It wasn't every day that Kaiho got to spot a chameleon, but at present, she had a human version standing right in front of her. She watched Suigetsu, intrigued by the rapid change of colours on his face — pale to dark red and finally, a blotchy shade of purple.
"Are you serious?!" She jumped back, startled by his outburst. Much to her surprise, he began to pace around in circles. "I shouldn't have... but I wanted..." Had he forgotten her presence as well? His mutters seemed to be directed towards himself. "I could tell him..." He threw his hands in the air in defeat. "Sasuke's gonna have my hide for this."
For the first time since they'd met, Kaiho scowled, letting her irritation show. Was Sasuke this guy's leader? More importantly, why wouldn't they be willing to let her join them? She'd been serious, calm and sensible throughout this entire conversation. Wasn't that how ninjas functioned? Perhaps she wasn't as strong as they were, but she did possess some sort of finesse as a medic.
But it wasn't a major concern. Everything would fall into place like it had done up until now. Those hours of practice were not going to go to waste.
"I'm coming, whether you like it or not."
"No." Kaiho spun around to find Sasuke sitting on the mat, picking at stray straws. Even though he'd just woken up, he didn't show any signs of confusion. His face was devoid of emotion; his voice was the sole factor that revealed his annoyance. "I have my plans, and you're going to ruin them."
Kaiho restrained herself from rolling her eyes. Drawing herself to her full height, she raised her voice in an attempt to sound intimidating. "Listen up, you owe me. I healed you, didn't I?"
Weren't ninjas supposed to be honourable? All these guys had to do was let her tag along. Why was this such a big deal?
Before she could blink, she felt the blade of a katana pressing against her neck. Despite the touch of the cold steel, she willed herself to look at the boy now standing in front of her. In that one glance, she saw why Suigetsu was scared of the guy.
He let his actions speak for him.
She stood still as his dark eyes clashed against hers. He withdrew his sword slowly, making it a point to let its sharp edge graze her skin. "I spared your life. We're even."
The easiest choice was to let him go. Kaiho's knees quaked with fear as she felt a drop of blood slide past her collarbone. Suppressing the growing urge to flee, she stood her ground. If forceful words and integrity weren't the way to go, she had no other alternative.
It was time to change tactics.
Sasuke glared at the girl who stood before him. He had heard bits and pieces of the conversation while drifting in and out of consciousness, but it was Suigetsu's yell that had woken him up completely. As grateful as he was towards her for saving his life, he wasn't going to let her meddle.
"Okay, look," the girl said, sounding defeated. She shifted her gaze from his face to a spot next to her feet. "I want to be a real ninja." He heard Suigetsu snort.
The girl hunched her shoulders further into herself. "I'm just a helpless girl." Sasuke coughed discreetly. For a female with the nerve to stand up to him, 'helpless' didn't do her justice. "If the rumours of the men in black cloaks are true–"
"What do you know about the Akatsuki?" She looked up in surprise, and for a moment, he saw a glimmer in her eye.
"I heard about them from a kunoichi from Kumo. They could come here and attack–"
"Did she teach you your jutsu?" She might have been the one talking, but he was going to take charge. "Yes," she replied and retrieved her scrolls. Sitting down cross-legged, she laid them out on the floor. She also had a book.
A Ninja's Guide to Etiquette and Mannerisms
Rubbish. No book could explain the way of a shinobi.
The girl, however, stroked the cover fondly. "She gave me these. I know the basics, but it's not enough."
The Akatsuki aren't after you. You'll be safe here." This conversation was going nowhere. He had already selected his team years ago.
"You don't get it!" The initial bravado she had shown fell to pieces, unveiling the panic-stricken girl behind it. "I want to be stronger. I want to be more useful." Then, her voice dropped to a whisper as though she was ashamed to reveal anything else. "I want to have a purpose."
He closed his eyes, trying to get rid of any pity he felt for the girl, but all that came to mind was a young boy. Someone who had fought him years ago. Someone who had spoken just like her. He had probably felt the way she did now.
Haku.
"We won't be your mentors," said Sasuke, gesturing towards himself and Suigetsu. "You will not slow us down."
She nodded fervently. "And I promise not to be a hindrance."
He sighed. "We leave in five minutes," he said, exiting the hut without another word.
It took less than three minutes for Kaiho to pack her stuff. Clothes, scrolls and book - that's all she needed, and her cloth bag to carry them. Anything that would weigh her down was unnecessary. That included the old lamp, which had worked flawlessly for the past ten years; her very first spear, the one she'd made at age nine; and the hand-woven mat with memories in each stitch.
Taking one final look around the hut, Kaiho pushed the door open. A cold voice greeted her ears. "This wasn't on the way to the Southern hideout." She froze, watching Sasuke stare pointedly at Suigetsu.
"I was taking a detour to the Land of Waves," said Suigetsu, his ears reddening. "I didn't think you'd mind."
Sasuke groaned. "Make it quick."
Kaiho felt as though a load had been lifted off her chest. This... was happening. It really had worked out.
Having been there once before, Kaiho had no trouble travelling to the Land of Waves. To her great delight, she was able to keep up with Sasuke and Suigetsu; it showed that her training had brought results. It also comforted her to know that she had company this time.
Despite the boys' reluctance to let Kaiho join them, they'd shown her something along the lines of tolerance and kindness. While Sasuke, for the most part, acted as though her presence didn't make a difference, Suigetsu took it upon himself to ask her many questions. They ranged from the state of Kaiho's attire to her belongings and the old hut she'd lived in for so long. He skipped from one topic to the next, not looking for answers in particular but attempting to make light conversation. Soon enough, Kaiho found herself enjoying it. The small talk was a welcome change to the usual stillness in the forest.
"I visited the place years ago. That's how I got these," said Kaiho, motioning towards her clothes and bag. Back then, they'd been pieces of cheap cloth and frayed spools of thread. Patched together with a broken needle and furious determination, Kaiho had made the most of her unfortunate encounter with the villagers. But the hurt she felt over being conned hadn't faded in the slightest.
In any case, this visit was for Suigetsu alone. She didn't have to stay there for too long.
On the way, Kaiho made sure to collect rare plants and herbs, along with some medicinal ones. Each time she made a random stop, Suigetsu tapped his feet, letting her know he was itching to move on. It was a while before his aggravation manifested in the form of words.
"Is that necessary?" He tapped his foot once more as she plucked another herb.
"Of course. They'll be a source of income."
He rolled his eyes with impatience. "We don't need that. We're ninjas."
Kaiho raised an eyebrow at his boastful declaration. "This is coming from the guy who couldn't pay me with money."
He fell silent.
Within a few hours, the trio reached the Land of Waves. The place looked far less forbidding than before, with people cheerfully smiling in greeting as Kaiho passed them. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from cowering behind Sasuke's broad frame.
"Hey there, don't you want to buy something?" Hiding behind Sasuke's shoulders, Kaiho peeked at the source of the voice — a portly man with a ruddy complexion. Sasuke gave her a quick push. Kaiho stumbled forward, extending her bag meekly. He gave it a quick once over before looking back at her. "So, you want to sell these?" She bowed her head, finding her grimy toes a very interesting sight.
Chortling at her bashful antics, the man took what she had gathered. There was no quibbling or haggling, and she gained a tidy sum in exchange. She couldn't figure out if he'd been nice because of her current acquaintances or if he had meant it. Either way, she was pleasantly surprised by his attitude and those of the other villagers.
If they had been like this years ago, she'd have made this place home.
Sasuke ordered Kaiho to purchase some weapons at the next store, mentioning their importance in the long run. However, she couldn't make any sense of the display she saw. Were those needles actually weapons? Those stars looked like ornaments. Heavens knew if she could fight using that curved sickle thing.
Kaiho didn't want to ask the guys for help, but it seemed that Sasuke had picked up on her discomfiture. He chose some weapons for her, carelessly tossing them into her satchel. He called the pointed metal stars 'shuriken'. The other type of weapon, 'kunai' looked like modified daggers. They weren't like the makeshift spears she had learnt to make, but she assumed they shared the same function.
"At least three for active duty," he stated. With that, the three of them headed towards the bridge.
The Great Naruto Bridge was the only bridge that connected the Land of Waves to a place called the Land of Fire. Kaiho hadn't come across it the last time she'd come here. Maybe it was a new addition? A giant sword was embedded in the ground, a few feet from its foot.
"Can you manage that thing with your strength?" asked Sasuke.
Suigetsu yanked the sword out and swung it around with a practised ease. "Don't worry, Sasuke. I was born to do this."
That said, Kaiho noticed Suigetsu huff as he placed it in a sheath. And in spite of Sasuke's annoyance at this side-stop they'd taken, she hadn't missed the way he'd looked up at the name of the bridge.
The Great Naruto Bridge
His clouded eyes revealed that he'd been reminiscing about something. A fond memory from his past, perhaps? Family? Friends?
The silence had suddenly become stifling. Kaiho felt as though she had plunged into its icy depths, making it difficult to breathe.
Was it right to have let go of what little she had left?
Unable to bear it any longer, she forced herself to speak. "Where to next, Sasuke?" Blinking twice, he focused straight ahead over the stretch of water.
"The Southern hideout."
