The Way of A Ninja

CHAPTER 01. Why are Paper Flowers Not Made of Paper?

[ 01: Why are Paper Flowers Not Made of Paper? ]

Sachan didn't remember growing flowers in her mailbox. She squinted at the pale, crumpled flower inside, making sure she was seeing right. Putting a finger to her chin, she thought for a possible culprit - whoever was stupid enough to give her, of all people, flowers. Suddenly, she blinked and widened her eyes.

Could it be... She screamed in delight, "Gin-san, thank you!" Reaching inside, she grabbed the flower and cradled it to her chest, giggling like an insane little kid. Her mind immediately thought of places to put the flower in, or heck, frame it in. Maybe she'll have it laminated? Or, she could build an altar for it.

Then, she paused, realizing that she hadn't even looked at the flower. Oh, crap, she thought. Did I crumple it?

She unclenched her fists, revealing a slightly more crumpled paper flower, pale and very much dead. She paused, as if doubting what she saw. She blinked multiple times, just to check if the flower was real.

But it really was a paper flower.

Her breath hitched. Closing her fists once again, she opened her mailbox and threw the flower in.

No words left Sachan's lips as she stared at the closed box. Her fists shook at her sides.

"Papa, why is the house full of white flowers?"

Shut up. Sachan shook her head, ridding her thoughts of a young child's voice. She gritted her teeth, annoyed. Sachan, get a grip. She turned and rushed into her house, but the silence that welcomed her there only served to irk her further. It enveloped her, inviting more voices and thoughts she'd rather not hear or think about.

Sachan paced around her room, wildly shaking her head. She forced herself to laugh and talk - or more like emit high-pitched gibberish - just to deafen the voices awake inside her head. She was well aware that her neighbors would be wary of a mad Amanto living beside them, but she didn't stop laughing. Or gibbering. She lived alone in her house anyway, so to hell with them. As she moved about, she stubbed her toe on a table leg.

"Oww!" She hissed, adding curses while she crouched and massaged her toe. A white paper caught her eye. Turning her head to her table, she saw the picture of the Odd Jobs that she was cutting last night, to cut out Gintoki and add it to her collection. Her eyes immediately flitted to the wall beside her bed, full of the silver-haired samurai's pictures.

Without hesitation, she changed her clothes and left her house, focused on locating her perfect distraction.

Sachan didn't have to wait longer. The Odd Jobs were on their way home, making some noise as usual as they argued about where their payment would go. From her perch on the rooftop, she pounced.

"Gin-saaan!"

In a flash, Gintoki took out his sword and raised it in the air, the tip pointed up. He didn't even look her way as she 'gah'-ed in pain and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. She rolled around as the trio stared at her.

"Ah, Gin-san, you - ouch, damn it," she mumbled while groaning in pain, "never fail - oww - to disappoint - as always - that hurts!"

"Sachan, you kinda messed that up at the end-aru," Kagura said.

"Oi, stalker." Sachan looked up to see Gintoki's scowl. "I was having enough problems just deciding how our pay is spent--"

"How about try saving it?!" Shinpachi exclaimed.

"--and now you decide to add to my problems, huh?" He pointed his sword at her face. As always, as she stared up at him, her heart beat faster. Her face warmed up. "And why the hell are you blushing?!"