If Kakashi had been in Konoha, he’d be heading to the Stone right about now. On a solo mission, he’d already have struck camp and left.

Feeling restless, he settled on a fallen tree and made himself eat.

That lasted for all of three minutes, then Katsuko broke her meditation like a snapped wire, wandered over, and dropped down in front of him. “‘Sup.”

Kakashi gave her a wary look. “Yes?”

She propped her chin on her hand and studied him with open curiosity. “Still hate us?” she asked. “You’re more talkative today.”

If Katsuko had any underneaths beneath her underneath, Kakashi thought, it was only because she hadn’t had the chance to yell about them. He’d met more subtle hammers.

“It’s early,” he said, after a long moment. “I haven’t finished charging my contempt yet.”

“Take your time, sweetness.” She grinned like a jackal.

He did not get her pet names, unless they were just an easy avenue to getting under his skin.

Of course they were an easy avenue to getting under his skin.

“I should pack,” he said, and left her cackling as he went to re-don his armor and put his gear back into order.

Genma and Ryouma’s meeting broke up before he’d finished buckling his chestplate. Genma went to confer with Raidou. Ryouma quenched the fire, packed up the leftover dishes, and vanished every trace of the fire pit with an earth jutsu that swallowed it entirely. Katsuko made her clones pack her gear, which surprised exactly no one.

In relatively short time, all signs of a camp were gone, and five soldiers stood ready in black and bone and, for some, bed hair. Katsuko’s clones ranged around them like chatty magpies.

“Anyone who hasn’t already can get limber on the move,” Raidou said, voice cut sharper by the expressionless curve of his mask. “Any concerns before we go?”

Silence.

“All right, then,” Raidou said, and lit out.

The team fell into line on his heels, finding their places with relative smoothness. As they hit the edge of clearing, Katsuko waved a hand, banished her clones—and immediately stumbled over a tree root with a choking sound.

Genma and Ryouma’s heads snapped around. “Ueno?” said Genma, concerned.