Bob typed in the phone number as he and Elise strapped themselves into the jet.

“Cikizwa.”

“Hi Bob! I got the first dossier ready and waiting for you.”

“Change of plans, I have the first recruit.”

“Already?!”

“There was some…improvisation at my last job. Is the facility ready?”

“Clearly…some of the more specialized facilities still need work, but the basic living spaces are done.”

“How about the hanger?”

“Um…yea looks like that’s ready too.”

“Good, I’m on the way.”

“Understood, we’ll see you soon then.”

Bob hung up the call and started up the grav-jet.

“Clarification Request: Who was that, Arbiter? Concordat personnel?”

Bob shook his head.

“I don’t work for the Concordat. And neither do you, now. Also, don’t call me Arbiter.”

“Acknowledgement: Understood, Master.”

“Not that either.”

“Acknowledgement: Understood, Commander.”

Bob let out a sigh.

“Just call me Bob.”

“Acknowledgement: Understood, Commander Bob. Confused Query: If we don’t work for the Concordat, who do we work for?”

Bob let out another sigh, shaking his head.

“Ourselves. You can consider yourself as working for me, if you want.”

“Acknowledgement: Commander Bob designated as primary authority. Primary directive established: obey Commander Bob.”

“That’s not what I…”

Bob held his head as sighed deeply.

A while later, the grav-jet arrived. The new facility was under construction at the most remote and barren wasteland in the world. A place no one would ever think to look. A place no one ever goes.

North Dakota.

A tennis court split down the middle, the ground opening up to reveal a hidden hanger. Bob moved the grav-jet to land there, and then the tennis court closed back up. Cikizwa walked out to meet them as Bob and Elise exited the craft. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of the robo-girl.

“I imagine that’s a story.”

Bob let out a sigh.

“Where’s the living quarters?”

Cikizwa nodded.

“Just this way.”

As they walked down the hallway, Cikizwa handed Bob a tablet.

“First one is ready, I’ve already spoken with my contact in Shikoku.”

Bob raised an eyebrow as he looked over the tablet.

“Seriously? Them?”

Cikizwa nodded.

“I was surprised too, but it looks like they have a bit of a problem child. They’re hoping some real world experience might help him settle down.”

Bob let out a sigh.

“We’re not exactly a summer camp. And we can’t accept divided loyalties”

Cikizwa shrugged.

“And he’s not exactly a normal teenager. You know these people. Once they commit to a contract, their loyalty is absolute. He’ll be completely ours until we decide otherwise.”

“And what are we paying?”

“That’s…”

Cikizwa looked to the side.

“You, um, still have the scroll from the Tokyo job, right?”

Bob raised an eyebrow.

“I’d prefer to keep that under wraps.”

“If there’s anyone we can trust with it, it’s them.”

Bob sighed.

“...I’ll head over after a rest. I want to get her settled first.”

Cikizwa nodded.

“I’ll keep looking for the others. Got an interesting lead in Marrakech I want to check out.”

Bob nodded as they approached the living quarters.

“Keep up the good work.”

Cikizwa nodded and parted from the pair. Bob led Elise into one of the rooms.

“This is your room now.”

“Advisory observation: Commander Bob, this amount of room is unnecessary for this unit.”

“...I say it is. This is your room now.”

“Acknowledgement: This location registered as home station for unit Elise.”

Bob nodded.

“Do you need power or food?”

“Status Report: Oscillator core is working at maximum efficiency. Organic components will require refueling in approximately 48 hours.”

“...there’s a kitchen down the hall. Get some food, then get some rest. I’m going on a trip, I’ll check in with you later.”

“Affirmative, order received.”

“Right…”

Bob sighed again as he turned to walk back to the hanger.

It was nighttime in the Iya Valley, a full moon illuminating the forest. The wind blew softly through the leaves of the trees.

And then harshly with a hiss as several shadows flew through the branches.

The shadows jumped from branch to branch, criss-crossing each other with the occasional clash of metal.

“Give it up, Kiyosuke! You can’t escape!”

The lead shadow, the teenage boy Kiyosuke, kept jumping from branch to branch. He was dressed in a black hakama covering everything but his eyes, a katana sheathed at his waist. Behind him, several figures also in black hakamas chased after him. Kiyosuke kept moving forward.

“Fine, have it your way!”

The lead shinobi swung his arms, kunai knives flying through the air after the boy. Kiyosuke ducked under and leapt back.

“Gah!”

The lead shinobi cried as Kiyosuke kneed his stomach, and fell to the ground. The next shinobi stopped on a branch and crossed their arms.

“Got you now! Poison Needle Flash!”

She swung her arms. Only a tiny glint of the moonlight revealed the poison-tipped needles streaming towards the boy. Kiyosuke’s eyes widened as the needles pierced his hakama…

POOF!

A puff of smoke covered Kiyosuke, revealing a log filled with needles. The kunoichi’s eyes widened.

“What…gah!”

Kiyosuke appeared behind her and chopped her neck. She dropped to the branch, motionless. Kiyosuke leaped off the branch, vanishing into the night.

Eventually Kiyosuke came to a large clearing, leaping off the branch of the last tree and landing in the middle of the field.

The boundary of the village.

He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. He took a step forward…

“Kiyosuke, stop!”

Kiyosuke turned around. Another teenage boy landed in the field. He also wore a hakama, but had his hood and face mask down.

“...Stay out of this, Nagahiko.”

“Stay out of this?! You ran from the village! You attacked our sensei! You’re one step from become a rogue ninja and ending up on a hit list! Like heck I’m staying out of this!”

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“Like heck it does! We’re teammates, Kiyosuke! Friends! And I’m not letting my friend make such a big mistake!”

“Mistake? The only mistake I made was wasting time playing around with kids like you.”

“What did you say?!”

“Leave, Nagahiko.”

Nagahiko reached into his hakama and pulled out a kunai knife.

“You know what? Fine, be a jerk like usual. I’ll just beat the crap out of you and drag you home myself.”

Kiyosuke’s eyes narrowed.

“You can’t beat me, Nagahiko. Leave before you get hurt.”

“Make me!”

Nagahiko vanished. Kiyosuke lifted his hand, holding a kunai. A metallic clang rang through the field as the two knives clashed, Nagahiko reappearing in air. Kiyosuke pulled his arm down and twisted his body, slamming his leg into Nagahiko. Nagahiko cried out as he bounced along the field.

But he stood back up.

Nagahiko brought his hands together, moving them in complex shapes.

“Grass Needle no Jutsu!”

The grass around Nagahiko stood straight and angled towards Kiyosuke, then fired off, sharp edges glinting in the moonlight. Kiyosuke drew his sword, streaks of light arcing around him as he sliced each blade of grass in half.

“Really, Nagahiko? That’s never worked.”

Nagahiko smirked.

“Made you look! Vine Rope no Jutsu!”

A vine crept along the ground and wrapped around Kiyosuke’s leg, pulling him to the ground. The vine wrapped around his legs and started wrapping around his torso. Nagahiko leapt into the air, flying towards Kiyosuke with his fist pulled back. Kiyosuke brought his blade up.

A gust of wind blew through the grass as Nagahiko’s fist slammed into the flat of the blade. Kiyosuke smirked.

“Phantom Slash.”

Despite his blade remaining in front of him, a streak of light cut through the vines. He brought his leg up and launched a straight kick into Nagahiko’s stomach, sending him flying back once more. Both he and Nagahiko stood to their feet. Nagahiko glared at him, furrowing his brow as he made a hand sign in front of his face. Kiyosuke scoffed.

“That again? It will never work. You can’t even control it.”

“I won’t give up! Hanshagan, activate!”

Nagahiko’s eyes grew as clear as glass, turning into polyhedrons with sharp angles. He glared at Kiyosuke.

“STAY HERE!”

The air shimmered around Kiyosuke, who looked around in a panic. Reflective surfaces continuously formed and faded in the air around him. Nagahiko grunted, veins growing around his eyes.

“...Idiot.”

Kiyosuke smirked and then vanished into a puff of smoke. Nagahiko gasped, the surfaces fading from the air and from his eyes with the sound of shattering glass. Kiyosuke appeared behind him.

“Clones are literally the first thing we learned.”

And slammed his fist into Nagahiko’s cheek.

Nagahiko lay flat on his back, panting for breath. He pulled his head up, his body trembling from the strain. Tears filled his eyes as Kiyosuke walked away.

“Why?! Why are you doing this, Kiyosuke?! Why would you betray the village?! Why would you abandon us?! Abandon Shio?!”

Kiyosuke stopped.

“What would you know?”

“What do I know?! I know we’re friends! We’re teammates! We’re shinobi! Members of the village! And you’re just going to throw us all away?! For what, revenge?!”

“Shut up! You don’t know what it’s like!”

Kiyosuke turned around, glaring at Nagahiko.

“You want to know?! Fine, let me tell you! What I go through, every day, while you play at being friends! Why you’re all just holding me back!”