| [Jun. 10th, 2013|01:42 am] |
“I have to choose?” Kakashi said.
His entire knowledge of Tousaki Ryouma was, so far, a half-remembered war record and two pieces of new information: the stories of his jutsu weren’t exaggerated, and he was a flirt.
A prickly flirt.
But Ayane had taken her irritation and her sword skills and her hipswing over there, and Ryouma was still here, wanting something.
“Not if it'd make you unhappy,” Ryouma said. “I told you, I'm a generous man.” He settled down next to Kakashi in an easy, hunkering crouch, arms balanced across his knees. Rain dripped from the ruffled tips of his short, dark hair. “You're one of the seven, in case you're curious.”
Kakashi had been curious, but he didn’t intend to admit it.
“I know,” he said instead. He was obviously one of the best candidates here. The sky was also blue.
Well, it was actually overcast and grey. But certain things were facts, was the point.
"Ayane, too, like I said,” Ryouma carried on. “And Takeshi, and Hakone, and Himura Tadao, and that blue-haired guy I don't know. And me, obviously.” He looked critically down the line of trees. “The Uchiha's one of the fence-sitters. Her taijutsu was kinda sloppy.”
The Uchiha in question was not actually outside of earshot. Kakashi felt the hot steel of her glare press against his mask.
Ryouma raised one long-fingered hand and gave her a little wave.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Kakashi asked, after a beat. Like a survival guide?
Ryouma blinked and looked at him. “Pissing off Uchiha? I think I can handle it, thanks.”
Well, yes, as challenges went, that wasn’t one.
“That’s not—” Kakashi said, then cut himself off. You might as well use resources while you had them, and this one didn’t seem eager to leave. There were two more ninja still waiting to demonstrate their skills; he had at least five minutes.
He turned to face Ryouma, rearranging himself to sit loosely cross-legged, and asked, “Your affinities—fire and water, right?”
Ryouma’s attention fixed on him, bright and sharp. He nodded, eyebrows lifted curiously.
Most healers were water-aligned, paired with wind or earth, but some of the strongest medics had fire in their blood. Rin did. Ryouma wasn’t a healer, clearly, but perhaps his jutsu came from the same source.
Which would be a shame—it was the one chakra talent Kakashi had no skill with. His lightning got in the way.
He leaned forward, letting his interest show. “Why rot?” |
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