Tsukiro easily kept up with Kisuke's speed. Such acts of speed were second nature to him after training with the Flash Master. Still, as he ran next to Kisuke, the feeling in his gut became more of a rock. As they ran further still, the rock became a boulder. In the end, he had to force himself to look at things from the Onmitsukido Perspective, as he liked to call it.
The words of his father echoed in his mind.
Emotions are hindrance in the field. They make you sensitive to the things that go on around you. When you're sensitive, you hesitate. When you hesitate, you're dead. And when you're dead...
"You fail," he whispered to himself, thankful that his words were lost in the howling storm.
And I refuse to fail my captain, or anyone else that relies on me...
So for the moment, Tsukiro just prayed that once they got there, Hyorinmaru was in a talking mood rather than a "bite your head off in one chomp and use it as a dragon chew toy until it turns to dust" sort of mood.
He clenched his jaw tight, steeled his eyes over, and pressed on.
Juushiro's figure appeared in front of them. He nodded, speaking in a curt tone in hope of hiding his sorrow.
"We are to hurry. Hyourinmaru seems to be expecting someone else to try to come through the weakened storm." He paused, as if wrestling with himself, and then added in a lower voice, "His rage is stayed for the moment. There is a message for Tsukiro." He turned back around, leading the way, letting his hair whip around in the wind and hide the bitter mask on his face.
In the end, he couldn't say the blunt truth.
Something was wrong, Kisuke could see it on Juushiro's face and hear it in his tone. When he turned and started walking away Kisuke stepped up to him, walking beside him.
"Its as we feared. Am I correct?"
He did not even look Juushiro's way as he spoke to him. He knew the answer already, but needed to hear Juushiro confirm the truth.
"Worse," Juushiro replied quietly, for his ears only. "Kita killed him."
Shock took over Kisuke's body. His legs would not allow him to take another step. He was frozen in place as Juushiro passed him and as his mind tried to process the information he had just heard.
Slowly, he rubbed his eyes.
"No. She can't." He lifted his other hand, placing it on Juushiro's shoulder to stop him as well. "She can't kill, Juushiro,” he stated. “It's not possible."
Juushiro turned. "Then tell me, Kisuke,” he murmured, his own voice now shaking, “is there a way -"
Tsukiro's cry interrupted him, the boy's demand riding over the captain's pressing question.
"Who?" Tsukiro's voice rang loud.
