Mission debriefing:

"A band of thieves this time..." Aethir stared at the woman ninja bowing before him, nodding. "Y-Yes... They've been robbing on our trading route, stealing some important good from other villages. It's gotten to the point to where we just can't have another robbery...! We're that low on stock!" Aethir stared, then nodded, but was curious of one thing. "If you don't mind me asking," Aethir began, glancing over to Kumo ninjas staring at him, "Why ask me first...? I mean...there are other capable ninjas here..." Aethir stared at the woman as she stared back at him before nodding. "Well...I figured the person who could take out the troll that has been troubling us for sometime...could practically do anything. Please, if it's too much trouble-"  "N-No no, I'll get to it." Aethir nodded before pointing at himself. "You can count on me. I'll get the job done." As the boy said this, the ninja gasped with a smile, Aethir waiting to hear the rest of the mission details. With a location in mind, Aethir simply nodded to the woman, soon walking towards the village's exit, on a hunt for the thief camp. "Wait a second..." Aethir blinked, turning as he heard the ninja woman's voice. "Perhaps there's an easier way to find them rather than just searching high and low throughout all of the land." The boy stood where he was, awaiting the kunoichi's plan.


The sun was high with a few dark clouds on the horizon, birds flying over as a robbed traveler walked down the path. The traveler had a wooden sakkat on their head, along with a scarf over their face, as they carried what looked to be a heavy bag. As the traveler paused to admire the sky, they heard rustling, as if someone was trying to creep up on them. "Hey woman," the traveler turned to a man with a large scar over his eyes, "Look, we don't wanna kill ya, but we might have to if you don't give up what's in that bag..." The 'female' traveler looked at the bandit with 'her' large blue eyes, soon looking over to two more bandits with katanas drawn. "Woman...? What makes you think that's a woman?"  "Well just look at that body! And those eyes...!"  "I think it's a man." The traveler sighed as the bandits continued to try and guess their gender. "Well at any rate, give us the damn bag and go...do something with your body, whoever you are."

The traveler remained silent, taking one single step forward before a banding put their blade next to their neck. "I don't think you heard my friend over there, so I'll tell you again," the set of blue eyes looked over to the bandit with his blade near their neck. "Put. The bag. Down-" Before the bandit could finish his sentence, the traveler did just that, small rabbits suddenly running out the bag. "What the-" the traveler quickly spun, slapping the thief with the back of their fist, the thief falling to that direction. As another thief swore at the traveler, the traveler rushed towards them. They took a swing at the traveler, their straw hat being cut slightly. The traveler delivered a quick punch to the thief's nose, causing him to stagger back. As he did this, the traveler heard heavy footsteps from behind them, turning to see a thief prepared to stab the traveler. However, what the traveler did was purposely jump back towards the running thief, leaning forward as the heel of their foot smashed against their chin. With a groan, the stabbing thief fell back as the backhanded thief began to swing wildly with their blade. The traveler casually dodged each blow, weaving out of the way, their robe being towards away. "Now we have you!!" the broken nosed thief cried, rushing towards the traveler with a swing. As the traveler paid attention to the way the backhanded thief was swinging, they stiffened their arm so that the swing was incomplete. They then turned to the other thief, making their own swing incomplete as well. From the traveler came a male grunt as he forced both attacking thieves back, away from him. Quickly darting to the backhanded thief, the male traveler crouch down, building strength into their legs as they flipped backwards, their foot smashing against their chin. As the other forced back thief came running in without a sword, the male traveler spun, attempting to hit the thief with the back of his fist. However, the thief blocked this and grappled the male traveler's arm, smiling to him. The traveler however soon suddenly crouched down. The thief was taken aback by this as the traveler put one of his be hands down on the ground, bending one of his legs, and soon forcing his bent leg to rocket toward the thief's face. As the foot made contact with the thief's face, the thief let go of the traveler's hand.

"Who the hell is she?!" the traveler groaned as both thieves gathered over to the still fallen thief, the three of them together. "I'm pretty sure it's a he!"  "How do you know?!"  "Well I don't think a woman can kick that much ass..."  "WHAT?!" Apparently tired of their antics, the traveler began to undo their tattered robe. It fell to the ground as the sakkat soon went flying as the traveler tossed it. Undoing the facial mask, letting it go so that it flew into the wind, stood Aethir with his large blue eyes. "I TOLD YOU!!"  "Wow, that is...one feminine looking man..." the boy practically fell over as he heard this from one of the thieves. "T-Take that as a compliment!"  "D-Don't worry, I will...!!" Aethir smiled and laughed, then regained his serious face.

The thieves were about to run until Aethir called out to them. "W-What?"  "I need to see your boss. If you have one that is." Aethir nodded as he said this, the thieves looking at one another. "You're not gonna kill us...?" Aethir blinked, soon looking at a sword that was stuck in the ground. He kicked the blade, causing it to flip upwards, the boy catching the blade boy the hilt. However, as the thieves tensed up, the boy bowed while holding the blade at to the thieves, the sword resting in both the palms of his hands. "I'm sure there's at least some amount of honor within you. You didn't kill me so suddenly, or while my back was turned. You out right showed yourself. So that's why I believe..." The thieves looked at each other again, soon back to the boy who was bowing before them, eyes closed.


As Aethir followed the thieves, the skies grew incredibly dark from the clouds. It looked as if it was about to rain, the group arriving to the camp. As Aethir entered, he looked around, noticing ugly glares he was getting, some with shocked expressions. "Eh, don't mind them," Aethir looked over at the thief with the broken nose, "They're big softies. Through here." As Aethir entered a tent, a rather tall shirtless man with scars all over his muscular body turned suddenly. "HEY. YOU FORGET HOW TO-" Aethir stared at who he thought was the thief leader with an  emotionless look on his face. The boy soon bowed, waiting for a moment before speaking. "Please," the boy began, the leader of the thieves staring at the boy with an annoyed look, "I request that you and your band of thieves leave at once." Silence fell in the tent, soon interrupted by the man's laughter. "Or what shrimp? You gonna take me down? You gonna beat the boss?" Aethir was silent until he raised from his bow, staring with the emotionless look. "I do not wish to kill you or your thieves. I don't believe in such a thing. It's the only reason why these men are alive." Aethir pointed behind him to the terrible looking men. The boss laughed as he pointed. "Three versus one, and you guys got beat by a damn shrimp?!" Aethir didn't react as the rest of the men in the tent laughed. "They are quite the warriors, bravely charging in for such a leader as yourself. Do not cast them out of your-"  "Shut up. I don't do that to my men." The boy stared for a moment as the man turned his back on Aethir. "We have this code. Honor code. We live by it. I live by it. So here's the deal," The boss turned to Aethir who grinned, cracking his knuckles and neck bones, "You kill me... We leave. You lose...? We kill you." Aethir nodded, the boss quickly shoving the boy away as he made his way outside. He began to hear shouting from outside, Aethir walking out to see what's going on. "I hope you don't get nervous with an audience, kid." Aethir looked around as he slowly entered the ring of thieves. "Dirty or clean, fight how you wanna." Aethir nodded to the boss, preparing himself for battle.

As Aethir stood there, staring at the man, he stared back with a large grin. Soon, the man sprinted forward, throwing a large fist towards the boy, Aethir leaning out the way, punching the forearm with the back of his fist, taking note of the strength behind his arm. 'It's not easily movable...' Aethir took note as he wasn't able to move or brush the arm aside with his punch's push. He hopped away, staring at the man turning towards him. 'I can't brush his punches aside like the thieves... I'll have to aim at some points to break him down...' As the man rushed forward, Aethir did as well, dodging the thrown punch, soon pouring all of his strength into his own punch, the jab making perfect contact with the stomach area. The man didn't react much to this as Aethir backed away. 'Built like a tank as suspected...I guess you have to be, leading a thief gang.' Aethir groaned, his fist stinging a bit. As the man roared, running towards the boy, Aethir leaped out of the way of his fist, delivering a counter blow to some place on the man's body. All over, even the crotch area, the man just did not react...! "Tired yet kid?!" the man roared, Aethir panting as he stared at the man. The boy soon gasped, narrowing his eyes at... the panting boss! He was getting tired!! Aethir nodded to himself. 'That's how I'll beat him. I'll wear him down. But it's not me being tired that's making me breath heavily...' Aethir panted more, his illness having had spiked from all of this fighting. He knew he wouldn't be able to punch as hard as he was, or dodge as quickly as he could...but he had the stamina still to keep up.

As the dodging continued, the man panted and sweated heavily, turning his head slowly towards Aethir. The boy smiled, turning twice, one to build momentum, and twice to deliver a roundhouse kick to the boss' face, the man grunted as he fell to the ground, panting. Aethir stood where he was, prepared to fight still, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. As the man quickly got up, Aethir crouched then flipped backward, delivering a kick to his chin. The man refused to go down this time, the boy balling up both of his fists. The boss stared dumbfounded as both of Aethir's fists, wrists pressed together, rockets towards his face, forcing the boss to fly back, out of the ring of thieves. As Aethir stood there, the boss glared at Aethir with one of his red eyes, red due to the roundhouse kick. "WELL?! ...KILL ME." the man shouted, Aethir shaking his head, standing where he was, still panting. "I don't believe in that..." Aethir spoke, staring at the downed boss. "D-Damn..." the boss laughed, rubbing his face. "That's one hell of a kick....shrimp..." Aethir continued to eye the thief boss as he got up. He shook his head, stretching. "Shrimp, if you ever drop your 'No Killing' beliefs, you'd be twice as strong...You know that, right?" Aethir shrugged, shaking his head. "No amount of power can replace a life. Not in my book."  "Even a life as vile as mine?" Aethir stared at the boss as he smiled with his bloody teeth. The boy stood where he was as the thieves began to pack up their camp. When the boss was about to leave, Aethir turned to him. "Yes," the boy began, the boss staring down at him with a confused look, "I'd spare any life. Any." The man blinked then began to chuckle. "I see you have your own honor code, huh kid?" Aethir nodded as the man shook his head. "And you're willing to die for those foolish beliefs...? In a world where killing reigns?"  Aethir closed his eyes for a moment before nodding. As the boss asked for the boys name, Aethir gave it to him, the boy commenting on his feminine look. The boss then gave a single 'hmph' before continuing his walk. "Kid," Aethir looked at the thief boss as he tossed a large black sheath towards him. "You probably won't be able to use it, due to you being such a shrimp," Aethir slowly drew the large blade just a few inches out of it's hilt, staring at himself in the reflection, "But I'm entrusting Ambi to you. Take good care of him." Aethir pushed the blade back into it's sheathe, looking at the man as he shook his head. "I have a feeling I'll die once I depart. So I'm entrusting him to you."  "Him...? Who's-" Aethir was going to ask the man a question, but the man began to walk away. Aethir looked down at the large sword, then back to the large man walking off with his gang, possibly the last time he'll see him...