[Gintama] Like an Old Friend

Shimizu Tsukihime stood beneath the moonlight, clutching a broken long sword. Crimson blood dripped from the blade, seeping into the earth. She wore a white kimono with small floral patterns and long sleeves, its hem now torn open to her waist, revealing a slender, pale thigh. Splatters of blood dotted the skirt, tabi socks, and sleeves—at first glance, a vivid yet mournful beauty reminiscent of cherry blossoms lazily blooming on early spring branches.

"Hmph. Only now do I realize how naive I once was... I never imagined someone like me would be targeted, used as a bargaining chip in your fight against the anti-foreign patriots...“ Kiyomizu Tsukihime raised her free left hand, slowly clenching and unclenching her fist several times. She then swept her gaze across the crowd surrounding her and asked softly, ”The shadow behind the Shogunate—the Tenchōshū?"

Though phrased as a question, her tone carried certainty. The slight upward inflection at the end betrayed her disdain, even in this disadvantageous position.

The Ten-do-shu were assassins lurking in the shadows—an assassination organization exploited by rulers since ancient times to covertly manipulate the nation's fate. Their ruthless cruelty had earned them banishment as taboo entities during peaceful eras. Yet Tokugawa Sadayoshi, the current shogun, had contacted the Ten-do-shu when abolishing the Teiban-shu, now employing them for his own schemes. These assassins became sharp nails in Tokugawa Sadayoshi's hand, driven one by one into the hearts of high-ranking officials and prominent anti-foreign activists who opposed him. Leveraging the Tendo Clan's terrifying power, Tokugawa Sadayoshi cleansed his path to the throne with blood, climbing to the summit over countless corpses.

Shimizu Tsukihime's intimate knowledge of this clandestine organization stemmed entirely from her status as a time traveler. Crucially, her beloved older brother, Yoshida Shōyō—who had always been kindest to her—was taken from Sakata Gintoki by the Tenchōshū.

“Shimizu Tsukihime, Yoshida Shōyō’s half-sister.” The leader of the opposing group was clearly no ordinary figure. Even as the bodies of his subordinates lay strewn around Shimizu Tsukihime, he remained utterly focused, his gaze fixed on her like a hunter poised to pull the trigger. His sharp eyes locked onto her form as his mind raced through calculations.

The intelligence was flawed. Shimizu Tsukihime, Yoshida Shōyō's half-sister, is seventeen years old, frail in body, cheerful and lively in spirit, stubborn and proud, and innocent and naive. Based on the reports from the scouts sent out, he could roughly piece together Shimizu Tsukihime's personality. Raised under the protective wings of her brother and his disciples, she was innocent and naive, yet also intensely proud, impulsive, and ruled by her emotions—just like every useless woman in this world, an easy target to eliminate. Moreover, she seemed to have recently fallen out with Yoshida Shōyō's disciples. Acting now was a godsend of an opportunity.

Several months prior, they had executed Yoshida Shōyō, dealing a heavy blow to the anti-foreign faction. If news now spread that Yoshida Shōyō's only beloved sister had been captured, the remaining anti-foreigners would likely fight with all their might to rescue this useless woman—if only to appease Yoshida Shōyō's spirit. Wouldn't that further weaken their forces?

The rulers' calculations seemed sound, but when the plan was put into action, things went awry. The woman they'd assumed would be easy to handle turned out to be a master swordswoman, having already slain half the elite forces sent against her.

In truth, Shimizu Tsukihime was no swordsman extraordinaire, and she was now pushed to her absolute limit. Their intelligence was accurate. It wasn't until Tsukihime, alone on a narrow path, was ambushed by a group of straw-hatted, staff-wielding figures disguised as monks—and hastily drew her sword to fight—that she suddenly realized how naive and laughable she truly was after seventeen years of rebirth in this world. She possessed all the flaws typical of girls in Mary Sue穿越 novels: self-righteous, arrogant, blindly proud, naive, and laughable. She spent her days agonizing over so-called love, fantasizing about an epic romance with some protagonist. Compared to the other girl who had crossed over, she seemed even more childish. But this world delivered a brutal blow with its harsh reality: This wasn't the anime she used to love, Silver Dammit. This was an illusory yet real world. Those people truly existed around her—they jumped, ran, laughed, cried, and worried. And after being beheaded... they died.

Yoshida Shōyō. She closed her eyes slightly, the name lingering on her tongue yet unable to be uttered. Her half-brother, who had cared for her for ten years, tolerated her endless tantrums and, in this turbulent age, provided her with the last peaceful haven. Yet two months ago, Yoshida Shōyō was beheaded by the very shogunate he had spent his life trying to save. Countless former students rushed to the execution ground to rescue him, only to retrieve a solitary severed head in the end.

Sakata Gintoki stood before her, head slightly bowed. His overly long bangs obscured his eyes, and Shimizu Tsukihime couldn't see his expression. Yet, from Katsura Kotarō leaning against the door and Takasugi Shinsuke sitting on the doorstep, she could vaguely guess what they were about to say.

This can't be real, right? Stop playing around, okay? You promised to bring him back. You promised to return him to me. Now you're back—where is he? Where is my brother?

“I'm sorry...”

A thousand words boiled down to a single apology. Nothing else mattered now. Nothing could change it. He was dead. That man was truly gone, gone forever. He would never again stroke her head and smile warmly, telling her Tsukihime was the most beautiful and that all she needed to do was live happily and leave everything to him. That her smile was his sunshine.

Sunshine, my *ss! Don't you get it? From the very start, you were the only sun in my life! Now you're gone—what am I supposed to do?!

Hey, hey, don't be angry. Didn't I find you a good home? Gintoki is a reliable man you can depend on.

Brother, the only time you ever messed up in your life was with your little sister here. That b*st*rd Sakata Gintoki told me he doesn't want me anymore, that I should find someone else to marry. They can't take care of me anymore.

Brother, why aren't you saying anything? I'm listening!

...

To this day, Shimizu Tsukihime can still vividly recall the scene when she first met those men. No, she should call them “boys,” for back then, they were neither the White Oni who would later strike fear into hearts, nor the elegant yet sharp Mad Prince, nor the ruthless Governor. They were simply children studying at the academy founded by her own brother.

It was a bright summer day. Cicadas screeched frantically in the trees, the heat was unbearable, and even the occasional breeze felt scorching. Walking along the country path, it felt as though her entire body might burst into flames.

Beyond the schoolhouse, fields bloomed with rapeseed flowers, their sweet scent drifting far and wide. Large butterflies danced in flocks, their wings fluttering like the heartbeat of Shimizu Tsukihime.

Her mother had been an unloved concubine in the Yoshida household, passing away shortly after giving birth to her. From childhood, Shimizu Tsukihime endured scorn within the Yoshida household. She wasn't even permitted to bear the Yoshida surname, forced instead to retain her mother's maiden name, “Shimizu.” As a time traveler from the Celestial Empire, the naive Shimizu Tsukihime didn't fully grasp what being barred from the Yoshida name truly meant. She even found ‘Shimizu’ more pleasing to the ear and disliked “Yoshida.” The entire Yoshida household, including the servants who read faces, looked down on Shimizu Tsukihime. Only her eldest brother, Yoshida Shōyō—a child hailed as a prodigy—would carry her out to play, smile at her, and say, “Little sister, I'm your big brother. I'll protect you.”

After coming of age, Yoshida Shōyō left home to pursue his studies, and Shimizu Tsukihime once again became a target of bullying within the Yoshida household. It wasn't until Yoshida Shōyō returned home and, as the new head of the household, brought Shimizu Tsukihime with him to live at the academy that she finally escaped the shadow of the Yoshida family. On the journey there, she was so excited she could barely contain herself. Many years later, though Yoshida Shōyō's face had faded from memory, the earthy scent of muddy paths after fresh rain and the sweet fragrance of rapeseed blossoms lingered vividly in her mind—clear and enduring.

At seven years old, Shimizu Tsukihime stood barely waist-high to Yoshida Shōyō as he held her soft little hand. When he pushed open the wooden door, and she saw another group of children playing in the courtyard, Shimizu Tsukihime visibly paused, then broke into a wide smile.

“Quiet, everyone. The teacher has someone to introduce.” Yoshida Shōyō's voice was always gentle and pleasant, warm like a spring breeze. As he spoke, he pushed Shimizu Tsukihime—who had been hiding behind him, peeking out with just her head—forward. “This is the Teacher’s younger sister. Her name is Yoshida... Shimizu Tsukihime. From now on, she'll live and study with all of you.”

Regarding the surname issue, Yoshida Shōyō had once suggested to Shimizu Tsukihime that he help her change it back to Yoshida. But after some thought, she had declined. Though she now understood the significance of the Yoshida name, the Yoshida family held no connection to her anymore. She wished to keep the Shimizu surna