Here's another whopper of a chapter, at 9k. These long updates are the reason why I take two weeks, instead of just one.
Here we are at Part 2 (Electric Boogaloo) of the Kannabi Bridge mission. Because happy fun times couldn't last forever. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reply to Candisos: It seems like a lot of people approved the One Piece alternates/cameo from last chapter.
Reply to Kookienova: Don't you worry, I'm continuing this story.
And also thank you to Fellow for the three reviews in a row! Also, the sandwich is obviously an importance that couldn't be ignored, and everything's been incredibly cute and heartwarming so far, hasn't it?
Rin: Kannabi (Part 2)
Red eyes watched Rin intently, as she ran a Mystical Palm Jutsu over her injuries, green chakra illuminating her skin.
The scrutiny was…well, a bit off-putting, to be quite frank. It makes Rin a bit nervous. Not nervous enough to screw up in the Mystical Palm Jutsu (and wouldn't that be an embarrassing prospect? Iryo-ninjutsu and chakra control was supposed to be her thing), but still.
What could Shiroi-san be thinking, as she watches her…? Maybe wondering if this is all the skill Rin has. The brunette knows that she's nothing particularly special. No distinct fighting style or weapons, no strength in her taijutsu. Just a little kunoichi relegated as support…
"Your medic abilities are amazing, Rin-san." At the red-eyed girl suddenly speaking, Rin jolts, canceling her jutsu.
"Eh?" she asks, bewildered, as she turns to look over at Shiroi-san with wide eyes.
The cloak-wearing girl catches her eyes, and…A smile spreads on her pale face, kind and warm.
"Iryo-ninjutsu is said to take perfect chakra control and a lot of study. You're barely, what? Thirteen?" Rin gives a tentative nod. "Thirteen years old, and you're a certified medic-nin. Someone who has the skills needed to save people's lives. Someone who can perform an important surgery in enemy territory, with nothing but the supplies on hand and her own chakra.
That type of precision and skill must take years of study in order to perfect." The older girl leans forwards, red eyes glimmering. Her voice had been steadily gaining a fervor and cadence of barely contained awe and excitement.
Something slides down in Rin's stomach, curling and churning. It's…Hm. Well, it's a mixture of pride, disbelief, and self-doubt.
She opens her mouth, ready to say something—anything—in response. The way the older girl speaks, it's like she considers Rin some sort of amazing, capable person. Like… Like Tsunade-sama—strong and talented—when all she is…
All she is is Rin Nohara, the little girl who got captured by the enemy. The girl who couldn't save her best friend and teammate, who was a burden on her team, who just wasn't good or strong enough, and, and—
It rankles her. The realization fills her, choking the breath from her lungs and the words on the tip of her tongue.
It's almost as if the cloaked girl can read her thoughts. "Rin-san, you can save and cure dozens—no, hundreds— of people. That's something special," Shiroi-san says firmly, managing to cut Rin off before she could say something negative about herself.
The Nohara girl clamps her mouth shut. She feels heat bloom in her cheeks, and knows that she's blushing.
"I don't think I have enough chakra control to do iryo-ninjutsu, to be honest," the red-eyed girl muses aloud. She raises a hand in front of her face, and there is a perfect sheen of blue chakra enveloping it, before it turns green. But the green flickers like a flame, before spluttering out like a small explosion.
"Ow, fuck!" Shiroi-san hisses, waving her hand. The rest of the chakra dissipates, showing the technique having backfired, leaving small chakra burns over her pale skin. The older girl gives a displeased hum. "See? It's not exactly something I can pick up on my first try."
For a first try, that was still a rather impressive attempt. The albino didn't even use hand seals. Just her own will and chakra.
"Here, let me see your hand," Rin murmurs, worrying her lip between her teeth. Shiroi-san blinks her red eyes for a few moments, before slowly extending the burned hand.
Rin carefully takes the girl's hand in hers, looking it over. Shiroi-san's hand is callused, full of nicks and small scars. Her palms are tough and pinker than the rest of her appendage, from old burns having healed over.
"It's not much. Don't worry yourself over it," the older girl says placidly.
The Leaf-nin doesn't listen. She carefully dredges up just a bit of chakra in her palms, a low green glow gently coaxing and healing the chakra burns.
Rin lets Shiroi-san's hand go. The other girl is giving her a frown full of downturned lips and furrowed brows. "You didn't need to do that," she says gruffly. "It was nothing. You should've saved your chakra."
"I'm a medic. Healing is kind of part of the job," the brunette defends herself, trying to bring levity to the statement by making it a joke.
"You should heal your squad instead." Red eyes give a pointed look over Rin's shoulder, where Kakashi is resting with his back pressed against a tree. (And probably also judging them.)
She feels her mouth purse. "Shiroi-san, you're part of the squad. Maybe for only this mission, but that still counts. You're our comrade."
Shiroi-san stares at her wide-eyed, as if Rin just grew a second head. The paler girl's mouth is slightly opened, but she's not saying a word, as if caught flat-footed.
A small chuckle falls past pale lips. "You Leaf-nin have such strong convictions…" the red-eyed girl muses, surveying Rin, an upwards lilt to her mouth.
At the word 'strong', the brunette's heart gives a stutter.
Shiroi-san— the intelligent, noble, serious, intense, frighteningly competent older kunoichi—considers one of her character traits to be 'strong'.
Shiroi-san also considers her skills to be 'amazing'. Considers her to be 'special', when she isn't. Not really.
Only her parents and her friends and her team consider Rin Nohara to be skilled or special. After all, she's just any other Chunin. Any other medic-nin helping out at the hospital. Any other kunoichi in Konoha's ranks.
Something clicks inside her. Warmth spreads from her heart that's pounding a fast dokidokidoki rhythm, down to her toes and tips of her fingers.
Maybe…Maybe she's not useless after all. Maybe she's actually competent and skilled and strong, like she always wished she's been, but just hasn't realized it.
Maybe she's just been comparing herself too much to Tsunade-sama, trying to reach that high pedestal, that utter peak of excellence. Maybe she only just needs to stop looking around herself and fretting, trying to size herself up against other shinobi, despite the varying ages and skill sets and talents.
After all, it's one thing to hear about your good traits and accomplishments from those close to you…But to hear conviction and faith from people you don't know, from someone who Rin considered to be above her not even a few minutes ago…
It's…It's an experience. It's like a veil's been lifted.
And now Rin realizes that she can be strong, she is skilled, she can accomplish things, and she's not a burden. She may be young and still has a bit of soft naivety, but she's capable in her own right, and she's good at what she does.
Rin Nohara finally has an epiphany, triggered by acknowledgement from this pale girl with red eyes. She feels the distinct need to give Shiroi-san a bone-crushing hug, or to kiss her.
Before Rin could embarrass herself by doing either (or both), Minato-sensei breaks the moment by jumping from his previous high perch up a tree, crouching down soundlessly in the small clearing that the squad's been taking a break in.
"Are all of you okay to keep going?" the man asks, voice gentle, as he surveys the teenagers with concerned, bright blue eyes.
"Kakashi-san is no longer running on fumes," Shiroi-san notes idly, no doubt scrutinizing the boy with her sensor abilities. "I think the break has been doing him good."
Kakashi glares, sulking, and Minato-sensei's expression gains an undercurrent of amusement.
"Rin?" the man asks, turning his attention to the girl with the square clan markings on her cheeks.
The brunette pauses, thinking it over. During the break, she's managed to bandage her legs, go over both her injuries and Kakashi's, and managed to get her obstinate teammate to rest and eat something. No doubt, Shiroi-san was correct in her diagnosis of Kakashi being out of the dangerous realm of chakra exhaustion.
Considering their position relative to the (now destroyed) Iwa base, and Kannabi Bridge…They've probably rested enough. They should be able to travel for a few more hours, before having to break again, as long as they don't push themselves too far.
"I think we can go for a few more hours, sensei," she states.
"And I trust our medic-nin's prognosis," Shiroi-san says calmly. Rin gives a pleased flush, and a lopsided grin works itself onto Minato-sensei's face.
"Alright, then. Squad, move out!"
Being in the middle of the formation gives Rin a good view of Minato-sensei and Shiroi-san, and their actions.
Sure, she now can't blatantly stare at Kakashi from behind and his very nice profile (amongst other things she's noted because of hormones) but it's fascinating to see how the squad leader and the newcomer interact.
Shiroi-san has a calmness and grace about her that makes her seem cool and collected, but she has a tendency to misstep when sensei asks her something, and keeps trying to covertly shoot the man glances. Every time the blonde pays her attention, she averts her eyes, flustered.
It almost seems like Shiroi-san has some sort of crush on Minato-sensei. But Rin knows this is not the case, since she herself has had a crush on Kakashi, so she kind of knows how this type of thing works, how it feels and looks. Sure, the glances and flushing make it seem so—but there's no romantic adoration in the red gaze. More of a burning curiosity, mixed with awe and respect.
Safe to say, Shiroi-san does not have a crush on Minato Namikaze. Hero worship, though? Most definitely.
It probably started after the fear of being under his Killing Intent faded. Sensei was scary and ridiculously strong, when he showed it. And he's already a bit of a legend in his own right, an elite Jonin of Konoha, taught by Jiraiya of the Sannin.
At some point, Shiroi-san's gaze snaps to the ground. She stares intently, as she maneuvers amongst the tree branches, pace slowing slightly.
"Is something wrong?" sensei asks. The red-eyed girl completely misses the tree branch she was aiming for with a strangled noise, falls a short way, and pushes off of a passing trunk while swinging herself up using another branch.
Three strides, and Shiroi-san manages to catch up to her prior position, shooting a stern look over at Minato-sensei. The man chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly in a disarming way. "Whoops. Sorry for distracting you."
"I felt signatures. In the ground," the albino says tersely, shoulders tense. "A worrying amount of them. We should avoid hitting ground until we clear them."
"Iwa-nin?" Kakashi murmurs, at the same time sensei asks "How many?"
"I'm…I'm not fully sure if they're Iwa-nin," Shiroi-san says, voice halting. Her expression is one of concern and irritation. "They don't…Their signatures aren't tangible. Vaguely human-shaped, but…"
"Clones? That's what is sounds like," Minato-sensei muses with a hum.
"It's a good guess. But…" the pale girl trails off, eyes flickering across the ground, as if trying to force her eyes to activate like a Byakugan through sheer force of will. "I can't explain it properly. I just have a distinctly bad feeling about them, and there's a lot of them. I really, really suggest we don't drop down to take any chances."
"Duly noted," the blonde man says. "Should we keep going this way, or is there another path that will cut down on having to come into contact with the enemies?"
Shiroi-san pauses on a branch, leaning against the tree's trunk, and closes her eyes to concentrate. The squad stops nearby, taking a small breather as well.
Rin watches as the older girl's lips move quickly, without making any sound. The cloaked teen tilts her head down, before raising it and swiveling slowly around her, eyes still closed and murmuring to herself.
"We'll need to go a bit more East, and curve around. It will take a bit longer to get to our target, but it's safer," the cloaked teen eventually says.
"Lead the way, then," Minato-sensei says, giving a chivalrous gesture for Shiroi-san to go first.
The cloak-wearing girl gives a curt nod, and leads them on the route through the forest.
The sun began to set, casting orange-red light on the canopies, the dappled light a stark contrast to the growing shadows. As the hour grew later, the teens began to slow down, fatigue building up in their frames once more.
Well, Rin and Kakashi were getting on their last legs. For Shiroi-san, it was more of a problem of traveling through the trees while the dark hour descended on them. The red-eyed teen began to slip and miss branches more and more often, and once almost outright slammed face-first into a tree.
"For fuck's sakes," the girl snarled, managing to sloppily pivot and swing around the tree, back flipping and spinning, using her momentum to launch herself back into a firm stance a few yards away. It was an impressive display of flexibility and gymnastics. Rin would give it a ten out of ten.
"We should probably break for the night, before we lose total visibility," their squad leader noted idly, his serious gaze contrasting with his casual observation.
"I have no objections. Just allow me to scan the area," the red-eyed girl huffed, adjusting her hood back onto her head to hide the messy white hair cropping up.
The squad paused in place, and Shiroi-san closed her eyes once more to stretch out her sensor abilities.
"We can set camp in the area. There aren't any enemies here, just closer to the borders," the sensor eventually says. "The tricky part will maneuvering through the patrols—but if we stick to the forests south of Kannabi, where the vegetation and cover are more lush, we should be fine.
"You could sense all of that? From this distance?" Kakashi murmurs, bewildered.
"If I concentrate, stretch my sensory range, and fall into a near meditative trance? Then, yes, with a bit of work," the pale girl confirms, bobbing her head.
"Are you able to sense plants?" Minato-sensei asks, looking pleasantly surprised with the new information on the cloaked girl's abilities.
"I can. I just try not to, often. Too much white noise," Shiroi-san shrugs, gaze moving off to the side, seemingly unable to look Minato in the eyes.
"Fascinating," the man hums, before stretching, causing his back to give a series of pops. "I suppose this is a good a spot as any to make camp. Let's set up."
Rin quickly settles down onto the branch she was standing on with a grateful sigh, putting her back firmly to the tree, and unhooks her pack from her person. Somewhere adjacent to her, Kakashi does the same, but seems to slump more against the trunk, no doubt the most fatigued of the group.
"Wait. What," Shiroi-san deadpans, looking at the Leaf-nin, still carefully crouched on her tree limb.
"Hm?" Minato-sensei hums, somehow having managed to turn his bedroll into a hammock in the twelve seconds between his students settling down, and him setting down his pack.
"You mean to say," the red-eyed girl starts, voice wary. "That we're going to camp here. Right now. Dozens of feet above the ground. In trees. On hammocks."
Sensei blinks. Rin and Kakashi exchanged a glance. The three stare at the Grass native in mild befuddlement.
"Yes…?" the brunette eventually says haltingly.
"And this doesn't…bother you? In any way, shape, or form?" Shiroi-san presses.
"Why should it?" Kakashi retorts with a snort. "We're near enemy lines, on the war front, for a mission. Iwa-nin are primarily doton users who stick to the ground. The trees would be the safest place for us to camp."
The cloaked girl squints her red eyes, looking between the three Leaf-nin. "But…What if we fall?"
"We don't," the masked boy deadpans. "Fall, that is. We're shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Camping up in trees is a skill that's learned and perfected in a Leaf-nin's tenure."
"I see..." Shiroi-san's lips purse into a terse frown. Very carefully, the girl shifts from her crouched position to sit, hands white-knuckled against the trunk.
The sight reminded Rin of a cat being stuck in a tree. A fear of heights…? Or maybe she's just not comfortable with staying too long up a tree?
"Ah, that's right. Because you're a native to Grass, you must not be used to something like this," the blonde says, giving a small, sympathetic smile.
"Not particularly," the albino confirms, jaw clenched. "Learning to tree-jump was…quite the process. Less surface area for your feet, compared to leaping across buildings.
That was very true. Those that weren't used to jumping across trees found the traveling method difficult because of the thick vegetation, smaller footholds, and flimsier surfaces—compared to, say, jumping across the dwelling of their village.
To a native from lands that primarily had flat surfaces mainly making up their environments, like Kusa…It would make sense that Shiroi-san faltered during tree-jumping, and was very cautious of the idea of setting camp up in the canopies. The most trees in Kusa were the areas near the borders; the land was aptly named for its large stretches of grass plains and rolling, small hills.
"Forgive me for the oversight, Shiroi-chan," Minato-sensei said sincerely. "We can camp on the ground, if it'd—"
"No!" Shiroi-san awkwardly cleared her throat, face flushed, avoiding everyone's gazes. "Ah, I mean…No. It is quite alright. I'll manage. Thank you for the offer."
After a few moments, the man turned his worried gaze from scrutinizing the red-eyed teen, to looking over at Rin and Kakashi. Rin stifled down a tired yawn that was bubbling in her throat.
"Considering how tired my students are…It would be probably safer if they fell asleep on solid ground, now that I consider it," the blonde said, voice somewhat dry.
Despite the fact that Rin actually kind of, sort of, fully agrees with Minato-sensei's assessment, she still gave him a look of affront. A quick glance revealed that Kakashi was giving a very tired, bleary glare at their teacher.
Kakashi also looked ready to slump over and fall out of the tree at any moment from bone-deep exhaustion. And, really, it would do them some good, if they made actual camp. Rin could probably heal a broken leg with the chakra she has, if her teammate or Shiroi-san managed to fall out of their trees during the night, but, well…Healing broken necks isn't exactly something she has experience in.
Broken necks sort of can't be healed. Unless the person is really, really lucky.
And knowing the utter chaos this mission has been so far, luck isn't exactly on Team Seven's side. So, to be frank… they shouldn't be taking any more chances.
"I…I vote we camp on the forest floor," the brunette chipped in awkwardly, forcing down the ingrained habit from the Academy to raise her hand.
"Kakashi? Your thoughts?" the blonde asked diplomatically, merely getting a squint-eyed glower and noncommittal grunt in response. "Hmmm. I suppose majority rules, then!" sensei chirped, clapping his hands and giving a close-eyed smile.
How the man was able to dredge up any vestiges of enthusiasm or chipperness despite the (very long) series of unfortunate events today, Rin won't ever understand.
Okay, maybe she kind of does, if she can stop being exhausted and pessimistic and emotionally drained. The sunshine personality is comforting and so very Minato-sensei, but it's also ridiculously out of place right now.
Maybe Kakashi's grumpiness is spreading to her. Can grumpiness be considered a disease? And would it be infectious? What would even quantify it as being infectious? Would it be airborne, or only transfer through contact?
Rin shook her head. Wow, she must be ridiculously tired, if she's thinking half-lucid, rambling thoughts about grumpiness being a disease.
The Nohara carefully dropped to the forest floor from her previous perch. Already, Kakashi was setting up his bedroll, only managing to keep upright by heavily leaning his weight against a tree.
"I can get us dinner," Shiroi-san speaks up, cutting through the silence.
The masked Jonin staggered, fueled by the need to contribute his usual share of hunting and foraging. "No, I'll—"
"You going out is self-destructive and detrimental. You need rest, Kakashi-san," the cloaked girl retorts sharply.
"I can do it," Kakashi groused, through gritted teeth.
Rin gave a sigh at her teammate's bullheadedness. "Kakashi, please. Sit down."
"You can barely stand, Kakashi," Minato-sensei interjected softly, before the boy could obstinately start a debate. The silver-haired Jonin gave a huff, and seemed to wilt, slowly sliding down the tree trunk that supported him, plopping himself on the ground. "Thank you. Shiroi-chan, that's a kind offer we'd like to take you up on."
Shiroi-san gave a quick nod. "Of course. I'm more than happy to assist." She strode out of the clearing, before calling back to them, "I won't go far, or be gone long."
It's like Shiroi-san leaving trigged some form of unspoken, instinctual signal. Because once the girl presumably left hearing range, the members of Team Seven drifted together, like magnets being put through a magnetic pull.
Rin sat down to rest on the tree Kakashi was settled against, and Minato-sensei plunked himself down in front of the two teens.
It was a bit like an impromptu powwow, really. The only thing missing was Obito on her other side—
But Obito is gone. Gone and dead.
The space next to Rin—Obito's space—feels cold and empty without him there to fill it.
It's like the elephant in the room. Or, well, no. That analogy didn't particularly fit in this situation, now did it? Instead of there being something tangibly here, it was an absence of a person that was causing the off-kilter atmosphere.
The brunette barely forced herself from burying her face in her hands then and there, frustrated and tired and, and, and…
"Is she trustworthy?" Kakashi grunts. Rin gave a jolt, heart leaping up into her throat; for some ungodly reason, she'd thought—just for that split second—that he was speaking about her.
(But…But she was okay…Wasn't she?)
"From what I can tell," Minato-sensei starts slowly, rubbing at his chin. "Yes. There's no way to fully confirm it, of course. So I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, and hope she doesn't knife us as we sleep."
The man is oddly lighthearted and chipper when voicing the possibility. But there's a chilly undercurrent in his voice—as if he's already planned contingencies based on that probability, and is fully ready to utilize them to eliminate the threat, if Shiroi-san poses one.
And, really, Rin doesn't doubt that he will. His Killer Intent alone was able to incapacitate the red-eyed girl, after all. It shouldn't be much problem for him to…dispose of Shiroi-san, if it came down to it.
"However, she's one of Jiraiya-sensei's contacts, and has been a large help so far…So that's already a good sign of her character, I'd like to think," the blonde man went on, idly ruffling his spiky hair.
"Eh? Is she really?" Rin asked, surprised, blinking her wide, brown eyes. This is the first she's heard of such a connection. The Toad Sage just…didn't seem the type, to deal with children.
"Since when?" Kakashi also wondered, his brow furrowed.
"Sensei was very vague on the details," their teacher admitted. "But what really convinced me of her connection to him came from her explosive tags back at the cave, actually. The design was a specialized one that he uses. Not to mention, the way she set them off wasn't exactly typical either, showing at least some form of instruction or base proficiency…"
A shiver goes down the medic-nin's spine. She remembers that—the way Shiroi-san managed to trigger that pillar of fire from so far away, by spiking her chakra so carefully.
"She's a very good sensor," Rin input, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "She could diagnose Kakashi's condition, without even needing a Diagnostic Jutsu."
"It probably makes her a sufficient tracker," the masked boy huffed out in a tone of voice that made is seem like admitting it was nearly painful for him.
"Yes, it makes her rather fitting for a guide," the man mused, idly tapping his knee. "She's a good addition to our squad, considering…"
Minato-sensei trailed off in his assessment, cringing. 'She's a good addition to our squad, considering that Obito's dead' is what he almost said. Rin knows he almost said it, because he's broadcasting his remorse and discomfort rather blatantly.
The air becomes heavy, dark, and stifling. The empty space besides Rin becomes tangibly icy, causing her body to tremble.
Obito…
He was alive, just a few hours ago. He was alive and well, brave and loud and bullheaded in his convictions…But now…
Rin feels her breath catch, choking her. She winds her arms around herself, biting her lip hard enough it feels like its going to split.
Besides her, Kakashi's body is tense. His head is ducked, his hands clenching hard enough to leave bloody crescents in his palms.
Looking over at Minato-sensei, feeling cold and lost and so, so, so broken, the girl catches sight of dulled blue eyes, like stormy seas. The man's lips are pulled so taught, they're bloodless, and the bones of his hands creak dangerously from the force of clenching them.
The realization hits her just then; all of them are affected by Obito's death. All of them have a fresh, gaping, Obito-shaped hole in their hearts. They express it in different ways, but in this quiet moment—where they're resting and their minds are allowed to wander down, down, down in a hopeless spiral—they're all feeling the sucker-punch of the realization seep into their bones.
They're a damned trifecta of negative emotions right now. And it's not helpful. It could get them all killed. (Like, like, like—)
When they get back to Konoha, they won't be able to hide from it. And then, they can go through the pain and cope with it like healthy, balanced, normal human beings. (But shinobi aren't normal, or healthy, or balanced, or even human beings, now are they? Not really.)
"W-we…We n-need a plan," Rin said, wobbly voice cutting through the depressing atmosphere.
"What is there to plan?" Kakashi asked dully, voice without any inflection. It would sound dismissive, if it didn't sound so dead. "We go to Kannabi Bridge. We complete the mission. We go back to Konoha."
"Kakashi," Minato-sensei sighed, sounding forlorn and aged ten years. "Rin's right. We need to think of the future, outside the mission."
The masked boy raised his knees to his chest, perching his chin on them. "That would get in the way of the mission," he murmured, sounding hopeless and lost.
"I…The funeral," the blonde started, licking his lips. "I've got experience with setting them up."
And isn't that a tragedy? Minato-sensei hasn't even had children, isn't even thirty, and he's already well-versed in setting up funerals. Because he's already been through various comrades dying, from the war.
It's not right. It's really not right. Minato-sensei is the eldest and their squad leader, yes, but he's still relatively young. Too young to sound so tired and resigned about this.
"I-I'll help with the flowers," the brunette sniffed. Besides her, Kakashi gave a small grunt to signify that he was willing to assist, as well.
"Alright," their teacher said softly, gently placing a hand on each of their shoulders and giving a comforting squeeze. "We'll get through this."
The silver-haired Jonin gave a quick, jerky nod, and the kunoichi bobbed her head.
For a few seconds, they were all a bit cracked and broken, but managing to help one another keep themselves whole. (And that's what your squad was for.)
…There was another issue, however, that niggled at the back of her mind. Something else that was important, that needed to be discussed before they kept going.
"There, um…There's s-something else," Rin started, after a few moments of silence. She looked wearily between her two teammates, heart thudding in staccato, hands fisted in the material of her white apron.
"Yes, Rin?" sensei asked, dropping his hands from their shoulders, brow furrowed in concern.
And if he kept on frowning and looking so, so…So un-Minato-sensei-like, then he'd get his face stuck in that way. Or develop premature wrinkles in his flawless skin. (The man's managed to get through his shinobi career without any scars on his pretty-boy face, so it would really be a shame if he started to develop too many wrinkles too quickly.)
"There's…Th-there's something I n-need the two of you to agree with," she went on, eying the two males nervously. "I… I've thought on it. Since…" Since Obito's body was exploded into thousands of little fleshy chunks, scorched into oblivion in a pillar of flames. "Since the issue with Obito, and Shiroi-san's actions…"
She saw the exact moment, when the realization began to dawn on the two of them. Their furrowed brows gave away to widened eyes, morphing back to hard gazes.
"I…We need to agree." Rin gave a gulp, trying to push the words past her throat. "If…If I'm ever caught again by the enemy—"
"Rin, you won't—" her teacher tried to sooth her. (But he couldn't do it; not this time. There was nothing that could sooth her soul, nothing that could keep her from speaking about this and getting them to listen.)
"We don't know that!" she snapped, watching as Kakashi's lone grey eye widened in shock, and Minato-sensei reeled back, as if physically struck by the biting words.
Rin couldn't keep looking at them, couldn't keep watching their reactions, so she dropped her gaze. "I w-want to be perfectly clear…If I-I'm ever caught again…" She let out a breath, a near sob, clutching at her knees in a white-knuckled grip, feeling herself start to fall apart at the seams. "I-I want my body to be destroyed. I won't become another prisoner, and I won't be tortured for information. Not…Not again."
'Never again,' a hard voice whispers in the corner of her mind. 'Death would be kinder.'
"Minato-sensei. Kakashi…Please," she shuddered. Her eyes were misty, but hard like steel, as she looked at them. "Promise me. Promise you'll do it if it ever happens in the future, o-okay?"
Her voice broke, and her face became slick from tears. But she didn't back down. She stared the two males straight in their eyes, determined, her head held up, her back straight and shoulders squared.
Rin Nohara wasn't strong. But she could be. And right now, she was as firm and immovable as a stone statue.
"You Leaf-nin have such strong convictions…" Shiroi-san had told her a few hours prior. And, really, it's true. A strong conviction is a part of the Will of Fire, something that blooms and roars and burns within every Leaf-nin.
Rin has the Will of Fire. She is fire. And if she wants to die with her honor intact instead of being a useless hostage once more, wants to do her duty for her village, then she will damn well make sure that it happens.
It would simply be much easier, if she had her squad by her side, to help her in this. (Because that's what squads were for…right?)
A large, warm hand enveloped hers, and Minato-sensei gave her a sad grin—more of a grimace, really. "If that's what you want…"
"It is," she stated resolutely.
Kakashi slowly uncurled one of his arms, and tapped the back of his knuckles against Rin's other hand. "If you'd do the same for me, if I am ever captured…Then I'll give you my word."
"Of course," the girl replied somberly, a broken smile ghosting on her lips. She grasped the boy's hand in hers.
His hands were cold as ice, and his fingers stiffened at the sudden contact. But after a few heartbeats, he squeezed his fingers over her hand, before forcefully disentangling them with a huff.
Minato-sensei leaned forwards, wrapping an arm around each teen, bringing his students into a hug. "I hope it never happens…But one never knows. Until then, however, I'll do my very best to protect the both of you."
Rin leans into the embrace, not caring if she gets tears and snot over her sensei's flak jacket. It's…She needed this. Needs this, just for a bit.
(A scathing part in the back of her mind wonders if maybe Minato-sensei will be able to protect them better, with one less student to split his attention towards. Or maybe he won't be able to do anything at all, since he couldn't save Obito.
She pushes that vindictiveness deep, deep down into her gut.)
It doesn't take long for Kakashi to squirm and fidget, as if the physical affection is burning him, or he's allergic to hugs and breaking out into hives. Sensei lets go all too soon because of this, sighing without any heat. Rin feels a nostalgic fondness, when Kakashi instantly scoots away and crosses his arms in front of his chest, trying to act cool and aloof.
This was…familiar. Familiarity, in an unfamiliar situation.
(It's like a slice of home and safety.)
The moment of team camaraderie comes too quickly to an end.
A branch breaks loudly, and the Leaf-nin turn to look at the cloak-wearing teen that's hovering awkwardly in the trees. She raises her foot slowly; obviously, she stepped on the branch on purpose, in order to alert them of her presence.
The red-eyed girl has a number of dead woodland creatures strung up on a wire that she carries in her left hand, an extra pouch wrapped on her belt. She's definitely brought enough for them to eat.
"Um…I'm back?" Shiroi-san says tentatively. The Grass native shakes the line of game for emphasis.
"Ah, yes. Right," Minato-sensei says, clearing his throat, and giving a self-deprecating smile. "Almost forgot about that. Thank you, Shiroi-chan."
Shiroi-san pads over to them, carefully laying down the game, and setting down a pouch. "I also brought herbs and roots from the forest." Her red gaze goes over the three Leaf-nin. "I hope I wasn't interrupting."
Rin blushed in embarrassment, quickly drying her eyes. "Oh, it was nothing much," the squad leader says peppily. "Just chatting."
Shiroi-san hums, not looking particularly convinced, but she drops the issue. She rifles through a pocket, producing a storage scroll, handing it over to Minato-sensei. "There's materials for a fire, in here."
"Much obliged," the man replies, flicking the scroll open with the ease of practice, unsealing the tinder. In what seemed like a flash, he makes a fire pit and arranges the materials into a small, low-smoke fire.
Rin idly went through the pouch the older girl set down. It held an assortment of edible berries, roots, nuts, and herbs native to Fire Country.
The Leaf kunoichi looked up, watching Shiroi-san skillfully help skin the animals she hunted, feeling renewed awe. She really knew her stuff. How'd she even manage to pick all of this up, when Grass wasn't known for its woodlands…?
"You sure you should be doing this?" the cloak-wearing teen asked Kakashi dryly, as the boy fumbled with a kunai, dragging a dead rabbit towards himself, to skin.
The boy merely gave a grunt. But Rin could see that he was slumped over, and blinking constantly, as if warding off his fatigue through his willpower alone. "I've done this dozens of times."
"That may be true— but have you done this while chakra-exhausted and with an injured eye, before?" Shiroi-san raises one of her pale eyebrows pointedly at him, giving a deadpanned look. "Working with pointy objects may not be the safest thing to do, in this state."
Kakashi growled. A literal growl, like one of his dogs. With jerky movements, he started to cut up the rabbit.
"Whoa there. The hell did the rabbit ever do to you?" the red-eyed girl mused, looking faintly concerned.
Kakashi gave a grunt, almost skewering his own hand. Rin sighed, feeling the growing need to rub her temples. This wasn't exactly the time for him to get this…obstinate.
Rin chanced a look over at Minato-sensei, who was frowning sadly at the boy, a knowing look in his eye… That's right. Sensei's dealt with Kakashi for longer, and through many more traumatic things.
"Here," the silver-haired ninja huffed, pushing over a pile of ready meat. Leaning back, he all but collapsed on the spot.
The rest of the squad wore frowns, and they went through the motions of cooking. They put squirrels on splits, and skewered strips of rabbit, digging the sticks into the ground to surround the fire.
Shiroi-san gathered the pile of innards, and began to idly plop rabbit eyes in her mouth, as they waited for the meat to cook itself to an edible state.
Even the half-conscious Kakashi turned to stare at the cloak-wearing teen in morbid fascination. The clearing was filled with the monotonous crackling of the fire, the chirping of bugs— and the rhythmic, wet, slurping and chewing sounds of Shiroi-san casually eating animal eyes like they were grapes.
It was…Well…It was sort of disgusting. And really unappetizing. It sort of makes her want to throw up, just a little. But Rin just couldn't look away.
The red-eyed teen's chewing slowed, surveying them, before she eventually gulped down the mush in her mouth and spoke. "…What?"
At the awkward silence, the girl shrugged, looking defensive. "Hey, they're good. Not exactly my favorite thing to eat, but… it's food."
At the continued stares, Shiroi-san diverted her attention to something else. She busied herself by taking a stick, skewering various little blood-covered, slimy, critter organs onto it, creating a macabre shish kabob. And then holding that over the low flames to cook as well.
"Why?" Kakashi rasped, squinting at the older teen.
"I'm just that hardcore," the red-eyed girl deadpanned in response, still avoiding their gazes. "Mainly, it's a case of waste not, want not. Primarily living off the land doesn't give you many options. Besides…The heart, liver, and tongue are actually relatively tasty."
Ah. Well…That makes sense. Shiroi-san seems to be a pragmatic person.
Also, Rin sometimes forgets that not everyone has the resources or customs that someone from a Hidden Village may have. Sure, she's had to hunt and forage during long missions, when their squad doesn't (or can't) pass through settlements. But there are people out there that must do these things to survive.
"My dog Summons like eating the hearts," the silver-haired Jonin said in a dry voice, as if offering some sort of placation.
"Kakashi-san… Are you calling me a bitch?" Shiroi-san asked, sounding mildly affronted. Minato-sensei—who was taking a drink from his canteen at that very moment—spluttered, choking on the water.
Sensei coughed, pounding his chest, the water no doubt having gone down the wrong way. "In a round-about way, using the literal definition, perhaps," Kakashi drawled back.
Rin couldn't help the gasp that left her mouth. But looking over at the Shiroi-san, the girl didn't look angry or offended at all. Rather, her red eyes were glimmering with mirth, and a slight smirk colored her mouth.
Also, sensei was spluttering and near choking, but he was laughing.
"What a way with words you have. Such a smooth operator. Much charm. Very wow," the older teen replied sarcastically, the smirk spreading wider on her pale face.
A giggle bubbled in Rin's chest, falling past her lips without her consent. It surprised her, actually. That she could find something funny, after everything that's happened…
Kakashi's glared, arms crossed over his chest, doing an impressive imitation of a toddler who's three seconds away from throwing a tantrum because he doesn't want to take his shots. Rin is covering her mouth, trying in vain to stifle her (semi-hysteric, loopy, tired) giggling. Minato-sensei is chuckling regularly, finally passed the coughing fit.
"Kakashi speaks very literally," the blonde said, giving the silver-haired boy an indulgent smile, passing him some of the cooked rabbit. Rin swiftly moves forwards, helping her teacher divide the food amongst them.
Except for the skewer with tiny, squishy hearts and livers. She very carefully avoids it, and the older girl indulges her squeamishness, picking it up with her own hands so the brunette didn't have to.
Rin passes the pouch of vegetation Shiroi-san collected around their campfire, so that everyone can eat some nuts and berries and get a more balanced meal. They don't exactly have plates, so they'll just make do with taking handfuls.
All of them lose decorum, ripping into the meat topped with wild herbs. Kakashi doesn't even bother to hide his face with his mask as he all but inhales the food, probably too tired to care at this point.
Rin can't help but pause in mid-bite and stare at the boy's bare face.
She…That is…Well…Uh…
Wow. Kakashi has a ridiculously pretty face. Prettier than many girls, even. Definitely ten times prettier than her own face.
It was just…The brunette always knew that Kakashi was probably good-looking, considering that his father—Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha— was a handsome man. But actually seeing it and having it confirmed was making her feel rather…off-kilter.
Also, was that a piece of food near the corner of his mouth, or…? No. It's a beauty mark.
It really isn't fair that what could be considered a flaw makes his face look great. Even the new scar over his eye makes him seem rugged.
Rin resumes eating, noting sensei and Shiroi-san's amused looks. She tries very hard not to blush, and maybe manages not to. Maybe.
It doesn't take long for the four to devour their dinner. Kakashi was the first to finish, licking his lips (and oh my, did he have nice lips) and tugging his mask back up his face. The brunette quietly lamented the loss of Kakashi's unfairly attractive, usually covered face.
"How will we divide the watches?" the silver-haired Jonin asked, voice almost slurred from fatigue.
"I'll take watch," Minato-sensei said, giving his students a firm look. "Don't worry about it."
"I'll take second watch," Shiroi-san quickly offered, cutting in before Kakashi could say something.
"Third," Rin swiftly added. The boy glared at them, ready to object, despite looking just about ready to keel over. "Kakashi, you need your rest! Don't argue."
He grumbled under his breath, but nodded slowly. He struggled to his feet, swaying dangerously, but their teacher was suddenly right there, sweeping the boy off his feet and bodily carrying him in a bridal carry.
"Sensei—"
"Rest, Kakashi," the man said sternly, crouching and gently placing Kakashi on the ground next to his pack. With quick, well-practiced movements, Minato-sensei started to tuck the boy into the bedroll, despite Kakashi's growling and very tired swatting.
"I can do it myself," the masked ninja said, statement punctuated by a yawn.
"Get some sleep," the blonde said softly. Rin edged her way to camp out next to Kakashi. Her teammate merely gave a grunt and rolled over, verifying her presence with a quick squint.
Sensei walked back over to the fire, and by then, Kakashi was out like a light and Rin was arranging herself in a spot in reaching distance to her teammate. Swiftly afterwards, their leader put out the fire and cleared the debris.
Shiroi-san still sat vigilantly next to the fire pit, despite the lack of flames, eerily illuminated by the dappled moonlight, as if she was a phantom. The girl was sitting cross-legged in meditation, eyes closed, but mouth moving soundlessly and quickly. It seems like was still keeping vigilant through sensing.
Rin looked about the quiet camp, watching Minato-sensei ghosting across the clearing and climbing a tree. The man settled himself on a branch, hair turned a soft butterscotch yellow that peaked out slightly between the leaves.
The girl couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. With her teacher keeping watch in the trees, and her teammate next to her, she felt…safe. Even though the space next to her felt cold and empty—the space usually filled by Obito's warm body and excited whispers—without him there to let Rin curl into to ward away the chills.
Despite (—or maybe because of—) the events of the day, Rin fell asleep quickly.
Because of her bone-deep exhaustion, she blessedly had a dreamless sleep.
Rin woke up in the early morning, realizing three things.
One: Obito wasn't there, cuddling her as if she was a life-sized stuffed animal, like he always did when they had sleep-overs or long missions.
Two: No one woke her up for her watch shift.
Three: There was still a mission to accomplish, and Shiroi-san was with them.
…It's kind of stupid, but Rin feels the distinct need to cry, once the situation sinks in.
"Um…Rin-san?"
Shiroi-san is hovering next to the brunette, looking concerned and slightly panicked. Rin feels a small, wet trail down the side of her left cheek, and—oh. That's a tear. Shiroi-san must be concerned that she is starting to cry.
"H-Hello, Shiroi-san," Rin sniffs, giving a strained smile and quickly drying her cheek. "Sorry, did you say something?"
Red eyes pierce into her, but the older girl eventually nods. "Yes. We're packing up and leaving, and we'll eat breakfast on the road."
"Thank you for telling me," the brunette says automatically, busying herself by securing her bedroll and pack. It gives her a good excuse to avoid Shiroi-san's probing gaze, and hide the pink flush on her cheeks.
"…No problem."
Although it wasn't particularly healthy to eat energy bars for breakfast, since breakfast was the most important meal of the day, there were times that such sacrifices had to be made.
Usually, Minato-sensei was very good about getting his squad to eat proper meals—or, at least, rations, even if they were bland and met the bare requirements for 'food'—but they were on a bit of a crunch. The longer they took, the higher the risk of enemy involvement.
On the up side, Shiroi-san was certain that it wouldn't take much longer to get to Kannabi Bridge. Every hour or so, they would stop for a few moments, so the red-eyed girl could scan the area ahead with her chakra sense. She made them follow a straightforwards path, but sometimes diverted sharply or went at a curve, to avoid any trouble.
The transition was subtle, but eventually the trees started to thin, and the vegetation became lusher, the closer to Kusa's borders they neared. The grasses became taller, dotted with small wildflowers.
Twice, the squad had to stop completely and hide, to avoid a border patrol. But with Shiroi-san's sensor abilities, she managed to warn them well ahead of time, and she led them as soon as they were safe from being discovered, creating a surprisingly smooth journey.
By the time it was noon, the sun was in its zenith in the bright blue sky, and the four of them were crouched in the tree line, a hundred yards from their target.
"It's where I remembered it to be," the cloaked teen murmured, voice thin. The lines of her body were tense, trembling minutely when she let out a slow, shaky breath.
"Do you know anything about the structure, Shiroi-chan? Any weak points?" Minato-sensei asked.
The pale girl bit her lip, brow furrowed. After a few moments of thought, she nodded. "The caps—pillars of the bridge—were built in a way that held large, structural cubbyholes. The kids from my village…" Shiroi-san paused, her voice cracking. "Sometimes they would play on the bridge, and go climb up and down the caps."
"So, we hide the bombs inside these holes?" Kakashi pressed for clarification, after a lull of silence.
"You could put one on each side of the bridge, blowing up the ends, and the middle will drop. Or you could put the firepower together to blow out the middle," the red-eyed girl explained, rubbing at the back of her covered head. "Personally, the second option causes less reparation damages and still gets the objective done, which will be good for the Leaf's continued diplomacy with Grass."
"I believe that would be something very much needed, after this war is done and over with," the blonde admitted. "Second option it is. Are we clear to move out, Shiroi-chan?"
"No one in the vicinity. But we'll have to work quickly. Your headbands and flack jackets are big, blaring signs over your allegiance, so you can't get caught doing this," the albino responded with a huff.
Minato-sensei nodded resolutely. "Shiroi-chan, with me. Kakashi, Rin, you're back-up," the man ordered. "We go in and out as quickly as we can. Once the timers start, we get out of dodge, and put as much distance as possible between us and the bridge. Understood?"
"Hai!" the teens responded sharply, postures straight at attention.
The Yellow Flash gave the signal, and the squad burst out of the tree line with Shunshin.
Naturally, the blonde was the fastest of the group. However, Shiroi-san was easily running across the long grasses of the land surrounding Kannabi Bridge as if it was plain ground, and wasn't far behind their leader.
It didn't even take five minutes for the older two of the group to place the special bombs on the bridge, and rig them. The light-haired duo double-checked them, before calibrating the machinery, signaling to Rin and Kakashi.
The group high-tailed it out of there with chakra-augmented speed, taking to the trees at a running jump. Exactly two minutes later, and they all braced themselves on their branches as the planned explosion erupted.
The Nohara watched the mushroom of smoke and flames with wide eyes, a gust of wind whipping through the thin trees, shaking them to their roots. Minato-sensei carefully scaled the tree he was standing on, up to the highest point he could manage, and whistled at what he saw.
"That was…much bigger than I expected," he mused. "It definitely did the job, though. Almost the entire bridge went down."
"Mission accomplished," Kakashi intoned, seeming both relieved and grim. Rin let out a sigh, feeling a bit of the tension in her body uncoil and leave her.
That…That was true. All they needed to do was get back to Konoha, and report in, so this goddamn mission could finally be over.
Considering that Minato-sensei had the Hiraishin, they could save themselves the long trip back. They could be done in time for lunch.
The four of them were quiet, as they watched the dust cloud settle down, the wind abating. It was…a riveting sight. Despite the fact that they should really leave, there was just something about watching the consequences of their mission that had them rooted on the spot.
"I believe this is where we part ways," the red-eyed girl eventually spoke, breaking silence, looking between the three Leaf-nin.
Rin felt her heart sink. She'd almost forgotten…Almost forgotten that Shiroi wasn't a Leaf-nin like they were. Almost forgotten that this was simply a one-time situation, a joining of forces born from convenience and pressing dangers and the loss of a squad member.
There was still so much Rin wanted to talk to the older girl about, still so many things she didn't know about her. What was Shiroi's favorite technique? Who taught her how to be strong? What was her favorite food? Her hobbies? Her dreams?
Minato-sensei leapt down from his perch, to be level with the teens. His full attention went to the Kusa native. "I'd just like to say that my squad appreciates all you've done for us, Shiroi-chan."
Said girl's eyes widened, a look of utter surprise and bewilderment on her face. "I did not do much, Minato-san—"
The man shook his head, shaggy blonde locks swaying with the motion. "You did more than you ever had to. You didn't know us, and you put your life on the line regardless. That's something that deserves a thanks, at the very least."
"Really, Shiroi-san…Thank you," Rin said softly, giving the older girl a low bow, fists clenched in the material of her apron. She felt like she was pouring her heart out. And in a roundabout way, maybe she was, because she was trying to be as genuine and heartfelt as she could.
They would be parting ways before Rin could ever tell Shiroi that she gave her strength and confidence through her acknowledgement, empowering her. Rin will forever appreciate it; will forever remember how the realization clicked within her. And there are too many words that Rin wants to use to describe how amazing she thinks Shiroi is, despite so little time of actually knowing one another. That she'll do her best, be the strongest she can be, so she can feel like they're equals, even if the red-eyed girl already sees them as such.
Maybe…Maybe they'll meet again. After the war is done and over with. Maybe then, they'll cross paths.
"I would like to fight you, in the future. So, survive until then," Kakashi said brusquely, with his usual amount of stiffness and (lack of) social grace. The cloak-wearing girl gave a blank blink, but nodded, and the masked boy gave a firm nod back, as if sealing the deal.
"Take care, Shiroi-chan. I'll make sure to tell sensei hi, for you," Minato-sensei said, with a wink and a quick, charming grin. The man reached out and took hold of his two students, ready to transport them back to Konoha.
The last sight Rin had was of a gently smiling Shiroi, before there was a quick flash of light. Then, they were surrounded by Hashirama trees, a familiar red wall looming in the distance.
(They were back in Konoha, but did she actually want to be back?)