Chapter 071: Four Years Ago (Part 1)

Four Years Ago (Part 1) (4年前(前編), 4 Nen Mae (Zenpen)) is the 71st chapter of the Kekkaishi Manga written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe.

Summary
Four years ago, a young Gen Shishio was in trouble yet again for fighting with Tsutomu, the son of a local official. Gen's older sister Ryo Shishio, offered to go with him to apologize, though she first had to drag him out of the tree he was hiding in.

At the Shishio Family Dojo, Gou Shishio the eldest of Gen's three older brothers had scared off the last of the dojo's paying students with his brutal nature. Bored, the brothers decide to bully Gen, their preferred hobby. Before they can, their father Tetsusai Shishio enters, complaining that Gen has beaten up another kid.

On their way home from apologizing, Ryo doesn't understand why kids pick on Gen, since he doesn't start the fights. Tsutomu and a friend begin throwing mud at Ryo and Gen. Ryo yells and chases them, but Gen throws a large rock, scaring them away. Gen swears he'll kill them, and as Ryo stops him, she sees his arm starting to transform. The power quickly fades, but Ryo is stunned.

Ryo later learns from her outraged father that Gen attacked Tsutomu with a weapon. Tetsusai orders his sons to find and capture Gen while he, Mrs. Shishio, and Ryo apologize to Tsutomu's parents. Gen's brothers tie him up and plan to punish him for shaming the family. Ryo returns home to find Gen missing and her brothers beaten up.

Gen returns home and overhears his father and sister talking. Gen's brothers are in the hospital, and they kept calling him a monster. Tetsusai reluctantly plans to send Gen to the Shadow Organization for training. Ryo is at first against the idea, but her father reminds her that Gen is beyond their ability to control and that things will only get worse if they don't do something. She hesitantly agrees, which triggers Gen's enraged transformation into a full Ayakashi. He runs away from home, just as Kyoichi Hiba arrives to pursue him.

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Ryo Shishio
 * Gen Shishio
 * Gou Shishio
 * Shou Shishio
 * Yuu Shishio
 * Tetsusai Shishio
 * Tsutomu
 * Mrs. Shishio
 * Kyoichi Hiba