"More like a Kumo nin and his naginata, but yeah, something like that." Ginta shrugged a little lower in the bed, watching Kakashi. What the hell was it all about now, anyway? Kakashi was a broken, exhausted man, and he was worn to the bone himself. What was that touch for? Why did he reach out like that? Did it make any fucking difference at all?

Their tree house rocked gently in the wind.

"I had a mission to eliminate a really big deal government figure. It went all kinds of wrong. Team Badass--Ryouma tell you about them? They were stationed up near the border, keeping an eye on Kumo. I staged a lot of my operations up there from their base. He called me Seishi then. That's when I wore a mask like yours..." Ginta giggled hoarsely. "Maybe he's got a thing for masks and that's why we have this stupid little non-love triangle."

He wasn't sure of that flicker of a noise Kakashi made in response was a laugh or a cry.

"My cover got blown. I got run through with a naginata. I was lying there, watching my blood stain the daimyou's priceless silk carpet. Figured that was it for me. Then Ryouma breaks protocol and comes in like some kind of berserker, and he's got his team with him, and they got me out. Came pretty damn close to biting it, though."

He let his head fall back, and took another small sip from his bottle, then leaned forward to touch Kakashi's arm again. Knowing he shouldn't.

"Mission report said they broke protocol. Had to, or else I should have been dead. I never did find out if they got shit for that."