The Way Into Mist Village (Naruto)

8: Drop Off

[OP: "Second Child, Restless Child"--The Oh Hellos.]

"What kind of group have we joined, Suigetsu?" Karin asked, adjusting her glasses as they followed the others out. "Going around plucking useless people out of these empty lairs--what kind of fighting force do they think they're creating?"

Suigetsu frowned at her. "Karin, you know, you can be a real pain."

"What? What did I say? And look who's talking," she shot back angrily.

Suigetsu couldn't really explain himself. He hadn't trusted them either...but nor did he see any ulterior motive for finding these people...yet.

But of course, he thought, they'd win over their loyalty and then they would use them...though for what? Who would they want to get back to other than Orochimaru?

Maybe they just need tools...

Though these people didn't seem like Orochimaru. They didn't seem to bully people into doing as they wished.

Suigetsu couldn't make heads or tails of it, but Karin's cynicism and disgust for people who weren't of use to her grated on him, though he had no reason to think he was any different.

Karin perhaps felt ashamed of her own words even so, because she went quiet.

She didn't like how Shine had scolded her...and yet...maybe she felt ashamed of that also. 

* * *

Outside, the others had been waiting for nearly half an hour.

Camie had convinced Ino to try some of her makeup in that time, because she was bored.

Ino felt a little silly when it was for no special occasion, but she did kind of like the lip gloss.

[Some guys may not get why you'd share makeup...but trust me, girls who are friends or related do this all the time. It might seem gross, but, they do it. Personally I always wipe lipstick off before I share it, but not everyone does that.]

"Waste of time," Tenten said.

"It's just for funsies," Camie said.

"And that's another thing," Tenten said. "Why do you talk so weird? Honestly nothing you say makes any sense at all."

"Sis, chill, I didn't go to start a fight." Camie shrugged.

"Well, it's just for fun, so it's harmless," Momo said. "And I think it looks pretty. Really, I do."

Ino reddened.

"Again, just shoot me," Dabi sighed.

"You shut up, or I'll put guyliner on you in your sleep," Camie said. "I mean, honestly, you wear it already, don't you?"

"I'm offended that you'd accuse me of that," Dabi said. "I haven't done that since I stopped going goth."

"But you wear earrings," Camie accused.

"Hey, that's the only part of myself they let me keep when I went into house-arrest other than my jacket, 'kay? I guess earrings weren't threatening enough."

"I think you could make a weapon out of earrings," Shoto said.

"Sure, bro, but what a waste of earrings," Camie said.

"See? Nothing she says makes sense," Tenten said.

"Well," Shikamaru said lazily, "it doesn't really matter, does it? She's not hurting you."

"Wow, you sure changed your tune from yesterday," Kankuro remarked. 

"I just was in a bad mood yesterday," Shikamaru said. "That's all."