A/N: This fan-fic is set after Love Hina Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its associated characters

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'Baka, baka, baka!' Naru thought to herself as she walked down the darkening street, her coat wrapped tightly around her to ward off the cold that was chilling her to her bones. There was also something else... something elusive, something that filled her with a sense of foreboding

She had been looking for Keitaro after he had run away again, it was... strange he'd had no reason to leave this time, he'd just upped and left no, no warning, no nothing.

'Keitaro, where are you' Naru thought. She heard footsteps behind her and she felt a twinge of panic as her imagination went into overdrive. The first drops of rain hit the pavement and the footsteps behind her sped up. Naru broke into a trot to keep ahead, the rain grew heavier and the footsteps behind her broke into a run. She ducked into an alley and the footsteps ran past, she looked out and saw a man running with his jacket over his head in an attempt to stay out of the rain

Naru let out a sigh of relief 'Time to head back home' She screamed out as a powerful hand clamped over her mouth and she was dragged bodily into the dark depths of the alley, she kicked and fought every inch of the way until a second man slapped her across the face.

"Hold still and you might not get hurt," said the person who was holding her, the second man brandished a gun menacingly and she stopped struggling. The first man threw her into a wall and laughed at her pitiful attempts to get up.

There was a hiss from the far end of the alley and after a moment a cat streaked out of the out of the shadows and into the street beyond

"Give us your money" ordered the gunman and waved the gun at her until his partner elbowed him in the ribs

"Maybe later, right now I've got a better idea" he said and gave the gunman a knowing look

"Ok, but make it quick" said the gunman, the man who had been holding her approached Naru with a evil grin as he fumbled with his belt

There was another hiss from the far end off the alley and a set of eyes. This hiss wasn't the normal hiss of a cat. This hiss had an edge. The two men froze and turned towards the eyes.

A figure emerged from the shadows

"Leave her alone" Naru blinked, that sounded like Keitaro but there was a tone in his voice that she hadn't heard before

Keitaro, if that is who he was and in Naru's mind there was no doubt, was wearing a hooded jacket that obscured his face, all she could see was his eyes that reflected the light eerily, like a cats

"Stay out of this weirdo" spat the gunman; he turned to face Keitaro and pointed the gun at him. Keitaro cracked his knuckle and started to approach him

"Hold it there or I'll shoot" Keitaro continued to advance "I told you to stop"

The gunman pulled the trigger and the shot reverberated around the alley; Keitaro stopped in his tracks and tentatively touched the bullet wound and brought his bloodied hand to his face. Then Keitaro did something very strange. He laughed, he laughed long and hard whilst the gunman stared at him with a horrified look on his face

Naru tried to get up and run away, the other man noticed and Naru found a knife pressed against her neck

Keitaro's laughter stopped abruptly and he covered the remaining distance between him and the gunman in a flash. He grabbed the gun with one hand and snapped the gunman's arm back on itself. The gunman gave a cry of pain before being silenced by a gunshot, then another, and then a third and final shot

Keitaro released his grip on the gunman and turned his attention to the other man, the gunman's lifeless body slumped to the ground, a pool of his own blood forming around him.

"Don't... Don't you come near me or I'll cut this bitch, I swear it, I'll cut her good" said the remaining man. He held a knife before like some kind of talisman; the point made erratic figures of eight in air and his eyes darted around wildly, looking for a way out.

"Drop it now" hissed Keitaro "I won't ask again"

The man grabbed Naru's chin and tilted her head roughly to one side and bringing the knife closer to her neck. Naru sunk her teeth into his hand. The man gave a yelp of pain and loosened his grip on her; she struggled out of his arms and fled the alley. The man automatically turned to chase momentarily turning his back on Keitaro. It was the last mistake he ever made.

Naru had only run a few meters when she heard the scream, she kept running, she didn't want to know what had happened. She finally stopped for after a few minutes of running and found herself in an unfamiliar part of town. She hid in a hedge when she heard footsteps not knowing if it was one of her attackers, Keitaro or someone else.

"Narusegawa" called a voice, she carefully peered out of the hedge and came eye to eye with her rescuer, his hood had been pushed back during the fight revealing a very different Keitaro than she was used to. He wasn't wearing his glasses and his eyes glowed when they caught the light, and there was blood on his face, his or one of the attackers she couldn't guess.

"Narusegawa" repeated Keitaro

"Baka! Don't you ever leave me again" she half shouted, half sobbed. She wound up for a Naru-punch but the attack had left her shaken and weak and she collapsed. Keitaro scooped her up in his arms

"Lets get you home" and began to carry her back to Hinata-Sou

When Keitaro reached the steps he hesitated and then cautiously began to climb the steps.

'If the girls catch me like this they will kill me' he thought

Naru stirred in his arms "Keitaro" she murmured

"Don't worry your almost home," he said

When reached the top step he carefully laid Naru on the ground

"Gomenasai, Narusegawa I can't stay here" he whispered, lights came on inside the Inn "It's not safe for you or any of the girls to be around me"

"Keitaro why?"

Some muffled shouting, Motoko's voice, the entrance door being thrown open

"Gomenasai, I have to go now, but I promise I will come back one day" then he pulled the hood over his head, turned and fled

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A/N: So what do you think, good start? Please read and review