"They do one with chocolate, too," Ginta said. "At that place. Is there gonna be dancing? At your party? It might be a little while before I can dance." Water helped, cold in his dry throat. He gave Ryouma a weary nod.

"They talked to me a while ago. Didn't debrief me yet. I was too out of it, I think. Kakashi didn't get hurt too bad fighting. It was mostly from the fire. And running. Had to run with me on his back. Or a clone's. He used up all his chakra and then he just kept popping pills..."

And running.

"We almost got to a safe house, and then... Had to fight. But then we were in the safe house. He passed out. I passed out. Slept a long time, but this..." A tiny hand wave, indicating his legs. "Got a fever."

And what had happened after that? Why had they run? Ginta didn't remember anything clearly after that strange confessional in the swaying tree house. "I don't know why we ran for it. I don't... I remember him translocating us, and being chased..."

And it didn't make sense. The only person who could really explain how they'd gotten home was lying comatose across the hall, holding a clone's hand.