video | 002

[ura_no_ura]

[Action | Mid-afternoon]

[ Nothing to see here.

Just a man with silver hair darkened by rust-colored flecks walking through the middle of town from the underground tunnels in fatigues soaked through in some places with blood. He's got a dirty-looking bandage wrapped around his left arm, a slowly spreading red spot eating its way across the gauze surface. He walks like a man who hasn't slept in days -- shoulders slumped, each step weighted. But even despite the apparent exhaustion, he still attempts to make it look more like a lazy stroll than a tired march back to the apartment he'd claimed as his own in Building 1.

Assuming it's even still called Building 1, and his apartment hasn't been taken over by a new resident, anyway. He's been gone for a while, after all.

Two months is a long time to be on a combat mission, but not anything Kakashi isn't used to. Coming back to Luceti after a mission instead of Konoha, though -- that's new.

On the way back to Building 1 Flame Building, Kakashi stops by the Convenience Store for some more bandages, rubbing alcohol, antibiotic ointment, a needle and thread, some pain killers, and a few packages of instant ramen. ]

[ Video | Night ]

[ Kakashi's looking a little better than he did earlier in the day. First aid, food, a hot shower, a fresh change of clothes, and a nice, long nap does wonders. ]

Yo.

[ Have a two-finger wave. ]

I'm back. Did I miss anything exciting?

Comments

video;

[believeit]

You're late, Kakashi-sensei!

[Where have you been? :c]

...You missed my birthday.

[The most important thing obviously.]

video;

[ura_no_ura]

Ah, sorry I'm late, Naruto...

[ Awkward smile and all. ]

Got lost in a jungle.

Re: video;

[believeit]

It went okay though, yeah?

[He'll let you off, since it was a mission and such.]

I dunno what else you missed. Oh-! We went to this park, with rides! On the Moon!

[ura_no_ura]

[ He would've told Naruto that the mission was fine, but that comment about the moon is just slightly distracting. ]

The moon.

[... didn't Itachi mention the moon, too?]

Really.

video;

[yourhatred]

You missed a few things. We all went to the moon.

[Said completely seriously.]

video;

[ura_no_ura]

[ Not sure if trolling. ]

Ah, I see. I hope you brought back a few souvenirs.

video;

[yourhatred]

[Itachi feels around off-screen for a moment before he brings a small photograph into view.

It's one of the pictures often taken on roller coasters right as the carts start the descent on the highest peak. On it, he and Law sit almost completely deadpan as they're surrounded by other park-goers with their hands in the air.]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Huh. That's interesting. Kakashi certainly wasn't expecting that when Itachi said they went to the moon, he literally meant that they went to the moon. (Though Naruto did...more or less say they went to a theme park on the moon, too, but, still. The moon? And he missed that?) ]

How was the view?

[ Yeah, really, what else does one say to someone who went to the moon. ]

Written

[sand_lost]

[You missed the arrival of a certain Kazekage.]

So you're here too.

text;

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi's eye widens at the small picture that comes up aside the written message. Gaara is here?

After a moment of thought, he quickly writes out: ]

Kazekage-sama. It is good to see you. I've only just returned from a 2 month mission. I seem to have missed your arrival.

Re: text;

[sand_lost]

A mission assigned to you by our kidnappers? [Yep, someone's still a little pissed at this place.]

I arrived two weeks ago.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Well, the mission was assigned by Minato as part of a recon and espionage mission, but Kakashi can't exactly say that over the journal system, can he. ]

I would welcome you to Luceti, but as you have surmised, it isn't exactly a vacation spot.

[Video]

[bantambreeze]

Barnaby went home.


[Saori, now in...child form...looks as solemn as she can.]

video;

[ura_no_ura]

[ Ah. Well. Kakashi's actually kind of relieved to hear that, knowing what this place did to Barnaby's sanity. Home -- wherever that is for Barnaby -- is a far better alternative than Luceti.

Though he doesn't recognize this little girl, who seems to speak to him with such familiarity.

She does look a bit familiar, though... ]

I'm glad to hear that.

[ A pause, as he studies her image a little more closely. ]

...have we met?

[ Why does she seem so familiar? ]

video;

[bantambreeze]

Right. I just thought you ought to know.

[The little girl looks a little perplexed for a moment and then looks down at herself, and smiles somewhat ruefully. It's...hard to remember sometimes.]

Yes, we have, Kakashi. I'm Saori. The...Malnosso decided that it might be fun to turn me into a nine year old godling instead of my usual self.

[ura_no_ura]

Saori-san?!

[ Okay, he was definitely not expecting that. ]

[Video]

[niceguypose]

Ah... Kakashi-sensei! [There's the vibrant youth - excited to see Kakashi but a little sad remembering the news that has to be delivered.]

You missed the unfortunate departure of Gai-Sensei. Has has returned home!

video;

[ura_no_ura]

How is that unfortunate? I'd consider him quite lucky.

[ Actually, Kakashi's pretty relieved. He wouldn't want anyone trapped here longer than necessary. ]

video;

[niceguypose]

[He considers it from a partly selfish perspective. All of his friends here are now deprived of him. And beyond that, Gai and Neji are deprived of extra time with each other.]

Ah... I suppose that is so, in several ways. [He frowns and focuses his eyebrows.] But he is subject to the war back home now. And... I am sure that you were looking forward to challenging him again in a place like this.

action

[fervidity]

[Guess who else happens to be in that Convenience Store.

CONVENIENT.

Kushina herself is in the ramen aisle (unable to help herself) and picking through flavors, looking for any leftover salt ramen, when she hears the sound of steps approaching her. She looks up and straightens from surprise, eyes wide.]

Kakashi?

[IT'S BEEN 84 YEARS TWO MONTHS]

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi had been reading the information on the back of the antibiotic ointment box as he trudged into the ramen aisle, so he wasn't paying much attention until a very familiar voice snapped his attention up. Well, this isn't exactly the best circumstance for them to be meeting under -- after all, Kakashi quite literally just walked off a battlefield and looks every bit the part. To make matters worse, it was a jungle battlefield, so there's probably some sundry jungle parts stuck to him too. ]

Ah, Kushina-san. It's been a while.

[ He puts the box back in his shopping basket as he gives her a polite nod in greeting. He's too tired to even bother fake smiling at her. ]

[fervidity]

[He looks the part, it's true. Kushina's surprise is replaced with concern and a bit of frustration. Her eyes lock onto that bandage and the blood that's blooming there. He might be well and old enough to take care of himself, but she can't help but picture a young boy as she looks at him.

The ramen is forgotten and she takes his arm into her hands, being gentle despite her stormy expression. It's not directed at him though, at least not explicitly.

That box he tucked in his basket? She pulls it out and reads the label. Good.]

Yeah, I'd say. [Not as long as some missions back in Konoha during war, but still a long time by Luceti's standards.

And she moves to lead him through the aisle to the front of the store with a hand on his elbow and the other keeping his injured arm elevated. Her tone takes on something a bit softer when she tells him;]

Wait here, okay? Keep your arm like this.

[And off she goes into the store again. It's not long before she's back, cradling everything else he needs that he didn't get. Including lots of ramen of every flavor.]

What happened?

[voice]

[endgames]

I'm dying.

[No, he's just complaining. Which is probably more than evident in his voice, even if he does sound hoarse and sick.]

voice;

[ura_no_ura]

Sounds serious. I hope you're not contagious.

[ Totally deadpanned. No sympathy. ]

voice;

[endgames]

Between you and Tsunade-sama, it's no wonder Sakura got the beside manner she did.