All sorts of terrible things going around at home. EX. Finding out that...Well I can't post because my friends are on here.
Just know I'm going through some things, like feelings.
Lateness must be tolerated.
Menma chewed quietly and thoughtfully on his meat, trying to come up with some sort of idea for their plans.
Naruto seemed to be doing the same, but eating at a faster pace.
"Did you see anything interesting?" Menma said, observing a faraway tent with a hunting dog sniffing its base.
"Nope." Naruto said through the meat, leaning against a fence not far away from where they joined. Menma hoisted himself on the fence, slouching.
"Some people give the animals a funny look, dontcha think?" He added after a few moments, quietly.
A tan man eyed the griffon pair.
He wasn't looking in awe or fear, he was calculating. Sizing up the four for unknown reasons. Naruto glared at the man, giving him a questioning, yet ticked off look.
The man scurried away, glancing at the animals over his shoulder.
"Did you see that?" Naruto said, fiddling with the soon-to-be clean kebab.
"Yeah." Menma said quietly.
It wasn't like the two humans were concerned about the griffons. The animals carried both strength and speed, plus the ability to fly. Alden was cruel and ruthless in execution of anything, Menma expected the creature to take a life easily. Revide would probably hightail away from the danger, and push the limits of the oxygen levels while at it.
No, no. There wasn't respect from certain people. Menma assumed they wanted a trophy on their walls. It wasn't hard to take down a bird, thin arrows in the chest would render the animal useless.
Hmph, griffon fur was gritty and rough, not useful for a blanket. Even a rug wouldn't really do justice to the uselessness of fur.
Perhaps griffons were rare and the people were ignorant of the power the animals possessed?
Or in the worse case scenario, someone recognized them from the palace.
"We should begin doing some recon." Menma growled lowly to his friend.
"What?" The blond murmured from the fence.
"See what information we can pick up." Menma leaned away from the blond mop of hair.
"I prefer to beat it out of people." Naruto said cheekily. Menma rolled his eyes.
"Lunatic..." Menma said and eyed his kebab. "We'll need to follow that man, listen to the conversations he has with the people. Perhaps this place has a lot more business done than what I would like to think." Menma finished with a chuff, rolling his shoulders.
"..." Naruto didn't reply, but began twirling the wooden needle with three fingers. A slow span of bright color and shifting fingers, as the blond mulled over the information.
"Perhaps we could trail a few of them." Naruto said and looked at the streets, looking for the familiar faces that gave him the noteworthy, uncomfortable feeling. "They shouldn't be too hard to spot in this crowd." Naruto watched the hunting dog scamper back to the call of its master. It made him uneasy.
"What's you say we take a little stroll?" Menma said gruffly, a crude smile forming on his lips.
"Certainly." Naruto said, reading his mind.
The mental bridge they formed seemed to go on the same route.
First walk around at random, (together), select the most suspicious character, send him of with a look, tail his nosy rear, and get some information.
After that, well the mental bridge was still in progress.
Menma viciously ripped a chunk of meat away and popped off the fence. Naruto clicked his tongue to earn the attention of the animals, a high edge in his steps.
The two griffons paired next to their riders, respectively. Naruto cooed out his rough griffonian-engrish to the two, Alden snorted, Revide just looked from Menma to Naruto with wide eyes.
Naruto smoothed out a few stray feathers on Revide's neck, he swung over to her right wing and made sure that she was within a few inches. Alden huffed from her left wing.
Menma had his position on Alden's left wing, shoveling down the last bit of meat, sliding the soiled needle under the red straps of his arm warmers.
Should the situation be dire, he would use it for... extreme purposes.
Menma and Naruto began their walk, not doing just an extremely fast pace, but enough to look like they were busy.
Not really.
Alden had his head held high, one might have thought he was from an elegant and flourished clan. Well, he sort of came from one, but that's beside the point. Revide seemed relaxed, but her claws were curling and uncurling with every step, a nervous habit perhaps? Naruto's heels popped off of the ground too soon, his eyes were shifty and a smirk on his face screamed "Bad News". Menma had pulled his mask back on, brows furrowed in a permanent glare, and fists curled in an unspoken threat.
They were not a friendly looking party.
Everyone in their little group met eyes with each person individually, scanning the masses. Most shielded away from the riders when they were together, some looked on with curiosity and tilted heads, while others simply glared back.
Thinking about the response was too time-consuming. The party was looking for one reaction only.
Naruto was the first to spot that different stare. An apple stand, first the bright crimson apples, then intermingling green, and then the same stare.
A thin man with a thick beard, pale and purple clothes draping around his stick frame. Naruto briefly questioned if this man ate, but quickly discarded the idea. His eyes ping-ponged from Naruto to the animals at his side.
Menma caught the dangerous vibes of Naruto and quickly followed the line of sight. He saw the man, hands fidgeting from behind the apple stands no doubt. Finally, Menma was able to put a finger on what that longing look was.
Hunger.
Menma gave this scraggly looking man a code-name just for tailing purposes: Ned.
'Ned' didn't leave from his position, unlike the others. 'Ned' watched wide-eyed and shifty, when Menma noticed something. It was that same amulet for the passing purposes.
He really didn't want to deal with a tracker hot on their heals. He glanced at Naruto and hoped that Naruto caught sight of that amulet as well.
His expression was unreadable, aside from scathing.
The group quickly walked through the lane of tents, unsaid words of 'weneedtogettheshitouttaherefornow' lingered in their minds. Granted, the wording might be different, but that's how they felt.
Menma snagged Alden's leather saddle and made as sharp turn to the left, a 'squack' of surprised let loose from both animals. And maybe Naruto...
The beaten dirt gave way to small rocks that mingled with scraggly vegitation, then falling into lush grass, silencing most of their footsteps.
Alden was glaring at Menma with a cold edge. Seeming to say, "Bitch, you could've said something instead of making me squack like an idiot in front of HER."
Menma chose to ignore his ride's glare and instead turned to see Naruto.
"Did you see h-"
"Yeah." Naruto interrupted. "Gave me the Uncomfortables." Naruto added after scratching his arm sheepishly.
"Did you notice?" Menma asked, he wanted to stuff the words back into his mouth, fearing he might make Naruto feel inferior.
"Notice what?" Naruto gave him a quizzical look, lips going into a stiff frown.
"He had a passage amulet." Menma said and held up his own coin-like object with two fingers.
"Well, yes. And I did see something else about it." Naruto started grinning. It was Menma's turn to look quizzical. "The pendant was new. Had the exact same shine as ours. Funny, right?" Naruto finished in mock-questioning and naiviety.
Menma let out a short breath, thank lucky stars Naruto didn't seem... Under him.
He tossed that thought out the window. First things first.
"You get the same end I do?" Menma said with a glare under the mask, he curled his hand into a fist. A sharp prod and sting reminded him that the needle was still there.
"Yeah. I believe-" Naruto began and then paused, eyes shifting around, needling for the right words. "-I believe that... He got the amulet specifically for following us, if it's a new amulet-"
"Then he originally had no plans to cross the river in the beginning." Menma said quickly, head turning to the left, glaring at the ground in silent irritation.
Firstly, he was irritated by this man seeking them out so strongly. There had to be a reason behind the desire to... follow them.
Secondly, this means more incognito. He was just sort of adjusting to being out in the open with his noble companions. Like putting on a hot coat you'd taken off before-hand.
"Something tells me that this... Network of people are in this together." Naruto stated, bringing back Menma's attention. "Like how if it were just him, he wouldn't have the guts to confront us by himself. He must've been ordered to follow us."
Naruto had a good point. One look at Alden would send most people scampering.
"Although, it probably wasn't just him." Menma said drumming his fingers against his thigh. "Need to see what they're up to." Menma shifted his weight, about to take a step.
"Woah, woah, woah."
He didn't get far, Naruto rapidly paced up to Menma, standing just close enough to be within personal space. Naruto reached his hand up and pulled the mask down as far at it would allow. Menma flinched. Cool air hit his lips, nose, and a small portion of his cheeks, but the whiskers were covered up, at least.
Naruto didn't like the mask.
It prevented him from seeing Menma entirely.
"You are NOT following that goon by yourself." Naruto said, just short of pointing at him. Menma briefly noted how they were the exact same height, but discarded the thought. Menma shifted his weight onto one foot, getting a bit lazy. His eyelids drooped...
In disbelief.
"I've been in this field for years, Naruto." Menma said with a lazy blink and a sigh. He was... flattered in a way, Naruto was sort of worried about him...
"Doesn't matter. The moment we crossed the Uchiha border, no, the moment we MET we became a team! You are not going back into the markets without me." Naruto was just a few notches from going into a yell.
Menma gritted his teeth, he would be fine.
"I'll be fine." Menma said for the first time. Considering he'd gotten away from guards, battled Sasuke in the air, AND tamed two gigantic dogs.
Naruto was overreacting.
"No. You wont-" Naruto growled. "- Okay maybe you will, but..." Naruto lifted his hand in a manner of calming himself down. "What will I do?"
"I dunno." Menma shrugged lazily, because he seriously did not know what Naruto would do. He doubted anyone would attack Naruto or the animals, that risk was increasingly unlikely.
"There is no possible way you're going to have all the fun!" Naruto said, his shoulders stiffening. Menma pursed his lips, fighting back a sharp reply.
"No." Menma said firmly, a twitch in his neck.
"If you don't let me DO something, I'll just-"
"You're injured!" Menma snarled, leaning a tad bit too close. Before Naruto could open his mouth to retort... "You shouldn't be putting any strain on the wound. I'm surprised you even stand straight, considering the depth of the cut!" Menma glanced down at the stomach and looked back at Naruto's eyes.
He would be fine, and Naruto wouldn't risk tearing the cut.
"I..." Naruto tried to say something, but floundered for a moment and shut his mouth altogether. Defeated, he looked over to the side. "Fine. Go."
Menma wondered for a moment whether it was a bluff or not, Naruto wasn't being communicative with him. He had a hard time understanding exactly what it was Naruto was trying to convey.
Did Naruto feel useless or something?
"I'll stay with the two, make sure they know what you're doing." Naruto mumbled, sounding disappointed. The blond walked past Menma, stopping in front of Alden, prying out a few stray dirt specks.
For a brief moment, Menma felt a bit bad.
"I'll be back," Menma said after chewing on his lip. He pulled the mask back over his lips and nose. "Soon." He added.
He didn't miss the scowl from Naruto when he began pacing out of the area, and back onto the beaten dirt.
However, what he didn't hear when he left...
"Like I'm gonna sit back and let him have the fun." Naruto said with a grin.
If someone was curious why Menma came back by himself, they didn't say.
Menma considered turning around and asking Naruto to go on and come with him, because it looked fairly suspicious.
His lip twitched in irritation under the mask.
He should've been thinking a bit harder about that.
Then again, perhaps it wasn't AS suspicious as all four of them tailing a single man.
No, it'd be better to be by himself, it would be easier to stay hidden.
Menma shook his head and began to formulate a slapdash plan.
His first goal would be to find Ned. Ned didn't get a good look at the shoes on Ned's feet, but he could safely assume they wouldn't leave harsh footprints.
If he left in a hurry, they MIGHT be deeper.
Menma probed himself with the wooden needle, scanning the streets for Ned. Any sign of than slightly aged man and his bushy beard would do well to aid him.
No sign of him. Anywhere.
Menma brushed past two girls, who gave him a funny look.
Menma decided to stroll, if he wasn't within the immediate area, that means he didn't follow Naruto and Menma.
He was either at the apple stand, or had left to-
Menma's head shot up, he might actually get a lead this early!
The masked boy held back his pace, he didn't want to arouse suspicion. Bolting off toward the apple stand would make him seem like a complete lunatic, even if it meant he was losing time and the evidence of a lead back to the higher ups.
Shrugging, he walked at a brisker pace.
He briefly wondered if Ned might've stayed at the stands, or if the 'lowly marketer' might just be a ploy for something else. He didn't have answers, even if those were personalish questions, they still mattered.
He wasn't really all that experienced on the intel-gathering section of work, but if need be, he knew what to do when such a situation came up.
Briefly, he missed the completeness of a team when it came to heists.
When people began to dismiss him as someone normal, that was when his chance came.
He saw the apple stand up ahead, he couldn't tell if Ned was there or not, and his visual prowess was going to be the winning or losing card.
When he identified a different group of people there than before, he knew right away that either those two were forced from their position, or the 'apple stand' was really a ploy.
This also confirmed that Ned had left the position, and that Menma had to find out which direction he had gone.
He quietly sidestepped behind one of the tents. Certainly he wasn't view able to one side of the road, but a quick glace down the row, aimed at his back would immediately alert anyone. He only had a few minutes maximum.
Menma bent his back, chest touching his bent knees in tense readiness.
"I am gonna have terrible knees when I get older." Menma said quietly. He held out a hand, to balance himself when getting there.
Leaning back on his feet, then shooting forward into a front flip.
Flips usually happen very fast. His sense of balance and gravity wasn't altered in the slightest.
A rock dug into his back, the dirt seemed a bit unforgiving at this point.
He tucked himself in tighter and a second flip was executed. Menma disregarded the law of flipping in diagonal position too lessen the strain on his spine. The upcoming tent was wide enough to give him some space. He popped on his feet, still in a deep crouch and his covered elbow brushed the flap of this tent.
He had to believe the no one saw him, that was the only way he'd ever make it out of here with the information.
Well, he'd make it out of here, but he really wanted to make it out of here as an unnoticeable figure, who no one would suspect in the end. Menma didn't waste any time rolling to the next tent.
When he made it to the tent closest to the apple stand, Menma straightened his back and lifted his head slightly. Right before he made it to the check point was when everybody began to notice that something was out of place.
Menma rolled one last time to the tent, momentarily holding his breath. His ear tried their hardest to hear any curious murmurs of questioning.
When exactly three seconds passed, he quietly let out a breath and looked at his feet.
On the far edge of the stand's back flap, the one that was currently concealing him, he saw foot prints.
Menma awkwardly shuffled with his knees knocking his chest, and looked at the tracks.
He had no idea if this was Ned or not, but her was going with the hopeful bet that it was.
Menma scowled and observed.
It was a moccasin type shoe. The full shape told him it wasn't designed with extreme arch support in mind, like the shoes that higher ups wore. His first conclusion on that, was that this man needed money.
The depth on the toes and heel was strikingly different and varied. The pressure was first centered on the heel, meaning he put pressure there first. The toe was light, hardly having enough pressure to make an indent in the dirt.
He was running. Running to where, Menma had no idea.
He looked in the direction the footprint was facing, further confirming his idea that Ned had been running, was the distance of every footstep. Nearly a yard with every single print.
He nodded and began making more assumptions.
If he wasn't taking the roads, then this man had been in a desperate hurry to get somewhere. Perhaps the middle or the opposing edge of the markets?
He still couldn't quite judge why, but more answers would come soon.
Menma took a few steps to the next footprint, Ned had stepped on a rock and the force of him running had shifted the rock a few centimeters. Menma nodded and stood up, beginning to tip toe around the tents and tracks.
Ned hadn't even tried to go in a zigzag motion to slow anyone down. The tracks lead a pretty straight path down the dirt until it reached a blacking lane of tents.
Menma pursed his lips in worry. If Ned went on the streets, there was no possible way he could track the man. His skills weren't that powerful.
Menma shook his head and began following the tracks, straining to hear any sound close by.
His toes dug unevenly into the dirt and he flinched when he thought someone might've heard him. And that was when he realized something.
These tents that Ned had been sprinting around, were not tents that carried merchandise. In fact, only a small door flap seemed visible. He didn't even hear the sound of people inside the tents.
Perhaps it was living quarters? But why so many clumped together in the main center of the market areas?
And then another thought struck him.
Perhaps this whole area was in cahoots, and it was split into several different factions? Menma clawed his mind for any hint that another groups of tents together like this was in this market area.
He couldn't remember.
Menma growled and hit the ground with his fist, there was a growing unease that they were indeed, within dangerous grasps.
Deciding that he couldn't back out now, Menma crouched low in his stance, and resumed following.
He would need to be doubly careful. There was always the chance that someone was listening inside these tents, and he couldn't afford to take any risks.
There was a gnawing burn in his thighs and knees from being in a strained position for so long, but he ignored it and pressed forward.
Menma made sure to keep a wary eye on the tracks and occasionally pause and bob his head up, every position was dangerous. No matter the location, he had a glimpse of the dirt roads and the clothes of people. Menma stiffened his arms in fear and apprehension and continued following the tracks.
Just as (sort of) predicted, eventually the space between the tracks had shortened. Ned had been getting tired.
Menma wondered if he had stopped at some point to talk to someone, but stuffed that thought into the back of his mind. As long as he kept following the prints, he'd get answers, hopefully.
The tents were arranged in a fashion that, if colored, would've been a checkerboard. However, the arrangement was slightly diagonal, so that anyone from the streets could see you sneaking around. That is, if you were being obvious.
Another clue was within the diagonal placements of the tents. If they were designed with sight in mind, that means there was more than one person doing some dirty work.
A whole posse of them together made it this way, they were EXPECTING looters like himself. Expecting someone to get nosy and see the under-workings. Menma scowled and wondered what it was they were hiding.
Ned had shifted through the rows cleanly, giving no clue that he might've been confusing someone.
Maybe he didn't prepare or expect to be followed?
Menma allowed himself a brief moment of shrewdness, Ned thought the riders wouldn't be suspicious.
Menma slowly worked his way until he had gone through the heart of the tents, he clenched a fist, thankful that he'd managed to get off easily as of yet.
Menma realized something else, as if his mind wasn't buzzing with enough theories and ideas already.
He should've encountered some children at this point, kids loved to play hide and seek. These tents were the perfect option that was given. Granted if one made the wrong turn, a hefty helping of a heart attack was due for a child.
Menma chuckled at a fuzzy memory from his childhood.
If there were no children within this vicinity, that means... Underneath all this seemingly innocent 'market' was something much more dangerous. If children could not be allowed in such a simple place, most likely close to simple farming life, something was very wrong.
He'd seen the plush creatures and dolls, those were for children, but the parents bought them and returned home... most possibly.
Menma shook his head, perhaps he was being ridiculous. Maybe children weren't allowed in such an adult atmosphere.
He reached out to touch one of the tracks, then shot his head up.
The footprints took a hard left, into the streets. Menma struggled to not let his hopes collapse and fall. There was little optimism of finding out where with man had gone, and now Menma might as well been starting from scratch.
Regardless, he had to keep moving, staying in one position is deadly in this point of the game.
Menma continued to alternate, circling around the tents so every time some one wondered if they had seen him, he'd already be in a new position.
While moving, he took several short breathes to think.
There had to be SOME place Ned was going, his best bet was to have a boss or something over all this charade. Menma couldn't draw anymore ideas at the current moment, so he thought it might be a better idea to go to the dirt road, and see what he could find.
Menma took one quick glance at the crowd and noted which way they were walking. Rubbing his hands and arms to remove the clingy dirt, Menma stood up and walked normally to the streets.
Either everyone never noticed him, or everyone was a very good faker.
He sighed, shakily.
For a moment, he would have peace.
Menma considered the circumstances of the situation. This man was a very rushed person, he sprinted halfway across the center of the tents.
A couple passed him, his footsteps quickened. Menma wondered how the man would've gotten through. Did he raise any suspicions? Menma kicked a stone, childishly.
He had absolutely no answers. Everything FORBID he ask if there had been a man sprinting through the streets. If things went to shit, he was separated from Naruto, Alden, and Revide.
Menma wondered what signs he would've left behind, if any, besides his footprints.
The whiskered boy hummed and considered. Perhaps he might've bought something? No, he was in too much of a rush for that.
Menma erased that idea immediately.
Perhaps he would have to go by guessing alone. If his best bet was a leader, or an overseer of this market, then he'd have to look for a tent that stood out.
If, by any chance, the leader was a different breed, then his tent would look just like the others.
Menma shook his head. He didn't even know, and he was jumping to conclusions.
Okay, maybe not even jumping. More like body slamming and leaving an indent that was unforgettable.
'I need to sort-of-relax.' Menma thought.
He just needed to look for anything out of the ordinary. That's all.
'I really should've asked for the recon job whenever that position came open.' He huffed and ground his teeth.
There was another possibility that Naruto totally disregarded the order to stay put. That very idea tore Menma. One part wanted to smile at how it would be just like the counterpart. His other, methodical side, made him bite his cheek in frustration.
What to do?
He could abandon this position, search for Naruto and see what he dug up. However, he was closest to Ned here, backtracking would make him lose ground. Plus, there was Naruto's Unknown Location.
On the other wing, he could go and continue in the direction of Ned. Taking the best guess of direction. That was risky.
What to do, indeed.
TBC
I FINALLY GOT OFF MY FAT POSTERIOR TO WRITE THE FIRST PART OF THIS FRICKIN' CHAPTER.
So yes, super sorry.
I'm falling out of love with this pairing and story. Sawry, I just am...:c
I intended for this chapter to be a whopping 12000 words, but I'm WAAY behind update schedule as it is.
(cramped voice)youmightexpectsomekingdomheartswritinganddon tkillmeforthat.
Too-Laa