In which life tries to return to normal and plans are made.
O-O-O-O-O
When Sasuke opened his eyes, he was greeted by Naruto's snoring face in front of him. He got a sudden need to push him away and wake him up but he stopped himself. It was hard to go back to their normal rivalry after everything.
Sasuke left the bed and headed toward the bathroom, locking it closed behind him. He used the facilities quickly, washing his hands for longer than necessary. He turned off the tap and pressed the palms of his hands down on the counter, processing.
Shaking, Sasuke looked up to stare at himself in the mirror for the first time since the Massacre. His face was pale and his hair messier than he had imagined. Mom always complained my hair could never stay still for long.
The memory of his mother sent a jolt of grief coursing through his body and he gasped, pressing his forehead down on the counter. He forced himself to breathe deeply, in and out, to take back some control. Shivering, he looked back up and turned the tap back on, cold water rushing out. Hands shaking, he washed his face, combing his fingers through his hair in a vain attempt to style it.
When he finished, he stood panting, watching as the water went down the drain. He looked up, staring at his own reflection. His eyes were dark and tired, full of grief and exhaustion. His face was pale and sunken, forehead creased into a frown. I look like Itachi.
The thought left a sour taste in his tongue. He had to resist the temptation not to punch the surface of the mirror. Wiping his hand in front of his face one last time, he exhaled and forced a mask of calmness to take over.
With his mask on, Sasuke walked out and made his way back to bed. He was unsurprised to find Naruto awake, sitting up and staring off into space.
"So it wasn't a dream," the blond muttered, staring down at his knees.
Sasuke shook his head, the now-familiar pain in his chest tightening.
Naruto pulled his knees up to his chest, placing his chin on top. "I should have known better."
Sasuke stared at him in awkward silence, unsure how to respond. "They're gone. There's nothing else to say."
"But... when we remember someone, they're never really gone, ya know?" Naruto smiled at him sadly before pushing the blanket away. Saying nothing else, he stood up and headed to the toilet, locking the door closed behind him.
Sasuke stared at the locked door, unsure what to name the emotions running around in his mind.
Naruto's words ran through his head. When we remember someone, they're never really gone. He thought about his mother, confident and kind, willing to teach him new shuriken tricks whenever she had time. His father, strict and serious, but omnipresent and protective. Father said he was proud of me.
Sasuke clenched his teeth and bit his tongue to stop himself from crying again. He sat at the edge of the bed and stared off into space as he waited for Naruto. He didn't want to admit how much he was starting to rely on him already. But Mom did make me promise.
Not knowing what else to do, Sasuke crawled back into bed and waited for Naruto to return and join him in his misery.
O-O-O-O-O
Shortly after, the same nurse that had brought dinner the night before entered with a cart full of food. She glared at Naruto again, but the other boy seemed oblivious to her disdain.
"Here is your breakfast, Uchiha-san," she said with a kind smile before turning to Naruto with a grimace. "And for you, too, I suppose."
Sasuke glared at her, refusing to thank her.
"Thank you, miss," Naruto said politely.
The woman scowled at his words but said nothing else. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, but the other boy didn't seem to find anything strange about her reaction. He frowned to himself in consternation. Doesn't Naruto notice how rude she is?
Ignoring Naruto, the nurse set a collection of dishes down on the bedside table. "I made sure to get larger portions," she said. "That should make it easier for you two to share. We are finally winding down after... yesterday. I'll be back in around an hour to pick up the dishes. Is there anything you need, Uchiha-san?"
Sasuke shook his head, scowling at the woman. Satisfied, she walked away, not bothering to glance in Naruto's direction. Pushing the cart, she left, sliding the door closed behind her. Sasuke stared after her in annoyance. She didn't even bother to ask Naruto if he needed anything.
"I think there's more food than yesterday, ya know," Naruto muttered at his side. "Look, there are two bowls of miso soup, too."
"Hn."
Sasuke looked down at the table. He only had a vague recollection of the meal from the night before, but the portions looked bigger and the rice and soup were served in separate bowls. There were also two separate pairs of chopsticks. So we won't have to share today.
"Thank you for the meal," Naruto mumbled, clapping his hands together.
"Thank you for the meal." Sasuke followed his lead, separating the chopsticks in half.
In silence, they began to eat. Unlike the night before, Sasuke's stomach rumbled in hunger and the meal in front of him looked like a dream. Starving, he picked up the bowl of rice and began shoveling the grains into his mouth as fast as possible. At his side, Naruto ate the same way, only pausing to chew and breathe.
After a few minutes, they slowed down the pace and Sasuke was able to appreciate the flavors. It was not as good as his mother's cooking, but after eating only a single meal, it was almost heavenly. Sasuke took a bite of daikon radish, watching from the corner of his eye as Naruto took a sip from his miso soup. He frowned. Why was that nurse so rude, anyway?
"Hey, Naruto."
Naruto grunted to show he had heard. He turned to meet Sasuke's eyes, setting the bowl of miso soup down. He raised an eyebrow, curious.
"I just wanted to know something," Sasuke began. He placed his chopsticks down, staring at the surface of the table.
"Hm? What is it, Sasuke?" From the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw Naruto taking a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks.
Sasuke bit his lip to gather his courage and exhaled. "Why do so many people in the village seem to hate you?" he asked.
In an instant, a heavy chill settled over Naruto. Sasuke held his breath, afraid he had offended his only friend.
"Why do you wanna know?" Naruto asked, voice full of anger and hurt.
Sasuke flinched and looked away, already regretting ever asking the question. "I've just... noticed there are a lot of people who don't seem to like you," he said, forcing himself not to fidget. "I... don't understand it." Gathering his courage, Sasuke turned back to meet Naruto's eyes.
To his relief, Naruto didn't look angry at Sasuke but instead seemed upset about the situation at large. Sasuke felt a weight easing from his stomach.
"I don't know," Naruto said, voice full of anger. He bit into the tamagoyaki and looked away, chewing furiously.
Sasuke gulped. "Sorry," he apologized. "I don't know why that nurse is so rude to you. And... I've heard a lot of people talking badly about you. I... wanted to know why."
"I don't know!" Naruto repeated his words, angrier than before. "Maybe it's cause of my parents! Whoever they are! Or maybe it's cause everyone is mean and evil! How am I supposed to know?"
Sasuke flinched, regretting ever deciding to ask the question. "Sorry," he apologized again. He picked up his chopsticks and began fidgeting with them for something to do. His appetite had left him and lifting the food up to his mouth sounded like a chore.
"No... I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto replied with a sigh, voice softer. "It's not like it's your fault, ya know?"
Sasuke turned to his friend, confused. Naruto had a small frown on his face and he was staring down at their meal. He played with his chopsticks before looking up and meeting Sasuke's eyes. Holding his breath, Sasuke waited for Naruto to speak.
"Thank you for worrying about me," Naruto said, a small, fake smile on his lips. "But you don't need to. I'm fine."
Sasuke breathed out a sigh of relief. So he's not angry at me and just wants to move on. "Thank you, Naruto. But... I didn't like how that nurse was talking to you."
Naruto chuckled, angry and annoyed. "Yeah, well, whatever. Don't worry about me, ya know."
"Hn. Can't help it. You need help with everything, loser."
"Shut up, jerk," Naruto retorted, taking another piece of tamagoyaki and shoving it in his mouth.
For the first time since waking up in the hospital, Sasuke smiled with sincere happiness. At least some things haven't changed.
O-O-O-O-O
Why do so many people in the village seem to hate you?
To his relief, Sasuke didn't press Naruto for an answer again. However, Naruto couldn't get the question out of his mind. After all, Sasuke would never stay friends with him if he knew the Kyuubi was sealed inside of him.
With their breakfast finished, they pushed the table back and stared at the ceiling together. The now-familiar nurse arrived later in the afternoon with a cart full of food. That time, they ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. It was only a few hours later that they were forced out of their introspection.
As they were lying in bed side by side, they heard someone knocking on the door.
"Sasuke-kun?" the Third Hokage's familiar voice said. "May I come in, please?"
In an instant, Naruto remembered what he had done. He had not only left the Academy in the middle of an exam, but he had also skipped class the day after.
"Shit, that's the old man!" he whispered as he jumped out of bed.
"Who?" Sasuke stared at him, dumbfounded as he turned his gaze between the door and Naruto.
"The old man!" Naruto repeated, slightly louder as he began crawling under the bed. "Don't let him know I'm here or he'll take away my allowance!"
"Your what?"
Naruto's last view before crawling underneath was of a confused Sasuke staring at him with a pout. With a final shushing sound, he hid under the bed.
"Sasuke-kun?" the Hokage knocked on the door again, more insistent than before.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, come in," Sasuke said in a loud, and slightly confused voice.
From under the bed, Naruto saw as the door slid open and the Hokage walked in. He gulped, pressing a hand in front of his mouth to keep himself from making a sound. He prayed to whatever gods might exist that the old man wouldn't find him hiding under Sasuke's hospital bed. He would never hear the end of it.
"Good afternoon, Sasuke-kun," the Hokage said, walking to Sasuke's bedside.
"Afternoon," Sasuke replied, still sounding confused.
"I'm sorry we waited so long to talk, Sasuke-kun," the Hokage continued. "I'm very sorry about everything that has happened. I'm sure this must be a very difficult time for you."
"Hn." Naruto could almost imagine Sasuke clenching the blanket in anger.
Sasuke said nothing else as the room devolved into complete and total silence. Naruto clenched his teeth in annoyance. Be more polite to the old man, jerk!
"Do you know who I am, Sasuke-kun?" the man asked, trying to break the tension.
"You're the Third Hokage," Sasuke answered. "You gave a speech at the entrance ceremony of the Academy."
The Hokage hummed in assent. "Yes, and as the Hokage, you have been placed under my protection. I promise that I will make sure that you are safe here in Konoha."
"Safe?" Naruto could hear more than a hint of anger in Sasuke's voice.
The Hokage continued on, seemingly ignoring Sasuke's tone. "Yes, for that, we need to talk about your situation starting soon."
"My... situation?"
"Hm, yes. The Uchiha compound is currently out of bounds," the old man explained. "We are still finishing our investigation and clean-up. You may visit at a later date if you wish; I cannot stop you. However, I cannot allow you to go back to living there."
"Then, where will I live?" Sasuke asked.
"We are currently setting up an apartment for you. You will only need to stay in the hospital for one or two more nights. With your inheritance, you will be able to live comfortably. It will be closer to the Academy as well."
"Hn. Fine." Naruto wished he could go out and punch Sasuke for his rudeness.
The old man sighed, tired at Sasuke's continued coldness. "You will also obtain a weekly allowance taken from your family's account. While it will be a set amount, you will have access to the full fund by the time you graduate and become an official genin of Konohagakure."
"Anything else?"
The Hokage hummed to himself before continuing, unsure what to make of Sasuke's attitude. "Of course, because of the situation, you will be excused from the final exams. They will not be counted toward your-"
"Shit!" Naruto cursed involuntarily.
At once, Sasuke broke out into a strong and violent coughing fit, trying to hide Naruto's reaction. "Sorry," he coughed. "Must be getting sick." He coughed again.
Naruto felt his face pale in fear. Please don't look under the bed, Gramps. To his relief, the Hokage said nothing else and instead waited for Sasuke to finish coughing. Naruto let out a small sigh of relief and listened as Sasuke took a sip of water.
"What were you saying?" Sasuke asked, voice cold and impatient.
The old man hummed to himself before continuing his explanation. "These last three exams will not be counted toward your final grade," he said. "Normally missing an exam is an automatic zero." Naruto gulped. "However, because of your circumstances, it will not be counted toward your final grade and your ability to continue to the next year."
Naruto shuddered in fear. Ability to continue to the next year? Will I have to take the year over again? Then I won't be with Sasuke and Hinata-chan!
"I see," Sasuke replied, voice calm and collected. Naruto almost wanted to cry at his cold reaction.
"That's everything I needed to tell you," the Hokage said. "Do you have any questions for me?"
"No."
"Is there anything you want me to do to help?"
"No."
The old man hummed to himself, sounding almost frustrated. "I know this is a difficult time for you, Sasuke-kun," he said. "Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. My goal is to keep you safe."
"You already said that."
"It's fine to cry if you need to," the old man continued, voice gentle.
"Okay," Sasuke said, tone full of annoyance.
"Are you sure there's nothing you want right now?"
"I want to be alone," Sasuke grumbled.
The Hokage sighed, long and deep, to himself. "If that's what you want, Sasuke-kun, I'll go for now. If you want or need anything, don't be afraid to contact me. The staff of the hospital can help."
"Fine."
"Goodbye, Sasuke-kun, have a good day."
"Goodbye."
With their farewells finished, Naruto watched as the Hokage's feet walked away and exited, sliding the door closed behind him. Naruto waited a few seconds to be safe before crawling back out and climbing up onto Sasuke's side.
"That was close!" he said, letting out a relieved sigh.
Sasuke glared at him with a confused frown. "Why did you have to hide, anyway?" he asked. "And what was that you said about an allowance?"
"I just didn't wanna get in trouble," Naruto explained before glaring back. "And why were you so rude to him! He's the Hokage, ya know!"
"Hn. You seemed afraid of him. Doesn't he hate you?"
Naruto slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand in exasperation. "It's the opposite, jerk!" he shouted, punching Sasuke on the shoulder. "He gives me my allowance and is nice to me! I just didn't wanna make him mad cause I skipped class for two days in a row, ya know!"
At that, Sasuke's eyes widened in understanding. He looked away, a hint of pink on his face. "I see," he mumbled, pouting. "How was I supposed to know that?"
Naruto huffed. "You aren't, but you're still supposed to be polite to people!"
"At least I don't make a sound when I'm supposed to be hiding."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause..." he bit his lip and looked away, down at the floor. "I'm worried now since I didn't take the first two exams. And tomorrow is the last day before the summer vacation, too."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke clench the blanket in his fists. "So you need to go to the Academy tomorrow, right?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, what's the point? Iruka-sensei's just gonna get mad at me. I'll be lucky if he doesn't make me clean every inch of the classroom during the break, ya know?"
Sasuke hummed to himself. "You should go," he said, turning dark and tired eyes toward Naruto.
Naruto huffed, shaking his head again. "I don't wanna go to school right now." He looked down at his knees. After what had happened and with Sasuke in the hospital, the thought of going to school left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't think he could concentrate on anything even if he attended.
"You have to," Sasuke insisted. "You're not excused like I am. If you fail the year, then you'll be held back and you'll..." Sasuke cleared his throat. "You'll be in a different class than me."
Naruto turned and gaped at him, eyes wide. He smiled to himself. "Fine, if you really care so much," he mumbled. "I'll go tomorrow. But..."
"But what?"
"I should go home and take a shower, ya know?" Naruto scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Yeah, you should. You stink."
Naruto was barely able to stop himself from pushing Sasuke off the bed. "Look who's talking!" he mumbled.
O-O-O-O-O
Iruka was taken out of his work by the sound of knocking on the door of the teacher's lounge. He looked around at the other instructors who had arrived early and were waiting for the beginning of class. None of them seemed in a particular hurry to answer the knock from the door.
"Come in!" Iruka called out. At the sound of his voice, the door to the teacher's lounge slid open, almost tentatively.
Iruka was not expecting to see Naruto standing at the doorway shuffling his feet.
"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, raising his tone of voice automatically. "What do you have to say for yourself? Did you think you were excused from the exams?"
From the doorway, Naruto flinched. He avoided Iruka's eyes and shuffled his feet again, staring at one of the walls of the room.
"S-sorry, Iruka-sensei," the boy murmured. "I just..." He swallowed and looked down at the floor, contrite.
Iruka sighed and motioned for the boy to walk closer. Naruto bit his lip before stepping inside the teacher's lounge and walking toward his desk. Nervous, he shoved his hands into his pockets as he stood in front of Iruka, keeping his eyes trained on the floor.
"What happened?" Iruka asked, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he waited for the boy to explain his absence for the last two days. "Why did you miss the last two exams when you know how important they are? Did you think you were special just because Sasuke was not there?"
"Well... uh... that's because..." Naruto continued to fidget, avoiding Iruka's eyes.
Iruka sighed and glanced around the teacher's lounge as his student got his thoughts in order. Ever since Naruto had entered the room, the other instructors had turned to watch. Bekko and Iwana were glaring openly at the boy. Suzume was watching the spectacle as she pretended to read her book. Meanwhile, Mizuki had placed his head on top of his desk, feigning sleep. Iruka sighed in annoyance. Glad you all are enjoying the show.
"What is it, Naruto? We don't have all day," Iruka grumbled. He still had a few exams to prepare plus final reviews to plan for the class.
The boy flinched again and he took his hands out of his pockets to play with the hem of his T-shirt. "I- I wasn't feeling very good, Iruka-sensei," he said. "So I left early and then yesterday I just felt worse."
"You know I can't allow you to make up for the exams you missed already, right, Naruto?" Iruka asked, staring down at the nervous boy standing in front of him.
Naruto swallowed. "I know, Iruka-sensei. But... I don't wanna be held back. I... I wanna stay with my classmates next year. Can I at least take today's exam? I promise I won't leave early this time, ya know! I promise!"
Iruka hummed to himself in deep thought, trying to ignore all the curious glances from the other teachers. He stared down at Naruto, who still refused to meet his eyes. After a few more seconds of consideration, he grunted his assent and nodded.
"Fine, Naruto," he said. "I'll let you take the exam today. You need to do well on it or it will bring down your average score at the end of the year. If you're not careful, you might even be held back."
Naruto bit his lip again and tightened his grip on his shirt. "Okay, Iruka-sensei. I'll try really hard." Despite his confident words, his tone betrayed his true nervousness.
"Well, I still have some class materials to prepare, Naruto," Iruka said, glancing back at the documents on his desk. "I will see you in class. Don't skip again or I will be forced to fail you."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto relax a tiny amount. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei." The boy bowed his head down respectfully and walked out, sliding the door closed behind him.
Iruka let out yet another sigh before turning his chair around toward his desk. He had opened up his class agenda when he felt the presence of someone standing close behind him.
"Huh, so you can actually manage to talk to that monster without vomiting, Iruka?" Iwana's familiar voice said from his left side. "I don't think I'd be able to say anything back if I had that demon in my class."
Iruka shrugged. "I try to treat all my students equally," he said, trying to maintain a neutral tone of voice. He had no reason to believe the Kyuubi was anything more than a normal, though perhaps distracted, boy.
"That's a fine thing to aim for," Bekko added, placing his hand on Iruka's shoulder. "But it still doesn't change the fact that the monster almost destroyed our village and killed the Fourth Hokage. My younger sister was one of the first casualties..." The veteran instructor stopped talking, his sister's death an ever-present sore spot.
Iruka clenched his hands into fists. "Still, we are obligated to teach the boy the same way we do any of the other students," he argued. "And that includes worrying about his advancement at the Academy."
"You should be more worried about Sasuke Uchiha," Suzume added, speaking up for the first time. "After what happened to his family, the boy needs support."
At that, the other Academy instructors nodded their agreement, Iruka following along. Sasuke was possibly the most anti-social student in his class. He dreaded to think what the loss of his entire family would do to him. When Iruka's parents had died, Mizuki had been there for him. But Sasuke didn't seem to have any friends or anyone else to rely on.
I'll offer my help when he returns to class, he vowed.
O-O-O-O-O
Iruka stared at the students taking the exam, on the lookout for signs of cheating. To his relief, every student was focused on the booklet in front of them, the last test before the summer break.
He sighed in contentment, glad his students were working hard. His smile turned into a frown when his eyes fell upon Naruto.
For the entire day, the boy had been uncharacteristically quiet and reserved, sharing only a few words with an upset Hinata Hyuuga, his only friend. He had stared out through the window the entire day, not paying attention to anything Iruka said. A few times, Iruka had tried to get him to participate by asking him questions. However, the boy had refused to try and answer anything.
Even after their lunch break, Naruto had been despondent, staring off into space and contributing nothing. Upon receiving his exam booklet, he had written down his name and glared at his test, a frown on his face. Iruka had yet to see him answer any questions.
Iruka's eye began to twitch. Didn't you say you would try!?
"Iruka-sensei!" Iruka was snapped out of his annoyance by Sakura's voice walking toward his desk.
"Ah, Sakura, done already?"
The girl nodded, a pleased smile on her face. "I double-checked my answers, too!" Her cheeks flushed pink with pride.
Iruka beamed back at her, accepting her exam booklet and placing it on his desk. "Thank you, Sakura, you can leave now, if you want."
"Oh, um..." the girl looked away in slight embarrassment. "Is it okay if I wait for Ino to finish?"
Iruka chuckled. "Sure." The girl's eyes lit up. "You can wait for her outside the classroom." Her cheer fell and she pouted.
"Okay, sensei." With a defeated sigh, she walked back to her desk and gathered her things. She walked away, waving at Ino in farewell and begging for the other girl to finish quickly.
Iruka shook his head in amusement. He was glad Ino's company had managed to get Sakura out of her shell.
Soon after Sakura finished, the other students started to come in droves. Some dropped off their booklet with nary a word before running out. Some turned it in asking for Iruka to be merciful. Yet others smirked and declared how easy it was before walking out.
To his surprise, Hinata was one of the last ones to turn in her exam. She had been acting out of sorts for the last two days, although not to the same extent as Naruto. She turned in her booklet with a bow of her head, stuttering out wishes for Iruka to have a good summer.
Not long after that, he was left in the classroom with the sole remaining student, everyone else already finished.
Iruka was becoming worried. While Naruto tended to be slower than the others, he had never spent so long that he was the last one remaining. The boy was looking down at his exam with a blank stare on his face. His pencil was gripped tight in his hand and his eyes were unmoving, reading none of the words in front of him. Iruka frowned.
Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Naruto, begging for him to finish. One of the best benefits of being a teacher was the summer vacation and he didn't want to waste any precious seconds.
"Naruto."
Naruto startled and he looked up at the sound of his name, tightening his grip on his pencil. "Yes, sensei?" he asked with a confused frown on his face.
Iruka's frown deepened. "How long do you need to finish, Naruto? I don't have all day!"
Naruto looked away before glancing around the classroom. With a start, he seemed to realize the rest of his classmates had left. His eyes widened and he looked at the clock hanging from the wall. When reading the time, his jaw dropped in surprise. Frantically, he turned his gaze from the unfinished exam to the clock and back again, biting his lip.
Iruka sighed again. "How much longer do you need, Naruto?" he asked. "I can give you thirty more-"
"No." Naruto shook his head, interrupting Iruka before he could say anything else. "It's fine, sensei. I don't think I can do anything else anymore. Besides, I have somewhere I have to be, ya know."
He grinned at Iruka before standing up, closing his exam booklet. "I don't think there's anything else I can do, sensei." He dropped the test on top of the pile and walked back to his seat to gather his things.
Iruka looked at the boy in confusion. He had never seen him as out of sorts before.
"All right, thank you, Naruto." Iruka forced himself to smile.
"Have a good summer, Iruka-sensei," the boy muttered before walking out, closing the sliding door behind him.
Iruka stared at the closed door with a confused frown. Naruto- and Hinata to an extent- had been acting strangely in the last two days. He wondered as to the reason why.
Iruka shook his head to stop his mind from speculating further. Curious, he looked back at the pile of exams on his desk. He opened Naruto's. After hours of sitting in the classroom, he expected some sort of results.
However, instead of answers, the entire test was blank except for the name on the top corner. It was the same as their first exam on Wednesday.
Iruka sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with Naruto. He didn't have time to worry too much about him though. He had other students that needed him. Especially Sasuke.
O-O-O-O-O
Roshi looked around at the arguing shinobi with an impatient sigh. He shrugged before taking a sip of sake, feeling the burn as it went down his throat.
After their fight, the three jinchuuriki and the Kumogakure shinobi had reached an agreement of sorts. They had allowed Han, Roshi, and Yagura to set up camp in the outskirts of the village. Then, they had agreed to meet the morning after for a strategy meeting.
However, it didn't take long for Roshi to realize that making a plan that made everyone happy was impossible. C and Darui outright rejected any suggestions the three jinchuuriki made. Yugito, while less dismissive, had a critical eye and enjoyed tearing plans apart. Meanwhile, Yagura provided good ideas, but they were often punctuated by puns that made Roshi roll his eyes.
While at first Roshi had tried to be involved with the decision-making he had soon realized it was a lost cause. After an hour of trying to interject, he had given up and taken out a flask full of sake. Annoyed, he had leaned back on the trunk of a nearby tree, staring up at the canopy above him. He allowed the angry words from the other shinobi to wash over him.
'It's starting to sound kind of heated,' he thought as he took another sip of sake.
'If you creatures let my magnificent self out, I would crush the snake sannin at my feet!'Son Goku interjected, sounding more annoyed than Roshi. ' And with Kokuo, Matatabi, and Isobu, our victory is guaranteed! Why do you humans not simply destroy the one you call Orochimaru?'
Roshi shrugged. 'Who knows? I'm guessing some political bullshit reasons. I'll wait for one of them to win the argument. It's not like anyone here except for maybe Han will listen to me. Yagura and Yugito are better at making plans, anyway.'
'How long have they been arguing?'
Roshi looked up at the sky. While their strategy meeting had started shortly after breakfast, the sun was already past its peak. 'Probably around five or six hours,' Roshi guessed. He rummaged through his knapsack and pulled out an apple. 'I wish they'd hurry up and make a decision, though, I'm hungry.'
'You humans and your biological needs. Revolting! I wish I didn't know so much about how your digestive system works.'
Roshi shrugged again, amused by Son Goku's words considering the situation. After talking for nearly a year, the monkey king's mockery was more entertaining than insulting.
Unwilling to add to the increasingly heated debate, Roshi closed his ears off to the other shinobi. In a meditative trance, he focused on the sounds of the forest and nature. Except for the shinobi shouting at each other and making puns, it was a peaceful afternoon.
'Roshi, I think they're talking about you.'
As soon as Roshi had begun to nod off, his bijuu snapped him back to reality. Jolted awake, he opened his eyes and turned to look at the five other shinobi surrounding him. For some reason, they had all stopped arguing and were staring speculatively at him instead.
"I guess it could work," Darui said, hands in his pockets, a bored expression on his face.
"He does look like the weakest one," C added, crossing his arms in front of his chest while staring at Roshi with a frown.
"Of course, Kaito has good plans when he puts his mind to it," Han said, sparing a glance at the disguised Yagura.
"It's sure to viper the smug look off of Orochimaru's face," Yagura noted with a smirk.
"Lava Release is good bait for someone looking for kekkei genkai," Yugito concluded. She stared Roshi up and down judgmentally.
Roshi gaped at the other shinobi looking down at him and frowned. "Wait, what?"
"Weren't you listening, Roshi?" Yagura asked, shaking his head. "We're going to use you as bait to make Orochimaru slither out of whatever snake hole he has nearby."
Roshi blinked. "Wait... what!?" he asked again, louder and angrier than before.
Yugito squatted down with a sigh as she met Roshi's eyes. "It's very simple," she said. "We're going to use you as bait to draw out Orochimaru. When he comes out and tries to attack or kidnap you, we'll come in and try to capture him."
"Wait, why am I the designated bait?" he asked, sitting up and glaring at the people around him.
"Well, first of all, you look like a weak old man," Yagura began, counting down on his fingers.
"Look who's talking!" Roshi snorted. "You're the weakest one out of all of us! You got captured in less than one minute by Yugito-san! Why don't we send you as bait?"
"You could," Yagura admitted, a smirk on his face. "But there's one critical difference. Which brings me to my second point: you have a kekkei genkai. Since Orochimaru seems to prefer people with bloodline techniques, you're a much more enticing target than I am."
Roshi shuddered. "Please don't say it like that."
Yagura rolled his eyes. "Thirdly, Orochimaru hasn't seen you before, as far as we know. Considering that an unknown entity ran away when Yugito-san and her team gave chase, it seems he's already wary of Kumogakure shinobi."
Roshi frowned. "Orochimaru is supposed to be a smart guy," he argued. "If I just go around trying to get kidnapped, he's not going to fall for it. He'll know it's a trap immediately."
"We will set you up as a traveling unaffiliated shinobi, Roshi," Han explained. "You'll pretend to be missing-nin from Iwagakure looking for random grunt work in this area. Yugito-san, Darui-san, and C-san will pretend they don't like your company and will chase you out."
"Won't have to pretend," C muttered under his breath. Yugito's eyes narrowed in exasperation but no one commented anything.
"And then you will start wandering around the area," Yagura continued, ignoring C. "We'll monitor the situation from afar. When you actually achieve contact with Orochimaru, lead him closer to where we make camp. Unfortunately, you will have to be alone for most of this operation."
Roshi grumbled to himself and he heard Son Goku make similar sounds in his mind. "So you're asking me to wander around alone for who knows how long hoping for a crazed snake person to come out and capture me?" he asked with an annoyed frown. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"
"Well, you could always make yourself look more appetizing," Yagura smirked. "You can start sleeping with rats and mice to get the smell on you. You might try wearing some sexier clothes too."
"Should I also walk around shouting 'Oh, I sure hope no weird snake people come out and kidnap me!'" Roshi fumed, crossing his arms in front of his chest in anger.
Yagura shrugged, an entertained smirk on his face. "Well, it couldn't hurt."
Roshi's frown deepened. He turned his gaze between Yagura and Han but the two men were unphased by his glare.
"I think you're the best for this task, Roshi-san," Yugito said, speaking for the three Kumogakure shinobi. "Han-san and Kaito already explained you have a sealing system to communicate over long distances."
Roshi sighed. I guess I missed when they made up a lie about how the Room works. Though a 'sealing system' isn't exactly a lie.
He looked up at the Kumogakure shinobi next. Yugito met his eyes, her composure under control but for a tiny twitch of her right index finger. At Yugito's side, the two men looked at him with frowns on their faces. While the blond man, C, still glared at him skeptically, his friend, Darui, seemed curious to hear Roshi's decision.
Based on the reaction of the other shinobi, Roshi knew the decision was already made for him. He sighed.
"So you want me to wander around the area using Lava Release as much as possible?"
With that, Roshi saw the tension leave everyone's shoulders as they breathed out sighs of relief. I guess my acceptance was the only lingering threat to their plan.
Yugito took a step forward and nodded. "Thank you," she said. "We thought about getting someone else to do the task, but we think you would be the best bait, Roshi-san. You have a kekkei genkai and your appearance might be deceiving and hide what you are truly capable of." She let out a small smile, looking down at him in admiration.
Roshi smiled back, glad that someone held him in high esteem for once.
'This little girl sure knows how to lead,' Son Goku said, sounding reluctantly impressed.
Roshi shook his head to try to push away the bijuu's voice. He sighed, more exhausted and annoyed than before. "I should say thank you to you, Yugito-san," he said. "You have done a good job leading this team. I'll try to see what I can do to make Orochimaru come out of his hiding hole."
"Just be careful," Yagura said with a mischievous smile. "You don't want Orochimaru to throw a hissy fit!"
To Roshi's relief, he wasn't the only one to groan at that pun.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Chances are that updates will be slower because of... recent IRL events. It's very stressful, to say the least.
I use Lrrr from Futurama as inspiration for how to write Son Goku. "Why does Ross, the largest friend, not simply eat the other five!?"
If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites. Also, in these quarantine times, I started a Naruto/writing/shitposting Discord server cause there's not a lot to do hahaha. Add me on Discord (WaffleDogOfficial#0023) if you want :P
Next chapter: new apartment, new life.