A/N: I'm sorry. I really am. I don't know what happened but this story mutated on its own from a flimsy idea my brain came up with – I do all my writing half asleep anyway. It involves a crack couple and it has (a poorly-depicted) Kamui…so, that's okay, right?

Right?

Please don't lynch me. XP

Meant to be in line with the Yoshiwara arc, right before Tsukuyo is introduced. I tried to make it as canon as possible but feel free to point out any inconsistencies! I may have taken a few liberties though…

Disclaimer: Gintama in my hands would have nothing but 'Bebop Kamui-kun!' in it.

So basically, please purchase the rights from Sorachi-sensei and put them in my hands so I can wreck havoc on its legacy!

BloodLust

Tsukuyo wasn't a person who was easily scared. It had been years since she'd been serving as a Hyakka – she could defeat countless men before she broke a sweat. It had become something akin to a habit for her. She'd get her orders to obliterate someone and she'd do it just as easily as she would stretch an arm.

Sometimes they'd balk at her, those misbehaving men. They'd admire her beauty and ask for a price. She felt like laughing in their faces – how could she be pretty? She had purposefully scarred herself and discarded her right to call herself a woman. Yet she'd get that same reaction she loathed…those ugly looks of lust.

He was different, however.

In her entire life, never had she seen an innocent smile so unsettling. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She felt utterly terrified of that man.

"Sake."

His tone was calm and courteous, even melodious – completely at odds with the premonitory feeling rushing through her being.

At that single word and the shop owner, a fellow Hyakka, rushed to honour his request. He directed his smile at her service and then ordered a ridiculous number of dango. She raised her eyebrow at his behaviour but then she caught a glance at his umbrella and she understood.

As a part of Yoshiwara, she and the other women, especially the courtesans, were hardly ignorant. For other people they might be rumours but for them, it was the truth. They knew a lot of things which happened behind the scenes. Why many times, those dealings would occur right in their midst.

It was a dark place they had learnt to call a home, this Yoshiwara.

She knew that this person, currently frantically devouring his order of sweetmeats, was an Amanto. More specifically, he was a member of the unassailable clan – Yato. She had heard about the strongest of them all, the assassin Umibouzu, who was apparently capable of destroying planets. If this guy was even one percent as strong as this Umibouzu, it was still a huge problem for them.

Nevertheless, she had to carry out Housen's orders and keep an eye on him – the newest customer.

She smirked slightly at her own thought – she was definitely going to just observe him, it wasn't like she was stupid enough to take him on.

She took a restoring drag from her ornate pipe, stuffed it carefully within the folds of her kimono and got back to work.

His face was covered in loose bandages except for a slit for his mouth. The sliver of skin showing through the wraps was a translucent white. His hair was an unusual vermillion tied back in a long braid, his clothes seemed to imply that he was some Chinese impersonator but it was the eyes that stood out – those brilliant azure irises.

She was both curious and petrified – a lethal combination which often turned people stupid. She stay put while the shop owner plied him with a never ending supply of dangos, hoping that this would be the last plate. She felt bad for her. She wanted to help her but there was a rule – never be seen.

As their leader, it was her duty to remain in the shadows so that no one could recognize her.

So she stayed, hearing nothing but gulps and munches of an endless meal.

"Commander, there you are!"

The sounds of chewing stopped. Two hulking men – definitely Yato – stood behind him, regarding the display. She was surprised – so, this person was their head. It seemed slightly off though because his underlings towered over his lithe body. She brushed that doubt aside – she couldn't always rely on face value.

After all, at this moment, her gut instincts had been sent into overdrive.

"Come on, Abuto, can't I even have a snack in peace?"

He addressed the messy haired man in an upbeat, teasing tone. She couldn't shake that feeling which was slowly enveloping her. Even though she wasn't straight up facing these people, she was terrified. She had instructed all of her underlings to not even think about attacking these people, not even when provoked. They were no match for them. They were just mere guards, nothing like the mercenaries that Yato were famed of being.

She just hoped they could all contain themselves.

"We're not here for a snack, Kamui." Abuto seemed irritated at his superior's attitude but controlled himself. "We have to carry out our mission, remember?"

He waved him away with a bandaged hand.

"Yes, yes, I remember."

He seemed so easy-going. Her comrade exchanged a silent glance with her, agreeing.

"I'll be right out." He tried to console his companion with a compromise, "I'll just finish these up and be back."

Abuto exhaled.

"Fine. We're right outside. Make it quick, okay?"

He agreed with another wave of his hand and the two, somewhat wary, stepped outside apparently placated by his hollow words. The sounds of eating resumed, though this time at a slower, more thoughtful pace.

"Danna," the shop owner was polite and just as Tsukuyo had directed her, she reined her terror, "Will there be anything else you will be having?"

She was bowing respectfully but at this distance she could see her grappling at a kunai for comfort. She didn't blame her – she was supposed to be their leader and even she couldn't maintain her serenity.

He smiled yet again.

"No thank you." He replied in that same tranquil tone, "But I would definitely like to see that woman who's been spying on me the whole time."

The woman serving him was shocked. She wanted to react but Tsukuyo was glad that she didn't.

It happened in a blink of an eye. One moment she was lounging carefully in the shadows, monitoring the conversation; in the next he had her trapped between the wall and his body, unable to escape. The feeling of dread and despair spilled over – she wanted to cry for help but she found herself incapable of speech.

On closer inspection, he had a completely different aura about him. Somewhere between acknowledging her presence and then rushing to threaten her, he had lost the bandages covering his visage. She took in his features and was surprised to see that his face seemed innocent, in line with his laidback attitude and civil manners.

It was those eyes that told a completely different story.

They belonged to beast having found his prey – sadistically pleased and eager to kill. Looking into those azure irises she could indefinitely confirm that this Yato had been through countless battles, cutting down foe after foe all with a bright and happy smile on his face.

It scared her to such an extent, she didn't even want to contemplate the near future.

"So, Onee-san," he started, all the while gripping the thick wall behind her, "What business do you happen to have here?"

His grip was unforgiving and the wall on which she had been pressed up against disintegrated to dust.

She wasn't even surprised at this point of time.

"Danna," her comrade spoke up finally, "She is a worker at this shop and-"

He raised a hand and she fell silent, evidently frightened. Tsukuyo calmed herself. She wasn't going to fight this man, not when she knew he could turn her bones to dust just by touching her.

"No, she isn't."

The woman seemed shocked at his declaration. Tsukuyo, in turn, was also shocked when the Yato gripped at her waist, drew her close, buried his nose at the nape of her neck and inhaled deeply.

"She smells like blood, the blood of thousands of men. So unless you've been feeding me questionable food here, Mistress, I am quite sure this woman is not your underling."

Her fellow Hyakka shut up again, not knowing what to say. There wasn't anywhere she could go to either – she was trapped with one beast on the inside and two others on the outside.

"Onee-san, you know, its rude to not answer when someone's speaking to you. You still haven't answered my question."

His grip around her waist tightened slightly – which meant that she had difficulty breathing. He looked down at her with those ungodly eyes and she almost lost her calm to sheer terror. This man..he could make her, a renowned warrior, the infamous Shinigami Tayuu, doubt herself in his face.

She didn't like it, not one bit.

"I apologize, but I really do work here." She was glad that her voice didn't waver, not a tad. It was soft, strong and convincing.

He didn't seem convinced. He regarded her with doubt-filled eyes but with a slight smirk decided to take her word for it.

"So, I take you wouldn't mind showing me around, right?"

He released her from his grip to pick up his umbrella. She bowed deeply, taking care not to show just how much air he had driven out of her body.

"It will be my pleasure, Danna."

He purposefully snaked his hand around her waist.

"It seems more believable now, doesn't it Onee-san?"

Had she had more confidence in her abilities, she would've sneered at his blatant attempt. For that matter, had he been a regular samurai, he would have long since found himself missing a beloved limb. Instead, she concurred in a low voice.

"Indeed it does."

His companions were less than amused.

"What the hell, Kamui?" sneered Abuto, "I thought you were having a snack, I didn't know you were picking up women!"

He grinned that nonchalant grin.

"You of all people know, Abuto, I don't really care for women."

She dearly wanted to ask him why he insisted on holding her captive.

"She's just showing us around." He continued, "After all, Yoshiwara is the city of women."

She puckered her lips. What he said seemed plausible but a nagging bit of instinct driven doubt remained. She disregarded her intuition briefly – this situation meant she could learn more about their agenda.

They walked through the main street, while Ungyou, the largest of them all, cast dirty looks to all the courtesans calling out to the three Yato, ignoring the Hyakka boss hanging on to them. By ignoring her they obviously failed to notice that she wasn't hanging on by choice.

"They sicken me." He stated simply, his face curling up in disgust. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"Housen has definitely built a fine paradise for himself, hasn't he?" Abuto observed. He was a bit more receptive of the women's attention and was smiling slightly. There weren't many Yato women left and it had been long since he had been showered with feminine interest at such a high degree.

Neither of the three beckoned any of the ladies though. They seemed too engrossed in this mission in question.

"Those geezers," Ungyou spoke, evidently inflamed, "What are they thinking?"

She listened carefully, all the while staying absolutely quiet. She hoped they'd forget she was here. One of them clearly didn't. His grasp around her seemed to get tighter by the second. She sorely hoped it was only her imagination.

"If you hadn't asked us personally Commander, we wouldn't have come."

Ungyou's comment caused the smile on his face grow even wider.

"It bugs me." Abuto stated thoughtfully, "Why did you invite us here? You are bloodthirsty enough to burn this establishment to the ground all by yourself."

While there was mostly a tone of matter-of-fact statement coupled with a hint of admiration, if Kamui caught on to the slightly sarcastic undertone, he didn't show it. He took Abuto's words as a compliment.

"I really need someone to hold my umbrella when I go to see the 'Sun of Yoshiwara'."

She stiffened almost immediately. He cast her a questioning look. She relaxed then – no need to draw his suspicion… or maybe she already had. She just looked downwards, concentrating on her feet.

Ungyou and Abuto were oblivious to this minor development. What they weren't oblivious to was their Commander's patronizing declaration. If it were her, she would've probably beheaded him on spot. She was expecting pretty much the same reaction from his fellow comrades only they surprised her.

They laughed.

It was a deep, rumbling noise and not pleasant to listen to at all. It was disturbing. It called forward some primal instinct within her – the same one which told her to run away from this approaching danger.

"And we thought you weren't interested in women, Kamui." Abuto said.

While it seemed like he was disregarding his underling's words, Kamui's unrelenting grin faltered.

"I am only interested in seeing this person who had turned the Yaou Housen into a coward."

"She's just a filthy courtesan, Commander," Ungyou's words were harsh.

Her aura turned hostile. Hinowa may have unwillingly been pushed into this particular occupation but she was by no means filthy. For that matter, none of the females at Yoshiwara had decided to pursue this career. They were just victims of abandonment and human trafficking. No one saw that they didn't intend to go into this revolting trade, they just saw the revolting people they had become.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong." Kamui's voice was chiding, "Do you really think the old man has ever let that woman out of sight?"

Ungyou seemed thoughtful as Abuto shook his head softly. Of all of them, it was only natural that his pupil would understand the Yaou completely. After all, they were both strikingly similar when it came to their dispositions… only Housen had grown more relaxed now that he had aged so.

"She's just a bait to lure the customers over." He completed.

Tsukuyo's eyes were wide with comprehension. This man's deduction capabilities were top notch… or maybe he had just done his homework. Either way, it was bad. From what she had inferred, he wanted to bring Housen down. This put Hinowa at risk and she couldn't predict what he might do.

She decided to shut up and listen some more.

"You're Harusame's seventh division's commander." Abuto's voice was stern, "Why are you insisting on going to see this woman? Are you really that childish?"

Harusame.

The single word cleared all doubt.

She searched her mind for any reference of it.

It was that infamous space pirates group that went around wrecking havoc on normal citizens. Drug trafficking, human or Amanto slavery, illicit dealings with the current Bakufu – you name it, they had done it. It was the largest crime syndicate in the universe and apparently, Housen used to be a member.

Things clicked together in her mind. Now she was very certain that these monsters had been sent here for the purpose of eliminating Housen, maybe even burn Yoshiwara, her Yoshiwara, to the ground.

She wasn't surprised that she harboured very little grief at the idea of this shallow 'Paradise' being destroyed. Instead, she felt hope, a small flicker of hope. There wasn't anything attaching her to this place, except maybe some of the Hyakka she had personally trained. The only thing that kept her completely loyal to the Yaou was Hinowa.

She knew of the atrocities that had been inflicted on her mentor by that despicable Amanto. She had dearly wished that she could take out that man with her own power. But then she had realized that she was helpless – she didn't have anyone to help her or to stand behind her or any power to match him.

She didn't trust any of the three, least of all their commander. But after a long time, she could see a situation where something could be done about this place. She just wished that out of this mess, they could bring Yoshiwara out of the darkness and into the light.

She was quite sure that it wouldn't happen. But she thought that a bit of optimism wouldn't hurt.

She was drawn out of her introspection by his words.

"I am hardly a child, you know." He addressed Abuto with just a hint of irritation in his voice, "But don't you think that she would be the best way to get to the old man?"

"Yeah, but-"

"We're going, then!" he declared, his voice lower, more gruff and somehow feral. His fellow Yato instinctively grasped the change in him and dismissed all retorts. She could understand why they would follow this man – he struck fear in their hollow hearts.

She hadn't expected it but he made one critical mistake, as they rounded a corner.

He let go of her waist.

She wasn't sure whether it was intentional or not but she wasn't wasting this swiftly closing window of opportunity.

Having heard enough, she made a snap decision to escape. Faster than the eye could comprehend, she lit a small smoke bomb with her still smouldering pipe and then dropped it at their feet. It exploded almost immediately, enveloping her midst in a thick grey smoke.

The Yato coughed violently. The two were probably surprised but as for their leader, she wasn't quite sure. Her suspicion was cleared when a strong hand wrapped around her waist.

"Fly, Onee-san." He whispered in her ear in that unsettling murmur, "Before I change my mind."

She didn't retort and he relinquished his rough grip without any qualms. She felt a bit of her kimono get caught on a sharp edge but she uncaringly wrenched herself from it. All she could think at that moment was to put as much distance between them as possible.

She managed to make herself scarce within the maze of the back alleys. She was glad when she was caught by a division of Hyakka.

"Okashira!" they exclaimed happily, having heard of her pseudo-abduction, then subsided, "Your orders."

She took a drag at her pipe and reequipped her precious knife which they handed back to her.

"Tell Housen-sama that those men are not dangerous."

It was a lie. She knew he probably wouldn't believe her words but at least he wouldn't overestimate the gravity of the situation.

When her underlings left, she relaxed slightly. Maybe once and for all Hinowa could be free from her chains. Maybe things could be resolved by that group. They may have been acting under the orders of their superiors at Harusame but gut instinct told her that Commander would rebel. He wasn't one to follow orders.

She really didn't care to contemplate the situation at hand any further. She just wanted Yoshiwara, her Yoshiwara out of this endless night. She wanted to return to the sun. It may have been impossible – but that didn't mean she couldn't dream, right?

Tsukuyo blew out a thin stream of smoke from her lips and watched it float upwards, slowly disintegrating into nothingness. She then emerged on to main street to get back to work.

"You know, that woman's gone." Abuto remarked dryly, fingering a sliver of black cloth left behind in her wake.

"Of course she has." Kamui smiled brightly, seemingly undeterred by the sudden turn of events.

"What I don't get," his companion continued, throwing away the useless fabric, "is why you would ask a member of the Hyakka to 'show you around'."

"Oh, you knew too? Nothing gets by you, Abuto."

Abuto wasn't flattered.

"Really Kamui, I can never tell what go on through your head."

"She seemed different, didn't she?" Kamui spoke, gazing at the 'sky' of Yoshiwara, "She didn't attack us like the other women. She knew who we were. She knew how useless it was opposing us."

He grinned, malice evident.

Abuto put the pieces together.

"You don't think the old man knows we are here, do you?"

"It won't be interesting if he didn't."

He walked away, no skipped away, almost happy, redoing the bandages to cover his face. Abuto massaged his temple gently. He had a bad feeling about this, but he felt elated. After all, degenerates like his clan thrived on the battlefield. He agreed with Kamui on something – it wouldn't be interesting if the old man didn't know about their superior's plans.

A/N: Uh, so… how bad was it? I like to think that I was on to something… except now I think I might have severely limited their development.

BTW, I was watching Episode 215 (Gintama' Episode 14) the other day – anybody else think that HD makes Kamui look ridiculously adorable? He didn't give off that beastly vibe he used to have about him… but still, so cute.. ^-^

Reviews are appreciated! :3 Thanks for reading!