subordinates and comrades

Ken Joshima and Chikusa Kakimori -- Mukuro's two important subordinates. Mukuro has said that: "Humans are merely toys." But when it comes to his relationship with these two, a fan cannot help but feel that Mukuro doesn't actually face those two in that same way. A part of him, in my opinion, has a spot of sympathy for them. They all grew up together, so it's not surprising that they stuck together for this long, right? Ken Joshima is the wild cartridge/fang changing character with a really loud, violent personality (think Squalo -- only more untamed). Ken Chikusa vaguely reminds me of a techno DJ, he's the calmer one of the two who doesn't seem to like battling much because it gets him "dirty", his use of the yo-yo as a weapon is beyond imagination.

So, why exactly do these two people mean so much to Mukuro? It's because they're the ones who pledged their eternal gratitude to him first -- and they are also the only ones who know of the cruelty of eachother's childhoods while they were still in the mafia (Estraneo family). Ken and Chikusa were the ones to explain to Tsuna of the situation and why they were willing to follow Mukuro. After destroying all of the Estraneo, Mukuro asked the two (while they were still children) if they'd follow him. Sure enough, they'd agreed without hesitation because at the time, anything was better than being part of the mafia experiments. Most of all, it gave Ken and Chikusa a place to be needed (Chrome is like this too in her relationship with Mukuro). All of them experiencing the same thing as children really makes them stick together; no one else really knows the pain that the mafia caused them and no one else would fight off the mafia either. Ken and Chikusa were willing to go as far as Mukuro using their bodies until death to defeat the mafia, that is how devoted they are to Mukuro and his ideals.

The first season has no clear point on Mukuro trusting his subordinates, but the Varia does a very good job of telling us what's going on. After their third prison break (click this section to get more info on "The Deal"), Ken, Chikusa, and Mukuro split up to rendevous at a hiding spot. When Ken and Chikusa make it there, Mukuro isn't there waiting for them. Instead, they are greeted by a girl with a similar appearance with the name Chrome Dokuro. It's not revealed to Ken and Chikusa that Mukuro is working under the Vongola for their safety, but Ken and Chikusa undoubtedly help Chrome under Mukuro's orders.