NOTE:
Hi, hi! I'd like to put down my thanks for following this story! I just wanted to let you know that we have a new synopsis! \o/
Good reading and drink water.
She was not a dependent woman, on the contrary, she knew how to behave in such a situation, but she had only one mission, and as silly as it was, she couldn't accomplish it. There was so much going on that she couldn't find an opening that would allow her to tell the news.
Instead of coming face-to-face and speaking the truth, she turned away from the albino so that he would not see with her slowly growing belly. She also took the opportunity to change her attire, wearing a black yukata printed with crimson-colored roses and fastened with a purple cord a little above her stomach, wearing a lilac overcoat, began to wear her hair loose more often, and slightly flashy earrings.
It didn't take long for all the girls, not just from Hyakka, to notice her sudden change, where she appeared more mature than before, bringing more confidence to her team. She was the pride of Hinowa, so much so that when she watched her lead, her eyes shone like the moon.
As the days passed, a new month had begun and the albino had recovered from his injuries and the side effects caused by the drug, but he still felt dispersed before the eyes of the children. Both he and the police officer began the search to apprehend those responsible. Indirectly, Tsukuyo participated, who introduced Fumiko to the group, which quickly began the search for "Rey".
Amid whispers while walking, coming from Hyakka herself, she got the information that that child who had been apprehended was having a difficult behavior to deal with, so much so that the blonde went to try to get answers personally in complete secrecy. Indirectly she used the opportunity to better understand how a child "works", even finding it funny to watch her own behavior.
When she got there, she observed the child lying in the corner of the cell without even touching his food, making her slightly worried. This behavior came from a rebellious act with the boy who was possibly trained not to give answers to the enemy. For this she thought the best way to talk to him would be to gain his trust, something that would make him more comfortable. She sat beside the metal bars watching the child through the gap, starting with a simple introduction.
"Hello... I know you must be scared and confused by everything that is happening, but right now I want you to know that I am here to help you." - The boy continued in the same position, showing no signs of interest. She sighed and tried again. - "My name is Tsukuyo, and you?" - Hopelessly, she didn't imagine he would speak up; however, she was taken aback.
"That doesn't matter..." - Said a soft, melodious voice coming from the small child. - "I'm really going to die..."
"No, you won't. I'm on your side."
"Why would I trust you?" - The boy sat facing her.
"Because I will protect you. You have my word."
The boy could not explain what he was feeling at the moment. Somehow, he felt his chest warm when he heard her delicate words sounding like melody. He bit his lips in fear of his own insecurity, which stemmed from the fear of being caught again and raised as a small beast. Tsukuyo showed concern as he observed the boy's behavior.
"I can't trust you."
"I understand... I don't know what happened exactly, but if you tell me I might be able to help you."
"They...they tricked us. They said it would lift us out of poverty if we cooperated, but instead they captured us and made me work for them."
"We who?"
"Me and my Hermana."
"And where is she now?"
"Somewhere here on earth..."
Tsukuyo took a deep breath, keeping her expression calm and compassionate. She stood up and unlocked the 'cage' that held the child. The confused and disoriented child did not know how to react to such a situation. She started to walk away from him while the child was dumbfounded.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Ah-yes, I'm coming!" - He ran toward her excitedly, with a toothy grin. Discreetly he held her hand, leaving the blonde positively surprised.
"You still haven't told me your name." - She laughed.
"Ah true, my name is Lucca Hihihi."
So, that was what it felt like to be mother and son? Tsukuyo wondered, since she never felt like this. She felt her heart warm when she saw the smile and excitement departing from the child, cheering to see even more of his smile. Even if she didn't know where to start, she didn't care. For now, she just wanted to take care of him.
Gintoki was starting to come back with some small jobs, although he used excuses to stay all day for nothing, serving customers and taking care of business under the supervision of the children. He kept complaining about being rusty at these things, making the children angry to the point of annoying him to keep doing the job, but in the end, he missed having these little moments with them, something unique that might one day come to an end.
His relationship with Kagura remained the same: fights and more fights. Every second was a disagreement and/or conflict over something silly. It was really the definition of a storm in a glass of water. It all started when they were doing a cleaning service at a client's house, in which they were sweeping a big and cozy living room, with a rustic touch: wood-paneled walls, a long carpet with abstract patterns in red and gold, a small coffee table, and a neutral suede sofa. There was a white stone fireplace, which created a warm and cozy atmosphere in the room, and next to it was a white pot with blue drawings, a true work of art.
At some point, by carelessness of the pair, the pot ended up falling and shattering on the ground, scattering ashes all over the floor, leaving the three desperate. Gintoki threw all the blame on Kagura and she returned the blame back to him. The brunette just grumbled, already tired of every chapter having to separate the two.
"You're exaggerating! It wasn't my fault that the pot broke!" - The albino started the dialogue.
"Oh yeah, you're the one who's the master of breaking things, you idiot!"
"But his hands touched before the pot fell!"
"And the one who gave me the pot was you!"
"You're making me angry!"
"Oh, sure. It's always my fault-aru. Not least because you do nothing but go out at night and come back in the morning!"
"This subject again? I already said I have my reasons!"
"What reasons? Do you by any chance think this is Goku, training to defeat Freeza?"
"You two stop now!" - The teenager shouted. - "What a ridiculous fight. Stop acting like children and think of a way to explain to Mori-san that her father's ashes ended up in the ground!"
"Well..." - Gintoki resumed speaking. - "How about we throw the ashes in the fireplace? She won't notice."
"How mean you Gin-chan, father's soul can go haunt you at night." - Hearing Kagura's speech, the albino shivered. - "We should use the vacuum cleaner, that way he won't be able to get out of there to haunt us!"
"YOU'RE WORSE THAN HIM!" - The brunette shouted. - "YOU ARE CRAZY, YOU ARE DEFINITELY CRAZY! THAT'S OUT OF THE QUESTION!"
As they discussed where to leave the ashes, footsteps of a heel gradually increased, as if climbing a long staircase to reach the room. The trio's hearts began to beat frantically, making them desperate. The boy began a long drama:
"And now, what will we do? If Mori-san sees her father's ashes we will surely be fried! I don't want to see the result-" -His speech was interrupted when he spotted the two "ex-fighters" working as a team.
"Quick, throw it under the rug!" - Albino rushed her.
"Right captain!" - The redhead played quickly.
"I'm home~!" - Said a young woman in her late thirties, with long, wavy golden hair, wearing a long fur coat, thin black stockings, and an extravagant red heel. - "Oh, are you done?"
"Ah, y-yes." - The albino stammered. - "We of the Yorozuya are quick to hide any evidence...of dirt, of course."
"And don't worry, miss. Despite our differences, we are still able to solve problems like professionals." - Said Kagura in a convincing tone.
The young blonde returned with a look of strangeness and confusion, being represented by her raised eyebrows. But she ignored it anyway, returning to the main subject.
"Well... anyway I thank you for your service. Please follow me. I will take you to the exit."
The trio was incredulous that she had not noticed the missing pot of ashes. For the time being the payment was in hand and the house was left behind along with the broken pot and the childish squabbles. They walked through the dark and silent streets of Kabukicho, where they talked about the possibility of going to an exotic restaurant, arguing mainly about the absurd prices of the meals.
An ominous figure passed through an alleyway quickly, catching the attention of the albino who stopped walking for a moment, changing his posture from relaxed to defensive. His behavior eventually attracted the attention of the children.
"Did something happen, Gin-san?" - Said the bespectacled boy.
"No. Maybe it was just my impression."
"You're going crazy, Gin-chan. At this rate we'll have to lock you up in a mental institution soon." - The redhead teased in a relaxed pose with her arms behind her head.
"No, I'm not." - He said in a sarcastic tone.
Again, the scene repeated itself: a black figure leaped from one building to another, passing quickly under the full moon, attracting the albino's attention again. It was only he who had noticed the presence of enemies, which gave him hints that it was just something in his head. Although the children always trusted him, they did not believe they were in danger.
In a quick distraction, a hook fell between Gintoki and Kagura's direction, which Kagura was pushed away by. Fortunately, both managed to dodge it with a scratch on Gintoki's right arm. A menacing laughter dominated the dark place, which appeared from behind Shinpachi who swiftly dodged it. The enemy was illuminated by the moonlight: it was a corvid-looking amanto wearing a long black leather overcoat covered with feathers and a hat with wide brims of the same color. In one hand was a kind of hook mixed with a sickle, and in the other a small dagger to finish off his target. His black eyes brought a more mysterious air to the trio.
"Who are you?" - The albino questioned placing his hand over the wound.
"My name is Yami Karasu. It's an honor to meet you in person, Shiroyasha."
"What do you want?!"
"Um, who knows. Maybe I just want to improvise a little under that beautiful moonlight."
"What is this guy talking about, Gin-chan?" - The girl replied confused.
"That's a good question, young Yato." - He smiled advancing quickly toward the albino. - "How about creating a new Jazz melody?"
"Never!"
The three set off for the crow to a certain jazz tune, which deflected mocking the trio with grace. Shinpachi with his wooden sword made direct hits in his direction which he quickly dodged, attacking Kagura with a blow to the back of his head, turning around and hitting Gintoki, who tried to act in his shadows, with a kick to his stomach.
"What the fuck is that?" - The albino grumbled.
"We couldn't even make a scratch on it..." - Shinpachi stated.
"He's too fast-aru!"
In the meantime, the crow used his hook catching the height on top of the roof, with that sarcastic smile.
"Now it's my turn." - He said the same.
In one swift leap, he jumped towards Kagura, but did not attack her, but the brunette, breaking his sword with a direct hit. Kagura, surprised, acted without thinking, advancing towards him, forcing him to draw poisonous darts that looked like a feather, making him paralyzed. He used his grappling hook again to block Gintoki's attack. Shinpachi helped Kagura to her feet and pushed her away from him.
"You are agile boy." - Raven praised by staring eye-to-eye with Gintoki. - "That's exciting!"
The fight changed from a calm and quiet jazz tune to a more agitated one, in which the two exchanged intense blows with fast and agile movements, one hunting for openings or weak points in the other. Each collision between the Bokuto and the hook created a different sound, making the crow excited. It took distance from the albino, allowing it to draw its darts and shoot in his direction, which the albino ran to dodge, being grazed by one of them. But that didn't stop him.
In a quick reading he realized that direct attacks would not help him, and took a few steps back, staring at the crow's face. He realized that the crow was acting defensively and making direct attacks in quick movements, so he played the same side of the coin: when Karasu took off in his direction, he stayed on the defensive, deflecting his attack and attacking him with the bokuto handle from behind just as he did with Kagura. His hat had fallen a few inches away, being caught soon after.
"Oh, you are shrewd." - He smiled mischievously. - "I guess I won't be able to have fun with you as if I were a jazz virtuoso."
"You're weird!" - The samurai said in a wry tone with a smile on his face as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Let's raise the grade, Shiroyasha." - Karasu teased him, snapping his fingers.
Consequently, a new group of crow-friends appeared, surrounding the trio. The tension rose, and the jazz melody quickened. There were not many of them, about four more, but their agility already made up for the number. Shinpachi, with Kagura resting on his shoulder, took them one at a time, or just tried to dodge them. The new group didn't have claws like Karasu, but they did have very sharp daggers with red blades and golden handles.
"STAY CLOSE!" - The albino shouted attacking one after another with blows and kicks.
"WE ARE TRYING! BUT THE KAGURA IS TOO HEAVY!"
"SHUT UP IDIOT, IF I COULD I'D BE FIGHTING ALONG!" - The redhead bellowed.
In a slight moment of distraction, the brunette was hit with one of the daggers in his shoulder, dropping Kagura to the ground. The already exhausted albino couldn't stand to move anymore. His hands were full of calluses and none of them seemed to show fatigue. Gintoki dispersed some of the crows from around the children, and tried a direct attack on Karasu, who this time did not dodge but defended himself, taking his dagger, making a deep cut in the albino's arm. He held on not to scream in pain, but in return could no longer move his arm.
Kagura began to show signs of dizziness and nausea, which he tried to move and ended up vomiting blood. The darts didn't just paralyze the target, they poisoned them, and Gintoki felt a weight on his conscience for not having noticed and run away sooner. Shinpachi was also bleeding from the cut on his shoulder, it was desperate. In a moment of distraction, one of the amantos advanced toward the boy. Gintoki needed to get up and get back into the fight somehow. He took his bokuto and threw it, hitting the smaller crow's hand, which shinpachi took advantage of by taking the dagger and reacting.
"Kagura-chan, hang in there!" - The boy held her up with one arm.
She was numb, her skin had become paler and she was hot, possibly a fever from the poison. Gintoki had only taken down two of them and this was causing her inexplicable anguish. It was difficult even to breathe. The man took off again towards another crow that managed to disarm him, but his face was scratched by the dagger. He was no longer thinking, just acting bravely. In a split second he dodged a direct hit, ducking and knocking him to the ground. His right arm painted the floor with his blood, staggering from side to side with clear signs of exhaustion, although he had the willpower.
"That's enough. The melody doesn't appeal to me anymore." - Said the raven throwing one of the feather-darts at Gintoki as he let his guard down. - "Take the children." - The only amanto left standing beside Karasu shook his head in affirmation.
"Hey wait!" - The teenager spoke in desperation before taking a knockout from the smaller raven and collapsing next to Kagura.
"It was good while it lasted, Shiroyasha." - The amanto threw the dagger into his stomach. "Bye! Bye!"
The crow left the scene carrying the bodies of those who were still alive. Its laughter echoed through the scene, ending the small battle under the full moon. Gintoki felt frustrated and disappointed that he could not protect the other two. He pulled the quill and dagger from his body, feeling heavier than usual. He walked silently towards his home, since it was not far away, making a trail of blood where he passes.
When he reached the edge of the stairs, his legs no longer worked, exhaustion overwhelmed him, and his vision blurred. Still, he tried to take another step up the stairs, but a hoarse voice interrupted him.
"Gintoki..." - As he looked back, even blurry, he recognized Otose's face.
NOTE:
Hey, reader!
Thanks for the opportunity to have you here! The path of the story will take a totally different turn and (I think) you will enjoy it! Please don't give up reading.
I used this mini jazz playlist from Cowboy Bebop to write Yami Karasu's scene and define his personality based on the rhythm of the music, here is the reference: /xS8aLqWa3bg
Thank you for your presence!