Benimaru had never seen anything more pitiful than Atsuhi was as she walked out of the school building. Her hair was tied back neatly in her long ponytail, bangs parted frighteningly tidy right down the middle like a little curtain above her eyes. She was dressed neatly, the bottom of her kimono adorned with beautiful cranes, the colors matching the charms that dangled from her hair tie. But no amount of adornment could outweigh the sour expression on her face that worsened when she saw him leaning on the schoolhouse gate.

"I can't believe he really sent you," she grumbled.

He rolled his eyes, following her toward the guardhouse, "Why not? I mean how many times have you lied now?"

"Hey!" she frowned back at him, "You lied too."

"Yeah, for you," he scoffed.

She was quiet for a moment. Long enough that he slowly glanced back at her. She was staring at him, still walking forward at her normal pace. Unnerving.

"Why'd you lie?"

"I dunno," he shrugged.

"Well then think."

"I don't want to."

"Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

She growled in frustration, tossing a hand up and turning forward again as a smirk ghosted over his face. He rubbed the back of his neck. As if he hadn't been sore enough from training already he'd gotten one hell of a disciplinary flogging after Atsuhi and her grandma left. It felt like the ache had seeped down into his bones becoming a discomfort that would never go away.

As they crossed over the Sumida river bridge she finally spoke again, "Is it going to be bad?"

"Huh?"

"Training. Is it going to be scary and stuff? Or like...will it hurt?" she glanced at him, her mouth pressing together hard, a lopsided corner pulled so far to one side it looked like it could slip off her face.

"Might."

"You had a big," she mimed a hand over her face, "bad mark when I saw you at the schoolhouse. Was that-"

"Eh," he shrugged, "Yeah. But you aren't me, you know? Hibachi might smack you around if you're an idiot in training, but I'm the only one getting wailed on."

"...are you that bad?" she looked at him, the corner of her mouth turning up ever so slightly.

He glared at her, standing straighter. He could feel the temperature shift around him in response, his hair floating from the updraft. She laughed, big and loud, getting the attention of people up the street. He huffed, speeding up and grabbing her kimono sleeve as he sped by, "Come on."

"Hey!" she tried to tug her kimono free from his grip but couldn't, "stop pulling me!"

"Stop being a brat!"

"For asking a question?"

"A question?! What the hell kind of person asks something like that?!"

"Me! It was a valid question! If you're bad you might get knocked around a little more!"

"Like you're going to be better than me?"

Suddenly she swung the books she kept tied together in a furoshiki which he quickly ducked under, "No, you dummy! Because I know I'm going to be worse."

When he stood back up he was in her face, prepared to fight but stalled by her words. He frowned at her, unsure of what to say and still a little annoyed. She blinked, glancing from his eyes to his mouth as she pressed her lips together. She leaned back just a little, such a small amount it seemed like she thought he might not notice.

"Could you...uh...say something or...not be so close," she mumbled.

He stared at her a moment longer. Truthfully, he did feel a little bad for her. He knew what it was like to be snatched up by the Hikeshi, forced to train and fight. He hadn't chosen it and even though he liked some parts, he still wasn't sure it's what he wanted from his life. He couldn't imagine how it would feel to know you had another option but he guessed it felt worse. Even if he would never admit it he was a little jealous of her family and her home and even her school books, as much as he hated class when Konro tried to teach him.

He scoffed, finally turning around, "Doesn't matter if you're worse. I'll be the one getting the brunt of it. So get over yourself and hurry up or we're both getting laid out."

She was still for a while, then he heard the clatter of rocks kicked up as she rushed behind him, "R-right."

"Come on, just through here," Konro said, walking her down the narrow paper halls of the Guardhouse, "we've got enough space I set you up your own room even though you'll be living at home. I thought it would be nice to have a private place to take a break and to change into your uniform."

He was very different from everyone else. Way more mature than Benimaru, far nicer than Hibachi. When he looked back at her it was always with a twinge of concern that made her nervous.

"Am I gonna get beat up?"

He sputtered, looking back at her wide-eyed, "No! Of course not."

"Well...but Benimaru-"

"...Well…" Konro sighed, "Beni is a bit different…"

Atsuhi grumbled, "that's what he said."

Konro's laugh was loud and pleasant, his large hand landed on her head and shook it around playfully, musing her hair, "I'm glad you two are already getting along. Beni doesn't have many friends. It'll do him good to have one like you."

She frowned, "We aren't friends."

Konro's smile faltered, "Well...maybe you will be. You'll be training together a lot, after all. Uh now…" he paused, bending over to pick up a neatly folded uniform, "We've never had many women in the hikeshi but I think the sort of uniform Beni wears would be fine for a kid like you. Just get changed and then come out to the main grounds."

She took the fabric from him slowly, it was heavy and itchy. It still reeked of indigo. Konro gave her a quick nod and headed from the room. She undressed, careful to fold her kimono neatly as she took it off, laying it on a barren shelf in the corner of the room. The uniform was simple, black leggings, a white shirt, a strange black vest-like chest plate that took her an embarrassing amount of time to figure out how to tie and then the boxy happi coat, clearly meant for a man by how it swallowed her and by the stiffness of the fabric never worn before. She slipped from her shoes and into flat sandals, tying them securely around her ankles. She paused at the door, taking a deep breath, and then headed out to face her fate.

In the yard, Benimaru was already training, calmly batting away everything Konro threw at him. It was amazing. He acted like he was in a pillow fight. Or rather, that's how threatened he seemed, he certainly didn't look happy enough to be at a pillow fight. She wondered if he was even able to feel happy. His expression was always so stern, even a little sad. He didn't act like a kid at all.

Benimaru slapped away a lick of fire and it came shooting at her, she locked up, her hands flying up in front of her face. Then it stopped, hovering right in front of her like a tiny sun. She blinked, leaning around it to look at Benimaru and Konro. Benimaru was holding up his hand, a smirk on his face, "You can't rely on me forever, you know?"

"Last I checked fires didn't shoot out and attack people!"

"Oh, I'll have to let the next infernal I fight know that. They must be confused."

"You stupi-"

"All right...all right! You two!" Konro frowned, pinching Benimaru's ear hard, making him lose his concentration, making the fire in front of her dissipate. "You're going to train together so stop fighting."

"Why do I have to train with a punk kid like her, she doesn't know anything."

"And you do?" Hibachi's voice boomed, from behind them. Benimaru winced, such a small gesture Atsuhi wouldn't have noticed if she wasn't already glaring at him. Hibachi waved his hand at her, gesturing for her to come over. She jogged, afraid moving any slower would make the old man angry. "How do you feel, kid?"

"Itchy."

He gave an amused huff, "Don't worry, that coat will be broken in real soon. Beni, you and Atsuhi are going to spar."

Beside her, Benimaru's jaw dropped, "Me and her? That's not gonna be fair."

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, brat," Hibachi scoffed, throwing up a kick Benimaru barely guarded for, taking the brunt on his forearms that he crossed in front of his chest. "I wanna see what the kid can do."

Benimaru grimaced, glancing at her. To be honest she was terrified. She'd heard the rumors around town about how destructive Benimaru's powers were, that he was unlike any other. There was no way she'd even stand a chance.

"Captain…" Konro said, the doubt in his voice as clear as the sun above him.

"I don't wanna hear anything outta you either, Konro," Hibachi cut his eyes at him. "You see something dangerous jump in and save the brat. Otherwise, sparring is sparring."

When she looked at Benimaru again he was staring dead at her, "You ever sparred before?"

"...No."

"Not even without fire?"

"No, why would I."

Benimaru rolled his eyes, "Took after your empire mom, huh?"

Atsuhi's eyes widened, smoke curling from her mouth, before anyone could say anything she spat fire at Benimaru, surprising him enough that he had to dodge it. Hibachi laughed, loud and cruel, slapping his hand against Konro's chest to stop him from intervening.

"Don't talk about my mom."

Benimaru frowned, cocking his head back at her, "Why not? Don't like facing the truth? That makes sense for you."

Atsuhi growled, rushing forward at him. He waited and when she reached he easily grabbed her arm and twisted, throwing her over his shoulder and into the dirt. Somewhere deep down she knew it hurt, but it felt more like a memory. Like some part of her was saying she needed to remember to feel it later. For now, she didn't feel anything other than furry. No one had ever gotten under her skin like Benimaru did, and she barely knew him. It occurred to her the punishment she was facing for using her ignition ability wasn't being in the hikeshi, but being in the hikeshi with the most unfeeling egotistical brat in all of Asakusa.

She rolled over and spat fire at him again. He slapped it out of the way, "A one-trick pony like you is never going to beat me."

"You talk too much," she hissed. The smoke from her fire already making her throat raw. Benimaru held up two fingers, the rest folded into his palm, collecting a ball of fire that he lazily flung at him. She took a deep breath, taking the fire in, feeling the singe in her lungs, then she breathed out of her nose, filling the space around him with smoke as she rushed in again.

"Heh, interesting," she heard Hibachi comment behind her. Benimaru was braced and waiting for her when she got to him, but he didn't look mad. Instead, he gave her a serious stare and quickly nodded toward her hand. She paused, confused by the sudden shift in his personality. He nodded again, more urgent and far more annoyed and, still incredibly confused, she slapped him because she had no idea how to throw a punch.

Benimaru's head turned sharply, his dark silky hair splaying out as his head turned. He shut his eyes for a moment and then opened them wide very slowly, glancing at her with an expression that made it clear he didn't expect her to hit as hard as she did. She felt strangely proud, even if it felt embarrassing to hit someone. Even if they were sparring, "You're such a stupid girl," he spat, grabbing her wrist and wrenching her arm behind her back making her gasp in pain. She tried to kick his leg but he just used the opportunity to hook hers, making her fall onto her chest in the dirt with him following after her, grabbing her other arm and straddling her back leaving her with no way to fight him off.

"All right...enough," Hibachi called.

Benimaru pushed her hands down and stood, stepping back from her. She wheeled around, embarrassed and in pain, cradling her arms. She moved to spit fire at him again and he glanced down his nose at her but before she could Konro called out, "Don't."

She stopped, looking back at him. He looked concerned, but with a hint of warning. Like a parent that saw their toddler about to jump off of something far too high for them. She hung her head, sniffling as the pain from their fight settled in.

"How was that, Atsuhi?" Hibachi asked.

"...it hurt," she sniveled.

"Does your hand hurt? That was one hell of a slap, the idiot let you take."

Atsuhi blinked, looking up into Hibachi's steely eyes. She glanced at Benimaru who seemed to break into a cold sweat.

"You're a real idiot aren't you, Beni? Thought I wouldn't notice you holding back? Setting her up to get a hit in to make it look real? She's not gonna learn if you coddle her and you can't be around all the time to protect her. How you gonna feel when an infernal kills her cause she thinks she's better than she actually is? Would a real leader do that?"

He was terrifying. He wasn't even looking at her, in fact, it almost looked like to Hibachi she wasn't even there. He'd turned completely to Benimaru, frowning over him. Even though Benimaru tried to stand his ground she could tell he was scared by how he leaned back, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"So. Keep sparring. You two are gonna fight until I feel like the little girl's learned something, and she's gonna learn the same way you did: painfully."

Atsuhi's cough was racking through her, making her entire body shake, thick black droll streaming from the corners of her mouth. She looked up desperately, eyes wide and hands touching her throat. Benimaru shuddered, glaring at Hibachi before looking back to Atsuhi as Konro caught her, gently pouring water into her mouth, "swish, good good, okay spit it out."

She did what he said, limp in his arms as she tried to breathe again. Slowly Konro calmed her down enough that she could breathe, even if it was labored and painful sounding.

Hibachi stood from where he'd squatted hours ago, "You held out longer than I thought you would, kid," he said, looking at Atsuhi casually, as though she hadn't almost choked on soot, he cut his eyes at Benimaru, "but don't think I didn't notice you had help. Help that idiot will pay for giving later."

He wanted to scream. What did Hibachi want? Did he want him to kill her? She was just a stupid brat that did the right thing at the wrong time. It wasn't fair to punish her for it. And it wasn't like beating up a completely untrained girl was going to help him learn to be a better leader either.

"Konro, leave her."

"Sir!"

Hibachi turned back, "Benimaru can take care of her. Since he clearly wants to."

Konro frowned, "Can we talk?"

"Fine, come on," Hibachi nodded his head to the guardhouse and walked off.

Konro sighed, propping Atsuhi up further, "Come on, Beni," Konro called, gesturing for Beni to take his place. Benimaru frowned but walked over, putting an arm over Konro's behind Atsuhi's back. Tensing when she leaned into him. "Make sure she keeps rinsing out her mouth and throat as best she can. And then get her drinking water, okay?"

"Yeah...sure," Benimaru mumbled, watching as Konro quickly stood and followed Hibachi into the guardhouse.

For a moment everything was quiet, except the gross noises of Atsuhi gargling and spitting out black water. When she was done with what he had left in the cup she settled back into his arms, surprisingly comfortable there. Though maybe she was just too weak to be picky.

"That was you...holding back?" She frowned at him, her voice croaky and old, almost sounding like her little grandma who Benimaru didn't know how he'd face when he saw her again.

"Yeah...as much as I could," he said, looking down at her.

A weak smile broke across her face, despite the abrasions and bruises, "Why not just say no? Afraid of your dad?"

"Afraid he'd step in if I didn't do it, sure," he frowned.

She sighed, "This hurts."

"Yeah. Tomorrow will be worse."

"Why?"

"It always hurts more to get a bruise on top of a bruise."

"Are you threatening me?"

"How are you so annoying even now?"

She smiled weakly, a cute and playful sort of smile that made Benimaru uncomfortable because he didn't know how to respond. Instead, he hooked an arm under her legs and stood, hefting her up with him, grimacing at how it strained his sore muscles.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Gonna clean up your stupid face before you get stuck looking this ugly for the rest of your stupid life," he grumbled, carrying her to the far side of the guardhouse, trying to spare her from whatever conversation Konro and Hibachi were having.

"Thanks," she muttered, surprising him enough that he tried to look at her but she was looking into her lap focused on her hands, trying to work the dirt out from under her fingernails and lightly touching her bruised knuckles.

He slid the door to his room open with his foot, placing her roughly on his bed, and turning quickly to grab something to clean her with. When he turned back around she was glancing all over, gawking at his things making him feel embarrassed, "Stop it just look here so I can see what I'm doing."

She turned to him like he asked, her eyes were a pale bluish-green color, so light against her freckled tan skin and dark eyelashes they looked like they were glowing even without her ignition ability active, "Should I look at you?"

"Just," he swallowed, sitting beside her and turning her face away from him, busying himself with clearing the dirt from a cut on her face, "in this direction, don't stare at me like a weirdo."

"You told me to look at you!"

"Shut up."

"Wh-ow!" she yelled, slapping his hand.

He sighed and sat back, frowning at her, "don't be a baby, I've gotta clean your cuts. Or do you wanna do it?"

She pouted, but settled back, turning her head to the side again as if to say, he could continue. He cleaned her cuts for a while, ignoring how annoying it was that she sniffled and winced every time because he knew he didn't have the softest touch. He probably could have left her to Konro or her grandma, both of whom would be better at this than he was, but he felt bad. It was his fault she was all bashed up, after all, even if he didn't want to do it. He wondered if that was Hibachi's goal. To make him feel guilty. If that was it then it had worked.

"Thanks," she muttered, turning to look at him.

He gulped, putting a hand on her head and forcibly turning her to the side again, "whatever, don't thank me yet I'm not done."

She smiled, slow and soft, but didn't say anything else.

"What are you doing?" Konro demanded as soon as he stepped into the room.

Hibachi sighed, Konro was powerful, smart, a good leader well-loved by the rest of the hikeshi, but he was soft. Much softer than anyone else in the service. Of course, he was getting tendered hearted over the girl's training.

"She's gotta learn if she's going to be one of us."

"Learn what? To be afraid and in pain?"

"You didn't make this big of a fuss when Benimaru was in that position. And he didn't have someone pulling punches and faking out like that idiot was."

"Well great job, I guess we learned Beni has some sense!" Konro yelled, throwing a hand back toward the courtyard, "She's just a little girl."

"She's barely shy of Beni's age."

"Still!" Konro yelled, shock setting into his face, "Why did you let it carry on so long? It's dangerous!"

"And she'll be fine now, you made sure of that like you were supposed to," Hibachi said, calmly settling down at the table, "this is how we're trained in the hikeshi. Let go of the fact that she's a girl brat and you'll be able to deal with it the same way you handled the idiot getting knocked around when he first came here."

Konro swallowed, still frowning back at him but not saying anything else.

"Kid might not know anything about fighting but you've gotta admit, for that to be her natural untrained firepower, it was something, wasn't it?"

Konro sighed, laying his head back, "Fine. Sure. She's got a lot of firepower."

"How many hours was that?"

"I…" Konro glanced back to the courtyard, looking at the dull orange glow of the evening, "I don't know...four or five?"

"Right. Four or five hours of almost constantly breathing fire in and out...quite the feat for just a little girl," Hibachi smirked at Konro's frown, lighting his pipe, "Beni's gotta learn his strength, he uses too much. Kid's always been a demon so he's used to completely overwhelming someone instead of thinking. That's not gonna serve him in the long run. For whatever reason he's got a little soft spot for that girl so, he fights her and she learns to toughen up and fight back and he's gotta learn how to control himself or he'll seriously hurt her."

Hibachi took a long drag, breathing out before he finally looked into Konro's face, laughing slightly at the shocked expression.

"It's just...that's a really dangerous way to teach them isn't it?"

Hibachi laughed, laying back on his elbow, "Only way to learn if you're in the hikeshi, innit? We'll break that little girl outta her shell and have ourselves a real dragon, to hand out divine punishments, eh?"

Konro sighed, shaking his head. As soft as he was he never argued for long. Probably because as disgusting as it was to see kids their age fight, it was the reality of their world. Asakusa needed the hikeshi, and the hikeshi needed terrifying tykes like Benimaru and Atsuhi. "They'll be fine, after all. They already look out for each other. So don't worry about those brats. Just get the girl cleaned up and off on her way to her folks, all right?"

Konro frowned, turning to the door, "Fine."

Hibachi sighed, settling on his side, the smoke curling from his pipe like the smoke curled from the furious mouth of their newest member, a little dragon being broken from her egg.