Disclaimer: To the guest who reviewed previous chapters of this story, I never said that I wanted you to stop reviewing. I just wanted your reviews to have actual feedback as opposed to always asking if characters had mental illnesses. You can review any chapter you want. I would just appreciate if your reviews had variety. I hope you understand.

The Ginga Legend: Weed's Story

Leader Weed arc Episode ten: A Wrong Call

Right from where the previous chapter left off, Weed was being confronted by Kyoshiro about his decision of kicking Jerome out of the army, which he himself was hurt doing. Gin tried to defuse the situation until Weed was calm enough to discuss it. "Kyoshiro, not isn't the time."

"Oh, I think it's the perfect time!" Kyoshiro shouted back, showing that his anger boiled hard enough to even make him talk back to Ohu's current leader. He then looked back at Weed, who wiped the streaming tears down his face as Kyoshiro shouted at him again. "Is this how you repay people for trying to help you!? He was trying to protect you, and you just kicked him out like garbage!"

Weed started to get heated, letting go of GB and stepping closer to Kyoshiro as he shouted back. "Oh, so I'M the bad guy here!? Just because I don't want us to kill Canines begging for their lives!"

"That's not my point!" Kyoshiro snapped back, telling Weed exactly what he meant. "This is a war! You have to kill your enemies to stay alive! How else are we going to win!?"

"We only kill if we have to!" Weed stated, feeling that Lector and Thunder could've been let off with a harsh warning at least. "Jerome didn't have to go as far as killing them to make them leave us alone!"

"Oh, right; of course. You just beat up the enemy, and they fuck off forever." Kyoshiro snarked, reminding Weed of the last time they met Lector and Thunder. "This isn't the first time they've attacked us Weed!"

"We didn't offer then a chance at redemption then!" Weed reminded Kyoshiro, reminding him of what he said to him last week to back up his words. "I told you already! We give our enemies a chance to change their ways while telling them why we're sparing them!" Kyoshiro clenched his fists as Weed continued. "Then we decide what to do when they come back! You even agreed to those methods yourself!"

Kyoshiro wasn't done yet, having another retort to Weed's logic. "Not everyone we spare is going to just turn their lives around because you told them to!"

GB was tired of all of this shouting, stepping in between the two Canines to try and calm then down. "Both of you, stop it. This isn't helping anyone."

"Stay out of it, GB!" Kyoshiro shouted when pushing GB back, sending him into Rocket, who caught him as safely as he could.

Weed became even more enraged after seeing GB get shoved like that. "Don't take it out on GB, Kyoshiro!"

"You mean like YOU did when you started glowing orange again!?" Kyoshiro shot at Weed, who flinched upon remembering that he punched GB. Kyoshiro then dug into his refusal to kill. "You wanna know what your problem is, Weed!? You wanna think of this as a mission where every call you make goes the way you expect it to; when in reality, some of them could very easily get you killed! You're too soft, Weed! And the fact that you can't see that is exactly why you'll never be the leader Gin was!"

That started to get to Weed, making him break down as he expressed how hard this was for him since the beginning. "I wasn't trying to be the same leader as him! Do you really think I asked for this role just to live up to others' expectations!?" Gin was stunned to learn about Weed's inner stress. He felt horrible for not being able to see it himself. "I hadn't even CONSIDERED that until you brought it up! But I guess I should have, since I'm the son of Gin!" Weed was starting to tear up in anger and sadness again. "It's why I got chosen after all!"

Amazingly, Weed expressing how much pressure he'd been putting on himself made Kyoshiro stop shouting himself. But Weed wasn't done. "I didn't start my journey to become a leader! I just wanted to meet my dad, and learn why he never saw me for ten years! And I couldn't even ask him, because I didn't want to make him feel like a failure!" However, what he just said made Gin start thinking about how much he'd failed Weed again, despite Weed's next words. "Because he's NOT a failure, and never will be to me!"

Tears started streaming down Weed's face again, and Kyoshiro, upon seeing this, and being reminded of Weed's starting point, started to remember when HE started out as a leader. But Weed still wasn't done. "Ever since I became a leader... I started worrying about whether or not I'd succeed at being a leader, every time I woke up. I got scared that I'd make the wrong call, and that I'd get someone killed, or worse. And when I saw Jerome ignore my call, and kill Thunder the way he did, I felt sad, and angry, and confused, and betrayed, and..."

Kyoshiro was about to speak up as Weed paused, but Weed spoke harshly again with a sad tone in his voice. "I lost it!" Weed glared at Kyoshiro when admitting that his emotions were out of whack with this decision. "Do you hear me Kyoshiro!? I lost it! Because I watched a friend kill someone begging for his life, even ignoring my call to do so, and I lost it!" Weed stomped his foot on the ground, shouting at the top of his lungs as all of his stress erupted from his vocal cords. "I FUCKING LOST IT!"

Weed's voice echoed throughout the land as he ran off, leaving GB to run after him once he did. "Weed, wait!" Weed and GB ran through the army, leaving Weed in tears as almost everyone was left unsure of what to do. Several emotions were surrounding Weed's mind, since Jerome left, and now. And it all erupted into his stress finally coming out in a form of the same mixed emotions as before. Gin was standing there watching, wanting to go after Weed, but fearing he would make it worse. If he couldn't see that he felt this before, how could he know what to do now?

Kyoshiro was left with his own mixed emotions: Anger over Weed's decision, and remorse for having forced that stance out of him. Koyuki walked up to Kyoshiro, being upset about how he reacted, but trying to understand what he did. "Listen, Kyoshiro. I know why you were against Weed's call. But the way you confronted him only made things worse." Kyoshiro's look towards Koyuki showed that he understood this. All Koyuki could do was hope that Weed and Kyoshiro would patch things up soon.

Little did the group know that in the midst of all of the fighting, Kamakiri was watching them from afar. Having taken his three days tracking them down, he kept his Canine Spirit hidden to spy on them in private, making sure to sense their Spirit energy to do so. He went after Weed and GB, knowing that Weed should stay his primary target.

Weed and GB were now alone in the forest as Weed cried silently while contemplating everything that just happened.

Weed exiled Jerome from the Ohu army after disobeying a direct order, and ending the lives of Lector and Thunder as they begged for mercy. Now, unsure if the call he made was right or not, he was left in tears as the pressure of being a leader finally overwhelmed him.

GB wasn't sure what to say at first, so he just let Weed sit there until he was ready to speak. When he did, it was as if Weed was about to ask him a question. "GB..." GB gave Weed his full attention, and Weed remained curled up while holding his knees. This concerned GB a lot. This was the most vulnerable GB had ever seen Weed before. And he wasn't exactly a distant puppy.

A Wrong Call

"Am I too soft?"

GB knew Weed wanted him to answer honestly. He opened this up with an attempt at making humor of the situation. "I mean, you can definitely pack a punch."

Despite GB's chuckle, that got Weed remembering that he never properly addressed what he did there. He looked at the ground before looking at GB again to properly apologize. "I'm sorry I did that."

GB sat down next to Weed as he made it clear he was never mad at him. "I was more worried about you than angry." GB started thinking about all that Weed had been through, knowing that this was a lot for him to handle, even with Gin's genes. "Gin's son or not, you're still a puppy. And before you met me, it was just you, and your mother. And from what Smith told us, she was as sweet as could be." Weed looked back on when he saw Smith and Sakura's deaths and shook his head as he did. "It makes perfect sense that you would be against killing."

"But Kyoshiro's right. This is a war." Weed reminded GB, wiping the tears from his eyes, even though they kept flowing. "If I can't handle one of my friends killing Canines working for Hougen, how am I supposed to be ready to fight Hougen himself?"

GB was still upset about how Kyoshiro handled Weed exiling Jerome from the army. Still, he couldn't deny the truths Weed saw in his words. "Kyoshiro was out of line, but the call you made with Jerome doesn't have to define how you'll handle Hougen." GB put a paw on Weed's leg, since he was still curled up, and shared an idea he had about helping him in this field. "Maybe, we could start working on helping you see when giving Canines a chance works, and when it doesn't."

Weed felt that made sense, trying to keep himself from crying too much, having realized how his fur was feeling because of his tears. "Hougen is definitely one. And... if Jerome was right, then... maybe... Lector and Thunder might have been two more?"

"That's good. Considering multiple outcomes helps." GB said encouragingly, and then he noticed that Weed was hesitating in letting out his tears. Weed had been hiding a lot of his fears and doubt over being a leader, and GB wanted him to know that it was okay to express those feelings. "Weed." GB took Weed's paw, having him look right at him as he shared his kind words. "You don't have to bottle up your doubts of being a leader. And, you don't have to be perfect with everything you do."

Weed sniffled a bit before wiping his tears again, taking GB's paw and smiling before showing gratitude for helping him. "Thank you, GB."

Just before GB could respond, Weed sensed a strong amount of Canine Spirit nearby. His response to it alerted GB. "What's wrong, Weed? Is someone there?"

It turned out that someone was there. A Spirit powered dart struck GB in the arm, causing him to start feeling woozy. The suddenness of this scared Weed immensely. "GB!" Just then, another dart hit Weed, who did the best he could to sense the mystery Canine's Spirit energy. He wasn't able to get very far, but he didn't have to. As soon as he turned around, he saw Kamakiri and started to call him out, despite feeling woozy himself. "You. Did you... do..." Kamakiri punched Weed then and there, causing him to pass out at the same time as GB."

Kamakiri snapped his fingers and spawned a pen and paper, writing something down on it and placing it where Weed and GB were. He put Canine Spirit energy into it once he was done so the others could sense it. Thankfully, Kamakiri made sure to avoid using too much of his Spirit energy, so no one could sense him from too far away. And after he made sure the note was where it should be, he picked up Weed and GB, rushing off with them to get them both ready to take to Hougen.

The rest of Weed's army was looking for Weed and GB after feeling Weed had enough time to calm down, and Gin was leading the search while sensing for their Spirit energy. He wasn't able to find them, but he was able to find the letter left for the army by Kamakiri. Gin was suspicious when he sensed the Spirit energy coming from the note. "That's strange." And once he grabbed it, the soldiers up front felt the energy too. In particular, Hiro recognized its power, and his life flashed before his eyes once he did. "Who had the time to set this up?"

"Gin!" Hiro exclaimed, catching Gin's attention as he walked over to him with a request. "Would you mind if perhaps, I read the note?"

Gin didn't see any problem with that, handing Hiro the note upon his request. "I guess it doesn't matter WHO reads it. Go right ahead, Hiro."

"Thank you." Hiro then got to reading the note, and surely enough, it had the same narcissistic energy he expected from the one who wrote it. "Greetings Ohu scum. My name is Kamakiri. I'm telling you my name because I know you won't be able to find me anyway, since I'm far too good for you to find."

Hiro cringed upon reading it, and Kotetsu couldn't help joking about how bad it sounded to be around this guy. "Someone's taking the term 'go fuck yourself' to the extreme."

Koyuki and Mel couldn't help snickering, despite Koyuki reminding them to keep quiet. "Come on, Kotetsu. Let's let Hiro finish."

Hiro continued once Koyuki, Kotetsu, and Mel were done. As much as he dreaded who this could be again, he knew he had to. "I captured Gin's son and his Setter friend." Everyone became horrified when they heard that; especially Gin, Koyuki, Kotetsu, Mel, and Rocket. "Good luck trying to find them. They're still in the forest, just follow the trail. And if you can't save them in time, they'll be mine to take to Hougen himself!"

Kyoshiro started to beat himself up over this, knowing that Weed and GB were more vulnerable by themselves, even with Weed's power. "Damn it! If I hadn't snapped at Weed, he wouldn't have ran off, and this asshole wouldn't have been able to get him and GB!"

"This kidnapping isn't on you, Kyoshiro." Tanto assured Kyoshiro, since he didn't know Kamakiri existed until now. "This Kamakiri guy obviously knows how to hide his Spirit energy."

Mel then grabbed Koyuki's paw, fearing what could happen to Weed and GB. "I don't want Weed and GB to die!"

"They won't, Mel." Koyuki assured Mel, confident that Weed could hold his own. "And not just because we're gonna go find them."

Rocket also started praying that Weed and GB were okay. "GB. Weed. We're coming to find you. We'll save you as soon as we do."

Gin noticed Hiro trembling and showed concern for him as a result. "Do you know this 'Kamakiri' dog, Hiro?"

"All too well." And when he looked up at Gin, his face was one of vengeance and anger. And despite not shouting, his tone of voice was incredibly hostile towards Kamakiri. "He's the one who killed my father!"

Back with Weed and GB, Kamakiri had them in this forest shack he was hiding out in; not Hoguen's base, but another hut that only he knew about. He was calling Hougen from outside the hut with the window closed, and he saw Hougen squeezing the butt of a female Canine who passed by in his lair. "Hello, Kamakiri! I hope you've brought good news."

"I have, Hougen!" Kamakiri assured Hougen, and he pointed into the hut while boasting about his presumably soon to be victory. "I captured Weed and another member of the army he was with." And as Kamakiri was about to finish what he had to say, GB's butt was shown to be raised up when... "And the army's chances of finding them are as good as a-"

BLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP

...a ripe and bassy ten second fart released a green cloud of spoiled meat, causing GB's butt to vibrate with Kamakiri cringing at the sound of it. Hougen was indifferent to this bit as Kamakiri commented on it reluctantly. "He's been doing that every thirty seconds in between each one since I captured him."

Hougen paid no attention to GB's gas, deciding to continue focusing on Kamakiri getting Weed and GB back to his base. "That shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience. We'll just trap him and Weed alone in their own cell. Have some fun torturing Weed to fuck with Gin and all that." Hougen then used his Spirit energy to spank a female Canine with a conjured up glove on a stick, laughing a bit before Kamakiri hid his eye roll at his childish side. "Get them back here as soon as you can, okay? I'm in a good mood, and not just because I'm horny."

"That's great, Hougen. Over and out." Kamakiri hung up, sighing at how vulgar Hougen was for a leader. 'I'd prefer NOT having a horny teen as our leader.'

A few minutes later, Weed was the first to wake up, shaking off the odor that made his nose twitch before looking around. He was confused when he realized they were in a wooden shack. He could've sworn they were in the woods. "Where, are we?" He saw that GB was still asleep and ran over to him, nudging him to wake him up. "GB! Wake up!"

GB woke up upon Weed's command and sat up as he questioned their surroundings. Like Weed, he had no idea why they were in a different location. "Well now. At least we woke up somewhere cozy."

"Yeah, but why?" Weed questioned, and then he started thinking back to when he and GB were attacked. "Let's see. We were in the woods, I was still having that breakdown over the whole Jerome situation." GB looked outside the window as Weed kept speaking, catching a glimpse of Kamakiri right as he did. "And we started talking about how much I've been struggling to hold everything together when..."

"Someone knocked us out with Canine Spirit and captured us!" GB finished, despite saying what he said out of pure instinct.

Thankfully, weed was just about to say the same thing. "Yes; exactly!" Weed then found himself unable to stand GB's fart smell and climbed onto his bed to open his window. "Okay, wow. That's a lot harder to stand indoors."

"Sorry about that." As soon as Weed opened the window, a Canine Spirit blast sent him into the wall on the opposite side. "Weed!" Kamakiri was revealed to be the one who blasted Weed, who tried to recover as GB then tackled Kamakiri at incredible speeds right before he could jump in. "Oh no you don't!" GB and Kamakiri rolled for a bit before Kamakiri kicked GB off of him. GB crashed against a force field Kamakiri set up around the area, but he was able to regain his balance and land safely. "Explain yourself, assailant!"

Kamakiri couldn't help chuckling before he dashed up to GB, who sent Canine Spirit to his paw before Kamakiri started speaking. "I prefer the term dognapper."

GB hit Kamakiri with the blast in the stomach, sending him back and causing him to skid on the ground. Kamakiri managed to stop himself once he reached the shack however, and he let the blast explode on his stomach. As GB dashed at him and aimed a punch at him, Kamakiri grabbed it and conjured a spike, stabbing GB right on the fist. GB yelped in pain before Kamakiri kicked him back, causing Weed to cry out in fear right as he fully recovered. "GB!"

Weed jumped out of the window just in time to find Kamakiri punching GB's face into the ground while smirking. "Ya know, now that I think about it, one of the calls Hougen and I had revealed something interesting about you." Weed dashed at Kamakiri without hesitation, only for Kamakiri to conjure up a shield that blocked his punch. "Would you happen to recall the lives of three puppies he killed?" GB's life flashed with agony and fear, making Kamakiri laugh as he sent Weed up to the shack roof. "I knew it! He mentioned it in our second call too!"

Weed landed on the shack roof and charged up a Spirit beam, aiming it at Kamakiri right as he picked GB up by the neck, choking him. Kamakiri couldn't resist the urge to taunt GB before taking him out. "Well this won't be the first time I've killed someone's father before."

Kamakiri was about to snap GB's neck, only for Weed to dash in between them and aim his Spirit beam at Kamakiri. "NO YOU DON'T!" Weed blasted Kamakiri back, making him let go of GB and crash into his own force field. Weed checked on GB, who caught his breath as he tried to look up at Weed. "GB!"

"I'll be okay, Weed." GB assured Weed, who then turned around and blocked a kick from Kamakiri that he barely noticed in time.

Weed regained his balance and skidded on the ground a bit, staring Kamakiri down as the Wolfhound expressed how impressed he was with Weed's strength. "A Spirit blast that strong at this age? No doubt about it. You're Gin's son."

Kamakiri kicked GB to the side, making him crash through the wall of the shack with Weed expressing anger over it after he did. "You bastard! Even without the mention, I can tell you work for Hougen!"

"As if that information will do you any good." Kamakiri got his Canine Spirit ready, as did Weed, both of them preparing themselves the best they could before the battle begun. "Your reaction to your friend killing Lector and Thunder says a lot." Weed flinched at Kamakiri revealing his knowledge of that moment. "You think you can bring peace to Ohu!? Don't make me laugh! You can't even kill a fly!" Weed shook his head, refusing to let Kamakiri get to his head. Kamakiri scoffed at this before warning Weed of his power. "You'll never best me in combat."

Weed and Kamakiri dashed at each other and collided a powerful punch, just as GB sat up and saw the battle begin. Weed jumped up and kicked Kamakiri in the face, only for Kamakiri to punch him towards the ground. Weed rebounded and launched a Spirit orb at Kamakiri, who caught it and crushed it in his paw. However, it was then that GB landed a speed slam on Kamakiri, hitting him right on the stomach. This caused Kamakiri's head to end up right in front of GB's butt, as he had it pointed at Kamakiri.

GB looked back and smirked as he thought about his new attack, pointing his butt out with it being shown as he released...

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT

...aloud and bassy ten second fart in Kamakiri's face, making GB's butt vibrate as the yellow, rotten egg scented cloud covered Kamakiri's face. Kamakiri ended up coughing and gagging with his eyes watering due to the terrible odor. It was unlike anything he'd ever smelt before. Weed and GB couldn't help laughing at this, even though Weed started to gag when the fart scent lingered over to him. "Okay, yeah. That's a nasty one."

Kamakiri managed to recover from the fart, leading to him grabbing GB's leg and throw him towards the shack again. GB skidded on the ground of the shack, but other than that, he was fine. He called to Weed to keep him focused on the fight. "I'm fine, Weed! Focus on him!"

Weed attempted a front flip down kick on Kamakiri, who grabbed his foot and slammed him into the ground. He then kicked him to the side, and as GB attempted to rush in and help, Kamakiri snapped his fingers, forcing him into a smaller force field that trapped him. "Enjoy facing your uncouth tactics in solitary confinement." He wasn't about to let that stop him though, and Kamakiri let him know how pointless it was as he collided blows with Weed. "It's useless, GB! You'll never be strong enough to break my force fields!"

Kamakiri managed to block Weed's latest punch and kneed him back. Once Weed regained his balance, Kamakiri filled him in on why he wasn't using his Specialty that much. "Apologies if my Spirit showcasing is a little... lackluster. I'm using some of my Conjuring spirit to keep this force field up."

"It doesn't matter to me one way or the other!" Weed declared before dashing at Kamakiri again, dodging his punch and landing a punch right on his stomach. Kamakiri grabbed his uppercut and punched him in the gut before kicking him to the side. He crashed against the force field being used on GB with Kamakiri conjuring up some steel straps to keep him there. Weed tried to break out, but it seemed that he was just a bit too weak for the straps. "Damn it!"

Kamakiri then walked over to Weed while conjuring a whip, horrifying Weed, and especially GB, when they saw it. "I guess Hougen didn't say he wanted to have ALL the fun with you."

Kamakiri readied his whip, but before he could land the first blow, GB cried out in horror. "DON'T HURT HIM! PLEASE!" Kamakiri stopped at the sound of GB's plea, and Weed found himself shocked by what GB said next. "He's just a puppy! He doesn't deserve this! Do it to me instead!" Weed could feel the fear in GB's voice. Especially as GB was shown with tears forming in his eyes over how much he wanted to save Weed. "Do it to me!"

Kamakiri showed intrigue, having seen very few adults express this much desire to protect a young one. In fact, he started looking back on a Canine who did the same thing. It looked like a puppy with Hiro's breed, and an adult who shared his breed. GB copied his words almost exactly. "My son means more to me than you could ever imagine! I could never stand by and watch this; even if I wanted to!"

Once Kamakiri stopped visioning that Canine, he asked GB if he really meant this. "This is an outdated method of discipline. This could bring you scars unlike any other." Weed started to show just as much fear for GB, as GB did for him, as Kamakiri stated how serious this was. "You would endure it... for him?"

"Yes!" GB answered instantly, knowing that despite Weed's internal struggles, he still had some optimism in him that shined through in vital situations. "Even after everything he's been through, and everything he's been struggling with... he's still able to put a smile on his face. I don't want to see him lose that."

Weed was incredibly touched by this. Actually, touched didn't even begin to describe how much Weed felt about this "GB."

GB wasn't done yet, and he began sobbing as he begged Kamakiri not to take Weed's remaining innocence away. "Every time I see Weed smile... it reminds me of just how much good I can do in this world. It makes me want to do just as much for him, as his smile does for me." Weed couldn't help but start tearing up as GB expressed just how much he meant to him. "He gives me the strength to improve. To fight. To live! He inspires me more than anyone else!" GB's final heartbroken shout sealed his sincerity. "I'M NOTHING WITHOUT HIM!"

Weed started to feel GB's heartbreak, not wanting him to be in this position either. However, Kamakiri wasn't interested in hurting GB, which showed in his smirk. "Admirable. But I don't give in to love." Weed and GB flinched upon hearing this, and Weed knew he'd have to do something fast. Not just because Kamakiri was about to hurt him, but because he knew he might do worse to GB if he didn't. "And I don't give a shit about innocence either."

Weed started channeling is Canine Spirit, but not in the way he was before. Kamakiri was confused by this, but ignored it and decided to continue walking over to Weed. GB noticed the red Spirit surrounding Weed however, and knew exactly what was coming. Weed charged his Spirit energy up to fifty percent. Then eighty. Then ninety. And then, despite struggling, he continued to push him self as hard as he could. Kamakiri got ready to whip him, aiming his first strike just as Weed's Canine Spirit energy reached the tip of his ears. And then...

"ZOKAKEN!"

Weed's roar of the Zokaken, along with the transformation, echoed throughout the sky, which even caught the attention of the rest of the army while they followed the trail. Gin instantly recognized it like everyone else, and felt a familiar power source, causing him to dash in that direction with the others. "This way!"

Elsewhere, Jerome was recruiting some dogs for a group, and as he was explaining their purpose, "They might realize we're helping sooner than expected, but we can still-" he sensed the power Weed was showing. Despite how far away he was, he could still feel the power of the Zokaken. He looked in the direction Weed was in, unable to help smiling at the feat he finally accomplished. He only wished he was there to see it for himself. He closed his eyes and made a vow to Weed while praising him. 'I hope to see your new transformation in person soon, Weed.'

Now having unlocked the Zokaken transformation, a fierce looking Weed broke his right arm out of Kamakiri's strap and grabbed his whip just in time. GB was stunned when he saw what just happened. Weed finally did it. He finally attained the Zokaken transformation. Kamakiri couldn't believe it himself. Weed's 1.5 times power boost stunned him so much that he could barely stay focused on the battle. Weed threw his whip to the side, making him explained this transformation to Hougen. "You might not know about this. This is what they call the Zokaken."

Kamakiri tried to maintain his ground as Weed gave him the rundown on what the Zokaken did. "It's basically an energy multiplier. It takes my power into account, and then adds half of it to my current usage when I go into it." Weed got a good look at his paw, being impressed by how much stronger he felt. "At first, I thought it helped improve my mastery of Canine Spirit Specialties too. But it looks like it boosts my current power in every Specialty I've used instead."

Kamakiri started to fear he was now fighting a losing battle. Once Weed clenched his fist, he started trying to convince him to stand down. "Think carefully about this, Weed! You don't even like fighting! There's no reason to use your new power just to get back at Hougen!"

"And I have plenty of reason to use it to stop his reign of terror." Weed responded, and then he shot Kamakiri's words from when he rejected GB's plea right back at him. "I don't give a shit about vengeance."

Kamakiri attempted to put the force field down to escape, only for Weed to dash at him and punch him in the face, sending him right into said force field. The speed he did it at amazed GB, as it now almost matched what a master Speed Specialist could attain. Kamakiri got back up and charged at Weed, only for Weed to dash at him and land several quick punches and kicks on him. He then kicked him to the side before dashing over to him and elbowing him in the back. He then kicked him towards the ground, causing him to drag across the dirt.

Gin and the others had arrived to find Weed taking on Kamakiri like he was nothing. While Kamakiri managed to trap him with a conjured up cage, he broke out of the bars quickly by moving them and dashed at him. Koyuki realized what this was as fast as the others who'd already heard about it, since Weed and Jerome shared some knowledge on it with her. She was so proud of Weed for finally unlocking this transformation. "That's the Zokaken! It has to be! Weed learned the Zokaken!"

Kotetsu was quick to cheer for Weed once he saw it. "Hell yeah! Keep at it, Weed! Kick his ass to hell and back!" The sight of this amazed the others, and when Kyoshiro saw it, he was in utter shock. He'd only just called Weed too soft an hour ago. And now he'd attained the Zokaken.

Weed stared Kamakiri down as he readied his next attack, leaving Kamakiri in shock at how the tables had turned. Before Kamakiri could counter him, Weed dashed up to him and kicked him into the barrier again. He started charging a Canine Spirit beam, which Weed readied himself for before Kamakiri launched it at him. It was big, and Weed managed to block it. For ten seconds, Weed stood there and took the blast. Kamakiri was in shock when he saw that Weed was almost unharmed, despite being pushed back.

Kamakiri got up and demanded to know how Weed was able to get a power up like this. "How did you get this strong!?"

"The best answer I can give is hard work and determination." Weed answered, and then he dashed up to Kamakiri and held him by his chest. Kamakiri winced as he predicted what was going to come next, especially once Weed pulled him down to his level. He was surprised when Weed's demand wasn't one meant to hurt him. "Take down the barrier around this area, and the barrier around GB."

Kamakiri pulled Weed away, and Weed kept his eyes on him to make sure he didn't do anything fishy. "That's all you want?"

"Not quite. I also want you to leave me and my friends alone." Weed looked over his shoulder and revealed that he already saw his army, due to sensing their Spirit. "Get a good look." Kamakiri looked back to see everyone standing before him, including Gin himself. He was horrified when he saw this, and Weed made him look back at him with an unusual tone of violence. "Take down the force fields, now!" Kamakiri released the Canine Spirit he was using as commanded then and there, removing the force fields around the three Canines who were in it.

Once GB's force field vanished, he ran up to Weed, who shared a warm hug with him to celebrate them being free. Kyoshiro dashed over to Kamakiri and punched him across the face, showing that his base form was still a little stronger than Weed's when he sent him back a few feet. He still managed to stay standing however. Weed signaled Kyoshiro to let him know he had this. Kyoshiro was hesitant, but he decided to let Weed handle this, since he did so well in the fight.

Weed walked up to Kamakiri, telling him exactly what was going to happen, and what would happen if he went against it. GB and Kyoshiro saw his viciousness drop, but he was still firm in what he wanted to be done. "You're gonna go back to Hougen, and tell him you failed. Then, you're gonna leave his army, and start to make a life that doesn't hurt innocent Canines." Kamakiri almost couldn't believe a child was telling him what to do. "I won't be so generous next time. If you take this chance to prove you can change for granted, then you'll pay the price."

Kamakiri gulped and nodded his head yes before dashing off, acting like he was going to listen to Weed. In reality, he was just trying to get him off his back. 'That little shit thinks he can boss me around? I'll just have to get stronger! Strong enough to overthrow Hougen and take out the Ohu army myself!"

Once Kamakiri was completely out of sight, Kyoshiro walked up to Weed, hoping they could address what happened earlier. Weed noticed him as he complimented how he handled that battle. "You did great against that Kamakiri guy just now."

"Thanks." Weed responded before apologizing for his part in their fight. "I'm sorry I blew up back there."

"I was a pretty big asshole too." Kyoshiro admitted, and then he pointed out how Weed let Kamakiri go. "Still. I can't say it was smart letting Kamakiri go. He could come back to try again."

"Maybe. But he knows what'll happen if he does." To emphasize his point, Weed shot a nearby rock with a Canine Spirit blast. It was much smaller than the tree Kyoshiro shot at when they made their compromise, but it still got the point across. The two of them even shared a laugh at the reference. After that, Weed made an offer to Kyoshiro he knew he couldn't refuse. "Hey. You want a piece of advice for Zokaken when we reach our next campsite?"

"That sounds great." Kyoshiro answered, glad that he and Weed were finally on the same page about something. Obviously they still had some work to do on reaching a full on agreement with their ideals. But the fact that they managed to make up for their fight from earlier shows that they're more than capable of doing so.

As Weed offered, he was now helping Kyoshiro get a better understanding of how Zokaken operated, as shown by how Kyoshiro transformed into it right in front of him. Kyoshiro was amazed by how easy it was, and Weed was proud of him for unlocking it as well. "That's it! Great work, Kyoshiro! Now we have TWO soldiers capable of using the Zokaken!"

"Damn straight! Who knew delving into your strongest desires could unlock so much!?" Kyoshiro exclaimed, and then he started to think about Jerome, wishing he were here to see this. Weed noticed his mood shift as he went out of Zokaken. "I hope we can show Jerome one day."

Weed's smile showed that he was confident Jerome would find out one way or another. "Maybe we'll see him again on our way to Futago Pass." Kyoshiro looked at Weed, who then showed how conflicted he was about how his decision played out. He knew Jerome was trying to protect him, especially after having time to think about it. And he still cared deeply for him. But he couldn't get the image of him killing Lector and Thunder, while begging for their lives, out of his head. "Do you still think I made the wrong call?"

"I do." Kyoshiro admitted, knowing what Weed was talking about. He walked up to him and placed a paw on his shoulder right after, showing that he knew this was a growing point for Weed. "But we all become the best leaders we can be in our own ways." Weed appreciated Kyoshiro's words, and Kyoshiro then gave him some advice for the future. "There's nothing wrong with going back on a past decision, Weed. When you feel you're ready, you have every right to let Jerome back in. If you want."

A part of Weed did want to let Jerome back into the army. A big part in fact. He only wished he knew when he'd see him again so he could decide for sure. "I should give him a proper thank you for all he's done for us."

Kyoshiro smiled to Weed, just as Gin came up to the two of them with an idea he had for him. "There is another way we can honor his teachings, Weed." Weed and Kyoshiro looked at Gin, who reminded them of another piece of information Jerome shared with the army. "The Zokaken isn't the only transformation Jerome informed us about back in Shiga Prefecture. In fact, this other transformation might be more well known, since that bastard Hougen refused to stop bitching about it."

"Cut the vague shit, Gin; we know what you're talking about." Kyoshiro assured Gin, and then he started questioning if this was safe. "And we've seen what happens to Weed when he starts glowing orange. That might be his default emotion in that transformation."

Weed saw Kyoshiro's point, not wanting to let his anger in that transformation hurt his friends. "He's right, dad. I can't control myself when I tap into that power. Or control when I do it. I even punched GB."

Gin knelt down to Weed and took his paw to help assure him that he would help him improve his ability at controlling this power. "This power is new to you, Weed. It will take some time, but we should be able to help you control it."

Weed saw where Gin was going with this, showing his gratitude with a smile that Kyoshiro shared with him. "We?"

"Yes." Gin answered, showing his confidence in Weed's ability to improve upon this transformation. As little as the two of them knew about actually activating this form, Gin knew that Weed was capable of not only harnessing it, but learning how to control it well enough to use it in battle. It wasn't going to be easy. They both knew this. But Gin showed that regardless of how he did it, he was going to stand by Weed as much as possible, and be his father. "It's time we help you learn to use the Super Canine."

To be continued.