Kiyomi’s first B-ranked mission...

… was going terribly wrong.

Firstly, one of her teammates, Mio Ayato, had been taken hostage by their sensei, who had decided to go on a little killing spree. Another teammate, her sensei’s little sister, had been nowhere to be seen since the mission had turned for the worst. Kasumi was supposed to be on her way back to the village to report in and gather a support team, but things weren't looking good for any of the members.

"Come out, come out wherever you are~" The melodic voice sang, as lightning crackled. "Don't you want to kill me?"

Back to her problem at hand, Kiyomi Kobiru pressed herself against the tree, as she closed her eyes and prayed to whatever god she knew of.

She could feel her heart beat in her throat, her breathing irregular and sporadic, when suddenly, the crazed woman's chakra source disappeared altogether.

"Wha-?" Kiyomi mumbled, “There’s no way… she was just there.”

She chanced a glance around the bark.

That was her mistake.

"ARRGH!" Kiyomi shouted, when she felt a rope tie her up tightly.

"Looking for me?" The enemy asked, smiling sardonically.

"I could hear you breathing."

Kiyomi screamed.

*~*~*

He heard her scream.

Aiko’s poker face slammed in place as he forced his breathing to remain regular. He had a brain, he could think of a plan. Okay, so he was nearing the level of scared shitless, but he had to stay calm. His teammates needed him to stay calm, so he would stay calm.

When Mio had been taken hostage because she was so sure she could be the forefront attacker, Kiyomi had proposed the plan of seducing the cave fortress guards, and Aiko had actually rolled his eyes. Testing out his androgyny at a time like this had not been in his plans, but he agreed because Hade was gay, wasn’t he? It could work… maybe.

As awkward as it was, it had worked. They had successfully rescued Mio, and he was currently holding her unconscious body as his eyes scanned for a place to hide her. The only problem was that on the way out, they ran into a genjutsu, and Kiyomi was not known for her amazing genjutsu abilities. He wasn’t about to leave her behind—he wasn’t that heartless—so he put his not commonly used skills to the test released her with just enough time to stop her from dragging that kunai against what she thought was an enemy, and he dragged both teammates to safety.

But then, that woman appeared.

She called herself Asuka Inazuma, but Aiko was willing to bet that was not her real name. The way she wielded her lightning affinity, she was easily recognized as a trained assassin.

And that was just peachy.

Locating his staff which he had left behind before, he hid Mio, forced an antidote down her throat that would help her lack of consciousness, and grabbed the staff. His sensei was still at large, and that was a problem.

He headed back to the cave. He was a Byakko, and he would do what Byakko’s do best.

He took a deep breath.

He would need some time, but bodies would rise.

*~*~*

Her head was spinning, her breathing ragged.

She had let her enemies get away with the hostage… or did she set them free? They were her students… at least she thought they were… she heard a scream. Was that her newest charge?

Her head throbbed.

No, they were her enemies. She had let them get away, and that was not good at all. Summoning more plants, she took off.

Breathe in, breathe out…

Ran Medo had unfinished business.