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[COLOR=eecc30][sup][b]Iwagakure | C-B | Critical Defense Kunoichi[/b][/sup][/COLOR][/center][hr][INDENT][sup][COLOR=eecc30][b]TIME:[/b] [i]Present Day - Morning[/i] | [b]LOCATION:[/b] [i]Forest of Death -> Observation Tower[/i] | [b]INTERACTION:[/b] [@yoshua171], [@Ganryu], [@Syn] [@Reflection] [b]MENTION:[/B] [/COLOR] [/sup][/INDENT]

Āito had to react quickly to her surroundings. She had the unfortunate duty of monitoring more than a few things at once. First there were her snakes, crushed into the ground by her opponent. Luckily this gave her enough attention to make sure her Phoenix was flying around in a pattern unpredictable enough to keep Ai out of danger and stay close enough to both Ayame and herself to rescue either of them. Just as she was putting the finishing touches on the tiger to seal their opponent a wall of smog and flame quickly encroached upon her position.

Acting a single entity the Phoenix dove towards Āito, Ai still on its back. The bird flapped its mighty wings in order to protect the girl as she managed to skid along the ground, losing one of her three scrolls in the process. The bird’s flapping would aggravate the flames, but push the smog and the source of the technique back. Anything caught in those flames would feel the heat rise measurably. 

She readied her Tanto in order to face the next combatant that would approach her, allowing the Phoenix to once more retreat and keep Ai at a vantage. She made a knowing glance to the girl, she felt as though she knew who she was and it was brimming right at the edge of a revelation. But she just couldn’t peg it for certain. It irritated the Kunoichi immeasurably. 

And then it clicked. In the heat of battle, by a single statement.

[color=#ACECFC][b]“Aito, provide assistance to the others and us. If you see one of us use the Kai handseal it means we need you at our location. Otherwise we'll just use our names. Ai, for now at least...I'm Aya again, like when we were kids.”[/b][/color]

The statement must’ve replayed in her mind one hundred times. She had only heard one person call Ayame Aya when they were younger. During a training session. 

[COLOR=eecc30]“Kazue.”[/color] She said, her mind flashing through every short or even slightly longer conversation they had ever had. It felt like an eternity, but it was an instant. She felt a stiffness in her nose and a small shake enter into her fingers. She stifled the emotion and attempted to focus on the fight.