Standard Disclaimer~

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"'The Shinsengumi are hosting an Amanto-War Hero Ceremony this Wednesday at 7 p.m.'?" Giving the paper another brief glance over he stared at his friend while bringing his hand from the back of his head to the sheet. Blinking uninterestedly he crumpled the flyer and tossed it boredly at the long haired man in front of him. "Sounds like some kind of government conspiracy..." Lifting his arm to his head once more he began scratching lazily, "I mean, Ougushi-kun, nor Okita-kun seem to be the type of person the throw a party without some hidden threat. How do you know that when you get there, they won't just arrest you?"

Clearly having thought this exchange through, Katsura unraveled a spare advertisement and held it to to the other mans face, "Last paragraph, it specifically states that this is, in no way, a trap or government conspiracy." He looked pointedly at the lazy samurai.

Deep red eyes moved to the paper and closed in irritation. "Well, that's oddly convenient," swiping at the hand, he drooped his head back and complained, "Let me guess why you're here... You want to drag me to this creepy reunion at the Shinsengumi headquarters?"

Ignoring the agitation his friends face was clearly conveying, he nodded and said, "Yes, of course, do you know how many of the people we fought with think you're dead?"

Gintoki stared unconvinced at Katsura and drawled, "Uh, I dunno...5?"

"All of them! You can't just disappear during a war and expect people to think your lounging around in a failing business! Only me, Tatsuma, and Takasugi know what happened, everyone else thinks you're dead! Well, that or you were just a legend." He received only a blank stare in response.

"You don't find anything wrong with that!"

Not feeling bothered enough to answer Gintoki began picking at his ear, threw his feet on the desk and tuned out the nagging man in front of him.

:#:#:#:#:#:#

Staring curiously at the main object of his death threats the tan haired boy asked, "Ne, Hijikata-kun, why are we throwing this whole shindig anyway?"

Stomping his smoking cigarette into the ground, he sighed, "Apparently we're honoring the efforts of the people who fought in the war or something..."

Blinking in confusion, he wondered, "But, didn't we lose?"

"I said efforts."

:#:#:#:#:#:#

"Why am I wearing this again?"

"The flyer said to come in costume, Gintoki. Did you even read the paper?"

Scratching his head, he continued strutting in pace with Katsura and asked, "Was I supposed to?" At the angered stare he was treated with, he quickly explained, "Well, you held it so close to my face, how did you expect me to read it without my glasses?"

Furrowing his brow, Katsura shook his head and spoke in an eerily calm voice, "You don't have..." Changing his mind he decided to ignore Gintoki's presence completely, he sped his pace up a fraction and kept a thoroughly annoyed look on his face.

Fiddling with his sword the silver haired samurai questioned why he even needed to bring it, but now that he thinks about it, Zura does seem pretty mad at him... Maybe it's for when he decides to kill him and he's not completely defenseless. Oh well, whatever, "Hey, are we th-"

"We're here."

Looking up, Gintoki saw that they had indeed arrived at their destination and quietly pondered over the length of time he had been mulling over Katsura's murder scheme's. Surely it couldn't have been too long, after all Zura was a pretty amiable person...you know, besides the whole terrorist thing he had going on.

I wonder who's going to be there... He had to admit...the thought worried him slightly, if his charges were going, which, of that he knew, they most probably were, Gintoki would be in some big trouble, not because of their hatred, but because of their being left in the dark, he never wanted to disrespect all his old friends...but he didn't want to be found, he wanted solitude, a place to repent, to atone for his many sins. Gintoki's crimson gaze grew clouded, it was too much, the lose of his comrades he means, the burden he forced on his shoulders for not saving them, helping them, the people he considered family for years to pass.

"Come Gintoki, we must sign in," Katsura's voice prodded his thoughts, Gintoki's eyes cleared as he saw the form filled to the brim with familiar names, he mentally sighed, the exhale laced with wistful nostalgia.

Suspicion alerting his mind, he was quick to question, "A registry?"

He was given a nod, "It appears so, yes."

"Well, that's not at all alarming...hey, I'm gonna head in, sign me in will yah?" And with that, the scarlet stained male turned to walk inside, blissfully ignorant of the 'Hey!' that was shouted by one of his longest friends.

Once he was out of eyesight Gintoki's face contorted into one opposite of his regular cool facade, More than half my old crew have already been logged...I knew I shouldn't have come...

Only five turns through the corridor, he was horribly lost, and thoroughly ticked, it was incessant, the constant annoyance his stupid head band brought. Caught up in his musing he failed to notice the shuffling hurriedly approaching from behind.

"Gintok—"

Head spinning faster then his thought process, he, in a split second, drew his blade, and rested it naturally against the vulnerable expanse of Katsura's neck. Hair, and draping clothing whipping with the unexpected motion, shrunken pupils highlighting the demonic attentiveness of his irises.

Senses returning to their normal recent state of paranoia, Gintoki lowered his sword, ashamed to be caught in a moment of weakness. "Did you sign me in?" he asked curtly.

An odd look settled on Katsura's face after his newly racing pulse calmed, he was unused to being the one at that end of Gintoki's sword, "I didn't have to," he replied, a frown deepening the crease between his brow, "you were already on there."

Weird, "Someone came here under the name 'Gintoki'?"

"No," the two made eye contact, brown on red, and ceased walking, "someone came under the name Shiroyasha..."

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Hey everyone hope you enjoy that! I most certainly enjoyed writing it! I apologize for any and all grammatical errors or spelling issues, possible tense changes...I dunno, whatever it may be that displeased you I am sorry.

I am going to need some help for this next chapter, if anyone is up to helping I would be most happy. I am in need of some names for people on Gintoki's team during the war, at the most six or seven, and if you're feeling particularly generous, please give your character a personality, I can work with pretty much anything.

Please! Review, and since you've made it down here I know you've read, oh, if any of you out there can think of an good name for this, feel free to tell me...

Bye!

~CFF :3