The rising sun made Gintoki groan in irritation. It felt like he didn't get almost any sleep; every inch of his body felt heavy as lead. Standing up, he groaned in pain. One downside of sleeping in sitting position was that his muscles were stiff, and stretching his arms made his bones crack with every movement. Yawning, he glanced at the floor and noticed the food box, which fell from his lap during sleep. It was pure luck it was still intact, what with mice running around whole night. Cursing aloud, he bent over to pick it up, and his mind blacked out causing him to fall. He completely forgot in how bad state was his body.
As he was eating his breakfast with great effort, he started devising a plan for now. He must decide what to do next. But what? That was the thing he didn't know. The image of the countryside appeared in his mind while chewing on the rice. After considering it for couple of seconds, he nodded absently. It was a very sound and proper course of action. Moving back to the countryside doesn't sound too bad.
The problem was the harsh conditions of travelling during winter. He had no money, no warm clothes, nothing. As things were right now, he should settle in this house and rebuild his strength, at least until the spring. In countryside, he will decide his next step. There are many things he could do, maybe even start a dojo.
At the mere thought of it, he felt heat leave his body and he shook his head to shake it off.
He pushed his half-finished meal away and leaned onto the wall once again. Sighing deeply he surveyed the room in search for a safe place for food. With the rodents running around happily, there was no place like that
"I should get a cat." Gintoki chuckled. It's been so long since he made a joke. The chuckle felt so strange and out of this world to him.
His memory of last night was foggy and he rubbed his eyes in annoyance.
"Right, let's go inspect how the outside looks like." He stood up.
Opening the door he realized they froze overnight and it required much more force than he expected. Wrapping his yukata tighter around himself, and making a mental note to find some blanket or something, he went for a walk.
The part of the city he ended up in was rather peaceful, albeit poor. There were shabby houses everywhere, made of wood, and even an inexperienced eye could see there were no repairs done on them, probably due to lack of resources. Though it was still early, there were people who were up and about their business. Some were throwing out full of water that was once snow, melting and dripping through the cracks in the roof. One man was carrying a ladder, possibly to swipe the snow from the roof, to prevent it from collapsing. The streets were also full of snow, having no one bother to clean them over night. Making a small path with great irritation, Gintoki continued walking. Right as he was about to exit the area, someone put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, buddy, this is our territory. You have to pay the fine." A sneering voice reached the young man.
Cursing his dulled senses for not noticing the enemy, Gintoki scanned his surroundings in an instant. Ground was covered in ice; he could feel it under his feet. There was also a garbage can nearby, and a metal bar was next to it. If he could only get his hands onto it before things get out of control… Yes, that should do it.
"Heh, I don't see your name all over it." Gintoki sneered. "Why don't you just crawl back to whatever hole you got out, little shits? You're making me sick in the stomach and I just ate."
"Hey, you can't talk to us like that! Do you know who we are?"
Gintoki turned around and eyed them carefully. The man who placed the hand on him was tall and skinny. He held a tanto in his other hand. However, his stance told him that the guy pretty much never held a weapon in his life. The other guy was short and but with a wider frame, with a sneer on his face all the time. He was carrying a katana at his waist. These guys were more confident than they should be. It was probably the result of underestimating him. True, he was still weak, but a beast is a beast, no matter how weak, and if Gintoki played his cards right there might even be no need for violence.
Trying not to burst into laughter, he made his most serious face in an instant and looked at the taller man, who was obviously the smarter one, in the eyes.
"I don't care who you are, and I won't even tell you who I am, but look me in the eyes, and try to convince yourself I am not dangerous." Gintoki said.
He wasn't lying. While he preferred not to use the violence, at this moment, he was able to kill without any regret. It worked.
"Bro, I think… we should go away," hesitated the shorter man.
"Nonsense, he's bluffing," said the other man, his voice quivering a bit.
At this statement, Gintoki raised his eyebrow.
"Are you sure I'm bluffing?" They were very bad at judging. He definitely wasn't bluffing.
"Y-yeah, of course you are," laughed the taller bandit. "No way could a person looking like you beat up the two of us! Now pay up!"
He swung his tanto at Gintoki, but stopped abruptly when he felt the cold edge of a katana on his throat. His partner blinked a couple of moments but soon regained his composure long enough to grab his sword, which he, to his horror, realized is no longer there.
"H-hey, that's mine!" He yelled.
"Sorry, but, the truth is… I don't see your name on it." With an inhuman grin on his face, Gintoki turned to the shorter man. "Sorry, but I don't have any money with me. I see you guys have enough, and yet you are still asking for more? I should teach you some manners."
Fear spreading on his face, the unarmed man took couple of steps backwards, slipped on the ice and fell on the ground. After couple of tries, he finally stood up and ran away.
"He's a monster! He's gonna kill me! Help!" He screamed.
Now that one threat has been dealt with, Gintoki turned to the man whom he still held with his newly acquired weapon by the throat. After couple of seconds, he lowered the sword and motioned to him in the direction his partner ran away.
"Go away. Remember though - next time you see me, I will not be so kind. This is your last warning."
The man nodded and started running away, but Gintoki called after him once more.
"Hey, shithead, you forgot something!"
He threw the sword on the ground and turned in the opposite direction where he was headed in the first place. The bandit, now with a tanto and a sword in his hands, stopped and considered to avenge his honor that has been dealt a devastating blow. Figuring Gintoki was unarmed and with his back turned to him, it was the best chance he had. Mustering all his courage the man gripped the katana tighter and charged.
Relying on pure instinct, Gintoki bent just out of the reach of the katana, and grabbed the metal rod that was next to the garbage can. Not stopping one bit, he raised his arm and swung with all his might. The blow sent the man flying couple of meters away. Gintoki looked at him, no emotion on his face.
"I told you I would not be so kind." He said coldly, as the defeated man slowly lost consciousness.
Gintoki looked at attacker and shook his head. Even though his body was worn off, that doesn't mean his instincts were dulled. A chuckle escaped him while he was walking. Boy, did he hit him hard. And that look of surprise when he felt the sharp blade by his throat…
The smile slowly faded from his face. Why did he do that? Why did he take the sword? That metal bar was available too. He could've just reached of it. He also knew plenty of ways to disarm someone without the use of excessive force. Was he so irritated and cold that his fuse was shorten in half? All he wanted was to walk in peace and take a look at the surroundings, and yet, he felt like he had a big target painted on his back. All the burglars always pick him, even back then, when he was with Zura and Takasugi… Using a sword was a little too much, and very contrary to himself who favored wooden swords. The robbers were so annoying that he just couldn't stop himself. He stopped in his tracks and looked down at his hands that suddenly started shaking.
Was he intending to kill that man? Right at that moment, was he going for a kill? Just more blood to add to his already drenched hands.
He couldn't breathe. The mere thought made his heart beat fast and panic crept onto him. The feeling was unfamiliar to him, and he just wanted to escape. He wanted to be somewhere else, somewhere safe. Gintoki turned around and started walking fast back to his shelter. Back there, he closed the door and leaned on it, waiting for his breath to come back. Slowly, he slid down on the floor and put his hands on his head. It was a right thing to do.
"They were the bad guys, I just scared them. The killing intent was necessary in order for the bluff to work." He justified it to himself, his eyes closed.
Ah, but weren't there so many other ways to do that? A voice responded in his head. Gintoki hit the wall with his head. The thought of killing once more scared him. Even more, the fact that he wanted to kill a man for the sake of himself, and not for others, scared him more. Was he becoming a monster?
A memory of previous night came back to him. Someone was whispering something to him. What was that? Should he really live while taking lives of other people?
"No, I won't do that. There's no way I will ever sink so low." He declared loudly.
Making up his mind cleared his head and taking deep breaths he managed to calm himself down. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw a mouse in front of him. The sudden motion he made while noticing the mouse made the little creature run away back to where it came from.
He relaxed a little. The event was no big deal. In the end, there weren't any casualties, and that's all that matters for now. Gintoki leaned his head on the door and settled himself in the familiar stance he sat in since childhood. His hands unconsciously made their way to the sword on his left shoulder. However, when he looked at it, he realized that it wasn't a sword, but just the bar he picked up earlier. Old habits die hard, I suppose.
The sword leaning on his shoulder always gave him some sense of security. Since he was a child, he always found comfort in the knowledge that a weapon was near him. Today's kids would probably be horrified if they heard this, but to Sakata Gintoki, it was just another normal thing. Now that he thought about it, there wasn't a moment in his life that he could remember when a sword wasn't by his side; always fighting, always protecting, that was how his life was.
Finally, he stood up. It was time to finish what he started to do this morning in the first place. Two lame bandits shouldn't discourage him now; his life actually depended on him doing this particular task. He can't expect clothing and food to just magically appear in front of him. Sakata Gintoki must be a man and face the problem head on. I need food and warm clothes, if I am to survive the winter, he reminded himself. What happened back there is going to some dark corner of his mind never to be touched again.
Getting out of the house, he let his mind wander away. It was the second time exploring the neighborhood. He bumped into someone. Absent-mindedly apologizing, he continued on his way, when the person called out to him.
"Hey, I saw how you dealt with those two idiots."
Not even stopping in his track, Gintoki just waved his hand.
"Were they your friends? Sorry about that. They deserved it, you know."
"Would you like to scare people some more?" The voice called once again.
This got his attention. As he turned around, he saw that the person he bumped into was actually a man in his thirties. A part of the tattoo was visible on his neck, and it probably continued on his whole shoulder too. That, the scar on his left cheek, and the sword on his waist told Gintoki everything - this man belonged to Yakuza. The man smiled and approached him.
"Ah, about those guys... They think that just because they are in our gang now, they can do whatever they want. It's the usual problem with newbies, you know." Hiroto stated matter-of-factly. His sharp eyes widened a bit as he remembered, and offered his hand. "Oh, yes, I still haven't introduced myself. My name is Hiroto, nice to meet you."
Hiroto waited for Gintoki to shake his hand, but the samurai just eyed him for couple of moments. As the silence stretched on Hiroto figured out Gintoki won't be telling him the name. He chuckled and put his hand into the kimono. Noticing how the other man instinctively gripped the metal bar tighter, he raised his other hand as if stopping him. Gintoki looked at him in confusion as Hiroto pulled out a small bag and tossed it to him. Gintoki caught it, a little surprised.
"So, how about you come and work for us, hmmm? We could use a man like you. Nothing much," Hiroto added quickly, seeing how Gintoki frowned in disgust. "Just a little bit of scaring people. You know, the usual. The pay will be good, as I just showed you."
A grin appeared on Hiroto's face. He couldn't suppress it. Even if his words don't get the results that he wanted, the money will do the job.
What happened next left him speechless. Gintoki eyed the money bag in his hand, and with a noncommittal shrug, tossed it on the ground in front of the yakuza.
"Sorry, but no. Did you really think I would say yes just because you waved some money in front of me?" He sneered. "You think I don't know what you really want from me? I've seen plenty of people like you who make the living scaring innocent families. That's a job I'd decline any day. It's just not my way of living, you know."
Gintoki turned away and waved his hand lazily. "Anyway, good luck finding a scarecrow for your 'organization'. Now, I must be on my way. I'm a busy man."
Hiroto was taken aback. This never happened before; usually, people would be all over money by now. Just who was this man? Was he a samurai; a true one, to booth?
The yakuza gathered his composure quickly. He was not giving up, at least not for now. This man was too good to waste his skills on petty jobs. If he joined his gang, they could really be able to rise in the world of yakuza. An opportunity like this is never to be passed. He picked the money from the ground and approached the other man for the second time that day. He casually put the bag into samurai's hands.
"Keep the money. It's yours whether you decide to join or not. I must say, kid, this is the first time someone declined me. However, I'm a generous man. I'll give you one day to think about it. I'll drop by tomorrow at your shelter. In the meantime, buy some clothes and food. I literally felt a chill when I saw you dressed like that. Also, we can't let you die because you haven't eaten anything. Well, at least not until tomorrow. Ah, yes, I am also fond of green tea; can't stand other types. It's part of my healthy living and the other types make my head hurt. Well then, see ya tomorrow, samurai."
And with these words, he parted with Gintoki. The young man looked at the bag in his hands, confusion all over his face. When he finished processing everything that happened, he scratched his head in great annoyance.
"Why do people keep giving me things for free?"
A/N: Forgive me, for I don't know where I'm going with this.
Well, editing this chapter went much faster and better than the previous one. Still, it's not something I am very satisfied with, even after this edit. During this year, with lots of things happening, I had my share of panic attacks, but tbh, I always suck when it comes to description. Everything else is better though, so I guess that's something.
Hiroto is an OC whom I actually invented on the spot at the time. After this chapter, I grew very fond of him, and made a note in my head to use him more throughout the story. He reminded me a lot of Joker from Book of Circus, but much darker and brutal. He is very charismatic and knows his way with people, which is why he does the recruiting. His backstory will probably be posted on tumblr, during chapter breaks.
Anyway, thank you for checking out the changes I made, and I would appreciate any advice. Reviews will be appreciated too. ^^
Yell out.