Slowly, very slowly, Kyuuzou was, if not accepted, then at least warily trusted. He did what he believed needed doing, and didn't have much interaction with the villagers. He found that he hated the villagers, for they too had the thing he lacked. To be around so many people with it...was almost painful.

The day that Kyuuzou was finally, fully recovered, Heihachi approached Kanbei, after having put off their conversation for too long.

"Kanbei-sama?"

Kanbei turned away from what he was doing to look at the nervous red-head.

"Do you remember what I told you about Kyuuzou?"

"Yes."

"Have you figured out what I mean?"

"I have my theories."

"Well...let's find a less public place, so I can tell you what I meant."

"Nobuseri are machines, yes, but they were once people. Hence, they have humanity, even though they do not appear human. Kyuuzou...something must have happened, something must have gone wrong when they were trying to make him a Nobuseri. I believe...that, being stubborn, he resisted the original process. So they put him in the shell we found him in, and made him into a quasi-Nobuseri." He paused. "I don't know what happened in there, but it's the reason he is how he is now." Another pause. "Kanbei, Kyuuzou..."

Suddenly they heard a word snarled from behind them, and turned around in time to see the last flicker of Kyuuzou's coat. Kanbei had caught what had been said and stood up quickly.

"Nobuseri are nearby."

Heihachi watched Kanbei leave, and stood with a groan; he had been working too hard of late. He had missed his chance, yet again, to tell Kanbei what was wrong. He sighed, resigning himself to his bad luck, and then exited, going out to help.

Kyuuzou waited patiently until the first Nobuseri arrived. After that...it seemed as if there would be no stopping him until every attacking Nobuseri, no matter if they were large or simply a footsoldier, was dead. He attacked, and killed,the blades he had found a blur, his hate slowly growing.

Even the Nobuseri had it!

He cornered a footsolider,and pinned him to the ground and a tree after depriving him of weapons.

"Where is he."

The footsolider broke underneath his gaze and the sheer anger that was in his voice, telling him everything that he knew. As soon as the information was exhausted, he killed him.

He returned to the village, and immediately sought out Heihachi. Apparently he knew a little of what had happened to him. He found the mechanic helping repair some of the damage the Nobuseri had done on the machines he had created. He felt Kyuuzou's eyes on him, and jumped down, brushing himself off before approaching him.

"Yeah?"

"You know."

Heihachi immediately became serious.

"I do."

"Can you fix it?"

"I don't have the technology or the expertise to. You'd have to go to the guy who did that to you."

There was a long pause, Heihachi watching Kyuuzou, trying to detect any thoughts.

"I'm going."

"Not without me. I might be able to help with the more technological aspects."

Kyuuzou reluctantly nodded.

Heihachi managed to steel himself enough to place a hesitant hand on Kyuuzou's shoulder.

"Just wait a little...ne?"

Kyuuzou watched him walk away and found a nice tree to sit in and wait.

Heihachi tapped Kanbei on the shoulder, and Kanbei turned to face the easy-going samurai.

"Kyuuzou is going to go look for the guy who changed him. Just wanting to tell you that I'm off. I'm certain Shichijirou can handle the technical aspects."

"I'm coming with you, too."

Heihachi blinked repeatedly. "Why?"

"We'll leave as soon as I brief Shichijirou on why you, I, and Kyuuzou are leaving."

With that their leader walked away, leaving Heihachi very confused.

Shichiijrou listened patiently, then sighed.

"You really care for him, if you're willing to do this."

The silence on Kanbei's part was answer enough.

"Just don't get yourself killed or anything," he said as he rubbed his neck. "We're almost done with cleaning up around here, so I think that the people left behind here will have it easy for a while. You don't have to worry about us." Shichijirou gave Kanbei a half-smile. "I'll be busy enough worrying about you."

"I'll be seeing you, then."

Shichijirou watched Kanbei walk away and shrugged, before finding something for himself to do.