Author's Note: Hello! I am so sorry this took so long. I was in Louisiana last week helping my friend move back home to Texas :). Then I had to take my laptop in to the shop to be wiped clean of viruses and reformatted. I just got it back and am still in the process of getting all of my files back in order.

Wow to the sheer amount of reviews I got last week. I have never received so many for one chapter :). Thank you so much! If I had internet access last week (my friend had hers shut off on Thursday :( ) I would have updated right then! I won't take so long between this chapter and the next-- I promise! :)

Reviewer Responses:

Yennie-Gurl: Lol! Jakotsu didn't have much choice in the hair cutting matter. Bankotsu would have cut it in his sleep if it came down to it, and Jakotsu would rather a straight cut while he was conscious than to wake up to a ragged one ;). Thanks for reviewing! Take care!

Ibara-hime: Lol, sorry to keep you waiting. As I said, I would have updated last week had I had internet access and a computer lol! Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like my characterization of Jakotsu. I kind of feel like I'm developing his character more than I'm developing anyone else's. Can you sense a little favoritism here? Lol. Take care!

Corrina: Hello! Thank you for reviewing. I'm glad you think the story is moving along nicely. I always worry about short stories that I don't finish up within a day or so, because I feel I lose focus. Aww...you cried for Jakotsu's hair? Hehehehe! Maybe I'll let some of it grow back. ;) Take care!

Evil-Zukin: Lol! Not thinking and typing. I do that quite often. You'll find some of that in this story ;). Glad you like it and thanks for reviewing! Take care!

SpeakThaMind: Hello! Thank you so much for gracing me once again with a lovely review! Muhahaha! I am so bad about drawing things out! I enjoy it too much lol! They'll figure out who Kaji is... eventually ;). Awww... they deleted your story? That's happening to a lot of people as of late :( That sucks. I hope everything works out and you find a better place to post :). Take care!

MageofDarkness: Glad you're feeling better :). I'm sorry for the short chapters in this story. I usually write extremely long chapters that can span over 20 pages. With this story, I'm in the mind set of keeping it short and simple. But notice that this story is already significantly longer than the first, so don't be surprised if the next story in th series starts to look like some of my other fanfics with the monster chapters lol! I'm glad you like Bankotsu and Jakotsu's dinner conversation; I had fun writing it :). I'm gonna let more things about Jakotsu's heritage slip out in later stories :). I'm trying so hard not to just focus on him, but he's my favorite :). Well, I hope you enjoy this new chapter as much as you liked the last...though it is shorter. The next one is longer though ;) Take care, and thank you so much for reviewing!

Youkaigirl99: Of course I talked about you again and will continue to do so until you ask me to stop ;). I appreciate your reviews and I will always tell you so lol! I'm glad you're having as much fun with this story as I am having, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Take care!

Chibi-Fluffy: I am halfway done with the story. I didn't realize how much ground I still had left to cover until yesterday.... groan but oh well, I'm having fun and I hope you are too! Thanks for reviewing!

Lildaemon: Thanks for reviewing. I'm happy you like how this is turning out, and I hope you feel the same way for the rest of the story and series lol! Take care!

Gerbil: Woa, one of the greatest stories you've ever read? Really? Speechless and sputtering... but never for long ;) Thank you! :) :) :) Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I hope you enjoy this new one! Take care!

Tareacel: :) Glad you like how strangely the doctor was acting when he ran into Jakotsu and Bankotsu. You'll see what he was probably running from in this chapter :). :) I think a snappish Jakotsu is cute...he's fun to write or rather, Bankotsu's reaction to it is fun to write lol. I'm also relieved that my reasoning behind Jakotsu's actions doesn't sound force fed. I'm not exactly saying this is why Jakotsu's not quite right...but maybe this could be a rationalization for those who just have to be able to explain everything. Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. Technical difficulties and all lol. The next chapter will be up in a few days ;). Thank you for reviewing yet again :). Take care!

Me, just me: Hey! It's ok. I don't mind; just don't let it happen again ;) (J/K). Thanks for reviewing lol, take care!

Cattico: Hehehehe, don't feel bad. People get the "suspicious" feeling around me. They always think I'm up to no good, which I usually am (but it's still no reason to accuse me of it!) ;). Confrontation coming up.... maybe not right now... but soon lol! Thanks for reviewing! Take care!

Lynxzeo X: Yes, it is weird to dress up like someone you hate, but this is Jakotsu we're talking about lol! Thanks for reviewing! Take care!

Chapter 4

"What's going on?" Bankotsu and Jakotsu walked into an empty dining hall. "We can't have missed breakfast; the sun just rose!"

"Calm down, Aniki. I'm sure Mr. Chin will have saved some food for his favorite customer," Jakotsu said cheekily.

"Mr. Chin?" Bankotsu called. He frowned. The room hadn't even been prepared for the morning meal. The tables were still covered and there were no lingering smells of food. "Mr. Chin?"

"I don't think anyone's here, Bankotsu... at all. There was no one in the baths, no one outside, and now no one in here."

"This is strange." Bankotsu knocked on the door to the kitchen. "If everyone in town evacuated, don't you think someone would have notified us to leave too? Mr. Chin surely would have..."

"... saved his own skin," Jakotsu finished for him. "Bankotsu, people are only in it for themselves."

Bankotsu rolled his eyes. "I know this," he snapped, "but Mr. Chin is a decent old guy. He would have said something, and for that not to have happened makes me wary. Something isn't right here."

"Of course something isn't right; villages don't just evacuate, Aniki. Do you suppose they are running away from the killer?" Jakotsu asked, twirling a lock of hair around his index finger. The braid Bankotsu had done the night before had flattened his curls into waves and Jakotsu was still marveling at how much lighter he felt.

He had pranced about the room for nearly an hour before Bankotsu could persuade him that they needed to wash up or they would miss breakfast. Then after washing, Bankotsu had to insist that they didn't have time for him to paint his face and don his yukata.

"Maybe," Bankotsu murmured. "Want to snoop around town some?"

"Sure... if we don't find anyone, maybe we'll find some clothing they left behind. I'd like some new sandals."

Bankotsu shoved his friend playfully. "Are clothes all you think about?"

Jakotsu looked speculative, placing his hand under his chin and stroking an imaginary beard. Giddy gray eyes rested on Bankotsu after a moment and an evil smile lit across Jakotsu's face. "No. I think about other things too, but you're much too young to know what they are."

"Oh yuck!" Bankotsu grabbed Jakotsu by his hair and tugged. "Come on, you deviant."

Jakotsu giggled and followed after Bankotsu, delighted in the blush that had undoubtably colored Bankotsu face. "Deviant? That's a fun new term. Whomever did you learn it from, Aniki?"

Bankotsu shook his head and waited for Jakotsu to fall in step beside him. Nudging him gently with his elbow in the ribs, Bankotsu said, "Glad you're feeling better Jakotsu. I missed having the nice you around."

Jakotsu pouted. "I was not that bad."

"Oh yeah you were," Bankotsu snorted. "I almost slapped you twice yesterday."

"You could have." Jakotsu shrugged. "I may not have felt it. That medicine your Kaji gave me put me out of it."

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow about to comment, when a thought struck him. "We should check Dr. Kaji's house! He saw the killer last night. Maybe the killer followed him back to his house and he was murdered. That would explain why all the townspeople fled. Until now, none of the murders have happened in town."

Jakotsu looked game, nodding along as he usually did when Bankotsu got excited about something. "Should we go and get Banryuu and Jakotsutou?"

Bankotsu blinked and stopped in his thought tracks. It probably would be smart to be armed. He patted Jakotsu on the back. "Yes we should... and if we get lucky, maybe we'll get to use them."

The entire town was as desolate as the inn. It seemed everyone had packed up and run in extreme haste. Jakotsu had gotten his new sandals, lavender face paint, and a bracelet that Bankotsu knew he'd never wear, but he just had to have because it was blue.

Bankotsu scowled in disgust. No bodies to find, no clues to undercover, and...it really hurt to be faced with the fact that Mr. Chin left and hadn't told Bankotsu anything. He'd probably forgotten all about him in his panic to vacate the premise.

Jerk- and to think he'd been ready to offer to do chores for the man.

"Bankotsu! Look at this kimono and these pants!" Jakotsu was waving various articles of colorful clothing at him from a large bedroll he was perched on. He tossed down the ensemble and rummaged some more in the large pile of clothes he'd pulled from the closet onto the floor. "Now this is a nice shirt..."

Bankotsu wasn't in the mood for Jakotsu's silliness, but he also didn't have the heart to spoil Jakotsu's fun. It had been days since he'd seen the older boy smile and be bubbly, and he hadn't lied about missing it. "Find a few things you like, Jakotsu; we can't take it all."

"Aww..." Jakotsu's soft noise of disappointment didn't take the vigor out of his scavenging. "What's this? I don't think I've ever seen one of these before. Where does it go?"

Bankotsu decided it best to leave Jakotsu alone with his treasure while he went on to inspect the rest of the village himself. He didn't know which wooden house was Kaji's so they had been searching them all. So far they had gotten to three houses with Jakotsu holding them up at each one to inspect the goods left inside.

"Aniki! I've found an outfit for you!"

Good gods... Bankotsu kept walking.

All of the houses and cabins were empty, things scattered left and right like the inhabitants had left in a panicked rush, but there was no blood to be found and no sound of foul play in any of the houses.

Last house.

Bankotsu pushed the door open and jumped back as the door creaked and nearly fell from its hinges on top of him. He blinked and skipped inside wary of the haphazardously hanging door. A light had been left on for him and Bankotsu grinned at what he saw inside.

Blood.

The place was completely trashed and there were blood stains on the floor and tables. The killer had been in here and he'd left the mess for anyone to find.

He stepped over a large black bag and frowned. That was the large black bag Kaji had brought to the inn when he came back with medicine for Jakotsu. So this was Kaji's place and the killer did attack him like Bankotsu suspected.

How far did the man get?

He felt a little sorry for him if the killer had caught him and finished the job. He couldn't say he liked the man, but he was nice... and maybe Bankotsu would have protected him from the killer if he had seen him.

I should have given chase the first night the killer brushed past me, he thought bitterly. Jakotsu had been fine and hadn't stirred at all that night.

I really need to stop babying him.

He hopped over a broken teapot. The doctor looked like he had put up a good fight, judging from the size of the mess. Maybe they should have been trying to induct Dr. Kaji into their group, he chuckled to himself.

"Aniki!" Jakotsu was calling for him from somewhere nearby.

Bankotsu sighed. It was so hard to get things done with Jakotsu around. Should he just ignore his calls or should he go out and fetch him? If Bankotsu ignored Jakotsu, the latter would worry.

Dammit.

Bankotsu stalked back to the crooked door and called out to Jakotsu, "I'm in here!"

It only took a few seconds for Jakotsu to appear with an armload of chromatic booty, looking pleased with himself. "Look at what I've found."

"Not now, Jakotsu. I'm inspecting Dr. Kaji's house. Come look, there's blood everywhere," Bankotsu said. Jakotsu pouted, but put down his prizes and ducked inside the house.

"Watch the door," Bankotsu couldn't help but warn even as Jakotsu skillfully avoided the hazard before he'd even said anything.

Jakotsu narrowed his eyes at the scene.

"He was attacked by the killer. Just look at the fight he put up. I bet he rallied the town up and got them to abandon the village. Looking how he looked last night with all those injuries... I think..."

Jakotsu raised a brow and walked the length of the room, frowning at the chaos. Why was he being so quiet?

"Jakotsu?"

"It wasn't his blood."

"What?"

"The blood on the floor and objects did not come from the original source, Aniki. This is blood that was smeared from another surface. Look at it more closely. If Kaji was attacked in here, he was not harmed. The killer himself was covered in blood and soiled what he touched."

Bankotsu frowned. "But Kaji had blood on him."

"The killer touched him?"

"All over and didn't hurt him?" Bankotsu was shaking his head. "As thorough as this killer is rumored to be when it comes to killing people, I don't think he could lay hands on Kaji that many times without slashing him at least once."

"Maybe he was just feeling him up?" Jakotsu shrugged. "He's a decent looking man after all."

"You would notice something like that." Bankotsu gave a half smile and rubbed his chin. "So you say the blood looks smeared...and now that I look at it, perhaps it does, but I don't believe Kaji could have gotten out of a messy tousle like this one as virtually unscathed as he did. None of the blood looks like it could have come from Kaji himself?"

"Well, maybe if he was injured and touched his own blood and touched something else perhaps... but I doubt he or the killer would bother dipping their fingers in their own blood and running their hands over everything in the room. This looks more like a temper tantrum than a struggle, Aniki."

Bankotsu glanced at Jakotsu. "You sure?"

Jakotsu nodded. "I... trust me to know what the aftermath of a tantrum looks like."

Bankotsu scratched his head and his frowned deepened so much it drew lines in his forehead. A tantrum, huh? Well, it certainly looked plausible.

"So maybe the killer busted in on Kaji, Kaji got away, and he got mad and trashed the place," Jakotsu suggested, but Bankotsu shook his head.

"Kaji had blood on him."

"Maybe Kaji got the drop on the killer and hurt him?"

"That would explain the killer's tantrum," Bankotsu nodded and snapped his fingers. "And Kaji's frazzled state when we saw him! He probably never had to hurt anyone until then. And now the hasty evacuation is explained. If the killer missed his target and went nuts enough to do this," Bankotsu waved his arms, gesturing around the ransacked room, "of course the people would panic when they heard the noise! Jakotsu, you're a genius!" Jakotsu smiled. "I am not."

"I never would have come up with any of the things you did on my own," Bankotsu argued.

"You would have eventually," Jakotsu said. "All you needed to do was look at the color of the blood and the quality of the imprints left on the walls and furniture."

Bankotsu blinked. He never would have looked at all of that at all and was surprised that Jakotsu had thought to do that in his first glance.

Jakotsu really was smart when he wanted to be; he just needed to learn how to admit it to himself.

"Well, no matter what you say, I know I wouldn't have come up with it. Good thing I've got you. Now come on. We got a killer to track." Bankotsu rubbed his palms together and grabbed Jakotsu's wrist. They stepped out onto the porch together, shielding their eyes from the sun that had somehow grown brighter since they'd gone inside. Bankotsu collected Banryuu from where he'd left it on the porch and Jakotsu collected the clothes he'd taken.

"Jakotsu! You can't carry all of that stuff!"

"I can! I just need to find a bag to pack it in. Let me go into one more house, Aniki."

"All right, but you had better come out with a bag and not more clothes!"

Jakotsu laughed and danced off in the direction of another house with Bankotsu scowling after him. How would Bankotsu know if Jakotsu had taken more clothes if he was stuffing them all into a bag?

Ai.

"Five minutes, Jakotsu!"

"Hai!"

Author's Note: Well that's it! Did you like it, hate it, didn't care either way? Let me know! Take care!