Chapter Fifteen

Suigetsu was still thinking about the issue when he arrived at his home. He stood outside, looking at the house; occasionally running his hand through his hair. He'd been standing there for ten minutes when Karin opened the door.

"Are you going to stand out there all night?"

"What's it to you if I do?"

Karin sighed, moving away from the door but leaving it open. She had disappeared from the doorway before Suigetsu decided to go in.

She was seated at the table, leaning back in the chair and looking around the room with disinterest. He moved around so that he was opposite her, and rested his hands on the back of the chair.

"Are you hungry?" He asked quietly.

She shrugged and his lip curled in distaste. But before he could explode, she asked him a question.

"What if we created a trap?"

"Where?"

"Just outside the pass."

"It won't work." He said, shaking his head, "Outside the pass, we're vulnerable. And they can escape."

"Not if we force them back into the pass." She stated. She pulled the map out and pointed to a position on the road on the northern side of the pass. "If we place a trap here, one that would explode and block the pass, they'll be forced back and we can corner them."

"Why not just block the pass in front of them?" Suigetsu argued, "We could do away with them without the possibility of escape or help."

"Because the fight will be more difficult." Karin insisted, "They'll be waiting for an ambush and will be ready when we attack."

"You keep saying that but…"

"This isn't about your skill level, Suigetsu. I was merely teasing you earlier. This is about making the confrontation last only as long as it has to." Karin interrupted him, "Ideally, taking out the target without alerting the guards would be the best plan. I just don't see how we can accomplish it."

"So you know I can handle them?" Suigetsu smirked, folding his arms across his chest triumphantly.

Karin rolled her eyes. "I think if we can push them back into the ravine, just when they think they've made it, we'll have a huge advantage." She smoothed out the map and pointed to the southern end of the pass. "We can block this end too, once they've gone through. Then they'll be trapped and we can take them out easily."

"You're forgetting something." Suigetsu said.

"What?" Karin asked, looking down at the map.

"The carriage." He stated, "They won't leave the carriage, and they can't turn it until they're well and truly out of the pass."

He stepped round the table until he was next to her, "If you blow a trap here," He pointed at the spot she'd indicated earlier, "They'll push through or send runners to the castle."

"So, we're back at the beginning."

Both of them studied the map in silence for a moment, weighing their options.

"What if…" Suigetsu started, then he paused as Karin glanced up at him, "What if we set the trap right here, at the very end of the pass?"

"But we've already discussed this…"

"No, I mean setting the trap and blowing it once the carriage is on top. If we time it right, we could make it look like a landslide and only take out the target."

"But she could…"

"And we can pretend to be travelers and slip in and finish the job if she hasn't already snuffed it."

"An ideal plan." Karin murmured, smiling to herself as she regarded the map, imagining the situation in her head. She glanced up at Suigetsu mischievously, "I'm surprised."

"Hey, I have my moments." He replied, disgruntled.

"Though few and far between." She muttered, and began gathering up the papers. "I think it will work."

"Your confidence in me is overwhelming." He stated sarcastically. But he smiled when she laughed. "So, are you hungry?"

Karin groaned, "Don't tell me you're cooking again!"

"Cry all you like, I know you love my cooking!" He responded, walking into the kitchen and starting to pull out ingredients.

"In your dreams." She called over her shoulder as she put the map and other scrolls away.

"You aren't eating food in my dreams." He sniggered, before straightening his face as she re-entered the kitchen. "So, what will it be tonight?"

"Anything," Karin answered, "Except soup!"

The next two days went by quite quickly, with the gathering of supplies and necessities for their mission. On the third day they left the Village Hidden in the Mist, taking a boat downstream to the port just south of the pass.

The trip took longer than expected; delays coming from the increased water level due to the spring melts further north. They were fortunate that they'd left a day earlier than expected, as they were forced to disembark further downstream than they'd intended.

Their extra day was wasted traveling north, reaching the port town mid-afternoon. They waited until dark before leaving the town and racing ahead to set up their trap.

The pass was five kilometers long; a snaking mountain valley, narrow and rocky. Above the crevice were various bandit hiding places, nests for ambushes, which were a very real threat during the warmer months.

Now, with winter departing, there was a greater danger of avalanches, which gave Karin and Suigetsu the advantage.

They had decided, previously, to set off a few smaller charges, both before and after their main trap, just to ensure maximum confusion after the event. Most of the explosives were planted at a single point in the canyon, one kilometer in from the northern end.

They spent all night laying the charges, before making their way back down the pass. They had a few hours rest, cleaned themselves up and moved down the road to wait for their target to pass by.

Author's Note: I know it's short. Perhaps, I could be persuaded to post another chapter through the week.