I own not Traximus, nor Usagi, nor Gennesuke, nor anything else here. Stan Sakai at least owns Usagi and his world's character and places, I believe. I have not read the comics the stories this "missing scene" is derived from, yet. I have tried my best to look up the details of these stories from "Fandom: Usagi Yojimbo Wiki," "Wikipedia," "Comic Vine," "All The Tropes," "Official Website Stan Sakai," and "Comicslist."

In the end, it didn't work out. Traximus was shocked to learn Usagi would not consider learning to use a Triceraton blaster. Archery was as far as the Yojimbo would go, it seemed, in using long-distance weaponry, for to aim an arrow well took a great deal of practice and skill, and to bend a bow took a great deal of strength to do at all. When Usagi learned he could "accidentally" leave a smoking hole in a wall or a person by simply "touching" a Triceraton blaster in a certain place, even if someone else was holding it or it was lying on the floor, he'd been both horrified and shocked.

Setting bombs and running away before they exploded was also out of the question. It all seemed simply too ninja-like. Usagi tried to convince Traximus his sword skills alone would be a benefit to his rebellion, but the Triceraton insisted he'd not take such a fine warrior with him to be slain so immediately by the blast of a weapon he refused to wield himself. Nor did he wish Miyamoto Usagi to be captured and tortured, as a certain robot could not be, till he died or gave up informed on the rebellion to the Prime Minister. Usagi put his ears back and scowled at this. He insisted the former not the latter would occur if he was captured. Traximus simply said his point still stood.

Usagi crossed his own arms and shook his head. "I will fight a foe face to face even if I must die doing so. But I 'cannot' kill or wound any 'after' running away. Also, handling something so 'destructive' it takes as little as a finger-press to do as much damage as a barrel or gunpowder would when a spark meets it, seems even 'more' dangerous than a barrel of gunpower to me. At least with the former I have to make a flame."

The Triceraton laughed. "You've faced off against some of the greatest warriors in the galaxy, Miyamoto Usagi, including a dragon out for revenge in the dark of night, fought off multiple assassins, and have been nearly sucked into an interdimensional "hole," and you think a handling a "blaster" is dangerous?

Usagi stared at the Triceraton. He hadn't thought about it that way, yet. But, after another moment of thought, he replied, "Yes."

The Triceraton shook his head over his own crossed arms, his eyes closed, but his lips still smiling. Then he turned his reopened eyes upon Murakami Gennesuke. "What about you, friend?"

"I'm in. How much does this job pay?"

Traximus chuckled and shook his head once more. "I fear this work will be without pay, warrior. The Triceraton Republic has already been drained of funds in its pointless war with the Federation and by our 'Prime Leader's' love of luxury items." His voice turned hard at this last statement. Then it turned sad. "No, I fear I cannot pay you now, and perhaps I cannot in my lifetime." He set his cup down. "There will be much work to be done rebuilding our world once we are finally free."

Gennesuke stared straight ahead of himself in silence for a long moment. "On second thought, I think my funds have dried up far too much recently to jump into such a venture now."

Usagi turned his face down toward the tabletop and grinned as he also shook his head before sipping from his glass. Traximus sighed above him, but his voice became warm as well as amused. "Then it looks as though I can only buy you both another drink for hearing out my offer to begin with."

Gennesuke grinned again, his ears perking up. "Well, if you insist."

Traximus laid a large hand upon, what now seemed to Usagi, his own, very small shoulder. The Samurai looked up into the orange warrior's eyes. They were soft and kind for a rebel leader's.

The fact it was a "rebellion" Traximus has asked him to join had alone troubled Usagii about the alien's offer. Then he'd realized this 'Prime Leader' Traximus fought against was much like lord Hebi. He too had come from a smaller section of a greater nation, or "world" in this case, before trying to take the rest from others through cunning, lies, and force. In doing so, this "Prime Leader" had also gotten rid of other, better leaders along the way, leaders like Traximus.

The Triceraton's voice now came out at him smooth and kind for one fallen so far and so unfairly from a high status. "Forgive me, young warrior, if I overstep my bounds, but if you are still troubled by fears Leonardo and the others in his family think less of you for losing your master, do not think so any longer. Leonardo and the others do not only fight and live with honor, they show it to others even in low status, and when others try to take their honor from them. I have seen it. They even recognize and call honor forth in others fallen as low as I had."

Usagi turned away and stared bitterly ahead of him. "I fear in 'my' home-world those in positions like mine are often considered dishonorable, more so than most others in fact."

Traximus drew his hand away, but he kept his gaze fixed upon Usagi's face. "Because you lived through a lost battle instead of died in its midst, and lost your general or "senator" as well?"

Gennesuke jumped in. "Usagi should be proud of what he did on Adachi Plain!"

Usagi's head swiveled around. He scowled at his friend. His tone had a biting edge to it. "Gen …"

Traximus grinned and leaned back in his much larger chair. His stare focused on the bounty hunter. "This I must hear." The Triceraton then ordered another round of drinks, before giving the rhino his undivided attention. Usagi covered his face with his paws as he listened to Gennesuke wax eloquent.

The bounty Hunter seemed not embarrassed at all. He threw his head back and raised his strange drink in one hand to gesture with as he told Usagi's story … as he'd learned it and wished to tell it at least. "As foul a lord as ever called himself 'Damiyo' decided to try and take out one of the finest with that same title. The latter was Lord Mifune. Even 'I' might have served him. Everyone throughout his lands loved him, or so it seemed. One of the truest hearts to him was Miyomoto Usagi's. He was not born a Samurai serving in a Daimyo's household," Gen paused and pointed to himself, "like me." The rhino's smug grin, which caused Usagi to roll his eyes and take a sip of his drink, disappeared as he went on with his story. Usagi bowed his head and covered it with his paws again.

Traximus looked down at the covered head with an amused light in his eyes. Usagi thought the rhino's voice carried much too far. He was either too drunk to notice or care or absolutely determined to embarrass him. If he'd known the bounty hunter would gain an audience, he would've been far more careful about sharing his feelings with him tonight. "No, after watching Usagi beat every other warrior his age in the region during a tournament much like this one, Mifune offered him a position as his own retainer."

Traximus raised his eyebrows. Usagi stared straight ahead. Gennesuke went on. "The Lord Mifune even allowed Usagi to first continue his training and return home to say his goodbyes to all there before starting his service with him. On his way from doing the former to do the latter, Usagi was asked to extract his last opponent in that tournament, who was also his rival as they grew up in their village together, from the deep cups of an inn he stopped at!"

Usagi turned a glare upon Gennesuke. Telling his own story was one thing, bringing up Kenichi's humiliation was another. Thankfully, the Bounty Hunter moved fast on in the tale. "And upon arriving back in his village, they 'both' had to defend it from brigands. While Lord Mifune and his forces were not there, Usagi and Kenichi defended their old home successfully, including a certain lady Usagi then managed to 'say goodbye' to, the prettiest girl in the village. I imagine she misses him still, though she later wed Kenichi."

Gennesuke grinned and winked over the table. Usagi lowered his burning face still further toward the tabletop. Traximus chuckled softly with a smile of his own.

Usagi's friend finally moved on from telling of the his short visit home, but that only meant he was getting closer to Adachigahara Plain. Usagi took a little bit more than a sip from his new drink. Then he held it to his chest. He shut his eyes as he listened as his friend go on.

"Usagi became very close to his Lord and his Lord's family after he began his work for him. Mifune trusted Miyamoto Usagi enough him to make him his "and" his family's personal guard. Usagi spent a lot of time with Mifune's wife and son. It is said Mifune almost counted Usagi family as well. And Usagi also became close to Gunichi, his superior in Mifune's service, who also helped him to rise quickly through the ranks. Any fool would have done the same. Everyone could see Usagi's skill with a blade was only surpassed by his loyalty!"

Despite his high level of annoyance, Usagi's heart was warmed slightly by his friend's words. As Gennesuke went on though, it froze. "Then, as I said before, another lord set his sights on Mifune's lands. That same lord set out to take them in the most cowardly way possible: wiping out Mifune's entire family line through assassination. That meant not only ending Mifune's life, but any chance for him to have an heir. Mifune's son and wife were both killed in their sleep by ninja. Of course, they had also been paid to kill Lord Mifune, and 'that' did not happen."

Usagi himself took another sip of his drink. Gennesuke's voice boomed as it went on. "Usagi awoke and defended his master. Then Lord Mifune declared war to avenge his wife and son! The rival Daimyo then had more trouble than he'd wanted to handle."

"Indeed," Traximus cut in briefly.

Gennesuke may or may not have heard him. He seemed in a rush to go on. "The battle of Adachi Plain is legendary. But it might have been so only for betrayal had Usagi not been there. One commander of Lord Mifune's, Buichi Toda, switched sides during the battle right when it had seemed Mifune might win. Gunichi, Usagi's immediate superior, ran away soon after trying to convince Usagi to do likewise. Usagi did not take kindly to that."

Usagi took another drink and held the liquid in his mouth for a moment as the rhino paused. Gennesuke went on soon though, with even more pride in his voice. "Usagi stayed, and I'm telling you, both the traitor's forces and the soldiers that other shogun brought with him must have been sweating. They couldn't get 'near' Lord Mifune with Usagi there."

A high voice broke through the air. "Then what happened?"

Gennesuke and Traximus looked up. A very embarrassed waitress stood before them holding a tray in one hand. Her grimace and wide eyes showed she was shocked at herself. Neither rhino nor Triceraton, though, got a chance to answer her. Usagi filled the silence just by speaking under his breath. "Arrows …"

The other two at the table and the waitress turned their stares upon him. The Samurai still clutched his glass. His eyes were closed, and head bowed. The waitress deflated. Traximus lifted his hand again, but before he could rest it on Usagi's shoulder once more, the rabbit opened his eyes, and looked up, though he seemed to stare at nothing. "How did I not die too? I was so close to him …"

Gennesuke's voice rumbled. "Perhaps fate thought your master's head should be spared, Usagi."

The voice of the waitress came out high and squeaky this time. "Master's 'head?'"

Gennesuke raised his gaze to look at her curiously. "Of course! Mifune's head would have been taken and displayed by the rival lord had Usagi not taken it and hidden it away." The rhino smirked. "What I would have paid to have seen 'that,' him carrying it away with an army attempting to stop him! The rival daimyo himself tried to swipe 'Usagi's' head off, but only gave him a graze above his brow instead! The Ronin's got a scar from that." Gennesuke chuckled darkly to himself. "Usagi cut down many trying to get in his way, though not the evil lord himself. I still have money on Usagi getting him too someday. That foul lord of filth must have burned with rage, when Usagi escaped him into the mountains where he hid his master's head from him. No other knows to this day where Usagi put it. He's got back at two of the traitors to Lord Mifune already, the sell-out and the coward."

As soon as Gennesuke paused, the waitress turned and got away like her apron strings were on fire. After she'd departed, Traximus stared down at the hunched form between him and their storyteller. The Triceraton gave a low whistle. "And you still think you failed your lord, my friend?"

Usagi growled up from his low position. "I still live. 'He' does not. I should have died protecting him. Our ways are such that when you fail your master, or no longer have any such to serve, your story has ended too. There is no more to tell …"

"That's why I don't even 'attempt' living up to your standard, Usagi." The Bounty Hunter sank back into his seat comfortably and lifted his drink to his mouth. Usagi sent his friend a half-hearted glare.

The Triceraton then spoke from his other side. "If 'both' of you had been killed, Usagi, would not 'both' of your heads have then been displayed by this enemy? With his last, great guard down and an army surrounding him, more arrows or even swords would surely have gotten him eventually."

Usagi closed his eyes and turned his head away. "It was my duty to die after my lord, when I had successfully hidden his head."

"If I had given up the first, second, or third time I failed my home world, even during an important mission, I would have perished long ago. Then who would fight for it?"

Gennesuke snorted. "Not to mention some of those 'kame' and Usagi himself would have been swallowed up by that hole in the sky!"

Usagi blinked at this thought. Traximus continued. "One thing I hate about the way my home-world is run now, the Prime Leader is known for harshly punishing mistakes, and not only those of others." Traximus lashed his tail. "He 'punishes' others even for following direct orders of his when the end result is not to his liking."

Usagi's hands went a bit lax around his glass. He sank lower in his seat as he sighed. "I have known both that Lord Mifune was merciful, and other lords are not. One reason I still fight, sometimes, is to keep merciless lords from bringing more peasants and warriors beneath their rule. It is one way I still honor my master."

Traximus laid a hand on Usagi's shoulder again. "Then it is one way you still honor your Lord with your 'life.'"

Usagi gave a small smile. "Thank you, Traximus. I wish you and your people well in your quest for freedom from this 'Prime Leader.'"

The Triceraton rose to his feet, glass in hand. He turned the rest of his body away but kept his eyes on Usagi for a moment more. "And I wish you comfort and peace over the loss or your master and hope and honorable duty in a new day."

He squeezed Usagi's shoulder, (the rabbit thought it might bruise) before turning and walking away. After the large being's footsteps had faded, Usagi turned a glare upon the rhino. "Why did you do that?"

Gennesuke snorted. "To grow your fame in a place where others might decide I still owe them money, and to remind you of your own heroic and honorable deeds, when you might need it."

Usagi smiled as he closed his eyes, bowed his head over his crossed arms, and shook it, but he merely replied, "Thank you, my friend."

What do you think now?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes