Stupid, stupid, stupid! (Ronin and Toshi.)

"Hi-ya!"

Thump.

"Hi-ya!"

Another thump.

Toshi was training in the area with Aiden. Well, he was reading Icha Icha, resting on a tree branch, while she was kicking the tree bark. If she succeeded to knock him down, he promised he'd stop making her eat celery. She kicked again, but it didn't even shake the tree. "Darn!"

Aiden checked the sun and put his book away, sighing. Time to erase her memory. "TOSHI, LOOK, A DODO BIRD!"

"Where?!"

Aiden jumped down behind her, his pupils greyish white, as he put his hands over her eyes.

"Danna?"

"Shh, it won't hurt," he whispered, and pulled her memories out. Memories of Ronin, Yuudai and Ember. All of them. He had already burnt their pictures and disposed of their traces.

As soon as he was done, Toshi fainted.

~ Next Day ~

Aiden was away on a hunting trip with his cousins, the Akuma men, and would be away for at least a month. Toshi was of course, sad. She was sitting by the edge of a pond in the training are, looking at her own reflection in the water.

She felt so useless...so unneeded...

So unwanted.

So hurt, pained and wounded.

Why?

Ronin was back in his homeland, Kusa. Now he had to be extra cautious of himself and when hr took off his mask. He was walkinh in the training area when he thought he saw someone. He had totally forgotten about the time before when he already met Toshi and when he got closer he said, "Hello, what's your name?"

Toshi looked up from the water dizzily. "Huh?" She was hugging her knees to her chest, her pants rolled up and her toes in the water. "What did you say?"

He sat down next to her, smiled and asked again, "What's your name? Mine is Ronin Takahashi. Its a long last name I know."

"Nn. I'm Satoshi Kuroda," she said, a bit gloomily. "Call me 'Toshi. Nice to meet you, Ronin-san."

"Why are you so sad? It's a beautiful day and birds are singing. So why are you so sad?" he was hoping to make a friend today.

"...I dunno. My chest hurts and I can't get rid of the pain," she mumbled, wiggling her toes and disrupting the image in the water.

"Don't worry, it'll heal eventually. I know what that pain is and I feel it too. You're feeling lonliness aren't you? You feel like no one thinks you exist. Same thing with me. I ran away from home first chance I got." he then lifted his headband around his neck and pointed at it, "As soon as I got this I ran to Kohona more than six years ago. Never seen my parenys since, and I've been on my own even since. Feeling that pain you feel, wondering how to get rid of it once and for all."

Toshi smiled weakly. "A...A bit like that. It's just that I feel...like there's something wonderful I had, but it got taken away and given to a close friend. Should I be happy for my friend? Or sad for what I lost? It hurts my brain and heart and soul thinking about it... I want to stop, but I can't help it."

"I think you should be happy for your friend, but also be sad to yourself that you lost it. And if you want to forget about it... ooohhh that's gonna be hard. What makes you think about it all the te? Was this thing that you lost and your friend gain, a boy?"

Toshi frowned and shrugged. "Dunno. Well, no one's loved me before, so I don't know. But... I feel as if I've been through it...twice," she whispered, and submerged her legs into the cool water.

"Maybe someone wiped your memory bjt not to well when they did it. Do you remember your friends name?"

"...nah, my Danna wouldn't do that. I mean, he'd only do that if I tried killing myself," she said, giggling lightly. "Nope, I don't remember..."

"Well, I got a problem right now." he pulled out a paper in his pocket, unfolded it.
It was a missing poster with his picture on it. Reward: $150 for safe return. "Turns out my parents are looking for me and the village is too probably, so I can't be too safe while in the village. But I need to get into the village without anyone noticing that its actually me. Fun."

"Easy. First, you transform into a girl. Then you make a clone, and say that you're a hostage. When everyone tries to catch your clone, you change appearance again and escape," she said lazily. "Can I play with your hand?"

"Meh, I got some ways of doing it." he put his cloak on and cliped up the hood so you coulden't see his face. "Wanna come? You look really bored and lonely."

"...sure." Toshi gave him one of her sweet smiles and got up, unrolling her pants. She walked along with him, holding his hand as if it was a natural thing to do. "Wanna be friends?"

"Sure thing. I haven't had one in a while. Last one I had didn't turn out to be a good friendship, since I decided to leave. Now I bet he'll give anything to catch me and gladly give me to my parents." *Shudders*

"Meh. A hundred fifty isn't that much money," she said, smiling. He was as funny as What's-his-name, Yuu- "Ow!" Toshi feel to her knees, bent over and clutching her brain. A searing pain was taking over her whole body.

Ronin knelt down, "Are you okay? What just happened?" it was then when Ronin saw the seal on Toshi's neck. "I know someone who can get rid of that seal."
((Bad idea, I know, but still))

"I-It hurts...!" Toshi cried out, whimpering as the seals burned deep on her neck. "Ugh...I can't...stand..." She was getting light-headed and dizzy from the pain.

(Good idea, but Yuudai has to remove his, too XD)

"Don't worry. I know someone who'll remove it!" he quickly lifted her onto his back and sprinted into the village. This was going to be hard, eventhough there were some people he knew who woulden't try to catch him. Getting through the entire village without being noticed. whew! And he knew his friend, Tami, (A boy) was still looking for him.

"Ugh..." Toshi squeezed her eyes shut as the seal began to bleed.

Once they were in the village, Ronin sprinted to a shop and burst through the door. "Hey! Nomai! I got an emrgancy.!" a few seconds later, akid about Ronin's age came running down the steps of the building, "Ronin! Whats up!? I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Never mind. And don't say my name to loud, it'll atract attention." Ronin pulled down his mask and revealed a face that looked normal. "Hurry up and remove the seal on her neck, it's starting to bleed."

"Okay, okay. First pay me. Got anymore battle plans? Hmmmm?"

Ronin tossed him a few scrolls, "Good, now this will only take a minute. Stay back." Nomai then formed some handseals and placed his hand on Toshi's neck where the seal was. After a minute the seal had vanished. "My work is done. Come back soon, Ronin. I want to talk with you. Ya know, catch up."

"Fine, later."