Up on the cliffside

[smallstepstopower]

Rolling out of his bedding hadn't brought him to an unanticipated level of comfort. He'd been on his way back to the village and had been in camp with his teammates after all. No, the jarring part was the mad scramble needed to avoid taking a headlong dive over a cliff that hadn't been there when he'd gone to sleep, and it was more than enough to immediately put him on the defensive, back straight as he slowly scanned his surroundings.

No teammates, no -forest-. Where the hell was he?

Comments

[orange_dattebayo]

"Of course it went well! I am the great Uzumaki Naruto! Did you doubt me, dattebayo?" he crossed his arms into a pout.

[smallstepstopower]

"Eternally." He reached down with one hand to pat his arms. "But you proved you have some reliability at least."

[orange_dattebayo]

He raised eyebrow at the gesture:"Of course I am reliable! I am Konoha's ninja!" Sure still a friggin' gennin, but that wasn't his fault.

[smallstepstopower]

"There are lots of Konoha nin who aren't good at pretty much anything." He shook his head and leaned on his shoulders, pointing with the hand he'd patted him with. "We'll be heading that way?"

[orange_dattebayo]

"That's not true. Everyone can do something if they try!" He blinked, looking over the shoulder at him:"And what's that way? Do you know this village?" Why is he still leaned on him. "Are you tired so you're still leaning on me, 'tebbayo?"

[smallstepstopower]

He blinked back at him and ignored the leaning question entirely. "No, that just seemed the logical direction to go. You don't agree?"

[orange_dattebayo]

Oi, did Orochimaru's brain completely disappeared in thin air as they made free-fall? He looked into the pointed direction:"I don't know. We have nothing to lose so let's go."

[smallstepstopower]

He nodded and finally straightened, hands trailing over his shoulders before he was released. "And you intend to simply march right in I take it?"

[orange_dattebayo]

He looked at him and shrugged:"What? Is that wrong? I don't plan to sneak in like some thief," he grumbles.

[smallstepstopower]

He gave a deep sigh. "Yes, you definitely take after Jiraiya." Shaking his head, he stepped around him and started walking. "Then let's try your way."

[orange_dattebayo]

That... kind of made him smile. This was second time Orochimaru said that. He noticed the other walking away and he ran after him:"Hey! Wait up!"

[smallstepstopower]

He looked over his shoulder, clearly unimpressed. "Why? You caught up well enough."

[orange_dattebayo]

"Che, don't act so smart," he grumbled, now walking next to him. He squinted at the village, trying to make out stores and houses.

[smallstepstopower]

"It's no act, I assure you I'm brilliant." He flipped his hair back over his shoulder and turned forward again.

[orange_dattebayo]

He raised suspicious eyebrow at him but said nothing. "So what do you plan to do in village?" Yep... he's trying to make a conversation.

[smallstepstopower]

"I plan to determine if there are shinobi here, and if now, how shinobi friendly the locals -are-. Considering that neither of us seem to be aware of how we got here it laves this entire place as suspect and in need of investigation."

[orange_dattebayo]

"Hmmm..." he scrunched his nose at him, hands behind his head. Well, that sounded like good plan. Good... boring plan. "Should find some food too..."

[smallstepstopower]

He looked over at him and sighed. "Do you have any money?"

[orange_dattebayo]

He pulled out his frog wallet, having some money he took with him when he left Konoha:"Some. But I don't know if they take this currency here."

[smallstepstopower]

He studied the frog critically. "And I have my team's funds as well. Lets find a store first and see if our money is any good here."

[orange_dattebayo]

He nodded:"Yeah let's see what we can find," he pocketed his wallet. He wondered if Orochimaru is as big spender as Ero-sennin.

[smallstepstopower]

He nodded and resumed walking. "Do you have food preferences?"

[orange_dattebayo]

"Ramen of course!" he says it as if it's the obvious thing and that Orochimaru is silly for asking about it. "Ramen is the best dattebayo."

[smallstepstopower]

"Somehow I find myself less than shocked to hear that." His voice was droll and he shook his head. "We'll ask about the currency before ordering then."

[orange_dattebayo]

"That is because you also realize that ramen is the best!" he threw his hands in the air. Wait- what do snakes eat? Mice? There was mental 'ew' at that thought.