| [Nov. 2nd, 2013|03:11 am] |
Katsuko snorted.
"A creampuff stuffed with wasabi, maybe," Genma said.
"And knives," Katsuko added. "Lots of tiny, vicious little knives."
"The attitude is a problem," Raidou agreed. "I think you're on the money with that note about respect, Ueno— He won't gel with us until he respects us, and this mission worked towards forging that. But he's the rookie, here; he's supposed to be earning our good favor." He sat back in his chair, fatigue clear in the curve of his spine. "I should put him on permanent latrine duty."
"He’d still hate us," Katsuko said. "Except then he’d smell like latrines while hating us."
Genma sighed. "We should figure out something one of us is better at than him, and give him that to do."
"Diplomacy," Raidou suggested.
"Making friends," Katsuko said.
"Okay, that would probably backfire," Genma admitted. "But it wouldn't hurt him to come face-to-face with the idea that he can and should rely on his teammates."
Katsuko toyed with her pencil and debated whether she should tell them that Kakashi was already starting to vaguely grasp the concept of teamwork.
I should stay, he’d said on the river boat.
It was a point in his favor, but she suspected Genma and Raidou would focus on the bit where Kakashi had considered abandoning Team Six at all—and she couldn’t tell one part of the story without including the other.
"I propose an all-out attack," she said instead. "An attack of friendship. Nobody let up until he’s a properly socialized member of our group."
"I foresee that after-school special ending in homicide," Raidou said, sounding fascinated despite himself.
"Maybe we should get some suggestions from the guys in T&I," Genma said. "That whole developing empathy with your captor thing."
"T&I can be Plan Two," Katsuko said. "Right now, Plan One is wearing down his mental defenses with kindness and persistence. I volunteer myself and Tousaki."
Raidou snorted laughter and studied her, thoughtful. "I’ll grant you persistence, but I think kindness would wear you and Tousaki out in an afternoon. I don't need Hatake to be a lap-kitty; I just want him to work with us. And blunt his attitude."
"Captain," Katsuko said. "Trust me. Tousaki could charm the robe off a Buddhist monk. I’m just gonna stand back and let him work his magic. And also keep Hatake from killing him."
Genma looked up soberly. "We might want to wait until Yondaime-sama is back in Konoha and everything's settled in the capital. Or as settled as it can be."
That put a damper on the room. Katsuko coughed and set her pen down. "The terrain reports are done, lieutenant. Where should I put them?"
Genma held out a hand. "I’ll take them. Thanks, Ueno."
She rolled her chair across the floor to give Genma the stack of papers. Then she rolled back, propping her elbow on her desk once she was close enough. "Anything else, taichou?"
Raidou looked down at the spread of paperwork on his desk, then back up at Katsuko and Genma. "Hospital," he decided. "Before I commit hara-kiri with a pen. That req form can wait until tomorrow, Shiranui. Let's get you both properly fixed up."
"Are we filing the ones we've already finished now, or do you want to hand everything in at once?" Genma assembled the many reports he’d completed in a neat pile and added his seal to each page of the terrain reports Katsuko had given him.
"Got enough chakra for a clone?" Raidou asked.
Genma nodded. "As long as we’re letting someone else do the rest of the healing jutsu for the day." The requested clone appeared in a puff of smoke next to his desk.
"Same for you, Ueno," Raidou said. "I want initial reports handed in— except Hatake left his, dammit. Forget to tell him it was personal turn-in only. I'll take care of his." He popped his own clone into existence.
Katsuko called up her clones, holding her arm close to her chest to protect her half-set collarbone. All their bunshin departed the office laden down with stacks of the completed reports. |
|