a) 菓 -> 柱 -> 青 -> 腰
菓 KA - cake, fruit
柱 CHUU, hashira - pillar, column, pole
青 SEI, SHOU, ao(i) - blue
腰 YOU, koshi - pelvis, loins, hips, back
b) 菓 -> 棋 -> 基 -> 堤
菓 KA - cake, fruit
棋 KI - go, shogi, Japanese chess
基 KI, moto, motoi - basis, foundation
堤 TEI, tsutsumi - bank, embankment, dike