Author's Note: This is my second fanfic! Enjoy!
Somewhere in the Kabukicho District
Yamazaki crouched down with his back to a concrete wall. Rain was pouring from the dark sky. Yes, Yamazaki was on another undercover secret mission for the Shinsengumi. He was to spy on the Sparrows, a terrorist and yakuza gang in the Kabukicho district that have been distributing drugs, terrorizing locals and looting and stealing from stores. Yamazaki remembered what Kondo said as he was briefed about the situation.
"These people have gained considerable status after the stepping down of Jirochou and the fall of Princess Kada. The thugs and criminals that were part of those factions eventually joined up and called themselves the Sparrows. They most likely represent at least 85% of the gangs in Kabukicho. And we the Shinsengumi want to take out the head of the serpent before it infects all of Edo. So you Yamazaki, are to spy and report information on them so we can formulate a plan and end this reign of terror over this city!"
The words rang through the head of Yamazaki. It gave him strength and motivation, especially after eleven days of anpan. In those eleven days, he posed as a local thug looking to scope information by claiming that he wants to join the Sparrows.
But by the twelfth day, people from the Sparrows began questioning Yamazaki on his persistence to talk about the leader to which Yamazaki quickly left.
Yamazaki then began real spying, where he would listen in to conversations between Sparrow members.
Now he was listening to a group discuss daily news within the gang.
"Did you hear?" the first gang member spoke up.
"About what?" another answered.
"That the boss got taken down!" came the quick response.
The boss got killed? Yamazaki thought to himself.
"No way! Who would do such a thing?" a fourth member joined in.
"A silver-headed samurai. That bastard. It was during the rally we had outside of Edo. There were some 5000 of the Sparrows that went. Then that samurai showed up and starting beating people. He went berserk! I swear, half of those that went are already goners. The rest, either got beaten in some way or barely got away. Me being one of them. Boss, he stayed and battled with that samurai. The samurai had to take on the boss and thousands of guys pressing at him at once."
"What about boss?" the conversation was getting interesting.
"Boss? That man fell as soon as he tried to take on that samurai," replied the gangster.
"Did that maniac make it?" another chirped in.
"From what I heard, hell no. He was busted up so bad that he lost half of what he had," was the response.
Gin-san is dead? Yamazaki thought to himself again.
"So what does that mean for us?" another asked in worry.
"We're all screwed. That samurai took down Jirochou and the Princess and now he took down the boss. The gang is in ruins. He took half of everything we had in that event," the talkative one added.
Yamazaki couldn't believe what he heard but he knew he heard enough. He had to report this to Kondo immediately and soon he left.
Shinsengumi Headquarters
Kondo was enjoying his tea as he sat down. Another successful day of patrols and he bought a bag full of Haagen-Dazs for Otae. Things were looking up to him. Then a body came crashing through the screen door!
Kondo recoiled his shock. He accidentally spilled tea all over his crotch, causing him to jump in and yelp in pain.
"Kondo-san!" came a couple of screams. It was Hijikata and Sougo. Both came rushing in with their swords drawn.
"What happened?" Hijikata questioned as he saw a body face planted on the floor.
"I have no idea," came Kondo's reply. "This man came crashing through the door."
"Who are you?" Sougo said as he grabbed the mysterious man by the collar of his wet shirt.
"Are you an assassin sent here to kill the Chief of the Shinsengumi?" Sougo questioned.
"It's…Yamazaki…" came the hoarse response.
"Yamazaki?" Kondo responded.
"Yup. It's definitely an assassin. Shall I kill him Hijikata?" Sougo insisted.
"Wait… I'm Yamazaki!" Yamazaki said desperately.
Hijikata took out his cigarette and started smoking it. "Who's Yamazaki?" he answered in an evil voice.
Sougo needed no more encouragement and raised his blade to strike.
"I SAID WAIT!" Yamazaki screamed. It wasn't a scream of terror but a scream of authority.
This shocked even Hijikata as Sougo put down his sword.
"What is it?" Kondo asked. "Is there information you have on the Sparrows?"
"Yes. It's urgent. Top priority." Yamazaki urged. "Have a seat everybody. Sorry for snapping a moment ago."
Everyone gathered around the table where Kondo prepared his tea.
"The Sparrows. What do you have on them?" Kondo asked again.
"They are finished. Someone took them out." Yamazaki answered.
This stunned everyone in the room. No one could comprehend the idea at the moment.
"Which group took them out?" Hijikata asked.
"It wasn't a group. It was just one person. He went to a rally that they had and started cutting. Killing half the group and the boss and injuring countless others. But in the end, he died as well. From what I've heard, the group is in a tug for power." Yamazaki answered as he crossed his arms.
"Who is this crazy man?" Kondo pressed. The topic was getting interesting.
"Sakata Gintoki."
Yorozuya
Kondo couldn't believe what he heard from Yamazaki. The Sparrows falling overnight and the great Sakata Gintoki dying was too much to bare at once even for him. He had to go to his future brother-in-law to confirm it.
Kondo arrived at Snack Otose. He took a deep breath. There's no way that any of this is true. Then he opened the screen door. He expected to see Shinpachi and Kagura sitting and eating on a bar stool, Tama cleaning the floors and Catherine and Otose smoking. And what he saw was correct. But he saw another person he didn't expect to see. It made his eyes water to see that person in his very presence.
No, it wasn't Gintoki, it was Otae.
Then the next thing he saw was the bottom end of Otae's sandals. He was pummeled in the face with an abrasive kick from Otae. "What are you doing here you gorilla stalker?" she yelled at him.
Kondo fell to the ground from the kick. Then he got right back up only to be greeted with a fist to the jaw. "Get lost!" Otae screamed. Kondo was used to getting beaten up by Otae, much to his masochistic side. But right now he was agitated and wanted to confirm information.
"YOU WITCH! STOP IT!" Kondo screamed as he deflected the next punch from Otae.
His anger, like Yamazaki's earlier, stopped Otae's assault and caught the attention of every in the room.
"What is it Kondo?" Shinpachi asked.
"I have one question. Is he here?" Kondo replied.
"Gin-san? He left two nights ago saying something about sparrows. He hasn't returned since. Why?" Kagura responded.
Kondo couldn't believe what he heard, again. His knees felt weak, he has the break the news of Gin's death to his closest friends.
"Did something happen to Gin-san?" Shinpachi asked.
Kondo put his hand on his face and shook away the question.
"What happened to Gin-san?" Kagura continued to pester. Soon Shinpachi and Kagura were pounding questions at Kondo who only stood there in disbelief.
Finally, he cracked. "Gintoki's dead!" Kondo screamed.
The words resonated around the room. No one could believe it.
"What?" Otae said with a fake smile.
"Gintoki is dead. One of my spies confirmed it," Kondo went into detail.
"No…it can't be…" Kagura said. Her eyes began to puff up.
"How did Gin-san…die?" Shinpachi asked.
"Those sparrows he talked about. They were a gang in the Kabukicho. Gin went to a rally and fought almost all of them at once, including the boss. In the end, he died," Kondo went further into detail.
Kondo finished his words. It was very emotional in the room right now. Otae was crying in a way where tears would appear in her eyes but she would wipe it away with the sleeves of her kimono before they fell. Shinpachi and Kagura were both pouring tears. Otose smoked a cigarette and sat down with her hands over her face. Catherine didn't say anything but smoked quietly.
Kondo sighed. He turned his shoulder to leave the premise but a hand stopped him. It was Tama.
Tama then spoke up in her robotic voice. "My data is still lacking. What is dying, and what does it have to do with Master Gintoki?"
Kondo looked at Tama and in the most honest way he answered her, "Gin-san is not coming back. He is dead. That means he will cease to exist and forever not be a part of your life."
Kondo finished his sentence and was shocked to see Tama's reaction. Tears were falling out of her eyes!
"I don't understand. Oil is falling out of my eyes. Is the human reaction of crying?" Tama said as more tears fell from her eyes.
Kondo ignored her and went to Shinpachi. Shinpachi, could barely contain himself. Kondo put his hand on Shinpachi's shoulder. "I know that it's going to be a burden but I'm entrusting you to tell Gintoki's friends and loved ones about this situation."
Shinpachi only stared at Kondo with eyes of tears and did not mutter a word. And with a whim Kondo left.
Yoshiwara
It had been a week since Kondo had told them the dreadful news and now they are intent on telling the situation to others.
"Sister really took it hard," Shinpachi said.
"We all did. It hurts me a lot to tell someone else," Kagura said. Her eyes were puffy, no doubt from the crying and lack of sleep.
"Yeah. But I didn't expect sister to take it this hard. I heard that she didn't go to work for five days," Shinpachi added. His eyes seem to have lost the joy and peppiness that followed him before.
Then they arrived at Hinowa's home.
Hinowa was on her wheelchair in the front talking to Seita while Tsukuyo was enjoying her smoke.
Then Seita noticed Kagura and Shinpachi.
"Guys!" he yelled as he went over and hugged them.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Just stopping by," Shinpachi hesitated as he answered.
Hinowa then rolled her wheelchair over. "Come on in!" she invited them in.
Kagura and Shinpachi went into their home.
"Where's Gintoki?" Tsukuyo asked.
Kagura and Shinpachi tensed up.
The awkward question. How were they to respond?
"Um… Gin-san's occupied right now," Shinpachi slurred his words.
Tsukuyo let out a puff of smoke.
Hinowa sensed the awkwardness. "Tsukuyo, Seita, why don't you two get some tea for our guests?"
Tsukuyo and Seita then went to the kitchen.
"So what is the real reason that you are here?" Hinowa said in a realistic tone.
"It's about Gin-san…" Kagura started but she began to well up in emotion.
"I think it's best if you break it to Tsukuyo and Seita," Shinpachi continued. He gripped his fists in frustration as tears began to fall from eyes.
"There's this big gang in Kabukicho. They are really bad and commit horrible acts. Gin must've gotten frustrated or mad or something and went to one of their rallies and started cutting people up. Gin ended up taking out half the gang and killed the leader but in the end…" Shinpachi choked the words. They were just as difficult to say as it was to imagine.
"What happened?" Hinowa persisted.
"Gin-san died." Shinpachi couldn't believe himself as he blurted out.
Clatter! The sound of glass cups breaking echoed in the quiet room.
It was Tsukuyo! She was standing on the doorway where she dropped the tea cups she was holding. Tsukuyo gave a smile. "This can't be true right?"
"This is a joke right?" Tsukuyo continued to rant. She didn't believe it.
"Tsukuyo…" Hinowa said.
Tsukuyo let out a laugh. "Really funny Gintoki! You can come out now!" She continued to laugh as she walked around the room. Her laughs grew louder as it soon burst into a loud wail as she collapsed in tears in the middle of the room.
"Sorry for disturbing you all," Shinpachi said as he bowed to Hinowa and he left with Kagura.
Sa-Chan's House
It is just another house and another person, Shinpachi thought. But it is Sa-chan he kept thinking to himself.
He and Kagura went to Sa-chan's house. It was an excluded house in a meadow. Quite fascinating in fact.
Sa-chan was outside practicing her training when she spotted Kagura and Shinpachi. "Gin-san!" she shouted as she rushed over. She noticed the lack of a hero. "Where is Gin-san?" she asked.
Kagura and Shinpachi looked at each other. "Maybe we should go inside," Kagura said. She knew the news would be upsetting.
The three went inside. "So where is Gin-san? Is this one of his abandonment games? How much more must he play me before he's satisfied?"
"I don't know how to break this to you…" Kagura said. She was getting emotional again.
"But Gin-chan is dead," Shinpachi said. The words get tougher on him every time he says them.
"Does he like these cruel games? Does he think that I will fall for such stupid tactics?" Sa-chan pestered back.
"He really is dead. He got killed in a fight with the Sparrows," Kagura said.
"Or does he like widows? Does the idea of a woman being abandoned and being alone really turn him on that much?" Sa-chan went on.
"No… listen… Gin-san…" Shinpachi said as he was cut off.
"Gin-san! Come out now!" Sa-chan pestered, that's when Kagura got up and slapped her face.
"Sa-chan….I'm sorry," Kagura said.
Sa-chan took it very hard. That's when she collapsed to the floor and began sobbing loudly.
And then Shinpachi and Kagura left.
Telling everyone the news of Gintoki's death was very painful. And everyone decided to have a funeral in the following week to commemorate him.
The funeral was to be held at the Yorozuya where people would come by and pay their respects and a few of his close friends would give speeches and a couple of words honoring Gin.
It was the day of the funeral. Many people attended, ranging from the head of the Shinsengumi Matsudaria, Joui patriot Katsura, news reporter Ketsuno Ana and even the Shogun who sent his regards.
The funeral was depressing. Tears were shed, certain people named Tsukuyo and Sa-chan and Kagura were wailing in tears, and that is when Shinpachi went onto the balcony of the Yorozuya to address the attendees with Kondo and his fellow Shinsengumi counterparts.
"I thank you all for coming today." Shinpachi started. His voice drew total quietness. The emotion was high that day. And then he continued.
"Today is a day we will never forget. We have lost someone that has influenced all of our lives significantly. He has done many significant things in his life. From ridding the samurai country of a ruthless and evil man to liberating a city that has lost its light and saving it from being overtaken by an evil dictator to more simpler things like returning to a lost pet to its owner. He has saved the Kabukicho district countless times and is known for his time in the Joui War. He had neither desired lust nor money and lived in poverty most of his life. Despite all this, he was a simple man, a hero, an inspiration, a savior, a brother, a friend… and most importantly a samurai that protected those that were dear to him. And in the twenty so years he has lived, he has made many friends, forged many bonds that are as inseparable as the will that he built them in.
"This man, though he has perished, shall live on through his legacy. The legacy of Sakata Gintoki."
Shinpachi finished his memorandum for Gin and now he is going to wrap up the event.
"Please take a moment of silence to honor the man for which we are here today," Shinpachi said.
Shinpachi put his head down and closed his eyes and prayed for Gintoki.
"Oui oui Shinpachi. What are you doing?" it was a familiar voice walking up the stairs of the Yorozuya.
There were murmurs in the crowd. It seems that the crowd had heard the voice as well. The footsteps got louder and louder as the person approached.
It was none other than Sakata Gintoki.
Shinpachi took a deep breath. The emotion was high, I'm just hearing and seeing things.
"Shinpachi, why are there so many people here?" Gintoki fussed. "Huh? Is that you gorilla stalker?"
"Gin-san! You're alive!" Shinpachi yelled.
Soon Gintoki was embraced by many of his friends. Kagura, Tsukuyo, Sa-chan, Otae, Kondo and even Katsura and Elizabeth.
Gintoki was taken by the sudden burst of affection. "What is all this? Did something happen?"
"We all thought you died!" Kagura exclaimed.
"Now why would you think that?" Gintoki snorted.
Kondo and his fellow Shinsengumi on the balcony were in disbelief. The fellow Shinsengumi were Sougo, Hijikata and Yamazaki, all whom had their jaws wide open in shock.
"Shinpachi and Kagura told us!" Tsukuyo, Sa-chan and Katsura noted. Elizabeth put up a sign that exclaimed "Yeah!" in agreement.
Shinpachi and Kagura were panicking now. "Kondo-san told us this!" they found their scapegoat.
Kondo was flustered now. He didn't know what to say.
"YAMAZAKI!" Hijikata yelled at Yamazaki as he hit him on the forehead. "Why the hell are you making this bullshit?"
Yamazaki flinched as he got hit. "I heard from gang members of the Sparrows. Some silver haired samurai showed up and starting beating everyone up even with thousands of people coming at him and fell."
Gintoki took this in and laughed. "The Sparrows? Ha! It's those once every five year pachinko tournament known as the Sparrow Games! It's outside of Edo and takes a day or two to get there. That information you got must be mistaken. I went against thousands of others who wanted to win it big in the tournament! I beat the guy they called the Boss but I lost in the quarterfinals! But I still hit it big! I got 2 million yen out of it!" Gin pulled out a bag full of coins.
The answer destroyed Yamazaki. His face was pale white. Thousands of eyes were on him right now. The sad event soon turned into a hostile battlefield.
Yamazaki yelped as Sougo the sadist and Hijikata beat him up and the crowd dispersing in both frustration and relief.
Gintoki, still heavily embraced by his companions, finally broke free.
"Gin-san…" it was Kagura. "So what is to be learned from all this? You usually say something important in a time like this."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"It's simple really. Don't trust someone that eats anpan so much."
The End
That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed!