Grey
5.
"Are you all right?"
"In a while," said Trippy Ninja.
"Did it work?"
"I don't know."
"Where did you wind up?"
"I…Couldn't tell. I saw some sand shinobi."
"Who?"
"A really…interesting woman. Hat. Long hair. Very wild. Very loud. Two others with her."
"Perhaps…Chiyo...? The meeting…?" said Minato, very confused. "If it worked. Would you be able to return home?"
The man seemed to swallow. "I can give it a try."
"Do it then."
Minato blinked.
"No?"
"No," Trippy Ninja shook his head, kneeling down again. "We're still not right. We've just made it worse."
"…How do you mean?" Minato looked at him from the forest floor, trying to make sense of it. Trippy Ninja sat down, "We have just pulled the threads of chaos more…entwined with each other."
Minato stared, waiting for him to go on.
The man smiled beneath his mask. "Which means, it may be possible, for people…to...intercross. Like we are."
"…No."
"…Yes," said the man regretfully.
"THEN WHY IN THE HELL DID WE JUST DO THAT!"
"BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER EFFECT!"
"IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T!"
"WELL DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA MISTER I'M SO BIG AND IMPORTANT-?"
"DON'T YOU FLAUNT YOURSELF AT ME YOU MORON!"
"LUNATIC!"
Minato struggled to rise. "Okay. Fine. We're really really screwed now. NOW what."
The man rose. "I wonder if it was the dumplings."
Minato was taken aback. "What?"
"The dumplings. You didn't have them just now. We had eaten them."
Minato sat back down.
"The seal, too…D…Don't be downhearted…It's my fault. I had a hunch it probably wouldn't work. Hmm…"
"Hmm WHAT."
"There's only one man who can help us now."
"And who's that."
"My arch nemesis."
Minato sighed. "Of course," He stood up. "Your arch-nemesis."
"Of course he may be the cause for all this, but…"
"What did you ever do to him?"
"Talk."
"You pissed him off just for talking to him."
"Pretty much. And finding him too. I found him when I was eight or so."
"…Super."
"Where does he live?"
"This way," Trippy Ninja led.
Minato followed. They traveled at a very quick pace. "Is it very far."
"It is far west in Konoha, near the border, near Kusa. It is near where I live, actually."
"How can he help us?"
"By winning his game. He hasn't played like this with me in a while."
"Why now?"
"Why you?"
"Why me?"
The man chuckled.
"I'm going to seriously lose my mind before this is over. I hope you know that."
"Ah well. I've already lost mine. Welcome to the Flying Techniques Club."
.
