* Strand DEAD*

Epilogue

by: WhiteGloves

"If you've got enough free time to fantasize about your beautiful death...

Why don't you just live your life beautifully to the end?"

~Gintoki Sakata~

(Gintama on the loose!)

~Happy Ending~

It was like a distant memory... but he was there.

Blinking, young Katsura saw the picture of the plain fields with the green grass rushing with the wind... The blue sky covering the hills... then a tall man with long tan hair who was the epitome of grace, kindness and tenderness walking back from his stroll...

The little boy with black hair smiled and ran toward his sensei to meet him. It was such a nostalgic feeling.

But then his sensei smiled and raised a hand as if telling him to stop. Young Katsura did as he was told for he never disobeys Yoshida-sensei. But why wouldn't sensei want him to come closer? Something was not right. Young Katsura made up his mind and daringly took a step toward his sensei but the man smiled again and shook his head.

Now Katsura was confused. He wanted to ask why but somehow his voice was failing him. Still stubborn, young Katsura gave his sensei a defiant look, wondering what it was about. Did he do something wrong? Were his clothes dirty? Did he fight someone today that caused sensei to turn him down?

But then—those stuffs only happen when that boy was around. That strange, white headed boy about his age who was sensei's new student. Katsura blinked.

Come to think of it, where was that boy?

"Zura."

Katsura looked behind him but no one was there except for a tree. Frowning, young Katsura looked ahead of him to find his sensei gone. The plain fields remained peaceful.

A strong emotion of wanting to cry out urged young Katsura to run toward the place where his sensei disappeared but then a voice called him back—

"Zura."

Katsura turned behind him again to find the tree closer than the last he remembered. Frowning again this time, young Katsura marched toward the tree. Stopping in front of it, he looked up and found him. The white haired boy who was looking down at him with eyes unseen sitting up a tree branch.

And Katsura opened his mouth to say those familiar words he wanted so bad to bury deep in the head of the permed brat.

It's not Zura—!

Katsura Kotaro finally opened his eyes.

He found himself staring at a dark wooden ceiling. There was a single lamp providing him light in that semidarkness. Blankly looking up at it— he tried to recall first who he was for he wasn't so sure himself. It took him a few seconds to answer that. Then he gave another second to confirm again that his name was really Katsura Kotaro and not Zura for it felt like someone's been whispering that name on his ear.

Oh right. He was Katsura.

The long haired samurai closed his eyes and took a deep breath—then felt a sudden sharp pain on different parts of his body and on his head. Wondering what on earth earned him such pain he opened his eyes, raised a hand and touched his head. He felt a thick bundle of bandaged there. What does that mean...?

Then just like that— flood of memories came surging back in his mind in a flash—rendering him breathless and restless— but what made him sit up despite the protest of his body was the memory of his men— all dead before him while he watched by helplessly.

The pounding of his heart was too painful on his ear.

Perspiration. A drop of sweat slid down his chin.

A pain incomparable to his physical being hit the Joui leader as he dejectedly bowed his head with his hands forming fists... That familiar emotion again.

Painful than any wound slowly wrenching his soul.

Making him wish, not for the first time, that he was the one dead for those who are left behind are the ones who suffers most...

Katsura gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly.

"You're awake?"

Katsura snapped away from his thoughts as he looked on his far right corner to the owner of the voice. He didn't realize that someone else was with him in that dark room, completely sealing off his presence. The Joui leader adjusted his eyes to the light and saw a silhouette of a man—he was sitting by the wall and leaning on it with one knee raised, right hand resting on it with a wooden sword tucked neatly on his arm. His other hand was inside his loosely white kimono covering a black shirt. How Katsura missed his presence, he didn't know. But missing out that adamant permed silver hair and those glinting red eyes surprised him greatly.

"Gintoki?" he whispered, watching as the silver haired samurai straighten a little with eyes still watching him, "you were there... huh?"

"I've been here since yesterday and haven't moved an inch," Gintoki replied with dead pan eyes and blank expression, "I haven't move a single muscle to the point that I've become stiff. You see this position? I can't move my body anymore—I mean, what's with this position? Does this make me cooler? I can't even flex my fingers. I can't even feel my butt. Damn, even my facial expression has gone stiff."

"Your face has always been stiff, Gintoki. No—even your hair has always been stiff."

"Oi, there are other parts of me that are stiff aside from my hair so why are you attacking me there again? Can't you find any other place to insult, bastard?"

"Speaking of which... where am I?"

"You're in Shinpachi's house, Zura."

"It's not Zura. It's Katsura. How many times must I tell you not to call me that? Come to think of it you were the voice I kept hearing just now. What did you do? Sing lullaby in my sleep? The name's Katsura."

"What's the point of calling you that if it meant the same? So you could hear me? And I thought you've got your brain damaged again. Your doctor, old Gengai said it was possible you'd forget your name."

"Isn't Gengai-dono that great Edo engineer? What an honour."

"I think you're missing the point there. But I had him looked at you since we couldn't bring you to any hospital. Plus you're both wanted men so it's a plus-plus."

"And what did he say about me?"

"He said your head's empty. I told him you were born like that."

"Having an empty head doesn't make me less than a warrior."

"So you finally agree with me? You've got no brain?"

"Fool," Katsura closed his eyes quietly, "if I had no brain I wouldn't remember everything that happened..." he slowly opened his eyes, "I wouldn't have to put up with this painful burden... losing my comrades again..."

His voice faltered after that and silence fell between the two as the heavy atmosphere fell on them. Gintoki kept his eyes at the long haired samurai for sometime before looking down his numb feet.

Katsura's eyes flickered as he concentrated them on his hands.

"You were right all along, Gintoki..." he started again, "I should have learned back then... it was a futile fight...losing my friends... such a burden I... maybe I should not have taken this path. For my selfish reasons I continued fighting with these men... I took them up as my responsibility knowing full well the wage I was making. I promised myself I won't have them die...not again after losing so many in battles. But look at me—I'm back where I started. A fool."

He clenched his fists with knuckles turning white.

"Gintoki I..."

"What's the point of saying that now when you can't do anything about it?"

Katsura shot his friend a look but was not able to give any counter. Gintoki watched him and then sighed.

"You're just fine the way you are, Zura."

The Joui leader looked up at the Yorozuya leader again who scratched the back of his head in a familiar fashion. There was this heavy yet meaningful look in his eyes that was emphasized by the dim light.

"You were never the one to think of wasting lives, I know that. You took your sword not for revenge either, I know that. You took your men not to have them die—I know that too. But I've always thought you were a fool to put yourself in a position where the death of your comrades is unavoidable. I never had that kind of will. I stopped fighting because I couldn't take that. But you're not like me. Even if you regret it now, even if you think you have chosen a wrong path, you will always be you."

He suddenly looked at the long haired samurai so piercingly that made the Joui leader stare.

"The you who will continue fighting despite his worn out heart that cries for the many death of his comrades... the you who will continue fighting for the honor of those who had died... letting their will to continue...endlessly fighting. That's who you are. A fool, you said, but you are fine just like that, Zura."

Katsura closed his lips and covered his eyes with his hair as their shadows took shape on the wall. The lit on the lamp danced as the two Jouishishi patriots remained silent for awhile.

"Gintoki..." he whispered so huskily, "if you don't mind... could you leave me alone for awhile?"

The silver haired samurai kept his eyes at his friend.

"Can't. Didn't you hear me? I said I'm stiff. Besides, I find this position very comforting."

"You were just complaining how uncomfortable you are."

"Bug off. That's what I'm saying..." Gintoki looked at the silhouette of his comrade with head bent, hands on his face, "I'm staying."

Katsura didn't say anything as for a minute as his lamentation for his comrades went by. Gintoki remained silent for quite awhile too with eyes closed, aware of that solitary soul shouldering a number of men's death... The lamp light flickered.

Just when it seemed like silence was eternity, a sound of a deep breath was heard.

"You're shameless, Gintoki." The long haired samurai said all of a sudden.

"Which part? Think I don't know that enough?"

"The fact that you're stiff there like a stone is shameless."

"It's better than not having my brain intact."

"You always amuse me with your words"

"Are you an idiot? That wasn't meant to be funny."

"Are you an idiot? You don't see me laughing."

"You're an idiot you're smiling. Wipe off that smirk! It's annoying. See? See? You're really smiling there—damn, if my body isn't stiff here I'd smack you whether you're injured or not!"

The Joui leader took his time, pondering on his friend's words before looking up.

"You say that but you're entirely no different from me."

"No, no—I'm definitely different. Don't dare compare me to brainless maniacs like you."

"I speak of who you are. Despite your claim that you are not like me, that you have given up your battle... I don't think that is entirely true."

"The hell are you talking about?" the Yorozuya leader tried to crane his neck on one side, a first attempt to move his stiff body, but only managing a cracking sound.

"The battle you're fighting, Gintoki... is not for our dead comrades."

The silver haired samurai glanced back at the long haired samurai who had his eyes closed.

"No," Katsura smiled, remembering full well that man who was always around when things were out of hand, making it more out of hand but always, always there when he is needed, "you're battle is here with them... with your alive friends."

"Now look who's shameless," the Yorozuya leader muttered.

At that moment, they heard a shoji door opening somewhere around the house and voices calling.

"Gin-san, we're back."

"Ara, ara, Kagura-chan don't eat those yet. They aren't yet cooked. Let me take care of them."

"You mean burn them to crisp?"

"Did you say something?

"K-Kagura-chan, bring those items in the kitchen, will you?"

The lively voices of the newcomers sent a meaningful silence on the two old Jouishishi patriots.

It was Katsura who broke the spell as he closed his eyes yet again and continued—

"You've found a good place, Gintoki. Don't lose them. Forgive me if I lead them in that battle... that wasn't meant to happen. I nearly—"

"Oi. Shut up, Zura."

Katsura stared up. Gintoki's eyes glimmered.

"Those guys ain't gonna be stopped even if you tell them to run. That's just how they are. If they see a friend falling... they just go all out to save them. Well—not like you didn't exert yourself trying to defend them either so stop over thinking."

"I see...I'm just glad I'm able to keep them from harm at least."

"Not really. They were poisoned you know. Good thing old Gengai had a solution."

"Old Gengai again? Isn't he an engineer?"

"You asked that already. Hey, maybe you're brain's not working. Should I give him a call?"

"I'm asking why him?"

"Why not him?"

Katsura gave out a long sigh that made the silver haired samurai close his mouth.

"That poisoned man, Oboro, you say?" came Katsura's quiet voice, "how is he related to Yoshida sensei?"

Gintoki remained impassive on his corner, looking as if he was expecting that question to come out sooner.

"They're not related in anyway," he answered, "he's just some assassin who was after the Jouishishi under the command of the Bakufu. He knew about sensei because of his thorough research... I doubt sensei even knew him."

"He was the one behind the Kansei Purge?" Katsura's eyes glinted, "and ultimately... the Jouishishi war?"

"Don't give him too much credit," the Yorozuya leader muttered, "he's just a pawn."

Katsura eyed him. "Then? What happened to him?"

It was Gintoki's turn to eye the Joui leader.

"I dunno."

"Gintoki—"

"I know I was fighting him but when that country bumpkin's group came in and blasted the damn wall he just disappeared."

"Shinsengumi?" Katsura's eyes widened.

"Oh yeah, you were pretty much dead when they came, huh? Aren't you lucky? They thought you were dead before Elizabeth blasted that whole place up."

"Elizabeth?"

"Dang, I just remembered I clashed swords with him," The Yorozuya leader's face went grim as he remembered the Shinsengumi Vice Captain, Hijikata Toushiro's, words, "he won't let me off easily."

Katsura blinked at the silver haired samurai who suddenly stood up and stretched his body with cracking sounds here and there.

"Man, I've had enough babysitting. Do what you like, Zura." He stepped toward the doorway and opened it with a yawn.

"It's not Zura. It's Katsura!"

"Katsura."

The Joui leader stopped dead at being addressed so suddenly by his name. He looked up in time to see the silver haired samurai looking back at him from his shoulder.

"I don't know what battle you plan to take head on whether it's for the past or present," Gintoki said with his dead fish eyes appearing, "but just remember this: that fight that happened a long time ago was not for the country. That was for the people we don't want to lose. Just the same, the battle we had here was not because of the government... we fought because we don't want to lose those people. You said my battle is here with them, right? Then... try to think about it too. You're alive aren't you?"

The Joui leader stared long even after the shoji door has been closed.

Sakata Gintoki gave a long, mighty sigh after closing the door behind him. He scratched his head and then looked back, then scratched his head again.

"Ah! Gin-san!" Shinpachi called out as he saw the Yorozuya leader standing by the doorway. "You finally decided to come out, huh? How's Katsura-san?" Is he awake?"

"Yeah, but more importantly," Gintoki looked down at the megane boy's hands, "Aren't you forgetting something? Where's my Jump?"

"Oh, about that," Shinpachi smiled weakly, "we weren't able to buy it because Kagura-chan and aniwe spent so much time in the grocery. I'm sorry, Gin-san."

"What? But that's the latest issue after two weeks hiatus, oi!" the silver haired samurai dashed passed the kid, "damn, there's no helping it. I have to buy it myself!"

"Gin-san!" Shinpachi called out, watching as the silver haired samurai disappear around the corner, "what's up with him? He's the one who didn't leave the room even when I told him to. It's understandable if he's worried about Katsura-san... but to stay there in that position for days is just strange."

He pushed the shoji door open.

"Katsura-san, how are you feelin—?" He stopped in time to see the futon empty with the shoji doors opening to the yard slightly open. Walking toward it, the megane boy, opened the door wide to see the moon high above the sky with the garden silent and undisturbed.

There was no sign of the Jouishishi leader anywhere.

"Katsura-san..." Shinpachi whispered blinking. He paused for awhile before giving a silent sigh. "He really left without a word huh... I guess in a way, Gin-san's trying to avoid this... having Katsura-san leave without notice that's why he stayed here... Well... as long as Gin-san's able to talk to Katsura-san I'm sure he'll be okay."

And with the final look at the serene ambiance, the megane boy closed the shoji door.

Two weeks since then, nobody has seen or heard anything neither about the Jouishishi leader nor of the Jouishishi activities. The news was full of the previous incident but surprisingly, there was no report about the ware house battle where a number of Amantos and humans died. A lot of people had believed then that Katsura Kotaro was dead and that his band of Jouishishi was no longer capable of terrorizing the nation.

And so for quite some time, peace was restored to Edo.

Gintoki and the Yorozuya have resumed their normal lives what with their newly repaired house courtesy by the government who labelled it as casualty of the terrorists. They were back in their normal routine of staying in the Yorozuya quarters waiting for whatnot jobs and the other.

"We haven't heard anything about Katsura-san," Shinpachi opened up one daily afternoon as he set off the tea in front of the Yorozuya boss, "how do you think he's doing, Gin-san?"

"Well," Gintoki answered with eyes if possible to be described as deader, "knowing him he's probably loitering around the park and terrorizing children who're better headed than he is."

"Don't say that," the megane boy said patiently as he sat down across the silver haired samurai, "Katsura-san may lack common sense but he's still a great samurai and I look up to him very much."

"You can look up to him all you want but that doesn't change the fact that his brain's off somewhere far from him."

"Doesn't that worry you then?"

"I'd worry more about myself if I accidentally meet him again."

"Gin-san."

"You don't get it at all do you? Why do you think we're having this peaceful atmosphere here? Don't go wishing for him to return sooner—heard about that? Careful what you wish for?"

"No, I'm just saying—at least hearing from him from time to time isn't bad."

"You're really wishing for him to appear, huh? You really don't know what you're wishing for, do you? You sure got a lot of free time and several life points, Patsu! Man, I gotta get up."

"Gin-san?"

"Whether he's here or not, isn't the thought that he's alive somewhere comforting already?"

The megane boy blinked and then smiled a little as the Yorozuya leader stood up shaking his head with one hand inside his robe while Shinpachi followed him with his eyes.

"Where are you going?"

"Where else? I'll go buy the latest Jump. I won't stand around hearing you wishing for Zura to return. Haven't you heard about the saying speak of the devil? How many devils do you think are listening to you now? I'd rather wish for a Doraemon than a freaking Katsura, teme. At least Doraemon's useful."

"W-wait—Gin-san!"

But the Yorozuya leader has already descended on the stairs with a palm scratching the back of his head. He wore his favorite helmet and climbed on his bike. Switching it on, he rode his bike around town with the wind touching his face. The city was peaceful alright with the Kabuki people here and there. He saw many faces of familiar people, from Shinpachi's sister walking with the Yagyuu leader with a monkey on her shoulder looking at the gorilla hiding in a corner with another maniac right beside him; that shabby looking man with shades glinting in the sunlight and selling out junks; a beautiful green haired robot walking with a small old bald man carrying tools, another green creature who was the exact opposite of beautiful with a single flower protruding from his temple, a man jumping around in a ninja suit with his eyes hidden on his long bangs carrying a pizza and the latest Jump and finally men in black uniform who were patrolling the area inside their car.

Yep, Gintoki thought with a sigh. This was Edo alright.

A peaceful place filled with monsters and idiots who manage to live together despite all the odds. Whoever said difference would be a hindrance to make them understand each other?

As far as Gintoki was concerned there was a hair thin difference between peace and war.

And that hair thin difference includes having a brain.

And having a brain is an important trait the Yorozuya leader always counted people to have. Yet some are not blessed with it. Poor Zura.

Just as his thoughts crossed that of the Jouishishi leader, he drove across a familiar ramen restaurant where the door suddenly opened and out came a man carrying a ramen delivery box—

*crash*

The next thing, we see the silver haired samurai sitting down the ground with noodles all over his hair. Across him and also on the ground with his black hair greased with the noodle's sauce was none other than—

"Are you really a devil," Gintoki muttered sounding bemused, "Zura?"

In the next second we find the two old Jouishishi men sitting together inside the ramen shop while a beautiful girl behind the counter served them with a hot bowl.

"I'll have to give it to you, Zura," the silver haired samurai was saying with a smirk, "you really know where to go and stay right after that havoc you caused."

"What are you talking about?" Katsura answered with eyes closed as he took his chopsticks gently, "It so happens that I needed another job and Ikumatsu-dono has gracefully offered me some."

"That's the point isn't?"Gintoki added slyly, "you've been staying here since when—so how is it going? Did you finally ******!?"

The silver haired samurai found two chopsticks sticking out of his nose. Raising an eyebrow, he gave a mighty blow on the nose and turned to eat his ramen.

"You're being secretive now, are you? After all these years you're now keeping things like this, huh? What are you? Some teenager who's in love and shy to admit it? Come to think of it you've always been the shy type. But coming down here so aggressively, I knew you've change somehow or another."

In the next beat the Yorozuya leader found an empty bowl at the top of his head.

"Stop your nonsense," Katsura said with a side look at him, "you really have no shame. I came here because I had no other place to go. Once out of the Shimura dojo, I realized that as a wanted man—and a known dead man at that—I knew it was not good to come out in public. So I had to keep myself here hidden until I contacted the other members of my faction."

"Uh?" Gintoki blinked as he tried to recall, "I remembered you have more than a hundred men. Just imagining you leading them make me somewhat unsettled. But I can't believe they did not wreck havoc the city after your rumoured death."

"No, Elizabeth has made sure to inform them that I'm alive."

"Heh? So he's really the leader on the shadow, huh? But if you were planning to hide out here, why didn't you just stay at Shinpachi's house."

"Shinpachi-dono's been truly generous," the samurai closed his eyes, "I cannot burden him anymore of my situation. Especially not after he closed that door just when I was relieving myself."

"Uh?" Gintoki's dead pan eyes glinted a little, "what do you mean?"

"I meant nothing."

"Do you mean to say you didn't really leave the house because of some sensitive reason? You idiot—you were just pissing outside the garden then?!"

"Not entirely. I was also gazing at the moon back then when I heard Shinpachi-kun said out loud that I really left without a word."

"So because you felt ashamed of knocking on the door after his statement you just decided to get drifted all the way here, huh?! What are you—a brainless cat? No—cats would be insulted to be compared to you!"

"Speaking of which, I did see a cat also standing by the veranda watching the moon—"

"Like I care— bokke!" Gintoki smacked his face and sighed, "You're really something. No, you having no brain is really something. So then what? What are you planning from here on?"

Katsura closed his eyes.

"I'll bid my time for awhile... until I can get up again... as far as I can tell, this place calms me down." And he looked at the kitchen to where the smell of ramen was coming from.

"Hmm..." the silver haired samurai eyed his friend from the corner of his mouth as he slurped the leftover noodle falling down from his hair. "You're not daydreaming of the ramen, are you? Well... as far as I can tell you look quite suitable here."

Katsura looked up at the man sitting beside him who continued—

"A peaceful place, don't you think? Isn't it about time for you to settle down? You're not getting any younger, Zura. You're at the age where you should stop making people worry. Besides... I don't think our dead comrades would blame you if you choose to stop the battle."

There was a long silence that followed the silver haired samurai's statement. A long silence that made Katsura to stare into a space and into the lady working by the kitchen stove.

"I don't really get what you mean..."

"Hell you don't..."

"Then if I ask you... why won't you settle down?"

It was Gintoki's time to be silent that ended up him scratching his head.

"I am settled down compared to you and your jumpy brain cells, Zura."

"Then that's settled." the long haired samurai said as he continued staring ahead, "One can't ask for many things too greedily. I do not think this kind of life would suit me—not until I see Edo, the Bakufu and the people all working together to achieve a real nation's goal. I cannot settle down until that battle is over... for the future."

Gintoki glanced at the black haired samurai and then closed his eyes with a small smile.

Moments later, we see the silver haired samurai opening the ramen shop's door and bumping to a white costume with hairy legs standing outside it. Blinking, Gintoki stared at the amanto and then walked pass it with a tap at the amanto's shoulder.

"You sure have it tough, don't you?" he whispered with a small smile, "with that idiot around."

Elizabeth didn't respond but quietly entered the ramen shop and closed the door with a shut.

When Gintoki returned home after a quarter of an hour, he was surprised to be met by Shinpachi on the doorway. The megane boy immediately clung on his arm looking urgent.

"What is it, Patsu?" the silver haired samurai made a face as he was dragged inside the house, "oi, oi, don't tell me your sister caught you doing naughty things, huh? I told you always do that without a soul around."

"What are you blabbering about, Gin-san! We have a customer!"

At once, the Yorozuya leader's eyes sparkled.

"Customer?" and he immediately looked toward the person sitting across Kagura on their sofa. The moment his eyes fell on her, he was awed by her presence and also—struck. For it was none other than his favorite weather reporter—Ketsuno Anna.

He could barely speak her name, let alone continue walking toward the sofa she was sitting by that he accidentally sat on Kagura who pushed him butt first away with her strength.

"Is everything all right?" Ketsuno Ana asked gently to the Yorozuya members.

"O-ofcourse," Gintoki nervously said with a smile twitching at the side of his mouth, "I-it's Ketsuno Ana-san again, huh? It's you again, huh?"

"Yes," the lady reporter smiled so nicely it made Gintoki's heart swell.

"So?" the Yorozuya leader continued as the two kids found place beside him, "w-what can we do for you? We'll definitely do everything for you as long as you don't send people to cut out my *alls again."

Ketsuno Ana produced a picture from her bag.

"Well, I was hoping if you could help me find this person."

"Of course!" Gintoki answered at once as he took the picture and immediately looked at it, "we'll find any one you want us to find be him in the other side or a devil himself—!"

Then Gintoki's face darkened. Shinpachi and Kagura peered at the picture as well and their eyes rounded in recognition.

"Hey, that's—!?" they said in chorus.

"You know him, right? Shinpachi-kun?" Ketsuno Ana flashed him another smile as Gintoki let go of the photo which fell back on the table.

And the face of Katsura Kotarou is seen on the picture, staring at them with his straight expression.

"Huh? Why's Zura's picture there?" Kagura wanted to know, "did weather reporter-san become member of the police?"

"Ketsuno-san," Shinpachi said as he too stared at the picture, "w-why are you looking for Katsura-san at times like this? You know there's a rumor that he's dead, right?"

The lady reporter took the photo on her hands and held it for awhile. Then she smiled.

"I don't think he's dead."

"But why would you want to find him?"

"W-well... I'd like to thank him for the last time... and also..."

Gintoki's eyes darkened even more, especially when they noticed her reddening face.

"K-Ketsuno-san... you don't mean...?" Shinpachi blinked several times before finally seeing the weather reporter blushing and smiling shyly.

Destroying Gintoki's fantasy with thunder strikes and dark background.

As the lady reporter bid them farewell with Katsura's photo left on the table, the Yorozuyas all stared at it with complete silence.

"W-who would have thought...?" the megane boy smiled awkwardly, "I mean—Katsura-san... I mean yeah, he's cool and all and good looking... and all..."

"But he's still an idiot," Kagura shrugged her shoulders, "lady reporter must've been too shaken by what nearly happened to her that she's gotten blind."

"Well, speaking of shaken..." Shinpachi turned to the Yorozuya leader who hasn't moved an inch from where he was sitting, "here's a perfect example of someone definitely shaken to the core."

"Gin-chan, you're—w-where are you going?"

For the silver haired samurai has suddenly stood up and walked toward their cabinet and took a long, brown rope.

"Can't you tell?" he looked back at them darkly with a sudden noose at hand, "I'm gonna kill myself!"

"O-oi! That's not a good joke, Gin-san!"

"Ahhh! Gin-chan's killing himself, Shinpachi!"

"Let go of me, you idiots! I'll kill myself! Let go! I'd better be off to heaven than see Zura settle down with my Ketsuno Ana!"

"Whoever said he'll settle down!? Come to think of it—YOU SETTLE DOWN!"

"Ahh! He's putting it on his head, Shinpachi!"

"Quick—Kagura-chan! Go grab it away from him—!"

"He's tied it on the ceiling, Shinpachi!"

"Somebody stop him!"

The door of the Yorozuya quarter suddenly banged open and in came—

"What's going on here?" Katsura Kotarou looked at the commotion in front of him and again saw—the same image he had seen before—of the silver haired samurai trying to get his head on the noose with two children clinging on his legs.

"Uhh..." Gintoki blinked, "Zura?"

The Joui leader's eyes sparkled.

And then like what he did the last time—joined in the clinging and collided with the other Yorozuya's shouting—"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, GINTOKI!?"

Before anyone else could speak there was another blast on the door—

"What now!?" Gintoki shouted over the heads as he saw above the smokes the familiar brown head of Okita Sogo and the black hair of Hijikata Toushiro.

"Tse," the Vice Chief of the Shinsengumi muttered, "I knew it'd be too good to be true for you to die, Katsura."

"Oi!" the silver haired samurai shouted, "You're destroying my house again!"

Okita Sogo raised his bazooka above his shoulder as the Joui leader turned to escape and said in his usual drawling and bored voice—

"Well... sayonara."

And the whole placed exploded with a loud bang with the Yorozuya leader shouting at the top of his lungs with Katsura Kotarou jumping up and about and the two younger Yorozuyas clinging on the silver haired samurai's waist.

It was just another day at the Yorozuya household.

~THE END~

There's so many things I want to say. Especially my love for Gintama universe.

I love the Joui Patriots. I love the Yorozuyas. I love the intense battles and history behind it!

I even love those crazy antics and plot lines no matter how bizarre they are!

I'm just glad I stumbled upon this craziness. I actually can't think of the old me without Gintama!

I'll be cheering it up in the current manga too!

Thank you for all of you whose also along side me loving Gin-chan and everyone else!

So then just as Okita-kun said! "Sayonara!"

For now.

Thank you for reading!