| [Mar. 5th, 2014|02:14 am] |
"I'll try to keep at least ten percent of my chakra in reserve," Ryouma said. "And avoid drowning."
Shit, he really had made a mess of himself on their last mission, hadn't he? While Genma fought demons in the forest and in the mountain, and healed himself and the poor rescued villagers and every damn member of the team...
And sure, Ryouma'd killed the queen, but he'd nearly flatlined himself doing it. Fat lot of good he'd been to his teammates for three days after that, too.
Genma's native chakra capacity wasn't any greater than Ryouma's. Was his control that much finer?
"Forty percent," Genma countered. "And definitely no drowning. No bleeding out either, while we're at it." He rubbed his new scar once more, with feeling, then dropped his hand and met Ryouma's eyes with that level, penetrating gaze. "You're not really dropping yourself to less than ten percent reserves on normal missions, are you?"
Ryouma shook his head. "My jutsu are chakra-intensive, but not that much. I've never had to be carried off the field before. Well— Not when I wasn't critically injured. I wiped myself out killing the queen 'cause I didn't see any other way. Thought I was dead anyway. Hell of a shock when the taichou pulled me out." He pushed himself off the bench, jittery, and paced a few steps. "How much d'you have to save to be worth anything as a medic, afterwards? Will forty percent really do it?"
Genma was silent for a moment. "Forty percent is optimal," he said at last. "More if your comrades are badly hurt." He looked out onto the field, where Katsuko was still apparently trying to burn down every shrub or bush before Kakashi could move enough water to put the fire out. They were both streaked with soot and smoke, and patches of mud were steaming. Katsuko yelled something and threw herself into a series of three backflips, apparently just for the hell of it.
Genma said, watching them, "I thought I was a dead man on that mission, too. In her lair." His shoulders were tight; Ryouma couldn't see his face. "I get it. I didn't exactly play it safe running that fever jutsu so high, trying to burn out the poison."
Ryouma remembered that raging fever, the shimmering heat-haze rolling off the lieutenant. Hot enough to warm even Ryouma's chakra-starved muscles. Hot enough to damage Genma's kidneys and liver as it burned the demons' poison out of them.
He cleared his throat roughly, then spun around and kicked the clay bench. Dried dirt showered down. "Well, fuck her. She's dead and it hurt like hell. And we won. So there." He shoved his hands in his pockets and lifted his head defiantly. "Want to go throw Kakashi in a mud puddle? I'll apologize afterward." |
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