Jungle fever

Chapter 23

Taiga walked with the group of his friends and Kagetora through the jungle. Soon Riko bid him farewell, as she had to fetch some leaves with her father. Kazunari told him once again where he should go and Junpei handed the map of the cave to him, patting his shoulder as he and Teppei, who gave him a huge bag of food, also got another way to leave fails tracks. Ryouta threw an arm around his shoulder. "Kazunari and I will hunt some wild. That will make enough noise. The deers will run wild anyway and break lots of branches on their way. I think you should be pretty safe." The blond grinned and waved as the raven gave his final instructions to his best friend. "Be careful to never leave the path shown in the map. The cave is huge and I fear once you take the wrong offshoot you will be lost in there forever. It is really risky to do that, but we couldn't think of another plan for you and the Aomine guy to hide and move at the same time."

Kazunari then stepped close to Taiga and hugged him tight. "I will miss you, buddy. Be safe and make sure to come back one day."

The redhead was baffled. "Oi Kaz, you behave like we will never see each other again."

The raven drew back. "But it is like that, right? Our tribe's are enemies. Once both of you are gone, even more. I currently can't think of how we could deal with a furious Raion and a wild Aomine chieftain." He said, hanging his head.

"It's alright, Kaz. You all did already so much for me." Taiga laid a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed tight. "Thank you. And who knows? Maybe it will work out and I can come back with him."

They locked their gazes one last time until Ryouta reminded them that time was working against them. "Be safe."

The redhead nodded. "Take care."

With those last words, the friends parted, not knowing when they would see each other again.

꧁✿.｡.:* ☆:**:..:**:.☆*.:｡.✿꧂

Since everyone had witnessed the fight with his father over the marriage with Masako, they had changed the plan in the short time they had left until his departure. Now, Taiga and Daiki would go further into the cave where none of them ever went and that was only based on an old map Kazunari had found in his father's belongings. Certainly, the redhead didn't feel very comfortable going into unknown terrain, but somehow his bigger fear was that the bluenette wouldn't approve.

That the blue-haired male wouldn't come was out of the question for Taiga and so he strolled a bit more lighthearted, but with steady steps forward. He was currently in such a good mood that he wanted to do somersaults like the million butterflies in his belly.

Spurting a stupid grin on his face, he walked out of some tall bushes and right into Tatsuya his self made-brother.

"Uhmpf ..." They both groaned, laying on their backs on the ground and held their heads.

"What the ... Taiga!" Tatsuya had recovered first and his joyful exclamation echoed through the forest.

The redhead looked completely dumbfounded back and forth between his brother and the woman standing close by. When the ox stamped impatient with his feet, he snapped out of it and stood up, only to be clutched tightly by lithe strong arms.

"Long time not seen. How are you? It's nice that you came to pick us up. Masako was already a little impatient here." The raven-hair man leaned back and smiled at the still silent redhead. "What's up? Have you swallowed your tongue?" He chuckled. "Or are you so captured by Masako's beauty?"

"Tatsuya!" She growled and out of nowhere pointed a long wooden stick at both men. "Only to warn you, I will use this if you sprout more nonsense."