Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama, of course! If I did, I'd be out there trying to make GinxKagu happen! :) This was inspired by the fact what Umibozu said in episode 40- that staying in one place too long will only cause harm to the people around them, and maybe taller- than-I-expected Kamui going crazy in the manga and anime (soon) ... I don't know.
This story may not be for everyone, so please read (if you decide to) with an open mind.
Warnings: Randomness (I don't know if this makes sense), Violence (remember when I said I couldn't write fight scenes that well? - so I guess it's not that violent after all...), Language (Maybe)
This first part might be a bit short, so please just bear with me. :) Thanks. As always, comments, constructive criticism are appreciated (Everything except flames) Thx to Blitzphyd for the corrections!
Sporadic Insanity
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Kagura blamed her predicament on a brief lapse of irrationality and helplessly watched as the man encroached on her private bubble. Why wasn't she searching for an escape? The brim of his hat covered his face, and the smoke emitting from the pipe provided a putrid fragrance, one that lingered faintly in the atmosphere. The Kihetai leader leaned close to her.
"Do you want to become stronger?"
His soft voice belied the cruel and vicious nature he harboured, the Yato girl reminded herself. This man must have repressed his murderous intent displayed during battles, since shivers hadn't yet crawled along her spine. In a shopping district though, she figured he wouldn't do anything to draw attention to himself, and the sukonbu laid out by the window pane was inducing all sorts of fantasies about delicious dishes that she could make with it. Perhaps he would leave if the red-haired girl entered the convenience store.
"Go away." Although she normally responded to hazardous circumstances with fists, fighting an influential psycho was imprudent.
"Your Yato side is desperate for violence, isn't it? Wouldn't you like to find out how to control it?" Her eyes widened at him incredulously. The knowledge of losing restraint in Yoshiwara, as far as the teenager knew, was limited to Shinpachi and herself. They had kept it a secret even from Gintoki, and discovering that Takasugi Shinsuke received the information was enough to dispel her daydreams. The ex-Joi soldier, having captured her attention, whispered a few words as he passed her and continued on his way down the street.
"I'll be waiting by the pier…"
Upon returning to the Yorozuya with her rations and Gintoki's strawberry milk, she turned on the TV. The sound of the appliance blared throughout the room as she tried to unsuccessfully eradicate the part of her brain analyzing the madman's words. Her silver-haired employer was probably dozing off on his futon, thereby cancelling their work for today. Their funds were running low, but they'd make it work. The glasses otaku was watching a televised concert, pumping his fists up and down as the audience cheered on Otsu.
Kagura realized that confronting the otaku for some advice would be a plausible action. "Shinpachi, what if someone else knew about….Yoshiwara?" She emphasized the last word, and gave the human adolescent a look that sobered him up.
The boy turned around swiftly, his arm sinking to his side. "Who else witnessed it, Kagura?!" He raced to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"I don't know. I couldn't see his face very clearly." Side-stepping the inquiry was the safest course of action. Confessing to an encounter with Edo's extremist, however accidental, would result in a grilling that the Yorozuya female wanted to avoid at all costs.
Shinpachi weighed the situation. "A man, huh?" The Yato adolescent blanched at giving away this detail and chided herself for being careless.
"Is he planning to use it for blackmail against us?" Good old logic; already the cautious member of their trio was suspecting foul intentions. She hoped that the light would stop reflecting off of his lenses for these dramatic moments; it was annoying, like everything else lately.
"I don't think so." The conversation was growing tedious, and the persuasive purple-robed man's offer was sparking up optimism. She would never again submit to her Yato blood, never injure Gin-chan or Shinpachi. The criminal's invitation that she had mentally crumpled up and tossed into a wastebasket was beginning to entice her.
"Actually, he said he was going to teach me to control it. I'm supposed to meet him at the pier." Curiosity and apprehension raged inside of the adolescent.
The more responsible member was astonished at the news. "He's a Yato clansman?"
"No, definitely not. He wasn't carrying an umbrella."
"I guess you could go once." The otaku hesitated, and then brightened. "If he tries anything, you can just beat him up!"
Attempting to defeat a convict with the support of the Harusame, which Kamui had joined, was inconceivable; she forced a chuckle and gripped her umbrella forcefully. Defying her Yato heritage was growing more of a burden since taking out her inherent frustration against inanimate objects wasn't adequate anymore. She had to figure out a way to release the bloodlust safely.
Her father decimated malevolent aliens, and her brother, Harusame's enemies to stave off the insanity that would consume mature Yato clansmen if they repressed the killing urge. Being the offspring of Umibozu ensured that the Yato lust heightened years before adulthood. Who could Kagura aim her anger towards?
The Yorozuya girl had nearly snapped the last time she fought with the sadist and he had retreated afterwards to the Shinsengumi headquarters, his underlying trust in her discipline severed.
That was the day the redhead acknowledged the overwhelming obligation to her nature and humiliation burned throughout her entire being. She didn't want Gintoki to discern her transformation, so she had been leaving the Yorozuya early when there were no job offers and returning home late.
Shinpachi's sister was no help either. Sometimes Kagura thought that Otae was purposely edging her on by going on a rampage, whether it was panty thieves or stalkers. The temptation to succumb would crash against her defenses.
Cracks on her supposed iron will were forming, and the Yato female spent nights wondering if the next day, she would awake to the stench of her employer's blood dripping off of her umbrella. Sleeping soundly was problematical when nightmares assaulted her subconscious.
The vibrancy her character was defined by was extinguishing. Her immediate friends hadn't picked up any dramatic change yet, but how long could she preserve herself?
Kagura had the absurd hope that Takasugi Shinsuke's maniacal methods would resurrect her, or at least subdue the hunger for bloodshed. Retracting her decision to distance herself from the terrorist, she slid the door open. The adolescent observed the pedestrians beneath her, how they appeared to be so carefree and energetic; envy rose like bile in her throat.
None of them had to cling to sanity through savagery.
She wished hurting Gin-chan and Shinpachi wasn't a possibility, wished she didn't require the assistance of a maniac, wished fervently to reclaim the innocence of her younger years, but apparently reality had other plans.
Dirt and gravel crackled as her boots tread on the path leading to the pier. The sea was calm, sparkling sunlight reflected off the waves, and a large ship was docked over by the warehouses. Umibozu's daughter was instantly wary and readied her weapon. Keeping her presence covert was her goal, and she needed to silence anyone who was noncompliant. She crept tentatively through the entrance and into a corridor, eyes and ears searching for the slightest indication that someone else was present.
The sound of footsteps emerged from the east end, and she whirled around to see a man accompanied by an Amanto. He was adorned in sunglasses and a trench coat, and didn't seem the least bit ruffled by her unannounced appearance. The stranger paused in front of her, Otsu's odd profanities blaring from his headphones.
"Shinsuke-sama is expecting you." Though his speech was respectful, the man's superior tone ticked her off, and she whipped her umbrella at him.
He was unmoved by the display. "I received orders to escort you to him." Without waiting for her approval, the messenger set off, forcing Kagura to hurry after him. When she caught up with the Otsu fan, she stifled her indignation and desire to attack the man for his audacity. Decapitating the Devil's subordinate wouldn't leave a positive first impression. She was also perturbed that the notion had instantly jumped into her mind.
The man halted by giant wooden doors, and a silken voice from the room beckoned them to enter. The interior was more spacious than Otae's dojo, daylight filtering through the windows. A figure slumped near the closest opening. Slender fingers balanced the pipe as dark eyes regarded her; Kagura's heartbeat reverberated in her ears. No vocal exchange was involved, no victorious speech made, yet she recognized the ex-Joi's grotesque satisfaction.
How low she had tumbled, to rely on the aid of her enemies.
Takasugi's clothes rustled while he propped his body alongside the wall, and in a single movement, the mood shifted and the tension intensified.
"Bansai."
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End of Part I