Six Eyes

Chapter Four: The Smell of Blood

Some time later, summer had rolled around, resulting in warm and humid nights. "It's hot!" Yuichiro had complained, and Kokushibo couldn't help but agree. "The river is... still cold... we can cool off... there."

"Mommy says we can't swim without daddy." Yuichiro pouts. "It's alright..." Kokushibo assured him. "You are... safe with me... because I am... your relative..." Muichiro's eyes widened and it almost looked like they were sparkling. "Will I have six eyes too one day!?" He jumps up and down from excitement.

"I... doubt it." Kokushibo sighed, a smile tugging at his lips at Muichiro's childish question. "Duh," Yuichiro punches Muichiro in the shoulder.

Once they got there, Kokushibo took off his shirt sat down in the chilly water. "Cold!" Yuichiro cried out as he stuck his hand in the water. "Really cold!" His twin agreed. Though Kokushibo found Douma's ice much colder.

"Deep!"

"Too deep for us!"

"Will you come too?"

Kokushibo blinked. "I see... why not."

Kokushibo picked up the twins and placed them on each of his shoulders, getting on his knees in the water so they could play in the water. Truthfully, the River only reached his waistband, but he still wanted the twins to be able to cool off.

"Fish!" Yuichiro pointed at a colorful fish that swam past them. In one swift move, Kokushibo slashed his hand in the water and grasped the fish, taking it out of the water for the boys to see.

"Wha! Fishy!" Muichiro exclaims as Yuichiro attempts to grab at it. Kokushibo softly handed the fish to Yuichiro, though the rainbow fish's sharp back fins outstretch and cut the boys hands.

"Ow!" Yuichiro dropped the fish and clenched his hand, a steady stream of blood flowing down his hand. Kokushibo feels his mouth start to water as the metallic scent of blood fills his nostrils, his fangs starting to quiver at the idea of a meal.

Meal

Suddenly, Kokushibo hated that term.

Kokushibo harshly bit down on his lip and grabbed the boys, quickly jumping out the water and placing them on the shore and helping them out their haori's back on.

He bit onto the sleeve of his kimono and ripped a strip of fabric off, fastening it around Yuichiro's injured palm.

"Go... home... children." Kokushibo said sternly, the scent of blood still strongly lingering in the air. "Six eyes-," Muichiro started. "Go... home..." Kokushibo snapped

'Kokushibo...' That's man's voice called out, like an icicle scraping against Kokushibo's bones. But he wasn't there. That man wasn't anywhere near that river, or even near that mountain. If Kokushibo focused hard enough, he could feel how far away that man was actually was, and it wasn't close to Kokushibo, not at all.

'They only serve to hold you down, Kokushibo...' Kokushibo grabbed the side did his head and scratched profusely and drew his own blood, continuing to scratch even as his wounds healed and his blood dried.

'Consume them, Kokushibo... become the last of the Tsugikuni bloodline... go back to being my faithful partner...' His voice was in a whisper, but still caused a thumping at the back of Kokushibo's head.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Kokushibo faintly heard Yuichiro in the distance from inside of the house. The front door flings open and the boys' father steps out, his eyes locking onto Kokushibo's back, though only for a moment before Kokushibo leapt into the trees.

Kokushibo thought. He thought about it, so much that it tore through his head, worse than any sword or axe or even the damn sun. 'What am I doing, lord muzan?' He asked himself. 'Why do I care?'

Suddenly, an image passed through his mind. A smiling young boy, asking him a question. "Brother, is it your dream to become the greatest samurai?" Kokushibo halted both his running and his breath. "Then I will become the second best!"

Kokushibo reaches into his breast pocket, pulling out a small, broken, wooden flute that, even if put back together, could only play one note. "I hate you." Kokushibo said aloud, gripping the flute as tears well in his eyes. "I hate you so much..."