[center][b]Katsuko Moto[/b]
[i]One last day to live...[/i][/center]

The orange-haired teenager put his hands in his pockets. He was still reflecting on what happened earlier. Tomorrow, he would be a Ghost ANBU. That means that everyone has to think he died. Including his family. Considering his father died not even a year ago, Katsuko couldn't imagine how much pain his family would go through if he were to die as well. He had already passed the village gate and was walking along the dirt road to the Moto Estate. [i]I need a plan,[/i] Katsuko began thinking. [i]I'll tell them that I'm going on a very tough mission tonight. The news of my death will be more believable that way. I just hope Keiko doesn't do something rash. I hope Mom doesn't cry...[/i]

He let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he walked. [i]I'm not actually dying, but it will be the same sort of thing. I won't get to see my loved ones again. But...[/i] He opened his eyes. His irises were no longer violet. They were red. [i]Why?[/i] He glanced around the trees as he walked, making sure he wasn't being followed. [i]They have been watching. But why? It doesn't make any sense.[/i] Katsuko stopped walking and took a deep breath. [i]Our tasks surely will be underhanded. This isn't typical mission work. The Hokage is putting us on the political field. We'll be doing missions that matter to the well-being of the village. But...[/i]

The teenager let out a shout of frustration, slamming his fist into the nearest tree. The trunk was absolutely shattered upon impact, bringing the tree down sideways and narrowly missing Katsuko as it fell. [i]Why does it have to be like this!?[/i] He brought his fist back, before taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. [i]Now think, Katsuko. It's clear that I won't be doing anything nice in the future. This isn't for helping people, it's for keeping the village safe. But... that can be done without having to hurt our own people. This is something more sinister. Could this be what Dad warned me about?[/i] Katsuko thought about it for a second. [i]I'm not sure. So far, I only have assumptions to go off of. I could be wrong. But my instincts are telling me this is all bad.[/i]

[i]And my instincts are never wrong.[/i]

Katsuko thought a moment longer, before putting his hands back in his pockets and continuing his walk home. He had to hop over the fallen tree, but it made little difference to him. [i]They obviously want us for our skills. Yumi may be stealthy, but the rest of us aren't. In fact, we're loud and boistorous. And destructive. So they want us for taking people out. Are we a hit squad?[/i] Up ahead, Katsuko could see the walls of the Moto Estate and the mansion poking out behind them. [i]No. It's not that simple or she would've outright said it. What we are is insurance. That's right. To keep things in line...[/i] Once he reached the gate, Katsuko took another breath to calm down. Gently, he opened the large wooden gate and even took the care to close it behind him. [i]I think I get it now.[/i] Katsuko continued walking, sparing a glance at the dojo he and his father had built. [i]This was the reason Dad didn't want to become Hokage.[/i]

Without knocking or anything of the sort, as it was his own home, Katsuko opened the front door and strolled right in. His red eyes toned down to a blue color and his frown vanished. [b]"I'm home!"[/b] Katsuko called out, stopping by the front door. Rather quickly, a white cat appeared down the hallway and strolled up to him, rubbing against his leg. He reached down and petted Hana a bit, before standing upright and walking into the living room. Finally, his mother called back. [b]"So soon? I thought you were seeing your team for a mission."[/b] Since she wasn't yelling, it was evident she was just in the kitchen nearby. [b]"We had a meeting. Tonight we'll be leaving to go on an S-rank mission. I'll tell you all about it when I get back."[/b] He felt guilty for saying that, but he knew he had to put up an act.

There was a silence, before Akira appeared at the doorway, leaning against it with her arms crossed. [b]"An S-rank mission? You be careful, Kat."[/b] He chuckled a bit and rubbed the back of his head. [b]"You know me. Nothing to worry about. It isn't my first rodeo."[/b] Despite the grin on his face, his mother seemed to not be buying it. [b]"Young man, you better promise me you'll be fine. I'm getting old and you don't need to be making me worry."[/b] Katsuko's grin vanished as he looked at his mother. She could see his irises turn to a violet color. [b]"I promise I'll be come back just fine,"[/b] he told her. A smile formed on her face. [b]"Good."[/b] As she turned away back into the kitchen, Katsuko felt a pang of guilt. Before he could sit down, the white cat jumped onto the couch, waiting for him to continue petting her.

He chuckled a bit as he sat down, and the cat immediately hopped onto his lap. [b]"You always act like you thought I'd never come back,"[/b] Katsuko said, his voice somewhat low so his mother wouldn't hear. As he began scratching the cat behind the ears, she began to purr. [b]"You should know better than that by now."[/b] Of course, the cat said nothing back and simply kept enjoying the attention. But Katsuko leaned back into the couch a bit more and continued thinking. [i]What am I going to do about Hana? She'll hear the news and the first thing she'll do is try to reverse summon herself. Once that works, she'll probably try to tell Mom that I'm alive. But I can't let her do that. I think she's going to have to stay with me while I'm in the Ghost ANBU. But then again... that really leaves Mom alone...[/i]

A scowl formed on Katsuko's face, but he let out a sigh and it vanished with it. [i]Maybe this is just a plot to get my mom to commit suicide. For fuck's sake...[/i] Katsuko looked down as the cat rolled over. It was clear she wanted him to rub her belly. As he obliged, his attention went back to his thoughts. [i]I don't see a way out of this. I wasn't given one from the start. Even if I did get myself out, they might threaten Mom. They could threaten Keiko too, but that would go bad. Threatening Keiko doesn't go well, and she has the Hon clan backing her up now. But... if Keiko somehow knew that Mom was in danger, she would be perfectly capable of protecting her from any threats. I don't see why Keiko would think she is in danger right now though... Meisa is a smart bitch.[/i]

Just as Katsuko came to that conclusion, he heard a poof sound and his hand felt skin instead of fur. As he looked down, his expression was one of surprise. [b]"Why aren't you wearing any clothes again!?"[/b] The small woman chuckled a bit, but didn't do anything to get off Katsuko's lap. [b]"I thought you were going to be gone all day so it wouldn't matter. But I have som-"[/b] Katsuko looked away as he interrupted her. [b]"You do this [i]everyday[/i] when I'm gone!?"[/b] Hana thought about it for a moment. [b]"Not every day. But listen, Katsuko. I heard you talking about going on a tough mission. You think I should tag along?"[/b] Katsuko glanced down, just far enough to see Hana's face. [b]"That won't be necessary, especially if you're going to refuse to wear your clothes. But don't worry, if I need you I can always summon you. Only takes me a second."[/b]

His response seemed to displease her, but in a puff of smoke she was once again a housecat. With a sigh, and then a chuckle, Katsuko went back to rubbing her belly. [b]"I guess some things will never change,"[/b] he said, before chuckling a bit. Then he heard his mother laughing from the kitchen. [b]"She's not the only example of that, Katsuko!"[/b] Akira called out. This earned a look of irritation, before he let it slide and began to laugh himself. [b]"I guess you're right!"[/b] he called back. As his laughing died down, he looked back down at Hana. [i]What if Meisa wants to put a seal on her, too? That crazy witch will. But... if Hana just stays like this, Meisa won't care about her. She'd probably argue and say it's pointless to bring a pet along, but there would be no way she could find out what Hana can do... unless... Damnit. She's probably been watching. I forgot about that. Crap.[/i]

Another sigh escaped Katsuko. [i]Sometimes I wish I was as smart as Dad. He'd find a way out of this. He always knew what to do. There's got to be a way. I can't be condemned like this. I'll never accomplish my dream like this. This isn't a force for good at all. What would Dad do...?[/i] Katsuko began to think hard, bringing his free hand up to his chin. He heard another poof, and this time he didn't even look down. [b]"Whatcha thinkin' about?"[/b] Hana asked him innocently. [b]"The mission. And if you're going to keep doing that you should put some clothes on."[/b] He heard a scoff. [b]"No."[/b] Another poof and when Katsuko looked down, she was a cat again. [b]"I bet even if other cats could do what you do, they wouldn't be such exhibitionists."[/b] The cat looked up to him now, seemingly confused. [b]"Going around naked all the time,"[/b] he clarified. With that new word added to her vocabulary, Hana lay back down again to accept her belly rub.

---

The sun was beginning to set now. Dusk over the Moto Estate was always beautiful. As Katsuko stood at the open front door, with a bag of clothes and such strapped to his back, he looked upon the orange sky. He had told his mother that his team would be operating in the dark, which is why he was leaving at this hour. The cover story was all set up. Meisa didn't ask him to do it, but he knew it would be the smart thing to do. And in the end, it allowed him to have one last dinner with his mother. He let out a sigh as he began to step outside. But before he could take a second step, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Turning his head slightly, he saw that his mother somehow snuck up on him. [b]"Kat,"[/b] she began. Her voice already sounded sad. Could she possibly know, despite his act? [b]"You make everything sound better than it really is. Just like your father used to. But I know S-rank missions are dangerous, even for someone as skilled as you. Please... make it home safe."[/b] His mother was only slightly shorter than him, so the difference in height between the front door and the ground allowed them to be eye level. The two looked into each other's eyes for a moment, before Katsuko entirely turned around to face her. [b]"I will, Mom. I promised, didn't I?"[/b] With that, she embraced her son in a hug. [b]"You did, and I believe you."[/b] Katsuko returned the hug, holding his mother tightly. It was difficult to act like he would be coming home tomorrow. He knew this was all a lie, and that when she was informed she would be devastated.

Katsuko was the one to break up the hug, taking a step back. Though his irises were violet, he gave his mother a grin and a thumbs up. [b]"I never go back on my word."[/b] A smile formed on her face. Katsuko had never really thought about it before, but despite the fact his mother was forty-two years old, she still looked relatively young. Her blonde hair made it difficult to see any gray hairs she may have. In fact, he didn't know if she even had any. Jinkama had always said this, but now Katsuko realized it was a fact: his mother was a beautiful woman. But this face, the face of the woman that raised him and loved him unconditionally... [i]This will be the last time I see it.[/i]

Still maintaining his grin, Katsuko turned around and began walking. His mother remained at the front door, leaning against the doorway. Next to her feet, the white cat appeared, also watching Katsuko as he walked to the gate. Once at the wooden gate, Katsuko took one last look back. His mother was still smiling, entirely believing in his return. His grin faded, but he made sure that they couldn't see it from their angle. With one last wave, he opened the gate and walked through, leaving his house behind. Once the large wooden gate shut closed behind him, he let out a sigh and looked up at the sky. [i]It's hard to believe.[/i] He remained standing in the same spot, looking up to see the stars starting to appear as the sky began to grow darker. [i]No.[/i] Suddenly, his irises turned red and he clenched a fist. [i]This isn't my fate. Dad always said there's no such thing. I'm still in control of my own life.[/i] He continued looking up into the sky, his fist beginning to shake now from how tightly he was clenching it. [i]I will prove Meisa wrong. The Hokage. The whole village. I will control my future. Not them. This is only the start.[/i] The ground beneath Katsuko began to crack slightly.

[i]I'm not dead.[/i]