A/N: YIPEE! I GOT MY PERMIT FINALLY! Happy dance Anyway, now its time for me to write another chapter with my favorite paring—Kiri/Akuto! (Yes, they ARE a couple; I'm not trying to hide it.) BTW, Akuto is NOT a reincarnation of Miroku. That little pervert moment was just a one time thing. Basically, he's your average jackass. And I love him for it!

Weeping Wolf: OMG that picture of Kuro was HOT! Practically, okay, HAD me drooling! One of the few times I'm drooling over my own character! For this, you get a kiss from Kouga!

Chapter 9: Kiri's Secret

After the meeting with the wolf youkai, Myouga had consulted them on what to do about this chance meeting. He told them of the…relations Kuro and Kiri's parents had with the wolf tribe, and how they could help them. He explained their situation and the shape-shifting youkai, and how they needed to find it. The wolves had offered their help.

"Our tribe once fought a youkai like that." Tsume said. "We can take you to its lair."

Of course, not everyone was happy with this.

"No way." Kiri said. "We can find its lair on our own."

Myouga sighed. "I know you don't like it, Kiri-sama, but be reasonable. There is no other way we can find it otherwise."

She pointed at Akuto, glaring. "There is no way I am traveling with HIM."

Kuro's hands clenched around the Tessaiga. "Can't say I trust him either."

The wolf youkai shrugged. "Look, it was an accident, all right? An accident!"

"And what about what you said after that?" Kiri snapped.

He yelled back at her. "Jeez, woman, can't you take a joke?"

When Tsume knocked him over the head again. Hard. "Akuto, can it! Look, I know you don't like my brother, which is about as much as I can say for him, but we know the way, and we can help you."

"No." Kiri said, her amber eyes sparking dangerously. "I won't travel with him!"

Tsume sighed, her blue eyes rolling. "I promise to keep my brother under control."

"Hey! Since when do I need to be 'under contro—'"

"SILENCE!" Tsume roared.

Kuro turned to Kiri. "I know you don't like it, but they can help us."

"I'm not traveling with him." She glared.

"Look, Kiri," Kuro said. "They are the only people who can help us, okay? And, I give you full permission to blast him to oblivion if he tries anything else. Fair?"

She growled in annoyance and agreed. "Fine…"

And that was how they ended up traveling together, with Tsume and Akuto on one side of the road and Kiri and Kuro on the other. The wolves led the way, with Kuro and Kiri following behind.

Though they rarely spoke to one another Kiri would often catch Akuto looking in her direction. What? She thought. Is he planning his next attack on me? If he is, he'll be dead before he can even get close…She mused with the many ways of killing the said wolf youkai.

But…sometimes, out of the corner of her eye when she saw him look at her, she could see him look at her with…pity? What's he thinking? He was given no reason to feel sorry for me…there's no reason at all he should be looking at me like that…

She noticed it was quite uncomfortable, having him look at her like that. It made her feel self-conscious. And she didn't like feeling it. Kiri knew, because she felt it often…

They set up camp at the top of a ridge, after a long day of walking. "We'll reach its lair in a few days." Tsume said.

"Good." Kiri muttered. Then I won't have to worry about him anymore.

Akuto was looking at her again. She hastily turned away.

"Where exactly does it live?" Kuro asked.

"A cave." The she-wolf said. "High up in the mountains."

"Great…" Kiri said. "Gotta climb all the way up just to fight the damn thing…"

"You know, why are you so upset all the time?" Akuto asked, coming over to her. She stared; this was the first time that day he had spoken to her directly.

"Maybe I'm upset because I don't particularly care to travel with you." She retorted.

"Well, excuse me for entering your life, your highness." He gave a false bow. "I am ever so sorry for ruining your highness's perfect day—"

"Oh, shut up, you asshole!" she yelled, placing her hands on her hips.

"Don't say that to me." He growled, getting in her face about it. "You need our help, you know."

She exclaimed, "No, we don't! I don't need anyone's help!"

Akuto paused, and then gave a small, I-know-something-you-don't-know smirk. "Yes you do. You don't even know how much you do."

A vein twitched in her forehead, with her eyes glaring, a fire being burnt beneath them. She wished ever so dearly that she could have struck him, but she restrained her hand. She stormed off, muttering "Jackass…"

During this, Kuro and Tsume had just watched, observing the scene taking place by their younger siblings. "Maybe we should set up two camps." Kuro said.

"Uh-huh…" she said, shaking her head at Akuto and Kiri's antics.

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Kiri snapped her eyes open. She listened…all she heard were the sounds of sleep. She looked over. Kuro had fallen asleep leaning against a tree, holding Tessaiga.

Tessaiga…the heirloom that had been given to him by their father. Probably the only remnant of him Kuro had left of him. Somehow, it connected him and his father. Because of it, it was like his father would always be with him.

Kiri sighed. It looks like me faking being asleep worked… She got up, and checked back, making sure he wasn't awake. She then ran for cover of trees. She didn't want her brother to see…

Once she was sure she was far enough away, she looked up at the crescent moon, and slowly pulled something out from the front of her yukata.

It was a white bead, on a string. But it was no ordinary white bead. It had come from the kotadoma rosary of their father. The thing that had connected her father to her mother now connected her to them.

After she had gathered up what she had thought was all the beads, she had placed them on their father's grave. But, a day later, she had found one more, seemingly hiding in the cracks of the hut's floorboards.

Kiri grasped it in her hand and closed her eyes, tears threatening to spill. Father…mother…why did you have to leave us so soon?

"What's wrong with you?" An all too familiar voice asked.

Kiri started shaking in anger. "You..." she said, stuffing the makeshift necklace back into her yukata. "Stalking me, now are you?" She turned around, glaring at Akuto.

He held his hands up in a form of surrender. "Hey, take it easy, will ya? I was only wondering what's going on?"

"None of your business." She said, adding under her breath, "Pervert bastard."

Now he started growling. "What's with the nicknames, huh?"

"That's no nickname." She said, "It's what you are. Now go away." Kiri started walking away.

He followed her. "For your information, sweetheart, that whole thing yesterday was a complete accident. Will never happen again, I promise."

She didn't look back at him; she walked faster, as if hoping to loose him. "Don't call me that." she warned. "And stop following me!"

"Can't help it." Akuto said. "I came out here for one purpose, and I'm not leaving until it's fulfilled."

Kiri said, "Oh, really? What purpose was that? To demand I listen to you? Well, sorry, but ain't gonna happ—"

"To know why I was smelling tears all the way from my camp." He finished.

She gave a small gasp. So…he knows… "THAT," she spat, "Is something I will ever tell you."

He grinned. "Aha! So, it's true then? So, the steel-hearted Kiri does have feelings. Amazing!"

"Oh, shut up, you jackass!" she roared. "This isn't 'feelings' at all! Feelings make you weak. It's completely different." She tried walking away again, but Akuto stopped her, by jumping in front of her and leaning against a tree.

"No, it isn't. It's the same thing. You just don't want to admit it." He grinned at her. "You may act tough. But you're not at all. You're just high-spirited."

Kiri clenched her hands into fists. "You're asking for it."

He shrugged. "Go ahead. I don't mind one bit."

Kiri then vented all of her frustration out in one punch, aimed straight for Akuto's nose between his green eyes—

When it was stopped, by a block from his arm. Her eyes widened in shock, and Akuto grinned.

No one had ever been able to match her in hand to hand before. Not even her father. It made her angrier. She tried to punch again, and was once again blocked by his hand.

As she tugged her fist away, she said, "You just wait…"

"For what?" he asked. "You going to kill me?"

"I just might." She muttered.

Akuto rolled his eyes. "You fight and act like a man, but you need to start living more like a woman."

"WHAT WAS THAT!" she bellowed.

"Figure it out for yourself, sweetheart." He answered, starting to walk away.

Kiri had as much as she could take. "Stop calling me that!"

He turned around. "Stop calling me jackass, and I'll stop calling you that."

"No," she said stubbornly.

"Then I'll call you that till the day I die." He smirked.

"Which will be very soon!" Kiri yelled. "Once I stop being weak, you're going to regret this."

He turned back around once more. "Having feelings doesn't make you weak, sweetheart. In fact, it's quite the opposite." And then he walked back towards the camp.

Once he was gone, Kiri growled and vented all her anger on a tree, occasionally muttering "Jackass!" and "Perverted bastard!"

Once she was finished she grabbed the bead necklace from around her throat and proceeded to the stream running behind her. She held it out, ready to drop it in.

With this gone, I won't have to worry about being weak…I won't have to worry about taunts from that jackass anymore!

But, as she held it out, she remembered her mother and father. They way they would always fight with each other, and the way that they would make up because of their love. The way her mother would hold her when she was young and the way her father taught her how to protect herself. The way she knew they loved her without them having to say it.

She shut her eyes tightly when she realized she couldn't do it. Angry at herself for being too weak to throw it away, she put it back around her neck and underneath her yukata.

I hate this…she thought, as she walked back towards her camp. I hate being weak…I don't want to be this weak…I shouldn't be having these feelings…

But then she remembered the words of Akuto "Having feelings doesn't make you weak, sweetheart. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

Kiri thought about it for a moment. Is that…is that really true?

But she shrugged it off. "Ridiculous."

A/N: This chapter…was intending for it to be funny, but once I got into it, it really got all intense for me. Can we say, "Character development?"

Anyway, the thing with Akuto calling her "Sweetheart." XD. What can I say? I am a HUGE fan of Han Solo, and Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie, and it almost beats Return of the King as my favorite movie. (Except, no orcs. Only stormtroopers…) I just couldn't help but notice the "Scoundrel-ness" of the character (He he…anyone look 'Akuto' up?) and just give it a little character trait from another famous scoundrel…

Enough rambling. Anyway, I GOT MY PERMIT TODAY, WAHOO! (but I think I mentioned that…)