This is a new character I added in like a week before this story and I just had to let it come out. BTW, Ichi, Jubei, Shissaa, Cash, Dash and Flash are owned by Tan-Tan Tanuki and Naomi's owned by seylenagomez.

Chapter 4: Friends with a Skunk

The next day, Musaki walked towards the Valley and he saw Ichi coming in the bookstore and he was excited to see him there. He quickly ran up towards him and Ichi was happy to see him as he gave him a huge hug and he asked, "Hey, Saki! How've ya been?"

"Doing good. You?" asked Musaki.

Ichi laughs and said, "The same as always. I'm just checking out some really cool books. Wanna come with?"

"Yes!" Musaki answered, excitedly.

Musaki and Ichi went in the store and they looked around to see what just came in the store and Musaki was suddenly greeted by Jubei. Jubei chuckled, hugged him and asked, "How ya doing, kid?"

"Good. Nice to see you again, Jubei." Musaki said, smiling.

Ichi chuckled and said, "I see you guys already met."

"Just yesterday."

"I had no idea you guys are related."

Jubei looked at Ichi with a chuckle and said, "It's crazy, right? Ichi has been like a son to me for the most part since his parents died and we've grown to become closer and closer."

"So how'd you get a job here?"

"Long story, but I think Ichi made me get one."

Ichi chuckled sarcastically and said, "That and because we can see each other."

Then, Musaki sees one of Ichi's cousins coming with a box full of new manga and Ichi said, "Hey, Shiisaa!"

Shiisaa drops the box, sighed in relief, looked at Ichi and asked, "What's up, cuz?"

"You remember Musaki, right?"

Shissaa recognized him quickly and said, "Of course! I remember you! How ya been?"

"Pretty good. Yourself?"

"The same. A little tired, but I'm good."

Musaki chuckled softly and Jubei asked, "How's it going at the Jade palace?"

"It's going good, actually."

"That's good to hear, kid."

Just then, Naomi comes in the door and she sees Musaki, Jubei, Ichi and Shissaa standing there and she waved at them and they waved back. Ichi asked, "Who's she?"

"This is my new friend, Naomi. These are my buds: Ichi and Shiisaa and you remember Jubei."

"Hi, guys." Naomi said.

"How ya doing?" asked Ichi.

"Just so you know, Ichi used to be in Bao Gu." Musaki explained.

Naomi looked surprised at how Ichi was at the orphanage because she never met him there before and asked,"What? Really?"

Ichi chuckled a little and said, "Yeah, it's true."

"How long were you there?"

"Only three years. I was only 11 and I got adopted by Shifu when I was 14."

"You still live with them?"

"Each chance I get."

Just then, as soon as they got into the conversation, they can hear laughing and screaming from outside and they can tell something's up there. Ichi was the first to see and it was his old bullies-the three stooges-picking on an innocent person.

He groans in disgust and said, "Why can't they just leave others alone? It's dumb guys like that that just disgusts me."

He wasted no time confronting them and he got out of there and exclaimed, "Get off of him!"

Cash looked up at him and snorted at him and said, "Why should we stop? Besides, we don't care if this skunk gets hurt!"

Ichi suddenly grew more upset and his anger levels rose up as he puts his hands on Cash's shoulders with his teeth gritting and said, "I have ways of making you stop, you know."

"Like what? You're a bigger freak than this skunk!"

Ichi grew furious and he wanted to claw his eyes out, but Musaki saw him trying to choke him and he said, "Ichi, stop!"

Ichi panted furiously and then, his eyes went in bloodshot red form and when he looked at Musaki, he could tell that he was pleading him not to kill him because they'll win the battle and suddenly, his eyes changed from red to blue and he let him go and said, "You're not worth my time, but leave this guy alone."

Flash pushed Ichi down on the ground and spat on his face. Naomi looked in shock and said, "You guys are the most ugliest people I've ever seen in my life!"

"Look who's talking! I hope you're taling about yourself because there's no doubt you ARE ugly!" Dash exclaimed.

Naomi felt like she was gonna fight them, but she simply said, "You're really disgusting!"

Musaki couldn't stand watching his friends being harassed and he grew angry as he weilds his sai and threw it on the wall, closer to Flash's face. Cash and Dash looked in shock and then Musaki said, "Now I'm only gonna say this once...either get out or you'll feel my sai underneath your butts. One or the other."

All three boars suddenly walked out of there and Musaki yanked the sai from the wall and he said, "That's what I thought."

Musaki then went in to pick Ichi up and he asked, "You okay?"

"I think so." Ichi replied.

"How did you ever deal with these dirtbags?"

"I ask myself that same question."

Then, the skunk-green eyes, 3'5, 102 pounds, has only a golden Chinese necklace on his neck-got up, looks at Musaki and Ichi and tells them, "Why did you guys do that?"

"Trust me, I know these jerks. They made my life miserable at the orphanage too." Ichi explained.

"No one ever sticks up for the skunk because people would tell me no family would adopt a smelly skunk like me." the skunk said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, and it would hurt. I've always been a loner."

Then, he looks at Naomi and suddenly, he recognized her and he asked, "Is that you, Naomi?"

She didn't know who he was and how he knew her, but she was familiarized by his eyes and she asked, "Roscoe?"

"You know him?" asked Musaki.

"We've met one time in the orphanage and we only talked for a while."

"Yeah, she was my first friend for a couple of minutes and I never saw her again." Roscoe added.

"Why not?"

"She got adopted."

"Ohh. I was so excited to get adopted, I never got to say goodbye to you. I'm so sorry, Roscoe."

"It's okay. Plus, I'm glad you remember me, anyway."

"Well anyways, I'm Musaki and these are my friends, Ichi and Shissaa and Jubei."

"Nice to meet you guys." Roscoe added.

"Same here."

"So, how come you were about to kill this guy?"

Ichi sighed heavily and said, "Well...the truth is I'm a half demon."

Naomi and Roscoe gasped in shock when Ichi told them that and Naomi asked, "What?"

"See, I'm only half demon on my dad's side but normal on my mom's side. When I was younger, I was the one that actually killed my parents by a fire. It's been rough on me ever since and I've lived my life full of loneliness and people would often pick on me because of that and there were several attempts to kill myself, but as I got adopted, I was surrounded by people who actually care for me and treated me like I'm part of their family."

Naomi didn't know that there were a few things about him that was really hard for him and in any given way, she showed some sympathy for him and she puts her paw on his shoulder and gives him a hug. She said, "It's a good thing that you actually have friends. All the stuff you've been through...I think people can accept someone like you, regardless of your dark side."

"I try not to think too much." Ichi said.

Roscoe went up to him and said, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before. Normally, when people see me, they just run away and make fun of me."

"That's because they don't know you really well. People don't really care about it because they're different. What makes you different makes you awesome, but we're still the same no matter what." Musaki added.

"Musaki is correct."

All of them turned around and saw Shifu standing there and he said, "We're all different, but at the end of the day, all of us are the same as we are."

Musaki chuckled and said, "What he said."

"How are ya, Shifu?" asked Ichi.

Shifu smiled as he saw Ichi and replied, "Doing well."

Shifu then looked at Roscoe and Roscoe stood there speechless and amazed and he said, "Hello there."

"Do you have any place to go?" asked Shifu.

"The orphanage."

"I see. Where's your family?"

"I don't have any. My parents died years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. Anyways, I gotta go, but thanks for everything."

"You're welcome." Musaki added.

Roscoe walked out and Shifu looked at Musaki and Naomi and asked, "You coming?"

"We'll meet ya later." Musaki said.

"Nice seeing you again, Ichi."

"Same here." Ichi said, with a smile.

Was that awesome or what? There's plenty more of this story and a little something about Naomi that might shock you. seylenagomez, I hope I get this right.