In which Yagura drinks wine.
O-O-O-O-O
Lying on the grass, Sakura stared at the tree canopy, cursing summer and its heat. It was already September, why was it still scorching hot?
With sunlight filtering through the leaves, she hoped their afternoon lecture would be a continuation of their unit on wind resistance and its effects on projectile trajectory. Her friends found it boring and dreaded the algorithmic aspect of it, but she thought it was fascinating.
Who knew angle could help compensate for a weak throw?
Sakura was so lost in calculations and hypotheticals, it took her a moment to hear Naruto's question.
Ino delivered a soft kick to the side of her thigh. "Sakura-chan!"
With a start, Sakura sat up, eyes wide and head turning toward Ino. "H-huh? What?"
Ino rolled her eyes, gesturing with her head toward Naruto, who sat between Hinata and Sasuke. His eyes were wide and shining, full of excitement that made dread bloom in the pit of Sakura's stomach.
"W-what did you say, Naruto?" Sakura scratched the back of her head. "I... I didn't hear."
"That's okay!" Naruto's eyes became, if possible, even more excited. "I was just talking to Ino and she wants to do the thing too, ya know."
"The thing?" Sakura frowned and turned to Ino for an explanation.
Ino leaned back, stretching her legs out with a sigh. "Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata-chan asked if we wanted to train with them after school."
Sakura felt a bead of sweat not caused by the heat rolling down her back. In everything but studying, she was mediocre at best. Meanwhile, her friends were amazing— strong, fast, and talented in ways she could only dream of. She would only embarrass herself.
The worry must have shown on her face because Ino leaned in closer. "We don't have to train every time after school, though," she said. "We can still just hang out together some days."
"We used to train every weekday," Hinata added. "But with Sasuke's kenjutsu lesson and my new clan training, we only meet two or three times a week."
"Hinata-chan showed us a cool taijutsu trick last time!" Naruto bounced in place. "But she said only people from the Hyuuga clan can use it." His excitement ebbed before perking up again. "And we have sparring sessions and competitions and games and—"
"We do a lot of things," Sasuke interrupted Naruto's rambling before it could begin. "You and Ino are free to join us or not." He shrugged.
"Oh... um..." Sakura swallowed.
Did they think she was just worried about the time commitment? Hadn't they seen her performance on the last benchmark? On physical ability alone, she had barely scraped by. But if she refused to train with them, would they think she didn't like their company?
"Come on, Sakura-chan, it'll be fun!" Ino reached over to place a hand on her shoulder. "We can train and blow everyone outta the water on the next final exam!"
Sakura shifted in place, face warm. Was Ino saying that to make her feel better for the benchmarks? Or was it just a coincidence that she had mentioned what was in Sakura's mind?
"Sakura-chan?"
Hinata's kind voice broke Sakura out of her spiraling thoughts. She shook her head. Her friends needed an answer.
"S-sure," Sakura stammered, forcing a smile on her face. "Training sounds like fun."
Three of her friends grinned and Sasuke hummed in agreement. In an instant some of her worries eased. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself. But Ino and Hinata would be there; they'd never make fun of her. And when it came to competitions, Naruto and Sasuke only had eyes for each other.
They probably won't even notice me there.
Still, she couldn't get rid of her anxiety. With her mind racing with possibilities, the body felt heavier than ever before.
O-O-O-O-O
Sakura could barely focus that afternoon. Worry pushed all of Iruka's words on angle and velocity through one ear and out the other. Before she knew it, the dismissal bell rang and they set out.
As they left the classroom, Sakura wrapped an arm around Ino's elbow. The touch comforted more than she had expected. Ino was her first friend and best defender. She would never say anything to hurt Sakura's feelings.
With their arms intertwined, they joined their friends as they left the classroom.
"See you later, Sasuke!" Kiba, as had become his habit, waved goodbye. The tiny puppy on his head squirmed but fell back asleep a second later.
Sasuke raised a hand and waved, the other inside his pocket. "Bye."
Recognized, Kiba grinned and ran away, the puppy burrowing into his hair for dear life.
"Does Kiba-kun still talk to you a lot?" Hinata asked as they left the school building. "He's been very friendly to you since..." She trailed off.
Since Sasuke decided he didn't need any friends and stayed by himself for a week?
Sasuke nodded. "He invited me to his mother's birthday party last month. It was..." He frowned and glanced up at the sky, searching for the best words to describe the event. "An experience."
Naruto huffed, hands cradling the back of his neck. "If that's what you call it."
"His mother was drinking sake at noon." Sasuke's frown deepened as if the idea of getting drunk during the day was unheard of.
"The food was really good though," Naruto admitted. "And it was kinda fun to chase around Akamaru and onee-san's dogs."
Sakura hummed, her curiosity taking over some of her anxiety. "So he invited you too, Naruto?"
Naruto nodded. "I think Kiba's obsessed with Sasuke. He's always inviting him out, ya know."
"And you always tag along," Sasuke added with a scoff, hands in his pockets.
"Cause you always agree to go with him!" Naruto whined. "Even though he's an idiot and doesn't know how to shut up."
Sasuke snorted. "Does that remind you of anyone?"
Naruto blinked, eyebrows scrunching up in thought. After a moment of consideration, he shook his head. "Not really."
Sakura covered her mouth to hide her giggles. At her side Ino chuckled while both Hinata and Sasuke hummed.
Noticing their amusement, Naruto huffed, crossed his arms and looked away, face flushed. "He's way dumber than I am, ya know," he mumbled under his breath.
That time, Sakura couldn't hold back and she snorted. Ino and Hinata joined her, laughing with one hand over their mouths. Even Sasuke chuckled, shoulders shaking. Naruto's face grew red and he stuck his tongue out at them before walking faster and taking the lead.
But Sakura's joy was short-lived because a few minutes later, they arrived at the training grounds.
Based on its size, Sakura guessed it was reserved for Academy students. There was a small arena for sparring and wooden posts with painted targets surrounding it. The place was decent but nothing like Ino's equipment at the Yamanaka compound.
"Is this one of the Academy training grounds?" Ino asked as she looked around, Sakura clinging to her arm.
Sasuke nodded. "Yes. It's..." He swallowed, eyes glazing over for a moment before returning to normal. "It's not as good as the one in the Uchiha compound, but it's fine."
Ino's expression softened and she nodded. "I can ask my dad if we can use the Yamanaka compound instead. I don't think Daddy would say anything. This place isn't bad, but the one we have is better. Plus I think it's closer to where you two live."
Sasuke shrugged, tense shoulders betraying his true feelings. "If you want. We're used to coming here."
Ino hummed. "Well the offer stands."
"Thanks." Sasuke's eyes turned to meet Ino's, his shoulders relaxing.
Ino only nodded in response, a smile on her lips.
"So what should we do to start?" Hinata asked, bringing everyone's attention toward her. "I know we usually spar..."
Sakura tightened her hold on Ino. Why did it have to be sparring? Any one of her friends would leave her crying on the ground with both hands tied behind their backs.
To her relief, Ino saved her from the humiliation.
"Only two people can spar at the same time," she argued while shaking her head. "Are three people just gonna watch and wait? Plus it's hard to figure out the matches."
"Makes sense." Hinata nodded. "So if not sparring what should we do? Maybe some kind of competition?"
"A competition?" Naruto's eyes lit up.
Sasuke perked up as well, turning to look at Naruto, who glared back. "What kind of competition?"
Ino shrugged. "Well, we're supposed to be learning the clone jutsu soon," she began. "So Iruka-sensei said we need to improve our chakra control."
"Next month according to the curriculum guidelines." Sakura nodded, glad she might have a chance to not look like a complete idiot. On every exam, Iruka always praised her control.
"How can we have a competition about chakra control?" Naruto whined, arms crossed in front of his chest. "See who can hold a leaf to their head longer? That's too easy."
Sasuke snorted. "Even for you?"
Naruto stuck his tongue out again.
"Well, Iruka-sensei talked about the theory behind the cloning jutsu today." Ino rummaged through her messenger bag before pulling out a scroll. "So how about the first person to get the hang of it wins?"
"Iruka-sensei said it's a difficult jutsu for beginners." Sakura squeezed Ino's arm in worry. "I don't know if any of us will get the hang of it in one day."
Naruto frowned, arms crossed. "So what if no one gets the hang of it?" he asked. "Then who wins?"
Ino shrugged. "Then no one wins."
"I guess the one that comes closest can be the winner," Hinata suggested.
Sasuke hummed to himself before nodding. "Sounds good to me."
"Me, too," Naruto added.
"Same here," Ino said.
Sakura only nodded, hoping the relief wasn't too evident on her face as she let go of Ino. At least she had a better chance to catch up if no one else knew the jutsu.
"Here are the notes I took." Ino opened the scroll and placed it on the ground. "Iruka-sensei really only talked about the general concept since we'll be going over it in detail next week but..."
Sakura peeked over Ino's shoulder, comparing what she had written with her own memory. Notes on chakra, hand seals, and shape manipulation swam through her vision. She hummed to herself. It truly was the type of jutsu that required proper control.
"Uh... what's that squiggly thing there, Ino-chan?" Naruto pointed to where Ino had doodled a diagram of body and mind energy combining to make chakra.
"It's showing how chakra is mixed in the stomach to create jutsu, Naruto," Sakura answered for Ino. "The foundation of ninjutsu is finding the correct balance of energy you need."
"O-oh, I see." Naruto grinned, his creased eyebrows betraying his lie.
Sakura opened her mouth to explain before reconsidering and shaking her head. There would be no point. If she started on that lecture, they would stay up until sunrise explaining chakra theory. She doubted Naruto would understand any of it by the end anyway.
Sasuke grunted as he finished scanning through Ino's notes. He walked a few steps back to the center of the training arena, arms in his pockets. "Seems simple enough."
Without waiting for a response, he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes as he began to channel chakra. His hands moved through the hand seals— ram, snake, tiger.
A few seconds passed. Nothing happened. Sasuke's frown deepened and his shoulders tensed.
"Um... Sasuke-kun?" Hinata broke the silence.
Sasuke opened his eyes, face tinted with pink. "It's more difficult than I thought it would be," he admitted, shoving his hands back into his pockets and looking away.
Naruto rolled his eyes before stepping forward. "How hard can it be?"
Like Sasuke, Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated as his hands moved through the seals. But like with Sasuke, nothing happened.
"Guess it's harder than I thought." Naruto pasted a grin on his face and he brushed his hair back with one hand.
Ino rolled her eyes. "You two are idiots. There's a reason why the cloning jutsu isn't tested until the last year at the Academy." She sighed and shook her head. "Whatever, let's just try and see what we can do."
Hinata nodded. "Probably for the best."
They spread out, Naruto and Sasuke sharing one last glare.
Before making her first attempt, Sakura watched her friends, curious about their performance. But even after minutes of practice, no one had come close to making a clone.
Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. At least for now, she wasn't the worst one. Am I a bad person for being glad my friends are failing?
Sakura watched them a moment longer before making her first attempt.
Chakra— familiar yet strange— began to burn in the pit of her stomach. It spread power throughout her body and sent shivers up and down her spine. Whenever other people used chakra, did they feel like the most powerful person in the world, too?
Eyes closed, Sakura moved her hand through the seals. Ram. Snake. Tiger.
Her mental and physical energies combined and coursed throughout her body as chakra, crying to be used. She let it out.
Sakura opened her eyes. She had known there would be no clone, but failing still filled her with disappointment. Not even a puff of smoke?
I really am weak.
She sighed as she looked around at her friends again. Naruto grumbled to himself as he made the hand seals over and over again, each time faster than before. Sasuke grimaced, face red and eyes closed in concentration. Hinata's face was flushed too, hands moving methodically through the seals.
Ino was the only one who caught Sakura's stare. She walked toward Sakura with a sheepish smile.
"It's even harder than I thought it would be," she whined, using her forearm to swipe the sweat off her forehead. "No luck either?"
Sakura shook her head and sighed. "No luck."
Ino winced in sympathy before giving her a calculating look. "Well, guess we just need to keep trying."
Sakura felt her face heat up. "Um... yes."
With Ino's undivided attention on her, Sakura closed her eyes and moved through the signs. Once again, chakra coursed throughout her body and sent shivers down her limbs. The chakra pushed to escape and she let it, willing it to turn into a copy of herself.
But Sakura didn't need to open her eyes to know she had failed. There was no way she—
"Wow, Sakura, that's amazing!"
Ino's shout made Sakura jump. She turned to Ino, eyes wide and heart thundering. "W-what?"
"You're getting the hang of it so quickly, Sakura!" Ino gushed, eyes bright as she walked closer until they stood face to face. "It was only a puff of smoke but it was better than any of us have done so far."
"Huh?" Blood rushed to Sakura's face. "I... I made something?"
Ino nodded, still grinning. "And in less than one day, too!"
Ino's words had caught the attention of the other three. Suddenly, Sakura felt four pairs of eyes on her and her entire body felt hot enough to fry an egg.
"I... I don't think I did." She stared down at her toes
Ino scoffed and she squeezed Sakura's shoulder. "Try again," she urged. "You are better than you think you are."
It was a wonder Sakura didn't faint right then and there with all the blood that rushed to her head. Numb, she nodded as she moved her hands through the seals for the third time, eyes closed. The chakra in her stomach turned and twisted over itself, screaming for escape. She forced it to obey and turn into a clone.
"That's amazing, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice shouted, the excitement evident in his voice.
"Huh?" Sakura opened her eyes.
All four of her friends were staring at her, amazement and shock plastered on their faces. Why were they looking at her like that?
"You're so cool, Sakura!" Ino's blue eyes were as bright as stars. "It was there for less than a second, but you made a clone!"
"I... I did?" Sakura's curiosity overcame some of her fear. Had she truly managed to make a clone before anyone else?
Ino, Hinata, and Naruto nodded, faces full of awe. Even Sasuke looked impressed, his eyes wide and lips almost turned up in a smile.
"Try again, Sakura," Ino said, squeezing her shoulder again. "You're getting the hang of it really fast."
A strange feeling began to burn in the pit of Sakura's stomach. She was still nervous, but... She nodded and tried again.
That time, she kept her eyes wide open as she moved through the now familiar signs. Had she really created a clone, even if it was only for a split second?
As soon as she expelled her chakra, a copy of herself appeared in front of her. It was slightly shorter, its face a shade too pale, and its clothes too big, but it was definitely her doppleganger. The clone blinked at her before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Sakura was still gaping at the space where the clone disappeared when she felt Ino's arms around her neck.
"Congrats, Sakura!" Ino shouted in her ear. "You're really talented!"
Talented?
Sakura opened her mouth to deny the words. But before she could say anything, Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke added their own praise, making it impossible to tell their individual words apart. To Sakura's dismay, they sounded honest.
Before Sakura could object, Ino's words from earlier entered her mind.
You're better than you think you are, Sakura.
Was she? She always thought herself mediocre but perhaps...
"Um..." Sakura swallowed, tightening her hands into fists, eyes staring down at her toes. "Thank you."
O-O-O-O-O
Months after Yagura's encounter with Kakuzu, summer turned into winter. But despite keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any leads on either Jiraiya or Orochimaru, Han, Roshi, and Yagura found nothing. The mercenary group remained mysterious and Jiraiya remained elusive.
With no results, the three men had set their eyes on their next bounty— a wannabe samurai named Waraji. Unlike the target before him, the reward was small. But any successful hunt was cause for celebration. Immediately after collecting their prize, they headed to the nearest bar.
"Do you think they have umeshu?" Yagura asked as he sat at the counter, eyes scanning through the shelves of liquors on the wall.
"If they do, then their reputation as the best bar in town is undeserved," Roshi quipped as he sat on the stool next to him.
Yagura threw his friend a murderous glare. "Just because I don't drink that piss you call beer."
Roshi began a retort before shaking his head and reconsidering. He waved a hand at the bartender, who was talking to another patron. The man nodded in recognition before continuing to attend to his other clients.
"No need to fight, kids," Han said as he sat at Yagura's other side. "We have money, we have a roof over our heads, and soon we'll have alcohol. What more do you need?"
"A wife," Yagura answered, making Han snort and Roshi roll his eyes.
Han said nothing else as he crossed his arms and waited for the bartender. On his other side, Roshi leaned on the counter, chin inside the palm of his hand.
Unable to see his favorite drink, Yagura put his elbows on the counter and groaned. What was his wife doing at the moment? And the kids? Did they ever think about him?
Based on Utakata's reports, Asahi was becoming an accomplished fuuinjutsu user while Kasumi was on track to join Mei's reformed Seven Swordsmen. Meanwhile, his wife was an active member of Kirigakure's ANBU and one of Mei's confidantes.
But borrowing Utakata's eyes was not the same as being there. He would have given his right arm just to talk to his family in person one more time.
Sensing the change in mood, Roshi placed a hand on top of his head. "Missing the wife?"
"But my aim is getting better," Yagura joked, forcing a smirk.
Roshi hummed and Yagura felt Han's eyes upon him.
Yagura sighed. He couldn't fool them anymore could he?
"And the kids," Yagura confessed as he placed his forehead on the edge of the counter. "Hope they're doing fine."
"I'm sure they are." Han's giant hand squeezed his shoulder. "Be proud of them."
Yagura nodded at his lap, throat becoming tight. "I will." He took a deep breath in and out before lifting his head and placing his chin at the edge. "Think they might have umeshu in the back?"
Roshi shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to ask."
The three men watched the bartender, a young man with fiery red hair, as he finished talking to other customers. A few seconds later, he turned and walked toward them.
"Welcome, how may I serve you?" His dark eyes studied them one by one.
"Whatever you have on tap is fine," Roshi said. "A pint."
"Light or dark?"
"Light."
The bartender nodded and turned his attention to Han. "And for you, sir?"
"The same for me." Han took off his hat and mask and placed them on the counter.
The man nodded again before looking at Yagura straight in the eyes. "And for you?"
"Got any umeshu?" Yagura asked, hoping his voice didn't sound as pathetic as it felt.
"Huh, what a coincidence." The bartender hummed and scratched at his chin. "Someone sold me a crate of umeshu recently for a cheap price. I was worried no one would order it, but since it was a bargain..."
Yagura's heart began beating faster in excitement. Thank you, anonymous umeshu seller.
He sat up straight in his seat, grin on his lips. "Umeshu on the rocks for me, then."
"Sure." The man grinned before walking away.
The three jinchuriki watched as the bartender left before staring off into space. After their latest hunt, the only thing they wanted to do was rest. But they could never let an opportunity to gather intel pass them by. Bartenders often knew more about the underground world than law enforcement.
"Here are your drinks," the young man said as he placed their glasses on the counter. "Anything else I can get you?"
Yagura shook his head before taking a tiny sip of his wine.
He let out a content sigh. It was one of the best things he had tasted in years. Sweet and clear, he remembered sitting next to Anzu under the plum blossoms of late winter. He suspected Asahi had been conceived on one of those days.
"We're fine for now," Han answered before taking his glass and lifting it up to his lips.
"We do have a question though," Roshi said, eyes focused on the man. "We've been on the lookout for someone."
"Someone?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Who? An old flame?"
Yagura snorted, shaking his head. "More like an old enemy," he mumbled to himself before meeting the other man's eyes. "Have you ever heard of someone called Orochimaru?"
"Orochimaru?" The man's eyebrows contracted into a frown and his eyes turned to the ceiling, a finger scratching at his chin. "I don't think I have."
"He's a Konoha missing-nin," Han added.
The bartender shook his head. "The name kind of nags at me," he admitted. "Though I can't remember exactly where or how I heard it."
"It's fine." Yagura shrugged, fingers caressing the side of his glass. "We're just searching for leads."
"That I can understand. We get lots of bounty hunters around here since we're close to the border with the Land of Rivers." The bartender grinned before taking a step back. "Well, feel free to call me if you need a refill or anything."
"Will do." Roshi raised a hand in dismissal before taking another sip of beer.
With one final nod, the bartender left to continue working.
The three men became silent once more, each lost in their own thoughts.
Yagura sighed. The umeshu had brought back bittersweet memories of home. What was his family doing? How often did they think about him? Did they think of him at all?
Overcome with a sudden sense of homesickness, he chugged at his wine.
"Feeling as empty as your brain?" Roshi asked with a scoff. "Drink more and forget about your life."
Yagura sighed. "That's the plan." He had asked Isobu not to interfere and his glass was already half empty.
"Just don't get too drunk." Han patted the top of his head like a child. "I'm not gonna take care of you."
Yagura rolled his eyes. "Just cause I'm no longer in top form doesn't make me useless." He raised the glass up to his lips and drank.
Roshi snorted. "If those are the lies that let you sleep at night..." he mumbled into his drink.
Yagura ignored him with ease, draining the last of the umeshu with a single gulp. Already the blood was rushing to his head and his entire body felt warm. But he wasn't satisfied. He needed more.
"Hey, boy!" Yagura waved his hand at the bartender.
With no clients taking his attention, the young man had started wiping down glasses. At Yagura's call, he turned and walked to them.
"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" he asked with a smile.
Yagura nodded. "Just a refill on the umeshu. Thanks."
"Of course, sir." The bartender picked up the glass before reconsidering. "Actually, would you prefer to buy the rest of the bottle? I can give you a small discount."
A whole bottle? Yagura's heart began to race. "Sure."
The bartender nodded before leaving, coming back with a fresh glass and an already opened bottle of umeshu. He poured a generous serving over ice, pushing the drink under Yagura's nose. "Enjoy, sir."
Yagura took another sip. The second glass tasted even better than the first. "Thank you, boy."
"You're welcome." The young man grinned again. He made as if to leave before freezing, turning his attention back to the three men. "Oh! I think I just remembered where I heard the name Orochimaru once," he said. "Is he a big deal?"
Han groaned, placing his pint down on the counter with a soft thud. "A big deal is an understatement. He's one of the worst missing-nin from Konohagakure."
"We've been trying to hunt him down for over a year," Roshi added.
Hypnotized by the sweet drink in front of him, Yagura only nodded along. How could something taste so sweet?
The bartender looked up at the ceiling, starching at his chin. "I think I saw this older man mention Orochimaru once," he said to the ceiling.
"An older man?" In an instant, Han and Roshi tensed, voices business-like.
Yagura sipped at his wine in silence, blinking at the young man. Was it his imagination or did the bartender look a bit blurry?
"The man I saw had long white hair," the young man said. "Although I didn't catch his name. Think it started with a 'J' or maybe a 'Y'?"
Jiraiya?
Han shifted, leaning forward almost imperceptibly. "What did the man say about Orochimaru?"
"I can't really remember," the bartender admitted.
"How long ago did that man pass through here?" Roshi asked next, his beer now forgotten on the counter.
"Around..." The bartender paused, looking up at the ceiling as he made some calculations. "A month ago, I'd guess. Only drank a bit and talked to some of the patrons before leaving. Didn't say where he'd go after that, though."
"I see." Roshi frowned. "Thank you for the help."
"Glad I could help!" The young man smiled. "Call me if you need anything else!"
"Sure." Han waved a hand in dismissal before reaching for his beer and drinking again.
The bartender hummed before leaving to wash dishes.
Roshi sighed, placing his elbows on the counter. "Seems like we might have found a lead," he said.
"Perhaps." Yagura drank more wine. "It's a weak lead, though."
Han shrugged, making his armor clank. "Anything helps."
Yagura sighed. "It does," he admitted. "And it's not like we have anything else to chase anyway."
He stared at his glass of wine on the counter, thoughts running through his mind. Was the white-haired man actually Jiraiya? Would Jiraiya even speak about Orochimaru in public? Were they getting closer and closer to finding the elusive man or was it only a red herring?
Yagura shook his head, refilling his glass before taking another drink. "Well, we can make a plan tomorrow," he decided. "Let's relax. The last mission was exhausting."
"All you did was sit and shout stupid things while we did the fighting," Roshi whined.
"The last mission was exhausting," Yagura repeated, ignoring his friend with ease.
As usual, Roshi had no retort. He groaned, picking up his pint of beer and taking a long gulp.
With a huff, Yagura returned to his drinking and self pity. At his sides, Han and Roshi followed suit and the three men sat in silence.
But half a bottle of wine later, Yagura began to squirm in place. The drink was going through his system faster than he had anticipated. Glass half empty, he stood up.
"Gotta piss," he mumbled with a sigh.
Roshi snorted. "Thanks for letting us know."
"Well, if you wanna help, I wouldn't mind." Yagura threw his friend a smirk. "Though it might make it a bit awkward once we have to share the room with Han.
Roshi rolled his eyes and groaned. "Go fuck yourself."
Yagura pointed a finger in Roshi's direction. "Fuck me yourself, you coward!"
Han chuckled while Roshi raised his middle finger. Yagura fought back a cackle as he walked away. All too easy.
He looked around, finding the sign to the men's toilets. After drinking half a bottle of umeshu, the world spun around and he struggled to walk in a straight line. But the euphoria of being drunk more than made up for it. It was nice to relax for once.
Inside the restrooms, he headed to the urinal and then to the sink. After washing his hands, he paused, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
Fuck, I actually am drunk. He sighed and splashed water onto his face. But the night's just getting started.
Yagura sighed again, hands gripping the edges of the sink. He wiped his hands on his pants and face with his sleeve before turning off the faucet. With a roll of his shoulders, he headed to the door, visions of umeshu making his mouth water.
But before he could open the door to leave, he felt a sudden pain at the back of his neck. The sensation traveled down his body and burned at the center of his stomach before shutting down his chakra pathway system.
Yagura had no time to scream or even ask Isobu for help. His knees hit the ground first, followed by the rest of his body. As he lost consciousness, the only thing he could think about was sweet plum wine.
O-O-O-O-O
Roshi took a small sip of beer, savoring the bitter taste before swallowing.
Tired, he stared at the shelves of alcohol on the wall, thinking of nothing in particular. The last bounty hunt had been as average as they came. Track, fight, subdue. No complications to speak of.
He could've done without Yagura's jokes, however.
Yawning, Roshi rested one elbow on the bar counter, eyes closing almost against his will. It was nearing midnight and staying awake was turning into a struggle. Was he getting old?
Roshi rubbed at his eyes to stay awake. "Let's just finish this drink and get back to the inn."
Han grunted in assent. "Yeah. Just wait for Kaito to come back and finish."
Roshi frowned. "He's been gone for a while, hasn't he?"
Han shrugged. "Think he fell asleep?"
Roshi shook his head. "Doubt it. He's probably puking his guts out right now. You saw how much he drank in the span of ten minutes. And considering how small he is..."
"Kinda rich coming from you." Han snorted, one elbow resting on the bar.
"Fuck off." Anyone would look short standing next to Han.
Han chuckled but said nothing else. They returned to drinking. But after ten more minutes, Yagura had yet to return and their boredom turned to annoyance.
"Where the hell is Kaito?" Roshi groaned, spinning in his seat to glare in the general direction of the toilets. "He's taking forever and I want to sleep."
Han shrugged. "Pissed?"
"Possibly in more ways than one." Roshi sighed before drowning the rest of his beer in one gulp. He stood up, Han following after.
Together, they squeezed through the tables and a small group of drunk women to enter the men's toilets.
"Kaito!" Roshi called out, suppressing yet another yawn. "Where are you?"
No one answered.
"Kaito?" Han added a call of his own, beginning to sound worried. He pushed the only stall door open, but there was no one there. "Where is he?"
Roshi slapped his forehead and shook his head. "No idea," he admitted. "Though I doubt he's getting into anything good."
"No, he's not." Han's eyes scanned the room again, as if Yagura would materialize at any second.
"I'll see if I can sense him." Roshi closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out. 'Son?'
'I know.' Son Goku's familiar voice answered, sounding as tired as Roshi felt. 'I'll try to contact Isobu and find where your stupid Mizukage disappeared to.'
'Thank you, Son.' Roshi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He followed Han out of the toilets and back to their seats.
"He's probably passed out in an alleyway somewhere," Roshi whined as he considered calling the bartender for a second drink. "Well, I'm not going to babysit him."
"You will and you know it," Han retorted. "You'll just complain the whole time."
Roshi began to prepare a retort, but before he could, Son returned.
'Roshi?' To Roshi's dismay, the bijuu's voice almost sounded unsure.
'Son? What is it?'
'I can't sense Isobu or Yagura anywhere,' Son Goku admitted.
'What?'
'I can't sense Isobu or Yagura!' the bijuu repeated as if Roshi were deaf. 'He's not anywhere nearby!'
'How is that possible?' Han joined their mental conversation. 'He can't have gotten that far.'
'I don't know!' The bijuu's growls were unable to hide his growing worry.
'Can you keep trying to find him, Son?' Roshi asked.
'Do you take me for your servant?'
'I think Kokuo can help out, too,' Han added, ignoring the Monkey King.
'I'll help.' Kokuo's voice joined the fray, calm as usual.
'Thank you, Son, Kokuo,' Han and Roshi said together.
With a roar from Son Goku and a hum from Kokuo, the two bijuu disappeared in their search for the Sanbi.
Han and Roshi exchanged uneasy looks. What had happened to Yagura? Or was the man messing with them? Roshi wouldn't put it past him.
"Let's see if we can track our idiot down the old fashioned way." Roshi stood back up with a sigh and headed to the toilets, Han at his heels. Perhaps someone had seen the wayward Mizukage come out?
A few feet away from the restroom doors was a group of young women crowded around a small table. They giggled to each other, not noticing Han and Roshi walking toward them yet.
"Excuse me, ladies?" Roshi stood in front of their table, causing four women to quiet and look at him.
"Yes, what is it?" A woman with short, strawberry blonde hair blinked at him, a cocktail cradled in her hand. Compared to the rest of her friends, who were flushed, cross eyed, or both, she met Roshi's eyes square on. Only the too rapid blinking betrayed her true condition.
"We're looking for our friend," Roshi answered. "He went to use the toilet but now he's been gone for a while. I don't suppose any of you have seen him?"
"What does he look like?" a blue-haired woman asked. Unlike the first woman, her eyes struggled to focus on Roshi.
"Short, old, grey hair, ugly, drunk off his ass," Roshi muttered every uncharitable description he could think of.
"He is slightly shorter than my friend here, an older man with a scar under one eye," Han added. "He was... impaired when he left to use the toilet."
"Oh yeah! I think I saw someone like that!" A third woman said, large blue eyes struggling to focus on the two men. "I remember him 'cause he was swaying as he walked." She hiccuped and let out a giggle. "He looked so drunk!"
And you're not?
"Did you see when he came out?" Han asked.
The entire group of women shook their heads.
Roshi bit back a curse. What kind of trouble had Yagura gotten into this time? Had he snuck past the women without them noticing?
"Did anyone else enter or leave the restroom?" Roshi asked next. Perhaps Yagura had taken a new disguise?
The last woman, drunker than the rest, lifted her face and grinned, blinking as she struggled to focus "Yup! And oh, what a hunk that man is!"
"Hunk?" Roshi raised an eyebrow. He might not understand sexual attraction at all, but no one would ever call Yagura a hunk.
"The bartender!" she answered, face so red it almost matched Roshi's hair.
"We come here sometimes just to look at him," the woman with blue hair confessed. "He's so nice, too!"
"And charismatic!" the blue-eyed woman added, a dreamy expression on her face.
"Bartender? The man with red hair?" Han asked. "Did he enter the restroom as well?"
The first woman nodded before taking a sip of her cocktail. "Yeah, the bartender. He started working here just a few days ago."
"Just a few days ago?" Roshi's heart began to race in growing concern. But hadn't he mentioned hearing Orochimaru's name a month ago? What if...
The women nodded, eyes sparkling.
"He's really nice and friendly," the woman with blue eyes gushed. "He's offered us free drinks a few times, too." She hiccuped.
"He went inside the toilet right after that old man went in," the most sober woman added. "Then he came out a little bit after that and then went outside."
"Though he gave us a little wave and a smile before he left," the blue-haired woman added with a sigh.
"You say he left?" Roshi took a step forward, pulse pounding in his ears.
The first woman nodded. "I guess he went out to take his smoke break or something." She shrugged. "Though he's been gone a while." A tiny frown appeared on her forehead as she swirled the liquid inside her cocktail glass. "We were just about ready to ask for refills."
Han and Roshi stared at each other with growing horror.
The bartender had been friendlier than most, providing exactly the type of information they wanted. And in hindsight, he had focused a lot of his attention on Yagura. What kind of bar in the Land of Fire had umeshu?
Had the man captured Yagura or was the former Mizukage—
Roshi shook his head before he could put the possibility into words. If Yagura were dead, they would have known, right? Their bijuu would have sensed it... Right?
Roshi cursed to himself. How could they have missed a possibility like that? Alcohol was an easy vector for poison, too...
We've gotten complacent.
Faces pale, Han and Roshi stared at each other but said nothing else as they ran outside. The winter chill hit their faces but they ignored the prickling sensation. In silence, they searched for tracks, finding them easily in the thin snow. They followed his path to the outskirts of town, eyes and ears searching for leads.
As they walked, Roshi's mind raced with possibilities.
Who had taken Yagura and why? Had Orochimaru decided to get his revenge? Or... he swallowed down his growing panic. Had their earlier encounter with Kakuzu allowed the organization to track them down? And if they had, what would happen to Yagura? What did they want with him?
Visions of Yagura swam in his mind's eye. Chained and placed under a genjutsu again, a puppet to a mysterious mastermind. Fingernails torn off one by one in a vain search for intel. Corpse floating down the river to be later consumed by wild animals.
Based on Han's expression, the other man was having similar thoughts. But neither could say anything. What if by speaking they made their nightmares come true?
In silence, Han and Roshi followed the tracks into the nearby forest. But not long after that, the trail ended, vanishing as if into thin air.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Just as a fair warning, I'm doing some interviews and (potentially) moving cities and starting a new job. The next update is even more uncertain than usual. Sorry.
Thanks, Morket for beta reading. I both thank you and curse you for the gift of Stardew Valley. I hope you get a kick out of my suffering.
Next chapter: capture.