#narutorarepairweek

*Madara Quote: "Man seeks peace, yet at the same time yearning for war. Those are the two realms belonging solely to man.

**Catherynne M. Valente Quote: He'll burn you down like wax if you let him.

***Dialogue prompt #2: "If I'd known where our paths would lead us, I'd have run the other way when I met you."

Camaraderie

(Aburame Shino/Hyuuga Hinata)

Her chest heaved under the heavy breaths she was taking. She was sure that everyone around her was aware of her panting breaths. She tried to calm herself, get her breathing under control.

Hide her weakness.

Something warm pressed against her left leg. She glanced down, bracing herself in the back of her mind for another surprise attack.

“Akamaru!” Surprise coloured her voice.

The large ninja dog gave her an answering bark and got closer to her when she crouched down, welcoming her hands in his fur.

“W-what are you doing here? Are you okay?” Hands were moving through white fur, checking for wounds, eyes mustered the dog thoroughly.

“How on earth are you able to keep your fur spotless? Really? You must have some secret you are hiding from me.” She chuckled when she couldn’t feel nor see anything out of order. The white fur of her canine companion shining in the sun that peeked out from the clouds above them.

Akamaru gave her another approving bark, sitting down to give her more access to shower him with attention.

“Figures that you sneaked away from boring briefings to get your daily fill of petting from Hinata!”

“Huh?” A loud voice disrupted the relative silence that had spread around the camp around her.

When she looked up, Kiba was jogging in their direction, a bright grin on his face. She felt something loosen in her chest, as if someone released a tight rope that had been tied around it. Kiba’s left cheek sported a smudge of dirt and his black jacket was covered in dust and his trousers were covered with little flecks of dirt and dried blood, but his gait was as purposeful and secure as ever and judging from the power with which he waved his arm over his head, his upper body was also unscathed.

“You sneaked away from a briefing?” She repeated towards the dog who had moved to show her his belly, basically begging her to rub it.

“Jup, he left me completely alone too! You are some kind of comrade!”

Another hand joined hers, giving the whining animal a pat on the head.

“But really, can’t say I wouldn’t have tried the same.”

“Kiba!” Hinata chided her former team member.

“I know, I know, meetings and briefings are important! Just saying that sometimes I can understand the impulse to just – you know – sneak away.”

A heavy sigh escaped him at that, his eyes getting a far-away look.

“To go back to the village. Running around the forest, lying in the grass under the warm sun. Just forgetting everything else.”

“Kiba-“ Hinata whispered, her hand moving forwards, covering Kiba’s hand.

“Ah! Sorry! Don’t let me drag you down with my sentimental musings!” The young man rushed to say while rubbing his neck in embarrassment. A forced laugh followed his statement.

“No. Your feelings are important, and I am glad that you chose to share them with me!” Hinata’s hair flew around her with the force of her head shaking. Her eyes settling on the young shinobi in front of her, his hand now clasped between hers.

Kiba cleared his throat, before he laid his free hand on top of their clasped ones.

“Uhm, thank you. Really, thank you. Hinata-. I really, I mean I really can’t even imagine being here without you! Like, I know I can’t really complain with my sister and my mother also being in my division!” His eyes wandered off until they landed on the white mutt between them.

“And Akamaru, really. I mean, I probably would be dead already if not for Akamaru- “His voice faded, his eyes closing.

“But” he continued, his eyes open and staring directly into Hinata’s, “I am also really grateful for your continued presence and your continued friendship, Hinata!” He said and squeezed their clasped hands.

“Kiba- “

“Yeah, I know! I am not usually one for all this emotional blabla but, you know, with all that is happening every day,” He shrugged helplessly, “you never know if you get another chance, you know? And really, somethings are better said out loud at least once, right?” He gave her a very obviously forced smile.

Hinata opened her mouth to return the heartfelt words when they were suddenly interrupted.

“Ah, nobody told me we were having a heart-to-heart today.”

Hinata whirled around – her hair once again flying around and nearly hitting Kiba in the face.

“Shino!” She whispered in shock and surprise.

“Well, can’t do that if you are nowhere to be found, can I?” Kiba countered with a smug grin on his face.

Akamaru moved to greet Shino, lying down in front of him with a playful bark.

Shino gave the white ninken a rather unimpressed look, making Hinata chuckle slightly. She once again rubbed Akamaru’s belly showering him with compliments.

“I can’t really help it, Akamaru just has a way with words.” Hinata said teasingly giving Shino a happy smile.

“Aw, com’ on, Shino! As if you can resist Akamaru’s patented puppy eyes!” Kiba was now standing next to Shino and gave him a clap on his shoulder.

As if on cue, Akamaru sat up and focused all his channelled cuteness on the usually stoic shinobi.

“Argh!”

Kiba’s laughter, joined by Hinata’s light giggles echoed through the camp when Shino kneeled down to curl his fingers behind Akamaru’s ears. The triumphant look in Akamaru’s eyes seemed to make even Shino smile as the Aburame was sporting a slight smile.

“So?” Kiba started after some moments had passed.

“So, what?” Shino answered, his attention still on Akamaru.

“Where were you? Like I said, I was looking for you and you were nowhere to be found!” Kiba sighed annoyance written clear on his face.

“Ah, I had a mission.”

“And?”

“And what?”

Kiba groaned in frustration, throwing his hands in the air.

“And what kind of mission?”

“A secret mission.”

Hinata watched the exchange with a fond smile on her face, laughing quietly at Kiba’s growing frustration and Shino’s slight smirk that he hid from him.

“Shino don’t tease poor Kiba like that! You know that he is just worried about you missing. As am I.” She added the last part and gave his hand a small squeeze.

“Poor Kiba?!?” Kiba repeated questioningly.

“I was asked to join a small group of sensor shinobis to check the perimeter once again. The division leader got notice that one of Naruto’s doppelgangers is on his way to us. From what I understand, they should help identify clones made out of White Zetsu.”

“That makes sense, I think. I mean if not even Hinata or Neji can identify them, well…”

“Yes, I also think that it has something to do with the nine-tail.”

“Hm, maybe he is able to sense it because of his training with the toads? I mean back when he was fighting Pain, he was also able to channel nature chakra if I remember correctly.”

Shino and Kiba were watching Hinata now. She was looking down, her eyes following her hand as she caressed Akamaru.

“Do you, I mean, do you think you will be okay?” Kiba had lowered his voice and kneeled next to Shino, aware of the people around them.

Shino and Kiba shared a concerned look before they both focused on Hinata once again.

“With Naruto coming here.” Shino added when Hinata remained silent. Kiba gave him an irritated look and rolled his eyes.

“What we meant to ask is, do you need us to do anything? Because if so, just say the word!” Kiba said slowly watching Hinata closely.

“Really, you wouldn’t believe the range of tactics and skills in our arsenal! We are your guys!” Kiba tried when Hinata was still not answering.

They shared another alarmed look when they heard a sniff from Hinata. She moved her arm in front of her face, drying tears that had run down her cheeks, before she lifted her face.

“H-Hinata?

“A-are you okay?”

Kiba asked very carefully, his eyes moving around her face.

“Yes, I am perfectly fine, thank you both for caring.” She answered, a bright smile etched onto her face.

“You sure?” Kiba questioned with a disbelieving frown on his face.

“Yes. You see, I have realized something recently.” She said and grabbed both of their hand in each of her own.

“While I will probably never stop admiring Naruto, I think that I am finally ready to face the reality, so to say.”

“Which is?” Kiba asked as if he was afraid of the answer.

“Naruto Uzumaki is not reciprocating my feelings. And it looks as if he never will.”

“Uhm…”

“You don’t seem too sad about this.”

“Shino!” Kiba used his free hand to hit himself on the forehead.

“No, it’s okay Kiba. Shino is right with his observation. I am also a bit surprised about my lack of…”

“Devastation?” Kiba offered.

“Yes, that might be the fitting word. After my confession during the fight with Pain, well… I mean, I basically told Naruto that I loved him and he…

“He never approached me afterwards. He never tried to have a conversation about it. He simply continued as usual.

“And at first, I tried to rationalize it. That Naruto is a bit slow when it comes to stuff like that, that he is incredibly busy with all the new fame that he is now enjoying but… Well,”

She squeezed their hands.

“You two were also busy. Still-“

A loud Gong echoed through the whole camp interrupting their conversation and startling them back into the reality.

Akamaru and Kiba were the first on their feet – and paws. Akamaru barked and looked to Kiba as if looking for confirmation.

“Yes, I smell it too, buddy.” Kiba said and turned to the rest of Team 8.

“I think that Naruto will not arrive in time, unfortunately.”

A whistling sound caught their attention and the group looked towards the back of the camp.

“Kiba! Akamaru! Chop, chop!”

Kiba’s mother, Tsume Inazuka, still had her fingers to her lips when her commandeering voice echoed through the camp making the two young clan members snap to attention.

After giving his mother a nod, Kiba turned around to his team members once again.

“Looks like I am now also part of a secret mission.” He teased his chest puffed out in exaggerated pride.

“Good Luck!” Hinata said and her hand once again squeezed Kiba’s before she leaned forward and slung her arms around Akamaru giving him a big hug.

“Take care.” Shino said in his usual monotone manner.

~*~

Active combat situations are characterised by their dynamic and unpredictable nature. Even for strategic masterminds like Shikamaru or his father, it is difficult to maintain an overview. Depending on the position of the observer, the fighting can be perceived as one inter-linked action – or countless small fights. For the person on the ground, it is nearly impossible to focus on the grand scheme of things, as their attention is forced on the fight that is right in front of them – the attacker that is throwing their kunai right at them. Even though Hinata profits very much from her kekkei genkai, she simply lacks the strategic mastermind and intellectual prowess that her cousin Neji is showcasing again and again in this war. Thanks to Neji’s analytical capabilities, he can give precise orders and is able to quickly react when the enemy tries to distract or trap them, making him a valuable member of every team he is put in.

These thoughts run through Hinata’s mind when she watches how her cousin deflects attacks with an ease that reminds her of swatting away an annoying fly. Especially when put next to his former team members, Neji’s skills come to fruition. With practiced ease he gives orders – sometimes only a mere sign to the enemy is enough – and his former team members know exactly what they have to do.

“Hinata! Behind you!”

She swirls around, her eyes glowing with her activated Byakuugan. 

A shinobi that was about to pierce her back reverted back to a White Zetsu and lies on the floor, sliced in two, Akamaru chewing nearly leisurely on the lower half of the mysterious creature.

“Are you alright?!”

Hands are suddenly grasping her shoulders, shaking her body slightly. Wide eyes stare at her face, panic etched into the face of her long-time friend.

“Yes, thanks to you.” She says and Kiba’s panic fades as quickly as it came.

“Phew! You really got me there, Hinata. Really, phew!”

Kiba bent over and rested his hands on his knees catching his breath. Hinata, her kekkei genkai still activated, reached for a kunai and sliced the white clone that had come up behind Kiba in two.

“Yo, Kiba!”

Hinata and Kiba lifted their heads in surprise and saw an orange flash moving towards their location.

Before Kiba could react, a glowing Naruto landed directly in front of them.

“Naruto!” Hinata exclaimed before she could stop herself.

“You never shy away from a dramatic entrance, do you?” Kiba laughed mustering the bright flames that seemed to engulf their friend.

~*~

With Naruto’s help it was easy to identify the clones and they quickly decimating the imposters and pushed the attackers further from the camp. Hinata was glad to see Naruto, even though it was only a doppelganger. It meant that the original Naruto was alive somewhere and had enough chakra and stamina to produce all these copies of himself. She had long wondered how she might feel when she is once again face to face with her long-time crush. But now the only feeling in her chest is relief. She made the right decision when she decided to let go of her feelings for Naruto. Looking back, she could kick herself for all the time she spent yearning for the blonde young man. Her feelings had shielded her from the reality and made her look at it through rose-coloured glasses. The reality looked differently. While Naruto had played a crucial role in her childhood – his support during the Chuunin exams a shining example of that – she never had his undivided attention. Not like Sakura, for example – or Sasuke.

And this carried on until now. Naruto was fighting literally next to her, but he was not even really acknowledging her. It wasn’t as if he was actively avoiding her as if he were embarrassed or unsure how to act. No, he simply treated her like everyone else. And while she was glad that Naruto didn’t avoid her, she knew now that she will never be a top priority for him. And she finally gathered her courage to draw a line. She was finally ready to demand more than just the bare minimum of human decency. Naruto only looked at her when it was easy for him, but he never really moved out of his way for her. And she was happy for him. Happy that he was finally reaching his true potential and gained the recognition and admiration he had always yearned for. But she was also happy for herself, that she had the strength to let go of her fanciful dream of him choosing her.

It made her see the world clearer. Lifting a huge weight from her shoulders and helped her focus more on herself and the people in her life that were really there for her. Like Kiba and Shino, for example.

~*~

The pursuit of the scattered groups of remaining clones drew her further and further from the camp, deeper into the surrounding forest.

The sun was slipping behind the mountains and the blue of the sky above turned darker with each passing moment. Her eyes hurt from the continued use of her kekkei genkai, still she forced her way through the trees, watching closely for clues of any traps or surprise attacks. Her kunai flew through the air and hit one of the clones in the leg slowing him down, she pushed forward and with a well-placed punch the clone was quickly decimated.

Suddenly she was surrounded by White Zetsu clones. They seemed to grew all around her, pushing her into the defence. She was able to defend herself and deflect all their attacks, but she was forced to flee nevertheless, deeper into the forest. She doesn’t know how long the clones were after her, she had lost all sense of time what felt like ages ago. The temperature around her dropped with every meter she ventured deeper into the forest. She run as long as her legs were able to carry her. When even the last rays of sunshine left the world around her, she stopped and checked her surroundings. Only when she was sure that nobody and nothing was after her, she let herself relax.

But the relief was short-lived because now that her body was not pumping adrenaline through her veins, she became aware of her dire situation. She was alone in an unknown forest. It was dark and the sky was too cloudy to use the stars as orientation. And even if she were able to navigate her way back to the camp, she had overused the Byakuugan which meant that she was not only suffering from a terrible headache but also that her vision was restricted. Even without the Byakuugan, her eyes were not working properly.

Remembering how the White Zetsu clones grew out of any plant, she gathered her last strength and was able to find a stone cave that offered her some shelter. She didn’t dare to make a fire, so she simply huddled close to the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. She was lucky that she had the mind to stash some protein bars into her pockets in the morning. She also had to thank Neji for refilling her water bottle. She tried to look at the positive side – she had something to eat and drink. And if she remembered correctly, the temperature shouldn’t drop too low so she also wouldn’t freeze to death. All in all, she had most of the basic needs covered.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel panic rising in her chest. Every time she gave in and closed her aching eyes, her ears seemed to pick up any sounds of the forest and she ripped her eyes open in panic, scanning the entrance of the cave. A small voice in the back of her mind was reminding her that the reason why shinobi usually formed teams and avoided solo missions is because of situations like these. Warmth spread through her when she noted that this voice sounded very much like Neji. She could practically picture the disappointed frown that he would wear when he notices that she was not back in the camp by nightfall. The worry that he would try to hide from the others. Guilt washed over her, and she felt something squeezing her chest. As if her heart was squeezed by an invisible hand. She tried to distract herself, tried to convince herself that Neji was clever, he would know that she was probably stuck in the forest and would return the next day. She tried to force herself to believe that Neji would not think that something happened to her. She tried to resonate with herself that Kiba and Akamaru would be able to smell if she was hurt, that they would know that she was simply too exhausted to make it back safe. They would surely know that she was fine and would not worry too much about her. And even if Kiba would worry about her, Shino would surely step in and calm him down. Yes, she could always count on Shino’s rational mind. He would surely know that she was simply too exhausted, really, he would probably be disappointed if she didn’t try to rest and recover before trying to find a way back to the camp.

She was sure that her teammates would meet her half way tomorrow, using their skills to track her down and help her finding her way back. She had to smile imagining Kiba running around impatient and loud, demanding Neji letting him go and track her down right now. The smile developed into a chuckle when she thought about Shino’s reaction. Because while Kiba was always the most outspoken among them, Shino was probably the most determined. Which would probably surprise many, but not Hinata. She knew how much her quiet friend was trying, how much effort he put into everything he did. Whatever Shino did, he did it with all his being. Whatever decision he made; he stood behind it no matter what. Really, once he makes up his mind, nobody will convince him otherwise. Warmth spread through her thinking about the rare moments Shino had let her look behind his stoic mask. Moments when she saw the genuine care in his eyes, moments when she heard affection and warmth in his voice. While Kiba was easily distracted, Shino’s attention seemed unwavering. He seemed to always know when she was sad, appearing next to her with something sweet in his hand, sitting down next to her, offering a shoulder to lean onto. Really it was Shino’s determined care for her that made her realize that there was more to being friends, that while her feelings for Naruto were strong, they could not hide the lack of attention Naruto was giving her.

Reminded of the feeling of Shino sitting next to her, their shoulders touching, she was feeling especially cold. She yearned for the steady warmth of Shino next to her. She longed for the slight buzzing sounds that seemed to surround him when they weren’t on a mission. A sound she now always associated with warmth and safety. Safety – something she desperately lacked right now, as her eyes were burning with exhaustion, begging for them to be closed. But the fear and apprehension continued to make it impossible for her to rest or even really consider closing her eyes. Additionally, the forest around her seemed to come awake, animals moving around, rustling leaves and stepping on branches. Panic seized her heart as she realized that she was helpless right now. Her stamina was exhausted, and she only had a few kunai left in her pouch.

She pressed her face into her knees, trying her best not to cry. Despair and fear coursed through her, making her feel even more miserable. And incapable. After all, she was a kunoichi, she should have no problem with situations like these. She should be strong and resilient. Stressful situations like these shouldn’t bring her to her knees like that. After all, she is the only one to blame for her situation as well. A skilled kunoichi wouldn’t even be in a situation like that, Hinata thought, and a sob filled her chest. She refused to let it out, refused to capitulate fully, refused to give in to the overwhelming fear that washed over her. Still, here, alone, in this cave, in the middle of an unknown forest, she could admit to herself that she never missed Shino’s presence as much as now. A tear slipped down her cheek, leaving a hot trail behind.

Her head snapped up when she heard movement close to the entrance of the cave. She reached behind her to draw a kunai and forced herself to her feet, trying her best to be as silent as possible. Fear and panic spread through her, making it difficult to breath. She tightened her grip on the kunai and tried to force her attention through the dizzying headache and the burning of her eyes. She suddenly noticed several bugs flying close to her face, the buzzing sound triggering a familiar feeling in her heart. She lowered her kunai a bit, watching the bugs closely, trying to remember if she could identify them somehow.

“Hinata.”

Her head snapped to the direction of the voice.

“Shino.” Her voice sounded very breathless, even to herself.

“You came.”

She uttered, her bright eyes wide in shock. She felt her knees buckle and was mentally preparing herself for the hard ground. But she never felt it, she was suddenly engulfed in a familiar warmth.

Izumi walks around the cafe, biting her lip as she looks for the shirt her model said he would be wearing.

Given that almost everyone is wearing back in varying styles, it's less useful than she would have hoped as a guide.

"Hey, miss." An arm waves at her and she stops. It's a mistake, she realises immediately, but that doesn't help her now. "I need a refill." The man raises his mug, clearly expecting her to take it. "A six shot venti."

A venti?

This isn't a Starbucks!

Still, she takes the cup anyway and heads for the counter.

This shift is constantly understaffed - something that always happens during term time when most of the university students who have part-time jobs here are busy with classes - and it's not as if she doesn't know how to work the espresso machine.

"Please allow me, Izumi-san." Long fingers swoop in to scoop the mug out of her hand, making her blink at its sudden disappearance. "The cafe is the responsibility of my family."

"But it's not your responsibility!" She chases him past the pastry case, but doesn't manage to snatch the cup back. "You don't work as a barista anymore, Itachi-san!"

"I'm attempting to become a barrister, is that close enough?" He flashes her a quick smile, small and contained but it’s there.

"Studying for the bar has nothing to do with making coffee!" She makes one last attempt to stop him, but he dodges around her to get to the machine. "Itachi-san!"

Several large stones were piled up in front of him and on his leg. While it absolutely hurt, he could tell that nothing was actually broken— or worse, crushed to bits. He breathed in and let it out like he could breathe out the pain. He tried to pull his foot back, but it didn’t budge. He pulled a little harder, and he felt a promising shift in the stones.

A few pebbles hit the top of his head.

He looked up.

Staring down at him was a boulder looming precariously just a few feet above him. So close he could reach up and touch it if he wanted.

He did not want to.

His eyes followed the length of the boulder down to its source and— sure enough— its heavy base was lodged directly over the rocks trapping his foot.

Omoi’s heart rate jumped even higher. He could feel the sweat start beading on his temples. Though usually he could think of a hundred different scenarios, only two came to mind now.

If he pulled his leg out, he’d be crushed.

Or he could do nothing and wait for his squadron to come find him.

If they came looking for him. This was a large operation and had to be executed perfectly and precisely on time in order to work and avoid alerting the target. Omoi was not a major component of the operation. If he did not show up at the designated rendezvous point, finding him was not going to be a priority until after the operation had been completed.

And while it was meant to be a fast, debilitating attack to wipe out the opposition, there would be hours of review to ensure no one had escaped the field. While it was possible that someone came upon him during the sweep, it was not going to be any time soon.

And would likely not be soon enough.

Omoi carefully lowered himself back down onto his back. He stared up at the boulder and it stared back at him.

What if it fell now? Would it be fast? Would he even know it happened?

What if it wasn’t heavy enough to smash him? What if it was just heavy enough to crush him, a slow and excruciating suffocation.

Or what if it wasn’t even heavy enough to do that? What if it was just big enough to hide him, so that no one could see him even if they did come across him? What if he just had to sit there— trapped under this rock— until he starved to death?

Then again. There was a third scenario. If his foot was the problem, he could just… cut it off. But what then? What if he cut his foot off and the boulder fell anyway? What if he cut off his foot and escaped, but bled out? How would he get back to the rendezvous point with one foot? Could he traverse the mountains with one foot? What if the operation had failed and there were enemy shinobi fleeing the attack and his blood lead them to him and he was taken as a hostage as a means to negotiation?

A wouldn’t negotiate with that, would he? What if he did? Did Omoi want that?

Omoi’s heart was beating so fast it was making him lightheaded and the edges of his vision were blurring. He closed his eyes. He felt like he needed to be panting, but he could hardly breathe in. Maybe the boulder had actually fallen and he was being crushed now—

“Are you alright?!”

Omoi’s eyes snapped open and his head snapped back. Kneeling over him was… a boy? Tan skin, round eyes, shiny dark hair and crazy thick eyebrows. He was staring intensely down at Omoi, practically unblinking.

What the hell kind of hallucination was this supposed to be?

“Hey!”

Omoi’s eyes snapped back.

“Are you alright!” The boy insisted.

Omoi didn’t answer right away. He looked around him, like maybe he’d wrongly assessed the situation, then looked back at the boy and said, “No.”

“Right! Do not worry. My name is Rock Lee, and I will get you out of here!”

“Okay.” Omoi watched the boy stand back up, then quickly asked, “Wait, how?”

“Not to worry! I am very strong!”

“How strong?”

“Very!”

The boy trotted a bit away. Was he wearing a green onesie? And orange leg warmers? Again, what kind of hallucination was this supposed to be?!

The boy fell into a deep crouch, one foot bent behind him into the stone floor like a tightened spring. “Please shield your eyes!”

Omoi was going to die here. He averted his eyes and raised his arms. He vaguely heard a couple of footsteps, then a brief moment of silence—

CRASH!  

The impact was practically an explosion, and hundreds of tiny shards rained down on Omoi’s hands and arms— some leaving tiny cuts like thin razors. He carefully opened his eyes and saw the rubble lying around him, like someone had showered the ground with gravel. He lowered his arms and saw the boy standing over him, almost as if he had been shielding him.

“That was not so bad!” The boy exclaimed, reaching a hand down. “You are safe now!”

“Uh…” Omoi looked around. All around him were shattered pieces of the boulder that had seconds ago been threatening his life and— to one side— all that was left were a few large rocks nearly fifteen feet away. He looked back up. “I… guess so…”

“You are! Do not worry.” The boy open and closed his outstretched hand a few times. “Come on!”

“I… I need to get my leg.”

“Huh?” The boy looked behind him. “Oh! Of course! Allow me!”

The boy walked over and—like he was moving blankets— shoved the rocks piled on Omoi’s ankle off to the side. He did a quick inspection, then turned back around with a thumbs up. “Your foot is still there!”

That actually made Omoi feel a bit better. He sat up, his body still stiff from the fall. He pulled his leg back and winced as his ankle turned. His foot may have still been there, but something was definitely wrong with it.

But it was there.

“How do you feel?”

“Uh…” Omoi took inventory of himself, looking at his hands. “Not… bad. Not… I’m not dead. Everything is still attached so… Good?”

“That is the spirit! Optimism is a core tenet of Youth!” The boy pointed at his ankle. “What about your foot? You winced a moment ago.”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah. It’s probably fractured.” Omoi put his other foot on the ground, trying to stand up.

The other boy pushed him back down. “Then we must brace it until medical attention is available! Do not worry! I have wrapped many injured ankles!”

“I… okay.” Omoi sat and watched as the boy unwrapped the white fabric from his own hands. “I… I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“Rock Lee! The Handsome Devil of the Hidden Leaf!” The boy carefully lifted Omoi’s leg, sliding his own underneath to support it as he began wrapping Omoi’s injury. “And who are you?”

Omoi’s hand instinctively came up to his neck, covering the mark on his band.

“Do not worry so much. I know the vest of the Hidden Cloud when I see it.” Lee looked up sharply. “And I also know how the Hidden Cloud has acted against the Leaf in the past! I have not forgotten!”

“That’s… that’s fair. So then what’s all this?” Omoi gestured vaguely at the situation.

“I was not raised to walk away when I can act. Our villages are enemies and we may be enemies in the future, but this is where we are now.”

“That… makes sense. I’m lucky you came along. Who knows what would’ve happened otherwise.”

“It is my pleasure.”

“It’s Omoi, by the way.”

“Oh. Well, it is good to meet you, Omoi!”

“Likewise. So, what’s a Leaf shinobi doing around here anyway? You’re way away from home.”

“We have a mission to retrieve a representative from a town in the Land of Frost. It is well hidden, so my team and I spread out to find it.” Lee securely tucked the end of the bandage, and gently let Omoi’s leg back down. He stood up and reached an hand down for Omoi. “I am due back to report soon, but this is important as well. My team will understand!”

Omoi took it, relying heavily on Lee’s strength to pull himself back up.“There’s more of you?”

“Yes. It is me, my two teammates and my sensei.” Lee cocked an eyebrow. “You are pretty far away yourself. What brought you so far from home?”

“Oh. It’s just—“ Omoi’s stomach dropped. He grabbed Lee’s arm. “My guy, you’ve gotta get out of here.”

“What? Why?”

“You are about to get caught up in a huge military sting. The Hidden Cloud is setting up an encirclement 3 kilometers in diameter, on a target about 2 kilometers from right here.” Omoi pointed up at the sun. “At 0900, we’re going to start formation, and at 10000 hours, that encirclement is going to start tightening around the target and you cannot be here when that happens.”

“What?! That is an enormous field of engagement! What could possibly—“

“That’s really not important. The point is you’ve got to get back to your team and get them out before they’re caught up in this. I get us not being enemies right now, but the Hidden Cloud is not going to agree when they finds four Leaf shinobi spying on what is a very classified operation.”

“We are not spying—!”

“The optics are bad! Who is going to believe it was an accident! Y— this isn’t important.” Omoi pointed both hands at Lee. “Where are you meeting?”

“I—“ Lee looked up and around. He pointed sharply. “There! That tall tree was an easy landmark in these hills and gave us vantage.”

“Yeah. That’s why it’s also a major landmark in our operation.”

“What?! That cannot be! Neji is likely already there!“ Lee grabbed Omoi’s shoulders. “You do not understand! Neji cannot be found by Cloud shinobi!”

“Yeah! None of you can!”

“But Neji especially! He is a Hyuga, he has th—“ The words stopped dead in Lee’s throat.

The dead silence that shoved its way between them had knives at their backs.

Lee’s hands tightened on Omoi’s shoulders. “You had best not dare—“

“He definitely can’t be here.” Omoi looked up at the sun again. He gritted his teeth. He looked back into Lee’s steely gaze. “How good is your memory?”

Lee shoved his hand into his bag, whipping out a notebook. “I take great notes!”

“Good enough.” Omoi pointed down the side of the mountain. “About 60 meters that way, there is an opening in the mountain behind a dark rock. It’ll lead you into a path that will cut underneath the mountain and spit you out in direct line of sight of that tree. It isn’t well-known enough to be used by our targets, so it is not going to be utilized as part of this operation.”

“Right! So I will just take that!”

“No! There’s a trick. Well, four. There’s four tricks. If you get any of them wrong, you’ll be screwed and no one is going to find you like you found me. I’d go with you, but—” Omoi gestured at his ankle. He tapped Lee’s notebook. “So first: Keep your hand on the left wall, follow it until you get to a formation of three stalagmites and 2 green stalactites— you really can’t miss them, they are green. 

On the other side of them, there are three paths: take the one on the left. Put your hand on the right wall, follow it until you hit a chasm. There will be a few sets of stepping stones across it— you take the one with five. Do not take the other ones, they’ll collapse. It is going to be a wide open stretch to the exit, but there will be a sudden drop at the very end and there will be a very narrow footpath to the left side. Do not attempt to use your chakra to scale the wall, you’ll just slide off. You have to take that footpath. After that, it’s a straight shot out.”

Lee furiously scribbled down the last of the notes, nodding quickly. He looked back up. “And… and you promise this is true?”

“Yeah. You saved me, I save you.”

Lee grabbed Omoi’s wrist. “But do you promise?”

Omoi looked between Lee and his hand. He nodded, using his pinkie to make an X on his chest. “On my heart.”

Lee pressed his lips together. He let Omoi go. “… Thank you.”

“No worries, mate. Now get going!”

“One more thing!”

“What?!”

“If… if there is ever peace between our villages… visit. Will you?”

Omoi stared at him… for a while. Then he shrugged with a small smile. “L… likewise.”

“Right! I’m off!” Lee turned on his heel and ran, faster than he appeared to be.

Omoi watched him disappear around the curve in the mountain. He became very aware of the ache in his ankle again. He looked down at the neat binding that stabilized it. He looked back at the empty space in front of him.

He limped back to the side of the mountain and slid down, to sit out the impending operation. He really wasn’t going to be of any use anyway. And this would give him ample time to come up with a decent excuse.

He stared up into the sky, which was steadily brightening as the time of the operation was approaching. He was sure it was going to go off without a hitch. This was a classic maneuver after all, they’d done it before dozens of times.

Which meant that it was going to be airtight. If Lee did not move fast enough and he did not escape the encirclement before it closed, he’d be found. His team wouldn’t even know what was coming for them. His Hyuga friend would… well, that was reality.

And A would find out. Regardless of why he’d done it, Omoi had given intel on secret routes to an enemy shinobi and had aided in the escape of one of the Hidden Cloud’s most coveted bloodline limits. Even if they didn’t escape in the end, A would not look the other way. Whatever fate those Leaf shinobi were going to face, Omoi was going to face tenfold. A did not tolerate treason, from anyone.

Lee was fast though, based on those last few seconds at least. If he moved like that and was able to read his notes in those dim tunnels and escape, he still had time to get to that tree and get everyone out— if they could move like he did, at least.

It was a lot of what ifs. A lot of points of failure. A lot of luck. The possibility of success was low.