Umeka didn't stay by her mother much longer after Senku left, just long enough to clear the fallen leaves from her feet and tell her a little about her life lately. Once Sazae returned she'd have a route to Senku, his friends, and the village they apparently lived in. Maybe she would visit. He'd been kind and funny. Most importantly, if there was a way to wake her mother one day she owed it to her to try and get it.

She thought about her mother and Senku's strange sense of humor until she reached the edge of the forest. Looking up toward her home she saw a familiar shape, Tsukasa. Her stomach churned. If he'd noticed her yet he didn't let on so she froze just at the treeline. She'd have to act as though she didn't know the truth, about Senku, or the world Tsukasa wanted to make which was easy enough to say but once he looked at her with his dark hawk-ish eyes she was afraid she'd break. Afraid he'd find out something that would endanger her, or worse poor Senku who couldn't lift a stone pot.

Tsukasa's face turned toward her and he settled back, waiting for her to approach. She breathed deeply and stepped into the clearing. He didn't meet her in the field or urge her to rush on. Instead, he stood calmly in the dark shadow of her house his eyes low and serious. Once she was in earshot he called, "Where have you been, Umeka?"

"Why?"

"...what?"

"Why do you want to know where I was?" Umeka frowned, prickling at how he'd asked. As though she owed him an explanation.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, an apologetic look on his face, "I was just curious where you'd been, that's all."

"...Oh," she swallowed, setting down her bow and unclipping her quiver, "just off for a little hunt."

"Is that why Sazae isn't here?"

Umeka was lucky she hadn't been facing him because her expression would have betrayed her fear. She managed to temper it back into a small smile before she turned to him, "Yeah, she's off chasing down a small rabbit I didn't want to bother with. Sometimes they'll do that, just go off on their own."

"Ah," Tsukasa said, leaning his head back slightly and looking down at her, "I haven't seen that yet then."

"...Guess not," Umeka nodded, brushing past him to get a drink of water, anything to break the eye contact he kept holding with her.

"Is everything okay? You're acting kind of strange. Did my request last night upset you that bad because I really didn't mean anything by it," she didn't turn to face him but there was something in his tone. A chilling clarity just inside the pleasant notes of his voice made it clear he knew the answer to that question. It made her worry he knew something else. Her eyes flashed wide. By the water barrel in a small bucket was the leftover dishes from their breakfast. Two bowls, two spoons. Evidence she hadn't eaten alone if Tsukasa gave it any thought. She turned, putting her leg in front of the bucket and looking up into his face.

"No, thanks for asking though, I'm okay," she sighed, holding her arms across her chest to keep them from shaking, "I guess I'm a little on edge today. It happens sometimes when winter is coming."

He smiled, handsome and easy, but the look in his eyes stayed coldly focused despite his best efforts to disguise the look with friendliness, "Well, I think today is as good a day as any, I think you should visit us."

Umeka wanted to protest but she remembered, she'd promised she would last night. A last-ditch effort to keep Senku guarded against Tsukasa. She looked down, "Okay."

Tsukasa's hand reached out taking hold of her shoulder and waiting there until she looked back at him. He smiled, a genuine gentle smile that suited his beautiful face even though it couldn't belie the fear that had settled in Umeka, "I'm excited for you to see it. Bring a dog, bring all the dogs, if you want. Whatever will make you feel comfortable there."

She nodded, "I'll just bring Saiyan, I don't want to be too scary."

He laughed but didn't say anything else. He just turned to gather the supplies he'd abandoned the day before into a crude bag he'd brought. She watched him, stroking the top of Saiyan's head to ease her nerves. "I'm ready, are you?"

She blinked, "Yeah, I am."

"Oh...you don't want to bring anything?"

"Well...I won't be staying."

He frowned and tilted his head at her, "It's a good ways away, you probably could have gone there and come back if we started in the morning that's why I came here looking for you. If you don't want to bring one though I'm sure we can gather something together for you to sleep in-"

"Or I can visit another time."

He was silent. Staring at her, she could see the muscles in his chest tense, "Umeka-"

"No," she said, surprising herself with the volume, "I'm going to come back to my home I'm just meeting them, I don't want to stay there."

His eyes widened in surprise, his head tilting back briefly before he smiled easily again, forcing a small chuckle, "No...of course. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how long you've been on your own. This is a big step for you anyway. I'll try harder to remember that just. Please still come today, okay? And if you feel comfortable and want to stay then you can and if not, I'll walk back here with you."

She didn't want him to walk back with her. She didn't even want to visit. But she knew she'd pushed enough for now. And she desperately wanted to get him away from camp, further from Senku who was probably still traveling with Sazae. She nodded, pulling her bow back to her shoulder and reclipping her quiver, the only things she'd bring with her.

The silence of their walk was grating on Tsukasa's nerves. She'd been strange yesterday, so distracted with whatever she had on her mind. Now she seemed angry; like she was being dragged on a family vacation she didn't want to go on. Every time he looked at her and saw the gloomy expression on her face, the downward turn of her mouth, he felt a pang in his chest. He didn't know what he could say to comfort her, and he certainly didn't know what he'd done to make her so angry with him if she even was.

"Is something wrong?"

She busied herself climbing over a log and didn't look at him, "No, I'm okay."

And then the silence fell again. Maybe he was reading too far into her actions. It was possible she was just nervous and he was sensitive to it. He wanted her to love the camp and choose to stay there. At the moment there wasn't much camaraderie among them. There were strong, admirable warriors there but no one like Umeka. No one he wanted to spend his free time talking to. If she joined them then not only would the quality of the camp as a whole be improved by her knowledge but he'd be able to learn more about her. He could share meals with her, see her off to bed and early in the morning as everyone rose with the sun. He'd warned the others to be on their best behavior, advised them at it was in their interest to ensure Umeka joined them. Now he felt like he was the one who misstepped and he wasn't entirely sure how.

"Are you nervous?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "A little. I guess."

"Don't worry too much about them. I'll be with you the whole time," he said, offering a hand to her as she climbed down an embankment.

She didn't take it, she merely hopped down, looking back as Saiyan did the same, the dog circling back and taking close to her side, "Don't worry I haven't been this way before but, it's not my first time in the woods."

He turned, "Right." He sniffed, the sensation in his chest returning in unalarming but uncomfortable pangs. Feelings he remembered being described in dramas on tv. In all his time in the old world, he'd never had a friend, so, of course, he'd never had a girlfriend. He'd been focused on training, being the strongest so he could win money for his family. So he could save Mirai. But this world was different, he was the strongest here, and there was no money to earn. No family to support. He hadn't even found their statues despite how hard he searched the face of every little girl hoping to see the soft eyes of his sister. Even if he never found her, he could build a world that would have been kinder to her. A world where he'd have time to build relationships he'd forgone before. He wanted it to be Umeka. He'd realized that weeks ago now and the feeling kept eating away at him. Desperate to be out and known, to be honored. It was getting hard to hide it from her, it drove him to reach for her when he could. It was why he'd touched her for the first time, smoothing her shiny black hair and making his own heart beat fast.

He had every intention of telling her today when she visited but now she was acting strange. She felt colder than she had been when they first met and he realized the awful twisting feeling in his chest might be fear, a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time.

"We aren't far now," he said, keeping his eyes forward.

"It's not as far as I expect then," her voice was even and calm, but there was no glint of happiness in it. No little laugh or melodic tone.

"I think we might throw a little feast since you're our first visitor," he said 'they thought' but it was already planned. A surprisingly clever suggestion from Minami who had been tempted to help by the concept of Umeka's more comfortable living arrangements.

"You don't need to do that," she said, her voice quivering with discomfort that made him turn around and look at her. She'd stopped, frowning at him as her hands clutched her bow at her chest.

"It's nothing huge," he said, a small laugh in his voice, "there's not gigantic 'Welcome Umeka' banner, just a simple meal all together so you can meet everyone. We had to thank you after all, for the food we've gotten from knowing you."

Her frown lessened slightly, she nodded and continued to walk, but her hands stayed clenched on her bow. He cringed, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He wanted her to feel welcome, to be happy with them. No matter what, she had to join them. He had to do everything he could to make it her choice rather than his.

Tsukasa's group had made their home in the side of a mountain. It reminded her of a honeycomb, many little pods with no connection between them but to go back outside. It didn't look very warm, or harmonious, or comfortable. The majority of the people milling around were burly adult men, the kind of scary-looking men that always made her hide behind her mother's leg in the past. She found herself hovering closer to Tsukasa, he was frightening but at least he was familiar. Saiyan moved to the other side of her protectively, so close his fur brushed against her pants leg.

"Is this the girl you were telling us about?" A blonde woman in a dress and horn-like headband asked.

Tsukasa smiled, "Yes this is Yamaguchi Umeka. Umeka, this is Hokutouzai Minami."

Umeka nodded in greeting, feeling herself shrink in. The woman blinked, tilting her head and furrowing her eyebrow in concern at her which only made her more nervous. Tsukasa's large hand suddenly pressed on her back, making her straighten and look up at him, "Take your time," he said, smiling down at her gently.

When Umeka looked back at Minami she looked strangely hurt, still looking at Tsukasa, but when she caught Umeka looking at her she smiled, "Tsukasa says you've got an amazing house and," she glanced at Saiyan, "he mentioned the puppies too. That's insane. I would have loved to interview you in the past."

"Interview me?" Umeka parroted.

"Oh…" She flushed, "I assumed you remembered me from the past. I was a reporter. I was a good one, did you not watch the news much? Ahhh teenagers, living free, not a care in the world. Tsukasa only knew who I was since I interviewed him before."

Umeka blinked up at him, "Why?"

He seemed genuinely surprised, and then embarrassed, "I-"

"What! You don't know who Tsukasa was? The strongest primate high schooler? He was an amazing mixed martial artist, he won tournament after tournament, he had fans all over, beat famous adults. It was a seriously huge deal." Minami exclaimed, her flattering compliments making Tsukasa glace away uncomfortably.

"I...uhm…" she felt bad, she didn't really want to share more about her truth to Tsukasa, not when she was so uncertain about even being involved with him but under his clear discomfort with Minami's compliments, he looked like it hurt his feelings that she didn't know and her knee jerk response was to explain, "I was a kid. My mom...she didn't like me watching fighting and stuff and I didn't watch the news."

Minami and Tsukasa both stared at her. They looked shocked and confused and Umeka swallowed dryly. Glancing between them, "Uhm...is that okay?"

"Are you being serious right now?" Minami asked, squinting at her and leaning in.

"I'm...not a good liar," Umeka admitted.

Tsukasa chuckled softly, "I knew you were amazing but that is hard to believe."

"Tell me about it! A little kid living out here alone? That is exactly the sort of rags to riches story that-"

"Minami, would you mind getting everyone together, I think it's about time to eat."

The blonde blinked, she seemed a little affronted at being cut off and sent away but she nodded, not saying anything else as she headed away. Tsukasa passed his load of supplies to someone passing by, pointing to the fire.

He turned back to her, "Can I show you where I stay?"

Umeka nodded, "Sure."

He turned, walking toward the mountain face, talking as he went without looking into her eyes, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were so young when you woke up. I had figured you'd probably been awake a while longer than me but even then I was thinking you were a teenager when you woke up."

"Oh no. I mean. I am. I'm a teenager now," Umeka floundered, apparently she blabbered when she was nervous, something she'd never had the chance to learn before, "I was...eight."

Tsukasa turned back to her, eyes briefly wide, "You're serious."

"Mhm," she nodded. The corner of her mouth tugging into an awkward smile.

His eyes returned to normal, softening, "You just keep getting more impressive."

Umeka squeezed her bow, she was still holding it. She wasn't sure what to say so she didn't say anything. Instead looking down at Saiyan who, sensing her, looked up patiently. She smiled, petting his head.

Tsukasa watched her for a moment. She was calmly petting the dog and smiling gently. Then he turned back, continuing to walk toward the entrance to his home. He had to keep moving or he might say something and it didn't feel like the right time.

He let the silence hang, using the time to ponder over her age. It explained a lot about her nervousness. She wasn't used to being treated as an adult or talking to other adults. She'd matured because she had to in order to manage herself and survive alone in the wilderness, but socially this was more difficult than Tsukasa had originally imagined. In some ways, it set his mind at ease. She wasn't mad at him, she was just nervous and hadn't wanted to explain yet. Armed with that knowledge he'd be better able to ensure she liked her visit. He'd just have to be cautious about who could interact with her. He'd be able to keep her safe and help her slowly adjust and, surely, once she'd spent some time talking to others her nervous quiet would melt away and everything would be fine.

Approaching the entrance, he turned back to her, "It isn't much. Not yet at least. But come on in."

Umeka walked in, her eyes squinting as she adjusted to the darkness of the cave as opposed to the brightness of outside. Her eyes surfed over his bedding in the back and the small charred sticks he used as a fire. She focused for a long time on the line of weapons he had in the back. Handmade swords and clubs and axes. Then her eyes fell on his chair.

"You...have a throne?" she asked, her voice bitingly doubtful.

"Well...I wouldn't call it that," Tsukasa offered.

"Why not?"

He blinked. Looking at her. It was strange how afraid she could seem one moment and how uncomfortably blunt she could be the next. Her eyes seemed unusually stern, set on him harshly. Disappointed, he realized, "Don't think too much of it, Umeka. It's just a chair I made for myself to sit in while we plan."

"Plan what?"

He huffed a short uncomfortable laugh and stepped away from her, "What we have to do for winter. What we have to do about Senku. And how we can do what we must safely."

Umeka held his gaze, then her eyes moved past him to his chair. She stared at it for a long time as something in her expression changed like she'd made her mind up about something private. She set her shoulders back and turned her face back to Tsukasa, "I want you to tell me what you want to do. If Senku is dangerous...what's better about the world you want to make?"

He was surprised she asked flat out, but he was glad she was interested, he stepped toward her, hovering close but not so much that he loomed over her in the dim light from the cave entrance, "I'm going to make a world without the power dynamics we grew up with. I'm sure you'd seen it, even if you were little. People didn't take you seriously because you were a kid. Old people with money and power called all of the shots and, while you hadn't probably experienced it yet, the decisions they made ensured it would be harder for you to have any wealth or influence. Umeka, in the world we come from, we were all being backed into corners to make more money for people who already had enough. We have a chance to avoid that manipulation and destruction now. Young people don't expect power or influence over anyone else, that's who we need to build a new world. People exactly like you, strong, giving people. The kind of person that gives out pumpkins because they know others are hungry."

Umeka was quiet for a long time, her eyes moving around slowly as she thought, not focusing particularly hard on anything she looked at. When she finally looked up at him his heart sank, her eyebrows were furrowed in concern her mouth pulled into a doubtful frown, "I got bullied by kids who thought they were better than me, you know? In the past. They weren't nice just because they were young. And...my grandparents were really great and they were old. You can't just-"

"But we can teach children to be better. They're just products of their environment. They won't come to this world trying to build the old one because they don't understand it well enough to do that. This is an opportunity for real change."

Umeka's eyes held his own for a while and then slowly drifted to the chair, still and silent, her hands grasping her bow.

That was it then. He said it himself. Senku hadn't misrepresented Tsukasa at all when he told her the plan. While it was nice to know he really wasn't a liar, she wasn't sure how she was going to handle Tsukasa. It wasn't like she could keep him from coming around if he wanted to, even with the dogs he had a whole army there was no way she could fend them off. Maybe he'd just back off if she asked but it was also entirely possible that he'd consider her an enemy and what would happen then?

"Here, Umeka," Tsukasa said, holding out the leg of some bird.

"Thanks," she nodded, taking it and biting off a small bit.

Everyone was gathered around different fires eating. It was loud with so many different conversations happening but everyone did seem to be having a good time. Tsukasa had invited Minami and two others, a white-haired man with narrow eyes named Hyoga and a girl all in pink named Homura. They weren't talking much which was making it more awkward.

"The men are very pleased with the honey, Umeka," Hyoga commented suddenly, turning candied pumpkin seeds that she'd shown them how to make earlier over in his hand. "Very impressive that you were able to collect it safely."

She didn't turn to look at him but Tsukasa's eyes were on her, waiting, "You just have to be patient. Bees really aren't very hard to deal with. Or I've never thought they were."

"Umeka's been pretty secretive about here hives," Tsukasa suddenly added, looking over the fire to Hyoga, "but I hope she'll consider teaching us once the winter is over."

Homura popped some seeds into her mouth, a strangely emotionless expression as she stared at Umeka, "They're good."

Umeka nodded, continuing to eat, she didn't know what to say. He wasn't wrong, she was being secretive but she didn't think she owed him an explanation. He didn't deserve anything more than she wanted to give. The more she thought about it the more annoyed she got but she tried to keep from expressing it.

Minami seemed to feel the tension, "You know they say honey is an anti-bacterial, so we probably shouldn't eat all of it."

"Yes, that will be useful," Hyoga said, casting his eyes down to the seeds in his hand with a strange amused expression when Tsukasa looked at him harshly. Umeka wanted to jump and run and Saiyan's bristled fur every time Hyoga spoke wasn't helping.

"Do you want to stay in my place tonight, Umeka? Then we can start getting yours ready tomorrow," Minami's smile was gentle. Of everyone there, she seemed to really be genuinely kind. It was the only thing keeping Umeka from making a run for it even though she knew with Tsukasa there it would be unsuccessful.

"Oh, no thanks, I'm going to go home after this," Umeka said. Then a silence set in. The others at the fire sat back and looked at each other, except for Tsukasa who was looking at her.

"Why don't you stay? It's late and it's getting cold. We can go get your things tomorrow," yet again he was smiling. Beautiful and charming, almost sympathetic. Her ears starting ringing.

"Wait...get my things?"

"I think it's time you join us here. Winters coming so it's the perfect time for a move since there's no garden to tend. You can bring all your tools and things and you'll have your own room so it won't be much different than now," his smile softened, "I'll just have to walk less to see you."

She swallowed hard. Staring at the food in her hands. He'd made up his mind what was going to happen. Maybe he'd been thinking of her as part of his group since he'd met her. Now he wasn't going to give her any choice. She thought of the traps she'd build out of stone in the river. Just like the fish, she'd thought everything would be fine if she just kept going and now she had no idea how to get out helplessly stuck but safe until the fisherman came at least.

The light of the fire was dancing on his eyes making them shine at her, "Umeka?"

"I want to go home," she said, her voice catching in her throat.

Minami gasped, softly, shifting like she'd try and hug Umeka. Her movement startled Umeka who's eyes snapped on her so harshly she stopped in her tracks, "S-sorry," she offered.

"Umeka this is for the best, really," Tsukasa sighed, "I promise you'll be happy with us it'll just take some time to adjust."

She jumped to her feet. Everyone but Minami twitched, ready to chase her, "I'm going home, Tsukasa. We already agreed."

He stood slowly, the fire licking up between them, "I know what we said, but I think things have changed. I'm worried about you out there alone."

Saiyan stood now, growling lowly, his teeth bared. Tsukasa looked at him and then, taking a deep breath, he looked back at Umeka, "Come talk to me." He nodded away from the fire. She picked up her bow and followed him.

They stood in silence for a moment, far enough from the fires that only the moonlight lit his face. Umeka took a ragged breath, she felt close to tears. Terrified and desperately wishing she'd seen this coming. That she'd just gone with Senku when she sent him away. Or better yet, that she'd moved camp as soon as she met Tsukasa. It had been so nice to see another person, to talk, and she'd never realized before then how bitingly lonely she was. Now, she thought, she would prefer to be lonely again. It would be better than being terrified, captured.

"I told you...I was going home. I am going home," she spoke firmly, pointing her finger at the ground to emphasize but she didn't look him in the eye.

"Umeka," Tsukasa's voice was irritating, admonishing her like a parent, like the adults he seemed to harbor so much anger at but she knew better than to say that.

"So you lied to me. Told me I could go home and never planned to let me."

"What? No. Umeka, please," he reached a hand out, gently taking hold of her shoulder, "please, look at me."

She sniffed, trying to hold back the tears forming in her eyes, but looked up glaring at him.

He flinched. It made it worse that he genuinely seemed concerned, honestly upset that she didn't want to stay. It would be easier if he was like a villain from one of her early morning cartoons as a kid. Motivated by evil, no kindness in his actions. Just selfish and ugly and cruel. But he wasn't. He was terrifying, yes, because he was big and powerful but his face was beautiful and his expression was kind. The hand that now squeezed her shoulder gently was carefully placed and warm. She didn't know why exactly he was so determined to bring her to his camp, maybe he truly just wanted her help so they could survive winter easier. But something about the pained look on his face made her doubt that was all that was going on. Despite her fear and confusion, she knew he didn't want to hurt her. She also knew that not wanting to and being unwilling to were dangerously different things.

"Tell me what I can do? I want you to be happy here but I also want you to be safe. You don't understand what's about to happen between Senku's people and mine. I can't let you get caught in the crossfire, do you understand?" his voice was hushed like he didn't want anyone to hear the gentle things he was saying.

"You can keep your promise," she said, speaking over his sigh, "let me go home."

"Umeka-"

"I don't want," she frowned, "no, I don't like that you tried to trick me. That isn't going to make me trust you. It doesn't feel like it's to help me if you have to trick me to do it. So let me go home."

He looked hurt, really and genuinely hurt even though the tension in his mouth, the muscles tense on the sides of his neck made him look angry. He took a shaky breath, frowning at her. He turned facing back towards her home, looking off through the trees even though it would be impossible to see it from where they stood, "I want you to move here. If you go home tonight, I want you to come back tomorrow. How do I know you'll do that?"

She didn't speak. He knew the answer, she knew that much.

He sighed heavily, "Right."

Her chest heaved, a sob desperately trying to escape but she choked it back making a painful sound that drew Tsukasa's eyes, "Umeka…" his hand raised, reaching to touch her cheek but she flinched, just slightly from his touch and he jumped back. Pulling his hand from her in shock.

They stared at each other in tense silence. Saiyan looped low around the back of her legs waiting for one word to make him jump on Tsukasa. He turned suddenly, looking away from her, "Okay."

She blinked. Struck still with shock.

He turned toward her again but didn't look into her eyes, "Go. Go home," his voice was deep and harsh but it trembled slightly. So little she wasn't sure she had even heard it.

She thought she should say something. Ask if she could or thank him. But he didn't have the right to control her so she shouldn't have to thank him. Instead, she nodded to Saiyan and they quickly walked toward the forest. "Umeka," Tsukasa called out just before she got to the tree line causing her to turn and look at him, "tomorrow," he said. She didn't speak, only stared for a while, until she got too nervous and hurried into the woods.

As soon as she felt like she was well enough out of sight she ran. Saiyan close by her. She dug her nails into the dirt of the embankment she'd earlier jumped down, desperately digging in and pulling herself up. She ran as fast as she could, pushing through branches and desperately catching herself when she stumbled.

It wasn't long until she hit the clearing that she called her home, the dogs leaping up when she came busting through the trees. Saiyan cut them off from rushing to her and they all seven stood at the ready watching as she desperately packed. She folded over her old clothes tying them to make sacks and slinging them over the backs of dogs. She grabbed as much food as she could, skins and furs, all of her arrows. She packed knives and utensils and pots. The dogs all stood still letting her tie things on as though they were pack animals. She'd have to leave all the water, her garden, the house itself, the chair she made, all her traps in the woods around them. She climbed down and whistled for the dogs to line up.

"Sazae, guide," she spoke, and Sazae moved around to the front of the line, walking calmly into the woods. Umeka knew it would be better for her to keep her eyes up, wary of predators or Tsukasa pursuing her. But instead, her head was low and she cried weakly. Suit who walked beside her licked her hand apologetically, whining in concern. Umeka sniveled, wiping her dripping nose on the back of her hand. Her eyes hurt, her throat hurt. But she kept herself together enough that they could keep walking.

Sazae gave a quick bark, drawing the dogs up. The forest once again broke into a clearing. In it were a series of buildings. Weird machinery Umeka didn't understand. From the top of a stilted tower, the calm night wind whipped a heavy-sounding flag. She glanced around, she didn't see anyone so she nodded to the dogs and they stepped out of the woods. Alone in the strange camp, Umeka stood for a moment, wiping her face and breathing deeply to stop her crying.

Once she calmed down she cleared her throat and called out quietly, "Senku?"

She stood silently. Nothing.

"S-Senku!" she called louder. Then she heard men speaking in the distance, and the sound of footsteps rushing towards her in the dark.