-Kouga Territory-

"Whoa...I can't believe it...it really is him…"

"Oi, Shirogane! Don't get too close! You might wake him up!"

"Buzz off, Katsuko. I just wanna get a closer look."

"You know, Daddy's not gonna like it if were messing with his student. Hey! What are you doing!? Don't wake him!"

"Oh, lighten up; I just wanna ask if he'd do a Battouga for us."

Gurē's eyes fluttered open, a grunt escaping his lips as he felt a small paw poking away at his face. As his vision cleared, he could make out two puppies standing before him, one a male and the other a female, both looking much younger than himself. Seeing that he was awake, the puppies stepped back, gasping in surprise. Gurē tilted his head. How curious; they both looked an awful lot like Teru…

"Yo…" the puppy who woke him, Shirogane, began. "Y-You're Gurē, right? S-Son of Weed?"

"Aw, someone shy?" teased Katsuko, causing Shirogane to shoot her a nasty glare. Gurē couldn't help but chuckle; the young male reminded him of Kintora almost…

"Yeah, that's me," he replied. "Who...are you two?"

"I'm Shirogane," said the male. Huh...that name sounded familiar… "Or Shiro, for short. And this is my older sister, Frogface."

"Katsuko!" Katsuko snapped, to which Shirogane stuck out his tongue at her.

"Aha…" Gurē grinned sheepishly. "You probably shouldn't make fun of your sister like that. After all, one day…" His smile fell slightly. "...You could lose her."

"Lose her?" echoed Shirogane, scoffing. "Katsuko's always on my tail. The day I lose her is the day boars learn to fly." Katsuko's cheeky grin seemed to confirm this. Gurē laughed again, sitting up.

"Er...shouldn't you both be back with your mother? She might get worried if she sees you've ran off."

"Eh, no worries," the younger male shrugged. "Seeing Weed's son is way more important."

"Ha….er...I'm, uh, flattered, really…" the grey male nibbled his flank to hide the embarrassment on his face. "But I'm not really all that special-"

"What are you talking about!?" Gurē was taken aback by the sudden outburst. "You're Weed's son! You could take on Demon Bears or Hellhounds if you wanted to. You can do the...the...the Battouga!" The youngster's eyes glistened as he said the name of that famous attack. "Ah! That reminds me! Could you, maybe, do us a favor and show us a real life Battouga?" Gurē's ears fell back.

"Me? Do a Battouga?" Gurē glanced down at his paws. "I-I don't think now's really the time for-"

"Aw, come on…" begged Shirogane. "Please?" Gurē hesitated. Shirogane decided to pull out his ultimate weapon: the puppy-dog eyes. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?"

Gurē had to admit...those glistening eyes were rather adorable, but he was still uncertain.

"He's gonna do that all day," Katsuko suddenly spoke up. "You might as well say yes." Gurē sighed.

"I'll...I'll give it a try, alright?" he said. "Now, let's-"

He was drowned out by Shirogane's sudden, loud cheering. Gurē winced, seeing dogs startled awake by the noise out of the corner of his eye.

"Let's, uh, take it outside, huh?" he said, ushering the puppies forward with his paw. Making it to the entrance of the Kouga House, Gurē pushed it open and they all slipped outside. The air was warm and wet from a storm earlier that morning, the first of many during this season. The three walked together through the empty courtyard, climbing down the stairs and heading into the woods. Shirogane padded alongside Gurē, his eyes, eager and full of wonder, never once leaving the older pup.

"So, whatcha gonna Battouga?" he asked. "A rabbit? A fox? Oh, maybe a bear!"

"Er, not quite. I was thinking we'd try something a bit more on the...nonliving side." Gurē's gaze wandered towards the trees. "Like those branches."

"Pssh, lame. Anyone can take out a branch."

"Fine, how about..." Gurē looked around. His gaze fell on a cluster of stones. "A rock?"

"A big rock?"

"Well, if we can find one-"

"Then let's go!" Without warning, Shirogane sprinted off to look for the rock. Gurē's ear flicked, hearing a sigh from Katsuko.

"Sorry he's such a pest," she yipped.

"Haha, it's fine," Gurē reassured. "I'm used to it. Let's just hurry before Mr. Teru comes looking for me."

Following after Shirogane, Gurē and Katsuko had eventually found him on top of a colossal boulder, smiling down at them.

"Took you guys long enough," he barked. "This rock looks big and Battouga-able."

"I see. Well then, come down from there. I wouldn't want you getting hurt-Oh!" It seemed Shirogane thought ahead, and had slid down on Gurē's head before he could even finish speaking. Gurē glanced up at him mild annoyance, but found that he couldn't be entirely upset with the pup. He looked as if he was having fun.

"Hehe…" chuckled Gurē. "Alright, alright, off you go." Gurē tipped his muzzle upwards, sending the puppy sliding gently down his back with a cheerful "Whee!" With both pups safely out of the way, Gurē faced the boulder, taking a deep breath.

Ok...you can do this…

Gurē crouched, hackles raised, claws sinking into the earth. His breathing was slow and heavy.

Don't mess this up...it's just one Battouga. You're Weed's son; this is second nature to you.

He darted forward, his heart pounding against his ribcage. He could hear Shirogane cheering him on from the sidelines, but he couldn't focus on exactly what he was saying. With a powerful kick from his hind legs, Gurē was airborne, soaring towards the rock.

You can do this...you can do this...you can...you...

Something was wrong. His lungs...they felt like...they were closing up. A bead of sweat trickled down his head, and his vision...Gurē blinked rapidly, but no matter how hard he tried, the boulder wouldn't stop moving.

I...I can't….Gurē's eyes widened in a sickening realization. I can't do it.

"GYAH!"

The pain-filled yelp escaped Gurē's lips as he collided, head-first, with the boulder. He slid down the boulder's side, landing unceremoniously on his back. Katsuko and Shirogane both gasped, rushing to Gurē's aid.

"Gurē!" Shirogane exclaimed. "A-Are you ok!?" Both pushed pushed against Gurē's side, trying to help him up.

"Don't," Gurē began, getting to his paws and backing away. He rubbed at his sore forehead. "I-I'm fine, really…" Gurē's voice quivered as he spoke, and his eyes were glossy. It took all of his willpower not to let even a single tear fall. Despite his words, however, the sibling duo didn't seem convinced.

"What happened, Gurē?" asked Shirogane. "Why'd you crash like that?"

"I...well...I, uh…" Gurē's eyes fell to his paws. Katsuko and Shirogane shared a glance. "I...I guess I was just too tired still. I…" The grey male let out a sigh. "I'm sorry...I know you really wanted to see a Battouga, but…"

"...Heh...hey, it's ok," said Shirogane, although Gurē could hear some disappointment in his voice. "There's always next time, right?"

"Yeah...right."

There was a moment of silence, before Gurē cleared his throat. "Er...we should head back."

There were no objections, and quietly, the trio made their way back to the Kouga House. As they emerged from the surrounding flora, a she-mutt was just exiting the hut. Upon seeing Shirogane and Katsuko, she paused.

"There you both are!" she exclaimed. Shirogane swallowed, and quickly hid behind Katsuko and Gurē. The female looked up into the trees. "Don't leave, honey; they've come back." She approached, a look of anger on her face. "What were you two thinking wandering off like that?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Katsuko began quickly. "Shiro ran off, and I knew you would be mad I just let him go-"

"That's not true!" Shirogane suddenly shouted, shooting his sister a nasty look. "You said it would be fine if we hurried back, and I didn't hear you say anything about Gurē taking us out!"

"Because YOU," Katsuko shoved her nose in Shirogane's face. "Always run off before anyone can-"

"That's enough."

Everyone was quiet as Teru appeared, leaping down from the trees above. Unlike his mate, he didn't look angry, merely disappointed, and it filled the two young mutts with more guilt than anger ever could. He glanced over at Gurē.

"Gurē, I'm grateful you were out there with them; I'd rather they be with you than alone. But I must ask you not to wander away from the camp without an adult. Wild boars tend to intrude in the Kouga territory, and…" He took a slow, deep breath. "I could never forgive myself if one of them got ahold of any of you." Gurē's ears fell back, and he cursed himself internally for making such a stupid decision.

"Forgive me, Mr. Teru," he murmured, bowing his head.

"It's alright," said Teru. "You didn't know, so I'll let you off with a warning. As for you two…" He stared at his children. "Your mother and I have told you not to leave Kouga House many times, especially you, Shirogane. I'm afraid I have no choice but to punish the both of you." The siblings whined, and Gurē couldn't help but feel somewhat alarmed. Neither he nor his siblings had ever been threatened with a punishment before; the concept alone sent shivers down his spine. He stepped forward.

"Please," he said. "Don't punish them. I'm the one who took them out." But Teru shook his head.

"They must learn not to break the rules, Gurē." The ganin faced his little ones, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm...Well, Chōrō's been needing looking after these days. Let's say you two go to him and pick the fleas and ticks out of his fur every afternoon for about...three weeks."

""Three weeks"!?" the pups cried.

"Shall I make it four?"

"...No…" both puppies murmured.

"Then it's settled." Teru turned to his mate. "Shall you take the little ones back to the nursery, Constance?"

"Of course," replied Constance. She nodded to her children. "Come along, you two." Gurē watched quietly as Constance turned and walked off, Katsuko and Shirogane slowly following behind, their heads low.

"Come on, Gurē," Teru said, walking back into the woods. Side by side, they meandered down the forest trail. The older male glanced over at his student out of the corner of his eye; Gurē was staring ahead, looking deep in thought. He let out a soft laugh. "You'll understand when you have your own kids." His sudden statement caused Gurē to jump.

"H-Huh?" asked Gurē.

"Look, Gurē, I know you're Weed's son, and people like to be lenient with the children of important people. But sometimes that isn't such a good thing." Gurē found himself thinking of Kintora; Teru certainly wasn't wrong. "You can't be your puppy's friend. You must teach them right and wrong, or else they'll grow up to be terrible people...if they don't get themselves killed first."

"I understand," said Gurē. "Being a father sounds hard…"

"It can be. And there are a lot of males who don't deserve the title…" Gurē noticed a distant look in Teru's eyes. "But that's why we have to be what those males couldn't be. For the next generation's sake."

What a male, Gurē thought.

"But I will not bother someone so young with this kind of talk," the ganin continued. He stopped, looking up at the trees. "Let's focus on your lesson. I was impressed by your speed and agility during our run yesterday. A ganin needs to be swift with every move he makes. However...a ganin's place is up above. We shall test that same speed and agility up there." He pointed his nose towards the trees.

Gurē's heart pounded; a sickening feeling of dread began to take over his body. After that embarrassing failure at a Battouga, could he really do something like this? Teru believed in him...everyone believed in him...surely that meant something, right? Perhaps he had just been tired when performing the Battouga. Time had passed and Gurē was feeling more alert now; he could do this. At least...he hoped so.

Gurē's breathing was quick and sporadic as he leapt from branch to branch. He stared ahead at the seemingly endless trail of trees, not daring to look down at the ground below. His ear twitched; he could barely hear the older male, even though he was supposed to be traveling nearby. Gurē heated up; if this were a real battle, he'd be dead already with all the noise he was making.

Calm down, Gurē, he snapped at himself. You're getting all worked up over nothing-

"Gyah!" he cried, hanging on for dear life on the branch he had almost missed. Quickly, he climbed onto it, his teeth chattering at the thought of nearly falling to his death.

"Are you alright?" he heard Teru call out to him.

"I-I'm fine!" The ganin stopped on a branch just up ahead, glancing back at Gurē over his shoulder.

"Stay focused," he said. "Don't let anything distract you. If you get distracted, you miss the next jump. If you miss the next jump, it's all over."

"I...I understand, sir."

"Just a minor slip-up," Teru said. "Happens to everybody. C'mon." Teru headed off again. Gurē sighed.

Just keep it together...You're an Ohu soldier...a bearhound...you have to do this.

But the more Gurē kept telling himself that, the more the doubt grew within him. Trying to push it aside, he followed after Teru. Things were quiet for a while; every so often Teru would have Gurē try jumping to a tree at an angle or jumping onto a higher branch from a lower one. Aside from a few slip-ups, Gurē seemed to have been handling himself rather well.

"You're doing a great job," Teru commented. He then flashed the pup a smile. "But I'd expect nothing less from the son of-"

"Thank you, sir," interrupted Gurē quickly. Teru blinked. That was...odd.

"...Alright, let's break for now. I'll let you hunt for some breakfast. Be sure not to wander far from this area. If you need me, just call me."

A pheasant pecked and scratched at the wet forest floor, searching for something to eat now that the rain had stopped. It sauntered about in the open, unaware that it was being watched. Gurē was hidden in the bushes, licking his chops as he crept closer. He took another step, then another...until finally, he pounced. The pheasant hadn't even a second to react before Gurē's jaws clamped around its neck, snuffing out its life instantly.

Picking the pheasant up, Gurē walked back in the direction he had came from, following Teru's scent. As he walked, however, he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder. Nothing there…

Don't be so paranoid, Gurē...Gurē continued walking. Nothing out there but prey animals...just birds, rabbits…His nose began to twitch as he picked up a certain scent in particular. His heart skipped a beat. Boar…

The pheasant fell to the ground. Gurē turned, his eyes shifting frantically. The fur on his spine stood on end, and his tail fell between his legs. He had heard stories of boars back in Fatugo Pass. During his father's journey to find allies against Hougen, a boar named Sancho had attacked his group. The Battouga had killed him, but...Gurē couldn't do a Battouga. And how humiliating would it be for the pup everyone praised for being Weed's son to be calling for help? Gurē shook his head; he'd just get away from the scent quickly and quietly. For all he knew, the boar was minding its own business just like he was doing. Gurē took his kill and walked on, hoping that the scent would die away...but to his dismay, the scent only got stronger. Why was it getting closer? Gurē picked up his pace. He could now hear hooves against the dirt, crushing leaves and twigs. Finally, Gurē skidded to a stop, turning in the direction of the boar's scent.

"Go away," he snapped. "Unless you want a ganin to kill you, leave me alone."

"Eheheh…" A monster of a boar suddenly emerged from the undergrowth. It's brown fur was wild and untamed, making him appear much larger than he was. His eyes glowed a ominous red, and terrifyingly long fangs jutted out of its maw. "Don't worry, little brat; Matcho and I will make quick work of you and be on our way."

Just then, a shadow fell over Gurē, causing the puppy's blood to run cold. Another boar, equally as huge and terrifying, towered over him, licking his chops.

"Lookie there, Butcho…" the second boar, Matcho, grunted. "An Akita pup...just like the brat who killed Sancho two years ago."

Gurē gasped. Sancho...? These boars...if they lost their brother to his father...then they would surely want their revenge. Gurē tried to take a fighting stance.

"B-Back off," he said, trying his hardest to calm down. "I-I'm warning you…"

"Hehehehe...that's cute, kid..." Butcho said, stepping closer. Gurē backed up, only to bump into the second boar's leg. "But enough talking. It's time I enjoyed that tender flesh of yours." He then let out a blood-curdling roar, lunging at Gurē.

"MR. TERU!"

-Fatugo Pass-

Suzumebachi was pacing near the forest's edge, his single eye staring hard at Gajou and the dogs surrounding it. A deep growl emitted from the back of his throat. They had been so close...the Ohu dogs had nearly been wiped out, but then...that damned Shepherd...Suzumebachi's claws raked the ground as he thought of the bastard.

"Suzumebachi…"

The one-eyed bear glanced over his shoulder, seeing his comrade, who was named Unarimasu, standing there.

"What are we waiting for?" he asked. "We had nearly finished the job. Master Chukabuto will not be pleased if we dawdle with this mission."

"You think I don't know that?" Suzumebachi sighed, his gaze returning to Gajou. "But you saw what those dogs did to Kirifuseru…" Both bears glanced deeper into the woods. A large grave had be buried for their fallen comrade. The rest of the kumanobi sat and laid around it, sobbing quietly. Seeing it only caused more anger to swell within Suzumebachi's body. "They slaughtered him, and he could do nothing, even with all his training. And I recognize that Shepherd Dog from the gossip that went around two years ago. The dogs call him Jerome the Assassin. He was trained to be a killer, and now, he has an army that can kill us kumanobi easily if we aren't careful. I must think of a new plan."

"Perhaps we could strike at night?" suggested Unarimasu. Suzumebachi shook his head.

"That's too obvious; a fellow assassin would know such a tactic all too well."

Rrrrr…

Suzumebachi's ear flicked; a storm was approaching the Pass.

"It's the rain season," the bear continued. "A heavy storm's coming, and quickly. The rain will mask our scent and will make it much harder for the dogs to see. They'll be helpless against us, even Jerome and his dogs." Unarimasu stared at his comrade in admiration.

"You are brilliant, Suzumebachi."

"Don't flatter me just yet. For now, we must wait and avoid the patrols they're sending in."

"In that case," Unarimasu turned and prepared to walk off. "I shall leave you to your thoughts, my comrade." He lumbered away as Suzumebachi started to watch the stronghold again.

"Oi." he suddenly called, causing Unarumasu to pause. "Pass this on to the others: when we launch our attack, none of you are you go after Jerome. He is mine." He ran his tongue along his sharp fangs. "I will rip that mutt to pieces with my own claws."

-Kouga Territory-

Gurē rolled to the side, just narrowly avoiding Butcho's fangs. Matcho squealed as Butcho accidentally bit him.

"Idiot!" Matcho lashed out at his brother with a hoof. "Bite the brat, not me!"

Gurē rushed to the nearest tree, but the boar brothers were after him quickly. He climbed up the trunk, but felt his heart stop as one of them gripped his tail with his teeth.

"No, no, no!" Gurē's claws dug into the wood of the tree, but the boar was just too strong. He yanked the puppy off with ease, and his brother took Gurē's neck in his maw.

"Now, brother!" Butcho bellowed. "Rip the brat's head off!"

All of a sudden, Matcho was bashed over the head with a large tree branch.

"Ack!"

The boar staggered, blood trickling down his head from the gash that had formed. Butcho dropped Gurē in surprise.

"M-Matcho!" he cried, before glaring at his brother's attacker. It was Teru. The ganin in question did a backflip away from the downed Matcho, ready to strike again. Gurē rushed to his side quickly.

"You…" the ganin growled. "I remember you...both of you."

"And you…" Butcho replied gruffly, stepping towards him. "You were there when that little, striped bastard killed Sancho…"

"You have no business here," Teru said, gripping his weapon tightly. "Leave now before I finish what Weed started."

Butcho glanced back at his brother, who had now recovered from the sudden attack. He then gave Teru a sneer.

"When there's tender, juicy puppies involved, it's always our business." Gurē felt a shiver run down his spine. The boars stepped closer, snorting hot mist from their nostrils.

"Gurē," Teru began. "Go into the trees. They won't get you up there."

"B-But what about you?" Gurē stuttered.

"These boars don't scare me. Go on."

"You're not going anywhere, kid," snarled Butcho. He attacked, aiming for Gurē, but Teru threw himself between them, lunging forward and whacking him in the mouth with the branch.

"Argh!" Butcho staggered back and spat out blood. But Teru wasn't done; with his ganin speed, he attacked again and again, driving Butcho back with hit after hit. But as Teru did this, Matcho was slinking his way around towards Gurē. The pup couldn't move, and could only stand there in horror as the fearsome creature grew closer and closer...

C'mon, c'mon…thought Gurē. Move...move...mo…Gurē's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of his head, and he fell over, unconscious. Grinning a sick, hungry grin, Matcho opened his salivating maw, preparing to take the pup's life. But just then…

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The scream echoed through the woods, followed by bone-chilling silence. Butcho and Teru stopped their fight, looking over. Butcho's jaw fell, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"B-Brother…!?"

Matcho stood there, gasping and choking as a katana impaled his neck. His blood ran down the silver blade, pooling onto the forest floor. Desperately, he tried to free himself, but it was no use. Finally, he collapsed, letting out his final breath. Jumping down from the trees was was a large, brown Afghan Hound with a saya strapped to her back, and iron claws attached to the toes of her forepaws. He had a bold, yet beautiful presence, standing over her kill with an almost dangerous sense of regality. Butcho felt himself begin to shiver at the mere sight of her, while Teru stared in awe.

"Panchi…" he whispered.

Panchi pulled her blade from the boar's throat, her golden eyes staring daggers into Butcho's soul.

"If you wish to see tomorrow," she began. "I suggest you leave." Butcho didn't need to be told twice, and had turned and fled back into the woods with a panicked squeal. Panchi wiped her katana clean in the grass and set it into her saya before going to Teru, immediately checking him over.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice now soft and gentle.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Teru assured her. "Thank you...I'm glad you got here when you did…" He glanced over at Gurē. "I had told him to leave, but...he could've been killed had you not showed up." Panchi looked at Gurē, her head tilting curiously. As if reading her mind, Teru spoke again. "That's my student, Gurē. He's Weed's oldest boy."

"Poor dear…" Panchi approached the unconscious pup, gently nudging him. "Must've been scared half to death…"

"Yeah…" Teru picked Gurē up, flinging him onto his back, while Panchi found Gurē's pheasant. "Ah, I just realized...welcome back, miss. It's been months since you were here last. The others will be excited to see you."

"Ha, indeed, especially your little rascals." Teru couldn't help but smile at that.

"We'll have to talk more about that later," he said. "Right now...Gurē needs to rest. He's had quite the day so far…"

With a nod, Panchi followed Teru back in the direction of the Kouga Village. Teru glanced back at Gurē, letting out a soft sigh. One day, he'd be a fearless ganin; he knew it. But today...was not that day.