Sharp Wings; 鋭い翼 [Gintama]

43| Two people Gintoki don't trust and two people Shizuku trusts the most

Even someone as questionable as Kusahara and Shizuku wouldn't be able to be at two places at once, right?

Again, adding to the lineup of (headache-inducing) things, when the incident happened, when Hijikata ordered Okita and Shizuku to go back to the hospital after what they have witnessed happen over the bay, they have reported back – with picture proof – that Kusahara was still there, lying on his hospital bed with his IV tube still stuck on the crook of his elbow. He was raising a peace sign up while looking at the camera, similarly posed like both Shizuku and Okita – both of which were also in the frame. With that alone, Hijikata easily concluded that Kusahara was there the whole time and never left.

The only logical explanation that Hijikata could come up with is that the man in the ships with Katsura was different from Kusahara, even though the descriptions match him down to the last teal hair on his head.

Either that.... Or something was going on that Hijikata didn't know.

He doesn't want to doubt any of his officers – even Okita, oddly enough – but if they really did let Kusahara slip past Hijikata's barriers, something's going on.

Ruffling his hair in frustration, Hijikata sighed heavily, looking out of his office room and seeing the moon up in the dark veil over the station. It was already around ten in the evening, he could tell, even though he hasn't seen a clock in hours. He really should start asking Kusahara some things that he's been dying to know. After all, it was the younger who told him that it was alright to ask, but he doesn't guarantee that he'll answer everything. Shizuku said so, as well.

Really, those two are still a mystery that Hijikata has been dying to uncover since the day that he laid eyes on the two of them together, back when Kusahara came to the station for his trial admissions. That was already a few months ago, at least. Kusahara's mysterious strength and skill in swordsmanship, Shizuku's knowledge and connection to things that normal people don't have, the two's ironically – but only occasional – sinister frivolity, and their otherworldly abilities, Hijikata understands none of them. There's still a lot more that Hijikata wanted to know; who they really are, where they really come from, what's with Shizuku's connection to Gintoki, and even something as simple as Shizuku's real last name. Maybe he'll get lucky if he asked the two on a good day, or maybe things will backfire on him, Hijikata doesn't know.

He just wanted to know what and who those two really are and he'll finally be at peace with his thoughts.

The question is how he was going to do that. He has no files on them. He's got a sinking suspicion that the lack of material has something to do with Matsudaira. It's not really uncommon for police to hide things but to hide something about someone who was clearly with Hijikata and the others on a literal daily basis is certainly suspicious. Maybe Hijikata just needs to push. But maybe not now.

Again, Hijikata sighed as he looked out.

"I wonder how Yamazaki's doing with his investigation?" he muttered to himself. While the older was investigating on the Yorozuya, Hijikata was on a mission to go through all his paperwork and make his way through decoding the mystery surrounding that teal haired swordsman that fought back-to-back with Katsura. If his calculations were right, Yamazaki would come back tomorrow morning and half of the paperwork would be done in an instant.

Hijikata looked back at his desk and picked up his brush to start writing again.

"I haven't seen Sougo anywhere today. I wonder where he's gone to this time?"

"Nori-san, you really shouldn't move around too much."

"Yeah, I would listen to her if I were you."