Naru found herself in quite the odd position as they approached her brother's house. The stupid newbies keeping watch open fired at them the instant they stepped foot on the ground, and Naru found herself some new "puppies" to train if she returned home. These fools could get her brother thrown in jail again if they openly fired at civilians like that the moment they stepped on the property without even asking what business they had. A gun was pointed to her head, and suddenly her muscles tensed. Her reflexes protested, urging her to turn on this woman who was holding her "hostage". But she held back as best as she could, her muscles shaking from the contrast between her mind and body. She never did have very much control over her body. After years of her youth spent conditioning and training her body to react to these situations, what else could she expect? Control was one thing she didn't get to before her brother stole her away from her wretched relatives.

The subordinates were soon pushed aside as her brother came striding out of the front door, his face cloaked with a black hood. His gray colored eyes glinted from under the shadows, and he calmly addressed the intruders. "Have you finally come to your senses, scum? Return my sister at once, then leave. If you can do this quietly, we'll have no problems." His tone was now the same as it usually was when he was talking to other gangs. In this case, it was actually quite appropriate. He cast a glance over in her direction, his eyes saying It's okay, I'll save you. Her brother was always saving her from the worst situations, but in this case, it was the opposite. This wasn't a terrible situation. This man, Noato, a man she had grown fond of, was saving her from her strange life of gangs and poverty, blood and death. But this was something her brother wouldn't understand.

Naru shifted her weight onto one of her legs, and began to grow impatient. Her arms and legs itched to get away from this gun pointed at her. This wasn't natural for her. By now, everyone would be dead. What was this invisible force that held her back? Was it the presence of this man? Of Noato? Her eyes grew clouded in thought. Soon, a voice echoed in her head. What are you doing, girl? You know you can't resist me. I'm part of you. Ever since you were little. I've kept you alive. But we made a deal, remember? You must listen to me. You have a gun pointed at your head, are you sure you want to stay in this situation any longer? Listen to me. Kill her. Kill them all. Go back to the life you were meant to have. You are nothing more than a weapon. An assassin.

Noato listened and nodded his head, (span style="font-weight:bold">"Sounds like an anxiety attack" Not that he could blame her. Today hadn't gone smoothly in the slightest way. Or been normal. Or even safe. One thing you expect out of life was to at least be safe and already he'd been at gun point more times today then in his whole life. That sniper was one thing that one really didn't imagine having to deal with EVER. But a gang of thugs, when you take a girl like Naru in you half expect it. But only half the other remains optimistic that perhaps things will go well. He really should just call the police but then again... She asked him not to. No that can't be the reason. It was a silly reason to base something as big as endangering his life over just because she asked him to. Then again. She asked him to just pretend the sniper attack hadn't happened and he had gone shopping. Where was Noato's brain at today. It was all madness. "I won't call them then" Utter madness, "But something needs to be done." MADNESS, "Now." because she would not go home to that unless... changes were made.)

Janka didn't like being brought into this but when you lie to Noato expect that lie to have been deemed as usful for it to carry on that way. Jinka's ties to her old and as far as Noato was concerned current biker gang was useful now. Because he wouldn't go someplace like Naru's home without some sort of back up. This is turning into a bad gangsta movie already. Noato sighed strapping off the bike helmet. It had been... a while since he rode but Jinka didn't seem too worried about letting him take her baby while she backed with someone else. Someone who's gun strap was as well concealed as her bra strap and considering she was wearing some backless top not very well at all. Three others met them outside and Noato looked back to see Naru still clutching his waist. Had she fallen asleep somehow. She always seemed to be sleeping at the most awkward times. "Hey," He called to her and her helmet looked up and her arms slowly let go. "I'll give you a ride later if you want but now..." They had to go face her brother and hope that five women a megane and his littler sister was enough to not get shot at... a bullet tore through the dirt and a response came from the backlace beauty with blue hair. "Stop firing or we shoot the girl." a second gun came from the women's pocket and was held towards... Naru. "What the hell do you think your doing we're here because..." Jinka held up a hand and Noato knew that meant more then shut the hell up it meant to just trust her. She made a single for Naru to come forward. Noato nodded his head and Let Naru go to Jinka. She was meant to be retired but she had still kept her old toys. A nice little semi automatic pressed to Naru's head as the five of them walked up the pourch. "Get out here. We just want to talk." A reply of 'bout what came from the house and Jinka nodded to Noato to say he could speak now. "I'll only speak with Naru's brother. The rest can leave. This is just about what's best for her. So..." He stopped a moment trying to find that nerve that meant that even the owner of a resturaunt could be involved in something like this and act like he was use to it. "So show your damn face asshole. Or it will be on your head what happens next."

Naru woke to voices breaking through her barrier of sleep. Her eyes cracked open slowly, taking time to adjust to the lighting. Noato stood above her. She watched his lips move but couldn't hear a word. Her attention was focused on his face. His handsome features seemed to become even more visible when he wasn't wearing his glasses. His golden colored eyes were stunning. She had never noticed before because his glasses always had a glare that altered the natural color of his eyes. He seemed almost easier to read without his glasses on. She thought of them as a barrier between their inner souls. Now that it was gone, she could see his emotions and thoughts a little clearer. But of course, she wasn't a mind reader or anything of the sort, she could only guess from little clues.

As Noato placed the cold cloth on her head, she snapped out of her trance. The symptoms of her fever were steadily returning, and she felt cold. A shiver went up her spine and she rubbed her arms. "Sorry... I'm used to always being exhausted from taking care of my brother and his gang... So I take the time to sleep wherever I can." She replied, sighing. "Plus, something weird happened to me. For the first time. My heart started pounding, and it hurt." Her hand went to her chest again, but her heart was beating normally. Her brain went through several reasons for why her heart acted up, but none of them made sense... She eventually left it at stress. After all, running away from your own brother can be pretty darn stressful.

"Don't call the police." She commanded sternly. "My brother will go off to jail again... Or they'll sentence him to death. I know he's troublesome, but he is, after all, my only family left. He's taken care of me since I was little, and he saved me from the life of a..." She stopped. She was delving too deep into her past. Her fingers twitched. No. I have to stop. I can't awaken the past. Her hands clenched into fists. "Anyway, we can't call the police. If there's no other solution, I'll have to return home." She stated, her fingernails digging into her palms.

"I should start charging you." Was the first thing that a waking Naru seemed to hear. The Jinka women somewhere in the distant with her voice being somewhat quieter even though she was clearly shouting. "I should say the same thing. You haven't paid me rent in years." That seemed to make her suddenly quiet as she went out to serve a customer, business dosn't stop just cause your friend has some preteen with a heart condition collapsing on her floor like a god damn fish out of water. "I can't even take a ... a nap... without you winding up unconscious. You feeling better." Naoto seemed so much kinder without his glasses on. It was a strange look. Almost boyish, that whole I'm the boss so don't cross me attitude seemed to have been stripped down to something simpler. "No wonder your grades are always changing. You bump your head so much." He joked placing a cold cloth over her head. The bump had made her fever return slightly. "I wonder if I might have to call the police but... I wanted to ask you first. You can't go back there. Not when your brother acts like that. His a danger to himself and you. But I can't go back home till I know its safe." Jinka had offered to go check if the coast was clear but she wasn't about to close up shop so they were hiding out in the back until she could get someone to cover. "Anyway, what made you faint this time. The bump was from when you collapsed but I don't see why that happened?"

Naru had handed over Noato to the lady named Jinka, and she was now currently occupied with a rather large slice of cake. Her face was littered with crumbs, as was the table and the small floor space around her. She had never been a neat eater, and now was no exception, especially when she turned around every five seconds to make sure her brother wasn't about to bust through the door. Her eyes glanced toward the door to the other room, where Noato and Jinka were. Continuing to eat sloppily, she kept an ear cocked in that direction. Then, she soon heard Noato's voice. A slow mutter of complaint came from the room, and in an instant, Naru was standing, brushing the crumbs from her lap. Her head slipped into the small crack in the door and slowly, the rest of her body followed in suit.

From Naru's point of view, Jinka was a nice enough lady, but with enough of a firm hand to keep people in line. She gave off an intelligent aura, and seemed to be good with medicine and things of the sort. Naru began to wonder how Noato came to befriend such a versatile woman. She also began to wonder how her brother hadn't figured out about this woman yet. She seemed like the ideal business partner. Then again, her brother had never come to this side of the town that often before.

When Naru had come a little closer to the two, she heard Noato say, "Naru... isn't my... Girlfriend.... a student of Chiyoko. So fuck off." When that line came from his lips, an unfamiliar ache arose in Naru's chest. She didn't know what it was, and frankly, she didn't want to find out. She didn't like it. This strange feeling she had... It didn't feel good. Clenching her chest, Naru backed out of the room, her feet stumbling one after the other. She rammed into the door with her back and she quickly closed the door behind her. She gasped for air as if she had almost been drowned. She frowned in confusion. What was happening to her? Why was her body doing things like this?

Shaking off her weird feelings, she went back and sat down at the table, hoping more cake would alleviate her aching. Once again, her hand went up to her chest, and she felt her heart beating fiercely, as it always had been for the past 17 years of her life. It had never acted up like it had that day, and it baffled her. She finished of her slice of cake and sighed as she hit the floor. She stared at the ceiling for a moment and eventually closed her eyes.

Noato woke up in the back room some time later and was forced back down onto the hard camper bed by and firm and not at all kind hand. A smoke was hanging from her lips as she wound bandages back up. "My head..." Noato complained touching his bandaged temple. It was still somewhat sticky from where the blood from the gash had seemed through. "Lucky that's all. You little girlfriend told me what happened. No offense but the guys in her brothers gang are straight up pricks. Idiots but pricks all the same. Drink this." Noato was going to ask what it was but it was best not to ask with Jinka. She would feed you panda testicles and say it was a home remedy. It was but it still didn't make it any less disgusting. "Where is Naru?" Noato questioned. turning his head to the side to find the girl no where in sight. "Eating." Jinka laughed drily. It had taken a chocolate cake and several finger sandwiches to keep the girl at bay. Jinka had no problem with her it was just that she would think she was poisoning Noato and she wasn't in the mood to explain that the herbs she used where purely medical, even the sweet smelling joint in her mouth.

Jinka was his best friend once. She disappeared and reappeared in his life a few years ago when she was finally ready to leave behind her old life as a deliquint and now managed Noato's first cafe. Bamboo shoots. She was Chinese by birth with a father who was obsessed with herbal remedies which explains his own daughter cafe being whole dedicated to organic meals, and combining food in such a way to bring health and well being. And what brought more well being then Cake. Noato always came back because he owned the shop but mostly because he always hoped that the girl had truelly changed and wasn't keeping this store as a front to laundry dirty money. He hoped but he wasn't stupid enough to believe this wasn't the case.

"Its just like you though Noa," Jinka stood up to leave, "Your always trying to save people even though your a scrawny shrimp. Its why I can stand your four eyed bullshit sometimes." Jinka opened the door and looked out at Naru, "Though perhaps you can't be all high and mighty. I mean the girl doesn't even look like she out of elementary. Never took you as a pedo Noa." Jinka laughed and it took a while before Naoto understood what she was insinuating. He sat up too quickly and his head went foggy and lost his speech in his dizziness, "Naru... isn't my... Girlfriend.... a stu (dent of Chiyoko. So fuck) off."

Naru was suddenly lifted by the waist by Noato, who suddenly turned heroic in a split second. She had no time to worry about small, personal things such as the "personal bubble" at this point, and she dismissed the action as just assistance to safety. She held the kitchen knife in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning almost white. She looked at the vent that Noato was talking about, and then out of the blue, he lifted her into it and shut the door after giving her instructions to go across the street and ask for Jinka. As soon as the vent had been shut, she heard her brother's voice echo through the holes in the vent door.

"Where is Naru? What have you done with her, you sick pedophile?! She's done nothing wrong, you can't prove anything!" His frantic cries were fanatic. Naru knew he was worried about her, but she didn't think he'd be on the brink of tears because of this. She thought it was almost ridiculous. Right at this very moment, he was risking his freedom, and possibly his life, by coming out into the public in broad daylight in an open area. The cops would come and take him away, or even kill him if he tried anything funny. Her brother had gone to jail once before, and it left her extremely lonely. But that was before she had Noato. But even so, she didn't want to see her beloved brother go back to that horrible place, even though her brother could be a real pain in the ass most of the time.

One of her brother's subordinates crossed the line once he hit Noato in the face with his gun. Her brother cocked his gun and got ready to fire, but at this point, Naru couldn't leave, nor wait to see what would happen. Once her brother had his gun ready, he wouldn't hesitate. She had to think fast, or it would be too late. She frantically punched at the vent door until her knuckles started to bleed, and it finally came open. She jumped out and stood in front of Noato, her arms spread out protectively to block off her brother's vision. His gun was pointed straight into her chest, and her expression was defiant and unmoving.

"N-Naru!" He exclaimed, as he chucked away his gun and threw his arms around her small body. "Are you okay? Did this man do anything to you?" He asked, scanning her face and arms. "I'm fine, Aniki. But will you stop this foolishness? I don't want you touching this man, he's taking care of me!" She shouted. Her brother looked at her, shocked. "Taking care of you? He's making you weak! Just look at what you're wearing! A dress!" His exclamation was a blow to the head. Naru knew that by doing these things, gaining more emotions, becoming gentler and more feminine, all these things were making her weaker. But she couldn't go back to living with her brother. "Nii-san, please... It won't be forever... I just need to be away from the house for a while so I can actually get some work done..." She said, pleading with him. "I see what has happened here... He's gone and brainwashed ya didn't he?! Don't worry Naru, I swear, I will take you back. No matter what it takes." Sirens could be heard from outside, and her brother was forced to retreat after his unsettling statement. When he set his mind to something, it was always accomplished. And his tone was serious, almost scary, for her brother of all people. He sounded the way he always did whenever he was at work with other gangs...

Naru turned to Noato and looked at his face. He had a large gash from the gun, and it was bleeding heavily. She heard the police outside, and she knew they had to get out of there. If they found her, she'd be arrested. She picked Noato up from the ground and carried him down the fire escape, which was not an easy task for her petite size. She brought him over to the cafe where he said to go, all the while avoiding the police, and shouted loudly. "Jinka! Where is Jinka!" She had no idea who she was calling for, but this was her best shot at getting help for Noato.

"I am just..." He shouted suddenly, it wasn't like he did this for a living like some. It wasn't like he was in his... the kitchen knife in his hand suddenly put the idea into his head. He was in his element. And looking back he did two things. Got the hell over his whole goody two shoes self and grabbed her by the waist hositing her over a counter before jumping over himself much to the complaints of the workers until they had more to worry about then a four eyes and his teenage runaway. Into the kitchen his hand slammed into the fire alarm and people began to evacuate. That way at least if gunfire started no one was in the way to get hurt but he needed to think about how they weren't going to get hurt.

A vent she said... "Through there." He pointed upwards and hurled the vent open. IT was small but just big enough for Naru. "Go to the cafe across the street and ask for Jinka. Stay there until I come okay." He shouted but before she could answer he had slammed the vent closed. It was too small for him. He would have to find another way out. Another way that was suddenly being blocked by her brother and his thugs. He asked for his sister. Asking what sort of sick twisted things had he done with her. She was innocent he claimed and the male was actually tearful. The other thugs drew closer and Naoto held out the knife. They laughed and pulled out guns but Noato was better with his knife then nothing at all so he stood his ground. How had he even gotten to be like this.

"She was sick." Noato said. And she was. "There was no way she could get better living with you." He was just looking out for her. But the brother shouted. Demanding to know where she was. "Safe." Was the answer he got but it only enraged the male and got Noato hit across the face with the butt of his gun. Noato dropping to the floor, blood trickling down the gash on his face. He said he'd asked one more time as he cocked his pistol but Noato went silent. "She needs a real home." He said quietly closing his eyes and waiting for the bullet.

Before she knew it, Naru was being pulled up a fire exit by Noato, her feet bare. She still had the dress on, but that was the least of her worries once she got a grip on what was happening around her. She saw her brother and his subordinates running after them up the fire exit, guns and swords in hand. Her hand went down to her leg only to touch skin. She bit her lip. She had taken her knives off of her leg when she had changed into the dress. This was the first time she had slipped up in ages. But now was not the time to sulk over past mistakes. Her mind was working at top speed to find a solution to their dilemma. Her thoughts had countless possibilities, most, however, being near impossible, or just plain reckless. She knew Noato wasn't the reckless type of man, so she decided against those possibilities.

Within minutes, they were in the food court at the end of the fire exit. Her eyes scanned desperately for some kind of exit or escape route, whether it be a vent, or a window. In the midst of her searching, she didn't notice Noato's slight embarrassment at having been holding her hand, and when he released her hand in such a hasty manner, she looked at him in confusion, wondering why his cheeks were so red. Maybe he's not a runner? She thought to herself. "Is there any way outta here? Anything? A vent, a thin glass window, a thin wall or some sort?" Her eyes darted around the open space, hoping they had enough time for a plan. She could hear the steps of her brother's subordinates getting closer, and she knew they didn't have enough time. She'd have to intervene if their situation took a turn for the worst.

Keeping that in mind, she looked for something she could use as a weapon. A food court should have weapons in the kitchens or something, right? She darted toward a nearby food stand and jumped behind the counter. She tore apart cabinets and ripped open drawers. She salvaged a couple dull kitchen knives, but that was the best she could do. Returning to Noato's side, she gave him a knife just in case. "Come on, focus!" She scolded him, since it seemed his attention was elsewhere. What's up with him? Why is he acting so bashful? She shook her head. Now was not the time for this. Her attention was centered on the fire exit. The tension in the air was thick as butter. Her body grew tenser with each second that passed.