Author's note: I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review after reading, my awesome readers! This story is unbetaed. Btw, this is NOT THE FULL VERSION due to site restrictions. You may check out my tumblr / wordpress / livejournal / AO3 for the detailed chapters. Writing this chapter in the middle of 1) leisure reading, 2) studying, 3) real life. Ugh the plot's getting complicated from here on so I keep rereading and staring at the outline to keep things flowing well. XD
Chapter 3: We All Pursue Freedom, Yet We Secretly Crave to Be Bound to Someone
"Sign here and stand there for some photos. Then we'll do the fingerprints." He remained stern but less harsh than during the interrogation. The Shinsengumi's vice commander, Hijikata, was conducting the completion of her file. He explained to her that due to her sudden appearance, both the Shinsengumi and Mimawarigumi had to take drastic measures. She was, after all, a Class C criminal at large and with her deadly abilities, everyone was on edge. It was only now that they were able to file paperwork. "If you try anything, Yamazaki over there is armed and ready to shoot."
Sacchan turned to see Sagaru Yamazaki struggling at the corner with a gun. He gave her a threatening glare nonetheless.
"If you try anything, Yamazaki blows your brains out and Hijikata-san is collateral damage." Sougo added while aiming a bazooka at Toshiro.
"WHY THE HELL AM I GETTING GUNNED DOWN TOO?"
"You're responsible for keeping her in line, Hijikata-san."
"Shaddap, Sougo." Hijikata's ears were smoking. "You're part of this team too."
"I just want your sacrifice to be in vain, Hijikata-san."
"Go commit seppuku! And do one hundred push-ups while you're at it!"
A gun goes off. Yamazaki had accidentally shot the wall due to his nerves. "Ah. Sorry."
"Idiot. Go do five hundred laps around the front." Hijikata screams, horrified. He takes out a cigarette and consumes it in four deep smokes. He starts another one. "Go on, the fingerprints."
Sacchan follows him wordlessly and sits on the chair across his desk when he asks her to.
"So, are you gonna confess yet? Why commit attempted murder?"
Sougo slammed his palm on the desk but Sacchan wasn't intimidated. "You've been consumed by your obsessive love for the boss and your M tendencies have morphed into an S, eh? Pathetic excuse to commit a crime against a fellow human."
"Hey… Hey! I'm the one asking questions here." Hijikata pushed his subordinate away.
"But I'm only assisting you so we get this over with quickly. Then we can torture her again."
"Get out! If you want to ask your own questions, wait your turn. You're really pissing me off." He waved his smoke to the door and without further protests, Sougo left but not without a gleam in his eye. Turning back to Sacchan, Hijikata was calm again. "Well? Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"
"I didn't try to kill Tsukki, it's a misunderstanding." What could she say to make him believe her? Only Gin-san will be able to dispel all the accusations but he was unreachable for now.
"Can you prove it? Against all the evidence?"
"I… I'm not sure." She did not even know what they were thinking or what supposed evidence they had. Everything was bits and pieces of misinformation.
"Well, that certainly helps your case." He folded his arms and fixed her with a glare. "Honestly, I'm not surprised by this. A former Bakufu dog like you commits all those abominations after going rogue. Even teaming up with some wanted criminals… Jiraia and the Kiheitai. It all makes sense."
"I'm not-"
"Just so you know, we're ready, if any of them are coming for you." He stood up and walked to her, trying to enforce his authority with his large presence. "Things here are different since you left. Don't think that you can just look down on the law here."
"The Mimawarigumi?"
"One amongst other things." He sighed. "Tell me, all of this, is it really because of that Gintoki? Such a shame…"
For sure, even telling the truth would be futile. "None of it is true."
Kondou-san suddenly entered, his face neutral. "Toshi, let me talk to Sacchan for a while."
Hijikata merely gave him a look and then he took a walk.
Will Kondou-san trust her? Did he also consider her guilty or will he give her a chance to prove her innocence? But how can she do it? She had nothing but her words.
"Sacchan," he frowned but his eyes were kind. "Did you really? I can't believe it, honestly."
She shook her head.
"When Gintoki came here before, it was a big mess. People just couldn't believe it but we thought, why would someone innocent run away? You do have a history with Jiraia, which Zenzou confirmed. And now, you've conspired with the Kiheitai? Everything's outrageous."
"It's not like that at all." She hated the fact that she had to prove herself to them when she was dragged into this mayhem. She left everything behind but it haunted her and even brought her back to only be captured into this mess.
"Then what happened?" He seemed to be genuinely curious. Kondou, though in a position of leadership, always was considerate of his friends and comrades. He led with a big heart and was not completely unreasonable. "Sacchan, to be blunt, I always had this silly memory of you - of the two of us - you know, being insane borderline stalkers of Gintoki and Otae-san. It was fun then but I outgrew my boyish longings and somehow accepted my crushed dreams. Now, I'm still here, but I've moved on and I've gotten married to an amazing woman - you haven't met her, I suppose, since you've been away for quite some time. We have a kid now and he's growing up to be really precious. In short, I'm happy. Heh, it's still overwhelming to me now but… I am happy."
"That's wonderful, Kondou-san. I'm glad for you." She shifted uncomfortably on the chair. He was looming over her like Hijikata was doing earlier. "Somehow you might think that I'm still a stalker…"
"Is that a… confession?"
"Kondou-san!"
"I'm only kidding." He patted her on the head. "But won't you share with your ol' pal what's really going on? I know Toshi and Sougo gave you a hard time. But they're just doing their jobs. We need to keep the peace and order in Kabuki-cho."
"Did Gin-san really report me?" She couldn't say the exact words. Sacchan already knew it was true but she had to ask.
He pressed his lips together and did not answer immediately. He appeared to be thinking deeply, with his eyes suddenly fixed on the table and his cautious transfer to sit on the chair opposite her. "Yes, Sacchan, he did."
"Maybe… He can clear things up."
"We haven't been able to reach him yet. We're working on that." He tapped his fingers on the table. "But I still want to hear your side. Can you give me some details?"
Sacchan took a deep breath. If given the choice, she would not want to talk about the past anymore. It was a constant knife to her heart and speaking of it objectively would be close to impossible. How can she prevent herself from collapsing into a tearful mess?
A small part of her still wished that Gin-san would come soon to retrieve her from her prison cell. He couldn't possibly let her be imprisoned for something she didn't do. She wondered if he intended to come back at all. He was probably happily reunited with Tsukki. Was it wrong or selfish of her to need him right now? Everyone still saw her as the desperate admirer anyway.
"I discovered that Gin-san and Tsukki were going to be married then, and that was why I had to leave." She started with that night on the roof but with less detail. "I… traveled miles away, somewhere near the edge of the island, less frequented by tourists but an established town itself. I just had to stay away. I couldn't bear it... It was a good place to keep hidden, since there were nothing notable about it. I worked at a bar for years, settled in and I thought… I thought that would be it for the rest of my life."
"You went away because Gintoki was marrying her?"
"Yes." Sacchan hoped it didn't sound too stupid or shallow to a police officer. "I saw them together… It was…"
"Okay, let's move on from that. You were at the new town all this time?"
"I was."
"Who were you in contact with? Did you form any new affiliations there?"
"No one. None. I was just… a normal citizen."
"That was where they found you then? The Yorozuya?" He had started writing on a piece of paper.
Sacchan bit her lip, recalling the night when she first encountered Gin-san at the bar. She could still visualize his presence and his effect on her was not forgotten. "Yes, they found me there and Gin-san was always asking me about Jiraia's whereabouts. He thought that I conspired with him to get to Tsukki." Gin-san's methods of interrogating her were unwillingly flashing through her mind. His deliberate kisses and touches completely possessed her. Sacchan missed the way his body enveloped her, especially later, when he had become convinced of her innocence. Every memory tugged at her heart.
"You're absolutely sure that you had nothing to do with what he was accusing you of?"
"I'm sure, Kondou-san. He believed me later, too."
"And that was when you started your relationship with him, is that correct?"
"We… We did. But Tsukki was alive and it was over immediately."
Kondou narrowed his eyes. "How was it that she is alive? And you tried to kill her then?"
It was actually the opposite. Tsukuyo had attacked her. She only defended herself. Gin-san's words of warning were still fresh to her ears. "There was no attempt from me. She was with Jiraia all this time."
"He took her prisoner? Or are you implying that she conspired with him?"
"I don't know," she lied. "Maybe Gin-san knows. I was knocked out and I can't recall much after I saw her."
"What about the Kiheitai?"
"They're working with Jiraia. There's this liquid that they're injecting on people for healing. I don't know where it's from and what they want to do exactly." She pondered on the injections and Bansai's words. What were they up to?
Kondou chuckled. "From your words, you seem to be clueless about things. I don't know if you're trying to fool me but if one of them, Jiraia or the Kiheitai, even attempt to attack us here… Then I'll be proven to be wrong about you, Sacchan." He stood and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Sougo. "Sougo, take her back to the cell for now."
Okita grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the place where they held her. He was smiling but his actions were exaggerated and rough. He tossed her into the cell. "Enjoyed that?"
"Still sick as ever, Okita."
"Yeah…" His grin widened. "I was eavesdropping on your conversation with the captain. What an unbelievable yet interesting story."
"Believe it or not, it's the truth."
He shrugged. "Well, for some odd reason, I kind of believe you. But you're too hung-up on the boss. Is he really that good in bed? Does he torture you too?" His face illustrated a look of imagining a scenario.
"I'm not telling you anything about that."
"Too bad. I could actually help you." He turned the key to lock her in. "That liquid for healing that you mentioned, it interests me. Does it come from the Tendoushuu?"
"I don't really know for certain, but it doesn't seem like they are involved."
"Jiraia and the Kiheitai only? Who else has allied with them?"
"Kintoki, who it seems has been transformed into a human by the serum, and Kamui."
"Kagura's brother?" He stepped closer, his brows closer together. "An Amanto."
"What is it?"
"There are only two inauspicious sources for that liquid that I can think of." He gripped the bars tightly and whispered to her. "The Altana through the Tendoushuu or the blood of the Amanto."
A cold rush enveloped her body at the thought. That power had been used on her and Gin-san. She dreaded the effects. "Tell me what you know."
"You're not exactly in a position to demand information." Sougo smirked and stepped back. "Not that I know much. I just don't want our Amanto friends to be in trouble."
Kagura.
Bansai, for sure, he knows everything. But she couldn't tell Okita that. She would be further implicated. How in the world was she going to get out of this jail? She needed to find out more.
Okita's footsteps echoed and faded until a door slammed shut.
Sacchan rested her forehead on the cold metal. The idea of Amanto blood or whatever the Tendoushuu were cooking, running through her veins, was despicable. Could that source explain the numerous bodies found drained? It made her sick to her stomach. Why risk the lives of other beings for another's gain? There were so many questions and even after hours of mulling over everything she could think of, she had no answers.
A part of her foolishly hoped that Gin-san would arrive soon. Surely Kagura and Shinpachi would have talked to him by now. He couldn't conceivably ignore her situation once he finds out she was locked up. He was, after all, the one who brought her back to Kabuki-cho.
He must have forgotten that she was at large for several crimes that he now knew she was innocent of. But a tinge of doubt disturbed her resolve, buzzing at her, that maybe he had trapped her into this.
"That's impossible!" She exclaimed out loud, shaking her head. Gin-san would never…
Those last moments they spent together, it was impossible to fabricate the caring in his eyes, his touches, and his words. He couldn't be that cruel. She refused to acknowledge it.
How long, she mused, how long did she have to wait in this bitter darkness?
Her vision shook, but it wasn't of hunger or fatigue, she could tell. The walls started to vibrate and a rumbling noise was coming from above. She watched the ceiling and braced herself in case it would crash down on her location.
Suddenly, everything was quiet again.
Tense seconds passed where she anticipated chaos. There was nothing. Sacchan kept herself alert despite the silence. It made her more anxious.
Leaping to the bars, she tried to check if the guards were aware or panicking. No one had monitored her this time. There was no sign of them.
Things were getting worse by the minute. She could not find anything to use as a weapon to defend herself. Neither did she have any idea of what was happening. Could it be an attack? At the back of her mind, she pled for salvation.
To her right, the wall crumbled revealing two large figures, none of whom she recognized. Their faces were hidden by large, woven straw hats - tengai. Both wore harnessed robes with giant beads around their neck. The taller one reminded her of a crow. He wore a long, dark robe accented with black feathers on his shoulders. He held a golden staff on his right hand. The lower part of his face was concealed by a beaked mask. Brown-grey strands of hair were visible as they enclosed his chin and neck. He lifted his head to give her a steely gaze from his empty, red eyes. It made her gasp and step back in fear.
The other man, the one in the lighter robe with a three-legged crow painted on it, prevented her from getting further. He grabbed her by the arm and swung her over his shoulder. He carried her through the tunnel that they created. None of them spoke a word.
Sacchan was terrified but she struggled in the arms of her captor, pounding on his back. She elbowed his head, making his hat fall to the ground. He made a displeased sound with his tongue and held her tightly as he bent down to pick up the tengai and replace it on his head.
She saw his face, a pale and gaunt form with exhausted grey eyes. He had light-gray, wavy hair which covered part of his features except that the scar running obliquely across them was still noticeable. He exuded a different kind of energy from his companion. Sinister, altogether, but more dangerous.
Who were they?
Sacchan didn't dare to ask right now.
At the surface, they proceeded to board a spaceship docked on the top of another building. It was large and silver, one she had not ever seen before. She was about to wrangle herself free when Bansai landed, blocking their path to the ship.
"Get your hands off her, I daresay."
"Bansai-san!" She couldn't believe it but she was glad to see him.
Her kidnapper waved his hand and several needles flew towards Bansai. He leaped out of the way but the other had used his staff to stab him on the thigh. Bansai rolled on the ground, bleeding. He shot out several strings towards her but the scarred man swatted them away with ease.
Squirming in his grasp, Sacchan tried to wriggle off but he held her tight and simply embarked the vehicle. He did so in complete silence. She had never felt so helpless and terrified. Why and where were they taking her?
She screamed, a spine-tingling, blood-curdling sound.
Her last sight of the town was of Gin-san and Tsukki on the ground, watching with wide eyes and gaping mouths as she and her captors sped away on the vessel.
Author's end note: Finally, chapter 3. This wasn't an easy chapter to write. So much brain work involved + emotions. *drowning* Thank you once again to the reviewers! Awesome awesome I love you guys. furufuru-chan, sad to say that GinTsu still plays a big part in this story. She is, after all, Gin's love, I think. mehr03, I also hope for more GinSachi but hmm.. there are so many obstacles. Tsukuyo's feelings may be more important than her intentions. Mamamia11, I know you guys cringe over GinTsu haha but imagine me, who has to write it bahaha CRY. So sorry for the late update. Atalia, I should probably change this fic title to TheSufferingOfSacchan. Alicia, ooh but Bansai was a bit too late. So was Gin-san. AliceKain, has the manga ended? I don't really know. I'm behind reading it. I should really catch up. Tvratasky, thank God for google translate haha. Yes yes… in time… Gin-san will suffer too… Alex, oh my, I'm so sorry… are you still alive tho? XD Thank you for your words, I also hope that Gin-san suffers huhuhu. Black G C.C, yes Bansai will still go after Sacchan, he just missed her oooh… hope this update satisfies! Nehemie, well, Gin-san has planned to marry Tsukki since the beginning. Tsukki just made sure that they were still going through with it. Maybe Sacchan should just leave Kabuki-cho for good :(. UpdateCraver, hahaha shafted? Life is unfair on her. I try to update on all my sites. But usually ffnet, tumblr, AOO, and wordpress. Filatipphia, I guess Sacchan's stuck in pathetic mode for now. CRY. Yes she should be happy in the end, I hope. GinSachi is my OTP too but I love to make them suffer. Oops. Ale, here you go ;) Barbara, yes, she always gets the short end of the stick. :-( Once again, THANK YOU EVERYONE I LOVE YOU ALL.