[Okay I have deleted the review of the guy complaining about A.I without reading the fic, which I don't blame him to be skeptical but that ain't how reviews work tbh, you can't complain about something you don't know anything about. And you can shit talk my fic all you want but be elegent about it and I will accept it with an open chest.
Also, since two other helpful dudes who actually read my stuff all and appreciated it, which I appreciated, gave me reviews and told me what to do regarding this. So, I will change the synopsis slightly, change the cover photo, and also the book Title.]
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[Put an appropriate cover photo and Title in here and I will decide which one I will choose. Next chapter will be a shout out to the guy I will choose his stuff. Avoid cliche or mtl titles for the book please.]
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In a private room, with soft tatami mats on the floor and sliding paper doors that let in gentle light. In the center, a low wooden table sat surrounded by cushions for guests to sit on.
Against one wall, a small alcove held a beautiful scroll and a simple flower arrangement, adding a touch of nature. A place for drinking tea and have calm conversation, away from the busy castle life.
"Yahahahahahahahaaaa!" The roar shattered the room's tranquility like a stone through still water.
"Rahahahahahahahaaaa!" Another thunderous laugh answered.
SLAM!
"Shit! that tasted so good!" Gintoki slammed the cup on the table. A few drops spilled onto the wood.
"Yahahahaha! So... hehe... tell me more... tell me more!"
A huge man sat on a cushion across Gintoki. He had an angular face, fair skin, and a piercing visible right eye, while his left is always hidden beneath a black eyepatch. His wild, spiky jet-black hair sticks out in unruly tufts. He laughed loudly, and on his face were warm, pink blushes from the drink.
[Picture]
"Rehehe okay here's another one. One day a man from the land of fire wanted to go to the land of iron but–" Gintoki said with a light chuckle and paused at the end.
Date's massive hands gripped his thighs. He leaned in, his breath held "Yehehe, but what? What happened?!" The giant man asked like an excited girl. A hand clasping his mouth not to burst out laughing.
"–But he couldn't go!!"
For a moment, there was silence. Date's face went through confusion, then realization hit...
"YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Date threw his head back, one hand slapping his thigh, the other pointing at Gintoki.
"RAHAHAHAHAAHAHHA!!" Gintoki joined in, doubling over until his forehead nearly touched the table, his shoulders shaking.
As you can see, two drunk dumbasses are having fun. Not like they were better when they were sober.
It has been sometime since Gintoki came to the capital of the land of fire. He came over right after his talk with Hiruzen.
The man in front of him is Date Masamune. The current Damiyo of these lands. One of the few Samurais that can fight Ninja village Kages equally.
Slam!
"Pahhhh that hit the spot!" Date said boisterously, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. But then his expression shifted. He narrowed his eyes at Gintoki, the warmth draining. "Now tell me why you are here asshole!"
"Can't I just visit a friend? How are your wives doing? How many were there again? Thirteen?" He asked, pouring sake from the bottle directly into his mouth. Some missed, trickling down his chin.
"Friend my hairy ass! You always came here when that fucker Tobirama wanted something from me, and now I am sure that Monkey also sent you here for some shit I won't agree to." Date accused pointedly.
"By the way, twenty seven. That's the number of wives ignoring my concubines." Date added with a savage smirk as looked at the utterly jealous prick in front of him.
Gintoki's jaw tightened. His fingers curled around the sake bottle.
"Tch! Lucky bastard. Well, you are right. I am here because that guy sent me here. Though, I do truly miss you hehe." Gintoki said with a helpless chuckle while shaking the now empty bottle of sake.
"What does he want?" Date asked with a frown.
"Don't act like you don't know Date. You have created a human wall around Konoha's territory for weeks now. Nothing goes in or goes out without your permission." Gintoki said, more serious than usual.
Date leaned back, the floor creaking. He crossed his arms.
"And can you blame me for that? Do you think I don't know how the hidden villages especially Konoha actively try to expand your territories? Just because I have been busy doesn't mean you guys can act recklessly without permission from the government!" Date replied with narrowed eyes.
"People are dying Date." Gintoki said with a slight frown.
"Cut the bullshit! The last person to care about lives are Ninjas! After years of killing, pillaging, and...etc, you are now trying to play the moral high ground? To make me feel guilty? I have thought you were better than that Gintoki!" Date said with disappointment visible on his face.
Gintoki went silent. The light caught his face, revealing the slight tremor in his jaw. His hands rested on his thighs, motionless.
"I have told you again and again before! pack your clan and your family, relocate to the capital and serve under me. You could have luxurious lifestyle, honor, fortune, fame, and a chance so that your dying clan can be revived, but what did you do?" Date angrily said.
"..."
"You did the very same thing you hated. Staying in a devil's den. Staying being a killing machine to someone who fed you illusions!"
"..."
"And last but not least–" Date paused.
Gintoki sat perfectly still.
"–You lost your Honor." Date's voice cracked slightly. "You dishonored everything a Samurai stands for. Worse than a Ronin!" Date raised his voice a little at the end.
"I..." Gintoki's voice failed.
"Tell me why are you still here?" Date asked, not letting Gintoki speak.
Gintoki went silent. His hands, still on his thighs, had curled into fists.
He only lowered his head in shame. The movement was slow, defeated, his chin dropping toward his chest until his silver hair hid his face.
"Why haven't you committed Seppuku?" Date asked again, sounding harsher.
The question hung in the air.
Gintoki's shoulders trembled slightly. His voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper.
"I... I am... I don't... know. I am sorry." Gintoki finally said as he vacantly looked at the giant of a man who glared daggers at him.
But behind the glare, behind the harsh words, there was something else in Date's eye. Something that looked almost like grief.
There was a moment of stillness between them.
***
Some 19 years ago, a young Gintoki sat slumped against a castle wall, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. He had been assigned a guard duty in the Land of Fire. Three months protecting the Damiyo's son type shit. The kind of mission elders gave to young ninja who needed to learn patience.
"I just hope he ain't arrogant or some cliche bullshit–" Gintoki muttered to himself before he heard a call.
"Hey, you."
Gintoki looked up.
A young man stood over him. Maybe a year or two older than Gintoki. Taller than him, darker skin, His clothes were fine quality but rumpled, as if he had been riding hard.
"You're the ninja they sent to guard me?" The young man's voice was louder than it needed to be.
"Unfortunately." Gintoki replied.
"Good. Teach me something."
Gintoki blinked. "What?"
"A technique. A ninja move. I want to see." The young man dropped onto the ground beside him, cross-legged, completely ignoring the dust on his expensive hakama. "My father says ninjas are dishonorable cowards who fight from shadows. But you look like you could fight. Show me something!"
"I refuse."
"Yahahaha! It's an order, not a request prick!" Date laughed boisterously, amused that a cute ninja like Gintoki had the balls to refuse him.
"Look me in the eyes and guess what my answer is." Gintoki replied while he looked at the guy with his dead fish eyes.
"YAHAHAHAHAHA!! What a shitty looking eyes!! Not even a Sharingan!" The guy laughed loudly while slapping his thigh, tears running down his face from how stupid Gintoki looked.
Gintoki's eye twitched in annoyance.
"Ohh yeah? Bet I could pull more girls than you even with chopped arms." Gintoki said.
Suddenly the guy went silent as he heard that before pulling a grin.
"It's good to have dreams. By the way, I am Date Masamune!" Date said as he extended his hand for a handshake.
Clap!
"Hatake Gintoki,"
"Gintoki right? I like you, Why don't you become a Samurai instead?" Date asked with anticipation.
"No thanks, don't swing that way."
"YAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!"
***
And that's how Gintoki and Date met. For two to 3 years until Gintoki became 16 years old, he was always by Date's side except sometimes reporting back to the village.
Date was a Samurai through and through. Upholding Samurai principles zealously, like most do.
Honor, or what the Samurai call it as Bushido.
Ninjas had Will of fire, stone, water...etc.
Samurais had Honor. Something Gintoki slowly picked up from Date.
Gintoki learned from Samurais after that a great deal. From mannerism, principles, and What it takes to make you a proper Samurai.
Even though he was more of a Ronin than a Samurai since he didn't serve a master, but little details.
Thankfully, Tobirama and Hashirama didn't care that much.
Or better say, it was all according to Tobirama's plan.
Because through Gintoki, who was an easy going individual and not indifferent or numb like most ninjas, he wanted to create a bridge between Konoha and the young master of the fire country because you never know when connections to powerful people will be useful to Konoha.
Especially connections to a future Damiyo.
Tobirama has studied the young lord Date's personality for months, then sent Gintoki specifically to create that connection.
And he knew there will be a %99 probability where Gintoki will become great friends with Date.
Though, Gintoki didn't know about the deeper details of this mission except protecting Date. Not that he cared even if he knew. He just went with the flow.
Getting back to the present;
Honor.
Gintoki lost his Honor the first day he went and participated in that cursed first world war, and he knew it.
The war had a huge psychological toll on his mind. Even now, he couldn't get a comfortable night's sleep without waking up to nightmares.
Kids screaming their lungs out so he wouldn't kill them.
Mothers clenching their innocent babies, murdered without mercy.
Elders.
Women.
Men.
Teens.
Babies.
Homes.
Villages.
'I have no honor. Hell! There is no way hell doesn't exist! There is absolutely no way! The universe is fair, eternal damnation is my place! Ohh God I am so afraid of death.'
Slam!
Date hit the table in front of him angrily. The table shaking and groaning under his huge hand.
"Remember what I taught you?" Date's tone turned fierce. "Samurai stand for their Honor, Principles, or Bushido! A code that doesn't bend just because someone gives orders." He glared harder.
"If your superiors ever ask you to do something that breaks you, remember that you always have a choice not to follow the commands, no matter the consequences!" Date cried.
"..."
"But you... I still underestimated how thoroughly Tobirama and that wood fraud brainwashed your sorry ass!" Shouted Date, clearly frustrated.
"..."
Date went silent. His fierce eyes looked at the sorry excuse of a... man. In his book, Gintoki couldn't even be considered a man no more. Just a sinful shell with no right to stay alive at all!
Friends or not, he knows that at this point, This man is a...
Monster.
"400 villages and 4 cities. That was the deal Hashirama made with the previous Shogun-sama. The territory of ninjas of Konoha must not surpass and rule over more than 400 villages and 4 cities. More than that is trespassing your boundaries."
"Right now, Konoha rules over close to 700 villages and 8 cities, then expanded 70 kilometers in all directions which is unacceptable by all means!"
"..." Gintoki stayed silent with his head lowered.
"The Shogun and the Samurais in the land of Iron are having a headache because of those barbarian Khans. As the Damiyos, it's our duty to stabilise these lands and help the Shogun in his endeavours as soon as possible."
"We have tolerated the actions of the ninjas in the first world war without proper supervision from the Damiyos enough, but now... no more. It's unacceptable!"
"Tell that disgusting monkey this. By the order of the Damiyo, if Konoha didn't collaborate and retreat from the occupied territories then–"
"..." Gintoki only glanced at Date briefly.
"–be ready to go to war against the Samurais and I, Date Masamune, the Eagle, the second to be on the Damiyo's throne under his majesty Shogun Tokugawa-sama!" Date declared ruthlessly while glaring at Gintoki.
Gintoki didn't waste time, he knew he was unwelcome before even coming here. Date never invited him to drink sake before.
This sake was a sign for goodbyes. A friend honoring another friend's grave.
And there is nothing he could do to change Date's mind. Honestly he didn't want to change Date's mind even if he could. He just wanted to leave and finally go into retirement.
He had overstayed.
Gintoki stood up and walked towards the paper doors.
Before he left, Date spoke without looking at the departing figure.
"I had a friend in the past. Now, he is dead."
"..."
"I don't want to see your face again... Hatake clan head."
Gintoki left.
The End.
[Taiwan is a part of China!!!]