BE AWARE THAT JUMP MAGAZINE MAY COME OUT ON SATURDAY

Gintoki's face twisted in realization and the horror of acceptance as he drove on the dirt roads of Edo. "Crap! Shounen Jump come out today! I forgot that it comes out on Saturday this week. Wanna go back or ask Canarie before she gets back today?" He slapped his forehead and asked Shinpachi who was riding behind him on the back seat.

"Who cares, and don't bother Cana-san on her day off. Let's just go home, we already bought the supplies for sukiyaki." Shinpachi deadpanned.

Gintoki rubbed the side of his face in deep thought. "Well, this is a good chance to stop reading jump comic. You're getting pretty old for Shounen jump, man... Nah, a man will act like a kid for as long as he lives..." He wasn't as subtle as he thought he was.

"Excuse me, keep embarrassing comments to yourself."

Suddenly, a young 14 year old looking girl dressed in traditional Chinese clothing ran out in the middle of the street right in front of Gintoki's scooter.

Gintoki eyes widen. "Watch out!" He shouted.

He was unable to stop and crashed right into her, driving the scooter and themselves right off the road and got a mouth full of dirt at the same time. Shinpachi looked over at the motionless girl who laid on the road. His mouth was gaped open in horror at the sudden nightmare filled reality. They prayed that this wasn't actually happening. Please let this be a dream. This wasn't a supposed to be series about drama. Damn it!

Gintoki let out a girly shriek. "Gyaa! I ran her over!"

"What're you gonna do!? It's because you weren't paying attention..." Shinpachi's hands shook and his eyesight was starting to blur

Gintoki stuck his head into a vending machine while his whole body shook with utter panic and denial. "D-D-Don't panic! Just find a t-t-t-time machine."

"You're the one who needs to calm down!" Shinpachi's panic was nothing compared to Gintoki's.

"It would be okay, you know." Gintoki tried to think positive as they approached the body of the young girl. "Wake-up TV's astrology segment said I'd be lucky this weekend." He kneeled down. "I'm sure she's miraculously unharmed." He wished hopefully. "Hey, young lady..." he pulled her body back only slightly but saw a puddle of blood below her.

"Freakin' Wake-up TV!" Gintoki drove like a bat out of hell with the young girl attached to the back of the scooter. "Liars! I'm never gonna watch your stupid show again. Damn it!" he cursed the show. "But the weather girl is super cute. Hey, how's she?"

Shinpachi and the young girl were literally tied together. Shinpachi looked over his shoulder grimly. "Not even twitching."

"Crap! Should we take her to a doctor?! I don't wanna get in trouble though! Should we go to Canarie!? She should know something, right? She's a former assassin, right? She should know something, right! " He screamed like a preteen girl with a shrill voice. Swore tears were forming in his eyes too.

Shinpachi rolled his eyes. He looked over as a black car drove up beside them. They rolled down their windows for some reason when they suddenly pointed a gun out to them.

"What!?"

Gintoki quickly drove in front of them, but the shouts were fired too quickly. Shinpachi covered his head but looked when he felt nothing. He saw that the girl regained consciousness and opened her purple umbrella and appeared to have blocked the bullets that would have hit them. The china girl closed her umbrella and pointed the end to the car. It then started to fire out bullets that punctured the car, making it spin out of control and crash into a nearby tree. The china girl blew on the gun smoke that came from the barrel of her umbrella as Shinpachi stared in utter disbelief.

Canarie pulled her face into the palm of her hand and gave the biggest sigh known to man. She felt like she's been doing that more often now. It was one thing after another with this place. Even on her off days, she's still pulled into this sort of carp. Nevertheless, Canarie still checked the china girl, actually possessing some sort of basic medical knowledge to their greatest relief.

So there the four of them stood, in dark alleyway, out of sight from the incoming police cars. Man, it felt like they were criminals with this setup. All that left for this to be a mobster move was for the Yakuza to chase after them for some damn reason. G

"Are you guys stupid? I'm not gonna die just from getting hit by a scooter!" The china girl said.

Canarie got a better look at her shoulder and saw what looked to be a bullet wound. It healed strangely fast though. She narrowed her eyes in thought, realizing something about the girl's appearance. Cute was one word for her. She was an inch taller then Canarie with transparent skin, big and lively blue eyes and orange hair held together with two ornaments on both sides of her head. She wore a red china styled dress with black boots too.

Canarie crossed her arms and took a step back. "She's just fine. The only real injury was a bullet wound from those guys, but that's already closed up." She said, but her voice seemed to run off at the end.

"What, did she eat glue with her meals or something?" Gintoki deadpanned, already exhausted with everything that happened in under an hour. "Whatever. You seem alright, so we'll be on our way. Thanks for the help Canarie. Get well soon!" he said to the girl and tried to make an escape on the scooter but it went nowhere. "Huh? Shinpachi, did you put on some weight?" They tried to drive off but the scooter just wouldn't move despite the tires spinning.

The china girl held the scooter in one place with a single hand. That's some strength. "How can a grown-up abandon a girl who's being hunted by Yakuza?"

"Because I'm still a boy at heart. Besides, in this country, we don't call people who can stop a scooter with one hand 'girls'. We call them mountain gorillas."

Canarie came up beside the halted scooter as it still tried to make its great escape. "Gintoki. Can you try to be an adult for a second here? Let's just take a step back and try to figure this out before we're shot at again." As those words left her mouth a group of Yakuza came around the corner. Canarie's eyes widen "Oh?"

The Yakuza spotted them. "Hey! There they are! After them!" They shouted.

"Crap! We got to go!" Canarie quickly pulled Gintoki and Shinpachi off the scooter and shove them in the opposite direction and started to run away.

"Hold on! Who are they!?" Shinpachi shouted. "Demented Yakuza!?"

"'Fermented'" The china girl questioned wrongly.

Canarie groaned loudly. "Ha-ah! I'm so sick of Yakuza! I always, always hated running into them." She spun around and kicked a garbage can that made the Yakuza trip over when they cut around the corner.

"Hey!" Gintoki looked to the china girl as she continued to run down the streets. "Who are you!? What did you do with your super strength?"

"I..." The china girl looked to the ground grimly. "I came here from a distant planet. I heard that I could make money if I came to Edo. My family is really poor. Furikake seasoning on rice, three meals a day. I'd like to at least be able to eat raw egg and sow sauce on rice three meals a day."

"That's not much better." Shinpachi and Canarie eyed her.

"That's when...They made me an offer... and I jumped right on it!"

"Why!? Shouldn't you eat three different meals a day?

They cleared a corner with the Yakuza in hot pursuit.

"I'm strong compared to earthlings. I took their offer, and I ate sake chazuke every day. I was so happy."

The Yakuza ran past them as they hit behind a Soba shop sign.

"But lately, my jobs went up the escalator."

"You mean 'escalated'." Shinpachi corrected her.

"Finally they told me to get someone's silver balls."

"It's just 'balls'."

The Yakuza ran past a soba shop but the Yorozuya was long since gone from their line of sight, but only for them to peek their heads out from around the shop signs and tanuki statue.

The china girl stood up from her spot of hiding. "I can't take it anymore. Edo is a very scary place. I wanna go home." The girl pleated sadly.

"Edo is scary?" Canarie scoffed and came out from behind the tanuki statue.

"Boy, are you dumb." Gintoki and Canarie walked out from behind the statue. "In this country, you can't trust guys with perms and girl in red. You got yourself in that world. You need to get yourself out."

Canarie's expression seemed too distant itself. "If you think Edo is scary then you got another thing coming." Her voice was cold. "If your to worried about being scared then stay home.

Gintoki and Canarie then started to walk away from them with Shinpachi calling out for them.

Canarie walked beside Gintoki down the road. She crossed her arms, but the china girls words played out in her head. She wondered why her words irritated her so much, but thinking about it, it probably was because she was born and raised here. This trashy, scum-ridden place...was her home and having someone insult it made her blood boil a bit. In her eyes, Edo wasn't scary because she has gotten so used to this environment. It's laughable really, being protective over a place like this. Still, Kashira and her ran wild in these streets so it was basically their backyard, a very big backyard.

Gintoki stuck his arm into his kimono. "It's out of character for you to get upset over something like that." He noticed the irritation on her face

"Out of character? You must be joking. It doesn't matter if people are born and raised here. Despite who you are. Yakuza. Samurai..." Canarie's pace slowed down. She looked to the floor. "Fear is...all the same when you meet a ghost off the streets. If your scared of Edo of all places, then you should stay in your room." Canarie's voice couldn't have sounded anymore depressing.

Gintoki could see a different look in her eyes. It was something he hasn't seen before...no, he wasn't sure if this was an 'emotion' at all really. Her eyes resembled a shell that had nothing in them. Not even a glint of emotion. There was no such humanity in those ashy eyes of hers, but it's probably what she would look like after the assassination has already happened, as she stared down at the body she has just snuffed out. Like a candle in the wind.

Gintoki took his hand and slapped the back of her head. Canarie stumbled forward and yelped out in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" She cried out, rubbing her sore head.

"Just felt like it-" Canarie punched him in the gut. Hard. Like, really hard. Gintoki hunched over the ground, holding his stomach. "I..." His voice was a bit too high pitched. "Was just thinking you fit the halfhearted straight-man role better than an assassin one."

Canarie flinched at his words and stood still for a moment, trying to process what he just said. He was just trying to cheer her up. In a bit of a cruel way, but still. Canarie clicked her tongue but smiled. She kneeled down and started to rub his back. Gintoki saw her smile for the corner of his eyes, that very warm smile he was seen before.

"Your way of cheering people up is a bit twisted...but thank you, Gintoki." Once again, her eyes seemed to have returned to normal, as her smile was proof of that.

Desperate is what Gintoki was right now. Canarie waited at a Dango shop and watched Gintoki as he shuffled around like a zombie in search for brains, but in this situation it was Jump. He walked from one store to another asking every clerk if they had Jump, but to no avail, they didn't.

Canarie wiggled the stick in between her teeth and stared at him with a cup of tea in her other hand. She sighed and dropped the stick on her plate and brought the tea to her mouth.

"Are you guys stupid!?" A man on the other booth cross from her suddenly shouted to his subordinates. "You can't even capture one little girl?! And you stupid asses call yourself Yakuza!?"

Canarie stopped the cup of tea inching closer to her lips and gave the man a side glance from over her shoulder. She saw that they were a group of Yakuza with a punch perm hairstyle. Man, that looked stupid. This series really did turn into a mobster movie.

So these were the guys chasing after the china girl, Canarie thought. She then knew exactly who these guys were, having to have run into them on her previous job a few times. They weren't exactly Yakuza, more like wannabee ones. They could never get the upper hand on her, but they were still a pain in the ass. She knew the boss as well. His name was Inoue. He was a good-for-nothing, but he still had quite a few members, enough eyes and ears to cover Kabuki-Chou at least. It would defiantly make it hard for the china girl to run away.

"But bro, She's from the Yato clan! We can't do anything about it..."

"Are you stupid!?" Inoue socked his subordinate in the face. He had to have his other crew to hold him back. "That's exactly why you should have gotten them! Our branch clan could rise to the top if we capture that monster of a girl, you know that?! Their clan is already beginning to fall apart. Do you understand how much she'd be worth if we capture her? If she doesn't come back to our hands, I don't care anymore. Kill her."

His words left a harsh feeling in Canarie's chest. She set her cup down on her plate with a soft clank. What to do to, She thought. She could end this farce now and put this whole thing behind her, but...what would the china girl learn from this?

Canarie looked back to where she last saw Gintoki but saw that he staggered a bit too far away. Glancing back to the guys, she shook her head and sighed. "It'll work out somehow." She said to herself while gathering her things, walking after Gintoki.

The trash can by the station shook and the lid popped open a bit for Shinpachi and the china girl to look around.

"We somehow managed to get here. Any punch perm guys nearby?"

"Nope, all clear."

Shinpachi looked to the station. "If you take the train from here, you'll reach the Terminal in no time. You can go back home. But speaking of those two...I didn't think they would really leave, especially Cana-san."

"I don't mind. Everyone is Edo is like that. No personal feeling toward strangers. That's an ideal lifestyle, right? People like you who care about others are stupid." The china girl smiled. "But I like that stupid way. I don't like you though."

Shinpachi's eye twitched. "Huh? I thought I heard you make a rude comment..."

The china girl tried to get up. "I hate people with glasses." She bluntly said.

"Hey, your character changed! What the hell!? I did so much for you! I can't put up with this anymore!" Shinpachi frustratingly yelled.

The china girl tried to get out, but her body was stuck in place. "Eh? I'm stuck."

Shinpachi blinked. "Eh? Huh?" He then tried to move out but his body didn't move an inch. They have liked super glued inside. "You're kidding! Even I'm...Crap! I'm gonna cry..." He panicked, even more, when he heard the sound of the train about to leave. "Who cares, just roll!"

Shinpachi knocked over the trash can and they began to roll towards the open train door, but a foot slammed down on the can, stopping them from getting to the train.

"Hey, hey, that's a no-no." The voice was no one other than Inoue, surrounded by his punched perm men. "Rolling into a train is dangerous." he grinned down to the helpless kids. "Too bad, Kagura, You were so close to getting away."

Kagura looked and saw him. "Inoue...!"

"It's sad to see you leave without saying anything. We treated you so well. Weren't you in financial trouble? Is that okay with you? You're going to go back to eating rice with Hurikake again."

"I'm tired of getting money from hurting people! Nothing I eat tastes good anymore! Working hard and eating rice with Hurikake is still better than this!" Kagura shouted back.

Inoue keeled down. "What a thing to say for a clan that only knows how to fight. Isn't that right, Yato clan member?"

"Yato clan?" Shinpachi questioned the name.

"Well, well. You were helping this girl without even knowing about her? I'm sure you've heard the name before, right? The best and worst clan, 'Yato'? The Yato do not look much different from regular humans, but they possess great fighting abilities. They've destroyed countless stars. They're a battling clan with war as their priority. It seems that you were hiding this. But that transparent-like color of your skin and that umbrella are dead proof. The Yato clan hated the daylight, and it was said they never let go of their umbrellas. With your true instincts acting up inside you, you seem to enjoy the fighting. Your true instincts are craving blood, Kagura."

"That's not true!" Kagura shot back, but before she could get enough word out, Inoue kicked the can into the railroad tracks.

"You're worthless if you can't fight! Goodbye!" he waved.

Shinpachi managed to look up in front of him he felt the tracks shake as a train speeding down the railing. "You kidding me! Bad timing only happens like this in manga!" He screamed out.

At that moment, a scooter came in view, running almost at the same speed as the train beside it. Shinpachi and Kagura's eyes widen when they saw them. Gintoki and Canarie.

"Gin-san! Cana-san!"

Gintoki held up his wooden sword and handed it to Canarie. "Don't miss!"

Canarie gripped the wooden sword tightly. "Don't run them over." She held it like a bat. "Hold on tight!"

Shinpachi went white when he realized what was about to happen. "Wait! Cana-san!"

Canarie twisted her body slightly and pulled the sword all the way back and waited. She clenched her teeth and swung the sword forwards with all her might and slammed it into the trash can, throwing them off the tracks, but also into the air. The trash can fell through a roof and right on top of Inoue's men.

Kagura emerged from the dust with her umbrella in her hand while Canarie jumped off the tracks and glared at Inoue in front of her.

"I like to fight. That's the Yato's instincts...but I don't give into it. However, from now on. I'll fight with my Yato blood." Kagura held her umbrella up. "I'm gonna fight to change."

Inoue looked between the impending doom of the Yato and the armed samurai. "You idiot! Kick their ass!" He shouted to his men but saw that they already ran away. "Huh?"

"Inoue!"

"Oi!"

The voices of the two girls brought him back. He turned around and saw them jumping above his head with their weapons in the air. Raised and ready to smack him to kingdom-come.

Canarie's voice howled like an animal with demented, angry eyes. "If you're not prepared to get scared out of your wits... Then you shouldn't be here in Edo in the first place!"

WHAM!

Shinpachi shook his head. "If you were gonna help us out, then you should have come with us in the first place." He looked to Gintoki as he finally found his Jump and was now proudly reading it by the train station. "I don't get it...are you a shy boy?"

Gintoki hunched over. "No, actually I decided to help along the way while I went to buy Jump. Happy you didn't die?"

Shinpachi angerly looked at him. "Our life's don't cost a mere 220 yen." He shook Gintoki's reason off since he knew he was never gonna get one, but Canarie on the other hand. "What about you Cana-san? What made you change your mind?"

Canarie stretched her legs out and laid her hands over her stomach. She slouched in her seat as she watched Kagura as she shaved the punch perm off an unconscious Inoue. "I don't really know myself." She mumbled.

That was a lie. She knew the exact reason. Kagura is still a child to be in that kind of work. Canarie though, was around her age when she began her assassination career. It took a toll on her psychologically, and she could see that same feeling in Kagura's eyes. She guesses that she wanted Kagura to stay a kid for a bit longer since she wasn't able to herself.

The sound of the squeaking train rolled into the station and the doors opened.

"Oh, the train came! Hurry up and leave, and don't come back, lady!" Gintoki said.

Kagura looked back to them. "Yeah. I wanna leave, but...come to think about it, I don't have enough money to go back home. That's why I want to stay here a little more till I save up some money. So, let me work at your place." She more so demanded.

Canarie straightened up and leaned against the palm of her hand. "I don't have a problem. Why not." She said calmly.

Gintoki ripped his jump in half though. "You're kidding! Why should I let a violent little girl..."

Kagura punched the wall behind them, creaking it all the way up to the ceiling. "Did you said something?"

"...Nothing."

Canarie looked to the ceiling then back to them, just having the feeling that this place was gonna get a bit more lively.

Author's Note:

How are you liking this story so far? I'm trying to keep the serious parts serious and the funny parts funny. It's honestly fun to change my writing style a bit so the story will flow better. Let me know if you're enjoying it!

Oh, and by the way, this story won't cover all of the chapters of Gintama. This is only gonna cover chapter 1-97 before I switch to the second installment of the Kabuki-cho ghost stories.