Rushing through the forest was dull work, but the breaks—when they could sit, eat, and recover—were always welcome.
"Rest for an hour and eat something," said White Fang from his perch on a tree trunk. He didn't look the least bit tired as he gestured for them to stop.
Once Maki and the others landed, they scattered rather than grouping together.
"Byakugan!" Hitomi called, her pale eyes scanning the area.
"Good. You're still cautious," White Fang noted.
"Isn't that just common sense from the Academy?" Hitomi replied. "Anyway, nothing unusual around here." She closed her eyes again.
The three girls dropped to the forest floor at the same time.
"You're being overly cautious," White Fang said. "We haven't even left Konoha's borders yet. This area is safe."
Maki shook her head. "Details decide success or failure."
White Fang chuckled. "Fair point." Pulling down his mask, he revealed his mouth. "But now's the time to eat. I'm guessing you didn't bring any supplies?"
"Wow, so you really set us up," Hitomi complained. "Senior Dog is evil."
"Evil? Isn't this just common sense?" White Fang said, already chewing on a ration pill he pulled from his pouch.
"Of course we have common sense!" Hitomi huffed. "But you're not seriously eating only ration pills, right?"
"I've got water too." He unslung his canteen. "Mixing pills with water is an old tradition. Works fine."
"I could never get used to that," Hitomi muttered. "They taste awful."
"They're just a bit dry," White Fang countered. "Packed with nutrients—dried plums for thirst, fillers for stamina. Great stuff. But, uh… if you eat too many, it's… not easy to, you know…" He hesitated. "…go to the bathroom."
Naori quickly changed the subject. "You don't eat them three times a day on missions, do you?"
"In principle we can't light fires," White Fang explained. "Too risky—smoke gives away your position. But…" He scratched his head. "Out here, no one's watching. Just don't report me when we get back."
"Relax, no one's tattling," Hitomi said. "But seriously, what do you actually eat in the wild?"
"Whatever we find."
"Ugh, ANBU life is brutal," Hitomi sighed. "So disappointing. I thought you people were supposed to be mysterious, deadly, elegant—coming and going like the wind. Not… chewing ration pills like squirrels."
White Fang laughed awkwardly. "So, want some? I brought plenty."
"No thanks." Hitomi shook her head. "I'll find something better." She opened her eyes again.
"Hitomi, there's no time," Maki interrupted. She slapped her palms to the ground.
White Fang froze. Wait… hand signs?
Smoke billowed as the summoning finished—and when it cleared, a heap of squirming meat-worms writhed on the ground, easily enough to feed ten people.
White Fang stared. What in the world…?
"You're not seriously going to eat that, are you?" he asked in horror.
"Of course not!" Hitomi said brightly. "We'll cook them. Worms with water—delicious and good for the skin." She turned to Maki, batting her eyes. "Maki, help me roast them?"
With a wave of Maki's hand, small red beetles crawled forth, igniting tiny flames.
Hitomi rolled up her sleeves. In a flash, her sword split a massive stone into thin slabs, which she set over the flame beetles. She tossed the worms on top, then cut down a tree in one clean stroke. From the wood, she whittled three pairs of chopsticks and passed them to Maki and Naori.
Finally, Hitomi dug out tiny jars of spices from her pouch, sprinkling them carefully over the sizzling worms.
Soon, a rich fragrance filled the air.
White Fang couldn't help but be impressed watching Hitomi's practiced movements.
'Good grief… this one's got real skill. No wonder half the village trees died at her hands,' he thought.
The smell of roasting bugs mixed with the aroma of wine—it was oddly pleasant. But when it came to eating insects, White Fang felt his scalp tingle.
"Where are my chopsticks?" he asked.
Maki glanced at him curiously. "Can you actually eat this?"
"I've eaten just about everything," White Fang said with a hint of pride. "If there's nothing else, I'll manage. But worms? That's new."
"You're not half bad," Hitomi said with a smirk. "You've got good taste."
In a flash, she drew her blade. A sharp glint of steel cut the air, and in less than two seconds, she had carved a neat pair of chopsticks.
White Fang stared.
That speed… that precision… not a wasted stroke.
Even without chakra-enhanced sword techniques, her control was terrifying.
Taking the chopsticks, he asked, a little excited, "So… can I eat?"
"That's it," Hitomi grinned. "Help yourself."
White Fang pressed his hands together politely. "Then, I'll dig in."
After all, who'd choose ration pills when real food was on the fire?
He bit down like a hungry bird. "Smells amazing," he praised.
Hitomi chuckled as she kept roasting. "This almost feels like a picnic. Kind of ruins the image, doesn't it?"
She handed out portions, placing crispy bugs on flat stone plates before Maki and Naori.
"Not bad at all," Maki said, nibbling one. She spoke softly: "You have to relax when you can. Otherwise, you'll break sooner or later."
"Exactly," White Fang agreed, chewing thoughtfully. "Maki's right."
"Hitomi's just too wound up," Naori added, watching her. "She's been like this as long as I've known her."
Hitomi muttered back, "And you're any different? You don't talk much either."
She knew Naori well. And Naori knew her. Both were tense—it was their first real mission to kill.
White Fang stayed quiet. Words could only do so much; in the end, everyone had to find their own way to cope. Still, he decided to say something.
"The first time I killed someone," White Fang began, picking up another roasted worm, "my whole body was shaking."
"Was it that scary?" Hitomi asked.
"Terrifying," he admitted. "The shinobi world is cruel. Life or death—it's decided in seconds. It felt like everything I'd lived for up to that point was meaningless."
"Then… Captain, how did you overcome it?" Hitomi pressed.
"I got used to it."
The answer was simple. Too simple. Ordinary—and terrifying.
"…That's awful," Naori whispered, lowering her head as she bit quietly into her food.
White Fang scratched the back of his head. "No… honestly, I think you three are scarier than me."
He turned to Maki. "And you? What do you think about killing?"
Maki chewed calmly. "Me? I don't think about it. It's just the village's order. Nothing more."
White Fang sighed.
So she didn't even need to comfort herself.
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