The Guard, and the Assassin (EXile and Nbird)

Renji dismissed the clone and it dropped her. The glowing swords flew out and formed a cirle around the girl, all pointedd at her throat. "If you attempt to stop me, those blades will pierce your throat." He turned and headed back for the tent.

The man was just starting to stir when Renji had finished restraining him. He was in a kneeling posture with his shirt ripped open. "Do you know why i have come?" Renji asked. The man nodded. Renji then drew a picture from a small pouch. "This girl is dead, because you sold her into slavery. My client has hired me for the simple pleasure of dispatching you." Renji swung his sword upward and drew a large cut across the mans cheek. The man began to beg. So Renji shut him up by cutting out his tounge. "I will admit this will give me some pleasure." Renji pulled off his mask and showed his charming features. Where his mouth was, a sinister smile rest. "May no one remember your name, you worthless mongrel." Renji then disemboweled the man. Blood and intestines fell to the floor, followed by the man. He would bleed out.

Renji turned and left the tent holding his mask in one hand and a bloody sword in the other. And the same smile still rested on his lips.

She just stood there watching sadly. She did nothing as she watched the man she was supposed to protect die and it was all her fault. She watched as Renji came closer to her but she did not speak.

Renji flicked the blood onto the ground and sheathed his blade. "You can follow me if you wish. If you dont catch up by the time i hit the tree line, you wont make it." Renji decided to leave his traps behind. No one would see them anyway, not until they were tripped. Renji put his mask back on and headed in the direction of Ame.

Luckily for Muki she was able to catch up before the traps were set off but after that she slowly began to follow behind. “So who are you?” She asked.

"Renji Hattori. Im a top ranked assassin. Thats all you get to know about who i am." Renji said. "Who are you, and why were you protecting him?" He asked, hopping from tree to tree.

“I’m Muki of the Village Hidden in the Valley. I was assigned to guard him cause he paid us money but you saw how good of a job I did.” She said kind of sad that she failed.

"You are only a genin. By any standard, you did your best. You were simply overtaken by a superior Shinobi." He said. He wasnt being condescending. He just stated a fact. "There is nothing more you could have done. If you had persisted, i would have buried you beneath the dirt with ease."

“Thanks” She said with a smile. She needed that small bit of comfort. She kept hoping from tree to tree with him as they continued all to Ame.

Renji stopped suddenly. "We are being followed. There is a cave 200 meters to our left. Get there as quietly as you can." Renji drew his sword quietly and the weapon at his back opened up and the four swords apperead behind him again. "Unless you think you can take one of the five following."

Muki opted for going to the cave at the left quickly heading in that direction. She was pretty sure she would only get in the way if she stayed. She got to the cave and hid the best she could.

When the five finally caught up Renji was already prepared. He quickly dispatched four of them with the swords. Eash one penetrating the head of the men. The fifth man stood no chance either. Renji simply dashed forward and cut the mans head off.

He whipped the blood off of his sword and then headed towards the cave.

“Did you kill them” Muki asked when she saw Renji. The cave was a bit damp and very dark but Muki didn’t mind it. She waited of Renji to answer.

Renji nodded and took off his mask. "I had no choice." He said simply. He then stepped over to a rock and made a couple handsigns. The rock then disappeared and the cave became a campsite. "I created this on my way to the mission. Its a unique genjutsu that only alters this cave when people enter." The campsite had a large tent, a pit for a fire fully stocked with wood, and a cot.

Renji kind of looked hot without his mask which caused Muki to turn pink a bit. She waited for him to instruct her to do something like help with the fire or go to sleep.

"If you want food, inside of the tent towards the back is a small chest. Release the genjutsu so that it grows and pull out something for me to cook for us. Dont worry about the smoke, i have this place vented." He lit the fire and sat back.

"Ok" She said a bit confused. She went over to the tent and got out some meat from the crate. She then brought it back to Renji. "Here" She said as she handed it to him.

Renji took the meat and began the long slow process of having to cook it. "How old are you?" He asked. He drew a few kunai and began to sharpen them while the meat roasted over the fire.

"Ummm, I can't really remember. Ever since my parents died I just been having birthday parties whenever I feel like" She said with a smile. If one were to guess just by her looks one would say she would range from about 11-15 years old.

Renji frowned but continued to sharpen his kunai. "I was abandoned when i was a baby." He said. "I never knew my parents. I just grew up in a certain enviroment that honed my skills to what they are now." With a single fluid motion, he picked up a kunai from the ground and tossed it up into the air. When it came down, Renji whirled around from a sitting position and kicked it. The kunai soared right past the girls ear and embedded itself in the stone behind her. Renji just smiled.

Muki was a bit scared when the kunia flew passed her but she soon found out he was just fooling around so she smiled a bit. She watched as the meat continued to cook in the fire.

Renji retrieved the kunai and set to work sharpening them again. His life and job depended on those tools and he took special care when dealing with them. About half an hour laterthe meat was finished cooking. Renji carved it up and passed Muki a large piece before setting down to eat some himself.

"Thanks" Muki said as she quietly eat the hunch of meat. "So do you have any friends?" She asked having heard he was abandoned as a child.

"None really." He didnt mention anyone because he simply could not think of any. "Im a mercenary. I dont really need friends."

"Oh" She said looking back at her meal. She thought he but have been lonely all my himself. But she kept to herself once again and continued to eat.