Ikigai

Chapter 6: This Is Why I Don't Socialize

She would win this.

Just wait a little more, she thought. 

The empty reassurance she had carried from her training days echoed in her mind, as did that night near the City of Gao Ling. She breathed in and out, small wisps of vapor collecting over her eyes as she placed her mask on once again. Gritting her teeth, she walked away from both memory and the densely wooded area where she had met the Akatsuki mere seconds before.

She had stayed longer than she had intended after Itachi had left. Four months of spying, following, tracking, digging, all for what? His words had given her an unnecessary tinge of doubt. Of course, she didn't trust them, any of them. It was troublesome.

"In and out," she repeated.

An overheard conversation from an unsuspecting, scheming elder was all she had to go with at the moment.

Danzo had said as much.

The Rinnegan could very well be "just a legend", at very best, a mutation. But it had led her to hope; a Sharingan user, rumored to have found the location of the Uchiha Stone Tablet after the genocide he had inflicted; and Danzo's theorizing of what the Rinnegan could do, including inter-dimensional travel.

It was during the second month of being stuck in this world, as she had laid in her underground tunnel listening having decided to live her life "differently", that she had begun to form an idea of where she was. Perhaps not exactly where, but she had understood it was not her world, the ground, the trees, the animals, the people. And though they seemed similar, they were not hers.

It had been while underground that she had heard Danzo say that the tablet could not be read by anyone who did not have the Sharingan. It was only a matter of "digging" for more information that she was able to find out more about Itachi and in turn, Kisame.

Perhaps she was simply falling down a lop-eared rabbit hole chasing after another hopeless fantasy. Rashaan would be so proud.

What a waste of time, you're not acting like the avatar, he would have said. 

Danzo didn't know where the tablet was. That had left Itachi, but if the Sharingan was as powerful as they said, if it had the ability Danzo continued to imply - legends stemmed from something, and she would have to play with fire. She didn't like fire.

The Rinnegan, legend or mutation, if she wanted to go back, she would need it, but she would have to start with finding the tablet.

----

Heading towards the village, no one stopped her as she stepped through the village gates for the first time. Only trails of flying dust that she allowed to be left by her feet left any indication that she was passing through.

"Good evening," was Izumo Kamizuki's surprised reply, showing visible discomfort as his dear station seemed to suffer from her trail of airborne dirt, although not having sensed the cloaked figure approaching also contributed to the fact.

A corner of her mouth quirked up as she let a few more trails of dust settle on his counter.

"I was wondering if you could direct me to Kakashi Hatake-shi, I believe he was headed this way with two other of your shinobi," she replied, her voice low and distorted and her mask only a reflection of Izumo's apprehension and confusion.

"Uh, what business do you have with Hatake-san?" Kotetsu Hagane interjected, his eyes crinkled from the crust of sleep. 

He had just come from the lounge after a nap and he was still tired.

Turning, she stared for what Kotetsu found to be an uncomfortable amount of time as she sized him up. But she had sensed him approaching, sensing him even as he paused to watch her from a distance as Izumo dealt with another passerby.

He had seen her from a distance but had said nothing, only entering into full view when she had spoken.

She could have gone through her tunnels, but she wasn't looking to give the village any more reason to suspect or interrogate her when she decided to move in. Making herself known now would make things go down a lot smoother, especially after the recent death of their Hokage.

"Why?" She answered him back, head tilted in curiosity.

"What?"

"I mean, shouldn't your first question be to ask who I am. Or maybe even where I come from?"

"Well,..."

"It's not that hard. Do you or do you not know where he is?"

"Yes, I do but..."

"In any case, I'm here for him, not you. I came to apologize for something that is none of your concern."

"Okay, but I'm..."

"And I am trying my best to be polite, but if you insist on making me converse with you..."

She stopped, biting her lip. This was not turning the way she hopped.

Her mask was dripping. She needed to calm down, this wasn't even a big deal.

"In and out", she repeated to herself.

"Um, how about I take you to them? Kakashi-san and the others headed to the hospital a while back. I'm not sure if they're still there, but we can check, " Kotetsu sighed a response, taking the opportunity to speak as she paused.

Sharing a glance with Izumo as he turned to leave, they knew that they would have to get the sensory shinobi involved. 

The stranger didn't seem like a serious threat, but neither had those that had infiltrated the exams a while back.

Not bothering to speak again, she followed suit. Perhaps it was better this way. She needed to keep her mouth shut if she was to look nonthreatening. The mask and cloak she had on were probably not helping. Besides being all she had to wear, it helped to remind her what she was here for. Business.

----

They had reached the hospital, walking slowly as Kintsugi's feet felt the cold floor of the reception area examining more clearly each part she had not been able to sense while underground.

Kotetsu looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Clearing his throat, he turned and looked at the receptionist, "Do you happen to know if Kakashi-san is here?"

"Hatake-san? Kurenai and Azuma are here as well. Down the hall, left side, last room," she answered, not bothering to look up as she busily wrote on some papers.

Kintsugi was gone before he had a chance to show her the way. She was already heading down the hall.

He sniffed, his head nodding and his mouth forcing a smile as he thanked the nurse and turned to follow.

She had already opened the door when he arrived.

"Ah, good. You're here," she began, taking off her mask as she sat down on a nearby chair, her mouth curving into a smile.

Kotetsu wasn't sure at which to be more surprised or horrified. The fact that the irritable stranger came with a face that had a decent enough smile or that Kakashi, along with four of their shinobi seemed to look dead still.

"Oh, don't worry, they're not actually dead," Kintsugi said cheerfully waving her hand as if it was no big deal, "But I do think I might have broken them."

Kotetsu was wide awake now.

Picture Credit: https://www.catsuka.com/gengal/artworks/naruto

A/N: Work and work delayed me.

I have no idea what I'm doing and you can't stop me.