Fascination: Sequel

Fascination: Sequel: Part 10

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Fascination: Sequel

Part 10

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The next three weeks had been something of a topsy-turvy time for Oriko – Kakashi spent the first two weeks in hospital still recovering and she had only visited him once more during.  Partly, she had worked like crazy on her taijutsu (as per Tsunade’s request, of sorts) as had she on her space-time ninjutsu, working on her distance and reaction time. 

Another positive side effect that she had managed to increase her chakra slightly, she wished to visit and spend some actual time with Kakashi, but it simply wasn’t possible in the fish-bowl like existence which comes with the hospital.  Kakashi promised that he would come and find her when he had some free time, but that, unfortunately never materialized and hence – after three weeks and one more B class mission for Oriko and Kakashi training Naruto – they’d met a grand total of twice. 

Although it bugged Oriko near endlessly, she had been busy – as hell, in fact – as soon as she’d completed a task, either of her own devices or by order of Tsunade, another one would appear and demand her attention. 

Kakashi’s agreement to train Naruto, threw the first wrench in their plans – although she knew Naruto’s training was infinitely more important – it really was just another one of those things to get in the way, a little irksome, but it wasn’t trouble, at least. 

Sighing to herself as she landed back in front of the gates of Konoha after her short four-day B class mission, (it wasn’t difficult, just a tad boring, as she sat in a bush for three days waiting for some geezer to show up and then to forcibly escort him back to the agreed location).  Just as she landed, the clouds, which had been around for the last day or two, finally decided to open up and allow the rain they’d been storing to fall to the earth, with near violent force. 

It was refreshing rain and cleared the last of the muggy air which had been caused by blinding, scorching sun until the clouds rushed in and trapped the heat to oppressive levels.  Oriko, who’d been very sweaty trapped in a bush in such weather welcomed the rain and allowed herself to stand in it for a few moments, the drop of her body temperature was pleasant and welcome.  Sighing again she set off at something of a leisurely stroll towards her apartment as she mentally ran through her mission report, thinking that she’d get in, take a shower and then write up the report – it wouldn’t take long. 

She arrived back at her apartment so soaked through and freezing that it was almost painful on her skin to peel off the sodden clothes, she took them off as she was just inside her doorway (though with the door closed by that point) and walked, only in her underwear and wrappings as she carried her sodden clothes to the machine, quickly emptying out her kunai and shuriken pouches she threw them in with her clothes and set the machine going. 

An irresistible shiver ran down her spine as she dashed into her bedroom to grab a pair of loose pyjama bottoms (although she never actually used them as pyjamas – they always filled the clothing gap needed on days like this where she wasn’t planning on leaving her apartment again, but didn’t want to bother getting all-the-way dressed into her shinobi outfit) and a t-shirt and loose zip-up jumper, along with a fresh wrappings and underwear; she leapt back into her bathroom and dived into the shower when the water had sufficiently heated. 

Her shower wasn’t too long, although more so than normal, as she scrubbed her biceps, thighs and calves more so trying to ease the fatigue in them caused by a mixture of high tension with low movement and the oppressive heat of the past few days. 

As she exited the bathroom feeling infinitely better for a wash and rise to her body temperature, the kuniochi finally spied a clock telling her that it was close to six in the evening; thinking not too much of it, she boiled some water to make tea (as well as pulled out a small fillet of pork from the freezer) as she gathered a scroll and a pen to being writing down her mission report.