Sorry 'bout postponing! I was on vacation! . Don't worry, I'll make sure I'll update faster than this, if I can update my other stories as well! Anyway, I bet you're more interested in reading now, so I'll just do the disclaimer, and let you be on your way.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama, nor its characters, but if I did, this would be in the series! XD Enjoy!
Day 2
The sun rose peacefully as bird sang, waking other creatures in the process. The wind blew gently as it caught some followers: blossom petals. It flew along with its carrier until it was blown through a window. One floated off course, downward until it landed on someone's pale nose.
The child awoke with a start, trying to swat away whatever touched him. Once he opened his eyes, all he saw was flower petals around his futon. Gintoki ran his hand through his forever-permed, white hair. This was his first time in months that he slept in a bed, much less inside; it was too comfortable to leave.
Thump, thump, thump...
Gin recognized those sounds as footsteps, and immediately, pulled the covers up, hiding under them. Somebody halted his steps, sliding the shoji screen and entering the room.
"Gintoki-kun? Are you awake?" A benevolent voice asked the boy. Something ruffled under the blanket. Shouyou-sensei smiled. "Well, I guess he won't be eating breakfast with us." Loud growls emitted from under the layers. "Come out, Gintoki-kun, I know you're here."
The said child, pushed his head out from under the blankets, eyeing his sensei at the door. Then, another person came into the room. It was the kid he saw the other day, though he can't quite remember his name.
"You don't want to keep Katsura-kun waiting, do you?" Shouyou-sensei asked, as Gintoki decided to slowly get up, with his sword still in his hand. "Follow me," he said, as the teacher walked out of the room, followed by two of his students.
"So, Gintoki is your name?" Katsura asked, strolling down the hall next to his new classmate.
Gintoki nodded.
"Sorry, I was a little rude yesterday. So, this is your new home." Katsura told Gin that many orphans live here in this temple as a result of war, and many families were lost in the process. While heading for the dining room, the Kotaro kid pointed out that this temple rarely gets any girls here, so it's mostly boys here. Shouyou-sensei stopped in front of them. In front of him, was a huge shoji screens.
Shouyou-sensei turned his head around, and reassured the nervous Gin with a smile. "Katsura-kun, why don't you sit with Gintoki-kun so he won't feel lonely on his first morning."
"Hai, sensei!" Katsura responded cheerily. The teacher, then faced the doors, and opened it to reveal a mass of boys, around Gintoki and Katsura's age in different kimonos, crowding around the entrance.
"Sensei! We're starving here!" One with pale skin pushed their way into the front. He wore a maroon coat over his yellow kimono, with gray hamaka. He had a regular cut hair, unlike Katsura, however, his bangs covered most of his left eye. His right, pale green eye examined the sight before him.
"Sorry about that Shinsuke-kun, but I had to show the way of where to go after you wake up, for our new student." The boy, named Shinsuke, raised an eyebrow. Then, sensei moved out of the way for everyone to see Katsura next to the new student, dressed in a blue kimono and hamaka with a katana in his hand, and had naturally wavy, white hair. "This is our newest member of the family, Gintoki-kun. Please be kind to him, as he doesn't know how to speak yet."
Everyone gave the teacher a dumbfounded look. The kid they were staring at wasn't familiar with language.
Gintoki, while receiving weird looks from the kids in front of him, gave them a deadpan look with his crimson eyes, while he picked his nose with the pinky finger.
"Sensei," Shinsuke said, "why does the new student have a sword with him? I thought we weren't allowed to have one, much less carry one."
"Ahaha! Yeah sensei!" Someone laughed, pushing their way into the front. This one had a brown pair of kimono and hamaka. Olive skinned, and like Gintoki, naturally wavy, albeit calmer than Gin's hair, brown hair, his brown eyes scanned up and down on the situation.
"Well, you see, Tatsuma-kun, Gintoki-kun refuses to let go of that sword, as it's special to him. Don't worry, he won' t cut you up." Their teacher answered. "Now, who wants breakfast?"
Every kid cheered as they followed sensei into the dining room.
At a small, black, wooden table, Gintoki, sitting on a green cushion, stared at the sight of his food, drooling. Steamed rice in a carved bowl, miso soup contained in a plastic bowl, natto in a small tray, nori platter, tamagoyaki in a circular plate, broiled, chopped slices of fish in a dish, and tsukemono in a low bowl, and all under one tray.
"Gintoki, someone is going to steal your food if you keeping staring at it," someone said behind the child. It was Katsura, holding the same tray as Gintoki's, and placed it next to his friend's. It consists of the same foods Gintoki was having. He sat on the cushion next to the white-hair child. Breaking his chopsticks in two, he swiped up a tamagoyaki roll into his mouth.
Gintoki, on the other hand, had a tough time grabbing things with his pair. Instead, he tried to stab his food, but it would fall off before it reached his mouth.
"I think that he doesn't know how to hold chopsticks, Zura," someone said dully.
"It's not 'Zura,' it's Katsura, Takasugi," Katsura directed at the boy in front of them, and gave him the evil glare.
Takasugi, whom is the same as Shinsuke-kun Gintoki recognized, sat in the cushion. Placing his food in front of him, another person yelled from behind him, "Ahaha! Someone doesn't know how to hold chopsticks correctly?"
"Shut up, Sakamoto!" Takasugi shouted, and Katsura fling an egg roll at the target. Gintoki's eyes widen a little. He didn't know what kind relationship went on between the three around him.
"That's mean!" The brown-hair kid complained, placing his breakfast on the table and sat, while the two ignored him completely. He turned his attention to Gintoki. "So, it's Kintoki, right?" This resulted Katsura throw his chopsticks in Sakamoto's eyes, while Takasugi slammed his tsukemono into the side of the said person's face.
"Oi, don't corrupt the kid on his first day! You'll traumatize him for life! What is going on in your head?!" Katsura scolded Tatsuma, and continued on, "And where have you've been learning that dirty language from?! One more thing like that comes out of your mouth, and you'll eat outside!"
"From on now, if you want to live," Takasugi threatened, eating between his words, "you better learn how to keep your mouth shut at times."
"Ahaha! Sorry 'bout that!" Sakamoto managed to smile, although he felt the pickles sliding down his head. He sat next to an unhappy Takasugi, though he didn't get the message to move to another spot. "Anyway, Gintoki, this is how we hold chopsticks." The brunette put his chopsticks in his right hand, and placed one like a pencil. With the other stick, inside the grip, he managed to grab the nearest food. "There, now you try it."
Gintoki, however, was paying no notice to the brunette. Instead, he was using his hands instead of the utensils he was given. Picking up his miso soup, he tilted it so all of its substances were poured into his mouth. Even though it was still hot, it didn't seem to bother Gintoki at all, much to everyone's shock.
"Well, that's another way to eat your food," Katsura commented, followed by a loud burp from Gin. "Okay, now that was disgusting."
"Ahaha! Good one, Kintoki!" Once again, this earned him an egg roll stuck on his face, and a blow to the head. "Ahaha! Sorry! Gintoki!" Sakamoto corrected himself.
"Well, at least you're catching up fast, idiot," Takasugi added, as they all continued to fuss about and eat. For the new student, Gintoki felt something warm in his chest, as he smiled at those around him, eating in peace for once.
"Okay class! Find your seats!" Shouyou-sensei commanded the kids. After having breakfast, controlling a bunch of youngsters would be hectic. However, the kids knew better than to disobey Shouyou as he was their provider of food and shelter. One wrong move, the boys can kiss goodbye the warm futons, and welcome the freezing air outside.
Although, when the children took their seats at their own small, brown, square table, one remained motionless as he watched the scene before him. Yes, Gintoki had no idea what to do exactly. His friend Katsura made funny hand signals, earning a few giggles from the others, but their eyes focused on something behind the silver-hair kid. They were frighten and pale-looking. Facing the same direction, the boys opened their books, as their eyes intensely read the material in it.
Gin, confused, wondered what could made them act so strangely. Curiosity got the best of him, as he gazed above to notice Shouyou was behind him, looking down at him as well.
"Well, Gintoki-kun," the adult spoke with a smile. Everyone minus the sword-wielding child, held their breath, hoping for the best. The teacher continued calmly, "I bet you're wondering where you sit, huh?" He patted Gin's head, receiving a nod from the child.
The boys sighed in relief, wiping off beads of sweat from their faces.
Meanwhile, Shouyou walked toward the other side of the room, followed suit by Gintoki, carrying his sword with him, even tighter as everyone's eyes watched him closely. During this time, the man's thoughts bounced back and forth in his mind, concerning the child's blade. Not once has he seen the child without it.
What is so special about that weapon he wields? Maybe it has some connection with the village burned to ashes that day. I wonder...if there is a name inscribed on that sword. Shouyou stopped at their destination, showing young Gin his study area. While handing the boy a book, his gray orbs studied carefully for any writing on the sheath. Unfortunately, there was none.
Maybe on the blade itself? The adult guessed, leaving him one option in mind.
"Uh, Gintoki-kun," Shouyou-sensei said. "Would it be all right if I take your sword for a bit? I just need to check something." He crouched down so he was now eye-to-eye with his student. Ignoring all nervous looks he got from his other pupils, Shouyou pleasantly smiled, reaching for Gin's blade, whose owner's eyes narrowed a little.
"Don't worry I'll give it back-" However, he never got to finish his sentence as the great Shouyou Yoshida was boldly interrupted.
Bonk!
Gintoki had just whacked the top of the teacher's head with his sword. Silence filled the room as everyone's jaws hanged dangerously close to the ground. Even Takasugi was appalled by what he witnessed moments ago. Katsura was on the verge to faint any minute. The only one who broke the silent pause was Sakamoto, who laughed away in his own world.
Before Shouyou had time to react, the sword-equipped child ran out of the room without looking back.
"Sensei!" One of his students shouted. "Are you okay?"
The adult rose up, rubbing the aching pain away on his head. "I'm fine." He stared at the way his newest protege went.
"Sensei, I don't think he might be coming back," a boy told Shouyou.
The adult sighed. "It doesn't matter," he said, while treading across the tatami floor. "I made a promise to look after him, and I'm keeping it." Shouyou stopped at the doorway, facing his beloved students. "Don't make a mess while I'm gone." With that spoken, he rushed out to find Gintoki.
When their teacher was out of their sight, all the boys fought over for dominance, but ended rather quickly as Katsura, Takasugi, and Sakamoto took charge.
"Whatever happens, do not, under any circumstances, give this blade to anyone," a man instructed, handing the said weapon to a confused child. "Our secret must be kept hidden until you learn the meaning of trust. Until then, hold onto this sword, and never let go of it!"
As those words echoed clearly inside his mind, the young Gintoki's grip grew tighter on his cherished sword. Again, the child was back at his thinking stump. Since the sun's out, his vision was better than the night before. The mountains can be seen from a distance, as the forest vegetation basked in the sunlight.
Deep within in the kid's mind, Gin debated whether he should have run away, or close to the temple. One thing he was very unsure about was whether he should trust that Shouyou character, after what happened earlier today.
Gin pulled out his sword, as it gleamed brightly in the sunlight. On the blade, writing etched across the metal at the end of the tip, "Sakata Blade."
"Whatcha got there kid?" A raspy voice asked.
Gintoki spun his head around, to see two crooks, smiling greedily at his prized possession. One of the duo wore a sleeveless, pea green kimono, pine green shorts, and his feet bandaged in white cloth. The other wore a azure kimono, navy shorts, and his feet were also bandaged in white cloth.
This doesn't look good...