The sounds of sharp knives slashing through human flesh were filling the air that surrounded us.
Stains of blood and new blood were splattered all over the place as our friends and foes were going down, one by one.
I stared at the silver haired, natural perm guy who stood in front of me, at least few yards away and a short black haired man standing beside him, both having their katanas put to their side, prepared for an surprised attack. I stood still, listening to my calm breathings and having my hands wrapped around my katana, also prepared for an attack.
I pulled a small smirk. "Nice hair cut, Zura."
His eyes narrowed but his blank facial expression didn't change. "It's not Zura. It's Katsura. Is it true that you are with Harusame?"
"I don't intend to answer that question," I answered.
"Shine Komusume, why'd you become a criminal?" Gintoki asked, "you weren't like this when you were younger!"
"Well, people change," I murmured, keeping my voice cold.
"Not you!" he yelled.
"Gintoki. It's not going to work. Look at her brother. No one can change him. So why his sister?" said Katsura, sounding very...plain.
I took the chance to attack both of them by trying to stab Gintoki in the stomach and kick Katsura in the same place, but they reacted faster than I had thought and jumped away, when my legs and katanas were about to hit them.
Landing on their feet, they came at me with their katanas raised and aimed it downward to slash me but was too slow. I easily jumped away.
"Too slow. Have you guys been lazy? Or did you two get fatter?" I asked with a fake smile on my face.
"What?" Katsura turned to Gintoki. "How could you have been lazy while I was risking my life to save this city?"
"I wasn't being lazy! Oh for strawberry's sake, are we even supposed to be talking about this?" Gintoki yelled at his friend.
"Shineko, we have to stop this fight for five minutes. I need to have a talk with my supposed-to-be friend," said Katsura, glaring at Gintoki.
"Talk? What talk? Do we even have a time for this?"
While the stupid guys were arguing, I strolled away to where the Harusame space ship was parked. I saw my captain and second in command stood outside the ship, staring down at the battle that took place on the Kiheitai ship.
"Kamui," I called from the Kiheitai ship.
He glanced down at me (surprisingly without a smile on his face). "...Abuto. Am I dreaming?" I heard him say to the second in command of Harusame 7th squad.
"Not that I know of," Abuto answered, lazily.
Suddenly, Kamui's usual smile crept onto his face and jumped down beside me. "Haven't seen you in a while," he said, like he just didn't have the conversation with Abuto. "We missed your loud company."
"More like just you... and it was only for a few days..." Abuto commented as he jumped down beside Kamui.
"Did I just hear what I just heard because if I did, I'm going to kill you," said Kamui, with his creepy smile.
Abuto sighed. "I said nothing, Captain."
"Thought so."
"So you really did miss me?" I asked, hoping that he would say...
"...yes."
"Right! Left! Right! Left! Right! Left! Right!"
Slinging her wooden sword to right and left as her teacher yelled at the same time, Shineko concentrated on the way she moved. She never let herself get lazy or distracted or even miss a move. She put everything into her body as she trained, every day.
"Shyouyou-sensei! I'm getting tired!" cried a sliver haired boy from beside her brother who trained right next to her.
"Five more minutes, Gintoki-kun," their teacher called from the front.
Normally students would be listening to what their teacher had said but this was Sakata Gintoki; he would do everything his own way.
Gintoki began complaining and dropped down onto the wooden floor in the dojo and breathed rapidly. "I'm so tired!" he groaned and collapsed onto the cool floor.
"Gintoki-kun, I haven't said about how you can take a rest..." the teacher commented.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm too tired to care!" he replied with a yell and closed his eyes as the cool floor cooled down his warm, sweaty body.
"All tight then," their teacher started, "everyone can take a break."
The students cheered as they went over to their own friends and began taking drinks and chatting with each other.
Shineko walked over to her brother, Katsura, and Gintoki who was still lying on the floor.
"You're bad," she commented, pointing her finger at Gintoki. "You have to listen to the teachers."
Gintoki opened his eyes and glared at the purple haired girl who was at least 3 or four years younger than him. "Shut up, chibi! You're too young to be here! And you're even a girl! I don't understand why Shyouyou Sensei even allows you in his class!"
"At least I'm not as bad as you are," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and stuck her little tongue at him.
"She has a point," Katsura said, followed by a few nods from Shinsuke.
"Whatever," Gintoki mumbled and fell asleep.
"Shineko!"
I turned around, taking my eyes off of Kamui, to see who the voice belonged to.
He stopped running, a few yards away from me; looking bloody and panting.
"Come back... with us. You don't belong with them," he said, between his breaths.
Before I had gotten a chance to reply, Gintoki appeared from behind, looking bloody and tired just like Katsura.
"Shine Komusume, don't go. Choose the right path. You still have you chances!" he yelled.
I saw Kamui and Abuto step up on either sides of me (making me stand in between them) and stare at my ex-friends.
"What shall we do with them? I would love to have some good fights with them but..." Kamui looked at me, "it's really up to you."
Abuto's jaw dropped. "What-... did you just... oh my god... You just asked her if you can have a fight... You didn't go on your own... it's a miracle..."
"Shut it or I'll you."
"Sorry."
Ignoring the mini talk Abuto and Kamui just had, a smirk formed onto my lips, not taking my eyes off Katsura and Gintoki. "Leave them for dessert. We have other stuff to do, Kamui-kun."
"Eeeeee... I really wanted to have a fight."
"You'll have one soon. Very soon."
I let out a breath and turned around. "See yas soon, Zura. Kintoki."
"Wait! Don't go!" they both yelled from behind.
I pursed my lips and turned back around. "This is my choice. This is the choice that I made."
"Why?" Gintoki yelled.
"'Why?' you may ask?" my stare turned into a glare, "that's none of your business."
Gintoki bit his bottom lip and cursed under his breath.
"Shineko."
A cool voice was heard from up the railing up the ship behind the three of us. I didn't need to turn around to face the person to see who the voice belonged to.
"I'll be there in a minute," I answered then looked at Gintoki.
He mouthed a 'sorry'.
Suddenly I felt a presence behind me and everything turned black.
