Where It All Began

Kim shrugged. "They're around and about," he said with a smile. "They stop by often enough that even I wonder how I get anything done." There was a knock on the door and Kim chuckled. "Speak of the devil. Be right back," he said, pushing himself out of his recliner, with a very slight sound of discomfort. As soon as he opened the door, Kinou barged in in excitement. "I gotta show you something," he said happily. He didn't look any more than fourteen years old.

Kim grinned lightly. "Calm down little brother. Can I at least introduce you to my other brother before you start speed talking?" he chuckled.

Kinou blinked and looked around. "Who- oh! Hi!" he exclaimed, finally seeing Felix. He looked to Kim. "Who's he now?"

Kim grinned, giving a light laugh and walking over next to Kinou. "Kinou, this is Felix, Suki's husband. Felix, this is Kinou, the youngest of my non-blood related siblings," he grinned, putting a hand on top of Kinou's head.

Felix smirked when Kim said he wasn't sure how he got anything done. Nodding slightly, he looked to the door when a knock sounded. Watching Kim get up, Felix waited. When a kid came bursting through the door, Felix blinked. He'd taken a pipsqueak runt to be his brother? Felix blinked when Kim called the kid little brother, that hit very close to home. He gave a small smile to the hyper active teen. "Hi." Felix watched as Kim put his hand on top of the kids head. It was like deja vu. Felix tilted his head slightly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," he said, then turned to Kim excitedly, digging something from inside his jacket. It looked like he'd taken a bunch of metal pieces and made something workable out of it. "Look!"

Kim sat on his feet in front of Kinou so he could get a better look at what the kid had in his hands. The boy was fairly short. Taking it, Kim examined it for a few moments before his grin started fading. He looked at Kinou, who was still grinning. "You can teach me now, right? How to make guns? I can learn it, I swear! I won't complain or anything!"

Kim handed the makeshift gun back to Kinou and stood back up. "No. I told you already, I'm not going to teach you how to make them," he said simply. "There's plenty of other occupations you can use your skills for. Gunmaking isn't one of them."

Kinou's excitement visibly died. "Why not?? I can do it, I can build stuff too! I wanna build guns like you!" When Kim shook his head, Kinou's hands clenched and he threw the makeshift gun on the floor, stalking towards the door. "Fine! I don't need to make those stupid things anyways," he huffed as he slammed the door behind him.

Kim gave a light sigh before heavily sitting on the recliner once more. "Sorry bout that," he apologized, looking to Felix.

Felix sat on the couch quietly. When Kinou showed Kim the makeshift gun, Felix's blue eyes shinned a bit. So, the kid wanted to follow in Kim's footsteps. It didn't look like Kim wanted that though. As the scene unfolded, Felix remained silent. He needed not to get involved. Watching Kinou leave, he looked to Kim who was apologizing. "Don't worry about it." He then paused. "If you don't mind me asking, why won't you teach him? Is it because of what happened to you, or is there something else?" Felix was just curious, the kid seemed motivated, so why turn him down?

Kim looked to Felix with a small smile when the guy asked why. "No, you were right with the first one. There's a lot of dangerous people in this city, who'd do anything for the kind of knowledge someone like me has." He looked down. His usual grin was gone. He felt bad about turning Kinou down like that, but it was for the kid's own good. "And besides, he's only a kid. Kid's don't need to know how to make death machines."

Felix blinked. He was just looking out for the kid and Kinou was taking it the wrong way. Felix sighed, kids were so troublesome. He looked to Kim, the guy seemed down about this, but Felix didn't know how to help. "He'll understand eventually," Felix told him. "Don't let it get you down. You're not exactly appealing when you look all depressed like that." Felix was trying to make the guy feel better. Kids don't need to know how to make death machines, but children who are ninja can easily become machines. Felix sighed as he thought about Kana. He'd had a job to protect her and he'd failed it. He hoped she was okay.

"Yeah, I hope so. He has a good heart, but sometimes I wonder if he'll forgive me for not teaching him, ya know," he said with a sigh, leaning back in the chair. Kim couldn't help give a small grin as Felix tried to cheer him up. He gave a small chuckle. "Thanks."

Felix smirked when he saw the grin. "There we go, much better." His blue eyes shinned lightly and then he looked to the door. Felix couldn't give a proper response to Kim when he wondered if Kinou would forgive him. Sometimes it was better to not teach a person. And yet some of us are stupid enough to go through with it. Am I the cause of Kana's leaving? If I hadn't taught her, would we have ever gone on that transfer mission? Felix held back a sigh. He wanted to drink away his problems, but that probably wouldn't be the best idea. Although Kana had been missing for nearly fourteen years, he was hoping she'd come back eventually. If he would forgive her for the jutsu she'd used on him, that was a different story.

A couple days passed after that before Kim got a call on his house phone. "Hello again Kim." Kim froze in place, and was silent, so the voice of Aussir continued. "It's been over a month since we've last talked. Over a month since four of my men were killed by your ninja. I've grown tired of your games, so I've decided to speed things up. Say hello," he said, to a person on his side of the phone.

When Kinou's voice sounded, Kim's eyes widened in fear. "H-hello? Wh-who am I talking to?" he seemed to ask Aussir. And then Aussir spoke again. "Hear that? I believe this is your little brother, isn't it?"

Immediately Kim was enraged. "What the hell have you done to him?!"

"Oh ho, calm down, your brother is fine. Perfectly fine for the moment. But he won't be in a couple days. That is, unless you bring those blueprints we've been discussing. And leave that ninja of yours out of this. In two days I'll call you again with your answer. If you agree, you'll get a phone call every ten minutes from me, telling you where to go. If not...well, I think your poor little brother might've just gotten so depressed by your lack of willingness to teach him, that he'd hung himself. Such a shame that would be. Choose wisely." Click.

Kim looked at his phone for a few minutes, before falling back onto his couch, his face pale. That demon had Kinou. He'd kill him. Before Kim didn't care that they'd been pestering him, but now that man had gone too far! He'd...he'd have to give them the notes. He swallowed. Then more innocent people would be killed, by his weapons. Sitting forward, Kim put his head in his hands. He couldn't bear such a thing on his conscience. There had to be another way.

Kim paused. There...there was another way. But he'd promised himself he'd never do such a thing. He couldn't use his own weapons for something like that. Then again, Aussir was no innocent life. Kim sighed, turning and laying face down on the couch with his arms outstretched over the arm of the couch. He forgot he'd left his door unlocked.

Felix happily dropped off Suki's lunch like he always did just because it was nice to see her midday. Afterwards he headed over to the local convenience store and picked up two beers. He wasn't sure if Kim drank, but he was thinking they could just chill out or something. With a bag in hand and his eyes bright he went to Kim's house. Trying the knob he was surprised it was unlocked. Did Kim know he was coming. Felix shrugged and slipped in. When he saw Kim laying on the couch he grinned. Was that guy sleep? Stealthy he walked over, pulling a piece of ice that had been stuck to one of the bottles, he let it drop down the back of his shirt. Felix then took the pleasure of putting his hand on Kim's back to keep him from squirming. All the while, Felix was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Kim didn't hear his door open, he was too busy thinking about what he was going to do about this little issue. His eyes widened when he suddenly felt something extremely cold on his back, and he immediately went to sit up, but something held him down. When he turned his head to see who it was, he clicked his tongue. "The hell man, let me up," he complained, trying to squirm away. "Where the hell did you get ice from?" He hadn't forgotten about what was going on, and the agitation shown in his voice. "W-wait, how did you even get in? I always keep my door locked," he asked, still trying to get up. "Will ya get off me already," he whined.

Felix's grin spread when he felt Kim try to get up. He gave a small snicker as Kim complained. "I think I'll let you suffer a bit longer," he said. "This is payback for kicking me off the chair." He raised the bag when questioned about the ice. "The store of course. I didn't just prance in here, go to your fridge, get ice, and put it on you, that would be rude." Felix's eyes glowed, although he noted Kim sounded agitated, he read it as the guy was just pissed he got caught off guard. His fault for leaving the door unlocked. "I didn't break in if that's what you're assuming. Your door was unlocked, don't know why though." He shrugged. "You shouldn't sleep with your door unlocked, stuff like this happens." He looked down at the brown eyed mechanic. "Just a few more seconds. The ice should melt soon, then you'll be fine. In the mean time, why not have a beer." He slipped one out of the bag and handed it to Kim.

Kim really wasn't in the mood to play with Felix right now. Shit was happening. He wished he could tell the guy what was going on, but if he did..."Tch, I didn't kick you off anything. I persuaded you to move," he protested, finally giving up and propping his head up with his hands, a small shiver running down his spine. "I hate the cold," he muttered. "And I wasn't sleeping." He glanced at Felix when he said he'd get off him soon enough. He'd get him back for this. "What do you mean should melt. You better not have put dry ice on me," he joked with a small smirk. A smirk was all he could manage right now. He was glad when Felix offered him a beer. He didn't drink often, but now was one of the few times he would. "Thanks," he said, taking the beer and cracking the cap off easily. He worked with molding, cutting, and fitting metals, if he couldn't crack a simple cap, he'd be ashamed. "Now get off me," he said, taking a sip of the beer before giving a light sigh. Yeah, he needed this. Hell, if Felix left soon enough, he'd probably go out and buy a six pack to last him through the next two days. He didn't plan on getting binge drunk, but alcohol, even a little bit, had a sort of calming effect on Kim.

Felix looked at Kim when he spoke of hating the cold. "That I shall agree with you," he said with a tiny smirk. "But the couch thing I shall not. You tired murdering me with your feet," Felix said, still not letting Kim up. "As for me putting dry ice on you, please, I am not that cruel. If I were to do that you'd be screaming in raw agony." Felix gave a huff. "You're supposed to be smart...." He shook his head and then let Kim up. "Happy now you big baby." Blue eyes shinned and then sat on the arm of the couch, hoping Kim would move so he could actually take a seat. Opening his own beer he took a small sip. It had been a while since his last drink, he was almost excited.

Kim gave a light chuckle when Felix said he tried murdering him with his feet. "Did not." He rolled his eyes a bit when Felix said he was supposed to be smart. "I was joking, idiot," he said with a small grin. When Felix let him up, he chuckled softly. "Sure am." He sat up with his beer in hand when Felix sat on the arm of the couch, pulling at the back of his shirt to get it to stop sticking to him from the wet of the ice. After a moment, he sat back, taking another drink of the beer. The grin was absent from his face. He wanted nothing more than to be left alone right now to think about what he was going to do about the situation. There had to be a way to save Kinou without giving up the blueprints and killing the guy. There had to be.

Felix looked at Kim curiously. Why was the guy acting so strange. Felix didn't know him all that well, but didn't he seem to grin and joke more than this? What was wrong with him today? Maybe he was just not feeling all that great. Felix was considering leaving him alone, but instinct told him otherwise. "You did try murdering me," he stated simply. "I was so panicked." He put his hand to his head. "It would have been the end of me and Suki would have been grief-stricken. Shame upon you and your evil ways. All so you could have the couch to yourself. How stingy of you." He lifted his beer casually. "To Kim, the man who tried to replace the incredible silver haired shinobi, Felix J. Kuriyama." He took a swig of the alcoholic delight and then chuckled.

Kim looked to Felix when he started acting all dramatic, raising an eyebrow. "And people call me over dramatic," he said with a light smile. "You were the one who wanted the couch to yourself to begin with, so it's actually all your fault," he said lightly. He wasn't really in the mood for jokes either, but he was trying. Maybe a bit more beer. Taking a drink, Kim scooted back on the couch a bit more so he could easily lean against the back cushions.

Felix looked at the guy with a smug look. "I'm not over dramatic. I'm just lively." Then he took another look at Kim. This was really weird. Kim seemed so dead. "Hey man, you okay," he asked curiously. "You don't seem like yourself." He wasn't trying to butt in, but he wanted to make sure Kim was okay. He didn't want the guy passing out on him and then trying to run him to the nearest hospital. It would be a much simpler solution for Kim to just let him know now. Felix slid onto the couch with a soft plop and leaned back against it, settling in. He could take a nap right now if he wanted to, but now wasn't the time.

Kim could agree with that. Felix absolutely was lively. More lively than himself right now. "Hm?" He asked, looking to Felix as the guy asked if he was okay. "Oh, yeah. Just...got my mind on other things. Sorry, I don't mean to be a downer," he said with an apologetic smile.

Felix quickly shook his head. "No, you're fine. I was just making sure you weren't gonna pass out on me." He leaned forward, glancing up at Kim. "If you want me to leave you to your thinking, then I will gladly go back to Suki's shop. She's not as busy today," he said. He didn't mind going away. He'd only been visiting Kim because he wanted to be friends with the guy. That and he was bored out of his mind. He should probably go speak to the Kage about giving him a temporary position in the village. Then again the guy would probably question him about it. Felix shook his head. So many complex decisions to make.

Kim looked at Felix. "Pass out?" He wondered why the guy would think he'd pass out. Oh well, aside from what was going on with Aussir, there was nothing actually wrong with Kim. "If you wouldn't mind. I don't mean to kick you out or anything, I just don't think I'd be much fun today," he told Felix. "Thanks for the beer though." Internally, Kim's mind was reeling. If he gave the blueprints to Aussir, the guy would use them against innocent people, as well as government officials. The guy would probably use the weapons against those in the officials' immediate family too. Kim wouldn't put it past him. But...he'd never taken a life before, of any living creature, except a few insects. And most certainly he had never seriously entertained the thought of turning his guns against another human. Kim looked down. He didn't know what the hell to do. All he knew was that he couldn't let Kinou die because of him.

Felix being who he was simply nodded. "Sure thing, if you need anything I'll be around town," he said. He then stood up and started for the door with a wave. "Hope everything turns out alright." He then disappeared out the door. Felix wasn't really going anywhere. He had a feeling something was up. If he was right, he'd be following Kim around, in secret of course. If he was wrong, he'd have wasted a whole day following after someone who didn't need his help. Grabbing some stuff from the local convenience store, Felix set up a mini stakeout near Kim's house. Popping a chip into his mouth he waited in silence, watching the house closely. Things seemed extremely dead, so it didn't take long for Felix to realize he'd wasted a perfectly boring day by doing a perfectly boring task. The next day he came back and watched in silence, only to see nothing unusual. The following day however he spotted something peculiar. Kim had a backpack. "Finally," Felix whispered as he rolled onto his back. "I was starting to get bored."

Kim hadn't decided yet, but when he got the phone call from Aussir, he told the man that he'd bring the blueprints. And that he'd come alone. What he didn't tell Aussir was that he was bringing a loaded gun with him, and not just any gun. His newest one, that was disguised. The first set of instructions that Kim got was to go outside the gates of the Gears and start towards the mountains. So, hanging up the phone and putting false blueprints in the backpack he was wearing, Kim headed out of his house, looking around. He still wasn't sure if he would use the gun, despite the fact that he'd gotten bullets for it. He'd never carried around a loaded gun before. It was...unnerving.

Kim followed the phone calls as they came until he found himself just at the base of the mountains, in a secluded area.

"How do I know you won't kill me and Kinou as soon as I hand over the blue prints? How do I know you're not going to bring your entire group there to ambush me?"

"You don't, just as I don't know if you'll bring your ninja friend. But if it makes you feel any better, I'll be there with one other person. Don't you worry Kim. I'm a man of my word."

Kim's hands clenched at the memory. He'd set Aussir up for failure. And the man didn't even know it. When he got there, he waited at the spot, where Aussir had told him he'd arrive in five minutes time.

Felix was keeping his distance as he followed Kim. Blue eyes narrow, he strained to here the phone calls that came every ten minutes. It was annoying to know that he couldn't make out what was being said, but Kim was visibly not happy by it. Felix was piecing it together slowly. Kim was meeting someone and he assumed that someone had to be Aussir. The question was, on what terms where they meeting after all this time, and why? Felix continued to stay back when Kim stopped at the base of the mountain. Eyes narrow, he watched in silence to see what going to happen. If need be, he'd jump in to help, but until that moment came, he'd be patient and wait.

Kim waited silently with his arms crossed, fidgeting with the fabric of his shirt until Aussir showed up. There was another man with him, pulling Kinou along. The kid had a blindfold on. Aussir grinned deviously before speaking. "I'll assume the blueprints are in that bag you're carrying." When they stopped walking, the lackey pulled Kinou to him and held a kunai just inches away from the boy's throat.

"You assume right."

At that point, Kinou spoke up. "K-Kim?" Relieved would be the only word to describe the sound of his voice right then.

"Hey little brother. You okay?" Kim withheld a sigh when the boy nodded ever so slightly. Kim pulled off his bookbag and threw it towards Aussir, which he caught. The other man still had a grip on Kinou's arm as Aussir opened the bag and pulled out a couple of the fake blueprints. Kim had stayed up most of the night drawing them, making them look as real as possible. If someone actually tried to make the things on the blueprints though, they'd fall to pieces at the first shot. "Let him go, you got your prints."

Aussir looked to his man, then back to Kim. "Know what. I think we'll keep him until we see if these actually work." When the guy said so, there was a moment of the sound of metal clinking before two shots sounded. Both Aussir and his lackey had holes in the center of their forehead before falling back, and Kim's hand was shaking with the smoking gun in it. Kinou stumbled forwards, quickly pulling his blindfold off. When he saw a dead guy behind him, he let out a small scream and stumbled backwards, falling over.

Kim, however, was frozen in place. He hadn't even thought about it. His body had moved on it's own, once Aussir had said that he wouldn't release Kinou. His hand shaking, Kim retracted his arm to look at the gun. He'd tested all his guns in the government's shooting range, so though he had never used guns for violence before, he was still an expert shot. Looking up, his face paled as he saw the blood soaking the ground and he brought a hand to cover his mouth for a moment so that he didn't get sick. Closing his eyes for a moment, he disassembled the gun without looking and shakily put it back into his coat. Walking over to Kinou, he knelt down beside the scared boy. "Kinou, are you okay?" Kim's voice sounded a bit thick, but it was soft nonetheless.

When Kinou looked at him, Kim noticed the boy was shivering slightly. "M-mmhm," he muttered, swallowing. "C-can we leave here...please..." Kim nodded and stood up silently, helping Kinou up as well before he started walking towards the Gears, looking back every now and then. He felt sick. Very, very sick...