"I'm stronger, we all know that."

"I'm faster."

"And I'd know not to injure you, since I know your hatsu. I'd be sure to kill you in one shot."

"You can't."

"Bah! Says you. This isn't getting anywhere. You definitely believe that you would win and I definitely believe that I would win."

"That's how we are."

Kalluto watched nervously as Feitan and Phinks, two of the most hot-headed and blood-thirsty members of a group of mass-murdering thieves, argued about who could kill the other in a fight. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop them if they decided to test out their theories. Honestly, he suspected he'd be lucky to survive.

"Baaaaahhhh." Phinks' frustrated cry echoed around the cavernous, abandoned warehouse the Phantom Troupe was currently using as its home. In the center of the enormous room, a few chairs and couches had been pushed together to form a tiny living space in the middle of the dusty emptiness of the warehouse. Feitan was currently lounging on one of the couches while Phinks paced back and forth in front of him. Kalluto, for his part, sat as far away from the pair as he could.

Feitan stood up suddenly. "Need to settle this."

Phinks glanced at him sharply. "We're not allowed-"

"I know this." Feitan reached into a pocket. Any number of nasty weapons lay in hiding all over his body, but instead he brought out a single gold coin, with a spider emblazoned on one side. Not that a coin can't be a weapon, Kalluto thought, picturing a certain butler employed by the Zoldyck family.

Phinks groaned. "We can't decide something like this with a coin flip, Fei. That's stupid!"

Feitan shrugged and put the coin away. "You just say that 'cause you know I'd win."

"No way I'd let you cheat the toss you little bastard. Now admit that I could beat you."

Feitan narrowed his eyes in anger. "No." the little thief growled.

Is the temperature rising in here, Kalluto thought, or is it just my imagination?

The two stared each other down for a few more moments before Phinks threw his hands up in the air. "Bah, waste of time arguing with you. What do you think, Kalluto?"

Kalluto started. He stared back at Phinks.

"Yes. Who do you think would win?" Now Feitan was turning to face him as well. It was hard to tell with the bandana covering most of his face, but Kalluto was sure Feitan was sporting an evil grin.

Glancing between the two incredibly powerful homicidal maniacs, Kalluto decided that there was no good answer in this situation. So he did what his eldest brother had always taught him. He bolted, leaving the warehouse in a flash of pale skin.

Phinks and Feitan turned to each other. "Well that wasn't very friendly."

"No." Feitan agreed. "Shall we hunt? Whoever catches him is the winner."

"Excellent idea Fei." Phinks cracked his knuckles. "Don't expect me to go easy. This isn't technically a fight, so I say we're allowed to rough each other up a little bit."

Feitan nodded. "The kid too." Then he made to sit back down on the couch.

"What are you doing? We're supposed to be chasing him."

Feitan looked back up at his tall blonde comrade. Phinks had been with him long enough to know that under his bandana Feitan was wearing an evil smirk. "Give the kid a head start. I want there to be some sport to this."

Unbeknownst to Feitan and Phinks, Kalluto had heard their conversation; the tiny pieces of confetti hidden on both of their bodies relaying the sound to him through his Surveillance Paper Dolls technique. While still moving swiftly away from the warehouse, he calmed his aura and held it in his body, using Zetsu to avoid detection. He doubted the two Troupe members would kill him, but even with his advanced resistance to pain, he wasn't sure he wanted to be at their mercy. He made for a small wooded area. As dusk approached, his dark clothes would blend in well with the lengthening shadows of the forest. Hoisting himself up onto a branch, he allowed himself a moment to pause. He listened carefully, remaining still against the trunk of the tree for a few moments until he was sure he wasn't being followed. Finally satisfied, Kalluto pulled out his Paper Dolls to listen.

No one else in the Troupe knew about this technique, so Kalluto could use it to his advantage. If Phinks and Feitan had simply given chase immediately, Kalluto wouldn't have stood a chance. As it was, he thought, rather proudly, that he was in a good position. Trained as an assassin, he was an expert at remaining undetected, and his Zetsu technique was excellent. Then of course, there were the Dolls. Kalluto focused on Phinks' doll. Through it he could faintly make out urban noises: tires squealing, cars honking, vendors hawking their goods. He must have gone into the town to the west. This was good, Kalluto had gone directly east out of the hideout, Phinks was looking in the opposite direction. The young assassin then focused on Feitan's figure, straining to make out any ambient noise that would help him locate the diminutive thief. There! Was that the sound of running water? Once again, Illumi's lessons came in handy. Always know your surroundings, his older brother whispered in his ear, the more you know the more you can use to your advantage. He'd studied maps of the area upon the Troupe's arrival, there was a small creek running at the northern edge of the very forest Kalluto was currently hiding in! Swiftly, silently, Kalluto moved southward, and out of the forest.

Kalluto was feeling pleased with himself as he moved through the slums to the south of the town. He was successfully avoiding his Phantom Troupe seniors. By staying focused on the Paper Dolls while he was moving, he was able to stay a step ahead of Phinks and Feitan, who, if the curses and grunts coming from the Paper Dolls were anything to go by, were growing quite frustrated with their inability to find him. He was, unfortunately, too focused. And so, in the state of Zetsu that he had maintained throughout the entire chase, he was hit with the full force of the malignant aura suddenly directed his way by three new individuals. Kalluto gasped as the aura bit at his body like the biting cold of a blizzard, before releasing his Zetsu and instead focused on Ten to defend himself from the onslaught.

"Oh," the voice sound surprised, "What's this? The little one knows how to use nen?"

Stupid, Kalluto thought, Very stupid. I was too focused on my Paper Dolls, I forgot to remain wary of my surroundings. Kalluto grimaced and looked up at his attackers. There were three men, each giving off a shroud of nen aura. They were certainly strange looking. The one who had spoken sat in a large, mechanized wheelchair, some kind of gold visor covering part of his head. Another appeared to have only one arm, his left sleeve dangling empty. His strange, masklike face was seemed contemplative, as if he were trying to recall something. The last man, at least, Kalluto assumed it was a man, was certainly the strangest. He didn't have legs, in their place was one large peg at the center of his body. His top half was completely covered in a red cloak, and a gas mask stuck out where his mouth should be. Honestly, if they weren't using nen, Kalluto would have thought they were part of some strange circus act. As it was, he stared at them wearily. They didn't seem particularly strong, judging from the amount of nen they were shrouding themselves in. However, three on one could be tricky, and Kalluto had suffered some damage from their initial blast of aura before he'd been able to switch to Ten to defend himself.

Kalluto wasn't sure what his next move to be. The training of his family, the influence of Illumi, told him to flee. If you don't know the abilities of your opponents, run. If you aren't sure of the outcome, run. If there is no benefit to fighting when you might get hurt, run. But, even as he thought this, he felt his body moving in a different direction. Slowly, deliberately, he took his fan out and moved it to cover his mouth. He would be always be a Zoldyck, but he was also now a member of the Phantom Troupe. And the Troupe were bold. They were brash. And they were always certain they would win the fight. And so Kalluto, Number 4 of the Phantom Troupe, refined his nen into Ren, and prepared for battle.

The one-armed man looked completely shocked. "This nen, this presence, I know it! It's just like his, oh god help me!" He seemed completely panicked. Then his eyes hardened. "But, no, your not the same as he. Not as strong." His strange mask-face broke into a smile. "This is my chance for revenge!" Kalluto eyed him coldly and wondered which of his relatives the man was familiar with, and just how he had survived the encounter. However, just before he could move his fan to begin his attack, a blast of much stronger, much eviler aura blew by him and directed itself at his opponents. The three nen users immediately wilted as two forms, one tall and blond, one other short and dark, stepped up to flank Kalluto.

"Now now, three on one doesn't seem very fair, does it Fei."

"No Phinks, it does not."

"Well then, Kalluto, I hope you weren't hoping to keep all this fun to yourself."

Kalluto simply shook his head, smiling behind his fan, and attacked.

"That wasn't any fun at all." Feitan complained as the three Troupe members stalked back to their hideout.

"Weaklings couldn't even put up a fight. Pathetic." agreed Phinks, while Kalluto nodded his silent agreement.

"Anyway," Phinks turned toward his young companion, "Kalluto, you're a damn pain in the ass to find, you know that?"

Feitan nodded. "Annoying."

"Me and Fei only found you cause those three assholes started throwing aura around. Otherwise I'd still be out there looking! Good shit, kid."

"Very annoying." Feitan agreed.

Kalluto looked down, uncomfortable with the praise. "Thank you."

Phinks laughed. "No problem Kal. But you should really talk more. Honestly, we don't need another damn Kortopi in the Troupe."

"And you should try to be quieter. I could hear you stomping and cursing across half the town while I was hiding, it made it easy to avoid you."

Feitan and Phinks stopped and stared at Kalluto, stunned. Kalluto also froze, but forced himself to stare defiantly into Phinks' beady black eyes. Finally, Feitan let out a snicker, before both he and Phinks broke into full throated laughs.

"So there is a mouth on you, huh kid. I like it!" Phinks gave him a hard pat on the back, sending him stumbling a few feet.

Kalluto straightened back up and smiled at him.

"Anyway, Feitan, are you sure we shouldn't have brought any of those guys back to the Boss?"

Feitan kicked a rock and tsked. "Tops? Whips? Stupid powers. What Boss want with these? Don't be idiot."

"I don't know you little punk, the Boss likes collecting 'em! And wait a minute, we never settled our argument about who is stronger. Which of us got to Kalluto first?"

"Same time."

"Aaaaargh!"

Kalluto smiled as the two reconvened their shouting match. He didn't allow himself sentimentality that often, but, walking home with the bickering Troupe members, finally treated as an equal, he couldn't help but feel a warm pulse of contentment in his chest.