[ Voice ]

[ramenkage]

 [ There is silence for a long, long time--He'd died, on that trip. He should be dead. Yet...here he was, a-ok. Breathing. Alive

The hell... ]

Hey...is everyone who went on that exploration trip okay? I--[ I died. I should be dead. ]--wanted to make sure those skin stealing bastards didn't get their hands on [ sakura ] anyone else, yeah? Just...let me know everything turned out okay. 






Heh...they couldn't keep me down for long, huh? Yeah yeah, I'm too cool to be gone for good. [ He tries to sound boastful. Obnoxious.  Like himself. It sounds forced, though. He's too worried about Sakura and the others.




If they had died...would they come back, too? ]

Comments

[ramenkage]

O-Oi but what about you? Are you okay? [ I wasn't there to protect you. ]

[sthenic]

((She sits up, the blanket slipping off her.))

I'm fine; I'm just at the apartment. ((Is this really him?))

[ramenkage]

The apartment? I'll be there in a second, okay?

[ He's already moving there, practically running through the streets until he reaches their room.

He hesitates outside the door, before tossing it open and hurrying inside. ]

Sakura...?

[sthenic]

((Sakura had been standing practically right in front of the door when Naruto barges in. She stiffens; stares. Is this the real life?

Her eyes stare forward and she remembers for an instant how much she had missed him. Her hands are up, pensive to approach him. She wants to reach out and touch him, if only to assure that he was either reality or just an illusion.))

..Is that really you?

[ramenkage]

[ He hesitates a moment in the doorway, staring at her a moment.

Is that really you?

He swallows, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat. It doesn't work, and he just continues to stand there. Her question doesn't get answered, as he can't seem to find any words. Instead, he rushes forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. He had been so worried. ]

You're okay.

[sthenic]

((Dammit. It takes only seconds for Sakura to start crying again, grabbing on tight to Naruto's clothes as she struggles to hold him in her arms. She had wanted to be brave and tough when he showed up; happy and excited maybe. Like Naruto always was when things went bad. Things were bad and he could smile just enough over the communicator to make it seem like it was no-big-thing. To reassure her nothing was wrong.

Maybe it was just how Naruto responded. They finally came face to face and she could see his reactions and expressions. ))

1/4

[ramenkage]

[ He rubs her back lightly, frowning a moment. How he feels doesn't matter right now. What matters is making sure she's okay. That she's comforted. That she's able to smile again.

So he forces a smile, pulling away from her a moment to look at her. ]

Hey, hey, don't cry. I'm alright, see--

[ramenkage]

[ He cuts himself off when he spots the bandage on her ear, and gently he pushes her hair back to look.

His face falls. ]

What...

[ramenkage]

[ She's hurt... ]

[ramenkage]

Sakura, what happened?

[ She's hurt, and he hadn't been able to do a thing to stop it. ]

[sthenic]

O-oh...


((she dries her eyes quickly, trying to look somewhat sane.))

After... you left we got attacked by raiders. A.. number of us didn't make it back.

[ramenkage]

And they did this?

[ He lets the hair fall, looking sad. ]

I should have been there...

[sthenic]

...

No, it's fine. I don't blame you for not being there. Things just.. happened.

[ramenkage]

But I'm supposed to keep you safe.

[sthenic]

...please don't beat yourself up over this, okay..?





I'm just glad you're back...

[ramenkage]

[ What I'm feeling doesn't matter right now. ]

Y-Yeah, 'course! Anything for you.

Just...



you'll be okay, yeah? They didn't hurt you too bad?

[sthenic]

Yea I'm..

((She forces a smile despite watery eyes.)) I can take care of myself, you know that.

[ramenkage]

I never said you couldn't. I just...[ Worry about you. ]

[sthenic]

Hey... ((She cuts him off just enough, her hands coming up to squeeze his shoulders.)) Really. I'm just.. Happy you're back.

((Her hands tighten; she's checking to see if he really was... real. That he was truly standing in front of her and not some sort of dream. Her hands slide down his arms before finally they drop at her shoulder. She keeps the smile on--she shouldn't have cried.))

Do you need anything..? I'm not.. really sure what I can do for you. I guess I didn't really expect this... ((her head drops down.))

1/3

[ramenkage]

[ He shakes his head, forcing a smile. An attempt at being normal, himself. Reassuring. ] Nah, I'm good. Thanks though, Sakura.

[ She was the most important thing right now, and seeing her okay and acting like herself was what he needed. He wanted to know everything that happened on that trip, as well, but that was something he wasn't about to ask her. No, he would ask the others.

Something was bothering him, though. Nagging at him in the corner of is mind, making him feel as though he were missing something. As though he-- ]

2/4 actually oops

[ramenkage]

[ --They are monsters who skin their victims after killing them, so they can put the skin on themselves and pose as the person they just killed. ]

actually 3/5 SOBBING

[ramenkage]

[ Then what happened to the one that... ]

actually you know I'll just let you know when I'm done!

[ramenkage]

[ramenkage]

[ He looks to the ground quite suddenly, thoughtfully. It had paraded around as him, from what he'd heard. And...really, he knew he wasn't the hardest person to imitate.

Someone would have to know him really well to tell any difference.






But what then? ]

[ramenkage]

[ ...Is that really you?

After... you left we got attacked by raiders.

Things just.. happened.





I don't blame you for not being there.

The cut. The way she was acting, as though he might not be real...it hurt to think about. He didn't want to imagine the possibility, the chance that the fake him had hurt her in some way, attacked her while her guard was down. So he denies it. There's no way. Maybe one of the others noticed. Maybe...B-Besides, Sakura...would tell him, right? She wouldn't lie about--




Only she would, and he knows it. She did when he's lost control and hurt her, and she would to it again. To spare his feelings. to make sure things stayed okay. So the chance of something happening and her not saying a word about it? It wasn't something he should rule out.

And Marco. Marco had been evasive too.

...


His face goes pale, color and expression draining from it until there's just a look of pure shock and pain, his hands shaking slightly at his sides, until he clenches them into a fist to keep them from doing so. ]