Chapter 4: An Investigation Always Starts with a Clue
It was just before ten in the morning when the Yorozuya trio have returned back home at Yorozuya Gin – chan. Gintoki was longing for a rest inside after the long walk from Yoshiwara. Their travel time could've been shortened if Gintoki brought his scooter along but since it can only hold two people at the same time and Sadaharu was left at home, Kagura insisted they should just walk so that it would be fair for her.
Upon unlocking the lock on the fusuma, the trio or more specifically Gintoki was greeted by a huge white dog, biting him in the head.
"Hello Sadaharu. Did you miss us – aru?" asked Kagura as she pets the giant dog's head while he continued to clamp his jaws on Gintoki's head.
"Kagura – chan, you better get Sadaharu off Gin – san's head. It's starting to bleed again."
With a hold of the Iower half of the Inugami, Kagura pulled Sadaharu off the samurai's head with ease.
"Oi, Kagura, I thought you've already got this mutt to stop biting my head?" asked Gintoki who was shaken up and bleeding from the giant dog's bite.
"I did… I just… uhm… well… I forgot to leave some food for him yesterday… I got excited about visiting Tsukki and the others that I kind of forgotten about Sadaharu's dinner."
Gintoki sighed with disbelief. How could she have forgotten her one and only responsibility in the house? If this keeps up, it's either Sadaharu would run away or eats Gintoki, himself for dinner.
"Kagura – chan, you shouldn't forget things like that. Pets are like your children when you're still not married. They need love, attention and other stuff." explained Shinpachi.
Feeling guilty of her negligence for her pet, the Yato girl held Sadaharu's face and apologize. She then carried him inside and filled his bowl with a mountainous amount of dog food. The two boys followed behind with Gintoki going right into his chair and placing his feet on top of the table while Shinpachi checked the house if it was still as clean as when they left it yesterday or if Sadahau had already left his mark all over the house. Luckily for him, none of that happened making his life a bit easy for now.
Seeing that his two companions could handle things around for a while, he decided to go home.
"Gin – san, I'm going home for now. I forgot to tell to Anue – ue about our trip at Yoshiwara. She's probably worried about me by now. I'll be back later before dinner."
With that, the teenage boy left the house. Minutes later after Shinpachi left the house, a panel of the ceiling in the living room slid open. Without any warning, a purple haired woman threw her entire body on Gintoki, knocking their selves down on the tatami.
"Gin – san, where were you yesterday huh? I was waiting for you to come home all night for our usual SM play." said the female assailant as she cling her arms around the permed samurai's neck.
Hearing a familiar, irritating voice, Gintoki realized that it was his personal stalker, Ayame Sarutobi or Sacchan for short.
"WHA… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE AND HOW DID YOU GET INSIDE?" yelled the permed samurai, trying to loosen her grip on his neck.
"That's a secret Gin – san. But if you really want to know, you have to slap me really hard in my ass in your bedroom and massage my breas…"
Not allowing the kunoichi finish her sentence, Gintoki carried her by her clothes, slid the fusuma open and sent her crashing down to the ground. By the looks of it, Sarutobi seems to enjoy the ride. After all, she's a certified masochist and she always loves it when Gintoki starts being sadistic towards her.
"Thanks for the ride Gin – san. I'll come back later for more. I'll expect that you will bring you're A – game alright?"
"BAKA! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT I'LL LET YOU COME INSIDE HERE AGAIN? GET LOST! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER GET IN ANY PARTS OF MY HOUSE AGAIN!"
Little did he know, Sacchan has a lot of ways of infiltrating his fortress. Giving a last wave of her hand to her long time crush, Sacchan went on her way.
With his bitch of a stalker finally out of the way, Gintoki sat down on the sofa and turned on the tv. Fortunately for him, the local weather report was on, along with his all time rush, Ketsuno Ana, giving her prediction of today's weather. Upon seeing the idol of his dreams, the permed samurai quickly came closer to the screen to get a better view of the weather reporter since the screen was a bit small. He wasn't even listening to the report. He just wanted to see her.
Unbeknownst to him, Kagura had Sadaharu in a leash, preparing to go outside for a walk.
"Oi Gin – chan, if you stay longer that close to the tv, you're gonna have eye problems – aru,"
"Yeah, yeah I got that Kagura, now will you stay quiet for a while. I'm listening to the weather report."
The Yato just sighed in disbelief knowing well that Gintoki is just fantasizing all over Ketsuno Ana once again like he always does whenever she is on.
"You're so hopeless Gin – san. Anyway, I'm walking Sadaharu at the park. I'll be back later."
"Okay, bye."
With that, the two Amantos left the house. A couple of minutes later, the show has finally ended and Gintoki turned off the tv and lied back down on the sofa.
"Now what? I've got nothing to do today since there are no customers yet and I don't think anyone will come anytime soon. Ahhh… This is so boring… Being bored is such a pain…" said the samurai to himself.
Suddenly, he remembered that they just got paid by Hinowa handsomely. Then, he thought of going to a pachinko parlour to try his luck. He gave a mental note to himself to only gamble a quarter of his money so that he won't get broke like Tsunade (Hokage from Naruto) does whenever her luck is down. Besides, it's just for a while until Kagura and Shinpachi gets back. Deciding to go with his plan, Gintoki went out and headed for a pachinko parlour.
Given a lead with the head of the entire smuggling operation, Tsukuyo, together with her second in command, Saya, proceeded where the arrested member of the gang was being held. After a while of skipping through rooftops and posts, the two kunoichi, had encountered a group of Hyakka members, surrounding a tied up, middle aged – man. When they arrived at the scene, the former courtesans, made way and greeted their Kashira and their second in command.
Saya explained the situation to Tsukuyo. They found the man, attempting to go to the surface with a truckload of cannon shells thanks to the suspect's neighbour who reported to them about his suspicious activities during midnight. Curious on what the man knows, Tsukuyo decided to approach the man as she puffs out a smoke in her kiresu.
"You, tell me, who are you working for?"
"I told you before; I work for the Deaf Man."
"There are a lot of deaf men here in Yoshiwara. You better give us somethin' specific."
"Heh, why should I? I refuse, you kill me. I tell you, the Deaf Man kills me. So whatever happens I'm dead anyway."
The man was being difficult to talk to making Saya loose her temper. Irritated by the man's uncooperativeness, the teenage kunoichi (about Sougo's age) pointed a kunai at the man's neck.
"Listen to me ya' low life. Either you could tell us the information we need and we might let you live or remain silent and you will see kunais rainin' down on yer' body. It would be my pleasure to leave your corpse along the way to send a message to your friends."
Hearing the threatening words of the brunette, pony tail haired kunoichi, the man cowered in fear, shaking throughout his body down to his boots. He could feel the pointed object getting deeper on his neck, with his skin's elasticity reaching its breaking point. But before a single drop of blood could spill from his neck, the Hyakka Kashira held the teenager's wrist, preventing her from causing any further injuries to the man.
"Saya, that's enough. If you kill him now, we won't have any leads to their head and it might take us another month to find another one."
"But Kashira…"
"I said ENOUGH!"
Complying with her superior's orders, Saya unwillingly removed her kunai from the suspect's neck and stepped back. Taking matters back to her hands, Tsukuyo decided to make a proposal to the man.
"Here's what's goin' to happen. If you give us the information that we want, I can guarantee you that the Hyakka will escort you out of Yoshiwara and we promise to never bother you again. Consider this as a punishment of exile for the crime that you have committed. So what do you say to that?"
The man was hesitant at first. He was afraid of what might happen to them if he crossed his boss. However, he was also afraid on what the vigilante group would do to him right on that moment although, if he cooperates with them, he is offered solitude. After quite some time to think about things, the man had reached to a decision.
"Do you swear that I'll get out of this district safely?"
"Hai, you have my word on that."
"Very well…" The man took a pause for a while. Shortly after, he began his story. "We saw him only once. That was the first time that every one of us gathered. He has spiky blue hair. He wears a pair of blue green tinted sunglasses. He also carries a distinctive stringed instrument on his back and finally, he wears a Yin – Yang designed headphones, covering his ears. I think that the music playing in it is really loud making it hard to listen to the people talking to him. That's why we call him "Deaf Man"
Given the description by the man, Tsukuyo couldn't see a picture of the "Deaf Man" in her mind. Maybe he should've been called 'Music Man' or 'Rock Star Man'. Nevertheless, she was sure that she hasn't seen anybody fitting the description around Yoshiwara during her patrols at all times.
"Could you give us some information on how you operate your procedures and how are you able to escape our patrols?" asked Saya, who was trying to help their Kashira in extracting as much information they needed as possible.
"Hai, like what I've said before, the 'Deaf Man' runs this show. We don't know how, but he was able to have a 3d model of the entire district placed in a hologram projector thingy and it is pin pointed the exact routes and spots where all you girls will be running around. About our procedures though, we work by shifts. First, during midnight, we would transport all the shipments form the port here with containers having no information from the sender since its illegal and is being sent to someone named Jiyacult (Parody of Yakult, w/c is confirmed to be Takasugi's food addiction).I'm sensing this is addressed to the 'Deaf Man'. When everything is loaded, the first two trucks would depart for the elevators during the day at around 9:00 am with a couple of minutes separating the two so that it wouldn't look so obvious. After we reached the elevators, we would wait first on the platforms and then, we would signal the other two to go via text and the process will repeat until the every truck has left. Once we're on the surface, we would drive towards a warehouse in Edo where more trucks are waiting. At the entrance of the warehouse, we will be greeted by a group of armed Amantos and ex Joui members as we transfer everything in it. After everything is loaded up, the Amantos would pay us for our work and quickly force us out of the warehouse. We then return to Yoshiwara and the whole process repeats again after the next shift finishes their work and once one of our guys gets the message from the 'Deaf Man' that the shipment had already arrived and he would message us all afterwards in our phones."
The man's explanation seem cloudy to Tsukuyo. There are a lot of problems with his story. First was, why would they just place the shipments in a warehouse if the Amantos and the ex Joui members would just move it themselves? Second is, why would their head just text them what to do and not show up at all. Third and the most important thing is, how in the world did they manage to get a blue print of the entire district with their route highlighted?
But before the Shinigami Tayou could even ask a single question, the man spoke up.
"I know, you're wondering why is it that this is the only thing that I could tell you. Am I right? Honestly speaking, I think that the less we know about this entire operation, the better it is."
"But what about the weapons that we had confiscated from your other comrades, where did they come from and what are they for?" asked Saya.
"The Amantos would give us the small fire arms that are included in the shipment after they sort things out. They say that they have no use for petty things like those which is weird since they sell a lot in the black market which some of us do. But the others keep it for themselves and use it whenever they want."
"Alright that's enough" said Tsukuyo. "I think we already heard enough. Will somebody remove this man from his bonds?"
Hearing their Kashira's orders, one member of the Hyakka cut the rope that was binding the man. Once freed, the man stood, stretching his hands to get the blood flowing back properly on them.
"Now that you got me to speak, I expect that you honour your part of the bargain."
"Of course, the Hyakka will escort you out of Yoshiwara safely for your own protection and we will never bother you again… But if we ever see you again here, then we will consider you as a criminal of the district and hunt you down. Is that understood?"
"Hai, I always wanted to get out of this place anyway."
With everything settled, the man was about to leave when Saya threw a kunai in front of him, stopping him from his tracks.
"What the…"
"Hold on a sec." halted the kunoichi. "Before you leave, how 'bout showin' us how and when you guys begin your little party huh?"
"Didn't you get what I said a while ago? Everyone knows where you hide and run so you'll be easily spotted no matter what." explained the man
"I know what you've said. But we won't get caught if you tell us where to go won't we? Besides, I'm sure everything has a blind spot even a well – organized layout of Yoshiwara."
This made the man think. This girl sure is hard headed, irritating but determined to get what she wants. Seeing that he cannot stall the kunoihi for long because of her short temper, the criminal turned asset quickly agreed with Saya.
"Alright, I'll meet you guys again tonight before the next shift begins at this place. Right now, I have to finish this truck load of weapons first. I'm already late for quite some minutes now."
"Tch… Fine… But this is your last shipment alright? Remember you're under the watchful eyes of the Hyakka. If you try and double cross us, we'll kill you instantly…"
"Yeah, yeah… killing me… I've heard that a million times already today. Anyway, I'll see you guys later."
With that, the man hopped back to his truck and drove away. Delighted with how her subordinate was able to handle the situation, Tsukuyo gave her a pat on the back for a job well done.
"I'm impressed with your way of interrogatin' people Saya."
"Arigatou, but it was nothin'. I was just doin' my job Kashira."
"Just a few reminders, next time, try controllin' your temper. We're gonna be in big trouble if we're faced in a more delicate situation than this." explained the Shinigmi Tayou as she puffs out another smoke in her pipe.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean maybe next time, try and analyse the situation like for example because of your continuous questionin', don't you think that his comrades would start becomin' suspicious why the other truck has been late for quite some time now?"
Listening to the explanation of her superior, Saya quickly realized her mistake. Embarrassed with what she had done, the young woman turned around, unable to face her Kashira.
"Sou… Soumimasen Kashira. I was just tryin' to be like ya'…"
"You will be someday… But as of this moment, you still have a long way to go kid."
Hearing her superior's words enlightened the young kunoichi to try harder the next time around. With their Kashira's order, the Hyakka resumed with their patrolling of Yoshiwara with the exemption of the teenage kunoichi who decided to stay behind.
"Saya, what are you still doin' here? Better get goin' we still have a lot of work to do." stated Tsukuyo.
"Actually, I wanted to greet you a belated Happy Birthday Kashira."
She then pulled out a box from inside her kimono, wrapped in purple sheets with a white ribbon on top of it. Of course, Tsukuyo was surprised that someone from the Hyakka knew about her birthday since she hasn't actually told anyone from the Hykka about it ever since she joined the group or even when she became the leader because she keeps forgetting about it herself.
Afeter she uwrapped the box, she found an elegant kiresu. By he looks of it, she thought that it probably cost a lot.
"Sa… Saya… I don't know what to say… Arigatou… But you shouldn't have… The greeting alone was more than enough… Besides, this must've cost you a lot."
"Nah, it was nothin' I just saved a lot of money these past few months anyway. Besides, I couldn't think of another gift to give." explained the young kunoichi.
"By, the way, how did you knew that it was my birthday yesterday Saya?"
"I kind of overheard ya' last night talkin' with Sakata – sama at the engawa of Hino – ya while I was patrolling the streets."
Tsukuyo was indeed caught off guard by this sudden revelation as her face started to flush. She thought that Hinowa was the only one that saw what happened last night. Unfortunately, there was another one. It didn't crossed her mind that one of the Hyakka would actually pass through the house and would even somehow hear her conversation with Gintoki since everyone was busy with the case that they were trying to solve.
Her pondering was then interrupted when Saya spoke up. "So did Sakata – sama gave you a really good 'present' last night Kashira?" teased the teenage girl as she nudged her elbow on Tsukuyo's side while giving her a wink.
"NO NO NO, nothing of that happened last night. We just bumped with each other last night since they spent the night over at our house and got talkin'."
"WHAT!? He spent the night with you… and on your birthday? Oh my, so does that mean he's going to be the Danna of the Hyakka now?"
"BA… BAKA!? IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. They only spent the night in the house since they celebrated my birthday together with me, Hinowa and Seita and it was already too late for them to go back to the surface and why would you even try and imagine me with that permed bastard or even be with a guy huh? I told you a million times before…"
"You already abandoned you femininity… blah … blah… blah…" interrupted Saya. "But there's no denying that you're still a woman Kashira. And however how much you deny it, it will always show. Besides, just look at your wrist, you're still wearing that bracelet that Sakata – sama gave you."
Tsukuyo was once again taken aback by the keen observation of Saya. How could've she known about that if she was just passing by? Could it be that…
"We… were you spyin' on me last night?"
"Uhm… Spyin' is actually a very strong word Kashira... I would say that… Uhm… it was like watching a late night tele novella… I kind of got amused with the scene so I… decided to stick around and see… what will happen next..." said the nervous young kunoichi.
After giving her honest confession to her Kashira, Saya was expecting that it would somehow ease Tsukuyo a bit and would somehow let her off the hook. But instead, she was greeted by a face of her Kashira that she hoped that she would never be on the receiving end of. Facing the killer face of Tsukuyo, Saya couldn't help but shake in fear. The last thing that was heard from the teenager was a loud shriek of pain from the beating that she received.
It was past eleven when Kagura and Sadaharu reached the park. While they were walking towards the playground, where they usually hangout, the Yato girl saw someone lying down the bench. As they get closer to the person, the image of the person becomes more and more familiar to her starting off with that distinctive black uniform and that unique bazooka at the side. But when she saw that freaky sleeping mask, she found out that the person turned out to be non other than her arch nemesis, Sougo Okita.
"Oi Sadist," she called out but the teenage boy didn't budge. She called out again but still nothing happened. Beginning to lose her temper, Kagura cuffed her hands, took in a deep breath and shouted.
"OOII, SAADDIISSTT!"
Hearing a disturbing noise coming out of nowhere, Sougo woke up from his slumber. Curious on who was making all the ruckus, the Shinsengumi 1st division captain took of his eye mask to find out who it was and probably arrest him on the spot with a charge of public disturbance. But once he took them off, he was greeted by the image of a giant white dog and a young girl in a Chinese attire.
"Oi China, did you made all that noise?"
"So what if I made that - aru? What are you gonna do about it?"
Suddenly, Kagura saw Sougo present a piece of paper in front of her. It was a ticket, fining her for public disturbance for an amount of two thousand yen plus tax. Kagura's eyes shot wide open when she saw the amount.
"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS – ARU!?"
"I'm arresting you for disturbance of the public."
"DISTURBING THE PUBLIC MY ASS! YOU JUST WANT SOME CASH YOU DAMN TAX COLLECTOR!"
"I'm a member of the Shinsengumi. I don't let my emotions affect the actions I make. I'm just enforcing the law here."
Annoyed at what her sadistic rival had done, the Yato girl threatened to tear the piece of paper in half. But then, the teenage boy grabbed her attention, stopping her on her tracks.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you China. If you rip that ticket without paying it first, your fee would double which will be beneficial since I'll get a cut from that payment. Anyway, don't mind what I said earlier, rip that up. Be my guest."
Kagura thought for a while after being provoked. Maybe he's just bluffing. Plus, he doesn't have any evidence that could tell that she did it. Heeding no attention to his threats, Kagura proceeded to her work. Suddenly a flash of light had momentarily stunned her. The next thing she saw, Sougo was putting his phone back to his pocket. At that moment, she realized that he had taken a picture of her, trying to rip her ticket apart.
"OI, DELETE THAT PICTURE – ARU!" yelled Kagura.
"No way China, this is incriminating evidence. Plus let's just say this is a payment for making me wait for nothing yesterday."
"What do you mean making you wait? I don't remember I had an obligation on meeting you yesterday Sadist."
" Uh, yes you do. Didn't we had a deal that we would have a game every week on that day and whoever gets to win three games, will have a recording of the loser admitting to the winner that he/she is forever better to everything compared to the loser? By my count we were dead even on the last game. And since you didn't show up yesterday, that makes me the winner by default. Now, get down on your knees and say it on my phone."
"THAT'S NOT FAIR – ARU! I WAS AT YOSHIWARA YESTERDAY!" defended Kagura.
"Yoshiwara? What are you doing in that sort of place? Are you trying to be a courtesan? But based from your body, I don't think you will pass China." commented Sougo who was observing Kagura from top to bottom.
Insulted by the continuous teasing especially when it comes to her body, Kagura launched a pre-emptive strike on the boy. Knowing how short tempered his rival was, Sougo dodged the enraged Yato's punch with ease and the kick after that. He kept dodging her attacks until Kagura ran out of air. While the Yato girl was catching her breath, she thought of a proposition to Sougo.
"Oi Sadist, why don't we have our last game here and now? If I win, you let me off the hook. If you win, I'll pay your damn fee and say that you are better than me."
"How about if you pay the fee in the way that I want?"
"Tch… fine… What will be the game then?"
Placing his thumb and finger on his chin, the teenage boy thought of a game that they can settle their dispute once and for all.
"Since I didn't bring any stuff with me today, how about we go simple and have a staring game? First to blink loses."
"Are you serious? A staring game? No one has ever beaten me in a staring game – aru."
"We'll see China, we'll see."
While Sadaharu sat next to a tree to rest, the two rivals sat on a bench next to it and prepared their selves for their final contest. With their preparations already completed and having an agreement that they're both ready, the competition began.
At the first fifteen minutes of the contest, everything was easy for the two. Both of them, staring at each other with unblinking eyes with blue meeting with redish brown.
"Give up China, I know you already want to blink." said Sougo, breaking the silence between them.
"Like that's going to happen Sadist."
Another 10 minutes had passed and still no one has flinched. Thinking that this was taking too long and was way too easy and boring, the two had agreed to pause for a while to blink and to agree upon a new rule. One player at a time can distract the other in whatever way they can without using any direct physical violence. If the player does not blink, then it will be the other player's turn to distract the other. The two decided to play janken (rock, paper, scissors) to decide who will strike first. On their first attempt, they ended up with a draw, with both of them using rock. Second and third attempts were still a draw. Both used paper and rock again respectively. On their fourth attempt, Kagura used scissors and Sougo used paper.
"Yatta, I get to draw first blood - aru. Prepare yourself Sadist."
"Oh, I'm shaking already…" mocked the Shinsengumi officer.
Five minutes after they resumed their little game, Kagura made her move. She took her parasol and opened it in front of Sougo, hoping that it would somehow spook him enough to make him blink. But it failed.
"Damn it." murmured the Yato to herself
"It will take more than that to beat me China."
Next was Sougo's turn. He took out his phone once again and took a picture of Kagura, using the flash to somehow blind her. But she didn't blink as well. For Kagura's next attempt, she took in a deep breath and spat on the boy's face. His eye was about to twitch in disgust, but forced himself not to.
After another failed attempt by the Yato, Sougo pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the saliva in his face without covering his eyes so that Kagura can't accuse him of cheating. Since his rival made things to be a bit disgusting, he decided to go with it as well. But instead of spitting, he removed his shoe, followed by his sock and placed his sock near Kagura's nose.
From the moment she got a whiff of the scent, she felt sick to her stomach like she wanted to hurl. The sock smelled so foul that it almost smelled worse than the Shogun during the Vacation Arc. Her eyes were beginning to water but, she held her breath for a while just long enough for her
"HOW LONG HAS THAT THING BEEN IN YOU FOOT – ARU?"
"Just this morning."
"WHY DOES IT SMELLS LIKE A SEWER!?"
"Oh yeah, I stepped on Hijikata – san's mayonnaise a while ago. Maybe that's why it smells like that."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST CHANGE THEM – ARU?"
"Because, I haven't done my laundry yet and I don't have an extra pair. I can't change into my geta (Japanese sandals) as well since we're expected to be in uniform at all times."
Hearing the unbelievable explanation of her opponent, Kagura let it slide since it wasn't that important. Going back to the matter at hand, she was thinking of a way on how to upgrade her plans this time. At first, she was thinking of flicking him on the head with her finger, but the rule was direct physical violence is prohibited. Suddenly, something caught her eye. It was Sadaharu. A plan then instantaneously hatched on her mind.
'Although direct physical violence is not allowed, nothing about accidents or incidental events was mentioned.'
She then moved her hand behind her and gave a hand signal to Sadaharu. Upon seeing his master's sign, he slowly sneaked behind Sougo. Once he was in place, he clamped his teeth down on the boy's head. Sougo flinched from the initial shock of the bite. Although, he was in pain, he still forced himself not to blink. Seconds later, blood began pouring down his head and the boy started to weaken with his eyelids threatening to fall.
"Oi China, what's the meaning of this? Isn't this against the rules?" asked Sougo.
"Nope, incidents don't count. Maybe Sadaharu acted on his own and that by himself. Besides, even if I did that, it's not direct right?" explained Kagura with a sadistic grin on her face, knowing that anytime now, Sougo's eyelids has to fall from the blood loss and the pain that he was enduring.
Suddenly, the Shinsengumi officer took out something from his pocket. It was a Shinsengumi sausage that he was supposed to have for lunch. He raised it to the giant dog's nostrils to let him sniff it. Once he got a whiff of the tasty treat, he let go of his grip on the boy's head and focused his attention on the sausage.
"Sadaharu, what are you doing – aru? Get back there and bite that sadist's head." ordered Kagura but the Inugami ignored it.
Having the full attention of the dog, Sougo threw the sausage to a couple of meters away from them. Wanting to have the tasty treat, Sadaharu followed it, leaving the two and more importantly his master behind.
"Nice trick you did there China. You almost got me. But now it's my turn. If indirect violence was you trump card, then psychological violence is mine." threatened the teenage boy making Kagura nervous on what he was about to do.
Slowly, Sougo reached for the back of her neck, holding it softly. Kagura started to sweat when she felt his hand, not knowing on what he was planning to do next.
"Oi Sadist… what are you gonna do? Choke me? If that's what you're about to do then you're gonna be disqualified."
"Don't worry, I won't choke you. I told you, my trump card is psychological violence."
He then slowly crept closer to her, lessening the distance that separates the two of them. The closer he gets to her the more nervous Kagura becomes. Before she knew it, their faces were almost touching each other, making her face turn pink. Finally, Sougo leaned back a few inches away, opened his mouth a bit, just enough to separate his lips and moved forward again towards his rival, aiming for her's.
Horrified on what might happen next, if it is what she was thinking, Kagura leaned her face away from him, closing her eyes in the process and letting out a loud shriek. Once he saw what he was expecting to see, the sadistic boy let go of her neck and moved away. Although, he already distanced himself away from her, Kagura's eyes were still closed.
"Oi China," he called. "Open your eyes already. I already won."
His voice seemed soft for someone who is just inches from her. Curious, the Yato girl opened her eyes and was supposed to see her rival standing about a couple of feet away from her, wiping the blood from his head with his handkerchief.
"Wha… WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT – ARU?" demanded Kagura.
"A psychological beat down. I figured, I have to go to drastic measures to make you blink since all my other attempts failed and I have nothing with me to make an indirect physical assault so I went with my ace and that is, to make you think I was about to kiss you. Nice trick isn't it? "
"NICE TRICK MY ASS! I'M NOT ADMITTING DEFEAT AND I'M NOT GONNA CONFESS ANYTHING TO A STUPID RECORDER ABOUT SOMEONE STUPID BEING BETTER THAN ME!"
"Okay, if that's what you want then you can just pay the ticket that I gave you. Oh and that's doubled since I have evidence that you were trying to rip it. All in all, that's 5000 yen."
"OI, THAT's MORE THAN THE RIGHT AMMOUNT, YOU DAMN TAX COLLECTOR!"
"Hmm… disrespecting a police officer, additiona…"
"Okay fine!" interrupted Kagura, afraid of another raise in her fine.
Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the money that she had from Hinowa's reward and unwillingly gave most of it to Sougo.
"Thanks for the cash China. Maybe we could do this another time. Maybe a year after this I can have enough money to hire someone to assassinate Hijikata – san."
The Yato in turn did not say a single word but instead, gave out a pout to him.
"Whatever China. Anyway, it's about time for me to get back to the station. Thanks again for the cash and see you around." said the Shinsengumi officer as he walks off.
"F*CK YOU SADIST! I HOPE SOMEONE ROBS YOU, STABS YOU AND KILLS YOU ALONG THE WAY." yelled an angered Kagura.
Sougo only waved his hand back to her as a reply, ignoring the curse that she had said. Soon after the boy departed, Sadaharu returned back to Kagura with the sausage wrapper hanging on his mouth. Still upset about the lost, Kagura unleashed her anger on her pet.
"IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR STOMACH, I WOULD'VE WON THAT CONTEST. SO THANKS FOR NOTHING SADAHARU!"
Hearing his master's harsh words, Sadaharu couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened. He let his owner down when she needed him the most. He was expecting for a beating from her after that but then, she patted him on the back as she climbed up on him, resting her head on the back of his.
"Let's just go back home. All that just made me hungry."
Obeying his master' command, Sadaharu walked back home to Yorozuya – Gin – chan. On their way home, Kagura kept going back on that moment when Sougo was about to kiss her. It was probably one of the most horrifying experiences that she ever had. At least that's what she thinks. It got stuck on her mind for some reason and she badly wanted to get it out of her. She tried to shake that moment aside by the thought of the food that she will have later with the money that she has left or the food that Shinpachi will make for them for dinner and somehow, it kind of took her mind off that moment… for now…
It was one o' clock when Gintoki went out of the pachinko parlour. Just like usual, he lost again. But fortunately for him, he only lost one thousand yen, since he kept reminding himself not to spend all of his money so that he will still have some left. While he was walking back home, his stomach grumbled. Because of his time in the mini – casino, he didn't realized what time it was and forgot to eat lunch.
Since Gintoki wanted to save money, he decided to go to Hokuto Shinken since the food is cheap there but still delectable. Plus, he knows the owner so he can probably get a discount. Hopping on his trusted silver scooter, Gintoki headed for the ramen shop.
A couple of minutes later, Gintoki arrived at the shop. Once he entered it, he was greeted by Ikumatsu.
"Konnichiwa Gin – san. It's been a while since you last visited. How are you doing?"
"Heh , same old, same old. How about you?"
"Oh you know the usual. Anyway, what will you have today?"
"I'll have a bowl of pork ramen today and a cup of oolong tea."
"Okay, coming right up."
Ikumatsu placed the pre made noodles at the pot of boiling water to cook it. While she waits for it, the ramen cook filled a bowl with hot prok broth and topped it off with cuts of pork and freshly cut vegetables. After the bowl was assembled, she lifted the noodles from the pot with a strainer, drained all the water from it and combined it with the soup. Finally the pork ramen was done.
"Here you go Gin – san. Enjoy your meal while I get your oolong at the back."
As Ikumatsu went to get the alcoholic beverage, Gintoki started to eat his ramen.
"Wow, these noodles sure are tasty. I wonder what Ikumatsu had done with them?" asked the permed samurai.
Unbeknownst to him, someone behind him was walking towards his direction.
"Konnichiwa… could I interest you with some Ebichahan (shrimp fried rice)?" asked by a strange male.
"Will you look at this, Ikumatsu has finally hired a waiter for her shop. Tell me are you a part time guy who's trying to earn a little?" asked Gintoki as he continues to eat his meal, not looking to the direction of the man.
"Part time guy Ja nai… Katsura da…"
Upon the mention of the name, Gintoki spat out the soup that he had been drinking in disbelief right into Katsura's face.
"ZURA!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? And why is your head covered in bandages?"
"Elizabeth and I are working for Ikumatsu – dono to pay her back for taking care of us this morning."
"Took care of you this morning?" What do you mean by that? And where is that pet of yours anyway?"
"He's at the back, making the noodles for the ramen."
When Gintoki found out that it was Elizabeth who made the noodles, his body suddenly froze in disbelief, causing him to drop his chopsticks on the table. He then stepped outside the shop and went immediately to the alleyway were the dumpster was located. Once he was there, he started vomiting on the dumpster, disgusted that he ate something that the Renho had made. Once he was done with his business, he returned back to the shop.
"Are alright Gintoki? You don't look so good. Would you like a bite of my special Ebichahan to help ease your tummy?" asked the long haired samurai, showing Gintoki his dish.
Upon setting his sights on the dish, Gintoki's stomach started acting up again and so, he went out the shop and vomited on the dumpster again, disgusted even just by the sight of Katsura's meal which was probably fortunate for him since the last time somebody ate Katsura's shrimp fried rice, it caused them food poisoning and they never set foot on the shop again (episode 39).
Saya and Tsukuyo had just arrived on Kabukichou. The two decided to gather up more information on the 'Deaf Man' in the surface before they meet up with their asset later in the afternoon while the rest of the Hyakka patrols Yoshiwara. They agreed to search on the said district, since Tsukuyo has already familiarized herself with the area.
"You know, maybe we should've asked the man if he had a picture of his boss so that it would've been easier to ask people about him, don't you think?" asked Tsukuyo.
"Do you mean something like this Kashira?"
Saya then showed her some really well sketched pictures of the said man.
"W… wait, how were ya' able to do that and how come I don't know that you can draw this good?"
"While we were on the way… It's kind of a hobby really… Besides, you already know who were the bad guys were back then didn't ya? So my sketchin' skills were probably useless during that time.
"But still, you could've informed me about it."
"Well, I'm informing ya now."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
"So you don't want me to inform ya' that I'm good at drawing?"
"URUSAI!"
Finally settling that argument, the two began their work but suddenly, Saya's stomach began to grumble. She ignored it at first but then, it grumbled for a second time. This didn't pass through the Shinigami Tayou's eyes. When she came to ask her about it, it turned out that the girl hasn't eaten anything since last night because she woke up early to pick up her Kashira's present and resume her duty. Seeing that having a break and for lunch won't do any harm to them, Tsukuyo decided that they should eat first.
As they were walking along the streets of Kabukichou, the two kunoichis saw a certain ramen store. Saya asked Tsukuyo what a ramen is since she hasn't had one before because it is not a common food served in Yoshiwara. Tsukuyo explained that she too hasn't had one before but she knows that it is some kind of noodles served in a bowl of soup. Curious on what it tastes like, they agreed on eating there.
But before they could reach the store, Tsukuyo heard a familiar, irritating voice calling her name. Turning her attention to where she heard the voice, she found a woman in purple long hair, wearing a fitted red outfit and wearing a pair of glasses. It was Sacchan.
"It's been a while since I see your face roaming around in here Tsukki. What are you doing up here huh? Are you going to spy on Gin – chan like me in his house? Well I've got news for you. You can't. There's only one spot for his guardian angel and that spot is already mine."
"Boy, she sure likes to hear her own voice doesn't she Kashira?" whispered the youngest kunoichi in the group which was heard by Sacchan.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME YOU LITTLE BRAT?"
"I SAID YOU WERE A NOISY BITCH AND WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BRAT HUH?"
The next thing Tsukuyo knew the two women were already touching their faces against one another. With tensions growing greater by the second, she decided to intervene.
"Oi oi, break it up you two. I already have enough problems and I don't plan on addin' you two." said the Shinigami Tayou as she separate the two apart.
"Saya, why don't you go to the store and order us somethin' to eat while I talk with Sacchan over here?"
"Bu… but Kashira?"
"THAT'S AN ORDER!"
"Tch… fine…"
Obeying her superior's orders, Saya walked to the ramen shop, leaving the two older women to talk.
"So who's that kid huh? She's really has the attitude you know?"
"That's my second in command and my apprentice. Her name is Saya and she was just tellin' the truth."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S JUST TELLING THE TRUTH?"
Tsukuyo took a pause first before she gave her reply to puff out a smoke in her new kiresu.
"I meant that you were really very talkative a while ago and she was just being frank with what she was seein'."
She then noticed Sacchan's outfit. It wasn't the normal white kunoichi uniform that she was used on seeing on her. Curious on what the thing was about it, she decided to ask her 'friend' about it.
"By the way, what is up with that outfit of yers? Are you workin' as a masochistic prostitute?"
"OF COURSE NOT!" snarled the purple haired kunoichi. "Don't compare me to your kind who uses your bodies just to pleasure customers for money. I work on a kunoichi café. It's like a maid café only with kunoichis. By the way, you still haven't answered my question a while ago. What exactly are you doing here Tsukki?"
Tsukuyo took another puff at her kiresu which started to annoy Sacchan. Since the purple haired kunoichi might not understand what their business was in Kabukichou was about, Tsukuyo decided to just make up a story about being interested in tasting ramen since she never had one before after Gintoki told her how good it was.
Gintoki's stomach has finally settled. Although he was still feeling sick from what he had just ate. Pitying his old friend, Katsura patted his back to make feel better. A few seconds later, Ikumatsu came back with Gintoki's kettle of oolong tea only to find him looking sick.
"Wha… what happened here?"
"Gintoki got sick from the noodles and when I offered him my shrimp fried rice." explained the long haired samurai.
"Why is that? Elizabeth – san's noodles were great isn't he?"
"That was the problem. When Gintoki found out that Elizabeth made the noodles, he became ill."
"Well, we can't leave him like this. I'll just make a new batch of noodles for Gin – san then."
"But Ikumatsu – dono, you're already tired. Allow me to do it."
But before Katsura could even stand up from his chair, Gintoki quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down to his seat. Apparently, Gintoki doesn't want him to take any part of the cooking. Unable to do anything, the long haired samurai stayed and just pour the tea into two cups instead and drank from his quietly.
"Oi Zura," the permed samurai called breaking the silence in the store. "What actually happened with your head? I'm sure you didn't just had a simple accident even though you're carless did you?"
"Careless ja nai, Katsura da…" and with that, Katsura told him about everything that happened last night with him and Elizabeth and how he ended up in Hokuto Shinken.
Unknown to them, they were being watched by a teenage girl from the entrance of the shop. Saya was surprised to see the permed samurai on the shop, moreover with a long haired woman who appears to be in a white shirt, violet vest and black pants. At first glance she thought that Gintoki was hitting on the waitress. But as she examines things, it seems as though, they were having a very intimate conversation. Shocked what she saw, the young woman rushed out of the store to report to her Kashira.
Hearing Tsukuyo's story, Sacchan couldn't help but laugh at her, criticising the Yoshiwaran women again that they know nothing else except to flaunt their bodies at men. The Shinigami Tayou on the other hand just ignored her comment and puffed out another smoke in her kiresu that irritated the other kunoichi even more.
"WILL YOU STOP WITH THE SMOKE TSUKKI!?"
"What, you mean this?" asked Tsukuyo, blowing smoke, directly to Sacchan's face, making her cough.
"DAMN IT TSUKKI, DIDN'T YOU KNOW GIN – SAN DOESN'T LIKE SMOKERS?"
Suddenly, something rang out of nowhere. It was Sacchan's phone. It was her alarm, telling her that it was time for her shift.
"Woah, look at the time. I've got to go. Finally I get to breathe fresh air now. Anyway, a friendly reminder Tsukki, better lay off the smoke or Gin – san won't like you at all… On a better note, why don't you continue that so I can be the only kunoichi in Gin – san's life. Anyway, sayonara Tsukki."
"See ya' 'round and for the love of God, I DON'T LIKE GINTOKI!"
With that, Sacchan went on her way. Seconds later, Saya came running towards Tsukuyo. By the way she looked, it seems like there was something urgent that she wanted to tell her.
"What is it Saya?"
"Kashira… Sakata – sama…" said the teenager as she catches her breath. With the mention of his name, Tsukuyo started to get worried that something wrong happened to him.
"What about him? What happened?"
"I saw him in the shop… with another woman…"
At first, Tsukuyo didn't believe what her subordinate was talking about since he was the last person in mind that she would've thought of having an intimate conversation with a woman. But as Saya explained what she saw, her worries grew gdeeper and deeper. Saya could see that it hit her Kashira deeply, seeing her facial expression changed.
But then, Tsukuyo held her subordinate's hand and hurriedly went towards the shop, dragging Saya along with her. She was curious to see what kind of a woman caught the permed samurai fell into.
When the two entered the shop, Gintoki was still at the table talking to the alleged 'waitress' that Saya told her Kashira about.
'So it was true…' said Tsukuyo to herself. 'Gintoki is in a date with another woman…"
Suddenly, he spotted her, standing still on the entrance of the store. He waved his hand at her with a smile on his face.
"Oi Tsukuyo!" he called.
His companion also turned his head towards her. Upon having a clear view of his face to her, Tsukuyo identified Gintoki's 'date' to be a man. Having this new information, she glared at her subordinate with a menacing look signalling her that she will deal with the teenage girl later for making her worry that much for nothing. They then went to the men's table and sat with them.
"By the way, who's the kid? I didn't know that the Hyakka have a junior's division. Was she also a former courtesan?" asked Gintoki.
"This is Saya. She is my second in command and apprentice and no, she's not a courtesan. She's an orphan who was sold in Yoshiwara like me. I've been training her since I became the leader of the Hyakka." explained Tsukuyo.
"Please to meet you Danna." greeted the energetic youth.
"Wait, what? WHY ARE YOU CALLING HIM DANNA?"
"Isn't he the Danna around here and the Danna of the Yorozuya Kashira?"
"YOU DON'T WORK FOR HIM AND HE AIN'T THE DANNA OF KABUKICHOU GOT THAT?" reprimanded Tsukuyo.
"Oi oi, let her be Tsukki. After all, it should be thought to kids to respect those who are superi…"
Once again, his speech was interrupted when his forehead attracted another one of Tsukuyo's kunais, leaving him out cold.
"On behalf of my baka companion, summimasen, Tsukki – dono." stated Gintoki's companion.
"It's Tsukuyo and there's no need to apologize good sir. It's that moron's fault anyway. By the way, who are you?"
"Once again, summimasen, Tsukuyo – dono and my name is Katsura Koutaro."
His name sounded familiar to her. She knew that she had heard that name before. Suddenly, it hit her. Could that man be the 'Zura' that Gintoki was referring to her yesterday that he was talking to?
"Uhm… excuse me... but you wouldn't happen to be 'Zura', leader of the Jouishishi would you?"
"As a matter of fact, I am and Zura ja nai, Katsura da."
"Oh, summimasen. It's just that Gintoki referred you to me by that name when he spoke of you."
"I see, and I'm guessing that he was the one who started calling you 'Tsukki' as well."
"No… It was Kagura – chan who started calling me that. Don't get me wrong I like it when she calls me that, it's just that I don't feel comfortable when somebody else does that especially Gintoki."
"Oh, tell me about it…"
While the two were talking about their nickname annoyance, and Saya was checking on Gintoki if he had regained his consciousness already, Ikumatsu came back with Gintoki's freshly made pork ramen (again). As she was about to go to Gintoki's table, she noticed that there were two female customers with them, whom she figured, had just arrived. One of them, who appears to be a teenager was slapping Gintoki to somehow, wake him up and one was talking to Katsura.
At first glance, she saw that the woman had a very beautiful face and a very attractive body. Altough she had a scar in her face, it doesn't matter. Her initial reaction towards her was she might be Katsura's girlfriend or someone that meant more to a friend to him sinc, no girl nor woman that elegant has ever eaten in her shop. But then it got her thinking. Why was she thinking stuff like that? Why would she care if there is something between them? Disregarding those useless thoughts, she proceeded to the table to place Gintoki's ramen and get the orders of the two new customers.
"Gin – san, here's your pork ramen. I hope this will satisfy you this time." said Ikumatsu, placing the hot bowl down. "And for the two ladies, what will you have?"
The two kunoichis looked at each other, to the bowl of ramen and back to themselves again. As if by telepathy, they just nod at each other and made their decision at the same time.
"WE'LL HAVE PORK RAMEN PLEASE!" said the two in chorus, which surprised the ramen chef.
"Wait, a… are you sure about that?"
The two looked at each other once more and again, said the same thing at the same time.
"HAI!"
Still confused and wierded out by the two, Ikumatsu returned back to the kitchen to get Elizabeth's newly kneed noodles. Later, she placed them again in the boiling pot and prepared the other ingredients while waiting for the noodles to cook. While she was chopping, Tsukuyo came over and sat at the counter.
"Uhm, excuse me…"
"Yest, what is it?"
"Can I… watch you while you are cooking? I just want to see how it's done… If that is okay with you…"
"Oh, it's okay I suppose"
"Thanks… I'm Tsukuyo by the way."
"Ikumatsu… Nice to meet you."
As Ikumatsu chops each vegetable and meat, Tsukuyo watches silently. Everything was quiet in the store since Gintoki was still out, Katsura was cleaning the dishes at the back, Elizabeth was still kneading the noodles and Saya was playing with her phone (assuming that she's already earned enough money that she could afford one). That was until Ikumatsu spoke up to Tsukuyo softly, careful not to let Katsura hear it.
"Uhm… may I ask something?"
"Yes what is it?"
"How long have you known Gintoki and Katsura?"
"Hmm… I guess… I met Gintoki some time ago and I met Katsura – san 10 minutes ago."
"Oh I see, so you've just met Katsura?"
"Yeah. Gintoki just told me about him recently. Why ja' asked?"
"Oh nothing. I just assumed that you know them both since you and your friend were sitting with them."
But deep inside her, she was really thankful that they didn't actually know each other so the girlfriend theory was now scrapped. Although, why was she asking her to watch her cook ramen? Was she planning to try and copy her? Curious on what could be her motive, Ikumatsu decided to ask her about it.
"Uhm, may I ask why do you want to watch me cook?"
"To be honest, this is my first time to eat ramen since it's not somethin' that is commonly served in Yoshiwara." explained Tsukuyo.
"You're from Yoshiwara? So, that's why your accent sounds a bit strange. You're probably a courtesan aren't you?"
Tsukuyo shook her head in response. "That's for those women who can charm customers with their femininity. The scar on my face is a symbol of my abandonment of it. It's an oath that I made to myself to protect Yoshiwara." explained the Shinigami Tayou.
Ikumatsu was astounded on what she just heard. She didn't know that the woman in front of her was a part of the infamous vigilante group of the Red light District. Her pondering was then interrupted when her companion spoke up.
"How about you?" asked Tsukuyo. "How did you know those two?"
"Hmm… Gin – san and the Yorozuya have been regulars here for quite some time now and I ended up getting to know them. Katsura – san on the other hand, well… let's just say I met him under some circumstances some time ago.
"Leme' guess, you met him in an inappropriate time didn't ya'?"
"I guess we can put it that way. How did you know?"
"Coz that's how I met Gintoki at Yoshiwara. I was actually about to kill him at first, thinkin' that he was some kind of troublemaker."
"Wait, that's almost the same thing that happened with me. I also thought Katsura – san was some sort of thief since I saw him walking on my rooftop the night I met him, so I threw my laundry basket at him to make him fall." explained Ikumatsu although she might have tweaked her story a bit, since it's certainly really embarrassing to tell anyone about that bra incident with anyone. (episode 39)
While Ikumatsu preps the ramen, she and Tsukuyo talked more about their lives and other stuff. As the time passes by, they find it easier to talk with one another especially when they are talking about the idiotic things that the two guys had done.
Minutes had passed and finally their orders of ramen were done. Tsukuyo returned back to her sit while Saya put her phone back to her pocket.
"Here's your order, I hope you'll like it."
"Wow, it smells and looks so delicious." commented Saya.
Seeing Gintoki still 'out cold' on his place, Tsukuyo, whacked him in the head, forcing him up in pain.
"OUCH! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR HUH?" growled Gintoki.
"Your food is almost cold. I suggest you eat it now before it cools down completely."
"MY FOOD WOULDN'T BE COLD IF SOMEONE DIDN'T THROW A FREAKIN' KUNAI AT ME!"
"Well, it's yer' fault ya' know?"
Knowing that arguing with her was pointless, Gintoki exclaimed a deep sigh and proceeded on splitting another pair of chopsticks.
"Now I know how Takanashi (the main character of the anime WORKING!) feels whenever he gets punched in the face, only mine is more painful since it's a kunai that's hitting me every single time."
"What do you mean you're like Takanashi? You're the exact opposite of him. You're careless, you're irresponsible and most of all you're LAZY!" rebutted Tsukuyo.
"I said 'what he feels' not what he's like. Besides you're not exactly the type of girl that Inami (the androphobic waitress of Wagnaria in WORKING!) is like. You're insensitive, unreasonable and extremely violent."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME YA' GOOD FOR NOTHIN' PERM?"
"HEY, WHO YOU CALLIN' A GOOD FOR NOTHING YOU BABA?"
"You know if didn't know any better, I'm gonna think that you're like a married couple with problems." commented the teenage girl.
Hearing the side comment of the girl, the two glared at her sadistically, making Saya look away from fear. After all that commotion, things had finally settled down between the two. The three of them then turned their attention back to their bowls of ramen. Assuring herself that the two grown – ups won't start killing each other again, Saya clasped her hands together and yelled, "ITADAKIMASU!"
Moments later, everyone had finished their bowl. The two Yoshiwarnas were fully satisfied with their first ramen as Saya continued to lick her bowl, unable to get over the fact that her bowl was already empty. Seeing that everybody was finished, Ikumatsu walked onto them.
"So how was your first ramen?"
"It was great Ikumatsu – san. It's very delicious. Saya's even licking the bowl for more."
"I'm glad that you like it. If you want, I'll give you my phone number so you can call me for deliveries."
"That would be great. Harigatou Gozaimasu."
Suddenly, Katsura appeared beside them, surprising everyone.
"Would the ladies care for some Ebichahan?"
Without any warning, Ikumatsu punched Katsura in the face, dropping the rice and the Joui leader on the floor since she knows what that dish can do to the poor souls who would try to eat it.
"Katsura – san, can you please clean that? Someone clumsily dropped those plates of Ebichahan."
"R… right… away… I… kumatsu… dono…" said Katsura although, he just laid down on the floor.
"By the way." interrupted Gintoki. "What are you doing here Tsukki? I'm sure that you didn't come this far just to eat a bowl of ramen didn't you?"
Tsukuyo took a puff out in her newly lit kiresu before first before she answered. She then told them about everything that happened earlier, what they are doing in Kabukichou and about what the high jacking that they will do later. From everything that she had said, there was one thing that got stuck in Gintoki's mind and that was 'The Deaf Man'. He knew heard that nickname before but he just can't seem to remember when or who it was.
"Tsukki, do you have anything that could describe that guy?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Saya,"
With her Kashira's word, the teenage kunoichi showed them her sketch. For a while, Gintoki looked at the image, trying to recognize the man. But once he recognizes who it was, his eyes widen which was quickly noticed by Tsukuyo.
"Gintoki, do you know who this man is?" she asked.
"Yeah… I know him… and the group he's with…"
Gintoki's tone seemed a bit off to her. She had never heard him speak in that manner before. This time, he seemed really serious and a bit nervous. This made her worry.
"W… what ja' mean? Spill it Gintoki"
"I don't exactly know his name… But I know for certain that he is a member of an extremist Jouishishi group… The Kiheitai…"
CLASS 3-Z GINPACHI SENSEI SEGMENT:
Ginpachi: Konichiwa minna. I'm sorry if I was out last meeting. I was really sick because of diabetes.
Otae: Diabetes sensei? You probably should start laying off from sweets starting with that lollipop from your mouth.
Ginpachi: You've goit it all wrong Otae – chan. I've got diabetes Type 1. I was lacking on my sugar intake that it caused my body to just shut down last time.
Everyone: WHAT!?
Ginpachi: It is what it is so just leave it okay. Anyway, do you have any questions in the chapter? Yes Bansai
Bansai: Sensei, are you sure you really don't know my name?
Ginpachi: Didn't I just called you by your name? Anyway, I think Author – sama can't seem to remember if I had known your name during the Shinsengumi Crisis Arc.
Bansai: Okay…
Ginpachi: Anyone else? Yes Shinpachi
Shinpachi: Sensei, why didn't I get a long screentime in this chapter?
Ginpachi: Fall in line with the others who wants it. Just be thankful that you still get some. (Shinpachi sits down, embarrassed) Last one for today, yes Kagura.
Kagura: I still don't get why that damn sadist tried to kiss me even if that was just to win the game.
Ginpachi: I think I can't answer that… Sougo can you answer that?
Sougo: Just like what I said in the chapter, it's called psychological sadism.
Kagura: But still… I…
Sougo: And why are you blushing China?
Kagura: I'M NOT BLUSHING!
Kamui: Acutually you are… Your face is as red as an apple. Speaking of which, maybe I'll chow down to some apple pie late…
Kagura then grabbed both Kamui and Sougo and banged their heads against each other and threw them off the window that Takasugi just opened.
Ginpachi: Oi oi, Takasugi, why did you open that window? Aren't those guys your friends?
Takasugi: Pfft, the only friend I need is this mascot of Yakult. (pointing to his side)
Ginpachi: (Sigh) What am I going to do with you… Class dismissed.
Yakult Mascot: Rate and Review and drink Yakult everyday.
Takasugi: Leave the worthless fanfic aside, If you don't drink Yakult, I will destroy you.
A/N: Whew, my chapters keep getting longer and longer. I'll try to limit myself up to 12k so that it won't be hard for you to read. Anyway, next chapter, we'll see the appearance of Bansai and probably the first action scene for the fic. Till next time, and don't forget to rate and review guys. Thanks a bunch. If you have some questions PM me.