THE NIGHT OF THE TENGU: PART 1

Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Hideaki Sorachi

Characters: Takasugi, Katsura, Gintoki (12 yrs old ), "Rizou" is a younger version of Nizou, you can see them in GINTAMA ENDING 9: SANAGI ( 0.0-0.35s) on YOUTUBE

Beta'ed by: exquisittexabie! Thank you.

HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN!

XXX

On Halloween Eve, Shouyou-sensei took his students on a school trip to Kyoto. They stayed in an ancient temple at the foot of a mountain infamous for being the home of the Tengu. Right behind the temple was a cemetery. At 5am the next morning, Takasugi insisted that his gang go for a morning jog…there.

"Let's go, guys! We're not going to get another chance like this for another year."

They climbed up the steep slope and found themselves facing terraces upon terraces of small tombstones bleached a skeletal white by the moonlight. The markers cluttered together and pointed messily in random directions. Groves of bamboo and other trees broke up the retaining walls made of interlocking stone boulders. Towering high above them and marking the mid-point of the hill was their target, a stone pagoda.

"Come on, soldiers!" Takasugi urged, marching briskly up the stone pathway. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And we're going to be the strongest gang in this school."

"Ugh…this place stinks…" Rizou complained. He was a brutal fighter with an exceptionally sensitive nose. "It smells of rotting corpses…"

Takasugi took a deep breath of the humid, inky-blue air. "I don't smell anything like that," he replied seriously. "If anything, I smell flowers..." he sniffed again. "Someone must really love jasmine around here." His eyes nervously scanned the area for the distinctive shrub but the hazy, grayish light repelled his attempts to separate form from shadow. Pansai and Matoto were juniors walking in the middle of the five. They exchanged pained looks. Matoto was only 11 and his voice quivered, "Jasmine? It's said that they either smell like rotting meat or…jasmine flowers." "Jasmine eh?" Henpaitai sniffed sceptically. He was the oldest of the group and brought up the rear. "All I sense are rotting leaves. But that's just normal for autumn." But just as the words left his lips, a cold, prickly sensation ran up his right shoulder and he gasped. "Ah!"

Everyone froze.

"Ah…sorry, I thought I saw a flash of red, like a red…something."

"What thing." Takasugi stated cautiously. His eyes swept ahead and noted nothing redder than the deep amber of maple leaves soaked by moonlight. "Maple-leaves?"

"No. Blood red…glossy red, like the red lacquer mask of a Tengu in a Noh play."

"Che! Even the moon is red tonight." Rizou grumbled.

"That's the crescent moon in the zodiac sign of the wild boar," Takasugi replied a little smugly. "A powerful time for change. Even the Tengu should watch out. He might get the tables turned on him tonight." He laughed.

"Tengu? What's that?" Matoto asked fearfully.

"A red-faced goblin with a long nose and wings like an eagle. It likes to attack people who get too big for their breeches…like prideful priests, or arrogant little boys!" Pansai replied, a little playfully. But at his last words, everyone immediately thought of their leader, who was 156cm tall and had more pride than 4 fallen priests combined. As if by sixth sense, Takasugi chuckled. "You guys should feel safe from the Tengu. If we somehow manage to attract the attention of one – which I highly doubt since it's almost dawn– then the first person he's gonna come after is me, right? Since I'm the one with the most pride out of us." He chuckled. "Actually, it hurts my pride that our supernatural friend hasn't shown up yet."

Takasugi suddenly shouted crazily into the forest, "HEY TENGU, COME OUT! I'm the most prideful boy in Kyoto and I can't wait for you to humiliate me!"

Everyone cringed as his foolhardy words echoed away into the darkness. Birds and bugs squawked angrily in complaint, but other than that, nothing happened. The teens tittered nervously. Rizou nudged Takasugi in the ribs and sternly hissed. "Don't tempt fate. Apologize to the Tengu, now!" Takasugi grabbed his shirt. "What's wrong Rizou? Freaking out already?" Rizou glared back, but an alarm bell rang in his mind warning him it was taboo to pick a fight in a cemetery. So he simply shoved Takasugi's arm out of the way, planted his hands on his waist and furrowed his eyebrows sarcastically. "Che. Why should I be? He's gonna come after you first, right?"

Takasugi responded with a wry smile, picturing himself meeting the Tengu and wondering who was the more evil of the two. He broke into a run and the group followed, infected by his self-confidence. When they reached the pagoda, Takasugi could see more tombstones up on the ridge. They were spaced far apart and bordered by hedges, as if they were graves of important people. He felt like exploring those, but he knew that if he suggested that, he would have a mutiny on his hands. He fed off the thrill of fear, but most people didn't. Besides, the sky was turning deep blue and the grass was drenched in lavender dew.

Time to go back to school!

The gang arrived early for morning assembly, which today was held under the majestic, soaring roof of a 500 year old Shinto Temple. Adrenaline was still pumping through their veins and the teens felt like picking on someone. A long-haired teen entered the shadowy interior with a well-worn book in hand. He had a gentle expression and his skin was so fair it glowed luminously in the dark. He looked as pretty and doll-like as a prince from an ancient scroll. He nodded politely to them then joined another group of boys whom eagerly surrounded him. Takasugi squinted as he observed Katsura's charming expression. Insufferable. The sissy-boy was not only successful at schoolwork but also held in high social esteem. Takasugi really couldn't see why he was praised as the embodiment of Bushido. All the loser did was get in his way of disciplining certain peers.

How much does that stuck-up sissy really know about Bushido? Has he even survived a single crisis in his whole life? Let me see how long his pride will last when he's all alone and powerless!

He sat up and gestured for his gang to gather tightly. "Hey guys…I have a plan. Since we succeeded in our "training" this morning, we should move on to something even more challenging. I say we play a prank on Zura tonight. He's like a thorn in our side, always messing up our plans. So why don't we tie him up to a tombstone and leave him there overnight? It'll be fun to watch his proud face cry." All heads turned to observe the friendly, smiling face of Katsura at the other corner of the hall. Rizou smirked, but shook his head. "This sounds like fun but if he cracks up and panics, he might get possessed by the Tengu. He could even die or go mad! We shouldn't tamper with the spirits of the dead. Why don't we just beat him up and be done with it?"

"Do you want me to hit you again?" Takasugi scowled.

Rizou was already irritated by Takasugi's previous insult. He snapped,"What's your problem, Takasugi? You're too arrogant! Maybe you should meet the Tengu instead! "

"What did you say?!"

"I joined your gang because I like to fight, not because I want to be cursed!"

"You are too superstitious, Rizou…" Takasugi drawled. He nodded in Henpaitai's direction. "Henpaitai. Do Tengus exist?"

"Tengus are legendary beings which have never been caught on film or documented. So in that sense they don't exist. But ghosts and other unexplainable phenomena have been scientifically proven."

"Hmm…Let me make this clearer for us. Ghosts may exist, Tengus may exist. But most importantly, Evil people exist."

"Damn right!"said Rizou.

"You're right. I am evil and so is the whole world. If you're weak, the world will be evil to you. But if you're strong, the world will be nice to you. That's why we must get stronger at all costs. If we are afraid of the supernatural, then all the more so we should stay up all night in a cemetery and tempt the Tengu to come out!" Rizou was about to retort when he saw a weird glassy look in Takasugi's big brown eyes.

"Have you ever felt powerless, Rizou?" He demanded. "I-I'm not sure-?" "Well I have. I felt very scared, very humiliated and very alone...but I survived. And I swore, I will gain power so I'll never be afraid again."

Everyone shut up after that.

"You don't have to join us if you don't want to." Takasugi said.

"No, ok, I'll go." Rizou replied. "But can we see a priest after this? I don't want any Tengus following us back to Edo."

"Sure we can. We can even get blessed by the waterfall at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Who else is coming?"

"Hai, Shinsuke-sama!" Matoto, Pansai and Henpaitai piped up.

"Thank you. Go back to the cemetery, familiarize yourself with its layout and pick out a good spot to tie up our target. Preferably near someplace where we can observe unnoticed." He shot Rizou a crooked smile. "Since you were so concerned about him, we won't leave him overnight. We'll just tie him up until he starts crying. Does that rest better with your frickin' conscience, Rizou?" Takasugi smirked. "Nobody's getting haunted tonight. Maybe just a wee bit traumatized."

"I'll take care of luring out the target. Let's meet at 9pm, behind the biggest temple. Sounds good?"

The gang members nodded and split up to return to their separate year groups.

XXX

Takasugi headed up his class queue because he was the shortest. He tried telling himself he simply hadn't reached his growth spurt yet although he was already 12. He glanced down the line and spotted Katsura in the middle. His best friend Gintoki stood right beside him. Hmm, this one might be trouble. He's a lazy boy but he's popular and an excellent fighter. What if he decides to protect Zura? But Gintoki's afraid of ghosts. Would he have the guts to venture into a cemetery in order to rescue a friend?

At 7:30 am, classes commenced in spare room in the temple. Shouyou-sensei handed out their graded mid-term papers. Takasugi's heart gave a sickening lurch when he saw his results. 66 percent. N-no way! It can't be! Takasugi had never ever gotten below a 90 percent in his life. Students began comparing results. Takasugi frantically flipped his paper over, face flushed with embarrassment.

"The highest marks in class go to Katsura-kun."

"Zura?!" Takasugi gasped in shock. He heard Shouyou-sensei's calm gentle voice quote from Katsura's essay but he was too agitated to hear anything. Katsura got 99 percent! He's p-perfect! How can he do better than me?! I put so much effort into this paper too, every line spoke the word of truth! His heart gave another jump when he heard Shouyou-sensei's voice call his name.

"Takasugi-kun, please see me...Everyone else go spar in the courtyard."

Shouyou-sensei led Takasugi to a round stone table under a magnificent red maple tree. Although they could see the students sparring and hear their shouts, their quiet conversation was easily obscured by the ambient noise. They could talk freely. "Takasugi-kun, you must be shocked by your results for this paper. You are one of my best students and I'm very proud of you. I've never ever given you less than a 90 percent, right?"

"Yes, sensei. What did I do wrong?"

"Your low score has nothing to do with your language abilities. I gave you the maximum score for that category. But as for content, I could only give you…a zero.

"W-why?!"

Shouyou-sensei lightly placed his fingers on Takasugi's shoulder. With a trace of humour, he said, "You may not realize it, but what you wrote was the most hate-filled rant that I have ever read from a student of mine. If I was running a school for terrorists, you would have gotten 100 percent. Nay, 120 percent."

Takasugi gasped. His face flushed pink and then drained of color. His wide eyes were filled with confusion as he stared pleadingly at his teacher.

"It's my fault. I have taught you badly."

"N-no…" Takasugi shook his head and stared at the fists clenched on his thighs. He dared not look at his teacher. "No…It's my fault for being too stupid."

"Takasugi-kun. There is nothing wrong with you. You already possess the greatest strength of a samurai, which is…"A tranquil hand was placed over Shouyou-sensei's heart and they remained silent for a while. His gaze had a soothing effect on Takasugi, making him feel like listening more. "A sword in your mind. Unlike 90 percent of the students here, you write with real conviction and you're brave enough to say what you believe in, even if you're the first one to say so."

"I just go my own way. I don't care what anyone else thinks."

Shouyou-sensei laughed. "Good. The heart is a good guide. But do you wish to understand the hearts of others?"Takasugi's head snapped up and he shot his sensei with a probing look. "Do you want to know why some children are attracted to you like a moth to a flame?""W-why?!" Takasugi stammered. He blushed deeply and stared at Shouyou-sensei with a heavy feeling in his chest. Nobody had ever described his character like that. Everyone called him a beast, or someone from the dark side. But Shouyou-sensei understood! I desperately want to understand and be understood.

"But wouldn't it be better if you were a butterfly, attracting people by your beautiful light?" Shouyou-sensei beamed, adding a second question to the first.

Takasugi felt strangely light-hearted, as if he had been wading through a muddy swamp his whole life and never knew it. When I'm with him, I feel like I'm looking at the world from the top of a tall mountain. "Tell me more about your family, Takasugi-kun. I heard that your father was a captain in the Joi War? He must be a remarkable man." "Yes! He is a very powerful and loyal samurai. But ever since our lord died…" Takasugi's face went downcast. It seemed so wrong to tell an outsider about his family life, even if he was dying to confess to his sensei. What was he expecting?

Can you save me?

My father doesn't even look at me when I'm home. Either he hates me, or he feels too ashamed to talk to me. Ever since his lord died, we've fallen on hard times. The life of a ronin isn't stable, and he's often home, recovering from injuries. Mother is humiliated because we live in absolute poverty. I want nothing more than to be a brilliant samurai and restore Father's pride but Mother rejects me for that. She would rather I become a merchant. But to be honest money means nothing to me. Money can't remove my sense of loneliness…I need a gang, I need loyalty, I need power… I hate my mother. My father. And my foster home. I hate everyone except for you.

I would much rather stay with Shouyou-sensei forever.

Shouyou-sensei waited patiently for his student's reply. He noticed a detached, lifeless look had come over Takasugi's face, as if he was guarding his privacy and he respected that. He gently summed up the situation. "Japanese society is in a state of transition. I'm sure your family is trying hard to adapt." He opened up Takasugi's file, which listed that he had been sent to 4 different foster homes since he was 9 years old. Every summer he was sent to stay with a different family. "It seems that you've moved around a lot more in your short life than most people do their entire lives. No wonder you seem mature for your years. Tell me, why were you fostered out?"

"They are my mother's relatives. My mother wanted me to learn to be a merchant. So I helped out in the store."

"I see. But why didn't you go back to the same family every summer? Wouldn't it make more sense to learn a trade from the same person?"

Takasugi shrugged and looked at his hands. Just by asking him that, Shouyou-sensei made him feel like crying. "I wanted to. But my mother insisted I go to a different place each summer."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Did something happen?"

"No." Takasugi replied and pressed his lips together. "Nothing I couldn't deal with." Truth was, his first family was nice to him and they liked him. But every summer the families seemed to like him less and less and bully him more and more. Or maybe it was his own attitude that had changed. His current foster "uncle" was the worst…although also the richest. Thanks to him he was able to attend Yoshida Shouyou's elite military academy. Just for that reason, Takasugi figured he should be able to endure any abuse, no matter how humiliating. Shouyou-sensei waited but again Takasugi made no further reply. The chilly morning breeze brought a shower of red leaves fluttering towards them. Shouyou-sensei picked up a maple leaf and ran a finger across its veins, flexing it. "Maybe she doesn't want to see you getting attached to anyone." He mused. "She may love you too much to see you love anybody else. But it's been hard on you. You've been very brave."

Takasugi just gaped at his teacher. He often pitied himself for having a more difficult life than other people, although he could never bring himself to confess something so...weak. He often felt frightened by his mother. She was like a tarantula spinning a suffocating web around him, controlling his every movement. His father used teach him sword-fighting, but he had stopped talking to him since he was 9 years old. For that reason, he grew up an angry, jealous boy. He resented being "abandoned" by those people who were supposed to nurture him as a child. Fine. He survived. And never again will he allow anyone to be "above" him like his parents who betrayed him. Instead, he was the one doing the controlling, of his gang, of his school, of his foster home. And deep down, he knew he did it to fill up the bottomless pit in his heart.

Help me...Shouyou-sensei.

Takasugi blinked, hearing the soughing of autumn leaves like the sound of a tide in his ears. The light sparkling through the maple leaves was not just red and gold, but kaleidoscopic. "How did you know that?" He whispered.

"I didn't. My sempai Shinsaku-san taught me that. But he's no longer in the realm of the living. He died at 28 and his grave lies right at the top of a nearby cemetery. I dedicated some flowers to him this morning. He was my friend, who became my enemy when our lords went to war. But even when we clashed, we bore no grudges. That's how deeply we believed in Bushido.

"No grudge? How…?" Is he for real?

"The ancient grand vision of Bushido is hard for us to imagine today. It is probably impossible for us to feel the awe with which such a cosmic unity was experienced, but it would be a big mistake to count Bushido out. We don't call it Bushido anymore, but every time you feel compelled to grow into something bigger and grander than what you already are…that's Bushido. Takasugi-kun, a samurai's path is not an easy one, but there is always something in the darkness which can balance the pain."

"For example, dark is balanced by…?"

"Light." Takasugi replied softly.

"Hate is balanced by…?"

Takasugi looked away. "Love."

"And enemies…?"

"Friends."

"That's Bushido, Takasugi-kun. Think about it. Ok, forget about this paper," he said, tearing it in half right in front of Takasugi's shocked eyes. "I'm giving you a re-test.

Discuss this vision: I will only consider as my enemy in war a person who is worthy of being my friend in peace.

XXX

Two muscular men wearing samurai swords interrupted their conversation. They wore dark blue jackets trimmed with gold, matching silk vest and white silk cravat. Domineering sneers were pasted across their coarse features. They were servants of the Bakufu, the Shinsengumi! "Are you Yoshida Shouyou…?" The Shinsengumi officer drawled, deliberately omitting the customary honorific of "-sensei" or "-san"

"Say Shouyou-sensei's name properly!" Takasugi demanded, standing up. Shouyou-sensei laid a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, I am Yoshida Shouyou, and you are in my private school. Please take a seat." Shouyou-sensei gestured gracefully, looking perfectly comfortable. There was even a trace of a debonair smile on his face "By the way, when you meet another Japanese person, please remember to bow. Don't act like you have no education."

The officer snorted rudely. "You may be well-educated, sensei, but you sure write a lot of dumb things. For example, how do you explain the treasonous essay you published regarding the Amanto?" The other officer unfolded a scroll and read from it. "The Minister of Foreign Affairs requires your presence in the Bakufu at 7pm tomorrow night. Attendance compulsory by command of the Emperor. You're in a lot of trouble, buddy. We're here to escort you back to Edo."

"That's fine. If the Minister-sama is willing to employ even one of the strategies I proposed, then Japan will cease being an inferior nation.

"In case you haven't noticed, the Amanto can make Japan a lot richer. You're just resisting them because you're afraid to give up your samurai lifestyle."

"I think you're the one who hasn't been on a real battlefield. Money can buy comfort but it can't buy courage. When you're face to face with your enemy, money's the last thing on your mind. You get your strength from honour and loyalty. The real power of Japan comes from the spirit of Bushido!"

The two officers were stunned into silence by Shouyou-sensei's incredibly convincing tone. How could they not be affected by his beliefs? They were samurai after all. Finally the senior officer sputtered "Bushido - Bullshit! We're taking all your library books as war contributions."

"The immortal works of Confucius, Wan Yang Ming, Socrates and Shakespeare …I will gladly give them to you if it's for a worthy cause. But is it good to steal books from high school students? It's not manly to steal from children, you know."

"Oh my god, Yoshida-san, you win! There's no way I can talk around you, can I? I think you're wasting your time teaching in this little school. You should be working for the Bakufu instead. We were ordered to drag you off, but I respect you too much to do that. I'll give you one hour to pack, and when you're done, you'll find us waiting outside the temple gates. Don't try to run away or we'll imprison all your students." They bowed stiffly and headed out of the compound.

"Sensei!" Takasugi protested.

"Don't worry, Takasugi. I don't believe that they'll kill me."

"How can you speak so calmly!"

But sensei only smiled his ageless, forgiving smile. "It's not that I don't feel anger. But I simply just don't respect them enough to hate them."

"But I'm very worried for you, Shouyou-sensei!" If he hadn't been brought up in a strict samurai family, he would have hugged his teacher tightly.

"But even knowing the risks, I am compelled to act as Bushido dictates."

"Full well I knew this course must end in death;

It was the Yamato spirit that urged me on

To dare whatever betides."(1)

Shouyou-sensei took out a book hidden in the folds of his kimono. "This is a book on Bushido that never leaves my side, even when I am sleeping. I want you to have it." He took out a pencil and wrote a dedication with his fine calligraphy. "To Takasugi-kun from Shouyou-sensei, with compliments."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Takasugi asked, craning his neck.

"Drawing…"

"Why are you drawing… a worm?!"

"Look closer, it's a little caterpillar. This is how I see you, Takasugi-kun. A catapillar who will bloom into a beautiful butterfly."

"Sensei!" Takasugi grasped the well-worn book as if in a trance. The lightness of the book, the faint trace of sensei's heat seeping into his palms, the fragrance of the paper and ink...made him stand rooted to his spot for another few minutes. He couldn't speak as he saw Shouyou-sensei wave and walk away.

Caterpillar? Is that's how Shouyou-sensei sees me? Do you really think I am such an innocent boy, sensei? If I tell you about the things that I have seen and done, you'd be shocked. Only you…of all people, have seen the goodness in me. And you know how that makes me feel?

Jealousy.

I'm gonna get you, Zura. If I get rid of you, then I'll have Shouyou-sensei's attention all for myself.

XXX

Takasugi stared at Katsura's movements as he sparred with another student with the wooden training katana. He could easily defeat Katsura at martial arts but that wouldn't satisfy him. He wanted to gain a moral victory over his rival...but failing that, making him cry was also a pleasant alternative. He cupped his chin, thinking of the ways he could manipulate Katsura to meet him late at night. In the middle of the crowd of students, he spotted Gintoki and Rizou sparring together. Rizou was the taller and more muscular of the pair and appeared to have gained the upper hand.

"Hey, hey Rizou…" Gintoki complained in a sleepy voice. "Cool down, will ya? It's too early in the morning to be so aggressive."

"Che!" Rizou cursed, hitting hard with his bokuto, retreated then lunged at Gintoki's side.

Gintoki dodged, feeling irritated at having to work out harder than necessary. "I warned you Rizou!" With a sudden burst of speed, Gintoki cut his bokuto onto Rizou's arm. "Arrgh!" Rizou dropped one knee on the flagstone, grabbing his forearm.

"Oops. Nothing broken, I hope?" Gintoki asked, examining Rizou's arm. A red welt had appeared.

"Nah…you're lucky you got a shot at me, Gintoki. I'm distracted today."

"Excuses, excuses. Tell me about it."

"No, I'm serious, Takasugi gets on my nerves sometimes. That guy just doesn't know when to stop! He knows these mountains are haunted by the Tengu, but he insists on bringing us up there for a morning jog. As if that wasn't bad enough, now he wants to tie someone up to a tombstone and watch! Che!"

"Really…Tie someone up?"

"His favourite person, you know…" Rizou raised his eyebrow.

"Zura?"

"Takasugi acts like he's obsessed about him."

"My my, this won't do. Zura happens to be my best friend! How can you plan something so nasty for him…"Gintoki wagged his finger disapprovingly. "But you're right. Takasugi's gone too far this time. What do you say we give him a taste of his own medicine?"

"Actually… I'm more afraid of Takasugi than of you."

"Don't worry. I have a plan, he'll never find out." He whispered something into Rizou's ear.

"Yeah!!" They slapped each other with a high-five.

"What's so exciting?" Takasugi appeared behind the two conspirators, making their faces turn red from holding in their giggles. He glared suspiciously at them but decided not to pursue the matter. He plunged into the crowd and headed towards Katsura. He gave the classmate sparring with Katsura a fearsome smirk and grabbed his bokuto from his hands. "Do you mind if I steal Katsura-san for a little while?" "Y-you can have him all for yourself! I'll go find someone else to train with. See ya, Zura!" The teen ran off, not wishing to get between Takasugi and his target. The pair were famous for getting into disagreements.

"Takasugi-kun." Katsura protested sternly. "I hope you have a good reason for interrupting my training session."

Takasugi pretended to look upset. "Unfortunately, yes I do. I did really badly for the mid-terms." He took out his paper so that Katsura could see his dismal results. "Could you spare me a moment to discuss this in private?" Katsura looked surprised but he agreed. Takasugi led him to the stone table under the maple tree. "Shouyou-sensei was just explaining my mistakes to me, when some guys from the Bakufu showed up and demanded that he return to Edo."

"Is that why Shouyou-sensei left on horseback? Is he in trouble?" Katsura asked. Takasugi shook his head, feeling worried. "I hope not, but the Bakufu officials looked like they were arresting him."

At that, Katsura's brows knitted tightly together. They were both thinking the same thing.

What if something happens to Shouyou-sensei?

Touched by his enemy's sincerity, Takasugi instinctively put his arm around Katsura's neck. Wait a minute! What am I doing? He quickly took out his paper, revealing it to be torn in two. Katsura laughed.

"It's not me. It was Shouyou-sensei. He said it was too crappy so he tore it up."

"No way."

Takasugi laughed. "He wanted me to re-write it. My new topic. I will only consider as my enemy he who is worthy of being my friend in peace."

"Only consider as your enemy a person who is worthy of being your friend. That's an attitude found in Bushido. It's to teach samurai to have a big, generous heart that will never be jealous of anyone or hate anyone, not even someone clashing with them. Awesome, isn't it?"

"Zura…" Zura's smarter than me! Takasugi's eyes widened. He had never thought of that. He thought it was a measure of fighting abilities.

"Eh…at least that's what my father told me." He put his hand shyly at the back of his head. "But…I don't understand it myself! How can I ever hurt my own friends? Or be enemies with them?" Katsura's clear brown eyes looked a little sad but his eyebrows and lips were drawn in a determined line, as if he couldn't believe life could ever turn out so wrong. He's so pure!

"And if I did something bad to you, would you consider me your enemy?"

"Why would you say such a thing, Takasugi-kun? I know we often disagree on many things, but I don't mind." Katsura actually smiled. "I like listening to a different point of view. And you know, arguing with you actually taught me a lot."

"No, I mean, if I threatened your life. Would you hate me?"

Katsura frowned, puzzled. "I don't know why but I don't. But I've hated you for threatening other kids. That's the only time I get mad at you."

Snob! How dare he look down on me! I'm going to make him hate me."Good points, Katsura-san. I'm going to write all of them into my essay but do you mind if I discuss a little more with you? But I have things to do all afternoon, so I'm only free at night. Can I meet you later, like just before lights out?"

"Did I really help you?" Katsura looked doubtful. "I can try…if you want."

"Ok…meet me tonight at 9:30pm at the back of the biggest temple. Can you do that?"

"Uh, that sounds a little sneaky…"

"Do you want to sneak out? We can sneak out…"

"Where to?"

"See a Tengu?"

"No."

"How about the grave of a famous samurai?"

"Who?"

"Shouyou-sensei's sempai. His grave is at the top of the cemetery."

"Really? I would like to see that!"

"Ok…Let's go there later...Bye for now!" Takasugi ran off, pretending to be busy. Hehehe…that was almost too easy! He even said he wanted to see the grave of a samurai. Now he can't call me a bad guy if I tie him up there!

XXX

10 hours later

Just before sunset, Takasugi was walking alone when he saw Gintoki run towards him as if out of breath. "There you are, Takasugi! Shouyou-sensei asked to meet you in the temple office." "Shouyou-sensei! Didn't he leave for Edo?"

"He came back."

"He came back?" Takasugi's eyes shone with hope as he ran to the office. "Oh thank goodness he is safe!" He found the room dark and empty. "Gintoki! There's no one here!"

Ugh, Chloroform!

Takasugi passed out. Rizou and Gintoki tied him up and carried him out of the temple grounds and onto the slopes of the cemetery.

To be continued....

XXX

(1) Poem written by Yoshida Shoin, a pioneer of modern Japan, on the eve of his execution by the Bakufu.

Please review....thanks :D