"..." Normal chat.
ABC. Thought.
Chapter 17
"Out of all people, I cannot believe that you would do this to me!"
Nina's furious after being dragged into their secret training trip against her own will.
"I know that you're mad, but hear me out. Okay?"
Kakashi tries to calm her down but it's clearly not working.
..
...
That night at the hospital, both Sasuke and Kakashi were discussing about their preparation for the upcoming training trip.
"Hmm... The only problem left is Nina-chan."
All of a sudden, Kakashi mentioned something along the line of bringing a certain kunoichi along with them.
"Is that really necessary?"
Needless to say, Sasuke's confused by his teacher decision.
Some days ago, Kakashi's received a report about this one kunoichi, whom he's supposed to be in charge with, had tried to leave the village without his consent.
It seems that I can't leave her by herself, after all.
And after spending some time thinking it over, Kakashi came up with a solution which could help him keep watch on both of his students at once.
Killing two birds with one stone, perfect.
"It's only Nina. I'm sure she will bring no harm. Right?"
Hearing so, Sasuke frowned.
It's not the thought of having Nina accompany him for the whole trip that he hated. It's because she would be there to witness how weak he was.
"Are you sure about this?"
Judging from Kakashi's expression, he didn't enjoy the idea as well. Despite being the one to suggest doing it in the first place. Another one of those Hokage's requests, perhaps?
"I'm sure that she will be helpful, one way or another."
And Kakashi could only promise him that Nina would not delay their training progress.
"Fine."
While none of this made sense to him, Sasuke was curious about what those adults were planning and decided to play along.
It felt as if Kakashi had become her caretaker or something...
The moment his teacher showed up with an unconscious Nina lying on his back, Sasuke had a feeling that something's wrong. And when he asked whether Kakashi had kidnapped Nina in her sleep...
"There's definitely no such thing!"
Kakashi denied his doings completely. Stating that she's only tired and took a nap on his back.
"Everything would be just fine." Or so he claimed.
...
..
Except that it's not the case.
"Hmmm... I had a feeling that you would say no, so..."
Kakashi's excuse for doing this was because their time was limited. Therefore he chose whichever method that was convinced to be quickest and easiest.
"Of course I would say no! Just what the heck are you even thinking?!"
In annoyance Nina says, almost yelling at his face.
"Look at the bright side! you get a chance to go outside and enjoy fresh air, right?"
Therefore Kakashi presents her the beautiful view of canyon before him.
"Right my ass. What am I suppose to do in this wasted land anyway. There's literally nothing here but rocks."
Nina complains at how boring this place can be. And when being suggested to practice sparring with Sasuke in her free time, she rejects it as well.
"I should be sleeping or watching TV at home right now. Not... this!"
Nina insists on going home and refuses to listen to any of his requests.
"If you want leave that badly. By all means, do so."
Perhaps having enough of her stubbornness, childish acts. Kakashi's expression turns serious.
"And the moment you step your feet outside of this area, you're on your own."
Then he points his thumb toward to the exit.
"...!"
Having been granted a chance to leave and yet, Nina hesitates.
What the heck is she waiting for?
Meanwhile Sasuke, who has been standing by and listening to the whole conversation, is deeply confused by her reaction.
Kakashi's threat sounds nothing terrifying, since this area is not even that dangerous for someone like her to return alone. There must be some kind of hidden meaning behind those words.
"Beside, what's wrong with helping a friend when he's in need? Unless you're hiding something from us."
As Kakashi questions her other motives, Nina frowned.
"Alright, fine."
Eventually, she agrees to follow with his plan.
"Good girl."
When their drama is settled, Kakashi reverts back to his carefree demeanor and explains to her what she should do and not. Though Sasuke doubts that she's going to follow to anything he says and forgets everything in the end.
"Alright, you're dismissed."
Only waiting for that, Nina walks off without looking back. While Sasuke remains with Kakashi since his special training is about to begin.
By noon, I was tasked to collect dry branches and catch fish from a forest miles away to prepare for today's lunch.
Sitting by the side of the lake and staring at the small waterfall for almost an hour, however, I still haven't gotten a single fish in my hands. Simply because I don't feel like working.
Hmph! Am I some kind of tool for him to use whenever he want?
I bet that Kakashi thinks of me as a suitable candidate to be Sasuke's practice dummy. Someone who happens to have the most free time and a teammate of his.
"Are you done pouting? If so then get your ass moving or we're going to be late."
Approaching me from behind, Sasuke says and points at one fish swimming the closest to where we are standing.
"Not yet. And you don't have to walk all the way here just to notice me about my job."
Irritated by his unwelcome presence, I throw a small rock at that fish to scare it away.
"Do you hate me that much?"
Even without having to look at his face, I know that Sasuke's annoyed by my uncooperative acts.
"Who say anything about hating?"
After hearing my response, he stares at the water for a while before speaking up again.
"...Actually, none of us wanted this to happen either."
Needless to say how surprised I am after hearing his statement.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
It's easy to guess how Sasuke feel when being forced into this situation. But to say that Kakashi also doesn't want me to be here...
So that's what it is. Kakashi did this so that he could keep an eyes on me while training Sasuke.
And my suspicion turn to those two guards, who must have reported to Kakashi about my escaping that lead to what happens today.
"If you don't believe me then you can try asking him later."
Without me noticing, Sasuke has taken off his shoes and white arm warmers. After tossing them to the ground right next to me, he jumps onto a rock boulder nearby with a few Kunai in his hands and starts hunting. Swiftly and quietly.
"I'll help."
When I join in to speed up the progress.
"No need."
Sasuke refuses my support right off the bat.
"Too late."
Because I've already stepped into the and search around. Once spotting one swimming around my legs, I throw the knives. Only to miss the target completely and my brain freezes.
Damn, I almost forgot how bad I was at this.
Despite having trained for these situations, I didn't receive many chances to go outside to experience real things due to Ryu's strict rules.
And whenever I did, there was always be Momiji who prepared a lunch box for me to carry away. Or Ryu who would hunt for both of us so that we wouldn't waste time into these chores.
Being spoiled to the bones, of course my survival skills turned out suck. Not to mention that my B ranked Shurikenjutsu isn't helping, at all.
"One more time!"
Not going to give up that easily, I try again. Again and again until hearing a faint snicker behind my back. And it doesn't takes long for me figure out whom it belongs to.
"What's so funny?"
"After witnessing all the bizarre things you've done in the past. I'm surprised to see that you're so bad at something so simple."
While mocking my techniques, Sasuke walks up to my spot and catch the fish that I am aiming at with ease.
"Isn't that great? You found out my weakness."
And I can see it in his face that he's saying the result won't change whether I'm here to help out or not.
Ugh! I cannot lose! Not to these fish!
Yet almost an hour went by, what I gain is not fish but exhaustion and hunger...
"Let's go back already. Kakashi's waiting."
Getting bored after watching my endless failures, Sasuke urges me to return. And Kakashi's not going to happy knowing that we've been wandering around for too long without his permission.
"I don't care. I'm going going anywhere until I catch one."
Still, I refuse to move away from my spot.
"What the hell are you being so determined for? We already have enough food."
Irritated by my unnecessary resolve, Sasuke shows me the fish he has caught in his hand.
"Go on ahead and leave me alone."
As I'm making my way further into the water, he keeps following me from behind in attempt to drag me back. Ends up scaring the fish away due to his sudden movements.
"Piss off! You're distracting me!"
Annoyed, I throw pebbles at Sasuke to force him away. But he dodges everything.
"Quit messing around. I don't have all day."
As I'm trying to reach for another pebble in the water, Sasuke snatches my arm and pulls me back toward to the border.
"Well guess what, you don't but I do!"
To get away, I toss a handful of water at his face. And at result from that sudden attack, he's wet from head to torso.
"..."
There's a long dead silence between us.
While I've already imagined him yelling or cursing at me with every possible insult he can think of. However, Sasuke wipes the cold water off his face and smirks darkly.
"You want to play, huh?"
It's not until late in the afternoon that they return to their resting spot. There, they find Kakashi lying on top of a rock while reading his favorite book.
"So... What took you guys so long?"
Kakashi shifts his attention to Nina and Sasuke, both of whom are completely drenched from heads to toes. And the fish in her hand, which are supposed to be their lunch have now turned into dinner.
"Uh... you can say that stuff.. happened."
Nina answers reluctantly as she watches Sasuke sets up their campfire with the dry branches that he has collected.
"Okay, like what?"
"Just a bit of quarrel. That's all."
Therefore Nina tells him about how they're caught up in an intense water battle and completely forgotten about the time.
"You're not the only one who feels uncomfortable, Nina. Remember that we are stuck in this mess, together."
Disappointed by her lacking sense of responsibility, Kakashi let out a sigh.
Stuck? What the heck does he mean by that?
While Sasuke wonders whether the mess that Kakashi has mentioned is himself or something else.
"I was actually waiting for you to figure things out by yourself. But it seemed that I had to skip that part since we could not risk wasting any more of Sasuke's time."
Then Kakashi goes on lecturing Nina about her immature behaviors.
"Alright, alright. I get it."
After having to listen to what he has to say, Nina looks for a spot near the campfire to take a nap.
Soon I'm awaken by the smell of grilled fish that Sasuke's cooking and realize that it's already dark. While gathering around the campfire eating dinner, suddenly Kakashi appears and throws something at me.
"Here you go."
Catching it with my hands, I find out that it's my alternative backpack, which contains toothbrushes, stuff support daily needs that I have prepared beforehand in case of any urgent missions.
It wasn't here when we first arrived. He didn't return to my place to get this for me, did he?
And before I can say anything, Kakashi explains.
"Also, I left a note on your table. In case your friends were going to look for you."
A note? It must have meant for Sakura, since I was supposed to meet up with her today. And perhaps for Naruto as well, in case he felt like barging into my house without notice.
"Is that so. Thank you."
My eyes fix onto the clothes folded neatly inside the backpack for so long that almost drilling a hole onto it. Can't help but feeling embarrassed for having acted up with him from earlier.
"...I will do it."
Therefore to make it up, I offer to be helpful.
"Do what?"
Confused, Kakashi's head tilts. While Sasuke stops chewing on the grilled fish and turns his head to look at me.
"Training dummy or whatever, I will do it. But just so you know, my Tatjutsu is nowhere near Lee's level."
While at it, I go on and on about how incredible Lee's physical prowess is and that he has easily outmatched Sasuke, a prodigy and a Sharingan user, in a friendly match.
"How do you know that we're going to practice Tatjutsu?"
Kakashi expresses his doubt toward to my knowledge about their upcoming training lesson as I've never bothered to pay attention to them ever since coming here.
Crap! Kakashi's sharp. I have to cover this quick or he'll expose me.
"Isn't that obvious? Because that's all I can provide you with."
By possessing no chakra or ability to perform any special technique. The only thing I can do to help is hand to hand combat training. And if it's Bukijutsu, Sasuke won't be needing my help. For obvious reasons.
"How did you know so much about Lee?"
Curious why I'm being well-informed about that thick eyebrows boy, Sasuke asks me.
"Sakura told me."
It was not truly a lie. Since Sakura mentioned Lee in our last conversation, although briefly. While the rest was about Naruto and Sasuke, reason for her new hair cut and crazy encounters.
"Next time. I won't lose."
Suddenly Sasuke declares and that pair of onyx eyes burn with great determination. It seems that he's still holding grudge against Lee from their faithful encounter on that day.
"Sasuke, come with me when you're done."
Since it's still too early to sleep, Kakashi leads Sasuke to a vacant spot nearby to revise the lesson from morning.
Jeeze, tomorrow is going to be tough, isn't it?
Watching them while finishing the leftovers, I sigh.