eluvio | [TEXT] UN: STOPMESSAGES

(sasuke looks more troubled than usual and suigetsu can place it; he's always been able to read his teammate like a book. what to do about it is another matter entirely, the odd distance between them at a far larger gap than there was — and maybe that's his own fault, since he initiated that visceral argument they'd never experienced from one another. but somehow, even though he's forced himself to chill out on that front, it feels like they're both to blame.

stares at this guy from konoha forced to fight in a war of contrition before, during, and after a very literal one. watches as he fiddles with blades and wire. suigetsu doesn't understand it, this new goal to protect a village that's managed to ruin and scorn him since he could breathe the fire they claim represents their will. or the people in it, who've been nipping at his heels just waiting for his suffering to break him down to some hollow shell they can fill up with bullshit. even the "smaller" issue of getting his arm blown off and refusing to acknowledge it, acting like it's normal instead of embracing why it's not—

sasuke finishes speaking and suigetsu raises his eyes from his partner's empty sleeve. he didn't hear a word he said.)

Huh?

(himself? what'd he find?)

Ah, this thing. (looking down to shake the unwarranted and unwanted discourses from his head, waving idly, not off to a particularly good start with this replacement sword held tightly to one hip.) It's boring, but it'll get the job done. That's all I need to tide me over until we get home, so... I guess it's fine...

(it reminds him to hand kusanagi back with a practiced tug of the sheath from a more respectful place at the side he draws from, balancing it on the fingers of a flat hand, offered out like it was brought over on a silver platter. they're the only thing he's ever been gentle with, caring with, and the blade nestled away will look sharper and cleaner than it had been a day before. with all that's been going on, at least one of them looks brand new.)

Ira has more weapons like this, but the only fighters I've seen there throw them around like barbarians. We could go check later, though the atmosphere won't be very good for people like us. What do you think?

[ Sasuke's head lifts a split second before Suigetsu's averted his eyes and the direction of his stare isn't missed. It causes him to tense, jaw set and eyes fractionally narrowed before they too purposefully lower to the indicated chokuto. He takes it, a far more familiar weight and sets it with less care -- more familiarity -- down at his side.

It ran him through just a few days ago. He'd woken from a night terror about it last night.

Does Suigetsu have them too? He's never asked; he's never asked anyone anything like that. It's easier to wonder up here, as the days remain dark but feel longer. ]

I haven't experienced it so I can't say. If we go, we should limit the amount of time we spend there. Ten minute intervals, maybe. [ Otherwise it's too dangerous. For everyone else. ]

(refusing to acknowledge that they've spotted one another, eyes sticking to his own sword.)

It's kind of a nagging irritation, but it grows the longer you're there. Soon enough, all you wanna do is fight.

(by the time he left, he didn't have the best control over himself and there was most certainly bloodshed. something that's omitted from this conversation, as well as something else that needs to be said and never does. "maybe we shouldn't go together", a thought that gums up his jaws and keeps them shut tight.

anger's the last thing he wants sasuke to feel towards him — he's seen it at work countless times already.)

If you say ten minutes is good, then that's fine with me, Sasuke. (a pause, considering.) Now, or later?

[ "Soon enough, all you wanna do is fight."

Well, the cynic in him wonders if he'd feel a difference, or if Suigetsu did. If he was there alone, experiencing that, there's no reality he can imagine that doesn't involve death or at least maiming. He doesn't mention it either. ]

Later. I'd rather wait until nightfall on that place when there are fewer people around. If the effects are stronger than I anticipated then I'll change the timeframe, too.

That's cool. We can do whatever we set out to do there in less than five minutes anyway.

(it may sound boastful, but he speaks matter-of-factly. there isn't much in the way of competition there. no one could even land a strike on him, let alone give him an opportunity to use any of his jutsu, all scrappy brawlers and people who tumble in from the bars.

there's a lingering little silence suigetsu gives himself, slapping on an uncomfortable smile, wondering if the conversation's ending. he never had the social competency enough to know exactly when.)

I'm gonna go down to the Atrium till then, there's alien-looking ducks, did you see 'em? Are you coming too?

(the rooms get stuffy, his shower stall is too small to soak in without sliding out in an anxious hurry, but the atrium reminds him of home and its solid ground.)

[ The thought of sending a hawk into that district occurs to him, realizing that it may be wiser to go that route in order to navigate stores and scope out weapons that they can acquire more quickly, but Suigetsu distracts him by breaking the silence... as usual.

No one else has really done that for him in years; he's gotten used to the quiet. He'll need to again, too, when he leaves the village again. ]

There's something else I need to do instead. [ As he casts a look back down to the assorted weaponry, then snaps his gaze back up to his teammate. ]

Spar with me.

...

Huh?

I've been inactive and I need to train.

Is there a part you don't understand?

I-I guess the segue was a little...

(abrupt? not for sasuke. maybe he's gotten a little complacent.)

Where did you plan on sparring? Isn't the ship too small?

I wasn't going to utilize anything overboard. [ In other words, his sharingan abilities. ]

If it's an issue, however, we can go to Bajikan. The watery nature of it will give you an advantage.

Bajikan.

(repeated, eyes finding the porthole window. will they cause a commotion? does it matter?)

Well, let's go then. I've been meaning to check out the islands that aren't part of the seven districts. One of those could do the trick. (as for his stipulations, which are obvious from all the other times they've sparred and he's lost...) As always, I don't want you messing around with my head.

It isn't going to be that kind of fight. My genjutsu isn't something I need to test.

[ No, his true intent should be obvious. He needs to quickly become accustomed to fighting with one less limb, a huge change that he expects he'll adapt to best via a trial by fire. Better it's Suigetsu's blade he's facing than that of a real enemy, the first time.

The rest of the daggers are systematically removed from their confines as he speaks, each one quietly examined as he selects which he wants to bring with him. The wire is a must, as is Kusanagi. ]

I expect you to not hold back.

Since when do I ever hold back?

(a sharp snort, like the statement offends him. him holding back against anyone is a complete joke, all of his victims would attest, but they can't speak well with their heads lobbed off.

not that he could ever kill an uchiha, but he certainly does try for sasuke's sake. if he didn't, he'd probably be ash by now.)

If you think I'm gonna go easy on you 'cause you're missing an arm, you're in for a rude awakening.

[ His response is a snort, weapons hidden away on his person as he finally rises from the bed. ]

Following that, there's something else I'm interested in trying out.

Have you been to the anti-gravity room aboard the ship? [ Sasuke pauses, doing a quick once-over of his teammate that's intended to challenge and irritate him. ] Maybe that's too much for your physiology. I assume you'd have to focus harder in order to combat it as you are.

(it works, getting suigetsu's eyes to narrow.)

You didn't exist in a weightless environment for years, did you? I wonder who'd have a harder time...? (physiology aside, his confidence lies in his chakra control — in this physical state, he's just the same as everyone else.) We could check it out. Is that where you wanna spar with me?

It's on the list. [ Unnecessary proof positive that this won't be a one-time event; given the opportunity he'd force Suigetsu to train with him daily. ]

Given this environment it may be prudent to learn how to handle it sooner rather than later. We could do more on Bajikan after getting weapons tonight, instead.

Alright, alright. Don't get crazy with scheduling things, I'm gonna need to rest in between!

(rest is so important. but he's rolling his shoulders, getting ready to head out.)

Why don't we go try it out? Then if it feels right, we can stay there. If it don't, we can head down to Bajikan, grab the weapons in Ira, and spar with 'em.

(really he's just really curious about the zero g now.)

I'm not scheduling too many. This is still a lot less than either of us are accustomed to, and we're not here for a vacation.

[ No, not with all he's heard about suspicious activity aboard the ship... it's just still far less dramatic than trouble in the shinobi world tends to be. ]

We can talk about food after this. [ Impetus to do well. ]

'Kaaay, I'm gonna be so hungry later. I can tell, 'cause I am now.

(especially if sasuke reduces him to a blob... he really needs to figure out how to bump up his electricity resistance. maybe his teammate can help him with that, but it seems unlikely considering his chemical makeup.

points to all of sasuke's new shiny things, then jerks a thumb at the door.)

Are you coming, or what? I wanna try out my new sword, now.

Don't get so impatient; you're too easily riled up for a fight as it is. [ This isn't entirely accurate, but they both know it's a euphemistic way to refer to Suigetsu's real interests.

He skirts around him on his way towards the door all the same, absently making sure all his weapons are secured; he can already picture them floating around weightlessly. ]

Have you been challenging anyone else here?

Yeah, yeah.

(head bobbing as he makes his way after him, only pausing to make sure the door shuts firmly enough for sasuke. don't want anyone breaking in... although it would be kinda nice to show his new sword what a sneak thief's insides feel like run through.

HUMS IN THOUGHT.)

No one's asked me to fight them, yet, besides those few people that were in Ira. (accidental past tense, but they both know what happened there.) But a lot of people on the network are dicks. Do you think they wanna start something?

It doesn't matter too much what their intentions are. [ He knows what Suigetsu would like them to be and he doesn't want to allow anyone to give him an excuse. The more commotion they cause, the more eyes they'll have on them. The more attention, the harder it'll be to get out. Of that, he's convinced. ]

I don't doubt that you're too strong for most if not all of them. Defend yourself if you need to, but otherwise ignore their goading.

If they're not tough to fight, then there's no real fun in it... (not entirely true, he's been known to frequently make exceptions — and sasuke's seen all of that before.) You understand that much.

(weird, that they're the strongest. he's used to being outgunned... and it feels good to be on top.

or at least third from the top, after sasuke and obito.)

Hey, you're probably the strongest person here!

... I hadn't thought about it. [ A lie. Of course he's thought about it, but not exactly in those terms. He's thought about them as a unit and their ability to get out of this situation using force, a tactician's perspective rather than an egotist's. But now that Suigetsu's said it-- ]

Maybe. Obito still shouldn't be underestimated either; you know that. Besides, I'll need to adjust to a new way of fighting.

As if one arm will make much of a difference. I barely see you making hand signs as it is.

(but if sasuke needs help with that one, well. suigetsu's never needed to use hand-signs and is kind of a professional at that and chakra control now. ood, he's never really thought about it.)

It's aaall in your googly eyes, kukukuh.

(tried not to laugh, failed, and is still laughing.)

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