[ 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

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

[ He's silent for several long moments, briefly stunned as he processes this information. His gaze hardens down at that communicator as he thinks. ]

And you survived something like that? [ Touchy matter... Though with Naruto it's good to ask, what with those unnatural healing abilities. ]

[voice]

[ramenkage]

[ A long pause. Admitting he'd died was something he didn't want to admit, or even think about, but... ]

No. I...didn't.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

... Another anomaly in this place. [ There's something strange in the tone of his voice, but it vanishes quickly. ]

Your lookalike has been taken care of?

[voice]

[ramenkage]

...Yeah. [ His voice is strained, but he's not going to question it. He'd much rather be alive than dead. ]

From what I heard...well, if I'm here, then it should have been.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

... I'll be on guard, either way. [ When is he not? ]

[voice]

[ramenkage]

Good. Make sure...to ask the people you know questions only they would know, from time to time.





Just to make sure, yeah?

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

I'm not an idiot. I know how to identify impostors.

[ How did that damn ninja song go again? The one he'd recited so many years ago, during the Chuunin Exams? ]

[voice]

[ramenkage]

Hey, I know. I just--Nah, nevermind. You'd probably do a better job at noticing them than me, anyway.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

So you let your guard down, even when traveling to a place that was unfamiliar?

Didn't Sakura also go?

[voice]

[ramenkage]

I didn't let my guard down. I was keeping watch--


And yeah, she...she did.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

Surprising, that something could overtake you when you're working together.

[ Is that an actual acknowledgement that they're strong? ]

[voice]

[ramenkage]

[ Aw look, we're making progress. ]

She wasn't with me at the time. Tch, and it wouldn't have gotten the better of me if I had my chip out--

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

Meaning you still don't? Then it was stupid of you to rush into something unknown while so weak.

[voice]

[ramenkage]

Hey, Sakura was going. I couldn't just let her go by herself. I might have saved her from being--



Besides, I can't get it out yet. The guys that were supposed to help me disappeared.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

[ He could tell Naruto that there are others who can help him. Or... he could not. Can't Sakura do it, anyhow? But then who would know if she would want to risk it. ]

And did you find anything useful?

[voice]

[ramenkage]

[ Sadly, it's not doctors he's worried about. HE NEEDS DEMON HUNTERS, or something. ]

Hell if I know. There was a piece of a newspaper that said something about a time-capsule, but other than that...well, you'd have to ask one of the others.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

[ Well you get no help with that either! ]

Sounds like it was largely a fruitless trip then. A mistake.

[voice]

[ramenkage]

Yeah, it was.

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

[ Sasuke gives the best pep talks. ]

Wasting your time is something you're skilled at.

[voice]

[ramenkage]

Eh, I guess. I didn't really care if we found anything, though.

[ He was just there to keep an eye on Sakura.


And yes, Sasuke gives the best pep talks. ]

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

[ ... ]

That's your approach to it, then? You find that kind of thing unimportant?

[voice]

[ramenkage]

Maybe not unimportant. I was just there to watch over Sakura, yeah?

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

And yet all you did was get yourself harmed in the process. You're too careless.

[voice]

[ramenkage]

...



Yeah, I know. I'll do better next time. [ He hopes to god there isn't a next time. ]

[voice]

[eyeforaneye]

So get your chip removed first.

Are you just worried that you'll go out of control?