Back at the Arashikage compound, Billy muttered to himself as he carefully sorted out the pile of papers on Tommy's desk. A new batch of trainees had arrived just a week ago, and many things still needed to be figured out - skills, talents, abilities, will, it all was part of knowing each new trainee well enough to harness their potential and train them into effective ninja.

The phone rang; it was much quieter than a normal ring, but enough that it wasn't completely inaudible.

Grumbling, Billy picked up the phone. "Arashikage," he muttered.

"Morning, Billy," a familiar, if just-as-disgruntled-sounding voice replied.

He blinked. "Tommy?"

"No. It's the Easter bunny." The voice noticeably grew more sour. "Of course it's me."

"Wow." Billy grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Well, Mr. Easter Bunny. You're quite late. It's almost fall. You were supposed to come at the beginning of spring, if I recall correctly."

"Smartass," Tommy groaned over the phone, making his apprentice laugh.

"Learned from the best."

"I feel so flattered," came the dry reply.

Billy gave a low whistle. "You sure sound upbeat. What happened? Did your favorite ninjato break?"

Tommy sighed. "No, I got a water bottle thrown at me by a half-asleep woman who thought she was still dreaming."

The answer took a while to sink in. Billy had been expecting complaints about bodies staining something his former teacher wanted, or a favorite weapon of his breaking. He hadn't expected something so... mundane.

"... Oh," he finally said, feeling awkward. "Uh... where are you?"

"At the Kyoto safe-house. Why do you ask?"

Silence, then a whine. "Aw, c'mon Tommy. Couldn't you have used a motel or something? I like that safe-house and now I'm not going to be able to sleep in it without imagining-"

"Nothing happened, Billy. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Then why are you in a safe-house with a woman?"

"Long story, I'll tell you later. Anyways, I called to let you know I'm bringing one more person back with me."

"Alright." Billy sounded smug. "Shall I tell Obake Obaasan you're bringing a girl home?" He snickered.

"If you don't mind helping the trainees clean the compound for a year, then be my guest."

The snickering stopped, followed by a pained noise. "You're cruel, Tommy. Fine, I'll just tell her you're bringing 'someone.'"

"Thank you, Billy. See you later tonight."

"No problem. Seeya."

After hanging up, Billy sank into the chair and exhaled slowly, running his hand through his hair. For a moment, he contemplated risking the one year cleaning the compound just to see Tommy fumbling to explain that to his aunt. Then he decided it wasn't worth it; his days of maintenance chores as Tommy's apprentice were over, and he had no desire to revisit them.

He clicked a pen and scribbled a reminder to himself before going to check on how the new trainees were settling in.

Tommy resisted groaning in frustration when he handed Junko her new motorcycle helmet. She still looked guilty - head held low, cautious glances upwards at him, slumped shoulders, everything. And that incident had happened at five in the morning.

"Junko," he sighed. "Honestly, I'm fine. You didn't even hit me directly."

"No." She sounded slightly miserable. "I hit the couch above you and the bottle fell on you. Still doesn't change the fact that I threw it at you." She inspected the helmet.

Tommy leaned on his motorcycle. "How is it that you seem more upset over throwing a water bottle at me than killing Hyata?"

Junko looked up at him. "Hyata deserved what he got. You, on the other hand, have been taking care of me. You didn't really... deserve it. I'm sorry." She ducked her head.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "Since when did you forgive me for taking you somewhere unknown while you were passed out?"

There was a pause, then Junko huffed at him. "I didn't. Okay, maybe you deserved it a little bit."

Tommy rolled his eyes, but she could just barely see the beginning of an amused smirk on his face.

"Now will you get over it? We have a long drive ahead of us and I don't want to spend most of it with you moping behind me."

"You still seem kind of grumpy about it," she pointed out.

"Try not feeling grumpy about being woken up by a water bottle and having to deal with the thrower apologizing hundreds of times after the incident." He patted the motorcycle. "Get on."

Junko frowned at him before placing the helmet on her head and carefully mounting the bike.

"I think I'm mostly just... shocked I did it," she mumbled as he got on in front of her. "What if I keep doing it? What if I'd thrown something else at you? Like a knife or something?

"You'll learn how to manage that. And you wouldn't have hit me with a knife anyways. Your throwing technique needs a lot of work." He did a quick once-over of the motorcycle.

She bit her bottom lip. "You sure? I don't want to wake up one day just to find a dead body of a friend on the ground."

"Trust me. You'll either learn, or you won't get through training." Tommy glanced over his shoulder as she uncertainly wrapped her arms around his waist. "Tap my shoulder twice if you need anything, got it?"

"I-" Junko closed her mouth, sensing the end of the discussion, and nodded. "Got it."

Once they were well on their way, she settled herself comfortably against him, pleased at how huggable he was from behind. He was quite warm, and almost comfortable enough to sleep on, had they not been on the road.

As they drove, she noticed an odd texture on his skin at his stomach, separated from her hand by his shirt. Curious, she shifted her hand. It was thin, raised a bit, and...

Junko moved her arm, and froze.

She could feel the texture running almost along her arm, all the way to his side.

"Is that a scar?" she asked at a red light.

"Yep."

Junko blinked, surprised at his nonchalance. "I-It's so long... What could have caused this?"

"A sword."

"A sword?"

"Yep."

"How are you still living?" She hit her helmet against his for emphasis. "Your intestines must have fallen out!"

Much to her surprise, he hit her helmet back playfully. "Relax. It didn't cut all the way through. I'd spun to avoid it."

She sniffed. "You didn't do it very well."

Before she could add more, the light turned green and they sped off, making Junko cling onto him for dear life. She whacked his shoulder in annoyance.

The trip started off being less exciting than Junko had imagined. The only conversations she could hold with Tommy were at red lights, and sometimes those lasted only a second before turning green.

She would be lying, though, if she said she didn't learn a few interesting facts about him. He was a healthy eater, for one thing. When they finally stopped at the only fast-food restaurant for a several miles, he ordered salad and wrinkled his nose when she bought a small chocolate cake for dessert. He also talked about a few people he claimed were waiting for them - Billy, Kimi, and 'Goblin Granny,' who was apparently his aunt and very, very scary.

Junko decided it was not in her best interest to say that she would personally be grumpy and dangerous if everyone kept calling her 'Goblin Granny.'

Billy was a friend of Tommy's, who - according to him - was one of the best fighters in the clan. Junko couldn't help detecting a hint of pride in his voice as he talked, a big indicator that they were close.

Kimi was Tommy's cousin, and only a few years younger than him. Although Tommy still spoke fondly of her, there was a sort of hidden tension interwoven with his words.

Unstable past, or maybe shaky relationship, Junko mused before asking, "So, what's the highest rank in the clan?"

"Master." Tommy sipped at his tea.

"How does one become a master?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Not easily. Usually a master offers you the position."

"What if the master plays favorites and gives the position to someone who isn't worthy or ready?" she couldn't help asking.

She couldn't help but notice his gaze briefly going hard. Had she hit a sensitive topic?

"Then the entire clan will suffer their leader's poor choice and fall apart," he answered coolly.

She stared at him in silence for a few seconds before shaking her head. "That seems a bit... harsh. Is there any way to prevent that?"

"Yes." Tommy added more hot water to his tea. "Overthrow the current master with the approval of the clan and take their place. However, that is usually frowned upon, since technically you're supposed to try to reach a compromise with the master first."

"... Oh. I suppose that makes sense." Junko shoved another forkful of chocolate cake into her mouth. It had been forever since she'd been allowed to indulge in less-than-healthy food, and she was enjoying it.

"So, when do I get to meet the master of your clan?" she asked after swallowing.

Tommy paused, with the cup against his lips, before slowly setting it down. "You want to meet the Arashikage Master?"

"Yes." Junko straightened up in her seat.

"Ah." He resumed drinking.

"... What kind of an answer is that?" she demanded. "That's not a valid answer."

"There are two."

"What?"

"Two Arashikage Masters." Tommy finished his tea. "The Young Master and the Silent Master. It depends on which one you want to meet."

Two masters? Junko hadn't been expecting that. Leaning forward, she tapped her chin thoughtfully before responding, "Well, judging by the name, I'm assuming the 'Silent Master' doesn't talk much, so I'm not sure if I'd get much of a response."

"Correct." There was a faint smile on his face.

"So I guess I'll meet the Young Master, then." She sat back up, then quickly added, "If he - or she - would be willing to see me."

"The Young Master is a he." Tommy's expression was starting to look odd, like he was holding back laughter and was just barely succeeding. "What if I told you that I'm the Young Master?"

Junko's forkful of chocolate cake stopped midway to her mouth, and she slowly set it down. "... Hm." She tilted her head slightly, looking at him.

Tommy looked young - which fit the name, at least - but it was obvious he had seen more than a few birthdays. 'Young' still fit him, but not as much as it would have a few years ago. Hearing the name, she'd been imagining a teen, perhaps, but if ninja clans were as efficient as her impressions of them were, then they wouldn't allow a teenager to lead them.

Besides, she thought to herself as she resumed eating her cake. What would a ninja master be doing so far away from his clan? Surely not rescuing women who got themselves into their own messes. Ninja wouldn't rescue anyone but their own.

"Well?" Tommy's voice broke into her thoughts.

Junko looked up at him and gave what she hoped was an apologetic smile. "I wouldn't believe you. I don't think a ninja master would willingly put up with me when he could be with his clan, maintaining order."

"He wouldn't," he admitted quietly, more to himself than to her. A small voice in the back of his head started demanding that - hey - why was he putting up with her?

"Well, she IS kind of pretty, don't you think?" the same voice traitorously snickered. "Maybe you-"

The thought was cut off when he felt a warm hand on his arm and nearly jumped.

"Hey," Junko said softly. "If it's your goal to become master of your clan, then I'm sure you'll reach it. I've seen you fight, and you have a good heart, despite your sarcasm. You'd make a fine leader if you focus on your clan."

Tommy stared at her incredulously for a few moments before dropping his gaze to her hand. "... Thank you." He moved his hand to cover hers. He heard her breath hitch and her pulse rise ever-so-slightly.

Clearing her throat, Junko slipped her hand out from his and started to clean up the wrappers and trash, oddly not looking at him. "So, shall we be going then?"

"Yes." Tommy emptied the contents of his tray into the trash can before tossing Junko her helmet. She almost dropped it. "We've still got a long way to go."

'Long way to go' turned out to be an understatement. Junko had gotten so bored during the drive that she counted all the clouds in the sky, attempted to locate and name major landmarks, and even resorted to tiredly singing every song she learned as a geisha, albeit off-key. At first, she had felt ashamed for singing so badly, but then decided that since only she would be able to hear it, it might as well be worth a try to stay awake.

She'd stopped, however, when Tommy gave her a very amused look at a red light. She was positive he couldn't hear her, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that he could.

Wincing, she swallowed to unblock her ears. Wherever they were going, it sure was high up. The road was getting increasingly bumpier and harder to navigate, although Tommy acted like it was no big deal.

Well, she thought it was. One wrong turn of the handlebars, and they could end up in the middle of nowhere with a flat motorcycle tire. That seemed like the worst case scenario, right behind getting eaten by whatever predator prowled Japan's mountains.

Which is why she momentarily panicked when Tommy stopped the motorcycle and got off of it.

"What's wrong?" she hurriedly asked as she pulled off her helmet. "Are we out of gas? Are we lost? Do we have a flat tire? I didn't hear the tires pop."

Tommy took one look at her worried face and chuckled. "No, we're perfectly fine. We just need to finish the rest of the trip on foot."

"On foot?" she echoed, watching as he pulled his motorcycle into some brush.

"Yes."

Biting her lip, Junko looked at the sun, which hung worryingly low in the sky. It was going to be night soon, and they were going to be in the mountains. Alone.

"Relax, I know this place well." He fished out a small knife and slapped it into her hand. "Here. Practice drawing it, but don't cut yourself."

Junko stared at the weapon in her hands until she noticed that he was no longer standing in front of her. "Hey!" She tucked the dagger away and followed him. "What about your motorcycle?"

"My motorcycle will be taken care of." He lightly nodded towards a cluster of shadows. Surprised, she blinked; she could have sworn she saw movement there.

Junko stopped to rub her eyes. She was probably hallucinating from exhaustion.

Up and up they went. About half an hour later, the sun finally set, yet Tommy didn't slow down one bit - although he would stop every few steps or so to make sure she was following. And she was, with difficulty. It was cold out, her lungs burned, her side ached, and she swore her hands and legs were covered in scratches from so much stumbling. And to top it all off, she couldn't see a darn thing except faint outlines of rocks and roots if she stared long enough.

"Couldn't you have... ya know... brought a flashlight or something?" she gasped as she slipped for the hundredth time. Cursing quietly, she unsteadily brought herself to her feet and looked around. Once again, he was nowhere to be seen in the darkness. "... Tommy?"

"I'm right here," he answered right beside her.

She nearly fell over backwards. A hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder, steadying her. "Goddammit, you sneaky-! Don't do that! I'm bruised enough as it is!" she snapped, tightly gripping onto his arm as he laughed.

"To answer your question, bringing a light source could attract... unwanted attention. Plus, it can easily be knocked out of your hands and you'd be blind until your eyes adjust to the darkness - which is more than enough time for for your attacker to kill you."

Junko paled. "Is that why you gave me a knife? Who is out there in these mountains? Why didn't you tell me we were going straight into danger?" Her grip on him tightened with every question.

To his credit, Tommy didn't seem to notice. "I only gave you the knife for emergency purposes which, yes, cover a likely ambush, but not for long. Only Arashikage ninja are supposed to be in these mountains, but there's only a few of us and we cannot effectively guard such a large area." Finally, he gently pried her hands from his arm. "We are not going straight into danger, but people instinctively drop their guard the closer they get to home. The same goes with ninja; there could be an ambush waiting for us."

Junko stared at him in silence, one hand clutching the knife he gave her.

"I don't like this," she admitted softly, unsheathing the knife to inspect the edge. "I feel helpless." Not to mention the nearly-silenced voice that still insisted this was the worst sort of kidnapping, and unhelpfully provided terrible imaginings of the consequences.

He pushed the knife back into its sheath, hesitated, then took her hand. "Don't worry. The chances are very low. Besides, I'm here." He gently tugged. "Come on. Let's keep going."

The ascent was easier after that, Junko noted. She could sense where to take a step and where to place her foot just by a tug on her hand. And it was easier to recover from a stumble when someone was holding you up.

Regardless, she still felt a blush creep up her cheeks, the heat cutting through the chill night brought. His hand was rough, but warm - strong, yet guiding. She felt safe near him, safer than she had ever felt back at the geisha house.

Crushing on ninja now, aren't we? she thought to herself with a small smile.

Well, she did only have him for company the last few tumultuous days. He had saved her, kept her safe, fed her, and comforted her - albeit in his odd sometimes-sarcastic, sometimes-understanding way. It was only natural for her to grow fond of him; he had been there when she desperately needed someone to be.

Perhaps the feeling would pass in a few days as she got to know more people, but until then, she was just happy to be near him.

"We're here," he whispered, releasing her hand. The chilly air hit her warmed hand unpleasantly and she unconsciously held it.

She looked at the gate. It appeared simple, almost breakable, with the Arashikage symbol painted on it. She almost jumped when it swung open slowly to reveal an...

... empty outer courtyard.

Junko frowned as she followed Tommy in. Save for the swept stone floor and touched up buildings, the area held no sign of being occupied. "Are you sure we're in the right place?" she asked, then gave a yelp when the gates shut automatically behind them.

"I'm pretty sure I recognize my own home." He spun around to face not her, but the shadows scattered around the area.

Just then, a shadow moved. Junko had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The shadow actually moved, and was slithering towards them. Nervously, she edged slightly behind Tommy, with a hand on her knife.

"Easy," he murmured to her as the shadow got closer. "He's a friend."

"A friend?" She looked around frantically; suddenly bits of shadows were detaching themselves from buildings and trees and making their way towards them.

Yep. Definitely hallucinating. Maybe she needed some water; she felt a bit feverish.

The first shadow shifted, and seemed to morph into a humanoid shape before stepping out into the moonlight. Junko stared at him in surprise. For something that just materialized out of the surroundings, he looked oddly... innocuous.

Well, as innocuous as a white foreigner with one eye covered by an eyepatch could look. He wore some sort of white garb, but that was it. There were no visible weapons on him.

One by one, the rest of the shadows took on human forms and silently took their places behind the foreigner. Unlike him, though, they had their faces covered. Junko noticed that there were only four ninja, discluding the foreigner. So much for feeling overwhelmed by moving shadows earlier.

"Evening, Billy," Tommy said, breaking the tense silence.

Junko started at the name. This man is Billy?

She felt his gaze briefly rest on her before returning to the man in front of him. "Welcome home, Young Master." Then he bowed deeply.

"Welcome home," the other four echoed, barely loud enough to be heard, as they, too, bowed.

Junko felt her jaw drop as she stared at Tommy, who dipped his head in acknowledgement to the ninja.