( Alvarcus )
"I don't know how to feel." I say out loud to myself as I'm covering ground at an astonishing rate.
~About what, Host?~
"It's just... should I camp out tonight or keep running? On one hand if I camp out tonight it'll be nice to stare up at the stars and stuff. But on the other hand the quicker I get to a port city the quicker I can find a boat and finish up my business. Then I'll have the rest of the two weeks to myself."
~Run through the night. You can stargaze once the business is complete.~
"True. Plus who knows when boats are scheduled to leave? I might miss it if I take too long here." I heave out a sigh. "Running through the night it is."
...
At the Ruins of the Base
"Alright. I know this sounds bad but it's time we move on." Kakashi solemnly says to the rest of the team. "There's nothing we can do here and we have our own mission to go on."
"How can you say that?" Naruto seethes at the older shinobi. "How can you act like none of this matters? Like none of it means anything to you at all?"
"Naruto!" Shikamaru cuts in. "This isn't easy on him either!"
"Then why isn't he doing anything!" Naruto shouts. "Someone leveled this place! Probably someone from Oto and we're doing nothing? You expect us to go back to our mission like nothing happened? Kakashi people died here! Our allies died here! We have to do something!"
"Okay. What?" Kakashi calmly replies to Naruto's anger fueled questions. "What do you expect me to do?"
"I… well you could… maybe…" Naruto comes up empty.
"Exactly. It's not that I don't want to do something, it's that there's simply nothing for me to do." Kakashi sighs. He hates having to actually teach, he's not good at it. "Look we can't act rashly. We're not even sure if it is someone from Oto that did this. Kusa has just as many enemies as friends it could have been any one of them. And do you really want to run headfirst at an opponent that is capable of this without even knowing their name? This wasn't the work of a team. This wasn't the work of explosive tags. This was one singular jutsu. You all are good but you're not ready to face someone like this."
"I am tired of people underestimating me!" Naruto shouts. "You don't know me! You don't know what I'm capable of!"
"You're right. But I know what they're capable of." Kakashi gestures at the other three members. "Anko's good but she would need a team that she's intimately familiar with to stand against someone like this. I'm not a part of that team and neither are you. Shikamaru is incredibly smart but when your opponent doesn't care what they destroy you can only plan for so much and we know nothing about this person. Then there's Ino, she's good for her age but she doesn't stand out yet. One day she can be as feared as I am, hell all of you can, but that is not today. No one here is ready to face whoever did this, myself included."
"Naruto I get that you're eager to prove yourself and letting this go is hard." Kakashi continues. "But do you think you could do this? Could you single handedly destroy a base of Oto shinobi and then not even bother to kill off the wounded? To let them sit there in agony for who knows how long? Is that the kind of person you are? Because that's who we're dealing with."
"But we have to do something!" Naruto shouts and his eyes start to glisten. "This isn't right! It's not right! We can't just do nothing for everyone that died here!"
"There are three Kusa shinobi heading back to their home as we speak." Kakashi points out. "They will relay what happened then Kusa can seek vengeance or choose to withdraw. Actions have already been taken, they're just not our actions. We have our own mission to go on. Shikamaru, orders?"
Kakashi is handing the reigns back over to Shikamaru for two reason. The first is simple: the danger has passed. They're back on the mission they're supposed to be on. The second is more personal: it's so that everyone else responds better to the team leader. Kakashi may have stepped up for a moment, but in that moment everyone's view of him has changed except for Anko. He doesn't want to cause conflict within the team by trying to order everyone around if he doesn't have to.
"Naruto Kakashi is right." Shikamaru places a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "There's nothing more to be done, the necessary actions have already been taken."
"It doesn't feel right." Naruto mutters under his breath. "It feels wrong."
"Alright everyone." Shikamaru addresses the group. "We're heading out. We'll run until nightfall to make up for lost distance. Let's go."
The group leave the ruins behind them. The whole team dynamic has changed, it's no longer as light and free as it once was.
...
The Next Day, Around Midday
"So… you sure that was the only place I could ask someone what ships are leaving for the Land of Snow?" I ask the large white spider that's perched on my head. "Cuz the only one they've got is for tomorrow."
"Yep, this is a small port. Not too many ships come to and from here, fewer from where you're going." Shirokumo pats me with one of his many legs. "Man these ocean ports sure get chilly this time of year."
"Just wait. I'm going to the Land of Snow. It's doesn't ever stop snowing." I dryly inform my summon.
"I know. You've got issues kid." Shirokumo eloquently responds.
"Yes, yes I do. Do you really think it's in your best interest to keep reminding me about that?" I chastise him.
"You're the one walking around with a giant white spider on your head." Shirokumo nestles into my scalp for heat, royally messing up my hair in the process. "No shit I'm going to say you have issues."
"But you are the spider." I exasperatedly say. "Isn't that a little ironic?"
"Pretty sure that's not what ironic means." Shirokumo finally stops squirming. "So you going to go ask the Captain for passage or not?"
"Oh shut up. I'm getting around to it. Gotta find the boat first."
...
"Here it is." Shikamaru declares to his team as the port town comes into view. "We've made it."
"Finally!" Ino weeps exaggerated tears of joy. "I can shower now! I can't believe how dirty I got!"
"Yes that is a downside to our coats." Anko pats Ino on the head. "Next time be sure to bring some pajamas then you won't have to sleep half naked on the ground. Gotta say it was smart of you to use your headband to tie your coat shut. I was half hoping you'd end up flashing us in your sleep, that would be a great story to tell."
"I did bring pajamas but someone burned them!" Ino weeps tears of sadness. "And we're going to the Land of Snow! SNOW! Guess what it's always doing there? If you guessed snowing you're right!"
"Not my fault?" Anko weakly tires to avoid responsibility. "Just grab one of the two boys. They'll be more than willing to keep you warm."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Ino nervously glances at the two prospects of being her personal heater. "Shikamaru and I are just too good of friends, I don't want to ruin that. And Naruto… well he's still so childish. Plus he's leaving soon, I won't be able to see much of him. I'm okay with teasing them a bit but I don't think I want to go further than that."
"The hell are you talking about?" Anko asks in confusion. "Just steal their body heat, I'm not suggesting you fuck them or something! I know that I'll be trying to steal Kakashi's the entire time we're on this trip!"
"And I'll be sleeping with numerous kunai." Kakashi quips back. "Numerous very sharp kunai. My body heat is my own, thank you."
"Oh I like a challenge!" Anko taunts him right back. "I remember the first time you pulled out your kunai. That was a good night."
"Anko what would Iruka say?" Kakashi responds with mock hurt. "Shame on you."
"Wait." Ino's eyes dart between the two jonin. "Have you two…"
"What?" Anko reassuringly throws an arm over Ino's shoulder. "You can say it. Had sex? Banged? Boinked? Get down and dirty? Screwed? Shagged? Fucked like wild rabbits on the world's most hardcore aphrodisiacs? Take your pick, I like the last one the best. Though boinked is fun to say."
Ino blushes madly. She's not the only one, both Naruto and Shikamaru are blushing too even though they're acting like they haven't heard a word of the conversation.
"Fine! Have you…" Ino gets very quiet. "Slept together?"
"Until you ask me if I've fucked him I'm not answering." Anko pats Ino on the back and breaks their half hug. "Consider it me working on breaking you out of your shell. Seriously it's not that big of a deal, they're just words. BOINKED!"
"Anko quit terrorizing the innocents." Kakashi drawls out while shooting her a reprimanding glare. "And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't allude to things we may or may not have done."
"What? Like you haven't bragged about bedding a girl before. Doesn't matter if it was me or not since I'm neither confirming or denying it happened." Anko pointedly returns the glare.
"Fair point. We were all teenagers once." Kakashi concedes.
"So as fun as it is to hear what may or may not have happened in your respective sex lives, how about we do what we came here to do?" Shikamaru practically shouts over the two bickering jonin. "Frankly I don't care who fucked who, we're here for a job."
...
if you want to read ahead of the public release you can join my p atreon :
p atreon.com/CarriePoppins