This chapter is kind of a short one so as usual I'll leave all my comments till the very last one.

~*Compromise*~

Cosset and Yuuri both turned upon hearing someone enter the room. Tonya looked worn and defeated. Both wondered just what had happened last night when Ryu had appeared. Yuuri scooted towards her friend as Cosset turned back to the stove. Finishing up making breakfast for everyone. Yuuri placed a cup of tea in front of Tonya who took it silently and sipped.

"Are you ok?" Yuuri asked, concern coating her voice. All Tonya could do was shake her head.

"Is it true? Did Ryu really come back last night?" Cosset asked as she glanced back at Tonya. The brunette nodded as Cosset turned the stove off and put the food into a bowl before turning towards her friend. "Why?"

"To save me." Tonya whispered as she stared into her tea.

"Save you? From what?" Cosset asked as Yuuri shot her a look.

"A life that I never wanted." Tonya sighed as she leaned back in her chair.

"Wait a minute, Ryu comes back and all of a sudden you want to throw away everything you've worked for?" Cosset raised her voice as Yuuri could sense a fight building. It didn't matter who it was, if someone ever mentioned going against duty it angered Cosset to no end.

"No. I still want to become a master. It's what comes after is what I don't want." Tonya growled. Not in the mood for Cosset's attitude.

"If it's your duty then you have to carry it out. You can't pick and choose Tonya!" Cosset hollered as she slammed her hand down on the table. "This is all because of Ryu isn't it? What did he say to suddenly change your mind? Why can't you see that he's nothing more than a nuisance? He has been from the start!"

"Enough!" Tonya boomed as she stood up and glared at Cosset. Causing the red head to back down a bit. "If anything, Ryu has taught me to think for myself. To not just go along with what others say. To just smile and agree like I have no choice. He's shown me that if I do something, it has to be my choice. Not something that has been forced on to me without my consent."

"But isn't that why you're a ninja? Isn't it your duty to take jobs and not question the outcome or why you're doing it?" Cosset snapped as Tonya smirked at her.

"For someone who boasts so much about my duty, you sure as hell don't know much do you? Unlike you Cosset, I won't just sit by and let others decide my fate for me." Tonya's words were coated with ice as she said this.

Yuuri knew that had been the breaking point. Cosset's eyes began to water as she turned and bolted from the house. Tonya just sank back down as Yuuri stood there torn. Unsure which friend she should comfort. One glance at Tonya made up her mind though. The girl was in no mood to be bothered. She quickly took off after Cosset. Unsure of where the girl had gone. Luckily Luna was keeping an eye on her mistress as an owl cry could be heard. Yuuri ran in the direction of the cry and looked up to see Luna circling high above. Yuuri came to a stop upon seeing Cosset lying face first in the ground crying. She knelt beside her friend and placed a hand on her back.

"Cosset, are you ok?" Yuuri asked as Cosset pushed herself up.

"Yuuri? Why didn't you stay with Tonya?" Cosset asked as she wiped her tears away.

"Because you needed me more." The younger girl smiled as she held out a handkerchief to Cosset.

"Thank you." Cosset smiled as she dabbed at her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I just got so mad at her."

"I know. But I think I can understand how Tonya feels." Yuuri said as she closed her eyes.

"Don't tell me you're rebelling from your duty as well?" Cosset muttered as Yuuri shook her head.

"Cosset, do you remember when you first came to the shrine?" Yuuri asked as Cosset fell silent. "You hated it. You hadn't been given a choice in the matter. You threw such a fit and even threatened to run away."

"That's right. I did hate it." Cosset said softly as she recalled those days.

Cosset can remember clearly when she first came to the shrine. She'd always been told that one's duty was one's life. To defy your duty would be like denying who you were. So Cosset had never once questioned why she'd been forced to become a shrine maiden. At least, not out loud. She'd kept to herself, kept her head down, and did her best to fulfill the expectations that others had set for her. She'd gradually come out of her shell thanks to Yuuri and Tonya. But she'd always envied Tonya. Wishing that she'd been as brave as the girl to decide what she wanted to do. To control her fate as the brunette always seemed to do.

"I never wanted to become a shrine maiden. But I'd always been told that was the only option for me. I'd always wished I could be brave like Tonya and just stand up and say no." Cosset muttered as tears came to her eyes again.

"Yeah and sometimes I wish I could learn to read the situation and keep my mouth shut and not get in trouble like you always seem to be able to." Both girls turned to see Tonya smiling down at them.

She knelt down and quickly pulled Cosset to her. Surprising the older girl as she just remained frozen. Neither one of them was known for apologizing right after a heated argument. Tonya let her go and held her friend at arm's length as Cosset sat there with a confused look upon her face.

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you. I've just been under stress these past few days and it just all came out." Tonya sighed as Cosset placed a hand over Tonya's.

"It's ok. I'm sorry for not being more sympathetic." Cosset smiled as Tonya stood up.

"Come on. We should head back before they send someone out to find me." Tonya said as she offered her hands to her two friends.

"Right!" The two girls smiled as they took Tonya's hands and got up.

_._._

"Jeez, how long are they going to stay locked up in there?" Yuuri griped as she glanced towards the shut door as the girls headed towards the porch.

"They're currently trying to decipher the clue that'll lead them to the ninja princess." Tonya rolled her eyes as they headed out back where Musashi was sun bathing.

"What is the clue?" Cosset asked as they all sat down.

"She knows not of her role, but will grow into it. She knows not of her duty, but will fulfill it. She knows the secrets of the past, yet lives in the future. She will be revealed before the eye of chaos. That's all the scroll said." Tonya sighed as she leaned against her hand.

"Hmm. It doesn't seem too complicated. The first part talks about her role being hidden from her till she's ready to know. And the second part basically says she will feel compelled to carry out her role upon learning it." Cosset said as Tonya nodded.

"The next part could mean that she's living here in the modern world. I mean the masters are from a lost world that is in a way considered the past." Yuuri suggested as Tonya nodded once again.

"That part is easy. It's the next part I don't get. It could have multiple meanings." Tonya sighed once again as they saw her problem.

All the girls sighed at once as they flopped over on to the floor. Soft footsteps could be heard coming to them as Tonya opened her eyes to see Musashi standing over them. He let out a big yawn before scratching his head. She wondered what he wanted as he pulled something out of his kimono and handed it to her.

"What's this?" Tonya asked as she unfolded the paper to see a number on it.

"Yagyu gave that to me to give to you. In case you should need help again." Musashi said as Tonya's face lit up.

"Musashi you are a genius!" She squealed as she threw herself at him before darting off into the house.

"See, I told you bringing him along was a good thing." Yuuri said smugly to Cosset as the red head shook her head before heading after Tonya.

Yuuri winked as Musashi before heading after her friends. Leaving the man standing there with a slight blush on his face. Muttering something about girls under his breath before heading inside to find him something to eat. Inside the house those that had been locked in the room were surprised to hear pounding feet all running down the hallway. Curious, Sasuke peeked his head out to see all the girls crowded around the phone. Speaking in hushed tones as Tonya's face broke out in a smile. She put the phone down before breaking out into a cheer.

"What's all this about?" Sasuke asked as he walked over to them.

"Huh? Oh I'm not sharing till you share what you guys have been discussing all day." Tonya stuck out her tongue as Kharl stepped into the hall.

"Tonya what did you do?" He asked as she just smirked at him.

"Like I told Sasuke, I won't tell unless you do." She giggled as Kharl recognized that tone.

"Great. It seems like you've pulled out of your slump." Kharl sighed as Tonya stood there beaming. "Very well, come join us."

"Wait, you're going to give into her just like that?" Sasuke asked as Hanzo chuckled.

"When she clamps up, there's no getting any information out of her." The man smiled as Tonya motioned for the girls to follow them.

Only about an hour had passed since their discussion had begun. Arguing could be heard, but it died down quickly as Tonya argued her point. Kharl was impressed with what Tonya had come up with in such a short time. He couldn't help but feel proud that she was holding her own against others who were trying to shoot her down.

"Why not? Munenori already said that he has a hidden home that we can use as a base. He already said he would provide whatever we need. It's a win, win. I can continue my training, you guys can hunt for this princess, and we can also keep track of Ryu's movements and can be ready to move quickly." Tonya explained as Goemon shook his head.

"How do we know we can trust Munenori? For all we know he could be playing us." Goemon growled as Tonya narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're still stinging from the last time you were around him aren't you?" Tonya smarted off as Goemon glared at her.

"Why you!" He snarled as Saizo cut him off.

"The girl has a point." He said, surprising all that he agreed with her. "What?"

"Cosset, you've met this Yagyu man. What do you think?" Kharl asked as the ninja wondered why he was asking for her opinion.

"Why are you asking her?" Hanzo asked, curiously as Yuuri grinned as held up a finger.

"Cosset can read a person's aura." She explained as all eyes turned to the red head.

Cosset swallowed hard as she kept her gaze down. Never before had anyone put such faith in her aura reading abilities. While her abilities were a bit more reliable than Yuuri's, that didn't mean she wished to open her mouth freely. After all, a person's aura was subject to change at any given time the person did. She bit her lip, wondering what she should do as a hand slipped into hers. Glancing up, Tonya was smiling at her reassuringly and nodded in encouragement as Cosset took a deep breath and locked gazes with Kharl.

"While his aura is a bit dark, it is not tainted. I believe we can put our faith in this man. If what Tonya and Yuuri say about him is true, then he will help us." Cosset said strongly as Kharl thought about everything that had been said.

"Very well. I would like to meet him with first before I give my final ok. But right now I do believe this is the best course of action. Tonya." Kharl turned to his niece as she just barely contained herself after having won a small victory.

"Yes uncle?" She asked as Kharl's face became coated with concern.

"If…When we find the ninja princess, will you at least consider carrying out your duty?" Kharl pleaded as Tonya gave him a quick smile.

"I'll consider it." She said as she rose with Cosset and Yuuri following her lead. "But who knows? Maybe we won't need her to settle things and she won't need me."

With that Tonya winked over her shoulder before disappearing down the hall to phone Munenori and tell him the good news.

_._._

Cosset sat nearby as she watched Yuuri and Tonya dance around to music play over the radio as Fang and Musashi sat nearby just watching. She was glad to see her friends enjoying some sense of normality since this whole mess had started. The two girls just laughed and smiled as they swayed their bodies to the beats. Ignoring all their worries and fears for the moment. Just being the teenage girls that they still were. Soft flapping could be heard as Luna and Hosuke both landed nearby. The two had taken a liking to each other fairly quickly, even though Luna was easily bigger than Hosuke.

"So this is where you were." A soft voice called out as Hosuke rose into the air and flew to his master.

"They sure do like to hang around each other." Cosset smiled as Luna let out a soft hoot. "Please feel free to join us Master Kotaro."

Cosset motioned to the seat beside her as the ninja silently moved to take it. Out of all the ninjas, she preferred Kotaro's presence. He didn't feel the need to fill the silence with chatter. He enjoyed the calm as much as she did. It was often said that volumes could be spoken without the utterance of a single word. Cosset believed this to be true, especially around Kotaro. She could tell he was as serious about his duty as she was. It was nice to be around someone like her. Cosset let out a small giggle as she turned to her friends who were almost complete opposites of her.

"Something on your mind?" Kotaro asked as he caught her eye.

"Nothing really. Just wondering how it is that us opposites get along so well." Cosset smiled as Kotaro followed her gaze towards her friends. "Tonya is a wild spirit. Yuuri is a dreamer. And I'm the realist. Sometimes I envy those two seem."

"Why is that?" Kotaro asked as Cosset sighed.

"Well, they are always so carefree. Compared to me…" Cosset just shook her head as she looked down.

"Perhaps it's just that you can't see it." Kotaro offered as Cosset wondered what he was talking about. "You all have a way of expressing yourselves. Your way is just softer than theirs. To put it another way, you are all like the elements. Tonya would be fire because she is fierce, dangerous, and has a majestic quality to her. Yuuri would be water, constantly going with the flow, unafraid to rush in, and has a playful quality to her."

"What would I be?" Cosset asked softly as Kotaro grinned.

"You would be wind. A comforting force trying to blow those two in the right direction. Calming when need be and can gather your strength into a typhoon when the time calls for it." Kotaro said as Cosset felt herself blush. "I'd say you all balance each other out perfectly."

"I see." Cosset couldn't help but smile at Kotaro. The man may not say much, but he knew just what to say and how to say it.

"Cosset come on!" Yuuri hollered as she dragged the girl off her butt and back to where Tonya was waiting.

The two pulled her into a dance before giggles broke out. The three just enjoying each other's company and feeding off their energy. Enjoying what may be their last bit of peace before they had to get down to work. They knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy. But tonight, they were going to just dance their worries away.