| [Jul. 20th, 2010|01:49 am] |
It was one of the newer safe houses, built after the war, hidden in the leaves as only a Konohagakure way point could be. Genma looked at the trunk, trying to make sure he was indeed at the right place. One tree looked much like the others in the moonlight, but this one--yes there was the subtle spiral whorl where bark had been scored and chakra-healed. He pressed one gloved palm to it, feeling the flowing energy beneath the rough wood, then stepped back, called up his chakra, and cast the jutsu to unmask the concealed tree house. As his own life force mixed with the sealed chakra in the tree, steps appeared in the bark, carved into the living wood. Above them in the dark canopy, shadows coalesced into solidity, revealing a hidden building.
"Can you climb?" Genma asked, pointing up. "Once we're inside, I'll trigger the concealment jutsu again, so we'll be hidden."
Rina nodded, too exhausted to do more than pant wearily, looking up at the vertical distance as if it spanned miles.
"I'll be right behind you," Genma reassured. "Even if you slip." He could feel her eyes on him for a moment, and glanced down at a soiled, stained, battle-scored uniform, at dried blood smeared over his tattoo, and his own shaking, sweat-soaked body. "Just don't fall," he added with a wry smile.
He wished he could promise a hot bath at the top of that climb, but beds, water, and maybe something more to eat than just rat bars was the best he could offer. Actually, beds sounded mighty damn fine.
She gave him another unfathomable look, weary to her core. He wondered if it was worth the risk to give her another soldier pill, but with only ten meters between them and rest, he couldn't bring himself to do that. "Go ahead," he said instead, propelling her towards the tree with one hand. "If we're lucky there's a pot I can boil water for tea in, up at the top. The door is sealed with a standard trigram. Wait for me before you try to open it."
She rolled her eyes at him over that, and he suddenly remembered who he was talking to: seal specialist, right. Then she started climbing. Slowly, painfully, with none of the fleet grace a well-rested shinobi would have put into the motions. He followed close behind, sticking aching hands and burning feet to the tree with ebbing chakra that didn't want to flow through unruly, scar-twisted channels. At the top, she stopped to look down as he climbed up behind her. He caught up, fitting his body close to hers with an intimacy that didn't belong to the moment, reaching past her to disable the trap on the door.
"Okay, push," he said, as chakra flowed away and seals dissolved. And then they were in, Rina hauling herself up into a roll and resting on a spotless pine-boarded floor, Genma pulling himself after her, slamming the trap door down and reactivating seals and concealing jutsu.
One more step. One more step, he told himself, and struck a match to light a little oil lamp. It cast a warm orange glow over the tidy space. The tree house still smelled of fresh-sawn wood. There were three beds, a camp stove, and several shut cupboards marked with their contents: food, clothing, medical supplies.
Genma lay on the floor, heaved a huge sigh, and curled his hands in close to himself, trying to rub the ache away. "Okay. That was fun. Next time let's just go for coffee." |
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