Day 37: Sun Room

[hismastersdance.livejournal.com]

Joe had read some of the larger notes stuck up on the bulletin board when the announcement came on the intercom. All things considered, this Landel guy didn't even seem so bad. Even if these people were held here against their will, he was certainly nice about it.

Apparently, the new patients - including Joe - were to hang around in the Sun Room or go to Arts and Crafts with the kids. Well, there was plenty of information on the board, including maps and descriptions of monsters, for Joe to prepare for the nighttime, when he could seriously get going on fighting his way out. He could look for where the boss would probably be waiting, or where his V-watch might be, and figure out how to fight the monsters. In fact, he had plenty of time to work all that out... but this the first time he'd had to really relax since he got his powers. So it couldn't possibly hurt to enjoy the calm period, could it?

The red-head stepped back from the board, and hopped back onto a comfy-looking couch to digest in the sunlight. He reached up to pull his cap down, and sighed when he realized it wasn't there. "Oh well, nothing's perfect. I still wouldn't call this hell."

[free!]

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[lostonlifesroad.livejournal.com]

What Jiraiya said about Naruto and himself might have normally made Kakashi raise an eyebrow. But suddenly the benefactor of newfound perspective, he instead gave a slight nod as he listened. It made sense. This was Jiraiya's last chance. When they ended this place, the others would be returned to their world, and the legendary Sannin would be dead. While this prison was a torturous place, it had in fact given the man a chance to ease those regrets.

He could also understand why Jiraiya would be embrassed over such a thing. It was hard for any proud ninja to admit his mistakes. And that more than anything else was why Kakashi decided to tell Jiraiya something he hadn't asked for, something that no one else currently there knew.

"We might have to watch out for each other doing that, in that case." Any trace of the facade dropped, Kakashi's expression serious and somber. There was nothing good about what was coming next. "Some time after Naruto is sent away to train, Pein of Akatsuki attacked Konoha. I was taken from the middle of the battle against the village. Or specifically, from the end of my own."

The next words were harder to get out than he imagined, however. Giving what had happened the additional weight of sharing it with another person, making it that much more real; Kakashi realized then that it was harder to tell of his own death than to report that of others, in so many ways. "He's formidable. But they will find a way to win."

He was silent for a long moment after that. Even without directly saying it, Kakashi knew Jiraiya would be able to tell what he meant. He also hoped that the ninja would understand that it wasn't something Kakashi wanted told, if he could avoid it. There was no way to know who would show up next from their world, or from when, but for now only he and Jiraiya knew the truth of his fate. There wasn't any reason to include the rest of Team 7 or Team Kakashi in that knowledge.

Opening his book again gave the man something to look at, though he didn't resume reading. Jiraiya's surge of confidence helped Kakashi settle a bit, leaving the jounin to wonder exactly when the student began rubbing off on the teacher. It wasn't entirely surprising, and in it's own way, pleasant to have that spirit be contageous.

Then it was back to Sasuke, and briefly, Kakashi entertained the thought that maybe Naruto wasn't the only one obsessed. Certainly the ero-sennin had earned his nickname, and Kakashi was tempted by the thought of challenging the man on it. Jiraiya was just as likely to go flirt with a woman simply to prove that he still prefered them. Regardless, he decided he'd rather not run the risk of Jiraiya getting slapped just then, so the thought remained just a thought.

Besides, it wasn't so important after the elder pointed out that Naruto and Sasuke had kissed. Again.

Eyebrow quirking up, Kakashi's book was again snapped closed. The half-serious, half-comically presented talk was good for getting him out of his own thoughts, and even for getting a bit of a laugh of them. "Ah. You might not want to mention certain parts that to Sakura. There wouldn't be any chance of them working together if she killed them both." Or spent all her time trying to watch them make out. But those were things that Kakashi did not want to be thinking about. So he didn't.