| [Dec. 31st, 2016|10:05 pm] |
“I melted two leeches,” Ryouma pointed out, sounding slightly annoyed.
Kakashi see-sawed a hand. “Ordinary skill-set. You could argue for a half point.”
Since that was a red flag to a bull, Ryouma spent six minutes arguing for his half point while Kakashi explained that, no, regular jutsu didn’t count, yes that included the chidori, no, basic life-saving was a standard skill set, yes, if Ryouma completed a full healing jutsu he’d get at least ten points…
“Hatake,” Kuroda snapped, interrupting Kakashi mid-sentence, “Up front and do your job.”
Reluctantly, Kakashi peeled himself away and jog-trotted back up to his place by Fukuda. Ginta gave him a knowing look on the way, which he ignored after a moment’s debate about drowning the tiny lieutenant in the next leech pool. Fukuda greeted him with indifference, and Satomi with half-hidden scorn. Kurenai offered the faintest of smiles and a murmured comment, almost a compliment, on the useful way he’d helped everyone not die.
The rest of the journey to Isonade Cove proceeded without incident, ignoring a minor moment of concern with a giant snapping turtle. They reached a steep, volcanic cliff edge just as the shadows were beginning to stretch long, and the ocean breeze greeted them with cool success. The descent to the beach was a relatively simple matter of chakra-walking down the cliffside, trying to avoid disturbing sea-bird nests. Ginta collected handfuls of eggs. Ryouma and Raidou had a slightly more difficult time, but only because they had to balance a turtle shell piled with butchered meat between them on a vertical plane.
A cluster of caves afforded enough safety to build a fire away from prying eyes. On the principle of standard mission tradition, the officers collapsed with relief while the rookies took stock of supplies and prepared an evening meal. Between them, they spit-roasted fish and created a kind of egg-drop turtle soup garnished with a leafy local plant that Fukuda swore was edible. (Added after she ate several leaves and failed to expire.)
For water, sealed jugs sufficed.
Kakashi took watch at the cave’s entrance, picking pieces of hot, fire-charred dartfish off a skewer, and listened to the surf break against the sand. In the distance, shadowed by thick mist, the tall edge of a landmass turned blue as the sun slipped down to the horizon. The sky was deep, deep red, fading to black as stars appeared, gleaming like bone chips.
“We leave in an hour,” Kuroda commanded the group, behind him. “Make whatever preparations you need.”
In six hours, Kakashi judged, they’d reach the edge of Kirigakure. |
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