The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

40: Deep Waters

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

"Everyone is just crumbling right now," Shikamaru said to Kankuro. "But I am not sure we don't need more of a plan. What if they try to stop us from leaving?"

"I doubt it," Kankuro said. "Trust me, I know when a place wants you gone. This is it."

"Still, there could be an ambush outside."

"Maybe we can dash or portal past the front gate and just go from there," Kankuro said. "But we'll figure that out tomorrow morning. What scares me more is Gaara. That's the most upset he's been in ages--years, even. What do we tell him? It's not even the stoning that's the worst of it, it's the sheer disregard for our efforts. Onoki did us real bad on this one."

"I just don't understand why," Shikamaru said. "What could he hope to gain by allowing this?"

Suddenly, they heard someone knocking on the door.

"That's Kurotsuchi!" Karin cried.

"Is it? I'll kill her!" Bakugo got up.

"Sit down!" Temari shoved him back with wind. "No one do anything stupid... Anyway if anyone kills her, it's going to be me."

"Great attitude, sis," Kankuro said. "I guess I have to be the rational person and answer the door calmly... Still, I'm keeping my puppets ready."

"That'll show her," Dabi muttered.

He followed Kankuro to the door.

Kankuro opened it.

Kurotsuchi didn't seem very happy about being there.

"What is it?" Kankuro said.

"My...grandfather sent me here to deliver a message to you," she said.

"If it's that we should get out, then we're already going to go," Kankuro said. "First thing tomorrow. Unfortunately we had a little medical issue earlier, or we'd be gone already."

"Someone was hurt in that...skirmish?" Kurotsuchi asked.

"If you watched the one-sided near-slaughter that happened earlier, then I really don't know if I should answer that," Kankuro said thinly. "Anything else?"

"The message wasn't about that," Kurotsuchi said, looking more and more nervous. "He said to tell you that he heard what happened, and he's deeply sorry that the village resorted to such methods."

"He heard?" Kankuro rasped incredulously. "He saw it."

"No, he didn't," Kurotsuchi said. "He's older, you know--his sight isn't so clear. He thought your teammates were only giving a speech. We couldn't hear anything."

Kankuro wasn't sure if she was lying or not based on how nervous she looked, but Dabi was.

"What a load of bulls---," he said loudly. "Onoki can hit things with particles, and you're telling me he couldn't see a mob from down the street? If you're going to lie, do it better than that, b---h."

"Dabi!" Kankuro warned. "You can't talk to her that way. She's still--"

"I don't give a d--n," Dabi cut him off. "A dirty liar deserves no respect from me. This twit can go tell her grandad I said that for all I care. Just see what happens the next time you guys try to kill one of us." He lit his hand up with blue flame.

Kurotsuchi backed up.

"We're not going to kill anyone." Kankuro tried to block Dabi's view with his arm. "Don't listen to him. He's unhinged."