Clash 2: The Wolf and the Desertstorm - a collab with Amaterasu

Chapter 7

He was not used to sharing space. Right now his decision seemed to have backfired on him. It was hell on earth, listening to the constant shifting and twisting of the thin sheet and person who was currently covered in said twisted sheet.
Satoru was about to let out a small sigh of relief at the string of silence that finally took over in the darkness of his room. He flinched, gritting his teeth as the shuffling sounded again. Throwing his own bed sheets off, he sat up with a growl.
"Will you shut up already!? I'm trying to sleep!" Though why he would even want to with a stranger in his room—and one that might try and strangle him in his sleep, no less—would be a mystery. Some might think the man was an idiot if they didn't know him.

Taryn sat up too and glared at him. "So am I," she said, "but I can't. The floor is not exactly comfortable."

"Oh, I'm sorry, want me to feed you some cheese with all that whine? Just stop moving so much and for Kami's sake, shut up."

"For the record," Taryn stated in a flat tone, "I was not talking. And if you had not put me on the cold hard floor, then I wouldn't be keeping you from your beauty sleep right now."

"I could always kick you out into the freezing hall—without even a blanket. It isn't exactly warm at night, nor dry. There are a lot of nice leaking hallways I can put you in." Satoru smirked, thinking of how amusing it would in fact be to him.

Taryn let a sly smile slip on her face. "You could do that, of course. Think of all the rooms I could explore on my own."

The smirk was wiped away. He snorted. "Hn, not if I chain you to the wall. You're still a prisoner. You're lucky I haven't kicked you out. Be happy with what I gave you already."

Taryn tilted her head. "You could solve this far more easily by just offering me your couch. That way you can still keep an eye on me, since you seem to worry about what I might be up to, and we'll both get some sleep."

"So long as you don't use it as a scratching post." He'd agree, but only because he wanted to sleep.

"Thank you," Taryn said in a sugary tone. She stood up and grabbed her pillow and blanket and dropped them on the couch. Deliberately slow, she installed herself and snuggled into the blanket. "Good night," she wished pleasantly and she turned her back towards him.

"Just hurry and get situated." Satoru grunted as he also made himself comfortable.

Taryn didn't answer and pretended to already be asleep, but her mind was whirling with thoughts. It would be hard to explore the premises with a guard at her side at all times. And Satoru had already proven to be an unstable ally. There was only so little time. The moment Orochimaru would return, it would be end of story.
And then there was that sword.
Her mind drifted towards the drawing she held in her back pocket. If only she could figure out what it meant.

Tomorrow, she decided. Right now she was in desperate need of sleep.

She closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.

***

Before the crack of dawn, Daro was already up and making his way towards the village.
He was a little nervous going in alone, but he took a few deep breaths and steadied himself. He had to do this. Not only for his sensei, but for himself as well. He just hoped Akio and Ken would be alright on their own.

Daro put his hands in his pockets and dug for the coins he had brought for this purpose. The best rumors could be heard in bars and restaurants. He just had to find the right one. And that one would probably not be one he'd normally go for good food and drinks.
It wasn't something he was looking forward to. Any number of things could go wrong with this plan. 'I only have to hold on until nightfall. Then I can leave again.'