The twelve year old Satsuki Kiryuin looks sternly up at Chiyo Middle School. The clean dark stone building, shaped in the way of the western castles in tales of knights in armor, seems oddly placed just above the active, dirty trade city they find themselves in. Though one thing was certain, it was entrancing among the snowy backdrop colored golden by the rising sun.

"We have finally arrived Lady Satsuki." The rumbling voice of her newest recruit Ira Gamagoori said from behind her.

"Yeah, to a rat infested shit-hole. Why are we even here, Toad?" the snarky tone of Nonon Jakuzure questioned.

"We need resources, people, and funding for the Lady's goal, this is the best place to acquire all three. Now we need only find the son of the CEO of the Suzambo trade company to finish our dealings here."

Suddenly there is the sound of a fist impacting something causing Satsuki to look over her shoulder. There curled on the ground was a grade school child maybe two years younger than herself.

"How dare you try to pick pocket Lady Satsuki!" Gamagoori boomed as the dark skinned giant looms over the child's crumpled form

There is a gasp followed by, "Hey, my hat! Get back here with my hat you little hoodlum!"

She had heard rumors that Hayato Suzambo could never be found, unless he calls for you with his horde of rats. As the second child suddenly gets up and snakes around Gamagoori's grasp she assumed these urchins were his form of summons.

"Follow them, they will likely lead us to Suzambo!" she ordered as she charges forward through the crowd after the thieves.

Chiyo City rooftops

The dark red haired twelve year old watched from afar as a fierce looking girl clad in white and blue chased down a couple of Hayato's rats. Her cohorts followed her in their own various ways as they chased the thieves in the packed streets of lower Chiyo. Just ahead of them were some of Hayato's little thieves running away with the pink haired girl's hat, only they were sure to stay just head of the three rather than lose them completely like he expected they could.

"So Hayato's got a visitor today," he thought as he takes one last look at the girl leading them, his position ahead of them giving him a good look at her determined blue eyes, eyes he himself has had on occasion, "He's not going to be able to sway this one easily."

He turns away as the trio disappears into an ally, looking back to his school; he needed to get to class before they started anyway. He pulls his leather jacket to himself just before he begins running and jumping across the rooftops on the climb to the middle school.

Hayato's Den, Chiyo Middle School Freezer

As the last of the goons fall to her Bakuzan, the squat, long nosed figure of Hayato Suzambo appears on a large monitor once more.

"My, my, looks like you were telling the truth! No one but a legendary Kiryuin could have trounced my boys so thoroughly." he says, ending in a scratchy laugh.

"No more game's Suzambo!" she demanded pointing her blade at the screen, "Reveal yourself now, otherwise you will regret it when I find you!"

"Cool your jets, sweet-cheeks." He said as a crooked grin spreads across his face, "I know what it is you came for. Your mum and my pop are working out their arrangements and you want my assistance with this little project you got in the Tokyo Bay. Well this little underworld I run doesn't do charity work, so I'm going to need something from you."

She hears Gamagoori take in a deep breath in preparation to admonish the young man for the way he is making demands of her, but she stops him. As much as it pained her she knew she would have to swallow her pride and answer this scums demands. Not only were the connections to Chiyo's resources and the people he could hustle for her useful, but his peerless ability to work the system to his own ends would make him a useful pawn in marshaling the strength she would need to combat her mother.

"Very well, Suzambo, what is it you wish?"

"Well as you've probably guessed me and pop's organization and the Takarada Syndicate have many similar interests. All of which are primarily used to obtain money. Now normally that wouldn't be a problem," Hayato's so far calm and fearless demeanor changes into one of anger, "but when the bastards start trying to muscle in on OUR mining and smuggling operations on OUR turf then we have a FUCKING PROBLEM!"

"Now what I want you to do is use that swordsmanship to crush the little wimp Kaneo's fieldtrip he has in the mountains. You don't have to worry about the little prick being there himself. He and his dad are just using some damn grade school parents as "chaperones" that are probing our goddamn mountain for a vein to set up shop at!"

After a little huffing and puffing the short crime lord seems to return to his obnoxiously confident demeanor, "Since this is your first time at my lovely mountain I've decided you may need a guide."

The door behind them opens. Satsuki turns to see a fit young man with deep red hair entering with a leather jacket thrown over his shoulder.

"This here is Yori, one of the best survivalists this side of the mountain; he can get you there in no time."

"No." Yori said flatly.

"Wha-Damn it Yori!" Hayato growled at him on the screen in the back of the freezer. He mumbles something under his breath before composing himself, "You'll have to excuse me Kiryuin. I need to reestablish who the top dog in this town is."

He wasn't expecting that, Hayato had learned long ago not to throw his people at him. This girl must be a really important client for him to risk his wrath for, and that had him intrigued. Suddenly there was a shadow cast over him from the hallway light behind him. He rolls forward, turning to see a group of large boys holding metal pipes. The one closest to him immediately charges forward haphazardly. He answers the pipe swinging towards his face with a duck and an uppercut. The large boy stumbles back, nearly knocked from his feet.

Yori smirks, "You guys sure you want to take this path?"

He can see some of the boys flinch, but none leave. Their fear of what Hayato would do to their families later likely greater that the fear of the beating he'd give them. He almost feels bad for them, but the fight he was about to give them would make them a little stronger.

Or it would break them, but that's the way the world works.

A pair of them moves to each side of him, obviously planning to attack together. Just as he thought they charge in unison once they are in position. Just as they swing he pulls his arms up to block their overhead strikes. He can feel a slight twinge of pain, but that is only enough to set him off. Quickly turning his hand up Yori grabs the pipes and yanks them from their owners grasps. He hears them yelp in fear but they are swiftly silenced as he turns, striking them both hard in the face. He can hear their teeth crack and blood spatter on the chilled stone floor of the freezer. Both of the boys fall to the floor unconscious, and he tosses away the pipes and beckons the lackeys forward.

"Will you idiots just come at me all at once; I want to get this over with." He said as he shoots them a serious glare.

Satsuki can't help but be slightly amazed at the scene unfolding in front of her. The well-built red haired boy named Yori was a flurry of movements as the senior students swarmed him. What hits he couldn't dodge or block he took, making the young men pay with fierce blows. His strikes seemed to only increase in intensity the more hits the seniors landed. As their numbers dwindled so did their individual resolve, but the ones that tried to run seemed to draw the boys focus more than the attackers. He seemed as a hunter, and the seniors were his prey. Once the last senior fell to a particularly strong head-butt he looked past them to the screen, a fiery look in his deep blue eyes.

Perhaps Hayato wasn't the only person from Chiyo she needed.

She could hear Suzambo stuttering from behind her. Fear replaced his confident tone as he spoke, "D-Damn you Yori! I have too much riding on this; I need more muscle down there now!"

"Don't bother," the she interjected. She moves forward, readying Bakuzan, "I will defeat him myself."

Gamagoori moves in front of her, "I am sorry my Lady, but this…"

"Move aside Gamagoori, I will handle this."

The tall young man quickly moves from her path, bowing to her as she passes, "Yes my Lady."

"So you are the famous Satsuki Kiryuin." Yori says as she approached, "Normally I expect people in your position of leadership to not have any real ability."

"You are about to find that Satsuki Kiryuin is much more than normal."

"Oh that I could tell already, no one gets that look in their eye unless they have something important they need to do… a monster that they need to slay."

She is taken by surprise by that last comment. Did he know?

Her train of thought is interrupted as he continues, "If you can impress me I'll help you get where you need to go. You can even let your allies help you out."

"I will not need assistance to tame you. Now come!"

With that they rush forward to one another. Once he is in range she swings Bakuzan horizontally to his chest. Yori slides under the sword, attempting to use his momentum to kick her feet from under her. She jumps just as he slides underneath. She predicts his next move as she brings Bakuzan's flat edge to guard her back. Just as she expected there is the sudden force of a fist impacting her sword. The force of the blow causes her to slide forward towards one of the unconscious seniors. Placing her foot forward she uses the unconscious boy to stop her forward motion. She quickly turns and finds Yori already rushing her. His fiery expression seems gone from his eyes, in the split moment before he makes contact with her they seem almost playful. As she dodged his punches the anger she momentarily felt at his expression dissipates.

"He isn't holding back," she thinks, "is he enjoying matching himself to someone of my skill?"

They trade swings, blocking and dodging, neither giving any less than their best. She swings once more, this time releasing her dual grip in attempt to swipe away his blocking arm. In response to this he catches her wrist holding Bakuzan as he throws the opposite hand towards her. She catches the fist and prepares to head-butt him. He apparently has the same idea as their foreheads collide. She can feel blood trickle down her face as she sees a small red line make its way down Yori's face as well. They stand there for a moment until Yori smirks.

She feels his leg sneak around hers and suddenly she is forced back. He is above her looking down as he prepares to strike. She uses Bakuzan for leverage as she forces them to change positions. She now straddles him, her sword mere inches from his throat. His fingers grip the blade holding it back enough that he could retaliate with the other hand before she could stop him. Rather than a fearful expression he seems elated.

"I say we stop now, we'll be here all night otherwise." He said through heavy breath.

"I cannot, not until you agree to take us where we need to go." She replied through her own tired breathing.

"If you think you are ready for it, I can take you to them."