| [Sep. 27th, 2013|10:33 pm] |
“Um,” Katsuko said, and then did not follow up with a ridiculous bullshit explanation about the less-than-fragrant demon head, which made Raidou stare at her. Was there, buried deeply, a kernel of respect for grandmotherly old ladies somewhere in there, or was Katsuko—like Ryouma—just so tired she’d run out of clever lies?
“It’s part of a monster we killed,” Raidou said. “We’re taking it home. Can we strap it onto the back without upsetting the balance?”
Granny Kawase judged the bundled head. “Should be fine if it’s right in the center. If it leaks on my boat, one of your people better be prepared to scrub.”
“I’m sure I can think of someone,” Raidou said, glancing narrowly at Kakashi’s grey head. “Rat, have your clones got things handled?”
Katsuko gave half a reflexive salute with her sling-bound hand and then froze, whole body carved into a statue of argh fuck ow. She shook it off a second later, but Raidou wasn’t blind. “They’ve got it handled, taichou,” she said. “If that’s all…?”
“Go rest,” Raidou said. “Take some painkillers.”
Katsuko threw a second, more careful salute, and staggered up the gangplank. She made a beeline directly for Kakashi and Ryouma, surveying them. When she’d found her angle, she folded down next to Ryouma, draping her legs across him, and attempted to prop her head on Kakashi’s thigh. Kakashi moved with his usual flick of speed; Katsuko’s head landed on a sheepskin. She grabbed for him, protesting, and wound up with an armful of confused cat.
Disturbed by the shenanigans, Ryouma rolled halfway over and tossed a sheepskin onto Katsuko, muffling her and the cat.
“Konoha’s elite is really a thing to behold,” Granny Kawase said. “I can see why you’re a world power.”
Raidou looked up at the bright morning sky, studying the fleet of scudding fluffy clouds—all that remained of yesterday’s rain—and decided that, yes, being sassed by an elderly boat matriarch was exactly the cap this mission deserved.
“We try,” he said.
Katsuko settled herself down, back-to-back with Ryouma under the haphazard tangle of sheepskins and felines. Kakashi sat at their feet with his sword in his lap again, leaning against a wooden storage crate. He wasn’t unlike a cat himself; close enough to watch them, but outside of grabbing range.
“Any sleep for you, captain?” Granny Kawase asked.
Raidou smiled wryly behind his mask. “I’m not sure I remember how it works anymore. I should catch up with the lieutenant. Make sure Hisa-san and her parents are settled. Find me if you need me?”
She waved him off with her stick, then stumped down the gangplank and around to the clones, re-organizing them like a tiny drill sergeant as they lashed the head to the boat deck.
Raidou headed into the tall, two-story cabin that had built directly onto the deck, stretching most of the boat’s length. Knots of the Kawase family clustered at every turn. He wasn’t sure how they felt about having ninja aboard. Granny Kawase had been welcoming. Her daughters—she had nothing but daughters and big, healthy, obedient sons-in-law—seemed mostly wary. The dozen children spanned an age range from sun-browned teenagers down to small babies, and were everything from indifferent to delighted. One of them tried to sneak a kunai from Raidou’s holster, but found herself holding empty air.
Hisa and her family had been installed in a small lower cabin, which was mostly used for storage. Three hammocks swung gently over boxes and crates, and the tiny room smelled of spices. Hisa was the only one in a hammock, bundled down beneath knitted blankets. Her parents, Masunosuke and Chiyo, hovered over her. As Raidou walked in, Genma took a green-glowing hand away from her forehead.
Raidou jerked his head. Genma bowed to the parents and left her.
“How’s she doing?” Raidou murmured.
“She's stable for now. I was about to set up an IV to try to get some fluids and glucose into her,” Genma said. There hadn’t been much success getting real food into the girl, even with Masunosuke’s patient efforts. “I was trying to figure out if I could do a chakra suppression jutsu on the demon larva without it affecting her chakra, too.” |
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