It was called Annie's, once. A long time ago, a mother of four with a talent for cooking turned part of her home into a diner, and a good one, too. It never expanded beyond the one location, and a new highway built nearby completely bypassed it, but the children and grandchildren had taken care of the place, cooking and chatting with the few regulars that kept the small business running. With its out-of-the-way placement in a small town, most people those days called it the Hideaway. It was a place people went to get lost.

And get some good food.

But the history of a little diner in the middle of nowhere doesn't exactly matter. No, what does matter is what happened there.

It was a normal day for the people at the Hideaway. The first few orders were placed and given even before the sun had fully risen, and it looked like it would a pleasantly sunny day. The customers and owners looked up as the bell above the door rung and, recognizing the form of the newest regular, went back to their business.

He was a bit tall, his head brushing the top of the doorway as he entered, with short-cropped hair and stubble on his face, wearing an olive coat that could be found in any hunting shop. Muscled arms could be seen beneath his tight sleeves and he walked a little oddly, like he was stomping a bit to make sure they heard his shoes hit the floor. His face was a bit rugged with the stubble and the thin silver scars under one of his eyes, which were a cold steel blue with an Asiatic tilt at the corners, and he wore a calm, friendly smile.

He took a seat at the counter and smiled at the waitress as she poured him a generous measure of hot coffee. "Mornin', Agnes," he greeted pleasantly, "My usual, please." He sounded inordinately pleased at making the order, and even more so when the woman smiled and nodded, as she knew what he was talking about.

He rubbed his hands together and added some cream to his coffee, smiling to himself as he took a draught of the hot liquid. Over the rim, his eyes flicked to the mirror behind the counter, taking in the people reflected in its surface. Most of the regulars were in their usual spots, though Mary had taken a seat with Andy and they both looked rather happy about it.

The pictures and various ornamentations were all in their places, though a few needed to be dusted, and none of the patrons were carrying, as usual. The man smiled to himself again and drank of his drink. He perked up as Agnes came back, sliding a plate of eggs, bacon and toast in front of him with a glass of orange juice on the side. "There you are, Saul," the waitress announced with a smile while she topped off his coffee, "Your usual. I added a bit of pepper jack to your eggs, tell me what you think."

"Without even taking a bite, I'm willing to bet they're as delicious as ever," Saul replied with a wink, the older woman batting at him with a towel. Acquiescing, he took a bite and groaned under his breath. "As I thought," he said, "Delicious as ever."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Dewitt." Agnes teased before striding off to make her rounds.

Saul dug into his meal, alternating bites between sips of coffee and juice as he made notes in a little black journal he slipped out of his pocket. It seemed like it would be a normal day.

That is, until the door opened again, and the bell chimed. Everyone in the diner turned and looked at the doorway in confusion. Saul was the newest regular, and he always arrived last. This person…was new.

They wore a baggy sweatshirt and pants that couldn't disguise that they were a woman with a great figure underneath, and the hood was pulled up to just above her large eyes, leaving warm cinnamon orbs and a few strands of similarly-colored hair exposed. The girl paused upon noticing that the whole diner's attention was on her, sighing inaudibly as they looked away and went back to their meals. She slipped through the tables and took up a spot at the booth farthest away from the door, with her back to the wall.

Agnes gave her a plain smile and set a menu in front of her. "I'll be back in a moment to take your order, dear," she said in a bland tone, pouring her a cup of coffee. It was a far cry from her usual warm, teasing personality, and it was something she did to every new customer.

The doe-eyed girl looked up at her in confusion as the waitress left, before turning to the menu and flipping it open. From his position at the counter, Saul could see her lips slowly move as she read the items, moving slowly as if she was having trouble pronouncing them. His eyes picked up on the way her fingers fidgeted every time the overlong sleeves of her hoodie slipped down her hands, how her eyes would surreptitiously flick up and take in the room every few seconds as if searching for something.

Interesting. Saul thought, stacking his coffee and juice on his plate and walking up to the girl's booth, setting his meal down and sliding in opposite her. "Hey there," he said cheerfully. "How's it going?"

"Uh…" She blinked, nonplussed. "…Fine?"

Her tone had a bit of lilt to it, the hint of an accent. Going by the shape of her eyes, she was probably Japanese. "Are you sure about that? No one ever really comes here if they're 'fine.'" Saul replied, making air quotes with his fingers. "They call this the Hideaway for a reason. Pretty much everyone who comes is hiding from something, or someone. See that guy by the window?" He pointed over his shoulder at a bald man with a square face reading a newspaper. "He's Vinny. Used to run with the Mob over in Chicago, until they asked for something he couldn't give and went state. Word is, he's here under Witness Protection; not that it could be proven, of course."

He nodded to the couple chatting at a table. "Mary had an abusive husband she killed in self-defense, while Andy over there used to be part of a cult. Everyone here is either running from something or trying to get lost." Saul eyed her over his coffee. "So, which are you?"

"Why does it matter?" The girl asked curiously.

Saul shrugged. "Well, I know pretty much everyone here, except for you. You're interesting," he said honestly.

She flushed slightly at the frankness of his admittance and the honesty in his eyes. "What makes me interesting, though?" she questioned, her warm brown eyes flicking up to meet his chilled steel, "I'm not anyone special."

The man chuckled quietly. "You sure about that?" He tapped the table with his finger and began to list off things. "When you first entered, you scanned the room, not that unusual when going somewhere new. But you didn't look at faces first, you looked at their chests and legs for concealed weapons. Then, you picked the booth farthest from the door and put your back to the wall. Again, not unusual for this kind of place, but noticeable. You flick your fingers every time your sleeves cover your hands, like you're unused wearing something with long sleeves, and your fingers are calloused and have small scars on them, so you've handled small, sharp objects for most of your life."

He paused to take a sip of his coffee, pulling a face at the taste. He reached across the table to grab a packet of fake sweetener, meeting the girl's wide eyes as he did. "You also have a bit of accent, just a little one, but noticeable if you know what you're looking for, and the shape of your face and eyes, along with the accent tells me you're Asian. If I had to guess, Japanese." Saul quirked an eyebrow at her, noticing that she was gripping the butter knife tightly. "Put that all together and-"

He flicked the unopened packet at her face like a throwing star and her hand blurred, catching it between her fingers before it even got close to her face. "-You're a ninja," Saul finished with a small, triumphant smile.

The now-revealed to be ninja tensed, her eyes looking from him to the room at large, as if calculating how quickly she could jam the butter knife in his eye and escape. "Who are you?" she asked seriously, "How did you see these things?"

Saul's smile turned humorless and he laid his hand on the table, a quiet click sounding out as a small blade emerged from under his sleeve, the sharp black tip digging into the wood. "I know a thing or two about ninja," he said simply, slipping the knife back up his sleeve and relaxing against the leather back of his bench. "Don't be so tense. I'm not here for you. Everyone who comes through here is running from something or looking to get lost. I'm part of the latter."

The girl relaxed, but not completely. "You never answered my question. Who are you?"

"The name's Saul, Saul Dewitt," he answered easily, "And you are?"

"K-Misty," she stuttered a bit and silently cursed when she noticed Saul's eyebrow go up.

"I already know you're Japanese, there's no need to hide that," he said simply.

'Misty' sighed a bit. "My name's Kasumi," she admitted.

Saul nodded in satisfaction and held out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Kasumi." He noticed that she was eyeing his sleeve suspiciously. "Probably don't want to shake my hand after I showed you the knife, huh? Don't worry about it. As I said, I'm not looking for you, just to get lost."

Tentatively, Kasumi reached out and shook his hand, noticing the rough feeling of his fingers, the small smooth grooves of scars nearly invisible on his skin. Her eyes narrowed a bit. "You don't just 'know a thing or two about ninja', do you?" she asked.

He simply smiled mysteriously as Agnes approached, clutching a notebook and a pen. "What can I get you, dear?" she asked in a bland tone.

Kasumi nervously looked down at the menu, having forgotten about it during the conversation. "Uh, um…er…" She bit her lip cutely and Saul found himself smiling.

"I'd get the eggs," he spoke up, getting her attention. "They're delicious."

The ninja blinked at him before nodding. "Yes, a plate of eggs, please." She glanced back at Saul as he tapped his last piece of bacon, then his orange juice. "And bacon and orange…juice?" The last part came out as timid question, which drew a small smile from the stone-faced waitress.

"Alright, your meal will be out in a jiffy," Agnes replied, tucking her notebook away and taking the menu under her arm.

"Ah, wait!" Kasumi protested, but it was too late. Agnes was already behind the counter. "I don't have enough money to pay for that…"

Saul waved her concern off. "Don't worry about it, I'll cover it for you. A bit surprising though, given that your clothes are brand new." He reached under the table and the girl squeaked. He brought it back up and revealed the tag he'd pulled off the bottom of her left pant leg.

"Oh, er, well," Kasumi hunched over. "I kinda…stole them…"

Saul chuckled, making her hunch over herself even further. "It's a bit funny that you feel bad about lifting some clothes, that's all." He said, leaning on his hand and sipping his coffee. "So, tell me about yourself, Kasumi. How does a kunoichi end up in America, in a diner in the middle of nowhere?"

Her warm cinnamon eyes turned hard as she gave him a surprisingly sharp glare. "I'm not a kunoichi. Kunoichi use their bodies and seduction. I use ninpo, which makes me a ninja." At his nod, her gaze softened. "You already know about me. Why don't you tell me about yourself? Why are you trying to get lost?"

Her meal arrived and she dug in, moaning at the delicious taste as Saul talked. "Well, I'm not really looking to get lost, I guess." He admitted with a shrug. "More like wandering, really. I'm looking for strong people to fight."

"Whuh?" Kasumi asked around a mouthful of eggs, before flushing and covering mouth. "Sumimasen."

Saul simply laughed quietly. "I told you the eggs were good," he said knowingly, "Well, I want to fight strong opponents so I can build up my skill and experience against different styles and people. My dad did something similar when he was young, and, well, I've always wanted to be like him. He said it was one the best things he ever did, walking the earth."

"Oh," the ninja said, "that's interesting. Where are you going from here?"

"Well," he reached into a pocket and withdrew a shiny plastic flyer and handed it to her. The First Ever Dead or Alive Tournament! it proclaimed proudly. "I got that a week ago. It's a tournament, inviting fighters from all over the world to participate in matches all over the globe, and the winner gets a million dollars and is crowned world champion. The strongest fighters in the world are going to be there, and I intend to fight them."

Kasumi's eyes narrowed on the organization running the whole thing, DOATEC. The person she was looking for…she'd heard he'd had dealings with them. If there really was a connection there, then the tournament would be her best bet to finding that man. "When does it start?" She asked suddenly, cutting across Saul's rambling.

He arched an eyebrow, tapping the bottom of the flyer. "Entrance matches are in New York, and if you get in, they'll send you to other locations in the world where the televised matches will take place." Saul gave her a curious gaze. "Are you thinking of entering?"

She nodded resolutely, chewing on a piece of bacon. "I am. I'm sorry, but it's not something I want to talk about right now." Kasumi apologized quietly.

"It's alright, we've all got secrets…" To her ears, he was definitely talking about more than herself. "Well, if that's the case…I mean, we just met, but-"

Kasumi glanced out the window and froze, finding two pairs of eyes staring stonily at her through the leaves of tree, a clear message written in them. Come out.

They'd found her.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to leave," Kasumi announced suddenly, standing up from the table and marching out of the door without another word.

Saul blinked at her sudden departure, somewhat stunned. Then, he stood up and shoved his last piece of toast in his mouth and made to leave. "Agnes, I'm paying for her, too!" He called, slipping a couple of bills out of his wallet. "Keep the change!"

With that said, he rushed out the door, following the flash of her dark blue hoodie disappearing into the undergrowth. He slipped into the bushes, dodging over fallen branches and thick roots, pushing through a bramble patch to emerge into a clearing where Kasumi stood, her back to him. "Hey, wait! I was just saying…"

He trailed off as he noticed the female ninja looking at him with wide eyes, as were the two ninja standing across the clearing from her. Both wore feature-concealing clothing that was loose but not baggy, one wearing black and the other grey. One had a wakizashi on his back, while the other had a katana. "Saul, leave!" Kasumi said desperately, waving him away. "This is personal!"

Saul chuckled, shaking his head. "I know we just met, but do you seriously think I'm the kind of guy who would leave someone alone to fight two people, even if they are a ninja…" He froze, spying the insignia on the leather weapon straps. "Holy shit, Mugen Tenshin."

The three ninja stiffened. How did he know that name? They all wondered. Their clan was well known, but only among other clans and a few governments, not something a random civilian would know on sight alone. One turned to the other and nodded, who made a noise of agreement and quickly took a stance before launching a small ball of fire at Saul, designed to knock him out.

Kasumi saw it coming and shouted, "Saul, look out!" But it was for naught.

…Since Saul somehow caught the ball of fire in his right hand and absorbed the technique. Visible energy glowed through his jacket as the fireball traveled through his chest, down his other arm and out of his hand. The ninja who launched the jutsu was so surprised, the returned technique hit her in the chest, throwing her back into a tree.

"Impossible," the other breathed. "You are no civilian! Who are you?"

Saul smiled, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a pair of high-tech holsters on his forearms. A pair of kunai sprung from the holsters into his waiting fingers, and he turned a smirk on Kasumi. "You were right," he admitted with a shrug. "I don't just know a thing or two about ninja…I'm a ninja myself."

The leader of the two man squad, the one with the wakizashi spoke up. "Whoever you are, unknown ninja, this is Mugen Tenshin business. Leave immediately, and you will not be pursued!"

"Let me think about that," Saul answered sarcastically, idly scratching his chin with a kunai, "You and your buddy here seem to be trying to attack this lovely young woman who I just met, but I can already tell how nice she is. So whatever you're trying to do to her…well, I can't just leave a pretty girl by herself, can I? So…no. Suck it."

The woman with the katana stood up, the front of her shirt smoldering. "So be it!" The leader said, before turning to the woman. "Take care of him. I'll deal with the traitor."

"Hai," she whispered, drawing her katana fluidly, the blade shining in the morning sun. Saul smirked and dashed forward, disappearing into a blur of leaves, metal clashing as her long blade met his short ones in a test of strength. She was surprised to find that his arms weren't shaking at all, and that he was grinning widely.

"This'll be a good test of my abilities!" He crowed, reversing his grip on his knives and twisting her sword up before flipping, kicking it into the air. As he landed, Saul launched both kunai and pinned the blade to a nearby tree. "There we go, good ol' fisticuffs."

The woman growled and launched herself at him, her swings coordinated and deadly as they traded blows. Saul blocked and dodged under a high kick, punching her in the thigh as he came up and landing a kick to her stomach that sent her stumbling back, gasping. He took advantage of her opening and crouched before leaping like a frog, slamming his shoulder into her stomach. Rolling up to his feet, he caught her arm and punched her in the face, seizing her other arm and slamming his forehead into the bridge of her nose.

He heard a sharp crunch as her head flew back and he smirked, pulling her into knee her in the stomach, pushing her back and grabbing her head, jumping and bringing her head down and his knee up. She went into the air and Saul went with her, landing a pair of kicks to her chest that rocketed her into the ground while he landed lightly.

Saul rolled his shoulders in disappointment. "Was that it?" he groused, cracking his knuckles. With the ninja unmoving except for the rise and fall of her chest, the male ninja turned to view Kasumi's fight, and his jaw dropped.

Kasumi flowed like water around every strike, punishing every missed blow with strong attacks of her own, her pure speed and strength severely outclassing the other ninja. She beat him down swiftly, stunning him rapid blows to the face and stomach before back-flipping and landing both of her feet on his face, sending him up into the air to crash limply on the ground. She peered down at the other ninja, finding him unconscious and stood tall, her back straight and head back.

"Hot damn!" Saul crowed, making her jump, as she'd forgotten he was there, "That was awesome! You kicked his ass!"

Kasumi flushed prettily, before she frowned. "It's nothing to be proud of," she rebuked sadly. "They're simply doing what they think is right." Having said that, she bowed to the unconscious bodies. "Please, forgive me."

Saul scratched the back of his head, somewhat confused. "Alright, they're your enemies. What do you want to do with them?"

Kasumi shook her head. "Nothing," she replied. "Leave them here." She turned away and made her way back into the forest.

Shrugging, Saul left the unconscious ninja behind and followed. "So, what I was saying before…I know we just met, but we are going the same way. I was wondering, do you want to travel together?"

The female ninja paused, glancing over her shoulder at him questioningly. "Why? My clan is chasing me…it would put you in danger." Her eyes narrowed. "And you lied to me."

He shrugged again. "Not exactly. I didn't say I was a ninja, I just implied. I should've figured out that you were running from your clan, though."

Kasumi stepped up to him, and even though she was nearly a foot shorter, she glared into his eyes. "Who are you, really?" she asked seriously, slipping into Japanese, "And no implications. Tell me the truth."

Saul's eyebrows went up. "The truth?" He muttered to himself, before nodding. "Alright." He bowed deeply, meeting her eyes. "My name is Shimada Ryoji. Please, take care of me."

"Shimada?" Kasumi wondered aloud. She'd never heard of a ninja clan with that name. Her eyes narrowed again. "So, you did lie to me."

"Not entirely," he said with a shrug, and she was surprised to realize he was speaking perfect Japanese, with a hint of city accent. "I was born Saul Dewitt. I was named Ryoji later. Both are equally my name."

"I've never heard of a ninja clan named Shimada," she half-asked.

"We're a secretive bunch," Ryoji replied, switching back to English seamlessly. "More so than most clans. I'm not surprised you've never heard of us. Them. Us." He shook his head. "Whatever. Anyway, what do you think? Want to travel together? It'd be nice to have some to talk to."

Kasumi drew back, surprised. "You still want to travel with me?" She asked. "Even after what happened back there? And not knowing why my clan is chasing after me?"

"Yep," he replied simply.

A wakizashi, the hilt decorated with a blue tassel, was suddenly at his throat, the edge nicking his skin. Despite the sharp blade nearly biting into his neck, Saul looked completely calm. "How do you know they aren't chasing me for a good reason? Like if I killed the clan head?"

Saul arched an eyebrow, hearing the subtle waver in her voice when she said 'killed' and 'clan head'. "Did you?" he asked bluntly.

Kasumi balked. "Well, no…"

"Then I see no problem," he said with a smile. "So, what do you say?"

Kasumi sheathed wakizashi under her hoodie and stepped back, thinking critically. While the man in front of her seemed friendly, he could have ulterior motives…though, he had stepped in the fight with her fellow clansmen, even though they gave him the chance to leave. Not to mention the strange ability he possessed, to be able to absorb and redirect ki…it was a useful technique, to say the least. And to be honest with herself, Kasumi was lonely. She'd spent months traveling across the world, looking for clues of the whereabouts of that man, and the only interaction she'd had with other people were the attacks on her person by the clan, and scrounging for food and clothing.

"I'll also pay for all of our meals," he added.

Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn't finished breakfast, her only real meal after two days of going hungry. "Okay," she nodded in acquiescence, "let's travel together. But no funny business, understand?"

"Of course, Kasumi," Saul answered soothingly, before grinning, "Though, if what I saw back there was even half of your capabilities, then I really want to fight you."

Kasumi blushed lightly, but returned fire. "Then you'll have to get to the finals of the tournament," she replied, surprised by her own confidence. "Because that's the only place I'll fight you."

His grin became even wider. "Than that's what'll happen." He held his hand out for her to shake. "We'll both get to the finals. Deal?"

Unlike before, Kasumi didn't hesitate to shake his hand. "Deal," she agreed firmly.

…

…

…

…

A/N: So yeah. I went to visit my sister and refill my think tank, and I played a good amount of DOA 5, which got me interested, so I did some research. I remember playing the earlier games when I was younger, but I don't really remember much besides jiggle physics. And not being very good.

But I did remember that I liked the arguably main character, Kasumi. Besides Ryu, that is. He was the coolest. But also fuck his game.

So, with my interest renewed, I did some research into the lore, decided I liked it, but it could use 100% more Saul! Or Ryoji. Both. Now, this isn't a Saul like you've seen before, backstory-wise, since he's actually a ninja. And in this case, he's actually half-Japanese.

Also, there will be elements of Overwatch present, not a bunch, but some, and they won't be exactly as they appeared in that. Guess who they are. Come on, guess!

So yeah, this is a bit of a test, see how people like it and if they want to see more. I mean, I'll write more if I want to, but it'd be nice if other people liked it too.

Big thanks to NorthSouthGorem and Kurogane7, as always, for editing and being sounding boards. Why don't you give them a look?

Stay Awesome.

~Soleneus

P.S.: Did you like Kasumi? I'm trying to make it so that she's sweet and a bit innocent, but also a complete badass ninja. Hope I succeeded, but if you notice anything off, let me know.

Stay Awesome Some More.

~still Soleneus