Bunkai Yottsu:

Koigokoro Hitteki

The young Yourouzoku, Kouga flexed his claws, yawning in the midmorning sun. The ray reflecting off his black chest plate. Readjusting his armor covering his biceps that were covered in wolf skin, he lifted his head in the warm breeze that moved through the fur covering his calves. Yet with the breeze came a smell he couldn't ignore. "That damn mutt was here." he glowered. His raven hair blew across is his elegant face of 20 summers in human terms. Gracefully tying back his hair, he looked up into the sky as the wind carried the thick clouds over the sun.

His ears perked as he heard the sound of his comrades approaching. He watched irritably as Hikkaku and Ginta came running around the latter grove of trees. His two generals, as well as seconds in command, stumbled over each other exhaustion. The wolves following them were equally as weary.

"Kouga!" Ginta called out to their leader.

"Please stop for a moment Kouga!" Hikkaku added, panting in-between words. Kouga rolled his eyes as he watched as his second in commands fell over each other, trying to catch up. Accompanying them was half a dozen wolves, hand chosen by Kouga from his tribe who resided back at Mount Ookami Kashira. The mountain was located in the northern part of the land, not as far enough to get snow in the wintertime, but still got frost on occasion.

His memory was cut short when Hikkaku and Ginta had finally caught up to him. "Please Kouga!" Hikkaku said, gasping in air. "We don't have jewel shards in our legs like you."

Smirking, he responded to them by saying, "Well, you two will just have to learn to grow stronger. Why else would I have you two out here with me? You guys need the most work." With that, he started off in a whirlwind. The small twister flew down the road and soon out of sight.

Ginta reached out to stop Kouga, but to no avail. Too tired to carry on, he fell to the ground with a thump. Hikkaku reached down and dragged his friend to his feet. "I can't do this anymore", Hikkaku said. "Let's stay here for the night." He looked behind him to look for a response from the six wolves. They gazed back at him with the weary expressions that answered his question. Smiling with relief, he looked back at Ginta who now stood on his feet. "Come on. I'll get some fire wood and you take some of the wolves and go hunting."

With his remaining strength, Ginta and a few other wolves raced off into the forest after some game. Hikkaku and the two remain wolves walked into the brim of the woods and began to gather some twigs on the ground. After a relevant pile had been gathered, he built a tiny fire, enough just to give off some light. With the two remaining wolves settling down in front of the fire, he lied down with his head resting on a tree, awaiting his companion's return.

Ginta wandered around in the woods aimlessly. The present trees he wandered in had no familiar scent or look to it. Confused, he looked down at the four wolves that followed his command.

Embarrassed, he asked, "Umm… do any of you know the way out?" The wolf's eyes widened at the failure of their general. "What?" he asked quietly. After a pause, Ginta added, "Well?" When they still didn't responded, he asked irritably, "Do any of you know the way out or not?" As the question entered the rest of the group members' minds, their gazed fell to the forest floor when they knew they could do no better. "Just as I thought." he said with a smirk. Satisfied, he turned on his heels and started off again. With his back to the canines, his expression changed. This doesn't help me. They were my last hope out of here.

As if an answer to his unheard question, a familiar voice called down to him from above. "Hey Ginta! Are you lost again?" A figure jumped down onto the ground in front of him. Ginta nearly fell over before he caught himself on a near by branch. As the figure came into the light, Ginta let out a sigh of relief.

"Kouga!" he gasped as he regained his footing. "What were you doing up there?" he asked, calming his heart rate. The wolves around Ginta barked joyously at the return of their leader, glad to be back in his command instead of the incapable general.

Kouga stretched out his build, taking in the evening air. In mid stretch, he paused and looked around him, puzzled. Turning his gaze back to his general. "Where is Hikkaku?" he asked sternly.

Shyly, Ginta told him of how they separated to gather provisions for the night, and to regain their strength, physically and mentally. Kouga glowered down at his second of command. "You left him on his own?" his brow furrowed as the general's gaze fell from him. "He's about as incapable to survive in these woods as you," he said, waving to the forest around them, looking him up and down. "You only left him two wolves. What if a demon attacked him? Did you stop to think of that?" Kouga scowled at him, his voice rising.

Ginta kept his eyes from falling upon Kouga's. He wasn't as blind as Kouga thought he was. He could see the favor in his tone when he spoke to and of Hikkaku. As Kouga continued to insult him further, something inside Ginta snapped.

"That's enough!" he bellowed to his leader. Taken aback, Kouga stepped away from him. "Maybe if you didn't run us into the ground, exhaust us to our near last breath." Gritting his teeth, he held back his tears. He couldn't allow the man he idolized to see his weakness. "I'm not blind, Kouga." His eyes rising to meet his masters, calmer now as his pride came back to him. Kouga looked back at him with displeased eyes. "I see how you boast about Hikkaku and bring me down. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you!" he hissed through his clenched teeth. "I've had it with you Kouga. I know you've been planning to have me terminated. I will no longer be by your side."

Kouga went to protest before Ginta interrupted him. "I have fed off your lies for too long. I resign from this torture." Turning, he tore off his Ookami Kashira clan badge and threw to the forest floor beneath Kouga's feet. He stopped adding, "I admired you, Kouga. I struggled so hard to do what I could to be within your high status. The blood I gave for you. The blood you never gave to me. Good bye Kouga. And trust me, I'll make you pay." With that, he hoped up onto a near by branch. "You still owe me blood." Ginta hoped off into the forest, oblivious to where he was going. He didn't care. The K etsueki Meiyaku has to come to pass my brother. If not your blood, then one who is so close to you.

Hikkaku's eyes stirred as he slowly awoke from his slumber. The smell from cooking boar came into his nostrils. "Ginta," he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What took you so long?" another scent came to him. He quickly opened his eyes to see Kouga squatting in front of the fire, rotating the cooking pig over the now larger fire. "Kouga!" he said startled. "Here," he said, reaching out to relieve his chieftain from the duty.

"No," Kouga said, his tone neutral. "It helps me think."

Hikkaku slow drew his hand back, puzzlement etched on his face. Kouga never acted this way, only when something serious had happened. He suddenly realized the emptiness in the surroundings about him. "Where's Ginta? Did you see him anywhere?"

Hikkaku shut his mouth when Kouga looked at him with a cold expression. "I liked it better when you were sleeping, Hikkaku." He replied, looking back to the roasting pig.

Respecting his leaders need to think, Hikkaku said stretching, "I'll just go for a walk then, Kouga." He turned to leave when something caught his wrist. He looked down to see his commander holding onto his armor, still gazing into the fire.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said warningly. With his eyes finally leaving the fire, he added, " he might be watching." Looking back to the fire, he pulled his friend back down.

Before Hikkaku could question, Kouga raised his hand to stop him. "I will explain, once we leave this area. It reeks of him. He could be anywhere."

Hikkaku could take it anymore, "Can you just tell me who, at least, I should be worried of, my lord?"

A grim expression crossed his young leader's face. "Your brother, Ginta."

Hikkaku looked at him in bewilderment. "Why should I fear my fellow wolf? He has done no wrong." He stopped to think of the gap in time when he was not present when Kouga and Ginta were missing. Worried, he added, "Did he?"

Kouga let out a sigh and looked at his companion. He told him of his encounter with his former general. He managed to leave out the part of his favoring over the present general. Hikkaku sat back in silent shock. Kouga averted his eyes. "Something snapped in him. He's not the Ginta we once knew." He looked back at his hurt comrade. Reaching out, he handed him the badge of his lost brother. Hikkaku took it slowly as if he didn't believe it. Then greedily, he snatched it and held it like an infant. Brother. Why did you do it? Hikkaku slowly looked at his leader to see the pain etched on his face. His grip tightened around the badge as a tear fell down his face. You are dead to me now.

Kouga tried his best to comfort his companion who was grieving for his brothers' abandonment. In the clan of the Ookami Kashira, when one dishonored a higher authority, it would mean banishment from the clan, and forbidden from contact to any one who still resided in the clan's social networks.

Hikkaku pulled away from the contact. "Please, Kouga. I need some time." His eyes never left the badge, shining in his palm. "Why don't you carry on a head? I'll catch up." He moved his eyes to look at Kouga. "We-" he stopped and looked away again. "I always do." He added, correcting himself.

Kouga gave him a solemn nod. "I won't be too far way. I still don't know where he is for sure." Kouga changed his expression as Hikkaku looked at him hurt.

"He won't come back to me, Kouga." he pleaded. "There's no need for that." He said quickly, his voice as arrogant as possible, trying to cover his pain.

Kouga grabbed him by the collar of his armor and pulled him to his angered face. "Stop it, Hikkaku!" he said sternly. "Don't be an idiot!" After a pause he said, "You know the laws as well as I. you know what would have to be done." Kouga released him and pushed him away. "I wouldn't trust you to enforce it." With that, he ran off in a whirlwind, leaving behind Hikkaku and the wolves.

Hikkaku watched angrily as his commander sped off and out of sight. He looked down into his palm at the small piece of metal that resembled all that was left of his dear friend. My brother. He said to himself. You are not dead to me. You're still alive out there. I won't forget you, but I must act as though I do. His fist clenched around the icon. Forgive me. With all his might, he threw the badge into the forest. He felt as though he threw a part of himself. Your memory is always with me.

He stood, looking at the woods when he felt a cold nose on his leg. He looked down to see the wolves watching him tentatively. Putting on a fake smile, he said to them, "Come on. Let's catch up to Kouga."