The Way Into Mist Village (Naruto)

30: The Lab

[OP: "Torches"--The Oh Hellos]

They kept climbing and it was brutal. Bakugo did endurance training, and this was hard even for him. He was dripping sweat... He would have blasted the lot of them if he wasn't next to a volcano. It was really kind of annoying.

"Question," he said aloud.

"What? You're talking now?" Shikimi said.

"I just noticed something ." Bakugo figured he might as well try to get information if he was stuck walking. "You said this is a volcano. Is it active?"

"Not currently," Sotetsu replied.

Reassuring.

"Also," Bakugo said, "volcanic soil is supposed to be really fertile, but I didn't see any d--- plants out there but a few scrubby looking weeds. What's with that?"

"That's a good question," Kiriame started to answer him, "because we're not really sure--"

"Kiriame!" Sotetsu said severely. "Don't give him information. He's up to something."

"Oh, Bakugo is not that clever," Camie said. "He was probably just curious for real. Neither of us is, like, super good at this spy stuff. Too spacey." She giggled.

Bakugo was going to get offended before he realized that Camie was trying to cover for him.

"Don't freaking call me spacey," he said.

"But we get the worst grades," Camie said. "Lol."

"I believe that she is kind of an idiot," Shikimi said. "But she's kind of cute. It's almost a shame."

Camie cast him a weird look. "Ugh, I hope you're not that cliche villain who's a major creep, bro. That's so old. I always get the creepy ones. Is it too much to ask to be kidnapped by someone who just wants leverage or something like that?"

"What are you babbling about now?" Kiriame said. "Don't talk nonsense, girl. The Master wouldn't like it if you're an imbecile."

"I'm just saying this isn't my first time getting kidnapped," Camie explained as if she hadn't spoken. "It's like...the second...or third if you count being attacked and doped by someone as being kidnapped by them. Does that count?"

"You're asking me?" Bakugo said.

"It's like your...3rd time?" Camie asked.

"Something like that," Bakugo said.

"Bae, they could give you an ice cream for that," Camie said. "And stamp our frequent kidnapping card." [Two different references in one, guys. Did you get both of them?]

"You children have been kidnapped more than once?" Kiriame said, sounding mildly impressed. "And you survived?"

"We're not kids," Bakugo said. "Don't you people go to war at freaking 12 around here? We're older than that."

"I'm actually older than him." Camie tossed her head. "He doesn't like me reminding him of it, but I say he should be proud. Scoring an older woman is like a big deal."

"Are you saying that you two are some kind of couple?" Kiriame asked.

"Totes," Camie said.

Bakugo was sure she shouldn't have told them that..but they might figure it out anyway, since they must have seen them together a lot while planning their attack.

"That's strange. You really don't seem compatible," Kiriame said.

Bakugo frowned. Even the kidnappers were saying that?