To address a guest reviewer's question: Weed's brothers from the manga won't be in this story. Even though there is stuff I'm taking from the manga like Koyuki and Kotetsu, along with Orion's story, which I'll be working on in my own way after I finish Weed's story, Yukimura and Joe are absent from my work. I hope that doesn't disappoint you.

The Ginga Legend: Weed's Story

Leader Weed arc Episode one: Back To Finding Gin

Up at the same mountains Gin and his allies were on, Gin and John, who were badly hurt from the battle, were being dragged away by two of Hougen's soldiers. The two dogs pulled them by their tails with the one dragging Gin being careful for obvious reasons.

Weed's father, Gin, the leader of Ohu, along with John, one of Ohu's top dogs, had been attacked and beaten badly by Hougen's gang of dogs. They'd been dragged off to a location within the southern alps.

Hougen was looking back as he warned the dog dragging Gin about what could happen to him. "Careful not to tug Gin the wrong way, boys! He puts up a strong fight in more ways than one!" Hougen then started boasting to himself after laughing a bit at his victory. "Now that Gin has been defeated, the era of Hougen has finally begun!" He then looked down at Reika in the hopes she would agree. "Right, Reika?"

Reika was appalled by the sound of that and rejected it while looking away from Hougen. "N-no!"

Hougen chuckled a bit before holding a paw up to Reika's chin and stroking it a bit, making her uncomfortable. "You'll come around soon. Mostly because I'll have use for you."

Sasuke was nearby, and happened to spot Gin and John being dragged away. This shocked him, as he never expected that Gin could be defeated like that. "The leader!"

The next day, the mountains of Futago Pass were shown as Weed was up bright and early to get ready for the day.

Back to Finding Gin

Weed was looking over the mountain as he thought about Gin and what he would say to him when they met. He heard Jerome's voice from behind, causing him to look back. "Thinking about your father?" Jerome was walking up to Weed, giving him confidence that Gin would return. "I'm certain your father will come back. There's no need to worry."

Weed looked down at the ground for a moment as he expressed his concern in that regard. "I wish it were that easy." Weed looked over the mountain again and started to think about when he would meet his father. "I'm still trying to figure out what I'll say to him. At first, I thought I'd just know. But now I'm not so sure."

Jerome looked over the mountains with Weed as he started telling him what he thought about the situation. "You have a kind spirit Weed. Whatever you say to him can't possibly be the wrong thing." Weed hoped that was right, allowing Jerome to convince him into his next activity quite easily. "Now then. Let's get back to training."

"Yes, Jerome-San!" Weed responded with a nod, running off with Jerome to get started on training. He was always excited to get training done; both to increase his chances at impressing his father, and to help himself and his friends finish their journeys.

After morning training, Weed and GB were walking over to a spot in the woods with Weed as he sighed of relief when going into two leg mode. "Finally. This is gonna be such a relief." Weed heard GB's butt rumble with the English Setter turning around and going into two leg mode. He gave Weed a warning after he pointed his butt out. "You're gonna wanna run Weed."

"I always do!" Weed joked, running off with GB relaxing as his butt was shown unknowing to two watching canines from above, who was hiding in the bush behind him, as he unleashed...

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT

...a strong and booming one minute fart, making GB's butt vibrate violently as he unleashed a massive yellow cloud of rotten eggs. This caused the ground to shake, and the fart cloud killed several trees and flowers behind him, and even sent several birds and butterflies falling to the ground. GB sighed of relief, which the faces he made during the fart would heavily imply. He was very glad he could do that away from the others. "Nero would kill me if I did that near him."

"Then it's a good thing we ran into him first." GB was shocked and looked up to find Tanto and Akame above him. Despite his heavy blushing upon having just farted in front of two of Ohu's greatest leaders, Tanto was quick to show him that she didn't mind it. "And I thought Gin had some nasty gas. Your butt can sure let em rip." Akame held his nose and showed slight annoyance in response to the gas's odor with Tanto laughing a bit as she wafted it away.

Despite Tanto's laid back attitude about GB's fart, he still blushed heavily, turning around as the two Kishus descended. "I-I'm s-so sorry you had to see that miss! I've never had any intentions to fart in front of a woman before!"

"Relax, buddy; I don't mind it." Tanto assured GB, being quite used to this behavior herself. "Just try not to do that too often in the forest. I can list three reasons why that would make our efforts pointless."

"Right. Of course." GB responded, and then he stopped blushing when he realized that Tanto brought up Gin. "Hold on a second. Did you say you knew Gin!? As in, the Gin!? The leader of Ohu Gin!? Weed's father Gin!?"

"Sure did." Tanto confirmed, liking the sound of the name Weed had. "Weed, huh? Like the weeds in the ground, right?"

GB nodded his head yes as he confirmed this to be the case. "Y-yes. And how they'll always be with you wherever you go."

Akame appreciated the thoughtfulness of that name, but got back on track with a request. "My name is Akame. And this is Tanto. We need to see your group's leader right away." GB couldn't believe it. He was getting a direct request from Gin's friends! There was no way he could turn this down! Not that he would ever want to anyway.

Back at the rock mountain, Weed was practicing his flight skills again with Kotetsu and Jerome observing him as he floated above the ground by a couple inches. Mel also flew by and decided to help Weed, descending and giving him some advice that he felt would help. "Try thinking like a bird, Weed. Picture how the bird would feel while flying."

Kotetsu couldn't help smirking in response to that idea as Weed started executing it. "Of course you would bring animals into this."

Weed started to think like a bird as Mel suggested. He began picturing a bird casually flying through clean open airs without a care in the world. The feeling made him quite relaxed, and it allowed him to ascend higher. He was overjoyed when he realized that he'd reached ten inches in the air. It wasn't much, but it still put a smile on his face. "I did it! I'm floating higher!" Weed couldn't start flying around while moving yet, but he was still grateful for Mel's help. "Thanks, Mel!"

Mel smiled in response to Weed's gratitude with his tail wagging as Kotetsu gently patted his back. "See, buddy? We told you that your love for animals would pay off."

Mel giggled a bit as Koyuki joined the group and saw Weed floating. She was impressed, seeing that he was still making fast progress. "Well would ya look at that. One unique piece of advice, and he's already surpassed most of us. You really are something, Weed."

Weed blushed a bit while smiling at Koyuki's compliment before GB called over to them from the forest. "WEED!" Weed and the others looked to the forest where GB was running from with Weed descending to meet his level. "It's an emergency! Two of Ohu's leaders, Akame and Tanto, have come here!"

"TANTO!?" Koyuki and Kotetsu exclaimed in sync, becoming overjoyed by what they'd just heard. They looked at each other with tears of joy forming in their eyes. They could hardly contain their excitement. "THAT'S MOM!" Koyuki and Kotetsu rushed on ahead with Weed and Mel showing happiness for them as they joined in. Once Akame and Tanto emerged from the forest, Tanto saw her son and daughter and instantly recognized them. She was stunned, and the joy she felt from hearing them call her name tugged on her heartstrings in all the right ways. "MOM!"

Tanto started tearing up with immense joy, which Akame noticed quickly. He smiled as he gave her permission to go for it. "Smother them with as much love as you want."

"Planned on it!" Tanto shouted, rushing over to her children and hugging them tightly in her arms. The two younger Kishus wrapped their arms around her as all three of them cried tears of joy over being reunited. They didn't even have words to describe their joy. All they could do for the first few moments was hug and cry. Weed and Mel smiled to each other, and then to GB and Jerome after being joined by them. When Tanto spoke up, it meant everything to Koyuki and Kotetsu to hear their voices again. "You two are still my everything! I missed you so much!"

"We missed you too, mom!" Koyuki and Kotetsu didn't want to pull away, but Koyuki knew she had to so she could look her mother in the eyes. "We didn't stop for a second when we set out to find you! And we sure as hell didn't separate from each other during that time either!"

Kotetsu then frowned a bit, despite still crying tears of joy, and looked at his mother as he expressed his fear. "I was so scared after Mel's mom passed away! We didn't have any food, shelter, or anything! All I could think of sometimes was hugging you with Koyuki again!"

"I'm here now, sweetie." Tanto assured Kotetsu, bringing as much love as she could to both of her children. "And I won't ever leave you behind again. Even after you both become adults, I'll look after you for as long as I can." Tanto hugged her children again, and Koyuki and Kotetsu embraced every moment of it.

GB started to get sentimental, leading Weed to putting a paw on his. GB looked down at him and saw his smile, being overjoyed to have someone like Weed in his life. He then remembered his mission and spoke up about it. "Um... miss Tanto?"

"Just Tanto is fine." Tanto informed GB, wiping her tears as she expressed her lack of need to be treated like a lady. "I've never been a fan of others using that formal crap with me."

GB took note of that and got back to reminding her of the request. He hoped it wouldn't be a bad time, since she'd just reunited with her children. "You said you needed to see our group's leader." GB then chuckled a bit as he mentioned the next part. "I just realized that with Smith dead, we don't have one anymore."

"No one has taken his place?" Akame asked concernedly, knowing that a lack of leadership would be bad for all of them. "Then deciding on that should be our top priority."

Jerome smiled as he started to share an idea he had for this position. "I may be new to this unit, Akame, but I think I know who our leader should be."

Jerome looked down at Weed, which led to the others looking at him as well. Weed was surprised, looking around with immense confusion over this idea. "Me!?"

Tanto recognized Gin's fur pattern on Weed now that she was paying attention. "That fur color." She reluctantly let go of her children and went over to Weed to address him officially. "Kid. Would you happen to be Gin's son?"

Weed nodded his head yes in response, leading to Jerome elaborating on his idea. "That's one reason I suggested him." Jerome continued to look at Weed as he explained more, which led to Weed looking at him as he did. "He's also a fast learner with a brave and noble soul. And he has the same desire to protect everyone that Gin does." GB couldn't help showing concern over Weed getting a position this big. "If any dog should be our leader, it's a dog like that."

GB had some concerns, which he was quick to express when looking at Jerome. "But Weed is still a puppy, Jerome!"

"So was Gin when he started out." Jerome reminded GB, assuring him that he would handle any shortcomings that came around. "I'll be Weed's advisor, so he can learn how to be a leader the same way Gin was."

Weed was still reluctant, but the encouragement he got from Koyuki helped him quite a bit. "You didn't get this far by not being worthy, Weed." Koyuki's warm smile brought a sense of warmth to Weed, making him unable to resist. "Jerome's not the only one helping you either. You'll always have my back. And I know the rest of us will help you too."

Weed and Koyuki then realized that the latter had placed her paw on Weed's. These new feelings confused both of them immensely, leaving them unsure of how to act. It led to the two of them blushing before looking away, which Kotetsu couldn't help snickering at. He kept quiet for now with his reasons being obvious, but Tanto gave Weed a look that said 'You'd better take good care of her.'. He didn't understand that, but he did understand where the others were coming from.

After calming down, Weed smiled and accepted the position, not wanting to let them down. "I don't really know anything about leadership. But okay. I accept."

The other dogs started cheering for Weed, except for Tanto and Akame, the former of whom went on to keep her promise to Gin. "One more thing, Weed." Weed looked at Tanto, who smiled as she informed Weed of what Gin wanted to say to him. "Gin wanted to tell you that he's sorry. Sorry he wasn't in your life before."

Weed wasn't expecting that, nor did he thing it was necessary. Nevertheless, he appreciated the sentiment, and smiled as he responded. "Then let's make it to where we can finally make that happen!" Tanto was ecstatic to see that Weed was excited to meet his dad. Even with ten years of not knowing him, he didn't hold any ill-will towards him. He really did have a kind heart.

At the base Weed and the others were currently residing at, Tanto and Akame were explaining Gin and John's situation as Akame gave them the details. "Tanto and I left upon his command. He knew at least one of us had to come and find you." Akame then addresed GB, and what led to him and Tanto finding him at Futago Pass. "Even if the reason we did was less than ideal."

GB knew the others had heard his fart from earlier, and he made it very clear while blushing that he didn't fart on Akame and Tanto. "My butt wasn't raised up into the air if that's what you think."

"We'll crack jokes about you later, GB." Kotetsu promised with a cheeky grin, annoying the Setter before Kotetsu asked about Hougen. "So, this Hougen dude. How many dogs did he bring with him to Gin's location?"

Tanto tried to think of how many dogs there were before she and Akame left. "I wanna say at least six dozen." The thought of seventy two dogs in the army alone caught everyone off guard. What Tanto said next did that even more. "And Hougen knew what he was doing when he sent them. Even the ones we kicked around like chumps managed to take surround us in groups."

Weed started to get more and more worried about his father, which was amplified by what Akame said next. "Our only two conclusions that make sense are that Gin and John made it out of there, or they were captured by Hougen."

That second thought sent fear down Weed's spine. He couldn't bare the thought of anything that involved his father being hurt. Even without knowing him, the thought simply horrified him. GB saw this and tried to comfort Weed the best he could. "Weed, are you okay?"

Weed stood up and slammed his paw on the ground, shocking everyone as he valiantly began his first declaration as leader. "If that's the case, then let me make my first order as leader." Despite how scared Weed was, he wasn't about to let his father remain in peril. "We're setting out as soon as we can to save my dad and John!"

Tanto got excited, and was proud of Weed for stepping up so quickly. "I was hoping you'd say something like that. Glad to know we're on the same page!"

GB knew he couldn't stop Weed, and smiled as he assured him that he was with him all the way. "How could I expect anything less? If that's your decision, Weed, then I'm with you 100%!"

Weed was ecstatic to hear that, and that proved to be even more so as Kotetsu put a paw on his shoulder and offered his support. "I'm coming too, Weed! And that's not just because mom is going with you!" Weed looked at Kotetsu, who expressed something he told Weed once before. "I told you that I wanted to help you meet Gin. And I'm gonna see that through to the very end." Kotetsu clenched his fist as he finished his sentiment. "And I'm not taking no for an answer!"

Koyuki also gave her answer, which was about the same as Kotetsu's, except more profound. "I'm standing by your side too, Weed. You've helped us so much since we first met." Weed's smile brought immense warmth to Weed's heart once again as the Kishu finished. "All I ask is that you let me return the favor."

Weed was more than happy to see all of his friends on board. Jerome didn't need to give an input, and Mel wanted to give one, but at the time, he was a little worried. He instead let Weed declare that this was how things would go. "In that case, we'll all be leaving Futago Pass when we're all ready. We just gotta let Kagetora and Ken know first."

Akame started to fill Weed in some more, knowing that he would need as much information as possible. "I don't know how helpful this will be to you, Weed, but a young teenage Akita, Reika, was held captive by Hougen right before we left." Weed and the others saw what Akame was getting at there. "We should plan a rescue for her as well."

Weed didn't even hesitate to agree, as he didn't want anyone to get hurt by Hougen any longer. "That's fine with me. The more good hearts saved, the better!" GB looked at Weed as his bravery was showing, and despite smiling, he still feared the thought of him getting hurt. The moment Weed became the leader of his own army, GB became more worried about his safety.

Weed was standing at the entrance of the rock mountain at Futago Pass as he watched Koyuki showing off her dagger swings to Tanto at the training field. Weed found himself more fascinated than usual by Koyuki's movements. He couldn't help getting lost in the joy he felt watching her joyfully show her mother what she'd learned. Just the sight of Koyuki made his heart feel even warmer than it ever could've been before.

Unbeknownst to Weed however, Mel was running up to him from behind and tried to get his attention. "Weed! A-about the mission!" However, Mel was so hyper-focused on getting Weed's attention, that he failed to notice a loose rock in the ground. He tripped over it, which led to him face planting into Weed's butt. This snapped Weed out of his trance, and his butt was shown as Mel was suddenly hit with...

PFFFFFFFFFFT

...a ripe and bassy five second fart that hit Mel with a green cloud of rotten fish, which made Weed's butt vibrate as it unleashed the gas. Weed looked back after the fart started, and despite it surprising him, he felt particularly bad for having farted on Mel. He failed to notice that Koyuki overheard his expulsion, and while farting got on Koyuki's nerves, Tanto laughed while calling it out. "I'm noticing a pattern with the Akitas I associate with."

"At this point, I think it's a pattern with my friends too." Koyuki replied while expressing annoyance over how childish her group was. Despite the feelings she started developing for Weed, she could tell GB was starting to rub off on him.

Weed helped Mel waft away the fart, which made him gag as Weed apologized for the outburst. "I'm really sorry, Mel. I didn't know you were behind me."

After Mel finished wafting the fart away, he gagged a little more at the scent before responding. "It was also kind of my fault for not paying attention." Mel then brought up another detail that came to his mind without thinking. "Did you ever notice your butt was really soft?"

Weed flinched upon hearing that question, but responded anyway, despite not being sure how to take it. "No, that never really came to mind."

Mel shook his head and got back on track, knowing that he had to do this quickly, or else Weed and the others would already be gone. "Well anyway, about the mission..." Weed waited for Mel to finish, noticing him getting more worried as he tried to get the words out. Once he did, Weed couldn't deny that it surprised him a bit. "I wanna go with you guys to find Gin and John!"

Weed admired Mel's desire to help, but he wondered if he would be up for this. "Are you sure about this Mel? You're not exactly the best fighter out of all of us. And this is gonna be a really dangerous journey."

"I'll do whatever I have to in order to help!" Mel assured Weed, and then he started expressing just how much this meant to him. "Especially if it means I get to help Kotetsu and Koyuki." Weed noticed how sentimental Mel was getting as he started to open up. "Things got so much harder after Kaibutsu attacked our village. It was right only a day after I was diagnosed. And even before then, along with mom and Tanto, they always made me feel good about myself."

Mel then smiled as he continued to state everything that Kotetsu and Koyuki did for him. "Whether it was supporting my love for animals, helping me mourn my mom, or everything we went through after leaving home... they were always there for me." He then looked at Weed with as much confidence as he could as he made sure he understood his request. "So I want to be there for them! And for the rest of you! I wanna help take Hougen's jerk face down!"

Weed could tell how much this meant to Mel; and it made him hate the idea of separating him from Kotetsu and Koyuki. And as a result, he knew what his next decision was going to be. "If that's really how you feel, then we'll tell them exactly that in the meeting before we leave."

Mel was happy after hearing that and hugged Weed, hoping with all of his heart that everyone would say yes. "Thank you so much Weed!" Weed laughed a bit while wrapping his arms around Mel, having a feeling that things were going to go smoothly.

Later on, Weed and the others were discussing what to do after the idea of Mel coming with them was brought up. Jerome was the most skeptical, despite how well Mel managed to master flying rather easily, he had concerns about his setbacks for a mission this serious. "And you're sure you can handle this, Mel? If Gin really was captured, Hougen could prove to be a much bigger threat than Kaibutsu."

"Yeah. I kind of figured he would be." Mel admitted, proving that he already gave this some thought before asking this question. "It's just that I've been with Kotetsu and Koyuki since our journey started. Before that even. And I don't wanna stop being there for them, even after reuniting with Tanto."

Tanto decided to let Jerome know a little something that would confirm Mel to be safe either way. "I promised his mom I'd protect both our kids if she died before I came back. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him if it comes to that."

Jerome nodded in response before Mel realized something before looking at Weed with a point to make. "Actually, I just realized that since Weed's our leader now, it's technically HIS call." Weed flinched upon that realization before Mel finished what he had to say. "Good thing I talked to him before we did this."

"It's still a team discussion, Mel." Weed reminded Mel, despite seeing his point on the matter. He looked to Kotetsu and Koyuki after that, and they nodded while smiling to show that they would be there for Mel as well. He then looked to Jerome, who calmly stared at him in anticipation for his decision. After that, he looked to GB, who shrugged with a nervous smile. After that, he made his choice, hoping it would end up being the right one. "If the canines who know Mel the best are fine with it... I can't help but say yes."

Mel was overjoyed upon hearing that and had to ask if it were true. "Really!? I get to go with you guys to save the leader!?"

"It's as you said, Mel. The final decision was Weed's to make." Jerome stated, and he then looked to Weed to inform him of one important part of being a leader. "It's crucial that you remember one thing, Weed. There will be times where you have to make a decision that the canine it affects won't agree with."

Weed got worried upon hearing that, but took note of it anyway, being grateful for the help Jerome was giving him. He just hoped he would know which decisions that would apply to. "I'll remember that. Thank you, Jerome."

Jerome gave a smiling nod before Akame spoke up in regards to another important factor in this mission. "We should also decide who stays behind to protect Futago Pass. There could be dangerous foes coming this way that we don't even know about." Akame knew Tanto wouldn't leave Gin behind, or leave her pups again. But he also knew that a leader staying behind would lead to a better case scenario. "I'll stay here and fulfill that duty myself."

"Then that leaves me with helping the search for Gin and John." Tanto announced, and she noticed GB looking concernedly at Weed after he took note of Jerome's advice. She felt now would be a good chance to see if he was capable of more than disrupting nature. "You don't have much confidence, do you."

GB flinched when he saw that Tanto was looking at her when she said that. He couldn't really deny it outside of protecting Weed. "I... don't. And I'll admit that it's affected my ability to use Canine Spirit." GB then made it clear that he was willing to step it up. "But that's something I can overcome."

Tanto saw that GB was struggling to really stay confident and nodded to Akame, who nodded back as Tanto responded to what the English Setter said. "This is an important mission, GB. Too many setbacks, and Gin could die." Tanto took a step forward as she finished her statement. "Maybe you should stay behind and help protect Futago Pass."

GB couldn't handle the thought of leaving Weed's side, even with stronger canines. Weed didn't want to leave GB either, and he made that clear with what he said next. "GB can still help, Tanto."

"And that's exactly what I'm going to do." GB declared, stepping up to Tanto, who saw his confidence rising. "With all do respect, Tanto, no matter how much you insist, I'm not leaving Weed's side. We started our journey together, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he meets his father. And if that means I have to work on my ability to confront danger, then so be it." Tanto admired GB's will to stand beside Weed, allowing him to finish what he had to say. "Nothing you say will change my decision!"

Tanto smirked before getting an idea in mind to further test GB's resolve. "You say that..." She took her dagger out and held it up to GB's neck; not right at the skin, but close enough to shock everyone with the move she took. GB was startled, especially after what Tanto said next. "But can you stand by that in the face of death?"

GB proved once and for all how loyal he was to Weed, and surprised everyone, by grabbing the dagger to stop it from killing him. Kotetsu and Koyuki noticed Mell starting to get tense, and the former gestured him to take his paw for comfort, since he was right next to him. Mel did so, and GB looked Tanto dead in the eyes with a fierceness that seemed to be hidden within him. What he said next further indicated this side of him to be true. "I may not be the bravest canine out there. But you're out of your fucking mind if you think I'm ever leaving Weed's side."

Tanto moved her blade away upon hearing that, and after she kept her stern look at GB for a few more seconds, she smiled when addressing the respect she gained for him. "Not bad, English Farter. Maybe you can handle this." Tanto then took out some medical supplies for GB and got them ready to tend to his paw. The cut was small, but she still made the effort to stop the bleeding. "Probably should've left some of these for Gin and John. Oh well. If anyone can make a fast recovery, it's them."

GB looked back at Weed, who showed immense joy over the fact that he would get to come with them to find Gin and John. GB smiled back at Weed, glad that he got to continue doing everything he could to protect him.

Weed and the others were getting ready to leave, saying goodbye to Kagetora and the others before doing so. Kagetora had to admit that even with the way he met Weed and Kotetsu, he was kind of sad to see them go. "I suppose this is goodbye."

"Not forever. Just until we find my dad and John." Weed assured Kagetora, only to then realize that he couldn't guarantee that and laughed a bit as he started his clarification. "Okay, I guess I can't fully promise that, but we'll at least try to make that the case for now."

Kagetora nodded in response before Kotetsu walked up to him to follow up on how they met. "I just have one question before we go, Kagetora." He smirked as he pointed back with his thumb. "Do you still think my mom failed to teach me discipline?"

Kagetora looked at Tanto, who smirked herself while cracking her knuckles in case Kagetora spoke out of line. He flinched upon seeing that and assured Kotetsu that his mind had already changed. "I still think you have some growing up to do to reach your full potential... but I see now that you're a more disciplined Canine than I originally thought."

"Character growth at it's finest." Kotetsu joked, holding out his paw for a fist bump to show that he was over it. "Let's agree not to shit talk our families anymore."

Kagetora could agree to that, and he accepted the fist bump with Weed being glad to see them patch things up. "I almost forgot you two fought when we first got here."

"I didn't see any reason to bring it up until now." Kotetsu then wrapped his arm around Weed as he expressed excitement to continue adventuring with him. "And no reason could be better than right before more adventures with my best friend in the whole world!"

Weed smiled and laughed before Mel whined next to Kotetsu about what he said there. "Hey; I thought I was your best friend." Kotetsu offered Mel to join in, which he happily did before all three canines laughed together. Koyuki couldn't resist joining them and popped up in between Weed and Kotetsu to join in the laughter.

Jerome addressed the puppies as he and GB watched them, knowing that they had to get a move on. "Come on, you four. We shouldn't let these goodbyes take too long."

GB took the time to thank Kagetora and Ken for their work since they were leaving now. "Thank you for letting us stay here. And for helping us take down Kaibutsu. Or, the other way around. Jerome kind of took over the mission."

"Regardless, you have our thanks as well." Ken assured GB, telling Weed's group what they would be doing for the army. "We'll do everything we can to keep Futago Pass safe. You'll see a new horizon when you return."

"That would be great." Weed said, knowing that Kagetora, Ken, and their friends would do a great job. "Now that Kaibutsu's gone, that should be a lot easier to do."

And with all the goodbyes said there, Jerome started getting down to business. "Well then. We should take our leave now."

Tanto playfully punched Akame in the chest, making him flinch, but her smile was as playful as she could be. "Don't you die on me yet, old timer. You still owe me a rematch."

Akame smiled as he said goodbye to Tanto in his own way. "May the forest guide you to your goal, my good friend."

Tanto looked to the others about something she had planned. "I'll gather some more dogs for the army. Weed, just head in my direction, and you'll find me." Weed took note of that and gave a thumbs up before Tanto flew off at high speeds. Weed and the others, except for Akame, were amazed by how fast she flew. Among the canines who were working to get stronger, Weed only hoped he could reach those levels himself one day.

Weed still wasn't sure about how well he'd do as a leader. He wanted to do well, but this was a totally new position for him. In spite of that, he smiled and made his first command for his new army. "Alright everyone. Let's hurry to the Alps!"

And with that, Weed and his army ran off, allowing Akame to call out to them with confidence. "Kagetora's group of dogs and I will protect Futago Pass with our lives until you return!"

"Yes! You take it from here!" GB called back, knowing that someone of Akame's power should have no problem handling Futago Pass.

Weed thought to himself about his father and how him becoming a leader added more to his goal. 'Hang on, father. I'm coming to assist you. And once I do... you'll see me as a true leader, just like you were!' Weed and his army pressed onward with no time to waste in finding Gin and John.

The next morning, Tanto spotted Weed and his army making their way towards the Alps. She looked down to the dogs she recruited to alert them of their presence. "They're here, everyone! Let's go!" The dogs followed Tanto's lead, and they all started running behind Weed and the big members of his army: GB, Kotetsu, Koyuki, Mel, and Jerome.

Rocket and Missile were watching Weed's army from above. Missile commented on their presence as they passed by. "They're beginning to increase in numbers, brother."

Rocket saw an opportunity to help Hougen, filling Missile in before acting on it. "Yes. I should become a member of their gang." Missile was confused, even after Rocket told him what to do. "Missile. Keep spying on them." Rocket looked out at Weed's army when he finished explaining his plan. "I need to get to know them for a bit." And with that, Hougen ran off, leaving Missile to fulfill his current duty of spying on the army.

As Weed's army trekked onward, Rocket called to them from behind while proving himself to be a very fast Canine. "Wait up!" Weed looked back upon hearing Rocket's voice. "Let me come with you!"

Weed, being the trusting Canine that he is, was more than happy to allow Rocket into the group. "Hello there! My name's Weed. What's yours?"

"I'm Rocket. A while ago, I fought for the leader." Rocket lied, something that Tanto saw right through.

Weed was impressed, since he didn't know Rocket was lying. "Is that so? Gin, the leader, is my father. I'm pleased to meet you."

Rocket was surprised to find that Gin had a son. He then got worried when Tanto called over to him. "I don't remember you, Borzoi! I hope you won't mind if we take the moment to catch up!"

"No, of course not!" Rocket responded, hoping that his cover wasn't blown just yet. "That sounds quite pleasant actually!" Rocket then saw the way Jerome glared back at him. It seemed as if more than one canine was onto him. He knew he had to time this just right, or the plan would be a bust. 'Risky. The way that bastard just glared at me. I must make sure they don't suspect a thing.'

As Weed and his army continued trekking onward, it grew and grew with Canines being added every day. They also had some moments in between that for the towns they stopped in. One showed Tanto using her status to get a great discount on blankets. The second showed Weed, Kotetsu, Mel, and Koyuki playing together, making GB glad to see Weed acting like a real kid. The last one showed Weed getting better at flying, thanks to Tanto giving him and the others some tips. Alongside his friends, Weed was improving his skills as often as he could.

One night, when everyone was sleeping, Weed was talking to Jerome about something he needed help with. "I didn't ask you until now because I wanted to wait for the right moment." Weed then looked at GB, who was sound asleep, and for once, quiet from both ends. "One where I could ask you in private." Jerome allowed Weed to give his request, which surprised him when he made it. "I... I want you to help me improve my fighting skills, alongside my Canine Spirit!"

Rocket was taking a nighttime stroll nearby when he overheard Jerome ask about Weed's request. "Why, Weed? We have Tanto here to help."

"I planned on both of you helping me." Weed answered, and Rocket started listening in as Weed explained. "I want to be the best leader I can for this army. And I know that means preparing for the instance where I fight someone even stronger than Kaibutsu." It was clear that despite his insecurities, he was willing to give it his all. "And I don't have any time to lose if I want to be prepared." And he showed that when he clenched his fist with determination. "I'm not going to let anyone else die the way Tokimune, Smith, or anyone else did."

Weed briefly flashed back to the deaths of those two dogs as he expressed more about his new desire. "My friends, both new, and old, need me to protect them. To help them grow. And I refuse to let them down."

Jerome admired Weed's determination, and thankfully, he was more than happy to fulfill his request. "Alright." Weed smiled when his request was accepted, despite Jerome's elaboration. "But, my tactics work best for fighting larger dogs. You'll have to find your own way to use Canine Spirit. Like that technique you used on Kaibutsu."

Weed realized he never had a name for that technique yet. He flashed back to it before he spoke up again. "I'll come up with a name for that technique as well. Thank you, Jerome."

Rocket saw this as an interesting opportunity. The army leader needing help could give him an edge. 'Seems he can't do this on his own. What a joyous little soul he is.' Rocket then set off to fulfill his mission, heading over to the army as he did. However, GB's protective instincts kicked in right as he awoke one of the canines. That led to him opening his eyes, and he even surprised himself with the angry look he gave. All he could do now however, was listen in as Rocket spoke to the canine.

To be continued.