Chapter One:
Stubborn Samurai

"Stupid girl, can she ever not complain about everything?" He thought, closing his scarlet eyes, shaking his head, and then calling out to the loud bounty huntress without turning to look at her, "Oi, Ugly! Shut up!"

Silence fell over the group, but, as the saying went: all good things must come to an end...

And end they did.

"Well excuse me for living!" Yuya shouted, teeth bared as usual when defending herself from Kyo's insults.

He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes narrowed, "I can remedy that."

Yuya scoffed, "But you won't."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you said back when we first met that you wouldn't kill me unless I ever changed my mind to seek revenge on my brother's killer. And I haven't."

Kyo shook his head again, "For Kami's sake, Girl, learn to breathe when you talk..."

Having had more than her fill for one day, Yuya marched from her place beside Benitora, passed Yukimura, and passed even Kyo, making sure to 'nudge' his shoulder as she went by. Her ponytail swayed back and forth as she walked, her head down like a child in shame. Her walk soon became a run, taking her anywhere but near Kyo.

Everyone looked to Kyo, each trying to gauge what his reaction would be. To their surprise, and disappointment, Kyo did nothing except continue walking, as though certain of himself that Yuya would come back or that they would see her in the middle of the road after having tripped over an unearthed root and crying.

However, neither of the above scenarios occurred, and everyone had to wonder just what the hell was going through Kyo's mind at the moment.

"I can't take it anymore!" Benitora exclaimed, "Are we gonna go after Yuya-han or what!"

"Yes, what are we going to do, Kyo?" Yukimura echoed, his usual smile upon his lips.

After several moments of Kyo not answering, everyone began to lose hope that he even would answer. This assumption was proven correct when a half hour passed and the stubborn red-eyed swordsman still had not said a word.

"It really is quiet around here without Yuya-san," Okuni commented, turning to Benitora, "if you're so worried about her, why don't you go looking for her? I'm sure she'd talk to you, Benitora-san."

The tiger's face lit up, "You're right, Okuni-san! I'll do just th..."

"No, you won't," came Kyo's voice, cutting through any happy thoughts the tiger would soon create, "I intend to keep moving without going to look for a loudmouthed, worthless, ugly, stupid girl who couldn't take care of herself for one second alone."

"Well she's alone now!" Benitora yelled, his words seemingly getting through to Kyo's head.

"Hn, that isn't my problem. Stupid girl shouldn't start arguments she doesn't intend to finish."

"What do you mean it isn't your problem! You're the one that keeps calling her names that you know damn well aren't true!" Benitora argued, his feet firmly planted in the ground, "And if you won't let me go find her, then you do it, since you're the one who made her leave in the first place!"

"Why the hell should I go out of my way to bring her ass back? If she wants to be alone, I'm not going to complain. Brings about a little peace and quiet for a change."

Bontenmaru grabbed Benitora's shirt collar before the tiger lunged at Kyo and got himself hurt. He flashed the tiger a knowing smile and a wink, a combination of gestures that got Benitora thinking of just what was going through the other man's head.

"Don't waste your time on him. He's just jumpy about this area. It gives him the creeps."

Suddenly Bontenmaru was stopped by Tenro at his throat, the point digging into his neck, "Do you want to die?"

"Aww, but you know it's true, Kyo-dono." He mocked, and soon Kyo had sheathed Tenro and was walking again... at a little faster pace than before.

Benitora was fighting back a chuckle as Bontenmaru did his own impersonation of Kyo behind his back, but it was only to cover up his true thoughts. He knew why Kyo wanted to get out of his area so quickly, hell, even he wanted to get out of here. Turning to his left, he saw Akira coming back from wherever he had gone, though the One-Eyed Dragon knew just where the Two Headed Dragon had been.

"And where'd you head off to?" Benitora asked the ice wielder, his voice still edgy since Kyo refused to let him go find Yuya, "Don't you know that Yuya-han is missing?"

"She is? Well I did not see her on my way back."

"That doesn't tell us where you came back from."

Okuni put a comforting hand on Benitora's shoulder, "Leave him be, Benitora. He has nothing to do with Yuya-san leaving."

While Okuni and Benitora had their little discussion, Akira and Bontenmaru spoke in hushed whispers, "Well?"

"It's gone." Akira sighed.

Bontenmaru's one eye widened, "What?"

"We knew it would happen."

"Yea, but... where'd it go?"

Akira shrugged, "I don't know. I can't even find out how long it's been missing."

The two of them were quiet for some time, as was the entire group. The only sounds were their heavy footsteps on the ground, and they all knew that they were only 'heavy footsteps' because there wasn't a certain blonde-haired, green-eyed bounty huntress to cheer them into livelier spirits. Not even Benitora and Sasuke had struck up an argument yet, and that was saying something.

Trudging along the path that was shown to them by Kyo, Benitora couldn't help but begin thinking the worst had happened to Yuya. He kept thinking that maybe Mibu assassins had captured her or that maybe she'd gotten herself lost and hurt. He sighed, knowing that his thoughts weren't helping his nerves any. He tried telling himself that she was fine, that they'd find her soon, or that she'd come back to them, smile, and tell them that she'd found the most amazing hot spring ever.

But be that true, why did he feel like something bad was going to happen?