A scream.

Tch. Guess I missed. I'm off my game today. I quickly fix my mistake, shooting the girl in the head. Pity. She was only a year or so older than me, but I got paid to take her out so, meh.

I clean her of her goods before taking off, a good five times richer. I was the only known female hitman in all of Japan. Fuyumi Nao. I was known as The Rat. I could infiltrate anywhere to get to my target. I had a weird ability, where I could make my presence seem unimportant, or noticeable. Honestly, I don't know how it works, I've been able to do it since I was young, so I used it.

I walk down the street in plain view, pulling up my hood. Honestly. You would think Japan would have found a way to catch me. Then again, people were stupid.

If someone had at least looked at me when I was younger, or gave me some form of advice, Maybe I would be like other normal girls, going to school and obsessing over guys. Not some criminal who was one of the best when it came to technology and killing. I could make almost any device from scratch.

I knew how to use every type of gun. I could streetfight better than anyone in Japan.

But if I knew what would happen to me, I would have definitely learned how to use something longer than a knife.

I nick some fried squid from a stand nearby and nibble it silently as I observe the 'normal' people going about their daily lives. I saw a child run around the corner into an alleyway, probably saw a cat or something.

Then I heard the muffled whimper. Not a cat. Curious, I walk over, and see a hulking man with the child gagged and slung over his shoulder. Honestly, if it was someone around my age or older, I wouldn't really care, but it was a child, around eight or nine.

I pull out my gun. The way the guy stood, If I aimed for a kill shot, I would hit the child, but if I hit something else, the child might end up getting seriously hurt. There were too many sharp objects around. I sigh, and shove the gun back in the holster, and take out a knife. I dash forward, and stab the guy in the back. He lets out a choked gurgle, and I grab the child that slips from his back, and stumble back.

The guy will die in about a minute, so I set the child down and cut the gag off. My back hits the wall as the child hugs me. It's blabbering and saying thank you over and over again. I just rub it's back. I don't know how to deal with kids. So I just paste a smile on my face and guide the child back to the street, standing in the mouth of the alleyway as the child runs to it's mom. I turn back to the alley. I have to get rid of the body.

I take a step forward, blinking, before freezing.

This was not the alleyway.

It was a battlefield. The sound of metal clanging rang in my head, and I watched men in traditional kimono kill each other with katana. What the hell was going on!? I leap back as a guy with bloodlust clear in his eyes slashed at me. Sadly, I didn't jump far enough, and cried out as the edge of his sword sliced my cheek, from just below my eye, to a little to the right of my nose.

My hand goes to my wound as I run. I look at my hand, it's covered in blood. Must be a deep cut. I can feel the guy following me, and I push myself faster. There's a treeline nearby. I curse as I trip over something, and I hit the ground hard. Surprisingly, the ground is wet. When I lift myself up however, I yelp and scramble back. 

I had tripped over a body, and landed in blood. My blue hoodie was ruined, and my white shorts. I look up, and the guy is looming over me. I need to calm down. I pull out my gun in a swift motion, and shoot.

The guy falls, and I roll out of the way of his sword. I use my hands to push myself up, and yelp as I cut myself on the other dead guys sword. Now I'm bleeding in two places, and was getting kinda dizzy.

I was lost, I didn't know where I was, or when for that matter. I just fled through the trees, away from the battlefield. When I was far enough away that I couldn't hear weapons clashing, I slumped against a tree, adrenaline fading. I collapse, probably the blood loss and shock getting to me. My vision is acting up, spotting in and out.

Soon it begins fading, and my body begins to feel kinda numb. I feel myself black out.

.

.

.

My eyes slid open. I didn't recognize my surroundings, but my hand and face hurt. I look around. I'm in a room. It's in a traditional Japanese style. I remember what happened. I had nearly died, was in a strange time, or world, and was now in a room. How did I get here?

I go to sit up, but find myself pushed back down, though it was a gentle push. My eyes travel up the well toned arms, and meet the soft violet eyes of a boy no older than I. He was in what I remember being called a yukata.

I shove him away and leapt up, fighting off the dizzy spell. I got into a defensive streetfighter stance.

They boy looks kinda surprised, and maybe impressed?

"You are quite quick on your feet." He commented. His voice was smooth, and toned. I narrow my eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask. The boy furrows his brow before responding.

"I am Naminozuka Shion. It is a pleasure to meet you miss..."

"Nao. Fuyumi Nao. Now where the hell am I?"

"Hm? Well, you are in my home. I found you unconscious with rather deep wounds. Your clothes are rather strange. I have never seen them before. However, I am afraid they are ruined by the blood."

I look at my clothes. Yeah, they were messed up. "Why did you save me? I could be an enemy for all you know."

He tilted his head, pitch black hair shifting slightly. "Well, you can't be my enemy. You are a woman, neutral in everything. Women do not fight. That job belongs to the men, our warriors. I myself am a warrior. I am on leave as my mother had fallen ill, but I must soon return."

Whatever. I look around and see stuff usually only seen in trashed history books.

"What year is it?"

"It is the third year of the Edo era."

I curse. "I'm stuck in a war torn time, where they use frickin' swords!"

"What else would we use? It is an honor to wield a blade." Shion sounded so confused, and I took the time to examine him.

He had pitch black hair that went just past his shoulders, and eyes of an amethyst. He was lean, and likely a head taller than me. He had toned muscles, and a scar running up his jawline, and a thin scar through his lips. The one on his jaw was jagged, while the lip must have been a clean cut.

 He was rather beautiful. 

"I need to get back to my time."

Naminozuka just looked more confused. "Your time? What do you mean?"

I sigh. "I live in Japan, year 2090, A good couple centuries into the future. I don't know how I got here, but I need to get back home." 

Home. That's a funny thought. I live by the street, rule the street. I don't have a home. That's a sad thought now isn't it?

Naminozuka looked down, thinking. It wasn't long before he looked up, and I was confused to see that he was crying. It wasn't heavy crying, just a few tears running down his pale face.

"I am not sure how this is possible, but I wish to help you return home. You seem kind, and a little lonely. I will devote myself to you. Your protection is everything to me now. You have given me a purpose, and I will fulfill it."

I stare, shocked. I had no words. I barely knew this guy, and he just basically became my servant of his own accord?

I felt a burst of hysteria, and a laugh bubbled it's way up my throat. "You're weird, y'know?" I giggled, feeling a little lightheaded. I sigh, and lean back on my elbows.

"I don't want you to devote yourself to me. How about friends instead?" My eyes slid up to meet his.

"Friends?" His amethyst eyes seemed to glow as he said this, and I stared, enraptured by their depth. He smiled. "I think I would like that very much."

I yawn, and smile back. "Now, I need to get some different clothes."

Naminozuka's face was rather amusing. He pointed to a door that was slightly open. "You may find something in there. It was my sisters room."

I nod in thanks and push the door open. There was a fine layer of dust, but I wouldn't ask. From the sad look he had, I assume his sister had died. I look through the drawers and find a black kimono top. It had a crimson obi, which matched my eyes. And the pure darkness in the kimono top made my skin look even more white. I pulled the short half of my hair into its usual ponytail, leaving the underneath layer, which was waist length, to fly free. the lack of hood got to me though, and I grabbed a pair of pants that likely went with the kimono top. I walked over to my bloodied clothes and pulled out my knife.

I sliced through the pants with some difficulty. It was a firm material, like the top. Soon though, I had a skirt that was longer on one side, and enough left over cloth to make a hood. I found a sewing kit in another drawer and set to work.

When the outfit was finished I slipped it on. The pants-now-skirt didn't have a built in elastic band, and was originally meant to be worn below the chest so the obi could keep both the kimono top and bottom together. So I grabbed my belt from my original outfit and used it to secure the skirt. I try to wrap the obi around the kimono top, but it's much harder than it looks, so I just tie the kimono together. It's still a bit too revealing for me, so I grab my other clothes and see how bloodstained my tank top got. Only the bottom. So I cut the bottom off and slip the now crop top on before re-tying the kimono. I cut the long obi in half and wrap each half around my arms.

I strap my knee-length boots on, and slip my knife in the built in holster. I grab my gun holster and strap it on just under the long side of the skirt, slipping my gun in expertly. Ready, I step out of the room. I don't see Naminozuka anywhere, so I decide to look around.

I walk around the room I woke up in, and see a piece of paper on a shelf. Curious, I pick it up. I see my name, and read it curiously.

Fuyumi-san,

Please wait here, I will return shortly.

Many thanks,

Shion

'Shion huh? Guess we're on first name basis already. Whatever. I wonder where he went?'

I sit on the mat I woke up on, and find myself dozing off.

I wake to a gentle shaking. My eyes slide open, and I blink the blurriness away. "Fuyumi-san, wake up, I am back. Are you hungry?"

I yawn, and nod. "S-" I yawn again. "Shion, Just call me Nao. I'm not big on formalities and stuff."

Shion nodded. "Okay Nao-chan." I sigh. Better than Fuyumi-san I guess.

I blink as a bowl of rice is handed to me. " I apologize, but all I have at the moment is rice. I hope you don't mind."

. "Nah I don't mind." I take the chopsticks handed to me, and take a bite. It's just rice, so there is no special flavor to it or anything, but it was food, and was fluffy and warm, so I ate it hungrily.

As we ate, I decided to try and start a conversation. 

"So, Shion. How old are you?"

"I am fourteen. And you, Nao-chan?" 

Huh, ain't that something. "I'm also fourteen." My birthday was a month ago, in July. I can't really think of anything else to say, so I stay quiet. I'm almost finished with my rice bowl, when Shion speaks up.

"So, can you tell me what your time is like? I can not seem to come up with an image of your time."

I frown slightly. "My time... it's kinda peaceful, if you're a normal person. But wars still happen, and people still die. People.... still kill. For money, and for glory."

I take a breath. "We have advanced a lot since your time. We have new technology, which help advance our society. We have devices called phones, used to communicate with people from a distance, and to play games that you can download. There are other devices too, and better weapons too. We have guns," 

I unholster mine and show it to him. "This is a pistol. It fires bullets, metal pieces that move at a high speed, and are hot. You can fire multiple bullets in one round, for me, eight."

Shion examined the gun. "This reminds me of a gatling gun. I have seen one only once, and from a distance. It killed many men."

I nod. "Yeah, we have guns called machine guns, that rapidly fire bullets. Up to five hundred bullets a round."

Shion had a look of amazement on his face. "That is amazing." He then looks at my gun thoughtfully.

"Nao-chan, If guns kill people, and 'normal' people do not need them, Are you not normal?"

I nod. "I'm not normal. I was raised on the street by a prostitute. My parent threw me out because f my 'condition.' I have albinism, and that is why my hair and skin are so white and pale, and my eyes crimson. When I was three, the prostitute died, and I was on my own, until I was five..... Let's just say someone found me, and I became a killer. I kill for money. It's my job."

Shion stares at me with an unreadable expression. I never cared about other people's opinions, but for some reason, I didn't want Shion to hate me.

"Well, that just gives me more of a reason to protect you." I stare at him incredulously.

"You don't think I am a monster!?"

"No. Do you enjoy killing people?"

"No. But t's not like I hate killing them either. It's more of an indifference."

"Okay then. That is normal for strong people. And I believe you are strong Nao-chan."

I don't know what to say to that, so I stay silent. Shion seems to understand, and stands. "Come, follow me. I wish to show you the rest of my home."

I nod and stand. I slide my pistol back in it's holster and follow Shion. He turns to me with a smile as he opens the door. 

My eyes widen. Shion gasps as he turns back and sees something I bet was not a part of his home. I look behind me, but the room we were just in wasn't there anymore either.

We were back in my time, in the alley, with a dead body.

Guess I can still to that cleanup job after all.