Revised Edition with changed/added footage: 8-8-2006
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Chapter 20: Proving Your Own Worth
Looking to the moon in the sky, Suikotsu frowned, "I'm taking too long- this is serious."
Running a hair through his spiked-hair, he sighed, "I can't imagine what we'd do without Jakotsu," He paused, reflecting on the young leader's actions, "And as strong as he is, I don't think he could handle loosing Jakotsu. He's still a child at heart."
A soft rumble of thunder in the distance snapped him from his inner thoughts, as he spoke to himself aloud, "Right. The herb. Where is it?"
Pushing aside fallen logs and brush, his eyes scoured the ground.
"There!" He exclaimed, his outburst startling a nearby animal of sorts, whose quick retreat could be heard as the underbrush crackled and snapped with its weight. Kneeling down, Suikotsu gathered what he could of the herb and turned back in the direction he'd come from.
"I've got to hurry," His thoughts reprimanded him as he hastily made his way back towards the building.
"Please Jakotsu, be okay."
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Back in the decimated village, Mukotsu spotted the figure peeking out from the remaining rubble and muttered to himself, "If only I'd known we were going to be dealing with this, I could have fixed up some stronger poisons that work on youkai."
Sorting through the few barrels left of his toxins he estimated what must be done.
"Only three left that would have any effect on him, and one's merely a means of temporarily blinding him."
Slowly moving, he followed Gatenmaru.
"I've got to try these and hope Kyoukotsu can snap his neck to finish it off. That's all I can do."
He changed direction, intending on finding Kyoukotsu and informing him of the plan. Suddenly, he felt a sharp tug at his ankle and fell face forward- a deep laugh echoing across the destroyed village.
"Did you think I was deaf?" Gatenmaru asked smugly, his advanced youkai hearing making even soft footsteps easily known.
Mukotsu pushed himself up, feeling the warm blood running down from his face. He reached up, touching the gash on his forehead, and glared at the youkai, "Look here you. The last thing I need is another injury or disfigurement to my face."
Gatenmaru cut him off, "I don't see how the lack of one mere cut would improve your appeal with the ladies any. Some people just aren't born beautiful," He smirked egotistically.
Frowning, the short man's face became suddenly determined, "Three chances or not, I'll find a way to kill this arrogant bastard."
Freeing his leg from the loose silk, he stood- hand ready to pull a barrel from the box on his back if Gatenmaru advanced. His short legs were poised to run if the situation called for it and he defiantly rubbed the blood from his face.
"Oh? Trying to fight me again are we, human?"
Mukotsu narrowed his eyes, "No only have you insulted me, but you've injured my comrades- my only family. I can't run away without fighting you properly, my conscience won't allow it."
"Then so be it," Gatenmaru said, rushing forward and leaving the short poison user struggling to draw out a barrel in time.
His hand found its way around one of the weak fog-like toxins and he quickly opened it into the youkai's face. As the fog increased, Mukotsu quickly made a run for, still inwardly knowing that it would take a miracle for him to kill the youkai on his own with his limited supplies. Seeing a small passageway free of debris, he made for that gap in the charred remains of the buildings. It was then that he heard the footsteps approaching behind him, and he knew it best to turn and face his fate head on.
Coming practically face to face with Gatenmaru's giant axe, the involuntary action to attack in return caused Mukotsu to pull out the second barrel and shoot the black, ink-like toxin into the youkai's eyes. The blade still fell, cutting a slight bit into the short man's arm and leaving the shredded piece of his outfit and his outer layer of skin hanging down as the red liquid began to stain his white clothes.
"Shit! It's low to keep trying the same attack, human!" Gatenmaru cursed, rubbing the poison from his eyes.
"Same to you," Mukotsu retorted, struggling to continue his escape through the gap.
As he was just about to pass through, the loud snap of fire claiming the beams of the neighboring building caught his ears. Watching in dismay, the beams collapsed before his eyes, leaving him cornered by youkai that waited behind him.
Looking drearily to the last of his barrels, Mukotsu frowned, knowing all to well that this was the weakest one he had left and that it would definitely not work on a full youkai.
His gaze shifted back up to the flames that blocked his path, as one idea entered his mind.
The ingredients in that toxin- were highly flammable.
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The light rain began to fall as Suikotsu neared the yashiki. Pushing the wet pieces of hair from his face, he slid open the door and quickly walked down the hallway, only stopping momentarily to grab supplies from his room.
"Oo-aniki, I…" He stopped on seeing to the two figures before him.
Bankotsu had slouched forward during his sleep, his head resting in the crook of Jakotsu's neck. Both of them looked as if their dreams were being disturbed by the semi-conscious knowledge of the situation at hand.
"I hate to wake them but…" Suikotsu sat down his things and gently nudged the young leader, "Oo-aniki? Wake up, I'm back now," He said softly, as to not alarm him.
Slowly, the blue eyes opened and he blinked as he looked up to the young doctor. Taking a moment to register, he finally spoke, "You're back. Thank goodness, he…" Bankotsu paused as he noticed exactly where Jakotsu was.
A brief sign of panic crossed his face as he gently moved Jakotsu's form to where the dark-haired man's head rested in his lap.
"He was cold," Bankotsu offered as an explanation and Suikotsu just smiled in return.
"Don't worry; you'll probably have to hold him when I put the salve on his wound anyways."
Nodding, Bankotsu brushed the hair from Jakotsu's face, "Should we wake him?"
"It'll take me a few minutes to grind these herbs up. Let him rest, he seems to be doing a little better," Suikotsu replied, turning to the small bowl and the handful of green plants that were placed on the floor.
"I wiped it off, I hope that was okay," Bankotsu spoke up, still looking down at the one resting in his embrace.
"Wiped what off?" Suikotsu questioned.
"That white poison stuff. It was spreading across the skin."
"By itself?"
"Yeah," Bankotsu replied tentatively, a bit on edge due to Suikotsu's reactions.
"This could be bad."
Bankotsu's eyes widened with worry, "Should I not have…"
"No. It's good in Jakotsu's case, bad for the others," Suikotsu explained, "I don't think Mukotsu or any of them know it spreads itself. If they leave the wound alone, it's even deadlier than wiping it clean."
"But certainly they'd think to…"
"I don't remember seeing any close water source to that village, so unless they find a stray cloth to wipe it with or think to cut free the affected skin..." He ran a hand up through his hair, and sighed, "This is very serious."
Facing dropping, the young leader's heart was now plagued by not only his concern for Jakotsu, but with the added worry of the well-being of his other men.
"How long will this take?" He asked, noticing Suikotsu quickly working on grinding the herbs.
"It depends on if this salve works or I have to try something else."
"Once I know Jakotsu's going to be all right, I'll go to them," He said firmly.
"Oo-aniki…" Suikotsu looked up at him.
"And if that youkai has hurt any of them, he'll get more than just my revenge for Jakotsu. No one messes with the Shichinin-tai and lives to brag about it," Balling his fist in frustration, he still spoke quieter than his rage would have liked so as to not disturb Jakotsu.
Pausing in his work, Suikotsu placed a gentle hand on Bankotsu's shoulder, "Everything's going to be okay. We're all tough."
"I should have gone with you guys."
"None of us knew they're be a youkai amongst those bandits. It just happened. Now all we can do is hope for the best."
Bankotsu offered a weak smile, "Thanks Suikotsu. I guess it's just… when I think that I might lose my only family now to a damned youkai- I can't help but think I could have prevented it."
"Sometimes, things happen in life that you just can't change. Even when you look back at the situation and try and see if there was something you could have done differently, it might have still turned out for the worst."
"Suikotsu?" Bankotsu questioned, seeing the somewhat reflective look on his face.
The fighter's face changed from his thoughtful contemplation to a smirk. Then, he decided a change of subject was needed, "Okay, go ahead and wake him. I've got the salve finished."
Nodding, the braided-man lightly shook the man lying in his arms, "Jakotsu. Jakotsu wake up."
Slowly the dark eyes opened, blinking at the figure above him, "Bankotsu?"
"Suikotsu's back. We're going to fix up that wound now."
"Okay," He replied looking over to Suikotsu.
"I'm going to have to put this directly into the cut, so it's going to sting. Just try and hang in there," The brown-haired man explained.
The green paste was gently smeared into the wound, as Suikotsu watched Jakotsu's reaction. Bankotsu looked on with trepidation, noting Jakotsu wincing every few seconds.
Once Suikotsu was finished, he sat back on his heels and observed his current patient, "Tell me if you feel anything- good or bad, Jakotsu. I might need to try something else."
Giving a weak nod in reply, Jakotsu looked up to Bankotsu who offered a weak smile in return. Picking up the nearby cloth from the water basin, Suikotsu folded it and placed it on Jakotsu's forehead.
"The fever you had earlier seems to be going down some," He noted.
"It is?" Bankotsu asked hopefully as he placed a hand to Jakotsu's cheek to see for himself.
Moving slowly, the injured man laid his hand over Bankotsu's, holding it against his cheek.
Suikotsu didn't miss the light blush that appeared on the young leader's face as Jakotsu simply stated, "That feels nice, Bankotsu."
Having known the two a bit longer than the four other members, the perceptive doctor wasn't blind to the underlying connection the two shared.
"They need each other now, more than ever- because as long as Bankotsu's alive, Jakotsu will continue to fight with all he's got in order to live," His thoughts noted as he glanced between the two.
Standing, Suikotsu intended to leave them a bit of privacy when Bankotsu stopped him.
"Where are you going?"
Rubbing his head, he replied, "Well until the medicine takes a little more effect I can't do anything else here so I thought I'd leave you two in peace."
"No. Stay," Bankotsu ordered firmly.
"Oo-aniki?" He questioned, wondering if there was something he was unaware of that made the young leader want his presence there.
"He's right. Don't leave us, Suikotsu," Jakotsu added weakly.
"But I didn't want to…"
"Tell us a story, Suikotsu. It'll take our minds off things," The dark-haired man requested, looking up from where he laid.
"Jakotsu, you want a story?" He asked, perplexed.
"Yeah- anything. Like the one's you probably told some kids your other side took care of. That side probably knows some nice ones, but you can surprise me."
Looking up to Bankotsu, Suikotsu motioned with his head that he wasn't sure what to do.
"Just tell us anything you want to tell us, Suikotsu. I'm sure that we'll both find it interesting whether it's a children's tale or just some legend you know," The leader spoke up.
"Well if you two insist, then I suppose I have no choice," He said with a laugh, sitting down beside them, his mind beginning to think on what story he should tell to the young leader and his injured companion.
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In the flame-engulfed village, the poison user faced a different challenge. Knowing his time was limited, Mukotsu made the hasty decision- throw the barrel into the flame once the youkai was close enough, and run as far as he could so the explosion wouldn't claim his life as well.
Risky, yes- but to the poison user, it was this large risk or just certain death at the hands of the powerful youkai. Clutching the wound on his arm, he waited, listening as best he could to the sound of Gatenmaru moving from behind him. Once he heard the deep laugh looming above him, he knew it was time.
Flinging the barrel into the flame and using Gatenmaru's distraction by his actions to act as his chance, he ran as quickly as he could; the loud eruption of toxins combined with fire ringing out across the village. The debris from anywhere near the explosion was shot out in all directions, deadly projectiles searching for any live victim. And their search was not in vain, as a large piece of a wooden beam found its target in a short man who was fleeing the scene.
Falling heavily under the weight of the debris he knew would come, Mukotsu covered his face with his hands, a programmed habit of his to protect that which he already knew was disfigured.
Pinned beneath the wooden remains, he could feel it as all the pieces of rock, wood and other materials pelted his back and legs.
"Hey ugly, maybe the bruises will make you look better!"
The bitter voice from his past rang out in his mind. An unpleasant memory of the other children that resided in his village when he was young and their unkind habit of pelting his younger self with rocks and dirt whenever they saw him.
"Look at it this way, Mukotsu, you'll never have to worry about Jakotsu cutting you up," The pleasant and laughing voice of Bankotsu overlapped the bad memory.
Forcing a smile through his pain, he began to struggle to free himself. "Don't worry, Oo-aniki. I'm strong enough to survive this. If you can always look on the bright side, then so can I."
But with a sharp blow of another piece of debris to his head, the poison user fell unconscious, his desire to free himself lost.
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