DiSCERN (Naruto Fanfic)

Chapter Twelve.

"You're getting pretty good at that."

Itsuki sets himself in a one-armed handstand in the middle of the room. Breathing in strong, breathing out slow. A bead of sweat curls down his cheek, and his teeth grinds tight.

"Not good enough if," he swings his legs back, and hops himself back upright with a sharp vault. Then he straightens, "not good enough if I didn't notice you until you talked."

He catches his breath, and lets his chakra expand again. It's much easier now that he's not upside down, but he's still surprised by how close Kakashi felt.

"Here, a towel," Kakashi shoves something soft at his chest, "you need help getting dressed or something?"

"Thanks," Itsuki takes the towel gratefully, pressing it at the base of his neck, comforted by the warmth of the cloth against the cold sweat. "Just help me pick out my clothes?"

"Don't ever say that to Obito," Kakashi says immediately, though his voice is further-- so he's walking toward the wardrobe-- "he'll make you wear something atrocious and you wouldn't even notice."

Itsuki scoffs. "I trust you."

"I wouldn't trust myself, if I were you."

A pause.

Wisely, Itsuki decides, "I think I'll ask Minato-sensei instead."

"I'm joking, geez," there's a clatter, and the sound of a door shutting. Then a fold of clothing are pushed into his hands. "You've only got like three sets of identical clothing, anyways, take it already."

Itsuki sneers at the clothes he couldn't see, "well thank the lord for that." Kakashi walks out in dry laughter, and Itsuki spits fondly, "you asshole."

-

"Itsuki!" that was Anko's voice, but she was probably too far away to be sensed, cause Itsuki had no idea where in the training ground was she--

"Kakashi-niisan, where-- Oomph!"

A weight crashes in from behind and he stumbles, landing facefirst on wet grass.

"You're so weak!" Anko's voice comes from behind-- on top of him-- are you sitting on my back you miniature gremlin-- and she laughs. "Orochimaru-sensei, did you see that?"

"Yes, I saw," Orochimaru responds from a little further away. Itsuki's fist tightens, but he manages to hold back the flinch this time. The shivers are still there, but less. Orochimaru adds a warning, "you should get off of him soon, Anko."

"Okay!"

Training Ground Twenty-one was usually empty, cause it's the training ground with the least amount of sunlight, and the ground was always damp. There were swamps and most of the trail was mud. Not muddy, just mud.

It was not ideal for Genin training, but this ground was necessary for landscape training and adapting to rainier countries... or something like that.

Orochimaru just liked this training ground because snakes loved dim and damp places. If he was going to train an army of little snake charmers, where else?

"Thanks for bringing him, Kakashi-kun," Orochimaru addresses Kakashi, who hums in response.