It had been a long time since Konan had been able to consistently remain full for more than a few days, and she still didn't know what to make of it. On one hand, she was elated, yet on the other, the sudden change was difficult to get used to immediately.

Ordinarily, she'd have days relying on nothing to survive even if she scrounged in abandoned village sectors or battlefields for rations. She had no choice but to just put up with it. Other times she'd only eat a morsal of food from any lucky breaks or pity from passing caravans.

The last instance of starvation had been the worst. She'd thought that it was the end for her curled up hugging her stomach over the ground while drenched in rain; however, she'd ended up waking up dry inside a cave, Shirou across from her.

This was her first ever meeting with the man who was arguably the root of all her life's changes. Despite offering food, teaching, and dare she say friendship or comradery, she still harboured a healthy dose of suspicion.

She'd lived on her own for too long, and trust wasn't something easily built when Shinobi and war made it so that even the most welcoming of faces may hide a monster.

Tucking back a few long strands of her bangs falling over her eyes, she once again observed Shirou when she thought he wasn't looking. The action was subtle, and done in tandem as she stoked the fires of the flame that she had burning under an overhanging make-shift tarp to keep the rain out.

It was just coincidence that she so happened to be looking in Shirou's direction. At least, no one wound find her action odd.

Making sure that no one was paying too much attention to her, Konan put down the stick she was using to prod the fire and quietly took out a paper sheet she ordinarily used for origami. On the paper were scribbles and details regarding her thoughts on Shirou.

-Trustworthy?

Her eyes focused on the one word she'd left open ended on the paper before glancing at Shirou imparting basic Chakra Knowledge to Nagato and Yahiko.

Gradually, Konan drew a circle around the word 'trustworthy,' many of her doubts and reservations beginning to fade.

In truth, she felt an inkling of admiration at his actions.

She'd become more certain of Shirou's character after he'd unconditionally accepted Yahiko and Nagato into the group despite how difficult it could be to secure food for all of them. This meant that when he'd helped her, he was undoubtedly genuine with no hidden motives.

Carefully, she folded up her paper and put it away. Soon after, she prepared two new papers each titled with a different name: Yahiko and Nagato.

"Konan."

The sound of her name caused Konan to immediately hide her papers and stare up at Shirou, Nagato, and Yahiko who were now just a few feet away from her.

"Yes?" She coughed into a hand and feigned ignorance, feeling as if no one had really taken the time to really see what she had written. Scrutinizing Yahiko, Nagato, and Shirou's expressions, Konan inwardly sighed in relief that this indeed seemed to be the case. "Is there something that you need?"

"No, not really," Shirou played off, but Konan noticed frown lines forming near his mouth. Moreover, he wasn't staring her in the face, but was staring elsewhere in the distance clouded by mist and rain.

The next time Shirou wasn't looking, Konan would add a new entry into his character file: Bad Liar.

It was almost as if Shirou was unused to lying or deceiving people, which made it all the more reason to be certain that he was the trustworthy sort. Now, this begged the question, what was he trying to downplay by lying?

Konan didn't call Shirou out on anything, and instead waited to see what he really had in mind. Something that she got to know about Shirou other than his attentiveness was that he wouldn't do anything meaninglessly.

"I just needed your attention for a bit," Shirou explained hurriedly. "I already told Nagato and Yahiko, but I'm going to head out for a while to ugh, forage- no I mean look for a better place to stay rather than out here in the open. I just need you all to stay put."

Konan's lip twitched, but again she didn't say anything but nod. "Okay," she said curtly, but the way she was staring at Shirou didn't change at all even after he took his leave.

She just sort of stared where Shirou had left from in a small daze before only then gathering her thoughts and glancing at Nagato and Yahiko.

Nagato and Yahiko were acting suspiciously. Well, it was more Yahiko than Nagato since Yahiko had an arm around Nagato's shoulders and was whispering into his ear.

It didn't take much for Konan to note that Nagato was something of a pushover with how easily he could be roped into something stupid by Yahiko.

Idly chewing on a ration bar from the wagon she and Shirou had pilfered from bandits, Konan didn't immediately call the two boys out, and instead regarded them carefully.

Yahiko seemed to be insisting on something while Nagato was shaking his head as if it were a bad idea. Regardless, after another few minutes of pestering, Yahiko expectedly ended up getting Nagato on board with whatever they had planned.

Glancing from left to right, Yahiko and Nagato's gazes focused on her, but she pretended as if she didn't notice and was too preoccupied with eating. Once assured that she wasn't watching them, Yahiko and Nagato began to sneak off quietly.

Konan could admit that their attempt may have worked when she was starving and prioritized food over surveying her surroundings, but not this time. Although she was a bit put out that Shirou would lie so terribly in order to just tell her to stay with Yahiko and Nagato, she also believed that he wouldn't lie without a reason.

Standing up, she pulled up the hood of the new coat she'd taken from the bandits, and made her presence known by sneaking up behind them.

"What are you both doing?" She furrowed her brows in consternation, deceptively calm gaze almost accusatory while halting Yahiko and Nagato in their tracks.

Nagato stiffened and sheepishly turned away from Konan's stare in the awkwardness of getting caught red-handed, but Yahiko was different. The guy almost looked proud, no: Confident was the better word.

"Nothing," Yahiko was being rather thick skinned, though he did flinch somewhat which gave away some manner of whatever guilt he was feeling.

Konan swerved her gaze away from Yahiko and Konan.

She wasn't a fool. If anything, she had quick wit and an analytical mind. Instead of pressing Yahiko or Nagato for an answer they wouldn't tell her easily, she instead looked in the direction of where they intended on going and simply connected the dots together from there.

"You were going to follow, Shirou?" She surmised in a heartbeat.

Their intentions blatantly put out into the open, even Yahiko wasn't shameless enough to keep denying it. If it was already known, then he might as well fess up. He never knew, maybe he could also get Konan on board?

"Yeah? What of it?" Yahiko crossed his arms and puffed out his chest, leaning over, cupping a hand to his mouth, and whispering to Konan's left ear. "He was such a bad liar. We were just curious. Aren't you? Moreover, if we're going to take the guy as a teacher, then we should at least be able to see if he's capable."

"…I'm not like you both," Konan replied calmly. It was a blatant lie, but one definitely wouldn't notice with her poker face.

She really was interested in whatever Shirou was doing, but she also new breaches of privacy or other such matters weren't high on the list of making friends and connections. Although an orphan, she did have some manner of upbringing before being forced into the street life. This was what made it all the more difficult to come to a decision.

Shirou had shown her kindness and compassion, to reciprocate, she'd already decided to work hard and make it up to him when she was capable. Now, at the first signs of getting to know more about him behind his back, she was actually hesitating over it?

Yes. Yes, she did want to go, but logic and common sense dictated that she shouldn't.

Her forehead wrinkled while making a face that finally offset the blankness of her features.

"Well, if you aren't curious then you can just stay here." Yahiko spoke at this moment of all times to dismiss her with a 'shoo shoo' gesture before wrapping an arm around Nagato and high-blatantly tailing it off.

Caught in her inner musing, Konan's steady thought process and war between etiquette and curiosity jumbled immediately.

"Ah," she reached an arm out on reflex towards Yahiko and Nagato's in the distance before gradually lowering it down.

What did they mean she wasn't curious?! Of course, she was.

Her mouth opened then closed before finally settling on a thin-lipped grimace moments before dashing after Nagato and Yahiko with a tick mark over her forehead, Chibi hot on their tails.

Yes, she was just chasing the two fools to bring them back. There were no other ulterior motives.

Nothing was more powerful than having a reasonable alibi in the face of trouble.

Wind whipped across her face, blowing back several strands of navy-blue hair that gave her a slicked look as she sprinted. Beneath the soles of her feet, faint traces of hazy chakra propelled her forward faster than any common civilian. Compared to Yahiko and Konan who hadn't spent as much time learning about Chakra from Shirou like her, Konan was easily able to catch up.

Konan opened her mouth to speak up, accusatory lines already made up in order to justify her presence yet falling flat when she noticed the knowing grin Yahiko was sending her.

Her lips pursed indignantly.

She didn't like that look. It made her feel like she'd just been played, and any excuse she'd give now would only accentuate her actions.

"See Nagato, I told you she'd come." Yahiko laughed openly, slapping Nagato on the back with each laugh much to the skinnier boy's chagrin. Still, it didn't change the fact that Yahiko had been right about one thing or another.

Nagato chanced a look at Konan, only to notice her dubiousness on the issue. Hurriedly, he signaled at Yahiko to stop talking, but Yahiko missed the cues.

Yahiko grinned brightly, trying to impart his wisdom to Nagato who was starting to sweat from Konan's silent stare. Impeccably, Konan didn't miss Nagato's actions and shifted her attention to Yahiko.

"Yahiko don-" Nagato's last attempt at a warning fell on deaf ears.

"When dealing with girls, you have to understand when they say one thing, they mean the other," Yahiko revealed while Nagato's shoulders slumped from a chill travelling down his back.

'Yahiko, there's a demon behind you. Goodbye friend.'

Nagato flinched in silent salute, turning to face Chibi rather than see a murder scene.

However, if there was one thing different between Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, it was that Yahiko carried the Minor Protagonist Halo. His luck stat wasn't the same as a Main Character or Protagonist's, but it was still there.

"Two other things about women, is that they're violent and hold grudges," Yahiko concluded, his words coming off more as 'prove me wrong' to Konan's ears and causing no small amount of resignation.

For once, Nagato seemed like he was looking at a God as he noticed Konan silently withdraw her clenched fists, pretending as if she didn't just try to assault a clueless Yahiko for his insensitivity.

It would be a worse blow to prove Nagato right.

"Shut up," Konan warned harshly.

Yahiko was all smiles. "See, I told you that when dealing with girls, you have to understand when they say one thing, they mean the other," he repeated.

"Yahiko, j-just stop."

"…" Konan blushed in a fluster and glanced away.

It didn't help that Yahiko had described exactly what had happened. She'd voiced disapproval over Yahiko and Nagato's actions, yet she did the opposite and ended up following them while trying to justify herself.

Her cheeks burned.

Why was being considerate so hard?

Boys….

An uncharacteristically serious expression marred Shirou's features while he made his way through the Land of Rain's perpetual downpours. His clothes were already soaked long since he'd left the make-shift shelter he'd made with Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko, but he tried to ignore it as best as he could. However, wet clothes and wind were a combination that could chill anyone, and hypothermia was a very real threat in Rain country for the homeless of the vagrants.

In Shirou's case, he could feel shivers going up and down his body, urging him to find cover and a place to dry off. He rubbed his hands together, yet made no indication of turning back to shelter with Konan and the others.

How could he?

Ever so slowly, his gaze focused on the notification flashing just across the edge of his peripherals from whatever system had hijacked his sense of perception. This sudden change and addition to his life was still going to take some getting used to.

For instance, why him? Why did he end up here with everything like this after he supposedly died with a spear though his heart in Homurahara?

He frowned, but soon shook his head. This wasn't the time for existential musing.

[Warning: Hostiles Approaching Barrier]

The message text had shifted from a warm green to a blaring red. To make matters worse, it was blinking more and more frequently, and all Shirou could conclude was that it meant hostiles were getting closer and closer.

Staying put with Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko wasn't an option. They'd be sitting ducks, impoverished and helpless, granted he wasn't doing much better. His body was still weak, and the only real fighting experience he had was shooting a bow and arrow, and the times his surrogate elder sister dragged him into Kendo.

As for life and death combat? Where was he supposed to get that sort of encounter in his ordinary high school life?

Shirou digressed, and couldn't help but inwardly lament his short comings.

The current barrier sealing of an area of Rain granted to him as a reward was only in its passive state. If he could freely control it, then this pressing situation wouldn't be happening.

He shut his eyes and visualized the barrier's information in the form of message logs.

[Barrier of Illusion: Type Uzumaki Fuinjutu (Legend Grade)]

[Passive: Wards off all with ill intent through Genjutsu. Defensive features decrease with distance from center. Effective against standard Jounin-level and lower]

[Active Features:]

[Targeted Genjutsu: Locked]

[Six Paths Illusory Manifestation- slots, 0/3: Locked]

[Prerequisites:]

[Fuinjutsu Mastery- Grand Master Level: Not met]

[Chakra Control Mastery- Grand Master Level: Not met]

Reviewing the barrier's details, Shirou could only inwardly lament. Surely if he had access to whatever Active Skills the barrier entailed, he'd be able to have more cards in his hands to ward away higher-level threats. Alas, he was far from achieving much in Chakra Control, and had practically no knowledge of Fuinjutsu. He'd need someone to at least teach him or impart the knowledge on how to go about learning.

Randomly meeting a Fuinjutsu user willing to impart the craft to him in the middle of Rain was unlikely given the state of the Shinobi War.

With invaders arriving, and the need to complete the Rebel Force sub-mission, he had no choice but to act himself.

He needed to secure a safe enough area to develop a rebel force, the barrier wasn't going to do anything if High-Jounin level Shinobi could eventually bypass it.

No, wait, hold up. Back up a minute.

Running as fast as he could, he moved in the direction where it indicated the intruders were coming from while feeling a tingling in his scalp.

If intruders are breaking past the barrier, then doesn't that mean that they'd all be High-Jounin or higher?

Shirou still wasn't sure about the Shinobi's power ranking system, but he was getting a bad feeling about this. The sudden notification noise which echoed in his mind didn't exactly help matters either. No, it only made it worse by adding in new variables.

[Emergency Mission Triggered: Eliminate Intruders]

[No journey is without obstacle, and killing in the cradle is a common tactic. Prevent the advance of enemy scouts and stop their line of communication]

[0/15 High-Jounin]

[Quest Failure Triggers:]

-[An Enemy Escaped]

-[Konan, Nagato, or Yahiko death: 0/3]

[Quest Reward: Choice of one Passive Skill Dependant on Mission Grading]

[Quest Failure Penalty: Sub-Quest Failure [Building a Rebel Force, reduction to 0/100] = Death]

Shirou gritted his teeth.

How could Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko be included in one of the categories? They should be safe back in the make-shift camp where he'd left them and told them to stay. He furrowed his brows, hands balling into fists before he frantically darted his eyes back and forth searchingly. Were they here somewhere nearby?

No matter where he looked though, he couldn't see them through the rain and the ruins of dilapidated buildings, a by-product of the current war. He didn't give up though and kept a constant vigil for any signs of red, orange, or navy blue that constituted Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan's hair colours.

Again, he found nothing. If they really did follow him along, perhaps they were still too far away from his current position?

The urge to yell out for them or issue a warning steadily grew, but he couldn't risk that.

[Hostiles Approaching]

The message was fully red, making contact with the enemy rather imminent. Calling out would surely give his position away.

Sure enough, within less than a few seconds, figures could be seen by him in the distance. They wore greyish flak jackets with metal tubing extending over their faces overtop dark rain coats. They wore fishnet leggings, boots, and a few even carried large scrolls over their back. Each wore Rain Village's headbands and were likely under orders from Rain's leader, Hanzo of the Salamander.

They couldn't see Shirou as of yet through the fog passively exuded from the barrier, but he could clearly see them. More than that, he felt a stifling pressure from their combined aura. Each was a hardened killer, and compared to himself who knew little of Chakra and was a Third-Rate Magus, he really didn't see any chance at victory here.

Based on what he knew of Shinobi, they'd have no qualms killing him if they deemed him suspicious or a threat. Still, it wasn't as if he wasn't without options.

His muscles tensed, breathing growing even.

Gradually, he took out another one of the recent rewards he'd obtained. It was nothing special on first glance: a card etched with the golden image of an Archer notching his bow.

[Fate Character Install Card| Emiya (Archer) Duration 10 minutes]

Shirou stared down at the unassuming card, but felt a shudder travel down his spine. This card, difficult as it may sound to believe- it almost felt like it was calling him.

Weak, and facing a situation so far over his head that it felt stifling, there was only a single decision to be made.

Gamble or not, this was a risk he had to take.

The card shattered into mots of light, the bronze of his eyes flickering to a steel grey.

The visualized hammer of a gun cocked back, his hands clasping at the air.

…That's hell you're walking into.

"Trace. On."

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