mhell

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 5 / 04

The corpses of Elith’s top five elite soldiers lay strewn across the floor, mangled beyond recognition, not even remotely human anymore.

A sharp-eyed figure swept the room with his gaze until his eyes landed on the girl standing calmly at the center.

“Well, well… to take out Elith’s elites like that—you really are the daughter of the world’s top mercenary.”

Saya slowly turned toward the voice. The man was completely cloaked, with only glowing red eyes visible beneath his hood.

“No greeting for me, beautiful?”

“Who?” Her raspy voice made it clear—this wasn’t the same Saya he once knew.

“Ah… not Saya, is it?”

This was Dark Saya—the other self born the moment her father died. A merciless, heartless entity that wanted nothing more than to destroy everyone—friend or foe.

Worse yet, it wanted to take full control of Saya’s body.

“It’s rare you stay out this long,” the man said with amusement.

Without a word, Dark Saya launched herself at him without hesitation.

“Tsk. I told you—we’re in a hurry.”

He calmly raised his hand in a halting gesture—

And at once, her body froze mid-air.

“Charging in blindly only clouds your focus. You won’t see the openings.”

With a flick of his wrist, he slammed her body into the wall. She gasped, blood spilling from her mouth.

“Khak—!”

“Let’s dig up some old memories, shall we?”

The cloaked man launched an attack at high speed, kicking her in the stomach with such force that her body went through the wall, crashing through several rooms.

“I… I’m not… losing yet!”

“You’ve lost, Saya.”

“Not… yet!!!” Just before she could rise, it felt like her head was about to explode. “AAARGHHH!!!”

Dark Saya writhed on the floor, her heart racing so fast it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She slammed her head against the floor to ease the pain, but no matter how hard she hit the ground, it wouldn’t go away.

‘Enough already. It’s time to return to where you belong.’

“No!!! I won’t go back!!!”

The cloaked man stood quietly, observing her. But suddenly, a mysterious beam of light shot toward them, forcing him to leap aside.

“Kazura-san!!!”

The gang rushed toward Saya, who was struggling. Gintoki glared at the cloaked man, fury in his eyes, prompting the man to speak up.

“Calm down. I didn’t do this to her. Saya is just fighting with herself.”

“Fighting with herself?” Gintoki asked, his confusion showing.

“Saya has two personas—her normal one and her dark side. Right now, her dark side is being pulled back to its original place, which is causing her symptoms.”

“We don’t believe you.” Kagura said firmly.

“Suit yourself,” he shrugged.

“AAARGHHH!!!”

A final scream echoed throughout the room before the slender body collapsed to the ground, motionless.

“Azacchan!!! / Kazura-san!!!” Shinpachi and Kagura shook her to try and wake her, but it was no use; she remained still.

Gintoki checked her pulse and found it weak. “Take Saya out of here first.”

“What about Agin-chan?” Shinpachi asked, concerned.

“I’ll handle things here and catch up later.” They exchanged a glance before Shinpachi carried Saya on his back.

“Come back soon, okay?”

“Yeah.”

Gintoki watched the kids disappear before turning his attention back to the cloaked man.

“Well then, looks like it’s our turn.”

“You seem eager to play with me.”

“Not really, but it wouldn’t hurt to try!!!”

Meanwhile, Shinpachi and Kagura were trying to find their way out, but the Elith soldiers kept coming relentlessly. He thought they’d all be gone by now.

Bang! Bang!

Kagura fired to cover their backs and allow Shinpachi to run, but the building was on the verge of collapsing, forcing them to dodge falling debris.

The steel balcony above them cracked and fell toward them, but suddenly, a mysterious bazooka shot it away.

“Kazura-san! Elizabeth-san!”

“Azacchan!!”

“Are you all alright?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s hurry up. This place is about to collapse.”

“And Gintoki-san?”

“He’s fighting the Elith soldiers inside.”

“Is that so? Let’s get out quickly. He’ll be fine.”

“Right.”

CRASH!!!!!

The battle between Gintoki and the cloaked man was far from over. They continued to clash with everything they had. The man finally removed his cloak, revealing his true face.

Gintoki’s brow furrowed in recognition. He knew this man. The same man who helped in the war against foreign invaders with an old man.

“You’re making that face, so I guess you remember me.”

“Tch! I didn’t think it was you.” Gintoki used his wooden sword to push himself off the ground, taking his stance.

“Let’s continue this, ‘nephew.’”

The two lunged at each other, exchanging blows and slashes until they were both sent flying. Sainless kicked Gintoki in the chest. Although Gintoki blocked with his wooden sword, it shattered into pieces, and he was sent crashing into a wall, coughing up blood.

Sainless walked toward him, glancing at the silver bracelet on Gintoki’s arm before tearing it off.

“So it’s because of this bracelet that you can use Saya’s power.”

Cough! Cough! - Ack!!! Another kick to the stomach sent Gintoki into unconsciousness, barely able to move.

“Your skills are still impressive, but, you know… a person without power is just a regular person. No matter how hard you try, you’ll always be ordinary.”

He stomped hard on Gintoki’s stomach, causing the floor beneath them to crack.

“Ack!! Cough!!”

Gintoki, with trembling hands, grabbed Sainless’ leg. “It’s true, in the end, I’m still just an ordinary person… Cough!! But…”

With a sudden burst of strength, he flipped Sainless over and locked his legs around the man’s arm.

“I’m an ordinary person with friends!!!”

“YAAAGH!!!”

Shinpachi and Kagura, who had followed, launched their weapons at Sainless, piercing through his body. Two rough white crystals shot out, and both Sainless and Gintoki were sent flying in opposite directions.

“Gintoki-san!!! / Agin-chan!!!”

Coughing!

At that moment, the area around them began to collapse, forcing the group to scramble to escape.

CRASH!!!!!

They barely managed to escape just in time, and once they were out, they collapsed, completely exhausted.

“You guys almost didn’t make it,” Kazura said, looking down at them.

“Why are you here?” Gintoki asked, seeing Kazura standing above them.

“I followed you when I saw you come here,” Kazura replied, glancing at Sarutobi and Elizabeth, who were standing nearby.

“Still investigating me, huh?”

“Even though you don’t choose me anymore, I don’t want you to die, Gintoki-san. It’s called still having feelings for you—”

“And Saya?”

“!!!” Gintoki interrupted, ignoring her long-winded speech.

“She’s unconscious over there.”

Gintoki slowly got up and walked over to Saya, who seemed to be waking up. He sat down next to her.

“Well, well, you little troublemaker, you’re not dead yet?” Saya gave a small smile.

“Almost.”

“Gintoki, it hurts. Can you say the chant for me?”

“Like this? There’s a lot of people here.”

“Can’t you?” Saya pouted, looking up at him with an expression like a child, making Gintoki scratch his head.

“Alright, alright…”

“Jabula Jabula, my love, may suffering disappear, and happiness return.”

He whispered the words softly and kissed her forehead. Everyone around them was stunned or blushing, except Sarutobi, who screamed in disbelief, with Elizabeth having to hold him back.

“Rest, you silly girl,” Gintoki muttered, though he caught a glimpse of a slight red tint on Saya’s ears before she smiled in satisfaction.

“Mm, stay by my side.” Her hand rested on his forehead.

“Yeah.”

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 5 / 04

Inside the facility, now reduced to wreckage, two footsteps echoed through what remained. The ceiling had caved in, debris littered the floor, and the bodies of Elith soldiers lay in pools of blood.

No one could’ve caused this much destruction except one person: Saya.

Well, it’s their fault for capturing her. What did they expect? Of course she’d fight to survive.

A sudden beam of energy shot past her face, slamming into the wall and leaving a gaping hole. She barely dodged in time—Had she moved a second slower, that hole would’ve been in her skull.

“Yaaahhhh!!”

A woman in battle armor charged in, beginning a fierce battle with Saya. Her magic weapon fired laser-like beams that could cut through anything—but Saya had her own tricks.

A hard kick slammed into Saya’s stomach, sending her flying—

But as she flew, she caught sight of a man behind her preparing to skewer her with a spear. She instantly morphed the ground beneath her, propelling herself upward and slamming down with a massive sword to intercept.

But it didn’t end there—

Three more opponents arrived.

Two were twin brothers wielding a hammer and a spear. The third, a short-haired woman, carried a bow with poison-tipped arrows.

Now it was five versus one.

Even for Saya, it was a tough fight. Attacks rained in from every angle, and she had to dodge and counter constantly.

“Move!” the archer ordered.

The others backed off as she fired a poison arrow straight into Saya’s left shoulder, pinning her to the wall. Three more arrows followed—one each in her right shoulder, left leg, and right leg.

“Now you can’t run.”

Saya struggled to break free, but her strength was nearly gone. Worse still, the poison was spreading, searing through her veins like fire.

“Argh!!”

“Can that really kill her?” one of them asked. “She has every kind of power, doesn’t she?”

“But not my poison,” the archer smirked, stepping toward Saya. She grabbed another arrow and drove it deep into Saya’s chest.

“ARGHHHH!!!”

“Crying already?” she sneered. “Don’t worry. Soon you’ll be just like your parents. And your powers? We’ll make good use of those.”

The world around Saya began to fade. Her heartbeat slowed.

Maybe this is it. I’m done. I’ve got nothing left.

“This is why you’re weak. That’s why everyone died. Your time is up. I’ll take over from here.”

Suddenly, the arrows pinning her body melted away and dropped to the ground.

Saya stood—slowly, steadily—then tilted her head back with a twisted grin.

“What the…?!”

Before they could react, the ground erupted into a massive stone spike that impaled one of the twins straight through the chest.

“YOU!!”

The others attacked at once. Saya called forth a long sword and drove it through the remaining twin’s heart, then slashed him clean across the chest.

“Kuuya!! You monster! I’ll—”

Before she could finish, the short-haired archer fired her own poison arrow—Into her ally’s head.

The venom surged instantly, twisting his body grotesquely until he exploded.

“Well then…” Saya said with a blood-soaked smile.

“Who’s next?”

Explosions echoed from the other side as fiercely as ever. Gintoki’s team wasn’t holding back—

Even though the Elith side had numbers on their side, they couldn’t match their strength.

“Jeez!! Finally done!”

But just as the words left his mouth, one of the room’s large doors burst open—

And from the smoke emerged a monstrous creature, so massive its head scraped the ceiling.

It looked like a massive, long-haired brown dog—

But its face was oddly human, with razor-sharp teeth like a shark, three tails, and a stench that reeked of rotting corpses.

“What the hell is that thing?”

“Ugh! I’m gonna puke—ugh, ughhh!!” Kagura gagged as the smell overwhelmed her.

Sadaharu stepped forward, growling deeply as he stood face-to-face with the beast.

“Sadaharu… is that you?”

“Woof!!” Sadaharu turned to smile at everyone—

Then suddenly his body surged with power, swelling in size until he was just as massive as the demonic beast.

Gintoki noticed a crystal pendant hanging from Sadaharu’s neck.

Saya must’ve left it for him.

“I get it now. Alright, I’m counting on you.”

“Woof!” Gintoki patted Sadaharu’s leg.

“Take care of it quick, alright? We’ve got dinner to get home to.”

“Woof!” Elsewhere, in the main hall—

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 5 / 02

In a cold, square-shaped room filled with various pieces of experimental equipment—some of which still emitted faint beeping sounds—a young woman lay restrained on a metal platform at the center. Her light-colored eyes scanned the surroundings carefully. Though disoriented, she could roughly guess that this was some sort of underground lab… and that she, herself, was likely one of the “test subjects.”

“Well, well… you’re finally awake, little lady.”

A rough, hoarse voice spoke beside her. A large man reached over, his coarse hand brushing against her cheek. Saya turned her face away with all the strength she could muster, prompting a roaring laugh from him.

“Ouch! Rejected by a pretty girl, huh? That stings.”

He gripped her cheek harshly, making her wince in pain. She struggled against the restraints, but the more she moved, the more electric currents surged through her body, leaving her weak and breathless.

“Give it up, Saya,” he said, leaning in close. “You’re powerless now. Just an ordinary girl.” But instead of showing fear… Saya let out a soft laugh.

“What the hell are you laughing at?”

“You’re just ridiculously scary, that’s all.”

In that instant, the electricity in the room surged toward her body. The lab equipment flickered and went silent. The lights blinked and then shut off completely.

With a sudden force, all her restraints snapped free.

The man stumbled back in shock, reaching for his weapon. But it was too late—The moment the blade neared her, she caught it barehanded, transforming it into a crackling electric spear. In one swift motion, she hurled it straight through him.

He collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Saya pushed herself up slowly and began walking toward the exit, eyes scanning for the next threat. But before she could take another step, a dozen Elith soldiers swarmed the corridor ahead.

“Freeze!” one of them barked.

“Stay where you are and surrender quietly!” Saya stood still, locking eyes with each of them one by one.

Then, she spoke.

“No.”

Elsewhere—deep within the rural outskirts, far from the city—Gintoki and the Shinsengumi raced after Sadaharu, who was leading the way by scent.

“Jeez, they took Saya this far out?” Kagura huffed as she ran.

“No kidding… we’re practically in ghost town territory,” Hijikata muttered, eyeing the surroundings warily.

“Makes sense though,” Gintoki added. “The farther they are from the city, the less chance the cops will come sniffing around. Perfect for hiding shady operations.”

Eventually, they reached a wide clearing in the middle of the abandoned town. Sadaharu slowed down, nose twitching, before stopping in front of an old factory building. He sniffed the air carefully… then barked loudly.

“Woof! Woof!”

Everyone froze.

That bark said it all—“She’s here.”

“What is it, Sadaharu? Did you find Saya?”

“Woof!” Sadaharu barked toward the open dirt field. Gintoki looked in the same direction, pondering something.

“Kagura, didn’t you say Saya cast a spell on your umbrella?”

“Yup, she did-nya.”

“Then shoot over there,” Gintoki said, pointing at the field.

“But Gin-san, that’s just an empty field…” Shinpachi said, confused.

“Doesn’t matter. Just shoot.”

“You got it-nya.”

Kagura lifted her umbrella and fired a magical blast toward the field. The beam struck something invisible, triggering a shockwave and smoke that began to rise.

“What the heck…?”

Moments later, cracks formed in an invisible barrier, gradually revealing a hidden structure behind it—an enormous research facility. Elith operatives inside could be seen frantically running for their lives.

“Seize them all!!” Kondou shouted to his unit as the terrified researchers fled.

“What’s going on here?” Hijikata grabbed a panicked man by the collar. He looked like a scientist.

“Help us! Please—it’s a demon! A demon’s gone berserk!”

“What?!”

“She’s gone mad! She’s going to kill us all!”

The words were enough for the Odd Jobs crew to understand instantly. They leapt onto Sadaharu’s back and dashed forward, charging straight into the chaos while shouting back—

“Shinsengumi! We’re leaving the rest to you!”

“Gin-chan… Saya’s going to be okay, right?”

“She has to be. That girl’s a hundred times stronger than we are.”

“Right-nya! I forgot.” Of course she’ll be fine. That girl’s practically invincible.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 05 / 01

Friday morning—already the fifth day of the week—had arrived far too quickly. Only two days left, huh? Then his duty of looking after Saya would be over.

The thought made Gintoki feel strangely uneasy. Normally, that wasn't like him at all. A job ends, and that’s it. He'd go home, lie around, and read Jump in peace.

But this time… it was different.

He didn’t want it to end.

Not because he wanted to keep working—but because he didn’t want her to leave.

He wanted her to stay. Stay here, stay peacefully. Go on trips together. Go shopping together like yesterday…

“Gin-chan~ Breakfast’s ready, nya~!”

Maybe… maybe he should ask Saya to go somewhere with him after this job ends? She’d be going back to America soon, and who knew if she’d ever come back?

He stroked his chin, lost in thought.

But wait—why did he even want to do all that?

Could it be… he actually liked her—

CRASH!!!

Before he could answer his own question, the house’s tiny terror came flying in with a surprise dropkick that sent him crashing into the wall.

“WHAT THE HELL, YOU CRAZY KID?! I COULD’VE DIED!”

“Who cares, nya~? If you died, we’d get the life insurance money and build a high-tech Odd Jobs office, nya~!”

“YOU BRAT, KAGURA!!!”

After their usual chaos, the two made their way downstairs to Otose’s shop. Gintoki sat at the counter and was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer amount of food laid out.

“Why’s there so much food today?”

“We’re celebrating~” Catherine chirped, placing a glass in front of him. “Celebrating your newfound love~”

“Love? A celebration? For what?”

“The kids said they wanted to throw a party for you,” Otose chimed in. “Said since you finally fell in love, it’s worth celebrating.”

Gintoki let out a deep sigh. “When did I ever say I was in love?”

“Oh come on, Gin-san,” Shinpachi added. “Even someone watching from Mars could see it. The way you look at Saya—it’s different from how you usually stare at pretty girls.”

“Is that so? Then explain it.”

Shinpachi froze. He honestly didn’t know how to put it into words—he’d never been in love before. “Uh… well… it’s hard to explain.”

Gintoki sighed again. “Listen, Shinpachi. Just because you look at someone a certain way doesn’t mean you know everything about what you feel. Sure, maybe… I’ve started to like her. But liking someone doesn’t always mean the feeling will last forever, you know?”

“So, Gin-chan~ Do you like Saya or not~?”

“I don’t know... maybe I do.”

“Eeeeehhh~!”

The entire shop erupted in teasing sounds and smirks. It wasn’t like his feelings were perfectly clear—he admitted to himself that he liked Saya, truly liked her—but there were still too many mixed-up thoughts in his head, questions he hadn’t figured out yet.

“Well, it’s about time. You’re almost thirty—finding yourself a wife now wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Easy there, granny. I haven’t even asked her out yet!”

“So, when will you ask her to be your girlfriend, Gintoki-sama?”

Tama asked curiously while mopping the floor.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought that far ahead.”

“Better be quick, or some mutt might snatch her up, nya~ Saya’s really pretty, y’know?”

“She’s that pretty? As pretty as me, perhaps~?”

Catherine asked with a dramatic pose.

“Please, Catherine-san. Don’t even compare. You’re not even close to the dirt on her shoe.”

“Oh you little four-eyed punk!! You think you’re hot stuff just ‘cause you’ve got glasses!? You think you can insult other people like that?!”

“I already told you—I’m not just a pair of glasses!!”

“Alright, alright. That’s enough bickering. Eat your food before it gets cold.”

Just as things were settling down again, the door swung open—and in came the Shinsengumi.

“What the hell, guys? We’re in the middle of a peaceful meal here. Ever heard of manners?”

“Didn’t mean to interrupt your feast,” Hijikata said seriously. “But we’ve got a problem.”

“What happened?” Shinpachi asked.

“Saya’s gone missing,” Kondo answered with a worried face.

“When?”

Gintoki set down his chopsticks, face suddenly calm and serious.

“No one knows exactly,” Hijikata replied. “We went to meet her this morning for a meeting, but when we got there… the place was completely empty.”

“Did you try calling her?”

“We did,” Okita answered. “We tracked the GPS her sister put in her phone, and it still shows she’s in the room. But after searching the place... we realized she didn’t take either of her phones with her.”

Okita handed Gintoki two high-end smartphones—both looked brand new.

“Has she stopped by here at all?” Hijikata asked.

“No,” Shinpachi replied. “We haven’t seen her since we parted ways yesterday.”

As everyone discussed the situation, Gintoki suddenly went quiet.

He was remembering something...

Something Saya had said to him last night, when they were riding the Ferris wheel together.

“Hey… Gintoki.”

Saya’s voice was soft as the two sat high above the city in the Ferris wheel, surrounded by stars.

“Hmm?”

“If… if I ever got kidnapped… would you come find me?”

Gintoki turned to her slowly. His gaze was calm, but something deep inside stirred.

“Would you want me to find you?”

She looked him in the eyes, then gave a small nod. “I would…”

He smiled faintly.

“If you want me to find you… I will.

Even if they take you all the way to America—

I’ll chase you down… until I find you.”

Saya held out her pinky.

“Promise me.”

He hooked his pinky with hers.

“I promise.”

“Gintoki, where are you going?”

Shinpachi asked as the silver-haired man suddenly stood up and marched off, grabbing Sadaharu like he was headed somewhere important.

“I’m going to find Saya.”

“Then we’ll go too!”

“No. You guys stay here.”

“No way, daaa!”

Kagura and Shinpachi stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You want us to just sit and wait around? That’s not gonna happen. Besides… you’re not the only one who made a promise to Saya.”

Gintoki paused. “Wait… you guys knew?”

“Not exactly,” Shinpachi replied with a small smile. “But I figured you must’ve had a talk like that with her.”

“When we were walking to the amusement park,” Kagura added, “we made a promise to Saya too. That if she ever got taken—we’d be the ones to go rescue her. No matter where she is.”

“Hey… Is someone hunting you down, Saya?” Kagura asked bluntly.

“Kagura-chan! You can’t just ask that!” Shinpachi turned to stop her, but Saya only offered a small smile.

“It’s okay. You can ask… I’ve been hunted for a long time—since I was a kid.”

“You must be really exhausted,” Shinpachi said gently.

“Yeah… So tired that sometimes, I just wish I could disappear.”

“Don’t disappear, na! If you do, Gin-chan will be super sad!” Saya laughed lightly. “Why would Gin-san be sad because of me?”

“Because Gin-chan likes you, duh!” Saya raised an eyebrow at Kagura’s bold declaration.

“Come on… Someone like Gin-san?”

“It’s true,” Shinpachi added. “Normally, when someone’s upset, Gin-san doesn’t hug them. At most, he pats them on the head. But with you? He hugged you.”

Saya fell silent, her smile fading into thought. “Maybe… he just pitied me.”

“No way,” Kagura said confidently. “We can tell—Gin-chan really cares about you. He wouldn’t have invited you out otherwise. He’s stingy as hell! He never pays for anyone unless he has to, but he actually bought amusement park tickets for you!”

“…He did, didn’t he?”

“But isn’t it dangerous, going out in the open like this?” Shinpachi asked, glancing around.

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t worry, Shinpachi! We’re here, right? No one’s laying a finger on Saya while we’re around!”

“But those guys… the Elith… they’re terrifying. I don’t think normal kids like us can handle them.”

“Terrifying? So what!” Kagura slammed her hand on Shinpachi’s back, making him yelp.

“If Saya ever gets taken—we’ll be the ones to bring her back. That’s a promise!”

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious!” Kagura puffed up with pride.

“We swear on the honor of the Yorozuya! No matter where they take you—we’ll bring you back!” Saya let out a quiet laugh and nodded.

“Then I’m counting on you.”

“We know, sir… Without the bracelet, we wouldn’t stand a chance against them.”

Shinpachi spoke with firm resolve, eyes burning with determination. “But we’re the Yorozuya. No matter how heavy, dangerous, or terrifying the job is… we’ll still take it.”

“I’d say don’t even try,” Hijikata cut in sharply. “Those guys aren’t normal. No matter how brave you are, you won’t be able to beat them.”

“That’s exactly why, na…” Kagura replied with a smirk. “Saya gave us something—just in case.”

“Something?” Hijikata raised an eyebrow.

Kagura and Shinpachi revealed the weapons Saya had given them—though not as powerful as Gintoki’s bracelet, they were designed to help them stand a fighting chance against the Elith.

Gintoki glanced at the weapons, then let out a small chuckle. He reached for his sword, a familiar glint of resolve returning to his eyes.

“Well?” he said with a grin. “You want us tagging along or what?”

“Hell yeah,” Gintoki turned to the rest of them. “Let’s all go—together.”

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 04 /04

The young girl stood there, casually licking her ice cream while watching the seductive ninja woman in a full red outfit.

Meanwhile, Shinpachi was desperately trying to explain things to her—but it clearly wasn't working. At this point, he was on the verge of giving up.

“Azacchi, just let Gin-chan go already. He’s not getting any younger. Let him have a girlfriend for once.”

“Kagura, let me tell you something—I am Gintoki’s real girlfriend! That woman is just a pretty-faced con artist trying to leech off of him!”

“I really doubt that...” Shinpachi muttered.

“You seriously don’t know anything, you stupid glasses! That’s why you’re still just a pair of frames nobody wants to wear!”

“What does that even mean!? And I’m not a pair of glasses!”

“I agree with Glasses-man, na~” Kagura chimed in, finishing her ice cream in one slurp and ignoring Shinpachi’s protests.

“Gin-chan and us—we don’t even have money for Saya to scam, you know?

If anything, we're the ones scamming Saya~”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means Saya’s super rich! She paid for everything today and even gave us money for snacks, na~”

Hearing that, Sarutobi was momentarily stunned.

“S-So what if she’s rich! That doesn’t mean she’s nice! You guys just met her—what if she’s using her money to manipulate you all!?”

“I don’t know...” Shinpachi shrugged. “But from what I’ve seen, Saya hasn’t done anything shady.

And if she was up to something, there’s no way Gintoki would let it slide.”

Everyone knew that Gintoki wasn’t the kind of guy who got tricked easily.

If he had been, he wouldn’t have survived this long.

“Oh look, Gin-chan and Saya are coming out now~!”

“Gin—!” Sarutobi prepared to charge over, but then froze.

Gintoki and Saya were holding hands as they walked out. They were smiling and talking—genuinely happy together.

It was like a knife through the heart.

She couldn’t handle it. Sarutobi Ayame could not accept this.

“Oh great... you’re here again?” Gintoki raised an eyebrow, but quickly frowned as he noticed her teary-eyed expression—just like some heartbroken heroine in a daytime soap opera.

“What the hell’s with her now...?”

“It seems... our love ends here, doesn’t it...?”

“Huh?”

“I worked so hard to recover, even dressed up nicely just to see you… and this is how you treat me? Hic!”

“Uh, what's wrong with her?” Gintoki asked, staring at Sarutobi who had dramatically collapsed onto the floor, looking as heartbroken as a soap opera heroine.

“You really love this woman, don't you? Fine! If you want to leave me that badly, I won’t stop you! Go ahead—do whatever you want! And you!”

“Huh?” Saya raised her eyebrow and pointed at herself, wondering if she was the one being addressed.

“If you ever make him cry, I swear I’ll kill you!” Sarutobi shouted, then dramatically leapt away, leaving the other four completely confused.

“So now I’m the bad guy? I’m not even that woman’s husband, why do I get treated like I cheated on her or something?” Gintoki grumbled while Kagura patted his shoulder.

“You’ll get used to it, nya~”

“Is everyone in this town crazy or what?!”

After that chaotic scene, the Odd Jobs gang and Saya went to grab dinner, which Saya generously paid for.

“Hey hey, wanna ride the Ferris wheel?” Kagura pointed to the large wheel in the distance.

“Sure. We’re here already, might as well get our money’s worth,” Gintoki said, scooping parfait into his mouth. Truthfully, he’d rather be home reading Jump, but since Saya was footing the bill, he couldn’t exactly refuse.

“Let’s go before it gets dark,” said Shinpachi.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

At the Ferris wheel, Kagura immediately split them into pairs—she rode with Shinpachi, leaving Gintoki with Saya. Gintoki didn’t object; he figured Saya wanted to ride anyway.

Inside the Ferris wheel, silence lingered. Gintoki's amber eyes subtly glanced at the girl sitting across. The warm sunset lit her face, making her look almost ethereal—like time had stopped just for her.

“What are you staring at?” Saya finally asked, noticing his gaze.

“You’re really beautiful, you know that?”

“Huh?” His straightforward words caught her completely off guard.

“I said, you’re beautiful.”

“W-Why say something like that out of the blue… I don’t know how to react!”

“What, are you shy or something?”

“N-No! I mean… maybe a little,” she admitted, biting her lip. “Throughout my whole life, besides my family… you’re the only one who’s ever told me I’m beautiful.”

The Ferris wheel slowly ascended to its peak, then suddenly jolted to a stop—Saya flinched.

“Are you okay? You look pale.”

“…You’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?”

She nodded quickly. Even two-story buildings made her legs shake.

“But wait, how do you do your job then?”

“That’s… work mode. Totally different.”

The cabin shook slightly again, making her grip the bar tightly. Gintoki noticed her trembling and pulled her over to sit beside him, then reached out and held her hand.

“Feeling better?”

“It feels even more tilted now…”

“It’s fine. Just a little wobble.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Saya closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to steady herself. The sound of his voice calmed her a bit.

She peeked at his hand still wrapped around hers and smiled faintly, squeezing back.

“Are you holding my hand ‘cause you’ve fallen for me?”

“Maybe.”

His casual answer made Gintoki chuckle softly. “Man… now I’m the one getting flustered.”

Despite his words, his expression remained flat—with only a tiny smile playing on his lips. Saya wasn’t sure if he was truly embarrassed or just pretending.

“Hey, Gin-san…”

“Hmm?”

“If I were kidnapped… would you come find me?”

“Would you want me to?”

She turned to him and nodded. “Of course I would.”

“Then I’d find you—no matter where. Even if you were taken all the way to America, I’d come get you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Saya smiled and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

Today… was the happiest day of her life.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 04 / 03

Saya tilted her head up to the sky and closed her eyes, letting the cool breeze brush against her face.

Japan is amazing. It feels like my heart is being healed... I don’t want to leave. I just want to stay here.

The sound of stretching pulled her attention. Gintoki sat up, rolling his shoulders and arms to relieve the stiffness.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, kinda. Are those guys still not done playing around?"

"Guess not."

Gintoki glanced around until his eyes landed on a clock—it was 1 PM.

"Anything you wanna ride?"

"There's one thing. Will you ride it with me?"

"If you’re in, I’m in."

"You sure? This one’s scarier than all the others."

"How scary can it really be? Rides are all the same."

"You sure? It’s really scary."

"Positive. Let’s go."

Positive, my ass! Whatever he said earlier—he wanted to take it back.

He thought it would be a roller coaster or something, but no... this was a haunted house!

"You okay?" Saya turned back, noticing Gintoki’s face had gone pale.

"Y-Yeah. Totally fine..." (He was definitely not fine. He wanted to cry.)

"You don’t look fine. Want to back out?"

"No, no, no!" he quickly stopped her as she started to move.

"I’m just a bit excited, that’s all. Nothing serious."

"You sure?"

"Sure! C’mon, it's our turn!" He gently nudged her forward. Deep down, he wanted to bail, but he didn’t want to disappoint her—or lose face. Gintoki Sakata could lose money, but never pride.

They stepped into the darkness. The gloomy atmosphere was suffocating. He instinctively grabbed her shoulder tight, prompting her to pull his hand to walk beside her instead.

"Better like this?"

"Y-Yeah... much better." His eyes scanned the dim space nervously.

"If you can’t handle it, just say so."

"A-AHH!" A loud bang as the door slammed shut made him jump and cling to her arm.

She didn’t pull away—only stroked his arm gently to calm him down.

They pressed on until they reached a large room lined with rows of beds, each with a “corpse” covered in a white sheet.

Saya picked up a note on the nearby table. It was the room’s mission: Solve the puzzle to get out.

"What’s that?"

"A task. We have to solve it before we can leave."

"Oh, come on! They’re making us do stuff now? I’m already freaking—AHH!" Something fell to the floor mid-sentence, making him jump again.

"I’ll go find the clues. You coming?"

"Y-Yep…"

Together, they searched the room, both jumping at every noise.

Gintoki was glad he wasn’t alone—it helped ease his nerves a little.

His amber-red eyes scanned every corner until he spotted a piece of paper wedged under a desk.

"Found it, Saya! I got the last clu—"

But as he looked up, his face froze.

Saya was gone.

“Saya… where are you?”

Gintoki scanned the room, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.

He forced himself to move, every step filled with dread and hesitation.

“Saya! Come on out! Don’t play around like this!”

The banging noises only got louder, and now he was getting annoyed.

“What the hell is all that banging? That you, Saya? Say something!”

No reply.

And worse—the “corpses” on the beds started to shake.

His feet instinctively backed up until his back hit the wall. His heart pounded wildly, nearly bursting out of his chest.

And then—the corpses sat up all at once and charged at him!

His legs gave out as he dropped into a crouch, covering his ears and squeezing his eyes shut in pure terror.

“Holy Mary, full of grace—please let me live! I’ll never skip school again—AHHHHH!!!!”

“Gintoki! Gintoki!!”

Saya’s voice cut through the chaos as she pushed past the ghosts and rushed to his side, shaking him urgently.

“I’m here! I’m here now! You don’t have to be scared anymore!”

Tears streamed down Gintoki’s face as he slowly lifted his head, removing his hands from his ears.

“You idiot… where the hell did you go?”

“I’m sorry… I’m here now. You’re safe.”

She wrapped her arms around him and gently rubbed his back, offering him comfort he didn’t know he needed.

Warmth—genuine and unfamiliar—radiated from her embrace. It melted the fear away like morning light chasing off a nightmare.

He finally hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder.

Normally, he would have brushed it off, claimed he wasn’t scared, played it cool.

But with this girl… he just accepted it. He let himself be vulnerable without shame.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Saya pulled out a cap from her bag and gently placed it on his head, shielding him from the horrors around them.

“Don’t let go, okay? Or the ghosts might come after you again.”

“You don’t let go either. Don’t leave me behind again, got it?”

Saya turned to him with a soft smile. “Got it.”

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 04 / 02

Upon arriving at the amusement park, Saya scanned the surroundings. The amusement park wasn’t much different from the one back in her hometown. Although it wasn’t as big as the one in Detroit, it was probably better than being alone and lonely.

Gintoki stood panting while waiting in line for a ride. Saya reached out and gently tapped his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.” He tried to act tough, but it was obvious he wasn’t feeling great. “To be honest, it’s tiring, but I can handle it.”

The loud shrieks from people on the ride filled the air, making it impossible to tell who was screaming. After the ride stopped, everyone climbed off with various expressions.

“Ugh!!!”

As soon as Gintoki got off, he ran straight to the trash can and vomited. He didn’t know how the others were doing, but he couldn’t take it. Maybe because he was getting closer to his thirties, his body wasn’t as resilient as when he was younger, or maybe he wasn’t used to rides like this.

“Water?” He looked up at the person next to him, who was holding out a bottle. He reached for it. “Thanks.”

He opened the bottle and took a gulp. It helped clear his throat. He then offered it to Saya. “Do you want some?”

Saya looked at the bottle, took it, and drank it all.

“I’m still hungry.” Gintoki smiled, chuckling lightly. “Sorry, I overdid it with the water.”

They continued riding more attractions, with Kagura and Shinpachi pulling them along. As they kept going, Gintoki started feeling exhausted. He leaned against a backrest and took a deep breath to get some oxygen into his lungs.

They had only been on a few rides, and yet he was already out of breath. He placed his hand on his forehead and realized he was also feeling dizzy.

“Want to rest for a bit?” Saya asked, sitting next to him.

“How am I supposed to rest?” Gintoki tapped his own lap. He thought for a moment before lying down on her lap, placing his hand on his forehead.

“Just for a little while.”

Seeing that he had closed his eyes, Saya took out the handheld fan she had just bought and held it to cool him down.

She gently ran her fingers along his sharp nose while observing his face. Upon closer inspection, Gintoki had a strikingly handsome face – a sharp nose, a perfect jawline, and charming dead fish eyes. Overall, he was quite good-looking.

But there was one thing that bothered her – his lazy personality, his nose-picking habits, and his sharp tongue. But it wasn’t that bad.

“You know, it’s not nice to touch someone else like this while they’re asleep.” Gintoki spoke with his eyes still closed.

“Well, you’re handsome.”

“Are you being that direct?”

“Why? Is it wrong?”

“No, never mind. I’m going to sleep. And don’t get up to mischief, or you’ll regret it.” Without saying more, Gintoki reached out and placed Saya’s hand on his chest to keep her from moving around.

“Hmph,” she said, helpless. She decided to just sit still.

“Hey, is Gintoki already knocked out?” Kagura, who had just returned from the restroom, asked, and Shinpachi joined them.

“Yeah, looks like he’s out.”

“That’s how old people are. They play a little, and then they’re done for.”

“I’m not old! I’m in my late teens!”

“Old is old, old man.”

“So, what should we do? We haven’t finished riding yet.”

“You guys go ahead. I’ll stay with Gintoki.”

“Aren’t you going to play, Saya? There are still so many rides left.”

Saya shook her head lightly. She wasn’t feeling great either. She was starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded. If she played any more, she’d probably end up like the guy lying on her lap.

“Oh, right.” She turned and took some money from her bag before handing it to the kids. “Here, go buy some snacks.”

“It’s okay,” Shinpachi said, feeling a little awkward, but Kagura was excited and almost grabbed the money. However, Shinpachi stopped her by locking her arm.

“Just take it. And buy me a burger too.”

“Hey, Shinpachi. Saya’s giving it to us, so just accept it. Besides, she asked us to get her a burger too — it’s not like we’re spending it just for ourselves.”

“You’re right.”

In the end, he accepted the money and gave a polite bow. “Alright then, we’ll be off. And please take care of Gintoki for us.”

Saya nodded in response before the kids walked off.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 04 / 01

The sound of birds chirping in the morning was so loud that it almost made it impossible to sleep. Saya rubbed her eyes and turned back and forth to try and shake off the drowsiness, but her headache was killing her. She must be hungover from last night.

Slowly, she propped herself up from the sofa and looked around, noticing a blanket covering her and a pillow she had no idea how it got there.

Ding~

The phone in the room rang, grabbing Saya’s attention. She walked over to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

[There’s someone waiting for you at the reception.]

"Who is it?"

[It’s the odd jobs.]

Hearing that, her brows furrowed. She was sure she recognized the name, but couldn’t quite place it.

[Can we talk? Hello, Saya, it’s me.] The familiar voice came through the phone, accompanied by the sounds of chatter from others.

"Is this you, Gintoki?"

[Yeah.]

"So, what’s up?"

[Let’s go to the amusement park.]

"Huh?" Saya raised an eyebrow, confused by Gintoki's invitation. "Now?"

[Yeah. I’m giving you five minutes. And... dress nicely, okay?]

Suddenly, the line cut off, leaving Saya standing there in confusion. What was that about? He called to order her and then just hung up. But despite the confusion, she went ahead and took a shower and changed her clothes anyway.

It’s fine, right? It’s not like it would hurt.

It took her about five minutes to get ready. When she got to the lobby, she found Gintoki and the others waiting for her.

"I'm slow, huh?"

"Sorry."

Saya glanced at the two younger kids standing there and smiling friendly. "Hi, I’m Kagura, and this here is Glasses Guy."

"It’s Shinpachi, not Glasses Guy!!"

"Oh." She smiled faintly. They were so friendly that it made her feel a bit awkward.

"Alright, let’s go," Gintoki said.

As they walked, Saya glanced around at the scenery. During the walk, it was mostly Kagura and Shinpachi who were chatting with Saya, but she didn’t really respond much. Probably because she wasn’t used to it and didn’t want to get them involved too much.

Suddenly, Gintoki stopped walking, making the others stop as well. His red eyes fixed on the person in front of him before he sighed deeply, causing the younger ones behind to lean in to see what was going on.

The purple-haired woman with red glasses, dressed in a beautiful kimono, slightly exposed her shoulder and said, "I’ve been waiting for you, Gintoki. I’ve been waiting all this time. That’s why I tried to heal myself..."

"Let’s go."

"Wait a minute!!!" Sarutobi lunged and clung to his leg when she saw Gintoki about to walk away. "You can’t leave me like this! I’ve been trying so hard to heal myself for you, but now you’re going to do this and go to that woman!!!"

"What are you doing? Let go!" Gintoki struggled to pull Sarutobi off, but she held onto his leg so tightly that it took more effort to get her off.

"Who’s that?" Saya leaned forward, looking at the purple-haired woman who was sitting on the ground.

"Azacchan is Gintoki’s stalker."

"Huh? Shouldn’t the police arrest her?"

Saya’s question made Shinpachi and Kagura glance at each other. How were they supposed to explain this? Since she was their friend, they let it slide? Would she be shocked?

"Never mind, Saya. Let’s just go. Let Gintoki handle this." Shinpachi gently pushed Saya forward to walk, with Kagura following behind.

"Hey, wait! Help me out first!! Hey!!"

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 03 / 04

“Ughh, ughh…”

The sound came from the person next to him, who kept murmuring every now and then as they walked back. At first, Gintoki had planned to send Saya back when she seemed to be getting better, but the stubborn girl insisted on eating more. She said she couldn’t waste the expensive food, then finished everything—including the sake.

Of course, after drinking that much, there was no way she wouldn’t get drunk. She became a mess, lying flat on the floor, and Gintoki had to call Kagura and Shinpachi to help clean up the mess.

“We’re here,” the taxi driver’s voice snapped Gintoki out of his thoughts. He paid and helped Saya out of the car.

Carefully supporting her, he managed to get her inside, but stopped short when he saw his old friend, Kazura, standing in front of the hotel.

“Not you again, Kazura. You’re still working for that ninja girl?”

“It’s not Kazura, it’s Kazura. Besides, I can’t just quit in the middle of a job.”

“Then that’s your business.” Gintoki dismissed his friend, prepared to lift Saya again, but then Kazura spoke up.

“So it’s true, huh?”

“What?”

“That woman… you really like her, don’t you?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Your actions, man. Normally, you’ve never comforted anyone. You just sit there, listening to them cry. But now—hey, wait a minute, Gintoki! I’m not done talking yet!!”

Ignoring Kazura’s shouting, Gintoki lifted Saya bridal-style and walked straight into the hotel, not caring about the words or complaints from Kazura.

“Take care of that guy for me.”

“Sure.”

Kazura’s voice could still be heard yelling outside the hotel, with the Shinsengumi watching the scene. Even though they were friends, Gintoki couldn’t be bothered. Let Kazura think what he wanted—explaining it was pointless, especially with someone like him who would never listen.

Once in the room, Gintoki gently placed Saya on the bed, then pulled off the wig that had been itching his head the entire time.

“Damn, that’s itchy.”

Scratching his head, he went to take a shower and change clothes. It would be too embarrassing to go back looking like this, so he decided to freshen up first.

When he came out, ready to leave, he paused when he realized Saya was no longer in the bed.

“Saya? Where are you?” Gintoki searched the room, but couldn’t find her.

“Saya!! Saya!!” He called out as he searched, finally finding her on the sofa in the living room, lying sprawled out and mumbling softly.

“Damn it, can’t you stay put? I thought those guys had taken you already.”

Letting out a sigh, he walked over to carry her back to the bed, but she suddenly grabbed him and pulled him down, causing his head to land on something soft.

His hand instinctively squeezed the soft, round shape under him. Gintoki froze, staring at his own hand in disbelief.

“Shit!” As soon as he realized he had grabbed Saya’s chest, he quickly yanked his hand away.

“Damn it! Why did I have to grab that... idiot!”

His face burned with embarrassment. Despite being thick-skinned in most situations, something like this—well, it didn’t happen often enough for him to get used to it.

“Umm~” The sound of Saya moving caused him to look up, and to his surprise, she hugged him tightly.

Suddenly, Gintoki felt an unfamiliar sensation stir within him, thinking about the words Kazura and Shinpachi had said earlier.

"Your actions, man. You’ve never comforted anyone before."

“Gintoki, I saw it! You hugged and comforted Saya. You like her, don’t you? Gintoki, are you going to have a girlfriend now?”

“We were just wondering because normally, you never comfort anyone like this. You usually just sit there and keep them company.”

shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was just helping a fellow human being. Seeing her seem to have depression and considering harming herself, anyone would do the same, right?

Besides, he was hired to watch over and help Saya from a distance. If he didn’t take care of her, who else would, right?

“Hmm~ Gin-San…”

“Huh? What is it?”

"Thank you..." Her hand gently rested on his and she stroked it softly.

"Mm."

It felt strange, but it really felt good.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 03 / 03

Saya wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, but when she woke up again, the sky had turned orange. She moved slightly and noticed a blanket covering her. She then looked at the table and saw a card with some writing on it.

‘Kamakko Club’

She wasn’t sure what it was, but she figured it might be a club. But who left it there? She tried to think carefully, wondering if Gintoki had left it behind. But why would he leave it? Was he inviting her to go?

After thinking it over, she realized she was already dressed and had walked out of the hotel. She walked on, not forgetting to ask for directions to the club before leaving.

After walking to what she guessed was the club mentioned on the card, she stood for a moment, observing, before two staff members came out to greet her.

"Hello! Welcome to the ladyboy bar!"

"Are you here alone, hon?"

"Uh... yes."

"Then please follow me."

Saya was taken aback but nodded and followed the staff—one with orange hair and the other with glasses—into the bar, looking around as she entered. The inside was decorated in a Japanese bar style, with dim pink lights and a stage for performances. Most of the customers were older men, visibly drunk and getting into arguments with the hostesses, who weren’t hesitant to slap them back.

Saya was somewhat shocked. She hadn’t expected the hostess bar to be this wild.

"We’ve arrived!" The sliding door opened to reveal an inner room. Saya stepped inside and looked around. It was a VIP room, decorated simply but elegantly in typical Japanese style.

"Welcome, hon!" A deep voice that had been made to sound softer spoke up, and Saya turned to see a woman—who looked a little like a man—wearing a silver wig and a kimono.

"Gintoki?"

"What do you mean, Gintoki? I’m Pako," the voice responded normally.

It was, of course, Gintoki, but in a wig and a kimono.

"Come sit. Why are you standing there looking confused?"

Saya walked over and sat beside Gintoki. He poured sake into a small cup and handed it to her.

"What’s this?"

"Sake."

Saya drank it and made a strange face. "It’s delicious."

"Right?" Seeing that she seemed to like it, Gintoki poured another cup for her. "Don’t drink too much, okay? If you get drunk, I’m not carrying you home."

Saya nodded and continued drinking the sake and eating other dishes. There wasn’t much conversation between them, just the sound of the wind blowing and the clinking of cups.

Gintoki glanced at Saya, who was starting to turn red from the alcohol. "Are you okay?"

Saya lifted her head, but the alcohol had made her lose balance. As soon as she looked up, she almost fell backward, but Gintoki quickly reached out and caught her.

"Ugh~ I shouldn’t have let you drink this much." Who would have thought she had such a weak tolerance? He thought maybe he should have given her soda instead.

Gintoki helped her sit back against the cushion, but Saya was so limp that he ended up sitting next to her, keeping her steady.

"Hey," she said, grabbing his arm firmly while looking at him with slightly dazed, yet strangely intense eyes. "Have you ever been so sad that you wanted to die?"

Her question made Gintoki turn to look at her. She was really drunk now—probably very drunk.

"You’re really drunk. Let’s go home now," he said, but she shook his arm violently as if ringing a bell at a shrine during New Year’s.

"Answer me first!" she insisted. Eventually, he gave in and answered to end the conversation.

"I’ve never felt that way. Are you satisfied now? Let’s go home."

"But I have," Saya’s hand, which had been grabbing him for support, froze. She looked up at him at the same moment he looked back, and they locked eyes. She could see his gray eyes clearly, and even though hers were glazed with drunkenness, the sincerity in her gaze was evident.

"I've tried to kill myself three times, but I never succeeded," she said with a bitter smile, as if mocking herself. "The first time, I shot myself, but the magic inside me automatically protected me, so I survived..."

Her story caught Gintoki's attention, and he sat back down, watching the woman talk about death with a tone that seemed oddly playful, contrasting with the sorrow in her eyes.

"The second time, I was fighting an enemy. Safeguard and Rachel helped me just in time. And the third time... I jumped off a building, but the doctors saved me."

"Why would you do that?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Saya leaned back on the cushion and gave a faint smile before tears started to fall from her eyes.

"My grandmother was killed because those people wanted to sell her powers. My mother was killed protecting me. My father was killed while helping Japan during the war against foreign invaders. My grandparents who lived next door were killed. Huh! My first friend was killed by a stray bullet from bullying. Huh!!"

All the sadness poured out as she cried loudly. The sound of her sobbing echoed throughout the room, so loud that Kagura and Shinpachi, who were eavesdropping outside, could clearly hear it.

"Everyone was killed... Huh!! Because of me. If I didn’t have these powers, they wouldn’t have died. Huh!!!"

Her slender fingers dug into her face, slapping herself, causing Gintoki to intervene.

"I want to die!!! I want to die!!! Huh!!!"

"Enough, Saya, enough..." Gintoki pulled her into a hug, gently rubbing her back to calm her down. He recognized this behavior. It was the sign of someone suffering from depression, and he suspected that Saya was experiencing it. Gintoki tried to pry her fingers apart, which were clenching so tightly that blood started to seep out, and he slipped his hand in to protect her from hurting herself.

"I’ve lost too. Teachers, friends, family... Even though I don’t feel the same as you, I understand how painful it must be."

"Huh!!!"

"But you're not alone anymore. You can share your sorrow with me."

Saya continued crying, and it didn’t seem like she would stop anytime soon. Gintoki thought of something and then gently pulled her around to face him, holding her hands and massaging them lightly to help her relax.

"Let’s play a game."

"Huh! What game?"

"Come on, I’ll ask you questions, and you answer, okay?" Saya nodded, still sniffling.

"Pako, oh Pako, I ask, you answer. What's your name?"

"Huh! Saya Richel."

"Where are you from?"

"Detroit, America."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four." Younger than him.

"How do you feel right now?"

"I want to die."

"Can you share your pain?"

The question caught Saya off guard, and she bit her lip, holding back more tears before nodding quickly.

"I’ll cast a spell on you. Jabula, Jabula, my princess, may your sorrow vanish and happiness return." He whispered the spell, gently touching her forehead. After a moment, Saya’s sobbing softened into quiet hiccups.

"How’s that? My game worked, huh?" But just as she stopped for a moment, Saya pouted and began crying again. "Oh, it didn’t work?"

Saya threw herself into Gintoki’s arms, causing both of them to tumble to the floor.

"Thank you, Pako."

She smiled faintly, her face still streaked with tears. Gintoki’s spell had worked; the sorrow and the suffocating feelings that had built up began to lift, though not entirely.

Seeing this, Gintoki smiled a little, raising his hand to gently ruffle her hair. "You’re heavy, you know. You charge at me like that and we’ll both break our bones."

"I’ll heal you."

"You’re not a doctor; you're a mage, don’t forget." Despite the teasing, both of them smiled and laughed, feeling a little lighter.

"Looks like Saya is feeling better now," Shinpachi said, having been secretly watching outside.

"Hey, Shinpachi, do you think after this, Gintoki and Saya will get together?" Kagura asked, her eyes still glued to the scene inside.

"It���s hard to say, but there’s a pretty good chance. I mean, Gintoki’s never really comforted anyone before, not even us."

"Yeah, so does that mean Gintoki’s going to have a girlfriend?"

"Looks like it, yeah." Shinpachi responded with a smile.

Kagura suddenly ran off, excited. "Then I’ll go tell everyone to start preparing for the celebration!"

"Wait, Kagura! We still have work to do!"

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 03 / 02

With nothing to do while waiting, Gintoki wandered around the room. As he looked around, he finally noticed that Saya’s place had separate areas like a living room and a dining room. He wasn’t sure how much it all cost, but he figured it had to be in the millions.

Knock knock

"Excuse me, I'm here to serve your meal."

Gintoki opened the door to let the hotel staff in. A variety of dishes were arranged beautifully on the table. His large hand reached for the bill attached—his brow furrowed as he read it.

‘1,250,000 yen’

“What the hell!? What kind of food costs this much!?”

“Well, this is a five-star luxury hotel. Of course the food’s expensive.”

A familiar voice made him turn around. Saya was standing there in nothing but a towel, her hair still wet.

“Put on some proper clothes! You’re a girl, damn it!”

“My hair’s still wet. Can’t put anything on yet.”

“Then dry it!”

“Can’t find the hairdryer…”

He let out a deep sigh and shook his head before walking over to her, grabbing her gently by the arm and leading her to the sofa in the living room.

“What are you doing?” Saya asked curiously.

“Drying your hair. Turn around.”

He reached under the glass table and grabbed the hairdryer, switched it on, and began running his fingers gently through her long hair while drying it like a pro.

“You’ve done this for a girl before, haven’t you? You’re pretty good at it.”

“Just a kid at home.” She glanced back at him, intrigued. “Your kid?”

“Hell no. She’s just someone who came down from heaven and asked to stay at my place.”

“Oh…”

He kept drying her hair, but as he parted a section to brush through, his hand suddenly froze. There was a fresh wound across her back—looked like she’d just been in a fight.

“You went toe-to-toe with those guys again, didn’t you?” he asked while gently tracing his finger beneath the injury.

“Yeah…”

“Why didn’t you go to a hospital?”

“They’re watching the hospitals. I’d get caught.” Right. He forgot Saya was still being hunted.

“Go get dressed. Don’t put on a shirt yet,” he said, rolling up the dryer cord and setting it down.

“Why not?”

“So I can treat the wound, duh.”

Without waiting for another question, he walked out of the room, leaving Saya staring after him.

“What’s with him…”

...

“Thanks a lot.” Saya accepted the medicine bag and checked inside. As she stepped out of the pharmacy, she froze—an old friend, Katsura, was standing hidden beside a lamppost.

“What the hell are you doing lurking there, Zura? Acting like a cop doing a bike checkpoint or something?”

“It’s not Zura. It’s Katsura. And no, I’m not playing cop—I’m waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me? Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Waiting for you is my job. I saw you teaming up with the Shinsengumi to hunt down the Elith.”

“So?”

“I can’t believe it… A former foreign warrior like Shiroyasha, working with the Shinsengumi? Gintoki, have you forgotten they’re part of the government?”

“I know. But I gotta eat, don’t I? And besides—Zura—”

“It’s not Zura! It’s Katsura!!”

“I can’t walk away now. I’ve already taken a step in. Step out, I get hunted. Keep going, still get hunted. But if I make it out alive, I get paid. If I don’t…”

He paused, then added calmly:

“...I just die. That’s all.”

"Or is it because of that woman?" The foot that was about to take a step stopped, and she turned to look at her male friend. "I saw it, you know. That bag of medicine you bought for her."

"So what?"

"Normally, you're not like this. You've bought medicine for people before, but sitting there blowing her hair? That's really strange."

Katsura's words made Gintoki furrow his brows.

"Are you agreeing with me?"

"I was hiding on the balcony," Katsura replied, making Gintoki roll his eyes.

"Seriously, Katsura, what does it matter to you? It's none of your business."

"It is my business."

"Did that ninja hire you to spy on me?" The ninja he referred to was Sarutobi Ayame, a stalker who had recently been injured while working and couldn't move. So she probably hired Katsura to investigate.

"Yes. I answered my question, now you answer mine."

"It's nothing."

"Then why was she wearing a towel? Or...?" Before Katsura could finish, Gintoki knocked him in mid-air, sending him crashing to the ground before walking back to the hotel.

When he returned to his room, he found Saya slumped on the sofa. Gintoki walked over to her, brushed the hair from her face, and it looked like she had fallen into a deep sleep.

He sat behind her and grabbed the medical supplies before gently starting to tend to the wound on her back.

It was strange. Not that Gintoki had never treated anyone's injuries before—he had done it for Kagura, Shinpachi, and even Otose. But because they were family, he never thought twice about it.

But Saya? He'd only known her for three days, yet he had already blown her hair, treated her wounds, carried her on his back to the hotel, and offered all of this without any pay. He didn’t even consider asking for anything in return, even though he was exhausted. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t just leave her like that.

Calm down, he thought. It’s not like I’m saying I like Saya. I just don’t understand my own actions. He had been through a lot with women, but no matter how close they were, he had never done anything like this before. Saya was the first one he had done all this for, and it felt weird.

"Uhm... what are you doing?" Saya, who had just woken up, groggily asked the one treating her wounds.

"I'm treating your wound."

"Oh... be gentle, it hurts."

"I'm being as gentle as I can. Just go back to sleep."

"Hey, Gintoki," Saya whispered, though he could still hear her.

"Yeah?"

It was the first time she called him by name since she usually just called him 'you.'

"Thank you."

"Yeah, but why did you order so much food? You’re just going to sleep without eating."

"I ordered it for you."

"It’s too much. Can I take some home?"

"Up to you. Just tell the staff."

"Thanks."

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 03 / 01

In the early morning hours of Edo, within a section of an abandoned building, cries of agony echoed throughout the structure before falling silent. A young woman, resting on a concrete block, took a deep breath to relieve her exhaustion from the battle.

Once she had caught her breath, she noticed her clothes and body were smeared with blood and dust. She tried brushing it off with her slender hand, but no matter how hard she tried, the stains wouldn’t come off. She’d probably have to throw this shirt away.

"Cleared them out as usual, huh?" came a voice from behind, prompting Saya to turn and see the Shinsengumi unit she had summoned had arrived.

"I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m heading back to sleep," she said, handing over the evidence to Okita before walking off, leaving the Shinsengumi members staring after her.

"Kondou-san, that lady’s really strong. Why don’t you just let her take care of them herself? Why do we have to handle this? It’s not like we can beat those things anyway."

"Because you couldn’t find them in the first place. Besides, handling criminals—wherever they come from—within Japanese territory is our job. And one more thing, letting Saya handle them alone isn’t right. No matter how strong she is, fighting alone is more terrifying and lonely than having backup."

On the main road of Edo, Saya trudged along, utterly drained. She had been up since 3 a.m. to deal with the Elith. At first, she thought it would only take about an hour, but it ended up dragging on for two. She was exhausted in every sense.

As she walked, her eyes caught sight of someone familiar sprawled over a pile of trash cans.

Saya walked over and nudged the silver-haired man with her foot. His flushed face suggested he was clearly drunk. She summoned a wind spell to lift Gintoki into the air and hold him tightly, then began walking back to the hotel.

The distance from where she found Gintoki to the hotel was over five kilometers, and their weight difference made each step difficult and wobbly, as if she might fall any second.

Eventually, she managed to carry him to the hotel. It took her more than two hours. As she stepped through the hotel doors, staff and guests looked at her curiously.

“Would you like some help?” one of the staff rushed over.

“No... I’m fine,” Saya replied, continuing on. She didn’t want anyone interfering in her personal matters, especially now that she was being hunted—though Matsudaira had stationed the Shinsengumi at the hotel for protection.

She took the elevator up to her floor and made it to her room. The moment she stepped in, she dropped Gintoki onto the bed and collapsed beside him.

Exhausted from battle, she rested her head on the pillow and instantly fell asleep. Gintoki was left to lie there as he was—she couldn’t take it anymore. Rest came first.

The man stirred, rubbing his face and eyes to shake off the hangover. Slowly opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling, confused.

“Where am I? Wasn’t I just sleeping on a pile of garbage?”

He slowly sat up, examining the room—a luxurious Western-style bedroom with a panoramic view of Edo. Beside him lay a woman.

A woman?!

Gintoki jerked his head to look again, examining more closely. The person sleeping next to him was indeed a woman. Suddenly, he broke into a cold sweat, heart pounding as if it might leap from his chest.

Had he, while drunk, brought a woman back and slept with her?

Oh no... this is bad! The woman stirred beside him, making him flinch. She slowly turned to reveal her face.

“Saya?” So it wasn’t just any woman—it was Saya.

But wait... did he bring her here? Or was she the one who brought him?

He tried hard to recall last night, but no matter how much he strained, he couldn’t remember. Thinking it over carefully… based on Saya’s personality, she’d never allow herself to be brought here like that.

Which means… maybe Saya brought him?

A sudden image popped into Gintoki’s head—Saya, in a seductive pose, trying to lure him in.

“No, no, no!” he shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the indecent thought. “There’s no way... That kid? Seriously?”

Suddenly, Saya sprang up from the bed, causing Gintoki to jump in shock.

“Yikes!!!”

Saya squinted at him sleepily before greeting him in a groggy voice.

“Good morning…”

“G-Good morning—hey! What do you mean, ‘morning’? Wait a second—how did I even get here? Last I remember, we didn’t even meet last night. Did you… drag me off somewhere!?”

Saya reached out and gently touched his arm, signaling him to calm down.

“We met this morning.”

“Huh? This morning?”

She nodded. “I saw you passed out drunk on a pile of trash. I felt bad, so I carried you back.”

So that’s what happened... Gintoki sighed, a bit embarrassed that his mind had wandered so far.

“Oh... I see. Thanks, then.”

“I’m going to shower for a bit,” Saya said as she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

As she turned away, Gintoki caught a glimpse of something on her back—a faint mark or scar.

But he said nothing.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 02 / 04

At the National Police Department, inside a meeting room filled with heavy tension, everyone seemed stressed. Even though they had managed to capture some of the Elith intruders today, they'd gotten absolutely no information out of them, which left everyone with a collective headache.

"Hey," Gintoki suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and causing everyone in the room to turn and look—everyone except Saya, who just stood there staring out the window.

"Nothing else to do, can I go now?"

"No, the meeting's not over yet," Hijikata replied, exhaling smoke from his cigarette.

"Then why isn't it starting already? You've all just been sitting here in silence! Some of us actually have jobs, you know!"

"You? A job? All you ever do is hang out in pachinko parlors or yawn your way through C-Kids magazines."

"Oh come on, Ogushikun~ You're not glued to me 24/7. How would you know how hard I work every day?"

"Hey Saya, where are you going?" Kondo asked when he saw her heading for the door.

"To bed. I'm sleepy."

"But we haven't finished the meeting yet! The Chief hasn't even arrived."

"It's fine. Today's mission is done." Just then, the meeting room door opened and Commissioner Matsudaira walked in.

"Sir, we haven't wrapped things up yet," one of the officers said.

"Really? Then let's wrap it up now. Good job today, everyone. As for intel—whatever, keep digging. Alright, we're done here. Go home."

And with that, Matsudaira walked back out, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"Well, I'm out." Saya didn't hesitate to follow him.

"I'll go too. Later, you second-rate cops." Gintoki followed her, grinning.

"Why you—!" Hijikata looked ready to lunge at him, but Kondo held him back.

"Let it go. We should leave too."

Inside the elevator, an awkward silence filled the space. Gintoki and Saya stood in opposite corners, saying nothing. Gintoki glanced sideways at her, just before the elevator suddenly let out a loud clunk.

"Whoa, whoa, don't tell me the elevator's stuck? No way, I need to go buy my C-Kids, damn it!"

He jabbed at the buttons repeatedly, but the elevator didn't move an inch.

"So, lady, what now? Looks like we're stuck."

Saya turned to the control panel and calmly placed her hand on it. Sparks flew.

"What are you—"

Before he could finish, the elevator jerked and suddenly plummeted downward. Both Gintoki and Saya hit the floor, bracing themselves. Saya muttered a wind spell to slowly cushion the fall and bring them safely to the ground floor.

"Saya, are you insane?! Were you trying to kill us?! Ugh, I think I'm gonna puke!"

"Sorry. Forgot I wasn't alone."

"You little brat... who taught you to do crap like that?" Gintoki groaned, lying flat on the elevator floor.

"You better take responsibility. Or I'll kill you."

Saya walked over and helped him up—then pushed him onto her back.

"What are you doing?! Don't tell me you're giving me a piggyback ride home!"

"Well, you told me to take responsibility."

And she really meant it. Saya carried Gintoki on her back and headed out. But given the difference in their sizes, every step was a struggle.

After over 20 minutes, they had only made it two kilometers from the police station. Gintoki, who was starting to feel better, looked down at the small figure beneath him still trying her best.

"You sure you can do this? If not, just put me down."

"I'm... fine." (Clear lie.)

She tried to keep going, but soon tripped and faceplanted on the ground. Gintoki quickly pushed himself up and pulled her up with him.

"That knocked the wind out of you, didn't it?" Saya's face twisted into a grimace. "Yeah."

"See? I told you, but you insisted on carrying me."

"You said to take responsibility."

"And there's no other way to do that?!"

"Didn't think of one..." Gintoki let out a long sigh and shook his head.

Unbelievable. A girl as powerful as Utsuro, and she couldn't figure out something this simple. Such a stubborn little kid.

Gintoki picked her up and hoisted her onto his back, adjusting her weight. "Where do you live? I'll take you there."

"I can walk on my own."

"In your condition? You'll fall into a manhole at this rate. Just tell me where you're staying."

"The hotel over there," Saya said, pointing toward a tall building in the Kagurazaka district.

"That's pretty far, huh."

"I can get there myself, you know."

Sigh "Fine, let's just go!"

They walked down the street, bickering and bantering the whole way, drawing attention from passersby with their loud, childish exchanges. After a while, they finally made it to the hotel Saya had mentioned.

As soon as they arrived, Saya hopped off Gintoki's back and turned to say goodbye.

"Thanks for walking me back."

"Wait—you stay in a place this fancy?"

Gintoki looked up at the towering building in front of him. It was a luxurious Western-style hotel, all white and gold. Just by looking at it, he could tell the rooms had to be ridiculously expensive.

"Uncle told me to stay here."

By "uncle," she meant Matsudaira. He'd recommended she stay there, where Shinsengumi personnel were stationed to keep watch. Saya had also cast protective spells to make sure the Elith wouldn't be able to find her.

"Well anyway, thanks again," she said, pulling out some cash from her pocket and stuffing it into Gintoki's hand.

"What the—no way! Take it back! I may be broke, but I've still got my pride!" Gintoki tried to return the money, but the younger girl just pushed his hand back.

"Pride doesn't feed you. If you wanna be full, you need rice, not honor." With that, Saya turned and walked straight into the hotel, ignoring his protests.

"Saya! Hey! Saya!"

Unbelievable.

Gintoki looked down at the wad of bills in his hand. After counting, he realized it was 500,000 yen. Come to think of it, judging by her outfit and accessories, everything she wore looked like top-brand stuff.

Is this girl rich or what?

But whatever. She gave it to him, so it's his now. If she tries to take it back later, he's not giving it up.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 2 / 03

Within the thick forest, the slender legs continued to follow the blood trail until they reached a clearing. Saya scanned the area before her eyes stopped on a large boulder.

She walked toward the boulder, but suddenly her senses told her that something was behind it. She stopped and stood still, contemplating before casting a spell to destroy the rock and reveal what was behind it.

"AAAGHHH!!!"

A scream rang out as a figure emerged. Fortunately, Saya's instincts kicked in just in time, or it would have been her who ended up crushed.

Saya walked toward the enemy, casually kicking them aside before narrowly dodging a sharp object that flew toward her.

"Did you think I would let you catch me that easily? Ha! Dream on!"

"Ugh~ Just give up already. I'm tired of this."

"No way!!!"

The man transformed the ground into sharp spears, launching them at her. Saya summoned a large sword and slashed at the earth projectiles, destroying them. But just then, another projectile shot toward her, and a mysterious wooden sword swung down to destroy it.

"Look closely, don't you see it? It's not over yet."

Gintoki, who had appeared out of nowhere, spoke while using magic from his stainless steel bracelet to summon lightning that struck the enemy from the Elites.

"Why are you following me?" Saya asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I didn't want to follow, but I signed the contract, so I have to do my part." Saya sized him up for a moment, sighed, and then pulled out her phone to start typing.

"Give me your bank account number."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just give it to me."

"What? Are you going to transfer money and then kick me out?"

"Yep, already transferred it. It's not going to end like this. I'm already fully involved in this, so if I leave now, I'll just be hunted anyway."

Thinking about it, Gintoki knew it was true. If he left now, he'd be targeted and wouldn't be able to escape.

At that moment, Saya noticed something coming from behind Gintoki. She reached out, grabbed his hair, and yanked him out of the way. Raising her hand, she launched the earth spear back, piercing the enemy's body and bringing him down.

"Phew, finally."

"You!! Now that it's over, let go of my hair! If you keep holding it, it'll all fall out. It's been shedding lately!"

Saya released his hair, a bit too forcefully. Gintoki could feel his hair almost being pulled out.

"Sorry."

His hand instinctively reached up to rub his hair. If she had pulled any harder, it would have come out in her hand.

Saya approached the leader of the Elites and cast a spell to bind him, ensuring he couldn't escape.

"Hey, are you guys alright?!" Condo's voice shouted from afar. When they turned, they saw the Shinsengumi running toward them.

"Can see that we're still alive." Gintoki replied sarcastically.

"A guy like you should just die already."

"Hey, hey, how can the vice-chief of the demons say that? If I die, you guys won't have anyone to help you. Don't forget, aside from her, I can use power too."

"Oh yeah? Then how about we cut off that hand of yours so you can become an ordinary person?"

Hijikata reached out and grabbed Gintoki's arm, swinging his sword for real, causing Gintoki to raise his hand to stop him.

"Hey, hey, hey!! Hold on!! If you cut off my hand, you'll be charged with assault leading to permanent disability, you know!!"

"An ex-Amanto-fighter like you? No one cares!"

"I told you already! I'm pure and innocent now! That was all in the past! Let bygones be bygones!"

"Hey."

"Huh?"

"I want to let it go too, but don't forget—you're the infamous Shiroyasha! Even if the war's over, the hunt for Amanto-fighters never really ends!"

"HEYYYYY!!!!"

A stern voice cut through the argument, startling both men. They turned to see Saya standing there with a blank expression.

"What is it?"

"The boss... turned into dust."

"Huh?!" The two of them rushed over and found that he really had crumbled into ash.

"Why'd you let that happen?! Now he's escaped, hasn't he?!" Gintoki asked while poking the ash pile with his foot.

"He didn't escape. He died."

"Same difference!"

"And what was I supposed to do, huh? Stop him from dying? No matter how strong I am, I can't keep someone from dying."

(Yeah... fair point.)

"Hey, miss," Okita called, holding something up. "What is this?"

It was a red, translucent object about the size of a coin, shaped like a sea urchin.

"...A power stone?"

"Huh? What's a power stone?" Gintoki leaned over Saya's shoulder to look.

"I think so," Saya muttered, examining it more closely.

But suddenly, the stone exploded—just a small blast, but it was enough to shake everyone up.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 2 / 02

Soft.

Why does it feel so soft?

Who's pressing something against his lips? Is it Shinpachi? Or Kagura? Wait, is it Sadaharu?

But wait... Did I die? I must have died, right? But why does everything feel so real?

He tried to open his eyes, and slowly, the image in front of him became clearer. Someone who had just pulled their face away looked familiar, like someone he'd seen not long ago.

"Hey, are you dead yet?"

That familiar sweet voice finally clicked in his mind, making him jump up in surprise.

"Oh, looks like I'm not dead yet."

Gintoki examined himself, raising a hand to his chest to check if his heart was still beating. It was fine. That means... he's still alive.

"I'm not dead, am I?" he asked the person beside him for confirmation. Saya took his hand and pressed it to his own nose.

Okay, he's still alive.

"Wait, hold on. What happened earlier? Why...?"

"You inhaled poison gas. I just sucked it out for you."

"Huh?! Sucked it out? How?"

"With my mouth."

"With your mouth?" Saya nodded in response.

Suddenly, a strange feeling surged into Gintoki's mind. The soft sensation on his lips and the tingling that gradually flowed from his mouth. Could it be...?

Gintoki turned to look at the woman sitting there, her face calm and composed. No way... Did he just lose his first kiss?!! It's not that Gintoki had never been through this kind of thing before. Back in the day, he'd experienced plenty—kisses, whatever else—but this...

"Who taught you to suck poison with your mouth?!" Gintoki shouted. "And you used your mouth to do it! You're a girl! Use another method! This is practically like kissing!!"

"I don't know. That's how I was taught."

"Ugh! Why do I have to listen to you? Are you a kid or something?!"

"I am a kid. I'm only twenty-four."

"Ugh!!!"

Boom!!

A dozen mysterious weapons flew straight at them, forcing Saya to use wind magic to shield them. It was easy to guess who the attackers were—they could only be the Elite.

"Running away again, huh? You could've just let us catch you and end it all—"

Before the enemy could finish speaking, Saya thrust her hand through one of their stomachs, causing the man to drop dead to the ground.

Gintoki, witnessing the entire scene, saw the magic ring appear on her hand before she thrust it into the enemy's stomach. But she didn't stop there—she twisted it, making sure he'd die. This girl... She's getting way too scary!

"Come at me, then. Don't take too long. I need to go buy some grilled meat."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Elite members rushed straight at them. Saya grabbed Gintoki's hand and put a bracelet on him.

"What's this?"

Before he could get an answer, both of them had to jump out of the way to avoid various weapons flying toward them.

"Ugh!!" The transformed earth weapon hit Gintoki in the torso, sending him flying far away. "Shit! That hurts, damn it."

"Put your blood on the bracelet!!" Saya shouted while still fighting.

"Huh!? What did you say!!!!"

"I said put your blood on the bracelet!!"

"Why would I do that!!!"

"Just do it!!" At that moment, Saya ran up close to him, reached up, and smeared blood on his cheek before putting it on the bracelet.

Suddenly, the atmosphere around them changed. It felt as though an enormous electrical current surged through his body. Magical runes slowly appeared on his right arm.

"Call the magic out now!!"

"And how do I do that!?"

"Focus your mind and call out your power!!—Ugh!!" Saya was suddenly pinned down by the earth that had transformed into a trap, and the Elite started casting spells to finish her off.

Gintoki focused, gathering his mind and energy. The electricity in his body gathered into the wooden sword he was holding. He gripped the sword tightly and charged at the Elite members immediately.

Boom!!!

"AAARGH!!!!" The Elite members were blasted away in all directions, some getting shocked and knocked out.

Gintoki looked at the sword in his hand, still crackling with electricity. Damn... has he really gained power now? Is this still him, Gintama?

A man, groaning in pain, was crawling to grab his feet. "You'll regret helping that girl."

Gintoki looked at the man and then had a thought. Since the bracelet had given him power, he decided to try something new. He focused and thought about what he wanted to summon, transforming the wooden sword into a giant hammer.

"Whoa, this is cool."

"Hey, you—"

"You wanna know why I helped her?" Gintoki grinned, raising the hammer high above his head before slamming it down on the man. "Because the toy is fun."

He sat down on the ground, leaning back against a tree, lifting his hand to look at it. His hand was shaking badly, and the exhaustion was so overwhelming that he could fall asleep at any moment.

"Are you okay?" Saya crouched down to check on Gintoki. His condition looked bad—he was out of breath, and his hands were still shaking. "Do you think you're okay in this state?"

"Uh... probably not."

The sound of sirens came from a police car of the Shinsengumi, causing both of them to look over.

"Well, that worked out."

"Leave the rest to us," Saya told the Shinsengumi, then turned to walk away.

"Wait a minute, miss! You can't just leave after wearing someone out like this!" A voice called out as Gintoki turned to see a deadpan-looking man raising an eyebrow, clearly teasing him.

"I can't help it. It's what happens when you're a beginner. Just deal with it."

"Huh? Why should I deal with it? You're the one who shoved this on me!"

"I gave it to you so you could help yourself. And now you're complaining?"

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you two talking about? Helping yourself? Shoving things on each other?" It seemed that Condo misunderstood the conversation, thinking it was something inappropriate.

"Calm down, Condo. They're talking about the bracelet that her older sister gave to the leader," Okita intervened to clear up the confusion. "Good thing I stepped in, or this misunderstanding would've gone on forever."

"Hey, are the people who attacked us only this many?" Hijikata joined in and asked Gintoki and Saya.

"Yeah, why?"

"It seems one of them managed to escape."

"Say what?" Saya walked over to where Hijikata had pointed. There was a trail of blood leading into the nearby forest.

"It looks like it might be the leader."

"Guys, go after it—"

"No need." Before Condo could finish speaking, Saya interrupted him.

"Wait a minute. If we don't follow, it'll just escape."

"Following it and fighting it, though... Can you even beat it? I'm not underestimating you, but don't forget, it's more powerful than you all. It's not an ordinary human, so let me handle this."

Saya walked along the blood trail into the forest, leaving the others behind to just watch.

"Aren't you going after her, boss?" Okita turned to ask Gintoki, who was silently sitting.

"Do you think I should go after her?"

"Well, yeah. Because right now, aside from your sister, you're the only one here who can use power."

Gintoki sat silently for a moment, then stood up, determined. "Leave it here. I'll bring that girl back myself."

"Take care of her, boss," Okita said, nodding.

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama seven days : Sakata Gintoki

Day 2 / 01

The cooing of the pigeon was annoyingly persistent, but having to wake up early for work was even more frustrating. But he had no choice; he needed money to survive. Besides, he had to pay the rent for his apartment in a few weeks—he was already three months behind. If he got this payout, life would be a lot easier.

He rode his trusty scooter through the streets, heading towards the Kagurazaka district in search of his target. He got off the scooter and walked into the area.

Kagurazaka was a district not far from Kabukicho, filled with wealthy residents like billionaires and the well-to-do. Since Kagurazaka was close to the shogun's palace, the land here was extremely expensive. The area was also lined with numerous shops, making it not just a wealthy residential area but also a popular tourist spot.

Gintoki rode his scooter through the streets, scanning the surroundings for his target, asking people along the way as he walked.

"Ah, this woman, you mean?"

"Yeah, old man. You seen her around?"

"Yeah, yeah. She was here this morning, buying taiyaki from my shop. She's headed to that cat cafe over there," the old man said, pointing toward a cat cafe about 100 meters away.

"Ah, thanks a lot."

"By the way, is she your girlfriend, Gintoki?"

"Uh... kind of, yeah. She stole my parfait, so I'm here to track her down," Gintoki replied quickly, eager to move on before he was asked more questions.

He reached the cat cafe, parked his scooter at the front, and walked into the store while scanning the interior for his target.

"Meow~"

"Woah!" Four or five cats walked over to rub against his legs. "What's with you guys?"

"Welcome, Gintoki! What would you like to order?" The receptionist greeted him as he looked at the menu board. "I'll take a parfait," Gintoki ordered.

"Sure, please wait a moment."

While waiting for his food, Gintoki scanned the area for his target, but the group of cats in the cafe kept rubbing against his legs.

"What the hell are you guys doing? I'm trying to work here! Stop bothering me! Hey!! Orange cat, don't scratch my clothes! Black cat, stop scratching my shoes right now!!"

The more he complained, the more the cats surrounded him. Trying to catch them or walk away only made them follow him even more. How is he supposed to work peacefully like this?

Soon, his parfait arrived. Gintoki sat at the table near the wall, and within a second of sitting down, a dozen cats rushed over to his table, staring at him as if pressuring him.

"What are you looking at? Go somewhere else! People are trying to work here!" He tried to shoo them away, but they just kept coming. "Hey, I told you I'm working here! Hey! This is my parfait! Cats can't eat it, you know!!"

He tried pushing them away, but no matter what he did, the cats refused to leave. The parfait was getting licked by the cats, and he still hadn't found his target. This can't be happening right now!

"Meow, meow, come here!" A clear voice called to the cats, and all the cats surrounding Gintoki turned toward the new arrival.

Gintoki looked up at the new person. A woman with sharp features, long black hair with white inner highlights, and a graceful figure. He quickly pulled out the picture and compared it, looking back and forth.

It's her!!! Finally found her!

But wait, what was that call? Was she calling the cats? And what was up with the Elite-slaying incident yesterday? The strong, cold woman who killed dozens of enemies and the one playing with the cats today... Is it the same person?

"Hmm?" It seemed like the woman knew she was being watched. She looked up, causing Gintoki to freeze for a moment, flustered, and he quickly looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring at her.

"Don't like cats?"

"Huh?" Gintoki turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "You? Don't like cats?"

Oh, she's asking him. "No, it's just that I don't like them stealing my parfait."

"Cats can't actually eat sweets. They only took yours because they saw you eating, so they wanted some too."

Gintoki rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with interest. "You really seem to know a lot about cats."

"I used to, but they're all gone now." Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. What was that? Did he trigger something inside her?

"Hahaha, why the long face? The past is the past. They're in a better place now. As for me, I'm just focusing on the present," she said, smiling, but Gintoki could see the sadness and loneliness in her eyes.

"I forgot to ask, by the way. Did you come here to find me?"

Her question made Gintoki freeze for a moment. He had forgotten that he was here to find her. He'd gotten so caught up in the conversation that he had completely lost track of his mission.

"What? You mean you came to look for me—"

Boom!!

"Screeeeeech!! / Meooow!!"

The sound of a scream mixed with a cat's cry filled the air, caused by a car that came from nowhere and crashed into the cat cafe, sending everyone, including the cats, scattering in all directions.

"What the hell is going on?" Gintoki cursed as he cautiously walked over to investigate. He noticed smoke rising from the car, but when he looked closer, the smoke wasn't black—it was purple. His instincts told him to retreat.

"Shit."

Boom!!

Before he could pull away, the car exploded with a deafening blast, accompanied by thick purple smoke. Saya, seeing this, quickly intervened, raising her hands and drawing the smoke into a magic ring.

"Cough... cough... You're amazing, you know? Like a superhero or something... Cough... cough..."

Suddenly, his chest burned intensely, and his heart pounded so hard he felt like it might burst. The strength he had was slowly fading, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Am I... dying?"

"Grab him!!"

His weak body was lifted by someone. The ground shook so much it made him dizzy—he could tell they were running. The chaos and explosion sounds mixed with shouting filled his ears.

His body was laid on the grass somewhere. Gintoki squinted, trying to make out what was happening, but the pain in his body was overwhelming.

"Cough... cough..."

A flash of light, which he guessed was a sword, materialized from the woman's hand as those people rushed toward her, intending to kill.

"Sa...ya."

[mhell]

Fanfic Gintama Seven Day : Sakata Gintoki

Day 1 / 04

The silver-haired man’s shouting didn’t stop from the car ride all the way to the interrogation room. His voice echoed so loud throughout the Shinsengumi headquarters that everyone in the building turned to look.

“I didn’t do it, dammit! You can’t just arrest me like this! If you wanna arrest someone, go arrest that girl instead!”

“Well, well, if it isn’t the jack-of-all-trades,” Kondou greeted as he entered the room and plopped down in the chair across from him.

“‘Well, well’ my ass. Why the hell am I even here? I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“I’ll let you go,” Kondou said. “But there’s a catch.”

The moment Gintoki heard that, his expression darkened with frustration. “A catch? Are you serious? I’m already exhausted, nearly got myself killed, and now this? You guys are nuts! Count me out!”

Without a word, Hijikata set a laptop in front of him and turned the screen around. It displayed some sort of data in English—none of which made any sense to Gintoki.

“What the hell is this? What am I even looking at?”

“The people you encountered were members of a group called Elite. They originally started in Detroit, U.S.A. At first, they were just a small-time gang, hunting down and stealing the corpses of alchemic mages to sell on the black market. But eventually, they grew bigger and expanded globally—including into Japan.”

“Alche-what now?”

“Alchemic mages—people who use alchemic magic to transmute materials into weapons or objects.”

“Wait a minute, Ogushi-kun, are you saying these Elite guys are hunting down alchemists just to sell their powers on the black market?”

“Exactly.”

“Are you kidding me? What, did I wake up in some kind of Fullmetal Alchemist crossover? Should we go drag in the Elric brothers to take care of this or what?”

“Enough with the crap, already!” Hijikata snapped. “Bottom line: you’re helping us take down the Elite.”

Gintoki slammed his fist on the table. “Are you freaking insane?! Who in their right mind would risk their life over crap like this?! Just working enough to pay rent every month is already killing me. Now you want me to go up against people who can blow someone up with magic in a blink? With just a damn wooden sword? You’d have to be a total idiot!”

“Five million,” Kondou offered, his voice calm.

Gintoki squinted at him. “Five million yen? For risking my life? Yeah, no thanks.”

“Five million dollars.”

That currency change brought everything to a screeching halt. Gintoki froze. His mind spun. He raised a hand, doing some mental math. Five million dollars… that’s 761,424,990 yen.

He stared at the air for a moment, imagining the mountain of cash that figure would become. Then, after a dramatic pause—

“Heh. You think you can tempt someone like me with that kind of money, huh? Hah! As if I’d fall for something like th— Alright, fine, I’m in! Only an idiot would turn down that much!”

“Great,” Kondou said, handing over a stack of documents. “Here’s the contract. You’ll need to sign it.”

Gintoki took the papers. They were all in English. Not that he couldn’t read it—he could, just enough to get by. He squinted at the lines.

Official Employment Contract

Detroit Magical Police Department, USA & Shinsengumi Police Division, Japan

I, Sakata Gintoki, hereby agree to enter into an official employment contract with the Detroit Magical Police Department, United States of America, and the Shinsengumi Police Division, Japan, for the mission to track down and capture members of the ELITH organization.

The agreed-upon compensation for this task is $5,000,000 USD.

Contract Duration: One month.

If the terms of the contract are fully fulfilled within the specified time, full payment will be issued immediately.

Failure to comply with the terms will result in immediate termination of the contract, and no compensation will be provided.

In the event that the contractor is injured or deceased and can no longer carry out the mission, a compensation package will be provided to the family:

Injury compensation: $1,000,000 USD

Death compensation: $20,000 USD per month for 40 years

Signature of Consent: _______________________

After reading every single line, he realized the contract duration wasn’t long, and the compensation was more than reasonable. If he survived, he’d receive a whopping 5,000,000 dollars.

He picked up the pen, signed the contract, and handed it back.

“Happy now?”

“Good. Here.” Kondou handed him a photo.

It was a picture of a woman with sharp features, black hair with white inner highlights, and striking gray eyes—so beautiful she almost didn’t seem real.

“This woman’s name is Saya Richelle. She’s currently being hunted by the Elite because she possesses immense power—both in weapon magic and transmutation alchemy. Normally, people can only use one type of magic. At most, they can wield one or two magical weapons, and as for transmutation magic, only one element per person. But Saya… she’s different. She can use an unlimited amount of both weapon magic and transmutation magic.”

Hearing that, Gintoki furrowed his brow. What the hell is this? Am I in some fantasy world like Fairy Tail or something?

“So she’s that strong, huh? Then why do you need me to help her?”

“Saya’s always worked alone. If someone helps her take down the enemy, things will be faster and easier.”

“And what about you cops? Why don’t you help her yourselves?”

“We can’t get involved directly. You know as well as I do—they’re high-level mages. If we go up against them head-on, we’ll all die for sure.”

“And what about me? I’m just a regular guy, man! I’m alone out here. If I go up against them, I’m dead meat!”

“Who said you’d be fighting?” Hijikata exhaled smoke from his lungs and gave a smug smile. “Someone like you? You’re the perfect decoy.”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!”