Hanamaru, four years after the G?me attack, early spring.

  The surprising warmth of late winter inspired Tsukinoko to go outside and read. Dressed casually, she climbed the camphor tree to nestle in the calm. A bun held her hair in a knot, clearing the nape of her neck in the heat of the sun.

  Lulled by the ambience of the village that echoed faintly up the cliff, her eyelids grew heavy, but an unease kept her on her toes.

  With ears wide open but eyes closed so as not to arouse suspicion, she surveyed her surroundings. Yet she couldn't hear anyone, just the wind gently rustling the leaves above her.

  Just as she was about to turn her head in the direction of where she sensed a presence, a shadow slipped through the forest. A bad feeling. Without missing a beat, she dashed off, book in hand and barefoot, her Geta left in the hollows of the roots.

  The forest was riddled with theirs, which she immediately unmasked, before calling Yukihyō to waste no more time. A musty smell as the fresh wind circulated between the trees, like old books, drew the fawn's attention. The scent didn't follow the wind, but slalomed between the trees as if to sow its trail, staying within a restricted perimeter in a westerly direction.

  Tsukinoko stroked him between the ears in thanks and he disappeared at once. That scent Yukihyō had picked up, she had no idea what it could be. She moved on, concealing her presence, and identified the enemy's trail among those he had camouflaged, then finally spotted a silhouette ahead of her spinning through the trees, closer and closer.

  At worst, an apology would be made after the arrest, and the person would leave if they proved to be innocent, but it was better to know for sure. Before Tsukinoko could even get started, a presence appeared behind her. The figure in front of her suddenly evaporates and Tsukinoko turns to parry a blow, spotted in time out of the corner of her eye.

  The man was trying to stab her in the stomach and she held his arm back with one hand. She took advantage of the situation to immobilize him, no longer having any doubts about his guilt. The man moves away on a branch and she steps back onto the next tree, level with him. Her arm outstretched, she held him captive with her extended aura, her book in the other hand. Her hair fell back over her face once the commotion had passed.

  - Why are you running away?" she asks softly.

  The man says nothing and explodes in a shower of leaves, permuted. A shower of daggers falls on her, which she deflects by sweeping her aura above her. Tsukinoko hides in the foliage and signs the Mudflow technique, her book between her teeth, which melts the ground into muddy torrents. The individual's chakra was stirring in the mud. In a flash, Tsukinoko pulled him out by the throat, without getting dirty, his book still between his teeth. The man had a peculiar face, with dark circles under his eyes and long, spiky brown hair. A few days' unshaven beard graced his chin, despite his twenties. As she tightened her grip to make him talk under torture, the kneeling man was about to sign again. She doesn't give him time to join hands before she grabs his wrists and somersaults over him. Gracefully, she landed on her feet and the resistance in his shoulders made him howl in pain as his arms were about to be dislocated, upside down.

  - Why are you running away?" she asks again, nibbling on her book, crouching behind him.

  The man grimaced in pain but didn't respond, and she grew impatient. She leaned on his wrists until she heard his knuckles crack. He screams again and capitulates.

  - I've... I've been sent to retrieve some-documents, that's all! It's just unimportant paperwork, and it's quicker to go through the forest.

  - So why are you attacking me if it doesn't matter?

  She immediately lets go of his hands and her arms return to their normal position like springs. She presses down on his aching shoulders to get back in front of him. Smoothly, her skirt flutters as she circles the liar.

  He collapsed onto his trembling hands, but she had stolen two Kunai from his satchel behind his back and planted one in each of his hands. Nailed to the floor, he whimpered again, overwhelmed by the pain. It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

  Tsukinoko put her book down right in front of him, tucking her hair behind her ears. She searched his pockets for the aforementioned documents, but he was still gesticulating, calling her names and threatening to complain to the Chief about being treated like this.

  He takes a kick to the jaw in response.

  - You're hurting my ears, moron.

  The body search could be resumed calmly. Parchments were hidden in a cloth in one of the inner pockets. They were repertoires of secret techniques belonging to the Betto clan. She grabbed the thief by the hair to straighten him up, but his face was unknown to her. A few virulent slaps, warmly offered, helped him regain his composure, but he was startled to see her right in front of his nose. He tried to run away, but Tsukinoko had balanced on the kunai and his nailed hands began to bleed again, trapped.

  - Who asked you to pick this up? Where did you come from? How did you get into the village?" she asked, juggling the three parchments. Show me your mission statement. Get a move on, damn it, I don't have all day!

  Suddenly, several presences surrounded them. Tsukinoko's chakra emanated slowly from her feet, like a morning mist, in preparation for the impending assault.

  - Did you come alone?" she asks gravely.

  - You'll find out soon enough," he sneers as best he can. If you let me go, nothing will happen to you.

  She crouches on the kunai to gently lift his head, then murmurs with a big smile, her nose right in front of his.

  - I'll take care of them and take you to see J?net, she'll take good care of you, don't worry.

  The thief stared at her in horror, as if a demon stood before him, believing for a moment that he had dissuaded her with his threats.

  Tsukinoko sits up abruptly as we approach, but calms down as she recognizes a familiar presence. Sagi.

  He stoops to pick up her book as she frowns. The man at her feet takes a deep breath, then rants.

  - Can you come down now?!

  Tsukinoko had barely dismounted from the kunai when he hurled more curses towards the trees, and a Colony agent rushed towards him.

  - What the hell?" she shouts, retrieving her book before Sagi can cramp up.

  - Well," he says wisely, "I think the Chief has straightened you out. At least.

  On guard since the start of the hunt, Tsukinoko finally relaxed. The young man gritted his teeth behind them as his commander took the blades from his hands.

  - Who's he then?" she asks, pointing at him.

  - K?, one of the chief's agents," he replies with a smile. I preferred to use his men.

  Feeling bad for him, Tsukinoko sketched an embarrassed smile as he finally stood, arms flailing and dripping blood.

  - No hard feelings," he spits on the floor as the other wraps his hands in a bandage.

  Tsukinoko was astonished by their behavior, revealing their unenviable daily lives. Sagi, leaning on his cane, retrieved the scrolls from Tsukinoko's hand, which turned into dusty, unimportant old parchments that had been sleeping in the archives for years. Which finally explained the strange smell Yukihyō had smelled.

  Now as tall as Haruo, Tsukinoko, Hanamaru's Specialized Adjutant, had made a place for herself in the village despite her unflattering reputation. Her character had not softened, unlike her facial features.

  Her techniques and physical skills had evolved to the point where her name was known in neighboring countries, even though she had never set foot on their soil. Her fearsome aura and Lightning sowed doubt in her enemies, but when she drew her sabers, the game was lost to them.

  On her missions, she didn't wear Hanamaru's military gear, as it clashed with her style of dress. Dressed in a short, long-sleeved black yukata, the seams and sides were the same lilac-purple as her circular skirt. The obi, in braided beige leather, held both her kimono closed and her sabers behind her back. High black socks joined her skirt, over which calf-length sandals masked the protective strips over the socks. She never soiled her clothes, which concealed her slender but firm build

  In his office, Chief Haruo Sato was waiting for Tsukinoko. Hebimaru's desertion four years ago had turned his hair gray, and the wrinkles in his face were deepening year after year as Chief

  Tsukinoko was about to turn sixteen, legally of age in the eyes of the military code, and the deferment voted would come to an end. For her birthday, in a few days' time, Haruo offered her the apartment where she lived.

  The village had come a long way in recent years and had grown in size. As he looked at the envelope on his desk, she was moved by his gesture and rushed to his neck. Overexcited, she straightened up to pester him with questions about his new role. Adjutants, when they weren't on a mission, were responsible for training a team of soldiers as soon as they left the Academy, guiding them through the ranks. But when it came to managing children, the grimace of disgust on Tsukinoko's face surprised the Chief.

  - I don't feel comfortable with kids, they cry, they scream, they stink, their hands are sticky and they're stupid! she enumerates on her fingers.

  - So what are you going to do?

  Her mind had been made up long ago. One knee on the ground before him, she cried out proudly as she lowered her eyes. He readjusted his hat and prostrated himself before his disciple, hands behind his back, then finally answered as she dripped with impatience and anguish.

  From now on, Tsukinoko would work for Hanamaru's special forces.

  Haruo sinks back into his chair as soon as she disappears and takes a deep breath, as if a tornado had just passed over him. But a big smile played on his lips and he went back to work without paying any attention, no less concerned.

  In the Colony quarters, located in the depths of the Chief's Residence and connected to the Academy, various agents were busy. Tsukinoko watched them silently after joining Sagi on the stoop.

  In a few days, his career as a Colony agent will finally begin. The membership contract and two porcelain masks featuring a panther figure with purple and black features are presented to him along with his new outfit...

  At dawn, Tsukinoko was getting ready, well ahead of schedule as she was eager to meet her squad commander. Her hair fell over the mask and she undid her braid. She finally opted for a half-bun behind her ears, which she fixed firmly with black Chinese chopsticks. The small locks around her face were too short to hold and fell to her temples.

  This will do the trick

  The esplanade above the Monument des Chefs overlooked the village. After more than an hour of waiting, sitting on the rocks at the edge of the void, Tsukinoko lost her patience.

  As she descended the first step, a figure finally joined her. With no time to point out her tardiness or introduce each other, her new squad leader took her on board.

  A feeling of déjà-vu ran through Tsukinoko's mind, and she couldn't help staring at his mask. His hair was gray, but judging by his voice and stature, he must have been just over sixteen too.

  His first confidential mission was to track down and neutralize a Gyoson deserter who had infiltrated the Land of the Sun.

  Last seen halfway between Hanamaru and the border, looting villagers. The chief of the coastal country had agreed to his death on condition that the body be destroyed and the sword returned to him, as a precaution.

  The new commander. was repeating the few overriding rules of Colony operation, but Tsukinoko reminded him that she had just studied them. His pretentious air annoyed her and she blew heavily under her mask.

  - By the way, what's your name?" she asks without hesitation.

  - We don't say our names on a mission," he replies without looking at her. That's one of the main rules, did you really listen during your training?

  Powerless to hold back, she breathes again, rolling her eyes, but he shakes his head in annoyance.

  - Excuse me, Commander... How old are you?

  - Don't call me that. And it's none of your business," he replies, quickening his pace.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  The rest of the adventure was promising, given his enthusiasm. Even though he must have been barely his age, Tsukinoko found him soft as an old man. After two hours on the road, he ordered a halt and the pair hid behind some bushes.

  - It was in the village just behind that he was spotted last night, caught in the act by villagers, he explains. He would have gone that way," he says, pointing to a dirt track a little further on.

  - What about it? Are we going to track it? I can ask-

  - I'll take care of it," he cuts her off.

  The squad leader summons a small dog with white fur, wearing an armband.

  - Yo," writes the doggie, raising his paw. What's the deal?

  Tsukinoko lies down right in front of him, ready to caress him, but he puts his paw on his mask.

  - Nice to meet you," he replies. I'm Sunifa, would you like to touch my claws?

  She gets up on her knees and presses her little paw happily under her fingers, but her master calls her to order. The little dog disappears into the bushes, then reappears with his nose to the ground to sniff the path, before returning with his tail between his legs.

  - I can hardly smell anything, there's not much left," he says. It's not enough to track him down.

  - In this case, we'll-

  - Let me try, Boss," sighs Tsukinoko. Felines have more flair than dogs.

  - Felines? they repeat in chorus.

  - Panthers. You should go home... Er...

  - Sunifa," repeats the little dog.

  The latter turned back to his master, who nodded that he could leave. He immediately disappeared, and Tsukinoko waited for her boss's approval before taking the plunge, hesitant on her first day.

  - Well?" he asks, crouching in the grass. We haven't got all day, they're moving away right now.

  - Do they punish you for being pleasant in the Special Forces or what?" she snaps.

  To end the unease, Pansā appeared between the two of them, narrowly missing toppling the young commander. But the fawn suddenly curled his lips, his head the same size as his porcelain mask. He backed up on his buttocks at the same pace as Pansa advanced towards him menacingly.

  - Pansā, she sighs, leave him. He has a dog, yes, but he's gone.

  The leopard finally stopped and returned to his little protégée without taking his eyes off him. Sitting on the grass, she stroked his chin with her arm in the air, amused at having shaken his handler a little.

  The latter hadn't moved an eyelash, watching them both. Pansā gave Tsukinoko's mask a little nudge and she then explained her new rank, before guiding him towards their goal. Pansā grunts slightly.

  - How can he recognize it?

  - The fugitive should smell of iodine, he's from the coastal country. He also has a large sword, and must have taken with him some valuables stolen from the village.

  Pansā curls his lips when he hears him speak, then sniffs in the direction of the village. He emerges unhindered from the bushes, striding over them with his tall stature. He hastens to follow, but Tsukinoko holds him back and the leopard goes ahead.

  - Stay with me," she chuckles. He really doesn't like dogs. But he was so cute, Sunifa! she shrugs happily

  After more than an hour on the run, Tsukinoko decides to try once again to break the ice, but this time her commander beats her to it.

  - Do you have several panthers?

  Pansā growls again without turning around and she answers him.

  - I haven't," she mimes with her fingers. They're my friends, my little babies," she giggles. There's three of them. And your doggies

  - Eight," he continues

  - Might as well! Can I see them? Huh?! Come on!

  - No.

  Tense as ever. Tsukinoko winced beneath her mask and leapt to take refuge on Pansā's back. Hopes of softening the mood among the pair were dwindling.

  Pansā finally stops and nods to Tsukinoko before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

  - The runaway is about two hundred meters ahead," she whispers, stooping low.

  The ambush begins. The fugitive, canvas bag in hand and huge sword strapped to his back, was walking quietly along the dirt road.

  Diagonally behind him, hidden through the trees, the pair began their capture. Tsukinoko waited for an opening, then launched a chakra arm with one hand to immobilize him, followed by her commander ready to act subsequently, but she simultaneously turned around. Without hesitation, a second chakra arm captures the second individual surrounding them.

  Arms outstretched, a grip on each end as she balanced on a branch. Without noticing anything, he followed the plan to pierce the individual head-on. His blow, charged with Lightning, emitted a shrill noise that distracted Tsukinoko for a moment.

  As he tried to free his arm from the fugitive's torso, he seemed to be trapped. The enemy turned pale, his skin liquefied before his whole body exploded in a torrent. A bubble of water formed before swallowing the commander whole. Trapped

  Tsukinoko immediately dissipated her chakra to avoid succumbing to it in turn. The real deserter was the one she was holding behind, and his clone had fooled the agent. Without letting panic get the better of her, she analyzed the situation.

  - Well, it took you a long time to find me," sneers the fugitive. I see the level of Hanamaru's secret service isn't as high as they say," he continues, mocking his prisoner.

  Watching him from his water bubble, he calculated how long he had before running out of oxygen, while devising a plan to free himself.

  Their first mission had turned sour and everything now rested on the new recruit. A first kunai had pierced the water bubble, but its momentum was absorbed and it slowly sank inside without bursting it. The second, launched at the same speed, burst the bubble and the agent jumped for cover to catch his breath. Just in time, he spotted the explosives affixed to the weapon's handle and shielded himself from the impact.

  As Tsukinoko let out a cry of victory in spite of herself, her head began to spin and she dropped to her knees. The deserter, hands clasped, was effortlessly drawing his chakra through the link that held them together. Tsukinoko realized that she had underestimated this guy's strengths, facing him for the first time.

  Her surging aura had found a loophole. With difficulty, as if nailed to the ground by gravity, she rose to her feet as her leader engaged in combat in the tree. With heavy steps, she approached the fight and drew a saber, gathering her last strength in the blade that sizzled with Lightning.

  In front, the agent delivers a final heel strike directly into the deserter's throat. Paralyzed by pain, the agents take the opportunity to administer the final blow. Tsukinoko's saber sinks into his lumbar vertebrae as the commander's fist passes through his torso.

  The fugitive, impaled and burned from the inside out, falls heavily to the ground. The branch whirled under Tsukinoko's feet, and she too fell, helpless and exhausted. In a last effort, she clung to his breastplate and his mask facing hers, to ask him what he had thought of her skills, before fainting.

  The thunder startled Tsukinoko out of her unease. Outside, the storm was in full swing, sheltering in a cave until the downpour was over.

  Immersed in a book, the young commander had his mask pulled up over his head, having taken care to place a thin survival blanket over Tsukinoko. The latter rose to her feet as her nonchalant voice echoed in the cavity.

  - I took care of everything while you were sleeping. Do you feel better?" he asks without looking up.

  Forgetting to answer, her gaze fixed on him, she crabbed at his eyes. One open and reading the lines, the other angled and crossed by a long scar.

  He wore a black cloth mask that covered his nose and mouth entirely, and his tousled gray hair fell back over his face. He raised an eyebrow as she stared at him, but she suddenly screamed into the cave.

  - It's you!

  - Me what?" he said dumbly.

  - I remember you!

  He looked at her without understanding. Then she pointed to his face as if it were obvious. He finally lifts the porcelain mask she was delicately wearing. Her big, excited smile suddenly paralyzes him

  His new recruit was none other than the Chief's disciple, whereas the latter had only given him an anonymous information sheet to bring objectivity to his assessment. Memories came flooding back.

  Not least Hanamaru's famous Capricieuse, whom he had watched over for many weeks on his arrival. Tsukinoko's appearance had changed slightly after a few years, even if her character was as insolent as ever.

  Her once childlike face now sported fine, feminine features. The small dark circles under her big violet eyes were still there, and elegantly dressed her lively gaze. His mocking yet charming smile turned her cheeks pink, and he put his mask back on her face.

  - By the way, what are the members of your squad like? Do I know them?" she asks, sitting back down.

  - A few, yes. The Chief has chosen the unit you will join. Mine," he explains, "which has just been formed. I wasn't there to witness Sagi's test, but from what K?-

  - Wait... did she cut him off, K?? Then why did he do the test? I kicked his ass! He's not mad at me? And-

  - If you'd let me answer, I could explain," he sighs.

  He was amazed by her unfailing energy and found her candid. Her explosive character was nonetheless enthusiastic and attentive to others. He was rather detached and calm by nature, but he felt as if he were conversing with a chattering magpie, tireless until his energy was drained, literally. He envied the fugitive's abilities, but pulled himself together as she stared at him, waiting for the rest.

  - The Chef has approved the course of the test so that the members can also meet you and make up their own minds-.

  - And then?

  - As a result, they can't wait to team up with you. You amuse them a lot, even if they're a little p- You'll meet them," he clears his throat.

  - A little what? Am I entertaining them? I'm not here to entertain! A little what?" she insists again.

  He sighed, hoping she hadn't heard, and apologized to his men for having to expose them.

  - A little scared.

  - Afraid? Of me?! she laughs.

  He ignores her and continues his explanations while she laughs behind her mask.

  - The Chef hesitated. But in the end, we all agree that you know how to stay professional when you need to.

  - Well, of course I know! Why do you all take me for a child," she mumbles under her breath. Well, we've got to get the stolen goods back to the village.

  The sun breaks through the clouds and she dashes down the muddy path without waiting for him. Aware of his blunder, he throws the heavy canvas bag over his shoulder and heads out.

  Sitting on a pile of old wooden planks against a house, Tsukinoko had not yet recovered all her strength. With her eyes closed, she relished the sweet smell of warm bread in the air as her leader returned the belongings to the villagers.

  - Who are you?" we suddenly ask.

  A little girl with rosy cheeks looked her up and down.

  - Er... Who are you?" she asks, caught off guard.

  - What do you want with my mom?" she asks, pointing to the woman in the house at the stove.

  - Is that your mom? Is she a baker?

  - Yeah, what do you want with him?

  - Buns," she says with a big smile behind her mask. I've just come back from a mission, I'm so hungry!

  Without answering, the little girl rushes inside, then Tsukinoko hears her warn her mother that the agents sent by Hanamaru, who had brought back their belongings, were starving. The woman glanced out of the window before opening her huge stone bread oven

  On the way home, Tsukinoko was devouring her still-warm buns, delighted. Her boss hadn't asked for any, but he broke the long silence after finishing his new recruit's report

  - Are you the sensory type?

  - Well, yeah," she shrugs.

  - Is that how you felt the deserter on your back at first?

  - Yeah. Any more questions, Boss? she chuckles.

  She looked at him, waiting for his reaction, but he plunged back into his book, which concluded his assessment.

  - I'll let you join the squad, but-

  - Enorme!" she shouts in delight. So what's next?

  Overwhelmed by his roller-coaster energy and lack of discipline, he sighed heavily and closed his book.

  - As I was saying, I'm counting on you now that you've joined my unit. But, channel yourself a little. As soon as we have a mission, I'll let you know. In the meantime, you're in charge of Haruo Sato's surveillance and protection.

  - Okay, Boss. So, do I get to know your name now?

  - Kakashi Shiroi.

  She didn't have time to reply when he disappeared, arriving at Hanamaru's doorstep.

  - Ah?" she mumbles, dropping her brioche in surprise.

  Kakashi Shiroi had a great reputation around his name, which didn't necessarily mention his languor. He had possessed a Negin, albeit foreign to the Karumin clan, which hid behind his scar, now unusable. On her guard, Tsukinoko couldn't help but fear him from now on.

  Almost home, Tsukinoko heard voices from a crowd further down the street. Curious, she ducked between the passers-by, her basket of buns under her arm and her porcelain mask hidden inside. A little boy, barely four years old, was shouting at the crowd, who scorned him with their eyes. His blond hair was a mess, with little freckles under big amber eyes.

  - That monster!" cries a woman.

  - It's him, this Demon-

  The latter is cut off by her friend, who gives her a hard elbow.

  - Hush! You know we're not allowed to talk about it.

  - Tsukinoko interjects shamelessly between them.

  After a hesitant glance, one of the gossips hides behind her hand to whisper to her.

  - According to the latest news, he's the son of the five-eyed jackal demon," she whispers. You should avoid him, he's nothing but trouble!

  Haruo had mentioned that the son of the man who had sacrificed himself to G?me was among the orphans of the attack, without specifying his identity. Tsukinoko had seen this little boy wandering around the village a few times before, without paying him any attention.

  His little freckles gave him a touching look. The locals continued to pick on him, which offended him to no end. The little boy cringed, tears in his eyes, crying out to these people to stop looking at him and calling him a monster, without him really knowing why.

  Orphaned from birth, Tsukinoko recognized in his eyes the feeling of loneliness that had inhabited him for many years, expressing itself in insolence and temper tantrums. Compassion was stronger than hatred, and his heart begged her to go and help him.

  The youngster sped away from them, stopping at the arm of the river behind the town center to sit at the end of one of the pontoons.

  He sniffed roughly, wiping his tears and snot on the sleeves of his white sweater, worn under a brown T-shirt. Just when Tsukinoko thought she was being welcoming, the little boy jumped at the sight of her.

  - Are you going to run away again? Am I so ugly it scares you?

  He looked at her in bewilderment, surprised by her question. The child wondered what she wanted from him, but remained captivated by her smile and bright eyes, which gave Tsukinoko a warm presence he wasn't used to.

  - Cat got your tongue? You were screaming like a fishmonger earlier.

  - What do you want?" he frowns in fear.

  - Nothing special, I saw they were being mean to you and it made me sad, so I wanted to see how you were doing," she said honestly.

  - But you don't know me... he said suspiciously.

  - Really, what's your name? I'm Tsukinoko," she says as she sits on the edge of the pontoon, her legs dangling over the water.

  - Midareta Udon.

  - Udon? Like ramen?!

  As she exploded with laughter, he began to take offense and she stopped herself before she went too far.

  - That's pretty cute, why did your parents name you that?" she asks casually.

  His face decomposes and he clenches his fists in anger.

  - I don't have parents!" he shouts, ready to flee.

  - Wait! Wait! Wait! Sorry, I didn't mean to...

  - You're lying! And pi' what do you want from me?" he snaps.

  - I just want to have a little chat with you, that's all," she grumbles. I know you must get bored on your own, I used to get bored sometimes too. I've been given some buns, and I thought we could share them, but if I'm bothering you, I'll be off then.

  Tsukinoko picked up her basket and headed back up the dock. Deep down, she didn't really know why she was trying so hard to talk to him, intrigued by this little boy. When she reached the shore, a small voice timidly called out to her.

  - Can we play instead? And I want a steuplait brioche...

  The afternoon passed and all the buns had been devoured. Midareta had finally become comfortable and had pestered Tsukinoko with questions about her military career. Her missions, her exploits, all the scenes had been replayed by Tsukinoko in front of her amazed eyes.

  They had promised to meet the next day at the same time, in the same place, so that Tsukinoko could finish her stories. The sun was setting and she was taking him back to the orphanage, or rather being dragged back by Midareta, who wouldn't let go of her hand. Back in the center of town, the atmosphere grew heavier as she passed the same shopkeepers who'd been hounding the boy earlier. Midareta clutched his pants in fear. With one hand, she stroked his head to reassure him and protect him from the insults hurled at him. Outraged at the behavior of the inhabitants, who had no consideration for him, even if their feelings towards Midareta were unlikely to change any time soon.

  - They're mean," he says sadly. They don't care about me here... They say I'm a monster now. Even when I'm not doing anything!

  Tsukinoko was at a loss for words. Midareta lowered her eyes, sobbing.

  - You know," she smiles tenderly, pinching the tip of his nose, "I don't know what monster they're talking about. All I see is a cute little maki.

  Her smile warms Midareta's heart for a moment, and he laughs at her new nickname before watching her leave, rubbing his eyes in reassurance.

  Despite her exhaustion after her first mission to the Colony, Tsukinoko couldn't sleep.

  She and Midareta weren't so different after all. Both without family, both feared for what they are in spite of themselves.

  Kakashi and his Negin. Would he have killed his teammate to obtain his power, which he claims to have bequeathed to him upon his death.

  For her, not using her Power was now customary.

  Only when she was training at home, and on rare occasions, did she use it to push the amplitude of her movements and her speed, to get her body used to keeping the ease brought by the Power when she was in a real situation where she didn't risk using her eyes.

  During the attack four years ago, a colony agent sacrificed himself by allowing himself to be possessed by G?me, before being killed and taking the demon with him.