Hope (希望 ,Kibou) is the 595th chapter in Gintama. The finale of the Rakuyou Arc.
Story
Oboro pleads to his fellow disciples to defeat Utsuro. In encouragement, he adds that whether or not Utsuro was once their teacher, they must go without fear and hesitation but fight with their hearts. Oboro laments that he lost his own soul, failing to fight for Utsuro, Shouyou, or even himself. With his dying breath, he wished that if he could redo his past, then he would have liked to be with Shouyou alongside GIntoki, Katsura, and Takasugi and the other disciples. He dies with a smile. Takasugi quietly picks up Oboro's body and tells the watching Kiheitai to come. He states that Oboro's resting place was not Rakuyou; he didn't know whether he will be laid next to his master or his disciples but nevertheless, they were going home, to Shouka Sonjuku.
After recounting all information Takasugi wanted him to share, Takechi and the two other Kiheitai members leave. Sakamoto worries about what Gintoki and Katsura feel thanks to these revelations but Gintoki responds that this new knowledge didn't change anything. Utsuro may have killed his Shouyou personality but Shouyou's own disciples were responsible for creating an opening that allowed Utsuro to do so. Remembering his promise to Shouyou to protect his comrades, Gintoki admits that they refused to follow Shouyou's wishes to not follow him, entered the Joui Wars that exposed them to constant danger and ultimately Gintoki was the one that killed him. All this gave rise to Utsuro's appearance, thanks to them.Despite this, Shouyou smiled at Gintoki and said, "Thank you," ignoring his impending death by Utsuro at the same time.
Katsura suspects Shouyou foresaw that Utsuro would eventually become such a threat who would devour Shouyou and the world, so he created a hope that will be able to fight against this darkness, Shouka Sonjuku. Katsura then adds that even during his execution, Shouyou chose to look at the person who would try to protect that hope even if he steps over his master's corpse and instead of despairing, smiled at this person. This person was his greatest hope, Gintoki. Sakamoto interjects that Shouyou's resistance created them but their resistance created their other comrades, including Sakamoto, the Yorozuya, and Katsura's Jouishishi. Sakamoto states that there was no longer just one hope and that they should show the two Shouyous what his resistance ultimately created.
Days later, Kagura stands on the cliff where her mother's grave sits, holding a bouquet. Umibouzu arrives behind her and asks if she's leaving. He states that Earth may be destroyed but admits that the planet was now her home. He wants to stop her as her father but he didn't want to deal with an argument about giving her up as a "bride" to another planet. He asks Kagura to tell Gintoki that Utsuro isn't immortal and there is a way to beat him. Umibouzu will find that way so hold out until then and make sure the "bride" (Kagura) stays safe. He tells his surprised daughter that her mother sent him away. He no longer had the arms or the worthiness to touch his children but there was still something he must do. Unsure of what that is, he could at least use his new robotic arms to find rocks and crystals from the ground, along with finding flowers for her mother. With a quiet smile, Kagura remarks that the flower bouquet Umibouzu held were not Kouka's favorites. Umibouzu walks next to Kagura and dismisses her statement but is surprised that Kagura remembers. She admits she remembered the moment she saw Kouka's grave where they both see a single flower on her stone, placed there by Kamui. She agrees that there were things let for them to do and the two place the bouquets next to the flower and leave.
The Yorozuya-Kiheitai-Jouishishi, the Kiheitai, and the remnant Harusame all leave Rakuyou separately while Umibouzu stays behind. A narrator remarks about the country once known as "Samurai Country". Where the skies the samurai look up at and dream about are now filled with foreign ships and where the samurai cockily walk in the cities are replaced by the equally cocky foreigners. But the samurai are still around and their final battle has begun.
Characters
- Oboro (flashback)
- Kiheitai
- Takasugi Shinsuke
- Takechi Henpeita
- Kijima Matako (cameo)
- Kawakami Bansai (cameo)
- Kaientai
- Sakamoto Tatsuma
- Mutsu (cameo)
- Jouishishi
- Sakata Gintoki
- Yoshida Shouyou (flashback)
- Utsuro (flashback)
- Shimura Shinpachi (cameo)
- Kagura
- Sadaharu
- Umibouzu
- Kamui (cameo)
- Kouka (dream)