A/N- Well, chapter 3 already. Don't expect me to keep up this pace. I will most likely be random in my updates.

Not much to say otherwise.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Hopefully I went about this the right way. If not, then maybe I'll edit it.

Be sure to leave a review, favorite, and follow. Especially a review. They're what helps me to improve and correct mistakes.

Also, I will clarify something about the healing knife from chapter 1. Even if Tatsumi creates a new knife, it won't be able to heal someone who has already been healed by it. The body is only able to withstand the regeneration process once.

Disclaimer- I OWN NOTHING!

(-)

As Tatsumi slept he dreamt of battle. Carnage the likes of which he could never imagine. Death and destruction on a grand scale.

And with each battle he witnessed he gained experience. Archer chose to use a rather unorthodox style of fighting. He purposely left holes in his guard for the enemy to exploit. But by knowing where they would strike, he would be able to move first and counter. It was a very risky strategy, but it was an effective tactic against those stronger than you.

As Tatsumi watched the battles continue, he heard Archer call out to him.

"Given your current skill level, it would be wise of you to learn my style of fighting. You will not doubt encounter enemies who are vastly stronger than you. Especially if they posses a teigu."

'But... it seems pretty dangerous.'

"It is. One slip up and it could mean your end. So you just have to make sure you don't screw up."

'That doesn't really increase my faith in the style.'

"Regardless, I shall impart the knowledge of that style onto you. If you wish to train with me in a safe environment first, then I suppose I could do that. But true experience only comes from real battles. So don't expect me to go easy on you."

'I'm still not sure about this.'

"It matters not. Once you get the hang of it, the constant danger will become nothing more then an afterthought."

'If you say so.'

(-)

As Tatsumi slept, he never noticed Akame silently sneak into his room. The dark-haired girl walked up to his bed, and gently began to shake the sleeping boy. But instead of waking up, Tatsumi simply groaned and rolled over in his sleep. Releasing a light sigh, Akame grabbed Tatsumi's mattress and flipped it over. The teen was immediately sent hurdling through the air and landed on the ground with a crash.

"What the fuck?!" Tatsumi screamed as he threw the mattress off his back. He quickly scanned the room, looking for the one responsible for disturbing his sleep. His eyes glared at the red-eyed assassin when they landed on her. "What the hell Akame?!"

"Don't you remember what the boss said?" Akame asked in her usual monotone voice.

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"Boss told me to train you. So get ready and meet me at the training grounds, training starts now." Akame said as she turned to exited the room.

"But it's only..." Tatsumi turned to look at the clock in his room. "5 o'clock in the morning! Is the sun even up yet?!"

"It doesn't matter." Akame said, turning to face Tatsumi again. "I'm up this early every morning to train, and as long as you're training under me, I expect you to be as well. And try to stop with the yelling. Mine hates it when people interrupt her beauty sleep."

Tatsumi groaned. He really didn't want to deal with an angry Mine. Normal Mine was insufferable enough. "Okay, I'll be down in 5 minutes."

After getting dressed, Tatsumi quickly made his way down to the training grounds. Upon arriving, he found that Akame was waiting for him. The dark-haired girl was doing so warm ups and stretches. Tatsumi couldn't help but gawk as he watched the beautiful girl go through her various movements. She was incredibly flexible as shown by all of the angles she was bending her body at. The young mans face began to flush red, the somewhat suggestive poses that Akame was making caused his mind to go straight to the gutter.

"If you're done staring then we can get started." Akame's voice jolted Tatsumi from his perverted thoughts.

"Focus." Archer scolded. "Damn hormonal teenagers."

"S-so, what are we doing first?" Tatsumi asked, trying to control his raging blush from being caught.

"We're gonna work on your stamina. And the best way to do that is go for a run." Akame replied as she finished doing her leg stretches.

"That's it? We're just going for a run?" Tatsumi asked in a confused tone.

"How do you think I can move so fast? I've done dozens of speed exercises, and I always start with a morning run." Akame explained as she took up a sprinters stance. "Once you accomplish the goal I set for you however, then we can stop doing this."

"And that goal being?"

"Catch me." as soon as the words left her mouth, Akame took off down the path in front of her. Only a few seconds had passed and she was already almost a hundred yards away.

"WHAT?!" Tatsumi screamed, before taking off after the speedy assassin. "That was a dirty trick!"

"Quit yelling. You're wasting breath."

'Whatever. I just need to reinforce my legs and I'll catch her in no time."

"Denied."

'What do you mean 'denied'?!'

"The purpose of this exercise is to increase your stamina. If you just cheat by using Reinforcement then you'll never improve. Besides, it's not like you can use magic for as long as you want to. Eventually your body will tire, and then you'll have to rely upon your standard abilities. So for the time being you are forbidden from using Reinforcement during training."

'Grr! You god damned-!'

"Focus. You're losing her."

No matter how fat Tatsumi ran, Akame always seemed to stay ahead of him. His legs burned and ached as he tried his best to keep the dark-haired girl in view. The chase wound through the forest, past trees and over fallen logs. Akame appeared almost as a blur as she blazed a trail down her usual path. After almost an hour, Akame finally came to a stop. While Akame looked like she had hardly broken a sweat, Tatsumi on the other hand looked like he was ready to drop dead at any moment. His clothes were soaked with sweat and he was panting heavily.

"At least... I was able... to keep you... in view... the whole time... Fuck me..." he said between breaths.

"That's because I wasn't running as fast as I could." Akame said, to which Tatsumi slumped over in defeat. "But after todays performance, it has become clear to me that we have a lot to work on." Akame walked past Tatsumi and back down the path they had just run. "Time to head back. The next part of your training will begin when we get back to the training grounds."

'I don't think I'll make it back like this.'

"Fine. Reinforce your limbs if you must."

'Oh thank you!'

Prana flowed into Tatsumi's legs and he managed to stand upright again.

"Come on now. We're running late." spoke Akame.

"I'm on my way."

(-)

After another hour of training, Akame stopped to inform Tatsumi that they would be preparing breakfast for everyone. And it was with that, that Tatsumi found himself following Akame to the kitchen.

"And why are we cooking the food again? Don't you think we deserve a bit of a break after all that?" asked Tatsumi.

"This is the break. I'm responsible for cooking the bases meals. And naturally that duty falls to you as well. So long as you are under my tutelage, you are required to aid me in the kitchen." explained Akame as the arrived at the kitchen. She rummaged through the closet and pulled out two aprons before tying up her hair. "Tell me, do you have any cooking experience?"

"Well, some. Me and my friends learned how to cook so we could feed ourselves, but I wouldn't call myself a chef." he answered.

"Hmm, it will have to do. Now put this on." Akame said as she tossed an apron at Tatsumi. "I'm going to deal with the meat. You work on the vegetables and fruit." she instructed.

Tatsumi put on the apron and walked over to the counter where there was an assortment of fruits and vegetables. "So what exactly am I doing?"

"The fruit will be an appetizer, while the vegetables will either be steamed or baked. I want you to cut them up. And once you're done, get started on some rice."

"Aye, aye boss." Tatsumi said as he began peeling an apple.

"Fool."

'What now?'

"Do the vegetables first."

'Why?'

"She said they were going to be cooked. So they need to be prepared first. Whilst they're cooking you can do the fruit."

'Does it really matter the order I do it in?'

"..."

Tatsumi could almost feel Archer glaring at him.

'Hahh, fine.'

He put down the apple and began peeling some carrots before he started chopping them up.

"What do you think you're doing?"

'Cutting carrots. What does it look like?'

"Not like that you aren't. Your cuts are all uneven."

'Does that make a difference?'

"Of course it does. If they are differently sized then they will cook at different rates. Some may be overcooked whilst others are under cooked. Now start over and do as I say."

'Why are you being so critical of my cooking?!'

"If you are my reincarnation then I expect the quality of your cooking to meet my standards. I will except nothing less. But it seems that you require some work in this field. As such, I will now include memories of me cooking to your nightly dreams."

'Oh come on!'

"For now I will have you do as I say. And trust me, once we're done you'll be glad I forced you through this."

'Somehow I doubt that...'

(-)

"MORE!"

"Akame! Did you put something special in our breakfast today?!"

"This tastes better than usual!"

"I'm so glad I'm part of Night Raid!"

Tatsumi and Akame could only watch in stunned silence as the group of assassins devoured every last morsel that was placed on the table. It was as if they hadn't eaten in days.

Akame turned to Tatsumi. "What did you do?"

"Ehe, heh, heh... What do you mean?" he asked nervously.

"Something is different about the cooking. They've never reacted like this before. The only variable here is you. So spill it; what did you do?"

Tatsumi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I'm a better cook than I thought."

"TATSUMI!" Leone shouted as she shot up out of her chair and ran over to the teen. She then proceeded to suffocate him with her boobs as she hugged him. "Please marry me! I cannot go another day without your cooking!" Leone was begging as she wriggled her body and shook Tatsumi.

"Grr! So jealous!" shouted Lubbock.

"Ha, ha! Looks like Akame has some competition for being the bases cook." joked Bulat.

"I suppose that was a rather adequate meal." Mine said, trying to seem unimpressed.

"Well, I guess I should see just what all the fuss is about." Akame said as she made herself a plate of food and took a bite. The group watched in silence as Akame was frozen in place. She moved not a muscle, her face impassive.

"Uhh, Akame?" Sheele called out as she poked the girl.

Suddenly Akame sprang to life and shoveled the rest of the food down her mouth; right before she made herself another plate, and another, and another. There was barely any food left for Tatsumi to eat by the time she was done. Her eyes then snapped to Tatsumi, a certain feral look in them, almost predatory. She ran over and ripped Tatsumi from Leone's grip and pulled him to her chest.

"He's mine." she spoke in monotone, but there was an underlying threat to it. It was almost as if she was declaring him as her property, and that no one else was allowed to have him.

"Nuh uh! I called first dibs!" Leone shouted as she pulled Tatsumi back into her bosom.

"Well he's training with me. So by that logic he's mine." Akame reasoned as she pulled Tatsumi back into her embrace.

"Yeah, well I met him first! I was after all, the one who swindled him." the blonde said as she grabbed Tatsumi by the arm and pulled.

"That means nothing. In fact, he's probably still mad at you." the red-eyed girl said as she grabbed his other arm and pulled.

Soon it devolved into a tug of war with them using Tatsumi as a rope.

"Come on Tatsumi! Don't you want to be with onee-san?!"

"No! He wants to be with someone who can truly appreciate his cooking."

"Tatsumi! If you go with me then you'll have access to these girls~." Leone said as she lowered her tube top slightly to expose her cleavage.

"That's low Leone." growled Akame.

"You're just sore 'cause you don't have the same advantage." she countered with a smirk.

"Don't I get a say in this?!" shouted Tatsumi.

"NO!"

"Argh! I'm am so jealous right now!" cried Lubbock, tears falling from his eyes.

'Damn it Archer! You knew this would happen!'

"Hmpf, perhaps. I just didn't expect it to be this bad. But you can't say you aren't enjoying this. Two beautiful women are fighting over you after all."

'Yeah, but this fight is gonna kill me!'

Thankfully, salvation came from Sheele of all people. "Why not just share him?" she asked plainly.

The two girls stopped and took a moment to think about the possibility, and finally let up on dislocating Tatsumi's arms.

"Hmm, I'm willing to share if you are." spoke Leone.

"Hahh, I suppose I can work with that." Akame agreed.

"You do realize I'm a person right?" asked Tatsumi. "I'm not a childrens toy. I have rights!"

"Not anymore you don't!" smiled Leone. "Besides, what kind of guy doesn't want a harem?"

"ME APPARENTLY!"

"Come on Tatsumi!" Bulat called out. "A real man should be able to make all the girls that love him happy!"

"Whose side are you on?!"

"This isn't about love." Akame stated. "This is about food."

"Well you know what they say; the way to the heart is through the stomach." added Sheele.

"Come on guys, that's enough fooling around. We got to get going. That includes you Leone." Mine said as she got up and grabbed her stuff.

"Aww!" groaned Leone. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Mine shouted. "We all have a job to do! I don't care how much you like the new guys cooking, our job takes priority!"

"Tch, fine." Leone relented as she went to join the group. "But I'm not giving up on Tatsumi, you hear me Akame?!" she shouted as she pointed dramatically at Akame.

"Understood."

Once the rest of the gang left, it was just Tatsumi and Akame alone in the kitchen.

"So, can I have my breakfast now?" Tatsumi asked.

"Go ahead. Once you're finished we will do the dishes. And after that we will head out to take some lives." responded Akame.

Tatsumi sweatdropped. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"We're going hunting for dinner. I look forward to seeing what you can do with river tuna."

"Hmm, I can think of a few recipes."

'You're not helping!'

"Just taste the damn food you made and then tell me I'm not helping."

True enough, Tatsumi had yet to taste any of the things he cooked for breakfast, so this would be quite the experience.

(-)

"I told you it would be worth it."

'Shut up.'

"You can sulk all you want, I still know that you enjoyed it."

'I said Shut Up!'

"And the way things are shaping up, you'll have your own harem by this time next month. Really, you should be thanking me."

'You're making my life a nightmare! As much as I liked the cooking, I don't want to be stuck on kitchen duty! I'm an assassin for fucks sake!'

"Assassins need to eat too. And given their line of work, it would be best to treat every meal as your last. Because who knows, it just might be. So I expect you to maintain the level of food quality you had produced this morning."

'I absolutely loathe you.'

"Well, if that's the case, then perhaps I should leave you to your own devices. I'll stop my training sessions and you can struggle to figure out your powers on your own."

Tatsumi began to sweat nervously.

"But just know this; now that those girls have tasted your food, they will not stop until you provide for them again. And if your food were to suddenly, let's say, lose its flavor, then I'm sure they would riot. Trust me, I know."

'... My apologies master! I have no idea what came over me! Truly your food is that of the gods and I will be happy to prepare it as such!'

"That's more like it."

Tatsumi snapped out of his mental conversation and refocused on the task at hand. Currently he and Akame were hiking through the mountains south of Night Raid's base.

"Hey Akame, is it alright for us to be getting this far away from the hideout?" Tatsumi asked, glancing back at the sprawling mountains behind them.

"We'll be fine if we go a little further into the mountains. Actually, we should be there soon." Akame said as she pushed through the bushes in front of her. It wasn't long before they happened upon a large clearing with a pristine isolated river and waterfall. "See? Here we are."

"Wow... What a nice place." Tatsumi said in awe, completely unaware of the fact that Akame was stripping out of her clothes behind him.

"We must eliminate the underwater prey." Akame stated as she tossed off her shirt.

"What are you... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Tatsumi exclaimed as he looked at Akame with wide eyes. The dark-haired girl had shed her clothes and was now dressed in a small red bikini. Tatsumi's entire face burned red at the sight of Akame's beautiful body. Watching her stretch was one thing, this was something else entirely.

"Get your head out of the gutter." Archer scolded.

'R-right.'

"I need to be able to move fast in the water." Akame explained as she walked over to the edge of the water. "So I shed all unnecessary clothing."

'Oh... That makes sense then.' Tatsumi thought, suddenly feeling stupid for overreacting.

"We'll be hunting river tuna. That is the goal for todays hunt." she said before diving into the river.

"But... aren't those the extremely rare and cautious fish that-" Tatsumi was cut off when several tuna literally exploded out of the water and landed in Akame's wicker basket. 'What the fuck?! Is she fishing with dynamite or something?!'

Moments later, Akame resurfaced for a quick breath of air. "Erase your presence and swim along the riverbed. When the prey comes close, you strike in that instant. You will need to give it everything you have. Can you handle it?" Akame explained.

"Bring it on!" Tatsumi exclaimed as he ripped off his shirt and dove in the water.

(-)

"So..." Najenda said, taking a bite out of her delicious tuna. "In the end Tatsumi managed to catch four... That's pretty impressive for your first time."

"Hey..." Leone said, nudging Tatsumi in the shoulder. "Is it true you yelled 'bring it on' as you ripped off your clothes?" Tatsumi's face flushed red in embarrassment as Leone leaned in closer. A shiver ran down the young mans spine, when the busty blonde whispered in his ear. "Because if it is, then maybe you can give me a preview in private later~."

"That's enough teasing Leone." Najenda said, grinning at the madly blushing Tatsumi. "The poor kid looks like he's about to pass out."

"It's not teasing if the offer stands~." Leone whispered as she gave Tatsumi one last sultry wink before returning to her food. Tatsumi's face was now a shade of red that rivaled Akame's eyes.

However said girl glared weakly at Leone. "No hogging."

"I already said I'm willing to share him. Provided he can still make enough food for the both of us."

"My fate has already been decided, hasn't it?" Tatsumi asked.

"Yep." both girls answered in unison.

Tatsumi sobbed as he lay his head down on the table. "Just my luck."

Najenda cleared her throat, getting the attention of the assassins. "Anyway... Akame, how was Tatsumi's first day of training with you?" asked Najenda.

"He needs work..." answered Akame between bites.

'Shit. She doesn't think much of me at all.' thought Tatsumi. 'And I can never tell what she's thinking either. I'm still too weak!'

"But... he shows great promise." said Akame in monotone praise.

'Really?! I do?!' thought Tatsumi in surprise.

"Hmm, that's good to hear." said Najenda before turning her attention to Leone and placing her chopsticks down. "Leone, tell me about the request you received the other day."

Leone suddenly turned serious. "Yes boss. Our targets are Ogre of the capital guards and an oil merchant named Gamal." Leone explained as she clasped her hands together on the table. "According to the client; Ogre has been accepting bribes from Gamal. Apparently, every time Gamal commits a crime, Ogre has someone else take the fall for him. The clients fiance was framed for one of the crimes and was put to death."

Tatsumi clenched his fists in silent rage.

"While the fiance was in prison, he heard the two discussing their crimes and managed to send out a letter to our client so that she would know what happened to him." Leone then pulled out a sack of coins and placed it on the table. "This is the payment for the job."

"That person saved up this much money?" Tatsumi gaped.

"I could smell venereal diseases on her." Leone said in a dark tone with fists clenched. "She must have been forced to sell her body to anyone willing to pay in order to save up the money."

"That's... horrible." spoke Tatsumi.

"... Have you confirmed the clients claims?" asked Najenda as she lit up a cigarette.

"They're guilty." answered Leone. "I observed them for a time from the attic of the merchants shop where the two of them discussed their dirty dealings."

"Very well." Najenda said as she took a drag of her cigarette. "Night Raid will accept this request. We will deliver punishment upon the heads of these heinous monsters. And send them to the hereafter."

"Taking out Gamal will be simple." said Leone. "But Ogre will be a different matter entirely."

"How so?" asked Tatsumi.

"Ogre the Demon. That is his moniker. He is called 'The Demon' because his skills with a sword make him an object of terror to the criminals of the capital." explained Leone. "He is usually seen with his merry band of lackeys as he patrols the city streets. But other than that he hangs out at the garrison HQ. Gamal comes to his private room to give him bribes. Due to his station, on his days off he spends time near the palace drinking at bars on main street."

"Looks like our only shot is on his days off." said Tatsumi.

"But the security around the palace is tight. For Akame, who's face is plastered all around the palace, this will be a tough mission." said Najenda

"Shall we wait for the rest of the group to return?" suggested Akame.

"But we don't know when they will finish their job." Leone pointed out as she leaned back in her seat.

"If that's the case, then just send me!"

Tatsumi said as he slammed his palm on the table. "I can take care of it!"

"So, you're saying that you'll take out Ogre?" Najenda asked with an amused smirk.

"Yes." Tatsumi said with resolve. "I'll take care of Ogre, and Akame and Leone can handle Gamal."

"As you are now, you stand no chance... even with your teigu." Akame spoke in monotone.

"While we stand here debating, there may be other innocent people being framed for crimes they didn't commit! If that's the case, I'll handle him myself!" Tatsumi shouted with conviction. "The feeling of having your most cherished person being taken away... I don't want anyone to have to experience that loss... So if I have to kill this fucker on my own, then I WILL do it!"

Najenda's cigarette twirled in her mouth as she grinned in approval. "Understood. I can appreciate your descision and your resolve. Go kill the demon. Akame, Leone, I'll leave Gamal to you two."

"You got it boss!" cheered Leone.

"How about that Akame?! When it's time, I can step up to the challenge!" said Tatsumi.

"... Where does this self confidence come from? You haven't had a successful mission until you've given your report." Akame said as she turned away from Tatsumi. "As you are now, so full of yourself, you'll end up dead."

"Wha!" Tatsumi's would be rant was cut off short when Archer spoke up.

"She's right you know. Don't get ahead of yourself or you'll just end up dead. No army that has fought with an overly optimistic outlook has ever lasted very long."

"Damn it." muttered Tatsumi. 'I'm definitely going to succeed and make you see me in a different light.'

(-)

The next night Leone led Tatsumi through the capital towards main street. "If you go straight that way it should lead you straight to main street." said Leone as she pointed down the street.

"Got it!" said Tatsumi.

"Hey Tatsumi. You wanna hear a story about Akame?"

"Huh?"

"When Akame was young both she and her sister were bought somewhere in the Empire. Poor parents selling their kids is quite a common albeit sad story." explained Leone.

Tatsumi's face turned sad at learning such a fact.

"She then got accepted into a training program for assassins along with other kids that were in the same boat as her. There, she learned how to kill people and somehow survived the hellish conditions." spoke Leone. "She worked under the empire, following their every order. She was the perfect assassin. But with every mission she carried out, she could feel more of the darkness within the empire. The boss, who was her target at the time, succeeded in persuading her to defect from the empire and join the Revolutionary Army who cared about the people... By that time it seemed that most of the comrades she had trained and grew up with were already dead." said Leone somberly. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" asked Leone.

Tatsumi huffed with his hands on his hips. "As an amateur I should I should shut up and listen to the professional killer, right?"

Leone smiled gently and let out a slight sigh. "Well, you'll understand if you are successful today."

"Yeah! I'm definitely going to do this!" shouted Tatsumi as he made his way down the street.

"Good hunting!" Leone said as she gave a thumbs up.

As Tatsumi walked the streets, he heard Archer speak to him.

"You remember the plan right?"

'Yeah. I approach Ogre and lead him away from the streets. Once I have him out of sight I kill him.'

"Remember, don't hesitate and make sure the opponent is dead before you celebrate, alright?"

'Got it.'

After a short while, Tatsumi found his had just left a bar and finished talking with some people so now was the time to strike. "Uhmm... Ogre-sama?" Tatsumi called out.

"Hnn?" the man grunted as he turned to face Tatsumi. "What is it?"

"I have something I would like to speak with you about."

"What? Spit it out then." Ogre grumbled.

"Talking about it in the open like this would be a little problematic. Perhaps we can hold this discussion in this alleyway?" Tatsumi suggested as he gestured to a nearby alley.

"Hnn, fine. But make it quick. This is my day off and I have places to be." Ogre said as he followed Tatsumi. "This should be fine right?" 'I don't sense any danger coming from this kid.' Ogre thought as he stared at Tatsumi.

"Yes, this will do just fine." Tatsumi then turned to face Ogre. "I beg of you! Please let me into the capital's defense force!" he said as he bowed on his hands and knees.

If Ogre was taken aback by the sudden proclomation he didn't let it show. "What?"

"I must earn enough money to send back to my home village in the country sir!" sobbed Tatsumi.

"Haaahhhh." sighed Ogre. "I thought it might be something like this." he muttered as he scratched the back of his head. "Then apply through the normal process idiot!" he said as he waved Tatsumi off and turned to leave.

"But that takes forever!"

"I don't care!" shouted Ogre, his back still to Tatsumi. "It isn't my job to judge wannabe soldiers so just-" Ogre was cut off by the two and a half feet of steel that was currently plunged through his chest. "Wha..." he uttered before Tatsumi pulled the blade out.

'Don't hesitate. Ensure the target is dead.' he thought as he brought the blade around and decapitated Ogre, his eyes still opened wide in shock. The body fell to the ground as blood spurted out of the neck, making a complete mess of the alley. But not a drop landed on Tatsumi as he was already gone.

"Good. Now let's head back. The others should already be done with their target by now."

(-)

Back at the Night Raid base the small group of assassins was gathered in the meeting room.

"Good job on dealing with the target!" praised Najenda.

"Thanks! It was nothing!" boasted Tatsumi as he turned to Akame. "Not bad, huh Akame?" Tatsumi said with a smirk as he turned to face the red eyed assassin. "I've done my job, given my report, and done it all without getting hurt. Pretty impressive right?" Tatsumi said as his ego grew bigger.

"Tone it back a bit kid. All you did was kill a man. Nothing to be proud about."

'But he was an asshole who had it coming! I ain't going to lose any sleep over his death.'

"Yeah, not a scratch on me! That must be some kind of record." Tatsumi said as Akame approached him. "Now you'll have to acknowledge me-"

He was cut off when Akame suddenly grabbed his shirt and lifted it over-head, exposing his chest.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tatsumi screeched.

"Leone, boss, hold him." said Akame stoically.

"Understood." said Najenda as she grabbed Tatsumi's right arm.

"Oh, this seems like fun~!" said Leone as she grabbed Tatsumi's left arm.

"What's going on?!" shouted Tatsumi. "You can't possibly be wanting to have..." he trailed off as a blush graced his face. "Somebody help me!" he shouted as he struggled to escape his captors.

"Is this some kind of hazing?"

Akame then pulled down Tatsumi's pants, leaving him in his boxers.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" he shouted in embarrassment as Akame's eyes looked over his exposed body.

"Thank goodness." she said with a gentle smile which caught Tatsumi off-guard. "I've seen friends die from poison and infection because they wanted to seem tough and not report that they got hurt." she said with emotion for once. "But you seem to be undamaged."

'She really does care...' thought Tatsumi as he blushed.

"The mortality rate for those on their first mission is extremely high. You did very well!" Akame said as she took Tatsumi's hand and held it.

"Th-thanks..." Tatsumi responded.

"Akame was hoping that you would live." said Leone. "She would have been upset if you had died."

"Oh, really?" Tatsumi said as he looked to Akame. He noticed a slight blush grace her face and noticed that her eyes were focused downward. He followed them and realized that he was still holding her hand. "Gah! Sorry!" he said as he recoiled.

"Not a problem." Akame said as she lookd at her hand. "It was... warm."

"You learn to communicate with your comrades while cooking." started Najenda. "You learn to kill through a difficult hunt. Did you notice that everything you did in these days was benficial to you?" she asked.

"Eh... oh... really?" stuttered Tatsumi. He then turned to Akame. "Sorry Akame. I... misunderstood."

"It's alright." she said as she gazed into his eyes. "From hear on out, promise me that you will continue to come back alive, Tatsumi."

"Sure thing! It's a promise!" he said with a big smile. "Please continue to take care of me Akame." The girl blushed ever so slightly and turned away from him. 'What was that about?'

"I wonder what his intentions are whilst saying that almost naked." joked Leone as she held back her laughter.

"You're the ones that stripped me in the first place!" shouted Tatsumi.

"By the way Tatsumi, you'll be working under Mine next." spoke Najenda.

"Geh." Tatsumi exclaimed as he dressed himself.

"It's just one thing after another with you ain't it~?" teased Leone.

"I... I have to work with her?!" shouted Tatsumi.

"I sense trouble in your immediate future."

'So do I.'