Kami smiled. She'd been up since before dawn, harvesting Creeping Nightshade which was only visible in the dark due to the eery blue glow the blossoms make in the moonlight. She was headed to the green house, her arms dirty from the elbows down and muddy knees.

---

There was a loud POOF! and in a puff of smoke and a flash, Ishiaki was perched on a trash can off tot he side of the road ahead of Kami. "Get your gear, Kami." He told her, holding up the mission folder the Shimagunikage had given to him.

---

Kami's eyes widened. "Yes Sensei!" She exclaimed and was about to run for Oita's house, when she remembered the plants. "I... I must drop these by the greenhouse. Do I have time?"

---

"Make it quick. I cannot stress the urgency of this mission. I'll be at the house with the others." Ishiaki replied and then vanished with a POOF!

---

Even though he was gone Kami said "Yes Sensei!" And broke for the green house. She took one or two extra seconds to wash the mud from her arms and knees before breaking for Oita's house like a streak of lightning.

---

---

Ishiaki walked steadily, he knew the other team would take time to gather their things as well. They were moving faster than he would have thought personally anyway. "We'll go over the fine details of the mission on the way there, sound good?"

"Hmmm" Oita said, the noise as non-committal as possible. Going over the mission on the way usually meant it was either very dangerous or Ishiaki thought there was something they might not agree to. Still, this was important obviously, people needed helping.

Although Akane was a bit nervous for this trip, the more she stared ahead at Oita, the most she wondered about that...thing in his workshop. It was a model of her, no doubt about that. But to make it worse, she wondered about the so called “inactive cameras” in the house along with it.

Kami followed, feeling a little foolish for having not considered their journey before having gotten dressed. She lagged just a bit, shoving her parka and boots into her bag. She coped with the leggings for now,even though their internal fur lining were warming her up rather fast. When they stopped at the docks she'd get rid of them. "Wait... the docks!?" she asked, suddenly. "We're going by boat!" Kami wasn't afraid of open water... well, perhaps just a little, but she disliked boats very much. Especially if they were like the large multi-crewed vessels she'd traveled in before.

Oita could feel the glare in the back of his head. They'd rather split before Akane had given him a chance to explain... and he had a feeling that everything was going to become very awkward among them until he managed to explain. Then, knowing him, it would still be awkward, but Akane would at least know what was going on.

"Yes...the docks." Ishiaki told her curiously, looking back slightly. "We're on an island, how else did you expect to go to another island?" It was rather harsh really, but she had come here by boat before, hadn't she? They had to take a boat to get to the Country of the Eternal Hunt as well.

That didn't mean she'd liked it, Kami was just more used to water travel by canoe and not over such great distances. She didn't answer her sensei, feeling a little foolish she simply kept quiet.

Akane slowed her stride so that she was walking with Kami. "Do you get motion sickness? I read that ginger tea can help with that."

"I don't get sick." Kami told Akane, though glad that she was offering to help. "I... it makes me nervous. Something so big and heavy shouldn't float and toss about like it does... I just really prefer canoes..." And there was the danger of what lurked beneath the water... and well... her lightning.

"Ahhh...we'll be fine." Akane said, trying to comfort her teammate. "Besides, you'll have your boyfriend to distract you."

Kami's face turned as red as a tomato. "He is not my boyfriend." She hissed at Akane. "And I would thank you to keep SOME things to yourself."

"But teasing you is so much fun. Besides, you are practically the one who proposed." Akane chuckled, clearly having fun with her. "He seems like a decent guy as far as I can tell....raise you a big family."

Kami tried not to smile. She did want a big family...

"I hope you're all keeping up. The other squad is sure to be arriving about the same time we do." Ishiaki pointed out, hoping to inspire a little bit of friendly competitive speed

Oita remained silent and tried not to roll his eyes at Akane and Kami; it felt a little out of place for them to be speaking about families right now. Then again, maybe it was just because he wasn't exactly well versed in the idea of relationships that he wasn't feeling too happy about it though.

Akane snickered at Kami's silence. "Come on, let's hurry it up." she gestured, picking up the pace behind Oita and their sensei.

---

Tsu was moving quickly through the streets now, leading her boys towards the docks. They would need to get there as soon as possible. She hadn't appreciated Kano's constant questioning of her choices.

Hinji was close behind his sensei, eager to go this mission and try out many of the new summons he had crowding the brim of his hat.

Kano was moving right along with the others, his pack settled on his back and the parka tucked under his arm. He hadn't been questioning Tsu Sensei's choices really, she had insulted him by inferring that they were all just kids. He hadn't been a kid since he earned his forehead protector.

Tsu looked around as they moved, making sure that everyone was there. She didn't want anyone falling behind or getting lost. She was looking after these kids, that was her charge, so she wasn't going to have them mess up on this mission.

El was lagging, trying to catch up as usual, but when Tsu looked behind her, he was present... If at a small distance.

Tsu nodded at the others, speeding up slightly until the sound of the dock could be heard. She was really pouring on the speed just to get there as soon as possible. She did not want to be the one held responsible for being called slow.

---

The squads arrived at the docks at pretty much the same moment.

"Fancy meeting you here." Ishiaki said to Tsu with a grin as he 'looked' around for the boat. He assumed if the R&D guys were involved, at the very least he might be able to pick something up.

"Well, we were in the neighborhood, decided to stop by and help out a friendly island in a bit of trouble. You know how it is" Tsu said with a soft laugh, shrugging at Ishiaki as she met the other team in front of the docks. She had come here earlier and stashed her items, so she seemed to flicker for a moment before she was back on the spot holding her bags and flicking through the carefully.

Akane had all of her newly acquired winter gear in a bunched up ball in her arms. She had to admit that she was feeling a little strained with those gigantic boots in her grasp. "Can we get on the boat please?" she asked in a low, loathing voice to no one in particular.

Kano looked around and then looked back to Akane. "I think they have to find it first..." He muttered quietly as he observed Ishiaki glancing about. He thought it was kinda weird that the blind guy was looking for anything at all.

Hinji was quickly growing impatient, "Why all the rush when the damned boat isn't even here." he mumbled angrily, about five seconds away from summoning one himself.

"Hi Kano..." Kami said from a few steps behind him. Her cheeks were bright red from the conversation she and akane had had before they arrived.

Akane snickered a bit, quite amused by Kami's sudden bashfulness in front of Kano. Everyone on both teams now knew about their little relationship so there was no use pretending it wasn't completely obvious. She stepped backward from the group, giving the two love birds some room.

"Hello Akane..." El said from just a few feet behind her.

Hinji was temporarily distracted by the sickening display before him, "I must request that the hormones be left at the dock."

"Hm?" Akane turned around and looked down to see El behind her. "Oh hey El." she said, ignoring Hinji's assishness. She adjusted her grip on the bundle of winter things in her arms, accidentally dropping a boot. "Ack." She moved the things in her arms to one side of her person, trying to hold onto her things and have a free hand to grab it. "So, have you been practicing on the roof and in the trees these past few days like I asked?"

El nodded with a smile. "I was just on the roof when Tsu Sensei arrived to tell us about this mission."

"And...? Still make you queasy?" Akane asked, finally getting an arm free. She leaned down and reached for the boot. When she bent down and grabbed it, a scarf and mitten fell. "Ugh! Seriously! All this stuff is so stupid."

"Not the house." El said kneeling to grab her things. "The pole..." He smiled nervously handing her things back. "I've not attempted the pole..."

"That's fine. There is always next week." Akane said, taking her things. "Thanks." She looked ahead at the others and their teachers, "What's your team doing on this mission exactly...since you lot aren't trained in the medical field?"

"We don't know yet." El told her. "Though from what Tsu Sensei said it sounds very urgent..."

"Ishiaki said an Island under our protection has come under attack and that our squad is being dispatched to aid in disaster relief efforts as field medics." Akane explained. "Oita will be guarding the surrounding area... maybe that's what you guys are doing too?"

"Hey Kami." Kano said, turning to look at her with a wide smile. "So you guys are coming too? This ought to be really interesting then, eh?"

"I could hold your gear while we wait" Oita said to Akane, shrugging and trying not to interject in their conversation too much. He didn't want to seem like he was listening in too much.

A fog horn sounded and there was a sudden flare of chakra as a ship surged around the corner of the docks, coming from the shipyard a little further down the street. Great waves of water soared up from the sides of the little ship and flew up back behind it. As the waves lessened, the vessel came to a stop at the dock.

Kano stared at the ship that just quite literally appeared out of nowhere before them. "I think the ship has arrived...."

Staring wasn't exactly a thing that Ishiaki was capable of, in the traditional sense, but he was right there along with Kano, 'staring' in disbelief at the vessel they were going to be taking to the Island of Eternal Frost. He hadn't been 'seeing' things when he saw the chakra pouring off of it, he imagined that it might have even been visible to a regular person's eyes. This ship used chakra somehow....he had to talk to those R&D guys!

"No Oita." Akane said sternly as she pulled her gear away from him. "I'm fine." From the tone in her voice she was obviously still bothered by what she had seen in his workplace and still meant to talk to him.

Hinji looked around at everyone, who were simply staring at the boat. "Can we board now?" he asked, waiting for someone to give the go ahead.

Oita shrugged slightly at akane, he understood her anger, if it wasn't really justified to him; she didn't understand, that was all. He looked around at the wave of chakra of the ship arriving. It couldn't be a puppet SHIP could it? Paddles powered by chakra strings... an interesting idea.

Tsu frowned at the ship. Ominous... well, it was transportation. "Well, make sure you've got all you need boys and girls" she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder "This is going to be an interesting trip." She started forward towards the ship, wondering if someone would come out to meet them.

Hinji was quick to move onto the boat, but was respectful enough to wait for Tsu sensei to board first.

Kami frowned as the ship appeared, but she had to admit, the sense of chakra in the air as it came around the bend was impressive. Maybe riding on this vessel would be different from ships she's been on in the past.

El frowned as well. Being on the sea for him was like being stranded in the desert. Only on the sea you were surrounded by undrinkable water. At least in the desert one could find water and fluids.

A head popped out of the ship's deck and was shortly after followed by a body. The man held his arm up, "Ahoy squads! I'll be your Captain today, my name's Kenkyu Kaihatsu." He lowered the gangplank as they approached and gestured them aboard. "There's plenty of room. We're pleased to welcome you aboard The Tardis. The Coalition's very first experimental aquatic craft. Once we're on the way, feel free to ask questions."

Ishiaki greeted the man with a nod and a smile. He seemed to know right away that his passengers would certainly have questions. That meant he was observant, a good thing to have in a ship captain.

Akane got a grip on her things and headed with the others up the ramp. dreading what the weather will be like once they step off of it.

Kami lagged a bit beside Kano. He knew how very little she liked boats. It had been his company on their delivery mission that had helped her forget about it. Maybe this time it would be the same...

Tsu was already standing around in the middle of the ship, frowning at it and breathing deeply,as if sniffing the chakra in the air. Was it coming from the captain, or the ship itself? It unnerved her a little.

Oita moved after Akane, taking his time to examine the boat as he approached it. Fascinating really... he would have lots and lots of questions, some of which might not be answered... most of which might not be answered probably. Or he would be simply told "no". Still, he'd wait until they were sailing before asking.

Kano looked at Kami and smiled. "No worries, this one looks a lot faster than that last one, Kami." He held out his hand for her, should she need it.

Ishiaki boarded and looked around the deck of the ship. There was nothing out of the ordinary above the deck at least.

El hesitantly followed and boarded the ship. An expanse of water (which might as well be another desert) and a frozen waste after that... He was not expecting such things when he joined the coalition.

Had they been alone Kami might have taken Kano's hand, but they were around everyone else and she was pretty sure unions between ninjas were frowned upon. She smiled at him. "Just don't be mad if I barf on you."

Akane didn't really have a problem with the ocean like some of the others. It was the soon to be cold weather that she wasn't looking forward to. Though this 'first experimental craft' did sound a bit sketchy to her. She glanced around for a place to put her things or for further instruction from the captain. However, she found a nice little spot on the deck where a row of mounted chairs rested. Tossing her things down next to one of the chairs, Akane sat herself down, enjoying the sun while she had it.

Kano grinned and shook his head. She hadn't barfed on him during the last mission, so he didn't think she'd do it this time. He stayed by her side as they boarded however. It was a very interesting looking boat. He wondered what was propelling it though...

"There's some space below deck for you guys to stow your things. There's also some beds available, but I don't believe you'll be needing them." Kenkyu explained as he pulled the gangplank up once the others were aboard.

"I thought that our journey would take us far? Considering the fact it will be very cold when we get up there" Oita said, already suspicious of what was going on. The captain of this boat looked strange, and he was eying the door down to the bottom with trepidation.

Kenkyu couldn't help but grin. "I did mention it was an experimental craft, yes? We'll be moving quite quickly." He told them all with a proud smile

Akane could barely hear the captain as she relaxed on the deck of the small boat, bathing in the warm sunlight. It was nice to get some relaxation before heading off to work on a bunch of sick people.

"Good." Hinji mumbled after overhearing the captain, "Should make up for all this lolly-gagging we seem to be doing."

"Right, if we're going that quickly everyone should go inside and get their cold weather clothes on" Tsu said, striding over towards the door to head down. A very quick craft indeed.

"Oh! What a wonderful idea!" Kenkyu declared with a laugh. "Winter clothes! Now why didn't I think of that?" His captain's uniform wasn't exactly made for chilly weather.

Ishiaki chuckled at Kenkyu's response and approached the man, "So do tell me Captain. Just how does this boat work?"

Kenkyu leaned close to the swordsman and whispered but not really, letting everyone hear him easily. "You're on board a chakra boat."

"That's not exactly answering the question" Oita pointed out "How does it WORK? What are the mechanics? Is it like a puppet? Is this sheer molded chakra or a physical item with lots of chakra inside it? Who invented this? Can I have a copy of the jutsu?"

Akane yawned and sat up for a moment, deciding to tuck her winter belongings underneath her mounted chair so it was all kept in one spot. With a stretch or two, she sat and watched some gulls fly overhead.

Kenkyu looked at him curiously. "That's exactly answering the question." He told Oita simply. "No, this boat is not made of chakra. It's a normal wooden and metal vessel, just like any other. The secret is what's below the deck." He winked at the boy and then smirked

Oita did not looked impressed, so followed Tsu downstairs to go see what was going on down there. There were easier ways to talk that what this guy was doing.

"It certainly feels more stable than the one we took to The Stone." Kami told Kano quietly.

As El boarded behind them he couldn't help but agree with Kami, but that didn't mean being surrounded by water was any less disconcerting.

"I don't know about you, but I want to find out how this thing is propelled." Kano told her, watching as Oita and Tsu headed below the deck. He pointed after them, "Come on, the answer must lie down below."

Ishiaki observed that the squads were beginning to travel below deck. "Are you going to show us exactly how this vessel works, or were you planning on being as vague as possible during the trip?"

"Oh I intend to show, true enough. But being vague is half the fun." Kenkyu replied with a grin. He clasped Ishiaki on the shoulder, "Come along, I'll show you all if you're really that interested."

"I don't think it's wise to be poking about." Kami told Kano.

Akane sat up and leaned forward, trying to peek around the corner of the deck. Where the heck was everyone? They all boarded but she was the only one who decided to wander over to the front and sit down. Did she miss something?

"It's not poking about if he's going to show us how it works." Kano told her with a shrug

"I think I'll stay up here." Kami told Kano. "Akane was just up here a moment ago..." And when people began explaining high tech machinery, it often just made her feel stupid...

Akane heard her name and made a loud whistle, something she was very accustomed to considering her heritage. "Over here." she called from around the bend, still in her chair.

"If that's what you want, go right ahead. I bet she could use some company anyway. I just really want to know how it works." Kano told her with a grin.

"Alright." Kami told him. She returned his smile and left pointing to the front deck where he knew she would be. She joined Akane, forgetting that she wasn't supposed to be wearing a dumb grin.

"It's about time... where the heck is everyone?" Akane asked, seeing that no one came around with Kami to the little seating area near the front of the ship.

"The captain is showing them around below deck." Kami told Akane as she sat down in the chair opposite her. Akane could probably see that Kami was a bit uncomfortable.

"You still stressed out?" Akane asked, reading her body language easily. "Don't worry... we'll be there before you know it. Try to enjoy the ride if you can....it's probably the most relaxation we will get before having to heal everyone."

"I just don't like large boats like this." Kami said uneasily. "They seem too heavy to stay afloat... I'd much rather make the journey in a canoe... then again... I'm not very comfortable around so much water ether.

"Because of your lightning?" El asked, unwittingly having intruded on their conversation.

Akane hadn't even seen where El had come from when he spoke. Seems he had no interest in learning about the makings of this ship either. "Don't worry." she said again. "We'll be there in no time... so long as we deport anytime soon. Seems a bit odd that we hustled all the way here only to sit and for the others to poke around at the engines." Akane shrugged, not seeing the sense in it.

"I'd imagine it takes some time to get a vessel like this operating." El said. "It did arrive rather quickly..."

"You are way to optimistic, El." Akane said seriously, crossing a leg over her knee just like so as she leaned back. The sun felt great~ "By the way, Kami...can you show me how to put that stuff on when it gets cold?"

"Me as well." El asked. "I'm afraid I've never encountered very cold weather."

"Never?" Kami asked. "Our winters were always rather heavy on my island." Kami told them. "We were forced to prepare for them months in advance because the snows blocked most of the hunting routs."

"We have the rainy season." Akane shrugged. "But I've never seen snow before...to tell you the truth, I don't think I'm going to like it."

"We are in the same boat there." El told Akane. "I've seen it at a distance, atop mountains, but never near it... It worries me honestly."

"It'll be alright." Kami told them. "So long as you keep warm nothing bad can happen.'

"Other than not being able to walk in those anchor boots." Akane said rather pessimistically. The sunlight and warmth was glorious. "Why anyone would voluntarily live in a place called 'The village of the frost' is beyond me and just plain stupid."

"Why would anyone want to live in tree tops?" Kami asked. "Maybe they would think you were stupid?"

"They wouldn't think so when they saw how high flood waters get during the rainy season." Akane argued.

"I think what Kami is trying to say is why would our people choose to live anywhere..." El said. "A person having come from a temperate climate would find my people living in a desert foolish and my people might consider living in flood plane foolish... Why do we do anything?"

"Because that's how our ancestors did it before us." Kami said wisely.

"Exactly." El said. "Why else would a people choose to live in what we might consider a barren frozen waste? They understand things about the land that we do not. Who are we to judge?"

Akane exhaled roughly out of her nostrils, enough to send her flying into the air had she put chakra behind it. "Yea yea alright,.....you can stop ganging up on me now." she said with her arms crossed, wanting to talk about something else now. "People live in stupid places from their stupid ancestors...I get it."

"You are so intolerant." Kami said sitting back in her seat. "You do understand that being one of the first Ninja in the INC coalition that you aren't just a fighter, but a diplomat as well?"

"Diplomat..." El said smiling. "I like that..."

"Oh don't act so high and mighty. Diplomats can still think things are stupid." Akane said, agitation in her voice. "I'm just honest enough to say it."

"You shouldn't." Kami told her. "And as a diplomat it's our jobs to keep peace and create understanding between the villages in the coalition. The last thing that needs to happen is that someone calls their village stupid and be disrespectful... And I'm not being high and mighty. I'm being honest. Our being Coalition Ninjas are more important than you seem to think."

Hinji watched the groups split up and go their separate ways. He sighed, aggravated at this horrendous display of unexplainable carelessness. Tsu shows up yelling about the need to be quick and that lives were hanging in the balance, then when the ship arrives everyone goes all touristy, "Ooo! How does it work? What is all this chakra? Is that real leather?" he sat down in a shady spot against a wall, his raven landing next to him, and promised himself that the first reasonable chance he got to go solo, he would take it.

"Guys-" she began, addressing El and Kami, "Don't be ridiculous, I wouldn't say that in front of the people who actually LIVE there." Akane clarified.

"I'd rather be sure than trust that without saying anything." Kami told Akane. "Considering some of the things you've said to people you barely know."

El chose to stay quiet, but he couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Kami...Shut up." Akane said firmly. Was Kami trying to set her off?

No, Kami was just dishing back what Akane usually dished at her. "Akane, get over yourself." She was smirking, there was myrth in her eyes. She wasn't going to let Akane push her around any more and she wasn't going to be a complete pushover ether. She hoped this line of attitude would help her and Akane grow together as friends. She was after all, trying to do what Akane had advised her to do...

Akane snirked and chuckled, shaking her head. The tension diffused immediately. Seeing and hearing Kami be so cocky and so... like herself was all too amusing. "I fear I'm wearing off on you." And perhaps she was doing the same.

"Ay dios mio!" El exclaimed dramatically.

Akane leaned forward and looked past Kami to El, not quite hearing what he had just said. She looked at Kami and asked, "Catch that?"

"Hrm?" El asked innocently. "Oh nothing..."

"I'm guessing that nether one of you two have worn show shoes?" Kami asked. "Should I show you how now so you don't look like fools when we dock?"

"Maybe that would be best." Akane said. She bent down and pulled the giant boots from under her seat and set them in front of her. "Were you guys given these things too?" she asked El, hesitant to put her bare feet into them. "And how do we know they aren't already ...used?"

"I meant these." Kami said removing teardrop shaped reinforced netted snow shoes from her backpack. "I figured you knew how to wear shoes."

"What are those for?" Akane asked, never in a million years would she think to put something like that on her feet... and... how?!

"For walking in the snow." Kami said obviously.

"Forgive me..." El said taking one of the show shoes and turning it over in his hands. "But I don't see how this would help..."

"They... they kinda of make your feet bigger." Kami told them. "They make your footprint wider, longer, they evenly distribute your weight on top the snow, so you don't punch through and have to fight to walk."

As El handed Kami back her "shoe" he said, "I am liking this idea of snow less and less...'

"There was never a 'like' to begin with." Akane said, frowning at the things in Kami's hands, "They look like some sort of fishing or sport equipement. How are you intending I walk with those things tied to my feet?"

"They require a lot of work." Kami said, but without them walking through the snow would be much harder. Put your boots on and I'll show you."

Akane curled her toes in and slipped into the boots. Still in her chair, she laced them up and leaned back. The look on her face was clear that she was already uncomfortable.

Kami took Akane's foot and began to tighten the laces properly. "You'll want to out on two or three pairs of socks." She told her. "But for now this'll do." She laved up both of Akane's boots and placed her snowshoes on the deck. "Step here." She said pointing to where her feet went and once Akane did she strapped her in. "There." She said "Done. Pretty simple. Just walk flat footed."

Akane pushed herself up from the chair and stood. Her arms went outward to help balance her. Of all people, she seemed to be having balance issues. Akane was so prone to walking on her toes and without shoes that this was beyond difficult for her. "I can't even..." she began and shuffled a step forward, but immediately fell forward.

El quickly moved forward and snatched Akane's arms before she could fall over completely. "Gotcha."

Someone else may have found Akane's misfortune amusing, but Kami didn'. "You walk on your toes." She told her. "Walk like this." And she tried demonstrating by picking up her heel first and setting her feet down heel to toe."

Akane was caught in an awkward, mid-fall position. All her weight was forward against El and her rump in the air. Her body was tense and El should know after all of their height lessons by now that tensing up is something one should definitely not do when they are trying to keep balance. Akane moved her arms to try and right herself on reflex, but couldn't straighten up properly. This caused El's grip on her arms to slip and Akane found her face pressed against El's chest, still struggling to right herself frantically like a bird stuck on it's back. For being the "graceful" one of the team, it sure wasn't showing right now.

She felt El's chest tighten and he made a strange sound. "Kami..." He said softly, his voice squeaking at the end. "A little help please?" He wasn't very strong and Akane wasn't very heavy but she was causing him to loose his balance.

"Sorry." Kami said taking Akane by the shoulder and helping her right herself. "You're over thinking it." She told Akane gently, "Easy steps, a little more far apart than usual... Feel it in your hips."

"These stupid things are too heavy!" Akane shouted, extremely frustrated. "How am I supposed to walk around the village like this!? Absurd!"

"That's why we're practicing now." Kami told her. "I doubted you wanted to do this in front of a bunch of people you didn't know." She used her foot to move one of her's an inch out a bit. "El, take her left arm, Akane' I've got your right... We're going to help you till you get used to it ok?"

El did as Kami suggested, glad that his poncho was a baggy garment.

"We're putting these stupid things on YOUR feet next." Akane told El. "I'm not going to be the only one who looks like a total idiot right now." She shuffled forward, having trouble walking on her heels properly.

"I expect to." El told her, though he wondered why she was being so disgruntled... it wasn't as if they were laughing at her.

Akane wasn't used to admitting that she needed help. Even if they both were being kind and understanding about this situation, Akane never liked showing her weaknesses. It was a social problem she really needed to get over. Admittedly, this was an improvement from when she had first arrived on the island...that's for sure. "I think I know what a duck feels like..."

Kami smiled "A duck is the exact bird you should imagine while using these."

"They sort of waddle..." Akane said, trying to do just that. Surprisingly, it seemed to work, at least a bit better than before. She looked a little funny, but everyone does when they walk in these things. "They are a bit heavy.. how can I be expected to fight if I have to?"

"You hardly fight on the ground as it is." El told her. "Most often you use your feather. Using these would expend much less chakra than just hovering around on your feather the whole time we are there.'

"Do you know why I don't like being on the ground? Because a grounded bird is a dead one. If I can't slip these things off in an instant, I may be at a slight risk." Akane explained. She knew they were there to heal people, but both teams were going...there had to be an active threat.

"The ostereye are a flightless bird of my island." Kami told her. "Very large, very fast... very formidable... but they do not have feet like this." She told Akane as she knelt by her feet. "Getting out is very easy." She said and pushed a button on the snap. The straps came loose. "You must step out heel first is all."

"Well that's not so bad... now I just need to work on jumping out these things." Akane said, pointing to her giant boots. "I should be able to manage though. And... a little off topic, but what do you think their team is going to do there?" Akane asked, cocking her head toward El.

"As I understand it we're disaster relief." El said. "Though in what sort of capacity I'm not sure."

"We weren't told what sort of disaster either... but Kami, Ishiaki and I have to do a lot of healing it seems. Healing from what, we don't know." Akane replied.

"Tsu sensei didn't say much." El said as Kami indicated to him to let go so Akane could try a bit on his own.

When he let go, Akane stepped out and bent down to unlatch the other. She did as Kami had shown her and properly walked away from the snow shoes. Although she would be able to walk in them now, they were still very awkward. "Hey Kami- curious, but how are you going to heal these people? Did you bring any plants or are you going to use whats there? IF there is anything there, that is."

"I have a collection of medicines." Kami told her. "Herbs and cures. Some of my food pellets are designed to accelerate healing on a small degree. I'm still a long way off from becoming a skilled herbalist, but I have a few things that can be useful."

El let them speak as he placed his feet in his snow boots and tied them as Kami had shown Akane. He knew shoes, but he knew boots, boots without laces and comfortable leather. These were... the felt big on his feet, heavy as Akane had said.

"Ahh- no wonder you were running around like mad and gathering your things up even before Ishiaki got to the house. "How's that job going by the way? You've worked there for several weeks now, right?"

"Couple months." Kami told her, though considering that they hadn't been very close in the beginning it was understandable that Akane wouldn't know. "And Hana says I'm one of the best assistants she's ever had. I saved a Banzai a client has been bringing in for several weeks. The trunk became fractured when it blew off the garden porch. Hana had been struggling with it since, but I managed to save it. The only thing is... I keep getting all this money and I don't know what to do with it."

"Ya know... my birthday is coming up next." Akane reminded, though she knew Kami had no idea, or anyone else for that matter. He elbows Kami a bit and winked teasingly, hinting for a gift.

It took a moment for the lights to come on in Kami's eyes and she smiled. "You will have to point something out to me." She told Akane. "I would gladly purchase you a good birthday present."

"WoahahAH!" El exclaimed, falling forward them overcompensating till he fell on his rump.

Akane was about to suggest something when El toppled over. "Told you it's not so easy." she said, going over to help him up. She held his hand down to him and planted her feet....which was easy in the giant boots.

"You had someone to catch you." El said a little disgruntled. He took her hand and tried not to knock her over as she helped him up.

"Oh, sorry...." Akane said with an apologetic smirk and pulled back, bringing El to his feet. "I was trying to sucker a birthday gift out of Kami. Priorities, you know?" She was obviously joking, hoping that El didn't have any hard feelings about her not watching him like he did for her. "Try the 'thinking like a duck' method I was trying... it helps...sort of."

Kami came behind him and helped Akane lift him the rest of the way, knowing she wasn't very strong. Though what Akane lacked in physical strength the gained in chakra strength.

"Duck..." El said nodding. "Got it... Um Akane... Can I ask a question?"

"Sure." Akane replied, hanging onto his hand should he lose his balance once more.

"What is a duck?" El looked at her, his eyes completely curious and tad wobbly as he tried to steady himself as she had said. Fluid movement, not ridge jerks. The concept of a semi aquatic bird was rather lost on him having come from a village where the only open pools of water were fountains in the street of man made cooling pools.

"A duck? Well..." Akane looked around the waves around them, not seeing any ducks. "It's a small, pudgy, aquatic bird with webbed feet." The sound of gulls caught her attention and she looked up at them as they soared overhead. "Like a seagull- they have webbed feet too. Flat and fan-shaped to catch water more easily. And ducks sort of...waddle back and forth when they walk on land, moving their butts from side to side. Sort of like they have a wedgie."

El squinted. "I think I see..."

"Perhaps if you demonstrated?" Kami said with a slight smirk. She often thought Akane walked as if she had a malfunction with her undergarments.

"Oh aren't you hilarious." Akane said, reading into Kami's tone. She looked at El and held him up, should he lose his balance again, "I wonder if any of the others are going to have the same issue we are."

"I don't know anyone on our team who has experience with these..." El told her. "Perhaps it would be good for everyone to take a practice run?" He was holding Akane's hand and walking step by step. "I think I have it." He told her, letting go and managing a few steps without falling.

Hinji found the somewhat distant blathering of the other kids a bit boring and decided to go see what was taking this expedition so long to get going. He stood up and walked down into the underbelly of the ship.

Akane stepped back, giving him room. She was glad that the both of them seemed to be able to walk decently after a few minutes of practice. This trip wouldn't be very fun with those on...but it would be manageable.

"Attention. Everyone move below please. We'll be increasing speed in a minute or so." Kano's voice came over a speaker system throughout the deck

"Let's get you out of these." Kami said kneeling in front of El while Akane made sure El didn't fall over. She removed his snow shoes and went to put them back with her pack.

"I must remove this footware." El said hastily. "These boots aren't uncomfortable but as you said Akane, they are quite heavy."

Akane started to gather her winter things from under her seat. “Told ya.” she remarked,. She stopped and stood up straight, thinking for a moment, “Was... that your boyfriend on the loudspeaker?”

"Akane, stop, please." Kami said tying her things back into her pack. "Relationships between ninja are frowned upon. If you keep calling him my boyfriend someone will overhear and we will never be placed on a mission together."

"I fear she may be right..." El said shoving his boots into his pack. "My parents were forced to hide their relationship until after they were married... even then they were not allowed missions together."

"Alright alright..." Akane rolled her eye, double checking she had everything she needed in her arms. "But you can't honestly think that Ishiaki or Tsu aren't going to find out...sooner rather than later. Both teams already know and frankly, it's a bit obvious something's going on there. I mean, it's not like you guys are trying to hide it."

"I don't expect to keep it hidden forever, no." Kami said, ushering them towards the passage to the lower deck. "But it would make it a little easier if you didn't toss the news around like confetti."

"Well sorry, I didn't think it was supposed to be some big secret." Akane defended as the three of them headed around the ship, toward the cabin door. "I won't say anything." she added, not wanting Kami and Kano to stop being able to see one another. She wasn't that cruel.

---

"Enjoying the sights, are we?" Kenkyu addressed everyone who had moved below as he joined them. "I believe another is on his way down, so we can start the tour and let him catch up. What were you all wanting to know about my ship?"

"How it works" Oita said flatly, rather impatient with the man by now; it was alright to have secrets, but he was just plain teasing them now.

"Just point me to somewhere that I can have some privacy to put on my clothes" Tsu said simply, not bothering right now to discover how this craft actually worked.

"Down the hall, and to the left." Kenkyu told her with a smile. He shrugged, if she didn't want to learn how the ship worked, so be it. She'd find out soon enough. They had made a flashy entrance, and it would take a few moments for the 'engines' to recharge.

Kano came down and closed the hatch behind him. It was just second nature. He'd been on boats before, and knew you kept them sealed as much as possible. "Didn't miss anything did I?"

"Just about to start the big reveal. Perfect timing, Volcano ninja." Kenkyu replied with a wide grin. He gestured towards the hallway that lead the opposite direction from where he sent Tsu. "This way please. We're quite proud of what we've managed to piece together. Especially on such short notice. We weren't supposed to be up and running for another month. So hopefully we won't spring any leaks on the way."

"How comforting" Oita said flatly as he followed the man cautiously. He didn't like the idea of something being able to string a leak, specially a boat like this.

Tsu wondered off the way she had been shown, she'd be with them in a moment, she was sure. She just wanted to get some of her clothes on before it got too cold; she didn't like the cold very much after all.

Kenkyu waved a hand at Oita's flat comment. "Not to worry boyo, we've got plenty of repair crews here. Should anything dreadful happen." He headed down the corridor and ran a hand along it's surface. "We used special chakra-metal, you know the kind used for specialty ninja tools. Cost quite a pretty penny too, mind you. The hull, the infrastructure, all the metal is chakra-metal. And for a very good reason too." He lead them down to the engine room

Wondering why he was the only one interested in this fascinating ship, Oita followed the man along. Chakra metal hmmm? He frowned slightly as he ran a hand across the metal as well, as if searching to see how this chakra could keep the boat up. How could you infuse chakra into inanimate objects? All he did was control it, this stuff was infused with chakra.

"So if this ship floats the same way any other one does, why all the chakra metal?" Kano asked curiously as he ran his hand along the wall, feeling the pulse of chakra inside of it.

Kenkyu couldn't help but smile. "Oh I like you boys. Lots of good questions." He turned and rapped his knuckles against the metal wall. "To absorb the chakra from the engines of course." He pointed down the hallway again. "The engine room is just ahead boys. Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss it."

Chakra from the engine? Oita's frown was more than obvious by now. A chakra engine was not a good thing; either someone knew how to make a device that created chakra by itself, or this "engine" would be more alive than he would like. "Who designed this engine?" he asked, hoping that he actually did have a designer, and not a father and mother.

"We did, at the Research and Development Center." Kenkyu replied with a grin. "Trust me, it's much more interesting than you think. Just wait until you see how we travel." He gripped the doorknob and turned, opening the door to reveal four ninjas drinking coffee and sitting on metal chairs that were melded directly into the metal floor of the room.

"Captain on deck!" One of the Four replied, jumping to his feet and saluting Kenkyu as he entered. The other Four followed suit and got to their feet, saluting as well.

"At ease boys, at ease. Just showing our passengers how this ship works. Are we about ready to go?" He asked the Four, hopefully.

"Just about sir. That entrance was a little flashier than we were really ready for, you know?" The leader of the Four replied with a grin just as wide as that of Kenkyu. These R&D guys were really proud of their work

"Less gruesome than my imagination" Oita said simply as he gazed placidly on at the men; he was already considering how this was being done. It would work, but his way had been much more sickening, but much more effective. He would keep that image to himself.

Ishiaki looked around the room curiously. There was immense chakra build up around those chairs.

Kano looked at the four men and then at the Captain. "So where are the engines?"

Captain Kenkyu gestured to the Four with a wide smile on his face. "You're looking at them boys. They channel their water chakra down through the chairs and then out into the hull of the ship. It's their chakra that allows the ship to cut through the water like a kunai through the air."

"What would happen if you sat different attributed ninjas on the chairs?" Oita asked, already having roughly grasped this idea "I can understand how water chakra would be of more use in this situation, but if... say... fire affiliated people decided they wished to try this out, would we suddenly start shooting fire balls out of the front deck or something?"

"In theory, yes." Kenkyu replied with a nod. "If a group of fire ninja, or perhaps lightning ninjas were to sit in the seats, this vessel would become a massive weapon." He stopped and scratched his chin in thought. He chuckled and looked at Oita proudly. "Wonder what would happen if we put wind ninjas in those chairs! Oh...I like you boy!" He fished through his pocket and handed Oita a card with his name and the address of the Research and Development Center on it. "You come and look for a job whenever you're ready. Far too bright to be out and about in the dangerous world, you are."

Hinji followed the sound of voices and walked into the room to see four people sitting on chairs and drinking coffee while the others chatted it up. "Coffee break over life saving mission?" he said as he walked into the room.

"Just catching our breath." The leader of the Four told the newcomer. "Don't want us burning out on the way there, do yah?"

Hinji honestly didn't care if they wound up smoking on the floor from sheer burn out. "That would prove a problem should we need a speedy get away. Are they the only ones who can get this ship moving?"

"It doesn't take all four of us to move the ship. For a flashy entrance like the Captain wanted, we all participated. But no, we're not the only ones who can get the ship moving. Anyone with water chakra can." The leader explained with a shrug. "For normal speed it only requires one of us. We'll be traveling at what, 2 or 3 engines' speed?"

"3 would be the preferred speed, but 2 would be acceptable." Kenkyu answered with a nod. "Time is of the essence and all that."

"Considering this is our only transport there and back, and not everyone is really ready yet, perhaps it isn't a good idea to just go charging in?" Oita said as he gazed at the card he was turning over and over in his hands. The problem with packing only fire jutsu users in here would be heat distribution. How would you stop the boat from just melting? And Hinji seemed to be acting strange... perhaps he wasn't as bright as Oita had suspected.

"Not to worry, I'll give them enough time to move below deck before we head off at increased speed. No one should get caught above deck during that time." Kenkyu assured Oita with a smile.

"When people's lives are on the line, I think charging in is exactly what should be done." Hinji countered. Seriously, was he the only person who heard life and death, great urgency, let's get moving?

"I see" Oita said simply to Hinji, observing the chairs still. He almost wanted to sit on one, but he had a feeling they might get annoyed at him if he attempted that. Or the boat might go sideways.

"So how do I help?" Ishiaki asked, approaching one of the chairs. "The boys are right. Time is of the essence. I am a water ninja." He explained simply

Kenkyu smiled. "Oh wonderful!" He clasped his hands together and looked at the Four. "Two of you and Master Hirameki." He gestured for Ishiaki to sit. "Easy enough, just sit and focus your chakra down through the chair and out into the hull of the ship. Try to focus it the same way that you'd focus it down into a kunai or sword to enhance your weapon. I'm sure you know how to do that." He pointed at Kano and then at the device mounted to the wall. "You, use that and make an announcement for everyone to come below."

Ishiaki nodded, "Do it all the time."

Kano looked at the Captain and then turned to face said device. It was a comm-system of sorts, though he'd never really seen one. It looked simple enough. He pressed the button and then spoke into it. "Attention. Everyone move below please. We'll be increasing speed in a minute or so."

"Nicely done Kano" Tsu said, pulling on the last of her winter clothes as she appeared beside him. He did thing well when he wasn't trying to act tough about them.

"I appreciate it." Kami told Akane as they came in from the upper deck.

El wasn't sure what he preferred, being up there or down here... Both made him equally nervous.

Akane looked around, "So.. where are we supposed to stash our stuff?" she asked to no one in particular. She was getting really sick of hauling this junk around.

"I believe we will be there in a few moments" Oita said gently to Akane "You might as well just put it by your feet..."

"A few moments?" Kenkyu asked Oita astoundingly. "You overestimate our ability. It will take some time, rest assured, but not nearly as long as it would have if we were traveling by standard vessel. We should reach the Island of Eternal Frost in a couple of hours." He turned to address Akane, "As I've told Lady Kerori, there are rooms available where you can stow your gear, down the hall and to the left." He smiled and nodded. "I'm sure all of you would like to do so, but wouldn't you care to watch us get under way first?"

Ishiaki sat in one of the chairs and set his hands on the arms of it. "So I just focus my chakra to the hull as I would a kunai? It's really that simple?"

"That's what makes it such a nice job." The leader of the Four told him as he took his seat and one of the others took another seat. "You might want to hold onto something." He told the ninjas

Kano watched them all with great interest. He braced himself against the wall as the man had instructed.

Akane tilted her head, she would rather not watch right now. She had been on boats before...same old, same old. She took her things and headed down the hall where the captain had instructed, wanting to put this junk down already. She was completely unaware of the rude awakening she was about to receive.

Oita reached out with chakra strands, anchoring himself in place to the floor while not daring to mess with the chakra makeup of the wood. He wasn't going to disrupt the flow, just wrap around the planks carefully.

Kami thought about following Akane, but the captain had said to hold on to something. Rather than follow Kami put her pack on and held onto the nearest solid support.

El too worried about being surrounded by a desert of water didn't hear that bit and followed Akane down the corridor.

Hinji was not about to be put on his rear and made sure that he was well balanced.

Akane went down the hall and turned into the first cabin door. The room was essentially a closet with bunk beds. She dropped her things on one of the lower beds and exhaled with relief. These things were still too damn heavy. She never liked being the 'weak' one when it came to physical strength. Maybe El was right, maybe she should get some weights too?

Kenkyu grinned from ear to ear. The other members of the crew were certainly capable of piloting the craft, he didn't have to worry about doing that himself. From here, he could see the delight in the faces of their passengers. He held his hand out to the 'engines' and nodded to them, "Engage."

The ship hummed as the 'engines' focused their chakra into the hull. With a smooth fluid motion, the vessel's speed increased from their slight drift. Anyone not anchored down would surely be tossed back from the force. Through the windows one could see great waves of water arching up from the hull of the ship as the Tardis sliced through the ocean, propelling them towards their destination.

Hinji felt the pull of momentum and used his staff to help keep him upright. Finally they were fully underway. He couldn't help but be excited, something he didn't feel too often.

El had followed Akane, wondering if there was a difference between where the boys would be staying and where the girls would be staying. He didn't even know if this voyage would take them that long. Just as he was about to broach the question the ship lurched forward and Akane found her back suddenly slammed into my a small music ninja.

Akane lurched forward from both the vessel's acceleration and El crashing into her. She hadn't enough time to shout in the process of the fall and slide, finding herself wedged almost completely under one of the beds. When Akane realized what had happened, now stuck seriously awkward position on the floor, against the base of one of a bunk beds with someone on top of her, she immediately tried to push up and get him off. "JEEZ! What's going on?!"

"I believe..." El said, groaning as he tried pushing himself up under the residual momentum, "We're... traveling at chakra speed."

"Well isn't that special." Akane said sarcastically, clearly annoyed, trying to turn around to sit up. The force seemed to be making El slightly heavier than usual and she was NOT pleased that he was having issues getting off of her. "Think light thoughts for crying out loud!"

"Sorry sorry!" El said finally managing to right himself. His hips gave her bottom a rather heavy push as he did so. He grabbed a support above his head and managed to push himself the rest of the way upright. The momentum of the ship seemed to be equaling out... He offered Akane his hand to help her, hoping he hadn't hurt her by falling on her.

"My gosh, they could have eased into it even just a LITTLE bit." Akane commented, grabbing his hand and pulling herself up. "I've fallen two too many times today...and it's barely noon."

Kano felt the hum all throughout his body as the ship surged along through the waters.

Ishiaki leaned back against the metal chair and couldn't help but grin as he felt every inch of the ship's hull with his chakra.

"Where does the chakra come from?" Kami asked, having not been here during that portion of the tour.

"Us." Ishiaki informed her, emphasizing his point by making his own chakra surge

"The boat is drawing out chakra?" Kami asked. "Isn't that dangerous? Draining our chakra before we're going to need it?"

Hinji hadn't heard how the boat works either so he paid close attention to what they were saying.

Akane let go of El's hand and held onto the bunk bed for support. It wasn't until now that she started to feel the chakra surging through the ship under her feet. "Wow... that's some pretty powerful stuff. No wonder we were thrown off balance."

Oita felt a few small connections give way, but he remained almost as still as a rock while the ship started off. He just stood there, without holding onto a single thing, and watched the "engines" with interest.

Tsu gave a weak shrug to Kami; she had shifted her weight and feet when they'd taken off, but she had the balance not to be tossed over. "For someone about my level, perhaps, but Ishiaki has a much greater reserve."

Kano watched carefully, feeling the surge beneath his feet as well as behind his back on the wall. "I think I understand this..." He pulled his kunai from his pouch and moved over to Kami. "The boat doesn't draw it out. It acts as a conduit, the same way the kunai does." He focused his chakra into his kunai and it glowed with his power. "The entire boat is composed of chakra metal, which harnesses it far better than the traditional stuff. We make kunai from regular sturdy metals, because they're simply thrown away. You know?"

"I think I do yes..." Kami said looking at Kano's demonstration.

"But even with it just acting as a conduit, when we get there, I will need a moment's rest." Ishiaki offered them all to hear. The last thing he needed was for people he worked with to believe him to be invincible. That was best left to his enemies.

Hinji was glad that no one on his team was using up their chakra on propelling the ship. That would mean he could depart with his team the second the arrived at their destination. He was more then eager to lighten the weight of his hat.

"We keep so many engines for the sole purpose of rotating stock, so no one becomes completely drained." Kenkyu explained to whoever would listen. "The entrance we made was done with all 4 of our engines in place and well you saw the outcome, everyone tired. We try not to have to use everyone at once."

"How long do you think it will take us to reach our allies?" Hinji asked, all business.

"At our current speed, we should reach the Island of Eternal Frost within the hour." Kenkyu explained to Hinji with a confident smile. "We can move freely throughout the ship now that we've reach full speed. There's a viewing deck up above if you'd care to see just how fast we're actually going."

Hinji nodded at the captain's answer. He would like to be there sooner, but that would tire their "engines" and make them vulnerable in the case of an ambush. After hearing that they can move freely, Hinji excused himself and went to one of the bunk rooms down the hallway so he can double check his summon cards.

Kano couldn't help but watch in fascination as the engines worked. It seemed so simple, and if it was really just like putting your chakra into a kunai blade...there really wasn't anything this ship couldn't do, given the proper chakra behind those chairs.

Kami not chose to say anything more. She was sure she understood how it worked but she didn't want to sound dumb by asking something else or saying something improper.

"I would like to see how we are being propelled forward from the outside" Oita said, raising a hand slowly into the air and smiling slightly. He seemed rather happy with the idea of watch a ship plowing through the water at incredibly high speed. "I think I would need to put my pack away down here however, as it is likely to result in me being blown away if I wear it up above deck."

"I would caution you, ninja or not, I wouldn't step out onto the deck itself. You can observe from the bridge." Kenkyu offered Oita carefully.

"The viewing deck it is" Oita said with a nod, smiling slightly and hoping that the view wasn't just spray and a blur of speed.

---

"I don't like being around this much water..." El confessed to Akane as he finished regaining his balance.

"You and Kami?" Akane asked, adjusting her suit and bow. "El, there is nothing to worry about...especially on a ship like this. It looks like it was made this year. Now if we were on a rinky little tugboat, I might worry...especially at these speeds. We'll be fine."

"Kami doesn't like boats." El told her. "I don't like water. I mean, I like water just fine, it's just... salt water and... there's so much of it. You can;t drink it... even the driest desert has water you can drink... "

"Well, that aside, the middle of the ocean and the middle of the desert are quite similar. I mean, I've never actually been to a desert, but I know a little bit about them from stories. The ocean and the dessert are equally vast and desolate." Akane explained. "Try not to think about it... with how fast we are going, I assume we will be there in only a short while."

"Try not to think about it... try not to think about it..." El said it softer the second time, trying to convince himself.

"Why don't you play something on your guitar?" Akane suggested, trying to be helpful. "Maybe it will take your mind off if it."

El said down on one of the bunks and spun his guitar around to his front. "What would you like to hear?"

"Oh? I don't know... something happy maybe?" Akane suggested. Anything to take his mind of being in the middle of the ocean would suffice. She sat on the bunk across from El, which in this close quarters, was only about two feet away. She started to go through her winter things, trying to figure out just how to put on these things.

"He was killed by a cellular phone explosion, they scattered his ashes across the ocean." El had begun to sing as he played, but it didn't sound like such a happy song. "The water was used to make baby lotion, the wheels of promotion were set into motion... But the sun still shines in the summer time. I'll be your's if you'll be mine... I tried to change, but I changed my mind... Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine." Then began a musical interlude that was much heavier than they lyrical ballad that had begun the song.

Akane stopped from tending to her winter things to look at El as he started to sing. She sat up straight and looked straight ahead at him with a tilt of her head. When she suggested him play a song to take his mind off of their trip, she hadn't been expecting him to use his voice. The others would probably hear that for sure. Her eye tensed a bit when she listened to the lyrics in the beginning. That... sure was....odd. Despite the words, Akane had to admit that El sure had a nice set of pipes on him and she smirked, not realizing she was staring.

"She lived alone in a small apartment, across the street from the health department, she left her pills in the glove compartment, that was the afternoon her heart went." Odd was probably right but El continued with the chorus. "And the sun still shines in the summer time, I'll be yours if you'll be mine, I tried to change, but I changed my mind... Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine... Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine."

Akane tried not to judge El's choice of song. Instead, she brought her legs up and sat indian-style on the bed, watching him contently. It might be...insensitive for her not to and she didn't want that. Her eye went to his fingers, studying how they were moving. Akane herself didn't have any talent in music and to see it face to face like this was quite intriguing. El had one hand pinching the correct strings on the neck of the guitar and the other strumming. Not to mention, he was singing along...it seemed a bit difficult.

El began again with the chorus, "And the sun still shines in the summer time," his eyes glanced up at her's as he sang the next line, "I'll be yours if you'll be mine," He pulled his eyes away, a little selfconscious of having sang that bit sort of to her rather than to the empty room. "I tried to change, but I changed my mind... Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine... Think I'll have another glass of Mexican wine."

When El looked up at her and sang that particular line, Akane's cheeks grew pink. It didn't help that she, along with everyone else on this ship, knew El liked her and there was no doubt his playing echoed through the ship's cabin. She swallowed hard and listened to the rest. When he finished, Akane lightly clapped her hands, "That was great." she complimented with a smile. "Feel better at all?"

El shrugged. "I've only replaced one sickness with another..." He glanced at her again and looked away. He shouldn't have sang that bit while looking at her... it had been stupid...

Akane blinked, not knowing what to say as her cheeks grew pink once more. She cleared her throat and shook her head of the rosey color. There was no helping the little lovesick mariachi, but she wanted to stay sensitive to his feelings. El felt the mattress bow to his left. "Could you teach me?" Akane asked, sitting beside him now.

"Oh you can sing just fine." El told her. "I've never heard someone mimic bird song as well as you can."

"Huh? Oh! No no no. I meant...um..." Akane looked at him and pointed innocently down at his instrument, hoping he would be alright with that.

"Oh... oh!" El said in understanding... "Um... I suppose... if you want to try..." Had he been older and a little more confident he'd have moved to sit behind her and do the romantic thing, but he didn't trust himself enough for that just yet, but handed her the guitar.

Akane hoped she had done the right thing in asking. She needed to keep him distracted, right? Taking his guitar, she was very careful with it...knowing that it had been in his family for generations. "Oh wow...It's actually.... a lot lighter than it looks." As she held it in her arms, she wondered if she would regret asking El for help with this. "Jeez...I feel a bit....unworthy holding this."

"It's for learning how to play." El told her. "And what better to do with it than teach someone to play?" He directed her to place her left hand on the neck and paused. "You are right handed yes?" He asked.

Akane nodded, "Well..." she moved the neck to the other side and shook her head, putting it back. "I think this feels better." Now that it was actually in her lap like this, it felt sort of...awkward. Like wearing a pair of your mothers shoes as a child. "How am I supposed to...uhm..." she wasn't sure where to put her fingers or bend her wrist.

"I know it feels more comfortable." El said gently, taking the guitar from her and placing the neck in her left hand again. "But if you are right handed your left hand goes on the neck."

"Uhh...serious? This feels goofy though."Akane argued, leaning over to look at the front of the guitar and how her hands looked.

"yes." El told her. "You'll be doing more work with this hand." He said pointing to her right. "Than you think you will. The left is for changing keys. You must build strength in your left by playing simple songs. By doing this you may graduate to much more complicated music."

"Woah now...easy El." Akane said, "More complicated music? I just want to learn a little bit...you know, like in a few minutes, maybe an hour."

"I will teach you what I learned when I began." El told her. "It is very simple, but first you need to learn where you will be putting your fingers." He indicated the narrow silver bars that ran down the neck every inch or so. They grew closer together the further down the neck they went. "These are frets." He told her. "Between each fret is a note, on each fret is a flat." He placed her finger between one of the frets and plucked the string. "Note the sound it makes?" He placed her finger on the fret this time and plucked the string. It made a much flatter sound. "See the difference. It sounds flat and so is called a flat."

"Oh...so....I assume these make different sounds since they are different shapes?"Akane asked, looking down at the strings. It all seemed rather complex for someone with no music knowledge.

"Well... yes, I guess you could say that." El told her. "Would you like to make a cord?"

"Sure." Akane nodded and stayed still, not really knowing what to do from here. Just as she did her best to help El step by step when it came to tree climbing, he had to do the same for her.

"This is a C." El said adjusting her fingers. "It is the first cord I learned to make. Now..." He handed her a small thin bone pick from his hatband. "Strum downward with your right hand, with this."

"C.... got it." Akane guided her hand down over the strings with the pick. It was wonky sounding, but her first try. "This is pretty cool."

"Loosen up your wrist." El said taking her right hand and shaking it a bit. "Stay loose, not so stiff... like balancing."

Akane smirked, unable to help herself. She was quite pleased that her lessons with him had sunken in. Closing her eye for a moment, Akane relaxed and eased the curve of her spine and released the tension in her arms. Opening her eye again, she looked down and did her best to stay loose and get her fingers on the right strings. "Like this?"

El nodded. "Now let your right hand drift down like... gently falling rain." She had said her homeland was rainy. That was a euphemism that she would understand.

Akane kept her eyes down at the strings and her hand. "Gently falling rain..." she repeated and swayed her hand down in a motion she hoped would suit those words.

El smiled. "Very good." He said encouragingly. "You can change the sound just a bit by moving your left fingers to what is called a follow-up." He moved her pinky finger down a fret and over. "Now strum again."

"It sort of hurts to keep my finger here." Akane admitted, strumming gently again. She noticed how the sound varied. Still, it was all very complex.

"It will hurt." El told her. "With practice your fingers will become stronger. They will blister and heal over again and again until they callus." He showed her the tips of his fingers, each ending in a hard pad of skin that was almost indented with the narrow shape of the strings.

"Uhm...that's kinda..." Akane stopped herself, not wanting to offend him. "I don't think I would like to get to that point. Perhaps it's best if you are the only music ninja. I don't have the voice for this sort of thing either. Bird calls, sure... but full on lyrics and that sort of thing...pass." 

"It has taken me years to earn these." El said looking at his hands. "And you would likely not play as often as I do." There was rarely any time that someone saw El without his guitar and his fingers on the strings. "I do not believe you would have to worry about calluses of this level."

"Doesn't that feel sort of... icky?" Akane asked, not wanting to seem cruel. "Usually a callus isn't something to be proud of."

"It's... it's more of a badge of honor." El told her looking at his fingers. "You should see my father's hands... He began wearing gloves years ago to keep his hands soft for my mother... I hope one day to meet a lady who I would like to keep my hands soft for..." Again his eyes glanced up at her's, flickering away so quickly that they may not have ever made eye contact. He willed himself not to blush but he could feel the heat rising in his ears.

Akane let her hands relax, already too strained to hold that position on the strings. "Well I think you may have to wear gloves sooner than you think." she said unexpectedly. After a pause, she went on, "...If it really is that cold on the island we are going to, you may want to wear something on your hands to keep warm."

El heard that pause in her voice and his heart sped up for a moment. She tried covering up with the mention of keeping warm but even a sound ninja as young as he could note the unsteadiness in her voice. "Of course..." He agreed. "Because of the cold..."

There was a silent pause as El trailed off. Akane cleared her throat and asked, "So...what's next?" she asked, looking down at the strings once more. It seemed her little scheme of helping El ignore the fact they were over water was working. He still acted slightly nervous though, but she was unaware that it was no longer about the ocean.

"With two cords you can create a song." El told her. "So let us work on rhythm. You can learn the rest of the scale later. Is there any particular tune you may be interested in? Or perhaps have stuck in your head?"

"Uhm...can we maybe do something easy?" Akane asked, "How about the Happy Birthday song or something?" she suggested off the top of her head.

"There are eight individual cord changes in the first verse alone." El told her. "Happy Birth Day is a little more complicated than it seems."

"Oh then... hmmm....what would you suggest?" Akane asked. If happy birthday was too complicated, there probably wasn't much else she could manage.

"See if you can catch the cord changes as I sing." El told her. "And try to keep an ear out for the tune." He gave her a moment to prepare and began with, "Aura Lea, Aura Lea, maid with dark brown hair... Sunshine came to follow thee and swallows in the air."

Was he nuts? Akane wasn't exactly sure what he wanted, but she strummed twice, but stopped halfway through his lyric, feeling awfully stupid.

El stopped and told her. "Where you stopped would have been the place to change cords." He said it kindly, not at all in a scolding manner. "May I?" HE asked, reaching for his guitar.

Akane handed it over quickly, not really feeling very confident in herself all of a sudden. She didn't like feeling stupid...but tried to keep in mind that this was El's territory...just as the trees had been hers.

"You did just fine." El said a gain. "Take note of my left and right hands and listen." He purposefully placed his fingers on the strings he had showed her and sang "Aura Lea." With a single slow strum. "Aura Lea." Another strum. "Maid with dark brown hair." Was made with three slightly faster strums but he had moved the fingers of his left hands to the follow up to C that he had showed her. He moved back to proper C and continued. "Sunshine came to follow thee." was completed with four strums a little quicker than the three, but, "And swallows in the air." Where made with the same three strokes as before. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Mmmm....I'll try it." Akane said. "Two, three, four, three...right?" she asked, offering her hands to take the guitar once more. She made sure to put the strap around her shoulder, not wanting to drop it by accident. Getting situated, she took a moment to align her fingers, looking back and forth from hand to hand. "Ok, hit me." she said.

El smiled and tapped his foot three times to get her on the right temop. "Aura Lea, Aura Lea, maid with dark brown hair, sunshine came to follow thee and swallows in the air."

Akane bit down on her lower lip as she focused, looking down at her hands the whole time. She was a bit slow to get to the right strings when it changed, but she managed to get it...if only a little late. When he stopped singing, she raised her hand with the pick up in the air and smiled brilliantly. "HAH!" she proclaimed, proud of herself just now.

"Congradulations Akane." El told her. "You have successfully learned the first song that I ever learned."

Akane was very pleased with herself. Even though it was simple, it felt good to play an instrument. El made it look so good afterall. "It's kind of exciting...but let me guess, you were probably five when you learned to play that." she said, assuming.

"Well..." El looked away, trying to find a way not to insult her by correcting her. "Three..." He said softly. "And a half... though to be fair my parents were desperately trying to get me away from my cousins hand-me-down drum kit. They thought I would find it an enjoyable toy... then I blew the sand room off the back of the house..."

"What? At three?" Akane asked, "You're joking, right?"

"... No..." El said softly... "But how old were you when you exhibited your wind ability?" He asked. "A sound ninja's chakra must be focused early and quickly... One of my cousins destroyed the family barn by simply crying... Music is a discipline. It focuses the mind and channels the chakra like any martial art."

"I found out when I was training with the village sensei's. I suppose I was around seven?" Akane pondered. "It took me a while to figure out how to channel chakra." she confessed, handing over his guitar and pick.

"I expect you didn't destroy half a home at the time though." El told her. "It was very difficult for me... most often than not my training ended in destruction. Be happy you were older... you at least got to go outside and play rather than being cooped up practicing all the time. Not until I knew how to control it could I earn time off to lark about with my friends."

"Wow, your parents were pretty strict, huh?" Akane asked, honestly not knowing all too much about his childhood to be honest....or anyone else's for that matter.

"They had to be." El told her. "They love me... of course they love me, but one must have a heavy hand to teach a young child an instrument. Especially if that teaching results in control over a very uncontrollable ability. I don't regret it, but I missed out on the games children would play... ball, kick the can... It seemed that I was always practicing..." He looked at the pads of his fingers. "It has paid off though." He said. "Soon I hope to inherit my father's guitar."

"Oh that's right. You mentioned that a few days ago I think." Akane said offhandedly. "What do you have to do in order to earn it?"

"Become a man in most part." El said leaning back against the post of the bunk. "But it's not really my decision whether or not I am ready... I suppose saving a village might help me get there."

"Well it seems you very well might get that chance sooner than you think." Akane said with a smile. "I can only assume your team will be with Oita in protecting the village from attack. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit nervous about having to heal real people... several of them."

"I think you'll do fine." El told her. "Considering as quickly as you learned to play Aura Lea, you've learned a lot since beginning you're training."

"I know... it's different though...having to save someone else's life. Not just cuts and scrapes...or dead fish." Akane explained, "Though...we weren't told how bad the situation was."

"You healed Kami's wrist well enough." El told her, though it was a mystery as to how El knew this little tidbit. The fact still remained that he had been "watching" Akane before. Not since the Onsen though.

Luckily, she didn't notice. "I guess." Akane shrugged and went on, "I suppose I'm just a little nervous really."

"That's understandable." El told her. "You've never done what you;re being dispatched for. I'm sure Kami is nervous also.

"Hope so...can't have her making me look bad." Akane said flat out, still very competitive. "Maybe you guys will get to see some action."

"Perhaps." El said, though he didn't seem overly pleased at the idea. The prospect of playing in the cold didn't sit well with him.

Akane heard dislike in his voice, "Hey- if it were up to me, I would gladly switch places, but I doubt you can heal people with that thing." she said, pointing to the guitar. "Thanks for letting me try it out by the way. It's difficult... but sort of fun, really."

"I could teach you." El told her. "Regularly... as payment for your teaching me to deal with heights..."

"No, that's alright." Akane said gently, "But thank you for the offer. Any time you have not practicing with me should be used for your own personal training."

"I would repay you." El told her. "I don't feel right taking from you and not returning something."

"You don't have to repay me for that." Akane said, lifting a hand and waving the thought away. "Seriously, it's fine. I was glad to help you out." she added, "Besides, I was sort of doing it in addition to my apology for what happened at the onsen, remember? You are not in my debt at all." She smiled, hoping this was the nicest thing to do. They were friends after all.

"If you insist." El said trying to sound as if he would comply. Already he was formulating thoughts for what he had overheard her say to Kami... about her upcoming birthday.

"Would you like to go see the view?" Akane asked, gesturing up, hoping it wouldn't bother him. "Or would it be best for you if we stuck around in here until we get there?"

Kami came in, looking just a touch green around the gills. "They're doing that on the..." Kami paused. This common tongue Akane and El spoke was not her first and though she spoke it particularly well, sometimes words escaped her. "Um... you walk on it to cross water..."

"The bridge?" El asked, reaching for his guitar in Akane's arms.

"Yes, the bridge." Kami said. "Though I don't know why there would be a bridge on a boat... there wouldn't be any water inside to cross would there?"

When Kami entered, Akane went from a rather relaxed lean next to El, to a rather ridged, proper one. "I have to say, I'm a bit rusty when it comes to boat lingo....so 'bridge' it is. Any idea where that is?" she asked, getting up from the bed. "If you still wanted to check it out." Akane looked back at El. Then again, he never really agreed to go.

"I'll stay." El told her. "I have no wish to see endless water."

"I didn't go." Kami told her. "But head back the way you came, you should find someone.

"Find someone? Ugh the others, right... Oita and Hinji...fantastic." Akane said, lulling it over and rolling her eye. "Actually, I need to have a heart to heart with Oita come to think of it...followed by an ass kicking."

"What has happened now?" Kami asked in sort of an exasperated tone.

Akane thought about keeping it a secret for a brief moment, but that wasn't her style. Besides, he could use more humiliation. "Right before you burst into the house to tell us about the mission, I was trying to 'make peace' with Oita and he showed me into his workshop." she paused, getting uncomfortable just thinking about it. "I asked him what he was working on and he revealed a new puppet. And...it's me! At least, it looks like an exact replica of me." She gestured her hand up into the air, "Kami, think about it...with a boy who spends all his time in that one room...just HOW do you think he knows what I look like, top, bottom, front, all over?!" she asked, speaking more loudly know as she got wound up. The fact Oita was making a replica was very perverse to her....it had to be. The way the wood curved at her chest, legs and bottom...it was perfectly alike.

Kami's mouth hung open for a moment and she immediately went to the same place Akane's mind had went to... then it sort of turned around and searched for a logical explanation. "Well... um... He didn't get a chance to explain himself did he?" She asked. "Maybe it's not as bad as you think?" Akane did seem to have a knack for thinking the worst of things. After all look at her and El. She learned he was watching her and immediately assumed that there was a perversity to it when it had been puppy love infatuation. She wondered what had happened in Akane's life to make her think such things.

El kept his thoughts to himself for the time being.

"How can it not be?!" Akane asked. "What could Oita POSSIBLY be needing with a puppet like ME?!" She was showing more frustration through the fists in her hands.

"Battle strategy..." Kami suggested. "What if he's making one of all of us and you only saw the one? Or hasn't gotten to the rest. And he's a master craftsman. He has an eye to detail and... no offense, you don't exactly leave much to the imagination with those clothes..."

There was a loud, quick sound that echoed the room. Akane had slapped the flat of her hand against Kami's cheek in a swift, unseen motion. Kami didn't know it, but her words had a completely different meaning to the young wind ninja.

Kami's expression was fixed in an O of surprise, her face turned to Akane's left, being moved with the momentum of her slap. Then the pain set in. It blazed like fire through her cheek and immediately began to redden her flesh.

El had been keeping to himself, strumming a few cords gently. When Akane slapped Kami his guitar made an off key TWANG and his jaw hung slack with surprise.

Kami's hand rose to her cheek and felt the warmth growing. She slowly eased back towards Akane and her expression changed from shock to anger and a transition to something else that Kami wasn't quite sure about yet. They both knew that if Kami threw her fist (which was clinched at her right side) she could put a hole through the wind ninja's face... but they'd grown in the last few days and that made Kami's shoulder quiver with want to punch, but was reluctant against hurting her friend.

How dare Kami not heed Akane's worry? It was hard for her to be open about herself to others to begin with. Now when she is honest and concerned, Kami just shrugs it off and blames it on how she is behaving? "How can you be so stupid?!" she shouted, pain in her eye and a tenseness in her chin.

"How can you be so suspicious?" Kami said calmly. Her fist was still clinched and her left hand moved from her face to join the other in clenched tightness. "I understand it may seem a bit odd, but he makes puppets. Wooden puppets. Puppets designed for battle. I see no reason other than an application to combat that he would want a wooden puppet for. Is your mind that perverted that that's the first thing you think of?"

Akane's teeth clenched tight at that and her body flexed. She twitched in her arms and hands as rage built up through her veins. She looked at Kami with a hidden dampness in her eyes. Akane didn't lash out though, physical or verbally this time. She closed her eye tight, spun around so no one saw her tear and darted out of the room. The door promptly following with a quick SLAM of metal on metal. The wind she had suctioned it with dissipated, blowing into the bedroom briefly.

Kami stood there, fists still clenched. Oita was their teammate. Their comrade. Perhaps making a puppet of Akane was a bit odd but it wasn't right that Akane immediately went to THAT conclusion. There was a perfectly good explanation... there had to be. Why else would Oita have confessed what he was doing? Had there been anything perverted about it he would have hidden the thing. Kami's face still held the sting of Akane's slap and half of her wanted to chase Akane down and repay her for it, the other half wanted to let her cool down... perhaps that was best... If she payed Akane back for that slap Ishiaki would have a half pummeled Akane to heal and what sort of good would that do them once they got to the Frost?

Why was it that everyone was spying on her?! El had stalked her for weeks, peeping into her training sessions and who knows where else...Ishiaki had walked in on her more than a few times while she was bathing...and now Oita had to go and do something like this. Lifelike puppets of her?! That was just sick! Her arms wrapped around her torso, feeling a little sick. To make it worse, Kami didn't believe her! No one ever did. Akane was trembling, feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden. A bit scared, she fled down the hall, hoping to find someplace safe. Akane knew she couldn't go up the stairs to the others, not like this. She headed down the other way and what she found was a narrow hall leading to some storage closets. Still with her arms around her waist, Akane placed her back against the wall, still unable to stop her trembling... it was just like when she was a little girl. Closing her eyes, she sunk against the wall, ending up on the ground. Akane needed to stop her hyperventilating. Gritting her teeth, she tried to remember her breathing exercises.

El stood from the bed where he had been sitting and placed his arm on Kami's trembling shoulder. from his observations he knew that Kami had issues with her sister and that Akane often reminded her of her. Kami needed to calm down a bit lest something similar take place as had happened at the Beast Village.

Kami flinched and had to stop herself short of flattening El. Her fist was held, poised to strike him down, then she realized she didn't at all want to strike El and lowered her hand. The shape of Akane's hand was still red against her cheek.

"I think maybe we should talk to Oita..." El said calmly. He had nearly defended himself when he saw that fist, but thankfully she had lowered it. "It will give her time to cool down and we can learn the full story... What say you?"

"Yes..." Kami said softly. "I think that would be a good idea."


"Would anyone else care to take a look?" Kenkyu offered to the others in the room.

Kano looked up from the engines. He couldn't believe he was thinking of them that way in his own head, but that's what they were...He looked at Kami and then at the captain. "I wouldn't mind checking it out." He said with a grin.

"I will pass." Kami said and in order to keep from touching a button or flipping a switch, she headed to the back where Akane and El had gone.

"I'm fine staying right here" Tsu said with a small shrug. Really she didn't want to see the sea too much. She disliked water as well, not just because of the cat comparisons. water refracted light, which was what she messed around with when using her powers. Water always confused her in that respect.

"That's fine. If you need anything at all, you can use the comm system there to ask for assistance." Kenkyu explained to Tsu with a smile, gesturing to the button/speaker system that Kano had used earlier to summon them all below deck. With that he turned and lead the curious ones out and up to the command deck.

Ishiaki looked at Tsu curiously. She hadn't seemed like the type who would want to miss out on something new to him. "You alright?" He asked her quietly.

"Water isn't my favorite thing to stand on" Tsu said with a small dismissive shrug "I can deal with it though. I'm not a scaredy cat."

Oita followed after the Captain, looking around as they walked along, as if incredibly interested in every inch of the ship. He saw El and Kami in the distance as they walked along... strange, Akane wasn't there.

"Then it's a good thing we're not standing on it." Ishiaki replied with a grin. He was extremely intrigued by the entire function of this vessel. If he wasn't the one powering the ship's propulsion at the moment, he wouldn't have believed it possible...the wonders of what this Coalition can be capable of...

"Feels like we are" Tsu grumbled gently, sighing and looking for a seat that wouldn't drain her chakra just by sitting on it "I'm fine though. Just glad we can get there quickly."

"This really is quite an experience." Ishiaki told her with a smile. He was absolutely loving this. All he had to do was sit here and the ship moved through miles of ocean

---

"In.....Out. In.....Out." Akane repeated over and over again in her head. Why was she panicking like this?! She hadn't done that since she was a child! With Akane's back against the wall, she sat in the corner of the hallway, trying to get a grip. Thankfully, thanks to years of meditation, she was able to get her breathing back to normal fairly quickly at least.

After her breathing was rightened, Akane started to think more clearly. She somewhat regretted lashing out at Kami...especially after they had gotten along so well this week. Though, she was still very angry that Kami had the nerve to say what she had and not take Akane's feelings to heart. Poor El, too... for a while there, Akane seemed to have forgotten that he had played witness to her anger.

With her eyes finally dry and her cheeks back to their normal color, Akane finally got a grip on herself. She stood up and brushed herself off. She paced back and forth a bit, wanting to apologize for hitting Kami like that. Thinking about it made her quite guilty....but Akane was still so pissed off at her. 'You don't leave anything to the imagination.' THE NERVE! She grumbled and crossed her arms, not sure what to do.

---

El and Kami left the rooms and traveled upward, hoping to spot a crewmen who would point them in the direction of the others.

A smile crossed Kenkyu's face as the group came upon El and Kami. "Change your mind about seeing the view?"

Kano couldn't help but smile as well when he saw Kami. He hoped that the captain was right and she had changed her mind. It promised to be a spectacular view

"No." El told the captain. "We'd like a word with Oita please." he didn't know why he was asking permission but it sort of seemed like it.

Kami said nothing but her eyes traveled toward Kano and away again. The mark of Akane's hand still stood out brightly on her cheek.

As Oita walked along with the Captain, and whoever else was coming along, he waved happily at Kami and El. No reason why he shouldn't after all. He could at least TRY to keep up the image of them all living happily together. Well, Kami wasn't too bad.

"Oita, perfect." El sad seeing him. "We need to talk."

"Oh... umm... we were just going on to the observation deck" Oita said, pointing towards the Captain "But if you want to come along, I'd happily talk to you."

Kano saw the hand print on Kami's cheek and couldn't help but feel a sudden impulse of anger heat his blood. Who had struck her?! He doubted it was El, his friend knew his feelings and he just couldn't picture him striking a woman. He wanted to ask her about it, but in front of everyone wasn't exactly the proper place. Perhaps if she accompanied them to the observation deck?

"Alone Oita." Kami said with a serious that was not like her.

Oita blinked, then looked at the others. "Ah, so, we just go up there and then... left?" he asked the captain, obviously preparing to catch up after he'd finished his private talk.

Kenkyu nodded and smiled. "Oh! If you do get lost, there's comms along the inside of most of the doors. Holler if you need anything, alright?"

Before Oita had answered Kami had grabbed him by the arm and steered him back towards the quarters.

El smiled nervously and tipped his hat to the captain. "Gracias." he said and hurried to follow Kami and Oita.

Kano shrugged and looked at the captain, "So...observation deck, party for one. I suppose."

Kenkyu smiled again, the man was extremely fond of smiling it seemed. "Right this way." He gestured and lead the boy up to the observation deck of the Tardis.

---

Oita tried not to resist too much as he was dragged inside of the quarters, because he knew that if he did Kami might actually get hurt. Finally, they were inside, alone, and Oita blinked at them both from behind his thick glasses "Alright... now we're alone. What is it you needed?"

Seeing as how Kami was upset El slipped in before she could say anything. "The subject of puppets." El said getting in the first word before Kami could. "It has come to our attention that you have crafted a puppet that looks just like Akane... this has upset her somewhat and we would like to know the exact reason why."

"And if you lie Oita I swear I'll snap you in half." the normally mild mannered Kami was obviously very distraught. She wanted to trust that there was no ulterior motive for making the puppet, but the way Akane had reacted had caused her to get suspicious. Getting slapped didn't help much ether.

Oita obviously didn't quite grasp the severity of the situation, because his reply of "Isn't it obvious? Her body is simply amazing." probably didn't dampen their suspicions. He was looking a bit incredulous, as if not really believing that they could be asking him this.

One would have thought, considering how upset Kami was that she might have been the first to react, but no, it was El. The small music ninja was nearly an entire foot shorted than Oita but his reach was just enough. Oita would find the swift solid impact of a right hook as it caught him in the jaw. El, who practice his guitar nigh constantly had strong arms and even stronger fists. The impact was surely enough to knock those giant glasses from Oita's face.

Oita fell, not expecting the punch, his glasses falling from his face at once. "Wuh-" he began before coughing and chewing his lip, feeling it swelling quickly "What was THAT for?!" He was on all fours now, fumbling around on the floor as he tried to find his glasses; he was lost without them, and being near sighted meant that he could only see blur right now. They were heavy though, they couldn't have gone far.

"Be glad it was him and not me." Kami said picking up Oita's glasses before he could. They all knew she carried a hundred pounds on each arm and leg and Oita's face wouldn't have held up against the stress of one of Kami's punches. She kept his glasses, knowing his blindness was his main weakness. She also knew El liked Akane and completely understood why he struck out at Oita. "I would also watch what you say about Akane around El. He's rather sensitive when it comes to other boys talking about her like that... Now, explain why you've made a puppet that looks like her."

"No! You explain what the HELL you are on about! This is just about her body. Her entire damn body! You know how many puppets are capable of flying? NONE! Not without extreme amounts of chakra from the user!" was Kami actually seeing Oita lose his temper? He hadn't done so before, but then again they hadn't hit him and stolen his glasses before "And she can take off like a damn bird! So yeah, her body is amazing, and I want to figure out how the HELL it works! And I don't know why everyone is FREAKING OUT about this!" A pair of pale blue eyes blinked out at them, Oita's rarely seen irises, always blocked from view by the glasses. They were suddenly capable of displaying rather a lot of anger straight up at Kami, if slightly off center of her face due to Oita's eyesight issues.

Kami was a little surprised that Oita lost his temper like that, but it only showed in her face for a brief moment. He was explaining himself and although loudly it sounded like the explanation she wanted to hear. She might not be an expert about people but she didn't think he was lying. She'd ask the sound ninja about that in a moment though. She let him finish before asking, "So there is nothing... perverse about making this puppet?" She paused for the slightest moment and added, "Because this has greatly upset her and she seems to think that that is what all this is about."

El was still standing stock still where he had been when he'd socked Oita. He was listening, listening for any trace that Oita was lying. So far he heard nothing.

"Ah.. dammit" Oita was feeling his lip, cursing to himself as he stared blindly at Kami "No. I'm insulted that you think that I could even act like that towards her. Her body size and shape is obviously the perfect form for aerodynamics, and I did not want to attempt to change the design from the initial inspiration! It looks like her because SHE is the only person who I know that can fly!" Oita hissed, that last shout had made his lip sting badly "Ah, dammit. I hope your perverted imagination was worth destroying my trust." He closed his eyes now, cursing gently as he continued to massage the swollen lip.

"It wasn't mine to begin with." Kami said placing Oita's glasses on his face. She seemed to have calmed a bit.. "When she told me I told her there was an obvious reason for it. That you wouldn't do something perverted with it. She slapped me and became upset that I didn't believe her."

"I'm sorry Oita." El said offering him his hand. "As Kami revealed I... When you said it like that I became jealous and... it's not my place to be such. I heard only truth in your voice and I cry your pardon for thinking otherwise... I have forgotten the face of my father." He was bowing, which was not in El's people's custom to do, but he was ashamed of himself for reacting how he had.

The thing about not often having a temper was that it died out rather quickly from exhaustion. Oita sighed, still feeling more than a little betrayed, and took El's hand to stand up. "Right. It's fine" he said, the swollen lip adding to the begrudging sound of Oita's voice accurately portraying that it wasn't fine at all "Just... where is she? We were going to talk about it, but she disappeared before I could."

"She said that I interrupted about the mission before you could." Kami told him. "For that I am sorry, but after striking me she just left. I'm not sure where she's gone."

"I'm sure if you explain yourself she'd be more than happy to fix that." El said pointing at Oita's swollen lip. "Again I am sorry. I should not have reacted as I did."

"Could you just... point me in the general direction" Oita asked, feeling a remnant of anger running up his spine. He didn't want to be in their company right now. Apologetic as they were, he just wanted to go away and explain to Akane before she attacked him next.

Kami pointed to the door. "Just that way." She said, feeling about three inches tall for how they'd treated him.

"Thank you" Oita said, moving past and pushing his way through the door, going in search of Akane. He was pretty much going to search the entire ship until he found her.

As Oita left Kami looked up at El and said, "I think we could have handled this a little better..."

"Si..." El said softly. "I... I've never hit anyone before..."

That took Kami by supprise. "You're a ninja..."

"I'm a musician." El countered and he realized that that must set him apart from the others. He was a musician because his father was a musician... being a ninja was just a side effect.

---

Akane was down the halls, near the storage closets. She was already making her way back with her gaze down and her hands held behind her back. Although she her feelings were hurt, Akane felt terrible that she had slapped Kami like that. It was so juvenile and rash of her. She was making her way to apologize...though doubting she would accept it so soon.

"Ah, there you are" Oita still did not sound happy, the swollen lip not helping his cause. The good thing about having glasses this thick is that no one could tell when you were glaring at them. "We need to talk" he wondered if he had a loose tooth. He tried to care for them, but that had been a strong punch "Now. About rumours you have been spreading about me."

"Rumors?" she grumbled, not expecting to see Oita here, "I'm not so sure that they ar- JEEZ! What happened to your face?!" Akane asked suddenly, blinking widely at Oita's fat lip and cheek. Thanks to her education, Akane could tell that judging by how blood was swelling, it was rather done to him rather recently.

"Well, apparently you've been telling people that I've made a sex-doll of you in my workshop, and El got rather violent" Oita was trying not to spit when he spoke, but it was a bit difficult, considering he could feel most of his own cheek swelling into his mouth. "I just want to know how you got that idea into your head" you couldn't growl with a swollen lip, but Oita was obviously on the frayed end of his temper "Because it sure as hell wasn't me."

The fact that El did that damage took her by surprise. Akane didn't think she ad ever seen that young lad hit anyone. Before she could ask about it,her attention was brought to Oita's words. "What the heck else am I supposed to think? Seriously Oita? I've never seen you make puppets of anyone else before. Why me? What did I do?" she paused before going on, "Plus the fact that I'm always on camera...what do you expect me to think?"

"You're supposed to trust me enough that you realise that I'm not the kind of person who would be all... perverted like that" Oita said stiffly "You're supposed to take a moment and realise that I'm not someone who would be that... disturbing! For goodness sake, have I ever shown you that I was interested in you in that way? Or that I was the kind of person to act like that? And truth be told, you can't imagine a single thing about yourself that is unique or interesting, that I might want to learn how to imitate in a puppet?"

There was no way Oita could know what Akane had been through and why she was always so suspicious around her supposed 'friends'. If it wasn't already obvious, she truly had some severe trust issues. "Can you honestly blame me, Oita? You hadn't mentioned anything about trying to replicate me or my fighting style. One would think that would have come up in discussion SOMETIME."

"I didn't need to bring them up. I couldn't get the damn thing to fly yet, and I've observed you fight several times. I didn't want to bother you, you were always so busy and training, so I decided to work on it alone, so I didn't bother you. And yes, I believe I can blame you, for leaping to conclusions without at least letting me explain" Oita was having severe trust issues right now. He thought he'd been getting slightly better with Akane, but this just brought it right down again "I wouldn't have minded that as much, but then apparently you spread a rumour and slap Kami as well!"

"That's none of your business, Oita. It's been plaguing my mind since I saw it! I had to tell SOMEONE." Akane argued, crossing her arms. She took a long inhale and exhaled sharply. "Ok.... look...." she said slowly. They weren't getting anywhere and Akane had been wrong. It was good to know that at least. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions without getting the details...and- I'm sorry about telling Kami and El." Apologizing was always hard for her so hopefully Oita would know how sincere she was being. "If we want to be a strong team, we shouldn't misjudge one another... but we also shouldn't keep secrets- secrets like that from eachother either."

Oita sighed as well, shaking his head slightly before saying "My issue is that, since I've been working alone for so long... well... I don't know what is a secret and what is just a personal project. I don't want to bother you every time I think about a new idea, or every time the security system goes on the blink. I would have presented you guys with it, when it was finally complete, but you came in when it was barely started. I don't like people seeing my work when it's still being produced." He shook his head slightly, feeling his lip give a painful throb "But, if you say that, then I want the same in return Akane. Something is stopping you from trusting any of us. I want to know what. Not now, I'm not going to force it out of you. Just... in the future, I want to know why you find it so difficult to trust us."

"I have been trying." she admitted. "I was betrayed by someone I once trusted very much. I was niave back then.....and I won't let myself get hurt like that again." Akane said, giving him that much at least. He owed it to him considering that fat lip. Speaking of which, this was a good chance to change the subject, "Did... El really do that? Why?"

"Well, my first response when they asked me why I created the puppet, was... badly worded. He lashed out" Oita said with a soft sigh, wanting to touch his lip but knowing it would only hurt "I was, unfortunately, on the other end of the fist. As to why, well I have suspicions, but I do not wish to spread rumours."

"I have my own suspicions as well." Akane said with a shrug. She was honestly flattered that he would do something like that..for her. It made her cheeks warm just thinking about it. Sure, Akane didn't like El in that way, but it was still a very kind gesture. Though it was a shame Oita was on the other end of it. "Here...how about I heal that lip up for you? It could be a warm up for when we arrive at the frost village."

"It would be appreciated, yes" Oita admitted, unsure if she wanted him tostep forward or... well, anything really. He wasn't usually around when she healed people, unless it was his burns. This was not a good start. Akane not trusting him, Kami losing a fair amount of his trust, and El punching him to the floor.

"Close your eyes." Akane said. Last thing she wanted was having him stare at her while she did this. Especially through those dinner plate glasses. When he closed them, she lifted three fingers and hovered them in front of Oita's lip. Just close enough that Oita could feel the air move around her hand when he breathed. There was a minty colored glow, similar to her hair color. Her chakra worked it's way into his skin and bruised flesh. In a few quick seconds, the fat lip was gone and Akane stepped back. "Better?"

Oita made a chewing movement, then nodded "Yes, thank you Akane." She was nice, under all the trust issues. He did feel better, about quite a few things "You're a very accomplished healer, I'm certain you will save many lives when we get to the refugees."

"Thanks." Akane replied with a smirk. She had been studying and practicing like mad for the past few months. "I'm a little nervous to tell you the truth....Kami and I don't even know what we are up against."

"Hopefully you will just have to heal the people escaping. I will try to take over any fights or arguments that break out" Oita said with a slow nod "You two should keep your chakra for healing people, I will fight."

She sighed, "Yea... You and the other team get to have all the fun." Akane placed a hand on her hip and leaned to the left. 

"I'm certain that you will get much more praise for saving lives than I would get for beating up a few errant attackers" Oita said with a small shrug "If I am having difficulties then I will ask for your assistance, don't worry."

"Good good..." Akane let out a sigh and rolled her eye, "I guess I should go apologize for slapping Kami then." She acted uncaring, but it really was bugging Akane that she had done that to her comrade. "But before I go...about that puppet... is it really made to be EXACTLY what I look like?"

"It is as close as reasonable" Oita said with a small nod "There are certain... aspects of a body which are not necessary to the function of the puppet. Though, I have to keep your body's shape, at least I want to, to try and keep it as close as possible; after all, I do not entirely understand HOW you fly, and I do not want to break away from your shape until I figure out what the important aspects are."

"Well... I don't REALLY fly. Not like a bird at least. I perform more of a....slow...stylized fall." Akane explained. "Because of my hollow bones, my body isn't as heavy as everyone else's is. Not to mention, I can control the wind in my area to keep me in the air for longer periods of time. To jump high, I focus small bursts of chakra into my feet....another reason I don't care for shoes. But again- I don't fly...."

"It's as close as I have seen" Oita said with a small shrug "You spend most of your time in the air, I don't mind if it's falling with style, it's more than I've managed to achieve." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair "If it is down to hollow bones, I might have to make the puppet even lighter by hollowing out it's outer layer. It will make the puppet very weak though..."

Akane's eye twitched a little and the fire in her eyes returned a little. "That doesn't mean she can't defend herself when necessary or that she isn't a good fighter!" she said, raising her voice a little. If there was something she hated more than people spying on her...it was being told she was weak.

"Do not get angry Akane" Oita warned her "The puppet will become weak, and will be difficult to use. That is because of my own difficulties, not a comment on your powers. I would need to create and learn an entirely new fighting style for her, and there would be a lot of trial and error to make up for the brittle structure."

She stepped back, crossed her arms and took a deep breath to relax. "Agility." Akane said simply. "...And long range attacks." It felt weird...giving him tips about how she worked.

"That was what I was considering, but a puppet does not work like a human being Akane. You can throw a kunai precisely, and guide it with your chakra. Puppets cannot throw well, they usually fire, and any mechanisms inside the puppet this light would surely damage it" Oita pointed out to her "Do you trust me now? See that I have no plans for the puppet but to see if I can make one similar to your powers?"

"I suppose so." Akane replied. "Just warn someone when you model a puppet after them, ok? It's kinda creepy." She paused and went on, "And don't make the 'puppet me' look like an idiot."

"I am learning entirely different fighting styles. I'd be surprised if I didn't accidentally break an arm when I first use her" Oita said with a shrug "I will try and create a good model though, don't worry. And I will tell people when I'm creating new puppets in the future."

"Good." she said finally. "So-" Akane looked down the hallway. "We done then?"

"Suppose so" Oita said with a shrug "I suggest that you talk to Kami as soon as possible, she seemed very shaken up by what had happened."

"That's the plan." Akane said, trying not to sigh as she headed down the hall, toward the quarters, hoping to find her there.

---

Akane found Kami in the bunk quarters with El. After mentioning that he'd never hit anyone before she was showing him how.

El was favoring his right hand a bit. It was red around the middle knuckle and when Kami showed him how to ball his fist correctly he winced and pulled away. Oita's face was as strong as one of his puppets and El was worried he may have broken something.

Akane held her lips together and leaned on her left hip, knocking her knuckle against the door frame. "Hey guys..." she paused.

Kami dropped her fists to her side when she heard Akane knock. "Did Oita find you?" She asked.

"Yea, we chatted and got everything sorted out." Akane clarified. "Turns out he isn't a total pervert...but you guys already knew that."

"There was a moment in which I was not sure." El told her.

"Is that your way of an apology?" Kami asked.

Akane was about to comment to El, but stopped herself when Kami asked her question. "No it's not." She swallowed and stepped into the room more, rubbing her arm nervously. When she was in the room completely, she held her hands over one another and bowed forward as she spoke, "Kami- I'm sorry about before...uhm... when I hit you. In the heat of the argument, I lost control of myself and I let my temper get the best of me. I shouldn't have lashed out at you...my friend, like that and I am truly sorry." There was a pause before she went on, "And El, I'm sorry that you had to see me like that." Akane kept her knees straight and her waist bent, not lifting her head just yet. "I understand if you both are mad at me...you have the right to be. Just know that I really regret what happened."

She felt Kami's hand on her arm, pulling her up a bit. "It's ok... just... Don't be so paranoid... we're supposed to be a team. And I suppose I should have listened to your feelings a bit more. I could have handled this a little better than I did."

"Me too." Akane said, standing up straight. "I can heal you up if it still hurts." she offered, knowing just how hard she had hit her earlier.

"You slap like a dead fish." Kami said with a teasing smirk. "It's ok... but I think El broke his hand on Oita's face."

"Oh right! I saw that. Pretty nice work you did on him, El." Akane complimented with a smirk over at him. "I was impressed." Of course she shouldn't be talking about his teammates like this...but she really didn't think the little mariachi had a punch like THAT in him.

"It's nothing to be proud of." El told her. "I consider Oita a friend, I should not have struck him."

"Then why did you?" Akane asked.

Figuring this was something between Akane and El Kami slipped out the door and off to maybe apologize to Oita some more.

"I don't know..." El sort of lied. "When he answered why he... the way he said it... it was disrespectful..."

"What did he say?" Akane asked, somewhat playing dumb. Though, she really didn't know Oita's exact words, he had only said that El got upset over how it was said. A girl couldn't help but be curious.

"Isn't it obvious, her body is amazing." El told her. Even now she didn't like how it sounded on his tongue. "While true, it was the way he presented it."

Akane couldn't hold it in any longer and her cheeks grew a bright red. Sure, she knew El liked her, but he hadn't ever been so straightforward before. She tucked her head into her shoulders, trying not to be too bashful. "So...you defended my honor?" she asked, sitting down on the bed now, placing a hand on her cheek. It was quite warm. "Thank you, El. I'm....really flattered. No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

El's ears grew red when she thanked him. It actually made him forget how painful his hand was at the moment. "You're welcome... though come to find out it was completely unwarranted... I would do it again..."

Akane couldn't hide her smile from him, so she bowed her head just so. Next, she held out her hands for his, palm side up.

He handed her his right hand and it was evident that he'd broken something. The main bone that ran from his wrist to his center knuckle was bulging and discolored.

"Oh...." Akane blinked wide at his hand. She hadn't expected something so drastic. Yes, he indeed fractured something in that blow. Akane moved her free hand up and gently rested it on top of his. Normally she wouldn't have to touch the injured person, but something drove her to do it. A soft minty light glowed between her hands, engulfing El's injury as she slowly worked her chakra into him.

"I'm sorry that you must waste chakra on my stupidity..." El told her. "I fear I've never struck any one before." He had strong muscular hands, tightly wound hands, but no matter how strong his hands were, striking something without the proper training was not a smart thing to do.

"I can see that. You really did a number on your hand here." Akane explained. "A small fracture actually." She bit her bottom lip and kept her head facing down to his hand. Her brows lifted however and her golden eye flickered up to his face. Their closeness was just becoming apparent.

"Nothing an expert like you can't fix eh?" El's ears peeked out from his nigh black curls, deeply red with blush. He tried not to let his eyes meet her's. They flicked up and away quickly, embarrassed and partially ashamed of how he'd acted... but for her he'd punch a thousand Oita's it if he had to.

"Of course not." Akane said and glanced down again as the glow faded. "How's that? Better?" she asked, removing the hand that had been resting on his. "Can't have you unable to play your guitar after all."

El clinched his fist and smiled. "Much, thanks."

Akane took her hands back and cleared her throat. Now that the slight moment of closeness was over, she felt rather awkward. Not to mention, both their faces were red. "Oh.. when did Kami leave?" she asked, only just now realizing she was gone.

"Before we began." El told her. "I believe she wanted to apologize to Oita again... which I should probably do..."

"Well... on the bright side..." Akane tilted her head, she was pushing it. "In the excitement and drama, you forgot you were on the ocean?" She rarely thought on the bright side... and for good reason, she wasn't very good at it.

"OH don't remind me!" El sighed dramatically. "In all this insanity yes I had forgotten." He flopped back on the bed, knocking his hat askew. "Damn you for reminding me." He seemed in a slightly better mood though, teasing rather than blushing and casting away his eyes.

Akane couldn't stop smiling at him, "Don't worry...we are probably almost there. Haven't you noticed that it's gotten a little chillier since we left?" She stayed sitting proper on the bed, feeling a little nervous with him laying beside her like that. Though it was lost on her just why she suddenly felt that way. "Ugh... I can't WAIT to suit up in all those terrible clothes...and stupid racket shoes." she said sarcastically. "And you had better wear them too! I don't want to be the only one looking like an idiot."

---

Oita was, pretty much, standing outside of the room that El and Akane were having their conversation in. This meant that Kami almost collided with him when she left. "Hello" he said gently once he realized who it was, but seemed unable to think of anything more to discuss with her.

"Hello Oita..." Kami said upon seeing him. "Again, I'm sorry that we bullied you... We should have given you the benefit of the doubt."

"The glasses were a rather cruel point" Oita pointed out to Kami, sniffing and rubbing his cheek "But Akane fixed my cheek rather well." He sighed softly and shook his head "I just did a damn puppet. I never thought that it would end in my own team mates hating me."

"I do not hate you Oita." Kami told him. "Akane made me question though... I shouldn't have... But it was there and I had to know... To be honest I'm a little disappointed in myself."

Oita sighed gently and shook his head, a little glad that he was probably working alone this mission "Lets just... not talk about that moment again. And Kami" Oita sniffed and pushed his glasses up his nose "Please don't steal my glasses again. It took all I had not to strike out at you when you took them before. I do not respond well to bullying."

"I could have broken them in anger." Kami reminded him. "But it could almost be seen that I was keeping them safe lest I or El step on them... though that was less the case than just being spiteful. I promise that I will never touch your glasses again aside for to keep them safe."

"Thank you" Oita wasn't going to bother point out how the concept of her keeping them safe in case anyone stepped on his glasses was a complete lie. He pushed his glasses up again, then sighed and removed them "The frames have gotten bent." He began to squint at them, trying to carefully twist the metal between his fingers, to make them go back to how they were before.

It wasn't a lie, just the utterance of a possibility, one that she'd admitted was not true. "May I help in any way?"

"No, I can do it" Oita said gently as he continued to twist the metal frames slowly. He pushed the glasses back on, then frowned and removed them from his face and began to twist them again. He was still rather upset by how people had been treating him. He'd come out here to help people and so far he'd been insulted and hit.

And had received a dozen apologies since. Akane had caused the mistrust and they had worked through the issue, why not with El and Kami? After all she had only taken his glasses for a moment and spoken with him strongly. She hadn't struck him as El had or begun the mistrust. She was a momentary victim of Akane's unwitting actions. Though not so much a victim as poor Oita.

Perhaps it had been because Oita had actually trusted Kami more than the others, and to have her react like this felt more of a betrayal. Oita pushed his glasses back on, blinking a few times and finding it pretty much alright "There." He looked up at Kami through his thick glasses "I hope you do well with the healing today Kami. They must be putting rather a lot of pressure on you."

"I've not the same skill as Akane..." Kami said, sounding still sorry for how she'd acted. "I'm afraid I can only act as a pharmacist to a doctor's remedies..."

"Well, I'm certain that any help would be of use" Oita said, trying to put what had happened behind him "And you are certainly better equipped to help people than I am. I just hope that I do not have defend us too much. Even if I use puppets, it is still just me against the attackers."

"And Kano and his team..." Kami reminded him. She chose not to mention El because they both knew he would be there. "You won't be completely alone."

"I have a feeling that they might go straight into the action" Oita said slowly "While I might hold back to avoid any attacks on the refugees. That means, if they decide to send out quite a few others to the refugees, then I will likely be the main line of defense." Oita tended to consider the worst situations, and they usually the most probable.

"I wish you luck then." Kami told him. "And that there are no so many wounded as that I would be caught up doing that rather than helping you."

Oita nodded "I hope there are not many wounded as well." He sighed happily, processing the idea for a moment... Why not? Show there were... at least... less hard feelings. He moved forward quickly, without giving Kami much time to realize what was happening, and hugged her.

Kami had to take a moment to realize that, like with that one time he'd innocently kissed her on the cheek, Oita had not commonly dealt with people in the past. She felt his arms around her and in her mind a portion of shattered trust repaired. She embraced him back and said again, "I am very sorry for earlier Oita. You forgive me?"

"Yes" Oita said with a small sigh, relaxing slightly as he felt Kami hug him back. He pricked his ears up at the voice that suddenly seemed to go through the rooms of the ship "Should we head up to the observation deck then?" This seemed better now, if he was still a little bothered by what had gone down, but he had recovered some trust.

"Agreed, though I must admit, I do not like large boats. I do not look forward to being on the observation deck." Kami, knowing he had been on his way earlier let him lead the way.

"Come on then" Oita said, releasing Kami and starting to move away. He remembered the way topside, but he wasn't looking forward to it really. He made sure to pick his pack up before heading up though, he didn't want to be caught unawares.