The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

96: Impasse

[OP: "This Will End"--The Oh Hellos]

Once the impromptu proposal was over and the girls had waited the respectful amount of time, Camie called, "Yo, lovebirds, I have this fantastic idea for how you can get out of here."

"Oh?" Doro said. "I'm skeptical, but let's hear it."

"You should just come with us," Camie said. "We'll explain it all to our peeps, and you can escape that way."

"That's a nice offer," Zokei said. "Except that everyone will know we helped you then."

"And what if your team doesn't win?" Doro added.

"Hey, we're gonna win," Camie said. "My boyfriend and I, we always win. Trust me."

"Your boyfriend wouldn't be that explosion kid, would he?" Zokei asked.

"Maybe," Camie smirked.

"Yikes," Zokei said. "I don't want to fight him again. He was such a pain in the neck."

"Not to mention," Camie added, "that Uchiha is on our side."

Sort of, Ino thought.

"And so is Gaara, Mr. Sand Man," Camie said. "We're tight. You really think your chances are that great if you side with some stupid bandits? You barely took us in, and we're not the most combat-heavy fighters."

Ino wondered if "barely" was the right word to describe how they'd taken them down.

But it wasn't like either of these people had seen the fight.

"So, you see what I'm saying? We're way tougher," Camie said. "I bet they'll be here to rescue us soon anyway and beat your a---s, so now's your chance to cooperate."

"You think she's playing us?" Zokei asked.

"If she is," Doro said, "we can't be sure it's still not true. If they're already here, then we could already be dead. Didn't you hear that Uchiha actually listens to their leader? And I can see why, after seeing her fight. She held him back before, and the Uchiha are known to be mad people and the most proficient kekkai genkei users."

"Well, spit at the Hyugas' faces," Camie muttered.

"So we can't risk it," Doro concluded. "What do you say?"

"I'd like to pick the winning side," Zokei said. "But it won't be as easy as all that. You kids think that we're all weak in this bandit group, don't you? But some of us are stronger than other ninja. And the boss has plenty of tricks to help him. I don't think it will be simple for you to root out the whole lot of the swarm. And we're not ones to defect if our lives are on the line."

"Can't we compromise then?" Ino asked. "If you give us useful information, then we can tell the others later that you helped us. You don't have to fight yet, just don't get in our way."

They looked at each other.

"That's reasonable," Doro said. "What do you want to know?"

* * *

Sasuke dreaded finding the others probably as much as they dreaded whatever he was going to tell them when they saw him.

They had found a new hiding spot, much higher than before, so they hoped that the Earth shinobi wouldn't be able to pop out so easily without being sensed

Most of them had dirt all over them, just as Sasuke did. But they weren't banged up.

"Oh, look who it is," Dabi said.

They straightened.

"I told you it was him," Hanabi said.

"Yes, but why is he alone?" Shoto asked, as if Sasuke was not even within earshot.