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Part Fourteen: Into the lion's den...





Renkotsu's heart was pounding as he stood outside the room in which their leader Bankotsu was resting. In dealing with the pain he endured from Suikotsu's punishment he had almost forgotten he would eventually face the other betrayed party in this torrid affair.

At least with broken ribs he can't pound me into a blood pulp as easily...

After taking a deep breath the second-in-command knocked on the door. "Leader?" In this circumstance Renkotsu thought it better to use the formal title than the familiar "Oo-Aniki."

A groggy voice answered him. "Enter."

As Renkotsu slid the shoji open, Bankotsu painfully shifted himself into a more upright sitting position. Renkotsu entered the room and bowed his head respectfully to his leader.

"You wished to see me?"

"I did." Bankotsu looked at him tiredly, but there was an intensity in his eyes that made the second-in-command shiver a little. "I want to hear your version of what happened last night."

Renkotsu remained silent for a moment with his head lowered, trying to think of the best possible way to explain it.

"Jakotsu and I were very intoxicated last night, and because of it, severely brain affected." The second-in-command kept his voice emotionless and firm, as he would when reporting information from a mission. "It was brash and irresponsible of me to allow us, most of all myself to get in such a reckless state. It will NOT happen again."

"I should hope not," Bankotsu snapped. "Ren, you are my second-in-command, and I have lost some trust in you. Jak is flighty and not the brightest star in the night sky, but he tries, but I expected better from you."

"I expected better from myself," Renkotsu growled.

"So tell me Ren," Bankotsu raised himself up a little more and carefully crossed his arms over his chest. "How are you going to regain my trust?"

The second-in-command lifted his head a looked Bankotsu straight in the eye, his face the image of firm resolution. "Leader, you can trust that I will never behave in such a reckless manner ever again." Renkotsu lowered his head again, and then his voice began to waver ever so slightly, "I have had a dreadful lesson that will not let me forget the consequences of being foolish."

"What lesson?"

Renkotsu swallowed hard and remained silent. Meanwhile Bankotsu's brain went to work. He remembered how pale and exhausted Renkotsu looked when he came to dinner, how Suikotsu was fluttering about him like a worried mother, and how Renkotsu looked like he was about to cry from pain when Ginkotsu slapped him on the back.

"Go easy on Ren; he's already been through my brand of punishment."

Suikotsu's words were the final piece of the puzzle, and Bankotsu's eyes widened a little at his second in command as all the pieces came together. It was almost unbelievable; Suikotsu would never hurt Renkotsu, would he?

"What happened? Did Suikotsu...?" Bankotsu had softened in his anger considerably, if what he was thinking was true, he almost felt sorry for Renkotsu.

"His violent side was angry with me."

Bankotsu winced visibly, not even he wanted to be on unfriendly terms with Suikotsu's violent side.

"Here! Here's proof I will never be stupid again!" Renkotsu snarled, though it seemed to be more directed at himself than Bankotsu. Turning away from Bankotsu, he pulled down the top of his kimono and revealed bandages stained with four perfect slashes of red. There was no doubt what caused them.

Bankotsu shut his eyes and sighed tiredly. "You are forgiven. You may go."

"Thank you, Oo-Aniki."