Author's Note: This is my first ever story that spans more than one more chapter! Enjoy!

Yoshiwara

Hinowa was enjoying her tea in the front porch of her home. The sun was shining vibrantly in the sky. Yoshiwara was as peaceful as it's ever been thanks to the Hyakka and their formidable leader Tsukuyo. Yes. The suns shone brightly.

Afternoon had come; the bright sun had disappeared behind an array of dark rain clouds. Hinowa decided to close up shop. That's when it started raining. The rain had appeared suddenly and everyone on the streets began running quickly to their destinations. That's when Hinowa noticed three men walking towards her store.

The three men definitely stood out amongst the running pedestrians. Walking parallel to each other, two men, both tall and dark and towering over the fleeing pedestrians, were carrying an umbrella to shield a shorter man walking between them. Then they stopped in front of Hinowa.

"Good afternoon," Hinowa as she bowed from her wheelchair to greet them. "I apologize but our store is closing up shop for today."

The short, petite man, donning a fancy white suit, then leaned in to talk to Hinowa. He was smoking a cigar and smiled as he leaned in to talk to her, revealing horribly yellow teeth.

"It does not matter. I am here to talk to you personally."

Hinowa, oddly confused, nodded her head as she let them into her store.

"Seita!" Hinowa addressed her only child. "Please bring some tea for our guests!"

Seita, a young, enthusiastic child nodded with a smile and went to the kitchen to prepare the tea.

The petite man then snapped his fingers. His two personal bodyguards then quickly grabbed a seat for him to sit on, lighted another cigar for him, and quickly disposed of the other one.

Hinowa then asked the petite man. "So what do I have the gratitude of assisting you all today?"

The petite man puffed out a smoke. "Hinowa is it?"

Hinowa nodded her head to acknowledge the answer.

"You are the woman that every man lusted for before the fall of the King of the Night?" the petite man continued asking.

Hinowa shook her head with a smile. "No no, I am just a woman running a store with her son."

The petite man laughed. "Such an honest woman. But I am not here to talk about your past. I am here to offer a proposal."

"A proposal?" Hinowa seemed confused.

"Yes." The petite man said as he let out another puff of smoke.

"What is it?" Hinowa didn't know where this was heading.

"I am Iwakura Tokimasa. You may have heard about Iwakura, but it's another Iwakura. Iwakura Yasuhide, my father. And my father happens to be the head of Iwakura Shipping, a company that has a monopoly on almost all of Japan's harbors. But I will continue on about my proposal. It's kind of like a business proposal only that it gets complicated."

"What is this complicated proposal?" Hinowa asked. Seita had brought tea to each of the guests.

Tokimasa snapped his fingers. His two bodyguards then took the tea and put a special needle in it. "It's a special needle. It detects any high concentrations of acid or toxin. You know, to check for poison."

"All clear, sir." One of his bodyguards said.

Tokimasa snapped his fingers again. This time, the first bodyguard took his cigar that he was smoking and disposed of it again. Then the other got the cup of tea and handed to Tokimasa. Tokimasa sipped the tea. Then he spat it out in disgust.

"What the hell is this crap?" he said as he threw the cup of tea on the ground, shattering the glass.

"Normally, I would have my bodyguards Onji and Ariwa snap the neck of whoever serves me filth like this but I am in a good mood today," Tokimasa continued.

"If you do not appreciate our hospitality, then I'd ask you to please leave," Hinowa said with a smile.

"Do not talk to master that way!" Onji screamed at Hinowa.

"Now now Onji. Do not be mean to the Sun of Yoshiwara," Tokimasa said.

"I will leave when I have given you my proposal," Tokimasa continued.

"We have no interest in any of your stupid prop…" Seita objected but Ariwa quickly grabbed the boy like a toy and put him in a headlock.

"Seita!" Hinowa screamed in agony.

"Ariwa here can snap his neck as soon as I snap my fingers. So listen to my proposal and I will leave, very simple," Tokimasa threatened.

"I know you live with the head of the Hundred Blooms, Tsukuyo, and my proposal is this," Tokimasa started. Someone came into the shop. It was coincidentally Tsukuyo who had just returned from her evening patrols.

"I want to marry her," Tokimasa said as he pointed to a confused Tsukuyo.

How will Tsukuyo respond? Where is Gintoki in all this? Find out in Chapter 2!