I haven't seen any reviews since the last chapter, but we'll keep chugging along. Enjoy.

Chapter Four

The Renewal

(Crimson Squad hideout, unknown location)

A tan-skinned girl sat on a rock, a nodachi laying across her lap in its sheath, a sword that could only be wielded by soneone with deep trust in their comrades. An onlooker would assume she was meditating, but a keen individual would see that she was deep in thought, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks with her mind replaying her past, a past of being abandoned by her family for a crime she did not commit. A honey-blond soon walked over to her. "Homura, it's nearly time for dinner." The tan-skinned girl opened her eyes and faced her comrade. "Thanks, Haruka."

As the two entered the hideout, Homura thought of what had gotten them to this point, killing a man that had used her, and having to live on the run. Her team had become her new family, and she would gladly give her life to defend them. As the five members of the team sat down together, the petite girl spoke up. "So, Homura, did you have any luck in finding out about this 'Number Hunter' we keep hearing about?" Homura shook her head. "No, Mirai. Whoever this guy is, he's good at covering his tracks."

The pale blond of the group spoke up. "Perhaps he lives in a cave like us?" Haruka spoke up. "I have my doubts about that, Yomi. He is mysterious, but I do not believe he has reason to hide like us." The last girl, a greenette, spoke up. "Whoever he is, he sounds cool. Especially that dragon of his I've heard about." Homura laughed softly. "Yeah, that dragon does sound badass." Mirai spoke up again. "That's another thing I've been wondering about: is that dragon a one-of-a-kind card? Because I've never heard of it before."

Yomi spoke up. "If it is the only one in the world, that would make it quite valuable. I wonder how he acquired it." Homura replied, "I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. You've heard of what happened to the people who this guy took the "Numbers" from. They all admitted to whatever crimes they committed." Facing them, she added, "I don't want to be targeted by this guy, so if you guys see any of these "Numbers", you stay clear of them. I'm not willing to take the risk of one of us admitting to some secret crime that the rest of us don't know about."

They all looked at their leader in shock. Mirai spoke up. "Are you okay, Homura?" The tan-skinned girl sighed, replying, "I've had a lot on my mind lately. Sometimes, I do wish I could have been a Good Shinobi." Haruka spoke up. "Maybe you could use some rest." Homura thought it over, then faced the honey-blond. "I don't know if rest would help with dealing with what I feel inside." Hikage spoke up. "What do you mean?" The tan-skinned girl replied, "It's like I've got a monster inside, waiting to come out." Her teammates faced her in concern.

Getting up, the tan-skinned girl told them, "I'm heading out for a bit, get some fresh air." Picking up her gear, she walked out, her friends watching her. Once she was out of the cave, she made her way to a nearby stream, and sat down, looking at her reflection. Looking to her left with a sigh, she then froze in shock, seeing a young man in a blue jacket sitting not too far away, his eyes closed as if in deep thought.

(Akiru's POV)

The Number Hunter kept his eyes closed as he listened to the conversation between the beings in his mind. "We have acquired almost a third of the Numbers thus far. I do believe the Hunter has earned some rest." The second spoke up. "Indeed, but time is of the essence. We do not know when the next Number will strike." The third was surprisingly silent, so Akiru chimed in, 'Tachyon?' The being replied, "You are being watched." Turning to his right, he saw the tan-skinned girl staring at him, a shocked expression on her face.

Looking her in the eyes, he asked, "What are you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you have school tomorrow?" The tan-skinned girl replied, "I'm a dropout." He could tell that wasn't the whole truth, but chose not to press. "I see. Your parents must have been disappointed." She stiffened, which did not go unnoticed by the Hunter, but simply replied, "I haven't seen them in a long time." Akiru said nothing at first, then sighed. "So you're a runaway." She replied, "No, abandoned would be more accurate." The Hunter faced her in shock, then sighed as he looked away. "I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories."

The tan-skinned girl looked him over, then asked, "Who are you?" He replied, "My name is Akiru Hirasu. I'm in the area on business." The tan-skinned girl thought it over, then said, "I'm Homura." Akiru smirked as he looked at her, "The leader of the Crimson Squad, eh?" She stared at him in shock. "How the hell do you know that?!" He answered, "I was given a list of possible Number Holders by the Shinobi Council. They thought your team might have some." Homura's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're the Number Hunter." He faced her. "I assume you've heard of me because of the reporters on TV."

Homura shook her head. "No, just rumors. People wonder how you can take Numbers without even going near your targets." He replied, "I have my methods." Facing the tanned Shinobi, he asked, "But enough about that for now. I'm curious as to why your team hasn't tried to redeem yourselves in the eyes of the Council." Homura automatically answered, "They'd never accept us back." Akiru replied just as quickly, "Are you sure?" She asked, "Have you ever killed someone?" Akiru replied, "Once." She stiffened upon hearing that. "What?"

Facing her, he continued. "When I was a child. It was my very first Duel. Long story short, when I Summoned my most powerful card and attacked, somehow, the damage dealt to my opponent was real. It was determined to be a glitch in the Duel Terminal system, which is why they were decommissioned. Either way, I have to live with it for as long as I live." Homura's eyes widened in shock, then she said, "So you weren't blamed for it." He answered, "No, not by the officials. But my parents weren't very happy when they found out."

She listened as he continued. "They took my first Deck, and tore it up in front of me, telling me Dueling was too dangerous." Closing his eyes to fight back tears, he added, "They said I'd thank them for it, but I never can, or ever will." Facing her again, he added, "They were killed in an accident two years ago. After their deaths, I built a new Deck, got my Duel Disk, and started playing in local tournaments, earning what money I could that way. It was then that I acquired my first Number, the most powerful of them all. It showed me the truth of the Numbers, how they can use their hosts to do terrible things." Facing the tanned girl, he added, "That's the reason I became the Number Hunter, to free humanity from the Numbers forever."

Homura felt tears rolling down her cheeks, listening to his story, and answered, "I used to Duel when I was a child, but my parents stopped me, telling me it was a waste of time. I don't know what happened to my Deck." Akiru looked thoughtful, then replied, "Do you remember what cards were in it?" Homura faced him with a raised eyebrow. "I only remember that a lot of those cards were one-of-a-kind. I couldn't replace it even if I could afford to." Akiru answered, "Perhaps not." Turning to leave, he added, "But I can." With that, he left, leaving a very confused Homura behind.

A/N

I'm sure that Senran Kagura fans have been wondering when I would put Homura in. Well, here you go. Oh, by the way, a nodachi is basically a Japanese longsword. It always requires two hands, and is usually twice as long as a typical katana.