, Gintoki and Hijikata were already dating (secretly-but-not-so-secretly). They’ve clearly been dating for a while now; Hijikata coming over to Gintoki’s place to stay the night (though he’d usually be gone by morning), mayonnaise in the Yorozuya fridge, etc… Though their displays of affection were rather subdued, to the onlooker (and everyone else around them) these two idiots were so obviously crazy in love with each other 💕💕 However, there is something that seems a little… off about their relationship, and this something would have continued lurking in the shadows…

The beginning of the end…?

…Had Gintoki not lost all of his memories of his relationship with Hijikata. Gone was the man who would become agitated at the mere thought of his beloved going into danger; the man before Hijikata now barely knew him, and the thought of dating the Demon Vice Commander would never have crossed his mind.

Imagine waking up to find out that your boyfriend has forgotten all about his relationship with you and makes THIS face at the mere thought of shacking up with you

What Hijikata did next may seem illogical at first (and don’t get me wrong, it really is), but it makes a bit more sense once you realise what exactly was off about their relationship.

You see, Hijikata didn’t think that he was good enough for Gintoki.

If you’re familiar with Syaku’s works, you may have noticed a particular trope being rather common: Hijikata and/or Gintoki falling in love with the other, yet not taking the step forward because they were afraid of getting in the way of the other’s creed—to protect.

Looks familiar? ;)

In Makkura, they did manage to take that step forward (regardless of who made that step first), but even so, there’s always been a niggling doubt somewhere in the back of Hijikata’s mind that maybe—just maybe—Gintoki would be better off without him. Hijikata would do everything in his power to protect the Shinsengumi, and he knows that Gintoki would do the same to protect those he holds dear. It just didn’t occur to him that he was one of them, too. Instead, he was afraid of Gintoki straying from his path because of him.

Gintoki losing his memories was like a wake-up call to Hijikata, that his relationship with Gintoki was too good to be true—and if it will all come to an end eventually anyway, then he should be the one to pull the plug first, especially since the perfect opportunity to reset everything to a clean state has presented itself. He pretended that nothing happened between the two of them. He told Gintoki to “Forget about all this. Everything.” He tried to convince himself that he should make a clean break and completely remove himself from Gintoki’s life, and be content with merely watching from afar.

Maybe Hijikata thought that since he and Gintoki never confirmed their relationship, the people around them will just shrug it off, or won’t notice the change in behaviour. But needless to say, everyone around them immediately noticed that something was wrong. And they even had Hijikata’s inner thoughts all figured out.

The Shinsengumi members know their vice commander too well XD

Even Gintoki himself had managed to put two and two together, but he just couldn’t figure out why he fell in love with the man with whom he always fights like cats and dogs. And since Hijikata himself was so adamant on nothing happening, all he could do was watch as the man-who-is-apparently-his-lover-but-he-somehow-forgot told him to stay out of his way. That’s why, it’s up to everyone else to restore Gintoki’s memories and get these two idiots back together.

While the Yorozuya kids were scrambling to find the antidote, Hijikata opted to go down the slippery slope of self-abandonment by meeting the pervert Bakufu official despite knowing full well what might happen to him. He thought it was all for the sake of the Shinsengumi, but seeing Gintoki down the hallway jolted him back to his senses and made him realise just how wrong he was. He realised the reason why he was actually doing this—to see if Gintoki would come to his aid, to see if Gintoki was still the man he knows and love. He realised that he doesn’t want to give his body to anyone anymore—anyone else, that is. He realised just how truly madly deeply in love he was with Gintoki.

What indeed…

By the time he realised this, though, it already seemed too late; it didn’t seem like Gintoki was going to save him. So, he resolved to keep his memories of Gintoki as a happy dream, and was ready to succumb to despair—when Gintoki finally comes to the rescue! (Not sure if Yamazaki didn’t press the button on purpose here) Of course, Gintoki was pissed off that Hijikata would do something this reckless. So he told Hijikata, “You should treasure yourself more…” (BTW, the original Japanese really only had “You should _______ more…”, I had to fill in the blanks) That’s when Hijikata realised that he was right all along; Gintoki hasn’t changed, even without Hijikata’s memories. And that’s all he needed to know.

And over in this exhibit we have the exact moment when Gintoki fell in love all over again

Right when Gintoki was about to profess his love say something to Hijikata, the kids finally arrive with the antidote! And Sougo even figured out that Gintoki doesn’t really need the antidote anymore since he’s in back in love with Hijikata XD But of course Gintoki wants to remember. Of course he wants to remember all about his time together with the man he now knows he loves. He drinks the antidote—

Ohhhh boy shit’s about to go DOWN

—And we arrive at the emotional climax of the story. Gintoki’s furious—Of course he would be; his lover just tried to erase himself from his life, thinking that it was for his sake! Gintoki thought that Hijikata had underestimated him—in a way, he’s right; Hijikata had underestimated just how much Gintoki needs him. He knew that Gintoki loves him, but he also thought that Gintoki should forsake him for the sake of those he wants to protect.

That’s why Gintoki let Hijikata know just how much he means to him. He has already come to know all of him, so he can’t ever bring himself to let him go. That’s when Hijikata started to realise that he was wrong about Gintoki, and wrong about himself. He meant much more to Gintoki than he ever thought he did.

This led to the one exchange that I wrote out this entire analysis for—

Did I really write 1800 words just for this? Yes. Yes I did.

If Hijikata really meant so much to him, then does that mean Gintoki would have tried to erase himself from Hijikata’s world for his sake, too? Gintoki doesn’t think so, but that’s after everything that has happened so far. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it if their positions really were reversed at the beginning of the story? They both know that, because they both hold on so dearly to the same beliefs, the same pride.

That led to Gintoki throwing the question back at Hijikata—does that mean Hijikata would fall in love with Gintoki again even without his memories, just like Gintoki did? In asking this, Gintoki was telling Hijikata that, even if he were to do the same, deep down, he would still want Hijikata to fall in love with him again. And that’s when Hijikata realised—it was the same for him, too.

At that point, the two of them came to the same conclusion—neither of them can live without the other anymore. Yet, even if their positions were reversed, they would still have done the same. And even if that were to happen, they would still arrive at this same conclusion. They both love the other too much to let go; yet, they both love the other so much that they’d be willing to let go. Now that they both know this, their bond has become truly unbreakable.

Hijikata’s reply was therefore an affirmation—

“Even so, you’d have done the same. Even so, I’ll still fall in love with you.”

That’s just the way both of them are.

And so, at the end of the story, we now have Gintoki who wants Hijikata to know just how much he loves him (maybe becoming more possessive in the process?), and Hijikata who now knows just how much Gintoki loves him, and has come to forgive himself for loving him. Their relationship is one full of contradictions, yet no matter what happens, they will both find their way back to the place where they belong—in (or should I say on?) each other’s arms.

Look at the how much love there is in Hijikata’s eyes just LOOK AT IT AAAAA

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Makkura is one of my top Ginhiji doujins of all time! I really really hope that my translation managed to do it justice, and I hope my ramblings were coherent enough TvT 

If you’ve managed to read this far, do give Makkura a reread and you just might see it in a different light ;) Of course, my interpretation might be different from what Syaku intended to present, so feel free to come up with your own interpretations as well!

Also, halfway through writing this I found an analysis by @mugimarumaru over in the MRM comments section, so do check it out as well :>

Thank you for coming to my TED talk and hope you have a nice day~

(I wish I’d put in this much effort in my college essays)

- JJ

(P.S. The REAL question here: if their roles were reversed would that make it a Hijigin book 🤔🤔🤔)

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 675 Review

After the fans practiced the feel of no Gintama for a week, we are back with a new chapter that thankfully didn’t give us a major brain damage. Instead, we got what we expected from our normal prediction with a few new twists that is best to say that we are going to be here for a long time. I’m not going to complain; more Gintama for us. Seriously, this chapter increases my interest with its setting and more questions that have me intrigued to follow.

There was a brief feeling of uncertainty in the first scene with some guy in a Mafia suit because well, I was scarred from Kanna’s reveal. It was building up to his reveal like he was going to be someone we believe we know who he is, only to troll us. Luckily, the man behind the suit is in fact Sougo, only now he has his own gang. The good news is Sougo is back. The bad news is Sougo is back.

Interestingly though maybe not surprising, he attacks Shinpachi and the kids like they’re his target, even though it is Katsura that they should target at. I got to credit Shinpachi for dodging those bullets swiftly as well as protecting Tamako. It’s worth noting that Kanna did her own saving, so the Yato bloodline is an amazing perk for kids. It’s great to see Sougo and of course, he didn’t die. That would have killed fans. His disappearance remains unanswered; at least until after the next scene.

The gag scene with an awful drawing of Takasugi is hilarious. This has to be a reference to One Piece gag scene; only this one has its own way to bring in the laughter. Gintoki either can’t draw a person accurately or he’s trolling hard, he does go around asking for help to find him. The best part is where he found a guy with the same look as the picture and yet, he bad mouths it like it’s not his business.

What’s funnier is his family has the same face but pay no mind that they’re identical. It made it better that it went casually and never really point out the obvious from anyone. I got a good laugh from that small scene. Eventually, Gintoki does find Takasugi in a feud with strangers. I would have thought he was going to show more sinister vibe of his to gives us more insight of his agenda. Nope. It wasn’t him.

I laughed so much at the reveal because it’s Takechi behind the disguise, yet I should have known better. The buildup was the guy bashing him about women being disappointed; somehow I missed that cue. The running gag never fails to make me laugh. Gintoki just pummel him like he is going to finish him off where the War failed to do so.

Once Matako shows up, I was back to focusing on the potential drama for we finally see Kiheitai in the scene again. I was ready for a serious talk with them since Gintoki did encounter Takasugi. But nope, Gintoki got another serious question in mind. He was very curious of Matako, but not actual her, rather her movie counterpart.

Apparently, there was “something” from her towards Shinpachi in the live-action, which is funny because I have the blu-ray copy and I haven’t seen it as of this time of writing. After what Gintoki said, I’m pretty curious now. There’s a good innuendo joke that thankfully the note was written to understand completely. The joke is just him being him but in a funny way. What a way to break the serious moment there.

The chapter shifts back to Shinpachi and his more or less battle against Sougo. He does pretty well for evading all of his attack, so that’s a good progress. He doesn’t fight back because that’s not his intention, which I respect that. Sougo does want to test out his strength after two years for entertainment purposes. Well, that’s one hell of a way to do so.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect is the new insight of the current world that really screams for this arc to be lengthy. Sougo’s “death” is only addressed as a metaphor because realistically, they felt cheated from this world. It’s revealed that the Mafia is practically Shinsengumi; even Saitou is there without a mask. It’s rather clever for Sorachi to somehow made Sougo as the leader without dealing with the ranking within Shinsengumi.

What compelled me is what Sougo said about why he left or “died.” The New Government has been controlling the new state of the world behind the scene and when you look over the past chapters, it really does feel like it’s all been a farce. I’m very impressed that Sorachi didn’t go with the typical route of war ending equals happy ending. Tell me, when was the last time the war aftermath doesn’t result to all peace, no problem?

I find this direction very appealing because not only it is going to be on a personal level than the War portion, but it went with a realistic route of not everything would result happiness. Utsuro wasn’t wrong when he said that life will have many hardship and suffering even without him. This revelation made his words truthful; making a villain credible is worth admiring. Now I really want to know how this would be resolved. This also could connect to the last part of this chapter.

It is funny that despite some truthful words about the lies and conspiracy from the New Government, Sougo has created a new organization that surely doesn’t scream evil. If anything, without the law of Shinsengumi, let alone in general, he is now free to be as sinister as he wants to be. Hell, he’s looking more like the main final villain of the arc; that’s how much darkness he’s showing. There must be more to his agenda behind this Mafia thingy, but right now, he’s a savage beast that wants to kill.

Maybe it’s because of the design, but Kanna is adorable here yet she was being rather thoughtful and taunting in a way towards Sougo. She didn’t feel any bloodlust from him at all, so she didn’t get what’s dangerous about that. Wow, that is some fighting words you’re spouting. Sougo swings his sword at her, but she’s taunting him further while standing on his sword. Sorachi knows how to make a kickass child.

For what it’s worth, the action is pretty neat for what it is. The artwork is solid with choreograph of evasive maneuvers. Kanna was easily dodging his move and even called him a disappointment. She must have motivated him to fight at his best for being reminded of Kagura. Another interesting piece is Sougo dropping another mystery by mentioning “other.” It appears that Katsura won’t be the only target and whoever other is it could be a sign of a real focus coming in play. I’m really absorbed with this new plot.

It’s an appealing approach to have two focuses going at once and it does feel like both are slowly tying-in together. It ends with Gintoki being sincere and somewhat protective for Takasugi. I do like the connection from the last arc with Kiheitai never dissolved; only gone away for a moment. I do hope they reunite to shed the light on why Takasugi left. It’s a bit eerie for Gintoki to not call him living.

The most touching scene is when Gintoki defends Takasugi and it’s not only because of his defense. Despite the hidden feelings behind Takasugi’s action, Gintoki understands his motive or at least has the best idea on why he split up and tries to attract no one’s interest. It’s obvious that he’s trying his way to cleanse his past; it’s just hard to understand his action and why that path.

What really stuck me is not only Gintoki was defending him in a way; he’s actually speaking from his heart because he can relate to him. By that, I mean splitting up from his family. When he reminds himself from his farewell to Yorozuya, there’s that sense of possible regret or action that he must take care of without others to be involved. It’s a past that they feel that the present should not intervene for it is their own personal demon they must cleanse for good.

I seriously love where this is going. We have Shinpachi who is struggling to move forward to a new path while Gintoki is struggling to move forward from his past. That subtle expression of him believing their loved ones stopping them would be the best option speaks volume of his feelings. Two years and they got no real progress in their life. At least Kagura got a child. But seriously, it’s only matter of time for her coming in to bring the balance and hopefully, the payoff will be the best that any series could offer me right now.

The ending is interesting because Gintoki is under attack. Honestly, I thought it was just a one-time moment with Hijikata’s men, but this surprised me that he’s really being targeted. The only question is who. I am grasping the feeling that the New Government may want to wipe him out because maybe we are back to the period before Amanto’s Invasion.

This was a pretty compelling chapter to read with a good amount of comedy moments. It’s good to see Sougo back in action, despite being even more devilish. The art is clean and the comedy is well delivered. The buildup for this arc is getting really interesting. The personal scene with Gintoki is touching and sincere.  I feel that this is going to be a real personal arc and honestly, that’s the best option to end the series with.

[dietarysalad]

Street War – Chapter 10

“Hey, Gin-chan?” Kagura asked once she had arrived home from the hospital and had made herself comfortable on the couch in their living room area.

“Hm?” Gintoki murmured his reply, his eyes focused on the television screen in front of him. “Who’s ‘Okita Mitsuba’?” At his daughter’s words, Gintoki’s ears perked up a little. “Hm? And how do you know that name?” he interrogated. “Well, you know that boy I helped over to the hospital the other day?” “Yeah?” “His room’s right next to an ‘Okita Mitsuba’. The Sadist was looking at the room all weird, so I was wondering who it was…”

Gintoki gave his daughter a conflicted look before grabbing the remote and flicking the television off. He turned towards her on the couch and watched as she hugged her legs to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. So even Kagura knows how to be respectful, sometimes. “Hm, well,” Gintoki began. “Do you remember a couple years back? When the Shinsengumi suddenly stopped trying to start fights with us?”

Kagura remembered. At the time, the Yorozuya had been in a state of confusion, unsure as to exactly what had happened to make the normally full-of-fight Hijikata Toshiro stop his challenges against the Yorozuya. Without any street brawls, Kagura could only watch as the majority of the Yorozuya began to grow restless, their usual routine broken without any warning. Takasugi, Sakamoto and Katsura, however, were strangely calm – as was Gintoki. Kagura was not entirely sure as to what was going on, herself, but she knew that it must not have been something that she needed to worry about if Gintoki did not seem to pay it too much mind.

“Yeah, I remember,” stated Kagura. “The mayo-freak disappeared for about a month, right?” “Right,” confirmed Gintoki. “He sent me a letter the day before, telling me that one of the Okita siblings that had joined the Shinsengumi was being admitted to hospital. I’m not too sure on the specifics, but it seemed pretty serious.” He paused and, after awkwardly scratching the nape of his neck, continued. “And, well. I’m not too big on the gang wars, myself,” he sighed. “It’s a good way to let off some steam, but Hijikata is the one instigating them anyways. It seemed like a nice holiday for a while, so I just let it be.”

Like an old man at the end of a long day, Gintoki leaned back in his seat and drawled out a long sigh. “Then, a month later,” he breathed out. “Hijikata called for another brawl as if nothing had happened. Soon, I just forgot about it – I figured whoever had been admitted to hospital must have gotten better. I guess not.” Kagura shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her top teeth gnawing slightly on her exposed knees. “So, Okita Mitsuba is the Sadist’s…?” she hesitantly asked. “Yeah, older sister,” answered Gintoki, ruffling his daughter’s untied hair. “Like how I picked up you and Kamui, Hijikata picked up Okita Mitsuba and Okita Sougo, and invited them into the Shinsengumi.”

At the lack of a reaction, Gintoki looked down to his right side to study Kagura’s face. His eyes softened at her troubled expression. She usually doesn’t think deeply like this. He stood up carefully and, in almost no time at all, his seat was taken by Sadaharu. The gigantic canine cuddled against his owner’s side, attempting to cheer her up. A small smile graced Kagura’s face as she combed her fingers through Sadaharu’s immaculate fur.

Before he left, Gintoki asked Kagura but a single question. “Why do you seem to care so much, anyway?” he threw at her, before walking back to the kitchen to find himself a snack. Kagura watched his back as he walked away from the living area, her eyes widening in realisation. Her lip twitched. Why do I care so much about that Shinsengumi? Peeling herself off the couch, Kagura walked off to her room and flopped onto her bed, falling asleep almost immediately as Sadaharu hopped into bed and snuggled beside her.

I’ve been thinking too much today – time to let the brain rest.

The weekend eventually came, though not soon enough in Kagura’s opinion. She woke up at the crack of one o’clock in the afternoon, and mentally congratulated herself for waking up so early on a Saturday. After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and deeming her hair clean enough to not need a wash that morning, Kagura dashed over to her wardrobe to find something clean to wear. It was one of those rare days that Gintoki would come into her room and launder all the clothes she had thrown into her ‘floordrobe’ and ‘chairdrobe’, and sometimes even her ‘bedrobe’.

After settling on a white, cat-eared hoodie and a pair of black, skinny jeans, Kagura skipped out of the apartment. On the way out, she assured Gintoki that she would be home in time for dinner – to which she received a lazy wave and a loud snore from the direction of the couch. Upon slipping her high-top sneakers on, Kagura steadily began to jog in the direction of Oedo Hospital, having promised to meet with Hongou again that weekend after visiting him throughout the school week.

“Oh, wow, Kagura-chan!” Hongou exclaimed. “You and Soyo-san really have a talent!” In his hands, Hongou held a stack of developed photographs – taken, courtesy of Kagura and Soyo. He eagerly flicked through them, holding each image close to his heart and running his eyes over them again and again as if they were his own memories. “You like ‘em?” Kagura grinned. “Soyo-chan and I wanted to take some pictures for you. You’re always here in this drab hospital room – you must get tired of all this white and grey, yes? So we went out and took heaps of pictures for you! You can take a look at these if you ever get tired of your books and this room.”

Hongou grinned, looking back down at the images that he held in his hands. He marvelled at the beauty of the cherry blossoms; he fawned over Sadaharu’s cuteness; he laughed at the silliness of Kagura’s and Soyo’s funny faces. All the while, Kagura watched from his bedside as Hongou’s expressions shifted to and fro. Though she enjoyed visiting him just to make sure that he was well and healthy, what she loved the most about seeing Hongou was the pure delight that he would have towards the things she would bring from outside the hospital. He had amusing reactions to just about anything, and Kagura enjoyed watching him look so happy. She felt like she was making up for letting him get hurt, despite the fact that Hongou had repeatedly assured her that she was not at all at fault.

As Hongou continued flipping through the photos, his eyes lingered on one of her and Sougo locked in mid-fight. Kagura noticed his expression change and peered over his shoulder at the image, her eyes narrowing upon sight. “Soyo-chan must’ve taken that one,” she grumbled. “The Sadist was being particularly annoying that day. Hm, if you ignore him, though, I think I look pretty good in this photo.” While Kagura continued to admire her fighting form, Hongou turned back to the photo and focused his eyes onto Sougo’s expression. He had known the older boy for a long time and knew that it was scarcely ever that a smile ever graced his face. Unless, of course, his older sister was involved. It made Hongou happy to see such a light expression on Sougo’s face, despite the violent context of the photo.

“Hey, Kagura-chan?” asked Hongou as he set the photos aside on his bedside table. “Yeah?” replied Kagura. “Can I ask why the Yorozuya and the Shinsengumi are always having those street fights? I’ve asked Okita-san before, but he said something strange about there being some conflict over… mayonnaise?” “Ah, well, for once the Sadist isn’t lying.” “Eh?”

Kagura sighed and leant back in her chair, crossing her arms behind her neck as a brace. “It’s a long story,” she began, gazing up at the ceiling. “But, well, the Shinsengumi boss is a mayo-freak, you see. He loves mayonnaise more than anything in the world. Apparently, in high school, the Yorozuya boss – my boss – ended up spilling some mayonnaise by accident during a lunch break or something. At the time, the two already had their own followings of some high school misfits. After the incident, more and more people began joining the Yorozuya and the Shinsengumi to duke it out with one another. To be honest, at this point I don’t think the fights are over mayonnaise anymore. It’s more of a way for our two gangs to go wild – we’re free to go all out.”

“Is that so?” wondered Hongou. “But, both of your gangs… You guys do good things for the community, right? The Yorozuya help out with odd jobs, and the Shinsengumi work as volunteers. I don’t see why you guys hate each other so much.” “Well, I’m not too sure about the rest of the group,” Kagura said as she turned back to Hongou. “But I would think that they have the same reasons as me. You see, it’s more fun to fight another team if you have some reason to hate their guts. There’s more passion – everyone feels the need to go all out. I’m sure some people aren’t even sure about the whole mayonnaise story – they just want a place to belong, a family to fight together with. The Sadist, too.” Kagura shook her head, as if she was utterly disgusted with herself to even be speaking about her hated rival. “He’s an idiot, but he’s strong,” she stated, and that was about as close to a compliment as she would likely ever give to the youngest Shinsengumi. “Because he’s got a place to belong to and a family to fight for.”

As he listened on, Hongou clenched his fists underneath the bedsheets. His eyes glittered with determination as he redirected his eyes back to the photographs that lied on his bedside table. This is the world through the eyes of someone who is strong. He took a deep breath in. This is the world through the eyes of someone who can fight. Releasing his clenched fists, Hongou turned back to Kagura. “You… Do you think I could be strong like that, someday?” he stated, the words feeling foreign on his tongue. Kagura tilted her head at him. “Hm?” she grinned. “Of course! That’s why you’ve gotta get better quickly. Then, you can join the Yorozuya and help me kick the Sadist’s butt!”

The two began to laugh. “Well,” Hongou began. “I don’t think I could go against Okita-san, but I’ll try my best!” Kagura stood up, taking a quick glance at the clock that hung up on the wall, and made a disappointed expression at Hongou. “Visiting hours are almost over,” she murmured. “I’d better get going. The next time I’m free, I’ll come and see you again, okay?” “Yeah, sure!”

After cheerfully waving at Hongou, Kagura stepped out of the hospital room and closed the door behind her. When he heard the door click back into place, Hongou reached beneath his pillow and pulled out his book, opening it again to reveal a familiar, grey hoodie string. It had continued fraying, and most of it was now a mess of thread. He grasped onto it carefully with both hands and closed his eyes. I’ll get better. Quickly. Then, with Okita-san and Kagura-chan, I’ll be able to get stronger, too.

As Kagura left Hongou’s room, she came face to face with Sougo who was coincidentally leaving Mitsuba’s room at the same time. Upon seeing Kagura, he froze. Confused as to why her brother had paused during his exit of her room, Okita Mitsuba spoke up. “What’s wrong, Sou-chan?” she called, startling Sougo into action. However, before he could cover his sister’s line of vision, she had caught sight of Kagura.

“Oh, who’s the cute girl?” she cooed, leaning to the right of her hospital bed to get a better look at Kagura. Without much of a choice, Sougo grabbed Kagura’s wrist and pulled the struggling girl into Mitsuba’s room, muffling her cries of protest against his shoulder. “An underclassman from Gintama High,” he said, sweetly. “She became friends with Hongou-kun, so that’s how I know her.” He beamed a smile of abnormal proportions at his sister, and Kagura could only look on in shock and a little bit of disgust.

“Sadist, what the hell?” she asked, unbelieving of the sight before her eyes. “’Sadist’…?” repeated Mitsuba, her head tilted in confusion. Upon his sister’s questioning gaze, Sougo tightened his grip on Kagura’s wrist. “Ah, she’s a foreigner so a couple of words she isn’t too sure about,” Sougo quickly covered. “You meant ‘senpai’, right?” Kagura gave him a strange look, tugging her hand from his grip to no apparent avail. “Ah? What are you-?” But, before she could finish, Sougo shot her the scariest and most evil side-eye she had ever experienced. A little shaken, Kagura stopped tugging her left arm away and turned back to Mitsuba. “O-oh, yeah!” she squeaked out enthusiastically. “Okita-senpai, right!”

Mitsuba gave Kagura a gentle smile. “Ah, well it is nice to meet you,” she chuckled. “My name is Okita Mitsuba, and I’m Sou-chan’s older sister. And you would be…?” “Oh,” Kagura stood up a little straighter. “Sakata Kagura – nice ta meetcha.” A quick elbow to the side from Sougo, and Kagura quickly spoke again. “I mean, pleased to make your acquaintance.” “Yes, it’s nice to meet you too, Sakata Kagura-chan,” Mitsuba stated.

Hm? Mitsuba blinked in surprise. “Eh?” she spoke. “Wait, ‘Sakata’?” At the sound of her father’s surname, Kagura began to panic. She had completely forgotten that the kind, gentle-looking Okita Mitsuba was a member of the Shinsengumi. Unsure as to how she should act – whether or not she should put up a pretence of hatred against this frail-looking woman – Kagura shied away from Mitsuba’s bed and towards the door. The only thing stopping her from leaving was Sougo’s hand, still wrapped firmly around her wrist.

Instead, Kagura could only fidget with the hem of her hoodie, awaiting the lashing that she would expect from any other member of the Shinsengumi. “Oh, how cute!” Mitsuba exclaimed, placing her palms against her cheeks in excitement. “Are the Yorozuya and Shinsengumi making friends, now?” Kagura looked up in confusion. Friends? “Um, not really?” she hesitantly stated. “There are still fights, like, every week or so.” Mitsuba’s expression dropped, her eyes showing pure disappointment. “Oh… I see.”

Menacingly, Sougo pulled on Kagura’s arm. She swallowed in response. “But, well, I mean – there aren’t as many fights as there used to be, and-” Kagura finally managed to yank her arm free from Sougo’s grip and promptly smacked him on the back as hard as she could under the pretence of being amiable. “-we’ve at least got a good classmate relationship going!” Kagura shot Mitsuba a wonky grin, trying to make a show of good will, as Sougo glared at her from the corner of his eye.

“Oh! Is that so?” Mitsuba’s face lit up. “Then, if you two get married, will the two groups end up merging together?” Kagura and Sougo stiffened. As quickly as he could manage, Sougo wracked his brain to say something to allow them to escape. “Uh, sis’?” he stuttered. “I think visiting hours are about to end, so I’ll escort her out now, okay? I’ll see you next time I’m free.”

Awkwardly, Sougo quickly bowed to his sister and turned to leave. Kagura also bobbed her head a little in respect, and followed Sougo out of the hospital room. Inside, Mitsuba giggled. It’s so fun to mess with him. Then, she sighed. Though I really do wish that Toshiro-san and the Yorozuya boss would stop all this fighting. I get the thrill factor, but it isn’t a good way to be relieving their stress.

Stepping out of the hospital with Sougo, Kagura squinted at the red-orange glow of the sunset. She opened her mouth to speak, but was immediately hushed by Sougo’s glare in her direction. “Don’t tell anyone about what you saw in the hospital,” he growled, standing close to Kagura so that he was able to take full advantage of their height difference to look down at her. “Hah?” came Kagura’s guttural reply. “And why should I listen to what it is that you have to say? I’m Yorozuya, remember?” Sougo scoffed. “Listen,” he began. “My sister is terminal, okay? At least have her privacy and peace, before…” Kagura hesitated at his words, shrinking away at his intimidating figure looming over her. “And I don’t want your pity, either,” he sighed. “Just stay out of our way and everything will be fine.”

Kagura said nothing, her mind flickering back to her own parents who were no longer on this Earth, and her heart went out to Sougo for a short moment. However, as soon as the feeling came, she forced it away again. I can’t be growing soft on these Shinsengumi dogs. His sister is another matter – just because I’m being mindful of her does not mean I will cut him any slack. Without another word, Kagura turned from Sougo and began her trek home to her apartment.

Though he was a little surprised at Kagura’s lack of response, Sougo paid it no mind. He also began to walk back to the apartment that he shared with Hijikata when a nurse rushed out to the hospital entranceway, almost crashing into him. “Sir, it’s an emergency!” she exclaimed. “Please head over to the emergency room, right now.” Sougo’s face paled, his brain failing to function as the nurse began to explain the situation to him. Slowly and mechanically, his body started to move into action and he allowed his muscles to take him to the emergency room. Only a single thought raced through his mind.

Sis…?

Author’s Note

Um, I’m sorry if you don’t know what I mean by ‘floordrobe’ and ‘chairdrobe’ and ‘bedrobe’. Like, a wardrobe. But you chuck your clothes on the floor or on that one chair in your room. Sometimes on the half of your bed that you don’t sleep in. Come on, it can’t just be me.

Once again, this chapter might be a little longer than usual. It’s because I had planned for this one to be two separate chapters, but I thought it might be better for them to be together.

[tobiologist]

the simple pleasures

Gintoki/Katsura // canon divergent // 1.8k+ // sfw

Summary: “’Don’t you have a terrorist group to be leading?’ Gintoki sighs. ‘Or some idiot Shinsengumi officers to be avoiding?’

Katsura can’t help the gasp that slips past his lips. He isn’t sure what exactly gives him the idea but excitement overwhelms him. And, without a second thought, he reaches out to snag Gintoki’s wrist. ‘The sakura!’”

or: All Katsura wants is to watch the sakura blossoms and have a talk with an old friend

Katsura, for the most part, is a man of simple pleasures.

Rather, he is easily pleased. At least that’s what he likes to think, and this situation is no exception.

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If he’s being completely honest with himself, he and Gintoki aren’t as close as they used to be. The plights of battle truly brought them together, all those years ago—misery loves company, as the saying goes—and Katsura struggled when the bonds they’d formed in war gradually crumbled around him. Memories of their time together slipped through his fingers like grains of sand, infinitesimal in the grand scheme of things, irretrievable.

This realization came to Katsura slowly but, when it eventually did soak in, he learned to savor the little wonders in life.

Any run in with Gintoki was certainly better than nothing. The familiar tuft of silver-white hair and lips set in an indifferent line, half-lidded eyes staring into the distance. There was no mistaking the white yukata, blue swirls curling around the bottom and hem of his sleeves, and the worn black boots. Katsura could easily spot his old companion from a mile away.

This morning just so happened to be one of those happy coincidences.

“Gintoki!” Katsura lifts a hand into the air, attempting to flag Gintoki down. “Over here!”

Gintoki freezes in his tracks, Sadaharu at his side looking equally bored with their current outing. His gaze falls right on Katsura and—he turns on his heels and sets off in the other direction.

This man… Katsura huffs and quickens his pace. “Keep up, Elizabeth,” he whispers to his friend who, predictably, follows. It thankfully doesn’t take long for Katsura to catch up, and he assumes his place at Gintoki’s other side, flashing a triumphant grin.

“Taking the pet out for a stroll, I see?” Katsura prompts. He swears Sadaharu gives him an annoyed ‘is this guy for real?’ look but Katsura chalks it up to his imagination. “I had the same idea!”

Elizabeth practically shoves their sign in Katsura’s face. I’m not some pet you take on walks!

“You have to take them out or they start to get anxious. Being trapped inside that stuffy hideout all day is no good for Elizabeth.”

Another sign, brandished with obvious frustration. If anything, you’re the pet, and I’m taking you out for a piss!

“This isn’t a walk, Zura,” Gintoki finally chimes in. “I’m sightseeing.”

“Sightseeing?” Katsura has always found Gintoki’s sense of humor to be strange. “Ah, yes, ‘sightseeing.’ Where are the other two then? Where’s Leader?”

“They were too busy.”

“And what could you possibly be looking for around here, Gintoki?”

“Something… important.”

“I suppose it’s for a job.”

“Don’t you have a terrorist group to be leading?” Gintoki sighs. “Or some idiot Shinsengumi officers to be avoiding?”

Katsura can’t help the gasp that slips past his lips. He isn’t sure what exactly gives him the idea but excitement overwhelms him. And, without a second thought, he reaches out to snag Gintoki’s wrist. “The sakura!”

Gintoki clicks his tongue but doesn’t try to pull away. “What the hell are you on about? You’ve got something stuck in that wig of yours again?”

“I know the perfect place!”

“You can’t seriously be thinking—“

“We need to hurry,” Katsura insists, tugging harder on Gintoki. He rounds the next corner and drags Gintoki along with him, destination clear as day in his mind.

To his surprise, Gintoki remains quiet as they quickly make their way to the viewing place. They jog through alleyway after alleyway, passing several curious bystanders along the way. Most probably recognize Gintoki, and an indescribable surge of pride rushes through Katsura at the thought. He is the sort of man who deserves every bit of appreciation. Elizabeth and Sadaharu continue to follow along—albeit reluctantly—and Elizabeth has the decency not to ask questions. They know Katsura well enough at this point to guess his intentions.

As they enter the clearing, Katsura feels his lips quirk into a grin. Laughter rises up his throat, and he yanks Gintoki the last few feet before claiming a place at the base of one of the trees. He picks one the farthest away from the other visitors. The hat secured to his head hides his face from any wandering eyes, but he can never be too sure.

Gintoki drops to the ground with a snort. Elizabeth and Sadaharu exchange a Look before choosing to circle around and sit on the opposite side of the trunk. Tucking his legs underneath him, Katsura makes himself comfortable and—oh. He’s still holding Gintoki.

Except, rather than holding his wrist, at some point during their rushed journey, his hand slipped and his fingers were now interlocked with Gintoki’s.

Immediately, Katsura lets go, jerking away as if shocked. Gintoki has yet to move his own hand and stares, brows furrowed, at his now free fingers. Katsura stifles the urge to place his hand over Gintoki’s and awkwardly sets his hands in his lap.

For a few seconds, no one says a word.

It’s a tad uncomfortable but that’s to be expected. They don’t talk like they used to. Katsura kept track of the years, the months, the number of days, he and Gintoki had been apart before he discovered they both lived in Edo.

Katsura remembered everything.

The time he miscalculated the size of the enemy army, and the four generals were forced to share a tent after losing far more man than they’d intended. Gintoki, warm and sure, at his back as Katsura drifted off to sleep, lulled by the soft rise and fall of Gintoki’s chest, by the crickets chirping just outside. It’s possible none of them actually slept, but Katsura felt well-rested the next morning nevertheless.

The time Katsura got hurt, and Gintoki nervously paced outside of his tent for several hours, until someone managed to stitch up the wounds. Afterwards, Gintoki swore up and down he only stayed nearby because he didn’t want to lose one of the generals. He said it would be hard to appoint another commanding officer. Takasugi politely responded to Gintoki’s explanation by saying, “You are such a fucking liar.”

The time Sakamoto and Gintoki got lost in the Red Light district in between fights. Katsura and Takasugi had been the ones to retrieve the two of them, reasonably upset with the other generals’ behavior. When they made it back to camp, Sakamoto pulled Katsura aside and told him Gintoki accidentally called a woman ‘Katsura’ while they were together. But Sakamoto was known for his ridiculous stories.

The time they drank a little too much after a particularly grueling skirmish. Katsura found himself gravitating toward Gintoki as they gathered around the fire. The pressure of an arm across his shoulders, later around his waist, had grounded him in that moment. A mental image, startling in its clarity, of his and Gintoki’s life after the war. He’d imagined them as inseparable, steady, a force of nature not a single person could stop. He’d also imagined what Gintoki’s lips would feel like and—and that night had certainly changed everything.

The time Takasugi nearly died. The time Sakamoto nearly died and the countless occasions Gintoki nearly died.

Katsura locked each memory deep in the recesses of his mind, hoping that, regardless of how far apart the four of them grew, he would still have something to remember them by. Beautifully preserved like paintings lining the halls of a museum, Katsura held each one close. Even though they were sometimes gruesome or difficult to accept as the truth, Katsura refused to forget.

“It’s a shame, you know?” Katsura remarks, seemingly out of the blue.

“This? Well, you said it. Not me.”

“No, no, I’m serious, Gintoki. Don’t you ever miss them?”

Gintoki stays quiet, but that comes as no big shock to Katsura.

“We never got the chance to do anything like this together.” Katsura pauses, humming softly under his breath. “Relax.”

“Soldiers don’t relax, Zura.”

“You don’t miss the others,” Katsura rebuts. It’s supposed to be a question but nothing about his tone suggests so.

Silence falls between them and, for a moment, Katsura considers standing and walking away. He’s growing tired of this game. This façade, this forced apathy, makes Katsura feel ill. What happened to Gintoki’s serious side? Not the side that killed thousands of Amanto soldiers, not the side that regards the world with the listless eyes of a dead fish. Katsura longs for the Gintoki who started honest conversations, late into the night, voicing feelings Katsura had no idea he even possessed.

Katsura has—and always will—want the truth.

“I do.”

Gintoki’s voice startles Katsura, heart fluttering in his chest.

“Not often but…” Gintoki purposely keeps his gaze focused on the trees overhead. “Sometimes. It happens less now that—hm.”

“Hm?���

“It’s difficult to forget someone’s wig when you’re forced to see it almost every day.”

A sakura blossom drifts lazily through the air. Turning, turning, it gently lands on Gintoki’s arm, pink standing out against the white of his yukata. Katsura has the strangest urge to reach out and retrieve it.

“Like those grimy old men on the streets who like watching women walk by—the pretty ones? They’re so obvious,” Gintoki rambles, gesturing wildly at their surroundings. “And all of their hair is falling out. So their wigs are even more obvious than their staring.”

Katsura smirks; it’s as close to the truth as he’s going to get. Gintoki may think he’s being subtle, but Katsura has a talent for reading between the lines. Especially when it comes to comrades—especially when it comes to Gintoki.

“Maybe we should get going, Gintoki,” Katsura insists as he climbs to his feet. “I have seen enough for today.” And heard enough.

Gintoki groans loudly and joins him. His arms lift into the air, and he grunts, carefully stretching each. A pleasant little pop follows each twist and turn. Sakura petals stuck to his yukata drift to the ground around him. A couple, however, remain lodged in the thick curls on top of his head. Katsura waits patiently, trying not to stare too hard.

Of course Elizabeth chooses that moment to peek around the tree and quickly scribbles out a response on their sign. Take a picture, it’ll last longer.

“Come now, Gintoki,” Katsura blurts. He swivels around to face the direction from which they came. “Mustn’t keep the boy and Leader waiting.”

A tiny voice in the back of Katsura’s head encourages him to invite Gintoki over. Even if he wants to bring the kids, Katsura wouldn’t care. This is one of the rare occasions he’s met with Gintoki alone—well, mostly alone—and he’d hate to waste even a second of that valuable time.

But Katsura has let himself be selfish for long enough.

He will take what he can get, even if it is only a few minutes of silence and serious conversation. Katsura, you see, is a man of simple pleasures.

[bossladytae]

Hi...hi! I hope i'm not bothering you, but can i ask your opinion about oboro? I love him so much and i don't get it why some of fans doesn't like him. thank you so much ^^

Hi! Don’t worry, you’re not bothering me at all. :) I’m always happy to talk about Gintama in any way. That’s why I made this blog. 

Sometimes people don’t like certain characters because they just don’t and we don’t have to like every single character. To me, though, that’s different from those who seem to have a personal vendetta against characters and spend their time hating them and talking about how much they hate them, which makes no sense to me. Why waste time on characters you hate when you can invest that time in the characters you love? There’s a difference between critiquing a character and outright hating on them just to be petty and cause drama.

Anyway, on to Oboro, who I like and don’t hate in the slightest – and this doesn’t mean I seek to justify his actions. People get confused on this to the point where they take start judging people’s moral character just from the characters they like, especially if they are villains. This kind of logic comes from the desire to put everyone on a pedestal, even fictional characters, without realizing that it’s possible to like a character without needing to somehow justify what they’ve done so that you can appear morally superior to others. There are some anime and book villains I like, but it doesn’t mean I’m a terrible person who’d do the same bad deeds. It simply means I like the way they were designed and the role they play in the story. Writing a good villain can be as challenging as writing a good hero or character in general.

Okay, now back to Oboro for real:

(Putting the rest of my answer under a cut for spoilers, so heads up, Anon, if you haven’t read the Rakuyou arc.

Also, to the other Anon before, I will reply to your second message with additional thoughts of mine in several hours’ time. My brain needs rest first. Thank you for your patience.)

Some people don’t like Oboro because he’s done some less than heroic things. There’s no going around this and we don’t need to make excuses for what he’s done. Oboro is the leader of the Naraku, who have been in league with the Tendoshuu, who are not exactly nice people. Focusing on Oboro only, he’s fought and injured Gintoki and put the people he cares about in danger. He played a role in Shouyou’s execution, damaged Takasugi’s eye and more, and has just generally shown up to throw a wrench in the plans of the people we usually root for. Plus, being involved with Shouyou in that way caused a lot of physical pain and psychological trauma for Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura…that doesn’t exactly make some fans wave their pom-poms for him.

Oboro seemingly died in the Courtesan of a Nation arc and people thought that was the last we’d see of him. Then, he reappeared in the Shogun Assassination arc, where he also seemingly died and they thought that was it. And then he appeared again in the Farewell Shinsengumi arc and sustained major injuries. And then so on to the Rakuyou arc. This man just wouldn’t stay dead or immobilized, and that probably annoyed people, especially when he kept trying to kill Gintoki and others.

As for myself, I liked Oboro before I knew of his back story. I think he’s an interesting antagonist and one of my favourites in the series. One reason is because he’s voiced by Inoue Kazuhiko, who is one of my favourite voice actors. I think Oboro has a cool character design and stellar combat skills. I like that he’s rather stoic and isn’t figuratively twirling his moustache with evil glee like others. He stays calm and composed for the most part, except for when he becomes enraged.

(Doesn’t he look so cool? I had to include this pic.)

I also like that he’s one of the people who can give Gintoki a hard time in battle. Now, that doesn’t mean I like when people harm Gintoki, but if he were all-powerful and constantly defeating people without any challenge at all, it would be boring and predictable. The Gintoki vs. Oboro fight is memorable for the fact that Oboro was a tough opponent who brought back unwanted war memories.

Oboro shares many parallels with Gintoki. Besides physical appearance, they owe their lives to the same man: Yoshida Shouyou. Very much like Gintoki, Oboro tagged along with Shouyou, unwilling to leave him, feeling indebted to him for saving his life. Oboro has a rather low opinion of himself, as shown in the flashbacks of the Rakuyou arc: he didn’t believe himself to be anyone special or of importance to others. An orphan bought and sold by bandits, Oboro didn’t expect anything more and knew nothing more than pain, fear, and emptiness with no purpose in life except to serve others as an object, not a human being. And that makes my heart ache.

He’s not on a quest for ultimate power or to destroy the world for the heck of it. All of that is the result of his loyalty to Shouyou/Utsuro; he’ll do whatever it takes to “remove obstacles in that man’s way,” and if it means the downfall of a nation or killing Shouyou’s other students, so be it. Even years later, he only sees himself as a vessel to be used, a servant to Utsuro, forevermore.

Oboro was willing to do anything for Shouyou, prepared to become even an assassin. He was ready to become the first disciple of Shouyou’s and start a new life with him. And when the Naraku assassins came looking for them, Oboro sacrificed himself just so that Shouyou could escape and make his dream of opening up Shouka Sonjuku a reality. Oboro knew Shouyou no longer wanted to kill, and wanted his teacher and saviour to achieve all that because Oboro loved Shouyou more than his own life. Shouyou made Oboro feel human.

That kind of dedication speaks volumes of Oboro’s character. But, of course, Oboro survived, the Naraku made him one of their own, and he decided to rise up in the ranks – all to protect Utsuro, even if he could no longer be with him. Everything was and is for Utsuro/Shouyou. Everything.

Then, Oboro saw Shouyou with Gintoki, Katsura, and Takasugi. He must’ve been relieved and glad that Shouyou was able to accomplish his dream and give new life to other children���but I can only imagine the deep sorrow Oboro must’ve felt, because he could not be with them, that he was apparently forgotten by the man he was so devoted to. Hearing him express his wish, that he “would have liked to become one of them,” as his dying words…it really breaks my heart because I bet he would have been such a good older brother figure to Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura in another world and time.

That deep sorrow turned into something else, and Oboro pulled strings to have Utsuro arrested and then executed. “To get my master, I killed my master” – twisted, to say the least, and yet fascinating. Shouyou returned, but not as the man Oboro once knew: Utsuro. But that didn’t matter – it’s something Oboro points out to Takasugi, the key difference between them. Shouyou, Utsuro, the name doesn’t matter, because he is one and the same to Oboro.

But after his “blood vow” was fulfilled and he was about to die, Oboro told Takasugi and all of Shouyou’s disciples, consequently, the truth about Shouyou/Utsuro. Even at the end, Oboro wanted Shouyou to be free again, free from his immortality that causes him so much suffering. He knows Shouyou’s other students – most especially Gintoki – will be the ones to bring an end to that. He was probably envious of their closeness with Shouyou, that they got to spend more time with Shouyou than he did, but still, he shared vital information to help them, even after he had tried to kill them. Then, as I stated here, I believe Oboro dying at Takasugi’s hands for good was a fitting end for him.

And that’s why I love Oboro. He’s a complicated man and a memorable antagonist. His devotion to Shouyou led him down a twisted and tragic path, but I’m sure he would have preferred it to a life of nothingness without Shouyou.

I can understand why people might dislike him, but I will always be fond of him. 

[dietarysalad]

Street War – Chapter 2

Kagura bounded along the sidewalk, her brother in tow. It was her first day of school at Gintama High and she would be joining the first-year classes. During both elementary and middle school, she had been too busy training with her brother to give much thought to making friends or anything of the sort. It was amazing how she had managed to scrape past all of her classes despite never actually spending a single second studying any of her class materials. However, now that she was in high school, she had decided to put in some effort to making a friend or two. I know that Gin-chan is always worrying about me never going out with friends or anything. I’d better put him at ease before he goes bald.

As they neared the school, Kagura suddenly stopped her overly energetic hopping and paused to let her brother catch up to her. “You know, Kamui,” she began. “I’ve never actually asked you why you don’t go to school.” Kamui’s eyes looked up from his phone and gave his sister a sly grin. “School doesn’t have much to offer me.” Kagura tilted her head. “Is that why you have nothing in your brain, idiot big brother?” “I don’t need very many brains to do heavy lifting,” he replied, yawning. “And it isn’t like I have nothing in my brain. I at least know my seven’s times tables.” “Oh, yeah?” Kagura stuck her nose up. “Well I know all the way up to my ten’s times tables.”

Kamui placed his phone in his pocket and amiably applauded her. “Well done, little sister!” he beamed. “But you’d better hurry up, now. Don’t wanna be late on your first day, right?” After quickly patting Kagura on the back, Kamui jogged away from the school to join Takasugi on their next job together. Though Kamui enjoyed fighting on his own, he was much more open to company when it came to the odd jobs in Tokyo that the Yorozuya gang found themselves involved in. Takasugi, in particular, had become one of Kamui’s favourite Yorozuya members to annoy. Kagura shook her head as her brother zig-zagged through the crowd of students entering the school gates. I wonder how Takasugi manages to not kill him every day.

Turning from her older brother, Kagura pulled on the shoulder straps of her school bag and power walked her way to the school’s notice board. After quickly locating her class number and location, Kagura made her way to the first-years’ wing. Gintama High was relatively large for a public high school. It had three departments – one for each year level – with about four storeys for each building. Each building had its own student office and infirmary, as well as seven homeroom classes. Dotted between the three buildings were the music and art classrooms, as well as a number of other elective-type classrooms.

As she ran through to the first-years wing, Kagura passed by the third-years’ building and noticed the school’s cafeteria. Hmph, of course the third-years get the closest access point to the food. Grumbling under her breath, Kagura looked away and continued towards her classroom. Along the way, she was able to take a quick look at the school’s gymnasium and swimming pool. Separate from the gymnasium was what appeared to be a training hall for martial arts. I guess Gintama High must have a martial arts club or something similar. Kagura momentarily entertained the thought of joining, before shaking her head. She had lost the opportunity to make any friends in elementary school and middle school because she had always been busy fighting her brother. She could not allow a repeat of that.

Finally, Kagura made it to the first-years’ building. She quickly located her shoe locker and swapped out her outdoor shoes for the provided indoor shoes, all the while she had managed to strike up a conversation with a group of other girls. After learning that they would all be in the same class, they all began walking towards their classroom. “So, what’s your name?” one of the girls had asked Kagura after they had all introduced themselves. She gave Kagura a pretty smile, her lips glossed with a light pink lip-gloss. Kagura absently wondered if the group of girls would teach her how to use make-up, too. Gin-chan is so stupid about these kinds of things. He needs to get himself a wife. “Ah, my name is Sakata Kagura,” Kagura beamed back. “Pleased to meet-!”

“Sakata?!” a brunette at the back of the group repeated, incredulous. “Like, as in the Yorozuya’s Sakata Gintoki?” Kagura gave the girl a strange look. “How do you guys know about Gin-chan?” “Everyone who goes to Gintama High knows about the Yorozuya and the Shinsengumi!” she replied. “The gangs originated from here, after all!” “That’s right,” agreed the girl who had asked for Kagura’s name. She turned shakily towards Kagura. “So, that means you’re a member of the Yorozuya…?”

Kagura’s confused look disappeared, replaced with a proud grin. “Yeah! Gin-chan let me join just yesterday,” she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. “I totally whooped Shinsengumi ass in my first street fight.” At the thought of the Shinsengumi member from last night – Okita Sougo – Kagura’s bright smile fell. “Well, I mean I would’ve kicked their butts if it wasn’t for the stupid sadist that got in my way…” she grumbled. However, when she received no reply from the other girls, Kagura turned around. When her eyes met with theirs, the girls gave Kagura a shaky smile. “Um – actually, Kagura-chan,” the first girl began. “The four of us have something that we need to do quickly before we get to class. Why don’t you go ahead and we’ll meet you there when class starts?” Her suggestion was met by vigorous agreement from the rest of the girls. “Sure!” Kagura said. “I’ll see you guys later, then.”

However, Kagura never did see those girls again. Unbeknownst to her, they had all requested to be moved to another class in fear of the Sakata name. Though she was initially confused as to why she did not see her ‘friends’ during homeroom, there was no time for her to dwell on it. “Next!” called Kagura’s homeroom teacher. The class had been doing self-introductions during homeroom and it was finally Kagura’s turn. She stood up from her seat, pushing her chair out with a loud screech, and began her introduction. She did not get very far into it.

“Hello, my name is Sakata Kagura and I-!” “Sakata?!” Kagura glared at the boy who had interrupted her and he did his best to slouch as far into his seat as possible. “Yes, that’s right. I’m Sakata Gintoki’s daughter and I’m a member of his Yorozuya. Is there a problem with that?” She directed her last sentence to the boy who had previously interrupted her, but the intimidating effect from her words held influence over the entire class. Everyone turned from her and did their best not to make any eye contact with her. Everyone – except for the girl who sat in front of Kagura, who turned in her seat with bright eyes and rosy cheeks. “Did you just say that you’re a member of the Yorozuya?!” she asked, a poorly concealed squeal of delight in her voice. “Now, now,” their homeroom teacher interrupted, prompting Kagura’s classmate to turn back towards the front of the class. “We have time for chit-chat, later. If that is all, Sakata-san, then you may be seated.” “Yes, sir.”

Kagura slowly sat back down into her seat, oblivious to the scared faces of her classmates, and watched in anticipation as the girl in front of her stood up for her self-introduction. “Hello, my name is Tokugawa Soyo. I enjoy taking photos and shopping. Pleased to make your acquaintance!” she said, her voice chipper. “Thank you, Tokugawa-san. Next.” As she sat down, Soyo turned around and shot Kagura an airy smile. When she turned back towards the front of the class, Kagura noticed her bounce in her seat with excitement. Well, I’m glad someone is happy to see me. Kagura smiled as she looked out the window. Tokugawa Soyo, huh? Why does that sound familiar…?

When the bell rang, signifying the end of homeroom, Kagura did not even have the time to collect her books for their next lesson before she was tackled with a hug from Soyo. She gave a muffled yell of surprise as Soyo relinquished her tight grip on Kagura and fixed her long, dark hair behind her shoulder. “Thank you and the Yorozuya so much for what you did for my elder brother!” Soyo exclaimed, her hands placed delicately on Kagura’s shoulders. “You all were such a big help!” “’Elder brother’?” Kagura asked. “Yes! Tokugawa Shige Shige, my elder brother!” “Ah!” Kagura’s face held recognition and Soyo nodded in encouragement.

It was not too long ago that Tokugawa Shige Shige had been held hostage for ransom by one of the other street gangs, the Kada gang. The Tokugawa family were of vieux riche, having descended from royal bloodline. The family had continued to uphold their monetary status through an enterprise that the Tokugawa group had presidency over. In Tokyo, their family was considered a big deal and their mansion was easily discernible as one of the largest homes in the city. However, their social status also made them big targets for kidnappings and robberies. The Yorozuya gang found themselves involved in one of these hostage situations through a complete coincidence and had ended up freeing Tokugawa Shige Shige from the clutches of the Kada gang.

The reward from that incident – which Gintoki had reluctantly accepted – allowed the family of three to move from their old, 1R apartment to their current 3LDK apartment. Though it was not the best of homes, Kagura held much more love for their current apartment in preference to their previous, cockroach infested 1R. She quickly bowed to Soyo in gratitude. “We should be the ones thanking you,” she stated. “That really was way too much money…” “Oh, you mean the reward?” Soyo giggled and Kagura decided that she much preferred the tinkling of her laughter than the cacophony from the girls she had met in the morning. “It was nothing compared to having my big brother home, safe and sound.” Kagura made a choking noise with her throat. “Well, at least one of us loves their big brother…” Kagura mumbled. “Hm?” “N-nothing. Shall we head over to our next class together, then?” “Oh, yes, of course!”

Kagura spent the rest of her day talking to Soyo, who seemed to be the only person that wouldn’t shy away from her when she mentioned the name ‘Sakata’ or ‘Yorozuya’. When Kagura had asked for the reason as to why Soyo was not afraid of the Yorozuya, Soyo had simply smiled and stated that ‘there isn’t anything scary about a group of people who would help save a stranger’. Kagura gave her an amazed look and jumped Soyo with a hug, almost squeezing the life out of her. Not that Soyo particularly minded.

After school, when the bell for the end of afternoon homeroom had rung, Soyo suggested that they join one of the extracurricular club activities together. Kagura jumped at the idea, but made doubly sure to not mention any of the possible martial arts clubs that she had seen being advertised. I don’t want Soyo’s beautiful, angel face getting damaged in any way. Eventually, the two of them opted to join the Photography Club. It was a budding interest of Soyo’s and Kagura had deemed the activity passive enough that not much work was needed, but still interesting enough to not become a chore.

The two girls, after obtaining a school rental camera each, took a trip around the school. They both took a myriad of photos of anything and everything including flowers, the school’s infrastructure, a couple of photos of some of the other students in the school and way, way too many selfies. Kagura found it the most fun when the girls passed by the gymnasium, courts or swimming pool and were able to snap a few action shots of the sporting clubs during their practise sessions. They tried their best to angle their shots and time their photos perfectly, aiming to obtain photos that looked as if they were meant for a sports magazine.

While they were having fun, giggling to one another about the nice show of abdominal muscle from one of the older boys in the Basketball Club, an upperclassman girl noticed the two girls with their cameras and approached them. “What’s this? Two new members of the Photography Club?” she smiled, fixing her glasses upon her nose bridge. “That’s right!” exclaimed Soyo. “First day on the job!” “That so? Can I take a look?”

Soyo happily handed both cameras over to the older girl, who peered at the shots and flicked through them with an impressed expression on her face. “Well, barring a couple of these shots,” she gave an amused look to the girls, who giggled at the upperclassman’s reference to their selfies. “Most of these are actually really well done. You girls have a talent!” Kagura and Soyo grinned at one another before turning back to the upperclassman for their cameras. She smiled as she returned them, a glint upon her glasses. “Actually, would you girls mind doing me a favour?” she asked. Her request was met by confused looks from both of her juniors. “I’m the president of the Newspaper Club, you see. I was just heading over to the Photography Club right now to get someone to help me, but I think you two will do just fine!” Her words elicited a positive response from both Kagura and Soyo, so she continued. “In a month or two, our school’s Kendo Club will actually be participating in an inter-high competition,” she announced, flicking her short, bobbed hair over her shoulder as she readjusted her glasses. “They’re show-ins to win, you see? So, the Newspaper Club was hoping to do a story on them. How’s about getting us a couple of action shots of the club during one of their practise sessions, right now? They’ll be over in the school’s training hall – over there, next to the gym.”

It did not take very long for Kagura and Soyo to agree and, with the speed of two swallows, they quickly raced off. “Oh!” called the Newspaper Club president. “Make sure-y sure sure that you both get a photo or twenty of the Kendo Club captain!” Kagura turned, mid-step, and ran backwards next to Soyo. She called back to the senior student. “What’s his name?” “Don’t worry, you’ll know him when you see him. He’s the best looking one, after all!” With that, she turned to walk back to the third-years’ building as Kagura spun back around to race Soyo to find the Kendo Club.

Ten minutes later, Kagura and Soyo would arrive at the Kendo Club’s training hall.

Ten minutes later, Okita Sougo would receive a fly kick to the face.

Author’s Note

Thanks so much for waiting for this update…! Though, I suppose a day’s wait isn’t all that much, ahah. I really wanted to at least get to this part of the story before I became busy again. Although, I did put off a little bit of studying to finish this chapter. Oops. I’ll get to that now, because I’m responsible. So responsible. Yeah!

Also, thanks to the people who have reviewed my story thus far. I’m glad you think that it’s worth reading, so I’ll do my best to continue. Don’t worry about me ever not finishing ‘Street War’! The entire story is legitimately already planned out in a word document totalling just under 30k words. I’m not putting all that to waste!

Love you all, ‘til next time!