A/N: Good to see such support for this fic. I was a little worried about it and got stuck with major writer's block half way through, but I like how this turned out. Leave your reviews please!

Disclaimer: Dead or Alive owned by Team Ninja, Tecmo, and Itagaki. Tramps Like Us owned by Ogawa and Tokyopop

Kunoichis Like Us

Chapter 3

"Seiji?" Alex was surprised to see his friend knocking at his door. It had to have been almost five months since the last time he was at his condo. "What are you doing here?"

Seiji had a smug look plastered on his face when he answered. "Oh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by to see this ninja-girl of yours."

"Kasumi? Well, she's…"

Alex was cut off when the female in question pushed her way past him, seemingly in a hurry.

"Excuse me, but I'm late!" She offered while she hefted a purse over her shoulder. "I…"

She trailed off when she came face to face with Seiji. She held a look on her face similar to a deer staring at oncoming headlights.

"Don't worry." Alex said, knowing what Kasumi was worried about. "This is Seiji."

Alex had informed her that Seiji was aware of their agreement.

"Oh!" She flustered for a moment before bowing respectfully. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Shimono."

Seiji had to take a step back to look her over. The teenaged girl was dressed in a light pink sleeveless shirt, with faded jeans and a single large golden bracelet. A small pink choker with a golden heart was around her neck. She was hopping on one foot as she tried to put her white canvas sneakers on, the bracelet bounced with her. Her round glasses were on face and her hair was braided, signaling that she was not Kasumi at that moment, but Sakura Misaka.

"Nice to finally meet you face to face." Seiji said with his patented 'lady-killer' smile. "And please, call me Seiji."

She answered with a curt nod and turned her attention to Alex. Seiji blinked in surprise. Usually his smiles would at least cause girls to blush.

"I'll be with my friends until late." She said to Alex. She tried to slip on her left shoe while performing her balancing act. "We're going to the mall than a movie. I won't be back for dinner, so don't plan on me."

"I know." Alex replied dryly. Kasumi had gone over her plans for the day last night, but for some reason she seemed to think he had forgotten.

"Are you sure you're not leaving the apartment?" She stood straighter with both shoes on. "I'll be getting a cell phone today so I'll text you my number. Make sure that you save it."

"Got it." He suppressed his desire to roll his eyes.

Kasumi said her goodbyes and dashed to the stairs. Seiji watched with unwavering interest at her retreating backside. Alex caught the goofy grin on his face.

"She's got a nice ass." He said when she was gone from sight. "I'd do her."

"You'd do anyone with two X chromosomes." Alex countered.

"Not true." Seiji sounded insulted. "I wouldn't do anyone in my family. Or fatties, or uglys, or-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" Alex forgot how frustrating and crass his friend could be when dealing with girls. "Just get your ass in here before my neighbors hear ya!"

Seiji could not help but laugh as the door shut behind him.

The noodle-house worker sprawled out on the couch with a sigh, grateful to be out of his house that was filled with non-stop work and toil. He was a bit disappointed that he would not be able to formally meet Kasumi, but he was happy to hang out with a friend he barely had time to see nowadays. Seiji stretched out and let his body just mold with the furniture. Alex came in with two sodas. He tossed a can to his friend and plopped down in the recliner.

"I gotta say congrats, man." Seiji raised his can while still lying on the sofa. "You gotta hot chick living with ya, and you've barely known her for a week! You're living the life! Hope she puts out as quickly as she moved in!"

Alex popped the top and took a drink. "Don't be stupid. We're not like that at all."

"Oh, really?" Seiji raised an eyebrow. "She's getting a cellphone and she wants you to be the first person that gets her new number! She likes ya, man! Believe me, I know these things."

"She's getting that cellphone so she has more control over me! Ever since she agreed to be my ninja, she's been telling me what I can and can't do!" Alex grumbled something before he continued. "She's taking this way too damn far. Two days ago, I bumped into a guy and he got all pissy about it. She almost put him through a wall before I could get her to stop!"

"Well, she did say that she'll protect ya. This just means she's serious."

Alex thought about what she said to him the night after her first day in school. "She's a little too serious for me."

"Must you be so negative?" Seiji looked up at the ceiling for a while before continuing. "Maybe she'll treat ya right. If she does become your girlfriend, she'll definitely be better than-"

"Don't." Alex cut off coldly. "Don't say her name."

Seiji closed his eyes. "Sorry, forgot." He absent-mindedly toyed with his half-empty soda while he remembered certain events that happened a year ago. "Man, you were a mess after that. Didn't cry, didn't get angry with her, you just went…dead inside. Scared the hell outta me."

"I'd rather not talk about her at all."

"Yer right." Seiji gave off a small laugh. "Anyway, I got a question for ya."

"What's that?"

"If you're not going out with your new ninja girl, think I could-"

"Forget it, Seiji." Alex interrupted again. "Trust me, it wouldn't work between you and her."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, one wrong move and you'd never see my ass alive again."

"Probably the only good thing to come out of that relationship."

Both teens laughed.

Kasumi felt it as soon as she left the apartment, the sensation that she was being watched. She briefly wondered if her clan had already caught up with her and thought about trying to lose them in the crowd. But then she recognized the presence, the feeling of a cool, collected, and powerful individual. A power she recognized. She discreetly glanced around her to see if anyone was looking and ducked into the alleyway.

"Ryu." She spoke.

A figure dropped down from the building top and landed in front of her. The super-ninja wore casual clothes instead of his black leather suit. He had on a dark blue blazer and pressed pants. His brown hair was in a ponytail and his face was stone cold. He placed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.

"Kasumi." He replied.

"It's been a while." She gave a small smile. "How have you been?"

"I am well." Ryu's voice was as monotoned as she remembered. "I see you've found a new place to live."

"Yes." Her smile dropped. "I have."

"You are living with someone." Ryu faced the opposite wall. "A young male your age. And you've transferred to his school as well."

"You want to know why, don't you?" She offered.

Ryu was silent for a moment. "I find it strange that you would move in with someone you've just met. And I wish to know more about this…Alex Kane."

Kasumi had to shake her head in amusement. He was still looking out for her.

"He gave me shelter when Ayane and my clan attacked me one night. He offered me his home. In exchange for his kindness…I have pledged myself to him as his kunoichi."

Ryu turned his head to look Kasumi in her eyes with bewilderment on his face. A rather brief moment as a fraction of a second later, he returned his emotionless mask.

"I know that what I did might sound foolish, but I want you to know that this is something I intend to do with all my heart and soul."

Ryu looked at her for a moment longer before returning his gaze to the wall.

"It has been a long time since a ninja has pledged him or herself to someone. These days we hide from society and work in its shadows, fighting for our clan instead of someone else." Ryu said. "How do you know if this boy is worthy of having someone like you as their kunoichi?"

Kasumi looked up at the cloudless sky.

"He was born here in Japan." She began. "He has two sisters, one older, one younger. His father is from America and his mother's from France. He knows how to defend himself, but he doesn't know any martial arts. He knows how to cook very well and lives alone in a family size apartment."

She returned her gaze to Ryu who had the faintest look of puzzlement on his face.

"You wanted to know more about him." She reminded him.

Ryu furrowed his brow for a moment. He tapped a kunai he had hidden in his pocket absentmindedly. Kasumi was always someone who followed her heart, a contradiction for a ninja who was supposed to never let their feelings interfere with their duties.

"I suppose I have no right to comment on your pledge. It is your choice and yours alone. However, you do realize that by doing this, you bring him into your…situation."

Kasumi lowered her eyes for a moment before answering. "I would like to think that my clan would not use him or harm him in any way. I am their target, not him."

"I know your brother will make sure to inform the hunting parties to not lay a hand on him when he finds out. But…" Ryu looked uncertain. "Your sister might not have such scruples."

"I know." Kasumi clutched the band on her purse a little tighter. "But I will protect him, no matter what."

Ryu looked at the girl before him. She seemed…a little different than last time they talked. She always seemed hyper-alert, even a little afraid, like an attack could come at anytime, anywhere. And it very well could. But now she seemed more relaxed, more assure of herself. He had sworn her brother that he would protect her, now it looked like she had committed to a similar promise. She was growing up quicker than he realized.

"Be careful." Ryu pushed himself off the wall and stood before her. "Your life isn't the only one you must defend now."

"I will, Ryu."

In a flash, the modern day super ninja was gone. Kasumi left the alleyway and ran to the train, knowing that she was now even later than before.

"Kane! Kane!"

A girl bounded up to Alex the moment he entered the classroom. She was a small and thick-boned girl with short bob-cut hair. He recognized her as Komori from his class, but could not remember her first name. She was one of the girls that kept out of his way. Not out of fear or anything like that, they just did not know each other. For her to be asking for him in such an excited tone was beyond him.

"What is it?"

"Some girl came in here and asked for you."

Alex became even more puzzled. "For me? Who?"

She shook her head. "Dunno. She was an older girl and she wore a different uniform than ours."

"What'd she want?"

"Didn't say, really. Just wanted to know-" She stopped as she saw something past his shoulder. "Oh, there she is!" She raised her arm to grab the attention of whoever it was. "Hey, over here! Here he is!"

Alex turned around. The blood in his veins froze solid.

"Oi, Alex! Long time, no see!"

A slight breeze came across the school's roof. Alex stood with crossed arms and a piercing look. He could not help put strum his fingers slightly on his arm. The girl he was with brought up memories, both pleasant and painful from deep within him, a place he was sure buried and gone.

"Man, it's been a while since I was up here last." The girl said with a nostalgic look. "It's been what? A year?"

Alex said nothing.

Nanako Izumi had barely changed, if at all, the last time he saw her. She had her long hair streaked with crimson. She must have dyed it a while ago since the color had dulled. Her eyes held their usually mischievous gleam. Her nails had their coat of dark purple polish and a few rings adored her fingers. Her favorite, a steel band with a skull was on her left ring finger. A series of golden, small-hoop earrings hung from the edge of her ears. As Komori said, her uniform was different from the other girls. She still looked like the personification of a delinquent girl that the teachers were on the look out for.

"I remember the time I first met you." She put her back on the chain-link fence. "You were looking all pissed off, but then again when weren't you? Some tough guy was giving you shit in front of that arcade you and your buddies usually go to." She snapped her fingers. "The guy didn't even get a single hit in. You put him down in nothing flat."

"I was lucky." Alex finally added to the conversation. "His friends weren't there and he didn't think I would put up a fight. His hands were in his pockets."

Nanako shrugged. "Still, the guy was older than you by a year or so. My boyfriend thought you were pretty cool. Wanted you to be a part of his crew." She reached into her bag and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. "Course, you didn't want to be in a gang. Daisuke was pretty pissed, but I managed to calm him down."

"What are you doing here?" Alex coldly asked. "I thought you transferred to Chiba."

"Transferred back." She took a long drag and let out a fine stream of smoke. "Didn't like my new school, way too strict, this place was a lot more lax. I'm on my own now, got a small apartment. Don't have to worry about my old man breathing down my neck."

Alex made a grumbling noise in the back of his throat.

"Still the conversationalist I see." She smirked.

A few moments of uncomfortable silence filled the air. Alex would watch Nanako look up at the sky and take the occasional puff. He tried his best to shoot daggers out of his eyes, but she seemed immune.

After finishing her smoke, the eighteen-year-old snubbed it out and walked to the exit. "Looks like we'll be seeing each other more often now, Alex."

Nanako stopped in front of him and eyed him shrewdly. Alex became instantly uncomfortable. She moved closer, intruding into his personal space. He tried to back up, but forgot that he was near a wall and found himself trapped. She leaned her head in…and took a few sniffs.

"Hmmm. Strawberries? I doubt that's cologne." A smug look was on her face. "You've got the scent of a woman on you. Did my little Alex get himself some while I was gone?"

Alex bared his teeth. "Keep digging and you'll only find your grave."

A small laugh came from her. She always laughed at his attempts to sound tough.

"Well, I need to get my new uniform." She stretched lazily. "Be seeing ya, Alex."

She left Alex alone on the roof. After a few seconds, he slammed his fist into the wall as hard as he could.

"Damn it!" He cursed under his breath, "Why'd she have to come back?"

Kasumi ate her lunch surrounded by her new friends. She occasionally made a remark or answered a question directed at her, but otherwise remained quiet while her friends chatted up a storm. Every once in a while, when her friends were not looking, she would steal a quick glance at Alex to make sure he was still where she left him. It took a lot of prodding, but she managed to have him agree to be at least within earshot of her during lunch. Like her, he was sitting with his friends. She noticed that he was acting more withdrawn today and he had not touched his lunch, like something was on his mind. She made a mental note to ask him later when they returned home.

She spotted someone coming towards her group. She unconsciously tensed her muscles, readying them in case it was an attack. She relaxed when she noticed it was only the pig-tailed Yuki coming to join them.

"Hey, guess what?" She asked when she plopped down into their little circle. "Izumi's back!"

"No way!" Half-eaten bread flew out of Sanae's mouth. "I thought she was expelled!"

"Nope." Yuki opened her bento and retrieved a pair of chopsticks. "She just transferred with her folks the first time."

"I give her a month, no, a week tops before she gets her ass kicked out of here." Sumire, an older girl with short hair, spat with disgust. "She better stay away from my little sister. That bitch picked on her since her first year."

"No wonder Kane looks so down." Makiko, a short girl with rectangular glasses, added. "I bet he never thought he'd see her again."

Kasumi, instantly catching Alex's name, became intrigued. "Why?"

All the girls in the circle looked at her for a moment before a thought hit them.

"Oh, right! You don't know about it, Sakura!" Midori said. "Those two used to be an item."

A cold jolt ran through Kasumi's body, but as to why, she did not know.

"Well, not really, if you want to get technical." Midori tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. "It's kinda complicated."

"What do you mean?" Kasumi pressed and stole another glance to Alex. He was still there and still not eating.

"Nanako Izumi has daddy issues." Midori started with a sigh. "Her father is some government guy that's not high enough to be famous, but close enough to worry about his image. He's a real conservative type, you know, thinks that tradition and all that is important and is being destroyed by the 'modern world'. Basically wants to turn back the clock when everyone said their please and thank yous and meant it."

"Anyway, Nanako's dad wanted her to be the same and she was. Prim and proper. Joined the Flower Arrangement and Tea Ceremony clubs. She was nice to anyone and everyone. But she must have gotten sick with that and started going the other direction." Midori poked at her bento's contents with a displeased look on her face. "Dropped out of the clubs, skipped a lot of classes, started smoking, dyed her hair, got piercings, that whole deal. Started going out with some punk boyfriend, Daisuke I think was his name. I'm sure she did all that just to piss her father off."

"There was a big rumor that she did it with her boyfriend behind the gym once during an assembly." Sumire snorted. "Knowing that skank, it's probably true."

Sanae rolled her eyes. "I doubt Sakura wanted to know that."

"Yeah, we're getting off track." Yuki waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "She wanted to know about Izumi and Kane."

"Right, well, I don't know the particulars, but when she met Kane, she dumped Daisuke and latched on to him." Midori took a cautionary bite from her bento and made a face. "Yuck! My dad must have made this! Why does he-"

"Midori." Sanae cast a warning glare.

"What? Oh, right. Sorry." Midori coughed in embarrassment. "No one seems to know for sure, but there are a few theories as to why she hooked up with him. The most popular one is that she did it to further piss off her daddy."

"Why would his daughter dating Kane cause him to be angry?" Kasumi inquired.

"Think about it. I said he was a conservative. He probably wanted her to go out with some nice, polite, well-educated, high-class, one hundred percent Japanese boy. Going out with a foreign kid with a chip on his shoulder must have really put him over the deep end."

"You mean…she used him?"

"Like I said, it's only a theory." Midori shrugged. "All I know is that when Izumi left, Kane was a wreck. Some say that before she left, she confessed to him that she was just using him. Only those two know for sure what happened. And believe me, Kane ain't gonna talk about it."

Kasumi nodded slowly.

It was strange, she heard about the hurt from breaking up, but she never experienced any herself. She was too swept up with the events around herself and her clan. She had boys chase her, asking for dates, confessing their love for her. Letters from secret admirers had already begun to flood her shoe locker. Such things did not seem to happen to Alex. He was the loner. The boy people stayed away from unless they wanted to pick a fight or were already his friend. Now she had learned that he had a girlfriend who only wanted to use him to upset her controlling father.

The disguised kunoichi took another glance when the other girls started on another topic. She saw Alex's friends talking to him, probably trying to cheer him up. But Alex was still dead to the world.

Ryu gazed at the clock that hung on the wall, almost midnight. He flipped a page of his novel that he had gotten not too long ago while resting his head in his hand. Business had slowed considerably recently. Not many people were interested in antiquities anymore. It was the future they wanted. Ipods, video game consoles, and computers were where the money was at. But he did not care for financial gain. His shop was more of a hobby than a job. He enjoyed the serenity of owning a small, sleepy store instead of operating a hectic business. Still, there was a fine line between quiet and boring and he had crossed that line hours ago.

With a sigh, he decided to close up for the day, maybe even not open tomorrow. He had thought about doing some hard training in the woods for a few days to keep himself sharp.

His thoughts scattered when the front door opened with a welcoming bell chime. He looked up from his book to see if it was a customer or someone who needed directions and the toilet again.

He blinked slightly as Kasumi walked her way up to the counter while looking around the store. The shelves were packed with items ranging from dolls to swords and everything in between. Most were Japanese, but she caught a few from China, Europe, Russia, and others she could not place an origin to.

"Kasumi." Ryu called. "Good evening. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Good evening to you too." She replied politely. "I'm sorry to surprise you, but…I needed to talk to someone."

Ryu nodded. He led Kasumi upstairs to where he lived. While his shop was crammed full of knick-knacks, his home was almost Spartan-like. Only the bare necessities made up the upstairs. His kitchen consisted of a refrigerator, stove, a few cabinets, and a table and chairs. Kasumi took a seat while Ryu opened one of his cabinets.

"I am afraid all I have is Green Tea." The man admitted and took out a small box.

"That's fine."

The super ninja could not help but notice that there seemed to be something troubling his best friend's sister. She spoke flatly and there was a slight dullness in her otherwise lively eyes.

After its brewing, he poured the tea and sat down.

"Is everything alright?" He asked before he sipped his tea.

Kasumi looked at her drink with a dispassionate face and blew on it to cool it. "It's about…Alex."

Ryu waited for Kasumi to continue. The ticks of the hanging clock seemed to grow louder.

"I am having some problems with keeping my promise."

"What do you mean?"

Another pause followed. "There's something I need to protect him from…but I'm not sure how to do it. Or even if I can."

"Tell me." Ryu urged.

"There's this girl at his school that came back after leaving for a while. She…it's hard to explain but there is a troubled past between them."

"And you don't know how to help him with that." Ryu stated more as fact than a question.

"Yes." Kasumi clenched her fists. "If she were a boy that was attacking him, than I could defend him, but this…I just don't know what to do." She released her tension with a sigh. "This hurts him. I can see it."

The kunoichi raised the cup to her lips and let the warm liquid wash down her throat. "I asked him what happened between them. He told me that they never really went out. It was more like a friendship he thought. But I heard that she just used him to anger her father. How can a friend do that?"

Ryu allowed himself to have the faintest of smiles before he answered. "First of all, I believe you shouldn't believe the gossip you hear in school."

Kasumi blushed and pointed her face at the table.

"Second, people who call themselves friends aren't always true friends."

The girl nodded understandingly.

"And third, for the question on what you should do, I only have one answer for you."

Kasumi perked her ears and gave Ryu her full attention.

"There's nothing you can do."

The kunoichi felt utterly defeated.

"One cannot fix someone else's broken heart. It can only heal with time and friends. And you're not his friend."

Hurt and confusion came across Kasumi's delicate features. It appeared to the brown-haired man that further explanation was in order.

"A ninja who serves his master must do so with their master's best interest in mind, even if they do not agree with it. His safety is now your top priority, even above your own. To do so means to judge and react to any situation without emotion. That means trials of the heart are not within your realm."

Kasumi stared at her tea. "Why can't it?"

"To us ninja, serving a master is a job, to put it bluntly. We do not protect them because we like them, but because it is our duty."

"I can't accept that."

Ryu blinked at the girl's sudden forwardness.

"I can't accept that I'll just be his shadow, his soulless bodyguard. How can anyone be after spending so much time with someone? How can they not become their friend?"

Ryu sighed in defeat. Kasumi was still naïve, even after all that had happened to her. But like he told himself before, she followed her heart, something that both baffled and amazed him.

"I don't believe that what you wish to do has been done." He truthfully replied. "But than again, I don't think anyone has ever tried."

Kasumi gave off a smile that made Ryu nostalgic.

"As for Kane, all I think you can do is to be there for him, nothing more."

"Thank you, Ryu."

When Kasumi came back, she expected the house to be pitch black and lifeless. Alex usually went to bed early in the evening, but tonight, the television was on and Alex was lying on the couch with a blanket over him. She crept in and slowly made her way to him to see if he had fallen asleep. Instead she found him staring blankly into the screen.

"Is something wrong, Alex?" She asked quietly.

"Couldn't sleep." He replied flatly.

"You've been having trouble sleeping for a while I noticed. Maybe you should see a doctor."

The boy let out a sharp exhale. "All those guys ever do is shove pills down my throat. And they never work, too. No thanks."

The dull drone of the television filled the silence and the screen cast a ghostly glow over Alex and Kasumi. It flickered in a rainbow of colors as the anime teen girl transformed into a fighting princess to battle the evil alien invaders that always looked like humans.

"Where'd you disappear to?" Alex asked.

"To see an old friend."

"I see." He sounded disinterested.

The glow flickered again as the fighting princess readied her love-themed magical attack to finish off the villain of the week in her usual dramatic and pointless dance.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering…when you told me about your time with Izumi, how did you feel when you were with her, before she left?"

Alex had to pause to dig at his memory. "I…I'm not sure. It was cool hanging out with her. At first I had this nagging feeling that something was…wrong. But after a while…I guess I just…I don't know. It's kinda hard to say."

"Did you enjoy being with her?"

Alex turned off the television when the ending credits started to roll.

"Yeah. I did."

Kasumi recognized the tone of voice he used. It was the same one that a friend of hers from her old school used when she broke up with her boyfriend of two years. She had taken it pretty hard.

She grasped one of Alex's arms and gently tugged him to a sitting position. "Come on, you need to sleep."

Alex gave a weak laugh and got up from the couch. "You can put me to bed, but all I'll be doing is staring at the ceiling all night."

"I have this little trick my mother used to use when I couldn't sleep. It should work for you."

The boy almost rolled his eyes at the idea of a simple trick getting him to sleep were trained professional doctors had failed. But he was so damned exhausted that he was willing to try anything. He allowed Kasumi to guide him to his room where she left him to let him have some privacy so he could undress. He crawled into bed, wondering if the girl was brewing some sort of weird, ancient ninja, concoction in the kitchen for him to drink that would smell, and taste, like moldy socks.

The door opened and the kunoichi, wearing pink pajamas, softly entered the room. When she walked, there were hardly any footfalls, just an eerie quiet that reminded Alex of just what she really was, a ninja, trained in stealth and death. It was rather ironic that someone like her was trying to help him get a good night's sleep. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever gimmick she wanted to try.

The click of the light switch and sudden darkness made his eyes spring back open. He turned his head to the rustle of bed sheets being moved. A warm body slid next to him and an arm draped over his chest.

"What the…" Alex managed to get out of his mouth. "What the hell are you doing?"

"My mother used to do this when I was a child." She innocently spoke. "It helped me go to sleep."

"But this is different!" Alex felt all the blood rush to his face. It did not help that he was wearing boxer shorts and a T-shirt.

"Of course it is. Now go to sleep."

In seconds the girl drifted off, leaving the boy in a very awkward situation.

"Like I'm gonna be relaxed about this." He thought.