Final Chapter

The head means a lot to its body!

"what's wrong Gintoki?" sitting on the edge observing the fight between Kawakomi and Sakata with pleasure in his eyes.

"haven't you learned from your previous experience?" Sakata ignored Takasugi, talking to Kawakomi who insisted in fighting him.

"I was testing you that day, I daresay."

"I'll be sure to make you fail your test again, Bansai."

Stopping for a moment, Sakata looked at Takasugi's way "I'll take your plan down," he said pointing his sword at his old friend's chest.

"oh please, stop the ideal speech"

"you'll leave this place," crossing sword with Kawakomi but couldn't complete his sentence when Kawakomi took Sakata's shifted mind to his advantage and draw a deep cut on his right shoulder.

Trying to defend himself for this moment by grabbing the sword by his bare hand till it bled nonstop, Sakata took it out his shoulder while closing his right eye, suffering was all written over his face.

Ignoring Sakata to observe the battle to see how much has it progressed, Takasugi sighted a running figure toward the building…a smile enlightened his face, making him satisfied for the next step he would go on with.

"retreat…TAKASUGI, I'M WARNING YOU!"

"if you defeat him, I'll think about it."

"TAKASUGI!"

A laugh escaped his mouth. He was enjoying seeing the people around him suffering. To him, it's a sign for the beginning of the end!

Takasugi stood and walked till he was on the door of the exit. Leaning his back on the edge of the wall, waiting for his prey. A smoke was exhaled with pleasure from his mouth.

"DAMN," Sakata cursed as his sword was controlled by Kawakomi's strings. Taking advantage of the strings, Sakata pulled the green hair guy by his sword till he fell on him, with another move…

"DISAPPEAR!" Sakata pushed Kawakomi to the ground and stabbed his back with the string still encountering the sword…

A blood marched out from Kawakomi's mouth as he fell on his chest.

"you've failed your test," Sakata tried to arrange his breathing then searched for his old body…

"TAKASU…" Sakata paused when he witnessed something that he hasn't even dreamt of. "what are you doing?" with a soft tone, shocking was covering his expression, Sakata was more likely asking himself if the view before him was reality or fantasy.

"isn't it fair to take down one of your precious too?" holding a black hair guy by his hair with his right hand while putting the sword on his neck by his left one, Takasugi said with an evil smile, and cold eyes.

"I'll show you how protecting is a burden, Gin." Takasugi said drawing a half smile on his lips with an evil stare, waiting the change of Sakata's expression or response.

"so?" Sakata said, trying to hide his fear of the possible repeating of his past before his eyes.

"I'll show you how helpless you're...your precious will be gone with the wind."

"wait wait…whom precious to whom?" a thick voice interrupting, irritated about the conversation he heard. "I prefer to die instead of standing here like a woman asking for help!" Hijikata mumbled over the situation he was in.

Takasugi didn't comment on what Hijikata said, instead, he got the sword even more closer to Hijikata's neck, in response to him. This is just the worst of the worst. Hijikata thought closing his eyes in irritation about the situation more than fearing it.

A quick punch from Takasugi's hand that held the sword to Hijikata's abdomen reopened his wound even more which left him groaning in pain. For a second, Hijikata lost his vision from the pain…he was about losing all his senses gradually but he tried to endure it. Takasugi grabbed his hair painfully to straighten up his posture.

"you're such a torturer…" Hijikata mumbled in pain with a low tone, eying the one who threatening him with the edge of his eye which amused Takasugi to some extent.

"Takasugi…I have defeated him, be a man and retreat!" trying to hold his anger back, Sakata kept his poker face alive.

"are you sure?"

"WATCH OUT!"

Within a blink of an eye, just the same technique Kawakomi used for Hijikata, he was applying it to Sakata…and Sakata wasn't aware of it till the strings infiltrated his chest and legs.

with a quick reflection, Kawakomi pulled out the strings strongly leaving Sakata sitting on his left knee trying to gather his control and not losing his concentration.

"oi, you've crossed the line…one eyed guy!" with deep serious voice, Hijikata said. He punched Takasugi by his right elbow with all his might, leaving a small cut of the sword on his neck, but he managed to escape from his grasp. Hijikata immediately stood next to the injured Sakata in the middle between Takasugi and Kawakomi.

"I haven't imagined your face to be ugly like that, Takasugi!" a smirk left Hijikata's lips. "it hurts, like those flames." Hijikata said staring at the pool of blood beneath Sakata, reminding himself and the injured guy how painful the strings are. He heaved a sigh then turned his back to see the barely awaken Bansai.

"Gintoki, so...you're really siding with them?"

"I'm not siding with any…I just don't want to regret anything."

"in the beginning, I really didn't want you to get involved, but since you resist…I want to see you regretting."

"it's true...you both, know…each other?" a quick question escaped Hijikata's lips aiming it at the injured Sakata. as the rumors said, Sakata was with them in that war...Hijikata couldn't prevent himself from connecting his thoughts and putting the dots on the letters to complete the missing piece of the puzzle.

"it's not the time for investigation," Sakata stood on his feet heavily, staring at his old body, Takasugi.

"take care of Bansai, Hijikata-kun."

"what?"

"what!"

"first of all, why are you here?"

"are you serious?"

"YES!"

"can't you read the atmosphere, idiot!"

"this is our war!"

"am not here because of your endless battles, I'm here to put an end of the past."

"end?"

"hearing you like that, sure you've nerves both of you... my patience is wearing thin!" Takasugi interrupted them with poker face.

"I won't be able to carry you, make sure to stay alive." Hijikata said, his back was leaning on Sakata's.

"don't be fool. I need my money from you, I won't let you die unless I have it."

With nothing more, both of them moved forward to fight against their weaknesses, their prides, and their pasts.

"Takasugi, retreat…let's start from the beginning," Sakata said when their swords crossed, didn't want to hurt his old friend yet. There was a small hesitation in the corner of his heart. After all, they were once together, sharing the same morals, the same principles, the same past!

"as if I'd give in to your rubbish talking,"

"you've to build…"

"I've to destroy, and you're the first!" interrupting Sakata's sentence with poker face, Takasugi started to attack.

they have dodged every steps, it was a tough battle between two stubborn guys, one believes in himself, and the other believes in himself along his friends. Even though, Sakata was severely injured, yet he maintained his professionalism in fighting.

But his worries led him to overlook his own fight to witness how Hijikata was fighting Bansai, Takasugi took it to his advantage and attacked him, stabbing on his abdomen deeply…too deep that he for a second lost his vision.

"SAKATA!" Hijikata, on the other hand, couldn't help but to scream out his name in order to wake him up. His worries took over him which made him losing control in his own battle the later, but he managed to dodge the almost stabbing sword from Bansai coincidently. Damn!

"I see your fighting ability is near to zero. Don't underestimate me Gintoki, I won't hesitate to take …." Takasugi paused while his pupils were widened over the view before him. Sakata screamed from the pain and the anger at the same time and raised his sword sharply aiming it at Takasugi's shoulder, instilled it too deep till he stuck to the wall.

"don't think lightly of me, Shinuske…I can rip your heart apart if I want,"

"what a demon…" Hijikata thought of Sakata while dodging Bansai's attack.

"I see you're much better than expected," Kawakomi said cutting Hijikata's thought with a smirk.

"don't underestimate me, weirdo."

"I see you command them to make human chains in order to shield your boss, how expected from you Shinsingumi to keep your boss alive," Kawakomi commented after observing how the Shinsingumi were defending Kondo with all their might. "Isn't it selfish of you, high ranked people, to sacrifice the ones below you?" Kawakomi exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oi, Do you know what happens if the head falls down?" Holding the sword above to his chest, Hijikata asked in mad tone.

"just exactly the same when you were disappeared, I daresay!"

"the body will be in chaos," Hijikata corrected him, then continued while crossing swords with Kawakomi."and when the body loses control of its parts, it will lose sense of reality and it will be too late to get it under control..."

"sacrificing yourselves for the head is crazy thing to do..."

"and it's much crazier to take it down," Hijikata interrupted him, "Bansai...taking the head down or keeping it alive ... Just getting near it will cost you so much, Just exactly what we are doing now!"

Bansai smiled a bit at Hijikata's words, thinking about his words deeply but his response was a quick attack that cut Hijikata's left arm a bit. Groaning a little bit, Hijikata reflected quickly by lowering his body to return the attack by stabbing Bansai's leg.

"I see now why they call you the demon vice-commander."

"do you know what the head gives you?" Hijikata ignored him completing his speech with a lot of anger conquering him bit by bit.

"let me hear it."

"it gives you identity," Hijikata cut Bansai's arm,

"it gives you power," trying to attack from behind but Bansai defended himself.

"it leads you to the right path," Hijikata said remembering how Kondo means a lot to him. Kondo isn't any kind of commander, he is much more to Hijikata.

Hurting him means cutting Hijikata apart.

Hurting him means he does nothing proper as a friend.

Hurting him means losing the Shinsingumi...the place that gathered him with his friends and comrades. where he can stand firmly, knowing exactly where to belong.

"THE HEAD GIVES YOU CONTROL!" with anger reaching the maximum, Hijikata screamed his lungs out while crossing his sword with Bansai's.

"Shinsingumi, you are bunch of loyal dogs...playing it wrong, no matter where is your head, you're losing yourselves for nothing, I daresay!"

"you're the wrong player in this field... I daresay!" Hijikata mocked Bansai's way of talking while giving the battle field a quick look. "keep that in mind, when you feel headache, you might lose to it, but we fight it no matter how the result is." He paused, with anger covering his face slowly, "and ... DON'T YOU DARE CALLING OUR HEAD NOTHING WHEN YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

Just when he was about to get his anger out of his body, a strong explosion in the entrance paused them. Dozens of helicopters and trunks were invaded the headquarter coming to rescue the police, which relieved the comrades to the maximum and charged them to fight with high spirit.

Sakata took out his sword that instilled in Takasugi's shoulder.

"retreat…there are no chance for you to survive here,"

"really, "

"your message has been delivered…retreat!"

"Gintoki…you really don't know me yet,"

"I don't care, retreat!" Sakata knew carefully that Takasugi wasn't using all his power, he knew it was merely a threat, but a strong one!

"look back, you weren't able to protect him…just like before,"

Sakata turned his back to see the reality that he didn't want to get in touch with anymore, but to his surprise, Hijikata was still fighting on his feet, instead…the unexpected thing happened to Sakata himself, a second stab infiltrated his back like a bullet. "Takasugi!"

"this is just the beginning, Gintoki…haven't I told you? Don't turn your back to your enemy, ever!" he left the spot signaling for Bansai to leave.

"enemy..." falling on the floor, Sakata was hurt somehow to know that they reached this level of relationship, from friendship to enmity... how hard could that be for Sakata who treasures everything around him? trying to rebuild what had destroyed before his eyes, to continue the path of his sensei and carry it on...

how painful to hear it straight from his old friend mouth...

no one knew, but Sakata himself.

Bansai jumped over Hijikata's head while taking a gun aiming it to the sky and shot it. it was a signal for retreating. "I'd like to have a match with you, Hijikata-san. Nice fighting with you, when you're sober!"

They disappeared within a blink of an eye, Hijikata turned to where Sakata was. He was leaning on the wall breathing in and out with irregular rhythm.

"oi! Pull yourself together!" Hijikata sat on his kness, slapping Sakata on his face.

"Have I said something like anything done in hurry, its result isn't as good as you'd expect it? I think I've changed my mind, sometimes it does work well." Sakata said with chocking breath.

"it works with me, not you…unfortunately,"

"Are you bragging?"

"why were you watching me, idiot? Don't you believe in me?"

"you're idiot."

"let's get down, it's suffocating here." Taking Sakata's arm around his neck, Hijikata tried to stand with his fellow.

When they reached where everyone was, Hijikata slowly lost his balance and fell on the floor with Sakata. Breathing in and out heavily as they were staring at each other…with fading smiles.

"sensei…,"

Sakata opened his eyes in fear of the scene he witnessed. The rhythm of his breathing was irregular…

"nightmare?" a thick voice interrupted his forceful waking. He turned his head to the source of the voice. "Hijikata-kun!"

"what? Aren't you pleased to see me?" Hijikata smirked over the copying of the way Sakata welcomed him when he was in the same condition once.

"where am I?"

"Hospital." He paused then asked, "how do you feel?"

"better than you, I guess!"

"getting cuts all over your body isn't something I will envy you about! I'm surprised you're still alive though! How many souls do you have?" joking with straight face, Hijikata was somehow pleased to see the guy before him was recovering quickly.

"how funny you are! I can't stop laughing ... Ha ha ha !" Sakata mocked him with a lame face.

"easy easy! Laughing is not good for your wounds." with a straight face, Hijikata continued on the sarcastic situation...till nothing left to be said!

"how are your comrades?"

"we are recovering quickly…" Hijikata paused recalling the nightmare that happened to him, but decides, as he always does, to move forward. "despite the loss we have, we are still standing, no one will break us…"

Sakata nodded silently, thinking with him how that night was horrible…most likely to them.

"why haven't you told me?"

"about what?" adjusting his sitting, Sakata looked straight into Hijikata's eyes to know on what exactly he was talking about.

"the truth behind Sougo's letter." Taking out the letter from his pocket, Hijikata raised it before Sakata.

"ah!" he turned his head to cover his so-not-the-right-time-to-talk-about it. "should I?"

"it was because of you, the mess had started!"

"what!? Aren't you even thankful for me taking care of you!? Or even to Okita-kun who carried your big body to me?"

"thankful to the one who spread rumors in order to test his comrades and pressure them? Or thankful to the one who lied to me and said there was nothing? Huh!"

"my head! My head hurts! You cause me headache!"

A sudden silence spread all over the room but quickly broken when Hijikata whined,

"How could he be so heartless to spread rumors about my death! And what more, why have you approved to get along with this mess he created!?"

"in what position should I refuse? I need money, how can I say NO!" Sakata lied, he was hesitated to accept it…but deep inside him he wanted to believe in Okita, to give him chance…reading his irrational letter caused him jolt for a second….

"Danna,

Sorry to bother you, but please take care of Hijikata-san. He was beaten up badly by anonymous man. In fact I want him to die, but I know how Kondo-san will feel.

I have a plan, hope you will help me with it without rejecting it. I might sound stupid, but please, I need to do it. I need to test our comrades' pride, faithfulness, loyalty. I need to see how they will manage to get through trouble without the vice-commander around…I need to test it starting from the commander himself, so please, keep Hijikata in your place till he fully recover, till the coming war is finished.

PS: I will give you the money you need if you will accomplish my wish.

Okita Sougo."

"I myself didn't know he would go to that extent...spreading rumors about your death!" Sakata said thoughtfully.

"I don't know how this kid is thinking?!"

"I do believe that every irretional beginning, has a genius ending!" With a soft smile, Sakata said eying Hijikata, giving him the reward feeling! Hijikata frowned a bit but slowly smoothened his expression then whined again with a low tone...

"I still don't understand this sadist!"

"aren't you over with this topic yet?"

"Shut up! How can I?"

"awww!"

"OI! SHUT UP! Why haven't you died instead!"

"I wish if I hadn't taken care of you and died from the loss of blood!"

"what a jerk! I wish Sougo would give you the cold shoulder and your beloved money won't be sent to you!"

A silence covered the room, nothing could be heard but the sound of the breeze from the opened window...

"Sakata-San,"

"WHAT? Another lame joke?"

"thank you..." trying to avoid the eye contact, Hijikata said hesitantly.

"I ... I didn't hear you," with a shock voice, staring immediately at Hijikata, Sakata continued, "can you raise your voice!? Speak up when you're thanking, Damn it your pride! What have you said?" he slowly spoke with a higher tone getting furious and impatient because of the person before him.

"DIE!" Hijikata shouted furiously too, didn't like to repeat himself, what more, to thank!

"you know what?" Sakata gave up on him, then screamed getting his head closer to Hijikata's, "OUT OF ALL PEOPLE…"

"I HATE YOU THE MOST!" Hijikata completed with frowning face...too.

They might have connected with much similarities, but the difference gathered them.. and to them, the things that linked them are beyond words.

true friends might born by fighting... Sometimes,

while "hated" friends, can create miracles .. Sometimes too!

END

Thank you so much for your support,

hope you have enjoyed reading it till the very end 3

I'll be more than glad to read your comments and your thoughts ^^

thanks.