Many seasons had passed, many sunrises and sunsets, since the day Gin overthrew Akakabuto, the demon bear who had terrorized Paradise for dogs. On that day, Gin's father, Riki, fell at the claws of the bear, and from that moment on, Gin promised he would make Ohu a paradise for all dogs. But what he didn't expect, was Kaibutsu. When Gin, John, and Akame had left to go take care of business, settling quarrels in other lands, they were not there to witness to destruction of a mentally twisted dog. But because they had needed to be prepared for anything while they were gone, they trained three dogs, who resembled them in nearly every way, to play the part of the three leaders while they were gone. Tokimune, Gin's substitute, had fallen victim to Kaibutsu, in front of Gin's son, Weed, who at the time believed Tokimune was his father. John and Akame's substitutes died from being hunted by humans, the humans blamed the dogs for the many deaths that were really caused by Kaibutsu. Time passed and Weed succeeded in slaying the dog who had crossed the point of no return. Little did anyone know, far off in the lands of Kofu, Gin, John, and Akame were meeting up with a specially trained female warrior, a lean, but strong snow-white, Akita, named Yuki.
This is where the story really begins.
Gin, John, and Akame gathered inside an abandoned human-made shed. The warm weather outside brought in many scents of flowers, grass, and even distant rain. But one scent stood out amongst those, a female dog, approaching the shed. Gin stood up, and the other two leaders followed. A white paw pushed the old wooden door open, and a thin, but well-muscled Akita stepped through the door. Her white fur seemed to glow in the afternoon sun that shown through the dusty window. Her blue eyes were bright, but serious, and had a certain sharpness to them that seemed like it could cut through diamonds. Every step was filled with purpose as she made her way to the three leaders. She stopped short of them, and bowed her head in respect.
"You called for me, Leader?" The female spoke. Gin bowed his head in return, and took a seat on a bed of straw. Akame moved behind the female and closed the shed door with his nose, only then did he return to Gin's side. John studied the female carefully, summing up in his mind just how strong she really could be.
"Yes, we have received news of a new threat to Ohu, a powerful dog named Hougan. He leads a massive army, and threatens us by taking over lands near and even in Ohu. Because we cannot be there to solve this problem, as by sunset, we need to be on our way to the city of Ryou to meet with old comrades who have been struggling to deal with bears in the area. We called you since you seem to be a legend in Kofu, your pack says you have been trained in the ways of deception, and can fool even the smartest and most clever of dogs. Is this correct?" Gin explained. He studied her carefully, in the back of his mind he wondered if she would betray them.
Yuki nodded her head, she watched the three leaders, she knew they were very strong, one would have to be to take down a bear such as Akakabuto, or any bear for that matter. She had been notified by her mother that they were coming to request a mission from her. So she prepared herself ahead of time. She had a feeling they were going to ask her to join Hougan's army, deceive him into believing she was his loyal follower, get as much information as possible, and then report back to the leaders. This much she was expecting.
"Very well. What we came here to ask is that you make your way to Ohu, join Hougen's army, and gather as much information as possible. You will first report to the dogs of Ohu, and then make your way back here to Kofu, where we will meet up again, and you will tell us what you know of Hougen's army." Yuki nodded, understanding her mission, and secretly smiling to herself that she was able to guess the mission correctly. "However," Gin continued. Yuki pricked her ears and listened intently. "Hougen isn't like other dogs, you being a female, it will be hard to prove yourself to him as a fighter."
Yuki smiled slightly "Don't worry about that, proving myself will be a simple task, ask the warriors of Mt Konara." She sat up, pride emanating from her very being.
John then spoke up. "But proving yourself isn't the only issue. From what I've heard, Hougen is a pervert when it comes to females, all he is interested in is making more little tyrants with them. You will need to be extra careful you don't get stuck being his bitch." John snorted in disgust. The leaders knew John could be a real flirt sometimes, but even they knew if he ever found a mate, he would care for them, and only them.
This Yuki had not expected. In her homeland of Kofu, females and males could choose their mates freely, but it had to be willing for both of them. Yuki's first impression of a dog from Ohu, was not a good one. But then again, maybe Hougen wasn't from Ohu after all.
Gin added "Meet us back here in 3 months. Tell us what you know then."
Fully understanding her mission she stood up, turning to the shed door. She looked back for a moment, getting one last look at the leaders. She saw John looking at her with concern. "Don't worry, I won't fail." She smiled and pushed the shed door open, stepping out into fresh sunshine and wind.
John groaned silently, "That's not what I'm afraid of." He whispered. Akame looked at John with slight surprise. Gin simply looked on, sending silent prayers to their Ancestors and past Comrades to let her have a safe journey and to have her come back safe and sound.
Yuki first went back to her pack, saying her goodbyes and visiting her mother once more before her long journey. She had 3 months to complete her mission. She calculated the time to travel to and from Ohu, luckily, she was well trained in endurance and speed, so she could make it to Ohu within a week if she kept a steady running pace.
As the sun began to set, Yuki began her journey to Ohu. She chose to travel for part of the night so she could make it to Nirasaki, where her uncle Shedo lived. Shedo greeted her and led her to his human's home. There Yuki rested overnight, and by sunrise, she bid her uncle goodbye and continued her long voyage.