Joi Rebels Reunion
There is but one reason I called all us former comrades here.
The White Yaksha
Sakata Gintoki
Isn't it high time
The Rampaging Noble
Katsura Kotaro
we started a flashback arc?
The Kiheitai Commander
Takasugi Shinsuke
The Loud Fellow
Sakamoto Tatsuma
Who is this?
Kurokono Tasuke
The Phantom Fifth Man, Kurokono Tasuke.
The Phantom Fifth Man
Kurokono Tasuke
Hold it right there!
So you don't remember him, either.
Considering he called us to a reunion,
we'd better remember something about him or things will get awkward.
I'm starting to remember...
Chilled
Damn Gintoki.
He said he was treating us, but he intended to rip us off all along!
I was the one who treated you to Yakulk.
This is the ending you arrived at?!
I'm merely here to relay a message from him.
Rest in peace, my comrade.
A Reunion Also Brings to the Surface Things You Don't Want to Remember
Watch the Joi Rebels Flashback Arc in a bright room and at a safe distance from your TV!
Thanks for keeping watch.
Oh, it's you, Zura.
I'm not Zura. I'm Katsura.
How's the Bakufu army looking?
After the beating we gave them,
they'll have to stay put for a few days.
Mind if I say, "Now is the time for an all-out attack"?
Don't be stupid.
They're not the only ones who have to stay put.
The only lively idiots in this situation
are you and Takasugi, pretty much.
Reinforcements will arrive in two days.
Until then, keep your blade sheathed.
If you can't wait that long, you two peas in a pod may as well duke it out.
You gotta be kidding me.
Even if I want to pick a fight with him,
we haven't been speaking for a month.
Oh, so you already duked it out.
You guys are always fighting, huh?
Aren't you from the same school?
I guess it's true that the closer you are, the more you fight.
Are you all right now?
You should get some more rest.
I heard you lost all sense of tact.
Worry not.
I lost that a long time ago, along with my umbilical cord.
If you understand, could you keep your mouth shut?
Not everyone shares your "all men are esk*mo brothers" motto.
It's complicated.
Esk*mo brothers? You've got a point there.
When we all went to a red-light district a while back,
you and Takasugi chose the same girl, didn't you?
If I recall, she said she preferred him, so a fight broke out.
Don't tell me you've been fighting ever since.
That was close.
A stray bullet almost hit you.
You should be more careful.
Oh, but she said later that Takasugi was no fun at all.
Apparently he was a total bore, saying nothing
and just glaring at her the entire time.
I bought you some Yakulk.
Shut up and drink it.
Zura, this ain't good.
The war's been stuck in a stalemate so long,
people are ready to explode from all the stress.
You're the one who set them off!
If we don't provide them a distraction,
they'll start fighting among themselves.
All right!
How about we visit a red-light district?
Where are you gonna find one up in these mountains?
Maybe visit Lady Satsuki, then?
Not Lady Satsuki!
Anyone but her!
What's this, Zura?
Did you make a move on her already?
No!
All I did was stick around and pay attention to her backstory because she's a widow!
You paid to stick it in her backside? What's that all about?
What is wrong with your ears?!
You're the one who wants to do that!
You're the one I don't understand!
Excuse me, everyone.
How about we play kick-the-can for a change of pace?
Back then,
who was it that suggested we play kick-the-can, again?
Kick-the-can?
Are you stupid?
Stalemate or not, we're still in the middle of a war.
You guys say something to him, too.
Runts like you have it good at times like these.
I bet you could hide in that empty can.
It's basically a pull-top, anyway.
Making up excuses for your inevitable defeat, are we?
Wasn't covert ops your specialty?
Of course, the Kiheitai could pull off
an operation like that with one arm tied behind our backs!
You're on!
Let's see who can kick the can first!
Extra motivated?! They're more up for this than the war!
You two should hurry up and hide, too.
I'll be the demon.
Back then,
who took up the role of demon...
One...
Two...
...and counted to 100 inside the temple, again?
Three...
Four...
Sheesh.
Five...
What's wrong with those guys? This is no time to be fooling around.
Six...
You seem totally up for it, too, though.
Seven...
Nothing wrong with taking a breather like this once in a while.
Eight...
Nine...
What are those injured soldiers doing in front of the gate?
Ten...
Guarding it, obviously.
No, there's something off about them.
Eleven...
Which squad are they from?
Twelve...
No way!
Thirteen...
They're enemy spies!
Take 'em out in one fell swoop!
Don't let a single rebel escape!
Sixty-six...
Huh? Where are the enemy troops?
Sixty-seven...
Oh, no, you won't...
...find them here.
Sixty-eight...
You wanna launch a surprise attack on us?
Sixty-nine...
Come back in a hundred years.
Seventy...
Seventy-one...
I-Impossible!
They used their own camp as bait!
Gintoki! Takasugi!
We let all our comrades escape out the back gate.
Don't tell me you guys
deliberately gave them an opening in order to expose the spies...
Zura, now's the time for an all-out attack.
You're not gonna tell us to stay put this time, right?
Right.
Go give 'em hell!
Hang on!
Weren't we in the middle of something?
Later! Save it for later!
Back then...
...who was counting to a hundred in the temple...
...when it exploded?
We hadn't forgotten at all.
We'd just sealed the past, and that memory,
in the depths of our minds so we wouldn't remember it.
Yes, that cursed past where we were playing a game of kick-the-can
and killed our comrade, Kurokono Tasuke, with a bomb.
S-So Kurokono Tasuke is long dead?
Due to his lack of presence,
we forgot we were playing kick-the-can with him
and killed him with our own hands a long time ago?
There's no doubt about it.
Rest in peace, my comrade.
That must be why Takasugi sent this.
He probably mistook the reunion for a meeting to grieve Kurokono.
N-No, no, no, no, no...
No way.
Then in that case...
It's been a while. Are you doing well? Actually, I'm in Edo right now. If you'd like, why don't we get the gang back together for a drink or two? -Kurokono Tasuke
Who sent us that letter?
Joi Rebels Reunion
Who organized this reunion? Who called us here?
Maybe Kurokono's still playing kick-the-can.
Wh-What does that mean?
He may still be looking.
Without realizing that he died,
even after becoming a literal demon...
He may still be trying to...
Yeah, as if!
There's no way we'd blow up one of our comrades!
We've just got the wrong idea!
He must've escaped right before the explosion, right?
Not that I remember.
Yeah, that's right.
There's no way he'd die that easily.
Not that I remember.
Yeah. This is the phantom fifth man, Kurokono Tasuke, we're talking about.
Not that I remember.
Anyway, aren't you glad we remembered at least a little about him?
Now we can get through the initial reunion by chatting about the explosion.
Like, "That explosion was incredible, huh?" or something.
Indeed.
And we can get through the after-party by talking about how the
smoke from the explosion was amazing.
All right. I'm gonna visit the restroom before he gets here.
What's the matter, Kintoki?
You look pale.
Nothing, it's just...
Maybe I had too much to drink.
Listen to yourself!
You haven't had enough!
I'm just overthinking things.
Restaurant Ketsunoi
Are you saying he called us here so he could drag us to hell?
Joi Rebels Reunion
A-A ghost organizing a reunion?
That's not a horror story, that's a comedy skit.
It's all good.
He'll get here.
Not as a ghost,
but on his own two feet.
What's an empty can doing here?
Found you, Katsura-san.
I stepped on the can...
What? Wait...
Did you hear Zura scream just now?
Maybe he got poop in his hair.
But isn't his piss break taking too long?
Yeah, he must've accidentally flushed his hair.
That scream felt like something else, though.
Oh, all right.
H-Hey, where are you going?
Just to check things out.
O-Oh.
M-Maybe I should go with you.
I kinda feel like taking a leak, too.
I see.
You go take a look, then.
There's no need for both of us to go, is there?
Well...
This being a reunion and all, why don't we go together for old times' sake?
Wanna try an X-piss?
I don't remember ever doing that.
M-Maybe it was an X-dump?
Anyway, I'll go with you!
Toilet
Hey, Zura!
That's weird.
I don't see him here.
He might've gone back already.
I'm heading back.
H-Hold on!
Gimme a sec! I'm almost done!
Wait for me!
P-Please!
Don't you dare close that door!
Keep it open!
I need ventilation!
What's gotten you so scared?
I-I'm not scared, come on!
This is a reunion, you know.
What's wrong with wanting to spend as much time as possible with your former comrades?
Well, I've had enough.
H-Hey!
Tatsuma, you're still there, right?
You are, right?
If you are, could you sing the Doraemon theme for me?
All right, all right!
I'll sing with you!
I'll handle the prelude, okay?
Hey, Tats—
Found you, Sakamoto-san.
I stepped on the can.
And then there was one.
Toilet
Joi Rebels Reunion
"If I could do this,
wouldn't it be nice?
I've got lots of dreams,
but he makes them all come true
with his mysterious pocket.
I wanna fly freely across the sky!"
"Sure!"
Rest assured. The three of you will be flying to Heaven soon enough.
Talk about an instant impact, Takechi-senpai.
Look at how terrified the White Yaksha is.
Yes.
It seems that rumor about him being scared of ghosts was true.
How about Katsura and Sakamoto?
The sleeping gas has them out like a light.
The only one left is...
"Oh, oh, oh, I love you so much, Doraemon!"
The White Yaksha alone.
Once we take him out,
our plan to assassinate the rest of the Joi Elite Four will be a success.
By using the name of their former comrade, Kurokono Tasuke,
we gather them in one place and take them all out at once.
I never imagined it'd work so perfectly.
Reunions make everyone return to the past, giving rise to carelessness.
Take my temple school days, when I was surrounded by all kinds of unripened fruit.
Why was I so unaware of my own desires?
Hanako
Why didn't I wear Hanako-chan's tracksuit that one time?
Your flashback gave rise to something far worse than carelessness, Takechi-pervert!
Still, should we really be doing this without telling Shinsuke-sama?
We even forged these letters.
There's Yakulk in the fridge. Please save one for me.
On Shinsuke-dono's road to domination,
it is obvious that they will someday stand in his way.
As his strategist, it naturally falls upon me to take them out in advance.
Also, it won't be us bringing judgment down upon them,
but rather the friend they must make amends to,
Kurokono Tasuke's vengeful ghosts!
Senpai, that's a different Kuroko!
If you don't drop it, we'll be the ones judgment comes down on!
Guys, the White Yaksha's already on his last legs.
Let's go with box-and-one.
I'll mark him man-to-man, while you guys set up a zone defense.
This doesn't sound like a ghost huddle at all!
Be careful, Senpai.
He may be on his last legs,
but this is a man who, along with Shinsuke-sama, was feared as a demon.
How's the White Yaksha looking?
He's entered the second verse of the Doraemon theme.
"Homework, day duty, exams, and lalala...
I've got lalalots of problems,
but he lalalas them all
with his convenient tools."
He's having trouble remembering the lyrics.
"He's a toy soldier!"
Um...
"Now charge!"
Why is a ghost charging in so brazenly?!
Oh, right.
It was "now charge" in the second verse.
Hey!
Thank you. The anywhere door was in the third verse, wasn't it?
Now you just look like a guy helping him with the Doraemon lyrics!
Hurry up and get back on track!
Scare the White Yaksha!
H-Heed me, mortal...
Oh, if you follow the porch this way, you'll reach the back entrance.
There's a restaurant back there.
Now he thinks you're just begging for someone to feed you!
Found you, Gintoki-san.
At last...
I found you!
Nice follow-up! Looking good!
Why are you freaking out, too?!
Hey, hang in there!
Weren't you going to that restaurant out back?!
Hey!
Forget that moron.
With this, I can finally...
...put an end...
...to this everlasting game...
...of kick-the-can!
There it is! Misdirection!
W-Wait a sec!
Calm down, Kurokono!
Which one's Kurokono?
Sorry we forgot everything!
We didn't mean to hurt you!
Back then, we were desperately trying to protect our comrades—
Katsura-san,
Sakamoto-san,
and all the others are waiting
for you on the other side.
Now, Gintoki-san...
Come along with us!
...toki-san.
Gintoki-san.
Gintoki-san, did you fall asleep?
I wanted to say goodbye before we went our separate ways,
but I suppose this kind of farewell suits me best.
Mediocre and overshadowed in every aspect,
all I could do was back you all up in trivial ways.
But working in your shadows
and fighting by your sides are experiences I'll never forget.
I'm sure you'll all forget about me,
but that's perfectly fine with me.
It gives me great pride.
A shadow
won't appear on the ground unless there's light,
no matter how dim.
It wouldn't be a problem if one guy remembered you, right?
So if we ever get in trouble,
come help us out again,
Kurokono.
Sure.
I'll always be standing right by your sides.
Wha—
Sorry about that, Kurokono.
I remember now.
A guy who wanted to be forgotten
would never come back to haunt us.
It'd tarnish your pride, wouldn't it?
Too bad.
He kicked the can.
Now you'll have to release all the hostages.
And you'd better grab your friends and get out of here
before I finish counting to a hundred.
Before I become a real demon.
A-Are you...
You can't be!
Restaurant Ketsunoi
Huh? It's morning.
I must've fallen asleep...
I don't remember anything.
Guess I had too much to drink.
Hey, what about Kurokono?
Right!
What happened to the reunion?
Hey, Gintoki! Do you know anything?
Were you awake?
Do you remember anything about what happened last night?
I forgot.
Dear Gorilla Mangaka,
We've now adapted the Kurokono Tasuke arc in the anime.
But speaking of Kurokono Tasuke...
Viewers who have been watching for a while must be familiar with this image,
the one that often shows up when we flash back to the Joi War era.
This isn't him, right?
He doesn't look like a string-puller at all.
I guess he does seem a bit helpful, but I don't know if he'd be of great assistance.
And he's even got a beard.
Seriously,
who is this guy?
The End
Preview
My dreams aren't cheap enough to be bought with a lottery ticket.
Next Episode:
"When Compared to Time in the Heavens, Fifty Years of Human Life Resembles
When Compared to Time in the Heavens, Fifty Years of Human Life Resembles Naught but Dreams and Lottery Tickets
Naught but Dreams and Lottery Tickets."
I...
I-I won?!
Preview
[Thanks] To whomever it may concern,
thank you so much for your help.
The Gintama anime only exists thanks to your goodwill,
and next week it presents a one-shot with Hijikata, a lottery ticket, and Gintoki.