The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

68: A Close Call

[OP: "Eat You Alive"-- The Oh Hellos]

The apparel shop seemed innocent from the outside, and Bakugo began to think maybe he'd jumped to the wrong conclusions...maybe, but he still wasn't sure.

However, it was now nearly dark.

"I wonder why West-san didn't pop up," Sai said.

"He did while you were around the corner," Bakugo said. "But he said we were doing fine, so he was going to check on the other teams. Let's get out here. This street is shifty."

"Shifty?" Sai glanced around. "It seems normal to me."

Bakugo suddenly thought he spotted Camie in a different store.

"I think that's them," he said. "I'll be right back. Don't move."

He didn't want to risk being wrong and Sai creating an awkward situation for him.

He walked across the street.

But it really was Camie, though she was stuck in an argument with a store clerk who wasn't taking no for an answer.

"But I think it doesn't really fit my aesthetic..." Camie tried again.

"It would look great with your eyes," the store clerk insisted. "I can give it to you for half off, even."

"She said no," Bakugo said.

The store clerk turned and, seeing him glaring at her, raced away while muttering something about checking the counter.

"Oh, thank goodness, yo," Camie said. "I thought she'd never give up. That was such a hideous top, too."

"You seriously been shopping  for hours?"

"Nah, we stopped for lunch a while ago," Camie said. "Did it take you guys this long?"

"Paint Brush is very detailed," Bakugo snorted. "And the pesky owner kept bothering us and asking for modifications. Anyway, I don't trust this part of town."

"Yeah, it's a little sus, huh?" Camie said. "I was starting to think we were in, like, the red light district, but Ino said it could just be they don't keep it up as well because they don't have a lot of traffic."

"One of the signs said 'for a good time' on it." Bakugo reddened.

"I'm lowkey surprised you know what that means..."

"Are you kidding? My mom told me if I ever went into a place that said that on it, she'd kick my a--," Bakugo said.

"Ugh, well, yeah, it's not really good for our rep," Camie said. "But I think you'd have to worry about me killing you, not your mom."

"I wouldn't go in there!" Bakugo said. "But the owner was all on us to go in."

"Ew, gross," Camie said. "Where's Sai? You weren't alone out there, right?"

"Nah, he's outside," Bakugo said.

"Hey, don't leave him unsupervised!" Camie said. "We'll be right out, all right."

"He's not a helpless puppy."

"Well...no, but he's kind of...clueless about a lot of things," Camie said. "Don't you think he could get scammed? Where did Sakura go?"

"Probably to check out the herbalist crap she was into," Bakugo said.

"We'll go find her and we'll be right there," Camie waved him away. "I should go rescue Ino from these vultures."

She waltzed off in pursuit of her friend.

Bakugo went back outside to find that Sai was not alone anymore.