Police Station: Namimori, Japan February 24th, Year 20XX 7:30 A.M.

The door clicked quietly shut behind Kurowa Shintokan as he walked quietly towards the central office of the Namimori Police Station. It had been long since he was home from work overseas and it was finally time to speak to an old friend.

"You might as well sit down, Shin." Eiji stood by the window looking out at the still peaceful city, his back to him. Inside, he wondered when they had become so distant from one another. Was it when he took the job overseas and Ji had taken to working as a policeman? Or was it earlier than that, when they first had differing views about the treatise? He shook his head slightly to rid himself of the thoughts, none of it mattered now anyways.

"I wasn't going to be in here for long, Ji. The chair's completely unnecessary." He declined the chair and instead moved to stand by his best friend at the window. "It's a beautiful city isn't it?"

"Not like you'd know." Eiji's hands tightened slightly in his pockets. "You're never here to understand anything about it as it is."

"Doesn't mean I don't appreciate this city for what it is, Ji." Shintokan ignored the accusation in his friend's tone and contemplated the sun's rays on the rooftops of Namimori for a moment more. "I just wanted to tell you that they're getting more restless, Ji. You might want to step up the patrols, and see if you can't get some people together to mount a resistance."

A tilted head in his direction showed that perhaps he still had some pull on Eiji after all. Maybe there was hope yet that the stubborn man was coming around to his idea of seeing things. In the back of his mind though, a mirthless voice bubbled upwards. Who are you kidding Shin, it's been years since just getting Ji to listen could save the situation or the city. And you know it, yet here you are like some sort of silly schoolgirl going all breathless because of the damned thing called hope.

"I don't know what sort of force you've got in reserve, Ji, but it's only a matter of time before the storm breaks." Eiji makes no sign that he acknowledges the conversation. Shintokan takes a deep breath and forges onwards, "And the large Families, they're out for blood. It's only a matter of time before they organize all their efforts to extract the thorn in their side."

"Your concern has been noted Shin." Eiji turns to face him, and Shintokan is again struck by the steel in those gray eyes. It was how they had become friends after all. Shin had always been a sucker for the stubborn eyes of the one he thought of as a two years younger little brother. Shin would sooner see himself die than see the pride fade from those gray eyes, but it was long past the time of being able to fix the problems between them. The years had kept that stubborn pride in his otouto's eyes alive, all it had to do was see them through one more conflict.

And even now Eiji would rather die than admit that the city needed outside help. It just went to show how little had changed even after everything had shifted. "Now, get out before I arrest you." He knows there's no arguing with Eiji at this point. He simply turns and leaves.

The door clicks just as quietly shut behind him. Next stop, he had to see Zumi.

Same Place, Same Day 7:37 A.M.

Hibari Eiji staggers over to a chair as soon as Shin leaves. It's been years since they've had a conversation alone like this and if he didn't remind himself every few minutes that Kurowa Shintokan, Shin-niisan, a traitorous part of his mind whispers, had betrayed them all by his profession alone, then he would get sucked in.

It had just been so long since they could talk like brothers. It had been so long since he had had someone to actually talk about his troubles with. Aki didn't count, because it wasn't the same. Shin was the one that he had aspired to be like and admired all the way through their school days and when Shin had left for Italy it had been the worst sort of betrayal.

And when he had come back with differing views about the Treatise, well that had just been salting the wound.

But when a junior member of the police department poked his head around the door to ask him about the increase in scheduled patrols not two hours later, Eiji pins him with the hardest glare he could muster and told the man, boy really he was just out of college, a mere boy, that he could either shape up or be kicked out of the station.

The boy gulps and dashes off, and Eiji is again left with paperwork, and a gnawing worry at the back of his mind. He didn't mind dying for his city, and he knew Aki didn't either. But if they both died, then what would become of his boy, his darling little boy?

Namimori East Preschool, Namimori, Japan, Same Day, 10:45 A.M.

Emi, for lack of a better word, was anxious. Her Kaa-san had on no uncertain terms told her that she would be learning self defense a little over two weeks ago. The fervour in Kaa-san's eyes had made her scared. Why was Kaa-san so fixated on this point?

She didn't know, and it propelled her towards being more anxious and soft spoken than usual. And she stuttered uncontrollably whenever Masu-sensei called on her even for the simplest things. It didn't help that recently Ryohei was also more subdued and barely even acknowledged that she and Kyo existed before moving off to stare moodily at the laughing children by the swings. It was as if he had a personal vendetta towards happy children. Luckily she was always anxious and therefore not an object of his somewhat strange rage.

"Emi." She looked up to see Kyo with a distinct frown carving deep lines into his face. "You will tell me what is troubling you. Now."

"I-i." She paused and looked away. "It's r-really r-rather s-silly." Her own answering frown appeared. "And I-i don't k-know w-what it m-means and-"

"Emi. Just tell me now." Kyo huffed impatiently. "I don't want to know if you think it's silly. If it's bothering you then it probably isn't." She blushed dull red to the roots of her hair at that comment, more from embarrassment than anything else. But it was nice to know that someone did care.

"I-I'm sorry! It's just that Kaa-san's been training me in self defense recently and she always has this weird intense look in her eyes and IDON'TKNOWWHAT'SWRONGANDITHINKITHASSOMETHINGTODOWITH-" Two hands landed on her shoulders stopping her hands from flying all about her.

"Breathe." Kyo ordered and she sagged with relief. "But since you mentioned it Kaa-san's been stepping up my training as well and it is really weird." Kyo frowned again.

"You don't think that I'm silly for feeling strange about it?" She couldn't believe it. Kyo was actually agreeing with her that there was something weird going on?

"No, I don't know what's going on either." It felt good to be assured that she wasn't just imagining things. They sat there together lost in thought until Masu-sensei called out that playtime was over.

Kurowa Household, Namimori, Japan, Same Day, 12:03 P.M.

Azumi sighed as Shin finally finished explaining the situation to her. Why oh why had her stupid husband waited this long to confide in her? Did he think that she was useless? She had lunches and dinners frequently with Akiko. She could have worked to change Eiji's mind through having Akiko suggest courses of action.

"So what you're telling me is that Eiji isn't going to listen to us." The words hung in the air like fog. Her tone was flat. Without the help of the Namimori Police Department it wouldn't take much to tear apart one side of the treatise, their side. It would be like taking candy from a baby.

"I'm saying that he doesn't listen to me 'Zumi." Shin had his head buried in his hands. "I get that he's still cut up over what I chose to do after graduation, but it's been years. Why won't he listen to me? He knows that I have Namimori's best interest in mind when I tell him. He knows I have his best interests in mind." Azumi reached out and took both of his hands in her own.

"Let it go Shin." She mustered up a smile just for him, her great big idiot. After all these long years she was hardly going to let go of him now, not after she had claimed him as hers for so long. "I'll talk to Aki, hopefully she can change his mind." Shin looked about ready to protest at this point, so she laid a finger over his lips. "And if she can't, then we know we tried. You should make sure that there's a backup plan somewhere in case he doesn't listen. Aren't there any business contacts of yours that will help you if you ask them?" There was a long pause as they savored this moment and the silence.

"I'll try." Shin stood up reluctantly to leave once more.

"That's all I ask." She walked him to the door.

"Tell Emi I love her alright?" She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Of course I will." And with that Shin walked out of her life again, and this time, she was more sure than ever that he wouldn't be able to bring good news if he returned. She knew after all, that business contacts were merely business contacts and they wouldn't be likely to put their heads out on the chopping block angering the big name Families for her Shin.

And she prepared herself to be okay with that, all she had to do, was simply wait. All she could do was simply wait.

Namimori, Japan, May 15th, Year 20XX, 2:15 P.M.

Kyoya wasn't sure how to feel on his graduation day from preschool. Yes, he would never again be consigned to a classroom where most of his classmates struggled, or at least, he didn't think so, but the gloomy cloud that had appeared over his house a few months ago didn't help matters very much.

He had overheard his parents get into several serious arguments over the past few months. Most of them went along these lines.

"Why won't you listen to them Eiji!"

"There's nothing to listen to! He isn't Shin-niisan anymore and I have no cause to listen to him."

"He doesn't have to be your niisan for you to understand that he's telling you the truth. There's something wrong Eiji! You can't ignore it forever."

"This conversation is over Akiko."

His Tou-san would storm out of the house, and Kaa-san would be left crying. They didn't think that he knew. They thought that he was asleep, but he did hear them. And he stood in the hallway behind a potted plant enough times to know that there was something bad going on.

It didn't help that he thought he knew who 'Shin-niisan' was. Kurowa Shintokan was the only 'Shin' he knew. And couple what was going on in his house with what Emi reported was going on in hers and he knew that there was something really wrong going on. The world was not supposed to be like this, composed of parents who were constantly fighting, or parents who were constantly worried, or any of these circumstances.

Still he woke up every morning to Ohayo from Kaa-san so the world was still turning if off kilter.

Namimori, Japan, May 15th Year 20XX, 2:30 P.M.

Emi found Kyo after the graduation to bid him goodbye for the summer. She didn't know what he would say if she told him that they probably wouldn't be able to meet up very much over the summer, Kaa-san had become ever more of a maniac about teaching her self defense.

The anxiety of a large conglomeration of things weighed heavily on her mind as she made her way through the crowd of people towards Kyo.

"Kyo." She reached out and pulled on his sleeve lightly to get his attention. He seemed to be staring off into space in a daydream of his own, something that happened more and more frequently these days.

"What is it?" Even though he was asking a question, his voice was flat somehow. Did he not care anymore? Did he not want to be friends because he secretly thought that she was a silly hysterical girl?

Emi shoved those troublesome thoughts away violently. She wouldn't let it happen even if they were true.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to come over as much during the summer." She frowned slightly at Kyo's disengaged look. "Kaa-san's been getting more focused on my training, and I'm not sure I have as much free time as I did last summer."

"Oh." Kyo's eyes again turned vacant. She felt the disinterest as sharply as a knife to her heart, but she turned to go nevertheless.

"Emi." She stopped and looked back at Kyo. He suddenly looked as lost and as worried as she felt. "I'm worried about everything that's happening too. "

She offered him a wane smile.

"I'm sure everything will be okay." But just a moment later she heard Kaa-san call for her among the crowd, and Kaa-san seemed more anxious and unsettled than normal as if not seeing her for one second was just a second too long, so she hurried off as quickly as she could.

A.N.

Hello again everyone! Here's chapter 13, which I feel is even heavier and darker than the last chapter. But things are going to get darker before they get lighter. And that's all I'm saying about the next few chapters.

But I made good on my promise, preschool is over and finished with by chapter 13. We're moving towards when this story finally picks up the pace! Woohoo!

On a side note, Happy Holidays Everyone! (It's a little late, but I decided that you all deserved a Christmas present for your support.)

On another side note, I have a special one-shot spin-off that I'm planning to write and publish when this fiction reaches a hundred favorites, do you want me to post it as a part of this fanfiction, or post it as a separate story?

Thank you everyone for your amazing support as always I am deeply grateful for all your reviews, follows and favorites.

~Leaf