Author's Note: It's been a while since the last chapter, so I'll offer a quick catch-up summary of previous events if it's got a bit hazy in readers' memory. The Joui soldiers are still in Osaka, but they've just discovered that their allies the Satsuma Jouishishi have decided to pull out from the campaign against Kyoto and go home to fight there. Takasugi blames Katsura for holding them over in Osaka, and Katsura retaliated by accusing Takasugi of using other people, including Nishiko. Gintoki and Nishiko are avoiding those two by going on an expedition for ice-cream.
In the present timeline, Nishiko has orders from Takasugi to cut ties with Katsura, just as Katsura is looking for a doctor to diagnose Elizabeth's hairy-legs problem.
Live interestingly in an uninteresting world. - Takasugi Shinsaku
Chapter Thirteen: At All-You-Can-Eat Buffets, Don't Waste Your Time On The Salad Bar. Get Your Money's Worth Of Shrimp!
1867 – Edo:
Katsura's chosen rendez-vous spot was characteristically difficult to locate. She had spent about an hour trying to find the warehouse with the secret symbol inscribed beside one of its loading docks. Then, another ten minutes looking for an unlocked door.
At last she found her way into a vast storage room, where crates were stacked five deep on either side of her.
"Nishiko-dono!" Katsura was waving from across the floor.
Nishiko walked slowly towards him. "Hello, Katsura-san," said Nishiko quietly. "Where is this pet you want me to take a look at?"
"Elizabeth's been hiding under the sofa in the break room since she heard me talking to you on the phone, Nishiko-dono," said Katsura regretfully. "She must have had a bad experience with doctors in the past. I'm sure she'll get over it soon, though. I'll take you to her."
"Thank you," said Nishiko. She would see this Elizabeth first, she told herself, then she would follow Shinsuke's orders. No matter how hard this was, she couldn't retreat or even show Katsura any weakness. She had to make a clean break with him. But he didn't need to know of her betrayal for a few more minutes, at least.
As they entered the warehouse's break room, Katsura raised his voice. "Elizabeth, you can come out now!"
A wooden sign suddenly slid out from under a worn sofa in the far corner of the room. It read: NO THANK YOU.
"Elizabeth! Nishiko-dono has come all the way to see you!"
A new sign replaced the old one. HAPPY TO MEET YOU, NISHIKO-DONO.
"That's better," said Katsura approvingly. "Now come out and bow to Nishiko-dono like I taught you, Elizabeth." He turned to Nishiko. "They don't bow on Elizabeth's planet, it seems."
"Elizabeth's an Amanto?" said Nishiko numbly.
Katsura shook his head. "Elizabeth is a Joui patriot. She may have come from outer space, but she has the true Japanese heart." He turned to the sofa again. "Elizabeth, what is wrong? Are you afraid of needles? I promise you she won't give you any shots without your permission."
I AM IN PERFECT HEALTH, THANK YOU.
"Elizabeth, you are acting like a child. I am ashamed of your behaviour." Katsura's face was turning red.
Elizabeth didn't answer.
"Elizabeth, come out now, or I will pull you out from under there!" Katsura shouted.
In one sudden, explosive moment, the sofa flipped over forward and something large and white erupted from behind it and sprinted towards the exit.
She had a clear view of the creature for a few seconds as it dashed across the break room. She took in the bizarre details: A white sheet draped over a huge body. Big yellow flippers. And between the flapping hem of the sheet and the top of the flippers, hairy very human-looking legs.
Katsura chased after the creature, imploring it to come back to him. She was left alone in the warehouse break room, trying to marshal her thoughts and reconcile the sight she'd just witnessed with her previous opinions of Katsura's character.
She had objected to Bansai that his account of Katsura's recent actions made no sense. Well, no wonder it hadn't.
She'd just discovered the missing piece of the puzzle. Katsura had finally cracked.
1861 – Osaka:
Nishiko walked quietly by Gintoki's side through the dark streets of Osaka. He'd said nothing yet about the conversation they'd overheard, and Nishiko hoped he wouldn't. Takasugi's brusque dismissal of her feelings had both hurt and humiliated her. She'd already known that he didn't love her and he never would. But to put it so coldly . . . His words to Katsura echoed in her ears.
She's a very reliable tool.
Why had she let herself fall for him so easily? It'd seemed so harmless at first: enjoying his company without expecting anything more than that. Yet it'd ended up feeling like a knife had been stabbed through her heart.
No. She was going to stop thinking about this. She had to. But there was one worry she needed to put to bed first.
"Gintoki?"
"Huh?"
"Will Katsura-san be all right?"
"He won't cut open his belly if that's what you're worrying. Not after Shinsuke's told him to go ahead and do it."
"Did Takasugi-san really mean it?" As soon as the question left her lips, she regretted it. Hadn't she just resolved not to think about Takasugi anymore?
Gintoki sighed. "There's a lot I could say about Shinsuke, but you don't really want to hear it, do you?"
"Not tonight." And probably never. She could already guess some of what Gintoki would say, and even though Takasugi had hurt her badly, she still was loyal to him.
They walked on silently together.
At last Nishiko spoke up, "Gintoki, do you know where we're going?"
"Just a little further on down this street. I spotted an ice-cream parlour here before I went to Kyoto, but I didn't have time to stop in then."
"I'm surprised you've held out so long with ice-cream on the line."
Gintoki scratched his head. " I actually raided the freezers in the Satsuma headquarters the second day here. Zura scolded me for jeopardizing the negotiations. But it looks like I'm the only one who got anything out of those bastards."
"And there was no ice-cream in Kyoto?" asked Nishiko, amused by this revelation.
"It all melted when the Bakufu cut off the power to the city," Gintoki explained. "Good thing we control the Osaka power generator. Ah, here we are. See that sign?"
"World's best ice-cream," Nishiko read a poster on the window.
"I'll be the judge of that," said Gintoki, licking his lips. He pushed through the curtain that hung over the door. Nishiko followed him.
A man inside looked up from the table he was cleaning. "We're closed."
"But I came all the way from Kyoto to taste your ice-cream," Gintoki protested.
The man laughed. "You're too late then. We don't have any ice-cream."
"Isn't this an ice-cream parlour?"
"It was," the man replied. "That was before the soldiers cleared us out."
"And you can't make more?" Gintoki demanded.
"Milk's been requisitioned by your army."
"So if you had milk, you could make ice-cream, right?" Gintoki doggedly pursued the point.
"Not for you to eat now. It takes time to freeze. Why do you want ice-cream so badly, anyway?"
Gintoki stared. "You're supposed to be a master of the art of making ice-cream," he said accusingly. "And you ask why? Does a painter ask why men's souls are touched by his masterpieces?"
"I'm sorry I can't help you. There's nothing left over from the looting."
Gintoki frowned. "Looting? Is that what happened here?"
The man shrugged. "I wasn't going to demand money from men with rifles and swords. I just count myself lucky they didn't damage my machinery or burn down the building."
"Those selfish bastards! After all I've done for this army, they gobble up everything behind my back!"
The man laughed bitterly. "So they have. There's hardly a scrap of food left in this town."
Gintoki stopped in the middle of his rant. "Do you have food?" he asked suddenly.
The man's face paled. "Not here . . ."
"For heaven's sake, he's not asking so he can steal your food," Nishiko snapped. "He wants to know if you're ok."
The man gaped. "You're a girl!"
"Of course she's a girl," said Gintoki. "Are you blind? Take a look at her chest. You ever seen a boy with -."
"SHUT UP!" cried Nishiko.
"I'm sorry, miss, it's just it's dark and you're . . ."
"Dressed in boys' clothes," Nishiko finished his sentence for him.
"Right." The owner sized her up again, then gave Gintoki an odd look.
"So you're with the Jouishishi?" he ventured.
"I'm a medic,"Nishiko explained.
The owner said nothing.
Gintoki broke the awkward silence. 'Why are you scowling at me?" he demanded. "I didn't kidnap her from her family."
"I didn't say anything like that," the owner protested.
"You were thinking it," said Gintoki. He suddenly grinned. "If you want someone to vent your moral outrage on, try out the Kiheitai commander. I've just rescued her from his grasp."
Nishiko nearly choked. "That's not how it is at all. Takasugi-san has always made sure I was safe from unwanted attention."
"And wanted attention," put in Gintoki with an evil grin. "Shinsuke is an expert at not paying any attention."
"I appreciate that you're concerned for me," Nishiko continued to the owner, ignoring Gintoki. "But I'm completely safe."
"I'm glad to hear that," said the man uncertainly. "But if you were my daughter, I'd be worried for you."
"But what about you?" asked Nishiko. "Are you ok?"
"My family's all right for a couple weeks. But I'm afraid of more looting."
"Don't be," said Gintoki. "Most of the soldiers will be leaving the city within a couple days."
"Really?" The man's eyes lit up.
"Yes, this is our last night in Osaka, and the Satsuma forces are already withdrawing. Is there anywhere in town where they're still serving real food?"
"Only in Shinmachi. I hear they're doing a booming trade there."
Gintoki grinned. "I'll bet. Well, thanks anyway. Some day when all the fighting's over, I'll be back to taste your ice-cream."
The man had visibly relaxed. "Thank you. I'm glad to meet a decent soldier at last."
"If the Kiheitai commander or any of his minions come nosing around here, we'd be obliged if you hadn't seen us," Gintoki added.
The owner mutely nodded. From his suddenly pale features, it seemed that Gintoki had managed to return him to his original state of apprehension. He responded politely to Nishiko's and Gintoki's farewells, but he was obviously very happy to see the back of them.
Out on the street, Nishiko turned to Gintoki. "Are we going back to the Kiheitai now?"
"Have you had supper, Nishiko?"
"No," she admitted. "In all that confusion, I forgot to eat."
"That settles it. You're starving. I'm starving. I've got a wad of yen burning in my pocket without any chance to spend it on campaign. We're going out for a real dinner."
"Gintoki, you don't have to."
"I do if I don't want to eat rations in that gloomy basement you Kiheitai call a mess room. Let's go!"
"Where to?"
"Down toward the docks. It's a dodgy area, but I'm ever so much dodgier."
"Gintoki, I'm not so sure I can walk that far. I'm still getting these terrible head-aches when I over-exert myself."
"I'm certainly not walking all that way." Gintoki was scanning the street. "Just watch me."
A few minutes later, a jeep drove down the road toward them.
"Hey you!" Gintoki flagged the car down.
"What do you want?" the driver snarled. By their uniform, he and his companion were soldiers, though Nishiko didn't recognize their unit.
"Sato-kun, it's the Shiroyasha," his passenger restrained him.
"That's right," said Gintoki, sticking his chest out and trying to look noble." I'm Sakata Gintoki, popularly known as the Joui hero Shiroyasha. I need to borrow your vehicle for an emergency."
"Of course," the passenger replied quickly.
"B-But," the driver stammered.
"You can't say no to the Shiroyasha!" the passenger insisted in a loud whisper. "Are you crazy?"
"If it's an emergency . . ." the driver trailed off.
"Was it an emergency when Krillin died?" demanded Gintoki
"Which time?"
"Any of them! This is about ten times as much an emergency as that."
"Shiroyasha-san, could you sign a receipt for our commander?" the driver asked. "So he believes us?"
"Happy to," Gintoki said. He scribbled a quick note on the pad of paper they gave him, then signed 'Shiroyasha' in large bold strokes. "Don't let your commander take the note from you," he warned them. "My signature's going to be worth a fortune some day."
A few minutes later, they were speeding through the city. Gintoki's driving was a great deal less cautious than Takasugi's. He had to brake unpleasantly hard at the inspection points. But they had no trouble at the points themselves. Gintoki's silver hair was recognized every time and in one case, a soldier pulled out a small camera and took a quick snapshot before waving them through.
Driving towards the port, the mixed scents of salt water and industry began to fill the air. There wasn't a restaurant in sight, only warehouses and shops.
"Are you sure we'll find a restaurant out here?" she asked Gintoki.
"Just you wait."
At last, she saw lights ahead. Before them was a wooden arch from which lines of coloured paper lanterns hung. She blinked, utterly unable to believe it.
"Gintoki! You're not serious!"
"That ice-cream guy said we'd get a good meal here."
"Gintoki, STOP THE CAR NOW!"
Gintoki hit the brakes. "I don't think you can take a car in anyway."
"Are you insane? This place is a pleasure quarter!"
"Shinmachi Pleasure Quarter," Gintoki agreed. "Are you really going to let your prudish upbringing get in the way of a good meal?"
"I am not going in, Gintoki. You can't make me."
"We're going in to eat. I'm not selling you into a brothel."
"You have no sense of honour!" Nishiko accused him. "I am a samurai woman, not the sort of loose-moraled girl you obviously like to pal around with."
Gintoki snorted. "You're worried about damaging your reputation? How could you possibly damage it more than you already have traipsing around the country with Shinsuke?"
Nishiko felt her cheeks grow suddenly hot. "Have I ?" she demanded. "Is that what people are saying?"
"It's not worth caring about. This is war. All the old ways have gone by the wayside, and I say good riddance. But you can go back to living by your strict samurai code when the war's over. Tonight, let's just enjoy ourselves for once, ok?"
Nishiko was too hungry to keep resisting.
"Gintoki, just don't draw any attention to me, please?"
"Here," he reached into the back seat of the car and handed her a blanket. "Wrap this around you till we get a dining room. Your clothes are all right, but you really don't make a convincing boy."
"Will they let me in like this?" Nishiko asked doubtfully, draping the blanket over her head and wrapping it loosely around her body. "I look like I'm hiding from the police."
"You have a bad cold," Gintoki explained. "You've lost your voice too. Let me handle everything."
The guards at the Shinmachi gate welcomed them warmly. Gintoki's fame had preceded him.
"Aren't you going to ask for our weapons?" Gintoki asked.
"Not tonight," answered one of the guards. "Try asking a mob of rowdy soldiers to hand over their weapons. We're lucky they haven't torn the quarter to pieces."
"I see," Gintoki replied. "In that case, I'll keep my sword on hand in case any of my fine compatriots tries to pick a fight."
The gatekeeper sighed. "We'd be obliged if you avoided any trouble, Shiroyasha-dono. We've had two stabbings already tonight."
Gintoki frowned. "This has been going on since we took Osaka?" he asked.
"Oh, it's much quieter tonight than it's been all week. They tell me that the Satsuma soldiers have left the city."
"That's true. Were they very rowdy?"
The gatekeeper smiled wryly. "These Joui soldiers all claim to be on the same side, but once you get a few drinks in them, they start remembering old feuds they brought from their homes. There was a pitched Satsuma-Choshu brawl here two days ago. "
Gintoki's cheek twitched. "Well, that's one problem solved by Satsuma pulling out," he said brightly. "Where can we get a really good dinner?"
"It really depends how important you are. There are plenty of bigshots here ahead of you."
"I'm the VIPiest VIP you ever met," Gintoki said. "And I'm on a spree."
"If you really do have the clout, you want the Tomitaya. I'll get a man to show you there."
"Thanks. Come on Takahashi-kun," he addressed Nishiko. "You'll warm up quick enough with some grub in your belly."
They walked on through the brightly-lit street, filled with people, mostly Joui soldiers. Men were sitting on the porches playing dice. Some were even sleeping against the walls of the buildings.
"This isn't at all like last time," murmured Gintoki.
"Last time?" Nishiko snapped with evident annoyance. There wasn't any real reason Gintoki should stay clear of the pleasure quarter. There was no girl he was hurting if he spent a pleasant evening in the company of the Shinmachi beauties. Anyway, from what she could tell, half the Joui meetings took place in teahouses. But she resented it all the same.
"Last time was years ago," Gintoki clarified. "On our trip to Kyoto."
"Oh, I see . . . No, I don't! How old were you? Twelve?"
"Fourteen," he said. "No, Sensei didn't take us!" His face was flushed crimson. "Of course not! We snuck in!"
Nishiko snorted. "Who's we?"
"Why me and Shinsuke, of course," said Gintoki grinning.
Now it was Nishiko's turn to blush.
"Kusaka and Sugikura were with us too." Nishiko recognized those names: two of Yoshida's students who'd been killed within the first year of the war. "Zura was too righteous to come along so we had to tie him up before we crept out. But he somehow wriggled free and went running to Sensei's room to turn us in."
"How unfortunate," said Nishiko drily.
They hadn't gone far down the street when somebody recognized Gintoki. "It's the Shiroyasha!" he yelled, and in a minute the crowd was pressing around them, everyone wanting to see Gintoki with their own eyes.
"Oi, how am I supposed to move, you lunatics?" shouted Gintoki.
"Where are you going, Shiroyasha-san?" asked a soldier pressing close to Gintoki. "We'll take you there."
A few seconds later, Gintoki was hoisted up on the shoulders of the soldiers, to general cheering all up and down the street.
"To the Tomitaya!" shouted Gintoki. "Takahashi-kun, you'd better follow after us."
Nishiko trailed after the crowd of cheering soldiers. At the Tomitaya, they were greeted by an astonished doorkeeper who at first seemed to think that the mob was trying to break in, and was visibly relieved when it was explained to him that they were only bringing a new patron.
"Just a second," Gintoki said when the doorkeeper tried to usher him in. "I had a friend with me. Takahashi?" he called out.
Nishiko was pushing through the crowd, hampered by not being able to speak out for herself. It was a couple minutes before she got close enough for Gintoki to spot her. He pulled her out of the throng and through the entrance. There, Gintoki turned around and bowed to his fans, then followed Nishiko in with a big smile on his face.
After a short whispered conversation, during which Nishiko caught the name Shiroyasha, the doorkeeper handed them over to a nervous-looking woman who conducted them through the moonlit garden courtyard beyond the gate. Under any other circumstances, it would have been an enchanting scene. But tonight, the garden was occupied by a party of drunks singing loudly off-key.
"I'm sorry, Shiroyasha-dono," said their guide nervously. "We couldn't make them leave."
Gintoki's eyes narrowed. "I could make them leave," he said gravely, fingering the hilt of his sword.
The woman's face grew even paler. "We thank you, Shiroyasha-dono, but it's better for us if there's no disturbance. We don't want those soldiers to bear a grudge against us."
Reluctantly, Gintoki followed the woman inside. They passed down a corridor paneled with dark wood, past a couple screens behind which laughter was issuing. Then they were ushered into a room, and invited to sit while they waited for the geisha who would attend to them.
"Okay, Takahashi-kun, you can take that blanket off now," Gintoki told Nishiko, once the servant woman had left the room.
Nishiko started to unwrap herself. "What do we do now?" she asked quietly.
"Just keep sitting," said Gintoki. He looked around the room. "I thought this place would be more impressive," he confessed. "They don't even have any scrolls on the walls."
The panel opened, admitting a geisha who bowed deeply. Nishiko immediately bent her head and stared at the ground, only catching a glance of the white, painted face and piled, dark hair. Let Gintoki bring up the awkward fact that he'd brought a woman along with him. She didn't want to get involved.
"My name is Mineko, Shiroyasha-dono. We are honoured by your patronage." The geisha had a beautiful voice, Nishiko registered with a sudden irrational pang of jealousy.
"And my name is Sakata Gintoki. And this here is Takahashi, I mean, Tanaka Nishiko."
Nishiko finally raised her head, and looked up at the geisha. She was beautiful, but what struck Nishiko most was her professionalism. Mineko didn't show any surprise at this unexpected visitor and greeted Nishiko without any sign of discomfort.
"We're looking for a good dinner away from prying eyes," Gintoki explained. Nishiko's heart sank. Not only wasn't this a place for a samurai woman, but now Gintoki was now slighting the art and accomplishments of the ladies here and treating the establishment like a fancy food stall. It was becoming painfully obvious that Gintoki had never been in such an exclusive place before. And yet she couldn't intervene without causing more embarassment, so she listened helplessly as Gintoki blithely rattled off a list of the food he wanted ordered in for them.
Mineko listened to Gintoki politely, then said that the staff would order what they could, but regrettably, food supplies in the city were limited.
Nishiko then watched in horror as Gintoki pulled out a big wad of yen from a pocket. "Use these," he said, offering them to the geisha. "And get your servants to mention my name. You'll find it works wonders."
Mineko avoided taking the bills herself, calling for a servant to take them. Gintoki went through the whole order again and Nishiko returned to staring intently at the floor.
"How are you enjoying your visit to Osaka, Shiroyasha-dono?" Mineko asked, kneeling to pour sake for Gintoki.
"Not as well as I was before I saw the eyesore in your garden. How long have those louts been abusing your hospitality?"
"Those louts are very important men, I believe," said Mineko gently.
"Oh yes, living legends every one of them," answered Gintoki.
Mineko smiled. "A few enthusiastic partiers are an acceptable level of adversity in wartime, don't you think?"
Gintoki grinned. "In wartime you even have to let someone like me in, huh?"
"Perhaps so. But why do you make your presence sound like a curse rather than a blessing, Shiroyasha-dono?"
Nishiko bit her lip. Gintoki was staring at the woman with a gaze that he usually reserved for chocolate-strawberry parfaits.
"If the music outside wasn't to your liking, we can arrange much better," Mineko told him.
"I'm eager to hear your music, if it's one half so lovely as you are," said Gintoki
Nishiko gagged. Gintoki was thinking with something other than his brain if he thought that cliched compliment would impress this experienced woman. And Nishiko knew for a fact that Gintoki's appreciation for music was about zero. But it was the geisha's duty to smile at her guest's idiotic behaviour, and Mineko performed her part perfectly, giving Gintoki a brilliant smile before summoning her apprentices.
The two girls that entered were dressed in brightly-coloured kimonos that trailed along the floor, and their hair was adorned with ornaments and flowers. One of them carried a shamisen They were maiko: girls training to be geisha. Nishiko could see that they were younger than her and Gintoki. They bowed and were introduced to them as Kanako and Teruha. In contrast to Mineko, they were both clearly surprised at Nishiko's presence. One of the girls kept stealing glances at her as she prepared to play for Gintoki.
The girl had barely began to strum on her shamisen when there was a crashing sound outside, followed by a small scream. It sounded like a child in distress.
Gintoki leapt to his feet. "Please excuse me, ladies. There's some business I must attend to before I can enjoy your company."
He strode out into the hallway, "Oi oi! What is going on here?" Nishiko could hear him shouting;
Mineko stood up, motioning to the girls to wait, then followed after him.
There was complete silence in the room. Outside, there were muffled shouts and more crashing sounds. The girls looked petrified, but stayed motionless, kneeling on the tatami mat. Nishiko's embarrassment was suddenly overcome with pity. While she had friends and protectors aplenty, these poor girls were completely at the mercy of the mob outside.
"You don't need to worry," said Nishiko, trying to say something comforting "Gintoki – that is, Shiroyasha-san – only wants to help."
One of the girls nodded. "He seems like a good man," she whispered.
There were more crashing sounds outside. Then the screaming began again. But this time it was a man's voice. She could make out a few sobbing words amidst the high-pitched shrieks: Stop and Please and Shiroyasha-sama. Whatever was happening out there, Gintoki had certainly found his target.
"He is a good man," Nishiko whispered back. "I know he seems crude and unpolished compared to the class of men who usually patronize this place. He doesn't ever bother with formalities and customs. And he certainly doesn't know anything about tea ceremonies or poetry or flower arranging: all those gentlemanly arts. He's a fighter, pure and simple. But he hates injustice and cruelty."
Outside the screaming stopped. Then Gintoki's voice rang out loud and clear. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen up! If you want a place to carouse like savages, there's lots of room out on the street with the rest of those louts! But if you do go, you're wasting the best chance you've ever had to party like the very rich. I'm throwing a fancy banquet and you're all welcome to join in."
"What is he doing?" hissed Nishiko, embarrassment returning in full force.
"I suppose we will soon see," suggested the girl who'd spoken before.
"You're very lucky to have him," the other girl said suddenly. Then she blushed. "Forgive my boldness, Tanaka-san."
"Oh, Gintoki's not my lover. He's just a friend."
The girl looked as though she were about to cry. "Please forgive me!"
"No, it's all right. I am lucky."
They sat quietly together for several minutes.
At last the screen slid open again, and Gintoki entered. He was holding the hands of a small girl, who was staring up at him with big, fearful eyes.
"Nishiko, let me introduce to you this young lady. This is Mei-chan. She's just four years old. She's the daughter of our hostess, Mineko-san."
The little girl was now trembling like a leaf.
"You'd better take her from me," Gintoki addressed the two maiko. "I don't know what to do with kids." He let go of Mei's hand, and Mei ran towards the arms of the taller girl.
"Gintoki, what happened?" Nishiko asked.
Gintoki ran his hand over his brow. "I just stumbled into hell, that's all."
"Gintoki?"
Gintoki sat down. "My cup's empty," he said reflexively. The shorter maiko moved to fill it up immediately.
"All right, what were your names again?" he asked the girls.
"I'm Kanako, and this is Teruha," the taller girl answered.
"And you've been stuck in this building since our army took Osaka," said Gintoki.
"It was thought best that we not risk ourselves on the streets, Shiroyasha-dono," Kanako replied.
Gintoki nodded and turned to Nishiko. "They can't go back to their houses safely. They're holed up in here. They even had to keep this poor little thing hidden in a backroom," he said, gesturing to the little girl. "But some of the louts in the garden decided to go rifling through this house to find where they'd put the valuables. That's why the scrolls are missing, Nishiko. A few were stolen, and after that, the rest were hidden where light-fingered Jouishishi won't see them. We're only good for fighting," he finished blankly. "We couldn't even run a country village if our lives depended on it."
"The Kiheitai's kept the peace in our section of the city, Gintoki," Nishiko reminded him.
"Well, Shinsuke's kept your noses to the grindstones. There aren't any other commanders with that level of control over their fighters. Everyone's out for himself. These days, half of us are in it for the loot and the other half just want revenge."
Nishiko raised her eyebrows. "And which half do you belong to, Gintoki?"
"I want revenge," he said honestly. "But sometimes I think I want it against the whole world, not just the Amanto or the Bakufu. You heard Mei-chan screaming, didn't you? Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"A soldier was forcing himself on the woman who'd been left to watch this little girl," said Gintoki. "I may have killed him. I don't know. He certainly looked dead when I lugged him out to the street."
"Shiroyasha-dono, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts," said Kanako, still hugging the little girl tight.
"What happened in there wasn't an isolated occurrence, Nishiko. Ever since we took Osaka -"
'Shiroyasha-dono, you shouldn't trouble the honourable lady," Mineko's voice suddenly cut in. She was standing at the doorway. "She's accustomed to much gentler surroundings, is she not?"
"Once upon a time, she was, Mineko-san" said Gintoki, standing up and bowing to the geisha. "We're all in the same boat now."
Mineko smiled sadly. "So this is Joui idealism. I'm glad to have met you, Sakata Gintoki. But don't take the weight of this world all on your shoulders. You'll burn out long before you change it."
"I've already burnt out," said Gintoki, a small smile on his lips. "But I made a promise, so I'll go on until I've broken it completely."
Nishiko stared at Gintoki. For a moment, the mask of levity had slipped, and she'd caught a glimpse of a darkness behind it that rivalled Takasugi's. As if sensing her sudden realization, he caught her eyes and grinned. "This is turning into an adventure, isn't it?" he asked her.
"It's always an adventure with you, Gintoki," she said quietly, forcing a smile.
"Nishiko, did you ever meet Miyamoto Akihiro?" he asked then.
Nishiko shook her head.
"He's an old friend of our crazy starfarer."
"Sakamoto?" ventured Nishiko.
Gintoki nodded. "They came up from Tosa together. I'd heard stories Miyamoto was dead, but he's here with his band of fighters. He came running when he heard the scream, and together we cleared out this nest of cockroaches."
"Gintoki, aren't you afraid that man's friends will come back when you've left?" asked Nishiko.
"Miyamoto and I have enough connections between us to find guards for this place until those forces leave," said Gintoki. "Maybe I can't do anything for the rest of this city. But if I left these women in this fix, I'd leave all that's left of my soul here too."
It was the most serious speech she'd ever heard from Gintoki, and she would have told him how much she admired him for his action s here, but she was now choking back tears, and her voice stuck in her throat.
"Come along, Nishiko," said Gintoki. "I promised Miyamoto-kun we'd host our banquet together." He turned to the girls. "You two stay here and watch Mei-chan. We'll send you your supper when it arrives."
Without waiting for the girls to finish thanking him, Gintoki headed down the hall. Nishiko walked slowly behind him, dreading this new encounter. Mineko gracefully followed them.
Author's Notes: Next chapter: Ice-cream may seem to be off the menu, but I promise you it isn't. This chapter took a particularly long time to write because it's only half of the original Chapter Thirteen, which got so long I finally had to cut it in two. So, since I've written so much of Chapter Fourteen already, I'm hoping it'll be out fairly quickly.
There are a lot of author's notes today. Review responses first, historical notes next.
Murayama-Tsuru: Yeah, Nishiko understands Takasugi, and she didn't expect anything more from him. But it still hurt like hell.
an. co .xx: Nishiko knew very well what the situation was. But Takasugi was spectacularly harsh. He wanted to hurt Katsura. He also wasn't at all sure what was in Nishiko's mind, and had been meaning for a while to find a way to settle the issue but it came up in the worst possible way.
Haitch: As you know, I'm delighted you're having so much fun with writing fanfic now.I've thought a fair bit about your question about writing Takasugi, and written up about half a response. If you don't mind, I'll answer it at the bottom of the next chapter, which is appropriate since next chapter has Takasugi again.
jester's pen: Thanks a lot for your review. For other readers, jester's pen is writing a series of short pieces about the young Joui that are by turn hilarious and touching. I really recommend them.
ScotSniper: A lovestruck highschool girl? Now I'm envisioning you as Nishiko. ;-)
Witch Hunter-Eli: Well, here's more: nearly a month later!
The Wumbologist: I think I'm finally getting into the swing of things with Gintoki. He's a tough nut to crack, and at times writing this chapter I thought I was going to be stuck here permanently, even though I'd looked forwards to writing Gintoki's adventures in Osaka for so long. But the story started flowing right on Friday, and since then it's been going well.
- The opening quote is Takasugi Shinsaku's famous death poem. It's been translated in all sorts of ways, so I don't know what the best translation is, but the one above is common. For my Japanese-reading readers, the actual poem is おもしろきこともなき世におもしろ (In Romaji, "Omoshiroki Kotomo Naki Yo Wo Omoshiroku".)
- The reference to Krillin (and his multiple deaths) is a Dragon Ball joke. Dead!Krillin (under a different name) made his appearance being lugged around the universe in the episode where Hijikata went to space so he could smoke.
- Shinmachi was a pleasure quarter of Osaka during the Shogunate, but I couldn't find too much information about its establishments, so I gave the tea-house in this chapter the name of an Osaka tea-house in another quarter of town that was destroyed in WWII bombing: Tomitaya.
- The proper name for 'geisha' in Osaka/Kyoto isn't 'geisha' at all. It's 'geiko'. But I decided to go with the familiar word, rather than confusing a lot of the readers and summoning images of the Geico Cavemen/Lizard.
- Gintoki mentions two names: Kusaka and Sugikura, as companions on their jaunt to Kyoto when they were fourteen.. Historically, Kusaka and Sugikura were students of Yoshida who were killed in the Hamaguri Rebellion of 1864, where the Choshu army tried to seize control of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto.
That disastrous expedition was one of the models for Sorachi's "Joui war". Only a few years later, Katsura would reflect that of all the friends he'd had in his youth, he was practically the only one left alive, and many of them died right there. So it made sense to use their names as dead fellow students in this fic.
Just as a matter of interest, since it doesn't effect this story, Takasugi wasn't on the scene because he'd been imprisoned back home in Choshu as punishment for not being able to keep the overzealous official Kijima Matabei in line ie. Kijima Matako's namesake. Matako doesn't have much in common with her original, other than his slight association with Takasugi and his radical Joui credentials, but I find it difficult not to imagine a blonde in a pink miniskirt when reading accounts of Kijima Matabei. Incidentally, Kijima Matabei also died in the Hamaguri Rebellion.
Katsura was Choshu's official liaison in Kyoto at that point, and escaped death by dressing like a beggar and hiding under a bridge, while his lover Ikumatsu smuggled food to him and arrranged their flight into the countryside, where they hid out under false identities for the next several months.
Yes, I'm addicted to Bakumatsu history. I'm planning to write a breezy summary of the era and how it relates to the characters and events in Gintama. I'll definitely link to it in these notes when I do.