Disclaimer: The characters of Gintama belong to Sorachi Hideaki :)

Authors Note: This is a shout out to everyone in Connecticut that has lost their son or daughter. It's terrible that it happened before Christmas. Children aren't meant to die before their parents. Everyone is praying for you guys. My church Sunday lit some candles and we prayed for a while. You never know what could happen, so make sure you love your parents, your children, nephews and nieces, because you don't know how much longer they have. Make every moment with them beautiful. 3

Chapter 27 Don't Keep Things a Secret. They'll Come Back and Bite You in the Ass

"Oh shit…" Gintoki mutters. He stares at the stars in disbelief.

Akatsuki smirks. "We're far away from earth now."

Souchi laughs happily. "What's with the sad face Gin? Don't you think it would be fun to be part of the Tendoshuu?"

"Why the hell would I want that?" Gintoki growls. "All you do is kill people without thinking."

"Isn't that what you did Gintoki?" Akira says. He tilts his head. "It's true that the Jiou war was inevitable. The alliance that we made with you humans was never meant to last."

Gintoki glares at him. "Don't get the wrong idea. I… didn't fight in the war for my own selfish desires. It was because of you! Your so- called imposter killed Yoshida Shouyou. He's the reason I fought in that damn war."

Akira's eyes widen. "Killed Yoshida Shouyou…? But…"

Akatsuki bursts out laughing. "Our… imposter didn't kill Yoshida Shouyou. That was a lie."

Gintoki's eyes widen. "What…?"

Akatsuki smirks. "He couldn't have killed Yoshida Shouyou…" Akatsuki reaches up slowly, grabbing the hem of his hood, pulling it back. Gintoki's eyes widen as he reveals his long white hair, and his green skin. His blood red eyes brighter than ever. He grins. "How could he have killed Yoshida Shouyou? If it was me…?"

Kagura rubs the sleep out of her eyes as she jumps off her shelf in the closet. She yawns. "Sadaharu… What time is it?"

Sadaharu barks as a response. He barks again, walking over to Gintoki's shoji screen. He looks at Kagura and barks.

Kagura raises an eyebrow. "What is it Sadaharu?" She asks, walking over to the shoji. She pulls it open, sticking her head into the empty room. Her eyes widen slightly. "Gin- chan?" Kagura looks up as the front shoji is opened.

"Gin- san! Kagura- chan! Are you up yet?" Shinpachi calls, walking into the main room.

"Shinpachi!" Kagura exclaims, running up to him. "Gin- chan isn't here!"

Shinpachi raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I just told you, you idiot!" Kagura screams, punching him.

Shinpachi grimaces, rubbing his bruised cheek. "I know what you mean…" He mutters. "Maybe he just woke up early."

Kagura glares at him. "That lazy ass would never wake up early…"

Shinpachi looks at the ground. "You're right… he wouldn't even wake up for a job."

"Let's ask the old hag." Kagura suggests.

"What did you call me?" Otose asks, walking into the room with Tama in tow.

"Otose- san, Tama- san? What are you doing here?" Shinpachi asks.

"We came here to pick up the rent." Otose says, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"Gin- san isn't here." Shinpachi says.

Otose snorts. "Figures."

"No, I mean he hasn't been here. He didn't come back last night." Shinpachi says, worry in his voice.

Otose shrugs. "He probably finally got knocked up."

"Gin- chan will never find a girl! He's destined to be a virgin for the rest of his life!" Kagura retorts.

"Kagura- chan!" Shinpachi scolds.

Tama's eyes glow red. "I will add this to my data banks."

Otose quickly smacks her on the back of the head. "You don't need that useless information." She looks at Kagura and Shinpachi. "What are you so worried for? He'll be fine."

"How do you know that?" Shinpachi mutters. "He always goes off on his own, never telling us what he's thinking."

"I don't even want to know what that idiot's thinking." Otose says with a shudder.

Shinpachi and Kagura look at each other. "Yeah, but we do." Shinpachi says.

"Elizabeth… that's not how you eat rice!" Katsura screams. The people in the diner turn to look at him at his outburst.

Elizabeth lifts his hands from the bowl of rice, glaring at Katsura.

"Have you forgotten how to use chopsticks?" Katsura chastises. "Here I'll show you." He lifts up a chopstick. "Hold this one like a pencil…" He picks up the other chopstick. "Now, rest this one between your thumb and finger."

Elizabeth listens, positioning the chopsticks. He picks up a piece of rice slowly.

"See? Good job Elizabeth." Katsura praises.

Elizabeth looks at the piece of rice, lifting it slowly to his mouth. Suddenly the piece of rice falls off of the chopsticks. Elizabeth blinks, his body starting to shake.

Katsura's eyes widen slightly. "E-Elizabeth."

Elizabeth grips the chopsticks, quickly slamming them onto the table in anger. The chopsticks standing up in the table.

Katsura shakes in surprise, moving his hand away from the chopsticks that were only a few inches from burying themselves into his hand.

"E-Elizabeth!" Katsura screams.

"Zura…" A voice interrupts.

Katsura's eyes widen as he sees who it is. "Tatsuma? What are you doing here?"

Tatsuma smiles slightly. "Mutsu and I have a shipment due here…" Tatsuma's face suddenly turns grave. "Zura… there's something I need to tell you."

Gintoki shakes his head in disbelief. "You…"

Akatsuki grins. "Funny… how things change. You used to be such a feisty kid. You just jumped in to help your friend when I took his eye." He chuckles. "What's wrong Gintoki? Are you wishing to kill me? Well, with a greater passion than before. You know, it's quite funny how you believed my imposter was the one. You tried to kill him so mercilessly. Let me tell you Gintoki…" Suddenly, he's cut off as the door is opened and an amanto runs in.

"Boss! You need to see this!" He screams, carrying a stack of papers.

Akatsuki raises an eyebrow, grabbing a paper on top of the stack as do the other elders.

"W-What?" Souchi murmurs, his eyes wide.

Akira shakes his head, glancing at Akatsuki in surprise.

Akatsuki's body shakes in anger, his hand tightening into a fist, crushing the paper. "Those bastards!" He screams.

"Kondo? What did you call us here for?" Hijikata asks, lighting a cigarette.

Sougo sighs. "My show is on right now Gorilla."

Kondo looks out over the Shinsengumi. Some looked questioning, but most looked bored. Kondo takes a deep breath.

"Hurry up!" Sougo exclaims. Sougo's eyes widen as Kondo actually glares at him.

Hijikata raises an eyebrow at this. "What is it Kondo?"

Kondo bites his lip, his eyes sad. "There's a bounty…"

Hijikata takes the cigarette out of his mouth. "A bounty...?"

Kondo nods. "The bounty of 46,324 yen is circulating around the amanto."

Hijikata's eyes widen. "That much? Just for an amanto?"

Kondo looks at the ground. "It's not for an amanto…"

Sougo snorts. "A human is wanted for that much? Who'd he kill?"

Kondo twitches at the word 'kill'. "The thing is we know this man fully well."

Sougo's eyes widen as he realizes what Kondo is getting at. "What are you saying?!" He screams.

"Sougo!" Kondo screams. "Enough!"

"Kondo, get on with it! Who is it?!" Hijikata yells, slightly irritated.

"The bounty is for Sakata Gintoki. Apparently he did kill someone." Kondo says sullenly. Everyone in the room looks at him in surprise.

"Kondo, we don't know if he killed Sada." Hijikata says.

Kondo grimaces. "Did I say it was Sada?" He rubs the back of his head. "He killed more than one person… The people in the red light district found a camera. The tape on it showed Sakata Gintoki. He killed an amanto there named Housen, but he had help…" Sougo opens his mouth to retort, but Kondo holds up a hand. "Don't say that 'he's an amanto, it shouldn't matter'. It does matter. Murder is murder. The other man's name was Jiraia. Now, this was also in the red lights district. It looked like Sakata Gintoki was helping a woman, the woman that also helped him kill Housen. But, Gintoki still killed him. These are all cases of murder."

Hijikata shakes his head, his eyes wide. "Kondo… You're seriously suggesting that…"

Kondo nods firmly, his eyes shimmering. "I called it all for your attention, that I' am issuing the arrest of Sakata Gintoki."

In this country, don't forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There's no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it's the worst kind of hell for those who love you. - Billie Holiday

Authors Note: *Shakes head* Kondo… damn gorilla.

I said there might be a surprise in this chapter… I guess that's a… surprise. Well, maybe you think this is a good devolvement, maybe not…

HAVE AN AMAZING, SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS! ;)