Author's Note: Sorry, short one this time!

"Trust Issues, Naturally"

Dreyza

Commercial District (West), Fort Devas, Astral Plane

I sighed as I came to a stop behind the weapon store. "…I know that's you, Saizo-san."

It was still hard to discern, but I could make out the sound of a pair of feet landing directly behind me. "Very sharp of you," the ninja said. "Kamui took longer to catch on."

I turned around to find him leaning against the back wall, examining his shuriken, as if he'd always been there. I said, "I see. So, what brings you here?"

Sheathing his blade, Saizo left the wall and approached me. "I just gave your elder brother a warning," he responded, his clear eye fixed right at me. "The same one I'm going to pass on to you: I don't trust you."

I scratched the back of my head. "Nothing new. Of course no One trusts us."

I mean, you try interfering with a decisive battle, thus becoming a fellow fugitive of Hoshidan and Nohrian royalty.

Saizo narrowed his eye. "Ah, but you and yours are a special case, aren't you? First, strange creatures begin indiscriminately attacking innocent people. Then a strange man appears, offering his expertise on the matter to Lady Mikoto. Finally, after a series of events, her son is finally returned to Hoshido—with another foreigner tagging along. Considering everything that followed, it's strange that a group of outsiders would be interested in our world's affairs."

I pressed my lips. "We all have personal reasons. And before you accuse us of bringing the monsters here, let me ask you: why would we want to make our job harder?"

"Oh, don't worry," Saizo said, crossing his arms. "Bluefield kindly posed the same question to me. Damn fool had to have a point…"

I blinked. I figured that Blu must've annoyed Saizo while he was stuck at Shirasagi, but this…?

"Regardless, Kamui and his army risked their lives for ours. I won't soon forget that boy's willingness to put his life on the line."

Then—with a faint whoosh!—Saizo was directly in front of me, his visage a pace away from mine. I did my best to not recoil.

"However," he growled. "he still has a long way to go before he earns my complete trust. And that's to say nothing of you, your fellow 'Ashen Wolves', or your friends in that massive metal 'platform'. Which brings me to my warning."

Deciding not to interrupt, I nodded.

"I do not claim to know who you are or where you came from," Saizo said, his damaged glare still boring into me. "But if I find that you are a greater threat to Hoshido than this 'true enemy' Kamui mentioned, I will not hesitate to strike you down. That I swear. Are we clear?"

Another nod. "As crystal, sir."

"Good." With that, the red ninja turned away and walked off, leaving no footprints in the dirt as he went.

As soon as he turned the corner (probably off to keep an eye on Kamui), I strode away, exhaling the breath I didn't know I'd been holding as I walked off to think about what just happened.

Well, at least that's that…

Author's Note: My thoughts go out to the innocent people caught up in the fiasco at Charlottesville, Virginia.