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The three troublemakers of the soka sonjuku temple school.
That's what they were called for as far as they could remember.
Always sticking together through happy times and bad times (it was mostly "trouble times" though). Not that they were exactly fond of each other ; they'd spend time fighting and bickering but they just grew used to the comfort of each other's company. And no matter how much, they'd deny it, they were enjoying themselves, laughing honestly.
The boy who had to steal from corpses to survive. The boy who was thrown away by his family. The boy who lost everything once.
Back then, the three of them were full of hope, aspirations and dreams for the future.
And then it was war and they had to fight for their beliefs but they did not feel an ounce of despair.
They were young and yet so graceful and strong, always standing tall. On the battelfield they were monsters, anywhere else they were nothing but noisy kids.
They had became four troublemakers now that Sakamoto joined and it felt like he always belonged with them, like a piece that was missing until now and finally completed their puzzle.
Takasugi and Gintoki's bickering, Katsura's deseperate attempts to calm them and Sakamoto's loud stupid laugh. The camp was always so full of life whenever they were together and they'd always lighten the mood.
There was something about these four boys that made everyone feel attracted to their light and happy around them; their space together was welcoming and warm and yet intimate.
They weren't only about noisy moments and childish fights. There were quiet moments where they'd sit on a roof together and watch the stars. They'd sometimes talk about their dreams, about what they'd do once war is over and sometimes they'd just stay silent, bandaging each others wounds, unspoken affection in their gestures. They had that special bond where they didn't need words, where they didn't have to worry about what might come from behind because they had each other's backs.
And yet, everything fell into pieces and there was nothing left when war came to an end.
They were dying slowly and that alone was a sight they couldn't stand.
Takasugi's dead stare.Gintoki's fake grins and cheerfulness. Katsura's silence. Sakamoto's empty laugh.
The mourning and the despair took over their bond and they had to walk different ways because they couldn't look at each other's face anymore, because they couldn't continue being the noisy kids anymore.
But here they are today, together, amidst the smoke and dust of the battlefield once again. And they're back to being the four troublemakers, so they fight and fight without looking behind their back. And it's not about war or facing the world, it's about sarcastic and mocking comments thrown at each other's face while they protect each other's most important treasures, just as noisy as before.
And it's almost as if nothing changed and they have each other's back again.They just know it.