The cat shelter was alive with the sound of vibrant purrs and mews. Inside one of the housing areas, Tsubomi Kido sat with her back against the wall, allowing several cats to crawl onto her. She held a particular black one, no more than roughly a foot in length, close to her chest.

It had been three weeks now since Shintaro introduced her to the shelter, and since then she has made visits almost on the daily. She'd come to know all of the local cats personally, memorizing their names, personalities, how each likes to play, their favorite types of food, nearly everything you could know about each cat without living with them; until finally the urge got the best of her. She had to take one home.

Choosing the perfect cat for the base had been incredibly difficult, but she felt she was making the right choice with the black one in her arms. She wanted one that liked attention, but didn't need it constantly. Affectionate, but independent when need be. The cat she held seemed to fit the description perfectly. For as sad as she was about leaving behind all the other shelter inhabitants behind, she knew that this was the perfect pet for her.

"Are you ready?" A voice pulled Kido's attention away from the ball of fur in her lap. A shelter worker walked into the room.

"Yeah, just about, I think" Kido replied.

"Alright, I'll get you everything you need!" The shelter worker walked off for a moment, and came back a second later holding a pet carrier and a large bag of food, at Kido's request.

"You're all set and free to leave whenever you're ready. Congratulations!"

"Ah…thank you" Kido said and excused her. She took the supplies and set them down on the floor, opening the gate to the carrier.

"Alright, come on in…" The girl lured the cat into the cage. Once ready, she closed the cage and hefted up the carrier and food with all her strength. She walked out of the housing area, through the lobby, and exited the shelter onto the street, starting towards the secret base of the Mekakushi Dan.

The only member of the Dan that knew Kido was bringing cat into the base was Kano, who'd found out the night before, and he met the idea with great enthusiasm. Now he excitedly waited in the living room, ready to jump at the sound of the door and greet whoever Kido brought home. Eventually, his anticipation was paid off as he heard the girl enter. He ran over to the door.

"Did you get it?" Kano asked, eyes already drawn to the carrier in her hand.

"He's right here" Kido answered and walked over to the couch in the living room, setting everything down. She sat herself down in the middle of the couch and unlocked the cage. A moment later, her new black cat stepped out of the gate, sheepishly at first, and quickly made his way onto Kido's lap.

Kano sat on the arm of the couch, both empty spots being taken up by cat food and a pet carrier. He reached his arm out and scratched the cat's neck. "He's so soft…"

"Yeah, he's a good one"

"So, can we introduce him to everyone now?"

"Uh…" Kido had never planned on surprising everyone, but didn't know how to tell each of them beforehand, and ended up putting it off indefinitely. "Sure, I guess"

"Alright" And without another word to Kido, Kano shouted "Hey, everyone! Get in here!"

Kido recoiled a bit. "Not exactly what I had in mind"

"Well, how did you want to do it?"

"I don't know, maybe go around individually?"

"Ah, that would take too long. This is way easier!"

Kido rolled her eyes and accepted Kano's means of introduction. Soon, the sound of footsteps filled the halls around them. Seto and Mary were the first to arrive.

"What's going on?" Mary began, before her and Seto got their first glimpse of the animal resting on Kido. Both let out small gasps of excitement before rushing over to the couch.

"Is that a cat?!" Seto asked

"Yeah"

"Where did he come from?" Mary continued

"I adopted him"

"Can we keep him?" Seto asking now

"Kinda why I got him"

"We're getting a cat?!" The questions continued at a mile a minute as Seto and Mary pet the new cat diligently. At some point in the two's excitement, Konoha had walked in.

"Is that a cat?" The android asked

"Yeah. I got him for the base." Kido responded

"Can I pet him?"

"Sure"

Seto and Mary made room, and Konoha ran his hand across the cat's back.

"…I like him"

"You can pet him anytime you want" Kido said. Konoha smiled in response. A new voice entered the room.

"Hey, what's…" Shintaro started "…Cat"

"I got him from that shelter you showed me" Kido addressed Shintaro's sudden surprise

"Ah. So, will he be staying here?"

"I was hoping he would"

"Sounds good to me…I'm glad you found one"

Kido smiled a bit (An act unusual for her) and stroked her new cat. Since they lost Ayano, Kido had dedicated to making herself stronger to fill the hole that was left. Overall, she had done a pretty good job, but cats were one of the few things that could bring her back to her younger self. "Thanks"

"What are you guys-" Hibiya's voice suddenly approached the room. Everyone around the couch froze momentarily. He caught sight of the cat, and his voice failed him.

"-Ak!" The young boy tried to scream, but choked on his spit halfway. He darted out of the room at speeds unheard of by the other members.

Kido's mind went blank. "Oh…right…" was the only thought that came to her. She felt like she had crashed into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour. Almost everyone else in the room shared a similar mental state.

Following the outburst, Momo Kisaragi walked in, interrupting the Dan's state of stillness.

"Hey, what are we doing in here? And did I hear Hibiya?" The idol said, shifting her attention to the animal on Kido's lap. A wave of concern fell over her. "Is…that a cat?" Momo said, worry heavy in her voice.

From the group came a mirage of mixed grunts and incredibly unsure words. Kido was the first to give a conscience answer.

"Uh…I adopted a cat, for the base" She held the pet closer to her chest, in a barely noticeable fashion.

Momo stood silent for a moment, not knowing what to say, and not wanting to disrespect or upset Kido.

"I'll come talk to you about it" Kido finally said, getting up from her seat still holding her new cat. Everyone who crowded around the couch dispersed, Shintaro being the first, Seto and Mary going next, until leaving Kano to lead Konoha away. Kido went to talk to Momo in privacy.

Once they were alone, Momo started. "Danchou, why did you bring a cat here?"

"…I've been visiting the cat shelter for the past three weeks, and I kind of wanted to bring one here. I just like them, is all." Kido retained her cool exterior, not wanting to show any excessive attachment.

"But with Hibiya here?"

"I know, I know."

"Then why did you-" Momo was cut off

"I don't know, I just…I forgot is all!" Kido's defensiveness was rising

"…You FORGOT about Hibiya?" Kido was the leader of the Mekakushi Dan. Her forgetting about one of her subordinates was not a good sign.

"What? He's small!"

"Danchou…" Momo had a vague sense of disappointment and defeat in her voice "…Alright, you forgot. That's fine. But now that you remember, can't you…?"

Kido knew she was wrong. Hibiya was in no way being unreasonable about not wanting a cat in the base. After what he went through, it was the most basic request to keep this one type of animal away from him. She also knew that it was entirely her fault for forgetting about him; truly bad behavior for a leader. Still, she couldn't stop the sinking feeling that came with thinking about giving her cat back to the shelter.

Kido averted her eyes, trying not to show any emotion. For as much as she hid it, she still felt attachment to her cat ever since she was sure she wanted to adopt him. She remained careful about concealing it. Cats may be her weakness, but that doesn't mean anyone has to know about it. As she looked away from Momo, she made sure she looked to the wall and not to the cat in her arms.

Despite Kido's attempt to hide it, Momo noticed the fall in her leader's mood. Surprisingly enough, this was the most worked up she'd ever seen Kido get. Maybe she didn't understand it, but she could tell that this cat meant a lot to her.

Momo sighed. "…Let me talk to him."

"…Alright" Kido replied. She wanted to thank Momo, but couldn't bring herself to.

"Hibiya? You in there?" A knock came at the door.

"Yeah, I'm right here" Hibiya replied

Momo let herself in.

"Hey, so, about Danchou's cat…"

"Why was it here?!"

"Look, she's really sorry about bringing him here! She feels awful about not considering you."

"…It's…alright, I guess. Just tell her not to do it again."

"Oh, well, actually… I kind of to talk to you about maybe, just maybe…letting him stay? Here in the base?"

Hibiya felt a rush of fear.

"No." His voice showed no room for reasoning.

"She would keep it as far away from you as possible!"

"No."

"You would never have to see it! Ever! I promise!"

"No! I don't want a cat here! I hate cats…"

"And I completely understand. Everyone does, really! But this cat seems to really make Danchou happy; happier than I've ever seen. When I suggested she give it back, she seemed really sad."

Hibiya felt like he was being guilt tripped; and even worse, he almost felt it working. He had never seen Kido show much emotion, so the thought of something making her visibly happy convinced Hibiya it must be pretty important. Still…he could barely look at a cat without seeing her.

"Ughhhh…I don't like the idea of a cat around here"

"Of course you don't. It's completely reasonable; so just imagine there's no cat at all. You'll never see it, so it will be like it's not there at all!"

"…I'll never have to see it?"

"Never! I'll make sure of it!"

He still didn't like it. He couldn't just convince himself that it wasn't there, and a part of him didn't believe he would really never have to see it.

"...I'll think about it." Hibiya could barely believe his own words

"Really?!"

"Yeah, fine. Just…give me a few days. Don't count on anything though! I'll still probably want it gone!"

Hibiya was cut off by Momo practically glomping him.

"Thank you! And I'm just so proud of you!"

He was taken slightly aback at the word "proud". He let the hug go on for another second before he brushed her off.

Momo recomposed herself. "You won't regret this! I promise!'

"Yeah, whatever."

With that, Momo sprinted out of the room and went to find Kido.

Kido had returned to the couch after talking to Momo. Still, she held her cat close to her, ignoring the worried feeling in her stomach. Suddenly, the idol ran into the room. Kido perked up the slightest bit.

"Danchou! Okay, good news! You might be able to keep your cat here!"

"Huh?"

"Well, he still really hates the idea of a cat here, but he said he would think about it! All we have to do is make sure Hibiya never sees him!"

"That's all?"

"As long as that cat stays away from him, I think he'll agree; but we really have to make sure to keep them separate, so we'll need everyone's help."

"Uh huh…so, we get the Dan to help?"

"My thoughts exactly. C'mon, the sooner the better!"

The two went off, gathering each of the Dan members individually, not wanting to call them all at once as not to attract Hibiya. Soon enough, everyone was gathered in a circle, all looking to Momo to ask what was going on. Kido stood silently to the left of her.

"What's this about?" Kano was the first to speak up

"Alright…you all like Kido's cat, right?" Momo announced

A unified "yeah" came from the group

"And you all like Hibiya, right?"

Another simultaneous agreement

"Well, Hibiya said that he might not have a problem with Kido's cat as long we keep it as far away from him as possible"

"Ah…? That's great!" Mary said

After a moment, Shintaro spoke next. "So all we have to do is make sure the two don't see each other?"

"I think so. But we have to take this seriously! We'll need to know where both of them are at all times. Kido, can you always know where your cat is?"

"Sure, I guess" Kido said

"Okay, where's Ene?"

A buzzing sound came from Shintaro's pocket. He took out his phone and aimed the screen outward.

"Right here!" Ene's energetic voice buzzed through the speakers

"Can you keep an eye on Hibiya for us?" Momo asked

"Aww, I have to babysit the shota?"

"Just keep an eye on him. Kido will keep you posted on where her cat is, all you have to do is confirm that Hibiya isn't nearby"

"Eh…sounds kinda dull"

"You have anything better to do in cyberspace?" Shintaro retorted

"Hmph. Fine. But don't expect too much from me!" Ene said

"Great! Now, the rest of us, we all have to be ready to keep Hibiya and the cat moving. If we hear they're getting close, activate evasive maneuvers. Be prepared to redirect them from anywhere in the base, you hear?" Momo directed

An agreement resonated in the same style as before. Everyone accepted their job.

"Good. From this point on, our mission is clear. Mekakushi Dan – Move out!"

The group dispersed, Momo going with them. Kido stood back for a second, now wishing desperately to express her gratitude to her. She tried to catch her attention before Momo got too far off.

"Ah…" Kido toned, making the most basic human sound she could. It worked.

The idol stopped in her tracks and turned back to her. "Hm?"

Kido regretted her decision now, feeling her cheeks getting hot. This wasn't the easiest thing for her to do.

"…Thanks."

Hibiya sat alone in his room at the base. Three days had passed now with the cat staying there, as he expected, nothing was the same for him. It wasn't the kind of change that you notice right away, though, or the kind that might seem like a problem immediately. It was different, subtler change.

Ene seemed to be lurking on his phone more.

He was haunted by the occasional sound of a phantomish meow

Every time he left his room, it felt like an event.

Two days ago when he wandered out, he only made it a few feet before he was stopped by Mary asking where he was going; and when he told her, she merely ran off. Within the same day, the same thing happened with Kano.

Sometimes he could tell the Dan members were shuffling him and the cat around. Just before he could enter a room, he would quickly be distracted by someone while he could see others behind them hurrying to move away, usually concealing something in their arms. This often accompanied one of those devilish cat sounds.

"Ughhh…" He groaned on his bed. He was glad everyone was trying to keep the cat away from him, but he couldn't deny how much this changed things for him. There was a ghost in the base, the one safe place for survivors of the Haze, and it kept him prisoner. What Momo said about Kido echoed in his head again.

Once more, he felt guilt. The one thing that seemed to make their leader happy, and he couldn't live with it. He got another small spark of motivation. He wanted to be okay with this. He got off his bed and walked into the hall outside his room, wanting to give walking freely another chance. The only ones at the base were Seto and Mary at the moment anyway, so he might be able to walk more than 3 feet without getting stopped.

He did have more freedom without everyone there. Seto and Mary were both in Seto's room, and the cat was probably there with them. He walked freely from one end of the base to the other. For the first time in three days, he felt right at home. If things would just be this simple all the time, Kido could keep her cat no problem. His spirits lifted slightly. Maybe now they could both win.

Once bored of relishing in the improving state of his situation, Hibiya made his way back to his room (He may not be a prisoner in it anymore, but there still wasn't much to do when everyone was out). He got to his door and walked in, prepared to jump back on his bed. He was stopped at the sight of a ball of fur resting in his spot. He'd forgotten to shut the door. The cat wasn't in Seto's room.

The furry mass stretched itself out and revealed it's large, yellow eyes.

…Meow…

Hibiya let out an audible scream now. He raced out of his room, working his legs to the fullest of their extent. The cat jumped up in the excitement and took chase.

He ran through the halls, the kitchen, dining room, and every room imaginable in hopes to escape his pursuer. Still, he heard the sounds of paws bounding behind him. Eventually he reached the living room and jumped into hiding next to the couch. It wasn't the best spot, but the cat would have trouble seeing him at first.

He heard pawsteps in the room. A cold sweat fell over him. All it would take was one step into the second half of the room for him to be found. Suddenly, the silence was broken.

Mew

The sound wasn't from the room. It came from his pocket. He pulled out his phone as quick as he could and looked at the home screen.

Ene turned around to face him. "Oh, don't mind me, shota! I'm just playing around with some sound effects!" Normally she wouldn't do anything this mean, but after witnessing Hibiya being chased around the entire base by a foot long cat made it hard to resist. Another cat sound played.

Hibiya stared at his phone with fury before looking up and seeing the cat approaching him. Ene had lured him. In a flurry of panic, he took note of the cat narrowing it's eyes at his phone. Apparently, that was what he was after. Without hesitation, Hibiya threw his phone as hard as he could against the wall opposite to him.

"OUCH!" Ene yelled immediately upon hard contact with the wall. The cat chased it eagerly. Hibiya sat in fear for a moment, afraid to run with the cat that close.

"What's going on?" Seto walked into the room, attracted by the sound of a phone hitting the wall. He let out a small, worried gasp when he saw Hibiya's state and the cat that his eyes were locked on. "Hibiya, are you okay?" He asked as he picked up the cat and backed away. The boy calmed down a bit.

"…I can't live with that cat here…" Hibiya panted out

"Well…no one blames you." Seto replied

"You sure?"

"Of course not. Everyone agrees that Kido bringing a cat here without thinking of you was wrong of her. In fact, most of us are surprised you gave it a chance at all."

"…Is that all there is to it?"

"Hm…as rational as your fear is, it's still a crutch, isn't it? Wouldn't your life be better without it?"

"…Maybe."

"What happened to you happened recently. None of us got over the fears we were left with this quickly, and there's no reason to expect you to be any different…but if there's any possibility at all, then the sooner you can ditch your fear, the better, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. But still-"

"I know. This isn't the right time. Eventually though, it will be, but by then you might just think it's routine. It shouldn't be now, by any means, but pay attention. As your days go by, try and ask yourself how scared you really are. Right now, it may be a lot, but after a while it will go down; and as soon as it does, you'll be on your way to living free of fear. That's the only way to know when the right time's come."

"So, just pay attention, and eventually I won't be scared?"

"That's sort of how it works. For most people, they don't realize when they're ready to move on because it's become so normal for them. They don't even think about it. It just becomes a permanent part of their lives."

Hibiya sort of understood what Seto was saying. He got up.

"I see…thanks."

"Don't worry about it!" Seto smiled "In the meantime, I can tell Kido that you're not-"

"No" Hibiya groaned at what he was about to say. "…Just give me another day or two"

"Take as much time as you need. When you're ready, you can tell any one of us."

"Alright. I'm just gonna go back to my room for now."

Seto and Hibiya parted, Seto returning to Mary, Kido's cat in arm, leaving Hibiya to return to his solitude.

The younger boy laid down in peace again, thinking hard about what Seto had told him. He'd never thought about being ready to get over his fear of cats. Perhaps it did have a negative impact on his life, but he had already been ready to accept it. Was he still scared? Well, he thought so. What he felt when he saw that cat lying in his bed was certainly fear. Was it permanent though? For the first time, he considered just how bad it was.

"…Maybe…" He said to himself, quietly

The next day came. Hibiya stood outside the door of Kido's room with shaking legs. The whole Dan was downstairs; and the cat was in the room in front of him. The only thing separating them was the door. Over the past night, he'd thought a lot about it, and wasn't sure if he was afraid or petrified. Either way, though, he couldn't tell if he was ready to get over it. He figured that the only way to be sure was to make direct contact with the cat, and if he didn't pass out, then he could start living freely. Shuddering, he moved his hand to the doorknob and left it there for a moment.

He slowly turned the knob to the right and pushed it open the slightest crack possible. He peered through the small opening, and could make out the shape of a tail laid out on Kido's bed. He opened the door some more, now enough room to just peer his head in. he saw the cat's relaxed form in full. Finally, he opened the door all the way (Silently, as not to alert the creature) and took a light step inwards. He heart raced when he realized how close he was to the cat (And it was already beating pretty fast). He officially stood in the room now.

Alright…just a little closer… Hibiya thought in an attempt to calm himself down and push him closer to the cat. He took one step closer to the bed. The cat stretched it's head out now and let out a small awakening purr, making Hibiya take another step back. He had to coax himself into moving forward again.

Okay, you can do this… He continued to think to himself. Now, he was at the edge of the bed, with Kido's pet no more than 2 feet away from him. Taking all the time he needs, he slowly began reaching his hand out to the cat's head, pace decreasing by the millisecond. About an inch and a half away from it's fur, he stopped all together, nearly frozen.

The cat didn't wait for him. Once Hibiya was close to it, the cat closed the distance by pushing its head against the boy's hand. Hibiya, completely shocked by the unexpected contact, gasped a little and ran out of the room, shutting the door as fast as possible and putting his back to the room. He didn't run any further, though.

He could still feel the fur on his hand. It felt pretty much exactly as he had expected, but still, it shook him. Regardless, he calmed himself and turned back to the door, ever so slowly opening it again. The cat was still on the bed. He inched himself into the room and retook his position across from it. Like last time, he walked forward a bit, moving inch by inch until he was just a few feet away from the animal.

He didn't want to approach slowly like last time in fear of being caught off guard again. At the same time, he didn't want to go in quickly without giving himself time to prepare. The entire situation sucked and Hibiya's heart sounded like a drum. Through this, though, he wanted to get over his fear. The fact that he'd gotten this far made him feel like it was possible.

He positioned his hand over the cat's back this time, figuring it wouldn't be able to catch him by surprise from there. He hovered over, lowering his hand down until he just feel a few a small bit of fur. He breathed heavier. He felt like he was unable to blink.

Not that bad…not that bad…just a little more… He thought, determined to not pull away. A little bit of force came into him. His mind made himself go closer. The feeling of soft fur now spread over his whole hand. He took a deep breath to stop himself from dropping dead.

His hand stayed there for a moment. As the seconds went by, it became more comfortable. It was still unnatural, but…tolerable. That's all he was going for. He moved his hand a little, petting the cat as one who likes them might. The cat started to purr, eliciting Hibiya to take his hand away. He still found it creepy when they did that.

So, he discovered that he apparently could live with a cat in the base. Did this mean he was over his fear? He didn't really feel it anymore, even when this close. It almost faded away into a more neutral area. The thought of living without paranoia suddenly gave him a rush of happiness. He pet the cat again, now out of a pseudo-respect, and walked out of Kido's room.

Kido walked out of the kitchen and into the main room of the base. Momo sat on the couch, and on the ground, Kido's cat pranced about with another, unknown black cat. Momo watched, smiling.

"Ahhh…who's cat is this? And where did it…"

The unknown cat looked up at her.

"…Kano?"

Kido's eyes readjusted for a second with a crosseyed type effect, and Kano appeared in the room in his normal form.

"Hi Danchou!"

"Kano, what are you doing?" Kido asked, in the usual voice she used when addressing the boy.

"I just thought he might miss having other cats to play with!"

Kido sighed. "Godammit Kano…"

A noise came from Kido's phone.

"I hate to interrupt this meeting of the minds, but the shota's on his way down here!" Ene said

"I got it, I got it…" Kano picked up the cat and started towards the stairs

"Wait, not that way-!" Ene tried to stop him

Kano bumped directly into Hibiya as soon as he turned onto the stairs, cat still in hand. Kido's heart froze. Momo's face became overcome with worry. Kano stood still on the stairs.

"Oh, um…" Hibiya began, but was cut off

"Ah, Hibiya!" Momo broke the silence and rushed over to him, quickly pulling him away from the cat.

"I'll get it, I'll get it!" Kido ran over too, grabbing her pet from Kano and trying to get it out of Hibiya's sight as soon as possible. She felt an overwhelming sense of worry at seeing how close the two had gotten. She really didn't want to give her cat up now.

"Uh, actually…it's okay" Hibiya said "That's sort of what I was coming here to tell you". Everyone in the room was taken slightly aback. "Danchou…your cat can stay here. I'm okay with it"

A wave of surprise fell over the group, before Kido spoke up. "…Really…?"

"Yeah. I'm not afraid anymore."

Momo bent down to his eye level. "You mean it?!"

"…Yeah."

Kido felt the greatest mixture of relief and surprise. Finally, she held her cat without stress or an overwhelming sense of fearful nausea. She honestly never expected things to go this well. Not with what Hibiya had gone through. She looked back to the boy, feeling her motherly instincts over the Dan kicking in the slightest.

"Ah…I'm proud of you, Hibiya…" Kido looked him in the eye as she spoke. For as awkward as it made her feel, she was proud, and she always tried to give praise where praise was due.

"Oh! And I'm proud of you too!" Momo said now, wrapping her arms around him (Probably a bit too tight)

"Hm…it's no problem. I just sorta got over it I guess" Hibiya tried not to drink in the praise too much

"Well…congratulations, then." Kido said "Hey, um…I'm sorry about bringing him here without asking you, by the way…"

"It's fine. Besides, it doesn't make much of a difference now, I guess"

Kido smiled and pet his head as a show of gratitude and pride. Hibiya couldn't help but smile a little as well.

Things returned to normal for him after that. Kido's cat roamed freely, grabbing attention from the Dan members whenever possible, and Hibiya could be free in the base again, no longer restricted to his room. Everyone was very impressed by his actions, and he reigned more popularity than ever.

It wasn't his favorite thing to do, but sometimes when crossing paths with the cat, he would scratch its neck out of pure respect.

(A/N: I have no idea how to end stories)

(2nd A/N: My next story won't be centered around Hibiya, I promise!)