The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

101: Removal And Rescues

[OP: "Where is Your Rider?"--The Oh Hellos]

Onoki didn't seem to see them at first, but he started like he'd been set on fire.

Ino had hurt herself, but it must have hurt him far worse. That he didn't scream showed he was a tough old man still.

Kurotsuchi raised her hands in a helpless kind of way.

Kankuro began to feel a bit sorry for her, despite his grudge. After all, she'd been pretty passive in their demise before; maybe she was just a pawn. And here she was still helpless. Maybe he was being too hard on her.

"He'll be fine," he said. "Shine knows what she's doing with this kind of thing. Just like when they cast the Shukaku out of Gaara. He didn't die. Their power doesn't kill like that."

Kurotsuchi looked at him strangely, as if she wondered exactly what that meant.

Shine put her sword down then.

Onoki started to cough, but then he calmed down, and his eyes focused finally.

He turned his head and gaped at them all.

Then he glowered.

"Come to haunt me in my ravings now?" he said.

"He's raving all right." Tenten and Sai had come when they heard the yelling, and Tenten was not in the mood of Onoki's sourness.

Kankuro started to laugh at what she'd said but then choked it back. He was supposed to be representing the diplomatic side of Sand Village right now.

Shine's face looked so nonplussed right then, they all thought she was just done with Onoki, too done to feel anything anymore at what he said.

"We'd better go now." She looked at Kurotsuchi. "I'm sure the bandits will want to talk to you soon. Better tell them that we chased the guards away, and, when we didn't find the leader here, we left. Offer him what I said. He'll want to have official authority so he can declare us trespassers for real. Gaara won't have any choice but to leave if he does that. Don't let that happen."

She gestured out at the Village. "If we don't finish this by tonight, a lot more people will die, based on the information we gleaned about the poison. So we have no time to lose. Do you understand me?"

Kurotsuchi looked at her gauntly, but then she nodded. "I understand."

Onoki seemed to figure out what was going on.

"Kurotsuchi-chan, are they really here?" he asked in a cross tone.

"Yes," she said. "But not now, Grandfather."

That must have been the first time she'd ever said that to him, but perhaps, since he'd been out of commission for so many days, she'd gotten a bit used to doing things without his stamp of approval and she didn't think about it.

He stared at her like he still didn't believe it.

"Let's get Bakugo then," Shine said. "We have to clear out. We never talked to Onoki, got it?"

Kurotsuchi nodded.

She followed them as they left. "I'll be right back, Grandfather," she called at him. "Don't worry, they'll save your life... Well, Tsunade will. We'll make sure she gets here in time."

"Wait--" Ino wanted to say more, but she was gone already.

Kankuro just saluted. So much for needing to say anything.

Back in the outer room, Kurotsuchi could contain herself no longer.

"Why did you come back?" she demanded. "Why are you helping us? After how we acted before, you could have left us to die...or are you going to assume control of the Village?"