"Jakotsu, what's with the pout?" Suikotsu asked Jakotsu.

"I'm not pouting!" Jakotsu snapped back. He wasn't pouting either, but obviously the sourness he was feeling showed on his face.

"Ah, he's just being grumpy." Bankotsu said. "He's been like this for a few days now."

Bankotsu looked annoyed. For awhile, he had tried to persuade Jakotsu to tell him what was the matter, but Jakotsu had simply shaken his head and said "Nothings the matter." Jakotsu could tell it bothered Bankotsu, that he would not tell Bankotsu what was wrong. Jakotsu didn't want to worry Bankotsu, but he couldn't help it.

The truth was that Jakotsu was in a very bad mood.

A few days an ago, the Shichinintai had received a message from the shogun, informing them to travel to a small village, to the north, at the base of the mountains. There, they would meet up with the Shogun army, and help attack the village. The village was approximately a 5 days journey away from where the Shichinintai was staying. They had begun traveling two days ago. Just south of the village, was another small village called Muribito…funny how that even now, after years had past, Jakotsu still remembered exactly where his childhood village was located. Muribito, the village where Jakotsu had spent the earlier years of his life. To make things worse, Jakotsu's Birthday was coming up, in exactly 4 days. The same amount of time it would take to reach Muribito.

Jakotsu's memories of his past birthdays weren't great. Mostly he remembered Reisuki, away fighting demons, and Kiko ignoring him, not even realizing it was his birthday. Not that she would care even if she did know. Jakotsu hadn't even bothered to tell her. But Hikaru had always been there. They would sit together buy the river, and laugh. And then Hikaru would give Jakotsu something. It was usually small; a birdcall carved from wood, or an origami animal, but Jakotsu had treasured these things. It was more of the fact that Jakotsu was getting a gift, then the gift itself that had made him happy. It showed that someone cared for him, and paid close enough attention to know when Jakotsu's birthday was. Hikaru…they saying went that you never forgot your first love. Hikaru hadn't just been a crush to Hikaru; he had really been in love with him. He had thought of Hikaru constantly. It had been like an obsession. And with the feelings of Joy that came with being around Hikaru, there had also been angst that they couldn't be together.

But it's not like that anymore! Jakotsu insisted to himself. And it was true. True…there wasn't a day that went by when Jakotsu didn't think of Hikaru at least once. But now at least the feelings of happiness or sadness didn't accompany those thoughts. Mostly something would happen in the day, which reminded Jakotsu of Hikaru. Like, when Jakotsu walked beside a river, he would think of Hikaru. And when he saw sakura blossoms…the memory flashed through Jakotsu's head. Hikaru and Sayo, kissing softly, while falling sakura petals blew in the wind.

Jakotsu pushed the thought from his head.

"I'm just tired." Jakotsu said. "We still have so many days till we get there!"

But even though Jakotsu still thought of Hikaru, the feelings of pain and lust, when Hikaru's face flashed through his mind, had disappeared. Still…Jakotsu couldn't help but to feel worried about going back to his old hometown…

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Its ok…it's going to be all right. Jakotsu chanted this to himself. Its fine Jakotsu, its fine! Oh god, they were getting closer…the Shichinintai were now walking on the dirt path that led to Jakotsu's village. What could possibly go wrong Jakotsu? He asked himself. Nothing! It made absolutely no sense that Jakotsu was so scared. Jakotsu could feel his nails clenching into the palm of his hands. Its okay, its okay, its okay…The image came to him again, Sayo and Hikaru, under the sakura trees, while the petals swirled around them. It's fine, its fine, its fine…Jakotsu suddenly, twitched, a sharp pain biting into his palm. He held up his hand, and saw blood trickling, down from four indents on his palm. Jakotsu quickly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around his hand. He threw a look around him, to see if any of the other Shichinintai had noticed. Luckily they hadn't.

"The weather looks pretty bad." Suikotsu said worriedly, peering into the sky. He was right. For once, the weather actually matched Jakotsu's mood. The sky was dark with thick gray clouds, which had been steadily advancing in the Shichinintai direction. It looked like it might rain soon.

"It better not rain." Bankotsu mumbled. "We might get to our destination late if it does." Just as Bankotsu finished his sentence, the heavens opened up, and the rain began to fall.

"Damn!" Bankotsu cursed.

"Talk about ironic." Mukotsu grumbled.

The rain continued to fall. It was heavy, but not so bad that the Shichinintai would stop for shelter. Jakotsu knew Bankotsu would simply tell them to press on. Please don't rain any harder! Jakotsu prayed. If the rain got any worse, they might be forced to take shelter in Muribito. That would be the worse case scenario.

It was so cold! Jakotsu shivered, rubbing his hands over his arms.

"Come on. Lets keep moving." Bankotsu said.

"In this type of weather?" Renkotsu asked. His kimono was soaked with water. Jakotsu's was too.

"Its not too bad. We've got to keep moving." Bankotsu held Renkotsu's eyes, until Renkotsu dropped his gaze.

"Yes Aniki-san" He said.

They kept going on. Soon, the weather got so bad they could barely walk, only stumble blindly, and keep the wind from blowing into their eyes. Even Kyoukotsu, whose body was enormous, felt fatigued by the weather.

Jakotsu saw Bankotsu's lips moving, but couldn't hear him over the wind.

"What?" He yelled.

"I said…" The rest of Bankotsu's words were lost.

"Sorry, I can't hear you!"

Bankotsu dragged himself towards Jakotsu, and leaned his head forwards. Jakotsu couldn't help it, but his gave a flutter, as Bankotsu placed his lips near Jakotsu's ear. Jakotsu had frozen icicles lining the bottom of his sleeves, and could no longer feel his fingers, but he blushed at Bankotsu's closeness.

"Do you know what that thing is over there?" Bankotsu asked. He pointed into the distance, where a dark shape could be seen, through the blur of the rain.

"Huh…"

Jakotsu squinted. Then he suddenly remembered. It was the shrine! This meant that he was just on the outskirts of his old hometown. The shrine had been abandoned, ever since Jakotsu was a young teenager. He remembered how the small children would tell stories, of how the shrine was haunted, and dared each other to go into it.

"I think it's a shrine." Jakotsu said slowly.

"Really?" Bankotsu furrowed his eyebrows. "How did you know that?"

"Uh…I can see a torri up there." Jakotsu was lying, but he knew there was a torri, a few meters from the shrine. I hope its still standing, or I'll never be able to explain it to Bankotsu.

"Your eyes are really good!" Bankotsu frowned. "Alright…then…" He trudged away from Jakotsu and stood in front of the Shichinintai.

Jakotsu suddenly realized it was hailing. Fat, bead sized hailstones, fell from the sky, and thudded onto the dirt around them. Some of them landed into pools of water, and sprayed drops of wetness onto Jakotsu's clothes.

Bankotsu waved his arms to get their attention. They blinked, and stumbled towards him, gathering in a circle.

"I think we have no choice but to stop for shelter." Bankotsu shouted, to make himself heard.

The members of the Shichinintai merely nodded. They were all tired, and worn out from the weather and the traveling.

It seemed to take forever for them to make it to the Shrine. Sure enough, a tell red torri stood, a gate marking the entrance to the shrine grounds. They all passed through it.

"Alright, we'll stay here for tonight." Said Bankotsu. Then his faced grew concerned. He turned to look up at Kyoukotsu's enormous body.

"Kyoukotsu…"

Kyoukotsu grunted. "I'll be fine boss. I can hardly feel this weather." Jakotsu doubted that, since the ground where Kyoukotsu stood, was trembling slightly from his shivering.

"Are you sure?" Jakotsu could see how troubled Bankotsu was. He was torn between his moral about leaving no man behind, and also his desire to protect the rest of the Shichinintai.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Bankotsu hesitated. "Alright…take care of yourself, big guy." Then he turned and made his way towards the abandoned shrine, that Kyoukotsu would never be able to fit into.

The shrine was a bit dusty and damp, but it protected them all against the wind, and the hailstones. The Shichinintai stretched themselves along the floor.

It was amazing that the Shichinintai could sleep with all the noise. Outside, Jakotsu could hear the howling of the wind. The hailstones made a heavy plink-thunk noise as they hit the ceiling. Yet they were all very tired from their traveling, and were soon mostly asleep. Except for Jakotsu. He lay awake in the dark, listing to Mukotsu's heavy snoring, and Renkotsu's deep even breathing. I have to get out of this village as soon as possible…

"Jakotsu?" Bankotsu's voice was a wisper. Jakotsu was startled.

"Oh! You're awake, Aniki-kun?"

"Yeah. But so are you."

"Well the noise is kind of bugging me…"

There was a short silence.

"Jakotsu…there's something bothering you isn't there?" Bankotsu paused. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…but if you want to tell anyone, you can talk to me."

Jakotsu drew in a breath. He felt a sudden urge to tell Bankotsu everything, to poor his out his story. He closed his eyed for a moment and exhaled.

"Okay…If I ever have anything to tell you, I will, Bankotsu." He rolled onto his back. There was no more talking, and the exhaustion of traveling the whole day, finally came down on Jakotsu. His breathing became heavier, and he soon drifted into a deep, restful sleep.