Disclaimer: The characters of Gintama belong to Sorachi Hideaki. :)
Authors Note: READ THIS! I will not update for more than a week, because I will be gone. So expect next chapter to be up the week of July 29. I am VERY sorry if this seems rushed (it is) but I was rushed… I have to pack and I wanted to get this chapter out quickly, so you didn't have to wait for a week, so I didn't have very long to work on this chapter. Enjoy chapter 19!
Chap. 19 You Were Only Given This Life, Because You Are Strong Enough to Live it
"Takasugi… Why are you… Why are you working with the elder that took your eye…?"
Takasugi smirks, chuckling. "Gintoki… Didn't think you'd remember him." Gintoki's body shakes, his eyes dark.
The elder grabs his sword, standing. He glares at the Yato. "Why are you interfering? No one can be that loyal to someone." He laughs. "Hell, I should know."
A Yato smirks. "He may be an idiot, but he's still our captain."
The elder sets his jaw. "That'll change." He says simply, glancing over at Takasugi who was picking himself up. His eyes widen slightly when he sees Gintoki. He quickly grins. "Shiroyasha! Haven't seen you in a while!" He narrows his eyes. "Been good?" Gintoki grits his teeth, his body shaking. The elder smirks. "What's wrong Gintoki? Didn't you miss me?"
Gintoki rips his sword back out of the marble, his grip on the hilt turning his knuckles white. "You…" He whispers. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He screams, running forward.
"Gin- chan! Gin- san!" Kagura and Shinpachi scream in unison.
The elder raises an eyebrow, slowly lifting his sword as Gintoki jumps in the air coming down hard on his sword, sparks flying.
The elder smiles slightly at Gintoki's furious face as their arms shake, trying to overpower each other. "Gintoki? That's not nice. We haven't seen each other in so long."
"Who the hell would want to see you?!" Gintoki growls. Their swords slide off each other as Gintoki throws the elder back.
The elder lands lightly on his feet. A grin comes to his face. "Well, you've gotten way stronger!" He tilts his head. "As I remember it, you couldn't even touch me the first time. Even with Takasugi helping you." He smiles sadistically. "Well, you guys were sort of uncoordinated…" His eyes brighten, eagerly. "Especially when I brought you Shouyou's head."
Gintoki grits his teeth, running forward, his eyes fierce. He swings his sword crazily, the elder dodging every swing. Gintoki suddenly brings his leg up, kicking the elder in the stomach.
The elder skids back, coughing, his sword clattering on the ground a few feet away. He smiles, standing up straight again, unarmed. Gintoki glares for a few seconds before running forward again, swinging almost blindly again. The elder chuckles, smiling. "C' mon Gintoki, you can't fight with full-blown rage. You as the Shiroyasha should know that." His smile fades as he grabs the blade of Gintoki's sword. "If you fight like that, you'll die." He lashes out with his fist, breaking the blade. As the shards of metal fall, the elder grabs the broken tip. His eyes turn bloodthirsty as he slams the tip into Gintoki's shoulder. Gintoki grits his teeth, blood spraying.
"Gin- chan!" Kagura screams, running forward, but is stopped by a group of amanto. "Get the hell out of my way!" Kagura screams, hitting amanto left and right with Kamui's umbrella, but more just replace them.
Gintoki grabs the sword tip, ripping it out of his shoulder. As he drops the bloody blade he grabs the elder by his cloak, pulling him forward, slamming his head into the elder's face.
The elder cries out falling onto his back, next to his sword. He grits his teeth, reaching for his sword, but Gintoki is faster. Gintoki grabs his sword, raising it above the elder's surprised face.
"See you in hell, bastard!" Gintoki screams. Before the blade can descend, a series of gunshots resound.
"GIN- CHAN! GINTOKI! GIN- SAN!"
Gintoki blinks when he hears his name screamed multiple times. He coughs, blood erupting out of his mouth. He looks down slowly, his eyes widening at the holes in his stomach and chest, blood pouring out of them. The sword clatters to the ground as it slips out of Gintoki's fingers. He coughs again, even more blood spills out, dripping off his chin into the bloody puddles underneath him. He looks up at the blurry figures running towards him, screaming his name and at the other figures who step in front of them, blocking their way. Gintoki's eyes narrow, taking a shaking step forward, but his leg gives out, falling to his knees.
The elder stands, laughing at the approaching figures, guns in one hand and Khakkharas in the other. Their sedge hats obscuring most of their faces. The elder smiles. "Took you guys long enough."
The figure in the front bows. "We are sorry, but the Shinsengumi were inconveniences."
The elder tilts his head. "Inconveniences? Really? I didn't think so."
The figure in the front smirks. "Would you like us to finish off the rest of the insurgents?"
The elder smiles. "Yes…" His smile fades as he glances down at Gintoki, who was still on his knees, his face impassive. The elder looks back up at the rest of his subordinates. "Although you went a little far with Sakata Gintoki…" He says, his words dripping slight venom.
The group's eyes widen. The figure in the front shakes his head in confusion. "We had to do something… he was going to kill you."
The elder sets his jaw. "Never mind… Just go kill someone…" The group nods shakily, splitting up to run in different directions. The elder sighs, looking behind him at Takasugi who was approaching slowly. He smiles. "Well Takasugi, sorry about that…"
Takasugi takes out his kiseru, setting it against his lips. He raises an eyebrow. "Why are you sorry? I don't really care…" He smiles slightly, a strange look behind his eyes.
The elder stares at him for a few moments, but quickly smiles. "Saved you the trouble…" He turns, walking towards Gintoki. "Well, looks like it ends here, Shiroyasha. Not even the strongest could withstand that many bullets." A clicking sound makes the elder stop in his tracks, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
Gintoki looks behind him at the elder, his eyes tired. He gives him a lopsided smile. "Well that's the last one…" He says, holding up his hand. The elder's eyes widen at the bloodied bullet shell in his hand. Gintoki drops the shell, groaning as he stands up shakily. The rest of the shells on the ground. Gintoki sighs, holding his stomach, blood squeezing between his fingers. He turns, bending over to grab the elder's sword. He smirks, pointing it at the elder.
The elder shakes his head slowly in disbelief. He starts laughing insanely, ginning, his eyes bright with ecstasy. "Amazing…" He whispers. "You're so strong…" He chuckles, bending down to reach inside his boot, pulling out a jagged knife. He grins. "Let's see how long you can last with those wounds."
They grin at each other, running forward.
Kagura grins, jumping up and down. "Shinpachi! Gin- chan's alright!"
"Kagura- chan! You need to pay attention! Gin- san will be alright!" Shinpachi screams, cutting an amanto in front of him.
"Don't tell me what to do Glasses- san!" Kagura screams.
"There you go with-! Whoa!" Shinpachi gasps as an amanto falls into him, causing him to fall on his back. His eyes widen slightly when he realizes the amanto's dead.
"Sorry!" Tsukuyo yells, slashing another amanto behind her with her kunai.
Shinpachi nods, realizing his glasses fell off. He looks around. "Where are they… Oh…" He says, seeing them a few feet away. He stands up, but stops suddenly as an amanto hits the ground. On his glasses.
"SHINPACHI!" Kagura screams. She runs forward, pushing the amanto out of the way. She falls to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she picks up the broken pieces of the glasses. "Shinpachi it's going to be alright! Please don't die!"
"What the hell?!" Shinpachi screams. "I'm right here!"
"Stay right there Shinpachi! It's going to be alright! Don't move!" She turns to the masses of amanto. "I'm going to kill you, you amanto bastards!" She screams, running forward.
Shinpachi sighs, squinting. "I can't see a thing…"
Kamui grins. "Three left, huh?" The first, twelfth, and thirteenth captain glare at them.
Abuto smiles. "Looks like they're actually going to give it all they have."
Ryouta nods. "Let's finish this quickly. We need to get down to everyone else." Kamui and Abuto nod. They run forward.
Sparks fly as Gintoki's sword clashes against the elder's knife. They grit their teeth, trying to overpower one another.
Gintoki winces as the bullet wounds open wider. More and more blood pouring out.
The elder grins, his eyes eager. "You don't look good. Maybe I should save you the pain."
Gintoki chuckles. "I'd like to see you try."
The elder smirks. "Fine…" He lashes out with his fist, connecting with Gintoki's stomach, where most of the wounds were.
Blood erupts out of Gintoki's mouth as he falls back into a fit of coughing. The elder grins, kicking Gintoki in the knee. Gintoki cries out as it cracks, falling back, dropping his sword in the process. The elder jumps, coming down with the knife. Gintoki's eyes widen, as he rolls away, the knife hitting the marble.
The elder tilts his head. "Like I said, I could finish it quickly. You wouldn't feel… much pain."
Gintoki smirks, standing up. "I'd rather pass."
The elder chuckles. "Alright…" He runs forward, knife raised. A gunshot rings out.
The elder screams as the bullet enters his hand. He drops the knife, screaming obscenities.
Gintoki's eyes widen as he looks over at the hole in the wall and the figures standing there.
"Sakata Gintoki… Are you really going to die here?" A lazy voice asks. Gintoki looks at the figure and into the same dead-fish eyes as his.
"Nope, just a warm-up." Gintoki replies with a smirk.
"Well that's good…" The man's monocle chain, swings as he tilts his head. "I would hate to lose my once favorite email buddy." Isaburo says with a smile.
Nobume walks up slowly beside Isaburo. "Are all the amanto to be assassinated?" She asks, slowly unsheathing her swords.
"Yes… except for the ones on the stairs and that monster little girl." Isaburo says, setting his gun in his holster. He then unsheathes his sword.
"Will I get some doughnuts afterwards?" Nobume asks.
Isaburo smirks. "Yes, lots of them."
"Then I will eliminate quickly." Nobume whispers, emotionlessly.
Isaburo nods. "That would be best…" He whispers, pointing his sword forward, he smiles at Takasugi's glaring face.
Authors Note: READ THIS!In case you didn't see the top, I will not update till the week of July 29. I will be gone. So… yeah. Sorry again if this seems rushed, but VERY little time to write! Maybe I'll go through this chapter and add more details later… Well the good news is I finally found a spot to put Isaburo and Nobume in! Look forward to next chapter!