I do not own Naruto, nor do I own Pokémon.
Kisame
Back at the small village, Kisame and Mei watch as the client flung himself towards Hoshiko-sensei, the thief they previously encountered nowhere to be found. Surprisingly enough, Mangetsu was lost in his own thoughts, contrasting his usual frisky and teasing behavior.
"Ooooh, thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyo—" Hoshiko-sensei's outstretched arm was the only thing blocking the sniveling client from barreling into her and letting the snot dribbling down his nose from her clothes.
"Okay bud. Slowly breathe in and out, remember you have a wife. Wipe your nose— h-hey! Not on my sleeve! That's disgusting!"
After recomposing himself, the client led all four of them to a small teahouse not too far from where they first met him. "A thousand thanks for returning my wife's ring! This shop is owned by her, isn't it just lovely? And—"
"Shinichi? Didn't you say you weren't coming back later this week?" a delicate voice resounded from behind the group. There stood a frail-looking woman with her teal hair pinned up in a bun, clutching at a tray in which various cups and a tea pot sat on.
So the client's name was Shinichi, and Kisame will assume that the lady is Riku, Shinichi's wife, if the name engraved on the ring was anything to go by.
"And are those shinobi? Are they…" who Kisame presumed is Riku trailed off, looking straight at the team. "Oh! Where are my manners, I still haven't introduced myself! I'm Riku Nakahara and this is Shinichi Kozu. Welcome to our teahouse, shinobi-san," she finished off in a bow.
"Right. Manners." Hoshiko-sensei jerked her thumb at herself. "Yuki Hoshiko," she pointed at the currently grinning genin who was back at his normal routine, "Hozuki Mangetsu," then at the auburn-haired kunoichi who rolled her eyes at him, "Terumi Mei," and finally to the shark-like boy, who was fiddling with the hilt of his katana "and Hoshigaki Kisame."
Civilians, in Kisame's opinion, were generally unnecessarily problematic and difficult to deal with. Most of Kiri's, for the least. They were squeamish and would fuss over the smallest of things, not to mention they always found a way to get back at someone, no matter how insignificant the matter was or how ambiguous the ethic of their ways were.
But for all that he knew, he could be wrong. Kisame tended to stick to infrequently used roads and alleyways, preferring to avoid the population. After all, his looks often attracted prying eyes, garnering him more than enough negative attention.
Riku swept her gaze over Squad Four's various members as their sensei announced their names, until at the last one, where she pinned her stare on Kisame. He fidgeted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, cursing his genetics having given him his more animalistic characteristics. It stayed so in that manner for a few moments, an awkward silence settling itself in the room as the intense stare continued lingering on Kisame.
It was… unsettling, to say the least.
She advanced towards him, every step as clear as they could be. Kisame braced himself for what might happen, either be a verbal or physical lash out. Civilians, even the brightest ones, have already shown to be able to be deceitful and shameless.
Riku raised her hand…
And pinched his cheek.
What.
"What a cute boy you are!" she cooed at an extremely bewildered Kisame. No one had ever shown such flagrant display of affection on their first meeting with him, much less a civilian stranger. The woman then proceeded to ruffle his hair, obviously enjoying herself. "And your teeth! Did you file them down or are they natural?"
"They're… I was born this way," Kisame managed to stammer out, still startled by her course of actions.
It was only after that his sensei decided to save the day along with his cheek, now starting to throb from the lady's death grip. "Hey, uh… I think you're scaring my student. Like, big time. Probably not a very touchy-feely person and his personal space bubble just got popped."
Riku then blinked owlishly at him and her face flushed bright pink in embarrassment. "Oh! I didn't even ask for your consent. How terribly rude of me! I must profusely apologize for my unprofessional behavior, Hoshigaki-san," she went into a deep bow, and didn't budge from her position until Kisame muttered out an 'It's alright'.
It wasn't that Kisame despised physical contact, it was just that he was more than slightly uncomfortable and awkward around it. Being isolated and singled out as an aberration early in your life might have a similar effecst.
Though he would admit that having human company who did not care about his abnormal appearances was nice from time to time.
"It's getting dark outside," the merchant mentioned, glancing outside the shop. "We have some spare rooms on the second floor, if you want to stay for the night. I mean, you don't necessarily have to live here for the night and we're not trying to gain a favor, it's just that maybe you four would be tired after the day and it would be a good idea to rest up before returning to the village?" his words hastened towards the end with him making exaggerated motions with his arms to try to convey his point.
"That would be awesome! What do you say, minions?" Of course, the team agreed, taking the opportunity to rest and relax and not wanting to have to travel all the way back to Kiri in the darkness of the night. They depart right away and sleep in the forest when needed and arrive sooner back to the village, but who would pass up the convenience of having a bed on your first mission?
The couple only had two spare rooms, and Hoshiko-sensei divided them by gender, much to Mangetsu's chagrin. Must have wanted to spend more time with Mei.
"Again, a thousand thank you's for finding my wife's ring!"
"And you four will always be welcome to come back at our teahouse! Have a nice day and stay safe!"
Decidedly, these two weren't too bad. The squad could come back one day, or he could visit them when he'll be able to take solo missions.
The trek back to the village went uneventful, save for Mangetsu's chattering and Hoshiko-sensei's occasional remarks about the few birds that would soar over their heads.
Kisame wondered how Ditto was currently doing. He had a few things to discuss with them after they signed into the village, back in the comfort and privacy of home.
Ditto
It was boring, but also exciting. Contradictory, but who cares? It's not like anybody could hear his thoughts (I'm still here! — Well, anybody from the outside, at least).
Admittedly, he had transformed into little animals Ditto had seen since his arrival in the Land of Water during the few nights, indulging himself in his urge to just explore anything worth or not exploring. Staying completely immobile for long periods of time could make just about anyone with a love of moving restless. As long as no one witnessed his transformations, he should be able to keep trouble at a minimum.
Currently, as Big Blue was strolling back to Kiri, Ditto could feel the slightly bent section of his blade. Those blows he received during his partner's fight were nothing to laugh at; he was even convinced that he would have snapped in half at some point from the intensity of the hit.
At some point during the walk, Ditto entertained the idea transforming into a bladed Pokémon, let's say a Honedge or an Aegislash, to see if the damage would transfer to a normally sentient being. He went against it, of course. Who wouldn't? Not only would the blade burst open the scabbard he was presently confined in, but it would also alert his teammates and teacher. Not to mention that Honedge's were known for their temper, and he would not risk accidentally sucking out his life source.
That would indeed be awful.
(Awfully awful I'd even say! — You sure are on fire today, aren't you? — Just stressed.)
He had also considered that concept during Kisame's battle, but also decided to not enact that plan at first. First of all, the shock that Big Blue would experience of having a weapon transform in the midst of the fight would make a great opening for the opponent. Second of all, sword-Ditto had felt another presence up in the trees, and he wasn't sure if they were ally or foe. They did feel familiar, hence he must have met them once. Third and finally, he did give his word to Big Blue that he wouldn't cause trouble and stay in a single shape.
But then Kisame's team got separated in the middle of the fight, and he was left to fend against the opponent singlehandedly. Already three versus one, they were already fighting on a losing side. On top of it, the adversary wielded two blades, from what sword-Ditto felt, having a clear advantage over Big Blue, who had only one, albeit longer and possibly sharper.
Against his better judgment, he had decided to use his ability to prevent the possible outcome of his friend's death. It wasn't that Ditto didn't trust his swordplay skill—Ditto was actually impressed at the dexterity the shark-like kid showed with a sword—, but it was that the opponent had two blades, not to mention had a higher speed than Kisame did.
(It might have jeopardized my promise to him, but if I just twist the words a bit, I wouldn't have broken that promise at all. A close call, but it will be still maintained.
…
Man, I sound like a jerk.)
So Ditto did what a Ditto could do. With a little twist this time.
He had a project of his own which he started working on a few years back, way before his arrival here. A custom move derived from his signature attack. He named it 'Partial Transform' (I might not come up with the best names, but you must admit that they're efficient), and as it implies, the move involves an incomplete transformation which gives him the freedom of having several partial transformations in place instead of the standard one full, perfect alteration of the whole body.
It was useful in more than one way, from the simplest, often overlooked features (You have no idea how useful it is to be able to talk without the use of proper vocal cords) to abilities that could decide the outcome of a death match.
Though there was a catch; the technique was still in experimental stages. It still had a few inconveniences, namely fusion compatibility or having it backfire, both leading to completely cancelling out the move and leaving him in a pile of goo and stunning for a good few seconds.
And those few seconds could make all the difference in both fight or flight situations.
On normal occasions, Ditto wouldn't be willing to risk it in any positions presenting any form of danger to himself, much less on a battlefield of all things.
But circumstances were different, and Ditto had found himself a friend and potential travel partner when the shapeshifter had wandered too far from home and had no Arceus-damn clue where he was. And that one friend was dangling between life and death, and are children here supposed to be fighting for their lives in their daily lives?
(Culture differences sure are apparent at this point.)
So he weighted the consequences of the three options he thought up of on the fly and settled for the second one, double or nothing. Because, well… it's split or goop. Doublade fusion or no blade.
(I ended up choosing a Doublade simply due to them naturally having two split bodies, as well as having the characteristics of a sword. Pretty useful, huh? Well, only useful if I can actually succeed the partial transformation.)
And the timing had to be perfect in order for Kisame to be able to recover from the confusion at the sudden transformation. Too late or too early might end up with a Kisame sporting some nasty and probably fatal injuries.
(And I'm not sure if I would want any more friends getting hurt because of my stupid mistakes…)
In short, sword-Ditto had chosen the moment Big Blue leaped back in order to put distance between both combatants to enact his hazardous plan. He had only given out a single pulse in forewarning, before directly proceeding to the scarce steps he had instructed himself upon.
A second worth of time later and a startled Kisame struggled to gain grasp on both resulting hilts, but manages by a hair by the time the foe closes in. Close call, but as long as his partner wasn't dead or traumatized for life, Ditto was totally fine with it.
(Or not, since killing at young age could probably lead to some mental repercussions, but hey, Big Blue just slaughtered a whole classroom of children not that long ago and doesn't seem to question it, and wow, culture differences.)
And the battle ensued, just as it was supposed to. Mei later on joined in the fray, diffusing energy all around them, and Ditto will admit that she got him confused and disoriented. Hard to locate anything by sensing while having a presence overlapping everything and his echolocation-mimic would provide the feedback delayed from real time.
Ditto had caught the word 'mist' being thrown around and assumed it to be the energy blanketing the area (Oh, the wonders chakra can do! And I'm still not all that convinced that I also lug this mass of chakra inside of me). Making use of that distraction as a cover, he reverted back a single unfused sword sending out the same aforementioned pulsating signal, with Big Blue this time somewhat more prepared for the in-battle transformation.
The fight continued and ended just as it should have, all members of the team still alive.
(Sometimes, I just wonder; does fate exist? Are all of our actions predestined? Do we actually have a choice I in any matter? — Whoa, never knew you were interested in that kind of stuff — Curiosity. I love asking myself questions.)
Now thinking back, there probably was a better solution than that. But no dwelling on past mistakes! Learn from them, remember to not repeat them, and then bury them deep, deep in your mind where nobody could find them.
Moving on.
Seeing (More like sensing, I would say. I don't even have the eyes to see right now — SHUSH CHILD, IT'S JUST A WAY OF SPEECH) that nothing especially thrilling would take place in the next hour or so, sword-Ditto resolved himself to memorize the ripple patterns of the team. A nice way to distinguish allies without having to use sight or smell.
(Or hearing, but I'm not sure how you could differentiate people with sound. Maybe breathing pattern? Weight of the footsteps? Voice? And with taste? How does that even work? So many questions, man...)
Ditto had already committed Big Blue's pattern to memory quite some time ago. A calm and smooth flow, but terribly overwhelming and massive. It was easy to look over it after one got accustomed to it. Similar to attempting at heaving up a mass of heavy rope to look under it without getting tangled up in it.
Just a matter of getting used to.
Mei's ripple was much more active. It would oscillate in intensity at intervals, but stayed consistent for most of the time. Her's felt warm and pleasant, somewhat akin to standing close a radiator in the heart of winter.
Mangetsu's was… well, it felt gelatinous. Akin to the feeling someone gets when poking a cube of jelly. Like a sinuous waterfall not quite made out of water, if that made sense (It really doesn't, but I'll just go with it for the sake of it). A free flowing stream that doesn't always have a regular not-water output.
And then there's Hoshiko. Ditto couldn't always get a good read on her; the ripple would sometimes change in shape, size and texture. The one that stuck out the most would be a smooth surface, constantly warping and churning. It's… erratic, if he would describe it in a single word.
It's confusing, but the shape shifter felt like he was missing something vital. Whatever it was…
If it was that relevant, he'll recall it sometime later. Maybe not now, but sometime. Probably when that information will be worthless and ineffective.
Maybe it'll come to mind if he occupied himself with some other business or matter.
But alas, Ditto still lay rested in the sheath, with nothing better to do other than mulling over his thoughts (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE walking outside and roam the land. It's just slightly less interesting when you can't see anything. I have sensing and limited echolocation thingy, but I still can't see colors. And that sucks big time).
Kisame had gills, didn't he? Are they functional? Is he actually part shark? Does he accidentally cut his tongue while eating sometimes? The Jerk also had sharp teeth. Maybe they share a common ancestry? Though the teeth are the only physical trait they share. And being insanely strong for a human doesn't seem to be that uncommon here, so there's also that.
Actually, where is here?
Ditto had already questioned himself many times over that, but it all came back to only Kiri, Land of Water, Elemental countries, somewhere really far from the regions he was acquainted with.
Welp, looks like he won't be giving the Old Fossil a visit anytime soon. He'd probably have to apologize to the age-old living relic the next time he sees him. Ditto said that he would come visit every few years or so, and if he counted right, this year would be the sixth one away from Kanto.
Talk about unfortunate, eh? Stumbling upon a mad (Maybe? Not sure, but he seemed pretty nutty to me) scientist and ended up travelling through a (Hypothetical. Again, not sure, but what else could I use to explain it?) wormhole and ending up in this Arceus-forsaken place where Pokémon and humans appear to have merged together.
At least Big Blue and the Jerk (As much as he scares me, he's still a good training buddy) were here. At least he wouldn't be alone in this mess.
At least there are more areas to travel to and mess around with!
(Always look towards the positive! Because or else you'd probably bore yourself and not get the motivation to do anything. Which isn't good in my position, considering that I'm usually on the move. Not saying that pessimism won't get you anywhere; it just makes the trip less enjoyable.)
And once again, Ditto drifted off into his own thinking, not that content around his uncertain answers and surveying the surroundings from time to time. It stayed so until the sound of a party horn snapped him out of his internal more or less relevant might be gibberish ramble.
What has Big Blue gotten himself into now?
Kisame
The team nearly reached the village gate when Hoshiko-sensei abruptly whipped out a streamer from of her outfit's many layers and aggressively blew into it, startling the three genin. Talk about being unpredictable.
"Congratulations on the formalization of Squad Four!" she exclaimed, scattering colorless confetti into the air and letting them slowly flutter to the ground.
Noticing the puzzled looks on the three faces, she huffed and looked them over out before explaining herself. "Well, Squad Four wouldn't be a squad or four if anyone of you died on that mission wouldn't it? And none of you backstabbed each other, so safe enough to say that we could consider ourselves as a team. So what do you say?"
"We're totally cool now?"
"It was supposed to be a rhetorical question, Mangetsu," she whispered out, quite loudly and emphasizing on the word. "But that said, I'm planning to do something with you guys in a day or two. Two would be better; it lets you some time to rest up. Meet me then at the training ground. I'll show you something fun. It would be a shame if any of you would miss it. So don't be late, got it? Latecomers are not tolerated and will be kicked out! Literally. I'll personally punt you out of the field if you do," she ended with a sickly sweet smile that definitely looked out of place on her face.
Kisame himself repressed a shiver and nodded once, making note in the back of his mind to always arrive without delay to any assigned places.
The next few moments of the walk were spent in quietude, save for Hoshiko-sensei's soft humming.
Of course, the silence was broken by Mangetsu, though Kisame paid no mind to it.
'I wonder, what's the Kid been up to during my absence? Aside from beating trees and maybe people up. Or terrorizing them.'
"Now, mind explaining what happened back then?" Kisame asked, his tone serious and gaze hard, like a parent berating their child.
Back home, they both sat opposed to each other, the shapeshifter now in their dog from. It seemed like Ditto favored it over the others while still in the village. 'Convenient to get around with even if it deters their prehension ability', they once said. In a different and unnecessary lengthy wording, but that pretty much summed it up.
Ditto then looked at him straight into the eyes and just stared. Kisame started fidgeting on the spot after a moment, suddenly very self-conscious (more than usually, for the least) of himself. It wasn't just a stare like the one Riku gave him; it was a stare that peered deep into your soul and as if they knew all his deepest, darkest secrets.
He really, really hoped that wasn't the case.
But he maintained a leveled look; he wouldn't lose against a dog of all things in a staring contest until his dying breath. That, and he needed answers.
Ditto finally tore their gaze away, preferring now to lock their stare on a single spot on the ceiling, apparently finding it much more interesting than his eyes. Not that he minded, the prolonged stare had been getting slightly disturbing, their unblinking eyes not that much helping the situation.
"Well, you're not dead, for one," Ditto said as starter, "and well, for two, you specifically said to keep out of trouble before your mission, not stay in one form for the entire trip. And by extent, that also means keeping you out of trouble. And by trouble, I mean more or less mentally stable and not dead."
"But what if someone saw you?" Kisame hissed, obviously displeased at his partner's sudden change during the previous battle. "You might have thought the others were too distracted by the fight, but what if someone did and the Mizu—!"
"Lookie here, Kisame." Ditto looked back at him straight into the eyes and narrowed theirs in… anger or frustration? "All you had to do was to not rush head first alone right into the opponent who was obviously stronger and faster than you were. I wasn't the one who recklessly charged in a fight knowing well that the foe had advantage over you. I wasn't the one who charged in without formulating a plan or waiting for your teammates to at least try to tag team him or—"
Ditto then cut themself off, raking a paw through their hair—or the tuff of fur resting neatly on their head—and heaving a sigh. Taking that as an opening, Kisame used it to interject his own opinion on the matter.
"I could have taken him down by myself, I'll have you know!" Kisame had bristled under the silent accusation of 'you were evidently weaker than him' and as small as his ego was, he still prided himself on his strength. He was about to retort again to prove his point, but his canine-shaped friend was already at the door, now ajar, most probably having stopped listening to him.
"You know, it's getting really late. Maybe you should go to sleep or something. Be back by morning." And they simply padded outside, before closing the door quietly.
Kisame was still seething; couldn't Ditto just let him speak? Couldn't he just hear him out? And—
A traitorous yawn escaped his mouth, and his eyelids did feel heavier than usual.
As much as he wanted to deny it, maybe sleep was a good idea. And it certainly wasn't because Ditto had mentioned it.
Another yawn.
Yeah, sleep sounded rather appropriate now.
Ditto
How idiot could the kid be?! Did Ditto seriously just argue with someone about why in the name of Arceus he prevented the possible death of his first potential travel buddy?
He silently fumed, shuffling in the vicinity of their home, still as a dog. Sometimes, taking a walk outside could help him calm his thoughts.
Other times, not so much.
And plus, what was this village's problem? Ditto still couldn't fathom the idea that the leader—never mind the way the village was ruled by sounded like a military dictatorship—would send out kids of all possible people to such dangerous places to risk their lives.
Then again, that was only a single mission, so his belief might be biased. But then there's also the fact the graduation certificate came in the form of an all-out slaughter of one's classmates.
(Cultural differences or no, that shit's messed up. I get it that maybe it's a way to produce stronger and firm ninja, but still! There might be some difficulties cementing loyalties if the student starts suspecting the village, and the method, from my point of view for the least, is just vile and twisted. Wonder who came up with it? Was it actually Yagura, or was he simply the one who implemented it?)
Whatever Big Blue's reasons were, had Ditto actually needed an explanation for his actions? Weren't they already pretty much obvious why? Did he actually need a reason why?
Trying to save a friend from being stabbed or sliced or gutted or whatever-that-weapon-could-have-done to him was self-explanatory. It wasn't all that difficult to understand.
Or maybe Kisame was just tired? Yet he—!
Soon enough, he found himself barking up trees and chasing after the occasional roaming rodents. (Blowing off your steam, huh? — Shut up.) He would also find himself avoiding any form of humans, and the surroundings of Big Blue's house was the perfect place for him to roam about. Civilians seemed to avoid the abode like the plague, the homeless usually stuck to the gutters and the likes during this time, and shinobi had no specific reason to come close.
Oddly enough, venting his anger through the form of a little dog did most of the job of appeasing his mood.
Reflecting on their little spat, Ditto could compare both of them to petulant stubborn children not willing to budge from the position they were standing for.
Still, Ditto though maybe Big Blue could have at least tried to understand. What would he have done in the same position? Sit back, relax and let everything unfold by itself? Yeah, no. That wouldn't be happening again anytime soon.
What else, completely transform into a giant Pokémon and body slamming into the man? Like that would draw less attention.
Time flew by faster than he had anticipated, and only around one hour was left before sunrise. And if Ditto recalled right, Kisame normally woke up around that time.
He looked up at the clear sky, little dots of white shining in the dark abyss.
(That sounded kinda cool, if not horrendously cheesy, you know? — Thanks…?)
'The roof', he thought decidedly, 'wouldn't be a bad place to stargaze.'
Dawn broke, and Ditto could sense Big Blue's chakra stirring up. Should he wait at the door?
But that might give Kisame the impression that Ditto would admit that he was wrong, and really, saving a friend isn't the wrong choice. At least, that's what he thinks. Unless that friend was a truly terrible being not deserving the right to live.
(I might still have done it, since, well, friends. No matter how many lives you've slaughtered or ruined, as long as you're my friend, you're totally cool to me. Maybe not totally, but you get it. And strangely, that reminds me of a certain dragon. Then again, Pokémon morals are kinda screwed and practically nonexistent amongst a few.
I mean, most of them might care for their close friends or family, but beyond that? Not really.)
So Ditto settled on waiting him on the roof and maybe barking in that blue face of his and 'accidentally' drop a few drops of drool on his hair. The shapeshifter was guilelessly spiteful like so. No one shall escape his petty wrath.
He poised himself at the edge of the roof, right above the main entrance of the house. He felt the curl of a devious smile starting to form.
'Now, we wait.'
Just as the door opened, an idea sparked in Ditto's mind (Change of plans! I'm feeling in the mood for it!) and—
Big Blue stepped out and looked warily around, possibly seeking him.
—jumped off from the roof, aiming directly for the head.
Kisame, of course, caught wind of it and warded off the mock-ambush with his arms (If he didn't, I would've been seriously disappointed in him). "H-HEY— Ditto? What gives?!"
And in response, Ditto only cackled and bounced off of Big Blue before sprinting away.
Ditto sent out a weak burst of energy to confirm that yes, Big Blue was still following him, and probably won't stop giving chase anytime soon. The race would have undoubtedly ended earlier if his pursuer knew where he was heading to. But he didn't, so Ditto allowed himself to take many detours, just to amuse himself.
Plus, this could technically count as endurance training.
He took a sharp turn towards the left. The Assembly Field shouldn't be far from here.
If he had heard right, Mangetsu had mentioned the whole team could have a small friendly get-together of some sort on that very same field. And as expected, Big Blue was daydreaming and his teammate's words entered through his ear, only to exit through the other one.
The path Ditto was taking was an indirect route to the training ground, greenery blocking its passage. The actual entrance to it was located on the opposite side, a path of dirt and pebbles leading straight to the clearing.
But mere trees and bushes were no match for Ditto.
He burst through the foliage in one mighty jump, just in time to see Mei grabbing Mangetsu's arm and flipping him to the ground with a glorious thump. Ah, young love.
(Though as a genderless Pokémon, I really couldn't care less about it. I mean, whether I'm a month old or a century old, my appearance will remain the same and well, love. Erm. I'll just say I have no interest in finding a mate just yet. Adventure calls, you know?)
The two tussling teens halted in their actions in favor of staring at the newly emerged grey canine. It wasn't long before Big Blue followed suite, looking positively murderous, cutting off anything the other two members of the team would have said before they could even speak up.
"You—!" Even without having to sense, Ditto could very well perceive a not so cheerful aura surrounding his partner. Did he forget to mention that he had drenched his puppy paws in his own slobber moments before pouncing on Kisame?
Yeah, it might be a good idea to sprint away now.
"Huh," Mangetsu interrupted, still sprawled across the grass with Mei sitting atop of him, "never knew you had a dog."
Before Kisame had the chance to retort whatsoever, another boy walked into the clearing, not making much effort to sound inconspicuous.
The boy simply shot a look at the tallest currently in the area and at the dog attempting to sneak away, and all attention was directed back at them.
All eyes swiveled towards the duo, and Ditto could hear Kisame groan.
Whoa, an update who's for once not (that) late?
Well, it's pretty much a filler chapter, but it did turn out somewhat unexpected. I hadn't implemented the little argument at first, but it then came out just like that, and I went 'why not?'
So there you have it.
(Also, I'll be going overseas in a week or so, and won't be able to work on the story then. I don't think I'll have access to any writing device aside from pencil and paper, much less the opportunity to publish another chapter. So I'll be gone for around one month.
I'm not yet the Excuse Overlord, but I'm getting there.)
Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated!