Ginka's heart sped up a little as he saw the outskirts of his hometown through the steadily thinning trees. At long last, he was home. Despite everything that had happened here, everything he would have to face once they reached the main estate, he felt a small amount of relief.

"Keep moving." The leader of the group of clan guards spoke. Ginka realized his pace had slowed and quickly sped up again. When he had come face to face with them, Ginka had been reminded of a significant problem. Even if they succeeded in taking down Hoku and the Brotherhood, they still had the entire Silver Blade clan to deal with. He may have been framed, but they didn't know that. How the hell was he going to convince them?

Ginka looked at Masuta. His teacher looked just as troubled as he did. "Sensei?" He asked. He expected one of the guards to silence him, but they did and said nothing.

"I'm alright, boy. I'm just thinking." Masuta said.

"About what?" Ginka said. Still no-one ordered them to shut up.

"About the old days. With Hoku and your father." Ginka waited for him to elaborate. "I don't think I ever told you this, but Gin no Hoseki village is not my hometown. My family moved here when I was just a few years younger than you, and I met your father a few days later. He was rather like Yojin kun at that age. The moment I told him I was a jujutsu student he challenged me." Masuta chuckled. "After I beat him he became very interested in martial arts. Very interested indeed."

Ginka smiled a little. He never would have guessed. They reached the edge of the forest and were now making their way down the main street. "And Hoku?"

"He took a little persuading. In it end it was my father who trained him. I think at some point Hoku ended up doing a little teaching himself." Masuta said.

"Hoku was a martial arts teacher?!" Ginka was dumbfounded. Villagers walked by them without so much as a glance. They must not be aware that Ginka was at this moment an accused murderer. He wondered what lie Hoku had told them to cover up his disappearance and his father's death.

"Yes. He quit some time after his first falling out with your father." Masuta said. "Now that I think about it, that was round about the time when you became sick." Ginka nodded. He didn't remember what it had felt like at the time, but he had been told years afterwards that it had been a disease that had poisoned his blood. It wasn't something he should have survived, but he did. "Ginka kun, after working through all those all memories, I think I may have figured something out."

"What?"

"Not here." Masuta said. "If we ever get a chance to speak privately, then I will tell you."

Ginka knew better now than to distrust his master. He said nothing more. Before he knew it, they were approaching the gates to the clan estate. Ginka's heart was thudding painfully. Hoku was on the other side of those gates, and so was Yoko's salvation. If destiny favored him, he was about to find out.

They reached the gates, which opened as they came. Ginka tensed as they entered his clan's estate for the first time in months. Clan members and servants stopped dead at the sight of him. Ginka ignored them, eyes fixed on the main estate up ahead, where his father's killer lay in wait. "I wonder if they filled up that hole, yet?" Yojin asked in a half hearted attempted at levity. No-one answered him.

"We did." The group leader eventually said. "The cell has been prepared, and is ready and waiting."

Yojin chuckled nervously, clearly sorry that he spoke.

They reached the doors to the main estate. The group leader knocked, and the doors opened seconds later. As the group leader whispered some words to the shocked guard who had opened the doors, Ginka wondered what had become of the Silver Fang, and if he would ever get it back. Then they were being ushered through the doors and into the main estate. The garden was just as beautiful as ever.

Ginka and his friends were ushered to a patch of green on the other side of the garden. The guards continued to surround them, ready to act at the first sign of trouble.

"On your knees." The group leader said. Ginka's group did as they were ordered and knelt down on the cool soft grass.

"What do we do now?" Ginka asked.

"We wait." Sakura replied. "And hope Hoku doesn't take too long."

Sakura had barely finished speaking before Yojin nudged Ginka. "Don't freak out, but it's him."

Ginka looked to one of the doors leading into the large building, the farthest one, and there he was, emerging and making his way down the steps leading from the wooden platform to the grass. He was dressed in a dark blue kimono made from the finest silk, and tied to his sash was a silver colored staff. Ginka started seeing red. Murderer, a voice in his head snarled. He felt Masuta grip his arm. "Patience." He whispered. "Remember why we're here."

Ginka didn't need to remember. Yoko.

"Where is he?" Hoku demanded to a nearby guard, too far away to notice Ginka's group right away. His eyes were wide with excitement. He had been waiting for this for months. "Where is the fugitive? I've waited months to bring him to justice! Where is he?!"

"Over here." Ginka said, not wanting to prolong the situation. Also, he had a few choice words to say, and he wasn't going to shout it across the garden.

Hoku turned his head, and saw him. "There he is." He hissed. He stalked forward, pulling his silver staff from his sash.


Finally... at long last... the prodigal son has returned.

Hoku felt the warm metal of the concealed Silver Fang against his torso as he strode over to the captive silver fox and his friends. He had to hand it to Chibiki. Plan B had gone off without a hitch. Notably he saw that the Yoko girl was not with them, likely still in China suffering from whatever horrific poison Sutoraiki had inflicted on her. If Chibiki kept his word and gave them the antidote in exchange for Ginka, the girl might live. That didn't matter now. He had the Silver Fang, he had Ginka, and soon he would have Ginka's blood. Once he possessed the vault's secret, the two heirs to the clan leadership would be dealt with when he decided to.

Even as he silently reveled, one thing still nagged at him. Some time before he had been informed of Ginka's return, he had waked into his room to find something amiss. On his bed had sat the bag of gold he had given Kuroo so long ago. That had scared him. Why had Kuroo returned his payment? Did he find out about Ginka's innocence? Had he turned against him? If he did, what did that mean for his plans? Hoku had spent quite a while wondering if he should risk telling Chibiki about the bounty hunter, when a guard had burst in with the wondrous news.

The guards circling the prisoners parted as Hoku approached. Yojin and Sakura glared at him in righteous fury. Masuta's face expressed a more tranquil fury. As for Ginka, his expression was one of pure, ice cold hatred. The feeling is mutual. Destiny favors me, not you, you self righteous silver brat.

"We found them travelling through the forest." The group leader said. "They claimed that an associate of yours had something they needed."

"Did they now?" Hoku asked innocently. He stood over Ginka, who continued to glare at him with loathing. "Good evening, Ginka. Long time no see."

"Where is Chibiki?" Ginka asked coldly.

Hoku kept his expression neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about. Tell me, why have you returned? Do you wish to repent for your crime?"

"I did not kill my father!" Ginka snarled. "You did, you vile, evil, treacherous beast!"

"Don't try to put this on me, boy." Hoku replied coldly. Ginka looked away. Hoku brought the end of his staff under Ginka's chin and forced him to look up again. "You have no-one to blame but yourself. But now that you've returned, you can finally answer for everything that has happened." Hoku forced himself to stop there. If he gloated any more, the guards and servants watching might become suspicious. "You have no alibi. Your scarf was discovered at the scene. You can't deny it, Ginka."

"You lied to me!" Ginka snapped. "You told me to meet my master by the waterfall! It's your fault I have no alibi!"

Good luck proving it, Hoku wanted to say, but he couldn't. Not with a fifth of the clan watching. "Young man, I assure you that that never happened." At he leered at Ginka, he suddenly realized that none of them were in chains. He sharply turned his head to the group leader. "Why have you not cuffed them?"

"There was no need." The group leader replied. "They turned themselves in."

"It may have been a trick!" Hoku stepped away from Ginka in his outrage. "Put them in chains this instant!"

The group leader wordlessly pulled out a pair of cuffs. "We will need to send for more."

"Leave Sakura!" Masuta said. "She must be released to take the antidote back to Yoko san! Where is Chibiki?"

Hoku glared directly at the old master. "Again, I do not know of this Chibiki, or this business with Yoko. Where is she, anyway?"

"Dying, because of you!" Ginka growled. Hoku kept his face straight.

"Guard, once you find more cuffs you are to chain them all and put the boy's friends in the cell." Hoku said, addressing the group leader once more. "I will question them myself at the first opportunity. They may have been involved in Lord Tohru's murder."

"What of Lord Tohru's son?" The group leader asked.

"Take him to my office and make sure he stays there." Hoku's hand lightly pressed against the Silver Fang. "I wish to speak to him in private."

"No." Said the group leader.

Hoku felt as if he had been punched in the face. He stared at the group leader. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said no." The group leader said, his eyes as hard as stone. "I will not chain up Lord Tohru's son like a common criminal."

Ginka, Masuta, Yojin and Sakura were staring at him like he had gone mad.

"He is a criminal!" Hoku snapped, furious. "He murdered Lord Tohru!"

"Are you so sure about that?' The group leader said. Hoku realized that all the guards had the same cold expression.

"He broke out of jail and went on the run for months!" Hoku retorted. He was absolutely livid at the guards' insubordination, but also he was afraid. Something had just gone very wrong. "That makes him guilty to me!"

"Who is Chibiki?" The group leader replied. "The only person I can think of with that name is the founder of the Brotherhood of Bloodstain-"

"I have no connections with that man!" Hoku exploded. "How dare you attack me with these baseless accusations! I should throw you in jail with the fugitives!" In his anger he pulled out the scarf he had left at the scene after killed Tohru. He had kept it with him since that fateful night. It was the only thing aside from the lack of alibi that implicated Ginka, and he hadn't wanted anything to happen to it. "If you'll recall, Yoko gave this scarf to Ginka on his birthday! Hours later, it turns up outside the office where Tohru was murdered! This means that Ginka is the murderer."

"Yes." The group leader replied. "I also recall that miss Yoko insisted that it was a fake. The scarf she had given him had his name stitched in one corner."

"She could have been lying!" Hoku replied. He took several deep breaths. He needed to stay calm before he said the wrong thing. "If that is fake, then where is the real scarf? You tell me!"

"Yes, Ginka sama." The group leader turned to Ginka. "Where is the real scarf?"

"I don't know." Ginka admitted. "When I was knocked out at the waterfall, it fell into the water. It's long gone. I'll understand if you don't believe me."

"Enough of this!" Hoku demanded. "Do as you are ordered and detain them!"

The group leader ignored him. Instead, he said something to Ginka that stupefied both him and Hoku. "We believe you."

Hoku's blood froze. Ginka blinked. "Wh-what?"

The group leader turned back to Hoku. "Two days ago, while we were searching the forest, we met this big wolf with a missing tail, who professed Ginka sama's innocence. He told us that if we wanted proof, we were to check the river half a mile down from the waterfall." Masuta frowned at this. "We checked it out, and found this caught on a branch by the riverbank. We didn't mention it until now because we wanted to hear Ginka sama's side of the story first."

The group leader carefully pulled out a slightly ragged, filthy black scarf. Hoku nearly had a heart attack. Ginka and his friends gaped.

"Is that..." Hoku trailed off.

"Yes, it is." The group leader said. "And look at this corner." Hoku looked. Ginka's name was stitched into the corner in silver thread. "His name, just like Yoko said. She was telling the truth. The boy is innocent." Ginka looked like he had just dug up a million yen. "And if he is innocent, then that leaves the only other person who doesn't have an alibi, but does have a reason to kill Lord Tohru... you."

Hoku spun and ran.

The guards tried to grab him, but he kicked them away. As he reached the nearest door he heard Masuta shout. He whirled round just in time to block the salamander's walking stick with his own staff. He kicked Masuta away and rushed into the building. Damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnit... His mind cursed as he sprinted down the corridor, sending servants flying. He heard angry shouts far behind him. He reached the office, slammed the door behind him and locked it.

How could this have happened? He clenched his teeth, heart thudding with fear and rage. People started pounding at the door, demanding that he give himself up. "Go to hell." He spoke softly. "Kuroo... damn you!" He had to warn Chibiki and the others. He needed them now more than ever. Cursing both Ginka and Kuroo, Ansekisoku turned to the open window and fled through it.


Yoko woke up to a slight fever. She felt weaker than she did before she fell asleep. She turned her head, listening for the sound of anyone nearby. She had been told to inform them at once if there was any change in her condition. She wanted to do as she was told, but couldn't bring herself to call out. She was so tired. It would have to wait until someone came to check on her.

Yoko turned over and slept some more, dreaming of hot, barren deserts coated in golden brown sand.