I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT POSTING FOR SO LONG! I GOT SIDETRACKED BY STUFF! And all you poor guys get is a short update. I SWEAR I'LL TRY TO UPDATE MORE DURING THE HOLIDAYS!

Thanks for the reviews!

yourstruly247 Ah, phew I managed to keep them in character. I can't do mysterious descriptions, I'm not good at that, so I just stick to pretty straightforward things most of the time.

Without further ado, here's the new chapter!

"Kagura-chan!" Tae exclaimed, rushing to help the girl. Kagura struggled to sit up and looked around groggily. "A-Anego?"

Gintoki slammed through the door, Shinpachi at his heels. "Kagura!/Kagura-chan!" the two cried in unison.

"Eh? Gin-chan?... Shinpachi?... Where am I?" Kagura lifted her right arm to discover something wrapped around it. "What's this?" She shook her arm, trying to get it off.

"You're in the hospital, Kagura-chan," Shinpachi replied.

"The hospital?" Kagura asked incredulousy. "Why?" Her senses slowly awoke and her right arm itched like hell.

Shinpachi looked worried. "Kagura-chan, don't you remember what happened?" "No, what happened? Hey, can someone get this off of me?" Kagura scratched the cast again.

"You were attacked by a group of Joui patriots, and barely made it out alive, apparently. Okita-san brought you here."

"That sadist?! What'd he do to me? And wait, Joui patriots?" Kagura sat up abrubtly.

"Ah, we'll explain..."

"And that's all we know," Shinapachi ended. Kagura furrowed her brow. "Did that happen? I don't remember. "That's fine, Kagura-chan," Tae spoke, rising from her seat. She glanced at Gintoki and Shinpachi. "I need to go now. Take care, Kagura-chan."

"Mm," was all Kagura replied, lost in thought.

-a few days later-

"Kagura, want me to break your arm again?" Gintoki grumbled, flipping to another page of his Jump. Kagura whined. "But, but, Gin-chan! I can't go outside, since I'm basically under house arrest, and Sadaharu needs his walk!"

"Just ask Shinpachi to do it," Gintoki replied, shifting his position on the couch.

"Shinpachi went out with Anego for groceries!" Kagura grabbed Gintoki's Jump with her not-casted hand and tugged at it. "Oi, just go already!"

"AH! YOU'LL TEAR IT! I GET IT, I GET IT, I'LL GO!"

He left, grumbling under his breath, tugging along the huge mass of white fur behind him, leaving Kagura alone. She flopped onto the couch before leaping up again to exclaim, "Oh no! I forgot to ask Gin-chan to get me more sukonbu!"

She dashed out to the balcony but her guardian and dog were not in sight. Kagura sighed and retreated back inside, flopping back onto the couch, resigning to the fact that she would have to wait for her sukonbu.

She grew restless and contemplated just buying the sukonbu herself, but changed her mind after she remembered Tae's threat if she ever left the house. Gragh. Kagura rolled around, hoping Shinpachi and Anego would come back soon. Suddenly, a noise from somewhere inside her home disrupted her thoughts.

Kagura grabbed her umbrella and approached the noise cautiously. Her right arm was still in a cast, but she decided she could make do with her left arm only. She opened the door of her cupboard and saw nothing there. As Kagura was closing the door, a hand covered her mouth. Taken by surprise, it took Kagura a moment before her instincts kicked in and she attempted to kick her attacker. She fell still, however, when she felt a blade dangerously pressed to her neck.

"Don't even try anything, filth."

Kagura's eyes widened. That voice had triggered a memory. Suddenly, it all came rushing back. She remembered what had happened that other day.