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The archer jumped off of the ledge and went to Haji, standing by his side silently. His hand rested on her shoulder as he spoke, and her dark eyes glanced over at him. She had no interest in sharing her reason with this somewhat crazed stranger. He did not know her; she did not trust him, nor had any reason to share her life and reasons. Haji went on to explain a small part of it anyway, as a portion of his was hers. Katsumi simply remained silent, expression impassive per usual.

Her eyes narrowed at seeing the man pull out the arrows, and she thought in slight annoyance, 'Idiot...'

He would bleed out faster, and in the middle of the village. The arrows shouldn't have been removed until he was ready to be treated. She scowled a bit, releasing a huff from nose, nostrils flaring up. It was no surprise that he passed out, and of course Haji ran over to him before he could collapse.

With a sigh, the woman said, "Haji-san, the wound must be cleaned out to prevent infection and then we must stop the bleeding, and from there I can further treat him."

She then murmured lowly while deadpanning, "Removing the arrows like that here was foolish..."

Katsumi looked up and saw the now thin crowd. She walked up to a child and leaned down a little, rather short herself. Her voice was low, in that false tenor, and she requested softly, "Please, fetch us a bucket of water."

The woman placed a coin in the boy's hand. "We will be at the inn. There will be more for you there," she glanced over the boy, taking in the sight of his thin body, "and a pastry."

The child ran off, and her keen eyes searched the remaining villagers, many of whom were leaving. She recognized one of them to be the innkeeper himself, and Katsumi went up to him. The archer knew she needed to make a worthwhile offer for the innkeeper to harbor the fool after all of the drama. Said innkeeper seemed surprised when the petite girl walked up to him, and he took a step back.

Katsumi simply cut to the chase. "You will be paid double for a night if you take us in. For three. I ask for a room for two, cloth, and to use your hearth."

Removing a bag filled with coins, she placed it within the man's hand, and then partially brought out another, showing him that she had more where that came from. Katsumi explained, "I can pay you more tonight, and the rest in the morning."

Despite the drama, the coin seemed more than worth the trouble, and the innkeeper accepted, going off to ready the room and give Kat was she asked for. Katsumi turned to Haji, expression serious.

"Can you carry him on your own? I can hurry now if so and prepare some remedies," asked the woman.

When her dark gaze moved to the unconscious Maki, her expression grew colder, more distant. In fact, her emotions and thoughts were entirely unreadable. Katsumi's actions were mechanical, trained, and experienced. There was no room for emotion now. It would only slow her down.

But as she would presumably go off (if Haji could take care of Maki), the mercenary saw villagers trying to help up the weakened woman who had been attacked, and Katsumi stopped. The archer's gaze was still forward as she inquired coolly, "Will you be alright?"

Seeing the innocent villager attacked like that, a poor woman, struck something in Katsumi and caused her to take action. There had been more than simply sympathy, but empathy as well. Katsumi knew what it was like to be hurt in such a way. She hadn't wanted it to happen to another, especially right before her. Katsumi felt the need to intervene and save the woman, like how nobody had ever saved her in the past.

While Katsumi wasn't one to give out money, she removed the larger of her bag and removed several coins. Reaching out, the archer took the hand of the woman and placed the coins on her palm, gently curling the other's fingers over to take it. Katsumi avoided her gaze, and the others, eyes planted on the ground.

"I apologize," she whispered only loud enough for them to hear in her false tenor.

Yes. She was sorry she couldn't be fast enough, to save the woman from being harmed, to save another from abuse, however short-lived. Perhaps Katsumi saved from the villager from death, but it almost didn't feel good enough. Not for Katsumi, who was made to be a perfectionist in her life.

Swallowing roughly, Katsumi went off. The woman had most of what she needed herself, or it was being brought to her, but the archer needed to get to the room and prepare, to begin boiling the water the child would bring and to make a salve.

Her maneuver and attack were successful. The man's throat was slit, but before he was finished off, the bandit managed to slice at her stomach. The wound wasn't deep, but Katsumi fell on her knee, pressing her hand against her stomach. Tears welled in her dark hues, and, when she pulled her hand away, her palm and fingers were covered in red.

"S... Shit," she hissed, wincing. Katsumi doubted it would need stitches, but after this battle she would surely need to stop the bloodflow so as not to pass out, and clean it to avoid infection. Her eyes caught sight of the Elder being knocked down, and her eyes widened. The woman's body tensed and she whispered, shaking her head slowly, "... No!"

Dropping her knife, she grabbed for her bow and took out two arrows. Gritting her teeth and feeling blood seeping through her clothes, Katsumi took deep breaths. She couldn't let him die. Not after all of this. While on her knees, she took a steady aim at the back of the one holding his hammer over the Elder, Takehiro, and she fired, before moving her bow and shooting again at the bandit, hoping to take them both down. She would be damned if after all of this that the Elder, essentially her paycheck, would die now!

The young man spoke, but it was not to her. In fact, it seemed to be to himself, and her dark gaze caught that everyone else was far too concentrated to notice. She wondered how they could do it, the girl unable to relax and sit still for extended periods of time. The mercenary was always far too on edge and wary, too much of a busybody to do anything like this for long periods of time. Katsumi found that she respected these strangers for their immense concentration and ability to block everything out.

Katsumi's brows arched upwards as she saw the exceptionally tall man begin to balance himself on his weapons of sorts, and, unable to help herself, the archer, like a cat, silently slipped within the shrine. Closing the door, Katsumi found herself circling the man on his blade, watching in fascination, and her eyes gazed over the monks at work.

It was one of those rare instances where her thoughts slipped from her mind and came out of her mouth, and Katsumi whispered in awe, trailing off, "Wow... incredible..."

Haji kissed her softly once more, hands cupping her cheeks, and he spoke. He only continued to warm her, more tears slipping out, and he then kissed her hand, holding it in his. Heads and noses touched again. Everything Haji said and did felt so nice, so true.

"I want you to be the first to see me smile, and to be the first reason," she whispered softly in response.

After how much he had done for her in this exceptionally short time, it was true. Someday she hoped to show her full appreciation for the happiness he brought her, to be able to show it with her lips, like so many others could do with ease.

He was warm too, and Katsumi found herself snuggling up to him after his arm wrapped around the back of her waist again. Lowering her head, her lips pressed beneath his jaw, tongue touching the flesh simultaneously. She kissed him on his sensitive flesh and Katsumi's thumb brushed along the back of Haji's hand.

"Same, Haji-kun~"

Being a mercenary brought Katsumi to all sorts of places. Never before had she been in the Joetsu region, and so she figured, just like with anywhere else, there had to be plenty of jobs here. As she walked within one of the towns (or wherever he is), Katsumi found that there were a lot of shrines. In fact, she had never seen so many, and the woman thought it odd.

An apple was in her hand and the woman took a bite, dark eyes curiously searching the area. She was intrigued, as this was someplace new, but Katsumi was also serious. She really did need a job, and the woman donned in men's clothing began to ponder whether she should start asking for more money so she could settle down for longer periods. Thinking of Haji, the archer thought it would be nice to be able to be with him more and for longer stretches.

A sigh passed her lips and she tossed the apple up, catching it and taking another bite. As she passed yet another shrine, a loud clanging sound came out and she halted, brows instantly rising up.

Just what was that?

Unable to resist (for what shrine made such noise?), the mercenary quickly climbed up the stairs and, opening the door, peered within the shrine. She slid open the door some more, not quite entirely entering. Katsumi stayed in the frame of the door, dark eyes resting searching for the source of the noise, and taking in the sight of the inside of the shrine.

Lips pursed at seeing an incredibly tall man with an odd and equally as baffling huge weapon. She had no idea really how to take the sight, having not seen anything like it, and so the petite Katsumi simply remained where she was in absolute silence, gaping if only a little.

This man was supremely stubborn, and Katsumi almost found it to be rather... annoying. Her eyes narrowed and she sighed in exasperation. Yet... could she blame him? Katsumi supposed she couldn't, this man having lived far longer with the grief and, unlike the woman, did not accept it. He fought against it, and that seemed to bog people down, if not entirely destroy them. Like her father.

Haji spoke quietly to Katsumi, and the archer blinked. Her brows furrowed a bit. Of course she trusted him, so why would he ask? What did he plan to do? She didn't have the greatest feeling about it, but nodded hesitantly nevertheless.

As he went on the speak, Katsumi switched her gaze between the two men. Haji had explained all of this to Kat, and yet she listened to it all over again as though for the first time. She was attentive, trying to figure out what it was he planned to do that would make him ask her such a question. And her eyes widened when he started to lay out his plan.

What the hell was he doing?! Removing his blade and setting it down, make an offer like that? Katsumi's stomach lurched and her heart immediately began to race. She understood he was a man filled with goodness and kindness, but this was insane! The archer took a small step forward, halting, and her throat clenching up. Her hand around the arrow balled up more tightly.

Kat's eyes narrowed. While Haji may have been saying that, and she would not exclaim her disapproval of the plan, Katsumi would not allow it to follow through for the worse, if the man wanted to take Haji's life. She loved him with all of her heart, a low growl deep within her belly sounding ever so quietly at this very prospect, and would kill this stranger before his hand could even rest on the blade if she had to.

His answer was vague at best, but, while being a curious person, Katsumi felt it really wasn't her business. He had future plans. Good for him. Katsumi didn't entirely care, as it was nothing new. Many people did have plans for the future. Katsumi had been an exception, as hers was really just survival.

And so the archer nodded in response, not prying. Why should she? It didn't matter to her, a mercenary, who he wished to fight. If Masahiro paid her, she would fight whoever. It was the way of her kind.

Katsumi didn't take his word entirely to heart. She had no idea how much money he had, or if he had any at all. But the woman would certainly still consider him and leave him as an option.

Alright. I will be around," she said with another nod. Her gaze moved back to her partially made arrow and she went back to work. If he had anything more to say, Yuy would say it. Katsumi would remain silent, having nothing more to really add.

This had certainly been an odd request and an even stranger form of training. The man she took a job for desired to test Katsumi and both her agility and slyness, and to show that she had to... steal from him?

She had quirked a brow when he told her that, and the man had further explained that none of his guards could see her and, upon entering his room, if she made it that far, Katsumi was not allowed to wake him. A question came to mind about whether he would be able to sleep knowing this, but the mercenary kept that to herself.

And now it was the dead of the night; not even the moon was out. She was outside of the grounds of the small castle, and Katsumi was expected to slip her way in without catching anyone's attention. Dressed tonight in all black, including a hood over her head, Katsumi, with a deep breath, began her work.

Perhaps her father had been particularly cruel and neglectful at times, but she was incredibly grateful for his training. She was agile and highly athletic, and like a ninja the woman climbed up the wall of the small castle, small fingers finding nooks, and she landed softly on her feet on the other side, on the top of the wall. At seeing a guard coming her way, Katsumi slipped behind a barrel and waited for him to pass by. When the coast was clear, the petite female stood up and glanced around, formulating a plan for action.

She could have climbed up the tower where the man rested, but a rope possibly could have alerted the guards, and so Katsumi concluded she would make her way into the castle using sheer athleticism and use her rope to make a quick escape. Upon drawing nearer to the tower, the archer caught sight of various items she could use to climb up, and wearing black would result in her blending in with the darkness.

After having to hide again as two guards drinking booze and nudging one another, exchanging jokes to keep up their spirits, passed by, Katsumi inhaled deeply. She was going to have to do this just right to get past the first part and not get caught.

Keeping a good distance from the wall, Katsumi sprinted forward and, using the momentum, ran up the wall. Pushing herself, she jumped across, feet colliding onto the stone archway, and then moving to the other side again. Her wrapped hands quickly took hold of a window sill, and she pulled herself up. Hearing someone coming up the stairs, Katsumi jumped up and swiftly lifted herself up so that she stood atop the frame of the window.

After the guard made his way down, Katsumi began her work again. There was a banner right above her head and the petite woman tugged on it. Would it be able to support her weight? It seemed stable, as it was think and she weighed so very little, and with a deep breath she began to climb.

It took quite some time to climb up, due to her not wanting to make too much movement and catch the guards' attention. Her fingers tightly at the cloth, and a couple of times during the long climb the girl took brief breaks. Eventually, she reached where she needed to be and, positioning herself very carefully, Katsumi began to swing. She needed enough momentum to reach the window, the man's bedroom window. Oh, how she hoped this caught no one's attention. She swung closer and closer, and finally released.

"Umph!" Katsumi couldn't help but groan a little as her chest and stomach collided onto the railing.

Wincing a bit, the archer brought herself over the ledge and caught her breath as she sat on the stone floor. She made it, and now she needed to do the stealing part. Katsumi still found it all to be so very strange, but she internally shrugged and removed her shoes.

Cracking open the door of the balcony, the woman slipped within and stood, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darker black of the room. When she could make the outline of the objects of the room, Katsumi finally moved forward, tiptoeing her way through. The mercenary moved like a black cat in the night, crouching low and moving in utter silence.

She saw it, the medallion in the case she was told to steal. Stopping before the counter, Katsumi glanced behind her at the bed and saw that the box was locked. Was this for added fun for the man? Internally sighing over the matter, Katsumi carefully picked the lock and opened the case. Slipping the medallion around her neck, the silent woman made her way back outside. She stopped at hearing the man stir and waited a good two minutes, not moving a muscle, before slipping outside of the door and slowly shutting it.

Climbing down now would surely catch attention, as there was lights splashing over the surface of the front of the wall. Planning for a potential distraction, the mercenary slipped her bow off of her back and removed an arrow that had cloth wrapped around the end. She had doused it in fuel, and, using flint, lit the arrow. Standing up, the woman aimed at a tent where the men would take breaks and the archer fired, hitting her mark. There were shouts about a fire and, from her vantage point, she saw all of the guards scurrying like ants to the fire.

Tying the rope securely, Katsumi tossed it over the ledge and then swiftly slid down the rope. The wrappings on her hands protected them from the burn, and soon enough she plopped onto the ground. Searching either side of here and seeing the coast was clear, the teenager fled the grounds, exiting in a similar manner as she came in, and she continued to run until she reached the forest.

Panting, the girl sat on the ground and removed the medallion from her neck. She turned it in her hand and watched the gold, finger running over the ruby in the center. Katsumi sat there for a handful of minutes as she regained her breath. Closing her eyes, she laid back and stared up at the stars in the sky. Several minutes passed, the woman laying there in silence, when finally her brows knit. There was an important question she forgot to ask, and the man didn't mention.

Now what was she supposed to do?

When they stormed out of the inn, it was entirely crowded outside, and Katsumi's small form made it so that she had difficult getting through. She fell behind Takehiro as she spent the time pushing past people or skirting her way around them. By the time she reached her partner, the woman was panting and only heard Takehiro's question.

Did this person know where their target was?

She stood up tall and glanced around them, trying to see if her keen eyes could catch sight of the same man she saw the previous night.

The woman blushed again. She was glad he didn't call her by her first name like Haji. Katsumi felt as though that would have been... weird. It was because it was so endearing and with anyone other than Haji, at least now as Katsumi was becoming used to it, would have embarrassed her immensely.

She caught sight of the scar and stayed silent. The archer had lots of her own scars, and many memories behind them. She wouldn't want someone prying into her past, and so she didn't say a word. If he wanted to tell her, he would do so. Her eyes evaded from the scar and dropped to her lap.

Katsumi kept blushing and her hand nervously tugged at the black kimono. "As of late, it is as though the world I know is turning inside-out..."

He mentioned always being nice to her, and that... well, she simply didn't know how to respond to that. To be kind all of the time... was it natural? Would be he forcing it? Her brows furrowed in confusion and she peered up at him, murmuring, "If it is a chore then only do it when you like..."

Haha! I foiled your plan! At feeling the brush, Katsumi's hand instinctively moved to her lap, embracing her other hand. She wouldn't move away when he went forward, but the merc looked over at him before her gaze moved to the side.

"You... You don't really need to, Sanada-san. I'll be fine. I already... took care of the worst of the wou- Ah!"

She winced when he rubbed her shoulder, and bit her bottom lip, going quiet. As he rubbed the badly bruised part of body, a sigh released from her lips. Kat's lids drooped and she explained that particular injury, "It became dislocated earlier from a fight, but I put it back into place. It will be okay in a couple of days. But... thank you, Sanada-san," at the end, Katsumi peered up at him and bowed her head shortly.

His reasoning really made no sense to the woman, but Katsumi didn't respond back, remaining quiet.

Katsumi had been reaching into her bag for a blanket when Sanada came to. She turned to face him, and set the blanket over his form, both to cover himself so he wouldn't lay there in the nude and for comfort. The archer was not used to seeing smiles directed at her and she actually felt a little uncomfortable, hand sliding some free locks of her dark hair behind her ear.

"You continue to compliment me," she murmured, trailing off. It was evident with her expression that she found it odd, to say the least. She wasn't offended or angry by it, by any stretch. It was simply something that Katsumi was not adjusted to in the least and didn't know how to take.

"It was no problem, Sanada-san," remarked the girl. She stared down at him when he asked whether she was afraid and paused. Was she? Despite her innate distrust in people, Katsumi no longer feared this man. He seemed genuine, and Katsumi found herself releasing her breath softly. Shaking her head, the merc answered Sanada quietly, the lids of her eyes drooped in the slightest as she looked down at him, "... No. I am not."