CHAPTER FOUR: The Man Who Is Katsura But Isn't Zura
Daybreak was kind to her, the first few sun rays peaking over the horizon and casting long shadows of crops and fruit trees.
She opened her umbrella with one hand, settling it over her shoulder, her other hand pulling a large cart behind her.
"Do you really need that much protection from the sun?" Gintoki, as he asked her to refer to him, asked, curiosity shining through his voice. "I hope you don't mind the question, I never had a meaningful conversation with a Yato before."
"Does that mean you've spoken to one of my kind before?"
The silver-haired man shrugged. "It wasn't much. A few threats and insults, but never more than that."
"I see." She answered evenly. She hadn't quite decided how to act around the duo just yet, despite them welcoming her with open arms. "We have really sensitive skin, we'd rather go for overkill than risk exposure."
"So, what happens when it is exposed?" Shinpachi rose his voice, somewhat to her surprise.
Kagura subconsciously spun her umbrella between her fingers. "It hurts. It really hurts. Like you're burning up from the inside. If you stay in the sun too long, your skin dries up and flakes off, and the cells in your body start breaking down pretty much immediately."
A grim expression crossed her face. "It's the price we pay for our tremendous strength and agility."
She shared a look with Gintoki, because she was well aware he knew all about what it was like to pay hefty prices.
His face dimmed, distracted by dark thoughts. "Ah, sorry for asking."
Her grip on the handle of her parasol loosened and tightened. "It's okay."
The rest of the day was spent in silence, until the sun set on the other side of the land again. They camped out on a small clearing in a forest, falling into dreamless slumber.
"What are you going to do when we get to Edo?" Shinpachi asked her the next day. She was surprised she managed to remember his name.
"I'm not sure yet." She admitted. "I have clues as to where my family members are, but I have to consider the circumstances before doing anything."
"Let me guess, it has something to do with the Harusame." Gintoki quipped in, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.
"In a way." Kagura said, looking off to the side. Truthfully, all she knew was that her brother was somehow involved, probably a division leader. The rumours of a bounty hunter in Edo matched up with her father, but she didn't have any decisive evidence.
"They're a troublesome bunch, but at least they're mainly non-humans." Gintoki muttered. "Even if they're sided with the corrupt government in Edo, we don't have to worry about enchanters."
Kagura grimaced at the word 'enchanters'.
"It doesn't help that they are mainly Yato, though." Shinpachi blanched. "I heard almost every Yato on the continent has drifted to Edo over the past few months."
"You can't really blame them." Kagura pondered. "When I heard about it my first thought was to come here as well. After centuries of interfamily slaughtering, working together for a cause is a good opportunity to change up our flawed traditions."
A sad, bitter tone took over her voice. "Not that I don't understand why we have our traditions. If there were too many Yato alive at the same time, there's no doubt it would only create more chaos than already exists."
"It's like trimming your hedge yearly so your neighbour can't complain about it growing over the fence." Gintoki added.
The corner of Kagura's lip twitched upward. "That's a very light-hearted way of putting it, but yes."
"Not everything in life has to be grim." He smiled wistfully. "Let's say that's the lesson of the day."
Kagura allowed herself to smile softly. "If you say so."
"What's your favourite food?"
Kagura raised an eyebrow at the question, but answered regardless. "Sukonbu."
The silver-haired man sighed loudly and shook his head disapprovingly. "You need to stop the one word answers. Say more about it. Why is it your favourite food? Does it bring back special memories?"
"What is this, a school essay?" She muttered. Somehow, with each conversation, he had begun treating her more and more familiar. But she didn't particularly mind.
"It's called a basic communication skill. Let me demonstrate." Gintoki cleared his throat dramatically. "My favourite dish is strawberry parfait. It's smooth, creamy texture just melts on your tongue, the flavour burst out and you feel a pleasant moment of happiness. The next bite nearly gives you a brain freeze, but the temptation is just too great, and you can't resist, and before you know it –"
"And before you know it, we're dead broke." Shinpachi interrupted.
A guilty look flashed across the samurai's face. "I was going to say something else, but that too."
A memory nagged Kagura at the back of her mind, something about a sugar-loving man owing somebody money, but she pushed it aside.
She liked this Gintoki more, she decided. The one who wasn't reminded of his darker past. She didn't know the details, but the small fact that he was involved with magic at some point was enough for her to draw her own conclusions.
She shook her head. No, this one that had a smile on his face, ignorant of the bleak realities. The carefree one that talked about his favourite desserts.
It reminded her of the time she and her brother had an overdramatic discussion about which toppings on rice tasted better.
It was a shard of childish innocence.
"Stop." Gintoki's voice suddenly turned serious, and the three of them came to a standstill.
Kagura gently set the cart down, hand itching towards the handle of her umbrella. "Are you having stomach problems again?"
Gintoki responded to the code phrase by pointing diagonally behind him towards a large tree, sticking out two fingers. "Oh, you know, I probably ate too much at the last inn. Just let me rest for a bit."
Kagura feigned looking around, her eyes scanning the crown of the tree along the way. She furrowed her brows, not seeing anything. "I'll go look for water over there, stay put."
He flipped his hand around before she left, making her want to grimace. That was the signal for something very troublesome, something she'd rather not think about.
Magic.
No wonder she couldn't see anybody in the tree. It didn't matter though, she could simply kick the tree over. Or throw a rock at it. There were many options, honestly.
However, if the past three days in the company of Gintoki and Shinpachi had taught her anything, it was to think things over before doing them, so she strolled up to the tree leisurely. Even if they were using magic to mask themselves, magic wasn't almighty. They were bound to slip up, whoever they were.
A rustle of leaves when there was no wind, for example. A squirrel hopped down the branches, and just as it was about to pass Kagura she picked it up by the skin of its neck.
It squirmed in her hold, it's unnaturally patterned eyes staring back at her in frenzy. It squealed and struggled, but it was helpless.
Another rustle caught her attention, and she couldn't help but note exactly how careless these people were. Despite having considerable magic skills, slipping up twice like that was either pure stupidity are a convoluted trap, or she doubted the latter option.
In a few steps, she scaled the tree, closing her eyes and honing in on whatever moving object she detected in her vicinity. If she couldn't trust her eyes, she could still trust her instincts.
A larger form struggled in her grip, and upon opening her eyes again, she was looking at a scared man, shaking and sweating from fear.
"P-Please, don't hurt me! Please!" He screamed, trying to get out of her hold. "Please! My children need me!"
She scowled at him, then dragged him and the squirrel back to Gintoki without saying a word.
"What should I do about them?" She asked him coldly, disregarding the whimpers of the grown man in her clutch.
Gintoki glanced at them, then shrugged. "What would you do?"
"Kill them." She answered right off the bat, more out of reflex then out of deep thought.
"Think, then answer again." He advised her calmly.
"Get answers out of them… and…" She paused, realization sinking into her. Killing was still her first solution to everything, but it's not as if she ever learned anything else. "And beat them up as a warning." She finished her sentence.
"I guess that will do as improvement for the day." Gintoki sighed, standing up and looming over the unnamed man. He crouched down before him, looking at him with relentless ruby eyes.
"You heard the lady. If you start spilling she'll only leave a bruise as a friendly reminder."
"Please, spare me!" The man begged. "I didn't even know what was going on! There was this man, and he told me that the stone would bring fortune to my family. My business just recently shut down, an-"
"I don't care about your sob story." Gintoki cut him off mercilessly. "All I care about is why you were in a position to ambush travellers. Besides, you should be well aware of how magic works."
Shame bloomed across the man's face. "I know. I know!" He screamed. "But, I had to try!"
"That doesn't answer my question." Gintoki pressed on.
The man choked back a sob. "The stone went berserk, and possessed the squirrel. After tha-"
Gintoki cut the man off once more, this time by knocking him unconscious. He frowned deeply. "This sounds bad."
"It might not be safe for us to go on." Shinpachi remarked worriedly. "If there are enchanters going around and selling weird things, who knows what we will encounter next."
"I agree." Kagura admitted. "At least about it not being safe. But I don't think its reason enough to turn back."
Gintoki, who was busy examining the magic circle on the squirrel's eye, pulled his lips into a thin line. "I also wouldn't turn around just because of something as trivial as this, but it won't hurt to pay more attention to our surroundings."
He dug through the pockets of his coat, pulling out a simple slip of paper with a few symbols on it and placing it on the squirrel's face. The eerie glow dissipated from its eyes, and it blinked in confusion before jumping down in search of food, disappearing into a nearby bush.
"You must have sold your soul and a foot for those things." Kagura said, eyeing the piece of paper.
"Not really. You just have to know the right people." The silver-haired samurai replied dimly. "Let's continue moving."
"I guess knowing those people must be enough of a price." Kagura whispered to herself before pulling the cart behind her again, leaving behind the unconscious man on the side of the road.
Kagura didn't like magic.
It was dark, filthy, and only brought tragedy in the long run, much like her own race. Additionally, unlike humans, Yato couldn't sense it, meaning it was something she had to find a way around. Both fortunately and unfortunately, she never had a serious encounter with a magic user before, but she wasn't going to count her chickens before they hatched.
Powerful enchanters usually sold their sanity, soul and peace of being to the craft, leaving nothing but shells of power in their stead.
It was inhumane.
She was glad Gintoki managed to break out of the devil's grasp in time.
The tall gates of Edo soon loomed in the distance, reminding Kagura just how much can change in such a short span of time. It resembled a fortress rather than a lively city.
She didn't say a word when they made a wide berth around the path that would lead to the entrance gate, treading through forest ground instead.
They hadn't had any other encounters after their last one, but they were all still on high alert. Conversations were stiff and stale, and kept to a minimum.
The forest ended after a while, revealing a small valley, and upon looking further down, she could spot the tell-tale grey of the imploring walls of Edo.
"I guess that's where we're headed?" She pointed at the niche between the valley and the wall, probably just big enough to fit a carriage through.
Gintoki nodded. "Our contact should arrive soon as well."
"We should hurry." Shinpachi remarked, looking up at the darkening sky. "It would be best if we got there before the sun sets. We also shouldn't make Katsura wait too long."
Gintoki continued nodding. "Alright, Kagura, be careful with the cargo. This slope can be a bit tricky."
Kagura rolled her eyes at that. "You make me sound like I'm a klutz. I take pride in my grace, thank you very much."
The samurai chuckled. "Just be careful, okay? There are a few uneven patches."
The Yato glanced at the covered cart she had been dragging behind her for most of their journey. "It's just weapons, right? Shouldn't they be able to handle a bit of rattling?"
"I wish that were the case. The man who makes them for us is as mad as he is creative. He said there was some kind of new technology involved with these ones, and that we should be careful. And a bit of rattling is quite an understatement."
Kagura raised a brow, but once she laid her own eyes on the aforementioned slope, she understood. She couldn't even call it a path anymore. It was rather an accumulation of large rocks that resembled a line. She let out a sigh.
"I guess I don't have a choice." She knelt down searching the bottom of the cart for something, then lifted the entire thing over her head. She turned to Gintoki and Shinpachi. "Will this do?"
They stared at her, but gave their sign of approval regardless.
"How do you two normally do this?" She inquired out of curiosity, taking her next step carefully.
"We usually carried the cargo down bit by bit." Shinpachi explained somewhat ashamed. "It was the best solution we could think of."
Kagura hummed in reply.
When they reached their destination, they were greeted by a man with long hair and an apprehensive look in his eyes.
"Gintoki, what's the meaning of this?" He asked coldly, giving Kagura a glare.
"Relax, Zura." Gintoki reassured the man. "She's with us."
"It's not Zura, it's Katsura. And she's a Yato." Katsura, as it seemed, answered, not even trying to hide his animosity towards her kind.
"So?" Gintoki locked his gaze with Katsura's, and a few seconds later the long-haired man broke the stare with a sigh. "I trust you, Gintoki, so I hope you know what you are doing."
"Thank you." Kagura bowed to show her gratitude.
Katsura's gaze lingered on her, not trusting her quite yet, but she couldn't blame him.
"This way." He commanded, leading them into an underground tunnel of sorts. Probably old mining tunnels by the looks of them.
"What's a Yato doing on the side of the opposition, anyways?" He inquired after some time.
Kagura glanced at him, his stern features and serious expression making this feel like the interrogation it probably was.
She mulled over her answer for a few seconds. She didn't have any particular political viewpoint, since she didn't think any of the sides were right nor wrong. A functioning government was something that was only a theory in her mind.
"I was repaying a debt." She replied honestly in the end. "I'm not on either side of this battle."
Katsura's shoulders stiffened, but he caught himself in time, relaxing back into his cold demeanour. "I don't trust you."
"That would be too much to ask of you. I just wanted passage into Edo without drawing too much attention." She supplied.
"So you wouldn't be indoctrinated into the Harusame?" Katsura concluded, a frown forming on his face.
"For one." Kagura admitted, leaving out her second reason. Given the resemblance between her brother and herself, her hair alone would be enough of a clue, so she was glad that Katsura hadn't commented on it yet.
He didn't press on, just pulled his lips into a thin line.
"Are you done interrogating her?" Gintoki cut in with a bored tone.
"I am. At least, for now." Katsura replied. "I guess having a Yato around will be a benefit."
Kagura's fist twitched by her side, and the same feeling of disappointment began filling her heart when he reduced her to her race with such a tone. However, before she could explode in anger, a sorrowful look crossed Katsura's face.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
The heart-breaking honesty behind those words stopped her. The disappointment began to dissipate with his first heartfelt words since meeting him, the empty look in his eyes telling a story of its own.
Her throat felt dry. "It's okay." She said, but it came out as more of a whisper.
Everybody had their own inner demons, after all.
The tunnel lead to a large underground facility, filled with hard-working men.
"This is our exterior hall." Katsura explained, gesturing around. "We use this route to bring in goods. It also serves as our emergency exit, should things ever go downhill."
Kagura nodded, being the obvious recipient of the explanation. It was always good to have contingency plans.
"You may not be part of our faction," Katsura continued. "But I can't let you go just yet. I hope you understand."
"I do." She complied. "You need me to have a good reason to keep my mouth shut about all this."
"Yes." He nodded. "I'm glad we're on the same page." He turned to a group of workers currently doing nothing.
"Unload the cargo, do so carefully. Gengai used some crafty enchantments on them this time." He commanded, at which the group immediately started working.
"Lord Katsura!" Another man came running up to them. Upon spotting the three of them, he bowed in greeting. "And company. Lord Katsura, we discovered the location of one of the government's next meetings."
He passed a scroll to Katsura, who glanced over its contents. "I see. Ask the explosives squad to start working on ammunition. We're going all out."
The last bit was said with a hit of playfulness, and Kagura watched as Katsura slipped into a different persona before her eyes. He began joking with his men, playing dumb other times, or just making overall nonsensical statements.
Kagura furrowed her eyebrows, but aided the men unloading the cargo as she was asked to do.
The longer she brooded over it, the more she began to realize it. It was just the same with Gintoki.
Whatever happened in their pasts, it was bad enough that they were willing to cover it up with fake laughter and smiles.
She suddenly felt disappointed in herself for thinking that she preferred the happy, smiling Gintoki. Of course she did, that was the whole point of that persona, that mask.
Shame grew in her chest and she pulled her lips into a thin line. In the end, she really was a selfish little girl.
"Doesn't it hurt?" She asked Gintoki later that evening, as the two of them sat in the kitchen area of the facility. Shinpachi had already called it a day and went to sleep.
"Doesn't what hurt?" He asked her, visibly confused.
"Smiling all the time." She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, opting to stare at the reflective surface of her sake instead.
He remained silent, looking off into the distance before finishing his drink in one gulp.
"Our master was an enchanter." Gintoki told her that as she poured another cup of sake for him. "We were very young, so all we saw was his bright smile. He taught us everything we know, but we never saw the demon residing in him."
"You mentioned something like that before. That you used to be an enchanter." She muttered, putting the puzzle pieces together in her mind. The 'we' probably referred to himself and Katsura, maybe others as well.
Gintoki stiffened visibly. "Unfortunately. We hadn't realized just how consumed our master had become, and blindly followed his footsteps in aspiration of becoming just like him."
"I know that feeling." She sighed, thinking back to when she wanted to be just like her father. A mysterious bounty hunter who defeated his every foe. "But now that I'm older, I don't want to be like him anymore."
"It does." Another voice joined into their conversation. Katsura slid into the seat opposite of them and helped himself to the sake. "It does hurt. But if all I did was whine in self-pity all day, things would never change. Many other will keep ending up like us, losing parts of their soul to the dark arts."
He paused to take a sip of his alcohol. "Miss Kagura, I know you are not on our side of this battle, but I hope you understand."
It wasn't the first time he said those words to her today, but this time they held a completely different meaning. Her heart clenched.
She had been sheltered in her little cottage for so long that she never stopped to consider things on a large scale. She never thought about other people.
She really was selfish. "I'm sorry." She whispered beneath her breath.
"What for?" Katsura sighed. "It's not your fault."
Kagura remained silent, taking a large gulp of her sake.
"Miss Kagura, you're not a bad person." Katsura suddenly spoke up. "I can tell that much. I also know that you won't rat us out to the government. Please enjoy your stay here, and let us know when you want to leave. One of my men will escort you to the surface."
He finished his drink, then left again.
Gintoki watched him leave, then reached under the table for a new bottle of sake. "What do you think?" He asked her.
"I think it's valiant of him." She admitted. "And selfless."
The silver-haired man tilted his head. "We had a conversation about that, remember? About selfishness and selflessness."
"Yes, I remember." Kagura traced the rim of her glass with her finger. "I just can't help but imagine what it must feel like for both of you. Smiling despite the pain."
A sad smile flickered across his face. "It's not just us." He replied mysteriously.
Kagura spun her own cup of sake around between her fingers, then wrinkled her nose. "Magic is disgusting."
Gintoki chuckled at that. "It sure is. It sure is. But it still draws in so many people. Power will beat rationality any day."
A pause. There was that look of emptiness, of giving up in his eyes again.
"Would you use magic? If you could?" He suddenly asked her, but she shook her head immediately.
"One curse is more than enough, thank you." She smiled weakly, at least the light returned to his eyes with that.
A blonde man entered the dark room, coughing at the thick air.
"Seriously, Hijikata, you should ventilate at least once a day." He complained, waving his hand in front of his nose to clear the smoke. "What'd you call me here for anyway?"
The sound of a pipe tapping against an ashtray was his only answer at first. "Sougo, I have a mission for you."
"You don't sound very enthusiastic about it." Sougo Okita stated his observation. "That's new."
"I'm not particularly enthusiastic about it. I don't think you will be either." His superior muttered in response.
Okita sat down across from Hijikata. "Try me."
"The higher-ups are upset about the… infestation." Hijikata chose his words carefully. "They are worried about somebody breaching the alliance, especially with their growing numbers."
"So they want one of us to play mole." Okita concluded with a sigh. "Why not Yamazaki?"
Hijikata gave him a look. "I can't expose Yamazaki to a place overflowing with magic."
Okita propped his chin in his palm. "But it's okay if it's me?"
"We may have our differences." Hijikata said solemnly. "But I trust you not to do anything stupid. I know you won't give in to the magic."
Unspoken words passed between them, and Okita sighed in reluctant defeat. "Give me the details."
AN: What is this witchcraft? I updated this fic?
I know I really neglected this story over the past... um... seven months, but I plan to concentrate more on this one once I wrap up my other fic ;)
So please support me and this story by leaving a review!
Next: The Man Who Fights For Justice But Doesn't Believe In It
~Emi