Santiago
Ratssnick could hear them, over the clattering and clanging of his various tools and items, running behind him and leaping from tree to tree... He was outpacing them for now, but he didn't know how long that would last, as he never was the athletic kind of rat. 

Sure enough, much to his dismay, the sound of whistling wind caught his ears. With adrenaline now fueling him, Ratssnick clutched the handle of his device, and spun around with the intent of giving his attacker a full blast of the distracting smoke. However, despite having time to turn around, he hadn't the time to trigger the device... His attacker was simply too fast, resulting in an arguably *Worse* Outcome than if he'd simply been tackled from behind. 

Ratssnick raised the device in front of his face, feebly attempting to block the impact of the raccoon, however all this managed to accomplish was significant damage to his precious device. The impact from raccoons tiny frame traveling so fast dented the central chamber, which held the chemical solution used to make the smoke, causing it to explode out and knock Ratssnick flat on his back. The solution wasn't dangerous, merely smelt terrible, however... Because Ratssnick had dropped the damaged device on the ground... The pooling chemicals quickly came in contact with the still primed ignition-cell at the top of the device. *This* Was a problem. 

Normally the solution would be introduced to the ignition-cell in controlled amounts, creating a sizable but safe cloud, but with no way to limit the chemical solution now that it was removed from its chamber... The resulting '*Cloud*' was far from harmless. 

When the chemical solution ignited, both of them where instantly consumed by a rapidly expanding cloud of choking smoke. The cloud burnt the eyes, nose, skin that wasn't covered, and the lungs, it sizzled and crackled like an egg on a skillet... And the vegetation within said cloud quickly began withering and dying within seconds.
Love
Perhaps the smoke proving not to be phosphorescent proved to be to the ninja's detriment, for as the device slammed to the ground and filled the surrounding area, the raccoon fancied it to be the same attack as the first. Not knowing that the smoke was now dangerously corrosive, he took a few steps into the cloud, ready to apprehend the tinkerer. However, once he traveled into the center of the smoke plume, he realized the mistake he had made, as every inch of him seemed to burn as if he had been lit on fire. In an effort to save his eyesight, he shut his eyes tightly and fell to the ground, the most primal and guttural of yaps and screeches emitting from his masked snout. 

The pain was immense, so much so that it was all the small creature could do to stop from succumbing to the toxic fog. Multiple times, the shadow warrior attempted to stand, but was in such agony that he could only manage a few steps before toppling over again. His final attempt to stand caused him to fall over only a few inches from Ratssnick, choking and sputtering as he blindly felt around for any way to escape the smoke. The inventor now had a choice: leave his pursuer to die and make his escape or attempt to help him and risk capture.
Santiago
The Verminkin was also suffering from the terrible agonies of the, aptly named, *Pestilent-Fog*. Coughing and hacking painfully as his exposed flesh sizzled, but that was nothing compared to the pain within his lungs, only two lung-fulls and he was already coughing up purplish globs of coagulated blood onto the grassy floor. Yet, unlike his pursuer whom had the misfortune of joining him in the fog, Ratssnick did not succumb to the pain... He'd become quite familiar with the fog previously, who else would have a better understanding of the terrible pain it can cause someone, then the one who made it? 

With gnashed teeth, and a familiar guttural growl, the vermin fumbled through his satchel. His beady red eyes weeping trickles of blood down his furry cheeks, as he did. Yet despite this, he did not close his eyes, instead using the pain to keep his consciousness awake... Allowing him to retrieve the means to save himself. 

And his would-be attacker. Despite his better judgment, he slipped the first mask on over the raccoons face, taking a moment to pull down their own facial coverings as to not impede their breathing. Once on, and properly fastened so that no fog could sneak in, Ratssnick dawned his own. Taking a deep, bellowing, inhale the moment he had it secured. 

Though two were now safe from drowning in their own blood, the fog still burnt away at their skin, and... While it would likely dissipate before it could kill them... The fog would most certainly leave them in permanent agony, to the point where death might've been preferable. 
So... After grabbing ahold of the raccoons wrists... Ratssnick began dragging them out of the fog, groaning and grunting as he did. 

It was slow, and Ratssnick could feel more patches of his fur shrivel up and fall from his skin... Only to be replaced with blisters and burning sores... Yet, despite the immense pain, he persisted. 
Eventually dragging his attacker out on the other side of the fog. 
.

But, the Rat could not celebrate, while he had saved one of their own... He had no faith in the compassion of the other attackers. He was still just a pile of coin to them, as far as he knew.

So, after letting go of the unconscious raccoon a safe distance away from the fog, Ratssnick began trying to make his escape once more. 
Though, this time, he did not run... Nor could he even jog... His lungs burnt and his skin was in agony. The pain blurred his senses... Making his attempt to flee look more like a drunkard stumbling home from a bar. 

He would not make it much further...
Love
The footsteps of his pursuers would not be heard for quite some time, nor would the canopy rustle with the sound of approaching ninja for the next several minutes. Was it the fog that kept them away? While Ratssnick could not have truly known, it turned out that something else entirely inspired the halt of the shinobi's chase. The ninjas saw how the tinkerer handled their comrade who had become lost in the fog; it was a mercy that creatures of their profession were nearly never afforded. A person who would put their life on the line to save a shinobi was either a paragon of virtue or a follower of a similar lifestyle, but one thing the ninjas could be sure of was that this sort of kindness did not come from the heart of a thief. The clan was no longer interested in bringing him in; they wanted to know he truly was.

The sprint slowed to a walk as they allowed the rat to stumble nearly a quarter of a mile from the explosion, careful to ensure that he could continue to walk.

However, the tinkerer began to stumble and eventually fell backwards, but was intercepted in an instant by two of his former opponents, who each supported one of his shoulders and lowered him slowly down onto a soft patch of grass. The other shinobi soon caught up with Ratssnick; one of them carried their unconscious friend over his shoulder.

The leader of the clan walked over to the rat and retrieved a small remedy kit from his belt. After a few moments, he produced a minor healing salve and began to rub it over some of the inventor's blisters.

"Who are you?" That same small, yet powerful voice asked.