Backslide-Blackkat

Chapter 7

Kurama meets his new teammates at the Jounin Standby Station a few minutes before the sun clears the horizon, katana on his back, hair in a loose plait, and heart light. Talking with Iruka has always made him feel better regardless of the subject, and even if Kurama can never have Naruto's relationship with the man again, maybe he can have something else. A friendship, instead of a brotherhood, and that's all right, because the man who was Kurama's big brother died when Konoha fell for the last time, and Kurama would not replace him for all the gold or good luck in the world.

He lands in the street, not even raising to dust under his sandals, and smiles at the two tokujo in greeting. Genma is the same as ever, lounging against the side of the building with a senbon in his mouth and an easy grin on his lips, and Kurama has seen him look the same through blood and fire and battle, week-long runs with only a scattered handful of hours spent sleeping or resting. For all that he's not a full jounin, Genma is one of the pillars of Konoha. Not overtly powerful, not flashy, not in any position of authority, but steady. Grounded. Dependable, which is worth far more than a few flashy jutsus could ever be.

Raidou looks far less awake than his partner, slouched over and yawning almost without pause. His eyes are glazed and his face is slack, and Kurama and Genma exchange amused glances over his head. Captain of an ANBU team or no, the man's a wreck in the mornings without adrenaline in his system.

With a huff, Genma tosses a scroll into the air and catches it deftly. "Got the mission," he says lightly. "Who wants to play target and carry the thing?"

"I will," Kurama offers, already gathering chakra in his palm. He closes his eyes, focuses, and sweeps his fingers over his left arm from elbow to wrist, and the seal tattoos there flare with violet light. He takes the scroll, sets it against his skin, and feels it vanish into the dimensional pocket the seals create.

Genma whistles, low and impressed. "Sealing, huh? Handy."

"Very," Kurama agrees, letting the chakra fade and the seals go dormant again. "No one but me will be able to retrieve it now, unless they can somehow manage to entirely deconstruct my seals."

There's a thoughtful pause, and then Genma grins, pushes off the wall, and comes to drape an arm around Kurama's shoulders. "I want you on all my courier missions," he says cheerfully. "Sealing scrolls are useful, but only to a point, and I like this method."

"You guys are so loud. Just move out already," Raidou grumbles, waving a hand at them to shoo them forward even as the end of his sentence dissolves in another yawn. He stumbles past them and then blurs into motion, headed for the gates.

Another exchange of amused glances is all Genma and Kurama have time for before they're crossing the rooftops as well, almost too fast for the eye to catch, and falling into formation behind the team leader.

Even at a run, Kurama spares one single glance back as they disappear into the dense trees surrounding the village. It's peaceful and quiet, calm and at rest. By the time they get back Mizuki's betrayal will have shaken things, but not enough. Konoha will still be unprepared for what is coming.

Kurama has planned, and taken steps, and thrown his whole heart into the idea of changing everything.

It's about time to see if all of it pays off.

The mission, perhaps predictably, goes to hell without so much as a pause to breathe.

With a low snarl, Kurama blocks a clone's axe-strike with his sword and whirls past too quick to catch, beheading it with a single easy stroke. Sasuke's katana, surrendered when he finally became too ill to use it, sings as it cuts through the air. It's not Kusanagi, broken long ago, nor is it anything incredibly special, but it's Sasuke's, well cared for and crafted by a master, with Kurama's own seals in the metal itself. The clone turns back to water with a splash, and Kurama hurtles forward, taking out the nin locked in combat with Raidou.