As soon as Takeshi caught his breath, he managed to jump up, quickly slap the blonde's chest, and run after Kakuzu, who pretended not to know him and had left the bar earlier.
The woman's curses were muffled by the approving shouts of the drunks, making Takeshi feel that, in the end, it wasn't such a bad experience.
He would later learn that it wasn't a good idea to mess with the Exchange House.
After a while and several shunshin along the way, he caught up with his grumpy Akatsuki partner, who didn't even bother to give him a look of recognition.
—Senpai, why did you leave me back there!? I could have died!— Takeshi inquired with a look of betrayal, but Kakuzu did not respond.
A heavy air enveloped the pair, so much so that even Takeshi understood it wasn't the time to bother the man, and he fell silent, becoming terribly bored.
Bothering Kakuzu is an entertaining activity, but it must be done in moderation. After all, Takeshi needed the fossil to cooperate on some matters, aside from the independent Akatsuki jobs.
He planned to go on a few missions, spend time with the guy, chat, and earn a little more trust before making his next request: Ninjutsu.
Not basic Ninjutsu, nor elemental. Takeshi wanted help developing techniques with his Ice Element.
He didn't know when Orochimaru would join, and trusting that snake was very difficult. Kakuzu was the next best option.
Sure, he might not be a scientist or a genius like the Sannin, but in terms of experience with Ninjutsu, this man is not far behind.
At the very least, he would like to develop some sequence of seals and chakra movement so as not to waste so much energy when freezing things. The flashy techniques could wait.
***************************************
Kōsetsu Gaku contemplated the sunset over the green lands of Grass. Beside him, a kunoichi fiddled with her kunai while a Chūnin watched from atop a tree, awaiting the arrival of the mercenaries their village had hired.
Their headbands gleamed in the orange light of the sun, proudly reflecting the symbol of Iwagakure.
The man was starting to get impatient, however. The mercenaries, rogue Shinobi with no affiliation, no honor, had made them wait for a full hour. Kōsetsu felt it was a complete disrespect to his Village.
Had he not received this mission directly from the Tsuchikage, he would have already left. He would not allow Iwagakure to be belittled in this way.
The wind stirred behind him, a barely audible thud, and the familiar presence of his subordinate indicating that something worth reporting was happening.
—What is it?— he asked with a growl.
—Two individuals are approaching. They are not trying to hide and are coming directly towards us— the Chūnin alerted in a stiff tone. Kōsetsu's eyelid twitched, and he slowly turned to face the young man.
—So what? Do you dare show cowardice in my presence?— he questioned with a sharp gaze. The Chūnin visibly shivered, glancing sideways at the kunoichi who pretended not to exist before returning his full attention to Kōsetsu.
—I-it's not like that, Sir!— he stammered a bit, which caused Kōsetsu's expression to darken further. —I was just surprised by the amount of chakra both of them are giving off, sir!— he reported hurriedly, afraid of further angering his already irritable superior.
At his words, Kōsetsu's pressure subsided slightly. A sharp glint shone in the man's eyes, turning his gaze away from the poor Chūnin.
—How much?— he asked after a while.
—Each one surpasses yours, sir— the Chūnin replied. —And by a lot— he added in a lower tone.
After a while of waiting, the mercenaries appeared before Kōsetsu and his team, walking carelessly.
The black cloaks with red clouds fluttered in the slight breeze, highlighting the difference in height between the pair.
Even without making a noteworthy move, Kōsetsu realized there was a significant difference between their abilities. His angry expression vanished instantly, becoming indifferent instead.
—Good afternoon, gentlemen— he greeted courteously, which nearly made his subordinates stumble.
—Lead the way, Iwa-Nin— Kakuzu cut in dryly, forcing Kōsetsu to shut his mouth and look awkwardly at the Akatsuki pair.
—Follow me then— he nodded, turning around and signaling his subordinates to obey in silence.
The five moved quickly through the forest, following the border of the Land of Grass with the Land of Earth and reaching the limits of the Land of Waterfalls.
The journey was as uncomfortable as the first contact, with both Chūnin sweating nervously as a not-very-happy Kakuzu followed closely, exuding a quite intense killing aura.
The failed and embarrassing attempts at conversation by the junior Akatsuki member didn't help, as he threw random comments at the bitter man, who didn't reply once.
—Isn't this a beautiful night, Senpai?
—Look, Senpai, it's a squirrel with two tails!
—Senpai~ Don't you find that kunoichi attractive? Should I ask for her name?
With every new piece of foolishness that came out of his mouth, the man's mood soured further, and the Iwa-Nin questioned their life choices, feeling in the company of a wild animal about to explode.
Fortunately, they finally reached the point where they would separate, and Kōsetsu sighed with relief, quickly proceeding to report the details of the mission.
—Ahem! Gentlemen, if you follow this path you will reach a seemingly ordinary town. However, there is a Konoha Anbu presence there, using the villagers as cover for their operations. The mission is to eliminate all traces of life, without a single shinobi escaping. Neither we, nor our Anbu, can intervene in this matter.
With that, Kōsetsu took his subordinates and ran away, not wanting to remain any longer than necessary next to that walking time bomb.
There was no need to elaborate on the explanation, as the mercenaries should already know most of that information.
Meanwhile, Kakuzu sighed inwardly with irritation, wishing to take his frustration out on some Konoha shinobi. On the other hand, Takeshi's mood also soured.
Killing had already become commonplace for the young Yuki, given the cruel nature of this fictional, not-so-fictional world. The problem is that he had always murdered thieves, bandits, assassins, shinobi.
This time was different.
Here, he was going to have to kill common men who earned an honest living, farming the land or fishing, innocent women who only focused on raising children and tending their homes, helpless children whose greatest ambition was to sleep with a full stomach and candy everywhere. He was not looking forward to it.
The least he could offer was a quick and painless death.