[Gintama] Mr. Songyang that day

"Go to the battlefield!"

Gui looked at the warriors coming and going in the village and said so.

That was when another wave of anti-barbarians passed through Matsumoto Village.

Taking this road is not only for the country, but also for themselves.

The village also received a notice from the shogunate that the sinner Yoshida Shoyo, who tried to disobey the sky, had been escorted to Edo, waiting for the final sanction.

Most of the people in the village have received the favor of Songyang, and they were all shocked when they heard the news. Some came to help them renovate their houses, and some came to propose to take care of their lives. Gaoshan all restrained and politely said He thanked him and refused, and together with Gui, he cleaned up the burnt-out courtyard, and moved the remaining books and sundries to Gui's house where he lived alone.

Gintoki nestled in the untouched dojo at the foot of the mountain, and didn't know what he was doing, Gui didn't have time to take care of it, and Takasugi didn't want to waste a single glance on this guy who looked like a useless person to him.

Some young and vigorous graduated students secretly discussed going to Edo to rob the prison behind their backs, and some took aim at the recent wave of anti-barbarians.

Of course, there were quite a few people who were in a hurry to get rid of the relationship. Several children who were taken back before hearing the news also sneaked out of the house and stood beside them.

The shogunate took away their teacher.

Their shelter has been reduced to ashes in the sea of ​​​​fire.

Ideals were destroyed, important existence was taken away, and reality forced them to retreat.

Then, go and overthrow the shogunate.

With a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of courage to move forward, the young people who came to the private school and had already joined the anti-barbarian team stood in the dojo where they had swung their knives countless times, waving their arms to call.

"This world has become a place where we can't survive. We must fight against heaven and man, for our teacher, and to create a world where we can fly freely!"

Gao Shan slowly pulled the knife out of the scabbard pinned to his waist, the dazzling light reflected on his scarred face looked too ferocious.

"On the battlefield."

It was so calm that there was no sound of ups and downs.

He looked back at the immature faces of those former classmates with different expressions.

"You don't have to come, then the Matsushita private school will no longer have your place."

Gui knew who he was talking to.

For going to the battlefield, Yinshi has always had a sense of resistance for unknown reasons. Even though there is no other way to save the teacher except fighting against the barbarians, he still tries to stop them.

Like when they were stopped on the way to the hospital that year, Yinshi came out without a sound, and laid the knife that Songyang gave him at the entrance of the dojo with no expression on his face.

"Do not make jokes."

He looked more like he was trying to force himself not to be crushed by reality.

"It will kill people."

Gui didn't know if he was admonishing them, or just trying to convince himself who was shaken.

At that time, Gao Shan was wiping the knife, which was so sharp that it was unsheathed and sealed his throat, over and over again under the suspicious eyes all around him, and when he heard this, he showed a look of contempt down to the bone.

He sneered in a tone that was so angry that he calmed down strangely.

"coward."

Why can he stand in front of them brazenly and stop them with the knife given to him by the teacher instead of chopping off his own head with this knife to apologize?

Those who didn't protect the teacher well, survived, and didn't even have the courage to take back the teacher——

Why was this guy present, why was this guy the first time I met, why why why, from the past to the present, the one chosen has always been Sakata Gintoki——

Why not me.

The sharp light of the blade reflected in his green eyes, his expression was cold and sad.

Why did you listen to such a clumsy lie, why couldn't you go faster, why didn't you catch up, why didn't you even have a chance to stop this.

why didn't i-

On the day Songyang was taken away, Gao Shan, who broke through the siege and rushed back desperately, was so calm at first that it made people a little scared.

When he looked at Yin, who was slumped in the burnt ashes, his eyes were gradually stained with tremors on the verge of collapse.

"What have you done?"

This emotion did not erupt in an instant, but slowly, with the ashes flying all over the sky, bit by bit, it ate away at the young man's heart filled with pain.

"What are you doing?"

"Sakata Gintoki, what are you doing?"

"You just—"

The pain turned into hatred that could not be vented, and this hatred got out of control aimlessly.

"Takasugi! You stop! Yinshi, you dodge!"

Gui hurriedly went to stop Gao Shan who was about to beat Gintoki to death in a rage, but Gintoki didn't move, allowing Takasugi to punch him.

It seems that from the moment Songyang was taken away, his life stopped and everything lost its meaning.

Takasugi couldn't understand how this guy could still sit here peacefully, despite their teacher being taken away, ignoring them, and not even having the consciousness of going all out.

Even if you are facing the elite troops sent by the shogunate, even if you have no chance of winning, even if you die——

Even if you die, you can't just watch the teacher be taken away!

"Is that how you are—that's how—you protect the teacher!"

Guixin knew that Takasugi had lost his mind, so he dragged Takasugi away with all his might. His anger was no less than Takasugi's, but he was always the most sensible one in the private school. At least he still remembered that their enemy was the shogunate far away in Edo , not this dying classmate who was beaten.

"Enough! Shin Takasugi will help you calm down!"

He violently pushed Gao Sugi to the ground, his expression was never serious.

"So what if you beat Yinshi to death! The most important thing now is to rescue the teacher! What's the use of being depressed and fighting, you two bastards!"

He looked at his two companions who were slumped on the ground, anxious and angry.

"Could it be that you are so desperate, why don't you save the teacher!"

At this time, Gui was still optimistic. He was always full of hope and vitality, and he fearlessly moved forward towards the lofty goal in his heart.

That is the unique courage that his teacher brought him.

"Teacher—the teacher is so powerful, if he didn't take care of other people in the village and want to protect us, how could he be taken away without resistance—you two, cheer up! Let's go and bring the teacher back! It hasn't arrived yet The point of no return!"

save her.

Takasugi suddenly raised his head.

After the pain faded away, there was a ferocious killing intent like a wild beast in his eyes.

To destroy the cage that imprisoned her.

It doesn't matter what kind of path he takes, as long as he can get back what he lost, even if he is an enemy of the sky, he will not be afraid.

——Takasugi didn't say goodbye to them the day he left, and Katsura didn't know if he had an argument with Gintoki again. Anyway, when he woke up, Takasugi and some students in the private school had already caught up with the first batch of people who passed through Hagi Castle According to the students who have not yet left, the anti-barbarian troops are going to the battlefield of Kai.

Gui slowly packed his luggage, thinking about taking a few books left by Songyang, and found a dusty iron box among the private school items that he hadn't had time to sort out.

He opened the box and found that it contained the compositions they had written and the birthday presents they gave to Songyang every year. With a straight face, he continued to pack his luggage.

Just as he was about to put the box into his bag, Gintoki appeared at some point and stopped him.

He noticed that Yinshi had the knife left by Songyang stuck in his waist.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?"

Yinshi lowered his head, couldn't see his face clearly, and couldn't hear any emotion in his voice.

From that day on, Gui rarely communicated with him, and never understood his thoughts, and only answered him simply when he heard the words.

"Well. The second batch of troops will pass by here tomorrow morning, I will follow up, and we will round up in Kai and Takasugi."

"I--"

The person waiting for them to return home is no longer around.

There is only a deserted home to go back to.

Without that person, their intersection seemed to end there.

Gui sighed and pushed the box to Yinshi.

"The teacher left it, you take it. Although I don't know why you don't want us to go to the battlefield, it must be the day the teacher left, and I told you something, right?"

Songyang has never mentioned her relationship with Yinshi. Some people say that they are brothers with different surnames, while others say that Yinshi was picked up by Songyang.

But in any case, there is indeed a strong bond between these two people that neither of them can touch.

Among them, Yinshi must be the one who wants to get back the teacher the most.

——Perhaps the one who understands the teacher the most.

But these are not reasons to stop.

Yinshi took the box and hugged it in his arms without saying a word. Gui looked at his silent back and couldn't help but speak.

"Yinshi, the remaining students in the private school will follow me. After I leave, you can live with me first. There is no home for you to go back to. No matter what agreement you made with the teacher, it is irreversible now. gone."

They have nothing left to lose.

Gui hoped that he would realize this.

"Is it really necessary to protect the guy who ignores the teacher's suffering and never repays a single cent? Those who are willing to be with us, each of them is to take back the teacher and take back the free country. The battlefield. Silver time you - think about it."

On the night Gui left, Yinshi didn't go to see him off.

He stood at the place where he was escorted and couldn't move, with his head down, looking at the hazy moonlight reflected in the puddles at his feet.

In the moonlight, there was a figure that was always out of reach. He kept chasing it in his dream, and stretched out his hands to catch it, but no matter how he ran, no matter how much he called that name, that person never looked back.

The distance between them grew farther and farther until there was nothing in his eyes.

The figure of that person disappeared in front of him again, leaving only a light and bitter promise like a lie.

"wait me back."

Silver came back to his senses abruptly.

He suddenly realized that he couldn't wait for anyone to come back this time.

At three o'clock in the morning, Yinshi buried the box under the bare pine tree in the dilapidated yard, took the knife left by the man, and followed the tail of the barbarians.

He walked the road leaving the private school over and over again, year after year, through the bare cherry blossom forest, the calm lake, and the golden wheat field.

But from today onwards there will be no turning back.

He thought of the man stretching out his hand to him under the setting sun, and wanted to smile, but his eyes turned red first.

Songyang.

In the end I still—

The knife that the teacher gave to that guy was finally stained with the color that the teacher didn't want to see.

Takasugi knew this clearly.

She never wants to see anyone get hurt, and protects them firmly under her wings like a goshawk.

She taught them to pursue their true selves, to fight against their weak selves, to be free, and to protect those around them.

The repeated words, freedom, and struggle.

——On the night Songyang brought him out, they walked through the night-dyed wheat field.

The sky was filled with starlight, and he stared blankly at the bright stars, while Songyang's soft voice lingered in his ears.

"Look, Jinsuke, the starry sky is very beautiful. At night, we can move out the low stools and sit in the courtyard to watch the stars. You can tell me if Jinsuke wants some snacks."

"Can I watch the stars while eating dim sum?"

he asked hesitantly.

——He was only five years old that year. He was hung up and beaten for a while just because he stole a piece of snack, and then thrown to the tree in the yard and knelt all night.

Someone was guarding him, and if he felt sleepy, he would be whipped, and he endured the pain until sunrise.

"Of course. I can eat whatever I want, well, as long as I can get it..."

His eyes turned red, he buried his head on Songyang's back, and sniffed secretly.

The samurai recognized by the family cannot have selfish desires and personal emotions. He will dedicate his body and mind to his monarch. He will work hard all his life, live for no reason, and die in a daze.

If a so-called samurai looks like this—

"What do you want to eat? Well, you don't seem to dislike desserts when you have dinner? How about Konpeito? Would you like to try Jinsuke?"

It's so gentle.

Gao Shan resisted the sourness welling up in his heart, and slowly and with great difficulty found his voice.

"Okay, teacher."

The night was so dark that even the elongated shadows behind them couldn't be seen clearly, but they could only be vaguely seen. Their shadows were intertwined, as if fused into one.

So, with tears still in the corners of his eyes, he smiled softly.

The so-called real warrior is right here, right in front of him, gently carrying him on his back, gently taking him under his wings.

——It’s faith.

He walked back and forth countless times with the anti-barbarian troops that day, but he knew better than anyone else in his heart.

What kind of country, government, and rights? He didn't make this decision for such illusory things.

——He is just an important person who will try his best to get it back.

Even if the world is destroyed, it has nothing to do with him, as long as that person is still there.

Even if the war is not so naive, it is as simple as you come and go in the dojo of the private school.

Even if most of the classmates in the private school around me had already died in battle, in the end, only the three of them were still standing among the mountains of corpses.

And he held the knife in his hand, and he steadfastly and without hesitation beheaded countless enemies who could not see their faces clearly.

--It doesn't matter.

It's okay to be covered in blood.

It doesn't matter if there are countless casualties among colleagues.

It doesn't matter if you are injured so much that you can't get up, it doesn't matter if the ghost soldier team you built is beaten back and forth.

——As long as he can still lift the knife in his hand.

As long as his body can still move.

As long as the blood rushing between his chest hasn't run out.

— as long as he can bring her back.

The author has something to say: It would be great if time stayed in the private school era forever, and it would be great if Oboro could face his own heart