Kiyomi Sato-Hon - Little Alice

[Little Alice]

Seeing the kunai heading towards them, Kuromu whipped his tail around. The dragon's hard scales caused the kunai to rebound harmlessly away. He wanted to launch a fireball towards the pale man, but Hayate was too close. Flying in a circle, he kept his position above the wyvern, allowing Kiyomi to do whatever she needed.

As the man began to form handseals, Hayate did not hesitate. Charging forwards with his shoulder, he managed to knock the man backwards, interrupting his seals. Using the butt end of one of the pieces of the staff, Hayate swung a vicious blow upwards, attempting to catch the pale man with an uppercut. Cursing, the pale man felt the hit on his chin. Stumbling backwards, one of the two shuriken then also hit him at his right side. The steel, enhanced by the lightning chakra, made the projectile go much deeper than it would do without. Stunned a bit by the lightning, the man sank to his knees. ''Hayate, get over here!''

He had been about to strike downwards with one of the halves of the staff when he heard Kiyomi call out to him. Turning his head, Hayate looked back at her, hesitating for a moment. During that moment, the pale man raised up his right arm. Out of the sleeve, a snake shot towards Hayate. Wrapping it self around Hayate's neck, the snake would try to strangle him. ''You..!''[/i] This snake looked different than the others. It had a more crude looking scales. Seeing the danger, Kiyomi grew pale. ''Hayate!'' Pounding her right hand on Kuromu, she pointed at the two. ''Save him! Save him!'' Only the wyvern had recovered and was about to turn to face the smaller reptile. A loud growling was produced from the throat of the wyvern.

For a moment there was silence, and then the world seemed to shake. A large explosion rocked the wyvern, and sent both Hayate and the pale man flying. The unstable alloy that Hayate had leaked beneath the scales of the wyvern had finally set off. The explosion was directed inwards, shredding the wyvern's insides and causing it a massive amount of internal trauma. The force of the blast had blown Kuromu back, and he flapped his wings hard to regain his balance. Turning back towards the wyvern, who was now slowly falling from the sky, Kuromu searched desperately for Hayate.

The explosion had thrown Hayate backwards with far more force than he had originally anticipated. The only saving grace in that was that the snake had also been thrown some distance away from him. Slowly, shakily, he pushed himself up onto his knees. He felt funny at first... Were... were they falling?" His eyes widened with the sudden realization that he had done far more damage to the wyvern than he had intended. That was okay with him though, the foul creature deserved to die as well.

As he struggled to stand, a shadow fell over him. Raising his head, Hayate saw the pale man lunging towards him, his eyes full of fury and hatred. The man held two kunai in his hands, and before Hayate had a chance to move, to get out of the way, the man had already lunged forward. Lifting his left hand in a feeble defence, Hayate took one of the blades through his palm, the force of it punching straight through the metal armour and out the other side of his hand. He wasn't in time to block the other kunai however, and the pale man rammed it through Hayate's right shoulder. Reaching up with his right hand shaking, Hayate managed to grasp the man's hand in a weak grip.

"Time for you to die little worm." The pale man sneered, his eyes gaining a cruel glint. Hayate lifted his head, staring into the pale man's eyes. And then... he smiled. The sight of the boy's smile brought a chill to the pale man's spine. He tried to pull his hands away before realizing, with growing panic, that he was stuck. Looking down, the pale man saw that Hayate had started to transfer his metal armour onto him. Hayate had used the man's own plan against him. As the metal began covering the man's arms, he tried to pull away in vain. Fighting through the numbing pain, Hayate focused on flowing his chakra through the metal, causing it to cover more of the man, first the arms, then the chest, and then soon it had covered his legs as well. Forcing himself to stand, Hayate felt faint, and almost stumbled. Catching himself, he watched the metal slide up towards the man's neck before he stopped it. The man would now be completely incapable of movement. "I..." Hayate coughed viciously for a moment; he was getting close to his limit. "I told you not to touch her. You should have listened to me." Hayate's voice was filled with cold anger. The pale man's eyes widened for a moment... "You..."

Before the man could finish his sentence, Hayate caused the metal armour to send thousands of spikes inwards, eviscerating the man's insides. The man coughed twice, blood flowing out of his mouth, before he went limp within the armour that had now become his tomb. Hayate slowly stepped backwards, pulling himself away from the two kunai that had impaled him. He looked at the man for a moment more, no emotions on his face. Reaching out one hand he placed it against the metal and flowed his chakra through it. Using up a fair amount of his remaining chakra, Hayate set the metal to become unstable. Pulling himself away he stumbled towards the edge of the plummeting wyvern. Taking one last look up to the sky he tried to call out, his voice hoarse. "Kiyomi-" Hayate fell to his knees, and slowly slipped off the back of the wyvern, falling. Behind him, the metal armour surrounding the pale man's corpse exploded, removing any doubt as to his fate.

Hayate drifted out of consciousness as he fell, his world turning black.

She panicked. It didn't happene that often, but she did. The eyes of the girl scanned everything. All she could see was everythin but Hayate. ''No.. No!'' Even her heightened senses didn't help. Was it the work of the poson? Or her fear? Her eyes wide open, she looked horrified at what seemed to go slow. As if the whole world was going slower to torture her, slowly showing every detail that she had lost Hayate.That wasn't possible. That wasn't something she would allow. ''Hayate!'' She shouted, only to hear an explosion following. Squinting her eyes, Kiyomi focused. Another explosion? He was there! He had to be. Like it was fate, she heard her name, by his voice. Panicked and desperate, her voice became more high pitched. ''There! He is there! Quick! Kuromu, there!'' Pointing to the direction, she wasn't sure if she had noticed Hayate. Then she noticed something.

''HAYATE!''

[/center]

He thought he could hear someone calling him, it sounded nice... Mumbling something, Hayate tried to open his eyes but he was unable to move.

Kuromu heard the girl call out at the same instant he had spotted the boy. Cursing, the dragon dove. Hayate had already been falling for some time. Pushing himself to the limit, Kuromu rocketed towards the boy. "Hold on Kiyomi! This is going to be close!" They were approaching the ground far faster than Kuromu would have liked, he only hoped that he would make it in time.

The heavier weight of the dragon and the girl caused them to gain on him, but it was stil, getting so very close... At the last second, Kuromu tucked underneath Hayate, flaring out his wings he managed to slow their decent, very slightly. Hayate landed on the back of the dragon awkwardly and began sliding off, towards the edge. Had he not been unconscious, Hayate would have been able to grab hold of something to prevent his fall, but as Kuromu looked over his shoulder in fear, the boy slid ever closer to the edge.

Rolling, she felt tears forming in her eyes. ''No no no! Gotcha!'' Grabbing his ankle, Kiyomi used her other hand to slam it on the back of Kuromu. Blue chakra appeared around it. The chakra would latch her hand to the dragon. Using it with her other hand, she tried to pull up Hayate. ''Hayate, don't you dare. Don't you fucking dare!''[/font] Kiyomi started to say with a shaking voice. ''Wake up, jerk! Wake up!'' It was like nobody other than Hayate was around her. Still panicking, the pain from the poison wasn't even something she noticed in her desperate attempt to hold on to Hayate.

Hearing that voice again, Hayate's eyes began to flicker, opening ever so slightly. "Ki-Kiyomi... You're not hurt are you...?" His voice sounded lazily quiet. He was still fighting to regain consciousness. Hayate had a brief feeling that he was supposed to be doing something, and without realizing it, he reached out a hand to grab hold of the dragon.

''Shut up, fool. I am going to beat you to death. Hear me? Stupid moron! Blowing yourself up. What were you thinking?!'' Kiyomi started to scold him. But she smiled. Glad to hear his voice, she managed to pull him closer. After he would be able to grab hold of the dragon, Kiyomi sighed. ''Kuromu... We need to head to the outskirt of town. Can you.. bring us there?'' Kiyomi asked. Worried, she looked at Hayate. Slowly, she was reminded by the poison as she could feel it creeping in her body, climbing higher and higher.

"Heh." He laughed, his voice still weak. As she pulled him towards her, Hayate smiled. "I had to... had to... had to make sure you were safe..." He managed to get out before resting his head against her, lulling back into semi-consciousness.

[Little Alice]

Kuromu heard the voice of the girl behind him, it sounded like she was struggling. Glancing back, he was relieved to see that both the girl and Hayate were safely resting on his back. Turning ahead he made his way back towards the town. "I will get you there. Get some rest, it won't be long now." Flapping his wings a little harder, Kuromu increased his pace.

''I don't need a rest. The battles in the town are still going on. I need... an antidote.'' Kiyomi said. With Hayate resting against her, she kept him close. However, she felt the same feeling of panicking again. The poison was creeping higher and already, the end of her fingers were feeling numb. As if they were asleep. ''That and we need medical attention for Hayate as well. ''Dumbass. Stay with me. Please...'' Whispering the last sentence, Kiyomi looked worried in Hayate's direction. Mean while, she would send a message through the Dragon Seal. Hopefully, she could get some help as they both were in need of it.

Something in the words... the way it sounded... Hayate forced himself to open his eyes fully, the effort was tremendous. "I am here... Always..." His voice was barely louder than a whisper and at first he wasn't sure if she'd even heard him. He felt himself fading again. Struggling against the urge to close his eyes, Hayate drew a kunai from inside his jacket. Taking a breath he prepared himself before plunging the kunai into his thigh. He didn't jab it too deep, but it was enough to force adrenaline through his system, forcing the poision back, at least for the moment. Sitting up a little, he rested himself against Kiyomi. Realizing how pale she looked, Hayate pulled her towards him. Placing one hand against her cheek he looked her in the eye. "Yo-you didn't think I was just... going to let you fight them all by yourself did you...?" A small smile lit his face as he looked at her.

Smiling, she placed a hand on his. ''Maybe.'' Seeing that he stabbed himself, she grew more worried. ''Have you been... are you feeling well? Can you move your legs?'' Kiyomi asked, panicking again. As if it weren't her body that was slowly getting paralyzed. But it was just her cocern for Hayate. It was bigger than worrying about herself. ''Kuromu, how far?'' Already Kiyomi had gained a reply. A team of three shinobi on their side would try to get to their location. Most of the fights had turned into their favor. The 'enemy' was being driven back. Without one of their leaders and the surprise element, the Dragon Lotus had managed to tip the battle into their favor. That made her worry less. Only way how she could fight was to use more chakra of Matatabi. Something she stubbornly refused to use with Hayate near her.

His smile turned into a sheepish grin. "Well... it stings a little, so at least I know I can still feel them." Hayate tested out his movement, it was sluggish, but he could move. "How about you Kiyomi-chan...? You were hit with his poison a lot earlier than I was... Are you sure you are okay?" Hayate tried to shake himself into a more alert state. He could still feel the poisin nagging at the back of his mind, but he would fight it for as long as he had to.

Not turning his head, Kuromu responded to the girl's question. "We are two miles out. Should only be a short time before we arrive. Is there anywhere specific you need me to take you?" The dragon was concerned about the two passengers he was carrying. They were clearly not in the best of shape, and Kuromu himself was getting tired. He had never flown this far before with a passenger, let alone two.

''I am alive.'' Kiyomi replied. It wasn't like that meant she was okay. The burning pain was still there, reminding her that her body was suffering under the poison. ''No, I assume they can spot us easily. Its not like we're trying to be stealthy. Certainly not after somebody exploded a big beast almost up.'' Kiyomi said with an amused voice. Turning her attention back to Hayate, she sighed. She wanted to lay closer to him, but with her body being in the state of slowly getting immobilized, she couldn't. ''You improved.. a lot.''[/font] Kiyomi said. To be honest, she always had trained Hayate to become strong and like her, hard to read in combat. But he had taken out a foe that had been a trouble. It was impressive for a genin and she wondered how much more he would grow.

When she said she was alive, Hayate couldn't help but utter a soft, "Good." He laughed at her crack about blowing up the wyvern, but quickly stopped when he realized how much laughing hurt. Laying next to her, he grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "That's all thanks to your training Kiyomi-chan. You made me stronger... Thank you... for everything."

Kuromu could see the city ahead. Getting lower to the ground he found a decent spot to land. Coming to as soft a landing as he could, the dragon lowered himself so that the two passengers on his back would not have a far drop. As he lowered himself, his body gave out a little. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was. "Hayate... Kiyomi... I think this is as far as I can get you... Will... will this be enough?" He sounded ashamed, he should have been able to do better.

''Don't you dare thank me like that! Stay with me, Hayate.'' Sounding worried, Kiyomi forgot about Kuromu's question for a moment. Hayate had sounded like he was going to get knocked out. But she turned her attention to the dragon. ''This is good enough. One moment.'' Suddenly, Kiyomi pushed Hayate hard. So that he would roll off Kuromu's shoulder. With a smirk, she would use some of her last strength to roll herself off the dragon's back. Luckily they would fall in some high grass. That would at least break theif fall. Not that Kiyomi was bothered much by it. Most of her body had turned numb after all. ''Thank you Kuromu...'' Kiyomi said, sighing out loud.

Letting out a loud and lazy "Oof!" as he landed, Hayate was glad that his feeling of pain had been dulled. He didn't have time to move before Kiyomi rolled herself off the dragon's back however, and she ended up landing on top of him. Letting out another sound of discomfort, Hayate looked up with tired eyes towards Kiyomi. "Glad I could break your fall." He grinned, somehow finding the strength to tease her. Though the position he had landed was slightly uncomfortable, Hayate made no move to shift Kiyomi off of him. Reaching up with one hand, he gently brushed away a few strands of loose hair that had fallen in her face. His mind was in a daze, and while most of it was just because of the poison's growing effect, it wasn't all because of that. "You really are beautiful..." He said softly; a small dazed smile on his face.

The dragon made a soft snorting sound behind them. It sounded like a mixture of a laugh and a sigh. Turning his large head, Kuromu spoke quietly. "You are welcome little one. But I believe I owe you my thanks as well. You got the boy out of there, for that I am in debt to you." Turning his head back, Kuromu laid down, glad for the momentary respite.

''I know, Kuromu-san.. Thanks.'' Kiyomi felt her left arm becoming numb and after Hayate's words, she gently pushed herself off Hayate. Laying next to him, she sighed. They had to wait for help and then see what would happen next. With not hearing or sensing the fights near, Kiyomi wondered how they were progressing. They had managed to take out somebody who was important for some reason for their enemy. She wasn't sure why, but it was just like that. Sensing people approaching their location, by smell and hearing, Kiyomi wanted to raise her body. Only her arms were almost numb. Even breathing was getting a bother now. Trying to keep a calming breathing, to not alarm Hayate, Kiyomi heard somebody shooting a question as they came to a halt. ''Which side?''

[Little Alice]

''That of the serpent.'' Kiyomi calmly answered. It stayed silent before one of them approached Kiyomi. The four other men were wary of Kuromu. The man approaching Kiyomi had some blood over his clothing. ''Sit still. This might sting, but it will help me to find out about the poison. Are you both poisoned?''[/i] The man asked. Kiyomi wasn't sure and waited for Hayate to answer. She was hoping he wasn't actually, already feeling guilty.

Managing to lift his head a little, Hayate turned towards the people asking questions. Putting on a small, sheepish smile, his words came out a little slow. "I... I believe so... yes..." Looking down at Kiyomi he felt saddened. He hoped she was going to be alright. "I am sorry sensei." Laying back down, Hayate felt tired. But there was still so much to do...

The medical ninjutsu indeed stinged. After Hayate's answer, the man would perform the same. ''We will take you two to the other wounded. So far the fighting has stopped. And it has become a draw.''[/i] Hearing what the result was, Kiyomi felt a bitter taste in her mouth. A draw? That meant that they weren't able to go home yet. That while they had managed to take out their target. Thinking about it, she could send Hayate home. He was to help to end a certain target. With that target dead, he could go home. Only, she was sure he wouldn't co-operate with that idea. With the four other men coming to carry Kiyomi and Hayate, two men carying one of them, Kiyomi glanced at Hayate. She would later talk with him about this.

---

u]The next day.
In the capital of the Sea Country.

[/u][/i][/b][/center]

Flexing her fingers, Kiyomi put on her gloves. The basement was faintly lighted, but she felt better. With the poison out of her system, she was ready to end this fight. But first she had to talk with Hayate. Looking at the other side of the room, she wondered if he was readying himself to join the fight that would soon start again. ''Hey Hayate. What are you doing?'' Kiyomi asked, putting on some kind of uniform. A dark grey kind of flak jacket, that was different from that of the Leaf. It would mask them as shinobi of the Sea country, hopefully keeping their identies secret in battle.

Just finishing up putting on the uniform himself, Hayate turned towards her. "I am getting ready to finish this Kiyomi-chan." He looked down at the uniform, it seemed odd to be wearing something aside from his traditional long black jacket. Adjusting the uniform so that it fit him a little better, Hayate offered Kiyomi a small smile. "How do I look?"

''I have seen you in things that look better.~'' Kiyomi said, not even looking anymore. Putting on the headband, she then glanced in his direction. ''But you look, daunting.'' Turning however into a more serious mood, Kiyomi leaned on a table behind her with placing her hands on the edge of it. ''We need to talk. I mean, there is a lot that you have learned, but then you must have a lot of questions. Am I right?'' She asked. Before raising a hand to prevent him from talking with that gesture. ''Don't dare to give me the answer you're doing this to help me out and follow me. Be honest with me and just answer me. You wonder about it, right?'''

Smiling when she had called him daunting, Hayate couldn't help but blush a little. When Kiyomi grew more serious however, he focused on her words. Opening his mouth to respond, she quickly made him pause. Hayate had indeed been about to say such a thing, and he bit his tongue, realizing that she was after another kind of answer. Sighing, Hayate finally nodded his head. "You already know that I will follow you anywhere, so there is not much point in me saying it again. You are right though... I am curious about everything, but I am used to secrets. And I am used to knowing my place. I do not wish to put you into a position where you are at risk for giving me any information that I should not be privy to. That is the absolute last thing I want..." Lowering his head, Hayate tried to find the right words. "Everything that we have done so far, I admit... it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I am beginning to get an idea as to why we are truly here, but I hate making assumptions. If... if there is anything that I am allowed to know... anything that you won't get into trouble for telling me, then yes Kiyomi-chan... I would love to know."

''Good. You already hear things you're not allowed to hear. With us being alone, I figure that this might be the moment to explain some things I know. Do know, I am... not very knowleded on this all. I am just a recruit either.'' Kiyomi said, hoping it would make Hayate realize that there were people who were even more aware of some dark secrets. ''But you already have likely figured that we're doing what a certain 'Dragon' wants. Ironically, you're being dragged into a group that should be fitting with your summoning. Only now you should it the other way around. A Dragon summoning you...'' Kiyomi slowly paused. ''But there are what I understand some factions. Hidden away from the public view. Konoha, Kumogakure, the Sea Country and every nation. Every faction. There are people that serve one or another. Our enemy has their goals and we have ours. It is simple as that.'' Waiting to see if he understood it and also allowing Hayate to ask a question, Kiyomi stopped.

Nodding his head, Hayate was indeed aware that this... this organization, or whatever it was, must be full of different people. The very nature of what they had done so far hinted that there was some 'higher power' controlling things. "I understand Kiyomi-chan... As I mentioned before, I am familiar with secrecy. My whole clan is shrouded in it... It may not be my favourite thing in the world but I understand the need for it sometimes. I... I am not sure why this group wants me, nor am I entirely certain that I am qualified. But, that being said, I understand that this is something that once you're in, you're in for good. So I suppose I have no choice in the matter..." Looking up at her, Hayate locked eyes with Kiyomi. "I wouldn't have it any other way though... That may not make a lot of sense, but all I mean is that I am glad that you have shared this with me, and I am glad that this is something I can share with you. It... it may not matter as much to me right now what this... this 'Dragon,' wants. But what matters is that I am here with you. And if the only way I can truly do that is by giving up my freedom to this organization then I do so without any regrets."

Closing her eyes, Kiyomi wanted to scold him. But his words comforted her. Smiling, she shook her head. No, she had to focus. ''Hayate, this isn't about being with me. Nor will it be that simple to give your freedom to be with me.'' Kiyomi tried to explain. ''You're right. I have the same idea and once you receive the mark, which some members get, those who are allowed to learn some secrets, you can't turn your back on the organization. Even running away won't help. I-I... they are everywhere. People who you never expect to be part of a side, suddenly are your enemy. Best friends are suddenly murderers. You need to understand, that I am not even safe for you. Got that?''

"Heh," He smiled, "I'm not one to run away Kiyomi. You should know that by now." Hayate grew serious however, as he understood Kiyomi's point. "At least this way we know we can trust each other... Even if it is only for the moment. But I understand. And I will do what I must, but... I..." Frowning he wondered why he was having such difficulty speaking. Shaking his head he simply looked back at Kiyomi, hoping she would understand.

Waiting for some moments, to see what he was going to say, Kiyomi sighed. Knowing that it wasn't the easiest subject to talk about, Kiyomi wondered if she would ever make it clear. She just wasn't sure how she could do that. ''Yes, this moment you can trust me.'' Kiyomi finally said back. ''That is why you can ask me now questions. Later and I can't guarantee that I will be able to answer them.''

Thinking for a moment, Hayate finally responded. "Do you know why they want me? I know it may seem like a strange question, I just... I have never really considered myself to be anything more than an average shinobi. I just don't see why they would want me to be a part of their group..." He sounded both puzzled and a little saddened. Looking down, a thought suddenly occurred to Hayate. "Is... is this how you were recruited Kiyomi-chan? Did someone take you on a mission and... and make you join?" His voice kind of faltered at the end of his sentence, realizing that he probably sounded like he was prying.

''No. My way into the organization is different.'' Kiyomi said. Briefly pondering on a thought, she spoke again. ''I was made a jinchuriki by accident. At the time, I was with Team 6 and 4. Supported by some special ANBU that served the now dead Elders of our village. Back then, we not only were fighting the Nibi, but members of this organization as well. Later, I and the host of the eight tails were trying to be captured. Again, by the organization that has us both now.'' Kiyomi briefly became silenced. She could remember confronting Jinkama about this. ''But in the end, I kind of signed myself up for this. I guess it just runs in my line.'' The last sentence was nothing more than mocking mumble.

[Little Alice]

Hearing Kiyomi's tone, Hayate hesitated. He was shocked to hear that she had volunteered. It seemed so strange a concept to him that somebody would volunteer for this... but then, as he thought about it, it stopped being as strange a thought. Staring back at her, Hayate spoke, his voice quiet. "Your line Kiyomi-chan? What do you mean by that?" He realized that this was probably a sensitive topic, and hoped he hadn't overstepped his bounds. Though Hayate was glad that Kiyomi was sharing this information with him, it felt nice to know a little bit more about her.

''It can mean everything. Just know that some that have signed themselves up, have a good reason to do this. Like I have.'' Kiyomi answered. ''It is hard sometimes. There have been many times I wanted to shout out what I know. To know what somebody else outside of this was thinking. But that isn't possible.'' Pausing, she sighed as she looked away. ''I just have my own reasons. I don't know why they want you as I am against it. The organization isn't a place for people who should have a bright future.''

He felt pained seeing her like this. Hayate looked down for a moment, before stepping forwards and gently taking one of her hands in his own. "Hey... I think the future looks pretty bright from where I'm standing. I don't necessarily know what I've been brought into, but I want you to know how much I appreciate you telling me all this. It truly means a lot to me Kiyomi... You mean a lot..." Pausing he looked at her, locking his eyes with hers. A small smile touched his lips. "I... I know that we must follow orders, and things must remain secretive within this thing... But I want you to know that you can always trust me Kiyomi-chan. And, if you ever feel the need to shout anything out... Just know that I am here to listen... If you want of course..." He turned away slightly, blushing though he wasn't certain why.

Looking sideways at him, a little smile adored her lips. ''I guess you're right. After all,'' She closed her eyes as she briefly lifted up her head and sighed. Opening her eyes again, there was a glint in them. ''I need to have somebody who watch my back on my way to become Hokage. And who knows what else?'' Kiyomi pushed herself from the table and glanced at the door, above the stairs. Their time was running out. Checking her gear again, she was a bit disappointed she had went with a tanto. But the less people could recognize her, the better. ''Ready?''

Smiling warmly, Hayate nodded. Nothing more was needed to be said. He sheathed the katana he had decided to carry with him in place of his staff. It was a weapon he wasn't as familiar with, but his time spent training with Kensuke had at least given him enough knowledge to be able to handle his own with it. Pulling up his face mask, Hayate turned to face Kiyomi. "Let's do this."

Walking up the stairs, Kiyomi pulled her face mask up as well. Placing her hand on the handle, she looked over her shoulder. Like she wanted to be sure that Hayate was behind her. Looking away, back towards the door, she sighed. Opening the door, they would enter a building that was rather empty. The fighting inside of the city had caused quite some damage already. ''The attack is going to happen within two minutes. Our positions, that we need to take is one minute from here.'' Kiyomi mumbled. Though dressed differently, they both still had their earphone communicator. Turning to the right, she waited to see if Hayate was ready. They were patched up, but she wasn't sure about pushing him this far. ''This means I have also time to send you back to the Leaf...Remember, your part is done. H-...you don't have to do this.''

Following her out into the building, Hayate took his position. Grinning slightly behind his face mask, he responded through the communicator. "You already know what my answer is. We will finish this as we started it. Together." He did feel a bit strained, he had never really pushed himself this hard and this far before, but Hayate also felt confident that they would succeed. Besides, he had already made a promise to follow Kiyomi. And that was a promise he intended to keep. "I will not run from this, besides, I've got plenty of chakra, and if I need some, I'll just steal it from you." He let out a small chuckle before growing serious again. The time for laughter was almost over.

''You can always try.'' She said bac, amused. Usually, she wasn't able to take such jokes that easily. But this time, she didn't mind. Or maybe it was just because it was Hayate. Running, she went into the street, turning right. It was clear that the fight had caused some damage. Windows had been shattered due explosives, stains of blood on the stones and some shops damaged. It reminded Kiyomi of what had been in the Hon Estate. Her eyes turned darker as she kept focusing, not wanting to lose herself in memories again. She could later think back to that grim time.

As Hayate followed her into the streets, he was surprised at the level of carnage around him. Seeing all of the blood, Hayate had a brief flashback to his fight with the Metsuke in the forest all that time ago... He had let his team down then... not all of them had made it out alive... Shaking his head, Hayate cleared the thoughts. Getting distracted now would not be a very good thing. His eyes stayed on the lookout, darting everywhere, ensuring that they wouldn't walk into a trap. He knew that Kiyomi's enhanced senses would probably do a much better job of that, but he could not tell if the previous events had impaired her senses in any way. Hayate unconsciously reached up and genty rubbed the spot where the pale man had impaled his shoulder. Thankfully the medical nin had healed him up nicely, but his mind still had yet to adapt to the idea that there was no longer a wound there.

Reaching a position, where they could see a few others, dressed in the same uniform, Kiyomi slowed down. They noticed Kiyomi and Hayate and turned around. Kiyomi seemed to halt before she then suddenly walked towards the group. ''What is the plan?'' She asked. It earned a silence from the others, untl a middle aged man stepped forward. ''Simple. We're assigned to hold a certain position. From the moles we have heard the enemy is going to try to break through this position. If they do... they will be able to flank our other positions.''[/i] Taking the information and pondering about it, Kiyomi nodded. It was clear what they had to do now. ''I think we will first ambush their first attempt?'' She asked, earning a nod. ''Yes. Everybody is going in pairs. On my signal, a pair will strike. But remember to not advance. We're ordered to hold.''[/i] Turning around, Kiyomi nodded to Hayate. It was like she already had heard what her position would be. And she actually did. The only reason she had talked was because Hayate didn't had a Dragon Seal. Most very low ranked members didn't had one. But she was aware that everybody but them were already aware of what was going to happen.

Walking towards a corner of the street, Kiyomi pulled out the tanto. ''We will take our position here. Out of sight.'' Kiyomi mumbled. ''Remember, the rules are the same. Preserve chakra and don't use any clan based technique.'' Throwing a worried look in his direction, Kiyomi seemed like she had something else on her mind to say, but she decided against it.

Listening to their briefing, Hayate made sure to pay close attention. It was clear what they were supposed to do, and Hayate wanted to make sure that he didn't mess up. Turning to Kiyomi, he took his position, withdrawing the katana from its sheath. Nodding his head as she reminded him once again to not use his abilities, Hayate resisted the urge to sigh. Kiyomi didn't like to make it easy for him did she. "Earth techniques okay?" He asked through the communicator, wondering just how limited he was going to be.

''Just don't over do it. I am not sure how many or how long we need to keep this position. Just enough to keep yourself protected, okay?'' Kiyomi said, putting some emphasis on the word ''yourself''. Knowing how protective Hayate could be, Kiyomi didn't want him to do anything that they both would regret. Kiyomi was still tempted to lure and trick Hayate into going back to Konohagakure. It didn't feel right with him being here. Eyeing the katana, Kiyomi pointed at it. ''I thought you were more comfortable with a staff?'''

Glancing down at the sword in his hand, Hayate shrugged his shoulders. "I have used both. Though you are right, a staff just feels a little more... natural for me." He turned away for a moment before looking back at Kiyomi. "I will stay safe, promised. Long as you do the same." He offered a slight smile before realizing that she wouldn't be able to see his face behind the mask.

Spinning the weapon in her right hand, Kiyomi heard something. ''I am not planning on dying today.'' Was her reply. Pressing her back against the wall, she gestured that Hayate should do it as well. After some time, sounds of fighting broke out. Still not moving from her spot, Kiyomi stayed calmly on her spot. Then it seemed the fighting was moving closer to their position. Tighten her grip on the handle of the tanto, Kiyomi softly sighed.

When she had gestured for him to remain hidden, Hayate simply used the hiding like a mole technique to slip into the earth. He would be able to tell when someone approached, and then use his position to surprise their enemies. He felt the vibrations through the earth as three enemies came towards his and Kiyomi's position. Waiting until they had come close enough, Hayate rose silently from the earth, quickly using the katana to decapitate one of the men. He spun on his heel swiftly, and stabbed another man through his midsection, withdrawing the blade and making another vicious slice that nearly cut the man in two.

Kiyomi muttered some curses. Hayate went in the offensive without them being given the signal. He had quickly put down two of the three enemies. Only the third would attack as he had recovered from his shock of Hayate's ambush. Lifting his own katata, the man was about to attack Hayate. Only to freeze. His eyes widened as he then dropped his katana. Dropping on his knees, Kiyomi kicked against the back of the man's head. Something at her wrist flicked back. ''Hayate, dammit. Never mind.'' Kiyomi noticed that there was already some fightining in the street. Pulling out her tanto, she beckoned Hayate to join in. So far the battle was going equally, but on both sides there were loses. Running towards two fighting men, Kiyomi threw a kunai to hit the enemy in his left arm. With the man flinching, he was stabbed down by his opponent. Before Kiyomi could continue to provide aid to their allies, she had to duck for a man who was wielding a spear. The range of the weapon would give her opponent the advantage of keeping her away, forcing her into the defense.

Glad that Kiyomi had taken care of the third man, Hayate wondered once again if he was acting too rash. He did not want to put his team in danger... He did not want to put Kiyomi in danger... Following Kiyomi into the fray, Hayate noticed that she was engaged with an enemy with a spear. Pulling out two shuriken, Hayate threw them towards the man, hoping to distract him long enough for Kiyomi to take the advantage.

Moving into the fight, Hayate kept a close eye on things. He didn't want to get hismelf stuck in a troublesome position, but he was also aware that sometimes there was no other choice. Sticking close to Kiyomi, Hayate went back to back with her. It was the safest way to take care of their enemies while also making sure that they both remained protected.

The shuriken helped as the man was forced back. Not giving him any time to aim a good strike, Kiyomi slashed with her tanto through the wood. Grabbing the half with the pointy end of the spear, Kiyomi launched a fast serie of strikes before stabbing the man in the knee with the broken spear. With a slash, the tanto would inflict a deep cut in the man's throat. Kicking her foe backwards, agaist the chest she took a few steps back. With Hayate's back against her, she held her tanto in a defensive manner. More enemies were marching into the street. It was clear that soon or later they would be overwhelmed. ''I have an idea. Throw shuriken in their direction.'' Kiyomi instructed as the new wave was marching towards them. Crouching, Kiyomi raised her left hand. Lightning briefly flickered into the air.

[Little Alice]

Reaching into his pack, Hayate quickly pulled out several shuriken. Taking a brief moment to aim, he whipped the shuriken towards the advancing enemies. Hayate knew that Kiyomi must have a plan. Staying low, Hayate kept his guard up. His katana was held out in front of him and for a moment he almost twirled it like he would his staff. Ignoring the temptation, Hayate watched to see what Kiyomi had in mind. She had forbidden him from using his clan abilities once again, so if things got out of hand Hayate wanted to be prepared with an alternative method.

Some of the shuriken grazed the enemy. But that wasn't their goal. Lightning traveled through the ground, controlled by Kiyomi. It caused cracks in the ground, violently lashing around. The few men that were running towards them had already noticed the incoming attack. Moving away, Kiyomi unfolded her plan. The shuriken would be close enough to the ground by now to fulfill their purpose. Acting as conductors, they extended the lightning's range in all of a sudden. With the few enemies being paralyzed, Kiyomi shot up and started to run forward. The steel of her tanto flickered in the light as she pulled the weapon out of its sheath.

Seeing her plan, Hayate couldn't help but smile, she truly was a genius. Running forwards in tandem with Kiyomi, he kept his katana up at the ready. As they reached their enemies, Hayate once again used the first technique that Kiyomi ever taught him. He moved swiftly, gracefully, as afterimages made it look like he was in more than one place at once. Hayate made quick work of the first two enemies he came across, using the sharp edge of the katana to make several deadly cuts. Dancing past the first two men, Hayate approached the third with a vicious downwards slice... But that turned out to only be his afterimage. The man had sidestepped to avoid the attack but his eyes widened in fear as he realized that the real attack was coming from the very side that he had attempted to dodge to. Hayate finished the man with two swift slices, before throwing a glance to the side to see how Kiyomi was faring.

A man was smacked on the ground. With landing on her right foot, Kiyomi pulled her left up, kicking a man against his chin. Combining her taijutsu with the tanto, a weapon with less range than she was used to, Kiyomi had an easy time to hold her ground. Lightly, she was keeping moving around with quick steps and a lowered guard. Relying on her reflexes and speed, she would dodge attacks and quickly attack with either her tanto or her taijutsu. Their allies had managed to keep holding their ground as well, but it seemed the enemy was intending to overrun the street. Ducking for an attack, Kiyomi quickly slashed with her tanto. Getting up, she pushed the enemy who she had wounded aside. ''We're falling back!'' Kiyomi ordered Hayate through the earphone. Their allies were already slowly backing away. Holding her tanto in a defensive manner, Kiyomi kept an eye out for any enemy that would try to sneak upon them.

Nodding his head, he once again realized that she couldn't necessarily see him. "Copy that." He responded through the communicator, making his way backwards slowly. He would stay within a close enough range to Kiyomi so that he could assist her if needed. Pulling out several kunai from his jacket, Hayate quickly attached explosive tags to them. He had sheathed his katana and now began throwing the kunai towards the oncoming enemies. Hayate hoped the explosions would be enough to break them up and make them easier to defend against.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hayate noticed an enemy who had managed to sneak up beside him. The last kunai left his hand as Hayate saw the man swing a sharp blade towards him. Twisting his body at the last second, Hayate pivoted and stepped past the man's attack. Reaching out quickly, Hayate grabbed the enemy's wrist and stepped inwards. Turning his body again, Hayate brought his other arm around and caught the man's elbow. With one vicious movement, Hayate snapped the man's arm, the sword falling from his hand. Without hesitating, Hayate launched an elbow at the man's throat, causing the man to choke. Continuing his movement, he unsheathed his katana and then sliced the man's throat. The enemy fell to the ground, dead, and Hayate turned back towards the oncoming threat. He silently cursed himself for letting the man come so close, he should have had his guard up.

Now that their allies were out of harm's way, Kiyomi could unleash a more deadlier attack. She had noticed Hayate was able to fend the enemies off himself. She wondered if their taijutsu training were showing the results or because these enemies were more or less genin ranked. At least, she got the idea that these men weren't trained shinobi. Lightning crackled in the air as Kiyomi gathered it at her left hand. ''Stay back.'' She mumbled, raising her left hand. With a fast movement, she made a horizontal sweep. The lightning extended several meters, cutting several enemies in half as the lightning made quick work of them. Twisting her head, Kiyomi looked over her shoulder. ''New orders. We need to take a captain out. Retreat slowly.'' Kiyomi ordered. There was a group of allies running around the corner, just like on the opposite direction, a group of enemies came running around. Not wanting to end up in the clash, Kiyomi quickly ran to the left, trying to use the wall of the building to find some safer higher ground.

Following her, Hayate paid closer attention to his surroundings this time. His explosive tags had indeed forced several of the enemies back, but Kiyomi's attack had devastated them. Hayate once again found himself in awe of her skill. He only hoped that one day he would be half as capable a shinobi as she was. He made his way up the wall beside Kiyomi, making sure that neither of them were too exposed.

Again behind the cover of the wall, Kiyomi stayed quiet. The enemy was now being confronted by a bigger group of allies. Suddenly she grabbed Hayate's arm. ''Next time, don't rush in.'' She said, not with a cold or angry tone. A worried one. But soon she became calm again. A glint in her eyes appeared. ''We need to take out a captain. Come!'' Releasing his arm, Kiyomi ran through the streets. It seemed like she knew where to go, like she was still being directed by Samehada.

Whispering an apology, Hayate looked down as she spoke. He hadn't meant to worry her, but he knew he had let his guard down. Looking up as she mentioned taking out a captain, Hayate quickly nodded. He made sure to follow close to Kiyomi as they ran, his eyes searching the shadows for any signs of a trap. He didn't want to let her down again.

The sound of fighting was all around them. Kiyomi went into an alley. With Hayate following her, a few explosions would occur just when they had entered the alley. The gust would sweep them of their feet. Landing on her stomach, Kiyomi cursed, but she pushed herself of the ground. ''Time is running out.'' She muttered. Looking behind her, she was worried again over Hayate. They would enter now the fray of a thick battle. But if they could end this target, they would have tipped the advantage in their allies favour. ''Are you okay?'' Darting towards Hayate, Kiyomi wanted to offer some help.

Allowing Kiyomi to help him to his feet, Hayate brushed himself off. "I am okay, thank you. I am sorry... that blast took me by surprise. It won't happen again." He looked at her suddenly, concern filling his face. "Are... are you alright?" Hayate cursed himself for being too caught up in the fact that he had let her down yet again to realize that she had been closer to the blast.

The facemask would hide her smile. ''Yes, silly face.'' She told him, waiting till he was ready. Turning back was no longer an option. Not that she was planning for that anyways. Taking up the pace again, Kiyomi started to lead him towards the place. After some turns, they would head out in a long street. At both sides, away from the entrance of the alley they had came from, people were fighting. Not interested in the fights, Kiyomi looked around. Then she ran to the right. ''This isn't our fight, Go underground and meet me at the other end.'' Kiyomi ordered as she would jump against a wall, not pausing with running.

He smiled back sheepishly as she assured him she was alright, before once again keeping pace next to her. As they neared the scene of the fighting, Hayate paused and waited for his orders. Nodding at Kiyomi's words, he formed the seals quickly and disappeared under the earth. He moved swiftly, feeling the vibrations of the intense battles above him. As he neared his destination he noticed that the fighting was at least a short distance away now. Rising from the earth, Hayate waited for Kiyomi, his katana at the ready in case there was any trouble.

''Keep moving.'' Kiyomi's voice ordered him. Talking through the earphone communicators, she was running on the rooftops. It wouldn't be that far now. That and it provided some sight over the surroundings. The district was filled with fights, so far she could see it. Still running, she slowly started to lower speed. ''Okay, I see our target ahead. Come up here. We need to plan this strike. I want this to be over as fast as possible.'' Kiyomi ordered him again. Luckily, even when she had opened her feelings for him, it didn't feel weird at all to order him around. Standing on a flat rooftop, she bended through her legs, looking over a plaza. There was an enemy group gathering. Most likely readying themselves to reinforce another fight in the district.

"Copy." Hayate replied through the communicator, quickly making his way towards the area Kiyomi had gone towards. Leaping high up onto one of the walls, Hayate focused his chakra at his feet and sprinted the rest of the way up to the roof. Approaching Kiyomi, he took his place at her side and looked out over the plaza with her. He could not yet make out which one was their target, but Hayate could already tell that they were going to have a difficult time taking the target out quickly with that many enemies around. "What's our plan?" He asked after a brief moment, turning his head slightly to glance at Kiyomi.

''I had thought that we would have some back up. But seems we don't. We can either try to rush in and cause a commotion. The problem is that there are too many enemies. Meaning that it is too much of a risk.'' Kiyomi started to explain. She pointed to a certain person. He was short and didn't had any thing that made him fall out of the group with something. ''That is our target. Still, we need to lure him out. I already am thinking of using your Earth Release, but that is risky as well. I have little idea what his abilities are and for that reason, I want to do this without ending one of us having to drag the other away.'' Kiyomi looked a bit worried, but more frustrated. She could try to cause a commotion and try to scatter the group. Only she knew that she had limited information on the group that was in front of them .If they were all genins, she could try it. If they were jounins, then it would be their end. ''How much chakra do you have at the moment?''

He had been following along, listening closely to her as she spoke. There seemed to be a lot of potential risks, but Hayate wasn't too worried. They had the benefit of surprise on their side, and they had at least a little more time to think things through. As she inquired about his chakra reserve, Hayate paused for a moment, considering the question carefully. "To be honest I am doing quite well so far for chakra. Since I have been limited with what I can do, I have not had to use as much. What are you thinking?"

''I am going to take those group out. Regardless what their rank is, they aren't sensors. Else they would've been able to spot me already. Even not using Mata-sama's chakra, it isn't that hard, I guess.'' She said. ''But I need you to go underground. Place several conductors with your metal and then retreat. Once you have placed it on some points, I will move in and attempt to schok the group.'' Kiyomi told him. There was another part to the plan she had left out, but she didn't want him to get worried over her.

Hesitating only momentarily, Hayate nodded. "I will not need much time, but I will make sure there is enough spread for your attack to have the largest impact." Turning, Hayate quickly made his way towards the edge of the roof. Glancing back over his shoulder towards Kiyomi, he locked eyes with her. "Be careful... Please..." Without waiting for a reply, Hayate dropped from the roof and headed straight into the earth. Moving swiftly, he drew some metal from his pouch. Travelling around the group of enemies, Hayate began placing his conductors in a tight web. He wanted to put enough in the earth to make Kiyomi's attack go from deadly to devastating. It did not take him long to finish, and once Hayate felt confident that the conductors were placed in the best possible positions, he retreated a fair distance. Rising from the earth silently, he quickly spoke through the communicator. "It is done."

[Little Alice]

Waiting, Kiyomi kept an eye on the area. The group was forming up, but with her plan, she still could try to take out most of them. A flicker of lightning crackled around her right fist. As soon as Hayate said it was done, Kiyomi moved in. Without making too much sound, she descended down from the rooftop, keeping her eyes focused on the area of where her target was. The crackling of lightning was starting to increase as she closed in the distance. By the time it was almost close to roaring, she was already sprinting towards the group. One of them seemed to sensed something was approaching them and shouted a warning to the others. Kiyomi however pulled out a kunai, infusing the weapon with the big load of lightning. Throwing it towards the group, she kept advancing. Like she hoped for, the kunai managed to inflict already some damage by penetrating the backs of three enemies. Shocked by the sudden death of three comrades, she managed to freeze most of the group. Opening her right hand, lightning started to create the deadly menacing sound of when it was gathering at a very high speed.

The group noticed now the danger that was approaching them, but didn't move away. Throwing some shuriken and kunai towards her, Kiyomi narrowed her eyes. At the last moment, she made a slide over the ground, still holding up her right hand with the lightning. Once she came in range, she slammed her hand at the ground. The lightning started to lash around, extending and amplifying its power through the conductors that Hayate had placed. Screams started to fill the area. ''Now only you.'' Kiyomi mumbled, getting up as only a few enemies were still standing. Four regular enemies and their last target.

Watching the scene before him, Hayate was once again in awe of Kiyomi's skill. It did not take long for her to eliminate most of the enemies, and Hayate pulled out two kunai in preparation. He attached explosive tags to them and then tossed them towards two of the remaining enemies. Their backs were turned towards him as Kiyomi had caught their attention. Before they would have a chance to react, the tags went off and two more of the enemies were taken out. Hayate pulled out two more kunai and threw them with speed. He wanted to give Kiyomi enough time to take down their target.

The surprise attack of Hayate caught their attention. Rushing forwards, Kiyomi pulled out her tanto as she ran towards their target. Unlike the others, he was more experienced with tight situations like these. It was shown due the fact he stood sideways when the first surprise attack of Hayate landed, able to face both Kiyomi as well Hayate's direction if needed. ''Finish the others.'' Kiyomi ordered, just before she swung her tanto. Locking the target in a fight, she hoped to keep him occupied, so that Hayate could try to finish off the other two. During the exchange of strikes, dodging attacks and keeping the target's attention, Kiyomi noticed something strange about the man. He was able to keep up with her, using a combination of taijutsu and kenjutsu as well.

Moving from his cover with speed, Hayate unsheathed his katana and, in one smooth move, sliced one of the two men from his hip to his sternum. Turning his attention towards the second enemy, Hayate briefly glanced at Kiyomi, trying to see how she was doing. It appeared that her fight was surprisingly evenly matched. Bringing his blade around, Hayate blocked a weak attack from the remaining enemy. He sent a flurry of quick strikes towards his opponent who had a difficult time fending them off. Feinting to the side, Hayate threw the man off balance before spinning rapidly and plunging his katana through the man's midsection. Pulling the sword out he lifted it and then quickly sliced the man's throat. Turning around, he faced Kiyomi once again.

Kiyomi parried a strike from the man's kunai. He was wielding in each hand a kunai and so far, she couldn't gain any ground. Neither could he and it seemed they were even. Waiting for him to strike again, Kiyomi used the Secret Sword technique, to create an afterimage as the man started to attack again. Distracting the man with the afterimage, Kiyomi appeared behind him, her tanto raised up. Intending to slash the man's neck with a quick strike, she was surprised. He had blocked it. ''Of course.'' She mused, quickly performing some back flips before the man could try to attack her again.

''He is a specialised sensor.'' Kiyomi said, wanting to warn Hayate in advance. It seemed however that the man had heard her. Readying his weapons, he send both a warm smile. By his appearance, he seemed liked in mid thirties. Maybe a kind of veteran? ''You're both good. This is promising.'' Narrowing her eyes, as she tried to come up with a plan, she saw how the man charged her. Preparing her tanto, she had to defend herself as the man sent forth a flurry of strikes, driving her backwards. Most likely towards a wall to make sure she wouldn't be able to escape from his fast attacks.

Hearing Kiyomi's warning, Hayate hesitated. He had never really faced a skilled sensor before, and he only knew a little about their capabilities. Deciding not to simply rush into the fight without a plan, Hayate watched as Kiyomi engaged the target. He had a number of different options, but if the little he did know about sensors was anything to go off of, his normal techniques would not be nearly as effective. Watching as the man drove Kiyomi backwards with a series of ferocious attacks, Hayate made his move. Stepping towards the man, Hayate brought his katana around in a swift attack towards the man's legs. He anticipated that the man would sense the attack, but Hayate hoped that it would at least force the man to turn his attention away from Kiyomi long enough for her to launch a counter attack.

Much like Hayate had anticipated, the man managed to block the katana. But seeing that there was now an opening, Kiyomi readied her tanto to also unleash a quick serie of attacks. But before she could even try to attack him, both Kiyomi as Hayate were pushed back by a small gust. Wielding still both of the kunai, the man scoffed. Skidding to a halt, Kiyomi became actually quite annoyed. They just had to take out this captain. Then they could go home. Then Hayate would be safe. ''Hayate. Follow my lead. He can sense us, but we will throw him off with that kenjutsu technique I taught you.'' Kiyomi whispered. Spinning her weapon briefly, for a mere second, Kiyomi quickly ran towards the man, who took a defensive stance.

Not even feeling the need to nod, Hayate knew that he and Kiyomi could attack in sync without the need for obvious acknowledgment. Readying himself to attack from the other side, Hayate prepared his katana. The instant Kiyomi took off towards their target, Hayate also surged forwards. They would have to time his well to avoid hitting each other, but Hayate was not afraid of that. He had trained with Kiyomi enough to know how she moved. He was nowhere near her level, but he could still fight alongside her without getting in the way.

The man seemed a bit confused as he prepared his kunai. Rushing forwards, Kiyomi wasn't looking at their opponent. But this time, she focused on the speed and movement of Hayate. Grabbing the handle of her tanto with both hands, she wouldn't infuse it with lightning. This strike would just be pure speed and strength of her own. Closing in the distance, their opponent seemed to get nervous as he raised his kunai, likely trying to attack both. Having seen that the man could be quite fast, Kiyomi focused as good as she could. Both Hayate as their opponent was something she had to watch if she didn't want to make their attack fail.

Continuing his charge, Hayate remained entirely focused on the attack at hand. His eyes shifted for the briefest moment towards Kiyomi, just to ensure that they were travelling at the same speed. Seeing that they were only a few feet away, Hayate realized that their window for attack was goign to be a narrow one. That was good, he liked the challenge. Preparing himself to use the move, Hayate knew that this strike was going to rely solely on how much speed and strength both he and Kiyomi could throw into it. She had explicitly instructed him not to use his KG nor any other special techniques, so this was reliant entirely on their own power.

Both closing in the distance seemed to make their opponent nervous. Suddenly the man would try to swing at them, at the same time. Probably using his sensory skills. ''Now!'' With the short order, Kiyomi would seem to be struck down by the kunai, only to appear left while swinging with her tanto. The blade easily slashed through the clothing of the man before it would carve a deep cut in the side of their opponent.

Hearing the command, Hayate lunge forwards in unison with Kiyomi. The enemy nin swung his kunai around in an attempt to strike as Hayate surgedd towards him. A thin, cruel smile touched the man's lips as his kunai plunged into - - an afterimage. And then... his eyes widened in fear as the real Hayate appeared to the right, his katana already coming around in a vicious arc. The man did not have time to react to Hayate's attack, and the blade sliced cleanly through fabric, flesh and bone. Cutting deep into the man's side, Hayate withdrew his blade cleanly, already turning to prepare for the next attack, if necessary.

Coming to a halt, Kiyomi slowly lowered her tanto as she straighten her back. Making a quick swing with her blade, the blood splashed against the ground. With a little bit of blood on the blade, Kiyomi sheathed it in the scabbard as she turned around. A cold look on her face as she witnessed how their last enemy fell on his knees. Then fell on his stomach. He was still bleeding, but their combination attack had likely hit some organs. But it wasn't only that. Kiyomi had never did that attack with Hayate as a combination attack, but they had performed it like it was only natural to them. Meaning that Hayate had managed to get some experience and advancement in the move. ''That is that. How are you?'' Kiyomi asked, turning her attention to Hayate, hoping he hadn't been caught in a counter.

Seeing the man fall, Hayate lowered his blade, wiping off some of the excess blood on his uniform. Turning towards Kiyomi, he was glad to see that she was alright. As she asked him how he was, Hayate did a quick check to make sure he wasn't injured. Looking down he noticed a slight cut in the fabric of his uniform. Checking with his hand, Hayate withdrew it and found no blood. It appeared that the damage was only to his clothing. Looking back to Kiyomi, a serious expression on his face, Hayate spoke. "I am okay, thank you. He did not manage to hit me, just caught my uniform. How are you, did he catch you at all?" It seemed like a foolish question, considering just how skilled Kiyomi was, but Hayate's concern for her well-being outweighed his worry about asking stupid questions.

Sighing, Kiyomi briefly lowered her head as she placed her left gloved hand on her hip. Though she felt a bit warm when he seemed to be worried about her wellbeing. ''Don't worry about me. I am fine. Not even a scratch during that last attack.'' Some sounds in the distant meant that the fighting wasn't done. But it seemed that most of it was done. A good sign. And they had managed to cut down a group that would send to reinforce an area to keep the fighting going on. Looking around, Kiyomi only started to notice the damage to the city now. The rather beautiful place was showing signs of heavy fighting between shinobi's. A scene that remembered her of the siege on the Hon estate. Not that she was starting to feel depressed or sad. It was something she had grown to. It was natural for what she was. ''Lets patrol a bit. See if we can help any civilian to get to safety.'' Kiyomi said as she turned left. There was some smoke rising up from that direction. A short distance away, but maybe they could help somebody. It would be not in their option to try to get away from the island now. They would first need to be told that they had done what was required of them.

Nodding his head, Hayate felt a little disappointed in himself for letting their opponent hit him. Even if the attack had only caught Hayate's uniform, he still felt like he should have escaped the attack unscathed. Turning, he began following Kiyomi. A part of him wondered whether or not they would ever actually be allowed to leave after finishing this mission. He did not know much about this organization he had been brought into, the only information he had learned was from Kiyomi herself, but Hayate wondered if they were just going to be considered expendable assets to be terminated upon completion of the mission. His eyes travelled to Kiyomi and those thoughts vanished from his head. Hayate trusted her with his life. Whatever he had gotten himself into, whatever the outcome, he was not going to regret his choices.

The sounds of battle seemed to come from some far distance and as they walked, in the deserted streets, they were heading away from it. Kiyomi kept her surroundings under a close watch. Danger could come from a small corner or side and she wasn't planning on getting ambushed now. They had done what they were supposed to do. Only reason why they were sticking around was because she knew that trying to contact the local mentor wouldn't work. Her experience with the Dragon Seal wasn't that great and she was sure that her attempts wouldn't help. ''A sad sight, isn't it?'' Kiyomi mumbled as they kept walking through the street. Hadn't they been here some time ago? Back then it was filled with people who were minding their own. Not a street deserted of any lifeform and the buildings damaged and showing signs that there had been some fights here.

[Little Alice]

Looking around, Hayate realized for the first time just how bad things had gotten. He had been too focused on the fighting beforehand to realize how much the once beautiful city had been devastated. As his eyes travelled around the street, Hayate shook his head sadly. "It is... It always is..." Turning his attention back to watching for any sign of attackers, Hayate wanted to block out what had happened around them. Now was not the time to focus on that.

''Hopefully we will be back home soon.'' Kiyomi said. They were approaching a split. Either they could head right or left. By the looks, if they would go left, they would head where more smoke was seen in the distance. Probably some last fights were going on there. While at the right it seemed it was more quiet over there. Kiyomi thought about it. She wanted to be careful with their chakra levels. Last few days it had been little else than struggling and fighting. If they would push themselves too much, they would likely suffer from it. ''What way would you want to go?'' Kiyomi asked, deciding to put the decision by Hayate.

Stopping at the split, Hayate looked from Kiyomi to the streets ahead, and then finally back to her. The last few days had been long an exhausting, and the prospect of going home soon was a beacon of hope. They could take the easy route, relax for awhile and hope the fighting died down enough so that they were allowed to leave, but... Neither one of them were the type to run away from a fight. And Hayate couldn't be sure that they were even going to be allowed to leave while there was still fighting going on. Gesturing towards the left, Hayate's face held a hint of reluctance and remorse. "Looks like they could use our help that way. What do you think?"

She huffed. ''I am starting to wonder, when not. But,'' Kiyomi threw a glance in his direction. ''I guess you're right. We could try to see what kind of aid we can provide for them. Though I suggest we will keep it on a slow pace. I am not in favour of getting in a fight we can't observe first.'' She told him as she looked back in the direction. Taking a step towards the left direction, she could hear an explosion in the distance from that direction. Not really looking forward to more bloodshed, Kiyomi wouldn't complain. ''You've became quite good with that technique, by the way.''

Falling into step beside Kiyomi, Hayate blushed a little when she complimented him. "I... I quite enjoy it. I think it is a very useful technique, and besides... I couldn't just let myself be sub par at the very first technique you ever taught me could I?" A small smile touched his face as he glanced at her. "I wanted to be able to use the technique to strengthen my fighting tactics, and I have also been forced to use it a lot more recently, which has given me a fair bit of practice." Grinning as he mentioned being forced to use it, he hoped that Kiyomi would catch what he was getting at.

Kiyomi kept looking forward as she kept watch of the surroundings. Her heightened senses would alarm them at least a bit before an enemy could launch an attack. But she did paid attention to what Hayate told her. A scoff was the first response. ''Of course it is useful. Like I would teach you something that isn't.'' She first said with a stern voice, but it was clear to Hayate at least she was joking a bit about it. ''And I am glad. Though I hope you can soon use everything you got. Once we are done here, we don't have to hold back if somebody tries to whack our brains in.'' Slowly coming to a halt, Kiyomi thought she had heard something. Staring at her left, a ruined entrance to a building, the right hand of Kiyomi went to the handle of her tanto.

His smile vanished the instant Kiyomi came to a halt. Hayate's eyes narrowed as he looked around. For a single moment, Hayate wished that he had the same heightened senses as Kiyomi. Bringing his own hand back, Hayate slowly gripped his katana. If they were going to be ambushed, he wanted to be as prepared as possible. One of his hands dropped to his pouch as well, reaching inside. Hayate would wait for Kiyomi's reaction, he did not want to put them at risk.

There! Kiyomi turned her head to the right as she had heard some sound. Rocks rolling over the ground as somebody ran. Wait, Kiyomi's eyes widened as she realized it only too late. Though the weight wasn't too much, it was more of surprise and not the time to keep standing on her feet. Falling on her back, she felt how something also land on top of her. Something that was holding a big knife. A small person glared at Kiyomi, trying to shove the knife at her neck. Only thanks to her reflexes, Kiyomi had managed to hold back the wrist of the person on top of her. It was a small child. ''You pay!'' She hissed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she kept trying to stab Kiyomi. ''Damnit. Hayate, get this brat of me before I will....'' Kiyomi ordered, judging by her tone sounding like she was very annoyed.

Already moving to defend Kiyomi, Hayate was shocked as he saw the small child leap on top of her. Reaching Kiyomi quickly, Hayate quickly grabbed the child's hand which was holding the knife. With his other hand he used his full strength to tear the child off, holding her above the ground. Hayate managed to pull the knife from the grip of the child, but she was still struggling with all her might. "Ca--calm down!" Hayate managed to say, grunting as the child tried to force her way out of his grip.

While Hayate had his hands full, Kiyomi shot a glare to the child. She looked small and fragile. Still, if she had been faster or managed to hide her scent better, who know how deep that kitchen knife would have penetrated through Kiyomi's skin? Getting up from the ground, Kiyomi briefly brushed the dust from her clothes before sending a glance towards the girl again. She was still struggling, but was no match for Hayate's strength. ''Why did you try to stab me?'' Kiyomi asked, her tone quite hostile. This caused the little girl to look up as she glared back to Kiyomi. ''To s-survive. You mean.''[/i] This seemed to confuse Kiyomi at first. ''Eeehh?'' Then she sighed. ''Great. Another person trying to just stab me. Now what to do with you.''

As Kiyomi and the girl spoke, Hayate wondered what they were going to do now. He loosened his grip slightly, just so that he wasn't hurting the girl. Only now did he fully realize that he was holding a scared child... One that was probably just trying to keep herself safe. Turning his attention towards Kiyomi, Hayate attempted a slight shrug, the look on his face one of confusion. The situation was definitely far more complicated now.

Though Kiyomi would normally feel emphathy for a child in such a situation, she couldn't now. That brat had tried to stab her. Something she couldn't just forgive. ''Give me one good reason to not snap your neck.'' Kiyomi sneered. But while the sneer seemed to scare the little girl, she pouted. ''Beccaaaaaause.... I am going to beat you. I will and I will get mommy back. And daddy. I will!''[/i] More tears started to roll down the cheeks of the girl as she seemed to stop struggling against Hayate's grip. Kiyomi's face didn't change as the little girl told them enough. They were dealing with an orphan that apparently had been stuck with the conflict. It wasn't something new that civilians and innocent bystanders got caught in the fighting. ''What a bother. You can let her go... No need for us to meddle in with... an orphan.'' Kiyomi calmy stated as she already turned around. She didn't want to look at the child. Not wanting to remember her face. She could kill a lot of people and forget their faces and names within a hour. But not that of a child. That something that would most likely stick to her memory. Probably causing some nightmares and regret for quite some time.

Setting the girl down, Hayate kept one hand firmly planted on her shoulder. "We can't just leave her here Kiyomi." Hayate's words surprised himself, he hadn't thought himself the sentimental type. But after seeing that child... No. They had said that they were going to help people, if they just left the girl here, then why had they even come. Standing firm, Hayate stared at Kiyomi, waiting to see how she would respond, already prepared for an angry reply.

''Dumbass.'' Kiyomi turned around as she looked annoyed at Hayate. The little girl was crying as it seemed the word orphan had hit a sensetive spot. ''You say my name while we aren't supposed to be here? For crying out loud, why not call out my last name.'' Kiyomi said with a hushed tone. Glancing at the crying child, Kiyomu huffed. ''And what do you plan to do with her? Take her in? Cause I am sure as hell that she can't live with me.'' Kiyomi said, turning her attention back to Hayate. She wasn't really mad, but she was a bit precautious. Not to forget that she saw nothing in helping that girl. Even while the pity was growing with every second.

"We don't even know if her parents are gone! And we can't just leave her. You said we came here to help. You know we can't just leave now." Hayate realized the folly in saying Kiyomi's name, but it was the quickest way of getting her attention and letting her know he was serious. Crouching, he still held onto the little girl. "Please Kiyomi. I can't leave her here. We can find a way to take care of her afterwards, but for now she needs our help."

Great, now Hayate had grown attached to the small girl. She seemed to not be scared of him as she was just crying and seemed to seek any kind of comfort. Just like... No. Kiyomi refused. There was a big world between her and a normal orphan. ''And what kind of help would you propose? Take her in? Provide for her? Well? Answer me then. Do you know what it takes to raise a child? Cause I sure as hell don't and.... It will just not work. Take this as a lesson. We can't help everyone. Just be glad that we don't have to end her life.'' Kiyomi said. She looked down at the girl before back at Hayate. She was starting to pity the girl more and wanting to find a solution together with Hayate- Great, just great. He was convincing her. ''It is not like we can find any civilians around. She can tag along, but that is it. And she is your responsibility. Got that?''

Frustrated, Hayate pondered what to say. Kiyomi had a point, he didn't know what it took to raise a child, but that wasn't his concern. His concern right now was for keeping the girl safe. "I... I don't know okay? I... I will figure that part out after, but for now I will keep her safe. I promise that this will not impact the mission. I just... I can't leave her." Turning from Kiyomi, Hayate looked at the little girl crying in front of him. He positioned himself so that he was in front of her now. Reaching up he briefly brushed away a few of the girl's tears. "Hey, what's your name?"

Kiyomi narrowed her eyes briefly when Hayate asked for the girl's name. Now it couldn't be helped. The girl would have a name. Something that would give them a personal detail. And the more personal details, the more they would care for her. Wanting to lecture Hayate that this situation was much in comparison on how a war was, that he couldn't just help and pick up any stray orphan, Kiyomi kept her lips closed. Looking up, the girl seemed to view Hayate with distrust. Pouting at first, she however replied to him. ''Mi-Mi. Mi...Mi... Mimi.''[/i] The child muttered as she still seemed to distrust Hayate. Kiyomi kept watching the two, not able to help but to feel a bit warm on seeing how Hayate interacted with the child. Hadn't he not been a bit of a closed person at first? And here he was. Mister Paladin, saving orphan's from being alone. It was almost ironic as it was sweet.

[Little Alice]

Smiling encouragingly at Mimi, Hayate cocked his head to the side. "Well Mimi, it's nice to meet you. My name is Hayate. How about you come with us and we can try and find your parents together? How does that sound?" Hayate's smile was genuine, as were his words, and he hoped that the girl would open up to them a little bit, otherwise taking her along would be an even larger challenge. He was fully aware that Kiyomi was probably fuming now that he had revealed both of their names, but at this point it didn't matter. The girl was his responsibility to keep safe, and he intended to follow through with that.

Squinting her eyes, as she was trying to seek for some detail, Mimi stared at Hayate's face. Her tiny hands then quickly reached for Hayate's cheeks. Pinching them, she smiled. ''You have a silly..face.''[/i] She said. While there still some dried tears on the cheeks of the girls and she wasn't wearing the best kind of clothes, there was something touching to the scene. Sighing, Kiyomi crossed her arms out front of her chest as she started to tap with her right foot on the ground. ''We best be moving. The fights aren't over yet. I don't want us getting caught while needing to protect... a child.'' Kiyomi said, ending her sentence with looking away.

Grinning as the girl grabbed his cheeks, Hayate pretended to pout. "Hey now! My face isn't that silly..." Hearing Kiyomi behind him, Hayate realized she was right. They had been in one place for too long. Locking eyes with Mimi, Hayate's eyes gained a playful glint. "Tell ya what, if you come with us and promise to listen to everything we say, I'll let you ride on my back! How does that sound?"

Nodding several times, Mimi reached out for a hand of Hayate. Kiyomi almost pouted when she noticed that. Realizing she could look a bit envious, she just kept looking in another direction. The thought came in her mind that Hayate had never promised her for a ride on his back. Only knowing how childish her thoughts were now, Kiyomi tried to focus on the surroundings. The sounds of fighting became less. Signalling with a simple hand gesture, Kiyomi ordered that they should get moving. This time she would however not allow somebody to trick her that easily anymore. The brief thought that a mere child with a knife had almost became her end, caused Kiyomi to grow frustrated. She had bested and even killed countless of more dangerous people, but her end had almost came to a scared orphan with a kitchen knife? She didn't want to think or even be remembered by it.

Taking the girl's hand, Hayate helped her up onto his back. She was surprisingly light, and Hayate shifted her slightly to make things a little more comfortable. Looking back up at Kiyomi, he caught a strange look on her face before, just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Glancing up over his shoulder at Mimi, Hayate grinned. "So how's the view from up there?" Looking ahead to Kiyomi, he began following her. Hopefully they didn't run into anymore surprises.

''Mimi likes it. Silly Face is great... Mimi thinks that.''[/i] The girl said as she smiled. Wrapping her arms around Hayate's neck, she looked over his right shoulder. Her gaze crossed with Kiyomi's who then saw the little girl sticking out her tongue. Blushing a bit, Kiyomi clenched her hands into fists. That girl had some nerve! Trying to focus on the surroundings, she couldn't pick up any scent or sound of anybody. Like the whole block had been deserted by any life form. In the distance another explosion was heard. Then silence dawned on the city or at least it seemed so. Kiyomi wasn't sure if the fighting was done. She couldn't pick up any signal that it wasn't. ''Seems it is over? Ask your new friend where she lives. Then we can get this done...'' Kiyomi mumbled.

Seeing Kiyomi blush and turn away, Hayate was confused. He looked up to Mimi but the girl was just smiling innocently. "So Mimi, where is your house? Is it far?" He asked, still moving forwards. Hayate noticed the strange silence that had fallen, but it didn't put him at ease. In fact, it seemed a little worse now that everything was quiet. Moving so that he was a little closer to Kiyomi, Hayate spoke quietly. "Any sign that this thing's over?"

''No. But we will find soon out.'' Kiyomi answered back as she kept looking around. There were signals that fire had been the result of explosions or fights. But not other scent or sound has yet came to her. Neither had she managed to pick up any sign with her eyes. ''Mimi lives.... there.. No. Mimi lives there!''[/i] The girl pointed to the east of the group. Where Kiyomi noticed smoke was coming from. ''That is a bad sign. We will do it like this. You and the girl-'' Mimi pouted. ''Mimi is not ''the girl''. Mimi is Mimi!''[/i] A bit irked, Kiyomi's right eye twitched. That girl was getting on her nerve. ''You and Mimi are going to search for a safe spot. I will scout ahead if I can find anything or anybody. We will meet up in twenty minutes. If not, seek a place first that is safe for her and then try to rally up nearby.'' Kiyomi instructed.

Hesitating, Hayate threw a concerned look at Kiyomi. "Are... are you sure? I don't like the thought of you going alone..." He knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but that didn't mean Hayate had to like her travelling into danger alone. She nodded as she flashed a warm smile. She had pulled down her facemask earlier, but now she would pull it up again. ''And don't give me that face. I will be fine. Just take care of her and yourself.'' Turning around, Kiyomi started to jog towards the direction where Mimi had pointed at. The girl on Hayate's shoulder was silent and until Kiyomi was out of sight, she asked Hayate a question. ''Mimi is curious if you love her, Silly face.''[/i]

Watching as Kiyomi jogged off, Hayate wanted to say more. He watched until she was out of sight before realizing that Mimi had spoken. "Hmm?" He mused, before turning his attention back to the little girl. "Is... Is it really that obvious?" He asked, sighing. Hayate glanced around, looking for somewhere they could stay hidden in. He spotted a building that was still mostly intact not too far off and began moving towards it.

[''Mimi thinks not. Mimi is amused that Silly Face gave so easy the answer.''[/i] The child said with a kind of amused and innocent tone. She looked around as well, but more because she felt wary. It became clear that she had experienced some of the fighting due the looks of her. ''Mimi is curious where Silly Face is taking her. Mimi wants to go home.''[/i] The hands of the small girl tried to grab some clothing of Hayate as she pressed her head against his shoulder.

[Little Alice]

Chuckling a little, Hayate sighed again. "You're a clever one aren't you?" He felt the girl clutching at his clothing and adjusted again so that it would be easier for her to lean on him. They reached the building and Hayate stayed quiet for a moment longer, listening for any sounds that didn't belong. After he was certain that the building was empty, Hayate stepped inside. "I am taking you to a safe place for the moment. Just until we can make sure it's safe to take you back home." He looked around inside the building. Surprisingly it appeared to be mostly intact despite all of the fighting. Walking further into the halls, Hayate found a room that remained untouched. Entering the room, he closed the door behind them. "How did you get so far away from home Mimi-chan?"

The girl viewed Hayate with some distrust. Pulling a bit of her shirt up, to cover the lower part of her face, she looked down on the ground. ''Mimi.... lost Mimi's parents. Mimi was told to hide and daddy went to look. He didn't come back. Mimi's mom went and Mimi followed her.''[/i] The girl said on a soft tone. Lightly her hands trembled as she seemed to think back of her experience. ''Mimi saw four men. Mimi found them scary and before Mimi know what was going on, mom and dad....''[/i] She wasn't crying, but she simply fall on her but as she kept staring at the ground. Her hands still trembling. ''Mimi wants to go home.''[/i] She paused. ''Mimi only has no... home.''[/i]

Realization dawned on him as Hayate listened to Mimi's story. He was filled with sorrow as she mentioned losing her parents. But something else nagged at the back of his mind. Kiyomi was walking into a potential trap. Setting Mimii down on the ground in front of him, Hayate kneeled so their eyes were level with each other. He stared at her for a long moment before pulling her into a tight hug. "I am sorry Mimi-chan. I truly am..." He held her there for a moment, his thoughts travelling back to Kiyomi, hoping that she was going to be alright. A large part of him wanted to go after her, just in case she got caught up in some trouble, but he had made a promise to keep Mimi safe.

''Mimi thinks you don't need to be. Mimi don't blame.. you.'' The little girl mumbled. She slowly reached out and grabbed Hayate by his cheeks. A little smile broke through the sad look on her face. But even while there was now a smile, it still had something sad with it. ''Mimi wonders if you worry about her. Mimi doesn't hope Silly Face's girlfriend will get hurt. Mimi doesn't want Silly Face to become alone too.'' She whispered, softly squeezing his cheeks.

"I..." Hayate had to look away. The urge to go after Kiyomi was still pounding at the back of his mind but... She could take care of herself. Kiyomi was strong, and always had been. Looking back up to Mimi, Hayate managed a small smile. "I don't know that I can really call her my girlfriend Mimi-chan, I'm still not really sure how she feels. But I do know one thing for certain, Kiyomi is the strongest person I know." Trying to flash her a reassuring smile, Hayate reached up and ruffled Mimi's hair gently.

''Mimi's daddy was very strong. Mimi's dad is the strongest in all of the daddy's.'' The little girl said, huffing a bit. Then it only dawned on her. She had no father. However, Mimi wouldn't try to cry. Huffing again, she released Hayate's cheeks as she looked around. ''Mimi's doesn't like it here. Mimi's home is..was nicer.'' She whispered as the sad expression came back on the girl's face. Slowly, she raised her left hand and opened her mouth a bit. Her thumb was placed in her mouth as she kept looking around.

Rocking back a little on his heels, Hayate pondered what to do. He felt the pain of the girl's loss as if it were his own, and Hayate wanted to do something to help... He just didn't know whathe could do. "Do you have any other family here Mimi-chan? Any aunts or uncles? Grandparents?" Still having her thumb stuck in her mouth, Mimi shook her head. She looked at the right, to wall that had suffered some damage. Most likely fire by the black marks on it. Moving her thumb a bit out of her mouth, Mimi decided to say something. ''Mimi's aunt and uncle are traveling merchants. Bringing always nice stuff that makes Mimi happy.'' The thought of her aunt and uncle made her smile as she thought of the presents she had always get. ''Mimi will share one present later with Silly Face.''

Smiling despite the still grim situation, Hayate was happy at least that Mimi was still able to think of positive things. Thinking for a moment, he was surprised when his mouth started working before he'd even had a chance to decide what to say. "Mimi-chan... When this is all over, how would you like to come with us?" He realized just how strange that sounded, they were still complete strangers to the girl. But, Hayate realized that he meant what he had said. The girl had no home, and he couldn't just leave her here. He would find a way to look after her if he had to, and for now it was the only thing he could think of.

Surprised the girl seemed conflicted. Like many parents would tell her children, Mimi had been told to not go with strangers. She already realized that talking too much to strangers wasn't allowed. But the past days her whole world had turned crazy and upside down. Her nose wrinkled as she started to frown, clearly heavily debating with herself about what she should do. Not answering wasn't polite and she liked Silly Face. ''Mimi will go if Silly Face says nothing to Mimi's mom. Mimi's mom wouldn't like it.'' Mimi said on a very serious tone.

Hayate broke a little on the inside in that moment. He did not know what to say for the longest time. Fighting to retain his emotions, Hayate was surprised to feel a tear beginning to well up behind his eyelid. Holding it back as much as he could, Hayate raised his hand, holding out his pinky. "I promise Mimi-chan. And if you want I can even pinky swear. I've never broken one before, and I won't start now."

''A pinky swear?'' Kiyomi's voice sounded as she lifted herself up behind the window. A frown was seen on her face while she hopped inside the building. This made Mimi turn around and smile. Nodding towards the child, Kiyomi looked at Hayate. There was a cold look in the eyes of Kiyomi. Shaking her head slowly, she wanted to say something about that she couldn't find the parents of Mimi, but decided against it. ''We need to get moving. Most fights are to an end, but one of them is moving closer. We can't fight and protect a child at the same time.'' She said, turning around to glance outside. Mimi who understood that they were going, raised her hands as she reached out to Hayate.

Relief flooded through him as he saw Kiyomi enter the room. He wanted to say something, but realized that now was probably not the best time. Turning back to Mimi, he saw her reaching out to him. Smiling at the girl, Hayate picked her up and helped set her on his back again. "Are you ready Mimi?" He asked, glancing up at her over his shoulder.

''Mimi is ready, Silly Face.'' She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kiyomi still stared outside as some explosion was heard. Pondering where she would lead both her student as the child they had with them, trying to get past the fight wouldn't be an option. But with most of the fights done and in the victory of their allies, Kiyomi knew she could try to seek out the mentor of the Dragon Lotus faction here. With his permission they could go home. With her right hand, she signalled that Hayate should follow her. Leaping out of the window, it wasn't that hard to land on her feet and on a more calm pace she would take the long route.

Turning back to watch as Kiyomi left the room the same way she'd come in, Hayate moved to follow. He kept a firm grip on Mimi, wanting to make sure that the girl would not fall as he moved. Jumping down from the window, Hayate landed a little less gracefully then normal, but managed to maintain his balance without wavering. Falling into step with Kiyomi, Hayate walked in silence for a short time before glancing at her and asking, "Did you encounter any enemies?"

''No. Only those who aren't here anymore.'' Kiyomi answered, which made Mimi frown. She didn't understand it, but Hayate probably would catch on what Kiyomi meant. ''We are going to see that old man again. He is a mentor and with his permission and probably help, we can be back in the Leaf in no time.'' Kiyomi further said. Hearing the words Mimi was this time able to understand it was like they were going home. ''Mimi wants to come too.'' This surprised Kiyomi, but she shook her head. ''I am not-'' She tried to say, but Mimi interupted her. ''Mimi has been promised.'' This caused Kiyomi to shoot a glance in Hayate's direction. Not an angry one, but simple a raise of her eyebrows. ''Promised? That changes it. We will see about how this will turn out.''

Seeing the look Kiyomi gave him, Hayate grinned sheepishly. He mouthed the word sorry, before turning back to look straight ahead. "Do... do you think he will be okay with that?" Hayate asked quietly, his tone a little more serious. He was aware that he already probably hadn't made the best of impression on the man, and Hayate did not wish to give him any more reason to hate him. But he also had no intention of leaving Mimi behind.

''We have turned the tide of the battle and they are just cleaning up the mess. We were supposed to aid them a bit and not a whole civil conflict. I think that we can't argue too much however.'' Kiyomi replied. They were jogging into a street that seemed less damaged. The street where they had arranged a place to sleep. The tempation to look if that room was damaged was something Kiyomi could just restrain. Leading them towards another street, she kept listening if she heard any explosions or other sounds that indicated fights were nearby. But the more they were moving towards the old antique shop, the less she could hear anything of a fight. ''Mimi is tired.'' The child muttered as she yawned. ''Probably shouldn't try to stab somebody then.'' Kiyomi muttered underneath her breath.

[Little Alice]

Hearing Kiyomi's muttered words, Hayate had to fight hard to stifle his laughter. Coughing in an attempt to cover up his chuckle, he looked around, unable to meet Kiyomi's eyes for fear of not being able to hold in the laughter. Hayate noticed that they had passed hotel that they had stayed in and he found himself strangely missing it. It wasn't so much that he missed the hideously decorated room itself, but he had missed the time spent there... Focusing his mind on the present, Hayate realized that they were almost at the antique shop. Turning his head to look at Kiyomi he asked, "Do you want us to wait outside?"

''Yes. That would be for the best. I can do this on my own. Also better if we don't show her.'' Kiyomi said as they took a turn to the right and were in the street where the shop was. Slowing down, she noticed a few allied shinobi marching down the street. They had smirks and grins, while looking dirty. Probably they had fought and just were assigned to partol. Nothing too special. Heading to the store, she briefly looked over her shoulder to see if both Hayate and Mimi were still there before she would head alone inside. ''Mimi want to know Leaf.'' Mimi muttered.

Hayate watched as Kiyomi entered the store. Waiting until she had gone inside, Hayate glanced up at Mimi with a smile. "I think you'll like it Mimi-chan. It's a beautiful place. Well... this place is also really nice. I just meant..." Sighing, Hayate realized he was probably sounding like a fool. Looking out at the street, Hayate noticed the allied troops. He didn't pay them much attention as they seemed to not be doing much, but Hayate's careful nature kept him cautious.

The troops kept moving. They were smiling and talking with each other. It seemed they believed that it was over. Which was probably true. The door opened as Kiyomi stepped outside. She had a look on her face as she was relieved off something. Seeing Kiyomi as she exited the building, Hayate smiled warmly. Moving away from the wall, he walked over to her. "So, what's the news? How is the battle going?" Walking towards both, she sighed. ''It is done. We can go back to the Leaf.'' Kiyomi told him. She raised her thumb to the door. ''I just have to knock you out and then drag you inside. You will then wake up in Azumi. This time not in a bag.'' Kiyomi said, trying to make it sound like a joke. But then she heard something that caused the little smile to vanish.

''Mimi wants to join. Mimi wants Silly Face's promise. Mimi doesn't want to stay here!'' The child grabbed one of Hayate's hands as she seemed to cling desperatly to him. This made Kiyomi frown. She wouldn't love anything else than to help Mimi, but what could she do? She didn't had a home of herself and she wouldn't let Hayate just drag the girl to a place and country she wasn't familiar with. It would get them both in trouble. There was however one place that had the meaning, ''safe residence''. It could be the option to make sure that Hayate wouldn't break his word. ''There is one way. Only, if we take you back, mister Naive and Dumbass is going to see through that you will not just hang around Azumi all day. You will become a part of the Guardians.... and that is the only way I can guarantee you can come with us. Do you understand that, Mimi?'' Kiyomi asked as she kneeled in front of the child. She looked serious as the little girl seemed a bit confused. The information was maybe a bit too much, but the message and question was also for Hayate. ''Mimi want to know what Silly Face thinks... Mimi unsure.''

Stifling a chuckle as Kiyomi mentioned the bag again, his smile quickly faded as Hayate heard Mimi speak. He had forgotten just how secretive things were supposed to be... They weren't even supposed to be here in the first place. Cursing on the inside, Hayate realized that he had indeed been a fool. Looking between Kiyomi and the girl, he listened to them talk. Was... was Kiyomi offering a chance? Realizing that Kiyomi was indeed giving him a chance to keep true to his word, Hayate smiled. Crouching down beside Mimi, he reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I made you a promise, didn't I little one?" His tone was warm and genuine, but Hayate hesitated for a moment. "The choice is up to you though Mimi-chan. I know this has always been your home... I don't want to take you away from that but... I know that things have changed here, and, if you would like, I would be happy if you came with us. I think you'd like the Leaf. And I think you'd make an excellent guardian. After all, you even almost managed to take down Kiyomi-chan, and she's super strong!" Hayate finished his sentence with a grin, glancing at Kiyomi quickly, hoping she wouldn't decide to stab him.

Like expected, Kiyomi threw Hayate a glare. She was already prepared to comment on that she hadn't been careful enough, which would allow the child to surprise not only her, but both of them. But Mimi spoke before Kiyomi could. ''Mimi wants to leave. Mimi's parents are poof poof. Mimi doesn't want to go poof poof. Mimi wants to be.. safe.'' The words the girl whispered seemed to touch Kiyomi as she sighed. She rubbed her eyes as she thought about what they were going to do. Where was her mind? Her cool atittude? ''Then it is settled. First I however need you both to sleep.'' Kiyomi said, placing a hand on Mimi's head. The little girl beamed, wanting to say something before she suddenly collapsed. Catching her with ease, Kiyomi stared at the unconsious child. ''May I ask why?'' Kiyomi asked Hayate as she kept staring at the child she was holding now. She seemed so fragile. Kiyomi wondered if they really did something good.

Staring for a moment at the now-sleeping girl, Hayate paused. He felt sad that they had to go to these lengths, though he understood why. Letting out a sigh, his gaze travelled back up to Kiyomi. He stared at her for a long moment, meeting her eyes. A part of him wondered if she thought him to be weak, a naive fool who fell for the poor orphan child's sob story. She had every right to think of him that way though... He had jeopardized their mission, he put them both at risk, and that was something that he couldn't forgive of himself. Looking down for a moment, he sighed again. Truth was he didn't really know why he had done it, but he just knew that he couldn't leave the girl there by herself. Looking up, he met her eyes once again, prepared for her condemnation. "I... I am truly sorry for putting you and this mission at risk Kiyomi. But I stand by my decision. I may be a fool, I may be naive, but I would make the same choice every time. And... I don't know why... I guess it's just who I am... I am sorry for that. Sorry that I am weak. The girl has potential Kiyomi, she can have a future now. I couldn't just let that vanish..." He trailed off, still meeting Kiyomi's eyes. Waiting for the stinging reply.

Slowly putting the girl on her back, Kiyomi rubbed her eyes as she straighten her back while rising up. ''I know. You're one soft naive smartass. That is sometimes dumb. Then again,'' Lowering her hand, she revealed a warm smile on her lips. ''I kind of love that. Makes me sometimes a bit envious that I can't be like that. However, the mission and whole operation has been a success. She doesn't know anything about the organization and the shock had been painless.'' Turning her attention back to Mimi, Kiyomi paused. ''And maybe sometimes a naive person can make a decision that sleeps better than the cold and calculated one? One way to find out.'' With still staring at the child, Kiyomi stretched out her hand towards Hayate.

Her words surprised him. He had been expecting much worse but instead... Instead they filled him with warmth. As she held her hand out to put him to sleep as well, Hayate whispered, "Wait." Reaching out with his own hand, he brushed aside the few strands of hair that had fallen across her face. "I... I have something that I wanted to give you... If... if that's okay?" He asked, feeling slightly nervous. Locking his eyes with Kiyomi's, Hayate's expression was one of shy apprehension.

She thought about it. But it wouldn't take that much time, she figured. A smile crept on her lips as she decided to lower her hand. ''Okay, what is it then?'' She asked, actually growing a bit curious. Wanting to give her something? What would that be? She was sure that they didn't had spend a day not together while being on the island. So she was now curious to what the surprise would be.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Hayate smiled. "Um... This may sound a little strange, but... do you think you could close your eyes? Just for a moment?" He reached up and scratched the back of his hand, giving her an apologetic look. The request made Kiyomi's smile fade a bit, already wanting to argue against it. He asked her to close her eyes while they were in what one could compare to a warzone? Her instincts told her to say no, but she would slowly close them as she grew more curious. ''You sure make it mysterious.'' She said, amused.

Letting out a small nervous chuckle, Hayate waited until he was certain that her eyes were fully closed. "Sorry, it's just... I'm a little... Sorry." Shaking his head at his awkwardness, Hayate was embarrassed that he couldn't even form a proper sentence. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the object that he had made that first night in the hotel room. It felt strangely warm in his hand and he looked down at it, hoping that she would like it. Blushing he reached out and took one of Kiyomi's hands. Placing the object in her hand he stared at her for a moment. Nervousness overcoming him again. "Okay... You can open your eyes now." He finally said, letting go of her hand. The object was a small golden necklace, made from the same pure gold he had 'borrowed' from the merchant all those days ago. It held a small pendant in the shape of a shield with a sword crossing through it. On the back of the necklace he had inscribed the kanji for 'Protector.'

Looking to see Kiyomi's reaction, Hayate spoke softly. "So... uh... what do you think?"

Opening her eyes, she had felt something warm in her hand. Or was it just the glove? No. Glancing at the small golden necklace, she gasped. It looked very expensive. Carefully as if it was made from very fragile glass, Kiyomi raised it up and stared at the pendant. Then she threw a glare in Hayate's direction and back at the pendant, before again in Hayate's direction. ''I think, no I know that I have fallen in love with a naive fool.'' She said, staring at the pendant. The kanji was what kept her attention. Like a soft breeze, she could hear Jinkama's words about being the shield. The protector. ''You...'' Kiyomi started. Her hand that was holding the golden necklace shivered. ''Thanks. Thank you so much. Would you...?'' Kiyomi asked as her cheeks started to blush. She was already turning around so that he could help her with the necklace.

His blush growing so that his entire face was red, Hayate didn't know what to say. Stepping forwards, he gently took the necklace and pulled the clasps together. Standing there for a moment, he felt truly happy. "The metal, it will always feel warm to the touch. I... I didn't want it to ever feel uncomfortable." Hayate whispered shyly. His head was still reeling from what she had said. Slowly stepping back, Hayate waited so that Kiyomi could turn around.