FicWad

The new recruit

by Vega Sailor & kira


Renkotsu shrank away and slowed his pace so he could partially hide himself behind his comrade Ginkotsu. It was the tenth time in nearly and hour that the man wearing a flowery kimono and woman's make-up, had smiled and winked seductively in his direction and it was frankly beginning to weird him out. The feminine man who called himself Jakotsu, was easily the strangest one of the group of three mercenaries he and Ginkotsu had joined up with only a month ago. This award of strangeness was quite triumph for the cross-dresser, considering his other two companions. Their medic/warrior Suikotsu had two individual personalities inside him, and their current leader, Bankotsu, had the strength to wield a halberd almost twice his size.

These mercenaries had wasted no time in getting their new recruit's feet wet in blood. Ginkotsu was a veteran soldier and seemed to fall right back into his role, despite being absent from it for five years in which he had been injured and left for death by his fellow soldiers, then found by Renkotsu and had his body rebuilt in metal and his life saved by the young exiled monk, turned blacksmith.

However, the battlefield was quite a new thing for Renkotsu, and he stuck close to Ginkotsu to learn the ropes for the first couple of missions. However, he was soon moved to taking lives first hand, when in the middle of their second mission Ginkotsu's arm locked up and Renkotsu moved to repair it. They were quickly surrounded by the enemy soldiers, and Renkotsu made his move, ironically using the same power that had gotten him exiled from his home monastery. After drinking a mouthful of alcohol from a flask he carried with him, Renkotsu's breath turned to fire and incinerated everything that lay in front of him.

After the mission, the group felt Renkotsu took his first kills quite well, as the ex-monk shed no tears of regret for his actions.

However, it was the third mission that proved Renkotsu had the kind of spirit the mercenaries were looking for in him. They were sent to help storm a fortress. Renkotsu detailed a very elaborate plan to place several piles of bombs at strategic points on the fortress wall, and trigger them to go off at the same time.

The plan was executed perfectly, though there was a moment of fear the team though Renkotsu had been too close to the blast. However the young fire-breather came back a little singed, but in one piece and very much alive, in fact the satisfaction of blowing a fortress wall to bits, made the new recruit look like he had just received really good sex, and he was ready and eager to storm the rest of the fortress and burn it to the ground. In fact he had been so pumped on his high that he had failed to notice a rather large piece of wood from the fortress wall stuck in his shoulder until Suikotsu had pointed it out to him.

Their fourth mission had been a simple one, they were commissioned to decimate a town on the outskirts of a daimyo's lands, and he believed this town was helping his enemy.

Now the band of five mercenaries were currently on the road after getting their payment.

Jakotsu shot Renkotsu another seductive look, and grinned when the fire-breather glared back, but blushed all the same.

"Damn, he's cute..." Jakotsu giggled and turned to Suikotsu.

Suikotsu sighed patiently and looked up at the sun. "I'd say it's about noon, so we have ten minutes till Jak's next announcement of how cute our new recruit is..."

Jakotsu playfully stuck out his tongue at the claw-bearer then looked back over at Renkotsu and blew him a kiss, making the new recruit blush even more. "Really cute!" The cross dresser giggled again, turning back towards Bankotsu, who was just ahead of them. "Aniki-chan, thank you soooo much for the new recruit!"

"Right whatever." Bankotsu grumbled, a little bit of envy at the attention Jakotsu was paying to Renkotsu, tugging at his nerves. However it was not lost on Jakotsu.

"Awe don't be jealous, Aniki-chan!" the cross-dresser hugged Bankotsu's arm. "Our new recruit excites me because he's new, once I've seduced him I'll be done with him, but you always excite me, Aniki-chan." Jakotsu giggled.

Bankotsu grinned wickedly at him. "Yeah?"

Jakotsu gently cupped his cheek. "Yeah..."

Jakotsu was about to kiss Bankotsu when Renkotsu called out from behind, "I must tell you, I do not care for the lewd comments and suggestions that are being made at my expense!"

Jakotsu grinned lewdly at him and replied, "Expense? I'm giving them to you for free, Love!"

Suikotsu chuckled softly. "Go easy on him, Jak, he's probably still a virgin."

The cross-dresser's eyes went wide in surprise. "A virgin?!" he eyed the fire-breather hungrily. "OOOH! I wanna go first!!"

Renkotsu flushed darkly. "I am NOT a virgin!"

Jakotsu giggled. "Too bad. But I still want to go first!"

Ginkotsu, who had been walking along quietly, said, "Geshi. He lost his virginity two months ago."

"OOOH! Don't tell me you took it?!" Jakotsu roared with laughter.

Ginkotsu, taken aback by the cross-dresser's attitude, said angrily, "No! It was the wife of the daimyo in our region!"

Jakotsu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, as if I'd believe that..." He laughed.

Renkotsu glared at him. "Gah! Shut up! Or I'm going to dismantle your jaw!"

"Hunh?" Jakotsu blinked as a puzzled frown settled over his features. "How you gonna do that?"

Before the fire-breather could say anything that would spark an all out fight, Suikotsu said, "I'd like to hear this story about Ren and the daimyo's wife... if it's true..."

Bankotsu nodded. "Yeah, me too... So, Ren, what happened with the daimyo's wife?"

The fire-breather sighed wearily as he realized there was no way he was going to get out of it. "My former master's sword making skills were quite well known and we were invited to his home to make a sword for his son."

"Yeah... so what made you decide to fuck the man's wife, Ren, when you had a delicious boy waiting for you...?" The cross-dresser snaked his arm around Bankotsu's waist and pulled him close.

"I didn't fuck her, she invited me to her room," Renkotsu said. He smiled to himself as he recalled the incident and was happily lost in his memories until Jakotsu opened his mouth again.

"Ummm...are you sure you're not still a virgin? You need to fuck someone first to get rid of it," he sniggered.

Renkotsu rolled his eyes. He was about to snap out an angry retort, but figuring it would only encourage Jakotsu, he continued more calmly, "Well, I refused her at first, but then she taunted me about it, and well one thing lead to another and..." He grinned wickedly, interlacing his fingers and stretching his arms to rest his hands behind his head.

Jakotsu looked at Bankotsu and giggled.

"And she got herself a nice piece of ass!"

The two of them laughed.

"Too bad you wasted it on her..." Jakotsu sighed softly.

Renkotsu, unhappy at being forced to share his story with these relative strangers, snapped, "Better than wasting it on you..."

For several long tense minutes a heavy silence settled over the group and Renkotsu had a moment of fear that their leader was going to get involved. They trudged along down the road when Jakotsu stopped and whirled around to face the fire-breather. "Excuse me...." he said with deadly calm as he stormed over to him. Narrowing his eyes, he jabbed Ren in the chest with his forefinger. "Let me tell you, I know things she's probably never heard of.... Things that'll have you begging me for more. You know, I used to be very much ion demand at the bathhouse! Tell him how good I am, Aniki-chan!" The cross-dresser turned towards Bankotsu, who was standing there trying hard not to laugh.

"Let it go, Jak, he totally won that round." Suikotsu chuckled much to Jakotsu's annoyance.

"No he didn't!"

Bankotsu put an arm around his paramour's waist. Letting his hand wander down to cup his butt,he said, "Sorry, Sweetness, but I have to agree with Sui. That was a pretty good comeback by our new recruit there."

Jakotsu looked at his lover in surprise. "You too, Aniki-chan?" he squeaked as he pushed him away.

"Awe, come on, Jak, the look on your face was funny," Bankotsu said as he tried to embrace the cross-dresser.

Jakotsu, however, was miffed and highly annoyed that his lover was taking Renkotsu's side. He neatly sidestepped his lover's advances, and taking one last look at everyone, he spun on his heel and stormed off down the road.

Suikotsu grinned at his leader, and catching Renkotsu's eye, he gave him a little nod of approval. "I think Jak has met his match in a quick and witty tongue."

"Oh yeah..." Bankotsu grinned and patted the fire-breather on the back, before trotting down the road after his paramour.

The claw-bearer also started walking and he got several paces ahead before he noticed the other two weren't following. He paused and waited for them to catch up.

Renkotsu grinned at Ginkotsu and shrugged as the two of them trotted over to Suikotsu. They three of them walked along in companionable silence, and the claw-bearer noted Renkotsu seemed happier as if his spirits were lifted at this sudden reprieve.

"Just a word of warning, Ren," Suikotsu said.

"What?"

"You won this round," Suikotsu said seriously, "But that tends to encourage him even more. When he stops pouting, he's probably going to come back at you again with double the effort."

"Oh hell..."

Suikotsu took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "He likes a challenge, Ren, so just stand by your guns and he'll eventually get tired of it and leave you alone. And don't worry; he's done this to everyone we've considered."

Renkotsu nodded. "He did...? And what happened to them?"

"What do you think happened to them? They're not here are they?"

The fire-breather grinned sheepishly. "No..." Frowning, he looked sharply at the claw-bearer. "He didn't try that shit with you?"

Suikotsu nodded. "Well, my other personality did scare him enough for him to not to come near me again."

"Really?"

They had almost caught up to Bankotsu and Jakotsu and it was clear from his posture the cross-dresser was still angry as his lover tried to mollify him.

"I heard there was this one guy who attempted to rob them and when they caught him they tied him up. Oo-Aniki let Jak have his way with him and then they dragged him naked and bound to the nearest whorehouse where they left him." The claw-bearer chuckled at their expressions. "That was before I joined up."

"No shit?!" Renkotsu exclaimed and Suikotsu nodded. "So I take it I have two choices; give in or scare the hell out of him so he'll leave me alone?"

"Yes, or you may get lucky and some other option will present itself. For now I wouldn't worry about it. He's there and you're here." The claw-bearer motioned with his thumb at the two who were farther down the road ahead of them.

Renkotsu watched their leader fondle the cross-dresser's bottom. "Doesn't he get enough from our leader?"

"Yes. But you're a new face that he's found appealing and you're posing a challenge to him by rebuffing his advances, so he wants you." Suikotsu paused. "Ren, that scare tactic worked for me, but it may not for you. And you need to be careful about it, because you might get Oo-Aniki angry with you as well."

"Yeah..." The fire-breather nodded. "So I guess I'll have to keep him at arm's length until I can figure out what to do with him. The last thing I want is our leader pissed off at me. What I don't get is why our leader isn't angry at him for chasing after my like that? If it were me, I'd be madder than hell at him."

The claw-bearer shrugged. "I've been wondering that myself..."

"Great! If you don't know, how the hell am I supposed to deal with this and him?" Renkotsu said softly to himself.

Suikotsu, not sure if Renkotsu was speaking to himself or not, answered anyway, "Well you know, Ban and I have been testing you all along, testing for strength, smarts and courage. I think this is Jak's own test, and maybe that's why Ban let him get away with it."

"Possibly... So can I ask how I'm doing, if you don't mind? It might give me a clue to figuring out what he's testing me on..."

"I'm sorry I can't, Ren..."

"It's okay..." Renkotsu blinked and shook his head at what his leader was doing to the cross-dresser. "Please tell me our leader doesn't have his hand up that freak's kimono and is fondling his ass..." He looked at Suikotsu helplessly. "I'm fucked... there's no way in hell I'm going to do what that freak wants, I'll kill him first and then, Leader'll kill me..." He sighed heavily.

"Then don't give in. I do remember that there was this one guy who gave in right away and Jak didn't like him after that."

"What happened to him?"

"Well, let's just say he met up with an unfortunate accident, and leave it at that."

The fire-breather stared at him, eyes wide. "Okay..."

Since it was getting late, they turned off the road and into the woods, looking for a place to make camp for the night. It did not take long before they had found a small clearing and while Bankotsu and his paramour remained behind to watch their gear, the others set about looking for firewood. Renkotsu trailed along behind the claw-bearer as he was hoping to continue their conversation.

"Uh, Sui, how long of a rest do you think we'll have between missions?"

Suikotsu bent over and picked up an old piece of a fallen branch. "It depends on things," he said as he straightened. "Like how bad our injuries are, and how far away a fight is happening."

Renkotsu picked up a small log. He nodded and said, "Well, I think we got away lucky this time with no injuries. And how do you manage to know where and when there's going to be a battle going on? It's like one minute we're sitting around drinking sake and the next we're on the road and heading towards a battle."

"Oo-Aniki seems to have a sixth sense about these things, so wherever he goes, we follow, unless directed otherwise."

"I see..." Renkotsu made a disgusted face as he picked up another log. "Well, wherever we're going, I hope they have a room for those two."

Suikotsu laughed. "Oh, they're not that bad, although, I'm a bit of a heavy sleeper."

"You're kidding me?" The fire-breather chuckled. "They're like a pair of overgrown rabbits."

"You're going to have to deal with it as we're spending another night under the stars."

"Oh shit..." Renkotsu moaned. "I don't think I'll be able sleep then.... unless our leader can get it out of his system."

Suikotsu quirked an eyebrow at him. "Get what out of his system?"

Renkotsu grinned. "Whatever it is that's making him act like a horny lil bastard. The last thing I want is to fall asleep and wake up with him all over me..." He shuddered at the thought.

"I wouldn't worry about it, the other guys didn't have your big friend there to guard them," Suikotsu said as he nodded towards Ginkotsu who came over to them.

Ren smiled a greeting at his friend. "I guess so..." He paused as a sudden thought hit him. "Wait... how come I'm getting all the attention and he's not bugging Gin? I thought you said he went after all the new recruits."

Suikotsu looked over at the half-metal man and back at Renkotsu. "Because Gin isn't as pretty as you are. No offence, Gin."

"Gesh, gesh, gesh..." Ginkotsu chuckled his peculiar metal laugh. "None taken. I've always been big enough to scare the women, so why should he be any different. Gesh, gesh, gesh..." He smiled with his remaining eye.

The claw-bearer grinned and looking over at Renkotsu he said, "Don't worry; we tend to make it a rule that Jak is not supposed to rape accepted group members."

"And that's supposed to reassure me, how...?" the fire-breather said sarcastically.

"It might reassure you to know Jak's not going to jump you in your sleep." Molest you maybe, but no penetration...

"What makes you so sure about that?" Renkotsu, who was still unconvinced, asked nervously.

Suikotsu sighed. "Because that would be too easy. He wants to seduce you, Ren, not take you by force."

"Oh..." Renkotsu said softly as he reached up and violently pulled a dead branch off a tree. "Damn it! I wish he'd just leave me the hell alone! Can't he get it into that freaking empty head of his, that I don't like men?!"

Suikotsu grinned and Ginkotsu chuckled softly.

"That's the challenge for him."

"So I'm just a challenge?" Renkotsu said incredulously. Grinning, he said, "Well, this is one challenge that's going to defeat him!"

"Good spirit!" Suikotsu said, slapping the fire-breather on the back. "But in the meantime, watch your back, or in your case, watch your ass."

Renkotsu's eyes went wide at first before he burst out laughing, the others joining in. They headed back towards camp and when they got there, they were still laughing.

Jakotsu, who was happily sitting on his lover's lap, as Bankotsu trailed a line of kisses down his neck, cracked an eye open at their approach.

"What's so funny, Sui?" the cross-dresser asked as Bankotsu stopped what he was doing and looked at the claw-bearer expectantly.

"Nothing..." the claw-bearer squeaked out between laughs.

Jakotsu giggled. "It couldn't be nothing or you wouldn't be laughing..." His eyes went wide as a lewd smile spread across his lips. "OOH! Did Ren ask you to sleep with him tonight?"

"No, lucky for you he didn't." Suikotsu chuckled as Bankotsu smiled and shook his head.

"No? I mean if I was going to lose out to anyone I'd want it to be you, Sui... So you're saying I still have a chance?" Jakotsu, eyeing the fire-breather saucily, blew a couple of kisses at him.

Suikotsu looked over at Renkotsu apologetically. "Unfortunately for Ren, you do have a chance..." he said.

Jakotsu smiled. "I knew it!! You know, Ren, if you want, we could make it a three-same... Right, Aniki-chan?"

Bankotsu rolled his eyes and whispered in his paramour's ear. "Stop teasing him..."

Jakotsu stuck his tongue out at him, and ignoring Bankotsu; he turned his head and eyed Suikotsu seductively. "Or we could make it a four-some if you feel up to it, Sui... or even a five-some, Gin!" he laughed when the half-metal man looked at him blankly.

"No, I think I'll pass..." Suikotsu said as he held up a hand, silencing the new recruits.

Jakotsu stood up and walked over to the claw-bearer. "But you always pass..." Jakotsu pouted. "You know I don't bite unless you want me too..." He giggled and trailed a finger down the claw-bearer's chest. "I'm sure if you ask nicely Aniki-chan'll let you go first..." He smiled sweetly at him, before looking over at Renkotsu. "Or if you want, you can ask Aniki-chan for that privilege, Ren... I don't mind. You know, I'd love to feel you pounding away..." The rest of his words were muffled by Suikotsu's hand, which was clamped over his mouth.

"Too much information, Jak..."the claw-bearer said softly.

"Hunh?" Jakotsu looked at him questioningly as Suikotsu let go of his mouth. "But you know how much I'd love that..." the cross-dresser said just as softly. When the claw-bearer gave him a little negative shake of his head, Jakotsu backed away from him, playfully huffing, "You two are so mean!" Folding his arms across his chest, Jakotsu stuck his tongue out at them, before looking away.

Suikotsu, gently cupping Jakotsu's cheek, moved his face so he could look at him. In the same patient chiding tones a parent would use on their willful child, Suikotsu said, "I'm not mean; I'm just trying to keep you from scaring our poor little recruit so much he won't be able to sleep at night."

"Oh..." Jakotsu thought it over and giggled. "Thanks for the great idea, Sui!" he cried as he eyed Renkotsu lewdly.

Suikotsu groaned loudly. Don't you ever pay attention?

Renkotsu, rapidly tiring of the cross-dresser's nonsense, shouted, "Damn it! Stop looking at me like that! I'm not afraid of you!" In fact I'd love to wipe that fucking smirk right off your face, but I'm afraid your boyfriend'll have a shit fit if I do...

"I know a good way to get me to stop..." the cross-dresser purred.

"That's enough, Sweetness. Leave him alone before I decide to sleep with him and you'll have to sleep by yourself," Bankotsu said, exchanging glances with his paramour.

Renkotsu, not realizing their leader was just joking, looked as worried as he felt. "Eh...?"

Suikotsu laughed and motioned for him to come light the campfire. As he walked past, Bankotsu also laughed, and catching the fire-breather's eye, he winked at him much to Jakotsu's amusement.

Renkotsu, however, was not amused and after lighting the fire, he beat a hasty retreat back to Ginkotsu's side.

"Gesh, gesh, gesh..." Ginkotsu chuckled softly as he patted his friend's back.

Jakotsu eyed the fire-breather shrewdly and smiled. "Now I get it! I need to be nice and shiny like Gin to win you over..."

Renkotsu, finding his tongue again, said sharply, "No, you need to stop flirting with me and molesting me every chance you get!"

Jakotsu thought it over. "You mean if I ignore you, you'll come running to me, begging for it?" he said, a puzzled frown settling over his features, as that was a novel idea for him. He stood up and walked over to Renkotsu

Renkotsu's angry offended expression quickly turned into a slightly smug smirk as he realized he had a way out or at least a reprieve. "Perhaps that might work for me... Maybe you should give it a try and see what happens."

Jakotsu put a finger to his lips as he thought it over. "Okay, but only if I get to have one last grope before I start. That way it'll give me something to think about when I'm trying to ignore you."

The fire-breather sighed. "Very well..."

Suikotsu leaned over towards Bankotsu and whispered, "What do you think Jak's going to choose to grope?"

"One jug of sake says he grabs his crotch," Bankotsu whispered back.

"You're on," the claw-bearer said as they settled back to watch.

Meanwhile, Jakotsu was standing there, looking like his most treasured dream was about to come true. "You're going to let me grope you?"

"Yes... One grope before you start your ignoring me tactic," Renkotsu said as he stood up and braced himself for what was coming.

Bankotsu nodded. "Here it comes..." he whispered to Suikotsu, who chuckled in reply.

Jakotsu frowned. He suddenly found it hard to touch the fire-breather, and stalling for time, he said, "I'm not going to hurt you so you can open your eyes... unless you want me to," he said impishly.

"No," Renkotsu said, opening his eyes. "Sorry, that was automatic. Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Ummm... I don't know..." Jakotsu shrugged. "The fun is kinda gone now..."

Renkotsu groaned loudly. "Fine, groping is postponed until the gropist regains the desire to grope the gropee." And may you NEVER find that desire again!

"Hunh?" The cross-dresser looked at him like he had three heads. Just as Renkotsu was about to push past him and sit down, Jakotsu threw his arms around the startled fire-breather and kissed him long and hard.

Renkotsu did not know what was worse, Jakotsu's tongue being shoved down his throat or the cross-dresser pressing his crotch against his own.

Just as quickly as he grabbed Renkotsu, Jakotsu broke the kiss. "Mmmmm...You taste good..." he said licking his lips.

Renkotsu, looking horrified, shoved him away. "What the hell was that?" he sputtered. "I said you could grope me, not shove your tongue down my throat!!"

The cross-dresser smiled slyly at him. "I was just groping your mouth with my tongue..."

"The hell you were!"

"Well... I'm really good with my tongue," Jakotsu smirked, "Too bad I'm going to ignore you now."

Suikotsu laughed. "Hah! I knew the crotch would be too obvious! I win!" he said as Bankotsu rolled his eyes.

Jakotsu flounced over to his lover and sat on his lap. Turning towards Suikotsu, he asked, "You won what, Sui?"

Bankotsu groaned.

"We were betting on which part you'd grope..." the claw-bearer said.

Jakotsu giggled as he hugged Bankotsu. "So what part did you pick, Aniki-chan?" the cross-dresser asked as his lover mumbled something incoherent. "Hunh?"

Suikotsu clarified, "He picked Ren's crotch and lost."

The cross-dresser laughed. "Aniki-chan! How many times do I have to tell you, I never grope the same place on a new recruit twice? That was Sui's special groping place." He smiled sweetly at the claw-bearer.

Suikotsu laughed. "Really? I figured you'd feel weird doing it because Ren was just standing there, expecting you to do it, and where's the fun in that?"

"That too!" Jakotsu giggled. "Did you see the look on his face?! It was like he was expecting me to bite his cock off!" Jakotsu leaned forward and hung on Suikotsu, laughing hysterically. He caught his breath and continued, waving his finger in the claw-bearer's face, "No, Ren was begging for me to do something unexpected! And I did it!" The cross-dresser looked very smug until he burst out laughing again, causing Ban to dump him off his lap, where he landed face first into Suikotsu's.

Helping him up, Suikotsu said softly, "That you did...That you did....Though I think Ban's a bit jealous."

Jakotsu, upset that he hurt his beloved's feelings, said softly, "You're not jealous, are you, Aniki-chan?" He crawled over to Bankotsu and laying his head in his beloved's lap, he said, "It's you I love, no one else... that was just a stupid game..." Sitting up and kneeling, he took Bankotsu face in his hands, before kissing him.

Bankotsu broke the kiss and putting a finger on his paramour's lips, he said with a glare at the claw-bearer, "I'm not jealous; Sui's just being a jerk again."

The claw-bearer sighed. "Say what you want, but you still owe me a jug of sake, Oo-Aniki."

Jakotsu's face lit up when he heard that. Scooting around on his knees to face him, he cried, "Ooh!! Can I help you drink it, Sui? Please?"

"Of course you can..." He crooked his finger at Jakotsu to come closer. Whispering loudly, he said, "Maybe we can get Ren drunk enough so that you can sneak a grope in without him noticing."

"Yes!!" The cross-dresser threw his arms around Suikotsu's neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Sui!! You're the best!!" he said before going over and sitting on his lover's lap again.

Bankotsu laughed as he caressed his paramour's thigh. "You've got one helluva mean streak, Sui."

The claw-bearer grinned in reply.

"No he doesn't..." Jakotsu murmured as he nuzzled Bankotsu's neck.

"Yes, he does."

"You know, I'm curious to see if you are actually going to be able to ignore him, Jak," Suikotsu said.

Bankotsu untangled his arms from around Jakotsu's neck and said, "Yeah...Me too. You promised you'd leave him alone now."

"Oh yeah..."

Meanwhile Renkotsu was furiously scrubbing his lips and grumbling to Ginkotsu about his predicament. "Damn it, as soon as I find a river I'm washing my mouth out with soap!"

"Gesh. I saw the whole thing and I want to do the same." The metal man groaned at the mental image of his friend lip-locked with the cross-dresser. "It could have been worse...maybe?"

Suddenly Renkotsu stopped scrubbing and a look of shear terror crossed his face. "Oh ...Kami...."

"Geshi?"

"I just remembered last night when we were sleeping outside, and I went to go to urinate, and I found our leader and Jakotsu doing...." Renkotsu trailed off, looking increasingly more horrified. "...and Jakotsu's mouth was on....and he kissed me... Oh fuck!" The horrified fire-breather began frantically looking through his gear.

"Geshi? What are you looking for?" Ginkotsu asked after getting over his shock as put the pieces of Renkotsu's story together.

"My flask, I need to sterilize my mouth before my stomach rebels." Renkotsu gasped, when suddenly his stomach lurched and his esophagus spasmed. "Too late."

Without another word the fire-breather jumped up and took off into the forest surrounding the campsite to empty the contents of his stomach in private.

The other three mercenaries watched Renkotsu get up and rush off, then turned their attention to Ginkotsu in hopes of an answer.

"What happened?" Suikotsu finally asked the metal giant.

"Ren...is getting violently ill from Jakotsu's kiss..." Ginkotsu looked away in the direction his friend had gone.

"Oh dear..." Suikotsu pinched the bridge his nose.

"What?" Jakotsu looked from Ginkotsu to Suikotsu.

Suddenly Bankotsu burst out laughing as his brain put together the pieces of the puzzle over the new recruit's sudden sickness. The other mercenaries turned to their leader, waiting for an explanation to his sudden outburst.

When Bankotsu's laughs finally calmed down he answered his warriors. "Remember last night, Sweetness, when everyone went to sleep?" At Jakotsu's blank look he added. "The little fun we had in the bushes with the fireflies?"

Jakotsu's eyes widened as he remembered what Bankotsu was talking about. "All I did was suck you off...why would that make Ren sick?"

At this new information Suikotsu stifled a laugh as he too figured out why Renkotsu felt so sick.

"Don't worry Jak," the leader put his arm around his paramour. "I'm not afraid to kiss you!"

"That's because what's been in Jak's mouth is your own thing." Suikotsu chuckled.

"Oh!!" Jakotsu burst out laughing as he finally got it.

"Poor little Ren..." Suikotsu shook his head sympathetically.

"Yeah..." Bankotsu too started feeling some sympathy for their new recruit. "You know if he could survive all the shit we put him through this last month he can survive anything." The leader grinned. "I say we keep him!"

"Exactly." Suikotsu nodded.

"Hey! You all act like it's a terrible thing to kiss me!" Jakotsu snapped, looking highly insulted.

"Well it kind of is a terrible thought to kiss some one who's had another man's penis in their mouth before hand," Suikotsu answered matter-of-factly.

Jakotsu still looked a little miffed. "That was last night and since then I've eaten and drank too." Then the cross dresser smiled at the memory. "Besides, Oo-Aniki is very tasty."

"Oh kami it's true..."

The mercenaries looked up to see Renkotsu coming out of the brush and trying desperately to regain his composure, although his skin still had a little green twinge to it. He took up his flask full of flammable liquid, took a swig and blew out a nice plume of flame, though careful not to set neighboring trees alight and cause a forest fire around them.

"What was all that for?" Bankotsu quirked an eyebrow at his new recruit.

"I had to sterilize my mouth," Renkotsu grumbled, though it caused everyone else but Jakotsu to burst into fits of laughter.

"But why is sucking off Oo-Aniki so terrible?" Jakotsu looked honestly bewildered at this concept. "Unless you want me to suck you off too, Ren?"

"No!" Renkotsu looked ready to chuck his flask at Jakotsu's head, so Suikotsu stepped in before a fight ensued.

"Well, you see, Jak, it might be nice sucking off some one you love," Suikotsu explained calmly. "but for a relative stranger who might not have had that experience yet, it might not be so nice for them to lock lips with someone who recently had someone else's genitalia and fluids in their mouths."

"What...?" Jakotsu blinked as he was not quite sure what genitalia meant, though he had a guess. "Wait! I've done that hundreds of times and none of my clients ever complained..."

"Ren is not one of your clients," the claw bearer pointed out simply.

"True..." The cross dresser nodded, then turned to Renkotsu. "I'm sorry, Ren... anyway I'm now going to ignore you."

"Good..." The fire-breather grumbled.

"I don't think he's going to be paying any more attention to you, so you're safe." Suikotsu chuckled. "You've got what you wanted and he should leave you alone now. By the way, welcome... You've been permanently accepted, both of you." The claw bearer gave Renkotsu a couple of friendly slaps on the back.

"Lovely..." Renkotsu sighed wearily. "I'm going to go sleep all this off. Wake me when it's my time for my watch."

Suikotsu smiled and nodded. "Want some sake to settle your nerves? Ban owes me that jug."

"Thank you. But I must decline..." Renkotsu held up a hand in polite refusal, before going to roll out a sleeping mat. "It may settle my nerves, but upset my stomach again."

888

Suikotsu and Jakotsu sat around the fire enjoying the sake Suikotsu had won from Bankotsu. Currently their leader and the two recruits were sleeping soundly. Jakotsu kept looking over at the sleeping Renkotsu, and seemed to be thinking bawdy thoughts about the young fire-breather.

"I didn't know you had a thing for bald men." Suikotsu chuckled at the cross dresser.

"Sui, I have thing for most men..." Jakotsu winked seductively at his comrade.

"That's true..." the claw bearer said thoughtfully. "After all, you did try to corrupt all those monks at the monastery we stayed at once."

Jakotsu heaved an overly dramatic sigh. "So many men.... and so little time..." Then he grinned. "I really could have used another week there, at least!"

Suikotsu had to cover his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing and waking the others. "So how many of them did you seduce?"

Jakotsu attempted to count his fingers. "Uh...Sui...I ran out of fingers and I know there were more than that..."

"Use your toes then..."

"Oh yeah!"

After little while counting Jakotsu spoke again. "Uh...Sui...How many is it with all of my fingers and all of the toes on one foot?"

"Fifteen. My, my you were busy"

"Yes. That as just before dinner..." Jakotsu laughed.

"No wonder Oo-Aniki couldn't find you..." Suikotsu snorted as he poured himself another cup of sake.

"Yeah... but then it was fun as a lot of them were virgins..." Jakotsu giggled.

"All of those monks and you still haven't seduced Ren yet," Suikotsu teased.

Jakotsu grinned broadly as he looked back over at Renkotsu. "I'm just biding my time with him... He's much more fun when he doesn't see it coming."

Just then Renkotsu sneezed in his sleep...