* Too Much Familiarity Breeds Contempt*

by: WhiteGloves

"Don't label us as comrades… our relationship isn't that simple."

~Takasugi Shinsuke~

-Something that came out from the box called brain.

At least I have it in me. Nah, Zura?-

Enjoy Reading!

There was a flushing toilet sound followed by a door opening and closing; then came a sound of footsteps suddenly halting— then a voice—

"Huh?"

Sakata Gintoki's dull fish like eyes blinked ever slowly as he stared at the person sitting in front of him inside the Yorozuya house hold. The visitor couldn't be any stranger to him for if there was a possible eighth day he was sure to find the same person sitting on the couch so comfortably that it was actually annoying. Yet he knew to discourage the man to come to him was like asking his booger to stop cumulating inside his nose.

The Yorozuya leader's mouth twitched to open but his lethargic will got the best of him; in the end he just kept his eyes at his long black haired visitor. The visitor, too, remained immobile on the spot, sitting rigidly with straight back and arms crossed and well hidden on the cover of his sleeves. When he opened his eyes, it revealed a pair of olive colored orbs that was ever so grieve and serious.

The two did not bat an eyelid as they stared at each other hard and long.

Then Katsura went and opened his mouth—

"Ginto-"

A foot suddenly slammed on his face without warning.

"Quiet. The answer is no." Gintoki replied.

"But I have not yet said anything!" Katsura hissed as he shoved Gintoki's foot away. Nearby, Sadaharu, who was sitting comfortably at the Yorozuya leader's table, gave a mighty yawn.

"Shut up. I don't care why you're here." Gintoki travelled his eyes to the box on the table with a design of a cake on it, "Seriously, even bringing up another bribe, you... don't you think it's obvious what you want? Are you a suitor? Sorry, but I don't go for face value much if it's got the same parts I have."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It's a compliment." Gintoki muttered as he sat down opposite the long haired samurai with the box already opened and the cake on a plate and spoon on his hand. "Then?"

Katsura leaned forward eagerly.

"I came here with a very important mission... a battle of life and death..."

"Don't we all have that every day?" the silver haired samurai muttered with icing on the corner of his mouth. "Oh yeah, in your case it's always a matter of dying and death, isn't it?"

Katsura started solemnly at him as if he did not hear anything, "You're the only one who can help me, Gintoki."

The silver haired samurai's attention was caught by the meaningful stare the Joui leader was giving him. Then Katsura straightened and bowed his head.

"Oi, Zura..."

"It's not Zura! It's Katsura."

"Whichever… oi… are you serious?"

"Gintoki..." Katsura looked up, the tension in his eyes increasing as Gintoki's eyes widened expectantly.

"I beg you…this event might just change the shape of this forsaken country so I am in dire need of your assistance…" he took something from his sleeves and slammed it so dramatically on the table— "Gintoki, please— please help me win the Edo Uno Championship Gameee!"

Gintoki's face darkened as the Joui leader raised his head with face as serious as ever as he continued so heartily and with deep conviction—

"This battle has been going on for years between all the Jouishishi factions and 'we' of the Katsura faction has held its reputation to be the longest title record holder for five consecutive championships! We had faced a lot of foe from different factions and for so long we managed to beat every single one of them and claimed to be the strongest above all— the most powerful and influential—we are the rulers! To this day Gintoki, our faction has been the leading group among all factions—the most famous one if I might say! With that power other Joushishi are intimidated by us and some dissolve to join us! See our power, Gintoki!? This is the power of the one at the very top—!"

"The only one I see on the top is your head under my table!" Gintoki grinded his teeth as he slammed his foot yet again at the long haired samurai's head, "what's with that dramatic expression? Life and death my ass! I'll just kill you here, teme!"

"Ack! G-Gintoki you don't understand-!"

"I don't want to bother to understand!" he stepped on Katsura's head again and again, "I understand my foot better than your head! What Uno battle? What championship? Seriously bothering me for a ridiculous thing! What the hell's with all the faction battling over Uno, huh? Is this some heavenly god game where the winner will get to be a god? Is that why your faction's so busy these days?!"

"Y-your reaction's more ridiculous- ackk!"

In the middle of their action, the Uno box suddenly flew away from Katsura's hand and landed neatly on Sadaharu's nose on the table. The dog's eyes slightly opened to look at what suddenly hit him and then just like that— opened his mouth and used his tongue to swallow it.

"Ahhh!" Katsura shouted in shock as the dog went to sleep again as if nothing happened. Gintoki watched the whole thing too but his reaction was as lame as ever.

"Well, that's that, Zura." He muttered as he put his foot down and watched as the Joui leader slowly straightened up, "I don't plan to join you in any battle any time soon. Go home and reflect what your real purpose in life is, alright? You're incredibly lost. No—you're brain is lost! Seriously you've been straying from your path like a long time ago, what are you really? From a Joui leader to an Uno leader… if you're not careful your path's really going downhill, same with your brain."

"How can you say that, Gintoki!" the long haired samurai shot up from his chair with fists closed, "the battle has not even begun and you're giving up already?"

"I've never begun anything with you, teme!"

"Don't lie to yourself! We have a past together!"

"Don't speak like an old lover from my past—!"

"No matter how much you deny me you cannot erase what we have!"

"We don't have anything!"

"Take responsibility and join me! Your help is absolutely necessary!"

"Like hell I'll go there! No amount of cake would make me go there!"

"Speaking of which, you've already finished the cake I brought for you!"

"Oh, so you brought that!? I thought that was my own supply I was saving just in case some busy buddy visits me for no reason!"

"Don't play dumb with me! In any case it's already decided! We will win this battle together!"

"I SAID I AIN'T GOING AND I AIN'T GOING! LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY!"

"Now let us plan ourstrategy. Listen, there are three rounds in the championship—my friends and I have successfully cleared the path in the championship—"

"What friends? This is the first time I'm hearing this! You have no friends!"

Katsura's eyebrow twitched.

"You're really… have you really no amount of shame? You're denying even your own friend?"

Gintoki stared at him dully.

"That's why I said…who's your friend again?"

Katsura closed his eyes and smiled though there was an annoyed vein had started pounding on his head.

"There you go again trying to escape responsibility. Really, you have to grow up like a real man, Gintoki."

"Why are you speaking like an impregnated woman? And just who are you talking about?"

"You. My friend."

"That's why I keep asking just who do you think is your friend?"

"You."

"No, no, I think you're really misunderstanding something here. I think you're really mistaking me for someone else— no wait— maybe there's really no one else—"

The vein on the Joui leader's head snapped and the next thing Katsura was shouting and pointing at the Yorozuya leader-

"Stop messing around! To think a friend like you would keep on saying that—!?"

Gintoki pointed back at him and blew his horn.

"I never said that, you bastard! Who in their right mind would take you as one, teme!"

Both steaming, the Joui leader and the Yorozuya leader glared at each other until Katsura took in a deep inhale and crossed his arms.

"Fine, I get it. It's alright for you to get confuse since you're nervous about the championship. After all, it's your first time being entered in a national competition so I'll forgive you this time if you apologize."

"Shut up already, Zura. I ain't joining and I ain't apologizing."

The vein now pounded on Katsura's cheek.

"W-well, I can't help it if you really won't join since you don't know how to play Uno in a national level so I'll forgive you. Friends forgive each other after all."

Gintoki looked away with a pouting face, "Who's your friend? Even Sadaharu would not want to be found alive with you calling him a friend."

"Bastard…. Didn't you think we're friends?"

"Never."

"Really—Gintoki!"

The silver haired samurai then shouted at his face— "Idiot. As I said I never thought of you my friend. Who'd befriend a brainless maniac like you?"

Something in Katsura snapped.

"You bastard—then why do you think I'm inviting you to join me if we're not friends?!"

"Why should I bother trying to understand a bakka's mentality, you bakka!?"

Impatience burst out of the Joui leader who slammed his fist on the table. Gintoki kept his eyes away until he noticed Katsura standing slowly and silently headed for the door with arms on his side, his face hidden on the shadow of his face.

Gintoki blinked at the sudden retreating figure and sighed.

"Oi, Zura!"

It happened in a flash that caught the silver haired samurai by surprise. A sword came out of nowhere and nearly sliced Gintoki if not for his instincts warning him to fall back. Strands of his silver hair fell on the floor.

Looking up he found Katsura eyeing him sharply as if he was an enemy. He returned the gaze with his expressionless eyes. Katsura's eyes narrowed.

"It's not Zura. It's Katsura."

Just then, the shoji door slid open followed by the two other younger Yorozuyas coming in. The moment the two saw what was happening they immediately stopped.

"Gin-san? Katsura-san?" Shinpachi asked in bewilderment while Kagura blinked at the two older men. "What's going on?"

Gintoki watched as Katsura pulled his sword away and put it back to its sheath.

"Don't dare call me Zura again." he said quietly, his eyes hidden on his hair, "We're over. This relationship is over. I'm severing ties with you."

And the long haired samurai turned without ado. He silently went pass Kagura and Shinpachi who both watched him go.

"Katsura... san?" the megane boy whispered as he walked by but the Joui leader never turned. Kagura turned to Gintoki with her blue eyes transfixed at him.

"Zura's really pissed, Gin-chan." she commented.

"Who cares? Seriously getting his temper out on me! He nearly cut me, didn't you see that?"

"Not everyone can just do that." the megane boy replied as he closed the door and the three of them sat opposite each other.

"He can do that!" Gintoki insisted with a wave of his arm, "And didn't you hear him talk like some teenager breaking up with someone?"

"Well, what did you argue about?" Shinpachi insisted on.

"I don't even remember. He was just suddenly at my neck."

"Hmm?" Kagura suddenly blinked, catching the males' attention, "maybe you told him something weird like 'kiss me' or 'sleep with me'?"

"I'd like to say that to him as much as I do to you!" the silver haired muttered.

"Oi! Are you insulting me, yes?"

"Kagura-chan, that's enough," Shinpachi said with a concerned look at the Yorozuya leader, "Gin-san, what was that about? I rarely see Katsura-san that angry. You must've said something that provoked him? Spill it already."

Gintoki frowned and problematically put a hand on his head.

"It's nothing serious. It's just his stupid head."

Shinpachi looked thoughtfully at the Yorozuya lader who seemed careless whatsoever.

"Well," the megane boy went again, "if it was some stupid thing then why did he get that angry? I'm sure you said something else… because you two never argue about those simple things before."

"I told you it's an adult stuff," Kagura murmured, "you heard Zura. He said he was breaking up. In short Gin-chan was dumped."

"Where the hell do you get those ideas!?" the silver haired samurai raged.

At the table, the giant white fur ball gave a mighty yawn.

The trio glanced at the dog for awhile before Shinpachi looked at Gintoki again.

"Are you sure this is okay, Gin-san?"

"Leave it alone," the Yorozuya leader sighed again and silently stood up, "It's not like Zura to hold grudge like that. I'm sure he'll forget it in the next few days. You'll see, he'll be here before we notice it and once he comes, brace yourselves. We're in again for his unending stupidity."

Shinpachi looked uncertain for awhile. Then he pressed a smile.

"You're right. This is Katsura-san after all."

A week later, everyone has forgotten about that episode. If it was entirely right, Gintoki has forgotten everything about Katsura's existence—in fact—he was back on his old habit of lazing around his household, lying on the couch with a Jump book on his face with feet up.

It was just an ordinary day.

"The yellow haired ninja story is almost over," he muttered to himself as he pulled book down to his nose, his eyes as dead as ever, "I wonder what life is without that ninja around? Will another story get on top of it like how it did to Drag-On Ball? I wonder how it will end? Will he get the pink girl or the black girl will get him? Hmm... so many questions you have to deal when you're facing an end for a manga that it's actually troublesome. Tsk… not like my story's ending up any time soon."

He pulled himself up and put the Jump down the table, scratching his head.

"Man, reading that ninja eating his favorite ramen suddenly made me want to eat some ramen too."

He stood up and scratched his butt.

"I wonder if I can get another free meal again."

He walked outside in the daylight in his slow pace, not bothering even to take his bike. If there was any place to get some good ramen, there were plenty; but just about that time his palate was only looking for a taste of one and only.

He arrived shortly at Ikumatsu's Ramen shop.

"Oi," he greeted with voice as enthusiastic as his eyes as he opened the shoji door. Ikumatsu, who was inside the counter talking to someone in front of her, looked up startled, but then smiled at him warmly.

"Ah, Gin-san."

Gintoki entered the shop and his eyes fell on the man sitting by the counter whose long black hair he would never mistake. He stared at the man's back.

"What would you like to have today, Gin-san?" the lady asked as the Yorozuya leader sat down a sit away from the long haired samurai.

"I was reading a very good manga just now that made me want to eat your ramen," Gintoki said with a small smile, "so if you could please add plenty of naruto there I'll be very grateful."

"Reading your life away with fictions and only working on when it befits you, how very likely of you." A voice so cold said from Gintoki's right who was none other than Katsura, "Someone who never had uphold the name of honorable samurais… I don't get why I was tolerating the likes of you in the first place."

Both Ikumatsu and Gintoki gave him a look.

Katsura closed his eyes and stood up quietly.

"Thank you for the soba, Ikumatsu-dono." He said without as much as a glance at the silver haired samurai, "And this is the payment. I don't want you to think all samurais never pay for their meal."

Ikumatsu blinked at the long haired samurai who gave her a respectful bow before turning around and leaving. The door closed behind him, leaving the lady and the silver haired samurai in silence.

"Ramen." Gintoki muttered suddenly, making Ikumatsu glance at him.

"Sure."

She turned to work on the meal while Gintoki slowly raised a hand on his head and scratched it.

"Seems like I won't have any extras for pachinko." he muttered under his breath.

Gintoki went home that night with less enthusiasm than when he left that afternoon. He was walking in the empty street of Kabuki with his right hand lamely inside the covers of his white kimono which was hanging off loosely on his right shoulder.

"No pachinko all day and got stuck with Hasegawa at the park," he muttered to himself as he walked under the starless sky, "haven't I got important things to do? Like milking the cow or carrying bread to the town to earn money? Huh? Why am I thinking like granda Alps just now?"

Just then the silver haired samurai stopped walking as he felt more than see presence of people surrounding him. He averted his eyes from left to right then as swiftly as they did, rounins surrounded him.

Gintoki did not give any sign of alarm as he looked at them all.

"Oi," he started uninterestedly, " aren't magistrates the ones supposed to roam the streets at night? Why do I see joushishi in front of me? Have times changed again, huh?"

"With your ability to let time pass you by it might just be possible." a familiar voice said as he stepped ahead of the other rounins. The silver haired samurai wasn't at all surprise to see him with his habitual arms crossed and ever serious face.

"Zura."

Katsura looked up sharply at him.

"That's Katsura for you."

The white haired samurai remained impassive as the Joui leader closed his eyes.

"I've always thought you were just bidding your time hiding in that fancy clothes of yours and the four walls of your house but it really appears like you have become rotten because of your consume of sweet and manga. It's really a shame but I used to look up to you. Now everything has change."

Gintoki blinked and raised a finger to his ears.

"What are you up to now, Katsura?"

Katsura narrowed his eyes.

"There's nothing I can do about the past. You have been a significant part of it and I would never forget that. But from now on our paths diverged. I will no longer seek you nor trouble you as my old comrade. As you have put it so like last time- we were never friends."

"Oi, what are you being so dramatic about?"

Katsura closed his eyes. "Let me ask you again… didn't you really think of us as friends?"

Gintoki stared at the long haired samurai with no visible expression save his dull eyes.

"Zura." He opened his mouth, "Go hit your brain if you can find it. You're annoying."

Katsura paused as he gazed at the Yorozuya leader for quite awhile. Gintoki scratched his head and closed his eyes with his expression contorting.

"What kind of pissing question is that?" he asked again, then stared up seriously at the Joushishi leader, "things like that aren't decided by just asking, you idiot."

"Then, this is where we really part," the long haired samurai turned his back without another word, leaving Gintoki staring after him, "so long. Sakata Gintoki."

Gintoki saw him leave and let him. There goes that impulsive Joushishi leader again, he thought. Was there never an end to Zura's eccentricities?

As Katsura's back disappeared into the shadows with the other Jouishishi, the Yorozuya leader thought it would probably take a long time for them to see each other again.

A long time.

Well. It was for the best.

A grin spread on Gintoki's face.

~To be continued~

Gintoki's really taking it cool haha!

Zura's on the prowl again for who knows what he's up to! It's a black box! His brain is!

And the one eyed man... ominous I tell you!

Thank you for reading!