Silver Moon – Book 2 Chapter 12

Katsura closed his eyes and gave a sigh as he finished his story. He waited patiently for the information to fully sink in for the group across from him. Tsukuyo and Shinpachi were silent at first, while Kagura was soon flying into a fit of rage.

"Kamui!?" she yelled at the samurai in front of her. "Are you serious!? My idiot brother is the overlord of Yoshiwara!?"

"It would appear so," said Katsura calmly. "You know, I was not aware that you had a brother, Leader."

"Yeah, I have a brother!" Kagura shouted with anger. "He's a big idiot that likes to kill for fun! I can't believe that he's here!"

"I think I might have seen him once or twice before…" said Shinpachi, trying his best to remember.

"I remember him," said Tsukuyo quietly from the back. "It was back when Hosen was still overlord. I didn't see him a lot, but he came around the palace from time to time. I never knew much about him though."

Tsukuyo then placed a hand to her head. She looked upset with herself. "I can't believe how stupid I was. I completely fell for his disguise. I honestly should have been able to recognize him from the start. But no, instead, I accepted him just like everyone else. I'm the damn leader of the Hyakka! And I just let him walk right into our city! I can't believe this…"

"Don't worry, Tsukuyo-san," said Shinpachi, trying to cheer her up. "You said you didn't really know him that well, right? Nobody would have expected you to realize the truth."

"That idiot!" Kagura yelled once again. "He thinks he so clever with his stupid plan! If I had met up with him, I would have recognized him in a heartbeat! His entire plan would have fell apart right in front of him as I kicked his ass!"

Tsukuyo couldn't help but smile as she listened to the two of them. They each had their own unique way of making her feel better (even if Kagura wasn't necessarily trying to).

"Anyways, does this guy seriously want to fight with Gin-san?" asked Shinpachi, turning to Katsura.

"Yes, he seemed very excited about it," Katsura replied solemnly as he looked to the floor.

"How the hell did he even get the deed to Yoshiwara anyway!?" Kagura demanded loudly.

"Weren't you listening?" asked Katsura. "Apparently, he received it from his superiors. He's actually been in control of the city this entire time. He claimed that he just didn't do anything with it until now."

Kagura looked like she was going to yell something again, but Shinpachi quickly cut her off.

"This information shouldn't really be a surprise," he said with a frown. "Remember? We actually heard about all of this after Gin-san saved Yoshiwara. We knew that your brother was in charge of that place. A lot of people were worried about it at the time."

"It's true," said Tsukuyo, once again feeling ashamed of herself. "I do remember hearing all of that. I was originally cautious of this news, as I was worried for the future of our city. However, it would seem that as time passed, I started to forget about it. Somewhere along the way, I truly began to believe that Yoshiwara was a free city. I completely forgot about Kamui and his control."

"It's okay," said Shinpachi. "He went so long without touching the city. Anybody would have forgotten. We all did."

"Still," said Tsukuyo, looking upset, "I should've known that something was suspicious when a new overlord showed up on our front step. I should have remembered who the true overlord was behind that disguise. I should have realized it was Kamui. It's entirely my fault."

"No," said Kagura adamantly, turning to the courtesan. "It's all my idiot brother's fault. He's the one behind all of this. He deserves the blame for everything."

"But I still could have-"

"Tsukuyo-san," said Shinpachi sternly. "Just drop it."

"You're not the one at fault here, Tsukky."

"Well…alright, I guess," Tsukuyo finally agreed. She quietly looked to the floor. They may try to convince me otherwise, but I still feel like I let the entire city down. It was my duty to look after it and protect it from threats like this. But it looks like I've completely failed this time around. I can't even protect Yoshiwara right now! In fact, the person who is protecting it is…

Tsukuyo suddenly looked up. "Gintoki," she said. "What's Gintoki going to do?"

"Huh?" asked Katsura, who was caught off-guard by her question.

"Gintoki," she repeated. "You said you knew what Gintoki was up to, or at least, you said you might know. Please, share your thoughts with us. Why is Gintoki acting this way? What's he planning?"

Katsura stared at her for a moment before looking down again. "That's right," he said quietly. "I do have an idea of what Gintoki might be planning…but I don't think you're going to like it."

"We can handle it," said Shinpachi reassuringly.

"Just tell us," demanded Kagura.

"Very well then," said Katsura, still staring at the floor. "I believe that Gintoki is…is probably planning on sacrificing himself in his fight against Kamui."

"He is?" asked the two kids out of surprise. Tsukuyo remained silent.

"It's just a theory," Katsura continued, "but it would certainly explain a lot. You see, Gintoki thinks that the only way to save Yoshiwara right now is for him to fight with Kamui…which is probably true, but, at the same time, Gintoki also doubts his ability to win the fight. In other words, Gintoki plans on fighting with Kamui and inevitably losing just so that the city will be spared. He honestly has no intention of backing out and he also has no hopes of winning. He's just trying to do what he can to keep everyone safe."

Shinpachi and Kagura looked absolutely forlorn. They could hardly believe what they were hearing.

"Gin-san is…"

"…going to die?"

Katsura refused to look up. "It's only a guess, but it's the best one I've got. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"That still doesn't explain everything," said Tsukuyo from the back of the room. She was currently staring directly at Katsura. "Why is he acting like such a coldhearted bastard right now? Why did he do those awful things to us?"

Katsura looked up for a second before giving a sigh. "Once again, I can only guess," he explained tirelessly. "I think that the reason why he broke up with you and fired Shinpachi and Leader is because he doesn't want you guys getting involved."

"I don't understand," said Kagura, looking upset.

"What I mean is, Gintoki is trying to distance himself from you guys. He wants you to stay away and let him handle the situation on his own. He doesn't want you to go and save him from his doom. I think that he was doing his best to keep you guys out of this mess. He just wanted to keep you safe, even if it meant hurting you. Do you understand?"

The group was silent for a while.

"So, Gin-san is just trying to protect us?" asked Shinpachi.

"By…by dying?" asked Kagura, looking scared.

"Probably," said Katsura, staring off to the side. "Who knows? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that was just his awkward way of saying goodbye."

The group went silent once again. Nobody really knew what to say, until…

"So it was all just an act then?"

Everybody turned to towards the back of the room to find Tsukuyo standing with her arms crossed. She was anxiously awaiting an answer.

"Well, it's the only thing that makes sense, I suppose," Katsura mumbled.

Tsukuyo suddenly started looking hopeful. "So then, he didn't really…?"

Katsura gave her a small look of confusion, but it seemed like she had already reached her own conclusion.

Tsukuyo gave a small sigh of relief. "Oh, good," she said with a smile. "I was really worried there. I thought that he might have…actually meant what he said to me last night. But, if it was all just an act, then that means…that means…"

Her voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. "That means we might still be together?"

Katsura wasn't quite sure what to say. "Er, well…it's a possibility, I guess…"

"And we're not really fired either?" asked Shinpachi and Kagura eagerly.

"Well, I don't think so," said Katsura awkwardly, "but it doesn't really matter does it? I mean, Gintoki is still planning on sacrificing himself. Even if he was only putting on a facade, he still doesn't want you interfering with this fight. He did those things so that you would stay away. You do understand this, don't you?"

"Yes, we understand perfectly," said Tsukuyo as she started walking up to the Joi rebel. She stopped once she was right in front of him and then did something unexpected. She crouched down and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for the information, Katsura," she said with a smile. She then stood up straight before walking away. She stopped once again in front of Shinpachi and Kagura. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah," they replied.

"Hey, wait a second!" Katsura called as he struggled to stand up. It seemed that Tsukuyo's small kiss had thrown him off a little. "Where are you guys planning on going?" he demanded.

In response, the group just looked back at him with blank stares.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Kagura. "We're going to get that idiot back."

"You mean Gintoki?" shouted Katsura, looking frantic. "But you can't! Weren't you just listening to what I said!?

"We don't really care," said Kagura as she picked her nose.

"What!?"

"What she means is, it doesn't really matter," explained Shinpachi. "Gin-san is someone who is very special to us. Whether he likes it or not, we're not just going to let him die. How could we ever live with ourselves?"

"Besides," said Tsukuyo, "I have a bone to pick with that bastard. He's not going to be getting away that easily."

"Yeah, there's some stuff he needs to answer for," agreed Kagura.

"We can't just let it end like this," said Shinpachi.

"We're going to save Gintoki," said Tsukuyo firmly. "That's final."

Katsura was speechless. Even after everything he had told them, they were still set on saving that silver-haired samurai. At that moment, he realized that the bonds held between that group and Gintoki were truly something meaningful.

Katsura eventually decided to speak up. "Are you all sure about this? You do realize that you'll be putting Gintoki's deal with Kamui at risk? You will all be in danger if that kid decides to take back his word…"

"It doesn't matter," said Tsukuyo adamantly. "Nothing will change our minds. We're going to get Gintoki. We will not let him kill himself for our sake."

"What are you going to do about Kamui then?"

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "We'll figure that out after Gintoki is safe. Once we are all back together, we should be able to come up with something. We'll all make it out of this okay, no matter what."

Katsura suddenly bowed his head so that the others could not see his face. "Is that so? Well then, in that case…" Katsura then lifted up his head to show them a determined smile. "Is there room for one more?"

The group looked surprised to hear this.

"Katsura-san, are you-?"

"I'm coming with you," he declared vigorously. "That is, if you will let me…"

Tsukuyo gave him a small smile. "Of course, any help is welcome."

Katsura then crossed his arms as he continued grinning. "If you're all going to throw Gintoki's precious plan out the window, then I might as well come along. There's really no point in me just sitting around, is there?"

"Not really," replied Kagura with a small smile.

"Well good," said Tsukuyo, suddenly getting serious. "If that's all settled, then we should hurry up and get going. Who knows how much time we have left?"

"Good point," agreed Katsura. "Just give me a minute to get ready. We'll be on our way in just a moment."

Katsura rapidly walked past the group and exited the room. They soon followed him out into the hallway and down to another door. He immediately slid it open, revealing his companion Elizabeth among several of the other Joi patriots in a small room.

"Hey, Elizabeth," he called out as he ran inside. "I've decided to go help save Gintoki in Yoshiwara. You're in charge while I'm gone. Look after the place; I'll be back as soon as I can."

In response, the strange bird-like creature simply held up a sign which read, 'Understood, be careful.'

"I will," Katsura replied with a nod. He quickly grabbed two swords that were leaning against the wall before heading back to the doorway. He immediately handed one to Shinpachi. "Here, you'll need this," he insisted.

"Um, thanks," said Shinpachi, suddenly realizing that he was the only one without a weapon.

Katsura then gave a small wave as he left the room. "See you later!" he called to his men.

Before long, the group was now outside of the hideout and they were quickly making their way back to Yoshiwara.

"How much time do you think we have?" Tsukuyo asked as they ran.

"I'm not sure," replied Katsura. "Gintoki said that he would need a few days to prepare, but he said that a few days ago. I believe they were planning on fighting the moment Gintoki showed up at the palace."

Kagura soon noticed the problem at hand. "But that could happen-"

"At any time, yes," Katsura finished for her. "For all we know, they could be fighting right this second."

Tsukuyo clenched her teeth as they ran. "Shit! We have to hurry!"

Gintoki remained silent as he was led throughout the palace of Yoshiwara by one of Kamui's guards. His face carried an uninterested expression. He almost looked like he was bored, but he knew that this feeling would not last long. It was finally time. He had recently managed to set all of his affairs in order. He no longer had anything to hold him back. He was ready to fight with Kamui…

Gintoki followed the guard through a pair of large doors that led to the grand hall of the palace. It was the same room where Kamui had revealed his true identity to the samurai just a few nights before. Inside the room, many guards were standing along the walls and some were even up on the balconies that rested above.

Kamui himself could be seen sitting comfortably on the back of the majestic rabbit statue. Gintoki quickly noticed that the boy's hair was back to its usual vermillion color, and his normal fighting outfit had replaced his expensive robes. He now looked the exact same as when Gintoki had first met him. An umbrella rested in one of his hands and he had a small grin planted on his face.

"Well, look who's here," he said playfully.

"That's right, I'm here," replied Gintoki tonelessly. He was simply staring up at Kamui with his uncaring dead fish eyes.

"It's about damn time," muttered Abuto, who stood off to the side. "The captain made us all wait in here until you showed up. It's been incredibly boring…"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Gintoki, even though he honestly didn't look like he was sorry.

"Oh, it's been no trouble," said Kamui, still smiling. "My men just need to have a little more patience. They don't quite understand the excitement of waiting for a powerful foe to show up."

"Whatever," Gintoki sighed. "Can we just get this over with already? I'm finally here and I'm ready to fight."

Kamui suddenly lifted up a finger. "Hold on second," he said, looking concerned. "I trust that you remember the conditions I set?"

Gintoki gave him a small look of confusion before nodding.

"Right then, let's size you up!" said Kamui as he hopped off the statue. He gracefully landed on his feet before walking up to the samurai. "Let's see…" he said quietly.

Kamui was now scanning Gintoki from head to toe. His eyes suddenly stopped at the samurai's waist. "Is that the weapon you'll be using?"

Gintoki looked down. Kamui was currently pointing at the black sword that rested on his side. It was the very same one that Katsura had given him a few days before. Even though he had stopped by his home in Kabukicho, he had ultimately decided to keep the metal sword instead of switching it out with his wooden one. He figured it might hold out better in a fight against a Yato.

"Yes," Gintoki finally answered.

"I see, I see, excellent," said Kamui, his eyes going wide with excitement. "I should hope it proves its usefulness."

Gintoki remained silent.

Kamui's eyes soon started scanning the samurai again. He eventually stopped once he reached Gintoki's face. "Hmm…" he said with a frown.

"What's wrong?" asked Gintoki.

"You don't look so well," said Kamui, sounding disappointed.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I feel fine!"

"Your eyes say differently. You look tired. I wonder…have you been through a lot these last few days? Have they been rough on you?"

"That's none of your business," said Gintoki with a glare.

"Don't worry," said Kamui with a laugh, "I won't pry."

Kamui then walked away before turning around again. "However, the fact still remains that you can't fulfill my requirements. You promised to fight me at you absolute best, remember?"

Gintoki suddenly looked worried. "So what if I'm a little tired? Are you going to go back on your word?"

"Heh, relax," said Kamui with another laugh. "We will simply postpone the fight a little longer. Why don't you go ahead and get some sleep? You know, just take some time to calm down and get some rest."

"You want me to take a nap?" asked Gintoki, hardly believing what he was hearing.

"Yeah, we'll get a room ready for you. You can recover some sleep there before we fight."

Gintoki gave a sigh. "Can't we just fight right now and get it over with?"

"Absolutely not," said Kamui seriously. "You have to be at 100% when we go at it. No exceptions. Now go ahead and get some rest. We'll wait to start the fight until tonight, at midnight. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, whatever," Gintoki mumbled as he looked away. He didn't really want to put the fight off any longer, but it seemed like he just didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Alright then," said Kamui with a pleasant smile. "I'll have one of my men show you the way. Just remember to come back here at midnight."

"I will…" Gintoki groaned.

"Hey you," said Kamui, suddenly pointing to a guard. "Go show our guest to one of our spare bedrooms, would you?"

"Yes captain," replied the selected guard. He motioned for Gintoki to follow him before he exited the room.

"Sweet dreams, Gintoki," said Kamui with a small wave.

Gintoki just ignored him as he left. That crazy brat he thought. This is stupid. I feel like I'm a little kid being put down for a nap. I don't even want to go to sleep! I just want to fight him already so it can be done with! I mean, come on, I'm not even allowed to die when I want to die! They're making me wait! Ugh, this is so stupid…

"Here we are," said the guard once they reached the room. It was simple, just a futon mat among some other things. There was also a small window that looked out over Yoshiwara.

"Get some sleep," ordered the guard as Gintoki stepped in. "After all, the captain's not going to go easy on you," he said with a creepy smile.

And with that, the guard shut the door, leaving Gintoki alone in the dimly lit room. He casually walked over to the window and looked up at the sky. It was still very dark and full of clouds. Gintoki just frowned as he turned away and removed the sword from his waist. He then silently crawled onto the futon.

I might as well get some sleep. It's not like there's anything better to do…

Gintoki did his best to get comfortable before shutting his eyes. He tried not to stir his mind with any thinking, but he had a hard time with it. In the end, just one thought crept into his head before he drifted off to sleep.

I wonder what the others are up to? I…I hope they're all safe…wherever they are…

And with that, most if not all of your questions should be answered. Phew…it's about time. I mean, it seemed like all I did was raise questions for the longest time. It feels good to finally answer them. Let me know if you still have any remaining questions though! I'm always ready to answer them!

As for the story, it's time to get serious. There's going to be some fights in the upcoming chapters…um…I've never written a fight before, so go easy on me XD Ha, it seems like that's what all fanfiction authors say when they write fights. Now I'm one of them! -.-'

But yeah, the story will get some action. Let's hope I do well with it! I don't usually feel like I'm good at explaining things…so we'll see how it goes. I'm mostly going to be making it up on the spot too. Oh dear…I'm seriously convincing myself it's going to be really bad XD

No worries! I'll figure something out. I think the next chapter might be a long one. We'll see if I can squeeze everything I want to into it. Look forward to it! As for this chapter, please leave a review with your thoughts! It's always appreciated and very motivating for me! Thank you, goodbye!