Chapter 01: The Coming of a Hurricane
Rating: K
Pairing: Eventual Gintoki x Kagura
Well, here is the first chapter of my new story, A Family Affair. Basically Kagura's sinister older brother comes back, looking for his fight with Gintoki. But how does he plan to get Gin riled up enough to fight? I don't have a lot of experience with Kamui, so any input on what I can do to improve him is appreciated. That said, enjoy the story, and comments are always welcome.
Walking out of the small bookstore, Gintoki couldn't stifle the groan of depression that escaped his lips. This was already the tenth shop he had gone to today, each one sold out of this week's issue of JUMP. The journey had taken him farther from home than usual, but he knew it would be worth it once he had the manga anthology in his hands. Looking around, he tried to find some people familiar with the area to ask for help.
This was not an unusual occurance for the young man, as he often overslept, sometimes until well into the afternoon. All the harsh conditions of life would not stop him from obtaining his copy of the prized magazine. Grabbing a random person's sleeve, he tried to ask for directions to another nearby bookstore.
"Ah, it is just a ways down that road." the young woman pointed to Gintoki's right, and he grumbled a defeated thanks as he gazed in the direction she had indicated. Indeed, his journey in search of his beloved manga was taking him farther and farther from his little shop/home atop Otose's snack house, and he knew that it was unlikely that he would be able to truly enjoy the manga on this day.
"I guess I should get an alarm clock." he muttered to himself, watching as the Sun began to slowly descend in the sky. The bright blue of day was slowly beginning to darken as night approached, and Gin knew that time was running out if he wanted to get home at any reasonable hour. Taking his seat upon the silver scooter that was his trademark, the young man strapped the helmet onto his head, goggles resting squarely on the forehead.
But as he pushed down on the starter, the bike simply sputtered before stopping. His brows knitting together in frustration, he looked down at the fuel gauge. All the energy left his body as he noticed that it was pointed squarely on empty. Swinging his left leg back over the bike, he stood on the side of the small vehicle, looking at it with contempt.
"Dammit!" he yelled, kicking the hunk of metal with his right foot, causing the two wheeled vehicle to fall to the ground. "Ah, what the hell am I going to do now?" he pondered aloud, his voice etched with irritation and depression. Looking back in the direction that the young woman had indicated, he grudgingly headed towards the shop on foot, still determined to not let the day be a total waste.
Letting the hard plastic sit upon his head, the chin straps dangling down past his chin, he trudged his way towards his destination. He felt tired and hungry, the exhaustion of searching so intensely for his desired prize taking its toll on him. The young samurai felt his head begin to spin, as he had not had any sugar intake for a few hours. "God, I'm so hungry…" he muttered to himself just as his destination came into sight.
With an extra burst of energy he sprinted to the small shop, taking relief in the lights that shone in the near darkness of evening. As he entered the sliding doors, he looked around carefully, glancing over every detail of the shop for any indication that a copy of JUMP could be purchased. His eyes widened in excitement before realizing that the only copy left was in the hands of a young man at the counter.
Something about the young man seemed familiar, but Gintoki couldn't quite place it. Taking a few steps forward, he kept his gaze trained on the young man, sifting through his memories for who the guy could be. His reddish ponytail hung in a braid down his back, contrasting against the thick looking black coat he wore. The skin that was visible on his neck and forearms was quite pale, a tone he recognized from somewhere. As he was thinking about who this man could be, he overheard the end of the conversation at the counter.
"Ah, you're a lucky one young man. This is the last copy of JUMP we got here." the elderly man spoke, taking the change from the young man.
"Ah, well, I have always been a little lucky." The man's voice somehow made the hairs on Gintoki's neck stand on end, the familiarity haunting him. Gin tried his best to remain calm as the man turned around, waving a friendly salutation at the clerk. As their eyes met, the young man stopped, his grin turning from friendly to utter amusement, sending a chill through the young samurai.
"Oh, fancy running into you here, samurai-san." Memories flooded into Gintoki's mind, a confrontation against the leader of the Yato clan and his first sight of Kagura's sinister older brother.
"Kamui." Was all he could mutter, struggling simply to keep his composure. Even after defeating the Night Emperor some time ago, something had kept ticking around in Gin's head, a fear that the real monster had gotten away at that time and was simply waiting for the right time to strike.
"Well, this is a treat. Not only did I get the last copy of JUMP," the young man teased, holding the anthology up to Gintoki's vision, "but I manage to run into you all the way out here. Fortune truly smiles on me today." Something in the Yato's expression made Gintoki uneasy, as though his purpose was far more sinister than he made it seem.
"Ah, well, I guess my luck is just no good today." Gin broke the awkward silence, takin great pain to keep his voice even so as to not alert the young man to his suspicion. "I guess I'll have to wait to get a copy." It pained him to admit his poor luck, but he didn't want to get into any kind of scuffle just at the moment. As he turned quickly to leave the place, his stomach chose that moment to speak its mind, adding a thin layer of awkwardness to the small shop.
"Ahhahaha. What an honest guy you are." the young man laughed loudly, slapping Gintoki on the shoulder as he stood next to the samurai. "Well, seeing as how you are friends with my adorable little sister, how about I treat you to something?" Casting a sidelong glance at the young man, Gintoki tried his best to gauge the true intent behind his words, but was unable to find any malice. Yet, the way he had mentioned Kagura held a hint of derision, as though she were below his attention.
"Well, I would love to, but I think I should get back before the wife gets worried." he attempted with some levity, drawing a moderately confused expression from the powerful warrior. Catching sight of the confused look, Gintoki could not help but smirk, casting a backwards wave of the hand as he exited the sliding glass doors.
Just as he set foot outside the shop, a realization his him, and he stopped dead in his tracks. His bike was out of gas, and there would likely be no way for him to get home for quite some time. Sighing in desperation, he felt the young man come to his side again, his gaze fixed on the moon high in the sky.
"Your name is Gintoki, right?" he attempted being friendly, his voice showing what Gintoki might have thought was respect and admiration as he spoke, drawing a gentle nod from the silver haired samurai. Casting his own gaze up to the moon, Gin tried to think of a way to get home before something else bad happened.
"I've heard of you." Gintoki turned his gaze to the young man, catching a look of pure excitement on his face. "You're quite famous you know?" He looked squarely at Gin, his deep blue eyes similar to Kagura's yet entirely different. A look of bood lust and malice showed deep in his soul, a feeling that he himself was all too familiar with.
"Well, I don't know about that." he attempted to lie, not comfortable with such a capable enemy knowing much about his past. "Our little shop has lots of trouble just making ends meet, so there's no way we're well known." Gintoki knew exactly to what Kamui was referring, but tried to laugh the matter off, an affable smile on his lips as he waved gently in dismissal.
"Oh, but you are quite something, Shiroyasha." Gin's gaze hardened a bit, and for an instant he thought he saw Kamui freeze up slightly. "That's what I mean. That look. The look of a true samurai." Kagura's brother seemed crazed about battle, something he had confirmed for himself as he looked into the young man's eyes.
"Well, I suppose you'll tell me what you're doing here, eh?" Gintoki responded, an icy undertone to his voice.
"Hmm. I suppose I could-" the man was stopped mid statement as their stomachs growled in unison, drawing slightly embarrassed blushes from both young men.
"If you treat." Gintoki answered, smirking in an amused manner at the younger man. Kamui simply laughed, tilting his head in the direction of a nearby diner. Gin knew he had to be careful, since this man was quite a dangerous character, a high ranking member of the well known band of pirates, Harusame. He idly wondered if there were indeed members of that gang more powerful than this young man, a thought he dismissed for its sheer unpleasantness.
Listening to the soft ringing of the bell as the pair entered the diner, Gintoki followed the young Yato to a nearby booth, keeping his gaze on the young man all the while. He knew how quickly things could turn around, and he was intent on keeping the situation in front of him… at least until he could think of a way to liberate that copy of JUMP from the undeserving brat.
"Ah, go ahead and order anything you want. It'll be my treat." The words held an amused sort of satisfaction, one that Gintoki might normally have made a comment about, but instead picked up a menu, ordering a couple of particularly delicious looking chocolate parfaits. Once Kamui had placed his own order, the pair sat in uncomfortable silence, Gintoki trying to guess at the boy's game.
"So, what brings a notorious individual such as yourself down to our humble little planet?" Gintoki finally asked, breaking the silence. Slinging his left arm across the top of the comfortable bench, he made sure to keep his right within reach of his bokuto if necessary. "I assume it's not just for the hospitality. Maybe a family reunion?" At this, he caught the same amused expression on Kamui's face, the boy's arms crossing on his chest as though he were in thought.
"I suppose I could take some time to visit Kagura while I'm here." he answered easily, a hint of warning in his voice that nearly broke Gintoki's hold on himself. The boy seemed to sense Gintoki's wavering self control, smirking confidently at the samurai. "But my business her is more… personal."
"Oh? So you came all this way just to get a copy of JUMP? People in outer space must have it rough." Gintoki mused, lightening the tension in his own unique way. The younger boy smiled comfortably in return, producing the thick volume before setting it upon the table.
"Well, it is home of the best manga in the industry. So it is worth a trip to this backwater planet. I must say, Earth can produce some great things." The young man's words were his honest thought, drawing an agreeing nod from the young samurai. "I wish I had a bankai like that Byakuya, man." This statement surprised Gintoki a bit, realizing that it near mirrored his own thoughts. With a cocky smirk, he shook his head disapprovingly at the young man.
"Hah. Foolish." Noticing the confused expression on his face, Gintoki pointed a finger at the man in a mock accusing manner. "Ichigo's bankai is far better." At this, Kamui began to laugh heartily, the tension from only moments earlier nearly disappearing. Before the food arrived, the two had an animated discussion on whose bankai was superior, and reasons for both. Finally they admitted a relative draw as the food arrived.
"We'll have to discuss this some other time." Kamui joked, digging in to his large helping of food. A nod from Gintoki signaled his approval as he dug the spoon into the cool, sweet substance in the glass cup. The chocolate and other assorted sweet flavors re energized him, and almost felt better about missing out on the week's issue of JUMP.
"Ah, that was delicious." Gintoki muttered once he had finished, the metal spoon clicking clearly against the now empty glass container. Looking towards Kagura's brother, Gin noticed a similarly content expression on his face, the pile of dishes indicating his own meal far larger than Gintoki's.
"Indeed. You're a most interesting fellow, Sakata-san." The way he addressed the samurai seemed to hold a truly honest admiration and respect, and for an instant Gintoki wondered if he had gotten this kid all wrong. "It's a shame I will have to kill you." The look in his eyes showed his intent to follow through on the statement, drawing a frustrated sigh from the samurai.
"Geez, why are people always trying to kill me? I don't think I've done anything to piss anyone off." he muttered in his lazy manner, knowing full well that he had pissed off a great number of people over the years. Kamui sat directly across from him, his eyes showing a dangerous intent that he recognized with a wince of agony from his younger days.
"I don't know about others, but I've chosen you to be my prey." The young man answered as though it were entirely natural, and Gin could see the excitement in his eyes. Straightening his own lips into a neutral look, he figured that Kagura's brother was going over his fight against the Night Emperor in his head, a memory that Gintoki was not particularly fond of.
"Ah, I am so honored." Gin answered sarcastically, rubbing a crick out of his neck.
"Well, it is an honor, but one that will have to wait for another time unfortunately." Kamui spoke gently yet firmly, standing from his seat as he dug in his pocket for the money to pay for the meal.
"Oi, who says I'll fight you, bastard?" Gintoki asked, stopping the young man as he walked past, stopping a short distance behind the silver haired samurai. Taking a calm breath, he spoke, a tone soft enough for only Gintoki to hear.
"Trust me Sakata-san. You don't want to refuse." Gintoki felt himself tense at the words, the threat clear in his words. With a polite wave, the young man disappeared into the night, leaving Gintoki alone at the table. Just what would he do to get Gintoki to fight with him? As the thoughts ran in his head, Gin noticed the thick volume still laying on the table.
"Careless punk." he mumbled to himself, taking in deep breaths to calm himself. As he flipped through the anthology, Gin noticed a piece of paper fall out of the book. Curiously picking it up, he studied it carefully. As he brought it to his face, Gin felt the color drain from his features, before being replaced with a burning rage.
There, in clear detail was a picture of his little group, as they played in the park. Sadaharu chasing Kagura and Shinpachi as Gin slept lazily on the thick grass. Turning the picture over, he tensed even tighter at the words scribbled across the back.
I told you, you won't want to refuse when it comes to it, Sakata-san.
Leaping from his seat, he hurried to figure out a way to get back home, before it was too late.
Wow, that Kamui is a strange guy. Hope things go well. Another short explanation I think is in order. This will be my attempt at a believable 'M' rated story, in accordance with a sort of challenge from a certain member here. Starts with K, as per the rules of the site, but quickly goes up to M, in both areas. I hope it comes out well, as I have no experience with this sort of darker story, since I usually focus on fluff and happy thoughts. As I said above, I have no real knowledge of Kamui's character, so any pointers are appreciated. Look forward to the next part soon hopefully.