The cavern was a labyrinth, one made up entirely out of barrels and crates. Danzaburo didn't know what was in them, but he could clearly see from the ice that lined the brims that it was something liquid. He slid his finger across the ice, and put it in his mouth. He could tell from the burning sensation he felt that it was some kind of alcohol, an incredibly strong brand of it as well. The tanuki spat it out, the last thing he needed at this point was to get drunk.

The tracks had led him here, but the cavern held no scent but that of cold air, and there were no more tracks to follow. The tanuki scowled and proceeded to walk forwards. He was silent, so as not to make the slightest noise. His job would be easier if they didn't see him coming. Then he turned the corner and bumped into Tin Zu, well, Tin Zu's leg. Danzaburo looked up to see the big gorilla staring down at him, with a look of confusion.

"And you are"?

Danzaburo suddenly leapt up, and landed an uppercut onto the gorilla's chin, sending the big ape reeling. The tanuki landed softly and walked away. He could have no witnesses. Suddenly he found his path blocked by a pair of crates that had not been there before. He turned to see Tin Zu getting up, the gorilla looking incredibly pissed off.

Saras had lost track of not only Tin Zu, but also of his own way out. He turned a corner to find it was a dead end, piled with crates of vodka. He turned, took another path and found himself staring at another dead end.

"Lost are we"? Came Yang Chao's voice.

This time Saras was concentrating enough to turn around without replying.

"You're alive. That is impressive. And Fenghuang is"?

"Lying under a heap of snow". He replied, getting increasingly nervous as the hare slowly walked towards him.

"And what exactly are you doing here ? You should be glad you got away with your life. Most don't get that." Yang Chao suddenly dashed forwards and pulled Saras' face down, so that they were nose to nose with each other.

"I-I-I-I"-

"Quit your marring, it's not going to help you. I already told you, this is why the little fish stay in the pond."

Saras heart beat faster as he suddenly felt incredibly weak, like his arms were too heavy to lift and his mouth too hard to open. He couldn't do anything, he was practically frozen. Every instinct in him told him to fight back, but he couldn't force himself into it, he couldn't do anything, he was too weak. He was sure that he was about to feel exactly like how the servant had in the last few moment's of his life. He didn't know what to expect. Incredible pain ? A sudden death ? Would it be hot or cold ? Would he have time to feel anything ? Then Yang Chao let him go, and pushed him roughly to the ground.

"But it's no fun. I heard you're a shapeshifter, who knows, if you interest me you might even get yourself a few more years."

Saras got to his feet. He couldn't care less anymore. Let the Seekers come, he was going to kill this bunny or die trying.

The kit started with a claw slash, one that would have scratched a slower hare's cheek open, Yang Chao merely ducked under it and let the fox's claws get stuck into the wood that made the crates.

"Whoopsie, foxie was too slow", Yang Chao mocked.

Saras slashed with his other arm, the hare avoided the blow and let the shapeshifter's claws sink into the wooden crate, his arms crossing over each other, Yang Chao's head inbetween them, away from harm. Saras pulled, trying to get his paws free, instead he brought the crate forwards, tilted at an angle. Yang Chao rolled under it, and appeared on the other side, before leaping onto the crate, and bringing it down on Saras' feet. The kit yelped in pain.

"You don't even count as little fish anymore. You're even more irrelevant than that." Yang Chao said lightly, as if a shapeshifter trying to ineffectively murder him was an everyday occurrence.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the maze of crates, Danzaburo was faring a lot better. Tin Zu was incredibly intelligent, but the gorilla's short temper was clouding his judgement. Danzaburo called out to the big ape from atop a pile of crates.

"Looking for me"? The tanuki asked innocently, while the ape turned to him. Tin Zu's first charge had ended with him running straight through the illusion that was Danzaburo, and headfirst into a wall. All the other ones had had similar effects.

"Fight fair you sonnofabitch"! Tin Zu charged again, this time Danzaburo noted that the ape slowed down just a little before making contact with him. The tanuki leapt up to avoid the gorilla, before turning into a cat and landing square in Tin Zu's face, his claws outstretched. "Get off me"! The simian tugged at the feline, inadvertently creating the sensation that his face was being ripped off. Eventually he swapped tactics and reeled back to headbutt a crate. Danzaburo leapt off and up, and let the simian's face smash into the wood, which promptly shattered and dowsed him in vodka.

The tanuki laughed a little as he landed, before suddenly sidestepping to avoid a piece of splintered wood that had been launched directly at his face, it missed by an inch, but Danza was ready for the next one, he stopped it by uppercutting the block of wood, which spun mid-air, and followed up by a roundhouse kick which launched the wooden block into Tin Zu's knee. The ape screamed in pain. While it hadn't stuck quite deep it had caught an old wound.

"I expected better from one of your stature. Then again you tall people tend to play the thug." Danzaburo said, his voice dripping with disappointment.

Tin Zu pulled out the wood, even more furious now. He picked up a barrel and rolled it across the ground, Danzaburo leapt over it, only to jump into a crate that had been thrown at him.

"What's the matter ? All out of tricks, are we"? Tin Zu mocked.

"Far from it", Danzaburo corrected, pulling out three leaves, which promptly became a trio of kunai. He held two in paw, and let the third spin on his finger. Tin Zu picked up another crate.

Yang Chao eventually got tired of watching Saras try and pull free, and decided to play nicely. So he drop kicked the kit and sent him flying back. "Had enough yet ? This can all end when you ask you know"?

Saras chose not to reply. Instead he teleported in a puff of green. Yang Chao spun around, caught the fox's elbow in one paw, and used the other to pull at the kit's cheek, in the kind of way one's grandmother would. "Aaaaaaw, did the liddle baby twy and sneak up on me"? He then slapped the same cheek. "Seriously, don't try that again. It's getting boring."

Saras transformed into a hedgehog and promptly attempted a headbutt, only to receive a knee in his face.

"What did I say about trying to hit me ? You never learn do you ? Well let me spell things out more clearly for you. My name is Yang Chao, every good criminal in China knows my name. Your name is Kanbujian. You. Are. Nothing."

Saras transformed into a dragon, and smashed his jaws shut where Yang Chao's face had been a few moments before. The hare pressed two fingers against the dragon's jaw, pressing it shut, before letting go, and kicking the fox away.

Saras got up and morphed back into a fox. He had a black eye, he was tired, his leg felt funny, and now he was beginning to shiver. "S-so what ? You are just an insecure little bunny"-

Yang Chao burst out laughing. "And the widdle one twied to use logic. Kanbu, why on earth would you think that"?

"Because you have a hundred and fifty statues of yourself in your hallway."

Yang Chao's laughter echoes throughout the cavern...

...And alerted Danzaburo's excellent hearing to his location. "I'd stay and chat, but I've places to be." The tanuki released one kunai, which missed Tin Zu, but cut deep into the vodka crate he was holding at head level. The alchohol burst through and hit Tin Zu right in the eye, just as Danza followed suite by morphing into a bull, and headbutting the gorilla into a wall. Transforming into an elephant he proceeded to lift the ape by the leg, as if he weighed nothing, and twirled him around effortlessly, before releasing when the ape was parallel to the exit. Tin Zu flew out, just as Danzaburo transformed back into his usual form. "That is why you never sell a creature short." He said, putting away his two, unused kunai.

"Kanbu, Kanbu. You're not a detective, don't jump to conclusions when you have no evidence to back your case."

While this was genuinely good advice Saras was pissed off at the hare's tone of superiority. Still maybe his other theory would hold some ground. "So you're narcissistic"?

Yang Chao laughed even more, destroying what little confidence Saras had managed to hold onto. The fox lowered his arms, unsure of what to do next, as the hare was still preoccupied with his laughing. Then the hare stopped laughing, and wiped a fake tear away from his eye.

"You should have been a comedian. I'm almost sad that I have to kill you now." Yang Chao kicked a crate at Saras, which the kit leapt over. He landed on what was a crate lid. He looked at Yang Chao with a look of confusion only for an empty crate to fall over and trap him. Yang Chao opened a cask of vodka, and pressed it against the crate's only opening, so that the alcohol could pour freely into the trap. "I'll make you a deal Kanbu. If you can get out of this in one piece, I'll let you go home in one piece."

Saras watched as the crate's floor was already beginning to let the vodka pool, his eyes widened as he suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. Then he remembered that there was nothing particularly dangerous about him drowning, as he could become a fish. And fishes couldn't drown.

"Then again, you'll have to avoid the irony of drowning in your own product."

"Uh, fishes can't drown". Saras' muffled voice called out to him.

"What"? The hare said with what sounded like genuine confusion.

"Well I can transform into a catfish, and fishes can't drown, we're meant to live in water."

Yang Chao kicked the crate open and grabbed Saras by the throat. "I'll just do it the usual way then".

"B-b-but you said that if I got out in one piece"-

"That you would go home in one piece. That don't mean you get home alive, kid."

The feeling of being incredibly weak returned with vengeance, and froze Saras' whole form once again.

"He's not yours to kill", another voice Saras recognized called out to the hare.

Yang Chao dropped the kit, who fell dizzily to his back. "So he's yours isn't he? Let me guess, the whole bloody Bat Cave wants to fight me now"?

Danzaburo smirked. "I'm not with the Bat Cave. And he's mine."

Yang Chao blinked. He had been deceived ? He had not been dealing with the Bat Cave all along? Impossible. Yang Chao entered his stance. The look on his face was murderous.

Danzaburo pulled out the leaf from his mouth, which became a katana. The tanuki smirked a smirk that was brimming with confidence.

Saras sat up and let his back lie against the wall of the cave. His black eye twitched as his other one widened in worry. Danzaburo...I hope you know what you're dealing with.