"Here, Hotaru, try this." Choza gestured to a small burner.
I could tell they enjoyed doting on me in their own way, but this was not what I wanted to do. I was more interested in the Inuzuka clan than eating. That within itself was annoying because the child's brain was so different from the adult brain. I was all for a good, hot meal until something more interesting caught my attention. Great, my crow brain followed me here. I gazed at the meat in front of me and then turned to watch Choza heat his food with the burner. I've seen Choji do this a few times during the show, but it's another thing entirely to see it in person.
"Thank you," I mumbled before repeating Choza's actions.
The barbequed meat melted in my mouth. I swore, I turned into Choji cause I started shoveling whatever was in reach into my mouth. I could feel their approval and hear their laughter, but I honestly didn't care. I knew I was going to pay for this later. I knew I was supposed to eat small meals after a hunger strike, but the food was sooooooo good. I could see the men looking at one another, but I didn't know what they were thinking. I pretended to ignore them and closed my eyes, enjoying my tea.
"So, kid, what did Orochimaru teach you?" Shikaku blurted out, followed by the other two scolding him.
You know, warm tea shooting through your nose hurts like a bitch. I was caught so completely off guard that I gagged. Inoichi went into dad mode, patting my back while Choza gave me a napkin which I gratefully took while putting my tea back on the table. Oh my god, the struggle to breathe normally was real. What the hell, Shikaku?!
"Shikaku, my friend, that was unnecessary." Choza admonished with a frown on his face.
"We can't keep coddling her. She already has the training of a Shinobi; we cannot treat her like a farmer's daughter." He retorted with a sigh, turning his gaze towards me. "The deadliest plants look alluring to the unexpected. The kid's mastered the innocent look."
"You were the one who said you could not believe she caused so much trouble," Inoichi replied with a grin.
I pretended to not know what he meant and tilted my head like a dog, slowly blinking before turning my attention to Inoichi, grinning like a moron. I can't believe I'm star-struck over fictional people. Inoichi grinned back at me and offered some rice. I nodded and accepted it while moving closer to him. He had always been my favorite of the trio because of his kind nature. Sure, he had the power to literally mind fuck people, but he never did so unless he had to. I turned my gaze to Choza, the teddy bear of the group. I loved them all for various reasons; it was his idea to take me here, after seeing my reluctance to eat anything I hadn't prepared myself. It was thoughtful and highly appreciated. I side eyed Shikaku, who was currently eating some rice. The brains of the group; he saw through my mask, but how much did he see? Could he see past the traumatized child and see the soul that got placed in a child's body? Probably not.
"I wanna see the talking dog again." I pouted.
"Maybe some other time." Choza placated.
I snorted. "Why not now, Choza-san?"
"Remember what I told you, kid? It's not polite to barge in on others while they are eating." Shikaku chimed in.
"Hmph." I frowned and crossed my arms, irritated at society's social rules.
"Would you like to see more of the village?" Inoichi asked, changing the subject.
I only nodded, stood up, and leaned against the wall. Choza still had a lot on his plate, no surprise there; I pretended to stretch and yawned, slightly tired from eating a ton of food. However, I refused to go into a food coma; I still needed to determine where the hell I was in the timeline. With that in mind, I pushed off the wall and found a nearby staff member. I could feel the trio watching me; they may as well enjoy the show.
"Excuse me, where's the bathroom?"
"Go down this aisle, make a right, and it's the first door on your left."
Just my luck, I had to go past the Inuzuka clan first. Excellent! I made a show of beaming a smile and followed their instructions. Shikaku wouldn't take long to catch on if I didn't play my cards right. However, I also knew he wouldn't follow me immediately since he didn't want to coddle me. Honestly, I didn't want that either. I passed by the Inuzuka Clan and smiled. The emerald-eyed boy, yet again, stared at me as if he had something to say. I turned to walk to their table, but once again, Kuromaru said hello in his own way by blocking me from approaching. This time, I didn't fall on my ass but I still placed my arms behind me cause the urge to pet the danger floof was very real.
"Your scent…."
"What about it, Mister Dog?"
There were a few chuckles coming from the table, and I could have sworn I heard Shikaku groan in the background. I had little time to pique their curiosity enough; so, I had to work quickly. I needed to form bonds for my protection, but also for my own interests too. I shifted my gaze towards the boy, towards the back.
"Hey, stop staring! What do you want?!" I could not help but snap a bit. I didn't like to be stared at like I was an expensive toy.
"Your scent…" He still had that squeaky tone to his voice; so, that meant his balls hadn't dropped yet, and he was like me in age.
"First him, now you, what's so special about my scent?" I was so confused.
"Perhaps you are looking into this too much, Kuromaru, you too Karada," Tsume interjected, trying to ease tension. "They mean your scent is unique."
"If they meant that, wouldn't they have said that?" My tone was neutral enough to keep things from going overboard.
Tsume smirked. "You're a smart brat. I got your scent."
I beamed another smile and took that as my cue to leave. I didn't know what they smelt, but I didn't need all the answers immediately. I had enough of a headache just trying to sort the shit I knew, which was little. I made a beeline for the bathroom door but didn't go in. Out of the trio's line of sight, I planned my escape. Thankfully, the kitchen was this way too. I could see an open door nearby, with someone bringing in boxes, which I assumed to be products. I guess they had a delivery today. The placement seemed odd to me tho since, in my past life, deliveries were made towards the back of the kitchen and not a side door.
Oh well.
Time to ninja.
I grinned like a fool as I zipped past the people like a blur and leaped onto a nearby rooftop. I had a lot of ground to cover in little time before the trio hunted me down. I couldn't help it. I didn't like being tied down in one place for long; it didn't matter how kind the trio was. I sniffed the air and caught the scent of smoke. It wasn't from a grill, and a campfire was unlikely within the village. It was faint, but I could track it with ease. I silently clapped my hands like an excited fan at a convention before taking off towards the scent.