"If you didn't you wouldn't have bothered telling me any of this. Someone, someday, is going to reach out to you. They'll extend a hand to pull you out of your darkness. When that person does reach out to you, you better take their hand."
...
I know what is in his eyes now. It's something I used to have myself. The tiny spark has grown into a raging fire. The Will of Fire burns brightly in him.
"Because if you don't, I'm going to find you and beat some sense into you." Naruto resolutely says. "Then I'll make you take their hand. That is a promise. I do not go back on my promises."
Naruto turns on his heel and confidently walks out of the room. He meant every single word he said to me, he thinks I can be saved. That I can be redeemed.
"Alright Naruto. Say someone does find it in their heart to reach out to pull me from my darkness. There's just one tiny thing you overlooked." I quietly say to the empty cargo hold. "Am I even worth saving anymore?"
"Kakashi." Anko pins her superior in a very intense stare. It's just the two of them in one of the cabins of the ship. Kakashi has taken over one of the two beds, he's laying on it and making good use of his time to read. Anko is sitting on the other bed while glaring at him. "You let him manipulate you."
"You're right." Kakashi snaps shut his newest book. "I could have stopped him. I could have fought him and won, even with all of his tricks I have at least two up my sleeves to counter them."
"Why didn't you?" Anko asks in anger. "He could be my chance to find Orochimaru. He's a missing nin, you know what we're supposed to do to missing nin. Capture or kill."
"Anko I can't." Kakashi says with true emotion. He's under great strain as if he's carrying a huge burden. "He's my student. Even if he left the village. Even if he's learning under Orochimaru. Even if he's a missing nin. I simply can't bring myself to truly hurt him."
Anko sits there and looks at Kakashi for a long time. Many minutes pass as she debates with herself over something.
"Who would have guessed that you have a soft spot." Anko has made up her mind. "I've only just taken Ino under my wing, I can't imagine how conflicted he must make you feel. I won't try to bring him in."
"Thank you Anko." Kakashi sags in relief.
"This generosity does not extend to next time." She says with a tone of finality. "And don't think for an instant that I'm not going to try and get information out of him on this mission."
"Of course. You're more than welcome to try, I won't stop you." Kakashi agrees. Then he opens his book back up. "I doubt you'll get anything out of him though. He's a tough little bastard."
"He has to be with you as his sensei." Anko playfully tosses an insult at Kakashi.
"Haha. Very funny." Kakashi turns a page in his newest book. "Now get out of here, you're bunking with Ino not me."
"Aw, don't you want me to take your body heat?" Anko rises up from her spot and moves towards the door.
"No." Kakashi flatly says without sparing her a glance. "Mine is my own. Steal Ino's or something."
"Kakashi you scoundrel!" Anko bashfully fans herself, as if she's never heard anything promiscuous before. "I would never abuse my teacher student relationship like that! No matter how cute the little genin mini me is! Those books are such a bad influence on you!"
"Goodbye Anko." Kakashi rolls his one visible eye.
"You're no fun today." She pouts as she finally leaves Kakashi alone to his book.
...
That Night
"Naruto?" Shikamaru calls out to his friend. "You okay there? You've been very quiet ever since you went to confront Alvarcus. That was hours ago."
The three younger shinobi are all sharing a meal together. They're in one of the cabins and are eating on the beds. It's something that they'd never do at home or under adult supervision, but neither of those things are happening right now.
They tried to invite Alvarcus to eat with them but he declined. He said something about needed to set up the world's best hammock and scampered up the mast to the crow's nest.
"You really have been off for a while." Ino agrees with her genin teammate. "Did he say something to make you like this?"
"Oh." Naruto looks up from his meal. He's been idly poking at it and has barely touched it at all. "It's… nothing."
"Doesn't sound like nothing." Shikamaru presses forward. "He did something, didn't he?"
"He talked about some of the stuff he's done." Naruto looks at each of them in the face, one after the other. "It's pretty bad."
"On a scale of one to ten, how bad are we talking?" Ino asks.
"A strong nine." Naruto doesn't hesitate to respond. "A very strong nine."
"That's bad." Shikamaru winces. "What did he do?"
"I don't think I should say." Naruto hesitates to share what he learned with Ino and Shikamaru. "I don't think he even wanted to tell me that stuff, it just sort of came out. Once he started to he couldn't stop."
"You can tell us." Ino gently urges. "We won't tell anyone."
"No." Naruto decides. "I won't betray him like that. You'll have to hear it from him. If I told you he would never forgive me, he'd never trust me again."
"Can't blame you for that." Shikamaru lazily plops back fully onto the bed. "This whole mission got really messed up quick, didn't it?"
"You can say that again." Ino agrees. "First there was me getting forced into it, then the Kusa base and Eito, now Alvarcus popped up out of the blue. I've never been on a mission that spirals out of control like this and we've only just met the client!"
"You've got to get out more." Naruto joking says to here. "I went on three missions with Sasuke and Alvarcus before they… you know. Now those really spiraled out of control!"
"Really?" Shikamaru asks in mild interest.
"Oh yeah!" Naruto eagerly starts to share his experience with his friends. "And get this: They were all D-ranks too!"
...
"Ah… this almost makes it worth it." I recline back in my oversized hammock as I gaze up at the night sky.
I've commandeered half of the crow's nest and had Murasakino build me the hammock of the gods. It's soft yet supportive. And the best part is I can sprawl out as much as I want to! There's enough room up here for three people! Not to mention the view I get from way up here. There are so many stars, so so many. This is what this trip was supposed to be about. Me simply enjoying the little things. Just relaxing and doing something for me and not worrying about anything else.
"Hello!" An unknown voice calls out from the deck. "Mister shinobi-san!"
Too bad I never get to actually enjoy anything. Maybe if I ignore him he'll go away?
"Mister shinobi-san?" He calls out again. "Can I have a word with you?"
"Why can't I just be left alone?" I whine to myself as I poke my head over the edge of the crow's nest. "The hell do you want?"
"Can you come down here?" The man nervously looks at my high perch. "I'd go to you but I'm not very good at climbing things."
"No." I bluntly tell him. I think I know who this is.
"Ah. Right." The man nervously adjusts his shirt collar. "So… what you did today was impressive. I'm actually the Director of the movie we're shooting and I want you to play a part in it. What do you say, want to make it on the big screen?"
"Fuck no." I pull my head back over the edge and sprawl out on the hammock again. I've laced my fingers together and have them supporting my head and I have my ankles crossed, it's the epitome of a relaxed position. "Oh this is so nice. Murasakino really knows how to make these."
"Mister shinobi-san!" The Director calls out again. "Please just hear me out! I'll even let you play whatever roll you want! Hero, villain, it's your choice! I can make it work either way!"
"What part of fuck no didn't you understand?" I call out without bothering to look at him. "Was it the 'fuck' or the 'no?'"
"You're a very vulgar person, aren't you?" The Director shouts back at me.
"You're just now realizing this?" I yell back at him. "Now let me reaffirm that notion. Fuck off!"
"Fine, fine, I know when I'm not wanted." The Director turns and leaves. Finally, I get some peace and quiet. "Jura you're new assignment is to keep a camera on him at all times. He's simply too good to pass up. The way he moves, the way he reacts, the way he's dressed. We simply must use him permission or not! I haven't been so inspired by a person in so long!"
"Mental note: Destroy all the footage of me before leaving." I mutter to myself. "Stupid idiots, do they really think I'm going to let my face be plastered to a big screen?"
...
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