A few months ago, what she was doing now would never have even crossed Yumi's mind. It wouldn't have even been something she could have considered a joke. An insult, perhaps, but that was all. In all her wildest dreams, Yumi would have never thought she would have do anything with or to an evil shinobi other than strike them down. If she wasn't destined to kill them, then at best, she would be killed by them. That was all there was to it. She was justice, they were not.

There would be no mingling between the two. Even the idea of such a thing was one that she hadn't even been able to comprehend just a few months ago.

It was her creed. It was her oath. It was what she stood for. It was all she wanted to be — the righteous blade that struck down evil.

Well... It had been, anyway.

As for today?

If the Yumi of the past could see the Yumi of today, she would probably try to end her life out of shame. In the past, Yumi would have only ever sought out the location of evil shinobi to do battle with them. In the past, Yumi's thoughts of evil shinobi began and ended with how they were her enemies and what she would do to end their existence.

Today, Yumi was standing patiently outside the lair of a group of evil shinobi ("Or was it formerly evil shinobi now? Half and half?" she idly wondered to herself...) she knew to be renegades at that, holding not a sword or even her fan at the ready, but simply a small, neatly wrapped up box of home cooked treats.

"Did Homura and her group leave this area...?" Yumi pursed her lips as she scanned the surrounding area. A lake by a group of caves, within which the group known as the Homura Crimson Squad was currently residing. It wouldn't be strange if the five girls had left, though it would certainly be disappointing. "What a shame... I would hate to have made this for nothing. I'll give them a little more time before I leave."

Seeing as it truly seemed as though no one was coming out, Yumi sighed. She would come back later in the evening if need be, and then she would return tomorrow if that didn't provide results. She supposed if the shinobi were out, this would be pointless, but it was also possible that they simply didn't want to come out, in which case she would need to be persistent.

It wasn't as though she had any ill intentions... Not that she had thought that she had had them when she had first come for Homura and her crew, of course... She had a small debt to repay to the group's leader and namesake, that was all.

Despite herself, Yumi found a small smile gracing her lips as she recalled the day before...

It was a typical evening in the Gessen compound. Yumi was seated in her usual place, perfect for keeping a watchful eye over her friends, but for most of the day, it seemed as though the shinobi had been rather... distracted. She and Yozakura had been having an intense training session that afternoon, but while Yozakura had left shortly after, Yumi had simply been sitting around.

This left the remaining three Gessen students in something of a pickle. Just what were they to do? Yumi was sitting around looking like... well... like Yumi, and Yozakura was AWOL! Worst of all, without Yozakura or Yumi, dinner wouldn't be possible! And they were starting to get hungry!

"I'm getting hungry..." Minori, never one to keep quiet about her troubles, was more than happy to say as much. She wasn't as happy to be feeling the rumbly in her tumbly, but she hoped by vocalizing the complaint, maybe something would be done about it.

Next to her, Shiki was starting to realize that it was going to be up to her to get the day moving again. That, or she could just leave, but she'd probably feel bad about it later if she did that. She supposed she could pick up take out, but that didn't solve the Yumi issue...

"Should we, like... Poke her or something?" Tilting her head, Shiki looked over to her side at the last member of their disorganized trio, Murakumo. The blonde shinobi quirked an eyebrow — considering Murakumo had her mask on, she would have thought at least a comment was in order. "Heyyy, anybody in there? He~llo~ooooo?"

"... I'm going to my room."

Not quite the comment Shiki had been expecting.

"H-Hey! Wait a second! What about..." Shooting a look behind her, Shiki let out a groan and followed Murakumo out of the Ninja Room. "Wait up! We can go out to eat if you guys are that hungry or something! Just don't leave!"

Not wanting to be left behind, or worse, miss out on food, Minori soon followed after, but not before casting a worried glance in Yumi's direction before she went. It was not returned. It may not have even been noticed.

With that, Yumi found herself alone. She was aware of it, but she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't react immediately as she probably should have. No one's life was in danger, so it wasn't as though her trained reflexes were necessary here. No... She could afford to think for now.

While she had been aware of her three classmates' issues the whole time, Yumi couldn't find it in her to address their concerns. She was dealing with her own share of concerns at the moment, and unfortunately for them, she had complete confidence in their ability to fend for themselves if they needed to.

If only her own concerns could have been addressed so easily.

Despite the fact that things had settled surprisingly well considering how they had began, after she had started to reflect on them, their battles with Hanzo, Hebijo, and Homura's group had brought about a heavy weight in Yumi.

Shiki, despite how ready she was to slack off, was perhaps the comrade Yumi could be the most confident in, at least so long as the girl kept up her training. Her fighting style was unique and what she did impressed and surprised even Yumi when she wasn't running off to the mall. A simple tweak in her usual training, when she actually did it, would likely be all Shiki needed to continue to soar.

Murakumo, despite her all too timid nature, was an extremely capable fighter when need be. When she wore her mask, she could be as mighty as the ogres of folklore that the mask was designed after. Even without the mask... She was learning how to fight, bit by bit, on her own. She would be something amazing once she got there. And what's more, perhaps because of that sweet nature of hers, she had trained some of the strongest familiars Yumi had ever encountered or fought against. With those in combination with her style of dual wielding, Murakumo too had the potential to be quite the formidable foe.

Even Minori, despite her childishness, was full of surprises when she really put herself to it — it was no surprise that their grandfather had had such faith in her. With her speed and how she used food as a weapon, to say Minori could adapt was perhaps the understatement of the century. With more training, that control over food might be a more powerful weapon that anyone, even their grandfather, could have possibly ever imagined...

Yes, all things considered, Minori perhaps was the most adaptable of them all when it came down to it. As harsh as Yumi could be on her, it was only because she knew Minori was going to be something amazing someday.

While she would never allow these concerns to show, she worried about all of them. It was natural for a leader, for the oldest, to do so, was it not?

The things they had encountered in their battles with the other shinobi teams had been unlike anything they had encountered in their training before. It wasn't just in regards to justice that her eyes that had been opened during those fights. It was much more than that.

Regardless of how well they had done, now that she had had a taste of real battle, it was a feeling she would take with her forever going forward.

And that brought Yumi to the last of her teammates... Yozakura.

It wasn't that she wasn't confident in Yozakura's capabilities. Quite the contrary. Yumi would trust Yozakura with her life. While Yumi could rely on any of her other teammates when the going got tough, when it came to most other times, it was usually Yozakura that Yumi found herself leaning on. As much as Yumi would allow herself to lean on anyone at all, at any rate — and given her position, that wasn't exactly much.

Even so...

Before Yumi had been exposed to all of these other fighting styles, before Yumi had seen what real battle was like, she would often catch herself praising Yozakura's skill and work ethic. Yozakura, perhaps out of humbleness or respect, would praise Yumi in turn, and this would lead to many training sessions concluding with the two of them gushing about how much stronger the other was like a pair of little lovestruck fools.

She would be lying if she were to say that part of her didn't miss it a little. Being able to be that ignorant, that is.

That part of her was a part of her that was easily silenced by thoughts of what consequences they would suffer should they continue to proceed as they had before. She could no longer go on as though nothing had changed, as though they hadn't been exposed to so much. She had learned a great deal about what the shinobi of the world were like, and the fact that she had never put it into practice before was simply shameful.

After all, it wasn't as though it had been new information. She had known all of it before. She had known it all. A simply cursory look comparing the abilities of her teammates alone should have been all that was required.

Yet it hadn't been. She had been too comfortable. It had taken those experiences for her to open her eyes and see how she could improve as a leader, and how she could help her friends improve. If helping Yozakura stay alive longer meant giving up those moments between herself and the other girl for now, even forever, she would gladly give them all. This was her role, her duty, not just as a fellow shinobi, but as the leader of these girls.

But Yozakura was a stickler when it came to her training, and she was prideful when it came to her abilities. Her fighting style really was a hard match against many others. In a world of throwing stars, fire breath, summoned animals and deities, and so much more, simply fighting with one's fists was a risk, and she had yet to really have that point hammered home.

She was proud. Yumi was proud of her.

More than that, Yumi wanted to be even more proud of her. Yumi wanted to continue to be proud of her, of being able to fight and live alongside her, for as long as she lived.

Yumi didn't want to lose any of her classmates... her friends. She would never forgive herself if a life was lost due to a poor training regiment. It was just as much her responsibility to keep her teammates prepared as it was the teachers of Gessen's responsibility. Perhaps all the more so, considering how these teammates were her "sisters" in a way.

Yumi had known that there was likely only one way to start repairing the damage that years of their sparring together had helped create.

So she had been tough. She had been harsh. She had gone beyond their usual training. She had gone for the kill. She hadn't taken it, obviously, but the message she had given Yozakura had been clear. She had chosen her words with purpose and taken great care to drive her point home.

It wasn't a thing everyone could do. Yumi wasn't fond of having had to do it, but in hindsight... Perhaps she should have done it more often. Had she let herself get too close to Yozakura? Too comfortable, too casual? Had she made a mistake? Or was thinking this way a mistake in itself?

Though her face gave no hints away as to what she was thinking, her mind was a blizzard right now.

Yumi wanted Yozakura to be stronger. Yumi wanted Yozakura to live longer.

Yumi wanted-

"Hello! Is anyone home?"

"Hey! Anybody home in there?"

Yumi blinked. She was being spoken to, wasn't she? She hadn't even had time to finish her flashback either... Not that it mattered now. One of the former Hebijo students had finally come out to greet her.

The black haired shinobi otherwise known as Mirai was looking up at her, tapping her foot impatiently. Had she been there long? Yumi didn't think she had been that distracted, but if she had been...

"About time... If you'd taken another minute, I would've really hurt you." Her visible eye narrowing at Yumi, the girl crossed her arms. Of course she had had to be the one sent out to go see what the ice princess here wanted. "I hate being ignored, you know."

Yumi supposed it didn't matter how long she had been distracted if this was how things were.

"I was... No, it doesn't matter. That doesn't excuse my rudeness." Bowing her head to the other girl, Yumi tipped her body downward to offer her apology in full, making sure to keep a proper hold on her gift as she did. "I apologize."

Normally, someone tipping like that and showing off so much cleavage, especially after ignoring her, would have Mirai pulling out her umbrella and turning wherever she was into a crime scene. It was only the context of this situation that saved Yumi from suffering some surprise piercings, and that context took Mirai rather off guard.

"W-Wha..." Mirai didn't know what to say to such an apology. She would have called Yumi on it, but it was too genuine looking for her to want to try. She hadn't expected this from this girl at all. After that crazy battle royale thing and what she had heard about her from Yomi, she would have thought Yumi was some snooty little... W-Well, not this, that's for sure! "Hmph! You're just like Yomi says..."

While Yomi would begrudge any and all "princesses" until she was given reason not to, Mirai, meanwhile, was more than willing to accept the formalities and respect that Yumi wanted to offer her. Not that she'd let Yumi know that, of course.

"So why're you here anyway?" Mirai added, turning around as to not let Yumi look at her until she could regain the upper hand. "You aren't going to start another fight, are you?"

"No, not at all." Yumi held out the box of food she was carrying with one hand, placing the other on top of it to keep it steady. She would hate to have come all this way only to drop her thank you gift. "I wanted to thank Homura for something. There's enough for all of you if you would like."

That was all Mirai needed to hear.

"Oh! Well, I don't know what it is you're talking about, but as long as you're not trying anything funny..." Her expression having become a little more than devious, Mirai started off towards the caves, presumably expecting Yumi to follow. Or... Was she going to get the others and bring them out? Yumi wasn't sure, now that she thought about- "Come on! Or are you going to stand out here all day?"

"Coming...!"

Observing the Crimson Squad's compound as she was led through by Mirai, Yumi found it to be... not quite what she was used to from shinobi schools, even by her limited experience with others as it was. Then again, she supposed they weren't really a shinobi school, so this was to be expected.

Eventually, she found herself entering a small, open cavern, filled with not only all sorts of conveniences, but the other members of Homura's group looking expectantly to where she and Mirai were coming from. They were waiting for her, it seemed.

The looks Yumi received were mixed. Homura's was a positive one, which was relieving enough, as she was the main reason for the trip. Hikage didn't seem particularly interested, as she was going back to whatever she had been doing before Yumi had arrived. Haruka was looking on at Homura's side, seeming rather curious, and Yomi... She was giving Yumi a strained look, but Yumi supposed she should learn to expect that from the girl for the time being.

"She's all yours..." Her job done, Mirai plopped down on a nearby couch to watch. If something good was going to happen, she wanted to have a good seat for it.

Supposing that now was a good a time as any, Yumi approached Homura and gave her a cordial nod.

"Good afternoon, Homura... Everyone." Yumi began, casting a quick glance around the room to make sure that nothing was amiss — an old habit she quickly turned into a greeting — before returning her gaze to the tanned girl before her. "I'm glad you're all here, though for the moment, I was hoping to speak with you in particular."

With all the politeness being thrust at her like this from someone who so recently claimed to want her dead, Homura barely managed to stifle her laughter with a snort.

"Yeah, I figured that much. Still, I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon after I put Yozakura through the ringer yesterday." As she recalled her battles with the other girl, Homura really did let out a hearty laugh. Those had been good fights. Though what was Yumi here for? "Don't tell me, you liked the bruises I gave her so much, you decided you wanted to spar with me too and see if you could get more?"

As the two elite shinobi leaders began to converse, the other Crimson Squad girls looked on in interest. Most of them hadn't even been aware Homura had been training with one of Gessen's shinobi — only Haruka and Hikage had even had an inkling, in fact.

"Now now, Homura. I'm not here for that sort of business." Yumi wanted to keep this civil. She was grateful to Homura, after all. She was here to thank her, after all. Despite this, however, she couldn't help but let just... one little remark slip out. "Besides, I wouldn't want to make Asuka jealous."

Homura's mouth fell open in brief surprise, clearly not expecting such a comment from Yumi like that. Yomi gasped, torn between being impressed a "princess" had said such a thing and defensive of her leader. Haruka laughed outright, while Mirai did her best to hide the laughter at her leader's expense that was fighting for dominance.

Hikage, for her part, actually started paying attention.

"Y-You..." Clenching a fist, Homura grit her teeth as she forced a smile onto her face. She could feel her face warming up, but she wasn't about to let Yumi get the advantage of her like this. "If you're not careful, I'll do a lot more than just bruise you...!"

Deciding she had perhaps gone a little too far, at least considering her primary reason for this visit, Yumi bowed her head slightly.

"Forgive me. We can talk about that another time." She wasn't about to give up that completely, after all. Raising her head, she offered the small package she had been carrying to Homura. This seemed to calm the other girl down enough for them to move past the topic of Asuka... perhaps to the disappointment of their audience. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday. I realize this is unorthodox of me, but..."

"Huh? You just came here to thank me?" Homura tilted her head. Seeing Yumi's earnest expression starting to look offended, she finally settled on grinning jovially at the Gessen shinobi. "Don't get your panties all twisted, I'm not offended by it. You're just surprisingly straightforward is all. I didn't expect you to ever come to me about this. Yozakura, maybe, but you? What gives?"

Yumi frowned. What a strange question to ask. Why wouldn't she express her feelings? What sort of person did Homura take her for? Although... On second thought, considering how they had gotten to know each other, perhaps that was a question better left without an answer.

Maybe... Evil shinobi, as well as formerly evil shinobi, were unaccustomed to being thanked? If they were going to be on civil terms, even friendly terms, then this was something Yumi would need to clarify eventually. She supposed now was a good a time as any.

"I... understand that this may be presumptuous of me to say, but I'm merely trying to offer my grattitude, Homura." Slowly, with just a bit of hesitation, Yumi took a step forward and again offered the box of treats she had made for the Crimson Squad to Homura. "Is that a problem?"

"No, it's not." Much to Yumi's surprise, it actually looked like Homura's jovial attitude was starting to fade now. Had she been right in her assumption? Or had she crossed the line earlier when mentioning Asuka...? "You want to thank me for kicking Yozakura around? Yeah, I get that, but don't you think you're looking down on her by doing this? Think about what it means for you to be here for a second."

"Looking... down on her? What it means for me to be here?" To say that Yumi hadn't expected this would have been a massive understatement. She had worried about a potential fight, but a lecture? Who did Homura think she was? What was Homura getting at? Was she implying something about her and Yozakura's friendship here? "I have no idea what-"

Homura sighed, cutting Yumi off before she had a chance to finish the thought. Not that she needed to — it was fairly clear that Yumi was in the dark on this one.

"I get goading her into coming after people to help her toughen up, that makes sense. But this?" Homura held up her arms in an exaggerated sort of shrug. "It's not like we agreed on anything beforehand. Yozakura could have gone to anyone, right? You don't need to thank me. You shouldn't be thanking me."

Even though Homura's words were simple, it felt like there was something deeper to them, something she couldn't quite grasp. As if briefly taken by a sense of the shame that Homura's words made her feel like she should feel, Yumi looked away.

"Homura... Is it really that wrong of me to be pleased with the results of her training? I-"

"What results?" This time, Homura was quick to jump in and interrupt. "It was one day. It wasn't even a full day. If she doesn't do anything with it, one day's training is worthless. You have nothing to be 'pleased' with unless she sticks with it."

For someone whose life revolved around ice, Yumi could only feel a flash of hot red anger briefly flashing through her veins at the implication. Was Homura actually suggesting that Yozakura was going to forsake this? That she was the sort of person who would disregard knowledge or get bored with her training...?!

"Are you implying Yozakura won't?" Yumi didn't regret snapping at Homura, and she didn't care if it put the other shinobi's teammates on guard. She wouldn't stand to see Yozakura insulted in her presence like this...!

Surprisingly, none of the other girls commented or made a move to intervene.

"That's not up to me, is it?" Homura, meanwhile, looked like she was the "ice princess" of the two of them.

"That's..." Yumi lowered her gaze once more. She was starting to understand what Homura's meaning was now. She was the one who had goaded Yozakura into seeking out that kind of training. Homura had just been the person Yozakura had gone to — it was Yumi that had been the real trigger. If Yozakura were to slack off, what business of it was Homura's? Wouldn't she be the one to do something about it?

As she had the day before...?

In that moment, as recognition and realization began to fill Yumi's features, Homura smirked. Seeing the pleased expression on the other shinobi's face, Yumi's eyes widened. Now it was she who was gasping at the other girl.

Was Homura doing the same thing to her that she had done to Yozakura?

Yumi sighed. She found herself starting to smile, and looking back at Homura, it seemed as though it was a smile that was being returned. Oh well. This was a learning experience, if nothing else. She supposed she had walked right into this one.

"Re... Regardless, I wish to thank you even so." Yumi cleared her throat. It was understood between the two of them that Yumi had gotten Homura's message, but Yumi was a proud woman — she wasn't about to give up on her own reasons for coming here. "I don't plan on easing up on her, nor does she on herself. Yozakura isn't the kind of person who will ignore this now that she's been made aware. I assure you of that."

"If that's true, then I'll take those cookies of yours."

Upon hearing Homura finally declare her willingness to accept the gift, Yumi smiled softly, relieved. She hadn't wanted to fight about this, though she supposed, in a way, it was probably something she should have expected. Of all the fights she had had with these types of people, she found she rather appreciated what had come from this one.

"Still..." Laughing, Homura's tone changed to a more friendly one as she took the package from Yumi's hands, popping it open to look at the sweet contents within. "That girl was fired up! You must have really kicked her ass. She looked like beating you was her life's goal for a minute there. I'm gonna have to have a rematch with you next time."

"S-She did?" Yumi felt genuinely surprised by the knowledge Homura had imparted on her — so much so, she had even missed the challenge Homura had slipped in. She and Yozakura had trained hard before, certainly, but to think she had gotten Yozakura that invested... "I see..."

Homura raised an eyebrow. Could it be that... Yumi had been so concerned with helping her comrade's training that she hadn't even fully considered what the potential ramifications on their relationship might have been? Shinobi shouldn't be prioritizing relationships over their abilities, absolutely not, but they did at least have to have at least functioning ones so they could accomplish their missions. Especially the "good" ones.

"But that's fine." Homura added quickly. Wouldn't do her any good to be the one to screw up things between the Gessen girls. Let them do it themselves, if nothing else. "Gives her a goal. It-"

"Yes, I suppose it does." Yumi's reply was quick and curt. It sounded like her usual, but there was a thin layer of ice there — perhaps more directed at herself than anyone else — that hadn't been there a moment earlier.

For a moment, it seemed as though it was probably time for Yumi to leave and reevaluate her life choices.

"I don't know about the two of you..." It was at this point that someone else finally entered the conversation — Haruka, to be exact. "But I think it's sweet that she was worrying about her little wife's safety so much."

Yumi immediately wished she had left as soon as she'd given Homura the cookies.

"Her wife?" "M-My what!?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Haruka, voice dripping with sultry undertones, smirked as she approached the two girls. "Yumi here is the husband and Yozakura is the wife. Think about it." As if Yumi wasn't even there any longer, Haruka began speaking to Homura as if she was explaining something basic, something textbook, to her leader. "Just look at the rest of their team, Homura. Shiki and Murakumo are the siblings that are just close enough in age that they like to..." A pause. A giggle. "Experiment sometimes. And little Minori rounds it off by being the lovable little baby."

Mortified, face burning with a vibrant blush, Yumi could only find herself staring in horror at Haruka's implications. As a person, she was offended that her relationships with her friends and comrades were being reduced to such stereotypes. As a leader, she was furious that anyone would suggest anything so improper about anyone close to her like that. As a girl...

Yumi silenced that thought there. She would not let such a thing get to her.

Still...

... As a girl, the mental image of herself in a tuxedo and Yozakura in a wedding dress had been forever planted in her mind...

"Careful, you might melt if you keep thinking about whatever you're thinking about."

"I will do no such thing! You have your cookies and my thanks, so if you would excuse me, I must go."

"Sure, sure..." A beat. For a moment, it looked like this horrifying incident was finally over. And then... "Oh, tell the missus I said she can train with me whenever she wants!"

Needless to say, the glare Yumi gave Homura on her way out of the cave could have caused another ice age then and there.

"Hello! Is anyone home?"

From her seated position, Yumi couldn't see who was entering the Ninja Room, but she knew the voice enough not to need to look. What's more, from the sound of the person's tone and their footsteps, it sounded like things had gone well for them as well. Yumi couldn't help but sighing quietly in relief with that knowledge.

"Just me, Yozakura."

Yumi gently rose to greet her fellow shinobi, feeling rather light compared to how she had been feeling just a few moments ago. Had Yozakura walked in sounding even more frustrated than when she had left, Yumi wasn't sure what she would have had to do to help the other girl along...

Pushing away such unnecessary thoughts, Yumi chose to simply be pleased that it sounded as thought Yozakura had accomplished whatever she had set out to do and learned the things that Yumi had hoped she would when she had egged her on earlier. Turning past her paper screen to see just what state Yozakura was in, Yumi suddenly found herself tumbling to the floor.

"You sound... Oof!"

"Oh, Yumi! Sorry, I was coming to see you... I didn't mean to surprise you. Are you alright?"

"Of course... Don't worry about it." Shaking her head, dismissing Yozakura's concern, the fallen Yumi paused as she finally got a good look at the blue haired girl. After colliding into Yumi and accidentally sending the unsuspecting shinobi to the ground, she was bending down and reaching out for her fallen leader. "Oh..."

Her clothes were torn up all over. Bruises of all shapes, size, and color were forming on her arms and even her bare stomach, decorated by an assortment of cuts that seemed to have been already treated. It looked like she had even been forced to put on her backup underwear. It was hard to tell whether or not Yozakura had been successful in her ventures today judging by the state of her clothes and her body.

Luckily, Yumi didn't need to judge by any of those things. There was something she could use that told her everything she needed to know.

Yozakura's body was at peace. The frustration that had made beating her so easy was nowhere to be seen. Her muscles, worn and tired and wounded as they oh so clearly were, were relaxed. She wasn't feeling even a fraction of the tension that she had been feeling in Yumi's presence earlier that day.

And as Yumi took Yozakura's hand and was pulled up to meet the other shinobi face to face, Yumi could see her smile head on.

Accomplishment. Pride. Readiness. Peace. Hope.

All of those feelings and so many more shone through the expression Yozakura wore on her face. Above them all... There was gratitude. Gratitude for what, Yumi could only imagine, but it seemed to be directed at her and her alone. It was overwhelming, like she had found herself suddenly standing before a dam just as it had burst.

For a moment, Yumi found herself taken with the beacon shining right in her face, like a star that had just been born before her very eyes, and finally had to drag herself away from its radiance before she found herself blinded by it forever. Turning from Yozakura and taking her hand, Yumi found herself making for the kitchen.

"You must be hungry. Let me make you something."

"Huh?" This seemed to take Yozakura off guard. Had she had a plot of her own in mind? That wouldn't do at all. "No, Yumi, I can..."

Feeling mentally ready to face that shining star again, Yumi looked back to her teammate with a stern expression.

"I insist."

Yozakura blinked. This wasn't entirely unlike Yumi, but... She supposed, considering how she had left her leader compared to how she was acting now, Homura had been right after all. She'd been hoping to tell everyone what a great fight she'd put up over dinner, but... Well, that could probably still happen regardless of who cooked, she decided.

Sighing in defeat, Yozakura offered Yumi a small smile and nodded. Nodding in return, Yumi continued towards the kitchen, fully intent on making all of Yozakura's favorites.

"Hey... Yumi?" There was a pause. It seemed as though Yozakura had followed her into the kitchen. "Why are you smiling like that? Did something good happen while I wasn't home?"

"Smiling? Am I...?" Stopping in her ingredient gathering, Yumi glanced at a nearby hanging pan to get a look at her reflection. She could see Yozakura in the background, but in the foreground... Sure enough... There it was.

Yumi would never claim that an expression on her own face could possibly compare to what she had witnessed on Yozakura's a few moments ago, but for her... She had to admit, she couldn't remember the last time she had smiled like this.

"Did something good happen while you weren't home...?" Gessen's leader considered the question for a moment, looking over her shoulder towards a confused Yozakura. If it was Yozakura's training that had led to her returning in the state she was in now... Despite herself, she couldn't help laughing softly. "Yes. I suppose something good did happen while you were away."

Yozakura frowned. Yumi was acting weird. And she wasn't making sense, either! Just what was going on here? Here she had thought she had learned a little more about her leader after training with Homura today, but... Was she still at square one?

"I do hope you'll tell us about just what it was. Oh, would you like anything special for dessert?"

"Wh... Huh? But..."

Now that she was starting to get into making dinner, it seemed as though Yumi was getting more and more distracted by her task. That was nice and all, but it wasn't helping Yozakura's confusion any one bit!

"Yumi, I wasn't talking about what I did. What good thing happened to you?"

Not even turning back to Yozakura this time, Yumi spoke without hesitation. What reason did she have to lie? Yozakura had earned this much praise from her, hadn't she? She didn't intend to go easy on her tomorrow, but today... Yes, today, Yozakura had earned herself this praise.

"You, obviously."

Gasping, Yozakura stumbled backwards, nearly falling through the doorway. What in the world was... What was Yumi getting at here!? Could it be...? But... But...!

"Wh... Whaddya sayin'!? Y'can't talk like that 'bout somebody without givin' 'em a heads up first! Y-Yuuumiiiiii!"

Quickly slamming the sliding door behind her as she went, Yozakura ran off in a hurry, having half a mind to go on yet another training journey so she could cool her head off. In her shock to leave, she hadn't realized that Yumi had bent over to go cupboard diving to find some pots, and thus had missed out on her flustered exit completely.

"Yozakura, could you pass me the..." Yumi turned after she realized she could no longer feel her friend's presence, quirking an eyebrow when she realized she was alone. "Yozakura...? Where could she have gotten to?"

Was acknowledging that she had recognized Yozakura's efforts too much...? Yumi hoped she hadn't undone everything she had hoped to accomplish by pushing Yozakura into seeking out skilled opponents and harsher training with a simple complement... No, this was Yozakura, she told herself. Yozakura wouldn't be brought down by a simple compliment.

Blissfully unaware of just how her words had gotten to Yozakura, Yumi shrugged her shoulders. Placing the large pot onto the stove, she found herself getting a little excited. She was going to make this a dinner to remember. Seeing that flood that Yozakura had unleashed upon her... Something about it just made Yumi want to return the favor as best she could. Besides... It would be disrespectful to Yozakura's efforts to make her come home and cook her own dinner, especially with how elegant and mature she had been acting.

"Yes... Yozakura has more than earned this."

Of that much, Yumi was sure.

Little did Yumi know that, at that very moment, the flustered bundle of confused gratitude that was otherwise known as Yozakura had just punched a hole in Shiki's pillow after discovering that the blonde shinobi was nowhere to be found.

"Just when I need her the most... Where is she!?"

Three weary girls sat down at a ramen stand. Unbeknownst to them, it was becoming more and more a popular eating spot for shinobi like themselves. That might have been interesting information to know at some point or another, but right now, all they wanted was something warm they could fill their empty bellies with.

"Trick-or-Treat!" The youngest was happy to great the friendly stand owner, though at this point it was more because she was finally going to get something to eat. It had been suuuuuch a long day! She hadn't eaten since... since... hours ago!

"It's not gonna be October for, like, five months, Minori. Nooooot quite there yet." Sitting in the middle, a blonde girl gave the youngest of their trio a tired, albeit affectionate, look as she dropped a hand on top of her pigtailed head. "So give it a rest, 'kay?"

"But... But then how come Murakumo got all those presents from those nice people before?"

The blonde groaned as she recalled the memory — and the reason for why she was ready to throw in the towel.

"Those girls thought the scary gangster girl in the monster mask was gonna mug them, Minori. Not that she was going Trick-or-Treat to them." Pointedly turning to the girl sitting quietly at her other side as she spoke, the blonde shinobi's gaze hardened. "You don't want to be somebody that people take one look at and just think 'Kyaaa! I'm gonna, like, throw my wallet at you and run away so you don't kill me! and stuff. Right?"

The masked girl that was being addressed by the blonde was silent for a few moments, before finally...

"... I gave it back..."

"Only after we had to chase them down! They thought we were trying to kill them!"

The youngest member of the trio started to giggle happily at the memory.

"That was fun! I haven't played tag with normal people before!"

"And you're not going to again either!" The blonde added in exasperation. That game of "tag" would have ended up looking like a crime scene if she and her masked companion hadn't repeatedly distracted their brunette friend before they'd finally caught up to the girls they were pursuing to sort things out. "Maaaan... I just want today to be over! I should've just stayed behind and worked on my blog..."

At least peace, quiet, and her nice and comfy bed would be there waiting for her once she finally got home...

... or so she thought, anyway.