Funny. Japan wasn't as different from China as Po thought it would be. Sure there were more than a few animals Po had never seen before and the signs he saw everywhere were in Japanese rather than Mandarin, but other than that there wasn't much difference.
Either way, it was awesome. It was a brand new place, a brand new country, and Po was an avid explorer. It was a shame they weren't here for recreation. That and they didn't have much time to be here. They had to get to Ginka's village, get the antidote, find a way to take down Hoku and the Brotherhood of Bloodstained Hands in the process and get back to China in time to save Yoko. Po wondered how Ginka was holding up. They were all worried for Yoko, obviously, but he had taken her surprise poisoning very hard. Perhaps the loss of his father not that long ago had something to do with it.
The travellers were now taking an hour's rest in the village of Chiba, four hours from their destination. One if they ran. In a large guest room inside the only inn in the village, Po, Ginka and the others were silently eating lunch, ramen to be specific. It tasted a little different from noodles, but Po loved it all the same. Food was food, even if it was from another country. Sakura was not with them. Two days ago she had been sent to inform her mother and Lord Takeshi of their return. She had arranged to meet them in this very inn, and they would be leaving once she arrived.
As he ate, Po looked around at the worried but determined faces all around him, and couldn't help but feel a little anxiety himself. In an hour, maybe two, they would be facing not only Hoku and the Brotherhood but probably an entire clan who believes that Ginka murdered his father and their respected clan leader. When they get there, things are not going to be pretty.
Speaking of not pretty, Po felt a hot splatter on his chest. He winced and looked down, and saw that he had accidently splashed some soup on himself. "'Scuse me." He got up and went into the bathroom.
No towels. Darn.
Maybe he would find some in that little wooden chest over there. Po went over and rummaged inside. There were rolled up towels piled up inside. Po grabbed one, and in doing so he felt something hard and thin against the back of his paw. Po's fingers closed around the mystery object and he pulled it out. He stared curiously at the short, dark brown wooden rod. It was slightly flat and had barely distinctive handle. Po gave it a wave. It was quite light, and felt like it would break easily if he hit a bad guy with it. That ruled out a weapon.
So what was it then? Po thought of a back scratcher, and reached with it over his shoulder and tried it out. It barely reached below his shoulder blades. So scratch that, then. Maybe it was use to clean out people's ears. Po tried it out, but it didn't quite fit. He lightly tapped the rod against his other paw. It wasn't junk, otherwise it wouldn't have the handle. "Huh... I wonder what you are? You're sort of like a mini bo staff."
Hey, maybe that was it! Maybe it was a mini bo staff for kids to train with! Po grinned, remembering his own childhood days when he would dance around his room swinging a big stick. He gripped the wooden rod like a short sword and swung it at an invisible enemy.
"Hiyah! Shagabooey!" He swung left and right. He felt like a kid again. "With his trusty blade, the legendary warrior smites down a thousand enemies in one mighty swing! Nothing on earth can stop the invincible-" He froze as he found himself pointing the wooden rod right at a wide eyed Ginka.
Po blinked once. Twice. Ginka didn't blink at all. Po turned red and hid the rod behind his back. He chuckled nervously. "Oh, er... hey, Ginka. I was just... er... reminiscing."
"Do you know what that is?" Ginka asked slowly.
Po brought the rod back round and stared at it. "Huh? Of course I know what it is! It's obvious, ain't it? No about it!" He looked at the mysterious rod in his paws. Then he looked up at Ginka.
The silver fox sighed and face palmed. "Okay. I need you to tell me, right now, what you think that is."
Po tilted his head. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't a handle he was looking at. "Some kind of Japanese bamboo?" He put it between his teeth and tested it.
"It's a chugi used for anal cleansing." Ginka ducked at the rod flew over his head and bounced off the wall. Po was gagging and wiping frantically at his dangling tongue.
"What's going on in there?" Masuta called from the other room.
"Nothing, we're fine!" Trying not to laugh, Ginka went and picked the chugi up from the floor. He put it back in the chest and turned round. The panda was now trying to brush his teeth with his finger. "Did you seriously not now what a crap stick is?"
"Nuh- no!" Po pulled his finger out his mouth, feeling absolutely mortified. "We don't use them in the Valley of Peace! Aw man, I had that thing in my mouth! And my ears! And my back!"
"Relax, Po san." Ginka shut the chest and sat down on it. "If it was put away, then it will have been cleaned. You'll be fine." Po still felt sickened. He needed to take his mind off what he'd just done, and fast. "Soooooo... how does it feel being back home?"
"You've asked me that every day since we got off that boat." Ginka said. "And again, I don't know. I'm glad to be back in my home country, obviously, but there's too much at stake for me to really be happy about it. Here, I'm an accused murderer. A fugitive. The girl I love is across seas dying a slow, painful death and the only way to save her is to face the people who did this to me. I want to be happy about being back. Really, I do. But now there's nothing here but bad memories and people who want to exploit and kill me."
Po sat on the chest beside Ginka, sympathy welling up inside him. "Hey, it'll work out in the end. You'll see."
Ginka didn't look up at him. "I'm not so sure of that. So far, destiny hasn't been very good to me of late."
"Hey, don't be like that." Po said. "Everyone feels that way during their darkest hour. Even me." He paused as he remembered that night so long ago, when he'd still been a loser and he'd just found out that Tai Lung had returned and he was supposed to fight him. He remembered how scared and alone he had felt at that moment. "Look, destiny isn't a road full of bumps and holes. It's the end of the road. Destiny is something your journey, and everything you've done, builds up too, just like how all the bumps and holes in my life led to me becoming the Dragon Warrior. That's exactly what's happening now. You're on a journey, and at the end of that journey is the main estate, where the biggest bumps ever are waiting. It is only by reaching the end of that journey that you'll find destiny."
Ginka stared at him like he had grown a third ear. "I could have explained that better, huh?" Po asked.
"Uhhh." Ginka hesitated.
"Let me put it this way." Po said just as Masuta was calling for them to rejoin the group. "If destiny favors you, you'll know."
Ginka and Po left the bathroom and rejoined the others to find that Sakura had returned and was helping herself to a spare bowl of ramen. "Well?" Tigress asked.
"The bad news is the Iron Tail and Crimson Flower clans have been unable to prove your innocence, so convincing the Silver Blade clan to come round isn't going to be easy." Sakura said. "The worse news is that they've discovered some new information about the Brotherhood of Bloodstained Hands. It doesn't consist of just four people."
"What?" Masuta demanded.
"There's been reports of a small mercenary army camped out in the surrounding woods. I think Hoku and Chibiki anticipated that the Iron Tail and the Crimson Flower clans would ally with us." Sakura said. "And that's where the good news come in. I've told them about the potential existence of a weapon and they're more than happy to help us stop the Brotherhood before they acquire it."
"That's great to hear." Ginka said, and he meant every word of it. "So what's the plan?"
"Hold your horses, boy. The clans can't attack just yet." Masuta said. "Remember that Sutoraiki will destroy the antidote if we try anything."
Ginka clenched his fists. There had to be something they could do. It wasn't long before he knew the answer. "Then... we turn ourselves in."
"Are you nuts?!" Yojin yelled.
"Shut up and listen!" Ginka snapped. "They want me in exchange for the antidote, right? So we'll accept their terms. We'll do what they want, but on one condition, that one of us is spared so they can take the antidote back to Yoko chan. Once Sakura leaves with the antidote, we lay the smack down on them."
Tigress tilted her head. "That's actually not a bad plan."
Everyone else seemed to agree. Masuta grunted. "In that case, Po and the Five are not coming with us. There is a chance that their presence will provoke Sutoraiki into destroying the antidote."
"We'll wait with one of the allied clans." Viper suggested. "Then one of you can give a signal if you want us to attack."
"Go to my dad's clan." Yojin said. "Their estate is closer." Po gave him a thumbs up in response.
Masuta stood up. He didn't look all that pleased. "I guess that's it, unless there's anything we've overlooked."
"No, I think that's it." Tigress said.
"So all that's left is for us to turn ourselves in. Personally I don't like it, but the life of my student is at stake if we quit now." Masuta looked to Ginka. "Ginka, are you sure you want to do this? Remember, there's no turning back once we get there."
Ginka hesitated just once. He understood Masuta's apprehension. There was too much that could go wrong and he couldn't bring himself to list them. But Masuta was right. If they turned back now they were jeopardizing Yoko's life. And so Ginka steeled himself and nodded.
They parted ways as they left the inn minutes later. "Good luck." Po spoke as he and the Five rushed off, following the directions Yojin gave them to the Iron Tail clan's estate.
"We're going to need it." Ginka heard Masuta mutter.
They walked silently down the main street towards the path that would stretch through the forest, connecting Chiba and Gin no Hoseki. They reached the path, entered the forest. Ginka wondered how Yoko was doing. Was she okay, for now? Or was she experiencing the first symptoms of the poison that was slowly but surely killing her?
He then glanced at Sakura, who was strolling at his side. Even after all they've been through, all the times she could have lost her life, she was still here. She was undeniable proof of the strong friendship between their clans. Ginka supposed he had his late father to thank for that. Maintaining friendships, important or not, was something Lord Tohru had been committed to.
Finally, Ginka looked at Yojin, who was just in front of him. He remembered what his father had said about Yojin getting involved and possibly getting himself hurt or killed in the process. Yojin should have gone with Po and the others and reunited with his father. He had already been poisoned, shot and beaten up in the few months they had been on the run, all because Ginka had something Hoku needed. Ginka felt responsible. He had half a mind to stop and tell Yojin to turn back and go home to his clan. But then again, he knew Yojin would be too loyal and too stubborn to listen. He created a sinkhole in Ginka's cell, for crying out loud. All the same, Ginka knew he had to try and convince him somehow.
But then it was too late. Right as Ginka opened his mouth a group of about a dozen Silver Blade clan members emerged from the trees to the left of the path. They stopped dead, stunned at the sight of the missing fugitives.
Ginka took a deep breath. He felt Masuta's hand on his shoulder, warning him against doing anything rash.
"You... you're back." A fox at the front, possibly the leader, spoke.
"Yes." Ginka said.
Sakura grabbed Yojin's hand as it crept towards his wakizashi.
"What are you doing here?" The group leader said cautiously. They were all on edge, hands on their swords, ready to attack if Ginka's group tried anything. "Have you decided to take responsibility for your crime?"
"I did not kill my father." Ginka said as he kept his anger in check. "I have never wanted him harmed. I've come back because an associate of Hoku has something I need. Take us to him."
The clan members looked at each other. "Fine." The clan leader said and waved his hand. His fellows drew their swords, but instead of attacking they surrounding Ginka's group. "Come with us. No funny business."
No turning back. Ginka remembered Masuta's words as they continued their journey in silence. I'm coming for you, Hoku. Destiny can only favor one of us, and you'd better hope for your sake that it's you.
