"You really can go the distance huh..." Gintoki remarked almost in both disbelief and pleasant surprise. He was completely wiped out, lying on his side under the covers next to his partner as he lazily lifted a hand to his forehead.

"Same to ya...and I told ya I was gonna use the whole night..." Tsukuyo smirked, similarly exhausted as she lay next to him. "What the hell did we do again?"

His mind was still working in slow motion. The lust and the steam clouding his head was still lingering as he tried to remember the filthy things they did to each other late in the night beyond caressing each other's bodies. It was no use. The pleasure from feeling themselves inside each other and their silent yet erotic moans was all that stood out in his mind.

"No clue. I can only remember up to the fifth round... For your first roll around the hay you're quite the filthy woman."

She scowled slightly with a faint tinge of pink, very much in denial that what she did to him was of her own will. "That's on ya dumb ass Gintoki. It's ya fault for making me do those things...to you..."

"Did you enjoy it?"

Her cheeks began to quickly warm up, and she couldn't do anything to stop that. Even when she turned away to the other side to hide her face, the fact that she couldn't resist smiling made it clear that she was lying to herself about it.

"Did you enjoy it?" He kindly repeated, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin into her shoulder, delicately running his fingers along her supple, luminous skin. His hand gently pressed and teased her sweet spot, coaxing out her heavy exhales and restrained groans as she tried not to react. His playful antics were beginning to sway her senses, as if to persuade her to go for one more round.

Gintoki soon found himself gently lying on his back, and she was back lying on top once more, straddling his hips and her forehead almost resting against his. Her long, messy beautiful hair acted as black out curtains as it hid their faces from view, leaving nothing but their eyes reserved exclusively for each other.

"I would do it all over again." She purred, softly grinning at him before delivering a slow, gentle kiss. Her tongue slithered in to intimately play with his as her hands held onto the fine contours of his body. Her nails sunk in as her tongue inched deeper inside his mouth, prompting his exhales to become more sensual and loud as he breathed in deeper.

A light, playful squeeze of her rear end coaxed a groan out of her throat, which only persuaded her to part his (and her) mouth even more as she held him tighter. Every movement from their hands sent chills up their spine and a tingling sensation to form from the delicate dragging of their fingers on each other's skin. The saliva that left their mouths as they gently pulled away was heavy and thick, leaving them to simply stare at one another with glossy, yet loving eyes before closing them momentarily and resting their foreheads together to bask in each other's company.

Gintoki's hand soothingly ran up and down her spine, dragging his fingers along the way as she smiled and hummed in delight, quietly enjoying his touch. In the meantime, her hand gently trailed down and placed her palm on his chest, quietly feeling the calm pulse of his heart while she lethargically nuzzled his cheek, giving the occasional peck from time to time.

"Tsukuyo..." He muttered.

"Hmm...?" She mumbled, gently opening her eyes to meet his.

"About this being a one night thing...did you really mean it?"

Her eyes lowered as she glanced to the side with uncertainty, his sentence dispelling the gaze of lust that clouded her mind. She did say it, but after everything they did tonight, she wasn't sure if she really wanted it for one night only. She had a duty to uphold. She discarded her femininity to protect Yoshiwara and those dearest to her. And yet...Gintoki brought it back, gave her a feeling that she never experienced before.

Her heart was torn between embracing her long lost femininity with him and maintaining her duty as Yoshiwara's guardian. She couldn't bare to pick a side. It wasn't fair. She was reaching out for something she knew she couldn't have. She could only let out a disappointed sigh as she held him tighter.

"I don't know..." She admitted, poignantly looking into his eyes as his thumb gently traced the scar running down her cheek. "If I didn't have this scar-"

"Tsukuyo. It's ok."

"I just...want to be with ya. But I can't..."

She shuffled off to lay on her side next to him, burying her face in his neck and coiling her legs around his whilst he put his arm around her waist to comfort her. Gintoki put on a brave smile, knowing that he was also in a similar position. She was someone he cherished and desperately wanted to be with, but something whispered in his ear to keep his distance from her. He doubted he could ever be worthy of having a relationship with a woman who's spirit was more clean than his. The only piece of solace he could hold onto was the fact that he could be next to her. Perhaps that was all he needed.

"Tsukuyo..."

She slowly moved her head away to look at him. His eyes were soft, but focused as he whispered to her. "No matter what you do..."

His voice faded to silence, but his mouth uttered five words that she immediately understood.

I will always love you.

Her heart fluttered, unable to resist a loving, if sad smile spreading across her face as she leaned her head back in to nuzzle his neck and bring him closer to her.

Her mind was becoming a little more resolute. She appreciated that he understood her predicament, even more so now that she had his blessings.

"As long as ya next to me, I think that's enough for me..." She whispered affectionately though with a slight tinge of pain in her voice, bringing her hand up to stroke his silver locks. She could feel heart still aching from not appealing in her innermost desires, but it was a tough pill to swallow. It would probably take a while for her heart to stop aching over it over the coming days, maybe weeks, but in her mind, it was for the best.

Tsukuyo took a quick glance of his room. It was still very dark, and there was no sign of the sun coming up anytime soon. But once the sun had risen they knew they would have to stick by their decisions.

"It's still dark out..." Gintoki noted, idly running his hand through her flowing hair and massaging her scalp.

"Mm..." She acknowledged, closing her eyes.

"Do you...want anything else?" He said with a slight smirk, as if he was asking her if she wanted to go for another round.

"...I want to stay with ya. Just a while longer..."She fondly replied, softly giving another peck to his cheek.

"Haha...don't get too comfy though." He quietly chortled. "You know that if Hinowa or Seita come in we're toast right? And secondly, you sound like you're about to spend your last moments with me. You're in my bed, not on a deathbed."

"Hehe...I know...and I don't care. There's nothing wrong with spending my time with someone I care about is there?" She chuckled, giving him quick pecks on his lips as he reciprocated in kind.

"Hah...I guess not."

"How long has it been since you first came here Gin-san?" Seita innocently asked, picking up a piece of sashimi.

"Hmm...beats me actually. Probably a few months by now. I know my birthday definitely hasn't come, that's for sure." Gintok mumbled with a mouthful of rice before swallowing it. He definitely remembered being taken in around springtime, and they had just gone through the summer season. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since his special evening with Tsukuyo. The days drifted along like the wind, but it was perhaps two months at most. The humid, baking hot weather was beginning to fade away and the cool breeze of autumn began to settle in.

"Hmph, don't be stupid. Ya not gonna age that quickly Gintoki. Besides, ya not that much older than me. Though ya mental age is like that of a child." Tsukuyo butted in, although she herself was curious about it. Come to think of it, she had never asked him about his birthday at all.

"Hey don't give me that crap Tsuki...you and your high and mighty 'I'm more mature than you' bullshit." He flatly retorted.

"Uh-! But ya really not! I have to hold ya back from doing silly things!" She exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"And I'm the only reason you can actually sleep well at night." He casually replied, which prompted Hinowa to chuckle momentarily before suddenly stopping to take in what he had just said. Tsukuyo on the other hand had her eyes widened in horror, silently contemplating whether Gintoki had lost his mind.

"Wait...what do you mean by that Gin-san?" She asked, quickly forming a sinister smile. This was certainly news to her. Did he just casually blurt out his relationship with Tsukuyo? Behind her back no less?

"W-What?" He innocently asked, perplexed by her eerie stare. It took a bit for him to acknowledge his slip up, but he was kicking himself on the inside once he realised.

"You don't mean to tell me you-"

"No, Hinowa." Tsukuyo loudly stated, trying her best to keep a stoic face. "He's talking about work, so don't even think about it. He's been a lot of help with it too..."

"Huh. I actually get a compliment from you for once." He remarked, trying to change the subject before Hinowa could dig in on her inquiry.

"Shut up. Don't push ya luck. If I give ya an inch ya yap will go a mile with begging for compliments..." She hissed with a faint flush, briefly shooting a glare his way as if to tell him to keep his mouth shut before awkwardly looking away somewhere else.

"I see...so that's how it is. I just wanted to know because it sounded so...open ended. I was curious if he meant-"

"He...meant what he said. It was about work. We're not hooking up Hinowa, so stop trying to pair us up." Tsukuyo defiantly said, though her heart ached on the inside from saying that. Even after their agreement to keep their relations (mostly) professional and their one night stand a secret like nothing had occurred, it was becoming a struggle to keep their feelings to themselves, and it was difficult holding themselves back from staring at each other for too long, especially when they went out on patrols together.

Naturally, Hinowa maintained her smile, clearly not convinced by her answer. "After all that bonding time ever since the summer festival? I respectfully disagree with that."

Tsukuyo couldn't resist flushing pink at the fact that she saw their embrace. "T-that's come and gone! Things have changed now..." She stubbornly replied. "We've already discussed it and agreed to keep things professional. After all, that's how it all started. Strictly professional."

The sound of it made Gintoki look up in mild surprise, almost a little upset by the idea. "We did?" Tsukuyo said nothing, giving him a hard elbow to his side and shot an angry scowl his way. He seemed to have gotten the message and shut up almost immediately.

Hinowa continued eying the both of them for a little while longer, scrutinising their faces to see if they were giving anything away. A few, nerve wracking seconds passed by as the two (mostly Tsukuyo) held their nerve. They did everything they could to distract themselves and keep calm, Gintok mostly looked away and massaged his neck while Tsukuyo kept her eyes fixated on her empty bowl, trying everything to keep her erratic breathing under control.

Hinowa eventually gave up. She wasn't going to get anything out of them.

"I supposed it's not worth it...this tension is too much even for me." She sighed in defeat. "Though I have noticed something recently..."

"W-what's that?" They hesitantly asked, resisting the urge to glance at each other as they did so, still keeping their guard up. They had a feeling they weren't out of the woods just yet.

"You haven't been talking to each other as much recently have you...?"

"I-It's as I said earlier, we're keeping things strictly professional..." Tsukuyo spoke up, failing to hide her blooming red face.

"But you're blushing-"

"She's right on that. So can you just give it a rest already? You're just going in circles at this point, so quit wasting our time." Gintoki wearily agreed all of a sudden, though from his monotone voice it was hard to distinguish whether he was reluctant to say it or if he really didn't want Hinowa to be on their case so much.

"Alright then...I'll stop. I'm sorry for being so nosy." She politely conceded.

"Though it might come back sooner or later..."

"Hinowa...!" Tsukuyo exclaimed in embarrassment, cursing herself for not expecting her friend's cheeky quip.

"Mom, you really gotta stop..." Seita replied in agreement.

"Oh for god's sake..." Gintoki muttered, dragging his palm to his forehead in disbelief.

Three days later

"It's getting a lot chillier as of late huh...think you might need something to cover that sleeveless arm of yours." Gintoki remarked as he walked down the busy streets. The weather was getting cooler by the day, and the wind had been starting to pick up as of late.

"Same to ya, idiot. You and ya dumb looking short sleeve. Why can't ya just act like a normal person and wear a yukata properly? Is because ya wanted to look cool, even though ya look like a loser who wants to look cool by standing out with only one sleeve on? Because to me ya look like a dumb-"

Maybe I should've bought the long sleeved uniform instead... He brooded, trying not to cry on the inside or get angry as she continued to degrade his fashion sense, which he thought was objectively brilliant.

"It just looks stupid and lazy. Actually that's the perfect way to sum up ya style: Lazy. And as for me, the only reason I don't have one for mine is for mobility! Besides, I can just get a haori! It looks perfectly natural and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb!" She finally finished. She took a long drag from her pipe to relieve herself of the remaining energy pent up in her system from her rant.

Gintoki continued walking on with half closed eyelids, just wishing for the patrol to end. Nothing of any major significance had occurred in the last few hours. No scuffles, no harassment, nothing. Just mind-numbing walking with an admittedly beautiful thorn in his side for company while the rest of the Hyakka were spread out across the city. He was hoping one of them would spot something and call out to them so that his evening could be marginally more enjoyable. But in the meantime his eyes kept glancing over Tsukuyo when she wasn't looking, specifically at the crescent moon hairpin that he bought for her which now rested in her hair. She had been wearing it since that day, a good sign to him that she cherished his present. The mere presence of it alone elevated her beauty beyond perfection. He had to remind himself that they mutually agreed to go back to how things were, yet it became more difficult to do so ever since that night.

"...You still look beautiful regardless." He mumbled, which rewarded him with a faint blush and a slap to the back of his head.

"S-Shut up ya moron...focus on ya job..."She replied, trying to resist the temptation to smile from his small compliment, nor look at him and his stupid face along with his stupid attire. Her eyes glanced elsewhere towards something else to take her mind off it when she instantly turned a 180, alerted by an unusual noise.

The distant sounds of a scuffle could be heard not far from the streets where the pair were walking on. It sounded like one of the Hyakka had gotten into a fight given the sound of metallic blades clashing against each other.

"Finally, something to do." Gintoki remarked, relieved that his evening was going to be lightened up.

The look on Tsukuyo's face instantly darkened as they rushed over to find the source as quickly as possible. It didn't take long for the sounds to grow louder, as it seemed as though more combatants had entered the fray. If anything, it made it easier to track it down, and soon it was clear that what sounded like a small scuffle had almost turned into something akin to that of a street fight.

"It's getting out of hand real fast isn't it?" Gintoki quipped as they rounded a corner into their destination: a secluded alleyway just behind one of the buildings.

They quickly assessed the situation in front of them. A trio of Hyakka were engaged in combat with at least five thugs ranging from lean and tall to short and stocky armed with swords and knives, surrounded by several wooden containers. They seemed to be holding out quite well, considering that two other men were laid down on the floor and completely knocked out. But they knew that it was only a matter of time when the tables would turn against them.

Fortunately for them, the men had their backs turned to them, completely unaware of their presence. Gintoki gave a quick glance towards Tsukuyo before looking ahead, almost communicating their strategy without the need to speak. Without hesitation, the two rushed forward with their weapons in hand, seizing the opportunity to take them by surprise.

Tsukuyo dashed ahead, jumping on Gintoki's back for an extra boost as she tossed her kunais in a cone-like spread. Her aim was true, striking four of them in their backs. Not one to waste an opportunity, she readied a tanto and marked the fifth on her descent, slicing through her target with one swift, graceful slash, instantly collapsing onto the ground before he had a chance to turn around.

Gintoki capitalised on the situation, rushing forward to deliver a solid strike to the back of one's knee as they cried out in agony before quickly snatching his sword with his free hand and swinging it the other way, slicing through the thug's neck and releasing a violent spurt of blood as he crumpled.

He quickly glanced at his surroundings. The sound of cold steel puncturing flesh and the last rattles of the remaining enemies rang through for a moment as the Hyakka rallied to finish off their opponents with their naginatas and katanas.

The pair maintained their battle stances, wary of the possibility of reinforcements considering the noise they made from the fight. A few seconds of tense silence passed before a word could be uttered as the group anticipated more fighting.

"Everyone ok?" Tsukuyo called out, stowing her tanto back in her sheath before blowing out a long stream of smoke into the cool air from her kiseru. She gave a quick glance over at her comrades. Gintoki was unharmed, as were her subordinates, if a little weary from the fighting. Several more Hyakka poured in at the scene, having heard the noises as well.

"We're ok Kashira, no casualties." One of them reported, wiping sweat off her brow with her sleeve.

"You ladies have picked up some bad habits from your boss. She's not a good role model at all." Gintoki quipped, dropping his stolen weapon on the ground and resting his arm inside his yukata. His remark was quickly met with a stiff smack to the back of his head, which prompted restrained giggles from the Hyakka. Deep down they all knew of their boss' affections towards him even if she would never admit it in front of them, which made it all the more enlightening seeing their boss interact with her colleague in humorous, yet endearing ways, even more so when she openly blushed in front of them in the process.

"Sh-shut it! As if ya can do any better with ya lazy work ethic!" She pouted, clutching her pipe in her fist in annoyance before her voice faded into a whisper. "Asshole..."

Tsukuyo quickly cleared her throat and regained her cold blooded, steely composure, prompting the Hyakka to cut their laughter short. "So what have we got here?"

"Another of armed men Kashira. Three of them were transporting large boxes into the city, but we weren't sure what they were moving, so we tailed them here at their rendezvous point. Didn't expect the fight to get out of hand though..." One of them remarked.

Tsukuyo furrowed her brows at the information, taking another drag as she let it sink in. She had been noticing a spike in crime as of late, especially in drugs. Her group had been catching more drug dealers in the act over the last few days, but they all seemed to be isolated incidents, and the dealers themselves didn't seem to be affiliated with any major organisation, but rather simple street gangs. But with what happened on this night, it became increasingly clear to her that something or someone was responsible for the drugs running rampant in Yoshiwara.

Alright...open up the containers, we need to see what's inside. We'll have to dispose of whatever's in there anyway." Tsukuyo ordered.

"Kashira!" They collectively replied in acknowledgment, surrounding the numerous rectangular boxes and piercing through the wooden lids with their weapons and a little bit of effort. They effortlessly lifted them off and removed the contents out into the open. Several duffel bags were nesting inside the containers, and they were all abnormally heavy.

Tsukuyo gave one of the bags a slight tap with her foot, taking note of how the bag didn't budge. Her eyes narrowed as she slowly opened the zip, feeling a slight sense of dread and urgency slowly fill her body. Once the rest of the bags were opened, the Hyakka's eyes suddenly widened in shock, backing away slightly from what they had found.

"There's so much..."

Vast quantities of drugs were tightly sealed up inside the bags, from small packets to large, almost brick-like packets. Yet Tsukuyo could sense that there was something hidden beneath that wasn't drugs. She gave the bag another tap, which still didn't budge. Gintoki walked over to join her.

"What are you thinking?" He politely asked.

"There's something else inside besides all of this stuff, and I don't like it." She admitted. "Check through the bags thoroughly and carefully!

The Hyakka did just that, almost mimicking Tsukuyo's careful unzipping as they opened the other bags and took out the contents one by one. Their eyes collectively widened in shock once all the drugs had been removed whilst Tsukuyo's jaw almost fell on the floor. The sense of dread she felt began to rear its ugly head as she took out a bundle of red, chunky sticks strapped together with a small wire attached to the end.

"Nasty things...old fashioned too." Gintoki quipped. "Zura would laugh at this sort of thing."

"Well I wouldn't be laughing. We need to get rid of these right away." She said urgently. About a dozen thoughts were racing through her mind, all of them bad. Who were they? Where did their items come from? How were they coming in? How long had this been going on for? How much was hidden in the city right now?

"Check the bodies-"

"Yeah yeah, I know."

Gintoki idly walked over to one of the corpses laying on their back, glancing over their physique before pushing it onto its front with his foot. His eyes scanned the body when it became fixated on the neck. A familiar tattoo drawn in red ink.

His eyes narrowed in disgust, balking at the idea that these simpletons were smuggling something as dangerous as dynamite in their drugs.

"These clowns again? The last time we saw them they were just wannabe gangsters. How the hell did they get hold of this?" He asked.

Tsukuyo blew out another stream of smoke from her pipe, trying to maintain her stoic composure as she turned to her comrades. "Spread out! We need to get the rest of them. Ya find any drugs or explosives, seize and destroy them as soon as ya can!"

Without further ado, the Hyakka leapt up onto the rooftops and scattered off into the distance.

Gintoki looked over at Tsukuyo, his eyes softened as he glanced at her anxious face.

"You ok?" He asked softly.

Tsukuyo hesitated to speak before taking a long drag from her pipe to calm herself. "I'm fine..." From the way her eyes were lowered and her hand clenched around her pipe however, it was clear to him that she wasn't fine. And it hurt a little bit seeing her not confess her worries to him at a time like this.

"One thing at a time, eh?" Gintoki softly reassured, taking her hand and squeezing it for a moment as if to give her some comfort.

"We need to know where it's coming from and cut it off as soon as possible." She stated, brainstorming some of the possible ways the drugs and explosives were smuggled in.

"If they're transported in, then it's obviously coming from the surface. The only way I can think of bringing this stuff in without getting in trouble would be the docks." He theorised.

"How do ya know that?" She asked.

"Uh..." He hesitated as he scratched his head, knowing that it would delve into an area that she didn't need to know about.

"Well? Spit it out then." She impatiently said, scowling at him.

"I had a loudmouth idiot for a friend who's family worked as merchants. They used ships all the time for buying and selling." He explained.

She studied his eyes a little while longer, suspicious as to why he took so long to answer her question. At the same time, he wasn't necessarily lying to her either.

"How do we get to the docks?"

"You're saying you wanna get it done now? We're not gonna get this done in one night. We don't even have anyone to question." He said in disbelief, pointing to the numerous bodies scattered around them.

He was right. They didn't have a lead beyond the red spider tattoos, and they had no idea of how to get to their destination, which even then was only based on a hunch. Until something clicked in Tsukuyo's mind.

"Wait...they were spotted bringing the containers in. We need to follow them coming out." She suggested.

Gintoki glanced down at the tattooed corpse before turning to Tsukuyo with a slight smirk on his face.

"Guess we'll have to follow the spiders then."