I don't own Gintama. Gintama is created and owned by Hideaki Sorachi

CHAPTER 1: Chainmails

He would have already joined the morning training with the squad but the demon vice-commander destroyed all his badminton rackets he uses during the training and whenever he plays with people in Kabuchikou. The last one was destroyed yesterday when Hijikata saw him swinging it one afternoon. He thought he can just wait until the next cutoff to purchase a new one. Also, it's his day off so he doesn't need to wear his uncomfortable black uniform and just wearing his old gray boring kimono.

"tck-tck-tck! T-t-tck-tck-tck!"

He decided to finish his written report about the latest robbery case they were investigating last week. The sound of his old typewriter and the faint whirling sound of his fan occupy the silence in his room. It is located at the back most part of their sleeping quarters and from there, you would barely hear the voice of the squad during their training, perfect for a guy who needs some solitude in writing report and essays. He left his door slid open, illuminating his room well.

Papers are scattered on the floor, some crumpled some are not. Those are either some he rejected or those with his original handwritten reports since he cannot bring a typewriter with him when he's on a mission. Only he would know which are still important and not.

He was quietly concentrating with his report when a monotonous voice called him.

"You seem to be very busy even though it's your day off," said Okita, already standing by his door with his eye cover hanging around his neck.

He was surprised as he didn't notice his presence when he came. He quickly got up and salute to his Captain. "Captain Oki-…"

"No need for formalities, I just want to doze off a bit," he interjected. "So, aren't you gonna spend your time outside this building?" he asked as lays down the empty hallway near the edge with his head near the post.

He sat back and continued typing before he replied to him. "I really don't have any plans in my mind but…" he paused for a bit to adjust his paper manually on the typewriter. "… If I'm able to finish this early, I might go for a walk in the park," he continued.

"eh… Well suit yourself," replied Okita. He puts on his mask and crossed his arms at the back of his neck, serving as pillows. "I'm gonna go to my favorite thing, so goodnig-…"

"Goodnight my ass. What do you think you're doing?" said the approaching demon vice commander with a cigarette between his fingers. Yamazaki quickly got up and went out just to salute to him. It was like an automatic response for him whenever his commanders and captains are arriving.

Hijikata took a glimpse of him. "Yamazaki," he called in a low voice like always.

"Hai! Fukutaichou!"

"Isn't it I approved your day-off today? Why are you still here?"

"it's because…" he looked at his typewriter with the paper still stuck there, almost done. "… I'm trying to finish my latest report," he answered. He took a glimpse and saw his typewriter still has a paper stuck in it. Hijikata was a bit surprise for his hard work.

Hijikata always appreciate his hard works and he knows that his work is the riskiest: being a spy with no backups even if things go wrong. He felt bad and at the same time irritated after seeing his Captain just dozing around during his patrolling hours. He wanted Yamazaki to rest, even just for today but not the Captain in sleeping mask.

"Yamazaki," he said, puffing a smoke. "Spend the rest of the day outside the headquarters… that's an order," continued with a calmer tone of voice as he grabs Okita's collar behind his neck and drag him away.

He knew that his commander was serious on what he just said even though he looked like he's just fooling with Okita. "Please give me an hour to finish this and I will head out, Fukutaichou!" he replied with a louder voice as his commander was already walking away. Hijikata just waved at him before he turned in the corner while dragging the sleeping Captain.

He sighed and sat back in front of his old typewriter. For him, nothing is more relaxing than being in his own room and not doing anything exhausting but he does appreciate his vice-commander's concern.. Maybe he's thinking that he's too stressed with is actually not true. They didn't know that doing a report is one thing he enjoys aside from eating anpan and playing badminton with that homeless old guy. But there are no anpan, only a bag of assorted doughnuts on the table and there are no rackets to use to play badminton only a bunch of metal scraps and wires tangled together in a corner. He continued to type as he tries to think of something to do outside.

Half an hour went by as he's nearly done with his report. He looked at his watch and saw how much time has passed.

"T-t-tck! Tck!... tck!"

It's finally complete. He pulled out the final page for his report and held it with his both hands as he is proud of his works. "Nice… No typos. No corrections… At least there's something I'm really good at, I guess I'm gonn-…"he said to himself with a slight smile on his face.

"You can just always do that using a computer to correct errors, you know," a female voice just outside his room interrupted.

He chuckled a bit, not knowing yet that there's already a person behind him. "Nah, I prefer using this old machine because I can really feel how much I improved in typing and mak-…," he stopped abruptly and swiftly turned around as he stands when he finally realized it. "You are…"

She bowed her head very slightly as a form of greeting. "Domo," she greeted with her same monotonous voice and stiff expression in her face. "Sorry for intrusion," she continued.

As a member of Shinsengumi, just seeing her white uniform with the design similar to their except that theirs are black and looking to her red eyes partially being cover by her dark blue hair, it's like an instinct to be alerted and cautious. He looked at her sharply, waiting for her next move. He knew that he cannot defeat her but at least he needs to defend himself. But the only next move she did was to take a bite on a doughnut while sitting and leaning on the edge of his front door. Her eyes weren't like they were during the battle. His face frowned a bit. He already knew that there are no threats or assaults that will happen, letting out a sigh.

"It's okay," waving his hand in front of his face like saying forget about it. "I do expect the Yoruzuya to be barging here for some stupid reason and I least expect you to be here in my room for any reason," he said while neatly stacking his reports and fastening it.

"Don't you like me to be here?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied briefly.

"Ruude," she said but not caring at all.

Not one Shinsengumi would welcome a Mimarawigumi in their base especially if they are in uniform which reminds them that they're always on the opposing sides.

"I'm pretty sure you're not gonna spend your day by coming here and chit chatting with me," he said as he looked at her. She looked back. "I need to talk to that brown haired bastard," she answered, referring at Okita Sougo. The way she referred him as "brown haired bastard" seems like Okita did something to annoy her.

"Why do you want to see him?" he asked as he walked to get his stamp in a drawer to authenticate his report he just finished. He waited for a few seconds for a response from her Nobume didn't reply so he turned around to see why and saw her already on her phone checking her email.

She turned the phone screen to him and extended her arms for him to see it clearly. There is a list of emails coming from his commander Isaburo. "So what are these," he asked, narrowing his eyes to read it but Nobume pulled it back and opened an email for him.

"My boss keeps receiving emails from him that are actually chainmails or chain letters, like how the others say it. And since I'm first on his 'buddy list', he always forward it to me first," she explained.

"So? He can just go ahead and ignore it and block him. I don't see that as a prob-,"

"Boss doesn't block email buddies and…" She paused as she was too disappointed to reveal it but Yamazaki knew what's in her mind. "…He strongly believes in chainmails," he connected with his eyes half opened and a monotonous voice.

Nobume can help but sigh. "Just to let you know, Isaburo Taichou is having restless nights because he's afraid that a ghost will kill and he's having a hard time finding people to forward it too," she said dismayed.

Somehow, what she just said reminded him of the Yoruzuya and Hijikata.

She opens an email and told him she'll read one for him.

"You can't stop reading this now, you'll die.

My name is M**** and I'm 15 years old. I once lived in a small apartment at Edo with my father and two siblings. We were a normal family but my father was a drunkard. He graduated in a community college under the course BS architecture and worked at Shou Industries for four years. Her mother died before he graduated and her chair remained empty as he walked on stage…"

Yamazaki quickly interrupted, "There's too much backstory!"

"Let me finish," she demanded as she continues reading.

"He met my mother in the same company and they decided to get married a year later. My mother was his supervisor, even inside the house and she likes to eat pancakes…"

"Why the hell she keeps putting irrelevant information!?" he shouted but she kept on reading.

"… If you wanna know my mom's pancake recipe, just visit her page at hot***** …"

"That clearly isn't the one for posting recipes!" he interjected as she keeps on reading.

"Going back, my mom quitted her job and went in Europe and became a bakery branch owner and employed person with solar hands who is really good in making bread. She told us that they will compete in Pantas-…"

He quickly approached her and covered her mouth. "I need you to stop right there and just tell me the last two sentences in that email," he asked as he let go of his hand on her mouth.

She was a bit surprised on what he did but she didn't mind and scrolled down to read the last sentences. "…If you don't send this 40 people, my aunt will haunt you in the middle of the night and kill you with her master's katana and gouge your eyes out,"

"Why will the aunt do the haunting? Isn't it suppose to be M****?! And she wasn't even mentioned in the chain letter! Why is she using her master's sword? Who the hell would believe this crap?!" He said annoyed and frustrated with everything he just heard and with the stupidity with the story.

She turned the screen of her phone to him again and said "Well, if you want I can read you twenty more of th-"

"No! Please don't," he begged. "I get the point"

There was a brief silence between them before he broke it with a sigh. She looked at him. "I really can't bring you to Captain Okita right now. He's with the entire squad with Hijikata Fukutaichou," he said.

"I really don't mind walking in there," she replied.

"Not a good idea," he quickly disagreed while reaching something in his back underneath the table. "I don't think my squad will welcome you there especially that you're in your uniform. We don't wanna cause any scandal just for a stupid reason about chain mail," he continued. Nobume realized that he's right as she looks on her white uniform with a few doughnut crumbles on her lap. Not everyone in the Shinsengumi is calm and thinks first before attacking their enemy. Imagining the situation of being ganged up by a group of swordsmen makes her hesitant. She herself knows her limits.

"Catch!"

Before she was absorbed in her own thoughts, she was snapped from it by his voice as she looked at his direction only to see a bottle of tea comes flying her. She managed to catch it. He walked out of his room and sat beside her. "We can just wait for him. For sure he'll sneak away from our Demon vice at any moment. For now you can have my tea. It's not that cold though," he connected.

She was a bit stunned with his kindness as she stares at him. "T-thank you," she muttered twist opening the cap of the bottle and started drinking. Her eyes gaze in his room as he drinks and on the bottle. There was another silence in between them and Yamazaki s not comfortable with it. He decided to break it by asking. He looked at her with a smile and asked her.

"Anyway, how long have you been recie-," his voice caught up in his throat after he saw Nobume eyes locked on the bag of doughnuts left on his table with her mouth agape like in any moment she'll drool. "E-eh?" not knowing how he'll react, he decided to give it to her too.

"N-nobume Imai-san… You can just go ahead and take if you really want it," he said, a bit confused.

All of a sudden, she grabbed both of his hands together with her both hand and looked at him with such gratefulness, her eyes sparkling in happiness. "Your kind is what our country needs,"

"N-no need to be very grateful," he chuckled then Nobume reaches for the doughnut on the table and went back to beside him to eat it. At least, the silence between them is filled with chewing sound and the scuffling sound of paperbag.

"Just call me Nobume," she mumbled as she chews on the doughnut.

"Are you sure that's okay with you?" he asked looking at her confused. She just nodded back without a word.

"Then, Nobume… I'm gonna leave you here for a minute or two. I'm going to submit this report to my commander's office. I'll be quick," he said standing up, grunting as he gets back on his feet. Nobume looked at him, nodding.

Picking up the report with the papers neatly filed inside, he walked out. In the back of his mind, he is a little worried about leaving her there. What if someone came saw her there in his room? He might be accused of betrayal and treason. He can't help but sigh every twenty seconds. But what else can he do? He's already halfway there. He just hoped no one will come.

"Sorry for intrusion," he whispered sliding the door open even though he knows that no one is there since Kondo is on his "love quest" that is more like "stalk in the creepiest way quest". His commander's room is neat except his table. Papers are piled along with partially open envelopes and folders on one side and some photographs and previous reports scattered in the middle like Kondo was reviewing the case last night. He scratched the back of his head, not knowing where to place his files since Kondo always tell him to leave his reports on his table. "I guess I'll just leave it in his table drawer," he muttered pulling the table drawer. He was about to place the folder inside when he noticed an old photo on top of it.

It was an old photo of the leaders of the newly established Shinsengumi. In there was a photo of Isaburo and Kondo standing side by side along with the others with some he barely know. He can't remember when the picture is taken since he isn't in the photo. It reminded him that there was no Mimawarigumi lead by Isaburo, just Shinsengumi.

"Oh crap I forgot about her," he whispered to himself snapping out of his reminiscence. He dropped the file in, covering the photo, and slamming it close as quickly walked out and headed back to his room. He didn't know how much has passed but he's certain that it is beyond five minutes. Finally he can almost see his room and there was her standing just outside, looking at the sky.

The wind blows softly against her soft long hair and her uniform, exposing her fair toned legs and her doll-like face. This scenario made him stopped, astonished that he forgot about the words he was about to say. The wind blew harder as she takes a deep breath, closing her crimson eyes. He was speechless as she tilts her head towards him. She noticed him but he didn't notice that she's already looking at him. He didn't realize she got the looks after all up until now.

"Something wrong, Yamasaki-san?" she asked, placing some strands of her hair with her fingers to the back of his ears. He just stood silent looking at her.

She sighed walking up to him and flick his nose.

"Ouch!" he grabbed his nose in pain and finally snapping out from his daydreaming.

"I thought you were possessed by M****'s aunt," she said, monotonously as she stared into his eyes. He looked away, rubbing the tip of his nose. "You don't need to do that even I am," he replied.

He suddenly heard a distant voice approaching his place, and not just one voice but two of them, having a conversation. It was Hijikata and the captain of the other division. He thought it was perfect opportunity to tell him why a Mimarawigumi was with him but he saw the time, it's almost nearly an hour past since Hijikata told him to leave the premises.

"holy sh…!" he muttered with a frightened look on his face. Nobume looked at him and asked "something wrong?"

He quickly grabbed her arm. "Just be quiet,"

AUTHORS NOTE:

Author: Well that's chapter one for you. I decided to give the supporting charac-

Tsukky: *clears throat*

Author: What are you doing in this segment, Tsukky?

Tsukky: Don't call me Tsukky and why the hell you're writing a new one?! Aren't you going to-

Author: *sighs and presses shift+8 on the keyboard*