12 An Unfortunate Christmas (1/2)
Running his fingers through his silver hair, Orion took a deep breath, releasing it visibly thanks to the cold weather. He stared at it as it disappeared, his mind going in wonder. If it weren't for the lazy author, his story could've progressed further. To his dismay, the author added a Christmas Special instead of an actual chapter just to go along the theme.
Oh, it's past Christmas too, and near New Year.
Amazing.
Orion seriously landed with the most unreliable author in the universe. Granted, the author enjoyed her holiday, but Orion didn't. Let's recap on what happened.
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I ran through the thick forest, senses keen and eyes completely focused on the target ahead. This small task should've been finished already but the thick and slippery, snow-covered trees are getting on my way. I nearly died from heart attack earlier because of a small, slippery branch. My heart literally skipped a beat.
Oh, and did I mention that my scarf is prone to getting caught with twigs and sharp branches? No? Well, it is, unfortunately.
”Orion.” I heard a voice through my earpiece. ”Try to overtake it.”
”Copy.” I responded, making my pace faster.
Running around on snowy treetops near the village boarder while chasing a cat seems a great idea. Now, why did Bakashi borrowed the demon cat again? I don't fvcking know. All I know is that cat is one hell of a runner. I now understand Rookie 9's pain in this mission.
Except this isn't a mission.
I sighed, pushing a reasonable amount of chakra on my feet to gain speed. Just as I was about to overtake the cat, pain popped out of nowhere on my left ankle, causing me to stop running and lose my balance on the branch I was running on. I quickly back flipped to regain my posture on the ground, only to fall on my back again.
A breeze went past me but came back another moment. Concern can be seen through his eyes.
Kakashi stood in front of me, turning his earpiece off and crouching down next to me. ”You okay?” He asked as I struggled to sit up. ”Wait, stupid question. Don't answer that.” He laughed, checking my injured feet.
After poking it for a few times and receiving a thrown rock to his face, he did a quick first aid. He then cleared his throat and offered his back to me, ”It seems like your joint shattered after you released a load of chakra to it. You won't be walking for the rest of this training, it seems. Let's get you back.”
”What about the cat?” I asked, reaching for his shoulders before wrapping my arms around his neck.
Kakashi stood up and leaped up, chuckling out his words, ”Let's pass on our misfortune to others, okay? Don't worry about that smartass cat.”
”I second that.” I agreed, lazily burying my face on his fluffy scarf as he carried me back through the forest.
It was silent for a while, but it was the comfortable kind; Kakashi decided to ruin it. ”What do you want for lunch?” He asked.
Kaa-san and Tou-san went out today and left me with Kakashi. I don't really know where they went, but the scarecrow assured me that they'll be back soon. He also kind of dragged me into the whole ”chase-the-demon-cat” thing first thing in the morning.
”Ori-kun?” I heard Kakashi call out my name.
”Yeah?” I raised a brow.
He sighed, smiling through his mask. ”What do you want for lunch?”
”Uhm…” I leaned my head on his, ”Ramen?”
”Sounds good to me.” He nodded, ”I know just the right place.”
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Kakashi entered the hospital room, careful about the tray he's carrying. After admitting his nephew to the hospital to treat the boy's shattered ankle, he quickly dropped by Ichiraku to order two ramen for himself and the young boy. It was on the house on that day, since it was a special day.
He returned quite quickly—through the windows, in fact, startling the young boy lying down on the hospital bed.
”Careful,” He said, placing the tray on the table beside the young boy, ”it's hot.”
Orion gave him a deadpanned look. ”You sure care much today.”
”Oh, please,” Kakashi laughed, taking his own bowl of ramen and sitting down on a nearby chair, ”I care every day.” Orion laughed at his words, taking his own bowl of ramen, starting to eat it slowly, blowing the steam off.
It was pretty peaceful.
Nothing extraordinary is happening…
… yet.
Shattered glass echoed in the boy's room. Cat screeching to the top of its lungs echoed through the whole building. Hot steam and loud gurgling scream filled the unfortunate place.
Boy, it was terrifying; Orion was on fire—no one knows how and why; a guy in spandex somehow bathed in ramen and is covered in glass; Kakashi is holding a cat by its tail.
It was chaotic.
Running footsteps neared. The door burst open as the nurses and ninjas around the area came in panic. The scene was an absolute surprise.
After extinguishing the boy on fire and switching rooms to clean up the mess Guy had made when he went through the window, everything, dare I say, finally calmed the hell down. The random event settled down and now, two people are now admitted in one room.
Kakashi folded his arms and crossed his legs, clearly annoyed about recent happenings. ”So,” He started, eyes closed but is still emitting a cold aura, ”you actually thought that running through an 'invisible wall' was a great idea?”
”My youthful rival…” Guy laughed, ”I apologise. Someone had passed on the misfortune of the mission to catch the demon cat, and I was the one who received it.”
”Ha.” Orion chuckled, ”Pass on the misfortune! Fun.” He rolled his eyes, staring boredly at his uncle.
Kakashi sighed loudly, placing his palm on his face. ”First of all,” He looked over at the two, ”how on earth did Orion got set on fire?”
”Because I'm hot.” The said boy dropped the sass bomb and put on non-existent sunglasses.
Kakashi ignored him. ”Second of,” He gave his gaze towards Guy, lifting up the cat at his direction, ”What the hell? Why would you even accept the mission to catch this demon?”
”Because I can…?” Another sass bomb nonchalantly dropped by a teen in spandex.
The Hatake doesn't even know anymore. It seemed as though he's the only sane one in the room at the moment. Kakashi blames the author. The story is all over the place because the author is just throwing stuff in one go. The author needs a boost.
Everyone, including Kakashi, needs to pull author-san away from Tumblr. No particular reason why—
The door swung open, and the loud noise had cut off the laughter that filled the room because of Orion.
They simultaneously looked at the door, meeting an icy-cold glare coming from a motherly face. ”What. Happened. To. My. Baby.” Kaiya stomped in, taking in the cold atmosphere with her.
Following her entrance, Shikakuro leaned on the door frame, his arms folded. His soft expression subdued the cold aura his wife had spread. ”I assume… seeing that Tora is here, the misfortune was passed onto your bunch?”
His son gave him an 'are-you-serious' look.
”I assumed correctly.” The Nara nodded to himself.
”Oh, Ori-kun, don't worry,” Kaiya moved closer to her beloved son, hugging him, ”Kaa-san's here.”
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Bandaged like a mummy, Orion has been checked out of the hospital (forcefully) by his mother, who stormed out, dragging him out with his uncle, showing her medic-nin ID to the front desk.
With a quick ninja magic, Orion healed as fast as the demon cat could run. Her mother doesn't stop to amaze him. Kakashi, on the other hand, received a somewhat light scolding from his 'Kaiya-nee'.
Sure, the day was chaotic.